Tag Archives: Marie Harte

Between Bloode and Wolf by Marie Harte-a review

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Between Bloode and Wolf (Between the Shadows 4) by Marie Harte-a review

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What do a missing artifact, a lycan war, a sexy vampire in hot pursuit, and a sorcerer casting illegal death magic have in common?Just another day at the office for lycan berserker Riley Foster.

Berserker Riley Foster rescued her cousin from vampires chasing after her pack’s stolen artifact. Not long after, she’s forced to work alongside the powerful vamps to find said artifact—for their goddess?

Vampires don’t worship anything but themselves, but Kraft of the Night Bloode has been sent to recover a weird little wolf statue for his patron—the goddess, Hecate. Unfortunately, the lycans are playing games.

Kraft demands to work with their powerful berserker, who intrigues him to no end. She’s strong, beautiful, and lets no one push her around. Except her pack, who insists she mate before her hundredth birthday in just a few more weeks.

She’s on a deadline she doesn’t want to meet.

He’s falling for a “lesser being” who shouldn’t be anywhere on his radar.

When it comes to their common enemy, they’ve got even more problems. A rogue sorcerer is bent on creating something horrible with the artifact, and it’s up to Kraft and Riley to stop him before he brings forth monsters that even vampires and lycans dread. Riley will have to make a choice, between her future with her pack and her future with Kraft, a vampire who isn’t long for this world if she doesn’t make the right decision. Fast.

•••••

REVIEW:BETWEEN BLOODE AND WOLF is the fourth instalment in Marie Harte’s contemporary, adult BETWEEN THE SHADOWS paranormal, fantasy romance series. This is 100 years old Lycan/Beserker Riley Foster, and ninety-two year old Nachzehrer/wolf shifter vampire Kraft’s story line. BETWEEN BLOODE AND WOLF can be read as a stand alone but for back story and cohesion, I recommend reading the series in order as there is an ongoing premise throughout.

SOME BACKGROUND: There are ten tribes of vampires each made up of individual clans, all male, and each tribe of vampire has a different gift. Tribes hate other tribes, and clans hate other clans, even within the same tribe. Six Bloode Stones, thought to be the tears of the Primus Ambrogio, the ancestor of the vampires, are missing, and the meeting of all six stones, will ‘cause’ peace to fall upon the vampire race, the Blood Empire will unite and rule the worlds by destroying and consuming every living beast including the human race. The goddess Hecate has gathered six of the most powerful vampires from six tribes, creating the Night Bloode family, a family that must battle to save the world.

Told from third person perspective BETWEEN BLOODE AND WOLF follows Nachzehrer vampire Kraft as he is tasked to retrieve an ancient artifact, an artificat stolen by a former Lycan prisoner. Thought to contain one of the mythical Bloode Stones, the artifact is now in the possession of a Lycan /direwolf Pack, a pack where Kraft is about to meet his fated mate. Enter lycan/beserker Riley Foster, and the woman with whom Kraft will fall in love. As Riley and Kraft begin their search for the missing artifact, which is now in the possession of someone else, our couple will have to face off against reanimated vampires, witches, magirs, several lycan packs hoping to destroy both Kraft and Riley, and a powerful warlock who practices the dark arts and sacrifice but the artifact isn’t the only thing target for possession and its’ power, as Riley and Kraft find themselves in a battle for the lives, a battle where not everyone will survive.

The relationship between Riley and Kraft is one of immediate attraction but neither Kraft or Riley is looking for a mate. Riley is expected to mate with one of her own kind but time spent together would reveal that Riley and Kraft are fated by love and DNA. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, energetic and frenetic secondary and supporting characters including all of the members of the Night Bloode clan, as well as the goddess Hecate, Mormo, vampires Khent and Rolf, Orion’s kitten Shadow aka Paz, and the dark elf Onvyr. We are introduced to several members of Riley’s Crimson Claw pack including cousin Max and their alpha Jack, as well as several members of competing packs of wolves. The requisite evil has many faces -warlock Sebastian Castle, and alpha in waiting of the Wildridge Pack Julian Wildridge.

