ARC Mini Review: Mountain Fire (Elven Kingdoms #4)

Mountain Fire (Elven Kingdoms #4)

Donna Grant

Blurb:

He’s the fire I crave—and the danger I can’t escape .

I entered a hidden city of power and secrets, only to find myself consumed by him. Body and soul.

Strong, unyielding, and impossible to resist, he commands everything around him—including me. Every movement, every word, every heated glance pulls me deeper into his orbit.

His touch scorches, his gaze dragging me closer to the edge where passion and danger collide.

Darkness lurks around every corner, but desire is the deadliest temptation. I never meant to surrender my heart.

But some flames are impossible to fight.

And in this world of shadows and lies, I must face what’s burning between us before it destroys us both.

Themes:  Paranormal, Elves, Dragons

Rating: 4 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

The Elven Kingdom series continues to twist and turn and now we get to know more about the Mountain elves and most importantly we see Manu in his natural habitat. Donna Grant has always been one of those authors that can take one series and then branch it into so many more that if you don’t take copious notes you will become lost wandering around her worlds. For those of us following along, we are now venturing deep into the mountains of Shecrish where the Mountain Elves’ leader Manu is currently hiding refugee children from the Masters—slavers that he and several others are working to bring down, and we are about to find out if his heart and powers of observation will keep him alive.  Inej is a human that has always tried to stay off the radar of the elves that surround her because they are so much more powerful and dangerous than her, but when the only person that she –reluctantly—calls a friend becomes a victim of the kidnappings, she is set on a path she never imagined.  Now she is trying to assassinate the leader of the group kidnapping human and elves—Manu—and she is slowing earning his trust and coming to know the elf. But the more time Inej spends with Manu the more she comes to question his identity as the mastermind behind the slavery and kidnapping of so many individuals because it just doesn’t seem to be in his nature or actions. As they begin to fall in love both Manu and Inej question their feelings for one another and the paths that led them together, but can two people that came together trough a lie truly finds love and happiness together or are they destined to forever have a wall between them? And even more will outside enemies decide that their time together is up permanently. I enjoyed this story greatly, even though I wasn’t a huge fan of the double agent trope, Inej took entirely too long to begin questioning everything she’d been told and start thinking for herself. She is obviously a smart and resourceful woman, but she let her prejudices and hurts lead her down a dark and dangerous path for too long and it almost cost her not just her life but also Manu. Manu on the other hand was too trusting and should have asked more questions of those around him, not just Inej because he was far too easily almost defeated because he was complacent. I wonder where this world will lead next and what kind of mischief Gita will get up to next, but I look forward to seeing more of the elves and their world in coming stories. Grant always manages to snare my attention and leave me dying for more so I don’t doubt that other reader will back me up in saying Mountain Fire was a fabulous ride.

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

ARC Review: Ethan (Ghost Ops #5)

Ethan (Ghost Ops #5)

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.

Ethan "Dragon" Snow has spent five years trying to forget the woman who got away. When Paisley Allen walks into Sutton's Creek as the new head librarian, he's stunned—and even more shocked when he meets her four-year-old daughter. He could be wrong, but does the little girl have his eyes?

Paisley fled Florida to escape her abusive husband, a disgraced former Hostile Operations Team soldier with a dangerous obsession. She’s found the perfect place to start a new life far from her ex—until she runs into a ghost from her past.

The last thing she wants is help from Ethan, the man who walked away without a word when she needed him most. But when her ex tracks them to Sutton's Creek, she has no choice.

Ethan isn't supposed to get involved. His cover, his team, his mission—everything depends on staying away from Paisley. But how can he walk away from the woman he never forgot and the daughter who might be his?

First, he'll have to convince Paisley to trust him—and prove he won't abandon her ever again. Because he finally has a chance to be the man he’s always wanted to be—and to claim the family that should have been his.

