Monthly Archives: May 2020

The Prince’s Highland Bride by Cathy & DD MacRae-Review & Giveaway

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The Prince’s Highland Bride (Hardy Heroines #6) by Cathy & DD MacRae-Review & Giveaway

ebook only 99¢ Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 10, 2020

Phillipe de Poitiers, a prince of Antioch, finds himself a breath away from wrongful execution. Risking everything, he leaves behind his crown, his family, his country-and a body sworn to be his by the Bishop, himself.Free of court intrigue and drawn to Scotland by memories of a woman who once possessed his heart, Phillipe sells his sword to pay for his travels and accepts the task of guarding the daughter of Laird MacLaren.When Maggie MacLaren’s abusive marriage fails, she want nothing more than to retire to her childhood home on the banks of Loch Lomond. Trouble follows her, putting her clan in danger, and she travels to the Isle of Hola, placing her safety in the hands of a mysterious mercenary with a haunted smile and a kind heart.

As Maggie and Phillipe struggle with their pasts, love blooms. But when a pirate’s treasure offers a seductive lure, will it free them-or prove the downfall of all they hold dear?Phillipe of Antioch, briefly king of Cilicia, would be remembered by the world as an arrogant, presumptuous man, poisoned two years after his marriage to the queen of Cilicia, accused of crimes against his adopted country. This re-imagined telling of Phillipe’s life, one of court intrigue, distrust, and the lust for power, shines a different light (and ending) on the tale.

••••••••••

REVIEW:THE PRINCE’S HIGHLAND BRIDE is the sixth instalment in the adult, historical, HARDY HEROINES Highland romance series co-authored by Cathy and DD MacRae. This is Prince Phillipe de Poitiers, and Maggie MacLaren’s story line. THE PRINCE’S HIGHLAND BRIDE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

SOME BACKGROUND: THE PRINCE’S HIGHLAND BRIDE begins in 1224AD and focuses on some of the true events of thirteenth century prince of Antioch, Phillipe de Poitiers, a man whose reputation, and unfortunate politics ended his life in the dungeons of Cis Castle but Cathy and DD MacRae have chosen to write a “what if” storyline wherein the fictional Phillipe de Poitiers, escapes and eventually falls in love.

Told from several third person perspectives including Maggie and Phillipe THE PRINCE’S HIGHLAND BRIDE follows the building relationship between Prince Phillipe de Poitiers, and Maggie MacLaren. An unfortunate turn of events, and battle for power, lands our hero behind bars where he will soon discover he has been marked for termination. With the help of someone he knows, Phillipe will escape finding himself at sea as a mercenary soldier guarding Maggie MacLaren, a woman whose former husband disposed of our heroine when she was unable to conceive following twelve months of marriage. With her dowry no longer a viable option, Maggie is given the rights to a rocky isle where she is determined to spend to the rest of her life. As Maggie, Phillipe and their intrepid crew head to the Isle of Hola, a small island whose current residents are descended from the historical Norse, the island will reveal its secrets, secrets that are about to make the islanders and their land targets of pirates and the greedy few. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Phillipe and Maggie, and the potential fall-out as Maggie, Phillipe and the residents of the Isle of Hola must take a stand to defend the land and people they love.

THE PRINCE’S HIGHLAND BRIDE is a detailed and intricate story of history reimagined; a colorful and captivating tale of family, friendship, relationships and love. The world building is intricate; the premise is engaging; the characters are energetic and charismatic. THE PRINCE’S HIGHLAND BRIDE is a wonderful addition to the Hardy Heroines series.

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

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 & DD MacRae are graciously offering an ebook copy of THE PRINCE’S HIGHLAND BRIDE to ONE (1) lucky commenter  and a $10 Amazon Gift card (US only) to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe. 

There will be 2 winners.

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.

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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 PRINCE’S HIGHLAND BRIDE to your GOODREADS mountain.

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

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8. ebook giveaway is open internationally: $10 Amazon Gift Card is open to US residents only. There will be 2 winners.

9. Giveaway runs from May 17-22, 2020

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I’d Give Anything by Marisa de los Santos-a review

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I’d Give Anything by Marisa de los Santos-a review

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 12, 2020

Ginny Beale is eighteen, irreverent, funny, and brave, with a brother she adores and a circle of friends for whom she would do anything. Because of one terrible night, she loses them all—and her adventurous spirit—seemingly forever. While the town cheers on the high school football team, someone sets the school’s auditorium ablaze. Ginny’s best friend Gray Marsden’s father, a fire fighter, dies in the blaze.

While many in the town believe Daniel York, a notoriously troubled local teen, set the fire, Ginny makes a shattering discovery that casts blame on the person she trusts most in the world. Ginny tells no one, but the secret isolates her, looming between her and her friends and ruining their friendship.

Over the next two decades, Ginny puts aside her wanderlust and her dreams. Moving back to her hometown, she distances herself from the past and from nearly everyone in it. She marries a quiet man, raises their daughter, Avery, and cares for her tyrannical, ailing mother, Adela. But when Ginny’s husband, Harris, becomes embroiled in a scandal, Ginny’s carefully controlled life crumbles, and, just when she believes she is regaining her bearings, the secret she’s kept for twenty years emerges and threatens to destroy her hopes for the future.

With the help of fifteen-year-old Avery and of friends both old and new, Ginny must summon the courage to confront old lies and hard truths and to free herself and the people she loves from the mistakes and regrets that have burdened them for so long.

••••••

REVIEW: I’d Give Anything starts off with an entry from Ginny Beale’s journal from 1997 about her and her best friends, Kirsten, CJ and Gray: the forever four. The passage shows how the group of kids were living their lives and how close they were. She and Gray were a couple and things were easy for them all. Or, as easy as things could be for kids in high school, until Gray makes a surprise admission which changes his life forever and directly impact’s Ginny’s.