BETWEEN BLOODE AND WOLF is a fast paced, action packed story of family, relationships, power and control, death and destruction, mayhem and magic. The premise is edgy and tragic; the characters are animated and powerful; the romance is fated and spirited.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews

Between Bloode and Stone
Between Bloode and Craft
Between Bloode and Water

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Turn Up the Heat (Turn Up the Heat 4) by Marie Harte-a review

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Turn Up the Heat (Turn Up the Heat 4) by Marie Harte-a review

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 29, 2022

Officer Cass Carmichael loves her job and does it well. Giving firefighter Mack Revere a speeding ticket after a warning was deserved? Knocking him off his feet in a soccer game? Beating him at darts, dominoes, and pool? Par for the course. Cass has always played to win. Yet when she fails to resist Mack’s kisses, she doesn’t mind losing.

Every time Cass sneers or jeers, Mack likes her a little bit more. For a firefighter, he’s a laid-back guy in a profession that takes a lot of heart. Even though he’s used to handling the heat, Cass makes him burn. But they both have concerns about their families and their futures, and they’ll have to decide if they should fan the flames between them or douse what might have been before one of them gets burned.

•••••••

REVIEW:TURN UP THE HEAT is the fourth instalment in Marie Harte’s contemporary, adult TURN UP THE HEAT erotic, firefighter romance series. This is twenty-eight year old, police officer Cassandra ‘Cass’ Carmichael, and thirty year old firefighter/EMT Mackenzie ‘Mack’ Revere’s story line, TURN UP THE HEAT 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 (Cass and Mack) TURN UP THE HEAT follows the building romance and relationship between twenty-eight year old, police officer Cassandra ‘Cass’ Carmichael, and thirty year old firefighter/EMT Mackenzie ‘Mack’ Revere. The Seattle PD and Seattle FD have always had a bit of a rivalry both on and off the proverbial field but none moreso than during their soccer scrimmage matches where officer Cass Carmichael’s reputation as a hard a$$ preceded her introduction to our story line hero. Immediately attracted to Cassandra Carmichael, Mackenzie Revere has no idea that there are people behind the scenes working to push our couple together but rivalry between the PD and FD becomes personal when Mack continues to find himself on the outside looking in when his own family of police personnel, treat our hero like he doesn’t belong. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Mack and Cass, and the potential fall-out as Cass and Mack’s competitive streak goes a little too far.

Mack Revere has always felt like the unwanted child; going in a different direction than the rest of his family but never more so than in recent months.With all of his fellow firefighter having fallen in love, Mack once again, feels like the proverbial third wheel and begins to pulls back from family and friends. Cassandra Carmichael is a strong, take no sh*$, strong willed heroine who struggles to find a mid point between her private and public life. Hating to lose, and apparently always trying to prove she is just as good as everyone else, falling for Mack means to side with the ‘enemy’, especially when they find themselves the target of some unmistakable dislike.

The relationship between Cass and Mack is one of immediate attraction but the competitiveness may push our couple a little too far. Always trying to one-up, or outdo one another, Cass and Mack find common ground in the bedroom, without the interruptions of family and friends.Mack has watched from the sidelines as his fellow firefighters, and brothers have fallen in love, and our hero is hoping to find his own happily ever after. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The colorful and energetic secondary and supporting characters are once again flirty and fun but Mack’s immediate family has no idea of the pain they have caused. We are reintroduced to Reggie’s fellow firefighters and EMTs: Brad Battle (Make Me Burn), Tex McGovern (Burning Desire), Hernandez and Washkowski; Mack’s brother Xavier, Alec and James, and their parents Jimmy and Sandra; Cass’s partner Jed and his wife Shannon; and her parents Aaron and Jennifer.

TURN UP THE HEAT is a story of family and friendships, relationships and love; heart break and acceptance. The premise is emotional and engaging; the romance is steamy, seductive and hot; the characters are real and dynamic.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Make Me Burn
Burning Desire
Hot For You

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Between Bloode and Water by Marie Harte-a review

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Between Bloode and Water (Between the Shadows 3) by Marie Harte-a review

 

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 1, 2022

Kaia has had it with her mother. Talk about touchy. Offend the sea witch and pay the price. Oy. Granted, Kaia’s last boyfriend had been an idiot, but nearly sacrificing him to a dark god had been totally unnecessary. And those deals her mother keeps making with demons to obtain more power? Not a healthy way to achieve balance.

To stop her mother from sacrificing some other poor schlub, she sneaks into her mother’s lair and finds more intended sacrifices. But one of them has fangs.

Needing to get to safety before her mother returns and loses her mind, Kaia, a sea nymph, swims away with the guy and soon learns he’s under a spell.

