Review: The Irredeemable Billionaire (Muse #3)

The Irredeemable Billionaire (Muse #3)

by Lexxie Couper 

Blurb:

The rules have never applied to film director Sebastian Hart. He’s always done what he wants, when he wants. But after one too many wild nights, Sebastian finds himself performing community service in the unlikely role of big brother to a ten-year-old boy in need of a father figure. It seems like fate is playing with him when the boy’s mother turns out to be the girl he grew up next door to, the one person he’s never been able to win over with his smile or charm.

After the death of her husband, Grace Wilder has her hands full working as a paramedic and being both mother and father to their son. The last thing she needs is for the bane of her teenage existence to show up, or for her son to contract a case of hero worship. Even worse is the fact that the boy who once made her life miserable has turned into a man who has the power to destroy her with his devastating smile and sexy eyes.

Themes:  Contemporary, Erotica

Rating: 3.75 stars

Heat Rating:  

Review:

I have really enjoyed this short series by Lexxie Couper, one of my favorite erotic authors, and getting to meet this trio of interesting and sexy billionaires, and this final story in the series was a fun and sexy way to bring it to an end.  The series, set mostly in Australia, revolves around three friends, all billionaires, which meet three amazing women that are so far out of their league simply because they have no interest in their shallow playboy ways.  I loved the first two stories in the series and enjoyed Seb and Grace’s story too, if I didn’t enjoy it quite as much.  I think the biggest issue for me was the length; there was so much going on in such a short time, that it just needed more time to be fleshed out in order for the full depth of the emotions to be believable.  Sebastian has been punished for a stupid indiscretion, sentenced to community service as a Big Brother, and in the process comes face-to-face with his childhood frenemey and neighbor Grace Ford Wilder.  Grace has been through a lot in her young life and is struggling now to raise her son and find a way to make ends meet, while still being there for her son, so when Sebastian blasts back into her life she just simply has no time to deal with his shit.  But Grace’s son, Cody, is instantly attached to Sebastian, and Sebastian seems just as intensely unwilling to leave them in peace, though he doesn’t seem to have a logical reason for his unwillingness to leave them alone. In the end will Sebastian be able to show he has changed and grown up enough to earn the love of a woman like Grace and the wonderful son she has raised or will Sebastian lose everything he never knew he always wanted?  I loved seeing Sebastian faced with his own shortcomings again and again, having to come to terms with the fact that having money doesn’t make him better than anyone else and that his actions really do have real life consequences he has to face just like the rest of us.  It was obvious that Seb wasn’t a bad person, wasn’t even a selfish one, just a man that has never wanted for anything in his life and hasn’t ever really had to work too hard to get what he wanted, so being faced with a woman like Grace was way out his comfort zone. Grace on the other hand has had to work and scrape for everything she has her entire life and has no room in it for an egomaniac like Sebastian Hart, despite how sexy he is and how much he makes her heart race and her body come alive like it never has.  Grace was the kind of woman I hope to grow up to be, her inner strength always shining through even in her weakest moments, but the love she has for her son and even for Seb is so obvious even more to those around her than herself sometimes.  I loved the moments that both Seb and Grace allowed themselves to give in to the passion and love ignited in one another and in those moments the heat between them was enough to start a wildfire, but the quiet moments of emotional support they shared were just as intriguing and sweet.  The connection between Cody and Sebastian was also well done and obviously Cody has found the father-figure Grace was looking for, even if he’s not as perfect as she might have wished for her son.  The ending to this one was rather abrupt and totally threw me for a loop, but I enjoyed the story overall despite that, though I would have loved a few more chapters to be sure.  I love anything that Lexxie writes and I am thrilled that these men all found their loves, but I wonder if maybe another book might pop up with Harrison, Seb’s brother finding love as well (*hint hint, nudge nudge*). Thanks for another sexy and sensual adventure down under, Ms. Couper.

*ebook provided by publisher (via netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Review: The Warrior of Clan Kincaid(Highland Warrior #3)

The Warrior of Clan Kincaid(Highland Warrior #3)

by Lily Blackwood 

Blurb:

LOVE TAKES NO PRISONERS

Derryth MacClaren is on the run. Traveling under heavy guard, she has been sent from her castle home to avoid capture by the vicious nobleman known as the Wolf, who has vowed revenge against the Clan Kincaid, and any who support them. When a surprise attack leaves her vulnerable, Derryth ends up in the hands of an enemy warrior who claims her, with the Wolf’s blessing, as his prize. But her captor’s gentle words and touch seduce her heart—and body—completely...and when she discovers the tattoo on his arm that proves him to be the legendary, long-believed dead son of the murdered Laird of Kincaid, Derryth knows she must find a way to alter his fate—and her own.

