ARC Book review: Lake of Dreams by Linda Howard

Available May 2nd 2016
Novella
eARC provided by publisher through Netgalley

Originally published in the anthology Everlasting Love by Linda Howard, Jayne Ann Krentz, Linda Lael Miller, Kasey Michaels and Carla Neggers.


Dreams and reality collide—with potentially deadly consequences—in this stunning novella from New York Timesbestselling author Linda Howard, available for the first time as a standalone ebook at an unbeatable price!

House painter Thea Marlow hasn’t been sleeping very well. Her nights are plagued by dreams, the setting by the water and the mysterious man who appears in them always the same. But the outcome of the dream changes nightly: sometimes the man loves her...and sometimes he kills her. Desperate for some much needed relaxation, Thea travels to her family’s remote country lake house. Imagine her surprise when a knock at the door reveals the man from her dreams...who happens to have just rented the house next door.

So will he love her—or will he kill her?



There's not much that can be said without giving everything away, This is a very short novella length story. It's actually not that easy to figure out where the author is going with the story. It's like a really good book but condensed into a short story. I found it interesting and intriguing but without enough details. I wish it would have been expanded some so it would not have been so rushed and the story line rolled out slower. What i can say is i did enjoy what there was to read. I decided to read this because i have been a fan of Linda Howard and even as a re-released story i wanted to read it. The writing as always was good and for what little there was quite engaging. I just wish we could have gotten to know the characters better. 

Find out more about Linda Howard here /Linda-Howard

ARC Book review: Matt (Malloys of Montana #1) by R.C. Ryan

Available April 26th 2016
eARC Provided by publisher through Netegalley

A MALLOYS OF MONTANA NOVEL
Wild Horses Couldn't Drag Him Away From Her

Raised beneath the big Montana sky, Matt Malloy was never meant to be a jet-setting businessman. But he'll do anything to protect the family ranch he shares with his brothers. Coming home after a two-week trip to Italy, Matt wants nothing more than to shed his suit and tie for a well-worn pair of jeans and ride his horse up to the cabin for some alone time. The last thing he needs is a big-city lawyer invading his privacy-even if she is the most beautiful woman he's ever seen . . . 

Vanessa Kettering has devoted her life to her work. As a passionate animal rights defender, she doesn't have room for anything else. But from the moment she meets Matt, she's taken with this rugged cowboy's lazy smile and tender touch. When a raging storm traps them inside his cabin for the night, one steamy kiss leads to another, sweeping them away with a force that's as wild and untamed as the land he loves. But when the morning light comes, will she lose her heart?

In this brand new series by RC Ryan we get to meet the Malloy family. The cast of characters is pretty big in size and mostly male. Matt Malloy is the oldest of three brothers. When his parents died in a car accident he changed from a carefree 12 year old boy to a responsible young man who looks out for his younger brothers and eventually the entire ranch. When his grandmother asks him to meet a lawyer to discuss the wild horse's on their ranch he of course accepts. Anything for his family. Vanessa Kettering might be a city lawyer but she doesn't have a city attitude. Her love of animals leads her into a career defending them and the Malloys. I loved the characters in this series. Of course you just get bits and pieces of the secondary characters in this book so there is much to look forward to in future books. Matt is this bigger than life cowboys who took his family tragedy and instead of letting it be a negative influence on his life he made sure he was there for his family. He looked out for his brothers and did the best he could for his families ranch. There doesn't seem to be anything he can't do. Then Vanessa "Nessa" comes into his life and turns his life upside down. When her life is placed in danger he and his family step of to protect her. Loved this book. It's fast paced and full of sexy cowboys and the banter between the family is fun to watch. There is fun and drama and definitely some suspense. Exciting to the very last page.

