Category: Contemporary Romance

Giveaway:

In addition to this tour-wide giveaway, I have an autographed paperback copy of Sugar’s Twice As Sweet to give away to one lucky winner! To exert that giveaway, comment on this blog post!

About the author:

Every author can identify the exact moment of inception, when the skies parted, the heavens sang, and a divine being came forth, anointing them one of the chosen, blessed to spend the rest of eternity weaving stories of ‘ever after’ for mass consumption.

For me, it wasn’t so much a moment, but an intervention. Sophomore year, my fellow Blockheads sat me down and explained that I had an addiction. I was a NKOTB–A-holic. Afraid of becoming enablers, they refused to listen to another one of my never-ending stories about our passionate intrigues with Jordan, Joe, Jon, Danny, and Donnie. What they didn’t understand was that New Kids on the Block wasn’t my obsession—they were my current romance-medium of choice. Twenty years later, my romance addiction is a hard, bodice-ripping, half-dozen books per week. When I’m not reading it or watching it, I am writing it—or workshopping it—or editing it—or strategizing how my hands to get more of it. In 2010, I realized I was closer to menopause than prom and got serious about my career, writing my way toward a post-graduate degree in creative writing (in the off chance that the first one didn’t stick) and becoming a published romance author.

January of 2012, I sold my first novel, TUCKER’S CROSSING, to Kensington Books and The St. Helena Vineyard series to Montlake Romance. KISSING UNDER THE MISTLETOE, the first in the series is a National Bestseller and #1 Romance Series bestseller. SUMMER IN NAPA releases May 14, 2013 and AUTUMN AT THE VINEYARD releases October 2013. In 2014 the first in the Sugar Series, BUT SUGAR’S TWICE AS SWEET, will release from Grand Central’s Forever line. I live with my husband, daughter and three neurotic cats in Northern California.

Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Website

Review…Wanting Forever by Diana Gardin

Synopsis:

Sometimes the one thing you want is exactly what you can’t have.

For Sam Waters, it’s Aston Hopewell. Talk about a girl out of his league. But he’s just a hired hand, happy to keep his head down and work hard on her father’s ranch. With a warrant out for his arrest, he can’t afford trouble.

Everyone thinks Aston’s life is perfect, but she knows the truth: nothing is as it seems. The only one who gets that is Sam. He understands her in a way no one ever has. But even he won’t tell her everything-until the night that changes their destiny forever . . .

My review:

Wanting Forever is the newest work from author Diana Gardin and the first in a new series. After enjoying her other works, I was excited to read this book and it was fantastic.

Having to leave his hometown, family, and girlfriend behind, Sam Waters is trying to make a new life for himself. He hadn’t really had much of a choice and is trying to make the most of it. Luckily, he found a decent job as a ranch hand to a wealthy family who also gave him a place to live and he had been thankful. He knew it wouldn’t be forever but it was a great temporary gig. Of course he starts to have second thoughts about it being temporary when he meets Aston. She’s the daughter of the family he works for and, despite being opposite him in many ways, becomes a good friend. Soon that friendship starts to grow into something more and he can’t deny the attraction to this amazing woman. Unfortunately having a girlfriend at home complicated that attraction.

Fate has a way of stepping in when you least expect it though, and Sam suddenly finds himself not as a ranch hand but working for Aston’s family’s company and “temporary” starts to feel like “permanent”. Still, Sam can’t fathom leaving his girlfriend. The one he gave everything up for. Would the distance prove to be the breaking point in their relationship? Would Sam’s attraction to Aston? Again fate will step in and lead Sam in a direction he never expected…but truly desires.

This was a read I couldn’t put down. It was interesting, a bit mysterious, and plenty heated. I was torn from the very beginning on if I wanted Sam to stay with Aston’s family or head back to his hometown. I wasn’t sure if I wanted him to remain faithful to his long distance girlfriend or give Aston a chance. For me, feeling a jumble of emotions like that, is the mark of a great story. The characters were well developed and I couldn’t help but fall in love with not just Sam and Aston, but the supporting cast of characters. I won’t give anything away as far as what happens between Sam, Aston, and the girlfriend, but I will say that it ended exactly how I wanted it to!

Thank you, Diana, for an emotional, remarkable, and captivating read. I can’t wait to see what you have for us next!

