Monthly Archives: January 2017

Feversong by Karen Marie Moning – a Review

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Feversong by Karen Marie Moning – a Review

 

Feversong
Fever series – Book #9
by Karen Marie Moning
Release Date: January 17. 2017

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Description:
Karen Marie Moning returns with the epic conclusion to her pulse-pounding Fever series, where a world thrown into chaos grows more treacherous at every turn. As Mac, Barrons, Ryodan, and Jada struggle to restore control, enemies become allies, right and wrong cease to exist, and the lines between life and death, lust and love, disappear completely.

Black holes loom menacingly over Dublin, threatening to destroy the Earth. Yet the greatest danger is the one MacKayla Lane has unleashed from within: the Sinsar Dubh—a sentient book of unthinkable evil—has possessed her body and will stop at nothing in its insatiable quest for power.

The fate of Man and Fae rests on destroying the book and recovering the long-lost Song of Making, the sole magic that can repair the fragile fabric of the Earth. But to achieve these aims, sidhe-seers, the Nine, Seelie, and Unseelie must form unlikely alliances and make heart-wrenching choices. For Barrons and Jada, this means finding the Seelie Queen who alone can wield the mysterious song, negotiating with a lethal Unseelie prince hell-bent on ruling the Fae courts, and figuring out how to destroy the Sinsar Dubh while keeping Mac alive.

This time, there’s no gain without sacrifice, no pursuit without risk, no victory without irrevocable loss. In the battle for Mac’s soul, every decision exacts a tremendous price

 

Review:

Feversong by Karen Marie Moning is the 9th and final book in her fantastic Fever series.  I am a big fan of the Fever series and Karen Moning.  When I heard that Feversong would be the end of Mac & Barrons story, I could not wait to get my hands on this book.  The fact that I was able to finish the book (560 pages) in one day proves how good an author is that you are so immersed into the story that you could not stop reading; and Moning is one of the best.  I have loved my time in the Fever world, and loved loved these great characters; Mac, Barrons, Dani/Jada, Ryodan, Cruce/VLane, etc.  Even the secondary, as well as evil characters were all great.

In Feversong, Mac finally takes control of her destiny and becomes what we had hoped she would be.  When we left off in the last book, the evil Sinsar Dubh takes control of Mac after she saves herself and Dani.  Along the way the evil being in control threatens anyone who stands in the way, which includes the death of some characters we have known for awhile.  Also in Dublin and around the world, things are falling apart, with Earth slowly crumbling.  

The group who has led us here throughout this series tries desperately to find a way to stop the Sinsar Dubh and try to stop the overall destruction.  Mac will find a way to rise up and become a strong fierce person and take control again; but for how long and for what cost?

What follows is an exciting, pulse-pounding action filled adventure that at times is dark and terrifying, and other times gloriously happy and romantic.  I do not want to give spoilers, since each fan of this series needs to read Feversong.  I loved how Mac became what I had hoped she would, and loved the sweet conclusion to her and Barrons arc.  I love everything about Dani, who has been one of my favorites from the beginning.  To see her have the strength of the tough confident Jada was great, but to see my Dani back was awesome.  Ryodan was his normal self; controlled and always looking out for Dani, even to letting her go…just a little.  Dancer was a surprise and this was a nice, but bittersweet element to the story.  Cruce/Vlane was either his nasty side, or the charming friend that Mac trusted at one time.  I loved finally learning more about Dani’s Shazam.  What is he?  Is he real? You will have to read Feversong to find out.

The last third of the book was wild and emotional.  So much happens that you cannot blink, and you will need some tissues close by.  As I have noted before, in the Fever series, Moning has given us some wonderful complex characters that have kept us along for this emotional  roller coaster of a ride. I loved Feversong, but please please Karen, even if this is the end of the Mac/Barrons story; I want and need more of Dani, as she has so much more to tell.  Thank you Karen Marie Moning for another fantastic story.

Reviewed by Barb

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The Cocky Thief (Stolen Hearts #1) by Mallory Crowe-Review, Book Tour & Giveaway

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THE COCKY THIEF (Stolen Hearts #1) by Mallory Crowe-Review, Book Tour & Giveaway

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THE COCKY THIEF
Stolen Hearts #1
by Mallory Crowe
Release Date: January 17, 2017
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance

Cocky Thief

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 17, 2017

Book 1 in the newest romantic suspense series from award winning author, Mallory Crowe!

