Marquita Valentine

Haven proved to be an interesting asset to this story. Her hard shell put others off but what many did not seem to notice was the soft center she disguised. This quality made her a charming yet frustrating character. Heath portrays himself to be an easy going individual. Underneath all the charm and cheerfulness, he is nursing a broken heart and loneliness he does not allow the world to see. Ms. Valentine has done an exceptionally beautiful job in creating two characters who have been living show more a charade to mask vulnerabilities that they don't want others to see. What proves an interesting turn of events is that what Haven has been lacking is what Heath has to give. What Haven has to offer is just what Heath seeks. The problem is Haven and Heath each have to trust enough to let down their guards. Lovely story that breaks and touches the heart of the reader. I received an ARC of The Temporary Bride by Marquita Valentine for an honest review. Deeply emotional and enormously entertaining. show less

When We Fall by Marquita Valentine
Book #2: Take the Fall Series
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 5/5 stars
My Review:

You would think at some point I would get tired of being an author’s bitch but I’m not there yet with Marquita Valentine. When We Fall is yet another reason I am going to continue to be Valentine’s bitch.

Since Piper Ross decided to defy her disgustingly rich, image-conscious, need-to-rot-in-hell parents, her life has been both far better and far worse. On the far worse side, show more she no longer has access to their money which means she can’t pay for school and she has to live well below the standard she is used too. On the far better side, Piper is now her own woman, she has some really amazing friends, and the guy she has been in love with since she was a teenager just gave her a job and a place to live.

Jase Simmons has spent the past several months making up for the seven years he spent in prison. That’s a lot of partying, a lot of drinking, and a lot of sex. Trouble is, that life style isn’t what Jase really wants and what he really wants is Piper Ross, a woman he considers himself nowhere near good enough for. Piper is innocent where Jase is tainted, Piper is sweet where Jase is harsh, Piper is pure where Jase is so far from pure. Even knowing all of that, Jase still wants Piper with a passion he never thought possible. Jase also wants a better life than he ever thought possible for himself. With Piper by his side, Jase feels like he has something and someone to work for and he begins to do so the second he becomes well and truly involved with Piper.

As Piper begins to work her way into Jase’s world, her suspicions about him are confirmed. Underneath all the bravado is a good guy with the capacity to love her in a way no other person ever has. Jase’s every action speaks to his goodness and his feelings for Piper even if he can’t admit them out loud just yet. In no time flat, Piper and Jase are completely involved with one another and happy to be so but others aren’t quite so excited about their relationship. Though she has severed virtually every tie with her parents, Piper still has to deal with them from time to time and when they get wind of her relationship, all hell breaks loose. As if things couldn’t get any worse, Piper is attacked after meeting with her parents and when Jase comes to her rescue, his past comes back to haunt him. In order to get to their HEA, Piper and Jase are going to need a whole lot of luck!

The Bottom Line: Jase Simmons is some kind of hot and his actions toward Piper makes him all the hotter. From the moment Jase decides to go all in with Piper, he is there for her 110% and no one had better get in his way. Jase lays claim to Piper in some very primal (yet tender) ways and Piper soaks up every second of her man’s attention. As the plot unfolds, Piper really comes into her own and with Jase’s support finds her own voice and a reserve of strength even she didn’t know she had. As Piper’s confidence grows, she puts everyone in their place and defends her man and her choices at every turn. In this particular instance, I absolutely loved seeing everyone getting exactly what they deserved!! show less

Royal Affair by Marquita Valentine
Book #2: Royals in Exile Series
Source: Netgalley and Purchase
My Rating: 5/5 stars
My Review:

If ever there was a mismatched pair . . . . .

Brooks Walker has built a social media empire and he has built it on the truth. No faking the news, no stretching the truth, no outright lies, just the simple unvarnished truth. No matter how ugly the truth, Brooks believes in his work and makes no apologies for what he puts out there. Brooks is always on the lookout for show more the next big story and when the royal princess, Charlotte makes him offer that will further his empire, he sees no reason to turn her down.

Princess Charlotte has never wanted attention, she’s never sought attention, and she’s certainly never wanted the throne currently occupied by her twin sister. For a blissful number of years, Charlotte and her family were hidden away on the east coast of the United States until the deplorable, the despicable, the supremely sexy, utterly irresistible Brooks Walker out them to the world. Since then, Charlotte and her family have been the center of attention and nearly every skeleton they have in their collective closet has been outed too. With nearly all the skeletons already out there, Charlotte sees no reason not to indulge in a naughty little fling with the man who caused all her family’s trouble, Brooks Walker.