Four Loves

Book Links:

About the author:

I’m a Virginia girl living In South Carolina, and my beloved home in the South is the backdrop for all of my novels. I adore writing about Southern girls and boys finding their way in and out of love. I’m married to the love of my life, and we have two fabulous/crazy children and an equally crazy boxer doggie. Life is a fun roller-coaster, and I wouldn’t trade it! Now that I’m a stay-at-home-mom and have recently added author to my list of things to do, I’m busy ALL THE TIME!

My first book Color Blind, is a young adult contemporary Romance. The first series I wrote is The Ashes series, and both books are currently available, new adult contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense: Out Of The Ashes and Settling Ashes. All three books are self-published.

My newest series is called The Nelson Island series and the first book, Wanting Forever, is due out Oct. 7, 2014 from Grand Central Publishing/Forever Yours.

I love to hear from readers, it’s what keeps me going! Please tweet me @DianaLynnGardin My Facebook page is www.facebook.com/authordianagardin Or find my blog posts and more book info at www.dianagardin.com

Falling for the Enemy by Samantha Beck…Book Tour & Review

Synopsis:

A sexy category romance from Entangled’s Brazen imprint…

Caught between a rock and a rock-hard body…

Salon owner Virginia Boca has declared herself celibate…at least until she wins the election for mayor of Bluelick, Kentucky. No hot men. No sex. And her plan to play the good girl might have worked—if the mysterious, hard-bodied stranger she’s seen around town hadn’t pulled her from the street and saved her life. The least Ginny can do is offer her savior a free haircut.

But when an innocent haircut turns into hours of wickedly hot sex, former Navy SEAL Shaun Buchanan knows his plan to keep a low profile is shot. Especially once Ginny finds out he’s the current mayor’s son. With her reputation and the election on the line, Ginny seems determined to keep their nightly sexcapades a secret, but Shaun’s not willing to stay in the shadows forever…

My review:

Falling for the Enemy is the third book in author Samantha Beck’s Private Pleasures series. This is a series I have loved for the beginning written by an author I adore but I must say, Falling for the Enemy is by far my favorite of Ms. Beck’s work yet. Oh my yum, this book was packed with passion, emotion, and even a bit of mystery and suspense. I loved every smoldering second of this story.

Ginny Boca has had enough. She’s got enough on her plate with being the owner of her town’s beauty shop and deciding to run for mayor that she surely doesn’t need the aggravation of sex or men. She was tired of having bad relations with the same men and was swearing off sex, at least until the election was over. Of course there was one man she would consider making the exception for…if her ever spoke to her that is. The dangerously sexy and handsome stranger she affectionately nicknamed Wolverine had been in her sights since he showed up a few weeks ago. She soon realized he was out of the question because he acted like a ghost, appearing and disappearing in town without even a wave of hello. But there was something about him, the way he carried himself that told Ginny he was something special. Sort of unluckily, they would finally get their chance to meet what he jumps in and saves her from almost getting run over while crossing the street. Ginny realizes at that moment that he is even better up close than she ever imagined and she has to do something to repay his selfless act. Coincidence that he seems to be in need of a haircut, no? Bingo…

Former Navy SEAL Shaun Buchanan was only back in his hometown for as long as it took to figure out what he was going to do next. His life. His career. He had no clue. What he did know was that being back and seeing the beautiful beauty shop owner on a daily basis was something he was becoming to count on. Look forward to. Even if she didn’t know who he was, or that he could tell she had fire and spirit second to none, he coveted the glimpses he caught of her. When he saves her from what could have been an awful accident, touching her in real life proves to be better than he imagined. And when she wants to repay him for being her knight in camo armor, he doesn’t want to accept. He wasn’t ready for personal relationships and getting to know her. He was happy with his self-imposed isolation and it seemed to be working in dealing with his lingering pain from his last SEAL mission. But keeping his manner about him, he knew he had to say yes to the haircut she offered. The question is, would he be able to walk out of her shop when she was done?

Having lusted after one another from afar for weeks adds so much heat to the chance-meeting fate has given Shaun and Ginny. There’s no denying their attraction and need to sate the desire flowing between them and luckily they both realize it would be ridiculous not to act on it and after a few days, their connection is growing to something more than just sex. Will what they’ve found be strong enough to stand the test of town gossip and a mayoral campaign?