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating: 4.25 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

Who doesn’t love a good second chance love story, especially one where the villain that caused the separation of the lovers finally gets defeated? Well Lynn Raye Harris gives that too us in a big way in her fifth installment of the Ghost Ops series as Ethan learns the truth of his past and is reunited with the love of his life. I have been looking forward to this story, getting to learn what happened between Ethan and Paisley and hoping they would find their way back to love. As always these lovers have to go through a love of drama, both in their present and digging through their past hurts, in order to earn their HEA, but that only makes it so much richer when the eventually have their family, happiness, and safety. The series continues to amaze us as each of these solitary operators finds themselves learning more about their need for love and losing their hearts to women that not only keep butt, they offer the safe space they need to land when their jobs get crazy. I am dying for the finale of this series where Alex “Ghost” Bishop will be brought down by a woman, and I like so many others have a suspicion which woman it will be, and the team will finally finish their mission and decide what their futures will look like. Harris knows how to drag you right into the lives of her characters and leave you instead and rooting for the love and happiness of her heroes, but really she’s reminding us that we all just need to find that perfect match and sometimes fate puts them right into our path.

Ethan “Dragon” Snow never imagined that he would look across the room in small town Alabama and see the woman that shattered his heart years ago, but when Paisely Allen walks in with his friends’ women his life is immediately turned upside down—again. Paisely is just as stunned to see Ethan, but when he pretends they’ve never met she lies as well, even though he is the one that broke her heart which led to the darkest years of her life. She and her daughter are just finding some semblance of normality and safety and she fears that adding Ethan into the mix will just upend all of that. But the more time they spend in one another orbit, the more truths of their past come to light and soon both Ethan and Paisely are unable to deny their chemistry and connection has never lessened.  When Paisley and her daughter are suddenly facing danger, Ethan is determined to keep them safe and in his life, because the new life he is building with his girls is the most important thing to him, and no one will take his family away from him.

This story was a difficult one, learning all that Paisely was put through and the trauma of her past was painful to read for sure. Paisely has a strength that has been forged in the fires of hell, the years since she lost Ethan, trapped with a narcissistic, possibly sociopathic, now ex-husband that has more than once caused physical and emotional harm. She kept her inner light, even if it was dimmed by her ex, and when she is with her friends, her daughter Violet, or Ethan she is able to shine her light. She is smart and sassy and will stand up to a bully and refuses to continue to be a victim, but my favorite characteristic was that Paisely was forgiving. Ethan was such an idiot in the beginning,  pretending that Paisely was a stranger and being rude to her without even giving her a chance to speak, making me want to kick his butt. It wasn’t until he finally manned up and opened his ears to learn about their shared past, so they could both learn the truth of the end of their relationship that I started to like him again. He is brave, sweet, protective, and caring, especially with Violet—even before he learns the truth of her parentage. He is sexy and playful, reminding Paisely that there is more to a relationship that just work and danger, and of course his passions were easy to appreciate as he made up for lost time with the woman he lost.

Ethan’s story is one of miscommunication, second chances, and deceptions that remind us that some of the most dangerous people hide behind a perfectly unassuming mask. Paisely and Ethan trusted the wrong person and it changed the course of their lives, leaving them both suffering and picking up their lives instead of happy together. Now they have a chance to rewrite their story and together they will succeed only if they decide to have faith in one another. Paisely is a woman determined to turn the chapter on her story and start over for herself and her daughter, but offering her heart again was not in her plan, until she ran into Ethan again; now she has to decide if letting him back into her heart is the only way to go forward and have that happy next path in life or if it will be another mistake.  Ethan has no intention of settling down in Podunk Alabama like his buddies have, but is plans are FUBAR when Paisely walks into the bar one night and changes everything, bringing not just his heart back to life but giving him a chance at a family he never knew he’d lost and he will do whatever it takes to keep it. The passion between these two was a roller coaster ride, obviously they never stopped wanting one another so as soon as they got over their past fears and pain, it was unleashed in a big way. I cannot wait for Alex and once that series finale is done I know that whatever Ms. Harris send out into the world it’ll be just as amazing as this series spin-off has been. I never fail to enjoy myself when reading a Harris story and you can’t go wrong with a hot special ops alpha male losing his heart in a big way.

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

ARC Review: If You Were Mine (The Cage Family # 3)

If You Were Mine (The Cage Family # 3)

Carrie Ann Ryan

Blurb:

The last words I said to my best friend were “I trust you”. Then the world went dark, and I nearly lost everything.

While my best friend’s little sister lost even more.

I promised him that I’d take care of her—but if he knew my current thoughts when it came to Harper, he’d have never trusted me.

She’s too young for me. Too bright to my shadows. And too tempting.

