Tag Archives: New Release Reviews

Secret Obsession (Red Stone Security #12) by Katie Reus-a review

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SECRET OBSESSION (Red Stone Security #12) by Katie Reus-a review

Secret Obsession

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

About the book: Release Date May 3, 2016

He’s the security she’s always needed.

Since she moved to Miami, Raegan Taylor has desired Ford Burke–a sexy and rugged cop. He’s everything she’s ever wanted. Unfortunately for Raegan, Ford’s kept his distance. But when a night out goes extremely wrong, his protective instincts kick into high gear, and he finds himself fighting for her in more ways than one.

She’s exactly what he was trying to avoid.

Once Raegan and Ford grow closer, the harder they start to fall for each other. But Ford’s past stirs up feelings he just can’t control, threatening to destroy everything they’ve worked for. And when he screws up, he may lose more than just his one shot with her.

And now someone’s ready to ruin it all.

Someone wants Raegan—and if he can’t have her—nobody can. He’s waiting. He’s watching. He’s lurking. Ready to strike. He’ll make her his. He’ll take down anyone who gets in his way—even a cop.

••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: SECRET OBSESSION is the twelfth installment in Katie Reus’s contemporary, adult RED STONE SECURITY erotic, romantic suspense series focusing on the men and women who work for RSS. This is Miami police officer/former marine Ford Burke, and RSS assistant events planner Raegan Taylor. SECRET OBSESSON can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. Raegan, who is Grant, Porter and Harrison Caldwell’s cousin, was first introduced to the reader in book eleven SWORN TO PROTECT.

Told from several third person points of view, SECRET OBSESSION focuses on the building relationship between Raegan and Ford. Ford has had a thing for Raegan for close to a year but has had a difficult time letting go of the past. Raegan is a woman who has a crush on Ford but the quiet cop has barely acknowledged her existence. When an unknown stalker begins to take things to a personal level with Raegan, Ford becomes Raegan’s personal protector-both in and out of the bedroom. What ensues is the hunt for the person responsible for the attacks against our story line heroine, and Ford’s need to make Raegan his own.

There is a secondary romance story line focusing on Raegan’s friend Ruby and restaurant chef Montez. Ruby has a thing for the scarred and damaged former Ranger but Montez is unwilling to commit to anything beyond the present. Scorned by his former wife because of his disfigured face, Montez believes he has nothing but a one night stand to offer the beautiful and sexy Ruby.

SECRET OBSESSION has a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters first introduced throughout the series. We are witness to the growing family at Red Stone Security, as well as the growing families with relationships, children and professions of love.

Katie Reus offers up another exciting addition to her Red Stone Security series. The premise is familiar in that the stalker scenario has been used before in the series but that doesn’t make the story line any less inviting. There is mystery and suspense, heartbreak and misunderstanding, passion and romance. Each installment in the Red Stone Security series can be read as a stand alone-sit back and enjoy !

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy

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Ladies Man (Manwhore #3) by Katy Evans-a review

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LADIES MAN (Manwhore #3) by Katy Evans-a review

Ladies Man

Amazon.com / B&N / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 26, 2016

Tahoe Roth.
Irreverent, cocky, playful and naughty.
He’s not the guy you date.
He’s the one night stand.
The one your mother warned you about.
The one your body craves.

You’d think the man who called me succulent would want to strip me down and spread me out on his bed—like he’s done with countless others.

But he passed on my offer….
Just like I’d once passed on his.
He’s wary, like I am.
He’s broken, like I am.
And everyone knows two broken parts can’t ever make a whole.
Tahoe and I are strictly friends.
So I distract myself with other men.

He doesn’t think my new man is good enough. This blond blue-eyed beast doesn’t think any man is—himself included.

But the more time we spend together, the more confused I feel. I’m trying to open myself to love.

Yet I’m quickly realizing that the only man I want is Tahoe Roth. The one man who will surely break my heart.

A sexy new Manwhore series standalone contemporary romance from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katy Evans.

••••••••

REVIEW: LADIES MAN is the third full-length installment in Katy Evans’s contemporary, adult MANWHORE erotic, romance series. This is Tahoe Roth, and Regina ‘Gina’ Wylde’s story line-a friends to lovers trope that looks at two people who have loved one another from afar but are unwilling to take the next step in their relationship. LADIES MAN can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. We were first introduced to Gina and Tahoe in Evans’s MS. MANWHORE 2.5. The story line covers approximately eighteen months.

