ARC Book review: Controlled Burn (Boston Fire #2) by Shannon Stacey

Available now!
eARC provided by publisher through Netgalley

Rick Gullotti lives the good life. He fights fires, dates beautiful women—though none long enough so they cast wistful glances at jewelry stores—and has great friends. And thanks to helping out the elderly couple who own his building, his rent is low. But when concerns about their health lead him to contact their only son, his life starts getting away from him.

Jessica Broussard has no interest in leaving sunny San Diego or her cushy corner office for Boston, but her father—who happens to be her boss—dispatches her to deal with the grandparents she's never met. She's unprepared for the frigid winter, loving relatives who aren't the monsters she's been led to believe, and the hot, scruffy firefighter who lives upstairs.

At first, Jessica is determined to get back to her comfortable life as quickly as possible. All she has to do is talk her grandparents into selling their monstrosity of a house and moving to a retirement community. But she underestimates Rick's dedication—and his considerable charm. Nobody's taking advantage of his friends on his watch, even if that makes the tempting southern California girl with the long legs his adversary. Unfortunately for them both, the only thing more urgent than the matter at hand is their sizzling chemistry, and it's quickly becoming too strong to resist.

Book two in the Boston Fire series Shannon Stacey shows us just where the sizzle is! Rick Gullotti has been renting a apartment  on the top floor of a big house from a older couple who have become like family to him. He's enjoyed low rent while taking care of anything that needs to be done around the house. When the older man falls and gets hurt a woman claiming to be a granddaughter they didn't know they had shows up. Jessica Broussard finds herself at the grandparents home she's never met. Now she's determined to get to know them and help them if necessary. Unfortunately or fortunately Rick is already there helping and they have to decide if they can trust each other. Loved this one. Rick is a great guy but faced with Jessica and his feelings for her he's unsure of himself sometimes. Being vulnerable is hard for a guy and Rick is no exception. Jessica has only ever had her dad for family. Jesssica has no idea what family is and between her new found grandparents and Rick she likes the feelings she's experiencing. I liked the grandparents and Rick and Jessica were great together. Of course the firefighters and friends are a great addition to the story. The one thing missing for me at the end is Jessica's dad. There's no resolution there. He abandoned his parents years ago and was slowly inching his way to a reconciliation and then nothing. Hopefully we find out what happens in the next book. I'm definitely looking forward to book three.

Find out more about the Boston Fire series and Shannon Stacey here www.shannonstacey.com

ARC Book review: My Kind of Wonderful (Cedar Ridge #2) by Jill Shalvis

Available December 22nd 2015
eARC Provided by publisher through Netgalley

UNEXPECTED AND UNDENIABLE...

Bailey Moore has an agenda: skiing in the Rockies, exploring castles in Europe, ballroom dancing in Argentina. Now that she has a second lease on life, she's determined not to miss a thing. What she doesn't realize is that item #1 comes with a six-foot-one ski god hot enough to melt a polar ice cap. She doesn't want to miss out on him either, but Hudson Kincaid isn't the type of guy to love and let go. And as gorgeous as Cedar Ridge is, she's not planning to stick around.

As head of ski patrol at his family's resort, Hud thinks he's seen it all. But never has he run into someone like Bailey. She might look delicate, but her attitude is all firecracker. And her infectious joy touches something deep within him that he's been missing far too long. Now he'll just have to convince Bailey to take a chance on her biggest adventure yet . . . something rare and all kinds of wonderful.

There is something about a Jill Shalvis book. I have never been disappointed and look forward to grinning and laughing before the end of chapter one. I think it happened within the first few chapters this time. Bailey Moore is finally living her life. After 10 years of being sick with the possibility of not surviving she's doing what she wants and finding out who she is. This leads her to Cedar Ridge to paint a mural at Kincaid's ski resort and .... Hudson Kindcaid. The man is there for everyone. Responsible to a fault even if he sacrifices what he needs for himself. Shalvis has a way of making you feel welcome in a series. Like you are part of the family of characters. I don't know know how she does it because you feel like you are right there in the book. This is one of those books and you feel yourself grinning and laughing out loud. Think  yup that sounds like Hud or that darn Aidan always a smart ass. If you want to be taken out of your own world for a little while and be a part of the one is this book and enjoy yourself start with this book. You can read it as a stand alone too. Great read from page one to THE END.

Find out more about this series and Jill Shalvis here www.jillshalvis.com 

ARC Book review: A SEAL Forever (West Coast Navy SEALs #3) by Anne Elizabeth

Available now!
eARC provided by publisher through Netgalley

Even a hero needs someone to believe in him...

Parkour instructor Maura Maxwell has always denied her attraction for her bachelor neighbor because she's seen his revolving door of women and doesn't want to become another notch on his belt. But the man who rescues her from a sudden storm isn't the one she thinks she knows-he's Master Chief Declan Swifton of SEAL Team Five, and he literally sweeps Maura off her feet.

Just as his teasing and tenderness start to work their way into Maura's heart, Declan and his team are called in for a dangerous op in the Middle East. The man who returns is facing the toughest fight of his life, and he needs Maura by his side more than ever...

This is a new author for me. The cover caught my eye and the blurb my interest. Declan Swifton is Navy seal. One of the elite military and all around good guy. Maura Maxwell is his next door neighbor and they share a balcony. Kind of hard to avoid each other but Maura was managing just fine until she gets into trouble in the ocean just outside their door. Declan swims in to save her opening a chance for them to get to know each other.  It seems to be going well between the two until Declan is injured on a OP and disappears for a bit. I have to say first i liked the idea of this story. Parts of it I enjoyed a lot. I think the story could've been made shorter and went on to long though. I knew that Declan would get injured because of the blurb but i was not expecting what happened to him. I liked how he handled it but for some reading this it could be very upsetting. I loved Declan's teammates as well. Both Declan and Maura had challenges in their lives. Maura's earlier in life and her struggle helps Declan. She becomes his anchor. In the end it kinda had a fairy tale ending and that doesn't jive with the reality of soldiers getting severely injured in battle. It was a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed the story but this would not be a reread for me. 

