by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jan 17, 2023 | Book Reviews
Three Stepbrothers’ Prize by Nicole Casey did not meet my expectations. The first book in the Love by Numbers 2 series, Two Sugar Daddies’ Virgin, was such a joy that I anticipated more of the same if not better.
I understand getting lost in the moment. I understand wanting to just forget about inhibitions and responsibilities and just live in the now. However, I don’t know why, in this day and age, our main characters have not even thought about any form of contraception, not even condoms. I would have thought a morning-after pill would have at least occurred to Parvati after her night with Daniel. After all, they were at a luxury resort in Hawaii, not the boondocks. Also to consider … they were not on vacation for one day, they had many opportunities to get something. The three guys are billionaires, they could easily get a box of condoms each.
While this could qualify as a reverse harem I wouldn’t call it a menage. In the one instance in the story when the brothers “shared” her, they actually took turns so it was more like a train.
There are also more than a handful of parts that need to be tweaked such as incorrect terms like “imaginative” instead of just “imagine” and homonyms. The editor in me had a blue pencil out.
This story is just ok but I’ve read better from Nicole Casey. It is mostly because I did not feel any connection to any of the brothers. Their characterization to me was very two-dimensional. Unlike in other stories, I could not imagine myself in this one. I was really just a spectator and not really enjoying the view. I confess there were times when I skipped pages because I was bored.
Three Stepbrothers’ Prize by Nicole Casey will be published on Amazon soon.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jan 14, 2023 | Book Reviews
When I was told that I had PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) I was resigned to the fact that I will be fat for the rest of my life. Most information I find online tells me that it is a side effect of the condition, that it is hormonal, etc., etc. Knowing I am not alone does not make me feel better. I can’t believe that there is nothing I can do. I’m usually careful with what I eat but it does not seem to have any effect on my weight. I’m not losing weight but, thankfully, I am not gaining any either.
I came across this book called PCOS Diet Cookbook: Essential Guide for PCOS Insulin Resistance Diet with Delicious Recipes and Meal Plan to Boost Your Fertility by Dr. Archibald Johansson which not only provides information about PCOS but also suggests some good meals to help improve our health.
Personally, at my age, I am not at all concerned about fertility. I care more about losing weight and feeling good. I haven’t tried any of the recipes yet but since I do cook I can already tell that many of them would be delicious.
What bothered me though was that it lists the food to avoid includes processed food, unhealthy fats, soy products, dairy, and gluten. And yet some of the recipes include tofu and milk.
Aesthetically, the page format appears to be in long format (8.5×13 or 14) or probably half-short and most books just don’t come in that size anymore. In addition, someone should really come in and fix the layout. For the recipes, for example, most if not all of them don’t actually need to be more than a page long but they are because of the layout.
Content-wise, it is worth taking a look at. Aesthetically, it still needs a lot of work before publishing. This book is available at Amazon in paperback format for 11.99.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jan 9, 2023 | Book Reviews
They say “don’t judge a book by its cover” but I can’t help it, I’m definitely judging. I don’t like the cover art because it is flat, the characters are tiny compared to the background, and they have no faces. Having said that, City Lights Starry Nights by Kimberly Readnour is supposed to be an age-gap romance in a small town in Indiana called Sugar Creek Falls. Aside from the fact that the age difference is briefly mentioned, the age gap is not apparent as Evie is a mature and level-headed woman despite being born with a silver spoon in her mouth.
What can go wrong will go wrong! Her problems began when her parents cut her off before she even graduated in an effort to force her to go home and assume her place in society. Evie, on the other hand, wanted to work and help people. No matter how many jobs she applies for and interviews for it seems she just isn’t hirable, which is quite strange. The best she could do was get a waitressing job and she even got fired from that.
Dr. Liam Seymour is the older brother of Evie’s best friend and has hang-ups and festering emotional scars. Being the doctor of a small town means that he knows everyone and everyone knows him so getting into a relationship is difficult without everyone knowing about it.
When I started reading this, I assumed it wouldn’t take too much time to read. For some reason, though, at times I found myself slogging through it. There were just some scenes that felt like it was taking too long to develop properly or get to the point. Perhaps it is just my frustration at Liam’s “should we – shouldn’t we” thinking every time he looks at Evie. Even to me, his hang-ups seemed irrelevant.
He wanted something casual, no problem. He’s into some light BDSM and wants a submissive in the bedroom … so long as he talks about it with Evie first and she is ok with it, I don’t see the problem. But that is probably his biggest hang-up.
The author promises HEA so we know it will get there. The journey is taking so long, though … or I am just impatient. There’s more to the story than just their romance. There’s a weird ex, grumpy old men to charm, storms to get through, and an antiquated scheduling system to figure out.
