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Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Review: All's Fair in Love and Wolf (Heart of the Wolf #25)

All's Fair in Love and Wolf (Heart of the Wolf #25)

by Terry Spear 

Blurb:
The Silver Town wolf pack has your back
Wolf shifter Sarandon Silver's in trouble with the law, and bounty hunter she-wolf Jenna St. James is determined to bring him in for trial.
Lucky for Sarandon, the entire Silver Town pack is ready to fight for his innocence. But until the case is solved, Jenna's sticking to Sarandon like glue...
Themes: Paranormal, Wolves
Rating: 3.75 stars
Heat Rating:
Review:
Another in a long line of fun and entertaining wolf stories kicks off with a bang as a sexy bounty hunting she-wolf hunts for a fugitive that she doesn’t realize is a naughty and sexy wolf shifter that will change her life forever.  We have waited a long time for the next Silver brother to find his mate, and I have been dying to see the fun-loving Sarandon meet his match.  Ironically this story introduces us to a whole new side of Sarandon and we get to see him serious for the first time even as he has fun with Jenna.  Sometimes a long running series like this can become tedious or even boring, but the way that Terry keeps all of her wolves unique and gives each their own little quirks makes reading her novels an engaging experience no matter how many stories I read.  Jenna St James is a bounty hunter in her family business and is hunting for Sarandon, or someone posing as him, but when she realizes he is a wolf like her she knows they have a problem on their hands. Sarandon has escaped to the wilds in order to relax and embrace his inner wolf, but when a sexy she-wolf arrives and tries to hold him at gunpoint, his world changes forever.  I loved seeing these two challenging each other and then working together to solve the crimes that he is accused of and that could definitely get their entire pack into some serious trouble.  Jenna is a strong woman, but giving love a second chance is something she never thought she would want again, even as she enjoys her time and begins to fall for Sarandon’s charms.  I liked her character and she was a laugh riot through most of the story, but to top it all off she was super smart and seriously kick ass.  Sarandon maintained his lighthearted and loving nature while showing us a serious side to himself that made me love him even more.  Together you could see they would be a great couple and that their love would keep their mating interesting and fun for their whole lives.  I can’t wait for the next story in the series and to see where Ms. Spear takes us next in her amazing world of wolves (and maybe another crossover to her jaguars too!).  
*ebook provided by publisher (via netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Sunday, May 27, 2018

Review: Collision Course (Body Shop Bad Boys #4)

Collision Course (Body Shop Bad Boys #4)

by Marie Harte

Blurb:
Ace mechanic Lou Cortez has always had a way with the ladies, so he can't understand why lovely florist Josephine -Joey- Reeves won't give him the time of day.
Joey knows all about mistakes. After getting pregnant at fifteen, she's spent the past nine years building a life for her and her son. This sexy mechanic is one misstep she's not going to make. But the more time she spends with Lou, the hotter things get. Soon Joey's left with a choice: keep things casual, or reveal all to Lou and hope he accepts her-and her son-for who they are.
Themes: Conteporary
Rating: 4.25 stars
Heat Rating: 

