Monthly Archives: October 2018

The Memory Tree (Carson Chronicles #2) by John A Heldt-a review

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The Memory Tree (Carson Chronicles #2) by John A Heldt-a review

 

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 2018

Days after barely escaping 1889 with their lives, the Carsons, siblings from the present day, resume their search for their missing parents in 1918. While Adam and his pregnant wife, Bridget, settle in Minnesota, unaware of a wildfire that will kill hundreds, Greg seeks clues in his great-grandparents’ Mexico, where he finds love, danger, and enemies. At the same time, Natalie, the ambitious journalist, follows a trail to World War I France, and teen twins Cody and Caitlin rekindle a friendship with an old Pennsylvania friend haunted by her past. In THE MEMORY TREE, the sweeping sequel to RIVER RISING, several time travelers find answers and meaning as they continue the adventure of a lifetime in the age of doughboys, silent movies, and Model T’s.

•••••••••••

REVIEW:      Time traveling books are always a treat to read. The best part about time traveling books is you get pretty much an all-you-can-eat buffet of book genres. You get a little bit of romance, action, suspense, and the best part of all is the historical fiction. And when the book written right, the other elements like the story arc and the character development is even more enhanced.

     Another plus about this book is the numerous likeable characters. There are five children in the Carson family and they have their own personalities. They all have their likeable traits complete with their own remarkable adventures.  I thought it was really cool they all made the decision to split up in hopes of finding their parents. Each of their adventures were all equally enjoyable. Adam and Bridget stay behind in Minnesota as home base for all communication. Greg roughing it in Mexico where he meets bar owner Patricia who he ends up marrying. Natalie takes on going overseas to France to interview and write about the soldiers in the war for her job. As for the twins, Caitlin and Cody go to Gettysburg in Pennsylvania where they spend time with Cody’s first and former love Emma. Even the parents, Tim and Caroline had some adventure too in Mexico. That had to be amazing to go back in time to actually witness the birth of Caroline’s grandmother.

     As for the women Adam and Greg took on as wives, they made great choices and they fit in with the family very well. Bridget is very kind and caring but despite that she is also very courageous and intelligent. Patricia has the loyalty that can rival a pit bull. She will walk through fire to those who have her loyalty.

      One concept I want to get into that I really enjoyed was the memory tree at Emma’s home. Just trying to imagine the beauty of the spruce tree with all the ribbons tied to it is beyond breath-taking. The symbolization of tying a ribbon to a branch in remembrance of loved ones that are lost to them like death, tragedy or war. The ribbons are even replaced often to keep looking new. It really is a beautiful way to honor and remember loved ones.  

     Despite things from Greg’s adventure in Mexico catching up to them, they do get their happy ending to make it to their portal to go home and hopefully find their parents…or will they? Can’t go wrong with time travel books getting a smorgasbord of genres on top of a fun history lesson. You get crazy adventures with every character that totally enhances the story arc and character development. The only drawback with time travel novels is that they are very long books but they are worth it; you won’t regret it.

Reviewed by Xtina

Copy supplied for review

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The Heartless Boyfriend by Erika Kelly- Review & Excerpt Tour

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THE HEARTLESS BOYFRIEND (Bad Boyfriend #2) by Erika Kelly-Review & Excerpt Tour

 

 

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 16, 2018

There’s not an athlete alive who can match Will’s drive and self-discipline…until an adorable two year old and a fiery chef land on his doorstep and turn his life upside down. If he wants to keep his girls, he’s going to have to learn to lead with his heart and not his mind.

Will Bowie is supposed to be training for the Olympics, but the toddler unexpectedly dropped into his life isn’t interested in his schedules. Still, he’s pretty sure he’s got things under control…

…until a sexy chef lands on his doorstep and offers a temptation he can’t resist.

Hours after losing her restaurant, chef Delilah Lua enters a cooking competition thousands of miles away from home. Winning would resurrect the dream that’s been stolen from her. If—no, when—she wins, she’ll go back with the capital to open her own place and enough fame to do it with flair. Her roommate, though, is a delicious surprise she hadn’t anticipated…

…but she’s not sure how to have her cake and eat it, too.

Despite the undeniable sparks in the kitchen, Will’s not about to give his heart to another woman who’s leaving, and Delilah must decide if the delectable future she could cook up with Will is worth more than a childhood dream.

