ARC Review: Falling for Trouble (Dare to Fall #1)

Falling for Trouble (Dare to Fall #1)

Carly Phillips

Blurb:

He’s the bad boy my family warned me about—and the one man I can’t have.

I just landed the job of my dreams—planning the Miami Thunder football team’s anniversary celebration—and I can’t afford distractions. Especially not tattooed billionaire and reformed troublemaker Lucas Carras. He exudes alpha-hero intensity, but he’s been off limits for as long as I’ve known him.

But the kickoff party is happening at the nightclub he co-owns with my brother… and with my sibling out of town, I’m stuck working with Lucas.

Forced proximity ignites the desire we’ve both been pretending doesn’t exist. From bedrooms to storage rooms, the scorching tension causes us to cross every line we swore we wouldn’t. On paper, we’re complete opposites. In reality, the chemistry is undeniable.

This party is everything I’ve worked for—my moment to prove myself. Until the sabotage starts.

Orders vanish. Vendors back out. Someone is determined to ruin the anniversary… and my reputation along with it.

Suddenly Lucas isn’t just a distraction. He’s my protector, my anchor, and the only man I trust to stand by my side.

But when my brother finds out about us, family drama explodes. And I’m torn between being the good girl who plays by the rules... and falling for trouble.

Themes:  Contemporary, Second Generation

Rating: 4.5 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

When Carly Phillips started mentioning a secret project to me and other members of her reader group we were all intrigued but most of us don’t much care what is coming at us, if its from Carly we’re going to read it (full honesty).  So, when I started reading this is hadn’t even read the blurb, so when I started recognizing names and realized we were getting the second generation of Ian and Riley Dare I was beyond thrilled.  I love a good second generation continuation of a series but realizing the Dare’s were continuing this way made my heart almost beat out of chest because I have followed this series religiously from the very beginning (heck I created the first published Dare family tree!). I can only say I enjoyed every moment of not only Rainey and Lucas’s love story, but seeing all the “old” couples that first grabbed my heart when they found love through adversity and getting to see that their HEA really did last through all the crap life throws at people as they age together. Carly truly gave us a gift as she continued the Dares into Gen2 and I hope she does this for all the Dare groups up and down the eastern seaboard (wink, wink; nudge, nudge Carly).

Rainey Dare has finally gotten her chance to prove to not only her family but also others in the business community that she can be successful not because of her connections to the famous Dare fortune, but despite them.  She and her partner have won a huge contract that could make of break their business, but she needs the help of the one man that makes her heart beat and her body melt, and the one man that “friend-zoned” her ages ago.  Lucas Carras has always known that Rainey Dare was a temptation to sin that he would have to resist not just because her brother is his best friend and business partner, but because her parents will never accept a relationship between them.  But the more they spent time together planning the big party, working through mysterious catastrophes that seem to sabotage Rainey, the closer they get and soon the thought of resisting their need is no longer something either of them is willing to entertain.  Sadly, a secret affair can only remain secret for so long and once their feelings are involved an affair, one that is explosively public is not something either of them wants, because they both want so much more. Can they figure out who is after Rainey and also find a way to be together without tearing apart their other relationships, or will they forever have to choose between those they need and what they want?

I truly loved this story, not just because I was instantly obsessed with getting to know Rainey as adult, but because watching her and Lucas both coming to terms with their fears and desires was a true story of growth and discovery.  True chemistry is undeniable and sometimes comes in the most unexpected of places, but when you also have a base of friendship, trust, and years of knowing a man understanding that chemistry adds up to so much more once you allow it free rein in your heart.  Rainey spent so many years fighting for her place in her family, never allowing anyone to write her off as simply another vapid little rich girl and has built a thriving and enriched life and business.  The one thing she has never found is a love like the one she witnessed between her parents and the others of their generation, filled with deep respect, love and understanding, and she will settle for nothing else for herself. Watching her try to settle for less in order to explore the passion with Lucas was hilarious, because we all knew that simply saying they were going to have an affair was going to blow up in their faces. Lucas has fought tooth and nail to be a better man than he was and then he could have turned out to be. His business with his two best friends is successful and his pride and joy, but he doesn’t do relationships so he won’t allow himself to reach for the one woman he has always wanted.  Rainey has always pulled him in and having her in his arms finally releases so much emotion that he has to work through before he can be the man she truly deserves and needs.  It was fabulous to watch the explosive chemistry they shared as it slowly settled into a simmer that was very familiar and I can’t wait to see them in future stories as their love is another one that looks to last for the rest of their lives.

Carly gave us the best second generation beginning and I am dying for more so I hope others enjoy it as much as tell her all about it so that she keeps the stories coming.  Rainey and Lucas are fabulous characters as are their friends and cousins so I am dying to get to see them all falling in love and their own brand of trouble.  The passion and chemistry, wit and conflict, and beautiful writing is classic Carly, so I am thrilled I was given the (surprise) chance to venture into the lives of these all grown-up kids as this continuation of a love that we witnessed so long ago.  If you are new to the series, and haven’t read Ian and Riley’s story (Dare to Love), I highly recommend you start way back and the beginning after you read Falling for Trouble,  so you can see where it all began and then you will be just as hooked as the rest of us on the Dare World of love.

