READING: The Naughty List (The Naughty List #1) by Suzanne Young

Publication date: February 4 2019
Published by: Razorbill
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Mystery, High School
Rating: 

As if being a purrfect cheerleader isn't enough responsibility! Tessa Crimson's the sweet and spunky leader of the SOS (Society of Smitten Kittens), a cheer squad-turned-spy society dedicated to bringing dastardly boyfriends to justice, one cheater at a time. Boyfriend-busting wouldn't be so bad . . . except that so far, every suspect on the Naughty List has been proven 100% guilty! When Tessa's own boyfriend shows up on the List, she turns her sleuthing skills on him. Is Aiden just as naughty as all the rest, or will Tessa's sneaky ways end in catastrophe?

The Naughty List. Is your boyfriend on it?




Holy moly guacamole! This book was swell!

No joke, that is how Tessa spoke…

The Naughty List totally took me by surprise. I was in the mood for a light, funny high school drama (I’ve been binge-re-watching Veronica Mars and I am currently obsessed) and I thought I got that in spades at the beginning of the book, but as it turned out, not quite so.

Tessa was the teen equivalent of a 50’s Stepford wife. She was the head cheerleader, constantly perky, never swore, and a straight A student. I can confirmed she baked, but I'm pretty sure she did.
Her boyfriend Aiden was the most perfect, dreamiest boy ever and the captain of the basketball team. What Aiden didn’t know though was that Tessa had a secret, and that she was the leader of a group called SOS, dedicated to exposing cheating boyfriends.
Just as the perfect veneer of Aiden and Tessa’s relationship begins to crack, new kids Christian and Chloe are determined to give it the final blow.

So, pretty straightforward right? Tessa finds out after a series of misunderstandings that Aiden is not as perfect as she thought he was and is in fact a major dick, all with the help of her selfless sidekick Christian, who Tessa sees in another light and begins to like and fall in love with. 
I mean I have read hundreds of the type of books and they are all the same, an overdone trope which I don’t particularly mind as long as I’m in the mood for it and it is done well.
Turns out, I completely pre and misjudged the Naughty List. I thought it was just another of those cookie cutter teen angst high school dramas but it was the opposite of that. I have to give mad props to Young, she fooled me in the best possible way.

I liked how she showed that Tessa was more than met the eye and that yes, she was exhausted from trying to be perfect all the time and balancing school and relationships and cheerleading and SOS and how she desperately wanted a break from everything. But at the same time and even after that realisation, Young didn’t completely change Tessa by removing every part of her that made her, well, her. Tessa just transformed to a more “mature” person (just a little, let’s not get crazy) who has learned a lot from past mistakes and most importantly how to cut herself some slack occasionally.

As for Aiden, he was the perfect boyfriend. I mean, he was. I am trying to find a fault in him and I can’t. I totally expected him to be a douche but he so wasn’t. It was really nice to see both him and Tessa come to a mutual understanding in the end, even though it would momentarily and knowingly suck for them. The lack of unnecessary over the top drama and angst was refreshing.

I can’t reveal much about the plot I’m afraid even though I really really want to. My advice is to go into the Naughty List spoiler free and give it a chance to pleasantly surprise you. As funny and preppy as should be, I guarantee it will appeal to all YA high school fans out there! 

READING: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Publication date: May 14 2019
Published by: St. Martin Griffin 
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, MM, Romance
Rating: 

What happens when America's First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales?

When his mother became President, Alex Claremont-Diaz was promptly cast as the American equivalent of a young royal. Handsome, charismatic, genius—his image is pure millennial-marketing gold for the White House. There's only one problem: Alex has a beef with the actual prince, Henry, across the pond. And when the tabloids get hold of a photo involving an Alex-Henry altercation, U.S./British relations take a turn for the worse.

Heads of family, state, and other handlers devise a plan for damage control: staging a truce between the two rivals. What at first begins as a fake, Instragramable friendship grows deeper, and more dangerous, than either Alex or Henry could have imagined. Soon Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret romance with a surprisingly unstuffy Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations and begs the question: Can love save the world after all? Where do we find the courage, and the power, to be the people we are meant to be? And how can we learn to let our true colors shine through?

I love him, with all that, because of

all that. On purpose. I love him on purpose. 

If the Lord of Over-the-topchester and the Duchess of Over-hypedshire had a child, it would be Red, White and Royal Blue.

