Tag Archives: Lexi Blake

Delighted (Masters & Mercenaries 24.5) by Lexi Blake-Review tour

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Delighted (Masters & Mercenaries 24.5: 1001 Dark Nights) by Lexi Blake-Review & Excerpt tour

 

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 7, 2022.

Brian “Boomer” Ward believes in sheltering strays. After all, the men and women of McKay-Taggart made him family when he had none. So when the kid next door needs help one night, he thinks nothing of protecting her until her mom gets home. But when he meets Daphne Carlton, the thoughts hit him hard. She’s stunning and hardworking and obviously in need of someone to put her first. It doesn’t hurt that she’s as sweet as the cupcakes she bakes.

Daphne Carlton’s life revolves around two things—her kid and her business. Daphne’s Delights is her dream—to take the recipes of her childhood and share them with the world. Her daughter, Lula, is the best kid she could have hoped for. Lula’s got a genius-level intelligence and a heart of gold. But she also has two grandparents who control her access to private school and the fortune her father left behind. They’re impossible to please, and Daphne worries that one wrong move on her part could cost her daughter the life she deserves.

As Daphne and Boomer find themselves getting closer, outside forces put pressure on the new couple. But if they make it through the storm, love will just be the icing on the cake because family is the real prize.

•••••

REVIEW:DELIGHTED is instalment 24.5 in Lexi Blake’s contemporary, adult MASTERS AND MERCENARIES erotic, romantic suspense series, and Lexi’s latest addition to the multi-authored 1001 Dark Nights series. This is former CIA operative Brian ‘Boomer’Ward, and single mother/ bakery owner Daphne Carlton’s story line. DELIGHTED can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Boomer and Daphne) DELIGHTED focuses on the building romance and relationship between former CIA operative Brian ‘Boomer’Ward, and single mother/ bakery owner Daphne Carlton. Daphne Carlton is a single mother, and struggles in the wake of her former in-laws interfering in the way she raises her twelve year old daughter. When the elderly babysitter leaves without notice, Daphne finds herself facing her sexy next door neighbor, Brian ‘Boomer’ Ward, the man her daughter has quickly called a friend. Boomer Ward’s attraction to Daphne is immediate but our hero struggles to believe he is worthy of his own happily ever after. Offering up the McKay-Taggart day care/family setting, Boomer pulls Daphne into their lives, lives that are now willing to risk to help the woman with whom Boomer is falling in love. A break-in, a stalker and threats from the former in-law find Daphne on the edge of control until the team at McKay-Taggart uncover the truth about what was happening and why. What ensues is the quick building romance and relationship between Daphne and Boomer, and the potential fall-out as a search reveals Boomer has secrets Daphne knows nothing about.

The relationship between Boomer and Daphne is one of immediate attraction but Daphne hasn’t dated since the death of her late husband. Falling for Boomer was easy but Daphne’s first priority was her daughter’s health and safety, safety that is threatened when someone destroys the place where they lived. Brian ‘Boomer’ Ward knows Daphne Carlton is the woman that calls to his heart but Boomer struggles with issues of low self-esteem, issues that continue in the face of his success and good looks. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate

We are reintroduced to several members of the McKay-Taggart family including Charlotte , Big Tag and their teenagers; MaeBe Vaughn, as well as Daphne’s daughter Lou, and her former mother-in –law Amelia Carlton.

DELIGHTED is a fast paced, engaging and captivating story focusing on family, friendships, relationships and love. The premise is engaging; the romance is seductive; the characters are energetic and quirky. The epilogue fast-forwards the series approximately twelve years, where once again, the author gives us a brief look into the future, and the next generation of McKay-Taggart operatives.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

 

 