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

ARC Mini Review: Accidental Runaway Groom (Clover Lake #2)

Accidental Runaway Groom (Clover Lake #2)

Carrie Ann Ryan

Blurb:

I picked up a groom on the side of the road on the way to a wedding.

One problem: I wasn’t the bride.

And he didn’t mean to run away.

Sometimes things happen for a reason and six months later, I’m back in Clover Lake and Sharp McBride is single, not-so-heartbroken, and my new best friend.

Only neither one of us wants to be ju
st friends.

I don’t know where his heart belongs, and I don’t want to be the person to break what’s left. Yet I’m only in town for a short time and I’m not sure I’m made for small time life.

And if we’re not careful, this time I might have to be the one who runs away.

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating: 3.75 stars

Heat Rating:

Review:

I have to say I am really enjoying the short interlude novellas that we are getting as we wait for the next full length stories in the world of the Montgomery clan.  Clover Lake being so far away makes it sad to see the couple of Montgomerys being separated from their CO family but in the end it seems they will at least have their own little family group close by. Carrie Ann Ryan usually has so much depth and trauma that she is working through in her writing, but these stories are just fun and romantic to enjoy. Each of the McBride family has had their little disaster and a Montgomery has ridden in to save the day in one way or another and then stolen their hearts. In this story a mistake/plot leads Sharp McBride to the best thing in his life when Jamie Montgomery comes to his rescue and then gives her his heart as their friendship quickly becomes a deeper love than either of them ever realize they needed in their lives.  I loved getting to know Sharp and seeing him finally come to terms with the fact that his first engagement was a terrible mistake that he was lucky to escape and he deserved the love he had finally discovered with Jamie. Jamie never wanted to leave her family beyond a visit to her cousin’s new home in Wyoming, but her feelings for Sharp are complicated and the more she falls for him the more she wants to stay so its not surprising when she comes to the conclusion that where isn’t home, but home is who is taken space in your heart.  I loved every moment of this light-hearted but sensual novella and I am looking forward to the conclusion in book three (His Practically Fake Proposal).  Carrie Ann never lets us down so I know that the last McBride is going to blow us away with their shenanigans and the person they fall in love with (another Montgomery perhaps?) will be just as awesome. Party on!

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

ARC Mini Review: Skull (Serpents of Chaos MC #4)

Skull (Serpents of Chaos MC #4)

Chantal Fernando

Blurb:

Skull is a walking red flag.

He's an enforcer for the Serpent of Chaos Motorcycle Club.

He has a newborn daughter with a messy ex.

And he comes as a package with his identical twin brother Bones.

But what can I say? I'm a nurse. I like fixing people.

It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt.

And there's an X marked on my heart.

Themes:  Contemporary, MC

Rating: 4 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

When we learned just what was coming for Skull, and by extension his twin brother Bones, at the end of the previous story, I was unsure if I was going to enjoy this story, being very much not a baby person at all. But I am thrilled to say that while obviously the new single father-abandoned baby trope was crucial to the plot, it was not the written in such a way that you were bogged down in reading it and left feeling preached to about the greatness of babies. Chantal Fernando certainly brings her humor, sexiness, and naughtiness to her characters, plot line and dialogue in this story and I enjoyed it immensely even as I was blown away with the way she managed to incorporate the relationship between the twins and make sure that Bones and Isla found a peace and love of their own. Skull has just learned that he and his twin are fathers and that the club girl who gave birth to their beautiful daughter has abandoned her, so he never imagined that the love of his life would walk into his daughter’s hospital room and blow his heart away. Isla is doing her rounds in the NICU and the sweet baby girl that was left by her mother has already captured her heart, but her sexy biker father is going to be trouble for sure. When he kisses her out of nowhere one night, both of them losing their minds, Isla runs away and does her best to forget the heat that he generates, especially when she learns he has a twin—in a very unconventional  and embarrassing way. But Skull is determined to have Isla in his and his baby’s lives, even though it is causing all kinds of confusion because for the first time ever he isn’t willing to share. Can Skull and Bones come to a peaceful understanding, and will Isla truly give him a chance to earn her love or is she too scared because of past mistakes? Skull’s story was definitely one of the type of heartbreaking need for love and connection that makes you understand why some people never find love and fulfillment in a conventional sense, I loved watching as he slowly came to accept that Isla was it for him and while he loved his twin he couldn’t share his woman with his twin.  His sexy troublemaking behavior and the way he fights for what he wants and then charms his way out of trouble made him the perfect hot biker daddy and I can’t wait to see more of him in future stories and seeing how long it takes before he’s got Isla knocked up (haha). Isla is obviously a quintessential caretaker, being a nurse, but she was by no means a pushover, fighting and pushing back when Skull and any of the other bikers were being aa$$holes. She is sweet and loving, to Skull, the baby and even to Bones once she understands the true bond the twins share, but she also stands up for herself, her needs, and what she will and won’t accept in the relationship and future she wants to build with them. I am really looking forward to the next in this series, and I hope that Ghost isn’t a heartbreaker before he gets his happy ending because I can already tell that is going to a truly rough read.  Not sure how Chantal manages it repeatedly, but she always manages to build a story around the most unlikely of characters but in the end they find common ground and a love that bridges the gaps.

