Book review: Beyond Pain (Beyond #3) by Kit Rocha

Available now!! 
A woman with no future…

Live fast, die young–anything else is a fantasy for Six. She’s endured the worst the sectors had to throw at her, but falling in with Dallas O’Kane’s Sector Four gang lands her in a whole new world of danger. They’re completely open about everything, including their sexuality–but she hasn’t survived this long by making herself vulnerable. Especially not to men as dominant as Brendan Donnelly.

A man without a past…

Bren is a killer, trained in Eden and thrown to the sectors. His one outlet is pain, in the cage and in the bedroom, and emotion is a luxury he can’t afford–until he meets Six. Protecting her soothes him, but it isn’t enough. Her hunger for touch sparks a journey of erotic discovery where anything goes–voyeurism, flogging, rough sex. He has only one rule: he won’t share her.

In Bren’s arms, Six is finally free to let go. But his obsession with the man who made him a monster could destroy the fragile connection they’ve forged, and cost him the one thing that makes him feel human–her love.

I'm not even sure where to start with this book. If you have not read the series than you MUST! It's become one of the best erotic genre series out there for me. It's not just a lot of hot sex. It's a continuing story with an elaborate framework of world building and various interesting and sometimes explosive characters.  This is book three in the series and Bren and Six's story. They are not new characters and have been present in previous books. It's their time to take center stage however and find out about them that we've only seen hints of so far. Six has had to be tough and learn to freeze her emotions to survive a life she had in the now dead Sector 3. There she was forced to have sex and have her life threatened repeatedly along with being beat by their now dead leader. There is no trust left in her for anyone. She doesn't understand Sector 4 at all or Dallas O'Kane their leader. Bren is former military. Part of a team and brotherhood until he was betrayed by his commander. He was forced to set someone up and then took for the fall for it and was kicked out of the military and city Eden to the sectors.  Bren eventually gets into sector 4 and becomes part of Dallas O'Kane's gang. When Six shows up he's interested in her. He gets is protective of her and knows he has to move slowly and help her heal and earn her trust. With her past it's not going to be a easy thing. In their story you finally get details about Six and Bren's history and Six's real name. Bren is tapped to help start straightening out Sector 3 since the O'Kane's are taking it over. He takes six with him because of course she knows the place and people there well. In working on sector three it puts the man who ruined Bren's life  back into play and Bren kind of loses his mind for a while when he sees a chance for revenge at all costs.  That cost just might be Six! Wow this story is captivating. The hot sizzling sex scenes are great but there is so much more to this book than the sex. It only enhances everything. You get a peak at previous characters and hints at the characters that will take center stage in the next book.  The O'kanes are not just a gang though there a family. The guys are tough SOB's but sexy and sweet as hell while the ladies are tough in their own way but still feminine and vulnerable when needed. The men come come off as powerful but it's the woman that are ultimately in charge.  Makes for one sexy series!  5 out of stars for Beyond Pain by Kit Rocha.

Find out more about this series and all the fun stuff om Kit Rocha's website here: www.kitrocha.com

Book review:First Temptation (Covert Affairs #1.5) by Joan Swan

Available August 19th 2013
Counterterrorist agent Taft Walker knows the Mexican cartel smuggling game. But posing as part owner of an adult store to ferret out the newest tunnel into the US is a first. So is Zoe Brooks, his partner, new to undercover and a sex-toy virgin. Taft’s up for the sexy challenge. At least until he sees the real Zoe beneath her tough façade and realizes, for the first time in his life, he’ll have to risk his heart to win.

After the death of a teammate, Border Patrol Agent Zoe Brooks is ready to get off the front lines. She’s willing to tolerate a swaggering partner like Taft for a chance to work investigations with ICE. But she’s not prepared for the way he understands her deepest, sexiest desires. Or the fact that she’ll have to break her own rules to grab hold of the passion she’s always wanted.

Note: Also appears in the anthology Wicked Firsts

This is a short 160 page novella and it's packed with action right from the first page. Zoe Brooks is ready for something different and she's put in for a transfer months ago. Finally she gets the call right after a hard night catching baddies on the border which ends up with her pretty banged up and almost killed. When she meets with her possible new boss and the guy she's going to have to work with on her first assignment sparks fly. Not even the good kind. At least not at first. Taft Walker is a bad ass that knows his way around under cover work and Mexican smuggling. His first thought when he sees Zoe is no way. She's a girl and not much to look at. Once she starts stripping off the bulky ugly border patrol uniform well then perhaps she does have the goods for this operation and more. lol Their first assignment together though is to pose as a couple running a sex shop. Things start getting pretty hot from there on out. It takes a while but Zoe proves she can handle the job and Taft finds that Zoe knows what she's doing. In between the job though that also learn something about themselves and who they are. A sexy little read filled with passion, action kick ass characters. 5 out of 5 stars for First Temptation by Joan Swan. 

Find out more about Joan Swan on her website here www.joanswan.com

Hot Cover Monday! Cover Reveal! Aching to Exhale (Langsturns) by Debra Kayn

Raul Sanchez, president of the Lagsturns Motorcycle Club, proved himself over the span of eight years to lead the outlaw bikers. No longer able to distinguish right from wrong, the undercover FBI agent is after blood when he finds out the Mexican Mafia took his woman. When he finds out his other half is still alive, he sheds the badge, throws himself into chaos, and seeks biker justice. Because any man who touches his woman is going to die.

