Monthly Archives: May 2015

Cheryl Holt’s ‘Lost Lord’ Scavenger Hunt Promotion

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Cheryl Holt’s ‘Lost Lord’ Scavenger Hunt Promotion

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I’m getting ready to release my 40th novel! It’s a huge career milestone for me, and I hope all of you will help me celebrate by enjoying my new trilogy, “The Lost Lords of Radcliffe.”

The three books are a “real” trilogy, with one story leading into the next and the drama building with each novel. I’m releasing them over the summer so you’ll be able to read the 2nd and 3rd books right away without having to wait months or years to find out what happens. HEART’S DELIGHT will be here on June 1st. HEART’S DESIRE is coming on July 1st. And Book 3, HEART’S DEMAND–my 40th novel!!!–will be here onAugust 1st. It will be a great summer of sexy, yummy reading.

The 3 novels will be released as e-books and print books. The e-version will be available for all e-readers, but the print books will not appear in stores. They will have to be ordered on-line at Amazon. The covers are beautiful, the stories breathtaking, heartbreaking, dramatic, and thrilling. I think it’s my best work yet.

I hope you’ll spend the summer–with me! And my Lost Lords of Radcliffe. Coming June, July, and August of 2015.

Facebook Release Party Link: 

https://www.facebook.com/events/1553831831553784/permalink/1588756538061313/

excerpt

 

 

Mr. Scott stood and went to the door, and he opened it and hollered down the hall. “Ramsey, I need you.”
He came back to the desk, and they listened as heavy boot steps pounded up the stairs. A man loomed in the doorway. He was broader and taller than Mr. Scott, handsome too, and dressed in black clothes, so he appeared menacing in a way Mr. Scott didn’t seem to be.
“What?” he inquired of Mr. Scott.
“Have we hired a new boy named Tim?”
“I believe we have.”
“What are his duties?”
“This and that.” Mr. Ramsey made a waffling motion with his hand, the phrase this and that obviously intended to hide what Tim had been hired to do.
There were rumors he was training as a pickpocket. A pickpocket! As if a boy should be trained at such a task! Her temper flared.
“This and that?” Maggie was incredulous. “What precisely would that position entail?”
Both men ignored her, and Mr. Scott said, “Fetch him.”
Ramsey left, and as she and Mr. Scott waited for Tim to arrive, she noted that her knees were quaking.
She peeked at the chair he’d offered earlier, anxious to walk over and slide down onto it, but she didn’t know how to pull it off with any aplomb. She’d been too snotty in her insistence that she’d remain standing.
The quiet interval was fraught with distress that she hadn’t realized she was harboring. For idiotic reasons she couldn’t fathom, she couldn’t bear to have Mr. Scott deem her a ninny or a fool. She craved his good opinion and yearned for him to view her as being worthy of esteem, but why would it matter? He was a brigand. Who cared what his opinion might be?
To her relief, footsteps sounded on the stairs, ending the tense, awkward moment.
Mr. Scott murmured, “You can’t save the whole world, Miss Wells.”
“I can try.”
“You can, but doesn’t it seem pointless sometimes?”
Ramsey entered, and Tim followed. He looked different, clean and tidied, and he was wearing new clothes, his previously-pale cheeks rosy with color.
“You sent for me, Mr. Scott?” He neared the desk, but blanched when he saw Maggie. “Miss Wells? What are you doing here?”
“I heard you’re working for Mr. Scott,” Maggie said.
Tim blushed. “Ah…yes, I am.”
“You can’t want to.”
“I do want to,” Tim asserted. “I’ve been hoping for years that Mr. Scott would notice me.”
“Why?”
“A boy can rise very high in his employ—if he’s loyal and learns his craft. Everyone knows it.”
Mr. Scott smirked. “See, Miss Wells? Tim is fine.”
Maggie stared at Tim. “Will you leave with me? Please?”
“Why would I?” Tim replied. “I like it here.”
“You can’t mean it.”
“I mean it, Miss Wells. Really.” He peered over at Mr. Scott. “Will that be all, sir?”
“Yes.”
Mr. Scott waved Tim out, and Ramsey led him away.
Maggie gaped at Mr. Scott, and to her horror, she was on the verge of bursting into tears.
He’d said she couldn’t save the whole world, but why couldn’t she save her little corner of it? Did every boy have to meet a bad end? Did every child have to struggle and toil and degrade himself? There was so much poverty and strife, and for just a second the weight of all those desperate souls seemed balanced on her slender shoulders, and the burden was much too heavy to carry.
He shrugged. “You were fretting over nothing.”
“You’ll train him in petty crime. He’ll become a criminal, and it will be all your fault.”
“He’ll have a few coins in his pocket and a dry, warm bed to sleep in. It beats starving out in the rain and the cold.”
“He’ll likely be hanged before you’re through with him.”
“There are worse endings for a boy.”
“Name one,” she fumed.
He didn’t reply, but scowled, his expression telling her she was an idiot. He gestured to the door, indicating her appointment was over.
“Are we finished?” he inquired. “I’ve been more than patient.”

 

About the Author pink

Cheryl HoltCheryl Holt is a New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon “Top 100” bestselling author of forty novels.

She’s also a lawyer and mom, and at age 40, with two babies at home, she started a new career as a commercial fiction writer. She’d hoped to be a suspense novelist, but couldn’t sell any of her manuscripts, so she ended up taking a detour into romance, where she was stunned to discover that she has an incredible knack for writing some of the world’s greatest love stories.

