To Love and to Cherish (The Wedding Belles, #3) by Lauren Layne

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Format: Paperback

Publishers: Headline Eternal

Published: 18th October 2016

Pages: 320

Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance, 

Main Characters: Alexis, Logan,
Date Read: 29th November 2016 - 4th January 2017

Rating Given:

Synopsis:

Sex and the City meets The Wedding Planner in To Love And To Cherish, the third witty contemporary romance in Lauren Layne's The Wedding Belles series, about three high-powered New York City women who can plan any wedding - but their own. For fans of Jill Shalvis, Julie James and Rachel Gibson.
Alexis Morgan has spent the past six years devoted to turning her tiny start-up into Manhattan's premiere wedding planning company, The Wedding Belles. Now that her business is thriving, it's time to turn towards her much neglected personal life, and Alexis approaches her relationships like she does everything else: with a plan. Not a part of that plan is Logan Harris, the silent partner in the Belles, and the one person who's been there for her since the very beginning. But Alexis needs someone fun, and Logan's all business, all the time-except when a late night at the office ends with an unexpected kiss that leaves the usually cool and together Alexis reeling.
Logan has lusted after Alexis since the day he walked into the tiny Harlem apartment that used to double as her office. But the ambitious wedding planner has always been untouchable...until now. Alexis has made it clear that she's on the dating market-and equally clear that he's not in the running. But when Alexis finds herself in need of a date for her sister's last minute wedding in Florida, Logan knows it's the perfect time to show Alexis that there's more to him than numbers and spreadsheets-and beneath the pinstripes and glasses lies a hot-blooded heartthrob. As Florida's sultry days turn into even hotter nights, Logan's out to convince Alexis that the fling of a lifetime could just maybe turn into forever...

I received a review copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

With all of the covers in this particular series I've been in two minds about until this one. I love this cover and I think it has everything to do with the colours that have been used as it gives a seasonal feel about it and even though the season has nothing to do with the actual book I find myself not minding as for me it kind of sets the scene.

I was looking forward to reading this book especially after loving both of the previous books and no Lauren Layne book for me has rated under 4 stars that is until I read this one. I was so disappointed with this book as I just couldn't get into it which even though I didn't have as much time to read it with it being the Christmas period but also I found myself not even wanting to pick it up. I didn't believe in the romance between the two main characters as it felt for the most part very much one sided and felt Logan was far too good for Alexis. I understand why Alexis was so stand offish to a point but I think she let it affect every aspect of her life and made her an unlikable person. What I loved about this book is that we got to catch up with the previous couples. The ending was sweet and more enjoyable than most of the book.

Just about every character but the main female character was likable. Alexis was such a selfish person that didn't treat Logan the way in which he deserved. There was moments when I thought she was nicer but it wasn't until closer to the end when I started to like her. It was Logan that really saved this book as he was such a great character and I loved everything about him.

Overall, I felt let down by this book but I'm still excited about any future books by Lauren Layne in the hope that they are like the previous book that I've read by her.

Book Review: A Fine Mess (Over the Top, #2) by Kelly Siskind

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Format: Kindle

Publishers: Forever Yours

Published: 2nd August 2016

Pages: 340

Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance, 

Main Characters: Lily, Sawyer,
Date Read: 16th July - 22nd July 2016

Rating Given:

Synopsis:Some guys should come with a warning label . . .
Sawyer West is Mr. One-Night Stand. He doesn't do relationships or promises or feelings. He's never cared enough to get involved. Until Lily Roberts. She's sweet and shy and sexy as sin, and resisting her is testing his self-control. She believes Sawyer can be a better man, and for the first time in his life, he wants to be. But change isn't easy, and Sawyer would do anything to protect Lily from his past self. Even break his own heart . . .

I received a review copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love this cover it's so cute and romantic plus it helps that it's in black and white which is always a favourite of mine. The hint of colour in the title really sets the whole cover off.