Swinging on a pole in a seedy lounge in Palm Springs, Crystal Rose works to keep herself one-step away from trouble.With a prior rap sheet of pissing off a rival MC president, shacking up with a crazed out drug addict who used her for collateral against the Mafia, she’s one day away from disaster. All she wants is the one man who rocks her world. But she can't go back, because loving Raul could get him killed.

Find out more on Debra Kayn's website here www.debrakayn.com

Available now for only $3.99  at Amazon.com here www.amazon.com

Giveaway! Modokker Book Picks welcomes Dana Marton!

Deathwatch Blurb:

The only person who can identify the most notorious hit man in the country, Kate Bridges is running for her life. Murphy Dolan is in the Army Reserves, returning from his 2nd tour of duty, only to find a stranger hiding in his house. She's scared spitless. He's completely burned out on violence. Neither has any trust left to give.

Deathwatch Excerpt:

“Let’s try one more time.” Murph moved toward her. “Pretend I’m the assassin. Murph is dead out in the kitchen. You’re out of bullets and cornered.” He reached for her. “First choice?”

“Kill the bastard.” Kate grabbed for the barstool and whacked him in the head as hard as she could, but he twisted in the last second and the blow glanced off his skull.

He’d ordered her right at the beginning, fairly forcefully, to hold nothing back. And then he’d pushed and pushed, baiting and goading her. At this stage, if she maimed him, she figured he deserved it.

“Second choice?” He pushed forward with a growl.

“Incapacitate him then call 911.” She lunged forward instead of pulling back, and kicked at his most sensitive parts, but wobbled at the last second and missed by a fraction of an inch.

“Third choice?” He grabbed for her.

“Run like hell and live to see another day.” She put her head down, then yanked it up hard, smashing it into his chin so that his head snapped back and his grip on her slipped.

She ran for the stairs that led up.

He was on top of her in a second, bringing her down and pinning her. “Wrong move. What did we say about the stairs?”

“If I have a choice, go down.” The basement had an outside exit, while upstairs she could get trapped.

“Right.” He lifted his body off her and sat next to her, his eyes narrowing as he watched her struggle to catch her breath. His biceps bulged from under his black T-shirt that was barely wrinkled, while her shirt and pants looked like he’d mopped the house with her. Which, technically, he had.

She sat up. He was insanely strong. She hadn’t expected that, considering his injury. And he was fast. He didn’t have to think about what move he was going to make next. He fought on instinct, while her instincts pushed her to run away screaming.

Except when they pushed her to throw herself into his arms. She looked away from him, not wanting him to read her pitiful reaction in her eyes.

“I’m going to reinforce the rainspouts. Then you can go upstairs if you have no other choice, and climb down without breaking your neck.”

“I can break my neck even if the rainspout doesn’t break under me. Severe balance deficiency. Remember?”

He closed his eyes for a second. “All right. If at all possible, go for the basement.” He reached into his pocket and gave her a set of car keys.

“What’s this?”

“I got a rental today. It’s parked in front of 212 Summer Lane. You run out the basement door, cross the back neighbors’ yard. It’s a black Mustang. There’s some money and a backup gun in the glove compartment. If all else fails, you get in and drive away. Tank is full. It has GPS. Just drive and be safe.”

“And you?”

“Don’t worry about me.”

Tension filled the air between them as they stared at each other.

“I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“We’re going up against a master hit man. We’re going to get hurt. Our best case scenario is just not to be dead when this is over.”

She drew back, her limbs going cold suddenly. “Maybe we shouldn’t do this. I could just leave. I’m good at running. I’m a hell of a lot better at running than I am at fighting.”

“If all goes well, you won’t have to fight. I’ll fight for you. We discussed this already. This is the only way you’ll ever be free. This is your best chance. You have a partner this time, someone who’s been trained both as a cop and a soldier. And we know Asael is here, that he’s coming. He loses the element of surprise.”

He moved closer and took her hand. “If you want to be free…I’m pretty sure it’s one of those now or never things. We’ll set the trap for the day after tomorrow. I don’t want to wait too long, or he might make his move when we’re not expecting it.”

She nodded.

“We’ll make a show of me going off,” he said. “But I’ll circle back and come in through the back door. When he comes, I’ll engage him. You go call for help. If he gets through me, you run for your life. But it’s not going to happen. I’m going to handle him.”

He stood then reached out to pull her to her feet.

She hesitated a moment before she asked, “How is your shoulder?”

“I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”

“Right. That’s why you still favor your right arm.”

“I can use my left arm.” He put his left hand under her chin, tilting her face to him. Then he lowered his head to hers and kissed her.

Everything went still inside her as his warm lips touched hers. She could barely remember the last time she’d been kissed. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed this, a man’s arms around her, his dark gaze boring into hers with scorching heat. And, boy, could Murph Dolan fix a girl with a look that sent tingles down all the way to her toes.

He smelled like man, tasted like coffee and felt like heaven.