I sat down to start this book; only having about an hour to read at that time, and quickly realized I needed to change my plans for the day. No way was I putting this book down. And I didn’t. From the very beginning there was something about Shaun (aka Wolverine) that had me hooked. He was the strong, silent newcomer that had a way about him that just drew me in…as it did Ginny. Of course that was only a peek into what Shaun has to offer. He’s kind and patient. Struggling with his demons alone and my heart broke for him. He’s loyal and strong and truly a man’s man. Oh, and he is 100% alpha in and out of the bedroom….totally delicious! Ginny is also amazing. She’s got a good head on her shoulders and has a way with people that makes her honest and extremely likeable. She’s a fantastic match for Shaun in so many ways and the fire and passion they share was off the freaking charts! Adding to these two amazing characters is the drama of someone trying to sabotage Ginny’s bid for mayor and this book is the total package.

Scandal, mystery, emotion, passion, and beyond sexy, Falling for the Enemy is a book all romance loves should pick up. Thank you, Ms. Beck, for one of my favorite reads this season!

Five Loves

Purchase links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1xTYpgh

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1xmAS7T

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1wVMoTP

iTunes: http://bit.ly/1tbYOF0

Excerpt: (heat warning!)

She cupped his balls at the same time she stroked him, stopping just shy of the flare of his head. “So, you’re touching yourself, and thinking of me, and…”

His head dropped back of its own accord, and his breath quickened. “I’d dream of you kneeling between my legs, opening your mouth, and letting me fuck you like that until I was the only thing you’d taste for the rest of your life.”

While they both watched, liquid beaded at the head of his cock and trembled there. He shivered when she used the pad of her thumb to swipe it, pressing down hard enough to explore the small opening. Then she brought her thumb to her mouth and licked it clean.

Eyes locked on him, she gripped his thighs, spreading them slightly, and brought her mouth so close her breath ruffled the hair around the base of his cock. “Could I trouble you to do the honors?”

Hell yes. He gripped his shaft and guided it to her lips. She opened her mouth, fully prepared to take him in, but he delayed their gratification by tracing his tip along her upper lip. “You have the softest lips, Virginia. Even before I ever kissed you, I knew they’d feel amazing.” He dragged his tip along her lower lip and couldn’t hold back a groan.

She chased him with her tongue, wetting her lips in the process. “Having them sealed around you is going to feel even better.”

He placed his hand on the top of her head, spearing his fingers through her hair. “Don’t rush me. This is my dream, remember?”

“I remember everything. Tell me what comes next.”

Why he wanted to torture himself he couldn’t say, but he wanted to savor this. “Kiss it…just the tip. With those plush lips of yours. No tongue, yet.”

She wet her lips again, puckered them, and rubbed them over the tip he held out for her. Somehow he managed to keep his eyes open, even though they wanted to roll back in his head. Then she parted her lips to take him deeper.

“Not yet,” he ground out, still hoping against hope to make this last more than three seconds.

“I can’t wait. I want to cradle the weight of you in my mouth. I want to hear you beg as I take you in.” She tightened her hold on his thighs and aimed a plaintive look at him.

“Sweet Virginia, you’ve got me so worked up I can’t trust myself. If you let me in your mouth, I’m going to own it. I’ve been fantasizing about this too long to sit by like a gentleman while you have your fun.”

Giveaway

About the author:

Wine lover, sleep fanatic, and USA Today Bestselling Author of sexy contemporary romance novels, Samanthe Beck lives in Malibu, California, with her long-suffering but extremely adorable husband and their elementary-aged turbo-son. Throw in a furry ninja named Kitty and Bebe the trash talking Chihuahua and you get the whole, chaotic picture.

When not clinging to sanity by her fingernails or dreaming up fun, fan-your-cheeks sexy ways to get her characters to happily-ever-afters, she searches for the perfect cabernet to pair with Ambien.

Connect:

Site: http://www.samanthebeck.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamantheBeckWriter

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SamantheBeck1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6943520.Samanthe_Beck

The Reluctant Elf by Michele Gorman….Review

Synopsis:

Meet Britain’s Worst Innkeeper

Single mother and extremely undomestic goddess, Lottie, has five days to become the ultimate B&B hostess to save her beloved Aunt Kate’s livelihood.

