Monthly Archives: February 2016

Fused (Lost in Oblivion 4.5) by Cari Quinn & Taryn Elliott-a review

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FUSED (Lost in Oblivion 4.5) by Cari Quinn and Taryn Elliott-a review

Fused

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 2, 2016

They’re shattered…and he’s the only one who can fuse them back together.

From the pinnacle of success to the depths of despair, the band Oblivion has been through it all. Now in the super hot conclusion to the Lost in Oblivion series, Nick Crandall, the lead guitarist and the one most likely to cause a band breakup, is the only one who can begin to put the pieces back together after the most catastrophic night of his life.

His only choice is to fight hard for what—and who—he loves.

And oh so dirty.

•••••

REVIEW: FUSED is #4.5 and second to last installment in Cari Quinn and Taryn Elliott’s contemporary, adult LOST IN OBLIVION erotic, romance series focusing on the member of the rock band OBLIVION. FUSED picks up immediately following the events of SHATTERED, and crosses over into the Christmas novella GIFTED.

NOTE: If you have not read the previous SHATTERED, my review may contain some spoilers.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Nick and Lila) FUSED is the continuing story of Nick and Lila’s relationship, and the beginning of the end for the band OBLIVION. Lead singer Simon Kagan continues to have issues with his voice, and he targets his best friend Nick Crandall following Simon’s latest melt down on stage that saw Simon storm out and Nick taking the brunt of Simon’s emotional tirade. What ensues are Lila’s attempts to keep the band together while setting up the possibility of a new band on the horizon.

The relationship between Nick and Lila continues to be tempestuous. Nick is a man in love with a woman whose secrets and personal life keep falling off the rails. Lila is determined to prove that she is capable of keeping her public and private life separate but pushing Nick away is the hardest thing she will ever have to do.

All of the members of OBLIVION play secondary and supporting roles. While Simon continues to wallow is self doubt and the blame game, the remaining members of the band decide it may be time to think about a different kind of future-without the band.

FUSED is an emotional story line where lifelong friendships are threatened by jealousy, insecurity, and the mental and physical health of Oblivion’s leading singer. The premise is revealing and intense; the characters are passionate, tormented and heartbreaking; the romance is provocative and seductive. FUSED is a free fall of emotions for both the reader and the characters we love.

Reviewed by Sandy

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Kidnapped by the Billionaire (Nine Circles #4) by Jackie Ashenden-a review

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KIDNAPPED BY THE BILLIONAIRE (Nine Circles #4) by Jackie Ashenden-a review

Kidnapped by the Billionaire

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 1, 2016

He kissed her the way he’d run her down, conquering her, taking her…

A priceless plan. An illicit attraction.

Seven years ago, billionaire-turned-bodyguard Elijah Hunt lost everything he had-his family, his future-and now he wants revenge. But when he decides to kidnap the daughter of the man who ruined his life, Elijah gets a lot more than he bargained for. Violet Fitzgerald is nothing like her corrupt wealthy father. In fact, she’s so disarmingly independent-and irresistible-that she just might be dangerous…

And a love that’s too good to be true.

Violet never thought she’d feel a connection to her captor. But there’s something beneath Elijah’s steel-bodied exterior that makes her want to know him more deeply…and surrender to his every demand. But once Elijah’s erotic fantasies become a reality-and he and Violet develop a real romantic connection-he finds himself in a quandary: Is he still the one in control? Or has Violet imprisoned him-body and soul?

••••••••••

REVIEW: KIDNAPPED BY THE BILLIONAIRE is the fourth installment in Jackie Ashenden’s contemporary, adult NINE CIRCLES romantic, suspense series. This is billionaire/bodyguard Elijah Hunt, and heiress Violet Fitzgerald’s story line. KIDNAPPED BY THE BILLIONAIRE can be read as a stand alone but for cohesion and backstory I recommend reading the series in order as the NINE CIRLES series focuses on taking down the Nine Circles, and an elite corruption ring of sex traffickers, dealers and underground crime.

Told from several third person perspectives KIDNAPPED BY THE BILLIONAIRE finds our heroine in a precarious position as the victim of a kidnapping as part of a revenge plot against her father, and the corruption underground he controls. Violet in an innocent in that she never knew about her father’s ties to crime, and the horrendous cost of life he has inflicted on the people with whom he does business. Violet is a woman who has been searching for her brother-a man, who for the last sixteen years, she believes died by his own hands, but for one reason or another she believes is still alive. Enter Elijah Hunt, her father’s bodyguard, and a man who seeks revenge against Violet’s father for the loss of everything and everyone he loved.

