Worth the Wait (Guthrie Brothers #2) by Lori Foster-a review

Posted on July 25, 2017 by Sandy

WORTH THE WAIT (Guthrie Brothers #2) by Lori Foster-a review

Worth The Wait

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 25, 2017

Ready or not…love will find a way

Single dad Hogan Guthrie is getting his life back on track, and working as the “barbecue master” at a local diner is just a temporary detour. He and restaurant owner Violet Shaw constantly butt heads…until one night they end up mingling other parts instead. Hogan thought he had the recipe for happiness all figured out. But loyal, carefree Violet is daring him to trust his impulses…and see just how sweet small-town living—and loving—can be.

Nathan Hawley traded his SWAT team credentials for a sheriff’s badge, but a gorgeous new neighbor is shaking up his orderly life. Nathan has a hunch there’s more to Brooklin Sweet than meets the eye—but given her caution about getting involved, he has his work cut out for him. Still, there’s something about the elusive beauty Nathan can’t walk away from—and helping her come to terms with her past might pave the way to the future they both secretly long for.

•••••••••••••

REVIEW: WORTH THE WAIT is the second installment in Lori Foster’s contemporary, adult GUTHRIE BROTHERS romance series. This is single father and accountant Hogan Guthrie, and diner owner Violet Shaw’s story line. There is a secondary romance developing between former SWAT team member and Sheriff Nathan Hawley, and jewelry designer Brooklin Sweet. WORTH THE WAIT 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 WORTH THE WAIT follows two developing romances. Hogan Guthrie thought he had everything figured out but the death of his wife left Hogan a single father financially struggling to make good on a promise he made to his seventeen-year old son Colt. Working as the part-time barbecue master at Screwy Louie’s alongside the woman he can’t stop thinking about Hogan battles to separate business from pleasure. Enter diner owner Violet Shaw, his boss, and the woman with whom Hogan will fall in love. But all of Hogan’s attempts at seduction are pushed aside as Violet struggles with Hogan’s reputation as a one-night stand kinda guy. A bout of pneumonia, and a worrisome injury find Hogan playing nursemaid to a reluctant and ailing Violet. Slowly worming his way into Violet’s heart Hogan soon realizes that Violet may be the woman he claims for his happily ever after. But jealousy and temper will get the best of Violet Shaw threatening Hogan’s fragile hold on his new-found independence.

Meanwhile, Sheriff Nathan Hawley is desperate to get to know his gorgeous new neighbor but suspects Brooklin Sweet is keeping secret a dark and painful past. Nathan’s early morning runs with Brooklin, and flirty ‘hellos’ are rebuffed and ignored on more than one occasion but a late night scare finds Brooklin face to face with the man she had kept at a distance but a distance that is slowly closing as threats against Brooklin become personal and real.

WORTH THE WAIT follows numerous paths and several developing romances that intersect throughout the story. Brooklin’s past comes seeking revenge threatening many of the people she has come to love in the small town of Clearbrook Ohio. The premise is entertaining; the characters are playful; the romances are sexy and seductive. WORTH THE WAIT is a heartwarming, energetic and passionate story line by romance author Lori Foster.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one-DON’T TEMPT ME

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

The Hunting Grounds (Hidden Sins #2) by Katee Robert-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

Posted on July 25, 2017 by Sandy

THE HUNTING GROUNDS (Hidden Sins#2) by Katee Robert-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

THE HUNTING GROUNDS
Hidden Sins #2
by Katee Robert
Release Date: July 25, 2017
Genre: adult, contemporary, murder mystery, romantic suspense

The Hunting Grounds

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / BAM / Chapters Indigo /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 25, 2017

For two FBI agents with a past, love becomes a matter of life and death in the new Hidden Sins novel from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katee Robert.

Maggie Gaines used to be an FBI agent—top of her class and one of the bright, up-and-coming stars—until she spectacularly fell apart during her first high-profile case. That was eight years ago. Now she’s a ranger at Glacier National Park, and she’s found some measure of peace. But when the body of a murdered woman is discovered, she must finally put the past behind her and work with the one man she thought she’d never see again.

For months, Vic Sutherland has been hunting a killer who’s been targeting unsuspecting hikers in national parks—and now the predator has come to Glacier. Vic knows the case will bring him face-to-face with his former partner, yet nothing can prepare him for seeing Maggie again after all these years, or for the memories of passion it stirs in both of them.

As the investigation brings them closer together—and closer to the killer—Maggie and Vic fear they have only each other to trust. But even that might not be enough to make it out of Glacier alive.

••••••••••

REVIEW: THE HUNTING GROUNDS is the second installment in Katee Robert’s contemporary, adult HIDDEN SINS murder/mystery, romantic suspense series. This is FBI agent Vic Sutherland, and former FBI agent and park ranger Maggie Gaines’s story line. THE HUNTING GROUNDS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary. Vic Sutherland, and his boss at the FBI Britton Washburne were first introduced in book one THE DEVIL’S DAUGHTER.

Told from several third person points of view including Maggie and Vic, with flashbacks to the past THE HUNTING GROUNDS focuses on the search for a killer who is targeting hikers at various National Parks. When the most recent victim(s) is discovered in Glacier National Park park ranger Maggie Gaines comes face to face with her past-FBI BAU (Behavioral Analysis Unit) specialist Vic Sutherland-her former partner and the man with whom she had fallen in love. What ensues is the search for a killer, as Maggie and Vic analyze the path of jealousy and revenge.

