March 2013 – Read-Love-Blog

Review….Locked by Maya Cross

Buy from Amazon ~ Buy from Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:

The bar Sophia Pearce is in doesn’t look like much. The wine is bad and the decor worse. But when a sudden attack of curiosity leads her to sneak past security and into the back room, she discovers something unimaginable. The most lavish party she’s ever laid eyes on, in the most unlikely of places.

But that’s nothing compared to what comes next, to the man she meets back there. Sebastian Lock. Gorgeous, commanding, and radiating charm, he is exactly the sort of silver-tongued rake Sophia has sworn to avoid. Unfortunately, he doesn’t care much for her promises.

Every instinct tells her to run, but the chemistry between them is as inescapable as gravity. Soon, he’s opening her eyes to a whole new world of pleasures, pleasures she never thought she’d enjoy.

There’s just one problem. Sebastian is more than he seems. Between the famous company he keeps and the almost paranoid secrecy of his employers, he’s a puzzle Sophia can’t quite solve, and his insistence on keeping things casual forces her to confront the demons of her past.

Can she learn to trust again? Or will Sebastian’s privacy tear them apart?

*Contains light BDSM*

Note: This book is the first part of a trilogy that is designed to be read together, much like The Blackstone Affair. Sebastian and Sophia will get their happily ever after, but not until the last book.

Lockout: The Alpha Group Book Two – Due May 2013

Unlocked: The Alpha Group Book Three – Due June/July 2013

My Review:

Calling all Fifty Shades of Grey and Crossfire Series fans! If you’ve been looking for your next fix, this is the series for you! Talk about some serious YUM! This is the first in the Alpha Group Series by Maya Cross and kicked it off with a great start! I mean, just look at that cover!

Sophia Pearce and her girlfriends are enjoying a rare night out filled with silly girl talk and more than a few cocktails. These are the kind of nights that an over worked, under appreciated young attorney like her needs every now and then. Their last stop of the night puts them in a dive bar that upon closer inspection, is hiding something….why would there be a very official looking body guard on guard at a door at the back of the building of a freaking dive bar? Never one to shy away from making a drunken fool of herself, Sophia is determined to see what’s behind that door *cue Mission Impossible theme*

Sebastian Lock is enjoying his company’s exclusive party in the privacy of the secret part of a cheesy bar when he sees Sophia standing at the bar. One look and he knows he has to approach her. He’s young, handsome and successful and certain she won’t be able to resist his charms….imagine his surprise when that’s exactly what she does.

I really enjoyed this story! Sophia is the kind of gal I’d want to hang out with. She’s spunky, confident, funny, and has a good head on her shoulders. She had me laughing out loud at some of her comments and I appreciate that she isn’t a pushover like a lot of female characters are. Sebastian is one hell of a mysterious character! I’d like to say I know more about him than what he looks like and that he sure knows how to flaunt his sexual prowess, but I don’t…and honestly I’m ok with that! It makes things that much more interesting. The chemistry between Sophia and Sebastian is well written…with a push and pull between them that provides a great build up of sexual tension. This was a great first installment to a series and even with a HUGE cliffhanger at the end, I definitely recommend. As for the warning of BDSM, yes, there is a scene at the end that is definitely worthy of that classification and will definitely please all the Fifty fans out there!

I am looking forward to more from this series! Thank you, Maya, for a fantastic and yummy read!

Four Loves

ARC Review….Thrill Ride by Julie Ann Walker

Buy from Amazon ~ Buy from Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:

He’s Gone Rogue

Ex-Navy SEAL Rock Babineaux’s job is to get information, and he’s one of the best in the business. Until something goes horribly wrong and he’s being hunted by his own government. Even his best friends at the covert special-ops organization Black Knights Inc. aren’t sure they can trust him. He thinks he can outrun them all, but his former partner—a curvy bombshell who knows just how to drive him wild—refuses to cut him loose.

She Won’t Back Down

Vanessa Cordova hasn’t been the team’s communication specialist
very long, but she knows how to read people—no way is Rock guilty of murder. And she’ll go to hell and back to help him prove it. Sure, the sexy Cajun has his secrets, but there’s no one in the world she’d rather have by her side in a tight spot. Which is good, because they’re about to get very tight…

My Review:

Thrill Ride is the fourth book in Julie Ann Walker’s Black Knights Incorporated Series and admittedly, the first in the series that I have read. I’m so glad I came across this title on NetGalley because I am now a big fan of the Black Knights and will be downloading the rest of the series as soon as I finish this review!

