Chelle BlissCritiques
Auteur de Throttle Me
Critiques
Never Too Late (Star Falls Book 1) par Chelle Bliss
Fast forward......she is done with college. Her family owns one of the best tattoo shops in the country. She is starting work there along with another new guy. She arrives at work to find Pike is the new guy. She immediately accuses him of "stalking" her! Now, he knew her name is Gigi (nickname) and she is from Miami.....that is ALL he knew about her. She was so OTT mean/ridiculous about all of it. She got angry the minute she saw him. He was a tattoo artist when she met him in Daytona. Even when she finally admitted to herself he wasn't stalking/looking for her she wouldn't just man up and apologize. I couldn't see her ever deserving ANY guy.....let alone Pike. I gave up.........
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
2 Stars ~ omnibus
I quit. Not reading anymore of this series. Way to bland for me. Both books I read in this series is filled with unnecessary and boring details.
Dnf'd at chapter 12, book 2
To 'Sweet'.
More info later
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
2.75 Stars
Started off great. Then around 30% it started dying the slow death of juvenile dialog, thoughts & actions.
I liked Suzy in the beginning then ended up wanting to shake her. She comes off as a snooty prude. Her nose is stuck up in the air so high she will drown on a rainy day. She is condescending and juvenile. The dialog between her and her friend Sophia is boring and takes up half the book.
City, on the other hand is much more mature. But, even his dialog with his family deteriorates. It becomes extremely immature.
So much in this story in unnecessary and pulls it down to the point of dreary and vapid.
The parts that are supposed to create angst and tension come off as forced and artificial.
The best parts are the adult scenes. Those are hot.
The rest of the story needs the blue pencil to cross out all the drivel.
This book was just right for a lighthearted and sexy book before bed. I do wish, however, that the story had dug a little deeper in regards to get characters, both past, and in the present, to give them more depth. There was so much more potential for this couple.
That's basically what this whole story is about.
City,aka Joe Gallo, helps Suzy something or other when her car breaks down? (I really can't remember the circumstances and I just finished the book)There's the instant attraction which leads to her doing something out of character...having a one night stand and being aggressive about what she wants and how she wants it. Now this of course leads City to fantasize about really "ruining" and possessing the good girl.
For a woman who claims not to cuss she sure likes to use some words when talking with her BFF.. slut, whore, and bitch are just some of the cute nicknames they have for one another. She goes from being not too sure about seeing City to having butterflies in her stomach every time she sees him. Oh and we learn he has some very interestingly placed piercings, although I can't imagine why a man would pierce himself there and that HAD to hurt!
It was a quick read. Some parts were entertaining but the characters fell a little flat for me. So he's handsome, had his heartbroken at 19, he's actually really really rich...blah blah blah. Like I stated earlier...okay read but not a big deal for me.
I can’t recall where I first heard about Maneuver, but I know I put it on my TBR list because the blurb sounded right up my alley. I’m a total sucker for an alpha with a heart of gold saving the damsel in distress theme, which this book has. Because of that, I liked it fairly well. It also has likable characters and a sweet but steamy storyline that appealed. However, it also has an insta-love theme, which isn’t a favorite trope of mine, because I have a hard time believing that two people can fall in love within a matter of days. I also felt that the plot and characterizations were somewhat lacking in depth with many missed opportunities for correcting these issues which could have made it a perfect read for me. So overall, I enjoyed the book for what it was, but I felt that it had the potential to be so much more if additional attention had been given to certain aspects of the story.
Delilah grew up wealthy on the north side of Chicago, but her life was far from perfect. Her mother left when she was young and her father was an alcoholic who didn’t give her the love and attention she deserved. Then she got pregnant, only to have her boyfriend leave her high and dry with a baby to raise on her own. When her drunken father kicks her and her infant daughter, Lulu, to the curb in a Southside neighborhood at midnight, speeding away with her purse and cell phone, Delilah has nowhere to go and doesn’t know what to do. She wanders into a bar, the only place that seems to be open, hoping to use the phone. What she finds is a handsome and very generous man, who is a co-owner of the bar. He not only allows her use the phone, but he and his loving mom look out for Delilah and Lulu overnight. The next day, he offers her the vacant apartment above his and a job at the bar to help her get back on her feet. Delilah may have grown up with money, but she’s not a snob and she recognizes good people when she sees them. She’s absolutely blown away by the generosity of Lucio and his family. I could also relate to her initial shyness about being around a man as attractive as he is. She’s a sweet heroine who needs a hand up, but at the same time, she has a backbone that serves her well in taking care of her daughter and standing up for herself when both her father and her ex come calling.
