5th Street Series
Noah (5th Street #1) by Elizabeth Reyes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Veronica Cruz has been through hell and back. After disconnecting with the world two years ago to be at the side of her dying mother, she’s left alone, unemployed, overweight, and feeling a decade older than her twenty-eight years. When her best friend coaxes her into joining the local gym to ditch her depression and rejuvenate her life, she meets Noah. Assigned to help Veronica lose weight, Noah is everything she expected a young trainer to be—perfectly chiseled, supportive and motivating. Add to that, he’s incredibly sexy. He’s everything she’s ever looked for in a man. What she least expected was for him to fall for her, but he has. There’s just one glaring problem: Noah is eight years younger.
Noah Quintanilla has his eye on a boxing title—someday. Down for a few months with an injury, his maintenance-boy pay at 5th Street Gym won’t cut it. He’s finally given the opportunity to train. The catch? His trainee is an out-of-shape woman with a free week pass. Taking on the challenge, Noah stumbles into one of the closest friendships he’s ever known, and before he knows it, he’s in love. But Veronica’s not having it—the age difference is too much. Their platonic relationship means having to watch her date other men—something that would make him crazy. Believing he’s the man for her, Noah sets out to prove that age is but an illusion, and there’s more to him than just a number.
I am a big fan of Elizabeth Reyes and I have to admit I put off reading this book for a while thinking it wouldn’t be as good as her Moreno Brothers series. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this story. Although I didn’t completely fall in love with the characters the way I did with Angel, Alex, Sal and the rest of the gang, I definitely think this was a great beginning of a new series that I will be sure to read.
Gio (5th Street #2) by Elizabeth Reyes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
When tragedy strikes in the ring, Giovanni Bravo falls into a deep depression, walking away from his dream of boxing to train instead. He agrees to a two month get-away, helping train Felix Sanchez, his high school best friend and now welterweight champ of the world. Once at Felix’s lavish boxing complex, he’s reunited with Bianca Rubio, someone he remembers only as the girl with the innocent doe eyes back in high school. Her refreshing, cheerful demeanor not only takes Gio’s mind off his troubled conscience, he finds himself falling for her fast and hard. The problem—Bianca is Felix’s girlfriend.
Having a sexy, famous boyfriend has its perks, but they come with a price. Bianca not only has to deal with the ongoing tabloid rumors about her boyfriend hooking with other women, but also his constant absence when he is on the road. So now that Felix will be in town for two whole months to train for his next big bout, Bianca is thrilled. He’s even asked her to move into his cabin while he’s there. But when he leaves for days at a time to promote his fight, Bianca spends time getting to know Felix’s gorgeous new trainer and good friend, Gio. Increasingly drawn to his sweet smile and smoldering green eyes, she finds herself saying and doing things she normally wouldn’t.
As it becomes more and more difficult for each to resist the other, Gio crosses the line between them. He hopes that one kiss will alleviate the overwhelming temptation and clear both their systems, but it does just the opposite. Their temptation suddenly becomes an obsession–an obsession that quickly forces Gio to realize this is more than just lust. He’s fallen hard and to his delight so has she. Now he’s forced to make the hardest decision of his life. Risk losing his long time friend or walk away from the only girl he’s ever loved.
So yes I think that some might find this one a little harder to read because of the love triangle aspect and the fact that cheating can be a major turn off. I have to say I am a fan of love triangles so I thought it was s great story. I personally liked this book better than the first and it just cemented the fact that I want to continue to read this series.
Fate Series (A Moreno Brothers Spinoff)
Fate by Elizabeth Reyes
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
“You own me body and soul, Vincent. There will never be anyone else for me, ever.”
“You own me, Rosie, body and soul, now and forever.”
When Rose tagged along with her big sister to a baby shower the last thing she expected was to meet a guy. But this wasn’t just any guy. This was the exciting, sexy as sin, way out of her league black sheep of his family–Vincent Moreno. Even more surprising, this heart-stopping bad boy seemed interested in her.
Fate always had a way of interfering in Vince’s best-laid plans. His forced attendance to his annoyingly perfect cousin’s baby shower was no different. He was sure to be bored out of his skull, but instead, he met sweet little Rosie Zendejas.
What begins as a unlikely friendship between two very different teens turns into one of the most intense and passionate relationships that neither ever saw coming. But just like it had so many times in Vince’s troubled past, Fate steps in once again, threatening to take away the one thing he can’t seem to even breathe without now—Rose.
So I have to say that this was my least favorite of all the books by Elizabeth Reyes. I am not exactly sure why but I just couldn’t connect with this story like her others. I found myself skimming through parts of the story in hopes to get to more action.
I also found even though I had liked Grace from her story with Sal I really didn’t care for her in this one (which is odd since a lot of this story takes place at the same time as Making You Mine).
I did like Vince and for the most part liked Rose. I will definitely continue to read the series. I am a huge fan of Reyes and I love the Moreno’s.
Chance Encounters by J. Sterling
Crazy Book Fanatic 