Review: Covert Games (Redemption Harbor #6)

Covert Games (Redemption Harbor #6)

by Katie Reus 

Blurb:

She was supposed to be a means to an end…

Redemption Harbor Consulting’s greatest enemy, Alexei Kuznetsov, is in their sights. For RHC cofounder Leighton, toppling the treacherous criminal’s empire is one more small step toward making up for his own past. To destroy Kuznetsov, he’ll go through the Russian’s niece, a woman Leighton suspects may also be guilty of dirty deeds. A woman he doesn’t count on wanting…who boils his blood and makes Leighton want things he doesn’t deserve with someone he can’t have.

Now she’s everything to him…

Despite other prospects, family loyalty has Lucy Carreras running one of her uncle’s prosperous hotels. But the longer she observes its operations, the more she believes the elegant establishment is host to some shady exploits. When her suspicions are confirmed by Leighton—a dangerous man straight out of her fantasies—Lucy’s entire world explodes when she learns just how evil her uncle’s sins are. Now she can’t stand by and let it continue. She and Leighton will take Alexei down together…if they can survive the deadly storm hurtling toward them.

Themes: Contemporary

Rating: 4 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

The longtime foe of the RHC team has finally gone too far this time.  This series has been going on for a while now and one of the most dangerous villain’s they faced was the disgusting criminal Alexei Kuznetsov, but the time has finally come for them to get the chance to bring him down once and for all.  I have loved reading this series and seeing each of the team members fall in love, from the very beginning I have become invested in each character and known that I just had to be along for the ride until the very end, and the final love story has finally dropped. Leighton has been the quietest and vaguest of characters to this point, we finally get to know him fully as he find love in the most unlikely of places.   When Hazel, Leighton’s FBI contact, brings him a mission that leads him to Kuznetsov’s operation, asking for her help to rescue a young woman, Leighton knows that he cannot resist and immediate pulls the teams in to get started.  Looking for a way in, the team soon discovers that the bastard’s niece might be just the link they needed, despite the fact that she looks clean on the surface.  The moment Leighton comes face-to-face with Lucy he is struck with an intense attraction and his instincts tell him that she is innocent in her uncle’s dirty dealings, but is probably an asset to their cause, if he can force himself to use her that way. Lucy is instantly attracted to the man she meets, and despite her belief that no man stays or is ever worth the effort, she gives Leighton her trust and a chance.  Soon they are thrust into a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse, but Leighton refuses to let Lucy be in true danger and will give up anything to keep her safe and in his life.  Leighton was sweet and sexy hell as we kicked butt to make sure that Kuznetsov didn’t get away again, but when he let himself begin to truly feel for Lucy we see a whole new side of him.  He was such a wounded hero, one that needed an open heart to heal his own, and thankfully he found that in Lucy.  Lucy has lived her life in a bubble, turning a blind eye to the truth of her Uncle’s dealings, ever since her parents’ death, even if she considers herself to be worldly.  Leighton opens her eyes in a big way and when she sees the truth and accepts it, she is immediately determined to do whatever she has to in order to make up for her Uncle’s misdeeds, showing how sweet and noble she really is.  I enjoyed seeing her soften Leighton’s rougher edges, even as he showed her the strength that truly existed within herself.  The passion that sparked between them was intense and fast burning, but though it burned bright and hot we can see that it will also be a long-burning fire that will keep their relationship alive for their entire lives.  I am so glad Leighton found his perfect mate, even if it was in a strange and unexpected place.  This was definitely another Katie Reus masterpiece. 

UPDATE:  I just learned that, while the last main team member has met their mate, there will in fact be one more novel in the series about Nova’s bestie Layla and I cannot wait.

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

ARC Review: Hot Under the Collar (The Dogmothers #1)

Hot Under the Collar (The Dogmothers #1)

by Roxanne St. Claire 

Blurb:

Firefighter Braden Mahoney is devastated when his beloved Weimaraner, Jelly Bean, fails the canine arson investigator test. Faced with the challenge of raising the money for advanced training, it’s Braden’s sweet grandmother and her best friend who suggest he use the services of the new event planner in town. Not that he needs a push in Cassie Santorini’s direction. Ever since she arrived, Braden has had his eye on the sassy Greek goddess…and can’t stop thinking about getting the rest of him on her, too.

