Read-Love-Blog

Happy Wednesday!

I am so happy to be able to bring you my review for Marina Adair’s Be Mine Forever as well as have a signed paperback copy to give away to one lucky winner!

 Enter in the rafflecopter below…. thanks for stopping by and enjoy!

Book links:

Amazon  ~  Barnes & Noble  ~  Goodreads

Synopsis:

For Trey DeLuca, the idea of settling down was entirely unsettling. As VP of sales for his family’s wine company, he’s never in any one city ? or with any one woman ? for long, which is how he likes it. But when family obligations keep him temporarily grounded in his hometown, he finds the perfect distraction. She’s sweet, gorgeous, and sexy as hell?only her life screams commitment. Between raising her son and struggling to keep her dance school afloat, Sara Reed has her hands full. Dance students she needs ? a steamy tangled sheets cha-cha with a self-admitted commitment-phobe? Not going to happen. But sparks fly as the town prepares for a big Valentine’s Day gala, and Trey strikes a deal with Sara?he?ll ?manny-up? and watch her son in exchange for ballroom lessons. With love quickstepping ever closer, Sara needs to teach this playboy some new steps or risk losing him ? and her heart? forever.

My review:

Be Mine Forever is the fourth book in author Marina Adair’s St. Helena Vineyard Series, a series that I have loved from the first book.  Well, I may love each book in the series but this book so far is my absolute favorite of the series! Trey and Sara are quite amazing.

Trey DeLuca has been lured back to St. Helena thanks in part by his sneaky grandmother and now that he was back, he couldn’t wait to leave again.  He wasn’t the kind of guy to put down roots, which made him the perfect DeLuca brother for the VP of sales job.  Always on the go and never on one place for too long which is just how Trey liked it.  Of course that makes being stuck in St. Helena for a few weeks even harder.   He knew he couldn’t let his grandmother down but he also knew staying here and seeing how happily married his brothers are, with growing families, would be hard.  So now he’s here, and making matters worse, has been roped into dancing at the Valentine’s Day Gala with his grandmother and finds himself signed up for dance lessons.  Could it get any worse?  For Trey, no.  Things seem to be looking up, however, when he meets his dance teacher, Sara.  Ok, so maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to stay around and hopefully spend some time with one of the newest, and sexiest, residents of St. Helena.

Single mom Sara Reed has recently decided that she would attempt to get back into the dating pool.  Yes, it would be slightly terrifying, but she owed it to herself to try to live life again.  Running her dance school and taking care of her son takes up almost all of her time these days but if love came along, she wouldn’t shy away from it.  Fate seems to be listening and practically drops the youngest, and most delicious and available DeLuca, into her lap.  With a little help from some of St. Helena’s oldest matchmakers, it seems that they are working alongside fate to give Sara a second chance at love.  Is she really ready?  For that matter, is Trey?

Sara and Trey were walking down different paths in life but end up meeting at a crossroads along the way.  Even with two different ideas on what the future holds for them, they will try to travel down a new path together….hopefully they won’t get lost along the way.

I am so mad at myself for finishing this book so quickly!  I couldn’t help myself though!  It was like eating a big, delicious piece of cake and savoring each bite until you realize you ate the whole piece and it was gone.  Trey is by far the cheekiest and most playful of the DeLuca boys if I do say so myself.  He likes woman and has honed his flirting and skills of seduction over the years.  Sara is in his sights and damn, if he didn’t work his magic.  He was in for a bit of a rude awakening though when she kind of gave him the cold shoulder! That didn’t stop his efforts though…thankfully.  He’s persistent, that Trey.  He also has a huge heart and is sweet and caring and amazing with kids and *dreamy sigh* the list could go on for miles.  What he needs though is someone to tame him and Sara is just the gal for the job.  Just being herself is enough to draw Trey in.  She gives him a run for his money and is slow to let her guard down.  Her past is a sad one and she is right in having some hesitations with Trey and relationships.  Luckily he’s not one to back down and she’s willing to take a chance on him.  They so amazing together and I cried my eyes out at the amazing ending!

Oh, and of course, we get to see our favorite St. Helena grandmothers and the entire DeLuca clan including kids and wives.  I loved every interaction with the brothers and Trey with his sisters-in-law and nieces was just totally swoon-worthy!

