romance - No Apology Book Reviews

Interview with Lizbeth Trethow (from The Earl and the Enchantress by Paullett Golden)

February 2, 2019February 2, 2019

Find an interview with the author here. Or read Danielle’s review of The Earl and the Enchantress here. Elise Cooper: Thank you for doing this. Because you lost your mother at a very young age and your father raised you to be self-sufficient you expect to be respected within any relationship. Valuing independence, there is the expectation of being treated as an equal. It appears you have basically given up on marriage. Then you met Sebastian Lancaster, the Earl of …

Strawberry Hill by Catherine Anderson

November 4, 2019January 30, 2019

Title: Strawberry Hill Author: Catherine Anderson Series: Mystic Creek #5 Likable characters but terribly unfocused plot I liked this story, I found it both tragic and heartwarming, but it had some big problems narratively. At the center was Slade and Vickie, two sixty-something has-been sweethearts who were to be married until distrust broke them apart forty years ago. I didn’t relate to them all that much, but I liked Slade quite a bit. Vickie was meh. My biggest problem with …

Summoned to Thirteenth Grave by Darynda Jones (Spoilers)

November 4, 2019January 15, 2019

Title: Summoned to Thirteenth Grave Author: Darynda Jones Series: Charley Davidson #13 A hollow narrative with only humor and charismatic characters as its merits I would like to thank Darynda Jones, St. Martin’s Press/Macmillan, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I beg of you, don’t spoil any part of this series for yourself. Usually I don’t mind spoilers, but this is one series for which spoilers are simply criminal. If you …

Dead Girl Running by Christina Dodd

December 20, 2018December 16, 2018

Title: Dead Girl Running Author: Christina Dodd Series: Cape Charade #1 What the hell is Dodd doing? When I picked up this book for the first time a couple months ago, I intended to write a full review then but was so furious when I was done that I had to tuck it away and forget about it for the sake of my sanity. It haunted me, though, so I skimmed through it a second time, and, knowing its secrets, …

Review Roundup Fall 2018

August 23, 2019December 16, 2018

I don’t review every book I read. Not nearly. As much as I wish otherwise, I simply don’t have time—or sometimes the brain energy—to write dozens upon dozens of reviews. Plus, sometimes it’s nice to just enjoy a book without having to analyze as I read. But I wanted to talk about some of the books I read recently, so I thought perhaps I could compile a series of brief overall opinions for them. A review roundup, if you will. …

Highlander Ever After by Paula Quinn

November 6, 2019December 15, 2018

Title: Highlander Ever After Author: Paula Quinn Series: Highland Heirs #8 Endearing characters but lackluster plot I would like to thank Paula Quinn, Forever/Grand Central Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was a nice story, but I don’t think it lived up to its full potential. The central conflict was great—Adam and Sina being forced to marry for political reasons. They were caught between a rock and a hard …

Interview with B. J. Daniels (Wrangler’s Rescue)

December 15, 2018

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Wrangler’s Rescue by B. J. Daniels is the last in the Montana Cahills series. It is filled with a little romance, tension, emotion, suspense, and a lot of mystery that involves betrayals, murder, and distrust. The readers try to put the pieces of the puzzle together along with the characters. This story has a new twist as AJ, a city gal turned cowgirl, battles Juliette, a seductive sociopath black widow, while the hero is …

Interview with Darynda Jones (Summoned to Thirteenth Grave)

December 7, 2018

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Summoned to Thirteenth Grave by Darynda Jones is number thirteen and the last in the series. But thirteen is a lucky number for her and those that have followed the Grim Reaper Charley Davidson. This book opens with Charley returning to earth after being exiled for a hundred years in another realm. But like dog years having a one to seven ratio, there is a one to ten ratio since 100 actually is ten …

Interview with Lynn Blackburn (In Too Deep)

December 1, 2018

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper In Too Deep by Lynn Blackburn blends romance, suspense, and a riveting subject matter, labor human trafficking. The first book of the series was good but this book is excellent. The novel begins with a partially submerged car that drives off a bridge, killing the woman occupant, where readers might think of Chappaquiddick. After recovering the body, the Carrington North Carolina dive team finds an encrypted laptop, and an unsettling connection with investigator Adam …

I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella

November 5, 2019November 7, 2018

Title: I Owe You One Author: Sophie Kinsella Series: N/A Good but not great I would like to thank Sophie Kinsella, The Dial Press/ Random House, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Fixie Farr possesses a compulsion to “fix” things. From cleaning up a stain no one would notice to calling 999 despite her friend’s wishes, Fixie derives pleasure in knowing she righted wrongs. She considers the compulsion one of her …