In order to cure him, she overrides her mother’s magic with her own, weak though it may be. But now this male—a freakin’ vryko, a vampire who can swim like the merfolk—thinks he loves her. Curing Orion of the enchantment should have ended their association, but he’s still obsessed with her.

And for some reason, she’s intrigued by him as well. But the dark one to whom her mother promised a soul doesn’t care where it comes from. And since her mother has reneged on Orion, the dark one decides Kaia will do nicely in his place.

••••

REVIEW: BETWEEN BLOODE AND WATER is the third instalment in Marie Harte’s contemporary, adult BETWEEN SHADOWS paranormal romance series. This is two hundred and forty-six year old vryko vampire Orion, and soon to be twenty-five year old, water nymph Kaia Dunwich’s story line. BETWEEN BLOODE AND WATER can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary but I recommend reading the series in order for back story and familiarity.

SOME BACKGROUND: There are ten tribes of vampires each made up of individual clans, all male, and each tribe of vampire has a different gift. Tribes hate other tribes, and clans hate other clans, even within the same tribe. Six Bloode Stones, thought to be the tears of the Primus Ambrogio, the ancestor of the vampires, are missing, and the meeting of all six stones, will ‘cause’ peace to fall upon the vampire race, the Blood Empire will unite and rule the worlds by destroying and consuming every living beast including the human race.

Told from several third person perspectives including Orion and Kaia, BETWEEN BLOODE AND WATER follows the building relationship between two hundred and forty-six year old vryko vampire Orion, and soon to be twenty-five year old, water nymph Kaia Dunwich. Kaia Dunwich is contracted to work with the local magir library, and our heroine suspects her mother Sabine, The White Sea Witch is using black magic. Kaia must infiltrate her mother’s magical island, an island that comes and goes to the eye, but Kaia never expected to find several werewolves, and a bespelled vampire, a vampire who claims Kaia is his mate. Enter vryko vampire Orion, and the man with whom Kaia will fall in love. What ensues is the rescue of our story line hero, as our couple grow closer together but only one who suspects it is all a ruse.

Orion is a vryko vampire, with the ability to swim and survive underwater, the perfect match for our story line heroine but Orion’s love and attraction to Kaia is precipitated by a powerful spell, a spell meant to keep Orion pliant and docile. Suspecting her mother had other plans for our story line hero, Kaia struggles with her attraction to a man, whose need for Kaia is a fabrication of magic. As Kaia and Orion grow closer together, the broken spell will reveal the truth, and Kaia will find herself the target of a powerful god. Orion reveals more of the history of his vampire clan, a history that doesn’t sit too well with our story line heroine.

Meanwhile, the clan continues to search for the Bloode Stones, thought to be the tears of the Primus (Ambrogio-the original vampire), stones that call to their direct descendants.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and energetic secondary and supporting characters include Kaia’s sister Macy and her vampire mate Duncan (Between Bloode and Craft 2); Night Bloode housemates and vampires Khent, Rolf, Kraft ; Orion’s kitten Shadow, as well as the clan patron, goddess Hecate, and her sidekick vampire/demon/magician/shifter Mormo, housekeeper Bella, and Fara’s brother and dark elf Onvyr; Macy’s best friend Cho, a half demon and his father Anton, as well as Kaia and Macy’s father Grand Mind Mage William Dunwich, and Kaia’s mother Sabine. The requisite evil has many faces. Once again, the back and forth between housemates is often frenetic and unbalanced. Kraft’s story is next in Between Bloode and Wolf.

BETWEEN BLOODE AND WATER is a story of family and betrayal, power and control, magic and passion, acceptance and love. The fast paced premise is entertaining and inviting ;the characters are animated and quirky; the romance is edgy and heart breaking.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews

Between Bloode and Stone
Between Bloode and Craft

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Between Bloode and Craft by Marie Harte-a review

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Between Bloode and Craft (Between The Shadows 2) by Marie Harte-a review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 14, 2021.

A dark grimoire. An enterprising witch. One very annoyed vampire.
Once the enchantment ends, the witch will pay. With her life, or her love?

Duncan has lived for over two hundred years. As a vampire, he’s aware there is very little that can do him harm. Certainly not a sexy young witch he thought he’d seduced. Even worse, he learns she’s in possession of a grimoire that has the ability to end all vampires. Forever. Tasked with finding the spellbook, he’ll do whatever it takes to destroy it, and he’ll take pure pleasure in devouring her.

