With a famous name, can fiction and reality collide?

Synopsis

Lizzie Bennet, new recruit at the Little Duck Pond Café, is well used to people teasing her about her name. Actually, she rather likes the fact she shares it with one of author Jane Austen’s most popular heroines. But when life weirdly starts to imitate fiction, it’s suddenly a very different matter. With two potential heroes appearing over the horizon, it’s obvious which one Lizzie should go for – isn’t it?

My review

Lizzie Bennet may be sharing a name with one of the most famous fictional characters in the world, and is used to people teasing her with her name. But for Lizzie, it isn’t a burden, as she is a big fan of Jane Austen. And having found a new job at the Little Duck Pond Café makes her more than happy. Until one day she has a very unpleasant encounter with an annoying stranger, who seems to know her boyfriend Wyatt. And that makes Dan(te) think that Lizzie is too judgemental and doesn’t have a mind of her own, while Lizzie thinks that he is very annoying, pompous and just very unpleasant. Until there is a mystery that intrigue the both of them and they decide to uncover the truth together. And perhaps, just like the famous story, Lizzie and Dan will realize that their first impressions were wrong?

I have many books that I love. But if there is one book that I absolutely adore, it is Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen. I heard about this book while I was in high school myself, many moons ago. And then my passion for it started. As there have been adaptations, I can say that there is one that is ranked way higher than any other one, and it is the BBC series (Colin Firth, the lake, you know enough, right 😊).

So when an author that I love, like Rosie Green, has a book that has a connection with Jane Austen, of course I will read it, and even before I have read one word, of course I will love it! 😊

And I loved it seeing how our Lizzie in this book is sharing the same love. It would be easy for Lizzie to dislike her name a little bit, or not loving Jane Austen.  But of course Rosie made us love Lizzie even more, by having a shared love.

Lizzie is a very warm character. Even if her whole family, Lizzie included, is still grieving over the loss of her father, Lizzie is the kind of person that does not just sit still. And she also understands that everyone has their own way of grieving, as her mother shows, or as her sisters show.

We also see that Lizzie is the kind of person who wants everyone to be happy, and tries to not let everyone get away. She is the voice of sense in several occasions, and truly a big sister for her siblings.

On the other hand, there are moments where I wished that Lizzie could see who Wyatt truly is. Because just as  a reader, there are several red flags, and his behaviour is not something I could handle. But when you think you are in love, right?

Not that Dan(te) makes a better first impression, as I could completely comprehend Lizzie’s initial dislike for him and his colleague. Even if you don’t initially ‘gel’ with someone, there is always a level of politeness and respect you can show that person.

Now, I have to admit, while I don’t agree with his behaviour, I could understand where he was coming from, especially as Dan does it to protect his family… And seeing that side from him, made me just understand him better.

And he for sure makes up for that bad first impression the more the story evolves! We see a kind, generous, warm, funny Dan. A Dan that is well, impossible to resist, even for me! 😊

What I loved about this book, is the connection is had with Pride & Prejudice, and Jane Austen. I don’t know extremely a lot about Jane’s life, but the way Rosie Green in this book managed to write something with some fictional liberties, made it all pretty realistic. It all could have happened for real!

But the real beauty of this book is, is the bond that is growing between Lizzie and Dan (but sorry, even if his name is shortened, I actually like the name Dante and used it while reading 😊). They start off on the wrong foot, but their shared curiosity brings them spending more time together.

And then sparks start to fly around, as not only there is a physical attraction, but they both realize they have more in common than imagined.

Let’s also add to the equation that there are worries that sound very relatable, worries about other’s opinions and lies (or truths) that are not being told…

Oh and let’s not forget about the many, many similarities there are between this Lizzie and Dan and the other Lizzie and Mr. Darcy! Because while this is a different stories, there are many common grounds, links that you could make with the classic.