Told from first person point of view (Gina) LADIES MAN follows Gina and Tahoe’s relationship-friends who are struggling in their own personal lives. Tahoe is a ‘manwhore’ who is never without female company both in and outside of his bedroom. Gina is his best friend and Tahoe has never once made a pass at her-making Gina wonder why. What ensues is Tahoe’s continued manwhoring ways, while Gina begins to look for someone more stable and permanent in her life. Enter Trent-Tahoe’s competition for Gina’s heart –a heart that has been broken by Tahoe’s reputation with the ladies.

LADIES MAN focuses on a deep friendship that begins to slide into relationship territory but throughout most of the story, Gina claims to have found the one in Trent yet she can’t help but think she is settling for someone she doesn’t love. Tahoe is the man that calls to her heart but Gina has a difficult time accepting Tahoe and the copious number of women in his life.

Tahoe Roth is a manwhore-he doesn’t deny it, and his bestie Gina reminds him at every opportunity. But Tahoe has a past- one that Gina knows nothing about, and it is his past that has forged his need to get lost in a series of one-night stands and multiple women. Tahoe is a man trying to forget about the past but with every woman he beds, he sees Gina in her place.

Most of the previous story line couples and characters play secondary and supporting roles. We revisit with Malcolm and Rachel, Wynn and Emmett, and Callan. We are introduced to Tahoe’s family including his sister Livvy, as well as Gina’s mother and father who spend most of their time travelling the world. Callan Carmichael’s story is next.

As per Katy’s writing style in many of her books, there is some unnecessary repetition and redundancy like the playful kicking and slapping between our leading couple, as well as the constant reference to the color of Tahoe’s eyes. Sometimes the repetition feels like needless filler.

LADIES MAN is a fun, delightful and emotional story line. I felt Gina’s sadness over Tahoe’s manwhoring, yet her need to remind Tahoe about his sexual exploits was difficult to accept. Was she trying to make Tahoe understand her pain? Who knows but his reputation and good looks attracted all sorts of female attention. The premise is entertaining and compelling; the characters are dynamic and passionate; the romance is a slow build-a game of push and pull between fated friends and lovers. Katy Evans adds another enjoyable and provocative tale to her romance collection..

Copy supplied by the promoter

Reviewed by Sandy

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Sleeping with the Opposition (Bad Boy Bossess #3) by JK Coi- a review

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SLEEPING WITH THE OPPOSITION (Bad Boy Bosses #3) by J.K.Coi-a review

Sleeping with the Opposition - J.K. Coi - Entangled Publishing -

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 2, 2016

Leo Markham has everything a man could want. Money. Power. Respect. But there’s only one thing he needs—Bria. The trouble is, she’s determined to move on, despite the breathtaking passion still between them. Sure, he’s made mistakes, but he’ll make her forgive him. He has to.

Shocked to find herself facing her devastatingly gorgeous ex as opposing counsel in the courtroom, Bria knows she can’t let Leo hurt her again. He’s the only man she’ll ever love, but he wasn’t there when she needed him most. She’s just going to have to learn to resist the pull of his lethal magnetism.

Leo is determined to win Bria back no matter what it takes. He isn’t about to lose the only woman who’s ever had his heart.

•••••••

REVIEW: SLEEPING WITH THE OPPOSITION is the third installment in J.K. Coi’s contemporary, adult BAD BOY BOSSES romance series. This is lawyers and married couple Leo and Bria Markham’s story line- a second chance for two people whose lives fell apart months before. SLEEPING WITH THE OPPOSITION can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Leo and Bria) SLEEPING WITH THE OPPOSITION focuses on the breakdown of a marriage due to loss, lack of communication and misunderstanding the little cues and nuances that make up the individual, the couple and the marriage.

Leo and Bria have witnessed heartbreak first hand; unexplainable loss; and the dissolution of a marriage once thought brought a happily ever after. But things changed, emotions were caught unbalanced, and misinterpretation of actions resulted in Bria wanting out-out of her marriage, our of her law practice, and Leo out of their house. What ensues are Leo’s attempts to win back his wife; and Bria finally coming to realize that what one sees on the surface is not necessarily what one finds underneath.

