Review: Going Rogue (The Cursed Ravens MC #3)

Going Rogue (The Cursed Ravens MC #3)

by Chantal Fernando

Blurb:

Love blossoms in the most unexpected of places in this sweet and steamy Cursed Ravens Motorcyle Club title featuring a hunky bad boy and a charming nurse.

The men might tease Rogue and call him pretty behind his back, but no one is going to say that to his face. As the vice president of the Cursed Ravens—and with an unpredictable and unruly temper—respect is given to him at any cost.

But Rogue reins himself in when he visits his mother in a local nursing home. Overwhelmed with guilt that he can’t take care of her himself, he can barely handle watching her fade away with dementia. And he knows the staff is exceptional—especially the sweet and beautiful caregiver who pays extra attention to his mom.

It isn’t easy working at a nursing home, but Zoe enjoys spending time with her favorite patient Anne. She knows Anne has a son who dutifully visits her, but when Zoe sees the tall, muscled, handsome stranger, she can tell he’s trouble—beautiful trouble. She knows he’s a Cursed Raven and she knows better than to admit she’s attracted to him. There’s no way she'll date an MC member. Been there done that. But as Zoe and Rogue start to get closer, they realize one way or another, they’ll have to fight to stay in each other’s lives.

Themes: Contemporary, MC

Rating:  4 stars

Heat Rating:  

Review:

 So the plot thickens as we get in deeper with the crazy and sexy men of the Cursed Ravens MC.  We have slowly gotten to know Rogue a bit through the previous two stories, but finally getting to see him find a woman to stand up to him and steal his heart was wonderful.  The depth of emotional turmoil in this story was a bit surprising, even given some of the topics in the previous stories, but I enjoyed seeing the author approach hard topics and not shirk the problems that make us individuals and bring us together just as often as they tear us apart.  I was more than a little surprised by the way Zoe stood up to Rogue and resisted him again and again, but seeing that she was more than a match for him warmed be inside as I knew that he would need that strength in the end when he lost his mother.  Dealing with losing a parent, slowly to a terminal illness is something that you never really understand until you go through it yourself and I can tell you that I thrilled to not be part of the club yet, though I see it coming sadly.  There were enough laughs and sexy times to keep the story from veering too far into the morbid or dark side of life and of course the true love that developed between Zoe and Rogue reminds readers that even in the most unfortunate of circumstances love and light can keep us living and bring us back from the loses in life.  Rogue was the kind of guy that I would love to have in my life, despite some of his short-comings and of course the whole second-in-command to a criminal enterprise thing; his inner light and strength and innate goodness not masked by the dark patches that we see sometimes and of course the sweet crooners soul of a singer that he only shares with those closest to him, make him an ideal match for a woman that has dealt with death on a daily basis for most of her adult life.  Zoe is definitely a much stronger woman than I could ever claim to be and I loved getting to know her, seeing her working her way into Rogue’s heart without even trying –and sometimes actively resisting—and of course being the support and strength that so many of her patients needed at the end.  The passion between these two was sometimes buried deep under the sweetness or even the darkness that they dealt with, but when it flared or they embraced that passion you could feel the burn right through the words of their story.  I am looking forward to whoever finds love next and getting to know more of these interesting men and of course the women that seem to draw them like moths to flame.  I have added another wonderful author to my shelves for sure.

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

Review: A Billionaire Wolf for Christmas (Heart of the Wolf #26)

A Billionaire Wolf for Christmas (Heart of the Wolf #26)

by Terry Spear 

Blurb:

When the wolves' own blood betrays them, they risk their lives to find a miracle.

Wolf shifter Dr. Aidan Denali has been working day and night to find a cure for werewolves' alarmingly sudden decline in lifespan. The key to the problem eludes him. But when Aidan grudgingly leaves his work to do some holiday shopping, he meets a remarkable she-wolf whose mysterious pack could bring him one step closer to the answer.

