Book review: Roman Holiday: Chained (Roman Holiday #1) by Ruthie Knox

Meet Ashley and Roman—complete opposites who can’t hide their attraction—in Episode 1 of Ruthie Knox’s eBook original serial, Roman Holiday.
 
Ashley Bowman is having a bad week. Reeling from the death of her beloved grandmother, she returns to the Florida Keys only to learn that a heartless Miami developer has gotten hold of the crappy vacation rentals she calls home. Ashley has one day to clear out before Roman Díaz destroys the only place in the world that matters to her. Chaining herself to a palm tree in the bulldozers’ path seems like a good way to stop him . . . until she realizes she should’ve brought food and water. And pants. Also, it would help if the evil developer weren’t so ridiculously hot.
 
The last thing Roman Díaz needs is some sun-kissed blond protester getting her picture in the newspaper and messing up his plans. He bought the property fair and square, and the resort he wants to build on the site is the key to realizing his highest ambitions. But when a hurricane blows through, Roman has to hustle Ashley to safety if he wants to protect his reputation—and that means giving in to her unreasonable demands.
 
Roman needs to learn a little compassion, and Ashley’s decided to teach it to him . . . even if she has to drag him all over the Eastern Seaboard to do it.

This is a interesting new serial by Ruthie Knox. For the month of November there will be a new episode each week. Then that's it until March of 2014 when it continues with 5 more episodes.  I'm not sure how i feel about this yet but I'm going to give it a whirl and see where it goes. Episode one opens up with Ashley Bowen chained to a tree. Her grandmother sold her childhood hang out and safe place two years ago and then died without telling her about it. Now she's protesting the company that wants to tear it down and build a resort. Roman Diaz is that guy.  Thank god for him. For although he's a jerk he's a jerk who gives her water and a umbrella to block sun. UNTIL... It starts to rain and a category 3 hurricane is coming in. That umbrella doesn't do much then. This is a introduction into the serial and really just a tiny glimpse at only 58 pages. You get a small bit of background on both Ashley and Roman. Just enough to wet your whistle and make you want a little more to drink. I was both intrigued and ticked off when it ends of course with some drama and the thought of what next!! You have to tune in next week to find out.  This episode is available on Amazon right now and at 99 cents it's not a bad deal when you figure out the price for the whole series is going to be about five bucks.  Lots of mystery here to keep you on edge. 5 out of 5 stars for Roman Holiday: Chained by Ruthie Knox.

Find out more about Ruthie Knox and the serial on her website. There is even a  excerpt of chapter 1 if you want to try it before you buy it.  Find it here www.ruthieknox.com

Book review: Flirting with Disaster (Camelot #3) by Ruthie Knox

Available now!
In the latest eBook original novel in Ruthie Knox’s scorching-hot Camelot series, a no-strings fling looks an awful lot like falling in love—or flirting with disaster.

Fresh out of a fiasco of a marriage, Katie Clark has retreated to her hometown to start over. The new Katie is sophisticated, cavalier, and hell-bent on kicking butt at her job in her brother’s security firm. But on her first assignment—digging up the truth about the stalker threatening a world-famous singer-songwriter—Katie must endure the silent treatment from a stern but sexy partner who doesn’t want her help . . . or her company.

Sean Owens knows that if he opens his mouth around Katie, she’ll instantly remember him as the geeky kid who sat behind her in high school. Silence is golden, but he can’t keep quiet forever, not with Katie stampeding through their investigation. It’s time for Sean to step up and take control of the case, and his decade-old crush. If he can break through Katie’s newfound independence, they just might find they make a perfect team—on the road, on the job, and in bed.

