Book Review: Meet Me At the Anvil by Kate Prior

This was fun and different from a lot of the historical romances I’ve read. Like Prior’s other books, this is a bit ridiculous. I mean that in a nice easy-not as a judgment. 

I wish we could have had some of Liam’s thoughts-not an unusual complaint for me. This is in 3rd person, but limited to Diane’s POV. 

I’m a bit confused about how certain things happened, but I’m going to just throw myself into it. It also has a bit of insta-love vibes. That’s why it’s three stars, not four.

Kate Prior is a great and engaging writer. I will continue to read books from her as she publishes them.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Love, Laugh, Lich by Kate Prior

I picked this up because Ruby Dixon talked about the 2nd one. So, I had to check the series out. 

This is ridiculous, but incredibly self-aware. It borders on parody of corporate culture. I love a good parody or satire. There was a take over and now an evil Lord controls everything. Lily works for the Lord Lich and is just on board for the world as it is. She also talks a lot with Janice in HR. Those are hilarious conversations.

Yes, there are sex rituals and they are pretty steamy. The Lich has some extra appendages that Lily takes full advantage of. They are also ridiculous scenes, but you just have to buy in. There’s also some sweet moments here.While a lot of this is over-the-top, it is very well written. I plan on continuing with the series but I’ll also keep an eye on Kate Prior because she has some real talent as a writer.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Brutal Prince by Sophie Lark

I finished this in one sitting and stayed up until 2 AM. I haven’t done that in years so I felt I had to write a review. This was also my first Sophie Lark book.

This is a true enemies-to-lovers story. Like Callum and Aida legitimately hate each other because they’re from rival mafia families. Apparently I’m reading mafia romance a lot now. They basically try to kill each other even after they get married. They’re forced to marry by their fathers to bring peace to the families.

Initially, I thought this was slow. But it actually makes sense. There’s true animosity between Callum and Aida. It would be unrealistic for them to fall in love or move on from those feelings. That time really helped me buy into the romance. It also doesn’t stop them from having some spicy hate sex.

Callum and Aida grew to have a very strong romance. They understood and pushed each other in ways the other people in their lives didn’t. I especially loved when Callum would show respect to Aida. They had these little sweet moments.

I was intrigued by both of their siblings. That’s probably a good thing because the other books in the series are about them. I’m into the family dynamics here.

I would’ve liked an epilogue or something, but I always do. I do get why she didn’t do that. I’m hopeful I’ll get to see these two in future books. I’ll definitely keep reading the series, but I want to finish the other mafia romance series I’m reading right now.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Our Overtime by S.C. Kate

Why is starting a review so hard? 

This is a second chance romance which is one of my favorite tropes. It also has some pretty angsty moments. It also has a lot of hockey which I like in my romance. At times, the relationship dynamic reminded me of the District Ballet Company books. There are also moments of domestic violence if that bothers you. 

I read this in a few hours and was easily engaged. It kept me turning my figurative Kindle pages. But it was also a little bit lacking. Sometimes I needed breathing moments. That may have helped me connect more. The characters weren’t quite as flushed out as I would’ve liked. The romance was also a bit underdeveloped. I never really saw the love-especially when they reconnected. Instead, I was just told. I believe the romance, I just wanted it to be a bit more.

This does have closed door/fade-to-black scenes. Some people prefer that and others hate it, so I like to point it out. Personally, I don’t care as long as the romance is written well.

While this wasn’t my favorite, S.C. Kate has a lot of potential. She is still a new author and I think her books will get better as she practices her skill. I will continue to try books by her-especially if they’re still on Kindle Unlimited.

Thanks for reading!
Holly