Romance Roundup: October Edition
Welcome to “Romance Roundup”where I share mini reviews of 3-4 romance novels that I’ve read recently. This month’s edition includes stories about an alien pop star, a pirate on the high seas, and story set regency times.
“Unmasked Heart” (Challenge of the Soul #1) by Vanessa Riley (2015)
Synopsis: Shy, nearsighted caregiver, Gaia Telfair always wondered why her father treated her a little differently from her siblings, but she never guessed she couldn’t claim his love because of a family secret, her illicit birth. With everything she knows to be true evaporating before her spectacles, can the mulatto passing for white survive being exposed and shunned by a powerful duke who has taken an interest in her?
Ex-warrior, William St. Landon, the Duke of Cheshire, will do anything to protect his mute daughter from his late wife’s scandals. With a blackmailer at large, hiding in a small village near the cliffs of Devonshire seems the best option, particularly since he can gain help from the talented Miss Telfair, who has the ability to help children speak. If only he could do a better job at shielding his heart from the young lady, whose honest hazel eyes see through his jests as her tender lips challenge his desire to remain a single man. (description from Goodreads)
Review: Usually I don’t have much of an interest in Regency Romance but this one caught my eye because it has a Woc lead.I felt horrible that Gaia, she has the biggest heart, always felt like she was always lesser than due to her skin color and the way her father treats her. She does so much for others, but receives little from the people that surround her.
In this book, romance heals some wounds in this book, but I appreciated that it’s Gaia’s self-realization that pushes her to love herself and who she is. As for the romance aspect, I loved the witty banter between Gaia and William and their romance development was smooth. They were a good match for each other since they were so caring towards each other
I’m going to check out more regency romance from Riley!
Final Verdict:
“Dating an Alien Pop Star” by Kendra L. Saunders (2016)
Synopsis: Daisy Kirkwood has only just escaped her small-town life and run away to New York City, the land of last-minute secret gigs at famous musical venues, when she’s kidnapped by aliens. Unfortunately, no one ever writes about how to handle alien abduction in those fancy NYC guidebooks.
Griffin and Dev are supermassively sexy aliens from a politically and environmentally troubled planet who arrive on Earth with very little knowledge about human ways other than what they learned from a wayward E! News signal. Their mission is to pretend to be the most influential people on the planet—English pop stars, of course!—and gain the help of a powerful secret society. Upon arriving, they abduct Daisy Kirkwood, a nerdy young woman who loves music but could seriously use a bit of help in the love-life department. Though Griffin and Daisy initially squabble, neither can deny the intergalactic sparks whenever they’re too close to each other. Together, they must face murderous aliens, cultural misunderstandings, bad backup musicians, and the dark side of fame and the media, all set against a tight deadline…(description from Goodreads)
Review: I was looking for a light-hearted, fun romance when this book caught my eye with its galactic cover design and unique title. Dating an Alien Pop Star tells the story of daisy who lives in the Big Apple and wants to break into the music industry. She meets two aliens from another planet who desire to be pop stars and the crazy antics begin.
This story is humorous and very goofy. It’s so “out of this world” and it’s not meant to be taken too seriously, which is why I liked the story so much. Though Griffin and Daisy butt heads at first, the sparks fly between the two once they realize each other’s deep passion for music and I like how their relationship transitions from friendship to love. Really at the end of the day, they’re just big music geeks!
The most humorous part of the book was the crazy antics from Griffin and his over the top star personality. I definitely am interested in reading the rest of series.
Final Verdict:
“Capturing The Captain (American Pirate Romances #1)” by C.K. Brooke (2016)
Synopsis: In 1720, it’s a pirate’s life for Abigail Clear, daughter of a notorious colonial pirate captain…
But when a rival crew invades Abigail’s ship, she is taken prisoner. Now aboard the enemy vessel, she must contend with its formidable captain. But who is the real captive?
Locked away in the belly of The Indomitable is no place for a woman…
Captain James Morrow is more than displeased to discover his sole captive to be none other than an untamable young lass who will earn him no bounty. Yet if he can soften the little rogue, she just might switch her loyalties to him, and reveal the whereabouts of the infamous thief who sired her—and his stolen treasure. But two can play that game, as Abi is equally inclined to charm the dogged sailor off her father’s tail.
Might she and Captain Morrow run the risk of falling for their own charades?
They dance about their disguises as genuine developing emotions clash against deeper motives, and suspicion runs high. When the captain finally steals a first kiss, Abi decides it’s high time to make her escape—fleeing not only his vessel, but her fondness for the man who intends to see her father hang.
The high seas heat up as Captain Morrow’s quest to recapture Abi is halted by her pirate father, Captain Clear. Will James succeed in pursuit of his captive love, or will his desires conspire to make him a captive himself? (description from Goodreads)
Review: Knowing how much I enjoy adventures on the high seas, I couldn’t resist reading this pirate romance. It had action packed swashbuckling fights, scenic views of the ocean, and sweet tender romance moments. The combination of all these elements added to the entertainment factor and there wasn’t a dull moment. The writing was very descriptive and it pulls the reader into the story with all the historical events, speech, clothing described in the book.
While it’s a romance novel, it also has a coming of age story since Abi has been sheltered all her life despite her adventurous upbringing. Abi is a fierce pirate and even though she gets captured, she holds her own Through the journey on Captain Morrow’s ship she learns to be more independent and seek knowledge from the world around here.
I’m excited to read the rest of this series!
Final Verdict:
What romance novels have you read lately? Share your thoughts in the comment section below. If you have any recommendations feel free (particularly #ownvoices novels) to share those as well. 🙂
