Monthly Archives: December 2018

Forgotten Hearts by Sloan Archer – a Review

Posted on by
21

Forgotten Hearts by Sloan Archer – a Review

 

Amazon

 

Description:
n the summer of 1991, young love blossomed between Cash Axton and Vanessa Paul in the vast field of forget-me-nots that separated their family homes in small town Dunblair Ridge, Montana. The two became inseparable best friends, and ten-year-old Cash made a vow to Vanessa that he intended to one day carry out: I’m going to marry you. But with autumn came an unforeseen tragedy, resulting in an event that would tear the two apart and divide them by thousands of miles.

As adults, Cash and Vanessa are living separate lives until fate steps in and brings them back to Dunblair Ridge. Cash, haunted by the events he’d witnessed overseas as a photojournalist, comes home to heal and take over the family’s failing ranch. Vanessa, a workaholic financial planner who suddenly finds herself jobless and single, leaves New York City for Montana to claim the farmhouse she inherited.

Vanessa intends to stay in Dunblair Ridge just long enough to fix up her property and sell it, but then she reunites with Cash and a flood of memories comes rushing back. While the two cannot deny their mutual attraction, they struggle to ignore the ticking clock that counts down the days until Vanessa returns to New York.

Will Cash’s vow go unbroken?

 

 

Review:

Forgotten Hearts by Sloan Archer  is a lovely romance with a small town appeal and great characters.

Vanessa has worked very hard at J&W.  It’s been long hours and sacrifice, so when the partners accuse her of embezzlement,  all her hard work and dreams go down the drain. And if that isn’t bad enough her boyfriend of two years has not only been cheating on her with the coffee shop girl, but she’s knocked up too and oh! Ya! She has to move out of the apartment they shared immediately!

So when she gets a call that her aunt Jeanie has died and left her the farm and everything she owns,  it’s with a sad heart that she returns to the one place she felt loved and secure; it was just 3months but it was the best time of her life.

In returning to the farm she is surprised that it is in bad disrepair and in need of fixing up. When Cash finds out Vanessa is back he can’t wait to see her again, but alot has changed. Cash has been though his own share of hard times and working his ranch and keeping it going takes everything he has; when it  comes to romance he keeps it to one night stands. But seeing Vanessa brings back good memories and a new chance at love.

So he offers to help fix up the farm house hoping to reconnect and it’s no time at all that these two start falling in love and making plans for Dunblair Ranch.  Just about the time Cash is ready to lay his heart on the line, once again Vanessa is slipping though his fingers. Seems her old boss wants her to come back and become a partner, something that Vanessa has wanted for so long! Will love win this time of will Cash lose Vanessa forever?

Reviewed by Kat

Copy supplied for review

 

 

Share

The One You Fight For (The Ones Who Got Away #3) by Roni Loren-Review & Excerpt Tour

Posted on by
12

THE ONE YOU FIGHT FOR (The Ones Who Got Away #3) by Roni Loren-Review & Excerpt Tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / Chapters Indigo / Google Play

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 1, 2019

How hard would you fight for the one you love?

Taryn Landry was there that awful night fourteen years ago when Long Acre changed from the name of a town to the title of a national tragedy. Everyone knows she lost her younger sister. No one knows it was her fault. Since then, psychology professor Taryn has dedicated her life’s work to preventing something like that from ever happening again. Falling in love was never part of the plan…

Shaw Miller has spent more than a decade dealing with the fallout of his brother’s horrific actions. After losing everything―his chance at Olympic gold, his family, almost his sanity―he’s changed his name, his look, and he’s finally starting a new life. As long as he keeps a low profile and his identity secret, everything will be okay, right?

When the world and everyone you know defines you by one catastrophic tragedy…
How do you find your happy ending?

••••••••

REVIEW: THE ONE YOU FIGHT FOR is the third instalment in Roni Loren’s contemporary, adult THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY erotic, romance series focusing on the survivors of a mass shooting the night of their senior prom-Finn Dorsey, Olivia Arias, Rebecca Lindt, Taryn Landry and Kincaid Breslin. This is thirty-one year old psychology professor Dr. Taryn Landry, and trainer Shaw Miller’s story line. THE ONE YOU FIGHT FOR 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 series in order, or at the very least book one, for backstory and cohesion as the details about what happened are revealed in THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Taryn and Shaw) THE ONE YOU FIGHT FOR follows the building relationship between thirty-one year old psychology professor Taryn Landry, and personal trainer Shaw Miller. Fourteen years earlier Shaw’s brother destroyed the town of Long Acre when he and a friend killed a number of students at the senior prom. Fast forward to present day wherein Shaw, now known as Lucas, returns to Long Acre to help a friend open a new gym, a return that comes with too many memories of the past. Enter Taryn Landry, a woman he doesn’t recognize but the woman that calls to his heart. What ensues is the building relationship between Taryn and Shaw, and the potential fall-out as the media take aim, and Taryn’s family is unable to forgive or forget.

Taryn Landry is a survivor. Not only did she survive the shooting at her senior prom but our heroine struggles with survivors remorse in the aftermath of what happened, and her sister’s murder on the very same day. Meeting personal trainer ‘Lucas Shaw’ gave Taryn a hope for the future, a hope that would be destroyed when the truth was revealed. Shaw Miller never wanted to return to his hometown of Long Acre, a town that would never forgive him for sins of the past. As the brother to a mass shooter, Shaw would always be connected to the destruction of so many lives.

The relationship between Taryn and Shaw is one of immediate attraction but our couple lied to one another from the start; neither one revealed their true identity, and in the ensuing aftermath Taryn and Shaw kept secret the truth from the people they loved. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

All of the series leading characters return as secondary and supporting characters including Liv and Finn (The Ones Who Got Away #1), Rebecca and Wes (the One you Cant Forget #2 ) and Kincaid Breslin. We re introduced Taryn’s parents, and Shaw’s best friend and business partner Rivers.

