Bingeworthy Books

Category: Review

Review: Love in the Light by Laura Kaye

Love in the Light is a success story where a highly anticipated sequel is concerned. It’s hard for me to believe that I read Hearts in Darkness almost four years ago! In March of 2012, I had just discovered Goodreads and was just sticking my toe in the romance pool. Up until that time, I had read mostly nonfiction (biographies etc) and some mainstream fiction and then I jumped on the Fifty Shades train and the romance genre was busted wide open for me. Hearts in Darkness has always stood out in my brain as far as romance is concerned because I loved and I wanted more from Cayden and Makenna. I’m pretty sure that I was resigned to the fact that there wasn’t going to be a follow-up and I was okay with that.

Fast forward to 2015 and the news that we are getting the conclusion to their story and here we are! The short story of this review is that I LOVED this lovely piece of Cayden and Makenna’s love story. After reading Darkness, you had to know that it wasn’t going to be as easy as we’d like to think between them. I re-read Darkness before Light, just to refresh my memory of their meeting and simply because I enjoyed it.

Cayden has some major issues to deal with and after two blissful months of living together, Cayden’s issues are not going to be ignored any longer, especially after meeting her family at Thanksgiving. He questions whether he is worthy of Makenna- plain and simple. The man has some work to do on himself and he eventually pulls away from Makenna due to his PTSD and depression.

You know, it’s hard when you have things that you have to deal with and you’re the only one that can do that work. Why pull someone down into the pit with you? What if that person loves you endlessly and will go down into the pit with you? That’s Makenna.

Needless to say, there is a fair amount of angst and drama created by Cayden’s situation but not so much that it was too much. He had work to do within himself that had to be done in order for him to move forward in his relationship/future with Makenna.

I enjoyed this book as much, if not MORE than Darkness. The sexytimes were almost incendiary and my Kindle was smokin’!!! I’m so glad that Ms. Kaye gave us the rest of Makenna and Cayden’s love story and it was totally worth the wait!

Mandy

Makenna unbuttoned her jeans, pushed them down, and took them off altogether, leaving her standing there in an oversized, faded red and blue Penn sweatshirt that was just long enough to cover her panties. “You should get undressed, too,” she said, coming to Caden and starting on the buttons of his shirt.

Press and release, press and release. Until she was pulling his shirt from his dress pants and exposing his skin.

She gave a little moan and kissed the center of his chest. “Just like unwrapping a present.” She trailed a line of kisses and licks from one nipple to the other.

“Fuck, Makenna,” he whispered. “What are you doing?”

“Tasting you,” she said.

The words were like a blowtorch to his blood. He was hard in an instant. “We can’t,” he said, though his hands went to the back of her head, encouraging her, guiding her as she continued to kiss and tease and drive him wild with her mouth.

“We can if we’re quiet.” Slowly, she dropped to her knees and bared him to mid-thigh. She took his cock in hand and gripped him firmly, tearing a soft grunt from his throat. “I’ve been wanting you all day,” she whispered, her lips teasing his head with soft kisses. “Wanting to touch you and kiss you and hold you. I can’t hold back anymore.” She licked him from root to tip. Once, twice, three times. And then she sucked him into her mouth.

It felt so fucking good that Caden’s hands flew to her hair, digging in, grabbing hold. She moaned at the contact and pushed herself deeper, burying his cock in the back of her throat. The intensity of it nearly took his knees out from underneath of him.

Makenna pulled off his length. “Lay down on the floor.”

He was too far gone to debate the wisdom of having sex in her father’s house. He needed this. He needed her. He needed the connection and the coming together of the act. Caden locked the door, took the rest of his clothes off, and spread himself out on the beige carpet.

She undressed, too, all that beautiful red hair spilling around the bare porcelain of her shoulders and making him think of peaches and cream. And, fuck, he was starving.

Caden grasped his length. “Take me back in your mouth.”

He didn’t have to ask twice. Makenna settled herself between his legs and wrapped her lips around his cock. She sucked him deep and slow, than fast and shallow, her baby blues flashing up at him so fucking sexy. He needed to see her eyes, so he fisted her hair into a ponytail to keep it out of her face. He used his grip to urge her harder, faster, deeper. He needed it. God, he needed it. And she took it. She took everything he gave her and so much more.

“Fuck, Red, I’m gonna come if you don’t stop,” he whispered.

She pulled off him, her lips shiny and swollen. “I want you inside me first,” she said, already

crawling up his body.

