Hot for the Fireman by Gina L. Maxwell My rating: 2 of 5 stars Ex-Army Ranger Erik Grady lives for the job. So when his chief at the Boston Fire Department offers him two choices—mandated therapy for supposed PTSD or a permanent desk job at the station, he reluctantly agrees to see a shrink. Only this doctor is unlike anything he expected. Female and curved in all the right places? Check. Hotter than a four-alarm fire? Check. The kind of woman that can heat his blood in and out of bed? Check, check. And oh, yeah, he just happens to have first hand experience... Of all the men to walk into psychologist Olivia Jones' office, why did it have to be him? Her one-night stand isn't playing by the rules of just. One. Night. She’s had her heart broken in the past, and no way is she going there again. And now he's blackmailing her into three dates? Well, if that's what it takes to make him see a different therapist, fine. She can handle it. So what if the chemistry between them is combustible? She's a professional, damn it. She'll date Mr. I'm Too Sexy For My Bunker Pants. But it won’t end in the fun he expects. It’s time to see how much heat this fireman can take... Wait. A. Minute. WTF? She's a therapist and he's her patient???? I can tell you, in all honesty, that this is FICTION for a reason....because it doesn't happen. Your one-night stand doesn't show up in your office to have therapy and if he does then you just tell him to mosey along. You don't let him blackmail you. I run a psychology practice and we don't hop into bed with our patients - it's unethical...it's not done. It's not worth losing your license over. Did I say it's unethical? I'm all for suspending reality in a book because it's...well fiction, but this just chapped my hide. For starters, it's taking advantage of someone who is already in a precarious position. A therapist is in a position of "authority" if you will. They are supposed to be your "safe place" and your place of refuge, not your place of sexy time. Now, I'm really at a loss of how to write this review without sounding like a harpy on a soapbox. So, I'll just tell you. At 15% they are on top of each other - Really???? How many question marks can I add? I know that Olivia went out with him for 3 dates because he's blackmailing her in the book, but...no! He's your patient!! I think the therapist needs a therapist. It doesn't take a degree in Psychology to say the therapist needs a therapist and the only reason that Gina gets 2 stars is because she was spot on in the way PTSD attacks patients. Also, because I'm sure there are therapists out there that fall for their patients. However, for the most part, it isn't after one visit and they don't make bets with their patients because it isn't therapeutic. My head is exploding writing this review...like popping off. I had to finish the book because the whole time I'm sitting there thinking "seriously, I can't put it down and not see the happily ever after on this train." So, imagine with me five years down the road, the therapist has another patient who's a sexy cop and wants to rehabilitate him....Hey, it's another book idea, y'all!! Okay, I just can't...like keep going. So, I'll just end it here. If you love this type of book, you'll buy it and if you don't...don't. I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews
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Meant for You by Michelle Major My rating: 5 of 5 stars Single mom Jenny Castelli has a temper to match her red hair. When the former mean girls of her high school insult her son, Jenny fires off a big lie—that she’s engaged to a rich, handsome guy and is bringing him to their ten-year reunion. Now she needs to find the perfect fake fiancé for one night. And only one man fits the bill. Geek turned tech entrepreneur Owen Dalton already had his heart broken by Jenny Castelli. Still, he finds himself agreeing to her proposition—even as he struggles to remember that the chemistry sparking between them isn’t real. But when Jenny’s ex makes a play for custody and Owen is forced to deal with the family who always treated him as “second best,” their arrangement suddenly becomes very personal. And that lie they’ve been telling everyone? It isn’t nearly as big as the one they’ve been telling themselves. My favorite romance books are those where there are "fake fiance's" and kids involved. I will put this on my reread shelf. Owen is kind of a sad guy to me. His whole life he's been this dorky kid who's wanted to be accepted by his parents or specifically his dad and he just never felt like he measured up. He's always been the smart one. His younger brother's always had his dad's attention and love. His fiance left him for his brother because she thought he was the better catch. To me, I'd rather have brilliantly sexy over just "plain handsome" any day, but that's my opinion. Owen's brother is a total tool in this book, and I disliked him to the point, I wanted him to beat him with his golf clubs (you'll see the part of the book where they play golf) but alas he didn't. Jenny was a frustrating character because part of