Ride It Out (Desert Dogs #4) by Cara McKenna-Review and Excerpt

RIDE IT OUT (Desert Dogs #4) by Cara McKenna-Review and Excerpt

Ride It out

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

About the book: RELEASE DATE September 19, 2017

There’s a new deputy in town, and she’s a law unto herself.

Jeremiah Church is still aching for justice to be served after his father’s murder. Though the killer has been caught, the authorities are no closer to knowing why the Churches were targeted—and if the family’s still at risk. When Miah receives an anonymous letter hinting at a darker conspiracy, he decides it’s high time he seeks justice on his own terms, with the help of his fellow Desert Dogs.

Patrol Deputy Nicki Ritchey is new to Fortuity, and hoping to make a clean start for her and her son. Involved in the Church’s case, she’s kindled a friendship with Miah that’s evolving into something more. But Miah is crossing lines with his personal vendetta, and Nicki’s attraction is making it tough to tell right from wrong

••••••••••

REVIEW: RIDE IT OUT is the fourth and final installment in Cara McKenna’s contemporary, adult DESERT DOGS erotic, romantic suspense series focusing on the town of Fortuity, Nevada, and a group of motorcycle riding friends who call themselves the Desert Dogs. This is ranch foreman Jeremiah ‘Miah’ Church, and single mother/ deputy Nicki Ritchey’s story line. The Desert Dogs series is NOT a series about a motorcycle club, but a series about a family of brothers and their friends who like to ride. RIDE IT OUT can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty; any important information from previous story lines is revealed where necessary but saying that there is an ongoing premise throughout the series as the main characters struggle with the loss of their friend police officer Alex Dunn and the murder of Jeremiah’s father.

SOME BACKGROUND: Eclipse Resorts and Casinos have made many enemies in the sleepy, small town of Fortuity, Nevada as they forge ahead with plans to build and open a new casino. Most of the townsfolk have some issues with the company, and with it will comes threats of a personal nature.

NOTE: There is a prequel novella available –DRIVE IT DEEP-that looks at the prior relationship and life long friendship between Jeremiah and Raina.

Told from several third person perspectives including Jeremiah and Nicki RIDE IT OUT is the culmination of four story lines that focuses on the hunt for the truth. Months earlier Eclipse Resorts and Casinos made enemies of the town of Fortuity, Nevada, and in the ensuing time lives have been threatened and lost. With the arrival of former Chicago PD police officer Nicki Ritchey, Miah Church is hoping for more than the solving of his father’s murder but for a relationship with the woman that calls to his heart. What ensues is the search for a killer, and the building romance between Miah and Nicki.

Miah and Nicki are kindred spirits both having lost their fathers to a killer; two unsolved crimes that have left our leading couple in a world of hurt and heartbreak. Miah has assumed responsibility for the family ranch but with his father’s murderer still on the loose Miah is desperate to take action on his own. With his friend’s as backup, Miah begins an investigation that will lead directly to everyone involved.

The relationship between Miah and Nicki is one of immediate attraction that began months earlier as our heroine as called into the investigation on the death of patriarch Don Church. Nicki is a divorced mother of a twelve year old boy, and is reluctant to settle in a town whose conservative and racist attitudes are a slap in our heroine’s face. The $ex scenes are intimate and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

All of the previous story line couples play secondary and supporting roles including Vince and Kim (Lay It Down), Raina and Duncan (Give It All), Casey and Abilene (Burn it Up), as well as Jeremiah’s mother Christine, and Nicki’s son Mathias, and her mom.

RIDE IT OUT is a story of love and loss; desperation and greed; family and friendship; second chances and moving forward. The premise is intriguing and energetic; the characters are colorful and dynamic; the romance is passionate and uplifting. The epilogue fast forwards the series approximately two years where we get a glimpse into the future.

