Monthly Archives: January 2017

Eleventh Grave in Moonlight (Charlie Davidson #11) by Darynda Jones-a review

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ELEVENTH GRAVE IN MOONLIGHT (Charley Davidson #11) by Darynda Jones-a review

Eleventh Grave in Moonlight

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 24, 2017

A typical day in the life of Charley Davidson involves cheating husbands, missing people, errant wives, philandering business owners, and oh yeah…demons, hell hounds, evil gods, and dead people. Lots and lots of dead people. As a part time Private Investigator and full-time Grim Reaper, Charley has to balance the good, the bad, the undead, and those who want her dead. In this eleventh installment, Charley is learning to make peace with the fact that she is a goddess with all kinds of power and that her own daughter has been born to save the world from total destruction. But the forces of hell are determined to see Charley banished forever to the darkest corners of another dimension. With the son of Satan himself as her husband and world-rocking lover, maybe Charley can find a way to have her happily ever after-after all.

••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: ELEVENTH GRAVE IN MOONLIGHT is the eleventh installment in Darynda Jones’s contemporary, adult CHARLEY DAVIDSON urban fantasy series focusing on part time PI/ full time Grim Reaper/ omnipotent god Charley Davidson.

NOTE: If you have not read the previous installments there may be some spoilers in my review.

SOME BACKGROUND: This is the continuing story of Charley’s life as the Grim Reaper, the corporeal spirits who have yet to pass, and the man to whom she has pledged her undying love-the son of Satan-Reyes Farrow. Charley Davidson, and now their daughter, are the key to saving or destroying the world.

Told from first person point of view (Charley Davidson) ELEVENTH GRAVE continues to focus on Charley’s growing powers and abilities, ones that have remained dormant throughout most of her human life. Charley has recently discovered she and her hunky husband Reyes Farrow aka the Son of Satan, are gods-powerful, omnipotent beings whose futures, along with the two month old daughter, are destined to either destroy the world, or bring peace to the heavens and earth.

Meanwhile, our heroine is desperate to uncover the truth about the people who destroyed her husband’s human life-a life measured by a kidnapping, abuse, torture and death, but what Charley’s discovers is an evil worse than any she could have imagined. A new character is introduced-perhaps another member of Charley’s army as the gang heads towards a final showdown.

Reyes and Charley’s relationship continues to have its ups and downs, mostly because our heroine is determined to make right all of the wrongs; to end the ongoing threats against the people she loves; and to avenge her husband for the abuse he has suffered-all at the expense of her own safety and possibly her life.

Darynda Jones ongoing use of humor, wit, one-liners, t-shirt slogans, internet memes and hilarious banter draws the reader into a story and series that continues to evolve through a myriad of paths that will eventually intersect wherein we shall see the true meaning of the power of love. The premise is intriguing, intelligent and entertaining; the characters are energetic, inspiring and engaging. ELEVENTH GRAVE IN MOONLIGHT is a fantastic addition to Darynda’s CHARLEY DAVIDSON series-a series that will seduce you into a world from which you never want to return.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Reading Order and previous reviews
First Grave on the Right
Second Grave on the Left
Third Grave Straight Ahead
Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet
Fifth Grave Past The Light
Sixth Grave on the Edge
Seventh Grave and No Body
Eighth Grave After Dark
Brighter Than the Sun (novella)
The Dirt on Ninth Grave
The Curse on Tenth Grave
Eleventh Grave in Moonlight

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Power Game (Ghostwalker #13) by Christine Feehan-Review and Giveaway

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POWER GAME (Ghostwalker #13) by Christine Feehan-a review and giveaway

Power Game Banner

POWER GAME
Ghostwalkers #13
by Christine Feehan
Genre: adult, contemporary, paranormal, romance
Release Date: January 24, 2017

Power Game

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 24, 2017

When members of a United Nations joint security force are taken hostage by radical terrorists in Indonesia, Captain Ezekiel Fortunes is called to lead the rescue team. Part of a classified government experiment, Zeke is a supersoldier with enhanced abilities. He can see better and run faster than the enemy, disappear when necessary and hunt along any terrain. There are those in the world willing to do anything for power like that.

