Blog Archives

The Second Time Around by Amanda Jayde

1/30/2017

Synopsis

Chayton "Falcon" Baker thought his life was settled. Leaving the reservation, he was finally going to establish himself to everyone back home. He would show them that he was just as worthy of certain rewards as anyone and he would prove it to her, even if she’d never know. His newest event, a benefit for the widows and children of fallen heroes, had all the makings of a success. If he could get it off the ground without a hitch.

He was right on track. Then she showed up and turned his life upside down.

Jasmine was happy with how her life had turned out. Sure, she had no steady boyfriend, hadn't had one in months, but she wasn't worried. After all, she still had her fantasy life. So what if her most erotic dreams featured a man she hadn't laid eyes on in five years?

But now, her best friend has asked her to make the ultimate sacrifice. Go back to the resort where she'd found and lost Falcon. Telling herself that she had nothing to worry about, after all, he had probably moved on. She could go, purge her demons and finally, finally put him and the memories they'd made behind her.

She was wrong.

Coming face to face with the one man who had the ability to make her body hum, the man she'd nearly given her heart to, would she be able to walk away so easily again?

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What do I read before I go on a tropical vacation? How about a smoking hot love story about second chances at a tropical resort. I loved this new contemporary story from an author who is known for her paranormal werewolves. Nothing paranormal here - it is brilliantly written, showing what a talent Amanda Jayde is.

Jasmine Rojas is a psychologist working at one of the largest e-dating sites in New York. Her best friend has a breakup and suggests they go back to one of their favorite resorts, Rio Oro. It is the same resort where five years earlier Jasmine met, fell in love with, and left Chayton "Falcon" Baker with no explanation. Jasmine finally agrees after much prodding from her friend. Falcon is still there and when their eyes meet, the fire is rekindled. He is no longer a front desk employee, but is the Vice President of Events at the resort. But she has to finally decide if he is worth a risk to finally give him everything. This couple connected on every level, and I adored the scene in the gift shop.

Some of my favorite parts in this book were the scenes between the two best friends. Ryan and Lina. The way they argued was beyond sexy! Please, please, please - I am now begging - Amanda Jayde, please devote a book to these two!

This is an amazing author and I can't wait to see her talent grow. 5-stars!!!

Knight in Tattooed Armor by Caro LaFever

1/30/2017

Synopsis

She’s a charming, spoiled princess. He’s a sexy, surly fella. Opposites in every way, why is it they can’t keep their hands off each other?

Enrique de Molina might be secretly rich and a retired Marine SEAL, but his two successful brothers think nothing of him and his parents despair at his lack of ambition. His beloved grandmother might believe in fairy tales, but she’s powerless to break the spell surrounding him. Hiding behind an armour of casual indifference, Riq can’t find any dream with chasing.

Until Maurisa Migneault storms into his life bringing her snotty attitude and demanding questions. Determined to save her family’s perfume company, even though her parents only see her as a pretty princess, she pursues him, as he’s the only angel investor who can save the day.

When Riq finds himself with an unwelcome guest on his private island, he pursues his own agenda of teaching this spoiled girl a lesson she richly deserves. But what happens when the spoiled girl transforms into a charming, winsome woman, one who steals his heart, as well as his flip-flop?

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This book was a little hard to get into since it is the twelth in a series. Princess Mauris Migneault was the luckiest girl in the world. Her family owned the Migneault perfume factory.

Riq was a retired Marine seal and playboy and a millionaire. When their worlds collide it's instant fire. His family didn't like his lifestyle or life choices his brothers were college graduates and professionals.

The perfume company needed investors and who should one of them be but no other than Riq. Will Maurisa be able to save her family business with or without the help of the investors.

Good read I would have like to read them in sequence to get the full story.

Cold Secrets by Toni Anderson

1/30/2017

Synopsis

When an international ring of sex traffickers kidnaps an eight-year-old girl in Boston, FBI Agent Lucas Randall heads undercover. But his rescue operation goes disastrously wrong and Lucas barely escapes with his life. Now the ruthless traffickers are hunting him down, along with everyone else who threatens their operation.

