Book review: Matzoh and Mistletoe by Jodie Griffin

Available November 21st

Carina Press

Every December twenty-fifth, Rebeccah Rickman volunteers through her synagogue so that others can celebrate Christmas. Her usual mitzvah, or good deed, is assisting police officer Jeremy Kohler. But this year is different: this year, Becca is free to act on the attraction that has long simmered between her and the sexy cop. 

Jeremy couldn’t have asked for a better gift than discovering the woman he’s fantasized about for five long years is single. But when he learns about the violence that broke up Becca’s marriage, he’s hesitant to pursue her. He fears his desires will scare her away—but can’t deny his own need for control in the bedroom. Or his longing to instruct her in the fine art of submission… 

Becca is shocked to learn that Jeremy is a sexual dominant. And despite her past, she’s also aroused. But before she can explore what that means, she’s going to have to put her trust in Jeremy—and her own fledgling desires.

This a steamy little light BDSM novella.  Rebecca Rickman is a jewish girl who likes to help volunteer her time at Christmas helping out at the local police station. Five years ago she when she first volunteers she meets sexy cop Jeremy Kohler. Jeremy finds her sweet and sexy but very married. He knows she's hands off but he can't help his attraction to her so he requests her as his volunteer every year. This year is different though.  Becca is now divorced from what turns out is a verbally abusive husband. It took her a while to figure out her marriage was over. The verbal attacks where bad but when he finally strikes her she knows she's all done. Now here she is with Jeremy on patrol and once he finds out she's free he knows he wants her. Problem is he's not sure she can handle the sexual lifestyle he likes. Once they have a discussion about it though Jeremy takes his time slowly introducing her to the D/s type of relationship he enjoys. This is a fast sexy read that's not over the top BDSM. The relationship between the two is hesitant at first as each finally gets the chance to explore what they could have together in a potential relationship and in bed. The only thing i would've liked to see more of is the conflict with Rebecca's ex-husband when he tries to intimidate her at the end.  I thought it would be more confrontational.  Jodie Griffin does a awesome job as always balancing  sexy erotic and sweet story! 4 out  of 5 stars for Matzoh and Mistletoe by Jodie Griffin.


Find out more about Jodie Griffin here www.jodiegriffin.com

Book review: Born Wild (Black Knights Inc. #5) by Julie Ann Walker

Available Nov 5th
She's got three rules:

1. Trust no one… Eve Edens has been abandoned, used, or manipulated by almost everyone she's ever met. Born into ridiculous wealth, she's dealt with the petty jealousies and sordid little resentments for nearly thirty years. But after three botched attempts on her life, she can no longer ignore the truth. Someone wants her dead.

2. Avoid the bad boys at all costs… William "Wild Bill" Reichert, the wonderfully sexy boy who abandoned her years ago, is back in town. Only he's no boy. Now he's a covert operative - and he's all man. When Eve hires Bill to help her discover who is behind the attacks, Bill soon comes to suspect it's someone much closer to Eve than she dares to believe.

3. And never fall for the same ruse twice… The search for the killer takes Bill and Eve deep into the dark secrets and strange world of the rich and famous, and into the heart of red-hot passion re-ignited by the peril that threatens to consume them both. But does Eve dare risk her heart on Bill a second time?


I got into this series a little late. I'm just now going back and reading the backlist.  This is book 5 in the series and finally we get to find out the full story between Eve Edens and Wild Bill Reichert.  Eve and Bill have a past. Once in love when they were younger each has misunderstandings about what happened back then. They care about each other still but try not to let the other know it by using hateful little digs.  When it becomes apparent that Eve's life is in danger Bill struggles to put his hurt feelings aside and find out who is after Eve. While Black Knights inc. guys are trying to figure out what going on and who is  after Eve the pair are forced to spend time in close quarters and in doing so slowly get to the bottom of their differences.  Entertaining from start to finish. Like the other books in this series this is a fast paced action packed story. The sex scenes are good and the characters are interesting. Keeps you guessing who the bad guy is to the end. 4 out  of 5 stars for Born Wild by Julie Ann Walker.

Find out more about Julie Ann Walker and this series here www.julieannwalker.com

Release day!! Barefoot by the Sea (Barefoot Bay #4) by Roxanne St. Claire

Available today!

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?

