the_sassy_bookworm's review against another edition
4.0
Billionaire Caleb Blackstone is a player. He is successful, rich, and smoking hot. When he sets eyes on Brooke Casterley at a party he knows he will do anything and everything to have her.
Brooke Casterley knows all too well what a powerful man can do. She has the scars to prove it. Moving back home to help her Gram, she just wants to have a quiet life to heal her soul. That's until Caleb Blackstone comes to her rescue.
Can Brooke resist the charm that is Caleb Blackstone? Does she even want to? What could a filthy rich player have in common with a broke British girl?
I really enjoyed this one. It was super sweet. Very insta-love. Low angst. A tiny bit predictable. But I loved the characters (both main and secondary.) Caleb was SO sweet and one look at Brooke was all it took for him to give up his player ways and fall madly in love. Brooke was a sweet heroine. She had been through so much for such a young woman, but she handled it all so well. There is a fabulous cast of secondary characters, from Brooke's Gram to Caleb's siblings and best friend James. They all added an extra layer to the overall story. I can't wait to see what is in store for them.
That said, it did drag a little for me through the middle and I felt like we were left hanging about the heroine's husbands family. The author kept alluding to them being dangerous or potentially coming after the heroine, but nothing ever came of it. I also (as I mentioned above) found it a bit predictable. I saw the big surprise at the end coming from a mile away.
Overall, though, this was a fabulous little read that kept me entertained. So it gets two thumbs up from yours truly.
cherryredsreads's review against another edition
5.0
Blackstone Men = Total Hot Swoon worthy Book Boyfriends that will forever be on Your Top list!
Okay, so now that I have stopped drooling over these men after reading this book, I can compose myself to write this review.
Caleb Blackstone drew me in with his story. Raine Miller gave us such an enticing story of Caleb Blackstone and Brooke Casterley.
Brooke is such a strong heroine and I felt that she was the prefect balance to Caleb.
Their story is filled with love, humor, and sexy moments that will leave you breathless. It's a classic Raine Miller style that I have enjoyed and always look forward to reading. Yes Cherries were Swooning all over the place because the Blackstone men know how to romance the ladies.
You will fall in love with these characters story.
Such a memorizing book that you will add to your collection.
Go 1 click!
It's a must read!
**ARC kindly provided by Author in exchange for an honest review***
5 Cherries Popped
Okay, so now that I have stopped drooling over these men after reading this book, I can compose myself to write this review.
Caleb Blackstone drew me in with his story. Raine Miller gave us such an enticing story of Caleb Blackstone and Brooke Casterley.
Brooke is such a strong heroine and I felt that she was the prefect balance to Caleb.
Their story is filled with love, humor, and sexy moments that will leave you breathless. It's a classic Raine Miller style that I have enjoyed and always look forward to reading. Yes Cherries were Swooning all over the place because the Blackstone men know how to romance the ladies.
You will fall in love with these characters story.
Such a memorizing book that you will add to your collection.
Go 1 click!
It's a must read!
**ARC kindly provided by Author in exchange for an honest review***
5 Cherries Popped
ariii983's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
hannas_heas47's review against another edition
5.0
Great story
Cinderella story with a fun HEA, love a great book with no cliffhanger and some serious romance. Slow burn but a swoon worthy romance!
Cinderella story with a fun HEA, love a great book with no cliffhanger and some serious romance. Slow burn but a swoon worthy romance!
peggyemi's review against another edition
4.0
It's been awhile since I have read something from Raine Miller, but I so enjoyed Ethan and Brynne's story in the Naked Series, I jumped at the chance to read and review this book. All I have to say is welcome back Ms. Miller. I find this author knows how to craft a story that draws me into whatever world she has created. She does this by creating hot, strong, sexy alpha males that you instantly fall in love with. She then pairs these hot alpha males with women who while they may be in a vulnerable place, are at heart strong, independent women. She then creates an emotional connection between these characters that draws the reader into the story until the very end. This is a terrific story about Caleb and Brooke's romance and their journey of healing and happily ever after. I can't wait for more books in this series.
I received an ARC from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence my opinion and the thoughts expressed are my own.