In other words, Lizzie and Dan captivated my attention, and I loved reading their story from the start till the very end. Even if I reached the end too quickly unfortunately… 😊

Do to damage control with the person you and your family despise the most…

Synopsis

Rhiannon
I walked out of my wedding and straight into the arms of a stranger.
One night. No names. No regrets.
Until I find out who he really is—Robert McAllister, the investigative journalist who nearly destroyed my family. Now the tabloids think we’re a couple, and the only way to control the chaos is to fake-date the man my whole family hates.
Smile for the cameras. Lie through your teeth. Try not to punch him in the throat.And whatever you do, don’t fall for the enemy.

Robert
Sleeping with Rhiannon Morrigan hours after she jilted her fiancé wasn’t my smartest move.
She’s a rugby icon. A walking headline. Off-limits in every way, and the one subject I swore I wouldn’t write about. But my editor’s ultimatum is clear—write her story or lose my job. Now we’re faking it for the press, and I’m holding the biggest scoop of my career…

If I write it, I’ll lose her.
If I don’t, I might lose everything else.

My review

After discovering the betrayal of her fiancé and her supposed best friend, Rhiannon choses to expose them on her own wedding day. Together with her sisters, she decides to let some steam off and she ends up acting out of character and has one steamy night with a complete stranger. So many people have nights with complete strangers, with no regrets and no one exposing the fling on the tabloids. Weren’t it that Rhiannon is a rugby icon, and her family name Morrigan is known by every rugby fan over the world. And that the man she spent the night with, is her family’s worst enemy, investigative journalist Rober McAllister. Robert, who has made it his mission to expose everyone who isn’t clean in the sports world. And his eyes are set on the Morrigan family for a while. So Rhiannon is off – limits in so many different ways… However, when Rhiannon needs him to control the chaos that erupted, Robert agrees to fake – date her. And when his own editor demands from Robert to write a story about Rhiannon, Robert does not know what to do, write a scoop and lose the frail relationship that is building, or lose not only his job, but everything else?

I got to know this amazing author with her books about hockey players. And I loved every story so far. Even with her other nickname, and not – hockey – related books, she got me hooked. So with now expanding the horizon towards rugby, I was more curious than other times.

And also with rugby, I have to admit that even if my sister – in – law is a big fan of it, I don’t know much about it. I just see the players running, jumping on each other, and a weird shaped ball… Don’t ask me about the rules, because I just don’t know! 😊

Even if I didn’t know anything about rugby, I felt an immediate connection with Rhiannon. Not because we have a lot in common, as our worlds couldn’t be more different. Yet there was something in Rhiannon’s character that resounded very loudly with me. I cannot pinpoint exactly what, but I just clicked with her.

I am single at the moment, but is there a bigger betrayal than discovering that your fiancé and your friend are hooking up together? My heart broke for Rhiannon, but at the same time I also admired her. Because she has planned to expose their betrayal in front of anyone, at the actual wedding! You need some big balls for that!😊

What saddened me also, was reading how she didn’t get the support from her father. Because yes, the humiliation is there, but as a father, a parent, you have to stand by your daughter’s side and protect her from the person that harmed her.

Luckily, Rhiannon has the best sisters and *real* friends in the world. They support her through the worst day of her life. They for sure know how to put a smile on Rhiannon’s face, and mine too! And they are always there for Rhiannon, also seeing through the ‘lies’ Rhiannon tries to tell them. This shows how well they all know each other and as they don’t judge her, just how much they love her.

Now, I am not the kind of person to have a fling for just one night, that is just not my cup of tea. But I can understand why people have them, and I could understand Rhiannon needing to feel different. Although, perhaps there would have been a better location, and a more laid – back outfit 😊.

And hooking up with a complete stranger, you never know who you have in front of you… And in Rhiannon’s case, she couldn’t have picked a worse match. Or for book – purposes, a better match 😊.