Violet Fitzgerald is a strong woman capable of holding her own against anyone including the family that continues to keeps our heroine at a distance. And now…Violet is Elijah’s captive; a woman Elijah needs to take down the people that destroyed his life….but Violet is also the woman who calls to his soul, and that places both of them in a dangerous situation. As the story line builds, so too does the attraction of want and need between a predator and his prey. Elijah thought his heart had died seven years before, but something about Violet stirs the dying embers of a fire long thought vanished. The $ex scenes are aggressive, provocative and intense.

All of the previous story line couples play secondary and supporting roles, as their overlapping and continuing story lines blend with each successive installment. Although Jackie Ashenden reveals important information, from previous story lines, where necessary, and reflects on some of the history between the characters, I recommend reading the series in order. There is so much information in each installment that may be necessary for continuity for each successive story.

KIDNAPPED BY THE BILLIONAIRE is a fast paced, suspense-filled mystery of betrayal, revenge, and falling in love. The premise is cleverly written and remarkably intense; the characters are impassioned, dynamic and strong; the romance is acceptance of what was, and what can be. Now, I have to go back to the beginning for my own sanity to read what happened to get up to this point.

Copy supplied by the publisher by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Today’s 4th Anniversary Celebration Giveaway from The Reading Cafe

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Today’s 4th Anniversary Celebration Giveaway from The Reading Cafe

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 All giveaways require a comment to qualify

The Reading Cafe is offering a 2 book prize pack for today’s giveaway

ONE (1) commenter will receive both paper books from The Reading Cafe

Giveaway Feb 25 Galenorn

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.

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8. Giveaway open to USA only

10. Giveaway runs until February 29, 2016

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Unruly (Knights in Black Leather #2) by Ronnie Douglas-a review

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UNRULY (Knights in Black Leather 2) by Ronnie Douglas-a review

Unruly

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 23, 2016

When the daughter of one of the Southern Wolves gets a flat in the middle of a thunderstorm, there’s only one thing to do—strip down to her underwear and get a little muddy. But when Alamo, the sexy biker shows up to rescue Ellen yet again, things are bound to get a whole lot dirtier.

Between the trouble he left behind and club rules, Alamo knows he needs to stay clear of Ellen. He’s not looking for a woman or complications—even when that woman is everything a man could want. Unfortunately, Ellen isn’t playing by anyone’s rules but her own these days, and a Southern woman who’s been raised by Wolves is awfully hard to deny.

So when they give in to their raging attraction, both get much more than they bargained for

••••••

REVIEW: UNRULY is the second installment in Ronnie Douglas’ (aka Melissa Marr) contemporary, new adult/adult KNIGHTS IN BLACK LEATHER romance series focusing on the members of the Southern Wolves MC, This is fashion design student/singer Ellie, and Alejandro ‘Alamo’ Diaz’s story line. UNRULY can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Some of the premise of UNRULY runs parallel and overlaps with the premise of book one-UNDAUNTED.

Told from first person point of view (Ellie), and third person (Alamo) UNRULY follows Alamo as he heads to the Tennessee chapter of the Southern Wolves. Following the brutal beating of a man not worthy to breathe, Alamo knows to protect his family and stay out of prison, he must head out of town before the police come looking. What ensues is Alamo’s acclimation into the Tennessee Chapter of the Wolves MC, and his building relationship with a woman from whom he has been warned to stay away. Enter Ellie-the daughter of a deceased member of the MC, and the woman who calls to Alamo’s heart.

The relationship between Ellie and Alamo is very,very slow to build as weeks to months will pass without our leading couple having any interaction with one another. There is a slight ‘love triangle’ vibe throughout the story as Ellie’s previous ‘friends with benefits’ is unwilling to let go of what was never his. Alamo’s past seeks and finds our story line hero, dragging Ellie into a dangerous situation. Once again, as in the previous installment, the character building is limited-we know and learn very little about Alejandro Diaz.

There is a definite Young Adult (YA) feel to the story line : the violence is behind the scenes; the $ex scenes are all implied; there is no graphic conflict or text; the leading couple are rarely in one another company without a third party or several other people around. The ‘love triangle’ trope adds another hint to the stylizing of the YA story line but given the author Ronnie Douglas is YA author Melissa Marr I am going to presume that the jump from YA to adult has not come full circle. There are too many young adult (YA) story line missives to overlook.

Knights in Black Leather is a vanilla version of the MC (Motorcycle Club) series. Most if not all of the violence is behind the scenes and rarely brought directly into the story line. The $ex scenes are mostly implied or fade to black-the lack of chemistry between the characters is disappointing. If you are a fan of YA story lines then UNRULY may be for you.

