This was such a delight. A charming, funny, angsty, endearing, adorable delight. I adored th
The bane of his life and the balm to his soul.
This was such a delight. A charming, funny, angsty, endearing, adorable delight. I adored this so much and adored the leads Max and Effie even more. Two incredibly lonely souls finding acceptance and happiness in each other. For fans of Amanda Quick's Ravished I think you'll love this one. This had a very similar set up with a scarred "beast" recluse hero and a sweet eccentric bluestocking heroine who loves her archeology. Although I found this one much stronger with more depth and emotion on top of the humor. I loved Effie's combination of confidence in her intelligence yet vulnerability and insecurity of wanting a family and to be loved just as she is. Max was the perfect gruff, brooding, grouchy "beast" to her smiling personality and open heart. Max just dissolves into a big teddy bear around her and it was so great to see. Their meet cute happens when he finds her on his land digging up holes trying to extract an old ancient pot. He first mistakes her for a boy since she's covered in mud and wearing breeches and weird goggles. The hilarity and fun ensues from there. What I loved most about this was that while we got to see this couple slowly fall for each other we also got to see them become friends first. I found that very significant and so dear considering Effie never had a real friend before this. Her "big brain" and tendency to ramble out whatever comes to her mind and debate topics always scared people off and society labels her as odd. Her scholarly father died so that left her completely alone in the world with nothing but her and her passion for antiquity to distract her. I just found her so endearing and sweet. Both hero and heroine are recluses for different reasons but need distractions from the whirling questions and thoughts plaguing them in their loneliness. They both needed unconditional love and that's exactly what they found in each other.
"Can I ask you a question, Max?" "You can always ask me anything, Effie. In fact, I insist upon it. I find your honesty and your undisguised curiosity refreshing." "Then that is a first. Most people loathe it." "Then most people are daft. What’s the question?" "Are we friends now? I feel as though we are, but I am never entirely sure. And experience has taught me that if I assume, then I am doomed to be disappointed when my perceived friend starts to avoid me." She said it so matter of factly, but his heart wept for her. It was so ill deserved. Effie was a breath of fresh air, not an irritation. "I suppose we must be." Her delighted smile was like a balm to his soul. "That’s nice. And you don’t mind all the questions?" "I don’t want you to ever think you shouldn’t ask questions, Effie. You can always ask me anything..."
Ugh. Just so adorable. ❤️ This scene honestly made me want to cry I found it so touching and vulnerable. I loved how patient and kind Max was with Effie. Her intelligence and how quick her mind works fascinates him. And him going from grumbly put-out neighbor to intrigued assistant helping her dig up treasures and artifacts on his land was really cute and hilarious. Their banter is the greatest thing. I loved the endless nicknames he came up for her when he was angry or wanted to tease her. Miss Naive, Miss None-of-your-business, Miss Ninnyhammer, etc. ...more
Single dad-nanny books really do it for me. And a Hockey sports romance on top of all that? Yes please. This hit all the right buttons. Gru4.75 stars
Single dad-nanny books really do it for me. And a Hockey sports romance on top of all that? Yes please. This hit all the right buttons. Grumpy Goalie widower Will Perry and kindergarten teacher Chloe Knot were adorable. And his little girl Ava was cuteness overload. I loved that she wanted to play Hockey just like her Daddy. ...more
The hero's students were so conniving and awful. To use a teenage crush as the 3rd act conflict for your adult couple is a real.....choice. The hero's students were so conniving and awful. To use a teenage crush as the 3rd act conflict for your adult couple is a real.....choice. ...more
I couldn’t help but feel that her lips would be just out of place against my own: a rose petal against a chainsaw.
Too stupid for words. Th
I couldn’t help but feel that her lips would be just out of place against my own: a rose petal against a chainsaw.
