Book Reviews – Page 209

* Blog Tour / Review * ABOUT THAT KISS by Jill Shalvis

February 9, 2018 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Blog Tour / Review * ABOUT THAT KISS by Jill Shalvis

About That Kiss by Jill Shalvis
Series: A Heartbreaker Bay Novel
Published by Avon on January 23, 2018
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When love drives you crazy . . .

When sexy Joe Malone never calls after their explosive kiss, Kylie shoves him out of her mind. Until she needs a favor, and it’s a doozy. Something precious to her has been stolen and there’s only one person with unique finder-and-fixer skills that can help—Joe. It means swallowing her pride and somehow trying to avoid the temptation to throttle him—or seduce him.

the best thing to do . . .

No, Joe didn’t call after the kiss. He’s the fun time guy, not the forever guy. And Kylie, after all she’s been through, deserves a good man who will stay. But everything about Kylie makes it damned hard to focus, and though his brain knows what he has to do, his heart isn’t getting the memo.

… is enjoy the ride.

As Kylie and Joe go on the scavenger hunt of their lives, they discover surprising things about each other. Now, the best way for them to get over “that kiss” might just be to replace it with a hundred more.

Delectably sweet and oh so good! With the our latest trip to Heartbreaker Bay, we get to reconnect with all of the old gang and watch another couple fall into the throes of a passion that leads them to that happily ever after they both swear they don’t want. Joe Malone is sexy and tough and super protective of those he loves … but Kylie is independent as all get out and that protectiveness of his just might drive her crazy! When someone sets out to hurt Kylie, Joe steps in to help her get to the bottom of who is playing games and why. The story is easy to get hooked on and the characters are very enjoyable. Lots of drama to keep us on our toes, and a sweet love story to boot!

Tough guy Joe Malone takes being a protector seriously, so when he finds out that Kylie needs help with a threat, he’s there! So she’s mad at him that he didn’t call her after the super hot kiss they shared the other day … what’s a guy to do? He’s not the type to settle down and fall in love, and Kylie isn’t the type to deserve less than his all. She’ll have to forgive him … especially if he’s helping her … right?

Spitfire Kylie Masters is going to make that man pay for ignoring her if it’s the last thing she does! Like she can’t have a good time and walk away as good as the rest? HA! Let’s see how good he is at resisting her when she’s by his side every day as they set out on a mission to find her cherished piece of the past!

ABOUT THAT KISS

When love drives you crazy . . .

When sexy Joe Malone never calls after their explosive kiss, Kylie shoves him out of her mind. Until she needs a favor, and it’s a doozy. Something precious to her has been stolen and there’s only one person with unique finder-and-fixer skills that can help—Joe. It means swallowing her pride and somehow trying to avoid the temptation to throttle him—or seduce him.

the best thing to do . . .

No, Joe didn’t call after the kiss. He’s the fun time guy, not the forever guy. And Kylie, after all she’s been through, deserves a good man who will stay. But everything about Kylie makes it damned hard to focus, and though his brain knows what he has to do, his heart isn’t getting the memo.

… is enjoy the ride.

As Kylie and Joe go on the scavenger hunt of their lives, they discover surprising things about each other. Now, the best way for them to get over “that kiss” might just be to replace it with a hundred more.

BUY LINKS:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2DlmmZs
IndieBound: http://bit.ly/2DHAnxo
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/2mGIuC8
Books-A-Million: http://bit.ly/2ETb4Id
iBooks: https://apple.co/2Dhxp1F
GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/2EsNr99

EXCERPT:

Joe studied her. “I asked you once before, but now I’m going to ask you again. Is there something going on between you two?”

She tossed up her hands. “Why do you both keep asking me that about each other?”

His eyes narrowed. “I thought nothing was going on.”

“And before today, I could’ve passed a lie detector test on that,” she said.

“What happened today?”

She paused. Not because she had anything to be ashamed of, but because she wasn’t quite sure what had happened.

“Kylie.”

She sighed. “It’s nothing.”

“Try again,” Joe said and gave her the very male universal go on gesture.

She rolled her eyes. “Fine. He . . . finally made a move on me.”

Joe didn’t budge. Not a blink, not a muscle twitch, nothing, but she could’ve popped corn off the electric tension coming off him.

“Describe ‘made a move,’ ” he finally said.

She crossed her arms. “And again, how is this relevant to my case?”

He just gave her that careful stare again and she thought wow, those eyes of his should be registered as a lethal weapon, because she found herself opening her mouth and spilling her guts.

