Archives for February 2018

* Review * THEIR SECRET BABY BOND by Stephanie Dees

February 21, 2018 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * THEIR SECRET BABY BOND by Stephanie Dees

Their Secret Baby Bond by Stephanie Dees
Series: Family Blessings
Published by Love Inspired on March 1, 2018
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He wanted roots. She chose career.
Can a baby bring them back together?

Wynn Sheehan planned to change the world—not return to Alabama alone and pregnant. Her life is in shambles, but at least she can help take care of Latham Grant’s ailing grandpa. Latham isn’t ready to trust the woman who eagerly left him and their small town behind. But can they ignore the spark rekindled by unexpected Family Blessings?

Heart-wrenchingly real! She thinks her dreams have come to an end, but he teaches her that as long as they’re together, the sky is the limit! A powerful story about picking up the pieces when life deals you hard times. The character’s story caught my attention and kept me entrenched in what their future would work out to be from the start. Great dialogue, a sweet love story, and adorable characters!

A decade ago, Wynn Sheehan left small-town Alabama for the big city lights without a backward glance. Now she’s coming home after the plans she made for herself have fallen apart … pregnant, alone and disillusioned. She didn’t like the person she became while living her dream life … but what does she have to work towards now that the life she left home for has crumbled?

Latham Grant considers Wynn the one that got away. Crushing on each other for years, but not getting to the point to actually act on it until just before she left town … and him. He’s never forgotten her, but how can he trust that she’s truly here to stay when she found it so easy to walk away all those years ago … especially when she’s pregnant with the baby of the man that had her attention for several of those wayward years?

Filed Under: Blog Tour

* Review * SMOOTH-TALKING COWBOY by Maisey Yates

February 21, 2018 Leave a Comment

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* Review * SMOOTH-TALKING COWBOY by Maisey Yates

Smooth-Talking Cowboy by Maisey Yates
Series: A Gold Valley Novel
Published by HQN Books on February 20, 2018
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Welcome to Gold Valley, Oregon, where a rough-and-tumble rancher and the girl next door are about to learn that opposites attract

Olivia Logan has a plan: win back her ex by making him see what he’s missing. But first she needs to find a man who’s willing to play along. With his laid-back cowboy charm and knack for getting under her skin, Luke Hollister is an unlikely hero—but he wants her help convincing her father to sell him land, which means he needs her as much as she needs him.

Luke likes his life—and his women—uncomplicated. So why does good girl Olivia heat his blood like no one else? She’s always been off-limits, but the more time they spend as Gold Valley’s hottest new “couple,” the more real it’s starting to feel. Luke was supposed to help her win back another man…not keep her in his arms. But now that he has her there, he’s not sure he’ll ever let go.

Opposites attract … and turn into a sizzling duo in the kick-off to Maisey Yates’s new Gold Valley series! If you’ve been reading the Copper Ridge series, you’ll recognize a few characters that carry over into this new town. It’s always fun to touch base with old couples that we’ve fallen in love with and see new ones start to form. The characters are down-to-earth and easy to get caught up in and I really enjoyed their story!

Olivia Logan didn’t expect her ex-boyfriend Bennett to actually let her walk away when she broke up with him. She really just planned to teach him a lesson about taking her for granted … but it back-fired! She’d do just about anything for him to want a future with her … even pretend to date one of his closest friends!

Luke Hollister and Olivia are like oil and water. He’s had a crush on her since the day he met her, but she’s always been off-limits … and totally not his type to boot! She wants his help making Bennett jealous … and he wants her help getting her dad to sell a piece of property to him … so why not! The more time they spend together, the more the sparks flying seem real!

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Blog Tour / Review * DANGEROUS MOVES by Karen Rock

February 20, 2018 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Blog Tour / Review * DANGEROUS MOVES by Karen Rock

Dangerous Moves by Karen Rock
Series: Dallas After Dark
Published by Lyrical Liaison on February 13, 2018
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Pounding music. Sculpted men. And a conspiracy that could cost far more than a few dollar bills . . .

HOT COP

Detective Blake Knight has been undercover before. But an assignment to bust a steroid ring running out of Dallas’s elite male strip club means his new cover will be nothing but his own taut muscles and oiled skin. It’s one thing for the tough, by-the-books agent to take down bad guys with his gun. Facing a rowdy crowd in only a G-string is another story . . . especially in front of his new boss, gorgeous, mysterious Reese Landon.

Her father’s club and shady business practices bring back terrible memories for Reese. But when he’s shot and goes into a coma, she vows to protect him the way he never did for her. That means keeping the police at a distance—especially sexy, driven Detective Knight. If she has to give him a cover job, it would be a crime not to put that glorious ass on stage. But no matter how good he looks in a Velcro uniform, she can't trust him, or give into the undeniable heat between them. They're both chasing the truth. And it might expose more than either wants to show . . .

