Tag Archives: Marcie

Tempting the Pirate by Tamara Hughes – a Review

Posted on by
13

Tempting the Pirate by Tamara Hughes – a Review

 

Tempting the Pirate

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM

Description:
Charity Goswick thinks she is escaping an arranged marriage to a brute when she slips onto a ship unnoticed. Little does she realize that this is no honorable vessel of the King’s Navy – it is a pirate ship. It’s just a matter of time before she is discovered by a handsome rake of a pirate, who locks her in his cabin. And while she should be scared, her captor sparks the most unladylike feelings within her… James Lamont is on the ship for one reason, and one reason only: to track down his brother. However, his spirited little stowaway certainly affords plenty of distraction with her many (failed) attempts to escape. And each time, the unspoken – and unbidden – passion between them grows stronger. But as violence and danger mount on the high seas, Charity will have to put all of her trust in the most untrustworthy of men… the arrogant pirate who just might steal her heart.

 


Review:

Oooo, I just found a new favourite theme of book to read, Pirates!!! I’ve always loved pirate shows/movies, but now I love reading about them, I absolutely loved Tempting the Pirate by Tamara Hughes. It had everything I love in a good book. Adventure on the high seas, sexy pirates, danger and treachery at every turn, mystery surrounding a missing sibling, and a damsel in distress, all wound around a sizzling passion between our sexy pirate and damsel.

What can I say, Ms. Hughes has hooked me. If she continues to write about sexy pirates like one Mr. James Lamont, then she’ll have a new fan in me. I loved everything there is about our sexy pirate in this one. From the moment he stepped onto the pages of this story he had me swooning at his feet(swoon pillows a must when reading this one) 😉 All I could think of was my favourite pirate from Once Upon a Time, Killian/Hook. Every time he spoke to Charity or did something nice for her, which was pretty much throughout the whole book, made my toes curl. Damn where’s my sexy pirate when I need one. 😉 James Lamont is sexy, cocky, confident, charming, good at his job as a navigator, loyal and loving to those he holds dear, has a protective streak a mile long where Charity is concerned and will do anything to keep her presence aboard the ship a secret no matter the cost to him. I quite enjoyed watching our sexy pirate tease and torment Charity, all the while becoming enamored with and eventually falling in love with our feisty damsel before he realized what was happening where his feelings were concerned. I loved the scene where the light bulb finally went off and he realized he was in love with her. Of course it’s always in the midst of a dangerous situation for both our hero and heroine, but then again it wouldn’t be a dramatic moment of the story without some danger now would it.

Danger and trouble just seem to follow our poor heroine no matter where she goes. First her nasty uncle tries to marry her off to a despicable man for her dowry causing her to flee and winding up on a pirate ship of all places. Then she’s trapped in a cabin aboard a pirate ship with our sexy pirate James Lamont who has a knack for flustering her and bringing out naughty thoughts she’s never had before where a man is concerned. So what’s a girl to do, but try to escape, again and again, and again but with no luck. Those scenes had me chuckling out loud a few times. The chemistry between James and Charity sizzles in those scenes, but there’s also a playfulness about them, with witty banter that just flowed and allowed the story to progress about them seamlessly. Charity and Jame’s characters were well developed and written to the point they were able to effortlessly carry the story to the very end without it feeling rushed or hurried. Sometimes I find shorter stories to feel that way with the romance between our hero and heroine but not in this one. Ms. Hughes carefully played out the romance using, playful teasing on James part, witty banter, Charity’s growing feistiness and  slow to build romance that was always there simmering beneath the surface. In working the romance this way it worked to the authors advantage because it keeps the romance and the rest of the story flowing at a good pace, and never leaving the reader feeling like there should be more, or things should slow down. This made for a very well balance book between the romance, danger and mystery surrounding the disappearance of Jame’s brother David.

Temping the Pirate is a fast and fun read that will have you feeling like you are in the midst of a scene from Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean, but with a little x-rated reading material for good measure. I for one can’t wait for Ms. Hughes to write David’s book so we can find out what happened to him when he was aboard the pirate ship and where he is now after escaping. If his story is anything like Tempting the Pirate and he’s as sexy and charming as his brother Jame’s Lamont, I say bring it on. 😉  

Until next time, aarrrg, happy reading matey’s.

