Archives for July 2019

* Review * THEN CAME YOU by Kate Meader

* Review * THEN CAME YOU by Kate MeaderThen Came You by Kate Meade
Series: Laws of Attraction #3
Published by Loveswept on May 7, 2019
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five-stars

In the courtroom, they’re rivals. In the bedroom, they’re . . . divorced. But could the road trip from hell lead to a second chance at love?

Aubrey Gates is the hottest divorce lawyer in Chicago, a barb-tongued stiletto with legs that go on for miles. When her cool gray eyes meet mine across the battlefield, I want her like I’ve never wanted anyone or anything. Then I remember who she is: the woman who brought me to my knees. The woman who destroyed my faith in relationships.

The woman I used to call . . . wife.

And she needs a favor from me, Grant Lincoln.

It seems my ex forgot to mention the demise of our marriage to her dear old grammy, and now we’re both expected to attend her ninetieth birthday party. In Boston. And because it isn’t already awkward enough, Aubrey and I are driving there together from Chicago. That’s more than a thousand miles of tension, heartbreak, and barely concealed lust.

A little piece of paper might say we’re over, but this road trip is the true test. I intend to get my wife back . . . and I won’t stop until “I do.”

 

Such an emotional journey! Kate Meader saved the best for last when she brought us Grant’s story! The Laws of Attraction series has been a lot of fun to read with a group of close knit and hilarious characters. This book took it to a new level with even more emotion and angst than the previous two. I loved it … and loved how we got an update on them all a little down the road at the end.

Chicago divorce attorney Aubrey Gates told herself she was dealing with her divorce just fine and getting on with her life more every day … until he brought a date to a function they both had to attend because of shared friends. Seeing him with another woman on his arms gutted her … but it made being in the same room together again at least tolerable.

Competing divorce attorney Grant Lincoln can’t look at Aubrey without seeing the woman who broke his heart. He’s not sure if they’ll ever be friends again, but when he learns she never told her favorite grandmother that they got a divorce and now has to go home to Boston for her 90th birthday, he can’t leave her hanging. He loved her grandmother too, so if it will keep the event happy, he’ll play doting husband for a couple of days.

 

five-stars

* Review * TANGLED UP IN YOU by Samantha Chase

* Review * TANGLED UP IN YOU by Samantha ChaseTangled Up in You by Samantha Chase
Series: The Shaughnessy Brothers #7
Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca on April 30, 2019
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four-stars

They'll change each other's fate...

One fateful night Bobby Hannigan sustains a gunshot wound that could end his career as a police officer. If that's taken from him, he doesn't know what he'll do. The only ray of hope is Teagan Shaughnessy—a kindhearted single mom who understands his struggles...

Teagan and her young son have just moved back to the Carolina coast to be near family. When she meets Bobby, the timing feels wrong, but everything else feels oh-so-right. Bobby and Teagan each had plans for their own futures. But they're finding that those plans are meaningless if they can't be together...

 

A glorious return to all things Shaughnessy! If you were as big of fan of this family as I have been throughout this series, you will be thrilled to get to touch base with all of them again when their cousin Teagan finds love with Bobby Hannigan. Love this series as a whole and this particular book was a mix of reunion and rediscovery. Enjoyed it!

Bobby Hannigan didn’t expect to be heading back to his parents home in North Carolina, but when you get shot and your whole career is on the line waiting to see if you will recover, things have a way of snowballing. The only bright spot in this whole dark time is meeting Teagan.