SLEEPING WITH THE OPPOSITION is a tough read especially for anyone having experienced loss and divorce. Not only is the subject matter difficult for some readers but the actions and attitudes of the heroine amped up my anxiety and dislike for the story line female lead. Bria is a woman who is determined to end her marriage but is unwilling to look beyond her own pain and at the pain that her husband bears as well. There is no denying that each individual grieves and suffers in their own way but to presume that someone else feels differently or not a all leads the potential for disaster right up to your own door step and beyond. Bria Markham is a difficult character to like; her attitude and emotional distance from Leo is worthy of a teenage tantrum and an immature ideology on life. In this, I found my dislike for the Bria Markham enhanced my dislike of the story line premise which does not reflect on the author’s writing style but on my own personal dislike of the heroine’s actions and personality. It is not until Bria recognizes herself and her situation in others, does she begin to understand there is always more than life in black and white. The premise is profound; the characters are passionate; the romance is a struggle towards a happily ever after.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Beautiful Distraction by J.C.Reed- Review, Book Tour & Giveaway

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Beautiful Distraction by J.C.Reed-Review, Book Tour & Giveaway

Beautiful Distraction Banner

BEAUTIFUL DISTRACTION
by J.C. Reed
Release Date: April 12, 2016
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romance

Beautiful Distraction

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

Add to your GOODREADS shelf.

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 12, 2016

Kellan Boyd always gets what he wants—except that one infuriating city girl who bumped into his new chick magnet sports car, dared to call him a jerk, and basically threw his pity check in his face.

Fast forward three months later. When Ava Cross suddenly knocks on his door in the middle of a storm, soaking wet and in dire need of help, he’s determined to settle old scores and finally get her between the sheets where she belongs.

Ava knows Kellan is a complex man with a dark past and a wild reputation he can’t deny. Forced to stay, Ava begins a desperate search for the truth about the one man she wants to despise and quickly discovers that the passion she feels for him isn’t just deep…it’s dangerous to her heart.

Kellan is a beautiful distraction. When the traps of her own weakness stand in the way, Ava is faced with one choice only: peel off the layers of a man who is a wild cowboy at heart.

•••••••••

REVIEW: BEAUTIFUL DISTRACTION is the first installment in JC Reed’s new sexy, romance series focusing on the Boyd Brothers-Kellan, Cash and Ryder. This is Kellan Boyd, and journalist Ava Cross’s storyline- a love/hate relationship that looks at misunderstandings, first impressions, secrets and lies.

Told from first person point of view (Ava) BEAUTIFUL DISTRACTION focuses on the building relationship between the mysterious Kellan Boyd, and journalist Ava Cross. When Ava accidentally ‘bump’s’ into Kellan’s very new, very expensive car at the popular New York nightclub Club 69, Ava finds herself face to face with the most beautiful but arrogant human being she has ever met. Several caustic remarks later between our leading couple has Ava regretting turning down Kellan’s ‘proposal’, and Kellan wondering about the woman he just met. Fast forward two months wherein Ava has won 2 tickets to a rock concert for the group Mile High, and another ‘accident’ finds Ava and her best friend Mandy at Kellan’s front door – a secret cabin in the backwoods of Montana- and the prospect of spending too much alone time with the man who has featured in all of Ava’s dreams. What ensues is the building relationship between two people who profess to hate one another all the while hoping for a chance at something more.

The relationship between Ava and Kellan begins literally by accident. When Kellan offers to pay for Ava’s repairs, as well as a brand new car, Ava sees red and believes Kellan pities what he sees, and Ava has had enough of arrogant jerks and men. Kellan is a man who harbors many secrets and isn’t about to reveal the truth about who he is and what he does. When a second chance ‘meeting’ finds Ava front and center in Kellan’s life, our hero tries everything to seduce the woman of his most recent fantasies but when the truth is finally revealed about Kellan’s current life, Ava finds herself heartbroken once again. The $ex scenes are intimate and seductive although limited in number as Ava tries to keep Kellan at a distance throughout a good portion of the story.

We are introduced to Ava’s best friend Mandy, who falls for Kellan’s friend Josh; and Ryder Boyd-Kellan’s brother and local deputy in small town Montana. The world building focuses on the building relationship between Kellan and Ava, and their struggle to accept the expiry date on what is, and what could have been in their lives. The epilogue advances the story two years where we get a glimpse into the future.

BEAUTIFUL DISTRACTION is an entertaining story; a passionate tale about two people who met by accident and found love in the wake of the storm. There are moments of heartbreak and betrayal; romance and love; secrets and letting go. The premise is engaging; the characters are heartwarming and sensitive; the romance is impassioned and hopeful. J.C.Reed invites the reader into her imaginary world of beautiful distractions, and addicting romances.

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy

BEautiful Distraction Teaser

About The Author

JC Reed

J.C. Reed is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. She writes steamy contemporary romance with a touch of mystery and suspense. When she’s not typing away on her keyboard, forgetting the world around her, you can find her chatting with her readers on Facebook.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

 

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Deep Under (Walker Security #1) by Lisa Renee Jones-Review and Book Tour

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DEEP UNDER (Walker Security #1) by Lisa Renee Jones-Review and Book Tour

Deep Uner Banner

DEEP UNDER
Walker Security #1 (Tall, Dark and Deadly 4)
by Lisa Renee Jones
Genre: adult, contemporary, romantic suspense
Release Date: April 18, 2016

Deep Under

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

Add to your GOODREADS shelf.