Cull has no memory of his family or past—all he knows is the life of a warrior, trained to fight on behalf of the Scottish king. If he can help the king’s law officer of the North, the Wolf of Badenoch, defeat a rebellious faction of Highlanders, Cull will be met with untold riches beyond possessing beautiful, innocent Derryth. But now that she has informed him of who he really is—Cullen Braewick, the youngest son of the slain laird—he is torn. If Cull exacts revenge against the Wolf, who executed his father, he stands to lose the precious lass who he has come to love. What is he willing to sacrifice for Derryth to keep her safe...and in his arms?

Themes:  Historical, Scotland

Rating:  4 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

So the final brother has been found and the Wolf of Badenoch has finally been brought to justice… and none too soon in my humble opinion.  
I have enjoyed this series immensely, though the emotional traumas and danger these brothers have been dealing with along the way to their HEAs has left me crying more than once.  Naill and Faelan’s stories were each unique and amazing in their own right, but Cull/Cullen had the most heart wrenching path to love and family and walking the path with him and Derryth was an amazing trip.  If you enjoy a good story of political intrigue and warfare in historical Scotland, interwoven with the story of two people so vastly different finding a way to love, then this story is a perfect way to spend an evening by the fire with a tot of whisky. Derryth has been sent away from her sister’s home for her own safety, but she never made it to her destination, instead her party has been intercepted by the very enemies they feared and she is now in the hands of one of the Wolf’s most feared war guardsmen, Cull the nameless. While her heart beats wildly whenever he nears, she knows there is no way she should be feeling attraction to him, much less the deeper emotions she is beginning to feel, but there is no denying those emotions when around him.  Cull’s inexplicable reactions to the waif that has invaded his life are causing so much confusion, not only in his life and routine, but in his heart and mind, but he can’t seem to turn off those feelings.  As the war around them heats up and enemies come from all sides, shadowed and hidden in the faces of friends, Cull and Derryth must trust in one another and their love if they have a chance of stopping the deaths of those they love and finding a way to be together forever. Derryth has lived her life sheltered from all the harshest elements of being a woman in medieval Scotland, even going so far as to have been sheltered from the most basic of chores—simply put she has been spoiled rotten.  When she finds herself living the harsh life of a prisoner in a war camp, Derryth is unprepared for every moment not just of the physical stresses of that life, but the emotional turmoil, however she finds a way again and again to show that she has the same inner spirit her sister does as she plots her escape and does her best to find ways to infuriate Cull to the point of sending her away. Cull, however, has never had a single moment of softness that he can recall in his life.  Purchased as a slave and trained as a warrior, Cull has worked his entire adult life to find a way to raise himself up and give himself a name, but when he is with Derryth he is simply a man that desires one woman above all else. I loved seeing him fall for her, slowly at first, then faster and faster as her spirited attacks leaving him smiling to himself and wondering how he could have misjudged her as a simple peasant girl.  The connection between Derryth and Cull was amazing, even when they were sparking off one another simply as enemies, but once their emotions turn to other directions the sensuality and love that grows shows that sometimes love comes in truly the most unlikely of places.  The intrigue and plotting in this story was amazing and left me wanting to yank my hair out more than once because of the depravity of humans and the selfishness that Ms. Blackwood portrays so well in her villains, but in the end I loved how she handled the wrap-up to a thirty year vendetta (don’t forget to read the afterword!).  I am looking forward to whatever amazing story Ms. Blackwood gives us next and she is definitely getting a place of honor in my shelf of amazing historical authors.

*ebook provided by publisher (via netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Review: Touch of Red (Tracers #12)

Touch of Red (Tracers #12)

by Laura Griffin

Blurb:

When crime scene investigator Brooke Porter arrives at the home of a murdered woman, the only thing more shocking than the carnage is the evidence that someone escaped the scene. But where is this witness now? A thorough search of the area yields more questions than answers, and before Brooke even packs up her evidence kit, she’s made it her goal to find the witness and get them out of harm’s way.

Homicide detective Sean Byrne has seen his share of bloody crime scenes, but this one is particularly disturbing, especially because Brooke Porter is smack in the middle of it. Sean has had his eye on the sexy CSI for months, and he’s determined to help her with her current case—even if it means putting his attraction on hold so he and Brooke can track down a murderer. But as the investigation—and their relationship—heats up, Sean realizes that keeping his work and his personal life separate is more complicated than he ever imagined; especially when the killer sets his sights on Brooke.

