redhairedashreads's reviews
4190 reviews

Holiday Escape, by Annabeth Albert

4.0

 

4 stars - It was really good

This was a short scene with Ravi and Tristan going on a Christmas vacation and getting married. It was a cute follow up to their book and shows how strong their relationship is now and what their future might look like.

 

Beta Test, by Annabeth Albert

4.0

 

4 stars - It was really good

Ravi Tandel and Tristan Jones may not be friendly in the office but a road trip to Seattle for a huge conference quickly changes that. With each passing mile they find themselves falling for each other, but will it last after the conference. 

“He didn’t want to be Tristan’s friend; he wanted to be Tristan’s everything.”

I really enjoyed Ravi and Tristan’s story. These two had instant chemistry and all they needed was a push to actually act on it. Ravi was a fun character who is outgoing and charming. He is very spontaneous and I liked seeing him teach Tristan to be more spontaneous. Ravi struggles with their relationship because he fears the fallout of dating a coworker, but he eventually sees that it would be worth it to be with Tristan.

Tristan is an adorably awkward nerd and I loved him. He is someone who needs spreadsheets and organization to handle situations, which I enjoyed. Tristan really comes out of his shell by the end of this book. He makes friends, he admits his gaming prowess, and isn’t afraid to order super sweet coffee in front of anyone. I loved the progression of his character and how he learned to stand up for himself. 

Like I said, I really enjoyed these two. They had a lot of hang ups to work though but it was a wonderful journey of growth. Also, I appreciated that while we do get tension between these two and their homophobic parents it wasn’t a long drawn out scene or a repeated scene, which I appreciated. Overall, this was wonderful and I look forward to reading the next book. 

Trigger Warnings: Homomisia (parents); racism;  alcohol consumption; unintentional outing; death of a brother in a car accident mentioned; 

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Homophobia

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Death

Flint: Northern Grizzlies MC, by M. Merin

3.0

 

3 stars - I liked it

Flint returns after a summer away to find that the town's newest resident is now his business partner and he wants her. While she wants Flint too, Bree is determined to keep him at arms length because of her past.

While I did enjoy this book overall I had a few issues with it. But first, what I liked. I liked that these are older characters finding love again. Bree and Flint have both been married before and this is their second chance at happiness. I also really loved how Flint fell instantly in love with Bree. I also like when the men fall hard and then spend the book trying to convince the other to admit their feelings. Also, I loved how spunky and sarcastic Bree was. She wasn’t afraid to speak her mind and it was fun. 

While I did like these characters, there were a few things they did that I didn’t like. Flint does get a bit pushy with his pursuit of Bree. I thought the dog kidnapping went a bit too far and crossed a line when a frank conversation probably would have worked better. With Bree I got annoyed at her constant need to push Flint away and determination to avoid admitting her feelings. I thought it was ridiculous that this woman who is in her 40s or 50s up and running away for over a week to avoid admitting her feelings or talking to Flint. I can understand wanting space to think things through but she could have just tried to ask for that. 

Overall I still enjoyed this book but wish these adults had acted a bit more mature at times. I am looking forward to seeing what is going on with Gunner though. 

Trigger Warnings: death of spouse discussed; grief; harassment and stalking; 

 

Jasper, by M. Merin

4.0

 

4 stars - It was really good

This was an enjoyable, instant love MC romance. When Jasper finds an injured and unconscious woman on the side of the road his life changes forever. He instantly is attracted to her and is determined to protect her and stop whoever hurt her. 

Jasper is the president of the Northern Grizzlies MC and is determined to take care of his brothers. He never planned to fall for someone but while it is surprising for him he doesn’t hold back at all. I loved how Jasper went all in from the very beginning and was determined to woo Emma into giving him a chance. He was surprisingly sweet and I love how he took his time with her but refused to let her ignore their growing feelings. 

Emma was a sheltered woman who grew up in a very strict Christian household. She gets pushed into marrying her fathers (the pastor) replacement after his death and quickly finds herself in an abusive relationship. I really liked Emma. She was strong, sweet, and determined to live her life. She went through hell but it led her to finding happiness with Jasper.

Jasper and Emma’s relationship was an instant love one but I still enjoyed seeing Jasper wooing Emma and gaining her trust. She has had a traumatic experience with men so I was glad to see that Jasper let her set the pace in their relationship. These two were a very enjoyable couple and I liked seeing Emma finally open up and be herself. 

While the relationship was enjoyable we do get a lot of tension and danger also happening with the MC at the same time. They are dealing with a rival MC and with Emma’s ex. I think this was the perfect blend of danger and romance and while there are some dangerous times it just bolstered the romance between these two, not overshadowed it, which is what you want. 

Overall, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I would be interested in reading more to learn more about other members of this MC, and to see how Jasper and Emma’s future plays out. 

