Monthly Archives: February 2024

The Reading Cafe 12th Anniversary Giveaway from Berkley Romance

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The Reading Café 12th Anniversary Celebration Giveaway from Berkley Romance 

Today’s Prize Package

NOTE: All giveaways require a comment to qualify

BERKLEY ROMANCE/ PUBLISHING is graciously offering 4book paper prize package to ONE (1) commenter.

One (1) commenter will receive all 4 books from BERKLEY ROMANCE

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

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

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

3. Please tell us to enter you into the giveaway.

4. Like and follow  BERKLEY on FACEBOOK .

5. Like and follow  THE READING CAFE on FACEBOOK .

6. FOLLOW The Reading Cafe on Twitter for an additional entry.

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

8. Please follow The Reading Cafe on Tumblr

9. Giveaway open to USA only

10. Giveaway runs until February 21-March 3, 2024

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The Wedding Party by LR Jones-a review

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The Wedding Party by LR Jones-a 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 February 20,2024

For a bride-to-be and her fiancé, secrets and lies make this a killer celebration in this psychological suspense.

Carrie and Oliver. A couple completely in love and the hosts of a wedding to remember at Colorado’s legendary Stanley Hotel. This is Carrie’s fairy tale come true. Her fiancé, Oliver, is Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome; successful; and utterly devoted to her. Now family and friends have gathered to celebrate. It’s sure to be a wild night as the drinks flow freely and the fun begins.

But the morning after is murder.

FBI agent Andi Castle was just supposed to be a plus-one. This should have been a calming weekend getaway from what she does best: catch killers. Instead, Andi’s on the hunt again. The hotel is on lockdown. Secrets are being unearthed. And no one is above Andi’s suspicions. But which secrets are worth killing for? Andi’s forced to find the answers fast…before someone else dies.

••••

REVIEW:THE WEDDING PARTY by LR Jones (Lisa Renee Jones) is the second instalment in the author’s contemporary, adult, mystery-thriller, suspense series.

Told from several first person perspectives including Carrie Reynolds, and FBI profiler Andrea ‘Andi’ Castle, THE WEDDING PARTY follows in the aftermath of the murder of the intended groom. FBI profiler Andi Castle has been invited to a destination bachelor/bachelorette party by a friend but Andi doesn’t know the bride and groom, and discovers not everyone is happy with the unexpected guest list. A weekend to rest and relax ends with the groom-to-be’s murder, and Agent Andi Castle finds herself deep into an investigation with secrets and surprises she never saw coming. With everyone a suspect, attorneys begin to shut down the interviews, as Andi and her team dig deeper into the possibilities and back stories of everyone involved.

The world building follows several paths including the mindset of both Agent Andi Castle, and and the victim’s fiancee Carrie Reynolds. We are up close and personal as Andi struggles to remain open minded, while everyone else points the finger at the only potential suspect. As the story begins to unravel, Andi begins to focus on someone else.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters most of whom have their own story to tell. From the groomsmen to the bridesmaids, there is a history of secrets and possible betrayal leading to any number of scenarios for murderous revenge.

THE WEDDING PARTY is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, power and control, madness and murder. The premise is intriguing, dramatic and captivating but there was some redundancy and repetition; the characters are dynamic and desperate.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

L.R. Jones is a pseudonym for New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones, whose dark, edgy fiction includes the highly acclaimed novels The Poet, A Perfect Lie, and the Lilah Love series. Prior to publishing, Lisa owned a multistate staffing agency recognized by the Austin Business Journal. Lisa was listed as #7 in Entrepreneur magazine’s list of growing women-owned businesses. She lives in Colorado with her husband, a cat who always has something to say, and a golden retriever who’s afraid of her own bark. 

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads

To find out about Lisa Renee Jones’ upcoming releases and giveaways, sign up for her newsletter here

 

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Takeover (Kings of the Boardroom 1) by Nana Malone-review tour

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Takeover (Kings of the Boardroom 1) by Nana Malone-review tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Google /Apple /

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 20, 2024

An arranged marriage is my family’s last chance… I have to marry a ruthless stranger to save them.

Billionaire Atticus Price wants my father’s struggling empire. Even worse, he wants me. Immediately. Irrevocably. He isn’t a man who accepts no for an answer.

This is a hostile takeover, and somehow I’ve become the price.