City Lights Starry Nights by Kimberly Readnour is book 1 of the Sugar Creek Fall series so I am anticipating a story for Ethan and also for Matthew and Ansley (Liam’s sister) since history was hinted at earlier in the book.
If you have a Kindle Unlimited account you can read this book for free on Amazon or you can purchase it for 3.99.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jan 8, 2023 | Book Reviews
For idealistic girls, Puppy Madness by Flora Ferrari is a “wish fulfillment” story. Most girls grow up dreaming of meeting the man of their dreams, falling in love at first sight, and living happily ever after. That’s essentially what this story delivers in a nutshell except for a few critical points.
First, Dominic is 21 years older than Danni. Second, Dominic is the father of Danni’s best friend Elizabeth. Dun dun dun DUNNN!
Danni’s been in love with Dominic for many years, ever since she was in high school but knowing that he is her best friend’s dad and the fact she was only 16 were great deterrents to her even seriously thinking about pursuing anything. Add to that the fact that she left the country with her mom so she didn’t get to spend time with Elizabeth for several years.
She returns to live and work in the U.S. now that she is 19 and finds herself living with Elizabeth and Dominic in their house. From the moment Dominic saw her he found himself instantly attracted, not realizing who she was.
Since this is not a shifter romance, it felt weird to read Dominic’s possessive mated bond thoughts and actions. I mean, he just laid eyes on her and he was already claiming her and thinking about having babies with her. Romantic for wolves, but kinda creepy for regular humans.
The story goes on to show how they both struggle to fight the attraction as they are both worried about Elizabeth. Ultimately, though, since the author promised a HEA we already know they will definitely end up together. As a reader, I felt the need to keep reading just to know when they will finally give in to their passions and decide that their forever can happen.
I think what bothered me the most though is the description of Dominic. He is only 40 but he is described as a well-muscled silver fox. I don’t know how fast Americans age but over here we don’t usually turn grey at 40. It doesn’t even match the cover art.
Puppy Madness by Flora Ferrari is a story from the A Man Who Knows What He Wants series. If this kind of story is right up your alley you can get it on Amazon for 0.99 and free with Kindle Unlimited.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jan 6, 2023 | Book Reviews
I feel like Claimed by my Billionaire Ex by Ruby Emhart is mistitled because even after reading the entire story I didn’t notice any “claiming” happening. It could also mean that I read so many paranormal books so “claiming” means something else to me entirely, lol!
I think the last line of the preview should be changed because it does not actually happen until the very end of the book so it is misleading and will not affect the story if it isn’t mentioned in the preview.
The best thing about this story is the POVs of Lucas. I think it would have been more interesting from his POV than from Olive’s. The author tries to give each character equal time to speak (so to speak) but I found Lucas’ POV more engaging and relatable.
What bothered me was that Lucas has a security firm whose company presumably employs hackers, why was it so difficult for him to trace Olive when she disappeared? Especially since she didn’t turn her phone off immediately and turned it on at predictable times since she called home. It just doesn’t make sense.
Also, Olive’s being hot and cold with her brother has me raising an eyebrow. After the revelation, I understand why, but until she knew of the deception … why? And where are their parents? Why does it seem like they are orphans?
Romance-wise, this story could probably do with more heat but the political intrigue, sex tapes, vote rigging, and hacking issues were interesting and made this an enjoyable book to read. Claimed by my Billionaire Ex by Ruby Emhart will be available on Amazon for only 0.99 on January 9, 2023, onwards. Pre-order if you think this is something you will be into.
When I was told that I had PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) I was resigned to the fact that I will be fat for the rest of my life. Most information I find online tells me that it is a side effect of the condition, that it is hormonal, etc., etc. Knowing I am not alone does not make me feel better. I can’t believe that there is nothing I can do. I’m usually careful with what I eat but it does not seem to have any effect on my weight. I’m not losing weight but, thankfully, I am not gaining any either.
They say “don’t judge a book by its cover” but I can’t help it, I’m definitely judging. I don’t like the cover art because it is flat, the characters are tiny compared to the background, and they have no faces. Having said that, City Lights Starry Nights by Kimberly Readnour is supposed to be an age-gap romance in a small town in Indiana called Sugar Creek Falls. Aside from the fact that the age difference is briefly mentioned, the age gap is not apparent as Evie is a mature and level-headed woman despite being born with a silver spoon in her mouth.
For idealistic girls, Puppy Madness by Flora Ferrari is a “wish fulfillment” story. Most girls grow up dreaming of meeting the man of their dreams, falling in love at first sight, and living happily ever after. That’s essentially what this story delivers in a nutshell except for a few critical points.
I feel like Claimed by my Billionaire Ex by Ruby Emhart is mistitled because even after reading the entire story I didn’t notice any “claiming” happening. It could also mean that I read so many paranormal books so “claiming” means something else to me entirely, lol!
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