The best thief in the world may have met his match… Austin Miles can get into any building, safe or vault in the world if he wanted to, but when a former cop obsessed with revenge threatens his most important asset, his reputation, he finds himself accepting a job that even the best would balk at. The only silver lining as he’s putting his life on the line is the sexy, mysterious Jennifer Murray.

Somehow when he’s flirting with her the threat of death doesn’t seem quite so bad. Jennifer Murray thought she was going to her eccentric’s mother’s wedding. The only thing that made the ordeal bearable was the tall dark and handsome man across the hall from her. But when she learns her mother’s true motives for elaborate wedding, it becomes apparent that this isn’t a party. It’s a job.

With both Jennifer and Austin after the same payday, there can only be one winner. But no one ever said the score of a lifetime would be easy…”

••••••••••

REVIEW: THE COCKY THIEF is the first installment in Mallory Crowe’s contemporary, adult STOLEN HEARTS romantic, suspense series focusing on the Murray sisters-Jennifer, Toni and Melody- a trio of professional thieves whose latest high stakes contract is both deadly and rewarding. This is Jennifer Murray, and Austin Miles’ story line.

Told from several third person perspectives THE COCKY THIEF focuses on a theft that goes horribly wrong. En route to her mother’s wedding Jennifer Murray will be introduced to Austin Miles-a man who claims to be her future step-father’s lawyer but a man who has been hired to pull off a thirty million dollar heist. What ensues is the building relationship between Jennifer and Austin, and the realization that there is more than one thief attending the wedding nuptials.

Jennifer Murray comes from a family of thieves and cons. Their latest assignment finds the sisters, and their mother, working together for a payout that would set them up for life. Enter Austin Miles, a professional con man and thief who must work with the sisters when things begin to go horribly wrong.

The relationship between Jennifer and Austin is one of immediate attraction but Austin knows that to get involved with a potential mark could spell disaster for his business. Jennifer’s reluctance to pull off the heist is compounded by her attraction to Austin, and her desire to keep peace within the Murray family. The $ex scenes are seductive and intimate without the use of over the top graphic text and language.

We are introduced to Jennifer’s mother Isobel, and her sisters Toni and Melody, as well as James Weston- a hired gun; and ex-cop Scott Hart. The requisite evil has many faces including Isobel’s future husband Gregory Stranger, and billionaire businessman Jonathan Sterling.

THE COCKY THIEF is a story of action, adventure, romance and loss, but I was hoping for a more detailed resolution to the events that occurred-a theft of that magnitude should have generated a more thorough and ongoing need for retribution and revenge-perhaps there is more to the story in an upcoming installment. The premise is entertaining and engaging; the characters are colorful, dynamic and energetic; the romance is provocative and moving.

Copy supplied for review.

Reviewed by Sandy

The Cocky Thief teaser

About the Author

Mallory CroweABOUT THE AUTHOR — Mallory Crowe is the award winning author of the Fractured Farrells series, the Bad Boys of the Underworld series and many other novels. She grew up surrounded by rescue dogs and escaping into romance books whenever possible. After trying to do the “adult” thing by getting an accounting degree and CPA license, she decided to try her hand at writing and never looked back.
An avid traveler, reader, and Netflix addict, Mallory currently lives in Michigan, with her husband and three laid-back dogs.

 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/croweink
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2iiy4cF
Website: http://mallorycrowe.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mallorymcrowe/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMalloryCrowe
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13623321.Mallory_Crowe

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Entice Me (Stark Trilogy 3.11) b y J. Kenner-Review and Book Tour

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ENTICE ME (Stark Trilogy 3.11) by J. Kenner-Review and Book Tour

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ENTICE ME
Stark Trilogy 3.11
by J. Kenner
Release Date: January 17, 2017
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romance

Entice Me

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 17, 2017

From New York Times bestselling author J. Kenner comes a sensually seductive novella starring fan favorites Damien Stark and his wife, Nikki Fairchild.

Includes a special preview of Anchor Me, the highly anticipated fourth full-length novel featuring Nikki & Damien as they begin the next chapter in their life together.

I didn’t understand passion until I met Damien, the man who turned my world upside down and swept me off my feet.

And though our life together feels perfect, we can’t escape our secrets–and the danger that continually threatens to surface.

But for one night, I seek a respite. A birthday wish for my husband, my lover, my friend—one absolutely perfect night.

It is my most ardent wish.

And I only hope that it will come true…

••••••••••

REVIEW: ENTICE ME is the latest novella in J. Kenner’s contemporary, adult STARK TRILOGY erotic, romance series focusing on billionaire businessman Damien and his wife Nikki Stark. Their continuing story follows the preparations for Damien’s upcoming birthday surprise, and Nikki’s latest business venture in the world of IT and apps.

