12 Kisses After Dark – Marie Force – 3*

12 Kisses After Dark – Marie Force – 3*

I've read all the books in the series and this one did not do it for me at all. Marie Force always goes back to all of the characters on the island which is great to see what they are all up to but this is the 13th book. There are more then 13 couples now so there didn't seem to be any time spent on the main couple. The time spent on Shane and Katie seemed very rushed and not all that believable.
*Spoiler*

My biggest issue with the book was when Shane's ex comes to town. Katie seems to take issue with the fact Shane wanted a minute with his ex. This is where I no longer cared for their relationship. Katie knew Shane had never gotten any closer from his ex yet she took issue with him wanting a minute to talk with her. When Shane does finally track Katie down she wants time to think because she doesn't believe he is over his ex. Doesn't matter that he said he was over her and he wants to be with Katie...nope Katie who had never been in a relationship prior KNOWS that Shane isn't over the ex. Shane had to go all out to prove to her he was over the ex. Not only does he have to prove to Katie but he has to defend his actions to his sister and her husband Katie's brother. I'm sorry I don't know anyone who wouldn't want to talk to their ex if they had been given no explanation for the divorce.

For me if it hadn't been for some of the other stories I would not have finished this book. But maybe if there had been less other stories the author could have done a better job with Shane and Katie.

11 Gansett After Dark – Marie Force – 2*

11 Gansett After Dark – Marie Force – 2*

I have read every book in this series. Some I've loved and some have been just ok. This one was just ok to me. I liked getting some loose ends tied up but there were more bad then good for me.

Issue number one: The general's trial. I didn't understand why his prior history was being used at trial. Prior history is only used at sentencing OR if the defendant takes the stand. Also why would he suddenly decide to plead guilty when a former friend decides to testify. It is still hearsay. I get the author wanted to wrap some previous loose ends up but if you are going to write a court/trial scene please do some basic research. When I read some of these scenes it made me stop and say that's not right and a quick search online found the information.

Issue number two: Laura's morning sickness. I don't know any doctor that would let her get away with extreme morning sickness without treatment. At one point Laura said she didn't want to take ANY drugs during her pregnancy and it just no! I know some women have a really hard time with morning sickness. There is nothing wrong with taking anti-nausea meds while pregnant. I also don't think it would be instant relief from the symptoms like it was with Laura but what do I know.

Issue number three: Too many people. The author goes over every single previous character and their are too many of them. It is hard to keep track and it causes repetitiveness.

10 Meant for Love – Marie Force – 4*

10 Meant for Love – Marie Force – 4*

This would have been a five star review except for the drama forced into it the story. I had been waiting for Jenny's story since she had been introduced and looked forward to it. I loved how the couple meets for the first time with her throwing tomatoes at him for waking her. Some people might not like the fact they don't introduce themselves officially (last names) until later in the book but it makes sense with both of their histories why they wouldn't want to. She finds out his story when she is on a date with another guy. She over hears Alex firing the company manager for talking about how "crazy" his mom is. She has dementia not crazy and it sets him off. Jenny understands and fills Alex in on her tragic loss on 9/11 and they seem to roll along nicely. It isn't until her parents show up and they do a sit down meal with her parents and his mom where it falls apart. His mom goes off on her (dementia) and he breaks up with her. It just seemed very contrived and didn't make any sense. The mom had had other episodes with Jenny around. She had talked about her family experience with dementia so why is it now an issue. Alex ends up groveling to get her back but it just seemed like the whole argument was forced.

09 Time for Love – Marie Force – 3*

09 Time for Love – Marie Force – 3*

I had a hard time with this one. In fact it had been sitting on my to read shelf for a while. David is Janey's ex. The one who cheated. I really really hate cheaters. Probably the only reason I got through it was the other storylines. I get David had made amends and saved lives and what not and Joe and Janey were awesome together but grrr he cheated. Then he ends up with Daisy who is sugary sweet...sometimes to sweet. I don't know how much time between Daisy being assaulted by her ex and this book but it is a little iffy that they started a relationship so fast. Though that seems to be how Marie Force rolls. There is much drama with Janey and Joe.

*Spoiler*

Janey is nearing the end of her pregnancy and she starts to have problems. With her systems it sounds like she has preeclampsia. I am pretty sure with how far a long she was any doctor would have instructed her to go to the main land and be induced. I feel like the author didn't have that happen because she wanted the shock value of David saving Janey and the baby.