Teagan Shaughnessy followed her parents from Colorado to NC so her son would still have the family he dearly loves near him. She’s not looking to make any more big changes in her life at the moment, but she can’t seem to get her heart to understand that every time it skips a beat when Bobby is near.

four-stars

* Review * SMOKIES SPECIAL AGENT by Lena Diaz

* Review * SMOKIES SPECIAL AGENT by Lena DiazSmokies Special Agent by Lena Diaz
Series: The Mighty McKenzies #2
Published by Harlequin Intrigue on May 1, 2019
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five-stars

She was on a mission to fix the past

And he was determined to help her…

For ten years, Remi Jordan has been hunting her twin sister’s kidnapper. When baiting a killer backfires, the FBI agent’s career and freedom are suddenly on the line. Joining forces with Smoky Mountains investigator Duncan McKenzie ups the ante, unleashing treacherous desire. Now, with another woman missing, Remi’s fighting a lot more than the ghosts of the past. Is she also ready to fight for her future?

 

A cold case comes to life in Lena Diaz’s second installment of The Mighty McKenzies series! I was on the edge of my seat many times throughout this story. The intrigue was top notch, the main characters were well-developed and easy to like and sympathize with and the romance in the midst of such turmoil was comforting. Really loving this series and the McKenzies … looking forward to more!

Ten years ago Remi Jordan’s twin sister disappeared into the woods, never to be heard from again. The cops couldn’t find any true suspect to pursue and they eventually set it aside. Remi let the injustice of not having answers fuel her passion to right a wrong and has spent the decade since as an FBI agent determined to one day find her sister.

National Park Service agent Duncan McKenzie thinks he’s come across a crazy person when he first sees Remi on a trail. Hours of chaos and confusion pass before he realizes her truth and sets out to help her find the answers she’s looking for. She might be on to something with this theory of hers about the park … and he’s going to enjoy spending time with her as they investigate.

five-stars

* Review * BIG SWINGING D by Tara Sue Me

* Review * BIG SWINGING D by Tara Sue MeBig Swinging D by Tara Sue Me
Series: Wall Street Royals #2
Published by After Six Publishing on June 11, 2019
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four-stars

Conquer. Control. Command. They have. They are. They will. They are the Wall Street Royals, men at the top of their game who are about to be mastered by the one thing they never counted on: love.

Don’t miss the second book in the seductively sexy new series by New York Times bestselling author Tara Sue Me.

Big Swinging D: Term used for the baddest badass on Wall Street. That guy. The one other men want to be and that women just want.

Maggie Warren has always been unfocused. She hops from job to job, and relationship to relationship. Most of the time, she’s not even looking where she’s going. Which is exactly what happens when she runs into Isaac Gregory, trips over her feet, and dumps a year’s worth of compost all over his hand-stitched suit and one-of-a-kind leather shoes.

Isaac’s never met anyone like Maggie. She’s nothing like the women he works with, or the submissives he typically dates. Sure, she’s got a knockout body and a wit to match, but she’s a free spirit and hopelessly scattered. He should not be attracted to her. But he is.

After hearing she’s between jobs, he offers her his recently vacated Personal Assistant position. She readily agrees, but isn’t sure why he’d hire her. He’s her exact opposite: structured, organized, and controlled.

Boy, does he like control. And it intrigues her, especially when she discovers his private life.

Isaac’s not surprised when Maggie grows more and more interested in both of the worlds she sees him in: the public boardroom badass and the private well-respected Dominant. He tells her if she’s interested, he has a plan. A plan so hedonistic it could only be proposed by the man nicknamed the Big Swinging D.

But even Wall Street isn’t prepared for the fallout when the king of control falls for the queen of chaos.

 

An unlikely match turns up the heat in Tara Sue Me’s next book in the Wall Street Royals series! We met the delectable Isaac in the previous book starring Lance and Celeste. He’s a successful businessman by day and a self-assured dominant by night. The story was sexy and fun and we got to reconnect with the past characters as well. I’m looking forward to getting Ty and Lillian’s story soon!

Maggie Warren is something of a free spirit. She flits between job not able to decide on exactly what it is that satisfies her in life, but she happily juggles it all with a smile on her face. It’s that exact attitude that keeps her from totally freaking out when she accidentally dumps an entire compost container on a gorgeous stranger on the street.