A mysterious woman with her own agenda rescues a captured GhostWalker soldier held by a secret enemy. Together they uncover a conspiracy that extends beyond the reaches of the US government and proves a deadly threat to national security…

A formidable spy genetically engineered to hide in plain sight, Bellisia rarely meets a man who doesn’t want to control her or kill her. But Zeke is different. His gaze, his touch—they awaken feelings inside her that she never thought possible. He’s the kind of man she could settle down with—if she can keep him alive.

•••••••••••

REVIEW: POWER GAME is the thirteenth installment in Christine Feehan’s contemporary, adult GHOSTWALKERS paranormal, romance series focusing on an elite group of ‘genetically enhanced’ men and women known as the Ghostwalkers. These ‘supersoldiers’ were part of an unauthorized government experiment performed by Dr. Peter Whitney-a man tantamount to evil incarnate. This is Ghostwalker Dr/Captain Ezekiel Fortunes, and Bellisia Adams’s story line. POWER GAME can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty although I recommend reading the series in order (especially the previous 2-3 installments) for cohesion and back story.

Told from several third person perspectives including Ezekiel and Bellisia POWER GAME returns to the Louisiana Bayou, and focuses on the take down of Senator Violet Smythe. Violet is a female Ghostwalker but a woman driven to become the most powerful person in the USA at the expense of her fellow female Ghostwalkers. Dr. Peter Whitney will send Bellisia Adams, a female Ghostwalker with ‘unusual DNA’ to ferret out Violet’s plans with the intent that our heroine returns to Whitney’s compound to reveal all of Violet’s secrets including her plans to destroy Ghostwalker Team 4 and anyone with insect or reptilian DNA. Enter Ezekiel Fortunes, a Ghostwalker targeted by Violet Smythe, and the man who has been genetically matched to our story line heroine. What ensues is the struggle to keep one step ahead of both Whitney and Smythe, and the building relationship between Ezekiel and Bellisia.

The relationship between Ezekiel and Bellisia is a dramatic change from several of Feehan’s previous story line couples including the relationship between Trap and Cayenne (Spider Game #12)-a relationship that bordered on abusive and controlling. Our current hero Ezekiel Fortunes, although alpha and protective, is also a man who does not use power or abuse to control or protect the woman he claims to love. The building love and partnership is an equal and balanced relationship in that our heroine is just as capable of making her own choices and decisions as the man with whom she is falling in love. The one hundred and eighty degree turn in the author’s writing style is a welcome relief. The $ex scenes are limited although seductive and intense.

In Power Game, the author tries to justify Trap’s abusive behavior towards his mate in Spider Game (Ghostwalker 12) by backtracking and proclaiming Trap suffers with Asperger’s syndrome-a neurobiological disorder on the higher end of the autism spectrum thus rendering him with issues of social and communication skills. The ‘Asperger’s’ story line is new and never once mentioned in the previous installment thusly I suspect the author is trying to justify her hero’s behavior to appease the many negative comments about the abusive and controlling character.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters. We are reintroduced to several members of the Ghostwalker Team 4: Gino ‘Phantom’ Mazza and Draden ‘Sandman’ Freeman, psychic surgeon Joe Spagnola whose own potential DNA match is revealed, newcomer Rubin Campo, as well as Ezekiel’s brothers Malichai and Mordichai Fortunes; the female Ghostwalkers Cayenne, Pepper and her Ghostwalker husband Wyatt, and their triplets Ginger, Thym and Cannelle; and we cannot forget about Grace ‘Nonny’ Fontenot-sadly Gator is no where to be seen. We are introduced to Bellisia’s friend, a war veteran named Donny, and her ‘handlers’ Adam and Gerald whose own Ghostwalker DNA may be a cause for concern. The requisite evil comes with many names and faces including Violet Smythe and a Chinese businessman named Cheng angling for the Ghostwalker technology. If only by way of mention there are a number of female Ghostwalkers waiting for rescue: Zara, Shylah, Scarlett, Blue, Cat and Amaryllis-I am suspecting these ladies will be matched with several members of Team 4.