So now I enter my book hangover phase and I will be missing Trey and Sara, going back to re-read my favorite parts and anxiously waiting for more from my favorite wine country town.  Thank you, Marina, for a fabulous, sexy and devour-able read!

Five Loves

 
{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252
{\fonttbl\f0\fmodern\fcharset0 Courier;}
{\colortbl;\red255\green255\blue255;\red0\green0\blue0;\red254\green254\blue254;}
\deftab720
\pard\pardeftab720\sl360\partightenfactor0

\f0\fs24 \cf2 \cb3 \expnd0\expndtw0\kerning0
\outl0\strokewidth0 \strokec2 a Rafflecopter giveaway\
}

About the author:

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

For me, it wasn’t so much a moment, but an intervention.

Sophomore year, my fellow Blockheads sat me down and explained that I had an addiction. I was a NKOTB–A-holic. Afraid of becoming enablers, they refused to listen to another one of my never-ending stories about our passionate intrigues with Jordan, Joe, Jon, Danny, and Donnie. What they didn’t understand was that New Kids on the Block wasn’t my obsession—they were my current romance-medium of choice.

Twenty years later, my romance addiction is a hard, bodice-ripping, half-dozen books per week. When I’m not reading it or watching it, I am writing it—or workshopping it—or editing it—or strategizing how my hands to get more of it.

In 2010, I realized I was closer to menopause than prom and got serious about my career, writing my way toward a post-graduate degree in creative writing (in the off chance that the first one didn’t stick) and becoming a published romance author.

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

I live with my husband, daughter and three neurotic cats in Northern California.

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Website

Blood Reunited releases 1/28

Book links:

Amazon  ~  Barnes & Noble  ~  Goodreads

Synopsis:

Book Three in the Blood Vine Series.

Brooding vampire halfling and biologist Bel Maras is determined to create a cure for the wasting disease that plagues his vampire family. His work becomes essential as the Hunters intensify their global and bloody campaign. When Bel’s cure fails, only his ancient and estranged godmother Uta Ilirije can help. But seeing the ice-cold Uta reveals something shocking–she is his bonded mate.

She may be a dangerous warrior, but Uta feels her failures acutely. She has been unable to protect her kind from Hunters, and vampires are dying out. Worse, she tied Bel to her long ago in an accident of blood, then abandoned him for his own good–a choice he has never forgiven. Many days, she is convinced Bel and the vampires would be better off if she just walked into the sun.

Biology has fated them to be mates. Now these old enemies must overcome their past to save the vampires and come to peace with the bond they never chose.

My review:

Blood Reunited is the third and final installment of author Amber Belldene’s Blood Vine Series, a series that I have loved from the very beginning.  As sad as I am to see the end to this series I must say that I am equally happy with how it did end.  It was absolutely perfect.

Blood Reunited picks up where the second book, Blood Entangled, left off and to say things are a mess for the Kastle Estate Winery would be a gross understatement.  The situation with the Hunters and the wasting disease are at the most dire points and things have never looked bleaker.

But vampire Halfling, Bel, still has hope that he can cure the wasting disease and in turn save the vampire race.  He has been working non-stop on in his lab and believes he’s isolated what makes the wine so important.  He also believes he’s figured out the same thing about the Hunter blood.  It’s all right there, practically in his grasp but alas, it keeps eluding him.  To throw another monkey wrench into things, Uta is at the winery.  Uta, Bel’s childhood friend, one of the oldest vampires in existence, and his blood mate.  As if he needed this kind of distraction.  Her presence has awoken a need in him he has never felt before and also has brought back all his childhood feelings of hurt when she pushed him away all those years ago.  He still had no idea why she sent him away when he needed her most after his mother’s suicide and he certainly didn’t have time to worry about it now.  He needed to focus on his work and saving vampires.  Easier said than done.

Vampire Uta Ilirije has stayed away from Bel for as long as she could.  Now, being forced to head to his family’s winery with the council so they could work on saving the vampires and stopping the Hunters, she would be forced to see him…and ignite the blood bond.  A blood bond she had formed by accident.   No matter what the circumstances though, she loved Bel.  Always had. And seeing his distaste for her was crushing her.  But she was a warrior and would do what it took to stop this war with the Hunters and in the end she hoped one day Bel could forgive her.  Dare she hope along with his forgiveness he could learn to love her?

