Monthly Archives: August 2019

Lost in You (The Forgotten #3) by Lexi Blake-Review& Excerpt Tour

Posted on by
10

Lost in You (Masters and Mercenaries: The Forgotten #3) by Lexi Blake-Review & Excerpt Tour

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 6, 2019

Robert McClellan was forced to serve as a soldier in a war he didn’t understand. Liberated by McKay-Taggart, he struggles every day to reclaim the life he lost and do right by the men he calls his brothers, The Lost Boys. Only one thing is more important – Ariel Adisa. The gorgeous psychologist has plagued his dreams since the day they met. Even as their mission pushes him to his limits, he can’t stop thinking about taking his shot at finding a life beyond all this with her.

Ariel Adisa is a force to be reckoned with. Her performance in Toronto proved she’s more than just a brilliant mind, but Robert still acts as if she is a wilting flower who needs his protection. Joining him on the mission to Munich should be the perfect opportunity to test their skills and cement their relationship. She and Robert are an excellent match. But when a stunning secret from Robert’s past is revealed, their world is turned upside down and nothing will ever be the same again.

While they chase dark secrets across Europe, Robert and Ariel realize that the only thing worse than not knowing who you are could be discovering who you used to be.

••••••••

REVIEW:LOST IN YOU is the third instalment in Lexi Blake’s contemporary, adult MASTERS AND MERCENARIES: THE FORGOTTEN erotic, romantic suspense series focusing on six former military soldiers (Jax, Dante, Sasha, Tucker, Owen and Robert) whose minds and lives were eradicated and erased by a secret, military experiment. This is team leader Robert McClellan, and psychologist Ariel Adisa’s story line. The Forgotten is a spin-off from the author’s Masters and Mercenaries series where the characters were first introduced and played an important role throughout.

NOTE: If you have not read Lexi Blake’s original Masters and Mercenaries series, their may be some confusion as it pertains to the Lost Boys and their backstory.

WARNING: There are some BDSM scenes as well as Dom/sub sexual scenarios.

SOME BACKGROUND: Several months earlier, the mercenaries from the McKay-Taggart Black Ops group rescued, from an unauthorized military lab, run by Dr. Hope McDonald, six men they labelled the ‘Lost Boys’. With their memories wiped clean, no ID, and no traceable DNA, the Lost Boys were essentially ‘new born’ soldiers trained to kill and destroy. The Forgotten are their stories.

Told from several third person perspectives including Robert and Ariel LOST IN YOU continues to follow the search for the truth. As the resident psychologist struggling to bring back the memories of the men known as the ‘lost boys’, Dr. Ariel Adisa finds herself falling for one of their own but Robert McClellan battles between head and heart knowing his nightmares and night time PTSD are a threat to everyone including the woman with whom he has fallen in love. As the team of ‘Lost Boys’ and the members of McKay-Taggart continue to search for a mole in the group, Dr. Ariel Adisa begins to do some investigating of her own. What ensues is the building Dom/sub and romantic relationship between Ariel and Robert, and the fall-out as betrayal, vengeance and loss threaten to destroy them all.

Robert McClellan’s memories are few and far between but at times he falters between the present and the past. Falling in love with Dr. Ariel Adisa was never something he had considered but their first introduction brought about thoughts for a future, if only in his heart. Dr. Ariel Adisa keeps hidden a past that once revealed may destroy the trust she had developed with the men under her care. Reaching out to the people she once knew meant the possibility of opening doors that were meant to remain closed.

The relationship between Ariel and Robert is one of immediate attraction but Robert struggles with PTSD, flashbacks and the trauma of amnesia and the destruction of his previous life. Trying to protect the woman he loves, Robert struggles to keep his distance but our heroine needs to be dominated and Robert is the man for the job. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense with scenes of bondage, discipline and D/s scenarios.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including all of the ‘Lost Boys’ aka the Forgotten: Jax and River: Owen and Rebecca: Dante, Sasha, and Tucker as well as Big Tag; Theo Taggart, Ezra Fain and Kim ‘Solo’ Solomon. The requisite evil has many faces including the continuing struggles with Levi Green. Once again, the numerous names and nicknames given to the story line characters can, at times, be confusing and overwhelming.

