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AGENT VS ASSASSIN (Lilah Love 10) by LR Jones -review

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AGENT VS ASSASSIN (Lilah Love 10) by LR Jones-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 27, 2024

Lilah’s enemies love to taunt her. For some reason, they don’t seem to understand how much such things amuse her.

For the first time, she faces an opponent just as cold, and highly calculated.

Lilah. Ghost. A battle between killers.

•••

REVIEW: AGENT VS ASSASSIN is the tenth instalment in LR Jones aka Lisa Renee Jones’s contemporary, adult LILAH LOVE romantic, suspense series focusing on foul-mouthed, aggressive, contentious and prickly FBI agent Lilah Love-Mendez, and her husband, businessman /Cartel heir Kane Mendez. AGENT VS ASSASSIN should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up after the events of book nine THE GHOST ASSASSIN. If you have not read the previous instalments, there may be spoilers in my review.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

SOME BACKGROUND: Throughout the series, Lilah Love has been looking into an organization known as The Society, a powerful group that controls many of the politicians, law enforcement personnel, and the rich and famous, and it is this group that may or may not be targeting the people at the top, one of which is her estranged father, a man running for Governor, a man with connections to the people in control.

Told from first person perspective (Lilah) AGENT VS ASSASSIN picks up shortly after the events of THE GHOST ASSASSIN. Lilah has been struggling with the memories from her past, yet the assassin known as Ghost has offered to take down the ghosts that continue to haunt her dreams but there is more than one assassin on the horizon, and Lilah may be the target of both. With her father running for governor, and her brother working alongside, Lilah begins to focus on the who, how and why, as another high profile murder grabs the attention of FBI agent Lilah Love-Mendez.

The world building continues to follow Lilah as she battles the incompetent yet determined law enforcement, and her team of rag tag specialists with the ability to uncover other people’s secrets and lies. As Kane must come to terms with the reappearance of a man long thought dead, Lilah will come face to face an interesting foe.

There is another large ensemble of secondary and supporting characters including Lilah’s bodyguard Jay, Kane’s bodyguard Kit; Lilah’s brother Andrew; hacker Lucas Davenport; and Lilah’s IT guru Jeff ‘TicTac’ Landers, most of whom are the hunter/gatherers of Lilah’s investigations. We are introduced to an assassin who goes by Ghost, who is always one step ahead of our story line heroine; and the return of someone long thought buried and gone, a return that barely merits a few paragraphs of text.

AGENT VS ASSASSIN is a story of power and control, betrayal and obsession, dysfunctional family dynamics, relationships and love. The premise is detailed and dramatic yet barely advances the story line but a couple of days; the characters are charismatic yet guarded. AGENT VS ASSASSIN ends on a cliff hanger, you have been warned.

READING ORDER and Previous Reviews
Murder Notes
Murder Girl
Love Me Dead
Love Kills
Bloody Vows
Bloody Love
Happy Death Day
The Party is Over
The Ghost Assassin

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Haven’t read book one MURDER NOTES? It’s currently FREE

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New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT series.

In addition to the success of Lisa’s INSIDE OUT series, she has published many successful titles. The TALL, DARK AND DEADLY series and THE SECRET LIFE OF AMY BENSEN series, both spent several months on a combination of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling lists. Lisa is also the author of the bestselling the bestselling DIRTY MONEY and WHITE LIES series. And will be publishing the first book in her Lilah Love suspense series with Amazon Publishing in March 2018.

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

Lisa loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her at www.lisareneejones.com and she is active on Twitter and Facebook daily.

 

 

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ZAIN (Chosen Few 3) by Samantha Wilde-review

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ZAIN (Chosen Few 3) by Samantha Wilde

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 3, 2024

He’s left everything behind, only to find himself again in the eyes of a beautiful stranger . .

He’s become one of them.

Zain Mitry has lost everything His name, his identity, and his humanity. All that’s left is a cold shell of the alias he’s become—an active member in Samad, a terrorist group.

