The Good: What an intense novel and what a crazy and tumultuous relationship. I ripped through this book and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. It was like reading a paso doble.

As someone with natural hair and anxiety issues, who ended up in a different field than what I studied in college, the character of Noelle and her journey to self-realization really resonated with me. But this also made reading this novel a little upsetting. Noelle reminded me so much of myself, that I had a very visceral reaction to her — I don’t think I’ve ever cheered so hard for a fictional character to get a backbone.

As for James–oh my gosh does Eve Vaughn do a great job of making you hate a character, only to redeem him beyond well at the end. If you don’t throw your Kindle across the room, this will be a very satisfying read. I also, loved the story’s structure which was tight and on point and the character of Noelle’s cousin.

The Bad: As far as I know, this is Eve Vaughn’s first foray into indie publishing, and the book has a few craft issues like prose restated as dialogue, tons of interior thought, see the “Editing Issues” section. It could have benefitted from a strong copyedit.

Also,  the dialogue was off in that it often didn’t match the characters. For example, many of the characters from rich backgrounds had terrible grammar. But this is one of those books that I would totally recommend despite these issues.

The Naughty: Erotic. Sex in exchange for money/goods. Explicit language.

Editing issues: Several typos. Weird formatting at chapter breaks. Syntax issues. Idiom and word misusage.

Publisher: Eve Vaughn Books (indie)

Length: 252 pages

Final Grade: B+

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Theodora Taylor writes and reviews in Pittsburgh, PA.

I work in a very content-focused business, and I often assume that no one wants to hear from me unless I have…well, content. So I haven’t been reading or answering email or much of anything, because I was focused on creating content, both for the day job and for the 50 Loving States series.

So do I apologize for the lack of response and updates as of late? Profusely.

And, am I gone for good? No way!

But did I have a baby earlier in the year? Yep, I did.

And, did I insanely overestimate what I could get done during my maternity leave? That would be another yep.

I thought I’d be able to knock out one, maybe even two books and finally clean out my inbox.

As it turned out, the only thing I managed to do on my list was keep our new baby alive. And that was about it.

But now I’m back at work with its lovely attendant “side project lunch hour,” and the little one is rocking the daycare scene. Also, I’ve learned to read with one hand on my iPhone and to take advantage of the hours after the baby falls asleep for the night. So the tornado is finally settling down into a manageable windstorm.

But enough about me. Here are the important details:

Next Review coming: This week!

Next Book coming: July 1st!

Is it the Viking Wolf sequel? No [shields face and ducks thrown items]

When is WOLF & PREJUDICE coming out? No official date, but it’s going to be my next book after this upcoming one. I promise!

Meanwhile here’s the cover reveal for HIS ONE AND ONLY. Hot damn, Alabam!

Note of apology:

Description: Collin Noonan is handsome, rich, and the youngest executive at his company. He’s also an asshole, and is only flirting with plain jane mailroom clerk, Regina Talbot, in order to win a game — basically which executive can bring the ugliest date to their annual “pig party.” But then he unexpectedly starts developing feelings for Regina. Will their romance be ruined when she finds out about the real impetus for their budding relationship?

The Good: This is a GREAT concept, and the main character is wonderfully awkward: shy, plus-sized, and really sweet. The story has a lot of heart and good rising action.

The Bad:  See Editing Issues. The emotional and physical structure of the story leaves a lot to be desired. It’s really hard to get a handle on Colin’s motivation throughout. He takes her to a “pig party” then turns around and introduces her to his family within the same weekend. I couldn’t even begin to understand his psychology — or Regina’s. Her reaction to finding out about Collin’s underhanded motivation for asking her out in the first place, fizzles as opposed to sizzles. The rising action is good, good, good on the way up, but then falls flat at the end. I also found it hard to believe that a bunch of executives would dare to participate in a “pig party,” using women they work with in this day and age — the plot is a huge sexual harassment case waiting to happen.

The Naughty: Steamy. Explicit language. Sex in restraints.

Editing issues: Lots of typos, weird syntax, and missing commas. Some word misusage and odd turns of phrases. Terrible grammar — especially from Collin, who is supposed to be a bright, young business man. Bad e-publisher alert: this book deserved a much better edit, considering that Secret Cravings Publishing only pays their authors 40% of the cover price in royalties. This author would have been better served working with a freelance editor and releasing the book on her own.