“He kissed me.”

“He kissed you.”

“Yeah,” she said. “Do you know that you often repeat what I say?”

“What kind of a kiss?” he asked.

She was momentarily bewildered. “I don’t know. It was a kiss. A normal kiss. A nice kiss.” She cocked her head at him. “How many kinds of kisses are there?”

He just looked at her for a long moment before coming toward her. He backed her to the wall and pressed his big hands on either side of her head.

“There are many kinds of kisses,” he said.

Her breath had backed up in her throat, where her heart had lodged, pounding wildly. “S-s-such as?”

“Such as this one.” And then he leaned in and covered her mouth with his.

At the touch of Joe’s mouth, Kylie’s brain stopped being capable of rational thought. His tongue gave a knee-weakening stroke against hers and she let out a shockingly needy moan as she clutched at him, fisting her hands in the material of his shirt at his chest. Only when he’d thoroughly plundered and pillaged and left her boneless did he lift his head and look into her eyes.

“Wow,” she whispered, fully aware she was still holding on to him like he was a lifeline, but the bones in her legs had liquefied. “I mean . . .” She shook her head. “Wow.”

He nodded. “Yeah. So to be clear, that wasn’t ‘a normal kiss’ or even ‘a nice kiss.’ It was a ‘wow’ kiss. Any questions?”

“Just one,” she said softly. “Can I have another?”

Joe didn’t have to be asked twice. His mouth immediately descended again, his fingers sliding into her hair to change the angle of the kiss to suit him. It was a controlled, alpha thing to do, but she had only one thought—nothing about the usually carefully, purposely leashed Joe was in control at the moment.

And she liked it.

She had no idea how long they went at it because she was in absolute heaven. Who knew that the man could use his preferred silent mode to communicate in a way that she finally approved of?

Only when she was completely breathless and about to strip him down to his birthday suit did she manage to pull back.

“Any more questions?” he asked, also a little bit breathless, which was more than slightly gratifying. Dumbly, she shook her head. His eyes softened and he gently he stroked his thumb over her bottom lip. “And FYI? Gib’s an idiot.”

ABOUT JILL SHALVIS

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website, www.jillshalvis.com, for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

Website: http://jillshalvis.com/
Facebook: @JillShalvis
Twitter: @JillShalvis
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillshalvis/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jillshalvis/
Tumblr: http://jillshalvis.tumblr.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22370.Jill_Shalvis?from_search=true

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* Review * HEADMASTER by Tara Sue Me

February 7, 2018 Leave a Comment

Headmaster by Tara Sue Me
Series: Lessons from the Rack
Published by Berkley on January 16, 2018
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The New York Times bestselling author of the Submissive novels delivers a scintillating new erotic romance, where two instructors redefine the phrase “teacher’s pet” . . . .

Lennox MacLure, owner of the RACK Academy, has sworn off the Dominant/submissive lifestyle. Years ago, his submissive, Winnie, died in a car accident following a heated argument for which he blames himself. Guilt-ridden and emotionally closed off, Lennox sees the academy as both his punishment and penance for her death.

Mariela, a dance instructor and a natural submissive, was Winnie’s best friend and longs to help Lennox move past his grief. She’s accepted that he will never see her as anything more than a friend, but she still wants to help him acknowledge what he needs. Mariela comes up with a plan of seduction, guaranteed to unleash the Dominant he’s willfully buried—but the passion they unleash could prove to be stronger than they are ready to handle.

A tantalizing power play! Getting to know the people behind the dominant and submissive is a beautiful thing in this series by Tara Sue Me. We not only get to see two sides of the lifestyle, but we also get a steamy read! I enjoyed the characters, the storyline was bittersweet and packed a good bit of feeling into it and it was fun to catch up some with the couple from the first book in the series. Looking forward to seeing who’s up next!

Lennox MacLure might own the RACK Academy that is an in-demand dominant/submissive training facility, but he stopped living the lifestyle himself several years ago when his submissive Winnie died in a car accident following an argument the two of them had. He enjoys bringing fulfillment to others in making sure there is a safe place for them to learn, but he can’t bring himself to trust himself with someone’s wellbeing in his hands anymore.

Dance instructor Mariela was Winnie’s best friend and has been crushing on Lennox since even before Winnie met him and started a relationship, but he only sees her as an employee and friend. She’d give anything to bring to life the man that used to exude such confidence and power when he entered the room. She knows at this point that Lennox will never want her for anything more than she already is to him … but if she could just help him live his complete life again, she’d step aside and be satisfied knowing he was happy again. Will the plan she’s come up with bring the dominant out of him again or will it backfire and send him reeling deeper than ever?

