Wednesday, March 30, 2016

ARC Book review: Guilty Pleasure (Bound Hearts #11) by Lora Leigh

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Available and a reissue April 5th 2016
eARC Provided by publisher through Netgalley

Marty Mathews had always known about the secret, forbidden pleasures that the women she had grown up with enjoyed. Women whose husbands or lovers were members of the exclusive "Club," where they took a selected "third" into their beds. And there is one man—a dangerous, forbidden man—who is part of this world and who has haunted Marty's dreams for years. But she had been the FBI agent assigned to shadow him, making him completely off limits. . .That is until Khalid is cleared and Marty is released from her assignment. Now, all bets are off. . .

The beautiful, fierce Marty Mathews is the one woman Khalid hungers for like no other and is the one woman he dare not let himself have. His past dogs his every step and danger lurks around every corner. If he wants to keep her safe, he must stay away from her. But the power of their desire is something they cannot deny—and once Marty is his, Khalid will do whatever it takes to keep her in his bed and in his arms.

Khalid and Marty have been secondary characters in other books in this series. Lora Leigh finally gives them their time in this book. Khalid has been under surveillance by Marty a FBI agent for two years. Now that time has come to a end and Marty has had enough. Khalid needs to claim her or she is moving on. Problem is Khalid has some pretty big secrets and he shares those with very few people. Danger follows him so if he claims her danger will follow her too. The best description for this book is erotic suspense. Marty and Khalid dance around their relationship with each other. Will they or won't they have a relationship for real. In between all this a terrorist is after Khalid. I loved Shayne. I kind of liked him better than Khalid for Marty and i LOVED Khalid in previous books. I enjoyed Marty's fathers and mom. The fathers were kind of funny together. I don't think the relationship between Marty and Khalid had enough time to develop in this book. They met when Marty was 15 i believe but he's spent years ignoring and dodging her so when he finally gives in to his feeling it's kind of fast and rough and then the book is over. The ending felt rushed. There was serious danger out of no where and then bamm it's over. I think the story needed more. I read this back in 2010 and i remember liking it more then.

Find out more about this series and author Lora Leigh here www.loraleigh.com

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

AR Book review: The SEAL's Second Chance (Alpha Ops #3) by Anne Calhoun

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Available April 5th 2016
eARC provided by publisher through Netgalley

In high school, basketball star Charlotte Stannard and Navy SEAL Jamie Hawthorn were everything but lovers. They shared a ruthlessly competitive spirit and relentless drive, but Charlie, afraid of the consequences of an unplanned pregnancy at seventeen, drove Jamie away. But now Jamie's back in town for the banquet to honor the basketball coach, and finds Charlie, newly home from a successful career in the European leagues and coaching the girls' team. The flames between them are hotter than ever, but Charlie believes Jamie just wants what he couldn't have when they were kids. Jamie's not just playing to win. He's playing for Charlie's heart, forever.


Charlie (Charlotte) used her skills on the basketball court to get herself out of the future she didn't want. From the wrong side of the tracks so to speak she had to fight to get what she wanted out of life. Ten years later she is a successful ex professional ball player and a college graduate and teacher. Back in her old hometown her high school friend Navy Seal Jamie Hawthorn is back for a month on leave. As teenagers they had a thing for each other she couldn't allow to go to deep. Jamie is back to get her to finally get her in his life for keeps. That pretty much sums it up. Watching them get there and toss around old feelings and see if those feeling are still there was a fun to watch. Charlie has to figure out if she can let old fears go and embrace something she needs and wants. It's interesting to see two characters who are both athletic and see the guy just dive right in and do things many guys wouldn't bother with. Loved when he takes her purse and briefcase and carries them in the house for her.  I enjoy novella length books but man when they are good like this one i really itch to make them longer. There is so much room to expand this one. In checking into this author i see there are actually two full length novels  that seemingly belong to this series coming up later this spring and fall. I am excited to see how this author uses all those extra pages that come with a full novel length book.