Read a excerpt here on Roxanne St Claire's website here www.roxannestclaire.com

Order it here 

Amazon: www.amazon.com 

B&N: www.barnesandnoble.com

Hot Cover Monday! Texas Fandango (Texas Montgomery Mavericks #3) by Cynthia D'Alba

Unofficial blurb. Subject to change.
Available February 2nd 2014 by Samhain Publishing

Unofficial Blurb: After years of fantasizing about Drake Gentry, Kathryn Colleen Montgomery (aka KC)  is given the chance of a lifetime...a two-week vacation. With Drake. Just the two of them. She jumps at the chance with only one stipulation...he must agree to no-holds barred sex.

 

Single again, Drake Gentry finds himself with a full-paid-for vacation for two and no one to take. He'd be a fool to turn down KC Montgomery's offer to go with him as long as he'll agree to a two-week affair. Drake is no fool.

 

But once they go home to Texas , they find the two-weeks on the beach has deepened more than their tans. 

Find out more about Cynthia D'Alba here on her website www.cynthiadalba.com

Debra Kayn ~ Romance Author: 1st official peek at Soothing His Madness!

Debra Kayn ~ Romance Author: 1st official peek at Soothing His Madness!: Friday! Here's the first peek into Soothing His Madness (before edits). If you haven't read Breathing His Air and Aching To Exhal...

Book review: My Spy: Last Spy Standing (HQ: Texas #5) by Dana Marton

Available now!
The stakes are higher and the danger is bigger in Dana Marton's HQ: Texas miniseries.

A mission gone wrong forced injured soldier Jamie Cassidy to start anew and run right into the path of deputy sheriff Bree Tridle. The sassy, sexy Texan was as determined to uncover a local money-laundering scheme as Jamie was to keep her safe from the stalker hot on her trail. But Jamie, now an undercover operative, was also on a covert mission of his own: track smugglers threatening to bring terrorists into the U.S. Could Jamie's and Bree's cases be related? When a deadly attack on Bree's home escalates the danger and their attraction, Jamie and Bree must face their enemies together to save not only their country, but their one chance at love.

2 books in 1! LAST SPY STANDING also included in this book!

This is another fast paced, action packed story from Dana Marton. Jamie Cassidy was a soldier. That was his life. He thought it was over when a mission gone wrong causes the loss of part of his legs and part of his soul. Grief ate at him over the the deaths of his team and a family that had protected him from the enemy. If he was going to live it would be for work only. Now he's part of a covert team trying to stop terrorist smuggling into the US on the Mexican border. He's given up on life outside work until a coincidental meeting puts him in the path of ex beauty queen and deputy sheriff Bree Tridle. Slowly Bree brings Jamie back to life in a way he never expected again. They eventually join forces when they find their current cases cross paths. Fast paced as always Dana gives us action packed adventure and romance in the perfect mix. Both Jamie and Bree have things in their past they are dealing with but manage to persevere and be there for each other. Jamie will touch your heart with his back story about what happened to him and his big heart as he helps Bree with her autistic sister. Bree is equally there for Jamie when she listens to him talk about how he lost his legs and his guilt over what happened. As a bonus this book also comes with a bonus story Last Spy Standing. Two book for the price of one. Can't beat that deal!!  4 out of 5 stars for My Spy by Dana Marton.

Find out more about Dana Marton and this series on her website here www.danamarton.com

Book review: Barefoot by the Sea (Barefoot Bay #4) by Roxanne St. Claire

Available October 29th!
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?

If you have been following this series you know these books can be very emotional for the reader. This one definitely falls into that same description. Tessa has made no secret through the series she desperately wants a baby. She spent years trying with her ex-husband and at this point thinks it her fault she couldn't get pregnant and has moved on to getting a surrogate. Finding the perfect donor is a big problem but then the resort get a new chef, John Brown. John has some pretty big secrets. He's been hiding out for 3 years from people who would like to see him dead. He's got a set of twins he hasn't seen since they were babies and now he finds himself desperate to find a stable life and a wife so possibly he'll get them back.  Getting there is not going to be easy. Tessa is leery of him but he makes falling for him easy. If only she could shake that feeling something isn't quite right. John doesn't mean to but finds himself falling for her and guilty for not being able to tell her everything about his past and who he really is.  For me John kind of bugged me the first half of the book. It took me a while to warm up to him because he comes across as whiny. I think because I was more on Tessa's side and didn't want to see her hurt even though she was keeping her own secret. By the halfway point John won my affection and i was rooting for someway for it to all work out.  This is a man stuck between a rock and a hard place if that's the correct saying. He wants and loves Tessa but he also wants and loves his kids. He can't see any way to have both without someone getting hurt. Tessa loves him so much that she will do anything for him and does even if it means not being with him in the end. It's a heart twisting tale of two people who are meant to be together. Breath taking ending. 5 out of 5 stars for Barefoot by the Sea by Roxanne St Claire.