Computer expert Ashley Chen joined the FBI to fight against evil in the world—evil she experienced firsthand. She has mad skills, and deadly secrets, and once she starts working with Lucas, she also has big trouble, because after years of pushing people away, she’s falling for the guy. The feeling is more than mutual, but as Ashley intensifies her online pursuit of the trafficking ring, her traumatic past collides with her present and suddenly Lucas can’t tell which side she’s on. And as the case escalates into a high-stakes game of cat and mouse, it turns out Ashley isn’t the only one with something to hide.

If neither can trust the other with their secrets, how can they trust each other with their hearts?

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Cold Secrets by Toni Anderson is the kind of novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat asking yourself time and time again, How will this end? Our book opens with our hero, Lucas Randall, a very sexy, and very hard headed, FBI Agent in the middle of a sting operation to rescue an 8-year-old girl from a prostitution ring. While the beginning of the book was a difficult read about an eye opening subject, you find yourself appreciating the undertones of the book bringing child trafficking to our awareness, if at least to do some mild research in an effort to bring it to a halt. The sting goes wrong and we find our hero barely escaping with his life. Enter Ashley Chen, our lovely heroine who has looks to kill and a mind as sharp as a tack but is about as accessible as Alcatraz. Ashley is an unusually motivated agent with a dark past, full of heartache and evil that she was a firsthand eyewitness to. After transferring to Randall’s unit, she finds her icy heart warming to the gentlemanly and professional manners of Lucas… or is it just lust? As the book develops they find themselves working together to bring down the deadly gang that was overseeing the child prostitution ring and also finding out just how attracted they are to each other. When Randall finds out Chen’s dark secret, will their budding relationship survive? Can they trust each other enough to finish the task at hand? I find myself giving this novel a 5 star rating and will be recommending it to my friends!

Bet Me by Lila Monroe

1/26/2017

Synopsis

What happens when your sex strike goes viral -- and suddenly every man in town has their eye on your prize?

All I wanted was little old-fashioned romance. After a parade of Tinder disasters who think chivalry is giving me a pearl necklace on the first date, I made a pledge: until guys step up their game, this girl is off the market.

But one bottle of chardonnay later, and my drunken rant has gone viral. I’m the most famous person NOT having sex since the Jonas Brothers put on their purity rings. A men’s magazine has even put a bounty on my (ahem) maidenhead: fifty Gs to whoever makes me break the drought.

Be careful what you wish for...

Now my office looks like an explosion in a Hallmark factory, I’ve got guys lining up to sweep me off my feet - and the one man I want is most definitely off-limits. Jake Weston is a player through and through. He’s also the only one who sees through the mayhem to the real me, but how can I trust he’s not just out to claim the glory?

And how will I make it through the strike without scratching the itch - especially when that itch looks so damn good out of his suit?

The thrill of the chaste has never been so sexy in Lila Monroe’s hilarious, hot new romantic read!

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My oh my, finally a book about what a girl really wants........Romance! Lizzy goes into a drunken stupor and sends her sister a video chat. Or so she thinks, she really puts it out on the internet by accident.

Jake is brought in by the Met to help Lizzy put together her first real show. He does not like Lizzy, nor does he remember her.

This book was filled with some of the best one-liners I have ever read. I laughed so hard during this book and Jake and Lizzy fought so hard against each other.

Here is my favorite one liner: I mean, it's great you've finally realized that I was the best thing that ever happened to you, and that deep down, you're just a narcissistic douchewad who needs constant flattery and ego-stroking to make it through the day, but I'm not interested. Douchewad? I love that word! I will be finding way to use it in my daily life!

Kudos to you Ms Monroe in making me laugh, but yet think about how much romance really is becoming a thing of the past!!

Bitten by Amanda Pillar

1/26/2017

Synopsis

The city of Pinton has never been safe…and now a serial killer is on the loose.

Doctor Alice Reive is the city’s coroner, and she’s determined to help find the murderer. Enlisting the assistance of the Honorable Dante Kipling and city guard Elle Brown, they race to track down the killer, before another victim dies.

Hannah Romanov – Dante’s missing twin sister – has spent hundreds of years living on an isolated mountain. But her quiet life is thrown into chaos after she discovers a baby left in the wilds to die. Hannah will do anything to ensure the infant’s survival, even if it means travelling to the worst place in the world for her – Pinton.