Publisher: Secret Cravings Publishing

Length: 147 pages

Final Grade: C-

Click on the book widget to buy at Amazon for $4.99.

Theodora Taylor writes and reviews interracial romance novels in Pittsburgh, PA.

Description:

The Good: Ms. Pace has created yet another compelling couple in Lee and Tory. Loved the details of Lee’s day-to-day life as a blind man, and especially loved learning about Flores, an island country I had never heard of before reading this book. I appreciated that they were both insecure about things the other didn’t mind, size for Tory, sight for Lee. Lee is an excellent hero, and his big family really makes this lovable story shine.

The Bad: The main characters fall in love very quickly, which rings false, considering how insecure they are. Also, the story treads water for a bit in the middle.

The Naughty: Steamy. Lots of sex scenes.

Editing issues: A few typos. A couple instances of head-hopping.

Publisher: Indie

Length: 202 pages

Final Grade: B+

Click on the widget to buy at Amazon for 4.99.

Theodora Taylor writes and reviews in Pittsburgh, PA.

Description:

The Good: Really good action scenes. Kaeli was very sassy and Navarre was very sexy with clever claws that extended (kind of like Wolverine’s). Also, gotta love a Cajun accent.

The Bad: Though I liked the characters, there was no time to get to know or care about them. And though the story has really good bones, it was clumsily executed. It felt like getting an outline as opposed to a fully fleshed out short. Also, see the Editing section.

The Naughty: Steamy. Explicit language.

Editing issues: Weird indents in places. Incorrect capitalization in places. Lots of syntax errors.

Publisher: Indie Author

Length: Short (less than 1000 locations on Kindle)

Final Grade: C

Click on the book widget to buy at Amazon for $1.49.

Theodora Taylor writes and reviews interracial romance novels in Pittsburgh, PA.

Description: Nicole–Baby Girl to her co-workers, even though she’s not that young–barely manages to put up with her grumpy boss, Marty. That is, until she gets into a terrible car accident and he unexpectedly comes through. Could this be a case of mistaken intentions, or is Nicole’s mean boss the perfect guy for her?

The Good: This book is a highly romantic read, with one of my favorite tropes, damaged people–in this case literally and figuratively–finding healing in each other. I love that the heroine and the hero get to see each other at their worst, and Ms. Pace does a great job of illuminating the vulnerable people under their hard shells. There’s also a nice emotional mystery running through the story. You’ll be dying to know what’s made these two people the way they are. The answers are very satisfying, as isthe epilogue. BABY GIRL AND THE MEAN BOSS is well worth its small price.

The Bad: See editing.

The Naughty: Steamy. Lots of sexual tension. Masturbation.

Editing issues: Several typos. Adverb abuse.

Publisher: Indie Author

Length: 132 pages

Final Grade: A-

Click on the widget to buy at Amazon for $1.99.

Theodora Taylor writes and reviews in Pittsburgh, PA.

Can you believe it’s been an almost a year since I posted my first book, THE OWNER OF HIS HEART? Insane, right! I’ve learned a lot in that year, mostly about work/writing balance and how the cure to just about anything from diminishing sales to disgruntled readers/commenters is writing another book. And unfortunately for people who love free reads, I’ve also learned a lot about writing discipline.

What does that mean? Well, long story short, though I appreciate the KDP Select program, especially the early boost it gave OWNER and the incentive it gave me to meet my writing deadlines, my latest book will not be in this program. Why? Four reasons, really:

1. I felt I was unfairly punishing fans who didn’t have Kindles by making them wait 90 days to get my latest book.

2. October and November were hands down my busiest months in the history of me having a day job, but I still managed to stick to my writing schedule — in fact, spending regular time with the unusual couple from my latest book, HER PERFECT GIFT, was a total sanity saver. So I’m thinking if I could write through that craziness, I can probably be trusted to meet my writing goals without KDP Select’s use-it-or-lose-it freebie promotion program hanging over my head.