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Book 1- Hearts in Darkness is on sale for only 99 cents:

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January 13, 2016
Review: Big Rock by Lauren Blakely

Write this down, people, this is officially my first recommendation for 2016… buy this book now.

I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about Spencer, but I’m here to tell you that I LOVED him and I LOVED this book. Don’t let the title or the first few sentences of the book fool you… not only is this book hilarious but it is so romantic and sweet. And the sexy times are off the charts (as they usually are in a Lauren Blakely book) I’m having a bit of a hard time explaining how much I enjoyed this book.

The bar for male MC narrated books is set pretty high thanks to Drew Evans and Emma Chase. Thanks to Drew and Ms. Chase, I love a male narrated book as long as it’s done well. Ms. Blakely gives us a truly lovable character in Spencer, in that, he makes no bones ( huh huh, I said bone ) about how much he loves women. He really isn’t a complete asshole and when it comes to his BFF, Charlotte he’s almost sweet.

Again, don’t let the snippets you’ve read fool you, Spencer is sexy as hell but underneath it all, he’s a good guy. He has a great family and his parents have a healthy marriage. So, he isn’t damaged or anything and the scenes with them are great. This book is a great example of your perfect match being right in front of you the whole time… right under your nose. In Charlotte, he has a best friend and business partner and she knows him completely, the good and the bad. After being thrust into a relationship with each other, they finally take the time to see what they have in each other AND have lots of smokin’ hot sexytimes.

If you like a friends to lovers story, this one fills the bill perfectly!!

Ms. Blakely has so perfectly combined laugh out loud humor smoking hot romance in Big Rock and I cannot wait for more.

I do my best work in the bedroom. This is completely my domain. So it should be no big deal that she asked me to wait here. But something about being in Charlotte’s bedroom is wigging me out.

Mostly because there’s nearby nudity transpiring mere feet away.

She’s taking a shower, and no matter how you slice them, New York apartments are approximately thimble size. Let me spell this out—wet, naked, hot woman in a ten-foot radius.

Got it? Okay. Moving on.

I pick up a picture frame on her sky blue bureau of the dog her parents have. A fluffy brown summa dog—some of this, some of that. I’m going to focus on this mutt. Zero in on him. Look at his tail. Check out his ears. Yup, this picture is doing the trick. It is helping me not to linger on the naked woman and how well she kisses.

Or how much I liked it.

Why the fuck did I like it so much?

Of course you liked it, idiot. A pretty woman kisses you, and you’re straight—you’d be stupid not to like it.End of story. Doesn’t mean anything. Stop analyzing.

Especially since she just turned off the shower.

Maybe she forgot a towel. Maybe she’ll open the door a crack, and ask me to grab one for her.

I smack my forehead. Get it together, Holiday.

            I set down the picture, draw a deep inhale and straighten my shoulders. The door creaks open. She steps out of the bathroom wearing only a white fluffy towel wrapped above her breasts.

            “You might be wondering why I asked you to wait in my bedroom instead of the living room,” she says, in the most matter-of-fact tone.

I have no clue how she can be talking like we’re having a business transaction when droplets of water slide down her bare legs. But I’m a strong man. I can handle this. I’m not tempted at all by my best friend. Though my dick begs to differ, the traitorous prick.

“The thought crossed my mind,” I say, as I lean against the bureau, striking a casual pose.

“Because if you’re my fiancé, you need to be comfortable with me being naked,” she says with a crisp nod.

Shit, she’s going to do it. She’s going to drop the towel. She’s going to make us practice fucking. I am the luckiest man on the face of the earth.

Wait. No. I can’t fuck my best friend. I absolutely, positively, can’t screw Charlotte. Even if she tosses the towel on the floor and begs me to.

I lace my fingers together behind my back, linking these twitchy hands.

“Okay, so you’re getting naked,” I say, doing my best to imitate her cool-as-a-cucumber tone that is throwing me off big time.

“No. It’s the idea of me naked,” she corrects.

I give her a pointed look. “Seems to me it’s both the idea and the reality.”

“Fine, fine. They’re one and the same, and it’s part of the debrief.”

“Is this the exam portion?”

She walks past me, her arm brushing against mine before she yanks open the top drawer of the bureau. “Yes. This is the practical portion.”

“And this is because you somehow think we’re going to be required to be naked together in front of Mr. Offerman in order to pull this off? This isn’t like some feats-of-strength style fake engagement where we have to pass certain skill sets in an obstacle course. You know that, right?”

