mini Review: Stranded with a Cowboy (Devil's Bluffs #2)

Stranded with a Cowboy (Devil's Bluffs #2)

Stacey Kennedy

Blurb:

She’s given up on love…

But a hot affair with a hot cowboy is ideal.

Since being named Texas’s Sexiest Bachelor, millionaire rancher Beau Ward has been hounded by reporters. The sexy single dad escapes to his remote cabin to protect his privacy—until Nora Keller appears amid a tropical storm. She says it’s to plan her best friend’s wedding to his brother…but she really wants a no-strings fling before she relocates to Paris. With the storm raging, the pair discover passion unlike any they’ve ever known. Will walking away afterward prove harder than they’d imagined?

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating: 3.75 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

 I have been looking forward to Beau’s story since his hairbrained scheme to help his brother out in this last novel, just knowing it was going to go awry for this poor guy, but I never saw this one coming. I am a big fan of Stacey Kennedy’s more lengthy novels, and figured I would give her short harlequin stories a try for a fun change, but didn’t hold out a lot of hope since they were so short.  But I find that I really enjoy the story lines, characters and the steam is certainly not lacking. Beau has gotten himself into a bit of a jam by volunteering to replace his brother in the spotlight with the press and now needs the quiet of solitude to get away.  Hiding away at his private cabin seems just the thing, until a tropical storm moves in quickly stranding him, with the sexy woman that has sparked his interest from the first. Nora has come to Texas for her best friend’s wedding and to take one wild ride for herself before she makes a crazy change in her life, one last chance at the crazy sexy cowboy that intrigues and makes her blood sing, something she’s never experienced before.  But the more time they spend together, the more they both come to question what they both want out of life and their arrangement, but sometimes past hurts run too deep for new love to heal unless you are willing to take a true leap of faith. I loved getting to know these two and seeing them fall in love even as they worked through their pain and trust issues.  Nora has been hurt again and again by the men in her past and the only person she really trusts is her bestie, but she knows that trust passion must exists and hopes that Beau will be the one to show it to her.  She is smart, sweet, sassy, and loving, but she is so vulnerable and shy other times that it breaks my heart to see her doubting herself so much.  I enjoyed seeing her bonding, oftentimes despite herself with Beau and his people, especially his son, and it was obvious that if she allowed herself, she was going to be a perfect fit into his family.  Beau was an interesting character, a difficult man to get to know, but one that you knew could open his heart if he learned that women can be trusted to be after him for more than just his money or what he can give them. Losing his first wife so young and suddenly obviously shook him and changed him, but he is inherently a solving and strong man looking for a partner to raise a family and grow old with, one that will share his passion for life and love, even if he is afraid of trusting again.  The passion between these two was unbelievable from the beginning and the fun the brought to their relationship showed us that not every relationship is about fire and flare.  I loved seeing these two works through their issues, even as it was painful at times, and I wish the series was continuing so we might see them again in future stories.  A great little duet of stories that I am glad I picked up tot enjoy, but if you really want to enjoy them, I recommend grabbing both together and reading them back-to-back to double the fun of a Kennedy experience.

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

ARC Review: Just a Little Secret (Dare Crossover Series #2)

 Just a Little Secret  (Dare Crossover Series #2)

Carly Phillips, Erika Wilde

Blurb:

He’s not just a bachelor up for auction …

He’s her sexy birthday gift for the weekend.

But will she be able to forgive him when she finds out he’s hiding more than a little secret?

Georgia Brooks had no intention of bidding on a bachelor at the charity auction, but her sister has other ideas and gifts her with a man for her birthday weekend. But not just any man . . . Drew Daniels. A hot, gorgeous lawyer who makes her want to shed her good-girl image and learn all sorts of new and risqué things.

Attorney Drew Daniels is more than willing to introduce the beautiful Georgia to her naughtier side. Their weekend together is steamy and romantic . . . and it doesn’t hurt that a rival of Drew’s has his eye on Georgia, too. Stirring the other man’s jealousy is a fun side benefit.

Their tryst should have been just about pleasure, but Drew finds he’s attracted to more than Georgia’s outer beauty and he wants to keep her as his own. When Drew suggests they continue their affair, Georgia is too smitten to say no. Even if her parents expect her to marry her lawyer father’s right-hand man.

Georgia finds herself falling for Drew harder and faster than she could have imagined. Until she discovers he's keeping a secret that has the potential to break her heart.