Afghanistan isn’t for the faint of heart, but fear doesn’t reach his veins until he witnesses Samad’s leader take a woman hostage from a protest. Her electrifying blue eyes capture Zain’s and he’s spellbound by her bold, fiery nature.

Despite the distance between his heart and reality, he can’t turn a blind eye when the woman is attacked. He rushes to rescue her—and the first word she speaks to him—a word no one on this side of the world identifies him with. The only tether to his old life.

The name that will destroy him—Zain. She’s vowed to find a man she’s never met.

Ex-FBI analyst Dana McAvery can’t explain what drew her to Zain’s case. But finding the missing Green Beret soldier became her mission.

But coming face-to-face with the man who’s monopolized every spare moment of her mind shakes her. His tall, dark and formidable stare rocks her confidence. She expected to find a prisoner, a man in need of rescue—but a brutal killer stands before her.

One that places himself between her and danger. And god help her, she wants more of him. Finding Zain isn’t the issue—but with a terrorist group after them, getting them both home might be an impossible feat.

••••••

REVIEW: ZAIN is the third instalment in Samantha Wilde’s contemporary, adult CHOSEN FEW erotic, romantic suspense series, a cross-over with the author’s BLOOD BROTHERS series. This is US army soldier Zain Mitry, and former FBI analyst Dana McAvery’s story line. ZAIN can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty . Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary .

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual omniscient third person perspectives (Dana and Zain) ZAIN follows in the wake of the search and ‘rescue’ of our story line hero. Zain Mitry, is a USA army soldier / Green Beret who went missing in Afghanistan approximately three years earlier in the aftermath of an explosion that killed his entire team. When news came that Zain had been sighted, former FBI analyst Dana McAvery, now working as part of the team at Backcountry Protection Services, enacts an ill-gotten plan to rescue a man who did not need rescuing. On the run in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Dana and Zain were about to face down a familiar enemy, someone who refused to back down in the face of losing it all.

The world building focuses on the search and rescue of Zain Mitry; the revelation of betrayal from the top; and the building relationship between two people who have had enough excitement and danger to last a lifetime.

The relationship between Zain and Dana begins as a ‘rescue’, of sorts but our couple find themselves a target of some very powerful men. On the run, hopefully heading towards their own rescue, Zain and Dana find themselves facing down more than one person hoping to destroy them both. Back home, Zain and Dana take their relationship to the next level but the enemy has followed them Stateside, an enemy that won’t stop until they are both gone. The $ex scenes are intimate and provocative without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and enterprising secondary and supporting characters including Dana’s brother Taschen; Zain’s brother Rami (Chosen Few 1), August (Chosen Few 2), Toth Holmes, and their significant others; Zain’s CIA contact Maxine, and several members of some powerful terrorist groups in the Middle East. The requisite evil has many faces. Taschen’s story line is next.

ZAIN is a story of betrayal and vengeance, power and control, secrets and lies, murder and torture; family and friendships, relationships and love. The premise is dramatic and dark; the romance is seductive and passionate; the characters are desperate, determined and dynamic.

Own a copy

Reviewed by Sandy

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HEATHEN (Cerberus MC: Las Vegas 1)by Marie James-review

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HEATHEN : A Very Cerberus Halloween (Cerberus MC: Las Vegas 1) by Marie James-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 17, 2024

The rules were simple:
Go to Vegas and get a feel for the place before you start the real work in a week.
Under no circumstances are we supposed to get involved with a case.
Yet after less than a week in town, I find myself married to a woman I don’t know because she got herself tangled up with some really bad guys.
It was meant to be a rescue, a problem easily solved, but as it turns out, life never works the way you think it will.
The contract Kaylee signed demands two years of service before she’s able to make another move.
With the threat of harm to those she loves, it’s up to me, and the other men of this brand new Las Vegas chapter of the Cerberus MC to figure out how to get her, and the other women these men have trapped, to safety.
As the days drag by, I find myself thinking that maybe being married isn’t so bad.
Only, it’s obvious that Kaylee doesn’t feel the same way.
How can I possibly make my wife see that being married to me isn’t all that bad?

