ARC Review: Riding Out the Storm (Perfect Storm #3)

Riding Out the Storm (Perfect Storm #3)

Mari Carr

Blurb:

You can’t outrun a storm…or the fire it sparks.

There’s a legend surrounding the Storm one touch, and they’re bound to the love of their life – forever.

But Maverick Storm stopped believing in legends the day Ella Decker disappeared.

Once the girl who claimed his heart, Ella vanished after a summer of stolen kisses, whispered secrets, and first love. She left behind only a cold, cruel letter – one that shattered him in ways he refuses to admit. Now he hides behind a bad-boy reputation, runs his family’s small-town winery with his brother, and drowns everything else in one-night stands. Love? That’s for fools.

Ella never meant to break Maverick’s heart.

But under her father’s brutal rule, survival always came first.

So, she walked away…and stayed gone.

Until now.

With her past buried behind a pen name and bestselling romance novels, Ella returns to Gracemont for one reason: to face the boy she once loved—and maybe, just maybe, rewrite the ending that was stolen from them. But Maverick is no longer the sweet, loyal boy who used to kiss her in the shadows. He’s the legend now. The one who doesn’t call. The one who doesn’t stay.

He’s harder. Rougher. Dominant.

The kind of alpha who takes control – and doesn’t let go.

Themes:  Contemporary, Second Chance

Rating: 4.5 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

Normally I am full of words and have so much to say when it comes to my reviews so I have to apologize in advance to my fellow readers and of course Mari Carr, because my review is going to be much briefer today. My life recently has become a crazy whirlwind with work exploding, an all-new  adventure of house hunting, packing, and planning a move that all has to go down in less than a month, and the general anxiety, emotional stress, and physical pain that comes will all of that when you are single, lacking support, physically disabled, and ADD and OCD.  So, all that said, here is the best I can currently do to share my opinions…

We finally get Maverick’s story and I am so thrilled to have been one of the lucky ones to read why he is such a wild Storm (sorry couldn’t help myself) but mostly I am sad to see that he has been living almost half his life without the other half of his soul.  Mari Carr returns with a bang in the latest Storm story as she brings back together two lovers, ripped apart at a young age and finally getting a second chance at a love they both never realized was quite so integral to their lives until recently.  I am a huge fan of this series and was so thrilled to know that Maverick was going to get a second chance at love, because I was very afraid his story might have been darker and perhaps more permanent or something.  Maverick Storm fell hard and fast for Ella Decker when he was just a teenager, but when she disappeared into the night, never to return he thought for sure that what he’d felt couldn’t have truly been the Storm Gift (or Curse) of true love striking.  But now that she has returned to Gracemont, Maverick is conflicted emotionally, but definitely not physically because she still pulls him and every time they touch the chemistry and passion is only stronger.  Ella loved Maverick, but she was terrified of his certainty of their future at such a young age and when they were forced apart she wasn’t brave enough to run back to him.  Now she is determined to prove to him that she will stick and as their relationship gets deeper the love that blossoms right back to life, like a plant that has just been dormant under the winter snow, she is determined that nothing will ever come between them again.  I loved the way we got to see glimpses of the love story between Maverick and Ella in their teens as we also got to see them in the present becoming friends again and navigating their new friendship and slowly the relationship that they chose to rebuild.  Maverick is obviously a passionate, strong, loving, determined and alpha man that is willing to put in the time, effort and affection needed to prove to Ella that he is going to be there for her in every stage of their lives and to stand beside her in any battle she needs to wage.  Ella has a lot to face in this novel, not only her past in Gracemont, but her grief, and the trauma that has ruled her life from an abusive and neglectful family, and watching her finally be able to grow from that and have the faith in herself and her future in order to move on was beautiful.  I really needed this story at this time in my life and the strength Ella found, along with the passion and love Maverick and all of the Storms shared with her gave me hope for my own rocky future, so thank you very much Mari.  I always love your stories, but this one was really needed and welcomed right now and I am dying for what comes next for the Storms and the folks that always seem to not only steal their hearts but enrich their family and add to the greatness that is their ever-growing clan. Bring on the Storms!

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

ARC Mini-Review: Alex (Ghost Ops #6)

Alex (Ghost Ops #6)

Lynn Raye Harris

Blurb:

Dead to their pasts. Ghosts. No family ties. No connections. Six men with a top-secret mission move to a small town where they have to navigate local life, protect their secret, and, above all, stay single.