However, one night, after a football game, a fire was set in the school’s auditorium and Gray’s father was killed in the blaze. Once Ginny makes it home, she overhears a conversation between her brother and her hard-lined mother that changes everything for Ginny.

Twenty years later, Ginny is at the grocery store where she encounters one of her husband’s co-workers and discovers that her husband has been fired due to some kind of scandal. Ginny is not convinced at first. But, when she confronts her husband about the supposed scandal, her world crumbles once again. She visits her mother, Adela, who is a fixer of sorts and also has cancer. She’s high-profile and even though Ginny doesn’t always agree with the things Adela has done, she knows that she has to talk to someone. When Adela starts strategizing out loud, Ginny puts a stop to it. Even though Ginny worries about her daughter Avery having to deal with the scandal, Adela’s plan does not set well with her.

Ginny is still best friends with Kirsten and eventually tells her what’s going on. As Ginny navigates her new reality, Kirsten asks her to host an engagement party for her and her fiancé. The only drawback is that she wants CJ and Gray there as well, whom Ginny hasn’t talked to in almost twenty years. Kirsten also wants Ginny’s brother there. Even though the two of them have been somewhat estranged for years, Ginny gives in as she will do anything for Kirsten and the party planning begins.

In the meantime, Ginny has made a couple of new friends at the dog park and has become close to Daniel. The two of them finally admit their attraction to each other and Ginny invites him to the party. He politely declines, but does offer to come over afterwards to help clean up.

They have the party and even though Ginny is a little uncomfortable, she does enjoy herself just like everyone else. When the party ends, Daniel and Ginny are cleaning up. Someone knocks on the door and Ginny sees it’s her brother. She lets him in and when Daniel enters the same room, her brother is not happy and Daniel leaves. When she and her brother talk, she finds out that everything she thought was true was the farthest thing from the truth. And, once she delves into what DID happen, to say their worlds are rocked would be an understatement.

I’d Give Anything is a brilliantly written book, although I have to be honest. I had a hard time with the first few chapters and thought about stopping. I’m so glad I didn’t. Once you get used to the journal passages from the past and then reading the story unfolding in the present, it all comes together so well. The characters are well written and the world building is phenomenal. The story pulls you in and doesn’t let go. I’d Give Anything is ultimately a story of facing one’s past in order to face your future. There are twists that bring old friends back together and tear others apart. It’s a very emotional read and I couldn’t read it fast enough. This is the first I’ve read by this author, but it will not be the last. Well done, Marisa de los Santos! Very, very well done!!

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Vickie K

FOLLOW:  Goodreads / Facebook / Amazon Author page /

Marisa de los Santos is the New York Times bestselling author of LOVE WALKED IN, BELONG TO ME, FALLING TOGETHER, THE PRECIOUS ONE, and her newest novel, which continues with characters from the first two, I’LL BE YOUR BLUE SKY.

Marisa has also co-authored, with her husband David Teague, two novels for middle grade readers: SAVING LUCAS BIGGS and CONNECT THE STARS.

Marisa and David live in Wilmington, Delaware with their two children, Charles and Annabel, and their Yorkies, Finny and Huxley. Marisa is currently at work on her sixth novel for adults, I’D GIVE ANYTHING.

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Tony / Alonzo (Bossy Brothers 6 & 5) by JA Huss-Review tour

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Tony / Alonzo (Bossy Brothers #6 & 5) by JA Huss-Review tour

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 Date May 12, 2020

Belinda Baker and I were not made for each other.

We are not soul mates, or lovers, or even frenemies.

She is the one who needed to get away.

What we had together wasn’t blind love, it was sick rage.

We were a match made in hell, it was hate at first sight, and when she walked away from me and never looked back—it was a relief.

It was bliss.

So why did I travel two thousand miles so I could be near her?

Why can’t I stop thinking about this girl I never want to see again?

Why. Am I. Here?

And what do I have to do to make her disappear for good?

Bossy Brothers: Tony features two girls falling for the wrong men and two men falling for the right girls. A family of tatted up brothers and a town filled with secrets and danger. A story of earned chances and first dates. Of coming to terms with the past and finding a way into the future. It is book six in the Bossy Brothers series and should be read after book five, Bossy Brothers: Alonzo.

••••••••••

REVIEW: TONY is the sixth instalment in J.A. Huss’ contemporary, adult BOSSY BROTHERS erotic, romantic suspense series. This is Tony Dumas, Belinda Baker, Vann Vaughn and Soshee Ameci’s story line. TONY should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up after the events of book five ALONZO, and makes references to several other events in other series.

NOTE: TONY and the Bossy Brothers series is interconnected with, and makes references to several events in the previous story lines, and from the author’s other numerous series including the Rook and Ronin Series: The Company Series : Meet Me in the Dark: Three, Two, One: Wasted Lust: the Mister Series- all with connections to the author’s new Creeping Beautiful series.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Tony and Belinda) TONY follows several pathways but focuses on the unfinished ‘business’ between Tony Dumas and Rosalie Thompson. Eight years earlier, Rosalie Thompson, now known as Belinda Baker witnessed something she should not have seen in Key West, Florida, and found herself in Fort Collins, Colorado, a town whose numerous residents are currently in the American WITSEC program but eight years never stopped the hate and vitriol between Rosalie Thompson, and Tony Dumas. Rosalie aka Belinda’s return home (ALONZO #5) to Key West, Florida brought back too many memories and the anger between Tony and Rosalie, and when Rosalie (now Belinda) headed back to Fort Collins, Tony found himself sent on a mission to discover the who and what of the town where Belinda now resides. But all does not go according to plan as Tony and Rosalie’s tempestuous, hate filled relationship pulls in many of the locals, including Vann Vaughn and Soshee Ameci. As Belinda and Tony continue their heart breaking and hostile battle of malevolence and animosity, Fort Collins’ begins to reveal a few secrets of its’ own, secrets that are going to directly affect everyone involved.

