Upholding the Paw (A Paw Enforcement Novella) by Diane Kelly

Blurb:

It's just another typical day for Fort Worth Police Officer Megan Luz and her K-9 partner Brigit-until three unknown men set out on a city-wide crime spree. After setting a fire to distract law enforcement, the armed criminals hold up a bank and steal a city bus. And that's just for starters. Megan and Brigit put their noses to the ground and the chase is on. But hard as the K-9 team tries to put the clues together and track the men, the offenders stay a step ahead of them, racking up charges and victims. Will this K-9 team be able to stop the bad guys before their trail runs cold?

My review:

A fun snack sized addition to the Paw Enforcement series. This short episode will tide you over to the next book.  Fort Worth Police Officer Megan Luz is growing as a police officer with the help of her canny K-9 partner Brigit and under the mentorship of 2 detectives.  In Upholding the Paw Megan and Brigit take on the 3 Stooges of bank robbery. Read and laugh along as the 3 bad guys try to outwit Megan and Brigit.  Though this is part of a series it can be read stand alone.

Buy links:

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Written on my Heart by Cole Gibsen

Blurb:

It's been six months since Ashlyn Daniels was kicked out of her home. Six months since she stood up to her abusive stepfather and got a busted rib—and seeing all her things set ablaze in a backyard bonfire—for her trouble. Never going back. She doesn't need trouble...especially if trouble is tattoo artist Lane Garrett, who's six-feet-plus of tattooed hotness and a complete ass.

Lane has spent the last decade fighting to support his family. To protect them. There's no room for romance, even with a fragile (yet amusingly feisty) stunner...even if she somehow manages to invade his world and his heart.

But while some secrets are as visible as ink on the skin, others must remain hidden at all costs... 

My review:

This book is amazing. Ashlyn is on her own.  She still jumps at shadows.  She escaped an abusive home situation and a controlling boyfriend and is getting by the best she can.  She writes her poetry when she can.  She is working as a barista and renting a room from a stripper.  While working at the coffee shop she is barreled over by co-worker Emily who is determined to be friends.  When Em notices Ashlyn’s tattoo of her ex’s name she insists that Ashlyn visit this fantastic tattoo artist she knows who will cover it with something else so Ashlyn can start anew. 

Emily’s brother Lane is a gifted tattoo artist who has made his share of mistakes. When his father, a cop, died he took over the responsibility for his mother and Em. He has no room in his life for a women especially not one as fragile as Ashlyn. Life laughs at plans.

At first I thought this was going to be the white knight and princess type of story but while our hero does have white knight tendencies our princess is plenty strong on her own despite outward appearances but everyone can use a bit of help from a friend now and then.   Break out the tissues and ice cream and enjoy this heart lifting story.

Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.

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ARe

Crazy Over You by Wendy Sparrow

Blurb:

She's on the sheriff's most wanted list.

Waking up with a naked woman holding a knife at his throat is just about the last thing Sheriff Travis Flynn expected. And the brother she's looking for? A murderer. And dead. Probably. But the real shock comes when she insists she's not a Lycan.

LeAnn Wilcox isn't looking for love...especially not from some wolf in sheriff's clothing. She operates on the other side of the law. Once she finds her brother-alive-she'll get out of the pack's territory and go back to her regular, normal, non-furry life of changing jobs and her name whenever her past closes in.

The cool, logical Sheriff has finally met his match, but LeAnn's life is at stake if she won't claim her place in the pack, especially once his control over the pack is challenged and her brother's fate is questioned. 

My review:

Crazy Over You is a delightful PNR with a touch of mystery.  I adore LeAnn.  She is quirky, snarky and strong.  Just as I like my heroines.  Travis is sweet and sexy and for such a smart guy totally clueless.  She is street smart and he has a genius IQ. They are perfect for each other.  I love that though they are scent matched mates she doesn’t just fall into bed with him.  The only thing I didn’t like about this book is that it feels as if it is part of a series.  It can be read standalone but the characters refer to things that happened earlier.  Maybe Jordan and Christa have a book out there that I’ve not read but will be looking for.  But it was most definitely worth the read.

Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.

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Baby's Got Bite (Take It Like a Vamp #2) by Candace Havens

Blurb:

Some consequences bite . . . big time.

Bennett Langdon has a firm no-relationships policy. Still, it doesn't stop her from hooking up with a super-sexy bad boy at her best friend's wedding. After all, it's only one night—what harm could it do? Ten weeks later, a pregnant Bennett has her answer...

Linc Monahan can't believe it. This wasn't supposed to happen. He's a werewolf, and shouldn't be able to father a child with a human. Now Linc has to find some way to tell Bennett that not only do werewolves exist, but she's about to have a baby with one.