08 Waiting for Love – Marie Force – 4*

08 Waiting for Love – Marie Force – 4*

Third time has to be the charm....right? Abby is back on the island since things didn't work out with Cal the doctor. She comes over with Adam where she tells him her sob story and he tells her his. They are both coming off of bad break ups and are looking to have some fun. They are there for each other. One of the best scenes was after Adam told Grant they were having some fun together. Grant is asked by someone (can't remember who) if he was upset by the situation and his was response was I can't be. If I am then Stephanie will think I still want Abby and I don't want her I want Stephanie so I have to be ok with it.

The big issue I had with there relationship was lack of communication towards the end of the book. Throughout the book they are pretty honest with each other. Very very honest so why change that at the end. It seemed like the author needed to come up with some big drama before the book could conclude. Something bigger than Adam dating his brother's ex.
*Spoiler*
Adam fights for his company and has to go to the mainland to do it. He tells her he is coming back but hey she's been sold this bill of goods by two other guys. She says they are done. He waits a whole week before he starts texting her. He said he couldn't hold out any longer. Why wait? You know what you are doing is going to the mainland to sell the company why not just be honest with her and tell her that. Text her all the gooey things you want to.

07 Longing for Love – Marie Force – 5*

07 Longing for Love – Marie Force – 5*

I loved the seventh book in the series. I loved how Tiffany picked herself up after her ex dumped her. Leaving her and her daughter high and dry without any furniture. I loved that Blaine waited until her divorce was finalized before starting something with Tiffany and when he does he always does things with her when the daughter is having a sleep over elsewhere.

06 Season of Love – Marie Force – 2*

06 Season of Love – Marie Force – 2*

I had a really hard time with this one. I liked the characters. I liked them as a couple. What I didn't like was how they got together. There was no down time between Laura breaking up with her husband and her getting together with Owen. Like no time. She shows up on the island and he changes his entire life to take care of her. She's pregnant with her ex's baby, going through a nasty divorce, and they both think it is great idea to jump into a new relationship.

Another issue is there are too many storylines. Each book has stuff from the other couples. Some books it blends well and the story is continuous without any problems but with this one it wasn't.

05 Hoping for Love – Marie Force – 5*

05 Hoping for Love – Marie Force – 5*

I loved this one. It is the fifth book in the series. Grace is stranded on the island by a jerk and Evan comes to her rescue. He puts her up for the night in his parents home and the next day gives her money to get home. A week goes by before they see each other again. She rocks his world and he hides from his feelings. When his friend kicks his behind about it he sets out to prove he is good for her. They were such a sweet couple and I wanted more from them.

04 Falling for Love – Marie Force – 3*

04 Falling for Love – Marie Force – 3*

liked this one. I didn't love Grant. Grant was a big idiot which he was supposed to be but he irritated me. He is back on the island trying to get his ex back but she is engaged to someone else. It felt like he didn't really care to get her back but he needed to get her back so something was going right in his life. Stephanie was another story. I liked her a lot. She had spunk and when you find out her life story you like her even more. She deserved better from Grant. It takes him a bit to realize how great she is and pursue her.

Side note...You get Stephanie and Grant's love story mixed with all of the previous love stories. This is great but it would be nice if more time was spent with the "main" characters and not the secondary characters.

03 Ready for Love – Marie Force – 5*

03 Ready for Love – Marie Force – 5*

This is the third book in the McCarthys of Gansett Island series. You will need tissue for this one. This is the love story of Sydney and Luke. They were sweethearts during the summers in high school. Sydney went off to college and never came back. She never told Luke she wasn't coming back. I really wanted to hate her for that but she actually was a really nice character to read about. She apologizes to Luke for never talking to him and explained it was to much pressure from her parents that caused her to act the way she did. Not a great excuse but she was 18 so fine she gets a pass. She is now on the island because her husband and both children were killed by a drunk driver. She is there to heal from her injuries as well as her loss. All Luke wants is to be there for her in whatever way she needs him to be. Their romance is a slow romance but totally worth the wait. Marie Force also introduces a bunch of secondary characters in this book she will use later on.

01 Maid for Love – Marie Force – 4*

01 Maid for Love – Marie Force – 4*

I liked this story, didn't love it but I liked it.
Maddie is a maid in Mac's family hotel. They meet when he steps out in front of her and she crashes her bike. She is injured and because he feels he is to blame he decides to take care of her. She tries to get him to leave all the time but he feels he needs to take care of her and her son. It is pretty much insta love for him and her. He admits it a lot sooner than she does but she falls for him. One of the best parts of the book is how much Mac loves Thomas (Maddie's son). He steps up and wants to do for both Maddie and Thomas just because.

