Pretty Little Wife by Darby KaneSuspense12/29/2020 by William Morrow Review by Melinda My second most-read genre is suspense or thrillers after romance but I generally only read those written by women because I got tired of reading violence against women written by men. A delightful micro-subgenre (totally making this up here lol) is thrillers written by romance authors. We have Victoria Dahl writing as Victoria Helen Stone, Nalini Singh, and now HelenKaye Dimon writing as Darby Kane. Continue Reading
Melinda’s Minis – His Beauty by Jack Harbon & The Switch by Beth O’Leary
His Beauty by Jack HarbonPNRNovember 17, 2020, Self PublishedKindle Unlimited This is a fun take on the Beauty and the Beast story we've all heard a million times. Yes, Isla goes to rescue her father from the evil Beast and has to stay there in his stead so he can go home. And yes, Isla talks to the servants and is reluctant to interact with the Beast aka Lowen. However, this version is STEAMY. And Lowen stays a beast the entire time. Don't ask me how Harbon pulls this off, because I have Continue Reading
Review: Ties That Tether by Jane Igharo
Ties that Tether by Jane IgharoContemporary RomanceSeptember 29, 2020, by BerkleyAudibleReviewed by Melinda I love reading debuts because I feel like it gives a great glimpse into authors and their writing potential. Ties That Tether is such a strong first novel that I cannot wait to see what else Jane Igharo does. The main theme running throughout the novel is how to deal with cultural differences in a relationship. Azere's family has always stressed the importance of marrying a Nigerian Continue Reading
Review: Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur
Written in the Stars by Alexandria BellefleurContemporary LBBT RomanceNovember 10, 2020 by Avon Review by Melinda This was apparently a Pride and Prejudice retelling but those kinds of retellings completely miss me because I have no idea when they’re being done. However, I still enjoyed this bisexual contemporary love story. What worked for me was the opposite attracts personality types of Darcy, who is a reserved actuary, and Elle, who is a social media astrologist. I truly loved how Continue Reading
Top Ten November 13, 2020
It's Friday the 13th! I am writing this from Lincoln, NE where it is a balmy 27 degrees right now. BOOOOO Cold weather I am not ready for you! The romance world has been busy this week! I hope I have room to share some cute animals with you this week :) 10. Perhaps you noticed some new reviewer names on the Smexy site recently? We are so happy to officially announce we have some new friends joining the Smexy team! Welcome to Melinda, Jen, Kate, Melanie, and Isabelle. All are long time Continue Reading
Review: The Duke Who Didn’t by Courtney Milan
The Duke Who Didn't by Courtney MilanWedgeford Files #1Historical RomanceSeptember 22. 2020, Self Published Review by Melinda I was destined to love this book - it has a protagonist who loves lists! How could I not love her!? Chloe lives her life by those lists...but also gets really behind on those lists. I felt like I was extremely her in basically every chapter. She’s also anxious and complex, did I mention I felt such an affinity for her?! And every time the other protagonist gives Continue Reading
Review: If the Boot Fits by Rebekah Weatherspoon
If the Boot Fits by Rebekah WeatherspoonCowboys of California #2Contemporary RomanceOctober 27, 2020, by Dafina Review by Melinda: One of the things I loved is that this book opens with a one night stand on the night Sam wins an Oscar. They have a great time and Amanda sneaks away...with his Oscar on accident, but still! This cracked me up to no end that she wanted nothing to do with him OR his Oscar beyond the one night. I really enjoyed this book for a variety of reasons, and one of Continue Reading
Mini-Reviews: Scandalous Secrets by Synithia Williams and Sweet on You by Carla de Guzman
Reviews by Melinda Scandalous Secrets by Synithia WilliamsJackson Falls #2Contemporary RomanceAugust 25, 2020 by HQN Books I have just really enjoyed this Jackson Falls series from Synithia Williams so far. It hits all of my soapy vibes that I need every once in a while. This one has a fun twist on the secret baby trope plus has a second chance romance, which I always love. Byron is running for Senate, and in this book, the political maneuvering takes more of the center stage than it did Continue Reading
Joint Review: Call Me Maybe by Cara Bastone
Melinda and I are Cara Bastone fan girls so I thought it would be fun for us to do a joint review of Bastone’s latest release- Call Me Maybe, An Audible Original. Kini: The whole premise is that Vera, the female main character, calls tech support and starts an hours long call with Cal, the male main character. I love these kinds of set ups. When I first started this story I wasn’t sure I was going to love the male narrator’s voice. It was stronger and deeper than I had imagined. Continue Reading
Audio Review: A Princess for Christmas by Jenny Holiday
A Princess for Christmas by Jenny HolidayContemporary Holiday RomanceOctober 13, 2020, by AvonARC Review by Melinda This book was the definition of aggressively fine for me and part of it has to do with my own issues I bring with me but part of it was definitely the book. My issue is around that once again breast cancer is in the background for these characters. Admittedly, it plays a small part but it looms large over the entire book as it’s what killed one of the protagonist’s mothers. Continue Reading