Playing for Fun by Tracey Alvarez (Due South book 6)

*** I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for a honest review ***

'Playing for Fun' is a sweet, emotional, story about old friendships that grow into deeper emotions.  Both protagonists have their issues to overcome in order for them to possibly come together and work as a couple.  Sometimes the hardest thing to do, is take the chance on romance, especially at the risk of an already wonderful friendship with that person.

Tracey Alvarez did a great job capturing my attention and holding it throughout the entire book.  Her ability to bring their small little town and the residents who live there to life is superb.  The supporting cast of the book are all so lovable, from best friends, family members, meddling old women, even down to Diablo the cat, I found myself falling a little in love with their little town and it's inhabitants.

I felt invested in both main characters and found myself hoping or their happiness, even if it meant they had to be apart to find happiness, or even if it meant they would be finding happiness with people other than each other.  Both characters are so well written, the author really took character development seriously with these characters, and stuck with each of their personalities throughout the book.  So many times, authors will write a character who is, for instance, quiet, maybe introspective, unemotional etc., and later in the book, that same character will say or do something that is completely contrary to how that person was previously described.  That is most definitely not the case with this book.  Both characters stayed true to themselves from start to finish.

Being Polynesian myself (Hawaiian), I loved seeing the similarities between the maori and maoli (Hawaiian) cultures and languages.  Not many people know that all Polynesians (Hawaiian, Samoan, Tahitian, Fijian, Tongan, Maori etc.) originally came from the same place, settling in different parts of the pacific.  Distance, introductions to other ethnicities, and centuries apart caused our languages, cultures and customs to vary slightly, but there are still so many similarities, it's fun to see it.  So thank you Tracey Alvarez for sharing that little glimpse into the maori culture.  

One small thing I would suggest changing however, is the glossary of maori words.  It's too hard for someone reading your book to go back and forth from reading then going to the glossary everytime a maori word was used.  If I hadn't had a previous knowledge of the Hawaiian language and been able to figure out some of the words, it would have probably irritated me.  I would suggest putting the english translation to maori words in parentheses after each maori word instead of having a glossary.

If anyone is on the fence about this book, I would suggest you jump right off that fence and grab you a copy of "Playing for Fun".  It's a sweet, fun, read and you won't regret it.

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Rating (based on a 5 star rating system):

* * * *

The only reason I didn't rate it 5 stars, is because of the aforementioned glossary being inconvenient, and the fact that I felt the end was veeeeeery slightly rushed.  I would have liked there to have been a little more than just having Harley talking to Ford and then *bam* he see's the light and knows what to do to fix things with he and Holly. 

Would I suggest this book to others?:

Most definitely, yes.

Would I read others in the series?:

Yes.  I love the characters I've met already, and would love to know more about them and hear their stories.

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**** NOTE:  Although 'Playing for fun' is part of a series, it is a STANDALONE novel, has a HEA, and you will not be required to read or purchase other books in the series to get the full experience of the book, or understand what is happening.  However, if you feel moved to purchase other books in the series, I'm sure the author would appreciate the support. ****

Ecstasy Unbound by Setta Jay (The Guardians of the Realm, #1)

*** I kindly received this ARC copy in exchange for a honest review ***

Ecstasy Unbound is a paranormal erotic romance novel by author Setta Jay.  Number one in the "Guardians of the Realm" series, Ecstasy Unbound centers around goddess Alexandra, and Guardian Urian or "Uri" as he is known.

Now, I love all things paranormal.  Always have, probably always will.  Ghost stories, horror movies, vampires, werewolves, UFO's, you name it, I'm intrigued by it.  So you would think that a book such as "Ecstasy Unbound" would be right up my alley.  Well, to be honest, I'm a bit torn about it.

I appreciate that the author put so much thought into the plot and development of the series, which very blatantly is being set up for a series, but in my humble opinion, there was WAY too much setting up for the series in this opener of the series, and not enough actual story.  I would say that 70% of the book felt like backstory, explanations of powers, details about sub-characters, history of gods and goddesses, etc, etc, etc.  It was way too much.  It was to the point that I felt overwhelmed with information and to be honest, bored.  I think it could be the way in which the author tried to slip all of the tons and tons of information into the book, but the overall effect of it really ended up taking a lot away from the story of Alex and Uri.  

At the end, I felt as though I barely read an actual story... I felt more so that I had just read "gods and goddess's for dummies" or "paranormal beings 101".  That is NOT what I signed up for at all.  You never want your readers to walk away from your book feeling disappointed, and that is exactly how I felt.  To be honest, this book made me never want to pick up another book by the author.  It took a lot for me to keep picking up the book and start reading it again, I just really was over it and didn't care, but I received this book as an ARC, and therefore, I owe it to the author and/or publisher to finish it and review it.  I also owe it to my fellow readers to give an honest review, and that is what I am doing.  I also made the mistake of requesting others in this series (based on the good reviews) prior to reading the book so I will have to read those and review them as well... unfortunately.