Now I’m stuck in our small town, and I can’t escape her. I’d rather hide in my cabin, restoring what was once lost. Only Harper won’t let me.

I’ve already held onto more secrets than my family knows. I don’t know if I can keep what I feel about her secret too.

She sees beyond my scars and anger, and I know she hides her own just as tightly.

When one kiss changes everything, there’s no going back—even if it shatters everything in our wake.

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating: 4.5 stars

Heat Rating:  

Review:

Carrie Ann Ryan never fails to rip out your heart in order to set up her characters for a journey through the pain of loss and growth in order to heal and accept the love that they’ve been denying.  This latest edition in the Cage Family series is one that I have been looking forward to as much as I have been dreading it, knowing I’d be in tears as much as I would be falling in love.  Harper and Dorian’s story began years ago despite them both denying or hiding from their feelings but when horrible tragedy changes their lives forever, they both begin to accept that some things can never go back to the way they were before, and maybe they shouldn’t. I enjoyed every moment of their story and while I was terrified that they wouldn’t find a way through their pain and sadness to happiness, I hoped that with the support of their friends and family they could accept one another and the future they deserved.  Dorian’s life changed forever on the day that his best friend was lost, but he has worked hard to get his independence and freedom back and he is determined that hiding out in the small town his family owns wont force him to back slide.  Harper lost not just her brother, the only family she had left, that day but also the man that she’d always secretly loved, because Dorian has pushed her even further out of his life.  When he comes back to Cage Lake, she is determined show him that she will be there for him and that their friendship is worth fighting for, but when their friendship goes so much further, she wants to show him that her love could be something even greater.  Now Dorian and Harper have to find a way to prove to one another and everyone around them that their relationship is everything they both want and need and that being together is worth any challenge and overcoming their fears to find the love they were always meant to have.

If You Were Mine is one of those stories that it is hard to summarize and review because it truly does need to be experienced to understand the depth and greatness of the connections between these characters.  From the love between all the siblings, to the long-term friendships, depth of the love that develops between the H/h and even the twisted love between parents and children that have too long kept secrets.  Dorian is the perfect tortured hero, one that is not only physically hurt, but mentally and emotionally challenged and forced to heal as he grows and changes with the help and love of his girl.  It was beautiful to watch him find his balance not only with Harper and the love they shared, but also with his siblings when he finally let go of the secret, he’d been living with most of his life.  Harper was wonderful as well, having lived through so much in her young life, loss after loss, but never giving up on love and never letting those painful experiences turn her away from living her life to the fullest.  She knows that life is short and will do everything in her power to make sure that Dorian heals and give them a chance to find the love and happiness they both want and deserve.  The more we get to know these MANY Cage siblings the more I love the and look forward to getting to know them, so I cannot wait to find out who gets their story next and what they will have to go through to find their heaven.  Ms. Ryan will surely take us all on a wild ride and we will all be lined up for it.

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

ARC Review: Falling for Violet

Falling for Violet

Katie Reus

Blurb:

It was supposed to be a simple favor…

Plan the perfect wedding for her best friend. Then enjoy margaritas by the pool once her bestie is off on her honeymoon. Easy, right? Wrong. Violet has planned hundreds of weddings, but something weird is going on with her best friend’s wedding. Plus her best friend’s younger brother is back home from his deployment overseas, and she’s seeing him in a whole new light. To her surprise, he’s looking at her in a whole new way too—like she’s cake and he wants seconds…and maybe thirds. Worse than that, she wants him too.

She never expected to fall for her best friend’s brother…

Tripp has wanted his older sister’s best friend for longer than he wants to think about. Now that they’re working closely together on his sister’s wedding—and he’s permanently back in the country—he’s making his move. Or that’s the plan, but then a flock of flamingos are released at the rehearsal dinner, and the bride disappears with an apparent case of cold feet. Now they’re all on damage control. If he’s ever going to claim the woman of his dreams, he’s got to help her salvage this wedding and prove that he’s not her best friend’s annoying younger brother anymore. He’s all grown up and ready to stake his claim.