When Aunt Kate ends up in the hospital, Lottie and her seven-year-old daughter are called to rural Wales to stand in at the B&B. Without the faintest idea how to run a hotel (she can barely run her own life), Lottie must impress the picky hotel reviewer and his dysfunctional family who are coming to stay over Christmas. Without the rating only he can bestow, Aunt Kate will lose her livelihood.

But will Danny, the local taxi driver who she hires to help her, really be Santa’s little helper, or the Grinch who stole Christmas?

My review:

The Reluctant Elf is the first work of author Michele Gorman’s that I’ve read and totally put me into the holiday spirit. Filled with more than a few chuckles, plenty of mishaps, and even a bit of romance, this novella was the perfect afternoon read.

Game software designer and single mother, Lottie, was gearing up for the holiday season when she got a phone call that would change all of her plans of how she and her daughter were going to celebrate the holiday season. Her aunt had ben in a car accident and needed her help. Not only with recuperating, but with running the bed and breakfast that was booked with very important guests for the holiday. No problem, right? Lottie would just pack up her daughter, and head to help. Easy. Until she sets her eyes upon the bed and breakfast which was in quite a state of disrepair and soon realizes she was in a heap of trouble. Luckily for her, she’s managed to wrangle the help of her unsuspecting cab driver when he drops her and her daughter off at the B&B and with a bit of imagination and determination, maybe she could pull it off and survive the weekend…

In a word, this story was adorable! Poor Lottie is stuck in a run down B&B, hosting some obnoxious and rude guests, praying she can just convince them that this was a B&B worth writing a beaming review for. But with hijinks at every turn, and things going wrong more often than they went right, Lottie sure has her hands full. Her daughter is a bright spot in all of the craziness and helps remind her what’s important and that if you put your mind to it, anything is possible. Lottie also has some great help from Danny and soon realizes how lucky she was to find him. Together, they really make things work and have a few laughs along the way. They also find an attraction starting to blossom between them and it was great to see. I really enjoyed every aspect of this story and felt as though I was reading a holiday version of the Money Pit…it was fantastic!

Michelle’s voice is witty and charming and I will certainly be looking forward to reading more of her work!

Four Loves

Book links:

About the author:

I write romantic comedy, including SINGLE IN THE CITY (the first in The Expat Diaries series) and BELLA SUMMER TAKES A CHANCE. Born and raised in the US, I lost my heart to London 16 years ago, where I’ve lived ever since. I’ve also turned my hand to upmarket commercial fiction under the pen name Jamie Scott.

I spend way too much time on twitter and facebook when I should be writing, so please come say hello there. I’m @expatdiaries on twitter, and we can connect on Facebook.

website

All I Want for Christmas is You by Jessica Scott…Review

Book links:

Synopsis:

An all new novella about a woman who came back from war changed and the man who loves her enough not to let her go.

All Major Patrick MacLean wanted was Christmas with the woman and child who were his family in everything but name. But Captain Samantha Egan has come back from the war a different woman than the one who left – and she doesn’t know if she can love him anymore.

But neither of them counted on the determination of a little girl they both call daughter and if Natalie has her wish, her parents may have no idea what’s coming for them. It’s going to take Christmas miracle to bring these two wounded warriors back from the edge of a broken heart.

My review:

All I Want for Christmas is You is the newest work from author Jessica Scott and admittedly the first of her work I have read. Well, Ms. Scott now has a new fan in this blogger. This story was fantastic. Full of emotion and hope, I loved every minute.

Captain Samantha Egan was home. She was safe, back in the states from her last deployment; she knew she should be happy and relieved to have made it back in one piece. But she wasn’t happy and to be honest, didn’t feel like she was in one piece. Her best friend had been killed on their last deployment and it haunted Sam every minute. She didn’t know how to let it go. How to live life again. How to love the man in her life, the one who had always been her rock. She just didn’t know how to feel anything but the pain and uncertainty and it was ruining everything good she had known. Taking her daughter and leaving Patrick seemed the only thing she could do at the moment. Maybe the distance would help. She didn’t want to let Patrick go but she knew he deserved a woman who was whole and not shattered by war. She should also know that Patrick would fight for her and the love they share…

This novella delves into the depths of PTSD and all of the emotion that comes along with it. Poor Sam lost her best friend and had no idea how to cope. She is numb and broken and hates that she just can’t shake it off and make things right again. I felt so terrible for her and wanted her to get the help she needed, whether she wanted to admit she needed it or not. Lucky for her she’s got Patrick. He is truly an amazing man and partner. He is patient and kind but knows he’s not going down without a fight. A fight to keep Sam and her daughter in his life. He knew that Sam would be ok, after getting help, and he knew he would be there for her every step of the way. There were more than a few tear jerking moments in his story and there was always a spark of hope. That hope was a thing of beauty. Even in the darkest of despair, there is always the change to make things better and not lose hope that you can be whole again.