The world building continues to look at the impact of a mass shooting on a small town in rural America. As the rest of the country (and world) continue on with their lives, the survivors and families struggle in the wake of unbearable grief and moving forward. As our heroine pushes for changes, the bureaucracy continues to bury its’ proverbial head in the sand, while the family members of those who kill are vilified and destroyed at the hands of everyone else.

THE ONE YOU FIGHT FOR is an emotional and heart breaking story of love and hate, forgiveness and acceptance, mental illness and the ongoing struggle for those left behind to deal with the loss and grief The premise is sensitive and thought-provoking ; the characters are spirited, sassy and real; the romance is seductive and breathtaking. THE ONE YOU FIGHT FOR is a captivating and encouraging story of survival and loss.

Reading order and Previous Reviews
The Ones Who Got Away
The One You Can’t Forget
The You Fight For

Copy supplied for by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Lucas was waiting for her when she stepped inside the main part of the gym. The skylights flashed with the lightning outside, and the rain battered the roof, making it sound like they were inside a huge barrel. Lucas had changed into different clothes—a snug, black T-shirt and a pair of gray track pants. She worked hard not to stare.
Definitely failed.
Lucas smiled, clipboard in hand. “All ready to go?”
She shrugged. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
He didn’t seem deterred by her lack of enthusiasm as he looked down at the clipboard. “All right. Let’s walk or jog a few laps around the track to get warmed up and then we’ll try The Wall.”
He said the last two words as if they were capitalized and should be followed by of Doom.
“Wait, hold up.” Taryn lifted a finger and pointed to the giant curved wall off to the left behind Lucas. “Surely you don’t mean that wall over there.”
He glanced over his shoulder. “The very one.”
“You’ve got jokes, Lucas.”
He gave her an amused glance. “No jokes. You’re trying that wall tonight.”
Yeah, and ice-skating in hell would follow that event. “You’re nuts.”
“Maybe.” He grinned and set aside his clipboard. “I said you’re safe with me. I never said I’d be easy on you.” He clapped his hands. “Now get moving, songbird.”
“Songbird?”
“Yep.” He started running in place. “A talented singer. But also a lady who’s doing a lot of crowing right now.”
She lifted a brow, affronted. “Did you just call me a crow? Don’t make me throw my shoe at you again.”
He jogged away. “You’ll have to catch me first.”
Well, that did it. She hadn’t been a runner in a long time, but that old competitive spirit from track fired up at the challenge. She jogged after him toward the narrow indoor track and poked him in the arm when she caught up. “I’m out of practice, but not slow.”
“Getting cocky already, songbird,” he said, keeping pace with her.
She picked up her speed a little to pass him and put her arms out to flap them like wings. “Caw-caw.”
His deep laugh was a balm to the nerves she’d felt coming in here tonight. This wasn’t so bad. Lucas was easy to be around, and it actually felt good to be moving. She jogged ahead but didn’t push it too hard, still wary of what had happened at the race, and soon Lucas caught up and kept a steady pace with her.
“I want you to stay at the level of effort where you can talk but it’s a bit of a challenge to hold a conversation,” he said, his feet pounding the track next to her. “And never be afraid to ask for a break. I’ll push you because that’s what you’re coming here for, but I need to be able to trust you to tell me when it’s too much.”
“I’ll tell you,” she promised. “I’m not known for keeping my mouth shut.”
“Good. Now let’s sweat.”
Half an hour later, Taryn was warm from the inside out and dripping with sweat. Lucas looked like he was barely glistening. She hated him a little in that moment.
He handed her a bottle of water and a towel and then took a towel for himself. He wrapped it around his neck and nodded at her. “That was good work. Feeling okay?”
“I’m feeling out of shape.” She took a long sip of the water. “But okay.”
“Out of practice. That’s all,” he said, his tone reassuring. “But that’s why you’re here. Today will be the worst day. The only place to go from this point is up.”
“Right.”
“And by up, I mean up that wall.” He cocked his head toward the ridiculous obstacle.
She dried her face with the towel and groaned. “Still with the wall?”
“I keep promises,” he said, a wicked gleam in his eye. “You and I have a date with that wall.”
“I thought you didn’t date,” she teased.
“I make an exception for Wally. We’re in a steady relationship. And we’re about to invite you in.”
“That sounds dirty.” She tossed the towel aside and set her water bottle on the floor next to it. “And is it a requirement for all trainers to be sadists? Do they screen for that? Because I feel like you’re enjoying this a little too much.”
A dimple appeared in his left cheek. “Yes, it’s the third class in trainer school…How to Make Your Clients Hate You Before They Love You.”
“Uh-huh. Gotta be honest. Not loving you so much right now.”
“You’re not supposed to.” He turned. “Let’s get started.”
She frowned, his tone sounding different from the playful one he’d been using, but she followed him to the obstacle course area anyway.
Taryn put her hands on her hips and stared at the giant curved wall in front of her. The thing had to be twelve feet tall, and the rope she was supposed to capture near the top seemed to be miles away. It might as well have been hanging off the side of a ten-story building. “Shouldn’t I have, like, a skateboard or something to get up this thing? A rocket booster?”
Lucas picked up his clipboard from where he’d set it down before their run and then dug around in a gym bag near his feet. He handed her a set of kneepads. “Nope. But don’t freak out. Day one, I just need to see where you are so I can track your progress. It’s a benchmark. I expect you to suck at this one.”
“Well gee, thanks, Coach,” she said as she strapped on the knee pads. “Good speech. Very motivating. You should do a TED talk.”
He smirked, blue eyes crinkling. “Would you rather I lie to you?”
She groaned and bounced on her toes, trying to rev herself up like she used to do before a race. “No, but a little positivity wouldn’t hurt.”
“Okay.” He swung his arm out. “The mat at the bottom is soft, and you’re wearing knee pads so it probably won’t hurt that much when you fall.”
She gave him a droll look. “Are you supposed to want to hit your trainer?”
He set the clipboard aside and crossed his arms over that broad chest, looking like a Greek god with a mean streak. “You should take off the sweatshirt. The bulk is going to make it even harder to build momentum.”
“Right.” She wet her lips and, after a moment of panicked hesitation, nervously tugged off the shirt. When she dropped it to the side, leaving her in what amounted to a skintight tank top and leggings, she felt more than a little exposed and the cold air was probably making things even more visible, but she tried to keep her expression neutral. This was a gym. These were gym clothes. Lucas’s gaze darted down her body and then quickly shifted to a spot over her shoulder.
He cleared his throat. “I’m ready when you are.”