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

ARC Mini-Review: Release (Stingrays Hockey #4)

Release (Stingrays Hockey #4)

Mari Carr

Blurb:

He’s her PR nightmare. She’s his forbidden fantasy. Falling in love was never part of the game.

Tank Phillips scores big – on the ice and everywhere else. But when a wild night with two puck bunnies explodes across social media, the team’s golden boy becomes a PR disaster. Benched, blasted, and one headline away from tanking his career, he’s handed one last chance: Fix your image…with a wholesome fake girlfriend.

McKenna Bailey never signed up for this.

She’s the Stingrays’ brand-new social media manager – more comfortable with analytics dashboards than athletes – and now she’s stuck babysitting the team’s most notorious bad boy. Tank calls her mouse, forgets her name, and grins like he’s allergic to consequences.

But pretending to date him?

That’s a level of chaos even her spreadsheets can’t save her from.

Yet the closer they fake it, the harder it gets to deny the spark snapping to life between them. Tank’s charm isn’t supposed to work on a good girl…especially a good girl who’s never taken a risk like this before.

McKenna has her own secret – one that could blow everything up: she’s the estranged daughter of Coach Fields.

When the truth comes out, Coach delivers Tank a stern warning – stay away from my daughter.

Too bad Tank’s always been better at breaking rules than following them--especially when the one thing he wants most is finally within reach.

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating: 4.25 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

Is there anything better than a reformed playboy falling in love with the nerdy romance-reading introvert girl? I love when a story hits me right in the feels and I can honestly say that Tank and McKenna were one of my favorite couples so far in this series.   Mari Carr has been one of my favorite authors for a long time now and each new series that she creates makes me more and more happy that I stumbled across her years ago. I love the characters she creates and even more the trouble she manages to get them into before she gives them their HEA.  This series is quickly becoming one of my favorites as Mari introduces us to more and more sexy and interesting hockey players and the women that are going to bring them to their knees, but have to say I did not anticipate the way she worked in the surprise for poor tank at the end, and he better be careful he never makes his new woman mad or he’ll be in more than one doghouse.  This story begins with Tank Phillips in hot water because his antics are becoming too public and too outrageous for the team and their sponsors to allow him to slide anymore, even if he is one of their star players.  Enter the lovely and introverted McKenna Bailey, the Sting Rays’ new social media manager, who is tasked with cleaning up Tank’s image and keeping him corralled for the next few months. But the more time they spend together the more they begin to like and respect one another, especially with Tank behaving himself and not dipping his wick in every available space. Then the task becomes even more involved when they are cast in the role of a fake couple, even though Tank would very much like it to be real, and the connection between them is no longer one they can deny.  Can Tank convince McKenna to give into their chemistry while they are forced to play at being a couple? And when the emotions get to be all too real can they overcome their fears and hangups in order to have a real relationship or will McKenna run from the truest love she’s ever found?

Release is one of those stories where you can see the beauty of a chemistry and connection between two people long before the couple themselves can, mostly because they have some kind of block or blinder on.  But as they get deeper into their time together both Tank and McKenna come to understand that the other shows only a small piece of their personality to the world, and the core of them is hidden and only given to a select few.  McKenna has been hurt by some many of the men in her life, all the way back to her father and she has never really gotten over the pain, but when she finally starts to see that she can’t hold those hurts against Tank, allowing him into her heart is easier.  Tank has always had his course in life charted and women have come easy to him, but now he sees that they were easy because he didn’t truly care if he won or lost with previous conquests, but with McKenna he can’t lose her.  He will do whatever it takes to change and prove to her that he is the kind of man she can be proud to call her own and have by her side, one that will support and protect her, even from himself and his own stupid mistakes.  When these two finally allowing their passions and emotional bond free rein and show one another their vulnerable underbellies, their hearts connect in a way that makes any reader just sigh and reach for the tissues. The passion between them is more subtle, though both are attracted to one another from the beginning, the resistance to that need is what makes the final Release of that heat so combustible.  I loved every sweet, sad, sexy, and sweet moment of Tank and McKenna’s story and loved that they finally found a way to understanding and an HEA that will guide them through a lot of ups and downs, holding strong.  I am dying for the next story because I can already tell that it will be amazing, and Victor is in for a heck of a ride when he loses his heart. Mari Carr scores a serious hat trick with this new entry into the world of sexy hockey player romances and if you havent read the previous novels yet, I suggest a day off work to binge all four!

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