Archives for July 29, 2018

* Review * CRAVING HEAT by Adrienne Giordano

July 29, 2018 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * CRAVING HEAT by Adrienne Giordano

Craving Heat by Adrienne Giordano
Series: Steele Ridge: The Kingstons #1
Published by Steele Ridge LLC on July 29, 2018
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Maggie Kingston is a woman working in a man’s world…and doing a damn good job. Being Steele Ridge’s first female sheriff isn’t easy. Especially when your cousins are magnets for trouble. The Steeles do everything the hard way, but Maggie’s tougher than she looks. Nothing shakes this sheriff until her cousin brings one of his superstar players—and the accompanying media circus—to town. The press can’t get enough of the sexy quarterback. And neither can Maggie…

Jayson Tucker devoted his whole career to the New York Knights. So when the team takes a rookie’s side over his after a locker room brawl, he takes refuge from the spotlight. Except reporters aren’t the only ones after him. Someone wants Jayson benched. Permanently. When the threat becomes deadly, hiding won’t be enough. And in Steele Ridge, security comes in the luscious form of its gorgeous, no-nonsense sheriff.

Jayson’s always fought his own battles. The closer he gets to Maggie, the less he’s willing to risk her being caught in the crossfire. Yet Maggie is no damsel in distress. She’s more than capable of keeping her town—and her man—safe. But can she say the same about her heart?

Love when she least expects it! If you’ve been a fan of the Steele Ridge series, you will most definitely recognize the heroine of this book as the Steele family cousin, Maggie. She’s always riding to the rescue when they need it, and this first book in the spin-off series about her family The Kingstons is no different. She might have met her match this time in a take charge alpha male that gives her a run for her money! I loved them together! Great read, and I’m looking forward to more of the sibling stories!

Maggie Kingston has her job cut out for her as the Sheriff in Steele Ridge, but as we’ve seen time and time again from seeing her clean up after her trouble-attracting cousins, she’s up to the challenge! When Grif brings one of his high-powered clients to town, it brings a media circus like the town has never seen before and leads to problem after problem for Maggie. She’d be even more mad about it … if she wasn’t enjoying every sexy inch of this guy so much!

Quarterback Jayson Tucker just had his career crumble down around him after a moment of anger towards a teammate in the locker room played out in front of the media. He’s trying to pick up the pieces of the betrayal by the team he’s put his all into for all of these years, and finding out there’s something shady going on with a charity endorsement is just icing on the cake. Danger seems to be rearing it’s ugly head in his direction, and the law in Steele Ridge makes it her personal mission to make sure every inch of him is protected … and lusted after!

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* Review * SANDPIPER SHORE by Debbie Mason

July 29, 2018 Leave a Comment

Sandpiper Shore by Debbie Mason
Series: Harmony Harbor
Published by Forever on June 26, 2018
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There's nothing Jenna Bell loves more than a happily-ever-after. That's why being a wedding planner is her dream job - until the groom is Logan Gallagher. She's had a crush on him since . . . well, forever. And now she has to make his day magical as he walks down the aisle without her.

As a secret service agent, Logan's already married - to his career. A wife was never in his plan, until he finds out he needs to marry the woman he's been protecting. He takes his latest assignment in stride, but when he sees Jenna again, he can't deny the attraction sparking between them. Can he really say "I do" if it means saying goodbye to the woman of his dreams?

A quirky case of I do, but I don’t! Various tidbits of humor spread throughout a complex plot coming together to form a large mystery and revelation. You have to be willing to spread your mind to fully appreciate a lot of the aspects of this series … but if you can, it’s cute and has a lot of great characters in if. Enjoyable!

Matchmaker turned wedding planner Jenna Bell’s life has been in a bit of turmoil of late. Snookered out of her true desire, betrayal by one she thought shared her future, secrets revealed that break her heart yet again. She’s not so sure she can handle one more thing on top of it all … especially when that one more thing is planning the wedding of the man she has been crushing on and thought reciprocated her feelings!

