Margo's bookshelf: all en-US Fri, 18 Apr 2025 11:12:40 -0700 60 Margo's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg The House Share 209495047 'I absolutely loved this book, was enthralled from the first page and couldn't put it down ... I felt like I was living there and loved all of the residents ... A five star uplifting and heartwarming story of real life and real people' Reader review, 5 stars

One home. Four people. A fresh start?

Bridgewater House was once a renowned stately home before the youngest lord fell on hard times. Now it's opening its doors to welcome tenants into each of its freshly converted apartments.

Newlywed Marcie can't wait to set up house with her new husband. But between juggling her PhD thesis and being a stepmum to two children who want nothing to do with her, she's got her hands full.

Louise never thought she'd find herself single again after her marriage unexpectedly ends. Now, for the first time in twenty years, she's moving into her own place and having to go it alone.

Legendary actress Mollie de May might appear tough as nails on camera, but off-screen, she's mourning the loss of her dear husband. Unable to bear the thought of living on her own, she hopes moving to a shared residence will offer her the comfort she seeks.

Lord Roddy Pearmain is having the worst year. Not only has he lost his wife and kids in a messy divorce, but now he must reside in a humble flat within the very estate he once expected to inherit.

One home. Four residents each living with a secret. But nothing ever stays hidden from neighbours for long...

An utterly heart-warming and feel-good page-turner that finds people from different walks of life unexpectedly thrown together under one roof. Fans of Fiona Gibson, Carmen Reid and Tracy Bloom will find themselves hooked from start to finish.

Readers are LOVING The House Share!

'This book was so good! I thoroughly enjoyed it! ... There was great chemistry on the page and the characters were written really well!' Reader review

'This is a lovely light-hearted story, perfect for lazy sunny days by the pool' Reader review

'It's the kind of book that you can't put down' Reader review]]> 0 Sophie King 1471416267 Margo 4
There were a few vicious teenagers, but they got much better as time passed and they learned a little bit more about life.

A very light read when I really needed one. I have a feeling that these days I’m going to need thousands of them.]]> 4.10 The House Share
author: Sophie King
name: Margo
average rating: 4.10
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/04/18
shelves:
review:
A really charming book of its kind. The residents of the house are all at different phases in their life, but they have all had their lives recently upended. There are very likable characters and a few that are not likable but then you warm up to.

There were a few vicious teenagers, but they got much better as time passed and they learned a little bit more about life.

A very light read when I really needed one. I have a feeling that these days I’m going to need thousands of them.
]]> The Medici Mistress 24038406
Giac's past is more complex than Annie can comprehend, and the ties of loyalty he feels for his fiance are impossible to explain. Even to the woman he truly loves... Will he ever be able to set things right and prove to Annie that he's worth a second chance? Or is her heart too broken to love again?]]> 174 Clare Connelly Margo 2
That’s a dealbreaker. While this isn’t the worst OW lecture ever(that belongs to the legendary What Mattered Most) her ethereal fragility was hard to endure.

Also, the H never really seemed entirely guilty about what he did, or at least he didn’t seem to care enough to stop pursuing her when she protested. He assumed that she wouldn’t be able to resist her because of their attraction. He’s not wrong � � she immediately starts to talk about how her body is betraying her, which is another dealbreaker for me � BBS (betraying body syndrome).

So, if you want some OW drama you’ve got it here, but it’s nothing you haven’t seen before.]]> 3.49 2014 The Medici Mistress
author: Clare Connelly
name: Margo
average rating: 3.49
book published: 2014
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2025/04/15
shelves: lectured-by-the-ow, nothing-new-here, that-s-a-dealbreaker-ladies
review:
This author is a good writer, but there’s really nothing new to this particular story. I had to stop reading it when it came to the point of no return: the OW lectured the h about being kinder to the H and asked the h to do her a favor (she literally said exactly that, as if she was entitled to a personal favor from the h) and to reach out to the H.

That’s a dealbreaker. While this isn’t the worst OW lecture ever(that belongs to the legendary What Mattered Most) her ethereal fragility was hard to endure.

Also, the H never really seemed entirely guilty about what he did, or at least he didn’t seem to care enough to stop pursuing her when she protested. He assumed that she wouldn’t be able to resist her because of their attraction. He’s not wrong � � she immediately starts to talk about how her body is betraying her, which is another dealbreaker for me � BBS (betraying body syndrome).

So, if you want some OW drama you’ve got it here, but it’s nothing you haven’t seen before.
]]> When the Rose Briar Blooms 221892916 When the Rose Briar Blooms is a love triangle that readers will be eager to debate.

Since the first day of sixth grade, Kay and Anna have been inseparable. With fierce and fearless Anna, Kay navigates the middle and high school years of their coastal New Hampshire town unscathed. In return, Anna is enveloped by the warmth of Kay’s home and family.

Twenty years later, Kay’s life is upended on a rainy Friday evening, when her husband Matthew announces he is leaving her…for Anna.

As she struggles to understand her best friend’s betrayal, Kay explores the evolution of her friendship with Anna, as well as the involvement of Matthew in each of their lives. The journey reveals a why and how that, much like real life, generates authentic debate over who is the hero and who is the villain.]]> 288 Kerry Crisley Margo 1 3.45 When the Rose Briar Blooms
author: Kerry Crisley
name: Margo
average rating: 3.45
book published:
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves:
review:
Somehow she ends up apologizing to both of them and making tentative overtures to the OW. Unbelievable.
]]> <![CDATA[The Unwanted Bride (The Lasker Brothers #7)]]> 200563525 He got a fake fiancée to avoid an arranged marriage...except she turns out to be his arranged wife after all.

Ambitious, driven and independent, billionaire Huxley Lasker refuses to marry the vapid bride his family has chosen to further their legal dynasty. Instead, he asks Grace Lain, a hot one-night stand from a few weeks earlier, to be his fake fiancée.

But Grace turns out to be the arranged wife—and their one-night stand has left her pregnant.

The Unwanted Bride is a standalone romance with all the feels and a happy ending! If you love:

✔️Arranged marriage
✔️Fake engagement
✔️One-night stand
✔️“My wife�
✔️“Who did this to you?�
✔️Touch her and die
✔️Surprise pregnancy
✔️Found family
✔️She falls first
✔️He falls harder
✔️DzԲ
✔️Revenge / Karma
✔️Family secrets

then grab The Unwanted Bride today!]]> 374 Nadia Lee Margo 1 4.07 2024 The Unwanted Bride (The Lasker Brothers #7)
author: Nadia Lee
name: Margo
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2024
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2025/03/30
shelves:
review:
All of the relatives should have been covered with glue and left in the desert to be consumed by desert scavengers.
]]> The Illusion Of Us 207781719 265 K LASTELLA Margo 3
I’m adding a section called pettiness points:

1. The h finally walks out of the H’s life without a trace and sticks to it. 5 pettiness points
2. She keeps his child from him for years for a very unjustifiable reason. 1,000,000 pettiness points
3. When H is about to leave a gathering of friends to comfort the OW, the h grabs him and lays a lengthy kiss on him, thus delaying their departure. 100 pettiness points

—� old review�-
The H is weak trash and while the h remains in love with him, she does walk away, which automatically wins points. There are some groveling moments, which I appreciate.

]]> 3.07 2024 The Illusion Of Us
author: K LASTELLA
name: Margo
average rating: 3.07
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/20
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves:
review:
Updated Upon Reread:

I’m adding a section called pettiness points:

1. The h finally walks out of the H’s life without a trace and sticks to it. 5 pettiness points
2. She keeps his child from him for years for a very unjustifiable reason. 1,000,000 pettiness points
3. When H is about to leave a gathering of friends to comfort the OW, the h grabs him and lays a lengthy kiss on him, thus delaying their departure. 100 pettiness points

—� old review�-
The H is weak trash and while the h remains in love with him, she does walk away, which automatically wins points. There are some groveling moments, which I appreciate.


]]> Resurrect 54328610 485 Astrid Jane Ray Margo 1
There are some occasions when this trope can work � � most notably in situations where it’s paranormal and there are enormous barriers that would not be found in real life.

However, in the real world, I don’t think anymore “romances � that glorify abusers are needed. It sends a terrible message to readers about what is acceptable in a relationship.]]> 3.68 2020 Resurrect
author: Astrid Jane Ray
name: Margo
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2020
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves:
review:
Sometimes I ask myself, what if a teenager read this book � � what would they take away from it? That if you endure enough suffering, everything will work out in the end and your partner will become doting?

There are some occasions when this trope can work � � most notably in situations where it’s paranormal and there are enormous barriers that would not be found in real life.

However, in the real world, I don’t think anymore “romances � that glorify abusers are needed. It sends a terrible message to readers about what is acceptable in a relationship.
]]> <![CDATA[Iliana's Choice (Not Quite an Alpha, #6)]]> 75543432
Only, it's a lie. A terrible lie to hide the pain of rejection. A lie that no one in her pack, her family, or her tight-knit group of friends suspects. Iliana holds her agonizing secret tightly as she forces herself to move on, to survive, to thrive, all without the male who chose her sister Georgina over her at her side. She has no need of such a faithless male.

Her mate disagrees. Sean caused his fated truemate excruciating pain and will never forgive himself, so how can he possibly ask it of her? Inexcusable betrayal tastes wrong in his mouth, but worse is the knowledge that if Iliana's lie is exposed, it will be the she-wolf who suffers the consequences.

The pack is facing a threat from a hidden foe, a group of mad scientists kidnapping and murdering she-wolves. When their next luna is a human, an alpha female must be chosen. It is Iliana's natural spot, and she intends to fight for it, but a MateLess she-wolf can't hold a position of leadership in the pack.

Their alpha suggests a bond between two young, MateLess wolves, Iliana, and the younger brother of the next alpha, Braxton. The two are already close friends, and the attraction between them has always bloomed. When Braxton lost his own mate at a young age, it was Iliana who comforted him. Now, the young male is eager to mate with his closest friend.

Iliana's secret can't remain hidden forever, but the threat to the pack is only growing. When the tower of lies comes tumbling down, who will bear its weight? And can the three find a way to deal with a love triangle they are a part of?

Warning: Sex, Violence, and Language. MFM Romance.]]> 451 Leona Page Margo 1
Her earlier books always had a fair amount of submissive/omega stuff, but now it’s the entire plotline. I also agree with the reviewer who pointed out that recent books include a plotline involving a large number of very young women who have been murdered. It’s creepy.

Very disappointing. ]]> 4.06 2023 Iliana's Choice (Not Quite an Alpha, #6)
author: Leona Page
name: Margo
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2023
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2025/03/21
shelves:
review:
It’s around this book that I realized that the author is going in an overall direction that I abhor. Even though the heroine is supposedly of high rank, she is helpless and infantilized for most of the book. Not only that, the author edited out some of the things from the Wattpad version that helped to balance this impression. Trust me when I say that the series gets worse as far as this goes, with the heroines being helpless and damaged and the H’s talking like creepy pedophiles.

Her earlier books always had a fair amount of submissive/omega stuff, but now it’s the entire plotline. I also agree with the reviewer who pointed out that recent books include a plotline involving a large number of very young women who have been murdered. It’s creepy.

Very disappointing.
]]> <![CDATA[The Wrong Fiancée: Dean's Story (Marriage by Contract, #3)]]> 218560705
Dean Archer has meticulously curated his life to include his family's global art and antiquities empire and a fiancée who is his intellectual equal.

When he arrives at a luxury resort in Kauai for a vacation with his new fiancée’s family, the last person he expects to find cleaning his room is Elika Hamlet—the woman who once set his world, and his bed, ablaze. And since the universe has a wicked sense of humor, she's also his fiancée’s cousin.

Their affair ended badly when Elika overheard Dean telling his friend she was fun for a fling, but as a hotel maid with no education, she wasn't an intellectual equal. Dean's fiancée, on the other hand, is everything he thought he wanted—smart, beautiful, perfectly connected, and flawless on paper.

But, as Dean spends more time with the fierce and captivating Elika, he realizes he’s been chasing after the wrong cousin.
Can Dean undo the damage he caused and prove he’s changed? Or will Elika walk away, leaving him to face the consequences of choosing the wrong fiancée?

The Wrong Fiancée is a billionaire second chance small town romance and Includes all your favorite tropes:
Second Chances
Opposites Attract
Other Woman Drama
Engaged to Another/Cousin
Small town/Island
Overheard
No Cheating
Complete Standalone]]> 258 Maya Alden Margo 1 3.89 2025 The Wrong Fiancée: Dean's Story (Marriage by Contract, #3)
author: Maya Alden
name: Margo
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2025
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2025/03/15
shelves:
review:
Raffaella’s review explains everything.
]]> Love Your Life 53479913
Call Ava romantic, but she thinks love should be found in the real world, not on apps that filter men by height, job, or astrological sign. She believes in feelings, not algorithms. So after a recent breakup and dating app debacle, she decides to put love on hold and escapes to a remote writers' retreat in coastal Italy. She's determined to finish writing the novel she's been fantasizing about, even though it means leaving her close-knit group of friends and her precious dog, Harold, behind.

At the retreat, she's not allowed to use her real name or reveal any personal information. When the neighboring martial arts retreat is canceled and a few of its attendees join their small writing community, Ava, now going by "Aria," meets "Dutch," a man who seems too good to be true. The two embark on a baggage-free, whirlwind love affair, cliff-jumping into gem-colored Mediterranean waters and exploring the splendor of the Italian coast. Things seem to be perfect for Aria and Dutch.

But then their real identities--Ava and Matt--must return to London. As their fantasy starts to fade, they discover just how different their personal worlds are. From food choices to annoying habits to sauna etiquette . . . are they compatible in anything? And then there's the prickly situation with Matt's ex-girlfriend, who isn't too eager to let him go. As one mishap follows another, it seems while they love each other, they just can't love each other's lives. Can they reconcile their differences to find one life together?]]> 416 Sophie Kinsella 0593132858 Margo 2
Note to self: Stop trying, Margo.]]> 3.27 2020 Love Your Life
author: Sophie Kinsella
name: Margo
average rating: 3.27
book published: 2020
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2025/03/14
shelves:
review:
I have tried to do a close reading of this book for so long but always end up skimming after a certain point because the heroine is so embarrassingly immature. She has this amazing opportunity to focus on herself and instead she obsesses about a man she’s known for a minute who has given her no encouragement to speak.

Note to self: Stop trying, Margo.
]]> My Year of Saying No 50711382
When a long-term relationship ended, her best friend’s scheme to get Lottie back in the swing of things seemed like a good idea. She’s kept her promise to Jess to see it through but, as a lover of the quiet life, Lottie couldn’t be happier to say hello to a brand new year � The Year of Saying No!

Unfortunately, the one thing she still seems unable to say no to is the crush she has on her best client and now friend, Army veteran, Seb Marshall. But she’s working on it, and with rescue dog Humphrey at her side, she knows that she’ll manage just fine.

Lottie’s decision to stop trying to please everyone has brought a sense of relief beyond what she had expected. Her actions and determination have also begun to send ripples throughout her life and those closest to her, bringing about changes none of them could have expected.

But will all those changes be for the good? ]]> 342 Maxine Morrey 1838890343 Margo 3
Merged review:

The risk with slow burn is that it makes the MCs look lukewarm. These two certainly got together at a very leisurely pace, which dial down the heat significantly. I liked her, though, and he had a good reason for being such an idiot and uncommunicative.]]> 3.92 2020 My Year of Saying No
author: Maxine Morrey
name: Margo
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves:
review:
The risk with slow burn is that it makes the MCs look lukewarm. These two certainly got together at a very leisurely pace, which dial down the heat significantly. I liked her, though, and he had a good reason for being such an idiot and uncommunicative.

Merged review:

The risk with slow burn is that it makes the MCs look lukewarm. These two certainly got together at a very leisurely pace, which dial down the heat significantly. I liked her, though, and he had a good reason for being such an idiot and uncommunicative.
]]> On The Beach 221147855
Life is a beach, right?

When Isabella (Belle) Volnay, high-powered pharma exec, professional overachiever, walks into Reef Harbor in her fuck-me heels and zero tolerance for slackers, sparks fly—and clothes come off—on the sand.

It's the first time Belle’s ever had that kind of a beach day (oops, lay), and Mick? Well, let’s just say he's experiencing some firsts too.

But what Belle doesn’t know is that the charming beach bum she’s fallen for is actually the brilliant (and very ex) scientist she’s desperately searching for. Mick and his buddies are determined to keep that little detail buried under the sand.
After all, what could go wrong with a harmless fling? Spoiler everything.

Heartbreak hits like a high tide, but love—real love—is the undertow neither of them saw coming.

