eARC Book review: Meant to Be (Whisper Creek #5) by Maggie McGinnis

Available now
eARC Provide by publisher through Netgalley

At twenty-eight, Shelby Quinn’s already a has-been. Scooped off a country stage at sixteen and remolded into glittery pop princess Tara Gibson, she toured the country for a decade, playing to sold-out stadiums while slowly losing her soul. Now her sales are waning, and when her beloved father dies in a fiery plane crash, she finally comes apart at the seams. Alone and brokenhearted, she hides away at Whisper Creek Ranch, never expecting to meet a man who understands her in a way no one else ever has.

Cooper Davis was one of Boston’s top detectives—until a bogus investigation cost him his badge, his family, and almost his life. Now he’s wrangling horses and guests at Whisper Creek Ranch, while keeping one eye firmly on a super-secret VIP holed up in a private cabin—a beautiful, soulful singer who knows what it’s like to lose everything. Cooper and Shelby both have ample reason to guard their hearts. But if they can learn to trust each other, something magical awaits them under the big skies and bright stars.

Shelby Quinn is lost. Her life has been crumbling for years. She doesn't know who she is anymore. All this then her dad is killed in a airplane crash on his way to come and help her. She's hit the bottom. For years other people have been telling her what to do and how to act. She's been a music business puppet for her record label. They tuck her into Whisper Creek Ranch which for her is the middle of nowhere. She's supposed to hide and collect herself before hitting what is to be the last leg of her final tour. Cooper Davis is doing his own hiding out at Whisper Creek. Things went to hell in a hand basket in his hometown of Boston where he was a cop. He uncovered some bad things and somehow he's been turned into the bad guy. His life and career are ruined and his dad has basically disowned him. All he's got is his Whisper Creek family and his 14 year old sister and maybe he's got Shelby too. These two character's couldn't be father apart in their public lives but in their private lives they match each other perfectly. Cooper is there to protect Shelby but she wants to return the favor when he's called back to Boston. An interesting book with awesome characters. It was fun to watch Cooper win over Shelby. Gaining her trust isn't easy but once he does her loyalty to him is endless. Great read!

Find out more about Maggie McGinnis and this series here www.maggiemcginnis.com

ARC Book review: Lost in You (The Monroes #3) by Jules Bennett

Available now
eARC Provided by publisher through Netgalley

The only thing that could bring Liam Monroe back to Haven, Georgia, is his loyalty to his late sister--so he s agreed to serve as a chef at the resort his brothers have built in her honor. But he s not staying. At least that s the plan " 
Macy Hayward always admired the Monroes. Adopting four kids including the brooding, mysterious Liam they were an example of the loving family she wanted for herself someday. Now, ironically, Macy s got an unexpected new tenant in the apartment above her hardware store: none other than Liam. 
Most of Liam s furniture consists of weightlifting equipment, since he has no intention of settling in. He can t wait to run away again, from his brothers and his bitter memories and from Macy, with her relentlessly seductive curves. Still, while he s around, he should do the poor woman a favor and teach her to cook, before she poisons someone 
Soon, their sessions in the kitchen are getting spicy. But Macy has roots in Haven, and she wants to plant more, including taking in a little girl who needs a home. Meanwhile, Liam has an opportunity for his own restaurant in Atlanta. Will choosing love mean giving up their separate dreams? Or will the heart find a way?... 

The last book in The Monroe series features Liam Monroe. Liam had a good life until his mom passed away and he went into Foster Care. Eventually he found the Monroe's and was adopted and gained three more adopted siblings. After a terrible car accident scars him and puts the final nail in his relationship with his brother Zach who was driving he leaves town. Years later he's back in town to help out with the spa he and his brothers opened to honor their sister who passed away. Staying in the apartment over Macy Hayward hardware store he's having a hard time keeping his hands of Macy. Macy has had a thing for Liam for a long time.  He's got some hangs up that are keeping them apart and she wants to break those down but he isn't making it easy. Thing is she got some hang ups of her own and Liam is the type of guy who might be a little rough and brooding on the outside but on the inside he's a guy who cares. There are several things working against these two. Will it work out or won't it? The Monroe brothers may have had some rough starts and stops over the course of their lives but it's all finally coming together. Liam's got his chance now and you have to hang on to the very end to see if he finds his way. I liked all the characters in this series. There just something about each one that will endure them to you. Overall just a great series. Be sure to start with book one!