••••••••••

REVIEW: THE HEARTLESS BOYFRIEND is the second instalment in Erika Kelly’s contemporary, adult BAD BOYFRIEND erotic, romance series focusing on the Bowie siblings (Fin, Brodie, Gray and Will). This is seven-time World Games freestyle skier champion Will Bowie, and chef Delilah Lua’s story line. THE HEARTLESS BOYFRIEND can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous instalment is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Will and Delilah) THE HEARTLESS BOYFRIEND follows twenty-six year old chef Delilah Bowie in the aftermath of losing the restaurant she has always wanted. Heartbroken and lost, Manhattan born and raised Delilah heads to Calamity, Wyoming at the invitation of her friend Callie Bell, in the hopes of finding her place, and winning a cooking championship to prove everybody wrong. Enter Will Bowie, seven-time World Games freestyle skier, and the man with whom Delilah will fall in love. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Delilah and Will, and the potential fall-out as Delilah is offered an opportunity of a lifetime but an opportunity that comes with restrictions and rules.

Will Bowie found himself in the eye of the storm when his career was threatened by a long-time rival. Rumors of a pay-off and ill-gotten gains found Will having to defend his talent and career all the while struggling to raise a two year old dropped off at the family front door. A product of his past, will struggles with parenting a two year old child, a struggle that become readily apparent when his methods result in a less than favourable outcome. Delilah Lua had waited twenty-six years to own and operate one of the family-run restaurants but Delilah found herself on the outside looking in, ensuring a deep divide between duty and family. Meeting Will Bowie and two year old Ruby meant a second chance at a family and love but Delilah and Will would constantly butt heads about the ins and outs of raising a precocious and precious two year old child. A cooking contest for a coveted position at a local spa restaurant ensures Delilah the possibility of making it on her own.

The relationship between Delilah and Will begins acrimoniously. Hired to work as a chef on the Bowie family ranch, our heroine becomes a surrogate mother to little two year old Ruby Leigh but Will’s ideas about parenting vary greatly to the ideas of everyone else. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

All of Will’s brothers play secondary and supporting roles including Fin and his fiancé Callie (The World’s Worst Boyfriend #1), Brodie and Gray, as well as their mother, Uncle Lachlan, housekeeper Marcella, and Will’s long time manager Alex. Ruby Leigh is the sweetest, heart-warming and precious character ever introduced into a romance story line-an innocent child whose world has been turned upside down by the death of her mother, the only parent she has ever known.

THE HEARTLESS BOYFRIEND is a story of family and friendship, betrayal and revenge, starting over and letting go of the past. The premise is inspiring and encouraging; the characters are real and energetic; the romance is seductive and sensual. THE HEARTLESS BOYFRIEND is an emotional yet tender look at one man as he struggles in the face of betrayal and lies, and one woman as she must overcome the rejection of family, and her sense of self-worth.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one -THE WORLD’S WORST BOYFRIEND

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

 

She pushed off the counter and wrapped her arms around him. “Will,” she whispered.
He didn’t know what to do with all her softness and warmth and…and…sweetness. She was just too much for him. He wanted to push her away, tell her he was fine, to go make her pancakes or whatever she was making. But he couldn’t. He just couldn’t let her go.
Instead of reading his body language, his impulsive houseguest hugged him tighter, her hands caressing his back.
It unnerved him. And, oh, damn, that telltale tingling at the base of his spine meant he was getting aroused.
He breathed in the scent of her shampoo—like an expensive perfume—and felt the swish of her silky hair on his bare arms.
She gazed up at him with a look in her eyes that burned through whatever was left of his discipline, because he knew that just one lick of her lips would make him lose it completely.
His arms hooked around her back, his hand pressing the top swell of her bottom. That mouth, wet from her tongue, parted with an invitation he didn’t know if he could resist.
“You’re a good man, Will. Misguided, but good.”
“Misguided?”
That sexy mouth turned into a mischievous grin. “Yeah. You really are.” And then the connection snapped when she withdrew her arms and turned back to the counter. “I’ll see about finding somewhere else to stay in the morning.”
“Delilah?”
When she turned to him, he knew. He didn’t want to let her go.
“All the chefs are staying on the ranch, so they can take the train into Owl Hoot. The choice is yours, obviously, where you want to live, but the invitation is still open for you to stay here.”
Will wasn’t a stupid man. He knew something good when he saw it. And Delilah Lua was a gift. She brought a lightness and joy to this house it’d never had.
And, even if it was only for six weeks, he and Ruby would damn well take all she had to offer.