Her eyelids fluttered closed, and she gave herself to the sensation of being pressed against his hard chest while his mouth explored her gently, teasing her, tasting her. His great warrior body vibrated with restrained need, but he took the kiss slowly.

He brushed his lips over hears in agonizingly slow motion, covering every nook and cranny, then catching her bottom lip between his teeth for a minute before he swept inside and tasted her fully, making her weak in the knees.

Maybe he remembered her balance issues, because he gathered her against him tightly. Part of her wouldn’t have minded staying like that forever.

“I wanted to do this from the moment I saw you sleeping in my bed,” he murmured against her mouth.

“I just wanted to shoot you,” she said the first thing that popped into her dazed mind, then caught herself and winced. “Sorry.”

He laughed as he stepped back. “That’s a very healthy survival instinct. We’re going to develop more of that in whatever little time we’ll be given.”

And then he attacked her.

I'm pleased to welcome Dana Marton to Modokker Book Picks!!

Romance Heroes – Military and Law Enforcement Edition

 

Romance novel heroes come in all shapes, sizes and species, but a few classics of the genre stand out, and for good reason.  Cowboys, dukes, sheikhs, pirates, billionaires, bikers and bad boys, the list is endless.  But the stereotypical alpha male, with a background in the military or law enforcement, is an eternal favorite.  Strong, honorable, stoic, protective, lethal, and loving, these guys mate for life when they fall in love with the right woman.  These heroes almost always have hidden vulnerabilities and insecurities, and these make them human (or inhuman, depending on the romance genre of your choice!).  What woman doesn’t want to be the one to recognize and heal the wounds of their hero?

Writing and reading about heroes in my favorite romances has had an unexpected side effect – it’s helped me see the heroic qualities in my husband and men I see in my everyday life.  :Looking through a romance lens increases my appreciation for those everyday heroes (and heroines) who show up, perform their duties, do the right thing without being told, and go home and love their families and pets and keep them safe, and surrounded in love.  What’s better than that?

My Broslin Creek books feature heroes who are both former military and law enforcement, and these alpha males pack a lethal punch, both figuratively and literally.  Through their connection at the Broslin Creek Sheriff’s Department, these men form a brotherhood of everyday heroes, doing their best to keep the town safe.  Which is a very good thing because there’s a lot of hidden danger lurking in Broslin Creek.

In Deathwatch, sheriff’s deputy and Army Reserve soldier Murph Dolan has just returned wounded after a tour in Afghanistan.  Murph is exhausted, scarred and ready for the peaceful life of his hometown.  Little does he know his life will soon be in danger again, and he will have to overcome the PTSD and survivor’s guilt he is suffering from to protect the woman he finds in his bed.

 

What’s your favorite kind of hero?

 

Author Bio:

Dana Marton writes fast-paced action-adventure romances that take her readers all over the globe. She is a Rita Award finalist and the winner of the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence. She loves writing stories of intrigue, filled with dangerous plots that try her tough-as-nails heroes and the special women they fall in love with. Her books have been published in seven languages in eleven countries around the world.

She would love to hear from her readers.

Okay, the above version is the glamour version for press releases. The truth is that my path to publication was nothing but unglamorous. I wrote for 13 years and completed 4 books (as well as having others in various stages of completion) before I finally received a call from a Harlequin editor. I was beginning to wonder if I was being tenacious or just too dense to know when to quit. But it all worked out at the end! J I love, love, love writing and would spend all day in front of the computer if I could just break my family of the habit of wanting to eat and wear clean clothes. What’s up with that? But I must get up from the desk now and then, if only because my Internet connection goes down or my ancient PC overheats. Then I do enjoy cooking, knitting, hunting for treasures at the flea market, our Beagle, Peanut the Destroyer, and gardening.

I’d love it if you picked up one of my books and emailed me to tell me what you thought of it. I’ve been known to name characters after readers. Just ask Princess Judi

Find out more about Dana Marton and The Broslin Creek series here www.danamarton.com

Enter the giveaway below!

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Audiobook review:Bared to You (Crossfire #1) by Sylvia Day

Gideon Cross came into my life like lightning in the darkness… He was beautiful and brilliant, jagged and white-hot. I was drawn to him as I’d never been to anything or anyone in my life. I craved his touch like a drug, even knowing it would weaken me. I was flawed and damaged, and he opened those cracks in me so easily…

Gideon knew. He had demons of his own. And we would become the mirrors that reflected each other’s most private wounds…and desires.The bonds of his love transformed me, even as i prayed that the torment of our pasts didn't tear us apart...

This is book one of the Crossfire series. This series has been a huge hit with readers all over. I have not read the paperback version of this book so i'm not sure if it would have the same effect as the audiobook has had on me.  Gideon Cross is one of the top 25 richest people. He looks it and acts like it in public. He's good at putting on the right face when needed. No one really know who or what he really is. Then Gideon meets Ava Trumell. Ava just moved to NYC from California and is starting a new job in the Crossfire building with a advertising agency. A chance meeting in the buildings lobby changes everything for both Gideon and Ava. Gideon and Ava have a lot of secrets. Both have backgrounds of abuse. Just how that effects their personal lives though is revealed inch by inch when they become involved with each other.  A relationship for either one of them will never be easy since they have trust issues and pasts that are not the best for happy endings. The voice work on this is awesome! Probably the best I've ever had the pleasure of listening too.  There narrator's voice makes each character stand out on it's own. No two sound the same or even similar. Gideon comes across as sounding sexy just like you would imagine him. Overall with the voice work and the story you can't find better. 5 out of 5 stars for Bared to you (audiobook) by Sylvia Day.