Themes:  novella, Contemporary

Rating: 3.75 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

 I always love with Katie slips one of these little teasers to us to fill in the gaps until we get another Redemption Harbor story because we get teasers of the characters and sometimes crossovers.   In this story we get to see Bradford and his wife as well as hearing a few other familiar names, but the main characters are two childhood friends that finally have their time as adults.  Violet is a Wedding Planner extraordinaire whose best friend is getting married so she’s the maid of honor instead of working, but she kind of is anyway.  Tripp is the brother of the bride, and he has changed a lot in the six years since she saw him last, and Violet is feeling all kinds of feelings she shouldn’t be feeling for her best friend’s little brother.  Tripp has grown up into a warrior, but he never stopped wanting Violet and he is determined to seduce her into a relationship at his sister’s wedding. When weird occurrences start happening with wedding events which could cause mayhem, Violet and Tripp team up to make sure the bride and groom never realize someone is trying to sabotage their big day and the more time they spend together the more they both realize the desire is mutual and hard to resist. Once the wedding is over will they stick together or will Violet run from Tripp faster than an ice sculpture melts in the Louisiana heat? I loved every minute of this cute story of two long-time acquaintances finally opening their eyes to one another and getting their chance at love.  Tripp and Violet were both great characters, funny, smart, and dedicated to their shared goal of making the wedding happen, but when they were together you could see the sparks flying.  I would have loved to see their story be a full-length novel, but alas, I will make do and just hope to see move of them in future stories.  If you enjoy a sweet, spicy, and funny read that will keep you entertained for a few hours, you can’t go wrong Falling for Violet right alongside Tripp in this novella release by Katie Reus.

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

ARC Review: Caught in a Storm (Perfect Storm #3)

Caught in a Storm (Perfect Storm #3)

Mari Carr

Blurb:

In the storm of life, some passions can’t be tamed.

Mila has spent her life working on Stormy Weather Farm, alongside her fiercely loyal, slightly eccentric family. The Storms believe in hard work, the importance of tradition, and—most of all—love at first touch. It’s a family legend, passed down like a vintage bottle of when you touch the one meant for you, you’ll just know.

Mila always thought it was just a romantic notion… until Boone.

A rugged, brooding single father with a past that still smolders, Boone has one giving his twelve-year-old daughter a stable, quiet life. Love? He’s been there, done that, burned the T-shirt. Or so he thinks…until Mila.

She’s all sunshine and cinnamon, and she makes Boone ache with cravings he thought were long dead. Every time she blushes, every time she touches him by accident, the tension coils tighter.

Soon, late-night harvests turn into stolen glances, and shared glasses of wine become heated whispers in the dark. But love is risky business, and Boone’s heart isn’t the only thing on the line—his daughter’s trust, and Mila’s future, hang in the balance.

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating: 4.25 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

One always wonders what an author will do with a character like Mila that has been pigeonholed into a role in not only her family but her entire life—a role that she isn’t necessarily happy or fulfilled living. Sometimes it can lead to very tragic circumstances and others to very crazy changes for a character, but for Mila our Queen of Romance took just the right direction by bringing Boone and his daughter into her life to teach her what she needed to change and what was missing for her. Mari Carr never lets us down when she takes us on an adventure be it bringing together three disparate personalities to find love, or just simply two stubborn people that have to overcome their own personal hang-ups to find a way to build a future together. I fell in love with this story from the very first meeting between Boone and Mila and wasn’t able to put it down until the very last word and I am dying to find out what comes next for these Storms and the craziness that never seems far from their love lives.

Mila Storm has always been the dutiful good girl, working on the family farm in whatever role is needed at any given time, but when she suddenly finds herself falling through the air and landing in the lap of the new vineyard manager her life changes forever. Boone Hansen arrived with his daughter on Stormy Weather Farm hoping for a fresh start for them, but when the first person he sees is a gorgeous younger woman falling from a ladder his heart almost stops.  Saving her with his own body as a crash pad causes all kinds of reactions for both of them, but he isn’t a relationship kind of guy and Mila has forever written all over face, so he pushes her away—hard. But the more time Mila spends with his daughter and around him the more he wants her until finally he can no longer deny the need and soon, they find themselves having an affair that terrifies him but fulfills something in Mila she never thought she’d find.  But when Boone’s past comes back to try to separate them, they have to decide if what they have is worth devoting their time to building a future for, or if they will walk away from a love neither of them ever imagined they could find.