Find out more about Jules Bennett and this series here www.julesbennett.com

eARC book review: Madly (New York #2) by Ruthie Knox

Available now
eARC Provided by publisher through Netgalley

Allie Fredericks isn’t supposed to be in Manhattan, hiding in the darkest corner of a hip bar, spying on her own mother—who’s flirting with a man who’s definitely not Allie’s father. Allie’s supposed to be in Wisconsin, planning her parents’ milestone anniversary party. Then Winston Chamberlain walks through the door, with his tailored suit, British accent, and gorgeous eyes, and Allie’s strange mission goes truly sideways.

Winston doesn’t do messy. But after a pretty stranger ropes him into her ridiculous family drama with a fake kiss that gets a little too real, he finds out that messy can be fun. Maybe even a little addicting. And as the night grows longer, Allie and Winston make a list of other wild things they could do together—and what seems like a mismatch leads to a genuine connection. But can their relationship survive as their real lives implode just outside the bedroom door?

A continuation of the New York series. Madly takes place after Truly which was published in 2013. I went back and refreshed my mind on book one which i read when it came out. Madly is about May's sister ( from book 1) Allie. She was kind of a mess in book one and in this book she still kind of is in some ways. Her mother takes off for New York on the eve of her parents 30th wedding anniversary. She's done this off and on over the years but this time is the last time for Allie. They always just pretended she didn't disappear but Allie decides she's going to confront her mom. She heads to New York and while surveilling her mother she meets Winston. Winston and his daughter moved to New York from London, England. His daughter Bea to go to college and Winston to keep a eye on Bea. Winston and Allie form a bond. They help each other deal with what's going on in their lives.  This is a complicated story in some ways.  The book flowed nicely and quickly in some places and in some it kind of dragged and i was bored and sometimes confused. There characters are not simple. The are more than a little complicated to me. Allie is the this smart successful business women but her family doesn't seem to realize it. At the age of 26 she's got more money than anyone in the family and owns several properties and investments yet her family doesn't realize she's successful. Winston is 39, divorced with a 18 year old daughter. There's a age gap in there between Allie and Winston but they seem to mesh well for being opposites. Allie is more of free spirit to Winston being a bit of stick in the mud. There are several secondary characters from previous books that make reappearances in this book. I liked all the characters even the slightly annoying ones. I can't say that i would re-read this book but i did enjoy the main thread of it. Curious to see who the next book will be about. There's a t least one more coming in June of this year.

Find out more about Ruthie Knox and this series here www.ruthieknox.com

Book release!! Finding Leigh: Dark Horse Inc. Book 3 by Amy J. Hawthorn

Available March 14th 2017

Blurb~~

A ghost emerges from Rick’s past, kidnapping the woman he loves and the leader of Dark Horse Inc. will stop at nothing to get her back.

Leigh Ann MacDonald values love and loyalty above all else. When Rick denies their attraction, he deals a callous blow to her tender heart, but their search for the little girl with no home brings them back together. Their passion grows, but when frustration mounts, can their love survive a race against time? Terror, multiplying obstacles, and a search for a missing girl—it’s time to call in Dark Horse Inc.

~~Excerpt~~

When gunshots barked right outside the door, she dropped like a stone to the ground. She had no idea what caused the commotion, but she wanted nothing to do with it or any stray bullets. When the door opened and closed just a moment later, she held her breath. Fear sent her heart racing, fighting to get out of her chest.

Then she heard two magical words.

“Fuck. Me.”

It wasn’t the words so much as the weak, rasping voice that she recognized. Before her brain could tell her mouth to stop and be cautious, quiet, the stupid orifice opened.

“Rick?” For all she knew, she might be imagining things. She struggled to move, but in her haste, she fell.

Footsteps rushed over and then big hands were on her, turning her until she sat on her backside. Then in the murky darkness, she heard the voice that she’d worried might be gone forever. Rick’s. “Thank Christ. Are you okay?” She wanted to sob with relief, wanted desperately to wrap her arms around him and crush him to her.

Yet, she couldn’t. She was as helpless as a turtle on its back.

“I’m fine. Please tell me you have a knife?” Her head buzzed with a hundred questions, but their situation went above and beyond dire.

Low, a little bit gravely and a lot tired, he spoke into her ear. “Yeah. I do. Don’t move.” She ached to lean closer and absorb his presence, his everything. He cupped her ankles and examined the ties around her ankles.