Themes:  Contemporary, Naughty auction

Rating:  4.25 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

I really loved when I found out that two of my favorite authors were going to give us a spinoff series revolving round some of the most interesting and sexy side characters from the Dare Series by Carly Phillips. When two authors work together you never know what you will get, but I have loved their previous team-ups and I was happy to see them teaming up again. This is the second story in the series and surprisingly has a whole lot of overlap in timeline with the first story in the series, which I didn’t realize was the plan.  That said Drew and Georgia’s story was filled with sensuality, fun and the love that can bloom between two people when they finally open up and allow their heart to be vulnerable. There was so just enough emotional pain for both of them to work through to make the story impactful without weighing it down, some sweet moments of connection, and plenty of passionate moments that remind us that these two authors are fabulous together.  I am dying for more in this series, especially the next book where Drew’s brother Tripp will step into the spotlight.

Georgia Banks has always been the good girl, the one that toed the line when her socialite family pushed for her to adhere to their expectations, but she knows that she won’t be able to stick to it much longer.  She finally has the career she loves, but her personal life is a train wreck and the man her mother keeps pushing at her is beginning to get a little to expectant.  When her sister “gifts” her with a weekend with the sexiest man she’s ever met for her birthday, she knows she’s going to have to give herself up to him and throw the good girl out the window.  Drew Daniels has been gun-shy when is comes to relationships for a long time, but the sexy good girl Georgia is making him wonder I it might be worth reevaluating his feelings.  Leading her down the dark side of passion is no hardship, but the more time he spends with her trying to have a real relationship the more Drew comes to wonder if he might be able to build a future with her, which scares the hell out of him.  Can this good girl heal a broken man and convince him to give love a second chance, or will their weekend fling fizzle before they ever have a chance at a future?

I knew going into this story that I was going to love getting to know Drew, mostly because I’d enjoyed the glimpses, we got of him in Beck and Chloe’ story (Just One Scandal) and knowing a bi of his backstory I knew he was going to a bit emotionally broken.  Drew had a tragedy hit his family when he lost his sister very young, but he healed the best way he could and has gone on to become successful, driven, and passionate in all his pursuits.  Sadly, he’s had his heart battered and bruised by women that treated him badly and he never really got over it I loved seeing how sweet and caring he was not only with his family, especially his little niece, but also with Georgia has he worked to bring her out of her shell and show her just how important she was to him.  His biggest downfall was his inability to let the past go and understand that not all women will react the same in any given situation and he can’t paint us all with the same brush.  Georgia was a great character.  I’m going to be honest, hen the blurb painted her as the good girl that always follows the rules, I assumed part of her story was going to be about learning to stand up for herself, but really that’s not her issue.  Her issue is that she needed to learn that once she’s put her foot down, she needs to distance herself from those that refuse to accept her stance.  That level of toxicity and narcissism sadly cannot be overcome no matter how many times you take a stance, you just have to walk away and let them get over it.  I loved her strength and the way she stood up for herself, not only with her parents and suitor, but even with Drew when he was being an idiot.  She was sweet but sassy, caring, gentle, strong, and loving all wrapped up in a sexy package that made her irresistible to a man that never realized just how badly he needed her at his side.

We all have our dark sides, that little bit of naughty that is fighting to be let out and I loved to see Carly and Erika unleash it in Georgia and Drew’s story.  Just a Little Secret truly was a story between two people that never knew just how much they needed one another for the balance they could bring to the other.  Drew has been a driven, ambitious workaholic for too long, only letting out his fun side to seduce and charm, but never letting himself love. Georgia has been working to find her happiness in her career, knowing that her personal life will have to be on the backburner until she can get her parents to let her pick her own dates for once.  When their worlds collide, they come to understand that the balance of ambition and playtime is best found with a partner and one that can carry and protect your heart.  I loved seeing these two come together and overcome their dissolutions with love and dedicating themselves to a relationship that they finally deserved.  The chemistry and heat between them was there from the moment their eyes met and only got hotter as they got to know one another.  I am so looking forward to the next story (Just a Little Promise) where we will finally learn what’s been going on with Tripp and Skye.  I’m not usually a fan of these types of overlapping timelines in a series, but I have to say I’m liking these little glimpses of the next story in each book and seeing the reminders of the previous story as I rea the next one.  Carly and Erika truly are a dynamic duo as they put their sexy characters through their paces and reminds us all that sometimes love can come from the most unlikely of circumstances.

