ARC REVIEW: Sweet Ride (Playing for Keeps #3) by Cathryn Fox

Title: Sweet Ride
Series: Playing for Keeps #3
Author: Cathryn Fox
Publisher: Entangled Brazen
Published: November 16th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 75
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Source: Publisher
★★✩ (2.5/5) Stars

Cathryn Fox | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

A sexy category romance novella from Entangled's Brazen imprint...

He'll unlock her wildest fantasies...

Private investigator Curtis Jagger has always had a thing for Alix Harris. She was the darling of their high school--gorgeous, popular, class president...and, he suspects, just as naughty as she is nice. Now Jag has the opportunity to show her what she's missing. To show her that sometimes being bad can be sexy as hell...

Alix has always done what she's supposed to, and it's gotten her exactly nowhere. Determined to please herself--

I received a copy of this book, from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating.

I'm having a hard time trying to figure out how to express my feelings for this book and this series. On the one hand I loved it and couldn't wait to find out what happened to each couple, but on the other the books are each so dang short, novella length, that everything happens at warp speed and there's really not enough time for these stories to evolve and give you that wow factor we're all looking for. Sure they kept my attention enough for me to still be here for number three. But if I'm being honest...I should've called it good at the end of the first one. Oh my stupid-must-know-how-everything-ends brain.

Sadly, Sweet Ride is actually my least favorite book in the series. Because while I said all the books happen at warp speed, this one does so in triple time. Alix goes through this crappy situation and instead of digesting it all she hops on a plane via a mystery person, plays hard to get with Jag for about five minutes, then blinks and puts her good girl aside for some wild sex with a guy she barely knew in high school. Oh and they fall madly in love in about a week.

Sigh.

Look. It takes a damn good story to get me to overlook insta-love. And even then, 9.5 times out of 10, I'm still kind of irritated with the situation. Had this book been longer I probably could have come close to forgiveness, but still I don't feel like it would've been solid enough for it, in my opinion.

I'm not saying they're completely terrible. I mean, Alix and Jag had some really amazing chemistry. I just wish there had been more substance to their relationship besides just incredibly hot sex. Something to make me sit here and say "yes. I believe in the two of you!" That doesn't happen though.

I'm really not sure if there's anything more positive to say from my reading experience. Alix was an okay character, but probably my series least favorite. While on the opposite side of the fence, I thought Jag was wonderful and would definitely be my favorite. So you can see I was pretty conflicted. 

I guess if you're looking for a really quick filler book in between something bigger and you don't mind people diving head first into love faster than you can say yeehaw, you'll probably have fun reading these books. I'm, unfortunately, all insta-loved out for the year.

Thanks to Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

ARC REVIEW: Slow Ride (Playing for Keeps #1) by Cathryn Fox

Title: Slow Ride
Series: Playing for Keeps #1
Author: Cathryn Fox
Publisher: Entangled Brazen
Published: September 28th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 87
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Erotica
Source: Publisher
★★★★ (4/5) Stars!

Cathryn Fox | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

A sexy category romance novella from Entangled's Brazen imprint...

He's looking for love. She's looking for trouble...

As a successful doctor and weekend cowboy, Chase Cooper enjoys a full life with plenty of female company. But lately, something hasn't felt right. He's been distracted. Antsy. Damn it, he's been lonely. With an eye on settling down with a nice girl, Coop invites his high school best friend down to his ranch to see if maybe she's the one for him...

Instead, her twin sister shows up. The one who loathes him.

Julia Blair is already halfway to Coop's ranch when she learns the invitation wasn't for her, but her vivacious twin sister. She has two choices: slink back home, or see just how far this farce will go. One glance at hotter-than-sin Coop, and she knows she's playing a dangerously hot game. Because what this cowboy wants, this cowboy gets...

Previously released on Entangled's Flaunt imprint as Cowboy's Way - November 2013 and has been enhanced with new material.

I received a copy of this book, from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating.

For only 87 pages this sure packs the punch of a full length novel. It was incredibly hot and intense yet at the same time achingly sweet. The perfect Brazen to pick up when you want to get through something very quick yet still leave you feeling the satisfaction of reading a full sized book.

The blurb is a bit misleading, but I'm actually happy with that. What I read was so much better than what I was expecting. I was expecting Julia was going to try to trick him into thinking she was her sister or something but thankfully that wasn't the case. I mean it would've been cute still I'm sure but I absolutely loved what I read instead.

I feel like this, in a way, is pretty much a second chance romance. Coop was completely hung up on Julia in high school but since her twin was his best friend he put her in the off limits zone. You don't date your best friend's sister. On the other hand Julia always had a thing for Coop as well, but she, like everyone else in their lives, assumed there was more to his relationship with her sister so she buried her feelings for him as well. I loved it! It was such a perfect premise filled with the promise of feels.

Coop and Julia were great characters. I loved how open Coop was and how he wore his emotions and didn't really hide anything. How he wasn't actually afraid to feel and actually wanted someone to share his life with. It's always a breath of fresh air compared to the fear of commitment characters we're normally bombarded with. Julia was so sweet and adorable. I loved how even though she was an identical twin and in a lot of ways felt 2nd best compared to her twin, she was still so positive and selfless and giving. She was just a really good person.

It didn't take long for things to heat up between these two and when they did? Explosive! Those were some pretty freaking hot and intense scenes.

I adored everything about this book. From the characters, to the storyline and the setting of the ranch. It was over way too quickly and I really wanted more of Coop and Julia. But I'll have to satisfy myself with two of Coop's best friends and their "ones that got away" that release in the next two months. I'm really looking forward to Mac and Jag's books!!

Thanks to Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!