Unlike some of the other installments in the series, there is a large amount of military jargon and technical information as it pertains to a rescue mission in Indonesia, and Ezekiel’s Navy SEALs although it does not interfere with the understanding or enjoyment of the story line.

POWER GAME is a story of action, suspense, betrayal and revenge. The slow building romance is almost secondary to the overall plot but the relationship is dramatic and captivating none-the-less. The premise is engaging and entertaining; the characters are colorful, animated and inspiring; the romance is passionate and sensual. POWER GAME is a thrilling and powerful return to the original Christine Feehan brand of paranormal romance.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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The Reading Cafe and Christine Feehan’s publisher are graciously offering a hard cover copy of POWER GAME to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe

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9.. Giveaway runs from January 24-27, 2017

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His Undeniable Secret (A New Adult Erotic Romance) by Shayla Black-review and book tour

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HIS UNDENIABLE SECRET ( A New Adult Erotic Romance) by Shayla Black-review and book tour

His Undeniable Secret Banner

His Undeniable Secret

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

*Previously published in the Alphas of Sin Anthology

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 23, 2017

I’m Kayla.

I’m twenty one.

I’m afraid because ever since a sudden, terrible tragedy, I’m alone in the world—except for my brother’s best friend. But now Oliver intends to move back to London.
I’m in love with him. And I have to persuade him to stay…somehow.

Maybe if I tell him I’m a virgin and show him just how far I’m willing to go to keep him, he’ll give in.

Of course, I never expected that he’d be keeping a shocking secret of his own…

•••••••••

Review

REVIEW: HIS UNDENIABLE SECRET by Shayla Black is a stand alone short story of erotica focusing on Kayla, a twenty one year old college student, and Oliver Ryan.

Told from first person point of view (Kayla) HIS UNDENIABLE SECRET focuses on the ‘best friend’s little sister’ premise wherein weeks after the accident that claimed the life of Kayla’s brother Shane, Oliver Ryan has made the decision to move back to England in the hopes of forgetting about the woman that calls to his heart. Oliver has always been attracted to his best friend’s little sister, and moving out of the country is the best way to put distance between him and the woman he loves. What ensues is a quick proclamation of love, and the sexual adventures of a woman who loses her virginity to the man with whom she will spend her forever.

HIS UNDENIABLE SECRET is a very quick read of erotica. The majority of the story line focuses on the sexual relationship between two people who have loved one another from afar but were afraid to take the first step towards the rest of their lives. The premise is provocative; the $ex scenes are intimate and animated with all of the requisite graphic sexual language found in the erotica genre; the character building is virtually non-existent as the story line covers but a couple of hours in the life with a look towards the future.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

His Undeniable Secret teaser

About the Author

Shayla BlackShayla Black is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than forty novels. For over fifteen years, she’s written contemporary, erotic, paranormal, and historical romances via traditional, independent, foreign, and audio publishers. Her books have sold well over a million copies and been published in a dozen languages.

Raised an only child, Shayla occupied herself with lots of daydreaming, much to the chagrin of her teachers. In college, she found her love for reading and realized that she could have a career publishing the stories spinning in her imagination. Though she graduated with a degree in Marketing/Advertising and embarked on a stint in corporate America to pay the bills, her heart has always been with her characters. She’s thrilled that she’s been living her dream as a full-time author for the past seven years.

Shayla currently lives in North Texas with her wonderfully supportive husband, her teenage daughter, and a very spoiled cat. In her “free” time, she enjoys reality TV, reading, and listening to an eclectic blend of music.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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The Girl Before by JP Delaney – a Review

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The Girl Before by JP Delaney – a Review

 

The Girl BeforeAmazon / B&N / Kobo / BAM / Book Depository

Description:
Please make a list of every possession you consider essential to your life.

The request seems odd, even intrusive—and for the two women who answer, the consequences are devastating.