Cassie has spent years putting family first, even moving to Bitter Bark when her mother falls in love with the local veterinarian. Having a huge new extended “family” is fun, especially when one smokeshow of a firefighter attends the gatherings, but Cassie has no plans to remain in this small town. She’s ready to pursue her big city dreams. But when Braden asks for an assist for his precious pup, Cassie agrees to help him set up a town-wide scavenger hunt. It isn’t exactly a hardship to be around those blue eyes and brawny shoulders, especially since they both agree everything – even the undeniable sparks that crackle between them – is temporary.

But when temporary gets complicated by feelings that might lead to forever, Braden and Cassie start to question the direction they’re headed. Should they follow their dreams…or their hearts? It’ll take a dog with a bad nose and a sweet soul, two particularly meddlesome grandmas, and some help from the clan that loves them to make sure Cassie and Braden follow the clues and find their way to each other’s arms.

Themes: Contemporary

Rating: 4.75 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

When the Dogfather began his quest to find love for all six of his children he never imagined he would end that quest by finding love again after the loss of his beloved wife, and he certainly never imagined the way his family would expand. Now that he is happily settled into his new life, with Katie and her children not-quite-but-almost seamlessly integrated into his family, Daniel has hung up his mantel as the Dogfather.  But when Katie’s former mother-in-law returns and teams up with Gramma Finnie, the love is once again in the air—the Dogmothers are on the Case—and Cassie and Braden are their first victims, I mean project.  This series is filled with so much love, laughter, sweetness, and sadness that sometimes I wish I could get ahold of Roxanne and remind her that her skill as a writer is just a little too good.  I loved every second of this story, even when I was crying unstoppably and I am dying to see what comes next for this amazing family.  Never to be forgotten are the amazing dogs that make these stories just that much more fun and interesting, because while some might say that dogs don’t make life, to me they make life worth living. Magic is in the air in this little town and he torch has been passed to the Dogmothers in a big way!

Cassie and Braden have been circling each other for months, ever since their first meeting, because they both know that the chemistry between them is not only undeniable, but it’s stronger than anything they have ever experienced before.  But each of them has their reasons for refusing to give in to their need for the other.  Braden lost his father to the job at a young age, and while it didn’t stop him from following in his footsteps professionally, he has refused to begin a life with a woman or build a family for the fear of one day leaving them behind like his father did.  Cassie knows she is leaving, as soon as she possibly can, to begin her life of big city dreams and ambitions, and she doesn’t want to begin something with Braden because she knows he will give her the one reason that would make her stay. When the Dogmothers begin interfering in their lives, Cassie decides to convince Braden to help her trick them while also helping him with a project he desperately needs to make his own dreams come true.  Soon they are unable to deny their desires and the emotions they have both hidden from are too much to resist, but when tragedy strikes they must decide if their love for one another is worth fighting through their fears and finding the happiness they could have together.

I LOVED getting to know these two characters more and finally finding out why they have been resisting one another for so long; readers of the Dogfather series saw that chemistry from the first moment they met in the previous novel and were just waiting for the fire to burn, but couldn’t figure out why they resisted so hard. Braden is the perfect guy to be honest… he’s a firefighter, so that pretty much shows right off that he is brave, loyal, strong, and dedicated.  You can see from the way he is with his dog(s) that is the also sweet, loving, and willing to work his butt off for those he loves, and of course all of those qualities combined with his physical hotness make him sexy beyond measure.  The way he works to make sure that he gives those he loves what they need makes me love him all the more, even when I wanted to slap him upside the head for his asinine belief that he could never commit to a woman because of the loss of his father.  Cassie herself has her issues that made me want to yell at her for being an idiot more than once. While Cassie is certainly a smart woman, filled with ambition and the drive to make a name for herself, she never really sees the impact that she could make if she stopped looking forward and instead looked around at the present for opportunities.  Seeing her with her family certainly left me in stitches more often than not, but when it counted she rallied around those she loved and showed them that she would be there for them no matter what, just as they always had been for her.  In the end, I came to really love Cassie, mainly because Jelly Bean did (wink wink) and the judge of any great person is a great dog.