But when word of their surprise conception gets out, the fur hits the fan. There are people who don't want this baby to be born—even if it means killing. Now Bennett and Linc aren't just fighting each other . . . they're fighting for their lives.

My review:

I have been waiting for this book since reading Take It Like a Vamp in 2012.  Linc was funny and sexy in Take It Like a Vamp.  He starts out that way in this book but then he goes and turns into growl growl must protect mode once he finds out that Bennett is carrying his pup.  But she doesn’t let him get away with it too much.  I love the characters and the story.  I hated Bennett’s name I kept looking for a male. I also didn’t feel like there was resolution with her Dad.  Is that going to come back and bite them on the butt?  But overall it was a fun snarky read. 

Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.

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The Player Next Door by Kathy Lyons

Blurb:

An unexpected catch...

NBA star Mike Giamaria doesn't mix basketball with love. Ever. Then Mike meets Tori Williams, his cute, quirky new neighbor who seems hell bent on refurbishing her death trap of a house on her own. When she falls from her roof and into his arms, Mike knows he's just caught a whole heap of trouble.

Trouble sums up Tori's life. Despite her academic success, no one believes she can take care of herself-not her family, not her ex-boyfriend. She's determined to live her life on her own terms, and if that includes a hot summer fling with the super-sexy athlete next door, so much the better.

But when Tori's around, Mike can't keep his mind on basketball. He wants...more. And to his horror, not just more time on the court. When training starts, it's game over-it has to be-unless Tori can convince Mike that love doesn't belong on the sidelines.

My review:

The Player Next Door is a fun jock/brainiac feel good romance.  Tori isn’t the only one who falls hard for NBA star Mike Giamaria.  He gets her.  He knows and appreciates her smarts and the rest of her too.  Read  The Player Next Door and find your next book boyfriend. 

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First Taste: A Collection of Hot Alpha Doms, First in Series Romances with stories by Sidney Bristol, Sasha White, Michele Bardsley, Mari Carr, Sadie Haller and L. DuBois

First Taste: A Collection of Hot Alpha Doms, First in Series Romances with stories by Sidney Bristol, Sasha White, Michele Bardsley, Mari Carr, Sadie Haller and L. DuBois 

Blurb:

Welcome to your FIRST TASTE of forbidden desire. This erotic romance collection introduces six hot series of the alpha Dominants and the sassy submissives who love them. These six books of varying lengths open the doors into new worlds of temptation. What’s your flavor?

The Principles of Lust, Lush 1 - Sasha White

Businesswoman Teal Jamison knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go after it. With her dream art gallery about to open, she’s in need of some serious stress relief, and virile carpenter Zack Dillon is just the man to give it to her. Only Zack doesn’t think they’re a good match. He likes to be in control, always, and Teal’s anything but submissive when she comes on to him.

Frisky Business, Frisky Series 1 - Michele Bardsley

When executive assistant Claire Williams is talked into one last favor for her ex-boss, magazine publisher and billionaire playboy, Lucius Devereaux, she never imagines she'll end up at a BDSM resort. Or in the arms of the one man who's always been off-limits.

Picture Her Bound, Bayou Bound 1 - Sidney Bristol

Odalia Foucheaux is a police officer desperate enough to break the rules. Jacques Savoy is the bounty hunter standing between her and ruin. He wants her safe from harm as much as he desires her body, her soul—and her submission.

Come Monday, Wild Irish 1 - Mari Carr

After the death of her mother, Keira Collins became a surrogate parent to her younger brothers and sisters, her dreams put on hold. Now, at 27, she’s finally pursuing a college degree. Between classes, working at the family pub and still tending to siblings, she’s no time for romance. So why is she spending all her rare free time fantasizing about hot Professor Wallace bending her over his desk?

One Gold Heart, Dominant Cord 1 - Sadie Haller

When reclusive oboist, Mac Wallis agrees to replace an injured friend for the Christmas concert season, she gets more than she bargained for when she meets Dom, Finn Taylor and has to decide whether to take a chance or return to her life of seclusion.

A is for…, BDSM Checklist 1 - L. Dubois

The overseers of LA’s most exclusive BDSM club have a sexy new game—everyone is assigned a letter, and they have to try every kink, toy and activity from that part of the BDSM checklist. Master Jensen knows who, and what, he wants—Anna—but when he gets the first letter of the alphabet he must prove to himself, and the lovely submissive, that he’s willing to push them both to their limits, and maybe beyond. 

My review:

This is a great way to find a new author/series of smoking hot adventurous romance.  All of these stories have a BDSM D/s element. If you aren’t sure what to read, because lets face it there is a lot of dreck out there, take a chance with these fantastic authors and find your comfort level.