Not that Robert is a bad person, but being an investigative journalist, having already haunted Rhiannon’s family, he not exactly persona grata in the family…

And he also has a big baggage of his own, with he still hasn’t come completely to terms with, and his past is still haunting him, on so many several levels.

Obviously he knows who Rhiannon is, and even if he knows that hooking up would be a terrible idea, he just cannot resists Rhiannon. And I cannot blame him! 😊

Of course we know that their fling will come out, and that they will have to start fake – dating. Yet there is always the curiosity of reading how it all will start, will they get along at least at some level, or are they enemies from the very start? So many questions, and the only way to get answers, is just keep reading!

Rhiannon and Robert have their own agenda of why agreeing to the fake – dating, and in a way it angered me. Because, why should a woman be brought to shame of having a fling, after being betrayed? Especially if it were a man instead of Rhiannon, nobody would care, or worse, they would applaud him…

And Robert is forced to write an article about Rhiannon, which he absolutely does not want to write. Not only would he lose his job if he refuses, but he is also partnered up with the scumbaggiest of scumbags…

Both of them have a lot at stake, and they want to pretend when needed, but they want to keep their distance, for self-preservation. They don’t want to show the real Rhiannon and Robert to each other, out of fear. And that is somehow the red thread throughout the whole story, the fear of being just Rhiannon and Robert. And not only towards each other, but also to others, even their loved ones.

And that saddened me a little bit, because no matter what you have been through, are going through, what your baggage is, you should be able to be just yourself, to know who you are.

What I liked in this book especially, is reading how Rhiannon learns to talk and help Robert with his disability. His disability is not a secret, as you can clearly see it on the cover. It is easy to pity someone like him, but Robert makes it clear to Rhiannon and the readers too, that pity is the last thing that is needed. And he explains very clearly what the do’s and don’ts are. Because just because you want to help out, doesn’t mean it is the right thing to do. And that was very informative and eye-opening too.

And also, we see how the right support can make you believe in yourself more, and understand yourself more. Because Rhiannon is a great player, but also very much under the influence and pressure of her own father. And Robert makes her understand that she is great, but that is on her, even without her father she would be awesome. And Rhiannon learns in this book to go more with her own gut feeling. And she knows that Robert will be in her corner. Isn’t that a great thought, knowing that you will always have someone ready to fight with you?

There are of course dilemmas in this book, to let the other one in, or keep your distance? Be loyal to your editor, trainer, manager, or trust your own (gut) feelings? So many issues are addressed in this book, and the amazing Queen that Las is, lets the main character go through the whole process, even if they are filled with doubting thoughts.

This was once again a marvellous story, about how life can break you, but also how with the right people surrounding you, you can become a stronger version of yourself. And yes, of course there is some spice in it. But in a way, those heated moments weren’t doing it for me, but the growing mutual respect, understanding and care between Rhiannon and Robert did more to me than any spice between them ever could…

To hide with the enemy of your enemy…

Synopsis

A Dark Reverse Harem Romance

She broke into the wrong house.
Now, three brutal men will make her pay—with her body, her secrets, and her soul.

When runaway heiress Marigold Calder crashes into the forbidden Isles of Kassel during a blizzard, she’s desperate for shelter. The isolated mountain lodge seems like salvation, until she realizes it belongs to The Bears, three massive Russian brothers who own the most exclusive—and dangerous—private men’s club in Kassel.

HUNTER – The violent one who takes what he wants🔥
STONE – The cold mastermind who’ll break her with a single look🔥
ASH – The deceptively gentle one who’s anything but safe🔥

In Kassel, trespassing has a price. And once they catch her sleeping in their bed, eating their food, and wearing their clothes, these territorial predators decide she’s theirs.

Trapped by the storm and their obsession, Marigold discovers a dark connection between their families that turns their hospitality into a hunt for revenge. Now, they won’t just keep her, they’ll ruin her.

A scorching hot, morally grey, billionaire reverse harem featuring possessive anti-heroes, forced proximity, primal dominance, explosive chemistry, and a heroine who refuses to break. This standalone dark romance contains mature themes and explicit scenes that will leave you breathless.

