Book Reviews – Page 267

* Review * THE MILLIONAIRE’S ROYAL RESCUE by Jennifer Faye

February 28, 2017 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * THE MILLIONAIRE’S ROYAL RESCUE by Jennifer Faye

The Millionaire's Royal Rescue by Jennifer Faye
Series: Mirraccino Marriages
Published by Harlequin Romance on March 1, 2017
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Tempted by the rebellious royal…

Millionaire Grayson Landers has fled the paparazzi back home—only to find himself in another media storm: rescuing the king's niece from a thief!

Lady Annabelle DiSalvo is no pampered princess—she's come to the Mediterranean island of Mirraccino to solve the mystery of her mother's death. Grayson can't help but want to assist her. Plagued by guilt over not being able to save his ex, this is his chance for redemption. Only he absolutely cannot fall for her and risk his heart again…unless it's already too late!

A royal rescue sets the stage for two unlikely hearts find each other! A fun read with a little bit of intrigue mixed into the romance.

Millionaire Grayson Landers thought escaping the United States for awhile would end his need to hide from a pack of reporters, but the next thing you know, he’s in the middle of another media blitz because he just rescued the king’s niece from a thief!

Lady Annabelle Di Salvo is very thankful to the handsome stranger, and when she realizes he’s the man she’s supposed to be meeting with for some possible development in the country, she’s happy to get to see him again! As they enjoy each other’s company, Annabelle comes across some clues that might lead to information in her mother’s murder. She can’t turn her back on trying to figure out if there’s something to it, and Grayson agrees to help her.

He is reeling from some past trauma himself, and her infinity to not care about the consequences and place herself in danger again and again doesn’t sit well with him. Will they be able to overcome their differences when sparks fly and see where this attraction might lead?

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* Review * THE BASTARD BILLIONAIRE by Jessica Lemmon

February 28, 2017 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * THE BASTARD BILLIONAIRE by Jessica Lemmon

The Bastard Billionaire by Jessica Lemmon
Series: Billionaire Bad Boys #3
Published by Forever on February 28, 2017
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Beauty and the Beastly Billionaire . . .

Eli Crane is one tough bastard. After an explosion left him injured and honorably discharged from the Marines, all he wants is to be left alone. Yet his brothers insist he take a greater role in the family business. They've hired him ten personal assistants-and Eli sent each one packing as fast as possible. But when beautiful number eleven walks through the door, Eli will do anything to make her stay.

Isabella Sawyer's employment agency can't afford to lose Eli Crane's business. Her plan: to personally take on the role of his PA, and secure her reputation with the wealthy elite in Chicago. But this beauty and her hot billionaire bad boy soon find themselves mixing business with pleasure in the most delicious ways. And passionate, stubborn Isabella won't rest until she tames this wicked beast . . .

Another awesome Crane brother! I have loved this entire series and just can’t fathom that it’s over … can’t we find a long lost sibling somewhere? 🙂 The characters are great, the family connection is so heartwarming, and the chemistry is off the charts! There was some weakness in the plot in that he really had too easy of a transition back into real life with no PTSD, etc. other than a little survivor’s guilt, but overall it was a great book!

Former Marine Elijah Crane is not adjusting well to being home. He worked hard to heal after the injury that ended his military career, and now he just wants people to leave him alone. He does NOT want to take on a roll in the family business no matter how much his brother’s continue to harass him about it. They keep sending one personal assistant after another to his home office to try to get him doing work and he keeps running them off … until she walks in the door …

Isabella Sawyer’s employment agency is soon going to get a bad reputation for all of the assistant’s the Crane’s are going through, so she decides to take matters into her own hands and shows up herself as the next assistant for Eli. Her no nonsense attitude catches his attention immediately and soon he doesn’t want her to leave! They end up being good for each other and their passion is mega hot … but can it lead to anything real?

