Hello!

I’m here with the third instalment of my recent reads series. There was no 5 star reads in this one but I still read some fantastic books.

I will do my best not to include spoilers for the sequels but just be weary if you want to avoid finding out too much about the storyline.

Onto the ratings!

★★★★1/2

 

 

Cherish Hard (Hard Play #1) by Nalini Singh

This was my first Nalini Singh read of the year and I loved it. Cherish Hard is one of her contemporary series which is set in New Zealand. Sailor Bishop has only one goal for his future – to create a successful landscaping business. No distractions allowed. Then he comes face-to-face and lips-to-lips with Ísa Rain. Ísa craves a man who will cherish her, aches to create a loving family of her own. As she starts to fall for a man who makes her want to throttle and pounce on him at the same time, she knows she has to choose – play it safe and steady, or risk all her dreams and hope Sailor doesn’t destroy her heart.

Ísa is from a broken home and is trying her hardest to keep her siblings together in spite of her mother’s indifference. I love her, she’s relatable. She is plus size, which you know I love in books, and while she mostly confident in her body she’s still dealing with the negative comments from her ex boyfriend. I adore her friendship with Nayna, it brought so me so much joy.

The way the two meet is just perfect! Ísa isn’t too sure that Sailor is the right man to provide her the foundation to create her family. First of he’s younger than her so she doesn’t believe he’s ready to settle down and more importantly he’s working crazy hours getting his landscaping business up and running. Ísa was always second place to her parent’s business and she’s not sure she can be second place to her partner. My heart melted as at each hurdle, Sailor was there supporting Ísa and proving that they can make it work.

I cannot wait to get to the next book Rebel Hard which focuses on Nayna and Raj, who story we have gotten glimpses of. Also this one is going to highlight and celebrate Indian culture which I’m excited to learn more about.

 

★★★★

 

 

Foul is Fair by Hannah Capin

I’m not normally one for contemporary novels. This book was dark gritty, all about revenge and thoroughly enjoyed it.⁣

Despite the heavy themes, the story isn’t graphic, which is thanks to the gothic writing style, which I fell head over heels in love with. The lyrical writing is what kept me hooked and it ties in really well with the Macbeth retelling. The imagery throughout is fantastic.

Female friendships in books are one of my favourite things to read about. I adored that this was a huge part of the story. Jade has her friends — Mads, Summer and Jenny— with her every step of the way.

Overall this was a fun, stabby, feminist thriller and I was happy to go along for the ride and see these privilege boys get what they deserved.

|| My Review ||

 

 

I was worried going into this book because we have the cheating element but I shouldn’t have worried. I adored it. It’s crazy to think because when Rebecca first appeared I didn’t like her at all.

Luke Mills is the perfect grumpy hero. He doesn’t hesitate to invite her and their son into his home and make them part of his life. Seeing Luke step up and take on his parenting role was just perfect. Honestly, my ovaries just about exploded.⁠

Interspersed throughout the story, we see the events from four years ago. They both made mistakes then but you can see the chemistry is right there from the beginning. When Rebecca and Luke meet up again, they still care about each other but it’s buried underneath years of hurt, rejection and insecurities, which have festered into a bitter rage.

I think I can safely say that this book is my favourite in the series. If you love a second chance romance and a grumpy hero this is a perfect read.

|| My Review ||

 

Never Leave a Rockstar (Never Trust #4) by Sarah Darlington

Ollie Mills is the Sunset Revival’s heartthrob and a complete player. Honestly, I didn’t think I would like Ollie but boy was I wrong. My heart melted when he opens up to Luce about his anxieties and sex addiction.

This book is a little different from the others in the series. The others have a small-town romance feel and deal with everyday complications. Never Leave a Rockstar fully embraces the band’s fame, in particular the dark side of celebrity.

⁠Ollie invited Luce to his yacht so she doesn’t have the see the love of her life marry someone else. The trip promptly goes wrong when Ollie and Luce are kidnapped and left and stranded on a deserted island somewhere in the Caribbean.

On the island, the pair are forced to trust each other and their romance blooms. Their relationship has a few setbacks when they are thrown back into the real world. Not only do they have to navigate this new relationship, but their families also are not at all supportive of the relationship.⁠

|| My Review || 

 

★★★

 

 

Love at Stake (Fated Match #1) by Victoria Davies 

The premise of this novel dragged me in straight away. Fated Match is an online dating for the supernatural much like eHarmony. Online dating is bad enough for humans I couldn’t wait to see what it would be like for paranormal. Overall I enjoyed it. This was a quick fun read. I’d be interested to read more from the series.

Abbey is a human who works at the match making service. She’s tasked with recruiting one of New York’s young vampire socialite, Melissa Redgrave, to the service. However, Melissa’s sire, Lucian Redgrave, the oldest vampire on the East Coast, will not allow his daughter to use the agency unless Abbey can find his perfect match in a month.

To no one’s surprise Abbey and Lucian fall in love. She still lines up dates for him and coaches him through the agency’s process. Lucian is really only there to prove that Fate Mates could never work so he sleeping with Abbey along while going on date with other women. And he’s not afraid to throw his title around to get what he wants. There is a love triangle in here but it was obvious who she was going to end up with so kind of annoyed me. I wish it was slightly longer to be able to develop their relationship.

 

These are that books I’ve read recently. Comment down below and let me know if you’ve read any of these. Also what have you been reading recently? 

Until next time, happy reading!
Dearna