me wanted to slap her and the other part wanted to hug her. She's so smart, but part of her is just dumb for letting Owen go in the first place. They have excellent chemistry together, and Owen would do anything for her. For Jenny to betray Owen once, I was like "okay she's running from her feelings!" When she goes to do it again, I was about to throw my kindle to the side and pick up a paperback. There were a couple of twists and turns I didn't see coming in this book, and when they were revealed, I was like...HOLY MOSES!! I'm so used to books that have this "Big Reveal," and then it's something on the Heroine's side that when they revealed on Owen's side, I was left with WTF? Overall, I fell in love with the characters and would like to see Connor grow up and have his own book...Hint Hint! He stole this book. His "real" dad who showed up for a bit part was such a creeper and I know we have to have those types of characters in books but...uh, just put creeper dad and tool brother in a boat and ship them out to shore!! I haven't read Michelle before, but I'll be picking up any previous books of hers and anything she writes after this because I really thought this was a cute read. I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews The Attraction of Adeline by Lisa Wells My rating: 5 of 5 stars Adeline Rigby will live with Accountant Jack Foster and pretend to be his fake fiancée for one month in order for him to seal a promotion to partner. In return, Accountant Jack Foster will intimately tutor Adeline Rigby in French before she leaves for Paris where she will fulfill her dream of attending Le Cordon Bleu. The Terms: 1. Maintain distance. Three get-to-know-you dates before announcing their engagement will be tempting enough. 2. No kissing. Okay, fine. Three kisses. Maybe four. And neck kisses don’t count. 3. No touchy feely stuff. Or at least not too many public displays of touchy-feely stuff. 4. No sex. 5. All right, all right. One night of sex in order to be a believable engaged couple. 6. Two nights of mind-blowing sex to make sure first night wasn’t a fluke. 7. Absolutely, positively, no falling in love. I really liked this book. The premise is one of those that's "been there and done that" but the actual book was great. The writing was stellar, and the characters were well fleshed out and funny. I would describe Adeline in one word - Aspergers. The girls got serious social skill issues. She says the wrong things at the wrong times, and she does the wrong things at the wrong times. I was sitting there reading and counting on my fingers all the symptoms of Aspergers she had. She reminded me of Temperance from Bones. Her directness and sometimes bordering on rudeness - that she didn't mean. I found this book refreshing! Jack, Oh Jack!! You are the perfect man! Dude kept me reading all night. If there were an accountant like Jack in our town, well he'd have our business. He was sweet, funny, sexy and did I mention sexy? I did, didn't I? He meets Adie while she's dancing on a stripper pole and knocks herself out...Jack being the great guy he is and also being the responsible brother of Adie's best friend - get's manhandled into watching Adie by said sister. What starts out as a night of watching a concussed Adeline, turns into a proposal for a fake fiancee for his accounting firm. Craziness, sadness, and outright hilarity ensue between these two and make this an absolute gem of a book for me. I would definitely pick up another novel written by Lisa Wells in a heartbeat. I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews Sex in the Sticks by Sawyer Bennett My rating: 5 of 5 stars Wake up and feel the wood! In the first of a series of irresistible standalone romances from New York Times bestselling author Sawyer Bennett, a city girl rediscovers love and lust in the Alaskan wilderness. Valentine French may be the sassiest dating columnist in New York City, but the abundance of metrosexuals in her adopted metropolis is seriously cramping her style. Where are the beefy all-American boys? Hoping to find some inspiration, Val heads to Alaska, where the men outnumber the women fifteen to one and wrestle grizzly bears for sport. Or so she can only imagine. Suddenly the most eligible bachelorette in a town full of horny lumberjacks, Val is writing her best columns ever. But if she doesn’t get her nose out of her laptop, she just might miss out on Mr. Right. Logan Burke is the sheriff of the little podunk town that Val finds so charmingly backward. He’s not that different from the guys she’s using for her little experiment; it’s just that one date would never be enough for Logan. As he listens to Val complain about love over beers in the local tavern, he realizes that she can’t see the forest for the trees. Because if she would ever give up her Prada bags and fourteen-dollar martinis, Logan would give her the only luxury that matters: his heart. I love all of Sawyer Bennett's books, so when I saw that she had a new book out - I jumped at requesting it. I didn't think that I would get it and when I did, I got right to reading. It's unlike all