Review: My Favorite Cowboy (Heart of Texas #3)

My Favorite Cowboy (Heart of Texas #3)

by  Donna Grant 

Blurb:

Audrey Martinez is a veterinarian who has devoted her whole life to the care and protection of horses―even if doing so leaves her little time for meeting a man. Who would have thought that a strange case of criminal horseplay would lead her to falling deeply, wildly in love? If only the man who makes her heart race faster than a wild mustang would let his guard down, that is. . .

Caleb Harper is no ordinary cowboy. Sure, he wears his hat, boots, and jeans like a second skin, and displays an easygoing charm that comes from years of working on the ranch. But with his military background, and Army buddies at his side, he is tried-and-true Texas tough. Audrey knows she can trust a man like Caleb to help her save horses. But can Caleb trust himself to resist his attraction to Audrey―or will the sparks of their desire end up getting them burned?

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating: 4.75 stars

Heat Rating:
 

Review:

Even the mightiest fall under the weight of true love and Donna Grant proves it in this amazing story of a man who finally meets his match. I have found this series to get more and more amazing as the emotional turmoil and healing becomes more intense with each siblings’ story and Ms. Grant truly has the ability to make me cry while hoping that the lovers manage to overcome all odd to find their HEA. If you have followed this series then you recognize Caleb as the youngest brother of the Harper clan and the one with the most fears and trauma from the desertion of his mother when he was very young.  Now he is an established ranch owner and horse trainer that is making a huge mark on the horse business in their area, but he refuses to let any woman hold his attention for more than a night. Caleb runs into Audrey as she is investigating a group of deathly ill horses at the local auction house run by one of their shared friends and he is instantly and insanely attracted to her, in more than just the usual physical ways.  Audrey has dedicated her life to the health and safety of horses and she is devastated that she can’t figure out why the horses she loves are dying, but soon the truth show that the danger is even greater than simple sickness and could lead to even more danger for herself.  Audrey and Caleb begin to see that the horse sickness is more than a single event and that her reputation and possibly her life might be in danger.  The Harper-East family immediately rally around Audrey and her sister, keeping them safe, and working to discover the full extent of the plot that has shaped up around them, but the more time they spend together the more Caleb wants Audrey.  Soon Caleb can no longer deny that the feelings he has for Audrey go way beyond his usual need for lust for a woman, and giving in to it is terrifyingly easy while devastatingly hard at the same time.  When their fears pull them apart, Audrey and Caleb have to decide if the love that has developed between them is enough to keep them together or if they are going to give up on the greatest passion they have ever felt.  I loved getting to know these two and finally seeing Caleb overcome his fears in order to become the man he was always mean to be with a full and giving heart dedicated to the woman that stole it from him.  He was a strong, dedicated, and sensual man with the sweetest nature and the ability to overcome even the fears of a woman that doesn’t trust easily even while dealing with his own fears.  Audrey’s devotion to her duties as a vet and discovering what is hurting the horses she loves made me love her immediately, but once I got to know her and see how smart and amazing she was in other way I began to like her as well just like Caleb did.  These two lit a fire in one another from the very first moment they set eyes on each other, but because they fought it so hard, when they did finally give in the flames burned so hot that I had to put the book down for a cold showed just to be able to finish it.  After another sleepless night where I refused to go to bed until this one was finished, I can honestly say it was my favorite of the three so far and I am looking forward to the next in the series and hopefully many more to come. Magic as always Donna, but boy-oh-boy you outdid yourself this time for sure and will have a lot of live up to with the next one!

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

ARC Review: Amber's Heat (Guarded Souls)

Amber's Heat (Guarded Souls)

by Lexxie Couper 

Blurb:

He’s been a lone wolf for centuries, the last of his species. A secret. And then she enters his life. But is she the future he’d never imagined he could have…or is she his worst nightmare?

Who is the hunted, and the hunter?

Kitt Newton accepted the fact he’s the last known dire wolf shifter on the planet centuries ago. He’s okay with that. Work keeps him busy. Can’t think about being alone when he’s busy protecting people—humans—after all. And who really needs to be mated for life? However, when he’s captured by a mysterious hunter, the last person he expects to save him is Amber Calegari, a woman he met at a café a few weeks ago.