THE HUNTING GROUNDS is a story of mystery, murder, suspense and retribution. As the number of victims grows, Vic and Maggie begin to break down the potential who and why of the killer’s murder spree.

The relationship between Maggie and Vic is one of mutual attraction but seven years earlier Vic Sutherland was a married man, and our heroine walked away from a career in the BAU when her first case went all to h*ll. Their attraction for one another has never waivered, and Maggie and Vic are wiling to reclaim what was lost years before.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including the head of the BAU Britton Washburne, Vic’s FBI partner Tucker Kendrick, park ranger Ava Boyle, seasonal ranger David Downey, coroner Dr. Katherine Huxley, and Maggie’s current boss Wyatt Thornton. There are also a large number of hikers who become targets for a psychopath h*ll bent for fury in the name of betrayal and revenge.

The superb and detailed world building focuses on the sights and sounds of life on the trails; the geography of Glacier National Park; and the search for a killer who will not stop until everyone is gone.

THE HUNTING GROUNDS does not focus so much on the romance aspect of the leading couple but focuses more on the hunt for a killer so I hazard to label THE HUNTING GROUNDS a true romantic suspense. The relationship between Maggie and Vic is a little more than a bi-product of working together but a relationship that has the potential to resume when all is said and done. The premise is intriguing but predictable although the killer’s motivation needed a more thorough explanation; the romance is limited and secondary to the overall story line; the leading characters are reserved and fell a little flat. THE HUNTING GROUNDS by Katee Robert is an imaginative tale of murder, suspense and revenge.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one- THE DEVIL’S DAUGHTER

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

The Hunting Grounds Teaser

excerpt

NOTE: The excerpt is intended for mature readers due to strong language and text

The Hunting Grounds Excerpt

Vic’s gaze fell on his phone. Maggie’s number was now in the contacts folder. It would be easy to dial it, just to check on her.
Except it was late, and she hadn’t asked for him to babysit her.
He’d gone years without seeing her, and now that they were in the same general area, it was like they were two magnets that could barely resist the pull. He wanted to hear her voice, to sit her down and share a meal that wasn’t military issue, to actually talk.
His phone rang, which startled him so much he almost dropped it. Vic stared at the screen for several precious seconds, wondering if he was more tired than he’d thought, because it sure as fuck looked like Maggie was calling him. “Sutherland.”
“It’s me.”
He sat on the edge of the bed, suddenly painfully aware that he wore only a towel. It shouldn’t matter. She couldn’t see him, didn’t know what he was or wasn’t wearing, but it did matter. “Hey, Maggie.”
“I have to apologize.” He could almost feel her soft sigh. “You were right, and I was acting like a stubborn kid. This whole thing—the murders in the park and having to deal with my past and you—has got me all twisted up.”
Maybe it was the events of the last two days, but he was so goddamn tired of doing the noble thing. He never put himself or his personal shit before a case. Not once.
He’d never wanted to before.
“I twist you up?”
“As if you didn’t know. I had something of a crush on you when we were partners—which I’m sure you knew after I threw myself at you—and apparently I didn’t outgrow it as much as I thought.”
The dimness of the room evoked an intimacy he didn’t deserve. Was Maggie sitting in her bedroom in low light, too? He liked the picture that made. “You have nothing to apologize for.”
“I’ve been making an ass of myself since you stepped off that helicopter.” She shifted, the sound painfully loud in the near silence. “And I’m doing it again, apparently. My whole point was that I’m sorry and I’ll be professional from now on. You don’t have to worry about any breakdowns or hissy fits.”
If he was smart, he’d take her apology for what it was and allow it to move them back to solid ground. There were lives on the line and a condensed timeline that was only going to get more condensed with each body that popped up.
But when Vic spoke, he didn’t move them back to firm ground. He threw them right over the edge of the cliff. “Fuck being professional. I want you, Maggie. Not the former FBI agent. Not the park ranger. I want you.”

About The Author

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Katee Robert learned to tell her stories at her grandpa’s knee. Her 2015 title, The Marriage Contract, was a RITA finalist, and RT Book Reviews named it ‘a compulsively readable book with just the right amount of suspense and tension.” When not writing sexy contemporary and romantic suspense, she spends her time playing imaginary games with her children, driving her husband batty with what-if questions, and planning for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. Connect with Katee at:

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Sworn to Protect /No Good Deed by Susanne Matthews-reviews

Posted on July 23, 2017 by Sandy

Sworn to Protect / No Good Deed by Susanne Matthews -reviews

Susanne Matthews duet

SWORN TO PROTECT
by Susanne Matthews
Release Date: June 10, 2017
Genre: adult, contemporary, romantic, suspsense

Sworn to Protect

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 10, 2017

Four years ago, a car accident robbed Nancy Frost of her child and her mother, taking what was left of her marriage with it in the process. A forensic accountant, she agrees to look at a company’s books in a divorce case, trying to find hidden assets, but her meeting with the lawyer goes terribly wrong when the restaurant is attacked.