Secret service agent Logan Gallagher comes from a naturally dramatic family. There always seems to be something going on at Greystone Manor, so it should be of no surprise to add one more thing to the list. He isn’t sure why the wedding planner seems so out of sorts with him, but he’s going to get to the bottom of what he can’t recall before it’s too late!

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* Review * DEVOTED TO PLEASURE by Shayla Black

July 29, 2018 Leave a Comment

Devoted to Pleasure by Shayla Black
Series: A Devoted Lovers Novel
Published by Berkley on July 3, 2018
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BOUND BY DUTY...

Bodyguard and former military man Cutter Bryant has always done his duty--no matter the cost. Now he's taking one last high-octane assignment before settling down in a new role that means sacrificing his chance at love. But he never expects to share an irresistible chemistry with his beautiful new client.

...TEMPTED BY PLEASURE

As the star of a steamy television drama, Shealyn West knows fame well, but it has come at the expense of her heart. With a blackmailer watching her every move and the threat of career-ending exposure looming, Shealyn hires Cutter to shore up her security and keep her safe, never imagining their attraction will be too powerful to contain.

As Shealyn and Cutter navigate the scintillating line between business and pleasure, they unravel a web of secrets that threaten their relationship and their lives. When danger strikes, Cutter must decide whether to follow his heart for the first time, or risk losing Shealyn forever.

Secrets always have a way of coming out! An interesting story of finding love when you least expect it in the midst of a scandal about to happen! The main characters are both fairly complex with their own backgrounds telling their own story while their futures are both in turmoil playing out with them pretending things they don’t want to be doing anymore. I enjoyed it!

Actress Shealyn West has experienced great success in her career, but her fame has also had consequences. No privacy, having to pretend to date a costar for the good of her image and show, and the latest downfall is a blackmailing scheme come to light about a past mistake she’d do anything to take back. She decides to hire a bodyguard to shore up her security before this all plays out.

Former military man turned bodyguard Cutter Bryant is planning on making the ultimate sacrifice of his own happiness for a friend after he settles this upcoming job. When he steps into the middle of Shealyn’s life, he quickly realizes that there’s more to her story than she’s told him. He sets out to find out the details of what’s going on and figure out a way to take down the enemy. In the midst of doing so, he and Shea are drawn to each other and start a relationship … but when she finds out he’s promised elsewhere, it all starts to fall apart!

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* Review * LAW OF ATTRACTION by Alison Bliss

July 29, 2018 Leave a Comment

Law of Attraction by Alison Bliss
Series: Tangled in Texas
Published by Entangled: Amara on June 25, 2018
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For single mom Bobbie Jo Weston, finding a husband is not on her to-do list. She's focused on turning a run-down chicken farm into a Bed and Breakfast. She agrees to let a friend’s nephew stay with her in exchange for his handyman skills, but she wasn’t counting on the super sexy Seth Landry being that guy.

Seth has a special skill-set, all right, but it has nothing to do with hammering nails. As a retired member of The Resistance—an elite group of ex-military soldiers—his dark, unsettling past haunts him. He needs a place to lay low, and an out-of-the-way B and B is nothing short of perfect. The blonde beauty doesn’t trust men, and he doesn't plan on sticking around long enough to change her mind.

The closer they get, the more they can't seem to keep their hands off each other. And while Bobbie holds on to her fear of watching another man walk out of their lives, Seth's mere presence has put them all in jeopardy. The only way to ever be free of his dangerous past is for him to accept one last mission...

Bobbie Jo finally finds her man! If you’ve been a fan of the Tangled in Texas series by Alison Bliss, you will recognize Bobbie Jo and her boys, the best friends a girl could ever want! It was a lot of fun to watch her sassy self find a man who could hold his own with her, but could also make her feel treasured for a change! Good characters, a solid plot and lots of fun.

Bobbie Jo Weston has her heart set on making a better life for her son when she buys a 20 acre farm and plans to turn it into a bed and breakfast. The place needs a ton of work and there’s only so much she can get done in a day, so when an opportunity comes up to have an extra pair of hands around the house, she takes it!