Isaac Gregory shouldn’t even take a second look at Maggie considering how scattered she seems to be, but he finds himself offering her his newly vacated personal assistant position and facing a non-stop attraction to her. She’s not the type he normally goes for, and when she finds out the lifestyle he leads, he’s sure she’ll run for the hills … but when Maggie surprises him and is actually intrigued instead, things just might get dicey here because he doesn’t mess with employees!

four-stars

* Review * SWEPT AWAY BY THE VENETIAN MILLIONAIRE by Nina Singh

* Review * SWEPT AWAY BY THE VENETIAN MILLIONAIRE by Nina SinghSwept Away by the Venetian Millionaire by Nina Singh
Series: Destination Brides #2
Published by Harlequin Romance on July 1, 2019
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four-half-stars

The trip of a lifetime…

…leads to the man of her dreams!

In this Destination Brides story, Maya Talbot’s taking a romantic vacation — alone! Betrayed by her ex, she’s indulging her love for art and travel… But finds a new passion — in the arms of mysterious millionaire sculptor Vito Rameri! This gorgeous Venetian has closed himself off, but as Maya becomes his new muse, she gets to know the man behind the masterpieces and becomes even more captivated…

 

Gorgeous scenery and romance go hand in hand with the latest from Nina Singh! The next story in the Destination Brides series is fast paced and utterly charming. Maya is cradling a broken heart, and Vito has given up on what brought his life meaning … alone they are unhappy, but together everything seems to fit into place again. Sweet story!

Maya Talbot was supposed to be escaping away to paradise with the man of her dreams, but as life would have it, he showed his true colors just beforehand, so she had to make the trip alone. It gets off to a really shaky start, but it doesn’t take long for it to brighten when she’s intercepted by a gorgeous local.

Millionaire Vito Rameri has shut himself off from the world and the art that brought him such fame ever since losing his wife. He no longer sees a vision to create when something crosses his path … until Maya. She’s like nothing he expected and brings his creativity back to life, but how can they make it work when they are opposites and across the world from each other?

four-half-stars

* Review * ONCE UPON A COWBOY by Rachel Lacey

* Review * ONCE UPON A COWBOY by Rachel LaceyOnce Upon a Cowboy by Rachel Lacey
Series: Almost Royal #2
on July 2, 2019
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four-stars

A TALE AS OLD AS TIME

Megan Perl went from beauty to beast when a car accident left her permanently scarred. Before, Megan was outgoing and vivacious, always with a man at her side. Now? She spends more time behind a camera than in front of it. She’s ready to turn her hobby into something more by offering photography sessions at the castle where she works. This year is dedicated to her career, not men. If only she wasn’t so crazy-attracted to the cowboy who’s renting the stable on the castle grounds…

Jake Reardon is no stranger to tragedy. After a fall left his bride in a coma on their wedding day, he was forced to watch her slowly fade away in a hospital bed. Now, he finds himself in the unwelcome position of virgin widower. At Rosemont Castle, he can finally focus on establishing his career as a horse trainer. The only problem is that his new landlady makes him hotter than the Virginia sun.

Sparks fly every time Jake and Megan cross paths, but there’s no way he’s going to lose his virginity with the woman who manages the property he’s leasing. As their attraction grows, though, so do their emotions. Jake carries his scars inside, but Megan has to wear hers for the world to see. Can love heal their wounds, or will it tear them apart?

 

Two wounded souls collide! With the next book in her quaint modern day fairy tale Almost Royal series, Rachel Lacey once again takes us on an emotional journey of redemption with her cast of kindhearted folks always game to help an animal and a lost soul. Fun characters, an interesting setting and lots of adorable critters worked into the mix!

Megan Perl used to be the outgoing one in the group who was always up for a good time and chasing the next adventure in life … until a freak accident left her scarred and hating life. She’s slowly regaining some confidence and has opened another part of the world to her heart through her growing gift of photography. Now if only she could get her heart to stop beating out of her chest every time she encounters their new tenant!

