Sunday, March 17, 2024

ARC Review: Fighting for Reese (Redemption Harbor Security #2)

Fighting for Reese (Redemption Harbor Security #2)

Katie Reus

Blurb:

She’s a grumpy security expert…

Reese doesn’t do relationships. Especially not with tall, sexy men with golden retriever energy. Nope, she prefers her men brooding and silent—with no strings attached. So when she hooks up with her gorgeous coworker after their friends’ wedding, she does what any sane woman would do. She runs.

He’s a sunshine badass…

Unfortunately for her, they’ve got to go undercover at a couples’ retreat which means one room, one bed, and a simmering heat neither of them can deny. Constantine—aka Cash to his friends—has been burned before because of his wealth. But Reese wants nothing to do with his money, which only intrigues him even more. Now that they’re sharing a room, his hot-and-cold vixen isn’t getting away from him again. But he’s got to keep them alive long enough to show that what they shared is more than a one-time thing. Something that proves more difficult when people around them start dying.

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating: 4.5 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

Usually when we talk about a grumpy/sunshine romance we kind of know what to expect, but Katie Reus manages as always to turn everything on its head in this new story of two people so obviously made for one another even if one of them is resisting it every step of the way. I have been really looking forward to this novel, ever since the characters first met in the previous novel and we watched sparks flying, and I enjoyed every moment of their story as it developed.  The Redemption Harbor Security Team is quickly becoming one of my favorite new series and I am really looking forward to the third installment coming soon, but in the meantime I just might reread Reese and Cash’s love story.  For anyone looking for the type of fast-paced and suspenseful romance, filled with twists that will leave you wondering if the main characters are going to make it in the end, I present to you the majesty of Fighting for Reese and welcome you to the world of Redemption Harbor.

Constantine Pierce, aka Cash, has started a new adventure along with his foster sister and her long time love in North Carolina, and one of the biggest draws to his new life is the sexy and irritable Reese Sinclair.  She has sparked his interest from the first time they matched wits when they worked together trying to rescue his kidnapped foster brother, and he has never given up hope that he would get a chance to prove to her they were meant to be together.  Reese can’t believe she gave into her weakness and slept with the golden boy charmer Cash, but now she has to find a way to work with him as his fiancรฉe undercover in a very high stakes case. But the deeper they dig into the case, the more questions arise and the higher the threat level seems to be going, leaving Reese, Cash, and their partners right in the crosshairs of too many enemies for them to not have total trust in one another, even if they are fighting the passion and emotional pull they are feeling. They have to let go of their fears and emotional hang-ups in order to survive the dangers all around them, but if they survive, can they then find a way to build a life together or will Reese push Cash away once and for all?

Man where to even start with all the emotional trauma these two lovers had to overcome in order to accept one another.  Reese has lived a golden life, when you look at it from the outside, having grown up with a silver spoon and being given every leg up in life.  But the truth is that she lived her childhood without the one thing she needed the most, the love and mutual respect of her parents, which made her push them and their lifestyle away so that she could live her own life, even though she still loves them.  She has determined to make her own choices and not let their wants and desires for her future affect her, but that has also left her making choices that keep her from making emotional connections.  IT wasn’t until she finally allowed herself to admit that Cash had come to mean much more to her than even she expected that she opened her heart and allowed him to get his foot in the door.  Once she did that it didn’t take much for the love to blossom and she became a whole new woman emotionally.  Cash on the other hand made his own family with his foster siblings as a kid, then became his own man, always jumping from life goal to goal looking for the own thing in life that would keep him engaged fully, until he met Reese.  I think that meeting Reese he finally found the connection and goal that will keep in grounded and in place permanently.  While he has always been strong, dedicated and loving, he needed someone to shower all his love and passion on, not just a job to devote himself to, but a person that he could give his whole heart to.  These two obviously were the missing piece of one another and once they began to realize and accept that their lives and their love became beautiful to experience.

