Review: A Scot to Love and Protect (Once Upon a Scot #3)

A Scot to Love and Protect (Once Upon a Scot #3)

Maeve Greyson

Blurb:

Her arrow hit his shoulder. Her beauty caught his eye. But then there was the kiss…

Commander Valan MacDougall and his men are sent to end an extended attack on Caerlaverock Castle, stronghold of Clan Maxwell. The warriors fully expect the reportedly aged widow of the keep to swoon with relief when they arrive. The English have plagued the fortress and surrounding village for weeks. The warriors from Argyll mean to end the siege in a day or less. In fact, they’re placing bets on just how long it will take. After all, they are the invincible Gallóglaigh, and the English are…the English.

However, they discover the Lady Elspet Maxwell is not aged at all. She is a widow, but far from old. And the woman fights as fiercely as any man. The only thing surpassing her warring prowess is her incredible beauty. A beauty capable of bringing men to their knees. Valan regrets his order that Maxwell women are not to be touched by the mercenaries. Of course, he’s broken orders before and intends to do so again with the Lady Elspet—if she will allow.

Enemies outside the castle walls. Unknown enemies within. Meddling matchmakers too powerful to ignore. And the matter of Elspet making amends for shooting Valan not once, but twice. The atonement he requires from her? Just a kiss. What harm could come from one little kiss?

Themes:  Historical

Rating: 3.25 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

The finale of the fun trilogy of short stories about the Gallóglaigh warriors comes to and end with the story of the youngest commander Valan and the spitfire widow that quite literally brings him to his knees.  I never knew that Maeve Greyson’s skills for story telling would be so profound in such short stories, but I have found with this series that it truly isn’t the length of the story but the punch each story packs.  Valan has been sent to assist a Laird’s widow and her people that are under siege by the English, but when they arrive the scene before them is very unexpected, as is the arrow that punches through his shoulder.  Lady Elspet is certainly a widow, but she is nowhere near the aged or needy woman he was expecting, instead she is daring and deadly with a bow and doing everything in her power to protect her late husbands’ clan and hold their keep for them.   As the spend more time together, getting to know one another and working to unmask enemies and find the best solutions to problems that continue to arise for the Maxwell’s Elspet and Valan find themselves continuously drawn to one another until there really is not resisting one another.  But is protecting a clan that doesn’t even respect or value her worth the pain and loss she’ll face is she has to lose Valan or will Elspet give up the safety she’s known for years in order to go for what her heart wants?  I loved this finale story and the danger and action as Elspet and Valan worked together against enemies and with friends as they were tossed together in both peace and war.  Elspet is for sure a spitfire and dangerous in her own right, willing to fight and defend those she considers under her protection, and Ioved her sass and wit as well.  Valan is brave, sweet, kind and strong, making him the perfectly rounded knightly warrior and I enjoyed seeing him working to convince Elspet that he was the man for her.  The heat and passion between these two were apparent from the first time they clapped eyes on one another and the battles along the way were filled with sparks, but I enjoyed best when they finally admitted to their feelings and claimed their love.  Another great trilogy filled with passion and love comes to an end, but I hope that Maeve gives us another one just like it sometime soon.

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

ARC Review: Shared (Powertools: The Shields #6)

Shared (Powertools: The Shields #6)

Jayne Rylon

Blurb:

Aven pilots a private jet for the do-gooder assassins called the Shields, but it isn’t until she meets two special super spies that she truly learns to fly.

The next bisexual multipartner romance in NYT and USA Today bestselling author Jayne Rylon’s fan-favorite Powertools universe. Visit your favorite characters or meet new ones in this interconnected why choose standalone in the Powertools: The Shields MMF ménage series.