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

Review: The Backup Plan (Sunrise Cove #3)

The Backup Plan (Sunrise Cove #3)

Jill Shalvis

Blurb:

When Alice receives a call about an unexpected windfall, she's stunned to learn the gift is a falling-apart-at-the-seams old Wild West B&B she once considered home—and she's inherited it along with two strangers. Except they weren't always strangers. Once upon a time, they were friends. One is her ex-BFF Lauren. The other is Knox, the only guy to ever break her heart, all while never even knowing she existed.

It turns out their lives are unknowingly entangled because they once separately helped the same woman without expecting anything in return. Years later, Alice, Lauren, and Knox are broken in their own way, with their own history--and secrets-- causing them to start out on the wrong foot with each other. But according to the will, they must renovate and be partners in the inn for one year or else lose their inheritance.

Stuck together, they make a list of rules to keep the peace--rules that end up doing the opposite, but by some miracle they find what they didn't even know they were looking for--acceptance, true friendship, and in a case (or two!), true love.

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating: 4 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

As always, a Jill Shalvis romance is just what one needs to read when the heart is feeling a little deflated or you are in need or being reminded that there is kindness in the world. The Sunrise Cove series is one that is only very loosely connected and each story can definitely be read as a stand alone novel, but this third story is by far my favorite.  Alice, Knox, and Lauren have been forced home to their small town, which they left years ago after Lauren’s brother’s death tore them apart, when their mentor Eleanor passes away and leave them all a third of the Inn that shaped their childhoods so much. Each of them is determined to do their best to bring the Inn back into shape and sell it so they can leave again, for their own reasons, but they know that being back and together will be difficult.  Alice never really got of the death of her brother or the love she had for Knox, but being back now can’t be any more painful than being alone all these years, right? Knox and Lauren have kept in touch, but they both know that brining Alice back into the fold and helping her heal with be even more difficult than fixing up the Inn and solving the mystery that Eleanor has left behind for them.  Lauren has been regarded as a widow since her fiancé, Alices brother, died, but she knows she needs to move on and find a way to live again. As they rekindle friendships and relationships, the three friends with come to understand the true value of love in all its forms and learn that with forgiveness and faith in that love they can find a way forward.  Alice is definitely a broken woman when she returns to town, never having healed from the loss of her brother, but even more the loss of Knox and Lauren.  She has become hard and her sarcasm and edginess hides a vulnerability and fear that only Lauren and Knox can help her to understand and heal.  Knox was truly the perfect match for her in every way; he is gentle, sweet, kind and loving, but knew just when to push her and show her that she could count on them to be there for her even when she tried to push them away.  It was obvious more than once that he was angry with her for deserting them, but he never let that anger color his interactions with her, instead leading with his love and hope that he could bring her back into the fold.  Lauren has been in mourning for a long time, but she has finally decided its time to move on and I enjoyed seeing her working to get people to see her in that light.  She thankfully gets her own little side romance, enhancing the storyline just that much more.  The passion and intensity between Knox and Alice are there from the beginning even when they are arguing, but when they give in to one another was just as heated.  I loved every moment of this story and I look forward to Jill giving us more in the series to enjoy.

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

ARC Review: Hot and Heavy (Italian Stallions #5)

Hot and Heavy (Italian Stallions #5)

Mari Carr

Blurb:

What’s better than one sexy protector? Two.

Hazel knows she’s in serious trouble when her shady uncle threatens to implicate her in his crimes. When two police officers show up at her apartment, she’s forced to flee Boston in the dead of night. Philadelphia feels like a big enough place to hide…until the seedy motel she’s staying in burns down.

Kayden and Aldo’s protector instincts rise to the surface after they spot a shivering redhead standing alone at the scene of a fire. Discovering everything she owned was destroyed, the sexy cop and charming firefighter offer her a place to stay.

None of them is able to resist their instant, scorching attraction to each other. The three give new meaning to the term “hot and heavy.” Aldo and Kayden want more…hell, they want it all. But Hazel is in too deep, and as her lies begin to unravel, she’s caught between a rock and a hard place.

Especially when the past catches up to her. Unless she puts her fears aside and offers Aldo and Kayden the one thing she’s never given before–her trust–she stands to lose everything.

