Ali Vali

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I don't usually pick up lesbian romances because they're largely not to my tastes, but Beauty and the Boss sounded quick and fun. Unfortunately for me, it was neither.

Ellis is a famous fashion designer and Charlotte is an single mother and aspiring designer granted an internship with Ellis. Ellis, Charlotte and Charlotte's 10 year old daughter Sawyer, already a talented artist, soon take off for New Orleans to prepare for fashion week. Almost immediately one of two copies of the all important book of designs for fashion week is stolen by Ellis' vindictive coworkers and the entire line needs to be replaced. The tension rises as Ellis and Charlotte battle their pasts and their romantic feelings for each other, all while tirelessly work towards salvaging their fashion week.

The main characters, Ellis and Charlotte, work together and fall madly in love quickly, for no real reason as far as I can tell. The emotion just wasn't there. I couldn't connect with them at all and that was a huge disappointment for me. I wanted to like them so much but they were never elevated to vibrant characters who feel real.

Stylistically, the writing didn't do much for me. There are a few things that Vali did that I find amateur-ish, like how a character is always introduced in ways that felt like high school creative writing style.

Fashion designer Ellis Renoir...
Her best friend and partner Rueben Maddox...
"Do you have everything set?" Jennifer Eymard asked Dalton Burton as they had lunch at the Clocktower restaurant.

This sort of thing always pulls me out of a story, as it's an awkward and amateurish way to introduce characters and starts to stick out the more it's used. The sentences were in a simple, almost a fanfic-style, that prevented me from ever really connecting with the characters that I really wanted to connect with. I actually had a really hard time differentiating between who was speaking at any given time, that's how similar every character's voice was. The 10 year old girl sounded the exact same as worldly journalists and international fashionistas.

The main antagonists, Jennifer and Dalton, are hollow, evil caricatures. I don't particularly expect villains to grow and change in the same way I expect the protagonists too, but there was no real explanations for their hatred of Ellis. Despite having a multitude of perspective chapters, I never felt like I understood more about them as people. They were both willing to enact horrible betrayals, ruin families and commit crimes, but their motives lacked any real emotional correlation. Why give them perspectives within the narrative at all if there's no complexities within the characters at all?

In the end, these things made what was actually a fairly short book feel like I was slogging through it, finishing more for completion's sake than enjoyment.… (altro)

I remember, back in my fanfic consuming days, reading the Harry and Desi series and enjoying it. When I saw the published version hit NetGalley, I knew I had to give it a shot.

The story and characters are as I remembered them. What I didn't factor in is that my tastes have changed. Harry is Vali's typical perfect butch fighting and loving the perfect femme. I enjoy butch/femme stories, it's the perfect part that becomes trying for me.

I moved pretty quickly through the first 90% of the book but got burned out on the perfection and over the top romance bits. Again, this is what you usually get from old Ali Vali stories and if you know that going in, you're probably good to go. I really struggled with that last 10% though. I think I was just ready to end my visit with Harry and Desi.

If you're a fan of Vali's old school romances, you'll very likely enjoy One More Chance.

Thanks to Bold Strokes and NetGalley for the chance to check back in on the Basantes family.… (altro)

I went back and forth between three and four stars way too long before ultimately deciding I was going to round up. Why the big internal debate? Allow me to explain...

The best thing about The Inheritance is that it has the fantastic feel of a traditional Ali Vali romance. You've got your gallant, sexy, family-oriented (and usually rich) dark haired butch who quickly and completely falls for the strawberry blonde femme who is strong, has a sharp tongue, and is sexy as hell. They always have sizzling chemistry and funny and sweet banter. The family usually plays a big role in some way, too. And business. All of that was present in the newest book.

The Inheritance was also missing the thing that has really bothered me in the past couple of stand-alone romances I've read by Vali - the rush ending/resolution. With this one, there was a lot going on and some of it did get wrapped up quickly but I didn't feel like we were pushing a page limit or that the author just decided it was enough. I was given the time to believe in the partnership development and connection.

Now for the things that prevented the book from being a 5-star for me. There were a couple of times where I felt that plot twists were just over the top. My BS meter was pinging so hard my Kindle was shaking. But, those bits didn't last long and even though I rolled my eyes and grimaced, I didn't feel like quitting. The other thing that got me was the switching of POVs mid-scene with no warning. I know some authors and readers are cool with this but nothing - and I do mean nothing - will rip me out of a scene faster than being yanked out of one head and dropped into another. It causes me to stop, figure out if I'm losing my mind, backtrack a few sentences or paragraphs to see if I missed something, readjust to the new mental setting, and then start over where I got caught off guard. I really wish that didn't happen. Particularly because it tends to happen during emotionally intense scenes because the author is trying to show all the feels from everyone. I get it. I don't like it, but I get it.

So there you have it. I absolutely recommend The Inheritance for all you Ali Vali fans. It's sweet and funny and the best stand-alone romance by the author I've read in a long time. Makes me want to reread Carly's Sound again. *sigh*

Thanks to BSB and NetGalley for the chance to take an early crack at it!… (altro)