Barbara Rachel's Reviews

 I loved this series. I had read Conventionally Yours and I remembered I really enjoyed reading it but I forgot how addictive Annabeth Albert’s writing is! She writes so seamlessly—all I can say is #goals to that. These MM military romances are not for those that like a modest story — these books have an extra spicy 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ content level. I read a book a day until I was done with the entire series and if you enjoy MM romance, I highly recommend these books. Each book touches on issues with sensitive topics including PTSD, so be sure to read the content warnings in the introductions. #🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈  I read the entire series in a few days. 🌶️  — 5 alarm spice — do not read if you do not enjoy explicit intimacy  🏷️ trigger warning: PTSD #ContemporaryRomance #romcom #ExMilitaryRomance #LGBTQ+ #ExtraSpicyRomCom

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...

The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez My rating: 4 of 5 stars This was a rollercoaster. Loved it and loved the playlist. I forgot how much I like Paramore. There will be tears, but the destination was worth it. It was over the top but still worked. #ContemporaryRomance #ExtraSpicy #RomCom #LoveAfterGrief

Tools of Engagement by Tessa Bailey My rating: 5 of 5 stars Loved. View all my reviews Loved. Like a spicy Taming of the Shrew. Tessa Bailey has my attention, that is for sure.

My Killer Vacation by Tessa Bailey My rating: 4 of 5 stars A second grade teacher takes a vacation at the beach with her brother and there is a dead body in their rental. Enter a bounty hunter who is ex-police and some fairly primal chemistry between teacher and hunter and a mystery to be solved in the background… I really enjoyed this. Read it in a day and a half. It was funny, very very spicy - as expected from Tessa Bailey.  Okay so this book seems to have Bailey’s fans divided. I was actually surprised by some of the negative reviews. To me it was just a Tessa Bailey with some Ali Hazelwood elements thrown in - without the STEM. Some people found the age gap and class difference “cringe.” Whatever - it was fun to read a romcom mystery. I enjoyed it. So I guess if you don’t want your goodie-two-shoes teacher attracted to danger and you want your male lead clean cut and not 9 years older than your female lead - don’t read this book. Or be prepared to ...

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...

Frisky Collections Volume 1: Frisky and Queer: A steamy romcom short story queer collection. by Michelle Mars My rating: 4 of 5 stars A fun collection of short stories that are centered around the Frisky Bean Cafe, the three stories were about three different couples that are patrons there. Each couple has different back stories, different tastes and predilections. In short, there is something for everyone here. This is very spicy, so be prepared for it to be rather explicit. Each rom com of the three also centered around a different time in a a relationship - one being at the beginning, one being at the level of commitment and one being about to change. The stories were cute and it was a fun read. Of note, I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you BookSirens and to the author. ⏰ I read it in a few days. 🌶️ very spicy/mature/adult 🏷️ no triggers to report #ShortStoryCollection #contempora...

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...

 A once jilted woman, Catalina Martin knows she cannot go home for her sisters wedding and face her ex-fiancée as the best man without a man on her arm. Enter her work enemy, Aaron Blackford. As much as she loathes him, he may be her only hope for the (fake) boyfriend she told her family would be her date. Okay so first of all, I loved how messy Catalina was. I mean she could take a shit show and make it 10 times worse than you could even imagine. Her hare-brained schemes land her on a plane back home to Spain with Aaron….who happens to be gorgeous of course. The sparks between them are undeniable, except to Catalina who is too busy being messy to see what is right in front of her. She blurts out what she is thinking, scrambles to cover her tracks and underneath it all, it comes out what keeps pushing her forward… she is a survivor. She is also sassy as hell, a cover for what she really might be feeling and want to deny. She is also her own worst critic - relatable.  I really ...

Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey My rating: 4 of 5 stars Tessa Bailey is, hands down, the Queen of Dirty Talk and this book gives multiple opportunities for one to blush and feel uncomfortable if anyone else is in the room. Honestly this book seemed next level spicy to me, even for T.B. A follow up to  Secretly Yours , this MF enemies to lovers romance centers on wayward daughter of a prominent family, Natalie, who has a penchant for sabotaging her own life, and her accidental romance with an ex-Navy seal, August. This involves both the fake romance and, subsequently, the forced proximity tropes. This book had multiple comedic moments, particularly centered around the MC’s disdain for one another. Not to mention some real laugh out loud moments involving the rescued cat, Menace.  TBH, what did not thrill me was the portrayal of August as a stereotypical meat-head ex solider. That felt unnecessary and a bit flat for me. Also it seem...

