BOOK REVIEW: THE CHASE BY ELLE KENNEDY

Title: The Chase

Author: Elle Kennedy

Genre: Romance, New Adult

Published on: August 6, 2018, self-published

Everyone says opposites attract. And they must be right, because there's no logical reason why I'm so drawn to Colin Fitzgerald. I don't usually go for tattoo-covered, video-gaming, hockey-playing nerd-jocks who think I'm flighty and superficial. His narrow view of me is the first strike against him. It doesn't help that he's buddy-buddy with my brother.

And that his best friend has a crush on me.
And that I just moved in with them.

Oh, did I not mention we're roommates?

I suppose it doesn't matter. Fitzy has made it clear he's not interested in me, even though the sparks between us are liable to burn our house down. I'm not the kind of girl who chases after a man, though, and I'm not about to start. I've got my hands full dealing with a new school, a sleazy professor, and an uncertain future. So if my sexy brooding roomie wises up and realizes what he's missing?

He knows where to find me.

Forbidden love stories are among my favorite in the romance genre. If it's also a New Adult novel that doesn't have a shirtless dude in the cover, I'm picking it up. The Chase is the first in a New Adult romance series. The books are named after the setting, Briar University. The protagonist/love interest in The Chase is Summer Heyward-Di Laurentis. That mouthful of a name is a hint at her status. Summer is a well-to-do student, though it's refreshing that she's not your usual trust fund kid. Summer's father is a prosecutor, which I found interesting (even though he's never physically in any of the scenes).

The book starts on New Year's Eve. Summer is at a bar, where she meets the love interest, Colin Fitzgerald. She already knew him, but this is the first time Summer tries to get him to date her. Colin finds Summer pretty much irresistible, but there's a big obstacle. Summer is his best friend David's little sister. Colin and David know each other from playing hockey for Briar. David's not on the team anymore, but Colin still feels loyal to him. In an attempt to persuade himself not to give in to Summer, Colin talks about her (imagined) flaws to one of his acquaintances. Of course Summer overhears this, and is seriously offended. She assumes that Colin sees Summer as little more than fluff.

BOOK REVIEW: MORE THAN HER BY JAY MCLEAN

Title: More than Her

Author: Jay McLean

Genre: Romance, New Adult

Published on: November 18, 2013, self-published

Please note that this is the second book in the series and should not be read prior to reading More Than This.

"For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction."
For every choice you make there are rewards, or there are consequences.
It was my choice to walk away the first time. And my choice to chase her the second.
But sometimes you don't get a choice, and all you get are the consequences.
Unless that someone is Logan Matthews.

Because loving him didn't give me the strength to walk away.
It didn't give me the courage to fight for him.
And when it was over, all it gave me was a broken heart.
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.”

Despite having liked More than This and More than Forever so much, I’ve hesitated to read this book. It’s part of a romance series, and each book focuses on a particular couple. Jake and Micky were great, just like Cameron and Lucy. More than Her focuses on the character of Logan Matthews. He was introduced in the previous book, as one of Jake’s best friends. Part of the reason I put this book off for so long is that Logan’s, well, a bit of a jerk. He loves girls, but isn’t as good at treating them well as Jake and Cameron are. I also confess that Logan seemed so much like high school me, except with the jerkiness dialed down two or three notches.

Like me, Logan absolutely worships women. He is very eager to meet the girl who’ll sweep him off his feet, like Micky did Jake. Actually, Logan happened to have met Micky first (by a few minutes). He had a big crush on her, but backed off as soon as Jake showed interest in her. It didn’t help that Logan made a very poor first impression on Micky. Things turned out more than fine in the end. Logan eventually meets another girl who gets way deeper under his skin than even Micky did. Pity that he once again had bad luck when it comes to how they met. It started out okay, but Logan seriously misread the situation and royally screwed things up.

BOOK REVIEW: WHEN I WAS YOURS BY SAMANTHA TOWLE

Title: When I Was Yours

Author: Samantha Towle

Genre: Romance, New Adult

Published on: November 10, 2015, self-published

“Marry me.”
“What?” I stared back at him, unblinking.
He moved closer, taking my face in his hands. “I love you, Evie. I look into the future, and the only thing I see clearly is you. Marry me.”

What’s an eighteen-year-old girl who was madly in love with her nineteen-year-old boyfriend say?

Of course, I said yes.

Twenty-four hours later, I married Adam Gunner at a Vegas chapel to the sounds of “Livin’ on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi. Not the best omen. I get that now.