Find out more about Sylvia Day and this series here www.sylviaday.com

Book review: Deathwatch (Broslin Creek Trilogy #1) by Dana Marton

Available ebook form now
As the only person who can identify the most notorious hit man in the country, Kat Bridges is running for her life. 

Murphy Dolan is in the Army Reserves, returning from his 2nd tour of duty, only to find a stranger hiding in his house. She's scared spitless. He's completely burned-out on violence. Neither of them has any trust left to give.

If the best of the FBI couldn't protect her from the country’s most notorious assassin, does a burned-out small town cop have a prayer?

This started out as a prequel novella but morphed into a full blown novel. I'm so glad it did. Kat Bridges in on the run. It's 18 months since she's been hiding out from an assassin that killed her friend and then came after her because she saw him. The FBI thought they could protect her. She had to watch her own funeral and when things blew up, literally she ran. Kat had a hard life and it finally was going well with an adoptive family that loved her for her. Now she's had to let them think she's dead to protect them while she hides from a killer. Renting a house on a short term lease she settles in for a few months until she can earn enough money to move again. Unfortunately Murphy Dolan owns the house and when he shows up  after finishing his 2nd tour in the Army reserves things get hairy. Murph is exhausted and injured and burned out. All he wants to do is get home and fall in his bed and sleep and then start getting his health and life back together. Only problem is his bed is occupied by a half naked Kat.  Once Murph can get Kat to explain why she's there and what's she's afraid of it doesn't take him long to decide he wants to help her. He starts teaching her to defend herself and fixes up the house with tons of security. All the while though he becomes more and more attracted to her.  He's also fighting his own demons from his time at war and his injuries.  While Murph tries to figure out if the assassin  is really after Kat or if he's imagining it, both are also trying to figure out what's going on between them as well.  Then a killer sneaks in and steals Kat and it's a race to get to her before it's to late. Fast paced and action packed! Dana Marton knows now to put the thrill into her suspense. She keeps you guessing right til the end. 4 out of 5 stars for Deathwatch by Dana Marton.

Find out more about Dana Marton on her website www.danamarton.com

Book review: A Simple Twist of Fate (Hanover Brothers #2) by HelenKay Dimon

Available July 16th 2013
The Hanover brothers are doing their best to live down the legacy of their con artist father…but they still have a knack for getting in trouble where romance is concerned.

As the lawyer of the family, Beckett Hanover ought to be sorting through the many claims filed against their family estate—which the brothers have recently inherited from their grandmother. But something about the housekeeper, Sophie, keeps stealing his focus…

Little does he know, as he flirts, what else she intends to steal. The truth is Sophie took the job with one purpose in mind: to help her aunt. But she never expected to find a man like Beck or get sidetracked by the handsome hottie's sweet talk and broad shoulders. Between her secret and Beck’s past, the two are headed for one risky romance.

I'm going to start by saying i missed book 1 of this series. I remember reading the blurb and liking it but somehow i did not read it. If you want to follow this you really need to start with book 1. You can guess at a lot but it's not quite enough. Was in not enjoyable? It was awesome. Made me really mad at myself for missing book one though. Definitely need to go back and read that so i can understand this one more and how it all ties in with the next book. The Hanover brothers are pretty well hated by the town they now live in. They came back to fix up and sell the house their grandmother left them but ended up staying. In this book Beckett the baby of the brothers gets most of the story although there are surprises for other characters as well. Beckett's the lawyer of the family and is constantly trying to sort through piles of paper work to sort through the mess of lawsuits etc from the fall out of their dads schemes.  Beckett's grandmothers former housekeeper Sophie is not much of a housekeeper and the brothers suspect somethings up with her and the way she seems to lurk around and the way she doesn't really clean. Beckett's attracted to her though and tries to get past her walls to find out what's going on with her.  Sophie's got a pretty big secret though. She's not really there to clean. She's there to find something that was stolen from her aunt by Beckett's dad. She had a rough upbringing with a aunt and uncle who were forced to take her in when her parents were killed when she was only 5. She's never really known love and feels she needs to help her aunt out for all she's done for her. Even if it means sneaking round and lying to Beckett and his brothers.  Since Beckett's dad was a big time swindler who lied and stole his way through life Beckett has some huge trust issues and lying and secrets are a big deal to him.  I really enjoyed this book even now knowing what happened in book one. Lots of drama but plenty of laughs thrown in for good measure. The brothers are learning to trust each other and be there for each other and act as a family. There is one mystery after another and when one seems to finally comes to light another one pops up. At the end your left with a bit of a cliff hanger and a few questions you want answered. Guess you have to read the next book though to find out what happens next. Well worth reading the each book to find out how it ends. Look forward to book three. 4 out of 5 stars for A Simple Twist of Fate by HelenKay Dimon.