TONY is an unconventional and atypical story of romance and love; a story of hostility and pain between Tony Dumas and Belinda Baker; of the developing relationships between Vann and Belinda, and Soshee and Tony. Rosalie aka Belinda is unable to forgive Tony for sins of the past, and Tony struggles with the real reason he has returned to confront the woman he once knew as Rosalie Thompson. Tony and Belinda will find love and their own happily ever after, but not with one another.

J.A. Huss pens an original story and series of secrets, lies, mystery and betrayal. The interconnected premises reveal some of the classified information, the skeletons, and the networks and relationships that will directly affect the story lines going forward including the author’s new Creeping Beautiful series. So it is with this knowledge, you have been forewarned, that all is not as it has appeared to be, or will be in the future.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

__________

ALONZO

(Bossy Brothers #5)
by JA Huss
Release Date: January 13, 2020
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romantic, suspense

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 13, 2020

Bossy Brothers: Alonzo is an enemies-to-lovers trope that can be read as book five or as a standalone story.

ALONZO
Tara Tanner and I are not a couple.
We don’t do real life. We don’t do real numbers. We don’t do real names.
We do phone sex, and text sex, and email sex.
Everything about our ‘relationship’ is a lie.
You call it catfishing, I call it being careful. And I do not feel bad about it. Because my life is an ocean of secrets that could all wash ashore if I’m not careful.

TARA
Alonzo Dumas is the King of Catfishermen.
Oh, yes. I know who he really is.
But he has no idea who I am.
I feed on secrets. They’re my lifeblood. He has no idea that I’ve been stringing him along, casting him a line of lies like bait, and now I’ve got him on my hook.
Watch out, Alonzo Dumas. Because I’m about to reel you in.

••••••••

REVIEW: ALONZO is the fifth instalment in J.A. Huss’ contemporary, adult BOSSY erotic, romance series. This is Alonzo ‘Lonnie Derringer’ Dumas, and Phoebe ‘Tara Tanner’ Covington’s story line. ALONZO can be read as a stand alone but I recommend reading the series in order for back story and cohesion.

NOTE: I have not read any of the previous story lines, and I felt a little lost going into this particle arc of the series.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Lonnie and Tara) ALONZO follows the enemies to lovers/ relationship of lies between Alonzo ‘Lonnie Derringer’ Dumas, and Phoebe ‘Tara Tanner’ Covington. Alonzo Dumas had been catfishing Phoebe Covington for close to two years but to both of their shock, anger and total surprise Lonnie Derringer and Tara Tanner did not exist. Phoebe Covington has been in hiding for close to two years, and meeting Lonnie Derringer online gave Phoebe something to look forward to but Phoebe’s life is about to spiral out of control, and along with her best friend Belinda (aka Rosalie) and her co-worker Vann, the trio head to Key West, Florida where Phoebe aka Tara’s life will take an ominous turn. What ensues is the building relationship between Tara and Lonnie, and the fall-out when secrets and lies, and a case of mistaken beliefs forces Tara to reconsider everything she thought was the truth, and is now a lie.

The relationship between Tara and Lonnie is predicated upon numerous lies. A two year, long distance online romance involving sexting and phone-sex begins to dissolve when our couple is hoping for something more but something more means revealing themselves to one another, a reveal that comes with heart break and pain. The $ex scenes are erotic, intimate and intense.

ALONZO is a story of secrets and lies. Both Lonnie and Tara are not whom they present themselves to be, and their equally questionable stories will eventually back fire when the truth is revealed. While Alonzo is reluctant to reveal the truth and the depths to which his secret entails, Phoebe aka Tara, is under the mistaken belief that Alonzo is involved in something seedy and dark. The slow building premise is engaging and entertaining (once you get past the long-distance, online, somewhat tedious, affair); the romance is provocative and dirty. Most of the secondary and supporting characters have been introduced in the previous story lines including Johnny, Joey and Jesse Boston.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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J.A. Huss never wanted to be a writer and she still dreams of that elusive career as an astronaut. She originally went to school to become an equine veterinarian but soon figured out they keep horrible hours and decided to go to grad school instead. That Ph.D wasn’t all it was cracked up to be (and she really sucked at the whole scientist thing), so she dropped out and got a M.S. in forensic toxicology just to get the whole thing over with as soon as possible.

After graduation she got a job with the state of Colorado as their one and only hog farm inspector and spent her days wandering the Eastern Plains shooting the shit with farmers. After a few years of that, she got bored. And since she was a homeschool mom and actually does love science, she decided to write science textbooks and make online classes for other homeschool moms. She wrote more than two hundred of those workbooks and was the number one publisher at the online homeschool store many times, but eventually she covered every science topic she could think of and ran out of shit to say.

So in 2012 she decided to write fiction instead. That year she released her first three books and started a career that would make her a New York Times bestseller and land her on the USA Today Bestseller’s List eighteen times in the next three years. Her books have sold millions of copies all over the world, the audio version of her semi-autobiographical book, Eighteen, was nominated for a Voice Arts Award and an Audie award in 2016 and 2017 respectively, her audiobook Mr. Perfect was nominated for a Voice Arts Award in 2017, and her book, Taking Turns, was nominated for an Audie Award in 2018. Johnathan McClain is her first (and only) writing partner and even though they are worlds apart in just about every way imaginable, it works.

She lives on a ranch in Central Colorado with her family.