Find out more about this series on Roxanne St Claire's website here www.roxannestclaire.com

Hot Cover Monday!! Matzoh and Mistletoe by Jodie Griffin

Available Nov 21st . Pre-order now! 

Every December twenty-fifth, Rebeccah Rickman volunteers through her synagogue so that others can celebrate Christmas. Her usual mitzvah, or good deed, is assisting police officer Jeremy Kohler. But this year is different: this year, Becca is free to act on the attraction that has long simmered between her and the sexy cop.

Jeremy couldn’t have asked for a better gift than discovering the woman he’s fantasized about for five long years is single. But when he learns about the violence that broke up Becca’s marriage, he’s hesitant to pursue her. He fears his desires will scare her away—but can’t deny his own need for control in the bedroom. Or his longing to instruct her in the fine art of submission…

Becca is shocked to learn that Jeremy is a sexual dominant. And despite her past, she’s also aroused. But before she can explore what that means, she’s going to have to put her trust in Jeremy—and her own fledgling desires.

Matzoh and Mistletoe will be available in November 2013 as part the Carina Press Erotic Romance Holiday Novella Anthology called Season of Seduction.You can also buy it as a stand alone as well.

Find out more about Jodie Griffin and her work on her website here www.jodiegriffin.com

Book review: Spy in the Saddle (HQ: Texas #6) by Dana Marton

Available Oct 22nd
Two agents must work together without letting a tense past and a sizzling new attraction disrupt their most important mission in Dana Marton's HQ: Texas miniseries

It's been ten years since soldier Shep Lewis laid eyes on delinquent-turned-FBI agent Lilly Tanner, and this time they have an even bigger problem than each other: terrorists. In the center of a smuggling operation, Shep and Lilly must partner up and protect each other.

Not even their undercover identities can mask the mounting attraction between the pair as they struggle to survive in the merciless Texas borderlands. Can they put the past behind them and focus on the mission at hand? Or will their partnership reignite the flames of their untapped passions?

Lilly Tanner was a juvenile delinquent. Her parents sold her when she was a toddler and the people who bought her deserted her and then after tons of a foster homes she ended up with Shep Lewis as her parole officer. She was only 17 and hard to handle but Shep tried to help her, protect her and get her on the right path. She stole his car and accidentally burned his house down and got him fired when she emailed him telling him she loved him. What a nightmare girl right? Now it's ten years later and Shep gets the surprise of his life when that girl shows up at his secret covert unit as a FBI agent there to help them catch some smugglers.  For Lilly, Shep is even hotter than he was years ago when she ran away from him and lived in his car and sang in bars to survive. She pulled herself together and made something of herself and now has a career as a field agent with the FBI. Unbelievably the attraction she had for him is still there. Question is does he feel it too and can she get past her pride and trust issues to let him in and can he see her for who she is now instead of that problem girl. Action packed as always Dana Marton takes you on a thrill ride with these two characters as they chase down the bad guys while figure out what they mean to each  other.  The emotion is intense when these two get together. Your left wondering til the end if Shep and Lilly can overcome their trust issues and be together. They have to survive the bad guys first! A total thrill ride! 5 out of 5 for Spy in the Saddle by Dana Marton.

Find out more about Dana Marton and this series here . www.DanaMarton.com

Book review: The Christmas He Loved Her (Bad Boys of Crystal Lake #2) by Juliana Stone

Available now!
All he wants this Christmas is her.

In the small town of Crystal Lake, Christmas is a time for sledding, hot chocolate, and cozying up to the fire with those you love. For Jake Edwards, it’s also time to come home and face his past. He thought there would never be anything harder than losing his brother. Turns out there is: falling in love with his brother’s widow, Raine.

Ever since they were little, Jesse was the Edwards brother who was always there for her, and Jake was the one who knew just how to push her buttons. Raine can’t imagine a life without them, which is why it was doubly decimating when Jake left town after his brother’s sudden death. Now he’s back and she doesn’t know whether to be mad or thrilled. Maybe both. Maybe it will be the perfect chance for both of them to finally find happiness again.