Lucio is the proverbial alpha with a heart of gold. He’s protective and possessive of Delilah almost from the moment he meets her, but he’s very sweet and kind to both her and Lulu. He co-owns the bar with his three siblings, and their mother lives in the apartment above. He does OK financially, but isn’t made of money like Delilah’s father. However, he has attributes that are far more valuable than money. Lucio’s dad is in prison for being involved in organized crime, and while the guy wasn’t a stellar partner to his mother, Lucio does admit that he was a pretty good dad to his kids before being put away. In spite of that, when he learns that his father is soon to be released from jail, he experiences some trepidation about the man’s return, which was never really explored. In fact, his dad doesn’t actually come home in this book. Overall, Lucio is a great guy who would be almost impossible not to like if for no other reason than because he treats Delilah so well and is an incredible father-figure to little Lulu.
Where I had a few issues is in the characterizations. While Delilah and Lucio are both very likable and pretty relatable characters, I still couldn’t help feeling like they were kind of generic. For the most part, what I’ve outlined so far in my review is about all we get to know of them. I felt like I was just skimming the surface of who they were and what made them tick, rather than really getting to know them on a deep level so that they would stand out more. Also them falling for one another in just a few days time and being ready to make a lifetime commitment lacked a certain degree of credibility, especially since Lucio kind of had a reputation as a player and Delilah was in a vulnerable situation. I just felt like they needed a bit more time to get to know one another first. Additionally, there isn’t a great deal to the story besides what I’ve mentioned and there’s really no conflict to speak of. Both Delilah’s father and her ex come looking for her, but both are dispatched with little fanfare and there’s not really any internal conflict either. Delilah and Lucio merely get together, see how well they fit, and “lock it down.” The book is on the shorter side, and I simply would have liked to see it fleshed out a little more to get to know the characters better and to feel like the stakes to them getting together were a bit higher.
Maneuver is the first book in Chelle Bliss’ Men of Inked: Southside series. I’m not very clear, but this might be a spin-off of her original Men of Inked series. If so, I didn’t have any trouble following the story or feel like I was missing anything by not reading the other series first. The remaining books in the Southside series follow Lucio’s siblings. His sister, Daphne, is the heroine of the next book, Flow, while his younger brother, Vinnie, is the hero of the fourth book, Hustle. Lucio’s older brother, Angelo, was probably the most intriguing of the three to me, because he’s a widower with children. He gets to find love again in the third book, Hook, and their story continues into the final book of the series, Love. Maneuver was my first read by this author, and while it didn’t entirely wow me, I did enjoy the sweetness of the story and it was good enough to make me interested in giving the other books a try.
Seriously, why are you reading my review? I gave my opinion which is go buy the book and devour it. It's like the Pringles ad - Once you pop (open the book) you can't stop. Why the overt fangirling? BECAUSE ITS AWESOME THATS WHY.
For a first time duo team writing, they could have written under a pseudonym Brenelle Blishert and I would have thought it was one person. Their writing styles blend effortlessly. I've read from both authors and immensely enjoyed their individual storytelling. However, when they come together - just as fun, just as HOT, and just as much my sentimental heart loves in a romance tale as I would expect them to deliver.
I loved seeing the dual POV from Jude and Reagan portrayed as the story unfolded. Each character was strong and carried their piece of the romance without overpowering the other. I loved that their love story carried the novel and wasn't a hidden agenda for anything else. Did the story premise have some ups and downs? Of course - any time you meet someone you are 'pre-destined' to hate, the story to HEA isn't going to be smooth. But Bliss and Rothert give you a story with just enough, you don't feel emotionally rung out and most importantly - when you get to the end you want MORE.
And did I want MORE? Yes, I did what any self respecting fangirl does. I told them on FB (rally the troops) that my book was too short, missing pages. Because I loved it so much I didn't want Jude and Reagan to end. Now, I have a book hangover. I feel sorry for the next book having to live up to this 5 star read from me. I truly hope this isn't the only time that Bliss/Rothert team get together to deliver a fantastic story - I hope this is a many more to come. 5 out of 5 wish I could give more stars stars
Before I forget - yes, I got this as an ARC from team Bliss/Rothert but it was already on my radar as my dear friend Janett let me know "You will want to read this book". So regardless - gifted or purchased I'd be feeling the same. Oh, and on release day, I'll be re-reading this bad boy because I love to have the first read happiness (again).
Seriously, why are you reading my review? I gave my opinion which is go buy the book and devour it. It's like the Pringles ad - Once you pop (open the book) you can't stop. Why the overt fangirling? BECAUSE ITS AWESOME THATS WHY.
