Archives for May 2025

* Release Blitz/Review * BRICK’S REDEMPTION by Nikki Landis

May 29, 2025 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Release Blitz/Review * BRICK’S REDEMPTION by Nikki Landis

Brick's Redemption by Nikki Landis
Series: Graven Bastards MC Las Vegas, NV #5
Published by Nikki Landis Books on May 29, 2025
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Brick:
Fifteen years ago, I lost my best friend, my sponsor, and the man I was proud to call a brother.
He was gunned down in the middle of the street on a Sunday afternoon.
A hit by a rival club as he rode toward his daughter on her thirteenth birthday.
Three miles from home, he missed her party and a pivotal moment in her life.
She never got to say goodbye.

Now, all these years later, we meet up again.
A snowstorm and a canceled flight in Denver put her in my path as I arrived at the airport to help my club brother.
I offer her a ride, and since it's her only option of arriving home safely, she accepts.
But we're targeted and followed, and nearly killed.
I manage to get her home safely for the holidays, only to kidnap and bring her to a safe house.

Ginny is mine.
I've claimed her and fallen hard for the sexy, curvy redhead.
I won't risk her safety. She's got to stay in hiding until I can deal with the threat.
But she's got secrets, and so do I.
Ginny doesn't know that I was the one who found her father, Hesh, in his last moments.
I made a promise to protect her, to get vengeance for the men who stole Ginny's father from her.
And if I have to ride into hell to do it, I will.

This is not a standalone. It's highly recommended to read My Christmas Biker first.

Action packed with emotion and suspense! This book was a bit of a conundrum for me. I read the prequel My Christmas Biker first and absolutely loved Brick and Ginny and the kickoff to their story. From that book, I believed him to be a part of the Saints Outlaws MC and this book was going to be the continuation of their story and book one in a that series, but this book says he’s a member of Desert Titans MC and ends up rolling into the middle of another MC series … this one with a tad of a paranormal vibe which the first one was not. I was really disappointed with that because I would have gotten familiar with that MC’s prior books before reading this one had I known that … but whatever. The characters are well developed and endearing. I really enjoyed them as a whole and look forward to seeing more of them if I dive back in with this group of bikers. There was intense situations, sadness and lots of drama to sink your teeth into throughout. I wanted a bit more development of their life together, but overall it was a solid read and I enjoyed their story.

Title: Brick’s Redemption

Series: Graven Bastards MC: Las Vegas, NV

Author: Nikki Landis

Genre: MC Romance

Release Date: May 29, 2025

From USA Today Bestselling Author Nikki Landis comes a steamy, age gap, morally grey, revenge-driven MC romance—the first in a new series with a slight paranormal twist.

Brick:

Fifteen years ago, I lost my best friend, my sponsor, and the man I was proud to call a brother.

He was gunned down in the middle of the street on a Sunday afternoon.

A hit by a rival club as he rode toward his daughter on her thirteenth birthday.

Three miles from home, he missed her party and a pivotal moment in her life.

She never got to say goodbye.

Now, all these years later, we meet up again.

A snowstorm and a canceled flight in Denver put her in my path as I arrived at the airport to help my club brother.

I offer her a ride, and since it’s her only option of arriving home safely, she accepts.

But we’re targeted and followed, and nearly killed.

I manage to get her home safely for the holidays, only to kidnap and bring her to a safe house.

Ginny is mine.

I’ve claimed her and fallen hard for the sexy, curvy redhead.

I won’t risk her safety. She’s got to stay in hiding until I can deal with the threat.

But she’s got secrets, and so do I.

Ginny doesn’t know that I was the one who found her father, Hesh, in his last moments.

I made a promise to protect her, to get vengeance for the men who stole Ginny’s father from her.

And if I have to ride into hell to do it, I will.

This is not a standalone. It’s highly recommended to read My Christmas Biker first.

Welcome to Las Vegas, where sin, corruption, and the law tangle together. Control belongs to the ones who wear a patch and ride an iron steed. Get ready to rev your engines with the wicked, possessive, protective, alpha men of the Saint’s Outlaws Las Vegas Chapter.

Nikki Landis is a romance enthusiast, tea addict, and book hoarder. She’s the USA Today Bestselling Author of over fifty novels, including her widely popular Tonopah, NV RBMC series. She writes wickedly fierce, spicy romances featuring dirty talkin’ bikers, deadly, possessive reapers, wild bad boys, and the feisty, independent women they love. She’s a mom to six sons, two of them Marines. Books are her favorite escape. Nikki also writes steamy alien and monster romance under the pen name Synna Star.

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Release Day Blitz

* Review * PENALTY SHOT by Jami Davenport

May 29, 2025 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * PENALTY SHOT by Jami Davenport

Penalty Shot by Jami Davenport
Series: The Scoring Series #11
Published by Cedrona Enterprises LLC on May 29, 2025
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LEVI:
My relationship with Juniper is all fun and games until my heart enters the equation.