This is a Christmas themed book but the story is way deeper than anything about Christmas. This series is about 4 childhood friends and one girl, Raine who always tagged a long. In book one we find out one has been killed in action in the military in Afghanistan. Jesse and Jake were fraternal twin brothers and  not identical in looks or mannerisms.  They were in the same unit when Jesse is killed so Jake was there when it happened.    Jake and Jesse both loved Raine but she married Jesse and Jake stepped back.  When home on leave Jake and Raine consoled each other with their bodies and feeling guilty about that and a lot of other things Jake left. Now many months later he's back permanently and he's still a mess and so is Raine. Deeply depressed over losing Jesse and what she feels is a betrayal by Jake for staying away and not being there for her she's sullen and losing weight and not caring about much. Top it off he brings home a beautiful woman with him he claims is only a friend.  This is a huge emotional journey for most of the characters. Dealing with a death like this is hard on it's own without all the complications thrown in with Jake and Raine's relationship. How exactly Jesse died is partly a mystery until Jake finally tells his parents and Raine what happened. Loaded down with guilt it takes a lot of Jake and Raine to find their way to each other and let Jesse go. As a veteran myself i  thought i would have a hard time reading this book. I knew before i even started it would be a emotional book. It's a journey worth taking though. Life goes on even after such a heart wrenching tragedy and it makes you think of what military families go through when a loved one is killed while serving their country. 4 out of 5 stars for The Christmas he Loved her by Juliana Stone.

Find out more about this series and Juliana Stone on her website here www.julianastone.com

Book review: Aching To Exhale by Debra Kayn (Biker series book 2)

Available now! 
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.

This is book 2 in Debra Kayn's bikers series. This time we're in Langsturns MC territory with Raul Sanchez. In that first book Crystal comes across as a mean chick  that causes problems when she is sent by Raul to sleep with the president of a Rival motorcycle club. At the end she's kicked out and set on a bus out of town but she ends up with a druggy guy and then disappears.  Most people would think good riddance but you know how these things go.  You don't really know everything you think you do.  This story is enlightening in you find out who Raul and Crystal really are. There are lots of secrets to overcome and trust to earn. There is so much more to both of them than you could every imagine based on the previous book. Crystal's past has haunted her for the past 12 years. No matter what she does or where she goes she can't catch a break. She thought she had finally found a place to belong with Raul and then he coldly sent her away.  Little did she know he was trying to protect her. Then she fell in with the Mexican mafia by association with the druggy guy she left with. Desperate for a place to stay she went with him and then got mixed up in some nasty business. After getting away from that and hiding out she's working as a dancer in a seedy club when  Raul comes to find her and drags her back to the Langsturns club.  This is when we start finding out what's really been going on and more about Raul and Crystal pasts. It's not what you think. Debra Kayn has to do some serious work to redeem Crystal in the readers eyes ad she definitely did that for me. This is fast paced, action packed twists and turns and  sizzling sex  scenes. If you are into hot motorcycle rising guys. Raul definitely fits the bill and even Rain from book one is back in this one.  At just over 200 pages you can read this book in a evening curled up in your favorite chair. Just like i did!  5 out of 5 stars for Aching to Exhale by Debra Kayn.

Find out more and read a excerpt for this book on Debra Kayn's website here www.debrakayn.com

Book review: Everything You Need to Know by HelenKay Dimon

Available today! 
From the award winning author of romance and romantic suspense, HelenKay Dimon comes a sizzling new story from Cosmo Red-Hot Reads from Harlequin.

Welcome to Need to Know—Because a Woman Can’t Be Too Informed
Dating in D.C. is like navigating an apocalyptic wasteland populated by men in expensive suits with zero mating potential. Need to Know provides all the information a savvy single woman like you needs to avoid dating disasters.

By night, Jordan McAdam is the proprietor of a popular website that rates D.C.’s hottest bachelors—everything from how quick they are email you back to their skills in the sack. She’s been burned once too often to accept any man at face value. By day, her job as an office temp puts her in the perfect position to do a little fact checking on her rich and powerful subjects. When her latest assignment brings her face to face with the sexy but mysterious Forest Redder, Jordan decides to do a little “hands on” research of her own. To Jordan, he seems like the perfect man – but she knows there is no such thing. Moreover, there’s a big problem: Forest knows Jordan’s the woman behind the scandalous site—and Jordan knows he knows. Will he expose her secret—or find his own posted on Need to Know?