For a first time duo team writing, they could have written under a pseudonym Brenelle Blishert and I would have thought it was one person. Their writing styles blend effortlessly. I've read from both authors and immensely enjoyed their individual storytelling. However, when they come together - just as fun, just as HOT, and just as much my sentimental heart loves in a romance tale as I would expect them to deliver.
I loved seeing the dual POV from Jude and Reagan portrayed as the story unfolded. Each character was strong and carried their piece of the romance without overpowering the other. I loved that their love story carried the novel and wasn't a hidden agenda for anything else. Did the story premise have some ups and downs? Of course - any time you meet someone you are 'pre-destined' to hate, the story to HEA isn't going to be smooth. But Bliss and Rothert give you a story with just enough, you don't feel emotionally rung out and most importantly - when you get to the end you want MORE.
And did I want MORE? Yes, I did what any self respecting fangirl does. I told them on FB (rally the troops) that my book was too short, missing pages. Because I loved it so much I didn't want Jude and Reagan to end. Now, I have a book hangover. I feel sorry for the next book having to live up to this 5 star read from me. I truly hope this isn't the only time that Bliss/Rothert team get together to deliver a fantastic story - I hope this is a many more to come. 5 out of 5 wish I could give more stars stars
Before I forget - yes, I got this as an ARC from team Bliss/Rothert but it was already on my radar as my dear friend Janett let me know "You will want to read this book". So regardless - gifted or purchased I'd be feeling the same. Oh, and on release day, I'll be re-reading this bad boy because I love to have the first read happiness (again).
Suzy and City are back with the entire Gallo family. Unlike the previous books (exception is Uncover Me) in the Men of Inked series that are under my erotica shelf, this book falls into my contemporary romance category. Oh, don't you worry. Ms. Bliss gives us plenty of hot sexy times with City and Suzy again. However, this book you get to spend quality family time with all the Gallos through their eyes. Whenever a family expands, humorous situations will occur between the seriousness that is adult life. In addition to seeing your favorite characters grow up,or better, man up, Ms. Bliss gives the reader a few different story plots that seamlessly weave together for an excellent weekend read.
If you haven't read any of the Men of Inked series, I strongly recommend you read, at a minimum, Throttle Me for Suzy and City's origin story. Although Chelle Bliss is excellent at telling the story if you haven't read the other books or series so that you don't feel lost. However, you'll be doing yourself a disservice if you don't read book 1 at a minimum. If you are one of the lucky readers who have been following the Gallo family and ALFA PI, you find an excellent story that brings all the characters you love together. I'm going to put my two cents out there. It didn't feel like good-bye or a wrap up novel if that's what you anticipate. As I read through Suzy and City's POV, I felt like I got to be a part of the lives of the Gallos. But ended on a note where (hopefully) there can be more.
4.5 out of 5 stars
This novella has everything in what I want in this format: quick character introduction where I feel I 'know' them. Check. A storyline that I can get absorbed into that doesn't feel lacking or missing parts. Check. A story that ends in a full circle which I don't feel like I'm hanging. Check. I loved the characters and, of course, would enjoy more to read about them. Yet, if I feel if the author said this is all the story these two characters have to offer, I'd be equally satisfied. And trust me, Ret aims to satisfy you . 5 out of 5 stars
Chelle Bliss delivers with Bear and Fran. If you love fast reads that scorch your panties, then Ms. Bliss is definitely a recommend. And she doesn't disappoint with these two characters 'not-looking-for-love-but-looking-for-a-good-time.' The ALFA team get called to help Fran out of a crappy situation. So along with the hot times between the sheets, you get a suspense story with lots of alpha muscle.
Yes, it's part of a series. However, the story stands alone so you don't have to worry about being lost in the character development. But with all the testosterone spilling from the pages, I'm thinking there may be a man or two you'll want to find out about. 4.25 out of 5 stars
The story has you guessing who is really a good bad guy or a bad good guy. Not everything is clear to the reader or Kennedy on who she should trust. I thought I had it figured out and I was happily wrong. There really isn't detail I can say about the story without a "spoiler". Just know it was fun, fast and HOT!
Now, if you loved Dirty Work, you'll love this story because it's NOT Dirty Work. If you didn't read Dirty Work, never fear because it's NOT Dirty Work part two. The story stands alone and apart. However, this writing duo provides story magic that won't disappoint any new or old fans. Take a quick look at my status updates as I read along and I know you'll want to one-click this latest offering. 5 out of 5 stars
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