Roni wrote her first romance novel at age fifteen when she discovered writing about boys was way easier than actually talking to them. Since then, her flirting skills haven’t improved, but she likes to think her storytelling ability has. If she’s not working on her latest sexy story, you can find her cooking, watching reality television, or picking up another hobby she doesn’t need–in other words, procrastinating like a boss. She is a RITA Award winner and a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author.

Places to find Roni Loren:
Site: www.roniloren.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoniLoren
Twitter: https://twitter.com/roniloren
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4877863.Roni_Loren

Share

The Highlander’s Welsh Bride (Hardy Heroines #5) by Cathy MacRae & DD MacRae-Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

Posted on by
42

THE HIGHLANDER’S WELSH BRIDE (Hardy Heroines #5) by Cathy MacRae and DD MacRae-Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release DateDecember 27, 2018

From the sweeping mountains of Wales where Prince Llywelyn made his last stand against the English, to the treacherous Isles of Scotland where Vikings and pirates rule the waters, comes a tale of betrayal and loss, deceit and passion. An epic tale of honor and the redeeming power of love.

It was over. Prince Llywelyn was dead, his soldiers fleeing before King Edward’s army. Carys, a distant cousin to the prince, herself a princess of Wales, had picked up arms alongside her husband more than a year ago in the fight for Wales’s independence. Now homeless, her husband buried beneath the good Welsh soil, she seeks shelter in the north, far from the reach of Longshanks’s men.

It was time. Birk MacLean has been ordered to take a bride and produce an heir. He grows weary of the lasses paraded before him, women of delicate nature and selfish motives. He desires a wife strong enough to help lead one of the most powerful clans in Western Scotland.

One like the Welsh woman sitting in his dungeon, arrested for poaching MacLean deer.

Can Birk convince Carys marriage to him is preferable to a hangman’s noose? And will the heard-headed Scot be worthy of a Princess of Wales?

••••••••••••

REVIEW: THE HIGHLANDER’S WELSH BRIDE is the fifth instalment in Cathy MacRae and DD MacRae’s adult, Highlander, historical romance series. This is Baron and Laird Birk MacLean, and Princess Carys Wen, filia Pedr’s story line. THE HIGHLANDER’S WELSH BRIDE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous instalment is revealed where necessary.

NOTE: THE HIGHLANDER’S NORSE WELSH takes place approximately thirty years after the events of The Highlander’s Norse Bride.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Birk and Carys) THE HIGHLANDER’S WELSH BRIDE follows Carys in the aftermath of war as she journeys, along with her brother Hywel, to safer land. Pirates and a storm at sea find Carys one of only two survivors of a shipwreck that claimed the lives of everyone she loved, a shipwreck that would place her in harm’s way once again. Enter Baron/Laird Birk MacLean, the man with whom Carys would fall in love. What ensues is the marriage of convenience, and building relationship between Carys and Birk, and the potential fall –out as secrets and lies continue to follow our story line couple.

Baron Birk MacLean is a widower with two young daughters, and is desperate to find a wife equal to his power and charm. Hearing about a ‘warrior’ woman aboard The Seabhag from its’ captain Murdoc Ferguson, Birk was shocked when the woman found hunting on MacLean lands turns out to be the woman he believed would be a perfect mate for a widower like himself. Carys lost her family to war and the sea but meeting Birk MacLean meant a second chance at a happily ever after but second chances came with a price. Once a prisoner, now Lady of the Manor, Carys is a strong willed, fierce fighter and protector of the people she loves.

The relationship between Carys and Birk begins acrimoniously as Carys is held prisoner in our hero’s dungeons. Drawn to the woman that would steal his heart, Birk makes Carys an offer of marriage, in exchange for her life. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate and seductive.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Birk’s daughters Abria and Eislyn; Captain Murdoc Ferguson and his son Tully, and Carys’ brother Prince Hywel. We are reintroduced to Birk’s mother Hanna (The Highlander’s Norse Bride 3.5), and his half-sister Gillian.

THE HIGHLANDER’S WELSH BRIDE like the previous instalments blends historical facts and fiction as the author weaves a wonderful tale of secrets, lies, second chances, and love. The premise is intriguing and lively; the characters are sassy, strong and spirited; the romance is provocative and energetic. THE HIGHLANDER’S WELSH BRIDE is an enthralling and animated story line that is sure to please. Fair warning-there is plenty of Gaelic and Norse prose throughout the story.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Highland Escape
The Highlander’s Viking Bride
The Highlander’s Crusader Bride
The Highlander’s Norse Bride
The Highlander’s Welsh Bride

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Historical accuracy in historical romance by Cathy & DD MacRae

The Highlander’s Welsh Bride is the 5thbook in the Hardy Heroines series, stories created to showcase the power of women in a medieval setting. Each book begins with a historical challenge, and in the back of each you’ll find our notes for the research on that particular story. Does every author accept historical fact into their tales? Undoubtedly, many—or even most—do. However, with accurate information often sketchy from ancient times, we’ve found that historical facts are either verbatim on multiple websites due to the ‘copy and paste’ that is so easy to do, or possibly wildly divergent depending on who’s viewpoint you’re doing research from.