Told from first person point of view (Nikki Fairchild-Stark) ENTICE ME focuses on Damien’s upcoming birthday. Along with her friends, and Damien’s personal assistant Nikki begins the last minute preparation for a surprise birthday for the man that she loves but a familiar threat from an outside source finds our heroine planning another surprise for someone else.

ENTICE ME is also a story line that sets the foundation for the next full length installment in J. Kenner’s Stark Trilogy- ANCHOR ME -wherein our heroine goes home to face the mother who destroyed her life. The premise is engaging; the characters are familiar and passionate; the romance is sensual and erotic but I still have issues with a certain four letter word that the author feels compelled to use in all of her story lines.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Entice Me teaser

Excerpt

NOTE: Excerpt intended for readers 18+ due to strong language.

He bends down so that his lips graze my ear. “Dance for me, baby. Right now.”
”Is that what you want?” I ask. “To watch me dance? Because I have something else in mind.”
His brow rises. “Do you?”
“Mmm,” I say, then start humming as I pull out my phone and find my current favorite song on my workout playlist. A little fast. A little raunchy. A lot fun. I click the button to send it through our sound system, and when the music starts, I press my hand to Damien’s chest and jauntily strut forward, forcing him backward to the padded bench that is intended as a place to sit and wait for the elevator. Right now, I have a different purpose in mind.
“I’ll dance,” I say, doing a shimmy and pulling off my T-shirt in the process. “I’ll even do a stripper dance,” I add. “But I don’t do solo shows. I require full participation.”
“Do you?”
“Absolutely,” I say, turning around so that my back is to him as I shake and shimmy in time with the music and very, very slowly ease my skirt off.
When I turn around, I’m dressed only in my bra and panties, and though I should feel silly, I don’t. Maybe it’s the alcohol. Maybe it’s the lingering high from fucking him in the limo. Maybe it’s the heated way that he’s watching my every move.
Maybe it’s the simple fact that I love my husband.
Whatever the reason, I’m enjoying showing off, turning him on and getting turned on in the process. And as I think that, I slide one hand over my bra and the other down my abdomen to cup myself over my panties.
I have my eyes closed, and the music’s loud, but I still hear Damien’s sharp intake of breath. I figure that’s as good a cue as any, and I open my eyes and strut toward him, then reach out a hand to pull him up.
He complies, amused, and I do my own version of a pole dance, with Damien playing the role of my pole. Up and down, stroking and teasing, shimmying and shaking. It’s a little erotic and a little silly, and by the time I have my bra off and am about to step out of my panties, I’m both desperately wet and giggling furiously.
I bend over to untangle my panties from around my ankle, and when I do, my giggles turn to squeals as Damien scoops me up and tosses me over his shoulder. I pound uselessly on his back, then cry out when he pitches me unceremoniously onto the bed.
“What are you–?”
“Shhh.” He puts his finger over his mouth, then strips off his own clothes. And though he doesn’t add any dance moves, I can’t deny that I enjoy the show.
Slowly, he eases onto the bed and straddles me. “I liked your dance,” he says. “I like even more that you did it because I told you I wanted it.”
“Anything you want,” I whisper, my voice throaty. “You know that.”
“I want you,” he says, then brushes a kiss over my lips.

About The author

J.KennerJ.Kenner (aka Julie Kenner) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal and #1 International bestselling author of over seventy novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres.

Though known primarily for her award-winning and international bestselling erotic romances (including the Stark and Most Wanted series) that have reached as high as #2 on the New York Times bestseller list, JK has been writing full time for over a decade in a variety of genres including paranormal and contemporary romance, “chicklit” suspense, urban fantasy,  and paranormal mommy lit.

JK has been praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations” and by RT Bookclub for having “cornered the market on sinfully attractive, dominant antiheroes and the women who swoon for them.” A five time finalist for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award, JK took home the first RITA trophy awarded in the category of erotic romance in 2014 for her novel, Claim Me (book 2 of her Stark Trilogy). Her Demon Hunting Soccer Mom series (as Julie Kenner) is currently in development with AwesomenessTV/Awestruck.

Her books have sold over three million  copies and are published in over twenty languages.

In her previous career as an attorney, JK worked as a clerk on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and practiced primarily civil, entertainment and First Amendment litigation in Los Angeles and Irvine, California, as well as in Austin, Texas.  She currently lives in Central Texas, with her husband, two daughters, and two rather spastic cats.