She is considered to be one of the masters of the romance genre, and her emotional, dramatic, and riveting stories of passion and illicit love have captivated fans around the world. She has won or been nominated for many national awards. For many years, she was hailed as “The Queen of Erotic Romance”, and she’s also revered as “The International Queen of Villains.” She is particularly proud to have been named “Best Storyteller of the Year” by the trade magazine Romantic Times BOOK Reviews.

Cheryl lives and writes in Hollywood, California.

Series Spotlight pink

Heart's DelightHEART’S DELIGHT
Lost Lords Trilogy #1
by Cheryl Holt
Release Date: May 29, 2015

Add to your GOODREADS shelf

Evangeline Etherton grew up as an orphan and charity case at Miss Peabody’s School for Girls. But she was always haunted by memories of the loving family and siblings she’d once had. As a tiny girl, her father passed away, and her mother was wrenched from their lives and transported on a prison ship to Australia. Her three brothers were cast to the winds of fate and vanished from her life, but she was too young to understand why.

What happened to her mother and brothers? Might her mother still be alive? And what about her brothers? Evangeline vows to learn the answers to those questions and begins her quest to find them and bring them all home.

Synopsis for first book HEART’S DELIGHT:

Three little lost lords, cast to the winds of fate…

So begins CHERYL HOLT’S breathtaking new trilogy, The Lost Lords of Radcliffe…

MICHAEL SCOTT grew up an orphan on the streets of London. He has no memories of his past, but he’s haunted by terrible dreams and always feels as if he lost something vital and precious along the way. Through cunning and determination, he’s become rich, prosperous, and dangerous. As a brigand and criminal, he knows how to fight and survive any battle. But when he had such a rough beginning as a child, how has he managed to thrive so spectacularly? How can he ever learn the truth?

MAGDALENA WELLS runs a charity mission in London’s worst slums. Although she’s heard many vicious rumors about treacherous, deceitful Michael Scott, when she meets him, she can’t help but fall under his spell. He is the most extraordinary person she’s ever encountered. If ancestry makes the man, how is she to account for his remarkable traits? His drive and accomplishments have propelled him to the highest levels of London society—which is exactly where he seems to belong. How could a ruffian be so brilliant and successful? What is his true history? Can Magdalena help to reveal the secrets he’s always been dying to discover?

Join CHERYL HOLT as she once again weaves a beloved tale of family, loyalty, love, and loss. As the truth about the “lost” lords is gradually revealed, readers will be cheering…

 

Blog Tour Schedule pink

May 18 – Reader’s Entertainment – http://www.readersentertainment.com/blog/2015/youre-invited-to-cheryl-holts-scavenger-hunt/

May 19 – Novels Alive TV – http://novelsalive.tv/blog-posts/spotlight-cheryl-holts-lost-lords-of-radcliffe-series/#sthash.fhnTlkZ1.dpbs

May 20 – Night Owl Reviews – https://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Blog/Articles/Lost-Lords-Scavenger-Hunt-by-Cheryl-Holt

May 21 – A Chick Who Reads – http://achickwhoreads.blogspot.com/2015/05/cheryl-holts-lost-lordss-scavenger-hunt.html

May 22 – Forever Book Lover – http://foreverbklover.blogspot.com/2015/05/cheryl-holts-lost-lordss-scavenger-hunt.html

May 25 – Shari the Delighted Reader – http://delightedreader.com/lost-lords-scavenger-hunt-by-cheryl-holt-giveaway/

May 26 – KT Book Reviews – http://ktbookreviews.blogspot.com/2015/05/cheryls-scavenger-hunt.html

May 27 – Miss Ivy’s Book Nook II – http://missivysbooknooktakeii.blogspot.com/2015/05/cheryl-holts-40-published-and-lost.html

May 28 – The Reading Cafe – http://www.thereadingcafe.com/cheryl-holts-lost-lord-scavenger-hunt-promotion/

May 29 – Manic Readers – http://manicreaders.com/blog/ <http://manicreaders.com/blog/index.php/2015/05/cheryl-holts-l>

June 2 – Romancing the Book – http://romancing-the-book.com

 

 

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When Darkness Ends (Guardians of Eternity 12) by Alexandra Ivy-a review

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WHEN DARKNESS ENDS (Guardians of Eternity #12) by Alexandra Ivy-a review

When Darkness Ends

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / The Book Depository

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 26, 2015

The Guardians of Eternity are facing a final battle to save their world—but battles of the heart may be the most difficult to fight…

Cyn, the vampire clan chief of Ireland, is an unabashed hedonist whose beauty is surpassed only by his insatiable appetite for pleasure. It’s no wonder he’s furious when he’s transported from the magical land of the pureblooded feys to his desolate private lair—only to have his very existence thrown into a chaos that even he cannot charm his way out of…

Most women may be all but powerless against Cyn, but Fallon, a sharp-witted fairy princess, is less than beguiled by the silver-tongued vampire. She’s a serious soul with no time for the sort of games he plays—especially when they learn that someone is trying to close the veil that separates the dimensions. But seduction may prove the most powerful force of all, as attraction ignites between the unlikely pair even as worlds are colliding around them

•••••••••••••

REVIEW: WHEN DARKNESS ENDS is the final installment in Alexandra Ivy’s GUARDIANS OF ETERNITY paranormal, romance series. This is vampire clan chief of Ireland Cyn, and Chatri princess Fallon’s storyline. WHEN DARKNESS ENDS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from previous storylines is revealed where necessary. Cyn and Fallon were first introduced in book #11 Hunt The Darkness .