I received an ARC from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence my opinion and the thoughts expressed are my own.
nikkisreadingx's review against another edition
3.0
It was alright. I liked the characters and the world established around them was solid and real. The way she built around Brooke and Caleb helped their story almost as much as the characters themselves.
Issue number one is that the editing is...shoddy. Not in the sense of grammatical errors or punctuation, because there were no problems there. Instead, it seemed the scenes and plot line received no real edit at all. When Brooke tells Caleb the story of her deceased husband, it does not read like someone’s talking. At all. ”A punishing grip to my chin and throat came immediately after my comment.” is just one of the sentences Brooke apparently says and it’s plainly clear that this scene was not written for speech. Her entire speech pattern changes for this conversation and it should have been edited completely when it became spoken instead of written storyline.
Another issue is that it seems the author was intent to avoid all the normal tropes found in these billionaire romances. Poor heroine believes she’s not fit for billionaire lifestyle? Present, not an issue. Rich mother who doesn’t want the family’s name sullied by marrying a commoner? Present, but not an issue. Ex-girlfriend attempts to sabotage relationship? Present, should definitely be an issue, but hero keeps the info to himself and it’s all okay when heroine finds out.
I mean, it’s not really okay because both Brooke and Caleb land in the hospital because of psycho raging, but nothing creates tension between the two. Literally nothing. The only real thing keeping them from getting married immediately is that Brooke needs more time to adjust. But rather than exploring that and turning it into a good plot point, the author pretty much ignores all real conflict in the story.
It made it...boring. All this potential to create a riveting plot line is ignored in an attempt to avoid angst. And while I don’t like angst for angst’s sake, I need something more than someone taking a relationship slow to capture my interest.
Issue number one is that the editing is...shoddy. Not in the sense of grammatical errors or punctuation, because there were no problems there. Instead, it seemed the scenes and plot line received no real edit at all. When Brooke tells Caleb the story of her deceased husband, it does not read like someone’s talking. At all. ”A punishing grip to my chin and throat came immediately after my comment.” is just one of the sentences Brooke apparently says and it’s plainly clear that this scene was not written for speech. Her entire speech pattern changes for this conversation and it should have been edited completely when it became spoken instead of written storyline.
Another issue is that it seems the author was intent to avoid all the normal tropes found in these billionaire romances. Poor heroine believes she’s not fit for billionaire lifestyle? Present, not an issue. Rich mother who doesn’t want the family’s name sullied by marrying a commoner? Present, but not an issue. Ex-girlfriend attempts to sabotage relationship? Present, should definitely be an issue, but hero keeps the info to himself and it’s all okay when heroine finds out.
I mean, it’s not really okay because both Brooke and Caleb land in the hospital because of psycho raging, but nothing creates tension between the two. Literally nothing. The only real thing keeping them from getting married immediately is that Brooke needs more time to adjust. But rather than exploring that and turning it into a good plot point, the author pretty much ignores all real conflict in the story.
It made it...boring. All this potential to create a riveting plot line is ignored in an attempt to avoid angst. And while I don’t like angst for angst’s sake, I need something more than someone taking a relationship slow to capture my interest.
bfdbookblog's review against another edition
2.0
I always try to start my reviews of books I don’t care for with the positives but that’s going to be hard for me this time around.
I know this is an old argument but I am baffled by the 5 star reviews of this book. I guess beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder because this book just wasn’t for me. One of my biggest complains about the author’s other Blackstone series was the insta-love but this book takes that to a whole new level. The speed with which Brooke went from you can’t love me to I love you too made my head spin. Everything about this story was predictable and scripted, even with the supporting cast…and that was so frustrating.
I never connected with or really cared for these characters. They were both over the top sappy and I’m really big on the low angst, feels but these were so cheesy they just made me cringe. Neither of them did anything outstanding that I’d care to learn more about.
The potential for really good suspense and angst is here but it just never happened. Brooke’s past and estranged in-law family was dangled as a possible plot line and absolutely NOTHING happened there. Is that foreshadowing or is that just a tease to make the readers think something will happen? I have no idea. The potential angst with Caleb’s ex was off the charts and I was prepared for a huge ordeal but fizzled before it had a chance to be a big deal. Caleb’s mother was a cold hearted, conniving witch but even she lost her steam when her big secrets were revealed.