The moment US Marshal Neil Copeland discovers his wife has been shot in a Baltimore restaurant, he rushes to her side, determined not to let her down again. As the police investigate, evidence suggests the attack was a ploy to hide a specific hit. When a professional assassin tries to kill Nancy a second time, it’s clear that she was the target and whatever’s going on is a lot more complicated than they think.

When Nancy awakes after a month in an induced coma, not only does she not remember the attack on the restaurant, she doesn’t remember marrying Neil.

Faced with the challenge of protecting his wife from a powerful, faceless enemy, Neil must bring her up to date, dredging up all the sorrow that tore them apart in the first place, hoping something will jar her memory.

As he races against time, can he save her from an unknown assassin and convince her to give the love they once had a second chance?

•••••••••••

REVIEW: Sworn to Protect is a Romance/Suspense novel. If you like romance and suspense with a good bit of danger in your stories…this one’s for you. It’s well paced, action and emotion packed drama.

Nancy Frost (Copeland)is a tax specialist and incredibly good at her job. However, she inadvertently opens the wrong file and life goes downhill really fast from there. Nancy is beginning divorce procedures after a bad car accident and she loses both her mother and her unborn son. It’s been four years and she just can’t get past it. Her best friend and divorce lawyer, Meredith, tries to talk her out of filing, but she seems decided. Meredith also asks for a tax review for a client, complicating the plot further.

Neil Copeland and his partner Todd Higgins are U.S. Marshalls whose job it is to protect and hide witnesses until they can testify for the Justice Department, then put them into the program with a whole new identity and life. Neil was on assignment four years earlier when his wife had a bad car accident. Unfortunately, his boss didn’t reach him for five days after the accident to let him know.

That’s the basic set up. This is a marvelously and cleverly twisted story of broken love, dangerous people, and second chances. It’s full of danger, great secondary characters, and of course more than a few scumbags. Domestic terrorism and betrayal of country are also featured.

I loved the couple. I loved the stoic man who loves his wife with all his heart. Many regrets and what he considers failures are his devils, but his love is always strong and unshakable. His wife only blames him for not being there for her…that his job came first. Her father put job before family and for her it’s a deal breaker, but did he?

When Nancy is attacked and almost killed because of her job, he’s assigned to take care of her and protect her. Like he wouldn’t have on his own…but his boss knows he owes him.

I’m not going to do any spoiling of this incredible story. You really have to read it for yourself. It should be a movie. If it was, it’s one of those I’d watch again and again. Author Susanne Matthews has put together a believable and complicated story with so much heart as well as real danger. It’s woven with realism and heartbreak that needs healing. If romantic suspense is a theme you like, do yourself a favor and don’t miss this one.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Georgianna S.

_________________

NO GOOD DEED
by Susanne Matthews

Release Date: July 31, 2017
Genre: adult, contemporary, mystery, romantic suspense

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 31, 2017

Psychological chills and thrills are woven around a heartwarming love story in this action-packed romantic suspense novel.

Escaping from her abusive fiancé, Alexa O’Brien pulls into a gas station only to walk in on an execution. She’s in protective custody until she can identify Nicoli Zabat, Montreal’s mob boss, at his trial. But her safe house has been compromised, setting in motion a dangerous cat-and-mouse game.

Lieutenant Mike Delorme on the Sûreté Du Québec has spent the last eighteen months undercover in narcotics to take down Zabat, the man he blames for the death of his wife and unborn child. He doesn’t have the interest or patience to babysit a woman whose memory isn’t clear—but he’ll carry out his assignment to show the brass he’s a team player.

As Mike and Alexa dodge danger, it appears she’s in deeper than merely being in the wrong place at the wrong time. When the mafia hit she witnessed is revealed to be just the tip of an international terrorist’s plot, they must rely on each other to survive—but only if they can learn to trust their instincts and let love map out their next move.

••••••••••••••

REVIEW: No Good Deed is a Romance/Mystery/Suspense novel. This exciting story is fast-paced, twisty, and features a feisty romance. Author Susanne Matthews is excellent at twisting plots and adding surprises, this one exceeds the rules.

The main characters are believable and damaged but lovable, both of them. The secondary characters are both interesting and unique. The bad guys are malevolent, greedy, and generally evil. However, the main bad guy is exceptional. He’s intelligent and talented and gives Hannibal Lechter a run for his money.

The plot is simple but with all the twists and turns I expect from this author. I was not disappointed in the least. I swear I could watch this one on the movie screen in my mind.

Okay, here’s the set-up.

Alexa O’Brien is escaping. She’s planned well…she thinks. She’s going to make it this time…she thinks. When she tries do one good deed on her way, all hell breaks loose and she’s going to die…she thinks. But fate intervenes and she’s put in protective custody…she thinks.

Mike Delorme is a lieutenant, a member of the Sûreté du Québec, the province’s provincial police force for the last fifteen years. He’s not quite recovered from a beating while on assignment, but is reassigned to a joint task force to protect a woman…he thinks. Her safe house and protection are a botched job…he thinks. He’ll protect her and keep her alive like he failed to do for his wife…he thinks. He doesn’t need romance or a family anymore…he thinks. The task force has his back…he thinks.

