The Billionaire Needs a Bodyguard [Ravina Hilliard- Book Review]

Synopsis:

Alexandra “Lex” Granger is a private security consultant who has to go undercover to protect billionaire businessman Michael Thornton, pretending to be an escort. Michael does not think he needs a bodyguard, despite the death threats he has received from protesters against his takeover of a Danish company, but he does need protection against the predatory wife of the Danish ambassador. Lex knows that this assignment is dangerous, made more so because her client does not even know that he is being protected. 

She doesn’t know that he thinks she is a con-artist a gold-digger who takes rich men for everything that she can get. As sparks fly, and the attraction between the two go stronger, they face a deadly danger from an unknown assailant. Lex and Mike embark on a turbulent affair in the beautiful city of Copenhagen, with Mike realising that there is much more to the sexy seductress, her bewildering vulnerability evoking unfettered passion and feelings that he has never experienced before. Lex realises that she has committed the ultimate folly, that of falling in love with a man who despises her. Will she overcome the dangers to Michael to her breaking heart? 

Purchase it here.

Genre: Romance

Rating: 4 stars ⭐️

Usually I am able to get through romance quickly and once again, that is the case with this book. I had no idea what to expect when I started, but I could not get enough once I had begun reading this story. The reason was because the premise was so unique. I did not really read the description when I started. I just kind of went in blind and was shocked to find it was a woman who was going to be the bodyguard. At first, I was a little surprised by this. But in the best way possible, women should be the heroes in books as well. It was awesome to see the story was turned around a little bit, with the woman being the one who had to do the saving.

The book starts out a little slow for me. I did not really like how self deprecating Lex was to herself. She was just hating all of her body and how she looked. She did not see anything good in herself, and this annoyed me because I don’t think this should be in a romance novel. I think it could harm those who deal with body image issues, and it is hard to see in a book when it is so blatant and the only solution is when a man says you are good enough. Despite this, I did enjoy the romance. I was just not pleased with the casual negative body image Lex has, and she never really deals with it in a healthy way.

The romance in this book is interesting though. It is a build up of hate to love. But also a little bit more complicated because he thinks she is an escort and doesn’t know she is a bodyguard. Michael treats her terribly often, calling her a slut and whore because he thinks she’s an escort. And he also thinks she is a gold digger so he just looks down on her. Sex workers are already looked down upon, and I think just another casual attitude to the way people treat them is also harmful because sex workers are people too. I know I did have some problems with this book, but I did enjoy it. The build up is worth it. Michael takes her shopping and buys her nice clothes. He teases her with passionate kisses and the chemistry between them is off the charts. Truly some of the hottest steamy scenes I have read in a long time.

The suspense was awesome as well. I was able to read this in one day, and I enjoyed it. I love romantic suspense stories, and I would suggest this to all the fans of the genre. It just seems like some of the words were a little strange, but I think it is because this book was not in English originally. Just a little bit of editing would make this book go smoother for the reader.

This was such an awesome romance, and it is a good way to spend an afternoon because it was so much fun. I highly recommend this book, and I can’t wait to read more like this.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Tech [Mark Ravine-Book Review]

Synopsis:

Special Agent Alexandra Cassidy has made a career of disobeying orders, challenging
bigwigs, and asking uncomfortable questions. But what offends her superiors most is that
her intolerable antics have earned her one of the best track records in the FBI.
It’s too bad, some cases are better left unsolved.

When Cassidy is transferred to the backwaters of Arizona she finds herself leading a crew
with so many black marks on their records, it’s a miracle any of them remain employed.
Thankfully, their first case pretty much solves itself. But as Cassidy and her team continue
throwing bad guys behind bars, a creeping sense of suspicion grows. The cases are easy, a
little too easy, and troubling patterns become impossible to ignore.
Then things take a violent turn, and an elusive figure steps forward to help. But in a
conspiracy big enough to topple kings, every player has an agenda—and misplaced trust will
have devastating consequences.

Genre: Thriller

Purchase the book here.