•••••••••

REVIEW: HEATHEN : A Very Cerberus Halloween is the first instalment in Marie James’ contemporary, an adult CERBERUS MC: LAS VEGAS MC romantic suspense series focusing on the members of the Cerberus MC- all former members of the US Marines. Cerberus MC: Las Vegas is a spin off set in the author’s Cerberus MC world. This is thirty year old, former US Marine Ellis ‘Heathen’ Burke, and twenty-six grocery store clerk year old Kaylee Rhodes’ story line.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Kaylee and Heathen) HEATHEN follows in the wake of the Cerberus MC setting up a new chapter in Las Vegas. Ellis ‘Heathen ‘ Burke is one of several Cerberus MC members to be assigned to Las Vegas  in their endeavour to hunt down human traffickers but Heathen never expected the first woman he met to fall victim to the very people he is fighting to take down. Marrying Kaylee to protect her life, Heathen must face the men of Cerberus MC, in the hopes of uncovering the people responsible.

The world building focuses on the start up of the Las Vegas chapter of the Cerberus MC, and their first foray into taking down a human trafficking ring selling Russian brides, and one home grown American woman who made herself a target of some powerful men. A little TSTL (Too stupid to live) Kaylee walked into trouble wherever she went, bringing with it trouble to the Cerberus MC.

The relationship between Heathen and Kaylee begins when Heathen suspects Kaylee is in trouble. Heathen had previously met Kaylee at her job but finding Haylee’s car at a suspicious warehouse eventually brought the wrath of the Cerberus MC to their door. Marrying Haylee to keep her safe meant bringing facing the MC he would soon call brothers but marrying Haylee would be questioned by all. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate.

We are introduced to the new members for the Las Vegas Chapter of the Cerberus MC (Twisted, Bandera, Rooster) ,as well as the return of some of the original brothers (Kincaid and Dominic). We are introduced to Haylee’s best friend Morgan.

HEATHEN is a story of new beginning and friendships, power and control, betrayal and madness, acceptance and love. The fast paced premise is haunting; the romance is slow building and guarded ; the characters are determined and spirited but Kaylee Burke’s behavior was often questionable in the face of what was happening and why.

As to the ‘Halloween’ aspect of the story line-it is limited and almost non-existent.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Let’s see…where to begin…

I’m a full-time author, mother of two boys, and wife of 18+ years. Dog Mom to four great danes: Maximus, Nala, Freya, and Hagrid.

I’ve spent almost my entire lifetime living in central Texas, with only short stays in South Carolina, Alabama, and Florida. Currently residing in a sleepy little town in East Tennessee.

Writing is my passion, and I absolutely love being able to sit down and put all of my thoughts and emotions into my stories.

I love dogs, coffee, making handmade cards, and steamy romance novels!

Keep up with Marie James and subscribe to her newsletter.

To learn more about Marie James & her books, visit here!

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Cold Spite (Cold Justice: Most Wanted 5) by Toni Anderson-review

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Cold Spite (Cold Justice: Most Wanted 5) by Toni Anderson-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 14, 2024

When FBI Agent Delilah Quinn survives an attempt on her life, she pretends to be dead in order to outwit her attacker. There is only one person she can turn to for help—a man she never wanted to see again…a man who abandoned her five years ago and left her heartbroken. A man definitely on the killer’s hit list.

FBI Hostage Rescue Operator Cas Demarco lives with the burning regret of choosing to join HRT and leaving Delilah behind. News of her death devastates him. Then she calls him out of the blue and he can’t help but seize this one last chance to make things right.

With both Delilah and Cas targeted for death, a task force is set up to catch their would-be killer, who they believe is a disgraced former Navy SEAL they helped convict of drug trafficking. Out of prison and on a ruthless quest for retribution, the former SEAL is eliminating everyone who wronged him—without leaving a shred of evidence behind.

Can Delilah and Cas prove who’s responsible for the attempts on their lives and have a second chance at a future together? Or will the rogue ex-SEAL double-down on his promise to destroy them both?

