Review: A SEAL for Christmas by Jennifer Lowery

If I had seen the cover before I read this, I would not have read this.

What is that?!

This is part of an Anthology called SEALs of Winter: A Military Romance Super Bundle. This particular story followed Flash Fire by Elle Kennedy, the only reason I got the anthology. Despite the ridiculous cover, the first page sucked me in.

Cloe Carter is intent on getting through Christmas without thinking about her family. The first year alone has been hard enough but the anniversary of their deaths has her losing it. Determined to get to the grocery store and go home as her hustling on her bike. Too bad for her that a man runs a red light, hitting her in the crosswalk.

Enraged, the man proceeds to get out of the car, yelling about how she was in the street on a yellow light. For a moment she thinks the man might hit her, but a hero made of braun and muscle comes to her aid.

Our hero? A Navy SEAL by the name of Donovan Demarco.

Naturally, like most stupid romance books, Donovan insists on making sure she gets home safely and proceeds to stay the night in order to take care of her. Before long, they realize that each other is the person destined for them. Unfortunately, Cloe starts to get threatening phone calls. Someone is out to hurt her, but Donovan refuses to let that happen.

This was by no means a brilliant story, but I was entertained. This was mindless reading if you're in the mood for a romance about SEALs, short and sweet.

But oh that cover. I will never get over this cover.

Review: Flash Fire by Elle Kennedy

More Cash? Yes please!

This was a short novella that lets us know exactly where everyone in the original series is and gives us an intense moment between Cash and Jen.

Cash McCoy, badass Navy SEAL and resident good ol' boy of San Diego, is ready to propose to his girlfriend, Jen. Despite her brother being his LT, and her father being the most intimidating man on the planet, he spent the last three years loving her. With the help his friends, fellow SEALs Dylan and Seth, he picks out the most gorgeous ring, prepared to propose when he gets home.

Jen, however, has other plans. With her career at its peak, she's finally get the chance she's been waiting for - to go international and take pictures of places and people that matter. Knowing Cash won't be happy with her, she butters him up first, offering him a little something something before dropping the bond.

He takes the bait, knowing full well what she's doing, before asking her what she's done. When she tells him her plans, he doesn't respond the way she hopes. In fact, he flat out tells her she's not going, starting a fight that neither of them wants to own up to.

Before either of them know it, Jenn is off to Central America, taking photos of a war zone while Cash is stationed back at home.

Nothing will go wrong though, right?

The cliches were here in spades - it was easy from the start to tell that Cash wouldn't like her going to a war zone and that something would happen to her there. The military aspect was more present here than any of the other books, but the drama was a little eye-rolling.

However, I loved Cash and loved seeing all the boys. We got to see bits of Claire, still happy with her relationship with Dylan and Aiden. We got to see Miranda and the twins. We learned that Carson and Holly are content with their beautiful baby boy.

I had more fun reading about the couples than about Jen's situation, who I thought was rather pigheaded and stupid to go there. Not to mention, she didn't even discuss it with Cash. It was more of - hey, I'm doing this. You don't like it? Well, suck an egg.

However, when they weren't fighting, their relationship was very sweet. Oh Cash - the sensitive one. Adorable.

Final rating: 3 stars

Review: The Mistake by Elle Kennedy

"'I'm not a hockey fan.'....Logan stares at me. 'You couldn't have told me this before I asked you? What are we even doing here, Grace? I can never marry you now --- it would be blasphemous.'"

And that's how I knew I really liked this book.

While I had a few issues with this one that I didn't with the first, I still greatly enjoyed it. Elle Kennedy is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

Much like The Deal, The Mistake is a hockey romance between a couple that is trying to overcome their pasts. However, unlike Garrett, John Logan isn't always as quick to make the girl know how much she means to him.

Logan, star defender of the Briar University hockey team, had no interest in a relationship until he met his best friend's girlfriend, Hannah. While he loves Garrett ("I'm comfortable enough with my heater status to say that if I did play for the other team? I wouldn't just fuck Garrett Graham, I'd marry him"), and would never consider moving in on his girlfriend, he can't help the crush his heart has been nursing for months. When his friend, Tucker, calls him out on it, Logan realizes he needs to move on from it.

