Without Pretense by T.J. Thomas is a contemporary romance about two women, solo violinist Ava Wellington and journalist Bianca (BJ) Vega. They meet briefly not long after Bianca has lost her wife in a plane crash. Then a couple of years later they meet again when Bianca is given a contract to write Ava’s biography. There is instant attraction between the two but also a lot of misunderstandings that will follow them throughout the story.

I really liked this story at the beginning. It had a lot of promise. The premise of the story was appealing, the characters seem to be developing well for the tale, and the connection between the two was evident. Then, about a third of the way through the book I noticed that I was starting to skim. That’s not good. I did finish the book, and there are some good parts to the story, but I kind of felt cheated because it had the potential to be so much better.

For me, one of the biggest problems was that much of the story was told through dialogue. That is not always a bad thing, but here the dialogue went on and on with few visual clues, body language, or even thoughts mentioned to help the reader get a feel for how the words were being said and what emotions they were supposed to convey. Some of the dialogue felt fake because of this. The story is not all bad. As I said above, the premise of the story as well as the connection with the main characters are good. If you love a good steamy romance that is fairly easy to read, and you don’t mind a lot of dialogue, you might like this book.
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
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The book had such a promising start... Everything was there - the chemistry, the plot, good characters... The plot was even perfect. But - something just crumbled further on, in my opinion... The big issue Ava had was kind of dragged a bit too much, up to the point of getting everything unreal and overly dramatic.

I really don't like giving negative reviews, but it was honestly difficult for me to get through this book.

Ava, a famous violinist, meets Bianca on a bench. After a time gap they reunite and find they will be spending a lot of time together traveling. Conflicts and misunderstandings ensue.

Things happened at such a breakneck speed that it felt unbelievable and inauthentic. It was very predictable. References to Etheridge and the Indigo Girls was a bit polarazing as I am over 40 and they are even before my time. There was a crude bit about rubbing one's lady parts into a bench during what should have been a sweet moment. Things like that throughout the book continued to cheapen what had the potential to establish a deeper connection.

At one point a character says "Yes, I only packed for four weeks. If I end up staying beyond that, I'll need to find a laundry." First of all, that must be one large suitcase. But who needs 30 days of clothes when traveling? I've never waited 30 days in my own <strong>house</strong> to do laundry.

The dialogue was not natural. There were large blocks of text during conversation. And often times it read back and forth without saying who was speaking or including any movement/action. And Ava's unspoken monologues were long and repetitive.

The main conflict in this story felt overly dramatic. I could not believe that it would drive such an insane amount of topic avoidance to the point of ruining a relationship. And since it did, I questioned if the feelings were as sincere as we were told they were (because we didn't actually see any relationship development. Just sexual development more on the scale of erotica during the middle of the book.)

I did like the bit of angst when the two mains had a confrontation about things. Have to admit there was a little flutter in my chest. So I must have connected on some level.

Read this if you like fated encounters, travel, frustrating miscommunication, family conflict, and plenty of explicit sex.

I was provided an ARC through Netgalley by Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

World class Violinist Ava Wellington initially meets Bianca Vega when she is mourning the death of her wife 4 months earlier. They have an instant connection, but it doesn't go anywhere because Bianca is in mourning. Fast forward 2 years. Ava's manager has hired BJ Vega to write a Biography on Ava. Ava is dead set against it because she has a secret that she is not willing to share with the world. When she is introduced to BJ - Bianca she decides she wants to get to know this woman better and agrees to at least an article written about it. Bianca is now set to travel with Ava around the world to get to know her better so she can write an article or biography.

I thought this was a good and easy romance to read. I have a weakness for a romance that allows the two MC to have sex early on in the book. The chemistry is there and Bianca and Ava are allowed to show this chemistry in the bedroom early on. Oh and they had plenty of sex, but it was very tasteful. Overall, I liked the fact that this was a light, easy and fun read. I surely wasn't bored to death reading this one. I must say my major issue was the ending seemed rushed. I would have liked to have seem a little more development with them getting back together.

I give this one a 3.75 rating.

This book has amongst the most interesting acknowledgements ever. The author shares a little bit of the genesis of the book, the selected locale and something of the character development with us before getting into the usual round of mentioning and thanking everyone associated with the book and with their lives.

Ava Wellington was a sensation when she became a world-class violin soloist at seventeen. Now in her thirties, she is still a leading soloist but her manager believes that her visibility needs a shot in the arm and the way to get that is by getting her biography written. Bianca Vega is the chosen biographer. Ava has a secret that she wants to hide from the world and is unwilling to have a biography written. But she is somewhat smitten with Bianca and they come to a temporary agreement of a trial article before deciding on the book.

The premise is okay. Our problem is the instant, intense attraction that Ava feels towards Bianca when she first runs into Bianca who, at that time was a mourning widow. That one-off meeting sparks an attraction that is more than alive two years later when Ava meets Bianca as her would-be biographer. Another issue is that the writing is inconsistent. There are times when we get involved with the two women and get into their relationship and chemistry, but on most part, the books skims it all. The dialogue seems contrived and the relationship a tad too formal. Also, but for a chance meeting in the end, it would seem that the MCs would’ve let their relationship die a calm death.