Find out more about this story and  author Anne Elizabeth here www.anneelizabeth.net

ARC Book review: Fighting for Devlin (Lost Boys #1) by Jessica Lemmon

Available now!
eARC provided by publisher through Netgalley


Devlin Calvary makes his own luck. Orphaned as a young child, he was taken in by a crew of bookies and gamblers—and they became his family. They’re the reason Dev’s running a trendy bistro, living in a high rise, and enjoying the good life with a string of women who never ask for too much. Until, one night, he finds out how much it hurts to trust the wrong people.

Rena Lewis sticks to the straight and narrow, determined not to slip up again . . . like the terrible night of partying four years ago that ended in tragedy. A waitress at Oak & Sage, she knows that sleeping with her boss is not a smart move. But when Dev shows up on her doorstep, beat up and clearly shaken, Rena’s not about to turn him down . . . or kick him out of bed.

Dev reawakens something primal within her—a need to go wild. And Rena soon finds out that the heart she’d sealed away years ago still has the power to fight for love. 

I am still relatively new to Jessica Lemmon's work. I loved the cover for this book and the blurb so i wanted to give this new series a try. I was intrigued from the first page. Devlin is not your typical hero. It took a little bit for me to figure out he wasn't exactly put him on a pedestal hero. On the surface it seems like he could be until you dig deeper. Keep digging and you find he's not a bad guy either. Once he let's Rena in he's fighting what he thinks he is and what he could be. Rena is fighting her own internal battles yet opens her heart to the first guy in years who could also shatter it. Bad girl gone good gone bad again. An amazing story with strong characters. Intense but also kept me guessing what everyone's intentions really are. Definitely exciting to see what book two has in store for me. 

Find out more about this series and Jessica Lemmon here www.jessicalemmon.com

Audiobook review: Branded for You (Riding Tall #1) by Cheyenne McCray

Audiobook provided by author for review

Megan Wilder doesn’t think there’s a man in this world who could love her just the way she is. After meeting sexy Ryan McBride, she suspects he might just be the one to change her mind. 

With her family in danger of losing their restaurant and their home, a sudden illness has everything Megan thought was sure in her life crashing down around her. Finding out Ryan is the one responsible for threatening foreclosure shakes her very foundation.

Can Ryan and Megan succeed in overcoming their obstacles and fight for a love that was meant to be?

This was a new for me author so excited to listen to book and check out the narration. It started out strong with the two meeting and getting to know each other, but after a while i kept waiting for something to happen. Something a little exciting. It was kind of ho hum and ok, then wham! There's the first sex scene with Megan and Ryan. You would think the first time would be sweet. Instead it's hot and intense and a little bit of bondage and dirty talk. Wowee! It goes from contemporary romance speed to mild erotica. I can handle the hot sex scenes but this seemed to come out of the blue with how Ryan acts right up until this. I loved the two of them together and Ryan was this amazing guy.  Overall i thought there was a little to much description of things and i didn't care for the narrators female voices but the book was still enjoyable for me.

Find out more about this author and this series here www.cheyennemccray.com

ARC Book review: Rocky Mountain Shelter (Six Pack Ranch #8) by Vivian Arend

Available now!
ebook provided by author for review

Innocence and passion are an addictive mix...

The dark-haired stranger next door triggers every protective instinct Trevor Coleman never knew he had. From the moment Becky Hall literally falls into his arms, the last man standing of the Moonshine clan doesn't even attempt to resist sweet temptation. Becky is beautiful, mysterious and heartbreakingly vulnerable…and he's a goner.

To escape the hell she was trapped in, Becky left everything behind but her courage. And for once in her life, good people step up to make a difference. A helping hand, a new job…a very attentive and libido–stroking neighbour. Now a new future awaits, one that shockingly includes sexual pleasure instead of icy pain, and a sexy cowboy who’s more than eager to show her the ropes.

Becky’s sweet smiles and seductive innocence draw him in like nectar, and Trevor knows one taste will never be enough. But with secrets growing thicker than a bumper crop, changing a life will take more than a new ID and a cowboy’s good intentions.

It's gonna take sacrifice to break these chains.

Warning: boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl—all hell breaks loose. We’ve got a hero whose hands are tied in more ways than one. A heroine who wants to experience everything she's ever missed, and a family that needs to discover if its roots go deep enough to weather any storm.

I really love this series. Trevor Coleman has the biggest heart. He is constantly giving his truck away. Literally, he does! He's one of the last Coleman's still single and is the first person to offer help to someone in need. Along comes Becky Hall. Becky has some huge secrets and wants to be left alone but Trevor is attracted to her and intrigued and he slowly wittles his way into her life and her heart. I loved this one. Trevor is one of those guys that anyone would want as a friend. He also has a supportive family. So when Becky Hall shows up in a rental house on property he is trying to find out who is the owner of he get several surprises. Who Becky is, where she came from and who is the owner of the house and how it's connected to his family. Amazing story of love and patience and understanding. The only down spot for me was toward the ending. I was expecting more at the end. Something bigger. It just kind of ended with some things not settled. At least not for me. Overall though a really good read.

Find out more about this series and Vivian Arend here www.vivianarend.com