The storyline that backed Reese and Cash’s love story was scary suspenseful and full of so many plot twists that I also most got lost more than once, and not going to lie there were several times I found myself asking “did I really just read that?”  Reese is an expert behind the computer, but being out in the field she has to count on her teammate to not only keep them all alive, but also to help her work through all the craziness they encounter, and the emotions that she and Reese are hiding from as they slowly fall in love certainly aren’t helping.  Cash is determined to do whatever it takes to keep Reese and the others safe, but that protectiveness puts him right in the line of fire more than once; he is obviously the brawn and the badass for their team and I loved seeming taking names and defeating enemies.  The passion these two share is never far from the frontlines, whether they are fighting, teasing, or loving, and the am so glad they found their HEA and look forward to seeing more of them in coming novels.   The nest novel is going to be even more sparky because no one does enemies to lovers better than Katie and Adalyn is going to make Rowan seriously work for it (Fighting for Adalyn). A supreme pleasure diving into this read as always, Ms. Reus.

*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Sunday, March 10, 2024

ARC Review: Just One More Moment (The Sterling Family #1)

 Just One More Moment (The Sterling Family #1)
Carly Phillips

Blurb:

She thinks happily ever after only happens in romance novels.

He can’t wait to prove her wrong…

Falling in love is not on Raven Walsh’s agenda. Running from her past keeps her way too busy for that. She can, however, handle a friends-with-benefits scenario with the hot billionaire who co-owns The Back Door bar. But trusting him with her heart? Not a chance…

Remington Sterling has had his eye on the smart and sexy Raven since she started waitressing at his bar. He knows she’s gun-shy where relationships are concerned. But he’s ready to do whatever it takes to convince her he’s worth the risk…

When Raven’s secrets catch up to her in a big way, she must decide if the potential cost of trusting Remy is more than she’s willing to pay—and Remy will need to figure out how far he’s willing to go for love…


Themes:  Contemporary

Rating: 4.25 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

I have been looking forward to this new direction from favorite author Carly Phillips since I learned the inside scoop months ago and I am proud to say that she has managed to segue beautifully from a long-running and beloved series into this new and exciting family that I am looking forward to learning all about.  For fans of the Dare World, we recently got to know Remy Sterling very well as he intermingled with Zach Dare and his siblings, being Zach’s best friend and business partner, but a dangerous individual from an affluent family in his own right. It has been fascinating to learn about his family and see where this series will be taking as we come to understand that even though they have always had money, they haven't had it any easier than the rest of us, dealing with loss, fear, and pain.  I am dying to find out more about everyone in his family and see how they cope with the coming changes in their lives, finding love, and finally learning to forgive others and themselves for their pasts.  The next in the series, Remy’s adopted brother Dex is going to be very interesting and I can already tell will be a killer as we get to reunite with a favorite character from the Dare world and see them find love together, hopefully.  Carly truly never ceases to amaze me as she digs into her heart and imagination to bring these characters to life and make them seem so tangible in our hearts.

Remy Sterling has had his eye on Raven Walsh since she began managing his bar and grill and he knows that there could be something special between them, if only she would stop putting up walls between them.  Raven knows that being with Remy would be a danger to him and all those he loves, despite the fact that she wants so badly to be with him.  When he catches her at a week moment she finds it impossible to resist him, but she has her rules and she is determined to keep him at arm’s length.  Then her it begins to look like her past is catching up with her.  The danger she has been hiding from has found her and is taunting and threatening her mentally and physically and there is no way that Remy is going to stand for that. But as the danger escalates so do the emotions for Remy and Raven, until it becomes clear that they are more than just friends with benefits.  Now they just need to survive long enough to have a chance at a future together.