Step into their den… if you dare.TROPES: Reverse Harem/Why Choose • Dark Romance • Forced Proximity • Snowbound • Captive Romance • Morally Grey Heroes • Touch Her and Die • Possessive/Obsessive • Enemies to Lovers • Found Family • Russian Heroes • Private Club • Billionaire Romance • Secret Identity • Revenge Plot • High Heat 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

My review

When Marigold Calder escaped, she never expected that she would be literally crashing and would have to fight for her life. So when she finds an isolated mountain lodge on the forbidden and very private Isles of Kassel, she believes that she is safe. But what she doesn’t know, but will realize soon, is that the owners of the lodge, the Bears, three Russian brothers, don’t allow anyone in. And whoever dares to trespass, has to pay a price. And all three brothers, Hunter, Stone and Ash, have decided that this trespasser with golden hair, is now theirs, to do as they please. As a storm rages on, Marigold has no other choice to submit to the three brothers, with their own different character but all also having a pull that Marigold finds strangely to ignore. And then Marigold discovers that the Bear Brothers are seeking out for revenge as someone of Marigold’s family hurt the one person the brothers love the most. Turning Marigold into a pawn in a very dangerous game…

Having read the first book of the series The VIllians of Kassel, I knew that not only it would be a complete retelling, with many liberties of the author. Lydia Michaels may use famous tales as inspiration, yet she changes so much in her own story, that while there still are a few similarities, a lot is, well, just not. And I also knew that there would be a lot of explicit scenes, and even moments where the female main character would be acting against her own will. But there are several of warnings at the start of the book, so I as warned well beforehand.

At the start of the book, it is obvious that Marigold is literally running away from something and someone (or rather, several people). But the exact who, why, when, etc. is not made obvious further along in the book. But her desperation is obvious from those first few pages. And reading what she had to endure, at the hand of the people that perhaps should protect, cherish and love her the most, isn’t that the worst possible betrayal?

I could understand that her need to survive was bigger that questioning whose house she would be trespassing. And I could also understand the reason that she lies when the three brothers find her. Again, that need to survive at any cost…

If she would have literally crashed anywhere else but this lodge, perhaps she would have met someone who would show her kindness and help her out. Unfortunately, she crashed the lodge of the most fearful, savage, revengeful brothers of the whole continent.

There are so many signs that the three brothers are not to mess with, they have laws of their own, no law stopping from what they want to do.

Hunter, Stone and Ash are the closest as siblings could ever be, and I am close to my brother, but not to their extension! They have been through a lot, together, but there is nothing that would tear them apart. On the contrary, their family bond is just unbreakable.

And when there is a threat, in any form or shape, they are united to protect what is theirs and what they love.

So when they find Marigold in their home, they won’t just let her walk away. Because nobody comes to their home and just walks away… And they also now that Marigold isn’t telling the truth, and one way or another they will get it out of her…

I cannot say that the brothers sparked something inside of me from the start. They are controlling, intimidating and also scary… Yet even if they are brothers and have a lot of similarities, they are all different characters. Where Ash shows a gentle side (but don’t get fooled by it), Stone is a cold mastermind and Hunter seems to be the most violent and vengeful one.

United they are a force to be reckoned with, but somehow, Marigold is their weak spot…

Of course I knew they wanted to use Marigold for their own benefit and pleasure. And I knew that Marigold would have no other option than complying, as these men saved her but also as she has no other place to run.

And yet, there is something about these brothers, and it isn’t just their power that emanates from the pages… We see this when they let Marigold know why they are seeking revenge, as they want to protect and avenge the person they love the most.

