Book Review: In The Unlikely Event - LJ Shen

Title: In The Unlikely Event
Author: LJ Shen
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Release Date: November 18, 2019

Sometimes you meet people who are out of this world, so you make them a part of yours.

A one-night stand born from vengeance in a foreign land.
An explosive chemistry neither of us could deny.
We signed a contract on the back of a Boar’s Head Pub napkin that said if we ever met again, we would drop everything and be together.
Eight years and thousands of miles later, he’s here.
In New York.
And he’s America’s music obsession.
The intangible Irish poet who brings record executives to their knees.
The blizzard in my perfect, unshaken snow globe.
Last time we spoke, he was a beggar with no intention of becoming a king.
But a king he became, and now I’m his servant.
I’m not the same broken princess Malachy Doherty put back together with his callused hands.
I have a career I love.
A boyfriend I adore.
An apartment, a roommate, a life.
I changed. He changed, too.
But Mal kept the napkin.
Question is, will I keep my word?

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In The Unlikely Event is now available in audio!
Narrated by: Shane East, Muffy Newton and Savannah Peachwood
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L.J. Shen is a USA Today, Washington Post and Amazon #1 best-selling author of contemporary, New Adult and YA romance. Her books have been sold to nineteen different countries.

She lives in California with her husband, son, cat and eccentric fashion choices, and enjoys good wine, bad reality TV shows and catching sun rays with her lazy cat.



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I don't know what to make of this story. LJ Shen definitely upped and went over herself on this one. This may be different from the typical stories she writes but it doesn't mean that it is any less good.

I like the back and forth of the past and the present. The story was well presented and timeline is just right. I may not understand instalove but it doesn't mean I don't get to enjoy a love so pure it wrecks you for someone else. I liked that all the characters, regardless how small, had their own spotlight and have been a vital part of the plot. Everything was placed in such a way that it does make sense. The multiple POVs are just hilarious to watch as well. At least it also gets you into perspective of what is happening. Like seeing a 360 picture. And those twist? Just when you thought you figured it out, she comes smacking your face with a plot twist so fast you wouldn't even know what hits you.

LJ Shen writes good heroines. Those that you want to hate but can't. The one who's weak and strong at the same time. I like Rory's fierceness and her ability to love and forgive. She may not have made the best decisions in life but she does own up to what she do without having to blame others. Mal on the other hand is just as perfectly broken. He fights for what he wants head on regardless of the consequences. He loves fiercely and protects those he loves to the core.

I'm giving this a 4.5 stars. It's almost there, it's kind of missing something but I couldn't put my finger on it. But this is definitely a good read.

Book Review: Conheartists - K Webster and JD Hollyfield

Title: Conheartists
Author: K Webster and JD Hollyfield
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Release Date: November 14, 2019

Sheltered from the real world, Francis lives off Hollywood magazines, Lean Cuisines, and her secret obsession with romance novels. When her best friends set her up on an adventure of a lifetime, she’s more than willing to play along. A trip cross-country with a super hunky guy who smells like sin and excitement.

Being a con man has been a way of life for Luca. But his swindling ways eventually catch up to him. He’s been given a wicked task: kidnap a woman and deliver her to the villain.
Sounds easy. Until he meets her…

Captive: We’re getting out of Kansas, Toto!
Mr. Bing: Yap! Yap!
Con Man: Why are the crazy ones always hot?

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K WEBSTER

K Webster is a USA Today Bestselling author. Her titles have claimed many bestseller tags in numerous categories, are translated in multiple languages, and have been adapted into audiobooks. She lives in “Tornado Alley” with her husband, two children, and her baby dog named Blue. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, drinking copious amounts of coffee, and researching aliens.

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JD HOLLYFIELD

J.D. Hollyfield is a creative designer by day and superhero by night. When she’s not cooking, event planning, or spending time with her family, she’s relaxing with her nose stuck in a book. With her love for romance, and her head full of book boyfriends, she was inspired to test her creative abilities and bring her own stories to life. Living in the Midwest, she’s currently at work on blowing the minds of readers, with the additions of her new books and series, along with her charm, humor and HEA’s.