Don’t ever give up. Never lose hope. Important messages that Jessica did a wonderful job of reminding us all of.

Thank you, Ms. Scott, for a touching and beautiful story. I look forward to reading more of your work!

Five Loves

About the author:

USA TODAY Bestselling author Jessica Scott is a career army officer, mother of two daughters, three cats and three dogs, wife to a career NCO and wrangler of all things stuffed and fluffy. She is a terrible cook and even worse housekeeper, but she’s a pretty good shot with her assigned weapon and someone liked some of the stuff she wrote. Somehow, her children are pretty well adjusted and her husband still loves her, despite burned water and a messy house.

She’s written for the New York Times At War Blog, PBS Point of View Regarding War, and IAVA. She deployed to Iraq in 2009 as part of OIF/New Dawn and is currently a company commander stationed at Fort Hood.

Most recently, she’s been featured as one of Esquire Magazine’s Americans of the Year for 2012

Website | Twitter

Baby, It’s Cold Outside by Jennifer Probst, Emma Chase, Kristen Proby, Melody Anne & Kate Meader…Blog Tour Stop & Review

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling indie authors Jennifer Probst, Emma Chase, Kristen Proby, Melody Anne, and debut author Kate Meader come together to write a sizzling romance anthology.

Outside it may be frosty, so turn the heat way up with these stories of desire!

Can a determined woman executive and a playboy billionaire survive being stranded together in a snowstorm? Jennifer Probst depicts an encounter almost too hot to handle…

My review:

Being a huge fan of Jennifer Probst, I was thrilled to see her in this anthology. In true Jennifer fashion, this story was full of romance and heat. The backstory between the two main characters really dictated the speed of how things heated up between them and I couldn’t have been happier with how it did! They had known each other through college and had been fighting the passion between them for years. They haven’t seen each other for ten years and now they’ve been set up on a blind date with each other. Of course neither one believes they could be the perfect match but fate had a different idea and soon they realize the fiery passion that had ignited years earlier had continued to burn. Add being stuck inside with a snowstorm raging outside and they have no choice but to act on all that attraction. A delicious story with two amazing characters makes this yet another fabulous story from Ms. Probst!

Drew and Kate play an encore to Tangled in this sexy take on a “Christmas Carol” by Emma Chase. When a Christmas Eve argument condemns Drew to a troubled night, three dream women teach him that no gift could be more tantalizing than Kate…

My review:

Two words: Drew Evans. I mean can Emma Chase write a bad story? Nope! I have loved her writing since the very first time we met Drew in Tangled and always love reading more of him and Kate. This was no exception. With his signature snark and sex appeal, Drew wins again in this new take on A Christmas Carol. Drew may have lost site of what’s important to him and his family, but with three visits on Christmas Eve, he is reminded pretty quickly that Kate and James are what matter most. Of course there’s also plenty of heat in this tale and it made me love it even more. Emma, you are amazing and with one of the freshest voices out there, I will continue to look forward to your work!

With Kristen Proby, ski slopes are quite delightful. Grace Douglas is sure she’ll never learn to ski, but instructor Jacob Baxter could teach her lessons of a different kind…

My review:

Well, hello sexy ski instructor. This story was really charming and smoking hot! Grace is funny and beyond clumsy, which only adds to her charm. She has the ability to laugh at life and not take things too seriously, which makes for the ease of a weekend fling with her hot ski instructor quite manageable. Speaking of the sexy ski instructor, Jacob is quite the package. He’s smart, sexy, athletic, and knows how to please a gal. But he isn’t a player…quite the opposite, in fact. Together they are smoking hot and I really enjoyed their story!