On the flip side, if you enjoy very sexual hot reads, you may like this book.  Setta Jay definitely knows how to write a steamy scene, I'll give her that much.  I definitely felt the chemistry and attraction between the protagonists.  I think she did a great job portraying Alex and Uri's connection, although there wasn't that much more to the actual story than that... some fight scenes, hot sex scenes, and... well, that's about it aside from the afore mentioned overly excessive spewing of back information about the series.

WARNING:  It should be noted (because I didn't see a warning anywhere), that there IS a rape scene in this book.  I know and understand that many readers avoid books with rape scenes, so if you are offended by rape scenes, you will want to avoid this book.

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Rating (based on a 5 star rating system):

* * 

Would I recommend this book to others?:

No.  Sorry Setta Jay.

Would I read others in the series?:

Yes, but only because I have already committed to reading them prior to reading this first novel.

***Note*** This novel is part of a series, but is standalone.

Falling Hard by Tina Wainscott

Falling Hard by Tina Wainscott (A Falling Fast Novel - Falling Fast #2)

Gemma Thornton, has a painful and traumatic past she's been trying to heal from for years.  When her father gets into an accident, Gemma is forced to return to the small town where running from the pain is impossible.

Paxton Sullivan, the black sheep of his family, has never been a stranger to family conflict, but when the girl who had once captivated him, whom he once shared an intense, yet brief connection with, the girl who has always been off-limits because of her connection to his family and her alligations against his brother, returns to town, Paxton finds himself once again struggling with the conflicting emotions of the connection he's always felt for her, and his loyalty to his family.

When obligation and a promise to a close friend forces Gemma and Paxton to temporarily live under the same roof, they both find themselves wondering if their reservations about being with each other are legitimate and worth fighting such a strong attraction and connection.

New information comes to light, setting into motion events that stand to change both their lives forever... if they are willing to take a chance on one another.

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Review:

I really enjoyed "Falling Hard", it captured my attention and held it from beginning to end.  The plot was original and not something I can remember ever reading before.  There are a lot of twists and turns to keep you interested and just enough drama to truly have you feeling for the characters.  The character development was great and I honestly felt emotionally invested in both of the protagonists.

I really loved how gentle and caring Paxton was with Gemma, it endeared me to him in a way that was a bit surprising, because it can sometimes be hard to portray a male character as being both strong and protective, yet also kind, caring, gentle, thoughtful, and considerate at the same time.  IF a man like Paxton existed in the world, the woman who got him would be one heck of a lucky woman.

I appreciated how the author delved so deeply into the mental and emotional conflicts that someone who suffers from Gemma's past would have.  The self-doubt, guilt, and even self-blame that survivors feel is hard for someone who hasn't experienced it to relate to, but the author did an excellent job at portraying it.

**SPOILER AHEAD** The one thing that I didn't like, was the confrontation scene.  It seemed a bit unrealistic to me, because no one there had any proof of their alligations, and if something like this were to take place, Blake would have had a very good case of defamation of character against everyone involved.  Plus considering the statute of limitations had expired, no news reporter in the world would have gone anywhere near writing about or reporting about Gemma's alligations.  The part about Tracy, well, that was really far-fetched to me.  I can't see someone being with, or staying with someone whom they felt had raped them.  Plus the dynamic of their relationship would probably look a lot different.  If a man raped a woman and then ended up married to her, he would probably feel dominance over her, and she would have probably felt controlled by him, yet in the novel, it was the opposite. **END SPOILER**

Having volunteered for years with programs for people with special needs, I appreciated the author bringing to light the fact that people with special needs can and often do live full and fulfilling lives.  They are just as capable as us, they just have to fight harder and sometimes find other ways in which to achieve their goals.  They are true warriors, they show bravery on a daily bases that I envy.  If ever you are in need of humility, spend the day with someone who has special needs, the problems in your life that seem so important and life changing will seem trivial and petty within an hour.

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Rating (based on a 5 star rating system):

* * * * 

Would I recommend this book to others?:

Absolutely.

Would I read others in the series?:

Probably not.  I don't feel a connection to any other characters, nor do I have enough interest in any of them, to honestly care about their stories.  But if the synopsis sounded good, maybe.

** NOTE:  This Novel is part of a series, but it is a standalone novel.  You do not need to purchase or read others in the series to get a HEA, however, if you feel moved to do so, I'm sure the author would appreciate the support **