Monthly Archives: August 2023

Never Too Soon (Star Falls 2) by Chelle Bliss-review tour

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Never Too Soon (Star Falls 2) by Chelle Bliss-review tour

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Goodreads: https://geni.us/nts-gr

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 8, 2023

Grace Bianchi has always been drawn to men who are allergic to relationships. But when a mysterious man walks into her shop, saving her from a disaster, she finds herself wondering… is he different than the others?

Ryder Cooper is fumbling his way through life. He’s been lost since his wife passed away, leaving him to raise two young children alone. But when he meets a beautiful tattoo artist with a zest for life, she makes him wonder…could he love again?

Never Too Soon is a journey of two broken hearts who believe in love as they mend their broken hearts, finding their happily ever after.

••••••

REVIEW: Just when I think Chelle Bliss already has me hooked, she writes another amazing story. Never Too Soon is the second installment in the Star Falls series, and what a lovely story it is! A single dad, with two adorable kiddos, meets a jaded tattoo artist…what could be more perfect?

Ryder and his two children; Luke and Cora arrive in the small town of Star Falls hoping for a new start after the loss of his wife, but what they weren’t expecting was Grace. Ryder is taken with her from the first moment he sees her, her kind eyes and how naturally maternal she is with his children. He wasn’t looking for love again, but just maybe love was looking for him. Grace on the other hand doesn’t have much faith left in men, every relationship she has ever had has crashed and burned. This has left her somewhat jaded. When Ryder and his children arrive at Star Falls, the chemistry she feels with not only Ryder but the children as well, surprises her, they are everything she wants, but can it really be that easy?

I loved that this was a slow burn romance, it really gave the characters time to develop. Gracie’s relationship with Luke and Cora was so sweet, you could tell just how much she cared about them, even when things were dramatic. Ryder and Gracie were funny at times, and I think that helped with the craziness when they first “try” to date, it was one oops after another with them. It is rare to find a book that bases more on the emotional side of a relationship than a physical one when it comes to romance, not that Ryder and Gracie didn’t have their spicy moments.

I look forward to seeing what else Star Falls has in store for us next.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sarah

USA Today bestselling author Chelle Bliss currently lives in a small town near the Gulf of Mexico. She’s a full-time writer, time-waster extraordinaire, social media addict, and coffee fiend. She’s written over ten books and has two series available. She loves spending her free time with her boyfriend, 2 cats, and her hamster.

Before becoming a writer, Chelle taught high school history for over ten years. She holds a master’s degree in Instructional Technology and a bachelor’s in History. Although history is her first love, writing has become her dream job and she can’t imagine doing anything else.

WEBSITE – FACEBOOK – NEWSLETTER – TWITTER – INSTAGRAM

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Start Us Up (Park Avenue Promise 1) by Lexi Blake-review tour

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Start Us Up (Park Avenue Promise 1) by Lexi Blake-review tour

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Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3MLCCFD

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 8, 2023

Three young women make a pact in high school—
to always be friends and to one day make it big in Manhattan.

She’s a high-tech boss who lost it all…

Ivy Jensen was the darling of the tech world, right up until her company fell apart completely after she trusted the wrong person. Her reputation in tatters, she finds herself back in the tiny apartment she grew up in, living with her mom. When a group of angel investors offer her a meeting, she knows she has to come up with the new big idea or her career is over.

He’s an up and coming coder…

Heath Marino has always been fascinated with writing code. He’s worked on a dozen games and apps and is considered one of the industry’s more eccentric talents. But now he’s back in New York to spend time with his grandmother. She was known as one of the city’s greatest matchmakers, and he wants to know why. Surely there’s some kind of code in his grandmother’s methods, and he’s going to find them.

When Ivy meets Heath it’s instant attraction, but she’s got a career to get back to and he just might be her on-ramp. It could be a perfect partnership or absolute heartbreak.

•••••

REVIEW:START US UP is the first instalment in Lexi Blake’s contemporary, adult PARK AVENUE PROMISE erotic, romance series focusing on three friends: Ivy, Harper and Anika. This is twenty-nine year old, tech whiz Ivy Jensen, and coder Heath Marino’s story line.