Too stupid for words. This supposedly takes place in Ireland and all the characters are supposedly Irish but they don't sound like it at all. The accents are barely present and come and go throughout the book. You wouldn't even realize the heroine Kayleigh is Irish with the way she talks, she talks like an American with the exception of the word "fecking" on and off (she sometimes says "fucking" and other times "fecking", which is it author?) and when she calls the hero an "eejit" near the end. It's like the author didn't even try to do her research and just plopped these characters into a setting she wanted. The forbidden love aspect of this (which is the main reason I picked this book up) ended up being so silly, so ridiculous and thinly drawn. The heroine Kayleigh is dating the hero's brother Eoin for a few days who is a complete stranger to her (she meets him on the street after saving his life in a near hit and run and he's instantly smitten and asks her to dinner) who she has no feelings for but not wanting to break it off with him because she feels bad and loves his family so much after spending 2 days with them and it's the holidays. ...more
Not really what I had in mind. I went into this hoping it would be like that Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves movie, no not Speed (my absolute fave), INot really what I had in mind. I went into this hoping it would be like that Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves movie, no not Speed (my absolute fave), I'm referring to The Lake House. Where two people end up living in the same house but in different years and communicating through letters back and forth and falling in love. Intriguing right? The blurb really reminded me of that and lured me in. Did that happen here? Eh. Not really. I wouldn't really label this book as a true "romance" since the romance felt very secondary to the heroine's grief over losing her Aunt Analea and the ins and outs of her career as a book publicist. Aunt Analea died 6 months ago but she very much felt like a whole character and third wheel in this book for me. This felt more like Contemporary Fiction because of that, 65% of it at least did because the author bogged the book down with so much mundane information that added nothing to the overall story and had nothing to do with the romance between our leads Clementine West and Iwan Ashton.
“Universal truths in butter. Secrets folded into the dough. Poetry in the spices. Romance in a chocolate. Love in a lemon pie.”
My biggest issue was the writing. It's very idealistic and dreamy but also incredibly repetitive. From the constant focus on the mundane office happenings at her work, to detailed descriptions of her building, to hanging out with her friends, to what is in everyone's office cubicle, this took verbal foot dragging to a whole new level. So much time is spent on Clementine reminiscing about her late Aunt and their adventures together and apart, her Aunt's love life and the many anecdotes of Clementine traveling across the world with her. I'm pretty sure I was told the same 3 travel stories at least 6 times through the book. Why was this even necessary? And the constant referencing of food, my g-d. I can't even call it food porn. The descriptions of food, the weird food analogies/metaphors, the restaurants and street vendors the heroine and her friends eat at, what the heroine would order every year for her Birthday, what the hero puts on his menu, etc. yada yada. It was just endless. This is my first read by Ashley Poston and her prose is definitely idealistic but with a heavy dose of cynicism and grief mixed in. The writing here just takes itself too seriously. The whole "disillusioned millennial" heroine is not my jam. Poston loves her some poetry, as in *literally* loves it. I needed her to find another word for "poetry". I mean even the sex scene which is very brief and PG, was heaped in purple overtones that made my whole body cringe:
He tore the condom wrapper open with his teeth—which was so much sexier than I thought it could be—and put it on before he slowly, savoring me, slipped himself inside of me, murmuring psalms of my body as he traveled it, and I knew I was falling.
It took me one whole month to finish this. If I wasn't so invested in this series and Knockemout characters I 100% would have DNF'd t2.75 stars
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It took me one whole month to finish this. If I wasn't so invested in this series and Knockemout characters I 100% would have DNF'd this. It took the last 70 or so pages out of a 648 page book to finally see chemistry, sincerity and sweetness between the couple. Which is not a great ratio. Just want to preface this by saying I did not go into this one with eager anticipation like everyone else as I was not a big fan of either characters or their supposed "sizzling tension" in the previous books. *ducks for flying objects* I found Lucian "Suit Daddy" Rollins a walking stereotype and Sloane felt OTT with her sassy "spitfire" persona before even going into this. I just wasn't convinced or sold on their chemistry and here they didn't do a great job in convincing me otherwise for a good chunk of it. And I know I'm in the minority on that one. I have never seen so much work and set up put into selling a couple in the previous books where every character be it the bartender or nosy grandmas having to comment how "hot" these two were for each other underneath the hurling insults. You may as well fly a banner in the sky in case you missed it the first 100 times it was mentioned. It was giving performance for me. And here was pretty much more of the same unfortunately and I was really hoping they would prove me wrong. The bickering and antagonism carried on for much too long in this book and came off childish and petty instead of sexy and heated like the author tried so hard to pull off. They acted so juvenile around each other. I mean fighting over who can handle period cramps better? Really now? I'm sorry but that scene came off so stupid and embarrassing instead of funny. There are only so many times/ways two 40 year old adults can sling "asshole" "assface" "shut up" and try to convince me that's sizzling chemistry. ...more
You don’t know me, but you have my husband’s heart.