Told from several third person perspectives WHEN DARKNESS ENDS follows several intersecting plotlines that culminate in a finality where justice is served. The ancient supernatural Commission of Oracles has come under suspicion, and Cyn and Fallon have been called in to investigate and uncover the person(s) responsible-someone is trying to close the veil between dimensions thus effectively stopping all interactions between demonkind. What ensues is a building relationship between Cyn and Fallon, one that is unacceptable by the Chatri ruler and Fallon’s intended Chatri mate; and a search and destroy mission to stop a potential supernatural apocalypse.

Cyn, like many of Alexandra’s leading men is an alpha male whose protective nature continues to butt heads with his intended mate, but Cyn is also a bit of a man-whore with a reputation for the ladies that finds our heroine ill at ease with her attraction to the ancient vampire. Fallon is pure; a Chatri princess who has been promised to a Chatri male-Prince Magnus- a man Fallon does not love but is quick to defend as her intended husband. But saying that, Fallon is not helpless; there is some powerful mojo hidden beneath the princess’s beautiful façade. Cyn’s attraction to Fallon is that of a mate, and our leading hero is determined to claim Cyn as his own. The $ex scenes are romantic, compelling and provocative without the over the top erotic focus.

WHEN DARKNESS ENDS is an ensemble storyline with many of the previous storyline characters playing a secondary and supporting role including the Anasso (King of the Vampire) Styx, guardian Dante, and vampire chief Viper. We cannot forget about the little gargoyle Levet-who is the bane of everyone’s existence-but is a constant source of help and information. Alexandra brings together vampires, demons, fey, druids and humans in a battle to close the portals between worlds thus eliminating magic and the supernatural powers.

Alexandra Ivy ends the GUARDIANS OF ETERNITY series with a happily ever after-for now: there are no threats against the supernatural powers and everything appears to be right with their world. WHEN DARKNESS ENDS is a fast paced, action packed story with suspense, romance and revenge. The characters are animated, engaging and amusing; charismatic and fun. The requisite evil is over the top but will be justly rewarded for his crimes. GUARDIANS OF ETERNITY is an intoxicating series with sensual couples and passionate mates; the ensemble cast of characters brings familiarity and cohesion for fans of the series, as well as, entertainment and fun.

Just a side note: WHEN DARKNESS ENDS may not be the final book in the series-there is talk that the author may continue to explore the world of her GUARDIANS OF ETERNITY at a future time.

Copy supplied by Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

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Immaculate by Katelyn Detweiler – a Review

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Immaculate by Katelyn Detweiler – a Review

 

ImmaculateAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository / BAM

Description:
Mina is seventeen. A virgin. And pregnant.

Mina is top of her class, girlfriend to the most ambitious guy in school, able to reason and study her way through anything. But when she suddenly finds herself pregnant—despite having never had sex—her orderly world collapses. Almost nobody believes Mina’s claims of virginity. Her father assumes that her boyfriend is responsible; her boyfriend believes she must have cheated on him. As news of Mina’s story spreads, there are those who brand her a liar. There are those who brand her a heretic. And there are those who believe that miracles are possible—and that Mina’s unborn child could be the greatest miracle of all.

 

Review:

A crone walks in at closing time to Mina’s pizza joint job (bringing to mind that of the queen in disguise from Snow White). She chooses a booth featuring a portrait of the Madonna. Instead of ordering food, she unloads a prophecy. Like Mina would stick around for that nonsense?! Like any sensible, uneasy 17 year old, too freaked out to listen to the rants of an old woman: Mina tears out!

“Mina, no! Wait!” Iris called out. “I need your approval, you have to accept…”

“Yes, Iris. Yes, whatever you need to hear,” I said, without turning back, already trying to erase her face from my memory.

Mina inadvertently sets in motion the most impossible event of her life. Hindsight is 20/20, but who would’ve thought: A modern day miracle?! Welcome to Immaculate by Katelyn Detweiler. I put another book down, already a chapter in, to inhale this book. I gave my 12 year old daughter so many updates — I had to pry it from her hands!

I’d tried doing some online research, but that only made everything infinitely scarier: diabetes; chronic fatigue syndrome; multiple forms of highly rare, highly untreatable cancers; depression. Nothing fit, not really, but I was still terrified.

Well, who could expect an immaculate conception?! Isn’t this subject too sacred for fiction? It’s not an easy topic; quite delicate (even offensive) in fact, especially if you’re faithful. While I am, I’m neither zealous nor disapproving by nature – it was intriguing! Mina was clearly selected. How can this be done to a child?! How much will it mirror the Virgin Mary? An endless amount of questions and events begin Mina’s journey to self-discovery, to “the ultimate test of character”.

I was struck by the enormity, the gravity, of the job ahead of Mina: How to explain her situation. It’s outrageous, preposterous. It’s biblical. Who could believe the old woman is responsible?! It reminded me of Merida from Disney’s Brave running back to the witch’s cottage – only to discover she had cleaned shop and Merida would have to find her own solution. But believe it or not, though Mina continuously replayed the life-altering meeting in her mind, she took to her new responsibility with a maturity (and grace) she didn’t even know she possessed.