Alex "Ghost" Bishop doesn't let people in. Not after a childhood spent isolated and alone, forced to survive on his own terms. Trust is a weapon that can be turned against you, and love is a distraction he can't afford. His team is everything. Everyone else is a risk.

So when FBI agent Diana Corbin pushes her way into his operation, he resents every moment of it—even when he can't stop thinking about her.

Diana learned the hard way that trust is dangerous. The people you believe will protect you can destroy you instead. She's built her life on proving herself, on never needing anyone, on keeping the world at a careful distance. She doesn't have time for a man who makes her want things she can't have.

But when they find each other undercover in an operation neither should be running, something shifts. Working together becomes inevitable. The denial becomes harder to maintain. And the pull between them—electric, indisputable, terrifying—won't be ignored.

As the mission spirals into danger and their secrets threaten to unravel everything, Alex and Diana discover that sometimes the only person you can trust is the one person you swore you never would. And that love isn't a weakness—it's the only thing that might save them.

Themes:  Contemporary, Finale

Rating: 4.5 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

Normally I am full of words and have so much to say when it comes to my reviews so I have to apologize in advance to my fellow readers and of course Lynn Raye Harris, because my review is going to be much briefer today. My life recently has become a crazy whirlwind with work exploding, an all-new  adventure of house hunting, packing, and planning a move that all has to go down in less than a month, and the general anxiety, emotional stress, and physical pain that comes will all of that when you are single, lacking support, physically disabled, and ADD and OCD.  So, all that said, here is the best I can currently do to share my opinions…

The finale of the Ghost ops series is one that is not to be missed for readers of this or any other romance suspense series. Lynn Raye Harris has gone above and beyond with drama, sensuality, and passion as she brings together two people that on paper should never work but ultimately are the perfect lovers.  Alex “Ghost” Bishop has been leading his men on their final mission, trying to keep them all on task, but they’ve each slowly lost their minds and hearts to the women in their new hometown and he won’t risk them losing their new future. Diana Corbin has been a thorn in his side from the moment she arrives flashing her badge, but she has her own agenda and when they continue to cross paths, Diana and Alex are forced to work together on their missions if they hope to succeed. But the more time they spend together as “lovers” the more they find resisting the need and chemistry between them impossible, and soon they are not only burning up the sheets, but also losing their hearts to one another. I loved seeing Ghost finally accepting Diana’s help and seeing her for the partner and mate that she wanted to be from the beginning, even if she thought Alex was an arrogant prick in the beginning. Diana was such a complex and beautiful character to get to know and see her come to trust and lean on Alex and his friends, trusting them implicitly and never losing faith in him. I must say I was not expecting this ending at ALL, but I loved it and I am very much looking forward to the coming spin-off and seeing more of all of the Ghost-Ops team as they settle into their new lives and marry their lovers. Harris never let me down and being able to read her story and have that calm in the storm right now was extremely welcome.

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

ARC Review: Knight’s Storm (Sanctuary Falls #1)

Knight’s Storm (Sanctuary Falls #1)

Katie Reus

Blurb:

Someone is trying to frame her for murder.

When Berkley Knight wakes up in a dead man’s house with no memory of how she got there, she runs. Given her checkered past, she doesn’t trust the cops, so she calls her brother for help. They retrace her steps, trying to figure out who could have dumped her there and why. But when they start digging, they wind up with even more questions—and in more danger.

He’ll do whatever it takes to clear her name.

Unfortunately, the same thing happens again, only this time Berkley wakes up in her murdered ex-husband’s house. Now she’s the prime suspect and soon realizes that whoever is terrorizing her, is attempting to systematically destroy her life. The one thing she never imagined was turning to her enemy for help, but Nick Storm is exactly who she needs to fight the maniac who’s terrorizing her. It turns out the danger is much closer than either of them realize. And the only way they will both survive is to trust each other.

Themes: Contemporary, Suspense

Rating: 4.25 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

I always love starting a new series, especially when it comes from one of my favorite authors, and this new one set in Sanctuary Falls, by Katie Reus, is looking to be one of my favorites. Combining interesting family dynamics, suspense, murder and mayhem, along with passion and love, Katie takes us on a journey through the mind of a killer as they are setting up our heroine to take the fall for their crimes but not succeeding thankfully. With the help of her friends, family, and a very unlikely hero, Berkley Knight manages to stay one step ahead of the killer until the very end when her world is rocked by the truth and she is forced to fight for her life and the lives of those she loves. Filled with action, suspense, laughter, and love, Knight’s Storm is one of those stories that sticks with you long after reading it and leads you to want to keep coming back into the world of these characters again and again.  I’m dying for what comes next in this small town, knowing that Micah and Clover’s story will be just as intriguing, and then this series will only continue to get better.  Katie has another hit on her hands, guaranteed!

