Love is a Lyric - Michelle MacQueen

Pages: 316   
Published: March 4th, 2021
Kindle: 0,89 €
Paperback: 13,18 €
Available on KU

Plot

Rockstars don’t fall in love with assistants. 

Staying in the shadows of her famous sister best known for songwriting, Piper Hayes knows her role. She keeps her head down and does what she’s told.

But then he came along. 

As the third member of the band, Fate, Ben Evans is not only out of her league, he’s completely off-limits. Ben loves the girl he thinks wrote the words his music fits so perfectly with. 

But Piper knows the truth.

The more time she spends fetching coffee and running errands for members of the band, the more she realizes this isn’t the life she wants. 

When it comes time to finally own up to all the lies Piper and her sister have told, the fans might desert them, but what about Ben? He’ll have to decide if it’s the lyrics he loves or the girl he never knew was behind them.

Conclusion

Since I haven't read a rockstar romance in a while I was really excited for this book. Love is a Lyric is a really sweet story with not too much drama. The protagonists, Ben and Piper, were amazing. They were down-to-earth, loveable, and relatable and I really liked the assistant to the rockstar storyline. I also enjoyed that Piper was close to Bens' family and that she has known them since she was a kid. 

Quinn's transformation from being bitchy all the time to being a loving sister all of a sudden felt a little forced and I don't really believe that someone can change that much. 

If you're looking for a great contemporary romance, a fast read with not too much drama and a HEA then I would definitely recommend you read Love is a Lyric by Michelle MacQueen. Her writing style and her characters are amazing. I'm looking forward to reading the other books in this series. 

5 out of 5 stars

The Revenge Pact - Ilsa Madden- Mills

" Sometimes it only takes one sunrise to know someone."

Pages: 352
Published: Dec. 3red, 2020
Kindle: 3,99 €
Paperback: 15,74 €
Available on KU and Audible

Plot

River Tate is a god on campus. The king of football. A tattooed bad boy with gunmetal eyes that see right through you. The only chink in his armor is her, the girl he pretends doesn’t exist, the forbidden one with the shy smile and lavender hair. Anastasia Bailey is a nobody. The queen of nothing. An outsider with the face of an angel and a body made for sin. The only chink in her armor is him, her boyfriend’s frat brother, the football player who hates her. But when Anastasia’s life comes crashing down, River’s the one who sweeps in and picks up the pieces. Torn between loyalty, lies, and secrets, he battles the temptation to take everything from her when they make their revenge pact. He can’t tell her no.Because revenge (or love) is, sweet, and once you get a taste, the craving never ends.

Conclusion

The Revenge Pact is the first book in a triology written by Ilsa Madden - Mills. 

Since I have not read a sports romance in a while so I was really really excited for this book.

Thank the book gods that it did not dissapoint me. 

I liked the heroine Ana. She was really cute. I also enjoyed River's charcter. He was not like most frat boys you usually read about. He was kinder and way more passionate I think. Also he was not as much of a douchbag as the typical frat- boys in literature and movies.

When Ana's life fell apart, River was right by her side. He was like her light in the darkness. 

They had connection ever since they met. All ind all it was a great story and a good start to a new book triology. I'm excited to read the other books in the Kings of Football series.

5 out of 5 stars

The Villain - L. J. Shen

 

" But what are villains my dear wife, if not misunderstood heroes? "

Pages: 395
Published: December 16th, 2020
Kindle: 2, 69 €
Paperback : not available yet (Dec. 17th)
Available on KU

Plot 

Cruel. Coldblooded. Hades in a Brioni suit.
Cillian Fitzpatrick has been dubbed every wicked thing on planet earth.
To the media, he is The Villain.
To me, he is the man who (reluctantly) saved my life.
Now I need him to do me another, small solid.
Bail me out of the mess my husband got me into.
What’s a hundred grand to one of the wealthiest men in America, anyway?
Only Cillian doesn’t hand out free favors.
The price for the money, it turns out, is my freedom.
Now I’m the eldest Fitzpatrick brother’s little toy.
To play, to mold, to break.
Too bad Cillian forgot one, tiny detail.
Persephone wasn’t only the goddess of spring; she was also the queen of death.
He thinks I’ll buckle under the weight of his mind games.
He is about to find out the most lethal poison is also the sweetest.

Conclusion

The Villain is the second book in the Boston Belles series. This was one of my most anticipated books of 2020 and I'm so glad that it didn't disappoint me.

First of all: the cover model George Alsford is hot, fire and flames. 

I loved Persy's backbone. Although she was kinda naive she still had a strong backbone. What she did to help Kill in the end was amzing.

Cillian was even more of assholish (?) than I thought he would be. I really did not expect him to be that bad. To be quite honest I am all here for it and I loved it.

Something else I really enjoyed was Persephone's sister Emmabelle. She might be my favorite Boston Belle so far. I'm so excited to read more about her. She is independent and rebellious and defiant. I really hope Shen pairs her with Sam Brennan because I want her to bring him to his knees.

This was a good Hades/ Persepone retelling with great secondary characters and friendships and strong bonds. 

The Villain is more of a slow burn romance so the build up to the first steamy scene was really angsty.