Okay, that’s the set-up. You can find the answers to these little teasers and more by reading this marvelous adventure for yourself. It’s a great story with lots of excitement and adventure and you’ll find yourself falling in love with these two…I don’t think it…I know it!

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Georgianna S.

Cracked Open ( Mindjack #5) by Susan Kaye Quinn-a review

Posted on July 22, 2017 by Sandy

CRACKED OPEN (Mindjack #5) by Susan Kaye Quinn-a review

Cracked Open

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 15, 2017

Zeph always knew he was a weapon. He didn’t count on being a spy.
But he made a dangerous bargain with the Director of the Jacker Technologies Division of DARPA—he’d let Wright test his mutant mindjack ability if she’d release his parents. Simple. Occasionally painful. And the screams of his victims fill his nightmares. But it will be worth it as long as she can’t crack open his head and find out his sister, with her super-surge jack-ability, is still alive. And if his parents are finally set free.

Once that happens, he’s gone. Even if it means giving up everything he’s just now getting back. A home. Friends. A girl who believes in peace and love even when the world is falling apart.

But as the shock of assassinations and bombings and hate killings continue to pull at the threads that hold society together, Wright hands him a mission he can’t possibly complete. If he does, it will tear everything apart. If he doesn’t, he’ll lose everyone he loves.

Sometimes being a powerful weapon is the most dangerous thing of all.

•••••••••••

REVIEW: CRACKED OPEN is the fifth full-length installment in Susan Kaye Quinn’s young adult (YA) MINDJACK urban fantasy, sci-fi, dystopian series. CRACKED OPEN is the continuing story focusing on mindjacker Zeph MacCay- a young man with the ability to lock down, unlock or scramble the human mind.

SOME BACKGROUND: In a world where mindreading is the norm (due to decades of contaminated or purposely poisoned water) there are those with more powerful abilities than most. These are their stories of discrimination, betrayal, retribution and control. Throughout the years the human population has developed various forms of mind-reading, mind altering and mind controlling abilities due to environmental toxins. And to complicate matters those without the ability to mindjack are purposely setting out to bring war between the have and the have-nots fearing for their own peace of mind.

Told from first person point of view (Zeph) CRACKED OPEN furthers the struggle of Zeph MacCay and his underground group of people hoping to take down the Director of the Jacker Technologies, as well as the man who has developed anti-jacker technology that renders the victim all but paralyzed or dead. CRACKED OPEN follows Zeph MacCay as he struggles to free his family, imprisoned by the Director of the Jacker Technologies, and his fraudulent assignment as boyfriend and bodyguard to the daughter of an evil technology giant. With help from a couple of rogue agents and soldiers, as well as his intrepid gang of underground jackers Zeph MacCay puts into a motion a series of events that place him on the anti-jacker radar, once and for all. Success is measured by the tiniest of wins and in the end their struggle is only going to get worse.

CRACKED OPEN is a comprehensive, intricate and action packed story line of discrimination, fear, power and control. Susan Kaye Quinn’s young adult MINDJACK series looks at the breakdown of humanity, the power of politics and control of the mind, and the people on the fringe trying to survive, one day at a time. Lives will be lost; minds will be broken; friendships and families will crumble and die. CRACKED OPEN is a powerful look at a possible future if and when chaos and oligarchy preside. Susan Kaye Quinn is a master storyteller

Reading Order and previous reviews
Mind Games (Mindjack Origins 1)
Open Minds
Closed Hearts
Free Souls
The Locksmith
The Handler/ The Scribe (Mindjack Origins 2 & 3)
Keeper (Mindjack Origins 4)
Locked Tight
Cracked Open
Broken Wide

Copy supplied for review.

Reviewed by Sandy

Eyes on You (Blasphemy 2.5 / 1001 Dark Nights) by Laura Kaye-Review & Excerpt Tour

Posted on July 22, 2017 by Sandy

EYES ON YOU (Blasphemy #2.5 / 1001 Dark Nights) by Laura Kaye-Review and Excerpt Tour

EYES ON YOU
Blasphemy 2.5/ 1001 Dark Nights
by Laura Kaye
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, BDSM, romance
Release Date: July 18, 2017

Eyes on You

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 18, 2017

She wants to explore her true desires, and he wants to watch…

When a sexy stranger asks Wolf Henrikson to rescue her from a bad date, he never expected to want the woman for himself. But their playful conversation turns into a scorching one-night stand that reveals the shy beauty gets off on the idea of being seen, even if she’s a little scared of it, too. And Wolf loves to watch.

In the wake of discovering her fiancé’s infidelity, florist Olivia Foster never expected to find someone who not only understood her wildest, darkest fantasies, but would bring them to life. As Wolf introduces her to his world at the play club, Blasphemy, Liv finds herself tempted to explore submission and exhibitionism with the hard-bodied Dom even as she’s scared to trust again.