This book hurt me. In a good way but whew. I would like to sue Jennifer Hartmann for em
You don’t know me, but you have my husband’s heart.
This book hurt me. In a good way but whew. I would like to sue Jennifer Hartmann for emotional distress. My gawd. I don't even know what to say or where to begin but this was such a ride. This is only my second book by her and I love her writing. She really knows how to grab you with her beautiful prose, engaging all 6 senses and emotionally reeling you in. This book made me cry. This touches on quite a few dark themes primarily around mental health and spousal loss so it may not be for everyone. It's about two emotionally vulnerable hurt people finding comfort and hope in each other. Hartmann really knows how to write unique romances that test emotional boundaries and strongly focusing on healing. Her writing really makes you believe in fate. What would you do if you emailed the heart recipient of your late husband's heart? That's exactly the kind of stuff I sign up for. Oh the angst.
Melody. Honestly, her name irritates the fuck out of me. No woman should have a name like music and a face like poetry. She’s a walking contradiction.
The situations Hartmann comes up with and how everything plays out where you are holding your breath waiting for the other shoe to drop is just really mastery level. Yes there is a twist which I won't give away which makes things even more complicated and angsty. I just could not put this book down. Melody March lost the love of her life, her husband Charlie, in a horrific mugging gone wrong when a thief tries to steal her purse during date night. You see the scene play out in the opening of the book and omg the atmosphere Hartmann creates where you see someone's entire happiness and peace ripped away in a matter of minutes in slow motion just grips you by the throat. Like I said this writer engages all your senses and paints a scene so brilliantly. I normally don't love it when a dead spouse takes up emotional space in a book, cause you want that for the hero/heroine right? But lord this made me sob. Flash forward to 9 months later and Melody ends up in a therapy group for suicidal people struggling with mental health. There she meets stoic Parker Denison who is so prickly, mean and bitter. These two form a connection where they just can't stay away from each other. It's like a gravitational pull. The character growth and slow transformation the hero Parker goes through is so stunning. I almost don't want to call this a grumpy x sunshine book because while it is that it's also so much more than that too. You have a deeply scarred man who has walls erected around himself, walls that are covered with barbed wire who doesn't let anyone in, women in particular. He hates women and wants nothing to do with them. (view spoiler)[ As a child Parker was horrifically abused by his alcoholic mother who would burn him with cigarette cherries and beat him and lock him up in his closet for days and starve him. After his mother died he ended up in a foster home with a foster mother who was no better and cruel and kids in that house who bully and abuse him because of his trauma and the scars on his chest. (hide spoiler)] Because of this Parket never takes his shirt off, never been kissed and very little sexual experience. I almost want to call him asexual as he has no desire for sex even though he finds women attractive but he loathes physical contact of any kind. The only person he has in his life and that didn't give up on him is his foster sister Bree. Bree grew up with Parker in that foster house and protected him from neglect and abuse. What was also great were all the relationships and connections that you see water and slowly grow and flourish. Between Parker and Melody, between Parker and his sickly grumpy dog Walden, between Parker and a little lonely boy Owen who he meets at one of his construction jobs. The kinship he forms with that little boy is so touching. Everything feels full circle and fated. Hartmann truly makes you believe in fate and the question what if?.
“You said I look at you like I’m trying to fix you,” she says softly, her eyes scanning my face, searching for a crack. A hole. A way in. “You look at me like you’re trying to break me.”
“You and your smiles…” he says in a low voice.“So damn intrusive.” “Like the sun, right?” My tone is gentle and unoffended as Parker’s jaw tightens, and he whispers back, “That’s right.”
“Dance with me,” I urge him, fumbling for his wet hands and holding them in mine. I swing his arms side to side, shimmying us in a ridiculous series of movements that don’t at all resemble dancing.
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I dip in closer until our noses touch. “I’m falling for you,” I breathe against her lips, almost grazing them. “But I don’t know how to fall without crashing and burning.” Melody makes a sound, a little gasp, her hands rising up to clasp my face again. She arches her body into me, whispering, “I’ll catch you.”
