Category / Satisfactory Read

Rating of 3 stars

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Substitute Bride by Noelle Adams

Format: E-Book
Read with: Kindle Oasis
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
POV: Third Person, Dual
Series: Beaufort Brides, #2
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: James Harwood
Heroine: Rose Beaufort
Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥
Published On: August 22, 2015
Started On: September 08, 2025
Finished On: September 11, 2025

Substitute Bride by Noelle Adams had everything that could have made it a deeply emotional, slow-burn romance; widowed single father, devoted nanny, and a simmering forbidden attraction, but somehow the execution never quite matched its potential. Yet despite the promising premise, the story feels like it’s missing the spark that usually makes her understated writing sing.

Rose Beaufort has been nanny to James Harwood’s two young daughters for more than two years, quietly holding the family together since the death of his wife. She is patient, kind, and almost too self-contained; a caretaker in every sense, both to the children and to the man she has never allowed herself to want. James, for his part, is a man trapped between grief, obligation, and guilt. He is engaged to a woman who seems perfect on paper but whose manipulative charm barely hides her selfishness. When that engagement implodes and he begins to really see Rose, what unfolds is a push and pull between propriety and passion, duty and desire.

James is perhaps quite the emotionally restrained hero, controlled to the point of frustration. His attraction to Rose builds with the kind of quiet inevitability that should have made for exquisite tension. Yet even as he begins to unravel, the story somehow feels too neat, too muted. Rose, despite being the heart of the novel, is written with so much restraint as well that her emotions never quite land with the impact they should. She feels more like an observer of her own love story rather than its participant. And while the fake engagement and later emotional confessions promised the sort of angst I live for, the delivery feels like it stops short of what I needed.

What works, as always with Adams, is her delicate portrayal of care and connection. The scenes between Rose, James, and the girls are some of the most genuine parts of the novel, quiet moments of tenderness that feel deeply lived-in. The way Rose tucks the girls into bed or helps James manage his stress speaks more of love than the words either of them can say aloud. And when Adams allows the emotion to break through, when the control finally slips, the intimacy is beautiful, both sensual and real.

Still, for all its sweetness and emotional potential, Substitute Bride never fully takes flight. The chemistry simmers and the resolution comes too easily when it should have hurt a little more. By the end, you are left satisfied but not moved, and that feels like the greatest loss in a story that had all the makings of a quietly devastating romance.

Recommended for: readers who enjoy single-dad romances, nannies with hidden strength, and gentle domestic love stories with a touch of southern charm.

Final Verdict: Sweet and restrained, Substitute Bride delivers a soft love story that’s easy to read but misses the emotional punch Noelle Adams usually masters.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Apple

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Hired Bride by Noelle Adams

Format: E-Book
Read with: Kindle Oasis
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
POV: Third Person, Dual
Series: Beaufort Brides, #1
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Mitchell Graves
Heroine: Deanna Beaufort Graves
Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥
Published On: June 12, 2015
Started On: September 07, 2025
Finished On: September 09, 2025

Hired Bride by Noelle Adams is one of those reads that starts with promise; marriage of convenience, opposites attract, and a hint of emotional tension, but somehow does not quite reach the depth that usually defines her stories. While Adams is known for her subtle emotional resonance and slow-building intimacy, this one felt uneven, its heroine frustratingly inconsistent, and its resolution a little too neat for the angst it tries to evoke.

Deanna Beaufort Graves agrees to a six-month marriage to save her family’s crumbling Savannah home, entering into a deal that’s as transactional as it is necessary. Her husband, Mitchell Graves, needs a wife to secure a business contract, and Deanna, practical, reserved, and with a good heart, is the ideal candidate. What he does not anticipate is that beneath her quiet demeanor lies a strong will and a sharp tongue. He expects a compliant partner and instead finds someone who challenges him at every turn. Their marriage becomes a battle of expectations, attraction, and vulnerability neither of them are prepared for.

Mitchell is one of Adams’ more unpolished heroes (and I loved that); cocky, self-assured, and far less introspective than the usual restrained men she writes. But that confidence hides a man who is far more perceptive and emotionally grounded than Deanna gives him credit for.