Berkley Knight, reformed troublemaker, has no idea why someone is out to get her, but when she wakes up in a stranger’s home, a dead man at that, she knows nothing good can come of being found there—and when it happens a second time, and the dead man is her degenerate ex-husband things only get more dangerous.  Nick Storm once thought that Berkley was just the type of woman he wanted to get to know but then he was misled into believing that she was more of a woman to run from.  But now he is getting to know her and learns that she is sweet and spicy in equal measures and when she is in need of assistance he can’t resist being the hero to stand beside her.  Willing to do just about anything to protect her, Nick pushes into her life and they are soon spending every moment together, and the more time they spend together the more they come to like one another.  Soon the heat that was always riding under their antagonism veers into another kind of passion and Nick and Berkley come to find that they mean much more to one another than they ever planned.  Now they have to trust one another explicitly because her enemy has decided to stop hiding in the shadows, and without that trust one or the other of them just might not survive the coming battle.

I loved getting to meet a whole new roster of characters, but my favorite had to be the Knight siblings of course—who wouldn’t love five crazy siblings all with their own weird personalities. Berkley is one of those women that knows she screwed up in her youth, making far too many dumb decisions, but she has worked hard to pull herself out of the mire and is proud of that fact.  Now she works hard, plays very little, and doesn’t let people treat her as less than, but when she needs help in her current predicament she fights for herself just as much as allowing others to fight for her.  She was just the right amount of sarcasm, intelligence, passion, and determination to soldier through, and as she developed feelings for Nick, she also showed him the softness and vulnerability she’d so often hid from others. Nick was a bit of a jerk in the beginning, listening to the wrong person about Berkley, instead of forming his own opinion, but when he is called out for his behavior, he truly gives her a chance and goes to bat for her repeatedly. He is strong, sweet, and obviously protective of those he feels strongly for, so watching him fall in love with Berkley was remarkable because he was obviously unprepared for the depth of his emotions.  It was also fabulous to watch him dealing with the others in her life trying to protect her, because he wasn’t willing to step aside and let others step in between them.

Aptly named Knight’s Storm is the kind of story where two people that had no idea they were perfectly made for one another finally get the chance to find out that passion, danger and fear can all lead them to their love story even in the least likely of places. Berkley and Nick’s chance at love could easily have been stolen from them by a vengeful comment from one scumbag, but circumstances lead them right where they were always meant to be. The danger Berkley finds herself suddenly wrapped up in puts her and all her family and friends right in the crosshairs of a deadly game that she never knew she was part of.  When she tries to protect those she loves, she ends up putting herself into more danger, but in the end the love and trust that she has found in the arms of the least likely person allows them both to survive the sociopath stalking them.  Nick had no idea that when he finally found a way to apologize to Berkley for his idiot assumptions it would be in the form of protection from a killer, but he’s more than willing to do whatever it takes.  And spending time with her, proving to her that they can have a future and are good together, is certainly no hardship for him either.  The passion between these two was accompanied by self-deprecating laughter, sweet tenderness, and of course the acerbic family connection that only a member of a big family can appreciate. I am very much looking forward to the next story (Knight’s Obsession) where we will see another Knight sibling get his chance to convince a stubborn woman they are meant to be together. Ms. Reus definitely has another kicked off another great series that I can see keeping our attention for many years to come.

 

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

ARC Mini-Review: Kiss of Skye (Skye Druids #8)

Kiss of Skye (Skye Druids #8)

Donna Grant

Blurb:

He’s a secret wrapped in sin—power in every step, temptation in every breath.

He moves through danger like it belongs to him. I should be afraid.

Instead, I ache.

Everything around us is a threat, but the moment he touches me, the fear disappears.

His mouth is a promise. His body a weapon.

And I don’t know which one will break me first.

I tell myself this is survival—that the heat between us is just adrenaline, a temporary madness.

But when he looks at me like I’m the only thing that matters, the truth cuts deep. This isn’t madness.

It’s obsession.

Need.

And it’s already too late to stop.

He’s my temptation.

The mistake I’ll make again and again.