Raven is one of those women that you just know you can be friends with if she would allow herself to relax her guard long enough in order to make friends.  She has been living on the edge for so long, trying to protect those around her from going through what a past friend did that she hasn’t been able to have anyone in her corner or anyone to lean on beyond her brother.  I loved that she finally found a way to release those walls with Remy and that she came to trust him enough to not only protect her but end her torment once and for all. She is a passionate, clever, sweet, and loving sister, aunt, friend, and lover when she is finally given the chance to let go of her fears and seeing her get that chance once she and Remy defeated her tormentor was beautiful. Remy is such a strong, smart, dedicated and loving character, one that I can honestly say I wouldn’t mind having in my life or my bed.  It was obvious from the very beginning that he was going to be a life changing force of good for Raven, but I don’t think she realized just how much he was going to be changing her life when she agreed to a friends with benefits arrangement with a the dominant but sexy man who had become her friend.  Remy is not going to let any danger come to Raven and he is not going to let her pull away from him now that he finally has a chance to prove to her that they can have a happy life together. There was no denying that he had his own ideas of how to get his way, but he didn’t walk over anyone and he cared deeply for not just his family, but his friends and employees, not the least of which was Raven who had stolen his heart.

Just One More Moment is one of those stories that grabs you by the heart strings from the very first words, then tunnels in and refuses to release you until the very end.   I was transfixed as I watched Remy and Raven navigated this sometimes rocky and terrifying relationship as they found a way out of the darkness they’d been living in and into a world where they could openly live together in the light. Raven has lived so long in the shadows of her past, a past that scarred her and left her with very few allies in life and a fear for letting anyone close every again.  Remy has his own darkness in his past, but he has worked hard to atone and move forward, even though it sometimes still colors his relationship choices.  Together they can conquer their problems and defeats the enemy that is out to prevent them from ever having their HEA, but the trust that they have to share is one that neither of them have ever had in a partner and it has to come quickly.  The passion is there and the friendship is slowly growing, but the love is one that takes a bit of time and when is finally flourishes we know that no evil will ever stop it or knock it down. I loved every moment of this story and cannot wait for Dex’s story (Just One MoreDare) because I know that one is going to be explosive.  Carly has truly outdone herself with this new series and she is just starting!

*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Saturday, March 9, 2024

Cover Reveal: Forewarned by Chantal Fernando

 ๐Ÿ–ค ๐’ž๐’ช๐’ฑ๐ธ๐‘… ๐‘…๐ธ๐’ฑ๐ธ๐’œ๐ฟ ๐Ÿ–ค


I’m so excited to finally be able to share with you the cover of my upcoming #ROMANTASY book ๐“•๐“ธ๐“ป๐“ฎ๐”€๐“ช๐“ป๐“ท๐“ฎ๐“ญ which is due out on March 26th.  I’m so in love with these characters and this world. ๐Ÿ˜

As I step aside from my normal MC genre I hope you take a chance on me and check this book out. 


It’s currently available for pre-order on all platforms however on release day it will be removed on all other platforms and go exclusively into #KindleUnlimited so if you read on any other platform than Amazon - pre-order now to secure. 


๐‡๐ž๐ซ๐ž’๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐š๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐œ๐š๐ง ๐ž๐ฑ๐ฉ๐ž๐œ๐ญ:


๐†๐ž๐ง๐ซ๐ž:  Romance Fantasy 


๐“๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐ž๐ฌ

๐Ÿ‘‰ Fates Mates

๐Ÿ–ค Enemies To Loves 

๐Ÿ‘‰ Opposites Attract 

๐Ÿ–ค Touch her and die 

๐Ÿ‘‰ He falls first 

๐Ÿ–ค Shadow Daddy 


๐๐‹๐”๐‘๐:


The fae spend their entire lives searching for their true mate. 

But me? I know who my mine is. 

And I don't want him.


My name is Astrid. I'm a fae, a seer and a healer.

Not much scares me. But him? 

That's the darkness I'm never going to let catch me.


Pre-order is available now on all platforms however this will go into Kindle Unlimited on release day. 