Amber has spent her life studying dinosaurs. Specifically canis dirus from the late Pleistocene period. She’d thought she’d gone mad when she found evidence of an ancient human/dire wolf species. And even madder when she followed the trail to LA…and a man called Kitt Newton. Surely the massive hunk of burly hotness couldn’t be some kind of paranormal creature? Right? And if he is, shouldn’t she—as a scientist—reveal his existence to the world?

An apex predator has no right being drawn to a weak, fragile human, but is Kitt mistaken about Amber? And if he is, what the hell is he going to do about it, especially when he feels the mating bond begin to burn within him whenever she is near…

Themes: Paranormal

Rating: 4.25 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

Lexxie Couper strikes again with a fun and sexy story of two souls destined for one another and a dangerous foe that neither ever saw coming. I began reading this series as a fluke when I was offered the chance to read the second story and offer my opinion by the author.  Of course being me, I had to go back to the beginning and read the first story too, so I have been there from the beginning and I can say that the series just keeps getting better and better.  I have never read a story by Lexxie that has let me down as far as the sensuality and carnal passion between her characters, though I have been let down in the past by the overall plots, but I am thrilled to report that this series has been amazingly well rounded in all regards.  This third story in the series was even more enjoyable, though I might be a bit biased being a wolf lover through and through, and I am very much looking forward to seeing what comes next. Fans of Ms. Couper will recognize her miraculous skill at leading her lovers into the strangest of situations and making it seem perfectly natural for them to figure out a way to escape.  Even when you are gasping in fear, you know that the H/h will pull through and find a way to defeat the evil that is stalking them and this story is no different in that regard, even if the evil turned out to be much closer to home than either of them originally believed. I cannot wait for book four and am dying to find out what kind of trouble Dak and the others are going to get themselves into and maybe see who he and Nim fall in love with most of all.

Kitt and Amber have been circling one another for months as he slowly began to fall for her, so he was dearly surprised when he wakes up in a cage to find her rescuing him from an evil dude that has kidnapped him.  Amber finds a way to get them away, but as soon as they are alone it is time for her to come clean and explain to him how she was there to save him.  Amber doesn’t really want to admit that she has basically been stalking him, watching him and trying to find proof that he is in fact a dire wolf shifter, and now she has her proof.  The passion between them, though, is undeniable and she is beginning to wonder if the scientific discovery will be worth losing the man she is coming to care for.  With danger swirling around them, Kitt and Amber find that their chemistry and the magnetic draw to one another is irresistible now that Amber knows the truth and Kitt can stop hiding his true nature from her.  But at the same time can he handle putting the woman he is coming to love in mortal danger just by loving her, or will he make the choice to give up their love to keep her safe?

I loved Kitt and Amber’s story, and though it is short(ish), it was undeniably my favorite of the series.  Kitt is witty, sarcastic, and sexy with just the right amount of edginess to make any woman swoon, while still being sweet and loving to his woman.  And of course there is no discounting his willingness to kill anyone who threatens her or even makes her feel worried. His alpha nature and caring heart make him the perfect mate and once he gives his heart there is no taking it back. Amber was a sweetheart, if a little bit clueless in the beginning, but once she began to open her eyes to the depth of the world around her, you could see her intelligence and courage would serve her well.  There was no denying she had ulterior motives in the beginning of her relationship with Kitt, but it becomes abundantly clear in the end that she couldn’t survive without him and that makes me love her immensely.  Together they make a perfect team and you can see they are going to be a match that burns forever and helps light the way for others for generations to come.  The Guarded Souls team is filled with interesting and unique characters that I know are all going to have their own unique and fantastic stories of love as they find their mates in coming novels and, though I am particularly interested in Nim’s story, being a Wiccan practitioner myself, I know that Ms. Couper will do well by all of them as she leads them on a merry chase for love.  If you are a fan of short but well written and sensual stories of remarkable individuals that have come together to face the dangers in the paranormal world, then this series is just the one for you. Another marvelous addition to my digital bookshelves for sure.

