Book Reviews – Page 188

* Review * THE FORBIDDEN BROTHER by Joanne Rock

July 3, 2018 Leave a Comment

The Forbidden Brother by Joanne Rock
Series: The McNeill Magnates
Published by Harlequin Desire on July 1, 2018
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One night of passion, mistaken identity…

and unmistakable consequences!

Jillian Ross craves adventure. And she gets it when her new career as a film scout leads her to the ranch owned by the wealthy Wyoming McNeills. Giving in to temptation with the playboy McNeill causes havoc—since it’s actually his reclusive twin, Cody, she’s fallen for! Now she’s pregnant—and still can’t get enough of her reluctant rancher. Is this adventure just beginning?

Mistaken identity at the worst possible time! With another sassy read in The McNeill Magnates series, we are meeting the Wyoming side of the family and quickly become entrenched in their drama. It’s fun to see hints of the New York guys as we get to know the cousins better. A strong foundation of secrets were exposed in this book, so I’m looking forward to what’s to come in the series!

Film location scout Jillian Ross has found a location her boss is going to adore for the western film she’s working on … only trouble is, the owner shut her down before she could even get out her full spiel! She can’t lose this location, or her new job might be history before she’s barely started, so she sets out to find his much friendlier brother and convince him to get her a meeting!

Cody McNeill isn’t one for partying it up all that much, but when he sees the sexy thing that just walked into his local bar, he’s happy tonight is the night he walked through that door. After a steamy hook-up, he realizes not only did she think he was his twin brother, but this is that Hollywood type that’s been ringing his phone off the hook! He’d be nudging her towards the county line right quick like … if only she hadn’t just wound up pregnant!

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* Review * THE COTTAGES ON SILVER BEACH by RaeAnne Thayne

July 3, 2018 Leave a Comment

The Cottages on Silver Beach by RaeAnne Thayne
Series: Haven Point
Published by HQN Books on June 19, 2018
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Years after betraying her, he’s back in Haven Point…and ready to learn the truth

Megan Hamilton never really liked Elliot Bailey. He turned his back on her family when they needed him the most and it almost tore them all apart. So she’s shocked when Elliot arrives at her family’s inn, needing a place to stay and asking questions that dredge up the past. Megan will rent him a cottage, but that’s where it ends—no matter how gorgeous Elliot has become.

Coming back home to Haven Point was the last thing bestselling writer Elliot Bailey thought he’d ever do. But the book he’s writing now is his most personal one yet and it’s drawn him back to the woman he can’t get out of his mind. Seeing Megan again is harder than he expected and it brings up feelings he’d thought were long buried. Could this be his chance to win over his first love?

Mysteriously intriguing! I’m used to a heartwarming love story enriched by close knit families and community when I pick up one of RaeAnne Thayne’s delightful Haven Point novels, and I received that once again with this latest book … but I also received a mystery! Much-loved by the town Megan finds herself drawn to returning Elliot, but his insistence to stir up something that has been painful to her family for many years just might stop her attraction cold! Great characters, a town we already love and this added mystery to the plot gave it a real pull. SO looking forward to Luke’s story!!

Inn owner Megan Hamilton has a personality that makes her a favorite of just about anyone she meets, but for some reason she’s always felt like Elliot didn’t care for her. When they’ve been around her in the past, he’s always come off as stand-offish. He once was in a position to help a her family with a crucial matter, but instead turned his back and believed speculation over them. She’s not overly happy to see him pop up at her inn looking for a place to stay while he’s in town for a few weeks.

FBI agent and bestselling author Elliot Bailey plays his cards close to his vest, and the reason he keeps Megan at a distance is because he’s secretly been crushing on her for years. This opportunity of being close by for a few weeks just might be his chance to see if she returns his interest at all, but when he starts looking into a matter that she wishes would stay buried, it could stir up more trouble than he’s looking for!

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* Review * BEST MAN AND THE RUNAWAY BRIDE by Kandy Shepherd

July 2, 2018 Leave a Comment

Best Man and the Runaway Bride by Kandy Shepherd
Published by Harlequin Romance on July 1, 2018
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Scandal at a society wedding!

Can he resist the runaway bride?