It’s a smile that evaded me for months, one I craved to witness, to experience for myself, and now it’s mine. It’s just another offering of trust he’s given to me. I promise to keep that smile safe.
I let out a choppy sigh, instinctively holding her closer, losing myself in her warmth, in her citrus scent. She’s the only beam of light in this dark room—my only escape. She’s my moon.
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“Melody… you’re my starting point. You’re my turning point.” Pulling her forehead against mine, a strangled sound escapes her, and I finish with conviction, “You’re the whole damn point.” Parker’s starting point is me.
There's just something about emotionally vulnerable characters that hits me in the heart. Parker is very much all bark and bite kind of hero. Someone who has been literally starved from love and affection his whole life to the point he's just given up on life. And when he starts getting that affection and kindness from the heroine he literally doesn't know how to handle it. This isn't just shallow grievances/hangups that you typically see in brooding CR heroes. His insecurities and trauma run deep. He's very much like a wounded animal who is given a life line and struggles to trust in fear of it hurting him. Even hand holding is a whole new experience for him and seeing that inner boy slowly soak it up just makes you want to curl up into a ball and cry. Parker Denison soaking up affection and tenderness is truly a sight to behold. Melody was patient and wonderful with him. A little too patient given how he snarls and pushes her away when he's terrified. But this author's way with writing such an emotional story with layered characters makes you hang in there and root for both characters. I could not pry my fingers off this book because of it. The way these two connect not just emotionally and physically but mentally is nearly poetic.
And I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that I didn’t fall in love with the wrong heart. I fell in love with the right heart at the right time. I fell in love with Parker Denison.
And I'm just going to pretend that epilogue doesn't exist. I really don't understand the point of writing a beautiful love story where your couple fight to get to their HEA only to (view spoiler)[shove a epilogue in there where one of them dies when they are old and grey. Like....what was the reason?! Yes that's part of life and everyone dies eventually but I really don't want to see it author. It's not romantic, it's morbid and devastating. Because I totally want to see his wife dying in his arms which means he will be all alone until he dies and sees her in heaven. COME ON. This ain't it! If I wanted to read a Nicholas Sparks book for that kind of fuckery I would. (hide spoiler)] Huge pet peeve of mine triggered. It's like dumping a bucket of freezing water over your reader's head. You already did a flash forward to 3 years later in the previous chapter before the epilogue so I really didn't understand why that epilogue was even necessary??? This morbid fascination and interest in doing that to your HEA is beyond me and I will never understand. But aside from that, so good. Highly recommend.
Trigger Warnings: (view spoiler)[Death of first spouse, child abuse, suicide attempt, suicide (of secondary character), self harm. (hide spoiler)]...more
Really thought I was going to love this given the characters' backgrounds but everything felt super rushed and thin so the romance fell comp2.75 stars
Really thought I was going to love this given the characters' backgrounds but everything felt super rushed and thin so the romance fell completely flat for me. Compared to Book 4 this fell short in both plot and intensity. Every book in this series has the same 200 page length but here I really felt the short page count. Just after 2 sexual encounters in 1 week suddenly our emotionally closed off, power hungry, jerk cynical hero Lorenzo is wanting to claim the heroine as his and all his emotional walls have crumbled like a cheap suitcase. Didn't buy it. In fact those two sex scenes are pretty much all the time they spend together and "get to know each other" on the page (sex happens off the page as well but that is pointless to me as a reader) so there wasn't much to go off of here. It made no sense and was too fast considering how hung up Lorenzo still was over his girlfriend who died and had severe trust issues. Someone that emotionally closed off doesn't just crumble cause of good sex and she looks great in a pencil skirt. ...more
I put my hands at the side of her face, pushing back her hair so I can see her eyes clearly. “There ye are, darlin’.” “Here I am,” she says, s
I put my hands at the side of her face, pushing back her hair so I can see her eyes clearly. “There ye are, darlin’.” “Here I am,” she says, smiling sweetly at me.
This really should be a 3 stars given how things faltered in the last leg of it for me with some questionable moments but I'm rounding it up because the writing is good and the characters were wonderful. The romance is very dear. This is my first Karina Halle book and it certainly won't be my last. I already have A Nordic King on my TBR, I didn't even realize this was written by the same author. The whole traveling across the Atlantic to find yourself was right up my alley and Dublin, Ireland no less.
