ljamison01's reviews
1120 reviews

Love on Ice by J.A. Low, J.A. Low

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This is the first book in the Manhattan Mavericks series. We have Harper who is a very rich woman who also works in public relations. She’s going to Paradise Island to get over a bad breakup. Now Pierre our hockey star who is also a bad boy is also going to Paradise island to get over his own breakup. Harper has been to Paradise Island before but it’s Pierre’s first time. So Harper decides to show him what the Island is all about and what it offers. This is a very spicy story that takes place at a sex club (island). The attraction between them is certainly explosive and very open. Harper is about 8 years older than Pierre and she makes it clear this “thing” is just for now, a summer fling. She is a little bothered by the age gap and doesn’t really want anything serious. Pierre is a golden retriever and he definitely falls fast and hard for Harper. Of course they return home and events occur that make them decide to fake date to Pierre goes off to training camp. But fake of course turns real and what started as a fling ends in HEA. Great story. I loved the unique idea of having them meet at a sex club not just for a night but for a week of salacious and unique entertainment. 
Buried Dreams by Natasha Madison

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emotional mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I am enjoying and loving this Dream series. This is the 3rd book in a series of interconnected books. I think it’s better if you read each book in order.  Now every book focuses on a car accident that happened years ago but had lasting effects to the people and the town. In this book we meet Brock and Everleigh who were happy together and talking about their future prior to the accident and then something changed. Both are extremely bitter, lonely and unhappy. Oh cue the angst. It’s so good. Brock is now a single dad of a young girl. Everleigh had moved out of the town and never returned until her mother suffers a heart attack and she comes back to help her and run the town’s very popular bakery. Now Brock is currently working and managing the car shop directly across the street from the bakery. So you can just imagine the longs of longing that happen in this book. The first time they meet alone is smoking hot, nothing better than acrimonious sex. Along with all the bitterness and hatred between these two, we have a mystery. This story is very good. I loved the characters. Brock was such a wonderful dad and so loving. I even enjoyed seeing Miss Maddie enjoying some male company. I love how the author has taken one event and shown how the after effects can ripple and cause additional devastation. If you like spice, small town, single dad romance with a mystery read this book. 
By The Letter by Julia Wolf

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I absolutely loved this book. I was hooked from the first chapter. Julia Wolf has become an author that I want to read everything she wrote. This is probably only the 7th book of hers I have read but I enjoyed every word. She has such an amazing way of getting you wrapped up in the story and so concerned with the characters that you are deeply engrossed until the last word on the page. This book is the 2nd in the Mile High Billionaire series and I hope the remaining books focus on Roman’s brothers as well as Shira’s best friend Bea. Shira is a widow and forced to run her deceased husband’s company and Roman’s father was friends with Shira’s husband. So Roman has left his career as a rugby player and is now taking over companies and salvaging and restructuring them. So he wants to make GoldMed what it once was. Roman has heard nothing but bad stuff about Shira she was this young gold digging woman who didn’t care about the company or her grown stepdaughter. Shira is incredibly shy and she has some things she needs to work on but she can’t seem to communicate this with Roman. Now these two have a very secret dalliance which is so secret they didn’t even know it was with someone they knew. This intimate encounter leads to an unplanned pregnancy and these two people co-parenting. Such a great story. I loved how they communicated with each other using notes. I loved all the side characters especially Roman’s twin brother Ben. I wish I could haven given this book a 6 it was so good. I highly recommend this book. 
On Loverose Lane by Samantha Young

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emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Callan and Beth knew each other years ago in school, there was some chemistry but things did not work out. Years later Callan is a famous football player and he moves into the apartment above Beth. This is not a happy situation for either of them. This causes Beth’s stress and anxiety. Callan is not happy because he believes that Beth betrayed him, but she taught him a valuable lesson that he doesn’t need love. The two of them go out of the way to avoid each other and of course this works in the reverse because they keep meeting up. Callan is forced to say that him and Beth are dating when he happens upon a difficult situation for her. So they must pretend to date for Beth’s job. While fake dating the two of them begin to talk and discuss their past and a new relationship is formed. This story is told in flashbacks which is usually not my favorite literary device but is appropriate here to explain why there is so much animosity between these two. I love second chance and enemies to lovers stories because I love the angst. I love when one character can’t stop thinking of, wanting or longing for the person who makes their heart sing. I enjoyed this book and the steam. I did not realize this was a second generation book and that Beth is the daughter of two previous characters from the book On Dublin Street. Now I want to go back and read that first book. 
The Bloke by Jacklyn Parker