Seth Landry appreciates all that his uncle is doing for him in setting up a work for keep arrangement with Bobbie. He’s needing to lay low and heal his mind a bit after leaving the military like life he had been leading. Things happened in his past that he can never walk away from, but spending time with Bobbie and her son are like a breath of fresh air. They can’t deny their attraction for long, and he adores her kid as well … but when his past comes back to haunt him, will he have any kind of future left in this town?

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* Review * BRING ME BACK by B.A. Paris

July 29, 2018 Leave a Comment

Bring Me Back Published by St. Martin's Press on June 19, 2018
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She went missing. He moved on. A whole world of secrets remained—until now.

Finn and Layla are young, in love, and on vacation. They’re driving along the highway when Finn decides to stop at a service station to use the restroom. He hops out of the car, locks the doors behind him, and goes inside. When he returns Layla is gone—never to be seen again. That is the story Finn told to the police. But it is not the whole story.

Ten years later Finn is engaged to Layla’s sister, Ellen. Their shared grief over what happened to Layla drew them close and now they intend to remain together. Still, there’s something about Ellen that Finn has never fully understood. His heart wants to believe that she is the one for him...even though a sixth sense tells him not to trust her.

Then, not long before he and Ellen are to be married, Finn gets a phone call. Someone from his past has seen Layla—hiding in plain sight. There are other odd occurrences: Long-lost items from Layla’s past that keep turning up around Finn and Ellen’s house. Emails from strangers who seem to know too much. Secret messages, clues, warnings. If Layla is alive—and on Finn’s trail—what does she want? And how much does she know?

A tour de force of psychological suspense, Bring Me Back will have you questioning everything and everyone until its stunning climax.

Worlds collide and secrets abound in the latest thriller from B. A. Paris! We are led to believe one thing, but told secrets along the way, but nothing can prepare us for the truth! It’s a bit out there because we’re hearing from different points of view and different time periods, but you can’t help but be riveted and want to keep turning the pages to get to the truth!

Finn McQuaid was in love with Layla Gray … newly engaged, enjoying life! While on vacation, he stopped at a rest stop, locked the doors and left Layla sleeping in the car … when he came back she was gone. Simply vanished. No clues, no answers. At least that’s what he told the police and wants everyone to believe … but there was more to the story.

Ten years later, life went on for Finn and he’s now engaged to Layla’s sister Ellen. Their grief over never finding Layla or discovering what happened to her drew them together and now they plan to share their future together. That is until strange things start happening. Items from Layla’s childhood start showing up around their house, Finn hears from the detective that someone says they saw Layla in their old neighborhood, emails start showing up from an anonymous person who seems to know more than any person could. What’s going on here? Is Layla alive? If so, what is where is she?

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* Review * RAINY DAY FRIENDS by Jill Shalvis

July 29, 2018 Leave a Comment

Rainy Day Friends by Jill Shalvis
Published by William Morrow Paperbacks on June 19, 2018
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Six months after Lanie Jacobs’ husband’s death, it’s hard to imagine anything could deepen her sense of pain and loss. But then Lanie discovers she isn’t the only one grieving his sudden passing. A serial adulterer, he left behind several other women who, like Lanie, each believe she was his legally wedded wife.

Rocked by the infidelity, Lanie is left to grapple with searing questions. How could she be so wrong about a man she thought she knew better than anyone? Will she ever be able to trust another person? Can she even trust herself?

Desperate to make a fresh start, Lanie impulsively takes a job at the family-run Capriotti Winery. At first, she feels like an outsider among the boisterous Capriottis. With no real family of her own, she’s bewildered by how quickly they all take her under their wing and make her feel like she belongs. Especially Mark Capriotti, a gruffly handsome Air Force veteran turned deputy sheriff who manages to wind his way into Lanie’s cold, broken heart—along with the rest of the clan.

Everything is finally going well for her, but the arrival of River Green changes all that. The fresh-faced twenty-one-year old seems as sweet as they come…until her dark secrets come to light—secrets that could destroy the new life Lanie’s only just begun to build.