Website – Twitter – Facebook – Pinterest – Instagram – Tumblr – Goodreads

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Egomaniac (Tight Spaces #1) by Vi Keeland-Review & Book Tour

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EGOMANIAC (Tight Spaces #1) by Vi Keeland-Review and Book Tour

Egomaniac

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 16, 2017

The night I met Drew Jagger, he’d just broken into my new Park Avenue office.
I dialed 9-1-1 before proceeding to attack him with my fancy new Krav Maga skills.
He quickly restrained me, then chuckled, finding my attempted assault amusing.

Of course, my intruder had to be arrogant. Only, turned out, he wasn’t an intruder at all.

Drew was the rightful occupant of my new office. He’d been on vacation while his posh space was renovated. Which was how a scammer got away with leasing me office space that wasn’t really available for rent. I was swindled out of ten grand.

The next day, after hours at the police station, Drew took pity on me and made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. In exchange for answering his phones while his secretary was out, he’d let me stay until I found a new place. I probably should have acted grateful and kept my mouth shut when I overheard the advice he was spewing to his clients. But I couldn’t help giving him a piece of my mind. I never expected my body to react every time we argued. Especially when that was all we seemed to be able to do.

The two of us were complete opposites. Drew was a bitter, angry, gorgeous-as-all-hell, destroyer of relationships. And my job was to help people save their marriages. The only thing the two of us had in common was the space we were sharing. And an attraction that was getting harder to deny by the day.

•••••••••••

REVIEW: EGOMANIAC is the first installment in Vi Keeland’s contemporary adult TIGHT SPACES erotic, romance series. This is attorney Drew Jagger, and psychologist Emerie Rose’s story line.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Drew and Emerie) EGOMANIAC focuses on the growing relationship between divorce attorney Drew Jagger, and marriage psychologist Emerie Rose. Returning home on New Year’s Eve to New York from a two week vacation in Hawaii, Drew Jagger finds a strange woman has set up business and taken over his office space only to discover that she had just been conned in a rental scam losing her life savings to a man who illegally sublet Drew’s office. What ensues is the building relationship between Drew and Emerie, and the growing friendship that will lead to something more.

Emerie is a recent newcomer from Oklahoma to New York following a man she thought she had loved. With no place to go following a scam that caught her off guard, Drew offers Emerie office space in exchange for answering his phones to help pay back the money that she lost, and the legal fees she is about to amass thanks to Drew’s legal assistance and advice. Drew is a single attorney with a heartbreaking past but a past that controls the strings of his heart. Drew is a cocky, smart mouthed, dirty talking alpha male who becomes protective of the woman with whom he will fall in love.

The relationship between Drew and Emerie is a friends to lovers romance. Drew has been burned by a previous relationship and isn’t willing to give love or marriage a second chance. Emerie is a woman whose heart is torn between the man with whom she is falling in love, and a man that sees our heroine as only a friend. The $ex scenes are seductive, erotic and intense; their sexual chemistry is palpable and hot.

We are introduced to Drew’s best friend and private investigator Roman Olivet; Emerie’s neighbor professor Baldwin Marcum; the requisite evil-Alexa-a woman from Drew Jagger’s past; and little man Beck who will soften anyone’s heart.

EGOMANIAC is a friends to lovers, romantic comedy. There are moments of heartbreak and sorrow, friendship and love, romance and a happily ever after. The premise is fun, sexy and entertaining; the romance is provocative and captivating; the characters are passionate and playful.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

egomaniac teaser

About The author

Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. With more than a million books sold, her titles have appeared in over fifty Bestseller lists and are currently translated in ten languages. She lives in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.

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Contract Signed (Triggerman, Inc #1) by Marie Harte-Review and Excerpt tour

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CONTRACT SIGNED (Triggerman,Inc #1) by Marie Harte-Review and Excerpt tour

Contract Signed

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 17, 2017

Three assassins and a… baby?

Triggerman, Inc., Book 1

Noel “Ice” Cavanaugh’s method is foolproof. Get in, do the job, get out, melt away without a trace. Chill out until his next mark is assigned. Neat. Tidy. No mistakes.

This time, though, something isn’t right. Two somethings. First a random attack that feels not-so-random. Then he discovers someone’s left a baby on his doorstep with a note claiming it’s his. And the sexy neighbor who found the boy first has too many questions in her eyes to ignore.

When her handsome, mysterious neighbor suddenly asks her out on a date, Adeline Rose has suspicions he’s fishing for “help” with his bundle of…joy? By date’s end, she’s convinced Nick’s just as distant as he seems—until a scorching goodnight kiss ends with sex against the nearest wall, the heat between them burning away all thoughts of careful.