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

Review: You Will Suffer (The Agency #3)

You Will Suffer (The Agency #3)

by Alexandra Ivy

Blurb:

Every small town has a secret...and this one is worth killing for. The rolling fields outside Curry, Oklahoma, are a beautiful spot to ramble on an early spring day...and a lonely place to die. Among the prairie grass and wildflowers, a killer kneels beside a curled-up figure, plunging a syringe beneath skin to deliver the fatal dose. And as the victim's last breath mingles with the air, it sends a warning out to the world: this is just the beginning. Rejecting her judge father's prestigious connections, Ellie Guthrie opened her own law firm in Curry. But something strange is going on. Ellie's tires are slashed. Dead rats are dumped on her patio. Her neighbour, former FBI agent Nate Marcel, insists on watching out for her. And then bodies begin turning up - supposed overdoses that Nate suspects are something much more sinister. There's a killer in town, toying with her, drawing both Ellie and Nate into a web of murder and vengeance. To find answers, she'll have to unearth this small community's dark and twisted past...before it's her turn to die. Look for more page-turning suspense from Alexandra Ivy with Pretend You're Safe and What Are You Afraid Of?, out now.

Themes: Contemporary

Rating:  4 stars

Heat Rating:  

Review:

Small towns have secrets just like any big city and Alexandra Ivy has the skill to draw them out and show readers that danger can lurk around any corner if you aren’t watching your step.  I loved reading this story and enjoyed very much seeing another couple working together to overcome the evil that is so easily hidden in humans, evil that people just don’t think about because we don’t want to imagine it those we know and sometimes love.  Ellie has moved to the small town where she began her life, opening a law firm again the wishes of her big-city ambitious parents, and deciding to live a simple life.  She has caught the attention of her neighbor, retired FBI agent Nate, but she has to this point managed to evade his every advance, until one day she has no choice but to accept his assistance when her care is rendered unusable.  Nate has wanted Ellie from the first moment he saw her and when he finally gets her alone the chemistry between them is amazing, but soon he sees that there is danger around the sexy lawyer that he will put them both in the crosshairs of a dangerous killer if her pursues her.  Working together they have to find a way to stop a madman that is killing people and working to end Nate and Ellie’s chance at a future together.  Ellie is strong woman, one that has taken her life and choices into her own hands, despite her overbearing parents’ demands give up her small-town dreams.  She is determined to forge her own path and find a way to make her mark on her hometown while truly making a home for herself, and Nate is not someone she imagined crashing into her life.  Nate is a kick-ass protector and will give his all for the woman he loves, but he also has a calm and sweet side that has led him to want a simpler life, just like Ellie and he is working to make his mark on Curry in his own way as well. The heat between them is off the charts and when they are no longer able to resist it, we watch as they burn one another up in only the best of ways.  I truly enjoyed seeing Nate and Ellie find a way to overcome the danger and drama around them as well as coming to terms with their feelings for one another and forging a life together.  I am looking forward to whatever comes next in this series or whatever series is next for Alexandra Ivy.

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

Review: The Last True Cowboy (Chestnut Creek #1)

The Last True Cowboy (Chestnut Creek #1)

by Laura Drake

Blurb:

This cowboy's got one last chance to prove himself.

Carly Beauchamp has loved cowboy Austin Davis since first grade. Ask anyone in their dusty, backwater New Mexico town of Unforgiven, and they'll say "Carly and Austin" the way some say "big trucks and country boys." But after years of waiting for a wedding ring, Carly's done with being a rodeo widow . . .

Austin never meant to put his career on the circuit before Carly. She's always been his future, his one and only. But now that she's moved on, he's beginning to see where he went wrong, and he'll do anything to win her back. The only thing is, Carly's suddenly acting differently, and she's definitely hiding a secret-one that will test the depth of their love and open up a whole new world of possibilities.