“It was a rough day. I could use a hug, if you don’t mind,” she said, trying to hold back tears. “The oven is going to die soon, and I don’t have the money to fix it, and I’m going to fail.”
His arms came around her, and she breathed him in. He smelled clean and crisp, like a spring wind. Her brain knew it had to be soap, but she associated the smell with him, and it soothed her.
“It’s okay.” He rocked her a little. “I’ve got a friend who is good with appliances. I can ask her to look at it. Don’t worry, Daph. It’s going to be all right. Lou’s good here. I promise. Lou’s good, and you’re going to be okay. I can’t let you go under or Big Tag would get mad at me. He really likes lemon cupcakes.”
They stood there for a moment, his warmth melting some of the ice that had built up over the last several years.
She tilted her head up, and that gorgeous man was staring down at her like he could eat her up, and warm was no longer the word she would use.
Hot. Desire flooded her system like a flash fire, and she wanted nothing more than to go up on her toes and kiss those magnificent lips of his.
Those lips belonged to another woman, and that woman was in the building. What the hell was she thinking? He was a nice man. He didn’t want to kiss her. He was being kind.
She stepped back, wiping her eyes. “Thank you, Boomer. And if you do have someone who can take a look at the oven, I would so appreciate it. You get all the cupcakes. What kind does MaeBe like? Would she be okay with the hugging thing?”
He frowned, like he was trying to figure something out. “I hug Mae a lot. At least I used to. She’s not so huggy these days. She likes anything chocolate.”
Boomer had looked sad when he’d said Mae didn’t hug him much anymore. She hated the thought of this big cuddly god of a man being in a cold relationship, but she wasn’t going to be the reason they broke up.
“Then I will make her something chocolate, and the lemon ones for your boss,” Daphne promised. She had to get these crazy urges under control or she would need to find Lou another place to stay, and she got the feeling Lou would object. “So where is the lounge? Or the gulag. That one kind of scares me.”
“Kala? Oh, that proves you have excellent instincts.” Boomer turned to walk back down the hall.
Those heads were back up above their cubicle walls, and she also noticed the doors to a whole bunch of offices were open.
“Is there a reason everyone is watching us?” She hurried down the hall to catch up with him.
“Because they’re all nosy bastards, and I can’t even complain,” Boomer replied. “I was a nosy bastard, too. We’re a weird family, and everyone is always in everyone else’s business, but it’s not a bad thing. The kind of people who would take advantage get weeded out very quickly around here. Big Tag takes care of them, and there’s usually a lawsuit, but that’s what Mitch is for. Hey, we also have a criminal defense attorney on call. Her name is Lea, and she’s really scary. Now if she had been working the reception desk when we invaded, we might have had trouble.”
She loved listening to him talk. His voice was deep, but every word was tinged with the humor he seemed to have for the world around him. The positive light he exuded was always there in his words.
If only the man weren’t attached…
She shoved aside the thought because he was totally out of her league. They weren’t even playing the same game.
But maybe they could be friends. 


 

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / WEBSITE / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

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THE MAN FROM SANCTUM (M & M: Reloaded 3) by Lexi Blake-Tour

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THE MAN FROM SANCTUM (Masters & Mercenaries: Reloaded 3) by Lexi Blake

 

 

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Add The Man From Sanctum to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3FqNcLV

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 8, 2022

A painful past

Deke Murphy and Maddie Hall should never have worked as a couple in high school. She was the class valedictorian and he the jock who took nothing seriously…except her. Together they formed an amazing team, and young love blossomed into something that strengthened them both. Until tragedy struck and Deke made a sacrifice that split them up forever.

An unexpected reunion

Seventeen years later, Maddie is living her dream working for a brilliant tech guru in the beauty of Southern California. She’s made a life for herself and it’s first class all the way. She rarely thinks of the jock who dumped her all those years ago. But when Maddie realizes her boss might be part of an international conspiracy, she can’t deny Deke might be her best bet to solve the mystery. Her one-time sweetheart works for one of the world’s premiere security and investigative firms. She’ll hire him and prove to herself their relationship could never have worked.

A dangerous future

As Maddie and Deke begin to uncover her boss’s secrets, they can’t deny the chemistry that has reignited. But before they can explore the connection growing between them, they must survive the deadly forces hunting them down.

•••••••

REVIEW:  THE MAN FROM SANCTUM is the third instalment in Lexi Blake’s contemporary, adult MASTERS & MERCENARIES: RELOADED erotic, romantic suspense series-a spin off from the author’s various interconnected Masters and Mercenaries series, as well as a cross over with the author’s LAWLESS series. This is Dom/security specialist/former CIA Special Ops Deke Murphy, and IT/computer programmer specialist Maddie Hall’s story line. THE MAN FROM SANCTUM can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line and series is revealed where necessary.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise there may be triggers for more sensitive readers with some scenes of bondage and discipline, domination and submission including spanking.

Told from third person perspective THE MAN FROM SANCTUM follows the rebuilding romance relationship between Dom/security specialist/former CIA Special Ops Deke Murphy, and IT/computer programmer specialist Maddie Hall. Approximately seventeen years earlier Maddie Hall’s heart was destroyed when her high school sweetheart, Deke Murphy, sent our heroine packing, without looking back. A disastrous Special Ops mission destroyed our story line hero, and in the ensuing years, Deke Murphy found a home with McKay-Taggart Operations, a group that specializes in undercover and dark ops investigations but Deke never expected to come face to face with the woman he pushed out of his life, a woman who is desperately looking for help in the face of a potential disaster. Enter IT/computer programmer Maddie Hall, and the woman with whom Deke is still in love. What ensues is the rebuilding relationship between Deke and Maddie, and the potential fall-out betrayal and vengeance are the name of the game.

Maddie Hall was devastated the day the boy/man that she loved pushed our heroine out of his life, and Deke refused to be the reason she stayed behind. Deke Murphy’s time in Special Forces left our hero a shell of his former self, having endured a lifetime of pain and suffering like no one else. Rekindling his relationship with Maddie has always been a priority but Maddie needs a Dom in an attempt to ferret out a potential betrayal and the possibility of a her life’s work used for nefarious purposes.

