Roni LorenCritiques

I generally don't read modern romance with such young MCs (19, 22 and 24 I think) but this was recommended to me, and I am glad I did read it. It turned out I very much liked all of the characters, including the side characters, very much. O'Neal has been raised by her authoritarian evangelical grandparents after her mother was murdered. Auden is the older brother of O'Neal's best friend. He was raised in a loving home, but also one that subscribed to the same unyielding rules of church and thus he deals with a lot of shame around certain drives and desires I won't discuss here. Lennox is the hot artist with no real family. left to fend for himself. I loved the honesty of their interactions, the explicit message that in a relationship with three partners, especially one where kink is central, complete honesty is necessary. Everyone in this relationship is respectful and loving and smart. It was nice. The sex is pretty steamy, but at least to my eyes not particularly shocking or over the top. Everything they do is ushered in with something like "the minute you use your safe word se stop, and that is fine. It is surprisingly sweet for a kinky thruple scenario.

There were some issues. Once everyone was in love, the kink largely disappeared. Truthfully the kink was pretty tame to start. It matters because we are told that this is a primal drive for Auden, and that drive causes shame, but if that is so why does it largely disappear? Nothing wrong with dabbling and switching it up, that is all fun, but the story tells you it is more than that for him (maybe the others too, they certainly enjoy it, but Auden is billed as a dyed-in-the-wool dominant.) The other issue is that the story is really good, but the writing is not. It is not terrible, but also not as good as I wanted it to be. I am not looking for literary merit, but the clunky sentences weighed down the storytelling and as a result, exciting things were less exciting, romantic things were less romantic, sexy things were less sexy, etc.

This is a 3.5. There is a lot to love here and I expect to return to this writer.½

Actions don’t necessarily match the characters as they are initially presented and too many resolutions are rushed. The audiobook is horrid- the accents are PAINFUL; the East Indian food truck owner sounds Russian. No differentiation between male/female characters.

Past history between main characters makes the romance credible. Looking forward to stories about the secondary characters.

I disagree with the messages of the book. (context, the MMC worked as an escort for years but no longer is one when the mc's meet. He now works as a sex surrogate for patients). Anyway the FMC did not respect the MMC's surrogacy job until he was physically assaulted during a session with a patient. Another issues is how the book seems to say sex workers are only doing sw until they find something better and we should encourage them to pursue other careers effectively removing their agency. THEN the FMC decides she is interested in hiring an escort (that is not the MMC) the MMC busts up her first meet up with the escort by basically saying the guy she hired does his job well and will sweet talk her??? LIke yea, he's being paid for good customer service - it is his job. On top of that is the MMC's shitty understanding of consent - which is weird considering he is supposedly used to frequent sex clubs and is in the BDSM lifestyle. For instance, the FMC revokes her consent and the MMC does not accept and end the scene. Instead he coerces the FMC into changing her mind so he can fuck her. "No" or safe-wording is not a negotiation. It means stop, end of scene, do not proceed. These two mc's were bad for each other and I can only imagine how toxic their "hea" would have been. The romance genre is often hostile to sex work and sex workers. This is another example of that.

CW: the MC's work in a facility for rich and/or famous people come to receive mental health treatment in a judgement-free space. Many of these patients have experienced intense trauma in their lives and are attempting to work through that trauma, survival sex work, toxic intimate partner relationship, work relationship, one partner shaming the other partner into leaving a career they enjoy and thrive in, reversal of consent not respected

Just like the first book in the series. Andi’s story deals with mental health. And also Roni handles the story with a deftness of touch that’s amazing while not taking away the romantic aspects of it. Honestly, this was such a great book and Andi and Hill were a couple that I cheered for every step of the way.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for the ARC!

Well written, a great combo of romance, BDSM and who-dunnit. The characters were believable and the sex was really steamy, and I was rooting for a happy ending. I won't spoil it for you, I'll just say read it. Looking forward to her next novel.

Going into this book blind, I was pleasantly surprised that the MC had Tourette’s. I welcome all books with neurodivergent characters especially when they are fully successful adults and go after what they want!

Hollyn is a writer for a popular column and nobody knows who she is due to her shyness in regards to her facial tics. Jasper has found a love of improv to help him with his adhd, and is a struggling actor.

Hollyn decides she needs help in dating and feels secure with Jasper and his improv skills as he begins teaching her the basics.

This has moderate steam.

Good Girl Fail by Roni Loren
Contemporary MMF romance with erotica elements.
O’Neal was brought up with very strict grandparents and was on a specific path to a “good” school. When it’s time to go to college, she rebels and decides to follow her heart in pursuit of a journalist degree. The school is the same of her schoolgirl crush and brother of her best friend. Auden is told to protect O’Neal. Saving O’Neal from drunken decisions leads down a path of sexual initiation for her and a fantasy relationship for Auden and Lennox.