Vanessa Cordova is in the middle of the jungle looking for Rock, the now-named rogue operator and member of Black Knights Incorporated. She, along with the rest of the knights, is convinced that there is no way Rock could have done the things he is accused of. She knows the delicious Cajun isn’t capable of cold-hearted murder and is determined to clear his name, even if that means sweating her ass of in the God forsaken jungle looking for him.

Rock knows his days are limited and it’s only a matter of time before the powers that be, a.k.a the U.S. Government, comes for him and ends his life. He’s been hiding out for what seems like forever trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together and figure out why he is taking the fall for murders he never committed. But, not knowing the head man in charge of the hush-hush operation he’d worked on for years, is coming back to bite him in the ass. Even if he found out the connection to the murder victims, and figured out why he was being hunted down and held responsible, who would he go to? Who would he tell? Now, he’s shocked to find Vanessa, a member of BKI, in his jungle. She’s here to help clear his name. But he’s not willing to risk her life, or any of his BKI family…and that’s what the stakes are…life and death.

This story was incredible! I was on the edge of my seat the entire book. Julie Ann Walker weaved a who-done-it with a sexy romance that had me loving every minute of this story. Rock is an amazingly tough, honorable, loyal and sexy Cajun that had me drooling when he spoke his French-Cajun and whose fierce need to protect his brothers and sisters in arms made me love him even more. Vanessa is amazing. Her tenacity and fierce determination to prove Rock’s innocence was so admirable. She knows the kind of man Rock is and won’t allow him to push her help away. The mystery surrounding Rock and the project that he had worked on in secret for years, had me guessing the entire book. Julie Ann did such a great job at delivering juicy morsels of clues throughout the book. I was dying to know what was coming next! Talk about a thriller! She had me on the edge of my seat up until the very last pages. Of course, I won’t give you any spoilers, but I will tell you that a project and cover-up of this magnitude took some pretty important people and damn, what a “WHOA” moment it ended up being. I must say the ending to this suspense is one I didn’t see coming and really enjoyed.

As I said earlier, I will be gobbling up the other books in the BKI series and will surely be keeping tabs on what’s coming next for this amazing group of kick-ass modern day warriors. Thank you Ms. Walker, for an amazing, suspenseful, exciting and sexy read!

Four Loves

*Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advance copy for an honest review.

New Review….Lover at Last by J.R. Ward

I am honored to have enlisted the help of my dear friend, Selene, for this review. We originally met, years ago, from our mutual love of the Black Dagger Brotherhood and have become closer than I could have ever imagined. I am so lucky to have her in my life as a friend and now, as a guest reviewer. If you, like me, are as big a fan of the Brotherhood, I know you will enjoy this review as much as have. Thank you, Selene….I heart you big time sistermine! *mild spoiler below*

Synopsis:

Qhuinn, son of no one, is used to being on his own. Disavowed from his bloodline, shunned by the aristocracy, he has finally found an identity as one of the most brutal fighters in the war against the Lessening Society. But his life is not complete. Even as the prospect of having a family of his own seems to be within reach, he is empty on the inside, his heart given to another….
Blay, after years of unrequited love, has moved on from his feelings for Qhuinn. And it’s about time: The male has found his perfect match in a Chosen female, and they are going to have a young—just as Qhuinn has always wanted for himself. It’s hard to see the new couple together, but building your life around a pipe dream is just a heartbreak waiting to happen. As he’s learned firsthand.

Fate seems to have taken these vampire soldiers in different directions… but as the battle over the race’s throne intensifies, and new players on the scene in Caldwell create mortal danger for the Brotherhood, Qhuinn finally learns the true definition of courage, and two hearts who are meant to be together… finally become one.

Selene’s Review:

Amazing.

UH-MAZING!!!!!!!!

It’s been a really long time since I’ve read a book twice in succession and it is no surprise that it was this one. Lover At Last delivered far beyond its promises. Everything a novel requires to make it a complete success was present here – drama, comedy, action, and, above all, romance. It was extremely rare that my attention ever strayed from the story while reading J.R. Ward’s latest and, in my opinion, one of the greatest.