Find out more about this series and author Anne Calhoun here www.annecalhoun.com

Thursday, March 24, 2016

ARC Book review: Wrapped In You (The Monroes #1) by Jules Bennett

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Available March 29th 2016
eARC Provided by publisher through Netgalley

The Monroe brothers found a home in Haven, Georgia, thanks to the big-hearted couple who adopted them all. Now, grieving their late sister, these three very different men will come together to honor her memory. And with the help of some unforgettable women, each will find the chance to build a whole new future…

Zach Monroe has made mistakes--big ones. The worst left the girl he loved injured, and his own brother barely speaking to him. It was a night Zach won't let himself forget, even when the girl in question--perfect, polished Sophie Allen--walks back into his life. A realtor, Sophie's brought an offer for their sister's dilapidated Civil War era property. But Zach's determined to renovate the rambling old place himself--though he longs to rebuild Sophie's trust in him…

A business deal isn't how Sophie wanted to approach Zach after all this time, but he won't let anyone get personal. She can't deny that the accident changed her life in irreparable ways. But watching gruff, quiet Zach beat himself up year after year hurts too. The wounded boy she once adored needed love, and the man is no different. Now Sophie will need every bit of her resolve to convince Zach to let love heal them both…


This is book one in a brand new series by author Jules Bennett. Zach Monroe is the ultimate bad boy. He and his siblings were all adopted by the same couple. They each had horrible childhoods to overcome. Zach found it hard to trust but Sophie was a ray of sunlight in his otherwise darker life. Then one night he made a horrible mistake that changed everything. Not only did he hurt his oldest brother Liam but his beloved Sophie. Ten years later and still struggling with what happened and after the passing of his only sister he decides to make that sister's dream come true. Working on that dream will either heal him and bring his siblings together or tear them apart. When Sophie becomes integral to making it work Zach has to forgive himself if he wants a future with her. I have enjoyed many of Jules' other shorter books so i was excited to see her doing a longer book. The characters are rich and well developed. I can't wait to see Zach's brothers fleshed out more in their books. Sophie is a strong women to get through everything she has and not curl up in a ball and give up. She is the is the one pulls the Monroe brothers together. Zach is a true bad boy but can't forgive himself for what happened and can't forget his past. Yet he shows time and again that he is worthy of love, of a life that is good. He just doesn't see it for himself until he is forced too.  Ready for book 2 already! Excerpt for book 2 is at the end if the book so be sure to read it! 

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

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

ARC Book review: Nobody But You (Cedar Ridge #3) by Jill Shalvis

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Available March 29th 2016
eARC Provided by publisher through Netgalley


SOMETIMES YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN…

After an overseas mission goes wrong, Army Special Forces officer Jacob Kincaid knows where he must go to make things right: back home to the tiny town of Cedar Ridge, Colorado. All he needs to scrub away his painful past is fresh mountain air, a lakeside cabin, and quiet solitude. But what he discovers is a gorgeous woman living on a boat at his dock.

Sophie Marren has nowhere else to go. She’s broke, intermittently seasick, and fighting a serious attraction to the brooding, dishy, I’m-too-sexy-for-myself guy who’s now claiming her dock. Something about Jacob’s dark intensity makes her want to tease—and tempt—him beyond measure. Neither one wants to give any ground . . . until they realize the only true home they have is with each other.


The mysterious Jacob Kincaid finally comes home. Jacob is not only dealing with facing his family he hasn't seen in years along with the twin brother he walked away from, he has to deal with the aftermath of a mission where his best friend didn't survive.  After that eye opening event he realizes it's time to set things right with his estranged family. Sophie Marren is fresh off a marriage gone wrong. The only thing she has left is a boat to live on that makes her sea sick.  She's off men for life. That is until she moors in front of the cabin on the lake where Jacob lives.  I loved this one. First there is the mystery of Jacob. He's mentioned in previous books but now we get to find out what he's been up to and watch him struggle with some pretty serious inner demons but still keep positive. Sophie is miserable half the book and nothing goes her way but still she has the biggest giving heart. Jill Shalvis always makes me laugh. Nobody But You definitely has some laughs but also some serious stuff. I loved Jacob and Sophie together. He's this big tough guy but he shows his soft side over and over again for Sophie. I hated to see the book end which is a usual problem when it comes to this author.

Find out more about the Cedar Ridge series and this book here www.jillshalvis.com

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

ARC Book review: The SEAL's Rebel Librarian (Alpha Ops #2) by Anne Calhoun

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Available now!
eARC Provided by publisher through netgalley


Jack Powell never planned on leaving the Navy, but his final mission as a SEAL left him with a tremor and a bad case of nerves. He's home, taking some college classes and trying to figure out what comes next when he meets Erin Kent, a divorced college librarian with an adventurous bucket list and a mission to get her ex-husband's voice out of her head. Jack guides Erin through skydiving and buying the motorcycle of her dreams, blithely accepting Erin's promise that their relationship is purely temporary. But when Jack gets the chance to go back into the shadowy world of security contracting, can he convince Erin to break her word and join him on the adventure of a lifetime?