J.D. Hollyfield dabbles in all genres, from romantic comedy, contemporary romance, historical romance, paranormal romance, fantasy and erotica! Want to know more! Follow her on all platforms!

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And they did it again. K Webster and JD Hollyfield are one of the best story tellers. And with them combined? You're definitely up for a one wild ride!

It was hilarious, crazy, heartbreaking and emotional, rolled into one roller coaster ride. Insta-love is not really my thing. But if written the right way, they definitely would blow my mind. I may not have gotten some oldies references but I love that they included my favorite Friends character into this. I love how the story went and all the adventures. I may have guessed what the twist was, but when it was revealed it sure still cracked my heart open. These two definitely has some knack in sharing stories. I've been skimming thru smuts lately, and I was delighted that it does have just the right amount of it.

I love Frannie and Luca; separately and together. They're like Bonnie and Clyde minus the shoot out. I love Frannie's kind of crazy. Her naivety is endearing and hilarious. Despite her lack of experience, she does know how to work herself out of trouble. Luca on the other hand is just as entertaining. I love how he loves his family and would do anything for them. He's a bad boy with a heart. All the other supporting characters were just as good and helpful to the plotline. Even the three old hags from the East Coast.

This definitely deserves a 5 star. I felt like I was watching my favorite kind of movie, action with a pinch of comedy and a dose of romance. Just perfect!

Book Review: Enzo - K Webster

Title: Enzo
Author: K Webster
Genre: Taboo Romance
Series: Taboo Treats, Standalone
Release Date: January 28, 2019



Jenna’s grown up in the system.
Forced to be tough, wary, and hard.

She’s only been able to count on herself.
Until Enzo.

He’s much older and responsible for looking after her.
What should be a job to him, evolves into much more.

Late night phone calls.
Lingering touches.
A forbidden fire that burns brighter each day.

Everything about him exudes strength.
His will to protect her is more than she could ever ask for.
Sadly, though, even heroes have their limitations.

But she doesn’t need a hero.
She just needs him.



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I recently stopped signing up for Dark and Taboo reads. But for some reason, I found a Enzo on my Kindle app waiting for me. I may have signed up during my sleep? Good thing I did.
I'm not sure if this one is just a quick read or if I just had a lot of time in my hands back when I read it. I read and gobbled everything up in less than 4 hours. I can't remember the last time I read that quick. The plot and storyline was quick and on point. It piqued my interest and didn't have a huge lull that would prompt me to put it down. The twist wasn't really something I expected on the get go, but appreciated nonetheless. Although, It did lack a little "taboo" in there. I think it was something that could easily be fixed and negotiated seeing as what their set up was. But I could be wrong, since it's not really a part of the culture where I came from.

I like how fierce Jenna is when it comes to what she wants and the people she loved. Having to go thru all those hardship would really toughen her, but soften her heart as well. Enzo on the other hand is just as perfect with all those empathy and understanding. It's really nice to find nice guys in romance novels. As good as a broken alpha male is, it's still refreshing to see that there are still good men out there that isn't trying to hide in to something they're not.

Overall, I'll give this a 3.5 star. Entertaining but lacks a little twist to make it more interesting.

Book Review: Heath - K Webster and Nikki Ash

Title: Heath
Author: K Webster and Nikki Ash
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: October 04, 2018



A modern telling of a classic tale...

This isn’t a typical love story. This is a story of what happens when love is so powerful and all-consuming that it has the ability to destroy everyone involved. It’s definitely not pretty and it’s certainly not a fairytale, but it’s their story and it couldn’t be told any other way.



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K Webster has always had a way with words that calls to you even when you don't want to. I've never been a fan of classics and never read Wuthering Heights, but with the way this is written, it made me want to read the original.