Macy had no idea she’d ensnare herself by using the grimoire. She found it accidentally. She thinks. Except lately, she keeps using it, even when she’s not sure she wants to. When Duncan captures her, the book disappears, and her neck is literally on the line. She can’t find the book. He doesn’t believe her. And then there’s that weird demon guy who wants it too.

With few options left, Duncan uses all his wiles to persuade Macy to give him what he wants. But somehow, he finds himself wanting her more than the book. And when it turns out she has a special connection to him and his kin, it’s all he can do not to claim her for his own. But doing so might send him straight to Hell, eternally tortured, with the end to everything he holds dear.

••••••

REVIEW: BETWEEN BLOODE AND CRAFT is the second instalment in Marie Harte’s contemporary, adult BETWEEN THE SHADOWS paranormal/fantasy series. This is revenant vampire Duncan of the Night Bloode, and witch Macy Bishop-Dunwich’s story line. BETWEEN BLOODE AND CRAFT can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary but I recommend reading the series in order for back story and cohesion.

SOME BACKGROUND: There are ten tribes of vampires each made up of individual clans, all male, and each tribe of vampire has a different gift. Tribes hate other tribes, and clans hate other clans, even within the same tribe. Six Bloode Stones, thought to be the tears of Ambrogio, the ancestor of the vampires, are missing, and the meeting of all six stones, will ‘cause’ peace to fall upon the vampire race, the Blood Empire will unite and rule the worlds by destroying and consuming every living beast including the human race.

Told from third person perspective BETWEEN BLOODE AND CRAFT follows the building but reluctant relationship between two hundred year old revenant vampire Duncan, and twenty-eight year old witch Macy Bishop-Dunwich. Macy works for the MEC-Magir Enforcement Command, and has gone rogue in an effort to take down revenant vampire Duncan, a vampire who stirs something deep within our story line heroine. Macy had previously cast a spell over Duncan, and now Duncan has been targeted by the same woman with whom he will fall in love but all is not well in the world of the supernatural as Corson Westhell, king of H*ll west, is desperate to retrieve Hecate’s missing grimoire for his Master Abaddon, a grimoire believed to be in the possession of our storyline heroine. As Macy and Duncan’s relationship quickly turns into something more, Macy’s connection to the grimoire has increased her powers, placing a ‘target’ on her back. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Duncan and Macy, and the potential fall-out as a mole has been discovered at MEC, and Corson Westhell is always one step ahead of the team trying to prevent Abaddon from destroying the world.

Once again, there is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting character including Varu and Fara: Night Bloode housemates Khent, Rolf, Kraft (wolf shifter), Orion, as well as the goddess Hecate, and her sidekick vampire/demon/magician/shifter Mormo, housekeeper Bella, and Fara’s brother and dark elf Onvyr. We are introduced to Macy’s best friend Cho, a half demon and his father Anton, as well as Macy’s father Grand Mind Mage William Dunwich; Duncan’s sire Edward and his brother Brock, as well as the appearance of several other supernatural entities including vampires, fae, elves, lycan, gods, goddesses, magir, ogres and elementals. The back and forth camaraderie is often frenetic and fun.

BETWEEN BLOODE AND CRAFT is another complex, detailed and intriguing story of betrayal, power and control, the potential for a supernatural war, disorder and chaos, fated mates and love. The premise is haunting, twisted and inventive; the romance is intense but the build up was missing-the relationship went from zero to one hundred in the blink of an eye; the characters animated and impassioned.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one BETWEEN BLOODE AND STONE

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Burning Desire/Hot for You by Marie Harte-reviews

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BURNING DESIRE / HOT FOR YOU (Turn Up the Heat  2 & 3) by Marie Harte-reviews 

HOT FOR YOUR
Turn Up the Heat 3
by Marie Heat
Release Date: December 28, 2021
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, firefighter, romance

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 28, 2021

Firefighter Reggie Morgan is done with love, done with relationships, and done with complications. But when he’s called to the scene of a hit-and-run, he finds a scared little girl, a butt-ugly stray puppy, and an unconscious woman he can’t get out of his mind. The girl and the puppy are a handful, but the girl’s mother, Maggie might just be the woman to melt Reggie’s icy heart. Reggie has loved and lost before and the pain nearly broke him. But they can’t ignore their unquenchable desire for each other, and Maggie, a teacher by trade, is confident she can show Reggie all about falling–and staying–in love.

