Stealing Our Hearts

“And before you get another thought in your head, know this. I love you, too. You are my light, shining like a beacon. You led me out of darkness.”

I love both of these authors. I’ve read tons of books by Jane Henry and I breezed through the Brutal Birthright series and the Kingmakers series by Sophie Lark. That being said, this book wasn’t as strong as all of those, unfortunately. It didn’t necessarily miss the mark, I just think I expected it to be more than it was. It started out as an interesting Harley Quinn/Joker type romance. Our heroine, Clare, is a psychologist at a prison and her client is our hero, Constantine. I was deeply invested when we first met these two. The chemistry was delicious, and the reader could already tell something was a little off about the dynamic because Clare was so easily ruffled by Constantine. He intrigued her, he turned her on, but she also had no clue that he was playing the long game. When Constantine breaks out of prison and kidnaps Clare to use her to gain more information, all the pieces start falling into place. Sadly, this was where I fell off a little bit. There was a LOT going on. There were tons of characters and a whole world that I felt was a bit underdeveloped. This was a pretty short book, it was fast-paced, and interesting, but the stakes felt strange. I know it was life or death, but it almost felt like two different tones of writing when we were reading the action scenes verses the sex scenes. There wasn’t a sense of urgency in the sex scenes even though these two were on the run. 

I’m also not a big fan of the “Daddy” kink. Jane Henry tends to lean into that a lot, which I usually don’t mind when reading her books, but it felt misplaced here. Clare had some father issues, but we didn’t know enough about her for the whole “daddy” thing to be believable. It felt weird and strained. Not super sexy. The other parts of the sex scenes were FIRE – as they always are with these two writers. All in all, this book was alright. I enjoyed it for what it was! I gave this 3.5 stars but rounded up to 4 for Goodreads. ❤ 

“Now he realized that feeling “right” was just an inarticulate way of saying “love”. He was in love with his wife, desperately, wildly in love with his wife…”

This book was perfection. I absolutely adored every second of it and it 100% has made my top 5 list of favorite historical romances. This book takes off running from the moment you open it. It’s hilarious and witty and deliciously romantic. I swooned and laughed and never wanted it to end!

I’m going for a short, sweet review here since I stayed up very late to finish this book and I’m exhausted. So, let’s go with my top 3 favorite things about this novel. Please note that some of these may be considered spoilers, so please do not read any further if you do not wish for this book to be spoiled for you! 

1. Viola’s affection for animals. This trait endeared me to her, even more so than her unprompted ability to barf at every social event she attends lol. She is a WILD (pun intended) character and I couldn’t find a single thing about her that I hated. She rescued a crow, which she named Barty, when he was a baby bird and has trained him and taken care of him ever since. He’s adorable. She also saved two cows from being slaughtered and visits them daily in their barn. Is she vegan/vegetarian? It’s unclear. I’m still in love with her.
2. Devin and Viola’s voyeurism. UMM HELLO!! This is historical romance and these two love birds are getting it on in a closet whilst eavesdropping on another couple that they are hoping will get together. It was so sexy and hilarious. Viola didn’t know that men had nipples (what.) and Devin basically opened her up to an entire world of pleasure through their marriage bed and IT WAS GLORIOUS. But this specific scene? Yes please. I couldn’t get enough of this. Bravo. 
3. Last but not least – this isn’t a particular scene but more of a general observation. I loved the pacing of this book. I thought it was so well done and different from any other historical romance I’ve read up to this point. I couldn’t stop flipping through the pages! Our couple gets married a little over halfway through the novel and I was very worried that there was going to be a tragic climax that would ruin the story for me, but there wasn’t! There is a bit of drama, but the characters handle it exactly as I hoped they would. 

I cannot explain how much I loved this wonderful story! It was so refreshing for me – It brought me out of a horrendous book slump and I will forever be grateful! If I could give this story more than 5 stars, I would. I cannot wait to check out everything Eloisa James have ever written. She’s definitely a new one click author for me!! 5 stars! 

Wow. 

I am speechless. Not really. I have a lot to say. Firstly, I cried a lot. I’m a big crier in general, but I cried in basically every chapter written from Zach’s POV because he was such a precious baby angel who gave me allllll the feels. I was patiently waiting to read this book because after meeting Zach in book one, I knew he would be my favorite male lead in the series. I’m a huge fan of the sensitive, emotional leading man and that is him to a T. Don’t leave out the fact that he’s also a virgin! *swoon* He was my every fantasy come to life. 

