Tag Archives: multicultural romance

Book Review: Taboo by Jo Tannah

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Taboo         

Authors: Jo Tannah

Publisher: eXtasy Books

American release date: September 16, 2016

Format/Genre/Length: Kindle/Multicultural Romance/384 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Zach Parker’s best friend, Margaret Maxfield, is getting married, and he’s to be the man of honor. But that’s not what has him stirred up, excited, and scared – all at the same time. No, it’s the thought of seeing Margaret’s dad again. Zach has been in love with Tristan Maxfield forever. As a kid, he set his desires in the category of never gonna happen. But so much has happened, including Tristan and Amanda’s divorce, as well as Tristan coming out of the closet. That is a definite game changer. Not to mention, it’s been five years since he’s set eyes on the man.

Zach wants to be with Tristan so badly he can’t stand it. But what about the repercussions? What will Margaret and her brothers say if they do hook up? Zach practically grew up with them. Not to mention that Tristan and Zach’s dad are best friends and partners in the very successful law firm where Zach plans to work some day. Will Zach’s parents accept his feelings for Tristan, considering the big difference in their ages, and who Tristan is to them?

Tristan has always liked Zach, but seeing him after five years… something just clicks inside of him, a feeling he can’t describe. Yes, he wants Zach, but it’s more than that. And just when he has decided to label himself as a perv, he realizes the feeling is mutual. Should he act upon it?

This book is about a romance that many in society frown on because of the age difference between the two people involved. But age is just a number. And being close in age is no guarantee of anything. I loved these two guys from the beginning and was rooting for them to get together on a permanent basis. They are so hot and sweet and romantic. The sex scenes are also very hot, and the author has a very smooth, enjoyable voice. The ex-wife is a true witch and a major…. Well, let’s just say she sleeps around a lot and leave it at that. And word to the wise – don’t mess with Zach’s mom or the people she loves. She will mess you up!  lol

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to the next one.

Book Review: How to Find a Princess: Runaway Royals #2 by Alyssa Cole

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How to Find a Princess: Runaway Royals #2     

Authors: Alyssa Cole

Publisher: Avon

American release date: May 25, 2021

Format/Genre/Length: Kindle/Multicultural Romance/399 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Makeda Hicks thinks her life is going well… until her girlfriend dumps her, and the store she works for fails to promote her in favor of the woman Makeda trained and then fires her. She calls her Grandmore to cry on her grandmother’s shoulder, and Grandmore suggests she move back in with her for the summer and help her run the Golden Crown, her B&B. What her grandmother doesn’t know is that Makeda helped the girlfriend before this last one with a business loan which she has ended up being stuck with and she can really use the money, so why not? The downside is having to listen to Grandmore’s stories about a long ago liaison with a supposed prince (ie not Makeda’s grandfather) which resulted in Makeda’s mother and which makes both her and her mother of royal lineage. Makeda is beyond tired of hearing that fantasy, especially since her mother abandoned her because of it.

Beznaria Chetchevaliere works for the WFM – the World Federation of Monarchists – as a  junior investigator. During her performance review, her pathetic excuse for a superior has many criticisms for the way she does her job, although she is actually really good at what she does. She has a feeling this review won’t end very well when he asks her about her Ibaranian heritage, and her interest in the story of the lost queen. He knows that Beznaria’s interest lies in the fact that her grandmother, who was the Grand Dame of the Ibaranian Guard at the time of the queen’s disappearance, was blamed for that disappearance and had even accused of having killed the queen, although that was never proved. Beznaria is determined to clear her grandmother’s name, as she knows Henna Jeta would never have done anything so dishonorable. Now the members of the Ibaranian heir team are swamped with claims of pretenders to the throne. Surprisingly, her pompous boss asks Beznaria to investigate and gives her some leads to follow in the United States. Of course she agrees to do so, but it doesn’t take long for her to realize these leads are all bogus. Why is he determined to keep her from discovering the truth? She decides to do her own investigations, and these lead her to Makeda Hicks.

Makeda’s first impression of Bez is far from favorable, especially as the investigator broke into the house and snuck up on her while vacuuming. It becomes even less so when she learns who she is and what she wants. Makeda wants nothing to do with this whole ridiculous theory of her being a princess, since that is what drove her mother away to begin with. Her delusions of royal blood and being more than she was and less than what she should have been, which was a mother to Makeda. But Bez is most persistent, and she takes a room at the B&B, so it’s not like Makeda can avoid her. And, if she’s being honest with herself, she doesn’t exactly want to. There is something about Bez which draws her, even if she is fighting that feeling. How long can she resist the investigator’s wish to take her back to Ibarania as their princess? And how long can she resist the $15k being offered just to show up and submit a claim, whether true or not?

