***copies provided by publisher through NetGalley***

BOUND TO THE BACHELOR by Sarah Mayberry

I wasn't expecting a work of art, but at least something that would've kept me engaged. It didn't.

It was filled with clichés, it was predictable, featured bland characters and a very iffy insta-love romance that failed to strike the right notes, but at least it was a quick read.


BACHELOR AT HER BIDDING by Kate Hardy

The hero was a saint, the heroine was a self-righteous bitch filled with self-pity, the plot was rife with clichés and seemed written by a high-school student.


THE BACHELOR'S BABY by Dani Collins

This book was one massive clichéd rip-off of a Harlequin story (just read the blurb to know why).

The characters were poorly (or none at all) developed, the heroine's issues were annoying and the "drama" unnecessary and forced...I ended up skimming the better part of it.


WHAT A BACHELOR NEEDS by Kelly Hunter

If I had to use a word to describe this story it would be "simple". Too simple, in fact, with a very basic, rehashed and clichéd plot, and a cheesy, ordinary romance.
There was no conflict, no depth, no agency...It was just there, not doing anything.


IN BED WITH THE BACHELOR by Megan Crane

Poorly written with way too much inner monologues and with even more poorly drafted characters making them difficult to understand, empathize, sympathize and/or like.
Slow, boring and firmly in the "meh" category.


ONE NIGHT WITH HER BACHELOR by Kat Latham

Rather inconsistent (character- and their behavior-wise), and definitely nothing to write home about.
It had potential, but the author failed to bring it to fruition.

Bid on a date with this wounded warrior for an unforgettable night of adventure. Aim high—and bid higher!—because no one comes close to local hero Gabriel Morales.

Molly Dekker hates being the town charity case, but when her son Josh is seriously injured she has no choice. She lets her best friend organize a bachelor auction to help pay her massive bills and make Josh’s life more comfortable. She can’t bid on any of the men, but a surprise bidder gives her a gift she never expected: a date with the man who saved her son’s life—the only one she’s in danger of losing her heart to.

Former Air Force pararescueman Gabriel Morales made a career of flying to the rescue, until a tragic helicopter crash stole more than his livelihood. Being auctioned off like a slab of beef isn’t in his recovery plan. But one look, one touch and one night unlocking Molly’s pent-up passion make him realize how badly he needs to be rescued…and how badly he wants to rescue Molly right back.

Will Molly and Gabriel’s never-quit attitude have them rushing head-first into love? Or will Gabriel’s secret pain stall their relationship before it can get off the ground?

Review

What I love about Kat Latham's heroines is the amount of sexual agency they have without being turned into the female version of a man whore which many writer's mistakenly do.

This heroine is sick of being thought of as nice and therefore asexual. She is a single mother whose son has reached an age where she can have five minutes to herself.

She goes after the guy. He is still recovering from his experiences in the war and isn't quite there yet but he adores her very quickly.

And then we have a romance which is lovely, achey, and grounded. Good stuff. 

***2016 RITA® Finalist in the Contemporary Romance: Short Category!***

Bid on a date with this wounded warrior for an unforgettable night of adventure. Aim high—and bid higher!—because no one comes close to local hero Gabriel Morales.

Molly Dekker hates being the town charity case, but when her son Josh is seriously injured she has no choice. She lets her best friend organize a bachelor auction to help pay her massive bills and make Josh’s life more comfortable. She can’t bid on any of the men, but a surprise bidder gives her a gift she never expected: a date with the man who saved her son’s life—the only one she’s in danger of losing her heart to.

Former Air Force pararescueman Gabriel Morales made a career of flying to the rescue, until a tragic helicopter crash stole more than his livelihood. Being auctioned off like a slab of beef isn’t in his recovery plan. But one look, one touch and one night unlocking Molly’s pent-up passion make him realize how badly he needs to be rescued…and how badly he wants to rescue Molly right back.

Will Molly and Gabriel’s never-quit attitude have them rushing head-first into love? Or will Gabriel’s secret pain stall their relationship before it can get off the ground?

"Bid on a date with this wounded warrior for an unforgettable night of adventure. Aim high—and bid higher!—because no one comes close to local hero Gabriel Morales.

Molly Dekker hates being the town charity case, but when her son Josh is seriously injured she has no choice. She lets her best friend organize a bachelor auction to help pay her massive bills and make Josh’s life more comfortable. She can’t bid on any of the men, but a surprise bidder gives her a gift she never expected: a date with the man who saved her son’s life—the only one she’s in danger of losing her heart to.

Former Air Force pararescueman Gabriel Morales made a career of flying to the rescue, until a tragic helicopter crash stole more than his livelihood. Being auctioned off like a slab of beef isn’t in his recovery plan. But one look, one touch and one night unlocking Molly’s pent-up passion makes him realize how badly he needs to be rescued…and how badly he wants to rescue Molly right back.

Will Molly and Gabriel’s never-quit attitude have them rushing head-first into love? Or will Gabriel’s secret pain stall their relationship before it can get off the ground?"

❖ ❖❖

 "You see, Aunt Lily's organizing an auction, and we're looking for the best of the best. Aunt Lily wants you--" He pointed at Gabriel as if he were posing for an Uncle Sam poster. "--to enlist in our bachelor auction."

The words took a few seconds to sink in. His panicked gaze shot to Lily, who gave him a no-one-says-no-to-me grin of satisfaction. "Oh, hell no."

One Night With Her Bachelor by Kat Latham is a sweet and light contemporary romance. I thought initially this was going to be an insta-love/lust type of story, which I am not a big fan of, but thankfully I was wrong. This actually turned out to be a nicely done slow-burn romance. Even though the story is short, only 155 pages, the author does a great job of developing the relationship between the two leads.

All of the characters, from the leads to the secondaries, are well drawn. Molly is a no-nonsense and strong Heroine, and Gabriel is a sweet guy working through some personal issues. Although this is a light story, it does touch upon some deeper, realistic topics. Gabriel is dealing with some PTSD, and Molly is dealing with her son surviving a serious injury. 

The only tiny issue I had was with the ending, which felt rushed. I would have liked it drawn out a bit more. However, my understanding is that this is a prequel, or really the foundation for the entire Bachelor Auction series, so maybe we get a little more of these two in previous books. 

While this is tagged as Book 6 of the series, it's more like Book 1 so it's not necessary to read the others in the series before this one. 

I loved everything about this story. If you're looking for a sweet, sexy, light contemporary romance, then I recommend checking out One Night With Her Bachelor. 

Final Rating: 4 stars

Image source: cliparts.co

When her town organizes a bachelor auction to help her raise money, single mom Molly wins a date with gorgeous Air Force veteran Gabriel — but can their passion triumph over the secrets of their pasts?