Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Review: SEAL Wolf Surrender (SEAL Wolf #6)

SEAL Wolf Surrender (SEAL Wolf #6)

by Terry Spear 

Blurb:
For a shifter with no interest in she-wolves...he sure is territorial.
Wolf shifter and former Navy SEAL Brock Greystoke isn't interested in she-wolves. The last one in his life ambushed him with the intent to kill. So when he's tasked with helping his cousin's friend get to a wedding, he has no intention of getting involved with her...

She-wolf Natalie Silverton has inadvertently crossed a group of dangerous criminals, and she's in dire need of a bodyguard. Good thing Brock is there to protect her. At every turn, their work--and play--brings them closer to catching the criminals and to each other, but Brock will have to get them out of this alive if he has any hope of winning Natalie's heart.
Themes: Paranormal, Shifters, Wolves
Rating: 3.25 stars
Heat Rating: 
Review:
I am not sure if the timing was bad on this, or there was something about this particular one, but I really found this story was hard to get into.  Normally I devour one of these in no time flat and enjoy it, even if there are slow moments, but I can honestly say if I wasn’t so dedicated a fan this one might have ended up in my DNF pile.  I have followed this series since the very first Heart of the Wolf novel over 20 stories ago, and while some of them have been slow, usually don’t have issues, because I love Terry’s writing and her characters are usually so interesting and her plots unique.  Brock and Natalie were both okay characters with some fun characteristics that made them likeable.  Natalie is Angie’s best friend and is on her way to the wedding when she gets a little lost, Brock luckily is able to step in and give an assist.  Maybe that’s where the story lost me to begin with.  I can understand a little bit of ditz, but in this day and age there is no excuse for a woman with a phone and GPS getting lost, so I found Natalie to be just a little bit annoying and too much a damsel in distress to truly connect with her I think.  Brock was a sweet and sexy wolf to the rescue, but there was no balance in their relationship, with him always rescuing her and him being the big bad SEAL wolf.  There was not enough depth to their relationship formed.  I wanted more I think.  The details of the plot and crime, even with Rock and Natalie working together to solve the criminal enterprise were kind of boring in the depth of detail, but maybe that was just timing as I generally enjoy learning about all kind of random details like this.  The passion was a bit light until all of a sudden they were ready to mate then it was hot as hell and the mating was done.  Everything was a bit odd and disjointed to me and I just couldn’t connect with this one in the end.  I am hoping the next one drag me in like previous novels from the series have, again hoping maybe the timing of my life just keep me from being able to enjoy it. Terry will continue to be one of my go-to paranormal authors, but this one is a no for me for right now.
*ebook provided by publisher (via netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Review: Taken (Deep Ops #1.5)

Taken (Deep Ops #1.5)