Steamy hot and electric as O’Neal, Auden, and Lennox make decisions on their relationships.

🎧 I listened to an audiobook version narrated by Samantha Summers. The performance is breathless with steamy intensity and emotional clarity. The storyline is easy to follow and get lost in as the trio engage in their new friendship and more.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Dreamscape Media.

O’Neal Lory has always lived under the shadow of her “bad girl” mother’s death. Raised by her grandparents she was sheltered and kept away from all temptation. Until she took matters into her own hands and applied to the college she really wanted to attend. Once there she reconnected with her best friend’s brother. Their relationship opened her eyes to a whole new world. One she was drawn to despite her upbringing.

My previous experience with Roni Loren’s books was with the Say Everything series. I enjoyed those and went into this book thinking more of the same. Boy, was I surprised! The writing is still just as good, but the spice is super-HOT 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Loren did a great job of setting up the spicy scenes and the developing relationship in this MMF romance. Samantha Summers did an excellent job of narrating all characters. If you’re looking for some spice in your life I recommend Good Girl Fail by Ronnie Loren.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The orphaned heroine has been sheltered all her life by her grandparents. Instead of attending the school that the grandparents picked, the heroine rebelled and attended the same school as the heroes. The heroine has a crush on one of the heroes, and the chemistry between them became too much not to resist. When said hero ghosted the heroine, the other hero and the heroine learned more about each other in so many ways. As the three began a polyamorous relationship, they must face obstacles that will hold them back from moving forward in their lives.

This Roni Loren standalone erotic romance is a polyamorous relationship between consenting adults that have lots of sexy times and emotional grit. I appreciated that the story is told in the viewpoints from the three main characters of the book because it helps get a better picture of all the participants in the relationship. I also enjoyed reading about the heroine's supportive roommate since she has such a presence in the book. Lastly, I enjoyed the sexy times in this book in all its forms. Overall, an entertaining Roni Loren book.

**Thanks to the author for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in the review are my own.**

This is excellent, primarily because of the joking and snark the two MCs share, but also because the imagery is really well written, as are the side characters. The underlying theme is potent; how do you go on after a school shooting that took classmates' lives? The next book's releasing in June, and I assume there will be two more. I suspect I'll collect the whole set. Roni Loren is an accomplished writer!

4.25 Stars

I truly enjoyed it.
Great characters. Interesting plot.
Hot steamy 'Set You On Fire' sex scenes.
A mystery.
Various crimes.
Suspense.
Well written. A few typos/editing errors scattered throughout the book.
It is set up to flip between the past, titled as 'Then' and the present, titled as 'Now'. I'm not a big fan of flipping past to present, but this is set up well and works with the way the story is told.

Loved it & definitely going to read the next book in the series.

Huge thank you to Hazel for recommending this book to me.
You were right. More than enough Steam to Satisfy me.

So great to see this character have a happily ever after I was rooting for it the whole time. I think it's really interesting how the author is able to explore the same foundational traumatic event through the eyes of each character shining a little different light on each part. I think it's also really interesting to explore how two people can be present and really taken different things and remember and at the same event very differently.

I normally don't like starting in the middle of a series but this is a fun place to start. I like the characters in the setup and the backstory definitely makes me want to go and read the first two books so I can find out how the other couples who are supporting characters here meet and star in their own stories.

3.5/5 stars!

At the start of the book, the heroine is commiserating about her late parents and how she didn't want to celebrate Christmas. The heroine doesn't want to focus on her lonely existence during the holiday, so she goes to her workplace and encounters the hero, who is busy at his computer. The two makes a bet about being off social media for six months, the two began to get closer. And as their relationship changes, how will they cope with their new feelings and facing their pasts that doesn't stay hidden?

This is the last book in the SAY EVERYTHING series. I appreciate the focus about mental health issues that the main characters are dealing with, even though some outcomes deserved more details for better outcomes in my eyes. I liked the strong friendship circle that encompassed the whole series and how in this book these particular friends were there for the heroine. The story tackled some heavy topics that they earned more details within the story in my eyes. And I liked that the story has an epilogue. Overall, it's a nice ending to this Roni Loren series.

**Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in the review are my own.**½

For You & No One Else by Roni Loren
3rd in the Say Anything series. Contemporary romance. Can be read as a stand-alone.
Eliza and Beck are neighbors in a rent-an-office building. She has a private practice as a psychologist and does social media posts encouraging healthy living habits. Beck is an internet security expert and refuses any personal social media. Their attraction grows as they get to know each other even though their goals are conflicting.

Fun romance with typical dating fails and very real personal issues as Beck and Eliza grow closer. I totally understood each stance on social media and it was interesting how they worked together to get over the hurtles.