She nods, as she hunts around in the drawer. “I’m aware of that. I see this as more like the Newlywed game.”

“And in this version of the game we’re quizzed on how I get used to the idea of you naked and vice versa?”

Her breath hitches when I say that—vice versa.

            I don’t know what to make of that small gasp, or if it means something about the idea of me au naturel.

            She spins around, and holds up two pairs of panties, one in each hand. “Quick. Do you prefer it when your fiancée wears the black lace thong?” She waggles a scrap of silky-looking fabric that is so hot my face might be engulfed in flames right now because Charlotte owns that? “Or do you prefer her in the white side-string bikini?” She waves the white pair before my eyes, and all I can see is a tiny triangular patch of fabric that’s the slightest bit see-through.

Forget the flames. I am a fucking inferno right now knowing she owns this too. White panties that reveal pretty much everything.

Mandy

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January 6, 2016
Crashed Out by Tessa Bailey Review and some Brazens to keep you warm…

Tessa Bailey is one of my favorite authors. I’ve always enjoyed how she combines gruff, dirty talking men with women who are not afraid to go toe to toe with them. Some of my all time favorite male characters are from Tessa’s Line of Duty series.

I’m always excited when she starts a new series and I was definitely looking forward to Crashed Out. No matter what, I enjoy her books on some level. But, I have to be honest and say that I didn’t enjoy this one as much as her others. Why? Well, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, but there was too much sex and not enough heart. Sarge was…holy shit almost over the top dirty talkin’ hot. I mean, he totally came in and swept Jasmine off her feet and put her on her back. Chemistry was not a problem between these two, that’s for sure! They both had some pretty big issues to deal with as far as how they would maintain a relationship and those issues weren’t really dealt with until around 90% into the book. *shrugs*

I think Ms. Bailey has the ability to combine the carnal and the emotional aspects so well. I know, I know, this is the Brazen line and that emotional connection isn’t the main goal here but I just felt like there was more depth to her previous Brazens.

Would I recommend it? Sure, I mean, it’s Tessa and even when it’s not my favorite of hers, it’s still good.

Mandy

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Looking for more Brazens to keep you warm?

His to Take by Katee Robert

Erin Robinson is having an epically bad year. Her blossoming career on Broadway tanked, forcing her to crawl back to home to Wellington. The icing on her failure cake? Her former on-again, off-again fling is in town, and the sexy Marine is taking up way too much space.

Warren Davis always knew Erin was special, which is exactly why he can’t have her. A girl like her deserves something permanent—something neither of them wants. But now that they’re both back in town and she’s right there in front of him, a challenge in her eyes he’s never been able to resist, he’s questioning everything.

That challenge quickly escalates into an epic game of Truth or Dare. Erin’s sure she’s got him on lock, but as the night progresses, Warren’s dares intensify, drowning her in lust. But with the past still breathing down their necks, there’s no way either of them can win…

Find your copy of His to Take by Katee Robert: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo | Entangled | Goodreads

***

Say You’re Mine by Diane Alberts

Navy SEAL Steven Thomas has only ever been able to count on three things: waking up in the morning, going to sleep sometime during the night, and Lauren Brixton. She’s been his best friend since grade school, and what they have is the only relationship he’s managed not to ruin.

Until one drunken night puts that all in jeopardy.

Lauren’s watched Steven flit from one-night stand to one-night stand, seemingly not interested in something more. So when the long-ignored attraction between the two of them blows up in their faces, she does the only thing she can—she pretends she doesn’t want him. But all’s fair in love and war, and Steven’s not about to lose the only person in his life who matters…

Find your copy of Say You’re Mine by Diane Alberts: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo | Entangled | Goodreads

December 7, 2015
To Dare A Seal by Sara Jane Stone Review & Interview

To Dare a Seal is the second book in the Sin City Seals series and I was definitely looking forward to Jack and Natalie’s book after meeting them in the first one. I LOVED Jack, was aptly nicknamed “Prince Charming” by Natalie because he is quite hard to resist! Natalie and Jack have had feelings for each other for quite a while and it gets to a point where they can no longer ignore what they feel for each other. As much as I loved Jack, I struggled with Natalie and I think readers may struggle with her only because she truly does not want to connect with people because she has no faith that people will stick around or that she is worthy. Then thrown in Jack’s profession as a Navy SEAL and there are no guarantees that he will always come home safe and sound. That’s a lot to deal with as a character and I had to be very patient with Natalie. 😉

I’m not going to go into specifics but a bet is thrown into the mix and it certainly helps things move along faster for Jack and Natalie. When she lets go and gives in to Jack, they are a ridiculously sexy couple and I really enjoyed those moments when she lets him in.

