Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

It’s not them, it’s me

The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai

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I just don’t like romance novels and that’s the long and short of it. Secondhand embarrassment and awkwardness makes me cringe so hard I turtle right into my t-shirt and these kind of horrifying miscommunications are a feature, not a bug, when it comes to romance novels. It’s the “wait, no, I mean, if you just, c’mon, PLEASE” that makes me want to die. Granted, I haven’t read many romance novels, but between Alisha Rai and Helen Hoang, this kind of scenario seems to be […]

Romance amidst a family feud

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I first found Hate to Want You by Alisha Rai on NPR’s Best Books of 2017 List. I was finally able to get it from the library (on Kindle) right before I left for a long backpacking trip. Although I read most of it before getting on the trail, I always look for books that will not scare me when I’m sleeping alone in the woods. Romance novels are usually perfect. Now that I’ve read it, I don’t feel strongly about it. I didn’t love it, but I […]

All the family secrets come out in this one

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This is the third book in a trilogy, and it’s probably best to have read at least Hate to Want You first, to fully get the most out of the story. The central romance works on its own, but there are a lot of stuff in this book that works best if you’ve read at least the first book in the series. Evangeline “Eve” Chandler has quietly suffered her father’s verbal abuse for much of her life, and only recently started standing up for herself and choosing […]

Huh? A Contemporary Romance

Hate to Want You: Forbidden Hearts by Alisha Rai

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I don’t get it. How did Hate to Want You make it onto a Best of the Year list? Granted, 2017 was a disappointing year for romance readers, but even with that in mind, this is a surprising inclusion. Plot Synopsis: A teen romance torn apart by family rivalries and agita, leaves the two lovers years later finding what solace they can in one night a year together. When the woman, Livvy, moves home, can she and Nicholas find their way to be together in […]

These people are in lust, and in love

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I admit that I tend to stick to historicals in my romance novels. The language in modern romance can be a little jarring for me (too many cocks and thrusts), but I really liked this one and will continue to read the series. I didn’t expect the story to suck me in like it did, and I really liked the depth of the characters. Hate to Want You tells the story of Livvy and Nicholas, two childhood sweethearts who grew up together and whose grandparents […]

A Romance with Real People

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2017 was not a good year for romance. Pretty Face by Lucy Parker was by far the best, and while I read a bunch, I literally couldn’t tell you a single thing about most of them. And on top of that I had major issues with Pretty Face and the boss/subordinate romance. But then Hate to Want You was recommended by both Emmalita and Malin. And then it went on ebook sale. So here we are. Hate to want You is a second chance romance. […]



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