I’ll protect the people in my father’s company, even as my father sells it to the highest bidder–along with me. That doesn’t mean I’ll be the meek bride he expects.

It’s a sensual battle of wills. He’s the king of the boardroom, and he’ll make me his queen. At any cost. Falling for him is a weakness I can’t afford

••••

REVIEW:TAKEOVER is the first instalment in Nana Malone’s contemporary, adult KINGS OF THE BOARDROOM erotic, romance series. This Is billionaire businessman Atticus Price, and algorithm developer Gwen Becker’s story line.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Atticus and Gwen) TAKEOVER follows the arranged engagement and marriage between our story line couple. The Becks Corporation is struggling and in an effort to bump up the bottom line, James Becker offers up a deal to the highest bidder, a deal including marriage to one of his daughter. Atticus Price wants what the Becks Corporation has to offer .When Atticus discovers the deal comes with an arranged marriage, Atticus pushes to come out on top but the daughter offered is not the daughter he wants. Enter Gwen Becker, the woman with whom Atticus will fall in love. what ensues is the building romance and relationship between our story line couple, and the fall-out as sins of the past refuse to let go, forcing Atticus to walk away from the woman he loves.

The world building follows several paths including two dysfunctional family dynamic of dark secrets and lies, as well as the ghosts of the past who refuse to die. Gwen has a secrets that haunts her days and nights, and Atticus is about to face a problem that won’t go away.

The relationship between Atticus and Gwen begins as an accidental meeting but will quickly evolve into something more. Gwen and the company have been sold to the highest bidder, and Atticus is about to discover the cost is so much more than he could have ever imagined. The $ex scenes are provocative, passionate and intense but I dislike the use of a certain four-letter word in my ‘romance story lines’

The colorful and often powerful secondary and supporting characters play a significant role in our story. line couple’s lives. We are introduced to Gwen’s sister Morgan, and their questionable father James Becker, and his long-suffering wife Clarissa; Atticus’ brother Micah, their mother Jessica, Atticus’ driver Gavin, as well as Gwen’s best friend Lance Lakewood, and a business competitor Bronson Jacobson. The requisite evil has many faces.

TAKEOVER is a story of power and control, secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, dysfunctional family dynamics, threats and ultimatums, family and love. The fast paced premise is dark, dramatic and intense-there are plenty of anxious moments throughout; the romance is seductive; the characters are desperate and determined. TAKEOVER ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Nana Malone

Follow: Goodreads / Website/ Amazon Author/ Bookbub/ Facebook/ Twitter/ Instagram /

USA Today bestseller Nana Malone’s love of all things romance and adventure started with a tattered romantic suspense she “borrowed” from her cousin.

It was a sultry summer afternoon in Ghana, and Nana was a precocious thirteen. She’s been in love with kick butt heroines ever since. With her overactive imagination, and channeling her inner Buffy, it was only a matter a time before she started creating her own characters.

While she waits for her chance at a job as a ninja assassin, in the meantime Nana works out her drama, passion, and sass with fictional characters every bit as sassy and kick butt as she thinks she is.

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Nothing But It All by Adriana Locke-review tour

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Nothing But It All by Adriana Locke-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 February 20, 2024

After twenty years, the cracks in Lauren Reed’s marriage are showing. She and her husband, Jack, feel more like roommates than a loving couple. What they have in common are two wonderful teenagers, Michael and Maddie, and the same wistful question: When did it all go wrong? Now that Lauren’s decided to get on with her life—alone—divorce is inevitable.

Not to the kids. They aren’t giving up so easily.

Michael and Maddie have conspired with their grandfather to bring everyone together for a vacation in the family’s favorite summer getaway, a rustic lakeside cabin in Story Brook, Ohio. Awkward? Yep. A little deceptive? Sure. But as far as traps go, Lauren and Jack agree—the meddlers couldn’t have set one that was more scenic or filled with so many bittersweet memories.

This trip is going to be life-changing for the whole family. Fourteen days of hope, heartbreak, and unexpected possibilities—like maybe falling in love all over again.

••••

REVIEW:Nothing But It All by Adriana Locke is a standard alone contemporary romance geared towards second chance marriage and slow burn readers.

Jack and Lauren’s marriage is in trouble, she knows it, he knows it, they both want to change it. Sometimes though, wanting a change and making a change is harder than expected. These two are still deeply in love, but their relationship has taken a beating. Now, they have to stop and make time to heal their relationship.

