Monthly Archives: February 2016

Today’s 4th Anniversary Celebration Giveaway from Jacqueline Rhoades

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Today’s 4th Anniversary Celebration Giveaway from Jacqueline Rhoades

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NOTE: All giveaways require a comment to qualify

Jacqueline Rhoades is offering an ebook copy of ROARK to TWO (2) lucky commenters

There will be TWO (2) winners for today’s Anniversary Celebration

Jacqueline Rhoades giveaway

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).

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

3. Please tell us to enter you into the giveaway.

4. Please follow Jacqueline Rhoades on Facebook.

5. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

6. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

7. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

8. Please follow The Reading Cafe on Tumblr

9. Giveaway open internationally

10. Giveaway runs until February 15, 2016

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Saving Jason by Michael Sears – a Review

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Saving Jason by Michael Sears – a Review

 

Saving JasonAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM / The Book Depository

Description:
Jason Stafford used to be a hot Wall Street trader, went too far, and paid for it in prison. Now a financial investigator, he’s been asked to look into rumors of a hostile takeover of his firm, but he has no idea it will turn his whole life upside down. Suddenly embroiled in a grand jury investigation of Mob-related activities on Wall Street, and threatened by some very serious men, he is thrust into witness protection with his young autistic son. And then his son disappears. Has he been kidnapped, or worse? With no choice but to act, Stafford has no choice but to come out of hiding and risk everything to save his son, his firm, his pregnant girlfriend—and himself.

 

 

Review:

Saving Jason by Michael Sears is the 4th book in his Jason Stafford series.   This is my first book by Sears, and it can be read very well as a standalone. Jason Stafford is a former financial guru on Wall Street, who spent two years in jail for trader fraud, and is now a financial investigator for an investment firm. Jason also has the difficult task of taking care of his autistic son.

The story starts with a bang, as Jason is checking out a suspected corrupt firm, and finds himself in a gun battle, with Bisons that act like guard dogs.   Since this is the start of the book, we know Jason manages to survive, and after that wild tense opening, there is little time to relax, as things continue to be fast and furious. Jason tries to explain to his boss about the corrupt company, but due to a possible hostile takeover, he is ordered to find out who is behind this attempt. Along the way, these different situations will eventually be tied together and Jason life will soon be on the edge.

All of these and the added element of trying to deal with his son, which is also a major part of this story. This is without a doubt, a top notch thriller that will find both Jason and his son in danger that will threaten both of their lives. This will also involve some twists, and betrayals that will force Jason to hide.

The last half of the book was fast paced, very exciting and tense. The incidents for both of them had us on the edge of our seat wondering who will survive. To tell too much more would be spoilers, and you need to read this from the beginning to get the full effect. I will add that at times I was lost with some of the financial information that made up part of the story. However, despite that, I still enjoyed this book very much.

Michael Sears has written a thriller that caught your attention from the start and continued all the way to the exciting climax. If you enjoy thrillers, then I suggest you give this series a try.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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Grave Visions by Kalayna Price – a Review

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Grave Visions by Kalayna Price – a Review

 

Grave VisionsAmazon / Barnes & Noble / BAM / The Book Depository

Description:
If you want to hear voices from the dead in Nekros City, you call Alex Craft. She’s a Grave Witch with reasonable rates and extraordinary powers, who specializes in revealing the secrets of the dead. But now she’s the one fighting to keep her own secret. She’s not human—and her newly discovered heritage is causing havoc for her both in the human realm and in Faerie. But her status as an unaffiliated fae also makes her an ideal candidate to investigate a new street drug that has surfaced in several of the spaces between the human and fae worlds.

This glamour-infused drug causes hallucinations that turn real—at least for a while and often with deadly consequences. Searching for the source of this drug—and its purpose—lands Alex front and center in the conflict brewing in Faerie and she must find answers before she’s dragged so deep she loses her freedom.