WARNING: The excerpt is intended for mature readers 18+ due to strong language and content

 

 

“Jesus fucking Christ, Belinda!”
“What?”
“Are you blind? Or deaf? Or dumb? Or what?”
I just stare at him.
Vann takes a step forward, forcing me to take a step back too. And my step is actually a step up. He points his finger at me. I swat it away.
“I’m gonna say this once, OK? Just once.”
“Say whatever the fuck you want. I don’t care what you do.”
He climbs one step. And so do I. “I like you,” he says, climbing another step. So I climb another step. “I like your filthy mouth, Belinda Baker. I like your stupid cowboy boots. I like your pink hair.” He keeps climbing the steps, so I have to keep climbing the steps. “I like the way you road-trip.”
“What?” I’m so confused.
He’s still climbing the steps and now my back is against my front door. “I like the way you wear that glitter shit on your eyelids in the summer. And the way you wear fingerless gloves in the winter even though you complain, every single day, that your fucking hands are cold. I like the way your hair smells when you show up for work and it’s still wet. I like the way you spin on your stupid stool in front of the shop cash register and glare at the giggly sorority girls like you can’t wait for them to wake up sober tomorrow and realize they just paid a hundred bucks for a My Little Mermaid tramp stamp. I like the way you bite your lip when you’re tattooing and the way you always have a smear of ink on the side of your face by the time you’re done.”
I reach up to touch my face.
“Yes, you have ink there, right now. And I love that. Because you don’t even care enough to check the mirror after you’re done with a client to notice that you always have ink smeared on your fucking face after you tattoo someone. I like the way you kick at stones when you walk down the street like you’re some troubled teen with pregnancy issues.”
“What?” I laugh.
“I like the way you bitch, and moan, and complain that no one takes you seriously. In fact, I love that no one takes you seriously, because then they’d figure out just how awesome you are, and I’m afraid you’ll actually find someone else before I can convince you that I am good for you. I want to date you, Belinda Baker. And you know what really pissed me off tonight?”
He pauses.
I become uneasy. “Am I supposed to guess?”
“I’m not mad that you fucked Tony in the alley. OK? That’s not it. I’m angry that you gave him the chance that I deserve.”
My stomach… falls. I don’t know of any other way to describe the feeling I get when I internalize those last few words of his. Except… falling. Like the world has just been yanked out from under me. Like I’m adrift in a sea of mistakes.
Because he’s absolutely right.
“Vann—”
“No,” he says, still seething. “No.” He holds up one finger. “I’m not done. You don’t get to talk yet. I’ve been holding this in all fucking night while you laughed and joked with my goddamned brother and his stupid yoked-out army friend. Who, by the way, was leering at you the entire time.”
“He was not!”
“He so was!”
“He was lying face down, Vann!”
“I just want to say this.” He pauses again and his chest is rising and falling very quickly, like he’s really upset. And his lips are falling into a deep frown. And his face is becoming flushed with heat. “I have earned my chance, Belinda. I didn’t become your friend because I wanted to get in your pants. I didn’t get you the apprentice job because I thought we’d be good together. I didn’t drive you and Tara two thousand miles to Key West because I thought maybe you’d finally see me for what I am. I did all those things because I like you. With no expectations whatsoever. I did all those things because I enjoy you. And when we’re together, life is fun. Even when we’re running from guys called Diablo, and smuggling people on boats, and especially when we’re just hanging out doing nothing. Saying nothing. That’s my favorite time with you. Because we’re at that place now. That place where we’re comfortable. And I keep waiting for you to see how good we are. And you just”—he shakes his head—“refuse! You just refuse to even consider me. But this asshole Tony Dumas shows up out of nowhere and you give him all the considerations. You say you don’t like him—”
“I don’t!”
“You say that, but then why, Belinda? Why do you give him all the chances he hasn’t earned?”


 

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The Anti-Hero Chronicles 1-3 by Mika Lane-Review tour

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The Anti-Hero Chronicles 1-3 by Mika Lane-Review tour

DIRTY GAME
The Anti-Hero Chronicles #1
by Mika Lane
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic,mafia, romance

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 8, 2019

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

“Break her in. Get her ready. I’m serious.”
He pulled the door closed, and not a moment too soon. I was going to wring his neck, even if he was my brother.

It was no accident that Echo Duncan was spared our violent shoot out.
For that, she’s indebted to my twin brother and me, kings of the Vegas underground.
And we always get what we’re owed.
She can resist, but in the end she’ll play The Game.
No one walks away from us,
and our Dirty Game.
It’s time to play…

This hot, over-the-top romance includes sexy mafia hitmen with a penchant for pursuing and protecting the women who give them a run for their money. If you love outrageously naughty stories as a way to indulge your not-so-secret bad girl side, this is for you.

••••••••

REVIEW:Hot Hot Hot! This is the one word that keeps coming to mind when I think about this book. This was my first journey into the world of Mika Lane and Lordy B what an experience it was. The first in The Anti-Hero Chronicles, Dirty Game is a mafia romance that everyone will want to roll the dice on.

Kings of the Vegas underground meet good girl Echo and the Dirty Game begins.
Luca and Leo Borroni are twin brothers, but more than that, they are mafia brothers. The brothers have been regulars at the strip club known as the Loaded Dice for some time, but the owner of said club has managed to rub them the wrong one for the final time, and now he must pay the price.

Echo Duncan, the girl who always seemed to get dumped on finally builds up enough courage to leave her rag tag life in West Virginia and start anew in Las Vegas. Leaving her beloved sister in the hands of their crappy drunken mother was one of the hardest things she had ever done, but Echo knew in order to get her out of their and to Vegas with her, she needed a job and money.

One moment Echo’s life was blissfully normal, then the next she’s being “saved” by the Borroni brothers. Luca has had his eye on Echo from the moment he saw her, now after bringing her back to their place after the drama at Loaded Dice, the real game can begin.

Once safely tucked away in their place, Echo is asked to play a game by the brothers while they protect her from not only the fallout from the shooting, but also the other mob families. This game is one that will change her life forever, but one that also makes her blood run hotter and hotter.