Before I am publically flogged at the city square for blasphemy, hear me out.

Red… wasn’t a bad book. It was, above all else, a very optimistic and positive take on the revelation of a romantic relationship between two prominent and powerful men in today’s society. It was very hopeful and sweet and cute and rainbows and glitter and as pink as its cover.

I couldn’t relate much to the characters which was of course to be expected. No matter how down to earth and humble the FSOTUS and the Prince of England were, and they were not, they are still the FSOTUS and the Prince of England. Their lives are outwardly to us and I am assuming ours is to them. So yeah, I don’t really care about extravagant parties and royal weddings that cost a developing country’s GDP. Thanks but no.

HENRY & ALEX
I thought they were both really sweet and their courtship very romantic and lovey-dovey, almost fairy tale-ish. I truly believe that Alex loved Henry (I had no doubt about Henry, he was obsessed with Alex) even though I’d rather he mulled it over a bit more seeing how impulsive he was. I liked their banter and their sense of humor, Henry’s “rigidness” balancing out Alex’s almost clownish behaviour. 
The emails they sent to each other could have been dialled down a notch; rich beyond measure, 20 something year old guys can’t recite so many literary quotes. They can’t recite any actually. Nice touch, but silly after a while.
I have to admit, I was a bit lukewarm about Alex throughout the book. I didn’t believe he was as “real” as advertised, definitely not a Texas country boy and I wouldn’t be surprised if down the line he broke Henry’s heart. It’s not that he was a bad guy, not at all. Like I said in a previous review: it’s the Westernised upbringing: entitled to everything, go get it, you can do it! While that is a great sentiment and I applaud it, it has a self centered undertone to it, a “if don’t like, dispose and get another one” kind of feel. I was pleasantly surprised to see that McQuiston did maintain that difference in attitudes between American and English whether inadvertently or not. Henry was always more composed and put more thought into everything he did and said, not because he was supposed to be the stiff heir to the throne, but because as Europeans we are all programmed to think and behave this way, from royalty to low class. Some of you might think that I am exaggerating or that I am simply wrong. I am telling you though, I wasn’t aware these cultural differences even existed until I migrated from Europe to Australia, so I am speaking from personal experience. 
Seeing that Red…was told exclusively from Alex’s POV in present tense, it was even harder for me to go along and understand the way his or his family acted. That is why I wasn’t particularly fond of the back and forth emails, they kinda took away all the intimacy and didn’t give them the chance to interact with and learn more in depth stuff about each other.
As far as NA MM romantic relationships go this one was OK, but I have seen way better (ahem Mark Cooper versus America) 

POLITICS
Always being on top of what’s happening in the world and constantly educating myself, I have formed my own political views and I will surely not be swayed by a NA romance novel of all things. Apart from it praising Nazis and sexual predators, I don’t mind reading others' political opinions and views. McQuiston is obviously very influenced by the 2016 US election as she mentioned in her acknowledgments, and is taking a very clear stance against a fictional Republican candidate who is apparently very vile. I wasn’t at all surprised at that, as I wouldn’t be surprised if the same was said for a Democrat candidate. I am old and cynical enough to not have any trust in politicians no matter how great they may seem. I don’t begrudge McQuiston’s political stance at all, this is a work of fiction after all.
However, I agree that her characters were one dimensional, Richards was the dark, evil villain and Ellen was the gallant, self-sacrificing hero, which is utterly unrealistic and an obvious lie. I don’t believe for a second that she wouldn’t throw a massive fit when her son’s scandal came out that close to elections or that she wouldn't try to twist it to her benefit, there is simply too much at stake. But again, over-romanticised, super wishful work of fiction.
I would have mad respect for McQuiston if she made Henry and Alex denounce their positions and live their lives peacefully away from the public eye. But I guess giving up Burberry button downs and Gucci bomber jackets was too much to ask.

OTHER CHARACTERS
The rest of the characters were way over the top and I didn’t like any of them :/ Sad, but true. Luna’s story was too convenient and I didn’t like McQuiston springing sexual harassment on me, too much on the nose.

Was Red… over ambitious? Yes.
Was it pretentious? Definitely.
Was it way too long? For sure. 

Despite all that, I’d still recommend it to all the wide-eyed, day dreaming teens out there who haven’t got their hopes totally crushed by the system yet. This is definitely for them.