We also see how Marigold starts to see behind this strong façade all the brothers have. I am not saying they are suddenly saints, because they are not. But there is just something about those three Bears, a hidden vulnerability in a way, that made me understand the attraction…

Talking about attraction… or rather, I need to talk about the spicy and all the action that is taking place. First of all, while initially Marigold does not have a choice and has some with all the brothers, I could see how it would be an impossible choice to just pick one. Not my cup of tea, a reversed harem, but I am not judging someone else’s choices, if it makes them happy and they don’t hurt anyone else in the process.

Secondly, pfew, there is A LOT of action taking place! And even if there was a moment I was wondering about the logistics about a certain scene, I perhaps needed to take a break myself, as sometimes it got a bit too hot! 😊

Of course it is a spicy story, that perhaps is not for everyone, but I also saw something else in this book. I saw how a hurt, broken woman may have found herself in the lion’s den. But the lions, or rather Bears, that she encounters, make her understand that she is not completely broken, that she in fact is a strong fighter. And those three strong brothers, they realize that no matter how much they protect what is theirs, no matter how closed up they are, there may be one woman with golden hair that is able to open their hearts in a way they never expected. 

Lydia Michaels also with this story turned a well – known tale into something completely different. But different isn’t a bad thing. Different is just another way of looking at life, different is just understanding that there are more ways to see things. And that one evening where you need to survive, can open a gate (or a door) to a whole different life that may fit you better than you may ever believe…

When your match is exactly what you don’t want…

Synopsis

A BRAND NEW spicy summer romance set in everybody’s favourite matchmaking hotel 🌞🌴💖

For fans of Meghan Quinn and Ali Hazelwood!

Tropes: 🌶️ Matchmaking 🌶️ Rockstar romance 🌶️ Grumpy sunshine 🌶️ Opposites attract 🌶️ Forced proximity 🌶️ Fake dating 🌶️ Celebrity comeback 🌶️ Playboy with hidden depths 🌶️ Luxury hotel setting

They say opposites attract… right?

Ex-rock star Jake used to have it all. But a fall from grace has left him with a career in tatters. Trying to salvage his reputation, his agent suggests a trip to sunny California’s brand new five-star Love Hotel. The plan is to instigate a fake whirlwind social media romance to reignite his star power. Simple. Except, Jake barely knows how to use a hashtag. And he’s definitely not looking for love.

Looking for a second chance at finding true love, Halle has categorically sworn off musicians and social media after a painful break-up. So, when matched with notorious bad boy Jake, they’re a dating disaster waiting to happen, right?

Jake’s here for the clicks. Halle is craving a connection. ¬ Except the Love Hotel’s matchmaking team are the experts for a reason. And after two weeks of forced proximity in paradise, Halle and Jake discover that the pairing which at first seemed so wrong starts to feel so right…

Perfect for fans of Abby Jimenez, Meghan Quinn and Sarah Adams!

Praise for Olivia Spring:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ‘ADORE Olivia’s pitch perfect romances – one of the few who can have me swooning over her male characters.’ Bestselling author Kristen Bailey

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ‘I was hooked from the first chapter. An absolute delight!’ Bestselling author Laura Carter

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ‘Through Olivia’s wonderful writing style, I honestly felt as though I was there’ Reader Review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ‘Well what can I say apart from this book is a rare gem. It has everything book lovers will adore’ Reader Review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ‘Once you get hooked into the story you won’t want to put it down.’

My review

Halle has been seriously burnt by love, but is ready to find it again. So when with the help from her friends, she gets a spot in The Love Hotel resort in California, Halle is over the moon. The Love Hotel is known for finding perfect matches, and the only thing that Halle doesn’t want, is to be matched with someone famous, like a musician and someone very present on social media. So when she learns that her ‘perfect match’ is ex – rock star Jake, she is rather angry. Not only because Jake used to be famous, but over the years he has created a notorious bad boy reputation. What Halle doesn’t know though, is that Jake needs to salvage his reputation somehow. And according to his agent, instigating a fake romance plastered over social media is the perfect solution. Where Jake is looking for redemption, Halle is looking for a connection. And with this match, it would seem that The Love Hotel made a mismatch. Or could it be that in the two weeks Halle and Jake are spending together, they realize that perhaps their mismatch isn’t so mismatched at all?