Told from first person perspective (Ivy) START US UP follows in the aftermath of the failure of Ivy’s online medical platform Jensen Medical Solutions. Struggling to move on from the humiliation, and the professional fall-out, Ivy is invited by a well-to-do investor, to meet and greet with up and coming talents but Ivy has been approached by a possible partner, a young man who is hoping to make it big in the world online dating and AI (artificial intelligence). Enter Heath Marino, coder and gamer, and the man with whom Ivy will fall in love but all does not go according to plan as Ivy’s past refuses to let go, and in doing so, threatens to destroy Ivy, all over again.

The world building introduces Ivy’s best friends: Harper Ross who owns her own construction company, and Anika Fox, who works in television production. Since the collapse of her online medical platform, Ivy has been floundering, struggling to discover or uncover the next best thing but working with Heath Marino finds Ivy falling for a man who has fallen hard for our story line heroine.

The relationship between Ivy and Heath begins as a business arrangement in which Ivy refuses to cross the line between business and pleasure, a line that all but destroyed her previous career. Eviscerated by her former partner, and humiliated in public, Ivy battles between head and heart, fearing another failure at the hands of someone she loved. The $ex scenes are passionate and emotional without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The colorful and energetic secondary and supporting characters include Ivy’s best friends: Harper Ross and Anika Fox whose tough love behavior threatens years of friendship and support; Ivy’s investor and mentor Cecilia Foust aka Cece; Heath’s roommate Darnell Green, as well as Ivy’s antagonistic mother Diane Jensen, and Ivy’s ex partner Nick Stafford.

START US UP is a story of betrayal and deception, mental illness and acceptance, family and friendships, relationships and love. The premise is emotional yet captivating; the romance is seductive; the characters are dynamic and desperate.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

 

“Were you planning on introducing me as your boyfriend?”
I shake my head. “No, but I wasn’t going to correct anyone if they got that impression, and now that I’m saying the words, I feel like an idiot. I’m not some sad chick who always needs a boyfriend. Nick was actually only my second long-term relationship. I’m perfectly content on my own. I don’t know what came over me. I can tell him the truth.”
“And waste my knight riding in moves? That feels harsh. Was the kiss that bad?”
“You know it was not. It was a perfectly fine kiss.”
“It was a pretty good kiss.” There’s a wealth of masculine arrogance in his tone, and I wish I didn’t find that charming coming from him.
It had been my only kiss in the last six months, and probably the most passion I’d had from a guy in a couple of years, and that was so sad. “It was a kiss we both need to forget because we’re going to be working very closely together for the next couple of months. We’ve got to hire at least one, maybe two contractors.”
“Where are we going to put them? I don’t know if you noticed, but neither one of us has a whole lot of space. I was a little worried about where I was going to put you.”
“They can work remotely if we can’t find someplace cheap.” The remote work might be a necessary thing since I intend to have one of the coders working on what I want them to work on—an interface for a social media/commerce app. I can give Heath a little, but I know what CeCe wants. The AI and Heath’s unique framework is what will sell this project.
“And if we get full finding?”
I like that he’s an optimist. One of us needs to be. “Then we find a small office probably somewhere in Jersey because that’s what we’ll be able to afford and we spend the next three or four years working our asses off only to fail because some asshole swoops in two months ahead of our launch date with something too similar. Then we can decide if we want to spend the money on the inevitable lawsuits, but that’s only if we get the choice. There’s also the possibility that someone out there gets word of what we’re doing and preemptively files for a patent that will block us even though the fucker doesn’t have enough to prove concept. Then, it’s back to the lawyers and we decide if we have deep enough pockets to fight, and that answer is almost always no.”
Heath stands, and I can’t help but notice how tall and fit he is. I need to take some me time because my brain is spending too much energy on how hot he is. He starts to lift one long leg over the railing.
I pop up. “What are you doing?”
His head turns slightly, lips curling in a mischievous grin. “Ending it all. I’ve seen the future, Ivy. It’s not worth it.”
He’s teasing me. I’m not sure why it rankles. Or maybe I am. “It can happen, and it does all the time. This is the big leagues, and it’s a battle every single day.”
He looms over me, so close I can practically feel the warmth of his skin. “Is it war or baseball? I need to know because you are the queen of mixed metaphors, and I want to be sure I’m all kitted up. So glove or rifle?”
He’s really not ready for this. “Both.”
“All right, then.” He glances down at his watch. “I should go. Apparently I’ve got both a game and a war to prepare for. I’m going to need some sleep. Now I know you said we shouldn’t kiss again, but we already went there so…”
I take a big old coward’s step back. If I let him kiss me now, it won’t be because someone’s watching and we need keep up our “cover.” It will be because I want him to, and I can’t want him to. I just can’t.
I’m lying to him. Oh, it’s for his own naïve good, but I’m still lying.