I'm a rookie pro hockey center who's touted to be a future star in the league. I have a rep to uphold as a player on and off the field. Along comes Junie. She's six years older than me, and there's something to be said about older being better. She's unlike any other woman I've dated, but therein lies the problem. I'm not relationship material. When my battered heart becomes involved, I cut and run. Call me a coward, and you'd probably be right. Caring about someone gives them power to do irreparable damage, and I vow to never again allow anyone that kind of control.

JUNIPER:
Ever since the divorce from my abusive husband I've been playing the field - and loving it. I'm not interested in a relationship, only a good time. Levi and I have a casual situation that suits us both until out of the blue Levi ends it. I've always been able to bounce back and move on, but this time, I can't stop thinking about him and how good we were together. Regardless, he did me a favor. I'm starting a new career as the team chef. I can't afford distractions and he's a huge one. Now I'm forced to see him every day. When he suggests we get back together, I resist on the surface, but deep-down I want him so badly I can't think straight. Still, I have other problems to tackle. Someone's sabotaging my position with the Sockeyes, and I'm certain I know who it is.

Despite my convictions to steer clear of Levi, I'm too weak, and we're barreling toward our fate at light speed. I'm not sure we'll survive the crash.

Fast paced and quite entertaining! The next book in The Scoring Series hockey romance centers on rookie Levi and Caro’s best friend Juniper. I was quickly hooked on both main characters because they each have an interesting back story that has made them the distrustful and aloof people they have been with each other so far. Once their initial situation ends and they are getting introspective with themselves, we learn more about each of them and understand them more. I liked the hint of suspense going on behind the scenes as well. The characters as a whole are well developed and the main plot kept me hooked, but I felt like many balls were left up in the air in an ending that could have been much more settled and powerful if some of those had been tied up more. Overall a really fun read with lots of angst.

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * TAINTED TEMPOS by Gina Azzi

May 29, 2025 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

Tainted Tempos by Gina Azzi
Series: Dating the Drummer Trilogy #2
Published by Three Cities Publishing LLC on June 2, 2025
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Maverick Tate is a rock legend, a charismatic playboy… and the man I asked to marry me.

Waking up in Vegas with his ring on my finger should be the beginning of our happily ever after. Instead, it triggers memories I’ve tried to forget.

As buried trauma claws its way to the surface, our marriage spirals into something darker—and far more dangerous.

The threat from my past has returned and someone is watching me.

Maverick wants to protect me—fiercely, completely—but to keep me safe, he harbors secrets, crosses lines, and makes choices that leave me questioning everything.

Including him.

Emotional and addictive! The second book in Gina Azzi’s Dating the Drummer series which continues our love affair with The Burnt Clovers band brings turmoil to Mav and Kenny’s lives as they begin to unravel the recourse of their elopement in Vegas. She spirals a bit and pushes him away, and he doesn’t handle it well at all. The depth of emotion is intense in this portion of their story and I felt for both of them. I like the characters very much and I’m invested in them as the story moves on even though they both keep pushing the wrong buttons in each other. I’m looking forward to the conclusion in book three.

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * ENCORE by Gillian Archer

May 27, 2025 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

Encore by Gillian Archer
Series: Tin Gods Rock Stars #4
on May 29, 2025
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What happens during a Vegas residency doesn't stay in Vegas. Not when you hate your rock star boss.

I don’t know what crawled up my drum tech’s ass, but I’m over Alice’s bullsh*t.

I’m too busy juggling my not-so-anonymous NA meetings, our new Vegas residency, and my dad’s Alzheimer’s demands to tiptoe around Ms. Alice.
She works for me.

So next time she sets up my drumkit, I don’t want to hear her snarky comments or muttered insults.

Her shapely little body doesn’t make up for her smart mouth.

No matter how curvy it is.

Or how pouty her full lips are. Dammit.

Just because I’m her boss and we hate each other doesn’t mean we have to play by the rules.

After all, what happens in Vegas…

Encore is the final book of the Tin Gods Rock Stars series.

The emotional conclusion to the Tin Gods Rock Stars series was top notch! I really enjoyed seeing Noah redeemed and getting to know Alice’s backstory. I wanted a little more camaraderie of the band gathering around outside of being on stage. There were definitely some wholes in the storyline that could have used some development (his fam, the record label change, etc) but overall it was a great story and left me happy for them all. I only wish there were more members so we could keep it going! Heartwarming friendships, sassy connections and so much spice and drama to sink your teeth into.

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * HIDDEN NATURE by Nora Roberts

May 27, 2025 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * HIDDEN NATURE by Nora Roberts

Hidden Nature by Nora Roberts
Published by St. Martin's Press on May 27, 2025
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Natural Resources police officer, Sloan Cooper, and her partner had just taken down three men preying on hikers in the Western Maryland mountains. Driving back, she pulled in at a convenience store—and walked right into a robbery in progress. One gunshot from a jittery thief was about to change her world.