After helping Nikki Lucas flee her high-society wedding, privacy-loving best man Max Conway never expected to be accused of having an affair with the bride! As the media scandal dies down, he escapes to a remote island—and comes face-to-face with Nikki! Their connection is undeniable but she’s completely off-limits. Yet as the sun sets in paradise, both are struggling to resist…

A runaway bride meets her match! With a drama filled kick off, this story takes us on a journey of picking up the pieces after life doesn’t go as planned. It’s a bit slow in overall pace, but still enjoyable. The characters have a nice connection, and the plot has an interesting flair to it.

Max Conway didn’t know what he was getting himself into when he agreed to be the best man for an old school buddy. When faced with a distraught bride who needed help running away from the wedding that was about to happen, he reluctantly helped her. He never expected it to all turn around on him as the gossip headlines claimed he whisked the bride away for himself!

Nikki Lucas is so appreciative to Max for his help, but if she would have known she would turn his life into such a circus, she wouldn’t have put him in that position. Now six months later, happenstance brings them face to face again on an exotic island. Fear of additional scandal has them vowing to stay away from each other, but temptation is mighty strong when they both are feeling a such attraction to each other!

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* Review * FRIENDSHIP ON FIRE by Joss Wood

July 2, 2018 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * FRIENDSHIP ON FIRE by Joss Wood

Friendship on Fire by Joss Wood
Series: Love In Boston
Published by Harlequin Desire on July 1, 2018
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Fool her once, as her best friend.

Fool her twice…as her fake fiancé?

Top Boston interior designer Jules Brogan has no shortage of work. So why say yes to designing a yacht with Noah Lockwood—her former best friend who disappeared from her life ten years ago after one smoldering encounter? Especially since the job requires posing as Noah’s fiancée! But what are old friends for…especially if she can coax him into one more kiss?

Tempers flare as passion ignites! With the first book in the Love In Boston series, we get the groundwork for the families it’s going to center around. It was a slow start with a lot of characters being thrown our way up front, as well as a little unorthodox change of who’s perspective we are looking at now and then, but once you get the gist of the story down pat, it picks up. There’s definitely a good foundation for future drama being laid here! An enjoyable kick off, looking forward to more of the series!

Jules Brogan is at the top of her game as an interior designer, so when her former best friend wants to contract her for a job, she’s not a bit interested! He walked away from her life ten years ago without a backward glance … and now he thinks he can come waltzing back in like nothing ever happened? No way!

Noah Lockwood left Boston and never planned to return, but when his family history is in danger, he can’t just sit back and watching things fall apart. He has to convince Jules to help him … and not only does she have to agree to do the job, but she also has to agree to be his significant other while doing it!

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* Review * BRAVING THE HEAT by Regan Black

July 1, 2018 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * BRAVING THE HEAT by Regan Black

Braving the Heat by Regan Black
Series: Escape Club Heroes
Published by Harlequin Romantic Suspense on July 1, 2018
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One man wants her dead.

Another will do anything to protect her.

Firefighter Kenzie Hughes never thought saving lives would make her a target. When someone rigs her car and sexy Stephen Galway offers to be her bodyguard, the flames of danger burn red-hot. Stephen lost his fiancée to violence years ago, but he can’t resist Kenzie. Can he keep Kenzie safe and out of his arms when they’re forced to confront what they fear most?

Suspense filled and deeply moving! I really enjoyed the next book in the Escape Club Heroes series. We’re always guaranteed an in depth mystery when the people associated with this club are involved and this one was no different. From the start of the book we’re drawn into the plight of a female firefighter who has been targeted in a string of happenings. We soon meet the man who is going to keep her safe.

Firefighter Kenzie Hughes saved a man’s life in a fire, and now she’s suddenly the target of his wrath. Incident after incident continue to happen that jeopardizes the career she adores.

Mechanic Stephen Galway starts out doing a favor for his brother, and ends up taking such a liking to Kenzie that he doesn’t want to leave her safety up to anyone else. He won’t let this guy get to her, no matter what the cost!

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* Review * ON TEMPORARY TERMS by Janice Maynard

July 1, 2018 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * ON TEMPORARY TERMS by Janice Maynard

On Temporary Terms by Janice Maynard
Series: Highland Heroes
Published by Harlequin Desire on July 1, 2018
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When keeping things strictly business isn’t an option…

Keeping secrets is the only one!

There’s a new bachelor in town, knocking lawyer Abby Hartman off her game. Scotsman Duncan Stewart, her client’s sexy grandson, should be off-limits—but certainly a brief, mind-blowing affair wouldn’t be too terrible. Things heat up…way too fast. And when a family crisis reveals Abby’s true identity, they must choose between keeping their fling temporary or making a permanent merger!