Steamy, potent and real! The kick off to Karen Rock’s new Dallas After Dark series is explosively HOT! Not only do we have a bad boy cop on the scene, but he’s also going undercover as a stripper … YUM! The main characters are easy to like and are well-developed, and the secondary characters lend a level of both humor and danger as subterfuge is overturned around every corner leaving them not knowing who to really trust. The overall plot of the story is interesting … there a few holes in the follow through, but overall a very entertaining read! You smile, you fan yourself here and there and on more than one occasion you hold your breath to see what’s going to happen next.

When Reese Landon learns her dad has been shot and is in a coma, she puts the past aside to come home and be by his side and hold down the fort for him on the business side of things. She grew up at Dallas Heat, so she knows the business like the back of her hand … what she doesn’t expect is a cop showing up saying he needs to be undercover in her dad’s club in order to bring down a steroid ring. Could her dad really be mixed up in this? She has to make protecting him her top priority … even if she feels like he didn’t do the same for her all those years ago!

Dallas detective Blake Knight pretty much lives his entire life undercover, but his past jobs have been nothing like this one! He can’t believe he’s going to stripping at Dallas Heat on a regular basis just to have an “in” to the club happenings! Reese is an added bonus though, because the sparks that fly when she’s anywhere close to him are bound to combust any minute now. As they grow closer, so does the danger surrounding them … and before they know it, they’re finding out the truth about key players that neither one of them wanted to be hearing!

DANGEROUS MOVES

Dallas After Dark, Book 1
by Karen Rock

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Blog Tour, Book Reviews

* Review * SAVANNAH’S SECRETS by Reese Ryan

February 19, 2018 Leave a Comment

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* Review * SAVANNAH’S SECRETS by Reese Ryan

Savannah's Secrets by Reese Ryan
Series: The Bourbon Brothers
Published by Harlequin Desire on March 1, 2018
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Falling for the boss, or taking him down?

Savannah Carlisle had the perfect plan. By infiltrating the Abbott family’s Tennessee bourbon empire as their events manager, she’d be one step closer to claiming half of the business they stole from her grandfather. Now she’s not so sure. Because sexy Blake Abbott, heir to it all, is simply intoxicating. He’s supposed to be the enemy. But after one long, stormy weekend, she’s pregnant with his child…

Red hot revenge or a happily ever after? With the first book in her Bourbon Brothers series, Reese Ryan thrills us with her Harlequin Desire debut! Her characters are attention grabbing from the start, the flirty connection between them is not only steamy but also draws the occasional chuckle as they banter back and forth. I loved them both, in addition to the rest of the family, so I look forward to more of the series!

Savannah Carlisle has the ultimate plan of revenge scoped out against the Abbott family! She plans to get hired as their latest and greatest events manager for their Tennessee bourbon empire and then once she’s worked her way into the fold, she’s going to find the proof that she needs to support her grandfather’s claim that they stole his bourbon recipe to make their fortune! All these years he’s been struggling while they live a life of luxury, so it’s time for a little evening of the score!

Blake Abbott can’t believe their luck in hiring such an ambitious and hard working events manager. This anniversary celebration is going to be something else! He has to admit though, that being around the gorgeous and luscious Savannah is driving him insane! As luck would have it, being stranded together one stormy weekend is just the permission they needed to embark on a steamy love affair. The event planning is going great, Blake is so enchanted with Savannah that he’s ready to admit to their relationship to his family so they can go public … but then the house of cards comes crumbling down around them!

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * HER LAS VEGAS WEDDING by Andrea Bolter

February 19, 2018 Leave a Comment

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* Review * HER LAS VEGAS WEDDING by Andrea Bolter

Her Las Vegas Wedding by Andrea Bolter
Published by Harlequin Romance on March 1, 2018
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From a convenient fiancé…

To an inconvenient attraction!

When hotel heiress Audrey Girard’s safe, convenient wedding to a business partner is called off, she’s left to contend with her ex-fiancé’s brother—wild, brooding chef Shane Murphy. And there’s certainly nothing safe about Audrey’s attraction to Shane—every day they work together is even more dangerously tempting! Could there be a Las Vegas wedding in the cards after all?

Falling for the wrong brother? An arranged marriage falls apart but another spicy match might be right around the corner! The characters have a fun connection with each other even though they fight it at every turn. I didn’t fall in love with them from the beginning like I sometimes do, but I did enjoy watching them find their way towards each other. A few strange aspects of the plot, but overall, a fun read!

