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One Little Kiss by Maggie Kelley – a Review

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One Little Kiss by Maggie Kelley – a Review

 

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Description:
Love blogger Kate Bell is finished with men—especially the hot ones. Of course her only chance to save her career requires snagging an interview with the man who literally wrote the book on love, reclusive and super-sexy relationship expert Jake Wright. Who happens to be her boss’s brother.

The last thing Jake Wright wants is to be dragged back into the spotlight as a bachelor for his sister’s dating website. But when a sweet and sexy blogger crashes onto his island in the middle of a storm worse than his love life, keeping his hands off proves to be a challenge—especially when they’re stuck sharing the same bungalow. 

Review;

One Little Kiss by Maggie Kelley is a fast, fun, charming and sexy read.  Jake and Kate are fun characters with different takes on love and relationships. Poor Jake doesn’t know what hits him when Kate arrives a little on the tipsy side thanks to her three martinis on the plane.  I was LOL’ing at this scene and Kate’s un-guarded comments regarding Jake and his looks thanks to her self-induced booze haze.  This whole scene sets the stage for the rest of the story, and the chemistry that sparks between the two of them jumps off the pages at every turn. 

Kate and Jake are both well developed characters and we can see why both have their different perspectives and takes on what love and relationships mean to them.   Poor Jake had his heart shattered by his ex-wife; she had an affair with is agent, and poor the girl next door Kate just keeps falling for the wrong guy.  Together they make quite the pair and their sexy, flirtatious witty banter just keeps the story moving along at a pace that makes you wonder just where the time went as you’re reading. It’s an easy story to get into and stay in thanks to Jake and Kate.  Their chemistry is sizzling, but the friendly, at ease nature they have with each other is a breath of fresh air.  It allows their conversations to flow and their relationship to blossom without feeling rushed or forced like some shorter stories do at times.   

One Little Kiss by Maggie Kelley is the third installment in her Smart Cupid series. Like I said it’s a fun, fast read, with plenty of humor and sizzling chemistry. Maggie Kelley’s writing is witty, flirtatious, and with a carefree attitude that allowed me, the reader to sit a back and enjoy Kate and Jake’s story.  It’s the perfect book to take to the beach, or have a lazy Sunday afternoon with.  After reading this one and enjoying it as much as I did, I wish I had read the previous two in the series first.  Guess I’ll be going back to read those now, because I have a feeling they will be just as entertaining as One Little Kiss.

Until next time, happy reading everyone!!

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Publisher

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The Baby Bombshell by Victoria James – a Review

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The Baby Bombshell by Victoria James – a Review

 

The Baby BombshellAmazon / B&N / Kobo / BAM

Description:
Lily Cookson has a few rules for the New Year, the most important being don’t fall for Jack Bailey. The gorgeous, rugged man returned with a new look and a determination to win her back, catching her off guard. After a forbidden night in his arms, she vows never to let it happen again. But when morning sickness kicks in a few weeks later, Lily realizes staying away from Jack just got a whole lot harder.

Jack Bailey left Shadow Creek behind five years ago when his world imploded around him, knowing it would be best for everyone if he was gone…including Lily. It took him a long time to get his life back on track and grow into the kind of man she needs him to be. Now he’s determined to prove to Lily that he’s back for good and ready to commit, but the secrets she’s holding onto are nothing compared to the bombshell he drops…

Review:

The Baby Bombshell by Victoria James is a well written, emotionally charged and heart-warming read.  The issues at hand for Jack and Lily are real and believable causing the emotion these characters bring to the story to just flow off the pages and into the reader.  Jack and Lily’s story had me tied up in knots, and shedding a few tears over the pain the two of them have gone through for the last five years they’ve been apart.  You can’t help but root for them and want to see them put the past to rest and be together like they were meant to be. 

“Five years, Lil.  I’ve been faithful to the memory of what we had and what we could be. There has been no one. I never stopped loving you.”