This had a lot of things going for it that made it hard for me to put down. The heroine Valerie is a curvy size 12 and not ashamed of it. She has a limp from a childhood accident where she had to learn to walk again and has raised scars all over her legs because of the countless surgeries. Valerie ends up joining her 2 hilariously fun sisters on a trip to Ireland on a spur of the moment after an awful break up with her fiance in New York and getting laid off from her journalism job right before New Years. Her NYE resolution is to say "yes to new adventures" and it certainly pays off when she gathers up the courage to go up to a towering gorgeous brooding stranger sitting alone at a pub. Who happens to be a famous Irish athlete, Padraig McCarthy. What starts off as two lost souls finding comfort in each other on a night of adventure turns into an offer of fake engagement to convince his ailing father back home in Shambles that he has found love and will be ok after he's gone. This book kept surprising me and in good ways. This is why I tend to not re-read blurbs before I start a book from my TBR because I like to go in and be surprised and it paid off here.
While dealing with dark themes this very much had a lovely humorous feel to it as well. Padraig and his Nan Agnes who runs their family's B&B are hilarious together with her blunt tongue and wooden spoon waving. I loved her! And their permanent B&B resident "Mr. Major" who lives in the hotel and can't hear shit. lol The Irish humor is great and didn't feel artificial or stereotypical (but I'm not Irish so I could be entirely wrong). Whenever Padraig would start with the "darlin" endearment my knees would turn to jelly. Padraig is a big old yummy teddy bear and book boyfriend material. I loved that he loved Val's curves. A 6'4 Irishman built like a tank and knows how to use his big dick. I wasn't expecting how naughty he was with that filthy mouth of his. It's always the quiet ones. lmao. ...more
What I loved: -Set in the Highlands with a small town vibe. -Two adorable little kids Edilah and Lewis who are scene stealers. Little Eidila4.5 stars
What I loved: -Set in the Highlands with a small town vibe. -Two adorable little kids Edilah and Lewis who are scene stealers. Little Eidilah is a hoot. -Yummy gruff Scottish widower who is a wonderful papa bear and uses the endearment mo leannan with the heroine. Ugh so sexy. -The age gap. The slow burn. The sexual tension. The angst. The heavy backstories. -Grumpy/Sunshine trope. Yes please. -A heroine who loves her Historical Romance books and the hero indulges her by acting out a sex scene (it was fucking hot and so sweet how curious he was). -Free spirited "reckless" heroine who everyone around her misjudged, mislabeled and underestimated proving everyone wrong. Underdog character tropes likes this are catnip for me. I just love it so much. Regan finding her voice and finally knowing her worth was great to see. -Regan and Robyn's sisterly bond. Loved how protective and loving these two were of each other. -The family dynamic in the Adair family and how close knit and protective they are. -I liked that the big age difference was used as a source of contention. It felt very realistic considering the hero is a 38 year old with 2 kids and the heroine is 25. Asking a younger woman who is not native to Scotland to give up her whole life in the States and become a stepmother is a lot to ask. Yeah it got frustrating how hard headed the hero was but it made for some great angst.
What I didn't love: -The heroine Regan's severe insecurity and low self esteem issues to the point she crumbles into a puddle of tears whenever she's upset or hurt was a problem for me. Because it happens a lot. I have no issue with insecure characters but when it happens so much in the story over and over again then I take issue. I really wish Regan took her sister's words to heart about seeking therapy. It was really unsettling and unhealthy how this woman latched onto things and would lash out whenever things didn't go her way to the point she came off a little unreasonable and at worst selfish at times. Ex: 1. Her reaction to the picture of Thane's late wife by his bedside. 2. How she lashed out at him for saying no to sex after she told him about her sexual assault. 3. How territorial she got over the kids when Thane wanted to breakup are a few moments that come to mind. They aren't your kids boo boo, you are the nanny. [image] She was not good at processing things which is fine but I needed more emotional growth and self-awareness. I give her credit for realizing how unreasonable she is but it wasn't enough. Her constant pattern of realizing she made a mistake but keep doing the same thing with the same results was disappointing and tiring the longer it continued and hurt the overall rating for me. Your hero having to constantly appease the crying heroine cause she wants sex is kinda off putting to say the least. It made me uncomfortable to be honest. I understand Young wanted to show how insecure Regan is but she came off emotionally manipulative at times. I liked her but she really frustrated me.