I’m fallling in love with the sound of your voice,” she admitted. “And with you.”

I’m falling in love.

That look- it wasn’t hero worship or a full-blown crush. It was love.

Want to know more about Natalie and Jack? Check out the interview Sara Jane Stone did with Natalie:

Taking the Hero Quiz: An Interview with Natalie Lewis, Heroine of To Dare a SEAL

What’s more exciting than a new release? Launching a new book alongside four of your favorite authors! To Dare a SEAL, Sin City SEAL #2 goes live on November 16th along with red-hot reads by Samanthe Beck, Cathryn Fox, Joya Ryan, and Jennifer Bonds. To celebrate, we teamed up and, with a little help from some of our friends, created the Find Your Hero Quiz! To check it out, visit https://uquiz.com/yp3tOB.

But why should the heroes steal the spotlight? I decided to pose a few of the same questions to Natalie Lewis, heroine of To Dare a SEAL! (Also I love interviewing characters☺)

SJS: Welcome Natalie! I have a few questions for you to see if U.S. Navy SEAL Jack Barnes is your perfect match when it comes to sinfully sexy heroes.

Natalie: We can skip the questions. I have a handful of Sin City orgasms that prove he’s perfect for me.

SJS: True. But aren’t you curious to find out if your answers might lead you to a sexy firefighter or hockey player?

Natalie: I’m not giving Jack back. Chloe’s hockey player hero is hot in Once Upon a Power Play, and I love Rafe’s dirty mouth in Compromising Her Position, but Jack Barnes is all mine.

SJS: I dare you—

Natalie: Fine. I’ll answer. But I’m still keeping my SEAL.

SJS: Question One. Your hero owes you an apology, his version involves…

Natalie: When it comes to saying “I’m sorry,” “thank you,” or even “hello,” Jack offers a very sexy story. And once he starts talking . . . let’s just say the ‘I’m Sorry’ orgasm usually happens before he reaches the happy ever after part of the story.

SJS: Number two. Your hero lowers his face to yours and whispers in your ear. What does he say?

Natalie: Um, nothing I can repeat. Let’s just say, Jack has a dirty mouth.

SJS: One last question. The perfect reward for losing a dare is . . .

Natalie: Shopping for chocolate body paint in Vegas.

SJS: You’re right. Jack really is the perfect hero for you even if it did take you a while to realize it☺

Purchase:

Mandy

November 16, 2015
Review: Finding Christmas by Jeannie Moon

Looking for a holiday read? Well, look no further!! I’ve often said that you simply cannot go wrong with Jeannie Moon. Last year, I fell in love with her Forever Love series and then discovered Tule Publishing and their holiday series- Christmas in New York. (Four books by four different authors all connected). Moon’s This Christmas was wonderful and holds a very special place on my very short list of holiday reads.

Finding Christmas is set in the same town as last year’s This Christmas and we get to visit with a number of characters from the Christmas in New York series (yaa!). On top of that, Moon introduces us to Maggie’s twin sisters and they are just begging for books to be written for them.

Maggie is a really incredible character and Moon has given us a unique military veteran character to love. As the popularity of wounded warrior books has increased, readers have been educated about the struggles of mentally and physically affected veterans. While I’ve read a few female veterans, this may be the second one that is dealing with a mental and physical issue.

As anyone who has had their body changed and or damaged in the way Maggie has, she is trying to figure out how to move forward in her life. Before her injury she was an adrenaline junkie who loved being active and always on the move. She has spent a great amount of time away from her family and is thrust into trying to figure out who she is now that she is not who her family is used to her being. Not to mention, they want to take care of her and she does not want pity.

Enter Will Fitzgerald. I love Ms. Moon’s leading men. They are always so… scrumptious with a liberal sprinkling of sexiness and alphaness. So yeah. Will and Maggie have a general knowledge of each other after being in the same town for a few years. Will was a young teacher at Maggie’s school when she was senior. So on top of Will being fantastic, he has a few years on Maggie. Don’t mind me, I love that older man thing. (Seriously, it’s like 10 years…maybe)

What he wanted was a partner. Someone who wasn’t afraid of bumpy roads, but who welcomed life’s challenges. Someone who didn’t keep score. God knew, he wasn’t perfect, but he’d never believed love was about perfection. Love was about embracing your partner’s imperfections, along with your with your own.