When Jack speaks these words to Lily I knew I was a goner for him, heck I was a goner for him the minute he was introduced to us in the story. There’s just something about a tortured hero I love.  However, that statement along with countless others he speaks to Lily has the reader falling deeper and deeper in love with him and wanting desperately to find out why he stayed away so long.  Once we learn the truth, and the hell Jack went through trying to deal with the death of his twin brother and nephew one fateful night, things start to fall into place for the reader.  We see more into Jack’s psyche, where his head was at, at that time, and how he was only trying to protect those he held dear.  He didn’t want to drag them down into the dark depression he found himself in, especially Lily.  Jack felt dead inside and didn’t want that for Lily, so he does what he thinks is best, leaves town to try and fix himself so he can be the man he feels Lily deserves.  As commendable and noble a gesture that is on Jack’s part, it’s also a devastating blow, filled with hurt and a feeling of abandonment on Lily’s part.  As much as I felt for Jack there were times I wanted to hit him for what he put Lily through, but I completely got where he was coming from, was able to see his side of the situation and wanted nothing more then to console him myself.  These were also the moments I wanted to shake Lily senseless and tell her to just forgive him, get the truth from him and end his suffering.  However, it’s easy to see her side of the story too, feeling left behind and abandoned by the man she loves and wanted forever with.  It’s as plain as day that these two are meant to be, that there is no one else for either of them.  It isn’t until Jack completely opens himself up to Lily, baring his soul through the letters he wrote her over the last five years that helped him get through his depression that Lily finally sees where Jack’s head was at, at that time, and the flood gates opened up on me.  No dry eyes at this point.  His letters are poignant, heartfelt, honest, and full of every ounce of emotion he was going through in his healing process to get back to her.  The emotional journey he went on to find his was back to Lily is heart wrenching, yet full of love, compassion, and loyalty.  Jack truly loves Lily and won’t ever be complete without her.  He makes for one very swoon-worthy tortured hero.

Victoria James has once again written another winner and delivered on this one. Even though she had me in a constant state of emotional overload, there were also some cute, funny and charming scenes to balance out the emotional upheaval the characters were dealing with. 

The Baby Bombshell is a well written story, with a solid, real-life plot, brought to life by two solid and believable characters in Jack and Lily.  It’s also a story of loss both in love and through death, despair and depression but finding the strength to battle back and be with the one you were meant to be with, and getting that second chance at love.  Just make sure you have a box of Kleenex on hand for this one, because you will more then likely need it.

Until next time, happy reading everyone!!

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Publisher

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Masquerading with the Billionaire by Alexia Adams – a Review

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Masquerading with the Billionaire by Alexia Adams – a Review

 

Masquerading with the BillionaireAmazon / B&N / Kobo / BAM / Book Depository

Description:
World-renowned jewelry designer Remington Wolfe is competing for the commission of a lifetime and someone is trying to destroy his company from the inside. He’s in for more than one surprise when his unexpected rescuer turns out to be a sexy computer specialist with a sharp tongue and even sharper mind.

Kat Smith is a cyber-security expert and master of disguise. So being assigned to masquerade as Wolfe’s girlfriend while she uncovers who slipped malicious code into his corporation’s computer systems is no problem. But when Kat’s past catches up to her and their fake relationship starts to feel a little too real, problems are all she seems to have.

 

Review;

This is my first Alexia Adams book I’ve read and I believe it won’t be the last. I really enjoyed Alexia’s storytelling in Masquerading with the Billionaire.  It was a fast fun read that kept me on the edge of my seat with an air of mystery and intrigue that surrounds our heroine Kat throughout the book keeping us in suspense regarding her true identity.  To add to this air of mystery and intrigue we have one very sexy and intense hero in Remington Steele Wolf.  Yes that’s his full name, and I LOL at it the first time we first learn of it, love it!!  Together Kat and Wolfe form a formidable pair both in the bedroom and the office.  Their scenes together are wrought full of flirty banter and sexual tension that gets more intense with each passing scene.  You know it’s only a matter of time before these two fall into each other’s arms and when they finally do, they burn up the pages.  Their romance is a flirty, fun, and steamy one to say the least.  However, all the while the truth of who Kat really is keeps looming over them making it harder and harder for Kat to keep her emotions and feelings for Wolfe at bay. 