Find out more about HelenKay Dimon on her website here www.helenkaydimon.com

Hot Cover Monday! Uncommon Passion by Anne Calhoun

Available Sept. 3rd 2013
After leaving a restrictive religious community, Rachel Hill is on a mission to divest herself of her virginity. Newly independent and struggling to establish herself, she’s not looking for anything complicated. She bids on sexy SWAT officer Ben Harris at a bachelor auction, confident he’ll give her the night of her life and nothing more.

But Ben is jaded and detached, living his life in an endless cycle of danger-fueled adrenaline jags, drinking, and sex. When he misses the fact that his bachelor auction hookup is a virgin, he’s shocked by his obliviousness, and by the risk she took. To make amends, Ben offers Rachel all he can: a no-strings-attached sexual education.

Ben’s lessons introduce Rachel to down and dirty passion, but she’s searching for something more profound than sex, and she’s willing to walk away to find it. Ben can’t get Rachel out of his head, but will he come to terms with his troubled past and learn to love?

Find out more about Anne Calhoun and her work here www.annecalhoun.com

Book review: Archer (Hard Body #1) by Debra Kayn

Available now! 
She's on the run . . . 

Jane Beaumont currently has in her possession: a cat, a hundred grand in cash, and a pistol. She's on her way home to Bay City, Oregon-and away from the nightmare of her violent ex-boyfriend. She'll lay low at Beaumont Body Shop, a car detailer that runs a private investigation agency in the back. The only wrench in her plan is Kage Archer: sexy, strong, and intent on protecting Jane at all costs. She's wanted Kage forever, but putting him in harm's way is not a risk she's willing to take. 

He's not going anywhere 

Kage is no stranger to the dark side of life, but he's always walked on the right side of the law. Yet when Jane expressed her interest in him years ago, he pushed her away for her own good. Now, after learning of all she's endured, Kage can't leave her side-or hide his need for her. When a frightening situation turns dire, can Kage convince Jane that the safest place to be is in his arms?

This is book 1 in the new Hard Body series by Debra Kayn. I have read and loved her cow girl series but this time she takes a turn at contemporary/romantic suspense. Jane finds herself in a abusive relationship with a man who is not what he appears. When he comes close to killing her she grabs her cat, her now ex boyfriend gun and a wad of his cash and runs home to her brother and his friends.  Kage comes from a violent and drug filled background. His mom and dad were casualties of this life and ever since he was a kid he's fought to not be like them To be honorable and upstanding doing the right thing always. Jane always had a thing for Kage but he never made a move because she was 4 years younger than him. She's all grown up now though and back home. Kage and Jane's brother and two of their other friends run a car detail shop. It's a front for their other business as private investigators. They have the skills to protect Jane when it's clear her ex isn't going to let her go easily. Kage always want to finally put his mark on Jane but first he's got to get the ex out of her life permanently and try to convince her he's in it for the long haul this time. Debra Kayn knocks it out the park with this story. I got into it right away. Love the guys and the ladies in this book. Kage Archer. The name just screams sexy! The character matches the name. He's a tall, dark and brooding alpha male. He takes charge right from page one but yet shows his tender side to Jane when she needs it. You also get the set up for the next two books possibly if your paying attention. Be sure to read Chapter one of "Weston" the next book in the series that comes at the end of the book. Looking forward to the rest of this series. 5 out of 5 stars for Archer by Debra Kayn.


Find out more about this series and Author Debra Kayn on her website here www.debrakayn.com

Book review: Slow Summer Burn (Star Harbor #4) by Elisabeth Barrett

Available August 12th 2013

blurb from Elisabeth Barrett's website

As the sizzling Star Harbor series concludes, the fourth sexy Grayson brother, a dedicated DEA agent, shows a high-society beauty the true meaning of love.

Cameron Stahl has everything, so why does she feel like her life is incomplete? A beautiful Boston socialite and a successful entrepreneur, she’s just opened her second boutique in Star Harbor and business is booming. But one searing look from Val Grayson sends fire through her body and shows her exactly what’s missing from her life: a real man who doesn’t play games and who makes her feel like the most desired woman on earth.

DEA agent Val Grayson has always looked after his brothers. Now it’s his turn to find love—though Cam is the last sort of woman he ever dreamed he’d fall for. When courageous Cam realizes she has the insider connections to help Val take down a major drug player within Boston’s political elite, he can’t stop her from putting herself in danger. But as the drug bust of his career looms, all Val cares about is saving the woman he loves before it’s too late.

