The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

Hey everyone,

Today I’m reviewing The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion, arguably a comedy with strong-romantic elements, rather than a contemporary romance. This book has been out for over two years and is extremely well-known, therefore I decided it was about time I read it for myself and see what all the fuss is about!

The book:

“I’m not good at understanding what other people want.”

“Tell me something I don’t know...”

Love isn’t an exact science - but no one told Don Tillman. A handsome thirty-nine-year-old geneticist, Don’s never had a second date. So he devises The Wife Project, a scientific test to find the perfect partner. Enter Rosie - ‘the world’s most incompatible woman’ - throwing Don’s safe, ordered life into chaos. Just what is this unsettling, alien emotion he’s feeling?

My thoughts:

Is it weird that I don’t really know how I feel about The Rosie Project? It was an easy read and I pretty much devoured it in two days but now looking back on some of the scenes I can’t really explain why I enjoyed it.

Third Daughter by Susan Kaye Quinn

Hey everyone,

Continuing with my challenge to read all the books in my TBR pile I picked up Third Daughter by Susan Kaye Quinn this weekend.  An Indian-set Steampunk Romance that was released sometime in 2013. Arguably Steampunk has lessened in popularity since its hurray last year, however, this is still a genre I love to read.

The book:

Skyships, saber duels, and lots of royal intrigue... and, of course, kissing.

The Third Daughter of the Queen wants her birthday to arrive so she'll be free to marry for love, but rumors of a new flying weapon may force her to accept a barbarian prince's proposal for a peace-brokering marriage. Desperate to marry the charming courtesan she loves, Aniri agrees to the prince's proposal as a subterfuge in order to spy on him, find the weapon, and hopefully avoid both war and an arranged marriage to a man she does not love.

Third Daughter is the first book in the The Dharian Affairs Trilogy. This steampunk-goes-to-Bollywood romance takes place in an east-Indian-flavored alternate world.

My thoughts:

Told exclusively from the viewpoint of Aniri or the Third Daughter of the Queen as she is also known Third Daughter is an exciting adventure across an alternative India. Although clearly a steampunk novel I felt it relied more on concepts of political and social intrigue. Probably because the majn conflict in the book revolves around the political, economic and military strife between the countries of Dharia, Samirian and Jungali. It is in fact the tenuous relationship between Jungali and Dharia that leads to Aniri arranged marriage.

City Slicker At The Horny Goat Ranch by Daisy Harris

Hey everyone,

Currently on an impromptu trip to Yorkshire for a few days and as I’m in the countryside I decided to read a book with a rural setting. Therefore Daisy Harris’s City Slicker At The Horny Goat Ranch shot right to the top of my To-Be-Read pile!

The book:

Keith Kelley doesn’t normally take kindly to strangers, but his flashy new neighbor has long legs, lips made for kissing and might prove too much temptation for a boy hiding his sexuality in rural Idaho. Unfortunately, between working his mom’s goat ranch and land disputes with his wealthy father, Keith has enough problems. He doesn’t need the best sex of his life threatening to expose all his secrets. 

Real estate developer Max Levin vows to turn the one-stoplight town of Pookataw Valley into a vacation destination…and then leave before the dust clears. With his next assignment in five months, Max shouldn’t start loving the quaint little town—the ranchland, the mountains, even the goats. If only Max could stop thinking about his sexy neighbor and the time they shared in the front seat of Keith’s truck. Because he especially shouldn’t fall in love with a guy who can’t openly love him back. 

In a town the size of Pookataw Valley, nothing stays secret for long. If Keith wants to hold onto his birthright, he’ll have to fight for his land and his pride. Most of all, he’ll have to fight for Max before he slips through Keith’s fingers.

My thoughts:

As mentioned before I’m a huge Daisy Harris fan and have in fact reviewed some of her previous books on this site. As usual I thoroughly enjoyed City Slicker At The Horny Goat Ranch and if that’s a title you enjoy you’ll probably like the book as well!