There may be some characters that seems to trigger me and characters I have detested. But it has to be written this way and as the synopsis says, it can't be told any other way.

I'd still give this a 3 out of five star just because it triggered something in me.

Book review: Last Straw - Ed Duncan

Title: Last Straw
Author: Ed Duncan
Genre: Thriller / Crime
Release date: November 25, 2017



It started with a run-of-the-mill carjacking.  An inner-city kid with no priors and no experience with a gun fumbled the ball, and the driver ended up dead.

A teenage girl witnessed the whole thing, and now a target has been placed on her back. The carjacker’s father, a notorious crime boss, is willing to move heaven and earth to prevent her from testifying, even if that means hiring a hitman to kill her.

Richard “Rico” Sanders, the best in the business, was his first choice for the job.  But there was a problem.  He was a “killer with a conscience” and a killer with a conscience doesn’t murder teenagers.  The crime boss reluctantly turns to someone who has no such qualms, John D’Angelo.  There was bad blood between him and Rico, so knowing that Rico had passed on the job, he eagerly accepted it.

Rico and the girls lawyer, Paul Elliott, form an uneasy alliance to try and protect her from the hitman. As the long-simmering feud between Rico and John D’Angelo reaches boiling point, bodies start to pile up in rapid succession… and old scores will be settled.



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I used to just accept book review offers without really considering the author. But I've been limiting book reviews lately to just those authors who I've already read and liked. But after reading the blurb from Ed Duncan's Last Straw, I reconsidered. So obviously, this is a first from him.

The story is promising if I actually understand what the author is getting into. In all honesty, the book was written somewhere between targeting kids with the way the story was narrated and intelligent people with the use of fancy words. I like the fact that it was written in the third person. Although I also enjoy reading single and dual POVs, third person narration has a special part in my book loving heart. But I find it challenging in the first few chapters to keep up with what scene there already is. The thriller/suspense part are good too. It makes me anxious with what will happen next. Although there are some predictable scenes/outcomes, I'm still intrigued on how it will all play out. Even if the story or the writing was not able to hold my interest for me to finish it in one sitting, it was still intriguing enough for me to actually finish it.

There were a number of major characters which is a little new to me since most novel nowadays only focuses on about 2 or 3 main characters and the rest would just be popping out here and there. Initially I found it hard to keep up with who was the characters and what scene was actually playing with the third person narration. The transition between one scene to another is not as seamless as it should be that I have to read back a few lines only to realize that they were already narrating a different scene. But given the plot line and the scenario they are in, the characters are pretty much relatable.

Overall, I'd give this a 3 out of 5 stars mainly because, despite all setbacks, it still piqued my interest enough for me to read it all thru out.

Book Review: When Forever Changes - Siobhan Davis

Title: When Forever Changes
Author: Siobhan Davis
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: September 30, 2018




When Forever Changes, an all-new emotional, angsty, new adult romance from USA Today bestselling author Siobhan Davis is available NOW!

Gabby

Looking back, I should have seen the signs. Perhaps I did, but I subconsciously chose to ignore them.

From the time I was ten, when I first met Dylan, I knew he was my forever guy. Back then, I couldn’t put words to what I was feeling, but, as the years progressed, I came to recognize it for what it was—soul-deep love. The kind only very few people ever get to experience. Dylan was more than just my best friend, my childhood sweetheart, my lover.

He was my soulmate.

We were carved from the same whole—destined to be together forever.

Until he changed.

And I believed I was no longer good enough.

Until he shattered me so completely, it felt like I ceased to exist.

And I’d never experienced such heart-crushing pain.

Until he leveled me a second time, and I truly wanted to die.

But I had to stay strong because I wasn’t alone in this cruel twist of fate.

I look to the sky, pleading with the stars, begging someone to tell me what I should do because I don’t know how to deal with this. I don’t know how to cope when my forever has changed, and I can’t help wondering if I had seen the signs earlier, if I’d pushed him, would it have been enough to save us?


Or had fate already decided to alter our forever?