by Rebecca Zanetti

Blurb:
Hunter Holt might be the most stubborn ex-soldier ever born, but when he’s called on to help find a lost foster kid, he jumps into action. Even if it means working with the woman who broke his heart five years ago—the woman who still haunts his dreams . . .
Faye Smith has spent five long years trying to get her life back on track. She knows she should’ve turned toward Hunter and not away from him. But they both had too many demons to destroy. Maybe now they’ll get another chance—and save someone else’s life too . . .
But first they’ll have to stop arguing long enough to trust the Deep Ops team. Hunter was a lost boy himself once. In fact, he ran away from the exact same man, their monster of a father. Now he and Faye will have to unite to find the brother he never knew—and maybe each other . . .
Themes: Contemporary
Rating: 4.25 stars
Heat Rating: 
Review:
 So the craziness continues with a little bit of a side trip for the new Deep-Ops team, where we get to meet some childhood friends of one of the members and see him swoop in to assist them on a personal mission. While I admit I was a little bit skeptical when I read the first story, since it was seriously nutso, I enjoyed this novella immensely and look forward to the next story even more. Faye and Hunter were childhood lover who thought for a while that they would never be separated, but when their lives were struck with a terrible tragedy their young love was too fragile to withstand the damage. Now forced to come back together five years later, in order to find and rescue Hunter’s long lost little brother, Faye and Hunter have to put aside their past and their broken hearts, which still yearn for one another, in order to get the job done. Calling in a little back-up from another foster brother, a member of the super-secretive Deep-Ops team, they work against the clock to come to terms with each other as well as save Hunter’s brother.  It was fantastic to watch these two circling one another as it was obvious their young love never truly died, but as they have grown the passions they have found adds and even deeper layer to their love as they embrace it.  Hunter never truly recovered from Faye throwing their love away and seeing her again is more than just a kick in the gut, but having to work with her in such close quarters is making it more and more obvious that the heat between them has actually increased since their childhood.  I loved Hunter because he was more than just a hero, more than just a sexy alpha male, but also immediately was a loving brother even though he never knew he was one, the second he discovered he had a brother out there.  Seeing him give his all to finding his brother showed just how dedicated he was to his family, which could easily include Faye again if she opened her heart to him, and I wanted so badly for the two of them to find their way back together.  Faye is a woman that has learned her lessons the hard way for sure;  she has had to come to terms with some seriously bad decisions and find a way to peace with them, even knowing that happiness will never be complete now that she pushed aside the only man she could ever love.  Finding her way back into his arms, and his heart, is the wisest choice she could ever make, but only by trusting in their new love and the relationship they could build will they both ever find the true happiness they deserve and be able to build the family they both so badly want.  Honestly I found myself more involved with and enjoying this novella more than I did the first full-length novel in this series.  There was so much heart, warmth, emotional turmoil, and action, with just a bit of fun and crazy thrown in, that it had all the makings of a truly fantastic Zanetti story.  I am hoping the rest of the series follows in this story’s footsteps and looking forward to the next book massively.
*ebook provided by publisher (via netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Review: Ignite (Dark Kings #15)

Ignite (Dark Kings #15)

by Donna Grant

Blurb:
Every inch of him was molded as if from granite...and her blood ran like fire...
For centuries, V has waited to awaken from his doomed sleep and reclaim his destiny. But this Dragon King--one among a legion of legendary warriors sworn to protect the human race from darkness--must first find a way to win back his sword. Wield its power. And try not to fall prey to his own illicit desires.
Claire may possess the beauty and soul of a goddess but V knows better than to mess with a mere mortal. Still, he instinctively knows that Claire is The One who can help him regain the use of his sword and restore his place at Dreagan. But if she learns the truth about who--and what--he really is, her memories of him would be erased forever. How can V love Claire truly, madly, deeply...and protect her from the forces of fire and darkness that could destroy them both?
Themes: Paranormal, Dragons, Fae
Rating: 4.25 stars
Heat Rating: 
Review:
The Dragon Kings war continues to build and soon there will be no escaping it for anyone—not the Fae, Light or Dark, Dragon King, Warrior, or human. I have been with this amazing group of Dragon shifters since before the series began, starting back with the Dark Sword series and all the way through to this newest series, running in conjunction with the Reaper series.  I have met so few authors who can take such a long running series, twists with other series, and make them all flow and work together so beautifully, but Donna Grant never fails to amaze me with that.  Constantine and Rhi continue to grab our attention as they are woven through the series and we anxiously await their stories as well, but as the war builds we know that danger lurks around every corner for them most especially. V, aka Vlad, has been one of the most mysterious Kings that we have met in the series, but we have seen him more and more as his story approached.  He has found his mate, though he resists her pull because he knows that know that he has found his sword he has a responsibility to his people that cannot be neglected, even if right now he can’t seem to fulfill it.  Claire has been on the sidelines of the Dragon Kings series since she was rescued along with her best friend and moved with her to Dreagan, faking her amnesia while knowing all along the nature of the sexy men all around her.  She has been attracted to V from the beginning, but knowing his nature, knew there could never be a chance for her to grab his attention, until quite suddenly she has it fully focused on her.  As V and Claire’s friendship becomes more, V finds that his magic and connection to his sword has deepened and he has hope that he just might be able to use it after all.  But friendship quickly turns into something deeper for them both, if only they will admit to their feelings and come to terms with the love and need they have for one another. Can their love truly change the shape of the future for the Dragon Kings? I loved every second of this book, laughing along with them as they enjoyed their time together as friends, and then learning to open their hearts to one another. V had to let go of a lot of his fears in order to have a chance at finding his love with Claire, but once he did there was no stopping him from claiming the woman of his dreams.  He was obviously willing to do anything for both his people and his woman, including giving up his personal dreams, but it took him a very long to overcome those fears and only with Claire’s help could he do so.  Claire was such a sweetheart, obviously braver than most any woman I could ever imagine.  She kept the secret of the Kings for so long and so well that not even her best friends knew that she was lying about her amnesia, but her honesty and dedication to her friends make her a perfect addition to the Dreagan family. While V has been fighting his attraction and Claire has been denying hers, the heat between them is indisputable and easily recognized by even their friends.  I cannot wait for the next story in this series and am dying to find out what comes next as the war heats up, though I hope the next Reaper story (Dark Alpha’s Redemption) might give me a few hints as well.  The Magick just seems to flow from Donna Grant’s imagination onto the pages in a way I can only envy and continue to enjoy for year to come –I hope!
*ebook provided by publisher (via netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Review: Chasing Vengeance (Redemption Harbor #7)