Blaylock and Qhuinn, the main characters, have been tip-toeing around their feelings for each other for some years now. This has led the audience to much heartbreak and an overwhelming feeling of frustration, something that’s all too familiar to this pair… up until now.

The scorch factor between these two was off the charts! And that was before they started their physical relationship. Their history of repressed feelings created such a thick atmosphere around them – a feeling that the reader will unequivocally share. But that first time when they came together… WOW. Ward did such a good job with their first love scene. It was exactly how you would expect two very male characters with a long history, tremendous attraction, and even stronger love for each other to come together; it was hot, sweet, and incredibly touching. It became very clear towards the end of this book that the only thing keeping them apart was Qhuinn’s dishonesty and shame with himself. It took Blay to show him that in order for them to finally come together. As far as the proposal scene goes, I simply have no words. There was crying involved. Very ugly, went through a whole box of Kleenex, swelling of the eyes for days kind of crying. But they were definitely happy tears! The ending could not have been more perfect for the couple. And the feeding scene with Selena? FORGET IT. That sequence has been bookmarked many times over by yours truly.

Other stories were continued and new characters introduced in Lover At Last. And in traditional J.R. Ward-style, they raised many more questions and peaked quite a bit of interest. The Shadow brothers Trez and iAm are now living at the Brotherhood compound. And with Trez’s growing attraction to the Chosen Selena and the little problem of him already being promised to another, it should provide a great story in the future. Xcor and Layla’s story continues and it makes me wonder how and if these two will ever be together. Such a sad situation for them. And lastly, there is Assail and his love interest Sola (Marisol). These two are already lighting up the pages with their heat and I’m very much looking forward to their story.

Overall, the book was everything I wanted. The only thing I thought was missing was the interaction between Blay and Qhuinn and John Matthew. I may be a little biased as John is my favorite character of the series, but these three have been as tight as friends get since they were all introduced and I would have like to see his reaction to his two best friends finally getting together and Qhuinn being inducted into the Brotherhood (which was also a scene that caused some ugly crying). Perhaps the author will have more of this in the future. One can only hope!

Five Loves

Cover Reveal….Hard As It Gets by Laura Kaye

SQUEEE! So happy to be a part of the cover reveal for HARD AS IT GETS, part of a new series by New York Times Bestselling Author Laura Kaye!

Blurb:

Tall, dark, and lethal…

Trouble just walked into Nicholas Rixey’s tattoo parlor. Becca Merritt is warm, sexy, wholesome-pure catnip to a very jaded Nick. He’s left his military life behind to become co-owner of Hard Ink Tattoo, but Becca is his ex-commander’s daughter. Loyalty won’t let him turn her away. Lust has plenty to do with it too.

With her brother presumed kidnapped, Becca needs Nick. She just wasn’t expecting to want him so much. As their investigation turns into all-out war with an organized crime ring, only Nick can protect her. And only Becca can heal the scars no one else sees.

Desire is the easy part. Love is as hard as it gets. Good thing Nick is always up for a challenge…

Now THAT is some serious YUM!

______________________

Click on the badge below to pre-order:

About Laura Kaye:

Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of nearly a dozen books in contemporary and paranormal romance. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter SignUp

Swagalicious Giveaway

So, as some of you know, I was at the Liberty States Create Something Magical Writers Convention last weekend and had a BLAST! I ended up coming home with some awesome swag (goodies and BOOKS!) and was able to hang out with some amazing people….including the awesome Elisabeth Staab!

Well, Elisabeth was kind enough to add to the swag with some fabulous signed goodies and to sweeten the deal, I’m adding an eCopy of her book, King of Darkness, book one in her Chronicles of Yavn Series! That’s some serious swag….and I’m gonna give it away to TWO lucky winners!

All you have to do to enter is in the Rafflecopter below…so get to it and good luck!

xo ~Jillian

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review….Down To You by M. Leighton

Buy from Amazon ~ Buy from Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:

The scorching tale of one girl, two brothers and a love triangle…that’s not. Olivia Townsend is nothing special. She’s just a girl working her way through college so she can return home to help her father run his business. She’s determined not to be the second woman in his life to abandon him, even if it means putting her own life on hold. To Olivia, it’s clear what she must do. Plain and simple. Black and white. But clear becomes complicated when she meets Cash and Nash Davenport. They’re brothers. Twins.

