eARC Book review: Sit...Stay...Beg (The Dogfather #1) by Roxanne St. Claire

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Daniel Kilcannon is known as “The Dogfather” for a reason. It’s not just his renowned skills as a veterinarian, his tremendous love of dogs, or the fact that he has turned his homestead in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains into a world class dog training and rescue facility. Ask his six grown children who run Waterford Farm for him, and they’ll tell you that their father’s nickname is due to his uncanny ability to pull a few strings to get what he wants. And what he wants is for his four sons and two daughters to find the kind of life-changing love he had with his dearly departed wife, Annie. This old dog has a few new tricks…and he’ll use them all to see his pack all settled into their happily ever afters…one by one.

Garrett Kilcannon, a former dot com super-success who now devotes his life to rescuing dogs and finding them homes, prefers to keep his secrets buried as deep as a dog hides his bone. So when he learns his father has invited a journalist to Waterford Farm to write and produce an in-depth profile on him, he doesn’t care that she’s a childhood friend or drop dead gorgeous. He has zero tolerance for the media…until he sees a different side when she gets through the walls of a rescue dog who’s refused to eat during her short stay at Waterford. Unwillingly charmed and undeniably attracted, Garrett agrees to the interview that could break down a few of his emotional walls, too.

Garrett might not want to share the story of his colorful former life, but Jessie Curtis has the skills to peel back the layers of this sexy, complicated, caring man. In the process, she not only discovers his secrets, she finds herself falling for a man who touches her heart in a way she never thought possible. Her entire career is riding on this one explosive interview, but can she bear to repay Garrett’s trust by selling his secrets? Or can a woman who gave up on happiness a long time ago learn to believe that all it takes to rescue a lost heart is the love of a good man? 

First is a brand new series by Roxanne St Claire. Sit...Stay...Beg is about a family healing in one way or another. The Kilcannon kids, that were all spread out are brought back together after the death of their mother and their dads brilliant idea to open a dog training and rescue facility. Now Daniel the family patriarch has to help his kids find happiness too.  Garrett made some serious money with a dot com company he sold for millions. Now he's back home running the family business with his family and hiding out. When Jessie Curtis, a old family friend shows up he's happy to see her at first. Then he finds out she's not there just to reminisce but to try and interview him, he's done. Jessie grew up spending alot of time at the Kilcannon house. They made her feel included and loved. Something she never got from her mother and sister and then at the age of 16 she was shipped off to live with a aunt. Now grown she's needs this interview with Garrett to make her career. A rescue dog named Lola brings them together when Lola will only respond to Jessie.  Garrett is stuck with Jessie if he wants to save the dog.This is such a sweet story. Jessie is kind of a lost soul and she connects with Lola as the dog seems lost as well. Garrett sees the vulnerability in Jessie with Lola and slowly he gets to know her again. Finally Garrett lets Jessie in and tells her his secrets to have it all blow up in his face. Or does it? Garrett might have to experience some regret to realize how much he blew it. Love this family so far. We get to know to know some better than others with promises of learning more in future books. An amazing start to a new series. I'm definitely interested in reading more about this family.

Find out more about Roxanne St Claire and this series here www.roxannestclaire.com

eARC Book review: Wind River Cowboy (Wind River Valley #3) by Lindsay McKenna

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eARC Provided by publisher through Netgalley

An unexpected reunion . . .
Kira Duval was part of a Special Forces team that got caught in an ambush--leaving only two wounded survivors: herself and Weapons Sergeant Garret Fleming. Losing her team was traumatic, and in the chaotic aftermath, as the Army moved them from hospital to hospital, she lost Garret too. But she never lost her secret yearning for him.
Finally, she gave up trying to track him down back in the States. But as she settles in at the Bar C cattle ranch in Wyoming, a place where veterans can find a home and a place to heal, she's introduced to her sandy-haired, hazel-eyed housemate: none other than Garret Fleming.
They're a long way from Afghanistan--and a long way from the people they used to be before tragedy changed their lives. But as Kira earns her keep by caregiving for the ranch owner's bedridden, alcoholic father--a task that sometimes feels more challenging than any black ops mission--she finds that even in peacetime Garret still has her back, and that in this warm, welcoming place, the passion she resisted in the heat of battle may finally have a chance to flouish . . . 