••••••••

REVIEW: HOT FOR YOU is the third instalment in Marie Harte’s contemporary, adult TURN UP THE HEAT erotic, firefighter, romance series. This is thirty-three year old, former US Navy Sonar Tech, and firefighter Reggie Morgan, and twenty-nine year old, primary school teacher/divorcee/single parent Maggie Swanson’s story line. HOT FOR YOU can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from several third person perspectives HOT FOR YOU follows the building romance and interracial relationship between firefighter Reggie Morgan, and primary school teacher Maggie Swanson. Called to the scene of a hit and run, Reggie Morgan finds himself falling for the victim, single mother Maggie Swanson. Having previously met Maggie’s precocious, six year old daughter at a children’s firefighter event, Reggie felt a kinship towards our story line heroine but Reggie has always had a need to help, to fix someone broken, and in this, Reggie believes Maggie is ripe for the picking. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Maggie and Reggie, and the potential fall-out as Reggie’s past retains control of our story line hero.

Maggie Swanson is a feisty, independent, strong willed, sexual woman who refuses to be anyone’s victim. Meeting firefighter Reggie Morgan stirs something deep within our story line heroine, something Maggie long thought buried and gone but Maggie’s first priority is her six year old daughter Emily, a young child who has stolen the heart of our story line hero. Reggie Morgan has loved and lost, and in this, Reggie struggles to move on from the past. Seeing a second chance with Maggie Swanson, Reggie begins a slow seduction of the woman with whom he will fall in love, a woman whose need for Reggie is outmatched by Reggie’s want to be needed by Maggie Swanson.

The relationship between Reggie and Maggie is one of immediate attraction but Reggie struggles with demons from the past. Maggie is a highly sexual woman who knows what she wants in the bedroom, and isn’t afraid to talk dirty when the situation arises. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The secondary characters are flirty and fun-what comes out of the mouth of six year old Emily is priceless. We are reintroduced to Reggie’s fellow firefighters and EMTs: Brad Battle (Make Me Burn), Tex McGovern (Burning Desire), Mack, Hernandez and Washkowski; Reggie’s sisters Lisa and Nadia, and their father Harry Morgan; Maggie’s neighbors and Emily’s pseudo uncles Doug and Benny, as well as Maggie’s ex Stephen, their daughter Emily, and Reggie’s ex Amy.

HOT FOR YOU is a story of family, friendships, relationships and love; a story of betrayal, need and obsession; of love and acceptance. The premise is entertaining and engaging –the world building is detailed but I found myself skipping over what I thought were unimportant details like several paragraphs/pages of 80s movies and pop culture references; the romance is provocative; the characters are energetic and dynamic. HOT FOR YOU is another wonderful instalment in Marie Harte’s TURN UP THE HEAT sexy, firefighter series.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one MAKE ME BURN

_____

BURNING DESIRE
Turn Up the Heat 2
by Marie Harte
Release Date: August 24, 2021
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, firefighter, romance

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Firefighter Tex McGovern struck out with Bree Gilchrist the first time. And the second. And the third… He should probably just stay away. After all, Bree’s father is his boss, and pursuing her goes against the firefighter brotherhood. No matter how much he desires her, Bree is off limits. Period. But as things start to heat up between them, Tex decides some codes are meant to be broken…

Bree distrusts Tex. The displaced cowboy-turned-rescue-worker is too wild and wicked for his own good. Then she sees him helping people with no thought to himself, and she can’t help wondering what could be if she were suddenly his. But her father will not have his daughter dating a firefighter, and he can break Tex’s career. That’s a heavy burden to place on anyone, and Tex and Bree are forced to decide if the sparks between them are enough to risk the fallout to them both.