The second book in the Runaway Royals series is just as good as the first. There’s a lot going on in this book, more than just about finding a princess. Makeda is generous to the point of allowing herself to be used by people. She never stands up for herself to say what she wants, as if she’s worthless unless she’s doing something for someone else. Beznaria marches to the beat of her own drummer. She is very driven, especially when it comes to those she loves. If she believes in the path she follows, then she’s not above circumventing the rules to obtain the outcome she perceives to be the right one. She doesn’t lie, but she sometimes omits some of the details. These two fit together perfectly, and watching them come to that realization was priceless.

Alyssa Cole’s characters are wonderfully drawn, whether the main protagonists or their family and friends. I loved the crew of the cargo ship they traveled on. They seemed like people I would love to know. Her stories about royalty are beautifully detailed and she has created quite the world, beginning with the Reluctant Royals series and continuing with the Runaway Royals. I hope there are many more of these stories to come. I am so on board for this! Many thanks to my kid Sarah for turning me on to them.

Highly addictive stories that you will love!

Book Review: How to Catch a Queen: Runaway Royals #1 by Alyssa Cole

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How to Catch a Queen: Runaway Royals #1   

Authors: Alyssa Cole

Publisher: Avon

American release date: December 1, 2020

Format/Genre/Length: Kindle/Multicultural Romance/384 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Shanti has wanted to be a queen for all of her life. That has been her goal, and to attain that end she has worked very hard, enlisting the aid of her parents in the realization of her dream, and registering with the matchmaking site RoyalMatch.com. But the road she has chosen to travel is not an easy one, and many have scoffed at her for their perceptions of what they consider a foolish fantasy. But Shanti is nothing if not stubborn, and refuses to allow herself to be derailed from her journey. Her reasons for wanting to become a queen are clear to her, even if not to everyone else—she wants to make a difference, to be a force for good, to wield royal power in a helpful way. Her desires have nothing to do with money or glory… or even a king.

Prince Sanyu is the heir to the throne of the kingdom of Nyaza. His father, Sanyu I, helped to reinstate the monarchy after driving out the Liechtienbourger colonizers, with the aid of his chief adviser and closest friend, Musoke. But that was a long time ago, and things are not going well. The king and his adviser have proven resistant to change, keeping their country mired in the traditions of the past, and refusing to entertain ideas concerning progress, or alliances with other countries. The trouble is that the king is dying, and soon Sanyu will sit upon the throne, and the very thought terrifies him. But even more troubling is that they have decided he needs to marry first. Marriages in Nyaza are different than in other places. Each time the king marries, there is a four month trial period, during which it is decided whether his wife is the True Queen or not. If not, then at the end of the trial period, she leaves and the process begins again. Sanyu has lost count of how many queens have come and gone, including his own mother, of whom he has no memories. And now they have chosen a wife for him from an online site? How can that end well?

Shanti is excited to have been chosen as the wife of the prince of Nyaza, even though relations between Nyaza and her home of Thesolo aren’t necessarily the best. She is determined to be the best queen ever. What does it matter that once she meets Sanyu, despite his less than warm attitude, she finds him desirable? That is immaterial. And it quickly becomes problematic, as he makes no move to get to know her. Shanti quickly learns there is a reason why there have been so many queens, and no True Queen. She is practically invisible inside her own home, unseen and unheard. How can she make a difference when no one listens to her? Maybe if she can put her finger on the pulse of the people… When she discovers the group Nyaza Rise Up, she rejoices to be able to offer them some of her great organizational and research skills. But is she secretly plotting with people to wish to harm her kingdom? How can that possibly endear her to her husband… or is that a lost cause anyway?

How to Catch a Queen is the first book in Alyssa Cole’s Runaway Royals series. It’s also related to the Reluctant Royals series, so look for some familiar characters. I have to admit that I loved this book from the start and devoured it in record time. Shanti is an amazing woman, strong, beautiful, intelligent, and with a mind and will of her own. What’s not to like? Sanyu had to grow on me because he appeared to be so weak and there were times I just wanted to shake him. But the nice thing about Alyssa Cole is that she makes her characters real. Even good people have weaknesses and faults, and those perceived as bad aren’t necessarily bad but misguided and simply human.