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Publisher

Share

Make Me, Take Me by Amanda Usen – a Review

Posted on by
9

Make Me, Take Me by Amanda Usen – a Review

 

Make Me, Take MeAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM

Description:
He’s every fantasy she’s ever had…

Betsy Mouton knows that easy doesn’t last forever. She’s working her butt off to launch the Last Call Café so her family can leave the New Orleans bar business—and its heartaches—behind forever. That is, until the hottest one-night-stand of her life shows up next door, twice as uncompromising and two million times hotter, offering to buy the bar and send the Moutons to Easy Street.

Hotelier Quinton James has never forgotten the unbelievably hot night he and Betsy shared. Never forgotten how beautifully she submitted to him, or how he found the only peace he’s ever known in her arms. Now that Betsy is the only thing standing in the way of his new hotel, she’s the one in control. But there’s more at stake than her café or laying their past to rest—Quin wants a future. With her. All he has to do is convince her…one sensual command at a time.


Review:

Make Me,Take Me is the third installment in Amanda Usen’s Hot Nights Series. I would have to say she correctly named this series because this is one hot read. I highly suggest you keep a glass of ice chips, or ice water within reach when you read this one.

I’ve never read anything by Amanda Usen before and I can safely say I will more then likely go back at some point when I have the time to read the other books in this series. Make Me, Take Me is a quick read, but it’s filled with intense emotions, hot sex, vulnerability, trust issues, learning to hope, and finally realizing it’s okay to take the chance and open oneself up to the possibility of love and have your fairy tale ending. How Ms. Usen managed to fit that all into this story is beyond me, but it worked and had me glued to my seat reading this one to the very end. Even though it’s a quick read, the story has a natural flow to it that allows the reader to sink into the story and really get to know and understand the hero and heroine in this one. Betsy and Quin are well written characters and have many layers to them that Amanda peels away as the story progresses. We get to see the why’s and how’s of who they are, what shaped the person they are today, and where they are headed if they just give themselves and their feelings for one another a chance.

At times I did get annoyed with Betsy over how she kept trying to keep Quin at arms length and keep it all about a sexual relationship. Even though things were changing between them and she could slowly see it, she kept rationalizing everything to death where Quin was concerned, but on the other hand, we can see why she’s doing it. That part of her character kept driving me nuts and I just wanted to shake her and tell her to wake up and take the chance with him.

Quin, what can I say, he’s a player, he’s rich, sexy, strong, and intelligent, but he has this vulnerability about him that he hides, until he meets Betsy and everything about his world changes. I absolutely loved his character. I loved watching him go from the rich, sexy playboy, to the charming, lovable and vulnerable man that he is when he’s with Betsy. His transformation is a slow and steady one and allows us to see how his past completely shaped him and his feelings towards love and letting people in until he meets Betsy. Both are perfect for each other and the last couple of chapters where they finally realize they’ve fallen for each other and allow themselves to be happy are beautiful and heart warming to read.  

As for the hotness factor, yes I did tell you to keep a glass of ice water on hand and I’m not lying. Every time these two get together and get it on, it’s always hotter then the last time. I think Ms. Usen must have gone through many a pencil writing this one cause they all must have gone up in flames thanks to Betsy and Quin and their sexual chemisty. It just burned up the pages.

Like I said earlier, Make Me, Take Me is a quick read, but has many underlying factors in it that immerse the reader into Betsy and Quin’s world. They have an obvious chemistry from the get go that carries them through the entire story and keeps the reader involved from beginning to end. I really enjoyed this one and I think anyone who likes a good emotional, intense read filled with a hot romance will enjoy it too.

Until next time, happy reading. See you all in the New Year!

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Publisher

Share

Deadly Race by Elke Feuer – a Review

Posted on by
12

Deadly Race by Elke Feuer – a Review

 

Deadly Race

Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Description:
Race car driver Remy Borden likes fast things: bikes, cars, and men. Her plans to become the first woman from the Cayman Islands to race internationally gets sidetracked when she’s injured and pulled from the final race because of a fiery confrontation with another driver.

Life goes from bad to worse when the racetrack owner is killed and she’s suspect number one because his death puts her back in the race. But racing again proves difficult when Dr. Jackson Wilson insists she stop racing until she heals, making her wonder if his ‘doctor’s orders’ don’t have ulterior motives-the racetrack owner was his friend.