Emma
Reeling from a traumatic break-in, Emma wants a new place to live. But none of the apartments she sees are affordable or feel safe. Until One Folgate Street. The house is an architectural masterpiece: a minimalist design of pale stone, plate glass, and soaring ceilings. But there are rules. The enigmatic architect who designed the house retains full control: no books, no throw pillows, no photos or clutter or personal effects of any kind. The space is intended to transform its occupant—and it does.

Jane
After a personal tragedy, Jane needs a fresh start. When she finds One Folgate Street she is instantly drawn to the space—and to its aloof but seductive creator. Moving in, Jane soon learns about the untimely death of the home’s previous tenant, a woman similar to Jane in age and appearance. As Jane tries to untangle truth from lies, she unwittingly follows the same patterns, makes the same choices, crosses paths with the same people, and experiences the same terror, as the girl before.

 

 

Review:

The Girl Before by JP Delaney is a standalone psychological suspense thriller.  The story alternates between two female two POV’s;  Then: Emma, and Now: Jane.  There is a two year period between Emma and Jane.  The common bond between both girls is the house they lived in One Folgate Street, as well as the architect, who build it. Edward Monkford, is the architect, and he only allows someone who meets his criteria to live there.  Each person who wants to move into this residence must first pass a huge series of strange questions, which includes many stipulations required in living there.  I personally found the stipulations totally weird & creepy; that alone would make me pass on moving to this place.  However, this is fiction.  Then they would have to have an interview with Monkford. Needless to say, not many are accepted. 

Both Emma and Jane prior to moving to One Folgate Street, had tragedies that affected them badly, making this residence seem like a fresh start, even with these restrictions.  The residence is also a beautiful different design, with high tech systems within.  Normally only the very rich could afford the rent, but these women were allowed to live at a cheaper rate.  This alone was a red flag right away. Emma was a victim of a burglary and sexual assault.  Jane, when she moved in, was suffering from the loss of her stillborn child.

 Edward Monkford himself was a hunk, but he also had his own issues having lost his wife and son years before.   As Emma’s and Jane’s story unfolds, we also learn they they both bear a resemblance to each other, as well as Edward’s wife.

Each chapter goes back and forth between both ladies narrating their time of residence, and fairly quickly we learn that Emma died in what could have been an accident or a possible murder. There is also Emma’s boyfriend, who resided for a bit in One Folgate Street, until Emma broke up with him, and entered an affair with Edward.  To this day, Emma’s death is unsolved. Jane finds herself obsessed with finding out more about Emma, and she too is in an affair with Edward. 

To tell too much more, and there is so much to tell, would be spoilers.  Will Jane be able to resolve how Emma died?  Will Jane get out of One Folgate Street or suffer the same fate as Emma.  What follows is an exciting thriller, as we watch Emma come closer to her final days; and watch Jane reach out to those who knew Emma to find the truth, putting her own life in danger. 

I will say that there were a few things I did not care for.  One being Emma, who was a strange and not very likable character.  I was also not crazy about the flipping around each chapter on the two main characters, which at times was confusing, causing me to go back to see who was talking.  Overall, this was a suspenseful exciting psychological thriller, which keeps you in suspense to the very end.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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The Devil’s Daughter (Hidden Sins #1) by Katee Robert-Review, Book Tour & Giveaway

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THE DEVIL’S DAUGHTER (Hidden Sins #1) by Katee Robert-Review, Book Tour & Giveaway

The Devil's Daughter Banner

THE DEVIL’S DAUGHTER
Hidden Sins #1
by Katee Robert
Release Date: January 24, 2017
Genre: adult, contemporary, romantic, suspense

The Devil's Daughter

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

Get More information at: Goodreads

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 24, 2017

Growing up in a small town isn’t easy, especially when you’re the daughter of a local cult leader. Ten years ago, Eden Collins left Clear Springs, Montana, and never once looked back. But when the bodies of murdered young women surface, their corpses violated and marked with tattoos worn by her mother’s followers, Eden, now an FBI agent, can’t turn a blind eye. To catch the killer, she’s going to have to return to the fold.

