June 2020 Book Notes Week 2

Welcome back! Work on the website updates continues. Though I'm tired and ready to be done with it all, I'm happy with how things are shaping up.
This week, I have several selections to share with you. I hope you'll see something which interests you. If you do, I'd love to hear about it in the comments.

Book Reviews: Sweet Contemporary Romance

Wrangled by the Watchful Cowboy by Tamie Dearen

Wrangled by the Watchful Cowboy by Tamie Dearen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nicely done!

I read this one out of place and wish I hadn't. The next one in the series is similar in a lot of ways, but this one's written more to my taste. One recurrent theme I seem to see in all these clean contemporary romances, not just this one, is the absence of a climactic confrontation with the antagonist. That's such a let down for me. But the characters were interesting enough and the plot, though predictable, presented some fun moments. Overall, a nice, cozy read! If you enjoy sweet, clean, contemporary romance, you might like this story.

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Inspired by the Creative Cowboy by Bree Livingston

Inspired by the Creative Cowboy by Bree Livingston
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I Was Hoping

I've read two other books by Bree Livingston and have decided her plots are perhaps not to my liking. They make sense and her characters have interesting backstories. You can tell the author puts her all into her work. But in the end, for contemporary romance novels, even sweet, clean novels like this one, they're just too much like fairytales for me. Don't get me wrong! I like a fairytale every now and then. But the ultra-rich MC's are harder for me to relate to. I think this will be the last book I read from her. If none of the things that bothered me are a concern for you, then give this book a try.

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#CurrentlyReading: Clean, Second-Chance Romance

Before I share the book, let me just say a second-chance romance plot has to sound pretty epic for me to actually give it a try these days. I've read so many that were just not my cuppa and I got tired of giving the second chance stories a second chance. This one, however, seems to be pretty good so far.

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#TBR: Contemporary Romance

I've been more picky about my romance selections lately, trying to focus more on clean romances. I can do without the bedroom scenes. I'm not certain whether both of these fit that description. Sometimes a book gets mislabeled, or the person tacking on the label has different boundary lines. But I'm willing to give them a try.
Another thing I have trouble with in romance novels is when an author tries to write a military character without having knowledge of what it's like to be one or be a spouse or parent to one. Many times, I just have a hard time believing some of the things those characters do. I hope this one is a pleasant surprise and that he acts like a seasoned soldier if he's portrayed to be one. This one might actually be a double whammy since it's the 'best friend's sis is off limits' trope. I just have to shake my head. These people are adults, right? It always takes them too long to remember that.
Shanna Delaney is a new author for me, but I've read some of Lacy Williams' work before. I have mixed feelings at this point but I also want to be sure to give authors the benefit of the doubt. Not every plot is going to be one that grips me, after all. The blurb for this book sounded like a possible win. Here's hoping!

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I'd be interested to know which tropes make you smile and which ones make you groan in despair. And if you've read any of these, or think they might be interesting, I'd love to hear about it. Feel free to share in the comments!
Until next time...