Kira and Garrett were in the same Special Forces team until ambush kills everyone but them. They get separated between the hospitals and lose touch. Now Kira finally lands at the Bar C ranch which was started by another veteran.  Barely arriving she sees Garrett again when she's assigned to stay with him in his cabin. They were secretly in love with each other before but it was inappropriate to act on it so they both ignored and hid it. Now though they are free but also dealing with PTSD and trying to find their way in a different kind of life. Loved the idea for this story but i felt all over the place reading it. To much angst and not enough good moments. The love story part took forever to develop and while i realize they were dealing with PTSD there was no communication really. There was some stuff with the father of the lady who owned the ranch and expected more from that. It fell kind of flat for me.  Something overall just did not click for me. I have not read the other books in this series but I don't feel like reading them first would have helped. Not sure if i will read the next book in the series. 

Find out more about Lindsay McKenna and this series here www.lindsaymckenna.com

eARC Book review: Hard Justice (Body Armor #2) by Lori Foster

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eARC Provide by publisher through Netgalley

Playing it safe has never felt so dangerous… 

Justice Wallington knows how to harness his strength and intimidating size—skills he put to good use first in the MMA cage, and now as a bodyguard at the Body Armor agency. But no opponent has ever left him feeling as off balance as his new client, heiress Fallon Wade. Far from a spoiled princess, she's sweet and intriguingly innocent. It's a risk-free assignment, until he's required to fake a relationship with her in order to blend in. 

Sheltered from the world after a family tragedy, Fallon longs to experience life—going to bars, dancing, talking to strangers. Not easy with a huge, lethal-looking bodyguard shadowing her every move. Justice seems like her polar opposite, but pretending to be a couple stirs undeniable heat. And when danger strikes again, it's not just her safety in jeopardy, but a passion that's real, raw and absolutely against the rules…

Ah Justice. He's been around in several of Lori Foster's previous books. Always in the background. Book one in this series he stepped up a bit and now in this book he gets his chance to shine. He comes across as a bit of a doofus in previous books but now we get to find out who Justice really is.  Finally getting to handle clients on his own Justice gets assigned Fallon Wade. Beautiful but innocent and with secrets. Job seems pretty easy until weird things start happening. Your left wondering if someone is messing with Fallon or are they messing with Justice. Just when i thought i knew what was happening something happened to make me doubt what i knew. I loved justice and Fallon together and seeing all the MMA guys from Justice's time as a fighter. Fallon's mother steals some good scenes and made me laugh a time or two. I liked book one but book 2 for me is much better.  The series is really shaping up. I can't wait to see who is up next in this series.

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

ARC Book review: Wild Ride (Black Knights Inc. #9) by Julie Ann Walker

Available April 4th 2017
eARC Provided by the publisher through Netgalley

The hero we've all been waiting for...

Ethan "Ozzie" Sykes

Former Navy SEAL

Underground operator for Black Knights Inc., the covert government defense firm disguised as a custom motorcycle shop.

In a black-on-black international mission that went seriously sideways, Ozzie was badly injured—now he's stuck at BKI headquarters in Chicago, champing at the bit to get out into the field again. To his disgust, he's tasked with distracting Chicago Tribune ace reporter Samantha Tate, who's been trying to dig up the dirt on BKI for years. Turns out Samantha's beauty, intelligence and sense of humor are a seriously big distraction, and Ozzie's losing his desire to keep her at bay.

Ozzie's tired of hiding, and Samantha may be the best-and worst—person to share his secrets with...

Readers of this series have been waiting for this book for a while. Julie Ann Walker has kept us guessing about who Ethan "Ozzie" Sykes really is.  Turns out there is much i didn't know about Ozzie. To start with how he got the knickname "Ozzie".   He's always been just Ozzie. Didn't think about how he got to be Ozzie. He seems like such  a easy going  fun loving guy. Since his leg was seriously injured in a previous mission he's not sure if he can do the job he's always done for the BKI team anymore. Questioning his worth it's hard to keep up that fun loving front. Samantha Tate is the feisty and curious reporter for the Chicago Tribune that has appeared in previous books. Ozzie has always been tasked with distracting her when needed from what the real mission of the BKI team does. There is a lot going on in this story. Samantha has badies gunning for her and this kicks  Ozzie into gear. Ozzie and Samantha sizzle together but there are so many conflicts for poor Ozzie. Doubts and misunderstandings between the two don't help. They trust each other with everything but their hearts. It was awesome to learn how badass Ozzie is. How serious he can be when his heart is involved and how vulnerable he is after everything he's been through. Both Ozzie and Samantha do whatever is needed for each other and still can't see that they love each other. Beautiful, exciting and heartbreaking at times Julie Ann Walker makes Ozzie live up to the hype. The only thing i was hoping to see and didn't was the other BKI guys. I had hoped some would show up in the end. It was great seeing some of the BKI ladies and of course Christian and the chemistry between him and Emily was fun. I think a little of my heart belongs to Ozzie. Hope Samantha will share.

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