Saturday, April 28, 2018

Review: Baby, I'm Howling for You (Alphaville #1)

Baby, I'm Howling for You (Alphaville #1)

by Christine Warren

Blurb:
WELCOME TO ALPHAVILLE, where the she-wolves and alpha-males play. . .for keeps.
Renny Landry is a wolf on the run. Pursued by a shapeshifting stalker and his slobbering pack of killer coyotes, she is forced to flee her job as a librarian to find sanctuary in the wooded hills of Alpha, Washington. A well-secluded safe space for troubled shifters, Alpha is Renny’s last hope. But the first person she meets there is a gorgeous alpha male with fiery eyes, fierce tattoos, and one ferocious appetite—for her…
Mick Fischer thought he left his past behind when he moved to Alpha. But fate has a way of biting him in the tail when a female wolf shows up on his property. Wounded, desperate—and disarmingly hot—Renny brings out the snarling, protective alpha beast in Mick like no other woman he’s known. Can these two haunted, hunted wolves manage to mate for life…even as the deadliest past demons howl at their heels?
Themes:  Paranormal, Shifters
Rating: 3.75 stars
Heat Rating: 
Review:
I love it when a new series begins by a favorite author and you find out that while it’s new you get to see some familiar characters and the world they live in isn’t really all that unfamiliar to you.  That was the case with this new series by Christine Warren, the author of one of my favorite series, The Others, and when I picked up the prequel story (Something to Howl About) I returned to a world I felt comfortable in.  The first full length novel takes us through the journey of two characters that have lived through some seriously bad shit in recent years, but now have a chance to come together and offer one another healing and a chance for a future.  Renny is running for her life when she stumbles into Mick’s backyard fully expecting to die, one way or another, but he comes to her rescue, never realizing how important she truly would be to his future.  Mick is hiding from his own past, having lost his mate, cleaned house on his own corrupt pack and run to Alphaville to live an isolated life as a lone wolf.  Once he sees Renny he knows she’s trouble, but he can’t in good conscience let a female bleed to death in his yard.  As Mick and the other badass protectors of Alphaville come together to get Renny out of her predicament, Mick becomes increasingly possessive and when he can’t resist a moment longer shows Renny how important she truly is to him.  Renny suddenly finds herself with an insanely possessive alpha wolf in her life and there’s no getting rid of him, not that she actually wants to, but as danger closes in she knows that she might have to sacrifice her life to keep her mate safe and she has no problem making that choice.  Mick and Renny’s story was packed with action, steamy as all get out, and full of fun plot twists keeping me engaged and enthralled through every page.  The heat between these two lovers was off the charts and when they finally gave into it I thought my kindle was going to catch fire.  Mick is a bit of an ass in the beginning, and even as he shows Renny how much he wants her, he doesn’t see how badly he is handling their new and intense relationship for most of the story.  Thankfully Renny is plenty sassy and she-wolf enough to show her man how he is screwing up and get him back on the right track.  I loved how strong she was, even in moments of intense vulnerability and need, she always made sure that the alpha personalities in the room didn’t disregard her opinions or treat her as if she didn’t have a say—girl power! I am really looking forward to the next story in the series which as I understand it is Renny’s friend Molly’s love story and I know that lioness is going to be kickass as she finds her mate.  Another amazing series in the works for sure and I am dying waiting for the next release.  Thanks Christine for your amazing imagination and for sharing it with us romance nuts.
*ebook provided by publisher (via netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Sunday, April 22, 2018

Review: On the Plus Side (A Perfect Fit #2)

On the Plus Side (A Perfect Fit #2)