Jack Powell is trying to figure out how to heal from his last tour of duty when he comes across Erin Kent at the college library where he is taking classes. Erin just got out of a marriage where her husband was not supportive at all. Her confidence in the dumper she's trying to talk herself into trying some of the things she has always wanted to do. Then comes Jack into her life. Even though he has his own issues Jack is the key to getting Erin's confidence back. He opens up her life to a whole lot of possibilities. Promising each other their relationship is only temporary and keeping it that way quickly becomes hard to do. Loved this book. Jack is this super strong guy who is feeling damaged after his time in the SEALs. While trying to work on his issues he comes across Erin and in no time at all he can't get enough of her. At the same time Erin is broken by her ex but is pushing herself to find her way to who she is now. You have these two strong people who end up helping each other and falling in love. This is the kind of story that you can enjoy from beginning to end and smile through the whole thing. I found myself rooting for both Erin and Jack because they were both so deserving of happiness. 

Find out more about Ann Calhoun here. www.annecalhoun.com

Friday, March 11, 2016

ARC Book review: Kidnapped by the Billionaire (Nine Circles #4) by Jackie Ashenden

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Available now!
eARC Provided by Publisher through Netgalley

He kissed her the way he'd run her down, conquering her, taking her...

A priceless plan. An illicit attraction.
Seven years ago, billionaire-turned-bodyguard Elijah Hunt lost everything he had-his family, his future-and now he wants revenge. But when he decides to kidnap the daughter of the man who ruined his life, Elijah gets a lot more than he bargained for. Violet Fitzgerald is nothing like her corrupt wealthy father. In fact, she's so disarmingly independent-and irresistible-that she just might be dangerous...

And a love that's too good to be true.
Violet never thought she'd feel a connection to her captor. But there's something beneath Elijah's steel-bodied exterior that makes her want to know him more deeply...and surrender to his every demand. But once Elijah's erotic fantasies become a reality-and he and Violet develop a real romantic connection-he finds himself in a quandary: Is he still the one in control? Or has Violet imprisoned him-body and soul?
 


When i started reading this it was very exciting and suspenseful. Unfortunately the more i read the more confusing the story was. I realized this was book 4 in a series. It became painfully obvious i needed to have read the other books in the series to understand what was going on. I  wanted to like the hero i tried but he was to introverted and selfish. For every time he gave something to Violet, the heroine in the book, he did something awful to counteract it. Violet had no idea what her dad was.  She finds herself kidnapped by Elijah and then faced with the facts about her dad and the fact that he is dead. Violet doesn't catch a break in this book. Everyone and i mean everyone walks all over her. She slowly takes control over her life but it's a slow process.  Elijah finally softens up but it's not until the last minute and just not enough for me. Over all the book did not work for me. It had a lot of potential but i think without back story on why some characters were the way they were i could not relate.

Find out more about this book and Jackie Ashenden here www.jackieashenden.com

Thursday, March 10, 2016

ARC Book review: Taking Fire (One-Eyed Jacks #4) by Cindy Gerard

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Available now!
eARC provide by publisher through Netgalley

Betrayal. Retribution. Redemption?

Six years ago, tough-as-nails military contractor Bobby Taggart met the woman of his dreams in war-torn Kabul—a sexy, whip-smart war correspondent who approached him at a local bar, took him to bed, made him fall in love…and then mysteriously disappeared. In her wake, the terrorist leader he’d been mining for valuable intel was assassinated—then Bobby discovered his phone had been bugged. And he’s pretty damn sure he’s been played for a fool...


This series started out just ok for me so i skipped the past two books but my love for Cindy Gerard's previous books brought me back for another try. Bobby Taggert thought he was smart enough not to fall for a beautiful women out to use him. He never saw Talia coming.  As a Mossad agent it's her job to use Bobby to get what she needs. What she didn't expect was to fall in love with him in a week.  When her op is over and she has to pull out and leave him it becomes the hardest thing she has ever had to do. Especially since she can't say goodbye. For Bobby though it's tough to admit he let her in and then find out she was using him. The story picks up several years later when Bobby runs into her at a embassy and a bomb goes off.  bloody and banged up Leila takes Bobby with her. This is when the action and suspense truly take off. Faced with the women who broke his heart and figuring out what he feels for her now, Bobby has a lot going on. Leila is no longer a Mossad agent but people are trying to kill her  because of what she was and she also has a surprise for Bobby. This book is action packed. Lot's of emotion. On some level i don't know that Leila was truly cut out to be a agent. She has to much heart. Bobby is this alpha male but in this book he struggles with old feelings of love for Leila and figuring out if he can get past the pain she caused him and the secrets she kept from him. Cindy Gerard really brought the love i had for her previous books back with this one. Even missing the past two books this could be considered a stand alone for those who want to start with this one. Great read from start to finish.

