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My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren – a Review

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My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren – a Review

 

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Description:
Millie Morris has always been one of the guys. A UC Santa Barbara professor, she’s a female-serial-killer expert who’s quick with a deflection joke and terrible at getting personal. And she, just like her four best guy friends and fellow professors, is perma-single.

So when a routine university function turns into a black tie gala, Mille and her circle make a pact that they’ll join an online dating service to find plus-ones for the event. There’s only one hitch: after making the pact, Millie and one of the guys, Reid Campbell, secretly spend the sexiest half-night of their lives together, but mutually decide the friendship would be better off strictly platonic.

But online dating isn’t for the faint of heart. While the guys are inundated with quality matches and potential dates, Millie’s first profile attempt garners nothing but dick pics and creepers. Enter “Catherine”—Millie’s fictional profile persona, in whose make-believe shoes she can be more vulnerable than she’s ever been in person. Soon “Catherine” and Reid strike up a digital pen-pal-ship…but Millie can’t resist temptation in real life, either. Soon, Millie will have to face her worst fear—intimacy—or risk losing her best friend, forever.

 

 

 

Review:

My Favorite Half-Night Stand is my third exploration into the amazing duo that is Christina Lauren. Millie and Reid are best friends who partake in a bit of liquid courage and cross the line, at least for the half-night, into lovers. While thrilling, even better than they imagined, it was an itch to scratch, and the friendship just isn’t worth jeopardizing. Riiiight…that’s hardly a solid foundation…said no one ever, ?.

What ensues is a warped amalgamation of miscues, half-truths, and boundless joy to twist and churn as true love dictates. Right from the start, Millie’s frenetic energy was comparable to Hazel’s from a book ago (as was Reid’s equanimity in comparison to Josh’s). That similarity wasn’t a criticism. Chemistry was firing on all cylinders for Millie and Reid. Only this book was a much slower-paced story with occasional meandering scenes. Millie is stunted this way, I suppose. She stops and goes, giving off conflicting vibes.

This is how Reid was caught so unawares. But back to the story… Millie and Reid are surreptitiously savoring their night that shall not be mentioned, but both are forging ahead with their circle of friends on joining a dating app to find plus-ones for a departmental soiree. When the guys meet with relative success, but Millie is being propositioned by shallow suitors, Millie thinks outside the box, and sets up a second, anonymous profile. Here, she reveals deeper truths and puts herself out there like never before. Guess who turns out to be a match, like “98% compatible”? Duh…Reid. Only Reid believes her name is Cat. Millie’s great, their night was great, Reid could maybe want more of those nights, but Cat…she’s open and stimulating. Their messaging compulsive. Oh! What a tangled web we weave… Fear of rejection or admitting real feelings propelled Millie into creating the nom de plume. But making Cat so appealing, genuinely catching Reid ‘s interest, is now Millie’s cross to bear. “I mean, let’s not forget I basically catfished my best friend.” Now Millie has to reconcile those subsequent emotions, fallout?, and only herself to blame for the original deceit.

What a mess. Her heart might have been more ready than her head. Reid and Millie are extraordinarily compatible. Their shared sensibilities and hopes aren’t carefully crafted, they’re innately driven. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out the ending and that HEA will be achieved — Christina Lauren are goddesses of romance. But it’s pulling off that threat, the very real danger to your forever ever after, that is significant to a reader. Millie’s vulnerability is a feat in and of itself; tremendous and pivotal to the success of earning trust. Does she possess the strength to go for what she wants or will she sit back and lick her wounds?

 I enjoyed My Favorite Half-Night Stand. Falling in love is as exciting as it is nerve wracking and Christina Lauren know their way around its pitfalls and swoons. You are treated to hilarious moments and painful introspection on the road to fresh perspective. I did feel like certain plotlines lingered too long while some could’ve used more passion to pack a punch, but it’s a satisfying read. These ladies deliver and I hope it’s not too long before the next journey of love arrives.