I don’t want to share too much, this story is fast pace and packed with action, drama and sexy moments that are sure to stir the blood. I will say, I was surprised by the ending as I’m sure many will be, but it’s awesome non the less. Bring on the next book!

____________

NASTY BET
The Anti-Hero Chronicles #2
by Mika Lane
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic,mafia, romance

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 20, 2020

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

The things they made me do…
I’m not perfect. In fact, I might have a little problem.
And it might involve breaking the law.
When mob boss Leo Borroni and his buddies catch me in the act, well, I’m pretty much screwed.
They take bets on how far I’ll go to get out of the mess I’m in.
And the winner?
Looks like he gets…
ME.

••••••••

REVIEW:Nasty Bet is the second in The Anti-Hero Chronicles by Mika Lane and focuses on Leo Borroni from the first book in the series. This is a sinfully sexy read with an over the top alpha male and quirky, but strong young woman.

Leo has left the high rolling life of Las Vegas for the towering skyscrapers of New York City. He still playing different games with different woman, but this time he has made a nasty bet with one woman that may just give him a run for his money.

Maray is a strong, young college student trying her best to not mess her life up. After landing her scholarship and a ticket into a sorority house, all Maray needs now is to not fail her classes and too get a part-time job for some extra monies. Leo, like the man he is uses Maray’s situation against her, and the next thing she knows she’s in a world she is unfamiliar with.

Now, first thing first. Leo came off as such a major ass when I started this book, while reading he did indeed get better, but I was surprised at how annoyed I was at him when I first started. Maray is strong minded and willing to work her booty off for what she wants, but she knows she doesn’t fit in in sorority house life. I love her character and what she goes through in this book to find out what she truly wants.

The attraction between these two is steaming, a build up of emotions and their attraction grows. When danger comes calling Maray is thrust into the middle of it, can Leo make the choice? What is more important, Maray or his business?

________

FILTHY DEAL
The Anti-Hero Chronicles #3
by Mika Lane
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic,mafia, romance

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 5, 2020

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You’re a murderer and a car thief, not to mention a kidnapper. And now you’re forcing me to kiss you.

Rain saw something she should not have. That happens when you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time. And when you meet the wrong man—me.
Her sister’s gone now, and her own life is in danger.
Not my problem I say…
But she was so… different.
So I made a deal to help.
And my deal was just as filthy as you’d think.

•••••••••

REVIEW:Book three of The Anti-Hero Chronicles series by Mika Lane and this one is my favorite!

Rain is on a vacation to the Sin City, Las Vegas with her little sister. After getting kick out of her room so her sister could enjoy a little hook up with their Uber driver, Rain is in need of a good nights rest and a little TLC. Neither happen when her sister Mazzy needs just a little more time with her latest booty call. After heading back down to the Casino, Rain is met by two men, one skeezy and one she can’t take her eyes off. After a drink or two, the night takes a turn that Rain was not expecting. After seeing something she was not meant to, danger lurks around every corner.

When her sister is kidnapped by human traffickers, Rain has one person to turn to.

Nico.

The very same Nico that Rain watched do something unimaginable, but the one man she knows that seems to have the connections to help her get her sister back. In order to do that though, he offers her up a deal. A filthy deal that she takes, after all, she wants her sister back and Nico isn’t hard on the eyes.

Nico life revolves around his two best friends, his family and their business. A second generation mafia bad boy, Nico knows the life and has been burned by it before. His attraction to Rain is like a smoldering fire, it burns slow but oh so hot. When he makes the deal to help Rain find her sister, he does it to cover his own ass, but soon that turns into more. Soon he is aching for her touch and willing to do anything to keep her safe.

This one has it all, action, danger, intense drama, sexy moments and even a little bit of kink. The chemistry and connection between the two main characters is scorching hot, the story line is smooth and inviting to read. I really enjoyed reading this and can’t wait to see what comes next!

Copies supplied for review

Reviewed by Sarah L

 

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Writing has been a passion of mine since, well, forever (my first book was “The Day I Ate the Milkyway,” a true fourth-grade masterpiece). These days, steamy romance, both dark and funny, gives purpose to my days and nights as I create worlds and characters who defy the imagination. I live in magical Northern California with my own handsome alpha dude, sometimes known as Mr. Mika Lane, and an evil cat named Bill. These two males also defy my imagination from time to time.

A lover of shiny things, I’ve been known to try to new recipes on unsuspecting friends, find hiding places so I can read undisturbed, and spend my last dollar on a plane ticket somewhere.

I have several titles for you to choose from including perennially favorite Billionaire and Reverse Harem stories. And have you see my Player Series about male escorts who make the ladies of Hollywood curl their toes and forget their names? Hottttt…. And my brand new anti-hero/mafia books are coming out in audio as I write this.

Exciting news: in June 2020, I will be publishing with Vi Keeland’s and Penelope Ward’s Cocky Hero Club as one of their contributing authors. Stay tuned for more on this or follow my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mikalaneauthor. And, as if that’s not cool enough, I am also writing in K. Bromberg’s Everyday Heros world. Look for that later in the year.

I’ll always promise you a hot, sexy romp with kick-ass but imperfect heroines, and some version of a modern-day happily ever after.

I LOVE to hear from readers when I’m not dreaming up naughty tales to share. Join my Insider Group so we can get to know each other better http://mikalane.com/join-mailing-list, or contact me here: https://mikalane.com/contact.

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Boomer (Ruthless Kings MC #2) by KL Savage-Review & Giveaway tour

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Boomer (Ruthless Kings MC #2) by KL Savage-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 1, 2020

I left my life behind me.

My sister.

My MC.

I need room to breathe and room to think, to make my own choices and to own my mistakes.

