Groomzilla by Sam Kritzer

Groomzilla by Sam Kritzer

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I feel the need to explain that a 2-star rating does not mean that this is a bad book. For me, 2 stars is indicative of a book that is just okay and that’s how I felt after finishing Groomzilla – it was just okay. There were several things about the book that kept me from enjoying it more, the biggest being Aaron. I had a really hard time reconciling the hard-nosed ADA Aaron was supposed to be with the child-like brat that often appeared when things didn’t go his way. At one point in the story, Aaron pouts because Peter gets called in to work a homicide – this was too childish, especially for an ADA who prosecutes homicide cases. This is not a matter of Aaron being submissive to Peter, but more that Aaron’s work personality and brat personality are so contradictory that it didn’t ring true for me. There’s a difference between submissive behavior and childish behavior and Aaron’s behavior was often too juvenile for the adult he was purported to be. Now had Groomzilla been marketed as age-play rather than (or in addition to) spanking, it would have perhaps been more believable. I wouldn’t have read it because I don’t enjoy age-play books and while I won’t say that it’s full-on age-play, it is close enough for me to keep me from enjoying it. Those who do enjoy age-play books may find this to be a very enjoyable read.

My other big issue was the memory of the first time Peter spanked Aaron. Except for Aaron yelling at the rookie cop – the offense which triggered the spanking – there was absolutely nothing about that scene that was believable to me. Even though they had been dating for a while and the reader is told that there is an understanding between the two men regarding the power dynamic in their relationship, there was nothing to indicate that spanking had been discussed, much less agreed upon. Furthermore, the spanking occurred in Aaron’s office – which is a public office where his subordinates could hear it. The whole scene violated professional workplace standards as well as consent between the parties and it really bothered me.

Other than that one scene, Peter was actually what I enjoyed most about the book. He was attentive to Aaron’s moods and followed through on punishment when earned, even when he didn’t want to. That said, I felt there was too much of an emphasis on punishment in the book. Yes, I get that this is a spanking book so spanking will be a large part of it. But for me there was not enough emphasis placed on the actual relationship between Peter and Aaron. It seemed that most of the scenes between the two revolved around Peter punishing Aaron for yet another infraction. I just didn’t feel the connection between Peter and Aaron that I should have from a long-term couple about to get married. I feel like Groomzilla has been marketed wrong, with too much emphasis being placed on the spanking and not enough on the brat/age-play aspect. Groomzilla is not a bad book, it’s just not a book for me.

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

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Miss Taken by Cleo Scornavacca

Miss Taken by Cleo Scornavacca

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I was quite excited to start this book today. I loved the premise of Miss Taken – the bad guy falling in love with his captive because he abducted the wrong twin. When I began the book I was even more excited as it was narrated in the first person from Rain’s point of view. However, within a few pages my excitement began to dim because the author kept switching from present tense to past tense, the transitions were not only jarring but they were a sign of poor editing. As Miss Taken was available on Amazon, I downloaded the sample to set my mind at ease about the editing. However, the sample showed that the tense issues were not only not corrected during the editing process, but the author’s edits were also visible in the purchased copy. What do I mean by this? You can see where someone has stricken out the text and made changes; for example: There had It had never been a sexual relationship between Tommy and me. Not good, but ultimately not the reason for the low rating.

Despite this and because I received a review copy, I soldiered on in the hopes that the story would suck me in to the point that I could overlook the errors and tense issues as I have found – on more than one occasion – a diamond in the rough, a great story hidden within bad editing. Sadly, this was not my experience with Miss Taken. As I said, the premise was great but the execution was not. I found Rain to be extremely disappointing as a female lead. Initially she comes off as a strong and sassy woman, living her life to the fullest despite a somewhat debilitating medical condition. Yet time and time again, her behavior was equivalent to that of a doormat. Just when I thought she found her backbone, she’d cave at Dominick’s first apology OR even worse, apologize to him first for something that was his fault. I lost track of the number of times that she allowed Dominick to walk all over her – it was bad enough that the final time in this installment that she left him did not leave me with the expected feeling of suspense I know the author intended. As for Dominick, egomaniacal does not even begin to do him justice. Add to that his volatility and obsessiveness, it was too much for me to stomach which is why Rain’s constant forgiveness made no sense to me. I could not relate at all. This left the story feeling flat and disjointed for me.