Deanna, however, is more complicated. She is damaged by loss, weighed down by responsibility, and fiercely independent, but her judgments of Mitchell often border on hypocrisy. She wants emotional honesty but hides behind assumptions; she wants love but refuses to risk herself to earn it.

That contradiction is what makes her a difficult heroine to root for. The story hints at her trauma and fears but never dives deep enough to make her actions truly resonate. While Mitchell grows, Deanna stagnates, and her eventual change of heart feels more like surrender than revelation. Even her final declaration that she loves him as he is comes off hollow after spending most of the book berating him for the very traits she now claims to accept.

Still, Adams’ writing is as clean and engaging as ever. Her pacing is tight, and the sensual scenes though fewer here, carry her signature blend of intimacy and emotion. The Savannah setting lends the story a quiet charm, and Deanna’s eccentric grandmother adds levity to an otherwise emotionally restrained romance.

Recommended for: readers who enjoy quick, low-angst contemporary marriages of convenience and opposites-attract setups with a touch of southern charm.

Final Verdict: A promising marriage-of-convenience premise let down by an inconsistent heroine—Hired Bride is pleasant but lacks the spark Noelle Adams usually delivers.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Apple

by mvbookreviewer

Review: The Duke Identity by Grace Callaway

Format: E-Book
Read with: Kindle Oasis
Length: Novel
Genre: Historical Romance
POV: Third Person, Dual
Series: Game of Dukes, #1
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Harry Kent
Heroine: Thérèse-Marie Todd (Tessa Black-Todd)
Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥
Published On: April 19, 2018
Started On: August 09, 2025
Finished On: August 16, 2025

The Duke Identity by Grace Callaway is the first book in her Game of Dukes series, and my second foray into her writing after Regarding the Duke, which remains my favorite to date. Grace Callaway’s world of sensuality, intrigue, and emotional tension is one find affinity with as a romance reader, but while The Duke Identity was a solid, enjoyable read, it didn’t quite captivate me in the same way or perhaps the way I expected it to.

The story begins with Harry Kent, a former scholar turned policeman, scarred by betrayal and determined to find justice in a world riddled with corruption. Three months after a devastating loss, he is on a covert mission that brings him face-to-face with Tessa Todd, the granddaughter of a powerful crime lord who rules London’s underworld.

Tessa, who first appears disguised as a young man, is fiery, clever, and tired of being treated as a pawn in her grandfather’s machinations. When Harry is assigned as her bodyguard, the tension between them is immediate, part attraction, part battle of wills, and soon their fates intertwine in ways neither of them could have foreseen.

Harry is your classic Grace Callaway hero, intelligent, brooding, and simmering with a sensual restraint that makes his eventual unraveling delicious to witness. Still waters really do run deep with him, and his jealousy, protectiveness, and the flashes of tenderness beneath his gruff exterior makes him easy to root for. Tessa, on the other hand, is spirited, strong-willed, and determined to take control of her own destiny, even as she navigates her family’s criminal legacy and her growing feelings for the man sent to watch over her.

Yet, for all the intrigue and emotional setup, the book felt a bit too smooth in parts. The conflicts resolved themselves with surprising ease, and the emotional payoff wasn’t as intense as I had hoped. Grace Callaway excels at writing deeply sensual scenes, and here, the chemistry between Harry and Tessa is undeniable, but I found myself wishing for more yearning, more angst, more of that visceral tension that turns a good romance into a great one.

Everyone in this story is emotionally evolved and self-aware, almost like characters in a therapy session, which takes away some of the raw edge that could have made their love story truly unforgettable. What is intrinsically human about us how childlike and unreasonable we can become when we are deep in the throes of passion and love, and that fails to materialize here. Not everyday of your life will be unicorns and rainbows, but that is how you feel when you step into Ms. Callaway’s world, where every couple who has found marital bliss glows from inside out.

That being said, the writing is as lush as ever, the dialogue sharp, and the smut, well, Grace Callaway never disappoints in that department. The underworld setting provides enough danger and glamour to keep the story moving, and Tessa’s defiance, paired with Harry’s moral rigidity, makes for some satisfying moments of push and pull. I must also admit, Tessa and Harry works well together even as they come from vastly different backgrounds, making them easy to love.