 

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

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North of Nowhere by Allison Brennan – a Review

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North of Nowhere by Allison Brennan – a Review

 

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Description:
After five years in hiding from their murderous father, the day Kristin and Ryan McIntyre have been dreading has arrived: Boyd McIntyre, head of a Los Angeles crime family, has at last tracked his kids to a small Montana town and is minutes away from kidnapping them. They barely escape in a small plane, but gunfire hits the fuel line. The pilot, a man who has been raising them as his own, manages to crash land in the middle of the Montana wilderness. The siblings hike deep into the woods, searching desperately for safety—unaware of the severity of the approaching storm.

Boyd’s sister Ruby left Los Angeles for the Army years ago, cutting off contact in order to help keep her niece and nephew safe and free from the horrors of the McIntyre clan. So when she gets an emergency call that the plane has gone down with the kids inside, she drops everything to try save them.

As the storm builds, Ruby isn’t the only person looking for them. Boyd has hired an expert tracker to find and bring them home. And rancher Nick Lorenzo, who knows these mountains better than anyone and doesn’t understand why the kids are running, is on their trail too.

But there is a greater threat to Kristen and Ryan out there. More volatile than the incoming blizzard, more dangerous than the family they ran from or the natural predators they could encounter. Who finds them first could determine if they live or die.

 

 

Review:

North of Nowhere by Allison Brennan is another one of her fantastic thriller novels. North of Nowhere is a story revolving around an evil mafia family, that has been looking for their kidnapped children. It has been 5 years, since Kristin and Ryan McIntyre were saved by Tony, who was a former member of the mafia family; both Kristin (16 years old) and Ryan (10 years old, also deaf) love Tony and call him Dad.  They live in a small Montana town, close to the wilderness, with Tony working for rancher Nick Lorenzo.

Now, as the McIntyre family is closing in, they need to run, and Tony takes Lorenzo’s plane to escape, but he is shot by a member of the McIntyre family and he is forced to crash land the plane. An injured Tony forces Kristin and Ryan to run, especially with a major snow storm approaching, before Boyd McIntyre (the kid’s father) finds him. Tony calls Ruby, the kids aunt, who had also run away all those years ago, and asked her to help save the kids.

Ruby, a former marine, immediately goes to Montana to save the kids.  Nick Lorenzo, is determined to find them faster, as he needed to understand why they were running.  Kristen was strong and did all she could to take care of Ryan. Boyd McIntyre had a number of men, including a tracker, to struggle through the storm to find his kids, even though they never wanted to be found.  This was a nonstop wild action thriller, with a race against time to find Kristin and Ryan; with Boyd and his group willing to kill those in the way.  To say too much more would ruin the book, as you need to read this fantastic thriller.

“North of Nowhere” is a heart pounding gripping thriller that kept me unable to put the book down. I really liked Kristin, who was strong and determined.  I also liked both Ruby and Lorenzo, who would do anything to save the children. North of Nowhere was so very well written by Allison Brennan. This was a great psychological thriller that had so much going on from start to finish; filled with blizzard, hostile conditions, family, escape, betrayal, murder, organized crime, and an evil grandmother.   I wholly suggest you read North of Nowhere.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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BURNING STEEL / SHATTERED STONE by Kat Bammer -reviews

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BURNING STEEL / SHATTERED STONE (Moon Lake Protectors 1 & 5) by Kat Bammer

 

SHATTERED STONE
Moon Lake Protectors 5
by Kat Bammer
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romantic, suspense

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

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Re-release August 5, 2023

He broke her heart and shattered her trust. Now this grumpy protector is back to fight for a second chance.