This is the 4th and the last book in the Star Harbor series. I have loved this series and the Grayson brothers as well as the women they eventually would get together with. Each one was a mystery solved only when we read their individual books. For me Val was the most mysterious. He's the most quiet one the 4 brothers. Known not to really talk a lot. That all changes when he and Cameron finally get together. They are both attracted instantly intensely at the first touch. It's really kind of explosive. Val has doubts about whether he can fit into her high society world but the attraction he feels cuts through that and he goes for it anyway. The relationship burns hot but not without several issues that come up that have to be worked through. When Cameron finds out about the big case Val is working on involving drugs and possible connections to a Senator and his son that she knows well, she volunteers to help out against his wishes. Her night of spying goes well she thinks but later has huge consequences when she's found out and some things are not as they seem. Val races to save her. While i liked all the brothers there is something about Val that stands out a little more. He's a mature, capable man who puts everyone ahead of himself. In this book he finally takes something for himself that makes him happy. He's got that gruff alpha male thing going on but has a big soft spot just for Cameron and she's has a matching one for him.  The series that has involved a shipwreck and some keys as a continuing part of the 4 book series also comes to a conclusion as well. The perfect way to wrap everything up. I'm sorry to say I'll miss the Grayson brothers and Star Harbor. 5 out of 5 for Slow Summer Burn by Elisabeth Barrett.

Find out more about this series on Elisabeth Barrett's website here www.elisabethbarrett.com

Book review Vaughn (Circle Eight #4) by Emma Lang

Available today! August 13, 2013 A con man. A rancher’s daughter. A wildfire out of control.

Elizabeth Graham spends her days running the business side of the Circle Eight ranch. Her knack for numbers and organization lent themselves to her position in the family. She has just turned twenty-one and doubts she will find a man to spend her life with. Elizabeth doesn’t believe in love, after all, and when she meets a charlatan named Vaughn Montgomery, her opinion doesn’t waver. At first.

Vaughn Montgomery is down to the lint in his pocket and the handsome smile he uses as a weapon. His last con in New Orleans went wrong and he fled west. Now he finds himself trapped in the middle of nowhere Texas. And at the mercy of a hard-nosed woman who wears shapeless dresses and whose tongue can cut blocks of wood.

Unwilling to bend and unable to forgive, Elizabeth and Vaughn get caught up in a web of lies that stretches from Austin to Dallas. She finds herself falling for the man who can’t seem to tell the truth and he can’t get enough of a woman who can only speak truths. Together they have to save the Circle Eight and try to avoid falling in love.

The Circle Eight series continues with Vaughn! If you have not read the first three it's fine. You can read these on their own and still follow the story. There are enough details given throughout the book to help you get the background. Vaughn shows up buck naked on the Graham's front door. He then proceeds to fall flat on his face.  Beaten and bloody with all his clothes taken he's forced to rely on Elizabeth Graham to nurse him back to health. Elizabeth and her adopted grandmother are alone at the Circle Eight ranch since rest of the family is off visiting other family.  Elizabeth stays behind to take care of granny Dolan as she's been in poor health for a while. Not long after Vaughn shows up trouble shows up behind him. Next thing you know Vaughn and Elizabeth find themselves kidnapped and on their way to Houston to con and a conman and right a bunch of wrongs. In the meantime Vaughn figures out he doesn't want the life he's been living anymore. He wants a whole lot more from life and Elizabeth starts to figure out she is more than she ever thought she could be. In the midst of all the drama and craziness Vaughn and Elizabeth find themselves and each other. This is a journey of self discovery in a lot of ways and it's fun to see both Vaughn and Elizabeth change throughout the book. Each has something to teach the other. Fast paced story with well written characterizations. 4 out of 5 stars for Vaughn by Emma Lang.

Find out more about the Circle Eight series and Emma Lang here www.bethwilliamson.com/EmmaLang

Laura Kaye Cover Reveal! HARD AS YOU CAN (Hot Hard Ink series book 2)

 Avon is proud to announce the publication of  Laura Kaye’s second book in her hot Hard Ink series, HARD AS YOU CAN (On Sale: February 25, 2014).

Ever since hard-bodied, drop-dead-charming Shane McCallan strolled into the dance club where Crystal Dean works, he’s shown a knack for getting beneath her defenses. For her little sister’s sake, Crystal can’t get too close. Until her job and Shane’s mission intersect, and he reveals talents that go deeper than she could have guessed.

Shane would never turn his back on a friend in need, especially a former Special Forces teammate running a dangerous, off-the-books operation. Nor can he walk away from Crystal. The gorgeous waitress is hiding secrets she doesn't want him to uncover. Too bad. He’s exactly the man she needs to protect her sister, her life, and her heart. All he has to do is convince her that when something feels this good, you hold on as hard as you can-and never let go.

 Find out more here www.laurakayeauthor.com

Pre-order for Amazon here www.amazon.com

Pre-order for B&N here www.barnesandnoble.com

Book review: Three Little Words (Fool's Gold #12) by Susan Mallery

Available July 30th 2013
Can first love turn into the real deal in a sizzling new Fool's Gold story from New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery? Isabel Carlisle thinks she's cursed in the romance department. Her teenage crush, Ford Hendrix, ignored all her letters. Her husband left her for another...man. So Isabel has come home to dust off her passion for fashion and run the family bridal shop until her parents are ready to sell it. Then she'll pursue her real dreams. At least, that's the plan, until sexy, charming Ford returns and leaves her feeling fourteen all over again.... 

Seeing Isabel all grown up hits bodyguard trainer Ford like a sucker punch. Back when heartbreak made him join the military, her sweet letters kept him sane. Now he can't take his eyes-or his lips-off her. The man who gave up on love has a reason to stay in Fool's Gold forever-if three little words can convince Isabel to do the same..