Jordan McAdam has had nothing but terrible dating luck. She decided to start a website where woman can be warned if their is date is a worm or a winner. Her job as a office temp helps her check the prospective dates out but then she runs into Forest Redder on one of her temp jobs and he's taken with her. He's totally the kind of man she wants to avoid.  Forest is a force to be reckoned with though and he finds out where she works and requests her and makes it a" no way to get out it" of situation. Problem number one is he's not what she thought.  She finds herself falling for him. Problem number 2 is the website. It's causing problems for both of them.  A guy one of her previous jobs goes on the attack of both Forrest and her website. Should she confide in him and tell him she owns the website or hope he figures a way out of the problem for both of them without telling him. Can she trust him enough? This is the dilemma she faces. Trust or not? The cover for this book is enough to get a woman to buy it. It's the story inside that will get that woman to read and enjoy it. HelenKay knows how to write a sizzling romance. I discovered her a little over a year ago and have enjoyed pretty much everything i have read of hers since. This book is no different. It's a fast sexy read that sizzles right off the pages or in my case my Kindle Fire. If you need a evening with a fun, sexy read this one will definitely fit the bill!! 4 out of 5 stars for Everything you Need to Know by HelenKayDimon.


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

Guest post with author Karen Rose Smith "Her Sister" Search for Love

Her Sister

When Clare Thaddeus' sister was abducted, she was five and her family fell apart. Now, twenty-seven years later, there's a chance Lynnie could still be alive! Divorced parents, a rebellious daughter, and a devoted sister find their lives in turmoil once again. This time, will crisis tear them apart or will forgotten love knit them together once more?

How Family Fits Into HER SISTER

When I wrote HER SISTER, I knew it was a departure from the type of book I usually write.  It's women's fiction with romance and mystery.  But is it really so different?

One element that has always characterized my books is family relationships. Whether I'm writing the ultimate romance or adding a mystery or suspense plot, family trumps all.

There are many reasons for that.  Although I was an only child, my extended family was large.  My parents and I lived with my grandfather and aunt until I was five and then my parents built a house next door.  I ran between the houses as if they were both "home."  On summer mornings I can remember hearing my aunt sing while she made breakfast.  When I was home sick from school, I stayed with my aunt and grandfather until my parents got home. 

My paternal grandfather's house was on a corner lot. My neighborhood friends and I had the run of both properties to skate around, to ride bikes around, to pretend and imagine and create scenarios that we brought to life.  Sundays were usually spent with relatives. Decades old elms cascaded over park benches where my aunts  and uncles would sit and talk.  My dad had nine brothers and sisters, so someone was always coming and going, bringing food, cooking food, laughing and enjoying a glass of wine.  My favorite cousin became a confidante as we grew older into teenage crushes, discussed favorite music and even wrote a script together.

On my mom's side of the family I had seven uncles and aunts. They were scattered a bit more so I didn't see them as often. But every Friday evening my parents and I would drive to my grandparents' house to pick up fresh food my grandmother had purchased for my mom at the farmer's market.  They lived in a row house across the alley from the market.  My grandfathers' barber shop was on the first floor.  The living room was on the second floor but we hardly ever used it because around the huge dining room table was where all the conversation swirled.  On those Sundays we weren't visiting with family next door, we drove to my other grandparents' house for supper.  This was life.  Everyone was connected.

I've lost my parents now and most of my aunts and uncles. With those losses, memories become even more precious. In HER SISTER, I drew on memories of my uncle's farm where my dad and another uncle worked too.  They raised tobacco.  I remember going out with them on a flatbed trailer being pulled by a tractor. I helped push the tobacco leaves onto laths before they were hung in the barn.  I can still remember the sun on my face, the smells of harvesting, the enjoyment of feeling free on that farm.  In HER SISTER, this was Amanda's background.  One summer she shared it with Max when they fell in love.

So to write this book,  I analyzed what happened when a family fell apart because their three year old was abducted.  Then I imagined what could happen as they found their way back to each other in the midst of another crisis. 

After writing romance for twenty years, last year I sold a mystery series.   I found the genre fit perfectly and I love the challenge of devising puzzle pieces that fit together to weave a story. So in HER SISTER, I decided to combine everything I like best about writing--an emotional plot with romance and mystery.

I hope you enjoy it, too.

Karen Rose Smith's 80th novel will be published in 2013.  Her latest, APRIL'S PROMISE, is a contemporary romance available in e-book, print and audio book.  In December, STAGED TO DEATH, her first mystery, will be released from Kensington books. 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Karen-Rose-Smith
Twitter: www.twitter.com/karenrosesmith

Romance Website:  www.karenrosesmith.com

Mystery Website: www.karenrosesmithmysteries.com

Newsletter:  www.karenrosesmith-ezine.blogspot.com/

Blog:www.karenrosesmith.blogspot.com

Book review: Rush (Phoenix Rising #3) by Joan Swan

Available now!
Jessica Fury, Washington lobbyist, has money, connections, and her own firm. But five years ago she had something better: happiness. Her firefighter husband, Quaid, was handsome, courageous, and crazy about her. Then one day he walked into a chemical inferno—and never walked out. Jessica has been through hell to get back on her feet. And then a rumor surfaces that could bring a miracle or shatter her world – again.

