friends to lovers

Fighting Love by Abby Niles

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Fighting Love (Love to the Extreme, #2)
Grade-B
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-Love to the Extreme #2
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kay
352 pages

To say Tommy Sparks is down on his luck would be an understatement. He’s lost his MMA title, his self respect and his house. When he was at the top of his sport, he had it all. Money, women popularity and his best friend, Julie. Due to some of his issues, he lost it all. All of it except Julie. Now he has to move in with her until the insurance pays for the losses due to his house catching on fire.

Julie has loved Tommy since she was ten years old. He was her savior then and her very best friend since. They used to sneak into each other’s room at night, when their home lives became too much. She has watched an endless parade of friends and women come through Tommy’s life. And still, she loves him. She so desperately wants Tommy to see her as a woman and not his “sister”. When she offers him a place to stay she knows she has to be careful with her heart and feelings.

This was a great story and more emotional than I thought it would be. I felt bad for Tommy because he never thought that with his past, he’d be good enough for Julie. I really liked both characters up until the end. I thought Julie became kind of a shrew. I know she always felt second place to Tommy’s fame but seriously, Julie! Calm your ass down! I will not hesitate to read the first book in this series or any others that follow. I just hope that the heroines aren’t shrews.

No Strings Attached by Suzan Butler

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

No Strings Attached
Grade-B
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level- No Kink
Genre-Romantic Suspense
Reviewed by Kay
250 pages

This was a great story of a pretty much lifelong friendship that slowly grew into something so much more.

Ethan is a wealthy soldier. His family has money and he is a trust fund baby. Complete with a marriage and children clause. He has been friends with Ashlynn since they were kids. They became best friends, then friends with benefits and when he had to marry, she was the logical choice. He had to marry and she needed stability for her and her son.

There was also suspense which dealt with her abusive ex-boyfriend and he kind of lifestyle he led. You were kind of on the edge of your seat waiting for him to show and cause chaos. He was a very bad guy. I was irritated with some of Ash’s choice regarding her safety but watching the two of them fall for each other and their acceptance of that was wonderful to read. I will definitely read more of this author.

Christmas on 4th Street by Susan Mallery

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Christmas on 4th Street (Fools Gold #12.5)
Grade-B+
Hotness Level-Ember
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-Fool’s Gold #12.5
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kay
336 pages

“That’s the thing about love. We often get more than we deserve and isn’t that incredibly wonderful?”
Yet another installment of Susan Mallery’s Fool’s Gold series and I fall more in love with the series every book. This one is about Noelle who runs the Christmas Attic store in town. That’s right a store specializing in Christmas 365 days a year. I can’t help it, it warms my heart.  Noelle was very sick in the recent past but has overcome it. She lost her mother and grandmother to a auto accident and her fiancé to her illness. She made her way to Fool’s Gold and never looked back. She loves the town, townspeople, friends, her store and her home. But she wants her own HEA and watching her friends marry one by one is bittersweet
.
Gabriel Boylan is the brother of Gideon, who settled in the town a couple of years ago. Gabriel is a trauma specialist with the Army. He has worked overseas and had seen enough horror to last a lifetime. After losing his fiancé to a combat related his issue, he decides that he won’t ever fall in love again because it hurts too bad to lose someone you love. He comes to his brother’s house for the Christmas holiday and meets Noelle.

I so much enjoyed this book because of it’s sweetness. I’ll admit the ending was a little far fetched for most towns but not Fool’s Gold. I can’t wait for her next installment. My continued complaint regarding her separate books with this series is that the heat content is totally unacceptable.