Amazing characters, family dynamics galore and just a downright FUN story! Jill Shalvis strikes again with the second book in her Wildstone series. I was enthralled from the start, captivated throughout and felt like I found home with this fun loving family! The main characters are kind, loving souls who each have had their lives turned upside down and watching them connect and grow closer was magical. I loved the surrounding family just as much. Great read!

Lanie Jacobs has been in turmoil for a few months now. Her husband died totally unexpectedly six months ago, then she found out he was a lying cheat and had several other “wives” scattered around keeping additional beds warm for him. She’s finding it hard to get past it all, so when a job opportunity comes up that will get her out of the region and out of her own head for a couple of months, she jumps at the chance and starts a position at Capriotti Winery. She soon finds comfort in a tight-knit yet boisterously crazy family who take her under their wing and treat her like one of their own. She’s particularly enthralled by sexy single dad Mark!

Deputy sheriff Mark Capriotti is captivated with Lanie from the first moment he sets eyes on her. He had his life all sorted out as a career military guy until his wife up and left and he had to come home and make a different sort of life work with his twin daughters. He’s far from bitter because he is blessed with so much love from those precocious little angels, but there’s still something missing from his life … and one look at Lanie leads him to believe he might have found the missing link!

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* Review * UNTAMED COWBOY by Maisey Yates

July 29, 2018 Leave a Comment

Untamed Cowboy by Maisey Yates
Series: Gold Valley #2
Published by HQN Books on June 19, 2018
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In Gold Valley, Oregon, love might be hiding in plain sight…

Some things are too perfect to mess with. Bennett Dodge’s relationship with Kaylee Capshaw is one of them. They work together at their veterinary clinic and have been best friends for years. When Bennett’s world is rocked by the appearance of a son he didn’t know he had, he needs Kaylee more than ever. And he doesn’t want anything else to change. But then Kaylee kisses him, and nothing will ever be the same…

Kaylee’s done her best to keep her feelings for the man she’s loved since high school hidden away, but one unguarded moment changes everything, and now there’s no more denying the chemistry that burns between them. But the explosion of desire changes all the rules, and what’s left could destroy their bond—or bring them to a love that’s deeper than she ever imagined…

Friends to lovers and a secret child all rolled in to one! We met Bennett originally in a Copper Ridge novel when his then girlfriend Olivia was in despair over the fact that he wasn’t proposing. We continued to see and hear about him when Olivia dumped him and proceeded to fall for Luke. Now it’s time to get Bennett’s story. He’s a bit of a ditz in that he can’t see Kaylee’s feelings for him even when it’s right in front of his face, but she finds a way to coerce him into being the man that she has needed for all of these years. Their story is fun to read, and the part of it that makes it most heartwarming of all is the surprise son!

Veterinarian Bennett Dodge’s life has been in a bit of an upheaval lately. He failed to commit to the woman he thought would be perfect for him and lost her to another man. He should be more upset by that right? He holds his cards close to his vest and doesn’t explain the real reasoning behind his life to anyone, but his best friend tends to meander her way under his skin and into his head more than most. Now that his world is really on edge with the arrival of a teenage son he knew nothing about, yeah, he’s going to need that friend for real!

Kaylee Capshaw is Bennett’s veterinarian partner and has been best friends with him since they were teenagers. She’s also been secretly in love with him for just about as long, but he’s absolutely clueless. It tore her heart out to watch him with Olivia, but she couldn’t walk away from the one bit of him she has always been allowed to have … his friendship. But times have changed and life is in flux and she’ll be darned if she’s going to let this opportunity pass her by yet again. She’s going after her man!

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* Review * STRIPPING BARE by Kelsey Browning

July 29, 2018 Leave a Comment

Stripping Bare by Kelsey Browning
Series: Steele Ridge #7
Published by LLC on September 26, 2017
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Bad Boy...
Billionaire...
Baby Brother...
Who is the real Jonah Steele?

Video game mogul Jonah Steele may be a billionaire, but as the youngest brother in a family of alphas, his struggle to prove his worth is all-consuming. Although he saved his hometown from ruin, he can’t forgive himself for the biggest failure of his life.