Then, exactly one week later, I left him. I walked out, leaving behind my wedding ring, annulment papers, and my heart, and he never knew why.

I haven’t seen him since. Not in ten long years.

Now, he’s here, standing before me. Looking at me with nothing but hurt and hatred in his eyes, he wants answers.

Answers I can’t give.

 

I’d been looking forward to reading a Samantha Towle book for a while. She seems to write the kind of romance novels that appeal to me. When I read the synopsis for When I Was Yours, it made me piqued. The main characters are Adam Gunner and Evie Taylor (I know). They met one fateful summer, shortly before they were due to attend college. Adam is a rich guy, and the only son of two Hollywood moguls. In contrast, Evie’s family is barely able to make ends meet. She also has a younger sister, Casey.

Adam first notices Evie when she’s out on the beach not far from his house. She’s sitting on a rock, drawing on a sketchpad. Adam’s quite a ladies’ man, but there’s something about Evie that he can’t resist. Unfortunately, Adam takes a long time to pluck up the courage to talk to Evie. When they finally are face to face, it’s a coup de foudre. Adam thinks Evie is the most beautiful girl he has ever seen. Evie also really likes Adam, even knowing he spent weeks simply watching her.

MY TOP 10 READS OF 2022

 

Good morning! It's once again time to share the books I enjoyed reading the most this year. And in 2022, there were a lot of books to pick from. So far I've read over 70 books, which I track with The StoryGraph. That's pretty much the same as the number of books I finished in 2021. I ended up selecting just 10 books as always, which makes for tough decisions.

This is also the second year in which I've exclusively used The StoryGraph instead of Goodreads. I moved over because the latter remained static the entire decade I used it. It was also quite bloated and didn't have a handful of features I consider must-haves. Rating books in fractions of a star is the biggest advantage The StoryGraph has, in my opinion. I can also see reading statistics, which tells me I read a lot of fantasy and sci-fi this year. Anyway, here are the books I ended up selecting:

***

BOOK REVIEW: THE EDGE OF ALWAYS BY J.A. REDMERSKI

Title: The Edge of Always
Author: J.A. Redmerski
Genre: Romance, New Adult

Published on: November 5, 2013 by Forever Romance

He was taking the long road. She was taking the road to nowhere. It just so happened that they led to the same place…

When everything falls apart, love remains . . .

THE EDGE OF ALWAYS

Camryn Bennett has never been happier. Five months after meeting on a Greyhound bus, she and her soul mate Andrew Parrish are engaged—and a wedding isn’t the only special event in their future. Nervous but excited, Camryn can’t wait to begin the rest of her life with Andrew – a man she knows in her heart will love her always. They have so much to look forward to—until tragedy blindsides them.

Andrew doesn’t understand how this could happen to them. He’s trying to move on, and thought Camryn was doing the same. But when Andrew discovers Camryn is secretly harboring a mountain of pain and attempting to numb it in damaging ways, there is nothing he won’t do to bring her back to life. Determined to prove that their love can survive anything, Andrew decides to take Camryn on a new journey filled with hope and passion. If only he can convince her to come along for the ride…

The Edge of Never is one of my favorite 5-star-rated books. It’s even first on my list of the best novels I read in the 2010 decade. While it may not be a literary masterpiece, TEON was still really enjoyable. It also wraps up the story well, with no major loose ends. This is why I was slightly surprised to hear about a sequel. More Camryn and Andrew, though? Sign me up right away! This second entry picks up a short time after TEON ended. Andrew and Camryn are now engaged and living in Galveston, the former’s hometown.

Right from the first page, Andrew tells the reader Camryn is expecting his child. They give the good news to their family and friends. There’s happiness all around, but a few doubts plague Camryn. If you remember, she’s someone who wants to avoid a monotonous, robotic life at all costs. Andrew is much the same way. They’re trying to decide whether to live in Galveston or Raleigh, North Carolina (where Camryn’s from). It doesn’t matter nearly as much to Andrew as it does to Camryn. Wherever she wants to go, he’ll follow.

BOOK REVIEW: ON THE WAY DOWN BY ELLA FOX

Title: On the Way Down

Author: Ella Fox

Genre: Romance, New Adult

Published on: October 16, 2018, self-published

What happens when one of the most famous actors in Hollywood falls head over heels in love with a high school senior?

She was too young

Shaelyn Monroe believed larger-than-life action star Garrett Riordan was out of her league.

He was too famous

Garrett knew the mysterious girl who ignored him like it was her job was something special.

Against all the odds, Garrett and Shaelyn worked.