Recommended for: readers who enjoy sensual, action-tinged historical romances with intelligent heroines, honorable heroes, and a touch of Victorian intrigue.

Final Verdict: Sexy and well-written, The Duke Identity delivers on chemistry but misses the mark on emotional depth.

Favorite Quotes

“Bennett?” Her voice was drowsy.
“Hmm, sweeting?”
“In case I forgot to mention it, I like being yours.”
His chest tightened. As usual, he struggled to put into words what he felt.
He settled for, “Good, because you are.”
It wasn’t much, but she snuggled deeper into him. A minute later, she was asleep.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Apple

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Unspeakable by Sandra Brown

Format: Paperback
Read with: Paperback
Length: Novel
Genre: Romantic Suspense
POV: Third Person, Multiple
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Hero: Jack Sawyer
Heroine: Anna Corbett
Sensuality: 🔥🔥
Published On: June 01, 1998
Started On: June 01, 2025
Finished On: July 19, 2025

Unspeakable by Sandra Brown bears all the hallmarks of a classic romantic suspense; an escaped convict, a haunted drifter, and a woman forced to fight for her life and her son’s future. But somehow, despite its atmospheric setup and high stakes, it never quite delivers the emotional punch I have come to expect from Sandra Brown as one of my favorite and go-to authors.

The story unfolds in Blewer County, Texas, where Carl Herbold, a convicted murderer and psychopath, breaks out of prison and begins a bloody journey home. At the same time, Anna Corbett, a deaf widow raising her young son on her father-in-law’s ranch, takes in Jack Sawyer, a mysterious drifter whose arrival coincides a little too neatly with the prison break. Jack is a man of few words and even fewer explanations, his past hinted at in fragments that suggest ties to both the escaped convicts and a twenty-year-old murder that still haunts the local sheriff.

Anna, meanwhile, is a character who could have been unforgettable. Her deafness gives her a distinctive presence, her world is drawn in sensory detail rather than sound, and the way she navigates both isolation and strength is portrayed with care. Yet, for all the potential in her story, the connection between her and Jack never deepens into the kind of visceral, magnetic bond that defines Sandra Brown’s best work. This is where the magic in characterization happens in her novels, where you see layers to the protagonists that come through in moments of stark revelations and deep passion that was missing from the story. Their interactions are too few, too fleeting, and too understated to build the tension or intimacy that her novels usually thrive on.

The suspense arc dominates the narrative. Brown skillfully crafts a grim picture of depravity through Carl and his brother Cecil, two men bound by blood and violence, and the side characters, particularly the aging and retired sheriff Ezzy, which adds emotional weight to the long-buried secrets that drive the story. Yet, by the final stretch, the violence and the darkness begin to overwhelm rather than serve the plot. The Herbold brothers are monstrous, but in a way that starts to feel senseless; they exist as embodiments of evil rather than as complex villains with understandable motives, and this flattening of their menace dilutes the impact.

Honestly, this was a disappointing Sandra Brown novel. While the villains were horrific, and the tone undeniably dark – two things that I actually love in romantic suspense, it all seemed strangely hollow when the dust settled. Not that one expects logic from criminals of this caliber, but there was little psychological nuance or purpose behind their actions.

Writing romantic suspense, as the genre indicates, is a balancing act. If you fail on one and over-deliver on the other, it is a failed attempt at best. This one seemed to fizzle on both counts, and that was what disappointed me the most. The romance fell flat beyond a few moments that sizzled and fizzled out. Normally, her books pulse with chemistry, the kind that builds quietly until it’s unbearable. Though there were flashes of poignancy and moments that reminded me of why I admire Brown’s storytelling, this one simply didn’t have the spark.

Recommended for: readers who enjoy dark, violent thrillers with a faint thread of romance and an eerie rural setting.