Fire At Twilight by Lila Ashe

Hey everyone,

Firstly what is with all the firefighter books in my life at the moment? Seriously it feels like they are popping up all over the place! Crazy times. Secondly my feelings for Fire At Twilight are leaning towards the ‘meh... it was book’ so I apologise for what is about to happen.

The book:

Grace is a fixer. She's good at it, too. In her acupuncture practice, she fixes the community of Darling Bay, and in her personal life, she's rescued her sister too many times to count. Her love life, though . . . Grace doesn't think she needs help, especially not from a man whose very nickname is unhealthy. 

Tox Ellis is the hazmat expert at the Darling Bay Fire Department, and he knows about harmful substances. He knows what gases to keep apart to prevent explosions. Why, then, can't he seem to stay away from Grace, the woman who seems to think he needs fixing? 

Is Darling Bay ready for the chemical reaction Grace and Tox generate whenever they're in the same place at the same time? And who will be standing by to put out the flames?

My thoughts:

I think my biggest gripe with Fire At Twilight and the reason I struggled to enjoy this sweet contemporary romance is that the hero and heroine go on ONE DATE in the entire book. They really have very few interactions before declaring their love. I mean come on Lila Ashe I understand that you need the characters to fall in love quickly because its a short book but surely they deserve more than one date and a few short moments alone? I can’t feel any emotion for a couple if I never see them spend much time together.

Bad Company by K.A. Mitchell

Hey everyone,

Yesterday I set myself the challenge of reading all the books in my TBR list, which has grown to roughly 65 books. To me it was getting a bit ridiculous, although I will confess at times it has been much larger. As an extra incentive I have banned myself from buying anymore books until I have read ALL of my TBR pile. That includes ebook freebies etc otherwise this challenge would be endless!

It was this challenge that prompted me to finally read Bad Company by K.A. Mitchell. A book that has been languishing on my kindle for far too long.

The book:

Some things are sweeter than revenge. 

“I need a boyfriend.”

Hearing those words from the mouth of his very straight ex-friend is enough to make columnist and editor Nate Gray choke on his Corona. It’s been thirteen years since Kellan Brooks’s father crushed Nate’s family on his climb to wealth and power. Even longer since he entrusted Kellan with the confession that he might be gay—only to have his best friend out and humiliate him to their entire high school. The last thing Nate expects is Kellan begging for his help.

Breaking off his engagement to a senator’s daughter was the last straw for Kellan’s CEO father. Frustrated at being cut off, his father’s stinging words—that he wishes Kellan had never been born—still ringing in his ears, Kellan turns to Nate. In a move worthy of a corporate raider, Kellan plans the ultimate revenge. Come out as the boyfriend of the man his homophobic father betrayed.

Convincing Nate to play along isn’t easy. It’s even harder to figure out why the lie feels so close to the truth.

My thoughts:

I went into this book with absolutely no expectations, partly because it had been so long since I brought it originally. Yet I was presently surprised. Bad Company is a sweet yet sexy M/M romance about the importance of second chances. 

The Ivy Lessons by SK. Quinn

Hey everyone,

I had absolutely no intention of reviewing this book, but about half-way through reading The Ivy Lessons events in the book started happening that made it impossible for me not to review it. I’m talking about the difference between good BDSM and bad BDSM. In my opinion The Ivy Lessons is bad BDSM and below I want to outline why.

The book:

Teacher, plus student, equals a passion forbidden

When Sophia wins a post-graduate place at Ivy Drama College, she can't believe her luck. The college is owned by one of the most well-respected young actors in London, Marc Blackwell – who not only founded the college, but teaches the students.

Known for his strict classes and belief in discipline, Marc has a reputation for being arrogant and aloof, yet Sophia soon finds herself drawn to this cold, fascinating young man. 