Nothing But It All is not the typical romance; it deals with more of the relationship aspect of marriage than anything and the importance of communication. That being said, this book will definitely hit readers in the feels. You can feel the emotions of Jack and Lauren and the complications they are facing in their marriage.

That being sad, this genre was not my personal cup of tea. The plot and storyline of the book was a bit slow for my taste. Overall, the book was enjoyable, but the genre was not to my liking.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sarah

 

USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke lives and breathes books. After years of slightly obsessive relationships with the flawed bad boys dreamed up by other authors, she decided to create her own. She is the author of Tumble, the first novel in her Dogwood Lane series; the Exception series; the Gibson Brothers series; and the Landry Family series.

She resides in the Midwest with her husband, her sons, two dogs, two cats, and a bird. She spends a large amount of time playing with her kids, drinking coffee, and cooking. You can find her outside if the weather’s nice, and there’s always a piece of candy in her pocket. Besides cinnamon gummy bears, boxing, and random quotes, her next favorite thing is chatting with readers. She’d love to hear from you! Look for her at www.adrianalocke.com.

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Only Hard Problems by Jennifer Estep – Dual Review

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Only Hard Problems by Jennifer Estep – Dual Review

 

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / Google Play / Apple / BAM / Bookbub

 

Description:
PROBLEMS, PROBLEMS EVERYWHERE . . .

My name is Zane Zimmer. To most folks, I live a seemingly charmed life as a Regal lord and the heir apparent to the powerful, wealthy House Zimmer, and the gossipcasts breathlessly follow my every swaggering move across the Archipelago Galaxy. I’m also a powerful psion capable of telekinesis, telepathy, and telempathy, and my deadly skills and prowess with my stormsword have made me the golden boy of the Arrows, the Imperium’s elite fighting force.

But even golden boys have bad days, and the truth is I have more hard problems than I can solve.

The Techwave is building weapons to use against the Arrows in hopes of toppling the Imperium and taking over the galaxy. But even more worrisome is the fact that my old rival Kyrion Caldaren has a powerful new ally in Vesper Quill. Together, the two of them just might destroy everything I’ve sworn to protect.

I’m supposed to be relaxing with the other Regals during the Summer Solstice celebration, but when an enemy threatens the festivities, I’m forced to leap into action. As an Arrow, I’ll do whatever it takes to protect my family and the other Regals, even though my actions will cause only more problems—and just might end up being the death of me . . .

 

Barb’s Review:
Only Hard Problems by Jennifer Estep is the 3rd book in her Galactic Bonds series. This story revolves around Zane Zimmer, the heir apparent to the powerful, wealthy House Zimmer. Zane acts like a playboy, when the gossipcasts get his attention, but he is head Arrow for the Imperium, ruled by Lord Callus Holloway.

Zane is a powerful psion with abilities of telekinesis, telepathy, and a powerful stormsword in defeating his enemies.   Zane is determined to stop the evil Techwave, who are building powerful weapons destroying many lands, in order to take control.  Zane is also trying to find Vesper & Kyrion, who escaped in the last book, and learned that Vesper was his sister, which upset him, since his father and grandmother have hidden this.  Zane has mixed feelings, as he knows that Holloway wants to remove Vesper’s psion powers for his own.  Will he bring Vesper and Kyrion to Holloway or will he find a way to save them?

It is the Summer Solstice celebration, with Zane, his father and grandmother attending, representing House Zimmer.  With pressure from his grandmother, Zane is supposed to present Lady Asterin a gift, with both of them totally disliking each other. Zane notices a former guard in the shadows and tries to follow him, as he suspects Techwave are in the building.  All hell will break loose when the Techwave guard brings out mechanical Black Scarabs, to kill the Solstice guards, and bombs are activated within the celebration.  Asterin is kidnapped, and Zane gets shot, but he is determined to rescue her.  To tell too much more could ruin it for you.

What follows is an exciting, non-stop action filled, suspenseful story that kept me unable to put the book down. The last third of the book was extremely tense and exciting, with some twists and surprises along the way.