Can a southern California transplant survive Montana’s deep snows? Melody Anne, author of the bestselling Andersons series, melts the icy drifts completely away with the heat between sexy Hawk Winchester and brand-new teacher Natalie Duncan…

My review:

This is the first of author Melody Anne’s work that I have read and after this, I can say I’m a fan! The new teacher in Small Town, USA meets up with one of the most eligible bachelors and the heat between them is undeniable. Hawk Winchester is sex on a brooding stick and it doesn’t hurt that he’s the town’s fire chief and volunteers with the school. I mean, does it get any better? Natalie is a strong gal and has many goals she wants to achieve before settling down and rightfully so. She had a pretty rough childhood and vows never to be put into that situation again. Fortunately for her, Hawk is the kind of guy to make sure she is always safe and taken care of. Oh, and the ending of this story? Totally movie worthy and I loved it!

What could be hotter than a firefighter? Kate Meader shows how hot it can get as Beck Rivera and heiress-turned-tattoo-artist Darcy Cochrane discover that nothing ignites holiday flames like rekindling a lost love…

My review:

Oh, my. This story by author Kate Meader totally blew me away. For being a novella, there was the prefect amount of heat and emotion packed into these pages and I loved every second of it. Darcy Cochrane had her heart crushed years earlier when her boyfriend dumped her and told her he wasn’t good enough for her or her wealthy family. She understood where he was coming from, he was a street kid adopted by a good family but still had plenty of issues and was trying to learn to stay out of trouble. But no matter what, he would always be a blue-collar guy, going into firefighting and certainly not good enough for the upper class she came from. So he thought. It was that breakup that lead Darcy on the path to become the woman she was today. A successful tattoo artist, who had travelled the world. Of course that went against all that her family wanted her to be. Feeling she never belonged in that life anyway, she didn’t care one bit. What she did care about were the feelings her ex ignited within her when she sees him while back in town. He was even sexier than he was back then and lord help her, she was in so much trouble when it came to him. Can they recapture the passion they had when they were younger? Could she make him understand she never cared what his background was? This story was off the charts sexy and hot. I loved the backstory between the characters and how it affected their current situation. It was completely fantastic and also this novella had an ending that was totally movie worthy!

Five Loves

Buy links:

About The Authors:

Jennifer Probst’s New York Times and USA Today bestselling novels, novellas, and ebooks include the acclaimed Marriage to a Billionaire series, as well as Searching for Someday and Searching for Perfect. She lives in upstate New York.

Visit her at www.jenniferprobst.com.

Emma Chase is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Tangles, Twisted, Tamed, and Tied. She lives in a small town in rural New Jersey with her husband and children. Follow Emma on Twitter and Facebook, or visit her at www.emmachase.net.

Kristen Proby is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Loving Cara and Seducing Lauren, as well as the popular With Me in Seattle series. Kristen spends her days with her muse in the Pacific Northwest. Visit her at kristenproby.com.

Melody Anne is the New York Times bestselling author of the indie published Billionaire Bachelors series, the Baby for the Billionaire series, and the Surrender series, and she has a new series coming soon from Pocket Books. She lives in the Pacific Northwest. Visit her at www.melodyanne.com.

Kate Meader is the author of the sexy new series Hot in Chicago, coming soon from Pocket Books. When not writing she works in an academic library in Chicago. Visit her at www.katemeader.com.

Light Her Fire by Samanthe Beck…Book Blitz Stop & Review

Synopsis:

A sexy category romance from Entangled’s Brazen imprint…

He’ll show this good girl the thrill of being bad…

Good girl Melody Merritt is ready to be bad. Fresh out of an unsatisfying ten-year engagement to the town golden boy, she’s determined to make up for lost time. And who better to burn her sterling reputation to the ground than Bluelick’s sinfully sexy new fire chief whose wicked gaze promises complete and utter domination? Yes, please.

Corrupting the prim and proper Little Miss Bluelick is the most action Josh Bradley’s seen since he transferred from Cincinnati to fast-track his career. He won’t let anything or anyone—not even the delectable Melody Merritt—trap him in this Kentucky-fried Mayberry, but when their searing chemistry yields an unexpected result, he realizes he’s started a blaze that’s completely beyond his control…

My review:

Light Her Fire is the second work in author Samanthe Beck’s Private Practice series and can be read as a standalone. I always love Ms. Beck’s work and this was certainly no exception. This book was, well, on fire!