On The Beach is a warm, wistful, and wickedly funny romance that reminds us sometimes the biggest waves hit when you’re least ready—and those are the ones worth riding all the way to shore. It includes the following

👙 Secret identity (his)
👙 Insta Love (theirs)
👙 Beach/holiday romance
👙 Pee-in-your-pants funny
👙 STEM heroine
👙 Heroine cannot hold her liquor
👙 Hero can drink everyone under the table
👙 Complete standalone]]> 254 Maya Alden Margo 1
1. The hero is toxic. He is contemptuous of his one-night stands � the opening chapter paints a terrible picture � � and he’s deliberately cruel to the heroine throughout the book.
2. The heroine’s entire family immediately takes the H’s side, including her sister asking him semi-jokingly if he wants to be in a threesome. Her sister in particular is a real piece of work, confiding details about the h’s sex life to their parents(!). As a matter of fact, every single group of people that she interacts with � � coworkers, family, people she meets on vacation � deceives her, conspires against her, or does both. There is no one who is 100% loyal to her.
3. The family is supposed to be eccentric but they are really just controlling and annoying and they betray her by endorsing him so quickly on the basis of the fact that he helps her to loosen up. He humiliated and deceived her � none of them seem to care about that or recognize it as the red flag and it would clearly be.
4. Small irritation but the hero continues to flirt with everyone even when he is supposedly wooing the h.
5. There’s that gross tactic where he has followed her to a restaurant and comes in with a gorgeous blonde, making the h reluctantly jealous. The blonde, who is his cousin, recognizes it and kisses the H’s cheek so that she can encourage the jealousy. So tired of this and it’s really creepy that the author keeps making her H’s female relatives OK with the jealousy and willing to appear to be romantically involved with their cousin, even very briefly.
6. Finally, regardless of the lip service that they give to compromise and complicated histories, ultimately this book conveys the idea that this quitter beach bum H is somehow superior in his life choices to the h.

I often ask myself if a particular Maya Alden book is going to be my last because there are too many egregious romantic injustices or enormous power differentials or professional and personal humiliations of highly successful women. Despite this review, I have not reached that point yet*. She really knows how to get people worked up over a story and I read her books as soon as they come out because they are addictive. So I enjoy grumbling about these books but I keep reading them, which is my right.

*However, a lot is hinging on whether the next book in her Savannah story involves him engaging in unspeakable cruelty based on a comment he heard a parakeet make.
]]> 3.82 On The Beach
author: Maya Alden
name: Margo
average rating: 3.82
book published:
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2025/02/14
shelves:
review:
I had to stop reading this closely midway and skimmed to the ending but I read enough of it that I can confidently give this a one-star rating. There are a few things in this particular book that really set me off:

1. The hero is toxic. He is contemptuous of his one-night stands � the opening chapter paints a terrible picture � � and he’s deliberately cruel to the heroine throughout the book.
2. The heroine’s entire family immediately takes the H’s side, including her sister asking him semi-jokingly if he wants to be in a threesome. Her sister in particular is a real piece of work, confiding details about the h’s sex life to their parents(!). As a matter of fact, every single group of people that she interacts with � � coworkers, family, people she meets on vacation � deceives her, conspires against her, or does both. There is no one who is 100% loyal to her.
3. The family is supposed to be eccentric but they are really just controlling and annoying and they betray her by endorsing him so quickly on the basis of the fact that he helps her to loosen up. He humiliated and deceived her � none of them seem to care about that or recognize it as the red flag and it would clearly be.
4. Small irritation but the hero continues to flirt with everyone even when he is supposedly wooing the h.
5. There’s that gross tactic where he has followed her to a restaurant and comes in with a gorgeous blonde, making the h reluctantly jealous. The blonde, who is his cousin, recognizes it and kisses the H’s cheek so that she can encourage the jealousy. So tired of this and it’s really creepy that the author keeps making her H’s female relatives OK with the jealousy and willing to appear to be romantically involved with their cousin, even very briefly.
6. Finally, regardless of the lip service that they give to compromise and complicated histories, ultimately this book conveys the idea that this quitter beach bum H is somehow superior in his life choices to the h.

I often ask myself if a particular Maya Alden book is going to be my last because there are too many egregious romantic injustices or enormous power differentials or professional and personal humiliations of highly successful women. Despite this review, I have not reached that point yet*. She really knows how to get people worked up over a story and I read her books as soon as they come out because they are addictive. So I enjoy grumbling about these books but I keep reading them, which is my right.

*However, a lot is hinging on whether the next book in her Savannah story involves him engaging in unspeakable cruelty based on a comment he heard a parakeet make.

]]> <![CDATA[Best Kept Secret (Savannah's Best, #4)]]> 218069349 The truth about secrets? They always unravel.

I'm Beau Bodine, and someone's been keeping one hell of a secret from me.

Mira Sen shows up out of nowhere and drops a she's been raising my daughter—her niece—for the past two and a half years. A daughter I didn't even know existed. I should be furious, and I am, but Mira's sister—who recently passed away—had convinced her I didn't want to have anything to do with my kid.

Mira and my daughter move in with me, and before I know it, we become a family. I fall hard for my little girl. Her aunt has gotten under my skin, too. Our age gap, my history with her sister... none of that seems to matter. I'm in deep and for the first time in my reprobate life, starting to dream of white picket fences.

But when Mira's conservative and influential parents tell me why they've been fighting for custody of their granddaughter, everything falls apart. They show me proof that Mira physically hurt my baby. I don't hesitate. I tell Mira to get the hell out of my house and my life.

Then the truth comes out, and I know I've screwed up. Big time.

By the time I find Mira, she's broken in ways I couldn't foresee or even imagine. I know it's my fault. I've got to fix this. But she's shut down and become someone I barely recognize. Now I don't know if I'll ever be able to put her back together again.

Best Kept Secret is a billionaire secret baby forbidden romance and features all your favorite

🏵️Secret Baby
🏵️Sister's Boyfriend & Baby Daddy
🏵️Single Parent
🏵️Forced Proximity
🏵️Forbidden Love
🏵️Other Woman Drama
🏵️Age Gap (12 years)
🏵️Misunderstood & Uncovered
🏵️Betrayal & Grovel
🏵️Indian Heroine
🏵️No Cheating
🏵️Complete Standalone

Trigger Warning: Reference to past sexual abuse of a minor; on page suicidal ideation and attempt.]]> 314 Maya Alden Margo 3
This series keeps escalating in the wrong that the H does to the h, so much so that the logical next sequel will have a situation where he has her killed because of something a parakeet tells him, and then digs her up and tries to get her to forgive him, possibly hiring a local witch to do it, thus setting up the heroine of the next book in the series.]]> 3.88 2024 Best Kept Secret (Savannah's Best, #4)
author: Maya Alden
name: Margo
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2025/02/11
shelves:
review:
Ladies, stay far, far away from Savannah, because it appears to be populated with some of the most childish, ruthless, petty, millionaires who like to date women out of their social class and then treat them like dirt for a variety of reasons, none of them justified.

This series keeps escalating in the wrong that the H does to the h, so much so that the logical next sequel will have a situation where he has her killed because of something a parakeet tells him, and then digs her up and tries to get her to forgive him, possibly hiring a local witch to do it, thus setting up the heroine of the next book in the series.
]]> Here Comes the Ex 223873699
Luca is used to being the ‘single one� at weddings � it happens, when all your other friends are engaged, married or taken. But when she bumps into Tom, her friend from university who broke her heart into a million pieces, she finds herself wondering what could have been.

It’s ten years later, surely she should be over that Tom by now? So why is he looking even more gorgeous than ever � and why doesn’t he seem to be able to keep his eyes off her either?

And as the champagne flows and old secrets resurface, Luca realises that perhaps the time to take a chance on love and life is…now?

The laugh-out-loud new novel from bestseller Portia Macintosh!]]> 248 Portia MacIntosh Margo 0 don-t-read-this 3.34 Here Comes the Ex
author: Portia MacIntosh
name: Margo
average rating: 3.34
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves: don-t-read-this
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Marriage [Red, White &] Blues (Unexpectedly Married #2)]]> 217069796
I mean, who wouldn’t take the opportunity to go on a safari in the Serengeti? Wait—I’m getting ahead of myself.

To sum up: With things going wrong at home, I needed a change. A break to figure out my life. So naturally, I’d quit my job, emptied my bank account, and set off on an adventure of a lifetime. On my first day in Paris, I met Blake. A charming, handsome, and as it turned out, unbelievably wealthy man who’d swept me off my feet. We’d toured the continent together and before I knew it, I’d fallen for him. Fallen hard.

After Europe, we’d decided to keep the fun going by making a spur-of-the-moment trip to Africa. Safari? Yes, please.

A family emergency called him back to the States, and that was when things changed. Three months passed before I’d heard from him. When I did, it was to tell me that we’d accidentally gotten married during a ceremony involving a semi-nomadic tribe and that he’d stayed away because of family issues. But his grandfather’s will had a no-divorce clause. Blake didn’t want a divorce. He’d fallen for me, too. And if I decided to stay married, I’d be entitled to half his inheritance which would make me an incredibly wealthy woman.

The problem: Blake’s older brother was running for president and I was a middle-class Detroit girl. We didn’t run in the same circles, and because of that, his mother was determined to break us up. Oh—and I’d found out I was pregnant. Talk about terrible timing with Blake stuck out on the campaign trail all because of a scandal his mother had orchestrated.

So I find myself in need of another fresh start. But do I want my baby raised in a broken home? Now I have money. Blake still has my heart. His family won’t change. Do I have it in me to fight for us? For our family? For our future? Welcome to my marriage (red, white &) blues.]]> 383 Sarah Zolton Arthur Margo 2
]]> 3.89 2025 Marriage [Red, White &] Blues (Unexpectedly Married #2)
author: Sarah Zolton Arthur
name: Margo
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2025
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves:
review:
This was a very interesting plot idea, but the author included way too many details that were not interesting or charming. It was first person, so the heroine came across as someone who thought everything that she did was the most fascinating thing in the world. Did we really need to hear about the difference between a chili dog and a Coney dog, for example? Also, all of the wheelchair logistics were incredibly tiresome.


]]> <![CDATA[Between Wrath and Mercy (The Divine Between, #1)]]> 59692061 A mother will do anything to save her child, no matter the cost.

After her daughter is kidnapped, Emmeline Highclere—a thirty-four-year-old mother living in isolation with memories and grief her only companion—must do everything in her limited power and divine abilities to get the girl back.

Emmeline believes that her daughter, Elora, is the Beloved—the conduit with goddess-granted divine abilities prophesied to bring peace to the Three Kingdoms. Because the last person thought to be the Beloved was brutally murdered by the enemy kingdom of Folterra, Emmeline has dedicated the last sixteen years to hiding her daughter and keeping her safe. When Elora is kidnapped by a Folterran prince, Emmeline must leave her place of hiding, resolving to do anything to rescue her daughter. But to have any chance against those who took the girl, Emmeline must call upon one of the most powerful conduits in the Three Kingdoms, the Crown Prince of Vesta—the man who broke her heart—and hope he helps her despite their estrangement.

With the weight of his father’s impending death hanging over his head, Crown Prince Rainier has begun to make moves to prove his dedication to assume the role of king. When he is visiting the estate that was once a second home to him, the woman who has long haunted his dreams and consumed his thoughts appears before him, asking for his help to find the child she had with another man. Now, he must decide: does he drop what he is doing to help Emmeline, or does he maintain his unwavering duty to the Crown?

Now, Emmeline and Rainier must work together to find the Beloved—to save the girl from the Folterrans and fulfill the prophecy of peace—while they both battle feelings of remorse and heartbreak, trying to ignore the heated desire and simmering attraction between them that never left.

From relative isolation to the capital city of Vesta and onwards to Folterra, Emmeline must find out exactly where her daughter has been taken—seeking out help along the way—and bring her home before it is too late.]]> 566 Jess Wisecup Margo 2 3.99 2022 Between Wrath and Mercy (The Divine Between, #1)
author: Jess Wisecup
name: Margo
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2022
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2025/01/28
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Unplanned Wedding (The Davenports #3)]]> 213020810 Only he’s engaged to another...

Knox Davenport. Six feet three inches of glower, and with a presence that fills any room he walks into, is strictly out of bounds.
Too bad I’m secretly in love with him.
He’s a former Marine and the new CEO of the Davenport Group
I’m a struggling singer.
He doesn’t even know my name.
After all I’m only his assistant, AND his housekeeper AND his girl Friday.
I need this job so I can pay my bills
..while auditioning for my big break
..and putting my siblings through college.
Besides where’s my self-respect?

The man’s obnoxious, and disagreeable and has an ego I want to take down several notches.
So why can’t I get over this unreasonable attraction?
I resolve to do my job and keep things professional between us.
Until he announces he’s betrothed.
And asks me to plan his wedding.

How long can I watch from afar as the happy couple seem to be falling love, while my heart breaks apart?
Then his fiancée breaks off the engagement.
And Knox turns to me for help.
He asks me to marry him... Only so he can get his inheritance.
I turn him down.
I have my pride after all.
And when I leave the job, I’m sure he’ll forget about me.

Only a few weeks later the doorbell rings and he’s there.
He has a new proposal... with conditions...

This is Knox & June’s story. A billionaire, forced proximity, one-bed, boss-employee, fake relationship, romance with a strong-willed FMC who’s proud of her curves and won’t settle for anything less than love. It is a complete standalone with a HEA.]]> 396 L. Steele Margo 0 don-t-read-this 3.69 2024 The Unplanned Wedding (The Davenports #3)
author: L. Steele
name: Margo
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: don-t-read-this
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Moment We Know (Moments Duet #2)]]> 213704975
A second chance to right a wrong, or reverse a bad decision you regretted making?

What about a second chance to get your girl back—along with a marriage that was stolen from you by the man who walked your bride down the aisle?


Would you go for it, even knowing you might fail?


Because going for it means risking your heart on the success of an arrangement she thinks is temporary �

� and failure means sacrificing your soul if she decides to walk away when the arrangement is over.

For David Lowe, the answer is as complicated as it is simple:

He has no choice, because second chances don’t come around very often.]]> 557 D.E. Daniel Margo 0 don-t-read-this 4.06 The Moment We Know (Moments Duet #2)
author: D.E. Daniel
name: Margo
average rating: 4.06
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/08
shelves: don-t-read-this
review:
Horrifying. Read Hope’s review.
]]> <![CDATA[Forever & Always (The Ever Trilogy, #1)]]> 18664944 Ever,

These letters are often all that get me through week to week. Even if it’s just random stuff, nothing important, they’re important to me. Gramps is great, and I love working on the ranch.

But…I’m lonely.

I feel disconnected, like I’m no one, like I don’t belong anywhere. Like I’m just here until something else happens. I don’t even know what I want with my future. But your letters, they make me feel connected to something, to someone. I had a crush on you, when we first met. I thought you were beautiful. So beautiful. It was hard to think of anything else. Then camp ended and we never got together, and now all I have of you is these letters.

S**t.

I just told you I have a crush on you. HAD. Had a crush. Not sure what is anymore. A letter-crush? A literary love? That’s stupid. Sorry. I just have this rule with myself that I never throw away what I write and I always send it, so hopefully this doesn’t weird you out too much. I had a dream about you too. Same kind of thing. Us, in the darkness, together.

Just us.

And it was like you said, a memory turned into a dream, but a memory of something that’s never happened, but in the dream it felt so real, and it was more, I don’t even know, more RIGHT than anything I’ve ever felt, in life or in dreams. I wonder what it means that we both had the same dream about each other. Maybe nothing, maybe everything. You tell me.

Cade

----------------------------------------------------------------

Cade,

We’re pen pals. Maybe that’s all we’ll ever be. I don’t know. If we met IRL (in real life, in case you’re not familiar with the term) what would happen? And just FYI, the term you used, a literary love? It was beautiful. So beautiful. That term means something, between us now. We are literary loves. Lovers? I do love you, in some strange way. Knowing about you, in these letters, knowing your hurt and your joys, it means something so important to me, that I just can’t describe. I need your art, and your letters, and your literary love.

If we never have anything else between us, I need this. I do. Maybe this letter will only complicate things, but like you I have a rule that I never erase or throw away what I’ve written and I always send it, no matter what I write in the letter.

Your literary love,

Ever]]> 378 Jasinda Wilder 1941098002 Margo 0 don-t-read-this 3.98 2013 Forever & Always (The Ever Trilogy, #1)
author: Jasinda Wilder
name: Margo
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/02
shelves: don-t-read-this
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Wild Wolf's Rejected Mate (The Five Packs, #5)]]> 221606181 My mate called me weak and walked away.

Annie

I try not to think about mating the wild wolf from the Last Pack. It happened. He left. The witch sorted me out and life kept going.

I’m anxious all the time—every moment of every day—but I’m not worried about him. He hates me, and he’s not coming back. He made that perfectly clear.

I should have worried.

After all, everyone like me knows the first rule of anxiety—if you don’t worry about something, it will happen.

And the mate who left me is now trespassing on my pack’s territory, and this time, when I run, he chases.

Justus

My mate is damaged.

She’s beautiful, but she smells wrong, and she’s messed up like all the other wolves who pretend to be human.

Our mating was a disaster. I left her, but I couldn’t keep away.

And now—things have changed. I can’t keep my distance anymore, but she’s still as skittish as a rabbit.

She thinks I’m a monster, and catching her isn’t enough�

I have to figure out how to make her stay.

The Wild Wolf’s Rejected Mate is a shifter romance about fated mates finding their way back to each other. No cheating. HEA guaranteed. Intended for adult readers only.
]]> 328 Cate C. Wells Margo 1
I will never think truly badly of the author of “Run, Post, Run,� but I should’ve stuck with my resolution to steer clear of the rest of this series. ]]> 4.07 2024 The Wild Wolf's Rejected Mate (The Five Packs, #5)
author: Cate C. Wells
name: Margo
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2024
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves:
review:
DNF, but I definitely read enough to know that this book would be a one star read for me. The h is exhausting, because she is terrified of literally everything. Also, the realism in this series keeps getting worse and worse to me. I don’t want to read a supposed romance where the h observes of her perspective love interest, “I can see his butthole,� wolf form or not.

