Until April by Aurora Rose Reynolds

They shared a simple kiss together years ago. Now, they’re about to share the BOOM. 

What’s it About? 

With happily ever after being something that happens to other people, April Mayson has decided to put all her energy into her career and living her best life, and things are better than ever.

Little does she know that her world is about to be turned upside down when she’s asked to help out a family friend, Maxim Kauwe.

Now, she’s dealing with a man unlike any she’s ever met before, her ex—a famous musician who’s decided he wants her back—and a possible serial killer.

With all the drama suddenly swirling around her, she will have to figure out if she is brave enough to trust Maxim with her heart and maybe even her life.

First Impressions

This series is all about the insta-love boom that brings our two lead characters together in a burst of sexual energy. If you’re not a huge fan of this Romancelandia trope, well…you’re gonna have to get used to it when it comes to the Mayson family. I’ll admit I oftentimes prefer a slow burn, but there’s something about this series that makes you appreciate the boom as a kind of inherited familial trait that is bound to appear when one’s true love is in the vicinity. Unfortunately, I have to say this might be the first novel in the entire series where the boom kind of fell flat for me. Things start off rather innocently enough with some flirtatious texting between these two old acquaintances who haven’t thought about each other in years. They meet for a dinner to discuss some properties that April has lined up for Maxim to view seeing as he’s moving to town. And here it is, the transformational moment when they’ll set their sights on each other! And it’s…sort of described as a slight tingle rather than the boom we’re used to. 

Things seem to be going along fine enough between them during what can best be described as an unconventional business dinner. Next thing ya know they’re going back to his hotel and ripping each other’s clothes off. Don’t get me wrong, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with some grinding on the sofa on the first “date”, but even I remember having to rewind my audiobook by a few seconds to see if I missed any kind of natural escalation which would have logically brought us to this point. It just wasn’t there. Next thing ya know Maxim has made a copy of April’s house key for his own personal use (unbeknownst to her), and they’re essentially living with each other by day two. Their subsequent sex scenes are definitely heated and passionate, but there was something about their connection that didn’t feel as authentic to me as many of the previous relationships we’ve come across in this series. Perhaps it’s because we never really got to see them “woo” each other, or maybe it can be attributed to the fact we only get a lackluster description of the boom from April’s point of view and avoid a parallel account from Maxim in the immediate aftermath. No matter what it was, I struggled to become fully invested in their love story. 

Annoying Ex and an Unknown Killer 

The boom wasn’t the only thing that felt off with this read. As with any installment in this series, our tale of romance is always interrupted by some kind of external drama. It might be intermingled throughout the entirety of the tale, or it might be reserved for an explosive final climactic moment at the end, but it’s always there. The drama in this novel…couldn’t really decide what it wanted to be. There are two distinct dramatic features to this story. One involves April’s ex-boyfriend who has become a top-of-the-charts rock star, releasing a hit song all about how much he still longs for and wishes he could win her back. As you can imagine, Maxim isn’t too pleased with this one. The second involves an unknown killer who is leaving beautiful real estate agents stripped naked and stabbed to death in homes that are for sale. Now, if you ask me, one of these is significantly more critical than the other, and let’s just say it’s not the one with the guy who can’t take a hint and move on already. However, the oblivious ex is the story line that gets most of our attention. We see it snowball when some psychotic fans insist on taking out their anger on April for refusing to take back the crooning dreamboat. 

Throughout it all though you can’t help but think, “hey, there’s something else going on here that you all should probably be paying attention to!!” Maxim ultimately goes super alpha on April’s ex to officially mark his territory, so when that problem goes away we’re just waiting for the inevitable big moment of discovery when we reveal not only who the killer is, but what could possibly be their motive. Is it another fan of April’s ex trying to take her out? Perhaps it’s the ex himself releasing some pent-up anger. Maybe an enemy of Maxim from his former Vegas life, or someone close to April that we thought was a friend? Turns out…not even close. The killer is someone we’ve never been introduced to before, and their motive has absolutely nothing to do with our main characters in any way, shape or form. It’s literally just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and we get some disturbingly dark details in regards to the final murder. All in all, it felt like a totally unnecessary story line, especially when we consider the fact that the drama with April’s ex escalated to a pretty intense moment which could have been a final climax all its own. 

Series: Until Him/Her, book 10. For the most part, every book in this series can be read as a stand-alone. That being said, apparently this installment includes a few characters in a cross-over series, Underground Kings. I had absolutely no idea about this little detail, so I found it odd when there was obviously information being unsaid when we’re introduced to Maxim’s parents. Here I thought there was some kind of nefarious subplot going on which would potentially relate back to the murder spree, but nope! Just supposed to be a fun inclusion of more characters.  

Would I befriend the heroine? No idea. I feel like we don’t really get to know much about April, other than the fact she loves Maxim and is a real estate agent. She does adopt an adorable kitty though, so maybe I’d befriend her just so I could play with the cat. 

Would I date the hero? His uber alpha-ness would be way too intimidating in real-life, so no. 

Final Impressions: Normally I’m a sucker for this series, but I must say this tenth novel was kind of a miss for me. It’s not bad, it’s just kind of…there. I was never fully invested in the bond between Maxim and April, and I wanted more from their boom. As far as the drama, there were one too many story lines going on. The fact the killer plot point had no direct correlation to Maxim or April made it feel like it should have been the one to go. 

Smut Level: I may not have been thrilled by Maxim and April’s chemistry outside of the bedroom, but their ability to carry out a graphic sex scene was top notch. 

Get it on Amazon: Click Here. $4.99 Kindle Price. 245 Pages. 