When this book opens, we meet Lark, who has arrived at the Shipley farm to stay for the harvesting season. We’d never met or heard about her before this book, so it took me a couple of pages to warm up to her. Lark is May Shipley’s best friend from college. As you read, it becomes glaringly obvious that Lark is suffering from some deep issues but we aren’t privy to them until much later. Lark has PTSD and very horrific dreams almost every night. Zach becomes the one she turns to, because he comforts her and brings her out of her nightmares. They have a lot of chemistry, but because Zach is inexperienced, they don’t jump into a sexual relationship. Well…I say that, but I just checked and they definitely had sex before the halfway point in the novel, so maybe it was quick? ANYWAY – it’s clear that Lark becomes dependent on Zach to help her with her issues, even though she doesn’t divulge the full extent of them to him. This story was a beautiful representation of the repercussions of untreated/misdiagnosed mental health issues and trauma. Lark suffers so deeply on her own, she can’t even voice her fears to her best friend because she’s so wrapped up in all of it. Her journey throughout this story was powerful and moving. 

I would like to note that although this story is filled with a lot of drama, there wasn’t as much angst as there could have been and for that I am truly grateful. There were at least 4 different occasions where an OW/OM could have been introduced to add some extra pizzazz, but I think Sarina Bowen did a marvelous job of keeping the reader focused on what was important in this book: Lark’s growth. Lark starts out this story in the mind frame that psychologists and psychiatrists can’t help her and she just needs to get away and rest. This is why she ends up at Shipley Farms. Then she comes to realize that you can’t run away from your problems, and it’s always okay to ask for help when you need it. 

I LOVED THIS BOOK WITH ALL MY HEART. The sexy scenes were on point as always, but the story as a whole was what truly captured my heart. I cannot wait to keep going with this series and pick up the next couple of books!! Love love love! 5 stars!

Okay, so just to let everyone know – it has taken me almost a year to find a used copy of this book. I’m not sure if I have bad luck or what, but I found every other book in this series at Half Price Books except for this one. Soooo I’m starting The Ravenels at a much later date than I originally desired, but nevertheless, I am STOKED about this series. 

I fell head over heels in love with Kathleen from the first moment we meet her. She is headstrong and witty. Even though she’s small and was recently widowed, she doesn’t let Devon intimidate her. Her strength (as well as her looks) are what intrigue Devon from the get-go. He inherited the earldom when his cousin, Kathleen’s late husband, fell off of a horse and died. Devon has no desire to be an earl, specifically the responsibilities of maintaining Eversby Priory and pulling the family out of debt. Unfortunately for him, he falls into lust with Kathleen very quickly and ends up changing his tune on all of his original ideas for the ancestral family domain. Kathleen’s late husband has three sisters, all of which have never been introduced into society, and all of which are unique and incredible in their own way. Devon falls (platonically) for each of his young cousins almost as quickly as he falls for Kathleen. He changes slowly over time, but never loses his arrogance. He is definitely a bit of an asshole for the entire book, but I found it enduring and comedic. I read other reviews where readers comment that they never felt like they warmed up to him, but perhaps it was because those readers aren’t accustomed to the bully romance genre? This book definitely read a bit like a bully romance. Devon says a lot of horrible things to Kathleen, but means none of them. In my opinion, actions speak louder than words, and Kathleen was strong enough to see past his “fits” of anger. The Ravenels are apparently known for having tempers and she married his cousin before him, so I think she had a bit of an idea what she was getting herself into. 

If you’re looking for a scorching hot historical romance, look no further. This might be the sexiest book I’ve read by Lisa Kleypas. I LOVED IT. I also adored the introduction of Rhys and Helen’s storyline during this book – it was brilliant and I don’t think any reader would be able to resist starting the next novel immediately. Round of applause for this wonderful novel – 5 stars!

“If Cole is so bad, then why does he feel so good?”

SPOILER ALERT – This is less of a review and more of a diary entry/word vomit explosion of thoughts. You have been warned!!!

UMM HELLO!!!!!! This is the first serial killer romance novel to truly speak to me. I am obsessed. As I’m writing this review, I wish I could telepathically transfer all of my thoughts to this page so that I can start the second book right this second. I mean, holy crap!! What did I just read?? My thoughts and emotions are all over the place! I think that’s how we’re meant to feel when we finish this book though, maybe? 