This the a continuation of the Camelot series by Ruthie Knox. We met Katie and Sean in the last book. We also previously found out quite a bit about Katie in that last book but not much about Sean. Katie married her high school sweetheart and moved to Alaska and married him on a whim. After putting him through college and running a business with him he took all their money and left her holding the bag so to speak. Sean has liked Katie since high school. She never knew. He had issues with with mother who was a teacher at the school. He has a speech problem with stuttering and she refused to see it and get him help. He's also really smart. Finally when he was a older teen he left home with a friend. It was the last time he saw him mother. She passed away 9 months ago and he been back in Camelot working for Katie's brother Caleb while he takes care of all his mother affairs. Katie also works for her brother's security agency as a secretary but now she's trying to move up to agent and her and Sean get paired together on a case. Problem is Sean won't speak to her. He never has since he started working for her brother. Sean conquered his speech problem years ago but being back in Camelot and being around Katie brings it all back. He can't seem to speak with out stuttering when he's around her. This is a great book. I loved Sean he's seems pretty perfect at first until you find out about his background. He didn't have a easy childhood. His mother drove him nuts. He feels guilt for abandoning her and he's trying to deal with his past and is kind of stuck. Katie was royally screwed over by her childhood sweetheart and now ex husband. He did a number on her heart and her self esteem. She's trying to find her real self finally. In the mean time Katie and Sean are working a case together and finding each other. For me it's a very emotional book. Katie and Sean each have some deep issues to figure out and the process can be very painful. You want to root for them early on in the book. Hope there will be more in this series. I think Sean in my favorite character so far. 4 out of 5 stars for Flirting with Disaster by Ruthie Knox.


Find out more about the Camelot series and author Ruthie Knox here. www.ruthieknox.com

Book review: Making It Last (Camelot #4) by Ruthie Knox

Available July 15th 2013 136 pages novella
A hotel bar. A sexy stranger. A night of passion. There’s a part of Amber Mazzara that wants those things, wants to have a moment — just one — where life isn’t a complicated tangle of house and husband and kids and careers. Then, after a long, exhausting “vacation” with her family, her husband surprises her with a gift: a few days on the beach . . . alone.

Only she won’t be alone long, because a handsome man just bought her a drink. He’s cool, he’s confident, and he wants to take Amber to bed and keep her there for days. Lucky for them both, he’s her husband. He’s only got a few days in Jamaica to make her wildest desires come true, but if he can pull it off, there’s reason to believe that this fantasy can last a lifetime.

Ruthie Knox takes us back to Camelot one more time to put us in touch with the couple from the first book in the series Amber and Tony.  This short book takes place 10 years and 3 kids after they met in How to Misbehave . Like many marriages the Mazzara's are busy trying to make ends meet, take care of their kids and eek by with some kind of life.  After a family wedding in Jamaica Amber and Tony are trying to get their brood on the airplane when Tony tells Amber to stay. Her aunt has a few days paid for a room at the resort and she should relax and he'll take care of the kids etc. She is left standing there before she can say anything. Amber feels lost. She has doubts about her husband love and her place in the world now that her baby has started school she has time to think about these things. When Tony leaves her in Jamaica she should be happy to be able to relax and be on her own for a while but what she really wants in for Tony to be there with her and reconnect. Finally with the help of his mother in law he comes back to find her and get back to being a couple. Being married for over 20 years i can totally relate to this story. It's not easy being married. Many can't see past the wedding that marriage is give and take and being there for each other. It's kid of fun to go back and see how couple turn out from past books. This was an emotional journey that any married couple can relate too.  I was so happy to see Amber and Tony find their way back to love and life. 4 out of 5 stars for Making it Last by Ruthie Knox.

Find out more about Ruthie Knox and her work on her website here www.ruthieknox.com

Book review: Along Came Trouble (Camelot #2) by Ruthie Knox

coming from Random House / Loveswept, March 11, 2013!

Ruthie Knox’s Camelot series continues in this sizzling eBook original novel, featuring two headstrong souls who bump heads—and bodies—as temptation and lust bring nothing but delicious trouble.

An accomplished lawyer and driven single mother, Ellen Callahan isn’t looking for any help. She’s doing just fine on her own. So Ellen’s more than a little peeved when her brother, an international pop star, hires a security guard to protect her from a prying press that will stop at nothing to dig up dirt on him. But when the tanned and toned Caleb Clark shows up at her door, Ellen might just have to plead the fifth.

Back home after a deployment in Iraq and looking for work as a civilian, Caleb signs on as Ellen’s bodyguard. After combat in the hot desert sun, this job should be a breeze. But guarding the willful beauty is harder than he imagined—and Caleb can’t resist the temptation to mix business with pleasure. With their desires growing more undeniable by the day, Ellen and Caleb give in to an evening of steamy passion. But will they ever be able to share more than just a one-night stand? 