🎧 I listened to an audiobook version narrated by Desiree Ketchum. I found the performance engaging and flirty. There were distinct voices for two main characters. I listened to this at 1.3 which is my preferred speed for conversational comfort.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and Dreamscape Media

For You & No One Else is the third book in the Say Everything series by Roni Loren. I read the first two books in this series and enjoyed them. I was excited to receive an ARC of this book and am giving my unbiased opinion in the following review.

Beckham and Eliza have offices next to each other. He works in cyber security, and she is a therapist. When neither of them has anyone to spend Christmas with, they end up together even though they had never really spent any time together before. They just seem to click. When Eliza is the subject of a viral "worst date ever" video, she seeks help from Beckham. He convinces her to "go analog" and give up the internet as a way to find dates. They continue to hit it off and one thing leads to another, and they become friends with benefits. Can Beckham give up his ban on love and relationships? Should Eliza give up on her dream of marriage and children? What is Beckham hiding about his past that has caused him to be the way he is? There is definitely more to both of their stories, and I love how the author doesn't shy away from tough subjects and feelings. That being said, the first half of the book moved very slow for me. I liked how the story started and then it really dragged until just after the halfway point. From that point on, I was really interested in the story again. I wish the author would have revealed more earlier on and given us more insight into Beck's character instead of waiting so long. It made the last part of the book seem way too rushed. Overall, it is still a 4-star read for me and I look forward to what this author comes up with next. You do not need to read the first two books in the series to read this one. It will stand alone.

My sincere thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book and give my opinion of it.

Review to come when I have completed the entire series. These books follow survivors of a school shooting.

This is not really a stand-alone romance, I recommend reading the first book in this series before The One You Can't Forget. Roni Loren is proving to be an author I truly enjoy. I plan to do a more complete review of this book and the others in the series when I complete the entire series.

What If You & Me was a great romantic read. Hill and Andi are two broken people who were perfect for each other. Hill was amazing and one of the more swoon worthy characters I've read in a while.

This romance was unique in that it featured a character with Tourette's. I had not read a romance with this chronic condition before. I thought it was well represented and thoughtfully written. Hollyn's shyness stemmed from her experiences, but she also had spunk and courage when given the encouragement and tools to step out of her comfort zone. She meets Jasper when he starts working as a barista at her workplace. He has his own issues to face and he and Hollyn mesh well together. Their romance is kind of quick in my opinion, but they do share honestly with each other pretty much from the get go. I could have done with less steam and actually skimmed over a lot of those parts.

Hollyn Tate has spent her career hiding her social anxiety and Tourette's by becoming Miz Poppy, who writes a snarky online column on New Orleans night life. After making a pact with her therapist and her best friend, Cal, who is also living with Tourette's, Hollyn rents an office in a building that houses other writers, video producers, and podcasters. When Jasper Deares, struggling improv actor, takes a job as barista in Hollyn's building, Hollyn asks him to help her manage her anxiety so that she can keep her job, which now depends on being able to do video segments. What follows are some hilarious antics that lead to more than either Hollyn or Jasper ever dreamed of.

Yes & I Love You has strong representation of people not only living, but thriving with Tourette's Syndrome. A vivid description as well as overcoming the stigma involved seems (from my limited knowledge of Tourette's) realistically portrayed in this book. Another strength of this book is that each main and supporting character has some quirk or unique personality trait, giving them a great deal of depth and authenticity. My only complaint with this story is that it may be just a little too long. Overall though, Yes & I Love You is a good coming-out-of-your-shell story that presents the idea of valuing the differences in ourselves and others.

Another good story in the Loving on the Edge series. The two main characters have baggage and history together which makes their relationship more believable, but the fact that they don't remember each other when they cross paths as adults is a little hard to swallow. Also there is an arson fire that burns down a restaurant which leads the reader to believe it is an important plot point, but it is glossed over as an old girlfriend and is never really addressed. Otherwise, the story is very good. As always with Roni Loren, the BDSM elements are handled tastefully but with an intensity that is hard to ignore.

I loved this book. By the middle of the book, I was actually getting excited flutters in my stomach based on the direction it was taking. Sometimes in menage books, the romance between two men takes a back seat to the romance between a woman and the men. This time, though, the men get their fair share of time in this story. My only complaint with the book is that the ending felt a little flat and was a bit of a let down. Otherwise this book is excellent and worth the read.

This was a good story from beginning to end. Charli, the female lead, was completely uninitiated to the world of BDSM. Grant who runs "The Ranch" introduces Charli to his world. She seems like the last person to ever want Grant's lifestyle, but learns that inner strength is a necessary part of that world. It is an interesting love story with a little suspense thrown in to complete the story. This is the third book I've read in Roni Loren's series with "The Ranch" as the center. Each one has had two characters trying to learn how to live with both grief and love. So far each story has been successful.