Review: HOT GUY: A Christmas Story

HOT GUY: A Christmas Story by H.M. Ward

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
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Description: 

The holiday season is supposed to be fun and filled with magic. Norman Rockwell never met my family. There's nothing but chaos at holiday meals, and I'm completely dreading it. Think pushy parents, a set of terrible twos in twin form, and a Grandma who wants to see bouncing great-grandbabies before she dies—no amount of turkey can make that situation into a good thing. Add in the recent breakup that no one knows about, then couple it with getting laid off from work, and I'm ready to walk to Mexico and Feliz Navidad myself. That's when I meet HIM—Mr. Tall and Irresistibly Beautiful. I bet he never heard the word no before in his life. After some animated banter, I decide drowning myself in Hot Guy would be way better than getting smashed alone. One thing leads to another, and I'm breathless in his arms when he walks out. Merry freaking Christmas. No early holiday package for me. I pull myself together and jump headfirst into the holiday season when I finally get some good news—a job offer at a swank coffee shop in Manhattan. The problem? It's not a building. I'll be working in a food truck in ass-cold freezing temps, dressed like a slutty Swiss Miss. Oh, and Hot Guy is there. Every day. Every night. He's the boss. I can take it if he can, assuming we don't kill each other first.

My Thoughts

Aiden Ryan is in his mid-thirties and in a position of losing his family fortune tied up in his Dad's company, Norvek. Only his dad died and his evil uncle James wants it for himself and puts Aiden through a sort of hell reducing him to nothing. I don't understand how people can think of getting away with murder. As Aiden discovers he was blackmailed for killing a bunch of individuals, who had taken a so-called "cure for cancer" pill that his Uncle James had tampered with making the formula poisonous. Woah now there is a mouthful. Aiden had created this 'cure for cancer' calling it RequimX, knowing that Aiden would be the heir to his dad's company.

Okay, so there was some unfinished business that Hot Guy now was put to the test to keep his job. It was doomed to fail because of a trifling weather forecast in New York risking not only his little Hottie Hut but every other business in the city as well.

He meets a girl named Kris, with her own set of problems that neither of them wanted anyone to know. I wouldn't call them honest with each other but whatever.
When they couldn't hide their feelings for each other is when all hell breaks loose, secrets were unveiled only to reveal their love for each other could not keep them apart for long.

I wish Hot Guy would have prevailed to tell us what came next because the story didn't seem finished to me when we learned of a marriage proposal. It had the potential of being more than a short story novella. For that, I am knocking off two stars. I feel it is important to tie up loose ends. I couldn't access Aiden's HEA link either.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

H.M. WARD New York Times bestselling author HM Ward continues to reign as the queen of independent publishing. She is swiftly approaching 13 MILLION copies sold, placing her among the literary titans. Articles pertaining to Ward's success have appeared in The New York Times, USA Today, and Forbes to name a few. This native New Yorker resides in Texas with her family, where she enjoys working on her next book. You can interact with this bestselling author at:
Twitter: @HMWard
Facebook: AuthorHMWard
Website: www.hmward.com

Review: Tarnished Knight

➲I got Tarnished Knight as a free gift for signing up to Becca McMasters Newsletter. I have read Kiss of Steel also.

Tarnished Knight by Bec McMaster

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
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After a vicious vampire attack left him struggling to leash the dark urges of the craving virus, Rip thinks he’s finally starting to master the darkness within. The only thing that threatens to shatter his hard-won control is Esme, his closest friend and the only woman he’s ever wanted. In the steam-fuelled world of Victorian London, vampires, werewolves and slasher gangs stalk the night and a man made partly of metal is about to discover just how far he’ll go to protect the woman he loves… After a vicious vampire attack left him struggling to leash the dark urges of the craving virus, John ‘Rip’ Doolan, thinks he’s finally starting to master the darkness within. The only thing that threatens to shatter his hard-won control is Esme, his closest friend and the only woman he’s ever wanted. If the stubborn beauty ever realized precisely what was going through his mind, their friendship would be ruined… For six months Esme has waited for Rip to recover and take her as his thrall, not daring to hope for more. Too afraid to put her heart on the line, she’s devastated when Rip reveals that he never had any intentions of making her his. But when a savage gang of Slashers starts causing havoc in Whitechapel, Rip and Esme have no choice. They must face up to the depth of the passion that burns between them and forges a new relationship… or risk losing each other forever.