I cannot express my love for these two characters enough; Mila is the perfect family member that I would have LOVED to known, the best sister, niece, friend, and just all-around human being.  While she is the kind of person to always jump in when someone needs help, she never forgets when there is something special happening and always goes the extra mile to make you feel loved. She is caring, smart, sassy, knows what she wants (even if she has trouble expressing it), and is determined to show those she loves that they matter to her.  She is also a crafty businesswoman, ingenious when she is making plans, and dedicated when she wants something.  While what she wants out of life might not seem like BIG things to a lot of people, she works hard to get what she wants and never fails to reach for her happiness even if she gets hurt in the end.  Not going to lie Boone was a bit of a twat in the beginning, knowing that he was breaking Mila’s heart by denying their attraction simply because he was too afraid to try a relationship again after the disaster of his first wife (and boy-howdy she was a piece of work), but when he finally pulled his head out, I liked him.  He is strong, loving, masterful, carting, nurturing, and gives credit when due but he is definitely a true alpha, no denying that. I would love to see him with even more daughters making him crazy, maybe learning that you can’t always win and argument with “because I said so”.

As a reader we always love to feel like we are along for the ride as the H/h are getting to know one another and finding love, and I definitely felt like I was Caught in a Storm, right alongside Boone and Mila. Mari Carr takes us back to the mountains of VA and lets us experiences a beautiful winter filled with weather issues, all of the teenage angst of a “new girl” situation, and of course all the craziness of lust and love denied and accepted.  Mila Storm is beginning to question her life as a sweet Storm girl more and more when she lands in the arms of the mans of her dreams, only to find herself soundly rejected, but soon her heart is invested in the Hansens, and she has to decide if she will fight for the man she can’t live without.  Boone Hansen is determined to live out his life with no more attachments, burned badly by his first wife, but Mila challenges every desire and need he’s ever felt and the more time he spends with her and her family, the more he wants her in his life and his bed.  When he finally gives in and takes her into his heart, Boone has to convince her that he will fight for them every step of the way and nothing and no one will ever tear them apart, or he could lose his only real chance at a happy ever after.  I loved the heat and passion of the lightning strike between these two, but even more I was warmed by the slow burning fire they nurtured as they built a friendship and then love that will support them for all their years. I am very much looking forward to the next story in the series because I just bet Maverick’s story of woe and heartbreak that has been kicking him for years is going to be a doozie. Carr strikes gold again.

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

ARC Review: Fighting for Hope (Redemption Harbor Security #7)

Fighting for Hope (Redemption Harbor Security #7)

Katie Reus

Blurb:

He never expected someone like her…

Redemption Harbor security expert Bradford never thought he would fall in love, until Hope blew up his world. But after their wedding in Vegas, she disappeared—and he was shipped out to places unknown. He still doesn’t know why she ran, and he’s learned to live with that. The one thing he can’t accept is living without her. So when he discovers she’s in danger, he won’t be walking away this time.

Now he’s ready to burn down the world to keep her safe.

Investigative journalist Hope has never gotten over Bradford. But no matter how much she loves him, it never would have worked. She doesn’t know how to love herself, let alone someone else—and he deserves someone who can give him everything. Only now that a dangerous enemy is gunning for her, she can’t trust anyone except Bradford. As they race to stay alive and uncover the truth, she finds herself struggling to protect her heart against the biggest threat of all: her estranged husband.

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating:  4.25 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

Bradford and Hope have been on our minds ever since he started hinting that he had a woman that plagued his mind when the others would tease him about other women in the past novels. Finally we get to hear the full story and see what happened to these two lovers that were obviously meant to be together and just couldn’t get on the same page for far too long. Katie Reus’s ability to portray rich characters, crazy complicated plots, and deadly action never ceases to amaze and enamor readers with each new installment in her Redemption Harbor series. This latest novel takes us to a small town where two lovers that never really severed ties are finally given a chance to be there for one another and not only solve the mystery of their own love life but bring down a ring of dangerous criminals that have working in the shadows for far too long. Bradford, Rowan, Berlin and the rest of the RH crew are in for a seriously crazy adventure and readers will enjoy each action packed mission as they let their crazy out just that little bit more to bring down the bastards out to end Hope’s life and Bradford’s chances at happiness.

