14.12.17

Mini-Reviews: The Sugar Rush Series (Books 1-4) by Nina Lane


As a growing fan of the romance genre, I felt that it was about time that I checked out Nina Lane's books. I decided the perfect place to start was with her Sugar Rush series! 

Now that I've devoured the first four, all I can say is: WHY DIDN'T I READ THIS SERIES SOONER?! Seriously, it's so good! If you love books featuring strong, independent heroines and charming, passionate heroes, you're going to love this series! As always, some I enjoyed more than others; however, each are solid 3.5 to 4 star reads. Find out more below! 

Also it's important to mention that while this is a series, each book stands alone. Nina does a wonderful job of summarizing past plot points in the start of each book, but it is fun to read them in order, as there are crossover characters in each. 

Sweet Dreams (Book, #1)
Synopsis/Cover Image from Author's Website: 
He may own a candy company, but this wealthy bachelor is no Willy Wonka.

A new standalone sexy contemporary romance by New York Timesbestselling author Nina Lane!

Sugar Rush Candy Company CEO Luke Stone is a devoted businessman who doesn't do relationships. He does short-term affairs with clearly defined rules. But when a sexy bohemian angel propositions him in a bar, Luke is tempted to want more.

Polly Lockhart is horrified when she wakes the morning after her twenty-third birthday to realize she made a fool of herself with a sinfully delicious man. She tells herself she doesn't have time for romance anyway, as she's fighting to keep her mother's beloved bakery afloat and finish her culinary studies. That all changes when her class tours the famed Sugar Rush headquarters, and Polly collides with her dream man again.

As she succumbs to their hot attraction, Polly soon realizes her bakery isn't the only thing that needs saving. Luke, driven and unyielding, will burn out unless someone convinces him to taste the sweetness of life. But can Polly remember this sugar rush is only temporary?
Review:

Two words to describe Nina Lane's Sweet Dreams? Sweet and sexy! I will admit it that it took me a while to get into this, because the story started off slow. By the halfway mark, however, I was one hundred percent hooked as well as a committed Polly-and-Luke shipper. 

Polly was a great lead. I loved how sweet and wholesome she was, but what I loved even more was how she wouldn't take handouts from anyone. She was determined to save her business on her own, and even when Luke did help her out, she always managed to make it an equal deal. When the book first begins, Luke is very serious and staunch - he doesn't take vacations, he works 24/7, and he is incredibly anti-realtionship. Everything changes, though, when he meets Polly. Suddenly, he wants to dedicate his weekends to her and not work and he wants to do cutesy-relationship things. Basically, he's a changed man and for the better, because while I did love moody and serious Luke, fun and loving Luke was even better! There romance developed at a great speed. The drama towards the end was a tad bit ridiculous, but in all, a great start to a series! 


3. 5 stars! 

Sweet Dreams is now out!

Source: eBook provided by publicist



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Sweet Escape (Book, #2) 

Synopsis/Cover Image from Author's Website
When dessert goes wrong…

Hannah Lockhart travels the world and blogs about love. At least she used to before she promised to look after her sister’s bakery. Now, stuck in small town California for the next six months, Hannah is desperate to find romantic content for her blog or risk losing both readers and income.

Then a whipped cream disaster sends her into the arms of sexy, charming Evan Stone, heir to the Sugar Rush Candy Company.

Since childhood, Evan has been trying to overcome family concerns about his defective heart. Known as “The Heartbreaker,” he’s found an outlet with women. And when bad news strikes him, he seeks a diversion by offering to show Hannah the romance of the Bay Area.

Hannah jumps at the chance…as long as they keep things platonic. But soon Evan’s hot combination of charm, perfect kisses, and a serious sweet tooth melts her defenses.

As Hannah and Evan surrender to their delicious attraction, they are forced to confront the reality of her wanderlust and his heart condition. When love and hearts collide, can Hannah and Evan find their sweet ending?

Review:

After reading Sweet Dreams, I couldn't wait to dive into Hannah and Evan's story! I loved both of their characters in the first book. Plus, I couldn't wait for them to prove their siblings "wrong" - for Hannah that meant staying at the bakery for a few months rather than giving into her wanderlust and for Evan that meant being a successful temporary CEO. As it turns out, this book is EVEN BETTER than the first one! 

I loved the dynamic between Hannah and Even. It was the perfect distribution of adorable and sexy. Plus, the banter between them was fantastic - their chemistry just poured out. I also enjoyed reading about the trips they took in the book as well as the struggles they faced at work. More importantly, I liked that adventure hungry Hannah finally found a home in this! It warmed my heart to see her so happy and content. In all, Sweet Dreams is a fanatic follow-up! 


4 stars!


Sweet Escape is now out!


Source: eBook provided by publicist
Buy Links: 


Sweet Surrender (Book, #3) 

Synopsis/Cover Image from Author's Website
Super-efficient Kate Darling needs lessons in love. As executive assistant to the CEO of the Sugar Rush Candy Company, Kate knows everything about organization and nothing about relationships. Then she literally falls into the arms of Tyler Stone, youngest Sugar Rush heir and notorious bad boy.

After a colossal screw-up involving a pretty girl and a stolen speedboat, Tyler is facing the punishment of an actual job. His father has sentenced him to organize the company library, which is Tyler’s definition of cruel and unusual punishment. But if he can convince industrious, resourceful Kate to help him, he’ll earn his release in no time.

Kate is no fool. Tyler is an authority on sex, and she wants to learn. She’ll help him with the library—if he’ll teach her about the erotic side of romance.