Only Hard Problems was a tense last half of the book, that was intriguing, with violence, kidnapping, and psion magic.  Only Hard Problems was very well written by Jennifer Estep.  I did like Zane, and I suspect that somehow in the future, Asterid will be the one for him.  I can’t wait for what Estep has for us in the next boo, which will fully return to Vesper and Kyrion.  I suggest you read Only Hard Problems, as I fully enjoyed it.

 

Sandy’s Review: ONLY HARD PROBLEMS is the third instalment in Jennifer Estep’s adult GALACTIC BONDS science-fiction, fantasy series. ONLY HARD PROBLEMS focuses on Arrow Zane Zimmer, and his assignment to uncover the whereabouts of Vesper Quill. ONLY HARD PROBLEMS should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up after the events and cliff hanger of ONLY GOOD ENEMIES

Told from first person perspectives (Zane Zimmer) ONLY HARD PROBLEMS follows Zane Zimmer at the Summer Solstice celebration, a multi-purpose party to be used by the Zimmer family. Zane has been ordered by his grandmother to court and marry a woman he despises but his ‘boss’ has ordered Zane to uncover the whereabouts of Vesper Quill.Vesper and her bond mate Kyrion Caldaren are on the run, in the wake of the many attempts against their lives. Zane is struggling with his need to protect Vesper, in opposition to the orders from the man in charge but an attack at the Summer Solstice celebration results in the theft of some new technological power, and Zane is now facing the possibility that everything is not as is appears to be.

We are reintroduced to Lady Asterin Armas, the woman to whom Zane does not want to be betrothed.

ONLY HARD PROBLEMS is another story of power and control, secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, magic, elemental stones, dysfunctional family values, and questionable facades. The fast paced premise is intriguing, captivating and imaginative; the characters are secretive and energetic.

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The Reading Café 12th Anniversary Celebration Giveaway 7

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The Reading Café 12th Anniversary Celebration Giveaway  #6

Today’s Prize Package

NOTE: All giveaways require a comment to qualify

The Reading Cafe is graciously offering a 3book prize package to ONE (1) commenter.

One (1) commenter will receive a 3book paper prize package

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

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

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

3. Please tell us to enter you into the giveaway.

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

5. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

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

7. Please follow The Reading Cafe on Tumblr

8. Giveaway open to USA only

9. Giveaway runs until February 19-March 3, 2024

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Leopard’s Hunt (Leopard People 15) by Christine Feehan-review

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Leopard’s Hunt (Leopard People 15) by Christine Feehan-review & excerpt

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 20, 2024

Gorya Amurov might be known as his family’s peacekeeper, but the leopard inside him wants nothing more than to claw to the surface and unleash hell. A harsh life has shaped him into a vicious fighter with a calm exterior, but Gorya knows it’s only a matter of time until he loses all control. Deep down, he truly believes he’d be better off dead, and that no woman will ever accept him as a mate….

Maya Averina has spent years hunting the criminals who destroyed her life, and she always takes down her prey. She keeps to herself, stays under the radar, and never loses focus. But with her body burning up and her mind distracted by her first heat, an ambush takes her by surprise. Now she’s trapped, an unmated female shifter about to be sold off to the highest bidder. Maya is ready to fight her way out—until the most dangerous, powerful man she’s ever encountered arrives to set her free….

••••••

REVIEW:LEOPARD’S HUNT is the fifteenth instalment in Christine Feehan’s contemporary, adult LEOPARD PEOPLE erotic, paranormal, romance series. This is Bratva Leopard Gorya Amurov, and Maya Averina’s story line. LEOPARD’S HUNT can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary..

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

Told from dual omniscient third person perspectives (Gorya and Maya) LEOPARD’S HUNT follows in the wake of the rescue of our story line heroine. Maya Averina has lived a dark and lonely life since she was a very young child but she never expected to be rescued by a leopard with one of the most violent reputations. The Amurov Leopards are noted for their speed and ability to kill but no one knew the secrets that Maya kept close to her heart. Along with her own leopard ‘Wraith’, Maya was about to enter the Han Vol Dan, and would come to discover her would-be rescuer is her fated mate. Enter Gorya Amurvo, the man with whom Maya will fall in love but a man determined to end his life of violence, one way or another. Working together alongside leopard shifters Gedeon Volkov, and Meiling Chang, Maya and Gorya would place a plan into motion to take down an elite sexual and human trafficking ring, one run by a team of leopard shifters. What ensues is the building relationship between Maya and Gorya, and the potential fall-out as our couple must face the demons that refuse to die.