Reviewed by Carmen

Copy provided by Publisher

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You Had Me at Cowboy by Jennie Marts – Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

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You Had Me at Cowboy by Jennie Marts – Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

 

 

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Description:
This cowboy is falling hard

Mason James is the responsible one who stayed behind to run the ranch while his brother, Rock, took off to play professional hockey. Women have used him before to get to his brother–and Mason intends never to get burned again. But after he meets quirky Tessa Kane at his brother’s wedding, Mason discovers he’s ready to take a chance on love.

Tessa Kane is a reporter on the verge of losing a job she desperately needs–unless she’s clever enough to snag a story on the famous Rockford James. But when she falls for her subject’s brother, she’s caught between a rock and a hard-muscled cowboy. What will happen when Mason finds out who she really is?

 

Review:

Dilemma: Deny yourself a HEA to save your grandmother/family home? Tessa faces such an obstacle, and after you’ve swooned for Mason, you might start packing Grandma’s bags, too. I kid, I kid. You Had Me at Cowboy, book 2 of the Cowboys of Creedence series by Jennie Marts, sets up this complicated situation that is sure to break hearts or build dreams. Based on my experience with this writer, you’re in for a bumpy ride. 😉

Now let’s see just how tenuous the situation is. Tess was just fired from her job as a reporter for not submitting “hit pieces”. You know the kind. The salacious, grab-your-copy while-you-can story. Usually exploitative and most certainly damaging to a celebrity. Though not her typical fare, Tess is far from being selective due to the limits afforded by unemployment. When opportunity arises from the ashes of her career, Tess pounces and agrees to expose the real reason why playboy hockey star, Rock James, is rushing to the altar.

“You want to keep your job, Tess? Go in there and get me THAT story” “You want me to go spy on the bride and groom at their own party?” “That’s exactly what I want you to do. Go in there and mingle… Talk to the family, the guests, find the dirt.”

 So far so easy, right? Rock’s notorious reputation has garnered tons of interest so she’ll have to maneuver her way into the pre-wedding events to extract her story. It’s here, however, that a too-tight shirt changes the course of her life. A real life cowboy, a chivalry-isn’t-dead-kind-of cowboy, intervenes on Tess’s behalf, sparing her from a fashion faux pas, and illuminates a path to the festivities. Just so? He happens to be the Best Man. And, oh, yeah…his name is Mason James. He’s the bad boy’s younger brother. Doh!

 Fun ensues and I do mean fun. Mason and Tess genuinely connect and it takes them both by surprise. Burned by previous relationships, neither was expecting the initial moment of lust to linger and downright ignite. The purpose of Tess’s presence can’t be ignored for long, however, especially when there’s a deadline and, worse, her heart is at risk of falling madly in love.

 Love from deception? Crazier things have happened. Even though the Creedence series is not centered in Texas, “clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose” is apropos to surviving the chaos surrounding Mason and Tess. Is love enough to forgive…but how can it possibly be love when they’ve only just met? Answers, satisfying, deep-sigh kind of answers, await you. Jennie Marts tangles her characters in an abundance of romance and comedy enough to charm the boots off of you!