Former Miss Bluelick, all-American, and Southern charming Melody Merritt was ready to shed her good girl reputation and throw some caution to the wind. She was over the breakup of her ten-year engagement and was tired of everyone in her small town feeling sorry for her. She was ready to live life and do it with a smoking hot guy…enter Chief Bradley. He was her town’s new fire chief, thankfully single, and plenty sexy. It was time to grab life with both hands and he looked like just the guy to do it with. Hopefully he is on board because she was so ready to experience all that he could offer…

Josh Bradley didn’t love too much about this small town living. He was a city guy and missed it. However, if he’s being honest, there was one thing he liked about this small town and her name was Melody. She was all buttoned-up and Southern charm and he wanted nothing more than to dirty up her proper ways with some smoking hot action. But surely a good girl like Melody wouldn’t want things his way. She wouldn’t want to get down and dirty with him….or would she?

This may be a sleepy, small town but Melody and Josh sure do find a way to heat up the place. But they aren’t the only ones heating things up. There’s a curious spike in small fires since Josh got to town and he has a sneaking suspicion there’s a firebug loose in Bluelick. Hopefully Josh can figure that out before someone gets hurt…

Oh man…this book was hot, hot, HOT! From the very beginning, there is a delicious amount of chemistry between Melody and Josh and it just got hotter with each encounter. I think I may have actually blushed a few times while reading and for sure fanned myself more than once. Melody really took a chance when she approached Josh at the start and I was so glad she didn’t back down. She knew what she wanted and consequences be dammed, she went after it. She is a fabulous character to read and I enjoyed her immensely. Josh is hot, sexy, naughty, and just perfect. He knows exactly how to take care of a woman, both inside and outside of the bedroom. He’s also a true professional and sticks to his guns when the small town mentality doesn’t want to believe there was a criminal in their midst.

That leads me to another aspect besides the amazing heat that I loved about this story…the suspense. Author Beck did a fantastic job by adding that layer to this story. Peppering in the arson mystery between the hot and sexy moments really made this story the whole package.

Also, one of the greatest things about Ms. Beck is her ability to give characters amazing depth. Josh hanging out with Melody’s nieces, Melody getting tips from her ex-fiancé, Melody and Josh’s interaction with the townspeople, all of those little scenes, and others like it throughout the book, gave these characters a real life quality that I adored.

If you like a ton of panty melting heat with a dash of mystery and a sprinkle of suspense, this is a book you need to get on your shelf. Thank you, Ms. Beck, for yet another amazing read!

Five Loves

Excerpt:

“Oh, sweet mercy, don’t—”

“Don’t what? Torture you until you think you’re going to die where you stand? How do you think I feel every single time I look at you? When you come into Jiffy Java, fiddle with the top button of your blouse while you decide between an iced coffee or a sweet tea, all I want to do is tear your shirt open, shove your bra out of my way, and feast on your breasts. How do you think I feel when you lean on the bar at Rawley’s, talking to your friends while I drive myself insane wondering what you’ve got on under your good-girl dress? Tortured doesn’t even begin to describe it.”

Those diabolical fingers made a circling motion, and Melody’s knees threatened to buckle. “How shameless of me. I’m terribly”—oh, there he went again with the fingers—“sorry.” She wasn’t. Not in the least.

“You will be, because I can’t let behavior like yours go unpunished.”

She closed her eyes and a pathetically small scenario of erotic punishments paraded through her head. Waves of hot and cold washed over her. It was all she could do to find her voice, and keep it even while she asked, “What did you have in mind?”

“When I get you alone the first thing I’m going to do is give you a pillow.”

Uh-oh. She didn’t know the pillow game. “A pillow?” she asked, and immediately wondered if she’d just given Josh a big hint of exactly how tame her sex life had been up until tonight.

“Yeah. Because once I get started, you’ll need something to bury your face in so nobody hears you pleading with me to let you come. Does that answer your question?”

Why yes. Yes it did. So much so, for a moment she could only nod. “A-and then?”

“At that point, I’m going to tongue-whip your clit until you don’t care if the whole fucking town hears you begging. Then, if you ask nicely, I will guide my very eager cock into you”—he rocked his hips again for emphasis, coaxing another moan out of her—“and give us both the relief we’re after. Are you ready, Miss Bluelick?”

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