MY REVIEW:  

4 STARS!

An intriguing story that keeps you guessing and trying to figure out who is guilty of what throughout.  Lots of protective shields are in place that have to be torn down to let life in again.

Chantel Harris is a tough girl cop in Santa Raquel who is going undercover among the city’s elite to try to bring an abuser to justice.

Colin Fairbanks is a lawyer who is part of that inner circle, and the attraction they feel towards each other at first sight is Chantel’s lucky break and her way into the group she needs to infiltrate.

Chantel’s intent is to find out the specifics of one particular crime, but stumbles upon a years old cover-up that is entwined among the people she is interested in.  Will Colin forgive her once he finds out she’s a fake?

**  Received free in exchange for an honest review  **

MY REVIEW:

4 STARS!

A sweet read about finding your way home again, even if you have to overcome a lot of heartache and stubbornness to be able to do it.

Nora Hoffman is almost trampled in a stampede of wild horses one night, and who does she find guilty of releasing them?  Her old college sweetheart who she hasn’t seen since he dumped her to run off and save the rain forest all those years ago!

Todd Williams has no clue that anyone is there that night when he’s trying to help the wild mustangs, but he sure is relieved when Nora is not injured.  He can’t believe she’s there, and he’s so happy to reconnect with her … and surprised to feel that old stirring of attraction.

**  Received free in exchange for an honest review  **

4 1/2 STARS!

Such an emotional book!  I cried for her loss, I felt sorry for her having so much thrust on her at once, I felt angry at her attitude towards Tanner, and most of all, I felt joy that they were all getting a second chance.

Claire Shelton has moved back to her Dad’s place to get things settled after he suffers a stroke.  She’s discovered that he’s been hiding mountains of debt from her and the only option is to sell to get out from under it.

Tanner Hayes broke Claire’s heart 10 years ago to follow the rodeo.  She’s very unhappy to see him because she’s afraid he’ll find out her secret … and once she hears the plans he and her father have to save the place, she’s even more angry.

Will Tanner be able to heal her broken heart and earn a second chance with her?  And when he finds out what she’s been keeping secret all these years, will he be able to forgive her?

**  Received free in exchange for an honest review  **

His Kind of Cowgirl
By: Karen Rock

Releasing March 1, 2016
Harlequin: Heartwarming

BLURB:

 Would he still love her…if he knew?

Tanner Hayes smashed Claire’s life to pieces when he chose the rodeo over her ten years ago. And now he’d wrecked her truck! Fantastic. She’d lost her husband, the family ranch was mired in debt, her father was recuperating from a stroke and her son was being bullied. Why not throw a reckless bull rider into the mix?

All she’d wanted was a safe, stable life. But with Tanner back in town—and staying on her ranch—nothing was safe, or under control. Not the feelings she’d fought so hard to forget. Not the son she was determined to protect. And certainly not her long-held secret…

Link to Follow Tour:  http://www.tastybooktours.com/2016/01/his-kind-of-cowgirl-by-karen-rock.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28397519-his-kind-of-cowgirl

Buy Links:  Amazon | B & N | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/His-Kind-Cowgirl-Karen-Rock/dp/0373367791/ref=tmm_mmp_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1452090269&sr=8-1

B&N:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/his-kind-of-cowgirl-karen-rock/1122567968?ean=9780373367795

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Karen_Rock_
His_Kind_of_Cowgirl?id=coJqCgAAQBAJ

iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/his-kind-of-cowgirl/id1033214472?mt=11

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/his-kind-of-cowgirl

EXCERPT:

Everything happened at once and in slow motion.

A crushing jolt shuddered through the truck. Her wheels skidded sideways. She smacked against the window when her pickup rolled down an embankment, as if punched by something large and lethal. Glass rained deadly sharp. The earth tumbled around her, her truck in spin cycle. When a massive tree loomed, the Chevy slammed into it then stilled.