Cash is everything she’s always wanted in a guy. He’s a dangerous, sexy bad boy who wants her in his bed at any cost. He turns her insides to mush and, with just one kiss, makes her forget why he’s no good for her. Nash is everything she’s ever needed in a guy. He’s successful, responsible and intensely passionate. But he’s taken. Very taken, by none other than Marissa, Liv’s rich, beautiful cousin. That doesn’t stop Olivia from melting every time he looks at her, though. With just one touch, he makes her forget why they can never be together.

Black and white turns to shades of gray when Olivia discovers the boys are hiding something, something that should make her run as far and as fast as she can. But it’s too late to run. Olivia’s already involved. And in love. With both of them. Both brothers make her heart tremble. Both brothers set her body on fire. She wants them both. And they want her. How will she ever choose between them?

My Review:

So this is a title that I’ve had on my to-read shelf for entirely too long and was so excited to FINALLY get to it and I loved it! Talk about one hell of a story!

Olivia Townsend is stuck living with her uppity cousin, Marissa, and hoping to finish up school and her accounting degree quickly so she can get back to her father and their farm. She misses her old life and she hates dealing with her snooty cousin. One thing she doesn’t mind is catching glimpses of her cousin’s uber attractive boyfriend, Nash. Talk about yum. Nash is a young, sexy, law student working for Marissa’s father’s firm and is, unfortunately, taken and totally off-limits. Lucky for Olivia, Nash has a twin brother, Cash who is very much available. The only thing standing in Olivia’s way is that Cash is a bad-boy bar owner and she has sworn off the bad-boy type for good. But soon enough, Olivia finds herself involved with both Cash and Nash. She takes a job working in Cash’s bar and is fighting a losing battle against her attraction to him. She’s also fighting the same losing battle against her attraction to Nash when she has to fill in for her cousin at an art gallery event. Olivia finds herself wanting both men….but really, she wants a mash-up of the two. If only Cash were more like Nash or if Nash were more like Cash…she would have her dream man. What’s a girl to do? Olivia sure has her work cut out for her….and just when she thinks she knows what to do, the brothers drop a HUGE bomb that will change everything.

Oh. My. Yum….this book was freaking fantastic. Nash and Cash are equally delicious and like Olivia, I had a hard time deciding whom I liked best! Cash is the sexy bad-boy you know is nothing but trouble, but can’t help being attracted to. Nash is the sexy intellectual that screams GQ. Tough choice indeed! Olivia is hilarious. Her personality is totally unique. She’s got a sense of humor that had me laughing out loud too many times to count. Her one-liners and quick-witted retorts are some of the best I’ve ever read. I freaking love her!

There are sexy scenes in this book that are totally drool worthy and had me glued to the pages. There is also a twist that I did NOT see coming…and damn, it made me “WHOA” out loud! It added so much to the love triangle road we were traveling down and pulled us down a whole other direction. Freaking fantastic!

If you’re looking for a hot and sexy read with a bunch of heroine snark and a twist that sneaks up behind you and bites you in the ass, then get this book on your list! I loved it and can’t wait to start the next book and see what is in store for Olivia!

Thank you, Ms. Leighton, for a fantabulous read!

Four-and-a-Half Loves

Review….Protecting What’s His by Tessa Bailey

Buy from Amazon ~ Buy from Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:

She’s running from the law, and the law wants her bad.

The opportunity was just too damn delicious for Ginger Peet to pass up. The purse full of money she finds—$50,000 to be exact—could give her and her teen sister the new start they need. So she grabs the cash, her gothy sibling, and their life-sized statue of Dolly Parton, and blows outta Nashville in a cloud of dust. Chicago, here we come…

Turns out, Chicago has some pretty hot cops. Hot, intense, naughty-lookin’ cops like Derek Tyler, who looks like he could eat a girl up and leave her begging for more. And more. Tempting as he is, getting involved with the sexy homicide lieutenant next door poses a teensy problem for a gal who’s on the lam. But one thing is certain—Derek’s onto her, and he wants more than just a taste.

And as far as he’s concerned, possession is nine-tenths of the law.

My Review:

Protecting What’s His is the first in the Line of Duty Series by Tessa Bailey and actually came as a recommendation from the super awesome Laura Kaye. Well, to say that I was hooked on this book after the first chapter would be an understatement….I de-freaking-voured this book….in a day.