Reading Order and previous reviews
Drive It Deep .5
Lay It Down
Give It All
Burn It Up
Ride It Out

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

excerpt

Excerpt supplied by Penguin Randomhouse

 

Nicki smoothed a stretchy jersey dress down her body before her mirror, liking what she saw.
Only not.
Jesus, when was the last time she’d worn a dress? It looked nice, flattered her shape, but the woman in the mirror also didn’t look like her. It all felt far too formal, and in the end she chickened out and changed back into the jeans and sweater she’d been wearing all day.
She stopped by Matty’s room with a goodnight kiss and a warning to get to sleep ASAP. As far as he knew, she was meeting a friend for a drink, and how about that? She hadn’t even had to lie. No doubt he assumed it was a female friend, and luckily he wasn’t interested enough to ask for details.
Out in the kitchen, however, her mother was interested. Nicki offered a curt nod and incriminating, “No comment.”
“Just don’t come home pregnant,” her mom advised, more joke than warning.
“Not funny. See you in the morning.”
Knowing brown eyes made an inventory of her, head to feet. “You look nice.”
“Thanks, Ma.”
“He’d better say the same.”
Nicki smiled at that. “Yes, he’d certainly better.”
She’d kept busy all day, kept the butterflies at a safe distance, but any cool she’d mustered vanished the moment she buckled her seatbelt and turned the key. As soon as the car was in motion, so was her stomach. She spent the twenty-minute drive deep breathing, and not to much avail.
The ranch’s front lot was as empty as she’d ever seen it, just Miah’s pickup and motorcycle, plus the little Toyota sedan she imagined belonged to his mother. Nicki parked way out near the entrance, feeling, only half irrationally, like this was some kind of scandal. She was a big-city girl, but she knew how small towns worked—much like her old neighborhood. Word got around, and the last thing she wanted was word getting back to Matty.
Tote bag in hand, she slammed her door as gently as she could, paused, ran her hands over her hair, over her hips, blew out a long breath. As she headed for the house, she saw him—Miah, sitting on the porch swing, hands in the kangaroo pockets of a hooded jacket, one ankle resting on the other knee in that cocky, cowboy way. She felt her face burn, knowing he’d seen her little primping session. So much for playing it cool.
Like he doesn’t know damn well I’m here to mess around with him. And that thought warmed her in an entirely different way.
“Evenin’,” he said as she reached the steps.
“Evening. You catch me grooming?”
“No idea what you mean.” He got to his feet. His dark eyes moved over her, down and up again, and when she came close, he drew her against him. His lips were cold when they brushed hers, but thrilling all the same. She held his shoulders, wanting to rake her nails over his skin, fist his collar, throw him down on this porch and devour him whole. Instead she retained the last of her dignity, accepting his brief, teasing kiss, then stepping back.
She licked her lips and smiled up at him. “Been waiting up for me?”
“Maybe. My mom’s in bed, so I thought I’d save you having to use the doorbell. Since this affair is strictly hush-hush, right?”
“Very sneaky—I like it. Invite me in?”
He nodded, stepping aside and waving his arm.
She preceded him inside, and they held their tongues as they slid their shoes off in the front hall. Nicki wondered if his mom’s room was up the nearest set of stairs. As they made their way past the kitchen, Nicki whispered, “I feel about seventeen.”
He laughed softly and took her hand, leading her to the big, open den. She loved this room. It felt like some rustic old lodge, two stories high and overlooked by the second-floor landing, punctuated by thick floorboards and the fat beams buttressing the ceiling. A massive stone fireplace dominated the far wall. A modest television was mounted off to the side, relegated to a clear runner-up position as focal pieces went. Leering from here and there were the mounted heads of elk and antelope and God knew what else. Those were a little weird, but she’d be able to block them out as soon as things got handsy, she trusted.
“Make yourself at home,” Miah said. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“You may.” She set her tote on the hulking wooden slab of a coffee table and pulled out a bottle of white wine, still cold from her fridge.
Miah hefted it by the neck and studied the label.
She smirked. “You scrutinizing my taste?”
“Just taking notes,” he said. “Might come in handy, knowing what to have stocked if I want to keep tricking you into spending time with me.”
Her smile deepened. “It’s cute you think I’m here for the wine.”
He raised a rakish eyebrow at her. “Touché, Deputy.”


