The Beau and the Belle by RS Grey

Blurb:

Beau Fortier starred in most of my cringe-worthy teenage fantasies.

I met him when I was a junior in high school, a time that revolved exclusively around bad hair, failed forays into flirting, and scientific inquiries into which brand of toilet paper worked best for stuffing bras.

That is, until Beau moved into the small guest house just beyond my bedroom window.

A 24-year-old law student at Tulane, Beau was as mysterious to me as second base (both in baseball and in the bedroom). He was older. Intimidating. Hot. Boys my age had chicken legs and chubby cheeks. Beau had calloused hands and a jaw cut from steel. Our interactions were scarce—mostly involving slight stalking on my end—and yet deep down, I desperately hoped he saw me as more of a potential lover than a lovesick loser.

Turns out, I was fooling myself. My fragile ego learned that lesson the hard way.

Now, ten years later, we’re both back in New Orleans, and guess who suddenly can’t take his eyes off little ol’ me.

My old friend, Mr. Fortier.

But things have changed. I’m older now—poised and confident. My ego wears a bulletproof vest. The butterflies that once filled my stomach have all perished.

When I was a teenager, Beau warned me to guard my heart.

Let’s hope he knows how to guard his.

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Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2CjrHuP

Amazon PB: http://amzn.to/2spPTfk

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2o2U23o

Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2EmTqwx

Kristine's Review:
Reviewed: February 2018.

I've been such a huge fan of RS Grey's for a long time now, in fact when I first discovered Grey's unique narrative I was so infatuated that I devoured every title in her back catalogue that was available. I spent days lost in a Rachel Grey bubble and I loved every single second of it. Her subsequent releases have often hit my best of each years top buying guide, without a doubt she is and will continue to be a must read author for me. It's the reason why this review is so hard to write because unfortunarely The Beau and the Belle was not for me, I struggled to connect in the way I usually would with Grey's words. I found myself putting it down in the early chapters and when I picked it back up not finding that thing that would grab me and fail to let go.

“It didn't eat away at him like it did me. I wanted us to both suffer & that's why I'm here now. He owes me heartache.”

I continued but failed to truly connect with the story the way I'm accustomed to with Grey's work, while I could recognise the strength of her talent, and a well crafted story, I found I lacked that illusive oomph that usually has me so invested in Grey's characters that I find it near impossible to stop for even the briefest of breaks. While I did eventually find my AHAAA moment at the half way mark, my inability to initially connect hampered my enjoyment through the second half of the story.

“When I'm 40, I'll be able to re-enact this scene for my therapist with chilling accuracy”

I desperately wanted to love Beau and Lauren, and there were moments where my hope glimmered, this story was never quite the perfect fit for me. Funny in parts, sweet most definitely, The Beau and the Belle will no doubt be a hit for many, unfortunately it wasn't my favourite.

About RS Grey:

R.S. Grey is the USA Today bestselling author of fourteen novels, including THE FORTUNATE ONES. She loves books, chocolate, reality TV, and cold weather. She lives in Texas with her husband, daughter, and two dogs. 

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Size Matters (A Perfect Fit #1) by Alison Bliss

Blurb:

The rules of (fake) engagement . . .
Leah Martin has spent her life trying to avoid temptation. But she's sick of low-fat snacks, counting calories, and her hyper-critical mom. Fortunately, her popular new bakery keeps her good and distracted. But there aren't enough éclairs in the world to distract Leah from the hotness that is Sam Cooper - or the fact that he just told her mother that they're engaged . . . which is a big, fat lie.

Sam sometime speaks before he thinks. So what started out as defending Leah's date-ability to her judgmental mother soon turned into having a fiancee! Now the plan is to keep up the fake engagement, stay "just friends," and make Leah's family loathe him enough to just call the whole thing off . But Sam has an insatiable sweet tooth, not only for Leah's decadent desserts but her decadent curves. Her full lips. Her bright green eyes. Yep, things aren't going quite according to plan. Now Sam has to convince Leah that he's for real . . . before their little lie turns into one big, sweet disaster.

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Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2gUeYrT

Amazon PB: http://amzn.to/2h1gk0v

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2h6ZQbk

Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2gnKR8I

B&N: http://bit.ly/1MRdPaa
iBooks: http://apple.co/2c41IOr
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2gnHTS8

Kristine's Review:
Reviewed: November 2016.

Leah Martin seems to have spent her whole life juggling the harsh words and sly comments about her weight, comments falling somewhere between well meaning and downright rude. When she meets Sam Cooper in a bar and his bumbling mouth gets him into trouble, Leah is once again left thinking that everyone in her life is destined to point out her weight as part of conversation. Faced with having to show up to her ex's wedding to provide the cake she's left flustered, and turning on her old tricks of self deprecation as a witty coping mechanism. Sam, refusing to let her continue mocking herself steps in, what follows in a whirlwind of deception and make believe as Sam and Leah pretend to be engaged.