But Wolf is a master of getting what he wants—and he’s got his eyes set on her

•••••

REVIEW: EYES ON YOU is the latest addition to the multi-authored 1001 Dark Nights series, and #2.5 in Laura Kaye’s contemporary, adult BLASPHEMY erotic, romance series. This is voyeur, Dominant and IT specialist Wolf Henrikson, and exhibitionist, submissive and floral designer Olivia Foster’s story line. EYES ON YOU can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information and characters from previous story lines are revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Olivia and Wolf) EYES ON YOU follows the building relationship between thirty five year old Dominant and IT specialist Wolf Henrikson, and submissive and thirty one year old florist Olivia Foster. Olivia Foster’s blind date from h*ll seemed to go on forever but a quick trip to the lady’s room found our heroine face to face with her future, and the man who would make all of Olivia’s fantasies come true. Enter Wolf Henrikson, a voyeur and Dominant, and the man who knows what a woman like Olivia Foster is looking for. What ensues is the building BDSM and romantic relationship between Olivia and Wolf, and the potential fall out when Olivia’s past comes looking for something more.

EYES ON YOU is an erotic story line of graphic sexually exhibitionistic scenarios as Master Wolf discovers just how far the woman with whom he if falling in love is willing to go. As one of the 12 founding members of the BDSM sex club Blasphemy, Wolf has struggled to find his place in the world and business he helped develop. From the boardroom, to the playroom, to baring it all in front of a high-rise window, Olivia and Wolf tempt fate and their futures as they give into their mutual attraction and need. The premise is entertaining; the romance is seductive and intense; the characters are colorful and charismatic. My only issue is the author’s use of a certain four-letter word that I find abhorrent under any circumstance-not a word I would use in a romantic situation, erotically or otherwise. EYES ON YOU focuses on the voyeuristic and exhibitionistic kinks of the BDSM world.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Hard to Serve
Bound to Submit
Mastering Her Senses
Eyes on You

NOTE: BOUND TO SUBMIT ebook #1 is FREE at : Amazon.com / Amazon.ca /

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Eyes on You Teaser

excerpt

Wolf Henrikson watched the sexy stranger flee her table like it was the Titanic and the bathroom was the last available lifeboat. And he couldn’t say that he blamed her. He hadn’t been trying to eavesdrop on the couple’s conversation; it was only that every time the man spoke to anyone from the restaurant’s staff, he shouted like he wanted to make the scene he was in fact making.
What the hell was the cute brunette doing with such an a**hole anyway? The few times he’d looked around to see if his dinner companion had arrived, he’d noticed the woman sitting not too far away—and she’d made him do a double take every time. Between her glossy chocolate waves, the bright red paint on her bow-tie lips, and the vintage-style red dress with the plunging neckline and the full knee-length skirt, she had the sex appeal of a pinup girl. He couldn’t help wondering if she wore garters and thigh-highs beneath that skirt.
Wolf almost regretted that he no longer had any reason to stay at the bar because the scene playing out at the nearby table was like a train wreck he couldn’t stop watching. And, oh, he did enjoy watching. People were just so fucking interesting, even when they were off their damn rockers.
But the prospective submissive he’d been planning to meet—in public, at her request—had just called to let him know she’d gotten cold feet. He respected the honesty. The BDSM lifestyle wasn’t for everyone, and it wasn’t something he recommended anyone explore frivolously. But the change in plans left him at loose ends.
Actually, that feeling was a constant presence in his blood these days. Restlessness. Boredom.
Dissatisfaction without really being able to pinpoint why.
In anticipation of the meeting, he’d only had water, but he dropped a few dollars on the bar anyway, then pushed off the stool and made for the restrooms at the back. Blasphemy would be hopping soon, and even though he wasn’t scheduled to work a shift, he could no doubt find a willing partner to play with there. Though he was one of the twelve Master Dominants and a one-twelfth owner of the city’s most exclusive BDSM club, Wolf’s particular kink didn’t require all the equipment and special rooms that some did. Really, voyeurism and exhibitionism could be enjoyed anywhere. Which was kinda the point.
As long as he could watch, or knew others were watching, or was with someone who got off on being watched, he was all kinds of good.
Or, at least, he used to be.

About The Author Black and White

Laura Kaye New Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty books in contemporary romance and romantic suspense, including the Hard Ink and Raven Riders series. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and monster puppy, Schuyler, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

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Inkslinger 2

Stubborn as a Mule (Sex and Sweet Tea #2) by Juliette Poe-Review and Excerpt Tour

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Sandy

STUBBORN AS A MULE (Sex and Sweet Tea #2) by Juliette Poe -Review and Excerpt Tour

STUBBORN AS A MULE
Sex and Sweet Tea #2
by Juliette Poe
Release Date: July 20, 2017
Genre: adult, contemporary, clean romance

Stubborn as a Mule

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / ibooks / Google Play /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 20, 2017

Down in Whynot, NC, there are three things that hold true: 1) life moves just a little bit slower, 2) family means everything, and 3) you don’t mess with history.

When his family decides to sell a home that’s been part of their history for over a century, Lowe Mancinkus is madder than a hornet. To add insult to injury, the woman who purchased it is some fancy pants, city girl looking to fix it up and sell it off. Doesn’t matter that she’s sexy as hell or that just being near her gets his blood racing like never before. That home belongs to his family, or at least it did until she came to town.

Well that just won’t do, now will it?

From the moment that she laid eyes on the historical home in rural North Carolina, Melinda Rothschild knew Mainer House was something special. The perfect escape from life in New York City, Melinda signed the papers and set to work restoring the house to its natural beauty. That is until an angry Lowe showed up on her doorstep one day. With a scowl on his handsome, chiseled face. And a shotgun in his strong, muscular arms.

