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The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

By Sarah
In 3-stars, Book Review
November 23, 2017
T

Series: Standalone

Release Date: August 9th, 2016

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>

Insert Here

<strong>Ending</strong>

HFN
<strong>Representation</strong>
No strong representations of the following:
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
<strong>Possible Triggers</strong>
• Emotional abuse
• No OTT sad parts.
<strong>Safety Rating:</strong> Safe
• No cheating
• Does have OW and OM drama
– The Hero’s ex-girlfriend marries his brother. But he makes it very clear he isn’t pining for her. (The Heroine only finds this out at the wedding; she’s the Hero’s date.)
– Lucy goes out on a date with OM, at the Hero’s insistence. But, it never goes beyond the first date.
• No descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
• Does not have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Rating: 3.25/5 stars

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Unmasked by Magan Vernon

By Sarah
In 1-star, Book Review
November 16, 2017
U

Series: Standalone

Release Date: November 6th, 2017

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
Can a hotshot snowboarder de-ice the ice queen?

At twenty-six, Blake Tremblay is one of the oldest snowboarders in the game. His sights are set on the gold medal, and he knows it’s now or never.

Kelly Johnson has spent her entire life skating and winning. She’s had no time for friends or an active social life, earning her the nickname “Ice Queen” – in and out of the rink.
Blake makes a bet without knowing all the terms. His ego won’t let him back out, even though his target is none other than the American Ice Queen herself.

What are the odds the dreadlocked playboy can warm the frosty figure skater when the real games are unmasked?

Let The Games Begin.

<strong>Ending</strong>

HEA
<strong>Representation</strong>
No strong representations of the following:
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
<strong>Possible Triggers</strong>
• No abuse.
• No OTT sad parts.
<strong>Safety Rating:</strong> Safe
• No cheating
• No OM drama
• Does have OW drama
– The Heroine’s nemesis is an ex of the Hero
• No descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
• Does not have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Rating: 1/5 stars

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Beneath the Scars By Melanie Moreland

By Sarah
In 4-stars, Book Review
December 31, 2014
B

Series: Standalone

Release Date: October 14th, 2014

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
The sound of the ocean, the of the waves as they kick up against he sand and rocks – these are the only sounds Megan Greene wants to hear. She wants to leave the rest of the world behind, and find some peace.
The offer of a private house on the beach, set in a small town in Maine, is perfect. Time to think, to be by herself. It’s all she wants. it’s the escape she needs.

Until she stumbles across the painting that seems to echo her own chaotic mindset. Until she meets the unfriendly artist behind the stormy painting and discovers his secrets.

All Zachary Adams wants is to be left alone. His canvases, and the unending score of the ocean and sand, are his life. They direct him – fill his hours. Bring him focus.

Until she enters his life. She dredges up memories of the past – the haunting images he has hidden for years; the fears he has never shared. A story he keeps buried below the surface.

Can she make hims see what he is missing? Can he trust her enough to believe?

Together they embark on a journey where their pasts collide and threaten to tear them apart. Will their fragile bon hold or wash away with ebbing tide?

<strong>Ending</strong>

HEA
<strong>Representation</strong>
• Side character with a disability
<strong>Possible Triggers</strong>
• Gaslighting
• Emotional abuse
• Attempted murder (Off-page, described)
<strong>Safety Rating:</strong> Safe with Exceptions
• No cheating
• Does have OM drama
– The Heroine’s ex-boyfriend steals her book and paints himself as a vindictive, gold-digging, lying woman
• No OW
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
• Does have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Rating: 4/5 stars

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Uncovered by Emily Snow

By Sarah
In 4-stars, Book Review
December 3, 2014
U

Series: Standalone

Release Date: August 5th, 2014

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
My name is Lizzie Connelly, and I have it all. The gorgeous apartment. The new job most women would rip out their own souls for—working for Margaret Emerson at Emerson & Taylor. I have one of those lives you’ve always dreamt about, the kind you only see on HBO. But, the thing is, that life is a lie. A façade.

It all started with one call. “Everything you know about your story—your father’s story—is a lie. It’s up to you to uncover everything.” One call, and I turned my world upside down to dig my way into Margaret’s life—the woman who I’d never laid eyes on until recently. My stepmother who took everything after my father died fourteen years ago.

The plan was simple—figure out what role she played in my father’s death and expose her to the world.

But here’s another thing: simplicity doesn’t exist, and my plans are flawed from the beginning because I never anticipated Oliver. Sexy, too smart for his own goddamn good, and infuriating, he’s the one person who could blow my plans to uncover Margaret. She’s his mother, and in another life, that would have made him my stepbrother.