Another book that I was expecting so much more from and then for me it just fell short of what I was expecting. With the first book I was laughing out loud so when I knew that this book had Sawyer who made me laugh so much in the first book, I was even more excited but for some reason I just didn't find him or even very much of the book funny which is what I think disappointed me the most. I didn't believe in the romance for most of the book as I just didn't see how Sawyer could get over all his issues. There was a subject tackled in this book that I haven't seen tackled before so that was nice to see. There was a part of the book during the mid section when I really got into the book so much so I really thought I could end up giving it a lot higher rating but then it descended after they left the holiday. Once they got back I got more and more annoyed with how things where played out especially with Sawyer. I felt that the ending felt a bit too cheesy even for me and I also felt it was all a bit too rushed.

I thought I was going to continue to love the characters from this series however that wasn't the case for this book. Lily was my favourite in this book as she was sweet and had a lot of issues that could've easily gone against her but everything that she did do made me like her all the more. Sawyer was the one annoyed me the most which surprised me but he just did and said things that just annoyed me and I wasn't able to forgive him. I liked seeing more from Shay and Kolton and how they were getting on with each other.

Overall, this one was not as good as the first book but I'm still excited to read the last book in the series though just to see how it the last couple get together.

Book Review: Wild Crush (Wild Cards, #2) by Simone Elkeles

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Format: Kindle

Publishers: NLA Digital LLC

Published: 22nd September 2015

Pages: 304

Genre: YA, Contemporary Romance, Sport Romance

Main Characters: Vic, Monika,
Date Read: 4th May - 6th May 2016

Rating Given:

Synopsis:When the only girl you want is the one you can't have... 
Bad boy Vic Salazar breaks all the rules except one: Don't make a move on your best friend's girl. It’s a Guy Code that Vic lives by. It doesn't matter that he's had a crush on her for years. Monika Fox is off limits. 
Monika has a secret of her own and when a tragedy throws her and Vic together, the only boy she trusts is the one she shouldn’t confide in. Vic. 
As Vic struggles to keep his distance, and Monika struggles with her secrets, will their wild connection violate every rule both vowed never to break—about relationships, about friendship, about love?

 I received a review copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not a fan of this cover which is quite surprising as it has the aspects in the cover that I normally love but this cover just doesn't work for me. I think what it is that puts me off the cover is the composition of the bodies as it just looks weird. I also don't see these two as Vic and Monika either.

After loving the first book in the Wild Cards series I was very excited to read this one but in the end it was no where near as good as the first one in fact I nearly DNFed it but I held out because it's Simone Elkeles. I did think I was going to enjoy when I first started it but things slowly started to annoy me more and more. It felt far to predictable which I don't always mind but things that happened that would normally 'shock' I guessed would happen in the beginning. I didn't believe in any of the relationships especially Monika's and Vic's as they just didn't seem to gel plus it felt like it was one sided for pretty much most of the book. For me the ending felt rushed with no real closure I was expecting so much to happen yet it felt like it abruptly finished.

I didn't warm to many of the characters but I did like seeing the returning couple from the previous book plus some characters from her Perfect Chemistry series was great. Monika annoyed me the most as she was a bit of a pushover and just plain annoying. There was moments in the beginning where I actually loved Vic as he was sweet and selfless but then that all changed in the second half of the book and after that I couldn't stand him.

Overall, I was so disappointed with this book but it won't stop me reading this series or even any Simone Elkeles books as I know she has done amazing work so I will always hope that she writes another gem.

