5 stars
This is a great start to a new series with a social outcast turned heroine, Lyla Ford, who will inspire you. I liked the cast of characters, in particular, Naz and Tinniel, the twins. Naturally, both are unnaturally attractive. Naz is funny because he is constantly in Lyla’s thoughts, responding out loud to her internal questions. In real life, I’m sure this would be incredibly annoying, not to mention offensive and absolutely unacceptable, but in a work of fiction, it’s amusing. Tinniel is a brooding tough guy, with the requisite gooey center (which we haven’t seen yet, really, but I’m sure it’s there). Synthia is the “American Barbie” who turns out to have a lot more depth than Lyla originally expected. There are some great villains and exciting fight scenes. This book has it all and it flows at a pace that is just right, never getting bogged down in emotions, overly-detailed descriptions, or complex narrative. I really enjoyed it and I’m looking forward to book two. November 9, 2020
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2 stars When I receive an ARC of a book, I want to like it. If not, I wouldn't request it in the first place. Unfortunately, I found this book boring. The characters of Matteo and Marie were flat and I never felt connected to either of them. I had to force myself to finish reading because I found myself impatient for something, anything, to happen. It was slow-moving and lackluster. As an author, Summer Cooper is capable of making her readers feel emotions. She creates memorable characters who are relatable and, usually, likable. Although they may engage in behaviors we don’t like, we eventually understand their motivations. I never did understand why Marie chose to stay and take care of her abusive mother when she was all set to leave for college. And I also didn’t understand why Marie felt Matteo tricked her into marrying him and thought that meant he didn’t care about her. He didn’t create the circumstance and he suggested marriage as a way to rescue her, but it was because he cared about her. For her to be angry and feel he tricked her into marriage was unreasonable. The plot is slow-paced and predictable and ends with a cliffhanger. Sadly, I didn’t feel anything for Marie or Matteo so I don’t care enough to find out what happens to them next. I’m hopeful that Summer Cooper’s next series will be of the same caliber as some of her previous books (Billionaire Matchmaker series, Housekeeping series, Next Door series). Prior to reading this, I was provided with a free look at the prequel, Mafia’s Obsession. I don't know if it is #1 in the series because that seems to have "Dirty Secret" added to the name (although the cover is virtually the same). Therefore, I will not add my review to Mafia's Dirty Secret, but will include it here instead: Mafia's Obsession (#1) 2 stars This is brief, and little more than an introduction to the characters in the sequel: Mafia’s Fake Bride. Ruby is a two dimensional monster with no redeeming qualities. Marie is an abused child who, when provided with an escape, instead chose to stay and care for her abusive mother. Matteo is a former abused child being groomed to take over mafia operations. The only character who garnered my sympathy was Matteo. I could not relate to Marie at all, could not understand her choices, and although I felt some sympathy for her, my strongest feeling was disbelief. I know it’s hard for people to leave abusive relationships, but the biggest impediment is usually fear. Marie had an escape plan in place and chose to stay when her mother no longer held any power over her. Supposedly, she felt guilty for any “bad” thoughts about her mother, but that held religious connotations and it was explained that she was not religious. On top of that, Ruby continued to be an absolute ghoul. It just wasn’t believable. I couldn't get past the fact that Marie had an escape plan in place, then decided to give up her dreams to care for a mother who insulted her and told her to leave. I hope the next book adds something to the characters because, at this point, they seem more like stereotypes than real, complex people. November 12, 2020 5 stars This may be one of the best build-ups of sexual tension that I’ve ever read. Fox Mulder and Dana Scully have nothing on these two, despite the fact that theirs was on a TV show and this was a book. I've probably dated myself with that reference, but it couldn’t be helped. The internal angst involved on the parts of both Gavin and Julie was masterfully described, the tiptoeing up to the line, then retreating feeling utterly real. Time after time the reader is led to think “this is it,” only for Gavin or Julie to pull back again. The tension ratchets up scene by scene for more than