Until Talon by Aurora Rose Reynolds

It’s inevitable that every Mayson child will find their BOOM. When Talon finds his, he walks a fine line between wanting to spend every waking moment with Mia, but also not scaring her away. Are they both up for the challenge?

What’s it About? 

When Mia Allenton’s sister calls, asking her for help after finding out her husband cheated, Mia packs up her life in Montana and moves to Tennessee to be there for her and her three girls. As Mia begins to settle in, a tornado comes through, bringing along with it Talon Mayson, a man determined to prove to her that good men do exist.

Talon knows he’s got his work cut out for him when it comes to earning Mia’s trust, but slowly her walls start to crumble, and they begin to build something beautiful. Unfortunately, someone from Talon’s past isn’t happy about him being back in Tennessee, and they’re willing to do anything to prevent him from ever being happy.

Is the Boom between Talon and Mia strong enough to weather the storm that’s coming?

First Impressions

There are three primary features to any novel in the Until series. First, we’re always dealing with a case of BOOM insta-love. As someone who isn’t always a huge fan of this trope, this series somehow succeeds in presenting it in a way that intrigues me. Every Mayson experiences “the boom”. Two, alpha man. All of the men in this series love their women, and they will do anything it takes to protect them. Three, we usually see a bit of over-the-top drama which plays second fiddle to the romance of the story, but it’s present nonetheless. This is the ninth book in the Until Her/Him series, and technically the thirteenth book when you combine it with the original Until series featuring the parents of our new generation of Maysons. By this point, you know what to expect, and there are very few surprises to the overall arch of the plot. Nevertheless, Talon’s tale of romance pulled me in more than some of the recent installments, and while not as electric as the original series, I almost felt transported to the glory days of those first stories. Yes, Talon is an alpha male who knows immediately upon first glance of Mia that she represents the boom phenomena the men in this family have been warning him about for years. What I particularly loved about this story though, was that we see how Talon was just as much of a boom for Mia as she was for him.

While Talon runs towards that link pulling them together, Mia initially wants to push away from it. All her life she’s only known men who have abandoned her or her loved ones, and she’s not ready to open herself up to that kind of hurt again. And yet, the more Talon tries to spend time with her, the more she realizes he’s unlike any other man who has come before. Her life is better when he’s around, and even though her head is telling her things might be moving too fast, her heart can recognize that the difference in him is something worth holding onto. Previous men in this series have sometimes straddled the line of appropriateness in how far they’ll go to win over their boom. When it comes to Talon, he is straightforward in relaying to Mia that he wants forever with her, but he actually does a pretty good job of letting her move their relationship along at her own pace. I think it hearkens back to the fact that Talon was also Mia’s boom, and he could see that simultaneous realization within her, even if she tried to suppress it afterwards. By allowing her to set the pace of their relationship, which was admittedly fast (though perhaps not fast enough for him), he was confident that they would ultimately end up together. Only by pushing her to move quicker could he inevitably push her away. The fact he was able to take a step back to support her as they explored this new relationship highlighted a level of restraint not common for Mayson men!  

A Sprinkle of Drama

As with any Until novel, there is always a side-story weaving in and out of the background which our main characters will have to interact with whenever they manage to put some clothes on and make their way outside of the bedroom. Surprisingly, the secondary story in this novel managed to push its way through the romance of Talon and Mia from time to time to capture our primary attention. This story involved Mia’s sister, Cece, who is trying to find her footing with her three daughters following an unexpected split from her cheating husband. As if the complicated family dynamics weren’t intriguing enough, there’s a hidden sprouting romance between Cece and her boss which also comes into the picture. This entire side-story was fascinating, and I’m not gonna lie there were times when I was hoping that Mia and Talon would just go off and snuggle for a few days so we could see more of Cece standing up to her douche of an ex, putting the happiness of their children first, and figuring out what the heck was really going on with her hunk of a boss. 

This is also where we see a sprinkle of drama come into play, and while some other readers will claim that the dramatic climax was over-the-top, I must say it felt pretty tame in comparison to some of the stuff we’ve seen presented in previous novels. Although certain aspects of Cece’s story find a resolution, things are far from being tied up all neat and pretty with a big red bow by the end of the novel. It leaves you craving a follow-up where Cece can finally find the happily ever after she and her daughters deserve. Considering how open-ended things were left at the conclusion of this book, it seems like the most logical next step to have Cece as the lead of her own story. And yet…I can’t help but wonder if we’ll ever see that come to fruition. After all, she’s not a Mayson, and the boss she’s fallen for isn’t a Mayson either, so it would be unheard of to have an Until romance featuring two non-Maysons as the lead characters. I’ll just have to keep my fingers crossed that we’ll get a novella somewhere along the way, or hear tell of Cece and her boss in the background of a future book. 

Series: Until Him/Her, book 9. I love that you know what you’re getting when you pick up any book in this series, and each one is an ideal beach read. Technically you can probably understand the flow of this story as a stand-alone, but it’s still fun to read in order so you can see the Mayson family continue to grow from one book to the next. 

Would I befriend the heroine? Maybe. I have a feeling most of her time would be spent with her sister and nieces, as well as with Talon. Nothing wrong with that at all, but something tells me I would be too exhausting of a friend for her. 

Would I date the hero? The fact he chose to foster a cat and her 5 kittens makes me desperate to say yes. However, the alpha side to his personality would probably intimidate me.  

Final Impressions: The earlier books might be better, but I felt this installment did a good job of breaking through the monotony of some of the more recent reads. Talon is probably one of the less intimidating of Mayson men we’ve come across, and Mia is as selfless as they come. As a couple they were meant for each other. I do wish we had seen more of a resolution to Cece’s story, and the drama of the story was on the lighter side. We’d get a brief mention here and there of intrigue, and then everything came together in a quick description of events which took place “off the page”. We don’t really see it play out firsthand, but rather the details are relayed to us after the fact. Spreading the drama out more fully across the entirety of the book would have been an exciting ride. 