Themes: Paranormal, Druids, Magick

Rating: 4.5 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

We are finally going to get the story behind Mason’s defection and learn if he truly turned against Ferne and Carlyle or if something much deeper has been going on all along. The Druids of Skye have been fighting enemies around every corner, but the closer they get to their final battle and the deeper into their troubles, the more we learn about plans that have been laid for decades in some cases.  The majesty of Donna Grant’s ingenuity and the way she pulls us into each storyline, grabbing our hearts and minds, but even more our imaginations never ceases to amaze me. I knew that I was going to love this story, but getting to experience it, falling into danger, action, and fear as Mason and Rowen fought their way through to Skye and then worked with the others to solve the mysteries coming at them was fascinating.  If you are looking for a straightforward romance with two people finding one another and getting their HEA after a simple meet-cute, look elsewhere, but if you want a gritty story filled with magic, danger, tangible passion, and palpable conflicts then you’ll love this latest addition to the Skye Druids series by Donna Grant.

Mason Crawford has spent years, estranged from the only family he still has, hunting the truth behind the death of his parents, and now that he is finally close to the truth he finds out that his enemy knows too much and he can no longer run.  Rowen Thornevale has traveled to London, from the Salish Druids, at the request of her leader to find out if they should align themselves with London and the truth behind recent rumors spreading throughout the Druid communities.  She is immediately suspicious and unnerved with the London Druids and decides to slip out early, only to come across a Druid slipping out a hidden door and covered in blood.  She knows she probably shouldn’t get involved, but if he’s trying to escape these distressing Druids—covered in blood no less—then she can’t leave him to his death.  Rowen soon finds herself embroiled in a battle and escaping with Mason to the Isle of Skye only to become even deeper in the battle.  Mason and the Skye Druids have their work cut out for them with all the enemies on their doorstep, but the more she comes to know them the more she comes to care for them, something she swore she’d never let herself do.

Mason has been a villain for a long time, pushing his sister and the brother of his heart away, but protecting Ferne and Carlyle meant more to him than keeping them happy with him.  Now that his investigation into the London Druids is over, in fantastic fashion, with an attack that almost left him dead, there is no more reason to be away from them, so he is ready to go to them on Skye.  He never imagined that he would need the help of a sexy American Druid to get them both there safely though and while he doesn’t fully trust her right away, the more she cares for him and proves to him that her heart is pure, there is no denying that he wants her.  Mason must give up his investigation into the London Druids, but when he joins those on Skye, he knows that the battles will only be fiercer but fighting for what is right and those he loves are ingrained in him.  Rowen knew the moment she arrived in London that something wasn’t right, but seeing a man fleeing the Druid meeting house, covered in blood, and close to death told her a lot about the people she was dealing with.  Keeping Mason alive and getting them out of the hands of the London faction was difficult enough, but when they arrive on Skye and things become even stranger with voices in her head, mysterious witches approaching her, and finally a centuries old secret coming to light.  Rowen doesn’t believe in love, because everybody leaves, but the more she comes to care for Mason and his friends the harder it is to deny that she is falling for him and wants to be with him.  Her fears are pushing her to leave the Isle, but she knows if she does that, she will lose everything she has ever wanted for herself, so can she overcome those doubts to reach for the one thing she needs to be happy or will she forever lose that piece of herself?

I loved every minute of this story, even if there was less action than previous stories, mostly because we got to see more time where Rowen and Mason were together, learning about one another and getting to build their friendship.  Often in a story as complex and interwoven as this series, we miss out on that character and relationship growth, so I was thrilled to get that in Kiss of Skye. Rowen is just the type of woman that you love to see find her power and her ability to trust in love as she learns not only about Mason and the Skye Druids, but her own past and future. Only when they both come to accept that their fears can be easily overcome with the right person at their side, do they begin to open their hearts, and accept that love is right in front of them. The passion between Rowen and Mason was evident from the moment their eyes connected, even when Mason was close to death, and the trust that lead to their love was beautiful as well.  I am looking forward to seeing these two kicking butt together and with the rest of the team in coming stories, but the closer we get to the end of this series the more I wonder just how much more complicated the story can get without my losing the threads of everything, because honestly there is so much going on half the time I lose track.  The love and connection between Mason and Rowen make this story unforgettable, but the truth of the matter is that a Skye Druids novel is never to be missed and if you’ve missed one already, I suggest you go back to the beginning and get started on this amazing series ASAP. 

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