I usually give a book two stars when it falls within the “Just okay” area and reserve one-star ratings for books that leave me thinking “I hated it and I want my time back.” I didn’t hate Miss Taken, so it’s not really a one-star read, but I didn’t consider it “just okay” either. It was more of a situation where I really didn’t care what happened to the characters and there just wasn’t that much that appealed to me, no matter how much I tried to like it. I enjoy abductor-abductee romances and have many in my Kindle library that I have read and reread. I was looking forward to adding Ms. Scornavacca’s Miss Taken series to my collection but sadly that will not be happening as Miss Taken didn’t work for me and left me with no desire to continue the series.

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

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My Salvation by Michelle Dare

My Salvation by Michelle Dare

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



I had such high hopes for this book, but unfortunately My Salvation ended up being just an okay read for me. The biggest hindrance to my enjoyment was that I never connected to either of the main characters. Right off the bat with the opening scene, Cali rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe if Ms. Dare had provided a bit more detail as to why Cali was quitting her job I would have been able to sympathize with the predicament she found herself in and connect with her. Without it – for me – the scene becomes quite stilted and Cali comes off a bit like she’s spoiled. As it stands, the scene feels contrived simply to set the stage for her to go the lake and ultimately reunite with Owen.

Once Cali heads home after joining the ranks of the unemployed, she decides that a trip to the lake house is just what she needs. That she learns after she arrives that she will be treated to the occasional glimpse of her neighbor while he’s shirtless is a major bonus. Even though the two haven’t seen each other in ten years and only shared a single kiss the night before she left for college, Owen has always been in love with her and decides that now is the time to let her know how he feels. The speed with which they embark upon their relationship was a bit too quick for my taste. Even though it’s been a decade since they last saw each other, Owen is ready to make a life with Cali almost immediately. A LOT can happen over ten years and 18 year-old Cali and 28 year-old Cali are not the same, yet Owen doesn’t care as long as he has her in his life. Add to this, romantic suspense elements that were so predictable that it was unbelievably frustrating when the characters didn’t figure it out until the actual reveal. Seriously?!?! Needless to say my enjoyment of the book just went downhill and continued to do so the more I read.

Typically I don’t comment on spelling, grammar, etc. in a review copy because I don’t always know if the copy I received is the final version or not. However, the errors, overuse of commas, awkward phrasing, incorrect use of past and present tense, and incorrect word use (affect vs. effect) kept pulling me out the story while reading. I can only hope that the copy I received was not the final version and the majority of the issues will be corrected before the masses receive it. I hate that I didn’t enjoy My Salvation more because it has a good premise, but the execution was lacking for me. This is one of those books that I recommend you download a sample of and decide for yourself; just because it didn’t work for me doesn’t mean you won’t love it.

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

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The Little Red Book by Melinda Barron

The Little Red Book by Melinda Barron

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



I loved the premise of The Little Red Book and was really looking forward to it. Unfortunately the book just didn’t work for me. I enjoyed Ms. Barron’s writing style and the ease with which the story flows, but I did not like Felix once he and Charlotte embarked on their D/s relationship.

I found it quite interesting that during the lunch at the café when he has Charlotte read a passage from the little red book, he tells her that unlike the Mr. Riddle from the book, he does care that his sub enjoys their activities. Yet throughout most of the book, to me his actions don’t line up with this. There were several times during the book that I felt that rather than pushing her limits, Felix was outright ignoring them and doing whatever pleased him. I was shocked that he took her to the playdate on their second official weekend together and refused to tell her what to expect. As their previous discussion regarding limits was woefully inadequate, I found his treatment of her appalling. His refusal to listen to her concerns about proposed acts and his “you’ll take what I want, how I want, and when I want” attitude was a major turn-off for me as it reeks of abusive rather than dominant. As did his withholding of forgiveness after a punishment spanking. The point of a punishment spanking is to absolve the sub of guilt and start with a clean slate, yet he only granted forgiveness a couple of times and actually said “perhaps” when she asked for forgiveness after one punishment spanking. And that he gave her instructions that were designed to make her fail and “earn” a punishment just pissed me off.