After Shanti, I loved Kenyatta, her guardswoman, who is strong and brave and not afraid to put a man in his place, even if he is a king. I hope she gets her own love story someday. I loved seeing some of the people I grew to love from the first series, especially Prince Johann, who has a special place in my heart.

This is a romance, without a doubt, but it’s also about friendship and family, and about standing up for what is right, and wielding the power you have to help those in your community, as well as the rest of the world. Everything just resonated with me. And I confess that no one makes me cry quite like Alyssa Cole does, tears of happiness and joy, and the satisfaction of having finished an extraordinarily good read.

Is anyone surprised that I’ve pre-ordered the second book in the series, which comes out next May? Once you read this one, I know you will too.

Book Review: Hamilton’s Battalion by Rose Lerner, Courtney Milan, and Alyssa Cole

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Hamilton’s Battalion: A Trio of Romances     

Authors: Alyssa Cole, Rose Lerner, Courtney Milan

Publisher: Courtney Milan

American release date: October 17, 2017

Format/Genre/Length: Kindle/Gay Romance/Interracial Romance/378 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer:  Julie Lynn Hayes

 

Hamilton’s Battalion is a trio of novellas, set during and after the American Revolution. After the death of her husband, Alexander Hamilton, Elizabeth Hamilton collected reminiscences from those who knew him, particularly those who fought with him during the war. That was the inspiration for these tales, told by three different authors.

Promised Land by Rose Lerner

Corporal Ezra Jacobs is actually Rachel Mendelson, a Jewish woman who also wants to fight for her country. Once married to Nathan Mendelson, she left that life behind five years ago, letting him think her dead. Don’t ask—it’s complicated! But when she accidentally runs into him in the middle of her camp, she pegs him as a spy and turns him in. However, things are not what they seem. Now Rachel and Nathan have to make sense of who they were as opposed to who they are now. Have they been brought together for a reason… and will the war tear them apart in the most final way possible?

The Pursuit of… by Courtney Milan

Corporal John Hunter is serving in the rebel army with the promise of being freed from his condition of slavery once the war has been won. His concern is for his sister and her child, and he wants to return to them as quickly as possible to make sure they are all right. When he accidentally runs across a British soldier named Henry Latham, Henry’s first comment to him is “Nice weather for a siege, isn’t it?”

These men are opposites, yet they soon find themselves together under circumstances which would have been impossible before the revolution, as they travel to Rhode Island. What began as a confrontation could change… but for the better or not remains to be seen. John has never met anyone who talks as much as Henry. And as for his cheese… well, the less said about that the better.

As opposite as night and day, they find themselves drawn to each other by a power too strong to fight. But considering the day and age, will they be allowed to be happy together? Or will they be forced to separate forever?

That Could be Enough by Alyssa Cole

Mercy Alston works for Elizabeth Hamilton, helping her to preserve the stories she collects from the people who served with her late husband, Alexander Hamilton. When another young black woman, Andromeda Stiel, comes on behalf of her grandfather, Mercy is immediately drawn to the beautiful dressmaker. Andromeda is lively and flirtatious and utterly enchanting… and she seems to be very attracted to Mercy as well.

But Mercy has known too much heartache from other women, so she’s buttoned herself up and walled off that part of her heart which might respond to Andromeda. Mercy doesn’t believe happiness is in store for her, and she’s not willing to take a chance again. Not to mention society frowns on such as they. She has her work with Mrs. Hamilton, as well as taking care of her daughter Angelica, who has not been the same since her brother Phillip was shot in a duel years before, while defending their father.

Can Andromeda get through to Mercy and show her that she deserves to be loved? Or will she live in the memory of lost lives, like Mrs. Hamilton and her daughter?

I loved each of these novellas. Each tells a different story, and each writer has her own style, but together this is one great read. I love all things Hamilton, so when I ran across the book, I had to buy it. I’m glad I did. Each story has one thing in common… love. People in love. And each couple has its own obstacles, whether it’s an interfering Jewish mother-in-law or a society that does not allow people of the same sex to love one another or people who are of different races.

Prior to reading this, I was familiar with Alyssa Cole, and have reviewed several of her books, I didn’t know Rose Lerner, and Courtney Milan was on my to-read list.

