ARC Review…Love on the Boardwalk by Christi Barth

Love on the Boardwalk is out today!

Synopsis:

Atlantic City is the perfect place for detective Bradley Hudson to nurse his broken heart. A week of beer and strippers is sure to erase his former fiancée from his memory for good. What he didn’t count on was running into a sassy redhead from his past. Maybe a rebound romp is an even better plan…

Trina Trimble, private eye in training, is thrilled to be reunited with the hottie she almost hooked up with last summer. She’s undercover on her first solo case, but there’s always time to lock lips with a sexy cop. Besides, a fun fling with Brad doesn’t have to last beyond his week in town.

Brad and Trina are supposed to be just flirting, not forging a new forever. Brad’s still healing, and although Trina changes careers the way other women change shoes, she has finally found her calling in her new life of disguises and stakeouts. But when an irresistible job offer threatens to lure her away, Brad will need to decide to let her go or bet it all on love and risk his heart again.

My review:

Love on the Boardwalk is the sequel to author Christi Barth’s Love at High Tide but can be read as a standalone…although I loved Love at High Tide as well so I vote for you to read both! This book was fun, flirty, and sexy with two characters I adores reading and an interesting, and somewhat suspenseful, storyline. I loved it!

Baltimore PD detective Bradley Hudson finds himself in Atlantic City for the week, spending what should have been his wedding and honeymoon, alone. It seemed like an ok idea at the time, and to avoid listening to his family and friends, he agreed to this trip, and now as he’s sitting in some strip club, drinking an unappetizing drink, he realizes this may not have been a great idea. All that changes when he recognizes the cocktail waitress. It was Trina, his cousin’s girlfriend’s best friend and a girl he met last summer and had captivated him from that very first meeting. Maybe this trip wasn’t so bad? Could Trina be up for a little unattached fun? He sure hoped so…

Trina Trimble couldn’t believe Brad was sitting at a table in the strip club she was “sort of” working at. The whole “sort of” part because she was still working at becoming a private investigator and this was part of a case she was unofficially working. He wasn’t too happy about the last time she was working on a case when they had first met last summer and he ended up having to come to her rescue. But that was months ago and she was better at her job now. And right about now she wanted to investigate why he was here and if his body looked at good without a shirt on as it did with one on…

A chance meeting will turn into more than Brad and Trina ever imagined when attraction and emotion come into play and suddenly the idea of a temporary, no-strings attached fling isn’t so appealing. They both wanted more. Could this be the beginning of the relationship both Brad and Trina have been missing?

I can always count on Ms. Barth for a great read. She is always well-written and entertaining. This was certainly no exception! We first met Trina and Brad in Love at High Tide and even then, I knew Trina would be a colorful and fun character to read and Brad would be her perfect match. Opposites in many ways, they truly balance each other out beautifully. Poor Brad has been mending his broken heart for months and is ready to move on and Trina is exactly what he needs. She is a breath of fresh air in his life and brings excitement and fun to the table at every turn. But beyond that, she sees through right to the heart of him and that is something he’s never had before. On the flip side Brad is equally intuitive when it comes to Trina and calls her out on more than a few things in her life. That’s what makes these two click to well. It was fantastic to read their relationship grow from just a physical attraction to an emotional one on a deeper level. Add to that a few mobsters and some organized crime, and this story truly has it all!

Plus, we got to catch up with Darcy and Cooper from the previous book and I loved seeing them!

If you’re looking for an entertaining reading escape, Love on the Boardwalk is for you. Thank you, Christi, for yet another fantastic read.

Four Loves

Book links:

Amazon | B&N

About the author:

Christi Barth earned a Masters degree in vocal performance and embarked upon a career on the stage.
A love of romance then drew her to wedding planning. Ultimately she succumbed to her lifelong love of books and now writes contemporary romance.
Christi is President of the Maryland Romance Writers and lives in Maryland with her husband.

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The Betrayed by Heather Graham….Blog Tour Stop & Review

Synopsis:

Sleepy Hollow isn’t so sleepy anymore…

One night, New York FBI agent Aiden Mahoney receives a visitor in a dream–an old friend named Richard Highsmith. The very next day he’s sent to Sleepy Hollow because Richard’s gone missing there.

Maureen–Mo–Deauville now lives in the historic town and works with her dog, Rollo, to search for missing people. She’s actually the one to find Richard?or more precisely his head, stuck on a statue of the legendary Headless Horseman.

Mo and Aiden, a new member of the Krewe of Hunters, the FBI’s unit of paranormal investigators, explore both past and present events to figure out who betrayed Richard, who killed him and now wants to kill them, too. As they work together, they discover that they share an unusual trait?the ability to communicate with the dead. They also share an attraction that’s as intense as it is unexpected?if they live long enough to enjoy it!

My review:

The Betrayed is the 14th book in author Heather Graham’s Krewe of Hunters Series and can absolutely be read as a stand alone. In this installment, Ms. Graham weaves a thrilling mystery with rich, small-town history delivering another novel I wasn’t able to put down.

New York FBI agent Aiden Mahoney is new to the agency’s paranormal division, the Krewe of Hunters, and is just getting used to the idea when, one night, he hears the voice of an old friend in a dream and isn’t sure what to make of it. He won’t have to wonder long because the very next morning, he is sent to the town his friend went missing from to start his investigation. That investigation turns into a murder investigation when his friend’s body is found…in two separate parts. With the investigation in its infancy, he can’t help but notice that the circumstances surrounding the murder are a direct link to the town’s history….the town being Sleepy Hollow. Adding to the overall creepiness to the murder is the fact that it’s so close to Halloween. Aiden definitely has his work cut out for him. Luckily he will have the help of the local police, a few more of his fellow Krewe of Hunters team members and Mo and Rollo. Although if he’s being honest, Mo and Rollo are almost as big a mystery as the murder itself. He can’t quite put his finger on it, but he knows she’s hiding some sort of psychic ability. He knows that because he once hid his ability as well…

Mo knew all too well what would happen if she revealed her ability to see and speak with the dead to the handsome FBI agent. He would never believe her and it was for the best that she keep it to herself. She had her dog, Rollo, and together they would help with this murder like they had with many other cases. But there was something about him that Mo couldn’t quite put her finger on…it was almost as though he had some sort of ability as well. Maybe she could get him to open up to her? After all, they would be working together until this horrible crime had been solved. She just hoped they could catch the killer before anyone else got hurt.

The murders gripping Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown are gruesome and utterly unnerving. Aiden can’t believe his old friend has been murdered and Mo can’t believe it could be someone from her very own town. With time ticking and not too many clues, the pressure is on both Aiden and Mo to get to the bottom of this mystery. Can they do it without the number of victims increasing?

Again, I have to say that one of my favorite things about Ms. Graham’s writing is her ability to weave a town’s real history with a fictional mystery. It’s a beautiful balance that adds something special to each book she writes. I loved the setting of this particular installment, Sleepy Hollow, and that is was so close to Halloween. I don’t think it is possible to find a better place and time to set a murder mystery in. The other thrilling aspect was that the murderer is using that rich and creepy history to add an even more twisted facet to the story. I had chills too many times to count while reading it and I love that in a story!

Of course, the characters were also fabulous. Aiden is all business and I loved watching him try to figure Mo out. Mo and Rollo were equally terrific to read. They were both bound and determined to solve this crime and they ended up worked beautifully together…and that lead to a mutual attraction as well, which was yet another reason to love this story.

Now, I have to say, I was totally shocked when the murdered was revealed. The build up was so well done and few things are better than that “aha” moment. Simply fantastic!

Thank you, Ms. Graham, for another suspenseful and history filled read!