I will never think truly badly of the author of “Run, Post, Run,� but I should’ve stuck with my resolution to steer clear of the rest of this series.
]]> Quiet Holiday 18140491
But she hadn't allowed for various disturbing elements. There was her brother Denis, in worse trouble than usual; her stepmother, with just a hint of claws beneath the velvet; Rick Hedley, feckless, a no-good, yet with an element of attraction; and above all, and the real menace to her peace of mind, there was that dominating, dynamic character, Stuart Mendoza-Cortez Morland.]]> 192 Lilian Warren 0263725162 Margo 4
I always find these books extremely enjoyable.]]> 3.28 1957 Quiet Holiday
author: Lilian Warren
name: Margo
average rating: 3.28
book published: 1957
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/12/30
shelves:
review:
This was a very enjoyable book with a storyline I like: Very English heroine comes to visit relatives or take a job as a governess or some such thing, only to attract the attention of local nobility. Because there are so many social and cultural differences, the H is never successful at conveying his extremely strong interest in her, so he must suffer as she repeatedly ignores or rebuffs his interests. There are always a few OW around, normally a charismatic, extremely arrogant and annoying one, and then another traditional biddable one who is supposedly the H's promised bride.

I always find these books extremely enjoyable.
]]> Temptation 214787728 Tenn never expected Quinn would turn out to be everything he ever wanted. As Quinn and Tenn scheme, plan with their lawyer and collect more scandalous evidence, they fall hard for each other. The temptation is there; can they wait until they end things with their wayward spouses?]]> 412 Stephanie Myrick Margo 0 don-t-read-this 4.14 Temptation
author: Stephanie Myrick
name: Margo
average rating: 4.14
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/29
shelves: don-t-read-this
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Moment You Know (Moments Duet #1)]]> 210490167
But what if the reason you thought your marriage failed wasn't really the reason it failed at all?

What if you were wrong?

And what if you found out your marriage failed because of something that happened years before you even met your wife in that college bar and fell in love with her?

Something she recalled too late—after you’d moved on with another woman.

What would you do to get back what you’d lost, if given the opportunity?

That’s the question David Lowe has been asking himself after being blindsided by the real reason his marriage failed �

And the answer is: Whatever. It. Takes.]]> 385 D.E. Daniel Margo 0 don-t-read-this 3.96 The Moment You Know (Moments Duet #1)
author: D.E. Daniel
name: Margo
average rating: 3.96
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/29
shelves: don-t-read-this
review:

]]> More Than a Feeling 218326140 He chose the wrong sister. And now, the right one doesn't want him anymore.

I never expected to fall for Fleur. She’s sunshine and joy, where my world was previously gray. What I don’t understand is how her family means so little to her. They warned me she was immature and selfish; and that we’ll never work out.

They were right. She's jealous of my friendship with her sister, my brother's widow.

But being there for Sabine is a promise I won’t break. When Sabine suggests that we take care of each other; I feel like I owe it to her and my brother. So, I let Fleur go. I believed it was the right thing to do. I just never expected to find out that my feelings for Fleur ran deep, that I was, in fact, in love with her.

More Than A Feeling is A Modern Vintage Romance . Get a dose of classic Mills & Boon and Harlequin romance novels with a contemporary dual POV and a sexy touch. Indulge in your favorite

✔️Second chance romance
✔️Other woman drama (Sister)
✔️Unrequited love
✔️Betrayal and grovel
✔️DzԲ romance
✔️Overheard, uncovered & misunderstood
✔️No cheating
✔️STEM heroine

This is a novella and is not available in paperback.]]> 189 Maya Alden Margo 3
In this book, when the H behaves callously, she dumps him. When her family finally pushes her over the limit, she dumps them and consistently tells them that she wants nothing to do with them because they’re awful people, as is her sister, a stereotypical piece of work.

This book is very short, and the last 25% of it is promotion for other books. However, I’m so happy that the relentless parade of tragic doormats has been stopped, even if it’s only for this season.

3 1/2 stars. ]]> 3.68 2024 More Than a Feeling
author: Maya Alden
name: Margo
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/12/24
shelves:
review:
It’s a Festivus miracle! A Maya Alden book where the h is both long-suffering and not a doormat. In fact, she’s nearly perfect � enjoys living in New Orleans, loves sex, has a zest for life, a badass job, etc. if we didn’t have access to her inner thoughts, I would accuse her of being a Cool Girl. She has real friends, not like the friends in some of these other Maya Alden books where they keep their distance when they see the h is suffering (one of my problems with the Savannah series is that in many cases her friends/coworkers comment on how sad the h seems, but they never perform a full intervention the way real friends would, and they all tolerate the H, who has behaved despicably towards their so-called friend, even facilitating their reconciliation).

In this book, when the H behaves callously, she dumps him. When her family finally pushes her over the limit, she dumps them and consistently tells them that she wants nothing to do with them because they’re awful people, as is her sister, a stereotypical piece of work.

This book is very short, and the last 25% of it is promotion for other books. However, I’m so happy that the relentless parade of tragic doormats has been stopped, even if it’s only for this season.

3 1/2 stars.
]]> <![CDATA[Run Posy Run (Underboss Insurrection, #1)]]> 57488034
Posy
When I fell for Dario Volpe, I thought he was Prince Charming, and I was the luckiest girl alive. He didn't care about my past. The talk. The stain on my family's reputation.

Then he saw something I never wanted anyone to see.

He cares now.

This isn't a breakup, it's a warning shot, and if I want to get out of this bad romance alive, I have to run and never look back.
Dario Volpe is no storybook hero. He's a psychopath, and he can't decide--kiss me? Or kill me?

Dario
I'm the man behind the curtain, the power behind the throne. I could have killed her, and no one would have blinked an eye. Posy Santoro isn't exactly a mafia princess.

No one sees her as clearly as I can--the perfect mind hidden by that knockout body in the tight dress.

I made a mistake, running her off, but now I get to play one of my favorite games.

Posy can run, but she isn't made to be free. She's made for me. And when I catch her? Game over.

Run Posy Run is a standalone mafia romance with dark elements. Intended for adult readers.

HEA guaranteed.]]> 255 Cate C. Wells Margo 5
Once a psychopath commits, he's in for life. Remember that, girls!

Seriously, this was extremely enjoyable visit to another romance category. There is a lot of humor and drama but to say that the H was besotted is an understatement.]]> 3.80 2021 Run Posy Run (Underboss Insurrection, #1)
author: Cate C. Wells
name: Margo
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/12/21
shelves: crazy-in-the-head-crazy-in-the-bed, don-t-know-why-i-like-this-so-much, favorites, hero-is-besotted, hero-is-part-robot, oh-yeah-that-one, so-far-over-the-top, great-grovel-or-not-i-can-t-tell
review:
Changing to 5-stars because it is a regular re-read.

Once a psychopath commits, he's in for life. Remember that, girls!

Seriously, this was extremely enjoyable visit to another romance category. There is a lot of humor and drama but to say that the H was besotted is an understatement.
]]> <![CDATA[Unforgivable (Not Quite an Alpha, #2)]]> 55929467
Lyri is a rejected she-wolf, but only she and her mate know the devastating truth. Her pack lives in ignorance of their alphason's betrayal of his truemate. Instead, his choice is celebrated and loved. Fiercely determined to gain her place by her mate's side, Lyri fights with everything she has... and fails spectacularly.

Her mate's father, the Alpha, declares Lyri nulla venia, unforgivable, and sentences her to suffer a brutal punishment under the Moon.

Lyri would have died, but three males take her to their home to heal. Now, Lyri must make a decision, does she stay and choose to belong to these males, or does she flee to live alone in the wilderness?

Her decision will have consequences that she never imagined, but she is already unforgivable. Can she finally win her battles, and become the she-wolf she was meant to be?

Warning - This story contains mature subjects including sex, mention of sexual violence, violence, and language.]]> 483 Leona Page Margo 4 4.22 2020 Unforgivable (Not Quite an Alpha, #2)
author: Leona Page
name: Margo
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/12/12
shelves:
review:
This is probably the only RH book I have ever read where I felt like the participants were all fleshed-out characters. The plot is riveting (waiting for the final moment of revelation was excruciating and I thought it would never happen at some point), and although there is always some semi � infantilizing interaction between romantic interests in the author’s books, it’s offset quite a bit by the h’s strength outside of the relationship.
]]> Home At Last (Homecoming, #4) 61350446 Put a finger down if...


-You were forced into an arranged marriage.
-You did everything in your power to make your wife hate you.
-Doing so isolated you from most of your friends and family, but that was okay because you preferred to silence your pain.

Life goes on, and you finally have an out. It feels like you have some control over your life for the first time.

-So you asked for a divorce, and when she walked away without taking a dime, you realized that maybe she wasn’t as bad as you made her out to be.

Now years later, your ex-wife is in danger, but she wants nothing to do with you. And when it seems like things might work out, more reminders of the past come knocking on your door.

And all of this is your fault for being too blind to see what had been right in front of you all along�.]]> C. Lymari Margo 0 don-t-read-this 3.17 Home At Last (Homecoming, #4)
author: C. Lymari
name: Margo
average rating: 3.17
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/12
shelves: don-t-read-this
review:

]]> Torrid (Judgement series, #2) 217041094
Liberty

Thing is, my Mama D never had a one-night stand with an older man who never told her his last name and left behind a souvenir that was gonna be life changing � but I had.

My life had started as a fairytale, then morphed into a nightmare by the time I was ten years old. From the moment I’d been kicked out at eighteen, I had found a way to survive. Anything was better than the home I’d left behind. At some point, everyone gets a break, right? You would think so, but fate keeps tossing things at me, trying to see how much I can take.
Looks like it won because I’m stuck right back where I started. Living in my sister’s house, who hates me, with the clock ticking until I’m homeless again.

Liam

It was time I settled down. Found a woman I could grow old with because, let’s face it, I was so close to fifty I could reach out and touch it. The daughter I hadn’t got to raise was now in my life. Grown, married, with two little boys. I wanted to be someone she could be proud of and respect. I recently started dating a doctor, she was gorgeous, smart, and independent. It all looked good when you checked off the list. My daughter couldn’t wait to meet her. I wished like hell I felt something for her. A spark, a pull, anything at this point would do.

Then, one night, when I’m leaving her bedroom, I see a familiar face looking back at me from the other end of the hallway. The sexy bartender I should have left alone six weeks ago and couldn’t get out of my head shouldn’t be here. But she is. Which means she’s the doctor’s spoiled, selfish brat of a younger sister. This was not going to end well.]]> 295 Abbi Glines Margo 0 don-t-read-this 4.31 2024 Torrid (Judgement series, #2)
author: Abbi Glines
name: Margo
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/30
shelves: don-t-read-this
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Never Trust the Living (Battle Crows MC #7)]]> 59230433
One second, he’s hiding evidence with the girl, and the next, he has to marry her so a police detective doesn’t get suspicious.

Did he mention that he had a long-term girlfriend at the time?

To say that things didn’t go as planned would be an understatement.

To say that falling in love with his wife definitely wasn’t part of the plan either.

Nor was her leaving him when he finally realized she was his world.]]> 249 Lani Lynn Vale Margo 0 don-t-read-this 4.37 2022 Never Trust the Living (Battle Crows MC #7)
author: Lani Lynn Vale
name: Margo
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/30
shelves: don-t-read-this
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Cruel Paradise (Beautifully Cruel, #2)]]> 54364041 Anti-hero (noun):
1) A powerful and charismatic man lacking moral character
2) A magnificent bastard
3) Killian Black

You don’t know me.
You think you do, but you don’t.
The only thing you know is my name, and even that’s a lie.

I’m king of Boston, lord of criminals, ruler of an underworld empire. Or am I?

Only one thing’s for sure: I operate alone.

Until I cross paths with a brazen little thief who sets my whole kingdom on fire.

Just as two wrongs don’t make a right, two villains don’t belong together. Especially since she’s the daughter of my most deadly enemy.

Taking her would start a war.
Keeping her would be suicide.
Making her mine would break every code of honor and defy all common sense.

Then again, where’s the fun in following the rules?]]> 320 J.T. Geissinger Margo 0 to-read 4.22 2020 Cruel Paradise (Beautifully Cruel, #2)
author: J.T. Geissinger
name: Margo
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[High Stakes: A Deal With The Devil]]> 220721506 An Enemies to Lovers Romance


Bella is a typical London lass, looking for love in all the wrong places.

Working in a bakery with her childhood best friend, she’s enjoying the simplicity of life.
That is until she meets Aiden Tremos. He swoops in with a promise to keep her safe. His only warning, he doesn’t fall in love.
But Bella has never been one to back down from a challenge, convincing herself she’ll be the one to change his ways.

Only she has no idea the real reason Aiden is suddenly so interested, is because his brother has set him a task and it involves Bella’s heart.
If he doesn’t complete it, he stands to lose everything, but if he succeeds, she does.

Will either of them walk away with what they want, or will the lies rip them both apart?]]> 479 Nicola Jane Margo 0 don-t-read-this 3.66 High Stakes: A Deal With The Devil
author: Nicola Jane
name: Margo
average rating: 3.66
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/28
shelves: don-t-read-this
review:

]]> In the Unlikely Event 48847096 From #1 Amazon Bestseller L.J. Shen comes a new, star-crossed lovers romance about loss, love, and meeting The One when you are too young to know how to keep them.

Sometimes you meet people who are out of this world, so you make them a part of yours.

A one-night stand born from vengeance in a foreign land.
An explosive chemistry neither of us could deny.
We signed a contract on the back of a Boar’s Head Pub napkin that said if we ever met again, we would drop everything and be together.
Eight years and thousands of miles later, he’s here.
In New York.
And he’s America’s music obsession.
The intangible Irish poet who brings record executives to their knees.
The blizzard in my perfect, unshaken snow globe.
Last time we spoke, he was a beggar with no intention of becoming a king.
But a king he became, and now I’m his servant.
I’m not the same broken princess Malachy Doherty put back together with his callused hands.
I have a career I love.
A boyfriend I adore.
An apartment, a roommate, a life.
I changed. He changed, too.
But Mal kept the napkin.
Question is, will I keep my word?
]]> 368 L.J. Shen Margo 0 don-t-read-this, rapey 3.87 2019 In the Unlikely Event
author: L.J. Shen
name: Margo
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/28
shelves: don-t-read-this, rapey
review:

]]> Summer at my Sister's 53965734
Diana’s life is perfect. Her twin sister, Josie’s � not so much. But when secrets are revealed this summer, everything will change.

Diana has a rich and successful husband, two talented youngsters and an adorable dog. She always looks as if she’s stepped from the cover of a magazine. Her immaculate second home by the sea, for idyllic summers with her perfect family, was actually featured in one.

Josie has a messy, compact flat, dates, but not relationships, and she can’t even keep a houseplant alive. She moves from job to job, goes clubbing with her friends and often looks as if she’s fallen through a hedge.

Although Josie loves Diana deeply, each year she declines the invitation to spend the summer with her sister. Or any other family holiday. Because Josie has a secret.

But is Diana’s life so perfect? Or is she also hiding something? When secrets are revealed this summer, everything will change. Josie could finally have the life she’s always wanted � if she’s brave enough to take a chance.]]> 262 Emily Harvale 1909917621 Margo 4
She comes to her hometown to visit after a long absence and finds her sister's marriage in tatters. She plans to stay for a while, which is how she meets the H, a widower. They are attracted to each other and end up having hot sex in a forest, whereupon she learns that he almost had sex with her married sister a while back. (A case could be made that they did have sex, in my book.) He subsequently tells the h that he can't have his heart broken and that the h is footloose and fancy free, whereas he doesn't believe in casual sex. He makes it clear he doesn't judge her for this lifestyle(!), it's just not for him.

She is devastated but keeps it together. Many things happen, and she ends up getting slut-shamed by the H's teen daughter. The h calls her about that, and says that just because a woman has sex with more than one man, it doesn't make her a tart. Unfortunately, it comes across as the h saying that yes, some women ARE tarts, but just enjoying sex doesn't mean someone is a tart. So much for the sisterhood.

At the end she tells the H that she will stay in town and that she can change for him. He says he doesn't need her to change (since when?) and that he had been making plans to visit her and start a relationship.

As a result of all this nonsense (H's near-affair with her sister, some other toxic things her sister did), I never really felt like the H was a desirable partner. He was weak and judgy and hypocritical. Also, her sister deserved what she got.

However, I do like the author and have read many other books by her. Two and a half stars.]]> 4.28 Summer at my Sister's
author: Emily Harvale
name: Margo
average rating: 4.28
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/11/23
shelves:
review:
I like this author, and her books always bring the mild drama. This book was very good, except that there was an undercurrent of slut-shaming dressed up as sex-positivity. Specifically, the h has always thought of herself as a bad girl who isn't cut out for relationships. She has enjoyed sexual relationships with men, but is not big on commitment.

She comes to her hometown to visit after a long absence and finds her sister's marriage in tatters. She plans to stay for a while, which is how she meets the H, a widower. They are attracted to each other and end up having hot sex in a forest, whereupon she learns that he almost had sex with her married sister a while back. (A case could be made that they did have sex, in my book.) He subsequently tells the h that he can't have his heart broken and that the h is footloose and fancy free, whereas he doesn't believe in casual sex. He makes it clear he doesn't judge her for this lifestyle(!), it's just not for him.

She is devastated but keeps it together. Many things happen, and she ends up getting slut-shamed by the H's teen daughter. The h calls her about that, and says that just because a woman has sex with more than one man, it doesn't make her a tart. Unfortunately, it comes across as the h saying that yes, some women ARE tarts, but just enjoying sex doesn't mean someone is a tart. So much for the sisterhood.

