My One and Only by Kristan Higgins

My One and Only is one of those books about finding love again a second time. It's about forgiveness and realizing what went wrong in a love so strong that ended up in heart-break for more than 12 years. I've read a couple of Kristan Higgins' books before, and so far this is my favorite one! I absolutely loved it because it was a combination of humor, romance, and a little mystery (why Nick and Harper's love ended up dying instead of staying strong). I think I teared up a few times because even though this may seem like a typical contemporary on the outside, there is so much inside that is beautiful. This is definitely one of those books that'll be a keeper and I thank Netgalley for granting me this arc to read! Will be buying this one when it comes out March 29th for sure.

Harper James is the heroine of the story as well as the narrorator. Her personality consists of being humorous, cynical, a realist, someone without a heart, and very stunted according to Nick, her ex-husband. To be honest, I thought I wasn't going to like her at first because of her "cold bitch" personality but behind that layer lies a heart-broken girl who never truly understood the concept of falling in love. Yes, she did love Nick but because her relationship with her mom, it sort of strained her view of marriage and love. Finding out the real reason why they didn't work out was heart-wrenching because not only was she at fault, but Nick was as well. After their quick marriage, Harper was unsure of herself because Nick was never at home. And to make matters worse, the issue of her mom abandoning her when she was thirteen-years old didn't help. Even though Nick was her soulmate, she loved him from the bottom of her heart until everything changed. The flashbacks make up a lot of the story but there was also stuff happening in the present as well.

Nick Lowery is the main hero of this book and well... all I can say is, when we first get an introduction of him in the beginning (present-day) he had a very mysterious yet attractive air to him. Harper, even though it had been years since she'd last seen him, was still nonetheless attracted to him. I truly enjoyed his character because he was witty and it seems like whenever he and Harper are together, they end up bickering at one another in a flirtatious way! There were even some moments when I felt like they were tempting each other so sparks are definitely flying. When readers finally get a flashback of what happened back then... it was just sad because Nick blamed Harper for cheating on him (when she did not) and she blamed Nick because he was never at home and she felt like a check-boxed being checked off. You see, the very first time when Harper and Nick met he told her straight off the bat that he was going to marry her! After they got married, she became uncertain about their marriage. Ack! Yes, lots of misunderstandings, misconceptions, and definitely heart-break.

But thankfully, this ended up with a super sweet note like all of Kristan Higgins' books and everyone lived happily ever after!

Rating: ★★★★★

Simply Forbidden by Kate Pearce

If you have read a Kate Pearce book before, you would know that her books tend to have a lot of erotic scenes. This book was slightly different from the rest... but it still has the same structure and plot. The hero of this story, Gabriel Swanfield, is a rather complicated and tortured man with a lot of secrets while the heroine is also complicated due to her reputation and adventurous soul. The chemistry between the two starts out with a bang but because of Gabriel's intention to never wed a wife, it makes things a little bit difficult for Lisette. Nonetheless, I did enjoy this book much better than the previous ones. 4 out of 5 stars from me!

The Characters:
We'll start out with Gabriel, The Earl of Swanfield. Like I've said before, his past is rather complicated, which literally makes him a tortured hero. A brief summary of what exactly happened is that while he was in the military, he ended up in a prison camp and eventually escaped from there. I find it rather unique that when he first meets Lisette, he falls hard for her without even realizing it. He thinks that it's all lust but unfortunately, we all know that he's falling in love. But even if their interactions with one another are explosive, things aren't what they always seem. Gabriel has a dark and sexual nature that he doesn't want anyone to know about, especially Lisette. While reading this book, I never realized the harm that the actions his father had left behind for Gabriel- which essentially causes a few misconceptions later on between him and Lisette.

Lisette Delornay-Ross is actually the daughter of Philip Ross and Madame Helene Delornay, the owner of the House of Pleasure. Remember Simply Shameless? Unlike other ladies of the ton, Lisette is rather... different. Even though Gabriel believes that she is a respectable lady, the things hidden from her outer-appearance may shock him. But even so, her character is vibrant, kindness, intelligence, and also very vulnerable as well. I feel in love with her character and situation with Gabriel because she always believed that she was second best. Not everything is perfect, especially love. Both Lisette and Gabriel have the same issue, regarding being vulnerable and alone, which is why they are a perfect match for one another!