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I've seen Siobhan Davis books promoted here and there and I've seen good feedbacks. So when I saw an opportunity to review one of her upcoming release, I did not hesitate. When Forever Changes popped my Siobhan Davis cherry and I couldn't be more delighted.

I don't know how to describe the story plot. It's kind of cliche but then it's not. I had a hard time debating what I should feel. The way it's written gives me the feels of actually being there. Like I'm feeling the person's internal struggle. The story flow may be a little on the predictable side but it didn't make reading any less painful. I literally have to stop and sob. I can't remember when was the last time I actually felt this connected with a story. I also liked that the author seems to hate sexists. It's pretty evident on the lines and conversation her characters portray. It also opens a different possibility in love. And in a way,I did believe her. It feels good having to read a heart-wrenching story again.

Her characters are not any less effective. It's not usual for me to like a heroine specially with the circumstances they're in and I even shocked myself for actually liking Gabby. At an extent, I understood her decisions and actions. I liked how fearless she is in getting out of her comfort zone because it is already hurting her and destroying who she really is, regardless that she is clueless on what she needs to do. Slater on the other hand is another book boyfriend added on my never ending list. He's compassionate, sweet and dedicated. He's also as true as a man can be. Someone with a little self preservation and knows when to back down if needed. Then there's Dylan too. You just want to hate him but you can't. He's a douche, I'll give you that. And his attitude is inexcusable. But something in him, makes me want to believe him and give him chance to redeem himself. The family ties is one more reason to love in this story.

Overall, I'd give this 5 out of 5 stars. Haven't had this much angst in a while.

Book Blitz: After the End - Natasha Preston

Title: AFTER THE END
Author: Natasha Preston
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: September 25, 2018



One fatal mistake changes Tilly and Linc’s lives forever.

After the tragedy, Linc and his family fled a town they were no longer welcome in.

Still grieving the death of her brother, Tilly’s world is rocked again when, three years later, Lincoln Reid has to come home.

Linc tries to stay away from Tilly, but once he sees her fighting feelings for him, he can’t stay in the shadows.

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About the Author

UK native Natasha Preston grew up in small villages and towns. She discovered her love of writing when she stumbled across an amateur writing site and uploaded her first story and hasn’t looked back since.

She enjoys writing contemporary romance, gritty Young Adult thrillers and, of course, the occasional serial killer.

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This isn’t my first Natasha Preston book and I like most, if not all, of her writings.

This book has so much potential on it, breaking and ripping my heart out at just 15% in of the book. I was very much interested and can’t wait to see how the story unfolds and what the twists and turn will be. And knowing Natasha’s writing, I hoped that she would be able to maintain the height of my anticipation. Unfortunately, though, the story is as good as it gets. I don’t know if it was just me but the story seemed to be lacking depth. I was hoping for more twist and conflict. Maybe I was never in that kind of position, or maybe I haven’t really connected with the characters as it is, so I wasn’t able to actually feel or understand what really happened there.

The characters are okay. I suppose that's how someone would react or behave given the situation they are in. But in general, I liked that they somehow give a little consideration about family values and not just disregarding them altogether which seems to be where other Natasha book inclines. Linc was a typical book boyfriend. I couldn't say he made it on my list, but he's sweet and adorable enough to still be labeled as book boyfriend, just not mine. Tilly, on the other hand, have a a very loyal love for her brother and family and I really admired her for that. I think I would have done the same thing she did given the circumstances she was in.

Overall, I'd still give this a passing 3 out of 5 stars. I think this is the lowest I've rated Natasha. The story itself didn't really level my expectations, but it is good enough to finish.

Book Blitz: Dirty Headlines - LJ Shen

Title Dirty Headlines
Author LJ Shen
Genre Contemporary Romance
Publish date September 07, 2018



Célian Laurent.
Manhattan royalty.
Notorious playboy.
Heir to a media empire.
…And my new boss.

