Jessie Evans

Leather and Lace is my first Lili Valente book and I was pleasantly surprised by such entertaining and witty characters with a never-ending depth of emotion. Between the tragic past that haunts both Mia and Sawyer, they come together just for a bit of fun, only to realize that what they feel for one another goes beyond their physical attraction. This steamy story unfolds in a natural and easy-to-read way that made it extremely difficult to put down.

If you are looking for a fast, romantic, steamy, and enjoyable HEA, this book is for you!… (mere)

I immediately liked these characters and the setting the author created. The emotions were extremely well written, flowing seamlessly through highs and lows. The town of Summerville was a cozy, friendly little place that I'll read more about in the future. It was a good book, but it could've been a GREAT book. The reconciliations and ending felt rushed to me. The tension at the end was so vivid and rich that it was a hard stretch to go from such darkness of the soul to sunshine and rainbows. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it, but there could've been so much "more" by adding to the reality and showing us that rebuilding trust takes more than one day. She did this earlier in the book with Jake's struggles with trust, but we don't see that transition at the end. That's the only reason I rated this three stars instead of four.

… (mere)

I struggled to connect with these characters and found myself skimming over portions of dialogue that felt tedious. Mason and Lark seemed to lack...something. I'm not sure what, but I was far more intrigued with Aria and her brief meeting with Nash. I didn't read anything that really made me care for these people. The story was hyperfocused on Mason's departure (and Lark's distrust), but we didn't SEE what sent him running. We were told, but it came across as "this happened" instead of feeling his insecurities, anxiety, etc.

Melting With You was better (much, much better with great emotion), but I'm torn with continuing the series. I do see potential, but I would hate to spend $5 on a book with less than 150 pages, especially if the story is as flat as this one.… (mere)

It's hard for me to write reviews on books like this. It was well written and the characters were likable, but it was missing that extra something that really made it special. The plot was a bit cliche and the resolution was rushed. I have yet to understand why an entire chapter was written about Maddie's lacking love life, right in the middle of the book, when the story clearly focused on Matt and Faith. It felt completely out of place and interrupted the flow. We don't get a resolution to Maddie's "problem" in this book either.

It's not horrible so if you are looking for a short contemporary, this one is for you. Don't expect any firefighting though. Faith carries the label, but we don't see her in action. I'm afraid I'll have to pass on the rest of this series.… (mere)