Themes:  Erotica, Ménage

Rating: 4.5 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

The final member of the Shields has found her mates, bringing this sub-series to a bittersweet ending, but the ending was filled with passion, sensuality, drama, pain and fear as three people found their way to an ultimate lifelong love.  Jayne Rylon never ceases to stir my blood and bring me to tears with her stories of pain and vulnerabilities that must be faced in order to bring her lovers to ultimate happiness, but this finale was BEYOND even my expectations.  Aven’s story began in the previous novel when the sexy and dangerously dominate mafia boss Levin crashed into her life when he made a deal with Shields to protect his friend and his boyfriend from the harm his life had placed them in.   Now Konstantin is caged with her day and night when she is not on assignment and the angry bear of a man has lost of belief in the love of the man he would have given his life for, despite being unable to get his heart back.  Levin is determined to rid the world of his enemies and knows that he is not worthy of the sexy Kon and Aven, but the more he faces their connection and the sweetness of their relationship the more he wishes he could be a part of them, despite knowing it could never be.  But when their enemies catch up to Levin, Aven and Kon will risk everything in order to bring home their man and have a chance to convince him that the three of them are meant to be a unit and their love is strong enough to defeat any obstacle in their path, even Levin’s own stubbornness. I knew from the moment Levin crossed Aven’s path that their story was going to be explosive, but when we meet their third and the connections between them all begin to develop the passion is beyond the heat of the sun.  Levin is the typical uber-dominate ass you expect, but under that façade you can see the fears he harbors that he isn’t good enough for them, despite wanting so badly to be able to give them what they all want.  He is determined to go down burning the world around him instead of having to walk away from Aven and Kon.  I loved seeing him in the few moments he caved to his own needs and allowed himself to embrace the need for his lovers to support him, even as he gave them what they all needed.  Aven is a strong woman, a warrior in her own right, but she has never had the love she needed from anyone in her lie, so she doesn’t understand that she is just as integral to the men’s love as their connection to one another.  She is sassy, smart and sweet as hell, putting the needs of her men before herself again and again, but I loved that she finally found a way to push past her fears and reach for the love she wanted with both her men in order to truly happy.  Kon was the wildcard in this story for sure.  He was at times submissive and sweet, but others such an alpha and aggressive in his fights that you wondered if he had multiple personalities, but the truth was that he was simply himself and gave his lovers the personality they needed at any given moment.  His softer and sweet side came out when faced with Aven’s need for comfort or Levin’s need to dote on his lovers, while his strong and dangerous side came to the front when she needed him to keep their lover safe and lead them all out of the darkness of fear and doubt.  Together they truly made the perfect three sides of a triangle to support one another and come together in a loving and fulfilling relationship.  I am sad to see this series ending, though I understand there is another spinoff coming so (maybe even two!) centered in Middleton so we will get to see the Shields plenty in the future. Jayne is truly a queen of Ménage and I know when I pick of any of her stories I will be turned on, emotionally fulfilled, and entertained from the first page to the last.  Another winner!

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

ARC Review: Ancient Sentinel (Ancients Rising #7)

Ancient Sentinel  (Ancients Rising #7)

Katie Reus

Blurb:                                                                                                   

He never expected her…

Jaguar shifter Ren never expected to fall for anyone again—not after the last woman he opened his heart to tried to cut it out. Literally. But the moment he met Grace, he fell fast and hard for the sweet human. Except she’s made it clear she’s only looking for friendship, and he wants it all.

Grace officially has a crush on her friend—a quiet jaguar shifter with kind eyes and deadly skills. But he hasn’t given any indication he wants more than friendship. So she vows to move on—until they’re given an assignment by their Alpha. When they’re stuck together under the same roof, sharing one bed, it becomes impossible to hide her attraction.

When danger comes for them, they’ll be forced to decide whether their bond is worth risking everything.

Themes:  Paranormal, Shifters

Rating: 4 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

 The next shifter has fallen in this beautiful story set in Post-Fall New Orleans, as two friends finally come to terms with their long time crushes and find a way to admit their feelings for one another. Katie Reus has built such a complicated and intertwined world of shifters, witches, humans, and their friends that fall into so many other categories that you never know what amazing new creature will fall in love next. I have been looking forward to Ren finding love since we met him a few novels ago and seeing him fall for a human show that even the most discerning of shifters don’t overlook us normal ladies when losing their hearts.  Ren has settled into New Orleans pretty easily after his previous leader found her mate and moved to her home realm, but the hardest part if knowing that the woman that he knows is his mate is so close but not yet his.  Grace has had a crush on her friend Ren since he saved her from an attack and the jaguar-shifter doesn’t seem to realize just how much she has fallen for him.  When they are tasked with a project together out of town by their Alpha, Ren decides the time has come to let Grace know his feelings, but one the truth comes out they both realize how much time they have lost and quickly being a relationship that surpasses all their dreams.  Grace was such a sweet woman, brave by turns but so easily broken when she thinks that Ren is not interested and I wish she had more self-confidence.  She was smart of course and remarkably sassy and I loved watching he make Ren and his friends laugh, but my favorite moments by far when she was taming Ren’s urges and reminding him that their unique love is worth fighting for. Ren was a little bit harder to connect with at times, seemingly immature until he quit messing around and showed his true colors.  I loved his interactions with Grace’s grandmother, that gentleness and sweetness such a contrast to his ferociousness in battle, and you can just tell he will make a great mate and father.  I would have love had their story been just a little bit longer as it seemed to have been even shorter than some in this series, but I guess being that they were both already enamored of one another, the passion that jumped and sizzled between them was easier to accept than had they just met.  I am dying for the next book where we finally get to learn more about the Tiger Twins and one of them finds her love and HEA, but I know whatever is in store for the amazing residents of this crazy world, I won’t want to miss a moment of it.  Katie Reus is a tour-de-force and her Ancients Rising series is one of the best I’ve read and I am always ready to jump right in when I get a new edition.