Smut Level: We’ve got steam here folks. After running out of condoms following their first sexploration, Talon quickly stocks up on about 8 boxes of them. And seriously, we see them go through a decent number of that stock-pile.  

Get it on Amazon: Click Here. $4.99 Kindle Price. 243 Pages. 

Until December by Aurora Rose Reynolds

Gareth Black is the package deal. He’s caring, has a smokin’ body, two sons, and an ex with a nasty temper. December has to decide if she’s going to run from it all, or jump in with her whole heart. 

What’s it About? 

Gareth Black is drawn to December Mayson the moment he spots her across the room at her cousin’s wedding. When he approaches the beautiful woman, she captivates him with her shyness and wit, making him crave her.

With a pull so strong it’s impossible to ignore, December knows there’s something between her and Gareth. She just hopes they’re capable of jumping the hurdles ahead of them.

Two boys, an ex, a surprise that will change everything, and a disgruntled co-worker, guarantee these two will have their work cut out for them if they are going to find their happily ever after.

Quick Review

Of all the books in this series so far, this might be the most angst-less of the bunch. If you’re looking for a break from all the drama and kidnappings the Mayson family has presented us with throughout the years, then this just might be the lighter read you’ve been waiting for. Gareth and December catch eyes at each other across the room at a wedding, and while we’re all familiar with the BOOM that draws any member of the Mayson clan to the love of their life, I would say we’re privy to more of a sizzle than the resounding shockwave we’re used to by now. And that’s how I would probably categorize this read as a whole, it’s more of a low simmer from start to finish rather than having any huge bouts of conflict that threaten to tear our lovebirds apart. There is one minor miscommunication that throws a bump to them getting out of the gate at the start when December believes her sister April saw Gareth first, and her “dibs” means he’s off limits. Once that matter is cleared up though, it doesn’t take long at all before this soft-spoken first-grade teacher is going home with her sexy tattoo artist/mechanic, and they don’t encounter any other major foibles along the way.

While every book in this series (and the corresponding Until series) have focused on a lead couple, the developing romance between December and Gareth plays second fiddle to the frontrunning storyline in this read, which highlights the evolving dynamics of a single parent and his children bringing a potential new partner into their bubble. This was the true heart of the story. December slowly starts to mesh into their world, and considering his boys have only known their birth-mother Beth to come and go at every turn, December represents a loving and supportive constant that they need. This is one area of the read where we see some natural complications arise, as Gareth’s mother must also acclimate to another woman coming onto the scene to share the love and attention of her grandsons, while the interactions with Beth are far more hostile in nature. Again, none of this threatens to scare December off, and we not only see her stand up to Beth to claim a place in the boys’ lives, but they too confront their mother about how important December is to them and their father. It’s a beautiful story of building a family, and I would say it rightfully overshadows the romance between our two lead characters. 

Series: Until Him/Her, book 8. Bring on the next one please!

Final Impressions: This book has a lot of emotional heart to it, but rather than being affiliated with the love story of December and Gareth, it instead is linked with the love story evolving as a family. We see what can only be described as a natural progression of this single parent family accepting an outsider into their midst, and while they start out on shaky legs of quiet acceptance, they all start to demonstrate through their actions and words how important they’ve all come to be in each other’s lives. Even the presence of Beth provided us with a window into the complexities of an absentee parent household, and the sad transition which comes upon the children realizing that while a part of them will always love their mother, she doesn’t represent the emotional foothold they need in their lives. The development of this family-building storyline was dang near perfect. The only element that I didn’t feel was necessary was the drama surrounding a disgruntled co-worker at December’s school. It certainly deals with an important issue in society, but it was a potentially triggering plot point that didn’t really evolve the story of December and Gareth’s family in any meaningful way that wasn’t already touched upon by other events. 

Smut Level: From working two jobs as a tattoo artist and mechanic, to dealing with rambunctious first-graders all day long, Gareth and December certainly have their work cut out for them. But rest assured, as soon as they get some alone time from his boys, they have all the energy in the world to rock it all night long. Multiple times. 

Get it on Amazon: Click Here. $4.99 Kindle Price. 247 Pages. 

Until Cobi by Aurora Rose Reynolds

He almost lost her before he even knew her. Now that Cobi has experienced his BOOM, he has no intention of wasting one more second to bring Hadley into his life. 

What’s it About? 

Cobi Mayson knows exactly who Hadley is to him the moment he sees her for the very first time. That doesn’t mean it will be easy for him to convince her to take a chance on him.

Hadley Emerson knows she could fall hard and fast for a guy like Cobi. A man who seems to show up every time she needs him, but she knows better than to just hand over her heart.

Knowing his future with Hadley is on the line, Cobi begins to tie their lives together. As the invisible rope that connects them tightens and things between them heat up, an unknown threat emerges threatening to take away their happily ever after and send them both into darkness.

First Impressions

Another fabulous addition to the Until family series that will make you wish for an insta-love BOOM moment of your very own. Consider yourself warned, if you’re not typically a fan of love at first sight, that is literally the hallmark feature which binds this entire series together. A Mayson family trait that can’t be escaped, ignored, or lessened. And Cobi Mayson is a most glorious example of an alpha male who doesn’t try to avoid that BOOM, he dives in with everything he has, and everything he wants is Hadley Emerson. This is an interesting addition to the Until Him/Her series in that it picks up immediately where the previous novel, Until Harmony, left off in a climactic shoot-out that left Hadley wounded in the hospital following her brave rescue of Cobi’s cousin. I’ve always suggested reading this series in order for the mere pleasure of not wanting to miss out on anything it has to offer, but for this seventh book especially I’d say it’s quite important to read the previous novel beforehand so as to fully understand the events which brought our two love birds together. As you can expect from this author by now, what follows is a delightfully steamy, yet also emotional tale of insta-romance between a male and female lead you love to love. 