Alexia not only writes a steamy romance in this one, she’s also written a story chalked full of emotion that pours off the pages and makes us want to see Kat change her fate, find her sister, and finally get all that she deserves.  Kat’s backstory about where she came from and what she went through to get to where she is now tugs at the heartstrings and wants to see her and Wolfe win at love.  Not only is Kat struggling with her growing feelings, but so too is Wolfe thanks to his passion, dreams and driving ambition to become ‘The’ world’s best jewelry designer.  Thanks to his ambition and dream he’s always kept personal relationships to a minimum and just sexual.  He never allows himself to bring feelings into a relationship thanks to one relationship that left a bitter taste in his mouth. However, the more time he spends with Kat he realizes there’s more to relationships then just sex, and starts to think that maybe, just maybe he can have both, love and his dream.  He’s also discovered that thanks to Kat his passion for creating and designing his jewelry takes on a whole new meaning, as she seems to have become his muse.  All together now,  awww. Isn’t Wolfe a sweetie? Tough exterior, but inside he’s a teddy bear with a heart of gold. 

I really enjoyed Masquerading with the Billionaire. The story is well thought out with a good amount of suspense, intrigue, passion, emotion and a side of flirty playfulness to balance it all out.  It makes for a page-turner of a story where you can’t put the book down for one minute because you need to know what’s going to happen next.  I just love these kinds of stories.  They keep me interested from beginning to end and then wanting more when I’ve read the last line.  Looking forward to reading more by Alexia Adams.

Until next time, happy reading everyone!

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Publisher

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Born of Vengeance by Sherrilyn Kenyon – a Review

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Born of Vengeance by Sherrilyn Kenyon – a Review

 

Born of VengeanceAmazon / B&N / Kobo / BAM / Book Depository

Description:
A fate worse than death . . .

Bastien Cabarro survived the brutal slaughter of his entire family only to have his wife pin their murders on him. Made Ravin by The League, he is now a target for their assassins-in-training to hunt and kill. The average life expectancy for such beings is six weeks. But defying the odds is what this Gyron Force officer does best, and Bastien won’t rest until he lays his betrayers in their graves.

Ten years later, he has one chance to balance the scales of justice, provided he relies on his former wingman— the very sister of the woman who testified against him.

Major Ember Wyldestarrin joined the outlaw Tavali the day Kirovar fell into the hands of a tyrant, and she and her sister-team were left on an outpost to die under the barrage of enemy fire. The last thing she wants is to be involved in politics again. But the one thing she wants more than anything is revenge on the tyrant who murdered her parents and forced her and her sisters into exile. Carrying a secret she knows Bastien will annihilate her over, she must find some way to trust her former wingman before he catches on and kills her. Even so, treachery doesn’t come easy to a woman who took a loyalty oath to protect her homeworld and comrades-in-arms, especially when Bastien is much more to her than just a former wingman.

Yet as she tries to do right for her family, she learns that Bastien doesn’t just hold the key to the fate of Kirovar, he is vital to The Sentella-League war, and to The Tavali. If she doesn’t ensure he survives this mission, three nations fall, and time for all of them is quickly running out.

 

 

Review;

I’m going to start off by saying that Sherrilyn Kenyon is one of my all time favourite authors and I have enjoyed all her stories to date. However, I seem to have mixed feelings over Born of Vengeance.  After reading Born of Legend I was hyped and ready for the next installment as I become quite intrigued by Bastien, and the position we found him in, in previous books.  Now after reading Bastien’s story I can’t help but feel a little cheated.  I was expecting more present day situation/events surrounding Bastien and Ember, but I felt like we got more back tracking and repetitive scenes/history from Hauk and Jullien(Dagger)’s books.  When we do finally get up to speed and join the present everything happens so fast that before I knew it I had the book read.  I was like, ‘that’s it, it can’t be, I want more, there needs to be more’.  Don’t get me wrong I did enjoy the book, just wish there was more present day events.