His hands shook as he pulled out his knife.

“Rick. I—I’m so sorry. This is all my fault. Your leg? I—”

“Not now. And it’s not your fault. Never. Let’s concentrate on getting out of here alive. Okay?” He sounded so tired, utterly drained of his usual strength. He should be in a hospital bed, not running a Dark Horse rescue operation.

Speaking of which… Something didn’t add up.

“Rick. Where are the rest of the crew?” It might be Rick’s newly formed team, but considering the shape he was in, she didn’t think Trent would let him participate in a rescue mission. She might have only known him for a few months, but she knew enough about Trent Dawson to understand he would lock Rick down if he wasn’t up to a job.

His hands trembled on her legs. Alarmed, she looked at him closer. Was it the yellow tinted light casting the sickly hue to his skin? When sweat beaded on his forehead she feared it wasn’t. His breaths were short and shallow. He didn’t look up to walking out of the room on his own steam.

Not to mention her overprotective brother Joe who, at the minimum, would be right in the thick of things, if not barging in and taking over. Something stank to high heaven.

“Sweetheart, don’t move.” Despite the noticeable tremble in his hands, he positioned the blade with precision beneath the tie.

“Yeah. You already said that. What’s going on?” When he wouldn’t meet her eyes, her stomach sank.

His only response was to cut her bonds loose. A million pins and needles stabbed her legs. An excruciating rush of feeling returned to her lower limbs. It was all she could do not to cry out. The trembling in her muscles made Rick’s hands look like immovable granite. He sat the knife down and, starting at her ankles, tried to massage some feeling back into her legs.

Outside the room, one voice rose above the others. The one who’d taken charge and seemed the most capable had returned. “What the hell is going on here? Give me that fucking gun.”

All the other voices started talking at once, spilling a tangled story.

“Something’s up. The door to the utility room is locked. It was unlocked when I got here. I found the key. Don’t let anyone out, nobody fucking move until I get the lights back on. Not a fucking millimeter.”

“We gotta go, babe. We’re sitting ducks.”

“Okay.” The only thing she knew was that she had to trust Rick’s abilities.

He considered the window then he looked back to her. “It’ll be a tight fit, but I think we can make it.”

Amazon - http://bit.ly/WS2kOCwMU

Amazon Uk – http://amzn.to/2lEq3kc

Amazon Ca - http://amzn.to/2lZg8ka

iBooks - http://apple.co/2kCWtuT

Nook – http://bit.ly/2kOG41q

Kobo - http://bit.ly/WS2kOLwl0

eARC Book review: Kept from You (Tear Asunder #4) by Nashoda Rose

Available now!
eARC Provided by publisher through Netgalley

A first kiss that changed everything.

Killian Kane. 
He was the most feared guy in high-school.
Guarded. Angry. A fighter.
But when I caught him watching me with his captivating green eyes I saw something more. Something protective and kind. 

He warned me to stay away from him. 
I did. 
Until I didn’t and he kissed me. A knee weakening, body tingling kiss that left me breathless. And scared the hell out of me.

And then… 
He warned me never to come near him again or next time he wouldn’t let me go.

That was eleven years ago.
We aren't teenagers anymore. He has probably forgotten me. He’s a famous rock star now. I’m a dance instructor with a broken dream and desperate for a job.
So, when we cross paths again I don't expect him to remember me.
He does.
And his warning eleven years ago? I'm about to find out exactly what that meant.

I have read a couple of the books in this series and hope to catch the ones i missed in audiobook form. I started reading this author last year and liked what i read but it was also pretty intense stuff. I figured this book would be similar to that. Yes there is some violence but it's very minimal in comparison to book one in this series. Killian Kane (Kite)  was a bit scary as a 18 year old but 16 year old Savannah (Savvy) was still drawn to him. Just when she might have a chance to get to know him better what little she had in life crashed in on her. She had to leave and she thought she might never see Killian again. Fast forward 11 years and Killian is the drummer in the well known band Tear Asunder. She hopes to get some help from him when she sneaks in backstage to find him but she gets way more. This book was quick to read. It was exciting and interesting for me. It had a little of everything and the story moved along and a nice even pace. It's just one of those books i connected with by the end of chapter one and when that happens you get excited for the rest of the book. This one definitely delivered on that promise.

