Red Phoenix

This was snarky and fun and I always enjoy second-chance romances. Reed and Charlotte are both imperfect and weird in their own ways, and I enjoyed the way they set each other off. The first scene with the wedding dress completely had me, and the two continued to grow on me throughout the book. This was definitely a slow burn, which I loved, and had the perfect balance of snarky friendship scenes versus steam versus bedroom moments. I really liked how the book explored the issues of chronic show more illness and potential long-term disability and how those can be something that destroys a weaker couple or brings a strong match closer together. Just a really great read!

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader. show less

Hate Notes
4 Stars

I read this book because it fit into a challenge (an author name beginning with V) and was pleasantly surprised.

While the circumstances leading up to the hero and heroine's first meeting do require some suspension of disbelief, the ensuing romance is very engaging.

Although a little on the ditzy side, Charlotte is a sweet and caring heroine convinced that her boss's cold demeanor hides a man capable of deep and abiding love if only he could get overcome his past hurt.

Reed show more initially comes across as an arrogant, condescending jerk, but it soon becomes clear that there is more to him than meets the eye. His growth and character development throughout the book is excellent even though there are times when he needs a slap upside the head for his obtuseness.

All in all, a charming read and I will read more by the Keeland and Ward writing pair. show less

“I am enough.”

Once again Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward deliver a heart-warming, smile-inducing, enemies to lover’s workplace romance that turned into an unputdownable read. The first book to keep my interest in more than two weeks. Both characters stole my heart as I navigated their path to love and forever. Both characters completely endearing, each with their very own opposite personalities and yet together, they just worked. Each complemented the other perfectly, they brought out the show more best in one and other, and each were what the other needed, yet never knew they wanted.

“I think it’s better to spend years treasuring a memory that might hurt sometimes than to never make one at all.”

I loved the meet cute, the circumstances were a novel introduction and out of a true romance book. A circumstance that melted my romance lovers’ heart. Charlotte goes to a boutique to sell her un-used wedding gown and while browsing stumbles upon another that catches her attention. Trying it on, Charlotte notices a blue note stitched into the gown from the groom, and in her romance novel addled brain Charlotte concocts a beautiful love story that she wished was her own. Charlotte ends up exchanging the dress for hers and a little internet stalking later, plus a bottle of wine, Charlotte finds herself face to face with the bridal gown romantic, only he is nothing like what she expected.

“Maybe Stan can work on getting a sensitivity chip installed into your grandson. He seems to be missing one.”

Reed Eastwood was a real estate mogul in the family business, selling properties in the tens of millions and what most would deem living the life. On the outside, he was the consummate professional, and his aloof persona was an impenetrable wall that his family were desperate to crumble. Nobody could get through to Reed, but it seems Charlotte may just be his kryptonite.

The way the couple gets together is undeniably charming. I find both the male and female leads relatable and was so glad I came across this book.
Hate Notes is one you will learn to LOVE hands down. show less

This is a free book, that is actually the first part (37 pages) of a serial fiction series) that I stumbled upon on Amazon. I should have judged it by the cover, but curiosity got to me and I had to see just how bad it really was.

Here we have yet another self-published, should have been fan fiction, fantasy fulfillment (supposed) BDSM erotica. The set up is tissue-paper thin, the narrative is boring and flat. Seriously, it reads like dictation. The heroine is your typical Marry-Sue: unaware show more of her own attractiveness, inexplicable self sustaining and educated, but completely lacking in even the most basic common sense.

The plot (I use this term VERY loosely) is painfully simplistic. Brie Bennett (the name alone should have made it a fan fiction) meets a well dressed, obviously (ridiculously) rich patron at the smoke shop she works at. He leaves her his business card, which is for a The Submissive Training Center “25 years of Excellence” (no seriously that's what it says). Brie of course applies and gets into said school and starts on her wondrous journey through the BDSM lifestyle by going to college for it.

Like a kink fucking Hogwarts. Can you see my eye rolling?

There is no actual conflict in the story (I only got half way through). Not even from Brie herself, who as far as we know has no experience with BDSM, but it takes her all of one day to go for the idea of the school. Oh, she does put in a call to the Better Business Bureau. (I wish I was kidding about this).

All in all it is really fucking boring. Even the masturbation scene, which I'm sure must be taboo and exciting for someone who has never masturbated, but I actually skimmed it. *snore* Also the writing of the masturbation scene was so clumsy and poorly written I thought at first she was fucking herself with his lipstick, instead of a dildo.

Then there's the BDSM, which is in some parts accurate, but only because large sections of the text is literally copy and pasted for a variety of internet sources (submissiveguide.com, wikipedia and even some tumblr posts). Many of these passages are from Brie's class on submission, a scene that was so brain-suckingly boring I don't know how any newcomers would ever understand how or why BDSM is sexy.

Despite the author's use of internet resources this book misrepresents BDSM through a mixture of oversimplification and misinterpretation. It's like using google traslate, it will get you close, but unless you speak the language (even on the basic level) you miss the meaning.

That kind of sums up this attempt at BDSM erotica. It's not accurate, entertaining or sexy.

Plus because it is just the first segment in a series of stories, it's not really a complete book.

Epic Fail! show less