 

 

Award-winning author Erika Kelly has been spinning romantic tales all her life–she just didn’t know it. Raised on the classics, she didn’t discover romantic fiction until later in life. From that moment on, she’s been devouring the genre and has found her true voice as an author. Over three decades she’s written poems, screenplays, plays, short stories, and all kinds of women’s fiction novels. Married to the love of her life and raising four children, she’s lived in two countries and seven states, but give her pen and paper, a stack of good books, and a steaming mug of vanilla chai latte and she can make her home anywhere.

Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Newsletter Signup ** Erika Kelly Goodreads

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Legacy of Danger by Jillian David – a Review

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Legacy of Danger by Jillian David – a Review

 

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Description:
Prodigal son and MMA fighter Vaughn Taggart fled his family’s ranch when his burgeoning psychic abilities and disastrous decisions destroyed his brother’s marriage. But his sister’s urgent plea for help prior to her being brutally attached by a demonic monster and the escalating threats from the rival Brand ranch in a ploy to obtain Taggart land, have lured Vaughn back to Copper River, Wyoming—but only long enough to get his family back on track. Nothing could make him stay where he no longer fits in.

Fresh out of residency and looking to escape a darkened past, Mariah West has her hands full with a new practice in a rural hospital. Forever underfoot and brazenly challenging her care of his sister, the powerfully muscled Vaughn Taggart racks her nerves and arouses her body.

When Mariah’s selfless concern for a patient makes her a pawn in the hands of the Brands, she discovers a fierce protector behind Vaughn’s wounded soul and a man with an extraordinary gift.

Now, Mariah and Vaughn must move beyond their pasts and unite to defeat the intensifying evil targeting the Taggart family–an evil that mortals can neither imagine nor fight.

 

Review:

Yes !!! Finally !! We get Vaughn’s story ?

Legacy of Danger by Jillian David is Book 3 in her Hell’s Valley Series. I’ve read the brother’s story ( Garrett in legacy of lies ) and the sisters story ( Shelby in legacy lost) And always wondered about Vaughn.

Let’s dive in shall we ……

Vaughn is the big brother to Garrett, Kerr and Shelby. He’s had a huge burden on his shoulders for a few years, and it’s slowly eaten away at him, but his family need him, so he’s going back to a place he swore he never return to.

Coming home after a frantic call from his sister he’s faced with demons (both figuratively and actual demons) and a torn up sister.

Vaughn has powers like his siblings (Garret can detect lies, Shelby can see into the future and find anyone, and anywhere. Kerr is Shelby’s twin, so they also share a link.
He knows when danger is coming and knows how to defend against it.

There is also the ongoing battle with the Brand Ranch, it’s one of the brothers from that ranch who summoned a demon. The Brand ranch want the Taggart land, and by any means necessary.

So …… Vaughn rescues his sister and their friend (Eric) from a fall and comes face to face with the demon who wants Shelby. He manages to beat the demon back, taking both Shelby and Eric to hospital. There he meets Mariah …..

Mariah has come to Wyoming as an intern, the quiet rural hospital seems the best place to forget her past. But when she meets bossy and unmoving Taggart brother to Shelby, she realizes that maybe she should have chosen another town.

The story has them fighting their own demons and helping each other as well. Vaughn needs to be forgiven for past mistakes, but to also forgive himself, not to be so hard on himself.

The secrets that Mariah brings with her, will she be able to let them go and move on ?
What about the demon ? What does he want with the Taggart family?
Will the neighbouring ranch ever leave them alone ?

And will Kerr get his story ? ? I do hope so.  

Reviewed by Julie B.

Copy supplied for review

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Lionheart (Moonshadow #3) by Thea Harrison-Dual Review

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LIONHEART (Moonshadow #3) by Thea Harrison-dual review

 

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date Octboer 15, 2018

King Oberon reigned over his Dark Court in Lyonesse for centuries, until an assassination attempt laid him low. Now he lies unconscious in his snow-bound palace, while his Power battles the enchantment that threatens to end his life.