Ginger Peet has had enough. She’s lived this hellish life for far too long. She is so damn tired of her alcoholic mother turning tricks and disappearing and tired of having to shield her little sister from all of it. Sure, it sucks that she’s had to deal with it for all of her 23 years, but her 17-year-old sister deserves more. More than her poor excuse for a mother can give either one of them. So, when her mother comes home one night, as shocking as that was, what is more shocking is the wad of cash Ginger finds sticking out of her mother’s purse. Well, isn’t this exactly what she needs to stat a new life for her and her sister…..cue Steve Miller Band’s “Take the Money and Run”.

Derek Tyler can’t even attempt to hide his irritation with all the hooting and hollering coming from the people moving into his nice, quiet apartment building. They had better not be moving all that noise into the apartment across the hall. Being a lieutenant with the Chicago P.D. he really counted on having this quiet space as his haven away from all of the stress that came with the job. Not only that, but today was an above average stress level day. Today they were burying one of their own. He needed to get these people under control out there. Only when he opens his door prepared to give them a piece of his mind, he is completely unprepared for Ginger. Poor guy doesn’t stand a chance….immediately struck by her beautiful face and killer body he knows this is one neighbor he’s gonna have to get to know better. Hopefully she’s willing to lend him some, ahem, sugar.

To say their “friendship” starts off rocky would be understatement of the year. But the thing is, right off the bat, Derek and Ginger have undeniable chemistry that oozes off the pages. Good Lord…the sexual tension between them from just that very first meeting in the hall, when he reads her the riot act for being too loud and she basically tells him to shove it, is delicious. To say I found this book hot would be the second understatement of the year. Seriously, Derek Tyler will go down as one of the hottest book heroes ever with a skill for dirty talk and hot lovin’. Damn, that man is sex on a stick! Ginger is perfect. She may be young, but she’s got one hell of a head on her shoulders and talk about spunk! That girl gives it right back to the hot Lieutenant. Not only was this book smoking hot, it had some hilarious moments that had me laughing out loud (I have a class room of 5th graders who can attest to that…don’t ask). Together, Ginger and Derek are a great pair who fall hard and fast and have to wade through some rough currents to realize that what they both want, and both need, is right there in each other’s arms. Mix in the smart ass potty mouthed 17-year-old sister, Willa, and this book kicked some major ass!

This is a book that I say you must get right now and start reading this very instant. You will NOT be disappointed! Thank you, Tessa, for a story I will be re-reading time and time again and for a series I am SURE to be hooked on! Oh, and thank you to Laura Kaye for getting this title out there!

Five Loves

…And for some extra fun with the Lieutenant and Ginger…I snagged the playlist Tessa has on her website:

PLAYLIST: PROTECTING WHAT’S HIS
1. Bad Man’s World by Jenny Lewis
2. Stop Stop by The Black Keys
3. Backwoods Barbie by Dolly Parton
4. Love Affair by Regina Spektor
5. The Twist by Frightened Rabbit (Willa and Denny’s song)
6. In the Cold Cold Night by the White Stripes
7. Holy Roller Novocaine by Kings of Leon
8. I Wanna be Adored by the Stone Roses
9. I’m Shakin’ by Jack White

Release Tour & Review…Surrender Your Love by J.C. Reed

I’m honored to be a part of the Release Tour for Surrender Your Love by J.C. Reed! This is the steamy debut from J.C. and in honor of that excitement, she is giving away a $50 gift card and eCopy of Surrender Your Love! So, check out the book blurb and review and don’t forget to enter to win in the RaffleCopter below….. (How bout that cover!? YUM!)

Buy from Amazon ~ Buy from Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:

Meeting Jett was like lightning. Dangerous. Better left untouched. And better forgotten. But lightning always strikes twice.

Brooke Stewart, a realtor in New York, doesn’t do relationships. When she’s sent to a remote estate to finalize a real estate deal, she discovers her new boss is no other than the guy she left naked in bed.

Sexy, dangerously handsome, and arrogant Jett Mayfield attracts trouble, and women, like a lightning rod. But the night he meets Brooke he gets more than he bargained for. The green-eyed millionaire playboy isn’t used to taking no for an answer, and he isn’t about to start now.

