March 2013 – Page 2 – Read-Love-Blog

Review….Her Forbidden Hero by Laura Kaye

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Synopsis:

She’s always been off-limits…

Former Army Special Forces Sgt. Marco Vieri has never thought of Alyssa Scott as more than his best friend’s little sister, but her return home changes that…and challenges him to keep his war-borne demons at bay. Marco’s not the same person he was back when he protected Alyssa from her abusive father, and he’s not about to let her see the mess he’s become.

…but now she’s all grown up.

When Alyssa takes a job at the bar where Marco works, her carefree smiles wreak havoc on his resolve to bury his feelings. How can he protect her when he can’t stop thinking about her in his bed? But Alyssa’s not looking for protection—not anymore. Now that she’s back in his life, she’s determined to heal her forbidden hero, one touch at a time…

My Review:

This is the first book in The Hero series by Laura Kaye and having read Hearts in Darkness by Laura, I knew this would be a great story….but great isn’t the right word, really. More like fantastic, amazing, incredible…you get the idea here. I loved it!

Alyssa Scott has little money, a freshly earned degree in restaurant management and event planning, and a whole lot of determination. She is convinced that getting a job at Whiskey’s Music Roadhouse is exactly the start she needs. Throw in the fact that Marco Vieri, her older brother’s best friend, former Army Special Forces Sgt. and object of her desire since as long as she can remember, works there is more than enough for her to prove this is exactly where she needs to be. When she sees Marco at the bar, after not seeing him for two years, she is hell-bent on getting him to think of her as a woman, and not just his best friend’s kid sister. Only she soon realizes Marco may not be the same guy he was when she knew him two years ago. Can she help get back to the Marco she remembers? The Marco she cares for desperately?

Marco can’t believe his eyes. Standing at his bar is Alyssa Scott, the little sister of his best friend; only she’s not so little anymore. Surely it isn’t right for him to be noticing how much she’s *ahem* grown? Besides, even if she wasn’t totally off-limits for being practically family, he’s not any kind of anything she needs. His war-damaged soul isn’t what Alyssa should have to deal with. Sure, he and his family protected her from her from a dreadful, abusive dad, and in those days he would have done anything for her just to see her smile. But now, the best thing he could do for her is to keep his distance. But when he finds out she has nowhere to stay and no money, keeping a distance is going to be quite hard…since he’s invited her to stay with him. None too soon, Marco realizes it’s going to be hard pushing Aly away, when she’s the one that can truly help him regain some kind of peace.

To say Marco broke my heart would be an understatement. He is the epitome of the wounded hero, which, I’m sure, had every reader wanting to scoop up and take home with her and fix him. I fell in love with him after the first chapter. He is honorable and kind but is in such a dark emotional place, it had me crying many, many times. I probably looked like I was in pain when I was reading because I so wanted him to just be ok. He is a book hero I won’t soon forget. Not to mention he is gorgeous and sexy and drives a ’67 Mustang, one of the hottest cars EVA! Alyssa, thankfully, is like a dog with a bone and refuses to let go of the idea that she can help Marco and bring some joy back into his life. The joy and happiness he deserves for just being Marco.

This story had so many highs and lows and I loved every one. There are scenes in this book that will stay with me probably forever. Um, the lake scene is one of the hottest scenes ever and damn if I didn’t cry like a baby when Marco tries to pick up playing the guitar again after being injured in combat. I know I’m not usually a spoiler type of gal, but if reading about those scenes gets you to dive into this book, then I say YAHOO and no spoiler apology needed!

Laura does such a kick-ass job of getting the reader to feel every emotion both Marco and Alyssa experience. I feel like I know them and I could pick up the phone and see how they’re doing! Because of that talent, I have become a huge fan of all of her work and always look forward to new releases. Thank you, Laura, for giving us Marco, a hero that truly deserved a happy ending!

Five Loves

ARC Review….Always On My Mind by Bella Andre

Releases March 5, 2013

Pre-order from Amazon

Synopsis:

Lori “Naughty” Sullivan finally falls in love in ALWAYS ON MY MIND, the new book in Bella Andre’s New York Times and USA Today bestselling series about the Sullivan family.

After a tragic loss three years ago, Grayson Tyler left his life in New York City behind and started over in the rolling hills of the California coast. He’s convinced himself that all he’ll ever need again is the blue sky, a thousand acres of pasture, and the crashing waves of the ocean. Until one day, Lori Sullivan barges into his life and promptly blows his emotionless and solitary world to shreds, driving him crazy as only a woman nicknamed “Naughty” can. But will Lori be able to convince him that it’s safe to love her…and that forever isn’t actually out of reach?

My Review:

Always On My Mind is the 8^th book in The Sullivans, a series by Bella Andre. I have read a few of the others, and really enjoyed them…this book, however is my absolute FAVORITE of all of the Sullivan family books I’ve read.

Lori Sullivan has been dating a total ass for the past two years that her family despises, and were never afraid to tell her just how much they hated him. He was never good enough for her. Now, she finally sees what her family has been harping her about for those two years. After walking in on Victor and her lead dancer getting hot and heavy, she calls it quits, on everything. She leaves Chicago, Victor and her show behind and blindly heads back to California. She knows she can’t go home yet, though. She’s not ready to face her family. She needs time…and a change of scenery. What better chance of her every day norm then deciding to answer an ad she found at a general’s store for a farm hand? Sounds like just the distraction and adventure she needs right now. What Lori wasn’t planning on finding, however, was a kindred spirit with a broken and hurt soul….