They immediately click with each other and Will has a way of taking care of Maggie without making her feel like an invalid. He manages to break through her wall and she finally realizes that it’s ok to let someone in, especially someone like Will. Now, is it all sunshine and roses? HECK NO. Maggie is stubborn. I’ll leave it at that.

Anyhoo, if you want a great holiday read, Finding Christmas is it. Don’t forget to go back and catch up on the Christmas in New York series from last year.

Mandy

Purchase Finding Christmas:

Want to read the Christmas in New York series? (This is a GREAT binge reading opportunity, btw)

November 11, 2015
Review: Unsung by Shannon Richard

Oh my, I believe I’ve found a new author to stalk… I mean love. 😉 I stumbled upon Unsung and quickly realized that it was book 5 in the series. Frankly, I threw caution to the wind and dove in.

I’m so glad I did! I truly loved Harper and Liam and their love story even though they meet and it’s kind of lust/love at first sight. And boy oh boy do these two have some serious chemistry with each other!! (I wanted to give you some quotes but Kindle is not cooperating right now)

Anyhoo, so these two hook up and lo and behold, Harper is with child. Liam realizes pretty quickly that first night that he wants to spend more than just one night with Harper and she just wants to get the hell out of there. See, Harper has some pretty deep-seated issues thanks to her ex-fiance and decides that she is going to leave him before he has the chance to capture her heart and then stomp on it and light it on fire.

Now, I could see where Harper’s issues could be annoying for a reader but I really didn’t feel like there was a bunch of OTP drama. Sure, Liam and Harper had some pretty serious hurdles to jump over but they had such an incredible connection so quickly, it was difficult for them to deny how they felt about each other- with or without a baby.

Even though I had not read the previous books in the series, I really didn’t feel lost. In fact, it made me want to read about the other couples that much more. I’m sure I’ll understand some of the family dynamics and the town of Mirabelle a little better after catching up on the series. As soon as I finished Unsung, I immediately bought book 1, Undone and I cannot wait to binge on this series. I’m officially sold on Shannon Richard!

BTW- be sure to check out her Pinterest boards, they are AWESOME. (I love when an author has boards for their books!)

Mandy

Purchase:

Country Roads series

November 4, 2015
Review: It’s Only Love

Ok, so this is Ella and Gavin and I’ve been wanting to read their story for sooooo very long. Lo and behold this review copy showed up in my mailbox and I immediately moved my review schedule a bit so I could go ahead and read it.

These two are so gone for each other from the very beginning and truthfully, their attraction has been simmering for months. The only thing stopping them was the spectre of Gavin’s brother’s death and it’s strangling hold it has on Gavin.

Gavin FINALLY takes his foot off of the proverbial brake and lets sweet but strong Ella into his heart and oh what a ride is. One thing I really appreciated with this book was that there wasn’t a whole lot of going back and forth between Ella and Gavin. She has had feelings for him for what seems like forever and he was the only thing that was holding them back from each other. Gavin has a moment where he realizes how much better he feels when he is with her as opposed to how he feels when he does not let her in. Why keep fighting the feelings for someone when you know you feel better with them than you do without them! Is it a perfect bump in the road free romance? Heck no. But that’s one of the many things I love about Force’s writing. Not to mention she always does an incredible job of baiting the hook for the next couple. I think I say this after every one of her books where she is setting up a new couple. I go into the book alllll about the current couple and then I’m completely giddy about the couple in the next book. 😉

If you’re not a fan of sweet and sultry kisses, overflowing attraction, interfering but well-meaning family members and emotional sexy times, then this book is not for you. 😉

Toss in a little Charley, Max, cousin Grayson, Fred the Moose, and you’ve got another heart-stoppingly romantic addition to the Green Mountain series.

Mandy

Purchase:

The Green Mountain Series:

GIVEAWAY

To celebrate the release of IT’S ONLY LOVE, book 5 in the Green Mountain Series, Marie Force is giving away five prize packs that include:

•    A signed copy of It’s Only Love
•    $50 gift card
•    Swag from the Green Mountain Series including Fred the Moose

Entries must be received by midnight, Saturday, Nov. 7.