Book Review: My Soul to Save (Soul Screamers, #2) by Rachel Vincent

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Format: Paperback

Publishers: Harlequin Teen

Published: 29th December 2009

Pages: 276

Genre: YA, Paranormal Romance

Main Characters: Kaylee, Nash,
Date Read: 13th March - 31st March 2016

Rating Given:

Synopsis:When Kaylee Cavanaugh screams, someone dies.
So when teen pop star Eden croaks onstage and Kaylee doesn’t wail, she knows something is dead wrong. She can’t cry for someone who has no soul.
The last thing Kaylee needs right now is to be skipping school, breaking her dad’s ironclad curfew and putting her too-hot-to-be-real boyfriend’s loyalty to the test. But starry-eyed teens are trading their souls: a flickering lifetime of fame and fortune in exchange for eternity in the Netherworld—a consequence they can’t possibly understand.
Kaylee can’t let that happen, even if trying to save their souls means putting her own at risk...

I have had this series sitting on my shelf for a while now and I'm slowing getting around to reading the series as I really enjoyed the first one, however, I felt book two fell flat...

I like the cover as it matches my first cover but for me I prefer the new UK covers this one feels a little plain compared. I love the colours but what I love the most is the mystical look to it which is in keeping with the series.

When I first started this book I thought I was going to enjoy it as I loved the first one plus it started off strong, however, the further I went into the story the more I got bored I just wanted to get it over and done with. I think for me the reason why I couldn't stay with this book was because of the storyline was a bit too far fetched as I just couldn't see how much they would risk for someone they don't even know plus there just wasn't much action going on until closer to the end. I kind of liked the growth of Kaylee's and Nash's relationship but I feel like there's doubts starting to creep in on how Nash really feels so therefore I wasn't able to stay involved in their relationship. There is some funny moments but not enough for me to start to love the book. The ending has made me want to continue with the series.

I fell out of love with all the characters in this book plus I never could warm up to the new characters introduced. Kaylee seemed to annoy me a lot in this book and I don't really know why I just couldn't warm up to her like I did the first book. Nash was the only one who had some sense but there was times when I didn't like his attitude. Todd annoyed me in this one as he was willing to risk everyone's lives for a past love. Addison was a new character who I just couldn't warm to as she came across as a selfish rich girl.

Overall I was so disappointed in this book but I will continue the series in the hope it will go back to the goodness of the first book.

Book Review: Flesh (Flesh, #1) by Kylie Scott

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Format: Kindle

Publishers: Momentum

Published: 1st October 2012

Pages: 288

Genre: Adult, Paranormal Romance

Main Characters: Ali, Daniel, Finn,
Date Read: 1st February - 9th February 2016

Rating Given:

Synopsis:
Ali has been hiding in an attic since civilisation collapsed eight weeks ago.
When the plague hit, her neighbours turned into mindless, hungry, homicidal maniacs.
Daniel has been a loner his entire life. Then the world empties and he realises that being alone isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Finn is a former cop who is desperate for companionship, and willing to do anything it takes to protect the survivors around him.
When the three cross paths they band together; sparks fly, romance blooms in the wasteland and Ali, Daniel and Finn bend to their very human needs in the ruins of civilisation.
Lust, love and trust all come under fire in Flesh as the three band together to survive, hunted through the suburban wastelands.

As soon as I finished reading Kylie Scott's Stage Dive series I went and brought this book and was hoping that it was just as good but I'm afraid for me it didn't come even close...

I love the dark colours used for this cover as it gives it a creep feel to the cover which is good as it is about zombies. I also feel that everything else about the cover is in keeping with the story which is always a favourite thing of mine in the covers that I love.

When I first started reading Flesh I really thought I was going to love it as it captured my attention and after reading the Stage Dive series I knew that she liked doing insta-love so I thought that I would learn to love Ali and Daniel together as Kylie Scott is usually brilliant at writing powerful romances which she did do for a little while. Flesh really started to take a nosedive as soon as Finn came on to the scene and once that happened the relationship between Ali and Daniel changed and after that I didn't feel any chemistry between any of the characters. I think that some of the things that happened was a bit too unbelievable and then for them to decide on making a family in a world that is full of zombies it just doesn't make any sense what so ever. For me there wasn't enough zombie action as I was expecting more from that area. The ending was a bit too rushed for me to like it I thought there was more to say and yes I understand there is going to be another book in the series but it's with new characters so I'm not sure everything I wanted clearing up will do so in the next book.

