Do You Want Me? (This Love Hurts, #0.5) by W. Winters Review

This is a spoiler-free review! Do You Want Me? is currently available for free on Kindle. You can read my reviews of It's Our Secret and A Single Glance on my blog.

Stuff Your Kindle Day strikes again with this final read of 2023 for me -- honestly, I did not even read the description before downloading -- I saw W. Winters and immediately hit download. As a prequel novella to a series, I was hoping to learn a little background on our main characters before deciding to continue on with the series. For the other books I have read by this author, I have been a one and done reader, with the possibility of returning to the series once I tackle more of my physical TBR pile.

Delilah has a lot of stressors in her life, not to mention the man she parted ways with finally coming back into her life years later. This novella takes us two years prior to the prologue, exploring Delilah's complicated life, along with perspectives from Cody, a detective, and Marcus, the man that just will not stop from making Delilah his own, but only in the future books.

We spend most of the time in Delilah's perspective, with the occasional appearance by Cody and just a dash of Marcus to add to the mix. I wish we spent more time with Marcus in his perspective -- he is so important to the story, yet we barely had two chapters of his thoughts, most of which focused on Cody rather than Delilah. Winters does provide readers with a decent amount of background information considering this is a prequel novella, but I do believe it could have been fifty pages longer, just to really seal the deal with how Delilah and Marcus are connected.

If the author included just a touch more bit of action or suspense in the prequel, it would have really engaged readers to keep moving forward. I took a few breaks while reading this short installment, only because I was not itching to finish it in one sitting, and the way that the plot was moving, I could tell there was not going to be a wild third act or final chapter. Looking back at how the novella started with the prologue, I would have loved to circle back to that moment at the end of the story.

The multiple perspectives did give the story a more well-rounded sense, especially when readers are able to get a wisp of how Delilah, Cody, and Marcus are connected. It was refreshing to see a main character that has some semblance of self preservation and a decent amount of common sense. Delilah is definitely one of the more structured adult female characters that I have encountered when reading romantic suspense novels.

I would not go far enough to say that this was suspenseful, or even wavering on the edge of dark romance, but that just may be due to the fact that the story is just getting started. Winters alludes to Delilah having some big secret or terrible past a number of times in the novella, but never goes further than having it as a lingering thought from Delilah -- I wish we could have gotten just a crumb of what happened. I am interested enough in this story to continue on, but I would not consider it one of my top priorities.

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Mafia Captive by Kitty Thomas Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

I am a sucker for a good mafia romance, and Mafia Captive's free download was calling my name as I searched through iBooks for my next read. It has been some time since I have come across a dark romance that really entertained me, and this book really got me back into the groove of things. I had so much fun reading this book -- the pacing was just right, and the inner conflicts of Faith and Leo shown through their dual perspectives makes readers get a great sense of their characters.

After Faith witnesses a horrible crime, she is gifted to Leo, a member of a powerful mafia family who maintains his doctoral duties while indulging in some debauchery when the sun goes down. This was a surprise age gap romance to me, with Faith only twenty-two and Leo in his early forties. Thomas does a great job at showing the restraint and maturity in Leo, while mirroring it with Faith's naivety and minimal knowledge of how casual crime is in this family.

At first I thought there was going to be some form of love triangle between Faith, Leo, and Leo's brother, Angelo, but that was quickly dismissed -- however, that did not mean that there would be an end to the conflict between the brothers and how they view Faith's role in their family. With Angelo only saving Faith to basically torment his brother, the dynamic between the three of them becomes complicated to say the least.

Faith is constantly on high alert, and I cannot blame the girl -- she really was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and was thrown into the most insane circumstance in order to survive. Her development throughout the story seems slower to Leo's in comparison, but she is really the one that has to adapt to a new life, whereas Leo needed to adapt to having Faith in his life. I truly felt bad for Faith, she never seemed to have a moment of peace without someone threatening her, forcing her to put up a farce, or scaring her at every corner.