Final Verdict: Unspeakable is bleak, brutal, and atmospheric, but its heart never quite beats. A rare miss from Sandra Brown.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | eBooks | Apple

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Beacon by Claire Kent

Format: E-Book
Read with: Kindle Oasis
Length: Novel
Genre: Post Apocalyptic Romance
POV: First Person, FMC
Series: Kindled, #8
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Malachi (Mack)
Heroine: Anna
Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥
Published On: October 11, 2024
Started On: July 20, 2025
Finished On: July 22, 2025

I just woke up one day and knew—I knew—that you were my resting place.

Nostalgia is the word that best describes how I felt reaching the end of Claire Kent’s Kindled series with Beacon. Throughout the series, on and off, Mack has been a towering presence in the background, the steady hand, the heart of the community, the man everyone leaned on when the world crumbled after the event known as Impact. His story has been one of the most anticipated of the series (which I am sure is a sentiment shared by many followers of the series), and while this installment may not have become my personal favorite, I can appreciate the way it brought his journey full circle.

Mack is a man who has carried the weight of countless battles, both physical and emotional. For ten years he has been the anchor in the storm, the one who kept order amidst chaos, and the one everyone else turned to for assistance. But even the strongest shoulders eventually give way and that is what happens when a certain chain of events becomes the final straw after years of loss and responsibility. Add to this, the loss of his dreams of a family with the woman who owns his heart, needless to say he withdraws completely, retreating into the wilderness to nurse wounds too deep to share.

When Mack fails to return back to the community even as months pass, it is Anna who finally sets out to bring him back, knowing that it may not be as easy as that. Mack who would rather nurse his wounds in private, is reluctant to let her in, both literally and figuratively, until he is forced into sharing his quarters with Anna, which serves to the start to the journey of shared healing for the two.

Though Anna is pivotal to the story, I often found myself struggling with her choices. At thirty-three, she is a survivor of an abusive marriage, determined never to lose her independence again. Her hesitancy to commit to Mack comes from a place of self-preservation, a belief that she cannot be the partner he deserves because she still has so much healing of her own to do. And yet, beneath all that, it is evident she has always loved him. She just could not let herself give in.

What I did admire was Anna’s decision to risk her life for Mack, both literally and figuratively. When she ventures into the dangerous forest to bring him back, it is as much about saving him physically as it is about proving her feelings at last. Mack’s need for reassurance, for proof that he is not alone and unloved, felt heartbreaking and necessary after all he has endured. It was only fair that she had to be the one to step forward and make that sacrifice, just as he has carried everyone else, including Anna, for so long.

The theme of positive masculinity runs strong here. Mack is written as a man of great strength, but also deep vulnerability. His willingness to shoulder responsibility, his devotion to community, and his steadfast love for Anna makes him a hero worth remembering.

Still, as much as I admired his character, I found myself less enamored with the romance than I expected. Perhaps it was the years of buildup between Anna and Mack throughout the series which Ms. Kent expected us to take notes of, or the way their relationship often simmered just below the surface, but when it finally took center stage, I did not connect with their love as deeply as I hoped.

That said, I do understand why the characters were written the way they were. Breanna, in her story, needed a gentler partner to help her heal, and while Mack’s trauma was different, he needed the space and solitude, time to grieve and recover privately before he could return whole. The conclusion between Anna and Mack perhaps makes sense for who they are, even if the emotional punch did not hit me with the same intensity as some of the earlier books in the series.

Now that the series has come to a close, I cannot help but feel a bittersweet ache. Beacon ties the threads together, but it also leaves me looking forward. Logan, who made only a small appearance here, completely stole my attention, and I am already anticipating his book with high hopes. Now there is a hero of the kind I identify with!

Recommended for: readers who love end-of-the-world survival romances, broken-but-steadfast heroes, and heroines learning to claim their own strength.

Final Verdict: A bittersweet finale; Mack’s story closes the series with quiet strength, even if the romance did not burn as brightly as I had hoped.

Purchase Links: Amazon

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Fall by Claire Kent

Format: E-Book
Read with: Kindle Oasis
Length: Novel
Genre: Sci-Fi Romance
POV: Third Person, FMC
Series: Hold, #3
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Rone
Heroine: Lenna
Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥
Published On: November 13, 2016
Started On: February 21, 2025
Finished On: February 23, 2025

Rone kept nuzzling her cheek, her jaw, her shoulder, and he was mumbling words it took her a minute to hear clearly.
“Lenna good. Lenna home. Lenna home.”
At least for the moment, it felt like she was.