••••

REVIEW: COLD SPITE is the fifth instalment in Toni Anderson’s contemporary adult COLD JUSTICE: MOST WANTED erotic, romantic suspense series, a spin off set in the author’s COLD JUSTICE series. This is FBI Agent Delilah Quinn, and thirty-four year old, FBI Hostage Rescue Operator Cas Demarco’s story line. COLD SPITE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from several omniscient third person perspectives including Delilah and Cas COLD SPITE follows the second chance relationship between our story line couple. Approximately five years earlier, Agents Delilah Quinn and Cas Demarco went in undercover as a couple with the Mexican Cartel but a dirty agent threatened the investigation, and in doing so, targeted Delilah in the process. With the mission complete, Delilah and Cas returned home to have Cas push aside the woman with whom he had fallen in love. Fast forward to present day, Delilah believes she is being targeted by the same agent who threatened their investigation, and the only man she trusts is the man who broke her heart. Enter FBI Hostage Rescue Operator Cas Demarco. A killer is amassing a body count of people involved in the operation five years earlier, targeting family friends and direct encounters including threatening the lives of our story line couple. What ensues is the rebuilding relationship between Cas and Delilah, and the potential fall-out as their time together comes to a close.

The world building is detailed as the number of victims grows; the threats against Delilah becomes more personal, and the possibility of more than one betrayer working for the FBI.

The relationship between Cas and Delilah is one of second chances. Delilah fell in love with Cas Demarco while on assignment five years earlier but Cas pushed Delilah out of his life, choosing to enhance his career without Delilah by his side. Broken and having lost more than her heart, Delilah never want to rekindle her relationship with our story line hero but the only man she trusted is the man who broke her heart. The $ex scenes are provocative and passionate.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, charismatic and familiar secondary and supporting characters crossing over from the previous story lines in the Cold Justice: Most Wanted series, as well as several characters and agents from the author’s original Cold Justice series, and Cold Justice: Negotiators.

COLD SPITE : MOST WANTED is a story of betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, heart break and forgiveness, power and control. The premise is dramatic, intense and intriguing; the romance is impassioned ; the characters are struggling, determined, dynamic and desperate.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Cold Silence
Cold Deceit
Cold Snap
Cold Fury

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Toni Anderson is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, RITA® finalist, science nerd, professional tourist, dog lover, gardener, mom. Originally from a small town in England, Toni studied Marine Biology at University of Liverpool (B.Sc.) and University of St. Andrews (Ph.D.) with the intention she’d never be far from the ocean. Well, that plan backfired and she ended up in the Canadian prairies with her biology professor husband, two kids, a rescue dog, and a laid-back leopard gecko.

Toni started writing while pregnant with her first child and never stopped. Her greatest achievements are mastering the Tokyo subway, climbing Ben Lomond, snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, and surviving fourteen Winnipeg winters (fingers crossed). She loves to travel for research purposes and was lucky enough to visit the Strategic Information and Operations Center inside FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. in 2016, and she also got to shove another car off the road during pursuit training at the Writer’s Police Academy in Wisconsin. Watch out world!

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CROSSFIRE (Cross Duet 1) by Kathy Lockheart-review tour

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CROSSFIRE (Cross Duet 1) by Kathy Lockheart

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 10, 2024

In my defense, I didn’t know he was sent to kill me when I fell in love with him.

Grayson. Dark. Dangerous. Irresistible.

One moment, he’s making me feel alive for the first time since Dad died. The next? He’s got a cold steel blade to my throat. Turns out, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Homicidal is actually an assassin ordered to kill me.

Now I’m his prisoner. I hate that his touch still ignites my soul, each one a cruel reminder that the next could be my last. I want to believe he would never actually hurt me, but Grayson’s code is absolute: eliminate any threat to innocents. And someone’s working overtime to convince him I’m guilty… Who? And why?