When he proposes two months of no strings sex, Brooke is intrigued and accepts his proposal. Little does she know Jett’s determined to claim the one woman he can’t have, pulling her deeper into his dangerous world.

A man who doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.

A woman afraid to surrender to love.

Two lives that are about to cross…and secrets laid bare.

My review:

Surrender Your Love is the first in a new series by newbie author by J. C. Reed. I enjoy finding new authors and am really happy J.C. asked me to read Surrender Your Love….it was a great story with a twist at the end that has me needing to read the next book!

Brooke Stewart is a realtor in New York City enjoying her career with a smaller firm while dreaming of a position with one if the big dogs. So, when her boss asks her to meet with Jett Mayfield, the head of one of the largest and most successful real estate companies in the U.S., she can’t refuse. But Mr. Mayfield ends up being anything like she had expected…..and he also ends up in her bed.

Jett Mayfield is used to getting what he wants. Brooke Stewart is one of those things. He knows it the minute he meets her. So, like any acquisition, he does what it takes. Making her an offer she can’t refuse, she is now employed by his company, as his personal assistant. Lucky for her, one of the perks for that position includes a trip to Italy to work on a real estate deal….alone, with him.

I will admit this story started out a little slow for me and I had a hard time figuring out what Jett’s motives were with Brooke. Sure, I’ve read many books where the attraction between two people is sudden and intense and as a reader, we kind of just accept that, but with this story, it felt a little off. Well, after getting through the whole story, and realizing there was a definite reason for my suspicions of Jett’s motives, all I can say is: well done, J.C.! Not only did it all come together at the end, but it came together with a huge “NO WAY!” and it was pretty awesome to realize things were not what they seemed. Add the super hot and sexy love scenes and this book has it all. I will warn you, it ends with a cliff hanger that left me gaping, open-mouthed at my eReader but it also left me dying for the next installment so I can see what comes next!

Amazing dramatic twist at the end, a hot and sexy man, delicious love scenes and a kick ass heroine makes this book worthy of a spot on your to-read list. Thank you, J.C., for a great story and I look forward to see what you have up your sleeve for the next one!

Three-and-a-Half Loves

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To find out more about J.C. Reed and her work, you can follow these author links:

http://jcreedauthor.blogspot.com

http://twitter.com/jcreedauthor

http://www.facebook.com/pages/JC-Reed/295864860535849

ARC Review….Shades of Passion by Virna DePaul

Buy from Amazon ~ Buy from Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:

Shades of the past

Detective Simon Granger has devoted his life to solving high-risk cases, and he’s vowed never again to get involved with a woman whose work is equally as dangerous. But when the Special Investigations Group teams him with a beautiful psychiatrist, his resolve is shattered by the tense and emotionally charged partnership….

Shades of intrigue

Determined to outrun the grief over her sister’s death, Dr. Nina Whitaker reluctantly agrees to use her training to help the police. Despite Detective Granger’s disdain for her profession, she believes she can change his mind. But then a grieving father begins a deadly game of revenge, threatening Nina’s life, challenging her beliefs, and drawing Nina and Simon together in an explosive endgame of intrigue…and unstoppable passion.

Shades of passion…

My Review:

This is the third book in Virna DePaul’s SIG (Special Investigations Group) series and the very first one I have read. I am happy to say that not reading the first two in the series didn’t take away from my enjoyment in reading this third installment.

Dr. Nina Whitaker is a psychiatrist who relocated to San Francisco to rebuild her life after leaving her hometown, and tragedy, behind. She had been responsible for implementing a successful program with law enforcement in South Carolina educating the police on better ways of handling situations when mental illness was involved. Unfortunately, even that success couldn’t outweigh the grief she carries over her sister’s death. The distance also won’t allow her to outrun the blame of the father of a former patient whose suicide he blames her for. Now, her current supervisor wants her working her magic with the San Francisco P.D. It’s the last job she wants to do but, when she starts to receive death threats from the dead patient’s father, it just may be the very job that saves her life.