Find out more about this series and R.C. Ryan here www.ryanlangan.com

ARC Book review: Best of My Love (Fool's Gold #20) by Susan Mallery

Available April 26th 2016
eARC Provided by publisher through Netgalley


To overcome her painful past, baker Shelby Gilmore goes on the hunt for a friend—a male friend—to convince her stubborn psyche that men can be trusted. But where in a town as small as Fool's Gold will the petite blonde find a guy willing to not date her? 

Dark, charming Aidan Mitchell puts the "adventure" in Mitchell Adventure Tours…and into the beds of his many willing female tourists. Until he realizes he's inadvertently become that guy—the one-night Casanova—and worse, everyone in town knows it. Maybe Shelby's boy/girl experiment will help him see women as more than just conquests so he can change his ways and win back his self-respect. 

As Aidan and Shelby explore the secret lives of men and women, the heat between them fires up the Fool's Gold rumor mill. If no one will believe they're just friends, maybe they should give the gossips something to really talk about!

 After twenty books Susan Mallery can still wow me with a this series. While it's hard to maintain a series after this many books Mallery maintains a freshness in Best of My Love. Aidan Mitchell is kind of the Dog of Fools' Gold. It's not what he meant to be but somehow it still happened. After a particularly embarrassing public scene Aidan realizes something has to change. That's when Shelby Gilmore comes to talk to him. Shelby has a reason for asking him for help. Both of them want to make some personal changes and that starts with them being platonic friends. Seems pretty simple until it's suddenly not. I loved watching both Aidan and Shelby grow in this story. Aidan seems to make the transition easier than Shelby. It was neat to see a bit of a tables turned when Shelby's friends now also Aidan rally around Aidan when things get a bit rough. Those who have kept up with this series will enjoy the roll reversal that happens in this story. Even though both Aidan and Shelby had some rough pasts to overcome they both want to do something about making living with it better. Shelby came to Fools Gold at rock bottom and in two years has completely turned everything around she just has one last hurdle to make and Aidan is the man to help. Great writing, excellent story! It's the kind of book you don't want to lay down til you hit the end. As always can't wait to see what comes next!!

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

ARC Book review: Return of the Bad Boy (Second Chance #4) by Jessica Lemmon

Available April 26th 2016
eARC Provided by publisher through Netgalley

He's a mess...

Asher Knight has three constants in his life: music, beautiful women, and a bottle of Jack. He lives for the next gig, the next city, and dreams only of a life spent in front of an arena full of screaming fans. But Asher's nomad ways come to a sudden stop when he learns he's the father of a three-year-old from a past relationship and suddenly this rock star bad boy is forced to put down roots.

Only she can clean up

Gloria Shields is no one's fool. Sure, the sexual chemistry between her and Asher has always been intense, but she'd never risk giving her heart to a man who has a perfect record for breaking them. Except the man desperate to make things right with his newfound son is nothing like the rock god she's guarded her heart against for years. And it isn't long before she starts to wonder if life with this bad boy might be the best thing that's ever happened to her.

I really liked the promise of Asher and Gloria in previous books. I loved both Asher and Gloria. Asher is this badass rocker and he looks and acts and dresses the part quite well. Gloria is island though. She's tough and takes care of herself. She let's people visit her island but won't let anyone stay for long. That pretty much describes her. She learned growing up to trust no one and everyone eventually leaves. Opening up her heart is the last thing she wants to do. Gloria and Asher dated 3 years ago and it ended bad with Gloria feeling betrayed. Now Asher has decided to fight for her.  For me this book had my feelings all over the place. Sometimes i was bored and sometimes i was interested and excited. I never could completely find my happy. Seeing all the characters from previous books and being reminded about their stories was fun. Seeing them come together to support both Asher and Gloria was nice. Gloria has the most to deal with emotionally between the two of them and Asher i think grows up a little in this book when he decides he wants Gloria and his son in his life permanently. Great wrap up at the end!