Soon, Sophia is embarking on a journey of sexual discovery that promises to explore all that is forbidden between teacher and student.

My thoughts:

Perhaps I should have known from the premise that this wouldn’t be the book for me. Its the typical older more sexually experienced male with the young naive female, in the style of Fifty Shades of Grey, cause you know, duh! Yet I was drawn in because when written correctly I have no problem with teacher/student or BDSM. However, when I see scenes like this I start to have my doubts:

Just A Bit Unhealthy by Alessandra Hazard

Hey everyone,

Now I know I promised to try and stay away from the m/m romances this month as mentioned in my April TBR video, but I couldn’t resist reading the latest one in Alessandra Hazard’s Straight Guys series. Just A Bit Unhealthy is a contemporary m/m novella that follows the characters of Jared and Gabriel, who are introduced earlier in the series. Having said that this can totally be read as an stand-alone.

The book:

Gabriel DuVal, rising soccer star.

Jared Sheldon, team physician.

To the outside world, they’re just good friends. But the truth is, Gabriel isn’t entirely sure what they are to each other. 

Some call their relationship unhealthy. Some call it codependency. Gabriel calls it confusing. He knows Jared wants him – as more than a friend. He doesn’t want Jared. He’s straight, he has a girlfriend, and he loves her. But Jared is… Jared is more. Jared is his. He needs him – his touch and his strength. 

But is it enough for Jared?

My thoughts:

Having been previously introduced to Jared and Gabriel in Just A Bit Obsessed I was aware of the unusual dynamics of the relationship. Jared loves Gabriel. Gabriel needs Jared. Gabriel even loves Jared but he isn’t in love with Jared. After all he has a girlfriend, and he’s straight so he can’t be in love with Jared. Despite that Gabriel is crazy possessive of Jared. He might not want a relationship with Jared but he certainly doesn’t want anyone else having one with him either. Jared is his.

Twenty Things I Learnt from Fangirl

Hey everyone,

Over the Easter Weekend I read Fangirl and fell completely in love with it and the characters! I knew straight away I wanted to do a post about it but as this book has been reviewed and obsessed over to high heaven I decided to do something a little different. Instead of reviewing the book I’ve created a list of twenty things I learnt from reading Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, some are serious, some are humorous and others are just a bit random. Enjoy!

• Its okay to not have all your sh*t figured out.
• I really, really like character driven novels.

Four Nights With The Duke by Eloisa James

Hey everyone,

For the last five days I’ve been ill and confined to my bedroom. This has meant a lot of time for reading, which luckily for me coincided with the release of Eloisa James new book Four Nights With The Duke. I'm not faking I swear! Also this may contain slight spoilers.

The book:

As a young girl, Emilia Gwendolyn Carrington told the annoying future Duke of Pindar that she would marry any man in the world before him—so years later she is horrified to realize that she has nowhere else to turn.

Evander Septimus Brody has his own reasons for agreeing to Mia's audacious proposal, but there's one thing he won't give his inconvenient wife: himself.

Instead, he offers Mia a devil's bargain...he will spend four nights a year with her. Four nights, and nothing more. And those only when she begs for them.

Which Mia will never do.

Now Vander faces the most crucial challenge of his life: he must seduce his own wife in order to win her heart—and no matter what it takes, this is the one battle he can't afford to lose.

My thoughts:

Firstly can I just say I love the cover of Four Nights With The Duke, the lace detailing on the dress, the old-fashioned wallpaper and the soft lighting just tick all the right boxes for me! Anyway enough about the gorgeous cover and on with the actual book. I loved it! As usual in an Eloisa James novel it contain a fair few references to William Shakespeare, which as an English Literature graduate I personally found interesting and enjoyable. The character of Uncle Chuffy (who is probably one of my favourite secondary character EVER) is particularly found of sprouting Shakespeare, and throughout the wedding of Mia and Vander he chooses to quote Twelfth Night to hilarious effect.