Rating: 4 Stars ⭐️

Alright, wow. This book was so intense, but I loved every moment of it. I have been a fan of shows about the FBI and other special agencies for a long time. I think I got this from my grandma, so I am just an old lady in my taste for shows. I think that is why I love CBS All Access so much. But this book, I have so many thoughts about. All of them are good, but let’s get started on my very long review about this book.

The Tech is a debut thriller, but I thought this was from a seasoned writer because it was done so well. You could not tell me this was new after I read it or I would not have believed you. I only know it was his first because i looked on Goodreads and was shocked to find he did not have any other books out. But also sad because I want more from this author asap.

Alexandra Cassidy is sent to Arizona to be the head of a group of the FBI rejects and get crimes solved. She has tech guy named Mike, and they start solving interconnected crimes so easily that it seems like there is something bigger going on because it never happens that easily normally.

This is not a dark thriller. Like, you are given clues about what is going to happen so you can see the story start to unfold. But I liked this just fine because then I was able to enjoy the story and not worry about having to wrack my brain to solve the deeper story. I’d love more thrillers to be lighter at times, but this is a good one to delve into if you want a light thriller that you will be able to enjoy for a long time.

I was a little unsure when I started the book because there was so much going on. Like there was a bank robbery and it just was laid out so perfectly. It just seemed like it was trying to say this was the perfect crime but obviously not since it was being solved so easily. I don’t know, I was concerned about first about this because I wanted it to be just a thriller I was shocked by. Not just everything laid out so easily I was going to get bored before the story really picked up. However, I am glad i stayed with the story because once it starts to pick up the pace, there was nothing stopping me from finishing this book late in the night.

My only issue with the book was like how fast it all seemed to happen. I know on tv shows it always gets solved so fast but that is TV so you should not just write a book like TV. I know sometimes cases from the FBI take sooo long to solve and all of these were being solved like no tomorrow. They are like handed the clues and no one thinks it is weird that is this seems to be happening so quickly. I would assume since they all have training, they would know that cases aren’t solved this quickly unless something weird is going on. Also, they are traveling a lot so you would think it would take longer unless they all have jet pack cars. It was just a little thing that made me irked, but I still kept reading the book because I needed to know what was going to happen next. It was worth it, but just be aware of this when you are reading the book.

The characters are all okay, but it just seemed like I could not connect to them. Mike is just like the tech guy and he thinks everyone is stupid except him when it comes to technology. Alexandra is also like I am going to be this strong woman, but she doesn’t seem to know how to work with her team unless she is judging them for what they had done in the past. I don’t think taking about how this was a team of rejects that came to be these heroes was needed. I know it was makes you connect to them, but all of the characters were a little surface level and I wished I could have connected to them just a bit more.

The thing between Alexandra and Mike was a little odd, but I cant wait to see where it goes. I know this is going to be a longer series since you don’t find out who they bad guys are. But I don’t mind. I cant wait for more from this author.

Thank you to the publisher, Dawn Hill Publishing, for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

44 Chapters about 4 Men [BB Easton- Book Review]

Rating: 4 Stars

Genre: Memoir

Publisher: Forever Publishing

I had no idea what to expect when I picked up this book. I chose it for the title alone, and then I was even more intrigued when I saw it was going to made into a Netflix series.I knew I was going to dive into this book uninhibited, but I had no idea I was going to stay up until 3 AM reading this book because I became so invested. This is probably one of the best memoirs I have ever read, which is strange because it is the opposite of the majority of the ones I read.

There is just something so addictive about a memoir where someone shares their sexual history and gives a glimpse into what their life is like. It is like a voyeuristic thrill I could not get enough of.

BB Easton has lived an interesting life. This memoir is a collection of her journal reminiscing about her boyfriends before she met and married her husband. I did not expect for the memoir to be so detailed, but she does not hold anything back. It also turns out she wrote fiction about each one of her ex boyfriends, and I was like, wow those are books I will be picking up sometime soon to compare with what I read in this book.