READING: Kissing Tolstoi by Penny Reid

Publication date: November 7 2017
Published by: Cipher-Naught
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, College, Romance
Rating: 

What do you do when you discover that your super-hot blind date from months ago is now your super-hot Russian Lit professor?

You overthink everything and pray for a swift end to your misery, of course!

It is popular to say that one must find love within oneself before knowing how to love another. 

I rejected this statement outright, as both imbecilic in theory and impossible in practice. 

Kissing Tolstoy read like any girl’s – or at least most girls’ – fantasy. The sitting under the window sill in your nightie looking longingly at the stars and moon kind of fantasy. The one when a strapping, well educated, knowledgeable man is obsessed with making you his. 
At the end of the day, isn’t that what it’s all about? 
It sure was for Anna, after she meets dapper Russian lit professor Luca who is:
A) Drop dead gorgeous
B) rides a motorcycle 
C) wears leather pants like nobody’s business and 
D) is kind of a dominant. But with a soft side. Duh.
Now why did I always picture Russian lit professors as long nosed, hunched backed 60 somethings, I honestly don’t know. Popular misconception I guess.

Kissing Tolstoy was a really sweet, very funny story about Anna, an unremarkable 21 year old self-proclaimed nerd, who loves jigsaw puzzles and Russian Lit, falling in love with her very hot 32 year old professor.
Before you say anything, yes, I realise the theme is a bit “taboo”, but is it really? 
They are both consenting adults and Luca did the right thing and was responsible and mature enough to nip the issue in the bud when he knew he wanted to pursue Anna. Not that I am congratulating him for common sense and decency, I am just saying that's what happened.
You can’t help who you fall in love with and these things, as crazy as they seem, do happen. Probably not as exaggerated and over the top as in Kissing Tolstoi but I can personally attest that they happen. A close friend of mine fell in love with her professor in her mid 20s and they have been happily married for 15 years and have 2 kids, so there.

I loved the sense of humour in the book, I LOLed on a lot of occasions which can be kind of awkward when you are reading the book at work and the manager/monster is looking at you all weird.

"His words landed like a physical blow and the wind was forced from my lungs, leaving me breathless.
And wretched.
Breathless and Wretched, the new fragrance by Calvin Klein.

What I felt missing from Kissing Tolstoy was EITHER 100+ pages more, so Luca’s automatic obsession with Anna could be explained and justified OR more of Luca’s POV, which would have the same result.
I love reading Russian characters or characters with Russian decent because their mindset is very similar to Greeks: this totally pessimistic and cynical view of the world and people, which I guess is imbedded in our DNA from years and years of political and economic upheaval in both our countries. I always envied the optimistic and confident Westerners who were told they could have anything they want in life and that the world is their oyster. But in a way this perspective, appealing though it is, never felt real to me. So on the rare occasion I read about a self deprecating, mad at the world, defeatist character, I immediately like him.

Overall, Kissing Tolstoy was a super cute and sexy, but unfortunately very brief, story about a whirlwind romance between a college student and her professor. It was very enjoyable for what it was, a very short shot of romance with clever banter and over the top situations that will make you smile, even though they are far from relatable or believable. 

READING: Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare

Publication date: January 28 2014
Published by: Avon
Genre: Adult, Romance, Historical, Chick Lit, Fairytale
Rating: 

As the daughter of a famed author, Isolde Ophelia Goodnight grew up on tales of brave knights and fair maidens. She never doubted romance would be in her future, too. The storybooks offered endless possibilities.

And as she grew older, Izzy crossed them off. One by one by one.

Ugly duckling turned swan?
Abducted by handsome highwayman?
Rescued from drudgery by charming prince?

No, no, and… Heh.

Now Izzy’s given up yearning for romance. She’ll settle for a roof over her head. What fairy tales are left over for an impoverished twenty-six year-old woman who’s never even been kissed?

This one.

She’d always envied beautiful women. Not solely for the beauty itself but because when attributes were parceled out by whatever deity assigned them, beauty seemed to come tethered to confidence. She craved that more than anything. 

A historical romance gem 💎

I thought I left my HR days behind me, the unabashed enjoyment of illicit ravishings in castle gardens, the incessant sighing over devastatingly handsome rakes.
Turns out I was wrong!
Even though Romancing the Duke may put you a bit off at first with its insta love, or rather insta lust, don’t fret. This book is so much more than that.