Sheriff Zach Owens isn’t comfortable putting Eden in danger, even if she is an elite agent. And he certainly wasn’t expecting to be so attracted to her. As calm and cool as she appears, he knows this can’t be a happy homecoming. Zach wants to protect her—from her mother, the cult, and the evil that lurks behind its locked gates. But Eden is his only key to the tight-lipped group, and she may just be closer to the killer than either one of them suspects.

••••••••••

REVIEW: THE DEVIL’S DAUGHTER is the first installment in Katee Robert’s contemporary, adult HIDDEN SINS romantic suspense crime series. This is FBI agent Eden Collins, and Clear Springs, Montana sheriff and former Marine Zach Owens’s story line.

Told from several third person points of view THE DEVIL’S DAUGHTER focuses on a serial killer with possible links to a local Clear Springs cult known as Elysia, and their leader Martha Collins. With one girl missing, and another found dead sheriff Zach Owens struggles with a lack of DNA, clues and access to the Elysia compound. Enter FBI agent Eden Collins, the prodigal daughter of Elysia’s founder Martha Collins, and a potential victim given the nature of the crimes and the belief system of Martha’s followers. What ensues is the search for clues as the who, what and why, as Eden’s attempts to retrieve information from a compound she once called home.

Ten years earlier, Eden Collins left Clear Springs, Montana and the Elysia compound behind hoping never to return but a familiar tattoo and a series of ‘ritualistic markings’ brings Eden back home to a town frightened by the Elysia cult. Sheriff Zach Owens had hoped not to call in the FBI but Eden’s appearance coincides with the missing and murdered girls leaving our heroine the number one suspect early in the investigation.

The relationship between Eden and Zach is one of mutual attraction but Eden has no desire to lose her heart to someone back home. The romance is limited as the majority of the story line focuses on the search for the missing girls, and the clues that lead back to the Elysia compound.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including FBI agents Vic and Britton: local law enforcement and Sheriff’s deputy Chase, coroner William Reynolds, and several members of the Elysia cult. We are introduced to Eden’s mother and the leader of the cult Martha Collins, as well as her inner circle –Lee, Joseph and Abram, Beth and Jon.

THE DEVIL’S DAUGHTER is a story line that ventures into Greek mythology-Demeter and Persephone- and the cult-like belief system of one woman and her tight knit band of followers. The premise is intriguing and suspenseful; the final reveal is surprising; the characters are colorful and captivating; the HEA is open ended.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

The Devil's Daughter Teaser

excerpt

“This is stupid. Get out of the car. Get out of the car right now.”
She threw her body into motion, half-afraid that if she didn’t force herself to move, she’d sit there until someone decided to report her for being creepy. Who am I kidding? The people in this place are just as likely to knock on the window and ask me if I need any help.
The fall air had a little bite to it, and she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. Home.
No. It’s not home. It’ll never be home again.
She’d made a life for herself in the FBI, and if she didn’t have much in the way of roots . . . Well, she’d left the possibility of roots behind when she left Clear Springs. Most days it didn’t even bother her that much. She was doing good in the world, using her nontraditional childhood to give her an edge that had helped her make a name for herself over the last six years in the cult division. She was Eden Collins, FBI agent. She wasn’t that scared little girl. Not anymore.
One step at a time, she made her way into the police station. She’d half expected it to be a whirl of motion, with people rushing here and there, trying to come to terms with the fact that death had touched their small town. But there was no one in the room except a man sitting behind the desk in the corner, glaring at the phone on his desk.
Zach Owens.
The golden boy of Clear Springs in every sense. His blond hair was still cropped short, hearkening back to his days as a marine, and his body was obviously well taken care of. This wasn’t a man who’d let his years working in a sleepy little town turn him soft.
While Zach took her in, she conducted her own perusal. She’d never met him personally, but she knew him by reputation and pieces of information stolen via eavesdropping. He’d gone off to war a boy and come back a man with shadows in his eyes. Or maybe she was just seeing him with rose-tinted glasses, the tragic figure representing everything she’d never have. Acceptance. Loyalty. The love of the people here.
Something like jealousy curled through her stomach. It was silly and childish and she was better than that, but it was hard not to resent someone who so obviously fit. Eden had done a bit of traveling since she’d turned eighteen and run as far and fast as she could from her mother, but she’d never found a place that was well and truly hers.
He caught sight of her and narrowed his eyes. “Can I help you?”
Being pinned in place by those blue eyes made her second-guess the intelligence of her plan yet again. It didn’t matter. He needed her help, even if he didn’t know it yet. She stepped forward. “I’m here about the body.”