Themes:  Erotica, Menage

Rating: 4.5 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

Every once in a while, a story ticks just about every box for a reader as the story progresses and I have to say, Hot and Heavy did that for me and I am so thrilled to have had a chance to read an advanced copy and share my love of the story with others. Mari Carr’s world of Italians hotties and the women that are grabbing their hearts has become more and more interesting since she let us into it, spinning off from our favorite Wild Irish series and introducing a whole new batch of sexy men that took us by storm.  Each new couple or triad has presented new challenges in relationships, new trauma to overcome, and new dangers to protect one another from and the stories of their love just get better and better.  I look forward to each new adventure with the wonder and anticipation that of a child awaiting Santa on Christmas morning. This latest installment finally gives us the story we have been dying for, Kayden and Aldo finally come out of the shadows and let us see their love and we get to understand their full story and see them find their happiness and future with their mate.  I am dying for more in the series and cannot wait to see where Maris takes the storyline with her next matchup next, but having heard rumors of the next two stories I know what’s coming is going to be explosive and steamy as hell.

Kayden and Aldo have been best friends for as long as either of them can remember, but when Kayden’s parents were tragically killed their relationship changed forever.  Becoming lovers was not something they ever regretted, but they both know they can never be completed without a woman to love together and round their relationship.  When they are called to a late-night intense fire at a family friend’s motel, they never imagined they would find that woman and have to fight to convince her to let them help her, but they’ll do everything they have to in order to keep the firecracker that’s captured their hearts.  Hazel is on the run from her family and has a secret that she can’t let out, but the two sexy protectors that are trying to take over her life are nearly impossible to resist.  At the lowest point in her life, they swoop in and bring her solace and peace that she’s never felt before, giving her broad shoulders to lean on and a whole group of people that offer her support.  But he more she is around them the more she falls in love with both and despite the sensual relationship they have begun she knows that she has no chance at a long-term future with two such beautiful and heroic men, much less the extended family that has rallied around her.  When Hazel’s past comes back to haunt her, she knows she has to leave Kayden and Aldo behind, but sometimes the need to protect is stronger than the fear and she knows that she can’t leave them to clean up her mess either.  Can Aldo and Kayden convince her to trust them enough to offer her heart or are they all destined to lose the greatest chance at love they’ve every found?

I’m going to try really hard to not give away too many details as I describe the greatness of these three characters, but I have to begin by saying that these three are definitely my favorite lovers since some of the original lovers from the Wild Irish series. Hazel is the kind of woman that we all want in our corner; she’s had to work hard all her life, with everyone and everything against her, to make something of herself despite the odds.  She’s dedicated to being better than her family and the name they’ve saddled her with, educating herself, staying honorable and sweet, and working hard to be trustworthy.  She is smart, if a little to trusting of those that ultimately break her trust, sassy, and stands up for what is right, even at her own expense.  Even though she leans on Kayden and Aldo when she is overwhelmed, she never forgets or lets them forget that she has her own mind and can stand on her own two feet, some might call it stubborn, but she is determined to be treated as an equal in every decision of their relationship.  I want to be Hazel when I grow up. Kayden and Aldo are two sides of the same coin and at times you imagine they were always meant to be in a relationship when they found the woman to compliment them.  Kayden is the ultimate protective alpha, obviously made even more so by the lose of his parents which left him the sole caregiver for his little sister.  This is compounded of course by being a cop, so of course when you bring all of that sexy alpha into a relationship its not real surprising that even with the strong-minded Hazel and Aldo, he is the leader in the bedroom.  But he is also determined to care and provide for them, emotionally, physically, and sensually.  I loved seeing his playful side when he and Aldo came together to please Hazel, but mostly I enjoyed seeing his mind working in order to find solutions to problems when obstacles popped up to what he wanted.  He is smart, passionate, intense, and resilient no matter what happened.  Aldo was the more playful and easy-going of the two lovers, keeping everything from being overly intense and dark, but he had his own sensual alphas nature and his own fears of losing his chance at happiness.  His protective nature was less extreme, but showed in his relationships with his family, his career as a firefighter, and the way he cared for their woman and his man.  I enjoyed getting to see his interactions with Kayden and Hazel together, that level of sweetness and caring keeping Kayden from being too dark and grumpy and allowing him to maintain a level of hope until they reached their goals. All-in-all their personalities were perfectly matched to make a relationship work with just enough fireworks to make it interesting long into the future.