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

ARC Review: Indecent Proposal (Indecent Series#1)

Indecent Proposal Indecent Series

Erika Wilde

Blurb:

It wasn’t every day that I was shot at by a sniper. But this was now my life, being hunted by someone my (dead) ex-fiancé had crossed. They thought I had something he’d taken, and they weren’t going to stop until they had what they wanted.

I went to the best security company around, but what I ended up with was a bodyguard who was as hot and tempting as he was grumpy and annoyingly bossy. Vaughn reluctantly took me on as a client, despite my inability to pay, and put me in his own personal safehouse with a set of rules to follow.

But a few of those rules? Yeah, I broke them just because I knew it would provoke him. What I didn’t anticipate was the kind of punishment he decided to dole out . . . and it wasn’t long before we went from enemies, to lovers, and an indecent proposal was struck between us.

We both swore it was all temporary, but the closer Vaughn gets to finding out who is after me and why, I realize walking away from this man might be much harder than I’d ever imagined.

Themes:  Erotica

Rating: 3.75 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

Ok so I have to admit I grabbed this review copy based on the premise (love me a good security specialist) and the author (she often teams up with one of my favs—Carly Phillips), but I truly wasn’t sure what to expect.  Overall the story was HOT AS HELL, but there were a few points where I was a little hesitant to keep going and that might be too much for some readers.  Now don’t get me wrong, the book is very well written (despite some grammar errors that I’m sure will be caught in editing) and the characters were interesting, but a few of the scenes were too much in my opinion.  I can say I will definitely be reading the rest of the series if given a chance, but I’m hoping those types of scenes are limited in the next stories.  Claire is on the run, terrified for her life since her ex-fiancé was killed and she has been stalked and now a sniper has attacked her.  Vaughn was only supposed to be manning the office while his partners were off on other assignments, but when a woman is almost killed by a sniper in the lobby of his security offices there is no way he can back down.  But soon they are entangled in a deadly mystery and while the danger heats up, the passion and pull between them becomes almost unbearable.  Claire doesn’t much like Vaughn, but she is drawn to his dominance and the sexual heat he causes in her leads her to break his rules again and again.  Vaugh can’t seem to resist the sassy rule breaker, determined to force her into line and make her understand that submitting to him would truly be the greatest experience of both their lives.  But the danger is getting closer and unless Vaughn can figure out who is determined to kill Claire and keep her safe, they might never have a chance to move forward in their new intense and passionate relationship. Claire is the type of damsel in distress that usually irks the hell out of me, no lie, but I loved that once we got to know her more there was an obvious strength and intelligence to her that was not obvious in the beginning.  Her resistance to giving in to Vaughn and the way she challenges him at every turn was entertaining and erotic, but they slowly began to feel more than just passion and seeing her accept that was interesting as well. Vaughn is a typical dominant alpha male, one that has finally met a woman that will give him the passionate challenge he needs in life, but at the same time he’s not sure he’s ready to settle down.  I liked watching him as he came to terms with her sassiness and made his plans for corralling her and teaching her to accept her submissiveness.  That said there were a few moments and phrases that hit me wrong or as just a little bit the wrong side of ok, but everyone has their threshold so it probably won’t bother all readers.  I enjoyed the overall story arc, the developing relationship between Claire and Vaughn, and the unexpected moments of sweetness between them, but I would have loved to see some more depth as well if the story had been a little bit longer.  I am looking forward to the next two stories, which I’m assuming with be Vaughn’s two partners as they fall in love, but I will definitely go into them with a bit of caution.  If you are looking for an intensely sensual, crazy story of two people uncovering one another’s secrets as they fall in love, you will enjoy Indecent Proposal.