Review:
The long awaited finale has arrived as the final Bad boy in the body shop finds love with the woman who is his perfect match, even if he never realized she was exactly what he was looking for. This long running series is one that has been spun from and is a spin-off series itself as Marie Harte has intertwined her many series and characters to give her readers a truly unique experience if they follow all her writing. I have been a particular fan of this series, but who can resist seeing tattooed mechanics with dirty mouths and even dirtier minds.  Lou comes from a huge family of women, so he is no stranger to the female psyche and he knows just what he wants from the opposite sex, which is a no-strings fun time with a woman that will walk away just as freely when they end their relationship.  Joey has paid for a mistake she made at fifteen for a long time, though her son might be a mistake to others but he is her greatest joy and her greatest motivation to better her life.  When she meets Lou she knows he is trouble, but he is irresistible to her, and she soon finds herself giving in to the sexual pull she feels for him.  Lou is having a wonderful time with Joey, even though he feels differently about her from the beginning, and when he learns about the part of her life she has been keeping separate from him he begins to wonder if they can be together.  I loved seeing Lou lose his heart finally and come to terms with his own hang-ups with his past in order to find a way to open up to Joey and have a future.   I never imagined just how many fears he hid behind his bravado or how much responsibility he takes on his shoulders for his family.  Joey has her own bit of growing to do and when she finally decides she has paid enough for her “mistake”, the weight that has held her down so long is finally released, allowing for her to move on with her life and truly live it for the first time. Joey and Lou might not seem immediately made for one another but you see more and more that they truly are meant for each other, which is more important than any of their superficial expectations.   The heat these two generated could have caused an explosion that would have burned down the entire town, but luckily the underlying warmth of love was always there to allow the fires to be banked and sustained. While Lou was the last of the Body shop guys to fall, I think there might just be another spin off coming or at least some side characters that have been introduced that might  get their own stories and I am SERIOUSLY looking forward to that.  Thanks for another adventure in love, drama, and mayhem, Marie.
*ebook provided by publisher (via netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Sunday, May 20, 2018

Review: Guardian of Darkness (Darkness #7)

Guardian of Darkness (Darkness #7)

by Katie Reus

Blurb:
He saw her die in a vision…
Before five years ago, Gabriel had never met Vega, but he knows how she's going to die. He knows he'll be involved... unless he can make sure they never meet, never cross paths, so that his vision will never come true. So he left his pack behind, joined the Stavros pack and was determined to never let that future play out. To never meet her at all. Fate had other plans—and she walked right into his life when he least expected it. For the last five years he’s avoided Vega whenever possible even while trying to keep an eye on her. But when she gets cagey with her pack and disappears, he has no choice but to follow her. Now, circumstances are forcing them to work together and he’s determined to protect her against any threat. If that means dying for her, he’s more than willing to. But she doesn’t want his protection. If anything, she’s determined to prove she’s stronger than everyone thinks.
She’s writing her own future…
Vega isn’t the same moody teenager who came to live with the Stavros pack all those years ago. With college behind her, she’s been recruited by a division of the government’s supernatural Black Ops. Trained and more than ready for her first mission, she doesn’t expect Gabriel to crash her assignment. To save her cover, they pretend to be a couple. But soon lines are blurred and neither can deny the incendiary attraction between them. As they race to stop a man who wants to sell out their people to the highest bidder, they find themselves fighting for a future together. With time running out, she has no choice but to rely on the irresistible male who’s turned her world upside down. Unfortunately, in order to save the woman he loves, Gabriel has to give her up.
Themes: Paranormal, shifters, magic, etc! 
Rating: 4 stars
Heat Rating: 
Review:
Talk about coming full circle!
In the very first story in this series, Vega’s parents were reunited after many years being separated and she finally met her father, and now we get to see Vega find her forever mate in the one man that has held her entranced for half a decade.  While this series has evolved and changed, going through different shifter packs, the Stavros pack has been woven throughout the series beautifully and getting to return to the core of it to see Vega get her man was a fun and amazing experience.  Gabriel has been haunted by his attraction to Vega for a long time, ever since he looked at her and recognized her as a woman for the first time, but he is determined to keep the vision of her death from coming true.  He knows that if he embraces Vega as his mate he will have to watch her die, but more and more the passion between them is irresistible and when circumstances press the bond on them, he is going to do whatever it takes to keep her safe.   I loved seeing these two sparring with one another, fighting together against their enemies, and finding their connection building more swiftly than either of them ever imagined possible. The heat and fire in their relationship might have manifested in battles and arguing for a long time, but in the end that passionate nature turned into physical heat and ultimately a love that would burn for eternity.  I am dying to see what comes next for this pack and of course to meet the newest member of their pack when he arrives, but in the meantime I will look forward to it by rereading this amazing story to experience Gabriel and Vega’s love over and over again. Thank you for another amazing experience, Katie. 
*ebook provided by publisher (via netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

ARC Review: A Rancher's Song (Heart Falls #2)

