Party of Five

Tom Valeska

Tom Valeska is the perfect man. He's been what everyone has needed since he was 8 years old. Darcy didn't always appreciate that, but now that Tom is back, and single, she's going stake her claim. I loved their scenes together. And while Jamie spends 2/3 of the book being a jerk, I loved his scenes with Darcy as well. The first bit of the book was confusing to read. The writing style was a bit clumsy to me, but that's because Darcy is a bit clumsy herself, so being entirely in her head must be what ADHD feels like. This was a great follow up to The Hating Game. Not as funny, but definitely more chemistry involved. Looking forward to more from this author.

Third in the series

This was the third book in the Royally Yours series. The first brought you the gentleman. The second brought you the playboy. This one brings you the bodyguard. The strong silent martyr type. I loved this book the most out of the three. Logan was the ultimate hero. Ellie is young and carefree. She knows if she jumps blindly, Logan will catch her. And boy was he. Their relationship was gradual, sweet. She was first a job and then an obsession. Layers. Logan was a man of layers. He was Royally the best. ❤

Book two

Book one was about Nicholas and Olivia, and I liked them, but book two is about Henry and Sarah and I liked them way better. Henry is the bad boy Prince. He was the spare while Nicholas was the heir. He never had to be serious knowing he'd never be king. But Nicholas changed that. Now Henry has to worry about laws, politicking, appearances, and future Kingship and heirs. He's met his match in Sarah, and his transition from bad boy to family man was a pleasure to read. I loved him best.

Unexpected turn made it better

Evelyn Hugo was once Hollywood's reigning star. Her personal life kept her in the spotlight, and those seven husbands kept her mysterious to the general public and the fodder of gossip rags. But the real story has yet to be told, and Evelyn wants to tell it on her terms, and to the reporter of her choice. What follows is an unexpected story, ahead of its time in many ways. With a connection between her and the reporter that keeps you interested until the very end, this book was a page turner. A quick read and an interesting story.

Great characters

There is an entire world created behind a wall wrought exclusively out of the imagination of Sarah J Maas. Fantasy is a new genre to me. I enjoyed the relationships throughout the story, both in book one and through to the end. The ending seemed rushed, and of course somebody has just the right power at just the right time to make it happen. But I am interested to see what happens with Tamlin, Lucien, Cassian, Azriel, Elaine and Nestsa. The characters are good ones, even if the politics of the Fae are hard to follow.

Reads like a People Magazine article

Maybe it's because I read Somebody to Love by Mark Langthorne first, but I didn't enjoy this biography as much as his. Somebody to Love was written without bias, without agenda, with the intent to put forth as factual a book a possible, and it was interwoven with the history and progression of the AIDS virus along with the history and progression of Queen. I left that biography fully informed of the man, the myth, and the legend, as much as anyone could know the intimidate thoughts of such a private person. But then there's this biography...

Bohemian Rhapsody was written by an award winning rock journalist, and it drew heavily on interviews with people that were within the band's entourage, as well as the hangers on in Freddie's personal life. What you find is that everyone interviewed apparently had their own agenda for speaking, often to make sure they set the record straight with previous rumors. It sometimes seemed very petty, especially when it came to the disagreements over who was with Freddie in his final moments. I didn't feel like I learned anything new with this biography. Maybe had I read it first I'd prefer it, but it seems telling that of all the people interviewed, his band mates, Mary and his parents seemed to have had the least involvement. The biographer makes Mary sound cold for evicting the occupants of Garden Lodge, but you have to wonder if it's because everyone seemed out for their fifteen minutes of fame after Freddie died, books popping up left and right, everyone except Mary who honored the star's wish for privacy and has kept all interviews to a minimum. Even the band had little to do with Mercury pals after his death, quite possibly for the same reason?

As with any biography, it is impossible to know what's truly accurate information, but the author did seemingly try to provide a fully rounded view of what Freddie, the man, and Freddie, the frontman was like. No easy feat for such a private individual who shared his talents with the world, but kept his private life private.

I can say that I left this biography still enamored with Mercury, and I am satisfied that any pertinent information needed to understand his genius has been provided between the two biographies I've read. Some people are meant to die early in order to cement their legendary status: Kurt Cobain, Jimmy Hendrix, Michael Jackson, and Freddie Mercury. Ultimately I am glad that an entirely new generation is being introduced to the legend. He is still missed.