The relationship between Deke and Maddie is one of second chances: a rekindling romance and relationship in which Maddie needs to go undercover as a submissive, and Deke is the only man she trusts as her controlling Dom. Maddie is a newbie in the world of BDSM, a little naïve to the nuances of a Dom/sub relationship but Deke is determined to prove he is the man she has always loved. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate; the Dom/sub relationship contains scenes of bondage, discipline and spanking-our heroine isn’t a true submissive, and pushes at the boundary between submission and control.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and familiar secondary and supporting characters including most of whom we have met in previous story lines including Ian and Charlotte Taggart, IT specialist Mae Beatrice Vaughn aka MaeBe, former CIA agent Kyle Hawthorne, CIA operative Drake Radcliffe, Adam Miles, Jake and Boomer. We are introduced to Maddie’s boss and world renowned inventor Nolan Byrne, and his ‘associate’ Jane Adams. Once again, the members of The Club/Sanctum/and McKay Taggart are a family, such that each person is a part of the whole, a family that is often closer than blood but deception places the team in jeopardy leaving heart break and mistrust in its’ wake.

THE MAN FROM SANCTUM is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, forgiveness and acceptance, love and understanding. The premise is intriguing, revealing and captivating; the romance is seductive, erotic and intense; the characters are desperate, energetic, determined and strong.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Submission Impossible
The Dom Identity

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / WEBSITE / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

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Far From Bliss by Lexi Blake (Sophie Oak) -Review tour

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Far From Bliss (Nights in Bliss,Colorado 12) by Lexi Blake (Sophie Oak) -Review tour

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Add Far From Bliss to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3kC1Ma0

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 16, 2021

Shattered by the past

Michael Novak was a US Marshal with his whole life figured out. Right up until the woman he called partner betrayed him. He’s been hiding in Bliss, CO, trying to pull himself out of the darkness. The only bright light is Lucy Carson. Something about Trio’s favorite waitress calls to him, but he can’t trust his instincts anymore.

Yearning for the future

Lucy has loved Tyler since they were kids, but he never seemed to feel the same way. She worried she would never want a man the way she does Ty, and then Michael grumbled his way into her world. Beyond the broody exterior she sees a burning fire in his eyes, and she is drawn to that flame.

The time is finally right

Ty knows Lucy is the one for him, but Lucy wrote him off romantically long ago. If he could get her to see him in a different light, he knows she would realize that they’re perfect for each other. His obstacle is the town’s reclusive former lawman, Michael. But this is Bliss. A rival can turn into a partner for the right woman. And Lucy is definitely the right woman.

Ty approaches Michael with a plan to get Lucy between them. A bargain is made, and Lucy is their target. But Lucy is already in much more dangerous crosshairs. Murder has come to Bliss, and Lucy is at the center of the investigation.

••••••

REVIEW:FAR FROM BLISS is the twelfth instalment in Lexi Blake’s contemporary, adult NIGHTS IN BLISS COLORADO erotic, ménage romantic suspense series. This is former US Marshal Michael Novak, EMT Tyler Davis, and waitress Lucy Carson’s story line. FAR FROM BLISS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

NOTE: FAR FROM BLISS contains scenes of MFM sexual situations that may not be suitable for all readers.

Told from third person perspective FAR FROM BLISS follows the building romance and relationship between former US Marshal Michael Novak, EMT Tyler Davis, and waitress Lucy Carson. Tyler Davis and Lucy Carson have been best friends most of their lives but Lucy watched from afar as Tyler embarked on sexual journey without our story line heroine. Now that both Lucy and Tyler are working and living in Bliss, Colorado, Lucy finds herself attracted to recluse Michael Novak, a former US Marshal whose secrets run dangerous and deep.

Michael Novak wants to be left alone to wallow in self pity and grief for the betrayal by a former love and partner whose actions almost caused the death of the people he once called friends but Michael never expected the ice around his heart to fracture until a feisty waitress began to focus on the possibility of her own happily ever after. With both Michael and Tyler professing their desire for our story line heroine, it is to be expected that our trio will embark on a journey of love together but all is not well in Bliss, Colorado when an entitled, affluent and powerful family take aim at Lucy Carson, and the results find Lucy the prime suspect in a murder investigation, and the man that she loves is unable to get past another potential betrayal. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Tyler, Michael and Lucy, and the potential fall-out as heroine is targeted in a game of power and control, and issues of trust may forceTyler and Lucy to go it alone.

Michael Novak knows betrayal first hand, and in this Michael’s issues of trust leave much to be desired. Tyler Davis has loved our heroine, his best friend, for as long as he can remember but timing and miscommunication always had our couple going in opposite directions. With a killer on the loose, and a potential target on the back of the woman they love, Tyler and Michael work with authorities to uncover the truth, a task that forces Michael to remember another betrayal by a woman who promised her heart and her love.

The relationship between Michael, Lucy and Tyler is a ménage affair of which Michael is willing to take control but Michael continues to struggle with issues of trust, believing every act may be a question of betrayal. Michael’s actions threaten to destroy not only his new found relationship with Tyler and Lucy, but the friendships in Bliss, Colorado as well. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic, passionate and intense without the use of over the top sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and energetic secondary and supporting characters, many of whom we have me in the previous story lines. The camaraderie between the central players and the supporting players is wonderful and real.