The world building is detailed and complex. We are up close and personal with the tragic and dark events of the past, a past that would frame and construct the lives of two shifters who have seen the worst of the worst.

The relationship between Maya and Gorya begins as a rescue but will quickly turn into a relationship between fated mates. Both Maya and Gorya’s leopards know but Gorya believes himself beyond repair, and Maya feels just as broken as the man with whom she will fall in love. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate and intense.

Once again, there is a large ensemble cast of colorful and familiar secondary and supporting characters including but not exclusive to the Amurov Leopard Crime Family -Timur and Ashe, Sevastyn, Meling and Gedeon, Jake Bannaconni, and Drake Donovan, as well as several cameos by and mentions of the Tegre Leopard(Evangeline, Josh); Kyanite Boston, and Matvei Jarvis, and several extended Bratva and Russian shifters. The requisite evil has many faces.

LEOPARD’S HUNT is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, madness and murder, delusion and infatuation, acceptance and love. The premise is dark, gritty, haunting and tragic; the romance is impassioned; the characters are animated, broken but determined to thrive.

Take note of the warnings, there are many triggers.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Wild Rain
Burning Wild
Wild Fire
Savage Nature
Leopard’s Prey
Cat’s Lair
Wild Cat
Leopard’s Fury
Leopard’s Blood
Leopard’s Run
Leopard’s Wrath
Leopard’s Rage
Leopard’s Scar

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

 

Gorya was back to using his hand like a seductive weapon, his palm stealing around to the nape of her neck, where his fingers settled in her thick hair. It was impossible not to be aware of the way he gathered the mass into his fist, and she slowly tilted her head up toward his.
“Kissing. I’m going to kiss you.”
Thunder roared in her ears, nearly drowning out his soft murmur. She was sure she hadn’t heard him correctly. “Kiss me?” she echoed faintly. She should have expected it.
“Yeah, baby, I’m going to kiss you. If I don’t, you’re going to start thinking about it and you’re going to panic again.”
He was right, but she might panic now. “I don’t know how to kiss.”
“That’s fine. We’ll learn together. We’ll just practice until we get it right.”
His head had come closer to hers. Much closer. She could see the fine lines etched into his skin. Those lines

represented the trauma he’d suffered as a child. Just seeing those creases settled her. She identified with him. She wasn’t threatened by him. She was needed by him.
His lips curved as if he knew what she was thinking. His warm breath reached the left corner of her mouth. Her entire body went taut in anticipation. Every nerve ending came alive. Little goose bumps rose on her skin. His lips brushed hers lightly—a delicate touch, but she felt it like a brand. Her stomach fluttered. A thousand butterflies lifted in flight.
Kissing was so intimate. She should close her eyes, but she was mesmerized by the way his eyes continued to change color, darkening with desire to a deeper blue, the silver ring around the blue thicker. This time she could read the stark passion mixed with growing affection for her. Growing need. Not just the need of a lover. There was that, but it was so much more. Like her, he wanted a much deeper relationship. He wanted something real with her.
Her hands came up of their own volition. She wasn’t going to be passive and put this all on him. He didn’t kiss women. Like her, he found kissing others much too famil- iar. If they were in this together, she was participating fully. She was terrified that she wouldn’t be able to be sexually intimate with him. She was the one afraid her past experiences would prohibit her from having a normal relationship. He was being gentle. Taking care to intro- duce her to their world of shared intimacy and vulnerability slowly and carefully.
His lips merely feathered along hers. Teased and coaxed. Always gentle. Little flashes of flickering flames seemed to touch her and were gone, leaving her wanting more. He didn’t try to rush into kissing her. He took his time, savoring the taste of her. The feel of her. Outlining the curves of her lips with his tongue. Memorizing her. She caught the images in his mind. All the while, he never

closed his eyes, staring into hers as if he could see right into her soul.
Maya had never been so aware of another human being. He was everywhere. Surrounding her with his strength. His heart. Letting her into his mind. Pouring into hers slowly. Carefully. It wasn’t an invasion or a takeover. It was a joining. A promise. He deliberately shared himself with her. Opened himself up to her. Made himself vulnerable.
Maya did the same, staring into his eyes. Giving herself to him the same way. A vow to him that he would be her only. She would give him everything she was. There was no expectation of perfection. Both accepted the other for the broken, damaged person they were. They were going into the relationship with their eyes wide open.
He slanted his head, and his mouth settled on hers. Her lashes fluttered down as he rubbed his lips over hers and then traced the seam with his tongue. The floor tilted and rocked. She gripped his shoulders, needing an anchor so she wouldn’t go spinning off into space.