 

 

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Burn It Up (Desert Dogs #3) by Cara McKenna-Review & Giveaway

BURN IT UP (Desert Dogs #3) by Cara McKenna-Review and Giveaway

Burn It Up Banner

BURN IT UP
Desert Dogs #3
by Cara McKenna
Release Date: November 3, 2015
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romantic suspense

Burn It Up

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / The Book Depository / BAM

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 3, 2015

After a decade spent chasing shadier pursuits, Casey Grossier has come home to the badlands to settle down in Fortuity. Vowing to put his days of dirty money behind him, he’s cleaned up his act and become co-owner of Benji’s Saloon. But despite his efforts to be a better man, he can’t shake his crush on his sweet-faced bartender, even though the woman screams trouble.

Abilene Price hopes she can outrun her mistakes and build a safe, respectable life for herself and her baby. So she’d be wise to keep her distance from her boss, Casey, and the rest of his roughneck motorcycle club, the Desert Dogs. But she just might need their help. The return of a violent figure from Abilene’s past ignites a powder keg—and it’s only the beginning…

•••••••••••

REVIEW: BURN IT UP is the third installment in Cara McKenna’s contemporary, adult DESERT DOGS erotic, romantic suspense series focusing in the town of Fortuity, Nevada, and a group of motorcycle riding friends who call themselves the Desert Dogs. This is bar owner Casey Grossier, and new mom Abilene Price’s storyline. BURN IT UP and the Desert Dogs series is NOT a series about a motorcycle club, but a series about a family of brothers and their friends who like to ride.

SOME BACKGROUND: Eclipse Resorts and Casinos has made many enemies in the sleepy, small town of Fortuity, Nevada as they forge ahead with plans to build and open a new casino. Most of the townsfolk have some issues with the company, and with it will comes threats of a personal nature.

Told from third person point of view BURN IT UP follows the building relationship between Casey Grossier, and his employee Abilene Price. Abilene is a new mom; a single mother who has worked for Casey for close to a year, and with it comes feelings and emotions between the couple as Casey finds himself playing house with the woman and her child. Casey has grown to love the baby since she was born, but knows that to get involved with his employee could open a new can of problems. When Abilene discovers her ex, and the baby’s father, is about to be released from jail, Casey brings together his brother Vince, Miah Church, Raina Harper and Duncan Welch to form a protective circle around the woman with whom he is falling in love.

The relationship between Casey and Abilene begins as employer and employee, eventually turning to friendship than lovers. But Casey and Abilene both have dark and dangerous pasts, and it is those secrets that they keep from one another that will force Abilene to look at Casey in a completely different light. The $ex scenes are exploratory and seductive but ultimately a little boring.

The secondary and supporting characters include all of the previous storyline couples as well as Don and Christine Church, and Abilene’s ex boyfriend James Ware. The characters are raw, real and not without some skeletons in the closets. The world building continues to focus on the new Resort and Casino, their problems with the people of Fortuity, Nevada, and to what extremes the company will go to, to ensure their plans reach fruition.

BURN IT UP is a story of mystery and suspense; secrets and lies; betrayal and heartbreak. The premise is engaging; the characters are colorful and entertaining; the romance was a slow build to a happily ever after-for now.

But I did have some issues with the heroine as it pertained to her ability to judge others for their sins when her own sins were just as dark and dirty. Her lack of self confidence; her ability to manipulate others; her perceived sense of right and wrong; and her overall naivety was a bit of a distraction-she was a difficult heroine to like. There was also an issue with the resolution of the original conflict –it was unexciting and dull- but I suspect there is more to the story that has yet to be told. The introduction of a new conflict has fired up some heartbreak and more questions; the town of Fortuity will lose one of their own.

