Review Round UP

It's catch up time again....
We have a new(ish) release review, two reviews for a recent re-release, and a free read from my box-o-paperbacks. 

  The Real Deal by Lauren Blakely

My rating: 4 of 5 stars - Would Recommend to a Friend

Review Copy Provided by Publisher via Net Galley

This was a fun, light read perfect for summer fun.
I enjoyed both April, Theo, and their large secondary cast. Both are strong characters and while there is some baggage on Theo's part, there is nothing too dark or heavy.
This is written with Ms. Blakely's trademark witty banter and entertaining scenarios. I found myself connecting to both April and Theo and appreciating there instant connection and growing romance. The fact that both experienced emotional growth and minor epiphanies made this that much more entertaining.
Ms. Blakely is an author that I can always count on to deliver a solid, fun read and she definitely delivered on that with The Real Deal.

Amazon

 Take This Regret by A.L. Jackson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars - Would Recommend to a Friend

Review copy provided by author

True love.... ripped to shreds....
That’s what you are in for in Take this Regret. Elizabeth and Christian are each other’s true love/soul mate, but he made a choice that tore them apart.
In Take This Regret, we get to see the journey that led them back together and the roads they traveled while apart. We see grief, anger, resentment, and eventually flickers of hope and maybe love.
Ms Jackson does a phenomenal job of pulling the reader in and letting us see the emotions Christian and Elizabeth experience. It’s almost like being there with them.
The ending here is one that brings this book to a conclusion, but not the story. I can’t wait to see what comes next!

Amazon

 If Forever Comes by A.L. Jackson

My rating: 3.5 Stars - Worth a Reader's Time

Review Copy Provided by Author

Okay - I'm going to be brutally honest.
I liked this book and loved how Ms Jackson presented the situation so that we could see joy, heartbreak, and redemption all at the same time. But, I'm not sure why it was necessary to take Christian and Elizabeth on this particular journey.
Take this Regret ended with them in a really good place. A place that they struggled to get to, I think I would have been content to let the story end there and imagine them riding off into the sunset together.
While the writing here is fantastic and the emotions ripple off the page, I kind of wish we could have left the little family alone. I get that is personal preference and I feel like by the end of If Forever Comes they are a stronger unit, I just struggle with why the angst needed to be heaped on them after they had already been through so much.
Overall - Read it!

Amazon

FREE READ

 Barefoot with a Stranger by Roxanne St. Claire

My rating: 4 of 5 stars - Would Recommend to a friend

Paperback copy provided by Author via a contest

This second installment of the Barefoot Bay Undercover series was a winner for me. Not only is there an awesome meet cute for Mal and Chessie, there is the king of awkward moments when they realize how they are connected to each other.
Ms. St Claire does an excellent job of blending the secret agent/suspense elements of the story with Chessie and Mal getting to know each other and forming their relationship. I appreciated the fact that some of the most unique elements of the story served the dual purpose of advancing the mission they were on while also weaving their personal connection that much tighter.
This book also advances the story of Gabe, Chessie's brother, that will come to a conclusion in the 3rd book of this series. I am curious to see where Gabe's story goes!

Amazon

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