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

ARC Book review: A Wild Ride (Thompson & Sons #4) by Vivian Arend

Available April 19th 2016
eARC Provided by publisher through Netgalley

He’s the golden boy with a secret past 

When Nicole Adams abruptly cancels their secret fling, Troy Thompson is stunned. The sex between them is sizzling, but she’s ready to move on—find a reliable guy, settle down, pop out a few babies. The thought of Nic in another man’s arms is maddening. And while her agenda freaks him out, Troy knows there’s no one in town nearly good enough for her. No one, that is, except him. 

She’s his redemption and his future 

Nicole doesn’t regret her sexual romp with Troy, but when he insists on taking the next step with her—marriage and parenthood—she figures he’s out of his mind. Troy? Husband and daddy material? Oh, he’s sexy beyond belief, with the ability to melt her panties with a single command, but the man’s not known for being responsible. Trying for forever with Mr. Frivolous? Everyone thinks it’s a fool’s game.

Everyone except Troy, who’s determined to make Nicole see the real him under the shiny exterior.

Time to see the baby of the Thompson clan fall in love. Everyone over looks Troy Thompson and thinks he can't be serious when in reality he has been towing the line for his entire family for years. He was just so good at it they didn't notice. Then Nicole Adams the women he had been seeing decides she needs to find a serious man and settle down and have babies.  When she dumps him it's a wake up call for Troy. After  he sees Nicole trying to date guys she thinks are husband material he realizes he can be that guy. Parts of this story felt a little slow to me. I didn't feel enough excitement for the characters at time. I did enjoy Troy trying to get Nicole to realize he was a serious person. He could be a forever guy. Broke my heart when his own family didn't see it right away. Slowly but surely Nicole got to really know him though. Toward the end of the book it really picked up for me and i enjoyed the wrap up of the book. Definitely loved seeing all the characters from previous books showing up too. 

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

ARC Book review: When You Touch Me by Marilyn Baxter

Available April 14th 2016 
Kindle worlds
eARC Provided by author 

Family woes bring Jillian Logan home to Mimosa Key, but she faces more trouble in her new job as a massage therapist at the Casa Blanca Resort in Barefoot Bay. Right away she’s given a special assignment: a wounded soldier who is a good-looking player with sex appeal and who threatens to throw her delicately balanced life off-kilter.

Sam Hartman, AKA Hart Throb, views the beach as just another sandbox all too reminiscent of the hellhole where he was injured. And the alternative therapies that Jillian offers him? He considers them pure voodoo. He would rather move their relationship off the massage table and into his bed, but as much as he wants her touch, it forces him to face the demons that still haunt him. Can the heat of their unlikely connection heal them both? 

Part of Roxanne St Claire's Kindle worlds comes Marilyn Baxter's contribution to Barefoot Bay, When you Touch Me. Set in Barefoot Bay Jillian Logan has come home to work at the spa as a massage therapist and figure out what to do about her mother's business and to help take care of her sister. Assigned a Army vet who needs massage therapies to help with his injuries she's got her hands full when he proves to be a handful. Sam Hartman is at Barefoot Bay after a patrol in Afghanistan went bad and he and his best friend are badly injured. That friends mother is paying for the sessions at the resort spa but Sam doesn't think it will help and would rather wallow.  Then he meets Jillian and he wants her. She is not going to make it easy for him. This is a really free flowing fast story. Sam is a little hard to love until you figure out why he's acting the way he is. Jillian is dealing with guilt and struggling to figure out what to do with her life. Both however are in for some interesting surprises. The only real issue i had with this book is i wish it was longer. I would have loved to see the story between Sam and Jillian lengthened. I loved the fact that the author added a epilogue at the end. it's always fun to see how things go after the story ends.

Find out more about Marilyn Baxter and this book here www.marilynbaxter.com

Find out more about Barefoot Bay and Roxanne St Claire here www.roxannestclaire.com

ARC Book review: Texas Lullaby (Texas Montgomery Mavericks #7) by Cynthia D'Alba

Available April 12th 2016
eARC provide by author for honest review

When Fate tosses you in the deep end, it’s time to sink or swim.