LOST IN YOU is a story of betrayal, vengeance, secrets and lies. The premise is heart breaking, intriguing and suspenseful; the characters are broken, colorful and lost; the romance is seductive and captivating. Lives will be threatened and lost; friendships forged with be destroyed in an instant.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Memento Mori
Lost and Found
Lost in You

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

He led Ariel out. Down the hall he saw Dante outside the media room, a beer in his hand. He’d been turned toward the kitchen at the opposite end of the hall, as though he’d been standing there staring at it. Had he been listening to the happy couples?
There was something dark in Dante that always gave him pause.
Dante turned without a word and disappeared behind the doors where he would likely drink himself to sleep. It seemed to be the way he and Sasha operated.
But he wasn’t thinking about that tonight. Tomorrow would be soon enough to sit everyone down and talk about the problems they were having. He would get Jax on the phone. He wasn’t leaving him out because he was in London.
“Are you all right?” Ariel had stopped beside him. “Is Dante giving you trouble?”
He was glad she’d been upstairs when they’d gone on their rant. “I think the pressure is starting to get to him. But we can talk about that tomorrow. I think after we get back to London we should have a big group meeting and get some things out in the open.”
“They think Damon and Ian are keeping things from them?”
No. He did not want to go there. He stopped in the middle of the hall and got into her personal space. She backed up against the wall and he loomed over her. It was time to move from reality to a place where they might be able to play out a few fantasies, if she was ready. “No work talk. If you want to go to sleep, I’ll kiss you now and see you in the morning. Tucker and I are in the room next to you. If you need anything I’ll be there. If you aren’t tired and you want to talk some more, we can go down to the bar and have another glass of wine with the full knowledge we don’t have to go any further than that. I’m more than willing to sit up talking to you all night long.”
She tilted her head up to him. “And if I want to go to bed but not to sleep?”
His heart rate ticked up, blood starting to thrum through his system as he invaded further, brushing his chest against hers. He reached for her wrists and gently brought them up and over her head, pinning her to the wall. “Then we need to make a few things clear.”
She took a deep breath, her lips curling up as though she liked the way he smelled. “Me sub, you Dom. Got it.”
He leaned over. “Hey, I’m trying to make sure I take care of you the way you like to be taken care of. I’ve watched you play. I don’t think your play partners realized how much you like being dominated. I think they view you as a woman who enjoys a spanking from time to time. They don’t get how much you need to know your partner is thinking about how to handle you. They don’t understand that you need to stop thinking. You need a place where you obey your partner.”
“In their defense, I had no interest in sex with any of them. I was looking for a spanking, some physical play that wouldn’t lead to real intimacy. You watched me?”
“I always watch you,” he admitted. “It’s why my brothers insist I’m your stalker. I watch you because I can’t not watch you when you’re in a room. If I thought for a second that it made you uncomfortable, I would make myself stop, but I think you like it.”
She watched him, too, and not in a way that made him think she was wary of him. It had always been there between them—the crackle and fire of sexual chemistry.
“You’re going to be a talky one, aren’t you?” she asked.
And she was going to be a brat. 


 

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / WEBSITE / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

Share

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware – a Review

Posted on by
7

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware – a Review

 

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / iTunes / Google Play / BAM / Book Depository

 

Description:
When she stumbles across the ad, she’s looking for something else completely. But it seems like too good an opportunity to miss—a live-in nannying post, with a staggeringly generous salary. And when Rowan Caine arrives at Heatherbrae House, she is smitten—by the luxurious “smart” home fitted out with all modern conveniences, by the beautiful Scottish Highlands, and by this picture-perfect family.

What she doesn’t know is that she’s stepping into a nightmare—one that will end with a child dead and herself in prison awaiting trial for murder.

Writing to her lawyer from prison, she struggles to explain the unravelling events that led to her incarceration. It wasn’t just the constant surveillance from the cameras installed around the house, or the malfunctioning technology that woke the household with booming music, or turned the lights off at the worst possible time. It wasn’t just the girls, who turned out to be a far cry from the immaculately behaved model children she met at her interview. It wasn’t even the way she was left alone for weeks at a time, with no adults around apart from the enigmatic handyman, Jack Grant.

It was everything.

She knows she’s made mistakes. She admits that she lied to obtain the post, and that her behavior toward the children wasn’t always ideal. She’s not innocent, by any means. But, she maintains, she’s not guilty—at least not of murder. Which means someone else is.

 

 

Review:

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware is another one of her exciting and intense thrillers. Rowan Caine is in jail, having been accused of murdering a child; she is desperate to prove her innocence.  The story starts with her writing a letter to a solicitor to plead for his help, and detailing everything that happened from beginning to end, and that she did not kill the child.

We learn early that Rowan was offered a job to go to Heatherbrae House in Scotland and be a nanny for a family’s three children; the money is very good, and Rowan wanted to leave her existing job. On her arrival she meets the lady of the house, who is welcoming and Rowan s thrilled by the home that has modern technology and conveniences.  She will quickly learn that their were 4 nannies previously in less than a year that left, and the children tell her the ‘ghosts’ do not want her there.   Is the house haunted?

In a matter of days, the husband and wife go on a business trip leaving Rowan with the two girls (the 3rd girl is away at school until later in the book); Jean, the housekeeper and Jack, the handyman. Jack did turn out to be a friend to Rowan, helping her out when things go wrong, and they do go very wrong.   Each night she can hear creaking footsteps, and missing items; even a doll’s head, a locked closet or being taken by the girls to a poison garden.   Rowan at first ignores things, but with each passing day, things do get worse and she is desperately trying to fight off her panic.  Though this was a thriller, I felt it had too much of the ‘creepy factor’, causing me not to enjoy it as much.