3. I’ve reached a plateau. As I mentioned before, I love my day job and don’t want to quit it to write full-time. However, there are only 24 hours in the day. I’m very happy with and grateful for the money I’m making at both of my jobs. I love being so busy on both fronts and I don’t want to take time away from either endeavor to promote. Hence, this is my last free promotion. I hope new readers will continue to find the 50 Loving States series, but in order to keep writing it, I don’t have time to run free promotions every three months. Or, to put it more bluntly, I’d rather be using that time to write the next book.

4. Did I mention HER PERFECT GIFT is a holiday novel? Who wants to wait 90 days to read a holiday novel?

So here’s the breakdown. THE WILD ONE will be free on Amazon this whole weekend. After that, though, all my books will go wide on all sites at around the same time (I can never guarantee the same day, since different sites have different holding times) and will never be offered for free again.

So if you haven’t read THE WILD ONE, which is the follow-up to my first book, THE OWNER OF HIS HEART, yet, click on the book widget in the right side bar to download your free copy.

And as for HER PERFECT GIFT, my latest book. Well, this one is a doozy. Here’s the description:

The fifth smoking hot interracial romance in the 50 Loving States series!

Lacey Winters has sworn off love. She’s kept her heart locked away for her own protection, and she’s vowed never to fall under a dangerous man’s spell again.

But that was all before she met Suro Nakamura, a hit man who seems bound and determined to stomp all over her pesky vows. 

He’s dangerous in more ways than one, but can Lacey resist this holiday temptation?

A story sure to set your holidays on fire, this book features a woman with a past, a hit man determined to see her in his future, and red hot Christmas chemistry.

I loved this couple (especially the hot and quiet hero) to pieces and hope you will, too.I also, love the holidays, and I’m now looking forward to writing a Christmas novel every year. Click on the pic below or the book widget in the side bar to get your copy.

Happy Holidays!

Theodora

Description:

The Good: I respected Shira’s desire to get out of her abusive relationship, and cheered for her to do so. Also, I liked that she had an even better relationship with Max’s leopard than the hero himself.

The Bad: Great obstacles are set up, only to be somewhat clumsily surmounted. Max’s initial resistance to a relationship with Shira is overcome with an unexplained change of heart, and the final showdown with the main villain is a little too neat.

The Naughty: Erotic. 

Editing issues: Minor

Publisher: Amira Press

Length: 94 pages

Final Grade: B-

Click on the book widget to buy at Amazon for $4.99.

Theodora Taylor writes and reviews interracial romance novels in Pittsburgh, PA.

And wow, do I have a list compiled. But before I get into that, let’s go over the books I didn’t end up finishing from my last list.

1. THE DOCTOR’S SECRET BRIDE by Ana E. Ross. I don’t have a concise explanation for why this book didn’t hold my attention, but I put it down after a few chapters. However it is very well-reviewed on Amazon, and a big seller, so definitely judge this one for yourself.

2. THE MARK OF KANE by Nadia Aiden. I had very high hopes for this book and what I read was very well-written. But the situation became too bogged down in plot for me, with the mystery/adventure driving the story as opposed to the romance.

Now for the books I hope to get read before the end of the year:

1. SHIRA by Tressie Lockwood. I love a heroine with baggage to overcome and a grumpy hero. This story has both.

2. TAKEN BY MOONLIGHT by Violette Dubrinsky (pictured). I’m super-excited about this one. A shifter who doesn’t like humans and an uptight heroine who might not be quite what she seems. The sample was really good and I can’t wait to read the rest.

3. THEY SAY LOVE IS BLIND, BEAST and BABY GIRL AND THE MEAN BOSS by Pepper Pace. I’m a huge Pepper Pace fan, so I count myself lucky that she’s so prolific. I can barely keep up!

4. CARNAL KNOWLEDGE by Celeste Anwar. Well, I love vamps, and I especially love a spunky hero. But I’m a little concerned that this story will fall flat despite the solid sample, since it’s yet to be reviewed on Amazon.

5. BLOOD ANGEL by Anastasia Rabiyah. This book has a very intriguing premise and sample, but like no sales and one review. Curious. But I’m hooked. Let’s see if the rest of the story is as good as the sample.