Copy supplied by the publisher/Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Series Spotlight

LAY IT DOWN
Desert Dogs #1
by Cara McKenna
Genre: adult, contemporary, romantic, suspense
Release Date: August 5, 2014

Lay It DownAmazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO / The Book Depository

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of LAY IT DOWN by Cara McKenna

RELEASE DATE: August 5, 2014

Backbreaking days, wild nights, and the hard hum of steel between your thighs…

That’s a life well lived, according to the Desert Dogs—four friends who call Fortuity, Nevada, their badlands home.

Vince Grossier is the self-crowned outlaw king around here. But when Fortuity’s slick new mayor invites a casino development to town, greed isn’t far behind—and it claims Vince’s good friend as its first casualty. With the law turning a blind eye to the mysterious death, Vince must seek his own brand of justice. The pretty photographer hired by the developers might be the key to uncovering the truth. And she’s a temptation too good to pass up.

Finally free of a controlling ex, Kim Paget’s not looking to be taken for a ride—not on the back of some tattooed roughneck’s bike and definitely not in his bed. But when she uncovers evidence supporting Vince’s suspicions of murder, Kim must entrust her safety to a man whose body threatens danger of a whole different kind.

_______________

Give it AllGIVE IT ALL
Desert Dogs #2
by Cara McKenna
Genre: adult, contemporary, romantic suspense
Release Date: February 3, 2015

Give It All
Desert Dogs #2
by Cara McKenna
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance, suspense
Release Date: February 3, 2015

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of GIVE IT ALL

Amazon.com / Barnes and Noble / KOBO / The Book Depository

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 3, 2015

A hot new Desert Dogs novel from the author of Lay It Down

Keep your friends close—and your enemies closer….

Bar owner Raina Harper can’t say for sure what Duncan Welch is to her. With her small Nevada town under siege by a ruthless casino development and still reeling from a spate of murders, she knows that trusting the public face of the corporate invaders is risky to say the least. Though, damn, it’s one fine-looking face.…

Duncan may be a mercenary when it comes to getting the job done, but he’s no villain. In fact, the calculating fixer soon finds himself in the bad guys’ crosshairs, framed and facing professional ruin. To clear his name, he’ll need help from Raina and her roughneck motorcycle club, the Desert Dogs. Gaining their trust won’t be easy, and the molten sexual tension between Raina and Duncan only makes things more complicated—especially since Miah Church, Raina’s friend and ex-lover, would sooner strangle Duncan than shake his hand.

One thing’s certain, though: If they don’t deal with their incendiary attraction soon, the whole damn town might go up in flames.…

giveaway

Cara’s publisher and The Reading Cafe are offering a paper copy of BURN IT UP to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe

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

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

3. Please LIKE and Follow Cara McKenna on Twitter

4. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET 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 us on TSU for an additional entry.

8. Giveaway open to USA only

9. Giveaway runs from November 5-9, 2015

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Crosstown Crush (Sins in the City #1) by Cara McKenna-a review

CROSSTOWN CRUSH (Sins in the City #1) by Cara McKenna-a review

crosstown crush

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / The Book Depository / BAM

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 1, 2015

The first in a new series explores the fantasies of a daring married couple—and those of a stranger invited to play along in their scandalous little games…

When he’s working, Mike Heyer is all business—every inch the alpha male, with the hard, capable body to back up his persona. But at home he can be a different man entirely, harboring appetites only his wife gets to glimpse…

When Samira first learned of her husband’s fantasies, she was reluctant, even alarmed. But after witnessing the way they set him on fire, she yielded, and happily indulged. As their games have intensified, so has the rush. And now so has the risk—they’re poised to take Mike’s indecent desires to the next level, by opening their bed to a sexy, brazen stranger. A man seeming custom-made to grant every last one of Mike and Samira’s sinful wishes.

Welcoming someone new into their lives was always a dangerous proposition, but the couple imagined if anything was at stake, it was their privacy…not their hearts.