by Alison Bliss 

Blurb:
Big girls don't cry. They go after what they want.
Thanks to her bangin' curves, Valerie Carmichael has always turned heads-with the exception of seriously sexy Logan Mathis. Just Valerie's luck that the object of her lust-filled affection is also best friends with her overprotective brother. But Valerie's determined to get Logan's attention . . . even if it means telling a teeny little lie to get a job at his new bar.
Logan can't remember a time when Valerie didn't secretly fuel all his hottest fantasies. Now the curvaceous she-devil is working behind his bar, tempting him every damn night. It's only when he finds Valerie's naughty things-to-do list that Logan decides to break every rule in the book-by making each red-hot deed a reality.
No one warned them that they were going to fall this hard. And no one warned them that sometimes the smallest secrets can have the biggest consequences.
Themes: Contemporary
Rating: 3.75 stars
Heat Rating: 
Review:
I am enjoying the series that focuses not on the fact that big girls can find love too, but on the fact that anyone can find love and big girls are just like everyone else.  Valerie has lusted after her brother's best friend forever and when she finds herself in his new bar on opening night she never imagined the way her life would change.  Logan has rushed the opening of his new bar in the hometown he never thought he’d return to, in order to help his mother dig herself out of a financial disaster his deadbeat father put her in.  When  Logan is forced to accept Valerie’s offer for help after a series of screw-ups on opening night, he knows his life is going to go downhill quickly, because he has been trying to resist the  sexy allure of his best friend's little sister for years.  I enjoyed this story very much, even as there were some tears and some moments I wanted to punch Valerie for keeping secrets that could destroy not only their tenuous new relationship but also everything Logan had accomplished. Logan was a really good guy, obviously devoted to the women in his life and determined to do all he could for his family and Valerie. I enjoyed seeing how sweet and sexy he was as he worked to fulfill all the fantasies he thought Valerie had and of course worked to make her his once he accepted that she was meant to be his. Valerie has a personality that I wish I could takes parts of for myself, her confidence, sassiness and spunk made her a great friend and, while it sometimes got her in trouble, her heart was always in the right place.  They had a lot of problems to deal with through this story, but Valerie and Logan were obviously meant to be together and when they finally got their HEA after so many years of  denying their feelings I was thrilled for them.  I can’t wait for the next story in this series and I find I am enjoying each story more and more as I get to know the characters and come to appreciate the authors writing style.  Being a big girl, maybe not as big as I once was but still considered plus sized, I feel a kinship with these women and this series gives me hope that someday my prince will come, even if he’s a badass bar owner or construction worker! 
*ebook provided by publisher (via netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Sunday, April 15, 2018

Review: Heat (Dark Kings #12)

Heat (Dark Kings #12)

by Donna Grant

Blurb:

Nikolai is a dragon shapeshifter who knows well the meaning of loss. Orphaned and raised to be a Dragon King, he never accepts defeat. Now, Nikolai prefers his solitude . . .until a beautiful, irresistible woman calls upon him for help—and Nikola’s whole word goes up in flames.
Ever since MI5 agent Esther woke to discover her mind taken over with magic, she feels like stranger to herself. She looks to a notorious dragon, one who has the power to help her find her memory. But as she and Nikolai come closer to discovering what really happened to her, a dangerous passion ignites between them. Can this lone Dragon King help the woman he’s grown to love to uncover the truth about her past—or will a deep and fiery danger tear them both apart?


Themes: Paranormal, Dragon-Shifters
Rating: 4.25 stars
Heat Rating:  
Review:
The longer this series runs the more interesting it gets and the more the characters continue to amaze me.  If you are a longtime reader of Ms. Grant’s work you know what I mean when I say, I cannot follow who is the villain anymore! I love reading all Donna’s work, but I admit I am kinda partial to these seriously sexy sort-of Scottish guys that can turn into huge fire breathing dragons.  While this series began with a clear direction and made readers think they knew right away who the bad guys were as the story has continued and evolved over the years, there have been revelations and spin-off series that are closely related and lead readers into different directions.  Nikolai and Esther’s story was a major turning point in the series I think and I am looking forward to seeing where the overall storyline takes us in the end.  Nikolai is determined to help Esther uncover the memories that were stolen from her by a mage working against the Kings and, while he lusts after her intensely, he doesn’t believe he is the type of dragon to take a mate.  Esther is willing to take help from anyone to try to get back to her true self, but the delicious Nikolai certainly seems the best option.  He pulls her like no other and there is no denying that she would love to be able to spend nights in his arms while they work to find a way to recover her lost time.  Sadly they soon find themselves in deeper than either ever imagined they could be, not just in their relationship but also in the danger that stalks them. Nikolai was a very interesting male, his special power making him all the more coveted among the dragons and even more crucial to winning against their enemies and protecting mankind. His alpha personality doesn’t keep him from being seriously sweet to Esther though and showing her every moment how important she is to him, and not just as an ally to the Kings.  I loved seeing him transform from the sensual and calm artist to the dangerous and deadly warrior in the blink of an eye when anyone dared to threaten his woman. Even when her world begins to fall apart around her he is there to give her everything she needs.  My favorite of his traits though was his devotion to his friends, even Ulrik, and his determination to prove that while his friend has done some shady things over the millennia he is still the same essentially good man.  Esther was just the type of woman I love to read about, soft on the inside and squishy when it comes to her man, but a seriously kickass woman on the outside who is not afraid to do whatever is needed to get the job done. Her strength and resiliency made her one of the best heroines of the series and I felt she was perfectly matched to the calm but deadly Nikolai.  I felt the passion between Nikolai and Esther from the very beginning, but it was always tempered with the emotions that they were already beginning to feel for one another.  Overall this was one of my favorite stories in the last few of the series and I can say for sure there were some MAJOR leaps in the overall storyline that lead me to think we are going to have some resolutions to a few questions soon.  Of course we still have no more hints on who Rhi’s dragon King is, but I keep hoping for a subtle hint.  For any reader that loves some action and a paranormal bent on their romance you can never go wrong with a Donna Grant novel and Heat lives up to that standard, no question.  Keep the magic coming, Donna!
*ebook provided by publisher (via netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Saturday, April 7, 2018