Right up until the moment unthinkable happened.

On The Way Down is book one of The Retake Duet 

Are you a fan of star-crossed lovers in books? Then you might enjoy On The Way Down. It’s a contemporary romance about a superstar and an average person. The main character is Shaelyn Monroe. She’s a seventeen-year old with shallow pockets and modest aspirations. The love interest is Garrett Riordan, a popular Hollywood actor. They meet because Shaelyn’s mother is a low-level worker at the set of Garrett’s latest movie.

Garrett and Shaelyn notice each other at pretty much the same time. Shaelyn’s mother has been bringing her to work. Having nothing to do, Shaelyn spends her time reading at one of the trailers. Garrett spots her and breaks the ice. There’s easy rapport between them, which surprises Shaelyn a bit. She doesn’t fangirl over Garrett despite knowing who he is. Garrett seems to appreciate that Shaelyn isn’t a groupie. She treats him like a regular person.

BOOK REVIEW: IN THE DARK BY MONICA MURPHY

Title: In the Dark

Author: Monica Murphy

Genre: Romance, New Adult

Published on: August 19, 2015 by Monica Murphy

The girl next door isn't what she seems...

Stuck spending the summer with his screwed up family, Gabriel Walker is bored out of his mind and looking for an adventure. And he seems to find it with the hot girl who lives next door. The attraction between them is instant. Electric. Soon they're spending every stolen minute together. Talk about the perfect summer fling...

Lucy isn't what she seems. She doesn't live next door--she's the girl who's been hired to house sit. If Gabe wants to believe she's a spoiled rich girl looking for some fun, she can go along with that. After the summer, she'll never see him again.

They don't count on running into each other at college. Now Lucy must keep up the pretense of being a rich girl--and it's exhausting. She knows she's falling in love with Gabe and she's scared he feels the same. Will he still care about her when he discovers the truth?

After reading Fair Game, I liked it more than enough to continue this series. In the Dark is book two of The Rules series. It’s a standalone romance, meaning this isn’t part two of Jade and Shepard’s love story. These are the sort of romance novels where each book focuses on a different couple. The protagonists of In the Dark are Gabriel Walker and Lucy (whose last name wasn't mentioned, not that I recall). The former is Shepard’s best friend, who had a small but significant role in Fair Game.

Like Shepard, Gabriel doesn’t do commitment. Their sole concern is to have fun while they’re in college. Once they graduate, then they’ll be responsible adults. This means Gabriel never dates or sleeps with the same girl more than once. Things start to change as soon as this book starts. Gabriel is spending the summer with his family at their Santa Barbara beach house. The vacation would have been boring if it weren’t for a certain someone. Gabriel’s been spending a good part of his time ogling the next-door neighbor. She’s a girl around his age who likes to use the backyard pool.

BOOK REVIEW: FAIR GAME BY MONICA MURPHY

Title: Fair Game

Author: Monica Murphy

Genre: Romance, New Adult

Published on: May 12, 2015 by Monica Murphy

When your boyfriend bets YOU in a poker game, you better know when to run…

Bad enough Jade Frost’s boyfriend drags her to a boring poker game. Even worse that he actually threw her into the betting pot during an intense round…and lost. Talk about the perfect excuse for Jade to make him her ex-boyfriend.

Now she supposedly belongs to the ultra rich, extremely gorgeous Shep Prescott. He could have anything he wants yet he seems to be in hot pursuit of her. No matter how rude, how snarky, how impossible she acts, it doesn’t stop him. More like her horrible behavior seems to make him want her more.

When she finds herself starting to fall for him, Jade’s confused. There’s more to Shep than the carefree rich charmer he portrays. No way could he want a serious relationship with her…or could he?

This is one of those books in which the premise drew my interest. It sounded like it would be an entertaining read. Fair Game has two protagonists, Jade Frost and Shepard “Shep” Prescott. The story is written in first-person POV, alternating between their perspectives. Jade and Shepard meet under unusual circumstances. Jade is with her boyfriend, Joel. He’s playing blackjack against Shepard at the latter’s clandestine gambling house. When it seems like Joel may have a winning hand, Shepard makes a bet. If Joel wins, he’ll get fifty thousand dollars. But if Shepard wins, he’ll get Jade.

That surprising bet made me intrigued to find out what happens after. Why would Shepard want a girl he doesn’t even know? He’s been watching Jade all night using a mirror meant to catch cheaters. Something about her intrigued Shepard. You can guess how the bet turns out: Shepard wins Jade. She’s irritated about it and storms off. Jade is fully aware of Shepard’s playboy reputation. He’s a one-and-done kind of guy. Not to mention Jade dislikes his pretentious-sounding trust-fund-baby name. I kind of agree with her. Names hardly get any more preppy than Shepard Prescott.