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 18, 2016

Myla is beautiful, a dove with clipped wings, captive by the wolf, a vicious drug lord. One look into her eyes and Kyle could see the pain, the fear…the desperation. Or so it seems. He’s been fooled before by a woman and it cost him everything and everyone he loved. He won’t be fooled again.

Tall, dark, and deadly, these are the stories of the men who run Walker security. Each man is unique in his methods and skills, but all share key similarities. They are passionate about those they love, relentless when fighting for a cause they believe in, and all believe that no case is too hard, no danger too dark. Dedication is what they deliver, results are their reward.

•••••••••••••

REVIEW: DEEP UNDER is the first installment in Lisa Renee Jones’s adult, contemporary Walker Security romantic suspense series- a spin off from her Tall, Dark and Deadly series. This is Walker Security specialist and former FBI agent Kyle, and missing fashion designer Myla’s story line. DEEP UNDER continues a story line that began in Lisa’s BENEATH THE SECRETS serial, and runs parallel to some of the events in Lisa’s CARELESS WHISPERS series (wherein the Walker Brothers have been hired to locate another missing person) –a spin off from her best selling Inside Out series. DEEP UNDER can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual first person points of view (Kyle and Myla) DEEP UNDER follows the search for Myla- Kara’s sister (Beneath the Secrets) and a woman who has been missing and presumed dead for fourteen months. Kyle is a former FBI agent, now working for his best friend Blake Walker at Walker Security, and a man who believes that Myla is very much alive. Kyle is desperate to get inside the Alvarez cartel and search for the woman whose last video camera image revealed determination and fear. What ensues is Kyle’s infiltration of the cartel as Myla’s personal bodyguard, and the take down of a man and his organization that has claimed too many lives, for too many years.

DEEP UNDER is an exciting story of suspense; a tale about missing women, the illegal sex trade, and a powerful cartel kingpin whose deadly rule is never to be questioned. Lisa Renee Jones writes a fascinating story with an impassioned hero, and a determined heroine where family is targeted in a game of betrayal and revenge. The premise is captivating and intense; the characters are passionate and animated; the romance is intimate and moving. Lisa Renee Jones adds another exciting and sexy dimension to her Tall, Dark and Deadly romantic suspense series.

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy

Deep Under Teaser 2

Excerpt beige

“Who are you? And I mean really. Who are you?”
My gut tells me that if I tell her right now, in this moment, it will not be well-received. “A friend,” I say, my gaze lowering to her lush mouth and lifting. “And the man who wants to kiss you. Really kiss you. Can I kiss you, Myla?”
“You’re asking?”
“Yes. I’m asking. After all you’ve been through-”
“He hasn’t destroyed me. He hasn’t beaten me and I don’t like that you think he has.”
“I don’t think he’s beaten you.”
“He hasn’t,” she insists. “I’m not giving him that power and damn it, you better not either by treating me like I’m broken and fragile. So kiss me if you’re going to kiss me or let me go, if you don’t want-”
I cup the back of her head, and slant my mouth over hers, my tongue sliding against hers, stroking, caressing, and the taste of her, one part hunger I welcome, but the other part, the torment, I intend to drive away. I deepen the kiss, my hand pressing beneath her tank top, finding warm, soft skin. My fingers splay over her rib cage, while my mind reminds me that no matter how big she talks, she wants this escape for a reason. She has been abused, used, hurt.
I tear my mouth from hers, my breathing and hers ragged, my hands settling at her waist. “Myla-”
“Don’t do this,” she pleads, “Don’t be the kind of hero I don’t need. Give me something good to remember the next time he touches me, something that gets me through it.”
“I told you,” I grind out. “He will never touch you again.”
“You underestimate him.”
“You underestimate me,” I assure her. “You want to forget? Let’s forget.”
“Don’t treat me like-”
I tangle my fingers in her hair and drag her gaze to mine. “Is that too gentle?”
“It is until you kiss me again,” she challenges, and so I do, holding nothing back. My tongue stroking, taking, demanding, and she rewards me by giving me no fear, but rather a soft moan, and a whisper of “Kyle,” when I nip her lip.
“That’s what I want,” I say. “My name on your tongue, not his. My tongue on your body, not his.”
“That’s what I want too,” she dares, and when she adds, “very much,” there is this sense of her claiming something outside of a world she’d accepted but hated that empowers me, to help her go there, be there. I reach down and pull her tank top over her head, tossing it away. And she is not shy, timid or scared. She tugs my shirt up, but my shoulder strap and weapon, hold it in place. I’m far from detoured though, unhooking her sports bra and dragging it down her arms, my gaze raking over her high full breasts and pebbled pink nipples. And the minute our gazes collide, the fire between us ignites, and we are kissing again, my hand flattening over her back, melting her naked breasts to my chest.
She tries a new approach to getting me naked, shoving at my jacket and I shrug it over my shoulders, letting it fall to the ground, but when her hand goes for the clasp on my shoulder strap, my reaction is automatic. I grab her hand and stop her. “What are you doing?”
“I can’t get your shirt off while your gun is on,” she says, and then gives me an unhappy look. “Did you think that I was going for your weapon?”
“Programming,” I say. “Protect your weapon, always. And you aren’t the only one with a bad relationship baggage.”
“I can accept that and understand it, but now it’s my turn to say quid pro quo. I’m opening the door to trusting you. You need to do the same and trust me.”
She’s right. A hand for a hand. I let mine fall away now, leaving hers at my strap, a move from my gun. She closes her hand over the butt of my gun, daring me to challenge her, her chin lifting, gaze meeting mine as she says, “If you were him-”
My hands slide around her neck, dragging her mouth to mine. “Obviously I need to fuck you fast and hard before I go slow and sexy, just to get him the hell out of this room.” I kiss her, a deep, demanding, stroke of tongue on tongue, I end with a challenge. “Do you want me or my gun?”
“You,” she whispers, her hand sliding away from my weapon. “I want you.”