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November 3, 2015
Review: Men of Mercy series by Lindsay Cross

Notice anything lately? Any genre trends? Well, I’m going to clue you in- ROMANTIC SUSPENSE is growing in popularity and I couldn’t be happier. I’m also very happy to be able to encourage to you to read Lindsay Cross’s Men of Mercy series. Now, to be honest, I have not read all of the 3rd book. I sped through book 1, Redemption River and Resurrection River and dove directly into book 3, Reckless River and my brain said… “I need you to give me a break”

The books in this series are intense, action packed, sexy as hell and so much fun to read. They are chock full of drama. Just when you think they’ve solved the problem, gotten out of the woods and said “I love you”…. BAM! Another wrinkle pops up. For some, I could see where you might find it a little too much drama, but frankly, I really enjoyed it.

Hunter James didn’t want or need redemption.

Until one mission turns his world upside down.

He left Mercy to fight for his country and escape a broken heart. Years later, he is hard. Cold. A man without mercy. Part of an elite Task Force, he tracks a brutal terrorist to his home town. And runs into the woman who betrayed him…

Evangeline Videl was destroyed when Hunter left. Determined to move on, she finds another man, but discovers too late the monster hidden beneath his smooth smile. Struggling to find the conviction to live, Evie finds her life spinning out of control.

Then Hunter returns…

Forced to band together to find the terrorist before its too late, Hunter and Evie must learn to forgive or risk losing the promise of redemption and their lives…

Sigh. Hunter James is absolutely swoon-worthy! Evie and Hunter have quite a history with each other and the feelings they have for each do not stay buried. These two have crazy hot chemistry and it’s pointless to even try to resist each other. Hunter goes back home thinking that Evie is involved in a something really bad and he is right but not for the reasons he thinks. Evie has been through so very much since Hunter left so many years ago and he has no idea what she has endured. While Hunter goes into the mission believing that he can do his job and not care for Evie anymore, he realizes that his need to love and protect Evie never went away. 4 stars

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Ranger James accepted his best friend’s death like a good soldier. With guilt. Regret. Vengeance. But a forbidden desire keeps pulling him from his mission…

Desire for his best friend’s widow.

Killed in Action. That’s why Rachel Carter’s husband wasn’t coming home.

A war widow, alone and broke, Rachel struggles to revive her family’s crop dusting service to survive. Now she takes to the skies to find escape. Escape from the pain. From the guilt. From the earth-shattering desire for her husband’s best friend.

Rachel and Ranger can’t fight the attraction between them any longer. But one fateful night cleaves their new found love in two…

Can they find the will to fight for true love? Or will an evil so shocking destroy their lives for good?

You know how you start reading a series and in the first book you kind of have a hissy fit over the male MC? Kind of like I did over Hunter? Well, meet Ranger James. Good lord… Ranger James. We meet him in book 1 (along with the other members of their unit) and I knew immediately that he was going to have an interesting story. In Redemption River, you meet him and his childhood friend, Amy. She married Ranger and Hunter’s friend and fellow unit member Shane and lost him. She is coping with the death of her husband and some other factors. Enter sweet Ranger James who has loved her since they were teenagers. He has always tried to take care of her and feels that he needs to be the one to help her through this time. Now, I have to admit that Amy was a tad frustrating. She has always cared very much for Ranger and now that Shane is gone and she has grieved his loss, Ranger wants to make sure she knows how he feels (has always felt) about her. She too has had feelings for him, but she is afraid to give into those feelings. She wants to very much but extenuating circumstances cause her to hold him at arms length while wanting to rip his clothes off. So yeah, this one was full to the rim drama, action, and HOT SEX. 😉 4 stars

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They say you can’t go home again. Jared Crowe never wanted to.

Home meant facing memories of abuse and neglect. Of dark closets and evil nightmares. Of his own relatives intent on killing him. But now his brother’s kidnapping forces him to face those demons. Only this time, Jared isn’t a scared little boy. He’s a full-grown Special Forces operative bent on revenge.

As a little girl, Sparrow Pickney risked her life to free two abused boys. As a grown woman Sparrow needs to earn a place in her adopted family’s business or be forced into a life of degradation. The chance to prove her family loyalty comes when she catches Jared spying on the compound and captures him.

When Jared sees his captor, he realizes she’s the girl of his dreams and vows to rescue her from a life of poverty. What Jared doesn’t know is Sparrow may not be the savior he remembers…but the one responsible for abducting and torturing his brother.

Jared is determined to find the truth. But that truth may be more than his heart can take.