Q has been a prisoner forever. He’s honed his mind and body into weapons. He’s developed abilities no one else understands. But he’s still at the mercy of a cabal of ruthless men, who blank his memory, test him like a lab rat, and tell him lies. Although his past has been erased and his future looks grim, instinct tells him he has a woman to live for. What his mind can’t remember, his body can’t forget…

The heat is on.

This is a very complicated but thoroughly enjoyable book. I have no idea how Joan Swan keeps track of everything but she does and passes it on to readers effortlessly. Q is introduced in the last book in this series. We're all left wondering if Q isn't Quaid long thought dead from the accident that effected the whole response team. We're left wondering if it is him for sure for a good portion of the book but in our hearts we know it is. Of all the team members i think Jess and Quaid suffered the most after their accidents. They were newly married and talking babies when everything went to hell. It was believe Quaid died in the hospital and Jess pulled away from everything and fell into a deep hole of despair and did things she's not proud of. She feels she's on the edge of mental madness when a couple of her team members come to get her with the news they think Quaid is alive.  Then embark on a rescue mission to get Quaid out of the place he's being held but Jess is not as convinced as everyone else til she get a close look at him and spends time with him. Things are never easy when you have been through so much and a lot of time has passed. Quaid can't really remember much of anything from his past life and struggles with finding his way. Jess and Quaid have a hard road back to each other. This book is action packed with plenty of sexy scenes mixed in. It will definitely tug at your heart strings too. If you like paranormal romantic suspense here's a great series to get into.  5 out of 5 stars for Rush by Joan Swan.

Find out more about this series and Joan Swan here www.joanswan.com

Book review:The Hitwoman and the Neurotic Witness ( book 5) by J.B. Lynn

Available now! 
Book 5 in the Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman series

When her apartment building is blown to smithereens, bumbling hitwoman Maggie Lee is forced to move back into the Bed & Breakfast she grew up in.

Living with her three meddling aunts is bad enough, but it just so happens that the B&B is also occupied by a U.S. Marshal, an FBI agent, her old friend Zeke who’s on a mysterious mission, and a woman who claims she can see dead people. These aren’t the kinds of roomies Maggie wants to spend time with, considering that in order to pay for her niece’s medical care she supplements her income by killing people.

Maggie avoids arrest and deals with a crazier-than-usual home life while trying to track down exactly who is blowing up the holdings of various crime families. To make matters worse, she’s walking a precarious tightrope between keeping her mobster bosses happy and protecting her murder mentor (and almost lover) Patrick Mulligan.

Aided by the warped predictions of her semi-psychic friend, her sarcastic, demanding, talking lizard and an always ravenous, dyslexic Doberman, Maggie juggles keeping secrets, unraveling riddles and protecting those she loves.

Can she do it all? Or will she suffer yet another unspeakable loss?

OMG it's another hilarious and precarious Maggie adventure! If you have not read this series yet i stress to you that you need to. It's slightly paranormal, slightly suspense and all kinds of funny too. Maggie is made to be a hit woman for hire in book one in order to pay for her niece's hospital care. Finally her niece is starting to get better but Maggie is hip deep in her hitwoman life now. Her murder mentor who is way complicated and Maggie's love interest is back and looking our for Maggie in his own way as usual. This is a fast paced book that ends way to soon as usual. It sucks you right in and for however long it takes you to read it you are entertained. There is a talking dog, cat and lizard as well as fortune telling friend and 3 crazy aunts a hot love interest and of course the mob. You'll laugh i guarentee it!  5 out of 5 stars for the Hitwoman and Neurotic Witness by JB Lynn.

Find out more about this series and JB Lynn here www.jblynn.com Do yourself a favor and check out this series!

Book review: Christmas on 4th Street (Fool's Gold #12.5) by Susan Mallery

Available now!
There's nowhere better to spend the holidays than with New York Timesbestselling author Susan Mallery in the town of Fool's Gold, where love is always waiting to be unwrapped... Noelle Perkins just got a second chance at life, and she intends to make the most of every minute. That's why she ditched a frustrating legal career to open her own store in Fool's Gold, California. The Christmas Attic celebrates everything that's magical about her favorite season. Business is booming, and as a bonus, gorgeous army doctor Gabriel Boylan has offered to help out during the holiday rush. 