Bastien is everything I hoped he would be and then some.  He’s a warrior who’s been to hell and back but somehow managed to hold onto his soul and humanity thanks to the love he still holds for Ember.  It’s that love that sustains him through his years as a Ravin, a criminal placed on the run by the League to be hunted and killed.  Bastien winds up seeking refuge on the planet Oksana where it plays havoc with communication and transmission devices.  He’s planned to hide out and wait out his Ravin sentence so that he can return to his planet Kirovar and seek revenge on Uncle Barnie as he likes to call him, and ex-wife Alura(Ember’s sister) over everything that’s happened to him.  Mind you, through all the back tracking/history of Bastien’s time on Oksana we do learn more about him; how he becomes friendly with the Sentella and is offered a position with them should he ever want one, we see more of his relationship with Jullien and his family, as well as how he becomes friends with Thraix and Trejan.  In hindsight I guess you can say the back tracking wasn’t all that bad, and did serve a purpose for when we reach present day.

Once we do reach present day and Bastien is gunning for revenge, events from here on in do move fast.  Bastien and Ember are reunited and have a common goal, Bastien learns he has a son with Ember, Florian, whom he loves instantly upon meeting the boy.  Absolutely loved this scene, it was perfectly written and the interaction between Bastien and his son is priceless.  In this scene we see the true Bastien come to the forefront, the man with a heart of gold, who will die before he sees any harm done to those he loves and holds dear. He may be a warrior honed in the fires of hell, but underneath it all, he’s just a cuddly teddy bear.  We also see this side of Bastien whenever he’s with Ember.  He loves her so deeply that there is no Bastien without Ember.  His love for her, and Ember’s love for Bastien flows off the pages and makes you root for them to finally get their HEA.  Bastien and Ember are solid characters who match each other in everyway which makes them perfect for one another.  Even her sisters adore him and welcome him back with open arms, which was another cute scene that makes you want Bastien to succeed all the more.  Another fun scene is when Bastien meets Trajen once he’s finally rid of his Ravin tracking device. Upon introduction via  Jullien he uses Bastien’s royal title, to which Bastien quickly lets him know ‘it’s just Bastien, or Bas, asshole if you must’.  Trajen’s response is priceless; “Aw god, there are two of you in this universe.” As he shakes his head and walks away muttering under his breath.  I was LOL, at poor Trajen at this point. 

Of course it wouldn’t be a Kenyon book without her rag tag band of unique characters.  It was nice to see many of our old and current favourites return, along with some newbies to help Bastien, Ember and her sisters out.  The interactions between these characters is ROTFL’ing moments where you can’t help but think ‘my goodness how have they survived this long’.  Their antics and actions are off the wall and completely insane at the best of times.  It’s no wonder they all get along and have formed friendships, they’re all a little kooky.  It’s one of the reasons I love Kenyon’s books, her characters crack me up. 

Another highlight of the book was the little bonus story/chapter after Born of Vengeance.  It centers on Nyk and Jullien so we get to see how they’ve may in roads to being more brotherly with each other.  Nyk is entrusting his eldest daughter to Jullien to be trained in the Tavali ways.  Loved the interactions between these two and then watching Jullien with Nyk’s kids is simply adorable.  It’s a lovely written chapter, one that leaves you wanting more from these two brothers.  Here’s hoping we get more of these bonus chapters, or maybe, hopefully Thia’s story being told in the near future, with more brotherly interactions. 

After writing up this review I’ve come to the conclusion that yes I did indeed enjoy Born of Vengeance, even though I had some issues with the back tracking/history lessons.  It was full of the ingredients I’ve come to find in a Kenyon book and has me wanting more as I wait for the next installment.  Guess that’s why she’s the author and not me 😉  For any Kenyon fan this is a good addition to the series, now bring  on Mack and Ryn!!

Until next time my fellow Menyons, happy reading!! 