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* Review * A WEEK TO BE WILD by JC Harroway

February 7, 2018 Leave a Comment

A Week to be Wild by JC Harroway
Published by Harlequin Dare on February 1, 2018
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A daring game of temptation

She’ll play his game—but only by her rules!

Alex Lancaster is an adrenaline junkie. He’s also a sexy British billionaire who should come with his own warning signs. When Libby insists she’s done with men who live on the edge, Alex coaxes her out of her comfort zone—professionally and very, very personally. Libby’s taking a high-stakes gamble, but the payoff could win her everything…

A tantalizing kick-off to the new Harlequin Dare line! I’ve been anxiously awaiting the new ultra sexy line to see what it would be like, and I left fairly happy! It was a slow start with a little fear that it was going to be too laid back and not enough substance, but once the hero and heroine started to let their armor down and show their true selves, the plot developed well and left me liking them both and pulling for their happily-ever-after ending. Looking forward to seeing more from the line!

New Yorker Libby Noble likes her life on the stable side. She lived the wild and crazy lifestyle once upon a time and it didn’t work out all that well for her, so now she’s concentrating on furthering her career with a trip to London to speak at a conference.

Billionaire Alex Lancaster enjoys life in the fast lane and always gets what he wants. Libby doesn’t know that he’s had his eye on her work for awhile and planned this little foray for her so he could request her assistance on a project that’s near and dear to his heart. When instant attraction sizzles between them, he’s more than happy to sweeten the pot with a fling!

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* Review * OUT OF THE DARKNESS by Heather Graham

February 7, 2018 Leave a Comment

Out of the Darkness by Heather Graham
Series: The Finnegan Connection
Published by Harlequin Intrigue on February 1, 2018
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A love rekindled…or a deadly reunion?

Even after a decade, Sarah Hampton is haunted by the night that nearly ended in a bloody massacre and destroyed her high school romance with handsome Tyler Grant. Now the horror has returned. It’s a reckoning from the events of that terrifying night—and a love they never let go. Only this time Tyler must protect Sarah from the killer hiding in the darkness…or lose her forever.

One night of terror changed their lives forever … and with one new crime, it’s all chasing after them again! A decade after a tragic event sent them all into their own downward spiral, a group of friends are reunited and begin to put the pieces together of that night and figure out who is coming for them now. The characters and underlying plot are very intriguing and keep you reading to see what’s going to happen next. It was fairly loosely written and could have been tweaked into a tighter story, but overall an interesting read!

Writer Sarah Hampton feels the past is coming back to haunt her when memories of a long-ago night are dredged up and relived over and over again with the friends and family that were there with her when youthful innocence was stolen and dreams were shattered.

Private investigator Tyler Grant can’t deny the feelings he still has for Sarah as soon as he catches sight of her. His high school sweetheart, the one he thought he would share his future with until that night destroyed everything. Now the horror they lived is back and they’re all in danger!

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* Review * THE ART OF RUNNING IN HEELS by Rachel Gibson

February 7, 2018 Leave a Comment

The Art of Running in Heels by Rachel Gibson
Published by Avon on December 26, 2017
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Running in five-inch stilettos is an art form

Leaving your fiancé at the altar on live television is a disaster. Lexie Kowalsky thought she was ready to get married in front of millions of people, but at the last minute she fled the set of television’s hottest reality show, Gettin’ Hitched. Wearing a poofy white dress and a pair of five-inch sparkly shoes, Lexie hopped a float plane for Sandspit, Canada. She figured no one would find her there. But she was wrong.

Sharing her flight was the Seattle Chinooks biggest star, Sean Knox. Lexie wasn’t just a reality-show runaway, she was his pain in the butt coach’s daughter. She was chaos and temptation and definitely off limits, but getting her luscious body out of that wedding gown, he couldn’t resist getting her in his bed for one amazing night.

Then a photo of Sean and Lexi breaks the internet—and suddenly they’re both swept up in a crazy plan to spin the whole story. But you can’t run from love—

Sassy & fun! I could have done with a little more concentration of actual hockey, but the people were a treat regardless. It was easy to connect with Lexie & Sean and his mother, she was an unexpected delight! Lots of drama, laughter and some steamy chemistry to round it all out!

Leaving a groom standing at the alter seems to run in the family! Alexis Kowalsky can’t seem to get out of the mess she got herself into, so she feels like she has no other choice than to just run! In her wedding dress, in heels, in full tv makeup! This reality show idea of hers was quite the blunder!