Charlotte lays down the terms of their affair and dives in with both feet. The sex is spectacular and Charlotte would be content to leave it at the sex if it weren’t for the real Brooks Walker, the man behind the public persona. Brooks is confident, smart, strong, sexy, and seems to genuinely care about Charlotte. He isn’t at all what Charlotte expected and that certainly complicates matters. What’s more, when she’s with Brooks, Charlotte seems to come alive in a way she never has before. She’s stronger, more confident, and better able to stand on her own than she’s been able to in years. Inexplicably, Charlotte trusts Brooks, right up to the moment everything blows up, another skeleton comes creeping out of the royal closet, Brooks betrays Charlotte, and she runs back into the protective and scary fold that is her family.

The Bottom Line: Wow do these royals have a ton of skeletons in their collective closet and it seems like a new skeleton is going to come out in every successive read. On the surface, Charlotte and Brooks are the furthest thing from a realistic couple as they are so very different. Under the surface, Brooks and Charlotte are absolutely perfect for one another and that plays out over the course of the read. Charlotte’s inherent goodness helps Brooks remember what he was like before becoming a soul-sucking journalist and Brooks strength and support help Charlotte become a stronger more confident version of herself. With every page turn, Charlotte evolves and Brooks, for lack of a better word regresses to a better version of himself. Even Charlotte’s family eventually comes around and when they do, it is a sight to behold! Book two was a one-sitting read and a one-click pre-order and given the strength of this read, the next book will be just the same! show less

Royal Scandal by Marquita Valentine
Book #1: Royals and Exile Series
Source: Netgalley and Purchase
My Rating: 5/5 stars
My Review:

Colin Sinclair knows his life if full of lies and secrets, and for a decade, he has lived with that knowledge quite uncomfortably. He, his siblings, and his boys are quite literally royalty in exile living in the United States. The only thing that has made Colin’s exile marginally better is his best friend, Della Hughes.

Della Hughes loves Disney and understands show more only princesses get fairytale endings. Della is no princess (her job as a maid helps keep her grounded in that reality!) and has no illusions that her life is ever going to turn out like the ladies of Disney. The closest she’ll ever get to being a princess is hanging out with her super-rich best-friend, Colin Sinclair and his family. For ten years, Della has been a part of Colin’s life. She’s seen how the wealthy live and she’s impressed with how little the wealth has gone to her friend’s head. Colin carries himself well, looks and sounds wealthy, but that doesn’t stop him from being a stern yet loving dad to his two boys. His boys are well-mannered, sweet, and far from spoiled. Like Colin, Della loves the boys and has spent the last decade helping her friend raise them. Unfortunately, Della has also spent the last ten years falling hopelessly in love with Colin.

Turns out, Colin has spent the last ten years doing the same thing. Neither is willing to risk their friendship for what may be an ill-fated romance until Colin is forced into a situation that demands he take a wife. If Colin is going to be saddled with a wife, he prefers it be someone he already knows and care for which makes Della the perfect choice. With a contract drawn up and a proposal on his lips, Colin enlists Della in his plan to save his family and preserve the line of succession his family has been a part of for generations. The whole line of succession bit is one of many secrets Colin has never divulged to Della and one he has to come clean about quickly since her marriage to him makes her, officially a princess. Huh? Maybe she can have a fairytale ending after all.

As their marriage becomes a reality and media sensation, Colin and Della try to navigate being a married couple after ten years of friendship and hidden love. Both are nervous about wrecking their tremendously strong friendship, but those worries go out the window following their first smokin’ hot kiss. With that matter settled, it’s time to face all the other challenges including the revelations related to Colin’s parents’ death, one whopper of a secret from Della’s past, and the decisions that must be made regarding Colin and his siblings return to their home country. Turns out, there are more secrets in the Sinclair family than anyone knew and when the various truths are revealed, everything is going to change.

The Bottom Line: As I totally expected, Marquita Valentine has sucked me into another series with just one book!! With the exception of Della’s name (which is dumb so I called her Andy in my head) I absolutely loved everything about this read. There are so many secrets and betrayals in the Sinclair family, there are some yummy naughty bits, there are two main characters who are both likeable and well-developed, there is scandal, and there is a host of secondary characters who are absolutely interesting and just waiting in the wings for their story to be told. This is a smooth, easy read with both and HEA and promise of more to come from the not so exiled Sinclair family!! show less