BOOK REVIEW – A Friendly Arrangement – Christine Warner

A Friendly Arrangement

5 STARS!

It’s fun, it’s flirty, it’s hot … I loved it!

Once in awhile you read a book and instantly connect with the characters.  This was one of those for me.  From the minute I was introduced to Holly and Roth, I loved them.  They have a fun relationship that has you grinning as you read them give each other a hard time, and they are both just very relatable.  I could imagine being friends with both of them! 🙂

Holly Haggerty and Roth Esterly live across the hall from each other and are the best of buds.  They are alike in their thinking about life and just get each other.  Neither wants to ever have a serious relationship or a family.

Holly comes from a close knit family.  Really too close for her liking.  She adores her twin sister and two brothers as well as her parents and Gram, but they all just love to smother her with advice about finding a husband, having a family, and most often about working a more reliable job instead of her own business.

Roth is somewhat close with his younger brother and Mom, but very estranged from his older brother and his Dad before his death.  He’s single and loving it, but so tired of friends constantly trying to set him up with someone.

They come up with a plan to be each other’s “Plus One” when they have an event or function to go to.  Their friends will stop fixing them up because they will think they are already dating.  It’s perfect!  Until they start feeling super attracted to each other and decide to have a little fun one night.  No problem, they just decide they’ll tweak their agreement and become Plus One’s with benefits.

When they each start to realize they are having feelings for each other, will they decide to actually be in a relationship?  And when an unexpected complication is thrown into the mix, will they support each other through it, or will it be the end of their agreement … and maybe even their friendship?

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

BOOK REVIEW – Damage Control – Jess Anastasi

Damage Control

5 STARS!

I’m not generally much into sci-fi, but the description hooked me, so I gave it a try.  I must admit, I really enjoyed it!  I didn’t wind up putting it down until 4AM when I turned the final page.  Lots of intrigue & action with some hot sex thrown in to boot!

Leigh Alphin is the Captain of the Fighter Force of the battleship Valient Knox.  He’s worked hard to achieve all that he has and is considered a legend to new recruits.  When the enemy opens fire on an unarmed transport bringing in the new recruits, he rushes to help and risks himself to get the people on board rescued.  In the smoke filled transport, he stumbles across Recruit Mia Wolfe who is trying to get help for her unconscious friend Penny.  Leigh helps them get out and to the medical team.

After the chaos is all handled and calmness has restored, Leigh finds himself heading to the med level to check on how the recruits are doing … especially Mia.  They share a moment when he goes to her exam area, and he lets his guard down as he comforts her.  The next day, he discovers Mia has been assigned to his unit and he’s not happy about the close moment they had shared the day before, or about the attraction he feels pulling him to her every time he sees her.

Mia and her hacking ability ends up helping Leigh a great deal to try to track down who in his unit and on board the battleship is working for the enemy.  Their time together brings them closer and closer and they eventually give in to the passion that they can’t get off their minds when they are around each other.  Will their secret get out and cost him his job?  Will she be thrown out of the program?  And when danger strikes, will they be able to track down the enemy fast enough to keep everyone safe?

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

BOOK REVIEW – Protecting the Dream – Michelle Sharp

Protecting the Dream

4 STARS!

This novella length continuation of Jordan and Ty’s story does not have as much intrigue as the previous book, Dream Huntress did, but it’s a sweet story about them continuing their life together after the big drug investigation is over.  I still really enjoyed these characters, and liked seeing them push each others buttons, then fight and make-up.

Ty is supposed to be taking the hints Jordan dropped and whisking her away to a beach somewhere for their 2 week vacation together.  Instead, he blind folds her and takes her to a rundown estate that he’s loved since he was a kid.  He wants to buy it, renovate it and move in together.

Jordan knows she loves Ty, and she’s sharing more of herself with him than she ever has anyone in her life, but she’s terrified of taking that step.  When she starts seeing the spirit of the previous owners, will that intrigue her to want to take the chance on moving forward with Ty, or will she be scared even further away?