BOOK REVIEW: 10 YEARS LATER BY J. STERLING

Title: 10 Years Later

Author: J. Sterling

Genre: Romance, New Adult

Published on: March 25, 2015, self-published

Cammie:

It’s been ten years since I've seen him. Ten years. I have no idea what he’s doing, where he’s been or if he’s even still single. Have I thought about him over the years? Of course. Absolutely. But that doesn't mean anything, right? Just because you think about the boy you used to be in love with doesn't mean you’re still in love with him now. Does it?

Dalton:

I haven’t seen her in ten years. She’s the whole reason I’m even coming to this reunion. If it wasn't for her, I would have stayed home. I made mistakes back in high school. Hell, I was just a kid then. But I’m here to right my wrongs, tell her I’m sorry and win her back. She changed my whole life and she doesn't even know it. It’s time she knew.

Before I bought this book, I had some doubts about it. The reason isn't that I've yet to read a J. Sterling book that wows me. No, I simply cringed at how long the couple in this novel stayed apart. Going a whole decade without seeing the love of your life would be unbearable. It’s much like the situation in The Best of Me, in which the lovers are kept apart for a long while. How these couples did it, I have no idea. Even if I don’t have a significant other, I still feel for these characters.

10 Years Later is a somewhat quick read, compared to other books I’ve finished. The main characters are Cammie Carmichael (that’s a cute first name) and Dalton Thomas. They’ve known each other since their freshman year of high school. Cammie claims that she’s had a crush on Dalton since the first moment she saw him. They became friends for the next few years, until they started dating near the end of their senior year. Their happily-ever-after doesn’t come that quickly, though. Due to a silly misunderstanding, Cammie and Dalton fall apart.

2021'S TOP TEN BOOKS I READ

 

Here we are at last, at the end of another year. And this one was particularly trying. With the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting quarantine, 2021 has felt long. It wasn’t as hard for me as for other people (I’m an introvert) but I wouldn’t call the year a pleasant experience. 2020 was quite the tough start of a new decade. I’m with everyone hoping for a better 2022.

Even without a pandemic or home isolation, I read every day. The number of books I finished this year wasn’t that much higher than usual. Some of them were really good, which made it a hard choice to pick between them. As I’ve done before, I ended up with 10 picks. These are the books I enjoyed reading the most this year. The list starts after the jump:

BOOK REVIEW: BEAUTIFUL BROKEN MESS BY KIMBERLY LAUREN

Title: Beautiful Broken Mess
Author: Kimberly Lauren
Genre: Romance, New Adult
Published on: April 7, 2015 by Montlake Romance (first self-published in 2013)

Jace Riley and Audrey Mills had a tender and irresistibly passionate romance…until Audrey shattered his heart. Years later, she still can’t stop thinking about him. They shared kisses that she’ll never forget, and one brief, explosive encounter that she wishes she could. But no boy could rescue Audrey from her nightmarish home life, so she rescued herself, got through college and got into graduate school…only to find herself at the same school as Jace and his identical twin brother, Jaxon, who has his own complicated history with her.

It takes only one glimpse of Audrey’s long legs and brown eyes for Jace to ache for her once more. Yet he’s determined not to fall for her again. She ripped apart his heart and betrayed his brother…or so he thought. But what if Jace made a terrible mistake about Audrey? And what if he has one last chance to fix it?

After a few sporadic appearances in Beautiful Broken Rules, a minor character returns as a protagonist. She’s Audrey Mills, a young woman attending college. Beautiful Broken Mess takes place after book one, but the beginning is from an earlier time. It introduces readers to twins Jace and Jaxon Riley before they met Emerson Moore. The Riley brothers are from a wealthy Texas family. In contrast, Audrey lived in a trailer park with a seriously abusive father.

One day, Audrey meets Jace Riley by chance. The two quickly hit it off and agree to stay in touch. Later, Audrey goes to a party Jace invited her to. Things become an absolute mess that day. Audrey makes an inadvertent mistake she’ll regret for years to come. She distances herself from the Riley family and goes on to become a model college student. Audrey hasn’t forgotten Jace, though. Despite having known each other for a few hours, they left a lasting impression on the other.

BOOK REVIEW: OUT OF TIME BY JEN MCLAUGHLIN

Title: Out of Time
Author: Jen McLaughlin
Genre: Romance, New Adult

Published on: December 1, 2013, self-published

Desperate to keep him...