This is the 2nd book in Ruthie Knox's Camelot series. Ellen Callahan is a single mom  with a famous pop star singing brother Jamie. Normally this would not be a problem for Ellen except he dated her pregnant friend next door for months then broke it off and next thing you know the paparazzi  are showing up on her doorstep. Shortly after that Caleb Clark shows up to inform her he's there for her security. After being married to a man who took her for granted cheated on her and used her  she learned how to stand on her own and take care of herself.  She just says NO to Caleb. Over and over. He's got his work cut out for him. He's supposed to provide security for Ellen which she doesn't want and her neighbor Carly who isn't a whole lot better. Then when Jessie realizes he's made a mistake breaking it off with Carly he shows up to throw the whole mess into a tail spin. I enjoyed this book to one point but was frustrated it as well. I liked the characters well enough but Ellen sometimes drove me nuts. I mean come on. Caleb is amazing trying to keep up with everything. Ellen takes forever to finally give in some. I think that part might have been drawn out a little to long. I felt awful for Caleb a time or two. No one seemed to want to cooperate with him. It all works out in the end of course and you get a glimpse at some secondary characters that will appear in the next book.  This book for me was really good in some parts and ho hum in others. The parts that made me laugh really helped move the book along. Little to much stubborn all around in this book. Still a good read though. 3 out of 5 stars for Along Came Trouble by Ruthie Knox.

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

Book review: How to Misbehave (short story)Camelot series by Ruthie Knox

Coming January 28th 2013. Pre-order now.

What woman can resist a hot man in a hard hat? Beloved author Ruthie Knox kicks off her new Camelot series with this deliciously sexy original novella, in which a good girl learns how to misbehave . . . with all her heart.

As program director for the Camelot Community Center, Amber Clark knows how to keep her cool. That is, until a sudden tornado warning forces her to take shelter in a darkened basement with a hunk of man whose sex appeal green lights her every fantasy. With a voice that would melt chocolate, he asks her if she is okay. Now she’s hot all over and wondering: How does a girl make a move?

Building contractor Tony Mazzara was just looking to escape nature’s fury. Instead, he finds himself all tangled up with lovely Amber. Sweet and sexy, she’s ready to unleash her wild side. Their mutual desire reaches a fever pitch and creates a storm of its own—unexpected, powerful, and unforgettable. But is it bigger than Tony can handle? Can he let go of painful memories and let the force of this remarkable woman show him a future he never dreamed existed?

This is a short novella ebook that kind of will introduce you to Ruthie Knox's new Camelot series. It's packed with more of everything than i expected for a short story. Amber hasn't had the best experience with men. She's not exactly innocent but not experienced either. She's got cute sweet girl looks so she can't get the kind of hot sexy men to notice her that she would like. That seems to include construction guy Tony Mazzara, at first Tony is a pretty messed up guy. He's got some pretty dark secrets and fears and when a tornado sends the two  of them into a basement to wait out the storm he tells Amber a couple of those secrets. I really enjoyed this and am kind of revved up for the series now. Amber wants to dirty up her love life some and Tony is the right guy for the job but there is so much more. Loved Tony so much. He made a terrible mistake when he was younger and has been beating himself up for it ever since. Amber shows him it's time to forgive himself  and learns it's ok to let it go.  A sexy quick read! 5 out of 5 Stars for How to Misbehave by Ruthie Knox.

Find out more about this ebook and the first full book in the series due out in March 2013 here on Ruthie Knox website www.ruthieknox.com


Pre-Order here for 99 cents. Well worth it to try out a taste of this new series www.amazon.com/How-Misbehave-Short-Story

Hot Cover Monday! Ruthie Knox! How to Misbehave and Along Came Trouble (Camelot series)

How To Misbehave, coming from Random House / Loveswept, January 28, 2013!

What woman can resist a hot man in a hard hat? Beloved author Ruthie Knox kicks off her new Camelot series with this deliciously sexy original novella, in which a good girl learns how to misbehave . . . with all her heart.

As program director for the Camelot Community Center, Amber Clark knows how to keep her cool. That is, until a sudden tornado warning forces her to take shelter in a darkened basement with a hunk of man whose sex appeal green lights her every fantasy. With a voice that would melt chocolate, he asks her if she is okay. Now she’s hot all over and wondering: How does a girl make a move?

Building contractor Tony Mazzara was just looking to escape nature’s fury. Instead, he finds himself all tangled up with lovely Amber. Sweet and sexy, she’s ready to unleash her wild side. Their mutual desire reaches a fever pitch and creates a storm of its own—unexpected, powerful, and unforgettable. But is it bigger than Tony can handle? Can he let go of painful memories and let the force of this remarkable woman show him a future he never dreamed existed?