Twenty years as a Marine, Richard “Stone” Travers dedicated his life to service, self-discipline, and loyalty—away from her.
But now he’s back home—the new sheriff in town.

Ready to protect, serve the community, and on a mission to win back the trust of his first and only love.

Dorothy’s beautiful, kind and loyal—to everyone but him.
Infuriatingly sexy and too stubborn to give him even an inch.
Whenever he’s around, she hides her feeling the same way she hides her wild curls in that uptight hairdo of hers.
And he craves nothing more than to unleash her locks, and the fire she’s so carefully hiding.

But her safety is his top priority.
His professional duty.
A mission impossible—when she goes head-to-head with a local gang leader and dives right into danger.

And his self-control snaps.
Because keeping his professional distance does not include kissing her senseless.
But he’s done pretending, done keeping his distance.
She can avoid him, but she’s his to protect, whether she likes it or not.

•••••

REVIEW: SHATTERED STONE is the fifth and final instalment in Kat Bammer’s contemporary, adult MOON LAKE PROTECTORS romantic suspense series. This is former marine, Sheriff Richard ‘Stone’ Travers, and social worker Dorothy Cleaver’s story line. SHATTERED STONE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines, is revealed where necessary.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers. SHATTERED STONE is the re-release and revised version of the author’s Hero of My heart.

Told from dual omniscient third person perspectives (Dorothy and Richard) SHATTERED STONE follows the second chance romance between former marine, Sheriff Richard ‘Stone’ Travers, and social worker Dorothy Cleaver. Richard Travers and Dorothy Cleaver were childhood best friends turned boyfriend and girlfriend but twenty years earlier Richard broke Dorothy’s heart, and in the ensuing years life, love, death and war took a little bit more of everyone’s soul. Fast forward to present day, Richard is the new sheriff in Moon Lake, the small town where Dorothy has found her niche, her friends and moved on from the past . Reconnecting with Richard during a child welfare check meant dredging up the heart break of the past but Richard’s secrets are slow to reveal, secrets that will break Dorothy’s heart all over again. Meanwhile, Dorothy is about to find herself the target of a dangerous gang, a gang that doesn’t care who they hurt or kill in the process. What ensues is the rekindling romance and relationship between Dorothy and Richard, and the potential fall-out as Dorothy becomes fodder in a war on drugs.

The world building continues to focus on the Richard’s former Navy SEAL teammates, and the town in which they settle down and moved on with their lives. Richard is struggling with the demons from his past but none more so than what happened to destroy the woman he loved.

The relationship between Richard and Dorothy is a second chance relationship that was destroyed by betrayal and hurt. Richard was never able to forgive himself, and Dorothy was unable to forgive the man that she loved. In an effort to rekindle what was, Richard and Dorothy find themselves at a disadvantage when Richard’s former teammates push our story line couple together. The $ex scenes are erotic and passionate without the use of over the top sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble case of colorful and energetic secondary and supporting characters many of whom we have me in previous story lines. We are introduced to Dorothy’s siblings: Felicia, Grace and Edith, as well as Navy SEALs Carter ‘Midas’ Plesak, and Lucas Ford. Edith and Carter’s story can be found in the spin -off series:SECURITY OPERATIONS GROUP BRAVO.

SHATTERED STONE is a story of secrets and lies, misunderstandings and miscommunication, betrayal and heart break, forgiveness and love. The fast paced, character driven premise is heart breaking, emotional and dramatic; the romance is seductive and fated; the characters are broken yet strong, determined and dynamic.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

_______

BURNING STEEL
(Moon Lake Protectors 1)
by Kat Bammer
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romantic suspense

FREE ebook Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Re-release Date February 24, 2023

He will fight for a second chance, but he will burn down the world to keep her safe.

Thirteen adrenaline-fueled years as a Navy SEAL taught Peter to protect those unable to defend themselves.

He gave it his all. Now, it’s time for a new mission. To come home to Moon Lake, serve as a deputy sheriff, and settle into uneventful small town life.