Chasing Vengeance (Redemption Harbor #7)

by Katie Reus 

Blurb:
Wanting her means putting a target on her back…
Layla’s taste in men runs toward the epic side of awful. With one murderous ex-fiancĂ© already behind her, she’s attempting to start over in Redemption Harbor with the help of her bestie, Nova. And wine. Lots of wine. The very thing that helps her make another epic mistake—trying to kiss Xavier, one of her newest friends. So what if he’s sexy, funny, and has completely taken over her fantasies? Relationships and Layla don’t mix. And Xavier is clearly not interested anyway.
But it’s too late to walk away…
Any good hitman has no business forging a personal life…no matter how great the temptation. And Xavier is an exceptionally good hitman, with a long list of enemies. Even if Layla could somehow look past his profession, he’d never put her in jeopardy. But everyone has their breaking point—and when Layla accepts a date with someone else, Xavier’s possessiveness is unleashed. The greater the risk, the sweeter the reward…until Xavier’s sweet Layla is used against him by someone from his past. Now he’ll do whatever it takes to protect her from the enemy hunting her from the shadows.
Themes: Contemporary
Rating: 4.5 stars
Heat Rating: 
Review:
The finale to one of my favorite series has come and I am so sad to see it, but I certainly enjoyed every single second of it. Layla and Xavier’s story was one that we have been waiting for a long time now, ever since Gage and Nora’s story where we first meet Layla as she runs from her murderous fiancĂ©e.  I was dying to read this story, but my unwillingness for the end to arrive put me off a little bit, but then when I finally gave in my happiness at seeing Layla and Xavier so happy curbed my sadness.  Reus has a way of making her readers truly dedicated to her characters’ lives, pulling us in and making us feel like they are our friends telling us their love stories years later as they have lived their HEA.  Layla and Xavier have been friends since they met at the ranch at a wedding, but when Layla suddenly finds herself in danger Xavier will give and do anything to keep her safe, including telling her the dirty secrets of his past in order to make her understand that he can keep her safe.  Layla is angry about his deception, but the pull between them remains undeniable and the love that has slowly been building is not dead yet.  Forced into very close quarters, Layla and Xavier must come to terms with one another and decide if the truth of their relationship is enough to overcome his past in order to have a future.  I went into this story thinking I was going to dislike Layla because of the way she was portrayed in her first appearance in the series, but thankfully she has grown and become much stronger since then.  Her unwillingness to let others dictate her life and future, her dedication to forging her own path, and her strength of character really shined through as we go to know her. Xavier was another interesting alpha male to get to know, one that was obviously sexy as hell, but more than that is commitment to keeping his past from affecting Layla is honorable. When they are together their passion is beyond combustible and the sweetness of their friendship is also easily detectable. I enjoyed getting to know Xavier, even as Layla really got to know him again, even though she had the base of their long friendship, but to see her standing up to him so passionately, which definitely turned him on, was beyond remarkable.  I truly am sad to see this series end, but I know that whatever Katie comes up with next will be just as sensual, passionate, and inspiring. If you have enjoyed this series as much as I have, this finale, wrapping up all the erotic, remarkable, and incredible stories of people that are so much more than just heroes, will make you laugh, cry, and smile as Xavier and Layla fall deeply in love and find their HEA.  Another magic ending to a series that broke my heart as much as it made it sing.
*ebook provided by publisher (via netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Review: Darkness Returns (Guardians of Eternity #13)