The Impact of Trauma

While Cobi and Hadley’s romance was another fabulous addition to what has quickly become one of my favorite go-to series, there were a few areas that could have been tweaked to make this a truly stellar read. Firstly, Hadley’s troubled relationship with her lawbreaking parents is brought up a few times throughout the book, but their presence isn’t incorporated as fully as it should have been to make them feel like a critical component to the plot. Instead they came across as an annoyance that would come back at inopportune times, and even then we wouldn’t see a clear resolution to the blips their appearance would cause. Honestly, I don’t think they would have been missed if they’d been removed completely from the story. 

More importantly though, Until Cobi presents us with an intriguing, yet ultimately incomplete exploration of the aftermath of trauma. At the start of the novel we see how Hadley is struggling to cope following the horrific events of the previous book, wherein she was almost killed alongside Harmony at the hands of a mad-man. She feels the need to keep every light on in her house, has trouble falling asleep, and is often pulled out of sleep due to terrifying nightmares. We see Cobi, as well as Hadley’s closest friends, gather together to provide her support, and they convince her to seek help from a professional. We also get to see another one of my favorite tropes, which is that only when surrounded by the arms of her man can she find peace in sleep. Hadley’s journey back to something resembling normalcy was fully fleshed out in a tasteful and thoughtful way. However! As with any book in this series we eventually see a final climactic scene which puts our female lead in danger, and it was this second instance of a traumatic event which didn’t receive nearly the attention it deserved. 

It is in this aftermath of Cobi once again seeing the love of his life put in danger that we see the tables turned, and he is now the one who jerks awake from nightmares, and fears letting Hadley out of his sight in case danger should find her once again. And then…he gets over it in the span of a few paragraphs. It felt like such a missed opportunity for what could have been an enlightening comparison of Cobi’s path to healing compared to that of Hadley at the start of the book. Instead we get another somewhat unfortunate hallmark of this series, which is an ending that seems far too rushed for its own good. This book clocks in at just 239 pages, which makes it a satisfyingly quick beach read, but I gladly would have faced another 50 pages if it meant we could have observed what happens when an alpha male is brought to his knees by the forced realization that the love of his life could be ripped away at any moment. To see the strong, knight in shining armor crumble at the simple fragility of life. But to then see the strength of his love for this woman bring him back out of the darkness? That’s the full circle story I would have liked to see. 

Series: Until Him/Her, book 7. As always, I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book in this series. 

Final Impressions: By this point in the series I’m starting to see that some other readers are getting “bored” with the repetitive nature of the plot progression. Insta-love, alpha male, lots of sexy fun times, fairly low drama, final climactic scene where female lead is put in danger. Fin. Surprisingly, I still find myself falling in love with every new couple we get the opportunity to meet, as well as the beloved secondary characters that make each novel feel as though you’re coming home to friends you’ve known for years. What some may see as a tired progression, I actually find comforting in the reliability of the series as a whole. I know I’ll be entertained, probably laugh a few times, reach the brink of tears a time or two, and get some deliciously descriptive bedroom/bathroom/kitchen scenes thrown into the mix. What’s not to love? 

Smut Level: Hadley has never been one to luxuriate in a hot bath, but Cobi is more than willing to show her just how fun and steamy a romp in the tub can be. 

Get it on Amazon: Click Here. $4.99 Kindle Price. 239 Pages. 

Until Harmony by Aurora Rose Reynolds

This series is all about that BOOM, and this installment just goes to show that if you try to push the BOOM aside, it will come back full force for the ultimate impact. 

What’s it About? 

Harmony Mayson isn’t the kind of girl to take unnecessary risk, but after meeting Harlen MacCabe, she starts to wonder if maybe she should be. The more time she spends with the wild and free biker, the more she starts to crave the freedom he gives her…. And even more, she starts to crave him. 

Harlen lives his life on his own terms. After losing both his parents at an early age to a robbery gone bad, he knows how precious life is, and he’s determined to get as much out of it as he can. When he runs into the beautiful Harmony and finds out she’s moving to town, he knows it’s time to take his shot. 

She thinks he only wants to be friends, but she couldn’t be more wrong. What Harmony and Harlen don’t know is that their time might be cut short. Revenge is in the air, and someone won’t stop until a debt is settled.

First Impressions

For avid readers of the entire Until series, if you’ve made it this far to the sixth book of Until Her/Until Him, believe me when I say you’re going to love it just as much as all the others which have come before. And if you haven’t read any of these books before…then what the heck is wrong with you?! Get on it already. This book presents us with everything we know and love about the series: a sexy and growl-y alpha male, a strong and tenacious female, lovable side characters (both new and beloved old friends), and of course, the BOOM that brings our two love birds together. What I loved so much about this installment was that Harmony and Harlen sort of try to suppress the immediate connection which has brought them together in the first place. 