Themes: Contemporary

Rating:  4 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

The tracers are back in an all new mystery that will leave you breathless and wondering if the bad guys will prevail this time. As always Griffin’s ability to pull her readers into the lives of the scientists and crime fighters that are working together to bring down the killers and scum of the earth that are crawling out of the wood-work in southern Texas is incomparable. I enjoyed getting to see Brooke’s passion about her work and her determination to make sure that not only did she meet every expectation of her job, but she always went above and beyond, sometimes to Sean’s dismay, butting her nose in and working to help solve the case and protect the innocents in danger.  Sean has been intrigued with Brooke since almost the first moment, but he has never been able to break through her shell and find a way to get her interested in more than a work friendship. When they find themselves working closely on this newest case, Sean hopes to get her to open up to him, but he never imagined just how deep he would find himself so quickly.   It’s hard not to get emotionally invested when she is so passionate about her work and so beautiful in that passion, but his fear for her life and the danger she is placing herself in heightens their emotional connection that much more. Brooke has had bad luck in love and she isn’t really interested in another alpha male being the next in the line of lovers she takes, but she is just as drawn to Sean as he is to her. When he shows true belief in her, though others are skeptical, she begins to wonder if she might be overlooking some important sides to this complicated and sexy man.   With danger and intrigue around every corner, Sean and Brooke have to find a way to solve the murder and keep not only their witness safe, but also keep Brooke from ending up in the killer’s crosshairs.  I loved getting to know Sean a little more; in the past he was just a bit of a one dimensional side character but he is so obviously so much more.  His sweetness and determination to keep Brooke safe while not snipping her wings made him the perfect lover for her, even if she was a bit resistant.  Brooke had a few moments where she let her stubbornness overrule her own better judgment in my opinion, but in the end she managed to keep both herself and their witness alive long enough for her knight to come to her rescue.  I loved when Brooke and Sean both let down their guards and found a way to express their true feelings for one another.  I am interested to see who will find love next in this amazing group of people, though I have my suspicions, and I know that whatever comes next will be amazing. If you are looking for an intensely suspenseful romance that hits all the right notes on murder, mayhem, sex, and love then you can’t go wrong with Touch of Red.

*ebook provided by publisher (via netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

ARC Review: Double Dog Dare (The Dogfather #6)

Double Dog Dare (The Dogfather #6)

by Roxanne St. Claire

Blurb:

The Dogfather has one more child to marry off…but Darcy Kilcannon has no interest in her father’s matchmaking shenanigans. The youngest Kilcannon is seeking one thing only, and it’s not a husband. Darcy is ready to launch her own business in town, move into her own apartment, and become her own woman. But when she walks into the gorgeous brownstone that her father just “happened” to help her find, Darcy takes one look at the hot landlord and she knows the Dogfather has been up to his old tricks. Sure he’s a hunk and a half, but his “no pets” policy is a huge turnoff to a dog groomer who won’t dream of living without her beloved Kookie.

Joshua Ranier moved to Bitter Bark to get out of the shadow of his overbearing stepfamily and keep his shattered heart securely on ice. His only focus is his construction business, and the brownstone he’s renting and renovating…until he meets the sexy, sassy blonde tenant sneaking a fuzzy white dog even though he’s banned them because of construction dangers. Then Josh starts thinking about things he shouldn’t. And it isn’t when the rent’s due.

But when a blind dog lands on Josh’s doorstep, he needs Darcy’s help. As they race to restore little Stella’s vision and solve a mystery that’s tearing his family apart, Josh and Darcy begin to see the light, too. It will take one double dog dare, two precious puppers, and the full power of the Kilcannon clan for this couple to find their happy ever after.

Themes: Contemporary

Rating: 4.25 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

 So the time has come to find out if the final Kilcannon child will surrender her heart to love or decide to devote her time and energy to building a career and making her life about more than a man.  I have been looking forward to Darcy’s story a long time now, primarily because she is such a free spirit and seems to have no true direction in life in the previous novels, but we gets hints that she might be growing up, though the others in her family—with very few exceptions—don’t seem to be acknowledging it.  The ultimate premise of this series is one that I supported from the very beginning and new I would love every moment of, mostly because I am a huge dog lover that has trained for years in dog behavior, training, veterinary studies, and am a big proponent of pet adoption groups.  But the important thing to keep in mind is that the main idea of this story is a family of people coming together, in love and a common goal, in a time when they lost a vital member, in order to support one another, which is the most vital purpose of any family.  I LOVE THIS IDEA!  Though this is the final of the original kids, we have been told numerous times the series isn’t over, with extended family coming in to find love as well, so I am looking forward to seeing more of Darcy and Josh as they grow and learn to love even more from each other and the Kilcannon family. If you are looking for a deep dark suspenseful novel or darkly erotic story full on angst this might not be your cup of tea, but if you need a sexy but emotional story of love leading two people off the ledge of loss and fear and into one another’s arm, then you won’t go wrong with Double Dog Dare on your physical or digital bookshelf.