Equally irritating was that Charlotte believed that if she used her safe word then that not only ended the scene but the relationship. Whether it was true or not is irrelevant because it was how Charlotte felt and it influenced her decisions. That said, if it was true it merely shows how big of an arse Felix was, and if it wasn’t true, then it points at his failure to communicate with his sub. And this points to where my biggest issue lies – his failure to train Charlotte. While it is true that Charlotte had some experience in the lifestyle, Felix determines that she is not as well-trained as he would like, yet does little to train her outside of punishing her when she’s wrong. Granted, there were parts of their arrangement that Charlotte enjoyed, but his refusal to acknowledge or negotiate about new components being added to their relationship were problematic for me. Sadly The Little Red Book is just an okay read for me, thus the 2-star rating. This is one of those books that I recommend you check out for yourself because you may not have the issues with Felix that I did and Ms. Barron’s writing style is enjoyable to read even if the characters were not.

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

Check out The Little Red Book by Melinda Barron blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


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Faith's Temptation by Rose Dewallvin

Faith's Temptation by Rose Dewallvin

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



I like my MC books gritty and the grittier the better. Unfortunately, Faith’s Temptation is sorely lacking in the grit department. It’s so gritless, that when Faith and Ryder start making out on the beach – shortly after walking barefoot on said beach – he proceeds to lick and suck on her toes as part of their foreplay before they have sex. As someone who grew up in the Florida Panhandle and has been on several of the beaches along the Gulf Coast in Florida, Alabama and Mississippi, I found that scene very difficult to believe because Gulf Coast beach sand sticks to everything, especially in between the toes.

Sadly, this was not the only thing I found lacking in the book. The dialogue often felt stilted, especially between Ryder and Faith. Ryder’s sister Layla is the queen of mixed messages – she warns Ryder away from Faith, tells Faith that her brother is not a good man and she should avoid him, yet when Faith has a fashion emergency while getting ready for her first date with Ryder, Layla comes to the rescue with a halter-dress and heels. But most importantly, Ryder is not believable as the VP of an MC, especially as he tells Faith that he runs drugs and guns and has murdered people. He lacks the hardened edge that is typically associated with someone in his position; the fact that he seems to have no qualms in telling Faith that he loves her, will take care of her, and wants to marry her is at total odds with the outlaw biker/trucker personality he is supposed to possess. An alpha male he is not and as much as I hate to admit it, I found myself snickering at several of the sex scenes when the author attempted to portray Ryder is sexually dominant.

While I did enjoy Faith’s character more than Ryder’s, I found the speed at which her resolve to not date anyone crumbled when Ryder pursued her for date surprising – and by that I mean she agreed to a date after he asked her twice. However, she definitely redeemed herself when she confronted her ex-boyfriend Beau and her ex-best friend, Peggy Sue; now THAT was a scene that made up for her waffling. I also found the ending of the book to be quite enjoyable – and no, not because it was the end, but because of the situation Ryder finds himself in. It certainly sets the stage for the sequel

I was so excited to read this book because I remember reading the sample on Amazon when it was originally released under the title, The Lost Trucker, and being disappointed that it was no longer available for purchase when I was ready to read it. Unfortunately, Faith’s Temptation did not live up to its blurb’s potential and it was just an okay read for me. I can only hope that the next book in the series is better and fulfills the promise of the cliffhanger.

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

Check out the Faith's Temptation by Rose Dewallvin blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


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Being Nobody by Heather D'Agostino

Being Nobody by Heather D'Agostino

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



Being Nobody started off great. Ms. D’Agostino does an excellent job of setting up Sam/Mallory’s story. I felt both sadness at the loss of her childhood and adolescence – so many friends lost, so many opportunities missed, and so much time gone – and awe for her strength as she continues to survive and live her life as best as the circumstances allow. And living on the run in the Witness Protection plan didn’t lend itself to the best of circumstances.

When we meet Sam she is living as Mallory. She is snarky, confident, a bit of a smarta$$ – everything I like in a heroine. Her interactions with her coworkers and the bar patrons felt real and I was sucked right into her story. I loved the dance she and Brian played on the first night they met – their banter was entertaining, yet she maintained the distance her WP identity required. The pace of the book was great and the storyline was moving fluidly … until they had sex. Mind you the sex was hot, but it supposedly so intense that her entire existence shifted on its axis and she found herself falling for Brian – not drawn to him, not infatuated, not lust, but falling in love with him after knowing him for only a couple of days. I so totally got that she was initially drawn to him because he reminded her of the only guy she ever loved, but to be so far gone after one night of sex made no sense. Add to that her getting mad at him for keeping secrets about his “job” after saying she understood and her constant back and forth on that subject made me dizzy especially as her WP status made her the Queen of Secrets (pot meet kettle). As for the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back, for me it was when she recognized Brian’s tattoo as belonging to the gang that was after her and her mom, yet she decided to stay with him and not only not report it to her handler, but willingly walked away from her mother forever because she wanted to see where things were going and if she could convince Brian to get out – at that point I couldn’t decide if she was stupid or delusional.