I could have impressed him, if not for last month’s unforgettable one-night stand.
I left it with more than orgasms and a pleasant memory—namely, his wallet.
Now he’s staring me down like I’m the dirt under his Italian loafers, and I’m supposed to take it.
But the thing about being Judith “Jude” Humphry is I have nothing to lose.
Brooklyn girl.
Infamously quirky.
Heir to a stack of medical bills and a tattered couch.
When he looks at me from across the room, I see the glint in his eyes, and that makes us rivals.
He knows it.
So do I.
Every day in the newsroom is a battle.
Every night in his bed, war.
But it’s my heart at stake, and I fear I’ll be raising the white flag.




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LJ Shen did it again. Smooth and discreet. You wouldn't know what hits you until you're there crumbling.

Although it may be a typical Alpha male story, its twists and flow of events makes it unique in its own way. The twist may not be so shocking, but a still a twist that you wouldn't expect. I liked how things are not really touch and go. It has its ups and downs and shows that not everything are resolved with just flowers and chocolates overnight. It grips to my heart and tugs my tear ducts. I also loved that it something didn't I expected didn't really happen. It would've gutted me more. (I'm referring to Rob but would not want to spoil anything)

Jude (or JoJo) and her Chucks has a way in making you fall in love with her. She has a big fight in her. And despite her situation she didn't become bitter the way other would've been. I like her positive disposition and the way she takes all that life throws at her. It's also a plus point that she loves her Dad so dearly. Célian on the other hand, sets the bar so high. He's ambitious and driven. When he focuses on what he wants, he goes and gets it. I love how he cherishes her sister and the people who treated him as family. Although he may be perceived as a heartless douche, his passion and compassion for people who have been there for him is evident. He also knows how to take care of his people and despite the hard demeanor and bossiness, his staff still loves him.

I'd give this a five out of five stars because it touched my heart the way I wanted to feel.

Book Review: Midnight Blue - LJ Shen

Title Midnight Blue
Author LJ Shen
Release Date January 18, 2018

It should have been easy.
I needed the money. He needed a babysitter to keep him from snorting himself to death.
I was cherry-picked especially for him. Responsible. Optimistic. Warm. Innocent.
The worst part is that I should have known better.
Alex Winslow. British rock star. Serial heartbreaker. Casanova with whiskey eyes.
“Don’t get near the devil in a leather jacket. He’ll chew you up and spit you out.”
Sounds familiar? That’s because it was a headline in a tabloid the second time he got arrested.
Guess what? I didn’t listen.
I signed the contract.
World tour. Three months. Four Continents. One hundred shows.
My name is Indigo Bellamy, and I sold my soul to a tattooed god.
Problem was, my soul wasn’t enough for Alex Winslow. He ended up taking my body, too.
Then he took my heart.
Then he took my all.

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LJ Shen broke my heart and sewn it in patches.

I've been looking for a good heart wrenching story to break my already broken heart being a massochist and all that. Although the story started a little slow for my liking, the twist made up for all of it. Man, does the twist really is a twist -- unexpected and gutting. I loved how the story progressed and how things were resolved. It is starting to get annoying when a story lacks conflict. I want something to grip into my heart and squeeze my eyes out to produce some liquid. Midnight Blue did that perfectly. It's both reality fiction rolled into one. It will give you a story about relationships: love, friendship and family. It feeds your soul something to make it move. It will empty you out and fill you back in.

I loved Indigo and her personality. She was someone I like myself to be. Fierce with a heart. Selfless and giving. She sacrifices for the people she loves yet know when to put her feet down and be firm. I love her principles and her views. She may be broken but, although others may disagree, doesn't really need a knight in shining armor to save her day. Alex may have been a shell of monster going thru the notions of existing, but he is definitely going in to my never ending list of book boboyfriends. Even if I am sober enough not to look for someone like him in real life, he is the bad boy every girl wants to save.

I am giving this five star patches. I'd like to say more but I'm afraid to spoil anything if I blab on further.