Excerpted from Leopard’s Hunt by Christine Feehan Copyright © 2024 by Christine Feehan. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.


 

Christine Feehan is a #1 New York Times bestselling author multiple times over with her portfolio including over 70 published novels, including five series; Dark Series, Ghostwalker Series, Leopard Series, Drake Sisters Series, the Sisters of the Heart Series and Torpedo Ink. All of her series have hit the #1 spot on the New York Times bestselling list as well. Her debut novel Dark Prince received 3 of the 9 Paranormal Excellence Awards in Romantic Literature (PEARL) in 1999. Since then she has been published by various publishing houses including Leisure Books, Pocket Books, and currently is writing for Berkley/Jove. She also has earned 7 more PEARL awards since Dark Prince.

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Counting on a Cowboy (Star Valley 3) by Sara Richardson-review

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Counting on a Cowboy (Star Valley 3) by Sara Richardson-review

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 27,2024

In this sizzling, sassy western romance, she’s been burned by too many cowboys—but can this rodeo rider convince her he’s worth the risk?

Retired SEAL Thatch Hearst never thought he’d put down roots, but four years in Star Valley as a bronc rider has him calling the town home. All he needs now is to earn some real money by competing in the big leagues. He’ll have his chance with the town’s upcoming rodeo days, but first he needs to improve his scores. Running out of time—and ideas—Thatch enlists the help of a local yoga instructor, hoping to gain an extra edge.

​Lyric Valenza has worked with difficult clients, but this ruggedly handsome cowboy might just be her biggest challenge. Marrying a cowboy was the biggest mistake of her life, and after her divorce, she vowed she’d never again need a man. Only the more time she spends with Thatch, the more she realizes there’s a difference between needing and wanting someone—and this cowboy may just be the one person she doesn’t want to be without.

•••••

REVIEW:COUNTING ON A COWBOY is the third instalment in Sara Richardson’s contemporary, adult STAR VALLEY romance series. This is retired US navy SEAL /construction worker/ bronc rider Thatch Hearst, and yoga instructor Lyric Valenza’s story line. COUNTING ON A COWBOY can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

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

Told from dual omniscient third person perspectives (Lyric and Thatch) COUNTING ON A COWBOY follows the fake but building relationship between our story line couple. Thatch Hearst is struggling in his training for an upcoming rodeo, and a suggestion to try yoga is just what was needed. Thatch has been lusting after local yoga instructor Lyric Valenza for as long as he can remember but Lyric’s outright refusal at Thatch’s attempts made life a little more difficult but having witnessed a possible case of domestic abuse, Lyric agrees to Thatch’s request in exchange for helping her uncover the truth. A fake relationship that will turn into something more hits a road block when Lyric is unable to let go of the past, a past that continues to control her present. What ensues is the building relationship between Lyric and Thatch,and the potential fall-out as Lyric runs at the first sign of trouble.

The world building focuses on betrayal and domestic abuse. Lyric struggles to trust; to open her heart to a potential future with Thatch but Thatch has his own fair share of betrayal, and in this, the face of his betrayers are someone he once loved.

The relationship between Thatch and Lyric is one of tepid friendship as Lyric continues to push Thatch away at every opportunity. Everyone suspects Thatch is in love with our story line heroine but Lyric struggles to open her heat to something new. The $ex scenes are passionate but mostly implied.

There is a large ensemble cast of charismatic secondary and supporting characters many of whom we met in the previous instalments including Aiden and Kyra (Waiting on a Christmas Cowboy), Tess and Silas (Betting on a Good Luck Cowboy), as well as several local high school girls, and Thatch’s large extended family.

COUNTING ON A COWBOY is a story of betrayal and heart break, family and friendships, relationships and love. The premise is captivating and intriguing but the return of Lyric’s past is slightly underwhelming. The romance is understated yet affectionate; the characters are desperate and dynamic.

Reading Order and Previous reviews
Wishing on a Christmas Cowboy
Betting on a Good Luck Cowboy

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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