Reviewed by Carmen

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

Excerpt: Plan CTessa slipped into the back door of the lodge, clutching the clean shirt to her waist. She spied the ladies’ room door at the end of the hall and hurried toward it, but the door wouldn’t budge.
Dang it.
She waited a few seconds, then checked the other doors in the hallway. The first one was locked, but the second opened into an odd combination coat closet and storeroom, and she slipped inside. One half of the small room was carpeted and had a rod of hangers along part of the wall, while the other side was tiled and had a tall shelf that held assorted books and cleaning supplies.
The room didn’t have a lock, but it would work in a pinch, and she wouldn’t need long to change.
She quickly unbuttoned the stained silk blouse and let it fall to the floor, her mind preoccupied with how she was going to get into the party without Mick. This wasn’t how her day was supposed to go—especially the part about locking her keys in the car—but after a quick round of cussing, followed by a swift bout of self-pity, she’d rallied, giving herself the kind of pep talk she imagined Mimi would have offered.
This might not have been the original plan for the day, but she was improvising and moving on to plan B.
Shoving her arms into the sleeves, she noticed the shirt felt odd but didn’t realize what the problem was until she tried to pull the lapels together. What the heck?
She pulled at the sides again and felt the material stretch across her back.
No. I couldn’t have.
She looked closer at the shirt, and her shoulders fell.
I did. She’d grabbed the wrong white shirt from the dryer. Instead of removing her roomy, stretch-cotton shirt, she’d taken her grandmother’s blouse. Her petite five-foot-nothing grandmother.
Well, shit. She wanted to weep as she looked down and realized there was no way she was squeezing her ample chest into that blouse.
Plan B ruined by a double-D cup!
Dammit.
Please fit, she prayed as she tried again, squashing her chest and working to squeeze the small button into the opposite hole. She cursed the extra weight she’d put on, knowing this wasn’t the first time lately she’d tried to squeeze into apparel that was just a smidge to small.
She let out a tiny shriek as the door to the utility closet suddenly opened, then froze as she took in the ridiculously handsome cowboy who filled its frame. The hinges of his chiseled jaw must’ve been broken because his mouth dropped open, and his eyes went wide at the sight of her.
Par for the course of her day, the button on her shirt picked that horribly inopportune moment to work free, and her shirt popped open like a can of biscuits.
“Oh dang. Sorry,” the cowboy muttered, his eyes widening further as his gaze dropped to the black lacy bra for just a moment before he turned his back and shimmied out of his suit jacket. He passed it back to her. “You all right there, miss?”
No, she was not all right. She was definitely not all right.
She wanted to cry and stamp her feet and run home to Mimi’s house to curl up on her grandmother’s outdated chintz sofa and stuff her face with marshmallow cookies.
But that wasn’t an option because Mimi’s cupboards were bare, and she may not have her house—or the chintz sofa—for much longer. Tess held back a sigh as she slid her arms into the sleeves of the jacket, careful not to mess up the red rose pinned to the lapel.
It was time to admit defeat. To give up on this stupid plan and try to come up with another way to raise the money. She wasn’t cut out for this kind of stress. Maybe she should rethink Mimi’s spiked lemonade-stand idea or see if she could get a job as a waitress.
“I’m fine. Mostly. Except that a bird pooped on my shirt, and the one I was trying to change into must have shrunk in the dryer.” She couldn’t believe she’d just blurted out the bird-turd fiasco, and she couldn’t bring herself to admit the added stupid mistake of grabbing the wrong blouse. “I just need a minute.”
“I’ll leave you to it then,” he answered, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips as he backed away from the door.
She pulled one side of the coat over the other, thankful the suit jacket covered her exposed chest.
Hmmm. She skimmed the satiny petals of the rose. Boutonnieres were typically reserved for the bridal party. This guy must be one of the groomsmen.
“Wait,” she called as the cute cowboy started to walk away.
Plan B had just turned into plan C. 


 

Jennie Marts is the USA TODAY Best-selling author of award-winning books filled with love, laughter, and always a happily ever after. Readers call her books “laugh out loud” funny and the “perfect mix of romance, humor, and steam.” Fic Central claimed one of her books was “the most fun I’ve had reading in years.”
She is living her own happily ever after in the mountains of Colorado with her husband, two dogs, and a parakeet that loves to tweet to the oldies. She’s addicted to Diet Coke, adores Cheetos, and believes you can’t have too many books, shoes, or friends.

Her books include the contemporary western romance Hearts of Montana series, the romantic comedy/ cozy mysteries of The Page Turners series, the hunky hockey-playing men in the Bannister family in the Bannister Brothers Books, and the small-town romantic comedies in the Lovestruck series of Cotton Creek Romances.
Jennie loves to hear from readers. Follow her on Facebook at Jennie Marts Books, or Twitter at @JennieMarts. Visit her at www.jenniemarts.com and sign up for her newsletter to keep up with the latest news and releases.

 


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Heart of Ice by Lisa Edmonds – a Review

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Heart of Ice by Lisa Edmonds – a Review

 

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Description:
Discover Alice. Private Investigator of the Supernatural.

Even the coldest hearts can burn…

After closing a big case for the Vampire Court, mage private investigator Alice Worth is relieved to be back solving magical mysteries with her ghost sidekick Malcolm and spending quality time with sexy alpha werewolf Sean. Her latest case puts her on the trail of a burglary ring targeting wealthy collectors of magical objects. Meanwhile, Alice’s grandfather, crime lord Moses Murphy, fights a local boss for control of the city. Soon a new danger emerges: Moses’s new lieutenant is someone Alice knows and this is one family reunion she wants to avoid at all costs.