FAR FROM BLISS is a story of betrayal, secrets and lies, power and control, greed and jealous, forgiveness and love. The premise is intriguing, engaging and captivating; the characters are energetic and determined; the romance is seductive, emotional and potentially heart breaking.

Previous Reviews

Pure Bliss
Changing Bliss
Once Upon a Time in Bliss
Back in Bliss
Sirens in Bliss

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / WEBSITE / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

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The Dom Identity by Lexi Blake-Review tour

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The Dom Identity (Masters and Mercenaries: Reloaded 2) by Lexi Blake-Review Tour

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Add The Dom Identity to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2RmYhJs

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 14, 2021

A man with everything

Michael Malone seems to have it all. A wealthy, loving family. A job that fulfills him. Friends he can count on. But something is missing. He’s spent years watching his brother and close friends get married and start families, but it hasn’t happened for him. When an assignment comes up to investigate fallen Hollywood star Vanessa Hale, he jumps at the chance. She’s gorgeous and potentially deadly. Playing the spy game with her might be just the thing to take his mind off his troubles.

A woman with nothing left to lose

Vanessa Hale had big dreams that ended in scandal. She returned home with nothing but heartache and the desire to find her mother’s killer. The trail points to someone at Lodge Corp, so taking a job with Julian Lodge’s mysterious company is her best option for finding the truth. While she hunts for a killer during the day, she hopes to find some solace at night in The Club. Meeting the gorgeous, sexy and seemingly kind Michael Malone, their chemistry sparks in a way she’s never felt before, and Vanessa thinks maybe her luck has finally changed.

A love that might save them both

When Michael’s true motives are revealed, she will have to find a way to forgive his betrayal. The killer has made Vanessa their next target. Working together and stopping this monster is the only chance for them to have the real love they both deserve.

••••••••

REVIEW:THE DOM IDENTITY is the second instalment in Lexi Blake’s contemporary, adult MASTERS AND MERCENARIES: RELOADED erotic, romantic suspense series- a spin of from the author’s various interconnected Masters and Mercenaries series-fast forwarding the series several years. This is Dom/ security expert Michael Malone, and one-time Hollywood starlet, thirty-two year old, Vanessa Hale’s story line. THE DOM IDENTITY can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line and series is revealed where necessary.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise there are some scenes of bondage and discipline, domination and submission including spanking.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Michael and Vanessa) THE DOM IDENTITY follows the building romance and relationship between Dom/ security expert Michael Malone, and one-time Hollywood starlet, thirty-two year old, Vanessa Hale. Vanessa Hale’s sister Nicki is dead, and our heroine is determined to prove someone at The Club is behind her sister’s sudden demise. Hired by her sister’s former employer, Vanessa begins an investigation into the events leading up to her sister’s death including a membership at the exclusive BDSM The Club, where she will meet her future in the guise of Michael Malone. Not only will Michael becomes Vanessa’s Dom but Vanessa will have to submit to a man who is about to destroy her heart. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Michael and Vanessa, and the fall-out as Vanessa’s life continues to spiral out of control when her late husband’s family targets our heroine in a game of cat and mouse.

Michael Malone has been tasked with uncovering the truth about Vanessa Hale, an actress whose life has played out in the public domain following her marriage to, and the subsequent death of her aging, billionaire husband. Someone has stolen money from the Lodge Corporation, and thusly billionaire Dom Julian Lodge, and in this Vanessa is the prime suspect to everything that is about to go down. With no family or friends with whom she can trust, Vanessa finds herself the target of paparazzi, tabloids, gossip and innuendo, but never suspected the true heart break coming from the people with whom she works, and man with whom she will fall in love.

The relationship between Vanessa and Michael is predicted upon a number of lies. Vanessa is hoping to uncover the truth behind her sister’s unexpected death, and Michael is tasked with ensuing Vanessa is not a threat to the people he has come to call family and friends. As their D/s relationship begins to develop, Vanessa will discover that everything about her new life is a lie, and the people she trusted, are setting her up to fail. The $ex scenes are erotic and intense with some scenes of bondage and spanking.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters many of whom we have me in previous story lines including Charlotte and Big Tag, Julian, Finn and Danielle Lodge, McKay –Taggart agents David and Tessa, IT specialist Mae Beatrice Vaughn aka MaeBe, former CIA agent Kyle Hawthorne, Deke Murphy, Boomer, as well as Michael’s mother Ava Malone, and his brother JT. The requisite evil has many faces. Deke’s story is next in The Man From Sanctum. The members of The Club/Sanctum/and McKay Taggart are a family, such that each person is a part of the whole, a family that is often closer than blood.