The first foray into matchmaking for the Dogmothers was rocky and filled with drama, but in the end Gramma Finnie and YiaYia came through for Cassie and Braden.  I enjoyed every second of these two crazy old broads working together to bring their grandkids together for the kind of love they themselves had with their husbands. Cassie and Braden were both interesting characters with hang-ups they had to work through in order to earn the right to embrace a love that would bring them both the happiness thy needed to make themselves whole for the rest of their lives.  Braden was a strong and sexy man with the dedication to his work and his family that is the type of man I have been looking for all my life and I loved seeing him find his way into Cassie’s heart.  Cassie herself had to find a way to look inward to find what she really needed out of life, but once she did she discovered that sometimes what we need is right in front of us all along.  Once Cassie let go of that and embraced a new dream, the love she showered on her man and his dog(s) made me love her all the more as a character and as the love of Braden’s life. The passion and heat between these two burns the pages up, even when they were resisting one another, but once they gave in and began embracing their desires there was no way to put this book down.  I enjoyed very much seeing these two working together to get past their fears and the troubles in their lives to find a path to their happiness and I look forward to seeing them in future novels.  I am dying to see what drama these Dogmothers cook up as they continue to pair off their grandchildren and work to bring them love. If you love a good romance, wrapped around family, small town drama, and the fun and mischief that come from being a dog owner then you can’t go wrong with this series. Keep the magic coming Roxanne and I promise I will keep spreading the word about your magic.

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

Review: It's Getting Scot in Here (Wild Wicked Highlanders #1)

It's Getting Scot in Here (Wild Wicked Highlanders #1)

by Suzanne Enoch

Blurb:

HAPPILY-EVER-AFTER

London socialite Amelia-Rose Baxter is nobody’s fool. Her parents may want her to catch a title, but she will never change who she is for the promise of marriage. Her husband will be a man who can appreciate her sharp mind as well as her body. A sophisticated man who loves life in London. A man who considers her his equal―and won’t try to tame her wild heart...

IN THE HIGHLANDS

Rough, rugged Highlander Niall MacTaggert and his brothers know the rules: the eldest must marry or lose the ancestral estate, period. But Niall’s eldest brother just isn’t interested in the lady his mother selected. Is it because Amelia-Rose is just too. . . Free-spirited? Yes. Brazen? Aye. Surely Niall can find a way to soften up the whip-smart lass and make her the perfect match for his brother for the sake of the family.

JUST GOT A WHOLE LOT HOTTER.

Instead it’s Niall who tempts Amelia-Rose, despite her reservations about barbarian Highlanders. Niall finds the lass nigh irresistible as well, but he won’t make the mistake his father did in marrying an Englishwoman who doesn’t like the Highlands. Does he have what it takes to win her heart? There is only one way to find out...

Themes:  Historical, Scotland

Rating: 3.5 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

So another series begins with a sexy set of Scottish Brothers and an all new set of women get a chance to steal their hearts. I have enjoyed several series in the past from Suzanne Enoch and was looking forward to this new series for sure, but the premise of this first novel was a truly surprising one.  Our series kicks off with a dying man finally owning up to his sons about the truth of his and their mother’s long time separation and the fact that the time has come for him—and them—to deal with the stipulations of the agreement.  But the brothers have no intention of giving in to their mother’s demands, especially with their rather skewed views of her nature and their family’s past.  Traveling to England, on the premise of adhering to the agreement, the brothers quickly make quite the stir and the middle brother Niall makes a distinct impression on the woman their mother has selected for his eldest brother to marry, Amelia-Rose.  Amelia-Rose is determined to do right by her family by getting the MacTaggert heir to the altar, but the more time she spends with Niall, the more she wonders if she has been promised to a family she could be part of easily, but to the wrong brother entirely.  Niall was definitely a sweet but stupid man to begin this novel; after all did he really think he was making the right choices when he spent so much time with Amelia-Rose? But once he came to understand the truth of his feelings for her, he did own up to his mistakes and desires very quickly and thankfully began to understand that he couldn’t live without her.  Amelia-Rose is the kind of woman that has lived her entire life at the whims of others, but defying orders to spend time with Niall is the first thing she has ever done truly for herself.  As she begins to fall deeper and deeper for Niall, Amelia-Rose finds her own strength and stubbornness that she has buried deep for years under her duty to her family. I loved getting to know both of these characters as well as the rest of the MacTaggerts and I am looking forward to seeing the family in future novels.  The passion between Niall and his Amy is apparent from the first glance between them and only burns hotter the more time they spend together. I am looking forward to the next two books in the trilogy and cannot wait to find out what type of women Suzanne pairs them with. Long live the scots!