her other books. It's not about hockey; it's standalone, it's not a suspense. It's just a heartwarming book about a guy and girl who meet and fall in love. You might be thinking that that's boring, but it's anything but boring! It's about Logan, who's a Sheriff of this podunk town in Alaska. He's what you would describe as an all-around hot guy. He's six foot six of hotness and Valentine is interested in getting to know him on a deeper level. She's used to dating "metrosexuals" who are more interested in dating their phone than dating her, so for her to give up New York and move to Alaska, it's a huge step. It's a step that she's more than enjoying because of all things that are different there - the men being the main thing. She wants to date around and compare New York men to Alaska men, but she didn't count on Logan blowing all of her ideas out of the water. She also didn't want to share their relationship with the world on her blog. She wants to keep that to herself, so she takes her blog on hiatus. All good things must come to an end, especially when the good sheriff finds out about Valentine's blog. What happens when a couple of misunderstandings come between two people that are surely meant to be together? Check out Sawyer Bennett's new release and 5 star read!! I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews My rating: 3 of 5 stars Rae Wallace would rather drown in a vat of pinot greezh and be eaten by her own beagle than make another trip down the aisle--even if it is her best friend's wedding. She's too busy molding the minds of first graders and polishing that ol' novel in the drawer to waste time on any man, unless it's Jason Segel. But when her be-fris stage an intervention, Rae is forced to give in. After all, they've hatched a plan to help her find love the 21st century way: online. She's skeptical of this electronic chlamydia catcher, but she's out to prove she hasn't been too picky with men. However, when a familiar fella's profile pops up--the dangerously hot substitute teacher from work (Nick)--Rae swipes herself right into a new problem... This was a complicated book for me to rate and read. On the one hand, I could relate to it, but on the other hand, I felt at times like instead of the main character being in her thirties, she was in her twenties. I love a book about internet dating and dating disasters, but this kind of fell flat for me. I think it was all the internal dialogue going on in Rae's mind that had me going "uh is this book going to end?" I also had a problem with the fact that there was cheating in this. Not with the main character, but a side character and it was made to seem like it was okay because when you're married a long time, you have a lot of children and things get hard - cheating happens! Well, I have news for you...my parents have been together for 43 years, and they've never cheated and had plenty of tough times. I guarantee that if one of them did cheat, it wouldn't be handled with a paragraph, a wink, and some guilt and that's all. I have issues with books like these. There should be just a cheating warning at the beginning because come to think of it, Rae's first relationship breaks up because the guy is married. So yeah...married, cheated, divorced and cheat some more. The only saving grace was that they threw Nick in the book and he was a kind-hearted, substitute teacher at the school Rae taught at and he was also a stripper. Yep, they had everything in this book lol!! Anyhow, if you've read the author before and like her books you'll read this one. I might read another book by her because I don't judge all books by an author by just the one. I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews
Hard Limits by Elle Aycart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars Nico Grabar, head of one of the most ruthless cartels in the world, is in the last stretch of a two-year nightmare, his agenda extremely busy. He has a criminal organization to run. A cover to maintain. A promise to fulfill. Too bad he’s bleeding to death in the middle of nowhere, about to meet his maker on a deserted street. A fitting ending to a bleak existence, really. When a beautiful Vintage bride with raccoon eyes and a choke collar, covered from head to military boots in blood, came to him. It looked like the Grim Reaper had gotten a makeover just for him. What an honor. Who finds a frigging drug lord in serious need of resuscitation while coming back from a bachelorette party at the wee hours? Paige, aka magnet for psychopaths, of course. The Goth waitress at Rosita’s has already survived a major asshole, narrowly escaping with her life. The last she needs is to have to play Nightingale to a dangerous kingpin. What if he dies on her? Or worse; what if he doesn’t? What do you do when you find out that Elle Aycart has a new book in the Bowen series coming out? You request an ARC copy!! What do you do when said author IM's you and asks for your Kindle email address? You throw your kindle off the bed and squeal like a fourteen-year-old girl fangirling over a teenage boy. That's what you do! I literally