A Rancher's Song (Heart Falls #2)

by Vivian Arend 

Blurb:
Ivy Field's heart nearly broke when she left Heart Falls, but her high school sweetheart insisted she follow-through on her dream of becoming a teacher. She thought that meant putting their relationship on hold briefly, but it's taken eleven years to return. Now she's back, no longer a painfully shy young girl but a confident woman who knows exactly what and who she wants--a home and a family--with too-sexy-for-his-boots Walker Stone. He was her first; she wants him to be her last.
Walker "Dynamite" Stone was still reeling from his parents' unexpected deaths when Ivy left. He let her go, throwing himself into work on the Silver Stone ranch and dangerous living on the rodeo circuit. But lately Walker's adrenaline junkie ways have crashed--he's having panic attacks. Potentially devastating to his budding music career, they're a deadly handicap when shooting for eight seconds aboard an angry bull. He needs to learn to face his fears to save the family fortunes. If he succeeds, this time Walker will be the one to leave Heart Falls, and Ivy, behind.
Will Ivy and Walker have to give up on forever, or can they turn this rancher's song into a winning duet?
Themes: Contemporary
Rating: 4.25 stars
Heat Rating: 
Review:
So the story of the amazing Stone family continues with Walker and his first love, Ivy, taking another chance on one another, but sometimes love isn’t enough…or is it? For devoted Arend fans this spin-off series, set in the ranching world of Canada is just as amazing as her original, but the issues each couples face continue to be as unique as the men and women themselves. Arend has the ability to pull her readers into the lives of her characters and make you live each harrowing moment and dramatic turn in a relationship right along with them, bringing tears to our eyes as often as she makes us laugh.  This newest series is one that I wasn’t sure I would enjoy after being so attached to the characters from the previous one, but I find that I am becoming just as attached and falling more and more in love with the supporting characters as I learn more about them. If you are looking for an engaging read about a sexy cowboy and an amazing woman that steal his heart, you can never go wrong with Vivian Arend, but this one will definitely give you some extra thrills and pull you into their love even more. I cannot wait for the next in the series and to see the rest of the family again, but I am wondering what will come after that as there haven’t been too many hints of another spin off series to come.
Ivy and Walker were once both sure that they would be together forever, but when it came time for Ivy to go into her future she never imagined how long it would take her to return to their lives together.  Now that she is back the love she feels for Walker seems to have not paled in any way even after 11 years and she is determined to see if there is a chance for them to rekindle their love.  Walker has returned home, feeling his own failures, never knowing that he would find Ivy back in their hometown, or that she would still pull him like a magnet to her. Walker doesn’t want to rekindle a relationship because he doesn’t think he’ll be around for very long, determined to make his mark on the world if only to bring in the money his family needs in order to save their ranch.  Together they still burn up the sheets, but only time will tell if they are going to find a way to get everything they both want out of their present much less their futures.
Walker is the type of sexy cowboy that every woman thinks and dreams about finding for herself, especially since he is a gentleman on top of that.  His willingness to do whatever he needs to in order to help his family, even if it terrifies him, shows that he will always been devoted to those he loves and feels responsible for. I enjoyed seeing him find his way through the minefields he has discovered in his life recently and of course watching him rediscover his love for Ivy was an experience all on its own.  I was thrilled with the way he showed Ivy just how much she meant to him still and that she should never have doubted that he would be there waiting for her no matter came their way.  Ivy has gone through a lot in her short life already and one of her greatest regrets was leaving so much time before returning to Walker. She loves him beyond anything, but she doesn’t know how she can convince him to give her another chance.  It was so amazing to see her finding her feet now that she has returned to her hometown, all grown-up, but it was also heartbreaking to see her having to explain why she made the choices she did to Walker.  Together they are a great match and it is obvious immediately that they can conquer whatever the world throws at them.
Ultimately this story was a rediscovery of a love that never really ended, but instead was just back-burnered, and how those two lovers find their way back to each other forever. Walker has lived his life on his own terms for a long time, but his devotion to family and love for them always brings him back to his responsibilities. He is an amazing man and a true hero is every sense of the word, and seeing his love for Ivy made him even that much more lovable and sexy. Ivy was a sweet and unassuming woman, with a spine of steel hidden deep that comes out just in time for her to battle for the man she loves and the future she wants.   She is just the type of woman that I love to read about and to see find her feet in life and love.  The two of them together, going on an exploration of their passions and finding their way to a lasting relationship, burns up the pages and leaves the reader burning right along with them.  I was thrilled to enjoy this story and the love that built again between Walker and Ivy, and am looking forward to what might be coming next.  Vivian Arend can make any story into an amazing thrill-ride, I never doubt it, but sometimes I wonder how she manages to come up with all the emotional grenades she throws at her lovers.  Not to mention how she manages to get them past those problems and ultimately to an HEA.  Whatever comes next I know I’ll love every second of it.
*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Sunday, May 13, 2018