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* Review * NO DARKER PLACE by Debra Webb

February 27, 2017 Leave a Comment

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* Review * NO DARKER PLACE by Debra Webb

No Darker Place by Debra Webb
Series: Shades of Death
Published by MIRA on February 28, 2017
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They want revenge. They need each other.

Detective Bobbie Gentry has one objective: to stop the serial killer who robbed her of her husband, her child and her life. Nick Shade understands Bobbie's pain—and her desire for vengeance. He's on a mission of his own, and the murderer known as the Storyteller is next on his list. Nick knows that the best way to find his target is to stick close to Bobbie. But as she becomes more and more reckless in her attempts to lure the Storyteller out of hiding, he has to make a choice. Will he protect her from herself even if it means passing up the chance to take out one more monster? As for Bobbie, she's forced to decide just how much she can trust this stranger who knows so much about her. And both of them are about to learn whether or not two broken people can save each other.

An intense continuation of The Storyteller’s reign of terror! If you haven’t read the prologue to this series THE BLACKEST CRIMSON, I highly recommend reading that one as well. It was a great kick off that had us already invested in Bobbie Gentry’s story when this one started. The characters are well developed and the plot is thick. You will not want to put it down until you get to the end!

Detective Bobbie Gentry is alive for one reason … to bring down the man that took her family from her. She lives and breathes revenge and will not stop until “The Storyteller” is no longer killing innocent people!

Nick Shade has a secret past that no one knows about, but it is the reason he has a life mission of bringing as many serial killing monsters to justice as he can. He knows he can help Bobbie Gentry, but as “The Storyteller” closes in, she begins to unravel even more. Will he be able to keep her safe long enough to catch the guy, or is she too determined to bring him down no matter what the cost to herself?

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* Author Spotlight * THROWING LIGHT by K A Servian

February 27, 2017 1 Comment

Throwing Light by K A Servian
Published by Sweetpea Publishing on February 13, 2017
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Grace is in turmoil. She's trying to come to terms with her mother's death and handle the unexpected arrival of her ex-boyfriend when a mystery document she finds in a box in the attic turns her life on its head and raises questions she is compelled to answer.

In her search for the truth, she stumbles into the middle of a missing person cold case in a small town where the inhabitants have kept a secret to protect one of their own for twenty-five years. Grace's investigation unearths long-held rivalries and opens old wounds, causing the past to collide with the present with terrifying results.

When did you know that you wanted to be an author?

I’ve always had a vivid imagination and endless curiosity. I enjoyed creative writing at school but tucked it away for many years while I pursued a career in fashion design and applied arts. About two and a half years ago, an idea for one scene about half-way through my first novel formed in my head. I decided to try writing a manuscript incorporating that scene, just to see if I could. What started out as an experiment, turned into an obsession and soon I was writing daily, taking courses and working with a developmental editor.

Are there any specific authors that you feel inspired you in your love of books and inspired you to write yourself?

I love Eleanor Catton’s (The Rehearsal, The Luminaries) writing, her descriptive prose is mouthwatering, Ken Follett is an amazing writer. The detail in his books is mind blowing. Jane Austen’s novels are so witty, charming and ground-breaking in terms of women’s literature and I must also include Margaret Mitchell because ‘Gone with the Wind’ is a masterpiece.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not writing?

Anything creative – Pattern making, sewing, jewellery making, screen-printing. I do and teach these subjects.

If you could take a dream vacation anywhere you wanted, where would it be?

I’m a home body. A holiday at home is my idea of paradise.

What did you do to celebrate publishing your first novel?

Nothing, I was in the midst of completing an assignment for my Advanced Diploma in Creative Writing.

AUTHOR BIO:

After a twenty-plus-year career in the applied arts industry, including owning her own fashion and jewellery labels, Kathy decided to turn her creative skills to writing fiction.

Her first novel, Peak Hill, was a finalist in the Romance Writers of New Zealand Pacific Hearts Full Manuscript contest in 2016.