Dr. Holly Gray is thrilled to meet the wolf who's been working so hard to help others. Now, it's her turn to help him. But while their attraction is sizzling, the packs are at odds, and the danger is increasing. It's going to take a holiday miracle for Holly and Aidan to get themselves--and their loved ones--out of this alive...

Themes: Paranormal, Wolf-Shifters, Holiday

Rating: 4 stars

Heat Rating:  

Review:

 The heart of the wolf continues to beat strong as this series moves forward with a story about two people brought together under near impossible circumstances with a single minded goal—saving their people from extinction. This goal has driven Dr. Aidan Denali for almost two years, ever since it was discovered that their people were beginning to age as humans, losing their normal wolf longevity, and having a partner to share in his research and help him understand how to save everyone is more than he could have ever hoped for in his future mate.  So when he meets Dr. Holly Gray, the attraction he feels, while not surprising, is surprisingly strong, and undeniably the biggest thing he has ever felt in his life.  Holly has devoted her entire adult life to protecting her pack and family, ever from the madmen that control it, so when she meets the amazingly smart and sweet Aidan she has no compass for what he makes her feel; except that she knows he is not someone she wants to lose connection with. I enjoyed getting to know Aidan more, having had peripheral knowledge of him from his brother’s romance in a previous novel, and getting to know him a bit as he worked to solve his race’s health concern. He is obviously a man of intelligence and chivalry, but he is also a wolf and with that come a bit of alpha strength to go with his sweetness and of course the sensual heat of any beast. He was such a mix of sweet and strong, smart and brave, that you couldn’t help but fall in love with him, which of course makes the speed that Holly gives in to him easily believable. Holly was another story altogether, but I liked her just as much.  Her inner strength made her the perfect match for Aidan and let us know that their pairing would be an equal one, whether in the bedroom,  the lab or in their fur, because they were simply made for one another.  I loved seeing how they managed to work together despite everything and everyone being against them, and still find their love together, and of course the passion between them was undeniably hot as hell.  I am looking forward to whatever comes next in the series and knows that, while it is a long running one, this series will never get stale and there will always be something interesting and amazing in each new story.  Another great addition to a series full of amazing males and the females that steal their hearts.  

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

ARC Review: HOT Secrets (Hostile Operations Team #13)

HOT Secrets (Hostile Operations Team #13)

by  Lynn Raye Harris 

Blurb:

She nearly ruined his life. Now she needs him to save hers.

It was supposed to be a simple job for hacker Bliss Bennett: access confidential files and turn them over to the CIA. But something went wrong—and now Bliss has a target on her back. With no idea who to trust, she heads straight toward the one man she hopes won’t turn her away.

Sky “Hacker” Kelley is a badass Special Operator with lethal moves and mad computer skills. He hasn’t seen his former lover—former wife—in four years, not since she nearly cost him his military career. Her arrival on his doorstep in the middle of the night reveals a gut-deep truth—he might want nothing to do with her, but he still wants her. And as much as he’d love to slam the door in her face, Sky isn’t wired to turn away anyone in distress.

Protecting Bliss won’t be easy. The files she stole are at the heart of a dangerous conspiracy, and someone is willing to do whatever it takes—including kill—to get them back. It’ll take all Sky’s considerable black-ops skills to keep Bliss safe—and all his willpower to resist falling into her bed, and her life, ever again…

Themes: Contemporary

Rating: 4.5 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

 HOT returns with a glimpse into one man’s past and a return of the woman he thought he never wanted to see again, but obviously never actually never stopped wanting.  This series has been running a long time, but continues to be interesting and keeps me coming back for more no matter which of the men plays the leading role.  I always find that the men and women of these books are both sensual and sometimes clueless until it hits them right between the eyes at the most inopportune of moments.  I love watching these men fall in love, or in Hacker’s case rediscovering a lost one, but even more I love watching them scramble to prove that they are man enough for the woman that has stolen their heart.  Harris has a unique ability to bring the most amazing of plotlines, filled with spies, blacktops, and flying bullets, down to a level that even the most mundane of people can find a basic connection with.  Love conquers all is something that everyone believes in and hopes remains true, and Lynn’s stories remind us that there are some men out there in the world that live that way too.  I am dying to see what comes next, but in the meantime there might a binge read in my future sometime soon during a long-awaited and much-needed vacation.