about the author

Katee RobertsNew York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Katee Robert learned to tell her stories at her grandpa’s knee. She found romance novels at age twelve and it changed her life. When not writing sexy contemporary and speculative fiction romance novels, she spends her time playing imaginary games with her wee ones, driving her husband batty with what-if questions, and planning for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. Connect with Katee at:

Website | Facebook | Twitter| GoodReads | Instagram |

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The Billionaire’s Bet by Victoria Davies – a Review

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The Billionaire’s Bet by Victoria Davies – a Review

 

The Billionaire's BetAmazon / B&N / Kobo / BAM / Book Depository

Description:
Hailey Mitchel wants one thing. Her boss. The only problem is he’s never looked at her as more than a loyal employee. At least, not until his charming business rival, Caleb, drops into her life with an offer she can’t refuse. He’s willing to bet he can make her fall in love with him in a month, and if he’s wrong, he’ll help her find the keys to her boss’s heart.

Caleb Langston wants one thing. Revenge. Hailey is his ticket to finally evening the score with his old adversary. There’s just one problem. The more time he spends with her, the less he cares about his grand plans for payback. But love is always a gamble, and soon he’ll have to choose between his past and his future. And pray Hailey never discovers the secret he’s been hiding from her.

 

Review;

I quite enjoyed The Billionaire’s Bet by Victoria Davies.  It’s a fast paced read as the story pretty much takes place over the span of a month.  This being the case, I never felt the story or characters suffered, or were rushed in anyway to get the story told.  I thought Ms. Davies did an excellent job of laying the groundwork and allowing us to learn about the players involved, and why events were playing out the way they did.  Ms. Davies also gives us plenty of swooning time in this one as we have two handsome billionaires vying for the same girl, but it’s not for reasons one would assume.  No, our heroes aren’t in it for love at the beginning because they have ulterior motives that stem back to a misunderstanding in their early days.  I will admit I did feel bad for our would be heroine Hailey at times, but also thought she was a tad silly to go along with Caleb’s bet in the first place.  Hailey is so besotted with her boss Alec that she doesn’t see through Caleb’s charade/plot for revenge.  There were many times throughout the story that I thought come on Hailey can’t you see he’s playing you, but Caleb is a very suave, charming and charismatic individual.  She gets swept along Caleb’s plot for revenge against Alec and before she knows it she’s fallen for the ‘devil’ in the Armani suit as she calls him various times throughout the book. 

Ah yes the ‘devil’ in the Armani suit is just that.  He knows he’s got it all, good looks, money, charm, everything a girl could ever ask for and he knows how to use it.  At first glance I thought Hailey was right in called him the ‘devil’ since he did set his sights on her for one reason, revenge against Alec.  Once he got his revenge, then Hailey wouldn’t be of any use to him anymore and he’d cut her loose.  One word came to mind for me regarding Caleb, scumbag!!  However, Caleb quickly had me singing a different tune by the middle of the book.  Once we break through his outer layer of defense there’s a vulnerable side to him that he’s been protecting all these years thanks to what his so called best friend Alec did to him.  It’s at this point I fully  understood why his need for revenge was so strong, but thanks to Hailey his plan quickly starts to crumble as he develops feelings for her that only get stronger the more time he spends with her.  Caleb goes through a transformation that turns him from scumbag to Mr. Right by books end.  By books end Caleb is so in love with Hailey that he’s even willing to let bygones be bygones and drop his revenge plot against Alec and try to mend fences because that’s what Hailey would want him to do if she ever discovered the truth.  Caleb wants to be a better person because of Hailey, she’s given him purpose and reason to really want to live life instead of drifting through life like he was.  Hailey and Caleb actually bring a good balance to each others lives. 