Darkness Returns (Guardians of Eternity #13)

by Alexandra Ivy 

Blurb:
Blessed with an even more compelling allure than most vampires, Chiron has made a fortune in the human world, creating an empire of resorts and casinos. Since the betrayal and imprisonment of his master, he has existed outside the order of the Guardians, trusting no one. But now, the new vampire king has given him a peace offering: a scroll that could free his master. Following the relic’s magic leads him to a demon hotel deep in the Everglades, a lush paradise owned by a mysterious and  mesmerizing woman…
 As far as Lilah knows, she’s lived her entire life within the confines of her enchanted estate. Memories of her own past are elusive and cloaked in shadows. Even Chiron can’t figure out exactly what she is, and if her intoxicating beauty is his destiny or an illusion drawing him ever closer to his demise—or perhaps to an even more tormenting choice, between his master and his mate …
Themes: Paranormal, Vampires, Magick
Rating: 4.25 stars
Heat Rating: 
Review:
 After so long of a wait, this amazing series picks up right where it left off with a story of intrigue, magic and mystery as a sexy and dangerous vampire ventures to a dangerous location on a quest to free his master from a century of entrapment that will surely have left his crazed and angered. I though the series had ended with the last book, so this new edition to the series coming so much later was a very welcome addition to my life, and I was thrilled for the chance to read and review it. Chiron is a vampire that we have never met before, but when we learned his back-story and how he fits into the overall world of the series, I was immediately intrigued. It is interesting to see that he has made something of himself, despite having no support from others of his species over the centuries, and I love that he has collected other misfits and outcasts to form not only a clan, but a true family.  When the new king of the vampires comes to him with new information that has come to light, he sets out on a mission—with our favorite gargoyle as his sidekick—to find his former master who he long thought murdered, and release him from a century long imprisonment.  His search leads him into the everglades to a very well hidden demon-only hotel run by the enchanting Lilah, who immediately grabs his attention and his passions.  As he hunts on the property for his master, things begin to unravel and he learns that neither Lilah nor her hotel are all that they seem, but he wants her too much to stop. Lilah has led a truly sheltered life and has forgotten the majority of her past and childhood, blocking it out for some unknown reason, but running her hotel and living a life of peace is all she desires, until the sexy vampire Chiron bursts into her life. As the truth is uncovered, the love that Lilah and Chiron has begun to feel is challenged and they are forced to trust in it if they want to be able to have a future together full of that love and happiness. I loved the sensuality and strength that Chiron portrayed, but his sweetness to Lilah when he saw how innocent she was and understood that she is to be protected at all costs was what rounded him out as they perfect mate to me.  I enjoyed watching as he fought his attraction at first, but then once he gave in, fought even harder to make Lilah his mate and to prove to her that they could have a long and meaningful life together despite all the forces against them. Lilah has an inner strength that isn’t immediately apparent, but once she begins to truly shine we can see that she has really been hiding too long needs to find her way out of the darkness to live by Chiron’s side.  I am dying to see what comes next in the series now that it has been kicked off again, because Alexandra Ivy is truly one of my favorite paranormal authors, being one of the first that pulled me into the genre.  I love everything she writes and I cannot wait for the next book, but no matter how long it takes, I will be first in line, guaranteed. Team Levet, all the way!
*ebook provided by publisher (via netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Sunday, July 14, 2019

Review: Stone Cold Heart (Tracers #13)

Stone Cold Heart (Tracers #13)

by Laura Griffin

Blurb:
When local rock climbers stumble upon abandoned human bones in a remote Texas gorge, Sara Lockhart is the first to get the call. She has a reputation as one of the nation’s top forensic anthropologists, and police detective Nolan Hess knows she is just the expert he needs to help unravel this case. Although evidence is scarce, Nolan suspects the bones belong to a teenage climber who vanished last summer.
But as Sara unearths strange clues, she finds chilling similarities to a case from her past—a case that now threatens to rock Nolan’s community. While Sara digs deep for answers, the stakes rise higher as another young woman disappears without a trace. Investigators work against the clock as Sara races to discover the truth, even if her harrowing search brings her face to face with a stone-cold killer.


