Book Briefs: Brief Reviews is my version of mini reviews. I am starting up this feature to help me review some older books I have read but have not yet reviewed. (and some newer books)
The Heartbreak Cure by Amanda Ashby Pages: 193
Published by Entangled: Crush on December 4, 2017
Genres: Young Adult, contemporary, Romance
Source: eARC from Publisher
How to get over a heartbreak:
Step one: Eat your body weight in brownies.
Step two: Throw yourself into your dreams of becoming a famous writer.
Step three: Beg your (hottie) ex-neighbor to act as your fake boyfriend.
Step four: Skip step three unless you’re ready for some serious fallout.
After being dumped and humiliated over the summer, Cat Turner does what any sane girl would do. She asks bad boy Alex Locke to be her fake boyfriend and show the world (and her editor at the school newspaper) that she's fine. Problem is, the more time she spends with Alex, the more she risks getting her heart broken. For real this time.
Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book contains a swoony bad boy who will melt your heart, brownies, and witty banter. One, two, or all three might prove addictive…
The Heartbreak Cure is a young adult contemporary romance by Amanda Ashby. This book was super cute! It was exactly what I was in the mood for. The tagline for this book sums it up perfectly; ” This Entangled Teen Crush book contains a swoony bad boy who will melt your heart, brownies, and witty banter. One, two, or all three might prove addictive…”. It is sweet, addictive cuteness that will satisfy your YA romance sweet tooth. I love a bad boy with an ooey gooey marshmallow center, and that is Alex to a tee! Perfect for fans of the fake boyfriend trope.
In The Heartbreak Cure we meet our main character, Cat right after she is dumped. In order to get over her ex, she has a plan. Dubbed her heartbreak cure, she grabs bad boy Alex as her fake boyfriend. As you can imagine, the lines between fake and real start to get blurred. This book was well written, a super quick read and so adorable. I really enjoyed the characters and the romance and I can’t wait to read another book by Amanda Ashby. 
Desire by Cindy Jacks Pages: 157
Published by Lyrical Press on May 12, 2015
Genres: adult, mythology, Romance, Fantasy & Magic
Source: eARC from Publisher
Baby, did you fall from Heaven?
Being the deity of intoxication and ecstasy might just be the best job in the Cosmos. It certainly feels that way to Bacchus after he gets booted out of it. Mortal life is nothing but a complicated, emotional, pain-riddled struggle. If he can’t reclaim his divinity, he’ll settle for drowning his mortality in the pleasures of wine and women—especially women.
Until he meets Ariana, that is. She’s just as beautiful as the other lovelies Bacchus plays with, but her beauty comes right from her soul, and it’s muffled by profound sadness. Bacchus burns with the need to heal it, and help her—and that might be exactly the trick to getting himself lifted back into the Pantheon. Too bad he knows a lot more about pleasure than love…
Desire is an adult mythology fantasy by author Cindy Jacks. I wanted to like this book so much. It has so many elements that are normally a smash hit for me. I love mythology books, especially when they feature a romance, and I love to see less popular gods as the main characters. That is exactly what Desire promised. It is told from the point of view of Bacchus, the deity of intoxication and ecstasy. Sounds awesome right? In theory yes, and I might have a different opinion of this book if it were longer, but it clocks in at just over 150 pages, and that was not enough time for me to form a connection with the characters. I finished the book because it was so short but I didn’t really care about anything that happened to our main characters.
If you are a fan of fast paced novella length stories, then this might be a fun option to try. I enjoyed seeing this book through Bacchus’ point of view, and I do love mythology based books, but it fell a little flat for me. Bacchus made a bigger impression on me than the female main character- Ariana but only slightly. It was an interesting read, but wasn’t my favorite.
Suddenly One Summer by Julie James Pages: 291
Published by Jove on June 2, 2015
Series: FBI/US Attorney #6
Genres: adult, contemporary, Romance
Source: eARC from Publisher
From the New York Times bestselling author of It Happened One Wedding comes a novel about a man and a woman whose summer is about to get very, very steamy…
Divorce lawyer Victoria Slade has seen enough unhappy endings to swear off marriage forever. That doesn't mean she's opposed to casual dating—just not with her cocky new neighbor, who is as gorgeous and tempting as he is off-limits. But once she agrees to take on his sister's case, she's as determined to win as ever—even if that means teaming up with Ford…
Investigative journalist Ford Dixon is bent on finding the man who got his sister pregnant and left her high and dry. He's willing to partner with Victoria, despite the fact that the beautiful brunette gets under his skin like no other woman. He might not be looking to settle down, but there's no denying the scorching attraction between them. Still, the more time he spends with Victoria, the more he realizes that the one woman as skeptical about love as he is might be the only woman he could really fall for…
Suddenly One Summer is the sixth book in the adult contemporary series called FBI/US attorney series by Julie James. This was the first book I have read in the series, but that is fine because I believe all of the books can be read as standalones. I know Suddenly One Summer acted well on it’s own. I really enjoyed this book. I loved the characters, the writing was great and the plot felt fresh and kept us progressing throughout the story at a steady pace.
In Suddenly One Summer, we meet our main character, Victoria and her cocky neighbor Ford. I think fans of the series will be excited to see Ford get his own book, and after meeting him I can certainly understand why. He was so much fun! I liked him even more than I liked Victoria, which is saying something because I loved Victoria. Their romance sizzled off the page. I loved watching them volley back and forth over and over again. This book is the perfect pick me up if you are feeling bummed out, and now I am kicking myself for waiting so long to read it! I need to read more books by this author because I love her banter! If you are a fan of smart characters, great tension and witty banter, then you will love Suddenly One Summer.
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