Trigger Warnings: death of brother in motorcycle accident; domestic abuse and rape; child abuse; death of sister and father in car accident; torture and death; gun violence and injuries; 

Nightingale: An Anthology for Ukraine, by Rina Kent, Debra Anastasia, Aly Martinez, Kandi Steiner, Brenda Rothert, Rachel Van Dyken, Kate Canterbary, Natasha Knight, Chelle Bliss, Renee Rose, Lucy Lennox, Sara Ney, Lauren Rowe, Meredith Wild, Vanessa Vale, Ana Huang, A.L. Jackson, Carly Phillips, Julia Kent, Willow Aster, Robin Covington, Katie Ashley, Siobhan Davis, Susanne Valenti, Kelsey Clayton, J.L. Beck, Penny Reid, C. Hallman, Karla Sorensen, Piper Rayne, Catherine Cowles, K.A. Linde, Heidi McLaughlin, Susan Stoker, A. Zavarelli, Samantha Chase, Pepper Winters, Xio Axelrod, Alta Hensley, Natalie Wrye, Aleatha Romig, Willow Winters, Skye Warren, Susannah Nix, Livia Grant, Amo Jones, Laura Thalassa, Rebecca Yarros, T.K. Leigh, Rebecca Zanetti, Carian Cole, Jay Crownover, Jennifer Probst, Tijan, Kelly Elliott, Caroline Peckham, Harloe Rae, Melanie Moreland, Amelia Wilde, Gina L. Maxwell, Ilsa Madden-Mills, Shantel Tessier, Honey Meyer, Raine Miller, Sienna Snow, L.B. Dunbar, Parker S. Huntington, Helena Hunting, Dylan Allen, Katee Robert, Jenika Snow, Roni Loren, Claudia Burgoa, Brittney Sahin, Toni Aleo, Terri E. Laine

3.5

3.5 stars

The overall rating is the average of the following ratings.

A Feather in the Flames by Brenda Rothert

3 stars - I liked it

This is a very short story about a volunteer nurse with Healing Hands in Ukraine finding a slice of peace in the arms of a man. I would read more about these two. 

Trigger Warnings: war; death; starvation; 

Morning Coffee…And Stuff with Hook and John by Gina L. Maxwell 

4 stars - It was really good

Hot dam! This was a short and steamy morning scene with Hook and John. I forgot how hot these two were together! I need to reread this series now just for more Hook and John. 

Protected by Rebecca Zanetti

3 stars - I liked it

This is a short scene with Janie and Zane. Janie has a vision of danger to her daughter, Hope, and her brother, Garrett, but before they can act on it her and Zane are attacked by Kurijan soldiers. Janie later also sees a vision of Garret with a woman on his motorcycle surrounded by danger. This was just a nice bonus scene showing Janie’s visions returning and how strong the bond between these two are. I had forgotten how much I liked Zane and Janie. 

 

New Status Needed, by Annabeth Albert

3.0

 

3 stars - I liked it

This was a cute scene with Adrian and Noah finally getting to become parents. It was sweet to see them fall so hard for their new child. 

 

Status Update, by Annabeth Albert

4.0

 4 stars - It was really good

Well here is another Albert’s book that I didn’t want to put down. When Adrian is abandoned by his ex in the middle of nowhere during the holidays he finds himself hitching a ride with quiet and reserved Noah, who has been hiding to everyone he is gay. 

Adrian and Noah’s story was so sweet and emotional that I fell for these characters hard. Adrian is such a fun and outgoing man who was extremely compassionate and respectful of Noah’s introverted nature. I loved watching Adrian get Noah to open up and embrace some fun. 

Noah is a geoarchaeologist who has spent his life hiding that he is gay. He struggles with low self-esteem and how his religion condemns his sexuality. Noah’s journey to accept himself was beautiful and so heart wrenching. I loved watching him open up and find happiness with Adrian.  These two had a beautiful relationship that was all about accepting yourself and taking chances. 

Overall, this was a wonderful and emotional story that I really loved. Albert really knows how to write beautiful romances. I can’t wait to read the next book. 

Trigger Warnings: homophobia; left stranded by partner;  toxic family discussed; death of a parent briefly mentioned; coming out themes; conversation therapy briefly discussed; 

 

 

The Orc From Accounting, by Leigh Miller

4.0

 This was a really cute office romance. I really enjoyed Susie and Jonah’s story and how sweet and steamy it was. I look forward to reading more books in this series, especially since its just paranormals leading regular lives. 

Young Hellboy: Assault on Castle Death, by Mike Mignola, Dave Stewart

adventurous fast-paced

3.0

3 stars - I liked it

While having a fever, young Hellboy lives out a fever dream fighting with Lobster Johnson again. This was short and cute. I like these young Hellboy stories because they are usually just cute little missions and Hellboy still sees the wonder of the world and isn’t jaded by experience yet. Also, I enjoy seeing him be a fanboy of Lobster Johnson because it's amusing. 

 

Johann, by Grae Bryan

3.0

 

3 stars - I liked it

Johann is a character I have been eager to learn more about since he was introduced. He is an extremely sweet and kind vampire who has lived a very sheltered life. So I was excited to get to this book but while I did enjoy it overall, I do have some issues with the characters. 

I found Jay to be a sweet character with a lot of optimism and wonderment at the world around him. But, his character was a bit inconsistent. We start this book by learning how complex and introspective he is and seeing his determination to be his own person. Unfortunately as the book went on his character became more child-like in both behavior and thoughts, which made it very hard to take him seriously, especially when he was trying to be threatening or reprimand Wolfgang. 

I found Alexei to be the most underdeveloped character in this series. His whole personality is his obsession with Jay and that his family is the Russian mob. While I did like that he was obsessed with Jay and accepted him for who he was, I was really expecting more from his character. 

Overall, while I enjoyed this book it definitely has been my least favorite of the series. Wolfgang’s book is next and while I am interested in learning more about this psychopath, I am also a little apprehensive after his actions and the lack of character development in this one. 

Trigger Warnings: past enslavement and emotional abuse; toxic family