Leo genuinely does not know what to do with Faith once she is thrown at his feet by Angelo, but his perspective really allows readers to work through his inner struggles as he confronts his past and who he wants to be now that Faith is tied to him. You can tell that Leo wants to do good by Faith, but he certainly had his faults that makes readers second guess on how saintly he really is, especially when it comes to what he wants to do to Faith.

For a stand alone novel, Thomas really captures the full story in a sufficient amount of pages without drawing out the plot -- I never felt as though there was a dull moment while reading this book, and honestly I had to force myself to not finish it in one sitting. Leo and Faith's story is complex and at times heartbreaking for both characters, as they are both going through so many adjustments in order to save themselves.

I will definitely be reading more works of Kitty Thomas -- this was a great introduction to her work, and I cannot wait to see what her other books have in store. If you are looking for a dark romance to read after Mafia Captive, I highly recommend Debit Inheritance by Pepper Winters.

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Playing with Fyre (Fyre & Ashes, #1) by Logan Fox Review

This is a spoiler-free review! Playing with Fyre is currently available on Kindle Unlimited. A list of trigger warnings is available on Goodreads and a more extensive list is available at the beginning of the novella.

Jumping back into my dark romance TBR pile after spending some attention on my fantasy shelf... it is good to be back. Clocking in at just above one hundred pages, this Stuff Your Kindle Day download was calling to me with its short page count and interesting premise. I have not dabbled too much in stalker romance books, with Haunting Adeline being the most notorious read in that genre.

I... literally do not even know where to begin with this novella. It only took me forty-five minutes to read it and yet I have sat with my thoughts for another two hours trying to comprehend what exactly I just subjected myself to reading. Charlotte is dealing with an intense trauma and her art therapy professor, Gideon Fyre, is stalking her for some unknown reason? Honestly I did not need the background for why he was obsessed with her, I just accepted it and moved on since he clearly has some other things to work on.

Charlotte is drawn to Fyre, and the author maintains most of her perspective throughout the novella on how she is dealing with the feelings she has towards him, as well as sprinkling in more information about the trauma she experienced. We as readers learn a lot about her past and her current state of mind, whereas we are left mostly in the dark when it comes to Fyre's own complicated past that has left him broken.

Fyre certainly trends towards the psychotic side, which he openly admits, especially when it comes to watching Charlotte at every chance he gets. He is always there in the background and knows just where to find her. Considering what she has been through, you would think even her stalker would be a little more considerate if he wants her to fall for him and be with her forever. He literally has access to her file and knows everything that she has suffered through, like man use your head for two seconds before you go breaking into her apartment.

There are a lot of complex emotions that Charlotte and Fyre are experiencing throughout the novella -- with Charlotte, she is confronting the attraction she feels towards Fyre, and with Fyre, he is literally suppressing his urge to be violent. One of these things is not like the other!! Fyre is blinded by his lust and obsession towards Charlotte, and essentially becomes her worst fear and most terrifying attraction in one swoop.

Understanding that this is a novella, if it was about fifty to seventy-five pages longer, I think I would have enjoyed the story more. A lot of the details felt rushed, and when the perspectives changed between Charlotte and Fyre, I had a bit of whiplash going from Charlotte's emotional state to Fyre's stalking. The premise and vision are there, the execution could have used some work. If you are looking for a quick dark read, this novella may be your next read.

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Faelorehn (Otherworld, #1) by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson Review

This is a spoiler-free review! Faelorehn is currently available for free on iBooks and Kindle.

The cover definitely drew me to this story, but the plot of a Celtic lore fantasy really pulled me in -- it is few and far between that we see Celtic lore take the forefront of young adult novels, so I was interested to see how this story played out.

Almost right away, I could tell that the writings style was not one of my favorites -- told in first person, I often find myself wishing for a third person perspective, or at least a dual perspective if the story absolutely must be told in first person. It is just a little irk of mine that does not take away from the story, but does make it harder for me to get into the book. Meghan's thought processes throughout this first installment are certainly something... she deals with the stereotypical highs and lows of high school while also being plagued by nightmares and strange creatures in the woods.