And that’s exactly what he’s doing when Lisa returns to take over her family’s inn.

She’s his biggest regret. The girl who stood by him in his darkest hour. The one he pushed away. Now a beautiful woman.

Who wants nothing to do with him.

But when she finds a body. And a killer puts her in his crosshairs. None of that matters. They’re thrown into a whirlwind of passion and danger. They’re no longer fighting for just a second chance but to stay alive.

••••••

REVIEW: BURNING STEEL is the first instalment in Kat Bammer’s contemporary, adult MOON LAKE PROTECTORS romantic suspense series. This is Deputy Sheriff Peter Fisher and dive instructor Lisa Reynolds’ story line.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers. BURNING STEEL is the re-release and revised version of the author’s Love You Still.

Told from several omniscient third person perspectives including Peter and Lisa BURNING STEEL follows in the wake of the return of Lisa Reynold to her home town of Moon Lake. Thirteen years earlier Peter Fisher destroy Lisa Reynold’s heart, and in the ensuing years, Peter joined the US Navy SEALs, and Lisa adventured around the world teaching diving wherever she could. Fast forward to present day wherein Lisa’s father has been severely injured in a car accident, and our heroine is struggling with what happened and why but all is not well in Moon Lake, when Lisa discovers a woman’s body, that may be connected to a serial killer, and a murder that happened years before. What ensues is the rebuilding romance and relationship between Peter and Lisa, and the potential fall-out as Lisa is targeted by a psychotic mind.

The world building introduces the people and places of Moon Lake including some of Peter’s former military buddies, their extended families, as well as some of the small-town mentality where everyone knows your business before you do.

The relationship between Lisa and Peter is one of second chances. Peter broke Lisa’s heart, walking away without looking back, and in the ensuing aftermath, Lisa struggled to forget the man she once loved, body and soul. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Lisa’s extended family, as well as Peter’s friends, former teammates and the local law enforcement, Sebastian ‘Blaze’ Blake & Lisa’s best friend Claire Crittenden. Blake and Claire’s story line is next in Guarded Blaze.

BURNING STEEL is a story of misunderstandings and forgiveness, family and friendships, relationships and love. The fast paced premise is intriguing and captivating; the romance is seductive and energetic; the characters are desperate and charismatic.

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Cruel Seduction (Dark Olympus 5) by Katee Robert-review

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Cruel Seduction (Dark Olympus 5) by Katee Robert-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 8, 2023

He was my enemy. My lover. My husband. And the one man I swore by all Olympus I would destroy.

*A scorchingly hot modern retelling of Aphrodite and Hephaestus (and Pandora and Adonis).*

Aphrodite has never flinched at getting her perfectly manicured hands dirty, and she’s not about to start now—even if that means marrying Olympus’s enemy number one, the new Hephaestus. She has a wicked plan to keep her deadly new husband off-balance, seducing the one person he seems to care about most in this world: Pandora, a woman as beautiful as she is sweet.

Two can play the seduction game, however, and Hephaestus is all too happy to put his new wife in her place. Her ex, Adonis, seems like he’ll do the trick. It doesn’t hurt that he’s gorgeous in the way of fallen angels, either.

The only problem with using seduction as a weapon? Hearts are all too quick to get involved. With Hephaestus and Aphrodite trading venomous strikes that feel a whole lot like foreplay, lines become blurred and emotions entangled. But a broken heart may be the least of their worries. With unrest in Olympus reaching new heights, these bedroom games may have deadly consequences for themselves, their city, and everyone they’ve come to love.

••••

REVIEW:CRUEL SEDUCTION is the fifth full-length instalment in Katee Robert’s contemporary, adult DARK OLYMPUS erotic, romance series-a modern retelling of the gods and goddesses of Olympus. This is Aphrodite aka Eris, Hephaestus aka Theseus, Pandora and Adonis’ story line. CRUEL SEDUCTION can be read as a stand alone but for back story and cohesion, I recommend reading the series in order as there is an ongoing premise throughout.

NOTE: CRUEL SEDUCTION is a story focusing on a polyamorous relationship including several same $ex situations, with multiple partners.