A problem I had with the book was the absence of explanation. I’m familiar with the birth of Jesus Christ, but this…isn’t…the same story. Just because Mina yelled out her consent, clearly under duress, the old woman is only a fleeting, silent visitor. Searching for answers resulted in more questions. It came down to purpose and faith. But did it never occur to Mina that she was merely the vessel – that she would in fact never raise the baby? I put the book down repeatedly, bogged down by all the What if’s…

There is no way Mina could have imagined the rejection and harassment. I was crushed. One BFF feels lied to while the other is skeptical yet supportive; her mother was resolutely on Mina’s side yet painfully silent when Mina’s father’s fury dethroned any semblance of peace in the house. And what of the best boyfriend she never thought could be hers?! Unconvinced and worst of all, deceived. I was exhausted by all the disappointment Mina’s pregnancy caused and protective as a mother, for the cruelty she had to endure. And this was only Mina’s first trimester! I kept praying this was only a “test”, but why would they (who is they?!) allow a child to suffer through humiliation and scorn? I was riveted, despite the nearly 500 pages in which Ms. Detweiler takes to tell you.     

“I don’t want people to think there’s a random daddy running around out there, some kind of meaningless one-night stand. How do I win, Mom? How do I make people hate me the least? Because that’s the best I can hope for.”

Wow, right?! Ms. Detweiler wrote a wonderful, fictional story about the creation of miraculous life.   The supporting cast of characters does a phenomenal job of embracing the unknown and giving life to fear.

“But it’s like that old saying—‘those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.’

The ending was not my favorite. You can imagine what happens, that’s no big spoiler. It’s the fact…that it did? Was Ms. Detweiler really going to speculate as to the baby’s future?! She’d be writing history and that’s a path I’m not interested in following.

I loved Mina’s crisis of faith; I loved her commitment (even when a tiny spark of romance threatened to veer her off course – swoony storyline amidst so much division); I loved her age-appropriate meltdowns. Mina was meant to be marvelous and I believe Ms. Detweiler achieves just that.

Reviewed by Carmen

Copy provided by Publisher

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Dearest Rogue (Maiden Lane #8) by Elizabeth Hoyt-a review

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DEAREST ROGUE (Maiden Lane 8) by Elizabeth Hoyt-a review

Dearest Rogue

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / The Book Depository

About the book: Release May 26, 2015

HE CAN GUARD HER

Lady Phoebe Batten is pretty, vivacious, and yearning for a social life befitting the sister of a powerful duke. But because she is almost completely blind, her overprotective brother insists that she have an armed bodyguard by her side at all times-the very irritating Captain Trevillion.

FROM EVERY DANGER

Captain James Trevillion is proud, brooding, and cursed with a leg injury from his service in the King’s dragoons. Yet he can still shoot and ride like the devil, so watching over the distracting Lady Phoebe should be no problem at all-until she’s targeted by kidnappers.

BUT PASSION ITSELF

Caught in a deadly web of deceit, James must risk life and limb to save his charge from the lowest of cads-one who would force Lady Phoebe into a loveless marriage. But while they’re confined to close quarters for her safekeeping, Phoebe begins to see the tender man beneath the soldier’s hard exterior . . . and the possibility of a life-and love-she never imagined possible.

••••••••••

REVIEW: DEAREST ROGUE is the eighth installment in Elizabeth Hoyt’s Maiden Lane historical romance series. This is former dragoon Captain James Trevillion and Lady Phoebe Batten’s storyline. DEAREST ROGUE can be read as a stand alone; several of the previous storyline characters play secondary and supporting roles throughout the novel. Our hero and heroine have had continuing roles throughout the series.

Told from third person point of view DEAREST ROGUE follows the friends to lovers relationship between James and Phoebe. After an injury that nearly cost him his life, James has been commissioned by the Duke of Wakefield (Maximus Batten) to guard Lady Phoebe when threats against her brother have hit too close to home. Following the latest kidnapping attempt against Phoebe, James considers his options and determines the safest place for the woman, with whom he is falling in love, is by his side at the last place he ever wanted to return. A cross-country trek finds James and Phoebe posing as a married couple wherein their relationship will take a step closer to a happily ever after. James’s demons from the past will uncover his return but the truth goes much deeper than anyone could have known.

The relationship between James and Phoebe is tepid as James tries to keep his distance. James was hired to protect Phoebe and in this she is a constant presence in his life and his heart. Phoebe is blind; a disorder that has gradually stolen her sight but a woman who wants to remain independent and strong. Having a constant influx of guardians and strangers protecting her from the outside world and those that she loves, Phoebe continuously places herself and the others in danger when she is determined to not let her blindness stop her from living and loving the things that she used to do. With every attempt at freedom, someone is waiting to steal Phoebe away from her family and friends. James and Phoebe both face physical challenges; she with her loss of sight; James with his crippling pain and damaged leg but it is his pride that will take the biggest hit of all. The $ex scenes are limited but not without some romance and heat.