BB Easton talks about her 4 partners in life. 3 ex boyfriends and her husband. She writes the truth about her past, but she also embellishes because she wants her husband to be more attentive with her in certain ways.

Knight was her first boyfriend, and it became this very intense relationship. She holds nothing back as she talks about the sex they had, but she also touches on how tumultuous the relationship was. Knight was the scary first boyfriend who doesn’t know how to let go,, but when her husband reads her journal, it helps improve their sex life. I was a little bothered by her husband invading her privacy, but it seemed to make their life better so I think all things work differently for each person.

The other two boyfriends were Harley and Hans. Harley had gross teeth and weird tattoos. Hans was a musician. She also talks about sex with them, but I was not super interested in these stories.

Talking about her husband and modern life was what appealed most to me regarding this book. BB works as a school psychologist, her husband is an accountant, and they have two kids. I loved the domestic aspect of her life because she is honest in all things. She talks about her relationship not being perfect. But she loves her husband. She talks about how hard it is to have kids, but how they are amazing as well. Yes, this is a story about how she wants to make her husband different to make herself happy. But their relationship grows, and it is apparent they love each other deeply. Despite all of the TMI aspects of this book, I would definitely recommend it.

This book is funny, interesting, and insightful. It reminded me of being young and made me thankful for the person I became. I look forward to the series on Netflix to make a full comparison.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever Publishing for this review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Queenie [Candice Carty-Williams – Book Review]

Title: Queenie

Author: Candice Carty-Williams

Genre: Fictional Biographical/Coming of Age

Publisher: Orion Publishing

Rating: 4 stars

When I started this book, I thought it was going to be an easy read. Just like a simple story about a woman living in London. I guess this book was supposed to be like modern version of Bridget Jones, but I have not read those so I can’t actually say. This book suddenly turns into a darker kind of book really quick. This book is dark and intense, it is about Queenie who is trying to find her place in the world after losing her boyfriend and being unsure of who she is as a black woman in the world.

This starts out with her breakup with Tom, her longtime boyfriend she thought was going to be the man she married and spent her life with. She thinks their break will just reunite them, so she pushes down a lot of her emotions and jumps into random relationships with men to avoid feeling anything at all.

She starts having sex with random men and not caring about her feelings. She comes to see that her job and having a relationship with Tom wasn’t making her as fulfilled as she thought. With the loss of Tom, she just jumps into the wrong end of her emotions and sleeps with various men to try and quell the pain she doesn’t want to face.

She then ends up losing one of her best friends because of a situation which is not her fault. It was more like just choosing the wrong man to sleep with. She then ends up getting rejected by her past flames and is put on leave from her job because of one of the men she slept with. This is when she realizes she needs to reevaluate her life and make some better choices to avoid hurting herself again and again.

As a child, she felt ignored and unloved and this is why she feels like she is not worthy of love or having a good life. Hitting the bottom for her helps because she seeks help and learns how to forge a better life for herself. She learns she is worthy of love, she learns to connect again with her mother, and she plans to move on from her past to make better choices for her future.

This book contains so many layers. Queenie learns about her own worth, what she wants from life, self respect, and the importance of family and good friends.

This book is beautiful, and I loved every moment. I learned more about the experience of a black woman, which I thought was very insightful. I could also relate to all of her bad choices about men because I have been there, and it is hard but sometimes good to see yourself in a book. I remember going through a similar journey, and I am grateful to have come from the other side safely.

This was a solid debut novel, and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Sex and Sexuality in Victorian Britain [Violet Fenn- Book Review]

Title: Sex and Sexuality in Victorian Britain

Author: Violet Fenn

Genre: Historical Nonfiction

Publisher: Pen & Sword

Publishing date: March 30, 2020

Rating: Two stars

I chose this book because I expected an interesting history lesson on a topic I wanted to learn more about. I mean, the cover is cool. The rest of the book was less than stellar to me.

There should be a warning for all of these topics included since they are just thrust upon the reader, and I know they can be hard for some people to handle: rape, child murder, child prostitution, postpartum depression and psychosis, sexual abuse, child harm, suicide, death, violence.