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

BOOK REVIEW – Dream Huntress – Michelle Sharp

Dream Huntress

5 STARS!

Really good book!  It’s exciting from the first page to the last as you try to figure out whether they are going to catch the bad guys or not, not to mention sexy HOT!  You won’t want to put it down!  I’m reviewing the 3rd book in the series for a Blog Tour in a couple of weeks, so I’m playing catch up.  After this one, I can’t wait to see more of Jordan and Ty in the 2nd & 3rd book!

Jordan Delany is going undercover as a cocktail waitress in a sleazy strip joint in Titus, Missouri.  She’s a detective with the St. Louis County narcotics division and is determined to bring down the drug ring surrounding this club.  When a customer gets too hands on, she meets Tyler McGee.

Ty is a hometown boy who was a local cop … only the story around town is that he was fired for failing a drug test.  He’s going undercover as the head bouncer of Buck’s NIghtclub to try to get the drugs that are ruining his town off the streets.

There’s an instant attraction when they meet, and eventually they grow to trust each other and start working together.  Both are still keeping secrets though.  Will they admit them before the secrets tear them apart or will the bad guys figure out who they are before they get a chance?

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

BOOK REVIEW – Playing With Fire – Alison Bliss

Playing With Fire

5 STARS!

Great read!  There’s hot sex, lots of intrigue as you try to figure out what Anna’s secrets are as well as what’s going on around the town.  Really good characters!

Anna Weber is new to Liberty, TX.  She has come to town to take a librarian position and be close to her friend Bobbie Jo for a bit.  She plans to move on in a few months.

Cowboy is an ornery, cocky cowboy, but boy is he adorable!  I can just imagine that grin on his face every time it’s mentioned.  He’s got quite the reputation around town for being a player, but that doesn’t stop Anna from getting flustered every time she’s in the same room as him.  She’s innocent and straight-laced and definitely not his normal type, but he doesn’t seem to be able to resist the draw to have her.

Just as they are allowing themselves to grow closer and hope for something more, everything blows up around them.  We learn what Anna has been hiding and why she’s on the run.  Will Anna take off again as she has planned, or will Cowboy convince her to stay and fight for them?

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

BOOK REVIEW – Calm Before the Storm – Larissa Ione – Rising Storm, Episode 5

Calm Before the Storm

4 STARS!

This episode centered around Marcus Alvarez coming back to town.

Marcus left town 6 years ago after one too many fights with his Dad because of how he treated his Mom.  He set off with no particular destination in mind and wound up working on a ranch in Montana for all these years.  The ranch owner took him under his wing and taught him how to be a better man.

He’s back now, at least for a visit, because things seem to be falling apart with his family now that his Dad up and left town with no warning.  One sister is acting out and mistreating their Mom, the other is feeling the pressure of taking care of their Mom and his Mom was worried about having enough money to pay the bills.

The next episode is sure to bring more excitement with the hints being dropped in this one!

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

BOOK REVIEW – Irresistible Deceptions – Mackenzie Crowne

Irresistible Deceptions

4 STARS!

Nicole Guimond Everson has been on the run and in hiding for 5 years.  Her son Alex has never known any other life. When she ventures too close to her old home and her location is exposed to her ex-husband Jonathan, she has to trust a stranger to help her keep her son safe.

Rhyder McLean has a history with Nicky’s ex-husband, but unfortunately doesn’t know the extent of what type of man he is until after he’s repaid a favor that he owed him.  After meeting Nicky and hearing the details of her life since leaving, he knows he was played for a fool, and that Jonathan is the one responsible for his brother’s death.

Vowing to find him and finally see justice served for all of the horrible things he’s done, Rhy and Nicky agree to work together.  Neither one can ignore the attraction they feel being around each other.  Will there be any future for either of them that will allow them to act on their feelings?  And when Nicky finds out the secret that Rhy has been hiding, will she even want to attempt a future with him?

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

BLOG TOUR – BOOK REVIEW/EXCERPT/GIVEAWAY – Montana Hearts: Her Weekend Wrangler – Darlene Panzera

Her Weekend Wrangler

4 STARS!

A heartwarming romance showcasing family love and loyalty.