Sexy, sassy and sweet! With the second book in the Highland Heroes duet, we get Duncan’s story. In the first book his brother Brody found his true love and went home to the Isle of Skye to start their life together, leaving Brody to come to America to stay with their elderly, recently widowed grandmother. Things don’t wind up exactly as he envisioned, and he quickly finds himself enchanted with a local. She’s smart and oh so feisty … and just what he needs to take his mind off his troubles!

Duncan Stewart isn’t overly happy about having to uproot his Scottish lifestyle to move to Candlewick, NC, but he’d do just about anything for the Granny that he adores, so here he is. On his first visit to the law office that handles his grandmother’s affairs, things start looking up as soon as he lays eyes on voluptuously sexy Abby Hartman!

Abby doesn’t work with his grandmother directly, however it’s still a little off kilter for her to agree to a date with a client of the firm’s grandson … but that smile, that accent, those eyes! What’s a gal to do? When secrets come out of the woodwork, their fling could all be over in the blink of an eye!

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* Review * ALASKAN HIDEAWAY by Beth Carpenter

July 1, 2018 2 Comments

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * ALASKAN HIDEAWAY by Beth Carpenter

Alaskan Hideaway by Beth Carpenter
Series: A Northern Lights Novel
Published by Harlequin Heartwarming on July 1, 2018
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He traveled 3,800 miles to be alone

…but is it what he really wants?

Relocating to Alaska after a family tragedy seemed an ideal way for author R.D. “Mac” Macleod to grieve in peace. But solitude feels overrated when Mac’s around B&B owner Ursula Anderson and her orphaned goddaughter, Rory, who’s already bonding with his dog. Worse, he’s imagining a future with Ursula and Rory. Is it time to finally forgive himself?

Heart-wrenchingly emotional! With the next book in her Northern Lights series, Beth Carpenter takes us into the heart of a man who has lost his motivation in the world. He thinks all he needs is to hole up and be alone, but when he’s challenged again and again by a pushy neighbor and her adorable goddaughter, he actually sees the world brightening up a bit. There are a couple of story lines melding together to complete this story, and both are emotional and sad, but there’s also an amazing connection between this man, woman and child that makes you hope against hope for the healing they all need. A really great read!

R.D. *Mac* Macleod needs to be alone. An accomplished author for years, Mac no longer has an inspiration to open his laptop, much less try to meet the next deadline looming. He’s lost the one person who was most dear to him … and he’s consumed with a soul crushing guilt that he can’t get past. He leaves his home and heads to Alaska where he can live on his own without people bothering him … only it doesn’t take long for a pesky neighbor to come knocking!

B & B owner Ursula Anderson knows loss, and when she gets to know Mac and sees how overcome he is with his despair, she’s not sure she can help him. But being around Ursula and the adorable little girl she’s raising brightens Mac’s demeanor. Can the life she can offer truly be enough for this man or will he continue to let his perceived failure eat away at him?

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* Review * SECRET TWINS FOR THE TEXAN by Karen Booth

June 30, 2018 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * SECRET TWINS FOR THE TEXAN by Karen Booth

Secret Twins for the Texan by Karen Booth
Series: Texas Cattleman's Club: The Impostor
Published by Harlequin Desire on July 1, 2018
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Six years later, his ex is back. And she’s got twin secrets…

What will wealthy private investigator Cole Sullivan say when he discovers the woman he left years ago is the mother of his twins? Before Dani Moore can tell him to stay away, they share a searing kiss instead, confirming their explosive chemistry is far from over. But will Cole’s own life-or-death secret—the one that destroyed their relationship—continue to keep them apart?

Fast-paced, heartwarming and filled with super sexy chemistry! With the next book in the Texas Cattleman’s Club: The Imposters series, Karen Booth brings us the story of the private investigator who has been trying to find answers on the fake Will saga. We get some additional insight into where things stand with catching Rich up in his tricks, and we get to know Cole and his ex Dani. Lots of turmoil, sweet connections and happily ever afters. Really enjoyed their story!

When Cole Sullivan hears that his ex Dani Moore is back in town, he’s not sure what to think. He never stopped loving her, and only broke her heart because he was trying to protect her from the big secret that he’s been hiding. Will there be any chance of a re-connection … and even if there is, can it end any differently than before considering his future?