What follows is a dark, scary and intriguing thriller that has us on the edge of our seats, with many twists and surprises as we race to the climax.  I do not want to give spoilers, as it will definitely ruin things for those reading this book.  I thought The Turn of the Key was a well written story by Ruth Ware.  I did think the ending was a little rushed, and a shocker or two that I never expected.  I did feel that it left a little bit open at the end.  But that is my opinion.  If you like a thriller with a bit of creepiness, then I suggest you read The Turn of the Key.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

Share

Wicked Angel (Wicked Horse Vegas #6) by Sawyer Bennett-Review Tour

Posted on by
9

Wicked Angel (Wicked Horse Vegas #6) by Sawyer Bennett-Review Tour

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 6, 2019

First there was pain, and now there is just… nothing. No one can ever understand the losses I’ve suffered. A solitary existence that consists of my work and the empty house that serves as a constant reminder of all I have lost.

After months of paralyzing emptiness, I turn to The Wicked Horse so I can feel something. Anything, really. Any shred of emotion that will explain why I’m still here. Any justification for why my life was spared and theirs were not.

It’s all in vain. Not even the debauchery of the notorious sex club can fill the hollowness that consumes me.

Until she walks in.

Absolutely perfect. Gorgeous and bends to my will. Gives me her body willingly, while expecting nothing more from me than the pleasure I offer her. And the more she gives, the more I find myself wanting to take.

Wanting to crawl out of my personal hell for this wicked angel.

•••••••••

REVIEW: WICKED ANGEL is the sixth full-length instalment in Sawyer Bennett’s contemporary, adult WICKED HORSE, VEGAS erotic, BDSM, romance series focusing on the members of an exclusive Las Vegas $ex club known as the Wicked Horse. This is neurosurgeon Dr. Benjamin Hewitt, and hair salon owner Elena Costieri’s story line. WICKED ANGEL can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. There is a slight cross-over with the author’s Jameson Force Security.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Benjamin and Elena) WICKED ANGEL follows neurosurgeon Dr. Benjamin Hewitt, approximately one year after his life was destroyed, and his world fell apart. Having withdrawn from the upscale social scene Benjamin finds himself looking through the Wicked Horse Vegas Fantasy app in the hopes of finding someone that might catch his eye. Enter hair salon owner Elena Costieri, and the woman with whom Benjamin will fall in love. What ensues is the friends with benefits, sexual relationship between Benjamin and Elena, and the potential fall-out as Benjamin is unable to let go of the past.

Dr. Benjamin Hewitt’s world imploded fifteen months earlier, and in that time our hero became a mere shadow of his former self. Anti-social, belligerent, and oft-times nasty and rude, Benjamin is unable to move beyond the emotional heart break, and physical pain that remind him of everything he lost. Meeting Elena Costieri gave Benjamin a hope for the future but too many painful memories forced Benjamin to walk away on more than one occasion. Elena Costieri was tired of the dating scene having jumped from one disastrous relationship into another but when her best friend bought her a temporary membership to the Wicked Horse, Vegas, our heroine was hoping to take full advantage of everything the club had to offer.

The relationship between Elena and Benjamin begins as an arrangement made through the exclusive Wicked Horse in Las Vegas. Having no expectations for a happily ever after Elena begins to fall for a man whose past continues to haunt his heart and his soul. Benjamin is desperate to feel, to feel anything other than the mind-numbing heart break of loss, and in this our hero begins to step out starting with a no-strings attached relationship with the woman with whom he will fall in love. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Benjamin’s business partner Dr. Brandon Aimes; Jameson Security agents August Greenfield and Cage Murdoc; Elena’s large family including parents and siblings; as well as the return of Jorie Pearce and Walsh Brooks (Wicked Wish #2).

WICKED ANGEL is a story of grief and loss; heart break and pain; falling in love and letting go of the past. The premise is emotional and captivating; the romance is seductive; the characters are colorful and energetic but in the case of Benjamin Hewitt, wounded and lost as he struggles with his very own self-destructive demons. WICKED ANGEL is an inviting, tragic, sensitive and sensual look as one man gets a second chance at love and a happily ever after.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews of the Wicked Horse Vegas Series
Wicked Favor
Wicked Wish
Wicked Envy
Wicked Wedding (3.5)
Wicked Choice
Wicked Knight

Copy supplied for reivew

Reviewed by Sandy

Since the release of her debut contemporary romance novel, Off Sides, in January 2013, Sawyer Bennett has released more than 30 books and has been featured on both the USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists on multiple occasions.