Sky Kelley has been working for HOT for the past four years and trying to forget the woman who shattered his heart and belief in love with her betrayal, though he’ll deny that. When she explodes back into his life, begging for his assistance, he tried to push her away, but the obviously real fear for her life causes him to relent and some he is swept up in a deadly mission to keep her safe.  Bliss has been trying to distance herself from her childhood since she escaped it, but when she met Hacker she allowed her immediate and intense attraction to him to cloud her judgment to her job, until there was no avoiding the fallout.  When she lost of man she loved, she threw herself into her work, but her latest job has her running for her life and she has no one to trust or to turn but Sky, even though she knows he wants nothing to do with her.  Soon they are both pulled into the danger surrounding her and the world around them is becoming too dangerous to fight against one another, or against the pull they feel to one another.  But only by admitting to the true depth of their feelings and trusting fully in one another can they overcome the dangerous game they are fighting, something neither one of them ever thought they would be able or willing to do again.

I was very surprised with Sky’s behavior at the beginning of this story, despite the pain I knew he was in, but thankfully he managed to pull his head out of his ass and show us the truly honorable man he is.  Sky has been around the block with several levels of betrayal and the one thing he cannot stand is lies, but once he decides to accept his own part in their past, his forgiveness makes him an even better man.  I loved every minute of getting to know Sky and seeing him working through his issues and finding his way back to the love of his life.  While he is definitely just as alpha and badass as all the other men of the HOT squads, his is a quieter and subtler kind of badass—at least until someone threatens the life of his woman. Bliss was a woman on a mission all her life, one to shake off the dirt of her past and find a way to make herself into a better person, though I think she might not have gone about it in the best of ways, I cannot judge another person’s path too harshly.  She has obviously never stopped loving Sky and knows that when she is in danger her only hope for staying alive is to get to him, even though she knows she will be meeting with a serious level of resistance. She is badass in her own way, evidenced by the turn her life takes near the end of this story, and she is the perfect match for Sky once they stop fighting that perfection.  Seeing the goodness in Bliss, sometimes buried under what looks to be a shallow superficiality, reminds us that sometimes what a person seeks in life might be as important as why they seek it.

The HOT Secrets in this story unfold in a story of love and redemption, fear and faith, and finally the understanding that the only way two people can build a life together is with full and complete trust. I enjoyed every second of reading this story and getting to see both old and new characters in actions, but my favorite moments were the quiet times between Hacker and Bliss as they finally took the time to talk and get to know the deeper thoughts of one another.   Maybe had they taken that step in the past their relationship would have survived the problems they encountered without crumbling, but we’ll never know now.  Sky more than earned his name in this novel, hacking his way into my heart, as well as finding a way to show Bliss that she could take a chance on them a second time.  Sky proved to be a sexy and dangerous man, even if he was an asshole for the first part of the book, but once he comes to terms with the mistakes they both made in the past he becomes the man –and the mate to Bliss—he was always meant to be. Bliss on the other hand was a woman that I could see others disregarding as a superficial and money-hungry type that care little about the feelings of others as she steps on them to get what she wants.  Once we get to know her, we can see that she is cut from the same cloth as all of the HOT operators, maybe without some of the more deadly skills, and one who is always willing to do what needs to be done.  When she started working with Sky and his team to figure out who is after her, Bliss becomes my favorite lady in recent novels, and I was thrilled to get to see them in action together.  Even when they were sniping at once another we could see that the passion remained between them, but once they joined forces and stopped fighting their feelings, the heat about blew me away.  I loved watching them find their way back together, just in time to keep them both alive and bring the bad guys to justice.  Whatever comes next will be amazing I know, but I am hoping it is just as fast paced and sexy as Sky and Bliss’s journey back to love and happily-ever-after.