Seattle Chinooks hockey player has no idea who Lexie is at first … and when he does figure it out, he doesn’t pony up their connection. She’s clueless to the fact that he’s on her father’s hockey team, so when things get heated between them while in Canada, she goes with the flow … but man does that come back to bite them when a picture hits the tabloids!

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* Review * FREE AGENT by Catherine Gayle

February 7, 2018 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * FREE AGENT by Catherine Gayle

Free Agent by Catherine Gayle
Series: Portland Storm
Published by Night Shift Publishing on February 8, 2018
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Can you fall in love when you’ve never loved yourself?

Universally misjudged, Blake Kozlow doesn’t let society get under his skin. After all, those misunderstandings have never affected his career. As a center for the Portland Storm, he’s lived his life as a Free Agent—particularly with women. But when he meets a gorgeous, curvy special education teacher, Blake realizes he’s finally met the one person who truly understands him.

Beatriz Castillo knows exactly what she wants—to teach her students that nothing can hold them back. A few years ago, her health was spiraling out of control, but Bea took her life back. Now, she uses her vivacious personality to prove to everyone, especially her students, that anything is possible.

Perpetually impulsive and spontaneous, Blake turns on the charm. But Bea’s unprepared to be on the receiving end of such brazen attention. As they grow closer and their attraction intensifies, their inner demons threaten everything. They’ve both always lived on the fringes of life. But moving forward will require Bea and Blake to step into the spotlight—together.

They’re like oil and water … but they work! It’s always fun to return to the Portland Storm series. It’s filled with a rugged group of down-to-earth hockey players and the families that love them. In this book, we get hot shot, mouthy Blake Kozlow’s story. He’s notorious for shooting off his mouth and saying things that people just can’t believe he actually said … but beneath it all, he’s truly a good guy. The characters were both easy to get drawn into, and the plot was enjoyable.

Blake Kozlow has never met a woman he didn’t love, and Bea Castillo is no exception! He turns on all of his best moves to try to win her over, but whatever he did to make her mad previously seems to be sticking around because she’s not giving an inch!

Special education teacher Beatriz Castillo really liked Koz when she was first introduced to him … until he put his foot in his mouth and said something that pushed all of her internal buttons and sent her on the run. She has issues that she’s dealing with all on her own, so the last thing she needs is some hockey player that thinks he’s God’s gift pretending to like her!

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* Review * SHATTERED FEAR by Tara Thomas

February 6, 2018 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * SHATTERED FEAR by Tara Thomas

Shattered Fear by Tara Thomas
Series: Sons of Broad Novella
Published by St. Martin's Paperbacks on February 6, 2018
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From romantic suspense author Tara Thomas comes the explosive first novella, Shattered Fear, in the brand-new romantic suspense Sons of Broad series.

Welcome to the sultry streets of Charleston, where simmering desire and dark danger rule...

Forbidden love never felt so good...

She’s got a killer to catch.
He just might be it.
Undercover detective Janie Roberts needs to find out for sure if Brent Taylor is a murderer.
Handsome, wealthy, and sexy-as-sin Brent Taylor.
She’s got to get close enough to learn his secrets.

But getting this close is dangerous in more ways than one…

Danger lurks right behind her … but is it him?? With the suspenseful kick-off novella to her Sons of Broad series, Tara Thomas introduces us to an undercover cop, the criminals she is staking out, and the man who has caught her eye … but what we don’t know yet, is who the bad guys really are! It’s a short introduction, but it gives us a good footing into the mystery and danger that is yet to come in the series. A promising start!

Detective Janie Roberts maybe be undercover, but not many people know that. When a handsome stranger strikes up a conversation, she’s leery about his motive … but as time passes and conversation happens, she starts to believe he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time … he couldn’t be wooing her, yet also be the bad guy … could he?

Brent Taylor is handsome, rich and the ultimate man about the town … but is he more than anyone ever suspected?

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* Review * FALLING FOR HIS CONVENIENT QUEEN by Therese Beharrie

February 2, 2018 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * FALLING FOR HIS CONVENIENT QUEEN by Therese Beharrie

Falling for His Convenient Queen by Therese Beharrie
Series: Conveniently Wed, Royally Bound #2
Published by Harlequin Romance on February 1, 2018
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Conveniently Wed, Royally Bound…

…until the queen melted the king’s heart

King Zacchaeus’s plan to marry Princess Nalini was purely to secure the alliance between their kingdoms—but his bride has ulterior motives! Nalini has no intention of settling for anything less than love, and she’ll enjoy every second of challenging the reluctant king to open his heart.