A reformed trial lawyer from North Carolina, Sawyer uses real life experience to create relatable, sexy stories that appeal to a wide array of readers. From new adult to erotic contemporary romance, Sawyer writes something for just about everyone.

Sawyer likes her Bloody Marys strong, her martinis dirty, and her heroes a combination of the two. When not bringing fictional romance to life, Sawyer is a chauffeur, stylist, chef, maid, and personal assistant to a very active toddler, as well as full-time servant to two adorably naughty dogs. She believes in the good of others, and that a bad day can be cured with a great work-out, cake, or a combination of the two.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | BOOKBUB | AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE | INSTAGRAM

Share

Life and Other Inconveniences by Kristan Higgins – Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

Posted on by
25

Life and Other Inconveniences by Kristan Higgins – Review & Excerpt

 

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / iTunes / Google Play / BAM / Book Depository

 

Description:
Emma London never thought she had anything in common with her grandmother Genevieve London. The regal old woman came from wealthy and bluest-blood New England stock, but that didn’t protect her from life’s cruelest blows: the disappearance of Genevieve’s young son, followed by the premature death of her husband. But Genevieve rose from those ashes of grief and built a fashion empire that was respected the world over, even when it meant neglecting her other son.

When Emma’s own mother died, her father abandoned her on his mother’s doorstep. Genevieve took Emma in and reluctantly raised her–until Emma got pregnant her senior year of high school. Genevieve kicked her out with nothing but the clothes on her back…but Emma took with her the most important London possession: the strength not just to survive but to thrive. And indeed, Emma has built a wonderful life for herself and her teenage daughter, Riley.

So what is Emma to do when Genevieve does the one thing Emma never expected of her and, after not speaking to her for nearly two decades, calls and asks for help?

 

 

 

Review:

Life and Other Inconveniences by Kristan Higgins is another one of her wonderful contemporary stories revolving around Women’s fiction.   We meet our heroine, Emma London, who is a therapist, with a teenage daughter.  Emma receives a phone call from her grandmother, whom she hasn’t talked to in 17 years.  Emma lost her mother when she was 8 years old, her father dumped her to live with her grandmother, but when teenage Emma became pregnant and decided to keep the child, she was told to leave. Now 17 years, her grandmother wants her to come home and bring her teenage daughter, Riley.  At first Emma refuses, as she had to struggle as a pregnant teenager, living with her grandfather (from her other side) in Chicago, and manage to go to college and have a career, and bring up a wonderful sweet daughter.  Why does she need to see the grandmother who threw her away?    

Genevieve London, is a wealthy, well known and successful business women; her fashion designs have made her very famous, but now Genevieve is older and life is changing for her.  She decides she wants to meet the great granddaughter she never knew, and try to make amends with her granddaughter.  She knows she is sick, and time is of importance.   Can she convince Emma to come home?

Emma decides perhaps she should go for the summer with Riley, and offers her grandmother a deal.   Help pay for Riley’s college education, maybe leave Riley her rightful inheritance, and allow her to be the guardian for her mentally ill half-sister.  When Genevieve agrees, Emma, Riley and Paul (grandfather) go to Connecticut for the summer.

What follows is a wonderful heartwarming story revolving around Genevieve, Emma and Riley, as they slowly come to terms with the past, and find love and forgiveness in a summer that brings them together.  Emma will learn the truth about Genevieve’s illness (dementia), and despite her original misgivings, she acknowledges her love for her grandmother, and is determined to be there for her throughout the eventual decline.

It was wonderful to watch Riley win over her great grandmother and over the summer become such a wonderful strong young girl, who not only loved her mother, but also Genevieve.  I also thought it was heartwarming to see Genevieve open her eyes to how wonderful Emma did in bringing up Riley, as well as making her own successful career.  There was also a nice slow build background romance for Emma and Miller.  Miller, who lost his wife to childbirth three years ago, is struggling with bringing up their wild nasty rebellious child, and I loved when Riley and Emma were the only ones who seem to be able to calm and control the little girl (Tess).

Kristan Higgins has created another wonderful story, with three great main characters, but also some wonderful secondary characters.  Life and Other Inconveniences gave us an emotional look at a family that needed to rise from past mistakes and tragedy, and find a way to bring them together.  It was a heartwarming, emotional, sweet and sad story revolving around three very strong women.  I suggest you read this book now.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