About The Author beige

 

Lisa Renee JonesNew York Times and USA Today Bestselling author

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT SERIES, and is now in development by Suzanne Todd (Alice in Wonderland) for cable TV. In addition, her Tall, Dark and Deadly series and The Secret Life of Amy Bensen series, both spent several months on a combination of the NY Times and USA Today lists.

Watch the video on casting for the INSIDE TV Show HERE

Since beginning her publishing career in 2007, Lisa has published more than 40 books translated around the world. Booklist says that Jones suspense truly sizzles with an energy similar to FBI tales with a paranormal twist by Julie Garwood or Suzanne Brockmann.

Prior to publishing, Lisa owned multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and also praised by Dallas Women Magazine. In 1998 LRJ was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine.

Lisa loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her at on her website and she is active on twitter and facebook daily.

Lisa loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her through her website and she is active on twitter and facebook daily.

STALK HER: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads

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One With You (Crossfire #5) by Sylvia Day-a review

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ONE WITH YOU (Crossfire #5) by Sylvia Day-a review

One With You

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 5, 2016

Gideon Cross. Falling in love with him was the easiest thing I’ve ever done. It happened instantly. Completely. Irrevocably.

Marrying him was a dream come true. Staying married to him is the fight of my life. Love transforms. Ours is both a refuge from the storm and the most violent of tempests. Two damaged souls entwined as one.

We have bared our deepest, ugliest secrets to one another. Gideon is the mirror that reflects all my flaws … and all the beauty I couldn’t see. He has given me everything. Now, I must prove I can be the rock, the shelter for him that he is for me. Together, we could stand against those who work so viciously to come between us.

But our greatest battle may lie within the very vows that give us strength. Committing to love was only the beginning. Fighting for it will either set us free … or break us apart.

Heartbreakingly and seductively poignant, One with You is the breathlessly awaited finale to the Crossfire® saga, the searing love story that has captivated millions of readers worldwide.

••••••••••••

REVIEW: ONE WITH YOU is the fifth and final installment in Sylvia Day’s contemporary adult CROSSFIRE erotic, romance series focusing on Gideon Cross, and Eva Trammell-Cross. ONE WITH YOU should not be read as a stand alone as some of the events of the story line have been building throughout the series.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Eva and Gideon) ONE WITH YOU begins immediately upon the events of book four (Captivated by You) and focuses on the preparations for Eva and Gideon’s upcoming nuptials-a second ceremony for family and friends- and a marriage that will hopefully keep the beasts and darkness at bay. What ensues is a series of events and revelations that neither the reader nor the characters ever saw coming.

ONE WITH YOU is the culmination of five books, and a timeline that covers but three months that saw two damaged and broken people, fall in love with one another while fending off attacks of self doubt, insecurity, jealousy, and threats from outside and within. The characters grew as individuals, as a couple, and recognized that giving control to someone else is never easy but a necessary part of growing up and being in a committed relationship …but…they still have issues of trust that inevitably brought about more anxious moments and emotional breakdowns.