When hotel heiress Audrey Girard agreed to marry a family friend in order to further their joint business holdings and bond the families, it wasn’t really a big deal. No, she didn’t love him, but she was fond of him and isn’t looking for more in her life anyway … but suddenly he finds real love and calls it off! Now she’s stuck doing the company publicity with his brother, temperamental chef, Shane Murphy! If she can get through this in one piece, she’s going to be lucky. This man is infuriating … but she has to admit, he’s really fun too!

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * ALWAYS THE HERO by Anna J. Stewart

February 19, 2018 Leave a Comment

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* Review * ALWAYS THE HERO by Anna J. Stewart

Always the Hero by Anna J. Stewart
Series: Butterfly Harbor Stories
Published by Harlequin Heartwarming on March 1, 2018
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He never relied on anyone but himself...

But he needs her now!

Butterfly Harbor deputy Matt Knight wants two things: to date Lori Bradley and the chance to adopt Kyle, a troubled teen. Wounded in Afghanistan, Matt knows he can't move forward anchored to the past. But once he regains the guarded hotel manager's trust, will his need to protect those he loves cost him a future with this extraordinary woman?

It’s always a joy to visit Butterfly Harbor! A close-knit community where neighbors help each other and life is idyllic is everyone’s dream … but even ones as kind and good-hearted as Butterfly Harbor have their drama. Lots of familiar faces fill the pages of the next installment in this series. We get to join in the fun of planning the big Monarch Festival to benefit the town while we follow along in Matt & Lori’s fledgling relationship to see if it’s cut out to last or flounder. Great story!

Deputy Matt Knight is interested in two things … a relationship with Lori Bradley and adopting troubled teen Kyle Winters. In order to be in the right mind-set to offer Lori the person that she deserves by her side, he backed away and internalized some problems he needed to figure out. She assumed he no longer wanted to date her when he stopped calling and returning texts. Now Matt has to scramble to make it up to her and hope she’ll give him another chance!

Lori Bradley knows she has her own issues in life, but she didn’t just imagine that Matt was pulling away from her. When he explains the details, she has to decide if she’s willing to start fresh with him again, and makes it clear she can’t tolerate secrets. Things are going well … until another secret arises that makes her doubt Matt … and herself … even more!

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * BULLETPROOF SEAL by Carol Ericson

February 19, 2018 Leave a Comment

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* Review * BULLETPROOF SEAL by Carol Ericson

Bulletproof SEAL by Carol Ericson
Series: Red, White and Built
Published by Harlequin Intrigue on March 1, 2018
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He had to take the shot…

And kill his lover.

Branded a traitor, Rikki Taylor is in the sights of sniper Quinn McBride’s rifle. Yet the navy SEAL knows this woman intimately, and there’s no way she’d betray her country…or him. Saving her is his number one priority. Discovering her real secrets, including the baby she’s keeping from him, can wait—first, they have to make it out alive.

A riveting read! We’re familiar with several of the players in this book from previous stories in the series, and this one brings us the story of CIA agent Rikki Taylor and Navy SEAL Quinn McBride. It’s an action packed story that takes us for a ride filled with danger and intrigue. I’m assuming from the outcome that this is the last in the series … and under this assumption, the ending seemed very rushed and left a lot of vague answers open. The characters were well developed, the plot was well-played, but the ending was a bit flat. Overall an entertaining read!

When Navy SEAL Quinn McBride was given the order to take out a traitor in the CIA, he has no idea until he’s in the middle of the mission that it’s his former lover, Rikki Taylor who is going to be on the other end of his sniper rifle. He knows her well … there’s no way she’s guilty of betraying her country!

Assumed dead former CIA agent Rikki Taylor wants her life back. She was betrayed and set up to take a fall by someone, and her former lover might have been in on it for all she knows since he was the one sent to kill her. She has to find the answers she needs once and for all in order to be able to have a life again in the US … but finding Quinn to get some answers has to be her first step … and if he turns out to be as innocent as she is, she’ll tell him about the daughter they share!

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * TAKEDOWN by Julie Miller

February 19, 2018 Leave a Comment

Takedown by Julie Miller
Series: The Precinct Series
Published by Harlequin Intrigue on April 1, 2010
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SWAT Captain Michael Cutler's pulse was racing. He should have been thinking about the intense hostage crisis he'd just diffused. But he couldn't keep his mind off of her--Jillian Masterson, the leggy brunette who had come to him for protection from an obsessive stalker. He certainly hadn't been looking for love, especially with someone fifteen years his junior. But their chemistry was undeniable. As the stalker's threats intensified, Michael knew he'd go to any lengths to bring him down. Even if that entailed giving Jillian some very personal security....

