Enticed by His Forgotten Lover by Maya Banks

To be honest, I was wary of starting this series. It sounded really cheesy, Maya Bank's highlander series was a prime example of that, and I wasn't exactly fond of the pregnancy idea. I decided to try it out and ended up really like it. It was very sweet and the relationship between Rafael and Bryony was well-done. At first, it was really hard to believe that Rafe could forget everything about the woman that he supposedly love. He doesn't remember anything about their love for one another, so what does that say about a person? I had my doubts about him and Bryony. She could be lying as well. In the end, one of them was certainly lying... but as readers, we don't know who. The only thing to do was to keep on reading!

I actually thing that through all their ups and downs in the relationship, Rafe and Bryony were worthy of one another. You could tell that she honestly loved him a lot. I don't exactly think that he appreciated it, thanks to the reveal at the end of the book. Betrayal and forgiveness was probably the two big themes in the first book of the Pregnancy & Passion series. We ended up finding out that Rafe had indeed been the one lying to Bryony and claimed he loved her when he did not. Anyway, Rafe did some groveling in the end because while he didn't experience the 'passion' the first time around, he certainly did the second time! Overall, this was a good book to the start of a series. I'm definitely looking forward to the rest of Rafe's friends future happiness in the next upcoming books!

Rating: ★★★★☆

Exclusively Yours by Shannon Stacey

Exclusively Yours by Shannon Stacey is a book about old heartaches, the joy of having a family who will always be one step behind you, and how true love will always find a way back to you. I absolutely enjoyed reading this book! It was just the perfect contemporary romance read that I love to find in books and I thank NetGalley and Harlequin for granting me access to review it! This book was sexy, sweet, and just fun overall! I had a blast reading some of the comments that were made between Joe, Keri, his family, and most of all... Terry! There's an inside story where Keri and Terry used to be friends but something happened to them and they ended up bitter enemies. In the end, there were plenty of laughters and tears while reading this book. It's definitely something that all fans of contemporary romance will enjoy!

The romance between Joe Kowalski and Keri Daniels was both hilarious and cute. Twenty years have passed since Keri broke his heart... but there is still the same sexual tension in the air. Joe actually has hope that while on his bribe/family trip, Keri will somehow see the light and not leave him. I wasn't exactly sure if I could forgive Keri for breaking a guy's heart as sweet as Joe. Thank god she redeemed herself! There were also two other relationships that were briefly told in this book: Mike/Lisa and Terry/Evan.

For Mike and Lisa, their issue was that Lisa believed the only reason why Mike is still with her is because she was pregnant during their courtship. As for Terry and Evan, their marriage stems from the fact that Terry is always so controlling. At times during the book, I wanted to smack her for being so stubborn! They both love each other so she should try to change her attitude. Thankfully, everything was solved in the end! I was worried that Terry and Evan's relationship might not work out because she was just so heartbroken when he left her. It's definitely hard to gain someone's trust again after that.

Anyway! If you love romances where the hero and heroine are both funny, cute, and should just get together already?! This is the book for you! There were so many laugh out loud moments-- partly due to the Kowalski kids, the banter between Terry and Keri, and of course between Joe and Keri! You won't be disappointed at all!

Rating: ★★★★★

Divergent by Veronica Roth

“I might be in love with you." He smiles a little. "I'm waiting until I'm sure to tell you, though.”

Divergent by Veronica Roth is a captivating story about a young girl who ultimately has to decide whether she wants to stay with her family or leave them behind forever. Like The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins but entirely different, out heroine Tris Prior, lives in a dystopian world where a faction's society and value determines who you are. Tris ends up leaving her faction of Abengation and enters the world of the Dauntless; where danger, violence, betrayal, and even an unexpected love awaits her.

I absolutely love this book. It took me two days to finish it and I still want to read it again! Although I do admit that the world building was quite confusing at first and might need a bit of more info... for an author's first debut trilogy, this is a great example of what a Dystopian YA novel should be. There was plently of action and if you're a fan of The Hunger Games, you should check this little gem out! One of the things that I loved most about this book was the sweet and fragile romance between Four and Tris. They are perfect for one another in every way because despite what others may think, I believe that Four loves Tris for who she is-- nevermind the fact how swhe downgrades the way she looks and whatnot. Call me a romantic, but that's what I am.

Overall, I'm glad that Veronica Roth did not leave her readers and overbearing cliffhanger. I wouldn't be able to stand that, but still... she did leave us wanting more. And that's why Insurgent shall bring it all back with a bang! Seriously, this was a great book. I don't even know why it took me so long to even read it... but hey. I did in the end and that's all that matter!