Our novel opens with a chance meeting in a hospital parking lot after Harmony secures a job as a nurse there, and while Harlen would like nothing more than to throw her on the back of his bike to go celebrate, they both recognize the hesitation that Harmony feels about throwing all caution to the wind. After all, she’s no risk taker, so the idea of giving into her feelings for this seemingly bad-boy biker causes her to pause, an action that Harlen can see clear as day. While she declines his invitation for a joy ride, no matter how much she might want to say yes, this isn’t the end for our main characters. Harlen respects the boundaries of this initial rejection, but he refuses to let this be the end of their story. Throughout the next few chapters we see Harlen slowly try to reignite a connection with Harmony, but he’s almost too slow for his own good as it results in Harmony thinking he just wants to be friends. The more time they spend together as “buddies”, the more our risk-averse heroine contemplates the ultimate risk of laying all of her feelings out on the table. And once she does? Well, there’s no going back after that BOOM. 

The Happily Ever After

I was personally delighted by the subsequent romance which played out between our two lead characters, especially when we consider that Harmony was sort of the one to initiate it by finally acting on her desires for Harlen with a passionate kiss. Sure, she immediately tries to avoid him afterwards from embarrassment at the thought that maybe he didn’t want to be anything more than friends, but he’s more than willing to come after her to prove otherwise. I guess in a way it was a mutual overtaking of desire. The rest of their story is relatively drama free and even-paced as they easily fall into a relationship with each other. Harmony is willing to stand up to her overprotective father, Nico, to convince him that Harlen is the man of her dreams, just as Harlen won’t back down to convince Nico he’ll do anything to protect his beloved daughter. Harlen does indeed epitomize the characteristics of an alpha male, but I also appreciated that Harmony wasn’t afraid to poke the bear every once in a while. 

He demands a kiss before she leaves for work, or else he’ll have fun punishing her later? Well, she cheekily saunters out the door sans kiss to see just what he has in mind, and my goodness does she enjoy her “punishment”. Nothing like being held up against the wall for some sexy fun times, and yet in their post-passion haze we see Harlen put down his alpha wall to openly acknowledge how he does need that kiss from her every morning to make it through his day until he can see her again. And that’s one of the aspects I love about this series. Our alpha males clearly have a sensitive side to them, and we never doubt that the love they feel for their ladies goes deeper than merely a sexual component. There’s heart beneath it all. 

Series: Until Her/Until Him, book 6. It was so much fun diving back into this world. We get a brief introduction towards the end of this read of who the main characters will be for book 7, and I am more than ready to get started!

Final Impressions: This is the perfect kind of beach read. Funny, sexy, heartfelt, with just a smidge of drama to keep things interesting. The primary focus of the read truly is on the evolving relationship between Harlen and Harmony from their BOOM to friends to lovers, but delicately interwoven throughout the novel is an underlying sense of conflict involving a handsy doctor at Harmony’s work. The author does a fantastic job of simultaneously keeping this drama primarily reserved for the background, yet also slowly elevating it throughout the progression of the novel before it ultimately breaks through for a final, suspenseful climax. Be sure to add this one to your TBR pile. 

Smut Level: Harmony might express a bit of timidity when Harlen first expresses an interest in her, but once they finally end up in each other’s arms all sense of hesitancy is thrown right out of the bedroom. 

Get it on Amazon: Click Here. $4.99 Kindle Price. 239 Pages.

The Wrong/Right Man by Aurora Rose Reynolds

What starts out as a blind date for the record books turns into something a bit more awkward the morning after when Dakota discovers the man lying in bed next to her isn’t the man she was supposed to meet.

What’s it About?

Waking up to a text asking why you stood up your blind date is not the best way to start the day, especially when the man in question is standing half dressed in your kitchen.

Maybe Dakota Newton shouldn’t have assumed the gorgeous man with a devastating smile standing outside the coffee shop was her date. She probably— Okay, she definitely shouldn’t have slept with him, regardless of how hot the chemistry between them was. But how could she know Mr. Right was actually Mr. Wrong?

Braxton Adams has been called a few things in his life, but a liar was never one of them. That all changes when he’s approached by a beautiful woman who thinks he’s there to meet her for a date.

As a businessman, Brax knows to trust his gut and never let an opportunity pass him by, so he pretends to be someone he’s not.

Maybe he shouldn’t have lied. Maybe he should have come clean. But in the end, it doesn’t matter, because now he has to prove he’s not the wrong man but the right one.

So what if he’s not the man she’s expecting? She’s the one he’s been waiting for.

First Impressions

So the synopsis of this book gives away what might be the biggest spoiler alert of the entire read, which is that Braxton wasn’t the intended date match for Dakota to begin with. This lent an almost bizarre air to the start of this read, as we see how Brax cleverly hides details, or even outright lies about his identity in order to continue his date with Dakota. The romance reader in me chuckled along to some of his deceptions, whereas the real woman that I am was screaming that if this happened in real life it would be beyond creepy. As the two proceed with their relationship and Brax’s overly protective/stalkerish tendencies come to the forefront, you’re kind of simultaneously hoping Dakota will file a restraining order, but also maybe throw him up against a wall for a passionate make-out scene following a heated argument. Such a strange juxtaposition!

Danger, Danger?

As discussed, Braxton engages in some super sketchy tracking of Dakota’s movements, texts, and even has her followed at one point by one of his minions. We’re initially led to believe that this is just part of his alpha-male intense infatuation with Dakota. She understandably gets angry and argumentative with him over his invasion of her privacy, not to mention a lack of boundaries. The aspect of this novel that I didn’t really care for was how this inappropriate behavior was shrugged off and ultimately explained away. Firstly, the “point” is made that the fact Dakota is willing to argue so vehemently with Brax over his invasion of her privacy demonstrates how much she must trust him. Her anger is reflected as her feeling comfortable enough with him to let her true emotions out. But like…he was still tracking her whereabouts and communications without her permission!! Not exactly healthy.