Copy supplied by Edelweiss

Reviewed by Sandy

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Surrender at the Border by Risa Leigh – a Review

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Surrender at the Border by Risa Leigh – a Review

 

Surrender at the borderAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM

Description:
ATF agent B.J. Carleton’s first priority is stopping the flow of guns into Mexico until sassy Callie Snowden finds herself in the sights of a ruthless gunrunner, a man B.J. suspects killed her husband. After the tragedy Callie retreated home to her small Texas town, thinking she’d found safety. Now secrets from the past plunge her into a nightmare.
When she and B.J. are kidnapped by ruthless cartel henchmen and taken into the Chihuahuan desert, B.J. must protect Callie from the killers and harsh terrain. As they run for their lives, the past continues to play itself out and catches them in its deadly spiral. And if B.J. gives in to his overwhelming attraction for her, he may lose everything…for both of them.

 

Review:

Surrender At The Border is a Border Series novel by Risa Leigh.

B.J. Carelton is an United States ATF agent, and he is in Rowdy, Texas.  He is there to stop a gun runner who is selling illegal guns to the cartel in Mexico. When he finds out his target – Karl Abbott, is using the towns library computer system to make deals he knows the only thing he can do is install monitoring software to track his activity. But this may not go as simple as planned. The town librarian Callie Snowden, isn’t about to agree to this easily.  Callie is strong willed and of high moral standards and she doesn’t like the idea of her patrons privacy being violated. After reaching an agreement – the software is installed. Callie has known Karl since way back, but she has no idea of his illegal activities.  

Callie’s husband was a State Trooper and was killed in the line of duty. His murder remains unsolved. But Callie uses the opportunity of B.J. Being in town to see what he knows about the case. As they get closer, B.J. Realizes that Karl is too close for comfort to Callie. In fact, he is stalking her without her even realizing it.  Once B.J. points it out to Callie she becomes even more scared than she was before. When Callie is kidnapped by Karl she realizes the one person that can save her is the one she can’t protect her heart against! With Callie and B.J. kidnapped and stranded in the heart of Mexico – danger lurks around every corner! Karl is after her, the drug cartels are looking for them, and she slowly get B.J. to open up to her. She finds out that he lost his wife to a murderer that happened in front of him.  He carries as heavy of a burden and Callie does. The two of them do everything in their power to fight the spark between them but it grows daily. Stranded in the desert, desperate to get home safely, the two of them struggle as their hearts are mending before their eyes. 

B.J. is a rugged, strong drug enforcement agent. He is damaged and broken and he has buried himself in his work for way to long. So long in fact that he isn’t even sure how change that.  I fell for him quite quickly as you are quick to realize that even damaged he is a stand up guy!  

Callie has had her heart ripped from her soul not once but twice. She is strong, sassy and determined. She is slow to realize that the last thing she thinks is looking for is the one thing she needs! I enjoyed her sassiness, her ability to face her fears and stand her ground in the darkest of moments. 

The suspense of the story is fast paced and wildly addicting. I wanted nothing more than for Karl to get his just punishment!  I loved how the relationship built between Callie and B.J. And couldn’t wait to see how everything turned out!  Romantic suspense at its finest! 

Reviewed by Erin

Copy provided by Publisher

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Today’s 4th Anniversary Celebration Giveaway from The Reading Cafe

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Today’s 4th Anniversary Celebration Giveaway from The Reading Cafe

Daily Anniversary Banner

NOTE: All giveaways require a comment to qualify

The Reading Cafe is offering a 3 paper book parnormal prize package for today’s giveaway

ONE (1) commenter will receive all 3 books from The Reading Cafe

NOTE: Today’s prize package contains ARC copies from the publishers. ARC copies may contain some spelling and grammar errors as they have not gone through final edit.

Giveaway Feb 24 paranormal

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.

NOTE: If you are having difficulty commenting after logging onto the site, please refresh the page (at the top of your computer).

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8. Giveaway open to USA only

10. Giveaway runs until February 29, 2016

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Sweet Haven by Shirlee McCoy – a Review

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Sweet Haven by Shirlee McCoy – a Review

Sweet Haven

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM

Description:
In Benevolence, Washington, the Lamont family’s irresistible handmade chocolates are a cherished tradition–and always a reason to celebrate. And now they’re giving the three Lamont sisters, one by one, delicious chances to start again, make a change, and have their sweetest dreams come true…

Neighbors who care, a peaceful routine–accountant Adeline Lamont is glad some things about her beloved hometown never change. But when her grandfather is injured, she has to run the family store, Chocolate Haven, and make its legendary fudge. Trouble is, she can’t get the recipe right to save her life–or Chocolate Haven. And she doesn’t need her ornery new tenant, Sinclair Jefferson, stirring up the pot with his help–and daring Addie to taste her wild side…

Once Sinclair gets his hapless brother back on track, he’s leaving Benevolence for good this time. He’s made his life far away from his irresponsible family and their scandals. Trouble is, he can’t quite stay away from Addie’s optimism, enticing plus-size curves, and kindness to those who need it most. But they don’t seem to have a thing in common–except that Addie’s passion for chocolate, and for Benevolence, is just as contagious as Sinclair’s passion for her. Maybe small-town life has its charms after all…

 

 

Review:

Sweet Haven by Shirlee McCoy is my first book by this author. This is also the start of a new series. In Sweet Haven, which takes place in a small town called Benevolence, Addie Lamont is our heroine. We meet Addie immediately, who is running the famous Chocolate Haven for her injured grandfather. Addie is beside herself, she can’t duplicate the legendary fudge, and is appalled to be stuck in the orange wedding dress she is forced to wear for a family friend’s wedding.