Four Loves

Book links:

Amazon | B&N | iBooks

About the author:

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Heather Graham has written more than a hundred novels and has been published in more than 20 languages. An avid scuba diver, ballroom dancer and the mother of five, she enjoys her south Florida home, but loves to travel as well, from locations such as Cairo, Egypt, to her own backyard, the Florida Keys. Reading is still the pastime she still loves best, and she is a member of many writing groups. She’s a winner of the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Thriller Writers’ Silver Bullet. She is an active member of International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America, and also the founder of The Slush Pile Players, an author band and theatrical group.
Heather annually hosts the Writers for New Orleans conference to benefit both the city, which is near and dear to her heart, and various other causes, and she hosts a ball each year at the RT Booklovers Convention to benefit pediatric AIDS foundations.
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Connect with Heather
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Mercy by B.J. Daniels…Blog Tour Stop: Review & Excerpt

Synopsis:

The hunt for a killer leads to a battle between justice and desire…

For U.S. marshal Rourke Kincaid, there’s the law…and then there’s his law. When the two don’t agree, he always trusts his instincts. A killing spree has gripped the Northwest, showing a strange connection that only he sees, and now the old rules of justice no longer apply. Forced to turn rogue, he goes deep undercover to track his mysterious female suspect to a quiet, unassuming café in the wild, isolated mountains of Beartooth, Montana.

But encountering Callie Westfield complicates his mission in ways he never expected. As suspicious as she seems, her fragile beauty and sexy charm get to Rourke. Then the gory crimes begin anew. With his heart suddenly at war with his instincts, he has only two options. Either turn Callie over to the law, or put everything—including his badge and his life—on the line to protect her.

My review:

Mercy is the fifth book in author B.J. Daniels’ Beartooth, Montana Series and admittedly the first book of her that I have read. I had no trouble reading it as a standalone novel. Well, after this intense and surreptitious rollercoaster ride, I have added Ms. Daniels to my go-to author list. This book was incredible!

You could say that U.S. marshal Rourke Kincaid has gone off the grid. He’s gone rogue, so to speak, and is using his suspension from the force to dig deeper into a possible serial killer case that has been bothering him since he laid eyes on the cold case file. More specifically, the woman in three separate crime scene photos. When he meets up with his former partner to discuss this feelings, she doesn’t agree with him at first and says the woman could just be one of those weird murder junkies that heads to any nearby crime scene…but he can’t shake his hunch that there’s more to this woman.

That hunch leads him into a small town on the hunt for the woman in the photos. When he finds her he never suspected the complicated and twisted road he would be lead down. More murders begin as he starts to dig deeper into the mysterious woman’s past and the stakes are extremely high to solve this mystery before anyone else gets hurt…including the Callie, the woman he came to find and now is developing feelings for. As the trail winds and the clues start pointing to a suspect, Rourke never suspected who is ultimately responsible for the murders and it will rock his very foundation.

Where to begin? Author Daniels has written one of the most well thought out and delivered thrilling murder mysteries that I’ve ever read. The mystery surrounding not only the murders, but also the woman Rourke is looking for, was woven into a tale I am in awe over. There’s a broken past with a young unwed mother, the gift of second sight, horrible stories of a home for troubled youth and the woman who ran it, and a psychotic killer hell bent on some sort of revenge. Ms. Daniels did a superb job of dropping subtle hints along the way while never giving away too much which lead to an ending that had me reading while in open-mouthed shock. This was one of those stories that you’re never quite sure whom to trust. You never know what’s going to happen on the next page. It is utterly unpredictable. Simply amazing, in my opinion.

I will warn you that there were parts of this book that were pretty scary to read, but I love that. Ms. Daniel’s description of the old and dilapidated home for girls, and the tales of what went on while it was open, were beyond creepy but a necessary evil in creating the story as a whole.

Another aspect I enjoyed was the relationship between Rourke and Callie. It was a bright spot in an otherwise dark situation for both of them. (of course as I was reading I was still unsure if Callie was someone I could trust not to be the killer…and my lips are sealed as to if it was her or not mwahaha)

If you’re looking for a book that will have you on the edge of your seat, this needs to be on your list. Thank you, Ms. Daniels, for one hell of a read and for putting up with my incessant tweets as I was reading! You’re too awesome!

Five Loves

Excerpt:

Rourke breathed in the sweet, mysterious scent of Callie Westfield as his mouth took possession of hers again.
She moaned, sending his already pounding heart drumming harder. He wanted this woman, wanted to get under her skin, wanted to know her intimately. He knew how dangerous it was. He didn’t care. She’dbeen a mystery to him for too long. Now she was in his arms, her mouth opening invitingly to his, her breath mingling with his, her tongue—
Callie suddenly pulled back, her gaze locking with his again. He was breathing hard. He didn’t want to let go of her.
She took a breath, her cheeks f lushed. Her arms moved from around his neck. She pressed her palms against the front of his shirt—but she didn’t push him away, and he didn’t loosen his hold on her, afraid if he did she would slip away.
He watched her catch her breath, her dark eyes search- ing his face before her gaze locked again with his.
“Tell me I’m not wrong about you,” she whispered. “Tell me I’m wrong about you,” he wanted to plead, but instead he said, “I guess that depends on what
you’re thinking about me right now.”
Her smile was slow, her eyes bright with moonlight and desire. “That you’re going to break my heart.”
“I hope not. I sure don’t want to.”
She cocked her head, studying him. “You don’t know how much I wish I could read your thoughts right now.” “You would be disappointed. I don’t think much with you in my arms, and when you’re kissing me, my only thought is your mouth.” The truth of that made him smile. He certainly wasn’t thinking like a U.S. marshal. He could hear Laura’s warning. Don’t get too close. He realized he could have just kissed his first
serial killer.
“Have you had your heart broken before?” he asked, curious as both a man and a marshal.
Callie pushed back gently, still studying him. He loosened his hold, and she slipped from his arms, turn-ing her back to him. He took a deep breath, mentally kicking himself for spoiling the moment. He let the breath out slowly as she picked up her empty beer bot- tle and glass.
“That was probably a mistake,” she said, her back to him.
“If you’re talking about that kiss, nope, that was definitely not a mistake.”
She turned to look at him, eyes narrowing. “And if
I was talking about something else?”
He wanted to say that only time would tell. Instead, he joked, “The mistake was stopping kissing. But then, maybe it wasn’t.”
She smiled. “I’ll bite. Why not?”
“Because if we hadn’t stopped, you would have wanted to make love in the moonlight by the lake.”
Callie laughed. “Is that right?” “I’m certain of it.”
“What about you?” she asked, cocking her head to the side.
“Oh, I think you could have persuaded me, but I
prefer to wait until the third date—not the first.”
She chuckled. “You’re considering this a first date?” He grinned and rubbed his thumb slowly along his
lower lip. “First kiss. First date, don’t you think?” Shaking her head, she smiled at him. She had a
great smile. Sometimes it even reached her eyes. “Think you can sleep now?” he asked.
She nodded slowly. Was that disappointment or re- lief he saw in her eyes?
“Good, then you don’t mind if I follow you as far as town,” he said, taking her glass and bottle from herand picking up his own. “I would hate to see you run into Carson Grant again tonight.”laura couldn’t Sleep. Like a scene out of a Poe tale, she could hear the trunk under her bed calling to her. Giving up fighting it any longer, she climbed out of bed and dragged out the trunk.
She realized she had no choice but to open it. She had to see what was inside. Her fingers trembled as she pulled out the key to the padlock, and then in a fit of terror, she shot to her feet to pace back and forth. Her mind listed all the reasons she should have de- stroyed the contents.
Reaching for her phone, she started to call her psy- chiatrist, but stopped herself. She knew what he’d say. The same thing he had been saying all along. She had to face her past, shine light on those dark holes of blank memory from her childhood and face her fears.
She stopped pacing to stare at the trunk. Why hadn’t she burned everything like she’d planned? Because she had to know all of it. Her mother had saved it for her. Saved it for this moment when she came face-to- face with her past.
Wasn’t it possible there would be something in the trunk that would prove Callie was the killer?
If she had any hope of saving Rourke…
But she feared it was too late. “No, it won’t be too late until he finds himself tied to a bed and a knife to his throat,” she said to the empty room.
Her mother had hidden this trunk in the basement. Locked it so no one else could see what was inside. Maybe especially her sister, Catherine?
That thought made her head hurt. She saw the clockby the bed. She didn’t have any more time. If there was something in that trunk…
Moving to it, she fished the key to the padlock back out of her pocket and bent down to insert it into the lock. It snapped open, feeling icy cold beneath her fin- gers. Removing the lock, she told herself it wasn’t too late. She could still burn the contents.
She thought of Rourke and felt a weight on her chest that made it hard to breathe.
With a curse, she reached down and grabbed the edge of the trunk lid and lifted it. The old metal creaked, re- minding her of her mother’s wheelchair. For just a mo- ment, she saw the pillow in her hand, the spot of blood on it, the blood on her mother’s lip… .
Laura threw off the disturbing image as she looked down into the trunk at the jumble of papers. Off to one side of the loose papers, she spotted what at first looked like a book.
With trembling fingers, she picked it up. A diary. Her mother had kept a diary? She opened it to the first page, her fingers trembling.
In her mother’s handwriting was Westfield 1987–88.when rourke reached town after following Callie back, he parked on the main drag in front of the café. Originally he’d planned to just make sure she got in- side her apartment without any trouble.
But after parking, he decided to walk the perimeter to be certain Carson wasn’t hiding in the dark like he had been earlier lying in wait for her.
As Rourke made his loop around the café, he was surprised to find that Callie had gone up to her apart- ment, turned on the lights and then come back down.She was waiting for him at the bottom of her outside stairs.
Moonlight played on her face, making her dark eyes bright. Her hair, which she’d had pulled back earlier, now framed her face, the raven locks against her pale skin. She couldn’t have looked more beautiful. Or more desirable. He felt a tremor inside him like nothing he’d ever felt before. Red f lag warnings were going off like fireworks in his head.
She smiled, and the moment he stepped to her, all he could think about was kissing her again. His mouth took hers hungrily, the kiss all passion and need as he pulled her into his arms. Lifting her off her feet, he pressed her against the side of the building. He could feel the soft curves of her body, the heat she radiated warming the October night.
Neither of them must have heard the vehicle approach- ing. Before they knew it, they were caught in blinding- bright headlights. Ducking back into the shadow of the building, they burst into nervous laughter, desire spark- ing like fireflies between them.
“Third date, huh?” Callie said, sounding as breath- less as he felt.
The light glowing in her apartment just yards away drew him like a moth to a f lame. He knew how dan- gerous this could be, and yet…
“I suppose we could consider this our second date,” he said, his voice husky with desire. “Maybe if I left and came back…”
She laughed and gave him a playful push. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, cowboy.”
“Go out with me tomorrow night. Dinner in Big
Timber. Say yes.”Callie took only a moment to consider. “Yes,” she said, then raced up the stairs, stopping at the top to look back at him before disappearing inside.
He watched her go, asking himself if he hadn’t just made a date with a serial killer.