Now Noel has more than one problem on his hands. Splitting baby duty between three badass assassins, figuring out how to fit more time with Addy into his no-room-for-error schedule…and keeping both of them safe from the danger he’s increasingly sure has followed him home.

Product Warnings
Beware a killer with a heart of gold, a baby who needs constant changing, and unrequited love that’s actually quite…requited.

••••••••••

REVIEW: CONTRACT SIGNED is the first installment in Marie Harte’s contemporary adult TRIGGERMAN, INC romantic suspense series. This is hired assassin/secret government agent Noel ‘Ice’ Cavanaugh, and elementary school teacher Adeline ‘Addy’ Rose’s story line.

Told from several third person perspectives including Addy and Noel, CONTRACT SIGNED follows the building relationship between thirty year old government agent/ assassin Noel ‘Ice’ Cavanaugh, and twenty six year old elementary school teacher Adeline ‘Addy’ Rose, and Noel’s desperate need to protect the woman with whom he is falling in love. Noel is a contractor for the ‘Business’, a secret government organization that ‘takes care’ of the filth and political low lifes destroying people’s lives. But a number of recent attempts on Noel’s life, seemingly unconnected to his current contract finds Noel calling in a couple of other agents whose own connections to Noel grow over night. A four month old baby boy is left with Noel’s neighbor Addy Rose along with a note proclaiming Noel is the father. What ensues is the search for the truth about the abandoned baby boy; the building romance between Addy and Noel; and Noel’s attempts to stay one step ahead of whomever is out to destroy his life.

Addy Rose has lusted after her quiet, withdrawn neighbor for close to two years; a man so distant that Addy struggles to see past the cold and darkened façade but a man who tugs at Addy’s heart. Noel is an agent; raised on the streets of hard life and trained to be a killer by the man in charge.

The relationship between Addy and Noel begins as neighbors then friends leading to lovers and more. Noel has secretly coveted his sexy neighbor but his lifestyle is not conducive to relationships or love. With both of their lives threatened by an unknown source Noel reluctantly brings Addy into his life risking the truth about his present and the past. The $ex scenes are intimate, provocative and intense.

We are introduced to Noel’s fellow agents: Deacon, a thief known as the Shadow, and Hammer aka the Destroyer, as well as their handler, a man known only to the reader as Big Joe but a man who remains in the background giving out assignments and cleaning up when a job is done. Addy’s best friend Solene Hansen is a former model, and day care manager who may or may not have an attraction to Deacon, and Vi, a nurse working for the Business has caught the eye of the Hammer.

The world building looks at the dangerous life of a secret agent; an assassin who has been targeted in a game of betrayal and revenge. We also get a glimpse into the softer side of three assassins for hire when a four month old baby literally falls into their lives.

CONTRACT SIGNED has moments of humor and fun; secrets and lies; romance and love. The premise is intriguing and dramatic; the characters are energetic and inspiring; the romance is passionate and intense. CONTRACT SIGNED is a moving and thrilling start to a new series.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

excerpt

 

Jesus. Not only did the woman turn him on just by breathing, she could bake too. The cookies Hammer and Deacon were wolfing down smelled delicious. But not as good as her.
“Save me a few,” he ordered, unable to look away from a blushing Addy.
“You can let me go now, Noel. I’m not going to fall.”
Deacon snickered. Hammer cleared his throat.
Much as he didn’t want to, Noel released his hold on her narrow waist. “Sure.” He didn’t step back, though.
She did. “Ah, I should go.”
“Not yet.” Noel felt frustrated. He’d been doing his best to get along with Thing 1 and Thing 2, but the idiots weren’t helping. Neither guy would admit to being the baby’s father, though they acknowledged what a great time they’d had in Mexico. The DNA results they’d sent in would take a few weeks. Until then, he refused to let the guys go home.
The baby was not his problem alone. The dirty diapers, the feedings, the constant crying—they were annoying but bearable. The kid’s adorable smiles and laughter, admittedly, warmed that coldness inside him without even trying.
The two assassins crowding his private space, invading the schedules and normalcy of his home, however, gave him constant headaches. He’d ached to shoot at least one of them ten times a day, and they’d only arrived forty-eight hours ago.
He wouldn’t have minded Addy dropping by before now, and that surprised him. He’d actually wanted to go next door several times over the past few days, to see her pretty eyes and watch her smile. Silly, but the baby was making him feel more human than he liked to admit.
At least with Hammer and Deacon in residence, he wouldn’t be stuck playing babysitter forever. No matter how cute the kid was, a baby wouldn’t fit Noel’s lifestyle. Nor would a sexy, innocent neighbor who was looking way too good in that sweater and jeans.
Remember, Noel, she’s too good for you. Way out of your league.
“Hey, Addy, how’d you like to grab some dinner sometime?” Deacon asked out of the blue.
Noel should have poisoned the playboy years ago. He glared, his control once again shot to hell. “She can’t.”
“I can’t?” Addy sounded confused.
“She’s got a date with me later.”
“I do?”
He nodded and guided her toward the front office, where he pulled them both inside then closed the door. Now standing with her in a smaller space, just the two of them, alone, he felt himself relax.
“Um, Noel? What’s going on?”
She didn’t appear pleased. Crap. Probably should have asked her out instead of ordering her.