 

 

Review:

Grave Visions by Kalayna Price is the 4th book in her Alex Craft series. It has been a long time since I read the 3rd book, Grave Memory…4 years to be exact. Finally Kalayna Price has returned to the wonderful world of Alex Craft. In Grave Visions, we pick up shortly after the last book left off. I had to read my reviews as a refresher, but Price manages to give us past information along the way. Is this a standalone type of book? No it is not. You need to go back to the first book Grave Witch, and learn about Alex, Falin, the Fae, and the reaper (Death). Alex being a Grave Witch, has the ability of be able to talk to the dead; she found out recently that after living all her life as a human, she is truly fae.  

Alex is determined to stay in the human world, where she is happy, but her health has begun to deteriorate, and she must align herself with one of the Fae courts to survive. Who will she pick? As we know from previous books, Alex is living in the territory under the control of the Winter Queen, whom her ex love, Falin is sworn to. Death, who is a soul collector, is her current love, but this is a forbidden relationship for him. Alex has feelings for both, but each has their own issues.

Alex is pulled into a case where people are dying, after taking some unknown drugs that make fears come true. While she is investigating this, Alex is ordered to meet with the Winter Queen, who wants her to pull up a dead faerie, and find out who killed her. The Queen orders Alex to solve this case, and will allow her to become independent for a year, giving Alex time to choose a court, and be healthy in that time period. The Queen has been acting weird, and she needs to know who is trying to take over the Winter Throne.

Alex with help from Falin, will discover that both cases are tied together. A major betrayal will be behind the murders, as both Alex and Falin find their lives very much in danger, with a very exciting last half of the book. Will Alex and Falin survive the attempts on their lives? Will the Winter Queen believe their findings or have them killed?

The part of Alex choosing her court gets more interesting as the story continues. All the courts want Alex to affiliate with them. Dugan, a shadow court prince, and the King of Shadows are two more interesting characters that are offering Alex to join them. Looks like more fun to come. Kalayna Price continues to weave a wonderful story that has us invested in her great characters, both good and evil. I can’t wait for the next book in this series.

Reviewed by Barb

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 All giveaways require a comment to qualify

The Reading Cafe is offering a 3 book prize pack for today’s giveaway

ONE (1) commenter will receive all 3 paper 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 8 Arcs

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).

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

3. Please tell us to enter you into the giveaway.

4. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

5. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

6. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

7. Please follow The Reading Cafe on Tumblr

8. Giveaway open to USA only

10. Giveaway runs until February 15, 2016

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Accidentally in Love with the Biker by Teri Anne Stanley – a Review

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Accidentally in Love with the Biker by Teri Anne Stanley – a Review

 

Accidentally in Love with the Biker

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

Description:
Aspiring writer Kelli Dalton needs a man, and fast. When she’s rear-ended by a sexy-as-sin biker on the way to a Vegas romance readers convention, she sees her chance. If he’ll pose as her fake boyfriend long enough to impress a bestselling author, Kelli has a shot at saving the bookstore for underprivileged kids she runs back home.

Quinn Anderson doesn’t know what to make of the cute little writer who stirs his heart and his libido, but he does know he wants to get better acquainted. And if that means keeping up their sexy ruse all week, he’s game.

Quinn knows a girl like Kelli deserves someone with a secure future to help with her store, not a guy struggling to turn a profit on his chopper shop. But if his motorcycle designs win the big Vegas competition, he’ll have enough prize money to fund his dreams…and hers.

 

Review:

I loved Accidentally in Love with the Biker by Teri Anne Stanley. I’ve never had the privilege to read anything by Ms. Stanley before, but this definitely won’t be the last. If her stories and characters are anything like this book, then it’s safe to say I’ll be looking for more from this author. Ms. Stanley writes a fun, sassy, and charming romance for our hero and heroine Kelli and Quinn.