๐๐‘๐„-๐Ž๐‘๐ƒ๐„๐‘ ๐‡๐„๐‘๐„:


https://books2read.com/u/mBApBp


Goodreads: Coming Soon 


#coverreveal #chantalfernando #fantasyromance #preorder #chantalfernandobooks #comingsoon 


Tuesday, March 5, 2024

ARC Review: Brutal Capo (Syndicate Rules #5)

Brutal Capo (Syndicate Rules #5)

Lucy Monroe

Blurb:

BIANCA

I'm hiding in plain sight from the mafia. But when the don finds out who I am, he demands I marry the capo who broke my heart.

SALVATORE

She betrayed me. Or so I think until that fateful day when my don gives me a choice. Make it right and marry her. Or death.

Themes:  Contemporary, Mafia

Rating: 4.25 stars

Heat Rating:

Review:

We are returning to New York, where it all began, in this latest installment of the Syndicate Rules series by Lucy Monroe as we get to see the story of a lost Mafia princess and the intense and sometimes terrifying Capo that steals her heart and never lets her go. I have been a huge fan of Lucy’s for years now, but I have to tell you that I was more than a little bit leery of her new foray into this world of Mafia romances, but I gave it a try when she released the first story and I was instantly hooked.  Each new story has been interesting, darkly romantic, and filler with so many fascinating charters in a world I have no experience with.  Bikers, military, cowboys, all of these tropes I can relate to because I have lived those lives and dated those men, but learning about Mafia men and the women that find their place beside them without losing themselves has been an intriguing experience to say the least.  I am very much looking forward to the next story, Miceli’s book, and getting to return to the New York mafia and see some of my favorite characters again.  If you haven’t tried your hand at this dark sub-genre of romance, I highly recommend scooping up the Syndicate rules and enjoy the ride.

Bianca Gemelli has been in hiding for almost a decade, right under the nose of those she ran from for the past few years, and now she is ready to move on to a new job, but she lands herself even closer to the mafia she ran from.  Salvatore De Luca is beyond taken with sexy new waitress in his club and is determined to have her, but she resists him at every turn, fighting him despite seeming to understand just how powerful in his.  But when she is almost killed in an attack, there is no way that he is going to let her get away from him and he installs her in his home, determined to nurse her back to health and then make her his in every way that she can be.  Bianca knows that being with the dangerous Capo could put her right into the crosshairs of her enemies, but despite knowing intellectually she has to get away from him, she can’t bring herself to leave him.  As their bond grows overtime, Bianca and Salvatore each find their emotions and passions running away from them and there is no denying them.  When the truth of Bianca’s past comes to light they have to fight for the chance neither of them realized they wanted for a future together and the happiness they can have together.

Bianca has had a seriously crappy life and I feel terrible for the parents she was stuck with, and that means a lot with the mother I have.  She is doing everything she can to survive, but also to improve herself and find a way to grow into a woman that will have a better life.  While she hasn’t lived the most glamourous life the last decade, she has worked hard and is proud of what she has accomplished despite the obstacles she has faced and the traumas she has dealt with.  With only a single real friend to give her a step up, Bianca doesn’t trust easily, but she comes to understand that even in la famiglia there are good people that will support and protect her, not the least of which is Salvatore that will kill or die to protect even the smallest hair on her head, even when he doesn’t understand his own feelings for her. Salvatore on the other hand comes across in the beginning as an arrogant twat with a dominant streak who refuses to accept the word now.  More than once there were times I was sure I would never warm up to liking Salvatore and almost wished he wasn’t the hero of the story, but he slowly grew on me as he did Bianca and I came to understand that he was just so closed off that he could understand his own need to push and punish.  Once Bianca gained his trust –even though there was a blip that almost cost them everything—Salvatore opened his home and heart to her and the emotions that he began to show beneath his gruff exterior made him more likable.  I have to say while he wasn’t my favorite of the Syndicate men, I came to understand him and am glad that he found a way to open up to Bianca.

