Review: Great Bundle!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 7, 2014
It's always a gamble when you buy a bundle like this. Sometimes I luck out and I like all or most of the stories. Other times I can't stand any of them and I'm left feeling disappointed by the end. This bundle, however, is more like the former than the latter. I liked nearly every story in the bundle and will definitely be pursuing the earlier works of several authors.It Takes a SEAL by Delilah DevlinWhile this book definitely had potential, it was just too short for me to fully appreciate. It seemed like too much plot was jammed into such a short amount of time, and as a result, it seemed tied up too quickly and prettily to be realistic. Susan didn't have much development as a character--her "issues" are tied up too quickly and with little to no encouragement from Justin. They also only know each other for all of a few days before agreeing to get married. I just couldn't suspend my disbelief for this one. Despite my complaints, I liked the author's writing and I'd be interested in reading others from her, particularly full-length novels.SEAL of my Heart by Sharon HamiltonI really adored Kate and Tyler. They were wonderful together and their chemistry was off the charts. The only thing that I really questioned was the fact that Kate was technically cheating on Randy, her fiance. That's not okay for me, even if it's with the man that ends up being "the one." If she'd told Randy the truth before doing anything physical with Tyler, I would have been much happier. The fact that she didn't do this cheapened the relationship a little for me. I would have liked to see their back stories be a little more fleshed out. There was really something there, but the short length meant that not everything could be explored. I would have loved to see their story be written as a full-length novel. I'll definitely be reading the other books in the series.Smoking Hot by Anne MarshThis story was not nearly as "hot" as I'd expected, but it was still SO good. I loved Tye and Katie. Their chemistry was totally believable. The suspense and action were well written and I bought every minute of it. I liked all the secondary characters in the book, especially Kade. Even though he became a fairly important part of this book, I didn't feel like we really learned anything about him as a character, except what we were told earlier on. We didn't really get to see him interact with Katie or Tye. Definitely looking forward to reading the other books in the series.The Navy SEAL's Mail Order Bride by Cora SetonI was so sure that I wasn't going to buy the plot of this book. It's so outlandish and pretty silly, but the author actually made it work. It was spun in a manner that actually was believable. I bought it from start to finish. One thing that really helped me believe this fairly crazy plot was the fact that Mason and Regan have great chemistry. Even while they were just emailing back and forth, the chemistry was practically palpable. The characters were very real. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the books for the other three brothers. I'll also be grabbing all the books taking place in Chance Creek.Fall Out by Zoe YorkThis story was probably my least favorite of the entire bundle. I've read other books by this author before and didn't really like them, but I'd been hoping that this would be better. I was very wrong. I didn't believe the chemistry between Drew and Annie for even a moment. It was a ridiculously long while before either even admitted attraction toward each other. There wasn't even a quick "oh, he's hot," until well into the story. The suspense was just silly and I didn't believe a second of it. The conclusions that the characters kept coming to just happened to be right each time. It was extremely anti-climactic. I wasn't even aware that Drew and Annie had made up until I flipped the page to the epilogue. I won't be reading further books in this series, nor by this author.Close Quarters by Roxie RiveraThis story was crazy short, but I really enjoyed it. Jamie and Leland had great chemistry and the suspense was well-written. I loved the characters, their families, and the back stories. I would love to read more from this author, especially in this series.Killing Honor by S.M. ButlerI'd been looking forward to getting my hands on this book for a while now. It was actually the second book in the series that I REALLY wanted to read, but I knew I couldn't read the second before the first. This is not my typical choice in books. I don't normally care for stories in which the hero and heroine are already married. They just don't tend to interest me. Despite this, however, I did really love both Devyn and Brody. I didn't think the chemistry was really there, but it was enough that I did believe that they loved one another. The story also had great suspense. I believed every minute of it. I definitely look forward to reading the other books in the series.Coming in Hot by Kimberley TroutteI absolutely adored Mack and Jenna together. I honestly wasn't so sure about them for the first few chapters, but quickly learned to love them. They had great chemistry, especially considering there's really not that much sex. I enjoyed the plot and the suspense was executed really well. I loved the SEAL team, but didn't really care for Jenna's friends and coworkers. I'll definitely be reading future books from this author.A SEAL's Song by Jennifer LoweryThis one really surprised me! The plot didn't really interest me in the beginning, but I was quickly won over. Darci and Jack make a great pair. I definitely believed their chemistry. Their story was well-written and I didn't want it to end. The action and suspense were both well-done and kept me turning the pages until the very last. There were also tons of moments of sexy and sweet. I'll definitely be reading more from this author in the future.SEAL's Embrace by Elle JamesThis story was like my kryptonite. I love medical stories, I love military stories. Put them together and I just knew that I'll love it. This story was no exception. I absolutely adored Caesar and Erin. Caesar is sexy and charming. He knows what he wants and has no problems going after it. Erin is a little less sure of herself, but she's going to let Caesar prove to her once and for all that HE is the only thing that she needs. Their chemistry was crazy well-written and totally believable. The plot was nicely done, full of action and suspense. I believed every moment of it. My only complaint? I would have loved their story to be longer. I'll definitely be reading more from this author.