 

 

About The Author

Marie HarteAward-winning author Marie Harte has been writing professionally since 2005. She’s both a NY Times and USA Today bestselling author and has written over 100 books and counting. Marie writes books with heat, humor, and character. She writes independently and for several publishers, to include Sourcebooks and Samhain. Though currently writing contemporary romance, she also writes paranormal and romantic suspense.

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The Rule Maker (The Rule Breakers 2) by Jennifer Blackwood-dual review

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The Rule Maker (The Rule Breakers 2) by Jennifer Blackwood-dual reviews

 

THE RULE MAKER
(The Rule Breakers #2)
by Jennifer Blackwood
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance
Release Date: January 16, 2017

The Rule Maker

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 16, 2017

Ten Steps to Surviving a New Job:

1. Don’t sleep with the client. It’ll get you fired. (Sounds easy enough.)

2. Don’t blink when new client turns out to be former one-night stand.

3. Don’t call same client a jerk for never texting you back.

4. Don’t believe client when he says he really, really wanted to call.

5. Remember, the client is always right—so you can’t junk punch him when he demands new design after new design.

6. Ignore accelerated heartbeat every time sexy client walks into room.

7. Definitely ignore client’s large hands. They just mean he wears big gloves.

8. Don’t let client’s charm wear you down. Be strong.

9. Whatever you do, don’t fall for the client. You’ll lose more than your job—maybe even your heart.

10. If all else fails, see rule number one again.

••••••

Erin’s Review: The Rule Maker is book two in The Rule Breaker series by Jennifer Blackwood. Zoey Reynolds is an up and coming interior designer.  When she is contacted by former client, Jason Covington, to renovate a ski lodge she has quite a bit of reservation.  The last time she did a renovation for him she ended up having a one night stand with his brother, Ryder.  The last thing she needed was to run into him again. He left her hanging after the last time, in fact – he ended up leaving her in the middle of the night – high and dry without so much as a goodbye.  So she had no desire to even see him again – ever.

But when Jason Covington requests only her, from her design firm,  to remodel his ski lodge she realizes she has no choice in the matter.  She must do the best she can and hope and pray that she doesn’t run into Ryder again.  But her hopes are soon dashed.  When Jason is unavailable he sends his brother to oversee the ski lodge remodel. The moment she sees him Zoey knows that she just doesn’t stand a chance being around Ryder Covington.  Would she risk her job for another moment in time with Ryder?  Will she be able to work along side of him, in close proximity, and still complete the job at task?

Zoey Reynolds is a determined young woman, and she is determined to move up the ranks in her design firm.  One of the five commandments at her work is “Don’t sleep with the Client.”  She has always obeyed all of the rules.  Not mixing business with pleasure.  That was until she met Ryder.  When she is around him her body does one thing while her mind does another.  She knows that it’s wrong to get close to him, he is a professional snowboarder and will be leaving soon to return to training.  She knows not to get inolved.  But Ryder isn’t someone she can forget about so easily.

Ryder Covington is a handsome, built,  professional snowboarder who is home helping his brother who was paralyzed from the waist down in a snowboarding accident.  Ryder is also home to rehab his broken leg.  Helping his brother and doing therapy he hopes to return to his snowboarding as soon as his leg is completely healed.  Always one comfortable with one night stands, his one night with Zoey was different.  He didn’t want to leave her without saying goodbye. But when he got the phone call of his brothers accident he had no choice.  He felt like a jerk for leaving without a word and he was bound and determined to make it up to her. Helping his brother get the ski lodge remodeled and working along side Zoey – he felt he was right where he was supposed to be.  But when his leg has healed enough for him to return to training – will he really go?  Will he leave the one woman who has change his life forever?