Grayson Tyler has been living on his farm for the past year and is doing just fine…if you count being alone with only his animals as “living”. Three years ago, he lost his wife and left his old life behind in New York in exchange for the solitude of this farm. He doesn’t need more than that. But when a saucy spitfire of a woman answers his ad for a farm hand, and refuses to take his immediate “no way” for an answer, he knows this is a recipe for disaster. He recognizes from the minute she steps out of her car, that she is going to make him realize just what kind of dismal existence he’s been leading. The question is, is he ready to face the truth of his miserable, unhappy life?

I literally just finished reading this book and am so sad……so sad that it’s over! This story had me from the very first minute I realized Lori Sullivan, the dancer/choreographer, dressed in glitter and high heels, would be working on a freaking farm. I mean, you just KNOW this is going to be good! Add to the mix a rugged and handsome farmer, and I was hooked!

Lori is one of my favorite Sullivan’s. She has a personality that pirouettes off of the pages with such a love of life that you can’t help but adore her. I was so happy she left that ass, Victor, behind and wanted her to find happiness. Boy, did she finally hit the happiness jackpot at that farm, but not without a whole lot of anguish before finding it.

Grayson broke my freaking heart, and at the same time, pissed me off to no end. He is so emotionally broken and miserable but isn’t ready to admit it. He was such a jerk to Lori in the beginning that I thought there was no way she’d get through to him. I wasn’t even sure he deserved her efforts. Damn, I am so glad Lori is stubborn and kept at him because he is a hero who deserved a rescue. Once he opens up, I fell in love with him. I can’t even tell you how many tissues I went through reading the parts Grayson shows us his emotions and how amazing he really is.

Together, Lori and Grayson are the ultimate example of opposites attracting. Their personalities play so well off of one another. She pushes every one of his buttons and he secretly loves it, even if he gets cranky about it. The ending of this story goes down as one of my favorite book endings ever. It was so blissfully romantic, well written and just so damn perfect I was crying big fat happy tears. The icing on the cake was we got to see all of the Sullivan crew and got to spend a little time with the matriarch, Mary. That was such a special touch and I truly enjoyed it.

Ultimately, this is a delicious, romantic, emotional read that has reminded me just how much I love this genre and how great it is to find authors like Ms. Andre. Thank you, Bella, for Lori and Grayson and for giving us a book I will be enjoying many more times….most likely I’ll have my first re-read after I finish typing this!

Oh, and good news for Sullivan fans….this is NOT the last of the series! *HAPPY DANCE and a YAHOO* Bella is giving us the first of the Seattle Sullivan’s this summer with Rafe Sullivan’s story in The Way You Look Tonight! Rafe is the super sexy private investigator cousin of our original Sullivan family! How exciting is that!? Bella also has some other special things planned so be sure to keep an eye out!

Five Loves

Review….The Education of Caroline by Jane Harvey-Berrick

Buy from Amazon

Synopsis:

Ten years after their broken affair, Sebastian and Caroline meet again: this time in very different circumstances, against the background of the war in Afghanistan

Now a successful journalist, Caroline meets Chief Sebastian Hunter, US Marine. Will this chance encounter rekindle the erotic madness of her passionate affair with a younger man?

My Review:

This is the second book in the “Education of…” duet by Jane Harvey-Berrick. The first book, The Education of Sebastian, was really damn good….but, The Education of Caroline will go on the list as one of my favorite books of all time.

We met up with Caroline ten years after she left San Diego, and the love of her life, Sebastian, behind. She has made a life for herself in New York City as a freelance reporter with a successful following and a knack for her reporting on military life overseas. It’s that knack that lands her on her current assignment…and running into a certain blue-green eyed, tanned San Diego surfer boy. Only now, that surfer boy is a Chief in the Marines and is assigned to help train the journalists going overseas, the journalists she is a part of.

Sebastian can’t believe his eyes. Sitting in the hotel conference room in Switzerland is the woman he has loved since as long as he can remember. She is also the woman who left him…and took his heart with her. Now he was supposed to brief her on the dangers of reporting in hostile circumstances in dangerous countries. How the hell was he supposed to concentrate on anything other than the anger, pain, frustration, desire and long-buried feelings of love and lust toward her? Now way was he going to let her get away this time….

Dear God. This book was freaking INCREDIBLE! I loved the first in the series but damn; this book was that much better. The emotional turmoil starts from the very beginning and doesn’t let up until the very last page. Caroline and Sebastian have mastered the art of push and pull and just can’t seem to catch a break. They’ve lived a long ten years apart and have given up on ever ending up together, and now, they almost don’t have a choice. Fate was surely on their side this time…of so we think. They go through some amazingly loving high points and crushingly devastating low points. I bawled my freaking eyes out the last 25% of the book! But don’t worry, the ending is totally “dreamy sigh” worthy and I was delighted with it. Sebastian is one of my all time fave book men. Totally swoon worthy…the whole sexy, bad-assed, romantic, occasional-bumbling-idiot, delicious package. Caroline is finally happy within her own skin at forty and is a great match for Sebastian, level-headed when he is fanciful but playful when he is lost in his head and needs distracting. She also realizes Sebastian is just amazing now as he was when he was seventeen. Better even. Amazing book couple…even if I want to hate Caroline for having Sebastian to call her own and I’m seething with jealousy!

I read this book in a day. I could NOT put it down. I loved every word on every page…laughed and cried and thought it was blissfully perfect! I already recommended The Education of Sebastian and I HIGHLY recommend The Education of Caroline. Thank you, Ms. Harvey-Berrick, for writing the newest member of my favorite books.