She and Jackson search for the truth behind the murder when accidents start happening at the racetrack, and an adoring fan gets too close. Soon the simmering attraction between her and Jackson boils over, forcing her to admit Jackson makes her think of a life beyond racing.

 

 Review:

Deadly Race is the second installment to Feuer’s Deadly Series and focuses on Remy and Jackson. In my honest opinion I’d have to say Elke Feuer has a hit on her hands with this series. This addition to the series is just as entertaining as the first. It’s fast paced, action packed, suspenseful, keeps you turning page after page to find out who done it, and has a sexual chemistry between the hero and heroine that just sizzles. You could cut the sexual tension between these two with a knife. Ms. Feuer definitely has a talent for writing suspense and romance and making it all work.

Remy is a hell of a heroine, she cracked me up many times. She’s feisty, smart mouthed, independent, knows what she wants and goes for it no matter what, and isn’t afraid to be herself, no matter the situation. Oh and she’s a hell of a racecar driver and knows it. She isn’t afraid to show it or brag about it in front of her fellow competitors in a male dominated sport. I’d have to say Remy is a kickass heroine and she drove our hero absolutely nutty. Oh Jackson, what a tangled web you’ve weaved for yourself where Remy is concerned. Yes he’s sexy in a nerdy kind of way, but he also annoyed me many times, and made me want to slap him silly. You see he’s been hung up on Angel(heroine in first book), for the past two years and hasn’t dealt with it, even though she’s with someone else. So for most of the book he keeps trying to keep Remy at arms length even though it’s obvious to both of them he’s attracted to her. It’s because of this attraction that Remy purposely drives him crazy and keeps coming onto him trying to seduce him. I have to admit I chuckled many times during those scenes, and wasn’t feeling so sorry for Jackson after a while. If you ask me, he asked for it and them some. Until he deals with his ‘feelings’ for Angel, he can’t decide what to do with Remy. All the while he’s trying to sort through it all, the sexual tension between the two just keeps building to the point it explodes when they finally get together. However, even then the two of them can’t seem to be happy. Between a murder rap hanging over Remy’s head, a stalker, and her career ambitions as a racecar driver internationally, things just seem doomed between the two.  

However, somehow, Ms. Feuer manages to weave all this into a very suspenseful and nail biting story about murder, sabotage, and who done it. The last half of the book just rolls along and carries the reader with it as we try to unravel the mystery behind Dirks’s murder, Remy’s stalker and will there be a HEA for our seemly doomed in the romance department hero and heroine. I was literally on the edge of my seat and would get annoyed every time I was interrupted while reading because I wanted to find out how it would all play out. I love a good mystery wrapped up in a romance, and having to put the book down to go back to work, do errands, etc anoyed me. I hate not knowing what’s going to happen next in a good book I’m reading and Ms. Feuer managed to wrap me up in this one to the point where I was getting the jitters waiting to see who done it in the end. If you enjoy a good suspenseful read with a sizzling romance weaved into it, then you won’t be disappointed with Deadly Race.

Until next time, happy reading everyone.

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Author

Share

Holiday On Ice (Play by Play 8.5) by Jaci Burton-a review

Posted on by
11

Holiday on Ice (Play by Play 8.5) by Jaci Burton-a review

Christmas Banner 2

Holiday on Ice
Book 8.5 in the Play-by-Play series
By Jaci Burton
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic romance, hockey
Release Date: November 18, 2014

Holiday on Ice

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Superstar hockey player Patrick “Trick” Niemeyer and dancer Stella Slovinski have picked up where they left off a year ago, resuming their hot, uncomplicated affair. Stella refuses to call it dating, or a relationship. But lately, Trick is looking for more…

Stella’s been burned before—in a relationship she never talks about—not with her family, not with her friends, and definitely not with Trick. But now it’s the holiday season and Trick is determined to give Stella his heart wrapped up in a bow. He knows Stella is the right woman for him, but he’ll have to melt the ice surrounding her heart to keep her from walking away.