•••••••••••••

REVIEW: CROSSTOWN CRUSH is the first installment in Cara McKenna’s adult, contemporary Sins in the City erotica series. This is husband and wife Mike and Samira Heyer, and Bern’s storyline- an erotic tale of a cuckold, his wife and the man who makes all of their fantasies come true.

NOTE: CROSSTOWN CRUSH contains erotic and graphic sexual imagery including strong language, infidelity, role play, voyeurism and M/F/M, M/F, M/M sexual situations.

A cuckold by definition is considered the man of an adulterous wife-often regarded as an object of derision; a husband whose wife is in a relationship with another man; or a man who derives pleasure from humiliation.

Told from three third person perspectives (Mike, Samira and Bern) CROSSTOWN CRUSH focuses on the kink in Mike and Samira’s marriage wherein several times per month Mike wants to feel emasculated by the idea of his wife in a sexual relationship with another man. For two years the fantasy has just been that, a fantasy role-play acted out in bed with his wife-but Samira offers to make the fantasy a reality inviting another man into their relationship and their bed. When feelings and emotions come into play a line will be crossed and there will be no going back.

CROSSTOWN CRUSH is a psychological study in paraphilia or sexual fetish- a sexual interest that is atypical and goes against what is considered the norm by society but one that is entered into wholly aware of the actions and consequences. There is no secondary storyline development-the focus is on the kink, the cuckold, and the wants and needs of everyone involved. There are no hearts and flowers; the wooing is staged; an act to create the illusion of an affair; but the heartbreak is painful and real. The conflict arises when the heart becomes involved when the body and mind lose control.

I am having a difficult time putting into words my thoughts and feelings about this particular storyline. I wanted to like the premise but the presentation and execution felt out of sync; I did not feel invested in the action or the players. A cuckold trope is not my ‘ideal’ storyline situation but who are we to judge another’s lifestyle that is different from our own. In the end, it wasn’t the sexual fetish but the overall ‘feel’ of the story that left me disappointed

As you can read I had some issues with CROSSTOWN CRUSH and perhaps it was my inability to place myself into this particular storyline. For me, I have to be able to connect with the players and feel their emotions; to be pulled into a storyline where I become one with the characters or one of the characters but CROSSTOWN CRUSH left me standing on the sidelines where I felt like a voyeur in the window of someone’s personal life.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

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Give It All (Desert Dogs 2) by Cara McKenna-Review and Giveaway

GIVE IT ALL (Desert Dogs #2) by Cara McKenna-Review and Giveway

Give It All Banner

Give It All
Desert Dogs #2
by Cara McKenna
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance, suspense
Release Date: February 3, 2015

Give it All

Amazon.com / Barnes and Noble / KOBO / The Book Depository

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 3, 2015

A hot new Desert Dogs novel from the author of Lay It Down

Keep your friends close—and your enemies closer….

Bar owner Raina Harper can’t say for sure what Duncan Welch is to her. With her small Nevada town under siege by a ruthless casino development and still reeling from a spate of murders, she knows that trusting the public face of the corporate invaders is risky to say the least. Though, damn, it’s one fine-looking face.…

Duncan may be a mercenary when it comes to getting the job done, but he’s no villain. In fact, the calculating fixer soon finds himself in the bad guys’ crosshairs, framed and facing professional ruin. To clear his name, he’ll need help from Raina and her roughneck motorcycle club, the Desert Dogs. Gaining their trust won’t be easy, and the molten sexual tension between Raina and Duncan only makes things more complicated—especially since Miah Church, Raina’s friend and ex-lover, would sooner strangle Duncan than shake his hand.

One thing’s certain, though: If they don’t deal with their incendiary attraction soon, the whole damn town might go up in flames.…

•••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW:

SOME BACKGROUND: Eclipse Resorts and Casinos has made many enemies in the sleepy, small town of Fortuity, Nevada as they forge ahead with plans to build and open a new casino. But a murdered police officer and ‘missing bones’ continues to spark anger and betrayal for the people of Fortuity when ERC dismisses the claims as PR and revenge by the angry townspeople. This is not a series about a motorcycle club but about a family of brothers and friends who like to ride.