Texas Montgomery Mavericks, Book 7

Lydia Henson’s four-year-long engagement to Jason Montgomery is about to end in a Texas wedding everyone is anticipating. She’s come to accept Jason doesn’t want children. She can live without children. She can’t live without the man she loves.

Jason has never wanted a family. At least, that’s his story and he’s sticking to it. The falsehood is less emasculating than the truth. Yet when tragedy on the eve of their wedding lands Lydia with her sister’s children to raise, Jason finds himself surprisingly calm in the midst of the chaos.

Everything he swore he didn’t want seems as natural as breathing. But just as he gathers the courage to grab for the golden ring, another unexpected twist threatens to tarnish what could have been a shining future.

Book 7 is the final book in the Montgomery Mavericks series by Cynthia D' Alba. I have been lucky enough to read and review all the books in this series and hated to see it end. Throughout the series i have followed Jason Montgomery and Lydia Henson's relationship. Just on the cusp of their wedding tragedy strikes when a terrible accident in Lydia's family hands her 3 small children. Thrust into motherhood she never thought she would experience she has to juggle her grief along with the kids to find her way to her new normal. Jason has always told anyone who brought it up he didn't want kids and any women he married would have to be ok with that. Faced with Lydia's new charges though he is rethinking that stance. It's hard not to love the sweet twin girls and their baby brother. It takes about a minute for Jason to fall in love with them. Things don't go so smoothly for Jason when he realizes Lydia is acting like they aren't together anymore. I loved this book. Jason has a deep dark secret he's been keeping to himself since he was 20. His only chance might be telling it. Jason and Lydia have loved each other for so long and they struggled to get to their special day. Jason is a rock for Lydia but after years of saying no kids she believes him wholeheartedly and Jason realizes he has a real problem. Watching them struggle to figure out their new reality was heart wrenching at times and just when you think it might really be over Jason and Lydia both get a clue. Awesome ending with a peek at what the future looks like with a epilogue at the end. 

Find out more about this series and Cynthia D'Alba here www.cynthiadalba.com

ARC Book review: The Hitwoman Hires a Manny (Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman #11) by J.B. Lynn

Available now!

eARC Provided by author for review

Inept hitwoman Maggie Lee has a lot to juggle. 

She’s about to start a new job, her niece, Katie, who she is responsible for, is finally coming home from the hospital, and her ever “helpful” aunt has hired someone to help with her care.

Fresh out of the Navy, Angel Delveccio is not anyone’s idea of a typical nanny. 

Which is convenient, considering Maggie’s life is anything but typical. 

With the help of her snarky lizard, moody cat, and goofy dog, Maggie tries to solve the cold case of her sister’s disappearance, while contending with the present day threat of a violent ex-con, all while playing instant “mom” and trying to ease Katie’s transition into her new home. 

Can Maggie juggle it all? Or will all of these distractions prove to be deadly? 

Poor Maggie she can't catch a break. For every good thing that happens to her there seems to be something bad to come along with it. Author JB Lynn juggles characters in this series with incredible skill. The twists and turns her mind orchestrates are interesting and humorous. I know i am going to laugh when i read a books in this series.  The Hitwoman hires a Manny is not a exception. Maggie is finally bringing her niece home. In all she has to prepare to do that you know it can't be a simple thing. Her aunt helps out by hiring a new friend to be the nanny for Katie or in this case the manny. Angel is not just your typical manny. He comes with some secrets.  Maggie has to juggle two or three things while getting things ready or she might actually get to relax for once. JB Lynn gives us a little bit of insight into Maggie's life like always in this book and still gives us more mystery. She's has a way of keeping her audience guessing.  Exciting from page one to "The End" The Hitwoman Hires a Manny is a exciting page turner.

Find out more about author JB Lynn and the Hitwoman series here www.jblynn.com/hitwoman.com