A skilled trauma surgeon and magic-user, Dr. Kathryn Shaw reigns at the top of her profession in New York. Then comes a challenge she can’t resist—she is asked to cure the uncureable. Just getting close enough to try healing Oberon is a dangerous proposition. When she does reach him, he awakens too soon.

Roused from darkness by Kathryn’s presence, Oberon confronts the beautiful stranger who claims she wants to save his life. But the enchantment has frozen his emotions. How can he learn to trust her when he can’t feel anything?

Oberon’s desire is icy, devoid of all tenderness. Not only must Kathryn match wits with him, she must also fight her reaction to his touch, because there is so much more at stake than her own endangered heart.

For the Dark Court faces its most deadly peril yet. Its ancient enemy Isabeau, Queen of the Light Court, is obsessed with its annihilation, and Oberon must be brought to remember his loyalty and affection for his people.

Because if he won’t fight for them, Lyonesse itself may very well be destroyed

•••••••••••

Sandy’s REVIEW: LIONHEART is the third instalment in Thea Harrison’s contemporary adult MOONSHADOW paranormal/fantasy trilogy-a spinoff from the author’s ELDER RACES series. This is Dark Fae King Oberon, and trauma surgeon Dr. Kathryn Shaw’s story line. LIONHEART can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary but I recommend reading the trilogy in order for backstory and cohesion.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Oberon and Kathryn) LIONHEART follows Wyr trauma surgeon Dr. Kathryn Shaw as she is tasked by Dragos Cuelebre, dragon shifter and leader of the Wyr Demense, with saving the life of King Oberon of the Dark Court. Over fifteen years earlier (200 in Otherworld time) an assassin was sent by Queen Isabeau of the Light Court to take down the once mighty and powerful King of the Dark. A sliver of magic sensitive silver had entered Oberon’s body, and was slowly destroying the man and leader he had become. In order to protect his people from his increasing instability, Oberon cast a stasis spell that sent the him into a two hundred year sleep. Enter Dr. Kathryn Shaw, and the woman with whom Oberon would fall in love. What ensues are Kathryn’s struggles to save the Dark Court King, and the potential fall-out as Oberon insists on going to war, in an effort to reclaim what was and what shall be again.

Dr. Kathryn Shaw loved New York, and her job as a trauma surgeon but when ordered to the Dark Court of Lyonesse, Kathryn struggled between head and heart knowing a man’s (King’s) life hung in the balance. King Oberon knew his time was drawing to an end. No longer able to keep his Power under control, his beautiful lands, and the people he loved were slowly being destroyed by the battle between good and evil.

The relationship between Kathryn and Oberon begins acrimoniously. Oberon never anticipated waking up to discover his lands destroyed, and his would-be mate struggling to keep him alive. Kathryn knew once she saved King Oberon’s life, nothing would ever be the same. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

All of the previous Moonshadow couples play secondary and supporting characters including LAPD consultant Sophie Ross, and Daoine Sidhe Knight of the Dark Court Nikolas Sevigny (Moonshadow #1), and sorcerer/lycanthrope Morgan le Fae, and musician Sidonie Martel (Spellbinder #2). We get a quick glimpse at Dragos and Rune from the original Elder Races series, but for the most part the characters include King Oberon’s court (Annwyn, Gawain, Owen) and his Puck (shapeshifter) Robin.

LIONHEART is a story of betrayal and revenge; recovery and loss; of one man’s struggle to reclaim what was lost, and one woman’s battle between head and heart. The premise is entertaining and imaginative; the characters are colorful and dynamic; the romance is provocative and moving. LIONHEART is a moving, animated and energetic tale-a perfect conclusion to Thea’s Moonshadow Trilogy.

_________

Barb’s REVIEW:  Lionheart by Thea Harrison is the 3rd and final book in her Moonshadow trilogy. The Moonshadow trilogy is a spinoff of Harrison’s Elder Races, focusing on the Wyr in European Elder Races. Though this can be read very well as a standalone, it is best to read the whole trilogy in order understand the theme and secondary characters that make appearances from the first two books.