Sometimes you come across one of those stories that you never understood would be so impactful to a series, but I have to tell you that this one seems to have been a real game changer for the whole series.  Bianca and Salvatore’s story was wrapped up in so many changes for the syndicates that the whole crime world might soon be changes for these boys and their love might have prevented disaster in a few ways.  Bianca is one of those women that is a pure survivor, living her life and finding a way to thrive despite everything that is thrown at her, and finding love in the most unexpected of places and men.  Salvatore was raised in the harshest of ways, knowing he would grow to be a fierce Capo, ruling beside his cousin, and he has to learn many lessons in life, but when he finally finds Bianca he learns that sometimes maintaining humanity and giving love can keep you can crossing the line over into becoming truly dark. The passion between these two is palpable from the very first moment and there is no way they were not going to end up together, but the love that develops was surprisingly sweet and reminds us that even the hardest of hearts can meet their match.  I am dying for the next book and hope there are more to come after that as well.  Lucy has struck a nerve for me with this series and she manages to keep is exciting, enlightening, and passionate, but be warned mafia romances are always going to have a dark edged, so don’t dive in if you can’t handle a Brutal Capo or two.

*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Saturday, March 2, 2024

ARC Review: Endless Skye (Skye Druids #4)

Endless Skye (Skye Druids #4)

Donna Grant

Blurb:

Passion comes with a price…

For Willa Ryan, family is everything. So, when her brother asks her to locate a book of unparalleled power, she doesn’t hesitate. Except she does more than find it. She attempts to steal it, and in the process, ends up running for her life—straight into the arms of a man waiting to rescue her. Jasper is unlike anyone she’s ever met, and she’s helpless to resist the undeniable passion between them. But desire always comes at a cost.

Jasper McCabe is a master of disguise and deception, and he uses both ruthlessly. Yet nothing can prepare him when he comes face-to-face with the breathtaking women he’s supposed to use for his ruse. Every instinct screams for him to run as far from Willa as he can. But there’s no escape from the captivating Druid and the feelings she awakens. With his darkest enemies closing in, Jasper is forced to choose with his heart, or lose the woman who is his one chance at salvation.

Themes:  Paranormal, Magick, Druids

Rating: 4 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

This series continues to get more and more complicated as the plot twists and turns through each of the books in the series.  Donna Grant has a unique way of intertwining series, characters, and plots to make one epic and fantastic experience. I have followed Donna through the entire Dark World series for year now and am a huge fan and the deeper the arcs get the more interested I find myself.  With this latest installment in the Skye Druids series, Donna takes us into the story of two people on opposite sides of the war that suddenly find themselves drawn together and having to come together to find the real enemies out to bring down those out to end all Druids and their allies. Willa Ryan is running for her life after taking a stupid risk, but one she’d hoped would pay off in the fight against the enemy, and now she is not sure she will survive long enough to make it to Skye and the safety of the Druids and her brother.  She arrives on the island, but she is barely conscious and is discovered by Jasper McCabe, but he is much more than an innocent bystander.  Jasper is on the island on a mission, one that puts Willa right in his sights and he will use his considerable skills of deception and seduction in order to find his way into the Skye Druid’s inner circle through Willa.  But Jasper soon comes to understand that he is on the wrong side and that the connection he feels for Willa is very real and he is risking everything fighting a battle not his own.  Working with Willa and the Skye Druids might be the only way to redeem himself, but the enemy is determined to make sure that he doesn’t live long enough to make a difference, and Willa has to risk it all to save the man she is coming to understand that she is falling for.  Can these two enemies turned lovers find a way through the darkness or will they lose their one chance at a love greater than they ever imagined?

I was thrilled that we would get to meet Willa, Scott’s sister, and she would bet getting her own HEA, but I was very surprised that she would be faced with the challenges she was.  She was a strong character, but once she was hurt she allowed the anger and betrayal to hide the hurt.  It was obvious that she feel hard for Jasper and that he almost broke her when he betrayed her, but I wish she had been more willing to listen and forgive as it was obvious he’s had a difficult and lonely life while she was always loved and cared for.  But it was great to see her finally learn to stand up for herself, with the help of some of the other Skye Druid ladies, and demand her place on the team.  Jasper was an enigma for sure, but it was also obvious that he’s had a lot of time in his life that he was alone, especially once you learn the truth of his original and his youth.   While it is true that he lied to Willa and the others from the beginning, he didn’t do it maliciously or without a logically reason –in his mind—so I think he deserved more grace than he was offered by most of the team.  I loved to see how he turned up and proved himself, fighting hard to show that he was a good, man, but we should always be given some benefit of the doubt and not have to almost kill ourselves to prove our goodness to others.  There was obviously chemistry and a connection between Willa and Jasper from the beginning and I enjoyed seeing that become love, even if it did seem very fast.