Themes: Contemporary
Rating: 4 stars
Heat Rating: 
Review:
 The Tracers are back and better than ever. Personally I have always been intrigued by everything that a forensic anthropologist can learn just from a set of old bones, and this story certainly fed my interest in the science and intrigue of that.  The story revolves around a small town in Texas, famous for its parks and rock climbing spaces, where a set of bones has suddenly caused uproar for the community and its police force, including Nolan Hess. Sara Lockhart, the resident anthropologist from the Delphi center has been called in to find out who the bones are and what happened to end their life, and she is forced into close quarters with Nolan immediately.  The mystery quickly deepens when Sara and her team find more and more bones that don’t belong to their original body, leading Sara to believe that this site is really a body dump location for what could be a serial killer.  Nolan is amazed and intrigued by the passion Sara has for her work, and the sexy Anthropologist leads him on a merry chase, but he hates how she keeps putting herself in danger.  Nolan is an alpha protector at heart and not being able to keep Sara safe frankly makes him nuts.  They quickly learn that they work well together, but the killer has locked onto their investigation and is tracking them, and will protect his secret at all costs.  I loved seeing Sara in action, and I do mean action, because though she is a geek, she is also a woman of action and unwilling to just hide in her lab when she might be in danger.  She is smart, sassy, and has a dedication to her work that is admirable in any woman, but with someone whose job is as important as hers, is goes to a whole new level.  Sara was the type of woman I could see myself being best friends with, no question, and I have no problem understanding why Nolan fell in love with her so quickly.  Nolan was one of my favorite heroes in this series and seeing him kicking butt and taking names to save him woman and keeping her safe was interesting.  I loved watching them working together and finding their hearts quickly devoted to one another. In the end, only that trust in one another and devotion to their belief in each other is what saved Sara’s life when the killer gets the best of her.  I am dying to see where this series goes next and which of the Tracers loses their heart, but I know that wherever Ms. Griffin takes was will be magical and worth every second of waiting.
*ebook provided by publisher (via netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Thursday, July 11, 2019

Review: You Had Me at Jaguar (Heart of the Shifter #1)

You Had Me at Jaguar (Heart of the Shifter #1)

by Terry Spear

Blurb:
They're not the only ones on the prowl...but they're the most dangerous...
The United Shifter Force gives jaguar agent Howard Armstrong an impossible task—to protect fierce she-jaguar Valerie Chambers, when the last thing she wants is protecting. They're going international to take down a killer and he can guard Valerie all day long. But guard his heart? He doesn't stand a chance.
Themes: Paranormal, Shifters
Rating: 3.5 stars
Heat Rating: 
Review:
 I was interested to see this new joint series beginning and looked forward to finding out how the two species of shifter might be coming together to fight evil.  We got to see some characters we watched fall in love in previous novels and also got to enjoy sensual and amazing locales as we traveled to the Amazonian rainforest with our Jaguar shifters as they chased down as serious group of bad guys.  Howard and Valerie have both led relatively solo lives to this point, relying only on family and a few close friends to keep them safe while they fought to bring deadly and dangerous Jaguars that are criminals to justice.  Now they have to find a way to work together in order to bring down as drug-dealing killer and the ring of other Jaguars that he is working with.  When Valerie and Howard start to see one another in different light, as maybe something more than just adversarial co-workers the passionate sparks between them quickly become a conflagration.  I liked Valerie from the beginning, though her unwillingness to play well with others was a bit over the top, but her sneakiness was funny and certainly gave Howard and Jillian a run for their money.  Howard has never gotten over the initial reaction to Valerie from their training days, and being in close quarters brings his hormones and attraction right to the forefront, but he never forgets that his most important job is keeping her safe and bringing the killer to justice. While I enjoyed seeing them working together and accomplishing their mission, the story fell a bit short for me and I wished for just that little something more.  I had hopes their might have been more mixing of the species in this new series, with maybe even a wolf/Jaguar mating, but it seems like maybe that is not to be.  While the story itself was pretty god, I will hold out for that mating and hope that we will get even more from this series in the future. The skill of the author continues to shine and I always enjoy her books, but this one definitely fell a bit short for me.
*ebook provided by publisher (via netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Sunday, July 7, 2019

ARC Review: HOT SEAL Hero (HOT SEAL Team #7)