ARC Review: Tempting the Laird (Highland Grooms #5)


Tempting the Laird (Highland Grooms #5)

by Julia London

Blurb:
Unruly. Unmarried. Unapologetic. Catriona Mackenzie’s reputation precedes her everywhere she goes. Her beloved late aunt Zelda taught Cat to live out loud and speak her mind, and that’s exactly what she does when Zelda’s legacy—a refuge for women in need—comes under fire. When her quest puts her in the path of the disturbingly mysterious Hamlin Graham, Duke of Montrose, Cat is soon caught up in the provocative rumors surrounding the dark duke. Never one to retreat, Cat boldly goes where no one else has dared for answers.
Shrouded in secrets, a hostage of lies, Hamlin must endure the fear and suspicion of those who believe he is a murderer. The sudden disappearance of his wife and the truth he keeps silent are a risk to his chances at earning a coveted parliamentary seat. But he’s kept his affairs tightly held until a woman with sparkling eyes and brazen determination appears unexpectedly in his life. Deadly allegations might be his downfall, but his unleashed passion could be the duke’s ultimate undoing.
Themes: Historical, Scotland
Rating: 4 stars
Heat Rating: 
Review:
The outrageous and sometimes crazy Mackenzie family is back with another sibling finding their love in the most unlikely of places and circumstances in this latest masterpiece by an author that continues to astonish readers with her ability to weave a tale of love and adventure. Each of the elder siblings have found the types of love that their mother and father found, but Catriona is firmly on the shelf and, while mourning the loss of her beloved aunt, doesn’t see that changing anytime soon. Ms. London’s skill at bringing her characters to life and making you feel like you are living their story with them never ceases to make her one of my favorite authors and this story kept me enthralled even at moments when the story could have gotten the tiniest bit tedious.  I thoroughly enjoyed Cat and Hamlin’s story and was thrilled to see them find a way to bring their lives together and find their happiness, without either of them having to sacrifice their dreams for their future.  I am looking forward to whatever comes next in the series and wonder just whose romance might be coming up, but have no doubt that who it is will be an excellent story.
Catriona is firmly on the shelf and sees no problem with it, even though she once wished for other things.  She has decided to continue with her Aunt’s mission in life, but with it now in jeopardy, she gives in to her family’s pressure and travels to her uncle’s estate to seek his counsel and assistance with her problems.  Hamlin, Duke of Montrose, while not exactly happy, is content to live his dark and lonely existence on his estate with his ward, with no interference from his once friendly and meddling neighbors.  Rumored to have killed his wife, Hamlin never imagined that a woman like Catriona would burst into his life and become lodged there like a persistent thorn in his thumb. The deeper Catriona inserts herself into his life the more he begins to appreciate her light and the life she returns to his dreary existence, but just when he begins to accept that he will give up all his life goals in order to have her forever the past comes back to haunt him.  Only the true love and compassion of a woman like Catriona could ever allow him to dig himself out of the hole he finds himself in, but the question is will she still want him at the end of his task?
Both Catriona and Hamlin as individual characters were unique and interesting, but the best part about them is the obvious ways in which they complimented each other; they truly were the yin to the other’s yang in almost every way, which made them able to embrace their differences and find a deep and abiding love together despite their differences, or maybe even because of them. Catriona is certainly a spirited woman, well before her time, but she is also compassionate, loving, sweet, adventurous, giving, and strong.  Cat won’t ever let any man dictate her life to her, not even her husband, and having a man life Montrose shower her with unlimited attention could have easily gone to her head, but she remained the same woman through their entire courtship.  Ultimately her well-roundedness is what truly makes her so lovable not just to Hamlin but to the reader as well. Hamlin, Duke of Montrose, is an enigma himself.  While he is obviously the type of man that gives his loyalty, his trust is harder to earn and his love is nearly impossible.  After being badly burned by his wife, he could easily have let that turn him into a bastard, but while he is aloof a lot, especially in crowds, it is obvious to this reader that was more of a coping mechanism and a way to keep people from seeing how hurt he was by losing his wife. His willingness to sacrifice for those he loves is apparent immediately and as we see him falling more and more in love and opening himself to Catriona and his ward Eula, we get to see that vulnerability and how it makes him more approachable and lovable as a character.
Overall I loved Catriona and Hamlin’s story, though there were a few little moments of tedium here and there that could have been cut out and still left an awesome story behind.  Catriona is a brave and strong heroine, even when she has her moments of doubt and fear, and refuses to ever lose sight of what truly matters in life.  Hamlin’s strength might be in other areas and more readily apparent than Catriona’s, but it has its own draw and makes him a leader of men at a time when those were truly needed.  I love seeing these two fumbling their way through their love affair and still ultimately finding a way to come together as a family and find a way to move forward with their futures. The passions between Catriona and Hamlin sprang lava hot from the first instance they shared a look, and when it finally spewed forth that love was scorch-the-earth hot, so hot it barely had time to truly heat up the pages before the fire alarms were going off!. I was thrilled with the ending of this story, even if there were times when I wondered where the author was headed with certain plot-lines within the story.  If you are looking for a sexy read full of hot Scots and sweet and adventurous highland lasses, you won’t go wrong with Tempting the Laird, though of course I always recommend returning to the original by starting at the beginning of the series. More please Julia!
*ARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Friday, May 11, 2018