Meghan's group of friends are certainly an interesting bunch, and provide just a touch of benefit to the plot of the story -- I felt as though their presence, for the most part, was only to sprinkle in details of Celtic lore that normally would not have flowed well into the plot otherwise. When Meghan is researching Celtic lore, it gave me a flashback of Bella googling vampires in Twilight in the best way possible. A majority of the time, her friends are used to move the plot forward in the sense that Meghan is noticed to be distant or hiding things from them. Thomas, Tulip, Robyn, and Will are just present enough that you learn a little about their personalities without them overtaking the story.

Every single time a new little creature spawned itself in front of Meghan, I could not help but laugh -- her survival skills are not the best, but she has the spirit and that is what counts. I wish the author spent more time going into detail about these creatures or have their scenes more action-packed instead of one-offing their presence once Cade would appear. Cade's introduction into the story was well-fit for his character, maintaining that mysterious aura while still having a presence in Meghan's development. He was honestly more interesting to read about than Meghan was, as her character felt two-dimensional at times and was always conflicted on what to do.

As someone who is not a fan of insta-love, especially after having only a handful of interactions with the male lead, Meghan falling in love with Cade after only knowing of him for a little over a month was not my cup of tea. Yes, he is a handsome, mysterious guy that shows up out of nowhere and starts to protect you, but girl stand up and process everything else that is going on with you before you decide you love someone after speaking to them three times.

I was excited to get into a new fantasy series, any this is a great selection for someone looking for a quick read that sets up the world for future conflict. Regarding the pacing of the book, it moves a touch too slow for my liking and does not have a ton of action compared to other young adult fantasy novels. Given that it is the first installment, I will give it a pass, but even towards the end of the story, I felt as though nothing truly groundbreaking was happening. I may revisit the series on a rainy day, but for now, I am content with this introduction.

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The House of Hades (The Heroes of Olympus, #4) by Rick Riordan Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my review of The Son of Neptune here.

Did I read The Mark of Athena eight years ago? Yes. Do I remember which godly parent each of these characters has? Maybe only three of them. Not a review video was in sight when I decided to dive right back into this series in the hopes that everything would come back to me in the first five chapters, and I was not not wrong. As I make my way through the remaining young adult fantasy books on my shelf, The House of Hades has been unironically haunting me since I first acquired the series, and then-high school me would be speechless at adult me for taking this long to read it.

As we all know, Percy and Annabeth are really going through it during this book based off the ending from The Mark of Athena. Their respective perspective chapters were a lot more action packed compared to the other demigods, and while they were entertaining, I wish I would have seen more Percy chapters if it meant that the story would pick up the pace. I found myself needing to force myself to dedicate time to read this book at times, especially when it was a constant monologue of being in the same situation. However, the more Percy and Annabeth had to fight towards their goal, I was more invested in the story.

Leo's journey was so much fun to read and really added a lot to the story when the plot was looking grim. It was definitely a great comedic relief to the underlying dread that hovered over Percy and Annabeth's journey and seemingly constant suffering. There was just something about this book that had me wishing it was shorter -- there were a number of times where it felt as though the plot was just not moving fast enough for characters who were definitely in a hurry.

There was not nearly enough Nico di Angelo in this book for me... why was he basically absent for two thirds of this book? And why were there so many Hazel chapters? I am not sure if it is me no longer being the same age as these characters anymore, but boy oh boy I was not entertained during any chapter that was in Hazel's perspective, and Frank's chapters were a close second. Jason finally was given a bit of a spotlight towards the end of the book, but this installment really felt removed from the rest of the series in terms of pacing and development.

I will obviously be seeing this series through to the end, and may dabble in Riordan's other series if I ever need to jump back into this writing -- I have been reading his books since I was nine years old, so maybe I will always end up back where it all began.