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Bitten by Amanda Pillar is a feel good romance written in a wonderfully fresh new style. While I find myself more attracted to romances with more relationship struggles I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, if mostly for the fact that learning about Pillar’s world captivated me. Pillar seems to have created an entire society that is based around a novel few differences in people and I am love-struck with the characters she created within this. We follow someone in almost every walk of life and you will find yourself laughing, drying your wet eyes and even experiencing a weird sense of protectiveness over our heroes and heroines. The differences in the people are enough that you have to learn about them to understand it, but the world differences aren’t so complex that you have to jot notes to keep up. Hannah, whom is quite the conundrum herself, finds a tiny infant in the woods and is thrown from her quiet life in the woods by herself to traveling to her mother’s house in Pinton to ask for help in raising her adopted daughter. Along the way she chances upon two men who are more than they seem but have good hearts underneath all the roughness… and one of those hearts opens up a whole slew of complications for Hannah. In the other half of this novel, Dr. Alice Reive, whom was a victim of a horrifying traumatic event when she was younger, is called upon to help investigate a slew of murders happening to the elite of their society. Quiet by nature, she finds herself surrounded by mystery as each murder is brought to light and is uncomfortably thrust in to a social circle that even includes the King. Her story is drawn out for most of the novel but when she becomes the romantic interest of a very special someone it is intense, erotic and… awkward in the kind of way that makes your heart swell for the both of them. Hannah, too, finds out some hard truths along her journey and even gets a chance at love… as well as finding out her world suddenly gets a whole lot bigger and a lot less lonely. All in all, I would recommend this novel for anyone who needs a good pick me up in print and is ready to learn about a world that hasn’t been seen before. I certainly enjoyed it and look forward to reading more from Amanda Pillar, especially in “The Graced Series”.

The Tattered Gloves by J.L. Berg

1/18/2017

Synopsis

Head down.
Don’t look up.
Never make eye contact.

Those were the words I lived by growing up, the words that protected me in an unsafe home. But words are only letters and eventually even they couldn’t keep his hands off me.

Hoping to leave behind the shattered life of my past, I find myself in a boring, small town, with an aunt I’ve never met and at a school I loathe.

But soon I learn, not everything in this world is as black and white as I’ve determined. Sometimes those we are so quick to judge often need a second, third or even fourth time to make a first impression.

And often, there are friendships and even love waiting just around the corner, if we are brave enough to take the first step.

Am I brave?

Or will I hide behind these tattered gloves of mine forever?

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I am always skeptical when I first start new ya books; but let me just say this, Tattered Gloves Is one of the best young adults novels I have ever read. Not only is it emotionally gripping, it is written in such a way that you can relate to what the characters go through. It shows you exactly what growing up in a small town is like. All of the gossip and rumours that spread around in their little town in Virginia was so realistic you could feel the anguish and horror behind their feelings. All in all, I will definitely reread this book

I rate this 5 out of 5 because it is well written, I didn't find any grammatical errors and it's a captivating read

Under Pressure (Body Armor #1) By Lori Foster

1/17/2017

Synopsis
Leese Phelps’s road hasn’t been an easy one, but it’s brought him to the perfect job — working for the elite Body Armor security agency. And what his newest assignment lacks in size, she makes up for in fire and backbone. But being drawn to Catalina Nicholson is a dangerous complication, especially since it could be the very man who hired Leese who’s threatening her.
What Catalina knows could get her killed. But who’d believe the sordid truth about her powerful stepfather? Beyond Leese’s ripped body and brooding gaze is a man of impeccable honour. He’s the last person she expects to trust — and the first who’s ever made her feel safe. And he’s the only one who can help her expose a deadly secret, if they can just stay alive long enough...

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Holy Hotness in a Suit! The want that is in the air between Lesse and Catalina are almost tangible. You can feel in the first time he steps in to rescue her. Yes, rescue her. Your family is forever, or, at least it is supposed to be.

This book is high action, high anxiety, and high high hotness! Take a journey as Cat learns who she can trust, if anyone.

THIS IS A MUST ONE-CLICK!!!!!

Girl Breaker by Harper Kincaid

1/16/2017

Synopsis

Sometimes the best thing a good girl can do is make a bad decision.

Jessica has always been the girl with her head in the clouds and her nose in a book, only dating the “nice guys”. But when rough-around-the-edges Viking-biker-god, Mad Max, and his precocious little girl move onto her street, Jessica falls hard and fast for both of them.