Jake Reardon is finally branching out into a horse training business of his own, and the risk of it all is always on his mind as he waits with baited breath to see if the business is going to come calling. He too has had his share of heartache and misfortune in his short life, so he recognizes Megan’s discomfort when he sees it. He also sees the attraction he feels reflecting back from her eyes as well!

four-stars

* Review * THE MOONLIGHT AND MEMORIES #1 by Julie Ann Walker

* Review * THE MOONLIGHT AND MEMORIES #1 by Julie Ann WalkerIn Moonlight and Memories: Volume One by Julie Ann Walker
Published by Limerence Publications LLC on July 1, 2019
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four-stars

VOLUME ONE

MOST LOVE STORIES HAVE ONE BEGINNING AND ONE ENDING. THIS LOVE STORY HAS MANY.

Maggie: Ten years ago, Cash Armstrong stole my heart. Then he promptly joined the army—dragging my best friend with him—and left me crying on the front porch in a red sequined prom dress. Now he's back. They're both back. Cash, the one who still has my heart. And Luc, the one who saved my life.

Cash: How do you know if you’re at the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end? That's what I've been trying to figure out since a traumatic brain injury made me "unfit to serve." I'm back in New Orleans, and picking up the shattered pieces of my past means I must confront where my life's journey began... and where it all might end.

Luc: Long ago, Maggie May was mine. Not mine in the way you might think. She was mine because she was my only friend. Then Cash came along and we became brothers by something stronger than blood. We became brothers by choice. When tragedy struck, I was forced to make a decision that changed all our lives. I thought, after ten years, it was safe to come back home. I was wrong...

 

Sweet, tender and emotional! Three teenagers forged a connection a decade ago that felt like it could have lasted a lifetime, but closely held secrets have a way of blindsiding people when they least expect it. Cash chose to leave with Luc close behind him and Maggie was left to pick up the pieces of her life. Now they are sashaying back into town and she’s not sure what they expect from her. There’s a secret that still hasn’t been explained to the reader, and what’s going to happen between the three of them is still up in arms. She wants one man, he’s playing hot and cold, but the other man admits to always loving her. Stay tuned to book two and three where their saga continues.

Years ago Maggie Carter lost her heart to Cash and had big plans for the future running through her teenage mind. They were shattered when Cash up and joined the military and left town without any warning. Her wounded heart was upset yet again when her best friend Luc followed behind him.

Years have passsed but Cash Armstrong is heading home to New Orleans. He knows he hurt Maggie, and that being estranged from her for all of these years was even worse … but he needs to reconnect. A traumatic brain injury might have ruined his military future, but he has a plan in mind when it comes to Maggie.

Luc Dubois adored Maggie all those years ago and stood by her as a devoted friend even though she chose to fall for Cash instead of him. He forced himself to put distance between them after he went into the service in hopes it would protect her from the secret they don’t want anyone to find out about.

four-stars

* Review * A SINGLE DAD TO HEAL HER HEART by Caroline Anderson

* Review * A SINGLE DAD TO HEAL HER HEART by Caroline AndersonA Single Dad to Heal Her Heart by Caroline Anderson
Series: Yoxburgh Park Hospital #5
Published by Harlequin Medical Romances on April 1, 2019
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four-half-stars

Could a single dad of two…

…be the answer to her dreams?

Trauma doc Livvy Henderson loves her job and friends, and she’s been cancer free for five years. She’s content…until she meets widowed father, handsome surgeon Matt Hunter on a team weekend in Cumbria. Their powerful connection reawakens her fears, desires and longing for a family she’s long since locked away. But Matt finds he’s ready to convince her she belongs in his, whatever the future holds…

 

A heart-string pulling dynamo! With the next book in the Yoxburgh Park Hospital series which just happens to be Caroline Anderson’s 100th book, she decided to go back to where it all began and have the child of her first ever hero and heroine be the heroine of this story. It’s always super cool to reconnect with characters you’ve seen before, so I applaud the set up whole-heartedly! The characters both had an intriguing back story that nabbed my attention quickly and had me rooting for them to make it work from the start. Throw in some adorable kiddos and this was my cup of tea for sure. A really good read!