For example, in The Highlander’s Norse Bride, the Battle of Largs had very different meaning and context to Scots and the Norse. A Norse saga praises King Haakon for commanding the largest armada ever seen, sent to Scotland in righteous anger over King Alexander II’s attempt to wrest control of Western Scotland from Norwegian rule (https://deremilitari.org/2016/09/the-norwegian-invasion-of-scotland-in-1263/). Scottish accounts show a young king wily enough to stall the powerful Norwegian king until fickle Scottish weather destroyed King Haakon’s advance.

Yes, being historically accurate has its challenges. Here are some points of note from The Highlander’s Welsh Bride. We liked the possibility of our hero, Birk MacLean, marrying a woman from Wales, but what would it take to bring the two close enough to meet when an entire country separated them?

The setting became 1283, Wales. Prince Llywelyn was dead, possibly betrayed by his own countrymen, though accounts differ. From a war-torn land, we created Carys Wen, filia Pedr, a young woman who took up arms against the English when King Edward Longshanks rode against the Welsh. She is widowed, her family dead or scattered, and in danger should she, a cousin of the prince, be captured. What should she do?

Sail to Scotland, of course.

We loved researching the shipping routes, timing, currents, etc. Actually, DD is more into ships than I am, but we put together the circumstances that would allow her to sign on as an oarsman (in disguise, of course) and flee Wales.

Towns are also scrutinized for historical accuracy. Carys and Birk visit Campbelltown in The Highlander’s Welsh Bride, but in the 13thcentury, it was called Kinlochkillkerran. Character names are always of interest to us, as well. I prefer names that are easy to pronounce, and tend to suggest names that haven’t been over-used. You’ll note most of the names in this book are rather unusual, but all are as accurate as we can make them.

One cool twist to the story (imho) was the discovery of the Corryvreckan whirlpool which lies between the isles of Scarba and Jura. It’s the 3rdlargest maelstrom in the world, and lies along the sailing route I’d planned for Birk and Carys to travel on their trip to Kinlochkillkerran. I believe my thoughts went something like: “maelstrom—birlinn (sailing ship)—pirates—oh, my!” And the rest of the story was born.

Do we twist historical accuracy to fit our stories? Typically, no, though I adjusted the timeline in The Highlander’s French Bride to include an intriguing historical figure. I gave full disclosure at the beginning of the book, and readers appear to be okay with that.

In an upcoming book slated to release late 2019, we plan to take an historical figure from one of the Hardy Heroines stories and give him a HEA. History will tell you he died by poisoning at the hand of his wife during a political struggle, but we thought he deserved better than that.

Do you expect complete historical accuracy in historical romance? Do you enjoy an ‘alternate’ history if you are told up front the historical facts have been changed to suit the story?

Thanks so much! It’s been a pleasure being here today!

~Cathy & DD

 

Follow Cathy: Twitter / Goodreads /Website / Facebook

Cathy MacRae lives on the sunny side of the Arbuckle Mountains where she and her husband read, write, and tend the garden—with the help of the dogs, of course.

You can visit with her on facebook, or read her blogs and learn about her books at www.cathymacraeauthor.com. Drop her a line—she loves to hear from readers!

••••••••

D.D. MacRae enjoys bringing history to life and considers research one of the best things about writing a story! With more than 35 years of martial arts training, DD also brings breath-taking action to the tales. You can connect with DD through Cathy’s website.

Cathy MacRae is gracious offering an ebook copy of THE HIGHLANDER’S WELSY BRIDE to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

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

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

3. Follow Cathy MacRae on Facebook.

4. Add THE HIGHLANDER’S WELSH BRIDE to your GOODREADS mountain.

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

6. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

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

8. Giveaway is open internationally

9. Giveaway runs from December 26-December 31, 2018

Share

Dirty Rich Obsession: All Mine (Dirty Rich #8) by Lisa Renee Jones-Review & Excerpt Tour

Posted on by
11

DIRTY RICH OBSESSION: ALL MINE (Dirty Rich #8) by Lisa Renee Jones-review  and excerpt tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / iBooks

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 26, 2018

CONTINUING CARRIE AND REID’S STORY (begin their story in Dirty Rich Obsession)

In this lifetime there is one person who will own you, who will know you, who will understand you like no one else could possibly understand you. That person for me is Carrie. I didn’t want to love her. I didn’t want to need her. But now that she’s my world, no one is going to take her from me. Yet the minute I propose, that’s exactly what the universe tries to do. It tries to take her from me.

My father and the many enemies my life as my father’s son has created wants to take her from me.

They’ll be sorry they tired.

She’s mine.

All Mine.

And everyone, including Carrie, is going to know.

•••••••••

REVIEW:  DIRTY RICH OBSESSION: ALL MINE is the eighth instalment in Lisa Renee Jones’ contemporary, adult DIRTY RICH erotic, romance series. ALL MINE is the continuing story of corporate attorneys Reid Maxwell, and Carrie West, and picks up shortly after the events of DIRTY RICH OBSESSION (Dirty Rich #3) and therefore, should not be read as a stand alone.

NOTE: There are some scenes of Domination and submission, light discipline and spanking which may not be suitable for all readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Reid and Carrie) DIRTY RICH OBSESSION: ALL MINE follows corporate attorneys Reid Maxwell, and Carrie West as they struggle with demons from the past including both Reid and Carrie’s father’s ongoing personal and business battles to destroy one another. With the upcoming merger between West Enterprises and the Maxwell family law firm, emotions run high on both sides of the table. A ghost from the past intends to take down Reid Maxwell but in doing so reveals a more devious assault against our story line couple, as Reid and Carrie makes plans for their happily ever after.

The intense and erotic relationship between Carrie and Reid is one of enemies to lovers, a relationship soon predicated on mutual attraction and fury, love and understanding.

