by Piper Rayne
Series: Kingsmen Football Stars #2
Tropes: cinnamon roll hero, single dad, boss/employee, forced proximity
Violet and Brady had a steamy one-night stand and walked
away the next morning without ever exchanging names (Violet’s decision, not
Brady’s). Fast forward six months later and Brady is shocked to find that his
ex has hired Violet as the nanny for their son. Awkward! After agreeing to set
any residual feelings aside and keep things professional, there’s no denying
that the chemistry is still explosive. They agree to a friends with benefits
arrangement (well, more like a boss-employee with benefits arrangement), with
Violet insisting that it ends when her assignment is over. Too bad that Brady
had no intention of letting her go.
Brady and Violet were both such genuine, likable
characters and it was easy to pull for them and want them to find their way
together. Brady’s son Theo was an absolute sweetheart and added so many
heartwarming moments to the story (man, did that kid love his dad… and Legos).
I appreciated how Brady and Hannah (Theo’s mom) co-parented and that there was
genuine care and respect between them, no animosity at all. Violet had some
issues from past relationships to overcome and, very late in the story, it
seemed Brady had his own issues with abandonment to work through. The bond that
Theo and Violet formed was so sweet, and seeing how Brady reacted to their bond
warmed my heart. This was a great addition to the Kingsmen Football series (and
can be read as a standalone), and the set-up for the third and final book has
me ready for more. 4 stars
by Abbi Glines
Series: Smoke #1
Tropes: age gap, alpha male, mafia/organized crime, cliffhanger
So, I’m feeling super ranty, but just stick with me,
okay? A couple years ago I finally swore off Abbi Glines because when it came
to her books, I spent more time rolling my eyes than actually reading. But when
I read the synopsis of Smokeshow, I was intrigued and, against my better
judgment, decided to give it a go. The female main character was classic Abbi
Glines: drop dead gorgeous (but of course is completely oblivious to this
fact), is adored/lusted after by every male in a 50 mile radius, and is dumb as
a box of rocks. Of the three guys who were immune to her (non-existent) charms,
two were decent enough guys and one was a total a-hole. One guess who the love
interest is.
It was obvious as soon as Maddy arrived at her
new home and started meeting people that there was more going on than was being
openly discussed. But Maddy was a doormat, easily manipulated, and basically
went along with whatever she was told. She hung out a lot at her new
friend Trevor’s house, even though public poolside sex seemed to be the norm
and made her uncomfortable. When the a-hole simply could not stay away from
her any longer (insert eye roll) and told her to pack a bag because she was now
going to live with him… yeah, she went without a word. Then the plot took a
one-way street into crazy town and I decided, sure, why not, I’m going with the
crazy. And then it ended with a cliffhanger. Sounds like I didn’t like this
one, right? Seems like I would run far, far away from a sequel, right? So ask
me if I’m going to read the next book? You better believe I am. Sure Maddy is
dumb, sure Blaise (did I mention the love interest is named Blaise?) is an
a-hole, and yeah, the plot is so crazy that even a soap opera looks bland in
comparison… but I got sucked in and I’m not walking away. Bring on the next book.
I’m ready to return to this hot mess and eat it up with a spoon. 3 stars (I've changed my rating from 2.5 to 3.5 and everything in between. I'm settling on a 3.)
Have you read either of these books?