I've finally gotten everything I ever wanted: love, freedom, happiness, and, most importantly, Finn. Our love is everything I expected it to be and more. We've finally found each other, but the world seems determined to tear us apart. We thought my father was the only obstacle between us, but now it's the military. With Finn’s departure looming, we’re squeezing in every moment together before we run out of time.

Trying to make every moment count…

Being Carrie’s bodyguard was one thing. Being her boyfriend is another. Every day she’s mine is a day the sun shines in my life. Yet our time together is running out. Her father will never think a tattooed Marine will be good enough, so I’ll do whatever it takes to be worthy of her love. But the road will take me away from the girl who makes me feel alive--the girl I can't live without.

Time only gets us so far...

This is book two in the Out of Line trilogy. It’s a New Adult romance, and the main character is Carrie Wallington. She’s a college freshman who moved from the East Coast to LA to have more freedom. Her father, a prominent senator, takes overprotective to the extreme. The senator wanted to send Carrie with bodyguards, but she put her foot down. He deployed one anyway: Finn Coram. He’s a Marine, selected to protect Carrie in secret because his youth allows him to blend in among college students.

Carrie and Finn are now dating. She spotted him early on, and he couldn’t stay away from her. They ended up falling deeply in love. Carrie was furious when Finn told her who he really was. That’s all over now, and Finn promised Carrie there wouldn’t be any more lies. Senator Wallington can’t know about their relationship, though. Carrie is sure her father would not approve of her dating a guy like Finn, partly because of his tattoos. Finn is acting as if nothing had happened, keeping Senator Wallington updated about Carrie.

BOOK REVIEW: BEAUTIFUL BROKEN RULES BY KIMBERLY LAUREN

Title: Beautiful Broken Rules
Author: Kimberly Lauren
Genre: Romance, New Adult

Published on: April 7, 2015 by Montlake Romance (first self-published in 2013)

The most valuable lesson Emerson Moore ever learned was from her parents: Never get too attached to someone else. That’s why this hard-partying college student plays by her own code of bedroom conduct, refusing to stay with the same guy for too long. She gets all the pleasure of having a good time without the messiness of a relationship.. So what if frat house–hopping has earned her a certain reputation around campus? At least no one gets hurt this way—especially her.

When ridiculously gorgeous Jaxon Riley moves in next door, Emerson’s not sure how long her vow against emotional intimacy can last. Jaxon’s tattoo, muscles, and sexy voice make him tempting, but he also seems to really understand her…until his jealous ex-girlfriend and Emerson’s life-changing discovery about her parents get thrown into the mix. After everything she’s been through, can Emerson handle a real relationship? Or will breaking her rules just lead to a broken heart?

One of the things that drew me to Beautiful Broken Rules is the cover art. It looks great in its simplicity, because it’s neither messy nor bland. Another is the heroine, Emerson Moore. She’s as interesting and alluring as her name is unconventional. Em (the way she prefers to be addressed) attends an unnamed California college with her stepsister/roommate, Quinn. Although Em is guarded with her emotions, she’s promiscuous. And it’s not in a slut kind of way; Em’s just comfortable with her sexuality.

The book starts shortly after one of Em’s hookups. Someone put her clothes out of reach. Em decides to go to her car for her spare outfit. She almost stops when she notices three guys outside. Steeling herself, Em keeps walking in her underwear. She knows two of the guys (one’s her best friend Cole) but the other is a newcomer. Em later sees him in her journalism class. He introduces himself as Jaxon Riley, a new arrival at the college. Jaxon gets to know Em after the professor pairs them into groups for an assignment.

BOOK REVIEW: OUT OF LINE BY JEN MCLAUGHLIN

Title: Out of Line
Author: Jen McLaughlin
Genre: Romance, New Adult

Published on: April 30, 2013, self-published

Desperate to break free…

I've spent my entire life under my father’s thumb, but now I'm finally free to make my own choices. When my roommate dragged me to my first college party, I met Finn Coram and my life turned inside out. He knows how to break the rules and is everything I never knew I wanted. A Marine by day and surfer by night, he pushes me away even as our attraction brings us closer. Now I am finally free to do whatever I want. I know what I want. I choose Finn.

Trying to play by the rules...

I always follow orders. My job, my life, depends on it. I thought this job would be easy, all the rules were made crystal clear, but when I met Carrie Wallington, everything got muddy. She's a rule I know I shouldn't break, but damn if I don’t inch closer to the breaking point each time I see her. I’m ready to step out of line. And even worse? I’m living a lie. They say the truth will set you free, but in my case…

The truth will cost me everything.