On the plus side, it’s nice to read a celebrity/commoner book where the celebrity is not an actress. It is also nice to read a book where the conflict is not forced but an integral part of the story from the start. A plot point that is slowly but surely coming to a head.

We didn’t particularly hate this book, but didn’t particularly love it either.

Anyone who's followed my reviews knows that I'm a sucker for books that have anything to do with music. They immediately get shot up my reading list, and usually get a full free star just for the premise. This book was no exception and I started reading immediately when I saw the approval come through!

Unfortunately, even though MC Ava is a solo violinist on tour, this book really isn't about the music. Yes, there's a few musical scenes, but music isn't a main storyline in this one. Realistically, this is more of a drama, with Ava struggling to keep a secret from her biographer (and lover) Bianca. And she was a real bitch about the way she handled it too.

The biggest thing that turned me off on this one was all of the unnecessary drama and lack of communication between the mains. I found myself rolling my eyes at quite a few points and wanting to tell Bianca to just turn and run.

Maybe I'm in a mood this week, but I can't stand dramatic books that are only dramatic because of non-communication between MCs. And the insta-love... Ugh. So frustrating. TJ Thomas has real promise as a writer, but this one didn't do it for me.

3 stars.

**Many thanks to Bold Strokes Books for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.**

Ava Wellington, concert violinist, is informed by her manager that he has employed the renowned biographer, BJ Vega, to write her biography. She’s dead set against it until she meets her and realises they’ve met before. Ava is still not comfortable because of the secret she’s kept for years.

The story has a really linear narrative and the simplicity of it makes it a very easy-to-read romance. Ava and Bianca have loads of chemistry and the sex scenes are among some of the better ones I’ve read. Their story is told, to a large extent, through their dialogue but it lacks the same tension and enticement that their intimacy has. There was an over-simplification in some places that had the potential to be explosive and give a real insight into both Ava and Bianca and I can’t help but feel it was an opportunity lost.

Overall it’s a pleasant enough story with a familiar trope.

Book received from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

Somehow I have the feeling I have this story before. Maybe because the plot isn't anything particular. While most lesfic follow the same formula, I felt this one didn't even have a hint of surprise in the plot.

Ava is a violinist with a secret she meets Bianca on happenstance one day and never sees her again until two years later when Bianca is hired by Ava's manager to write Ava's biography. Ava only agrees on certain terms just so she can spend time with Bianca. The two get to know each other better while Ava struggles with keeping her secret.

I ARC received via NetGalley and in exchange for an honest review.

Ava is a violinist and travels all over touring with her crew. When she learns her manager hire a someone to write her biography. She doesn't want her biography written because she hiding something that she doesn't want reveal.

Bianca is a journalist and is hired to write Ava biography. Bianca is starting heal after her wife passing when she meet Ava they both realize they met before two years ago when Bianca loss her wife as they both realize they still feel a connection.

This was a good read but I still think it coulda been more because certian parts to me could've been avoided if they talk it out instead. First book from this author but i can't wait to read more.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving my review.

This is the first book by this author that I have read and I loved it. Every now and then I like to try books by authors that I have never heard of. My list keeps getting longer.

Ava is a Musician (Violinist) and travels all over touring with her crew. She finds out Hank (her Manager) has hired someone to write her Biography which she is not happy about. She is hiding something and doesn’t want it revealed.

Bianca is a Biographer and is hired to write Ava’s Biography. She has no idea then she accepts the job that Ava doesn’t know anything about it. She met Ava two years previous not long after she lost her wife in a plane crash and was grieving for her.

I enjoyed this book from the very first page. I loved both of the main characters of Ava & Bianca. I enjoyed the storyline and couldn’t read it quick enough. I will admit that the romance was a bit quick (I prefer slow burn romance) but it didn’t make it any less enjoyable. The secondary characters were great, my favourite being Vicki.

Overall a great book that I could re-read over and over again. I would highly recommend it.

Without Pretense intrigued me immediately, featuring two intelligent and capable artists, a violin virtuoso and an author. Their initial and brief introduction was ... odd, and the instant level of comfortable familiarity was a stretch to get on board with. Their attraction builds as Bianca tags along Ava’s European tour, but neither character is capable of honest and forthcoming communication. They predictably fall apart, all which could have been avoided if they tried talk it out like adults. Still, this was a polished endeavor and both women were likable characters.

This book has been a little bland. I think that is because of the dialogues, they are shallow and repetitive in the topics and impersonal.

From the beginning it is strange the way in which the two protagonists know each other and connect supposedly in a very deep way, it seems not very logical and as we discover their personalities even less coherent.

Ava's past is very present throughout the book, but Bianca's is not at all, when I think the pain that Bianca should feel is much stronger. She has turned the page very quickly, maybe. Other deeper considerations that have bothered me require discovering parts of the story that can spoil your reading, so I'll leave it here.

It is not an unpleasant or uninteresting story, not at all, the only thing is that I have not been truly hooked by it.