Review: Rafe: A Buff Male Nanny

Rafe: A Buff Male Nanny by Rebekah Weatherspoon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I truly enjoyed this book: it's a wonderfully simple story, in which two characters meet and fall in love. I enjoyed the reversals, that he was the nanny and she was the accomplished professional. I enjoyed the naturality in which they both accept each other with their goods and bads. I enjoyed the aspects of biracial relationships and how they are presented as part of the fabric of our society, as an organic piece of who we are and who we should be. *I was given an ARC by the author*

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Review: Make Me Fall

Make Me Fall by Sara Rider
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 stars! A wonderful book from beginning to end.
I adored the simplicity of the story (I mean that in the best way, as in without unnecessary drama) and the reality of the conflict between the main characters and the struggles of making friends in a new town.
Both main characters are fully fleshed, multidimensional, with ups and downs and a lot of kindness and respect for each other in between.
I loved the idea of opposites attract and that neither of them has to change, that is more about accepting each other and finding common ground.
A 10/10 rec, for sure

more details under the cut for spoilers
spoiler: (view spoiler)[

It meant SO much to me that Nora doesn't have to change her traits and that Eli accepts them and does accommodate to her needs and same from her towards him. He doesn't need to tide up or become organized...
Eli is a thoughtful hero that is respectful of the boundaries she set while not becoming a doormat and also setting up boundaries for him. Nora, at the same time, is super smart and not oblivious to the fact that he's holding back, not because he doesn't want her, but because she explicitly told him she wasn't pursuing a relationship.

I liked that the initial conflict was Nora struggle to make friends, and how hard it is to make new friends in your 30s in a new place. It's a simple but real issue that resonates with people. Eli going out of his way to make her feel comfortable and accepting her quirks, and making room for her in his life and really introducing her to his friends had me swooning.

I really loved this book from beginning to end.
(hide spoiler)]

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Review: How She Likes It

How She Likes It by Carla de Guzman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars!
I thoroughly enjoyed this new-to-me author. There are so many good elements in here: a slighter older heroine with the successful career and a younger single dad trying to find his way in life.
The "role reversal" in this book works perfectly, as the author finds a way to show this in an organic way, with an unapologetic heroine that loves her career and an unapologetic dad that loves being a dad and taking care of his daughter.
Things I thoroughly enjoyed in this book:
- both the heroine and the hero's personalities, backstories and character traits
- Isabel and Regina's true friendship amidst of the competition they had been placed in their entire lives. It was refreshing to read women supporting other women and accepting others!
- I honestly loved how the characters and the story unfold from beginning to end
- Adam's loyalty towards the people he loves

Overall, a great and enjoyable read!


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Review: Rebel Hard

Rebel Hard by Nalini Singh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a quite interesting read. It was my first book from the author and I have a couple of mixed feelings. I loved both characters: Nayna and Raj. Their passions, their uptake in life, their chemistry and everything in between. This book has some of the best and swoon worthy lines I've ever read, such as "Don't end us before we begin".
Things I love about this book:
- how both characters had great communication even though words didn't come easy to Raj, they both made an effort to talk to each other and understand each other
- how characters met in the middle, working hard to figure out what worked for *them* instead of family mandates
- the cultural aspect around their families, tradition, clothes and food
- the fact that sometimes, people fall in love and live happily ever after

What I wish would have been a little different
- There was some unbalance in the PoV from the characters. I'm ok with stories being told from just one character's pov, but in this case, having two and relying heavily on one (Nayna) over the other (Raj) felt unbalanced to me. This also taints a little bit the vision of the relationship the first 2/3 of the book, in which is all about Nayna's feelings, hopes and dreams while Raj's take a backseat. It balances out towards the end, but I would have loved to read more about Raj's from the beginning
- Given this, the actual romance/conflict around romance takes a little of backstage against Nayna's own family conflicts and her search for her own persona. While this is not a bad thing at all, I would have loved the romance to take more of a front stage.
- Raj's backstory is so powerful and it could have taken more time and space to develop (his feelings, his fears, how this shapes his entire being), instead of just going back and again to Nayna's family dynamics.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the author's narrative style and look forward to see what else she's working on!
*I received an ARC on NetGalley*

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Review: How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire

How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire by Kerrelyn Sparks
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

DNF at 40%
it was one God's blood too many

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