Okay so this novel is our introduction into Cole’s obsession with Mara. Cole is a very famous and extremely talented artist…but he’s also a serial killer. We witness him commit one murder during this book, so I’m really hoping for more kills in book two. LOL. His rival is Alastor Shaw, or Shaw as he is usually referred to. He is also a famous artist and ALSO A SERIAL KILLER. I AM DYING. Shaw kills women and he’s super disgusting. He sets his sights on Mara when he notices that Cole pays her some attention from afar one night and he kidnaps her, slits her wrists, PIERCES HER NIPPLES, and leaves her to die on Cole’s front steps (basically). Talk about fucked up. She lives, obviously, but the story just takes off from there. I was getting whiplash as I read this novel because our characters are both feeling a myriad of emotions as they are falling for one another. This romance is madness. True madness. I mean, at 79% Cole is still fantasizing about killing Mara!! Whaaaaat?!?! I am on the floor right now. 

Side note that is also important to comment on is that Mara is also an artist. She’s the definition of a starving artist. She has no money and is barely surviving…like she legit doesn’t have money to feed herself. Cole feels so much for her from the very beginning. It’s incredible. She becomes his protege, but he is also enthralled by her ability to see the beauty in all things. She’s an incredible artist and that makes him fall for her even harder. Dude, this book is wack but SO GOOD. There were so many moments when I just sat up and thought to myself “OMG what did I just read?” LOL. Sophie Lark is a beast. I love that woman. Book 2 here I come! 5 stars for this wild ride!! 

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve read a Jenna Hartley novel, and I forgot how much I enjoy her writing. This was a fascinating blend of a lot of tropes that I really enjoy: sports, accidental pregnancy, second chance. Unfortunately for me, the beginning of this one was very slow. I am not a huge fan of vacation flings, so the fact that our heroine, Harper, meets her love interest on a trip gave me a bit of pause. I quickly realized that this book had a lot more going on than I originally thought when our couple was sleeping together 20% into the book. I couldn’t have imagined how impactful this book would be. It stopped my heart multiple times. Jenna Hartley deep dives into some very triggering topics and wades through them with beautiful finesse. 

Harper has dreamed of becoming a mom all her life. She’s 37 and has given up on finding a life partner, and decides to take matters into her own hands. Sadly, after three rounds of failed IUI, she’s almost ready to throw the towel in on ever having a baby. When she heads to Bali for a vacation/work trip, she meets Enzo, and the two quickly fall into bed. Enzo is sweet, attentive, and extremely wealthy, but he is also secretive and evades questions often. At the time, Harper thinks nothing of it because she realizes that this might just be a vacation fling for him – with no plans to take it any further. Well, shit hits the fan and they separate on very bad terms…and then Harper finds out she’s pregnant. The story builds from there, and if I added anything else into my review, it could be considered “spoilery”, so I would just recommend that you jump into this book if you’re curious! It’s a very passionate and interesting story of unexpected love and happily ever afters. There are definitely some triggering moments throughout involving infertility issues and traumatic birthing experiences, so if you are bothered by those topics at all, I would recommend not reading this one. 

What worked for me in this novel was the timeline and relationship development. I appreciated that Harper and Enzo take time to get back together – each having their own issues – when the pregnancy is revealed. I also liked that things were slow and steady after the whirlwind romance in Bali at the beginning. I enjoyed getting to know the secondary characters in the story as well, and loved that there weren’t any big issues coming from a third party in terms of their relationship. We did have a bit of an OW (other woman) scare there for a sec, but it didn’t turn into anything. I loved that all of the people in both Harper and Enzo’s lives were very supportive of the pregnancy. Especially Harper, seeing as she had been trying for a baby for a very long time. 

Overall I enjoyed this book a lot! It contains sensitive topics, so again I would recommend reading trigger warnings before going in. Jenna Hartley is a wonderful writer and a very sweet person and I’m so thankful I was given the opportunity to read this arc for her! 4 stars! 

PLEASE NOTE: This review DOES contain small spoilers!

