Tori’s Mini Reviews:

Something Borrowed by Eve Dangerfield
Contemporary Romance
Self-published
Grade: C

I loved the premise behind Something Borrowed. A hate fueled relationship that becomes a second chance romance between a very angry heroine and a former drunken playboy hero. Elle’s best friend is having a destination wedding and wants Elle to attend and sing at the event. The problem? Elle’s nemesis, Jackson, will also be attending.  As Jackson and Elle spend time together, Elle learns Jackson had some serious issues he is now working through and she MAY have once again allowed her anger to get the best of her.  They give in to their sexual attraction and discover something much stronger blossoming between them.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself in the beginning. Ella is a humorous and entertaining mess whose dialogue had me crying with laughter as she grumps and fusses at everyone. No one is safe from her opinion or bad mood. As I got to spend more time with Elle, I realized I didn’t like her. Often in these situations, you discover there is a really good reason for a person’s’ extremely anger and/or hatred of someone. But, Elle is really just an angry person. Her hatred of Jackson was amusing until you realize that his crimes were more blows to Elle’s pride than anything. The domme aspect was an interesting but it’s a hard personality to write. In my experience, most fictional domme’s either come off as posers or bitchy. Elle’s dominatrix side doesn’t mesh well with her anger so she comes off more a bitchy sadist. Jackson seemed to like it, but I didn’t buy it. I was also dismayed that Jackson seemed to be the only one who experiences any real growth and change in here. His growth reflects on Elle so she actually looks better than what she really is.

Regardless of my issues, Something Borrowed is well written with strong character driven plotlines, hilarious dialogue, and some extremely intense and emotionally freeing sexual scenes. A personable and fun cast of secondary characters keeps the story moving along and not so serious.  Fans of anger fueled second chance romances are sure to enjoy. For me, this heroine was just too angry to fully enjoy the story.

The Temptation of Dragons by Chrys Cymri
Series: Penny White, #1
Science Fiction/Fantasy
March 31, 2016
Self Published
DNF

The Temptation of Dragons is an interesting fantasy based mystery that brings together a widowed female priest with an alternate world. Father Penny White somehow “sees” an injured dragon and offers him his last rites as he lies dying. This brings her to the attention of the Lloegyr (supernatural shapeshifters and otherworldly beings) and those who handle the alliance between them and humans. Father White is offered a job as the new liaison and soon finds herself embroiled in a supernatural murder mystery while trying to keep her baby brother from mortal harm.

Growing up, I loved Andrew Greeley’s Father Blackie Ryan mysteries. They were a compelling mixture of family, humor, religion, mystery, and a touch of the paranormal. I think I enjoyed them the most because Father Ryan always preached through a benevolent (female) God and never used the bible to excuse bad thoughts or deeds. When I was offered this for review, I thought this would be something similar, just more fantasy imbibed. Ehhh…not so much so.

The world set up is extremely detailed and well defined. Cymi is knowledgeable on the church and also well versed in fantasy-both of which are a huge part of our heroine’s life.  I enjoyed the meeting of various characters of the other world. Snail sharks-LOL. I found it very interesting and odd that Christianity seems to be the supernatural religion of choice. While a fan of fantasy and mysteries, I found myself unable to fully connect with the story or the characters. Extremely verbose, the dialogue far outweighs any action. The religious aspects are a strong component of this story-far stronger than I was comfortable with. I also had issues with the continuous inclusion of various fantasy based tv shows. It was never ending. I got to 30% and realized a majority of what I read was religious instruction/definition.

A Dangerous Age by Kelly Killoren Bensimon
Contemporary Fiction
June 7, 2016
Galley Books
Grade: C-

A Dangerous Age blurb gives off an an older womens’ sex in the city vibe. While there is definitely that vibe, I felt it was more of an insulated journey of discovery for a group of four 40 plus friends whose lives begin to unravel and they must figure out how to stop the flow… and if they really want to. Using current events along with a definite nod towards various designers, establishments, and celebrity personalities, Bensimon gives readers an insider’s view into the ups and downs of being a socialite in a city that celebrates beauty and youth over everything.

An interesting, if not somewhat shallow and superficial, book that brings forth some stunning revelations from the overall dramatic mess of these four women. I enjoy reading dramatic women’s fiction; especially from well-known drama queens. I enjoyed Brandi Glenville’s revenge-fueled divorce docu-comedy and Jenna Jamisons’ romance contemporary was much better than I expected so I thought to give this one a try. As a woman over 40, I can certainly empathize with some of the issues these women deal with in here. The world we live in constantly bombards us with messages that we must do everything humanly possible to stay young and attractive. Exercise, surgery, chemicals, etc…It’s exhausting and depressing. Especially as men are allowed to age with minimal fuss while society treats women as if we broke a major covenant by allowing a wrinkle to grace our face or gray hair to converge on our head naturally.

There is some drag to the storyline and the dialogue ranges from humorous to trite to a grammatical mess. The sheer amount of brand advertising is ridiculous but as this is a book about NY socialites and written by a former Real Housewives reality star so you can’t be too shocked by it. A mysterious subplot involving a blogger just made me laugh. A Dangerous Age is a lightweight ball of fluff that doesn’t require much in terms of thought or commitment. Fashionistas and reality show minions will adore this homage to Gods that keeps NY revolving while others will just wonder what the hell these women are talking about.

There’s This Guy by Rhys Ford
Contemporary Romance/MM
March 17, 2017
Dreamspinner Press
Grade: DNF

There’s This Guy is a deep and angst driven contemporary romance that shows a lost, scared, emotionally and mentally damaged man that he is worth having the life and love he deserves. I have been a fan of Rhys Ford since the Cole McGinnis series. I enjoy Ford’s voice and the balance she creates between her couples and the main storylines. When I saw the blurb for There’s This Guy, I was intrigued. I enjoy a good comfort romance with a hint of emotional angst and some serious smexy times. I wasn’t however prepared for how damaged the hero was. Or how far Ford would divulge into the reasons he’s so damaged. The abuse fueled storyline partnered with the overly flowery prose made reading uncomfortable and difficult. While I like stories that speak of real life (the good and the bad) and don’t offer fairytale love stories but actually make the couple work at it…I don’t like a story that depresses me and unfortunately, this story depressed me. It was hard to get even halfway before realizing this just wasn’t working for me. As I seem to be in the minority, definitely read for yourself and decide.

Kini:

Boss by JL Lora
Grade C