At the end she tells the H that she will stay in town and that she can change for him. He says he doesn't need her to change (since when?) and that he had been making plans to visit her and start a relationship.

As a result of all this nonsense (H's near-affair with her sister, some other toxic things her sister did), I never really felt like the H was a desirable partner. He was weak and judgy and hypocritical. Also, her sister deserved what she got.

However, I do like the author and have read many other books by her. Two and a half stars.
]]> The Horde King of Shadow 219665645 The fearsome creature came from across Drukkar’s Sea…and there was a rider on its back.

As a scholar in Dothik’s library, Klara has spent her life trying to understand the strange dreams that have plagued her since she was a child—visions of dragons and a world with no written record. Rejected by her royal bloodline after her mother’s death, Klara hides her chilling secret, knowing her rare magic could get her killed.

But when a dragon suddenly appears in Dothik, those dreams become a monstrous reality.

Sarkin Dirak’zar, king of the Sarrothian horde, cares only about finding heartstones—the dwindling power source for their revered dragons. Ice-cold and merciless, the last thing Sarkin wants is a wife, especially a weak and unwanted princess who likely won’t last one night on dragonback. Yet the key to acquiring heartstones lies in Klara’s visions, and so he gives her a cruel choice: marry him to save her people…or let Dothik burn.

Her first duty as queen? Claim a dragon of her own. What’s even more alarming is that unexpected desire begins to simmer with her beguiling but guarded husband...even though his barbed cage of a heart is only meant to keep her away.]]> Zoey Draven Margo 0 to-read 4.04 2024 The Horde King of Shadow
author: Zoey Draven
name: Margo
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Luna (The Baxter Billionaires)]]> 128108603 540 Daisy Allen Margo 0 4.20 Luna (The Baxter Billionaires)
author: Daisy Allen
name: Margo
average rating: 4.20
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/18
shelves:
review:
Dnf. There was too much manic pixie dream girl sprinkled in there for my taste.
]]> <![CDATA[Lust (The Baxter Billionaires)]]> 168377449 463 Daisy Allen Margo 4 queens-of-series-dom 4.05 Lust (The Baxter Billionaires)
author: Daisy Allen
name: Margo
average rating: 4.05
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/11/18
shelves: queens-of-series-dom
review:
This is my favorite in the series. The h is a former OW in a previous book, and the H is very suspicious of her. When he learns the truth about what’s going on, he needs to rethink everything and he comes across as genuinely besotted.
]]> The Marriage Bed (Guilty, #3) 124523
Lady Viola Courtland was a romantic and impulsive young girl when she fell instantly in love with the handsome and dashing Viscount Hammond. Unbeknownst to Viola, John Hammond had already given his heart to the only woman he would ever love—his cousin's wife—but he was in dire financial straits and desperately needed to marry a wealthy heiress. In Viola, he thought he had found the perfect woman—beautiful and rich with a sweet nature. But Viola was neither practical nor sensible when it came to marriage, for she fully expected her husband to love her and was determined to settle for nothing less. Soon, however, John's secret was unwittingly revealed, but by then they were married and it was too late. Until one day, John finally came to his senses and prayed it wasn't too late to win back the love of his very own wife.]]> 374 Laura Lee Guhrke 0060774738 Margo 1 3.31 2005 The Marriage Bed (Guilty, #3)
author: Laura Lee Guhrke
name: Margo
average rating: 3.31
book published: 2005
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2024/11/13
shelves:
review:
I’m intrigued by the idea that he is considered to have reformed or even to have learned his lesson. At the end of the book he was just barely learning that women were human beings that should be treated with kindness. He’s not worth having.
]]> Fractured Freedom 61435016 Maybe.

In my defense, it was Dante Reid—my crush, my first love, and the one I ended up pushing away.
Our paths split in opposite directions.
I went to college on one coast while he returned to work with the US Army on the other.
The end.
Or so I thought.

After graduating and attempting a bucket list of self-discovery, guess who I find standing outside the jail, bailing me out from a crime I didn’t commit?
Dante freaking Reid—this time with more muscles, more tattoos, and more demands.
One of which is to move in across the hall from him so he can keep me safe. Like I need protection after a little felony mix-up.

I don’t.
Unless it’s from him.
Because Dante has been my downfall before �

And living next to the guy I gave my innocence to a long time ago may actually end in my complete devastation.

Shain Rose is back with another light mafia standalone romance with forced proximity, steam, and bucket list to cross off. This is a standalone romance with 95,000+ words.]]> 368 Shain Rose 1956810064 Margo 1 3.54 2022 Fractured Freedom
author: Shain Rose
name: Margo
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2022
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2024/11/05
shelves:
review:
I really can’t deal with supposedly realistic romance books (I.e., not paranormal) where the H has some sort of near-mythical skill set. Throw in secrecy and way too many characters and this book is a big waste of your time. This guy just doesn’t seem worth having. He’s so much work and so withholding and the relationship he has with her sister is problematic no matter what he says.
]]> Heat of the Moment 198333709 Willow

Uh� yuck� so cliché and trite, but my evil step sister is marrying my boyfriend, well, ex-boyfriend. And looks like the whole family has rallied around her. Somehow, she's managed to convince everyone that she is the one deserving of sympathy. A... poor little Tiff.

So blonde and so pregnant!

She’s welcome to that cheating, lying, sorry ass of a man but to be honest I’d really, really like to be able to keep my pride. Especially now that I’ve unthinkingly and stupidly told my other step sister that not only is everything just fine with me but I’ve also already found myself a real man!

What does she do?
Yikes! She insists I bring him as my plus one to the wedding.

What do I do?
I get pretty drunk at the office party and, in the spur of the moment, ask an enigmatic and devilishly handsome stranger if he would agree to accompany me as my plus one to my hometown for the wedding. The weekend trip, I tell him will be, all expenses paid, a thousand dollars tax free for him, and a very nice bonus if he manages to convince my family that he’s quite smitten with me.

Just when I think the hunk will refuse, he throws a great, big curveball, and actually agrees to my offer.

I feel like the cat that got the biggest, creamiest bowl of cream when I meet him the next day and hand him his check.

But then strange and mysterious things start to happen…which makes me start to wonder who the hell my pretend boyfriend really is.

A full length standalone billionaire romance.]]> 308 Georgia Le Carre 1913990753 Margo 1 4.11 Heat of the Moment
author: Georgia Le Carre
name: Margo
average rating: 4.11
book published:
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2024/11/02
shelves:
review:
In the pantheon of OW, the one in this book was garden-variety at best. Therefore, the violent comeuppance that she received was so horrifying that I don’t think I can read anything else by this author. I am actually now more concerned about the OW and the aftermath of what happened to her than I was about the main characters of this book.
]]> The Wedding Dress 13573473 96 Milly Johnson 1471111784 Margo 0 3.99 2012 The Wedding Dress
author: Milly Johnson
name: Margo
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/05
shelves:
review:

]]> Ladies Who Launch 25210929
Angie Silverton and Selina Molloy have not always been friends. Best pals at school, they fell out over a man, and it was only when they both missed a ship in Here Come the Boys that they found friendship again.

Now they are reunited again and life since their adventure on the Mermadia has been anything but boring. Did Selina stick with her horrible husband Zander? What happened to Angie and Gill when they stepped off the ship? And what does the future hold for the friends?

Join Selina and Angie as they take afternoon tea at The Sunflower Cafe to find out.]]> 73 Milly Johnson Margo 0 3.73 2015 Ladies Who Launch
author: Milly Johnson
name: Margo
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/05
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Here Come the Boys (short story)]]> 19417073 THE QUEEN OF FEEL-GOOD FICTION!'Every time you discover a new Milly book, it’s like finding a pot of gold'Heat An exclusive ebook short story from Sunday Times bestseller Milly Johnson. Also includes a sneak peek of her wonderful novel The Teashop on the Corner. Angie Silverton and her husband are taking a much-needed holiday on the cruise ship Mermaidia, so the last person she hopes to bump into is her one-time best friend Selina who stole the love of her life and married him twenty years ago. And what she needs even less is to be marooned in Malaga with Selina when both of them manage to miss boarding the ship in port. It will take three days for them to travel across Europe to catch up with the ship again in Croatia. And in the company of each other twenty-four/seven, a lot of old baggage is going to be unloaded.Praise for Milly 'Bursting with warmth and joie de vivre' JILL MANSELL 'Warm, optimistic and romantic' KATIE FFORDE 'An irresistibly feel-good read' JANE COSTELLO]]> 100 Milly Johnson Margo 0 3.98 2014 Here Come the Boys (short story)
author: Milly Johnson
name: Margo
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/05
shelves:
review:

]]> The Happiest Ever After 93697198
The heartwarming, feelgood novel from the much-loved Sunday Times bestselling author, Milly Johnson

Polly Potter is surviving, not thriving. She used to love her job � until her mentor died and her new boss decided to make her life hell. She used to love her partner Chris � until he cheated on her, and now she can’t forget. The only place where her life is working is on the pages of the novel she is writing � there she can create a feistier, bolder, more successful version of herself � as the ­fictional Sabrina Anderson.

But what if it was possible to start over again? To leave everything behind, forget all that went before, and live the life you’d always dreamed of?

After a set of unforeseen circumstances, Polly ends up believing she really IS Sabrina, living at the heart of a noisy Italian family restaurant by the sea. Run by Teddy, the son of her new landlady Marielle, it’s a much-loved place, facing threat of closure as a rival restaurant moves in next door. Sabrina can’t remember her life as Polly, but she knows she is living a different life from the one she used to have.

But what if this new life could belong to her after all?

Your favourite authors love Milly

‘Reading a Milly Johnson book is like spending time with a best friend � you always end up feeling better about the world. Written with genuine warmth and heart, they’re an absolute treat� Lucy Diamond

‘Milly Johnson always delivers an absolutely cracking read� Katie Fforde

‘One of those novels that draws you in to its world and makes you wish you could be friends with Shay. A tantalising juicy tale full of twists and turns that kept me gripped. Warm, funny and moving. One to curl up with and devour� Ruth Jones

‘The feeling you get when you read a Milly Johnson book should be bottled and made available on the NHS� Debbie Johnson

‘Milly’s writing is like getting a big hug with just the right amount of bite underneath� Jane Fallon
]]> 400 Milly Johnson 1398523542 Margo 0 to-read 4.35 2024 The Happiest Ever After
author: Milly Johnson
name: Margo
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Queen of Wishful Thinking 32811279 Love, laughter and friendship from the Sunday Times top five bestselling author.
When Lewis Cawthorne has a heart attack in his early forties, he takes it as a wake-up call. So he and his wife Charlotte leave behind life in the fast lane and Lew opens the antique shop he has dreamed of since he was a little boy.
Bonnie Brookland was brought up in the antiques trade and now works for the man who bought out her father’s business, but she isn’t happy there. So when she walks into Lew’s shop, she knows this is the place for her.
As Bonnie and Lew start to work together, they soon realise that there is more to their relationship than either thought. But Bonnie is trapped in an unhappy marriage, and Lew and Charlotte have more problems than they care to admit. Each has secrets in their past which are about to be uncovered. Can they find the happiness they both deserve�?]]> 462 Milly Johnson Margo 0 4.52 2017 The Queen of Wishful Thinking
author: Milly Johnson
name: Margo
average rating: 4.52
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/05
shelves:
review:

]]> He Who Is a Friend (Sadik #1) 43196636
He was also trouble from the other side of the tracks, something I’d sensed. Sadik was an Ellis man with a solid education, his own thriving businesses, and self-obtained wealth. However, the Ellis family was known for their long underbelly ruling of the state of New Jersey. When Sadik assured his life was separate of his father’s, I believed him each time.

I fell completely and dangerously head over heels for him. And, my God, all the red flags were there. Yet I ignored them all, throwing caution to the winds of naivety just to add a little spice to my mundane world.

A world that will never be the same because I allowed it to be infiltrated by an Ellis.

Publisher’s Note: “He Who Is a Friend� is book ONE of a THREE book series. It ends on a suspenseful CLIFFHANGER. This book contains angst, violence, profanity, sexual explicit content, and gory material. If any of these elements is not what you prefer between the pages of a novel, this is not the venture for you.
]]> 435 Love Belvin 1950014002 Margo 0 don-t-read-this 4.69 He Who Is a Friend (Sadik #1)
author: Love Belvin
name: Margo
average rating: 4.69
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/01
shelves: don-t-read-this
review:

]]> <![CDATA[I Do, But Here's the Catch (The Wedding Ring #2)]]> 33299870
The Prospective Carlotta “Charli� Rossi, last of a dying the thirty-year-old virgin. It’s love at first sight when her matchmaking friends set her up on a blind date with Grant—but does he feel the same way about her?

The Prospective Grant Sterling, a handsome, rich, worldly lawyer, always in control. This confirmed bachelor’s only goal is to make partner at his stuffy law firm, and for that he requires a mousy, undemanding wife who doesn’t turn him on.

The Charli is thrilled to become Mrs. Grant Sterling, but maybe she should have paid closer attention to the details before the wedding! Grant thinks he’s planned the perfect marriage of convenience, devoid of messy complications like sex and commitment. Good thing perfect plans never go wrong, huh?]]> 214 Pamela Burford 1939215951 Margo 2
Merged review:

I never really felt that he was in love with her, just that he'd decided he really, really, really wanted to have sex with her, a lot.]]> 4.06 I Do, But Here's the Catch (The Wedding Ring #2)
author: Pamela Burford
name: Margo
average rating: 4.06
book published:
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2024/09/30
shelves:
review:
I never really felt that he was in love with her, just that he'd decided he really, really, really wanted to have sex with her, a lot.

Merged review:

I never really felt that he was in love with her, just that he'd decided he really, really, really wanted to have sex with her, a lot.
]]> UnHappy Birthday Surprise 55991508 75 Nellie D. Johnson 173598700X Margo 1
Merged review:

Despite the misleading title, this is actually a cheating book. The h discovers her husband cheating again. There are a lot of pointless conversations, and while the plot moves forward, I felt that practically nothing happened. This book is plain odd.]]> 2.89 UnHappy Birthday Surprise
author: Nellie D. Johnson
name: Margo
average rating: 2.89
book published:
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2024/09/30
shelves:
review:
Despite the misleading title, this is actually a cheating book. The h discovers her husband cheating again. There are a lot of pointless conversations, and while the plot moves forward, I felt that practically nothing happened. This book is plain odd.

Merged review:

Despite the misleading title, this is actually a cheating book. The h discovers her husband cheating again. There are a lot of pointless conversations, and while the plot moves forward, I felt that practically nothing happened. This book is plain odd.
]]> <![CDATA[Chosen as the Sheikh's Royal Bride]]> 41858295 Swept from her ordinary world�

into the royal bedchamber!

Among the many beautiful, accomplished candidates hoping to be chosen as Sheikh Omar’s wife, shop assistant Beth can’t believe this powerful desert king would even notice her. Yet Omar does select her—and his heated gaze sets her alight, making her innocent body crave caresses she’s only dreamed about! She’s instantly thrown into his world of unimagined luxury, but can this shy Cinderella ever be a queen?

A Cinderella story with a royal twist!]]> 193 Jennie Lucas 1488044392 Margo 4
Merged review:

Very sweet.]]> 4.08 Chosen as the Sheikh's Royal Bride
author: Jennie Lucas
name: Margo
average rating: 4.08
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/09/30
shelves:
review:
Very sweet.

Merged review:

Very sweet.
]]> No, We Can't Be Friends 48525288 He was perfect. Denim-blue eyes, a dazzling smile. And he hadn’t sent me a picture of his junk. Which is about as rare, these days, as a Dodo.

When Sloane met Myles, everything fell into place. He loved a Martini almost as much as she did, shared her passion for four-cheese pizzas, and made her laugh harder than any episode of Friends. She’d found The One at last and she could finally delete Tinder, forgetting all those waste-of-space men she’d never have to date again.

But then she finds out that Myles has a secret. A very big one.

The fairytale is over. Her heart is blown to smithereens. Drowning her sorrows in Ben & Jerry’s can only get Sloane so far before she has to decide� Can she learn to love herself more than she loved the love of her life? And what if, after everything, she’s got Myles � and his secret � all wrong?

No, We Can’t Be Friends is a brilliantly relatable, fiesty and feel-good novel that every woman with a waste-of-space ex HAS to read! If you’re a fan of romantic comedies by Sophie Kinsella and Lindsey Kelk, and TV shows like Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Jane the Virgin, pick up this unmissable book � you won’t regret it.]]> 369 Sophie Ranald 1838881352 Margo 3
Also, I enjoyed the scene when her husband really tips his hand about how vile he is. they’re in a café and the tables are so close together that the people near them can’t help but over here. Her husband is ranting at her because she doesn’t listen to him, unlike all of the people in the café. It’s meant to reproach their neighbors for their nosiness, but instead of looking embarrassed, the people nearby comment that yes, they have been listening� he is trash and the h has dodged a bullet. This book is set in the UK, and the fact that these people have overcome their manners to call this guy on his behavior is very significant]]> 3.73 2020 No, We Can't Be Friends
author: Sophie Ranald
name: Margo
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/09/29
shelves:
review:
Much of this book is actually about her detoxing from her despicable husband. At the end of the book, she is in such a better place, and so are all of the other people who deserve to be. It’s nice to see her go from such a brittle, paranoid mess to somebody who creates a lovely community of friends and family, including a man who is definitely in love with her.