THE DOM IDENTITY is a complex and detailed story of betrayal, deception and vengeance, power and control, obsession and retribution, secrets and lies, forgiveness and love. The premise is heart breaking, and impassioned; the romance is intimate and dramatic; the characters are flawed, spirited and broken.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one SUBMISSION IMPOSSIBLE.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / WEBSITE / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

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Bayou Beauty(Butterfly Bayou 4) by Lexi Blake-a review

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Bayou Beauty(Butterfly Bayou 4) by Lexi Blake-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 27, 2021.

Sylvie Martine was prepared to take Washington D.C. by storm, but she put that dream on hold when her beloved hometown of Papillon, Louisiana, needed her most. Now Sylvie’s the mayor of the tiny town on the bayou that holds her heart. But for Sylvie, this can only be a pit stop on the way to bigger and better things. The last thing she needs is an old love to resurface and threaten her goals.

Rene Darois’s whole life has been about serving his family–no matter how much it hurts. He’s used to sacrificing for his large extended family and the company his grandfather created. But he can’t believe the latest demand: he needs to find a wife and quick or he could lose it all. It would be a horrible situation. But he has just the solution: his high school sweetheart. Sylvie is everything he wants in a wife–smart, funny, and caring–and he planned to woo her anyway.

Now he just has to convince Sylvie that their love is worth it all, or he and the bayou will lose her forever.

••••••••

REVIEW: BAYOU BEAUTY is the fourth instalment in Lexi Blake’s contemporary, adult BUTERFLY BEAUTY romance series. This is thirty-two year old, businessman and heir Rene Darois, and twenty-eight year old, Papillion, Louisiana Mayor Sylvie Martine’s story line. BAYOU BEAUTY can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Sylvie and Rene) BAYOU BEAUTY follows the second chance romance and relationship between is thirty-two year old, businessman and heir Rene Darois, and twenty-eight year old, Papillion, Louisiana Mayor Sylvie Martine. Sylvie Martine has been in love with her brother’s best friend Rene Darois for most of her life but ten years earlier, following a proclamation of need and want, Rene kissed our heroine, then walked out of her life. Fast forward to present day wherein Rene Martine is now Papillion Louisiana’s mayor, previously having worked in Washington DC, and in the ensuing years she has only seen Rene a handful of times. Rene Darois has never forgotten about Sylvie Martine but Sylvie continues to keep her distance much to the chagrin of our story line hero. Rene is in desperate need of a wife, and the only woman that calls to his heart is the woman whose heart he is about to break. What ensues is the marriage of convenience between Rene and Sylvie, and the potential fall-out as someone is sabotaging the Darois family business, and our couple have been targeted in the process.

Rene Darois had been groomed to take over the family business but greed, jealousy, secrets and lies are about to push Rene to walk away in an effort to save the woman he loves. As CEO, Rene has been at the top of his game but the greed and selfishness of several members of the Darois family are pushing at Rene’s barely controlled anger and need to throw it all away. The Darois dysfunctional family dynamics is about to play into the hands of a long, family history of secrets and lies, and in this Rene is growing tired of the betrayal. Sylvie Martine has never forgotten about the boy/man that had stolen her heart but when Rene walked into her office with a proposal of marriage, Sylvie was torn between head and heart knowing this may be her only chance to for a ‘happily ever after’ with the man that she loves.

The relationship between Sylvie and Rene is a friends to lovers, best friend’s younger sister, marriage of convenience for two people whose love for one another is obvious except to the people involved. Most of the family suspects that Rene’s marriage is a fraud but our couple are determined to prove that their marriage is anything but. The $ex scenes are all implied or fade to black.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including many of the previous story line couples and characters, and several members of the Dubois family. We welcome the return of Sylvie’s brother and Rene’s best friend Andre, a photojournalist, and of course Sylvie’s mother Marcelle Martine, and Delphine Dellacourt Guidry who like to ‘work’ with the supernatural. The reader is introduced to Rene’s mother Cricket, Rene’s uncle Charles, cousins Gabriel Layton and his sister Ashley, as well as Rene’s right hand man Louis.

BAYOU BEAUTY is a story of family, friendships, relationships and love; of greed, jealousy, secrets and lies; of betrayal and deceit, conflict, power and control. The character driven premise is fast paced and imaginative; the characters are animated, sassy and spirited; the romance is heart warming. BAYOU BEAUTY is another welcome addition to Lexi Blake’s BUTTERFLY BAYOU.

Reading Order and previous reviews
Butterfly Bayou
Baby Bayou
Bayou Dreaming

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / WEBSITE / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

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Treasured (Masters and Mercenaries 22.5)by Lexi Blake-Review tour

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Treasured (Masters and Mercenaries 22.5/ 1001 Dark Nights) by Lexi Blake-Review & Excerpt tour

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Add Treasured to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3hN4ZUd

 

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 22, 201

David Hawthorne has a great life. His job as a professor at a prestigious Dallas college is everything he hoped for. Now that his brother is back from the Navy, life seems to be settling down. All he needs to do is finish the book he’s working on and his tenure will be assured. When he gets invited to interview a reclusive expert, he knows he’s gotten lucky. But being the stepson of Sean Taggart comes with its drawbacks, including an overprotective mom who sends a security detail to keep him safe. He doesn’t need a bodyguard, but when Tessa Santiago shows up on his doorstep, the idea of her giving him close cover doesn’t seem so bad.