Cataloging, alphabetizing, and metadata collide in a storm of lust, sweat, and dirty talk as Kate and Tyler get to work on both the library and each other. But when he starts falling for her, their hot affair will be one for the books.
Review: 

After devouring Hannah and Evan's love story, I didn't think this series could get much better. As it turns out, I was dead wrong, as Kate and Tyler's story is the BEST one yet! 

In Sweet Surrender, Kate, Luke's longtime assistant, decides she's sick of always being so straight laced. She wants love and romance - to be swept off her feet. To solve this issue, she enlists Tyler's relationship help, but in the process fall head over heels for him of course!

In the past few books, Tyler has always been labeled as the trouble maker, the black sheep of the family, and honestly, I was a little worried about a book being focused on him. Would I like him? Did he have redeeming qualities? Thankfully, Tyler was a fantastic lead -  a bad boy on the path of redemption. It was fun to see Tyler become passionate about his work in this book as well as see how Kate influenced him to be better. Additionally, I liked seeing his relationship with his brothers through his eyes - it gave a new layer of detail to their relationships. Kate was also a great character. I always love a good "make-over" storyline; however, what I appreciated the most here was that Kate stayed true to herself. Sure, she started dressing in younger-looking clothes and taking risks, but at the core, she was same old Kate - caring, loyal, and steadfast. Together, Kate and Tyler had some of the BEST chemistry I've seen so far in this series. I loved the banter, the shopping trips, etc. It was so much fun to see them fall in love - so much in fact that I didn't even mind the overly dramatic twist at the end. 

All in all, if you read ANY book in this series, make sure it's Sweet Surrender. 


4 stars! 

Sweet Surrender is now out! 


Buy Links: 


Sweet Time (Book #4) 

Synopsis/Cover Image from Author's Website
A rock-hard bodyguard gets a sassy, sweet treat.

Stuck in a boring insurance job, vivacious Mia Donovan has spent the last few years searching for her life's true path. She fills her time helping plan the wedding of her best friend to the CEO of the Sugar Rush Candy Company.

Mia has also been trying to attract the impossibly rigid Sugar Rush security chief Gavin Knight. But for well over a year, the unyielding Mr. Knight has ignored her, despite her short skirts, tight sweaters, and patently obvious flirting. And when he finally approaches her, it's only to assess the wedding plans for potential security risks.

A former soldier, Gavin has intercepted hostile anonymous letters threatening the high-profile wedding. Determined to keep everyone safe, he's forced to work with the maddeningly sexy Miss Donovan of the thousand-watt charm and irresistible body.

Irked by Gavin's many months of disregard, Mia takes her teasing flirtations to a whole new level. But her coquettish ways are no match for the edgy, lust-fueled dominant he conceals behind his impassive exterior. And when Gavin exerts his full control, Mia discovers he can protect everything except her heart.
Review: 

After witnessing glimpses of the will-they-or-won't-they debacle of Mia and Gavin in the previous three books, I was so excited to finally see them get their chance at a HEA in Sweet Time. In the previous books, Mia's always been a constant source of amusement. I love her ceaseless flirting, especially when it comes to Gavin. Additionally, I admire that she's always been a great friend to Polly. I mean, she is the reason why Polly and Luke ended up together, which honestly deems her worthy of a medal in my opinion. 

In Sweet Time, a new side of Mia is seen. She's not always the confident, fearless girl she presents herself as. She has insecurities,  especially when it comes to her friendship with Polly and her career outlook. I feel that any twenty-something will be able to relate to Mia - she's at that crossroads part of her life where all of her friends are getting married or in relationships or finding the career of their lives while she's just chilling in a dead-end job, single as ever. 

Then enters Gavin, finally ready to give it a go with Mia. Their resulting romance was sweet and full of chemistry. I also liked that more of Gavin was seen - he had a lot of layers to his character. More importantly, I loved that while Gavin helped Mia see her potential, he wasn't her "savior" - she saved herself when it came to finding happiness and purpose and I was wholeheartedly behind that! 

Last but not least, it was fun to see Polly's wedding in this. Nina even included a mystery within it, and while the mystery was easy to solve, I still enjoyed it. 

Overall, another great addition to the Sugar Rush series. 

3. 5 stars! 

Sweet Time is now out! 

Source: eBook provided by publicist

Add on Goodreads! 

Buy Links: 

Amazon | iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo


Be sure to stop back tomorrow for my stop on the Sweet Life blog tour! 


10 comments:

  1. I’ve heard about Nina Lane’s books many times though I haven’t read any of them. Glad that you enjoyed some of them. Thanks for sharing, Lauren. Awesome reviews. ❤️😁

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  2. Sounds like a lot of fun! And yes, the name of the author is fantastic. :)

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    1. Yeah, were definitely a lot of fun. I had to get the heat fixed in my apartment this week, and they were the perfect distraction for when the work was being done. Plus they brought some heat with them lol

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  3. I love companion series, because you get to see side characters get their HEA, while catching up with past couples. I like that the author had the bad boy grow up in his book. I love when that happens.

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    1. I love companion series for the same reasons as you! Honestly, I'm starting to love the more than continuation series because I love seeing a different perspective each time - keeps things fresh!

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  4. These sound like some really amazing books! Thank you for sharing your thoughts on them and bringing them to my attention too.

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  5. Awesome that you wanted to read the whole series. These all sound like great romances and the cover screams "pick me up"!

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