Book links:

Amazon | B&N

About the author:

B.J. DANIELS, a USA Today and New York Times bestselling author, wrote her first book after a career as an award-winning newspaper journalist and author of 37 published short stories. That first book, ODD MAN OUT, received a 4 ½ star review from Romantic Times magazine and went on to be nominated for Best Intrigue for that year. Since then she has won numerous awards including a career achievement award for romantic suspense and numerous nominations and awards for best book. Daniels lives in Montana with her husband, Parker, and two Springer Spaniels, Spot and Jem. When she isn’t writing, she snowboards, camps, boats and plays tennis. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Thriller Writers, Kiss of Death and Romance Writers of America.

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Full Exposure by Sara Jane Stone…Review

Synopsis:

No touching allowed . . .

After serving her country, Georgia Trulane craves adventure–and sex. She’s set her sights on her brother’s best friend–now her boss, since she took a temporary job as his nephew’s live-in nanny. Only problem? Eric refuses to touch her. That doesn’t stop Georgia from seducing him. But an earth-shattering encounter leaves her fully exposed, body and soul.

Eric has a long list of reasons to steer clear of the woman he has wanted for as long as he can remember. For one, he refuses to be her next thrill ride. When he claims her, it will be for good. But the attraction is undeniable, and the more they fight it, the stronger it pulls. But will it be enough to conquer their obstacles?

My review:

Full Exposure is the first book in author Sara Jane Stone’s Independence Falls Series and is the first of her work that I have read. Well, I’m hooked and am anxiously awaiting the next in this series. This book was fantastic!

Veteran Georgia is home now and is silently struggling with the experiences from her time overseas at war. She has found a few things that work to keep the nightmares at bay…sleeping as little as she can manage, jumping from one adrenaline rush to the next, and Eric. Eric, her brother’s long-time best friend, her as-long-as-she-can-remember crush, and currently her boss. Eric now had custody of his nephew and she was the new nanny, which gave her daily, up close and personal time with him and was driving her crush into whole new level. If surviving war had taught her one thing it was that life could end in an instant and that you should go after what you want in life. It’s that lesson that made up her mind to go after Eric. Now the question was, what would reaction be?

Logging company owner Eric has had a whole lot on his plate the past few months and the one person who had become a reliable constant was Georgia. He was so happy she was home safe and now under his roof, helping him with his nephew. Of course all of that was making his attraction to her hard to ignore. But he knew there were a million and one reasons why he needed to stay away from Georgia. For one, his best friend and her brother, would kill him. Unfortunately, he has to push all of that aside when a fire starts on his mountain and threatens not only an entire town, but the future of his logging business.

The odds seem to sway back and forth between favorable and unfavorable for Eric and Georgia. Just when we think they will be able to face their mutual attraction something gets thrown in the way. The push and pull between them starts off immediately and oh my, the heat building was fantastic to read.

Georgia’s demons are numerous and trying to deal with her PTSD alone is a perilous situation. She is one hell of an admirable character to read and I really felt for her. It was actually a bit of fresh air to read a female veteran and her struggle was touching. She is strong and capable and grabs on to life with both hands, prepared for the ride. Of course, that could also be a bad thing and she ends up worrying the people who matter most to her with her, sometimes, overzealous lust for life.

Eric is also a terrific character. He’s got broad shoulders and carries a whole lot on them. He’s loyal and caring and puts the happiness and well-being of others ahead of himself more often than not. He’s strong and sexy with a heat of gold. But he’s still a man and you know how men can be sometimes. Yep, he messes up a few times along the way but because he’s got that huge heart, he always more than makes up for it!

Together these two make one hell of a couple and I loved reading their journey from friends to lovers.

The added suspense with the mountain fire and trying to find what started it, and at some points wondering if it could have been Eric’s best employee, who also happened to be Georgia’s brother and his best friend, added an extra element to this story that I really enjoyed. It was well done and kept the reader guessing until almost the very end. I love that in a story!

Thank you, Sara Jane, for an amazing story. I cannot wait for the next installment!

Four Loves

Book links:

amazon | B&N

About the author:

After several years on the other side of the publishing industry, Sara Jane Stone bid goodbye to her sales career to pursue her dream–writing romance novels. Sara Jane currently resides in Brooklyn, New York with her very supportive real-life hero, two lively young children and a lazy Burmese cat. Visit her online at www.sarajanestone.com or find her on Facebook and Twitter.

My Control by Lisa Renee Jones…Blog Tour Stop & Review

Today we have a new novella in the Inside Out series by Lisa Renee Jones, My Control. I’m so excited to share this book with y’all!