In the beginning I kind of liked the two main character but like I said before I really didn't like Finn for me he ruined the book. With Ali I started off thinking she takes no prisoners however, that wasn't to be the case as she came across as a bit of a whiner and very annoying. Daniel was my favourite character in this particular book as he was so sweet and very protective but in a way where he didn't come across as controlling which happens a lot in other books I've read and with Finn. Finn came across as a controlling and far too arrogant and not in an endearing way that I can sometimes like.

Overall, Flesh started off strong but by the end I just wanted to get the book over with so I could get onto something I may enjoy more than I had with this one. This hasn't put me off reading Kylie Scott books as this was one of her more earlier books plus I know she can do an amazing series.

Book Review: Love, Rosie by Cecelia Ahern

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Format: Kindle

Publishers: Hachette Books

Published: 6th January 2015

Pages: 448

Genre: YA, Contemporary Romance

Main Characters: Rosie, Alex, Katie,
Date Read: 9th December - 20th December 2015

Rating Given:

Synopsis:Sometimes you have to look at life in a whole new way...
From the bestselling author of PS, I Love You comes a delightfully enchanting novel about what happens when two people who are meant to be together just can't seem to get it right.
Rosie and Alex are destined for one another, and everyone seems to know it but them. Best friends since childhood, their relationship gets closer by the day, until Alex gets the news that his family is leaving Dublin and moving to Boston. At 17, Rosie and Alex have just started to see each other in a more romantic light. Devastated, the two make plans for Rosie to apply to colleges in the U.S. 
She gets into Boston University, Alex gets into Harvard, and everything is falling into place, when on the eve of her departure, Rosie gets news that will change their lives forever: She's pregnant by a boy she'd gone out with while on the rebound from Alex. 
Her dreams for college, Alex, and a glamorous career dashed, Rosie stays in Dublin to become a single mother, while Alex pursues a medical career and a new love in Boston. But destiny is a funny thing, and in this novel, structured as a series of clever e-mails, letters, notes, and a trail of missed opportunities, Alex and Rosie find out that fate isn't done with them yet.

 I received a review copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The colourfulness of this cover is what stood out to me even though they where pretty much all similar colours it still looks colourful because of the colour that was used. I do like that it's in keeping with the actual story as well.

I found Love, Rosie very hard to get into as it's a completely different style of writing than I'm used to with the whole book in the form of letters, notes, emails, cards. When I first started I actually thought I wouldn't be able to get past the whole writing style but I did to a point as it still annoyed me to the end but it was easier to get through the further I went into the story. It was hard to get an understanding of what all the characters looked like as it seemed to take ages before there was even a description on each of them. Throughout the book I wanted to bang Rosie and Alex's heads together as they both annoyed me with their feelings as there times when I didn't even believe in their feelings towards one another as it felt out of the blue sometimes. I liked that it felt the most realistic of books that I have read as it seemed to show real issues that where believable. There was some light hearted moments as well as some sad times but I just felt like it needed something else that I can't put my finger on what it was missing. Even though I liked the characters growing up throughout their lifetime I still felt like it dragged but at the same time it also felt like it was rushed with major gaps of times throughout. I didn't like the end of the book as it felt like it could have happened far sooner. I do feel like the film outshone this book which doesn't happen often but in this case the film won out.

There was times when I couldn't stand both Rosie and Alex. In the beginning I really didn't like Rosie as she was so annoying but throughout the book I felt she really did grow up and was more likeable. With Alex I didn't really like or hate him and I still can't decide what I think about him. Ruby was one of my favourite characters in this book even though she wasn't the kindest Mum she was still a light hearted and funny character. Katie was an ok character as she was like Rosie in the way we got to see her grow up to be a good character.

Overall, I felt a little let down by this book as I was expecting so much more for my first ever Cecelia Ahern book plus I adored the film but not so much with the book.