The story was so sweet and touching, almost like a fairy tale.
You have the scarred hero, who is reclusive and grumpy (but still hot) and the heroine who, at 26, has never known the love of a man because of her plain appearance.
Ransom has abandoned all hope of love after his injury which left him blind and disfigured. Although, the scar didn’t sound that grotesque if you ask me. But I guess at a time when appearances were everything, it must have been considered bad. He has decided to live out the rest of his life in solitary, certain that real love is just for stupid people who don’t know better (he said it, not me.)
Izzy has too abandoned all hope of love, although for completely different reasons. She was brought up reading all these great romance stories of princesses and knights and she believes in love with all her heart. However, no matter how much you want to love someone and be loved, it doesn’t mean that it’s going to happen. Izzy is so plain looking that at 26, she is still a virgin with no one having ever courted her or even touched her.
So you can imagine that when those two meet, Ransom with his icy, broken heart and Izzy with hers full of love, it’s pure magic.
She brought hope and bliss back into his life and he brought her pleasure and love. And it was so beautiful 💖

I loved Dare’s writing. She made her characters so intriguing and actually smart and logical, instead of over the top and dramatic. I really liked that Izzy wasn’t portrayed as this virginal, shy, ugly duckling but as a strong woman who knows where she stands in life and exactly what she wants.
Also, I loved how funny it was at times! I mean, Plan E had me actually laughing out loud!
Most of all though, I adored the setting: the magnificent gothic castle, its high turrets with their scenic views, all the references to knights and princesses; it all made for a charmingly beautiful picture. 

Short and sweet - that’s what you get with Romancing the Duke. Emotional, romantic, funny, charming and 100% enjoyable! 
This was my first Tessa Dare book and it definitely won’t be the last.

READING: Tempest (Playing the Fool #3) by Lisa Henry and J.A. Rock

Publication date: March 9 2015
Published by: Riptide
Genre: MM, Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Mystery, Funny
Rating: 

FBI Agent Ryan “Mac” McGuinness and con man Henry Page are on the run again. This time they’re headed back to where it all began: Altona, Indiana. Population: some goats. Henry’s not happy about lying low at the McGuinness family farm, but they’ve got nowhere else to go.

While Mac fights to clear his name and Henry struggles with whose side he’s really on, a ghost from the past threatens to destroy everything. And those aren’t the only storms on the radar. Cut off from both sides of the law, Mac and Henry must rely on their tenuous partnership to survive. 

If Henry can convince himself to let Mac see the man behind the disguises, they’ll stand a chance of beating the forces that conspire against them. The course of true love never did run smooth, but for the two of them, it might be their only hope.

I wanted this series to be epic, considering who wrote it. It wasn't bad, not at all, but maybe I was expecting something else entirely. Based on other Henry novels (except for Another Man's Treasure) I thought this one was gonna be jam packed with romance and angst and brilliant characters and writing. It had the last two in abundance, but didn't quite succeed in the first two. 

I really liked Mac and Henry's relationship dynamic, but we didn't get to see too much of it. Every time they met, except for a very few exceptions, Henry either ran away changing his mind about staying with Mac, was being too sexual in front of Mac in order to provoke him and not always in a good way, or indulged in self flagellation. I felt that, like Mac, we never got to see the real Henry, Sebastian, whomever. It was like Mac had a relationship with someone I didn't know, someone fuzzy that I can't quite place, and that prevented me from getting too invested in his character, and consequently their relationship.

Readers not hung up on romance will definitely enjoy this one more.

READING: The Two Gentlemen from Altona (Playing the Fool #1) by Lisa Henry and J.A. Rock

Publication date: December 27 2014
Published by: Riptide
Genre: MM, Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Mystery, Funny
Rating: 


Mischief, thou art afoot.

Special Agent Ryan "Mac" McGuinness is having a rough week. Not only is he on a new diet, but he's also been tasked with keeping Henry Page -- the world's most irritating witness -- alive. Which is tough when Mac's a breath away from killing the Shakespeare-quoting, ethically-challenged, egg-obsessed Henry himself. Unless killing isn't really what Mac wants to do to him.