If I had to pick my favorite couple, that would be a hard choice, but I think I would go with John and Henry, because I do love a good story about two men, and these two are wonderful, each in his own way. The first story was a good introduction to many Jewish customs and traditions I was unaware of. And while I did not warm up to Mercy and Andromeda immediately, it didn’t take long for them to click with me. Especially when I realized Andromeda felt the same as I do about Mrs. Hamilton wasting her life on a man who not only is dead but who mistreated her when he was alive and certainly didn’t deserve to be canonized.

This is a must-read for anyone who loves Hamilton, but I also recommend it to those who enjoy history, and those who like good love stories. This has all of that and more!

 

 

 

Book Review: A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole

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A Princess in Theory (Reluctant Royals #1)   

Author: Alyssa Cole

Publisher: Avon

American release date: February 27, 2018

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Contemporary Romance/384 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Naledi has received scam emails before, but this one takes the cake! Someone claiming to be his assistant thinks it’s funny to tell Naledi she is the betrothed of an African prince and to please send her personal information in order to verify her identity. As if! Orphaned at a young age, Naledi (Ledi to her friends) has had to become a strong and independent woman. Life is hard enough, what with her post-graduate studies in epidemiology, and staying afloat by waiting tables at the university, without someone trying to sell her false dreams!  Add to that a supervisor who keeps throwing off all of his grunt work onto her, instead of anyone else or even himself, and a best friend who at her best is unreliable and at her worst can be a drunken critical mess.

Thabiso is the prince of the African nation of Thesolo. It’s bad enough that people in his country are suffering from a mysterious illness that he is helpless to do anything about, but there is a major corporation seeking to make inroads into his nation, and Thabiso isn’t sure what they want will be in Thesolo’s best interests. But people of high rank are clamoring for him to sign off on this deal, and he feels pressured to do so. If that’s not enough, he’s had his assistant, Likotsi, search for his long-lost betrothed, a girl he knew in their childhood when they became engaged, but whose parents whisked her away so that she disappeared from his life. The good news is that Likotsi has found her, living under another name in New York City. The bad news is she is not responding to Likotski’s emails. What is a prince to do but go to New York himself to bring her back?

Thabiso shows up at Ledi’s place of work, intending to let her know who he is and that she needs to come back with him, but when she unexpectedly mistakes him for the new server, he sees an opportunity for her to get to know him for himself, not as a prince. So he doesn’t correct her, answers to the name Jamal, and takes the other man’s place. Who knew working in a restaurant could be so difficult, or that a royal prince could be so inept?

He can only stay so long in the States before he must return to Thesolo and deal with things there, including his parents, who are clamoring for him to get married and are unaware of his hunt for his betrothed. He’s determined more than ever, now that he has found her again, that Ledi shall be his bride. But will he have enough time to win her heart, so that she loves him for who he is? Somewhere along the line, as Likotsi reminds him, he has to tell her the truth about himself, or all will be for naught.

Ledi finds Jamal to be very sexy, if somewhat inadequate to his job. But she patiently shows him what to do, and she finds herself growing more and more attracted to him. She tells herself she has no time for men like him, her life is already complicated enough. But the more she sees him, the more he worms his way into her heart. No good will come of this, she knows, as she waits for the other shoe to drop… and drop it does, blowing her mind and threatening to destroy her world. Not to mention, most importantly,  he has lied to her. She’d rather stay safe and alone in her sterile academic world than risk her heart… wouldn’t she?

A Princess in Theory is the first book in Alyssa Cole’s Reluctant Royals series. It was recommended to me by my daughter, and I fell in love with it right away. Ledi hasn’t had an easy life, but she takes what comes and doesn’t complain. She is a very strong, very likeable heroine. I rooted for her from the beginning.

On the other hand, Thabiso is a handsome and sexy but somewhat sheltered, entitled prince, who doesn’t really understand a lot about what the real world is like until he meets Ledi. His original idea is to get her to go back to Thesolo with him, to do her duty and finish what was begun so many years before.  But he quickly discovers that won’t be as easy as he expected, since he is lying about who he is. Every day he falls for her more and more, and we watch him grow as a person and as a man as he tries to figure out how to handle the situation he finds himself in. You can’t help but hope he succeeds, and that these two will receive the fairy tale ending all princes and princesses deserve.

I love Alyssa Cole’s writing, she draws memorable characters and situations, and this story is both romantic and sensual. I know there are at least two more books in this series and I look forward to reading them. If you enjoy a good romance with an ending to die for, give this book a try. You won’t be sorry you did.