I picked up Fall right after finishing Hold and skipping Rise, curious to see where Claire Kent would take a story that seemed to offer a unique setting; a modern, capable heroine dropped into a brutal, stripped-down world to see what she does to survive.

Lenna, a 29-year-old smuggler, has lived her life skirting rules and staying one step ahead of trouble. But when she is planet-dumped and forced into a primitive society, survival suddenly depends not on clever smuggling routes but on aligning herself with the right people.

Her first encounter with Rone, the caveman-like warrior of the Kroo tribe, is tense and bewildering. He is gruff, mostly silent except for his clipped language, and entirely different from anyone she has known. Lenna has always thrived on her independence, but here she is dependent on him in ways she does not want to admit. The Kroo’s world is harsh, patriarchal, and unforgiving, yet through Rone’s eyes, Lenna begins to see glimpses of protection, devotion, and a kind of love she never expected.

The heart of the story lies in how two people from entirely different worlds manage to connect. The language barrier and cultural chasm between them creates misunderstandings, jealousies, and insecurities, yet there is no denying the pull between Lenna and Rone.

Their mating is both raw and tender, a reminder of how survival and intimacy can become hopelessly intertwined. Still, I could not help but feel that Rone’s character deserved more depth; his perspective was deeply missed, and the language gap kept him from being as fully fleshed out as he could have been.

What I liked most was how Claire Kent does not shy away from showing the compromises Lenna has to make. She is not a damsel; she is pragmatic, stubborn, and willing to fight for herself. Yet she is also forced to adapt, and the choices she makes feel both frustrating and understandable. The dynamic with Desh added another layer, particularly his role as translator and outsider, though at times it distracted from the intensity that could have been between Lenna and Rone alone.

On the flip side, I wished this story had been longer. The richness of this setup, with its primitive tribe politics and the clash between Lenna’s modern worldview and Rone’s way of life, begged for more space to breathe. The brevity meant some emotional beats felt rushed, especially towards the end, when resolution came quicker than I would have liked.

Recommended for: readers who enjoy survivalist sci-fi romance, primitive existence dynamics, and heroines who are fighters in their own right.

Final Verdict: Raw, primitive, and unexpectedly tender, Fall is engaging but left me craving more depth.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Apple

by mvbookreviewer

Review: A Foolish Flirtation by Alice Coldbreath

Format: E-Book
Read with: Kindle Oasis
Length: Novel
Genre: Historical Romance
POV: Third Person, Dual
Series: Victorian Reversal of Fortune, #1
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Jeremy Vance
Heroine: Emmeline Ballentine
Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥
Published On: September 14, 2024
Started On: November 12, 2024
Finished On: November 23, 2024

A Foolish Flirtation by Alice Coldbreath is a second-chance romance set against a Victorian backdrop. Ten years ago, Emmeline Ballentine was a wide-eyed debutante, dazzled by the charm of Jeremy Vance during her single London season. Her dreams were crushed when, after a flurry of stolen attentions, he announced his engagement to another. Now at twenty-eight, Emmeline is older, wiser, and engaged to a respectable man when fate throws Jeremy back into her life in Bath, this time as a divorced father with a rather shocking proposal.

Jeremy is not the rake-hell villain of her youthful memories but a man shaped by his own disappointments and a surprising sweetness beneath it all. His single-minded interest in Emmeline, even after a decade apart hints at the depth of his fascination. Emmeline though cautious, finds herself drawn to the man who once broke her heart and the story leans heavily into the will-they-won’t-they tension as they navigate old wounds and present realities.

There is humor threaded through the narrative, several moments which made me burst out in laughter, especially in Jeremy’s interactions with both Emmeline and his son Teddy. The story also offers insightful glimpses into their shared past, particularly through the eyes of Jeremy’s friend, which adds dimension to his feelings and motivations. However, the romance’s momentum often feels bogged down by extended conversations, whether it be between the leads or with side characters and that diluted the tension and urgency of their journey toward each other.