Bradford once offered his heart to Hope Berkley, knowing she wasn’t the type of woman to stick around, but unable to deny to himself that she owned his soul. After a brief weekend in Vegas, Hope left him behind but neither of them ever filed for divorce, and when her father dies there is nowhere he would be then right there at her side. Hope never imagined she’d have Bradford at her side again, but not only is she grateful for his support, but things are getting strange in her small hometown. There are dangerous men threatening her, and masked me have broken into her father’s house, and now that the Redemption Harbor team is in town Bradford is determined to find out what is going on. The deeper the team digs, forcing Hope to spend more time with the only man who’s ever come close to stealing her heart, the stranger things get for them all. Hope and the team have to figure things out before their enemies succeed in killing her and definitely before she loses her heart, but maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to finally claim the husband that is rightfully hers. Bradford is through walking away and will do whatever is takes to keep Hope safe and in his life, because he will spend the rest of his life Fighting for Hope.

I loved reading this novel, finally getting to learn more about Bradford and to meet Hope. Hope seems like the kind of woman that has spent all of her life running from forming personal attachments and presenting a no fear persona in her work. Sometimes our formative years, watching how our parents interact not only with one another but with others truly does shape us in ways we never really realize as we grow. Hope’s father certainly led her to have little to no faith in men and fear deepening on or deeply caring for anyone, because doing so would certainly lead to them leaving in one way or another. But she’d never really met a man like Bradford and now she has come to understand the difference that having an honorable, brave, loving person in your life can truly make. She is smart, sweet, sassy, brave, and willing to stand up for the little guy even at the expense of her own safety so really what’s not to like about Hope. Bradford was one of my favorite heroes, one of those guys that knows when to give his woman space and when to show up and save the day, even if he has to be a little bit overbearing to do so. It was obvious that he loved her from the beginning, but knowing that she wasn’t ready to fully commit he let her go and just waited until she needed him to restake his claim on her heart. His ability to rush in, kick ass, protect his girl, and still crack jokes made me smile and kinda wish I was Hope, but my favorite was the way that he cared for all the women in his life, being their sounding board and friend, even encouraging their own fun brands of crazy. What a great guy he would be to have in your corner, even if you couldn’t have him in your bed.

Reading Fighting for Hope was a thrill ride filled with laughter, tears, action, and love as a team of crazy friends and found family come to town to help one of their own find out what the hell is going on in her small town after the death of her father, even as the man that stole her heart reclaims it once and for all.  Hope ran from Bradford years ago after marrying him, thinking she’d made a mistake, but never finding the courage to undo it, and now with the death of her father and strange men threatening her, she needs him more than ever. Bradford never gave up loving and wanting Hope, but now is his chance to prove to her that he is the man to be by her side through all of life’s challenges, and he is willing to do anything to keep her safe and solve this mystery. The Redemption Harbor team is right there with them as they blow shit up, bring down corruption, and make sure that no slimy bastards hide from their investigations, but Bradford just wants to keep Hope safe while showing her the love that he’s always felt for her. The heat between these two is there from the very first word of the prologue until they walk off the pages together hand in hand, but once they both accept that they should never have given up on their relationship those sparks become so much more. I loved every moment of this crazy ride and I cannot wait to find out where Katie might take us next with this group of found family and their crazy adventures.

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

ARC Review: Last Chance Seduction (Montgomery Ink Legacy Book #9)

Last Chance Seduction (Montgomery Ink Legacy Book #9)

Carrie Ann Ryan

Blurb:

The last time I saw Lexington Montgomery; he held my sister in his arms as my fiancé left me at the altar.

Neither one of us knew it would be two years until we saw each other again. Or that it would be the last time my sister was part of our core group.

Grieving, I’m back in Colorado trying to start over. I have no family and have no intention of dating ever again.

Only fate has other plans because Lexington Montgomery is my new neighbor.

I want to stay away from him, but there’s no chance of that now. Especially when his ex shows up to rub her new husband—and the chance at his dream job—in his face.

I didn’t mean to do it, but now I’m Lex’s fake girlfriend over the holidays and there’s nothing fake about the attraction between us.

Except once we finally give in, it turns out the past I ran from wasn’t so far away after all. And the dangers we never saw coming might end what we have—fake or not—before we even have a chance.