Detective Simon Granger has been dealing with the grief over his ex-girlfriend’s murder for a little while now and is dealing just fine, if you ask him. She was a psychiatrist who was murdered by a serial killer. A serial killer he had warned her about….and she hadn’t listened. He’s ready to put it all behind him and start over as a captain in SIG. So, to say he was less than thrilled to hear he was being asked yet again to seek the help of a therapist before even being considered for a management position would be an understatement. Fortunately, a beautiful doctor catches his eye on the way to his appointment. Unfortunately, she will end up working alongside him while making a bid to the city to start a new program training the police on mental health issues…. something he has no interest in learning about. Even the beautiful doctor couldn’t change his mind on his feelings about the mentally ill, not after the violent way his ex was murdered…or can she?

I really enjoyed this story. I found the mystery surrounding Nina and her past intriguing and thought it was developed well throughout the story. I also thought questions were answered at the perfect points through the book. The buildup of the facts lead you in one direction, but you knew there had to be a twist, and there was a terrific one! (my lips are sealed!) The chemistry between Nina and Simon was really well-developed as well. They went into things knowing they didn’t see eye to eye on the whole mental health issue. However, they both were willing to see things through the other person’s eyes and were ready, even if reluctantly, to learn. Ultimately, they were willing to give other ideas a chance, and it made both of them better people in the end.

I will definitely be looking in to the first two books in the SIG series and will be keeping up with it in the future. Thank you, Ms. DePaul, for a fast paced and captivating read!

Four Loves

*Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advance copy for an honest review.

Review…Wait Until Dark by M. L. Buchman

Buy from Barnes & Noble ~ Buy from Amazon

Synopsis:

Name: Big John Wallace

Rank: Staff Sergeant, Chief Mechanic and Gunner

Mission: To serve and protect his crew and country.

Name: Connie Davis

Rank: Sergeant, Flight Engineer, Mechanical Wizard

Mission: To be the best…and survive.

Two Crack Mechanics, One Impossible Mission

Being in The Night Stalkers is Connie Davis’s way of facing her demons head-on, but mountain-strong John Wallace is a threat on all fronts. Their passion is explosive, but their conflicts are insurmountable. When duty calls them to a mission no one else could survive, they’ll fly into the night together—ready or not.

My Review:

This is the third book in the Night Stalkers Series by M.L. Buchman and after falling in love with the first two books I was so excited when release day for Wait Until Dark came. This book was fantastic and a great addition to the series!

Sergeant Connie Davis is one of the few female members of SOAR, and damn good at what she does. She’s known since she was a child, and being the daughter of a military pilot, that she was born for mechanics. Her gift for remembering schematics and instructional manuals word for word has gotten her to where she is today. She can fix anything…..except her broken and battered heart. She’s been alone since she was a teen. Losing her mother at the age of 3 was tough, sure, but losing her father when she was 13 was devastating. She had idolized him, admired him, and loved him with all she had. He was the only one who truly understood her love of all things mechanical, and the only one who encouraged her gift. He was all she had. When he was killed in action, she knew she would never be the same. So she lived her life as an outsider who no one understood. She really never fit in anywhere…until now, on her current assignment. She’s on a crew with Big John Wallace and right off the bat she knows there’s something about him. He just may turn out to be the only one besides her father who ever really understood the constantly misunderstood Connie.

Big John Wallace has always had a love for life. He’s flying with the best crew there is, is a mechanic second to none, has some great friends and a family he adores. He grew up in farm country with a big, close-knit family in an equally close-knit community and flies and serves to protect those very people. He’s always confident and has a way with people….he’s always watching and observing them and their true nature and can always figure a person out. He’s always been able to assess problems and fix them. Ever since Connie entered their crew, he’s determined to fix what he can see is definitely broken.

Together, John and Connie will venture on what I can assume is the toughest mission for them both. John’s determination and Connie’s reluctance to let anyone in prove to be a battle neither one are prepared for….but one that will ultimately put the separate pieces of Connie and John together to make a perfectly working whole.

This was an awesome book. Some say this series is overly heavy on the military lingo but I don’t feel that way. This is one of the only series I read written by a male author and I really appreciate the tough heroes and heroines he creates. Connie is a no-nonsense, straightforward woman in a man’s world. She has worked hard at getting to where she is and in doing so, has had to learn to shut down her emotions and move forward from her personal loss. Unfortunately, in doing so, she never truly dealt with that loss. John proves to be the balm her broken heart and soul need. He is everything a woman could want. Warm, kind-hearted, fun loving, focused, determined, brilliant, loyal and tough wrapped up in a big, handsome package. Connie and John paired together were simple, opposites attract perfection!