Grace is a Briar freshman that doesn't know who she is. After meeting her best friend in the first grade, she quickly learned she would forever be the quiet one while Ramona was the star. They went to the same college, had the same dorm, and even shared the same friends, despite Grace having nothing in common with them. The one thing she does know about herself: she finds hockey star Logan to be the hottest boy on campus.

After an awkward interaction with Hannah, Logan decides to get out of the house. He meant to meet up with some friends, but he quickly realizes he's knocked on the wrong door when petite Grace answers.

Realizing his night is a bust, he decides to hang out with Grace. As an action-movie lover, she's got Die Hard 2 playing and gummy bears on hand - what more could he need? Well, perhaps an intense make-out will help make the evening an A+ night.

While their relationship continues to grow, Logan starts to feel extreme guilt. With Hannah still on his mind, he feels like he's leading Grace, a very nice girl, on far too much. Dead set ready to break it off, he heads to her dorm - and is immediately groped by Grace. His bottom head doesn't catch up with his top half and things get a little out of hand. When she admits to her virgin status, ready for to hand it over to him, he owns up to everything, going so far as to confess to his feelings for Hannah.

Embarrassed, humiliated, and hurt, she kicks him to the curb. However, Hannah shortly kicks some sense into Logan, making him realize he just let go of perhaps the only relationship he's ever truly wanted.

I'm going to go backwards here and start with what I didn't like.

Cons:

1. A good chunk of the book is dedicated to Grace ignoring Logan, claiming to be over him when it's clear she's not. Now, I know the guy pulled a dick move, but the drama lasted too long. A couple chapters would have sufficed yet she it drags on.

2. The shittiness that is Ramona. There is bad friend and then there is just plain evil. Ramona essentially breaks every version of girl/guy/friend code and texts her bestie's man behind her back. I think if you're going to go for someone a friend has dated, you have to consider a couple things - how long was their relationship and how close are the two of you. If they only dated once or twice, I think if you discuss it with the friend, then there is the potential to make a move. And you never move in on someone's ex if it's a risk to the friendship. Ramona, the best friend, is a grade A tool bag. I HATED her character and felt no sympathy for her and, yet, Logan and Grace do? Nah.

3. Sidney Crosby. Don't EVER mention Sidney Crosby. Ever. No. Just no.

Pros:

1. The comedy. I loved loved LOVED how funny this was. I laughed aloud as I read it. Like I giggled. A book that can make me have a reaction - whether it's crying, laughing, etc. - is a book that makes me happy.

2. The realism. This book delves deeply into the ugly side of alcoholism and how it affects families. I can say firsthand that it was handled well. Substance abuse is ugly and painful and hurtful and plain sucks.

"My mom says it's genetic, and I know Dad's side of the family has ah history of depression as well as alcoholism. And fuck, maybe that's it. Maybe those really are the reasons he can't stop drinking. But a part of me still can't fully accept that. He had a good childhood, damn it. He had a wife who loved him, two sons who did whatever they could to please him. Why couldn't that be enough for him?"

Ugly, but very real.

3. The hockey! The first book didn't dive into much hockey, but this one did. It discussed the downsides to the draft and harsh realities the players trying to make it go through. It talked about the game and made real life comparisons. The lingo was properly used! As a hockey fan, it made me happy.

4. This quote: "Thousands of screaming hockey fans fill the seats, an endless sea of faces, a blur of black and yellow occasionally broken up by the white and turquoise of the Sharks fans who happen to be in attendance."

The Sharks reference made up for the Crosby one!

Now, it's on to Dean's book. Let's do this!

Final Rating: 4 stars

Review: The Deal by Elle Kennedy

Okay, there are a lot of mixed reviews about this book. People either love it or they hate it.

Well, I happened to LOVE it!

Basically if you substitute her adorableness with yoga pants and dirty hair then it's totally me!

The Deal is a hockey romance that centers (pun unintended) around Hannah, a music student that comes from a rough past and is eager to leave it all behind. While she is content with most of her life, she has yet to find someone that makes her heart race. She certainly has someone in mind: Justin Kohl, the star of the football team, Hemingway lover, and all around perfect guy.

Too bad he doesn't know she exists.