I love the relationship between Ryder and Zoey. What started out as Zoey being upset with Ryder over a previous encounter. Soon turns into a fun and flirty relationship.  I love how Ryder opened up and became an almost different person when he was around Zoey.
Zoey slowly lets down her guard and opens her heart and soul to Ryder.  And I loved how the story still follows along with Brogan and Lainey from the first Rule Breakers story.  The characters are wonderfully written and it leaves you wanting more.  I am hoping to read Jason’s story in the near future.  A fun, quick, quirky read with a beautiful, meaningful ending.

 

Sandy’s Review: THE RULE MAKER is the second installment in Jennifer Blackwood’s contemporary, adult THE RULE BREAKERS romance series. This is twenty fie year old professional snowboarder Ryder Covington , and interior designer Zoey Reynolds’s story line. THE RULE MAKER can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Some of the event run parallel to the events of book one –THE RULE BOOK.

Told from dual first person points of view (Zoey and Ryder) THE RULE MAKER is a second chance (of sorts) romance between professional snowboarder Ryder Covington, and interior designer Zoey Reynolds. Months earlier Ryder and Zoey had a one-night stand wherein Ryder walker away the next morning without a backwards glance. Fast forward to present day and Zoey has been contracted to redecorate a once-glamorous ski chalet for Ryder’s brother Jason Covington-a man who has all but become a recluse since a horrific snowboard accident months before. Enter Ryder Covington-Jason’s brother-and the man who has been tasked with working alongside Zoey Reynold’s on the rehab of the former chalet. What ensues is the rekindling romance between Zoey and Ryder, and the behind the scenes negotiations that will send our couple in opposite directions.

The relationship between Zoey and Ryder is acrimonious at best. Zoey’s embarrassment over the one-night stand finds our hero trying desperately to make up for his actions months before. Working together places our couple in a precarious position leading to palpable sexual energy and brooding attraction. The $ex scenes are seductive without the over the top sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Ryder’s brother Jason Covington-a man whose life was destroyed following a snowboarding accident that left him a former shell of his previous self. Ryder and Jason’s grandparents are the requisite evil-a couple who believe that Jason and Ryder are wasting their lives and futures on nonsense and fun. Billionaire businessman Brogan Starr, and PR specialist Lainey Taylor (The Rule Book-book 1) plays secondary and supporting roles.

THE RULE MAKER is an enjoyable, second chance story line with laughter, humor, heartbreak and romance. The premise is light-hearted with a little bit of angst and conflict; the characters are colorful and animated; the romance is sexy. I am looking forward to Jason’s story line.

 

Copy provided by Publisher

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Spurred On (Stripped Down #3) by Sabrina York-a review

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SPURRED ON (Stripped Down #3) by Sabrina York-a review

Spurred On

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 17, 2017

From the author of Cowboy to Command and Stud for Hire comes the third deliciously sexy Stripped Down novel.

Just south of Fort Worth, Texas, you’ll find a little ranch where the hot, toned cowboys are ready and eager to take it all off and make your naughtiest fantasies come true…

As the owner of the Double S Ranch, Cody Silver knows what women want—all except the one that got away. So when his high school girlfriend Sidney Stevens comes back to town for her sister’s wedding, Cody will do whatever it takes to prove that he’s a changed man.

After their explosive breakup, it took a long time for Sidney’s broken heart to heal—and she’s not about to risk it again. She’ll tangle with Cody and live out her simmering fantasies, but when the time comes she’s going to walk away satisfied.

But love has a way of ruining the best laid plans, and Cody and Sidney are about to learn that what you want isn’t always what you need…

•••••••••••

REVIEW: SPURRED ON is the third (and final?) full length installment in Sabrina York’s contemporary, adult STRIPPED DOWN cowboy, romance series focusing on the men and women of the Double S Ranch –the Silver’s family owned ranch that doubles as a ‘party house’ or ‘stud ranch’ for private parties. This is Double S Ranch owner Cody Silver, and Sidney Stevens’s story line. SPURRED ON can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines are revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Sidney and Cody) SPURRED ON focuses on the rekindling/second chance romance between Double S Ranch owner Cody Silver, and the woman that calls to his heart Sidney Stevens. Ten years earlier Cody made the biggest mistake of his life following a one-night stand with Sidney Stevens wherein he walked away and into the arms of another woman. Fast forward to present day when Sidney schedules her sister’s bachelorette party at the Double S Ranch rekindling the romance between herself and Cody Silver. Sidney’s hatred for Cody is tempered by their attraction and palpable sexual energy only to be doused over and over as jealousy, miscommunication and fear are constantly getting in the way.