Adding to this storyline was Ethan Bennett and his new plaything, Gwen.  Whoa, talk about one effed up relationship! Amber did one hell of a job portraying them as the uncaring, soulless fiends they are…or shall I say were.

We also learned more about the vampire race and their ancient relationship with the Hunters.  Seeing all the pieces fit into place was pretty amazing and again, Amber did one hell of a job weaving their historic tale throughout the series with the culmination in Blood Reunited.

While reading this story the saying “it’s going to get worse before it can get better” kept rolling around in my head…because never had it been truer.  Things with the Maras clan and the winery are a devastated mess and I was heartbroken for all they had to endure. Bel and Uta go through so much in terms of emotion and rehashing their personal history.  Bel being stubborn and angry while Uta is broken and tired of feeling all the guilt she has carried over their blood bond.  All of that being said, it made the ending ever sweeter.  I had such a sense of contentment when I read “The End” and I finished this book with a smile.  You know I won’t give anything away so you’ll have to red it for yourself to find out.

Amber, thank you for one of the most amazing series endings I have ever had the pleasure of reading and for giving us the Blood Vine Series.  All you vampire lovers out there really need to read this series…you won’t be disappointed!

Five Loves

About the author:

Book links:

Amazon   ~  Barnes & Noble  ~  Goodreads

Synopsis:

In this new Love Under the Big Sky series from a USA TODAY bestselling author, Cara agrees to tutor her former classmate’s nephew—and learns some lessons in love!

Josh King is an expert at running his family’s multi-million dollar ranch in Montana. (And all that outside manual labor has done wonders for sculpting his six-foot-three body, too.) But as sure footed as he is when it comes to the ranch, Josh doesn’t know anything about how to deal with an adolescent boy—so when his twelve-year-old nephew, Seth, is dropped off on his doorstep, looking scared and acting surly as hell, Josh knows he needs help in straightening him out.

Cara Donovan loves her quiet life as a teacher in her sleepy hometown, so she jumps at the chance to make a little money over the summer as a tutor. But when she learns she’ll be teaching Josh King’s nephew, Cara’s sweet summer job gets a little bit hotter. Cara tries to focus all her attention on tutoring Seth, but Josh proves to be a delicious distraction, while Josh’s memories of the shy girl he once teased in high school are nothing like the beautiful woman he’s facing now. Can he persuade her that there’s more between them than a summer fling?

My Review:

Loving Cara is the first book in author Kristen Proby’s newest series, Under the Big Sky and talk about one hell of a debut.  I loved everything about the book from start to finish.

Cara Donovan and Josh King have known each other for years.  They went to high school together and still live in the same small town but despite the geography, they really don’t see much of each other.  That all changes when Cara gets a job tutoring Josh’s nephew over the summer.  Seth’s mother drops him off at the King’s family ranch and leaves without so much as a backward glance.  Zach, Josh’s brother and Seth’s father, is in the Army and overseas for at least another month which means Seth was now Josh and his parents responsibility.  No problem, right?  Wrong.  Seth needs a whole lot of love and attention to bring him out of the anger he’s settled into.  He also needs whole lot of help in the schooling department which is where Cara comes in and ends up as Seth’s tutor.  Luckily Cara is up for the challenge.  Of course that means Cara and Josh will be spending a whole lot of time together and soon the attraction they both feel is too much to deny.  Josh can’t believe his high school friend has grown into such a beautiful and smart woman and Cara is in awe of the handsome, sexy, and caring Josh.  Sparks will fly and lust will ignite all while helping a young man learn to trust and love again.  Will they all get their happy ending?

Man, I devoured this book.  In less than a day.  Cara and Josh have some serious heat building from the very beginning and it slowly builds at a delicious pace until they both decide to take the next step and holy hell.  These two are HOT together! But beyond that, Cara and Josh come together to help Seth, and that’s where they shine.  Where Josh is stern, Cara balances him out with a softer side and Seth stands to learn a lot from both of them.  Of course there are a few bumps in the road for Cara and Josh, which makes it more emotional and intense and that much better.  Along the way we meet Cara’s best friend Jillian (love the name, of course!), Jillian’s brother Ty, and at the end, Zach, Seth’s dad.  All of them are fabulous, complex characters and I suspect we will be seeing more of them in this series and I can’t WAIT!