If I could choose a few novels that represent my "cup of tea" when it comes to reading, Out of Line would be among them. Although I’m a guy, I enjoy romance novels (as long as they don’t gush over the male protagonist or have a shirtless dude on the cover). This is the kind of book I wish I’d written if I were an author. I liked the relationship between Finn and Carrie. It develops steadily over the course of the book. They first start out as friends, but right from the start they're aware that they feel something stronger towards each other.

Finn is supposed to be a student at the same college Carrie attends. However, he has a secret of his own: he's Carrie's bodyguard. Finn was sent by her father to make sure she's safe at all times. Yeah, he's that kind of father. I'm frankly horrified by how far this man will go to "protect" Carrie. He's so overly paranoid it's not funny: this weirdo went so far as to have two guards watch Carrie sleep. If he could have some Secret Service agents follow his daughter around (perhaps with a helicopter or two and a SWAT team just in case), he would. It's no wonder that a suffocated Carrie flat-out refused to have a bodyguard. Her father agreed but slipped her one under the table anyway.

BOOK REVIEW: WHEN IT'S REAL BY ERIN WATT

Title: When It's Real
Author: Erin Watt
Genre: Romance

Published on: May 30, 2017 by Harlequin Teen

Under ordinary circumstances, Oakley Ford and Vaughn Bennett would never even cross paths. 

There's nothing ordinary about Oakley. This bad-boy pop star's got Grammy Awards, millions of fangirls and a reputation as a restless, too-charming troublemaker. But with his home life disintegrating, his music well suddenly running dry and the tabloids having a field day over his outrageous exploits, Oakley needs to show the world he's settling down—and who better to help him than Vaughn, a part-time waitress trying to help her family get by? The very definition of ordinary. 

Posing as his girlfriend, Vaughn will overhaul Oakley's image from troublemaker to serious artist. In return for enough money to put her brothers through college, she can endure outlandish Hollywood parties and carefully orchestrated Twitter exchanges. She'll fool the paparazzi and the groupies. She might even start fooling herself a little. 

Because when ordinary rules no longer apply, there's no telling what your heart will do…

This book ended up being something totally different from what I expected. The synopsis made me think When It’s Real would be soap-operay, kind of like a rom-com guilty pleasure. Well, the book is a romance but not a comedy or soap opera. It’s more of a New Adult romance. The protagonists are Vaughn Bennet and Oakley Ford. The former is an average girl from LA. She lives with three siblings—their parents died in an accident years ago. Vaughn and her family are strapped for cash. She had to graduate from high school early so she could work and help keep her family afloat. Vaughn doesn’t know what she wants in life, anyway.

In contrast, Oakley Ford has known he wanted to sing since he was a kid. At nineteen, he’s a wildly successful pop heartthrob. The fame’s got to Oakley’s head a bit. He knows he’s a big deal and has become a big partier. Oakley’s had a creative block lately, though. Seeking to help him (and clean his reputation), his manager Jim Tolson cooks up a plan. He wants Oakley to date an ordinary girl, knowing it’ll make him seem more down-to-earth and relatable. Oakley feels like refusing…until renowned music producer Donovan King makes an irresistible offer. He’ll produce Oakley’s next album if the latter proves he can settle down and do music for the craft rather than money and fame.

BOOK REVIEW: AS DUST DANCES BY SAMANTHA YOUNG

Title: As Dust Dances

Author: Samantha Young

Genre: New Adult, romance

Published on: July 16, 2018, self-published

Once upon a time Skylar Finch was the lead singer of a hugely successful American pop-rock band. But fame made her miserable. When years of living a lie suddenly ended in tragedy, Skylar fell off the map.

Eighteen months later she’s sleeping in a tent in a cemetery in Glasgow, making just enough money to eat by busking on the streets. She manages to avoid recognition, but not the attention of one of Glasgow’s ambitious A&R executives.

Killian O’Dea works at Skyscraper Records, Scotland’s most successful record label. Raised by his uncle and owner of the label, Killian’s upbringing would have been devoid of affection entirely if it wasn’t for his loving sister. Killian is unflinchingly determined to bring the label more success than ever, and the young homeless woman who busks on Buchanan Street is going to help him do that. Her music speaks to him in a way he refuses to over-analyze. All he knows is that if it can touch his dark soul, it’ll set everyone else’s alight.