Kathy now squeezes full-time study for an advanced diploma in applied writing in around writing novels and short stories, teaching sewing and pattern making and being a wife and mother.

FOLLOW LINKS:

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Join K A Servian’s Newsletter and get a free copy of: Missing the Obvious.

GOODREADS GIVEAWAY:

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/enter_choose_address/225139-throwing-light

Enter to win one of two print copies!

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* Review * WISHES AT FIRST LIGHT by Joanne Rock

February 26, 2017 Leave a Comment

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* Review * WISHES AT FIRST LIGHT by Joanne Rock

Wishes at First Light by Joanne Rock
Series: Heartache, TN
Published by Harlequin Superromance on March 1, 2017
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Starting over, one wish at a time…

Gabriella Chance has devoted her life to helping others overcome traumatic events. Now it's her turn. Gabby's come home to Heartache, Tennessee, to finally face her past. She finds solace in an unlikely ally, her high school crush, Clayton Travers. But while Clay wants to be Gabby's refuge, he's returned to Heartache to confront his own demons. With so many painful secrets in their past, can they hope to wish for a happy future…together?

With her latest Heartache, TN novel, Joanne Rock takes us through another emotional journey of heartache, healing and finding justice! She weaves an addictive story centering around this small town and it’s core families and how they deal with finding love, family drama, town corruption, etc. Great characters and riveting drama keep out attention and keep us wanting more from this town!

Gabriella Chance left Heartache, TN a decade ago after a traumatizing event and didn’t look back. Now she’s returning home to finally face her past and make the demons stop chasing her. She received comfort and support from the one she is most surprised to find back in town … her high school crush!

Clayton Travers also let memories chase him out of town many years ago and is only returning now under duress. He wants to get in, get the things done that he needs to do and then head back out of town as soon as he can. Finding Gabriella back in town changes that in the blink of an eye. So many feelings race back into his body just at the sight of her. Will they be able to confront the past and move forward with their future … possibly together?

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* Review * SWEET VICTORY by Gina L Maxwell

February 26, 2017 Leave a Comment

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* Review * SWEET VICTORY by Gina L Maxwell

Sweet Victory by Gina L. Maxwell
Series: Fighting for Love #4
Published by Entangled: Brazen on February 27, 2017
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Confident but distrustful Sophie Caldwell needs help if she’s going to save her family business. Her grandma left one rule for Sophie to maintain ownership from her uncle before she’s thirty: get married. But how does she get her uncle off her ass when she's only twenty-seven and hasn’t had a boyfriend in years?

Lean, cut, British-born MMA fighter Xander James has never lost a fight, and he’s not about to start now. On the brink of a comeback to be a UFC champion, his landlord wants to take away his last chance by shutting down his gym. No. Hell no. Fortunately, his landlord’s niece has a problem of her own. Time for a proposal she can’t refuse.

HOT!! You won’t want to miss this sexy, tearing up the sheets read from Gina L Maxwell. If you’ve been following this series you’ll recognize several characters, and you’ll share in the disappointment that it’s the end of the road with the last book in the series.

Sophie Caldwell is a strong independent gal that doesn’t take crap from anybody, but all of a sudden she finds herself in quite the pickle and needing some help. Her uncle is trying to sell her inheritance right out from under her! There is only one stipulation in her grandmother’s trust that can save the family business … she has to get married! With no man in sight, Sophie is at a loss of what to do when help comes from the most unexpected place.

MMA fighter and gym owner, Xander James has been lusting after Sophie from afar ever since he moved in across the street from her shop. He’s in the middle of a hard push to make it back to his former UFC championship level when he finds out his landlord, Sophie’s uncle, is trying to play this game with her which would also force his gym and other businesses to close. Dire straights call for quick thinking … and offering up a proposal he never expected to make!