6. BROWN SUGAR by Lena Matthews (pictured). Lena Matthews is one of the authors that made me want to start writing IR, and I’m always happy to read what she’s whipped up. I also love the historical aspect of taking it back to the key parties of the 70s.

7. TAMING LONDON MACKENZIE by Jordan Bell. White girl with a bad attitude gets tamed by a Latino blue-collar worker. Normally this wouldn’t be my cup of tea, but the sample was surprisingly well done. Hmm, let’s see how it goes.

8. NEGOTIATING SKILLS by Laurel Cremant. Ms. Cremant dropped me a note about her book, and I really liked the sample, which combines two of my favorite tropes: business and pleasure!

9. STEALTH HONEYBUN by Sam Cheever. A small town IR that revolves around a grocery store stick-up. Say what? The sample was good, but I’d probably read this on premise alone.

10. STRANDED BUT NOT ALONE by Cora Blu. I love IRs set in foreign locales and this one takes place in Austria. Also the hero is Russian. Ooh-la-la!

11. PRISONER OF DESIRE by Sophia Rhodes. I’ve been wanting to review a lesbian IR for forever. And this one is set in prison, so I’m already intrigued. No Amazon reviews, though, so let’s see.

12. DESERT OF DESIRE by Wynter Daniels. The hero is a gardener, which is a profession I haven’t read before in IR, so I’m in!

13. DREAMS, DECEPTIONS AND DESIRES by Barbara Sheridan (pictured). Another historical IR romance, and this one is a western ensemble. Must be my lucky season!

14. HIGHLAND HIJINKS: GREAT SCOTS by Shara Azod. The cover is TERRIBLE, but the sample was pretty intriguing. An American stranded in Scotland gets ambushed by two Scottish brothers, who also happen to be gods. Well, hello!

15. LUSH CURVES by Delilah Fawkes (pictured). Plus size Hawaiian heroine gets offered the modeling deal of a lifetime by a handsome Scot. It’s been a while since I read a BBW romance, so this had me at hello.

16. CYBORG 2150 by Charisma Knight. What would you do if your dead husband was returned to you as a cyborg? This intriguing premise had me clicking the download button.

17. BABYSITTING THE BILLIONAIRE by Nicky Penttila (pictured).Well, I went to a tech school and ended up marrying a techie, so how can I resist a romance involving an artist and a tech billionaire hero? Answer, I totally can’t. The only issue is, though this showed up on my interracial romance search, I’ve yet to figure out the race of the heroine. Hmm…

18. COSMIC FORCES by Tatiana March. Again, I went to a tech school, so how am going to resist a romance featuring two awkward, introverted astronomers. Again, I was powerless not to download.

19. SPECIAL KIND OF WOMAN by Jamillah Bergman. A story about a playboy who ends up looking more than twice at a very introverted plain jane. Though, I’m hating the hero from the start, his possible redemption is enough to keep me turning me pages.

Have you read any of these books? Are there any books you think I should have included? Let me know your thoughts!

Description:

The Good: I love, love, love, blackmail marriage stories, and I love Ms. Hunt’s writing, so this was a good combination for me. I’m also a sucker for a hero who isn’t traditionally handsome. Brandon is not only tortured and vulnerable, he also has both emotional and physical scars. Sexy! Sexy! Also, there’s a very intriguing B story with Danika’s best friend that will definitely bring me back for the next installment of the Hart’s Fall, Montana series.

The Bad: The story starts off strong, but falters when Ms. Hunt runs into a rather tricky bit of writer’s physics. Basically the heroine leaves, comes back, leaves, comes back, then leaves some more. This creates a yo-yo effect that not only diminishes the overall romance but makes the reader care less about Danika. It begins to feels as if she’s torturing the already tortured hero and makes the resolution less satisfying than it could have been. Leaving, like tears, is writing dynamite. If a character is going to leave, she should do so twice, maybe three times, tops, or else she risks alienating the reader.

The Naughty: Steamy. I hereby declare Ms. Hunt queen of the written blow job as hers are always very sexy.

Editing issues: Weird overuse of the word “tautened.”

Publisher: Swept Away Publishing (Indie)

Length: 169 pages

Final Grade: B- (three stars)

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Theodora Taylor writes and reviews in Pittsburgh, PA.