Eva and Gideon’s strengths and weaknesses are subjected to tests time and time again. Some previous issues and premise scenarios have been addressed while many questions have been left unanswered; and a number of new controversies, problems and contentious events from the present and the past have presented with great fanfare yet with very little resolution or closure. There are a number of dream sequences where fantasy meets reality; where Eva and Gideon addressed the ghosts in their lives; and plenty of psychological and emotional assessment via couple’s therapist Dr. Peterson as it pertains to Eva and Gideon-individually and as a couple. There is a bit of a red herring regarding Eva’s mother’s back story that seems to come out of left field- its purpose to the main story line is confusing and a bit of a non-sequitur that left me with more questions than answers.

Sylvia Day brings Eva and Gideon’s love story to an end with a happily ever after-for now. There are a number of loose ends and unanswered questions regarding secondary and supporting characters that need to be or should have been addressed especially the ‘new’ revelations and subsequent events regarding certain family members on both sides of the aisle–perhaps a novella or two wrapping up their stories could be on Sylvia’s upcoming agenda.

ONE WITH YOU and the Crossfire Series is a roller coaster of emotions; the ups and downs of a relationship between two people whose emotional health and happiness is tied to one another; whose profound need to be loved and accepted is intense and unbalanced; where the romance is passionate and provocative; where the $ex is erotic and intoxicating.

Sylvia Day’s CROSSFIRE SERIES is a fantastic read; a wonderful series for lovers of broken heroes and the women in their lives.

Own a copy

Reviewed by Sandy

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Into The Darkness (Darkness #5) by Katie Reus-a review

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INTO THE DARKNESS (Darkness #5) by Katie Reus-a review

Into The Darkness

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 5, 2016

One book. Two stories. A demigod and a half-demon are about to get married. Which means a week of festivities, romance, fun, and the kind of crazy drama wolf shifters are known for. When someone targets the Stavros pack, everyone bands together to fight an unknown enemy and two couples will fight for their chance at happily ever after.

She’s not looking for a mate…

Rhea is a warrior. She’s bled and fought for the Stavros wolf pack for over a hundred years. She never expected to fall for the Alpha of a dragon clan. But when her past comes back to haunt her, she finds herself working side by side with the very man whose been staring in all her fantasies. She never wants to get mated because she’ll never risk getting someone she cares for killed. Not again. So she convinces herself that they have something fun and easy, no strings attached.

But he’s playing for keeps…

Conall, Alpha of the Petronilla clan, has been biding his time claiming his future mate. At fifteen hundred years old he’s patient and cunning. Except when he’s around Rhea, years of civilization are stripped away and all he wants to do is possess her, make her his forever. But something happened in the stubborn woman’s past and she’s determined to keep walls between them. It’s a good thing he’s a dragon. He’ll just burn down every last barrier between them and claim what’s his. But someone from her past is threatening her and her pack—and the life of the woman he’s waited a lifetime to make his own.

Shifters, vampires and dragons are real…

A year ago Liberty had no idea that things that go bump in the night actually existed. But supernatural beings are real. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg in her new reality. Saved from a Hell realm by a team of half-demons and a demigod, she finds herself falling for her sexy rescuer Rory more and more every day. She’s worried she’s too broken to ever have a relationship again, but the more time they spend together, the harder it is to deny her attraction.

And when they choose a mate, they don’t give up easily.

Half-wolf, half-demon Rory has been looking out for Liberty ever since rescuing her from hell. And since she’s the wedding planner for his half-brother’s wedding, he sees her all the time. Not to mention he just happens to spend every night in her bed. Unfortunately he’s in wolf form when he stays over. He’s not sure what it’s going to take to move from friend to more, but he’s willing to wait forever if that’s what it takes. Because Liberty is worth fighting for, and he’ll do whatever it takes to make the brave survivor his.

•••••••••••••

REVIEW: INTO THE DARKNESS is the fifth installment in Katie Reus’s contemporary, adult, DARKNESS paranormal romance series. As per the blurb INTO THE DARKNESS is one book, two stories about four people, fated mates, a wedding celebration, and an act of revenge-years in the making

The reader was first introduced to the main characters (Rhea and Conall / Liberty and Rory) throughout the series; the females have struggled with loss, betrayal, and heartbreak; the males have been searching for something more. The characters are strong, colorful, animated and engaging. The $ex scenes are seductive, romantic and intense.

Katie Reus is one of my favorite go-to authors. Her writing style and use of imagery pulls the reader into the story line-you become one with the characters-feeling their emotions, heartbreaks, wants and needs. The world building follows two love stories that interconnect when the Stavros Pack is targeted during the wedding festivities for Bo and Nyx.