Skylar makes it clear that she doesn’t want to sign with him. But when she experiences the dangerous reality of a woman sleeping rough, Skylar has no one else but Killian to turn to. An undeniable connection forms between them. But Skylar doesn’t want the career Killian is trying to forge for her, and when her past comes back to haunt her Killian will be faced with a decision that could ruin him. He must either free Skylar from his selfish machinations and destroy everything he’s ever worked for, or lose a woman who has come to mean more to him than he ever thought possible…

I’ve read a few Samantha Young books before. My favorite was On Dublin Street. It was a gripping, steamy romance. I looked forward to reading another novel like it. Then I came across As Dust Dances. The heroine of this book is Skylar Finch. She was the lead singer of a popular American pop-rock band called Tellurian. Skylar vanished overnight after an unspecified tragedy. Over a year later, Sky winds up on the streets of Glasgow, Scotland. She’s been homeless the whole time. Skylar keeps herself alive by busking. She’s halfway across the world, so she figures no one will recognize her.

One day, Skylar’s enthralling music catches the attention of Killian O’Dea. He happens to be an executive at one of Scotland’s biggest record labels. Killian watches Skylar a few times until he approaches her. It’s not clear whether he knows who she is. When Skylar finds out Killian wants to sign her to his label, she refuses. For some reason, Skylar wants nothing more to do with fame. Killian can’t believe Skylar wants to remain homeless willingly. There are thousands of other indigents out there who wish they had another choice. 

BOOK REVIEW: PUSHING THE LIMITS BY BROOKE CUMBERLAND

Title: Pushing the Limits

Author: Brooke Cumberland

Genre: Romance

Published on: September 16, 2015; self-published

He's my art professor.

I'm his student.

With an electric connection and undeniable chemistry, I know it won't be long until one of us cracks.

When the opportunity arises to pose naked for the entire art class, I can't help the thrill of knowing he'll be watching me.

While they all look past me with their eyes narrowed and concentrated, drawing only the lines and angles of my body, he sees right through me down to my vulnerability.

He sees more than just the physical aspects--he sees me.

That's when I see the struggle in his features as he tries to stay in control.

How do we keep our distance when everything seems to be pulling us together?

What feels so right can only go wrong if we keep pushing the limits.

At the time I first bought this book, I was in the mood for a risqué romance. I hadn’t read anything like Pushing the Limits before, except the Call series by Emma Hart. I read romance books for the heroine, so I thought I would like Aspen Evans. She’s the main protagonist of this novel. Is she a likable character? I was intrigued enough to find out. 

Half of Pushing the Limits is written in Aspen’s first-person POV. She's a hardened, secretive young woman who attends the California School of Liberal Arts. It’s revealed from the very start that Aspen lost her twin sister, Ariel, six years ago. Since then, Aspen uses art as a form of therapy. It turned out that Aspen has so much talent that she’s now enrolled in an Advanced Art class. She even has several pieces on display at one of the largest museums in the city. Aspen also works there as a tour guide.

BOOK REVIEW: ALWAYS REMEMBER BY EMMA HART

Title: Always Remember

Author: Emma Hart

Genre: New Adult, romance

Published on: May 11, 2013, self-published

How long does it take for a long-distance relationship to break down? Sixteen months.

When Jen and Carl put their relationship to rest after Christmas, Jen’s biggest problem is going back to London ten days earlier than planned – and her ever-present attraction to Samuel ‘Bing’ Edwards.

Bing has no idea why Jen left Devon so fast. All he knows is that he wants her as much as he did the first day he laid eyes on her – so spending time with her while Lexy is still in Devon isn’t exactly a hardship for him. When he finds out she’s single, the only thing on his mind is finishing what they started at his dad’s fiftieth birthday party.

Feelings that have been a long time building between the two explode, and they both find themselves sucked into an easy yet passionate relationship, with Bing determined to prove to Jen that she’s it for him. That she is The One.

But in a city like London, the odds are stacked against them, and there’s always that one person ready to stir things up… And Jen doesn’t know how much of that she can take – even for the guy she loves more deeply than she ever imagined, and eventually she breaks.

Bing isn’t down with that. He wants Jen, and he wants her by his side for good.

Jennifer Mason must learn that Samuel Edwards doesn’t do giving up. Especially not when his forever girl is involved.