I want to pretend that none of that matters, that I can simply finish what I came to do without sparing him a second glance and another thought.

Like I said, though, there’s no such thing as simplicity.

My real name is Gemma Emerson.

And this is my story.

<strong>Ending</strong>

HEA
<strong>Representation</strong>
No strong representations of the following:
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
<strong>Possible Triggers</strong>
• Death of Heroine’s father
• Herione’s stepmother steals her birthright
• Blackmail
• Murder
<strong>Safety Rating:</strong> Safe
• No descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
• Does not have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

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Now You See Her by Linda Howard

By Sarah
In 4-stars, Book Review
November 30, 2014
N

Series: Standalone

Release Date: May 1st, 1998

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
With the scintillating sensuality and high-volatage thrills that distinguish all of her blockbusters of romantic suspense, Linda Howard grips the imagination and touches the heart as only she can, in her sixth dazzling New York Times bestseller.

A talented painter in hear early thirties, Paris Sweeney has achieved enviable success: her work sells at an exclusive New York City gallery, and her popularity is at an all-time high. Life is good, and Sweeney, as she prefers to be called, is content.

But lately, Sweeney’s dreams — lush, vivid, and drenched in vibrant hues — seem to echo a growing restlessness that has taken hold of her. Suddenly, impulsively, Sweeney falls into a night of intense passion with millionaire Richard Worth. Now, the true dangers of her all-consuming urges are about to be revealed where Sweeney least expects it: in her paintings.

After a creative frenzy she can barely recall, Sweeney discovers she has rendered a disturbing image — a graphic murder scene. Against her better instincts, she returns to the canvas time and again, filling out each chilling detail piece by piece. But when a shattering, real-lfie murder mirrors her creation, Sweeney falls under suspicion. With every stroke of her brush, she risks incriminating herself with her inexplicable knowledge of the deadly crime. And every desire — including her hunger for Richard — is loaded with uncertainty as Sweeney races to unmask a killer.

<strong>Ending</strong>

HEA
<strong>Representation</strong>
No strong representations of the following:
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
<strong>Possible Triggers</strong>
• Murder
• Violence
• Death
<strong>Safety Rating:</strong> Safe with Exceptions
• No cheating
• Does have OW drama
– The Hero’s ex-wife wants more in the settlement and attempts to use the Heroine to get what she wants
– The Hero and Heroine met while he was still married but didn’t get together until after he was divorced
– The Hero stayed in his marriage (and had sex with his wife) despite knowing his wife had affairs
• No descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
• No pushing away
• No separation between the Hero and Heroine
– But, the Hero and Heroine met while the Hero was still married. Then, they met again later, after the Hero’s divorce; that’s when they started dating.
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Rating: 4/5 stars

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Londyn Falls by Jennifer Domenico

By Sarah
In 3-stars, Book Review
November 27, 2014
L

Series: Standalone

Release Date: November 15th, 2014

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
He makes me want to ease his sorrow. To know what broke his heart. To help him heal. When he’s near, my breath catches, my heart races, my body sings. His very presence ignites my soul with desire.

All I want is to love him.

I just wish he knew it. ~ Londyn Harper

She makes me want to open my heart. Ask her to love me. Tell her my secrets. She makes me want to try again. When she’s near, my heart begins to heal, my body yearns to touch her, the darkness disappears.

All I want is to love her. I just need to tell her. ~ Luca Di Roma

Londyn thinks she could never get a man like him. Luca fears if she learns his secret, she will run. Does he have what it takes to love her? Could she love him back?

<strong>Ending</strong>

 HEA
<strong>Representation</strong>
No strong representations of the following:
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
<strong>Possible Triggers</strong>
• Death of a loved one
• Grief
<strong>Safety Rating:</strong> Safe with Exceptions
• No cheating
• Does have OW drama
– The Hero for a majority of the book is still hung up on his dead fiancée/wife
• No descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
• Does not have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

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Secret Catch by Cassie Mae and Jessica Salyer

By Sarah
In 4-stars, Book Review
November 24, 2014
S

Series: Standalone

Release Date: October 7th, 2014

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
Tyler Koontz is Trojan gold all the way. There’s nowhere he loves to be more than on the football field.

Sam Nolan is Skyhawk red born and raised. With her mom’s alcohol problem and her dad’s recent death, she lives for her little brother who is a big football fanatic.

There’s one rule in this town …

Trojans and Skyhawks don’t date. EVER.

