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Securing Brenae Published by Read Me Romance on January 28, 2019 Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Format: Audiobook
Goodreads
The ebook version contains a brand new extended epilogue not available in the audio podcast edition!
Rear Admiral Dag Creasy has enjoyed a long, successful naval career. It’s not all been smooth sailing, but his beautiful and generous wife, Brenae, has been at his side for nearly three decades, helping him weather every storm. He loves her more than words can express, their relationship only growing stronger with every year. Now, they’re both excited and anxious for the completion of their dream home, where they’ll start the next chapter of their lives together…
If an unexpected menace doesn’t cut their storybook romance short.** Securing Brenae is a short story in the SEAL of Protection: Legacy Series. Each book is a stand-alone, with no cliffhanger endings.
My top thoughts:
What’s funny about this super high rating is that if you asked me – do you like books with military characters? I’d almost 100% say no. It doesn’t tend to be my thing. But the characters were great in this book. I know part of it was that they were more mature characters. I just really am drawn to fully grown up characters these days (that mean I’ve decided I’m a grown up now? hmmm) and I liked the maturity with which they handled the intense situation. I liked the motherly/fatherly attitudes they had toward their subordinates and I also really liked the maturity of their relationship. They are in love and have been in love for a long time. They know each other and love each other, flaws known and accepted. The characters aren’t all for this book – there is also a fairly intense plot that really moved the story forward well. Susan Stoker is now on my list of authors to check out!
Halfway Girl by Tessa Bailey Narrator: Lidia Dornet
Published by Read Me Romance on February 4, 2019
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, New Adult
Format: Audiobook
Goodreads
The team’s resident linebacker, Jerimiah, has gotten used to making people uncomfortable. He’s huge, intimidating and doesn’t have a lot to say. Until he meets Birdie. Now he can’t seem to stop talking, if only so she’ll say more. And stay a little bit longer. To be fair, she doesn’t really have a choice, since they just got locked in the basement together at a frat party…
My top thoughts:
So Tessa is 2 for 2 for me with her Read Me Romance Titles. I’ve enjoyed both – perhaps this one even more than the last. I just really liked the hero so much. He’s big and awkward and lets people walk all over him – kind of reminds me of a giant teddy bear. Looks intimidating but really is the sweetest thing. I love that the heroine sees him in a way that others don’t – its like she sees the teddy bear instead of the awkwardness and imposing giant. And I loved that finally being SEEN makes him grow a bit of a backbone. I also really enjoyed the conflict and misunderstandings that happened to propel the story forward. Overall, it was a definite plus and another reason I need to get to more of Tessa Bailey’s books!
Snowfall Published by Read Me Romance on February 11, 2019 Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Format: Audiobook
Goodreads
Gerard Parish has always known who he is. A biker, a father, a gambling man. But one chance encounter with a beautiful brunette at his auto body shop and everything changes. The way he thinks, the way he looks at life, and most importantly who he wants to be. As Baum Squad president, Gerard holds responsibilities he can’t turn his back on, but when he’s with Kristen, all those responsibilities seem insignifgant. She’s a woman like none other, smart, sophisticated, sexy, rich. She’s a woman he never envisioned himself with but is somehow lucky enough to have. Faced with an impossible choice, Gerard must come to terms with what he inevitably knows— he has to walk away. The question is, from whom? The club or Kristen?
My top thoughts:
I enjoyed this romance, I think mostly because the characters were not so young. They each had adult children and were already past that initial romance phase of their life. There’s something particularly enjoyable about characters who are a bit more mature and have some history to contend with. And they both definitely had a bit of that. This is described as a MC book – which I think means Motorcycle Club – and while I haven’t read many (if any) of that genre of romance, I didn’t really get how that changed the story line much. So he has a motorcycle and belongs to this club that clearly does bad/dangerous things… but, he seems to be pulling away from that so IDK if this was just not that representative of MC or I just don’t get it or what. I’ll try some more MC for sure to compare and satisfy that curiosity. And perhaps this series, which this was just a prequel for, will end up going a lot deeper with that. I do think this is a series I’d like to read more of, so we’ll see.
Because of You by Jenika Snow Published by Read Me Romance on February 18, 2019
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Format: Audiobook
Goodreads
It started with a kiss, an innocent touch. It shouldn’t have led to anything more because of who we were, what we were to each other. But I loved him even if he was my step-brother. He was called a bad boy, dangerous, was rough and raw in every male way that counted. But I loved him still. And that one night, those taboo touches, the softly, filthy spoken words he whispered changed my life forever. He gave me his baby. And then he left, was sent away, never knowing the truth. Now a year later he’s back, claiming I’ve always been his. But will that still be the case once the truth comes out?
A pseudo-taboo book that has a small amount of angst, a secret baby, and a bad boy hero. The hero is brooding, possessive, but has only had eyes for the heroine. The heroine is sweet, small-town girl charm who is afraid of losing the hero all over again once he finds out about their child.
My top thoughts:
I have NO PROBLEM with step-brother romance. They are not related by blood and it actually makes perfect sense to me that two people, thrown together in close proximity on a regular basis with no sibling feelings toward each other would develop a romantic interest. Especially if that happened in their teenage years.
That being said, this was only meh for me. It wasn’t the step-sibling element, that was fine and the chemistry was decent. The story that went around it was just too far fetched for me. Like the most extreme thing that could happen in every scenario happened. It took it beyond where I can lost in the characters for me. So yeah, just an okay read.
I’m glad to get your take on the podcasts. I like military characters, probably because they are often in romantic suspense as former military now in law enforcement or security. I have a few Susan Stoker books I got as freebies to read.
I really enjoyed the Susan Stoker book, so I will be checking out more of her books. The maturity was a major plus and I don’t dislike military so much as it’s usually not my thing. I would recommend listening to this one on the podcast.
You are the second person to share enthusiasm for the podcast. What a great variety. I need to get signed up and start listening in. Enjoyed reading your thoughts one these. Too bad the last one was just meh, but yeah for the surprise mature one.
I’m really having a lot of fun with it, I hope you get to check it out. I personally would probably go back to the beginning and binge all the episodes – they aren’t long and there’s roughly 100 of them. Most have been good.