••••••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW:

I just have to say, as much as I do love my paranormal and fantasy genre books, these sports themed stories by Jaci Burton are fast becoming my 2nd favourite genre. I just love her Play-by-Play series and Holiday on Ice is a nice addition to this very hot and steamy series. This novella is Stella and Trick’s story, and we were introduced to them in Melting the Ice. Even though Stella and Trick were secondary characters in Melting the Ice, it was very plain to see the chemistry and connection these two characters had with one another and I was very glad to see Ms. Burton has written a novella for them. Their story is one about love and hope lost, heartache, learning to believe in love and hope again, and going for what you truly believe in.

Stella and Trick are not only perfect for each other, but they burn up the pages in this one. Seriously, I don’t know how Ms. Burton’s keyboard, computer screen, etc, don’t catch fire when she writes this series. Her heroine and hero are combustible in this one, just like all her previous books in this series. The sexual chemistry sizzles through the pages between Trick and Stella from their first scene together when they walk back into each other’s lives.

Trick always knew there was something special about Stella and seeing her again, only proves to him he wants her back in his life on a permanent basis. He’s ready to leave behind his playboy image and get serious with one women, Stella. Now if only he can convince her of this. Stella having been badly hurt where love and her heart are concerned, doesn’t want to tread back into that area because it’s just too painful. However, seeing Trick again, and spending time with him is making it harder for her to keep her motto of, love’em and leave’em.

The romance between Stella and Trick is steamy to say the least, but also has a very sweet and charming side to it as well. Trick is the perfect hero, he’s strong, sexy as hell, charming, understanding and very patient with Stella. He knows she needs time and space and doesn’t rush her into anything. He knows she’s always had one foot out the door in this ‘relationship’ cause she refuses to call it a relationship. After a misunderstanding and coaxing from Trick, Stella finally opens up to him about her past relationship and love. The scene where they finally admit they love each other, and then when Stella opens up to Trick about her past are perfectly written. They were sweet, touching and very heartfelt. Having their story centered around the Christmas season is just the right touch. It gave them the chance to spend time together Christmas tree shopping, decorating the tree, playing in the snow, going ice skating and just having fun, falling in love with each other during a special time of the year and seeing what it would be like to be with that person everyday for the rest of their lives. These scenes just added another layer to a beautifully, charming and steamy storyline. Oh and lets not forget the hockey scenes. Since this is a sports themed story, and our hero is a sexy hockey player, those scenes were supercharged with engery and action and made me feel like I was sitting at Trick’s games with Stella cheering him on. What can I say, there’s just something about a man in a hockey uniform that gets me going. 😉

Once again Jaci Burton has written a fun, sexy, steamy, and fast paced story about romance, love and hockey. It kept me involved from start to finish, and made me feel like I was sitting in my local hockey arena cheering on my team. I just love these sports themed romances, and mixing in a little Christmas magic to this one was sheer perfection on Ms. Burton’s part IMO. Who can resist a sexy hockey player anyway. 😉

Until next time, happy reading and Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Reviewed by Marcie

About the Author

Follow Jaci: Goodreads /Website / Facebook

Jaci BurtonJaci Burton is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling, award-winning author of over 50 books. She lives in Oklahoma and when she isn’t on deadline (which is often), she can usually be found wrestling with her uncooperative garden, wrangling her dogs, watching an unhealthy amount of television, or completely losing track of time reading a great book. She’s a total romantic and longs for the happily ever after in every story, which you’ll find in all her books.. Visit her website at www.jaciburton.com for excerpts, her blog and contest information.

Share

Deconstructing Lila by Shannon Leigh – a Review

Posted on by
12

Deconstructing Lila by Shannon Leigh – a Review

 

Deconstructing LilaAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Despository / BAM

 

Description:
Preservationist Lila Gentry returns to her small Texas hometown to restore the famous Chisholm Trail whorehouse where her great-great-grandmother was a madam in the 1880s. On her agenda is winning back Jake, the one that got away. But how do you rope a man who doesn’t want to be wrangled?

Jake lives by one creed:  Keep it simple. His ex showing up in town complicates his life and makes him think about things he’d rather forget.

When Lila’s restoration project is threatened before it even begins, she turns to Jake for help. Working together stirs up old feelings, but while Lila and Jake always sizzle between the sheets—or wherever the moment takes them—it will involve some sweet-talking and finesse to bring these two together.