So when Tyler and Sam fall fast and hard for each other, what are they to do? Keep it a secret of course.

The problem is in a town this small, secrets don’t stay secret for long.

<strong>Ending</strong>

HEA
<strong>Representation</strong>
No strong representations of the following:
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
<strong>Possible Triggers</strong>
• Death (Heroine’s father dies and the Heroine becomes the primary caretaker to her younger brother because her mother has checked out)
• Violence
• Allusions to physical abuse
<strong>Safety Rating:</strong> Safe
• Both the Hero and Heroine are virgins
• No cheating
• No OW/OM drama
• Does have the Hero pushing away
– This is what made the book Safe with Exceptions for me. Most would find this book completely safe but it really bugged me how the Hero purposefully broke his promise to the Heroine to “protect her.” For someone who’s been repeatedly abandoned by the people she loves, it was not a well thought out move. The good intention was there, but the Hero just ended up hurting the Heroine that much worse.
– And then, worse than that, he didn’t have the courage to stand up for his relationship when the Heroine asked him to during their separation. It took until the end of the novel.
• Does have a brief separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

(more…)
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He Said, She Said by Kwame Alexander

By Sarah
In 3-stars, Book Review
November 3, 2014
H

Series: Standalone

Release Date: November 19th, 2013

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>

Insert Here

<strong>Ending</strong>

HFN
<strong>Representation</strong>
• Black main and supporting characters
<strong>Possible Triggers</strong>
• Gun violence
<strong>Safety Rating:</strong> Not Safe
• Does have cheating
– The Heroine finds out from someone else that the Hero cheated on her
• Does have a descriptive sex scene with OW
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
• Does have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

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Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

By Sarah
In 4-stars, Book Review
October 10, 2014
G

Series: Standalone

Release Date: May 4th, 2012

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
Marriage can be a real killer.

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy’s diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?

As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?

With her razor-sharp writing and trademark psychological insight, Gillian Flynn delivers a fast-paced, devilishly dark, and ingeniously plotted thriller that confirms her status as one of the hottest writers around.

One of the most critically acclaimed suspense writers of our time, New York Times bestseller Gillian Flynn takes that statement to its darkest place in this unputdownable masterpiece about a marriage gone terribly, terribly wrong. The Chicago Tribune proclaimed that her work “draws you in and keeps you reading with the force of a pure but nasty addiction.” Gone Girl’s toxic mix of sharp-edged wit and deliciously chilling prose creates a nerve-fraying thriller that confounds you at every turn.

<strong>Ending</strong>

HFN… Kind of?
<strong>Representation</strong>
No strong representations of the following:
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
<strong>Possible Triggers</strong>
• Murder
• Violence (Blood and gore)
• Use of false rape claims as a plot device
• Sexual abuse
• Emotional abuse
• Psychological abuse
<strong>Mature Themes</strong>
• Infidelity
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

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Gorgeous by Paul Rudnick

By Sarah
In 4-stars, Book Review
October 9, 2014
G

Series: Standalone

Release Date: April 30th, 2013

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
Inner beauty wants out.

When eighteen-year-old Becky Randle’s mother dies, she’s summoned from her Missouri trailer park to meet Tom Kelly, the world’s top designer. He makes her an impossible offer: He’ll create three dresses to transform Becky from a nothing special girl into the most beautiful woman who ever lived.

Becky thinks Tom is a lunatic, or that he’s producing a hidden camera show called World’s Most Gullible Poor People. But she accepts, and she’s remade as Rebecca. When Becky looks in the mirror, she sees herself – an awkward mess of split ends and cankles. But when anyone else looks at Becky, they see pure five-alarm hotness.

Soon Rebecca is on the cover of Vogue, the new Hollywood darling, and dating celebrities. Then Becky meets Prince Gregory, heir to the British throne, and everything starts to crumble. Because Rebecca aside, Becky loves him. But to love her back, Gregory would have to look past the blinding Rebecca to see the real girl inside. And Becky knows there’s not enough magic in the world.

A screamingly defiant, hugely naughty, and impossibly fun free fall past the cat walks, the red carpets, and even the halls of Buckingham Palace, Gorgeous does the impossible: It makes you see yourself clearly for the first time.

<strong>Ending</strong>

HEA
<strong>Representation</strong>
• LGBTQIA+ side characters
<strong>Possible Triggers</strong>
• Death of family
• No abuse
<strong>Safety Rating:</strong> Safe
• No cheating
• No OW/OM
• Does have the Heroine pushing away
• Does have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

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