•••••••••••

REVIEW:  BURNING DESIRE is the second instalment in Marie Harte’s contemporary, adult TURN UP THE HEAT erotic, romance series focusing on a group of first responders in the Seattle Fire Department. This is twenty-nine year old, former US Marine turned Seattle firefighter Roger ‘Tex’ McGovern, and twenty-seven year old, photographer Bree Gilchrist’s story line. BURNING DESIRE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from several third person perspectives including Tex and Bree, BURNING DESIRE follows the building but forbidden romance and relationship between twenty-nine year old, former US Marine turned Seattle firefighter Roger ‘Tex’ McGovern, and twenty-seven year old, photographer Bree Gilchrist. After three disastrous attempts to date Bree Gilchrist, firefighter Roger ‘Tex’ McGovern has been assigned as Bree’s tour director while our heroine photographs the firefighters at rest and on the job but Tex has been forewarned by Bree’s father, the Seattle battalion chief, that to mess with his daughter could mean the end of his job. Trying to keep their distance was a complete and utter failure but falling for one another would prove to be the hardest secret of all. What ensues is the forbidden romance and relationship between Breen and Tex, and the potential fall-out when Bree’s father discovers what has been going on behind his back.

Tex McGovern has been trying to ‘woo’ our heroine for several months but every attempt is met with disaster and failure. ‘Assigned’ to tag along with our story line heroine, Tex sees his chance to seduce Bree Gilchrist until orders from above threaten his job with the Seattle FD. Bree Gilchrist is an award winning photographer whose father is unable to cut the chord. Threatening our hero with the loss of his job means Chief Gilchrist is about to face the wrath of his daughter but not before facing the wrath of his own man.

Throughout the story line we are introduced to Bree’s step-sister Melissa, and her step-mother Charlie, as well as her best friend and attorney Carrie. Melissa and Bree’s relationship is slowly spiralling out of control, and when Carrie interferes, Bree may not only lose her sister, but her best friend as well.

The relationship between Bree and Tex begins acrimoniously as one disaster after another befalls their attempts to get to know one another. Tex is determined to claim Bree as his own but Bree struggles with her father’s threats, threats that may destroy the man that she loves. The $ex scenes are intimate, passionate, erotic and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The secondary and supporting characters include shift lieutenant Ed O’Brien, battalion chief John Gilchrist, EMT Brad Battle and Avery (Make Me Burn 1), Reggie, Air Force Mack, Hernandez, Washkowski, Marcus, as well as Tex’s brother Wyatt, and his cousin Josh.

BURNING DESIRE is a story of power and control, family and relationships, acceptance and love. The premise is edgy; the sexual tension is palpable-the chemistry is hot; the characters are animated and feisty.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Make Me Burn (Turn Up the Heat 1) by Marie Harte-a review

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Make Me Burn (Turn Up the Heat 1) by Marie Harte-a review

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 25, 2021

These sizzling Seattle firefighters are melting hearts…

Reporter Avery Dearborn hasn’t had the best day. She was filmed fending off a lovesick dog before being rescued from falling flat on her face by none other than her arch nemesis. Seattle firefighter Brad Battle hasn’t changed at all in the five years since she last saw him. He’s still handsome, hot, and charming―to everyone but her.

Brad can’t believe his bad luck to run into Avery, of all people. But to make matters worse, their shared chemistry on screen goes viral. Soon he’s forced to work with her on live TV. The spot will help the local animal charity and make the fire department look good, so who is he to disobey a direct order to cooperate?

Trust takes time, but as Avery and Brad come to realize they are different people than when they first met, anger turns to irresistible attraction, and hard feelings into hot sex. But letting the past stay in the past isn’t as easy as it sounds. And if they’re not careful, they’ll both get burned.

•••••••

REVIEW:  MAKE ME BURN is the first instalment in Marie Harte’s contemporary, adult TURN UP THE HEAT erotic, firefighter romance series focusing on a group of first responders in the Seattle Fire Department. This is twenty-eight year old reporter Avery Dearborn, and thirty-two year old firefighter /EMT Brad Battle’s story line.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, and one plot point in particular, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from several third person perspectives including Brad and Avery MAKE ME BURN follows the acrimonious but building relationship between twenty-eight year old reporter Avery Dearborn, and thirty-two year old firefighter /EMT Brad Battle. Approximately five years earlier, Avery Dearborn wanted to make a name for herself in the world of journalism by writing a hard hitting piece about the return of a US Marine from his tour overseas but the star of her report wanted nothing to do with the article or his return as a hero, struggling with the atrocities and losses of friends and Marines. Fast forward to present day wherein the fall-out of the report continues to find our couple at odds with one another, odds that increase when they are forced to work together for the local pet adoption agency-Pets Fur Life. Years of anger transferred as sexual tension and chemistry on camera, but a series of mishaps, and the resulting viral video finds our couple on the receiving end of a positive social media campaign where having to work side by side forces the couple to relive what happened years before. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Avery and Brad, and the potential fall-out as Brad’s demons refuse to let go.