And this brings us to how Brax’s behavior is explained away as a knight in shining armor plot point. At the end of the novel it is revealed that Dakota has an actual stalker who is constantly calling her work and sending inappropriate things to her office. Details which Brax chooses not to share with Dakota directly. When her stalker ups his game by breaking into and trashing her apartment when she’s out one evening, Brax must finally admit that he’s been hiding the fact another man is watching her every move. It’s after this confession when Dakota has a moment of realization that the reason Brax was following her so closely all this time was because he wanted to ensure she was safe, and that her stalker didn’t get to her first. But like…then why didn’t you just tell her this from the get go?!

Series: Stand-alone

Final Impressions: This was a quick read with a strong beginning that kind of fizzled out at the end. While I could appreciate the blind date fiasco would have been a much bigger issue in real life, it was kind of fun to see the scene play out in romance land. After that though, Brax’s need to control and monitor almost every aspect of Dakota’s life was truly worrisome. The stalker element definitely felt rushed at the end, and also lacking enough background for it to truly feel part of the plot.

Smut Level: Sooooo many sexy times!!

Get it on Amazon: Click Here. $3.99 Kindle Price. Dreamscape Media, LLC. 170 Pages.

Until Sage by Aurora Rose Reynolds

Sage might be adopted, but this man is a Mayson through and through. He too experiences the “boom” which clearly designates Kim as his one and only.

What’s it About?

Sage Mayson had Kimberly Cullen once, and the memory of that brief encounter has tortured him since the moment he pushed her away. He should have followed his gut, but he didn’t, and now he’s left watching the woman he wants more than anything from afar. Kimberly vowed to protect her heart from Sage, but when her sister is murdered and her world starts to fall apart, he’s the one person she finds herself leaning on. Getting a second chance is something Sage knows is rare. He’s not going to squander the one he’s been given, and he won’t take no for an answer when it comes to making Kim his. But what Sage doesn’t know is Kim has a secret that could leave them both devastated and heartbroken

First Impressions

One thing’s for sure, you need to be extremely careful with how you read the books in both the Until Him and Until Her series. In my opinion, it’s really best to go back and forth between the two and read them in the order of their release date. Not gonna lie, pretty annoying tactic, but also important as one of the main plot points of this novel was both presented and basically resolved in the novel “Until Ashlyn”. While I do enjoy having the alternate focus between the male and female children of the Mayson clan, I believe that for continuity and sanity’s sake, it would have been better to combine both of these series into one. Call it the Until Descendants or something.

Nature vs. Nurture

You know, I kind of feel bad for twins. When it comes to literary representations it seems that 9 times out of 10 we are always presented with a good twin and an evil twin. And that’s basically what we’re presented with in this novel. Not a very promising outlook in romance novel land. Kim is the good twin. She’s an upstanding citizen, successful hair stylist, and a compassionate friend. Then there’s her twin sister Kelly who is a regular visitor to a sex fetish website, and tries to date rape Sage upon first meeting. Awkwardly for Sage he didn’t know Kim was a twin, and it kind of introduced a speed bump in the road of their budding relationship when he mistakenly thought the girl he was smitten with just wanted to drug and rob him. Oh, to be a twin in a literary romance.

This twin focus introduces some of the main conflict of the story. On the one hand, Kim has an emotional struggle with herself. She wonders how different her and her sister’s lives could have been if their upbringings were reversed. While Kim was put up for adoption and raised in a loving home, Kelly remained in the arms of her drugged out and abusive mother. It presents the classic debate of nature vs. nurture, and Kim often wonders if she would have ended up as screwed up as her sister if she had remained with her mother instead.

The other point of contention which this twin story line introduces to the plot is the mix-up with Sage. When he believes that Kim was the one to attempt to drug him, he confronts her the next day and calls her a bitch, ultimately dismissing her from his life. However, while this does add a sense of “so what happens now”, Kim and Sage still have an obvious sexual attraction for one another, and we know it’s just a matter of time before the truth comes out and they’re eventually knockin boots.

Side-by-Side Series

Aside from their initial kerfuffle which delays their sexual fun time, there’s really only one other main element of drama throughout the whole book, and it’s definitely presented in a rather odd manner. When read in conjunction with the Until Her series, we find that we’ve actually already been introduced to the suspenseful plot point of the novel. As if that wasn’t enough, we even know how the whole matter comes to fruition after reading Until Ashlyn. By reading these series side-by-side, it makes this novel pretty…well…uneventful when all is said and done. Aside from taking their relationship status from on the rocks to living together not much else happens during the rest of the book. Kind of disappointing. There is one other minor issue involving Kim’s health that I thought would become a more prominent feature of the book, but it’s ultimately resolved without as much attention as I thought it deserved.

Series: Until Him, book 2.

Should you read it? This book was just ok. Definitely a letdown that the primary feature of suspense and mystery was given away in its entirety during the last book. Still a sweet read.

Smut Level: Sage experiences his “boom” when he meets Kim, and Kim too experiences some rather booming orgasms on multiple surfaces of both her and Sage’s homes.

Get it on Amazon: Click Here. $3.99 Kindle Price. Amazon Digital Services LLC. 229 Pages.

Until Ashlyn by Aurora Rose Reynolds

You know the old adage that “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas?” I think we can all agree that it never holds true in romance novel land. That shit always follows you home.

What’s it About?

Dillon Keck knew Ashlyn Mayson was drunk when she suggested they get married. He knew he should have taken her back to their hotel room and put her to bed. Instead, he did what he had been craving to do since the moment they met. Claim her as his.