Meanwhile, there’s action packed flying sequences that had me white-knuckling my e-reader and reading wide eyed. Add a whole top-secret mission weaved into the romance between Connie and John and this book was a win for me. We also got to see more of our favorite Majors, Mark and Emily, from the first book, The Night is Mine.

I truly enjoyed this installment of The Night Stalkers and definitely look forward to continuing on with the series! Thank you, Mr. Buchman, for yet another pulse pounding, action packed romance!

Four Loves

Review….One Night With A Hero by Laura Kaye

Buy from Amazon ~ Buy from Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:

He wants just one night…

After growing up with an abusive, alcoholic father, Army Special Forces Sgt. Brady Scott vowed never to marry or have kids. Sent stateside to get his head on straight—and his anger in check—Brady’s looking for a distraction. He finds it in his beautiful new neighbor’s one-night-only offer for hot sex, but her ability to make him forget is addictive. Suddenly, Brady’s not so sure he can stay away.

…what they need is each other.

Orphaned as a child, community center director Joss Daniels swore she’d never put herself in a position to be left behind again, but she can’t deny herself one sizzling night with the sexy soldier who makes her laugh and kisses her senseless. When Joss discovers she’s pregnant, Brady’s rejection leaves her feeling abandoned. Now, they must overcome their fears before they lose the love and security they’ve found in each other, but can they let go of the past to create a future together?

My Review:

This is the second book in The Hero Series by Laura Kaye and focuses on Brady Scott, the older brother of Alyssa Scott from the first in The Hero Series, Her Forbidden Hero. After loving Her Forbidden Hero, I knew I would love this book as well, and let me say…Laura delivered yet again!

Army Special Forces Sgt. Brady Scott is back in the States and is trying to get his life back on track and his head on straight. His current mission is to deal with the mess of emotions when it comes to his father…his abusive, alcoholic and poor-excuse-for-a-parent father. How is he supposed to do that when it’s what he’s been avoiding since as long as he can remember? After going for a run, yet another unsuccessful attempt to release some stress, he finds a welcomed distraction in a beautiful young woman sitting on a blanket in the park. Luckily for Brady, the Memorial Day fireworks happening that night in that very same park seems like the perfect excuse to introduce himself, ask her to share dinner and maybe find that welcomed diversion he needs.

Joss Daniels is trying to enjoy a nice day at the park after seeing her ex and his new fiancé at the store that morning. Unfortunately she can’t shake the sadness that had crept in since realizing the “I’m not ready to commit” excuse he gave her when they broke up wasn’t exactly right…it was more like he couldn’t commit to her. And that hurt. So when a sexy solider in nothing but a pair of running shorts and dog tags asks her to share dinner and her blanket for the fireworks in the park she really doesn’t see why she should refuse…after all, it would be a nice distraction from her current gloomy mood.

But fate has something in store for these two. Joss and Brady turn out to be neighbors, and after a few hot and heavy sessions (and I mean HOT with all capitals and tons of exclamation points), Joss soon finds out she’s pregnant and let’s just say, things kind of get a little rocky from there.

I knew going in to this story that I was going to love Brady. I mean, he is the loving and protective older brother of Alyssa and best friend to Marco…what’s not to love? Well, I will admit, I wanted to kick his ass a few times while reading. I still loved him, but man, he really needed to get his rear in gear! His immediate reaction and behavior to Joss’s pregnancy was, um, well, yeah….not great. The emotional struggles Brady had to go through killed me. It was a journey I know he had to make but it didn’t make it any easier to read. Joss is an amazing character and put up with so much adversity and challenge her whole life and now, has to decide what to do with Brady and the baby. She is one tough cookie. Luckily for both of them, Brady finds his way and eventually, after a LOT of begging and apologizing (and the cutest damn gifts in the history of all baby gift giving) Joss relents and lets him back into her life.

What makes me love Laura’s writing so much is her characters have to earn their happy ending. They always deserve it, but they have to find their own ways, and sometimes it’s not an easy road….but I know it will it end perfectly. That’s the magic of what she does…it’s in how she pulls emotions from the reader and connects them to the words on the pages. This story was no exception. I loved every second of this book. Every laugh, every cry and of course, every hot and steamy moment!

So, thank you once again, Laura, for bringing us characters we adore and I look forward to more stories!