Josh and Hazel’s Guide To Not Dating by Christina Lauren

Books like JOSH AND HAZEL’S GUIDE TO NOT DATING are the breath of fresh air in the romance genre that I need to read when I can get ahold of them. I am a sucker for the “crazy”, lovable heroine and the straight man guy that is endeared rather than embarrassed by her uniqueness. It’s an entertaining friends to lovers with the right amount of humor and spice.

The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren

A two week destination wedding on a private island off Singapore is the setting for THE PARADISE PROBLEM.

This is entertaining on several levels. I was as invested in Ray’s effect on his family as I was in Liam and Anna’s romance, for example. There are more significant characters than usual, but they each are memorable for their character traits. Enjoyed it.

The Exception To The Rule by Christina Lauren

I liked the premise of the story - anonymously exchanging emails on Valentine’s Day for years, then wanting to meet, but the actual relationship fell flat for me.

Something Wilder by Christina Lauren

I grew up reading books that were sold as westerns but were also romances.  SOMETHING WILDER took what I loved about the beauty, isolation and ruggedness of the old west and made it into an adventure with two people still pining for their first love a decade after circumstances pulled them apart.

I was thoroughly immersed in the adventure.  Anyone with a taste for the old west knows about the Hole-In-The-Wall gang, Butch and Sundance and the Robber’s Roost.  The authors crafted this story with action, suspense and some really clever surprises along the way.

The separation and reunion 10 years later of Lily and Leo is the stuff those of us that love seeing the pain of their separation lift while they struggle with “can this last?”.  Leo and Lily did not disappoint us.

So combine this with funny moments, excellent writing and memorable secondary characters, SOMETHING WILDER is a book I couldn’t put down and was sad it was over when I was done.

Love And Other Words by Christina Lauren

I kept putting off reading this book for no real reason, but I am glad I finally settled in to read LOVE AND OTHERS WORDS.

A book is going to find people that read it in different places.  At the end of the book, Christina Lauren writes about her personal connection to some of the events in the story and how they added to her creation of Elliott and Macy.  The book had a personal connection for me, too, in that I shared some of Macy’s formative experiences with her - such that the waterworks first appear before being 20% into the book.

It’s an emotional book with the slow building of an epic romance and it’s tragic derailment.  We are taken back and forth between the past and present to bit by bit, uncover how these two could have gone wrong.  It brings a different kind of tension to the story.  The present has Macy and Elliott facing the the aftermath of their heartache.  The past has the tension of the reader knowing that something bad is going to happen to something so good.

There is so much to love and identify with in this novel.  Block off some time to read it because you won’t be able to find a way to leave it unfinished.

The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren

 It isn’t very often I read a book that hits so many high notes for me.  I literally tingled reading River and Jess’s story.  I also laughed, sighed and got a little misty at times.

The romance is captivating.  It is a book about important family and friend relationships; who you can trust and who you can count on.  The writing is such that you feel the intimacy of the connections - between River and Jess, Jess and her best friend Fizzy, mothers and daughters, and grandfather and granddaughter.

Read it.

My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren

So this book is funny, romantic, angsty and has a great group of friends as the characters.  I loved Millie even though she wouldn’t listen to my internal ramblings of advice to “not do it!”  I loved Reid as serious book boyfriend material.  He was such a good friend, son and person.

The reason I read this book is because I am currently into internet romances, texting romances, and (like this one) dating app romances.  I like the veil of anonymity that lets the right people be more open.  Of course, it often spells disaster is some way, but the books would be short if things worked out well.

I really enjoyed the story and hope there are more about Chris, Alex and Ed.

Beautiful Boss by Christina Lauren

The novella opens with Will and Hanna’s wedding.  The start to their married life revolves es around where Hanna ends up as a researcher/college professor.  As a big fan of all the characters in the series, I think I end up being the one most concerned that they may end up too far away from Max and Sara, Bennett and Chloe, Jensen, and even George.  It wouldn’t hurt to note that George gets a really special thrill in this novella, by the way.

I like being able to revisit the couple after the end of their story in Beautiful Player, but I won’t ever be satisfied, I think, that these fictional characters have come to the end of their story.  Read this one so you can stay with them as long as possible.

Beautiful Player by Christina Lauren

Bennett, Max, Niall and now Will.  Each leaves the reader breathless in a different way making this series so addictive.  Will, the BEAUTIFUL PLAYER was really unexpected from what we knew of him from Max’s  story.  Watching him lose his heart to the lively, vivacious, intelligent an unfiltered Hanna was a real treat.

The premise that Will would be asked by his best friend Jensen to get his little sister out more, teacher the work/life balance and guide her into the dating world in New York was one designed for trouble.  Who more than Jensen knew what a player Will was.  Will had girls lined up for different nights of the week - no strings attached.  Jensen certainly didn’t see his little sister the way Will did.

I loved that the banter between Will and Hanna was fresh, funny and evolved as they got more wrapped up In one another.  The conflict that arose between them was heartbreaking, but what actually made me cry in this book was a meet up between Bennett, Max and Will, each needing to have someone to listen to them as they did for each other

I was sorry to see this book end.  It was really wonderful to read.

Beautiful Secret by Christina Lauren

In Beautiful Stranger, we met the charming, heartstopping playboy Max.  In BEAUTIFUL SECRET, Max’s younger brother Niall finds himself traveling to the US with an intern in his company.  Ruby has long had a rush on the reserved, all business Niall and that likely would never have changed had he not taken notice of her.

So much of this story is a sizzling hot dance between a man who believed in taking things slow after being with just one woman most of his life.  Ruby was the bright colorful light he needed in his life.  The most intimate scene in the story is one where neither of them even touch one another, yet it still leaves one breathless.

In BEAUTIFUL SECRET, Niall questions if he ever understood what love was before meeting Ruby. As is often the case, once they each realize the depth of their feelings, something happens to drive a wedge between the couple.  The events that drove them down this path was written so well I felt the anguish, longing and helplessness that arose when circumstances arose from too many sources and any attempts to fix things just didn’t seem to be enough.

Be prepared to laugh and cry a little reading this intense, passionate love story.  I loved this book and love the whole series.

Beautiful Stranger by Christina Lauren

Not many romances literally make melt, but BEAUTIFUL STRANGER is intense, captivating, naughty and did I say naughty?  Max is just wow.  How could a guy be more perfect than the way he was with Sara?  

I loved the writing in this book.  Every passionate scene was worth every word on the page and left you wanting more.  I am disappointed that I can’t read it again with the advantage of the delicious anticipation from reading it the first time.  If you like hot romances with a mutually titillating discovery, you will love this book.

Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren

For those of you that love the dynamic of the demanding, rude boss and the uber competent assistant, this book is right up your alley.

We love these alphas that seem to lose all semblance of controlled behavior when they become smitten with the woman they can’t do without in the office.  They are so driven in everything that they fall faster and harder then beat themselves up over their weakness.

In this story, Chloe is an intern that is irreplaceable yet   Bennett is forever being short with her or making critical comments over mundane things like penmanship, but the trust and responsibility he gives her shows his respect and acknowledgement of her skill.  She doesn’t hesitate to call him out on his rudeness.  

Then one day, he touches her intimately and she doesn’t stop him.  They both keep vowing it will never happen again, but it does.  When things inevitably go south because of the boundary issues, both of our characters punish themselves and each other until they wise up.

This is the first book I read in this series and I was happy with it and will read others that appeal to me as well.