When Sean is injured as a result of her investigation, Alice faces the wrath of his pack and finds herself in a carefully laid trap. To save the city from Moses and his lieutenant, she risks capture by her grandfather and unimaginable torture at his hands. To save Sean, she risks losing everything she’s fought so hard to gain. But Alice has never backed down from anything in her life and she’s not about to start now…

 

 

Review:

“Little by little, one step at a time, I was freeing myself from my past and the fortress I’d built for myself.”

 Alice is back at it with mage magic, a PI license (currently employed by the Vampire court), a budding romance she’s savoring, but trying her hardest not to foul up, and evading the ever present danger that is her grandfather. Heart of Ice by Lisa Edmonds, book 3 in the Alice Worth series, displays a prowess in heart and soul, and the ice she inexorably wields like a second skin; on demand to defend herself. Another win in my opinion, another anxious wait for book 4.

Alice is working hard. When busy infiltrating hate groups to expose their anti-“supe” sentiment, she’s retrieving magical artifacts imbued with volatile power. Naturally, this innate ability of hers rankles those of “lesser means” and makes Alice the target of revenge. All part of the job, she thinks. Not so much for those who love her. This particular foe is a weaponized adversary and Alice’s protection becomes monumentally important for Sean, her werewolf beau and Charles, the vampire who’d love to be on the receiving end of her passions. When the posturing ends, both Charles and Sean scramble to outshine the other, you wonder where Alice’s heart really lies. While I’m definitely pro-vampire, Sean’s a genuinely good guy (kinda like how Peeta was good for Katniss). Alice has been fiercely independent for so long, however, Sean may end up as collateral damage; choices forcing her hand. It’s heartening to see Alice embrace her developing relationship, she genuinely feels deeply for Sean, but it may prove to be too secure in an all too insecure environment.

As the girlfriend of the alpha, pack politics are a bit more stifling than Alice anticipated and it’s really getting old being stared down and snarled at as a sign of displeasure. Those in the pack who resent her non-shifter status can just suck it! Of course that reaction is on the down-low because Alice can’t disrupt or interfere in Sean’s inner circle. Investigative work, retrieving ancient magical artifacts, and finding a place within the shifter community all tend to be harrowing and detrimental to Alice’s anonymity, which is paramount to her success as Alice Worth.

 I’d previously drawn similarities between Alice and a few popular fictional characters, but allow me to declare that Alice is “Worth”-y and simply a strong ass hero. Not only can she defend herself, and others, in physical combat, and magical strengths (her spellwork is tantalizing to the senses), but she can make the toughest decisions, those of the heart, to protect the ones she loves. This comes at great cost to her, the safety of her dearest and cherished few.

I’ve said too much and not enough. I’m so happy to have started this series! Alice is always balancing happiness and duty. She will sacrifice as she sees fit, but hopes to maintain those close relationships…should they start to falter. It’s easier to ask forgiveness than permission? Oh, oh. The usually-far-from-tight noose has found its mark and Alice finds herself too exposed. How neutral will Sean be if Alice calls in vampire allies to curtail threats? I’m first in line to inhale those unfolding events. I love Alice Worth!

Reviewed by Carmen

Copy supplied for review

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Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren – Review & Blog Tour

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Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren – Review & Blog Tour

 

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Description:
Hazel Camille Bradford knows she’s a lot to take—and frankly, most men aren’t up to the challenge. If her army of pets and thrill for the absurd don’t send them running, her lack of filter means she’ll say exactly the wrong thing in a delicate moment. Their loss. She’s a good soul in search of honest fun.

Josh Im has known Hazel since college, where her zany playfulness proved completely incompatible with his mellow restraint. From the first night they met—when she gracelessly threw up on his shoes—to when she sent him an unintelligible email while in a post-surgical haze, Josh has always thought of Hazel more as a spectacle than a peer. But now, ten years later, after a cheating girlfriend has turned his life upside down, going out with Hazel is a breath of fresh air.