Rating: ★★★★★

Never a Gentleman by Eileen Dreyer

You would think that after having your heart being ripped out from you (this is figuratively by the way) repeatedly, there would not be a single trace of love left inside any longer, right? I admit that this book was brought to my attention by the numerous amount of negative reviews and its somewhat controversial plot. Yes, I did understand why Diccan did what he did... but I condemn him for the way he enacted it. My heart constantly broke for Grace because throughout their entire marrigage of convenience, Diccan never gave her the time of day whatsoever. And yet... she still tried so hard to please him and make their marriage a real one. Without realizing it, she ends up falling in love with the one man who can never love her for who she is.

Oh dear, this book tore my heart out into little pieces and placed it back all together again in the end. Never a Gentleman is definitely not to everyone's taste... but if you take a look deeper into Diccan's character, you'll realize that he is also hurting as well. From there, I think you can sort of justify his actions and see why he did what he did to protect Grace. But man, the infamous scene where Grace sees Diccan making love with his mistress was just so... sad, horrifying, and heartbreaking. As if his treatment to her at their manor wasn't enough! Sure, the author described Grace as this strong woman who can supposedly take on anything that is thrown her way. But really? Even the strongest people fall. Love tends to turn the bravest of hearts into cowards and ultimately, Grace became one of its victim.

One of the things that I'm actually glad Eileen Dreyer provided was that readers also get a sense of what was going on in Diccan's mind. While their marriage was one of convenience, he slowly starts falling in love with Grace and sees her for her true nature. It took a near-death experience for him to realize it though! Overall, I really love the whole premise of this book and its characters. I hated the Diccan in the beginning and ended up falling in love with him towards the end... that's really something, you know? The ending was absolutely beautiful because it was just the ending that Grace deserves! I am definitely looking forward to Kate's book with Henry, her childhood friend and supposed nemesis that she betrayed. I'm assuming that they had some sort of relationship before and something happened.

Anyway, great book that's full of heart, tears, and joy. You won't regret reading this book!

Rating: ★★★★★

Until There Was You by Kristan Higgins

I'm going to write a review just because I want to escape the horridness that is Accounting! Anyway, Until There Was You is Kristan Higgan's latest contemporary romance novel. This book... was quite different yet the entire feel and setting is totally the same. I didn't love it as much as her previous book, My One and Only, but it was really sweet and the hero is to die for! I mean who can resist a bad boy turn good named Liam Murphy? Our heroine, Posey Osterhagen, is probably one of the dorkiest and cutest that I've read from Higgans' books so far. See? They're already a match in heaven...?! Kidding aside, these two used to be the total opposites of one another. And when Liam finally realizes that he loves Posey? It's a must read for sure. And thank you NetGalley, for granting me this lovely arc when I was in the mood for a sweet story with a lovely yet cheesy ending!

Posey Osterhagen is our heroine of the story. She's your every day gal, right? Except for that fact that she's not the most beautiful girl in town, kind of plain, short, and she's actually adopted. The story starts out with her telling readers that she's used to be in love with this boy who ultimately broke her heart and never even realized it. Yes, it's another of those 'second chances at love' kind of stories and I love it. If you look at it from Posey's sixteen years old point of view... her love was tragic. The boy that she'd been crushing on was the 'God/Bad Boy' of the town, Liam Murphy, and he ended up falling in love with the town's 'Little Miss Sunshine/Good Girl' and they ended up happily ever after, right? Nope, I guess not since he's back! But it's actually more than that and we'll get to find out the real reason later on!

Liam Murphy is our hero and to be honest, I think he's the sexiest hero yet. He's a bad boy turned good due to the magical entity called 'love.' And yet, he's back in town as a widower/father to a teenager named Nichole. The moments when he tries to intefere with his daughter's social life were so hilarious! But anyway, he's back... and now it's time to face his past and live up some memories. Liam had never really thought much about Posey. She was the girl who used to crush on him... so when they meet again, he didn't exactly have any good old memories to recall with her. Well of course, until he starts noticing her lips. That changed the ball game entirely, don't you think? The side characters were all pretty amazing. I loved Jon, Posey's brother in law. Sidenote: Posey only has a brother and he's adopted as well. So brother-in-law? Haha! YES! Her brother Henry is gay and Jon and him have been married for 10 years. They're relationship is super cute and sometimes, the town tries to convert those two back to being straight.

Overall, this book was truly a stress reliever to my school days. It was cute, the characters had great depth-- even though I do have to admit that I didn't exactly feel Posey and Liam's chemistry together was that high. It was still a very good book and as always, I'm looking forward to Kristan Higgins' next book!

Rating: ★★★★☆