Find out more about this series and Cindy Gerard here www.cindygerard.com

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

ARC Book review: Fighting Dirty (Ultimate #4) by Lori Foster

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Available now!
eARC Provided by publisher through Netgalley


With the life he's led and the muscles he's gained, Armie Jacobson isn't afraid of anything. Except maybe Merissa Colter's effect on him. It's not just that she's his best friend's little sister. Fact is, she deserves better. Women pursue him for one night of pleasure, and that's all he wants to offer. Until rescuing Merissa from a robbery leads to the most erotic encounter of his life.

Good girl meets bad boy. It's a story that rarely ends well. But Merissa is taking matters into her own hands. No matter how he views himself, the Armie she knows is brave, honorable and completely loyal. And as past demons and present-day danger collide, they're both about to learn what's truly worth fighting for…
 


The 4th and last in this latest group (Ultimate series) of spin off books from the Men who Walk the edge of Honor series. I have read there is a new spin off from this Ultimate series now too. Lori Foster continues with her beloved MMA fighters. Armie who i think is the most popular character in this series finally get what he deserves. Armie is a great guy who doesn't see himself that way. He came from a crappy home life, but one great best friend (Cannon) who has had his back since they were kids. Merissa who is Cannon's sister has had her eyes set on Armie forever but he never thought he was good enough for her. Now that Armie has signed with the SBC which is the big time for a MMA fighter his past might be back to haunt him. Or is it? This is actually quite a action packed book. There are bad guys but the who they are is a mystery. Is this Cannon's past coming back now that his name is out there or something else? I loved Armie and Merissa. Both are really no nonsense people with great insight into people and big hearts. It was fun to watch the two find their way to each other. An Amazing story with characters from previous books and previous series. Love how Lori Foster hooks these series together. Love love love me some Armie!

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

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

ARC Book review: Beyond Ruin (Beyond #7) by Kit Rocha

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eARC Provided by author for review
Available now!

Adrian Maddox fled his royal life—and tragic past—in Sector One, choosing instead to join up with the O’Kanes. For years, he’s lived by one rule: love fast, love hard, and always be willing to walk away. He’s managed to guard his heart, keep it whole and untouched—until now.

They couldn’t be more different—Dylan, the brilliant, burned-out doctor from Eden who drowns his pain with drugs and self-destruction. Scarlet, the sensuous, sexy rocker from Three, a woman unafraid to embrace the world. And Jade, the whore turned spy from Sector Two, who battled addiction and came out stronger than anyone he’s ever met.

Separately, they make Mad long to open his heart, to tumble head-first into a sea of possibilities and wild love. Together, they make him burn, inside and out, with lust and unbearable, unimaginable pleasure.

Then one fateful moment shakes their world to its foundations—and leaves the sectors on the verge of all-out war with Eden. It’s the biggest fight the O’Kanes have ever faced, and Mad and his lovers are at the dead center of it. They could end up with everything they never knew they wanted—or lose it all. Including their lives.
 


Beyond Ruin is the 7th book in the Beyond series. The series builds on each book and has come a long way from book one.  Slowly things have become more and more intense through each book and finally with book 7 things are about to become explosive. While something is always going on for the O'Kane's there is always a story going on with the members as well. This time it's 3 O'Kane's and one other who Dallas, their leader has been trying to get to officially join. It finally seems like Dallas might get his wish. You can often read a 3 way relationship and it has actually been done in the series. This time though it's going to be a 4 way relationship. I wondered how that could work out. It's not without complications apparently. You have 4 different people with different backgrounds and different personal issues. How can they work it out together? Kit Rocha does a great job with this. All the while the 4 people are learning if they can make it work and at the same time a war is brewing with sectors and Eden. There are many twists and turns in this book and you might be shocked by the shake up that happens toward the end. After 7 books and several novellas this series is still fresh and still exciting to read. I have no idea how the writing team that makes up Kit Rocha does it but i can't wait to see where they go with this series next! 

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