After being shocked back to life on the operating table, she has a long recovery ahead, so she moves back to her parents’ peaceful house in Heron’s Rest. As for the boyfriend who dumped her via text while she was in the hospital, good riddance.

She may be down, but she’s not out. So when a woman vanishes, leaving her car behind in a supermarket parking lot, Sloan searches online for similar cases. She finds them, spread across three states. Men and women, old and young—the missing seem to have nothing in common. And the abductions keep happening.

Luckily, the new man in her life shares her passion for solving this mystery. But it will take every ounce of endurance to get to the dark heart of this bizarre case—and she's willing to risk her life again if that's what it takes to stop the horror.

Highly addictive and enthralling! Nora Roberts had me from the first page to the last in this unexpected tale! I was first hooked by Sloan Cooper’s story as a Natural Resource police officer who walks into a convenience store at the wrong time and ends up fighting for her life. We get to know her well along with her family and the Western Maryland area that she’s from. And then the twist comes in that really hooks you. People are disappearing with no sign ever found again and it’s caught Sloan’s attention. She takes us along for quite the ride as she hunts for answers. Falling for the guy next door just adds to the heart of the story. Loved Sloan, her family and the neighbors! Highly recommend to anyone that enjoys a suspense with romance and heart mixed throughout.

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * HIDDEN HEIR, ITALIAN WIFE by Dani Collins

May 27, 2025 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * HIDDEN HEIR, ITALIAN WIFE by Dani Collins

Hidden Heir, Italian Wife by Dani Collins
Published by Harlequin Presents on May 27, 2025
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He’s discovered her secret…
And taken her as his bride!

Since her night of pure, indulgent passion with Jackson Visconti, Brielle Hughes has been a devoted single mother. In Bree’s world, men—fathers—cannot be relied on. Until three years later, the unforgettable Italian billionaire bursts back into her life…demanding her hand in marriage!

Jax refuses to allow his daughter to be raised without the protection of his Visconti name—and he will be a present father. So Bree wearing his ring is nonnegotiable! But the undeniable incendiary connection that reignites between them threatens to completely unravel the hard-edged tycoon…

Fast paced and enjoyable! Surprise babies are one of my favorites and Dani Collins wrote this one beautifully. After a night of passion while on vacation, Bree winds up with an adorable daughter to love, but no way to contact the man who shared in her fate. A few years down the road she is shocked to see his face in a family photo with her new boss … but not as shocked as he is to learn that he has a child! A marriage of convenience is agreed on as they return to Italy with him, but falling for your husband who is emotionally closed off to love leaves Bree unsure of what to do next. I liked Bree and Jackson a lot and felt like they were developed well so we could easily understand both points of view. The ending was a little abrupt, but I enjoyed them very much. Highly recommend!

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* Review * SAVE HER LIFE by Carolyn Arnold

May 27, 2025 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * SAVE HER LIFE by Carolyn Arnold

Save Her Life by Carolyn Arnold
Series: Sandra Vos #1
Published by Bookouture on May 27, 2025
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The tears fall down the girl’s pale face as she desperately tries to struggle free from the ties around her wrists. The only sound in the room other than her muffled cries is the ticking of a clock. Her mother has less than one hour to find her alive.

It’s been more than thirty years since Special Agent Sandra Vos’s twin brother was shot dead, an innocent victim caught in a kidnap gone wrong. It devastated Sandra’s family, but it made her who she is today, one of the FBI’s most successful negotiators.

After dropping her teenage daughter, Olivia, at school, Sandra is alerted to a potential hostage situation at her local grocery store and races to the scene. A man has pulled out a gun and is refusing to talk or let anyone out of the building until his demands are met. The fate of dozens of lives rests in Sandra’s hands.

But as Sandra starts to make a breakthrough with the hostage taker, she receives a call that makes her blood run cold. Someone has taken Olivia, and their demand will push Sandra to her absolute limit. If it’s not met within twenty-four hours, she will never see her daughter again.

Sandra knows she should step aside, letting her team take over, but she doesn’t trust anyone else to bring Olivia home alive. Breaking every rule in the book, Sandra is ready to go into her most personal negotiation yet. But how much will she have to sacrifice to save her daughter?

Intense suspense and heartwarming main character! Carolyn Arnold is setting the stage for so much good suspense to come with the first book in her Sandra Vos series. I loved Sandra and can’t wait to see more. Her backstory is well developed and gives the reader a strong inclination to like the things that drive her to take down the bad guys. Her private life is intriguing with a teen daughter to raise, an ex-husband she has to make nice with and a boyfriend she doesn’t advertise. The twists in the story made for lots of danger and excitement. I’m hooked!