Exciting read! When I heard that Julie Miller’s upcoming release KANSAS CITY COP was Mike Cutler Jr.’s story, I had to go revisit a blast from the past and re-read his dad’s story where we first met Mike! It was great the first time around, and now all these years later still just as attention grabbing and heart warming. The characters are easy to like and you find yourself routing for them to get together from the start. The added affection of the teenage boys makes for a well-rounded story. I really enjoyed it!

When Kansas City SWAT Captain Michael Cutler learns that his son’s physical therapist has a stalker, he steps in to help protect her. He’s already been attracted to her, but since he’s 15 years older than her and has done a whole world of living before her time, he hasn’t acted on it … but close proximity and her making it clear she feels it too makes it hard to resist!

Jillian Masterson adores the teens she works with as a physical therapist. Two of them in particular have snuck their way into her heart, so she inserts herself a little more than normal into their every day lives. She has a past she’s glad to have out-grown, but the letters and gifts she’s been receiving recently make her wonder if one part of it is coming back to haunt her. Can Michael help her get to the bottom of what’s going on? And can she convince him that the chemistry they feel needs to be acted on?

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * SURROGATE ESCAPE by Jenna Kernan

February 19, 2018 Leave a Comment

Surrogate Escape by Jenna Kernan
Series: Apache Protectors: Wolf Den
Published by Harlequin Intrigue on March 1, 2018
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Enter the world of Apache Protectors: Wolf Den
A riveting new series begins!

A newborn abandoned in his truck? Tribal policeman Jake Redhorse immediately summons nurse Lori Mott—his former fiancée—for help. But Jake jilted Lori and now must regain her trust while fighting awakening desires neither can deny. The infant they adore offers them a second chance…if they can discover why she’s the target of kidnappers.

Attention grabbing! We are pulled into Jenna Kernan’s new series quickly with the discovery of an abandoned baby. We are familiar with some of the outlying players in this series from others under the Apache Protectors umbrella, so we can quickly pick up on some of the items that are mentioned. The plot is fairly fast moving and keeps the intrigue peaked as we try to figure out what’s going on and who’s leading it all. The characters are young and still fairly childish in their mindsets, but easy to like and sympathize with. I enjoyed their story!

Jake Redhorse thinks he has his life on track, but a surprise discovery that sends him back into the path of his ex-fiancee changes that up quickly! Being called out on some of the stuff he did years ago gives him no choice but to grow up and take responsibility for what he did and didn’t do. Will this abandoned baby help pave the way for a new beginning?

Lori Mott feels like she was treated unfairly by the world back then, but she overcame it to earn respect in her life since. The last thing she wants is to be around Jake again after all of these years … but the abandoned baby that he found pulls at her heart strings and demands she put her needs aside.

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * CONTRACTED FOR THE PETRAKIS HEIR by Annie West

February 15, 2018 Leave a Comment

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* Review * CONTRACTED FOR THE PETRAKIS HEIR by Annie West

Contracted for the Petrakis Heir by Annie West
Series: One Night With Consequences
Published by Harlequin Presents on March 1, 2018
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“I’m pregnant.”

But this baby bombshell is nothing compared to Adoni’s scandalous solution!

A positive pregnancy test isn’t the only reminder Alice has of her one scorching night with Adoni Petrakis. As she defiantly tells him the news, memories of his skilled touch overwhelm her! The contract he draws up—to claim her, and his child—is utterly shocking. As is her realization that she’s still powerfully, inescapably, in thrall to this vengeful Greek!

One stolen night together leads to more than they bargained for! Annie West’s latest Harlequin Presents has all of the elements that make a romance carry you from beginning to end with joy. The characters both have an intriguing back story and a strong will that makes them easy to get a feel for whether you like or dislike each of them quickly, and the emotion that carries us through scene after scene is mesmerizing. Each of their histories carry an enthralling story all of their own, and when we bring them together to see the world through each other’s eyes, they only manage to aid in making the other stronger. Loved it!

Adoni Petrakis has one unexpected night with a magical creature before she disappears from his bed without a trace. She’s still on his mind a few weeks later when suddenly she’s in front of him again to proclaim she’s pregnant! Is this a trick? Was he set up? Can he believe a word out of her mouth? For all he knows she’s not pregnant, or if she is, it’s not his … it all seems a little too convenient!

Alice Trehearn hasn’t had an easy life, and when an opportunity arises to simply let her hair down and feel a passion for life that she’s never been allowed to relish in before, she takes the chance. She never expects her life to be turned upside down once again because of it … and she certainly never expects herself to be put in the position of being claimed almost as if a wayward possession!

Filed Under: Book Reviews