put all books to the wayside and hers to the front because I love the Bowen novels. Who doesn't? I mean, each one just gets better and better. This one is about Paige and Nico. He's not a Bowen man, but it doesn't matter because he's ALL Alpha. He's also got it bad for Paige. If you read the last book - Jacked Up then you'll remember Nico in that book. I fell in love with him in that book. I loved the way this one starts off...it jumps right off into some action and just keeps going. I loved the dynamic between Nico and Paige. It didn't feel forced or stale at any time. I loved that we got to see all the characters from previous books. For it coming in at just 163 pages per Goodreads, it had surprisingly a lot of information. I'm picky about my heroes and heroines and at no point did I feel like Paige was a weak character. She kicks major butt at one point, and Nico lets her, but he also takes things out of her control and becomes the "Alpha" we all know and love. Elle Aycart reminds me of Kristen Ashley and vice versa, they both know how to write strong male and female leads. It's amazing to me that she can give a loud voice to a character, that I can potentially see other authors giving a weak voice too. That's not an easy feat as a writer to take the road less traveled. Read the book - I think it's important if you're a survivor of domestic violence that you know that you're not alone and that you don't have to continue to be a victim. There is quite a bit of sex in this book so that I wouldn't recommend for anyone under the age of 18. The language wasn't as bad as some novels out there today. The overall quality is exceptional. I found the formatting and editing to also be above board. I'm a picky reader and editor at times, so I go into a book the first time around and speed read through it. The second time I read through it, is totally for editing and formatting issues. I didn't find any formatting issues whatsoever on the Kindle version for this book. Anyone that loves Elle's books will love this one and this is definitely a reread book for me!! I cannot wait for the next one that comes out, whether it be the OG or the Bowen series...I'm there!! View all my reviews Falling Hard by Pamela Clare My rating: 5 of 5 stars A Gold Star wife alone… Ellie Meeks promised her pilot husband that if he was killed in combat, she would live her life to the fullest. Three years later, she is still alone, raising the twins he never met. She has no interest in dating or meeting men—until one snowy night when a stranger helps her get her sick kids safely home. That stranger turns out to be a former Army Ranger and a member of the elite Rocky Mountain Search & Rescue Team. He’s also tall, rugged… and irresistibly sexy. All it takes is one kiss… Jesse Moretti came to Colorado to get Iraq out of his head, using the adrenaline of extreme sports and high-risk mountain rescues to keep his mind off the past. But getting involved with Ellie might be the riskiest thing he’s ever done. It’s not just their explosive chemistry. There’s something about Ellie that gets inside him, opening him to feelings he’s tried hard to ignore. When passion ignites… Ellie feels alive in Jesse’s arms and happier than she ever thought she’d feel again. But their relationship comes at a price for him, and soon Ellie sees that she must help Jesse fight the demons of his past to protect the love of a lifetime—and save the heart of a hero. I never really look at book covers when picking a book because you can have the best book cover and have the worst book ever but....OMG this book just gave me all the feels. I am a sucker for veteran heroes. I love a great storyline that has a hero who was in Iraq. When he comes home and has to fight some inner turmoil (I secretly pick those novels for pure enjoyment purposes!), I looked at the cover of this book and probably flipped past it six or seven times because the dude on the cover is HOT!! I don't know who he is, but I could drool over him all day...with a bucket and some sponges! He's what I picture Jesse to be and did I mention - He's hot? Cause he is. Ellie and Jesse have some electric heat and not the kind in an electric blanket y'all! It's the kind that sets your skin to blazing and makes you realize that you want a Jesse. As a matter of fact, I'm writing this a couple of weeks after I read it and I'm thinking of reading it again...cause I want to and not because I have to. A couple of thoughts about this book: It's why I love Pamela Clare so darn much in the first place. That girl can write!! She makes her characters loveable, and you can relate to them. Living in a military town, I can see so many of our men and women in uniform going through what these two went through in the book. They're a lot of widowed combat veterans out there that lost their spouses while they were pregnant or had children and haven't moved forward with their lives...they're still stuck where they were when the Military officials came and notified them that their spouse was killed in action. Every day I see veterans walk in and out of our office who suffer from