When you read a series like this one you always expect a certain level of passion and heat, but most people don’t look at the covers of these stories and expect that they are going to be beginning an epic love story with pain and love for the ages.  But that’s Mari Carr for you—she likes to break you heart before she teaches you the true meaning of love, no matte what form she puts it in and what she puts her lovers through first.  Hot and Heavy takes you through the journey of a woman that has always been on her own even in the midst of those she’s called family as she finds the people that will support and love her like her family always should have.  Hazel’s past and present have led her to run from her life, and now she finds herself at loose ends in a town she doesn’t know and in need of a helping hand badly, so when two sexy protectors take her hands, she doesn’t fight as hard as she normally would, never realizing her life would be altered forever.  Aldo and Kayden have been searching for the third piece of their hearts for a long time, never knowing that fate would put her directly into their paths one dark night and all they’d have to do is reach out and convince the shaken woman to trust them.  As the three of them build that trust and slowly fall in lust, the fire between them quickly blazes out of control and combines them into a beautifully twined sculpture of love, like lightning into sand.  With a little luck, a lot of love, and the trust that they’ve earned, Kayden and Aldo show Hazel that they truly can be her future and together the three of them are meant to be happy for the rest of their lives, together as one.  I loved every moment of this story, not just the story between the three lovers, but seeing past relationships developing, continuing and of course getting glimpses of future couples and I cannot wait for the next story in the series (Naughty and Nice).  Mari Carr as always dazzles readers with the way she builds trust and blooms love between three unlikely lovers.  Magic!

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

ARC Review: Icing

Icing

Nico Daniels

Blurb:

My secret crush on Gavin has always been just that… a secret.

It was silly anyway. After all, I was engaged to his teammate.

Right up until I caught my fiancé cheating on me. On. Our. Wedding. Day.

So, I did what anyone would do. I retreated to my bakery and vowed to avoid NHL players for the rest of my life. After all, the entire hockey community had watched it implode thanks to a viral video from the church.

What I couldn’t predict was Gavin, and learning he has a secret crush of his own.

Competitive Gavin who was unstoppable on the ice.

Sweet Gavin who brought me soup when I was sick.

Sexy Gavin who kissed my breath away.

If I’m not careful, my innocent crush could just become the icing on the cupcake.

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating:  3.75 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

I love a good secret crush story, though most of the time we see that being the heroine of the story with the secret, so when I read the premise of this novel, I have to say I jumped at the chance for something different.  This is Nico Daniels’s debut novel to my understanding and it is certainly a good one for her first and I am looking forward to more from her as she learns and grows her skills and her craft. The story revolves around two people that have been in each other’s orbit for a long time, but definitely haven’t been friends and were much closer to enemies, though neither of them wanted it that way.  Both of them have had really rocky pasts, and there was a lot of traumas for them to work through in order to have a chance at a future, but in the end, they found a way and I think they made a believable couple and I can see them being happy together.  I am more than willing to read more if this becomes a series, especially because I would like to see some of Gavin and Greyson’s friends getting their own stories. Overall, I can say I enjoyed the story even if I can’t say I loved every moment.  There were a few chapters that lagged for me or made me nuts when the characters made me want to strangle them and it felt overdone as if the angst was not natural.  We shall see what comes next for sure.

Greyson Park has had a rough summer, on top of an already traumatic life, as her wedding day was destroyed by a cheating fiancée, and she has no desire to pick up with any man much less a hockey played from her ex’s former team.  But when she is forced back into that world, she can’t deny the crush she always had is still burning bright for the sexy team captain.  Galvin Halstead has always wanted Greyson from the first moment he clapped eyes on her, but there is so much water under the bridge between them now, he’s not sure that he has a chance even though he wants one so badly.  Putting himself out there again by tracking her down at her bakery and forming a friendship and continuing to hope for more is the best he can do, but the more time they spend getting to know one another the deeper their feelings grow.  But as their pasts continue to haunt them, throwing up obstacles to the relationship they both so badly want to have together, they have to decide if they can push through it all together, or if everything crashing around them truly is too much and they need to walk away from one another.