Tessa has always excelled at most anything she tried, except romance. The whole relationship thing just didn’t work out for her. She’s not looking for love, and she’s certainly not looking for it with an academic who happens to be connected to her boss’s family. The last thing she wants is to escort an overly pampered pretentious man-child around South America to ensure he doesn’t get into trouble. Still, there’s something about David that calls to her. In addition to watching his back, she will have to avoid falling into the trap of soulful eyes and a deep voice that gets her heart racing.

But when the seemingly simple mission turns into a treacherous race for a hidden artifact, David and Tess know this assignment could cost them far more than their jobs. If they can overcome the odds, the lost treasure might not be their most valuable reward.

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

••••••

REVIEW:TREASURED is the 22.5 instalment in Lexi Blake’s contemporary, adult MASTERS AND MERCENARIES erotic, romantic suspense series, and the latest instalment in the multi-authored 1001 Dark Nights. This is university professor David Hawthorne, and bodyguard/security specialist Tessa Santiago’s story line. TREASURED can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary. David Hawthorne is the step-son of Sean Taggart.

Told from third person perspective TREASURED follows the building relationship between professor David Hawthorne, and security specialist Tessa Santiago. Tessa Santiago had been invited to her ex-fiancé’s sister’s anniversary celebration but found herself sitting in the bar with a handsome stranger. David Hawthorne stopped by for a drink at the hotel where his mother was head chef but never expected to meet the woman with whom he would fall in love. A lingering kiss lead to an exchange of numbers only for David to realize he had been ghosted by the stranger at the bar. Fast forward a few weeks wherein David, about to embark on a South American research trip discovers his extended family aka the Taggarts, has secured his protection in the guise of security specialist and McKay -Taggart employee Tessa Santiago, the woman who has starred in his fantasies and dreams. Believing Tessa wants nothing to do with our story line hero, David opts to go it alone only to be told there was a rumor of trouble on the horizon. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Tessa and David, and the potential fall-out as the rumored threats come to fruition as our couple find themselves captives of a man man in hostile territory.

Tessa Santiago thought she had found the one only to discover that David Hawthorne was related to her current employer. Having walked away from a relationship with a man whose family was rich and well connected, Tessa knew she would never be part of that wealthy lifestyle, including a possible future with our story line hero but threats to David’s life found Tessa facing the wrong end of a gun, and it would take some help from an unlikely source to rescue the man with whom she would fall in love. David Hawthorne trip to South America was to research the life and death of a South American billionaire who was ahead of the world when it came to environmental causes. David was well aware of the rumors regarding a buried treasure on the island jungle, a treasure that many people were desperate to find and recover.

The relationship between David and Tessa is a second chances, of a sorts. Tessa and David met at a bar but David never revealed his family connections, and Tessa believed she was in no position to pursue a relationship with our story line hero. David took it personally when Tessa ghosted after their night at the bar, but our heroine’s reaction and refusal to take on her latest assignment meant David was willing to go it alone, even if he had to face the danger, by himself.

Meanwhile, David is a Dom, and recognizes the submissive in Tessa Santiago.Offering a one-time only night together, Tessa quickly discovers there is more to David than the mild-manner professor of history. Shortly after their arrival, David and Tessa take their relationship to the next level only to be literally caught with their pants down. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

TREASURED is a story of family, friendships, betrayal and greed. The premise is intriguing, engaging and entertaining; the romance is seductive and provocative; the characters are energetic, animated and spirited.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

What the hell was she doing?
Tessa glanced down at her watch. She was standing in front of her building ten minutes early, and there was a big part of her that wanted him to be late. Really late. Annoyingly late.
There had to be something about the man that wasn’t perfect beyond his connection to her employer.
She’d come down when she realized if she stayed inside one minute more she was going to decide to change again. Because she’d been halfway to convincing herself that she could do a fine job as a bodyguard in that curve-hugging dress that gave her so much confidence. Lots of bodyguards wore four-inch heels and a push-up bra. Yeah, sure they did.
Coming down here had saved her so much discomfort because in her line of business, slacks, a sensible shirt and shoes, and a blazer were the only way to go. The blazer hid her shoulder holster in a way that off-the-shoulder sex dress never would. And she didn’t care that Hollywood assassins could stuff any number of weapons between their thighs. Hers did not work that way.
It’s not a big deal.
The words David had said haunted her. What did that mean? It’s not a big deal. It had felt like a big deal. Not texting that smart hottie back had been a big fucking deal to her. She’d agonized over it, and he’d just kind of let it wash over him. He’d taken his shot and moved on. She had thought of nothing but him for weeks.
Or he was saving face by playing it cool and she was being ridiculous. The man was making this easy on her and she was inwardly complaining that he wasn’t making it harder. It was perverse, but then she had deeply conflicted feelings about David.
Feelings she could maybe work out over the course of this week. She could get to know him and then she would see he wasn’t as perfect as he seemed to be. Most men showed their true colors when a woman spent too much time with them. He wouldn’t be as patient as he seemed. His charm would wear off when she took charge and he got annoyed.
Yes, this could be exactly what she needed.
Especially if he was late.