We are reintroduced to Reid’s sister Cat and her husband Reese (Dirty Rich One Night Stand #1); Reid and Cat’s brother Gabe Maxwell, their father Mike Maxwell; business associates, billionaire attorney Grayson Bennett and his fiancé Mia (Dirty Rich Betrayal #4), billionaire investor Elijah Woodson, and his wife Tabitha; Reid’s amazing PA Connie; Carrie’s PA Sallie, as well as Carrie’s father James West, her brother Anthony, and James’ girlfriend Stella. As per Lisa’s style, we also welcome the return of some of the characters from her Walker Security series including Royce and Blake Walker, and security expert Savage.

DIRTY RICH OBSESSION : ALL MINE is a story of family, friendship, betrayal and hope. The premise is sexy, spicy and complex: the romance is spirited and seductive; the characters are sassy, strong, and charismatic. DIRTY RICH OBESSION: ALL MINE is a passionate, captivating and provocative tale from the pen of Lisa Renee Jones.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Dirty Rich One Night Stand
Dirty Rich Cinderella
Dirty Rich Obsession
Dirty Rich Betrayal
Dirty Rich Betrayal
Dirty Rich Cinderella Ever After
Dirty Rich Obsession: All Mine

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Reid…
Reid pulls me close, his fingers tunneling into my hair before he says, “Ever fucked in a limo, baby?” and before I can answer, his mouth closes down on mine and he’s crazy, hot kissing me.

“Well?” Reid challenges, his lips parting mine after a scorching kiss. “Have you ever fucked in a limo?”

“No,” I say, my hand flattening on his really hard and perfect chest, while my sex clenches in denial of my rejection about to follow. “I have not and I’m not starting now. Have you?”

“No,” he says. “Which makes it all the better that I do it with you. The only woman I plan to ever fuck again in this lifetime.” He kisses me and his hand slides under my shirt and over my breast.

“We paid a lot of money for this private limo,” he says. “Let’s enjoy it.”

“We?” I ask, catching his hand under my shirt but it does no good to stop him. His fingers shove down the lace of my bra.

“Yes. We. What’s mine is yours and just to be clear, you’re mine now.” He latches onto my nipple with his fingers and I moan with the sweet friction.

“Reid,” I whisper huskily.

“More, baby?” He rolls me to my back onto the long leather seat and then comes down on top of me. “You want my mouth on your nipple?”

“Stop,” I warn, clenching my thighs to no avail. His big body is separating them, and both of us have a leg dangling off the seat. “We can’t—”

He kisses me again, a deep, drugging kiss, while his hand squeezes my breast, and his thick cock nestles against my sex. I moan and he presses his cheek to mine, his lips at my ear. “I do believe you need my mouth on your nipple right now.”

“Reid,” I hiss, but it’s too late. He’s dragging my shirt up and over my head, tossing it aside and almost immediately his mouth is on one of my nipples, suckling, and licking. “What if—”

He kisses me. “I paid for privacy.”

I push on his chest. “We’re in Japan. How do you know you really paid for privacy?”

“It’s Japan, baby. They respect agreements here, more than Americans.” He kisses me again and his hand slides around my backside, squeezing and lifting me against him. “Maybe I should spank you right here.”

“No!” I say urgently, shoving on his chest again. “Not a chance in hell.”

He laughs low and sexy. “But I can fuck you?”

“Are you really trying to negotiate right now?” I challenge.

“I’m just trying to get inside my future wife.” He strokes a lock of hair from my face, his expression softening, his voice tender now. “Wife, Carrie. I never thought I’d call anyone that. I never thought I’d want anyone like that.”

My heart squeezes. “Husband,” I whisper. “From asshole to husband. I never—”

“You changed me, Carrie. You. Just you. And I need you to know that I will protect you. That I will never hurt you.”

My fingers splay on his cheek and I know he’s thinking of the girlfriend that gave up her life for him. “Reid, you can’t walk around afraid for me. That’s not living.”

“I will protect you,” he promises, his tone guttural, as if I haven’t even spoken, his mouth covering mine in a deep kiss, before he returns to my nipple, this time I don’t fight the pleasure. He needs this right now. Maybe I do, too. I arch into the intimate touch of his lips, his tongue, into the taut pull of his teeth against my nipple. My fingers dive into his blond hair but he moves down my body, his lips on my belly, his tongue flickering into my belly button even as he unsnaps my jeans.
This jolts me and I grab his hand, lifting my head to look at him. “Are you sure we’re safe in here?”

Those beautiful blue eyes of his meet mine. “I promise, baby. No one will interrupt us.”

“You’re sure?”

“I promise and—”

“You never break a promise,” I say, stopping him there. “That’s a very marrying quality, by the way.”

His lips, those brutally sexy lips, curve. “Good to know. Trust me now, Carrie.”

Trust him.

There is a question in his eyes, a roughness to his voice. He proposed, but on the heels of so many opportunities for me to question him. This appeal to “trust him now” isn’t about sex in a limo. It’s about so much more. “I do trust you,” I say, and my voice isn’t a whisper, just a tremble of emotion spoken quite clearly.

He studies me for several long beats and then tugs my jeans down, taking the tiny strip of silk I’m wearing with them, with my shoes following. I barely have time to process just how vulnerable I am before Reid pulls his shirt over his head. “So you know you’re never naked alone, not again. Not ever.”

Emotion wells in my chest and he is already on top of me, kissing me, his cheek pressing to mine as he whispers, “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” I whisper back, only to have him slide down my body again

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads

Lisa Renee JonesNew York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT series.

In addition to the success of Lisa’s INSIDE OUT series, she has published many successful titles. The TALL, DARK AND DEADLY series and THE SECRET LIFE OF AMY BENSEN series, both spent several months on a combination of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling lists. Lisa is also the author of the bestselling the bestselling DIRTY MONEY and WHITE LIES series. And will be publishing the first book in her Lilah Love suspense series with Amazon Publishing in March 2018.