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

Review: In a Badger Way (Honey Badger Chronicles #2)

In a Badger Way (Honey Badger Chronicles #2)

by Shelly Laurenston

Blurb:

Petite, kind, brilliant, and young, Stevie is nothing like the usual women bodyguard Shen Li is interested in. Even more surprising, the youngest of the lethal, ball-busting, and beautiful MacKilligan sisters is terrified of bears. But she’s not terrified of pandas. She loves pandas.

Which means that whether Shen wants her to or not, she simply won’t stop cuddling him. He isn’t some stuffed Giant Panda, ya know! He is a Giant Panda shifter. He deserves respect and personal space. Something that little hybrid is completely ignoring.

But Stevie has a way of finding trouble. Like going undercover to take down a scientist experimenting on other shifters. For what, Shen doesn’t want to know, but they’d better find out. And fast. Stevie might be the least violent of the honey badger sisters, but she’s the most dangerous to Shen’s peace of mind. Because she has absolutely no idea how much trouble they’re in . . . or just how damn adorable she is.

Themes: Paranormal, Shifters, Crazy-pants women

Rating: 4.5 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

 A sexy badass panda shifter that sings Creedence Clearwater Revival with a who-gives-a-fuck attitude? Hell yeah, sign me up.

I have been looking forward to reading Stevie’s novel a long time and realized after the last novel that Shen would probably be her man, but I had no idea just how amazing their story would be or how much I would laugh while reading it.  True, as always, I have to throw out the caveat that a Shelly Laurenston novel just isn’t for everyone, that you might have to be just the tiniest bit different to enjoy them, but thankfully I am way beyond a tiny bit different and close to almost as nuts as some of her characters so I can thoroughly enjoy these psycho bitches!  Stevie is no exception to this rule, with her strange fears, OCD, weird friendships, and off-the-charts level of intelligence. While in the previous novel we got to know the more normal sister, Charlie, Stevie is definitely all kind of nuts and Shen seems to be able to appreciate and ultimately love her despite it, even though he is about as normal, calm, and level-headed as it gets.  Shen has spent years as a bodyguard to one of the most annoying and irritating little fuckers alive, and dealing with Stevie is almost easy compared to that, even though she turns him on beyond belief and he is a bit worried because of it.  I loved seeing Stevie finding her own niche, not only in her family, but in her larger community, even though she still has some issues to work through, and getting Shen’s love was just what she seemed to need to balance her out. Shen on the other hand lost his mind a few times while dealing with Stevie constantly putting herself in danger, but once he found a way to calm her ass down and show her that he will keep her safe, he is able to find his own inner calm again.  I absolutely loved watching these two fall in lust and ultimately come to terms that they are mates and the way these two sparks off each other was so funny and sweet too.  The overall story arc continues to become scarier and scarier, showing us that just because they are special doesn’t make shifters any less bigoted that humans, because honestly they are just as bad as us regular folks in some cases—people are people and hate is hate. I am really looking forward to the next story in this series and seeing the last sister meet her match, and I seriously hope whatever man steal her heart is just as psycho and badass as she is. Another crazy amazing series is fully underway and I am hooked!

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

Review: Chasing Fire (Colorado High Country #7)

Chasing Fire (Colorado High Country #7)

by Pamela Clare 

Blurb:

An I-Team/Colorado High Country Crossover Novel

Fire chief Eric Hawke knows it’s only a matter of time until the next big wildfire. He’s done everything he can to prepare his crews for the inevitable. When high winds turn a small blaze into a raging crown fire that threatens Scarlet Springs, he, Brandon Silver, and the rest of Scarlet FD put their lives on the line to save the town and its citizens. But the one thing Hawke hadn’t planned for was bureaucratic red tape and waffling from higher-ups that could turn this crisis into a catastrophe. When his requests for support go unheeded, he’s faced with the prospect of watching the town he loves burn to ashes.

But sometimes help comes from unexpected places.

Marc Hunter, Julian Darcangelo, and Zach McBride are in the mountains above Scarlet Springs for an interagency training exercise when they see a single wisp of smoke to the west. What begins as a fun day of playing cops and bad guys soon becomes a battle against time, as they join forces with Hawke and members of the Rocky Mountain Search & Rescue Team to save friends trapped by the fire.

Together, they pit their strength and courage against a terrifying and unforgiving force of nature. Will it be enough? Or will the ravenous flames claim lives—and leave the people of Scarlet Springs forever scarred?