Garrett Graham, however, knows she exists. Well, kind of. As the captain of the Briar University hockey team, he knows he needs to pass his ethics class and it just so happens, Hannah is the key to that. After seeing her perfect grade on the midterm, he begs her to help him study. Uninterested, she quickly rebuffs his requests, but Garrett isn't one to be deterred.

Essentially, he annoys the hell out of her until she agrees. Well, and he offers to help her score a date with Justin Kohl.

As they start to study together, they get to know one another and form a pretty awesome friendship. They watch shows together, they hang out, they eat dinner together - it was interesting to actually read about the friendship instead of the author just saying 'hey, they're epic friends.' Their friendship eventually progresses to feelings, though neither will acknowledge them right away.

Now the whole thing about the rape was obviously a point of contention for most of the readers. I can agree it's an overused trope, but it was handled in a way I haven't seen. I am frustrated because most people that were upset over it either didn't finish it or didn't read it all. This wasn't about her becoming desirable for a boy - she wanted to overcome it for herself. She even says: "With Devon, my sex issues were made a hundred times worse because of that pressure, because the sex part was tangled up with the love part. With Garrett, it can be just about the sex. Trying to put the pieces of my sexuality back together without worrying about disappointing someone I love."

Furthermore, the book discusses how people with this issue are often treated like they're made of glass. Garrett, on the other hand, doesn't do this.

"I'm not a fragile piece of china to him. I'm just...me."

I also love that the sex in this book is about having fun! Sheesh, do we need another book of romantic sappy bullshit where it's about a penis going in and out and in and out? At least this book - because it is a romance - is about having fun with each other. I am firm believer that if you can't laugh during sex then you're not doing it right.

For instance: "'It's okay. There's only one boo-boo I want you to kiss, and you sound too distracted for that.' He pauses. 'I'm talking about my dick, by the way.'"

I genuinely laughed out loud reading this. Garrett and Hannah are funny! They bicker and they make fun of each other and they're sarcastic and then they have sex in between. It was pretty hilarious.

My favorite scene had me cracking up to the point where I scared my cat. It's a scene where Hannah ventures into a locker room, prepared to throw down a fight. However, unlike movies that make a men's locker room seem like something sexy (A Cinderella Story, Varsity Blues, etc.), this basically says how that's a bunch of crap.

"Penises! Sweet Jesus. Penises everywhere. Horror slams into me as I register what I'm seeing. Oh God. I've stumbled into a penis convention. Big penises and small penises and fat penises and penis-shape penises. It doesn't matter which direction I move my head because where I look I see penises."

As for the hockey aspects, I had to let some stuff slide. It's not so much that she was wrong, but there was hardly any true hockey details in the book. I'm a hockey junkie (GO SHARKS!) so I know my hockey and I'm fine with how it was portrayed. I'd rather have it be limited than wrong. However, since there are more books, I hope she discusses more of the hockey in the future.

I feel like I could go on and on about this book, but I just am eager to read the next one. It's fun, it was hilarious, and despite what a lot have this listed under, there is no cheating in this.

So excited for Logan's book!

Final rating: 5 stars!

Review: Promise Me by Barbie Bohrman

Was I supposed to like anyone in this book?

I'm trying to properly put my feelings into words, but I keep getting angry.

So I started reading this last year because I was going to a book festival. I stopped for some reason and realized yesterday I never finished it. So I finished it.

Promise Me starts off with the typical girl gets cheated on by her boyfriend and best friend (did everyone have an awful best friend in high school? My bff from high school is still one of my besties now. Never understand this trope). The town's bad boy sees her during this awful time and despite his reputation, proves to be absolutely swoon worthy. He's basically Ryan Gosling at this point. She takes this with her, remembers him fondly, and spends ten years obsessing over him.

Like a crazy person.

Don't get me wrong, I had crushes in high school. But it's been ten years for me, too, and I have hardly given them much thought over the years. It's called growing up. Obsessing over the glory days is sad and doesn't fit someone who is supposedly so successful.

That's right, Sabrina is now successful in Miami, living like Friends with her best friend Julia. Working towards being a Head Art Curator, she's happy with her life. Then the dreaded ten year reunion invitation shows up. Should she go? Will Tyler be there? What if her ex Chris is there?