There is no loss of cohesion, no loss of emotional build up, and no loss of action when Katie blends two romances into one story-the flow and pacing are quick, even and never wanders into ‘filler’ territory. There are moments of humor and fun to offset the building danger. What ensues is the search for the person(s) responsible for the attacks, and the reason why. The angst and anxiety builds when one of their own goes missing, and the Pack is targeted once again.

INTO THE DARKNESS is a story about hope, passion, and a look to the future while letting go of the past. There is intrigue, suspense and revenge; drama, passion and steamy $ex.

Katie Reus will captivate your imagination with her sexy world of the supernatural.

Copy supplied by the author

Reviewed by Sandy

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White Tiger / Wild Things (Shifters Unbound 8 & 7.75) by Jennifer Ashley-Reviews & Giveaway

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White Tiger/ Wild Things (Shifters Unbound 8 & 7.75) by Jennifer Ashley-reviews and giveaway

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Shifters Unbound 7.75 and 8

WHITE TIGER
(Shifters Unbound #8)
by Jennifer Ashley
Genre: adult, contemporary, paranormal, romance, shifters

White Tiger

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 5, 2-16

A woman is lured into the shadows of a dangerous manhunt…
Wanted and on the run…

For twenty years, Kendrick, a white tiger Shifter, has been the Guardian of un-Collared Shifters who spend their lives living in secret—and in fear of being shunted into Shiftertowns. When Kendrick’s group is discovered and forced to flee, Kendrick is more desperate than ever to protect them

His only salvation was in a beautiful stranger.

In a diner in the middle of nowhere, lonely waitress Addison Price has seen a lot of unusual drifters come and go, but none has ever captivated—and intimidated—her like the imposing fugitive who wields a broadsword with incredible skill. But when he risks all to protect her, Addison’s fear turns to empathy—and empathy to desire as she learns more about her savior. Soon she’s more than willing to help the crushingly sensual white tiger and his cubs in a passionate bid for freedom. Whatever the cost.

••••••

REVIEW: WHITE TIGER is the eight full length installment in Jennifer Ashley’s contemporary, adult SHIFTERS UNBOUND paranormal romance series. This is white tiger shifter and Guardian Kendrick Shaughnessy, and human/waitress Addison Price’s story line. WHITE TIGER can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty although I recommend reading the series in order for cohesion and backstory, as well as familiarity with the other characters. Many of Jennifer’s novellas are ‘stepping stones’ to future installments.

SOME BACKGROUND: Thousands of years in the past, the Fae created the shifters-a cross between beast and man-and in the ensuing time the Fae lost control and power over the creatures they had created. Approximately twenty years ago shifters were exposed to the human population. Out of fear, discrimination and specieism, the shifters were collared in the belief that it would control aggression, then they were forced into segregated communities known as Shiftertowns. There are several Shiftertowns located throughout America where shifters live in a relative but strained peace amongst their own kind.

Told from several third person perspectives WHITE TIGER focuses on Kendrick’s need to protect his family-his three cubs- from the people hoping to take down the man they once called their leader. Kendrick is an ‘uncollared’ shifter who had great plans to bring together all of the other uncollared shifters in the hopes of creating a world of perceived freedom and comfort but on the run to protect his young cubs, Kendrick finds himself drawn to a human waitress who calls to his heart. What ensues is an attack against Kendrick that finds Addison Price protecting what our hero loves most-his cubs.

Addison is human; a waitress whose own love life is mired in betrayal and heartbreak but a woman who is determined to leave her old life behind. When Kendrick is attacked, Addison finds herself protecting his cubs, and promising she will be there for them in the future. What ensues is a building relationship between Addison and Kendrick, and the timely return of the shifters who owe Kendrick their lives.

WHITE TIGER is a story about betrayal; about a leader who believes he has failed his pack and clan; and a story where friends turn to enemies when there is no leader left to follow. Kendrick’s first mate died giving birth, and our hero is having a difficult time accepting that there is another woman that calls to his heart. The $ex scenes are provocative without the over the top sexually graphic text.

Once again, there is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including many of the characters previously introduced in earlier story lines such as the former alpha Dylan whose hold on many of the shifters is quite strong and deep. We are introduced to Kendrick’s family-his cubs Brett, Zane and Robbie- as well as the shifters who have long waited for their leader to return-Seamus McGuire, Jaycee Bordeaux and Dimitri Kashnikov. There is a slight love triangle vibe happening with Jaycee’s return and her love for the man that she follows. Zander Montcrieff, first introduced in WILD THINGS returns as the ‘crazy’ Healer. Zander’s story will be told next in GUARDIAN’S MATE (September 2016). Gil (Ben) returns as the intrepid ‘gnome’-the last of his kind, and a man without a home.