When I called Genevieve back and told her we were coming—including Pop, who would be staying elsewhere—there’d been a long pause. “Thank you,” she finally said.
“On one condition, Genevieve,” I said. “You do not mention money or inheritance to Riley. Not a whisper, not a hint. I don’t want you dangling your bank accounts in front of my daughter and snatching them away if she uses the wrong fork.”
“By which I assume you’re referring to the fact that I didn’t fund your teenage folly.”
“Teenage folly? You mean your great-granddaughter? Yes. This summer isn’t about the money. It’s us giving you a chance to make amends, and you making me Hope’s guardian.”
“How very gracious you are, my dear,” she said, and I heard a slurp. Five o’clock somewhere.
But she agreed, and here we were.
My clients, the ones I saw in person, were fine with me leaving for two months. I’d TheraTalk with most of them; two were about done anyway, and said they’d call me if they needed me. I’d had to give up my office space, though; luckily, a classmate from my PhD program had sublet it. Once I got back, I’d have to find another space, but I’d deal with that later.
Pop had found himself a little apartment over an antiques shop on Water Street. I was unspeakably grateful that he’d be nearby. He’d always hated Genevieve, who had viewed my mother as insufficient wife material for her wretched son.
Then again, she had a point. My mother had taken her own life. Maybe Genevieve had sensed something, even back then. She was many things, but she wasn’t stupid.
We crossed the Connecticut River, then the Thames. “There’s the Coast Guard Academy, Pop,” I said, pointing. He was an Air Force man himself, but he nodded. We went through Mystic, and I remembered going to the aquarium with Jason on a date. Or a field trip, maybe, but we’d held hands. Kissed in the dim light of the myriad fish tanks, and it had felt like the most romantic thing in the world.
He knew we were coming, of course. He was excited, he’d said on the phone. Talked about being separated, wasn’t sure where things were headed there. The boys couldn’t wait to meet Riley in person, though they knew her from Skype and phone calls.
My heart leaped into overdrive when, just before we hit Rhode Island, Charles exited the highway and entered the land of stone walls and gracious houses, tall oaks and two-hundred-year-old farms. The woods and fields gave way to narrower streets, and we went over the bridge that led to the borough.
Welcome to Stoningham, the sign said.
I found that I was holding my grandfather’s thumb, same as I had when I was little, back before my mother died, when seeing my grandparents was the happiest thing ever. He gave my hand a squeeze.
“Oh, my gosh, this town is so cute!” Riley said.
And it was. The sky was Maxfield Parrish blue, the lights of the Colonials that lined the streets glowing in what seemed to be a welcome. People were out, walking their dogs. At the library green, some kids tossed a football. As we came onto Water Street, Riley exclaimed over the little shops and restaurants. “There’s a café, Mom! Hooray! Oh, and an ice cream place! Even better!”
I smiled, but my stomach cramped again. It felt like I had never left.
The town hadn’t changed much. Still adorable with its colorful buildings and crooked streets. I caught glimpses of Long Island Sound as we drove, smelled garlic and seafood. Would Genevieve have dinner for us? Would she hug me? I swore if she made Riley feel one iota of shame, we’d be out of Connecticut forever.
Charles turned onto Bleak Point Road, where the most expensive houses in town sat like grand old ladies, weathered and gracious. All had names, which Riley read aloud as we passed.
“Thrush Hill. Summerly. Wisteria Cottage. Cliff View. Pop, we have to name our house when we get back!”
“Name it what? Crabgrass?” Pop asked.
“That’s kind of perfect, actually,” I murmured, having gone to war many times with weeds in our small yard.
“Oh, Sheerwater! We’re here!”
The iron gates (yes, gates) opened, and we turned onto the crushed shell drive. Sheerwater had ten acres of land, the very tip of Bleak Point, and it looked like a park, with beautifully gnarled dogwood trees on either side of the driveway, their intertwined branches making a tunnel of white blossoms. Spring was late this year.
We rounded the gentle curve, and my hands were sweating now.
“Holy guacamole,” my daughter breathed. “It’s even prettier than the pictures!” In the rearview mirror, I saw Charles smile. Beside me, Pop stiffened. He’d never been here, of course.
There it was—my grandmother’s twenty-room cottage, pristine and gracious and lit up like the fires of hell.

 

 

Kristan Higgins is the New York Times, USA TODAY, Wall Street Journal and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of 18 novels, which have been translated into more than two dozen languages and sold millions of copies worldwide. Her books have received dozens of awards and accolades, including starred reviews from Kirkus, The New York Journal of Books, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and Booklist. Her books regularly appear on the lists for best novels of the year. Kristan is also a cohost of the Crappy Friends podcast, which discusses the often complex dynamics of female friendships, with her friend and fellow writer, Joss Dey.