Told from four first person perspectives (Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Pandora and Adonis) CRUEL SEDUCTION follows in the aftermath of the marriage of convenience between Aphrodite and Hephaestus. Our couple are the newest members of the ruling Thirteen, and someone is pulling the strings behind the scenes. By marrying Aphrodite, Hephaestus all but secures his place in the hierarchy of Olympus but Hephaestus never expected to fall in love with the woman that pushes all of his buttons. Hephaestus reputation as a killer has earmarked him for assassination but targeting his wife means the possibility of two openings on the ruling Thirteen. Meanwhile, Aphrodite’s ex Adonis fears for Aphrodite’s life, and Hephaestus’ best friend Pandora is falling in love with Aphrodite. As Aphrodite and Hephaestus begin to navigate their acrimonious relationship, Adonis and Pandora will round out the four-some, ensuring a tight knit bond for security, protection and love.

The world building continues to focus on the fight for a position with the ruling Thirteen-think of it as the leaders of the strongest Thirteen crime families forging together to make the rules, and enforce their power and control but there is always someone else waiting for a seat at the table-death either by assassination or natural causes, is one way to take take the power from someone else.

The relationship between Aphrodite and Hephaestus aka Eris and Theseus is tempestuous at best. Eris and Theseus despise one another-Eris believes Theseus has targeted her for extermination but Theseus is a dead man walking as his reputation as a killer has made him persona non-grata, and at the top of everybody’s hit list. As our couple slowly set themselves on a path towards love, Adonis and Pandora find that they too, want to be part of the relationship with everyone else. The $ex scenes are erotic, provocative and intense with scenes of multiple partners and same $ex situations.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, powerful and questionable secondary and supporting characters many of who we have met in the previous story lines. We are re-introduced to Theseus adopted brothers Minotaur and Icarus, and their foster father Minos, all of whom has their eye on the ultimate prize.

CRUEL SEDUCTION is a story of betrayal and vengeance, power and control, obsession and madness, acceptance and love. The premise is detailed and entertaining but is often waylaid with the numerous first-person narrators such that I had to go back to double-check as to identity of the current speaker; the romance is passionate and steamy; the characters are struggling, embattled, determined and desperate. CRUEL SEDUCTION ends on a happily ever after-for now, there is no resolution in the fight for control.

 

Reading Order and Previous Reviews

Neon Gods
Electric Idol
Wicked Beauty
Radiant Sin

Please Note: The author has release several novellas and short stories that are not included in my reading order

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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The Royal (Game of Chance 2) by Susan Stoker-a review

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The Royal (Game of Chance 2) by Susan Stoker-a review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au / B&N PAPER /

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 8, 2023

Former military man and member of a royal family Callum Redmon can’t deny his sense of responsibility. So when his cousin’s latest love interest claims to have a stalker, Cal reluctantly meets with the young woman and her mother. He wants to write off the situation as a complete farce—if only his feelings for another member of the household could be as easily dismissed.

Since her father’s death seventeen years ago, Juniper Rose has been at the cruel beck and call of her stepmother and stepsister. Her fantasies of escape mean leaving behind her father’s beloved home, but enough is enough: when Cal offers her a way out sooner rather than later, June takes the leap.

Cal’s home in Maine with his military brothers seems like the safest place to start fresh. But as Cal and June’s fairy-tale romance blossoms into something real, they find that the dangers stalking them may have been real all along.