Gabriel's memories of Christmas past contain more sour grapes than sugar plums, thanks to a drill sergeant father who ran his home like a boot camp. Spending the holidays with his family while he recuperates from injury sounds as appetizing as last year's eggnog. Still, there are some enjoyable distractions in town, including sunny, sexy Noelle...and the red-hot mistletoe kisses they can't stop sharing. 

Gabriel didn't think he was made for happily-ever-afters. But when fate hands you a love as sweet and surprising as this, only a fool could refuse...

I was so excited to read this novella. While it's not close enough to Christmas i really got into the vibe to read this. We've met Noelle in a previous book and i wondered what her story was. Susan Mallery has a great way of approaching serious things in her books and not make it all about that. She weaves it into the story with grace and makes you feel for her characters. Both Noelle and Gabriel who is Gideon's twin brother have had difficult things happen in their lives. Only difference is Noelle is trying to get past her demons and live life and Gideon is trying to hide from his. Gabriel is in town temporarily he thinks to heal a injury to his hand. He's a military surgeon whose seen to much of death and pain. One mistake and he finds himself injured and on leave staying at his brothers house. I love the Fools Gold series and this novella will get you right in the heart. After you find out about Gabriel and Noelle's past you want them so badly to find happiness. To find love with each other. Of course Susan Mallery has to guide them there slowly and let them work though it. This is a great afternoon read. If you haven't gotten into The Fools Gold series this is a great place to start! 5 out of 5 stars for Christmas on 4th Street by Susan Mallery.

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

Book review: To Tame a Cowboy (Texas Cattleman's Club Series) by Jules Bennett

A Texas Cattleman's Club tale of best friends falling in love.

Royal, Texas, is the perfect place for rodeo star Ryan Grant to slow down and finally show Piper Kindred she's the woman for him. When an accident sends Piper rushing to take care of him, her sexy bedside manner suggests to Ryan that seducing his best friend will be easier than he'd expected.

But Piper knows the lure of the rodeo circuit and the risk of a broken heart, when Ryan realizes he's not ready to hang up his saddle for good. She can't let herself fall for a cowboy. If only her heart would listen!


This is part of a series but i don't think you need to read the previous books to enjoy this one. For me this is the only one i have read so far. That being said this was a great fast paced read. Ryan Grant befriended Piper Kindred when they were kids in the school yard. Piper's dad was a big rodeo star who eventually abandoned his family and sparked Piper's mistrust of rodeo cowboys. Just so happens in their grown up lives that's just what Ryan became.  Now though Ryan is done with the rodeo. He has his own Ranch to run and is opening Rodeo school on it. He's fought his attraction for Piper for years knowing her fears and valuing their friendship. Now he decides it's time to go after what he wants. First he has to get Piper to let down that wall of hurt and believe in him. That's he's there for good now.  Piper is tough and learned early on to be that way. She's a paramedic and has seen a lot. While dealing with this different Ryan as a love interest their mutual friend they thought was missing shows up at a accident scene Piper is called to. Problem is he has no memory of who he is or where he's been. This might be the only confusing part of the book if you have not read the other books in this series. I just gathered from what's written what the back story was for this though. There are a couple stories being told here. Ryan and Piper and in the background a couple of their friends as well.  If i get a chance i will definitely check out the other books in this series and would enjoy finding out what happens next in the series. This is a fast read. You can finish it in one afternoon and with rainy fall weather that's just what i did. 4 out of 5 stars for To Tame a Cowboy by Jules Bennett.

Find out more about Jules Bennett on her website here www.julesbennett.com

GIVEAWAY!!! Hot Cover Monday! Soothing his Madness (Biker series 3) by Debra Kayn

Find out more about Debra Kayn  and this series as well as her new release Conveniently out today! www.debrakayn.com

To celebrate release day Debra Kayn is giving away a copy of Conveniently to one lucky commenter. Just tell us which you prefer Motorcycle guys or Olympic Skiers? Giveaway ends on Wednesday! Don't miss out! 

Below is the blurb to Conveniently where our her is a Olympic skier.Order is here www.amazon.com

Easygoing Juan Santiago, a two-time gold medalist on the US Olympic men’s downhill ski team, receives his last warning: Either stay free of scandal, or lose his sponsorship and be put on the reserve list. With the Olympics a month away, he won’t risk being thrown off the team. He vows no more women, no more parties, and no more scandalous behavior. But when a gorgeous woman runs past him at Timber Lodge with the sexiest calves he’s ever seen, he must follow her.