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / WEBSITE / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

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Taggart Family Values(Masters & Mercenaries)by Lexi Blake- review

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Taggart Family Values (Masters & Mercenaries) by Lexi Blake-a review

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Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3g8DZ0A

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 11, 2021

From Ian and Charlotte’s first meeting in Paris to a look into the future, Taggart Family Values chronicles Masters and Mercenaries’ favorite family through a series of short stories and novellas. Includes one brand new short story and one new novella. Lexi hopes readers will have a blast connecting with Ian and Charlotte and all their little monsters!

Taggart Family Values includes the novellas Paradise City, Sweet Child o’ Mine, Homecoming, and Countdown. It also includes the short stories Adam Tells All, Make Lemonade, Rough Night, and Stuck at the Office.

Some of the stories were previously published in newsletters and cookbooks.

•••••••

REVIEW:TAGGART FAMILY VALUES by Lexi Blake is a culmination of several excerpts, short stories, newsletter exclusives and novellas in the author’s Masters and Mercenaries erotic, romance series. We get a glimpse into Ian and Charlotte’s family dynamic: their children, the love, and the probability that the Taggart progeny will be just as dangerous and deadly as the parents who reared them. A fun, flirty and fantastic journey into the past, present and possible future.

PARADISE CITY focuses on the introduction of Ian Taggart and his future wife/mate Charlotte Denisovitch. Ian Taggart is looking for some fun at The Velvet Collar in Paris, France but never expected to find his future in Russian assassin/ submissive Charlotte Denisovitch. Admitting she was on assignment, Charlotte would tempt Ian Taggart knowing one or both may not survive.

SWEET CHILD O MINE follows the team at McKay-Taggart as they are tasked with protecting a group of petulant and spoiled wanna-be reality stars. As Charlotte Taggart is nearing the end of her pregnancy, all h*ll breaks loose and Charlotte is about to place herself in the direct line of fire.

ADAM TELLS ALL is a quick read; a short story wherein Adam Miles, an agent with McKay-Taggart reveals the truth behind Charlotte and Ian’s infant daughter’s name.

MAKE LEMONADE focuses on family. Ian and Charlotte’s family is about to expand yet again. Baby number three is about to make an early appearance but Ian Taggart is down for the count when an errant beer bottle sends our hero into the Twilight Zone.

ROUGH NIGHT focuses on date night between Ian and Charlotte but a date night that went all to h*ll. Winning a bet, Ian forces two of his men to babysit their three children, only nothing goes according to plan.

STUCK AT THE OFFICE finds our heroine, Charlotte Taggart pregnant with number four, and to give his wife a break, Ian takes the children to the office where chaos ensues, while Charlotte goes into unexpected labor

HOMECOMING is an emotional read wherein Charlotte and Ian adopt a young Russian girl, the orphaned daughter of one of Ian’s fellow operatives but a man who lost his life too soon.

COUNTDOWN : A GLIMPSE OF A POSSIBLE FUTURE is a short story, a prologue/prequel of a future story line. Canadian Ben Parker is on assignment in the Himalaya’s where he will get re-acquainted with an American agent, he knows as Magenta but the death of the scientist under investigation leads our couple to the discovery of a bomb, where only a matter of minutes lies between death and their freedom. Lexi Blake reveals a little bit of a twist, several years in the future, wherein we see the next generation of McKay Taggart , up close and personal.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / WEBSITE / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

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The Rebel Queen (Outlaw #1) by Lexi Blake-Review & Excerpt Tour

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The Rebel Queen (Outlaw #1) by Lexi Blake-Review & Excerpt Tour

 

 

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 20, 2021

After returning from the outer planes, Zoey expected a joyous reunion with family and friends. She couldn’t be more wrong. Her kingdom is in the hands of Myrddin, her friends are on the run, and her children are being hunted by the supernatural world. But that isn’t the worst of it. They aren’t just outlaws—they are fully grown adult outlaws.

In the four days that passed while they were gone, twelve years have passed at home. Now Zoey, Danny, and Dev find themselves in the middle of a new war where they are hunted by old foes and former allies…some they could never have imagined would turn against them.

As Myrddin’s plan becomes clear, Zoey realizes she just might hold the key to stopping him for good and reclaiming their kingdom. Doing so means risking it all to steal back an artifact out from under the wizard’s nose. The fate of everyone on the Earth plane hangs in the balance, and one wrong move could cost Zoey everything she loves.