 

Review;

Let me start off by saying I’ve never read anything by Shannon Leigh before and it won’t be the last. I really enjoyed Deconstructing Lila. Ms. Leigh writes a story with realistic, well developed characters, that is heartfelt and emotional. It’s a story about love lost, fear to hope for the future, then once again finding love by letting go of the fear and allowing hope to blossom.

I found Lila to be a strong female lead that’s likeable and easy to relate to. We learn about Lila’s background through her granny, who’s a hoot by the way. I loved her granny and I’ll get to her later on. After spending ten years apart from her beloved granny and love of her life Jake, Lila comes home a changed woman and is bound and determined to show Jake that all isn’t lost between them. Now that she’s grown up, dealt with the past, and Jake’s cancer, she’s ready to prove to him that they can have a future if he’d only let her in, instead of pushing her away, like he did ten years ago.

Jake is a character that broke my heart. We see from the get go that he never stop loving his wife, but due to the uncertainty with his cancer and treatments, he feared leaving her behind through death if his treatments didn’t work. In trying to protect her from his life, he pushed away the one thing he really needed, Lila’s love. Jake is a very honourable, proud, respectable and sexy man, and doesn’t know how to let hope for a future into his life. Hope being his Lila.

The emotion in this story is very real and tangible. It just pours off the pages and made me wanting to keep reading to see how Jake and Lila’s story would end. It’s very easy to see Jakes point of view regarding Lila, but we also see where Jake needs to just let go of his fear and embrace the love and life together that Lila’s offering, no matter how long or short a time he has on this planet. Life is to uncertain to let fear hold us back, we need to embrace it with everything we have, and Jake finally comes to that conclusion in a very dramatic and Texas fashion way, tornados be damned. Along with the emotional journey between Lila and Jake I found that Ms. Leigh did a fine job of balancing all that emotion through some of her secondary characters. She brought in some humour to lighten the mood at just the right spots with Lila’s granny and the Bombshells(her bowling team and gossip friends). When these gals get together you never know what they will do or say. They are a lot of fun in a scene and kept me in stitches as they gave poor Lila advice on how to win back Jake. We also get some humour between Jake and his friend/co-worker Casler. I hope he will have his story told down the road as he’s rather mysterious so far to me.

All in all this is a well written story, with well rounded and realistic characters. I loved the emotional journey that Lila and Jake take to get back to one another. The love scenes are steamy, emotional and romantic. Their love for each other is as real today as it was ten years ago. The emotion and humour in the story are well balanced and make for a satisfying read. I’m so glad I had the chance to read this one and get to know Ms. Leigh as a writer. I’ll be sure to read more by this author in the future.

Until next time, happy reading everyone.

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Publisher

Share

Son of No One by Sherrilyn Kenyon – a Review

Posted on by
13

Son of No One by Sherrilyn Kenyon – a Review

 

Son of No One
Dark-Hunter (Hellchasers #6) series – Book # 24
by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Release Date: September 2, 2014

Son of No One

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository / BAM

Description:
It’s not easy being life’s own personal joke, but Josette Landry has made an unstable peace with the beast. Completely down on her luck, Josette takes a job with a local paranormal group as a photographer and camerawoman. Yeah, they’re even crazier than she is. The only paranormal thing she believes in is the miracle that keeps her rusted out hoopty running. But when something truly evil is released into the world, they are forced to call in reinforcement.

From the moment Josette meets Cadegan, she knows something about him isn’t quite right. Mysterious and armed with lethal sarcasm, he seems a lot older than his age.

Centuries ago, Cadegan was viciously betrayed into an immortal prison by the only person he’d ever trusted. Forced against his will to do good, he hates everything in life. All he wants is a way out. But for the damned there is only eternal suffering. And yet there is something about Josette that intrigues him. Something he can’t seem to fight and the last time he felt this way about a woman, it cost him everything.

He knows he has to stay away from her, but the unleashed demon is hell bent on consuming her soul. If one more innocent is taken, he will be sent back to an unimaginable prison that makes his current hell look like paradise. But how can he keep her safe when his being with her is the greatest threat of all?