"'STOP THINKING ABOUT IT! JUST GO!'"

Well, with those words of wisdom, Julia, who can say no?! And yes, they were written in all caps in the book.

So she decides to go, mostly with the hopes of seeing Tyler again. In her best LBD, she sets off to deal with her ex-boyfriend, ex-best friend, and the man that stole her heart with all his rebel ways. Well, what do we figure out at the reunion?

Chris and Lisa got married, though she's insecure and he claims to still miss Sabrina. Tyler was never really that bad, and is all good now. And that Sabrina is living out a bad version of Romy and Michele.

Actually, if her character said that, I might have some respect for her. Mostly she said how Lisa was mean and she wanted to bone Tyler.

As you can probably guess, Tyler and her hit it off and start a very dysfunctional, long distance relationship.

So here is the thing: I had no respect for any of the characters in this book. It wasn't enjoyable because of this. Sabrina let everyone walk all over her - Lisa, her mom, Tyler, her best friend, her boss, etc. Grow a backbone, sweetheart. Her inner thoughts revealed how she would be upset when her mom would bring up Lisa or how she was insecure about Tyler, but she never voiced any of these issues. She was annoying as hell.

Lisa and Julia were both so over the top that they clearly were pure fiction. Sometimes you can tell when an author draws from real life people, but these were cliched friends taken from Mean Girls.

And Tyler...

Spoiler alert

Please tell me how anyone can like him after he cheats on her in an act of revenge for something she didn't even do. He knows she's got a problem with cheating - he was literally there to witness her be cheated on in her youth - and that's how he gets back at her? Yeah, real lovable guy.

End spoiler.

Aside from the plot, the writing was generic. Not filled with spelling and grammar mistakes, but you can tell it's self-published. All the OH MY GOD ALL CAPS kind of gave it away.

Final rating: 1 star

Review: Worth It All by Claudia Connor

I did not anticipate this not only being my favorite of the series, but I also didn't think I would love it as much as I did.

Loved it.

Like I really loved it.

How much did I love it?

That much.

Worth It All takes place about six years after the last book. Matt and Abby are still living in bliss while Stephen and Hannah are growing their brood. However, not the same can be said for the youngest of the McKinney brothers, JT. While he's found career success and dealt with the loss of his leg, his inner turmoil still beats him down. His shining moment each day, though, is when he goes to a local diner and sees the most beautiful woman wearing an apron.

Paige didn't have a good childhood. Born to an absent father and a selfish mother, she was determined to make it in life. She wasn't planning on getting knocked up so young, putting a kink in her dreams. While she loves her daughter Casey with everything in her, working menial jobs to get by leaves her drained each day and pinching pennies to make ends meet.

JT wanted to ask her out, but the kid changed everything. A kid is responsibility. A kid means commitment. A kid means being selfless. He was ready to turn right back around. Then he took a closer look at Casey and noticed her missing limb, gone from circumstances so different than his own. JT suddenly wanted to help her, a decision that led to more than just getting to know Casey.

So I don't know what it was about this book, but I was gone from start to finish. This was a storyline that delved into issues that were both relatable while being interesting. Again, a child played a focal point and I just loved her. The author portrayed her as a real child, asking a million questions and crying over ridiculous things. The realism made their romance all the sweeter since they had to sneak moments together.

Paige was a good mother, which is a high compliment. She acknowledged her dreams were cast aside once Casey was born, but she never blamed her child. She didn't expect life to hand her anything, but worked for it. She didn't anticipate JT falling for her, but wanted it. Paige was relatable and I genuinely liked her.

As for JT...

"Just before the song ended Jake lowered his head to nibble around her ear, bringing chills to her bare back and arms. 'Come home with me tonight.' His lips feathered over hers. 'Casey will be asleep. Jenny's there. Come home with me. Let me make love to you.'"

He was kind, patient, understanding, yet had flaws that made their romance believable.

This book made me happy. It wasn't as angsty as the other ones, but more about finding love and taking care of it through adversity. I was crazy about this start to finish.

I can't wait for the spin-off! Please, Claudia Connor, write more books yesterday!

Final rating: 5 stars