Bitterness and anger cloud my judgment when it comes to the MC. What is so great about them that I can’t have on the outside? What is so great about the patch?

Death?

Blood?

Fear?

That is all I’ve experienced with the club.

I hated to leave my sister. She’s the only reason I stayed as long as I did.

But it’s time for something new.

And yet, I find myself searching for trouble, wanting—needing to be someone’s savior.I have the best poker face, but when I lay down my winning hand and they shove a girl at me, bound and scared, for my prize, I knowI’ve landed in the middle of something bigger than me.The girl? Scarlett Rose.

My reason for being.

My clarity.

I just have to prove it to her.

She needs protection, and I’ll die before they hurt her again.

•••••••

REVIEW:BOOMER is the second instalment in KL Savage’s contemporary, adult RUTHLESS KINGS MC erotic, MC romance series focusing on the Ruthless Kings MC. This is twenty year old, Ruthless Kings MC member Jenkins aka ‘Boomer’, and Scarlett Rose ’s story line. BOOMER can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but I recommend reading book one REAPER for back story and cohesion.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be some triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Boomer and Scarlett) BOOMER follows in the aftermath of Boomer’s struggle to fit into the MC. Years after his father was killed, our hero continued to battle the demons from his past. Unable to accept that he is worthy of the friendship and love of the Ruthless Kings MC, Boomer walks away, leaving the Vegas chapter behind, landing himself in Atlantic City, New Jersey but all does not go according to plan when Boomer finds himself pulled back into the lifestyle when he discovers a battered and bruised young woman who reveals there are more women held captive at the local club. Enter Scarlett Rose, the woman with whom Boomer will fall in love. What ensues is the rescue and building relationship between Scarlett and Boomer, and the potential fall-out when Scarlett discovers the truth about Boomer and his connections to the Ruthless Kings MC.

The Atlantic City chapter of the Ruthless Kings MC is dirty and dangerous, using young women as a fodder in their attempts to control the local city but Boomer wants to stop the New Jersey chapter, and finds himself face to face with the man who once raised him, in an effort to prove he is worthy of love. Calling in help from the MC back home, Boomer discovers that the love of his family is what will help with his spiral out of control. With a number of young women still under lock and chain, Reaper sets a plan into motion to take down the local MC. Scarlett had no idea what had happened to her life, and the fall-out as the Ruthless Kings slowly destroyed her spirit and her soul. Meeting her would-be rescuer in the guise of Boomer, Scarlett believes she has traded one captor for another until the truth is finally revealed.

The relationship between Boomer and Scarlett is quick to develop. Boomer believes Scarlett to be the ‘one’; the woman to control the demons that continue to ride him fast and hard. Within a few minutes of meeting our story line heroine, Boomer knows Scarlett to be his happily ever after. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense.

Several of the Las Vegas Ruthless MC members including President Reaper, VP Tool, Tongue, Poodle, Knives, Bullseye, and Badge. We are introduced to a few of the captive women: Abigale, Melissa, Joanna and Mary some of the members of the Atlantic City MC-Wolf, who helps in the rescue of our story line heroine; their president Venom, as well as Kansas, One-Eye and Arrow. There may be something developing between Poodle and Melissa.

BOOMER is a story of struggle, mental illness, family and love. The premise is engaging, raw and gritty; the romance is steamy and seductive; the characters are energetic, charismatic, dangerous and some-times…fun.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Reaper’s Rise
Reaper

Haven’t started the series? Reaper’s Rise  is FREE on bookfunnel! https://dl.bookfunnel.com/jfu1awvtis

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

NOTE: The excerpt is intended for mature readers 18+ due to strong language and content

“Boomer,” she says again. “My Boom,” Scarlett mumbles, trying to bury her face in my chest again. My heart trips and falls over itself, and a small piece of my darkness turns to light. The constant intrusive thoughts slow and come to a stop.

Clarity. I’m not sure how long it will last, but however long I have, I want to spend it holding the woman I’m falling quickly in love with.

Her Boom.

I like that. I want to be her everything.

“What are you doing to me, Scarlett?” I whisper over the top of her head, running my fingers through the raven black hair. She’s so perfect, everything I’ve ever dreamed of. It’s like someone reached into my head and plucked her from my imagination, then sculpted and carved her out of the finest silk just for me.

Scarlett is a gift, a fucking present, but for what? I don’t deserve to unwrap her, to smile when she bears herself to me when the time is right.

K.L. Savage decided they were tired of looking for the kind of books they wanted to read. They had an itch that needed to be scratched, and as every girl knows, nothing scratches better than an alpha.

They write about gritty, alpha males, sometimes their dark sides, and the women they love.
If you have the same itch, their alpha males should fix that.
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Heired Lines by Magan Vernon – a Review

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Heired Lines by Magan Vernon – a Review

 

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Description:
Sometimes, you’ve got to take a job with the devil to pay the bills…

Too bad I learned too late the devil wears Armani, is the most uptight man in the history of history, and I just signed an unbreakable contract shackling me to his pompous royal side for the summer.

But God, he’s got this British accent that makes my panties melt.

Until the words he says catch up with my brain and make me want to throw one of his precious vases at his head.

One minute we’re fighting—and the next—we can’t keep our hands off each other. Because somehow, when Mr. Blue Eyes is kissing me, he makes me forget how much he annoys me.

And that starts a whole new level of complications I. Don’t. Need.

Cuz if you dance with the devil, someone’s gonna end up getting burned…

 

 

 

Review:

Debt makes for interesting bedfellows…or makes fools of us all?  Many adages can apply here, as long as they’re centered around love.  Master’s of History in hand, Natalie accepts the offer of Gavin, an English nobleman, to curate precious antiquities of a manor he just inherited. Heired Lines by Magan Vernon is a playful romp about two opposites resistant to cross lines.