Find out more about Nashoda Rose and this series here www.nashodarose.com

eARC Book review:Ashwin (Gideon’s Riders #1) by Kit Rocha

Available March 7, 2017
eARC Provided by author

The first book in the follow-up to Kit Rocha's bestselling BEYOND series...
Gideon's Riders, Book One

Lieutenant Ashwin Malhotra is a Makhai soldier--genetically engineered to be cold, ruthless. Unfeeling. His commanding officers consider him the perfect operative, and they're right. Now, he has a simple mission: to infiltrate Gideon's Riders, the infamous sect of holy warriors that protects the people of Sector One.

He's never failed to execute an objective, but there's one thing he didn't anticipate--running into Dr. Kora Bellamy, the only woman to ever break through his icy exterior.

When Kora fled her life as a military doctor for the Makhai Project, all she wanted was peace--a quiet life where she could heal the sick and injured. The royal Rios family welcomed her like a sister, but she could never forget Ashwin. His sudden reappearance is a second chance--if she can manage to touch his heart.

When the simmering tension between them finally ignites, Kora doesn't realize she's playing with fire. Because she's not just falling in love with a man who may not be able to love her back. Ashwin has too many secrets--and one of them could destroy her.

Book one in a new spin off series by  Kit Rocha and begins with world building Sector one. Even though we did see parts of Sector one in the Beyond Series which featured Sector 4 now we get into more details about the sector and it's people. Ashwin is this super soldier who can do about anything but  experiencing feelings is difficult.  He's not supposed to have any. Except he does have them. They may not be that developed but they are there. Kora is a Doctor and a empath. She can fix almost anything that ails you. Figuring out Ashwin is the one thing that isn't so easy. She can fix all his physical hurts but navigating his emotions is more difficult. Once Ashwin finally sees that he does have feelings beyond his need for Kora a whole new world opens up for him. While this book starts building the picture of Sector one it's also telling the love story of Ashwin and Kora. It's not quite the same for them as it is for others. Both have been genetically enhanced and are indispensable  to Sector one and the Base they both came from. While one would never use them the other one would. I enjoyed this first foray into Sector One there were times i was slightly bored. Some parts were a little to technical in explanations for me. Not often but I realize that this is what sometimes happens when you start a series so we'll see what happens in the next book. The feel of this book is different than the Beyond series so if you read that  series you also have to remember the tone for this series will be different as well. If you have read the Beyond series you might be pleased to know there are some characters from Sector 4 that do pop up this book. Which for me was a nice tie in to bring the two together some. Great kick off to a new beginning of Gideon's Riders. Look forward to seeing where some of the Riders go from here.

Find out more about this series and Kit Rocha here www.kitrocha.com

eARC Book review:Sebastian's Castle by Lisa DeVore

Available March 8, 2017
eARC Provided by author


Being married to a cop is hard, being the widow of one is harder. After Brynn Austin’s husband, Nate, was murdered in an undercover operation, there wasn’t enough evidence to convict the gang leader who killed him. Brynn refuses to let him kill their dream to renovate an old Connecticut castle. But her plan is hampered by a ghost who’s not ready to give up his home.

Contractor Jaxson Maddox signs on to renovate the old castle that’s sat empty for years. He didn’t believe the rumors about the place being haunted. But that was before he met the resident ghost. What Jax didn’t sign on for was trouble in the form of falling for the beautiful widow, dealing with a pesky ghost, and risking his life when a threat from Brynn’s past surfaces. He’ll do whatever it takes to protect her, even if it means becoming a ghost himself 

Brynn is moving into what amounts to a castle. It was was a dream of her and her late husband to renovate it and open it up again. Even though her husband died before they could even move in Brynn is going to bring their dream to life. Couple problems. The castle is haunted and the gang leader who killed her husband might be after her for something her husband took from him. Lucky for her the contractor she hired, Jaxson Maddox used to be a cop in the military and he's attracted to her so he wants her safe. There's a interesting mix of things going on in this book. Brynn is working through her grief over her husband's death while also grappling with her attraction for Jaxson. There's a ghost and a bad guy as well. An interesting and different read for me. Loved Jaxson. Definitely a alpha male but a protective one who takes his time with Brynn and gives her space to work through things. Brynn was slightly annoying. Jaxson wanted to her help her but she was a little hot and cold. Thankfully he had plenty of patience. The wrap up of this book is what most people i think would like to see happen but doesn't often happen in books. 

Find out more about Lisa Devore here www.goodreads.comLisa_DeVore