PTSD, it's a real diagnosis, with real suffering. Sometimes, the men and women who suffer from it, do so in silence because they don't feel that they have anyone to talk to but that's why it's so great that authors are writing about it. It's a very debilitating disease and disorder and if not helped, can make the veteran who suffers from it feel even more isolated from society. The way that Pamela Clare portrays both the hero and heroine in the book just made me, as someone who works in the mental health field...proud of the way she portrayed both of them. She didn't make them weak characters, and she didn't make them so proud that they looked like they didn't have faults. She showed that they were "real" characters. If you can get so lost in a book that you "feel" the characters are real, then as an author you've done a great job. Excellent job. I'll not spoil the book because you have to pick this one up for yourself. If you or someone you know have PTSD, you owe it to them and to yourself to read this book!! I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews Delayed Call by Toni Aleo My rating: 5 of 5 stars Vaughn Johansson is the Nashville Assassins' star player. He's brash, cocky, and talented. And he isn't afraid to let anyone know it. He lives his life on his own terms, never forming romantic attachments, and only allowing his very closest to see his true, caring self. Brie Soledad has the weight of the world on her shoulders. As the staff reporter for the Assassins, she balances her high-profile job and its heavy travel schedule with being the sole provider for her adult brother with Down syndrome. Sure, she'd like to find love. But who has time for that when there are bills to pay? Brie has been the match to Vaughn's gasoline since the day she first held out her microphone to him. They strike sparks off each other, keeping their friends, the team, and the Assassins fans in stitches. Brie’s refusal to fawn over Vaughn sets his teeth on edge and his blood boiling. Especially in that body part... Brie's been let down by love before, but she knows she deserves nothing less than real, forever love. Vaughn's past has left deep, hidden scars, and there are some secrets he cannot bear to reveal. As much as Brie wants him, Vaughn may be too big a risk for her wary heart to take. But he is at his best under pressure. When the delayed call is in effect and he has no choice but to score, Vaughn always delivers. I absolutely love this series! I'm an avid hockey fan, and I've read all of the books in this series so when I say that they keep getting better and better - that's a compliment to the author. I love when a story doesn't just throw hockey in there as an afterthought. So many books nowadays do that as a trope, and I hate that because hockey is an excellent sport. It's not talked about as much as football and basketball, but it's just as hard to play and just as fun to watch. When you write about it - you need to know what you're talking about because real fans will pick up on something as inconsequential as what icing is or slicing. What I love about Toni Aleo is that she comes from a hockey background and knows how to write it. You can tell she's gone to games and she's studied the in's and out's of the sport. Reading about Vaughn and Brie, I could just imagine every scene in my head as it was happening and at no point did I feel like putting this book down to pick up another one. If a book can keep my attention for hours, then it's a fabulous book. The things that came out of Vaughn's mouth, I could see a hockey player saying because I've been around them and heard them talk. It's something that you're left going "Did he really just say that?" Every book I read of Toni's, I'm left with this feeling of "how can she get better than this?" It's a difficult question because her books are that good and that spot on. I loved the way that she worked in how do you deal with having a sibling that has Down Syndrome? It's a touching and thought-provoking scenario that not many authors want to tackle. They would rather throw a lot of sex into a novel and call it a plot. Toni doesn't do that...she has a slow build up and a lot of plot which I found refreshing. Buy this book and settle in for a great read. Each book is a stand-alone but I would recommend the whole series just because they're all good books. I would say this is probably my favorite of hers so far in the series. I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews My rating: 5 of 5 stars Audra Madison simply wanted to walk in the shoes of Emily Cavanaugh, a free-spirited teenager who died too young. After all, Audra wasn’t supposed to be here. Thanks to Emily, Audra has a second chance at life. She’s doing all the things that seemed impossible just two years ago: Go to college. Date. Stargaze in the Rocky Mountains. Maybe get a tattoo. You know, live. Jake Cavanaugh, a photographer with mysterious, brooding gray eyes, agrees to help chronicle her newfound experiences. She makes him laugh, one of the only people who can these days. As they delve into each other’s pasts – and secrets – the closer they become. But she’s guarded and feels like she can’t trust anyone, including herself. And he’s struggling with the fact that his beloved sister’s heart beats inside her. This book was so heart-wrenching for me that I found myself looking back on my life and seeing so many things that I wish I had done differently. It's one of those books that you read and you really think to yourself "How can I be a better person and live my life to the fullest?" I don't want to be an introvert anymore who sits on the sidelines and doesn't interact with people. People see me and they think I'm outgoing but the truth is...I have intense Social Anxiety Disorder and this book for me made me really approach my "illness" head-on because life is short. Time waits for no man. I loved the characters in this book and when a book makes you stop and look at your own life...it's a good book. Jake is an awesome hero because he's damaged and broken because he lost his sister. Audra has Jake's sister's, heart. This book reminded me of the movie Return to Me with Minnie Driver and OMG, I loved that movie (PICK IT UP!!) Seriously, this book had me crying and while first-person books are really hard for me to read, I'm starting to love them. You will absolutely adore this book from Lindsey! She is on my List of Authors to look out for. Audra received a heart transplant from a young girl and when she's given the option to know who the donor is, she sends a letter with a request. She would like to complete her "Done it list" on Instagram. She finds out that Jake is on campus with her and chooses to approach him to ask him to complete the list with her. Will he help her? You’ll definitely need some tissues with this book, if not the whole box! In my opinion, she knocked it out of the park with this book. What you’ll take away from this book is to live every moment like it’s your last because it might be. Live it to the fullest. Love the ones you’re with and tell them that you love them. Don’t let fear be your guide. Make your own list and live it out. I couldn’t recommend this book more!! I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews Changing Lanes by Leaona Luxx My rating: 5 of 5 stars Change. It's change and how well you handle it which defines a person. Three times in my life, I have been faced with such changes. Once when I was fourteen. Again, at eighteen. And now again at twenty-eight. Twice, she was there. Ten years ago, I gave up everything, including her. At the time, it was the right thing to do, for both of our sakes. Walking away from her isn't what I wanted, it's what had to be done. Now, she's here. People like me don't always get second chances, this happens to be mine. That's if she'll have me. If she'll accept why I left and the fact, she'll always be second. You see, I have a secret. It could change everything when she learns the truth. She may be the one walking away this time. We're about to find out. ****************************************** I actually wasn't asked to review this book from anyone...I just picked it up because I wanted to read something that was different from what I'd been reading. I was intrigued by the blurb and after reading the intro that they give you on kindle unlimited, I decided to buy it. I did not know that the same book I was getting ready to read was from the same author I would meet a couple of weeks from then. OMG!! I held myself together but really y'all...I was astounded that I didn't hop over her table and mob her. I wanted to buy ALL her books but I reserved myself to this one because it was the first one and only one I've read so far. It holds a very special place in my heart because it was not only my first book from this author (who by the way is awesome!!) but my first conference. I cried, I laughed, and I even wanted to throw my kindle at the wall a couple of times because of the absolute stupidity of Torrie sometimes...hindsight is always 20/20. I wanted to reach through and shake her and go "GIRL....please just ask Brannon about what happened!!! For the love of God, if you don't stop throwing it up in his face every 5 seconds - He needs to run yo tail over." I was seriously saying that and a bunch of people who know me so well are shaking their heads because....they know me. Brannon - Dude had the patience and heart of a saint. I think I would have seriously buried her body on my ranch...probably halfway through and called it a day. But, then that would have been the end of the book! I hated Torrie's dad - I kind of kept hoping that he'd get hit by a semi, but that just NEVER happens or a bird would just crap on his head at the closing ceremony at the Hotel opening but nada...no poop!! As a side note, working in mental health has taught me about women like Ava...Jesus help us for those types of women and y'all know if you're reading this and you've read the book if you're an Ava. I have this mental pic in my head of her and it's just crazzzy eyes lol. Leaona did this book an awesome justice and I'll definitely be reading her other books!! Pick it up and if you don't...then you're crazy!!