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

The Bloke is the first in three standalone books in the Men Under Revue series. Colby is our MMC he comes from Australia and he is soon a dancer in this male revue show. He works hard but he notices his fellow dancers are living a good life with expensive cars and apartments. One night after a show he is invited by a fellow dancer to go with him so that he too can have more and enjoy the finer things in life. Colby has to successfully execute several tasks to be accepted into this group. He manages to do this and five years later, he’s living in a penthouse and driving an expensive car. He has everything but a partner. Suddenly, Sienna shows up at one of his dance shows and the attraction between them is instant. She is mesmerized by his eyes and he can’t stay away from her. Now Sienna is out with friends and she is just a little intoxicated. Colby is so interested in her that during his dance set he grabs her and these two bump and grind on the dance floor. After the set is over he brings her back stage to continue. The next morning Sienna awakes to find out that her and Colby are married. She is livid, she has just begun to live her life, escaping her controlling parents and their rules. Sienna doesn’t want to stay married and she wants to fight this attraction and desire. Colby wants to be with her and can’t imagine not being with her. The problem is that this relationship was not sanctioned by the MUR (men under revue), what tasks will Sienna be forced to do to stay with Colby and will she want to or successfully complete them. This was such an amazing concept. I love reading stuff that surprise me because it different. I really enjoyed this. There are some dark aspects so please read the trigger warnings. Great book anxiously awaiting the other two books. 
Double Fault by Ella Wren

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emotional inspiring lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

I think this is my first tennis romance story. I enjoy watching tennis and have gone to many matches. But, it’s rare to find a romance set around it. This is a familiar trope of nanny/single dad. I am a sucker for a single dad who is involved in their child’s life. Now Sabrina is struggling to find a teaching position and she is experiencing hard time and applies for a nanny position. Sabrina is a very happy sunshiny person who looks for the good in life. Now luckily for Sabrina, Noah’s (another Noah that’s the male name of the year) daughter needs not just a nanny but a teacher/tutor as they go on tour. Noah is determined to play and win but he also wants to keep his daughter with him. Noah’s wife died from cancer so he hasn’t had an easy time. I enjoy this trope because usually there is the unspoken longing and angst as they try to navigate a relationship with a lot of outside influences. This is a great steamy book with two people who appreciate each other as they both struggle with the things that held them back. 
Faking The Shot by Kendall Hale

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emotional inspiring lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Kaden is our grumpy hockey player. He’s had a public break up, his teammates aren’t fond of him and he feels pressured to live up to his family’s expectations. So the PR firm decided they need to step in and help him with his image. Now Valentina is new in the company but she is tasked with keeping Kaden in line. Although Valentina is Ms. Sunshine she is recovering from a divorce. Valentina really tried to be professional but of course the attraction was too strong to resist. This hockey grumpy-sunshine romance book was spicy. I enjoyed Valentina helping Kaden get over his anxieties and him helping her with her insecurities. There were some strange events that felt out of place in the story but didn’t affect the overall flow of the story. 
It Happened One Winter by E.L. Deliza

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emotional funny informative medium-paced

4.0

This book is a great enemies-to-lovers story. Ibrahim is smart and driven. He is at the top of his class. He loves to verbally spar with Zaire. Now she wants to graduate at the top of the class but unfortunately Ibrahim is always shadowing her. Ibrahim is attracted to her but hasn’t decided to pursue her. When something happens that makes our two competitors join together then they realize there is more to life than being rivals. This book had amazing banter and a great friend group. I loved how they were so competitive, each trying to outdo the other. This is the second book in this series. 
Penn by Jennifer Millikin

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This book pays homage to a movie called The Princess Bride. A movie I saw once in the early 90’s??  I don’t really remember the movie and what I do remember I didn’t care for. So the phrases or expressions were lost on me. For those who were fans of the movie you might love it. I enjoyed the book in spite of the movie.  Penn has returned to Olive Township (this is the first book in this new series) to sort out his mother’s belongings and sell her mom. He’s trying to avoid everyone and just lay low and get out of town. He runs into Daisy and is surprised that she doesn’t recognize him and that she’s marrying the town’s bully. Daisy is not sure what the attraction is to Penn and why he seems concerned about her upcoming nuptials. As Penn and Daisy become friends again and sort out the issues of the past her wedding day is looming closer. Why is Daisy marrying a man she is not in love with? This book does have some angst and a good story of two people finding each other again. 
Playing Mr. Perfect: Clay Braden by Melissa Foster

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emotional funny inspiring lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This is the first book in the Bradens at Ridgeport series. I’m glad that I started with the first book I detest coming in the middle of a series. I must admit this is my first time reading a book by this author. I see that she is quite prolific and has quite a number of books that I need to read in the future. Clay is a football player, popular, handsome, and wealthy. Pepper is a scientist, smart, busy, intelligent and she wants nothing to do with Mr. Perfect the playboy. Now because of family events they seem to all keep being around each other. Clay is more intentional because he’s attracted to her and wants to get to know her better. Pepper is just too involved in her business and her family and Clay is everything she has avoided. However, when in Paris things shift. They spend some time together, a magical night and she even blows off work for him. But, when back at home Pepper realizes that Paris was Paris and it was just a brief interlude. Clay doesn’t see it that way and he persists on getting Pepper to open up to him. Nothing is better than opposites attract because 2 wildly different people get together and realize that they just aren’t that different. Great story, I enjoyed the characters, the plot and the beginning of an amazing series.