Avery Dearborn never wanted to report about our story line hero knowing Brad was reluctant at every turn but coming from a family of successful journalists, Avery wanted to prove that she was capable of holding her own. Reconnecting with Brad meant having to relive the drama created by her reluctant subject, drama that wuld directly affect her future going forward. Brad Battle has struggled with years of guilt having lost someone he once held dear, and Avery’s demands pushed our hero over the edge. Making sure to poke the bear at every opportunity, Brad began to push all of our heroine’s button, a push that would bring the couple closer together.

The relationship between Avery and Brad is tempestuous at best- an enemies to frenemies to lovers relationship in which our heroine’s attitude is often a contentious point between our leading couple.Avery blamed our hero for her current direction in life but also placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of someone else. At odds with one another, the back and forth vitriol and sarcastic comments barely disguised the thinly veiled sexual attraction between our leading couple. The $ex scenes are intimate and seductive without the use of over the top sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to several members of the Seattle Fire Department: former Marine Tex McGovern, former sailor Reggie, Air Force Mack, Hernandez, Washkowski, and Marcus; as well as Brad’s brother Oscar; Avery’s roommate and co-worker Gerty; their boss Emil Watts; Brad’s mother Vivienne, and her girlfriend Rochelle; and Avery’s parents Lennox and June King. The camaraderie between the firefighters is fast and furious but is often sexist and immature.

MAKE ME BURN is a story of family, friendships, relationships and loss; a story of love, acceptance, betrayal and expectations. The premise is entertaining; the romance is passionate; the characters are energetic and colorful but struggling with dysfunctional family drama and unresolved childhood issues that control a good portion of their adult lives.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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THE KISSING GAME by Marie Harte-a review

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THE KISSING GAME by Marie Harte-a review

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 4, 2020

“I bet you a kiss you can’t resist me.”

Game on.

Rena Jackson is ready. She’s worked her tail off to open up her own hair salon, and she’s almost ready to quit her job at the dive bar. Rena’s also a diehard romantic, and she’s had her eye on bar regular Axel Heller for a while. He’s got that tall-dark-and-handsome thing going big time. Problem is, he’s got that buttoned-up Germanic ice man thing going as well. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, Rena’s about ready to give up on Axel and find her own Mr. Right.

At six foot six, Axel knows he intimidates most people. He’s been crushing on the gorgeous waitress for months. But the muscled mechanic is no romantic, and his heart is buried so deep, he has no idea how to show Rena what he feels. He knows he’s way out of his depth and she’s slipping away. So, he makes one crazy, desperate play.

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REVIEW:THE KISSING GAME by Marie Harte is a stand alone, contemporary, adult, erotic, romance series focusing on auto body shop owner Axel Heller, and hair stylist / shop owner Rena Jackson. THE KISSING GAME is connected to the author’s McCauley Brothers, and Body Shop Bad Boys series with the inclusion of several characters crossing over for familiarity and history.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Rena and Axel) THE KISSING GAME follows auto body shop owner Axel Heller, and hair stylist / shop owner Rena Jackson. Rena Jackson is a romantic at heart wanting her own happily ever after but there are no available prospects on the horizon, yet the one man that makes her heart flutter, is the one man who struggles in the romance department. Now that she is opening her own beauty salon, Rena has decided to step out on her own, but Axel is hoping to be the man by her side. When their mutual friends place bets on the demise of their building relationship, quiet but determined Axel must step up his romance game in an effort to win the girl of his dreams. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Axel and Rena, and the potential fall-out as Axel struggles with sins of the past.

Axel Heller, of German/Bavarian descent, battles between head and heart knowing his temper could be the destruction of everything he loves but when Rena, a woman of color, is threatened Axel finds himself on the offensive to protect the woman he loves. Rena Jackson’s dreams have come true with the opening of her own beauty salon but threats of violence, and a disruption to her shop find Rena negatively focusing on Axel’s need to protect more than the threats against her life.

Meanwhile the Heller family dynamics will come into play as Axel struggles to move on from the past. From a dysfunctional and abusive family, Axel doesn’t want a repeat of everything that happened when he was a young boy, and in this Axel battles with his own self-doubt.