The Memories duology ends with this book, Always Remember. I liked the story a lot. This book focuses on Samuel “Bing” Edwards (older brother to Lexy, the protagonist of Never Forget) and Jennifer Mason. I didn't expect Sam to change his ways and become monogamous. Jen inspires him to become a different person. That’s what I liked most about this couple. The right girl can change even the most wayward guy. When I read the first book, I wasn't sure why they nicknamed Samuel's character after a search engine. I wrongly assumed everyone called him Bing because he could find anything! Ha ha.

The story of Samuel and Jennifer shows that true love can really change a man, even in very profound ways. Their relationship was very entertaining, as the two were constantly on each other's toes. They really were like dogs and cats at first. When you find out whether they end up together for real, you’ll exclaim “Finally!” I didn't blame Jen for having her reservations about Samuel, given his playboy ways. It seems it’s not easy to gain someone’s trust when your reputation isn’t stellar.

BOOK REVIEW: OFF THE RECORD BY K.A. LINDE

Title: Off the Record

Author: K.A. Linde

Genre: Romance

Published on: March 11, 2014 by Montlake Romance

Liz Dougherty has no idea a single question is about to change her life.

Her first big reporting assignment for her North Carolina college newspaper has her covering a state senator’s impromptu press conference. Brady Maxwell may have everything it takes to be a politician—a winning pedigree, devastating good looks, a body made to wear suits—but his politics rub Liz the wrong way. When Liz’s hard-hitting question catches the upstart senator off-guard, it impresses Hayden Lane, Liz’s editor who feels she’s headed for a promising career as a reporter.

But Liz is also headed into a secret romance with Brady that could destroy both their ambitions. Though he’s a bachelor, potential voters might frown on Brady cozying up to a reporter. And Liz isn’t sure sneaking around is enough for her—especially when things between her and Hayden might be less platonic than she thought.

Sleek, sexy, and smart, Off the Record ventures into a high-stakes campaign and an even higher-stakes affair to answer the question: When politics and love collide, can there ever be a winner?

Stories about star-crossed lovers are quite common, but K.A. Linde’s Off the Record proved hard to put down. Can a well-known politician and a rookie reporter hope for a serious romance? That question was what drew me to this book.  Off the Record is written in the third-person POV of main character Liz Dougherty.

The book starts with Liz’s first big press conference. She’s there with Hayden Lane, the editor of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill newspaper. When Brady Maxwell III (a popular NC Senator) comes into the stage, Liz is breathless. After Brady announces that he’s running for the House of Representatives, he starts a round of questions. To Liz’s surprise, Brady picks her for the last question because he also attended UNC. What Brady doesn’t expect is for a rookie reporter to ask a tough question.

BOOK REVIEW: NEVER FORGET BY EMMA HART

Title: Never Forget

Author: Emma Hart

Genre: Romance, New Adult

Published on: February 12, 2013, self-published

A city girl.

A small town boy.

A summer they'll never forget.

Spending the summer at her Grammy's in Lilac Bay, Devon, is city girl Alexis 'Lexy' Edwards' idea of hell. That is, until she reconnects with her childhood friend, Jen, and meets Alec Johnson.

Alec is the kind of guy Lexy knows she needs to stay away from. He's the village flirt, ridiculously hot and very dangerous to her self control. But there's a problem – she can't seem to keep him out, even though she knows he'll break her heart.

As Alec slowly strips away Lexy's defences and the two embark on a summer romance she never wanted, their feelings grow to more than either expected. But nothing lasts forever, and reality intrudes.

As her world is shaken to it's core, Lexy's self made prediction comes true when she discovers she's spent six weeks surrounded by secrets. Kept out by her family and the only guy she's ever trusted, she falls apart.

And when Grammy tells her that 'you might not end up where you wanted to be, but you'll always end up where you're meant to be,' she has to figure out if her meant to be is back home in London, or if it's been in Devon the whole time.

Emma Hart is among the first indie (self-published) authors that I found out about. Never Forget is one of her earlier titles, and the first of hers that I read. It is a sweet contemporary romance, slash summer romance. The book is told from the alternating first-person POVs of Alexis Edwards and Alec Johnson. Alexis ‘Lexy’ reluctantly spends one summer with her grandmother at Lilac Bay, Devon. Although this allows Lexy to reconnect with her friends, she’d rather be anywhere else.

One morning, Lexy meets Alec. She knows nothing about him, except that she’d rather stay away. Lexy is one of those girls who want to finish their studies before pursuing a relationship. It doesn’t help that Lexy finds out about Alec’s womanizer reputation via Jen, her best friend. This begs the question of will-they-won’t-they? Much to Lexy’s chagrin, she’ll have to get used to Alec’s presence, as he’s her grandmother’s sort-of personal aide.