Not that Josh and Hazel date. At least, not each other. Because setting each other up on progressively terrible double blind dates means there’s nothing between them…right?

 

 

Review:

Hazel declares four personality traits on page 1. They’re both enviable and quirky, bold to be sure, but to be all of those at once?! Powerhouse or powder keg? Josh has gleaned these qualities from afar, their interactions few and far between, but he intuitively steers away from Hazel’s chaos. This assessment was also college-induced. Years later, careers established, unexpected interpersonal connection, Josh and Hazel embark on the friendship of a lifetime. I just discovered Christina Lauren two months ago, Love and Other Words literally rearranged and found a lovely place in my Top 10 reads. Josh & Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating was infectious, full of life, and totally enchanting!

Hazel is an island unto herself. She’s exciting and engaging, honest and immensely thoughtful, a teacher who revels in expanding horizons and broadening meanings. It doesn’t necessarily make her endearing, several men find it exhilarating yet exhausting, and ask her to “turn it down”. But it’s this reappraisal that’s come with a price; a blow to her self-esteem. As a result, Hazel will not engage in reinventing herself to appease others. She is unapologetically unique.
 
“This is the perfect setup for boy-girl bestship: I’ve already been unbearable near you, which makes it impossible to scare you away.”
 
While Hazel might have come across as haphazardly zany once upon a time, Josh recognizes her innate goodness, and perhaps his own shortsightedness. Hazel’s insight breathes fresh air into his orderly life and perspective upon Josh’s long-suffering relationship. The dawning attracted the generally inhibited Josh to roam and explore outside the box.
 
I could go on and on about the growth and development of our MCs, the details, and even finer, more glorious details, of their ever-evolving feelings, but interestingly enough: they don’t want to date each other. Kismet, as its wont to be, decides to intensify their awareness AFTER they decide to be each others’ wing men. Bad dates turned out uneventful for both, hmmm… and “good” dates left them equally uneasy. Big mood. This symbiosis, though hardly surprising to the swooning reader, complicated matters and allowed for speculation of an all-encompassing love and future. Truly, their hearts were so engulfed by the other, they were adorably clueless. Christina Lauren nurtured the friendship to dazzling depths and it only served to deepen their devotion. There’s a fearless beauty in such resolve to appreciate, and wait, for their moment.

Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating reminded me of Jennifer Aniston and Ben Stiller’s characters from the movie, Along Came Polly. Two opposites collide and crash, disrupting each other’s comfort zones, only to transform into a life-affirming force. I loved this book and can assure you will undoubtedly feel its impact as well.

 P.S. Christina Lauren, there IS something special about an ice cold PBR! Wish that I could share one with you! 😉

Reviewed by Carmen

Copy provided by Publisher

 


Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of longtime writing partners Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. They are New York Times, USA Today, and #1 international bestselling authors of the Beautiful and Wild Seasons series, Sublime, The House, Dating You/Hating You and the critically acclaimed Autoboyography. Roomies (released December 2017), has been optioned for film by Jenna Dewan’s company Everheart Productions, with Christina and Lauren set to write the screenplay.  

FIND THEM ONLINE:

Website:  www.christinalaurenbooks.com

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/ChristinaLaurenBooks

Twitter: @ChristinaLauren

Instagram: @ChristinaLauren

 

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How to Train Your Baron by Diana Lloyd – a Review

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How to Train Your Baron by Diana Lloyd – a Review

 

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Description:
When Elsinore Cosgrove escapes a ballroom in search of adventure, she has no idea it will lead to a hasty marriage. The youngest daughter of a duke, all she wants is to make her own choices. Now she’s engaged to an infuriating, handsome Scottish baron who doesn’t even know her name! Using all her feminine wiles, along with advice gleaned from a training guide for hunting hounds, Elsinore is determined to mold her baron into the husband she wants.

Quin Graham is a man with many secrets. If another scandal can be avoided with a sham marriage, so be it. Only his fiancée isn’t at all what he’s expecting, and the clumsy, curious, and clever Elsinore refuses to be set aside. For reasons he’s unwilling to explain, the last thing Quin needs is to fall for his wife.