The secondary and supporting characters include many of the previous storyline couples and players; Phoebe’s overprotective brother Maximus Batten and his wife Artemis Greaves ( Duke of Midnight #6); as well as a number of the heroines from most, if not all of the previous storylines, who gather at the Ladies’ Syndicate to discuss Harte’s Folly and the upcoming season of entertainment-with the inclusion of so many recognizable characters there is cohesion and familiarity to the series. Saying that, if you are looking for a connection to St. Giles, DEAREST ROGUE side steps that pathway with only a mention of past events. The Trevillion family dynamics is revealed and in this, the family patriarch fears history will repeat itself as James falls in love with a woman he cannot have. I think a family tree (for the reader) is necessary to keep all of the couples and their growing families aligned to avoid future confusion.

DEAREST ROGUE is an adventure; an ensemble storyline of romance and love; heartbreak and betrayal; family and friendships. Elizabeth Hoyt’s historical romances all have an air of mystery and suspense wherein her leading couples must uncover the ‘who and what’ of a dangerous situation. The premise is fun, adventurous, and romantic; the numerous characters engaging and delightful; the heroine and hero well deserving of their happily ever after.

Copy supplied by Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

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Firestorm Forever (Dragonfire #11) by Deborah Cooke-a review

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FIRESTORM FOREVER (Dragonfire #11) by Deborah Cooke-a review

Firestorm Forever

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 13, 2015

This flame will burn for all time…

Three key firestorms mark the culmination of the Dragon’s Tail Wars, pitting the dragon shifters known as the Pyr against the evil Slayers. The Slayers have struck a blow against mankind, in bringing a pestilence from the ancient world, which is spreading like wildfire through the human world. Sloane Forbes, the Apothecary of the Pyr, knows it is his duty to find the cure, but the solution is elusive, his beautiful neighbor is distracting, and time is running out.

In moving to a remote farm in the California hills, Samantha Wilcox has left her demanding career behind by choice and on principle. It’s too painful to remember her own failures as both mother and physician, and not a point of pride that she fell short of the measure, so she’s determined to start fresh. She’s going to live differently, following her instincts and savoring life’s pleasures—like the hot sex with no commitment offered by her mysterious, sexy neighbor. He’s no more of an herb farmer than she is a tarot card reader, but Samantha is determined to keep their illusions intact—at least until she discovers not that Sloane’s one of the Pyr, the dragon shifters are responsible for the epidemic that stole her son’s life. When the firestorm sparks between these estranged lovers, can Samantha resist its dangerous attraction on principle alone? As Slayers and Pyr gather for the final battle, can Samantha and Sloane work together to save the world and build themselves—and their respective kinds—a future?

••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: FIRESTORM FOREVER is the final (and lengthy) installment in Deborah Cooke’s adult, contemporary Dragonfire paranormal romance series focusing on a group of dragon shifters known as the Pyr. The Pyr are currently at war with the Slayers where only one species of ‘dragon’ will survive the final battle. With the approach of three lunar eclipses the Pyr will see three of their own enter the long awaited ‘firestorm’ revealing their destined mates. While the firestorms burn, the power of the darkfire crystal is all consuming and a portent for life or death.

Told from third person point of view FIRESTORM FOREVER is an ensemble storyline where all of the previous storyline couples play an active role throughout the story and three Pyr will find their fated mates. Sloane, Marco and Drake will each enter their own firestorm, but not before, becoming sexually and romantically involved with his own intended female. As all three females struggle with the reality of dragon shifters, two will be focused on the destruction of the Pyr.

FIRESTORM FOREVER follows the approach to the final battle between the Pyr and the Slayers. Jorge’s control over the remaining Dragon’s Blood Elixir reveals a distasteful but inventive method to remain immortal but in doing so threatens Erik with each and every incarnation.

We get a glimpse into the growing Pyr families; their children, their futures, their undying love for one another. There is also the introduction of another supernatural power whose purpose will be revealed in a spinoff series. The Dragon Legion warriors, Dragon’s Egg discovery and the history between Erik and the Slayers will be addressed in a future series and prequel spinoff. FIRESTORM FORVER is not the end of the Dragons but the beginning of another chapter with Deborah’s Dragon storylines.

FIRESTORM FOREVER is the culmination of eleven novels and several novellas focusing on the history of the dragon shifter; the pledge to protect humans; and his oath never to reveal his true identity. Deborah Cooke’s fascinating world of the Pyr is entertaining, inspiring and intoxicating; the characters are colorful, engaging and intense; the premise animated, wondrous and imaginative. There are moments of heartbreak and sorrow; wonder and power; romance and love. The requisite evil is rarely contained and at times impossible to destroy. The Dragonfire series captured my imagination; the dragons will capture your heart !

Reading Order
Kiss of Fire
Kiss of Fury
Kiss of Fate
Winter Kiss
Harmonia’s Kiss (Novella)
Whisper Kiss
Darkfire Kiss
Flashfire
Ember’s Kiss
Kiss of Danger (Dragon Legion Novella 9.1
Kiss of Darkness (Dragon Legion Novella 9.2)
Kiss of Destiny (Dragon Legion Novella 9.3)
Serpent’s Kiss
Firestorm Forever

Reviewed by Sandy

____________

Serpent's KissSERPENT’S KISS
(Dragonfire #10)
by Deborah Cooke
Genre: adult, contemporary, paranormal,romance

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / The Book Depository

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 30, 2014

One spark can banish every shadow in his heart.