Winded and stunned, she hung upside-down in her lap belt, blood, metallic and warm, on her tongue, a rushing sound whistling in her ears. Her heartbeat changed and grew slow and rolling in darkness. Something hurt, a long way away. Then nothing.

“Ma’am. Ma’am. Are you all right?” A man’s voice shouted, rousing her. She tried turning her head but pain held it in place. When she opened her mouth, silent panic flew out.

“Hold on. I’m getting you out of there.”

Acrid smoke pierced her consciousness. She closed her eyes against the billowing grit.

This wasn’t happening. It was a dream. No. A nightmare.

A tugging motion jerked her right and left, followed by a ripping sound. Large hands halted her sudden fall.

“Got you.”

Her rescuer cradled her against his chest, his breaths heaving beneath her ear. After carrying her some distance, he lowered her slowly to the ground. Grass scraped against her stinging cheeks and she opened her eyes.

“What?” she croaked, then swiped at the trickle leaking from her mouth. A man wearing a cowboy hat hunched over her, his features blurred.

“You’ve been in an accident. We have. Our trucks collided in the intersection.”

“My truck!” She bolted upright and clutched the swirling ground.

An arm snaked around her back and eased her down. “I called the dispatcher. The fire department’s on the way.”

A wail sounded in the distance and Claire wanted to shriek with it.

Her special day. Her anniversary. Ruined. No. Demolished by this…this…

She squinted upward and focused. A dark swirl of hair brushed across the tall man’s forehead; a light scar zigzagged down his square jaw. Recognition zapped through her.

It couldn’t be…

“Tanner?”

“Hello, Claire.” His mouth went up, just a fraction—the same ready-for-anything smile that had once undone her.

She closed her eyes, heart thudding. Ten years since she’d vowed never to see him again…and now here he stood, two for two in wrecking her life.

AUTHOR INFO:

Karen Rock is an award-winning YA and adult contemporary romance author. She holds a master’s degree in English and was an ELA instructor before becoming a full-time writer. Currently she writes for Harlequin Blaze and Harlequin Heartwarming. Her novel, A LEAGUE OF HER OWN, won the 2015 National Excellence in Romance Fiction award in contemporary romance series and the 2015 Bookseller’s Best award for contemporary romance, long.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

Website:  http://www.karenrock.com/

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/karenrockwrites

Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/karenrock5

GoodReads:  http://www.goodreads.com/karenrockauthor

RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY:

A $50 Amazon Gift Card, and autographed print copies of HIS HOMETOWN GIRL, RAISING THE STAKES and WISH ME TOMORROW

a Rafflecopter giveaway

5 STARS!

A great friends-to-lovers story!  I enjoyed getting to dig into the life of the 2nd Reynaud brother and follow him on his journey to discovering what was right under his nose for years. 🙂

Adelaide Thibodeaux grew up with Dempsey Reynaud and they have remained friends for what seems like forever.  She has been his assistant for years, and now that he’s settled in as Head Coach of the New Orleans Hurricanes, she’s ready to spread her wings and do her own thing … only Dempsey doesn’t want to let her go.

To stop Addy from resigning, Dempsey announces their engagement to the press … only they aren’t engaged and have never been anything but friends and boss/employee.  She doesn’t call his bluff because she doesn’t want to cause a scandal, so Dempsey takes advantage of that and moves her into his home for a few weeks.  Will the crush she’s had on him rear it’s head again?  And when Dempsey feels a hit of attraction when he touches her, will he decide to act on it?

**  Received free in exchange for an honest review  **

His Secretary’s Surprise Fiancé
Bayou Billionaires #2
By: Joanne Rock

Releasing March 1^st (Digital), March 8^th (Print)
Harlequin Desire

BLURB:

 Her boss wants her in his office—and as his bride!