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The Shadow Prince (Mortal Enchantment, #0.5) by Stacey O'Neale Review

This is a spoiler-free review! The Shadow Prince is currently available for free on iBooks and Kindle.

I have been trying to get back into the fantasy genre, and a quick novella seemed just the thing to light that fire. As an introduction to the Mortal Enchantment trilogy, this novella allows readers to get to know the main character, Rowan, and the impossible task given to him in order for him to claim his right to the throne. I loved the elemental aspect of this story -- I feel as though it is so rarely seen in young adult and adult fantasy novels, with the only one coming to mind is the Akasha series by Terra Harmony.

For being such a quick read, the author does a great job at world-building in the limited pages, and when it comes to character development, Rowan is quickly presented with a number of moral dilemmas and does a decent job navigating them. Along with his best friend, Marcus, he is set up to face the ultimate choice alongside a number of obstacles once he travels from the mortal world back to Avalon.

I am usually not a fan of fantasy books transitioning between the mortal world and their magical land, but the author only references a few specific real world items during the story, which allows the reader to maintain their presence in the elemental courts. While being categorized as young adult, I could see the story well-placed in an adult setting, especially when it comes to the shape-shifters introduced -- there is something sinister with their significance in the story.

Rowan spends a decent amount of this novella battling his inner thoughts regarding the task of killing the princess of the air court, and while it is always important for us to see the lead character experience challenges, his back and forth was starting to get a touch old for my liking. Hopefully in Storm Born, he will be more decisive as his story unfolds. The side characters provide conflict for Rowan as expected, and I look forward to seeing him gain some allies in the rest of the series.

I would definitely recommend this to fans of The Folk of the Air series by Holly Black -- it reminds me so much of the world if you swap out faeries for elemental beings, and the stakes are just as high. This was a great way to get readers interested in starting a new series, and I certainly plan on continuing with Rowan's story.

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Dracula by Bram Stoker Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

Going into this book, I had a different idea of what the tone and focus of the story would be -- and I was pleasantly surprised on how much I enjoyed the formatting of this classic. Stoker utilizes diary entries, journaling, phonographs, and newspaper articles to string together Jonathan Harker's encounter with Count Dracula, and the consequences that followed. The use of multiple perspectives of side characters in addition to Jonathan allowed the story to unfold and the reader is able to see the true outcome of Jonathan's stay with the Count.

There were a few points in the story where I felt as though Stoker was losing his audience, and I found myself pushing through side plots that only aided the main story for a brief moment. The majority of the book, to my surprise, takes place in both England and in Transylvania, with a number of locations as the tale moves back and forth between Jonathan and his wife, Mira, as she waits for his return home. Rather than focus on the environment or surroundings in this story, it was more so the emotions that took precedence as the characters sought to protect themselves from tales of the undead.

Introducing a number of side characters to Jonathan's story, Stoker is able to give the reader a more enhanced understanding of the way society viewed the lore of the Count. With Mira's letters and diary entries, along with Dr. Van Helsing and numerous other individuals, readers are truly given the full perspective -- if only we were able to have a single chapter from Dracula's point of view. There were times where chapters from Mira's entries felt as though they were taking away from Jonathan's story, and I was frustrated with the focus being turned to her worrying about him for forty pages instead of actually seeing what was going on with him and Dracula at his estate.

Humor is sprinkled in throughout the story, and while sparse, it does make the characters more enjoyable and personable, especially for the characters that do not have nearly as many dedicated chapters to their thoughts and diary entries. Some of the reasoning of solutions that characters would come with in order to protect themselves were downright hilarious, especially when claiming a string of garlic was actually a flower necklace.