Also, I enjoyed the scene when her husband really tips his hand about how vile he is. they’re in a café and the tables are so close together that the people near them can’t help but over here. Her husband is ranting at her because she doesn’t listen to him, unlike all of the people in the café. It’s meant to reproach their neighbors for their nosiness, but instead of looking embarrassed, the people nearby comment that yes, they have been listening� he is trash and the h has dodged a bullet. This book is set in the UK, and the fact that these people have overcome their manners to call this guy on his behavior is very significant
]]> Sutton's Way 35006782 New York Times bestselling author Diana Palmer serves up a tale of love on the range in Long, Tall Quinn, originally published as Sutton's Way in 1989. When tragedy struck, musician Amanda Callaway was sent reeling--and she fled to the reclusive Wyoming mountains to heal her heart. But what she found was yet another battle to fight...irresistibly handsome Quinn Sutton. Snowbound at Quinn's ranch, Amanda is glad Quinn has no idea of her real identity. After all, the rugged mountain man is raising a child he knows isn't his own and he has no use for love, let alone with a city girl. But what Quinn didn't count on is how special his world is to Amanda--and how special Amanda is to him. Amanda is determined to battle Quinn's misconceptions to show him she's Battling his misconceptions, she vowed to prove to Quinn she's the woman for him...but once he discovers the truth, will she lose him forever?]]> 188 Diana Palmer 1488032882 Margo 3 4.24 1989 Sutton's Way
author: Diana Palmer
name: Margo
average rating: 4.24
book published: 1989
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves:
review:
Solid 2.5. He's a crabby, pouty baby who tries to White Fang her at one point, but he's pretty manageable. No OW, OM is her career, which she dials back without blinking because the whole band hates touring. Ski rescue is tedious and it was disconcerting how fast he was to assume she was dead. Plot moppet is decent -- I think Diana Palmer portrays tweens best.
]]> The Tender Night 978720
"I may have had my heart broken," Shelly said slowly, "but it hasn't left me heartless. I could never, ever marry without love!"]]> Lilian Peake 0745199704 Margo 0 don-t-read-this 2.71 1934 The Tender Night
author: Lilian Peake
name: Margo
average rating: 2.71
book published: 1934
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: don-t-read-this
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Greek's Forgotten Marriage]]> 74828034 The woman who crashes his wedding…is his forgotten bride! Surrender to the drama of this amnesia romance byMaya Blake!

The Greek’s
To reclaim his bride!

Imogen has finally tracked down her missing husband Zeph Diamandis…at the altar! She’s just in time to stop his convenient wedding to another woman. Since he mysteriously vanished, she’s been tirelessly searching for him. But it’s clear Zeph has no recollection oftheirbusiness-deal union!

Zeph is stunned that he already has a wife. Their bodies instantly remember each other, yet Imogen is as guarded as she is beautiful. And as Zeph slowly pieces his memories back together, one thing is for this time, an on-paper marriage won’t be enough!

From Harlequin Escape to exotic locations where passion knows no bounds.]]> 204 Maya Blake 0369726979 Margo 2 3.77 The Greek's Forgotten Marriage
author: Maya Blake
name: Margo
average rating: 3.77
book published:
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves:
review:

]]> The Millionaire Upstairs 28096512
Sasha Sobieski has the perfect job working at legendary American fashion house Harrison Kingsley—or at least he used to. He just never thought he’d have to work for Harrison Kingsley himself. Harrison is exacting, difficult, cold, and hands-down the sexiest man Sasha has ever seen.

After years at the top, Harrison Kingsley knows what he wants, when he wants it, and exactly how he’d like it to be delivered to him. What he wants most right now? His new assistant. Sasha is mouthy, opinionated, and he drives Harrison mad. Problem is, Harrison can never tell if it’s with anger� or desire.]]> 198 M.J. O'Shea 1634767942 Margo 4 happy-little-escape
Merged review:

This is a cute story, and Sasha is a character who's easy to like. It's no-angst, and a fun setting (the world of fashion design), but there's enough conflict to move things along. The author makes the conflict believable within the world she's created, which is probably why this book is a favorite comfort read.]]> 3.40 2016 The Millionaire Upstairs
author: M.J. O'Shea
name: Margo
average rating: 3.40
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/09/26
shelves: happy-little-escape
review:
This is a cute story, and Sasha is a character who's easy to like. It's no-angst, and a fun setting (the world of fashion design), but there's enough conflict to move things along. The author makes the conflict believable within the world she's created, which is probably why this book is a favorite comfort read.

Merged review:

This is a cute story, and Sasha is a character who's easy to like. It's no-angst, and a fun setting (the world of fashion design), but there's enough conflict to move things along. The author makes the conflict believable within the world she's created, which is probably why this book is a favorite comfort read.
]]> <![CDATA[Back in the Italian's Bed (Hot Italian Nights #1)]]> 22037347 It’s love at first sight for Jenna when charismatic hotelier Fabrizio Armati sweeps her off her feet in Venice. That chance encounter sparks a sizzling affair that lasts until she discovers Fabrizio sees her as no more than a convenient, expendable mistress. Then her world falls apart.
Six months later Jenna tells herself she’s moved on. Until Fabrizio walks into a meeting to find her working for his greatest rival. She’s about to discover just how far he’ll go to get her back in his bed.
When revenge turns to passion, will surrender be on his terms, or hers?]]> 86 Annie West 0996095810 Margo 3 3.61 2014 Back in the Italian's Bed (Hot Italian Nights #1)
author: Annie West
name: Margo
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/09/26
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[One Eager Bride to Go (The Wedding Ring #3)]]> 33299871
The Prospective Bride: Sunny Bleecker, who’s been waiting tables at Wafflemania for twelve years� and waiting just as long for her knight in shining armor to come rescue her. She can’t wait for her matchmaking friends to find him!

The Prospective Groom: Kirk Larsen, who’s a college professor, a widowed single dad, and Sunny’s high school sweetheart. Between teaching and raising a toddler, Kirk isn’t looking for romance, but his unexpected reunion with Sunny feels so perfect.

The Hitch: Sunny is dubious when her blind date turns out to be her old boyfriend, but her doubts quickly evaporate. Soon she’s walking on air, dreaming of a white picket fence and a passel of kids... until a devastating secret threatens their second chance at happiness.]]> 169 Pamela Burford 193921596X Margo 1
Merged review:

DNF, but it’s still getting 1 star because I hated the hero with a passion from the second he opened his mouth.]]> 3.92 One Eager Bride to Go (The Wedding Ring #3)
author: Pamela Burford
name: Margo
average rating: 3.92
book published:
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2024/09/25
shelves:
review:
DNF, but it’s still getting 1 star because I hated the hero with a passion from the second he opened his mouth.

Merged review:

DNF, but it’s still getting 1 star because I hated the hero with a passion from the second he opened his mouth.
]]> Crown Prince's Bought Bride 41121071 A woman goes from waitress to crown princess when she agrees to a royal wedding in this sexy international romance from a USA Today–bestselling author.Before taking the throne, Crown Prince Remirez Montegova has to do two find a wife, and resolve the royal scandal unintentionally triggered by stunning waitress Maddie Myers. Remi solves both problems by striking a deal with Maddie that she become his queen! But his innocent new bride awakens a passion he’d thought long buried. And after their scorching wedding night, suddenly their arrangement feels anything but convenient...]]> 224 Maya Blake 1488044309 Margo 1
Merged review:

Very off-balance in timing. Much-needed grovel brief and inadequate.]]> 3.70 Crown Prince's Bought Bride
author: Maya Blake
name: Margo
average rating: 3.70
book published:
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves:
review:
Very off-balance in timing. Much-needed grovel brief and inadequate.

Merged review:

Very off-balance in timing. Much-needed grovel brief and inadequate.
]]> <![CDATA[A Reclusive Heart (Hollywood Hearts, #2)]]> 13075183
She was everything he could ever want, popular and in demand, but unfortunately for him the author that he needed to make a name for himself was also a little recluse who wasn't doing what he needed her to do. In order to get her to do what he wants he decides to help her in her little quest for a life and ends up with more than he bargained for.]]> 297 R.L. Mathewson 0983212589 Margo 4 4.18 2011 A Reclusive Heart (Hollywood Hearts, #2)
author: R.L. Mathewson
name: Margo
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Bride for Real (The Volakis Vow #2)]]> 12228165 Their vows have been broken, yet neither is prepared for what this tempestuous reunion will bring...

Tally Spencer is an ordinary girl with no experience of relationships; Sander Volakis is an impossibly rich and handsome Greek entrepreneur. What could they have in common? Little - except an overwhelming sexual attraction. But within weeks, Sander finds himself betrayed into exchanging vows with Tally.

Just when they think their hasty marriage is finished, Tally and Sander are drawn back together, and the passion between them is just as strong. However, Sander has dark reasons for wanting his wife in his bed again - and Tally also has a terrible secret...

]]> 188 Lynne Graham 1459212061 Margo 0 don-t-read-this 3.93 2011 Bride for Real (The Volakis Vow #2)
author: Lynne Graham
name: Margo
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/23
shelves: don-t-read-this
review:

]]> My Rules (Kingston Lane, #2) 214961712 Lover meets player—by the bestselling author of the Miles High Club series.

It started with a list.

Tired of meeting nightmares, I decided to study the dos and don’ts of dating.

And who better to help me with my master list than the king of red flags himself?

Blake Grayson—neighbor, friend, mischief maker, and player extraordinaire.

He knows how to spot a playboy from a mile away. He is the prime example, after all.

So when he offers to help me avoid Mr. Wrong by sharing what to look for, I have no choice but to take him up on it.

We start a game.

He will become my wingman, and I’ll become his.

He coaches me through my singledom, while I go on his journey of play.

We double-date, eat ice cream at midnight, and laugh.

Boy, do we laugh�

But while I watch every woman he meets fall madly in love with him, I stumble across a major I know exactly why they fall.

Because I can feel it too.

His charm is intoxicating, and damn it, the man is addictive as drugs.

But it’s not happening. I won’t let it.

I’m not that gullible young girl anymore.

Blake will never settle down, and I know in my heart he’s not the man for me.

I have one go at this second chance of happiness, and I am not going to mess it up.

This time, I play by my rules.

Even if he won’t.]]> 503 T.L. Swan 1662512767 Margo 2
This book, however, falls into the trap that a lot of this authors books do. Specifically, the H is a manho who has fallen in love with the naïve, nearly virginal h whose self-esteem and trust have taken a battering because of her flagrantly unfaithful ex-husband. While their courtship waxes and wanes, she dates losers and he hooks up with beautiful women, including one case of gross lasslighting (pretending that he is involved with another woman) where he is never exposed. I have a particular hatred for this one because the female part of that conspiracy told the h that she was a children’s cancer nurse, when in reality she was a data analyst. That particular fraud, even in a book of fiction, would bring on terrible karma, and justifiably so.

When they break up in the third act, he dates another woman who is much more “his style, � and when he comes back she has to grovel to him and apologize because even though he was all patience when he was being her “best friend “while she was getting over the betrayal from her husband, the second she started dating the H, he was outraged that she would still show signs of trust issues related to him, the town bike. She even proposes to him! The author attempts to soften this by having him have an engagement ring he was ready to give her.

So, the sophomore slump definitely hit for this book. However, I enjoyed the first manho cul-de-sac book so much that I will definitely be back for the third. That h appears to have much more of a backbone than the one in this book.
]]> 4.10 2024 My Rules (Kingston Lane, #2)
author: T.L. Swan
name: Margo
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2024/09/22
shelves:
review:
The spell is broken! I enjoyed the first book the series so much, in large part because the h gave as good as she got. She decided that she liked the action from the H and she decided that it was worth wrangling him to eventually get the whole package rather than just his package. was there betraying body syndrome? No, because she liked what he was offering and pretty much was always interested.

This book, however, falls into the trap that a lot of this authors books do. Specifically, the H is a manho who has fallen in love with the naïve, nearly virginal h whose self-esteem and trust have taken a battering because of her flagrantly unfaithful ex-husband. While their courtship waxes and wanes, she dates losers and he hooks up with beautiful women, including one case of gross lasslighting (pretending that he is involved with another woman) where he is never exposed. I have a particular hatred for this one because the female part of that conspiracy told the h that she was a children’s cancer nurse, when in reality she was a data analyst. That particular fraud, even in a book of fiction, would bring on terrible karma, and justifiably so.

When they break up in the third act, he dates another woman who is much more “his style, � and when he comes back she has to grovel to him and apologize because even though he was all patience when he was being her “best friend “while she was getting over the betrayal from her husband, the second she started dating the H, he was outraged that she would still show signs of trust issues related to him, the town bike. She even proposes to him! The author attempts to soften this by having him have an engagement ring he was ready to give her.

So, the sophomore slump definitely hit for this book. However, I enjoyed the first manho cul-de-sac book so much that I will definitely be back for the third. That h appears to have much more of a backbone than the one in this book.

]]> <![CDATA[Leif's Surrender (Roxie's Protecters, #3)]]> 9680298
Leif swears he will never be permanently mated, but when he feels his mate at a grocery store while buying pregnant Roxie ice cream, his world turns upside down. Drawn to his would-be mate, he finds fighting his mating urge is harder than he expects. If he can only hold out long enough to let nature run its course, he can get on with his life. But resisting her is impossible, and he needs to claim her as his.]]> 92 Marisa Chenery 1595787720 Margo 1
Merged review:

There was nothing technically awful about this book, except that very little happened and neither main character had aby real personality.]]> 3.87 2010 Leif's Surrender (Roxie's Protecters, #3)
author: Marisa Chenery
name: Margo
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2010
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves:
review:
There was nothing technically awful about this book, except that very little happened and neither main character had aby real personality.

Merged review:

There was nothing technically awful about this book, except that very little happened and neither main character had aby real personality.
]]> My Not So Perfect Summer 205065182 Autumn’s summer is off to a smashing start� sort of.

Earlier this year, Autumn’s life looked she had a great relationship with her brilliant teenage daughter Chloe and from September she was all set to be Deputy Head at the London school where she works. And with a pay rise on the cards, she was excited for her and her long-term boyfriend Marc to buy their first home.

But Autumn’s barely opened the estate agent's website when Marc vanishes with half their savings, leaving her no choice but to move into grandma’s rural home in Kent. And things go from bad to worse when Autumn is involved in an accident during the move, leaving the village’s dashing new baker Jake in plaster cast, and making her a local outcast before she’s even unpacked her bags.

Determined to put things right, Autumn offers to help Jake in the bakery over the summer holidays. But as things heat up in the kitchen, Autumn can’t help noticing that Jake is a lot more Paul Hollywood and a lot less Mr Kipling than she originally thought.

Maybe this summer isn’t such a write off after all?]]> 282 Phoebe MacLeod 1837514518 Margo 4
After receiving a promotion that will make her able to buy a home in London, the h is left by her long-term boyfriend*(the father of her 15-year-old daughter) in a brutally selfish way that cost her her job, savings, and apartment.

She needs to re-build her life, something that includes a relocation from London to the country where she ends up living with her wonderfully supportive mom and daughter. She makes all the right decisions and when the boyfriend comes crawling back, she handles it just as she should.

This is charming, light, and sweet. It’s a fairly familiar plot, but this is an enjoyable little escape.

* The h is intelligent and not exactly naïve, but the fact that she didn’t see anything wrong with being in a 15+ year relationship with no commitment made me wonder if she had any friends. Someone should’ve clued her into the fact that he wasn’t committed to her in the truest way.

I know, I know, there are some couples that just don’t believe in marriage blah blah blah perfectly happy blah blah blah blah mutual respect blah blah blah marriage is just a piece of paper blah blah blah, but at least in my world, guys who will not marry you after a decade and a child are not worth having. I said what I said.

]]> 4.13 My Not So Perfect Summer
author: Phoebe MacLeod
name: Margo
average rating: 4.13
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/09/20
shelves:
review:
This is very cute.

After receiving a promotion that will make her able to buy a home in London, the h is left by her long-term boyfriend*(the father of her 15-year-old daughter) in a brutally selfish way that cost her her job, savings, and apartment.

She needs to re-build her life, something that includes a relocation from London to the country where she ends up living with her wonderfully supportive mom and daughter. She makes all the right decisions and when the boyfriend comes crawling back, she handles it just as she should.

This is charming, light, and sweet. It’s a fairly familiar plot, but this is an enjoyable little escape.

* The h is intelligent and not exactly naïve, but the fact that she didn’t see anything wrong with being in a 15+ year relationship with no commitment made me wonder if she had any friends. Someone should’ve clued her into the fact that he wasn’t committed to her in the truest way.

I know, I know, there are some couples that just don’t believe in marriage blah blah blah perfectly happy blah blah blah blah mutual respect blah blah blah marriage is just a piece of paper blah blah blah, but at least in my world, guys who will not marry you after a decade and a child are not worth having. I said what I said.


]]> <![CDATA[Betrayal in the Shadows: The Unfaithful Husband]]> 214295311 Marcus's evasiveness only fueled her determination to uncover the truth.
Julia watched Marcus closely in the days that followed, noting the discrepancies in his schedule and the evasive justifications that seemed to come in greater numbers every day. She quietly approached Marcus's coworkers, posing as friends and striking up a conversation, in an attempt to learn anything that would clarify his unexplained absences.

One evening, while attending a charity event organized by Marcus's law firm, Julia struck up a conversation with Kelvin Thompson, Marcus's longtime friend and colleague. Kelvin, a jovial man with a penchant for storytelling, seemed caught off guard by Julia's pointed questions about Marcus's recent workload and commitments.