As secrets unravel, I’m forced to confront the shocking truth about why Grayson was sent to silence me forever… Leaving me with one haunting question:

Will the man who gave me a reason to live become the one who takes my life?
**Author’s Note: This book follows Grayson Lockwood, brother of Hunter from the Vendetta Duet. While not essential, readers may enjoy starting with Secret Vendetta for additional context.*

••••

REVIEW: CROSSFIRE is the first instalment in Kathy Lockheart’s contemporary, adult CROSS romantic suspense duet focusing on CIA operatives Grayson Lockwood, and ER nurse Ivy. Grayson was first introduced in the Vendetta Duet focusing on his brother Hunter.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Grayson and Ivy) CROSSFIRE follows the building but tempestuous relationship between our story line couple. Grayson’s latest assignment spiralled out of control when a young woman interrupted what was supposed to be the takedown of a dangerous arms dealer . Curious as to the who what and how, Grayson goes on the hunt only to discover his next target is our story line heroine. Grayson has been ordered to kill the woman with whom he is falling in love but all is not as it appears to be. On the run, hoping to protect the woman he was ordered to kill, Grayson quickly discovers that the CIA is refusing to back, and they are determined to terminate our story line heroine.

The world building focuses on the search for the truth. Both Grayson and Ivy’s backstories are heart breaking and difficult but as Ivy continues to ferret out the clues regarding her father’s death, someone else is taking aim at our story line heroine.

The relationship between Grayson and Ivy begins as a lie. Grayson is stalking our heroine in the hopes of uncovering the truth but the truth may be what is about to take down the woman he loves. A deep dive into the darkness uncovers a possible betrayal and the need to be silenced. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are reintroduced to Grayson’s brother Hunter and his wife Luna, Detective Mitchell, Grayson’s handler Daniel, as well as Ivy’s mother, her grandmother and her ex boyfriend Peter.

CROSSFIRE is a story of betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, power and control, family and relationships. The premise is intriguing, thrilling and entertaining ; the romance is seductive but struggles with the unknown; the characters are desperate and determined. CROSSFIRE ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Previous reviews
Secret Vendetta
Silent Vendetta

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Kathy Lockheart is an author of Romantic Suspense novels. Her books—which have a unique blend of emotional elements typically found in women’s fiction and the romance and danger elements found in romantic suspense—contain themes of dark romance, antiheroes, and forbidden romance. When she’s not writing, you can find her silently cursing the person who put fluorescent lights in dressing rooms.

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Forced Protector (Rogue Protectors 6) by Victoria Paige-review

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Forced Protector (Rogue Protectors 6) by Victoria Paige-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 1, 2024

A grumpy princess. A laid-back Navy SEAL. A road trip. What could go wrong?

Thala Targen is known as the ice princess.
Sister to the Queen of Venusstea, she is a general in the royal guard and the next in line to the throne.
After an attempt on the queen’s life makes Thala a suspect, she goes on the run in the city of Los Angeles.
Forced in proximity with a mysterious agent—or a possible kidnapper—she soon finds the man’s easygoing personality grating on her last nerve.
But she needs him to prove her innocence.

Hank Bristow is known as the unruffled one.
Quick to smile, a nomad by nature, he goes rogue on instinct.
An instinct that has him rescuing a prickly princess from a fiery death.
Regrets may come later, but he’s looking forward to pulling that stick out of her royal a$$.

However, he soon discovers there’s more to Thala underneath that ice.
And he can’t wait to show her there’s more to life than being a princess.
Unfortunately, his heart didn’t get the memo that the princess wasn’t his to keep.