We meet King Oberon, of the Dark Court in Lyonesse, years before during a gala.  Oberon was a strong and powerful magic user, and a popular king.  On the night of the gala, Oberon was hit by a deadly dart that put a spell on him which would slowly kill him.  The assassination attempt was ordered by the evil Isabeau, Queen of the Light Court, whom we knew from the earlier books.  Oberon put himself into a deep sleep to slow the damaging process; in hope that his loyal team would find a way to save him. As he remains unconscious throughout 200 (15 in human time) years, his land suffers as the effect of the spell makes him cold and uncaring, forcing the lands to become like him, bitter cold and unlivable.   

Dr. Kathryn Shaw, our heroine, works out of New York, being one of the best trauma specialists, and also the doctor for Dragos (the leader of the Elder Races series), and his team.  When members of Oberon’s team beg Dragos for help, he will convince Kathryn to try to use her expertise to find a way to counteract the spell and save Oberon, or Isabeau will take over the Dark Court.

When Kathryn arrives to see if find a way to stop the spell, she has no idea what she has to face in Oberon, who despite his deep sleep senses her. Oberon finds himself coming alive, and after a rough start that Kathryn surprises him with her stubbornness.  She was after all able to handle Dragos, and was equal to the challenge presented by the powerful and equally stubborn Oberon.

What follows is a wonderful, exciting, non-stop action packed story, but most of all a slow built romance that was destined to fail.  Kathryn loved New York, and Oberon was still the King of the Dark Court. If he survived.  Kathryn was an amazing, strong powerful heroine, who stood up to Oberon, forcing him to follow her instructions to find the spell and eliminate it.  Their chemistry was sizzling, and I loved them both together, as they were both strong, tough and independent. It was fun to watch them butt heads, and to slowly see them each fall in love. 

Once Oberon begins to get stronger, his team gathers to help him fight off the attempt to take over Lyonesse by Isabeau.  Oberon is also hell bent on revenge against the Light Court Queen. Kathryn was determined to watch over him, so that his recovery would continue, and I really enjoyed seeing her change in her Falcon Wyr to help him fight. Lionheart also had some great secondary characters, such as Robin, Sophie, Annwyn, Gawain to name a few.  It was nice to see more of Robin, the Puck in this story.

Thea Harrison once again gives us a fun, exciting, captivating, intense story, with an amazing couple that turned out to be the best in this trilogy.  Lionheart was a great finale to the Moonshadow trilogy, and I hope to see more of them in future Elder Races stories.  

 

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Moonshadow
Spellbinder
Lionheart

Copy supplied for review

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Meet Me In San Francisco by Shana Gray – a Review

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Meet Me In San Francisco by Shana Gray – a Review

 

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Description:
The single mom…

When Celia Fox’s ex-husband serves her with custody papers during the same weekend he’s getting remarried, she expects things to go downhill from there. So when her best friends show up to whisk her away for a girls’ getaway to San Francisco, it’s just what the doctor ordered. Add in the chance to see Landon Bryant again, and she can’t wait for the weekend to begin.

And the playboy millionaire…

Landon and Celia shared stolen moments of passion in Vegas, and Landon hasn’t been able to stop thinking about her since. He knows she’s under pressure to hold her family together, but he’s determined to prove he’s there for her – and that she deserves some fun of her own.

Are about to get wild.

As Celia rediscovers who she used to be and her relationship with Landon deepens, she begins to believe he’s someone she can rely on. But Celia has been keeping a secret from everyone – if the truth comes out, will they play it safe or take a leap of faith?

 

Review:

Meet Me in San Francisco begins with Celia in a funk.  She’s struggling a bit financially, but she’s also having her ex-husband served with custody papers.  And, oh yeah, her ex is getting remarried.  She was feeling rejuvenated after her girls trip to Las Vegas.  She loved getting away with her best friends.  It also helped that she hooked up with a hottie named Landon.  Yes, she and Landon have kept in touch, but as things at home kind of spiral downwards, she withdraws from everyone.   Sitting alone, after her ex picks up their kids for his wedding and some ‘quality time’, she is trying to gather herself and figure out just what she’s going to do.  Then, her doorbell rings and literally changes everything.