The London Steampunk series is not bad, I don't mind historical London in Bec McMasters world, but it is dark, and I have to pause once in awhile to catch my breath.
The vampire John, aka Rip, loves Esme as does she, but they can't seem to get it together fast enough for me. I like the fighting and the romance, but they let trivial matters and negative opinions and feelings for each other squelch their real emotions. I mean just because Rip thinks he's frightening to look at or that he is a freak with a robotic arm, doesn't matter to her. And he is too afraid of hurting her. It 's hard for him to control his blue blood Hunger and doesn't trust himself around her. Fine but she wants him to want her. She wants to be his thrall. Her feelings are hurt when she sees him feed on another 'whore,' and he doesn't understand what he did to make her so upset. Really? I mean really? Typical male. Oh, the rejection! Like a slap in the face, she is pushed into believing he doesn't want her. He thinks it will ruin their friendship. Whatever. Only, he does want her.
This character trope is so familiar. 
We see it in The Black Dagger Brotherhood between Hellrens and their Shellans. They don't want to hurt their females. Pshaw! The very idea!

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Finished Queen of the Tearling #1

The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

Genre: Fantasy, YA, Dystopia,
Paperback, 464 pages
Published April 14th, 2015 by Harper Paperbacks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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A #1 Indie Next Pick and LibraryReads Selection 

Magic, adventure, mystery, and romance combine in this epic debut in which a young princess must reclaim her dead mother’s throne, learn to be a ruler—and defeat the Red Queen, a powerful and malevolent sorceress determined to destroy her.
On her nineteenth birthday, Princess Kelsea Raleigh Glynn, raised in exile, sets out on a perilous journey back to the castle of her birth to ascend her rightful throne. Plain and serious, a girl who loves books and learning, Kelsea bears little resemblance to her mother, the vain and frivolous Queen Elyssa. But though she may be inexperienced and sheltered, Kelsea is not defenseless: Around her neck hangs the Tearling sapphire, a jewel of immense magical power; and accompanying her is the Queen’s Guard, a cadre of brave knights led by the enigmatic and dedicated Lazarus. Kelsea will need them all to survive a cabal of enemies who will use every weapon—from crimson-caped assassins to the darkest blood magic—to prevent her from wearing the crown.
Despite her royal blood, Kelsea feels like nothing so much as an insecure girl, a child called upon to lead a people and a kingdom about which she knows almost nothing. But what she discovers in the capital will change everything, confronting her with horrors she never imagined. An act of singular daring will throw Kelsea’s kingdom into tumult, unleashing the vengeance of the tyrannical ruler of neighboring Mortmesne: the Red Queen, a sorceress possessed of the darkest magic. Now Kelsea will begin to discover whom among the servants, aristocracy, and her own guard she can trust.
But the quest to save her kingdom and meet her destiny has only just begun—a wondrous journey of self-discovery and a trial by fire that will make her a legend . . . if she can survive.
This book will be a beautifully designed package with illustrated endpapers, a map of the Tearling, and a ribbon marker.

My Thoughts
The Queen of the Tearling is such a good book. I really enjoyed this fantastic adventure about a girl who was preserved from assassination and brought back to the Kingdom of Tear at the age of nineteen to ascend the throne and become Queen. Such a great character! I absolutely adore Kelsea.

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A Kim Harrison Giveaway

Enter to Win any Kim Harrison Novel Here: I FEEL LUCKY

I Need a New Bookshelf

I bought a new bookshelf to help me keep the books flowing, so my reading won't become stagnant. Even if I borrow books from the library, they need space on a shelf right? It's not as comprehensive as I would have liked, but damn it was expensive regardless! I have a small apartment, so maybe I could buy another one later.

Best Buy 

I want to show you how stagnant my bookshelf really is. There are so many books hidden behind the first row! Doesn't it make you wanna cry? It'll be okay once springtime the new bookshelf comes

This bookshelf has five tiers and it is the only shelf I have but I also have awesome books in my hallway storage closet which is really sad.

What's On My Bookshelf

"From My Heart To You"

This is a book that my boyfriend and I had developed and made for each other. We each got a copy. I will never forget him RIP my love. He died from liver and lung cancer before Christmas December 11th, 2016 and my heart aches for him. It is amateurish, but we used Picaboo. He wrote this poem:

This is for every second we spend together. For every kiss, and every tear we have shed with each other. For the special times created by being together. For all the times I was distressed, and you were there. For all the memories of the beautiful love, we've made. All the tenderness and love that you have shown me. For the little things, you've done that means so much. Most of all, this is from me to you to show how important you are to me. To thank you for all you've done. To tell you exactly how I feel and to remind you that...I will always love you! -Phil-

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday

1. Poison Promise (Elemental Assassin #11)
2. Bitter Bite #14
3. Unraveled #15

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