You know, Julia, Marcus has been under a lot of pressure lately, Kelvin said in a guarded but honest tone. Big cases, tight deadlines, and it have been taking a toll on him. Julia's interest was piqued. Pressure? How, exactly, Kelvin? Is there anything particular going on within the company that I should be aware of? Kelvin hesitated, exchanging a meaningful glance with Julia before lowering his voice. Off the record, Julia, there have been rumors circulating about Marcus spending a lot of time with one of our clients. Some say it's purely professional.

Julia felt her pulse skip a beat, her instincts focusing on the vital detail Kelvin had unintentionally shared. Kelvin, which client?]]> 39 Kurt Mayer Margo 0 2.66 Betrayal in the Shadows: The Unfaithful Husband
author: Kurt Mayer
name: Margo
average rating: 2.66
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/19
shelves:
review:
I read the excerpt and that was enough. Let’s just put aside the overblown language focus on the fact that not one person who proofread this or edited this explained to the author that when people talk in a book, their words are enclosed in quotation marks? Unbelievable and unreadable just for that alone.
]]> <![CDATA[Surf, Sea and a Sexy Stranger (Brothers & Sisters Book 1)]]> 10835229
Lifeguard Maddy is shocked to find that this half-drowned, totally gorgeous surfer has her body humming! She always ends up getting used—maybe this time it's her turn to do the using. It's the short, sizzling affair they both need—until their dangerously addictive liaison careers out of control�.

]]> 187 Heidi Rice 1426889151 Margo 3
Safety: [spoilers removed]

I think this is one of those H's where you have to assume that he'll continue to make good progress in terms of becoming more sensitive, but that he'll probably need a lot of guidance and will continue to provide the h with teachable moments.]]> 3.70 2010 Surf, Sea and a Sexy Stranger (Brothers & Sisters Book 1)
author: Heidi Rice
name: Margo
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2010
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/09/18
shelves:
review:
Two and a half stars. The H is a selfish jerk user who finds himself surprisingly vulnerable due to an accident. He meets the h while he is trying to figure out what is wrong with life, while at the same time wanting to get back to the way things were. There's a lot of pushing away (emotionally), and he's definitely a work in progress.

Safety: [spoilers removed]

I think this is one of those H's where you have to assume that he'll continue to make good progress in terms of becoming more sensitive, but that he'll probably need a lot of guidance and will continue to provide the h with teachable moments.
]]> <![CDATA[A Baby to Bind His Innocent (The Sicilian Marriage Pact #1)]]> 52082279 A marriage built on a lie�

Until her pregnancy test confirms the truth!

Claudia Buscetta is swept off her feet by Ciro Trapani. Their wedding night is everything she dreamed of—but then she overhears Ciro’s confession: the marriage was his way of avenging his father. Heartbroken Claudia prepares to walk away from him forever…only to discover she’s pregnant!

Driven Ciro is suddenly bound irrevocably to his enemy’s daughter! Claudia is far from the pampered “princess� he imagined. And living with her sparks a fierce battle…between his quest for revenge and his burning desire for his wife!]]> 224 Michelle Smart 1488059659 Margo 3 3.72 2020 A Baby to Bind His Innocent (The Sicilian Marriage Pact #1)
author: Michelle Smart
name: Margo
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/09/18
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Alissa's Miracle (That's My Baby)]]> 12448594 384 Ginna Gray 1459273648 Margo 3
Points to the author for exploring a serious issue, but she should have seeded the cloud more in the first half because it is very unbalanced in intensity.]]> 3.87 1997 Alissa's Miracle (That's My Baby)
author: Ginna Gray
name: Margo
average rating: 3.87
book published: 1997
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/09/17
shelves:
review:
This book creeps along and is extremely bland until the H's issues are revealed, whereupon things get REAL. It's incongruous and it involves some extremely dramatic pushing away from the H.

Points to the author for exploring a serious issue, but she should have seeded the cloud more in the first half because it is very unbalanced in intensity.
]]> <![CDATA[The Baby the Billionaire Demands (Secret Heirs of Billionaires)]]> 40385416 Pregnant, she fled�

But she’ll be the Spaniard’s bride!

Lola Price didn’t dare tell Rodrigo Cabrera she was pregnant, after he spurned her. But now that he’s discovered her secret, he’s determined his child will take his name! While their mutual desire in the marriage bed is undeniable, Rodrigo keeps himself at a distance. Yet fiery Lola won’t be pushed away again. She’ll show Rodrigo that their son and their relationship are worth fighting for!

Indulge in this dramatic secret-baby story!]]> 193 Jennie Lucas 1488083819 Margo 3 3.96 2018 The Baby the Billionaire Demands (Secret Heirs of Billionaires)
author: Jennie Lucas
name: Margo
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/09/17
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Warlord Wants Forever (Immortals After Dark, #0.5)]]> 6388558
She eludes him for five years, but he has finally chased her to ground and stolen the jewel which commands her, giving him absolute power over her. While he possesses it, he can make her do anything, and he plans to in order for her to experience firsthand the agonizing, unending lust she'd purposely subjected him to for half a decade. Yet when Wroth realizes he wants more from her and frees her, will she come.

Note: First published in the 2006 anthology, Playing Easy to Get.]]> 163 Kresley Cole Margo 0 don-t-read-this 4.04 2006 The Warlord Wants Forever (Immortals After Dark, #0.5)
author: Kresley Cole
name: Margo
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2006
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/14
shelves: don-t-read-this
review:

]]> My Bought Virgin Wife 41720465 She’s mine�

But will her innocence break all my rules?

I’ve never wanted anything like I want heiress Imogen Fitzalan. I married her to secure my empire� but my untouched wife has ignited an undeniable hunger in me. Desire beyond reason wasn’t my plan, yet now I have a new to strip away her obedience, and replace it with a fierce passion to match my own…]]> 193 Caitlin Crews 1488044163 Margo 3 4.06 My Bought Virgin Wife
author: Caitlin Crews
name: Margo
average rating: 4.06
book published:
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/09/12
shelves:
review:

]]> Daydreamer (Daydreamer, #1) 214249697
But Lucy’s lonelier in London than she’s even been in her tiny village back home. The boy she grew up with has been replaced by a powerful, ruthless, extremely attractive man who doesn’t tolerate incompetence and who no longer seems to find Lucy’s quirks cute. Instead, he lectures her almost daily on her general crapness, and seems blind to the bullying she endures from his colleagues.

For Felix, agreeing to employ Lucy was a mistake. This shy bookworm with her head in the clouds, who wears tattered jumpers, carries multiple pens in her hair and has an obvious crush on him must be by far the worst assistant in London. But he’s always had a soft spot for the quirky little girl who lived in her own world and told the best stories. Well, now that little girl is all grown up� and he can’t stop thinking about her.

After Felix gives in to his bone-deep longing for his best friend’s little sister, he starts to feel more than he has in years. But Lucy has secrets, and Felix has trust issues. When his inability to trust her leads to a terrible betrayal and places Lucy in danger, Felix is faced with losing her forever. Because the new, hardened, traumatised Lucy is nothing like the daydreaming pushover she once was�

This is a full length, brother's best friend, grumpy billionaire boss romance.

Trigger warning for workplace harassment and assault.

Warning � there is swearing throughout this book.

Praise for
"As a reader who loves a betrayal and subsequent grovel this story was 'chef's kiss'."
"10 out of 10! Everything you could ever want or need in a romance book."
"This author grabs you by the heart, gives it a good shake and slowly but beautifully puts it back together again with some heart-breaking and heart-lifting scenes."
"Vibe of a secret crush/she falls first/ he falls harder tale and Is laced with mistaken angst and wonderful scenes of grovel."
"Excellent, 5 stars all the way."
"This book was so great that I read it all the way through in one day."
"This was a heartfelt, angsty and emotional story told in the wonderful, dulcet tones of Susie's brace of creativity and stellar story-telling finesse."
"Yet another winner by Susie Tate."
"Fantastic book."]]> 314 Susie Tate 1068682019 Margo 3
I might go back and reread this one because it’s possible that I am being too harsh on her and this was just an initial reaction.

ETA that I just saw the description of the next book in the series and the heroine is described as “awkward. � I am managing my expectations accordingly.]]> 3.97 2024 Daydreamer (Daydreamer, #1)
author: Susie Tate
name: Margo
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/09/11
shelves:
review:
I always enjoy books by Susie Tate, but I don’t like characters that can’t survive in the world. There is a helplessness to this character, even as her achievements would suggest otherwise, that makes her pathetic to me. I guess it was the early description where she was walking around her corporate workplace with her hair in a bun full of pencils and pens. I just thought to myself, � Who does this?�

I might go back and reread this one because it’s possible that I am being too harsh on her and this was just an initial reaction.

ETA that I just saw the description of the next book in the series and the heroine is described as “awkward. � I am managing my expectations accordingly.
]]> Prince Cheating Charming 216539337 I've loved my husband through every betrayal and humiliating public affair, but now that I'm finally over it, suddenly he doesn't want to let me go!

Lady Delilah Arden falls in love with Prince Alexander Levesque at first sight. The quiet, shy artist can barely believe her luck when the charming, devastatingly handsome Prince singles her out for special attention. She desperately wants to believe he loves her too, but even marriage doesn't totally quell her doubts. Then she catches him cheating, in extremely humiliating fashion. Delilah feels like the laughingstock of the palace, and she tries everything to keep Alexander faithful, but none of it works.

Finally, her confidence growing, she finds a loophole that will give her an easy way out of the marriage. The Prince doesn't even have to agree to it. A simple matter of paperwork and a 30-day waiting period, and she's free.But suddenly, Alexander doesn't want to let her go. He wants Delilah to be his Queen and the playboy is willing to do anything to get her back. Delilah is in a mood for petty revenge� and more than ready to make him suffer�

Author's This novella is set in the modern day and there is on-page cheating between the MMC and multiple OW. There is a lot of steam, groveling, and a HEA. ]]> 145 Katie Landry Margo 3
I liked this book a lot but I would’ve liked it more if the scenes with the OW’s weren’t so graphic. Also I felt like the sex scenes in general were more pornographic and less erotic. I guess I would say they were more from the male gaze, or at least that’s how it seemed to me. No insult intended there, but that aspect didn’t work for me. Still, I’m going to be reading her next books because she definitely understands the “outrageous betrayal to perma-grovel� arc.]]> 3.43 2024 Prince Cheating Charming
author: Katie Landry
name: Margo
average rating: 3.43
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/09/09
shelves:
review:
An outrageous cheater sees the light and grovels. He is completely unrepentant at first and the h grows a spine, and fast.

I liked this book a lot but I would’ve liked it more if the scenes with the OW’s weren’t so graphic. Also I felt like the sex scenes in general were more pornographic and less erotic. I guess I would say they were more from the male gaze, or at least that’s how it seemed to me. No insult intended there, but that aspect didn’t work for me. Still, I’m going to be reading her next books because she definitely understands the “outrageous betrayal to perma-grovel� arc.
]]> Pulled Away (An Away Novel) 218088828 When I moved to a new town, I found friendships and a love I never expected. Life was perfect until a friend of Ryan's arrived for a funeral—someone with a far more complicated history with him than I knew. A friend who looked at him the way friends don’t look at friends.
Slowly, she started ripping everything away; unraveling everything I held dear, pulling away every thread of my relationship.
He was torn between loyalty and love. I could feel it. I could see it. And I could do nothing about it.
Because the person who was supposed to fight at my side became the person I fought against.


I made mistakes. Plenty of them, By the time realization set in, Aspen had already walked out the door, leaving behind everything we had built together.
Now, I’m left picking up the pieces, trying to win back the woman I love. Aspen’s everything to me, and I’ll fight with everything I’ve got to prove that she’s the only one who matters.
But after all the lies and hurt, I’m not sure if love alone will be enough to bring her back.]]> 306 Siena Sloane Margo 4
After he sees the light, things slow down a little, but for the part of the book up to the epiphany, it really could not have been better. The h did her best to trust him until she couldn’t trust him anymore and then she dumped him ruthlessly and he had to grovel nonstop.

I’ll definitely be rereading this one! ]]> 4.06 Pulled Away (An Away Novel)
author: Siena Sloane
name: Margo
average rating: 4.06
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/09/09
shelves:
review:
This one is a must-read if you enjoy completely idiotic heroes who are helpless puppets of Machiavellian OWs. His betrayals are increasingly egregious until� I can’t even tell you because it is so unbelievable that he fell for this that I can’t spoil it.

After he sees the light, things slow down a little, but for the part of the book up to the epiphany, it really could not have been better. The h did her best to trust him until she couldn’t trust him anymore and then she dumped him ruthlessly and he had to grovel nonstop.

I’ll definitely be rereading this one!
]]> <![CDATA[The Wrong Wife (Golden Knights #1)]]> 198533667
When the merger between her father's and Declan's company is at stake due to obscure company bylaws, Esme has no choice but to step in and marry the man who loves her sister.

Esme's sister, Viviane, is a beautiful, high-flying, wealthy lawyer. Declan is the CEO of a global tech company. They are a power couple. Esme is a social worker who doesn't understand the business world and doesn't care about stock portfolios. She wants to help people. And yet, Declan can't deny the chemistry between him and Esme. They have nothing in common, except he wants her like he's never wanted a woman.

As the days pass, Esme has to find a way to enjoy Declan both in and out of bed without falling in love with him. Because when he leaves, as he inevitably will, it will destroy her. Declan is falling in love with his wife despite himself, drawn to her by her goodness and big heart. But she won't let him close, confident he'll hurt her.

Will he be able to convince her he loves her? And will Esme finally learn to fight for what she wants?

Publisher's This is a standalone novel with a guaranteed happily-ever-after with no cheating. However, please note that the heroine does marry her sister's fiancé.]]> Maya Alden Margo 3
That said, it was an enjoyable book. The heroine was a stellar, honorable person, and the H showed remarkable growth by recognizing that.

I agree with Vintage that the sister should not have been redeemed. If anything, the faintest of overtures could be made, but that’s it. I should warn people who are starting the series with this book that things go downhill from here, particularly in Mateo‘s book and the book about the judge, whose name I have blocked out because he is the worst in a very subtle, weedy way.]]> 3.47 2023 The Wrong Wife (Golden Knights #1)
author: Maya Alden
name: Margo
average rating: 3.47
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/09/09
shelves:
review:
This book is a solid 3.5. If it hadn’t ended with a very ridiculous scene, it probably would’ve been bumped up to four. Unfortunately, like a lot of authors, the author has sacrificed reality for drama. While the h eventually gave up on her relationship, it was understandable. Everyone went along with the H’s ridiculous, cruel charade because the h needed to grow up and be brave. everyone took his side, which is ridiculous and makes me question her friends. She was abused and gaslit and he was inconsistent. At the end of the book, he was spending all of his time with his ex and how was she supposed to trust him? I also don’t like the paternalistic nature of a husband trying to help his wife grow up by teaching her a lesson.

That said, it was an enjoyable book. The heroine was a stellar, honorable person, and the H showed remarkable growth by recognizing that.

I agree with Vintage that the sister should not have been redeemed. If anything, the faintest of overtures could be made, but that’s it. I should warn people who are starting the series with this book that things go downhill from here, particularly in Mateo‘s book and the book about the judge, whose name I have blocked out because he is the worst in a very subtle, weedy way.
]]> Locked In 35386713 Grace and Ben have been together since they were teenagers.
They are in love, with each other, and their two children.
They’ve spent their entire adult life together, happy in the small southern California beach town they call home; until one day Ben comes home and tells Grace he’s leaving.
Now Grace is left wondering what happened to her life, to her home, and when exactly did things start to go so wrong. To find out, she turns to the place she didn’t even realize she was missing, the place she grew up, and the place she still considers home. With the help of her family and friends and the ocean, Grace begins to rebuild her life and remind herself where it is she truly wants to be…and, whether or not that life includes her husband. Locked In is a story about love and forgiveness, about riding the waves of life, and it is about how we continually reshape ourselves but never really feel grown up.]]> 266 Anna Chastain 1548079464 Margo 3 3.35 Locked In
author: Anna Chastain
name: Margo
average rating: 3.35
book published:
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/09/09
shelves:
review:
This is remarkably readable.The H is more of a fool than a cad, but since he causes the suffering to his wife, he needs to do the time. He realizes the error of his ways, big time. One of the most enjoyable things about this book is that the h is already well on her way to a more authentic life full of hot guys when the H starts panicking.
]]> <![CDATA[Between Love and Loathing (The Hardy Billionaire Brothers, #2)]]> 123446478
Dominic Hardy might be an award-winning architectural engineer with fancy degrees and considerable accolades, but he doesn’t know a thing about baking.
He doesn’t even like sugar.
So when my late stepfather’s will states that Dominic Hardy is set to inherit the Pacific Coast Resort he’d painstakingly designed, as long as my bakery can be plopped in the middle of it, it’s no surprise he balks.
And my jaw drops when another stipulation requires us to mutually approve plans for my bakery’s design.
His stuffy taste will never mix with my whimsical vibe.

But then Dominic comes to me with a proposal I can’t refuse. He’ll give me everything I want in my bakery as long as I agree to one thing:

Fake date him for five months.
Keep his ex away by pretending we’re in love.
Smile and stare into his piercing green eyes at a gala or two.
Maybe share a kiss.
Nothing extreme.
Five months of acting in love when I really loathe him and his filthy mouth.
Even when he’s using it on me.