As far as pacing goes, it takes a minute to readjust yourself to the language of the story, but a few chapters in and you will have the hang of it in no time. When Jonathan was while Dracula, the story moves quickly and entices the reader, but I found myself losing a touch of interest when we abandoned Dracula and moved to a new subplot. Once Dracula was no longer the main event, the story began to drag on and the last 15% of the book was tough to push through, but I was determined to see this classic to the end. I wish Stoker had expanded more on Jonathan's experience with Dracula, rather than only showing their interactions briefly compared to the aftermath.

An excellent piece of gothic literature that explores the horrors of men and monsters while remaining open to interpretation regarding the true nature of violence and society. A true classic and essential piece to truly understand the genre as a whole as well as one of the most popular characters in horror.

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The Boss (Managing the Bosses, #1) by Lexy Timms Review

This is a spoiler-free review! 

I have read a few books by Timms, including Banking on Him and Gambler.

Our female lead has one of the nastiest book families that I have come across. Jamie's sister is engaged to her ex-boyfriend... need I say more? Her mother and sister are essentially vultures, circling and hovering over her at every second of the day, complaining that she has a new job when her sister is getting married in six months. Absolutely insane to see them hound on her and treat her new job as an inconvenience to them, as they expect Jamie to drop everything to help out with the wedding, and by help out, I mean organize the entire celebration.

Jamie's ex, Stephen, is a little rat, plain and simple. He was dating Jamie and then hopped right on over to Christine without a second thought, and now every time he comes in contact with Jamie, he acts like a total creep. Christine is too lost in her own ego to see that Stephen does not care about her, and is so obsessed with insulting Jamie at every chance, that she completely deprives herself of a personality. Stephen lurks around like a snake and pops up at every event like someone said his name three times in a mirror.

When Jamie is introduced to Stephen's old friend Alex, she has the chance to get away from her toxic family and be independent. Alex being a billionaire and a decent human being... now those are just the perks. Becoming Alex's personal assistant that is at his beck and call twenty-four hours a day may take a toll on her, but it is definitely the best thing to happen to Jamie that lets her get away from her horrible family members. Alex is kind and understanding, while still being able to put his foot down and defend people when the time calls for it -- which unfortunately for Jamie, tends to be a lot.

There is just a touch of spice in this book and the author clearly states that it is not erotica, which is certainly the case. Clocking in at just under two hundred pages, this short introduction to the series allows readers to get to know Jamie and Alex without throwing them together in the first chapter. I wish Jamie was able to stand up for herself more, because it became increasingly more difficult to defend her train of thought as she let her family members berate her every single chapter.

Not a super big fan of the ending -- I understand that books end on cliffhangers, but when the chapter ended, I was sure that my copy must be missing pages. The book basically cuts off after one event and readers are expected to pick up the next installment, when book one and book two could probably be fused together to make one typical-length romance novel. I finished this book in about thirty-five minutes... that should give you enough context on how short the story is, and it left me feeling unsatisfied.

If you are looking for a quick chic lit book to read in between lengthier books, this book may be the fun filler you need to get you back on track with your reading goal. It was entertaining for about thirty pages, but the constant harassment from Jamie's family members had me praying for this book to be over. I may return to this series if the second installment is available for free, but for now, this chapter is closed.

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Coming Home (Boston Billionaires, #1) by Samantha Sky Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

I am a sucker for interconnected standalone books, so when I saw the first two books in the Boston Billionaire series available for free on iBooks, I knew I had to download them. It has been awhile since I have dived into an interconnected standalone, but the premise of this first installment had me intrigued -- what is so mysterious about Scarlett's past? Why is Shaun so drawn to her?

Shaun and Scarlett's age gap is slightly larger than Christian and Ana's from Fifty Shades of Grey, but nonetheless is okay with me since Scarlett is twenty-three years old. Scarlett is put off by their age difference at first, but lasts about two chapters before throwing that train of thought out the window and throwing herself into his arms. Shaun is immediately infatuated with Scarlett when he notices her on a flight to Boston, and as fate has it, they continue to run into each other and Shaun becomes even more desperate to learn more about her.