Hometown Cowboy by Sara Richardson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars Hometown Cowboy NEVER FALL IN LOVE WITH A COWBOY Jessa Mae Love is done with relationships. No matter how tempting he might be, she cannot--will not--fall for a man like Lance Cortez. The outrageously handsome cowboy is practically a living legend in Colorado, as famous for riding bulls as he is for breaking hearts. What would a big-time rodeo star like him see in a small-town veterinarian who wears glasses, rescues animals, and cries when watching rom-coms? Turns out, plenty. Raising bulls, riding the circuit, and looking after his ailing father--Lance never stands still for long. Yet Jessa catches his attention, and the more she tries to resist him, the more he wants her. When she agrees to move to the ranch to keep an eye on Lance's dad, Jessa tells him they have to keep it professional: no flirting, no sweet talk, and definitely no kissing. But with Jessa now living under his roof, that's easier said than done . . . I liked Sara Richardson's start to her new series and her side characters. I really think that this was more of a 4.5 star read but I round that bad boy up because the side characters were really good. I think that the books to come are going to be better. The first book is usually when you're fleshing out all the characters and figuring out their personalities and whatnot. The storyline was predictable but all romances are...the guy gets with the girl! Would you really read the book that has the guy meets girl, they date and then break up in the end? No? Didn't think so!! That would be so depressing, I'd need therapy myself and would have to schedule it in on my own calendar. So, for a start - she did really well. Another thing I really like is that she didn't draw out the DRAMA. I'm a drama hater. I admit it. I don't like my drama with a side of angst so this was really right down my alley. Pick this up for a light weekend read. Seriously, you won't be disappointed. I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews
Beautiful Mess by Kasey Lane
My rating: 3 of 5 stars When attorney Jami Dillon strides into the conference room to meet her new client, she's stopped in her tracks by an all-too familiar figure. Jackson Paige. He's her tall, tattooed, and sexy as hell hook up from law school-who also broke her heart. Hell's bells. Jackson Paige was, in fact, Jax Pain, the drummer of Manix Curse. That thing in Jami's chest tightened, making it hard to breathe. Jackson Paige, aka Jax Pain, has worked hard to put that unfor-frickin-gettable fling behind him and the nasty secret that made him leave her. Truth is, life as the playboy drummer of Portland's hottest metal band hasn't helped him to forget the fiery, sexy woman who stole his heart. Lucky for him, Jami was just hired as his band's new attorney. But when he sees the look on her face when she realizes who her new client is, Jax wonders if maybe being this close to her again isn't such a great idea. The explosive chemistry is there, but so are the dark secrets... Okay, so at first this book was 4 stars for me and then it became 3 stars because I just couldn't stand all the issues Jami had. I like a good book with the heroine overcoming something and it deals with it in a manner that doesn't last the entire length of the book....like the whole book almost. Plus, if you're an attorney - you'd think Jami would have no problem saying the word "NO" but for some reason, she can't tell her parents that. I'll help you out Jami...NO. If it were me and I was in her shoes, I would have booked, like a plane somewhere away from her parents! I read other books at the same time I was reading this one because it couldn't keep my attention. I was like a rabid dog hyped up on adrenaline to get at its victim. It was that through almost the whole book. The beginning was slow but then the rest of the book was basically Jami and her trust issues and problems surrounding that. I felt like this was more school-age and not adult genre. The side characters were all likable but at the same time, you had to wrap your mind around what was going on in the central story. I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews
Wildfire by Anne Stuart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars Her power-hungry husband takes pleasure in her pain, but she’s done playing the victim. Three years ago, ex-operative Sophie Jordan made the mistake of falling in love—and marrying—her target. Now she’s paying for it tenfold. Her husband might be one of the sexiest men alive, but he’s also a psychopath. She’s been a virtual prisoner, and the time has come for retribution—and escape. Undercover agent Malcolm Gunnison has his orders: get intel from Sophie’s arms-dealer husband, then kill him. He plans to get rid of her, too, if she gets in his way, but he’s unprepared when she gets under his skin instead. Whose side is she on? And what is she hiding behind those mesmerizing eyes? Sophie vowed to never fall for another man again, but this sexy undercover agent is different. With danger mounting, can Malcolm and Sophie trust each other—and their growing passion—enough to get out of this operation alive? My biggest complaint about this book is all the internal dialogue. That being said...if you're stuck on a remote island by yourself, who are you going to talk too? I'd be having an insane amount of internal dialogue too and I'm doing it