Blogs Taking Part in the Release Day Launch

Sexyways of Reading

An Aussie Girls WILD Book Addiction

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Books to Light Your Fire

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Jodie’s W.I.N.E. List

Alienation

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As You Wish Reviews

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Reading Between the Wines Book Club

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Hooker Heels Book Blog

Romance Rewind

My Control Synopsis:

Mark’s POV novella

I have lost the man I once was, letting guilt and heartache define who I am. Darkness has controlled me, and one woman has seen what no one else has seen in me, what I do not wish to exist. My hunger for her has driven me to the edge of sanity, but no more. She’s about to find out that the Master has returned.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble |My Control Goodreads

My review:

My Control is story number 4.1 in author Lisa Renee Jones’ Inside Out Series, is from Mark’s point of view and is leading us up to the final novel in the series, coming in November.

Mark Compton is slowly losing the only thing he has been able to relay on…his control. His control on everything from his role in the bedroom, his role as a Dom, to how he handled business. His control was his comfort. The investigation into the disappearance, and possible murder, of his submissive, Rebecca, has him unraveling faster than a weathered rope pulled too tight in a turbulent winter storm. The only thing keeping him even remotely grounded is Crystal….but the last thing he wants to allow himself is any kind of a relationship. No matter how much she pushed. No matter how much he wanted to admit she was right for him at this moment of need. There was too much happening and being tired of sitting by and just waiting for new of Rebecca, he knows it’s time to take matters into his own hands. Consequences be dammed. He would;t drag another woman he cared about into some sort of danger.

This was a great, intense, and quick read with a whole lot of emotion, and heat, packed into the pages and a great addition to the Inside Out Series. I’ll be looking forward to find out what happened to Rebecca, who is responsible, and what’s next for Mark and Crystal!

Thank you, Ms. Jones, for a great read!

Four Loves

Lisa Renee Jones Bio:

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT SERIES, and is now in development by Suzanne Todd (Alice in Wonderland, Austin Powers, Must Love Dogs) for cable TV. In addition, her Tall, Dark and Deadly series and The Secret Life of Amy Bensen series, both spent several months on a combination of the NY Times and USA Today and USA Today lists.

Since beginning her publishing career in 2007, Lisa has published more than 40 books translated around the world. Booklist says that Jones suspense truly sizzles with an energy similar to FBI tales with a paranormal twist by Julie Garwood or Suzanne Brockmann.

Prior to publishing, Lisa owned multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and also praised by Dallas Women Magazine. In 1998 LRJ was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine.

Lisa loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her at www.lisareneejones.com and she is active on twitter and facebook daily.

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Worth Forgiving by Vi Keeland…Blog Tour Stop & Review

Genre: A New Adult/Adult Contemporary Romance novel

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Synopsis:

They say men like a lady in the living room and a whore in the bedroom. I never knew the sentiment was reciprocal. Until I met Jax Knight. A gentleman in public, a commanding, dirty talking rogue in the bedroom.

Daughter of legendary fighter “The Saint,” Lily St. Claire knows firsthand how fighters can be. As the owner of a chain of MMA gyms, she’s no stranger to aggressive, dominating, and possessive men. That’s why she’s always kept her distance. But the day Jax Knight walks through her door she’s captivated by his charm. Stunningly handsome, well mannered, Ivy League educated, and confident, he shatters all the preconceived notions she’d come to think were true about men who trained to fight.

But falling for someone so soon after her breakup wasn’t something she’d planned on. And definitely not something her ex plans to allow.

My Review:

Worth Forgiving is the third book in author Vi Keeland’s MMA Fighter Series, a series I have loved from the very beginning and this book was no exception. Lily and Jax make one hell of a read!

Jackson, or Jax, Knight is more than happy to have the distraction of business to keep his mind off of the turmoil happening in his private life…thanks to his father. His unfaithful ways have lead to a half brother he never knew about and it turned into a media nightmare. Luckily for Jax, he was heading to NYC and working on his latest business venture, buying into a chain of successful MMA gyms. Two of his passions in one. MMA and business, a beautiful pair. Another thing of beauty was the woman greeting him at the front desk of the gym when he arrives in NYC. Maybe she would be another distraction for him while he was in the big apple….

Lily St. Claire knew all too well the type of guys who came in to train in her MMA gyms and they were the type of guys she would be staying away from…especially after her last relationship was still lingering. She had learned her lesson when she broke things off with her ex. A message the domineering man still hadn’t fully received. But she would deal with that after she got her business affairs in order. Another thing she would be dealing with was Jackson Knight. Jackson would be in town representing the company interested in her gyms and almost immediately she knows he’s different. He’s not like the gym rats she’s used to dealing with and he certainly wasn’t like her ex. The complete opposite in fact. Handsome, sexy, refined, well-mannered, he was a the total package but unfortunately not for her. Or was he? Would getting involved so soon after a breakup be wise?

An obsessive jerk and media frenzy are just two of the issues Jax and Lily have to deal with and at times it proves to be too much. Have they found a connection that will help offer shelter in the storm?

From the very first page, I was totally sucked into this story. We met Jax at the end of the previous book and I knew from that moment he was going to make one hell of a story and boy, did he ever! He’s got that whole preppy look on the outside and dirty talker on the inside thing going for him and I melted when he first came on to Lily. I knew from the beginning that poor gal didn’t stand a chance against him and his charm. I totally understood her reasons for not wanting to acknowledge the attraction between them, and it cam in the form of a large and muscled package of an ex. Wow, he was a total jerk and Lily had tried just about everything to get away from him. But she hadn’t had Jax in her corner before and now that he was, watch out! Lily did try to keep her feeling for Jax at bay but no way was he going to let her. He is used to getting what he wants and whatever he sets his sights on. Who doesn’t love a man like that?! Lily was a great character to read as well. She is strong and has many different facets other than being a gym owner. She’s a talented artist and a great friend and I loved those things about her.

On top of all the delicious push and pull between Jax and Lily there was quite a bit of scandal involving the ex that showed itself at the end of the book and it added a fantastic layer to the story line.

Vi is one of those authors that consistently writes fabulous books. She is one of my go-to authors and if you love MMA fighters, alpha males and strong heroines, she should be one of your go-to authors as well. Thank you, Vi, for another kick ass read!

Four Loves

Excerpt:

Dinner and a dirty mouth

My face pinks when the waiter clears his throat, no doubt he’d heard Jax’s last comment.

“Are you ready to hear the specials?”

“Are we?” Jax arches an eyebrow, his eyes gleaming with delight. He’s not the slight bit embarrassed, but knows I am and is quite enjoying himself.

“Yes. Please.” I give him the evil eye and force my full attention back to the waiter. The entire time the waiter talks about the specials I feel Jax’s eyes burning into me.

“I’ll give you a moment to let you decide.” Graciously, the waiter excuses himself.

“Why did you do that?” I scold, my voice low.

“Do what?” He leans back in his seat, crossing his arms over his thick chest.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

“Do I?”

“You enjoy watching me flustered, don’t you?”

Jax arches both eyebrows. Bad choice of words.

“You know what I mean.”

Leaning in, his voice gritty and sexy, he looks me straight in the eyes when he speaks. “I love watching you. Period. But what I like best is watching you pretend you’re unaffected. It’s like an unspoken challenge.” He pauses and leans in even closer. “I love the pink that creeps up your cheeks when I say something dirty. The way your pussy throbs when I mention what I’m going to do to you later, and you wiggle in your seat trying to control it. So yeah, I guess I do like watching you flustered. You sit and give your attention to the waiter, trying to pretend you’re listening to whatever he’s saying instead of thinking of me feeding you my cock later, but we both know you didn’t hear one word he said. Hell I didn’t hear one word watching you, just knowing what you were thinking about.”

This time, I see the waiter before he’s close enough to hear us. He smiles as he reaches our table. “So what can I get for you this evening? Did I interest you in one of our specials?”