Issues:

Mac loves to make decisions for Maddie that have nothing to do with him.
*Spoiler*
The bio daddy for Maddie's baby finds out she has a child and he goes to Mac. Mac should have directed him to talk to Maddie instead he gets him to agree to sign away his rights to Maddie's son. Now they have just started dating even if they had been dating for a long time this still had nothing to do with him. This was Maddie's son. Yes he loved them both but this was between her and the ex. This was not the first time he had made decisions for her but it was the biggest.

02 Fool For Love – Marie Force – 4*

02 Fool For Love – Marie Force – 4*

This is the second book in the series. Joe has been in love with Janey forever but she is engaged to someone else. He is willing to sit and watch her be happy as long as she is happy. The book starts with Janey calling Joe in a panic. He rushes off to rescue her. When he gets her he finds out she had caught her fiancé (David) of 13 years in bed with another woman. David never saw her she just took off and ended up stranded. It was interesting to watch Janey realize she was in love with Joe.

I feel like there were two big issues with this book. The first being she wasn't officially broken up with David when she sleeps with Joe. It was the night of the rescue when they hook up for the first time. She says she is over the ex but come on she was with the guy for 13 years and Joe is not a rebound in some way. At one point in the book she says the instant she saw David with another woman her feels were turned off and that maybe so it just seems very fast. The second issue was she makes a huge life decision that affects both of them without even discussing it with him. She makes both of them miserable in the process and it seemed to me that instead of her apologizing and trying to make up for it he does the apologizing. The screw up was all on her side and it just seemed off to have him doing the grand gesture. Neither of these made the book bad just rubbed me the wrong way.

I LOVED the fact that we get to see what is going on in Mac and Maddie's life in this book as well as the love story of Joe and Janey.

Maid for Love 4*

Week 2 Books

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers ***

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers is a Young Adult story featuring 17 year old Ismae.  Ismae is forced into an arranged marriage.  She seeks sanctuary at the convent of St. Mortain.  She discovers she is blessed by Death Himself.  She trains as an assassin and serves as a maiden to Death.  Her first mission takes her to the high court of Brittany where she is given impossible choices.

 

The book was alright.  It was very slow to get into and if it wasn’t for a friend asking for a review of the story I probably would have stopped reading it.  About halfway through the book is when it started to pick up and became more interesting.  The second story is supposed to be coming out next spring and I will probably give it a try.

 

 

First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones *****

First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones is a paranormal romance book starring Charlie.  Charlie sees dead people.  She is in essence the grim reaper who helps the souls pass on to the other side.  Anyone who has died under unusual circumstance insists she investigates which leads to her getting into hot water.  Further complicating her life she is have dreams about a being that might or might not be dead.

 

From beginning to end I was enthralled.  I didn’t want to put it down and went looking for the second book as soon as I finished it. 

 

Damian’s Oracle by Lizzy Ford ****

Damian’s Oracle by Lizzy Ford is a paranormal romance featuring Sofia.  Sofia has a rare gift of seeing the future and is being fought over by the White and Black Gods.  Whoever gets to her first will use her gift to help them win the war.

 

This book was very good and kept me interested throughout the story.  The storyline moved nicely.  The characters were likeable and you wanted to route for Sofia.  When I finished it I wanted the next one.

 

Maid for Love by Marie Force *****

Maid for Love by Marie Force is a romance book set on Gansett Island.  Maddie Chester would like nothing better than to leave the island with its bad memories and rumors behind.  She’s knocked off her bike on her way to work as a housekeeper for McCarthy’s Resort Hotel by the island’s favorite son Mac McCarthy.  She is too injured for work and feeling horrible Mac insists on taking care of her by moving in with Maddie and her infant son and going to work for her.  He planned on a short visit home and soon finds leaving is not an option.

 

I really enjoyed this story.  The characters were likeable and you felt for Maddie.  You also wanted to strangle Mac a couple of times for his meddling in Maddie’s life without talking to her first.

 

Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughan ****

Xylara is the daughter of a King.  When he dies her half-brother takes the trone.  Xylara was trained as a healer and where her morals push her to heal everyone including the enemy.  She learns there customs and language which draws the attention of the leader.  Due to her half-brothers incompetence she has to pick between giving up her freedom or the fall of her people.  Given her options she chooses to go with the enemy as the warprize.

 

I loved this book.  Xylara was an amazing character who you rooted for from the beginning.  The story moved along at a fast pace with enough twist and turns to keep the reader interested.  At the end of the story I wanted the second book immediately.