I was really excited to start this book when my Amazon book haul came in because I had heard such great things about the second and third book in this series on the podcast I listen to. I can’t ever start a series halfway through, so I purchased book one. Unfortunately, this one didn’t live up to the high standards I had for it. That’s okay, though! I still plan on reading both book two and book three. Not sure how I will do with book two…seeing as Dane is my least favorite character in this series as it stands, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Okay, SO here’s what worked for me: I loooooove a good age gap romance and this one was perfect. Ten years is far enough apart that it is definitely age-gap material but he also wasn’t grandpa aged lol. I LOVED Lilly. She was my favorite part of this novel and at one point near the end of the novel she calls her private part a “bagina” and I just about keeled over. It was hilarious perfection. She was sweet and sassy and everything I love in a child character. I adored how much Marcus loved Lilly, too. He dropped everything for her and wasn’t ever crass or annoyed when she asked for certain things. Although she wished for a mother, I don’t think she was lacking at all when it came to being cared for. Another thing I loved was that Cat and Marcus had a past. Yes, it was a small incident, but it was sexual in nature and I think it brought a lot to the story as a whole. The beginning of the novel was hilarious with Marcus feeling self conscious about whether or not Cat remembered him. I was dying. Brilliant.

What didn’t work was the conflict. I think the entire situation with Gretchen was too important to be such a small part of this novel. Lilly’s biological mother, Gretchen, is in prison for armed robbery (which we eventually learn about at the end of the novel, sorry for the spoiler) and Marcus struggles with this through the entire novel. My issue was that he continuously talked about how he didn’t want Lilly to lose another female figure in her life, and how he was wary of commitment and women because of his past and yet….it’s never a main topic of the novel. Gretchen becomes a small issue towards the middle/end of the novel but it is resolved in a number of pages. Everything seemed too easy to me. I was disappointed with how everything wrapped up and all Marcus needed to do was apologize. I would have liked a little more angst (as crazy as that sounds coming from me lol). Other than that, I loved this book and I’m very excited for the other two books in this series. This was my first novel by Piper Rayne and I’m definitely going to be reading more written by them! 3 stars

“Will it ever stop?” he mused, more to himself than me as another finger joined the one sliding in an out of me with taunting, indolent strokes. “Wanting you – every hour, every breath. I don’t think I can stand a thousand years of this.” 

Fair warning: this review is going to be riddled with spoilers, so if you haven’t read this novel, please do not read this review.

There is SO MUCH to unpack here. Bawling my eyes out at 9:30am on a Sunday morning is not a good look for me. Not particularly the way I wanted to end the weekend, honestly. So let’s just start from the beginning. 

Feyre starts this novel back with Tamlin. It was difficult for me to feel like we were starting over again. She had already escaped Tamlin, but now she had to go back and pretend to love him again. The thing is, I never hated Tamlin. Yes, he has a lot of issues and I hated him and Feyre together, but I never truly disliked him. Am I a Tamlin sympathizer? I heard there is a whole group of us lol. So anyway, it sucked to witness Feyre lying left and right for a good hundred pages of this novel. It hurt. But then she makes it back to Rhysand and I was so thankful. This is where I started getting really invested again because we learned at the end of ACOMAF that Lucien is mated to Elain. I was HERE FOR THAT. Not much happened for their relationship in this novel but I love that and hope that SJM creates a beautiful story for them. Elain has a ton of healing ahead of her, but Lucien is so patient and kind and *tearing up* I really do like them together.

We also get the yummy Nesta and Cassian banter. I also looooved Nesta throughout this book. She was a little difficult to stomach in ACOTAR but after a while we are able to see things from her perspective. She is so strong and beautiful and I LOVE her and Cassian together. I am so excited to start ACOFAS and then ACOSF. We get a little taste of their love at the end of the novel during the war and I was in shambles. And then let’s not forget Azriel and Mor. I was SHOCKED by Mor’s secret reveal. It felt like it didn’t really fit, in my opinion, but I support her nevertheless. I’m excited for Azriel’s story because now we know it will be someone we haven’t met yet. Keeping my fingers crossed that I will love her. 

And lastly…we need to talk about that death. I mean COME ON. I was in physical pain. I was sobbing uncontrollably on the couch and my fiancé (now husband) was very concerned. I didn’t like it one bit. I didn’t like Amren’s betrayal even though it wasn’t truly a betrayal. (Side note: I am absolutely on board for a Varian/Amren relationship). There was so much pain and heartbreak in this novel. I need a breather. I don’t know if I can go on to the next book yet because my heart is bleeding out. Gah. What to even say…5 hundred stars, to start. I am so glad I decided to pick this series up. I never knew I needed this in my life. SJM, I am forever indebted to you. 