Told from third person point of view, GIVE IT ALL is the second installment in Cara McKenna’s contemporary, adult Desert Dogs erotic romance, suspense series focusing on a tight knit group of friends and family from Fortuity, Nevada who call themselves the Desert Dogs. This is bar owner Raina Harper and Duncan Welch’s storyline whose history together began in book one. I would highly recommend reading the series in order as there is important information revealed in book one-LAY IT DOWN-regarding Eclipse Resorts and Casinos and their connection to Fortuity, Nevada.

As the investigation continues into the death of police officer Alex Dunn and the story about ‘missing bones’, Eclipse Resorts and Casinos is still making enemies but this time their former solicitor Duncan Welch is the target of Fortuity, Nevada. With his career in ruins and his reputation in question by a town that sees him as the enemy, Duncan begins an investigation of his own earning the ire of local law enforcement and the FBI. Duncan will uncover more than he bargained and become the number one suspect in a possible murder-he will become the target of property damage and threats against his life as he continues to investigate the possibility of missing persons and murder. To keep him safe, bar owner Raina Harper will force a reluctant Duncan to move in with her knowing that her attraction to the well dressed litigator may be her undoing.

The relationship between Raina and Duncan is one of immediate attraction but there is another man vying for Raina’s attention. Duncan tries to keep his distance but Raina offers a friends with benefits package – one that doesn’t guarantee a happily ever after or words of love and forever. Duncan is a well to do, British lawyer, with a hidden past, whose life style will be dramatically changed by his presence in Fortuity, Nevada including falling in love with the most unlikeliest of woman. The $ex scenes are intimate, revealing and provocative.

The world building continues with the investigation behind Eclipse Resort and Casino’s involvement in murder, missing bodies, missing bones and a cover up. The well developed, colorful supporting and secondary characters include Vince and Kim (from book one) as well as Vince’s brothers Casey and Miah Grossier. Miah is a man obsessed and in love with Raina Harper but Raina is unable to give Miah what it is he wants- a forever and something more permanent.

GIVE IT ALL is a romantic suspense filled storyline where two people from different backgrounds find love and a happily ever after for now. Nothing is guaranteed in Fortuity, Nevada when a powerful casino wants to destroy the area’s footprint bringing gambling and tourism to town for the bottom line. Interference will not be tolerated and anyone questioning their motives will find themselves targeted for termination.

Cara McKenna pulls together family, friends and the town of Fortuity, Nevada into an intriguing storyline of mystery, suspense, romance and love. There are moments of betrayal, heartbreak and resolution blended with a growing relationship between a woman who sees herself as unworthy and a man who doesn’t quite fit in.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

Series Spotlight

Lay It DownAmazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO / The Book Depository

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of LAY IT DOWN by Cara McKenna

RELEASE DATE: August 5, 2014

Backbreaking days, wild nights, and the hard hum of steel between your thighs…

That’s a life well lived, according to the Desert Dogs—four friends who call Fortuity, Nevada, their badlands home.

Vince Grossier is the self-crowned outlaw king around here. But when Fortuity’s slick new mayor invites a casino development to town, greed isn’t far behind—and it claims Vince’s good friend as its first casualty. With the law turning a blind eye to the mysterious death, Vince must seek his own brand of justice. The pretty photographer hired by the developers might be the key to uncovering the truth. And she’s a temptation too good to pass up.

Finally free of a controlling ex, Kim Paget’s not looking to be taken for a ride—not on the back of some tattooed roughneck’s bike and definitely not in his bed. But when she uncovers evidence supporting Vince’s suspicions of murder, Kim must entrust her safety to a man whose body threatens danger of a whole different kind.