I look at the waiter, then Jax, who arches an eyebrow with a knowing smirk on his face, then back to the waiter. “The specials all sounded delicious. I just can’t decide for myself. I’m going to defer to my date to pick one for me.” I return my eyes to Jax with a cheeky grin.

He throws his head back with a chuckle and looks at the poor confused waiter. “We’ll take whatever two are your favorites. Surprise us.”

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It didn’t matter that the ref called it a clean hit. Nico Hunter would never be the same.

Elle has a good life. A job she loves, a great apartment, and the guy she’s been dating for more than two years is a catch and a half. But it’s boring…and she strives to keep it that way. Too many emotions are dangerous. Her own past is living proof of what can happen when you lose control.

Then Nico walks into Elle’s office and everything changes…for both of them. But what can the tattooed, hard-bodied MMA fighter and the beautiful and always steady attorney have in common? A lot more than they bargained for.

***Author’s note*** THIS IS A STAND-ALONE NOVEL. Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

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Meet Liv Michaels

It may have been seven years, but I’d know him anywhere. Sure, he’s grown, filled out in all the right places, but his captivating blue eyes and cocky grin are exactly the way I remember. Even though I’d much rather forget.

Liv Michaels is almost there. She’s smart, determined and weeks away from landing the job she’s dreamed about for years. Time healed old wounds, even her broken heart from the devastation of being crushed by her first love.

Meet Vince Stone

Women love a fighter, especially a good one. Lucky for me, I’m damn good. But there’s one woman that isn’t interested. Not again, anyway.

Vince ‘The Invincible’ Stone is every woman’s fantasy…strong, sexy, confident and completely in control. Growing up surrounded by chaos, he’s learned never to get too attached. Love will drag you down. He adores women, treats them well, puts their own needs before his own…for the night anyway. With the biggest fight of his life coming up, his focus should be on training.

When fate brings Vince & Liv back together again, there’s no denying the chemistry is still there. But can Vince erase the old scars their past left behind? Or will Liv hurt him instead?

***Author’s note*** THIS IS A STAND-ALONE NOVEL. Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the 18.

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About the author:

Vi Keeland is a native New Yorker with three children that occupy most of her free time, which she complains about often, but wouldn’t change for the world. She is a bookworm and has been known to read her kindle at stop lights, while styling her hair, cleaning, walking, during sporting events, and frequently while pretending to work. She is a boring attorney by day, and an exciting smut author by night!

Stalk Her: Website |Facebook |Twitter |Goodreads

Additional Books by Vi Keeland

First Thing I See

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1qLL4ET

Belong to You (A Cole Novel, Book One)

Amazon US : http://amzn.to/1jdAlRk

Made For You (A Cole Novel, Book Two)

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1qLLdIk

No Limits by Lori Foster…Blog Tour Stop & Review

Synopsis:

A surprise inheritance reunites a mixed martial arts fighter with the woman he’s never forgotten in the first in a smoldering new series from New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster…

Cannon Colter is quintessential hero material: chiseled jawline, shredded body—the works. He’s also the guy who rescued Yvette Sweeny from kidnappers, only to put an end to her romantic dreams. These days, she’s older, smarter, determined to face whatever life throws her way. Even the prospect of sharing a house and business with Cannon.

Cannon knew Yvette wanted him three years ago. But she was young—and some things are worth waiting for. Thrown together by her grandfather’s legacy, he realizes how deep Yvette’s scars really go, and how much danger lurks in their quiet town. As pent-up desire explodes between them, protecting her becomes the only fight that matters. And he’ll break all the rules to do it…

My review:

No Limits is the first book in author Lori Foster’s Ultimate series and starts with Cannon, a character we met in her Love Undercover series. Let’s just say I fell in love with Cannon immediately and was eagerly waiting for his book….and it was everything I had hoped for and more!

MMA fighter Cannon Colter’s fighting career started early on in life…out on the streets. He was the one always trying to keep the scum off his streets and away from his neighbors. He was the vigilante with a sense of honor and respect. Add that to being handsome and having a killer physique and the ladies loved him as much as the bad guys hated him. Yvette was one of those ladies. He had always had an eye for her but at the time she was too young. Legal, but young. Making matters worse was she and her grandfather had been the victim of a sickening crime, which Cannon had helped rescue them from, and didn’t that just add to the reasons why the timing wasn’t right. That was three years ago and even now with a successful fighting career, great reputation in his community and plans for growing his community center, he still thought of her. Fate always has a way of working things to her advantage and suddenly Yvette is back in town because of her grandfather’s death and as Cannon sits in the attorney’s office being read his will, he realizes he will soon be spending an awful lot of time with the woman who has haunted his memories for the past three years. Cannon wouldn’t let this opportunity slip away this time…

Steeling herself for the return to the town she both loved and hated, Yvette Sweeney was filled with mixed emotions. She had grown in the three years since she had left. Being the victim of a crime tended to do that to a gal. Sure she was worried about how seeing her old home and town would affect her but if she’s being honest, she was more unsettled with seeing Cannon again. She had always held a flame for him and she had worked hard on herself since leaving to make herself a stronger woman. Someone he wouldn’t have to worry about and fret over like he had before she left. She wasn’t the scared girl she was before. The question was, would it make a difference? It was time to face the music, head home, get her grandfather’s affairs in order and hopefully leave with her heart intact.

With so much history between them, would the time apart prove to be something of good or did it damage the friendship and attraction they both felt back then?

Oh man, if I didn’t already love Cannon from the pervious books, I sure as hell would love him now. This book was fantastic. Yvette has really changed from the last time we saw her and she has turned into one hell of a strong woman. She’s got her head held high and has tried to turn what happened to her into something to learn from. She was a very admirable character to read and I enjoyed her a whole lot. Now, as for Cannon, what can I say? He is the ultimate protector with a fierce loyalty to the people he holds close. Yvette being one of them. I loved everything about him. He has a quiet danger lurking underneath his handsome exterior and people know not to mess with him. He gets results, more often than not, just by eluding to the damage he is capable of….which comes in handy more than a few times in this book. Someone isn’t happy with Yvette being back in town and even though she wants to prove that she can handle whatever comes her way, he refuses to let her do it alone. Problem is, the dangers keep mounting. Which leads me to the other facet of this story that I loved: the mystery behind the threats. There were more than a few people it could have been and I was really kept guessing until the very end. When we found out who it was I was shocked. Never saw THAT suspect coming. I love that “whoa” moment! Really well done.

Now, I can’t go without mentioning Cannon’s friends and fellow fighters we meet in this story. They are all fantastic with big personalities that I am looking forward to reading in future installments in this series.

This is a book that has it all…mystery, emotions, tons of heat, and great characters and I highly recommend it. Thank you, Ms. Foster, for a phenomenal read!

Four Loves

Book links:

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

About the author:

Since first publishing in January 1996, Lori Foster has become a USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly and New York Times bestselling author. Lori has published through a variety of houses, including Kensington, St. Martin’s, Harlequin, Silhouette, Samhain, and Berkley/Jove. She is currently published with HQN.

Lori hosts a very special annual “Reader & Author” event in West Chester, Ohio. Proceeds from the event have benefited many worthy causes, including the Hamilton County YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter, the Animal Adoption Foundation, The Conductive Learning Center for children with spina bifida and cerebral palsy, and The One Way Farm, Children’s Home.

Each year Lori donates all proceeds from one book to charity. You can see the benefit romance books here: http://lorifoster.com/benefit-books/

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Thin Love by Eden Butler…Blog Tour Stop & Review

Title: Thin Love

Author: Eden Butler

Genre: New Adult/Contemporary Romance crossover

Release Date: August 19, 2014

Tour Hosted by: As the Pages Turn

Synopsis

Love isn’t supposed to be an addiction. It isn’t supposed to leave you bleeding.

Kona pushed, Keira pulled, and in their wake, they left behind destruction.

She sacrificed everything for him.

It wasn’t enough.