ARC Review: Ruff Around the Edges (The Dogfather #5)

Ruff Around the Edges (The Dogfather #5)

by Roxanne St. Claire 

Blurb:
U.S Army Night Stalker Major Aidan Kilcannon leaves Afghanistan after his best friend, Charlie, is killed in action. Aidan's only consolation is the knowledge that he's now solely responsible for Charlie's dog, Ruff, a rambunctious boxer they'd found in a bombed-out hospital in Kabul. With the help of Aidan's father, the Dogfather himself, they transport Ruff back to the States. He arrives shortly after Aidan, and both dog and man are suffering from loss, trauma, and sudden change. Aidan is certain his only hope is the comfort and love he gets from Ruff, and that this dog will help him adjust to the staggeringly difficult transition from battlefield to Bitter Bark.
But the day Ruff arrives, Daniel Kilcannon informs his son that Rebecca Spencer, Charlie's younger sister, has a hard and fast claim on Ruff and she intends to honor her brother's wishes. Aidan has to relinquish the dog to her, no matter how impossible that is.
Beck Spencer is in Bitter Bark temporarily to help the only living relatives she has left. After losing her parents as a child, and her brother six months ago, she, too, hopes that Ruff will offer the solace and companionship she needs. But when Ruff finally shows up at her door, the man holding the leash is obviously determined to talk her out of keeping the dog. In fact, Aidan uses every persuasive power he has to convince Beck to give up Ruff...and he's as wild and unpredictable as the dog they both want.
Everything gets complicated by Ruff, who has his own idea of who should be his master, making it impossible for Beck to win him over. But she'll do anything to succeed, even work closely with maddeningly sexy and relentlessly determined Aidan Kilcannon, who has some skills she desperately needs to save her uncle's local pizza business.
With an uneasy truce, a restless dog, and an attraction that bubbles like one of Slice of Heaven's award-winning pizzas, Aidan and Beck soon realize they can help each other heal. But as they fall deeply in love and discover the true meaning of family and home, they’ll have to face the pains of their past if they have any chance of a future.
Themes: Contemporary, Tear-Jerker alert
Rating: 4.75 stars
Heat Rating: 
Review:
Every time I think that this author has broken my heart in every way she possibly could, she finds a new way to show me that I’m wrong, in only the best ways of course.  I love everything that Rocki writes, but her newest series revolves around family, loss, healing and the power of love, not to mention the great impact any member of the dog world can have on a person.  I have enjoyed each of these stories more and more and greatly anticipated reading Aidan's story from the first time I met him, and though there were tears from the beginning to the end, we were not left feeling sad in the end.  The love between Aidan and Beck is obvious and the love they both shared for Charlie and by extension his dog Ruff, was powerful.   As they come together to find a way to honor Charlie’s last wishes you can see that the fire and passion between them pales in comparison to the gentle love between two people meant for one another. While I know the original series is coming to an end soon, since the Dogfather has paired off all but one of his children, as I understand it there is a spin-off/continuation of the series coming involving the family cousins, which will allow us to enjoy this family’s antics and the craziness of the small town they claim as their own.  If you’ve never experienced the greatness of a St. Claire novel, while I can say I feel bad for you, I insist you run out right now and grab Aidan and Beck's story (along with the rest of the series) and get to work enjoying every second of it.  I cannot wait for the rest of this series and whatever project pops into Rocki's head next because I have no doubts in my mind anymore that I will enjoy every second of it.