 

 

Review:

As a woman, the world provided her with only three opportunities–spinster, wife or demirep. Her life would be defined by the men in it, be it father, husband or rake.”
 
Rankles, doesn’t it? Clever Elsinore, you’ll come to discover, doesn’t have a fondness for convention. She purposefully ruins her chance at a noble arrangement, opting for adventure and an unexpected future, with a kiss! Scotsman (and Baron) Quin, was just being helpful, but acquiesced to the norms of society when caught in the compromised position. The marriage will alleviate Elsinore’s woes, but Quin’s past might make her regret her hasty decision. How to Train your Baron, a What Happens in the Ballroom novel by Diana Lloyd, was a bit of a trial, much like its title. There was hardly a moment’s peace with Quin and Elsinore’s insecurities and assumptions disrupting a path to HEA.
 
The scandal was clever, in my honest opinion; I deduced Elsinore to be resourceful and challenging when cornered. Unfortunately, her schemes quickly became irritating antics! Elsinore, though desperate to escape the confines of the peerage (reckless behavior for the win), is making good on a book acquired through her brother’s library. Only “Oglethorpe’s Treatise on the Obedient Canine” is now being modified to bring her fiance up to scratch! I’m going to blame it on age/naivete, but wasn’t Elsinore the one who got them in this mess? To kiss Quin inappropriately (though he’d never complain, the gentleman!) only to plot yet again in hopes of delaying the wedding because of impossible notions she’s drummed up!? If things didn’t go Elsinore’s way, another plan was dispatched. What do you want, daft girl?!
 
Quin’s aforementioned demons harangued him to the point of paranoia; essentially drawing a line in the sand that was to remain in place throughout their marriage. And he’s supposed to be the experienced partner. You’ll be hard-pressed to identify the “mature” voice.
 
“Elsinore was beautiful, witty, intelligent, and adventurous–she was also willful and impulsive. They were all qualities that would make her difficult to safe-guard and hard to hold. He could not lose his heart to her. Loving him was death.”
 
This all got convoluted, and unnecessarily so. The bones were there for a great love story: push and pull, give and take, hurt and forgive. But the whiplash of emotions and feelings made it a frustrating read. Aside from self-sabotage and fruitless comparisons, threatening notes meant to blackmail Quin tack on heightened danger. Ashamed of his past mistakes, Quin chooses to spare Elsinore the corresponding stigma attached to his name and engages in poor choices. If remaining loyal to someone when times are tough isn’t the definition of love, isolation awaits.
 
Be prepared to lose your patience with both MCs, but trust that Diana Lloyd makes it come together. The writing was strong and her intent was note-worthy. She just needs to stop undermining what the heart wants by testing it at every turn. Even the most straightforward love story contains magic. I appreciated Ms. Lloyd’s finale enough, a mutual awakening, to anticipate the next installation.

Reviewed by Carmen

Copy provided by Publisher

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Heart of Fire by Lisa Edmonds – a Review

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Heart of Fire by Lisa Edmonds – a Review

 

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Description:
Join Alice. Private Investigator of the Supernatural.

It has been a rough month for mage private investigator Alice Worth.

Alice hasn’t had a decent night’s sleep in weeks, her relationship with werewolf Sean Maclin is on the rocks, a federal agent hounds her every step, and a powerful vampire whose ulterior motives have ulterior motives watches her every move. It’s enough to drive any woman to drink.

Just when Alice’s ghost sidekick Malcolm is about to stage an intervention, her former employer, Mark Dunlap, enlists her help to find out who’s been kidnapping women off the streets. As the list of the missing grows, the city’s anger turns against the vampires, and the Vampire Court hires Mark and Alice to find those responsible. After the case reunites her with Sean, Alice is forced to confront painful demons from her past, as well as the very real demon who wants her dead and the vampire determined to control her power.

When tragedy strikes close to home and a friend’s life hangs in the balance, Alice goes up against the most powerful adversary she’s ever faced in an explosive showdown that will leave Alice and her city forever changed.

 

Review:

Reading in chronological order is not something I take lightly, my friends.  But life was just so busy, I had to dive in to Heart of Fire sans introductory book *wipes upper lip*.  Not only was it a great read, but I may have found my new guilty pleasure! ?.  Kudos to the talented writing of Lisa Edmonds!