•••••

REVIEW:FORCED PROTECTOR is the sixth instalment in Victoria Paige’s contemporary, adult ROGUE PROTECTORS erotic, romantic suspense series focusing on a group of current and former US Navy SEALs, CIA Operatives and law enforcement. This is thirty-six year old, former CIA operative turned security specialist Hank Bristow aka Holden Buchanan, and twenty-nine year old, Royal Guard General / princess Thala Targen’s story line. FORCED PROTECTOR can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. For fans of Paige, there is a slight cross-over and mention of the characters from the SCORNED FATE series.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Hank and Thala) FORCED PROTECTOR follows in the aftermath of the attempted assassination of Venusstea’s Queen Amadea Targen on US soil. Queen Amadea and Princess Thala were in the US for the screening of a film featuring a segment of their country’s history but an attempt on both of their lives finds Queen Amadea whisked to places unknown, and Princess Thala under the protection of our story line hero. Enter former CIA operative Hank Bristow, the man with whom Thala will fall in love. Someone is targeting our story line heroine, and when their whereabouts are continually compromised, Hank and Thala suspect a mole, someone on the inside taking aim at the royal siblings. Meanwhile, hiding out at his family winery, Hank must come to terms with the numerous attempts to purchase the vineyard, a vineyard that has been in the family for years but betrayal from within begins to focus on someone close. With the help of his former operatives, Hank begins to unravel the secrets surrounding the Venusstea Royal family.

The world building follows several pathways including the assassination attempts against Thala and Amadea; a political and international nightmare for power and natural resources; the endeavor of outsiders to take control of the Buchanan winery; and a Royal family at odds with history, culture and laws of succession.

The relationship between Thala and Hank begins acrimoniously. Thala is a general in the Royal Guard, and as such believes she is capable of handling her own protection. Hank is determined to protect the woman with whom he is falling in love but the threats against her life are difficult to stop when they are coming from more than one possible direction. The $ex scenes are intimate and provocative without the use of over the top, sexually graphic, language and text.

The secondary and supporting characters are numerous and dynamic: Hank’s cousin Christian, Uncle Edgar; Thala’s sister Amadea, her bodyguard Ramsay; as well as Hank’s teammates and fellow security specialists, several of whom we met in the previous story line. The requisite evil has many faces.

FORCED PROTECTOR is a story of betrayal and vengeance, power and control, greed and obsession, secrets and lies, acceptance and love. The premise is detailed, intriguing and dramatic; the romance is seductive and passionate; the characters are determined, and charismatic.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book five THE WIFE ASSIGNMENT

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Victoria Paige writes smart, edgy, seductive romance.

Her heroes are badass alpha males and her smart, strong-willed heroines can hold their own against a bossy hero. Her books are sexually explicit and may contain dark themes, morally ambiguous choices, and disturbing situations as she injects realism into her stories and gives them her own twist.

Victoria lives in Richmond, Virginia with her husband and playful German Shepherd Dog, Loki.

Sign Up for Victoria’s newsletter HERE

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The Rules of Dating a Younger Man by Vi Keeland/Penelope Ward

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🩷The Rules of Dating a Younger Man (The Laws of Opposites Attract 4) by Vi Keeland/Penelope Ward-review tour🩷

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 17, 2024

I was the last of my group of friends to find “the one.”
The guys would always tease me that I needed to hurry up and settle down.
But I was in no rush.
Until I met someone worth rushing for.

Alex was one of the weekend volunteers at Ryan’s House—a charity I founded to build housing near hospitals.
Little did I know she was the same person I’d been arguing with over email before the project started. At the time, I’d thought Alex was a dude.
In reality? She was a smoking hot blonde who captivated me from the moment we met in person.
Our chemistry was off the charts, and I fell hard pretty fast.
Unfortunately, Alex insisted I was too young for her. I hated that she felt that way. Because age was just a number.
Not only that, her words didn’t match the way she looked at me—like she was very interested.

I lived for the weekends we’d spend out of town volunteering. Alex and I side-by-side hammering during the day, while sharing intimate dinners together at the hotel at night.
Eventually, the walls she’d put up to protect her heart began to crumble.
Until fate threw us a doozy that I wasn’t sure we could come back from.
If I’d thought our age gap was the biggest hurdle, I didn’t know anything yet.
Rule number one for dating an older woman who insists you could never be together?
Don’t fall in love.