Alison Bliss's debut Rules of Protection was a highlight of my reading list this year, it hit the mark in all the ways I look for when selecting my next read. When news of Size Matters was made public I was instantly intrigued, being a curvy girl myself I have a soft spot for BBW romances, I love seeing the curvy girl walk off into the sunset with the sexy hero. There were moments in Size Matters that I truly adored, moments where Leah's snark was present, where Sam made swoony comments begging her to see herself as the gorgeous woman she was. Unfortunately there were also moments that I questioned whether I actually liked Sam, and when I desperately needed Leah to shake off her insecurities for just a moment and embrace not only her body but everything about her. While I enjoyed moments here, and definitely connected with Bliss's writing style, the tension never quite hit the mark for me and the ending felt a tad rushed, I wanted more of Leah, I wanted her to truly be the hero of the story. Overall Size Matters was a likable read, a quick, funny romance perfect for a Sunday afternoon.

About Alison Bliss:

As the youngest of five girls, Alison Bliss has never turned down a challenge...or been called by the right name. Her writing career may have started out as a dare by one of her sisters, but Alison hasn't put her pen down since.

She grew up on a small island off the Texas Gulf Coast, where most of her childhood vacations consisted of camping or hunting trips to the deer lease. Although she'll alw...ays be a Texan at heart, Alison currently resides in the Midwest with her Iowa farm-boy husband and their two sons. With so much testosterone in her home, it's no wonder she writes "girl books."

She's an animal lover, a closet video game enthusiast, and believes the best way to know if someone is your soul mate is by canoeing with them because if you both make it back alive, it's obviously meant to be. Alison's an avid romance reader who enjoys penning the type of books she loves to read most: fun, steamy love stories with heart, heat, laughter, and usually a cowboy or two. As she calls it, "Romance...with a sense of humor."

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Kicked by Celia Aaron

Blurb:

Trent Carrington.
Trent Mr. Perfect-Has-Everyone-Fooled Carrington.
He’s the star quarterback, university scholar, and happens to be the sexiest man I’ve ever seen. He shines at any angle, and especially under the Saturday night stadium lights where I watch him from the sidelines. But I know the real him, the one who broke my heart and pretended I didn’t exist for the past two years.
I’m the third-string kicker, the only woman on the team and nothing better than a mascot. Until I’m not. Until I get my chance to earn a full scholarship and join the team as first-string. The only way I'll make the cut is to accept help from the one man I swore never to trust again. The problem is, with each stolen glance and lingering touch, I begin to realize that trusting Trent isn’t the problem. It’s that I can’t trust myself when I’m around him.

This is a full-length, sweet, hot, safe, standalone American football romance novel.

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Purchase Links:

Amazon US : http://amzn.to/2a6SZqw
Amazon UK : http://amzn.to/2apZDwe
Amazon CA : http://amzn.to/2ab6uLz
Amazon AU : http://amzn.to/2a9inOe

Amazon PB: http://amzn.to/2a6TBwg

Kristine's Review:

Reviewed: July 2016.

Kicked was my first book by Celia Aaron, from the outset it sounded like something I could sink my teeth into, sports romance....CHECK, college students....CHECK, sexy...., CHECK, sweet....CHECK, and air of second chance romance...CHECK CHECK CHECK! From the very first page I was smitten, Cordy seemed like the kind of girl you'd want to be friends with, funny, smart, and holds a position on the mens football team, no, before you ask...Cordy is not a cheerleader, due to some previous inclusion issues, Cordy holds a place on the team as second string kicker, sure she may be the one token female on the team, but she's a talented athlete, while her passion may reside in soccer, her place on the football team ensures a partial scholarship.

I was immediately drawn into the story, while moments seemed predictable - manwhore best friend loving her from afar anyone, there was a level of intrigue surrounding Cordy and team superstar Trent that had me entranced. They had a past two years ago but it crumbled before it even had a chance to flourish. I needed to know more, I found myself devouring those first few chapters, desperate to know why their romance didn't work out, but I found that knowing why didn't leave me with that OH MY moment I was hoping for, and instead I was left feeling a little underwhelmed.

From that moment the story felt both rushed and intensely slow for me, the moments I wanted to see more developed fell flat and other moments I felt dragged onto long, extended sex scenes that while hot, didn't necessarily add to the story for me. I wanted to love Kicked, initially I truly believe I would, but overall the story was just to inconsistent for me, individually I enjoyed the characters, and times I felt a stronger sense of connection to Aaron's words, but unfortunately for me I just wasn't able to engage with the story as a whole and found myself more easily distracted than I would like when fully invested in a book.

About Celia Aaron:

Celia Aaron is the self-publishing pseudonym of a published romance and erotica author. She loves to write stories with hot heroes and heroines that are twisty and often dark.

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