Author: Katy Regnery
Published: July 22nd 2014
Source: Purchased
Genre: Contemporary Romance
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Caution: May contain spoilers
Breaking Up with Barrett is the first of six books about the Philadelphia-based, wildly-handsome English brothers who are all on the look-out for love.
(Except Alex. He's a womanizing manwhore. And maybe Stratton, because he's wicked hot, but super awkward around girls.)
Barrett English, aka "the Shark," is the fair-haired, first-born of the English brothers, and the CEO of the oldest, most prestigious investment banking firm in Philadelphia. He rules the boardroom with an iron fist, refusing to take no for an answer and always getting his way.
Emily Edwards, a first-year doctoral student at the University of Pennsylvania, grew up in the gatehouse on the outskirts of Barrett's childhood estate. The daughter of his family's gardener and housekeeper, she was always looking through the window of privilege, but forced to remember her place at the very periphery of the kingdom.
When business partners suggest that a fiancee might soften Barrett's image over business dinners, he approaches Emily for the "job" of fiancee. And while love wasn't necessarily on Barrett's radar, he begins to realize that Emily always has been. But will his take-no-prisoners boardroom tactics work on the heart of the woman he loves.
My Thoughts:
The fake engagement trope is one of my favorites, and in Breaking Up with Barrett it is done very well! The relationship between Barrett and Emily has a bit of a slow burn effect. They've known each other for years, and something's always been below the surface between them. I was captivated by their journey, and watching it switch from pretend to maybe, possibly, kinda real was a really nice transition. The story is delightful, and the age difference (8 years) didn't bother me at all. Everything about the way the romance blossomed made me smile. How they didn't allow class differences to get between them. I loved the growth of the characters, how much stronger they become as time passes. Barrett and Emily are meant to be, but it just took them years to fully realize it. If this is how great The English Brothers series starts, I can't wait to pick up more by Katy Regnery!
My Rating:
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Author: Rebecca Zanetti
Published: July 21st 2015
Source: Copy given by author for honest review
Genre: Contemporary Romance
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Caution: May contain spoilers
Dawn Freeze had a huge crush on Hawk Rain for years, and the entire town knows it. It's understandable―the man is total hotness. That tall, lean body. Intense dark eyes. And always one foot out the door. Now he's on leave for exactly one week. And this time, he's made it crystal clear that he only wants one thing. Her.
Hawk's been fighting his attraction to Dawn for as long as he can remember. She's his best friend's little sister, and that means hands-off. Except now she's all grown up, and her sweet sexiness is exactly what he craves. But just as Hawk allows himself one mindblowingly intense night with Dawn, he learns that everyone he loves is in danger. Especially her.
And the only way to protect Dawn is to push her away...
My Thoughts:
Most of the books in the Entangled Brazen line suck me into the world almost immediately. That unfortunately wasn't the case with Over the Top. There was something that just wasn't clicking for me, making me connect to the characters. It became difficult to continue reading because I kept having issue with what was happening. Usually books in this line don't have a bunch going on outside the main characters, but with this one it was all over the place with other characters and things not having anything to do with the romance developing between Hawk and Dawn (which had some steam for sure). I guess the bottom line is that I was needing more with our two lovebirds and the story was too invested in everything and everyone else at once to provide it. I am, however, in the minority when it comes to how people felt on this book. If you're looking for a story with a lot going on outside the protagonist and her love interest, this may be just the kind of book you'll enjoy.
My Rating:
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Author: Colleen Hoover
Published: October 14th 2013
Source: Purchased
Genre: New Adult Contemporary
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Caution: May contain spoilers
This novella is a companion novel to the Hopeless series, but can be read as a standalone.
A chance encounter in the dark leads eighteen-year-old Daniel and the girl who stumbles across him to profess their love for each other. But this love comes with conditions: they agree it will only last one hour and it will only be make-believe.
When their hour is up and the girl rushes off like Cinderella, Daniel tries to convince himself that what happened between them only seemed perfect because they were pretending it was perfect. Moments like that with girls like her don’t happen outside of fairytales.
One year and one bad relationship later, his disbelief in insta-love is stripped away the day he meets Six: a girl with a strange name and an even stranger personality. Daniel soon realizes the way he pretended to feel about Cinderella and the way he really feels about Six may not be so different after all. Especially when the two loves of his life end up being one in the same.
Unfortunately for Daniel, finding Cinderella doesn’t guarantee their happily ever after…it only further threatens it.
My Thoughts:
This was my first Colleen Hoover book (I know, I know), and it gave me the chance to see why everyone loves her stories so much. The story is a novella, but it packs a whole lot of feels in it. Daniel and Six are charming--individually and as a couple. Their connection is impossibly strong, and for more reasons than they can even begin to imagine. It's so difficult to write a review for it because SO MUCH happens in the story that touches your heart and breaks it at the same time. It's so full of sweetness, romance, and love. I swear, I could pick Finding Cinderella up time and again (much like I wanted to do with Ugly Love). There's something about the writing and the fantastically fleshed out characters that makes you cry out MORE PLEASE. I am so getting my hands on everything Colleen Hoover that I possibly can because these books are just fabulous in every way.
My Rating:
Two out of three is not bad at all. I love that the novella was able to draw you in, in such a short amount of time. Now that's good writing.
ReplyDeleteI agree--novellas are tricky business, but when it's done right, I love love love them. :)
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