But the wounds of the past can never be completely forgotten and still the flame remains, slumbers between the pleasure of yesterday and the thought of what might have been.

Now, sixteen years later, Keira returns home to bury the mother who betrayed her, just as Kona tries to hold onto what remains of his NFL career with the New Orleans Steamers. Across the crowded bustle of a busy French Market, their paths collide, conjuring forgotten memories of a consuming touch, skin on skin, and the still smoldering fire that begs to be rekindled.

When Kona realizes the trifecta of betrayal—his, Keira’s and those lies told to keep them apart—his life is irrevocably changed and he once again takes Keira down with him into the fire that threatens to ignite them both.

My review:

Thin Love is the latest work from author Eden Butler, an author I have really enjoyed reading. This book was different from her other works but just as great to read. Intense, emotional, and sexy…a rollercoaster of a read for sure!

Kona and Keira are the unlikely couple. She’s the intelligent and focused understated beauty with a good head on her shoulders and a desire to succeed and do well in life. Kona is the sexy flirt of a football star with girls lined up around the block with the desire to do just well enough in school to pass and get on with his NFL career. Two people who couldn’t be more different….sort of. After being paired together for a class assignment they realize they have more than a few things in common. A less than fabulous and comfy home life with less than stellar and supportive parents just to name two. Somewhere along the way, while working on their project, an undeniable attraction has caught them both off guard. An intense, beyond all things reasonable attraction, that after fighting off for bit, consumes them both. Consumes them with a passion and fire neither one has ever experienced. Unfortunately, the passion they share doesn’t appear to be enough to withstand the pressure of those less than supportive parents. Add those pressures to an unbearable tragedy and it all adds up to too much for their relationship to stand up against. Maybe it was never meant to be after all? Or was it…..

So, I mentioned this story was intense and I meant it. Not in a bad way, don’t get me wrong, but in a way that reminded me of just how insanely intense that first real relationship could be. This is almost a story dedicated to those sleepless nights after a fight, or those insanely jealous feelings when you saw your boyfriend talking to another girl at a party. Looking back on it now, sure, they seem ridiculously overkill but if you can just take yourself back, and put yourself back into those younger-self shoes, you will appreciate this book.

Kona and Keira were combustible in many ways but on the flip side they were good for each other in many ways. They made a good, albeit passionate, couple and their intensity was enjoyable to read. There are a few other aspects to this story that take it above the level of a typical college romance but I don’t want to ruin it for any of you so I’ll remain tight-lipped. It added a layer to the story that ratcheted the intensity up a few more notches and made it that much more of an uncertainty laced rollercoaster ride. It’s those aspects that led to the end of Kona and Keira’s college romance. And it was heartbreaking. I sobbed my eyes out but it was the ending they needed…at that time.

Luckily Eden gives us a fast-forward to 16 years later, to the present day, and that made for a beautiful ending! I’m so glad she wrote Kona and Keira’s story in that way. It made al of the earlier intensity and tragedy worth it in a way and had me so happy for them as a couple. Again, I can’t give too much away so you’ll just have to trust me.

Thank you, Eden, for one hell of an intense ride…and for all of the music mentions that took me right back to my senior year of high school/freshman year of college. I loved it!

Four Loves

Excerpt:

“What’s the matter, Wildcat?” Kona lay on top of her, held her hip with his long fingers. “You nervous?”

She could only manage a nod and Kona smiled, moving his mouth to her neck, down her shoulder, kissing lightly. “We don’t have to do this. I can wait.”

“No!” She panicked at the thought. He laughed at her excitement and that touch on her hip got tighter. “No,” she said, voice a bit calmer. “I want you, Kona.”

He looked at her, smile gone, expression relaxed. “I’ve wanted you for weeks and weeks.” Keira exhaled, moving the hair off her forehead. “It’s just been a while and you’re so…” She flicked her eyes down then quickly back up again. “You’re a lot bigger than I expected.”

“Ha, sweetheart, you’re good for my ego, but it’s just me.” Kona kissed her again, slipping just the tip of his tongue into her mouth before he pulled away. “I’ll be easy with you, Wildcat. I’ll be so slow and good, but maybe this will help.” Kona’s hand left her hip, slipped between her thighs easily and he coaxed more wetness from her, teasing her lips, taking his time to touch her clit. Keira shuddered, held her hand against his wrist as he continued and Kona took her lead, rubbed once more over her clit before he slipped two fingers inside her. He’d learned her body in the past few weeks and Keira had been grateful that she didn’t have to tell him what she wanted, what felt best. He always seemed to know. His mouth was warm, tongue eager as he kissed her, as those large fingers curled and his knuckles touched the spot that sent her mind swimming. He never had to touch her for long, always knew exactly how to read the lift of her voice, the collection of sounds that gave away just how good she felt when he touched her. That night was no exception. Just a few sure rubs of his knuckles against her G-spot and Keira was flying, hips off the mattress as her body chased that orgasm.

“Beautiful. Every time, Wildcat. So beautiful.” Another kiss against her neck, with Keira still spinning on the crest of her orgasm and Kona slipped inside of her.

“God…” Kona moved his hips slow, barely moved an inch and already Keira felt full, felt she couldn’t be stretched any further. When he slid deeper, she hissed, not from the pain but from how sensitive she already was.

“You okay? You want me to stop?”

“No,” she told him, opening her eyes so he’d know she wasn’t hurting. “God, no, please keep going. You just fill me up. It’s so good, bebe.” Kona stilled inside her and a small quirk of his mouth told Keira he was pleased. “That’s the first time you’ve ever called me that.”

“I’ll say it again just to keep that smile on your face.”

Then Keira lifted her legs, wrapped them around Kona’s hips and she let herself be filled as he worked inside her. Everything about Kona was huge; his body, his cock, his voice, his presence and all of it filled Keira’s room as well as her body, moved around them and through them and she felt high, so high on him, on the sensation of him moving inside of her, his hands on her breasts, his fingers clasped with hers as he lifted her hands above her head on the pillow and pinned them there.

Sweat pooled over their skin, met together in the twist of their bodies and when Kona stared down at her, kissed her like her lips would give him breath, Keira shuddered, squeezed against him. The light was thin and Keira could only make out the outline of his features, the small glint in his eyes and it was too much, too overwhelming, but she would not run this time, she wouldn’t tell herself she could do without this. Not again. Not anymore. She belonged to him. Her body, her heart, no matter how beaten and worn it was, belonged to Kona Hale. Keira squeezed against him again and Kona stilled, stared down at her with a smile that told her he wanted to control this, lead her. “Don’t squeeze,” he said, pulling her hips up, hitting inside her deeper.

“If you open up, baby, go wide for me, relax, I can make you come hard, I can make it last for you.” A slow thrust, deeper, harder and Keira arched against him, relaxed her inner muscles even as she throbbed against him. “Perfect, so perfect.”

This was deeper, freer somehow, letting Kona move them, letting him control the moment and Keira held onto Kona like he would anchor her, keep her from floating above herself. “Come for me, baby. Give it to me completely and I’ll make it so, so good for you. I’ll take care of you when you shatter against me.”

And Keira listened, guessed that this is what Kona needed—that slip of control she gave to him. She let go, pushed out, relinquishing herself, giving her body to Kona, rather than closing off, pulling in, and the effect was substantial. He moved in closer, worked faster and Keira let herself open, relax until that heavenly sensation came upon her, urged on by Kona’s strong hands on her hips, his wide dick touching all the way inside her and when the orgasm came, it mirrored her heart—free, unyielding, explosive.

“God… ,” Kona said, voice rising higher and higher with each grunt he made, hips slamming into her hard, fast, faster, and Keira knew he was hitting his crest. Shoulders shaking, hips pumping faster and faster, Kona released a groan, filling her, throbbing inside her as he came. Then he pulled his hand from hers and held the back of her neck, stared down at her with his thumb on her cheek.