right now. What can you say about Malcolm? When I think about him, I see Michael from Nikita. I don't know if Anne Stuart was writing this guy with him in mind but seriously that's who enters my mind and doesn't step out. I imagine "The Commitee" is a lot like Section One and the players are so similar that it was mind-boggling. That's kind of why I rated this differently that I probably should have. Could I have knocked off a star for it being not as intense as the other series - Sure. However, I really saw the parallels I stated above and it took me back and was kind of nostalgic. That's why I really loved it. I loved that Malcolm was a total tool and that he wasn't the nicest person. There was some good heat in this book but nothing OTT and out of the ordinary. I couldn't wrap my mind around how Sophie could even fall for her "husband" because he was a psychotic weirdo to the ninth degree. He's definitely what mama always warned you about. Overall, I think if you love Anne Stuart's work, you're going to read this no matter what other people say and I enjoyed it. Of course, I'm in the minority I'm finding after talking with some blogging friends but they're also 10 years younger than me and not old enough to remember Le Femme Nikita and draw similarities. I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews
Crossing Hearts by Kimberly Kincaid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars Hunter Cross has no regrets. Having left his football prospects behind the day he graduated high school, he’s happy to carry out his legacy on his family’s farm in the foothills of the Shenandoah. But when a shoulder injury puts him face-to-face with the high school sweetheart who abandoned town—and him—twelve years ago, Hunter’s simple life gets a lot more complicated. Emerson Montgomery has secrets. Refusing to divulge why she left her job as a hotshot physical therapist for a pro football team, she struggles to readjust to life in the hometown she left behind. The more time she spends with Hunter, the more Emerson finds herself wanting to trust him with the diagnosis of MS that has turned her world upside down. But revealing secrets comes with a price. Can Hunter and Emerson rekindle their past love? Or will the realities of the present—and the trust that goes with them—burn that bridge for good? I love the way Kimberly Kincaid writes a book!! She knows about MS and being in the medical field, I know this. It's hard for me to read a book about psychological issues, medical issues and an author doesn't know jack but when an author does her homework or has studied up - you can really tell because it lends meat to the story. Hunter and Emerson are fully dimensional people. They're not one-dimensional and I love that. Real life and real problems make for a good book sometimes. At no point did I feel like this was too heavy or that the issues were too much for the book. It could have toppled in the other direction at any time and for Kimberly to do the book justice is a hard thing. The last book I wrote a review on, the author didn't tackle the subject of illness so well and it tackled right over into unbelievable. I would definitely get this for my mother to read and I'd definitely want to read the second book. I didn't put it down to finish another book and I didn't walk away to gather strength to endure the rest of it. That's a good book! I won't give spoilers because I know people read reviews but the brothers...somethings up there!! Can't wait to see all the upcoming things that she has in store for them all. I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews
One More Kiss by Samantha Chase
My rating: 5 of 5 stars Matt Reed was living the dream until a bad career move sends him back to his hometown for much-needed privacy. Instead, he finds someone he never expected: the woman whose steamy kiss he remembers like it was yesterday. Vivienne Forrester finally has her life in order... until Matt moves back to town. She doesn't want to think about the time she threw caution to the wind with him, but running into him everywhere, it's impossible not to... Some thoughts about Samantha Chase's books - I FREAKING LOVE THEM!!! I don't just think that because I've met her and she's FREAKING AWESOME!! It's because her writing it just so doggone good. Where other people have criticized her for being sweet and sappy - I really love that. I love that all her books are interconnected and weave somewhat with each other. About this book that I really loved was the brother's best friend/sister trope that everyone says has been done. Yes, it's been done but it's one of my favorites if done right and Samantha did a great job because they didn't have insta-love in this. Which I honestly hate nowadays in books!! It's so overused that I really want to throw my kindle at the wall sometimes. It took this couple a long while to see what was right in front of their noses. Matt was clueless at times and endearing because of it. He came home over something that happened that was life-altering and Viv remembers a kiss they shared but Matt doesn't. What happens when you have two people that are on paper not right for each other? If you want a book that has heart, heat, sweet, and a great hero and heroine - this is that book. Samantha is always a wonderful read and pick for me. I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews |
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