The overreaching plot within this story became super complicated as the couple of plot lines we were dealing with before seemed to have multiplied as the story concluded, instead of any one of them wrapping up.  I understand that keeping plots open to extend the series is a good thing, but I would have loved something to have a conclusion.  To be honest it is becoming harder and harder to write the reviews on this series because it’s nearly impossible to do so without giving something away.  That said I loved the story and am looking forward to reading the next in the series, though I continue to hope we get back to the older format where the romance and the emotional growth of the couple gets more page time.  Whatever comes next for the series, which I get the impression might be Carlyle’s story, I can tell you I am dying to see what happens will all of these individual plot lines and the overall weave of everything together.  Donna’s dexterity with a complex narrative is comparative to a master weaver with a beautiful tapestry and I cannot wait for the final masterpiece.

*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Sunday, February 25, 2024

ARC Review: Last First Kiss (Montgomery Ink Legacy #5)

Last First Kiss (Montgomery Ink Legacy #5)

Carrie Ann Ryan

Blurb:

The Montgomery Ink Legacy series continues with a workplace fling romance that starts off with a literal bang. Daisy Montgomery Knight is about to meet her match when it comes to Hugh Hendrix.

 One look across the aisle at a wedding and I fell in lust.

 He’s on the bride’s side. I’m on the groom’s.

But by the end of the night, we’re against a wall, over a table…and in bed.

I’m prepared never to see him again except in my memories. 

Only the next week things become awkward: I’m his new boss. 

And it turns out he’s just as demanding outside of the sheets as beneath them. 

We need to stay away from each other—he has his demons, as well as an adorable little girl, and I’m trying to heal after a job gone wrong. 

I know I need to walk away…even if neither one of us wants to. 

Themes:  Erotica

Rating:  4.25 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

We have been wondering just what kind of man was going to be matched with our sweet  Daisy Montgomery Knight for a while now, but to be honest I never saw this one coming, and as ever Carrie Ann manages to give her readers and fun and engaging experiences without tearing us up too much.  Daisy’s story is really a bit of a continuation from the previous story, where she was injured when a warehouse she was inspecting exploded, leaving the whole Montgomery Security team on edge and over-protective while leaving Daisy less than he usual badass self.  But she is struggling to get back to her normal routine and when she goes toa  friend’s wedding, she is struck by an unexpected and intense desire for the sexy brit that is in attendance as well.  Hugh Hendrix is finally finding his footing in Colorado for daughter and himself, but when family obligation lands him at a wedding of a childhood friend he never imagines he’ll spent a passionate and unforgettable night with a beautiful woman.  Both Daisy and Hugh determine to leave their one night and that, not sharing anything else about themselves, but it backfires no them in a big way when they learn that Hugh is the newest hire at Montgomery Security and Daisy is now his defacto boss.  They are determined to not allow their passionate night to disrupt their working relationship or allow the others to know the truth, but son they are just as determined to learn if their passionate night could be something more and start dating.  Their relationship develops quickly, with Daisy and Hugh’s young daughter Lucy fostering an emotional connection and Lucy being enfolded into the Montgomery bubble, but they are both reticent  by the speed and depth of their connection.   When it becomes clear that Daisy is being targeted by an enemy, the Montgomery’s begin to circle the wagons and Hugh has to find a way to show Daisy that he supports her without overwhelming her, but can their evolving love and trust withstand the challenges they are facing or will it be too late for them?