Josh Rainier has had his broken in the worst way imaginable and to say he has trust issues now is an understatement, but he is finally in the small town he has wanted to call home for years and doing the one thing with his life he has always wanted. He thought luck was finally on his side when a tenant rented the open unit in his property, giving him the chance to continue his renovations, but as soon as he meets her he knows she is TROUBLE, and so is the little dog she’s trying to sneak past his no pets policy. Darcy thought she’d gotten lucky too, but when she discovers too late that the monster of a landlord is going to try to separate her form her beloved baby girl, aka her pupper Kookie, there is no way she will let it stand.  Soon the tide changes and Darcy and Josh find themselves working together to try to save a little one of his one’s vision and as they get closer the feelings and chemistry becomes harder to resist, despite each of them having very good reasons not to begin a relationship or trust in another lover. But in the end that love will be the only thing that will save them… and of course the heroics of a few little rascally puppers!

Josh’s tale kicked off right away with some serious kicks not only to his heart, but to his ego, ability to trust, and willingness to believe in love and the goodness of others.  That is a lot for any person to overcome, and in the beginning we don’t really believe that Josh is willing to even try.  I enjoyed getting to see Josh’s resistance—however futile—to the love and magic that was the Kilcannon’s and Waterford Farms.  It was obvious that he NEEDED to find that kind of relationship and family connection o fully become the man he was always meant to become, however his intense fear of being hurt again made him fight, if not the actual feelings, then the depth and truth of those feelings for Darcy AND her family. Josh was understandably putty in the paws of both of the main puppers in this story, but I really liked seeing him get excited and emotional whenever any of the animals was around, showing he was truly a perfect match for Darcy is all of the most important ways. Darcy has decided that the only way she can convince those she loves that she is ready to grow up is to move into her own place, finally open her own grooming business and assert her full independence.  I can see the logic of this type of move, but I think had things not worked out so well for her in the end, that these choices might have come back to bite her in the butt, despite the thinking them through so thoroughly, because they are meant to made with the heart note the head in the end. I did enjoy that Darcy stood up for not just herself and her family, bust Joh and his family when anyone outside of her core group attacked, even though they were all fooled in the end with a couple of those folks. Ultimately Darcy found that she could grow and branch out, but respect and return to her roots without losing any of her independence, a lesson we all struggle with as we hit a certain age.

In the end, Double Dog Dare was a fun read for any occasion, but I loved seeing Darcy and Josh as they came together in a time of crisis to solve problems, and also in down times to just be together in calm. The true test of workability for a relationship might be working well together under pressure, but I think the stamina of a relationship can only be shown by how a couple functions when they are simply two people, alone together with nothing to do. Darcy has finally found her niche in life and luckily has the support of her family in order to build it right there close by, giving her that strongest of root systems.  But with those strong roots she has the chance to grow to outrageous heights and widths.  Josh too has found his forever home, including the family he wants to claim as his, and the woman to make his life full and completed, and he will not let anything from his past jeopardize that chance.  I loved every minute of this story, even the few tears and moments where I was on the edge of my seat, and I was thrilled with the glimpses into the Dogfather’s past success and his present challenge of keeping his children out of HIS personal life.  The chemistry and connection between Darcy and Josh is apparent from moment one and those two, though putting up a good fight, were always destined to fall under Cupid’s arrows. I loved this story and cannot wait for whoever’s story comes next, including the rumors of a Christmas novella about the family which I would not snub my nose at personally.  Another masterpiece Rocki, thanks for the chance to get my hands on it a little early!

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

ARC Review: HOT SEAL Target (HOT SEAL Team #6)

HOT SEAL Target (HOT SEAL Team #6)

by Lynn Raye Harris

Blurb:

Navy SEAL Adam “Blade” Garrison’s assignment to infiltrate a tech billionaire’s criminal operations just got complicated. His cover: bodyguard for the man’s wife. His problem: Blade knows Quinn Halliday far too well. A sophisticated version of the chubby, shy girl Blade once knew, Quinn brings out all his protective instincts—as well as a few carnal ones that surprise him.

Quinn’s pride in having improved herself has turned bitter. She’s trapped in a relationship with a brutal man who views her as nothing more than a possession. Blade’s unexpected arrival makes her hope for more than a barren existence in a gilded prison. Until tragedy strikes, and Quinn realizes she’s next on the hit list.