The chapters move pretty quickly and with dual perspectives, the plot moves just as fast. Scarlett's chapters seems to focus mostly on her trying to overcome her traumatic past as she finds herself in a new country, and Shaun's chapters are full of him batting off women as he basically stalks Scarlett every chance that he gets.

I enjoyed the romantic thriller aspect to this book -- it reminded me a lot of the plot of Fifty Shades Darker in the sense that there was more to the story than Shaun and Scarlett's relationship and occasional spicy chapter. It definitely picks up plot-wise about two thirds of the way through the book, and I found that the story was more cohesive once the plot became more thrilling. As interesting as Scarlett and Shaun's relationship was becoming, I was starting to get a little bored after reaching the halfway mark.

The side characters made Shaun's character a touch more interesting, but after finishing the book, I still feel as though we did not get to learn about him or his past. He mentioned a few details to Scarlett here and there, but his character could have used some more development. Shaun's character felt a little one-dimensional, not to mention the fact that he basically was stalking Scarlett until he could actually have a conversation with her. I am all for a dark romance stalking plot line, but this was not the book or the genre for it. 

On the other hand, Scarlett had a decent amount of character development and was more intriguing to read about compared to her leading man. However, her thought process continues to slightly irritate me as the story moved on -- she did not sound like a twenty-three year old, but rather still sounded like a high schooler at many points during the book. Shaun is no better, as a man in his mid-thirties, he still thinks like a frat boy when it comes to women, and of course the second he sees Scarlett, he matures ten years.

This book definitely had potential to be really intriguing, and if Shaun had been more mysterious, I think it could have been a very exciting read. Coming Home falls short to make me fall in love with its leading characters, which is unfortunate because the book has a lot of promise, it could just use some touching up. The spicier scenes were short and felt as though they were thrown in there to make the story more romantic, but it just felt like a more PG-13 rated Hallmark movie. 

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Escort by Skye Warren Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

My enjoyment of browsing the free book section on iBooks will continue to make me put off my own TBR pile for a new read at least once a month, and Escort is no exception. Told from Hugo's point of view, we see the perspective of a male escort as he comes in contact with Bea, a young woman who is not the typical clientele to hire an escort.

If you watched Toy Boy or Diary of a Giglio on Netflix, this quick standalone will be right up your alley. This book would make such a fun Passionflix adaptation, especially since it is few and far between that we get to see the male escort perspective in romance novels. I am not a super big fan of first-person perspective, but I was pleasantly surprised on how much I enjoyed reading Hugo's story. The way he views himself and the way he slowly allows Bea to become a presence in his life was well-incorporated throughout the book.

Bea is a shy twenty-something that lives alone in a very large penthouse when she hires Hugo for the night -- she is not the typical penthouse resident, with a quiet personality and well-lived in furniture, Hugo is immediately intrigued. Warren does a pretty decent job of giving us a look inside Hugo's thoughts as he begins to meet with Bea over time, especially when it comes to linking his present job to his childhood past. While we are only given Hugo's point of view, the author was able to capture a lot of Bea's emotions through Hugo's eyes.

Hugo's past was interesting to get into and certainly moved the story forward regarding why he does what he does, but it came to the point where I no longer wanted to read about his past, and wanted the story to move on with him and Bea. Their mutual connection provided somewhat of a plot point to the story and a wedge in their relationship, but it was resolved so quickly I thought I imagined it myself.

Both of the leads are gentle in their own ways, and even though they are very much opposites of each other, they compliment one another very well, and it was a couple that I was rooting for from the beginning. I enjoyed how their dynamic slowly began to form and emerge the longer they knew each other, and their characters each had their own development that was not just for their partner, but for themselves.

There were a few things here and there that could have been left out of the book to make more room for Bea and Hugo's growing relationship, but overall the story pieced together nicely. I do wish it was a touch longer, especially as a standalone, because I felt like I was left hanging at the end. A few more chapters would have done their story well, especially because we only saw some glances of Bea and Hugo's relationship. I would have loved to see more of Hugo's friends to be quite honest -- they seemed interesting enough that I would read books about them if this was an interconnected standalone series, but alas it is not.