Sinclair Jefferson, our hero, has returned to Benevolence, after many years. Sinclair left town because he hated being poor, and comes back a wealthy businessman, who loves renovating hopeless buildings. Sinclair sees Addie when her mother rents him a place to stay until he finishes his project. Sinclair is determined to help his brother fix up his house, as well as his marriage; then leave Benevolence forever. Best laid plans do not always work out, as Sinclair finds himself becoming enamored with Addie.

Addie finds herself attracted to handsome Sinclair, but she has had her heart broken, and will not allow herself to fall for anyone, and be hurt again. She is happy and content as an accountant, and temporarily helping her grandfather in Chocolate Haven. Addie’s mother was kind of annoying, as she was very pushy and also trying to push Addie to find a man.

What follows is a sweet story of a romance that was slow to build, due to two people who had their own issues. Addie’s issues with not allowing herself to get beyond her hurt from a bad breakup, and opening her heart to someone new. At times I found her a bit annoying being afraid to show her feelings for Sinclair. Sinclair’s resolved to never stay in Benevolence, but slowly the town begins to show him the charm he never saw as a teenager.

I found both Addie and Sinclair very nice characters, which we find ourselves rooting for. The added elements of Tiny, the big wild and crazy dog was cute. I also liked the addition of the young boy, Chase, who is desperate to get and job, and ends up working for Addie. There is a mystery in that part of the story. If you enjoy sweet romances, likeable couple, small town atmosphere and a bit of mystery, then you will enjoy Sweet Haven.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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Taking Fire (One Eyed Jacks #4) by Cindy Gerard-a review

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TAKING FIRE (One Eyed Jacks #4) by Cindy Gerard-a review

Taking Fire

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 23, 2016

Betrayal. Retribution. Redemption?

Six years ago, tough-as-nails military contractor Bobby Taggart met the woman of his dreams in war-torn Kabul—a sexy, whip-smart war correspondent who approached him at a local bar, took him to bed, made him fall in love…and then mysteriously disappeared. In her wake, the terrorist leader he’d been mining for valuable intel was assassinated—then Bobby discovered his phone had been bugged. And he’s pretty damn sure he’s been played for a fool.

•••••••

REVIEW: TAKING FIRE is the fourth installment in Cindy Gerard’s contemporary, adult ONE EYED JACKS military, romantic suspense series focusing on a group of men of the Special Forces team known as One Eyed Jacks. This is military contractor Bobby Taggart, and war correspondent Talia Levine’s story line. ONE EYED JACKS is a spin off from Cindy’s best selling BLACK OPS INC series. TAKING FIRE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty.

Told from several third person points of view TAKING FIRE focuses on the rebuilding of a relationship between Bobby Taggart and Talia Levine. Six years earlier, while on assignment in the Middle East, Bobby and Talia had a week long affair that ended when an assassination destroyed months of work for Bobby and his team in Kabul, Afghanistan, leaving Bobby wondering where everything went wrong. Enter Talia Levine-the woman whose mission was to seek out Bobby Taggart in the Middle East, and the woman who would, once again, enter his life six years later at the US Embassy in Oman. What ensues is the search for a kidnapped child, and the truth about what happened years before.

Cindy Gerard combines the past with the present to reveal the history between Talia and Bobby, and secrets Talia has kept from the man with whom she had fallen in love. As Bobby’s team searches for the missing child, the Special Forces soldiers begin to unravel the truth about his relationship with Talia Levine. Talia is a strong, self-contained woman but a woman trained to do her job. Bobby is a man who fell for the wrong woman, and in doing so, placed a mission in danger, and his future in the hands of a woman he barely knows.

Some of the previous story line and Black Ops Inc couples and characters plays secondary and supporting roles including Ronda and Jamie (Running Blind 3),Joe Green and Stephanie Tompkins from BOI . The world building follows the Special Forces soldiers on their mission in the Middle East, and their friendship and rivalries back home.

TAKING FIRE is a story of second chances; a fast paced, intriguing, and sensational tale about letting go of the past, and looking forward to the future. The premise is impassioned; the characters are intelligent, dynamic, and energetic; the romance is fated by circumstance and time. Cindy Gerard pulls the reader into a story of romance and love; forgiveness and a look to the future; friendships and family. TAKING FIRE is a wonderful and moving installment in Cindy Gerard’s ONE EYED JACKS military, romantic suspense series.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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