I knew from their first meeting I was going to be a fan of this couple. Kelli and Quinn are two characters that are fun, refreshing, easy going, quirky and can just go with the flow. Plus, they understand each other and seem to be in similar situations in life and jobs. From their first scene together an easy bond and fast friendship forms and the story along with their Vegas adventure just takes off. I absolutely loved their first scene together, Kelli is in her rental car daydreaming about her book’s hero Zeus, a motorcycle riding badass Greek God, when Quinn goes flying over her rental car after rear-ending her. Once she’s assured he’s not dead and nothings broken, she proceeds to introduce her self, but when Quinn removes his motorcycle helmet, the fun begins;

“I’m Kelli Dalton.” He pulled the helmet off with one hand, using the other to brush the strands away from his face, hoping to catch a little desert breeze in the process. “I’m-“ “You’re Zeus.” Kelli-the-high-heeled-driving-menace sighed, staring up at him, those damned eyes filled with wonder. Zeus? “Quinn, Quinn Anderson. But you can call me Zeus if you want.”

LoL, was my response to that scene because I could picture myself having that kind of reaction to a hot guy that I’d just been daydreaming about. J As for the rest of their adventure, it’s a fun, fast read that’s filled with many LoL moments(Quinn dressed as a lion tamer in gold shiny tights with matching vest and gold whip, Kelli dressed in a skintight black cat suit, still chuckling over that scene) that charm the reader and keep them reading to find out if they will be able to move past their fears and admit their feelings for one another, and try for that HEA that both deserve, not only in love, but life and their jobs.

As I said at the beginning of my review I loved Accidentally in Love with the Biker. It was a fast, fun, flirty read, just perfect for a lazy evening, or Sunday afternoon read.   I mean, come on, who wouldn’t want a hot biker guy who’s willing to spend a week at a romance writers book convention pretending to be a fictional boyfriend/book hero? Hands up if you want a guy like that!!

Until next time happy reading and remember, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!!   LOL!!

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Publisher

 

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Carolina Dreaming by Virginia Kantra – a Review

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Carolina Dreaming by Virginia Kantra – a Review

 

Carolina DreamingAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM / The Book Depository

Description:
After escaping a disastrous marriage, bakery owner Jane Clark has convinced herself that she has everything she needs—her precious son, a thriving business, and a roof over her head. But the arrival of a handsome stranger on the island shows her exactly what she’s been missing…   

The only home Gabe Murphy ever had was the Marine Corps. He’s working hard to rebuild his life. It will take a special place, and a special woman, to make him want to stay.   

Now Gabe is determined to prove that he’s worthy of Jane’s trust—and her love. But when her past reappears, that trust will be tested, and Jane and Gabe will have to fight hard to hold onto their love and make their dreams a reality

 

Review:

Carolina Dreaming by Virginia Kantra is the 5th book in her Dare Island series. I did not read the earlier books, but Carolina Dreaming read very well as a standalone, as Kantra does a good job of bringing in the previous characters of Dare Island. I will say that one day I will go back and read the earlier books, as I loved Kantra’s writing style.

Gabe Murphy is our hero. He is a former marine, who just got out of prison after serving time for accidently killing a man while he was defending a woman being raped. Gabe comes to Dare Island to see his old marine buddy Luke (previous hero); he hopes to find a job and try to start fresh. This will not be an easy task, as Gabe has had a tough life, and thinks of himself as unworthy.

Jane Clark, our heroine, has built a life in Dare Island, running a successful bakery. Jane has many friends in town, who care about her and her young son, Aidan. Jane’s father is also a police deputy, who lives with her. Everyone knows Jane’s story of a bad marriage, with her ex in jail, soon to be released. Jane has no desire to meet another man; all she cares about is her son and hoping to expand her bakery…. Until she meets Gabe.