Characters are the heart of all stories, but especially romance novels, and I have to say I wasn’t much of a fan of either of these two, but for entirely different reasons. Greyson was one of those characters that has been given a lot of challenges in her past, almost too many for it to be believable if I’m being honest.  I understand there are some people that really are just that unfortunate in their lives, but to be honest the way she handled her past and each event was my biggest hang-up.  I get it, the traumas in her past were there to give her a reason to push Gavin away repeatedly and make him work for her love, but it felt like she was refusing to put in the work to heal from the traumas and that to me was just not smart.  Even if she never wanted to embrace love or romance again, allowing the pain and trauma to rule her life and prevent her from being whole is never a good idea and made her appear cowardly and I don’t deal well with that in my heroines.  I did enjoy the way she cared for others and found her solace in baking, especially in creating flavors of cupcakes from random moments, and she was a very funny character, but I would have like her to have a bit more of a spine when it came to standing up for herself.

Gavin similarly made me insane; he tried so hard to come across as this strong and protective alpha male, but more often than not he seemed weak and spineless. More often than not, when something became emotionally challenging, he would run for the hills instead of sticking around to deal with the problems.  He truly only stood beside Greyson one time when she really needed him in my opinion, and I was thrilled to see him finally step up.  I also felt like he was not developed enough himself, we go glimpses of the big dark issue that caused his problem in his past, the reason he had issues which caused the problems in relationships, but we never really saw him taking steps to get over it.  It was almost like he just accepted he was screwed up instead of working to get better.  Again, I understand everyone has traumas, things that make relationships difficult, but if you don’t put in the work to get over them, you will always have problems. I did enjoy seeing his protectiveness, even though he often went way overboard and his way of being alpha was a problem with the woman he was in love with.

All-in-all I have to say I enjoyed this story, though I wasn’t enamored by any means.  There were just too many obstacles, too many will they/won’t they moments, and too much hot and cold between the H/h for me.  I like to see steady building in a relationship instead of “two steps forward, 1 step back” mentality, because that just takes forever to get anywhere (in anything, much less a love story).  Greyson was fun when she let herself free, but her past dragged her down too much.  Gavin was a sweet and beta guy trying too hard to be alpha.  Together when they let themselves forget their pasts, they were cute and pleasant to read, but I can’t say there was much chemistry except in the intentionally passionate moments when they were teasing one another.  When they were putting forth the effort to connect sexually, they were pretty good together, but those moments were too few for me. I really enjoyed many of their friends and family, they were hilarious, outrageous, and amusing to get to know and I’d love to see a few of them get their own stories.  Overall, for a first published novel I would say this was a good story with some world building, character intro, action, and drama.  I will definitely read more just to see how Nico grows and develops in future.

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

Review: The Heretic Royal (The Scarred Earth Saga #3)

The Heretic Royal (The Scarred Earth Saga #3)

G.A. Aiken

Blurb:

Ainsley Farmerson has always planned to break free of the family business—and the family drama. But what was once farming, smithworking, and bickering over the dinner table has turned into open warfare between sisters. Sides have been taken, lives are on the line, and Ainsley has no doubt which sister must be queen. She’ll do whatever is necessary to take down the soulless Beatrix. Even if that means joining forces with angry battle nuns, irritating monks, and overbearing centaurs.

Gruffyn of the Torn Moon Clan has no time for human beings. And yet . . . there is something about the uncontrollable princess that he can’t ignore. Maybe it’s the way her eldest sisters underestimate her. Or her bravery facing down dragons and mad queens from distant lands. Whatever the reason, Gruff is willing to fight by this human’s side. Not only for the entertainment value, but because she’s right. Beatrix must never be queen. So whatever he has to do, whoever he has to destroy, Gruff will battle beside Ainsley. Fast. Hard. And with absolutely no mercy . . .