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

Mini-ARC Review: Just Another Spark (The Kingston Family #7.5)

 Just Another Spark (The Kingston Family #7.5)

Carly Phillips

Blurb:

Rock star Dash Kingston is finishing the last leg of his band’s U.S. tour. Exhausted and ready to be home, he can’t wait to see his girl. Time zones, show times, and the demands of his career have made married life harder than expected. Even knowing the rock star life wouldn’t make their relationship easy.

Cassidy Kingston thought she was ready to handle being married to a man idolized by women everywhere. She believes in their love even though the separations when the band is on tour can be torture. But the paparazzi and media don’t make their time apart easier and the gossip headlines hit her harder than they should. She trusts her husband even if she misses him like crazy.

When rumors surface that Dash is seeing someone, what’s a girl to do? Surprise her husband and remind him of what he’s been missing. Except you know what they say about the best laid plans.

Themes:  Short story, Lovers Reunited

Rating:  4 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

I just love it when an author gives us an extended epilogue or a second bite of a couple that has already found their HEA, letting us get another peak into their relationship and the love that they continue to share. When Carly shared she was giving us a little glimpse into Dash and Cassidy’s time between their story and the beginning of the Dirty Dare series I could keep the squeal inside.  Dash and Cassidy were one of my favorite couples and getting to see them again, even though we saw some relationship problems, was magical.  Their story reminded me that though Dash was a rock star, when it came to his life with his woman, he truly was just another guy dealing with relationship issues and needing the support of their bedrock in order to continue to grow their relationship.  I enjoyed the playful and painful look into the love life as well as watching Dash’s protectiveness toward a friend (psst Carly maybe we could have that story too?).  I also loved that even this short story had a little epilogue to tie everything together as Carly gave us the timeline for their lives together.  I look forward to seeing more of Dash and Cassidy in coming stories and there’s no way we could ever deny the heat and sweetness of a Carly story for sure, no matter the length.  As always this one had me laughing, crying, and my heart warm with love in the end.

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

ARC Review: Dragon Lover (Dragon Kings #5)

Dragon Lover (Dragon Kings #5)

Donna Grant

Blurb:

Can she learn to love the man—as well as the dragon within?

Sensual. Clever. Daring. There’s only one thing Kendrick yearns for—peace that has eluded the Dragon Kings. Zora may have been made in the image of Earth, but it’s a far cry from home. For too long the Kings have been on the defensive, betrayed time and again. When Kendrick has an opportunity to stop a foe, he takes it. Except he isn’t the only one tracking it. Soon, he finds himself face-to-face with an exquisite swordswoman who holds him enthralled...and sparks passion within his cold heart.

As an Asavori Ranger, Esha has dedicated her life to protecting her people. She trains relentlessly to become one of their best warriors, forsaking everything else. When a treacherous new enemy invades their lands, she vows to destroy it. Esha’s rash decision has her crossing paths with that of a mysterious, handsome outsider. He’s trouble the Rangers don’t need, but she can’t walk away. He awakens desires long buried and dreams neglected. The temptation of their forbidden union is more than she can resist. She’s soon walking a treacherous path—one that could be the downfall for them both.