If you’re looking for a romance with serious heat, loads of emotions and a small town feel, this is the book for you! Thank you, Kristen, for a fantastic book and a series I look forward to continuing!

Five Loves

About the author:

Book links:

Amazon  ~  Barnes & Noble  ~ Goodreads

Synopsis:

Book two of The Triton Experiment

Intergalactic mercenary Kat Darah has been ordered to keep her shape-shifting ability a secret from everyone but those closest to her, for her own safety. She’s learned how to control the feral rage… for the most part. But when Lieutenant Rygard’s military unit goes missing, she’ll use every skill she has to find her man.

Lt. Christopher Rygard has witnessed his girl shift, and he still wants her. After Kat rescues him from alien clutches, he’d like nothing more than to wrap her in his arms again, but his first duty is to his men. And half of them have been shipped off-planet to be sold as slaves.

Kat and Rygard will need to form a new team to go deep undercover, posing as gladiators and learning to fight together—not just side by side—in order to survive. In the arena, it’s all about who is the strongest predator…

My Review:

Fighting Kat is the second book in author P.J. Schnyder’s The Triton Experiment Series and follows Hunting Kat, a novella I loved.  I was anxiously awaiting this next story and wow, what a fantastic follow up!

Mercenary Kat Darah is back on her ship and kind of keeping things status quo.  Daily life, ship duties and all that….and missing Rygard.  They hadn’t had nearly enough time together and now he was on a mission with his unit and she was here, trying to keep herself busy and ignore the itch she feels for him. Adding to that itch is not being able to shift into her panther form and go for a nice long run.  But she’s had years to try to get used to that and control her shape shifter urges.  This whole guy itch is new though and adding those urges together is a tricky combo.  Luckily, Rygard calls in with a holographic call so she could see him and for a small moment in time she has peace.  That tiny sense of peace is shattered when she finds out that after his call, he and his team had gone missing.  Now, she is on a mission to save him and his men.  Kat has no idea that the mission will end up taking her right back into the world she’s tried for years to forget.  A world of violence and shape shifting viruses…the world that has haunted her memories and the world from her nightmares.

Wow.  Talk about a pulse pounding, white knuckled read! I’m going to tread carefully here and not give any spoilers away because this is a story you really need to experience first hand.

To save Rygard and his unit, Kat must join up with friends new and old to get to the bottom of where he has been taken and what the enemy plan is.  Of course, it can’t be easy and poor Kat is thrust into the middle of the world that created her and the world she is trying to forget.  After she finds Rygard, they realize that in order to save his men, they’ve got to go deep undercover in an underground world filled with cage matches and infected shifters.  People and species held prisoner for the entertainment of others.  Slaves fighting, literally, for their lives.  The amount of action in this book is nothing short of spectacular and I held my breath during some of the fight scenes, fearing for Kat, Rygard and their team.  There were tense moments but there were also tender and emotional moments.  Kat and Rygard’s connection and attraction is strong an unyielding and I loved seeing their relationship grow after being put to the test.

In the addition of many characters in this story, one really stood out to me and he was a mystery for almost the whole book….Bharguest.  A dark and deadly prisoner being held on Kat’s ship, I was always excited to get to a scene with him in it.  He held many secrets and I do hope we get to see more of him in the series.  I also have to mention that P.J. did an amazing job making me as a reader connect with the new characters and strengthen my love for Kat, Rygard, Dev and crew.

Overall, this was an enjoyable and action packed tale from start to finish and I cannot wait to see what P.J. has in store for us next!

Four Loves

About the author:

Born and raised in the North East, PJ Schnyder spent her childhood pretending to study for the SATs by reading every fantasy and sci-fi novel she could borrow from the local and school libraries. She scored fairly high in the verbal portion.

She was introduced to the wonderful world of romance a decade later by her best friend at an anime convention in Seattle.

She now lives somewhere temperate watching the seasons go by with her two dogs and super stealthy ninja kitty, writing her stories.

PJ would love to hear from you. Whether it’s questions or comments regarding her stories or this website, please feel free to email her.

Website  ~  Facebook  ~  Twitter