Aidan has been dealt the one of the worst losses a warrior can, the loss of a brother-in-arms—one who has been his best friend for more than a decade—and watching Charlie die has left him at lose ends.  The only thing he knows is that he is determined to fulfill his last promise to his best friend, taking Charlie’s dog Ruff out of the hellhole of Afghanistan back to their hometown in Virginia where he can have an easy life on Aidan's family’s amazing property.  With the help of his father, Aidan accomplishes getting Ruff home, but that’s where the complications begin.  Charlie’s sister, Beck, also claims that Charlie left Ruff to her and she is just as determined to have that final piece of her brother living with her, despite Ruff’s immediate dislike of her and her Aunt's intense dislike of dogs.  Beck has left her business and home in the city to try to help her Aunt and Uncle after he has a stroke and while they deal with the loss of her brother, but keeping their family pizza restaurant afloat and getting her uncle to come back to the business is more challenging than she ever imagined.  When Aidan and Beck decide to team up to try to save the business and get her uncle back in shape, they slowly begin to recognize that their feelings aren’t going away and there might not be any denying that they are more than simply just attracted to one another.  But when disaster strikes and they are forced to realize that some things are more important than winning and losing, Beck and Aidan have to decide if what they have built together can stand the test of time or if they are too different to come together for a happily ever after.
I loved finally getting to know Aidan more and seeing him grow through the course of this novel, because, as he found a way to deal with his losses and come to terms with what he truly wanted out of his life, he grew into a truly amazing man.  He is obviously a sexy alpha male, many years spent as a warrior and a hero, but inside he is still reeling from the death of his mother and trying to understand how his siblings and father are each dealing with it as well.  The saying that everyone handles grief in their own way was never more surely demonstrated than with this amazing family and seeing Aidan finally accept that was wonderful.  It was also fun to watch him as he tried to understand why he was so attracted to his best friend's little sister, his perceived adversary as he tried to sabotage her and get Ruff back with him.  There were some serious moments, of course, as these two fell in love and began to work through their doubts and fears, so overall this story was truly and emotional roller-coaster for Aidan, Beck and the reader! Meeting Rebecca, Beck to her friends and family, was a treat, even if at first she is portrayed as a bit of a ditzy person with a selfish streak.  As we get more and more of her back story you come to see how truly insecure she is and that she has so many issues to work through before she will ever be able to accept the love that Aidan is offering her.  Even as she gets closer and closer to Aidan, she resists every step of the way, thinking she will leave in the end before he does and it was heartbreaking to see her unwilling to open herself to the love that Aidan was so willing to offer her.  She has lost a lot in her short life to be sure, but by giving up she is just going to end up with fewer people in her life and in the end a life not truly lived.
As always, when you reach the end of a Roxanne St. Claire story you have to force yourself to wipe off the tears, both happy and sad and remind yourself that you haven’t just lived this story with friends.  Her ability to suck you into her stories and make you feel like you are right there living the story with them is being amazing and I can truly say I wish I had her ability.  Aidan and Beck's story was no exception and I know I will be going back to it again and again.  Aidan was the perfect tortured hero, with loses to overcome and an inner strength that shines through even as he has his moments of selfish desire and makes bad choices.  Beck begins the story as the type of character that many of us love to hate, that woman that is determined to simply do her family duty and then get back to her own perfectly separate and all planned out life.  Luckily she comes to understand that while she might have been able to separate herself temporarily from her past, she is now right where she belongs, which includes being with Aidan.  The heat between Aidan and Beck begins with their arguments over custody of Ruff, but the more time they spend together the more we get to see that fire lead into interesting and very physical manifestations.  I loved every second of this story and truly wish it had been even longer so I could have enjoyed it for a second day. I am also looking forward to the next story in the series where we will finally get to see the wandering Darcy find her mate and I hear rumors of a possible match for the Dogfather himself, which many might have mixed feelings about, but I have no doubt true Rocki fans will enjoy immensely.  Keeping the magic alive Rocki!
*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Sunday, April 1, 2018