Ok. So maybe I should’ve taken a break before I dove right into this one. I started it and it goes right into the action and intensity. Ms. Cross does not shy away from heavy subjects and Reckless River goes straight into Jared and Hoyt’s childhood and the challenges they faced. I really cannot wait to get back into this one and learn more at the brothers. After Reckless River, we get Hoyt’s book, which I cannot wait for because of who he is paired up with (you’ll understand when you read Ressurection River)

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Ok, I think I’ve rambled on enough. In a nutshell, I’ve found a great romantic suspense author and series and I cannot wait to read more from her!!

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October 23, 2015
Review: All I Want by Jill Shalvis

This is the kind of book that makes me rethink doing video reviews. Why? Well, I could talk about this book for a while. In fact last Friday I was at lunch with my BFF (S) and I was telling her how much I enjoyed this book. Then, I had to actually sit down and think about what I wanted to say and then I decided to record a video review. God help us all. Then I decided that even I wouldn’t sit through a 10-minute video.

Anyhoo, I loved this book. LOVED IT. This is my favorite series from Jill Shalvis and it keeps getting better. I was worried that Zoe might be one of those characters that is hard to connect with because of a previous relationship issue. While she does have a very bad relationship experience in her past and she does find it hard to trust Parker, it isn’t crippling. Parker has his own limitations, mainly his commitment to his job but he is truly a great guy.

Zoe and Parker have sizzling chemistry from the very beginning and their first meeting is quite memorable. Their relationship is set on a slow burn and I was ok with that even though I kept screaming “Just get together already!!” But that was because they were MFEO. (Made for each other… Sleepless in Seattle) It was little things that they noticed about each other: Parker repairing things around the house for Zoe and taking in kittens. For Parker, Zoe was the first time he truly felt like he could have someone to come home to and be happy. Let’s face it, in real life and relationships, it’s the little gestures that add up to make a big difference.

As always, Ms. Shalvis’s cast of animal characters play an integral role in this series. Oreo, Zoe’s dog was an addition that I personally loved, then add in some gregarious kittens and I was sold. Not only are the humans funny and interesting, the animals are just as fun if not more so.

As for the next book, I’d like to make a request for Kel, the sheriff’s book. You’ll see what I mean…

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October 9, 2015
Review: All I Need is You- Wendy Marcus #Excerpt

This is Rory and Neve’s story. We met them in Loving You Is Easy, the first book in the Loving You series. FYI- this book functions perfectly fine as a standalone. I knew when they were introduced in the previous book that I wanted to read their story.

I enjoyed All I Want, but there were aspects of the book that I struggled with. Neve drove me a bit nuts. Her identity has been wrapped up in her physical appearance for most of her life as a gymnast and dancer. She has also used her physicality and attractiveness where men are concerned and that’s where a lot of the conflict with her and Rory resides at times. In the beginning, they get to know each other as pen pals and I thoroughly enjoyed their letter and emails.

Conflict abounds between Rory and Neve and within themselves. This was one of those complex situations where both characters had a lot of work to do on themselves before they could have a healthy relationship with each other. Neve has childhood and family issues that really did a number on her and she doesn’t trust Rory very much after an initial misunderstanding that takes time to correct by Rory. After being deployed, Rory has some PTSD issues that must be addressed. Both characters tried to cure (or maybe deny) their issues by turning to each other. While that worked for a while, it was bound to stop working at some point.

Ms. Marcus writes a good book, with interesting characters in complex situations. (Neve and Rory both have interesting family stories) I can appreciate that and I intend to keep reading her especially after being introduced to Neve’s brother. I just hope her next book contains characters that frustrate me a little less. 🙂 3.25 stars

Mandy

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Today, like yesterday, and the day before that, Neve Jaimes thought dying would be easier than living. Mostly because she didn’t do sick very well.

“Damn this flu.” Damn feeling so weak and dizzy every time she tried to sit up. But she’d done it, had even managed to remain upright long enough to put on her bathrobe. Now, for the next challenge, she slid her bare feet into the slippers beside her bed, used her arms to push off, and stood with the ease of a severely arthritic 109-year-old. Everything hurt. Ten miserable days with no end in sight. “Enough already.” She needed to get well. Needed soup, which was why she’d forced herself out of bed.

With Mom and Dad away and her best friend, Brooke, now living hours from New York, there’d be no homemade chicken soup deliciousness in her immediate future. Takeout from the deli down the street would have to do.