WHITE TIGER brings together many of the shifters that were scattered in an earlier story line. An eclectic mixture of uncollared shifters who thrown their allegiance to a White Tiger who promised them a future without bars. The premise is entertaining and intriguing; the characters are charismatic; the romance is a slow build for two people from different worlds. Jennifer Ashley continues to write the story lines we enjoy ! If you are a fan of shifters, then check out SHIFTERS UNBOUND by Jennifer Ashley.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Wild thingsWILD THINGS
(Shifters Unbound 7.75)
by Jennifer Ashley
Genre: adult, contemporary, paranormal, romance, shifters

ebook only 99¢ : Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 22, 2016

Wolf Shifter Mason McNaughton is tired of the crazy feral living in his house, endangering him, his brothers, and his sweet auntie Cora. Ferals are Shifters who’ve reverted to the wild stage, forgetting all about the joys of pizza and satellite TV. Not to mention, Mason is sick of waking up to the feral’s rampages in the bedroom next to his. The feral has been given sanctuary, so Mason can’t throw him out—the only thing to do is to find a way to cure him.

The problem is, Shifter healers—elusive, Goddess-touched Shifters who have the healing gift—are few and far between. Mason volunteers to go in search of one, and is sent to a psychic in New Orleans who might have an idea of where to start looking.

Mason doesn’t believe in psychics, but Jasmine, the psychic in question, seems to at least put on a good show. Jasmine believes in Shifters all right, but she vowed after her Shifter boyfriend dumped her to never have anything to do with them again.

The easiest way to get rid of the growly Lupine, Mason, is to help him, but Jasmine never dreams what that help will drag her into.

A short novel of the Shifters Unbound series.

••••••••••••

REVIEW: WILD THINGS by Jennifer Ashley focuses on the hunt for a shifter healer who has the ability to cure the ‘feral’ rage without having to destroy a life in the process. This is human psychic Jasmine Samuelson, and wolf shifter Mason McNaughton’s (Broderick’s brother-Bad Wolf) story line.

SOME BACKGROUND: Approximately twenty years ago shifters were exposed to the human population. Out of fear, discrimination and specieism, the shifters were collared, in the belief that it would control aggression, then they were forced into segregated communities known as Shiftertowns. There are several Shiftertowns located throughout the world where shifters live in a relative but strained peace amongst their own kind.

There is within the shifter a true animal that on occasion will surface and destroy the man within. In the case of Aleck (Broderick’s brother in law), a feral feline shifter given sanctuary in Shiftertown, there is no known cure except the possibility of the power of the reclusive shifter healer. WILD THINGS follows Mason McNaughton as he goes in search of the one person who may be able to help locate the healer- a woman who would call to Mason’s very soul. What ensues is the building relationship between Jasmine and Mason as they search for someone who may not exist.

The relationship between Mason and Jasmine is one of immediate attraction but Mason does not believe in psychics; and Jasmine has been burned by a shifter from her past. But the mate bond doesn’t lie and there is something about Mason that enhances Jasmine’s ability with magic. The $ex scenes are limited, intimate and intense.

WILD THINGS has a large ensemble cast of characters including an extensive and growing family tree, as well as the introduction of healer Zander Moncrieff-a rare shifter with a gift to heal. Zander is a rarity not only because of his ability but also because of type of shifter. Zander’s story will be told in Guardian’s Mate (September 2016). Oh, and we can’t forget Jasmine’s place of residence-a house with a mind of its own.

The world building continues to focus (in a limited capacity) on the discrimination against the shifters with reference to collars and segregation. The fear of reprisal, pain and imprisonment keeps the shifters virtual prisoners in their homes and towns. There is prejudice and specieism amongst the shifters themselves-some shifters are more welcome than others.

WILD THINGS is a quick read with fascinating characters and the beginning of a new journey for the Shiftertown shifters. The premise is entertaining; the characters are colorful and animated; the romance was a little subdued but sexy none-the-less. If you are a fan of Jennifer’s SHIFTERS UNBOUND, you will want to check out WILD THINGS for a peak at the future.

Own a copy

Reviewed by Sandy

Giveaway-Purple:Black

The Reading Cafe and Jennifer’s publisher are offering a paper copy of WHITE TIGER to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

NOTE: If you are having difficulty commenting after logging onto the site, please refresh the page (at the top of your computer).

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

3. Please follow Jennifer Ashley on Facebook.

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

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8. Giveaway open to USA only

10. Giveaway runs from April 6-10, 2016

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