I would not go as far to say that this qualifies as erotica -- it is pretty tame spice compared to other romance books, and has just enough scenes to make it interesting but not push it over the edge. This was a fun and quick read, but I expected a little more from the story than what was given. If you are looking for a somewhat spicy fluff romance, then this is definitely the read for you.

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The Summer I Turned Pretty (Summer, #1) by Jenny Han Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

As a preface, I have seen both seasons of The Summer I Turned Pretty on Prime Video before reading this book, so I knew what I was getting myself into from the start. I still cannot get over the fact that our main character's nickname is Belly -- if that was me and someone decided that Isabel needed to be shortened to Belly, I would go insane. 

I am a Team Conrad girlie for life -- no amount of convincing could ever make me change my mind and end up rooting for Jeremiah. That boy is always up to something and only became interested in Belly when he realized that Conrad was into her, because he has this weird urge to one up Conrad on getting into a relationship with Belly, even though it is obvious that Conrad has been in love with her for years.

Jeremiah is one of the most pick-me boys I have read in fiction, neck in neck with Mal from Shadow and Bone, and continued to annoy me throughout the entire book. He never really looked after Belly, he would only become protective after Conrad would protect her. He and Belly may have had one or two semi-cute moments, but they were brief and I spent the entire time begging them to end. He was more oblivious and not present in the book compared to season one of the show in my opinion -- I actually enjoyed him more in the show.

Taylor throughout her time in the book was something so incredibly agitating to me and it was solely because she was giving me whiplash every other page. One minute she is telling Belly that she likes Conrad, and then two chapters later she is completely over that and now is interested in Jeremiah. It felt irrelevant to have her mention to Belly that she was interested in both of the boys, especially when it was obvious that Belly was definitely struggling with her feelings.

I high-key felt bad for Cam throughout the entire book -- he could tell that Belly was not really into him as much as she was into Conrad, and the way that she treated him was more like a placeholder than a boyfriend. Belly may have been battling her emotions over Conrad and Jeremiah, but she basically used Cam as a pawn during the summer to make them jealous and then continued to deny it for nearly three months.

The "flashback" chapters definitely aided the story's development regarding helping readers understand how Belly felt about the boys since she was younger, but I found myself getting bored of essentially reading the same scenario of how she would feel left out when Steven, Jeremiah, and Conrad would exclude her from things, only to have Jeremiah or Conrad find her later and "make up" for it with a two minute conversation. I wish we got to see more summer romance in the second half of the book with either of the boys (preferably Conrad) rather than Cam, but I can imagine that will be in store for the rest of the series.

It was incredibly obvious that Conrad was really going through something, and even though Belly acknowledges to herself multiple times, she still treated him horribly when she did not get her way. She basically expects him to confess his undying love for her just because she finally decided that she was ready to acknowledge her feelings after nearly six years of falling for him.

Belly seemed to exchange all of her brain cells to get tan over the summer, because that girl was not using a drop of common sense the entire book, and she sounded very self-centered for the majority of the story, making her as a main character insufferable at times. There was so much back and forth with Belly on who she liked... Jeremiah in one chapter and then Conrad two pages later because he glanced at her for two seconds... back to Jeremiah because he wanted to go to the boardwalk too... Belly girl, stand up!!!

This is a super quick read that is perfect to get you back into that summer mindset as we make our way further into fall. It certainly was a good choice to read over a rainy weekend, and it was a light read that can pull you out of a reading slump. I was a big fan of the To All the Boys I've Loved Before trilogy back in high school, so it was nice to revisit a fun little romance.

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Cruel Beginnings: A Blackmore University Prequel by Cora Kent Review

This review contains spoilers fro Cruel Beginnings.