Themes: Contemporary, YA Romance

Rating: 2.5 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

 Well I have to say, I really didn’t enjoy this story much, though the ending when it finally came was pretty decent.  I am all for cowboys usually and stories about growing pains, I was even willing to overlook the secret she was hiding, which is one of my least favorite book tropes, but in the end I had to force myself to finish this one.  Carly has finally decided that she is going move on from the love of her life, her high school sweetheart, because he hasn’t truly committed to her, and breaks up with her.  Apparently this is nothing new though, to the point that it is a running joke with the whole town, and even though she has decided she means it this time, no one but her believes it.  To this point, I was just upset that the story was kind of childish and was hoping it would get better, but then Carly just got stupid and I really began to dislike her.  Austin on the other hand is just a scared kid that hasn’t yet grown up, pushing his girl off again and again despite loving her deeply and being fully committed to her physically if not emotionally.  From there the story when downhill fast, with tons of angst, idiotic decisions and the consequences that inevitably follow, and finally both of them growing-the-fuck up, almost too late. Maybe the problem is just that I am not a fan of YA romances for this very reason, but I can say for sure I was ok with the ending once Carly and Austin owned up to their shit and dealt with it. Carly might have been a good woman, in that she gave of herself to her family and friends, but she was purely selfish in her relationship.  When she was forced to deal with the consequences of her actions and the ways that she had to grow up in order to be what she needed for those around her I began to respect her a lot more and even like her a little bit.  Austin too had a lot of growing up to do and once her finally did and accepted his own errors and responsibility in ruining his relationship, he became the man he always needed to be for Carly.  I learned to like the, both and see that they could be a great couple in the end, but it took way too long to get there and since I already dealt with my own personal growing pains long ago I didn’t really feel up to reading about anyone else’s.  If you are into YA romances, then you will probably enjoy this novel a lot more than I did as it was well written and the issues being dealt with are important for young adults and dealt with well, but it just was not my thing.  I will probably not continue this series, but it was worth the try.

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

Review: Highland Crown (Royal Highlander #1)

Highland Crown (Royal Highlander #1)

by May McGoldrick 

Blurb:

Inverness, 1820

Perched on the North Sea, this port town―by turns legendary and mythological―is a place where Highland rebels and English authorities clash in a mortal struggle for survival and dominance. Among the fray is a lovely young widow who possesses rare and special gifts.

WANTED: Isabella Drummond

A true beauty and trained physician, Isabella has inspired longing and mystery―and fury―in a great many men. Hunted by both the British government and Scottish rebels, she came to the Highlands in search of survival. But a dying ship’s captain will steer her fate into even stormier waters. . .and her heart into flames.

FOUND: Cinaed Mackintosh

Cast from his home as a child, Cinaed is a fierce soul whose allegiance is only to himself. . .until Isabella saved his life―and added more risk to her own. Now, the only way Cinaed can keep her safe to seek refuge at Dalmigavie Castle, the Mackintosh family seat. But when the scandalous truth of his past comes out, any chance of Cinaed having a bright future with Isabella is thrown into complete darkness. What will these two ill-fated lovers have to sacrifice to be together…for eternity?

Themes: Historical, Scotland

Rating: 4.25 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

We begin an all new series, set in turbulent 19^th century Scotland, with a bang as Isabella and Cinaed find love in the most unlikely of times and places during the danger and drama of a deadly escape and evade maneuver for the ages.  I am a huge fan of pretty much any story set in Scotland and I have come to really enjoy the work from this husband and wife team under the pen name of May Goldrick, but I think I will enjoy this series even more than the previous one.  Isabella is on the run from the government and the rebels as she tries to get out of Scotland after the death of her husband in a firefight in their home.  She has lived her life in a dangerously odd profession for a woman as a physician, but she refuses to hide her calling when a shipwreck washes a man up at her feet with a gunshot wound.  Cinaed wakes to find a beautiful woman caring for him, but soon realizes that he owes his life to a woman that is in serious need of a protector and he must decide is he is willing to fill that role.  Cinaed is the type of hero that could lead an army into battle with no trouble at all, his charisma and sensuality could also lead any woman into sin in the blink of an eye, but his dedication and steadfast nature are even more enchanting.  Isabella is brave and smart and a woman way before her time, but her willingness to forfeit even her own safety to protect those around her is what truly makes her a heroine in my eyes. I enjoyed very much seeing Cinaed and Isabelle working together to outsmart those that hunted them as they slowly found their footing in a relationship that built slowly even though their attraction to one another was immediate.  There is a kind of subtle and sweet heat between them from the beginning and when they give in to it, it become they are meant to be together despite the world pulling them apart again and again.  I am looking forward to whatever comes next in this series and seeing how the war affects the lives of these people. Another great series begins and I am dying to see where we go from here.

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