The Romance:
There were many heart-wrenching moments because even if Lisette may seemed like she's sexually experience, she is also still very young and childish in some ways. She falls in love with Gabriel but it is a very sad fact that he has not realized it until the end. The chemistry between these two was amazingly hot and I enjoyed it very much. Gabriel never intended to get a wife or child... but when he meets Lisette, everything changes. He wants her. And he wants her bad. It was almost as if he couldn't live without her-- something along those lines was what he said in the book. They had many misconceptions about one another later on in the book and it was sad to see Gabriel trying to change his marriage into a socially accepted one. Lisette never wanted that "perfect" marriage that Gabriel seems to think that she wants. All she wanted was to be married to him and only him. Thankfully, everything worked out in the end and he finally realizes that he has loved her all along.

Rating: ★★★★☆

The Perfect Play by Jaci Burton

The cover alone would make any right-minded person pick up this book and read it right away! But even so, Jaci Burton has done it again by providing us a book full of heart, steamy love scenes, a hero to die for, and an intriguing plot. It almost seems like it's too good to be true for single mom, Tara Lincoln when she ends up meeting Mick Riley, a superstar quarterback at an event that she was planning right? Well, they do and things start heating up pretty fast! It almost reminded me of Stroke of Midnight but it's definitely way hotter, better, and the hero is just a sweetheart with such a sad secret. I'm truly looking forward to Changing the Game, where Mick's brother, Gavin and his PR, Elizabeth Darnell get their HEA. We actually get a sneek peak of the book at the end of The Perfect Play, and boy... was it hot! A big five stars for this one!

The Characters:
Tara Lincoln is a single mom who has had some difficult struggles throughout her life while trying to raise her fifteen year old son. She ends up meeting Mick at a party that she planned for and things start out with a bang, literally. At first, things go pretty easy because she knows that there's no way that a superstar like Mick would ever want to hang out with someone like her when he can choose any woman that he wants... but of course, things change. One thing that I don't like about Tara is that even though she is a strong character, she doesn't have much trust for Mick. Even though she loves him, she doesn't want to put her heart at risk and she believes that they come from two completely different worlds―and that ends up hurting Mick towards the end of the book.

Mick Riley may seem like the typical jock or superstar quarterback at first, but underneath layer lies a sweet, sexy person who has had a painful past and secret. He ends being attracted to Tara at first sight because knows that she's different from all the girls that has been thrown at him by his PR, Elizabeth Darnell. I mean he was rich, a gorgeous guy, good with kids, and a pretty good lover to Tara. Who wouldn't want to snatch up this guy right away? I don't think I have any complaints about him because throughout the whole book, he was very loving towards Tara and I hated how she hurt him. In the end, everything worked out fine so that's all that matters!

The Romance:
Ohoho. Now let's talk about the romance department shall we? Let's just say that with a pretty nice looking cover like this one, we know for sure that there will be some steamy, sexy, and smokin' hot love scenes for this book. The chemistry was there and there was actually a love story going on so kudos for that! I have to say that the private island vacation was my favorite part and ahem, you'll know why when you read this. To sum it up, fans of Jaci Burton will definitely enjoy this first book in this series and any erotica romance fan who loves a sweet and caring hero in the daytime but a hot and sexy one at night will like it as well. ;)

Rating: ★★★★★

Notorious Pleasures by Elizabeth Hoyt

After finishing the book up last night, I decided to give this book a 4 out of 5 stars instead of a 5. The reason as to why I did so was because even though Hero started out as a strong character, she sort of became paranoid and weak towards the end. The book was enjoyable, there's no doubt about that! I absolutely love the interactions between Hero and Griffin because their meeting was rather unique but very wonderful and meaningful as well. To me, I think that earing is a symbol of their relationship! But yeah, I think the main star of this book was actually Lord Griffin Reading... because he continuously broke my heart, and I'm pretty sure most of others, while Hero broke his. To sum it all up, Notorious Pleasures was much better than the first and I definitely recommend this one to any fan who loves historical romance with plenty of steam. I'll be looking forward to Silence and Mickey's story!