Her best friends show up and whisk her away on a road trip to northern California, to a vineyard, that just happens to be owned by Landon.  She finds out that he’s actually meeting up with them and taking her on a few adventures for just the two of them, and doesn’t quite know what to make of the whole thing.  Landon felt that she was pulling back from him and wants to remind her just who she is and bring back the sparkle in her eyes.  Things are going very well until a secret that she’s kept from everyone comes out and threatens her relationships with everyone she holds dear.  Feeling betrayed, Landon walks away, until his brother shows up and knocks some sense into him.  Once Landon looks at things logically, he knows there’s only one thing to do……..

Meet Me in San Francisco is an amazing addition to Gray’s Girls Weekend Away series.  Celia is relatable as a single mother trying to do her best for her children.  She is also loyal, almost to a fault.  She’s an amazing mom and an amazing friend, albeit a little misguided sometimes.  Landon is also a great character.  Steadfast, loyal, hot, drool-worthy……….. When the two of them are together, the chemistry leaps off of the page and pulls you in and takes you along for the ride.  I loved the first book in this series, but this one touched my heart.  It made me laugh, made me tear up, but most of all, it’s the feeling of hope that reeled me in, as it will you.  As with the first book, the characters are very well written, and I can’t wait for the next installment.  Romance, humor, amazing friends and sexy characters are always good things.  If you’re a fan of those things, you’ll love this series.  Well done, Shana Gray!  Very, very well done!

Reviewed by Vickie

Copy provided by Publisher

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Defiance of the Heart by Monica James-a review

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DEFIANCE OF THE HEART (Sins of the Heart #2) by Monica James-Review 

 

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ABOUT THE BOOK: RELEASE DATE October 17, 2018

For never was there a story of more woe than that of Holland Brooks and her Romeo…

For as long as I can remember, London Sinclair was the boy who was forbidden. It didn’t matter that he made my heart skip a beat. Our surnames fated us to be sworn enemies. But when the truth was finally revealed, my life changed forever.

Lies have shaped our past, leaving London and me to pick up the pieces. But through the chaos, one thing is certain—I love London, and he loves me, and we won’t allow anyone to tear us apart again.

However, life has a funny way of proving us wrong.

As we attempt to make amends for the past ten years, we soon discover that the ghosts of our past will do anything to drive us apart. We are once again surrounded by deceit and betrayal, testing us in ways we never imagined.

When I’m faced with a proposition to end this heartache once and for all, I blindly agree. That decision changes everything, and I soon learn that those who act in haste create their own destruction.

Does love really triumph all? Or will London and I succumb to what was always written in the stars?

•••••••••

REVIEW:  DEFIANCE OF THE HEART is the second instalment in Monica James’ contemporary, adult SINS OF THE HEART erotic duet focusing bar owner London Sinclair, and attorney Holland Brooks. DEFIANCE OF THE HEART should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up immediately after the events of book one-ABSINTHE OF THE HEART.

SOME BACKGROUND: Sins of the Heart is a forty year saga of two families torn apart by love, infidelity, lies and hate. Holland Brooks grew up the daughter of two people whose lives imploded years before. A result of a teen-aged love affair Holland would bear the sins of her parents including the destruction of a love for a boy she was unable to hold.

Told from first person point of view (Holland Brooks) DEFIANCE OF THE HEART is the continuing story of bar owner London Sinclair, and attorney Holland Brooks. At the end of book one, Holland learns that the man she was about to marry keeps secret a past that was about to implode. Having loved only one man – London Sinclair- Holland must face the family she loves in an effort to move forward towards her own happily ever after but life doesn’t always go according to plans as Holland and London are forced to accept what was and what will always be. Holland and London must traverse a minefield of betrayal and vengeance but none more so than the betrayal of family and friendship in an effort to protect the people they love. What ensues is the continuing struggle towards their own happily ever after, and the fall out as Holland and London face the possibility of facing the future without one another.

DEFIANCE OF THE HEART is an emotional and realistic tale of secrets and lies, betrayal and revenge, infidelity and trust. The character driven premise is raw, real and dramatic; the characters are broken, scarred and dynamic; the romance is passionate and seductive. Monica James pulls the reader into a lively, spirited, and exceptional tale of enemies to lovers/ second chance romance between two people who have fought a heart breaking battle, and came away with the ultimate prize. Romeo and Juliet for the twenty-first century.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one ABSINTHE OF THE HEART

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

Monica James spent her youth devouring the works of Anne Rice, William Shakespeare, and Emily Dickinson.