Waking up married in Vegas isn’t something Ashlyn Mayson ever thought would happen to her. Having Dillon, her boss, a man she thinks is a dick, insist they stay married is absurd, but every time he touches her, she gets lost in him and wonders if maybe they are meant to be together. But someone isn’t happy for Dillon and Ashlyn and their new found romance, and they’re willing to do anything to keep them apart. Even commit murder.

First Impressions

Alright, when it comes to full on first impression of Dillon, it’s not too hard to come up with a description of his character: the dude is basically a dick. He has taken over the dental practice where Ashlyn works, and upon first meeting he states that he’ll need to re-interview her to ensure she has the necessary skills, as he doesn’t just need a pretty thing to look at every day. Well f*ck you very much your majesty. Sure, meet with her a few times to double check she meets your standards, but don’t imply that just because she’s pretty she can’t be skilled and useful. We do eventually learn that this was his particular take on a classic schoolyard tactic to hide how he really felt about her by acting douchey, but it still doesn’t leave a very good first impression. Strike one against you sir!

Unicorns Left and Right

One feature of this novel which was pretty unique is the fact that when Dillon and Ashlyn finally do the dirty in that Vegas hotel room, it’s revealed that this was actually the first time either of them had had sex. Unfortunately, there’s no real discussion between them about how special this is! Dillon does express that he had never closed the deal with another woman beforehand because it never felt right, but come on! The rarity in this day and age of having two grown adults remain virgins for so long deserved some more attention! There’s another adage out there which compares women who haven’t had sex by a certain age to unicorns, in that they are basically mythological creatures. In this case, we have both a male and female unicorn! I think this feature really deserved a discussion, but instead was kind of glossed over in a one off comment from Dillon.

From Rom Com to Horror Film

The start of this novel truly reads like a romantic comedy; pretty silly and light-hearted. We have two co-workers who hate each other, yet have some underlying sexual tension, so they get drunk and married in Vegas. Because we’re dealing with a novel in the Until series world, we of course have an uber alpha male who refuses to let Ashlyn get away. She too also has an inherent sense of possessiveness when it comes to Dillon. At one point his crazy bitch of an ex tries to weasel her way into the picture, and Ashlyn kind of goes off on her after a fair amount of goading. While Ashlyn didn’t like the jealous person she became in that moment, Dillon was totally into it, as it showed she was just as in love with him as he was with her.

Awwww, isn’t that just the cutest?! Well, flash-forward a bit and things start to take a turn for the bizarre. Someone tries to run Ashlyn down with their car, and two women in this small Tennessee town are found murdered. Suspense. Intrigue! Well, we’re gonna put that on hold for another large section of the book for some more lovey dovey stuff and familial interactions. Until the last 10% of the book of course when it pretty much turns into a full on horror film. I’m talking kidnapping, stabbing, some more murdering. To introduce and resolve all of that murder mystery within the final 10% of the book was just too rushed. Although an interesting plot twist, it was kind of jarring to go from what felt like an Ashton Kutcher rom com to Saw in such a short amount of time. Ok, so Saw is definitely too out there of a comparison, but you catch my drift. I also don’t watch horror films, so my repertoire is lacking.

Series: Until Her, book 3. Personally, I would recommend reading these in order. Although each novel focuses on a different stand-alone couple, there are certain reappearing characters and themes that would be helpful to know from the beginning.

Should you read it? All in all, a good addition to the Until Her series. That being said, while I found the suspenseful murder aspect of the novel to be totally enthralling, it definitely could have been integrated better into the overall story line.

Smut Level: Something must be in the water in this small Tennessee town which causes “alpha male syndrome”.

Get it on Amazon: Click Here. $3.99 Kindle Price. Self-Published. 225 Pages.

 

 

Assumption by Aurora Rose Reynolds

You know what they say happens when you assume, right? You make an ass out of you and me. Well, that doesn’t prevent these two characters from jumping into bed together and making some sweet sweet whoopie after making a few assumptions of their own.

What’s it About?

[as·sump·tion:]a thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof

They say when you assume that you make an ass out of you and me. Kenton Mayson learned this lesson firsthand when he made assumptions about Autumn Freeman and the kind of woman she is based on what little information he had. What he finds out is she’s not only beautiful, but also smart, funny, a fighter, and exactly the kind of woman he wants to share his life with. Autumn made assumptions of her own about Kenton, and now he needs to prove her wrong in order to protect her and their future.

First Impressions

Before reading this book, I never gave a whole lot of thought to the title, but you quickly realize how important it is as our two main characters are quick to make assumptions about the other. Autumn has come to stay with Kenton after witnessing a mob hit in the strip club she worked at. Kenton initially tries to keep his distance from her, in spite of his intense attraction to her, thinking that Autumn must be a promiscuous stripper. What he doesn’t know is that she is also a nurse, and only strips to help pay the bills as she gets close to finishing her practicum. Autumn knows what Kenton assumes about her, yet she makes no attempt to correct him, making an assumption of her own that he’s a shallow womanizer, and that it’s not worth the effort or time to tell him otherwise. Oh, how these two realize their first impressions couldn’t be more wrong!

The Classic Assumption

Normally, I’m not a huge fan when our romance leads are quick to make assumptions, and how it can inevitably cause a clusterf*ck of mayhem. However, in this novel I gotta say I didn’t mind it so much, as Autumn even admits to herself that she’s probably making an unfounded assumption about Kenton. It’s only because she’s on the run for her life that Autumn believes she can’t afford to gamble on feeling more for someone she’s just met. Also, when Kenton finally discovers Autumn’s true profession, he’s unbelievably quick to try and rectify the situation. His alpha-male personality turns on full-throttle, and he’ll do anything to protect his woman and get her into bed. All assumptions officially forgotten!!