••••••

REVIEW: THE RULES OF DATING A YOUNGER MAN is the fourth instalment in the contemporary, adult THE RULES OF OPPOSITES ATTRACT erotic romance series co-authored by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward. This is thirty one year old businessman/ contractor / landlord Brayden Foster and spa owner Alexandria ‘ Alex’ Jones’ story line. THE RULES OF DATING A YOUNGER MAN can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

SOME BACKGROUND : Approximately ten years earlier, Brayden Foster, Owen Dawson,Colby Lennon and Holden Catalano lost their best friend Ryan to leukemia, and in the wake of his death, Ryan left the foursome a building, where they will work, live and play, in memory of the friend whom they lost.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Brayden and Alex) THE RULES OF DATING A YOUNGER MAN follows the building but struggling relationship between our story line couple. Brayden Foster is the managing director of a renovation project known as Ryan’s House in honor of his best friend Ryan, but one of the ‘volunteers ‘ is the bane of Brayden’s existence, always contradicting Brayden’s ideas and suggestions for the home. Enter Alexandria ‘Alex’ Jones, the woman with whom Brayden will fall in love. Alex Jones is a business owner, who lost her first husband to cancer, and in his memory, has volunteered to help build Ryan’s House but from the outset her attraction to Brayden is tempered by the apparent age-gap in their relationship. Brayden wants something more from our story line heroine but Alex is struggling with the age difference, and tries desperately to keep her distance. Weeks pass, the attraction increases until one fateful weekend where their lives will implode forcing Alex out of Brayden’s life. What ensues is the slow building relationship between Alex and Brayden, and the fall-out when the past resurfaces, pulling our couple apart.

The world building follows the back and forth relationship between our story line couple. The closer Alex and Brayden feel, the further Alex wants to pull apart. Alex is worried about the age difference, what people will think, including the step-daughter she has raised as her own. As the renovations continue, life pulls the couple in opposite directions, until the past pushes our couple apart.

The relationship between Alex and Brayden is one of immediate attraction but an attraction tempered by our story line heroine. The palpable sexual attraction is obvious to everyone including our story line couple but Alex’s back and forth, up and down, is threatening any possible future. The $ex scenes are limited but intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The secondary and supporting characters include Brayden’s friends Colby, Owen and Holden, their significant others, as well as several volunteers at Ryan’s House, cancer patients and Alex’s step-daughter Caitlyn.

THE RULES OF DATING A YOUNGER MAN is a story of secrets and lies, life and death, family and friendships, acceptance and love. The premise is detailed, captivating and thought provoking; the romance is spicy; the characters are animated sassy and spirited. On the flip side, we never know the true age of our heroine, although it is alluded to less than ten years.

 

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
The Rules of Dating
The Rules of Dating My Best Friend
The Rules of Dating My One-Night Stand

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a more family-friendly career. She is the proud mother of a beautiful 11-year-old girl with autism and a 9-year-old boy. Penelope and her family reside in Rhode Island.

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••••••••

Vi Keeland is a native New Yorker with three children that occupy most of her free time, which she complains about often, but wouldn’t change for the world. She is an attorney and a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, & USA Today Best Selling author. Over the last three years, ten of her titles have appeared on the USA Today Bestseller lists and three on the New York Times Bestseller lists.

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A DANGEROUS MAN ( Appalachian STAR 8 ) by Deanndra Hall

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❤️A DANGEROUS MAN (Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Appalachian STAR 8) ❤️by Deanndra Hall

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 10, 2024

She’s headstrong and independent. He’s determined and dangerous. Is their love a disaster … or their salvation?

Bear

Relentless.

I’m a murderer, and I own that. I’ve paid my debt to society, but what I did is a stain on my soul that will leave me forever unworthy of anything good. So I’m surprised when a couple of nights with FBI Agent Sela Baldwin when she’s here at the farm guarding Natalie leaves me longing for more time with her. She’s stuck in rehab from her injuries and mad as a hornet, but my offer for her to live with me and explore our relationship is surprisingly well-received. We settle in, only to find that the cartel still has a mark on Sela and Natalie, and it’ll take all of my friends from App STAR, Citadel Security, and the Eagle Point Search and Rescue teams to keep them safe—if Sela will just cooperate. I swear, that woman is her own worst enemy!