Review: A Devil in Scotland (No Ordinary Hero #3)

A Devil in Scotland (No Ordinary Hero #3)

by Suzanne Enoch

Blurb:
The dawning of desire...
1806, Scotland: Wild, reckless Callum MacCreath is in no hurry to become someone’s husband. But when his responsible, steady older brother Ian announces his engagement to their childhood friend Rebecca, Callum makes a startling discovery: he wants the lovely young lass for himself. But it’s too late, and when Ian banishes him for his duplicity, he’s only too happy to leave Scotland forever…
...is delicious and dangerous.
1816: Marrying Ian was the practical, logical thing for Becca to do. But once Callum sailed away to America, she missed his rakish charm and lust for life. Now, ten years later, Becca is a widow when a much-changed Callum returns to his Scottish homeland. Will he remember their spirited, fiery connection, or does he blame her for his brother’s unexpected death? This time neither of them can deny their scorching attraction, but will their hearts be burned in the blazing heat of scandal?
Themes: Historical, SCOTLAND
Rating: 4 stars
Heat Rating:  
Review:
We have all read a story synopsis that makes us a little leery about reading the book, wondering if we are really going to enjoy it, even if we know the author and trust their work immensely, and this was one of those stories for me.  Luckily Ms. Enoch came through for me with amazing aplomb. I enjoyed this story, the suspense and emotional drama were more than enough to make it worth every second of reading, but when you add in the unrequited love, intense chemistry, and familial responsibility that is being dealt with, the story goes from just OK, to being fantastic.  Callum has returned from a long separation from his family a new man, a man with a strong work ethic and the ability to lead, all traits he would never have developed had he not been forced to grow up so quickly.  The death of his brother has left him with only one thing on his mind, vengeance, and if he has to bring down the only woman he ever thought he loved to get it, consequences be damned, but almost immediately his goals are changed and he has to find a way to get justice without blowing up his new world.  Becca once made a practical decision, using her head instead of her heart, but she never imagined she would be widowed with so many responsibilities at such a young age.  Now she is faced with the furious brother of her late husband, the man that grew out of the boy she once loved with all her heart, and she has to decide if she wants to throw her lot in with him or turn to the only other men in her life, men she has always trusted and believed in.  As they are forced to work together to uncover the truth around Ian’s death Becca and Callum cannot deny the passion that flares between them, but neither believe there can be more, until suddenly they cannot deny it a moment more.  It might be too late to change the past, but they have a future that is unwritten and only they can decide what will go on those pages, if they are still alive to write them. I LOVED this story even as there were moments I really wanted to smack Callum for his callousness and ruthlessness.  Callum was a man I could believe perfectly growing from the guilty boy that was forced from his home after a terrible decision.  I found him interesting, strong, stubborn, dangerous, and sexy as hell, but when he is around the women in his life (once he stops being an asshole to Becca) he is a giant teddy bear that offers them a protector but also a broad shoulder to cry on.  Becca was a little bit naïve in a lot of ways, but thankfully once the evidence was presented to her, came to understand that not everything is as it seems in her little world.  She is obviously smart, passionate, and loving, but in her own right I think she is a bold personality and the type of woman that is needed to balance the rougher edges of Callum’s personality. I loved seeing her go up against Callum in their passionate arguments and, of course, once she switched sides she was just as amazing going against their enemies with him.  The chemistry was obviously still there for these two even after so many years apart and the fact that they had both changed so much over those years, but honestly the moments when they are just together in peace were just as good as the sexy moments.  I was thrilled with the conclusion of this series and I look forward to seeing what comes next for Ms. Enoch and getting a chance to hopefully meet a whole new group of sexy Scots! Thanks for the amazing journey through the highlands with this Clan of crazy interesting characters.
*ebook provided by publisher (via netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.