I’ve deciphered that Alice is a mage, the best around, but she’s hiding from a powerful, terrifying grandfather who used her abilities for self-aggrandizement.  She’s managed to fly under his radar, so she’s staying busy working her PI business and invariably making friends.  Friends who want to get close, want to, you know, be friendly.  Alice, being on this side of churlish, struggles to maintain said friendships and that alone is entertaining as well as endearing (think Marvel’s Jessica Jones).  Surviving her childhood is a cautionary tale for future relationships, but she hasn’t learned to be proactive just yet.

When Alice takes on a case of disappearing prostitutes and homeless people, “We’re in the middle of a drug-fueled, magic -enhanced crime wave”, while being stalked by a poltergeist (though this one is reserved solely for her eyes), her mage skills, and team player camaraderie, are stretched to the limit.  Alice extends her knowledge, experience and savvy to former bosses, former lovers, would-be lovers, to federal agents.  Will Alice be able to discover the menace and navigate the waters of her expanding magic, including several interested/opportunistic supernatural creatures who may seek to undermine or sabotage her investigation?  How can she ask for help when vested parties can’t seem to get along?

Alice is an independent, intriguing woman.  She’s keeping a low profile to remain undetected by her grandfather, but her skills have progressed and augmented to impressive levels; attracting lots of attention.  Not all welcome.  I’d be lying if I didn’t address similarities with other characters I’ve read.  My gut reactions to Alice, Charles and Sean’s relationship was reminiscent of another well known series involving Anita Blake, Jean Claude *pause, swoon* and Richard’s.  Malcolm the ghost reminded me of Angel, Charley Davidson’s cholo sidekick in that spellbinding series, buuuut they were only traces — I thoroughly enjoyed Alice Worth by her own merits.  This is due to the the energy and spirit of Lisa Edmonds.  She developed a good storyline layered with depth and intention to entice the reader.  I want to retrace Alice’s steps to her first encounter with Malcolm, are they bound?, to the men of varying species who find her so irresistible.  They’ve got good taste!

Lisa Edmonds has made an instant fan of me.  I look forward to reading the next case that requires Alice’s special set of skills.  Maybe a certain character returns to collaborate, or another character disappoints Alice, thus allowing for a change of heart?  A shakeup like she never imagined?  My bias is showing, but I’m here for it!  Until then, I’m making it a point to read book 1.

Reviewed by Carmen

Copy supplied for review

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Wagering for Miss Blake by Callie Hutton – a Review

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Wagering for Miss Blake by Callie Hutton – a Review

 

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Description:
Mr. Giles Templeton, third son of the Earl of Wexford, is a rake of the highest order and a confirmed bachelor. Yet, marriage-minded-mamas continue to drag their daughters to his attention. He’s everything a young lady of the ton could want—handsome, wealthy, charming, and kind. For Miss Suzanna Blake, though, Giles is missing the one thing her parents require in a potential son-in-law—a title.

Giles has a golden touch—investments, horses, connections but when he falls…hard for Suzanna, she turns him away, despite the passion sparking between them. At wit’s end, Giles wagers her that not only will she marry him but he’ll make her fall in love with him. If Suzanna wins, she gains a sizable fortune for her favorite charity but she faces a loveless marriage to a titled man. Though her heart yearns for a true love-match with Giles, she has never gone against her parent’s wishes. All bets are off when happiness lies in losing a wager.

 

Review:

Book 4 of the Lords and Ladies in Love series, Wagering for Miss Blake, will accelerate your heart rate with a sensual game of cat and mouse, but most importantly, earn high praise for defending the importance of love. Callie Hutton takes the ton to task with the collectiveive, indomitable spirit of Giles and Suzanna.

Giles Templeton’s lack of a title has never been a deterrent; his rakish ways even charming. But it’s the single most vexing, nay, tormenting impediment to winning over Suzanna Blake.

“However, she’d been quite disappointed when he’d been introduced as Mr. Templeton. She sighed inwardly. Mother would never approve, and Father would go along with whatever Mother wanted. And her mother wanted a title for her only daughter. A title.”

