Catharina Maura

My Review (May contain spoilers, fair warning upon reading this review so please be responsible)

The Secret Fiancee is a book I was really looking forward to. Even though the past couple books in the series have been such a disappointment, I was wanting more for this one and hoping that maybe the author had learned from how the past couple books just hasn't worked as well for her readership. So I do want to say that the first 90% of the story was superb. The romance was fun, the hero was a beta sweet hero and I really thought that this would be a win because the relationship really felt more healthy. But of course, Maura just had to ruin this book with the last 10% of the story. Now I will say that even though the hero goes bonkers in a scene, its understandable why he does. He has some past betrayal and trauma issues he just hasn't resolved so I wasn't shocked by his reaction. My issue though was how the heroine treated him. Now I get she was hurt, but the circles that she makes him jump through was very abusive for him. Now yes I do agree that he needed to do a grovel here, but what she makes him do in order for her to forgive him was more about power and manipulation than actual love. The author writes the grovel to the point where the hero is DESTROYED emotionally to the point that it literally made me sick in disgust. I am not going to justify this behavior. Quite frankly he deserved better than a woman like this. Because she knew of his past, and she should have been more understanding, and how she puts everything on him and treating him so beneath her just soured the ending for me so much that I only got to about 95% and I actually technically DNF it, I just couldn't finish it. That is how bad it was. This is why I am not picky about grovels, in fact, I would prefer to have a lighter grovel than to see this type of abuse. This is NOT the first time I have seen this from this author, and honestly I am not sure I will finish the series. I don't get the appeal when authors destroy the heroes just for the sake of having a grovel to satisfy readers. And if this grovel had been better handled, this book would have been a 5 or 6 star read.

Overall this was a disappointment. Even though the first majority of the book was pretty amazing, the ending completely was toxic and abusive in ways that can't be redeemed.… (altro)

Forever After All is a marriage of convenience standalone. I was really intrigued by this due to the setup of the story and this trope is my catnip. And even though I love this author, something that drive me bonkers is the way she handles the grovels. I am SO not a fan of how she drags it out and the heroines treat the hero's so awful in their grovel. It really rubs me the wrong way. So this story was solid for the most part. I enjoyed the angst, I enjoyed the whole hero is so emotionally constipated and the heroine trying to make her husband fall in love with her. So the first 2/3 of the story I really enjoyed. But then we get to the third act where the heroine breaks it off with the hero but when the hero tries to show how much he loves her, she spurns him completely and even has him dragged out by security and it just doesn't make sense. Throughout the whole book she wants him to love her, and when he finally is open with her and admits his feelings, she treats him like a criminal for it and his whole family acts like he is the enemy when there is obvious reasons why he doesn't open his heart easily. Basically, we just get to see the heroine emasculate the hero (which is not sexy) and it just wasn't super enjoyable when the rest of the book was so solid.… (altro)

Until You is a contemporary romance novel that tells the story of Aria and Grayson, who have been working together online as vigilante coders, but don’t know each other’s real identities. Aria is a talented coder who runs a website that exposes cheaters and liars. Grayson is a billionaire who owns a coding company and has been helping Aria with her missions. They have been falling for each other online, but they have never met in person.

However, their lives collide when Aria loses her job and her apartment, and is offered a job by Grayson, who is also her brother’s best friend. Aria accepts the job, hoping to start a new life and forget her cheating ex-boyfriend. Grayson is shocked to discover that Aria is the mysterious coder he has been looking for, and decides to keep it a secret. He also feels a strong attraction to Aria, but he knows she is off-limits.

Their relationship is complicated by their online alter egos, their family and friends, and their enemies. Aria and Grayson have to deal with their feelings, their secrets, and their dangers. They also have to face the consequences of their actions, and the risks of their online crusade.

The book is a fast-paced and thrilling romance that explores the themes of trust, loyalty, justice, and love. The author creates a captivating plot that keeps the reader engaged until the end. The characters are well-developed and realistic, with flaws and strengths that make them relatable. Aria is a strong and smart heroine who stands up for what she believes in. Grayson is a dominant and protective hero who has a soft spot for Aria. The chemistry between them is hot and intense, with some steamy scenes that will make you blush.

Until You is a standalone novel with a guaranteed happily-ever-after, and no cheating. It is the first book in the Off-Limits series.… (altro)

This book was a real struggle to read. I wanted to love it but it just wasn't for me at all. There was way too much angst, in my opnion, it was overkill. The premise of this book had such promise, I always love a romeo juliet retelling in a romance and so the first half was really wonderfully written. I really enjoyed the way that our couple originally comes together, but the conflict that sets them apart was completely bananas. This is my least favorite book of the series. The second half just killed any enjoyment I could have had with this story. There was so much conflict between this couple and what the heroine does to the hero and his family was nonsense. He was way too forgiving after all the harm and damage she caused to others and while she did some groveling it felt too half hearted. It just felt a bit too much that this couple went through. But the teaser for the next couple has me super excited, so hopefully that one is a much better turn out… (altro)