In the kitchen Neve steadied herself against the counter long enough to pick out a spoon, then plopped into a chair, exhausted from expending the minuscule amount of energy required to travel a few dozen feet, thankful her one-bedroom condo was small and all on one level.

When someone knocked at the door she opened her eyes and lifted her head from where it rested on her folded arms on top of the table, but made no move toward the door, partly because she felt too dizzy to stand right at that moment, but mostly because her brother, Nate, the bringer of the soup, had a key.

She met the second, louder knock with a groan. Honestly, what the hell was the purpose of giving your overprotective big brother a key to your condo—which he had annoyed and harassed you for until you begrudgingly gave it to him—if he didn’t use that key for emergencies? Which this was, on account of Neve not being able to remember the last time anything other than ginger ale or warm tea had passed her lips. With her body completely depleted of nutrients, she needed sustenance to fight off the virus running rampant through her system.

Once the dizziness faded, Neve stood. “Pain in my ass.” And everywhere else, for that matter. Hunched over and clutching her old purple robe closed in front of her, she shuffled to the door and opened it. The whoosh of refreshingly cold November air felt good on her fevered skin. But the bright midday sun shot like spears into both eyes, blinding her. “Jeez.” She slapped a hand over her face, a little harder than intended, sending a throb of pain through her skull. “Owwwww. Did you bring the ibuprofen?”

“Neve?”

Shit. That didn’t sound like Nate. Positioning her hand like a visor, she squinted at her unwanted visitor, to find five feet, seven inches of sexy, way too good-looking male dressed in tan boots and matching light green camouflage pants, jacket, and bucket hat. Well, triple shit. It’d been four months since she’d met him in person for the first and only time, when she’d learned he wasn’t the good guy she’d thought him to be during their eight months as pen pals. This man who she’d confided in, who knew more about her life than her best friend and her brother, turned out to be a liar, and she wanted nothing to do with him.

“Go away, Rory.” She turned and reached out to slam the door in his face. In one quick motion, he stopped it. Most people would consider Rory average height for a guy, but he was much taller than Neve, who stood a tiny bit over five feet. And with his big, defined muscles, he had her beat in the strength department, too.

“What’s wrong, Neve? You look like crap.”

Probably smelled like crap, too, since she hadn’t bathed or changed her pajamas in . . . too many days. And you know what? She could care less. “Why, thank you for those kind words, you sweet-talker. You really know how to make a girl feel beautiful.” She tugged at the door again. It didn’t budge. “Now move your hand. I don’t have the strength to fight with you today.”

“Even if you did, I’d be ready for you this time.”

She did not appreciate the amusement in his voice. A few months ago she’d taken him, a U.S. Army soldier, down to the ground and incapacitated him, with surprisingly little effort, and they both knew it. “You promised not to come looking for me if I didn’t want to be found. If I recall correctly, you wrote, ‘But I swear on the life of Father McGinty, my priest back home, that when I’m stateside I’m not the man I need to be when I’m here, that I would never hurt you, or come looking for you if you didn’t want to be found.’”

Shifting so the sun wasn’t shining directly into her eyes, she gave him her very best glare. “And well, whaddya know? You did hurt me”—not physically and she’d never willingly admit how much—“and here you are. Again! There’s a reason I used a PO box, a reason I never gave you my home address. Because I didn’t want to be found! Maybe next time you should think twice before swearing on the life of your priest, because you, Rory McRoy, are a damn liar.”

That mini-tirade zapped what little strength Neve had, and she fell back against the door, trying to catch her breath, praying her legs would hold her up for a few more minutes.

He stepped toward her. Too close. “Let me—”

“No.” Neve tried to yank her arm out of his hold, her weakened state making the attempt totally ineffective, embarrassing even.

A deep, familiar, very welcome voice bellowed, “Get your hand off of my sister.”

Thank goodness. Help had arrived in the form of her six-foot-tall, big and strong police officer brother, in full uniform—which meant he had his gun. “Shoot him.” Of course he wouldn’t, but saying it felt good.

Cool, calm, and collected, Rory remained on track. “We need to talk, Neve.”

“No, we don’t.” This time when she pulled away he let her.

“Are you pregnant?” Rory asked, loud enough for Nate to hear.

Fan-tastic.

Nate yelled, “Why the hell does he think you’re pregnant?” as he came within arm’s reach of Rory. Close enough to strangle him, which might just come in handy.

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October 6, 2015