half the book, for cryin’ out loud, but when they finally succumb, the fireworks are intense. The extended family, who played a huge part in the romance between these two, were lovable and realistic, making a vital and welcome addition to the cast. Likewise, Gavin’s teammates were integral, and never felt contrived or cliched. The humor landed every time and some of the jokes made me feel like a participant in their interactions. Julie’s awkwardness was endearing and always good for a laugh. Although it was silly, her attempts to date and have a fling with Kory were believable, and honestly, logical. Of course, she didn’t want to mess up her friendship with Gavin. It was also believable when Gavin, unwilling to admit to himself that he might have more than “best-friend” feelings for Julie, offered to help her seduce Kory. He observed her first interaction with Kory and their attempt to secure a date for dinner. Gavin watched Julie: “She said it like the British did, shed-yool instead of using the K sound, and why was she tipping an imaginary hat?” Julie’s repeated efforts to appear cool while actually appearing as nerdy as possible were quite amusing, especially when she tried to let Kory know she was interested in him: “Sexing you up? That was at least the third or fourth odd reference she’d made, as if she’d read a book called ‘Ways you shouldn’t refer to hooking up’ and thought it was a how-to manual.” The narrator shares a few laughs with the reader as well, making fun of some obvious foreshadowing by making the following observation: “In life, there are certain questions that should never be asked. How bad can it be was one of them.” But this is no shallow rom-com because some of the depictions of emotions are simply adroit, like one of the times when they almost crossed the line before pulling back: “Julie glanced down, and just like that, whatever spell they’d been under broke, the intimate bubble popping and splatting against the tile floor.” Attempts to deny their attraction are depicted in ways that engage the physical and emotional, like when “Julie placed her hand on the center of his chest, and his traitorous heart threw itself against the mercy of her palm, determined to be the next part of his body to give him away, apparently.” Shortly thereafter, Julie blinked her blue eyes, “and it jerked the reins he’d used to constrain his thoughts right out of his hands. They didn’t just gutter dive, they rolled around in the muck.” Still trying to fool himself, he wonders, “Had time halted or was this one of those moments of clarity that held enough weight to draw it out longer?” This was a great visual, another indication of how in thrall he was to her: “That dimple in her right cheek was seriously going to kill him. Her red lips were like the line of an exclamation point, and that indention was the accent.” Finally, I loved the family so much that I completely understood the need to meddle and found myself a willing coconspirator (if not, participant). When Julie realized what they’d done and attempted to interrogate them to put the pieces together, they seemed so proud of themselves, each offering their own contributions. Trying to remain annoyed, she chastised them saying, “This is a trial, not an awards ceremony.” I couldn't help feeling a bit like it was cause for awards. Naturally, this story would not be complete with a HEA, but it’s not easy to get there. That just makes arriving there even more rewarding. November 5, 2020 1 star Sometimes the books I get from Netgalley are great. Other times, they really are not. This book would fall into the second category. As I started reading, I had high hopes. I found the narrator amusing and even highlighted this: “If you don’t believe me—which you probably shouldn’t—” I thought, okay, I could get into this sense of humor. I was wrong. I managed to read the first two chapters before realizing the narrator sounds too much like an ex-boyfriend with ADHD who doesn’t know when to shut up (true story). It wasn’t amusing. It was just annoying, and just as I had to extricate myself from an unhealthy real-life relationship, I likewise had to extricate myself from an unpleasant reading experience. I have no doubt some people will enjoy this book (even my ex- found someone else to love him), but I am not one of those people and I cannot recommend this book to any lover of literature. I didn’t find anything clever or intelligent or poetic or consciousness-raising about this. Life is too short to waste any time on something that doesn’t make you happy. I’ll be looking for my happiness elsewhere. November 2, 2020 5 stars This one starts off slowly, and I wasn’t quite sure where it was going, but I was quickly reeled in. As always, the characters that Tracy