This should be a cakewalk.
Except there’s a fine line between love and loathing, and I think I’ve made the colossal mistake of blurring it.]]> 395 Shain Rose 1956810153 Margo 3 3.90 2023 Between Love and Loathing (The Hardy Billionaire Brothers, #2)
author: Shain Rose
name: Margo
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/09/03
shelves:
review:
Most enjoyable in the series this far. I love terrible families and injustice.
]]> <![CDATA[Between Commitment and Betrayal (Hardy Billionaire Brothers, #1)]]> 63130875
Declan Hardy, All-American heartthrob and retired NFL billionaire, is my complete opposite.
He's commanding where I'm cooperative.
Spontaneous while I am deliberate.
Loud when I stay quiet.
The only thing we have in common is that both our names are on my father's will.

He'll inherit the fitness and hospitality empire and I'll keep the one thing I hold dear.
As long as I marry him—with conditions.

One year of a fake marriage.
One year of living together.
One year of pretending I belong in his luxury lifestyle.

But stipulations are never that simple.
Especially when I can't tell if his kisses are fake or if I'm pretending when I kiss him back.
And as more conditions arise, it's clear there's a fine line between commitment and betrayal... and neither of us knows where that line falls.
Between Commitment and Betrayal is a billionaire, forced proximity, fake marriage of convenience and a father’s business partner novel. It is a complete standalone by Shain Rose.]]> 384 Shain Rose Margo 2 3.75 2023 Between Commitment and Betrayal (Hardy Billionaire Brothers, #1)
author: Shain Rose
name: Margo
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2024/09/03
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Between Never and Forever (The Hardy Billionaire Brothers, #3)]]> 199798227
As my best friend’s brother, Dex Hardy has always been my downfall—older, forbidden, and completely irresistible.

Our paths were never supposed to cross, but they tangled up in the summer nights we exchanged forevers and I love yous under the stars.

In secret.

He knew it had to be that way.

Yet he betrayed our relationship the day he chose to save me from that car wreck instead of her.

I won’t forgive him for that.

The only reason I’m at his casino now is because I need the money. If I can survive six months working and living in close proximity to him at the Black Diamond Resort and Casino, I’ll be able to pay off my mother’s medical bills and more. Not so bad.

Until Dex finds out I’m engaged to a man I don’t love and wants to make his own deal with me—six months of being married to him instead. Or else.]]> 416 Shain Rose Margo 2
He does grovel somewhat at the end.]]> 3.65 2024 Between Never and Forever (The Hardy Billionaire Brothers, #3)
author: Shain Rose
name: Margo
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2024/09/03
shelves:
review:
No no no no no. This was such a readable book except for the fact that there was such a sexual experience gap between the main characters. She was a 30-year-old virgin who had pined for him for more than a decade; meanwhile, he has a piercing and a sophisticated FWB, meaning he is pretty shopworn.

He does grovel somewhat at the end.
]]> TRUST 27289700
Excerpt

Amanda had waited for three hours in the hotel lobby, but now it was time for her to face Neil. She stared as the elevator door opened one more time and watched as her husband was kissing the another woman and caressing her body the way he did hers. With every second she became more enraged to a point that she could feel her own body temperature rising. But she sat and waited as he walked to counter of the hotel saying something to the attendant and the moment he turned facing into the lobby holding the other woman’s hand their eyes met and he knew right then that it was over.]]> 65 L C DORSEY Margo 2 2.92 TRUST
author: L C DORSEY
name: Margo
average rating: 2.92
book published:
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2024/09/01
shelves:
review:
This book needed more actual drama, since most of it consisted of the FMC’s thoughts, which were pretty stereotypical for a cheated-upon spouse. There needed to be more incidents and less internal dialogue.
]]> I Loved You First 216960016 First Love. Second Chances.

Fiona Willis always wanted a big, exciting life. At twenty-seven, she has one: great friends, a Seattle condo with an amazing view, and a killer job as a senior events planner with a world-renowned firm. So why can’t she forget the man who shattered her dreams and broke her heart?

Cameron Bennet has his hands full. As a single dad and head construction manager at Bennet & Sons, he’s an expert at the juggling act. Between playdates, soccer practices, and his hectic work schedule, he rarely has time to relax. Yet even on his craziest days, he’s never stopped thinking about the one who got away.

When an emergency forces Fiona to return to her hometown, she discovers that nothing is how she thought it would be. Fiona tries her best to avoid Cam and their undeniable chemistry, but Cam is determined to right his wrongs before Fiona disappears from his life again.]]> 375 Cate Beauman Margo 3 4.30 I Loved You First
author: Cate Beauman
name: Margo
average rating: 4.30
book published:
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/09/01
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Fletch (The Chaos Demons MC #3)]]> 211760425 A motorcycle club romance . . .

Fletch
I’m a biker. I’m not supposed to settle down and live happily ever after. But when I’m reunited with a face from my past, I’m intrigued.
Seeing Gemma Stone again ignites something inside me, that is until she wakes me in the early hours to serve a search warrant on the club. And she’s not just a police officer—she’s a detective inspector with a grudge.

Gemma
The last time I set my eyes on Cameron Fletcher, he was with my best friend, showing her a good time. I walked away and never looked back.
When he shows up in my life years later, it’s not how he imagined it would be.
But like before, Fletch has a way of pulling me in, and as lines begin to blur, I’m risking a whole lot more than just my career.

Can they survive the secrets of their past?

]]> 210 Nicola Jane Margo 0 don-t-read-this 4.05 Fletch (The Chaos Demons MC #3)
author: Nicola Jane
name: Margo
average rating: 4.05
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/31
shelves: don-t-read-this
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Between Her Biscuits (Svensson Brothers, #4)]]> 50609006 The world is a cold dead place.

You would think so too if you grew up in a polygamist cult.

Everyone was crazy—My father, his wives, my older brothers who abandoned me.

Though I can’t escape the crazy brothers, I think I’ve finally managed to find balance.

Until some crazy curvy girl storms into my restaurant interrupts my date and dumps the entire table's worth of food on me.


Sadie

I swear I’m not crazy. I just have a little problem. Ok, a big problem.

No, not the fact that my father and his girlfriend stole my identity and my college tuition money.

No, not the fact that I did not go to school for something marketable and am now unemployed.

I mean those are big problems but I have a huge problem.

I’m still a virgin at age twenty-four.

In hindsight, I shouldn’t have gone to a private all women college, but now I need a man, immediately. A big one, because like I said I have a big virginity problem

Parker seems perfect in his online profile. Rich, handsome, multiple PhDs, CTO of a huge company. ‘Til he stands me up and I see him on a date with another girl.

Yes, I freaked the f-out. No, jail wasn’t fun. And it also wasn’t fun when I showed up for my new job the next day to find out that, guess who, is my new boss.

But he is big—in more ways than one.

And I do have a big problem.

Common sense says to find anyone other than Parker Svensson with his scowl, his obnoxious boasting about his net worth, and his drool-worthy, washboard abs.

But when he offers to help me solve my huge virginity problem, well let’s just say I don’t want him for his brain, I’m only after his body.

This standalone, full length romantic comedy has no cliffhangers! It features plenty of steam, the largest selection of hot brothers to ever grace your e-reader, and a hilarious heroine!

]]> 481 Alina Jacobs Margo 0
I’ve read good things by this author but I don’t want to read about a heroine who is so pathetic that her only option in life is to be with the MMC.]]> 4.26 Between Her Biscuits (Svensson Brothers, #4)
author: Alina Jacobs
name: Margo
average rating: 4.26
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/31
shelves:
review:
This heroine is well beyond quirky and slightly accident prone. She’s a mess. She has poor hygiene, no self-esteem, and there is absolutely no way her boss would be attracted to her after some of those incidents, including one where he caught her outside of a bar, drunk, begging a strange man to take her virginity, then crying when the man rejected her.

I’ve read good things by this author but I don’t want to read about a heroine who is so pathetic that her only option in life is to be with the MMC.
]]> Lying To Love You 124087008
Jenifer Bradley sees something special in Alivia and promises her a rewarding career, but first, Alivia must go to work at The Luxe for Jenifer’s son, Vass. Alivia is leaving behind a broken relationship and a run-down flat, where the landlord offers alternative ways to pay the rent, so what other option does she have?

Vass Fraser is rumoured to be one of the most eligible bachelors in London. He’s famous, rich, and charming. But he hides behind the secrets that make The Luxe a hotspot for the elite.

It isn’t long before Alivia realises she’s entered a darker world, one Vass doesn’t think she belongs in, but one she’s determined to explore.

It’s unfamiliar territory for them both, and as they become wrapped up in lies, it’s too late for either of them to back out.]]> 291 Nicola Jane Margo 2
I’m reminded of the song “I’m tired� from Blazing Saddles.

“Morning, noon, and night
it’s drink and dancing
Some quick romancing
And then a shower�

I need to go take a nap now.


]]> 4.28 Lying To Love You
author: Nicola Jane
name: Margo
average rating: 4.28
book published:
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2024/08/25
shelves:
review:
This one wins the prize for the most exhausting love interest ever. Who has the energy for keeping up with such a drama king? He’s tormented, a billionaire, and is tangled up with so many women that any woman who ended up with him would constantly be encountering former flames.

I’m reminded of the song “I’m tired� from Blazing Saddles.

“Morning, noon, and night
it’s drink and dancing
Some quick romancing
And then a shower�

I need to go take a nap now.



]]> <![CDATA[Arthur (Perished Riders MC #6)]]> 75444601 I worked hard to get where I am today by crawling up from the bottom. These days, I’m a well-respected businessman with his life together. I have three brothers who I’ve practically raised alongside my hardworking mother, and I’m in the heart of the community, helping the most vulnerable.
But there’s another side, one only the darkest depths of society know. I keep order on my streets by removing the threats and working alongside the local MC to ensure life around here runs smoothly.
Amelia Maverick is sister to the club’s President, and she’s like a shiny new toy attracting my attention with her big smile and loud mouth. Only I see beyond the bravado to the broken soul hidden from the world. And like a moth to the flame, I’m drawn in by the sadness in her eyes.
I’ll do anything to make her mine, and when someone comes along to threaten it all, I want to set the world alight . . . but it’s Meli who comes to my rescue, and I’m left wondering who’s saving who.

Meli
Growing up in The Perished Riders MC was hard for me. I’m the one who shines above the rest, sparkling so bright that I attract the wrong sort. I was thirteen years old when my dad’s VP took an interest in me, and he left lifelong scars that I hide with flirting, partying, and a careless attitude.
Since then, I’ve been spiraling out of control, waiting for someone to catch me.
I didn’t expect that someone to be Arthur Taylor. Businessman by day and gangster by night, he sees through the smoke and mirrors to the vulnerable woman I am.
I try to tell him I’m no good, that falling for me would be a mistake, but he ignores my warnings. What he doesn’t understand, is I’m trying to protect my heart, because good things never work out for me.
And when someone takes an interest in Arthur, my worst fears are confirmed. Now, I must fight for the man I love and prove I’m worth loving back . . . but how can I do that when I don’t believe it?]]> 310 Nicola Jane Margo 0 don-t-read-this 4.39 Arthur (Perished Riders MC #6)
author: Nicola Jane
name: Margo
average rating: 4.39
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/24
shelves: don-t-read-this
review:

]]> Cooper (Splintered Hearts #1) 62328460 Club President, Cooper, is used to getting his own way. He’s bossy, dominating and everything Mila avoids in a man. But Cooper gets under her skin, and she finds herself drawn into a battle of love and hate. She soon becomes addicted to the scraps of attention that he throws her way.
Just when Mila thinks she’s found her forever man, things take a dramatic turn, and ghosts from the past threaten everything they have together.
Walking away from Cooper is hard, but staying, is the real challenge.]]> 248 Nicola Jane Margo 1 3.78 Cooper (Splintered Hearts #1)
author: Nicola Jane
name: Margo
average rating: 3.78
book published:
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2024/08/24
shelves:
review:

]]> Kain 63023065
So, when she discovers she’s pregnant, she decides she can go it alone. Who needs a man anyway? Especially one that’s already got a pregnant ol� lady. Kain’s made it clear if she doesn’t want him, he’ll be sticking by Ginger.

Walking away from the only man she’s ever loved, is harder than she anticipated. Not only does she have to see him all the time because she works at the club, but her best friend is married to the club’s president, Cooper.

Secrets, lies and drama are making a regular appearance in Harper’s life, but walking away doesn’t seem to be an option.
And when the truth finally gets out, the consequences are catastrophic.]]> 223 Nicola Jane Margo 1 3.86 Kain
author: Nicola Jane
name: Margo
average rating: 3.86
book published:
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2024/08/24
shelves:
review:

]]> Tanner 63107285 Brook and Tanner have been a thing their entire adult lives and neither can live without the other. But when Tanner makes a terrible mistake, Brook decides it’s time to live a life away from the club and away from Tanner.
His betrayal runs deep, and when the woman who caused it all reveals she’s giving Tanner the one thing Brook can’t, it pushes Brook farther away. She surrounds herself with new friends, trying hard to move on from her husband and the club.
But it’s not as easy as she thought, and she takes comfort in the fact that Tanner is hanging back in the shadows, watching her every move and refusing to give up on them.
Tanner doesn’t remember the night he destroyed his life. The only evidence is the word of a woman who insists on hanging around the club, becoming a pain in his backside and a drain on his wallet.
He doesn’t know how to be anyone other than Brook’s husband, and every breath he takes without her is painful. He refuses to give up on the love of his life, but to get her back, he needs to work out what exactly happened that night, even if it means dragging up his painful past.

*To understand Brook and Tanner’s journey, you’ll need to read book two in the series � Kain.
**This book was previously released under the name The Splintered Hearts Series - Brook & Tanner's story]]> 224 Nicola Jane Margo 1 3.94 Tanner
author: Nicola Jane
name: Margo
average rating: 3.94
book published:
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2024/08/24
shelves:
review:

]]> Our Way 54672428 Loving him was never an option.

We met ten years ago, when we started at the same company on the same day.
Both new in town and with nobody else to rely on, we quickly became friends.

And while Nathan went on to rule San Francisco, I’m still doing the same job with the same people.
We finish each other’s sentences, we spend Christmas together and he sleeps at my house more than his.
He’s beautiful.... beyond belief.
In another life, he’s probably my soul mate.

However, lately things have changed. He’s started looking at me differently.
His eyes drop to my lips as I speak.
His hugs are tighter�. longer.
Our fights are more passionate, his jealousy insane.

I know it’s all in my head�.it has to be.

They say to never love someone who treats you like you’re ordinary.
I don't. To him I'm a queen.

But our story is complicated.
And as much as I love Nathan Mercer with all of my heart. . .
He’s the one man I can never have.]]> 560 T.L. Swan Margo 1 don-t-read-this 4.08 2020 Our Way
author: T.L. Swan
name: Margo
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2020
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2024/08/19
shelves: don-t-read-this
review:
Issues of sexuality aside, both of these characters are ridiculously immature. The MMC is very damaged mentally and selfish by nature. She is a doormat and he will make her miserable constantly. This is a tragedy, not a romance.
]]> Twist (House Of Payne, #3) 25632053 Angel had been a schoolgirl when she came to House Of Payne, a displaced princess with only a fanciful imagination to her name. Now the world clamors for her designs, but that means nothing to Goth tattooist, Twist. Long ago she craved to see admiration in his sexy dark eyes, but after years of enduring his contempt, she’s given up. Leaving the House feels like running, but Twist makes it impossible to stay.

Tattooist. Artist. Ex-Con.
Two words came to Twist’s mind when he first saw Angel—jail bait. When he'd been released from prison for a crime he would commit again in a heartbeat, he'd nevertheless been determined to keep his nose clean. Too bad he couldn't stop from thinking about getting into the pants of the House’s fairy tale princess. But with a past like his, he’s no good for Angel. All he can do is watch over her from afar� whether she likes it or not.

When Angel is injured, Twist appoints himself as her personal caretaker. She soon discovers that beneath his arrogant façade lies the heart of a devoted protector. She’s going to need that protection, as Twist’s past has made an unsettling reappearance.


90,000 words


***This is the third book in the House Of Payne series, but each book can be read as a standalone. Not intended for readers under the age of 18 due to adult language and sexual content***]]> 264 Stacy Gail Margo 0 4.25 2015 Twist (House Of Payne, #3)
author: Stacy Gail
name: Margo
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/17
shelves:
review:
This couldn’t hold my interest, but it seems like it was actually a pretty good enemies to lovers, super protective H + whimsical fairy h.
]]> A Wedding in the Sun 205512816
But when Jo realises that she’s on the same plane as Monica's ex-husband, the devastatingly handsome but equally cantankerous Adrián, she thinks her trip can’t get any worse... she’s wrong. When bad weather forces the plane to land the wrong side of the Pyrenees, and the hotel they’re sent to only has one double room available Jo begins to wish she was anywhere - anywhere - but here...

Determined to get to the wedding however they can, Jo and Adrián make an unlikely team, but as their disastrous trip continues, Jo starts to wonder if fate has other ideas for her and Adrián, especially when he seems to be getting more handsome by the day…maybe this trip won't be so terrible after all?

Enjoy the perfect summer escape packed with good times and sunshine, romance and laughter. Not to be missed by fans of Jill Mansell, Mandy Baggot and Sarah Morgan.