Max is no stranger to women wanting to share his bed—and he’s always been more than happy to oblige them all. He’s lived wild all his life—that is, until a daughter shows up on his doorstep and he meets a redheaded angel down the block.

There’s nothing more he wants than to claim Jessica as his, to bring the gorgeous spitfire to his bed. But a man like him doesn’t get a happy ending with a woman like her. He’s got a whole other life, one he’s kept secret for good reason.

If Jessica found out what he really is, there’s no way she could love him. He should keep his hands to himself. But he’s Mad Max—he’s never done the right thing, and he’s not going to start now.

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This is the first book of Harper Kincaid's that I have read! This is the third book in this series. So at first I was a little lost by some of the past events that were referenced, but was able to quickly piece together what had happened. I will be going back and reading the first two books now.

Max and Jessica were neighbor's and Max has an adorable little girl. Jessica helps out with the cutie pootie when she decides she doesn't like her babysitter. They have fought the attraction between them for some time. Insert some unknown details........will they be able to work thru those? This book ran me thru the gauntlet of emotions. I was so happy for them, then so pissed at him, then so happy and then devastated.

This series is a must read, I am assuming the first two books were as wonderful as this one! I am giving it 5 stars!

St. Helena Vineyard Series: Playing with Fire (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Second Chance Series Book 2) by Reina Torres

1/13/2017

Synopsis

She swore off ‘True Love’ - He wants ‘Happy Ever After’ - How could this end badly?

If Finley Thomas had big dreams, it was because of her best friend. She left her hometown behind to follow her dreams. When she returns to St Helena years later, determined to protect her shattered heart, she finds out she can’t hide for long. The first person to seek her out is the only one who ever made her feel safe and understood. The surprise is the emotional rush of coming face to face with her old best friend—and the scorching fire created by his touch.

There isn’t anything that Fire Captain, Roman Brady can’t handle. When he isn’t out saving lives, he’s single-handedly raising his son, and sparking interest with the single ladies in town. Sadly, those sparks haven’t flared into love. But one look at Finley, his childhood crush who’s all grown up and as surprising as she is sexy, and he thinks his luck has changed—until she admits she’s done with men. Determined not to miss out on a chance with Finley—Roman sets out to prove that friends make the very best of lovers.

Roman lost out on love in Be Mine Forever when Trey DeLuca swept Sara Reed off of her dancing shoes, but this is Roman’s turn to find happiness.

Playing With Fire continues to explore the sun dappled vineyards and groves of St. Helena after the conclusion of Marina Adair’s amazing romance series. You’ll find new friends along the way and visit with old friends at every turn.

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Fans of St. Helena Vineyards Series will cherish this new Kindle World book by Reina Torres. Playing With Fire features Roman Brady, is a single father, the local Fire Chief, and a hopeless romantic, whose childhood best friend, Finley Thomas. Finley is recently divorced and wants nothing to do with a serious relationship. Can we say "friends with benefits". At least that's what Roman keeps tell her. I loved everything about this book. It was humorous and sensual. It was laugh out loud funny when Finley, who is a photographer by trade, is dirtying up one of Roman's subordinates for a firemen's calendar. Let the games begin.

Love at Lucky Stables by Ashley Hampton

1/13/2017

Synopsis
Mystery surrounds Lucky Stables. Many, like Emily Lane's parents, fell in love there. After tragedy struck, Emily ran far away, believing the Stables were cursed. In Emily's absence, Shane Patterson stepped in to help Emily's aging father. When Emily returns home, will Shane help her believe in love and luck again?

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Love at Lucky Stables by Ashley Hampton opens with Emily, as a little girl, experiencing the tragedy of losing a parent. It is because of this reason that she wanted to move away from the place she calls home. Her mother always told her there was "magic" when it came to finding love at the Lucky Stables, but all Emily felt was heartbreak. But that all changes when she graduates and comes home to help with her ailing father; and meets Shane, the mysterious ranch hand who has been helping out while she was away. This was a quick and sweet read. I did feel that it was rushed and the "magic" played too heavily in the storyline. I would have liked to have seen more growth between the two characters, but I loved the way Ashley Hampton told the story. My rating for this sweetheart read is 4-stars.