Sassy-ness and Alpha-ness

This novel definitely starts off with a bang, as Autumn is on the run for her life, and Kenton has agreed to take her in. Although they have a rather rocky start, you can’t help but love the development of their relationship. I’ll admit, I had trouble putting this one down at times, as it’ll make you laugh, sympathize, and even fear for our main characters.

Autumn’s sass at dealing with Kenton’s crazy ex was hilarious, yet you also see her and Kenton grow closer and learn to trust each other. She even opens up to him about the child she had to give up years before. And ohhhhh my goodness, the sex! Seeing how Kenton initially tried to keep his distance, it was delightfully surprising how alpha and growly this man could be in the bedroom. Although, considering we’re dealing with the incredible Aurora Rose Reynolds here, who is a master expert at creating a possessive alpha male, I guess it shouldn’t have been too surprising!

Disorganized

One slight problem I had with this book dealt with the organization of it. Firstly, although it starts and ends with a lot of suspense and intensity, the middle was completely lacking in pretty much any reference to the fact Autumn was witness to a mob hit. Although I absolutely loved the middle section as Kenton and Autumn’s relationship blossomed, it did feel rather disjointed. It was also slightly unrealistic considering Autumn is supposed to be lying low as she’s hiding from a mob hit-man, and yet she registers as a nurse at a local hospital. Pretty sure you just put a homing beacon on your back there!

Varying Points of View

Another element which I considered to be both a plus and minus was the fact that we get to see certain aspects of the novel from both Autumn and Kenton’s point of view. Autumn is the main narrator, and although I enjoyed Kenton’s POV, it came at some rather haphazard times. It takes a while for us to see it at all in the beginning, and I remember being kind of shocked when it suddenly appeared. Then his POV disappears for a large majority of the novel before finally reappearing for a suspenseful portion at the end of the novel.

It was pretty interesting and exciting to hear Kenton’s side of the story, yet also slightly disturbing as we see how he isn’t afraid to take the law into his own hands, and bring about his own form of justice when someone threatens his woman. Although this was in line with his possessive, alpha-male persona, it was also at odds with the caring protector he’s been for Autumn up until this late point in the novel. An action-packed, yet rather jarring ending all things considered.

Series: Underground Kings, book 1. Technically this is a stand-alone, yet it takes place concurrently with the Until series. There are a few mentions here and there of characters and events from that series which was fun, yet also kind of hard to remember who they all were, not to mention the timeline of events.

Should you read it? I really did enjoy this one. We see some of the same elements from the Until series that we all know and love, from an alpha-male hero to a bit of suspense, and some fun supporting characters. This is probably one of my favorite heroines by this author, as she was a tough cookie who could look out for herself. Certain aspects of the novel could have been arranged a bit better, including the narration and suspenseful plot points.

Smut Level: Sexual attraction and intensity is immediately evident, yet it does take a while for our couple to seal the deal. When they do though?! Hot dog in the Tennessee heat, look out!!

Get it on Amazon: Click Here. $3.99 Kindle Price. Self-Published. 222 Pages.

Until June by Aurora Rose Reynolds

Another sexy read in the Until Her series featuring a dirty talking alpha male who likes to refer to his woman as “mine”. Gotta say though, this is the first book I’ve read so far in this series where I had one of those “been there, done that” feelings.

What’s it About?

June Mayson and Evan Barrister’s whirlwind courtship resulted in a secret marriage right before he left for boot camp. Evan knows deep in his gut that June is too good for him, but after getting a taste of the beautiful life they can have together, he’s unwilling to let her go. June promises to wait for him, knowing neither time or distance will ever change her feelings for Evan—that is until she’s served with divorce papers while he’s overseas and she’s forced to let him go.

Her marriage and divorce a well-kept secret, the last person June expects to run into when she moves back to her hometown is Evan. Angry over the past, she does everything within her power to ignore the pull she feels whenever he is near. But how can she ignore the pain she sees every time their eyes meet? How can she fight the need to soothe him even if she knows she’s liable to get hurt once again? Is it possible for June and Evan to find their way back to each other again? Or will they be stopped by an outside force before they ever have a shot?

First Impressions

Although it’s only the second novel in this spin-off series, if we look at all of the “Until” novels I’ve read so far, this counts as lucky number seven. Therefore, I guess I can’t really be surprised that the story line seemed a bit stale. I won’t go so far as to say it was boring though, for overall I did enjoy it. However, it sort of felt like I’d read it before. Alpha male gets his woman, they have some amazing sex, there are some complications with a local motorcycle club, and you’ve got a whole hell of a lot of Maysons running around!

A Distinctive Backstory

I really did enjoy June and Evan’s backstory. This was probably the most unique aspect of the novel which truly set it apart from the others in the Until series. Normally, once our alpha lead sets his eyes on our heroine, he does anything to make her his forever. Technically that is true in this case, yet we also see how Evan made the mistake of breaking things off with June years before, as he struggled to face the travesties of war. This novel focuses on their journey back to each other.

Excessively Alpha

I will say I love me some alpha male, but the men in this series can sometimes take things a bit too far for my taste. Call her yours, growl at men who hit on her, tear off her dress if it’s just too flirty for others to lay eyes on. No problem! But don’t tell her to shut up when she disagrees with you. I felt like there were too many times where June is set up to fail or make a mistake, which in turn sets Evan off into a growly mood. Hurray for immediate make-up sex, but take a chill pill!

Series: Until Her, book 2.

Should you read it? A good read, but not necessarily a stand-out in the series.

Smut Level: Me oh my. So much trusting, boob grabbing, sucking, and enough dirty talk to make you blush.

Get it on Amazon: Click Here. $3.99 Kindle Price. Self-Published. 242 Pages.