-Regan's mother is a fucking awful human being who should be shoved into a box and carted to Hades. Seriously. Slut shaming your daughter in front of everyone during a family dinner is not love or "wounded pride", it's abuse. Full stop. Wounded pride over what exactly? That's your child. Why this woman was forgiven or excused for her behavior is absolutely insane to me. I'm not sure what Samantha Young was trying to show with this but it left a seriously bad taste in my mouth. Calling your daughter a slut is not simply being "harsh" with your words. Harsh? Give me a fucking break. I needed somebody besides Regan herself to tell this woman off. Regan deserves a better mother and a forced apology and puppy dog eyes wasn't enough for this reader.
-Similar to my first point, didn't love how desperate and pushy Regan was for Thane's love. I'm never a fan of "I know you want me" cringey line especially in this kind context when it's a parent and a nanny situation. It's bad optics for me. I needed the heroine to respect the hero's boundaries a little more especially considering he's her boss and not get upset when she wouldn't get her way. I also would have loved to actually see her try to move on for a bit instead of that nonsense party drama near the end, it felt like unnecessary padding with that stupid clingy actress. Also, jealous growly Thane is a sight to behold thank you very much.
-The stalker showdown. (view spoiler)[ I got the heightened drama I wanted for sure and it gave me the last minute suspense I was hoping to get in the last 10%. But it played out like bad corny fanfic for me. The villain's whole "plan" to lure the heroine out felt so farfetched and nonsensical considering he had to fly across a damn ocean and evade the police to track her down. Regan rescuing herself was great but Austin felt very much like a cartoon villain for me. (hide spoiler)]
Seriously, this was very close to a 5 star for me but I kept wishing certain things played out a little differently. But overall, really great read. It takes a lot to surprise me at this point and this book definitely kept throwing surprises at me, in a good way. I loved how emotionally cutting and deep this felt. Young's writing felt so layered and meaningful. From Thane's trauma over losing his wife and their marital issues to Regan fighting her own personal demons but never losing her sweetness and fearlessness. Thane and Regan and those adorable babies made it hard to put my kindle down. While I wish I read Book 1 first this won't be my last Adair Family book. I hope Samantha Young gives us more beyond Mac's story. I would also love to get the middle brother's story, bad boy movie star Brandon. You cannot tell me he's the Scottish version of Chris Evans and just leave it there. ...more
Definitely not meant to be read as a standalone. Too many secondary characters and over-arcing continuing story threads happening here to keep track oDefinitely not meant to be read as a standalone. Too many secondary characters and over-arcing continuing story threads happening here to keep track of, felt like walking right into a middle of a story. The title and blurb mentions the hero was a billionaire in his past life but no mention of that in the actual story. He certainly didn't live like one here. The hero and heroine had no chemistry, the 2 days insta-lust-love timeline was insanely unbelievable and for a stockholm syndrome story? No bueno. And having your white rich hellion heroine sporting dreadlocks as a form of "rebellion" to piss off her parents really irked me and left a bad taste in my mouth. I didn't get her at all....more
Extra points for nostalgia. The story is set in 1996 with an artist heroine trying to find herself while studying in Italy for the summer. Loved all tExtra points for nostalgia. The story is set in 1996 with an artist heroine trying to find herself while studying in Italy for the summer. Loved all the references to technology back then through emails, the 90's fashion, the music and just world events at the time. Ugh that was my era! But the writing was a little too flowery, dreamy and idealistic for me. Like (and this is completely just my own experience) I don't know any painter or artist who refers to themselves as a "prodigy" and their skill as "mesmerizing" especially one so young who is just starting off. Artists are their own toughest critics and never completely satisfied with their work. The heroine Harley at times sounded much older than her 22 years in how she viewed the world and talked about things. Her passionate monologues about life, love, politics and her art felt a bit much at times and took itself too seriously. If anything it really felt like the author's own personal mature voice and world views was bleeding through. This felt like someone stereotyping the "tortured artist" persona with no personal experience on the subject. At times it was too much and gave off special snowflake vibes. I mean who gets emotional over the Summer Olympics? lol
Also, why was anyone who was in their 30's described as having wrinkles?? Like oh you can tell this person is in their 30's cause they got crinkles around their eyes? ...more
Started off pretty strong but lost me midway through. This had a lot going for it that I don't usually get to see in my HR reads. A 50 year o3.5 stars
Started off pretty strong but lost me midway through. This had a lot going for it that I don't usually get to see in my HR reads. A 50 year old hero for starters. Who wears reading glasses, loves to collect rare books and has an adorable dog named Fergus. Be still my heart. ...more
She sank into him like a lost shell drops to the bottom of the sea, returning to the secret garden where it belonged.