Violet Fenn provides a very chill introduction, saying she wanted to research about the topic of sexuality in this time period because it seems to be one we don’t talk about a lot. She doesn’t have footnotes at all, so I don’t know where some of this info comes from. She does say though that she uses internet searches a lot so you could probably just google this topic, and you would have the gist of her book.

I thought this was going to be all about sexuality and sex in Victorian Britain, but there was a chapter about what they wore. Yes, they would have been useful had it related to how they used it for sex. But it was juts like these people wear these clothes and sometimes they caught fire… omg skirts that were shorter and all of this stuff about clothes that I am not sure why it was included when it never hinted toward how it related to sexuality in the book. I was expecting like women wore the underwear with no crotch for easy sex or something. But nope. It was just like she started writing it, and she did not finish what she was trying to do in order to make her topics relate to each other.

Also, the way consent was talked about was terrible. Yeah, the age was raised to 13, but there was no discussion about the harms of this or how it was wrong. I just felt like she was like look at my sexy book. The age of consent was young, oh well. There could have been more about this topic and how it related to children being sex workers and the damage. Because when talking about sex in the time period, we should also be talking about how it can be harmful. Plus, it was creepy how she talked about the women forced to be tortured by doctors testing out dildos. It was not a fun sexy thing at all. She just made it seem like some kinky thing, and it wasn’t. This really bothered me.

I don’t know what to say about this book. It could have been good, but it was just like a poorly done research paper. If you want to know more about these topics, I am sure you can do your own google search or find better books. I thought this was going to be one of my favorite history books, but I was highly disappointed.

Thank you NetGalley and Pen and Sword for the review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What Lies Between Us [John Marrs- Book Review]

4 stars ⭐️

I still cannot wrap my mind around what I just read. Like, I am in shock and it has been a few days since I finished up this book. I just cant fathom still this dark and twisted book. Like, wow it was so good and now I am still trying to figure out what the hell just happened.

I do not recall the last time I was so chilled to the bone by a book. There are so many twists and turns. It is just so shocking. Even the ending has left me wondering how I will be able to pick up another a book after this. I am just so awed by the story. And I don’t know if I will ever fully recover from what has been done got me. This is the first time I have read John Marrs, and I know after this it will not be my last by any means at all. Like oh my goodness.

I could not stop reading this once I started, and it was a story I picked up after my child went to bed so it was very dark and scary. This was a book I thought would give me nightmares for days, but I am still too scared to even think about sleeping any time soon!

This story scared me. And I am not scared easily. I don’t mind the dark or horror movies. I have shrugged at crime scene photos. Nothing normally gets to me, but this book has scared the living daylights out of me for goodness only knows how long. When I got to the end of this book, I was so scared and shocked that my jaw could not close. I just was stuck that way for a long time and I think my cat thought there was something wrong with me because I did not move for a long time after. There was so much terror that even my cat was scared and hid under the bed for a long time. The book is that impactful.

But let us avoid the spoilers so you can have the pleasure to read this for yourself…. it deals with borderline personality disorder…which I’m pretty sure there is a different term, but I am not sure. Maggie lives up in an attack, chained to the wall to atone for all of the sins she has committed against her daughter. And her daughter Nina, who is librarian by day, is her keeper and the ultimate decider of what will happen to her mother who has done so many bad, bad things….

The twists and turns will leave you breathless and shocked. There are also so many questions you want answers, and the answers will coming with shock and surprise the whole time. Some of these questions are: how/why they built this sick relationship? Why Nina’s father leave without saying goodbye? Why Nina is so fragile around little children? Is Maggie innocent victim or pure evil needs to be behind the bars? Can she escape and save herself from captivity?

John Marrs just keeps it coming with the shocks and the scary parts of the book you will be in awe the whole time it is happening.

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishling UK for the review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Semi Royal [Book Review]

4 stars ⭐️

Thank you to the author for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the 4th book in the series so some things are lost just jumping in like this. I know they could be standalones, but I think they could be much better when they are read in order.