Trauma doctor Livvy Henderson has made peace with the fact that her life didn’t follow the path of starting the family she always dreamed of. She is happy to be achieving her five year cancer free mark and enjoying her career, but connecting with a fellow doctor on a weekend away for team building starts to make her wonder “what if”.

Surgeon Matt Hunter has living his share of heartbreak by being widowed and left with two young children to raise on his own. He can’t deny he’s attracted to Livvy, but does he have anything to offer her after basically shutting down for the last couple of years? Can he find the strength to put his heart on the line again?

four-half-stars

* Review * THE MAID’S SPANISH SECRET by Dani Collins

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * THE MAID’S SPANISH SECRET by Dani CollinsThe Maid's Spanish Secret by Dani Collins
Series: Secret Heirs of Billionaires
Published by Harlequin Presents on August 1, 2019
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five-stars

“You will come to Spain. You will marry me…”

For sweet maid Poppy Harris, her one and only passionate experience was scorching and absolutely forbidden. She shouldn’t have succumbed to Spanish aristocrat Rico Montero’s tantalizing seduction, but his touch was all consuming…and had a nine-month consequence! Poppy believes they could never be anything more. Until Rico appears on her doorstep demanding his hidden daughter—and determined to make Poppy his wife!

 

Forbidden passion leads to consequences! She was the maid and he her boss’s son on the night she gave her innocence to the wayward playboy. Now she holds his future in her hands with the child she told him nothing about. With the latest in the Secret Heirs of Billionaires series, Dani Collins nabbed my attention right away and took me on an exhilarating ride filled with emotional baggage, passionate encounters and an underlying good heart in each of the characters. Really enjoyed their well-written story!

Rico Montero doesn’t waste any time confronting his former lover when he learns she has a baby that looks just like him … that she failed to tell him about! He has just about had it with women deceiving him, so he’s not planning to give her a lot of options in how all of this plays out … she has to marry him and bring his daughter to Spain!

Former maid Poppy Harris didn’t intend to have a fling with Rico, but she’s not sorry about it because it brought her precious baby into her life. She knows it wasn’t right to keep Rico in the dark, but she thought he was invested elsewhere. She doesn’t resist his request to marry, but she’s not so sure how this is going to play out.

five-stars

* Review * THEIR ONE-NIGHT TWIN SURPRISE by Karin Baine

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * THEIR ONE-NIGHT TWIN SURPRISE by Karin BaineTheir One-Night Twin Surprise by Karin Baine
Published by Harlequin Medical Romances on August 1, 2019
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four-stars

From friends to lovers...

...to becoming a family—of four!

With her dreams of a longed-for family in tatters, air ambulance paramedic Izzy Fitzpatrick shares one night of comfort in the arms of best friend and colleague Dr. Cal Armstrong. One night that awakens a fierce yet undiscovered attraction…and leaves Izzy pregnant—with twins! Heartbreakingly, Cal’s already lost the chance of being a father once…but can Izzy convince him to embrace a second chance at family?

 

Emotionally enchanting! When a moment of passion leads to best friends now expecting a family together, you can expect things to get complicated. The story was fast-paced, emotionally charged and oh so satisfying!

Paramedic Izzy Fitzpatrick thought she was handling the loss of the man she thought would be her future pretty well until more and more things keep piling on from his life that makes it clear to her that she never really knew him at all. Reaching out to a friend for comfort sounded like a good idea … until one thing led to another and twins are on the way!

Doctor Cal Armstrong has been tight with Izzy for years at work, but nothing led him to believe that they would combust so sweetly when passion worked it’s way into their relationship. Only trouble is, Cal was recently burned by the woman he thought he was getting ready to raise a family with … and he’s having a hard time opening up to those things again after being utterly rejected and humiliated.

four-stars