The physical attraction was probably instantaneous, if Natalie and Gavin fumbling to set firm business lines following the impromptu job offer is any indication.  Flying from North Carolina to England was a harried decision; one Natalie didn’t make lightly due to her mother’s cancer and mounting hospital bills.  Despite the desperate decision, Natalie finds the research job exhilarating as its steeped in her academic heart.  Enter Gavin, the unexpected passion!  His stoic, reserved charm has set Natalie aflame, and in turn forced Gavin to stay within the parameters of propriety (lest he rile his exacting mother and upend all he’s been primed to uphold).  Gavin acquired her expertise in a professional capacity to adhere to the conditions of the historical society.  What he didn’t anticipate in Natalie was the breath of fresh air, a real contemplation of joy outside royal obligations.  A life-altering conundrum indeed.

“Sometimes you’ve got to take a job with the devil to pay your bills…” I enjoyed this lighthearted book, but its synopsis is rather misleading.  Gavin was pompous, but hardly untoward or dastardly as the moniker implies.  Natalie was a horndog or at the very least, reciprocated Gavin’s sexy musings. ;D  I appreciate the breaking of walls between traditional roles of employer-employee, but pinning Gallagher and Monty Python in the age old whose country produces funnier comedians was painfully cliche.  It’s a sweet read, but 70% into the book and only one peck does not a salacious story make. 

Will Gavin succumb to the pressures of nobility to maintain status quo or forge a new success of Happily Ever After with Natalie? 

Reviewed by Carmen

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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FORKING AROUND (Hot Cakes #2) by Erin Nicholas-review tour

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FORKING AROUND (Hot Cakes #2) by Erin Nicholas-review tour

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Add FORKING AROUND to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2Up4G6c

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 12, 2020.

A Cinderella story with a hot boss so charming even a fairy godmother couldn’t do better.

Everyone thinks Dax Marshall is a prince of a guy. And he’s definitely charming.

But Jane has enough going on without adding a torrid fling with the boss to her life. Between her father’s illness, her wicked-ish stepmother, her little sister’s teenage drama, and the co-workers who depend on her—she can’t handle another mess.

No matter how tempting and gorgeous the mess may be. Or how messy he wants to get with her.

Dax has spent his life being very serious about only one thing: proving you can be successful while still having a helluva good time. But he’s just met the one woman who might break his I-can-charm-anyone streak. She’s actually taking him seriously…and she seriously thinks they have nothing in common and can’t be together.

Maybe he’s the one who needs a new view of happily ever after. It’s time to stop forking around.

••••••••

REVIEW FORKING AROUND is the second instalment in Erin Nicholas contemporary, adult HOT CAKES erotic, romance series focusing on the new owners and investors in the Hot Cakes snack company in Appleby, Iowa (Aiden, Dax, Cam, Ollie and Grant). This is co-owner Dax Marshall, and company employee Jane Kempers story line. FORKING AROUND can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

SOME BACKGROUND: Several months earlier, business partners Aiden, Dax, Cam, Ollie and Grant bought the faltering Hot Cakes snack company in Appleby, Iowa saving the town in the process. These are their stories.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Dax and Jane) FORKING AROUND follows the forbidden relationship between Hot Cakes co-owner Dax Marshall, and company employee Jane Kemper. Jane Kemper is best friends with the owner of the small bakery Buttered Up, and the owner Zoe is in love with Dax’s business partner Aiden Anderson, allowing for Dax some one on one time with the woman that stirs something deep within our story line hero but Jane Kemper struggles with the boss/employee relationship and the potential for severe repercussions of any fall-out of a work place romance. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Dax and Jane, as Dax sets into motion a plan to ensure his relationship with Jane is no longer threatened by work place rumours.

Jane Kemper worries about family and friends, and is always first in line to help and assist but Janes father is battling a neurological disorder, and Jane is often worrying about her father’s health. With her sister constantly battling her step mother and step sister, Jane must run interference for the sake of her father. Dax Marshall is an impulsive businessman but a businessman whose investments are successful and strong. Meeting Jane, Dax has plans for the future, plans that involve Janes family, as well.

The relationship between Dax and Jane is a forbidden romance. Dax owns the company for which Jane is currently working, and Jane struggles with the potential for work place rumours. Not wanting to place Jane in a compromising position, Dax has plans for another investment, allowing his relationship with Jane to take the next step forward. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful secondary and supporting characters including Aiden and Zoe, Ollie and Grant, and Buttered Up employee Josie. We are introduced to Janes father Jack; her sister Kelsey, and their step-sister Aspen. Josie and Grant’s story is next in Making Whoopie.

FORKING AROUND is a story of family and friendships; sacrifices and love. The premise is heart warming and captivating; the romance is seductive and hot; the characters are energetic and fun-the back and forth banter is witty and humorous. FORKING AROUND is a wonderful addition to the Hot Cakes series.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one SUGARCOATED