Is it getting hot in here?

Melinda’s about to get a lesson on life in the south, but Lowe is about to learn a lesson of his own – this city girl doesn’t back down from a fight.

••••••••••

REVIEW: STUBBORN AS A MULE is the second installment in Juliette Poe’s (aka Sawyer Bennett) contemporary, adult SEX AND SWEET TEA romance series focusing on the people of Whynot, North Carolina. This is carpenter and home town bad boy Lowe Mancinkus, and New Yorker, interior designer Melinda Rothschild’s story line. STUBBORNS AS A MULE 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 first person points of view including Lowe and Melinda STUBBORN AS A MULE follows the building relationship between carpenter Lowe Mancinkus, and interior designer Melinda Rothschild. Melinda Rothschild likes to flip homes so her purchase of the one hundred year old historic Mancinkus family home known as the old Mainer House has pushed Lowe Mancinkus over the edge and in front of a judge facing criminal trespassing and property damage. To atone for his ‘sins’ Lowe has been forced to make reparations and help Melinda Rothschild renovate and redecorate the house his family no longer owns. What ensues is the building relationship between Lowe and Melinda, and the fall out when the local town gossips start spreading rumors that Melinda believes to be true.

We are reintroduced to several Whynot residents including Lowe’s grandfather Pap, local hardware store owner Floyd as well Melinda’s best friend Morri and Lynette, who is desperate to rekindle a relationship with our story line hero. The usual town gossips, busy-bodies and meddling characters present as a colorful mix of eccentric

STUBBORN AS A MULE is a small-town, lighthearted romance about one woman’s struggle to be accepted by the town she will come to love, and one man’s battle to prove he is more than the sum of his past. The premise is sweet; the romance is fated-the $ex scenes are all implied and fade to black. The characters are numerous, colorful and eclectic. If you like clean and charming love stories then Juliette Poe’s SEX AND SWEET TEA series is right for you.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of Book 1-AIN’T HE PRECIOUS

AIN’T HE PRECIOUS ebook is FREE for a limited time: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Google Play / ibooks /

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Stubborns as a mule teaser

Excerpt

“Looking good, Lowe Mancinkus,” I hear a woman call out as I stretch upward to paint the top of the frame around the window. Turning my head to look over my shoulder, I see Lynette Carnes getting ready to walk into Sweet Cakes across the street. She’s our town’s very own Daisy Duke. By that, I mean she struts around in miniscule jean shorts, high heels, and a sleeveless blouse tied off just underneath her very ample chest.
She’s definitely nice to look at, although she doesn’t have much going on above the cleavage.
“Morning, Lynette,” I call back. “Lookin’ good yourself.”
She grins and blows a kiss at me before walking into Larkin’s shop.
The front door opens and Mely steps out onto the porch, carrying a cup of coffee. There’s no doubt in my mind she witnessed that exchange from the other side of the doorway. It’s obvious by the pinched expression she has on her face. Still, she brings the coffee over to me and sets it on the porch rail.
“Thanks, darlin’,” I tell her as I go back to brushing paint over the layer of primer I’d put on a few hours ago. I’d decided to work half a day here at Mainer House, not because I was anxious to get the work done, but because I wanted to be around Melinda Rothschild.
She may not be strutting around in little shorts and a low-cut blouse, but she is most definitely a prettier picture than I’ve ever seen around these parts. She’s wearing a white sundress with a halter top, and her shoulders are lightly tanned with tiny freckles. Her legs are long, bare, and perfectly adorned with nothing more than a pair of simple white sandals. Her silky blonde hair is pulled away from her face at the top of her head and she looks like a breath of fresh air.
Mely leans against the porch rail, crosses her arms low under her breasts, and watches me work for a minute. I wonder if she likes what she sees.
I think so.
There was going to be another kiss last night if Morri hadn’t managed to ruin that little moment. And while I’d never stoop to mention this to Mely, I’m pretty sure he’d been hovering at the top of the stairs, just waiting to ruin it.
“Much better than hot pink,” Mely says as I continue to apply paint to the casing. I have no clue what the hell I was thinking when I painted her house pink. It was an attention getter and since the two people whose attention it got were Mely and Judge Bowe, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out I might have been pulling on her metaphorical pigtails a bit.
“I should have this finished by tomorrow,” I tell her. “Then all will be right again.”
“Odd since it took you a single night to do the damage,” she quips. I don’t look back at her, but I hear the laughter in her voice.
“Well, neon pink isn’t all that easy to cover up,” I tell her with a laugh.
She snickers and I can’t believe she was trying to get me thrown in jail last week. My how the mighty have fallen.
“When in Rome and all that,” Mely says and I turn to look at her from my perch on the ladder. She jerks her chin over her shoulder in the direction of Sweet Cakes. “Is that the standard southern girl uniform?”
Chuckling, I cut my eyes over to Sweet Cakes where sexy Lynette just disappeared into. I’m not about to tell Mely that I have actual carnal knowledge about that southern girl, even if it was back in my younger years.
Looking back to Mely, I take in her stylishly sweet dress that doesn’t reveal much but is still sexy at the same time. Giving her a wink, I say, “There’s nothing standard about you, Melinda Rothschild, so I’m advising you to stay away from that look. I think you’re mighty fine just the way you are.”