Themes:  Paranormal

Rating:  4.25 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

  While I can honestly say I hope the series doesn’t end here, this story is the end for now to my understanding, so with that in mind this third oldest sister in the Farmerson family finds her mate and finds herself fully drawn into the war between her Queenly sisters.  I have enjoyed each of the three stories in this series for their own distinct voices and storylines, but I can say that they really need to be read together and in order, not as standalone stories in order to appreciate the greatness of each one.  G.A. Aiken (aka Shelly Laurenston) has a rather unique writing style, one that some readers aren’t too keen on, but if you enjoy sarcasm, slightly gory scenes, absurdity, and truly atrocious family relations, then this series will be enjoyable for you.  Ainsley Farmerson has tried to stay out of the fighting between her sister’s as much as possible, instead helping her mother corral her thousands of siblings, but she has decided its time to pick a side and will do whatever is necessary to help defeat the psychotic Beatrix.  When she is sent on a mission to that purpose, she never imagined that she would be paired with a group of Centaurs, led by Gruffyn of the Torn Moon Clan, whose people are just that little bit odd and looked at as different from other centaurs. Gruff has no interest in human beings, but there is something about Ainsley that seems to draw his attention, maybe her courage, maybe her absurdity, maybe its simply her dedication to the cause, but whatever it is he is determined to keep her safe while they venture on their mission.  Soon their friendship leads to more interesting interactions and they find themselves stuck together like glue, but can two so different creatures, from two such different worlds really coexist together happily forever? I loved Ainsley and seeing her standing up to her sisters, even if they didn’t realize that was what she was doing was freaking hilarious.  She fought beautifully, even as other underestimated her skills, stood steadfast against all enemies, but then ran away from the most ridiculous things, but in the end my favorite part about her was her mouth!  She truly was my favorite of the three sisters to date, and I can honestly say that I loved her character and could have read ever more chapters about her and Gruff without a single qualm.  Gruff was the perfect grumpy anti-hero; he didn’t really want to help anyone, but grudgingly did the right thing again and again, proving that he was a good guy, despite the other centaur clans looking down on his people.  He and his family were just that extra bit badass, but at the same time made me laugh again and again with their nonsense.  The passion between these two was always unexpected, coming out of nowhere when they decided to indulge and then going back to them both being perfectly calm and collected, making it even more funny.  I just love a good Aiken novel and this novel was a perfect example of the twisted and dark writing that makes her just the author to dig into when you want to laugh and gasp.  I can also say I LOVED seeing the dragons and Anwyl from the old Dragon Kyn series and could not have been more thrilled to see them interacting and meshing.  That is going to make whatever comes next even more awesome, and there has to be more because the book ended on a cliffhanger and it really just CAN’T end here.

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

Review: Something in the Heir

Something in the Heir

Suzanne Enoch

Blurb:

Emmeline and William Pershing have enjoyed a perfectly convenient marriage for eight years. Their relationship is a seamless blend of their talents and goals. They’ve settled into separate, well-ordered lives beneath the same roof, and are content to stay that way—or so Emmeline thinks. And if William has secretly longed for a bit more from the woman he adores, he’s managed to be content with her supreme skills as a hostess and planner, which has helped him advance his career.

Then when Emmeline’s grandfather, the reclusive Duke of Welshire, summons them both for his birthday celebration and demands they bring their two little angelic children, William is stunned to discover that his very proper wife invented not one, but two heirs to fulfill the agreement for living at Winnover. But surely if Emmeline and William team up and borrow two cherubs to call their own, what could go wrong? Enter George, age 8, and Rose, 5—the two most unruly orphans in Britain.

As the insanity unfolds, their careful, professional arrangement takes some surprisingly intimate turns as well. Perhaps it takes a bit of madness to create the perfect happily ever after.

Themes: Historical, Rom-Com

Rating:  2.75 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

Ok to preface this review, I have to say that I didn’t really consider this to be a romance novel at all, more like mom literature or something of that nature, so it wasn’t at all to my tastes.  I am usually a great fan of Suzanne Enoch’s work, especially her Scottish Romance novels, so I figured, despite the cover not much grabbing my attention I would grab it when it came up for review, but I was sadly disappointed.  The story begins with a young woman that is determined to marry simple to meet a codicil in the family will and so she pulls in one of her best friends and together they scheme to trick her family.  Emmeline then compounds the scheme by lying to her family for almost a decade by saying her husband William and she has produced the required progeny needed to maintain the estate she so badly wanted.  Now that her grandfather and family want to meet these children, Emeline and William add more fire to the lie by “borrowing” two orphans from the local orphanage and spending time trying to turn them into the perfect children of two peers of the realm.  As you can imagine this is a disaster and the children lead them on a merry adventure that ultimately reminds them of their love and Boom, they all become one big happy family, despite most likely losing it all.  So not being a fan of children, vehemently opposed to lying—especially in relationships—and definitely not a big fan of “borrowing” people in order to advance one’s station, this story feel flat for me.  There wasn’t much romance, the couple finding that they had loved each other all along but had been hiding it from one another was typical regency romance ridiculousness.  The laughs that kids caused as they made trouble were kind of amusing, but still, not a kid person so, ehh. And the ending was one I pretty much saw coming a mile away.  All in all, not one I would have bothered to finish except that I wanted to be able to give a full honest review.  I will be more wary in future when it comes to stories of this nature for sure.

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