*sigh*
So I h3.5 stars
She sank into him like a lost shell drops to the bottom of the sea, returning to the secret garden where it belonged.
*sigh*
So I had a horrible week and this book was so NOT the book to be reading during that time. The title is aptly named. :/ I guess it's my fault as I didn't pay much attention that the book is billed as a "dark psychological romance" and I normally don't mind dark at all but I wasn't prepared for how dark and twisted the story is. And trying to finish this after losing your beloved parrot that died in your hands suddenly just doesn't feel good (I love you forever my Goldie girl ...more
I usually love royalty romances but this one didn't really work for me. With this particular trope it's a bit tricky, it either works or it 2.75 stars
I usually love royalty romances but this one didn't really work for me. With this particular trope it's a bit tricky, it either works or it doesn't. Liberties are taken and you have to suspend belief going in, especially if it's a Contemporary Romance. It's a looooot of layers and details to unpack as far as protocols, rules, etiquette, lifestyle, etc. So I get it. I'm not asking for 100% accuracy and I'm no expert and don't even care to be. It's FictionLand. But even so, I really wish Karina Halle did her due diligence a little more beyond checking how to say Danish phrases correctly because the loose world building and things that happen were far too ridiculous for even me to swallow.
This very much felt like window dressing for a royalty romance. The hero Aksel is the King of Denmark, he's a 40 year old widower with 2 little girls and in need of a nanny. His girls Freja and Clara, 5 and 6, attend public school with no security details or bodyguards. Yes that's right, royal Princesses just getting dropped off at the front gate of a public school like nothing. They live in a Palace right in the middle of the town square where tourists are always milling about in the courtyard and can see through the palace windows (I've never been to Denmark so maybe this is true?). There is no mention of security details (the girls have bodyguards who watch from "afar" at times is what we are passingly told but you never see them intervene), no formal guards or staff beyond one cook, a butler and a driver. The King making a public address to the public on a National holiday right outside on the front steps (which sounded more like a stoop) of the palace with no pomp or procession or barrier of any kind. Does Halle not believe a King needs security detail at all? Kind of like a low budget Hallmark Christmas movie with a Prince from a make believe obscure foreign country with a few random spare extras in the background in the cheap dresses and tiaras playing the part of “royalty” but don’t look the part at all. That's really what it felt like here. Honestly if we weren't told that the hero is a King and his daughters are princesses you wouldn't know it at all. People coming and going in the palace with no announcements or protocol. And most importantly, the hero hires the heroine as his nanny but doesn't even think to do a background check on her????? [image] Which of course rears it's ugly head near the end as the third act conflict in the most predictable way possible. He's willing to check out why she left her previous employer but doesn't even bother to do a background check? O_o
She’s her namesake, those northern lights that brighten the darkest winter skies. She’s my homecoming. And I’m in love with her.