The dragon shape shifter Thorolf is known for an impressive lineage, raw power in battle, and an impulsive indulgence of his appetites. The last has made him an outcast from his fellow Pyr, and even his hunt for their dangerous opponent, the Slayer Chen, hasn’t helped. Beguiled and weakened by Chen’s ally Viv Jason, Thorolf finds himself drawn into a trap, as bait to lure his fellow Pyr to extinction. The only one to come to his aid is a woman he already knows to be a thief—does he dare to trust her with not just his own life but the survival of his kind?

Chandra is a sorceress who has trained all her life for a battle against evil that she knows will shape the future. She has never wasted time on the pleasures of the physical realm, much less experienced passion—until the firestorm sparks between herself and Thorolf, demanding more from her than she ever expected to give. Will the firestorm provide new power, or be a dangerous distraction that gives Chen the chance to triumph forever?

••••••••••••

REVIEW: SERPENT’S KISS is the tenth instalment in Deborah Cooke’s contemporary, romance Dragonfire paranormal series. The Pyr are shape shifting dragon warriors whose duty it is to protect humankind. The continuing series focuses on a dangerous threat against the Pyr who is determined to destroy the last of the dragons and their mates. This is Thorolf and Chandra’s storyline.

Thorolf has been missing for twenty two months and in all the time no one had considered that perhaps he was in trouble. When Erik, the leader of the Pyr, sent Thorolf away for revealing their existence to humans, no one suspected that Thorolf would walk into a trap that could very well bring about the demise of the dragons on earth. An ancient dragon whose need for power and Dragon’s Blood elixir will target the easy going Thorolf using a seductive female as the bait-one that is not Thorolf’s intended mate.

Deborah Cooke pulls the reader into a storyline that is the beginning of the end. SERPENT’S KISS is the second to last instalment in the Dragonfire series and with it comes the conclusion to a battle that has raged between the Slayers and the Dragons for most of the series and throughout each consecutive instalment. SERPENT’S KISS focuses on the possible demise of the race of dragons; the battle between good and evil; and a mythological storyline about a warrior huntress whose destined mate has been drawn to the dark side without his consent. There are many references to Norse mythology and the interference of the gods in human evolution.

The storyline is slow to build and the relationship between our leading couple takes a back seat to the overall premise. There is very little romance and the attraction between Thorolf and Chandra felt forced-there was the instant attraction of the firestorm but the reality of the situation was more chemical than physical. I did not get the impression that love was in our couple’s future. Chandra continued to push Thorolf away and in the end, Thorolf discovered that Chandra had been lying to him about her true intent.

SERPENT’S KISS is a story about betrayal and family; power and greed. Most of the previous storyline characters play a secondary role throughout the novel. Erik will once again question his ability as the leader of the Pyr but it will take the collective of dragons to save one of their own from himself and Slayer Chen.

I did have one concern and it involves the title and the cover image. Serpent’s Kiss by Thea Harrison/Serpent’s Kiss by Deborah Cooke both involve dragon shifters and both covers use Sam Bond as the cover model. Initially I thought this was a re-release thinking I had previously read the story then realized it was a new release from Deborah Cooke. I am wondering how many other readers had a moment of confusion with the duplicity of the title and image?

Reviewed by Sandy

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Falling Hard (Bad Boys Undercover #2) by HelenKay Dimon-a review

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FALLING HARD (Bad Boys Undercover # 2) by HelenKay Dimon-a review

Falling Hard

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / The Book Depository

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 26, 2015

After a grueling assignment with the black ops force known as the Alliance, Weston Brown is craving downtime. Instead, he’s pulled into his deadliest operation, in the one place he never wanted to see again. No-nonsense and so damn hot, Lexi Turner lied to get him to her mountain clinic in Pakistan. But the threat is terrifyingly real.

Lexi has been asking too many questions, drawing the wrong kind of attention. As soon as she lays eyes on West, she can tell he’s quiet—yet tough—and has a rescue complex which will come in handy for going up against the world’s most ruthless gunrunners.

Cut off from the rest of the Alliance, Lexi and West navigate the brutal terrain and a primal sexual attraction. Sticking around has never been West’s way, but now he’ll use every resource to keep Lexi by his side, safe from a killer who leaves no loose ends behind.

••••••••••••••

REVIEW: FALLING HARD is the third installment (second full length) in HelenKay Dimon’s adult, contemporary Bad Boys Undercover military, romance series focusing on the men and women who work for the black ops force known as Alliance. This is former Marine Weston (West) Brown and physician’s assistant Lexi Turner’s storyline. FALLING HARD can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from previous storylines is revealed where necessary.

Told from several third person perspectives FALLING HARD follows the rescue and return of Lexi Turner. When West’s Alliance Delta Team receives an encrypted message from Skardu, Pakistan, West’s worst fears comes to fruition when he learns he must return to the country that all but destroyed his life and his soul. Lexi and her father are the medical team working at the base camp for the K2 mountain climbers and Lexi has placed a call for extraction. What ensues is a cross country trek where our leading couple find themselves in danger of discovery by the Pakistan army, and a target for destruction by a former member of their team.

The relationship between Lexi and West is one of immediate attraction but West doesn’t do relationships or love. He is a man hardened by the demons of his past, and his experiences as a Marine. Something about the beautiful but talkative Lexi draws West out of his shell but in doing so, places everyone in danger when West is unable to concentrate on the mission at hand. Lexi is a woman with a past mired in secrets and it is these secrets that have forced Lexi onto a different path and direction in life. The $ex scenes are romantic, provocative and steamy, without the unnecessary erotic elements.