Themes:  Contemporary, series cross-over

Rating: 5 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

Well now that my freaking tears have dries I can actually see well enough to write this review, because holy fuck did I cry buckets when reading this one.  Almost I must warn you to not begin this one unless you can devote the time to get to the end, because you will not be able to sleep and certainly working will be torture if you are forced to deal with it in the middle of this story. Pamela Clare might be an angel most of the time, but I cursed her so many times while reading this that even her years might have been bleeding.  This story revolved around all of our favorite characters from Pamela’s two contemporary series, the I-Team and Colorado High Country, as their lives crossed in a tragic and heartbreaking story of danger and true heroism. It is really difficult to speak too much about the book without giving away plot points, but I will do my level best. The story begins with the I-Team badasses beginning a join training mission just outside Scarlet Springs with the county sheriff’s office and saying sweet and sexy goodbyes to their wives.  Slowly we go through day-to-day uneventful beginnings for each of the main characters in the book and get to see how the characters will come together in forced circumstances.  When a fire breaks out, in the forest outside of Scarlet, the whole town is soon involved and we get to see all the everyday heroes we have gotten to know from both series put themselves out there to make sure that civilians and friends are safe. We live through the drama of possible lost loved ones, missing persons, and the dangers these men and women face daily right alongside them as the fire intensifies, and the tears and fears make it impossible to stop turning the page even long enough to feed yourself.  While it isn’t the typical structure of a romance novel, I dare to say it is truly a romance, as the love these individuals have for their families, friends, and significant others is undeniable at any single moment of the story. Pamela is one of the few authors that truly understand the psyche and lifestyle of these everyday heroes that we so often take for granted, and she continues to amaze me with the way she reminds us to appreciate them.  I was sad to see the pain that so many of the characters had to deal with, but in the end I know that they will all be fine and that their HEAs are going to hold steady for the rest of their long lives.  The beauty off this story is allowing the reader to renew the love of characters and series that we have missed in the past as we have moved to new series and also getting interesting reminder of the dangers we humans face daily if we aren’t careful to make sure that we respect the world around us.  I am hoping there is more coming in the Colorado High Country series, but if not, then Chasing Fire was a fitting end to the series as well and one that I won’t be forgetting any time soon.

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

Review: Jaguar's Mate (Crescent Moon #8)

Jaguar's Mate (Crescent Moon #8)

by Katie Reus

Blurb:

She’s not looking for a mate…

Sapphire is cursed. Every relationship she’s ever been in has ended poorly. So she’s sworn off relationships and is happy with her life. Until Eli comes along—a one-night stand that turned into two nights. When things got too intense, she did what she always did. She ran.

He’s not letting her get away…

This time Eli isn’t letting Sapphire go without a fight. When her friend needs help escaping an abusive situation, he steps up, no questions asked. It doesn’t matter that Sapphire won’t tell him why she’s holding back from him. He’s a jaguar shifter and cats are very patient—he’ll wait for his mate to come around. But before he can claim her once and for all, they’ll have to deal with an angry bunch of shifters who are out for blood.

Themes: Paranormal, Shifters

Rating: 4 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

Ok, I accidentally requested this novel, just because I saw one of my favorite author’s names on the tagline, without really looking into the rest of the info about the book, and though I don’t usually like to jump into a series this late in the game, I read it anyway.  I have not read any of the others stories in this series, written under Katie’s pseudonym Savannah Stuart, but book 8 was good all on its own anyway. After all I have never read anything by Katie Reus that I didn’t enjoy so why would her writing with a different name on the front be any different? Sapphire has had some seriously bad luck with men in the past and decided a long time ago that short affair and flings were all she would ever get out of life, so despite her attraction to Eli, she refuses to let him into her heart any more than he already has.  When her best friend calls her, beginning for help escaping a dangerous situation, she suddenly finds herself forced to deal with Eli has her partner on the mission, and resisting him becomes increasingly impossible. Eli knows that Sapphire is his destined mate, if he can just get the stubborn wolf to stop evading him long enough to show her the truth of it, thankfully no one can be sneakier than a cat on a mission. Together they work to defeat their enemies and Eli works to show his wolf that she owns his heart and he is willing to do whatever is needed to prove to her that he is worthy of her love. Eli was a sexy cat for sure (sorry couldn’t resist the pun) and I loved seeing him in action as he fought to protect Sapphire and her friends and to earn her love.  I enjoyed the brief chance to get to know him and would have loved seeing more of him. Sapphire was a sweet woman with a inner core of strength to be sure, but she has some seriously silly ideas of why she had to keep her heart protected from Eli. Once she opened herself up and let him have a chance I liked her even more and was rooting for them to have a true chance to be mates for life. I am definitely interested in going back and reading the rest of this series and will add it to my already massive TBR, but I have a feeling that fans of the series will enjoy seeing characters they have watched fall in love in the past and getting glimpses of their lives. I will also read anything that comes in this series in the future too.  Just more Katie magic to go on my ever expanding Reus bookshelf.