Sumner creates are unique, memorable, likable, and inspiring. This one is full of strong, independent women with a sense of humor and penchant for innuendo. I loved Camille’s aunt Bel, and even Countess Adelia Milburn was funny, both women scheming to bring Camille and Tristan together. At one point, after Camille has repeatedly denied that she wants him, Adelia scoffs, “Must we do all the work here?” Camille and Tristan were childhood friends, after a fashion—she was the little sister of Tristan’s best friend. Because they spent so much time together, they have a comfortable rapport, which makes it totally believable when he confronts her hesitancy by saying, “Are we going to stand her mentally stripping each other of clothing, or are you going to tell me what you want?” When she balks, denying she was doing that, he responds, “Just me then. Apologies.” Tracy Sumner has a poetic way of stating what others might say in ordinary ways, like when Tristan imagined Camille’s breath “light and effervescent, sliding down his throat to dent his heart.” Later, he looked at her in the ballroom and saw, “Her hair breathing in candlelight from the many chandeliers and releasing it in a ginger burst.” Most telling of all though, after asking what he could do to delight her: “He didn’t know why he asked this when he was running full-speed away from her. Or trying to. And failing.” Some things are stated with such simplicity that they become profound, like Camille’s fear of “losing her soul when he’d always owned her heart.” And, “She would have been embarrassed if she’d been able to be anything but his.” And this book has heat too, with a statement from Tristan so searing and evocative, I had to fan myself: “You think my hand is wondrous? My lips are destructive.” If you’ve ever been faced with a task you wish to avoid, you’ll appreciate this one: “Scrambling from the bed, he approached the mess as if it were a blazing coal someone had asked him to shove down his trousers.” One of the reasons Tristan and Camille are perfect for one another is because both are intelligent and a bit mischievous. This was demonstrated in one scene with Tristan following a negotiation with a gentleman of his acquaintance: “Tristan sat up and held out his hand to seal the deal, an American tradition he planned to start regularly employing because his countrymen disliked it so much.” And I cannot resist sharing this quote from a part of the story where Camille is angry with Tristan and on her way to confront him: “The scent of cinnamon and gingerbread wafting from the shops drifted through a crack in the carriage’s window, overriding the stink of burning coal and river blight, a careless delight Camille would have otherwise taken great pleasure in. As it was, keeping the furious crimson haze from spilling out of her soul and staining the city’s cobblestones was taking every fiber of her being.” No surprise, Camille and Tristan work things out and have their HEA. In fact, he transforms into a romantic, sweet soul that I don’t think he ever imagined he could be, though of course, Camille knew it all along. I loved this story and highly recommend it. November 2, 2020 3 stars If I hadn't read most of the other books in this series, this one probably would have driven me crazy. It's barely a sliver of the League of Rogues and only an introduction to Emily Parr. Nevertheless, like the rest of the books in the series, it features the engaging characters and intriguing plot that occur in each installment. Unfortunately, I don’t think it could be classified as a complete story, technically speaking. Then again, the title tells you all you need to know. It’s the beginning, with the middle and the end yet to come. I enjoyed it, but I must warn readers, if you haven't read the other books, it's a cliffhanger. November 2, 2020 4 stars It's a good story with well-developed characters, but it's not exceptional, and that is something I've come to expect from Lauren Smith. There were a few times I rolled my eyes, like when Venetia's grandmother decided Adrian should "teach" her about men so that she would be able to choose a good husband. This would have been okay but for the fact that it was presented as if she really did not want a romance to develop between them. I think it would have been better if it had been clear that she was scheming. I also felt that the relationship between Venetia and Adrian moved to a physical one too quickly. It felt rushed and unrealistic. I understand readers want heat, but I’m more interested in the story and only want that heat if it fits. Overall, however, I enjoyed the story. November 1, 2020 |
Elizabeth J ConnorWriter. Editor. Proofreader. Archives
September 2022
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