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* Review * GAME CHANGER by Jami Davenport

February 26, 2017 1 Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * GAME CHANGER by Jami Davenport

Game Changer: Seattle Steelheads Football by Jami Davenport
Series: Game On in Seattle Book 7
Published by Cedrona Enterprises on February 28, 2017
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When horse racing and football collide, Hunter McCoy, star tight end of the Seattle Steelheads and neophyte horse owner, finds himself in a battle of wills with a sexy horsewoman and a stubborn, champion Thoroughbred.

In order to save the farm and fulfill her dying mother's wish, Kate Vanderhof-Carrigan’s Thoroughbred has to beat Hunter's horse in the Derby, an easy enough feat until her heart entered the race.

Lilli McCoy, Hunter's sister, has been burned by men before, but she'd believed her last boyfriend was The One. He wasn't. He couldn't deal with Lilli's disability and used her blindness as tool to cheat on her. Reeling from the betrayal, Lilli returns home to lick her wounds. She hadn't factored in the instant attraction she’d feel for her brother's playboy teammate, Cameron Swift. One playboy in her life should've been enough.

A new delve into horse racing from one of my favorite sports authors! A really enjoyable read that takes you through the trials and tribulations of falling in love but being in denial about it, and when to let yourself trust that you’ve truly found “the one”. If you are coming to this book expecting your typical football engrossed novel, you will not find it. There’s a very moderate amount of football talk or action in this story … but there is a large presence of horse racing in it. I was slightly thrown when a 2nd hero’s perspective started being shown, but I soon caught on with what was going on and went with the flow … and in the end, the 2nd side story was just as sweet as the first! 🙂

Seattle Steelheads tight end Hunter McCoy has been all about family and football for a long time now, but he has a new passion in his life that he’s brought his sister Lilli and a few of his friends and teammates along for the ride on. He’s the majority owner in a Derby contender race horse with several of them having part ownership. He’s sure they are going to win the Kentucky Derby this year … but then he meets someone who is sure SHE is going to win!

Kate Vanderhof-Carrigan comes from a long line of horse breeding and championship training at her family’s Kentucky farm. She has one last chance to save the farm … and honor her mother’s dying wish … she has to win the Derby this year!! A friendly competition abounds with a good bit of a love hate relationship going on with Hunter and Kate. Will they be able to agree to disagree and find some common ground in the end? And when his sister falls for one of his teammates, will he be able to keep his cool and not lose a friend … and his sister?

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* Review * DELICIOUS SATISFACTION by Sabrina Sol

February 26, 2017 Leave a Comment

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* Review * DELICIOUS SATISFACTION by Sabrina Sol

Delicious Satisfaction by Sabrina Sol
Series: Delicious Desires #3
Published by Entangled: Brazen on February 27, 2017
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As LA’s hottest up-and-coming chef, Alexa Montoya is known for her ruby red lipstick, award-winning arroz con pollo and a penchant for falling for the wrong kind of men. And when a confrontation with a loser ex-boyfriend lands her in some legal trouble, she’s forced to call her long-time friend, Dante Perez, to bail her out. Only this time, Dante seems different, somehow. More gorgeous, more sexy, more…mouthwateringly irresistible. Suddenly she’s tempted to give the lawyer much more than a simple thank you…

Dante is tired of seeing Alexa with guys who only know how to steal her money and break her heart. He’s watched--and waited for--her long enough. Helping with her legal situation will finally give him a chance to win her over for good. His plan? He’ll seduce her into finally believing that there’s something deliciously right between them…

Despite their chemistry, Alexa can’t trust that Dante won’t leave. But Dante knows how to win a case. And he’ll do whatever it takes to convince Alexa that she’ll always leave him hungry for more…

A sexy take on a friends to lovers story with a hint of a reunion mixed in! Sabrina Sol brings a lot of culture to the recipe to take us deep into the mind of this hot tempered beauty! The characters are fun and their chemistry is HOT!

Chef Alexa Montoya isn’t known for keeping her cool. Her reputation for acting before she thinks proceeds her well, and just when she’s starting to aim to do better, she has a run in with an ex and explodes! Thankfully she has a friend who is a lawyer to get her out of the mess she has dug for herself.