About The author

Sawyer Bennett : Juliette Poe

Follow: Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Juliette Poe is the sweet and swoony alter ego of New York Times Best Selling author, Sawyer Bennett.

A fun-loving southern girl, Juliette knows the allure of sweet tea, small towns, and long summer nights, that some of the best dates end sitting on the front porch swing, and that family is top priority. She brings love in the south to life in her debut series, Sex & Sweet Tea.

When Juliette isn’t delivering the sweetest kind of romance, she’s teaching her southern belle daughter the fine art of fishing, the importance of wearing Chucks, and the endless possibilities of a vivid imagination.

Inkslinger 2

Kiss My Boots (Coming Home #2) by Harper Sloan: Review, Book Tour & Giveaway

Posted on July 20, 2017 by Sandy

KISS MY BOOTS (Coming Home #2) by Harper Sloan-Review, Book Tour & Giveaway

KISS MY BOOTS
Coming Home #2
by Harper Sloan
Release Date: July 18,2017
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romance

Kiss My Boots

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / ibooks / BAM / Google Play /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 18, 2017

In this second of the sultry, Western-set Coming Home series from New York Times bestselling author Harper Sloan, Quinn Davis might finally have a shot at her own happily-ever-after—but will she let love in, or will she tell it to go ahead and kiss her boots?

Quinn Davis prefers to live her life quietly. She’s the stereotypical tomboy with two overprotective big brothers who have always been there to protect her, especially from devilishly handsome cowboys with silver tongues. That is, until Tate Montgomery comes riding into town. Their first meeting, however, is far from something out of a fairy tale and only further convinces Quinn that men aren’t worth her time.

The only place Tate Montgomery ever truly felt at home growing up was during the long, sweltering summer months he spent at his Gram and Paw’s farm in Pine Oak, Texas. Now, Tate has returned to his childhood sanctuary seeking a fresh start—but if he’s being entirely honest, he’s not just back for the wranglers and Stetsons. During those summers, Quinn was a friend-turned-young-love who Tate lost when life threw him a curveball and he cut all ties to his past; but all it takes is one glance at the raven-haired beauty he did his best to forget for him to realize just how much he’s been missing…

•••••••••

REVIEW: KISS MY BOOTS is the second installment in Harper Sloan’s contemporary, adult COMING HOME erotic, romance series focusing on the Davis siblings: Maverick, Quinn and Clayton Davis. This is auto mechanic Quinn Davis, and physician Tate Montgomery’s story line. KISS MY BOOTS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual first person points of view (Quinn and Tate) including some memories of the past, KISS MY BOOTS is a second chance romance between auto mechanic Quinn Davis, and ob-gyn Tate Montgomery. Nine years earlier Tate Montgomery walked out of Quinn’s life leaving a heartbroken woman to struggle with the how and whys. Tate and Quinn were childhood friends, summer lovers and in love; planning a future together as Tate prepared for medical school but within days all traces of Tate disappeared while Quinn struggled to move on with her life. Fast forward to present day wherein Quinn is now the successful owner of the family run garage, and Tate Montgomery has returned to Pine Oak Texas, looking for a new start and a second chance with the woman he has always loved. What ensues is the rekindling romance between Tate and Quinn as our couple come face to face with demons from their past.

Nine years ago Tate Montgomery left Quinn Davis for Atlanta, Georgia on his way to a promising medical career but in doing so left behind his heart and his soul destroying the woman with whom he promised a happily ever after. Tate was not a hometown boy but a young man who spent his summers in Pine Oak, Texas at his grandparents home, where falling in love with Quinn was immediate and fated. Quinn Davis’s life was never the same when the man that she loved refused to acknowledge her existence; refusing to move forward Quinn would never find love knowing that her heart belonged to a man who no longer cared. With issues of abandonment, the fall out of Tate’s disappearance sent Quinn into a darkness that continues to present day.

The relationship between Quinn and Tate is one of second chances; a love that never waivered in spite of the circumstances and disappearance of Tate from Quinn’s life. Their rekindling romance is met with very little resistance as Tate explains the who, what and why of his years of silence. The $ex scenes are intimate and intense.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Maverick and Leigh (Lost Rider #1 ), eldest brother Clayton Davis, Tate’s friend Mark Blake; an assortment of office staff and nosey townsfolk. The Davis sibling’s relationship is very close; a tight knit family of brothers and sister whose lives were destroyed by secrets, lies and betrayal, and a father who struggled with his own personal demons.

KISS MY BOOTS is a story of romance and love; of second chances; of one man’s need to atone for sins of the past. The premise is engaging and heartwarming; the romance is edgy and emotional; the characters are animated and passionate. KISS MY BOOTS is a wonderful and energetic addition to Harper Sloan’s romantic, cowboy series COMING HOME.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book 1-LOST RIDER.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Kiss My Boots Teaser

About The Author beige

Harper Sloan is a NEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET JOURNAL and USA TODAY bestselling author residing in Georgia with her husband and three daughters. She has a borderline unhealthy obsession with books, hibachi, tattoos and Game of Thrones. When she isn’t writing you can almost always find her with a book in hand.