Even though I loved the beginning of Being Nobody and found Ms. D’Agostino’s writing style to be quite enjoyable, I just couldn’t get past Sam/Mallory’s seemingly never-ending bad choices. As the story progressed I found that connection I had with her character diminished until I was no longer invested in what happened to her and the book went from being a great read to just okay. Ultimately I didn’t like being in her head after the first sexual encounter because she just kept contradicting herself. Sadly I don’t think I can deal with Sam’s back and forth, so it is doubtful that I will read the next book in the series. As always, I recommend you check the book out for yourself because you may not find Sam as disconcerting as I did. Ms. D’Agostino’s talent is obvious, but this just wasn’t the book for me.

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

Check out the Being Nobody by Heather D'Agostino blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


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Review of Cooking Up a Storm by Ashley Ladd

Cooking Up a Storm by Ashley Ladd

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



Cooking Up a Storm turned out to be just an okay read for me. Due to their length, I tend to give novellas more leeway regarding the speed with which relationships develop. Some authors address this issue by stating that the potential couple have known each other for years, a decade, or since childhood, thus allowing the reader to assume their shared history. Others address it with an overwhelming draw between the characters – that “love at first sight” phenomena. However, in the case of Brooks and Rique, neither was the case. Rather too much alcohol on their first night on the island was the impetus for them falling into bed together. Granted, I don’t take issue with that either because one-night-stands happen daily. Where it went wrong for me was that within just a few weeks, they were “in love” after having spent a few nights together and competing against one another (as well as three others) for the job of head chef – game show style. Other than some REALLY hot sex scenes, there was almost no relationship development to be witnessed by the reader. That Brooks is supposedly still raw over being dumped by his long-time partner for a woman, makes the speed with which they fall in love harder to swallow. Added to that is the fact that we are supposed to accept that after a mere two months’ time, both men are also in love with a third man.

Probably the thing that irked me the most about the book is the hurricane, more specifically David’s comment at the end: “I also want to report that the eye of the storm has passed and the winds are dying down.” As someone who has lived in Florida for all but the first six months of her life and has ridden out some really severe hurricanes, that was a big “WTH?” moment for me. The eye of the hurricane is usually the calmest part of the storm. It can be eerily calm. And in all actuality, once the eye passes, the tail can be the most destructive part of a hurricane. While I realize this weather inconsistency won’t matter to most readers, the hurricane plays a big role in the story and it really bothered me, especially once I read that Ms. Ladd lives in South Florida.

One of the things I did like about the book was David’s character, but that didn’t occur until the end. Once David was allowed to function in a situation that played to his strengths, his character was much more enjoyable to read about. Admittedly, it was one heck of a contrived situation, but it didn’t make David’s actions any less impressive. While I found the idea of a two-month long game show-style job interview to be a novel one, Cooking Up a Storm fell short of the mark for me and is thus just an okay read. Sadly, the hot m/m and m/m/m sex weren’t enough.

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

Check out the Cooking Up a Storm by Ashley Ladd blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


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Review: One Night of Sin

One Night of Sin by Veronica Velvet

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



One Night of Sin is a novelette about a naughty librarian and a sexy billionaire. The premise of the story is great. While it definitely had its moments - I loved the scene in which he sucks her fingers clean - overall, the story fell a bit flat for me. The dialogue was a tad stiff and formal at times, causing it to seem stilted. And while I enjoyed the alternating points of view as I like getting to see what each character is thinking, I found their internal dialogue to be formal as well. It was almost as if I was reading a diary they wrote knowing that someone would be reading it. It just wasn't my cup of tea.

For me, this was just an okay read. That said, I would absolutely download a sample of the next book in the series to see if I enjoyed the writer's style of writing more in a longer format. Ms. Velvet certainly peaked my interest enough with the sheriff's response to our naughty librarian that I would definitely give it a try. As always, I recommend downloading a sample of the story for yourself and giving it a try if it's the kind of story that appeals to you - just because it didn't make my favorites list doesn't mean it wrong make yours.

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

Check out the One Night of Sin by Veronica Velvet blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


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