As a teenager, Tessa Martin survived one of the most devastating nights of her life. Now, she’s a corporate psychologist and stronger than ever. She also has her sights set on Jonah Steele, her former boss and the only man who can track down the hacker who compromised her confidential client files. But can she confess that Jonah’s deepest secrets were exposed as well?

As the threat distorts into a real-life version of Jonah’s legendary video game, his and Tessa’s complicated emotional past—and the secrets buried there—could prove fatal. Will they strip away the past and reveal their feelings for one another, or allow it to blind them to a killer’s twisted game of revenge?

Powerful intrigue takes us for a ride! We’ve been loving on Jonah for so many books now, and finally we get his story. A bit of the mystique and the wind in the sail were let out by learning a big part of what tortures him in Micki’s story, but in this one we get an inside look into his thoughts and feelings and we get to see him lay his heart on the line. I loved him with Tessa, and I love this series so hard!

Billionaire Jonah Steele should be living the good life now that he’s back home in North Carolina, set for life after making it big with his video game empire, but there’s one thing from the past that haunts him. When Tessa steps back into his life, he has mixed emotions. He’s tortured by memories and heartache … yet he’s so attracted to her that he can’t see straight. Maybe helping her with this problem will get his head straight once and for all … or so he thinks before he realizes the danger knocking at her door!

Tessa Martin is a former employee, a former lover and his biggest regret. On the most horrific night of her life, Jonah feels like he failed her. She feels differently. She’s gotten past the nightmares and tortuous memories the best she can and she has been living strong, but suddenly someone has hacked her life and is coming out to taunt her. She needs the best to try to figure out this mess for her … and the best is Jonah!

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* Review * CLEAN SWEEP by Kate Willoughby

July 29, 2018 Leave a Comment

Clean Sweep by Kate Willoughby
Series: San Francisco Dragons #1
Published by Kiwi Press on July 23, 2018
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He’s a hockey player, not a housekeeper.

Cameron Bowes is the face of the San Francisco Dragons, so when the team needs a gimmick to improve their fan relations, Cameron becomes the focus of the new video "At Home with a Dragon". Unfortunately for Cam, his bachelor pad looks like an earthquake hit it. Repeatedly.

She’s the sexy maid a teammate hires as a joke.

Dakota Kelly has been working non-stop since she was unexpectedly awarded custody of her young niece. Though the little girl's grandmother swooped in to help, the old woman's overbearing ways have left Dakota no choice but to work as a janitor and moonlight as a maid in the hopes of one day getting some much-needed space from her niece's highly controlling Nana.

Lucky for Cam, Dakota turns out to be the miracle worker he desperately needs, and he jumps at the chance to hire her as his live-in housekeeper. Soon, the two can no longer ignore their smoldering chemistry, and it seems turning their business relationship into a happily-ever-after for all three of them will be the next play. There's just one problem: Nana doesn't approve, and she's not about to let her granddaughter go without a fight.

Sassy, sweet and sexy! A hunky hockey hero steals hearts quickly when he turns out to be a really nice guy. He’s not looking for a relationship, but he doesn’t hesitate to step right into one when he and Dakota start to connect. I liked them together, and the niece aspect of the story pulled at the heartstrings!

San Francisco Dragons hockey player Cameron Bowes finds himself in desperate need of a maid when the team sets him up to be the spotlight of a video expose “At Home With a Dragon”. He works hard, but he’s the biggest slob around! There’s no way he can let the public see his house like this. Thankfully a friend sets him up with a maid … a prank of a sexy maid, but a maid none-the-less … and he finds himself liking her a whole lot!

Dakota Kelly moonlights as a maid in her spare time after her school janitor position. She’s working as many hours as she can to raise enough money to get a place to live with her niece who she got custody of when her sister and brother-in-law died. Her brother-in-law’s mother stepped in to offer them a place immediately after the accident, and she’s eternally grateful for everything she’s done for them, but she’s driving her crazy! Her constant criticism and over-bearing ways are getting the best of her, so she needs to get out from under her foot ASAP!

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