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

Review: Wild on My Mind (Where the Wild Hearts Are #1)

Wild on My Mind (Where the Wild Hearts Are #1)

by Laurel Kerr

Blurb:

When Katie Underwood discovers a litter of newborn cougar cubs, the last person she expects to come to the rescue is her former crush―and high school nemesis―Bowie Wilson. The worst part? He doesn't seem to remember the trouble he caused her.

As a single father and owner of a cash-strapped zoo, Bowie struggles to balance budgets while raising his pre-teen daughter and a host of rascally animals. He considers himself lucky when Katie agrees to lend her talents to a publicity campaign in support of the zoo's animal rehabilitation programs―until he learns just what she's planning...

This time, Katie is determined to resist Bowie's charm. But a lovelorn camel, a matchmaking honey badger, and a nursemaid capybara have different plans. Can they and the rest of the zoo's menagerie help Bowie break through the barriers surrounding Katie's heart?

Themes: Contemporary

Rating: 3.75 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

I love animals, what can I say they are my passion, so when my favorite genre of reading combines my passion for animals there is no way I can resist the chance to read the story.  I had never heard of this author until I say this story come up as a possible option in Netgalley, but between the story synopsis, the title and the cover there was no resisting.  And I am happy to say I am glad I gave the story a real shot;  Wild on My Mind is a great first story in a series that looks like it could be very interesting by an author that I could really come to enjoy reading.  The story kicks off with Katie stumbling across three orphaned and cute-as-can-be cougar cubs that are close to death and in serious need of help, in the wilds behind her family’s farm.  She is determined to do all she can to make sure they survive, and calls for the help of the local animal rescue/zoo, never knowing that the bane of her high school years is about to crash back into her life as a fully grown man.  Bowie is instantly and intensely attracted to the sexy woman, but her just as intense and instant dislike for him is puzzling because while she looks vaguely familiar he just can’t seem to place her.  When the truth of her identity comes to light, Bowie is horrified by the truth of the damage he caused as a thoughtless youth, and determined to make it up to Katie, even as she seeks to humiliate him as much as he once did her.  Soon they are working side-by-side to care for the baby cougars and find a way to turn the zoo around and bring it back to life, and the closer they get the more they both begin to understand that the past belongs in the past and the feelings they are developing for each other now are deeper and more important.  Katie and Bowie have both done a lot of growing up, and still have some to do, but each knows that the character that they have developed and the hurts of their pasts have made them into the perfect match for one another, as long as they can keep the outside world from coming between them.  Katie was the quintessential nerd in high school, the girl that was picked on and tortured simply because she was different, but her inner strength and light was apparent to Bowie even then, though he didn’t know what to do about it.  As she grew up and found her place in the world, becoming the strong and determined woman that can find a way to forgive the hurts of the past and embrace the love of a truly good man and father, she became my hero even more. I also loved that despite Bowie’s ex trying to come between them, once Bowie earned her love and trust, no way was Katie going to give him up. Bowie was a kid that had so much going on that was hidden from the world and he fought back in the best way he knew how, but when he was forced to grow up quick, he found that he was a good father and man.  The love that he was offered at just the right time by his new family led him down a truly wonderful path and allowed him to find a path that earned him the forgiveness of a woman that was meant to be his all along. While the emotional turmoil they both had to deal with was high, especially in the beginning of this story, the palpable energy and passion between Bowie and Katie left them both confused and burning for one another and reminded the readers that sometimes letting that passion have free reign cane lead to some truly amazing connections.  I am really looking forward to seeing what comes next in this story and seeing the Katie’s bestie June fall in love.

Just as an aside, being that I’m such an animal lover, it has to be mentioned that while the story is written primarily from the POV of the H/h, there are also snippets from another POV.  That of the spunky in-house escape artist, the honey badger that calls the zoo home.  These passages were BEYOND HILARIOUS and had me laughing so hard that I cried, especially the epilogue.  I cannot wait to see if these continue in the next book, or maybe we get the POV of a whole new animal, but either way this was a fun and unexpected little twist to add to the story. 

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