I absolutely loved this story, the connection between Daisy and her family or course was unbeatable, but that’s never missing from any of Carrie Ann’s story, but the way that Hugh loved his girl and stepped in the fill the voids that other’s left in her life was just beautiful.  Daisy has had to struggle to find her place in the group of big and tough Montgomery men, but she is a strong and independent woman that is willing to fight for herself and those she loves.  I enjoyed watching her with Hugh and Lucy as she found a way to share her softer emotions with a little girl that needed a mother and the love a woman in her life, much like Lucy had as a girl.  The parallels that Ryan presented in the two females was not overdone, but just beautifully alluded to and showed Hugh that once her shared his daughter with Daisy she would understand that gift and never take it for granted.  Hugh was an enigma a bit, a man that had given up so much in his life for his daughter, but didn’t seem to understand that his closed heart would ultimately be a bad example for his daughter.  It is obvious to me, as a daughter of divorce, that the best thing for him was to find a true love and open his heart so that he could show Lucy so that love truly does exist and it does stick, and when he finally did that with Daisy in the end it was amazing.  I loved the passion that was there between Daisy and Hugh from the beginning and that they allowed it to settle into a simmer when they needed to build something more substantial later.  The love between these two that comes from a one-night stand truly proves that sometimes we truly don’t appreciate the significance when we share that Last First Kiss. As always Carrie Ann kills us in that last chapter with a glimpse of what is coming next for the Montgomery brood and now I am dying for the next book (His Second Chance), but in the meantime I now that the love between Daisy and Hugh will keep me warm and bring me happy dreams.

*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Saturday, February 10, 2024

ARC Mini-Review: Happily Ever Maybe (Montgomery Ink Legacy #4.5)

 Happily Ever Maybe (Montgomery Ink Legacy #4.5)

Carrie Ann Ryan

Blurb:

It was only supposed to be one job.

 

I know the rules.

Get in. Get out.

Protect the girl, then move on.

Only it never works out the way it should.

Now Jennifer and I work with each other and there’s no going back to normal.

 

Then it turned into something more.

 

Gus isn’t for me. I know that.

Only the chemistry that burns between us won’t fade away.

We promise it will only be one night.

Then another.

But when our actions have consequences that could mean the end of our future, we’ll have to figure out exactly what we want.

Even if it means walking away broken before it begins.

 

Themes:  Erotica

Rating: 4 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

I’m not sure if it is the air in those Colorado mountains or just sharing space with those Montgomery’s, but I want whatever it is that creates just a combustible atmosphere and brings lovers together! Carrie Ann Ryan strikes again in a story about two of the Montgomery friends finding love, through lust, and their story is not only fast past, intense, and sensual, but emotionally confusing and just so packed with all the things, I’m not sure how she managed it all in such a short story. Jennifer and Gus have been circling one another for a while now, ever since they became coworker in the Montgomery security company, but when the temptation can no longer be resisted they give in to the attraction in a big way, promising one another it will only be one night. But now they are both feeling so much more than before and there are even more consequences that they have to deal with.  Can two partners and best friends find a way to admit that their feelings have become much deeper, and can they do it before they lose something beautiful? I positively loved this story, even though I would have loved it to be so much longer, but sometimes needs must.  As a short interlude between Montgomery main reads, Jen and Gus were perfect.  Jen has such a hard shell around her that you wonder what it will take for Gus to break through and get to the soft center of her heart, but once he finally manages it, the emotional connection between them is obvious. Gus is such a protective, sweet, and loving guy that there is no doubt he will do everything for his woman, even if it means fighting her or stepping back when it kills him to do so.  I loved the way these two pushed and pulled one another but ultimately found the balance to have the perfect relationship for them, even though it might not have looked perfect to others. The passion and connection between them were more than obvious every moment they were even thinking about one another and I cannot wait to see more of them in future Montgomery stories.  Carrie Ann Ryan sure knows how to hook her readers and pull us in, even with only a few short and intriguing chapters.  All hail the Queen of Colorado Hotties!

*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.