This book has a little back story. Isabel is the younger sister of Maeve who Ford was supposed to marry about 14 years ago. Maeve cheated on Ford with is best friend Leonard and broke off the engagement shortly before the wedding. Isabel was in love as much as you can when your only 14 with Ford. She cried and cried when he left town for the military right after this. Fast forward 14 years. Ford's finally out of the military and working with friends at CDS a security business. Isabel is back too. She running her parents bridal business while they are on a world wide vacation. When they return she's supposed to help them sell the Bridal salon and then move back to New York to start a fashion business with a friend. Ford says he isn't marriage material. That something must be wrong for him in in 14 years he's never had a serious relationship since Maeve. Even now though he realizes he never really loved her then.  Isabel is nervous about seeing Ford and talking to him. Ever since he left she's written him letters.  He never wrote back. She doesn't want to him to think she's a stalker. Ford for his part read every one. Over and over again. They helped him get through some pretty rough spots in his military career when he needed a dose of good and normal.  Ford big problem now is his mother. She wants him and his divorced brother Kent married and will do almost anything to make it happen.  When ford moves into the garage apartment of Isabel's' parents home he asks Isabel to be his pretend girlfriend to get his mother off his back.  Things get crazy from there. There is a double romance going on here. Ford and Isabel think they are faking it until Isabel figures out she's in love and her plans have changed. Then you have Ford's older brother Kent who has been around in the series for a little while now. He's divorced with a son. He falls for Consuelo Ford's friend and fellow coworker/owner of CDS. Their story is a little smaller but packs a big punch too. Kent is figuring his way into dating again and Consuelo has no idea how to date with her background and history. Lots of internal conflicts of course in this book but like all HEA they get worked out by the last page. Ford was a little to full of himself for my taste and i wanted to kick him in the shins a time or two for that.  What i love most about this series is even though each books highlights a new couple you get to see what's going on with previous couples and possible set up for future couple.  You feel like you could be there. I  have no idea how Susan Mallery keeps track but i am glad she does such an amazing job. 4 out of 5 stars for Three Little Words by Susan Mallery.

Find out more about Susan Mallery and the Fools Gold series in her website here. www.susanmallery.com

Book review Bitten By Deceit Hadley Werewolves #1 by Shawntelle Madison (novella)

Available now
Alpha wolf Emma Parker is loyal to a fault, even if it means losing the love of her life when he’s ousted from the pack. She’s never stopped needing him, and when a black witch curses the pack, she wonders if she’ll even survive. It’s a poison of the blood, and with each bite, the virus spreads, leaving the infected rabid and under the control of an evil Alpha.

Kyle Benton is starting over. He’s a lone wolf, betrayed by the only woman he’s ever loved. Until Emma barges back into his life, as gorgeous and determined as ever. He’s hell bent on resisting her, or at least making her suffer. But she needs him in a way that touches him to his very soul. Now he has to determine how to set her free, and if he can, how he can ever let her go.

This is a very short 61 page novella. It's hard to pack a lot into so few pages. Emma is in trouble. Something bad is going on in her pack and the alpha Liam is biting people and they are getting sick. He's got a black witch with him and she's the one that's helping him give everyone he bites a terrible illness. Once it gets in the blood he controls them. When Emma gets bitten she leaves town to find to find Kyle the man she loved but let go a year ago. Kyle lost a fight with Liam after Liam and his friends fought dirty the night before and busted up his knee so he couldn't win their fight. He had everything and lost it in one night. Now Emma has found him and although he resists at first he can't turn her away. Liam follow Emma to the town Kyle is in and a fight ensues. Can Kyle defeat Liam and get the love of his life back as well as his pack as their alpha? That's the question in this novella. While there is plenty of action i wish it had been a bit longer with more details of a relationship between Kyle and Emma. It has the potential to really be great. Still a good read for someone who wants just a good evening of reading.  3 out of 5 stars for Bitten by Deceit by Shawntelle Madison.

Find out more about Shawntelle Madison and her work  on her website here www.shawntellemadison.com

Book review: Flirting with Texas (Deep in the Heart of Texas #5) by Katie Lane

Available July 30th 2013
YOU'RE A LONG WAY FROM HOME, COWGIRL

On her own in the Big Apple, Jenna Jay Scroggs can handle herself when trouble arises. But when she tries to rescue a horse, the passionate do-gooder ends up on a runaway Central Park carriage ride with a hunky stranger. With his sexy drawl and well-worn Levis, Beauregard Cates is doing his darnedest to make Jenna homesick for the small western town she's spent years trying to forget. And it's working: She's dangerously close to falling head over boot heels for the rugged rodeo star with hair the color of moonshine.

Beau came to the big city to escape his past and live life to the fullest. Yet the leggy blonde with eyes as blue as a western sky causes a real hitch in his giddy-up. So when the well-meaning folks of Bramble plot to bring Jenna home, Beau will need to convince her that she won't ever get Texas out of her blood - or one good-time, ever-lovin' cowboy out of her heart.