I never thought I would ever say this but I think Cillain Fitzpatrick might be my favorite L. J. Shen hero and he is extremely close to dethroning Bane and Trent. Cillian and Persephone didn't only blow my mind but they also shattered my soul and put everything back together in the end.

The Villain is just another example of how Shen's books just can't disappont me. 

5 out of 5 stars

In the Unlikely Event - L. J. Shen

" Find what you love and let it kill you." 

Pages: 338

Published: November 12th, 2019

Kindle: 4,46 €

Paperback: 14,27 €

Available on KU and Audible

Plot

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

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

Conclusion

'In the Unlikely Event' was a fantastic book. The story of Mal and Rory was heartwarming and funny and it tookme on a rollercoaster of emotions.

 The characters had chemistry and it really did feel like they were destined to be together. 

This book did not only feel like a simple story. I thought about it even weeks after because it wasn't just about love. I think it was also about fate, destiny and also about how the choices we make have an impact on our lives. 

If you are into second chance romances with loveable characters then you should read 'In the Unlikely Event. I highly recommend it.

5 out of 5 stars

Manik - Amo Jones

           

"Maybe the most beautiful faces hide the darkest souls."

Pages: 307

Published: October 1st, 2018

Kindle: 3,44€

Paperback: 15,38 €

PIot

I’m Beatrice Kennedy, but everyone calls me Beat. I live a low-key life, fresh out of college and drifting from town to town until I find my home.

I love music, and how it stirs even the deepest and untouched parts of your soul. Depending on what you choose to listen to, would depend on what it touches. It’s the drug we all damper in, only different strains. My strain is Jazz. The smooth instrumental strums that take over me. The sound of cigar smoke, bourbon and an old dusty fedora hat. My strain wasn’t rap, and it sure wasn’t laced with some A-class shit like murky blue eyes casted down from the Lord and the Devil’s handcrafted smile. I knew who he was—the whole world did. One fateful night set off a chain of events, events that no one was coming back from. You can’t save people who don’t want to be saved. You can’t pull them up from the ocean when they’ve latched themselves to an anchor. Love was my anchor, destruction was the water that was drowning me, and the rope that was so tightly clamped around my ankles, was woven with the lyrics of Aeron Romanov-Reed, also known as, 'Manik. He steals hearts from all around the world, but one night, he stole something that wasn’t his to steal.

Me.

Conclusion

'Manik' was so good it gave me a huge book hangover. Chapter One got me hooked immediately and I just couldn't put it down anymore. 

The twists and turns were really unexpected.

Sometimes Manik could be extremly cruel I think. He's very intimidating and dominant. He's in the Brava (Russian mafia) which first of all was a big part of the book and also a change from only reading about the Italian mafia.

The chemistry between him and Beat blew my mind. They were great together but I wish that they had more 'couples scenes (?)'.

Amo Jones is one of the authors I just trust to release a great book.

If you are a fan of dark romance books and books that are able to push your boundaries to a whole another level then I would highly recommend 'Manik' to you.

Dirty Headlines - L. J. Shen

 

" If there was one thing I'd realized this year, it's that sometimes we belong in the last place we thought we'd ever be."

Pages: 328        
Published: September 4th, 2018
Kindle: 4,47 €
Paperback:13,50 €
Available on KU and Kindle 

Plot

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

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

Conclusion

' Dirty Headlines ' is an enemies-to-lovers office romance that I just could not stop reading. I was glued to it. Well, at least my eyes were. 

I freaking loved Jude. She's smart, compassionate and driven. I also really enjoyed the parts with her dad.

Célian was a typical a-hole. Insensitive, cocky and INSANELY hot. 

I was amazed by Jude bringing out the goodness in Célian. They were a perfect match.

This was an intense read with a great plot twist and some really hot scenes.

5 out of 5 stars

The End Zone - L. J. Shen

 " No matter what happens in my life, you're the constant thing I can always count on. The shelter in the storm, the calm in my chaos. "

Pages: 86
Published: December 14th, 2017
Kindle: 2,99 €
Paperback: 8,52 €
Available on KU

Plot

Jolie Louis is a smart girl. She knows that her best friend, Sage Poirier, is a bad idea. He's a walking, talking cliché. The Adonis quarterback with the bulging biceps and harem of fangirls trailing behind him on campus like a stench you can't get rid of. Sadly, that's also the reason she can't stay away from him. Well, that and the fact that they're roommates. Jolie is already straddling the line between friendship and more when Sage comes to her with an offer she cannot refuse: Be his fake girlfriend and live for free for the rest of the semester. She tells herself that she can handle it. He's just the boy she saved 10 years ago, right? Wrong. So very wrong. He is a man now, and she is his captive, heart, body, and soul....

Conclusion

' The End Zone ' was a cute novella about two best friends in a fake relationship with a HEA (happy ever after).

I absolutely adored Jolie and Sage. The moment I read their first scene together I knew that they were meant for each other. Their chemistry was undeniable.

It was a fun and playful read with a couple of steamy scenes. I also loved the extended epilogue. 

If you like a good best friends-to-lovers and fake relationship story I highly recommend ' The End Zone ' to you. 

5 out of 5 stars