When she is not writing, Monica is busy running her own business, but she always finds a balance between the two. She enjoys writing honest, heartfelt, and turbulent stories, hoping to leave an imprint on her readers. She draws her inspiration from life.

She is a bestselling author in the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, and the U.K.

Monica James resides in Melbourne, Australia, with her wonderful family, and menagerie of animals. She is slightly obsessed with cats, chucks, and lip gloss, and secretly wishes she was a ninja on the weekends.

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Dear Santa by Nancy Naigle – a Review

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Dear Santa by Nancy Naigle – a Review

 

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Description:
Angela Carson wants nothing more than to be the third-generation to run her family’s holiday store, Heart of Christmas, successfully. They’ve weathered over sixty tourist seasons, major hurricanes, and urban sprawl, in their old decommissioned lighthouse. But the national chain that set up shop in their small North Carolina town of Pleasant Sands may be more than Heart of Christmas can survive.

Geoff Paisley has been at his mother’s side running the mega-chain Christmas Galore for the last ten years. When his mother falls ill, Geoff promises to answer the town’s Dear Santa letters in her stead. Soon he realizes the woman he’s been corresponding with on Dear Santa is Angela. How could the woman that grates his every last nerve in person have intrigued him so deeply through those letters?

Encouraged by her niece to ask Santa for help, Angela gives in and lets the words fly in a way that, if Santa were real, would no doubt land her on the naughty list. What’s the harm when it’s just a computer-generated response?

When Geoff reveals that he’s her Dear Santa, will Angela be able to set aside their very public feud to embrace the magic of the holiday and possibly find true love?

 

 

Review:

Dear Santa by Nancy Naigle is a sweet Christmas romance.  Angela Carson, our heroine, has lived all her life in Pleasant Sands, North Carolina; and she runs the local Christmas shop, Heart of Christmas; which she inherited from her mother.  Angela loves her shop, and mingling with the townsfolk who have always shopped at her store for unique high scale items, but lately she has been struggling, since the new Christmas Galore, a mega super chain, opened their doors.  It is hard to compete with a big store that has all kinds of items at cheaper prices.  Angela knows she needs to face reality, and think about closing the store after Christmas.

Geoff Paisley, our hero, is the owner (with his mother) of Christmas Galore, and they are all thrilled how well the store is doing.  When Geoff stops at the local coffee shop, he notices a pretty woman, who smiles at him.  It will take him a few days to find her, and realizes she is the owner of the store who is slowly going out of business because of their store. 

When they come face to face, each knowing who the other is, the conversation turns into a shouting match, with each walking away.  Angela’s sister tries to convince her to close the store and move on; and her niece makes her write to the Dear Santa app.  Angela writes a quick note to Santa that she is sad, her business is failing; of course she does not know that Dear Santa app is run by Christmas Galore, and Geoff’s mother.  When Geoff mother has a heart attack and ends up in the hospital, he will learn the truth of her past growing up in Pleasant Sands, and where his father died.  She begs Geoff to take over the Dear Santa letters, which he reluctantly accepts.  Geoff is a “suit”, a workaholic, rigid, all business and little compassion, but when he begins to answer the letters, he finds himself softening up.  He will be the one to open Anita Miracle’s (Angela’s pseudonym) letter, and start a friendship.

What follows is a sweet wonderful heartwarming story with wonderful characters, and an enemies to friends to lover romance.   The romance between Geoff and Angela is very slow burn, but it was fun to watch them argue and avoid each other, but at the same time fight off their attraction. Eventually Geoff will realize who Anita Miracle is, and starts his friendship with Angela with an apology.  It was great to see how Geoff changed, and I did love them together, though it took a long time. Lol

Dear Santa was very well written by Naigle, and a wonderful Christmas story about family, life and love.  This is a perfect holiday book you should be reading.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

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Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks – Dual Review

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Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks – Dual Review

 

 

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Description:
Hope Anderson is at a crossroads. At thirty-six, she’s been dating her boyfriend, an orthopedic surgeon, for six years. With no wedding plans in sight, and her father recently diagnosed with ALS, she decides to use a week at her family’s cottage in Sunset Beach, North Carolina, to ready the house for sale and mull over some difficult decisions about her future.