The Characters:
Lady Hero Batten is the heroine of the story as well as Lord Griffin Reading's main love interest and supposedly the Marquess of Mandeville's fiance. Griffin often referred to her as 'Lady Perfect' because to him, she was always in perfect order, elegant, and quite the opposite of himself. She sees perfection as a must at first, but Griffin obviously changes that for her and as a result she falls from her pedestal of perfection and finds herself not being able to piece back her former self any longer. I did like Hero as a heroine in the beginning, but towards the end, she reminded me of a character that I didn't like in another book. I had some issues with her because she did things with Griffin that she wasn't supposed to do, knew was wrong, but did it anyway. It was kind of like the situation in Lust by Charlette Featherstone. The decisions that she made made me want to hit my head against the wall because even though she did what she did to keep Griffin from harm, she still broke his heart either way.

Lord Griffin Reading, is the main hero of the story and also the devastating heartbreaker as well as the rake in this book! I didn't exactly have a good impression of him at first because like the ton, I judged him based on his actions alone. But underneath all that layer lies a person who is actually very caring towards his family and is capable of love-- even if he doesn't think so at first. When he first meets Hero, he dislikes her because of her perfect attitude, appearance, and believes her to be a perfect fit with his brother, Thomas the Marquess of Mandeville. Everything obviously changes when he realizes that there is more to Hero than what she claims to be, so he can't stop thinking about her! He soon falls head over heels in love with her but of course, there is still one major problem! She is his brother's fiance and there's a huge misunderstanding between Griffin and Thomas. Oh, I forgot to mention that Griffin actually has a rather big secret that almost ends ups killing him in the end. You'll have to read it to find out!

As for other characters, Silence Hollingbrook is going to be featured in the third book of this series, which is quite interesting to be honest. Her story with the river pirate, Mickey Charming O'Connor was previewed towards the end of this book, and I'm really interested to see her get her HEA in the end. As for the St. Ghost of Giles... I'm really curious about this character. He ends up saving Silence towards the end and I'm wondering if the author will ever reveal his identity. Thomas's character was rather annoying but I do think Hero's brother was interesting. I hope he gets his own story as well as Hero's sister, Phoebe.

The Romance:
Wow! If you've ever read an Elizabeth Hoyt book before, you should definitely know that her love scenes are steamy and erotic. Griffin had so much sex appeal that I knew Hero was going to be a goner in no time because like they say, opposites attract! But besides that, the romance between Hero and Griffin was heartbreaking. Unlike other books, I thought the role was actually reversed in this. Usually the hero almost ends up ruining everything but this time, it's the heroine. Thankfully, she realizes she loves Griffin in the end and that she wouldn't be able to live without him if he died.

* * * SPOILER ALERT * * *

"Do you love me Hero?" His pale green eyes were full of torment. "Do you love me like I love you?"

"I love you and I believe with all my heart that you love me as well. Why can't you say it, Hero?"

Two of my favorite quotes in the entire book by Griffin. Damn, he's such a heart breaker and argh, Hero! Why do you break your hero's heart?

Rating: ★★★★☆

Timeless by Alexandra Monir

I can honestly say that this is the best YA book that I've read so far in 2011. I mean wow, it was really good, beautiful and very touching because debut author, Alexandra Monir really knows how to incorporate historical and contemporary together very well. I always knew I had a thing for time traveling! It sort of reminded me of The Time Traveler's Wife, but also very different and original in it's own way. The end was totally a twist and I'm dying to find out what will happen to Michele and Philip in the next installment of Timeless! I absolutely love the relationship between those two because honestly, I have a thing for star-crossed lovers.

When I first read the summary and the back of the book, I knew instantly that this book was going to be good. The beginning of Timeless was rather slow, but it soon picks up right after Michele enters her Clara Windsor's diary; she ends up meeting her, and also Philip (the guy who she's been dreaming about her whole life) at the ball. Their romance together was very bittersweet, and I do believe I shed a couple of tears because they could never be together; the shocker was that she didn't exist in his world. There are many secrets in Timeless and I have to admit that I was confused at times... but it made total sense in the end. You'll have to read it to find out because some of those secrets made me gasp out loud, cry, and even had my eyebrows raised.