••••••

REVIEW:THE ROYAL is the second instalment in Susan Stoker’s contemporary, adult GAME OF CHANCE erotic, romantic suspense series focusing on a group of former US Special Forces soldiers (Callum ‘Cal’ Redman, Kendrick ‘Bob’ Evans, Jackson ‘JJ’ Justice, Riggs ‘Chappy’ Chapman) who own and operate a tree service, search and rescue, Appalachian Trail maintenance company called Jack’s Lumber. This is thirty seven year old, Callum Redmon, and thirty-two year old, Juniper Rose’s story line. THE ROYAL can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from several omniscient third person perspectives including Cal and June, THE ROYAL follows the building romance and relationship between thirty seven year old, Callum Redmon, and thirty-two year old, Juniper Rose. Callum Redmon is royalty; a prince who has chosen to live and work in America alongside his military brothers in the aftermath of his recovery from imprisonment and torture in the Middle East. At the request of his second cousin Carl, Cal has reluctantly agreed to work security for a young woman who claims to have a stalker but Cal begins to suspect this assignment is nothing but a ruse. Meeting house servant Juniper ‘June’ Rose gave Cal pause when he discovered June was a virtual slave of her step-mother and step-sisters, and within hours of arrival, Cal devises an exit plan for both him and the woman with whom he would fall in love. All is not well in the Rose household, and June is about to discover that ‘running’ away only places an even large target on her back. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Cal and June, and the potential fall-out as June comes face to face with her own stalker, and Cal struggles with the demons from the past.

The world building focuses on the imprisonment, torture and recovery for our story line hero. Callum Redmon, a prince by birth, was made to suffer by his captors for who he was, and what he represented. Scarred and slow to reintegrate into society, Cal struggles with his attraction and need for our story line heroine, battling between head and heart knowing he is no longer the man he had once been. As Cal and June dance around one another, June must prove Cal is worthy of both happiness and love, and a future together.

The relationship between Cal and June is one of immediate attraction but June struggles with issues of low self-esteem and poor body image; and Cal’s scars are a reminder of what was and what will never be. Saving June means taking out heroine away from the only family she has left but it also means protecting our heroine from the same people meant to do harm. The $ex scenes are passionate, erotic and intense without the use of over the top sexually graphic language and text.

The colorful and energetic secondary and supporting characters include Cal’s former military teammates and co-workers, as well as their significant others. We are introduced to June’s step-mother Elaine, and her step-sister Carla Green, and several members of a seniors home who become a second family, and protector for our story line heroine.

THE ROYAL is a Cinderella-esque story of betrayal and jealousy, power and control, abuse and neglect, freedom, acceptance and forgiveness, healing and love. The character driven premise is heart breaking and emotional; the romance is provocative and steamy; the characters are broken but struggling to heal.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one THE PROTECTOR

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Mainely Wicked (Goff Langdon Mainely Mystery 5) by Matt Cost

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Mainely Wicked (Goff Langdon Mainely Mystery 5) by Matt Cost-a review

 

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au / B&N paper /

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 9, 2023

Langdon is hired to find a man who answered a classified ad and then disappeared into thin air. And then a second person vanishes. What starts as a couple of simple missing-person cases quickly spirals into a diabolical world of witches, wiccans, and wendigos.

“You ever hear of the Church of Satan?” Jewell asked. There was silence around the fire. The flames danced and flickered, casting shadows in the dark May night. Langdon took the bottle from Richam and poured himself another…

Bart, the dour but poetic cop, is back, even if demoted to a blue uniform. The dapper lawyer, Jimmy 4 by Four, is up to his regular philandering ways. Richam is hiding a secret from Jewell, and Chabal makes a new friend… And then goes missing.

What is going to happen during the Super Flower Blood Moon and who is the Wendigo? This time, Langdon might be too late to solve these mysteries before the blood flows…

•••••

REVIEW:MAINELY WICKED is the fifth instalment in Matt Cost’s contemporary, adult GOFF LANGDON MAINELY MYSTERIES mystery/suspense series focusing on fifty something, part time private investigator and book store owner Goff Langdon.

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

Told from several omniscient third person perspectives MAINELY WICKED follows the search for a missing man, followed by the disappearance of a young woman. Goff Langdon is a part time private investigator and has been hired by the brother of the missing man, and the best friend and co-worker of the missing woman. Both have disappeared after having answered ads in a local paper-one hoping to purchase an ATV, the other hoping to find love on a dating website but as Goff and his wife Chabal begin their investigation they will discover a possible connection to a group calling themselves the Church of Satan, whose leader is the self-proclaimed Wendigo, in need of human flesh. As the investigation begins to reveal a dark and dangerous connection to the past, a friend will lose their life, others will be attacked and Goff’s beloved is abducted for the sacrifice on the Super Flower Blood Moon.