So it’s her mother, more accurately.

Giles is the son of an earl, but not the first…with the coveted title. Second place is first loser, if Ricky Bobby were to tell it. Bugger that. Suzanna has been conditioned to attain the elusive title via marriage, but life’s purpose changed upon meeting Giles. If only choices were hers to make!

Suzanna and Giles were enamored from the onset; their conversations captivating and engaging. It really was a harsher, critical time to thrive among the nobility. Any mother would want happiness and true love for her daughter, but the stigma attached, the expectations imposed, are confining and sheltered.

I was impressed by Suzanna’s strength and spine. She thought little of the ton’s amenities and falling in love with Giles steeled her resolve to fight for her future. Giles…swoon-worthy to be sure! A genuine charmer, with a healthy amount of arrogance and confidence, but never a hypocrite nor disingenuous.

“When I want something, I do everything in my power to succeed. Except deceit. I will win you fairly and honorably.”

Will Suzanna sacrifice Giles’s devotion, and her happiness, to appease her mother? Gretna Green sounds far more tantalizing, don’t you agree? I really enjoyed Wagering Miss Blake! Giles was relentless in his pursuit and I loved the progress he made to allay Susanna’s fears, however incrementally. Strides were life-affirming. I found Giles’s bachelor blue blood besties to be just as devil-may-care and I’m certain Ms. Hutton can maintain this high with their HEAs.

Reviewed by Carmen

Copy provided by Publisher

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Three Day Fiancee by Marissa Clarke – a Review

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Three Day Fiancee by Marissa Clarke – a Review

 

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Description:
Helicopter pilot Taylor Blankenship’s time schedule is maxed out. Between his job, his one-hundred and fifty pound slobbering mess of a dog, and his matchmaking grandmother, he has no time for anyone or anything-especially a woman. If only there were a way to get Grams to back down.

The job of New York City dog walker suits Caitlin Ramos perfectly while she preps for her CPA exam—steady, scheduled, and requiring very little human interaction; a huge seller since she’s still on the mend from a toxic relationship. Men suck. Especially her bossy hot client with the Saint Bernard that thinks it’s a lap dog. No way will she go for his plan to pretend they’re engaged to get his grandmother off his case. Down, boy.

Offered a bargain she can’t refuse, Caitlin finds herself playing the part of fiancée to Taylor. Fortunately, it’s only for three days. All she has to do is fake a relationship with Mr. Bossy Pants in front of his entire family, survive a fierce game of truth or dare with an unscrupulous pair of octogenarians, endure a one-on-one round of Twister with Taylor, and not lose her heart to a guy who turns out to be a lot more than she’d bargained for.

 

 

 

Review:

“I need you to pretend to be my fiancee.” When she scowled, he spoke faster. “Just for Gram’s party.” The scowl was softened by a questioning arch of her eyebrow. “She’s been at me forever to find a girl and settle down and this will get her off my back. And it’ll make her happy,” he added. “She could use a little happiness.”
 
 Seems simple enough, right? Not when all cylinders of attraction are firing and you’re shutting down your desires – the ones that want exactly what you’re not supposed to have! :D. Three Day Fiancee by Marissa Clarke is a sweet love story that blooms from innocent deceit to promises of forever.

Caitlin and Taylor have never had the pleasure — he’s an “on demand” helicopter pilot who only uses Caitlin’s dog walker services to keep his best friend entertained while he’s off. When Caitlin and Taylor collide, and it’s a sexy tumble!, his idea takes root and he convinces Caitlin to aid in his abetting. It’s three days of harmless duplicity, fake it till you make it stuff, but neither expected something momentous to overtake their plan. Something special that is worthy of exploration, preconceived limits aside.

Life has a way of thwarting progress for a myriad of reasons. Caitlin and Taylor are undeniably in like with each other, but their futures are at odds. Throw in respective romantic backstories, a few pertinent reveals, and our couple is baffled as to why they ever considered deviating from the original arrangement.

 I enjoy Marissa Clarke very much — she is a solid storyteller of HEA. Three Day Fiancee takes the kindness of strangers to the next level!

Reviewed by Carmen

Copy provided by Publisher

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