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* Review * THE CREEKSIDE MURDER by Carol Ericson

May 27, 2025 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * THE CREEKSIDE MURDER by Carol Ericson

The Creekside Murder by Carol Ericson
Series: Pacific Northwest Forensics #1
Published by Harlequin Intrigue on May 27, 2025
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Her sister’s murder was his professional downfall

Now protecting her will be his redemption

Crime scene investigator Jessica Eller needs Finn Karlsson’s help. The criminal justice expert was there ten years ago when her sister’s killer confessed to the crime. But now recent homicides are mimicking that horrendous murder, suggesting that the real culprit is still at large. And then Jessica is targeted, forcing Finn to play the killer's games in his attempts to protect the woman he's grown to love…

Great kickoff to Carol Ericson’s brand new Pacific Northwest Forensics series! Danger is lurking from start to finish as Jessica returns home to try to reopen the cold case of her sister’s murder. While investigating, similar murders begin to mimic Tiffany’s final days and lead Jessica on a race against time to find the killer. I liked Jessica and Finn a lot and connected easily with their story, but I did want just a smidge more explanation for how he came to lose his job back then and go on to teach at the college. The characters are well developed overall, the suspense is top notch and the ending was quite the twist. I’m looking forward to more to come in the series!

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* Review * THE GUEST COTTAGE by Lori Foster

May 27, 2025 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * THE GUEST COTTAGE by Lori Foster

The Guest Cottage by Lori Foster
Series: Firefly Summer #1
Published by Kensington Books on May 27, 2025
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Love, forgiveness, and renewal take center stage in the haven of a quiet lakeside town when two very different women bond over one man’s betrayals in this uplifting new series from New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster.

Marlow Heddings is starting over. She’s carried the outrage of her husband Dylan’s affair with a younger woman—and the expectations of his family’s powerful Chicago holdings company—long enough. Now, after another devastating twist of fate, she’s unapologetically moving on.

Arriving in tiny Bramble, Kentucky, Marlow revels in her freedom, swapping her executive suits for sundresses . . . and scouting places to open her dream boutique. Best of all is her new residence, an adorable cottage with gorgeous lake views—and a breathtaking landlord, former Marine Cort Easton. Soon they’re sharing dockside morning coffee and nighttime firefly gazing. Marlow’s new life feels like a dream.

Then Pixie Nolan arrives on her doorstep. With a shocking secret.

To Marlow’s astonishment, Dylan’s “other woman” is a desperate girl of nineteen, destitute, exhausted, and disowned by her family. Defying her manipulative in-laws’ demands, and surprising even herself, Marlow vows to lay down roots in Bramble and help Pixie get on her feet. Then they’ll part ways. But empathy has a way of forging bonds. As Marlow grows close to the hard-working, devoted young woman, she becomes something of a big sister to Pixie.

Now, with each sunrise, Marlow awakens to the life she was truly meant to live, one filled with deepening connections, supportive friendship . . . and even a second chance at love.

With the first book in her brand new Firefly Summer series, Lori Foster proves yet again why she’s an auto-buy for so many! She beautifully delivers a complex story filled with easy to like characters, lots of turmoil to keep you addicted and a strong female lead who is no longer willing to settle for less than. In this story of revelation and redemption, we embark on a smalltown filled with a goodhearted and quirky cast of characters that will keep you smiling as drama unfolds and hearts are healed. I can’t wait to see more of this smalltown family and hope Pixie gets a story! The ending was a tad abrupt, but absolute perfection otherwise. Looking forward to the next book already and highly recommend this one!

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* Review * K-9 JUSTICE by Nichole Severn

May 27, 2025 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * K-9 JUSTICE by Nichole Severn

K-9 Justice by Nichole Severn
Series: New Mexico Guard Dogs #6
Published by Harlequin Intrigue on May 27, 2025
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A K-9 will help her catch a criminal cartel

Socorro Security founder Ivy Bardot had dedicated the last two years to taking down a cartel. She’d even sent in her former FBI partner, Carson Lang, as an undercover operative. Now the syndicate was coming for members of her team. Despite having her trusted K-9, Ivy also needed Carson out and by her side. But revealing his true identity could come with a dire price. They’d sacrificed so much, including their own feelings, to seek justice. Were they prepared to risk their own lives?

A fitting finale to a really entertaining series! The final book in the New Mexico Guard Dogs series did not disappoint on action and suspense. I wanted more heart and connection put into Ivy and Carson to really pull on my heartstrings, but the overall storyline wrapped up decently. There are some twists that we weren’t expecting, and a great push of camaraderie between the group as a whole to wrap it all up.

I recommend this series to anyone looking for a fast paced intrigue series that centers around taking down a major drug cartel with the help of a cast of heroes and their K9 sidekicks.

Filed Under: Book Reviews