While Emmeline’s innocence and Jeremy’s sly charm create some wonderfully funny and even erotic moments, the pacing left me wishing for sharper focus. The leads have chemistry, but it’s buried under so much verbal back-and-forth that the story loses its spark and momentum every now and then. Teddy though, was a delight, adding warmth to Jeremy’s character.

What worked best for me was the mix of humor and tenderness in key scenes, especially when Emmeline takes the reins in seducing Jeremy; a reversal that was both entertaining and telling of how far she has come since their first meeting. Still, I never fully fell in love with either character, and I found myself wishing for a stronger emotional pull for me to be wholly invested in the story.

Recommended for: readers who enjoy Victorian settings, marriage-of-convenience plots, and romances with more dialogue than drama.

Final Verdict: Charming in parts but overlong, A Foolish Flirtation offers humor and warmth yet struggles to sustain the romantic tension.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Apple

by mvbookreviewer

Review: A Little Less Conversation by Rhyannon Byrd

Format: E-Book
Read with: Kindle Oasis
Length: Novella
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
POV: Third Person, Dual
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Elloras Cave
Hero: Mark Logan
Heroine: EMelanie Green
Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Published On: January 01, 2006
Started On: September 07, 2024
Finished On: September 08, 2024

A Little Less Conversation by Rhyannon Byrd is an erotic novella set in the small seaside town of Foggy Bottom Beach, delivering exactly what its title promises; a sizzling push-and-pull between two people who have been eyeing each other from across the street for months.

Travel agent Melanie Green has always been the “good friend” type to men, someone to confide in, not someone to burn the sheets with. But when it comes to local bar owner Mark Logan, she wants far more than casual conversation. She wants the full force of the man every woman in town seems to lust after.

Mark is thirty-six, brooding, sexy, and unapologetically direct about his desires. He is not the commitment type, preferring mutually satisfying encounters with no strings attached. But Melanie is not like the women he usually dates. Her shy smile, warm eyes, and quiet determination stirs something deeper in him, even if he tries to keep his distance. For six months he has been fighting the pull, until one day he crosses the street into her office and changes everything.

What starts as mutual flirting quickly becomes a dangerous game of assumptions and misinterpretations. Mark believes Melanie wants nothing more than to test his notorious reputation in bed, while she fears she will forever be relegated to his “friendly companion” category. Their chemistry is undeniable, but their inability to communicate what they really want leads to explosive clashes that are just as intense as their physical encounters.

This is erotica, and Byrd does not hold back on the steam. Mark is a dirty-talking hero through and through, and the sex scenes are explicit, raw, and frequent. That said, the story side is lighter; while there is emotional conflict and character backstory, it takes a backseat to the erotic tension driving the novella.

For readers like myself who wants deep emotional development or a balance of the eroticism and story development, you might not find what you seek. Still, the sexual chemistry between Mark and Melanie is scorching, and Byrd’s talent for writing heat is undeniable.

What I liked most was the sheer intensity of their attraction and the unapologetic way Byrd leans into erotic fantasy. Mark’s possessiveness, the edge of roughness to his passion, and Melanie’s determination to step out of her comfort zone make for combustible scenes. On the downside, the conflict resolution feels rushed, and I personally would have enjoyed more layers to the relationship beyond the bedroom.

Recommended for: readers who want hot small-town romance with a confident, dirty-talking hero and plenty of eroticism to scorch the pages.

Final Verdict: Steamy, intense, and pure escapism. Short on story depth, but scorching in all the right places.

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Slade Baron’s Bride by Sandra Marton

Format: E-Book
Read with: Kindle Oasis
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
POV: Third Person, Dual
Series: The Barons, #3
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Slade Baron
Heroine: Lara Stevens
Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥
Published On: January 01, 1999
Started On: July 26, 2024
Finished On: July 28, 2024

Slade Baron’s Bride by Sandra Marton is one of those stories that starts with a spark so sudden that it is impossible not to get caught up in the heady rush of passion that follows. Slade and Lara meet by chance during an unexpected flight delay, and what begins as a fleeting attraction turns into a night that leaves them both changed forever. Eighteen months later, the repercussions of that single weekend catch up with them, pulling them back into each other’s orbit in ways neither could have predicted.