I loved this book! This was a series I read out of order, which was fine. Here we have Rosaline who is looking for an escape from her financial challenges but on her way finds romance and then love and most of all her voice. The love in question led to my favorite line, as she found “someone who cared about who she was rather than who she should be.”  I absolutely recommend this book. There were so many hilarious moments that had me replaying the audible to listen through it again. There were, as I have come to expect from Alexis Hall, some quite serious moments as well. All in all, it was funny, heartwarming and thought provoking.  The audible was ready by Fiona Hardingham, who was fantastic. ⏰ listened to in 1 week but also kept replaying parts i enjoyed (which was multiple) 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ fairly explicit. At first basic sex but also some more authentic moments of intimacy. Well written for sure. It was a fair amount but not unpleasant, except the scene described below.  ...

The Emma Project by Sonali Dev My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews The last of the Rajes books (#4) and….I loved this book. Here again we have a Jane Austen retelling, this time of Emma, and rather than an enemies to lovers story, we have a friends to friends-with-benefits to....maybe-we-are-something-more. This book ticked all the boxes for me. Once again, Dev brings back characters from other books but seen through the eyes of the featured characters, and not always in the most flattering light.  In an overarching way, putting all the books characters together, it is interesting to see the real-life difference between how I may see and experience the world around me from my own perspective compared to how others may see and perceive me. Going back to this particular story, I will not say it is the truest to the original Austen retelling, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It went from slow burn to extra spicy about m...

 First of all, let me say I did receive this ARC for free; I am writing a review voluntarily. Okay, to get right to it, I really enjoyed this book! Our protagonist may have been down on her luck, but it has made her stronger than she knows and I enjoyed her wit and sarcasm, both of which are a cover for a deeply loyal person (once trust is earned).  The descriptions of transformation - shifting, heightened senses - were very well written - it was almost like being there.  I appreciate being able to visualize the scene and the characters in this way, especially the fantastical and magical aspects of the story. (#ADHDreaderandreviewer) Some of the dialogue, however, seemed clipped or rushed and I wished for some more of the eloquence put into the prose.   🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ The intimacy scenes are very spicy and had some different aspects - without giving anything away - that I found surprising. Nothing over the top, by my standards, but I will not be recommendinnng this to ...

Well, I am away in Miami with no laptop, so this will be more abbreviated than usual as I am composing this on my phone. Since, however, I am almost finished with the 2nd book in the series I wanted to get this one done. I really loved this book. At first I was thinking, this is total fluff, and I was not sure what to make of Piper - our leading lady… I mean is there a character I could identify with less?? Rich, privileged, party girl and influencer…. But as I went further, there is more to her than the surface and without any spoilers this is as much about “there is a real person beneath the superficial” story as it is about the romance and meet-cute. Now let me say as well this was extra extra spicy. As in, I was almost embarrassed to be reading it level of sexual encounters - I am looking at you, chapter 16 - and there are many of these encounters in this book. So know that going in. As I said, about halfway through it gets real about pretty people are real people too and there wer...

  From a random one-night stand develops this tale of two people who may not have been equipped for commitment and love, literally stranded together on a remote film location. Once again, Olivia Dade has captivated me with characters that struggle in some of the very ways an average reader could easily identify with. I love a book with diversity for the sake of how it is reflective of real life rather than just for its own sake. I may not have the same life experience as these characters but I love how “seen” Ms. Dade’s books make me feel. The spice level is high - so note that in case it is not your taste. (I am referring to graphic sexual descriptions just to be clear.) I loved this book, could not put it down - literally had the audible in my ear buds and the paperback in my purse. I cannot wait to see where this writer takes me next. 

  As another desi romance, this was a good segue from the Sara Desai series. I enjoyed the characters, particularly the aunties, in this east coast tale of struggling Indian singles. It was hard not to compare the story, however, and while I did enjoy it almost as much, there were not as many laugh out loud moments. I also found the way Kareena is treated by her family even more harsh and unfair than maybe it was meant to be when compared to the more supportive relationships in the last 3 books I read. In any case it was good fun and overall I enjoyed this book.  There was one thing, and I will not beat this to death, as it has been mentioned so many times in other reviews, but the choice of name by Prem’s character for his genitalia was annoying and a stupid distraction. There, I said it. At least he did not go around saying it aloud. (Eye roll). I think it is also worth mentioning that whatever I have said was spicy before had nothing on this book. I mean, on a scale of 1 to...