Prior to publishing Lisa owned multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and also praised by the Dallas Women’s Magazine. In 1998 Lisa was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine.

Lisa loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her at www.lisareneejones.com and she is active on Twitter and Facebook daily

Share

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays 2018

Posted on by
10

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays 2018

All of us at The Reading Cafe would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a wonderful Holiday season.

Once again, 2018 has been another amazing year at The Reading Cafe and we would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has made our reading and reviewing an adventure.

All the best, however you celebrate.

Enjoy your day!

Barb, Sandy, Vickie, Georgianna,  Marcie, Carmen, Xtina, Julie, Erin, Tricia and Kat

Share

A Shifter Christmas Carol (Shifters Unbound 11.75) by Jennifer Ashley-a review

Posted on by
12

A SHIFTER CHRISTMAS CAROL (Shifters Unbound 11.75 ) by Jennifer Ashley-a review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 11, 2018

Dylan Morrissey forgoes the Shifters’ traditional Yule celebration, to his family’s dismay. Instead, he joins Ben at the haunted house in New Orleans, planning to meet with potential, if dangerous, allies in the Shifters’ constant struggle for freedom.

But the sentient house has other ideas. Dylan wakes up—or rather doesn’t—unable to move or speak, and is taken on a journey to the past, present, and future.

Ben, Zander, and Tiger are his guides, but is what they are showing him truth?

Return to Shiftertown for a Shifters Unbound take on a classic Christmas tale!

•••••••••

REVIEW: A SHIFTER CHRISTMAS CAROL by Jennifer Ashley focuses on one-time clan leader, and former Shiftertown leader Dylan Morrissey as he struggles to free the shifters from their segregated communities known as Shiftertowns.

SOME BACKGROUND: Thousands of years in the past, the Fae created the shifters-a cross between beast and man-and in the ensuing time the Fae lost control and power over the battle creatures they had created for war. Approximately twenty years ago shifters were exposed to the human population. Out of fear, discrimination and specieism, the shifters were collared with Fae magic in the belief that it would control aggression; then they were forced into segregated communities known as Shiftertowns. There are several Shiftertowns located throughout America where shifters live in a relative but strained peace amongst their own kind.

Told from third person perspective (Dylan Morrissey) A SHIFTER CHRISTMAS CAROL follows lion-shifter Dylan Morrissey as he forgoes the annual Yule celebration in an attempt to broker a deal with the blood-sucking humans known as the zilithal. Leaving family and friends behind, Dylan heads to the ‘sentient house’ in New Orleans where he will come face to face with his past, present and possible future as he battles to free the people he loves. What ensues is a ‘Christmas Carol’ style chain of events where the potential repercussions of Dylan’s actions could mean the death for them all.

A SHIFTER CHRISTMAS CAROL is a fast paced, novella length story wherein Dylan Morrissey must come to terms with his one-man inability to save the Shifter race. From a feeling of hopelessness; his lack of attentiveness of his beloved Glory, to the possibility of losing everyone he loves, Dylan will soon realize that family and friendships mean the world and more. Definitely familiar in its’ presentation A SHIFTER CHRISTMAS CAROL is a ‘spirited’ and dramatic tale.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Shifter Made .5
Pride Mates
Primal Bonds
Bodyguard
Wild Cat
Hard Mated 3.5
Mate Claimed
Perfect Mate 4.5
Lone Wolf 4.6
Tiger Magic
Feral Heat 5.5
Wild Wolf
Bear Attraction 6.5
Mate Bond
Lion Eyes
Bad Wolf 7.5
Wild Things 7.75
White Tiger
Guardian’s Mate
Red Wolf
Midnight wolf
Tiger Striped
A Shifter Christmas Carol

Own a copy

Reviewed by Sandy

Share

Russian Mafia Romance Series 1-3 by Maura Rose-reviews

Posted on by
12

RUSSIAN MAFIA ROMANCE SERIES 1-3 by Maura Rose-Reviews

BEHOLDEN TO THE BRATVA
A Russian Mafia Romance #1
by Maura Rose
RELEASE DATE: February 16, 2018
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, Russian Mafia, romance

ebook ONLY 99¢ or £0.99 Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

VIKTOR

Ruthless. Brutal. Bloodthirsty.

That’s my reputation, and as a member of the Sokolov crime family, I’ve earned it. I’m good at what I do, and although I may not enjoy “conducting business” quite as much as my father, I know how to do what has to be done. Even if it means ruining lives. Even if it means killing.

The high point of my week is when we have our business meetings at the restaurant where the lovely Lina serves as a waitress and brightens the room with her sweet, nervous smile. She is the daughter of Darius, the restaurant’s owner—and Darius is deep in debt to Bogdan, the boss of the Sokolov Bratva…and my father.

Lina is gorgeous. She’s angelic. She blushes when she looks at me. But she hates us for what we are.

And now, I have to kidnap her. Business is business, after all, and Darius has to pay.

LINA

Business has been bad for years now, but my father refuses to close the doors of the restaurant. Rather than wiping down tables to clear away food, I’m cleaning off tables to keep the dust from settling. No one eats here anymore…except them. The criminals. The “businessmen.” The Bratva.

Every week, they come in and have a meeting in our banquet room, and even though my father puts on a show of friendliness when they walk through the doors, I can tell there is fear in his eyes when he sees them—and that makes me afraid, too. There has to be more to their relationship than a simple love of good comfort food, but my father refuses to talk about the history between him and Bogdan.

I can’t stand them. They’re bad for business and leave a bad taste in my mouth. I hate the way they look at me, and I hate that I have to smile in their faces while they muddy our restaurant with their vile presence. I hate them all.

Except one. The one with the icy blue eyes that linger on me, the quiet one with the handsome, brooding face. Despite knowing what he is and what he does for a living, I can’t help myself. He’s hot. He’s mysterious. And damn it all to hell, I want him.