This is the third book in the series. Poor Lola. I felt so much stress for her as her deadline neared. Oliver was the perfect foil for all the chaos in her life. I've loved these stories, reading of three best girl friends meeting three best guy friends. Each story has been great getting to these characters, and I love how their personalities shines through in each novel.

I was blown away by book one, and it definitely wasn't an anomaly. Book two is equally amazing. So much heart and heat between the pages that it makes it impossible to put the book down. Finn was a well developed character. Different from Ansel. Ansel was funny, boisterous, talks too much. Finn was his opposite, talking only when there was something to say. He internalized his problems and only brought them out when the problem was solved. He had a hard time asking for help, which made fix-it Harlow a bit of a nightmare to his world. But navigating the worlds between them is what makes it so interesting. I love that it's three girl best friends meeting three guy best friends and they appear in each story. It allows for so much development to occur that you really get to know them and appreciate their differences. The authors did a great job.

I have read nearly every book by this duo. I came across them because my favorite author, Lexi Ryan, mentioned on her page years ago that this was her favorite series by this team. And yet, this is the only series by them that I didn't read for some reason. So I had to correct that and finally got around to this book and oh my word! Ansel is the near perfect Hero. Despite a rash, spur of the moment decision between him and Mia, he does everything he can to smooth their path forward. The book is sexy, sweet, funny, oh my word hot, and just an excellent story overall. I liked that it was realistic: he was a super busy junior attorney at a law firm working long hours, she was newly graduated and directionless. The book absorbs you into French scenery and the language throughout. Loved it. Solidified my hardcore love of these ladies.

Different, unique, I loved it

Unlike the typical romance novel, this was a reverse pretty woman, where HE was the escort and she was the client. Looking for lessons on how to fit in, she hires a tutor per se. As someone on the autism spectrum with what was formerly known as Aspergers, she knows what she wants just not how to get there, and so she needs a practice boyfriend. Michael needs money to pay off his mom's medical care. It's the perfect set up for both of them, until it isn't.

The story was a fresh take on the romance genre. It was different, unique, and I loved it.

This was hands down the best friends to lovers book I've ever read. Witty and genuine, it felt very real, very natural. Dialogue was so realistic amongst all the characters that Hazel and Emily would have a conversation that I'd have with my bestie, too. The opposites attract trope was nothing stereotypical, and was so well done that you coulda see the exact moment they clicked and just became perfect for each other. My favorite Christina Lauren book. Having just finished it, I already want to read it again.

An ok sequel

I liked book two less than book one. In book two they've admitted their love for each other and are planning a wedding. Sounds great, right? The amount of over the top opulence that went until this wedding was ridiculous. I realize he's a billionaire, but her effort to have everything perfect, regardless of cost, was annoying. I get it, she didn't have the perfect wedding the first time, but if you love the guy, spending a hundred million on a wedding isn't what's important. Her daughters are young and sound exactly their age, but that includes them sounding greedy. I have been in Claire's exact position of the best friend and husband. Mine, too, are now married to each other. I don't see myself caring one whit if she got a brain tumor either, but I can't see spewing the hatred at her or at the ex husband. It would have been nice had Claire taken the approach of saying thank you. Thank you for leaving me so that I could find perfection in Jonathan. I didn't like the stalking and the demands she be home on time or monitoring her conversations or mail. It wasn't to keep her safe. It was to assert dominance and control. Despite the flaws I still loved the positives. The redemption Claire feels in having found love again. The Jonathan has a family he loves dearly. Their interactions were the best parts of the book.

Love love love love love

Ok, Whitney G books are either ok good or they're great. This book was great! Adorable and romantic and cheesy. I loved the letters, the sign offs in the letters, and that they were the best of friends and didn't know it. Only one drawback and that was her spelling. For a reader and a Salutatorian to have spelling that atrocious, there should have been an underlying diagnosis like phonological dyslexia to explain it. It would have given her one more thing for people to make fun of and Noah to be protective of. Alas, she's just a terrible speller. Still super cute.

Amazing

Tiffany DeBartolo has an amazing gift of giving her characters a voice and a perspective so interesting it keeps you reading to the end of the book. This is a story that shouldn't be missed.

Slow read, interesting premise, lame ending.