ARC Review: Planet Dragos (Elder Races #9.8)


Planet Dragos (Elder Races #9.8)

by Thea Harrison 

Blurb:
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Thea Harrison comes the final novella featuring Pia and Dragos…
Pia’s latest pregnancy has become a daily challenge, her relationship with Dragos strained with argument. That hasn’t stopped them from achieving a compromise and traveling to Las Vegas to celebrate their friend Rune’s wedding to his mate Carling.
From the moment they arrive, the trip goes awry. Death walks in Vegas, and Pia is kidnapped as an ancient enemy makes a move to destroy the Great Beast once and for all.
But the Great Beast has other plans.
On Planet Dragos everything goes the way he arranges it—unless someone decides to cross him, and God help them then, because he doesn’t know how to back down, and he doesn’t ever, ever let up….
Themes: Paranormal, Here There be Dragons! J
Rating: 4 stars
Heat Rating: 


Review:
So it seems like this overall story ARC that began so long ago with the love story of two very unlikely and unique individuals has come full circle and to a satisfactory ending.  Any true fans of this series knew it was coming, but the end is always bittersweet and I for one was sad to see all the change and challenges that Dragos and Pia had to overcome to finally come to their true and everlasting HEA. This story was the last novella for Dragos and Pia and revolves around the how Dragos deals with the kidnapping of his mate and the truth that has been staring him in the face more and more lately.  In the end Pie and Dragos have to come to a heartbreaking but necessary decision in order to rebuild their lives and give their family—and their people—a chance for a life lived on their own terms in safety.  I loved seeing Pia standing up to her enemies and for her friends in this story even as she dealt with a lot of hormonal and body changes as she prepared to give birth to her second child. While it was obvious she continues to have problems with her pregnancy she refuses to allow anything to put her life of her child in danger or to take her from the love of her life. Dragos was, of course, the pinnacle predatory alpha male and tore apart the world to find and rescue his mate, but thankfully at the same time he remained a man that Pia could love and didn’t make the innocents around him suffer for the crimes of the guilty.  This story tugged at my heart while also sometimes bringing laughter, but overall if makes you really think about the challenges that these two have faced both together and apart through their short, but intense and dramatic, relationship and life together.  I truly enjoyed the way the story was wrapped up nice and neatly and there were so any little glimpses of favorite characters from other previous novels that I enjoyed getting to reminisce as well.  I am looking forward to perhaps a new story ARC or a spinoff that revolves around the next generation or the new group of Wyr leadership.  All in all it was worth every moment of angst and fear to see Pia and Dragos fins their happiness and begin to build their new lives.  If you are looking for a look into the lives of a unique and amazing couple you can’t ever go wrong with one of these stories, but I highly recommend you go back to the very beginning and read them all, otherwise the true greatness of this series will slip through your fingers like so much sand through an hourglass.  Whatever comes next, I know I will be one of the first in line to give it a try, so keep the magic coming Ms. Harrison.
*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Saturday, May 5, 2018

