REVIEW: "The Last Letter" by Rebecca Yarros (Women's Literature, Contemporary Romance)

THE LAST LETTER by Rebecca Yarros
	Publisher: Entangled: Amara Genre: Women's Literature, Contemporary Romance Publication Date:February 26th 2019 Standalone: Yes
Categories:
Man in Uniform: Military, Single Mom
Other Books by Rebecca Yarros
The Renegades #1 My Review The Renegades #2 My Review The Renegades #3  My Review
Description from Publisher:
Beckett, If you’re reading this, well, you know the last-letter drill. You made it. I didn’t. Get off the guilt train, because I know if there was any chance you could have saved me, you would have. I need one thing from you: get out of the army and get to Telluride. My little sister Ella’s raising the twins alone. She’s too independent and won’t accept help easily, but she has lost our grandmother, our parents, and now me. It’s too much for anyone to endure. It’s not fair. And here’s the kicker: there’s something else you don’t know that’s tearing her family apart. She’s going to need help. So if I’m gone, that means I can’t be there for Ella. I can’t help them through this. But you can. So I’m begging you, as my best friend, go take care of my sister, my family. Please don’t make her go through it alone. Ryan
My Rating:	Heat Rating:
Oh my god. I cried. Like, tears. I kept thinking it wouldn't happen, couldn't. But it did. And I couldn't stop reading but I wanted to. Thankfully, both of my babies are next to me to hug and be glad they are alive and well (This isn't -really- a spoiler. It isn't what you might think!) I had started this expecting a romance, and will start that this is only just barely a romance. It was about a family dealing with one tragedy after another, being broken and then sewn back together, but not impeccably. It -was- a romance in that it is about a single mother and a man who loves her. To be perfectly honest, I didn't really care for Ella, the female protagonist, but I loved Beckett (the male lead), and the kids. The bond there was so heartwarming and heartbreaking. I can't go into more without spoilers, but you will cry reading this one.
My Source: I received a digital ARC from the publisher to voluntarily review. This in no way influenced my review. My opinion is unbiased and 100% my own.

About the Author: Rebecca Yarros

Rebecca Yarros is a hopeless romantic and a lover of all things coffee, chocolate, and Paleo. She is the author of the Flight & Glory series, including Full Measures, the award-winning Eyes Turned Skyward, Beyond What is Given, and Hallowed Ground. Her new Renegade Series features Wilder and the upcoming Nova, and is sure to keep your heart pounding. She loves military heroes, and has been blissfully married to hers for fourteen years. When she’s not writing, she’s tying hockey skates for her four sons, sneaking in some guitar time, or watching brat-pack movies with her two daughters. She lives in Colorado with the hottest Apache pilot ever, their rambunctious gaggle of kids, an English bulldog who is more stubborn than sweet, and a bunny named General Fluffy Pants who torments the aforementioned bulldog. They recently adopted their youngest daughter from the foster system, and Rebecca is passionate about helping others do the same.

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RELEASE: "13" by Rhonda James (Romance)

13 by Rhonda James
	Genre: Contemporary Romance Publication Date: May 11th 2018 Series: The List, #2 Standalone: Yes
Description from Publisher:
“Fake it till you make it.” A notion I once considered utterly ridiculous. Until one crazy night with a mysterious man resulted in a social media frenzy that had the entire entertainment industry talking. Seems a fake marriage was just what my career needed to make Hollywood come knocking. Convincing him to continue the charade was almost too easy. The chemistry between us made it impossible to keep my hands to myself. But it was all just pretend, right? Love was never in the script. That is, until he re-wrote it. 13 Reasons You Should Stay: 1. I’m crazy about you 2. I make you laugh 3. You totally dig me

About the Author: Rhonda James
Rhonda is an Amazon bestselling romance author who strives to create a book boyfriend for all her readers. She’s married and lives in Michigan with her family. In her spare time you can find her talking to readers, getting lost in a new book, or just spending time with her family.
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REVIEW: "Spies, Lies, and Allies" by Lisa Brown Roberts (Young Adult, Romance)

SPIES, LIES, AND ALLIES by Lisa Brown Roberts
	Publisher: Entangled TEEN Genre: Young Adult, Romance Publication Date:May 1st 2018 Standalone: Yes
Categories:
Nerd Romance
Description from Publisher:
Summers are supposed to be fun, right? Not mine. I’ve got a job at my dad’s company, which is sponsoring a college scholarship competition. I just found out that, in addition to my job assisting the competing interns, I’m supposed to vote for the winner. Totally not what I signed up for. My boss is running the competition like it’s an episode of Survivor. Then there’s Carlos, who is, well, very distracting––in a good way. But I can’t even think about him like that because fraternizing on the job means instant disqualification for the intern involved. As if that’s not enough, an anonymous informant with insider intel is trying to sabotage my dad’s company on social media...and I’m afraid it's working. Much as I’d love to quit, I can’t. Kristoffs Never Quit is our family motto. I just hope there’s more than one survivor by the end of this summer.
My Rating:	Heat Rating:
So this was cute at times. It had a Breakfast Club vibe (as was obviously intended). There was a bit of everything, and a LOT of pop nerd culture references, even a visit to Denver Comic Con. Laurel's father owns a company and is a workaholic, so she begs him to give her a summer job, hoping to see him more. He agrees to hire her on to assist the interns he has hired as part of an internship-for-a-scholarship program he is starting. She spends the summer getting to know the interns, and more about herself, as well. It was an entertaining read, and I was invested in figuring out which intern would get the scholarship money. The scene where they all make confessions fanned those flames more, which was a goos thing. I wasn't a big fan of Laurel, though. She grew over the course of the book, but was still so very immature for someone who was 17. There were so mnay instances that she frustrated me by not just miscommunicating, but being literally silent when just a word (even via text or email) would have made a world of difference. She dialed the romance factor down significantly, as a result, which was disappointing. She and Carlos were so often angry at one another, and not in a sexy way! There were also some random comments on race or gender that seemed to come out from left field and served no purpose... And Laurel's dad was so quick to anger (like Carlos or Laurel, I suppose), biting Laurel's head off over things like her wanting to go to lunch with him. It was a bit sad, really. So, that all is to say that this was an enjoyable read, but not without some things that brought it down a bit, in my opinion. It is worth a read, but my expectations may have been a bit high (I've enjoyed this author's other books quite a bit!).
My Source: I received a digital ARC from the publisher to voluntarily review. This in no way influenced my review. My opinion is unbiased and my 100% own.

About Lisa Brown Robert
Lisa Brown Roberts still hasn't recovered from the teenage trauma of nearly tweezing off both eyebrows and having to pencil them in for an entire school year. This and other angst-filled memories inspire her to write YA books about navigating life's painful and funny dramas, and falling in love along the way.