Even though there is drama and a big blow up between our trio in the last portion of the story all does end well for everyone.  Caleb and Hailey get their HEA that neither thought they’d ever find and Caleb and Alec mend fences and want to get their friendship back on track.  I really like how Alec was the one to form the plan to allow Caleb to try one last time to explain everything to Hailey.  I really enjoyed reading The Billionaire’s  Bet by Victoria Davies and found it to be a fast and fun read, filled with revenge plots, feuds between friends, leftover anger, a longing to try and get back to the way things were between friends and with a sexy romance between an ‘angel’ and a ‘devil’ tossed in for good measure. 

Until next time, happy reading!! 

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Publisher

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Dance With Destiny by Becky Lower – a Review

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Dance With Destiny by Becky Lower – a Review

 

Dance With DestinyAmazon / B&N / BAM / Book Depository

DESCRIPTION
William Myers feels it’s his duty to answer the call to fight for the Union Army—but his wife, Susannah, doesn’t agree. How does he expect her to survive with four small children in the cold Ohio winter during the three-month enlistment period? Angry and abandoned, Susannah learns soon after William leaves that she is also pregnant again. 

Raoul Lafontaine is a half-Ojibwa, half-French-Canadian drifter who is more Indian than white. Also known as Lone Wolf, he has recently left the Ojibwa village in search of a fair-haired woman both he and his grandfather have seen in visions. She is important to him—but how? He will never allow himself to care for another—not after losing the wife he loved so much.

But Raoul could not have planned for the sizzling emotions that surface when he comes near Susannah, nor the love he feels for her children. When he realizes that Susannah returns his feelings, he knows he must leave—for how can he stay close by knowing she can never be his? William will return to his homestead, and they’ll once again be a family. One in which Raoul has no place. Or does he?

Will Fate relent and grant the love between Susannah and Raoul in this DANCE WITH DESTINY? 

 

 

REVIEW
5 out of 5 for this reader folks!

OH this has to be a new BECKY fave of mine!  I absolutely adored this read! 🙂

Dance With Destiny by Becky Lower is a stand alone historical romance that is set during the American Civil War.  This was a different read for me however, as I have never read a romance that featured a half French Canadian (Canadian here myself..  lol) half Native American hero.  As usual Becky does her homework and weaves in true historical events with believable characters set in that time.  This story was heart breaking and freeing all at the same time.  I always know that when I dive into one of Becky’s books, I will set it down feeling like I was smacked in the gut, wiping a runny nose and 100% completely satisfied.  If you are an emotional reader like I am, you will appreciate her kind of writing!

William and Susannah are a married couple with children living in Ohio.  When The Civil War commences William opts to leave home and fight much to Susannah’s dismay.  Like many women during this time, she does what she has to do in his absence .. SURVIVE.  Left with children, limited provisions, isolated living and a pregnancy, Susannah is left to stew in her anger.  She is having trouble making ends meet and is feeling very alone.

Raoul is our Native American/French Canadian hero.  He has set out on a journey of sorts.  A journey that will hopefully enable him to heal from his own broken heart. When he comes across Susannah and her family, he is smitten but decides to stay back .. until … winter sets in and he must help them survive the harsh conditions.  Stepping up where her husband should have been, it’s hard for Raoul to not fall in love, but it is even harder to deny it.

Raoul and Susannah are beautifully matched.  I know Sussansh is married, but I have to say that I was so mad at her husband for not just leaving, but making other decisions that greatly affected this family.  I was proud that Susannah was mad about it as well. She didn’t sit in a corner and play “poor me”, she was honest with herself and decided she was meant to live and if her husband had no concern for her welfare. than maybe it was time to be true to her own feelings.  Raoul has got to be one of the strongest most endearing characters I have read in quite a while.  He struggles with his sense of right and wrong.  This family already has a man, but how can this man be acknowledged when he has clearly disregarded them?  Raoul and Susannah soon must decide if their love is truly forbidden or if they say “to hell with it all” and go for it.