Adelaide Thibodeaux grew up with Dempsey Reynaud, and she’s worked for him for years. But when the billionaire football coach springs a surprise engagement to keep her from resigning, it’s a low blow. Just as she’s ready to strike out on her own, she’s stuck in a fake relationship with her boss, biding her time…

But soon Adelaide faces a second blow: she’s actually falling for the man! Can a relationship founded on a lie become the real deal? Or will they fumble before the end zone—and stay in the friend zone?

Link to Follow Tour:  http://www.tastybooktours.com/2016/01/his-secretarys-surprise-fiance-bayou.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26891443-his-secretary-s-surprise-fianc

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/168229-bayou-billionaires

Buy Links:  Amazon | B & N | Google | iTunes | Kobo

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Secretarys-Surprise-Fianc-Bayou-Billionaires/dp/0373734492/ref=tmm_mmp_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

B&N:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/his-secretarys-surprise-fiance-joanne-rock/1122651876?ean=9780373734498

Google Play: https://books.google.com/books/about/His_Secretary_s_Surprise_Fianc%C3%A9_Mills_B.html?id=Nr_PCgAAQBAJ

iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/his-secretarys-surprise-fianc/id1044193759?mt=11

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/his-secretary-s-surprise-fiance

EXCERPT:

“You can’t leave now.” He didn’t have time to hash this out. And he would damn well have his way.

“I’m going after the press conference. I told you I would come back for the pre-season, and now it’s done.” Frowning, she twisted the bracelet round and round on her wrist. “I shouldn’t have returned this year at all, especially if this ends up causing hard feelings between us. But I can send your next assistant all my files.”

How kind. He clamped his mouth shut against the scathing responses that simmered, close to boiling over. He deserved better from her and she knew it.

But if she was going to see him through the press conference, he still had forty minutes to change her mind. Forty minutes to figure out a way to force her hand. A way to make her stay by his side through the season.

All he needed was the right play call.

“In that case, I appreciate the heads-up,” he said, planting his hands on her waist and shuffling her away from the door. “But I’d better get this press conference started now.”

Her eyes widened as he touched her, but she stepped aside, hectic color rising in her cheeks even though they’d always been just friends. He’d protected that friendship because it was special. She was special. He’d never wanted to sacrifice that relationship to something as fickle as attraction even though there’d definitely been moments over the years when he’d been tempted. But logic and reason—and respect for Adelaide—had always won out in the past. Then again, he’d never touched her the way he had today and it was messing with his head. Seeing that awareness on her face now, feeling the answering kick of it in his blood, made him wonder if—

“Of course we need to get to the conference.” She grabbed her earpiece and shoved it into place as she bit her lip. “Let’s go.”

He held the door for her, watching as she hurried up the hallway ahead of him, the subtle sway of her hips making his hands itch for a better feel of her. No doubt about it, she was going to be angry with him. In time, she would see he had her best interests at heart.

But he had the perfect plan to keep her close and the ideal venue—a captive audience full of media members—to execute it. As much as he regretted hurting a friend, he also knew she would understand at a gut level if she knew him half as well as he thought she did.

His game was on the line. And this was for the win.

AUTHOR INFO:

Three-time RITA nominee Joanne Rock has never met a romance sub-genre she didn’t like. The author of over seventy novels enjoys writing contemporary romance and medieval historicals alike, recently exploring Young Adult romance under a pseudonym. An optimist by nature and perpetual seeker of silver linings, Joanne finds romance–in all its forms– fits her life outlook perfectly. When she’s not writing, Joanne enjoys travel, especially to see her favorite sports teams play with her former sports editor husband and three athletic-minded sons.

 Author Links:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Website:  http://www.joannerock.com/
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/JoanneRockAuthor
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/JoanneRock6
GoodReads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/93455.Joanne_Rock

RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY:

Grand prize of Heart of Cooking recipes from authors, Vera Bradley pen, notebook and backlist book by Joanne Rock and a Second Prize – Downloads of two Runaway Bride stories by Catherine Mann & Joanne Rock

a Rafflecopter giveaway