‘I love her beautiful settings and brooding heroes!' Sarah Bennett

‘I love Leonie's books - so romantic!' Sandy Barker

What readers are saying about Leonie

‘Oh my word! This book! Incredible ❤️ the perfect love story, it made me tear up so many times. I won't spoil the plot but just know you have to read it. I'm gutted it's ended. Epliogues are never long enough for me.�

‘If you’re looking for a story that will grab you, take hold of your heart and not let it go, has humour, heartache, slow burn romance, adventure and tension, this is definitely the book for you.�

‘This book is an absolutely perfect example in its genre. Leonie has her craft down to a fine art at this stage and is adept at drawing the reader in with imaginative plot, sympathetic characters, beautiful and exquisitely crafted settings, and real emotional development and connections throughout the story. The book carried me easily through from beginning to end, I was completely absorbed and sorry when it was over. If you like this type of travel romance, you can’t do better. Highly recommended.�

‘The whole book was an exceptional read � an original plot, compelling and exciting, extremely moving, characters with real depth and development, a romance I really believed in, a setting brought vividly to life, and a mystery to explore that kept its secrets until the very end. I couldn’t recommend it more highly � and I know you’re going to love this one as much as I did!�

‘My second book by this author. Leonie Mack’s settings are well drawn and inviting� Beautiful description, wonderful dynamic between the two protagonists. Loved it.’]]> 306 Leonie Mack 1804158666 Margo 2 4.24 2024 A Wedding in the Sun
author: Leonie Mack
name: Margo
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2024/08/14
shelves:
review:

]]> Forever, Never, After 200089608 Forever, Never, After is the story of a marriage torn apart by lies and deceit, and how everything can change in the blink of an eye. Megan thought Dan was her forever. Ten years together and a three-year-old daughter meant they were pretty much settled and happy. That is until Dan gets attention from one of his university students. Ashley is used to getting what she wants, and she sets her sights on her married lecturer, stopping at nothing to make him hers. She’s beautiful, flirty, and daring, everything Dan didn’t think he needed until one night with Ashley makes him reevaluate his life and, most importantly, his marriage. When Meg’s world falls apart so unexpectedly, she has no choice but to face life as a single parent, something she never expected to be. Can she move forward while being forced to watch her husband move on? And what happens after the thrill of the affair becomes less exciting? Four lives are brought together—and torn apart—in a story of heartbreak, happiness, and love.]]> 399 Nicola Jane Margo 2
No. You cannot truly recover from cheating unless you are mega petty and triumph in all things. I expect, and deserve, at least a few of the following elements:
� � Financial ruin for the ex-husband because he is an idiot or because he spent it all on the OW
� � Premature aging for the husband and/ or the OW while the h looks better and more vital all the time
� � The children barely tolerating the cheating ex-husband and completely ignoring or torturing the OW
� � Ideally at least one scene where the ex-husband looks around at what he has lost and says, with tears in his eyes, “It’s really over, isn’t it?�
� � Somehow, the ex-husband’s realization that the h is having the best sex of her life now.
� � The ex-husband leaving the OW and begging the h to take him back, which she refuses to do, and the OW somehow being aware of this.
� � Optional, but always nice: the h is hit on by all of her ex-husband’s friends and coworkers, and every fear he’s ever had about men who wanted her turns out to be true.

Is that too much to ask? I certainly don’t think so .]]> 3.85 Forever, Never, After
author: Nicola Jane
name: Margo
average rating: 3.85
book published:
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2024/08/11
shelves:
review:
Another cheating book where the h is not petty. I don’t know why authors do this. After all, the h already has the moral high ground because she is not the cheating ho. I am not here to see her lecture her ex-husband about being nicer to the OW.

No. You cannot truly recover from cheating unless you are mega petty and triumph in all things. I expect, and deserve, at least a few of the following elements:
� � Financial ruin for the ex-husband because he is an idiot or because he spent it all on the OW
� � Premature aging for the husband and/ or the OW while the h looks better and more vital all the time
� � The children barely tolerating the cheating ex-husband and completely ignoring or torturing the OW
� � Ideally at least one scene where the ex-husband looks around at what he has lost and says, with tears in his eyes, “It’s really over, isn’t it?�
� � Somehow, the ex-husband’s realization that the h is having the best sex of her life now.
� � The ex-husband leaving the OW and begging the h to take him back, which she refuses to do, and the OW somehow being aware of this.
� � Optional, but always nice: the h is hit on by all of her ex-husband’s friends and coworkers, and every fear he’s ever had about men who wanted her turns out to be true.

Is that too much to ask? I certainly don’t think so .
]]> Molly (Coffee Leaf Cafe #1) 59708486
He was thirty-three, a tattoo artist covered from head to toe in ink and to top if all off, he was a player with a capital P.

I tried to resist, knew it'd end in disaster but he bulldozed his way into my life, into my heart. He was everything.

She was always in the background, pulling him from me in one way or another. I told him, he didn't listen and then it all came crumbling down around us.

I don't have anything left to give, he says he won't let me go. Where do we go from here?]]> 284 Krystal Veitch Margo 3 oh-yeah-that-one
I am NOT loving the potential plotline for the second book, but will probably give it a shot.]]> 3.87 2022 Molly (Coffee Leaf Cafe #1)
author: Krystal Veitch
name: Margo
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/08/10
shelves: oh-yeah-that-one
review:
This was a solid 2.5-star debut. The H really was a complete idiot, and I am glad the h made him meet her standards.

I am NOT loving the potential plotline for the second book, but will probably give it a shot.
]]> Dear Plutocrat 6215478
But Kate was not in the mood for common sense. She'd been misinformed, condescended to, and humiliated; she was not about to give -- or sell -- Mark Copeland anything.

"You're too darn pig-headed for a woman!" he told her. "It's out of place in the weaker sex."]]> 191 Anne Hampson Margo 2 2.71 Dear Plutocrat
author: Anne Hampson
name: Margo
average rating: 2.71
book published:
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2024/08/08
shelves:
review:
He was a colossal jerk for the first part of the book, but by the end it was positively civilized for a Hampson book. Probably not worth reading unless you have decided you want to read every book Hampson's ever written.
]]> The Mistress Wife 202904
Now Vivien has discovered that Lucca might not be guilty. She's determined to win him back, if only for the sake of their small child.

But Lucca is in no mood for a tender reconciliation. He will have his wife again, but on his terms...as his mistress!]]> 192 Lynne Graham 0373124287 Margo 0 don-t-read-this 3.43 The Mistress Wife
author: Lynne Graham
name: Margo
average rating: 3.43
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: don-t-read-this
review:

]]> She Loves Me, He Loves Me Not 24823034 Zoella didn’t know whether she was devastatingly happy or happily devastated.

Zoella has been in love with Fardeen Malik, her best friend’s gorgeous older brother, since she was ten, but he’s always seen her as a ‘good girl’—not his type—and he can barely remember her name. Besides, he’s engaged to a gorgeous leggy socialite, someone from the same rarefied social strata as the imposing Malik family. In short, Zoella has no chance with him.

Until a brutal accident leaves Fardeen scarred and disfigured, that is. Suddenly bereft of a fiancée, Fardeen is bitterly caustic, a shell of the man he used to be, a beast that has broken out of the fairy tale world he once lived in. And a twist of fate lands him his very own beauty—Zoella.

This man, however, is a far cry from the Fardeen of her dreams. Stripped of her illusions, Zoella creates her own twist in the fairy tale, beating him at his own game.

Zeenat Mahal explores themes of love, longing and arranged marriages in this modern, unusual interpretation of the old-age fairy tale]]> 260 Zeenat Mahal Margo 0 to-read 3.93 2013 She Loves Me, He Loves Me Not
author: Zeenat Mahal
name: Margo
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Three Choices - The EX 52033251 66 L C DORSEY Margo 1 2.33 Three Choices - The EX
author: L C DORSEY
name: Margo
average rating: 2.33
book published:
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2024/08/06
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[This Love (Cowboys and Angels, #6)]]> 40934096
But what did I know? Nothing apparently.

Everything changed when I looked into her green eyes; my world tilted when she smiled at me.

What was this feeling?

Whatever was happening had me losing my damn mind. I fumbled with my words. My body wasn’t my own. I wanted her � desperately.

Was I ready to give up my bachelor days, or was this Irish girl simply an itch I needed scratched?

This Love is book 6 in the Cowboys and Angels series]]> 333 Kelly Elliott Margo 0 don-t-read-this 4.62 This Love (Cowboys and Angels, #6)
author: Kelly Elliott
name: Margo
average rating: 4.62
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/06
shelves: don-t-read-this
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Friends With Benefits (Brits in Manhattan, #3)]]> 190840068 A high-flying investor

New Yorker Jake Harrington loves a lot of things about living in London: his lucrative hedge fund job, the way British women melt at the sound of an American accent, being thousands of miles away from the girl who betrayed him. And, oh yes, his just-sex arrangement with his gorgeous roommate, Jess.

His sexy British flatmate

Jess's deal with Jake suits her fine. No commitments, no risk of being hurt again, just fun and friendship. And friends do each other favors, like agreeing to go on a trip to New York where Jake will have to face his past.

And a vacation that will change everything...

What friends shouldn't do? Suddenly find themselves feeling something much more complicated than simple lust. When "no strings" is no longer enough, will Jake be willing to take the ultimate gamble?]]> 234 Laura Carter 178513552X Margo 1
]]> 3.76 Friends With Benefits (Brits in Manhattan, #3)
author: Laura Carter
name: Margo
average rating: 3.76
book published:
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2024/08/06
shelves:
review:
He was awful not worth having. She needs some self-esteem. The situation with the OW made my stomach turn.


]]> <![CDATA[The Catcher: A Bully Grovel Baseball Romance]]> 209773738
Art therapist Emrys Finnegan thought she'd left the fast-paced world of Public Relations behind when her old boss calls to offer her one last job. And it pays the kind of money that could change Emrys' life forever.

There's only one catch. She'd be working for disgraced major league baseball superstar Tanner Courtenay. And he’s a legendary PR nightmare, a violent and unstable athlete with a rap sheet a mile long.

Emrys has no choice but to grit her teeth and put up with Tanner's contemptuous treatment and malicious cruelty. But when one day he goes too far, everything changes. Suddenly, Tanner would do anything to get Emrys to stay with him. And with his wealth and ruthlessness, it's only a matter of time before he gets what he wants�

This is a fast-paced dark baseball romance with bullying, blackmail, obsession, breeding, groveling, and a HEA.]]> 176 Kate Raven Margo 1
This is not a real book with a real plot. It’s an absurdity. This is just a bunch of tedious abuse clichés.

There’s nothing endearing about either character.]]> 3.22 The Catcher: A Bully Grovel Baseball Romance
author: Kate Raven
name: Margo
average rating: 3.22
book published:
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2024/08/04
shelves:
review:
I think the author has confused the word “grovel� with the word “apologize.� There was no groveling here.

This is not a real book with a real plot. It’s an absurdity. This is just a bunch of tedious abuse clichés.

There’s nothing endearing about either character.
]]> <![CDATA[Divorced, Desperate and Delicious (Divorced and Desperate, #1)]]> 11419869

Ever since photographer Lacy Maguire caught her ex playing Pin the Secretary to the Elevator Wall, she's been content with her dog Fabio, her three cats, and a vow of chastity. But all of that changes when the reindeer-antlered Fabio drags in a very desperate, on-the-run detective who decides to take refuge in her house—a house filled with twinkling lights and a decorated tree. (Okay, so it's February, but she has a broken heart to mend, a Christmas-card shoot to do, and a six-times divorced, match-making mother to appease.) For the first time in a looooong while, Lacy reconsiders her vow. Because sexy Chase Kelly, wounded soul that he may be, would be an oh-so-delicious way of breaking her fast. Now, if she can just keep them both alive and him out of jail . . .


Bonus


At the end of the book, get a sneak peek at Christie Craig's newest book in the Divorced and Desperate series, Divorced, Desperate and Dangerous, coming in November!


And as an added bonus, you'll also get a look at the first four chapters of Reborn, the first book in the YA paranormal series Shadow After Dark, that Christie is writing as C. C. Hunter!!


About the


New York Times bestselling author Christie Craig is an award-winning writer, photo journalist, motivational speaker, writing teacher, and author of The Everything Guide To Writing a Romance Novel. Texas Hold 'Em, the next book in her humorous romantic suspense trilogy, is available now. Chosen at Nightfall, the fifth book in her New York Times bestselling Shadow Falls young adult paranormal series written under the name C. C. Hunter, is also available now. And Reborn, the first book in her new Shadow After Dark series, is available now.]]> 338 Christie Craig 098389020X Margo 0 3.82 2007 Divorced, Desperate and Delicious (Divorced and Desperate, #1)
author: Christie Craig
name: Margo
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2007
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/03
shelves:
review:

]]> All the Wrong Choices 58364074 A second chance romance packed with emotion!Being left at the alter on your wedding day is devastating.

But when the man you are supposed to marry has run off with your younger sister, well, that’s an entirely new form of hell.

Everything I believed in, everything I envisioned for my future, was nothing more than a lie. I was a fool. The poor girl who couldn’t hold onto her man. Everyone pitied me, but I didn’t want nor need their pity.

Never again will I be the vulnerable one.

Never again will I allow myself to fall in love because let’s face it, love and commitment are nothing more than a waste of time.

Never again will I fall for a man’s lies.

I’ll remain distant and unattached and I will not falter. Not even when a tall, handsome, and incredibly hot man makes me question the plans I’ve made for myself.

I can’t give in, no matter how perfect he appears to be. I know better and all good things always come to a crashing, destructible finale. I know it will end and when it does, I’ll be the one left shattered.

I’m not sure I’ll survive another fall.



All the Wrong Choices, lead to heartbreak�

And my heart couldn’t take another hit.]]> 0 C.A. Harms Margo 1 4.09 All the Wrong Choices
author: C.A. Harms
name: Margo
average rating: 4.09
book published:
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2024/08/01
shelves:
review:
I never like it when men enjoy women becoming jealous, and particular when it involves a woman who’s been cheated upon in the most horrific way.
]]> <![CDATA[Annie in Paris (Annie Valentine, #7)]]> 204530092
Fashion guru Annie is struggling to cope with her hectic life. With the demands of two older children, plus four-year-old twins, her marriage to Ed is in a romance-free rut and she’s clinging by a couture thread to her job as the nation’s favourite fashion fixer.

And where is Svetlana, her multi-millionaire friend, when Annie needs her? Busy with an expensive mid-life crisis, that's where!

When Ed gets the chance to teach in Paris, Annie thinks time apart could be the answer. Wrong!

In Paris, Ed transforms into a debonair silver fox, attracting the attentions of stylish siren Sylvie.

Annie can’t lose her man or the job she loves, so bundling her bags, her babies and a reluctant Svetlana onto the Eurostar, she sets off to the rescue. But can the City of Love deliver the ooh la la that her marriage, and her fashion series, so desperately needs?

Another brilliant laugh out loud emotional read, perfect for fans of Fiona Gibson, Tracy Bloom and Sophie Ranald!

Praise for Carmen

"Annie Valentine is a wonderful character - I want her to burst into my life and sort out my wardrobe for me!" Bestselling author, Jill Mansell

"You will enjoy getting to know Annie Valentine; laughing with her and crying with her. You may even fall in love with her . . . I have! A fantastic read!"� � � � � Reader review

"Fantastic read, couldn't put it down" � � � � � Reader review

"Can't wait to read the next one!" � � � � � Reader review]]> 338 Carmen Reid 1837516871 Margo 1
Angered after years of not coming first, the heroine’s husband goes on a business trip/sabbatical to Paris leaving her behind with the kids. While he’s there he becomes attracted to a colleague, purchases condoms, tries one on since he hasn’t used them in years, and tells the colleague that he has romantic feelings for her. When his wife shows up in Paris with the kids,, he bundles them up and sends them back home. The only reason why he didn’t have an affair was because the colleague refused him.

Although it’s not clearly marked as such, this is actually the seventh book in a series and I would not have read if I had known. The heroine is not likable, either; she alludes to having some sort of heavy flirtation with an Italian man when she was working in Italy (in a previous book).]]> 4.26 Annie in Paris (Annie Valentine, #7)
author: Carmen Reid
name: Margo
average rating: 4.26
book published:
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2024/07/27
shelves:
review:
If you have any concerns about safety, you will not find this to be an LOL book, which is how it’s being marketed. In fact, you’ll probably find it to be depressing and horrifying.

Angered after years of not coming first, the heroine’s husband goes on a business trip/sabbatical to Paris leaving her behind with the kids. While he’s there he becomes attracted to a colleague, purchases condoms, tries one on since he hasn’t used them in years, and tells the colleague that he has romantic feelings for her. When his wife shows up in Paris with the kids,, he bundles them up and sends them back home. The only reason why he didn’t have an affair was because the colleague refused him.

Although it’s not clearly marked as such, this is actually the seventh book in a series and I would not have read if I had known. The heroine is not likable, either; she alludes to having some sort of heavy flirtation with an Italian man when she was working in Italy (in a previous book).
]]> <![CDATA[Finding Myself (The Chaos Series Book 3)]]> 36685003 Kat’s life has become a blur of dirty nappies and sleepless nights. She has moved into the flat above the salon she owns, alone and without Max the father of her children.

To make matters worse, Max has revealed he plans to remarry. Constantly on edge, her babies are taking up all of her time and Max is never around to help.

Diagnosed with post-natal depression, Kat feels more alone than ever.

Will Kat be able to manage alone? Can she find hope and rebuild her life?

Finding Myself is a novel about searching for the light at the end of the tunnel.


Also, available in The Chaos Series
Book 1 Holding Myself

Book 2 Losing Myself]]> 340 Victoria J. Brown Margo 3 4.08 Finding Myself (The Chaos Series Book 3)
author: Victoria J. Brown
name: Margo
average rating: 4.08
book published:
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/07/27
shelves:
review:

]]>