Con man Henry Page prefers to keep his distance from the law . . . though he wouldn't mind getting a little closer to uptight, handsome Agent McGuinness. As the sole witness to a mob hit, Henry's a valuable asset to the FBI. But he's got his own agenda, and it doesn't involve testifying.

When evidence surfaces of a mole in the FBI office, Mac and Henry are forced to go into hiding. Holed up in a fishing cabin, they're surprised to discover that their feelings run more than skin deep. But as the mob closes in, Henry has to make his escape. And Mac has to decide how far he's willing to go to keep Henry by his side.

Didn't realise this book is so short!!! I'm at work, and I don't have the second one! Now what? Do I actually have to...work? Ugh.

Henry and Rock together: miracle workers. 
Even when they create realistic characters-not having washboard abs and piercing blue eyes kind of realistic-I still like them and am attracted to them because of their unbelievably charismatic personality. I am not saying that physical appearance is everything and all MCs should be crazy hot and sexy, but when you're writing a romance novel, I think it's kind of pivotal. 
Henry and Rock are very good at that; they create smart characters, with great sense of humour but most importantly, genuinely good and kind hearted people that you can't help but like.
Same with Bel in WATWS, same with Deacon in MCvA, same here with Mac. 

And then they create broken, cracked characters like Henry, who starve for good guys like Mac, but never let themselves believe they are good enough, scared to accept that yes, they can have something nice and safe in their lives.

The only thing I would say is that I didn't really get how quickly Mac went from "Shut up, I want to throttle you, you're so annoying" and "You're my witness and I'm a professional", to playing dress up and re enacting scenes from Shakespeare with Henry and basically falling in love with him. There was something missing there, I think. Maybe if they were given a little bit more time to bond (maybe a couple of chapters) their connection would seem more believable. 

Starting Merchant of Death straight away!

READING: Shattered Glass by Dani Alexander

Publication date: January 31 2012
Published by: Dani Alexander
Genre: MM, Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Suspense, Funny
Rating: 

A male prostitute, a mangy cat, a murder and a maniacal mix-up that threatens his career, his impending marriage and his life. Nothing is going as planned for Austin Glass.

Austin—seems to have it all. At least on the surface. A loving fiancee. A future with the FBI and a healthy sized trust fund. He also has a grin and a wisecrack for every situation. But the smile he presents to everyone hides a painful past he’s buried too deeply to remember. And his quips mask bitterness and insecurity. Austin has himself and most of the whole world fooled. Until he meets someone who immediately sees him better than he sees himself.

As events unfold and Austin’s world unravels, he finds himself pushed into making quick life-changing decisions. But can he trust Peter or what’s happening between them when each meeting seems to be just a series of volatile reactions?

Wow, reading this book is an experience all on its own. Completely different than any other mm (or fm) I have ever read. I have to applaud the author for that, managing to write something so unique and original, which in this day and age, is basically impossible.

Shattered Glass is not your typical sweet mm romance. It is not your typical dark and violent mm romance, either. For those who like hot mm romances, this will probably not be for you, for the sole reason that it focuses more on the story and the characters, than the relationship part. Don't expect super hot and sexy scenes, but it's not lacking in spice. Also, don't expect one of these over glamourised relationships either, where MCs sex scenes play out like wet dreams. We're talking embarrassing stuff being said, very awkward moments, and I really appreciated it that the author kept it real and didn't cower from it. What I actually found sexy was how wonderfully embarrassed Austin was about almost everything he did, but because of his total devotion to Peter he was willing to embrace the shame and the awkwardness and try things completely out of his comfort zone, even though they made him cringe inwardly. For a spoiled brat, Austin was the epitome of selflessness. 

Austin and Peter are hard men to like and root for. Austin is a rich, entitled smartass, with a sensitive streak a mile long, and Peter is manipulative and untrustworthy, but also very loving. I have to hand it to the author for making these two not only work, but making the reader want them to work so desperately, even though they weren't even convinced they should be together. This is still a HEA (of course), but it had enough bumps in the road to make you think it might actually not be, and that was very interesting.
The one problem I did have with this book was how much convoluted the story was. All the stuff with illegal immigrants and drugs and who is who and who did what to whom, was all very unclear and I felt like I had no context most of the time. I think the author's plans for the story line were very ambitious and the execution was not great.

Overall, kudos for writing something so unconventional and particular. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I would totally recommend it (already have :)