Dani Moore was blown away when Cole broke her heart all those years ago, and she didn’t waste any time hightailing it to New York to pursue her dreams of becoming a high-end chef. She’s accomplished a lot in the years that she’s been gone from Royal, TX … and she comes back with some secrets of her own … namely a set of twins that bear a remarkable resemblance to Cole!

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* Review * THE TWIN TEST by Rula Sinara

June 30, 2018 Leave a Comment

The Twin Test by Rula Sinara
Series: From Kenya, with Love
Published by Harlequin Heartwarming on May 1, 2018
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His twins might be wild...

But she knows just how to tame them—and their father

Earthquake expert Dax Calder brings his eleven-year-old twins to the Serengeti to fulfill a promise to his late wife—never leave the girls. Meeting free-spirited teacher Pippa Harper feels like serendipity. She’s the perfect nanny for his mischievous twosome, even if her definition of rules is slightly different than his. But there’s one rule Dax never expected to break…falling in love again.

Enchanting scenery, precocious children and a sweet love story! If you’ve been reading along with Rula Sinara’s From Kenya, With Love series, you will recognize the heroine of this story. Pippa Harper is the all grown up version of the child we met in Book 1, The Promise of Rain, a few years back. It’s always fun to see someone we’ve met previously come into their own and find their very own happily ever after. The story was intriguing with lots of emotional depth, as well as some humor mixed in with those trickster girls! Very enjoyable read!

The promise that Dax Calder made to his late wife to always be there for his twin daughters has him uprooting them often to go along on his work expeditions. This job in Kenya lets him not only earn the money he needs, but also be close to a historical area that intrigues his seismologist by trade heart. Circumstances might have forced him out of that field right now, but studying earthquakes is his hearts passion.

Teacher Pippa Harper happens to be in the right place at the right time to help Dax out of a fix. Seems his nanny has abandoned him, and he needs someone to entertain his daughters. If this unexpected job can earn her more money for the school she’s saving to build, she’s willing to help out … but she’s not so sure about these wild child girls of his … they seems to be out to run off everyone but their father!

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* Review * CAN’T FIGHT THE FEELING by Sandy James

June 30, 2018 Leave a Comment

Can't Fight the Feeling by Sandy James
Series: Nashville Dreams #3
Published by Forever Yours on May 8, 2018
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In Nashville the men are strong, the women are bold, and love comes to those willing to fight for it.

Russ Green is an expert at keeping people out - physically and emotionally. After a career-ending injury, the former quarterback was lucky to find a place as a bouncer at Words and Music. All he wants to do now is stay out of the limelight - alone. With his background, he's nobody's Prince Charming. His life is routine, and he likes it that way. Gym, work, home. No surprises. Until a bar brawl lands him in the emergency room, and in some very capable hands...

Nurse Joslynn Wright found her calling during a childhood bout of leukemia. While the fast-paced ER keeps her adrenaline pumping, it's nothing compared to being with Russ. Her illness made her cautious, though, and Russ's closed-off nature certainly doesn't make things any easier. But she can't help being intrigued by the contradiction of a burly bouncer who can gently strum a guitar. If she's learned anything in Nashville, it's that love may take work, but the rewards can be well worth the effort...

Feisty attitude, kind souls and feel-good moments! With the third book in her Nashville Dreams series, Sandy James brings us the story of the tough guy of the bunch, Russ. We’ve enjoyed the stories of his partners Brad & Ethan previously, so we’re already familiar with their bar Words and Music. It’s fun to reconnect with the previous couples and see where they are now, and there’s just something about Brad that made him my favorite one of all! Really enjoyed this story!

Bad boy Russell Green just might have met his match! Russ has been living the good life. Pro football for awhile, now rubbing elbows with Nashville’s elite while flitting from one gorgeous woman to the next. He should be riding high, but lately it’s been noticeable to his friends and business partners that something is going on with him. He might be holding it close to his chest right now, but eventually he’s going to have to confide in someone!

Nurse Joslynn Wright isn’t expecting to fall for a guy coming through her ER, but Russ is kind of hard to resist when he smiles and looks at her with those eyes. She’s enjoying living the best life that she can now that she’s past the pain and drama of her childhood fight with leukemia. These days she’s living healthy and enjoying life for all it’s worth … and she sees a kindred spirit in Russ that could use some relaxation in his life!

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