The proud descendant of a butcher and a laundress, Kristan lives in Connecticut with her heroic firefighter husband. They own several badly behaved pets and are often visited by their entertaining and long-lashed children.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

 

 

Kristan Higgins’s publisher is graciously offering a paper copy of GOOD LUCK WITH THAT to ONE lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe. Good Luck With That review

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

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

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

3. Please LIKE Kristan Higgins on Facebook

4. Please LIKE The Reading Cafe on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

5. LIKE The Reading Cafe on Twitter for an additional entry.

6. Please FOLLOW The Reading Cafe on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

7. Please follow The Reading Cafe on Tumblr

8. Giveaway open to USA only

9. Giveaway runs from August 6 – 11, 2019

 

 

Share

Summer on Moonlight Bay by Hope Ramsay-Review and Giveaway

Posted on by
31

Summer on Moonlight Bay by Hope Ramsay-Review and Giveaway

SUMMER ON MOONLIGHT BAY
Moonlight bay #2
by Hope Ramsay
Release date: August 6, 2019
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 6, 2019

Only one thing can make veterinarian Noah Cuthbert return to Magnolia Harbor-his mother’s failing health. He’ll do anything to help his family, including taking a short-term gig at the local animal clinic. What he doesn’t count on is getting up-close-and-personal with the clinic’s new manager, a woman whose love and compassion for every stray that crosses her path has him rethinking his plans to head back to his big-city life…

After her time in the Navy, Lia wants nothing more than to settle down. The quaint seaside town is just what she’d been hoping for, and not just because her new boss is movie-star handsome. As they grow closer, Lia starts wondering if Noah could be the one. But when a town crisis forces Noah to take a stand that jeopardizes their new-found happiness, can Lia convince him that home doesn’t have to be a four-letter word?

•••••••••

REVIEW: Summer on Moonlight Bay begins with Lia DiPalma finding herself lost on the outskirts of Magnolia Harbor. She is fresh out of the Navy and looking for a place to call home. After hearing so much about the place from her Commanding Officer, Chaplain Micah St. Pierre, she decided that she would head there to see about going to work for Micah, who has his own church now and is no longer in the Navy either. Lia spots a dog in the middle of the road that has been hit by a car and stops to check on him. She finds the dog needs help immediately and finally finds her way into town, only to find that the vet clinic isn’t open for business. She does, however, find that there is a nice lady there who has her bring the dog into the clinic to see what they can do for it.

Noah Cuthbert is bound and determined to get his mother to leave Magnolia Harbor and move in with him in Charleston. His mother has multiple sclerosis and he worries about her being able to care for herself. His little sister, Abby, is there, but he hopes that she will go to college in the fall. IF she does, it will leave his mother all along. His mother has other plans. The island has always been her home, and she’s not leaving. When his grandmother calls to tell him that there is an injured dog that has been brought into the clinic, he reluctantly heads out to check the pup out. The clinic is state of the art, thanks to a wealthy beneficiary, but doesn’t have a vet on staff. He knows his grandmother wants him to run the clinic, but the last place he wants to be is Magnolia Harbor. Little does Noah, nor Lia, know how much that fateful phone call will change not only their lives, but the lives of a lot of people in Magnolia Harbor.

Summer on Moonlight Bay is a wonderfully written story of redemption and second chances. Lia is someone who has been looking for forgiveness for things that were totally out of her control but is the type of person who takes everything on herself. Her mother was a wanderer and never settled down anywhere and Lia thought that’s how she would be as well. Noah has a lot of similar issues with his father. Not that his father was a wanderer, but he was hard on Noah and his family. Lia and Noah really do fight their attraction to each other, knowing that they both carry some emotional baggage that they need to deal with. Of course, misunderstandings happen along the way and a rush to judgement or two derails things for a minute. However, when the two of them come together to face their long held personal issues, you’ll not only cheer, but shed a tear or two. The secondary characters are very well written as well and leaves you wanting to be a part of the Magnolia Harbor community. This story leaves you with a smile in your heart and a pep in your step. I had no idea it was part of a series until I went to write this review, but this can totally be read as a stand alone. (I have gone and bought the first book in the series though!) This is the first I’ve read by Hope Ramsay, but will definitely not be the last. Well done, Hope Ramsay! Very, very well done!

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Vickie K

FOREVER Romance is offering a paper copy of  THE COTTAGE on ROSE LANE and SUMMER on MOONLIGHT BAY by Hope Ramsay  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. Please follow Hope Ramsay on Facebook.

4. Please follow FOREVER Romance on Facebook.

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

6. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

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

8. Please follow The Reading Cafe on Tumblr

9. Giveaway is open to USA & Canada only

10. Giveaway runs from August 5-9, 2019

Share

Spectre by Shiloh Walker-a review

Posted on by
10

SPECTRE by Shiloh Walker-a review

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 22, 2019

Myth. Monster. Mine.

Spectre

I wasn’t even a man when I took a life for the first time, although you couldn’t say I was a child. If I’d ever had a childhood, it hadn’t lasted long. My father, may he rot in hell, had seen to that. I took his life as well and that, too, happened before I was old enough to be considered a grown man.
I never regretted it for a second.

That path almost led to my own grave, and would have, if I hadn’t stumbled across somebody who was as different from my father as day was from night. Sarge had seen the monster lurking inside, so he took control, gave me guidelines, rules, so I wouldn’t be the monster my father had planned.