MAINELY WICKED is an edgy, dramatic, thought-provoking and cautionary tale of myth and madness, desperation and beliefs, power and control, murder and mayhem. The premise is dark, twisted, haunting and tragic; the characters are desperate and determined . People are desperate to believe; to have faith in something other than themselves; possessed by desolation and misery, they will cling to a system that will destroy them all.

 

Reading Order and previous reviews
Mainely Power
Mainely Fear
Mainely Money
Mainely Angst

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

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Over the years, Cost has owned a video store, a mystery bookstore, and a gym. He has also taught history and coached just about every sport imaginable.

Cost now lives in Brunswick, Maine, with his wife, Harper. There are four grown children: Brittany, Pearson, Miranda, and Ryan. A chocolate Lab and a basset hound round out the mix. He now spends his days at the computer, writing.

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Linc (The Black Roses MC 1) by Kate Randall-review

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Linc (The Black Roses MC 1) by Kate Randall-review 

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 August 3, 2023

She never dreamed her salvation would come from a man on a black motorcycle who wears a MC patch.

Charlie
The only thing I was sure of was people lied. They would say they loved you, but their fists would tell a different story. I had to leave, to run before he killed me.
When the enigmatic stranger I met once in a run-down diner finds me escaping, he takes the matter in his hands and gives my ex a taste of his own cruel medicine. A decision that cost my unlikely savior six years of his life.
I never forgot his warm touch, or the way I felt safe with him for a brief moment before I ran for my life.
Imagine my surprise when half a decade later our paths collide unexpectedly, and I discover he’s part of a powerful MC with ties to my vengeful ex.

Linc
I couldn’t walk away then, and nothing can make me now.
After losing my freedom for helping the beaten girl I found on the side of the road, I was determined to let her go. The only problem was her somber blue eyes that haunted me every night when I closed mine.
I never imagined I’d see her again, but fate had other plans. Now, she needs my protection more than ever. But this time around, she’s keeping secrets that could get her killed. And it isn’t only her ex who’s on the hunt for what she’s desperately trying to hide.

If this scared girl from my past can’t find a way to trust me with the truth, then it will be more than just her life that’s at stake.

•••••••

REVIEW:Linc by Kate Randall is the first in what I hope to be a very long MC series. Linc is a slow burn, MC romance with men that aren’t always the good guys. Linc and Charlie were so good to read!

When Charlie is first introduced in this book, I felt for her so much. First her abusive father, then her abusive ex, she just didn’t have the best of luck. Lincoln aka Linc is a member of the Black Roses MMC, it’s the lifestyle that fits him best. When he and his MC brothers meet Charlie for the first time, it’s clear that she is abused and broken. Something about Charlie calls to Linc, a call that lands him in jail for six years. Charlie is destroyed when she learns what happened to Lincoln, no one ever protected her the way he did. No one made her feel safe.

Fast forward six years and Charlie is on the run, never staying aware for long, she can’t risk her ex finding her ever again. Some of the best reading moments are with Charlie and her bestie Lucy, neither of them trust people easily so their bond together is beautiful. When Linc and Charlie meet again after his imprisonment, it’s awkward to say the least, but the draw they had all those years is still there and stronger than ever.

For a first time reader of this author, I am hooked! MC romances can sometimes be overly…aggressive, but Kate Randall has a gift with words. Linc and Charlie are so amazing together, the plot is easy to keep up with but suspenseful enough to keep the reader engaged and eager. Oh and the spice, wow the spice, is well…spicy and it’s often! I am really looking forward to the next books in this series, I very much hope it’s going to be Lucy and Jude. Those two….those two are going to be FUN to read.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sarah

Social Media: Goodreads / Website/ Facebook/ Amazon Author Page / Instagram /

Kate is a lover of all things books. It doesn’t matter what genre, as long as there’s a HEA, she’s in. She started reading romance in high school and would hide novels in textbooks to read during class. Becoming an author was always a dream she had and finally decided to put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard) and write what she loves. She grew up in the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan then became a West Coast girl where she lives with her amazing husband and hilarious son. She would love to hear from readers so check out all her socials and sign up for her newsletter so she can keep you up to date on her books and whatever other ramblings come to mind.

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