A super quick read clocking in at under forty pages, this novella sets up for the first installment of the Blackmore University series, Cruel Intentions, with Kaye and Xavier's story. I downloaded this on Stuff Your Kindle day and did not even realize the page count was that of a short story, but I have been in a reading slump for nearly two weeks and needed something to get me back into the groove of things.

When Xavier returns home from France, he finds his parents fighting over the fact that his father is leaving her for another woman, a client nonetheless, that he helped get a divorce from an abusive man. His father gives him the choice to move in with his new girlfriend and her daughter, but Xavier is anything but excited by the prospect. After showing up to this woman's house, he causes a scene and his father quite literally knocks some sense into him, really adopting the "these hands are rated E for everyone" lifestyle by punching his own son. Ridiculous.

You can tell that tensions are going to be high for the rest of the series, especially between Xavier and his father, but most importantly between Kaye and Xavier. He really has set his eyes on this new person in his life, essentially just collateral damage in his wave of destruction to retaliate against his father. I do wish that this novella was a touch longer and covered a little more on Kaye -- we learn a lot about Xavier in this short installment, but barely get to know anything about Kaye except for her age and a little backstory on her mother.

Xavier is about to start college and well, Kaye... is fifteen. Nothing happens between them in this novella that is more than a kiss, but this series is definitely leaning on the more taboo side of romance. Right off the bat, Xavier wants nothing to do with Kaye and her mother -- after all, her mother is the reason that his parents are divorcing. He essentially makes it his mission in this prequel to tell Kaye that he is going to make her life as complicated as possible because of what her mother has done.

This prequel definitely has me intrigued on what happens next in Cruel Intentions, and I may find myself revisiting this series in the future. If you are a fan of bully romances, I would recommend the Saint View High series by Elle Thorpe and The Dare by Harley LaRoux.

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Uncovering Lily (MacKay International, #1) by Rene Webb Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

Stuff Your Kindle Day is yet again the culprit to me not making my way through my physical TBR pile and it is taking a toll on the never-ending growing list of books I need to read. Webb jumps right into Lily and Finn's story as Lily has been kidnapped while studying abroad and is now in a Hong Kong brothel, where Finn happens to be meeting a business associate. To no one's surprise, Finn remembers Lily from years ago, but Lily does not recognize the man before her, and she is under the impression that he is just another customer in the brothel.

Through dual perspective we are able to see Lily process what she has been through and Finn try to get her out of this horrible situation while still maintaining the mystery of why he is so interested in her. The chapters move quickly and are fairly short, which allows the plot to maintain a fast pace while not skipping over too many details. 

I personally think Lily was way too trusting of Finn when they met at the brothel, especially since she was just kidnapped and no one seems to be looking for her. Finn on the other hand low-key gave some creeper vibes when he was first introduced, and I was second guessing how much I was going to root for him in this book.

There is a definitely a sense of urgency throughout the book since Lily desperately wants to be free from this brothel and get back to her life, which makes the suspense aspect of the book work well with the dilemma of her being attracted to Finn. Get free from your captors? That's the plan! Leave this mystery man behind? Now that is where Lily draws the line. Finn does a pretty good job of keeping his cool when he realizes that Lily is who he thought she was, and I would say that he is one of the more collected male leads I have seen, especially since blowing his cover would be bad for the both of them.

Finn is certainly a character, and I found him more interesting than Lily as his character development seemed to be given much more attention compared to Lily's development. For the majority of the book, Lily was just going back and forth in her mind on what she thought of Finn, whereas Finn was really doing the most to make the situation better for them.

The spicier scenes were... well... pretty much the bare minimum at best and were not entirely entertaining to read. Honestly, every time a scene would come up, it was overshadowed by Lily constantly thinking that she wanted to be out of the brothel, so it kept creeping me out that Finn was pretty much using her situation to get what he wanted. The book was so short that everything exciting pretty much happened in the last ten pages, and I only see myself going back to finish this series is if I have the time, but overall it is a quick read that makes decent filler book in between other reads.

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