•••••••

REVIEW: THE REBEL QUEEN is the first instalment in Lexi Blake’s adult OUTLAWS paranormal/fantasy ménage romance series-a spin off set in the author’s world of the THIEVES. This is Queen of all Vampire / and the wife of the high priest of the Seelie and the Unseelie Zoey Donovan-Quinn, high Fae priest Devinshea Quinn, and king of the vampires Daniel Donovan’s continuing story line. THE REBEL QUEEN should not be read as a stand alone as much of the premise focuses on events that happened throughout the original THIEVES series. Zoey, Daniel and Dev’s story line begins in the THIEVES.

NOTE: THE REBEL QUEEN and the Outlaws/Thieves series contains scenes of MMF/MFM sexual situations.

Told from first person perspective (Zoey Donovan-Quinn) THE REBEL QUEEN follows with the return of Zoey, Daniel and Dev. Twelve years earlier, searching for their husband Devinshea, Zoey and Daniel time-travelled through a magical painting, a portal to another world where only four days had passed. Upon their return the Earth plane, twelve years had gone by, and Zoey, Dev and Daniel’s children were now adults, having made a place and name for themselves amongst the Fae, and the vampires in the Earth realm. Daniel’s mentor turned enemy, Myrrddin Emrys, once known as Merlin, is still on the hunt for his missing grimoire and sword, a grimoire with the secrets to all of the worlds’ magical powers, taking aim at our heroine, who has hidden the cache where it cannot be found.

Upon their return Zoey, Dev and Daniel discover their children have been fighting a war, a war that took the lives of so many people they had once loved. As Zoey and her husbands reconnect with the family and loved ones, our heroine sets into motion a plan to travel back in time, in an effort to correct everything that had gone wrong.

THE REBEL QUEEN is a detailed, complex and multi-levelled story line with numerous supernatural entities. I had not had the opportunity to read the THIEVES series, and in this I was temporarily lost and confused until much of the current story line and time line revealed. I have thought I was coming into a new series but I highly recommend reading the THIEVES for back story and cohesion as many of the events of THE REBEL QUEEN are as of a result of the events in the original series. The premise is fascinating, imaginative, tragic and twisted; the romance is seductive and passionate; the characters are animated and dynamic-the back and forth between members of the family is fun, furious, frenetic and sometimes sad but it is Zoey’s attitude that struck me as selfish and narrow-minded, an attitude that didn’t bode well for her likeability in the early chapters of the story line premise.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

 

I was numb again, jogging through the halls I’d once known so well, following the children I’d born and now barely recognized. It was a dream. It had to be. There was no way that Olivia Carey had used her powers to try to choke the life out of me, no way my home had been taken over by my worst enemy. No fucking way I’d missed my children’s formative years. They weren’t warriors. They were coddled and protected.
Rhys was an eleven-year-old with a cocky grin who wouldn’t ever think to order his parents around. Rhys was a good boy who followed the rules. He was every teacher’s pet.
Evan played with dolls, not bows and arrows.
I was going to wake up. I had to. I would wake up and be safely in our bed at Summer’s palace. I would be in between Dev and Daniel, and I would tell them all about this awful dream and they would laugh at me. I would go through the portal again, but this time we would find ourselves back in Danny’s office and everyone would be so relieved to see us. We would take down Myrddin and move on with our lives.
I didn’t have to believe that prophecy. I could control this.
If I could only wake up.
“Evan, to your left,” Rhys yelled as he moved by a connecting hallway. He didn’t even look back. He simply tossed the words over his shoulder as he jogged along.
Evan zipped past her fathers and was firing down the hall before either could protest. She had two arrows off and landing in her targets as Fen leapt to her side. He growled and the third shadowy figure who’d been coming down the hall took off running. But not before Evan got off another shot, and I watched the last attacker go down even as Kelsey hustled me along.
“I think the kiddos know what they’re doing,” Kelsey assured me. “Let’s follow their lead. This is their world. They know it far better than we do.”
It was their world. Not mine. It couldn’t be mine.
We ran, the ground still rumbling under us, and suddenly we found ourselves moving through familiar doors into a dark place. Ether. But not Ether.
“What the fuck did he do to my club?” Dev stopped and stared at the changes the years had wrought.
Ether had been a high-tech nightclub where all of the supernatural world came to play. It had a light-up dance floor and a sleek bar. It had been modern and energetic.
Someone had decided to give the whole place a Hell makeover. It had been redone in shades of red and black.
“I win!” A muscular man walked from behind what used to be the bar. It had been exchanged for what appeared to be some kind of shrine. I didn’t have a chance to really look at it because Lee was right there. He held every bit of my attention.
He was so changed, but when he high-fived his brother and then grinned my way, I could see my little boy.
“I bet Rhys that Papa would be way more upset about Ether than he was about how old we are,” Lee admitted.
“I assure you, Rhys wins that bet,” Devinshea promised. “I’m upset about many things. The atrocity they’ve done to my beautiful club is merely one of them. I don’t want to see the penthouse, do I?”
“According to our spies, you do not,” Rhys replied.

 

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / WEBSITE / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

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