A royal match … whether she wants it or not! A quick and enjoyable read about a marriage of convenience that turns into a match made in heaven. The characters are easy to like, and I found myself pulled into their story fairly quickly. I would recommend reading the first book in this duet first before you read this one because there is a good bit of back story in the first that makes this one make more sense if you know it. A fitting ending!

When King Zacchaesus of Kirtida insists on the hand of Princess Nalini of Mattan in marriage in order for the alliance between their Isles to stay in tact, he doesn’t expect anything more than a marriage of convenience, but he gets more than he bargained for in his bride to be!

Princess Nalini volunteers to take one for the team and wed the King even thought her family is against the union. She can’t stand the thought of a cold and loveless marriage though, so she sets out to get to know King Zac … and winds up helping him more than he ever expected!

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* Review * REUNITED WITH HER PARISIAN SURGEON by Annie O’Neil

February 2, 2018 Leave a Comment

Reunited with Her Parisian Surgeon by Annie O'Neil
Published by Harlequin Medical Romances on February 1, 2018
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Raphael’s heart was lost…

Until he found Maggie again!

Brooding surgeon Dr. Raphael Boucher finds his way to Sydney and the one woman he could never forget. Working together it’s clear Maggie Louis is the only one who can make him feel alive again. But first Raphael must return to Paris and resolve his past before they can finally be together.

A man haunted by his demons has nothing to lose! With her latest, Annie O’Neil goes a little darker than we might be used to from her, but she makes it workl! From the beginning we’re faced with a man who it seems almost hates himself for his perceived failure in the past and is flitting from place to place trying to find salvation. Maggie comes in as a saving grace for him in that she shows him that he still has a place and that things can happen to anyone and we have to pick back up and go on. The beginning of the story was a little slow, and even a tad confusing, but once Maggie came into the picture and we got a good feel for what had happened, things began to move along more smoothly and it gave an enjoyable story. I enjoyed seeing them relive some of their happy times together and see not only their love develop, but also see her family reconnect in a positive way!

Surgeon Raphael Boucher can’t forget the one decision he made that has changed his life forever … nor can he forgive himself. He took leave from his successful career and has been traveling the world trying to find a purpose, but nothing seems to be able to overcome the despondency he feels. He finally decides to go to the one person that he has never been able to forget, no matter how many miles or years have been between them.

Paramedic Maggie Louis has thought of Raphael fondly throughout the years. One magical year in his company has been enough to fuel her memories in the less happy times that have followed. When she sees Raphael, she can’t believe it’s the same person … he’s obviously troubled by something, and she’s not going to take no for an answer in finding out what it is and getting him on the way towards overcoming it!

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* Review * STRANDED WITH HER GREEK TYCOON by Kandy Shepherd

February 2, 2018 3 Comments

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * STRANDED WITH HER GREEK TYCOON by Kandy Shepherd

Stranded with Her Greek Tycoon by Kandy Shepherd
Published by Harlequin Romance on February 1, 2018
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One night to win back his wife!

Can Hayley resist Cristos’s seductive charms?

After the demise of her marriage, Hayley fled to nurse her broken heart. Now she’s back to ask her husband, Cristos Theofanis, for a divorce—but he has other ideas! When a storm hits and they’re stranded together, Cristos has one night to prove himself. Can Hayley resist the temptation of Cristos’s kiss or will she find herself back in his arms?

Quite a reunion story! I was instantly drawn into the drama of a wife arriving to ask for a divorce. You know from the start it’s bound to churn mixed emotions and bring up the past they have barely moved forward from back into the present. The characters were both flawed in their thinking and understanding of each other, but each still holding on to the whirlwind love that they had shared. The story is heartbreaking, yet endearing. Really enjoyed it!

Cristos Theofanis has spent the last couple of years pining for what might have been with his estranged wife and wishing he had handled things better with her. He searched high and low for her when she fled their home, but has never been able to find where she settled. Imagine his surprise when she unexpectedly turns up at a family event!

Hayley Clements has spent her time away from Cristos healing her heart and finding a way to pick up the pieces after the heartbreak she suffered. She’s only here to see him to ask him to sign divorce papers, and had no clue she was walking into the middle of a festivity! When poor weather leaves her stranded on an island in his company, they find the time to talk about what they went through and the misunderstandings they each took out of it all. Will they find a way to heal their rift or is this just a peaceful goodbye?

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