Reviewed by Marcie

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The Billionaire’s Bet by Victoria Davies – a Review

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The Billionaire’s Bet by Victoria Davies – a Review

 

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Description:
Hailey Mitchel wants one thing. Her boss. The only problem is he’s never looked at her as more than a loyal employee. At least, not until his charming business rival, Caleb, drops into her life with an offer she can’t refuse. He’s willing to bet he can make her fall in love with him in a month, and if he’s wrong, he’ll help her find the keys to her boss’s heart.

Caleb Langston wants one thing. Revenge. Hailey is his ticket to finally evening the score with his old adversary. There’s just one problem. The more time he spends with her, the less he cares about his grand plans for payback. But love is always a gamble, and soon he’ll have to choose between his past and his future. And pray Hailey never discovers the secret he’s been hiding from her.

 

Review;

I quite enjoyed The Billionaire’s Bet by Victoria Davies.  It’s a fast paced read as the story pretty much takes place over the span of a month.  This being the case, I never felt the story or characters suffered, or were rushed in anyway to get the story told.  I thought Ms. Davies did an excellent job of laying the groundwork and allowing us to learn about the players involved, and why events were playing out the way they did.  Ms. Davies also gives us plenty of swooning time in this one as we have two handsome billionaires vying for the same girl, but it’s not for reasons one would assume.  No, our heroes aren’t in it for love at the beginning because they have ulterior motives that stem back to a misunderstanding in their early days.  I will admit I did feel bad for our would be heroine Hailey at times, but also thought she was a tad silly to go along with Caleb’s bet in the first place.  Hailey is so besotted with her boss Alec that she doesn’t see through Caleb’s charade/plot for revenge.  There were many times throughout the story that I thought come on Hailey can’t you see he’s playing you, but Caleb is a very suave, charming and charismatic individual.  She gets swept along Caleb’s plot for revenge against Alec and before she knows it she’s fallen for the ‘devil’ in the Armani suit as she calls him various times throughout the book. 

Ah yes the ‘devil’ in the Armani suit is just that.  He knows he’s got it all, good looks, money, charm, everything a girl could ever ask for and he knows how to use it.  At first glance I thought Hailey was right in called him the ‘devil’ since he did set his sights on her for one reason, revenge against Alec.  Once he got his revenge, then Hailey wouldn’t be of any use to him anymore and he’d cut her loose.  One word came to mind for me regarding Caleb, scumbag!!  However, Caleb quickly had me singing a different tune by the middle of the book.  Once we break through his outer layer of defense there’s a vulnerable side to him that he’s been protecting all these years thanks to what his so called best friend Alec did to him.  It’s at this point I fully  understood why his need for revenge was so strong, but thanks to Hailey his plan quickly starts to crumble as he develops feelings for her that only get stronger the more time he spends with her.  Caleb goes through a transformation that turns him from scumbag to Mr. Right by books end.  By books end Caleb is so in love with Hailey that he’s even willing to let bygones be bygones and drop his revenge plot against Alec and try to mend fences because that’s what Hailey would want him to do if she ever discovered the truth.  Caleb wants to be a better person because of Hailey, she’s given him purpose and reason to really want to live life instead of drifting through life like he was.  Hailey and Caleb actually bring a good balance to each others lives. 

Even though there is drama and a big blow up between our trio in the last portion of the story all does end well for everyone.  Caleb and Hailey get their HEA that neither thought they’d ever find and Caleb and Alec mend fences and want to get their friendship back on track.  I really like how Alec was the one to form the plan to allow Caleb to try one last time to explain everything to Hailey.  I really enjoyed reading The Billionaire’s  Bet by Victoria Davies and found it to be a fast and fun read, filled with revenge plots, feuds between friends, leftover anger, a longing to try and get back to the way things were between friends and with a sexy romance between an ‘angel’ and a ‘devil’ tossed in for good measure. 

Until next time, happy reading!! 