Both Gabe and Jane are immediately attracted to each other, but both will try to avoid each other like the plague. Gabe gets a job working for the local contractor, and ends up working on Jane’s bakery. Being there daily, puts stress on both of them, as their attraction keeps building.   I loved everything about Gabe, who despite his rough past, and his feeling of being unworthy, turned out to be such a sweet caring man, who began to fall in love with Jane and Aidan. Jane, despite her misgivings of repeating her past fiasco, couldn’t resist Gabe. Though she knew he was trying to avoid being too close, Jane invited him to stay for dinner one night, as payment for the extra work he was doing on the bakery on his own time. The dessert that Jane served was the temptation that was beyond resisting.:)

What follows is a wonderful story about two people who found themselves again, and despite the road blocks, such as Gabe’s worry of not being good enough for Jane; Jane’s fears of getting hurt again; her father’s terrible treatment of Gabe, and how will young Aidan react; a beautiful sweet romance grew.

Needless to say, I loved Carolina Dreaming, not to mention the town of Dare Island. Virginia Kantra does a wonderful job of bringing two lost people together, making us care strongly for them, as well as for Aidan. The secondary characters were also great.   I suggest if you like a well written sweet romance, in a small town, with wonderful stories and couples, read California Dreaming and the whole Dare Island series.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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Today’s 4th Anniversary Celebration Giveaway with Mallory Crowe

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Today’s 4th Anniversary Celebration Giveaway with Mallory Crowe

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NOTE: All giveaways require a comment to qualify

Mallory Crowe is graciously offering an ebook boxset of BILLIONAIRES IN THE CITY Volumes 1-3.

ONE (1) commenter will receive an ebook boxset of BILLIONAIRES IN THE CITY 1-3—International giveaway

Mallory Crowe giveaway

Website: http://www.mallorycrowe.com/home.html
Twitter: https://twitter.com/croweink
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005600806967&fref
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13623321.Mallory_Crowe

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).

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

3. Please tell us to enter you into the giveaway.

4. Please follow Mallory Crowe on Facebook.

5. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

6. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

7. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

8. Please FOLLOW us on TSU for an additional entry.

9. Giveaway open INTERNATIONALLY

10. Giveaway runs until February 15, 2016

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Dirty Ride (Wind Dragon MC 3.5) by Chantal Fernando-a review

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DIRTY RIDE (Wind Dragons MC 3.5) by Chantal Fernando-a review

Dirty Ride

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / KOBO

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 8, 2016

Even by Wind Dragon Motorcycle Club standards, Irish was always a bit of a dark horse. Not one to confide his secrets, such as where he got that mysterious scar across his neck, he’s quick with his fists and even quicker to jump to the defense of his MC. But is he nimble enough to handle the woman he never saw coming? Or will she leave him with a matching scar across his heart?

Featuring scorching hot chemistry and plenty of sass, Dirty Ride is sure to rev your engine and get you immediately hooked!

••••

REVIEW: DIRTY RIDE is installment 3.5 and latest novella in Chantal Fernando’s contemporary, adult WIND DRAGONS MC romance series focusing on the men and women of the Wind Dragons MC. This is biker Ardan (Irish) and Valentina (Tina) story line. DIRTY RIDE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty.

Told from first person point of view (Tina) with an epilogue from Ardan, DIRTY RIDE finds our heroine on the run from an abusive ex-boyfriend who is determined to take back what he believes belongs to him. Enter Ardan, a member of the Wind Dragon MC, and the man who would protect Tina with his life.

The relationship between Ardan and Tina is a quick build from friendship to a declaration of love within a matter of days. Tina readily accepts Ardan and the MC into her life, knowing that at some point in the future, she may need their help when her ex comes looking to take her home. The sex scenes are mostly implied.

DIRTY RIDE focuses on the relationship between Ardan and Tina, and therefore the MC lifestyle and Club are secondary to the story line. Because the story is told from Tina’s POV, there is very little outside information brought into the story except to which our heroine is witness. The writing is simple; there is very little world building and the character development is limited to current story line-we know very little out our leading hero. The premise is a quick read; the romance is case of insta-love; the happily ever after holds a few secrets that may come back in the future.

Copy supplied by Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

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