The Story Behind The Story
This is one of those books that had to be written. I’d just finished Styxx and was walking around trying to decide between Max, Remi and a thousand other characters. I toyed with a few ideas that just wouldn’t cement. Then, as I was working on Born of Fury…

Cadegan came and blew my mind. I scrapped the old ideas I’d been nurturing and immediately sat down and had to start gathering info on him. Everything he tells me, fascinates me more and the same for Josie. She’s hilarious. I had no idea… I love when I have no control over my people 🙂

 

Review;

Okay fellow Menyons and even non-Menyon’s if the synopsis and the tidbit about the story from Ms. Kenyon herself doesn’t make you want to read this latest installment to her DH series I don’t know what will. Well, maybe I can help you out with my review of Son of No One. 😉

I’m not worthy, I’m not worthy,..(bowing down to Ms. Kenyon). I don’t know how she does it, but once again Ms. Kenyon has managed to blow me away with another fantastical and imaginative story in Son of No One. In this one she introduces two completely new characters for our main couple, along with a host of new characters and creatures and a new realm. This new realm where our hero is imprisoned is part of her Avalon series, which had me a little worried since I haven’t read that series yet. However, have no fear, Ms. Kenyon seamlessly weaves the DH universe into that of the Avalon universe without breaking a sweat. It’s like the two series were always intertwined and no one is the wiser. Ms. Kenyon truly is a master at her craft and we see it here once again in Son of No One.

Our two new characters Cadegan and Josette are tossed together in this new realm and let me say I can plainly see just why Kenyon had to write their story. Cadegan is a wonderful character, totally swoon-worthy and a welcome addition to the DH family. Even though he’s a demon in his true form, and can pretty much end things as we know it, our Josette brings out the best in him and I couldn’t be happier. I loved everything about Cadegan, especially his Welsh accent and olden day speech that had my toes curling every time he spoke. What a sweet-heart he is with Josette, but word to the wise, don’t get on his bad side, he’s a rather scary demon. 😉 Josette, what can I say but another well rounded female heroine who had me laughing out loud many times, and applauding her heroism and never give up attitude. The way she would tease Cadegan about his age, and baffling him with her modern day lingo was just priceless, but she truly does love her demon and makes him want to be the man she deserves. I loved how she was able face his demon form, accept him for who and what he is, and won’t give up on him no matter what. What makes her believing in Cadegan all the more special, is the fact that she’s friends with Amanda Devereaux and company and always thought them to be paranormal wackos. She never believed in the paranormal, but once she met Cadegan, she had no choice and she dove right in head first(literally as she falls into a magical mirror) and never looked back. I loved the scenes with Cadegan, Josette and all her friends, some of my favourite scenes in the story.

Along with the new characters and realm, we also get the chance to see some of our old favourites; Ash, Styxx, Simi, Kyrian, Talon, Fang etc. Seeing some of my faves back again to help, and watching them interact and carry on had me laughing out loud. Kenyon brings her classic humour to these scenes which helps to lighten the mood and the severity of the problem at hand, even if it’s just for a few seconds. Styxx particularly had me howling with laughter as he’s talking with the group about living in this day and age and how it hasn’t driven him to go running through the streets naked yet. LOL!!! I’m still LOL’ing over that scene as I type this review. As our group of past favourites try to figure out a way to help Cadegan and Jossette, Kenyon continues to reveal little bits of information regarding the evil that’s coming, which was mentioned in Styxx’s book, along with making reveals about Thorn(never saw this one coming) and Max the dragon who lives in the attic at Sanctuary. Which as you know I’m not telling cause I don’t like to play the spoil sport. If you want to know this ‘didn’t see that one coming’ reveal, then you will just have to read the book for yourselves. ;-p Keep in mind that the publicity surrounding this book has been dubbed; The Dragons will Rise in 2015, so maybe I’ve given a little hint regarding one of the reveals in Son of No One. 😉

Now in proper Kenyon fashion she of course does answer questions that she left us hanging with in previous books, but now thanks to the addition of Cadegan and Jossette, the two reveals(Max and Thorn), new realms and the return of our favourite Gallu demon Kessar to stir up yet more trouble, we are left with more questions and head scratching. I swear I’m going to either go completely white or bald from reading this series thanks to Ms. Kenyon and her trickery and mastery in storytelling. Just when I think I’ve figured something out, I turn the page and bam, my jaw drops over some other tidbit she’s revealed. I swear I never get tired of reading the DH series and I know I never will. If Ms. Kenyon continues to write and create worlds, characters, humour and action scenes like the ones in Son of No One I will forever keep coming back for more. I for one can’t wait till next year when Dragonbane, the next installment in this arc comes out.