To sum it up, I'm pretty sure I will re-read this again because it was that good and I totally recommend it to those who love stories about time-traveling, star-crossed lovers, a shocker ending, and a unique and original story line. I'll definitely be looking out for Alexandra Monir's books in the future so a BIG 5 stars for this wonderful book.

Rating: ★★★★★

When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James

We all have come to know and love the classic story called, Beauty and the Beast. But in Eloisa James' version of it, there is much more to it than you can ever imagine. It's a story about finding true love, regardless of outer-beauty, how society looks at you, and even if you have disabilities. You would think that Piers, the Earl of Marchant- who is the hero of the story, the Beast right? While Linnet, the heroine of the story, Beauty. But that is not necessarily the case.... and that is what makes this book such a wonderful keeper! Towards the end, everything takes a turn-- either for the bad or good, I won't say. But it was very heart-breaking and bittersweet that I cried so much for the characters. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves classic fairytale stories, bittersweet endings, and heroine with a backbone, witty characteristics, and a sarcastic bad-tempered heroine who is much more than meets the eye.

The Characters:
Piers Yelverton, the Earl of Marchant is no other but the hero of the story. In the beginning, you don't exactly get a good impression of him because he always yells and bickers at everybody (with a hint of sarcasm in it). But inside, he is definitely capable of love and so he falls deeply and heart-breakingly for Linnet towards the end, and she the same. Everyone is afraid of him so of course, he gets an infamous reputation for being a beast because of his horrible temper. He believes that no one would ever want to marry him, due to that fact that he is a cripple. His father, the Duke of Windebank tries desperately to find his son a wife and there's a whole background story of what happened between them that caused Piers to hate him. Anyway, Piers ends up giving the duke a list of requirements stating that his future wife must be as beautiful as the moon and such... thinking that there's no way his father would even be able to find someone like that! And in comes our lovely heroine, Linnet.

Linnet Berry Thrynne's beauty is so beautiful all the men falls in love with her. But regardless of that, she has a witty personality, she loves to talk back to Piers, very kind to patients, and she has plenty of sarcasm. At the beginning of the story, we find out that everyone in the ton believes that she is pregnant with Prince Augustus' child. It's really ridiculous but she isn't and so her aunt comes and tells her to fake that she's pregnant and have the Earl of Marchant marry her! The plan of course, fails because when Piers first meets Linnet, he knows right away that she isn't pregnant, so she lets go of the act and from then on, Piers gets intrigued by this lovely beauty with a sharp tongue and a brain to match! Apparently, she has a secret weapon that consists of smiling at anyone and they fall in love with her... but that doesn't work on Piers at all!

The Romance:
One of the top most things that I love in any romance novel, is the relationship between the H/hr. It was attraction at first because Piers thought that Linnet was the most beautiful woman that he ever met, while Linnet was intrigued by Piers. I absolutely love how Piers didn't fall in love with Linnet because of her beauty, but rather her personality and sharp tongue. Linnet fell in love with Piers because she sees that he is also beautiful in his own way, plus the chemistry between them was explosive and sexy. There is though, one thing that broke my heart. Piers did not want to marry Linnet because he believes that she is too good for him and deserves someone better. But then again, when it comes to love, you can never control your feelings! I did mention that their romance was heart-breaking and bittersweet right? Well... towards the end, something tragic eventually happens and Linnet ends up being a victim of scarlet fever, after the heart-breaking scene where Piers tells her that their relationship was nothing and that he never intended to marry her. We all know that Piers loves Linnet but because he thinks she deserves someone better, he lets her go. Linnet almost dies due to scarlet fever, but Piers finds her and restores her back to health, with a cost... her beauty is gone and her hair as well. I'm not going to go in-depth in this part because it was my favorite scene in the entire book. You'll just have to read it to find out! Although, I will leave a quote just to tempt readers.

"I love you," he said, his voice catching. "When I thought you were going to die, I wanted to die."

Rating: ★★★★★