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating: 4 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

I have never met an author more skilled at tearing out our hearts just to remind us how important love and taking the time with our loved one is—Carrie Ann Ryan is truly the Queen. For those of us that have been around since the OG Montgomery’s were leaving us in tears you’ll be just as thrilled as I was to get to see Eliza Wilder-Montgomery and Beckett Montgomery’s son Lexington finally find the love of his life, and in some that has been in front of him all along.  This is one of those stories that opens our hearts and yes to the possibilities that we have ignored or overlooked for far to long, so that we remember that love is sometimes meant to be and easy path and for others we have to live through trauma and pain in order to appreciate the beauty and magic that love brings to our lives. As always Carrie gives us a sneak peak for the upcoming story and I have to say that just seeing that little bit that is coming for poor Brooklyn I almost dread her story because I know the pain will be close to unbearable to experience right along with her before she heals enough o find love again.  The capacity of the human heart for healing and expanding to allow room for second chance at love never ceases to amaze me, and Carrie is truly one of the few that understands that and can express it through her writing.

Mercy Caddel has lived through the worst two years of her life and she has finally returned to Colorado, hoping to finish healing and reestablish herself in her home state, but her haven is being disturbed by the construction happening on the house next door. She is thrown for another loop when she discovers her new neighbor is none other than Lexington ‘Lex’ Montgomery, someone she once trusted beyond most others, but who was there on one of the worst days of her life. Lex is even more surprised than Mercy but he has missed her immensely and is glad she is back even though she is giving him the cold shoulder—at least until they suddenly find themselves in a fake relationship. Now they are spending time together and the friendship they once shared is flaring into a passion neither of them anticipated, but can their new chemistry and connection withstand the lie their relationship began with, or will their rocky foundation crumble when danger comes knocking?

I am always a major fan of the ever popular friends-to-lovers trope and when you add in the fake-relationship bit things are bound to heat up quickly. Lex has always had a thing for Mercy and now with nothing standing in his way he quickly finds that she is everything he wants him a lover. Lex is the perfect example of a Montgomery, even if he was adopted; he’s strong, sweet, caring, stubborn, and often says the first stupid thing that comes out of his mouth and gets himself into trouble. He has dedicated himself to his family and their business his entire adult life, never having much real luck in love, but when he has the chance with Mercy he goes all in, even if he does make a dumb mistake, in the end he truly almost gives his all for her. I just loved watching him lose his head and heart to his old friend and finding out that sometimes the lover we were meant to be with truly is the girl next door. Mercy is leery of men for obvious reasons, having been left at the altar by the last man she dated, but when she finds herself accidentally putting them into a fake relationship she soon realizes that Lex is the kind of man she wants in her life and begins to trust again. She is smart, sassy, hardworking, passionate, and determined to move forward in life even knowing that she has lost so much. I loved seeing her accept the love that Eliza offered her so easily, knowing she needed family more than anything, because she needed to be folded into the Montgomery “cult” badly after all she’d been through.

Dating in this world can sometimes leave a person jaded, and with all these two went through it truly could have been their last chances, but they found in one another the missing pieces of their hearts and healed from all their breaks. Mercy went through the most heartbreaking day of her life, being left at the altar then almost losing her sister, but since that day she has lived through two years that could break any persons heart. She is trying to live again and having Lex and the Montgomerys in her life might just be the very thing she needs to remind her that having love is all we need in this life to keep moving forward. Lex has had his share of disastrous romances and when Mercy forces them into a fake relationship he never imagines just how real it would become, but there is no denying the woman owns him heart and soul. He knows that the woman that he almost lost is the only one he’ll ever want again, but if he isn’t careful he just might lose her again and he refuses to give her up this time—to anyone or anything. I loved watching these two fumble their way through their fake feelings and ultimately finding the passion too much to hide anymore until the fire burned the walls down between them. Their love and connection are obvious to everyone but them from the beginning and it was fun to see their friends and family teasing them as they found their way through to one another. I am looking forward to seeing more of them in future stories. Brooklyn’s story is coming next and I am truly not sure I’m ready for the pain (Kiss Me Forever), but I know that Ms. Ryan will give her an HEA in the end, even if we have to cry buckets to get there.  For now, I will bask in the heat and beauty that was Last Chance Seduction and the love of two people that were truly meant to be.

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