Slade is the quintessential Marton hero—possessive, confident, and more than a little baffled when it comes to the way the heroine gets under his skin. Lara, on the other hand, is portrayed as older, independent, and carrying a determination that sometimes borders on prideful stubbornness. Their dynamic is complicated further by secrets she chooses to keep and his instinctive need to control and protect, creating a push-pull tension that simmers throughout.

What really drives this romance is the clash of their vulnerabilities and insecurities. Both have childhood scars that shape their adult choices, and though the book hints at the depth of those wounds, I felt as though the connection between their pasts and how they might bridge that emotional gap could have been explored more fully. Instead, their relationship relies heavily on mistrust, jealousy, and pride, emotions that fuel the drama but do not always leave enough space for deeper growth.

That being said, Marton’s trademark ability to write a hero undone by his own emotions shines through in Slade’s frustration and his bewildered response to Lara. Those moments when his composure cracks are some of the most rewarding in the book. On the flip side, Lara’s characterization often grated on me; her jealousy, her secrecy, and her tendency to make choices that seemed more about maintaining distance than about finding resolution were not very winsome. She teetered close to “annoying heroine” territory for me, and it made connecting with her more difficult.

Still, there is plenty to enjoy in this fiery romance; the sizzling attraction between them, the undeniable chemistry, and the way Marton plays with misunderstandings and emotional upheaval to keep the tension high. The ending, though not perfect, does deliver the promise of love prevailing against the odds.

Recommended for: readers who enjoy intense, angsty Harlequin romances with possessive heroes, stubborn heroines, and the kind of combustible chemistry that never lets up.

Final Verdict: A romance brimming with passion and tension, Slade Baron’s Bride delivers the emotional highs and lows Marton fans crave, even if the heroine’s choices make the ride a bumpier one than expected.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | eBooks | HQ | Apple

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Seven by Claire Kent

Format: E-Book
Read with: Kindle Oasis
Length: Novella
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
POV: Third Person, Single
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Owen
Heroine: Amy
Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥
Published On: May 01, 2014
Started On: July 09, 2024
Finished On: July 10, 2024

Claire Kent’s Seven is a short, sizzling novella built on the premise of a no-strings-attached arrangement that inevitably turns into something more complicated. The story revolves around Amy and Owen, two people who had set out with the firm intention of keeping things strictly physical, only to find themselves tangled in emotions neither expected. What begins as a daring wager between them soon unravels layers of possessiveness and longing that belie their casual arrangement.

Owen is the quintessential Claire Kent hero; gentle and understated in everyday life but all alpha behind closed doors. A British transplant with charm tucked under his quiet exterior, he is the sort of hero who sneaks up on you with his intensity. Amy, by contrast, is ambitious, a woman determined to keep her emotions in check and not lose herself to something she insists should remain temporary. Yet, despite her best efforts, she struggles with the growing pull Owen has on her.

Their dynamic is built on friction. Amy’s determination to keep things light clashes with Owen’s increasing inability to pretend he doesn’t care more deeply. The push-and-pull between them is where the tension lies, and while the novella is heavy on erotic encounters, it also highlights how easily a relationship meant to be uncomplicated can grow roots.

The sex scenes are exactly what one expects from Kent; creative, scorching, and layered with emotion that sneaks in when least expected. That said, Amy as a heroine was a harder sell for me. Her stubbornness sometimes crossed into annoyance, making her difficult to empathize with. In contrast, Owen’s blend of control, humor, and unexpected tenderness made him the clear standout.

What worked best was Kent’s trademark way of blending intimacy with vulnerability. Even in a story this short, she manages to showcase the risk of opening yourself up to love when you have convinced yourself that you are not looking for it. Still, I could not shake the feeling that Amy’s characterization needed more balance to match the depth Owen brought to the table.

Recommended for: Readers who enjoy erotic romance novellas, British heroes who ooze charm, and the tension of a friends-with-benefits arrangement evolving into more.

Final Verdict: A friends with benefits novella with Kent’s signature eroticism that stands out for inventiveness in the bedroom!

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