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Publisher

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Rules of Contact by Jaci Burton – Review & Giveaway

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Rules of Contact by Jaci Burton – Review & Giveaway

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RULES OF CONTACT
Play by Play #12
by Jaci Burton
Genre: adult, contemporary, sports, romance
Release Date: December 6, 2016

 

Rules of ContactAmazon / B&N / Kobo / BAM / Book Depository

Description:
A football player with all the right moves on the field needs a better game plan for his love life.

A defensive end for the San Francisco Sabers, Flynn Cassidy is used to being in the spotlight—he just doesn’t enjoy it. But if getting in front of the cameras will help his new restaurant succeed, he’s willing. Now if he could just meet a woman who loved him and not his fame…

After her divorce, Amelia Lawrence is thrilled to start over as head chef at Ninety-Two. It’s just the opportunity she needs to heat up her career—if only she wasn’t wildly attracted to her sexy new boss. Their chemistry might be sizzling hot, but Amelia has no intention of being burned again.

Amelia is genuine and fun and Flynn can’t get enough of her—and Amelia loves every second she spends with the tough but tender Flynn. But trust is a hard fought battle for both of them. Breaking the rules of contact and surrendering to their passion was easy, but are they willing to risk their hearts to win at the game of love?

 

Review;

Have I mentioned in past reviews how much I love this series?  Jaci Burton has done it again, and found another hit story with Rules of Contact.  This book is once again filled with well-defined characters, cameo appearances from past characters, a strong sense of family, storyline and a steamy romance.  I swear her keyboard must start smoking and set off fire alarms after she’s typed a sex scene, because Amelia and Flynn definitely brought the heat in this one.  Even though they did steam up the pages in this one when they are together, Jaci also lets the reader learn about our hero and heroine regarding their past relationships and how they get to be where they are by books end.  Both Flynn and Amelia have issues regarding trust and understanding due to various reasons; Amelia it’s her failed marriage, and for Flynn it’s his career and the fame that comes with it.  He wants someone to see him, Flynn Cassidy, not Flynn Cassidy the football player and the fame that comes with his career.  Amelia just wants someone to love and respect her and see her as an equal with a career of her own. 

I loved both Flynn and Amelia from the get go.  I found they balanced each other out and made a fun and charming couple.  Amelia is a strong, independent woman, who can make decisions for herself and knows what she wants both in a career and personal matters of the heart.  She’s also funny and quirky and seeing her flirt, banter and pretty much drive poor Flynn crazy trying to figure her out was amusing.  I liked that she kept him unbalanced at times and caused him to look deeper into who she really is.  Flynn, well what can I say about Mr. Cassidy besides the fact he’s smoking hot and irresistible to the female race.  No really, Flynn is every women’s dream; sweet, charming, respectable, caring, heart of gold, tough on the outside with a teddy bear interior.  Flynn just wants what’s best for Amelia and wants to make her happy.  Like I said, who wouldn’t want a man like Flynn Cassidy?  Plus he can cook, damn right I want a man like this.  Speaking of cooking, there were times Ms. Burton had me salivating for a taste of what her characters were cooking either at Flynn’s restaurant, or just at their respective homes.  My only complaint about this book is that it didn’t come with the recipes to the various dishes both Amelia and Flynn created in the book.  I could seriously see me attempting these dishes if only I had the recipes to go with them, lol!!  Sorry, I digress once again, now where was I?

Ah yes, back to my review; another aspect of Rules of Contact I enjoyed was catching up with past couples from this series as they made cameo appearances to help further Amelia and Flynn’s story.  I think one of my favourite parts of this one, and all the books about the Cassidy siblings is when they go home to visit on the family ranch. The family dynamic is one that anyone would want to be a part of.  The siblings are all pro athletes, love to tease and razz each other, but love one another deeply and will be there for each other no matter what.  The sibling rivalries and camaraderie just flows off the page and makes you feel like part of their family.  It really is a fun part of the story, and one I look forward to every time I get to read about one of the Cassidy siblings.  They really do have a cool family.