HOT SEAL Hero (HOT SEAL Team #7)

by Lynn Raye Harris 

Blurb:
She fears for her life.
He’ll risk his to protect her.
Falling in love? Not part of the plan…
Chloe Cooper is on the run from an abusive ex. Living in a new state, with a new name, she’s ready to focus on rebuilding her life. She’s got a job she loves, a new home—and a sexy Navy SEAL neighbor who makes her pulse flutter in spite of her determination not to get involved. But when a threatening message arrives, her dread about what her ex will do if he finds her forces her to make a choice.
Ryan “Dirty Harry” Callahan is protective by nature. When he meets Chloe, it’s clear she’s skittish about something. When he learns why she ran from her old life, his first objective is to keep her safe. His second is to make sure she knows she can trust him—and that she’ll have a posse of Navy SEALs at her back if she ever needs them.
When the attraction between Ryan and Chloe explodes, they’re helpless to resist its seductive heat. Everything is finally going right for Chloe—until her worst fears come true. With Chloe missing and her life on the line, Ryan will stop at nothing to get her back. Before he loses the woman he loves forever.
Themes:  Contemporary
Rating: 4.5 stars
Heat Rating: 
Review:
Wow, the HOT guys never cease to amaze me with the challenges they are willing to overcome in order to keep their women safe—even the wrath of Mendez doesn’t scare these men when their ladies' lives on are on the line! I have been dying for this story since the teaser in the last story and Dirty Harry didn’t let me down.  While his woman might have seemed sweet and innocent in the beginning her sass and sensuality soon shined through, like any good southern lady. The mix of danger, passion, friendship and love in Ryan and Chloe’s story was so perfectly rounded that I barely realized the story was almost over until BAM it was, which makes it the best type of story in my opinion.  The action was just enough to keep everything from being too mundane for lovers of the HOT series and Ryan found his perfect match in the down-to-earth Chloe, making their love story, while fraught with drama, truly a story of two people finding their way from neighbors to friends to lovers.  I am dying to see what comes next, and of course long-time readers know that Harris tortures us with a hint of it at the very end of Ryan’s book and now we just have to (IMPATIENTLY) wait for the next book to finally fulfill our dreams and give us Neo and Kayla’s HEA.  I am a huge fan of this series and cannot get enough of Lynn Raye Harris, but Ryan and Chloe’s story will definitely be one that holds a special place for me reminding me that even the smoothest of operators can fall like a ton of bricks when a woman finally earns his trust and love.
Chloe has finally escaped a past that left her with serious trust issues and she is determined to make something special of her life in her new home.  When she is forced to confront a naked, and extremely sexy, but befuddled man on her first day in her new home, she has mixed reactions to say the least, but soon she is finding that her new neighbor is way more than meets the eye.  Ryan “Dirty Harry” Callahan is reeling from a serious hangover when he is confronted by a sexy woman banging on his door way too early and demanding he move his truck. After some clumsiness and idiot moves, he finally gets his shit together and is able to put his hero skills to good use in getting to know his pretty new neighbor.  Way more attracted to him than any other man she has ever encountered, Chloe finds that resistance is pointless and soon she can’t resist his charms or his body, but when danger begins to peek around every corner she knows they need to cool off their new affair.  Pulling away was the smartest thing she could do to keep  Ryan and herself safe, but sometimes smart isn’t the best thing for the heart, and only by trusting in the relationship they have built and the love that is blossoming between them can they truly find a way to overcome the enemies surrounding them and be together.
Chloe and Ryan were interesting characters, having been broken emotionally in both small and large ways that would make a relationship rocky ground.  Chloe obviously has issues with her self-confidence, and in trust in her instincts and in others after the disaster of her last relationship.  Seeing her growing from that, especially as she got to know and believe in Ryan and his friends was amazing.  Any woman that has gone through that type of trauma needs a hero in big and small ways, but the most important is showing her that not all men are bastards that fly off the handle at the smallest provocation, giving her back the space she needed to be herself.  I loved Ryan for the way he always seemed to know when she needed that subtle assurance and push to be herself. In the end I love Chloe’s character for all the little parts that made her unique, but the combination of everything, her sassiness, sweetness, inner strength, vulnerability, and kickass protectiveness, were what really made me love her—and of course she had the proper combination for a perfect fried chicken like a good Southern girl should. Oddly we barely got to brush on the issue Ryan had, but it was an important one that could easily have come between him and Chloe had he not so easily exposed himself to her, so they could work through the problem together.  That strength through his fear made me love him almost as much as his willingness to do anything to keep his woman safe, but that is an expected trait in a HOT operator, while his willingness to confront his personal fear made him special. Of course he is sexy as hell, beyond HOTT, and a badass warrior, but his playful and sweet side were kind of unexpected and something that seemed to only come out to play when he was with Chloe.  These two really seemed to even each other out nicely.
HOT SEAL Hero is definitely a story about a man coming to the rescue of the woman he is and then has fallen for, but I think it safe to say that just as important is the story of a woman becoming her own hero.  Chloe slowly finds her way out of the shell she was forced into for her own mental safety during her disastrous last relationship; with the help of Ryan and his friends, she is finding her way back to the woman she was before and that she was always mean to be.  She is a woman that will stand up for herself, even when she is close to death, and protect not only her own life but the lives of the man she loves and their friends when she knows they are in danger. Her intelligence and wit, along with her wholesomeness and light make her the perfect addition to the HOT family and I can see her being one of the reasons that the whole team fights like hell to get home, not just Ryan himself. Ryan has to work through some issues to find that his attraction to Chloe is more than just intense lust, his fears and hang-ups not immediately allowing him to risk his heart, but she steals it right out from under his watchful eye anyway.   His intensity and laughter are used in equal measure to show Chloe that he is the type of guy that she can trust with her body, life, and ultimately her heart, even though she has been burned in the past.  The passion between these two burns as hot as a twelve-alarm fire from the very beginning, even when they are forced to push the physical side of their relationship to the back-burner, and there is no way anyone can miss the heat between them the second they clap eyes on each other. I loved seeing Chloe and Ryan find their way together and to an HEA, with all their enemies brought low, of course, and I enjoyed seeing the HOT guys in action, even if it was only very briefly.  I am dying for the next book already and cannot wait for the chance to snap it up.  Lynn Raye Harris has a way of pulling readers in and making you forget that you are not a member of this amazing team, until the very last two words on the page, making us all dread… “THE END”.
*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Thursday, July 4, 2019