Giveaway beige

Harper’s publisher is graciously offering a paper copy of LOST RIDER (Book 1 in the Coming Home series) 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.

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8. Giveaway is open to USA only

9. Giveaway runs from July 20-24, 2017

Inkslinger 2

Complicating (Preston’s Mill #3) by Noelle Adams & Samantha Chase-a review

Posted on July 19, 2017 by Sandy

COMPLICATING (Preston’s Mill #3) by Noelle Adams and Samantha Chase-a review

Complicating

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 17, 2017

Forget all those other accidental pregnancy romances you might have read.

Daisy and Carter don’t have a one-night stand…because it’s thirty minutes in a back room at a wedding reception. And Carter isn’t a bad boy baby-daddy…except for the motorcycle, tattoos, and attitude. Daisy doesn’t have the typical issues with her pregnancy…if you don’t count the morning sickness, food cravings, and occasional horniness. And Carter doesn’t hang around all the time, wanting both her and the baby…until he falls in love.

But they definitely don’t become a happy family…right away.

Daisy has always been a good girl. She’s never done anything wild or spontaneous until she has a little too much to drink at a wedding and has a fling with a sexy stranger. She thought they were careful, but accidents happen. And now she’s going to have the baby of a man she barely knows.

Carter is her opposite in every way and completely the wrong man for her. They can still work out a reasonable arrangement regarding the baby. But the more time she spends with him, the less reasonable she feels. And he’s acting all possessive and protective, so it gets harder and harder to convince herself that he’s just the father of her baby.

She wants him to be so much more.

•••••••••••••

REVIEW: COMPLICATING is the third installment in Noelle Adams /Samantha Chase’s contemporary, adult PRESTON’S MILL romance series focusing on the town and people of Preston’s Mills. This is Daisy, Preston’s Mills librarian, and Norfolk mechanic Carter Hayes’s story line. COMPLICATING 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 (Daisy and Carter) COMPLICATING follows the building relationship between Preston’s Mill uptight, shy librarian Daisy, and motorcycle riding, tattooed mechanic Carter Hayes. While attending Chris and Heather’s wedding Daisy was challenged by her best friend Chloe to hit on three men throughout the evening, and in doing so Daisy came face to face with the man who would become an integral part of her future. A quickie in the closet with Carter Hayes leads to an unplanned pregnancy, and Daisy is all but willing to go it alone without the help of the child’s father. Carter maybe a little rough looking for the small town of Preston’s Mill but he is a man who is determined to be a part of his child’s life. What ensues is the back and forth, emotional roller coaster as Carter tries to support the mother of his child while said mother does everything to push Carter out of their lives with her fierce need to be totally independent.

COMPLICATING is a story about two people unprepared for the future that is about to change their lives. The heroine’s immature attitude and lack of compassion as it pertained to the father of her child made for many difficult moments throughout the story. For most of the story line Daisy was unwilling to compromise or let go of her preconceived notions and ideas . As hard as Carter tried to be a part of Daisy and his unborn child’s life, he couldn’t quite live up to Daisy or the town’s perception of the perfect father image. And of course, to complicate matters, Carter panics on more than one occasion as the reality of the situation hits too close to home.

The relationship between Daisy and Carter begins as a dare that quickly morphs into a lifelong connection with the impending birth of their son or daughter, and because of the forced situation the emotional ties that would have otherwise developed in a loving relationship were few and far between. Months will pass before any semblance of love or togetherness is permanently offered due to the heroine’s inability to accept what Carter was willing to offer, and even then, the profession of love felt forced and underwhelming. The limited number of $ex scenes are mostly implied.

COMPLICATING was a difficult read for me as I struggled to accept the heroine’s attitude and immature behavior. Carter, as the expectant father, was willing to stand up and do everything he could for the mother of his child but Daisy’s need to be independent of the man with whom she would fall in love, was disconcerting and uncomfortable especially at a time when some men are unwilling to accept responsibility for an unplanned child. This was not a case of rampant feminism but of a woman unwilling to look at the bigger picture. Although COMPLICATING is a story of fiction, the heroine’s attitude was unacceptable (for me) under the circumstance, as Carter never gave any indication that he would be an unwilling or unacceptable father, and yet he was quickly judged unsuitable by the people of Preston’s Mill-small town mentality not one of my favorite tropes. As with everything in life, opinions are subjective, and other readers may see a different side to the story line heroine.

Oh, and the cover is completely wrong. Carter is said to be well-built, with unruly dark hair, covered in tattoos; and Daisy is a woman with long red hair. Not quite the image portrayed on the story-book cover.

Copy supplied for review.

Reviewed by Sandy

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Tag Archives: New Release Reviews 2017

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Stubborn as a Mule (Sex and Sweet Tea #2) by Juliette Poe-Review and Excerpt Tour

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Kiss My Boots (Coming Home #2) by Harper Sloan: Review, Book Tour & Giveaway

KISS MY BOOTS (Coming Home #2) by Harper Sloan-Review, Book Tour & Giveaway

Complicating (Preston’s Mill #3) by Noelle Adams & Samantha Chase-a review

COMPLICATING (Preston’s Mill #3) by Noelle Adams and Samantha Chase-a review