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reviewsfromabookworm's review against another edition
2.0
Honestly, the only reason I made it through this book was because I was stuck in A&E for 12 hours with only my kindle for company.
inknasphalt's review against another edition
3.0
DNF
DNF @ 53%. Story progress was very very slow. Even with the understanding that this book was a duet, the story line was too slow to catch my attention. After skipping ahead to the end, the second book of the duet went much faster and was a better read, although not by much.
DNF @ 53%. Story progress was very very slow. Even with the understanding that this book was a duet, the story line was too slow to catch my attention. After skipping ahead to the end, the second book of the duet went much faster and was a better read, although not by much.
rhavens's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
tessaturnspages's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
suzisooz's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bellatoric's review against another edition
5.0
I saw this book on Tik Tok and thought it would be an interesting read, because let's be real, I'm a sucker for the billionaire trope! But this book was so much more than just the trope. There's romance. heartbreak, laughs, tears and a whole lot of cuteness I didn't know I needed.
I could not put this book down, literally!! Finished it super quickly and then immediately ran to go get the second book! Nina and Mase's story was epic and adorable and such a rollercoaster that I never wanted to get off.
Plus who doesn't love the nickname Pixie?! I mean come on! Adorable!
I could not put this book down, literally!! Finished it super quickly and then immediately ran to go get the second book! Nina and Mase's story was epic and adorable and such a rollercoaster that I never wanted to get off.
Plus who doesn't love the nickname Pixie?! I mean come on! Adorable!
l_noble's review against another edition
4.0
I mean wow - he really is a bit of a dick but I kinda like that. He’s not an inherently bad person, just needs to embrace a little bit of self-reflection and therapy.
That flipping cliff hanger has totally hooked me for Grand Love… guess what I’ll be reading next
That flipping cliff hanger has totally hooked me for Grand Love… guess what I’ll be reading next
franstaffs's review against another edition
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
bookedbymo's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this. I figured as soon as I started reading that I’d be getting Fifty Shades vibes and I did. Super wealthy and controlling man finds not so wealthy female and they begin a very sexually charged relationship. The plot and story were there and I liked them! And the characters were interesting, even the side ones. I liked the little twists and turns of the story and why Mason lied and did what he did. I didn’t like the way he verbally abused her basically when they had an argument. And Nina acknowledged that she runs away when things get rough which is what she did basically every single time they fought. Lol. The sex wasn’t too crazy or over the top. Sometimes authors make it too cringey. It was entertaining and kept me intrigued. I wish I could have gotten more emotional connection early on in the book over just sexual. I like a good emotional connection as well as a sexy one. But we got there eventually. I also would’ve loved to learn more about Nina’s mom and Joey’s past. Maybe we’ll get that in book 2, I guess I will find out when I read it! Excited to see what the happens next!
bee_thebibliophile's review against another edition
3.0
Grand Lies is an intense read - it’s definitely a roller coaster ride of emotions and will keep you guessing about what’s coming next. Nina and Mason’s relationship gets really involved, really fast, upheaving a lot of their daily lives and throwing them into something completely new. While the relationship moves fast, I felt like the plot took a while to really pick up. Once you’re into the thick of things, the pacing is great but the beginning is a little slow.
Nina’s had a rough life since childhood and her actions and behaviors show the defenses she’s developed to avoid being hurt again. She’s worked hard to create a life for herself that she enjoys, teaching dance classes and being in the studio to use dancing as an outlet for her feelings. But Nina is a runner - whenever things get hard or she feels caged in, she runs from it. She portrays herself as a strong, independent, stubborn woman but she seems to cave quickly when confronted with emotions.
Mason (Mase) is a rich businessman who is used to throwing money at his problems to make them go away and showering his female companions with gifts to keep them happy. But Nina doesn’t want that and he’s left wondering what he can do to win her over. He’s fiercely protective and is all in on his relationship with Nina from the very beginning. Typically I’m into the alpha male character and I mostly like what Mase brings to the table, but every once in a while he says something that makes me cringe...to me, there’s a line that shouldn’t be crossed when it comes to possessiveness and Mason definitely steps over that line a few times.
There’s definitely chemistry between Nina and Mase, but I think they both could benefit from working on themselves as individuals before committing to a relationship. And learning to be more open, communicative and trusting, not keeping things bottled up or hidden. They’re both immature in their own ways and it’s really apparent when they’re together since they can call out the other’s shortcomings but don’t recognize their own. They’re frustrating to read at times.
The cliffhanger at the end of this book definitely highlights Nina and Mason’s mutual need to work on their communication as a couple, but also has me wondering where this story is going to go and how they’ll have to work to figure everything out that’s happened between them so far. Overall, I think this is a good debut novel from J.C. Hawke but I’m really hoping for some continued character growth in the second half of this duet!
Nina’s had a rough life since childhood and her actions and behaviors show the defenses she’s developed to avoid being hurt again. She’s worked hard to create a life for herself that she enjoys, teaching dance classes and being in the studio to use dancing as an outlet for her feelings. But Nina is a runner - whenever things get hard or she feels caged in, she runs from it. She portrays herself as a strong, independent, stubborn woman but she seems to cave quickly when confronted with emotions.
Mason (Mase) is a rich businessman who is used to throwing money at his problems to make them go away and showering his female companions with gifts to keep them happy. But Nina doesn’t want that and he’s left wondering what he can do to win her over. He’s fiercely protective and is all in on his relationship with Nina from the very beginning. Typically I’m into the alpha male character and I mostly like what Mase brings to the table, but every once in a while he says something that makes me cringe...to me, there’s a line that shouldn’t be crossed when it comes to possessiveness and Mason definitely steps over that line a few times.
There’s definitely chemistry between Nina and Mase, but I think they both could benefit from working on themselves as individuals before committing to a relationship. And learning to be more open, communicative and trusting, not keeping things bottled up or hidden. They’re both immature in their own ways and it’s really apparent when they’re together since they can call out the other’s shortcomings but don’t recognize their own. They’re frustrating to read at times.
The cliffhanger at the end of this book definitely highlights Nina and Mason’s mutual need to work on their communication as a couple, but also has me wondering where this story is going to go and how they’ll have to work to figure everything out that’s happened between them so far. Overall, I think this is a good debut novel from J.C. Hawke but I’m really hoping for some continued character growth in the second half of this duet!