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

He was the new strawberry pie in her life. She’d had one taste of Zoe’s strawberry pie and that had been it. Nothing else would ever measure up. She would never not crave it. She would never pass up a chance to have it on her tongue.
Yeah, Dax Marshall was that.
And then some.
He pulled back, breathing hard, staring down at her.
She quickly put her hand over his mouth. “Don’t talk. Talking is the wrong choice right now.”
She was going to have to deal with the boss thing soon enough. And the millionaire thing. And the he-doesn’t-live-here-and-isn’t-staying thing. And all the other crap she always had to deal with that made this impossible.
But for another minute—or maybe ten—she didn’t want to think about any of that. And if he talked, that would be very difficult.
He pulled in a breath, gave her a short nod that she interpreted as okay, no talking and she moved her hand.
Which was the right choice, because he leaned in as he slid his hand up the side of her body, skimming over her hip, waist, the side of her breast, up and into her hair. Then he cupped the back of her head and lowered his mouth to hers again.
This time he kissed her.
And seriously, she’d give up strawberry pie for this.
They made out like that for long, delicious minutes.
When he finally took his mouth from hers, it was to slide it along her jawline, his beard causing goose bumps to trip down her arms and tighten her nipples. In her ear he said gruffly, “I have to talk now.”
She laughed lightly. “I didn’t think it would last for even this long, really.”
“Well, I do love using my mouth this way too.” He dragged his lips along the side of her neck.
Her nipples got even tighter, begging for him to drag those lips down there.
“But I can’t resist saying—” He lifted his head. “You are the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted.”
She grinned. “Well… same.”
A very sexy kind of surprised but superhot look crossed his face. “What about pie?”
She sighed. “Pie is amazing.”
“But the kissing…” he prompted.
She knew she shouldn’t tell him the truth. The guy’s ego didn’t quit. Already. But she found herself nodding. “I was really hoping you’d be bad at it. Like terrible. Like no-worry-of-dirty-dreams bad,” she said.
He arched an eyebrow. “And?”
She sighed. “It was really good.”
“Dirty-dreams-tonight good?” His voice was rumbly and low.
She nodded. “Unfortunately.”
He looked very pleased by her answer. His mouth curled up. “Maybe we should combine the kissing and the pie.”
Her eyes widened before she could stop it. That would be… holy crap she would never recover. “I can’t even imagine that, honestly. I might die.”

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Erin Nicholas has been writing romances almost as long as she’s been reading them. To date, she’s written over thirty sexy, contemporary novels that have been described as “toe-curling,” “enchanting,” “steamy,” and “fun.” She adores reluctant heroes, imperfect heroines, and happily ever afters.

Erin lives in the Midwest, where she enjoys spending time with her husband (who only wants to read the sex scenes in her books), her kids (who will never read the sex scenes in her books), and her family and friends (who claim to be “shocked” by the sex scenes in her books).

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Hard Edge (Cobra Elite #4) by Pamela Clare-a review

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Hard Edge (Cobra Elite #4) by Pamela Clare-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 21, 2020

Gabriela Marquez came to her parents’ homeland of Venezuela to help its people. Working undercover for the CIA as Sister María, a Franciscan nun, she spends long days at the mission, giving food to the poor, helping the sick—and keeping a close watch on local drug trafficking. When a violent raid makes her a hostage together with two American journalists, she finds herself the prisoner of the very cartel she’s been spying on. Fortunately for the journalists—but not so luckily for her captors—Sister María is not what she seems to be. Hiding behind her nun’s habit, Gabriela puts her training to use to ensure the hostages’ survival.

Dylan Cruz spent the better part of a decade with Seal Team Six, ridding the world of scum. Now an operative with Cobra International Security, he’s sent to Venezuela with a small team to gather intel for a hostage rescue. Against all expectations, he gets valuable information from one of the hostages—a beautiful young nun. Sister María of the Gorgeous Brown Eyes puts R-rated thoughts in his mind, thoughts he has no business thinking. Then again, he always figured he’d end up in hell.

When the rescue fails, Dylan finds himself trapped in hostile territory with lovely Sister María. Together, they go underground to reach the Colombian border, but Sister María is full of secrets—and enticing surprises. Beneath that shapeless, gray habit is a woman whose abilities—and passions—are a match for Dylan’s. As the desire between them ignites, what should have been a straightforward mission of evade-and-escape turns into a fight for survival against a murderous cartel boss who wants them both dead.

••••

REVIEW:HARD EDGE is the fourth instalment in Pamela Clares contemporary, adult COBRA ELITE erotic, military, romantic suspense series focusing on the men and women who work for Cobra International Security. This is former US Navy SEAL Dylan Cruz, and undercover CIA agent Gabriela Marquez’ story line HARD EDGE 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 (Dylan and Gabriela) HARD EDGE follows in the wake of the rescue of two American journalists, and their fellow captive Sister Maria, from the Venezuelan cartel. Gabriela Marquez (aka Sister Maria) has worked undercover in Venezuela for close to eighteen months but her abduction and that of two American journalists has forced the CIA to call in outside help. Enter Dylan Cruz, a member of the Cobra International Security Team and the man with whom Gabriela will fall in love. What ensues is the rescue of, and cross country journey between Gabriela and Dylan, and the potential fall-out as our couple remain the target of some very powerful men, and Dylan’s inability to commit towards a future or happily ever after.

Gabriela Marquez knows a thing or two about going undercover but never expected to find herself the victim of an abduction, with her life hanging in the balance. Disguised as a nun, Gabriela remained in character until threats against Dylan Cruz meant Gabriela had to reveal just enough to arouse suspicion. Dylan Cruz’s attraction to Gabriela Marquez in the guise of Sister Maria was immediate but Dylan struggled with job at hand. Saving the life of the woman with whom Dylan would fall in love, our hero found himself on the receiving end of torture and threats, until said woman saved the life of his own, in return.

The relationship between Dylan and Gabriela is one of immediate attraction but Gabriela was off limits in more ways than one. Dylan Cruz doesn’t do relationships having been burned in the past but something about Gabriela melted the ice surrounding his heart. Upon their safe return to America, Gabriela was willing to walk away knowing Dylan believed he wasn’t worthy of love. 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 journalists Dianne Connelly, and Tim Yang, several local Venezuelan and Columbian residents, as well as numerous members of the local cartels. We are reintroduced to Derek Tower, one of the co-owners of Cobra International Security.

HARD EDGE is a story of resilience, betrayal, survival, rescue and love. The premise is fast paced and engaging; the romance is seductive; the characters are strong, energetic and dynamic. HARD EDGE is a hard hitting, and heart pounding addition to the Cobra Elite series.

Reading Order and previous reviews
Hard Target
Hard Asset
Hard Justice

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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