Briana Collins has returned to her family ranch in Fox Creek, Montana along with her siblings because her father has been injured.  They all are led to believe he’s not doing well by their Mom, but arrive to find out that the scare is over and their Mom didn’t inform them because she wanted them to come home.  They all agree to stay for awhile to help their parents and grandma get the cabin rental business that they run on the ranch back on solid ground after some problems with the former managers.

Bree is forced to go asking for help from the one guy she doesn’t want to see.  She needs Ryan Tanner to help take guests out on horseback rides on the weekend.  Ryan and Bree have history from when they were in high school, so she’s not happy to have to ask him for help.  Ryan isn’t interested in the least in helping … until he comes up with the idea to have her help him with a problem as well.  He’s needing to train a horse for his aunt, but it hates men and won’t let him near it. Bree worked with horses in her youth and he knows she could help him if she wanted to.  Begrudgingly, they agree to trade services.

Lots of intrigue as things start to happen around both of their properties and they try to figure out who’s responsible and why.  Will Bree and Ryan decide to stop fighting their feelings and admit they want to be together, or will she decide to go back to NY to her old job?

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

 

 
 
 
MONTANA HEARTS: HER WEEKEND WRANGLER by Darlene Panzera
(on-sale 10/6, Avon Impulse)
 
Darlene
Panzera returns with a sweet new Western series perfect for fans of Debbie
Macomber’s heartwarming romances
 
Bree Collins has finally come home to Fox Creek,
Montana, to manage her family’s guest ranch. She knows she can handle any
challenges that come her way, but when the infuriating Ryan Tanner reappears in
her life, Bree suddenly has doubts about her ability to stay professional—and
away from the handsome cowboy.
 
Ryan Tanner is in a bind. He needs to train a
young foal for the upcoming show but its mother would rather bite his hand off.
Just his luck the cute cowgirl from his past arrives back in town. Bree just so
happens to have a reputation for taming animals of this nature. Ryan is willing
to make a deal with her, but he has no intention of being swayed by her sweet
smile or the tenderness she shows his young son.
 
Yet when fate brings them together, falling for
one another becomes the easiest thing in the world. Ryan might just want to
wrangle this cowgirl’s heart…but will Bree give him the chance?



 



AMAZON ** B&N ** HARPER COLLINS  
** GOOGLE PLAY  ** iBOOKS
Excerpt:
 She walked over and tugged on Puzzles and Games, a newer book wedged tightly between the thick,
dusty jackets of
The Secret History of
Yellowstone Country
, and Ranching
Ain’t What It Used To Be.
And the entire book case leaned toward her.
     Catching the frame of the shelves with her
hands, she spun around, and used her body weight to shove the burdensome book
beast back into position. But every time she stepped away, the case threatened
to fall. Somehow the bottom had become unbalanced. She glanced at the clerk
behind the counter and opened her mouth to call for help. Then Ryan Tanner
walked toward her and she involuntarily jumped in place.
     They’d grown up together, riding the same
school bus and sharing the same classes day after day right up through the
twelfth grade. But after high school she’d relocated to New York to attend
college. Then she put her business degree and love of fashion together to
snatch the assistant managerial position at the Manhattan branch of Silvain’s,
a national fashion retail conglomerate which specialized in hip clothing and
accessories. Over the years she’d run into Ryan only briefly during her
occasional visits home.
     And she had no desire to see him now.
     Ryan was the kind of guy a girl dreamed
about but could never have. At least not exclusively. He was a charmer who took
the opportunity to flirt with every female he met. And he’d tried to charm her the night of their high school
senior prom, the night her horse died, in an attempt to delay her from getting
home too soon…and saying goodbye.
     Of course, they were adults now, both
almost twenty-seven, she with her glowing resume and he with a seven-year-old
son. She thought she’d forgiven him and let bygones be bygones.
     She was wrong.
 

About Darlene:

DARLENE PANZERA writes sweet, fun-loving romance and is a member
of the Romance Writers of America’s Greater Seattle and Peninsula chapters. Her
career launched when her novella “The Bet” was picked by Avon Books and New
York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber to be published within Debbie’s
own novel, 
Family Affair. Darlene says, “I love writing stories
that help inspire people to laugh, value relationships, and pursue their
dreams.”