Until next time my fellow Menyons, happy reading!!  

Reviewed by Marcie

 

 

Share

The Husband Games by Jamie Farrell – Review & Giveaway

Posted on by
33

The Husband Games by Jamie Farrell – Review & Giveaway

 

The Husband Games Banner

 

The Husband GamesAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository

Description:
After Natalie Castellano’s marriage imploded on the field of the Husband Games in Bliss, Illinois, the Most Married-est Town on Earth, the last job she expected to inherit was planning the fiftieth anniversary of her hometown’s unique Games. But with her mother’s unexpected passing, that’s exactly what Natalie’s doing. And the position demands that she play nice with CJ Blue, the man who ultimately caused Natalie’s marital demise.

Winning Bliss’s Husband Games and being crowned Husband of the Year was the brightest spot in CJ’s short marriage. Since his wife’s untimely death, he’s taken himself around the world, hiding from his grief. But now, family obligations have him trapped in Bliss, where he’s been invited to participate in the Games and humiliate himself in the name of closure. The whole town wants him to play. The whole town, except one. And he can’t decide what bothers him more—that Natalie doesn’t think he belongs in the Games, or that she’s right.

These two would make great enemies. But all games aside, the more they find themselves in close quarters, the harder it is to deny their mutual attraction. She’s battled Bliss’s bridal brigade, and he’s jumped out of airplanes and soared over waterfalls, but now they’re both facing the biggest risk of all: taking another chance on love.

 

Review:

The Husband Games is book 1 in Jamie Farrell’s Misfit Brides of Bliss series. I had the opportunity to read a previous book of Jamie’s titled Southern Fried Blues and enjoyed everything about it and her writing. So when I was asked to read The Husband Games I wasn’t passing up the chance. I just love Jamie’s writing style, her characters, the small town settings and all that goes with living in a small town. Jamie writes contemporary romances that are comical, honest, with realistic characters living in realistic situations and are just completely fun to read.

The characters in The Husband Games are well written and developed, with a cast of secondary characters that support both the main couple and the story. Every character we meet in the book adds a new layer to the story and help us to better understand both the hero and the heroine better. The secondary characters are just as fun and comical as her main couple in this one. I don’t know how many times I burst out laughing at the situations that some of her characters got themselves into in this one. I swear the comical situations in this one is one of the highlights for me, and just had me wanting to keep reading and see what was going to happen next. Any book that can keep a smile on my face, and chuckling out loud throughout it, is a winner for me.  

We get to learn who both the hero – CJ and heroine-Natalie are really well. Ms. Farrell takes the time to build layer upon layer to these two characters, and they just come to life before your very eyes as you read. We get to feel the emotions and pain that both are carrying around and why. Many times I wanted to shake both CJ and Natalie silly and tell them to smarten up and grab what’s in front of them and don’t let go. However, due to their pasts that they haven’t completely come to terms with, or forgiven themselves for they can’t move on just yet. I liked how Ms. Farrell didn’t rush their romance, but instead built a very intense and hot chemistry between them that keep me wanting more from Natalie and CJ. These two make a great couple, they compliment each other nicely and seem to balance each other out even though they don’t see this at first. Their scenes together are comical at times, well others are real, serious and very emotional. Speaking of emotional, one of my favourite scenes is when CJ finally admits his feelings to Natalie. CJ brought tears to my eyes as he manned up and put everything out there to let Natalie know how he truly feels, that he loves her and needs her. It was a beautiful, emotional and heartfelt scene that Ms. Farrell wrote.

As I said earlier, I really enjoy Jamie Farrell’s writing and creativity to bring her small town stories to life. If you are a fan of contemporary romances that combine comedy and romance together then this ones for you. It won’t disappoint and I can’t wait to read the next installment of the Mistfit Brides of Bliss series.

Until next time, happy reading everyone!      