It worked. I restrained the worst of my rage and honed the skills that had been drilled into me—theft, stealth… assassination. The broken child ceased to exist and I became Spectre, an assassin spoken of in whispers, hired to take out the worst of humanity.

Then I was sent to kill her…and my world came to a screeching halt.

Tia

It’s taken a long time, but I finally had a nice, steady routine. I stopped trying to conform to the neurotypicals of the world and found my own normal.

Normal went out the window when I walked into my kitchen and found a strange (hot), dangerous looking (so fricking hot) man drugging my new dog.

It probably wasn’t the smartest thing to leap at him like a banshee and attack, but that’s what I did.

When my attempt to wreck the vehicle was averted, my kidnapper didn’t hurt or threaten me. In fact, he told me he wanted to protect me.

This (hot) guy had to be crazy. But if he was crazy, what did that make me? Because I believed him. More, I found myself seeing something beyond the rigid, blank mask he wore. He kept trying to push me away, but I couldn’t seem to keep my distance.

He calls himself a monster…but when I look at him, that isn’t what I see. I just see him…and I know he’s meant to be mine.

Warning: This isn’t a snuggly, comfy read. The male MC is a hired killer, while the heroine is neuro-atypical. Some dark material is involved—the hero kidnaps the heroine. There’s also violence when he goes on a rampage against those who put a contract on her. Also references of abuse (not against the heroine). Also very graphic, erotic scenes with minor bondage play.

•••••••••

REVIEW: SPECTRE by Shiloh Walker is a contemporary, adult, stand alone, dark erotic romance novel focusing on assassin for hire Meric aka Spectre aka Casper Bach, and artist Tia Bailey.

NOTE: There are some scenes of bondage, discipline and anal play that may not be suitable for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Tia and Spectre) SPECTRE follows Meric aka Spectre Bach as he is hired to kill the half-sister of the police detective who was responsible for the taking down a man responsible for a child prostitution ring but all things considered Spectre had no desire to assassinate the woman that would one day, call to his heart. Stalking Tia Bailey had been easy but meeting our heroine forced Spectre to re-evaluate his chosen profession as his heart battled with what he was paid to do. What ensues is a cross-country journey in an effort to keep our heroine safe; the building but tempestuous relationship between Tia and Spectre, and the potential fall-out as Spectre must fulfil a promise to himself, and take down the people who destroyed so many lives.

Tia Bailey has Asperger’s; a high functioning form of Autism wherein she has the tendency to speak her mind both in and out of social situations but our heroine finds herself falling for the man hired to kill, a killer she is quickly learning to call her own. Meric Bach aka Spectre’s earlier life destroyed any semblance of happiness or normality. Having never felt loved or cared for, Spectre spent his early years learning to kill in an effort to protect himself from grievous harm. Falling for Tia Bailey meant opening his heart and revealing his past, a past he believes will condemn him in the eyes of the woman he loves.

The relationship between Tia and Spectre begins acrimoniously when Spectre is hired to kill our heroine. Unable to murder an innocent woman, Spectre then abducts Tia Bailey, in an effort to protect her from those willing to destroy her brother in the process. A quick ‘Stockholm-esque’ Syndrome relationship quickly develops as Tia begins to consider a life on the run with the man with whom she will fall in love. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense but I struggle with the use of a certain four-letter word used liberally throughout the story.

We are introduced to Tia’s half-brother Detective Mac Bailey; Meric’s guardian Sarge, as well as friends Leo Wallace and hacker Theodosia

SPECTRE is a dark, gritty and emotional story line between two people whose lives could not have been any more different. The premise is engaging and enthralling: the characters are energetic, dynamic and colorful; the romance is raw, spicy and spirited.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Share

The Birthday Girl by Melissa De La Cruz – a Review

Posted on by
11

The Birthday Girl by Melissa De La Cruz – a Review

 

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / iTunes / Google Play / BAM / Book Depository

 

Description:
Ellie de Florent-Stinson is celebrating her fortieth birthday with a grand celebration in her fabulous house in Palm Springs.

At forty, it appears Ellie has everything she ever wanted: a handsome husband; an accomplished, college-age stepdaughter; a beautiful ten-year-old girl; two adorable and rambunctious six-year-old twin boys; lush, well-appointed homes in Los Angeles, Park City, and Palm Springs; a thriving career as a well-known fashion designer of casual women’s wear; and a glamorous circle of friends.

Except everything is not quite as perfect as it looks on the outside—Ellie is keeping many secrets. This isn’t the first of her birthday parties that hasn’t gone as planned. Something happened on the night of her sweet sixteenth. Something she’s tried hard to forget.

But hiding the skeletons of her past comes at a cost, and all of Ellie’s secrets come to light on the night of her fabulous birthday party in the desert—where everyone who matters in her life shows up, invited or not. Old and new, friends and frenemies, stepdaughters and business partners, ex-wives and ex-husbands congregate, and the glittering facade of her life crumbles in one eventful night.