Tru Walls has never visited North Carolina but is summoned to Sunset Beach by a letter from a man claiming to be his father. A safari guide, born and raised in Zimbabwe, Tru hopes to unravel some of the mysteries surrounding his mother’s early life and recapture memories lost with her death. When the two strangers cross paths, their connection is as electric as it is unfathomable . . . but in the immersive days that follow, their feelings for each other will give way to choices that pit family duty against personal happiness in devastating ways.

Illuminating life’s heartbreaking regrets and enduring hope, Every Breath explores the many facets of love that lay claim to our deepest loyalties — and asks the question, How long can a dream survive?

 

 

Barb’s Review:
Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks is a standalone novel, which was a wonderful heartwarming story of true love and heartbreak that will cover decades.

Tru Walls, our hero, is a safari guide in Zimbabwe, having lived all his life in Africa.  Tru is divorced and content with his life as a guide, but he wants to know more about his deceased mother’s past, and decides to fly to Sunset Beach, North Carolina, accepting an invitation to meet his biological father, whom he never knew.

Hope Anderson, our heroine, is staying at the beach house the family has owned for many years, preparing for it to be placed on the market.  Hope’s father is suffering from ALS, and Hope takes the time at the beach house to think about her difficult days ahead, as well as if she has a future with her boyfriend of six years

When Tru is staying at his father’s house prior to meeting him, he enjoys the beach surroundings, and sees a dog running amok.  Tru rescues the dog, and meets Hope, the dog’s owner.  A friendship develops where both Tru and Hope find themselves comfortable to talk about both of their lives, as we learn so much about each of them.  It was so nice to see them fall for each during their conversations of life. Hope will take Tru to the local places including a place nearby where people put in letters/notes in a mail box for anyone to view.  

What follows is a sweet heartwarming slow built romance between two people from different worlds, yet so perfect for each other.  This was also a heart wrenching story of two people; their back history, as well the future. It is a story of love, family, sacrifice, heart ache and destiny.

Nicholas Sparks wrote a wonderful story that he describes at the start as a true story, and he makes us love both Tru and Hope. We felt the sadness, as life had other plans for them; Hope with her boyfriend, and her desire to have children (Tru was no longer able to have children); Tru needing to live near his young son and his job.   What makes this great is that destiny will find a way to for them to  meet again.  I really loved this story, more than I ever expected.  I suggest you read Every Breath.

 

Sandy’s Review:

EVERY BREATH by Nicholas Sparks is a stand alone love story focusing on forty-two year divorced father and safari tour guide Tru Walls, and thirty-six year old, trauma nurse Hope Anderson.

Told from third person perspectives EVERY BREATH takes the reader back to the year 1990 focusing on one week in the life of forty-two year divorced father and African safari tour guide Tru Walls, and thirty-six year old, trauma nurse Hope Anderson. Tru Walls, a safari guide born and raised in Zimbabwe, has come to America in search of answers about his mother and her past. Meeting trauma nurse Hope Anderson stirred something deep within our story line hero, something he would always remember including the love for a woman who was torn between head and heart. Fast forward to 2014 wherein Tru will reconnect with the woman he has never stopped loving only to discover she has never stopped loving him in return.

Divided into two parts (1990 and 2014) EVERY BREATH is a story based in reality brought about by a journal and letters found in an isolated mailbox called Kindred Spirit near the dunes of Sunset Beach, North Carolina. The mailbox, belonging to everyone and no one, is a treasury of love letters from the lost; stories of then and now; a place for dreams and happily ever afters to live on when someone dies. Nicholas Sparks uses artistic license to spin a love story spanning decades focusing on two people whose lives went in opposite directions eventually meeting to form their own happily ever after. Reflective in nature EVERY BREATH reconnects with the past revealing twenty-plus years of pain, heartache, failures and success eventually meandering back to Sunset Beach where it all began.

An imaginative, heart breaking and emotional story line EVERY BREATH looks at love and loss; family and duty; reconnection, dreams, and hope. Uniquely Nicholas Sparks EVERY BREATH is a wonderful love story that will captivate and enchant as you reflect upon your own life of what ifs and whys. Every city and town should have their own ‘Kindred Spirit’ in the hopes of living on in the minds of others.

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