Review: Twisted Truths (Blood Brothers #3)

Twisted Truths (Blood Brothers #3)

by Rebecca Zanetti 

Blurb:
You can't escape the past . . .
Noni is desperate. Her infant niece has been kidnapped, and the only person who can save her is a private detective with too many secrets to count--and more enemies than he can name. A man who walked away from Noni without any warning a year ago, a man who broke her heart. But with Talia's life on the line, Noni needs his help now more than ever--and this time, she won't take no for an answer . . .
The moment Denver Jones sees Noni, the memories come rushing back. The fire in her eyes. The determination in her voice. The danger of having her in his life. Denver had to push her away once, but now with vicious criminals threatening Noni and her niece, he'll do whatever it takes to protect them. But enemies from his past are circling, and they'll use anything--and anyone--to get to Denver.
Themes: Contemporary
Rating: 4.5 stars
Heat Rating: 
Review:
This series by one of my favorite authors has finally come to an end, one that has been a long time coming in my opinion because the bad guys were beyond the typical villains and went well into the world of sadistic sociopaths that just needed to be put down.  There have been some serious twists and turns along the way between this series and its preceding series (Sin Brothers), and while there are a few little hints of the paranormal it remains largely a contemporary paramilitary story revolving around the bonds of brotherhood that are formed in blood and death from a early age.  I enjoyed Denver and Noni’s story immensely even as there were moments when I wanted to slap the shit out of Denver for being a bonehead.  It’s obvious to anyone that has ever seen an alpha operator like Denver that his feelings for Noni run deep and true and leave him terrified for her safety and unwilling to risk  her by attempting to build a life with her while he is still hunted.  Noni on the other hand was one of my favorite heroines in this series, willing to risk everything including her own life in order to rescue the child that was taken from her and put into a dangerous situation.  When they began working together it became a no-contest situation and I had no doubt that they would defeat their enemies, even if Denver had his doubts and fears.  Noni was a fascinating mix of strength and vulnerability, but I knew right away that she was the perfect match for Denver and would give him the balance he needed in his life.  Denver was the kind of guy that would sometimes make me wonder if all men are as stupid as the things that come out of their mouths make them sound idiotic, but I knew all his posturing and worrying came from a place of love for Noni and his brothers so I tried to give him a bit of slack.  The passion between Noni and Denver was just as intense as all the brothers in the past novels, but even more quickly taken to the level of deep emotions since they’d already had a relationship and were more than halfway in love with one another, which made the heat off-the-charts hot. There were some terrifying moments and some revelations in this series that left me wondering how I could have missed that twist barreling down on me all this time, but that just made it that much more fun.  I was sad to see the series end, but maybe in the future some of the younger brothers might get their own series, regardless I know I will enjoy anything that Ms. Zanetti sends my way.  Thanks for the fun ride Rebecca!
*ebook provided by publisher (via netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.