Happy July 4th!

Happy 4th of July All!


Enjoy this time to celebrate with friends and family.  Grab a member of the US military and hug them as a thank you for maintaining that freedom you are celebrating. 


Here is one of my favorite recipes for July 4th. 

Red, White and Blue Cake Roll

Ingredients
  •          1/2 cup vegetable oil, plus more for the pan
  •          1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
  •          1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  •          1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  •          1/2 teaspoon salt
  •          1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
  •          1/2 cup milk
  •          3 large eggs
  •          2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  •          1 teaspoon red gel food coloring
  •          1 teaspoon royal blue gel food coloring
  •          Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
  •          For the frosting:
  •          3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
  •          Pinch of salt
  •          3 cups marshmallow cream
  •          1 cup confectioners' sugar
  •          1/4 cup milk

 Directions
1.   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush an 11-by-17-inch jelly roll pan or rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil and line with parchment paper; brush the paper with oil and dust with flour, tapping out the excess.
2.  Make the cake: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk the granulated sugar, vegetable oil, milk, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl. Add the flour mixture in 2 batches, whisking until incorporated. Transfer half of the batter (about 1 1/2 cups) to a separate bowl. Tint one batch red and the other batch blue with the food coloring.
3.   Spread the red and blue batters across the width of the prepared pan in alternating stripes, making each stripe about 2 inches wide (don't worry if the stripes aren't perfectly straight). Bake until the top springs back when pressed, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool about 3 minutes in the pan. Dust with confectioners' sugar and spread a clean kitchen towel (not terry cloth) on top. Place a cooling rack on the towel, then invert the cake onto the rack; peel off the parchment. Roll up the cake and towel together, starting at a short end. Let cool completely on the rack, about 1 1/2 hours.
4.   Make the frosting: Beat the butter and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the marshmallow cream and vanilla; beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 more minutes. Beat in the confectioners' sugar, then beat in the milk (the frosting should be spreadable).
5.   Gently unroll the cake (don't worry if the ends are still curled up). Spread with half of the frosting all the way to the edges. Reroll the cake (without the towel) and trim the ends. Cover with the remaining frosting.
Yield: 10 servings

Enjoy a bit of reading time today too! 

Happy 4th, 

Michelle 
The Romance Witch