When I started reading this book, I was excited as a little child 😊. Not only because I was so ready for another couple in The Love Hotel, but also because we see Sammie and Romeo from the previous book working as Love Alchemists!

At the start of the book, I was a bit angry with Halle! How dare she use her connections to gain a spot on the Love Hotel, and I don’t even know how to apply for it! 😊

It’s clear that Halle has been hurt by love before, and I could understand how she saw that fame is the cause of it. Because since her then – boyfriend became famous, he changed and he hasn’t been the perfect boyfriend. Nobody is a perfect partner, but he for sure does know how to treat his girlfriend in an awful way.

So I could understand how Halle wants to find her perfect match, that has to be anything but a famous person! But I also felt a tiny bit offended in the name of any musician (not that I am one 😊) because it isn’t fair to paint everyone with the same brush.

Yes, Jake is the perfect example how volatile fame is. He has made mistakes in the past, and he has a bad boy reputation and he lost everything. And initially, I didn’t pity him, because I only based my opinion on the little details that I knew. But just like Halle, I had to get to know Jake better and learn about his history.

I also found it a bit a dirty game of his agent, whom I just immediately disliked, without even a real piece of evidence. I understood that Jake needs to do something to change the world’s perception. Jake may think that his match will be playing along, and knows about why he is in the resort, but we all know better, don’t we? 😊

When Halle and Jake meet, of course they don’t get along. Halle does not want to be around Jake at all, and makes her disdain for him and his reputation very clear. I for sure liked her playlist, making her feelings very very very obvious!

Being at the Love Resort means that Halle and Jake are ‘forced’ to spend together. And initially even on the pictures it is clear how they feel about each other. But slowly, the more time they spend together, it becomes clear that they both have a misperception of each other, and that they share a lot of common thoughts, interests and ideas.

And the more time I spent getting to know Jake, the more I not only understood him, but also how everything fell into place. Because with his story, not only we see how bad choices and decisions can affect your life and reputation, but also how one tragic event changes just everything.

With Jake, we see that behind every tabloid cover is a story, a reason why that persona acted in that way. And that is something important to realize, that behind every façade there is a person that perhaps has been broken and is just trying to pick up the pieces of his/her life again.

Halle and Jake slowly start to comprehend that The Love Hotel Resort didn’t mess up with them matching up together. Halle has a lot of baggage of her own, and Jake is so understanding, non – judgmental and  comforting. His acceptance of her and her ‘faults’ makes Halle realize that she in fact does not have anything to feel ashamed about and that Halle being Halle is more than good enough.

And Jake finds someone that is willing to listen, without expressing any kind of judgement. With Halle, Jake feels that he can open up, not only about his mistakes but also about what haunts him, and what broke him. With Halle, he finds someone that is just there for him.

We see with this pair that opening up can release a burden, and that it can make you feel more confident too. Jake gives an extra incentive to Halle, to believe more in herself and her capacities, he makes her understand that why shouldn’t she pursue her dreams? He also becomes very protective of her, wants to protect her from all the evils of the world, even if that evil is his own agent. And Halle makes Jake understand that not everything bad that happened to him, is his fault. Halle makes Jake see that even the most terrible thing that he has endured, can be turned into a lovely remembrance.

I feel with each review that I write for Olivia Spring, that I am repeating myself. Because also with this next book in a great series, she just swept me away. Because despite the hurt both main characters have been through, with their match, they find not only each other matched, but so much more. They find strength, acceptance, resilience and self – confidence.

Yes, this is a romance, but it shows so much growth in the main characters, there is an evolution. And seeing that movement is the strength of the book, seeing how not only perceptions can change, but how also you can change yourself, into a more confident, stronger person.

Once again a perfect score for Olivia Spring! 😊