I am really am not doing these characters justice in my review here and maybe that is because it wasn’t so much the characters that made this story for me.  Don’t get me wrong, they are very strong characters and so deserving of “gushy words” but I have to say Becky has this incredible talent for writing visceral scenes/imagery.  When I read her books, I feel like I have jumped right into the daily living and times of that era.  I was a pioneer who struggled, who was married and fell in love with another man who assisted in my survival.  It’s absolutely fascinating and I really believe that there are not many authors out there who can extend this kind of experience to their readers.

I feel like this review may be a little scattered, but that is how I usually feel after a Becky Lower book.  LOL  If you want a break from many of the European historical romances out there, I strongly recommend you read anything that Becky has written.  You will be taken into a completely different world where you will be indulged in some strong romance and history.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND and bring more Canadian to me Becky!  LOL

HAPPY READING! 🙂

Reviewed by Rachel

Copy supplied for review

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Wild Poppy (Wildflower #4) by Vivian Winslow-Review

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WILD POPPY (Wildflower #4) by Vivian Winslow-a review

Wild Poppy

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca /

The daughter of a renown media mogul, Poppy Koslowski has her life turned upside down overnight when her father is indicted for a massive fraud that leads to the loss of her family’s fortune. In the wake of the scandal, Poppy moves to Paris at the behest of her aunt, the Countess Domel, who, unbeknownst to Poppy, intends to find a wealthy husband for her niece in order to ensure her future. Poppy, however, has her own dreams of finishing school and realizing her goal of becoming an award-winning journalist. When she meets Henri Olin, the passionate and seductive illegitimate son of one of France’s most powerful politicians, his political and social ideology introduces Poppy to a world very different from her own. Yet, Poppy ultimately learns that everything comes at a price, even love. After suffering a devastating loss, Poppy finds herself alone and virtually penniless, and is forced to make her way back to America to piece together the remnants of her life in New York City. There, she rediscovers her passion once again, only to be confronted with yet another life choice, one that will forever shape her destiny.

REVIEW

5 out of 5 for this reader folks!

Be still my freaking aching heart VIVIAN WINSLOW! Give a reader a warning next time why don’t you hunny! I was a freaking mess of emotional goo by the end of this book and I have to say you delivered some serious “AHA” moments here. This out of all of the books I have reviewed for you is my absolute FAVE!

Wild Poppy by Vivian Winslow is a contemporary romance and the fourth book in her “Wildflowers” Series. I suppose you do not have to read the previous 3 to appreciate this book, but I will say that you will be missing out on a great experience if you do not. This book is about a character in previous books that is very influential and understanding why she is the way she is was the best part of this book for me. You can totally love the story for what it is, but you will enjoy it so much more understanding the history.

Poppy Koslowski is the daughter of a prominent couple, privileged and her direction is mapped out for her. When her father is arrested her mother and her are left with nothing and Poppy is sent away to Paris to stay with her aunt. She meets and falls in love with a man named Henri who shows her a life she never could have imagined possible. But not all is as it seems and before we know it she is desolate and alone again. Her next step in life takes her across the ocean where she is hoping to put the pieces back together and live her dream of becoming a journalist. She however is afforded an opportunity that can shape the rest of her life and she is left with a question of living for the now or for the future.

Ok so not quite the best synopsis of what this story is about, but I am not ruining any of the story for you an quite frankly I want to review something far different than mapping out how this story happened. I want to review what Vivian so wisely did here. Vivian laid out a “life lesson”, “heart vs security”, “what would you do” kind of story. So much has been thrown at Poppy in her young life. So much hurt and pain, cruel life lessons that one has to wonder how she picks herself up and carries on. How does one believe in dreams and love when one has been beaten down? This book really made me stop and think. Would I want a life of maybe’s and happiness, or of security and a colder existence? After what this strong woman went through I can only imagine how hard of a choice that is. I tell ya Vivian, I sure understand Poppy a whole heck of a lot more in the previous books now.

Poppy is one of the best female characters I have read in a while. She is multi-layered and while naive (that comes with her age), she is developing into a very strong woman. I am really looking forward to the next book and I am really anxious to see what decisions are made next. Excellent story flow with some yummy scenes, and I love that we travelled the world a bit as well.

HAPPY READING!

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Rachel T.

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