“I see all of you, Rhys. And there is not one part that I do not love with everything that I am.”

“Em yeu anh yeu em.”

This book was PERFECTION. I cried so hard during so many different parts of this story. It made me feel so much. I already struggle when I read intensely emotional books, but this one pushed me over the edge a few times. In the best way, though. I don’t have a single negative thing to say about this novel. I thought The Kiss Quotient was excellent, but this book superseded that on so many levels. There wasn’t a single moment during this book that I ever felt bored or lost. Each sentence felt purposeful and thoughtfully written. The pacing was excellent and the prose were perfection! I LOVED THIS NOVEL.

I was sitting here contemplating why I enjoyed this so much and I think it comes down to one thing: Khai. He was one of the most interesting, dynamic, wonderful male leads that I’ve read. His growth in this novel was what kept me flipping through the pages. Don’t get me wrong, I also adored Esme, but Khai did me in. His internal thoughts and monologues made me so emotional. I had to close the book a few times and take some deep breaths because I was so emotionally invested; I thought I was on the verge of an anxiety attack. The story and these characters were THAT captivating. They caused a true, visceral physiological reaction. 

There are so many things that I’d love to write and talk about in this review, but I think most of them might be considered spoilers, so I’m not going to do that. I will say this: make sure you have tissues on hand. Especially for the last twenty percent of the novel. There is so much depth and complexity woven into the foundation of this novel, that it would be almost impossible not to cry when you finally get to the root of everything. When Khai finally has his moment at the end? SLAY ME. I am dead. It was so beautiful and touching and I loved the arc!! I loved the growth of both Esme and Khai. They learned and grew from each other. And those sex scenes? HOT HOT HOT!! The Kiss Quotient has nothing on these two and lord almighty I can’t even imagine how incredible Quan’s book is going to be!! WOOHOO!! I’m so impatient. I cannot wait to read it! 5 stars and a round of applause for the brilliant Helen Hoang! 

Perfection doesn’t even begin to describe this book. I’m newer to the historical romance genre, I thought I preferred strictly contemporary, but I recently started listening to a romance novel review podcast called Smart Women Read Romance, and decided to give the historical genre a try. THERE IS A WHOLE OTHER WORLD OUT HERE THAT I NEVER KNEW ABOUT. Holy crap. I laughed and cried and swooned soon many times during this novel. I know this one is older and is popular for many reasons but GUYS…why did no one ever tell me? Why did it take me decades to give in and test out the waters? I’m so angry at myself! 

I loved every second of this novel. I loved the enemies to lovers trope that was expertly thought out. I loved Jess and Dain’s constant bickering that was truly just foreplay. I loved that the storyline was both simplistic and complex at the same time. Oh! And I cannot forget the Italian strewn throughout the novel – I loved that so much. This book was hilarious. Jess and Dain (Sebastian) were both incredibly witty and sarcastic. They were wicked smart, and so above everyone else in the world that there couldn’t have been a more perfect match. Although Dain did and said awful things, Jess never gave him the satisfaction of an outward reaction which is exactly what he was constantly fishing for. She got under his skin because he couldn’t understand why he was so affected by her. They both had an immediate lust for the other. It was combustible. Their physical relationship took off, not super quickly, but fast enough that nothing felt lagging or slow. And when we did finally get to the real sex scenes – YES PLEASE!! Jess did not cower, even though she was a virgin, and felt insecure about her lack of experience. She was iconic during this part of the novel. I loved that we were given both POVs, so we could see Dain fighting himself in his lust for her. He is an incredibly emotional man, but keeps it all inside. 

One of my favorite things about Jess is her ability to reason with herself. She takes the time to think things through before responding purely based on emotion (the opposite of Dain). It endeared me to her. She was able to pick up on some of Dain’s comments and motivations – seeing underneath the mask that he put on. She saw him for who he truly was. She challenged him to be better, especially when we hit the last twenty five percent of the novel and a whole slew of issues arise. She’s a marvelous character and easily made it to my list of top 5 favorite heroines ever. There is so much more I could say, but I would just encourage you to go and read this novel. It’s brilliant and hilarious and perfect, in my opinion. 5 stars!! 

“Sono completamente tuo, tesoro mio,” he answered. “I’m all yours, my treasure.”