Middle Eastern Romance with some inaccuracies

Blurb:

When the Sheikh comes to town

Determined to confront the father who abandoned her, Liyah accepts the position of chambermaid at his exclusive Chatsfield Hotel, London. Liyah must serve VIP visitor Sheikh Sayed bin Falah al Zeena and see to his every whim — and those of his harem! 

With his engagement irrevocably and publicly broken, all Sayed wants is to cast off the shackles of duty and embrace the desires and needs that only one woman can satisfy! Sayed knows Liyah’s blood is heated by the same desert sands as his own, making her irresistible… But could their one night together result in scandal for the proud Sheikh?

Welcome to The Chatsfield, London!

Review:

I really must stop reading books that are a part of a series; be it the first one or the 9^th one.  And you guessed it; this is the first in a series of books with each novella being written by different authors.  I MUST also refrain from romance books that have instant love element which, let’s face it, is totally ridiculous.

The book is written to the usual tried and tested formula.  The characters are interesting but the emir is rather annoying to say the least.  He is not your usual alpha male but rather an honourable which is something refreshing, in this day and age, but annoying.  And we are constantly reminded that he is honourable throughout the book.  She is sweet, vulnerable, loyal, and taken advantage of although she did not put up too much of a fight.

There is very little for these characters to overcome and no angst to add to the tension.  The small inconsistencies in the story are off putting to say the least; not least the huge inconsistency which would NOT be tolerated in any form.  Finally, the HEA ending felt rushed and there was no epilogue which was rather depressing.  Overall this is a non-deep, quick easy read with some hot bits but for this reader there was still something lacking.

If you are looking for a short, cute romantic read then this is for you but if you want something more from your romance stories I would suggest you look somewhere else.

Full Disclosure: ARC received from Netgalley for an honest review.

I rated this 3 stars on Netgalley and 'I liked it' on Amazon (4 stars) and Goodreads (2 stars).

If you like cheese with your romance then this is for you

Blurb:

Professional gambler Rhett Butler Blaylock was everything that Abbie Maven didn't want in a man - flamboyant, flashy, and unreserved. After a horrible experience in her youth, she spent her life trying to make all the right choices, pouring her energy into being the best possible single mother to her son. But though Rhett doesn't seem to be husband and step-father material, he awakens emotions in her that are as frightening as they are powerful.  They had a sling and she's never forgotten, and now he has followed her to Dare Valley, Colorado with the intention of winning back her heart ... this time, forever.

Rhett's determined to show Abbie that he can be the man of her dreams.  He'll do whatever it takes for the woman he loves, including giving up his flamboyant lifestyle and his bad-boy image.  As Christmas approaches, he prepares a special surprise for her, hoping the holiday will work its magic and grant him a miracle.  Will his holiday serenade heal Abbie's heart and convince her to give him a second chance? 

Review: 

At the time of reading I had not realised that this was, in fact, the fourth book in a series.  Now the lack of detail and back story makes sense.  This reader read this out of sequence and although the 'blurb' states these novellas can be stand alones. this reader would suggest reading these books in order which would greatly enhance the reading experience.  I believe that not reading books 1-3 affected my perception and enjoyment of this book.

Don't get me wrong there were some good bits to this novel; the setting, the domesticity that the setting involved and the scene where she is making the ginger bread house.  The characters were OK but the story lacked real passion.  It also felt overdone with regards the grand gestures.  In short this novella felt rushed and lacking; overall this reader felt this novella was just too cheesy.

Full Disclosure: ARC received from Netgalley for an honest review.

I rated this 1 star on Netgalley and 'I didn't like it' on Good reads (1 star) and Amazon (2 stars)

When a contract is not a contract

Blurb:

Control. Submission. Power.

Amy Mendoza knew she'd never have a Cinderella story. She walked away from the ashes of her childhood on her own, and signed her first porn contract the day she turned eighteen. The money's been good, but it's time to walk away again before the life drags her down. When a mysterious stranger offers her an unusual contract—sexual companion to a recently relapsed rock star—she accepts.

Amy quickly and gratefully falls into an easy rhythm of control and submission—but it's not her client who keeps her up at night. Emanuel, lead guitarist and the man who hired her, occupies her thoughts—and soon, her bed. Their connection is intense, and although Amy knows sleeping with Emanuel isn't what she's there for—isn't what she's being paid for—what's between them is too strong to ignore. But there's more to Emanuel than Amy knows, and submitting to him might come at too high a price…

Review:

The premise of this novel was interesting and kept me reading to the end to find out what happened.  However, this reader feels that so much more could have been made of this book and the characters in general.  It would have been nice to have had more back story on the two male main characters as I am sure this would be an interesting read, unless this is the subject of another book.

This reader also feels that more could have been made of each sexual encounter.  The transition in some of these scenes made for a clunky read.  It was difficult to work out what was happening and how the characters went from one place to the next in the space of just one sentence.

There is a sort of HEA and this reader, in particular would like to know what happened next.

Full Disclosure: ARC received from Netgalley for an honest review.

I rated this 3 stars on Netgalley and 'It was OK' on Amazon (3 stars) and Goodreads (2 stars).