Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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A steamy romance set amidst a family feud.

Hate to Want You (Forbidden Hearts, #1) by Alisha Rai

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I bought this a couple years back when I found out Alisha Rai was coming to the Tucson Festival of Books and was going to be on several panels I was attending as a volunteer. Since a lot of people I knew had been reading this series and loving it, I figured I’d give it a shot. She actually canceled her appearances at the festival, I never found out why, and I didn’t end up reading the book. Fast forward to 2020, and I’m trying […]

It’s not them, it’s me

The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai

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I just don’t like romance novels and that’s the long and short of it. Secondhand embarrassment and awkwardness makes me cringe so hard I turtle right into my t-shirt and these kind of horrifying miscommunications are a feature, not a bug, when it comes to romance novels. It’s the “wait, no, I mean, if you just, c’mon, PLEASE” that makes me want to die. Granted, I haven’t read many romance novels, but between Alisha Rai and Helen Hoang, this kind of scenario seems to be […]

Romance amidst a family feud

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I first found Hate to Want You by Alisha Rai on NPR’s Best Books of 2017 List. I was finally able to get it from the library (on Kindle) right before I left for a long backpacking trip. Although I read most of it before getting on the trail, I always look for books that will not scare me when I’m sleeping alone in the woods. Romance novels are usually perfect. Now that I’ve read it, I don’t feel strongly about it. I didn’t love it, but I […]

All the family secrets come out in this one

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This is the third book in a trilogy, and it’s probably best to have read at least Hate to Want You first, to fully get the most out of the story. The central romance works on its own, but there are a lot of stuff in this book that works best if you’ve read at least the first book in the series. Evangeline “Eve” Chandler has quietly suffered her father’s verbal abuse for much of her life, and only recently started standing up for herself and choosing […]

Huh? A Contemporary Romance

Hate to Want You: Forbidden Hearts by Alisha Rai

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I don’t get it. How did Hate to Want You make it onto a Best of the Year list? Granted, 2017 was a disappointing year for romance readers, but even with that in mind, this is a surprising inclusion. Plot Synopsis: A teen romance torn apart by family rivalries and agita, leaves the two lovers years later finding what solace they can in one night a year together. When the woman, Livvy, moves home, can she and Nicholas find their way to be together in […]

These people are in lust, and in love

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I admit that I tend to stick to historicals in my romance novels. The language in modern romance can be a little jarring for me (too many cocks and thrusts), but I really liked this one and will continue to read the series. I didn’t expect the story to suck me in like it did, and I really liked the depth of the characters. Hate to Want You tells the story of Livvy and Nicholas, two childhood sweethearts who grew up together and whose grandparents […]



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