Rhodie is traveling to learn more about the magic going on outside of the place she lives, and she is accompanied by Arron James. He was shot, and she had visited him. She is a doctor and princess. He is an army lieutenant. They are going out on this scientific expedition, and he is the extra protection she doesn’t thinks she needs at all. But she does have feelings for him. She just has to be proper as the princess and he has to do his duty as her protector. Their relationship is mentioned in the prologue, but I am sure it would make more sense having read the prior book. But he also finds out his father was Duke, and he will be inheriting a title and land. So he is not just an army lieutenant anymore. They have a complex relationship, and it is so satisfying to see their story unfold.

Fiona West is an awesome author, and I could not stop reading this book once I dove in. She talks about the world in real life, but she uses her story to tackle issues many people don’t talk about. Such as women being fulfilled in careers, the loss of a child, and complicated emotions after.

This book will evoke a lot of emotions. But it is also a romance so you will have all of those nice feelings as well. There is even some magic and mystery. And a a little bit of drama which you keep you engaged the whole time. I would have given it five stars, but I was a little lost with this being the 4th book in the series. I plan to read the other books. Not to mention, this cover is amazing.

Forget Me Not by Anca Antoci [Blog Tour Post]

I signed up for this blog tour because Booktamins is awesome. You should check them out on Twitter. I normally avoid book tours because of stress, but this one was too fun to pass up.

After my review, you’ll find information about the author and how to buy the book. Thank you once again to Booktamins and the author for a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Today’s my day for a review.

Here are all my thoughts:

4 stars ⭐️

I signed up for this book blindly, I didn’t know what it was about at all. I was pleasantly surprised to find fantasy, which I do enjoy. It’s even more exciting since it’s the first novel written by Anca Antoci.

This book starts out slow, but it gets better. I was riveted once I got to the vampires, and I was able to really delve into Forget Me Not. I was a little annoyed at the start with all of the exclamation points, but it did get better. This book follows Rae on her journey after a loss and she meets Ari, a vampire she’s forced to trust to survive.

This book really catches your attention and gets better as the story moves on. I love FMN, and I’m excited for the next part.

The book keeps you entertained because it unravels the plot strand by strand… making you eager to learn more with each turn of the page. This is a fantastic world, but it’s not overwhelming. Though I didn’t really get the Alaska vibe, but maybe this will change in the next part. This book isn’t about the world though. It’s rich in building up who Rae is, along with each character she encounters who will play a role in her journey.

Forget Me Not is a strong fantasy debut. There’s a great world to discover and more adventures coming. I highly suggest this to new and old fantasy fans alike.

Forget Me Not by Anca Antoci

1st book in the series: Chimera

Publication date: 31st January 2020

Genres: Urban Fantasy, New Adult, Paranormal/Supernatural, Young Adult

When tragedy strikes, Rae makes a terrible choice and struggles with the aftermath. In the wilderness of the Tongass rainforest, she finds herself hunted by creatures of hell, monstersshe never dreamed could be real. A hidden world, an ancient race, and a secret she discoversby accident give a new meaning to her life but only if she can escape and return to civilization. If she is to survive, Rae must comply with Ari, her reluctant hero, and allow himto wipe away any memory of this realm. Knowledge is power, but is it worth dying for?

Trigger Warning: Mentions of alcohol and painkillers use and sex (not directly), suicidalthoughts

Purchase Link

Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/Forget-Me-Not-Chimera-Book-ebook/dp/B083G3SBSK/

Author Bio

Anca Antoci started out as a fanfiction writer and then moved on to write her own story. Thusher debut novel Forget Me Not got published in January 2020. Her fanfiction stories are stillavailable on her blog. Living in Romania, Anca speaks English as a second language. Because she’s a passionate reader, Anca started a blog where she reviews fantasy bookscalled Summon Fantasy. When she’s not reading or writing, Anca loves cooking and watching movies with her daughter while eating nachos.