When Dana Reese, daughter of Colton Reese - owner of the world’s biggest ski equipment company - is stood up on her wedding day, she’s devastated and outraged. How dare her ex- ruin her life schedule. Organized to a fault, she must get married today, so the rest of her plans will happen in order. Luckily for her, she’s caught in a compromising position with a member of the US Olympic ski team and wiggles her way into saving his ass by marrying him.

Little does she know that she didn’t marry just any young stud skier, but the man they call Amante Español. Spanish Lover.

Book review: Getting Rowdy (Love Undercover #3) by Lori Foster

Available now! 
An alpha hero's attraction to the one woman he can't have could draw him into a killer's snare in the sizzling new novel from New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster. 

Charismatic bar owner Rowdy Yates isn't the kind of man women say no to. So when he approaches waitress Avery Mullins, he fully expects to get her number. However, the elusive beauty has her reasons for keeping her distance-including a past that might come back to haunt them both. 

Avery spends her nights working for tips...and trying to forget the secret Rowdy is determined to unearth. But when history threatens to repeat itself, Avery grows to rely on Rowdy's protective presence. As the sparks between them ignite, she will be forced to choose between the security she's finally found...and the passion she's always wanted.

This is the third book in Lori Foster's Love Undercover series. If i could read it over and get that first read through feel again i would do that and do it often.  We met Rowdy Yates in book one and he is the epitome of bad boy no doubt from the first page he appears on. Still there was something about him that was sweet and good too.  It's there in the way here takes care of his sister Pepper and then later Alice in book two. Finally with the book we find out what Rowdy is all about. Avery gets a intro in the last book and she's a bit of a mystery too. She's hiding and running from something and Rowdy of course is going to figure out what it is.  Getting Rowdy has it's series side but it also had the typical Lori Foster humor. Somehow she always finds that perfect balance between the two and it comes through in the her writing time and time again. Makes you want to sit back and read it over and over again just to get more Rowdy!  All the previous characters are back and a little glimpse into Dash who i think is going to be a riot to read in the next book in this series. This series has been a knockout from book one. 5 out of 5 stars for Getting Rowdy by Lori Foster.


Find out more about Lori Foster and this series here www.lorifoster.com

Book review: Always On My Mind (Lucky Harbor #8) by Jill Shalvis

Available now!


THERE'S NOTHING LIKE THE REAL THING

After dropping out of pastry school and messing up her big break on a reality cooking show, Leah Sullivan needs to accomplish something in her life. But when she returns home to Lucky Harbor, she finds herself distracted by her best friend, Jack Harper. In an effort to cheer up Jack's ailing mother, Dee, Leah tells a little fib - that she and Jack are more than just friends. Soon pretending to be hot-and-heavy with this hunky firefighter feels too real to handle . . .

No-strings attachments suit Jack just fine - perfect for keeping the risk of heartbreak away. But as Jack and Leah break every one of their "just friends" rules, he longs to turn their pretend relationship into something permanent. Do best friends know too much about each other to risk falling in love? Or will Jack and Leah discover something new about each other in a little town called Lucky Harbor?

This is book number 8 in the Lucky Harbor series. If you haven't read this series so far where have you been under a rock? Jill Shalvis somehow rocks it every time she puts out a book in this series and she doesn't disappoint this time either. Leah Sullivan had one of the crapiest childhoods. There were two bright spots her grandma Elsie and Jack Sullivan her best friend. When she fell apart one of the other was there to put her back together. Jack lived next door and heard firsthand the verbal abuse Leah had to take from her dad. When Jack's fireman dad died on the job Leah was there for him and his mom as well. Now years later she's back in town and hiding something. Both are in denial about their feeling for each other. Who will figure out the truth first? Will Leah run away again and will Jack figure out he doesn't have to fill in his dad's very big hero shoes. As always Jill Shalvis makes me laugh out loud with her awesome humor that always comes out in her writing. You get some glimpse's and mentions of past characters from previous Lucky Harbor books and when you make it to the very end you even get a glimpse of the next book. I won't tell you anything about that but if you read this book you'll be able to figure out who it's about and will wish you got more than just a two chapter preview.  Always on my mind was a winner for me! 5 out of 5 stars!


Find out more about Jill Shalvis and the Lucky Harbor series on her website here www.jillshalvis.com