You are probably thinking I didn't enjoy this because I'm being a complete anal nitpicky grouch over details. No. I could overlook all that if other things made sense and the romance didn't feel so over the top cheesy. The heroine Aurora was another thing I struggled with. She's a 26 year old Nanny from Australia. She's supposedly been working as a professional nanny for 10 years all over Europe, she has experience working with high profile (nonroyal) elite families and highly recommended by her agency is what we are told. But this woman just felt and sounded way too green, inexperienced and emotionally immature in how she would act and react to things. Both professionally and personally. She came off more like a 18 year old naive girl who babysits on a whim and has no filter and bursts into tears at the drop of a hat. How did she deal with difficult charges in her previous positions when she acts like a sensitive snowflake is truly beyond me. Aurora kept making rash, reckless, high-handed decisions that were bizarre at best and stupid at worst. I cannot deal with characters that don't make smart decisions repeatedly and then act shocked when the worst does happen. Every time. I just didn't get her. I mean who the hell buys short skirts for her Nanny uniform just to goad her employer who happens to be a fucking King? I know that was supposed to highlight how free spirited and "sassy" she is in contrast to the much older starchy hero but it just set the wrong vibe for me. She takes the girls to an amusement park and one of them throws an epic tantrum in front of gawking strangers who are taking pictures. What does Nanny McPhee do? Threatens strangers that the Royal family will sue them for taking pictures. *major facepalm* How is this woman a professional experienced Nanny??? She even makes the girls promise not to tell their father what happened and doesn't think it will get published in tabloids. Guess what? It does. How do you think nothing will be leaked to the press when you work for the fucking monarchy?.... Common sense was severely lacking with this heroine. If this was someone with zero experience I could understand it better, but she has 10 years experience but acted like a hysterical naive emotional ninny half the time.
She constantly acts obtuse and oblivious to things then is shocked and dissolving into tears when the hero is angry with her for her mess ups. Why she would constantly be confused or flippant about things baffled me the most. Like telling a 6 year old that they can be a Vegetarian without talking to their parent about it first then not understanding why their father is upset over that just screams TSTL. She hides a big secret about her past when she lived in Australia and doesn't want to tell Aksel because and I quote directly "he will get angry" and insists nobody will find out. Well guess what, Susie Q? He does find out and he does get angry when it's splashed all over the press. And gee, we have to guess who leaked it to the press when it's obvious as day who has it out for them. It can't be his late wife's lover who still works for the King and hates his guts, can it? *gasp* Oh noooos. Shocking I tell you! [image]
Who is surprised? Nobody.
In moments like this, it feels like we’re unstoppable, immortal, like we’re at the center of a swirling universe, a god and a goddess, with the worlds at our feet. Nothing can touch us.
I think Broken French did it better as far as Nanny/Grumpy Single Father tropes go, with the acerbic European widowed father falling for his Nanny who pushes his buttons while stuck on a yacht. I just was expecting something similar to that one. Slow burn and angst that drags to the end. The sexual tension here is slow burn, at first, but once these two tickle the pickle the emotionally closed off hero is suddenly pouring out all his feelings and emotions like Niagra Falls. Rainbows and unicorns and heart eyes are shooting out of him. That just doesn't work for me especially when it's an age gap and when the stakes are so high. It's more a personal preference but I hate when that happens, where when the couple finally give into their attraction all the emotional tension and angst just falls completely away after sex and it's all fluffy monologues and syrupy goop after that. And it's A LOT here. Shooting stars, Greek Goddess, and "wearing love like a crown" flowery analogies that are endless. ILY's being shared at the 70% felt premature and a bit too soon given the context here. The hero is a ruling King, him being all in and wanting to go public about falling in love with his Nanny with zero qualms given his painful history with his late wife (who was publicly adored) didn't make sense to me. There was just too many contradictions to the characterizations of both hero and heroine. A King trying to raise his little girls should be his #1 priority so him fighting his feelings for his much younger Nanny should have been a bigger struggle and conflict and dragged out longer IMO.
The stakes are much higher and should have been higher but Karina Halle handled it like a sappy Hallmark movie where everything is quickly resolved or brushed under the rug for a rushed HEA and epilogue, which read a little weird (the way she talks to her own kids didn't give me the warm fuzzies). Aksel's severe guilt and trauma over what happened to his late wife just seemed to evaporate after he sleeps with the heroine and wants to marry her. It just didn't resonate for me and felt disingenuous. These two acted like lovesick teenagers living in a vacation house, the lovey declarations read like YA or bad fan fiction. And I have a hard time believing or picturing this heroine being the ruling Queen of any country. #sorrynotsorry Honestly, I'm surprised because I read another Karina Halle book and it didn't read like this at all. My Life in Shambles felt more like an adult romance than this which confused me even more. Maybe this was just a case of bad book for me but definitely disappointed with this one given all the great things I've heard about it.
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