Media Links

Twitter – https://twitter.com/AncaAntoci

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19891304.Anca_Antoci

Website – https://www.summonfantasy.com/

The Woman in the Window [Book Review]

The Woman in the Window

Thriller

5 stars ⭐️

This book had me shook. I literally screamed out loud a few times because I could not believe how awesome this book was. I am so glad I listened to the audiobook because the narrator was so good, and I couldn’t get enough.

Anna was once a child psychologist, but now she has intense agoraphobia. She never leaves her house. The world passes her by, and she just looks out through the world via her camera and window. Anna spends time on message boards and playing online chess. She also loves old mystery movies. She deals with the separation from her husband and her daughter by drinking. She drink all of the time and messes up her pills often. She doesn’t think she has a problem, she just keeps drinking and thinking she will be okay. Her doctor comes to see her, she has al of her food delivered, and she doesn’t have any connections to the outside world except the camera.

When new neighbors move in, she watches them. But she is even more excited when they come to visit her. Now she has a connection to the world. But one night she sees something very bad, and she wonders what was real and what wasn’t.

Anna wonders if she is losing her mind, and she wants answers to find out what is really going on. This book is so gripping, and I couldn’t stop waiting to know what was going to happen next. It is an edge of your seat thriller that is so gripping and shocking, I am still awed even though it has been a day since I finished. I did not predict any of the twists or shocks, i was surprised and invested the whole time. Usually I am very disappointed and annoyed by thrillers by the end, but this one was so damn good.

AJ Finn wrote one of my new favorite all time books, and Ann Marie Lee is such a damn good narrator. Seriously, if you have not read this yet, I am telling you to do so. I can’t wait for the new book the author puts out. I seriously can’t stop thinking about this book.

A Cowboy To Remember [NetGalley ARC Review]

Rating: 2/5 Stars ⭐️

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Format: NetGalley eARC

I requested this book because I really liked Xeni, which was the only other book I have read by this author. I was hoping for a really good cowboy romance, which is one of my favorite things. But this book was not it at all. I just cannot put my finger on what it was, but this book lacks the storyline and characters I expected from Rebekah Weatherspoon. I would suggest reading Xeni, and I have heard good things about Rafe. But this book just falls flat in a lot of places.

This the story of famous celebrity chef, Evie Buchanan. She is pushed down the stairs by a rival chef, and she loses all of her memories. There is nowhere she can go except the ranch she grew up on to recover. It is the only place where she can stay anonymous to avoid the media finding out she has lost all of her memories.

I thought this was going to be a riveting book, but I did not really care about what was going on when i was reading it. There was nothing really interesting about the story or the way the romance was supposed to unfold. I was so shocked this because Xeni was so rich in comparison. This book is about Evie trying to get her memories back and learn how to be a chef once more. There is also her history with Zach and they want to be like close to each other even though they haven’t spoken for like ten years. I think you are just supposed to accept all of their history as enough for a romance, but like there was no chemistry or anything exciting about when they’re together.

Okay, there is also so many side characters and sometimes you get their POV but I don’t know why. There was nothing really added to it, so I was wondering what was going on with that whole thing honestly. Her friends seemed cool, and I would like books about them. But the rest was just so meh. I was waiting for a reason to care about anyone, but there was no one who really stood out. They are just rich black people with a ranch (which is so awesome because i think there needs to be more stories like this), but no one is exciting or anything. There are just tall guys who wear cowboy hats and that is supposed to be enough to be a personality trait, I guess. Wearing a cowboy hat does make a dude hot, but its not enough to fall in love with in my opinion.

Also, it was so odd that Evie had amnesia until like 87% way through the book and then she was like magically better. She has no idea what’s going on t he whole time and then she is magically cured, and she wants to go back o her own life. Also, the whole thing where she suddenly doesn’t want to be around Zach was lame. I was just like yeah ok especially with just around 10% of the book left, this makes for a rushed and terrible story. The only good thing was the grandma who was a pioneer for black women in the entertainment industry. I would read a story about her. Like her whole life. She was awesome. This was so disappointing, and i hope the next books are better but I am not sure i will be picking them up.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.