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Author

 

Giveaway-gold/purple

Jamie is offering an e-copy of THE HUSBAND GAMES 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. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

4. LIKE us on Twitter

5. LIKE us on GOODREADS 

6. LIKE Jamie Farrell on FACEBOOK

7. Giveaway is open Internationally

8 Giveaway runs from September 12-16, 2014

Share

The Lady’s Disgrace by Callie Hutton – a Review

Posted on by
11

he Lady’s Disgrace by Callie Hutton –  a Review

 

The Lady's DisgraceAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM

Description:
A lady is nothing without her reputation. Jilted and humiliated by her once-betrothed, Lady Abigail Lacey is the laughingstock of London. Worse still, the humiliation is now reflecting badly on her family. Now her brother, the Duke of Manchester, is desperate… until he finds a way to rescue his sister’s damaged reputation, and remove her from the glare of disapproving society.

He must marry her off. Quickly.

When Rector Joseph Fox drops by the Lacey household, he certainly didn’t expect to leave as a man engaged to a long-time family friend! Yet while he never could have aspired to have her, Lady Abigail always ignited a forbidden longing in him. But Abigail has one condition—their marriage is to be void of passion or physical pleasures. Faced with a platonic marriage of convenience, Joseph is determined to embark on a sensuous adventure with only one goal: to seduce his new wife…

Review:

The Lady’s Disgrace is book 3 in Callie Hutton’s Marriage Mart Mayhem series. I was lucky enough to read and review the previous book in this series The Duke’s Quandry and was glad to be able to follow it up with The Ladies Disgrace. This is Lady Abigail and Joseph’s story. We met both character’s in The Duke’s Quandry and learned a little about both, but now get to see the full picture and history of this couple.

I’ve come to the conclusion that Callie Hutton has a special knack for writing historical romance, and I’ve become a fan of hers. The humour, witty banter, romance and overall storyline she creates before your very eyes sweeps you back in time and carries you away on a fun filled and sometimes dangerous adventure. This time, Ms. Hutton adds the mystery of ‘who done it’ to Joseph and Abigail’s story. Someone out there isn’t too happy about Rector Joseph Fox’s new wife and is determined to do away with her, but just who is it, will keep you guessing throughout the entire story, while keeping you riveted to the slowly developing and lovely romance between the newly weds.

Ms. Hutton does a wonderful job of slowly building the relationship and romance between Abigail and Joseph. Abigail and Joseph are wonderfully written characters that the reader is able to identify with and like from the get go. Joseph is patient, and understanding with Abigail about her ‘terms’ for their marriage, but knows deep down he can win his Lady’s love with the love he’s been carrying around for her since her 1st come out ball. He’s loved her all his life, but always felt his station was beneath her families, now he’s not giving that chance up, he’ll do anything to win her love. Joseph’s everything you could want in a husband and those qualities just shine through on the pages and watching him woo his Lady was one of my favourite parts of the story. Abigail on the other hand isn’t too sure about opening up her heart again to the hope of love after she was jilted at the alter by her former betrothed. Even though I could see her point of view, there were many times I wanted to shake her silly and tell her to grow up, open her eyes and see that Joseph isn’t like her former betrothed. Joseph is everything that he could only hope to be in a husband, and a man for that fact.

Ms. Hutton writes the perfect ‘aha’ scene with Abigail when she finally realizes she loves Joseph, which then sets the story up for a dramatic and nail biting ending to a beautifully written tender and romantic story. I just love it when an author sets the ending up in just this way. Nothing like a good old fashioned ‘who done it’ mystery weaved into a romantic story that creates the kind of nail biting suspenseful ending we get here in The Lady’s Disgrace. Even though we have the underlying ‘who done it’ storyline that keeps us on our toes throughout, there were also many comical scenes where we get to see the witty banter and fun that I’ve come to know Ms. Hutton has a knack for incorporating into her storytelling. I really enjoy these scenes, and they let the characters true personalities shine through and endear them to the reader even more.

Once again I think it’s safe to say Ms. Hutton has another winner on her hands. The Lady’s Disgrace is a fun and fast paced read. The characters are real, with a well- developed storyline that keeps us riveted from the very beginning. The romance between Abigail and Joseph is brilliantly written, with just the right amount of ‘who done it’ thrown in to complicate things for them on their path to trusting and loving each other fully. For anyone who is a fan of Ms. Hutton or historical romances, then this one’s a welcomed addition to your library.

Until next time, happy reading!

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Publisher

Share