Along Came Trouble, coming from Random House / Loveswept, March 11, 2013!

Ruthie Knox’s Camelot series continues in this sizzling eBook original novel, featuring two headstrong souls who bump heads—and bodies—as temptation and lust bring nothing but delicious trouble.

An accomplished lawyer and driven single mother, Ellen Callahan isn’t looking for any help. She’s doing just fine on her own. So Ellen’s more than a little peeved when her brother, an international pop star, hires a security guard to protect her from a prying press that will stop at nothing to dig up dirt on him. But when the tanned and toned Caleb Clark shows up at her door, Ellen might just have to plead the fifth.

Back home after a deployment in Iraq and looking for work as a civilian, Caleb signs on as Ellen’s bodyguard. After combat in the hot desert sun, this job should be a breeze. But guarding the willful beauty is harder than he imagined—and Caleb can’t resist the temptation to mix business with pleasure. With their desires growing more undeniable by the day, Ellen and Caleb give in to an evening of steamy passion. But will they ever be able to share more than just a one-night stand?

Want to know more about Ruthie Knox? Find it here on her website www.ruthieknox.com

Book review: About Last Night by Ruthie Knox

About Last Night, coming from Random House / Loveswept, June 11, 2012!


Sure, opposites attract, but in this sexy, smart eBook original romance from Ruthie Knox, they positively combust! When a buttoned-up banker falls for a bad girl, “about last night” is just the beginning.

Cath Talarico knows a mistake when she makes it, and God knows she’s made her share. So many, in fact, that this Chicago girl knows London is her last, best shot at starting over. But bad habits are hard to break, and soon Cath finds herself back where she has vowed never to go . . . in the bed of a man who is all kinds of wrong: too rich, too classy, too uptight for a free-spirited troublemaker like her.

Nev Chamberlain feels trapped and miserable in his family’s banking empire. But beneath his pinstripes is an artist and bohemian struggling to break free and lose control. Mary Catherine — even her name turns him on — with her tattoos, her secrets, and her gamine, sex-starved body, unleashes all kinds of fantasies.

When blue blood mixes with bad blood, can a couple that is definitely wrong for each other ever be perfectly right? And with a little luck and a lot of love, can they make last night last a lifetime?

This is my first Ruthie Knox book. I have heard lots of great things about her first book Ride with Me so when the chance to read and review her new one About Last Night i jumped at it. Cath Talarico had a good happy life until at age 14 her dad passed away. He was her world kept her centered and with him gone she was lost. She rebelled against her mother and anything and everything. Got into trouble one way or another.. Over the years she did different things trying to find her place and her happiness but nothing seem to work out for her. After shunning her mom for most those years her mom tried to reach out to her when she was diagnosed with cancer. By the time Cath actually contacted her it was pretty much to late. She decided at that time she was going to be new Cath. She was going to responsible for herself. No more she going to start over and change all her bad habits including men. Nev Chamberlain was always a uptight banker type to Cath whenever she saw him at the train station she always thought he was impeccably dressed and stoic. She nicknames him City based on the way he looked and acted when she saw him. She had a nickname for all the people she regularly saw at the train station. She had a soft spot for this guy. Totally not her type.  Little did she know City/Nev had a soft spot for her as well.  Then one night after a blind date gone wrong with to much alcohol Nev finds Cath sitting at the train station a little drunk and teary eyed and takes her to his place.  He takes care of her and the next morning she finds out that City is so stiff and serious as she thought.

I liked that Cath had this possibly shady but sad and devastated past but she struggled and tried hard to do something about it. She had some devastating things happen to her but she didn't give up when she easily could have. Nev doesn't have the same kind of troubled past but he didn't have the best childhood. Shipped off away from home for school when he came home to visit his mother made him feel inferior and his older brother was mean or extra nice when he wanted something. His only comfort was his dad who he is a lot like. Both artist painters. Nev found himself forced into the family banking business and his mother and brother trying to control him. Slowly Nev starts breaking through Cath's many walls to find out what he can about her. She's afraid of love after he past history with marriage and slow to trust.  Nev takes her home to his family in a rouse that backfires on him. Cath fragile heart might be broke for good this time. I liked the story and the sex scenes for me were sometimes wild and passionate and other times endearingly sweet. Great story! I'll be back for more. 4 out of 5 Modokker Book Picks for About Last Night by Ruthie Knox.

Find out more about Ruthie Knox and her books here on her website www.ruthieknox.com