Blade will do anything to shield Quinn from danger and keep her safe. But as they draw closer, an enemy works to flush them out. If he succeeds, he’ll put an end to Blade and Quinn’s budding happiness.

Unless Blade and his SEAL Team strike first…

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating: 4.25 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

The HOT shots are back!

The amazing men and women that are protecting the world behind the scenes, never getting recognition for their amazing work, have always interested many of us, especially the personal lives that they have to fight so hard in order to have. Love and softness is not something that they often get a chance to experience, but Lynn Raye Harris gives us a small peak into their lives and loves in her amazing stories of the HOT squad.  The series has grown exponentially from the first story that grabbed my attention and the more I get to know these characters the more I come to love them, even as Lynn brings in more characters as eh expands the squads.  I love the way she weaves in the adventure and the drama without taking the focus away from the true purpose of the story, the love between the H/h, and makes the relationship the most important part. While the drama can sometimes overwhelms the story, Ms. Harris always finds a way back to the lovers.  The only part of her stories that are sometimes a bit much is the speed at which the lovers fall, mostly due to the adrenaline of the circumstances and the pace of the book, since the book sometimes only lasts less than a week in real-time.  I am definitely dying to find out what happens next, since as always Lynn snuck in a sexy epilogue and a bit of info about a possible next relationship, but either way I know I will love whatever comes next.

Adam “Blade” Garrison has been given a mission that he has no idea how to handle, not because of the danger, the intrigue or the possible loss of life, but because it puts him directly into the path of his childhood best friend, a woman that has changed immensely and now makes his heart race and his body burn. Quinn changed her whole life by changing her body, but she never knew that the attention it would bring her would leave her trapped in a dangerous marriage to an abusive maniac.  When she finds herself face-to-face with Adam after all these years her first instinct is to protect the precious knowledge that she knows him, in order to keep him safe from her husband, but she never imagined he would be the man to save her from the life she finds herself in or be the man to show her what love truly is.  In the end their lives are forever changed by the simple fact that together they can accomplish anything and that their love is strong enough to save themselves and the world, with the help of a few of Blade’s HOT friends.

Blade has been one of those peripheral characters we have gotten to know just a little bit about here and there in the previous novels in the series, but I very much enjoyed getting to know him now.  His strength and vulnerability made him an equally balanced man that was a perfect hero to swoop in and not just rescue Quinn, but show her the inner strength she possessed to save herself. He is as alpha as the rest of the HOT men of course, but his sweetness and thoughtfulness in the face of Quinn’s fears and insecurities make me melt and want to his big teddy bear self.  When he is in action, he is totally kick ass, using his skills from being a naughty kid on the streets of Honk Kong and the skills Uncle Sam taught him in equal proportion. Quinn has fought for many years to overcome what she sees as flaws in her body and her insecurities with her body image have left her vulnerable in a lot of ways.  I felt an emotional connection to her, mostly due to my own issues with weight problems and body image concerns, but I was sad to see her husband tearing her down, even though in the end Blade was able to build her back up.  Quinn’s inner goddess took a few hits, but she shined through again and again and was able to make a comeback in a big way as she helped Blade and the HOT teams bring down a madman.

I am always a little hesitant going into one of these stories, where the lovers knew each other long ago and have to come to terms with old feelings and the changes to their feelings and in each other, before the ever have a chance at a new relationship.  Baggage is never fun to deal with, even in just reading about it, but thankfully Ms. Harris manages it with great aplomb and we are able to enjoy these two rediscovering their friendship and their love.  Adam comes to terms with his need for a woman to complete his life and realizes that just maybe Quinn was the missing piece of his heart all along, while Quinn discovers that her feelings for Adam were truly love and not just the innocent hero worship she believed it was when she was a young girl.  Adam is amazing in so many ways, not the least of which is his ability to understand at any moment just what Quinn needs to build herself up when someone has torn her down. Quinn has to find a way to get out from under the boulder her marriage has buried her under, but once she does she is free to embrace the intense connection she still feels with Blade and there is no way she can deny either of them the need to be together.  I loved every second of these two together, even when the intensity of their fear cause my own heart to race and palms to sweat, but I never doubted the HOT boys would prevail in the end. The passion between Adam and Quinn is undeniable, even when they are both fighting it, but the low hum of deeper emotions is just as obvious and intense, letting readers know that this isn’t just a hot fire that will burn itself out quickly.  IF you are looking for a story with action, drama, sensuality, and a deep emotional bond between two friends turned lovers; HOT SEAL Target will hit every target and offer so much more as well. Way to go Lynn!

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