SELA

Relentless.

They might call him Bear, but he’s a wildcat in the sack. I think about those hands and that body constantly while I’m trapped in the rehab facility, planning my escape and furious that the bureau doesn’t think I can do my job. I don’t connect with people emotionally, but when I discover he’s been in an accident, I’m terrified. As soon as he asks me to move out to the farm with him, I realize being on the disabled list will give us time to maybe have an actual relationship. His openness and honesty give me hope, and I’m surprised at myself and how fast I start to trust him and care for him. There’s just one problem. The cartel is still after Natalie and me, and no matter what Bear says, I’ve never trusted a man to take care of me. Is my Dangerous Man dangerous enough to get the job done, or will I have to do it myself?

Come to the hills and hollers of eastern Kentucky and get acquainted with eight of the most determined men you’ll ever meet in the Appalachian STAR series.

••••••

REVIEW: A DANGEROUS MAN is the eight instalment in Deanndra Halls’ contemproary, adult APPALACHIAN STAR, romantic suspense series, a part of the multi-authored Special Forces: Operation Alpha series focusing on characters originally introduced by author Susan Stoker. This is Miles ‘Bear’ McMillan, and FBI Agent Sela Baldwin. A DANGEROUS MAN can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. Appalachian STAR, is a search and rescue operation that hires former inmates from US prisons, effectively giving them a second chance.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there WILL BE triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Sela and Bear) A DANGEROUS MAN follows the building but contemptuous relationship between our story line couple. Miles ‘Bear’ McMillan served thirty years for killing a man, a killing he doesn’t remember. Living and working with the men and women at Appalachian STAR gives Bear a second chance at life including the possibility of falling in love for the very first time. Bear has fallen in love with FBI Agent Sela Baldwin, a cantankerous, independent and strong-willed woman currently recovering from a protection duty that went all to h*ll (A Tormented Man 6). Struggling with her slow recovery, Sela needs an escape but Bear’s daily visits are becoming problematic for a woman who is constantly at odds and battles the people in charge. Moving in together, Bear and Sela find a complicated rhythm but they will quickly discover that all is not well going forward. The Cartel has targeted our story line heroine, taking aim at Sela and Judge Natalie Anderson, thus pulling the entire community together to protect the people who protect their own. What ensues is the building and highly sexually relationship between Sela and Bear, and the fall-out as Appalachian STAR calls in additional help, only to have one of their own go rogue, threatening the safety of everyone concerned.

The world building follows several paths including the questionable attitude and personality of our story line heroine, the man who fell in love with a woman who borders on the unlikeable; and the protection of our couple in the face of threats from the Cartel.

The relationship between Bear and Sela is aggressive and provocative. Sela wants something more than Bear was willing to admit, eventually discovering their mutual wants and needs including the possibility of someone else. There was quite a bit of talk about the possibility of multiple partners but so far nothing has come to fruition. The $ex scenes are impassioned and energetic.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and charismatic secondary and supporting characters including several of the previous story line couples: Natalie and Paddy, Patch and Penny, Reboot, Bulldog, as well as a numerous characters from the interconnected series.

A DANGEROUS MAN is a story of acceptance and forgiveness, family and friendships, relationships and love. The character driven premise is dramatic and gritty; the romance is intoxicating; the characters are determined, struggling, and dynamic

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
A Desperate Man
A Bitter Man
A Broken Man
A Twisted Man
A Furious Man
A Tormented Man
A Fierce Man

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Deanndra Hall is a working author living in the far western end of the beautiful Bluegrass State with her husband of over 35 years and small menagerie of weird little dogs. When she’s not writing, she’s editing. When she’s doing neither of those two things, she’s having dinner with friends, spending time with family, kayaking, eating chocolate, drinking beer or moonshine, or looking for something that she put in the wrong place and can’t seem to find (which is pretty much everything she owns).

 

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