Rules of Contact is a delightful and fun addition to the Play by Play series by Jaci Burton.  It had everything one comes to expect from Burton’s Play by Play series; smoking hot athletes, strong independent women, a fun storyline filled with strong family ties, fast furious sports action, flirty/playful banter between our couple that leads to a steamy romance and a HEA.  For any fan of Jaci Burton you can’t go wrong with Rules of Contact.

Until next time, happy reading my fellow sports fans!!

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Publisher

 

giveaway

Jaci’s publisher is offering a paper copy of RULES OF CONTACT 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.

NOTE:  If you are having difficulty commenting after logging-in, please refresh the page at the top of your computer.

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

3. Please LIKE and Follow Jaci Burton on Facebook

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

5. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

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

7. Giveaway open to USA only.

8. Giveaway runs from December 16th – 19th, 2016

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Compromising Positions by Jenna Bayley-Burke -a Review

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Compromising Positions by Jenna Bayley-Burke -a Review

 

Compromising PositionsAmazon / Kobo / BAM / The Book Depository

Description:
He never broke a rule…until he met her.

When fitness empire CEO David Strong agrees to help teach a yoga class for couples based on poses in The Kama Sutra, he’s put in one compromising position after another. Especially since the instructor is his best friend’s little sister-in-law, doesn’t have a lot of experience with men, and is totally off-limits. She’s everything David’s never wanted. So he can’t understand why he suddenly needs her so much.

Sophie DelFino has fantasized about David for over a decade, but he has a type, and she’s far from it. He’s also got all sorts of rules and reasons why they shouldn’t be together. Good thing Sophie is all about bending the rules.

 

Review;

I thoroughly enjoyed Compromising Positions by Jenna Bayley-Burke.  It’s a well written story with very real characters dealing with real issues, and boy do our hero and heroine have issues.  It’s a wonder they managed to form a relationship in the first place, but it was an enjoyable adventure to watch them embark on.  Compromising Positions is a fast read, but properly balanced between plotline and romance.  The reader is allowed to really get to know our hero(David) and heroine(Sophie), learn of their reasons for why they are where they are in life so far, and what they both yearn for, but are afraid they will never get.  David and Sophie are believable characters that you can get behind, relate to, sympathize with and want to see get their HEA’s.  Jenna Bayley-Burke manages to weave a fun, sexy, flirty and real storyline in a short amount of time that keeps the reader entertained the whole way through.  Watching poor David and his rules about dating/women crumble at his feet were funny, but you also could sympathize with him at the same time.  David just didn’t stand a chance once he entered Sophie’s world, and you just knew he was going to be a goner after one Yoga class with Sophie practicing poses from the Kuma Sutra.  Sophie is very determined where David is concerned and I liked the fact that even though she didn’t have much experience with romance and men in general she wasn’t afraid to go after David and what she wanted between them. The sexual tension and chemistry between David and Sophie is palpable and simmers right up until they reach their boiling point and David can’t hold back any longer. They are a sweet couple and David was a total gentleman and charmer where Sophie’s concerned.  I loved how he just wanted to take care of her and give her everything she deserved, so swoon-worthy.

Now if I have one issue/pet peeve with this story, it’s that I just wish there was a little bit more to the ending then just jumping straight into the epilogue after David proposes to Sophie(lovely and well written scene). I would’ve liked to have seen David and Sophie explore their relationship a little bit more once they figured everything out between each other. However, the epilogue did show us where they are in life now, happy and experiencing everything they wanted but were afraid of having back in the beginning of their adventure.   For anyone who enjoys a fast paced contemporary romance, with real characters and sexy flirtatious dialogue, then Compromising Positions is a must read. 

Until next time, happy reading everyone! 

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Publisher

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Children of the Veil by Colleen Halverson – a Review

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Children of the Veil by Colleen Halverson – a Review

 

Children of the VeilAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM

Description:
Two worlds. One fate.