Beholden to the Bratva is a standalone full-length steamy romance novel with a heat level (and action-packed drama) sure to leave you dripping with sweat! No cliffhangers, no cheating, and a guaranteed HEA!

•••••••••••

REVIEW: BEHOLDEN TO THE BRATVA is the first instalment in Maura Rose’s contemporary, adult RUSSIAN MAFIA ROMANCE series. This is Sokolov crime family son Viktor Sokolov, and Lina’s story line.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Lina and Viktor) BEHOLDEN TO THE BRATVA follows the building relationship between Sokolov crime family son Viktor Sokolov, and Lina. Lina had no idea her father Darius was deep into the Sokolov Russian mafia for close to a million dollars, money he didn’t have, and never would. In order to make restitution Lina will unknowingly become fodder for her father’s debt, a debt she would have to pay for with her life. Enter Viktor Sokolov, the man who with whom Lina will fall in love but a man with familial connections to the Russian mob. What ensues is the kidnapping of Lina; Viktor’s dogged determination to protect Lina at all costs, and the potential fall-out as the costs incurred would send Lina and Viktor on the run.

The relationship between Lina and Viktor is one of immediate but forbidden attraction. For years the Sokolov crime family has made themselves at home in Darius’ café, a café that now struggles to pay the bills. With each visitation, Lina will come face to face with Viktor Sokolov, the man with whom she will fall in love but a man who struggles with what will, and must be done. The quick building relationship is passionate and seductive without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Lina’s father Darius; Viktor’s brother Ivan; Bratva lieutenant Pavel; their merciless father Bogdan, as well as Bogdan’s number one enforcer Vladimir. Not everyone will survive to see another day.

BEHOLDEN TO THE BRATVA is a story of family, power, murder and control. The premise is inviting; the romance is spirited; the characters are determined but fell a little flat in the personality development.

Own a copy

Reviewed by Sandy 

____________________

BURNING FOR THE BRATVA:
A Russian Mafia Romance #2
by Maura Rose
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, Russian Mafia, romance

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release date June 12, 2018

ebook ONLY 99¢ or £0.99 Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

Burning passions can be all-consuming…

IVAN
I’m the head of the Sokolov Bratva now. My father is dead, my brother gone, and I’m left with picking up the pieces of a broken business and a pile of broken dreams. I’m the only one who can do it, but I can’t do it alone.
That’s where the Irish come in. If we can work with each other instead of against each other, we can all benefit. But there’s trouble stirring, and if I don’t find out what’s going on and put a stop to it, I may end up joining my father in the grave.
My life is on the line. I don’t have the luxury of letting myself be distracted. Especially not by a woman. Especially when that woman is an Irish mob boss’s daughter.

KELLY
My father is insane if he thinks I’m going to marry some Russian mafia goon for the sake of his business dealings. I don’t want to do it, and I won’t. I don’t want to marry him or anyone else. My dad may be a mob boss, but I am the boss of my own destiny.
And I won’t do it. No matter how sexy he is.
But that’s the least of my worries. Someone is killing off my family, and I think I know who the “someone” is. The trouble is, I can’t do anything about it without the help of the guy from the bratva. And as much as I like the eye candy when he’s around, entering into a dangerous business dealing with a Russian mob boss is the last thing I want to do.
Unfortunately, it may be the only way to keep the rest of my family—and myself—alive.

••••••••••••••

REVIEW: BURNING FOR THE BRATVA is the second instalment Maura Rose’s contemporary, adult RUSSIA MAFIA ROMANCE erotic, romance series. This is the head of the Sokolov Bratva Ivan Sokolov, and Irish mob daughter Kelly O’Gill’s story line. BURNING FOR THE BRATVA can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Kelly and Ivan) BURNING FOR THE BRATVA follows the quick building romance between the head of the Sokolov Bratva Ivan Sokolov, and Irish mob daughter Kelly O’Gill. With the recent death of his father, Ivan needed a mentor in order to take control of the Sokolov Bratva. Having wandered into the Irish territory, Ivan comes face to face with Sean O’Gill, the man who is about to show Ivan the ropes. Enter Sean’s daughter Kelly O’Gill, and the woman with whom he would fall in love. What ensues is the search for a mole within the O’Gill organization and the potential fall-out as someone close is trying to even the score.

Kelly O’Gill battles between head and heart knowing that an alliance with the Russian Bratva would secure her family’s control at the docks. With one brother dead, and another one barely alive, Kelly wants retribution against the people responsible, even if it means going against her father’s wishes. Ivan knows that to merge with the O’Gill family is a bonus anyway you look at but meeting sassy, smart mouthed and arrogant Kelly O’Gill, Ivan sees more than a merger but a possible future and mother to his heir.

The relationship between Kelly and Ivan begins acrimoniously as the couple are forced to work together to uncover a plot against the O’Gill family. Betrayal revealed, vengeance demanded, Kelly and Ivan will begin an investigation of their own that leads to a sexual encounter, at the risk of their own lives. The $ex scenes are passionate, erotic and intense, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The secondary and supporting characters are colorful but limited in number. We are introduced to Kelly’s father and the head of the O’Gill Irish family Sean O’Gill her brother Shane, and Sean’s lieutenant Bates. Pavel returns as Ivan’s lieutenant and second in command.

BURNING FOR THE BRATVA is a story of blood and family; betrayal and retribution; power, control and vengeance. The character driven premise is edgy and engaging; the romance is spicy; the characters are determined and animated. BURNING FOR THE BRATVA is an energetic story line merging the Russian and Irish mobs.