There appear to be two Blackstone families here but the connection to Ethan is still unknown, at least to me as I didn’t recognize any of the names mentioned in this book. That to me means we’re going to be strung along through this series before the connection is revealed.
I am truly torn after reading this book. There were several characters I want to know about and that have the potential for great stories but I’m afraid they will be disappointing like this story. I honestly am not sure where to go from here.
I know this is an old argument but I am baffled by the 5 star reviews of this book. I guess beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder because this book just wasn’t for me. One of my biggest complains about the author’s other Blackstone series was the insta-love but this book takes that to a whole new level. The speed with which Brooke went from you can’t love me to I love you too made my head spin. Everything about this story was predictable and scripted, even with the supporting cast…and that was so frustrating.
I never connected with or really cared for these characters. They were both over the top sappy and I’m really big on the low angst, feels but these were so cheesy they just made me cringe. Neither of them did anything outstanding that I’d care to learn more about.
The potential for really good suspense and angst is here but it just never happened. Brooke’s past and estranged in-law family was dangled as a possible plot line and absolutely NOTHING happened there. Is that foreshadowing or is that just a tease to make the readers think something will happen? I have no idea. The potential angst with Caleb’s ex was off the charts and I was prepared for a huge ordeal but fizzled before it had a chance to be a big deal. Caleb’s mother was a cold hearted, conniving witch but even she lost her steam when her big secrets were revealed.
There appear to be two Blackstone families here but the connection to Ethan is still unknown, at least to me as I didn’t recognize any of the names mentioned in this book. That to me means we’re going to be strung along through this series before the connection is revealed.
I am truly torn after reading this book. There were several characters I want to know about and that have the potential for great stories but I’m afraid they will be disappointing like this story. I honestly am not sure where to go from here.
rockchick's review against another edition
3.0
Brooke has suffered heartache in the past and was reluctant to enter into a relationship with Caleb.
I loved how patient he was with her , how understanding and supportive.
Raine miller writes stories that guarantee a satisfying HEA.
The journey isn't easy, but life isn't easy.
Her characters are real, as are their struggles.
Caleb is an alpha male used to getting his way. Brooke might be vulnerable but isnt a push over.
I loved seeing Caleb change and grow in his efforts to win her over.
In the end, they not only found HEA, Caleb was also able to let go of the past.
He learned some truths about himself that set him free.
I loved how patient he was with her , how understanding and supportive.
Raine miller writes stories that guarantee a satisfying HEA.
The journey isn't easy, but life isn't easy.
Her characters are real, as are their struggles.
Caleb is an alpha male used to getting his way. Brooke might be vulnerable but isnt a push over.
I loved seeing Caleb change and grow in his efforts to win her over.
In the end, they not only found HEA, Caleb was also able to let go of the past.
He learned some truths about himself that set him free.
mags_louise's review against another edition
5.0
I LOVED this story and was completely captivated from start to finish. It was such a sweet, sexy read with some real melt worthy moments and two characters that I just couldn't help adoring and rooting for.
As for the story it had the perfect mix of angst, steam, sweetness and just a sprinkling of fun. I also loved how the relationship developed between Caleb and Brooke. As for Caleb, he really took me by surprise and wasn't what I was expecting but in a good way and I absolutely loved him for it.
Altogether this made for a fantastic story that I just didn't want to end and I will definitely be reading much more from this author and series in the future . I would also happily recommend this book to others.
**I was kindly provided with an ARC by Montlake Romance via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
As for the story it had the perfect mix of angst, steam, sweetness and just a sprinkling of fun. I also loved how the relationship developed between Caleb and Brooke. As for Caleb, he really took me by surprise and wasn't what I was expecting but in a good way and I absolutely loved him for it.
Altogether this made for a fantastic story that I just didn't want to end and I will definitely be reading much more from this author and series in the future . I would also happily recommend this book to others.
**I was kindly provided with an ARC by Montlake Romance via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**