Attorney Dante Perez has known Alex since he was roommates with her brother in college. They have history and attraction between them, but she’s famous for pushing him away. He’s tired of sitting back and watch her put herself out there for loser after loser only to have her heart broken again. Will he have any luck making her see him for the great guy he is this time around?

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* Review * THE HOT ONE by Lauren Blakely

February 23, 2017 Leave a Comment

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* Review * THE HOT ONE by Lauren Blakely

The Hot One by Lauren Blakely
Published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform on February 27, 2017
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At first glance, stripping naked at my ex-girlfriend's place of work might not seem like the brightest way to win her back.
But trust me on this count - she always liked me best without any clothes on. And sometimes you've got to play to your strengths when you're fighting an uphill battle. As a lawyer, I know how to fight, and I'm prepared to fight hard for her. I might have let her slip through my fingers the last time, but no way will that happen twice.
He's the one who got away...
The nerve of Tyler Nichols to reappear like that, stripping at my job, showing off his rock hard body that drove me wild far too many nights. That man with his knowing grin and mischievous eyes is nothing but a cocky, arrogant jerk to saunter back into my life. Except, what if he's not...?
He's the one I've tried like hell to forget but just can't. Maybe I'm cursed to remember him. My money is on him being the same guy he always was, but what's the harm in giving him a week to prove he's a new man? I won't fall for him again.
But how do you resist the hot one...

A sexy, fun read about reuniting with a lost love! The characters were a lot of fun to get to know, and they had a sizzling amount of chemistry to show for themselves.

Attorney Tyler Nichols thought he was happy … until happenstance brought HER back into his life. The one that made his life complete all those years ago. The one that he mistakenly pushed out of his life. The one whose heart he regrets breaking.

Delaney likes to think she’s over him. She tells people she is. She acts like she is. But late at night when she needs a vision in her mind, it’s him she sees. Now here he is trying to get her to talk to him … to forgive him. He’s the jerk that broke her heart! Why would she want to have that back in her life again? He’s just the same guy he always was … or is he? Is it possible he could have changed? She’s hesitant to let him get close enough to find out … but what if she lets the world she always wanted slip right through her fingers?

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* Review * UNDER SHADOW OF DOUBT by Juanita Kees

February 23, 2017 Leave a Comment

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* Review * UNDER SHADOW OF DOUBT by Juanita Kees

Under Shadow Of Doubt by Juanita Kees
Series: Under The Law Book 1
Published by Escape Publishing on February 25, 2017
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She might be the biggest star in Australia, but she never forgot the small town she came from, or the man she left behind...

Peta Johnson may be rich, famous, and adored, but it doesn’t protect her when the man she married turns out to be a monster. With her little girl missing, Peta will do anything to get her back — including returning to the small Western Australian town she vowed never to see again.

Jaime Caruso left his heart in Williams when he left to pursue a military career, but it soon shrivelled and died when he discovered the girl he loved didn’t love him enough to wait. Back in town to help his ailing father, Jaime struggles with the memories and plans to leave — permanently — as soon as possible.

But then Peta returns and Jaime gets swept up into the nightmare she is living. Feelings long buried soon bubble to the surface, and as they race to save the life of the daughter Jaime doesn’t know is his, they must decide if life — and love — really does give second chances.

A powerful reunion story! We’re met with intrigue from the start as they search for her kidnapped daughter. There are some holes in the plot throughout the book when big things are brought up and never developed, but overall it was a fast paced, action packed story with interesting characters.

Peta Johnson wanted a good life and thought she would enjoy that with her daughter and husband, but instead he turned into a man she didn’t recognize. Now her daughter is in danger and she’ll do anything to get her back!

Jaime Caruso was Peta’s high school sweetheart, but he walked out on her to join the military and never looked back … or so she thought. He happens to be back in town to help his ailing father just when Peta needs him most … to help rescue the daughter he didn’t even know he had!

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