“This is always, Wildcat. You… you’re my always.

About Eden

Eden Butler is an editor and writer of New Adult Romance and SciFi and Fantasy novels and the nine-times great-granddaughter of an honest-to-God English pirate. This could explain her affinity for rule breaking and rum. Her debut novel, a New Adult, Contemporary (no cliffie) Romance, “Chasing Serenity” launched in October 2013 and quickly became an Amazon bestseller.

When she’s not writing or wondering about her possibly Jack Sparrowesque ancestor, Eden edits, reads and spends way too much time watching rugby, Doctor Who and New Orleans Saints football.

She is currently imprisoned under teenage rule alongside her husband in southeast Louisiana.

Please send help.

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The Hexed by Heather Graham…Blog Tour Stop & Review

Synopsis:

A place of history, secrets…and witchcraft.

Devin Lyle has recently returned to the Salem area, but her timing couldn’t be worse. Soon after she moved into the eighteenth-century cabin she inherited from her great-aunt Mina—her “crazy” great-aunt, who spoke to the dead—a woman was murdered nearby.

Craig Rockwell—known as Rocky—is a new member of the Krewe of Hunters, the FBI’s team of paranormal investigators. He never got over finding a friend dead in the woods. Now another body’s been found in those same woods, not far from the home of Devin Lyle. And Devin’s been led to a third body—by…a ghost?

Her discovery draws them both deeper into the case and Salem’s rich and disturbing history. Even as the danger mounts, Devin and Rocky begin to fall for each other, something the ghosts of Mina and past witches seem to approve of. But the two of them need every skill they possess to learn the truth—or Devin’s might be the next body in the woods.

My review:

The Hexed is author Heather Graham’s thirteenth novel in her Krewe of Hunters Series and can absolutely be read as a stand alone. Being intrigued by Salem and the practice of witchcraft I was excited to read this book. Ms. Graham delivered mystery, murder and history sprinkled with romance and a charming ghost. I loved everything about this story and didn’t want it to end!

Children’s book author Devin Lyle was accustomed to the allure surrounding Salem and her nearby town. She was knowledgeable of the history and knew a great deal about Wicca and the truths and myths about being a Wiccan. She wasn’t one herself but many of her fellow townspeople were as was her best friend. Now, residing in the quaint cottage her beloved Auntie Mina had left her upon her passing, she spent her days quietly writing and speaking to her aunt’s ghost. Yes, it was a bit startling to realize she wasn’t seeing things after all and her aunt was indeed here in ghost form, but I guess you could say stranger things have happened…maybe? The bigger problem now, however, was the nearby murder of a young woman and that it was appearing that someone was trying to make it look as though Wicca had something to do with it…and that it wasn’t a harmless worship of mother earth but something evil instead. Devin knew that couldn’t be true and was visited by yet another ghost who seems to be trying to lead Devin to the one responsible for the heinous crime. Would anyone believe a woman getting clues from a ghost?

Newly appointed to the Krewe of Hunters division of the FBI, agent Craig Rockwell (aka Rocky) was back in his hometown and investigating a murder that was eerily similar to one that had happened when he was a teenager. He would never forget that murder. A crime that took away one of his closest friends and one that made him realize he had the gift to see and hear ghosts. That crime was never solved and now, coming back to town, he vowed to bring his friend justice. With the help of old friends and his new unit, it seemed more possible now than ever and also proving to be invaluable was the help of an interesting and beautiful local author who had stumbled across the body. Turns out she has s similar gift with the departed and didn’t that just add to her intrigue. But he was here for official reasons and come hell or high water he will solve this case. Now, if only the murders would stop….

With more murders happening faster than clues coming in, Rocky has his hands full and with time running out the help he is receiving from Devin and her ghostly grandmother turn out to be invaluable. But when Devin seems to be in the killer’s sights, Rocky realizes his feelings for her are growing and he prays he can solve this case before someone else gets hurt…mostly Devin.

The Hexed weaves an amazing tale of modern-day Salem with the area’s tragic past while adding a murder mystery and a dash of romance. I was kept wondering about the identity of the killer until the very end, and it was a person I never expected. To me, that is the gift of a great read. There were bits and pieces along the way that would lead me one way but then throw my suspicion in another direction entirely. I loved that. Rocky had been haunted by his friend’s murder for far too long and now being back it has really pushed his resolve. Combining his childhood friends (which includes a local police detective and lawyer) who were united in their grief, with his new Krewe team members was fantastic to read. Rocky is a professional, a gentleman, and has one hell of a sense of determination. I loved reading him. Devin is fabulous as well. Smart and witty, she is loyal to her friends and has a deep connection to her town. I appreciated her willingness to lend a hand and help with the investigation. Of course, the connection that grew between Rocky and Devin was just as amazing as every other aspect of this story.

I have to say, though, what I loved most was the way Ms. Graham made me feel as if I were a part of all of it. As if I was actually there in the cottage with ghostly Mina, Poe the raven and Devin. Every point was illustrated beautifully…even the history of the witch trials. I really adore that feeling and always appreciate when a book takes me away in such vivid ways.

Thank you, Ms. Graham, for a beautifully written suspenseful and mysterious story.

Four-and-a-Half Loves

Book links:

Amazon | B&N | iBooks

About the author:

Also published as Heather Graham Pozzessere and Shannon Drake.

New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Heather Graham majored in theater arts at the University of South Florida. After a stint of several years in dinner theater, back-up vocals, and bartending, she stayed home after the birth of her third child and began to write, working on short horror stories and romances. After some trial and error, she sold her first book, WHEN NEXT WE LOVE, in 1982 and since then, she has written over one hundred novels and novellas including category, romantic suspense, historical romance, vampire fiction, time travel, occult, and Christmas holiday fare. She wrote the launch books for the Dell’s Ecstasy Supreme line, Silhouette’s Shadows, and for Harlequin’s mainstream fiction imprint, Mira Books.

Heather was a founding member of the Florida Romance Writers chapter of RWA and, since 1999, has hosted the Romantic Times Vampire Ball, with all revenues going directly to children’s charity.

She is pleased to have been published in approximately twenty languages, and to have been honored with awards frorn Waldenbooks. B. Dalton, Georgia Romance Writers, Affaire de Coeur, Romantic Times, and more. She has had books selected for the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild, and has been quoted, interviewed, or featured in such publications as The Nation, Redbook, People, and USA Today and appeared on many newscasts including local television and Entertainment Tonight.

Heather loves travel and anything have to do with the water, and is a certitified scuba diver. Married since high school graduation and the mother of five, her greatest love in life remains her family, but she also believes her career has been an incredible gift, and she is grateful every day to be doing something that she loves so very much for a living.

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Break the Sky by Nina Lane…Review

Synopsis:

“Do you ever let go, storm girl?” he asked. “Ever lose control? Ever surrender?”

“Never,” I whispered. “I never surrender.”

A smile of both promise and warning curved his beautiful mouth.
“You will.”

Atmospheric scientist Kelsey March is under siege. Her tornado research project is on the skids and she’s fighting conflict in her university department. So when irresistible bad boy Archer West suggests a hot, wild fling while he’s in town, Kelsey is unable to resist his sexy offer.

Kelsey and Archer embark on a intense, exhilarating affair. But soon their differences and private battles encroach on their desire, and Kelsey discovers that Archer is a storm she can’t control.

My review:

Break the Sky is a spin off from author Nina Lane’s Spiral of Bliss Series and admittedly the first of Ms. Lane’s work that I have read. Now that I’ve finished it I know I have another author to add to my list. This book was hot, sexy, emotional, and even had a bit of action.