Elizabeth Tanner has one goal: to find her mother in whatever dimension she’s imprisoned. But to do that, she has to face her estranged father, and to do that, she needs a shot of whiskey…or seven. But after an attempt on her life and the return of her lost love, she wakes up with one hell of a hangover and a whole barrage of questions.

Finn O’Connell doesn’t know why the Fianna want him to aid Elizabeth in her search, but he’ll take any excuse to be near her again. Together, they dive headlong into the shadows of her mother’s secrets and find themselves embroiled in a Fae rebellion that will test Finn’s loyalties and their love.

With the Faerie realm verging on chaos, Elizabeth and Finn will embark on a quest that will lead them from the streets of Chicago to London’s seedy Fae underground. But rescuing Elizabeth’s mother means journeying to a place Finn can’t follow, and Elizabeth is forced to make a choice between finding her at last or saving her own soul.

 

Review;

Finally, the next installment of Colleen Halverson’s Aisling Chronicles is here!! I’ve been waiting on pins and needles to see what’s in store next for our hero and heroine, Elizabeth and Finn. 

Children of the Veil did not disappoint as it continues to follow their adventures in the Fae world.  Ms. Halverson continues with her rich   world building by bringing us into the seedy underground of the Fae community and introducing us to new and interesting characters, as well as adding more twists, turns and dire circumstances for both Elizabeth and Finn.

How Elizabeth and Finn manage to find time for themselves to further their relationship and Fae/Trinity laws be damned is beyond me, because I felt like I was running a marathon reading this one with everything that was happening. There were a few times Ms. Halverson had my head spinning and my stomach tied up in knots over the events and actions of characters in this one.  This book flew by as I read it, and before I knew it is was over and once again left me hanging.  Umm, Ms. Halverson, can you please do me a favour and stop with the cliffhangers already!!!  LoL, yes I know I’m an impatient reader, and don’t like having to wait around for the next installment to find out what’s going to happen next.

As I said this book is filled with fast paced action, battles, struggles with one’s conscience, romance, and pretty much everything but the kitchen sink tossed in for good measure.

Children of the Veil picks up a few months down the road from where the first book ended and poor Elizabeth is not in a good way. She’s depressed over losing Finn, not knowing what happened to or where her mother is and feeling like a failure where her Aisling powers are concerned.  My heart was breaking for our heroine and was thankful when Finn came to her rescue.  He was sent by the Fianna on a mission to help her seek her mother.  Thus the adventure begins and keeps the reader turning page after page.  As their adventure unfolds Elizabeth must face many obstacles in the hunt for her mother and it’s through this hunt we learn just who and what the Children of the Veil are.  They were a secret society of Fae creatures who didn’t like certain laws and actions being placed upon the Fae community. They were pretty much rebels, and we also learn that Elizabeth’s mom was a part of this society.  So I guess we can say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree where Elizabeth is concerned because to me she is a little rebel, and the archaic laws of the Fae and Trinity College be damned where she is concerned.  We get to see more into her mother’s life as she becomes an Aisling, her parents life, how much her mom and dad loved each other and Elizabeth, but just wanted to keep her safe from the rules and regulations that come with being Fae.  It gives us a much better understanding of Elizabeth and how she is able to balance her humanity with her Fae powers.  One thing I wasn’t a fan of however, was the end result for Elizabeth and her mom.  I get why Ms. Halverson did what she did in that scene, but at the same time I’m not happy with it.  It does however, spur Elizabeth on to be the leader she needs to be for her Fae community, and with Finn at her side loving and supporting her, she readies herself for the rebellion that’s coming. 

Children of the Veil once again is a well thought out story with creative storytelling, an eclectic and rag tag band of characters coming together for the same purpose, with suspense, drama and intrigue at every turn.  If the first two books in the Aisling Chronicles are testament to Ms. Halverson’s writing abilities, then I know I’m in for a wild ride in the next installment as our troops get ready to battle in a Fae rebellion.  Just please Ms. Halverson, no more cliffhangers, I want Elizabeth and Finn’s HEA, they’ve been through enough already.

Until next time, happy reading!!

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Publisher

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