 

 

Review:

The Birthday Girl by Melissa de la Cruz is a standalone suspense novel revolving around a woman celebrating her 40’th birthday, and another birthday celebration when she was 16 years old.  This is a story of secrets that come back to haunt her, as her life in the present slowly begins to crumble.

Ellie de Florent-Stinson, our heroine, is celebrating her fortieth birthday with an exclusive birthday party in her new house in Palm Springs.  Ellie invites everyone who is anyone to her party and is determined to make it perfect.  She seems to have it all, money, successful business, happy marriage, famous friends, glitzy life, but not is all as it seems. Things continually go wrong, such as the flowers wilting, her suspicion that her husband is having an affair, her step daughter has a secret and a major business deal could cause bankruptcy, etc.  Ellie also receives a text from someone in her past, which worries her, as this person says they will come to her party, and she does not recognize the number. Who is it?

We follow the two POV’s that continuously go back and forth between the present day birthday party and the same day (24 years ago) birthday celebration when she was a teenager.  In the past, the story revolves around two best friends, Leo and Mish, who not only are close, but have the same negative issues with their parent, especially the fathers.  Mish takes Leo out to meet friends to celebrate her birthday, and along the way they get drunk, try drugs, and crash another party.  All does not end well on this birthday party fun.  I will not give spoilers, so you will need to read this book to understand what happens on that day years before.  This is part of the surprise twist at the end, both in the past and present.

The Birthday Girl was well written by Melissa de la Cruz, but I did have some mixed feelings.  It was interesting, and kept my attention; but I frankly did not care for Ellie.  I found her to be not really likeable, self-centered and superficial. As for Leo and Mish, I did like their friendship, until jealousy changed everything.  The ending came out of nowhere, as well as a total surprise. Overall, The Birthday Girl was a good story.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

Share

A FIRE SPARKLING by Julianne MacLean-a review

Posted on by
10

A FIRE SPARKLING by Julianne MacLean- a review

 

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

FREE in Kindle Unlimited

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 1, 2019

After a crushing betrayal by the man she loves, Gillian Gibbons flees to her family home for a much-needed escape, but when she finds an old photograph of her grandmother in the arms of a Nazi officer, Gillian’s life gets even more complicated. Rattled by the discovery, Gillian attempts to unravel the truth behind the photos, setting her off on an epic journey through the past…

1939. England is on the brink of war as Vivian Hughes falls in love with a handsome British official, but when bombs begin to fall and Vivian’s happy life is destroyed in the blitz, she will do whatever it takes to protect those she loves…

As Gillian learns more about her grandmother’s past, the old photo begins to make more sense. But for every question answered, a new one takes its place. Faced with a truth that is not at all what she expected, Gillian attempts to shine a light not only on the mysteries of her family’s past but also on her own future.

This gorgeously written multigenerational saga is a heart-wrenching yet hopeful examination of one woman’s struggle to survive.

•••••••••••

REVIEW: A FIRE SPARKLING by Julianne MacLean is a story of fiction, of history, of one family’s ties to the past.

Told from third person (Vivian), and dual first person (Gillian and April) using present day (2011) and memories from the past (1939-1945) A FIRE SPARKLING focuses on the search for the truth. Gillian Gibbons life was upended when she discovered her boyfriend of several years with another woman on the night of his fiftieth birthday. Hoping to clear her head, Gillian heads home only to be met by her father with a WWII era picture of her beloved grandmother in the arms of a Nazi officer. Gillian and her father struggle to confront Gillian’s ninety-six year old grandmother in an effort to understand what it is they found. What ensues is the retelling, revelations and acceptance of one family’s history, a history that has been turned on its’ head as Gillian’s grandmother reveals the truth about the past.

A FIRE SPARKLING follows three generations as past sins are slowly revealed. The mother and grandmother they have come to know is so much more than the frail old woman that now struggles with her life. Vivian Hughes’ life reads like a Hollywood movie script but a script where one woman has lived and died in an effort to save the people she loves. From London, England, Bordeaux France, then to the USA, the Hughes/ Cooper/ Gibbons family history is awash in secrets, lies, betrayal and love.

The world building pulls the reader into two vastly different timelines: 2011, and WWII beginning in 1939 and ending a few days after the Nazi surrender to the Allied forces. A FIRE SPARKLING is a tale of love wrapped in an historical account of one woman’s adventures, struggles, and loss during the war to end all wars. We are witness to the devastation of London before and after the day known as Black Saturday; the blackouts and rationing; the loss of lives and loves; betrayal and hate. Friendships forged but not forgotten reveal more to the story than everyone knew.

A FIRE SPARKLING is an emotional story of conflict and war; of betrayal, family, acceptance and love. A character driven story set to the backdrop of WWII wherein history is rewritten by one family’s secrets, and lies perpetuated by desperation and love.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Share