Giveaway Gold and Black

The Reading Cafe and Cara’s publisher are offering a paper copy of GIVE IT ALL to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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

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

3. Please LIKE us on FACEBOOK and click GET NOTIFICATIONS

4. Please FOLLOW us on Twitter for an additional entry.

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

6. Please LIKE us on TSU for an additional entry.

7. Follow Cara McKenna on Twitter.

8. Giveaway is open to USA only

9. Giveaway runs from February 11-15, 2015

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Lay it Down (Desert Dogs #1) by Cara McKenna-a review

LAY IT DOWN (Desert Dogs #1) by Cara McKenna-a review

Lay It Down

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO / The Book Depository

RELEASE DATE: August 5, 2014

Backbreaking days, wild nights, and the hard hum of steel between your thighs…

That’s a life well lived, according to the Desert Dogs—four friends who call Fortuity, Nevada, their badlands home.

Vince Grossier is the self-crowned outlaw king around here. But when Fortuity’s slick new mayor invites a casino development to town, greed isn’t far behind—and it claims Vince’s good friend as its first casualty. With the law turning a blind eye to the mysterious death, Vince must seek his own brand of justice. The pretty photographer hired by the developers might be the key to uncovering the truth. And she’s a temptation too good to pass up.

Finally free of a controlling ex, Kim Paget’s not looking to be taken for a ride—not on the back of some tattooed roughneck’s bike and definitely not in his bed. But when she uncovers evidence supporting Vince’s suspicions of murder, Kim must entrust her safety to a man whose body threatens danger of a whole different kind.

•••••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: LAY IT DOWN is the first instalment in Cara McKenna’s new contemporary, adult Desert Dogs romantic suspense series focusing on a close-knit group of friends and family from Fortuity, Nevada who call themselves the ‘Desert Dogs’.

Eclipse Resort and Casinos has made more enemies than friends with their local construction and plans for the future in Fortuity, Nevada. As the casino development proceeds, local police officer Alex Dunn makes an ominous drunk call to his best friend Vince Grossier rambling about bones at the local construction site. When Alex is killed in a drunk driving accident, Vince isn’t convinced about the circumstances surrounding his best friend’s death and begins to investigate the possibility that Alex’s discovery is tied to his untimely demise-Alex would never drive drunk.

The storyline follows Vince, his brother Casey, friend Miah and professional photographer Kim Paget as they begin to uncover the truth and potential murder of Alex Dunn. Kim is a woman who was hired by Eclipse to take pictures of the local scenery but finds herself front and center when she mistakenly overhears what could very well be an admittance of murder and misdeeds.

The relationship between Vince and Kim is one of sensuality, sex and exploration. Vince’s motorcycle riding, hard driving alpha personality goes into overdrive when he realizes that Kim could be the next potential victim after she is confronted about what she heard and whom she saw. To protect Kim, Vince is willing to send Kim away for an extended period of time knowing that the woman who has stolen his heart may never return-like so many people before.

We are introduced to several secondary characters who all have a hidden past and a possible future in Fortuity, Nevada. Casey Grossier, Vince’s mysterious and long absent brother whose past is secreted from family and friends; Raina, the local tavern owner whose sex appeal is greatly appreciated by the locals and Vince’s buddy Miah. Miah and Raina have a history together that has only been glossed over but Miah’s attraction to Raina is evident and obvious to everyone concerned. We are also introduced to Duncan Welch-a solicitor for Eclipse Resorts and a man who will be pulled into Vince’s circle of friends as they endeavor to uncover the truth. Duncan’s role was questionable in the beginning but he is a man who is worthy of a second chance.

The world building brings the reader up close and personal to a small town’s struggle to survive in the wake of a new resort and casino that promises wealth, riches and local jobs. What the resort brings is controversy, heartache, death and dissolution.

Cara McKenna pulls the reader into a suspense filled and romantic storyline that investigates the death of friend who was loved by the people of Fortuity, Nevada. LAY IT DOWN is a story about friendship and loss; romance and love; passion and pain. Cara McKenna combines mystery, suspense, romance and a HEA into an emotional storyline about family and friendships that crosses miles and years, and the people pulled together by the murder of someone they know.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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