The relationship between Cody and Sidney is tempestuous at best. Sidney despises Cody, and has a difficult time separating her hatred and the lust for a man that calls to her heart. Cody knows he screwed up and tries desperately to explain the circumstances and what happened years before but Sidney is unwilling to let go of the past adding more pain and heartbreak to the tentative romance. The $ex scenes are intimate and seductive.

All of the previous story line couples play secondary and supporting roles. Sidney’s sister Hannah struggles in her current relationship, and takes the opportunity to rekindle a love from her past-as well. The back and forth banter between all of the characters is fun adding a humorous element to the story line premise. The epilogue fast forwards the series by several years where we get a glimpse into the future and the ever expanding families.

SPURRED ON is a story of love, romance, family and friendships. The premise is energetic; the characters are passionate; the romance struggles with one woman’s inability to let go of the past.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Mountain Witness by Lena Diaz – a Review

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Mountain Witness by Lena Diaz – a Review

 

Mountain WitnessAmazon / B&N / Kobo / BAM / Book Depository

Description:
A woman in hiding and a man on a mission in the Smoky Mountains

Detective Chris Downing doesn’t know much about his neighbor. In the rural town of Destiny, Tennessee, Julie Webb lives a life of seclusion, rarely even offering a smile or wave. Only when Chris hears her frantic screams one night does he gain a glimpse into the life of a woman in hiding, and in saving her life, he is forced to kill her attacker. But Julie’s troubles are only beginning to unravel. When Chris learns the identity of Julie’s attacker, questions of trust are raised and suspicions run high. Together they will uncover the motives of a killerand the undeniable attraction between them.

 

Review:

Death comes to us all, but by means of murder? That’s sure to keep Julie’s guard up, fend off anyone remotely interested. “Too bad the good manners his mama had instilled in him…wouldn’t allow him to ignore her the way she ignored him.” A blessing, turns out, to live in such proximity to Detective Chris Downing. But wild thoughts invade and derail the promise of the hot, new neighbor: “That maybe Julie Webb knew she was moving next door to a cop all along. That she had planned this whole thing from beginning to end. *(In italics, please – this last line)* That she’d just used Chris as a weapon to commit murder.” Things just got very interesting in Destiny. Mountain Witness is book one in Lena Diaz‘s awesome, new series, Tennessee SWAT. It is a fast-paced, why-is-someone-hell-bent-on-killing-me story packed with intensity and swoons!

Poor Julie can’t catch a break. It’s bad enough that Julie’s marriage hit a downward spiral, but when this attack notifies the assistant district attorney, we soon discover a pending investigation from Nashville is going to reach the small town of Destiny. And here she thought she’d get away from the past; trouble seemingly follows Julie. Will Chris’s theories condemn Julie or exonerate her once and for all? Because, seriously: blaming the victim? Definitely an obstacle to hurdle with the emerging attraction.

Piecing together clues is bittersweet work for Chris because he’s good at his job; it’s gratifying to explain intentions. But, it’s the nefarious nature of the crime, of the plot, to harm Julie, that interferes with the lines of professionalism.

“There was zero doubt now that more than one person was after her, trying to kill her. Whatever was going on was bigger than a soon to be ex-husband wanting to settle the score.”

Revealing privileged information while protecting the victim is delicate business. Chris’s growing feelings for Julie keep him ever vigilant and committed to nabbing the culprit, but maintaining that balance will win you over for sure! Chris is fiercely loyal and determined to make Julie feel safe again. Let me take a moment to pause in deference to Chris’s fellow SWAT officers. Lena Diaz developed camaraderie and unflinching support within each character. Yeeessss…here’s hoping Max’s story is up next!

I loved this book. You never know what you’re made of until your mettle is challenged and I saw wonderful growth and courage in Chris and Julie. They faced tremendous odds in fearsome situations, but they never undermined each other or succumbed to the evil dogging their steps. I did feel as if the end was fast approaching without resolution and I wondered if we’d be straining toward another chapter in the unfolding disaster. I was more than thrilled with its ultimate conclusion, but wished some of the aftermath hadn’t wrapped up so curiously. I’m betting Intrigue’s page count didn’t allow for full exploration. Trust me that Ms. Diaz doesn’t skimp on the feels!

Destiny might be a small town, but its effect on Chris and Julie is transformative. Another fabulous read by Lena Diaz to be sure!

Reviewed by Carmen

Copy supplied for review

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