Atmospheric scientist and college professor Kelsey March is in a fight. A fight to save her tornado research project as well as her job as a professor and nothing seems to be going right. Which lead her here, to this bar, to just let off some steam and try to regroup. It also leads her to cross paths with a very sexy and dark stranger. But before a little harmless flirting has the chance to turn into something she would most likely regret in the morning, she leaves. But fate being the mischievous gal she is, wouldn’t let Kelsey off the hook that easy and just when she thinks the hot, tattooed stranger from the bar was a distant memory, he shows up at her university and turns out to be the brother of one of her closest friends. The brother she had heard too many stories about. The brother she knows is bad news and she should stay away from. Too bad she never was good at staying away from danger. Whether it is tornadoes or this tattooed sex on a stick man, she learns sometimes you just have to hold on and enjoy the ride.

The attraction and sexual tension between Archer and Kelsey is fast and intense. It’s delicious to read and you can feel the heat radiating off of the pages. Archer is the bad boy we all know about. But unlike most of these bad boys I’ve read lately, he wasn’t the norm. There was just something about him that was different. He was who he was without apology. He lives a pretty simple life as far as monetarily and possessions wise and he’s ok with that. His history is painful and he’s not proud of some of the things he’s done or how he’s behaved but he really wants to make things different now. And he wants no one more than Kelsey to believe that. He’s got a strike against him before they even have one full conversation because she knows his brother. The brother he’s hurt and the brother he has been avoiding for years. The brother who has no doubt told her about him and his past.

Kelsey needs a bit of convincing to take a chance on him and the chase was fantastic to read. Oh, and when Kelsey does give in? Wow. Archer can talk some dirty talk and has more than enough sexual talent to back it up. They both agree to a bit of a short term fling but as they spend more time together we start to see there’s a much bigger connection building between them. Archer pushes Kelsey to follow her dreams and even though she rejects the idea at first, she knows he’s right. Archer turns out to be the piece Kelsey was missing in her life and vice versa. There was a whole lot of push and pull throughout the entire read and it lead up to an ending that was totally movie worthy and so damn good!

If you love motorcycle riding bad boys, steamy attraction and intense emotion, this is a read for you. Thank you, Nina, for a fantastic read!

Four Loves

Book links:

Amazon | B&N | iBooks

About the author:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Nina Lane writes hot, sexy romances and spicy erotica. Originally from California, she holds a PhD in Art History and an MA in Library and Information Studies, which means she loves both research and organization.

She also enjoys traveling and thinks St. Petersburg, Russia is a city everyone should visit at least once. Although Nina would go back to college for another degree because she’s that much of a bookworm and a perpetual student, she now lives the happy life of a full-time writer.

Website

Midnight Vengeance by Lisa Marie Rice…Review

Synopsis:

Morton “Jacko” Jackman isn’t afraid of anything. He’s a former Navy SEAL sniper, and he’s been in more firefights than most people have had hot meals. Lauren Dare scares the crap out of him.

Gorgeous, talented and refined, she’s the type of woman who could never be interested in a roughneck like him. So he’s loved her fiercely in secret, taken her art classes, and kept a watchful but comfortable distance. Until now.

Lauren had finally found a home in Portland, far from her real identity, far from the memories of her mother’s death, and outside the reaches of the drugged-out psycho who’s already tried to kill her twice. One tiny misstep—a single photograph—has shattered it all. She has no choice but to run again, but this time she’ll give herself a proper farewell: one night with Jacko.

Their highly charged emotional encounter changes everything. In Jacko’s arms there cannot be fear, there can only be pleasure. Anyone wishing her harm will have to pass through him, and Jacko is a hard man to kill.

My review:

Midnight Vengeance is book number 4 in author Lisa Marie Rice’s Midnight series and admittedly the first in the series I have read. Well, I’m hooked and will be grabbing the first three in the series because this book was fabulous. Pulse-pounding, smoking hot and full of suspense, Midnight Vengeance is a win all around!

Artist Lauren Dare loves her home, her town, her friends, her artwork, all of it. Unfortunately, she has to leave it all behind. Lauren has been on the run from an extremely dangerous and deadly man for years now and after having her picture taken at her art event last night, she knows her time here is up. She is heartbroken to have to leave her life behind, again, but loves her friends too much to ever put them in danger. And danger is exactly what they will be in if the man looking for her comes here. But she still has one night left here and she decides at the last second to take a chance with the man she has secretly been pining after for months….Jacko. The strong, silent, and dangerously handsome man in her group of friends and the unlikely student in her art class. For one night she could give in and give herself over to the attraction she had been hiding. Hopefully Jacko will give her this last piece of happiness before her life on the run takes over once again…

Former SEAL Morton “Jacko” Jackman has been through more than a few tough situations in his life. Being a SEAL tended to do that to a person. Now he worked in high-profile security and still nothing seemed to scare him sensless like Lauren Dare did. It seems like whenever he was near her, he turned into a different person and lost all his ability to remain calm, cool, and collected. He loved it though. She was unlike anyone he had ever met and he admired so much about her. He wanted nothing more than to take things to the next level with her but surely there was no way a refined woman like her would want a rough and tumble guy like him. Things have a way of working out though and when he is tasked with taking her home early from one of her art events he is certain of two things… One, something is very wrong and he picked up on it the minute her picture was taken and she turned as pale as a ghost and two, there was no mistaking her intentions when they pulled into her driveway. She wanted him and he would gladly take her…and maybe after he would get to the bottom of what had her scared senseless.

Lauren never would have thought Jacko would have picked up on her plan to flee…then again she should have known better. Now he just has to convince her to stay and trust that he will keep her safe at any cost. Easier said than done when you’re dealing with a crazed madman. Could Lauren finally have a shot at a normal life and love with Jacko?

Talk about one hell of a ride! From the very first chapter we are treated to the mystery surrounding Lauren and her past. Once the secret is out, we realized just why she’s been running and why she wants to protect the friends she’s made by fleeing again. Enter Jacko. That man is one hell of a rock and is just who Lauren needs by her side. He’s deadly and dangerous all while being caring and warm when it comes to Lauren. He is a total softie when it comes to her and he will do whatever it takes to keep her safe. Lauren is strong and smart and has a whole lot on her plate that she’s been dealing with alone for years. I was so glad Jacko foiled her plan to go back on the run. Their chemistry is intense and smoking hot and with the whole opposites attract thing going for them, it’s totally delicious. In the meantime we have a different plot forming in the way of another threat to Lauren’s safety and that aspect of the story kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. We knew about the crazed drug dealing step cousin but this second threat was a real surprise and may have threatened Lauren’s safety more. Talk about a nail biter! Oh, and the lead into the next installment in this series at the end was amazing and really well done. I cannot wait to see what happens next!

Thank you, Lisa Marie, for one hell of a smoking hot suspense. I can’t wait to see what you have in store for us next!

Four Loves

About the author:

Lisa Marie Rice is eternally 30 years old and will never age. She is tall and willowy and beautiful. Men drop at her feet like ripe pears. She has won every major book prize in the world. She is a black belt with advanced degrees in archaeology, nuclear physics, and Tibetan literature. She is a concert pianist. Did I mention her Nobel Prize? Of course, Lisa Marie Rice is a virtual woman who exists only at the keyboard when writing erotic romance. She disappears when the monitor winks off.

Praise for Lisa Marie Rice

“Lisa Marie Rice is an auto-buy author for me. She never disappoints! Her books are comfort reads that I re-read time and time again. Hands down she is one of my favorite authors.”

– NYT bestselling author Maya Banks

“Heart of Danger is a deeply compelling read that shows what miracles love can accomplish when least expected…a marvelous concept.”

–Fresh Fiction

“The right blend of romance and pulse-pounding thrills makes this a riveting story. Rice creates strong characters that develop and grow…Sensual sex scenes, action, suspense and some unpredictable twists keep the pages turning.”

–RT Book Reviews

“Ms. Rice weaves a fast-paced story that captivates and mesmerizes. She hooked me at the first few pages. I love the way she creates a great plot and dynamite characters.”

–Coffee Time Romance on Dangerous Secrets