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

Review: Pretend You're Safe (The Agency #1)

Pretend You're Safe (The Agency #1)

by Alexandra Ivy 

Blurb:

HE SEES YOU

First came the floods. Then came the bodies. The victims—strangled, then buried along the shores of the Mississippi—have finally been unearthed, years after they disappeared. He remembers every satisfying kill . . . each woman’s terror and agony. But there’s only one he truly wanted. And fate has brought her within reach again . . .

HE KNOWS YOU

Jaci Patterson was sixteen when she found the first golden locket on her porch. Inside were a few strands of hair wrapped around a scrap of bloodstained ribbon. Though the “gifts” kept arriving, no one believed her hunch that a serial killer was at work. Now Jaci has returned home . . . and the nightmare is starting once more.

AND HE’LL NEVER LET YOU GO

Back then, Rylan Cooper was an arrogant deputy sheriff convinced that Jaci was just an attention—seeking teen. It was a fatal mistake. There’s a murderer in their midst, someone determined to settle old scores and keep playing a twisted game. And it won’t end until Jaci is his forever . . .

Themes: Romantic Suspense

Rating: 4.5 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

So there are many of us that have been long time fans of the paranormal magic of Alexandra Ivy, but this novel is an all new side of one of my favorite authors as she ventures not out of the dark of the demon world and instead into the dark and disturbing side of the human mind. This story revolves around a woman that has been haunted for decades by the fears conjured when she was a teen and that has carried into her adulthood and now that there are bodies popping up around her small farm town she knows her worst fears have come to pass. Jaci has a unique ability to hold on to her innocence despite the darkness stalking her and that sweetness draws the protective nature of her neighbor and her former crush, who has returned home to care for his father.  Rylan never imagined when he returned home to take care of his father, that he would find himself the central character of a murder plot and having to protect a woman that has always drawn him in even when he tried to resist her.  As they work together to try to keep Jaci safe and help the police unravel the mystery of the killer stalking her, Rylan and Jaci become closer to one another and slowly he begins to understand that the feelings he resisted all those years ago might have been even deeper than he imagined.  Jaci was an interesting woman, always looking for the best in others, despite all evidence to the contrary, but that ability is what allows her to look past the hurt and find a way to work to find this killer.  Rylan was also an interesting character that had to overcome a lot of his mistakes of the past in order to get Jaci to trust him and allow him to keep her safe, but once he forced her to accept his help and let him in she was unable to resist him.  He was sexy, bossy, alpha and more than able to handle himself in any situation, but the best part of him was his intense protective nature and the way he refuses to let anything take the love of his life from him.  The love between Rylan and Jaci builds slowly as they spend more time together, building on their feelings from their youth, and slowly they each come to understand that their passion for one another is undeniable and not something to lose.  I enjoyed every second of this story, even as there was some seriously scary moments and I cannot wait for the next suspense novel that Alexandra sends my way.  A whole new shelf to add Ms. Ivy to, but one I can see her filling quickly with her magic!

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

ARC Review: A Firefighter's Christmas Gift (Holidays in Heart Falls #1)

A Firefighter's Christmas Gift (Holidays in Heart Falls #1)

by Vivian Arend 

Blurb:

All Bradley Ford wants this holiday season is a date or three with sweet Hanna Lane. He’s the new fire chief, recently returned to Heart Falls to help his father after an accident. And while he wasn’t expecting to find someone like Hanna so soon, Brad’s certain that Hanna—and her adorable daughter, Crissy—are perfect for him and his plans to settle down.

Hanna’s been taking care of herself since she became a single mom at sixteen. The only pure, honest love she trusts is her little girl’s, but for the first time in eight years, her libido flares to life. Something about Brad draws her like a moth to a flame—which is always a bad idea for the moth.