Born and raised in New Jersey, Darlene is now a resident of the Pacific
Northwest, where she lives with her husband and three children. When not
writing she enjoys spending time with her family and her two horses, and loves
camping, hiking, photography, and lazy days at the lake.
Join her on Facebook or at www.darlenepanzera.com


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BLOG TOUR – BOOK REVIEW/GIVEAWAY – Hot Shade – Tamara Lush

Hot Shade

4 STARS!

Luca Rossi is sitting on his balcony minding his own business, when he witnesses a small plane crash right on the beach in front of his house.  He is hesitant to call 911 because he doesn’t want to have to give his personal information, but he runs down there to see if he can help the guy that was mowed over.  The pilot is getting out of the plane as Luca approaches and he has him call 911 while he helps the guy.

Luca hurries back to his house as soon as he can because he doesn’t like being out in the open.  Unfortunately, people tell a reporter that the “Good Samaritan” might live around that area and Skylar Shaw comes nosing around.  Luca wants to get rid of her as quickly as possible because he wants to remain anonymous, but he finds himself being extremely attracted to her and can’t help but flirt.  He tries to resist her, but finds himself attempting to seduce her as the day goes on and he runs into her again.  Skylar likes him, but she doesn’t understand his secretive behavior and isn’t sure that she can trust him.

Will Luca decide to trust her with the secrets that have him on the run from the Italian Mafia, or will he decide to end things with her in order to keep her at arms length?  And will Sky decide that she trusts Luca enough to give herself to him even though she knows he’s keeping his life a secret from her?

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

 


KEYNOTE:
 
Journalist Skylar Shaw covers a plane crash on a Florida beach that leads her to a handsome yet mysterious Italian man…and the conspiracy that threatens all he holds dear.
 
BACK COVER COPY:
 
Romance is the last thing on reporter Skylar Shaw’s mind when she covers a plane crash on a Florida beach. Her best source could be a mysterious Italian man, but he’s strictly off the record—unless it involves indulging their electrifying attraction to each other. Little does Skylar know, but that crash is only the beginning.
 
Luca Rossi is hiding a big secret: He’s a journalist, too, and his anonymous exposé on the Mafia destroyed his world. Now, after two lonely years on the run, he will do anything to possess this vulnerable American beauty. But Skylar is as relentless as the Florida glare, and the situation ignites when she reports on a gruesome murder in a swamp. Soon erotic nights will bleed into dangerous days, and nowhere will be safe from the heat.
 
 
 
PURCHASE LINKS:
 
http://amzn.to/1RxRBx6
 
The author is a nationally known journalist and will be a featured author at the Times Festival of Reading in St. Petersburg, FL at the end of October. 
 
 
PODCAST 
 
 
 AUTHOR:
Tamara Lush is an award-winning journalist who first started writing in grade school, penning elaborate stories inspired by Raiders of the Lost Ark. After completing her undergraduate degree at Emerson College in Boston, she began her reporting career at a small, weekly newspaper in Massachusetts. Her work has appeared in The Village Voice, People Magazine, The St. Petersburg Times, The Boston Globe, USA Today and the Associated Press.
 
When Tamara isn’t writing or reading, she’s doing yoga, cooking for her Italian husband or chasing her dogs on a beach on Florida’s Gulf Coast. She loves connecting with people on social media.
 
 
MEDIA LINKS:
 
 

BOOK REVIEW – Dance in the Wind – Jennifer Probst – Rising Storm, Episode 4

Dance in the Wind

4 STARS!

This episode mostly centers around Logan Murphy returning to town from Afghanistan.  He’s welcomed with open arms as the hometown hero.  He feels drawn to Ginny Moreno and they begin to spend time together.  Ginny feels a closeness to him too, but feels guilty like she’s betraying Jacob’s memory.  She has a talk with her family and Jacob’s parents and decides to agree to date Logan.

We also learn a little more about his brother Patrick.  He’s the middle brother between Dillon and Logan, and always competitive.  He’s in love with Marisol Moreno who he’s been friends with for years, but she persists on keeping him at arms length and trying to deny their feelings for each other.

Looking forward to finding out more in the next episode!

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