The relationship between Rena and Axel is a sort of-friends to lovers that has been building for several months. Rena has no idea why Axel has not asked her out, while Axel struggles right from the start. Rena is a woman who likes to read romance books, and Axel is determined to woo the woman who has stolen his heart. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic 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, most of whom were introduced in the author’s McCauley Brothers, and Body Shop Bad Boys series. If THE KISSING GAME is part of one of the aforementioned series, I am hoping the author makes a connection one way or the other.

THE KISSING GAME is a story of family, friendships, racism and love. The cover screams romantic comedy but I have to question the choice and direction as there is limited humor throughout the story; as well as the blurb that proclaims our hero to be tall, dark and handsome, who is definitely not dark but Viking blonde-perhaps the darkness is the demons that creep up from the past. The premise is interesting; the characters are animated; the romance struggles with preconceived notions and ideas of romance and love.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Handle with Care (Veteran Movers #3) by Marie Harte-a review

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Handle with Care (Veteran Movers #3) by Marie Harte-a review

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 27, 2019

Evan Griffith has had a hell of a day…
And that was before he met the stunning, sexy woman having a meltdown.

Evan Griffith has had many careers in his life. But who knew working for his family’s moving company would hold just as much action as his stint in the Marine Corps? On an unforgettable job, Evan finds himself taken by a teenage conman and confronted by a woman wielding a knife—and promptly falls head over heels for her.

Kenzie Sykes is doing her best to raise her little brother and keep him out of jail—all while dealing with her own broken heart that just hasn’t healed. She doesn’t have time for romance. He’s not asking… Until he is, and she finds herself saying yes.

••••••••••

REVIEW: HANDLE WITH CARE is the third instalment in Marie Harte’s contemporary, adult VETERAN MOVERS erotic, romance series focusing on the men and women who work for Vets on the Go!-a moving company established to help former servicemen. This is thirty-one years olds former Marine and CPA Evan Griffith, and graphic designer Kenzie Sykes’ storyline. HANDLE WITH CARE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary but I recommend reading the series in order as there is an on-going plot line throughout.

Told from several third person perspectives including Evan, Kenzie and Daniel HANDLE WITH CARE follows the building relationship and romance between thirty-one years olds former Marine and CPA Evan Griffith, and graphic designer Kenzie Sykes. Vets on the Go’s latest job found Evan Griffith walking into a ‘fight’ between friends that caught Evan unaware. Meeting thirty-one year old Kenzie Syke’s stirred something deep within our story line hero, something Evan long thought buried and gone. When Kenzie’s younger brother pulled a fast one on Evan Griffith, Evan would take his revenge by asking out our story line heroine. What ensues is the slow building romance between Kenzie and Evan, and the potential fall-out as Kenzie is unable to let go of the past.

Kenzie Sykes has known love and lost when her fiancé walked away without a backward glance. Having raised her younger brother Kenzie’s first priority is Daniel, and a relationship with Evan is about to push all of her boundaries. Evan Griffith also knew love and the grief of losing someone close, and was willing to give love another chance but convincing Kenzie that he was not her ex-fiance meant the whole package including caring for her younger brother as well. A sensitive hero Evan struggles with Kenzie’s up and down, back and forth emotional turmoil.

The relationship between Kenzie and Evan is one of immediate attraction but Evan’s first impression of Kenzie came with mixed emotions believing the woman was all kinds of crazy. Hoping to convince Kenzie to give him a chance Evan begins a slow seduction of our story line heroine, while fast becoming a big brother to Daniel as well. A former soccer star, Evan will take Daniel under his wing in an effort to help Daniel with his love of the game. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and passionate, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and dynamic secondary characters including Cash Griffith and Jordan Fleming (Smooth Moves #2), Reid Griffith and Naomi (The Whole Package #1); Evan’s mother Jane Griffith; Vets on the Go employees-Smith Ramsey, Hector, Lafayette, and Finley; Kenzie’s brother Daniel, and her two besties Lila, Rachel and Will. There is something developing between Lila and Hector-here’s hoping the author brings their relationship to the forefront. The back and forth banter between characters is energetic and fast paced-there is definite camaraderie between family and friends.

HANDLE WITH CARE is a story of family, friendship, betrayal and love; a story of revelations and acceptance. The premise is fast paced, engaging and lively; the romance is seductive; the characters are spirited and fun. HANDLE WITH CARE is an entertaining and inviting addition to Harte’s Veteran Movers.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews

The Whole Package
Smooth Moves

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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