The secondary and supporting characters include several of West’s Alliance team members including former CIA operative Ward Bennett and former MI6 agent Tasha Gregory (Running Hot .5). We are also introduced Josiah King, West’s backup in Pakistan-Josiah’s story will be told next in FACING FIRE (September 2015). All of the Alliance Team members are former members of the military, CIA or MI6 whose purpose is to extricate, negotiate and take down any and all threats to safety and peace.

The world building continues to focus on the secret ops and deep undercover of a team of highly skilled, modern day warriors. All have seen their share of death and destruction; some members are hired for their ability to destroy; and everyone has vowed to protect at all costs. The threat of chemical warfare is an ongoing premise throughout the series. HelenKay Dimon’s style of writing is engaging; the tension continues to build as the storyline progresses.

FALLING HARD is an action packed, suspense filled, romantic storyline where the high cost of terrorism does not go unpunished. HelenKay Dimon’s heroes and heroines are fallible, real, and not without their own morals and ethics. If you are a fan of the military/romance storylines then the BAD BOYS UNDERCOVER series by HelenKay Dimon is a welcome addition to your reading library.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews

Running Hot
Playing Dirty
Falling Hard

Copy supplied by the publisher through Edelweiss

Reviewed by Sandy

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Back to You (The Hurley Boys #3) by Lauren Dane-a review

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BACK TO YOU (The Hurley Boys #3) by Lauren Dane-a review

Back to You

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / The Book Depository

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 26, 2015

Former model Kelly Hurley has finally put the ashes of the past behind her. After a passionate but turbulent marriage to rock star Vaughan Hurley that ended in heartbreak and divorce, Kelly rebuilt her life in Portland, where she settled so their two young daughters could be close to their father. Just not so close Kelly couldn’t truly make her own way without interference from the man who shattered her heart. Now Kelly’s finally ready to move on, and she’s planning to marry another man.

But not if Vaughan has anything to say about it.

Vaughan knows he was a fool all those years ago. A young, selfish—and prideful—fool. Even as he buried himself in the fast, decadent rock star lifestyle, he could never drown out the memory of Kelly’s beauty and love. Or the sweet, searing heat whenever they touched. For years, he’s had to deal with the pain of seeing her only because of their daughters, but it was never enough. Now Vaughan must prove that he’s the only man Kelly needs, before he loses her for good. And there’s only one way to do it….

•••••••••••••••

REVIEW: BACK TO YOU is the third and final installment in Lauren Dane’s adult, contemporary Hurley Boys romance series focusing on the Hurley brothers and their rock band Sweet Hollow Ranch. This is former model Kelly Hurley and rock star Vaughan Hurley’s second chance storyline. Divorced eight years earlier Vaughan and Kelly have been dancing around one another throughout the series. BACK TO YOU can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Kelly and Vaughan) BACK TO YOU follows the rekindling of the relationship between our leading couple. Eight years earlier Kelly handed Vaughan his walking papers after finding her husband in a compromising position with a band groupie. Fast forward eight long years wherein Kelly had to give up her life as a runway model, and raise two daughters all by herself. Although Vaughan has continued to be a part of his daughters’s lives throughout the years, he wants his family back together, and begging his ex-wife’s forgiveness is only the start. When the eldest daughter is hospitalized, Vaughan offers to help in her recovery, in the hopes of getting closer to the family he wants back in his life.

The prior relationship between our couple has already been established but BACK TO YOU reveals the events leading up to Vaughan and Kelly’s marriage breakdown and how years of lies have placed Kelly in the role of heartbreaker and villain. Vaughan hadn’t told the truth about what happened between him and his wife, and in this, Vaughan’s family detested everything about our heroine.

Kelly is reluctant to have Vaughan back in her life: they married young, and the seduction of the rock and roll lifestyle claimed the man with whom she had fallen in love. Our heroine also has issues with self-esteem and a stage-mother who has yet to relinquish control. Before Kelly gives her heart back to Vaughan, she insists that he understands the errors of his way. The $ex scenes are intimate, provocative and hot without the erotic nature and content. Vaughan and Kelly never had a problem when it came to $ex. But saying that, I didn’t quite feel the heat or attraction. There was something almost too sterile about the couple’s reconnection.

The colorful secondary and supporting characters include Vaughan’s older brothers and members of the band Ezra and Paddy, as well as their girlfriends Tuesday and Natalie. Sharon and Michael Hurley, Vaughan’s parents, struggle with their son’s marriage and eventual divorce, and Sharon continued to spout poison throughout most of the story.

Reading BACK TO YOU I struggled slightly with the timeline as some of the events appeared to run parallel to events in book two BROKEN OPEN and therefore there was some confusion as it pertained to action in both books. I tried to get confirmation from the author, but I did not get a response. So, for all intents and purposes, I will say that books 2 and 3 run parallel to one another until I hear otherwise.