This is the 5th book in the Deep in the Heart of Texas series. I think you can read this as a stand alone but you might want to at least read the blurbs of the other books to help you connect the characters if you haven't read any of the previous books. I have not read them all but that didn't take away from the enjoyment when reading this.  Jenna Jay is a kick ass kind of Texas girl transplanted in New York City for a while. Beau is there looking her up so Miss Minnie can invite her to the Hen House. A place he owns. A funny series of events lead them to meet and not long after they are both kidnapped by a couple of the citizens of Bramble Texas to take them home. Jenna had a disagreement with her parents on her choice of boyfriend and left town for NY and the folks of Bramble want her back so she can make up with her family.  Next thing you know Beau and Jenna are mixed up together at the Hen House and the possible mystery about Jenna's background. Beau had a fight with cancer before and when it became a possibility that the cancer was back he took off and has wandered around for 2 years.   Although all kind of problems come up either between the two of them or other things both Jenna and Beau keep coming back to each other. This was a fun book. Katie Lane brings humor to her characters with her fun dialogue and good ole boy attitudes.  Some of the town folk can get on your last nerve but that's what small town can be like and everyone accepts that for what it is.  Very enjoyable read if you like your cowboys and kick ass heroines. 4 out of 5 for Flirting with Texas by Katie Lane.


Find out more about this series and Katie Lane here www.katielanebooks.com

Hot Cover Monday! Barefoot by the Sea (Barefoot Bay #4) by Roxanne St. Claire

Available October 29th 2013
A Barefoot Bay Novel When you think you know your heart's desire . . . Tessa Galloway is a gifted nurturer-her verdant garden at Barefoot Bay's new resort is living proof. If only the woman who can grow anything could grow what she wants most: a baby. Her friends think the right guy will come along, but Tessa doesn't want to wait. All she needs is the perfect donor to make her dream come true. Then John Brown is hired at the resort. If anyone could make beautiful babies, it's this gorgeous, mysterious man. So why does Tessa suddenly find herself wanting so much more? Can you give up all your dreams for love?It's been three long years since John Brown had to leave his old life. Forced into the witness protection program, he's desperate to be reunited with his toddler twins. When he gets that chance, there's a catch-he must prove he's got a steady job and a new wife. Landing a gig as a chef in Barefoot Bay is easy enough. And falling for lovely Tessa is even easier. The hard part? Can he win the heart of a woman who prizes honesty-when the truth may shatter it?

Find out more about Roxanne St Claire and the Barefoot Bay series on her website here www.roxannestclaire.com

Book review: Flirting with Disaster (Camelot #3) by Ruthie Knox

Available now!
In the latest eBook original novel in Ruthie Knox’s scorching-hot Camelot series, a no-strings fling looks an awful lot like falling in love—or flirting with disaster.

Fresh out of a fiasco of a marriage, Katie Clark has retreated to her hometown to start over. The new Katie is sophisticated, cavalier, and hell-bent on kicking butt at her job in her brother’s security firm. But on her first assignment—digging up the truth about the stalker threatening a world-famous singer-songwriter—Katie must endure the silent treatment from a stern but sexy partner who doesn’t want her help . . . or her company.

Sean Owens knows that if he opens his mouth around Katie, she’ll instantly remember him as the geeky kid who sat behind her in high school. Silence is golden, but he can’t keep quiet forever, not with Katie stampeding through their investigation. It’s time for Sean to step up and take control of the case, and his decade-old crush. If he can break through Katie’s newfound independence, they just might find they make a perfect team—on the road, on the job, and in bed.

This the a continuation of the Camelot series by Ruthie Knox. We met Katie and Sean in the last book. We also previously found out quite a bit about Katie in that last book but not much about Sean. Katie married her high school sweetheart and moved to Alaska and married him on a whim. After putting him through college and running a business with him he took all their money and left her holding the bag so to speak. Sean has liked Katie since high school. She never knew. He had issues with with mother who was a teacher at the school. He has a speech problem with stuttering and she refused to see it and get him help. He's also really smart. Finally when he was a older teen he left home with a friend. It was the last time he saw him mother. She passed away 9 months ago and he been back in Camelot working for Katie's brother Caleb while he takes care of all his mother affairs. Katie also works for her brother's security agency as a secretary but now she's trying to move up to agent and her and Sean get paired together on a case. Problem is Sean won't speak to her. He never has since he started working for her brother. Sean conquered his speech problem years ago but being back in Camelot and being around Katie brings it all back. He can't seem to speak with out stuttering when he's around her. This is a great book. I loved Sean he's seems pretty perfect at first until you find out about his background. He didn't have a easy childhood. His mother drove him nuts. He feels guilt for abandoning her and he's trying to deal with his past and is kind of stuck. Katie was royally screwed over by her childhood sweetheart and now ex husband. He did a number on her heart and her self esteem. She's trying to find her real self finally. In the mean time Katie and Sean are working a case together and finding each other. For me it's a very emotional book. Katie and Sean each have some deep issues to figure out and the process can be very painful. You want to root for them early on in the book. Hope there will be more in this series. I think Sean in my favorite character so far. 4 out of 5 stars for Flirting with Disaster by Ruthie Knox.


Find out more about the Camelot series and author Ruthie Knox here. www.ruthieknox.com