Own a copy

Reviewed by Sandy 

________________

BLAZING FOR THE BRATVA
(A Russian Mafia Romance #3)
by Maura Rose 

Release Date: November 19, 2018

ebook ONLY 99¢ or £0.99 Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.au/ Amazon.uk /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

About the book: 

The struggle for power, the struggle for love…

PAVEL
I’ve always been the low man on the Sokolov bratva’s totem pole, but not anymore. The family is changing, growing, and I have stepped up as second-in-command. I’m not the errand boy now. Pavel the Puppy is no more. Now, I’m a wolf—a force to be reckoned with, and I get the respect I deserve because I’ve earned it.

But with status comes sacrifice, and the bratva needs an alliance to cement our place in the city’s organized crime hierarchy. Now I have to marry a complete stranger who just happens to be the youngest daughter of the Mikhailov bratva’s boss—the most powerful man in the city.

She’s gorgeous. She’s educated. She’s feisty. She’s also convinced she’s too good for an arranged marriage with a man of my reputation.

But I’m going to make her mine. No matter what it takes. Mine.

NATALIA
My father runs the most powerful Russian mafia operation in the region. He has decided it’s time to marry me off to some no-name guy from some no-name bratva, and I want to find a way out of it. I deserve better than some second-rate lieutenant—I should be marrying a boss, myself! But Father’s word is final, so I don’t have much choice.

Then I meet him. He’s courteous. Mysterious. Handsome. He’s not at all like the puppy dog I had imagined or the bodybuilder wannabes who are typical of the men in the organized crime world. There is a danger that lurks within his beautiful eyes, and a demeanor of calm that commands respect. I want to hate him, want to hate our arranged marriage—but instead I hate myself for wanting him so bad.

I have to get him alone, have to find out what secrets hide behind his eyes… and under his clothes. But if we are caught meeting alone before the wedding, it could bring shame on the Mikhailov bratva—and it could mean death for Pavel.

••••••••••

REVIEW: BLAZING FOR THE BRATVA is the third instalment in Maura Rose’s contemporary adult RUSSIAN MAFIA ROMANCE erotic, romance series. This is Sokolov Bratva lieutenant Pavel , and Natalia Mikhailov’s story line. BLAZING FOR THE BRATVA can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Natalia and Pavel) BLAZING FOR THE BRATVA follows the building but forbidden relationship between Sokolov Bratva lieutenant Pavel, and Natalia Mikhailova. The impending wedding between Natalia’s sister Irena to the heir to the powerful Japanese Yakuza is meant to merge the Russian and Japanese mobs but Natalia’s father is determined to increase his standing in the Bratva by announcing Natalia’s marriage to a man she doesn’t know. Enter Sokolov Bratva lieutenant Pavel, the man with whom Natalia will fall in love. What ensues is the building but secret romance between Natalia and Pavel, and the potential fall-out as things don’t go according to plans with Irena’s wedding, and Natalia’s father calls off any future plans for our story line heroine.

To keep up appearances and maintain propriety Natalia and Pavel are not allowed to date prior to their engagement announcement but our story line couple are desperate to meet one another, and in the ensuing aftermath, begin a secret relationship on the road to falling in love. Natalia struggles with her father’s old country ways, and following a near disaster at her sister’s wedding, demands her right to choose.

The relationship between Pavel and Natalia begins acrimoniously. Neither Pavel nor Natalia are thrilled with being forced into a marriage of convenience; a marriage meant to merge rival Russian powers but powers each seeking something different. Hoping to become friends first, Pavel and Natalia will begin a secret courtship behind everybody’s back. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The secondary and supporting characters include Natalia’s sisters Irena, Anastasia, Lana and Vasilisa, as well as their father Ivan Mikhailova. We are re-introduced to the head of the Sokolov Bratva Ivan Sokolov, and his wife Kate (Burning for the Bratva #2).

BLAZING FOR THE BRATVA is a story of family, betrayal, power and control. The premise is engaging and captivating; the romance is seductive and provocative; the characters are animated and lively. The usual violence in many Russian Bratva story lines is limited, as well as the story line conflict but saying that I am looking forward to reading more future story lines focusing on Natalia’s sisters.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Share

Siren’s Curse (The Cursed Seas Collection) by Carly Fall-a review

Posted on by
12

SIREN’S CURSE (The Cursed Seas Collection ) by Carly Fall-a review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 20, 2018

Her Siren Clan is dying, and she’ll face death to save them.

The only thing that can reverse the curse and save her people from extinction is a long-lost Legacy Stone.

But Rainie won’t be able to find it alone. She must travel to land and locate a mage who knows where the magical stone is hidden. With the assistance of the one man willing to help her, they battle foreign creatures and the most dangerous animals of all – humans – while looking for the stone.

Death hunts them down at every turn. And even if they can find the stone in time to save her people, the cost of her clan’s survival may be paid with her own life.

••••••••••

REVIEW: SIREN’S CURSE by Carly Fall is a stand alone, dystopian, fantasy story line in the multi-authored Cursed Seas Collection.

SIREN’S CURSE follows Rainie, a hunter-siren who volunteers to go in search of the Legacy Stone, a stone purported to reverse the curse inflicted upon her people, years before, by the mage who granted the once-humans the ability to live and breath under water. Knowing her people were on the verge of extinction, not only from a lack of food but the monstrous beasts that inhabited the waters, Rainie will soon find herself ‘the hunted’ as sirens are traded to pirates in exchange for food and clean water. Meeting Jonah, a human male, gives Rainie a hope for the future but a series of trials, misfortunes, betrayal and attacks on their journey into the unknown, finds our couple struggling to survive. What ensues is the building relationship between Rainie and Jonah as they search for the Legacy Stone, and the mage who started it all.

SIREN’S CURSE looks to the future as most of the planet Earth is under water; monsters and beasts hunt humans for food; and those who survive battle thirst and famine. SIREN’S CURSE is a dystopian tale of adventure and survival, endurance and strength. The text is simple and easy to read, feeling more like a young adult story line. An imaginative tale with a determined heroine who struggles against the odds.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Share