BACK TO YOU is a storyline that focuses on the destruction of a marriage and the fall out between family and in-laws when the truth is kept hidden for far too long. Kelly and Vaughan had never stopped loving one another but past transgressions destroyed any hope for Kelly’s trust. Lauren Dane blends betrayal with heartbreak; forgiveness and letting go; there was very little conflict and no additional anxious moments that required resolution.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Series Spotlight pink

The Best Kind of TroubleTHE BEST KIND OF TROUBLE
The Hurley Boys #1
by Lauren Dane
Release Date:August 26, 2014

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of THE BEST KIND OF TROUBLE

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO / The Book Depository

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 26, 2014

She has complete control… and he’s determined to take it away

A librarian in the small town of Hood River, Natalie Clayton’s world is very nearly perfect. After a turbulent childhood and her once-wild ways, life is now under control. But trouble has a way of turning up unexpectedly—especially in the tall, charismatically sexy form of Paddy Hurley….

And Paddy is the kind of trouble that Natalie has a taste for.

Even after years of the rock and roll lifestyle, Paddy never forgot the two wickedly hot weeks he once shared with Natalie. Now he wants more… even if it means tempting Natalie and her iron-grip control. But there’s a fine line between well-behaved and misbehaved—and the only compromise is between the sheets!

_________________

Broken OpenBROKEN OPEN
The Hurley Boys #2
by Lauren Dane
Release Date: November 25, 2014

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO / The Book Depository

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of BROKEN OPEN

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 25, 2014

Beyond passion. And beyond their control…

Five years ago, Tuesday Eastwood’s life collapsed and left her devastated. After an empty, nomadic existence, she’s finally pieced her life back together in the small Oregon town of Hood River. Now Tuesday has everything sorted out. Just so long as men are kept for sex, and only sex…

Then she met him.

Musician and rancher Ezra Hurley isn’t the man of Tuesday’s dreams. He’s a verboten fantasy—a man tortured by past addictions, whose dark charisma and long, lean body promise delicious carnality. But this craving goes far beyond chemistry. It’s primal. It’s insatiable. And it won’t be satisfied until they’re both consumed, body and soul…

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Under the Lights by Shannon Stacey – Review & Giveaway

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Under the Lights by Shannon Stacey – Review & Giveaway

Under the Lights Banner

Under The Lights
Boys of Fall #1
by Shannon Stacey
Genre: adult, contemporary, romantic, sports
Release Date: May 26, 2015

 

Under the LightsAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository / BAM

Description:
They were the golden boys of fall: Stewart Mills High School’s legendary championship winning football team. Fourteen years later, they’re back to relive their glory, save the team—and find themselves again…

Chase Sanders’s life has taken a lot of crazy turns lately. But returning to his hometown to help his old coach keep his high school football team afloat might be the craziest thing to happen to him yet. That is, until he starts falling for the last person he should—Coach’s gorgeous daughter…

Kelly McDonnell learned the hard way that cocky, charming men are nothing but trouble, so she knows Chase is bad news. Still, she can’t resist his smile—or the rest of him. But when his loyalty to her father conflicts with their growing attraction, any hope for a relationship might be blocked before it can even begin

 

 

Review:
Under the Lights by Shannon Stacey is a wonderful start to her new Boys of Fall series. This is my first book by Shannon Stacey, and since this is the start of a new series, it most certainly will not be my last.  

Kelly McDonnell is our heroine and right from the start I loved Kelly, she was strong, savvy and vulnerable. Things at town are financially strapped, and the budget has cut the high school football team. Kelly’s father is the long time legendary coach, and she is determined to pull all stops to find money to keep the football team playing.

Chase Sanders is our hero, and 14 years ago he left Stewart Mills for college and to build his contracting career. Chase was the star running back when the football team won the championship, but he has not been back since he left. Kelly calls Chase to ask for his help in the fund raising events she is planning with her two friends, Jen and Gretchen. But Chase has no interest in returning to Stewart Mills, as he is in the midst of a bad time, with his girlfriend leaving him, and his partner stealing funds from the business. Kelly persuades Chase to come, using his love for her father as the turning point. Many of the other members of that champion team will be coming too.

Chase barely remembers Kelly, but gets the shock of his life when he is stopped by a gorgeous female cop for passing a stop sign. Looking at her name tag, he sees Officer Kelly McDonnell. What follows is a fun story with the town residents all helping to raise funds at different events to ensure the team will have money to play. The romance between Chase and Kelly slowly heats up, as each have their own reasons not to become involved. Chase knows he is only there for a short time, and does not want to disrespect his “coach” by having an affair with his daughter. Kelly always had a secret crush on Chase when she was a teenager, but having had a failed marriage, she does not want to be hurt again with a short term relationship. But best laid plans do not always work out, and their attraction to each other begins to sizzle. They both decide they are adults, and want to enjoy the benefits of their short term relationship, with no commitment worries.

This was also a lot of fun watching the different events for the fund raiser….dunk Officer Kelly….All you can eat Spaghetti night…old timer championship team vs the current team, just to name a few. The secondary characters, which includes Kelly’s family and friends, and Chase’s former teammates was great. Is there a future for Kelly and Chase? Will the football team survive? You will need to read this book to find out.

Shannon Stacey has created a sweet fun romance, in a small town setting, with a wonderful couple and others waiting in the wings. This was a perfect lighthearted read that you can sit back, and enjoy thoroughly. I suggest you read Under the Lights and start this series from the start.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

giveaway

Shannon’s publisher is offering a paper copy of UNDER THE LIGHTS to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

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8. Giveaway is open to USA only

9. Giveaway runs from May 25 to 30, 2015

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