Themes:  Dragon shifter, Paranormal, Alternate Worlds

Rating: 4.25 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

The drama on Zora continues as more Dragon Kings continue to battle against and unknown and unseen enemy for the fate to the new home of their dragons.  Donna Grant continues to take her Dark King series into new and amazing directions and the more we learn about the amazing alternate world of Zora and the fascinating creatures that populate it, the more questions we have. For those of us that are long time readers, we enjoy meeting new Kings and watching them fall in love with amazing females of all kinds and for new readers each story is a new adventure that allows for a look into the imagination and skill of one of my favorite authors.  Kendrick is getting restless, patrolling the edges of the dragon territory and not seeing any of the action is fellows are seeing as they are attacked by the unseen enemy in their midst, but that all changes in an instant.  When he finds himself in a battle that is suddenly more complicated than he anticipated he is forced to cross the border and shift to his human form barely surviving the attack.  But a group of deadly warriors arrives just in time to distract his enemy and Kendrick is instantly drawn to their leader.  Esha is an Asavori Ranger, a warrior female that had devoted her life to protecting her people and this new enemy has evaded them for far too long so when Kendrick offers to hunt with them she knows she can’t turn down his help.  But the tension between her people and the dragons escalates quickly and their budding relationship, despite the speed with which their bonds are developing, might not be enough to keep a war from breaking out.  I truly loved this story, though it was different than a lot of the others in the series, with the ending truly leaving me in suspense until the last moment.  Kendrick was a bit of a hothead, though he was a great guy, and when he set his mind to something his determination was unbeatable. I enjoyed watching him come to terms with his feeling for Esha, even though he knew that he might end up heartbroken in the end.  He truly offered her his whole heart and soul, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to return it and in the end it paid off in spades.  Esha was a bit of an enigma for me, obviously a woman that had worked hard for her place in the word, but she has also never come to understand that sometimes giving you heart and soul to someone can lead to an even bigger and more important life mission.  She is a strong and steadfast fighter for her people, but she is not made for the intrigues she finds herself wrapped up in for sure.  The love between these two truly crosses all borders and brings people together, offering a bridge and preventing a war, but the passion they share is palpable from the first moment they clap eyes on one another and the sizzle is almost unbearable.  I loved some of the side characters in this book as well and would love to see more of them in the future as this story arc unfolds and Donna gets closer to unveiling the big bad so that the Kings can finally kick some serious ass.  Dragon Lover truly is a magical ride through two cultures, crossing borders, and brining worlds together as love blossoms between two former enemies as they come together to defeat the ultimate threat to their world.

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

Review: Partners in Crime

Partners in Crime

Alisha Rai

Blurb:

Indian Matchmaking meets Date Night in this fun, romantic adventure in which a match-made couple about to be engaged gets caught up in a caper that puts their future—and lives—in danger.

At thirty-five, with a stable job as an accountant, Mira Chaudhary wants nothing more than to find a boring man to spend the rest of her life with. Having had enough excitement in her younger days and desperately trying to escape her dysfunctional past, she turns to a matching app specializing in Indian American singles to help her find someone to settle down with.

Enter Naveen Desai. An English professor with an uneventful, normal, and—dare she say it, boring—life, Naveen is perfect.

But just when things are going well, Mira receives news that her aunt has died. Suddenly a trip to Las Vegas to settle her aunt’s affairs turns into a mad dash to escape kidnappers, evade art thieves, and consorting with hackers who can decipher just what it was Mira’s aunt was involved with. Mira just hopes that Naveen isn’t chased away by the very same life of “excitement” that she’s been trying to get away from. But maybe, over the course of one wild night, Mira and Naveen will find the love connection that neither expected.

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating: 3.25 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

WARNING... THIS BLURB IS INCORRECT!

Alisha Rai has long been one of my favorite erotica authors, but when she began writing more mainstream contemporary romance, I decided I would give those a try as well.  While I can say they have for the most part been enjoyable I haven’t loved them nearly as much sadly.  Unlike when that blurb states, Mira and Naveen are not strangers, not by a long shot.   Mira has recently changed her name and begun a brand-new life, and it’s time for her to settle down according to her timeline. So, in an attempt to find a nice Indian boy to begin a courtship with she puts herself out there.  But instead of meeting someone new, she is thrown together with the former lover she left behind, Naveen, who she left heartbroken when she moved on.   Before they can decide if they are going to move on or move forward, Mira’s past comes back to haunt them both in a big way leading to hilarious and outlandish adventures racing through Las Vegas and with Naveen in tow, Mira must work to keep them both safe.  The more time they are together though, the more Mira and Naveen come to realize their old connection might still be there. While by far not my favorite Rai novel it was fun and enjoyable. Like Mira's backstory and seeing her find her comfort in her own skin finally. Naveen was truly interesting character and I loved seeing him admit he never stopped loving Mira. the blurb was so misleading I was confused for a while but once I got into the story, I moved passed it.  All in all, it was a fun, amusing, and fast paced story of two former lovers going on an adventure and finding their loves again together. I will continue giving Rai’s working a try for sure and hoping for more.

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