Barbara Rachel's Reviews

Love and Other Risky Business by Sarah Brenton My rating: 4 of 5 stars A stunt man and seamstress consider taking their friendship to the next level in this romantic comedy. The male MC is bisexual, and does represent that clearly, not as a work in which I feel I am seeing over done in contemporary romcoms lately. In addition to friends to lovers, we have forced proximity. This story was interesting as disaster strikes fairly early in the plot and I was wondering where we would go from there but it kept a great pace and storyline throughout. I was not wild about the MC best friend. He was kind of annoying. But that's okay, I don't have to like everyone. I loved the mother of the male MC -- she was by far my favorite character and the only one that felt truly ship-worthy. But overall, really enjoyed it, it took some original plot twists and turns. This was steamy, so if explicit intimacy is not your thing -- not for you. Thank you so mu...

Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews I really enjoyed this book — a marriage on the rocks, this is a highly relatable subject to anyone that has been married more than a minute — although this couple is in an extreme case to be sure. Fair warning — this is not only extra spicy but this couple is definitely into a vibe that many people may find antiquated or a bit too caveman. There were parts that I thought were a bit much, to be sure, but overall, I appreciated the story. I also really liked the incorporation of the love languages into the story — I find that subject fascinating and it was really different to see these built into the story. If you enjoy reading about spicy alpha males, this book may be right up your alley. Trigger warning: Veteran associated PTSD ExtraSpicy

Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey My rating: 5 of 5 stars When a broken down has-been pro golfer teams with his biggest (and only) fan whose life is a total disaster, true love may be on the horizon. While it sounds like such a far-fetched concept — it really works. Fan Girl Down was a super fun read. Tessa Bailey truly is a master at what she does. If you are not familiar with her work, she is so talented at creating characters that I am absolutely cheering for. There are a bunch of classic romcom tropes here including grumpy-cheerful, edgy-innocent, forced proximity.  It is importantly to note that her books are definitely for readers comfortable with explicit material. This particular book also works in some really heavy themes such chronic illness, lack of health insurance, childhood neglect, alcohol abuse, medication rationing. And yet the book was entertaining and engaging. I really loved this book. If you do not mind extra spicy intimacy...

Midnight Mayhem by Savannah Lee My rating: 4 of 5 stars My favorite part of  this book (and the series) — hands down —  is the lead character. And what I enjoyed most about Rowan was her sass — she has spirit and a never say die attitude —even when it is not the smartest move to be that way. Her loyalty, wit and fierce love for her friends and her mate were among the best parts of this series to me.  The relationship between her and her mate, was something that developed throughout the series that I thought was really well written. Rowan is rough around the edges and needs this (sometimes) grounding and opposing force that she finds in her mate.  More so than in the first 2 books I felt that some of the dialogue between the characters was rather clipped. But other than that I loved the book and the series. It will be missed. Extra star for world building and creativity. It was an awesome journey. Note, I did receive this ARC...

  Another page-turner from Savannah Lee - I could not put this book down. It helped that I was anticipating book two in the Clover Pack Series since the moment I finished Midnight Mated.   Book two finds half-ling (shifter-fae) Rowan learning more about herself and her past - and becoming more powerful in the process. No spoilers here but if you are back to find out if the romance between Rowan and the brooding shifter Callan is going to progress - you will not be disappointed. The story delves more deeply into the faerie realm and there are more character introductions along the way. It was fast paced with in-depth world building while keeping the action moving on the conflict between Rowan and her enemies.  The book was entertaining, spicy, and I definitely recommend it and the series. I particularly appreciate a fantasy romance that is not so complicated with overblown world building that I cannot keep track of who is who. It is just the right balance of telling the st...

Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon My rating: 3 of 5 stars 9/17/2023….I finally finished it. Diana Gabaldon has an incredible mind for details and world building. But…. I cannot decide if this could have been 4 different books about different main characters or if this story could have just started around Chapter 93 because TBH it really did not pick up energy before that. The first 90 or so chapters felt like an endless diary of day to day minutia that did not seem to have any big picture significance. And then to top it all off it ended on a spoiler!? The build up for which was only in the last 10% of the book. This was not my favorite book of the Outlander series. I am still giving this three stars because the writing is excellent. The world building as I said, is incredible. I am deeply invested in these characters as I am a big fan of the series and have been since the beginning. I was not a fan of the audible but due to my ADHD a...