When a fire leaves Hanna and Crissy homeless, Brad offers them shelter at his family’s homestead. Crissy insists they’ve moved in with Santa. Hanna’s not sure how she keeps ending up under the mistletoe with Brad. And Brad? He’s hoping for the best Christmas gift of all…

Themes: Holiday Novella

Rating: 4 stars

Heat Rating:

Review:

Vivian Arend has once again embraced the magic of the holiday season and given us a love story to share the magic, finally giving bringing together two people in love to make a family complete at last. While the Heart’s Falls series began with the Stone family, this new holiday series instead focuses on some of the side characters that we have met in those novels, beginning with the sexy fire Chief Brad Ford. If you haven’t followed along as the Heart Falls series developed you might miss some of the undertones and backstories off characters, but it won’t stop you from enjoying every second of this story.  Even though it begins with a tragic turn of events Brad and Hanna find a way to allow the magic of the season to lead their hearts to one another and bring their love to fruition. I enjoyed every second of this story and am looking forward to whoever falls in love next, in both this series and the original Heart Falls series, but in the meantime I think I might just reread this one when the tree is up, my fire’s burning and my hot chocolate is spiked with a bit of baileys (*wink wink*).

Bradley Ford returned to Heart falls because he is at heart a small-town boy, but being the fire chief gives him that bit of excitement he needs in life, but nothing excites him as much as Hanna Lane.  He has been trying to get her to give him a chance to steal her heart for a long time now, but for every two steps forward she takes a half step back.  Hanna has raised her daughter herself, on her own from the very beginning, and even though she is very attracted to Brad, she is also terrified of what he makes her feel.  When disaster strikes, burning her out of house and home, Brad offers her a haven with him and her father and she isn’t too proud to take him up on his generous offer, keeping the magic of the holidays alive for her daughter.  But as they spend more time together, Hanna begins to understand more and more than she is not going to be able to resist Brad for much longer, and soon she begins to wonder why she ever tried.  Can the magic of the holidays bring these two together to show one little girl that love can build a family for her in time for Christmas?

Brad was the perfect man for Hanna and, to be honest would be the perfect man for just about any woman in her right mind, and his sweetness and strong shoulder gave Hanna the support she needed in her true moment of need.  He was a friend of Walker we met and got to know a bit in the last novel and we learned of his bid for Hanna’s heart even then, so his dedicated to winning her heart was obvious and certainly heart-warming.  I loved getting to know him and getting to see not only his commanding nature when he was working, but his obvious love for his family and gentleness with Hanna’s little girl made him a perfectly rounded hero in my eyes.  While I certainly don’t want children, his willingness, even eagerness to be a good step-father show just how good of a man he is and how perfect a match he will always be for Hanna.  Hanna herself was a mix of shyness and strength, her fears about embracing a relationship with Brad made her slow their time down, but once she was forced to speed their time up, just due to constant contact, her willingness to look past her fears and give him her heart was wonderful.  Her strength, her work ethic, and dedication to doing whatever she needed to give her daughter not only everything she needed, but all she wanted to make her Christmas magic showed her to be the perfect heroine for Brad as well as a good mother.  I can see these two making a long and happy life together, despite any drama that might come up, because they will work together through it all, never forgetting their love and that their love is the most important thing.

This story of a firefighter and the woman who lights the fire of love in his heart is one that will give readers a beat of a fire in their hearts as well. I enjoyed every minute of this story, even though there were times I wanted to ask Hanna why she was holding back from this fabulous man, and was thrilled that everyone got what they wanted in the end. Brad was the kind of guy that every woman really wants for themselves and I was so jealous that Hanna got him.  He was sweet, sexy, strong, and sensitive, and when he decided he wanted something, namely Hanna (and her daughter) he let nothing stand in his way, not even her fears or reticence.  Hanna has her moments, but in the end showed she was Brad’s match in every way, including the bedroom, and made me like her even more.  She has an inner strength and calm that she used to counter Brad’s intensity and she understood perfectly how to blend her small family in with Brad’s so that together they truly could become a family.  The passion and emotional connection between them was palpable from every moment they were together, even when they were moments of intense fear, and that heat was enough that I know when I reread it during the cold months it will keep me plenty warm all on its own. I am dying to see what comes next for the folks in this town and getting to see more of these amazing characters that have already found love too.  Another masterpiece of love and passion Ms. Arend and all I have to say is THANK YOU!

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