The Principles of Lust, Lush 1 - Sasha White

I LOVE Sasha White!  Her stories have smart sassy women and strong alpha men. This romance starts in an erotic art gallery (Lush) and ends up in the carpenters bed.  Hearts and bodies involved.  Break out the ice water.

Frisky Business, Frisky Series 1 - Michele Bardsley

Like your men wealthy?  Lucius is for you.  Richer than Midas this playboy has been playing the field because he can’t get his submissive executive assistant out of his mind or to play with him. Claire has been in love with her boss for the 2 years she has worked for him but she refuses to be another notch on his bedpost.  She is doing one last trip with him and then she quits.  Can Lucius convince her that she is the only one for him? Break out the fan because the flames are getting hot.

Picture Her Bound, Bayou Bound 1 - Sidney Bristol

Sidney Bristol is another of my favorites. A cop and bounty hunter. NOPD officer Odalia Foucheaux supplements her income by posing as a model. Her face is never shown.  Bounty hunter Jacques Savoy talks her into doing some erotic, BDSM themed, pictures. While they take a break the camera is stolen and it could cost Odalia her job.  Jacques is determined to help her find it and the two get closer.  There is no way better to let your worries go than to hand control over for awhile.  For you Carrie Ann Ryan fans there is even a trip to Midnight Ink. If you like romantic suspense with a bit of kink you will love this story.

Come Monday, Wild Irish 1 - Mari Carr

Is the hot professor your fantasy?  It is for Keira.  This is a fun adventure into self discovery and love.  This story left me with a smile in my heart.

One Gold Heart, Dominant Cord 1 - Sadie Haller

This was the big surprise for me in this anthology.  I’d never read this author before but will be checking out the other members of Dominant Cord a classical music quintet.  The heroine in this book has been hiding from life since being raped.  The only male she interacts with is the guy who saved her.  He is her best friend and kinky as hell.  He is hurt and cannot fulfill his duties with Dominant Cord. He gets Mac to agree to cover for him.  The attraction between Mac and Finn (the leader of Dominant Cord) takes time to grow.  He isn’t thrilled that she needs pills to perform and she thinks he is a judgmental bastard.  Once they get past that Finn may just be the guy to help Mac rejoin the world. I really enjoyed this story and finding this “new to me” author.

A is for…, BDSM Checklist 1 - L. Dubois

This story will push your buttons.  Master Jensen and Anna have grown comfortable in their BDSM practices.  The Club has decided that their members are too complacent and want them to experiment.  Master Jensen and Anna are given the letter A and if it isn’t on their hard limit NO list they have to try the BDSM practices beginning with the letter A.  This is a journey of discovery and enlightenment. Some of the things pushed my buttons but were don’t with care and grace. Safe, sane and consensual.  Give it a try.

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Forever (Dragon Wars #1) & Eternal (Dragon Wars #2) by Rebecca Royce

Forever (Dragon Wars #1) & Eternal (Dragon Wars #2)  by Rebecca Royce 

Blurbs:

Forever 

Devin Owen has come back from the Dragon Wars a changed Werewolf. For one thing, he's lost his wolf side as well as much of his desire to live. He spends most of his life doped up to handle the pain from his injured leg.

Lena Knox knew the moment she met Devin that he was her mate. But, she'd been a child at the time and he hadn't noticed her at all. Now, all grown up, she wants Devin to be the wolf she's waited for. Not that she has a lot of time for longing with life and home crumbling around her.

A couple of heated encounters draw them together, but is it enough to overcome the war wounds they both carry? Or will an outside enemy destroy them before they get the chance to find forever?

Eternal
Dougal Owens has served on the front line of The Dragon Wars for sixteen years. The last thing this Alpha werewolf expects is his mate to drop in with a plan to end the war. Together, they will battle to save the Wolves or die trying.

My review:

Forever (Dragon Wars #1) – Devin has spent the past 15 years away from home 10 as a warrior and 5 as a prisoner of war.  He has scars inside and out.  His mate has waited for him but he is having trouble connecting with his wolf side.  But if he can’t he may just lose the best thing to happen to him.  Rebecca Royce makes a lot happen in just a few pages.  A really good story.

Eternal (Dragon Wars #2) – The dragons are the bad guys in this one. The dragons are winning the war against the werewolves. Humans have long abandoned the planet. I adore Dougal & Cait. You can’t go wrong with a Rebecca Royce story. This was previously released as part of the Under a Wolf Moon anthology.

Buy links:

Forever – Amazon

Eternal – Amazon

Wet and Wild (A Rough and Tumble Prequel) (A Sexy Bad Boy Romance) by Crystal Green

Blurb:

Everyone at the Rough & Tumble Saloon has a secret…

When Reece Marlow, the ex water polo Olympian athlete, hit Las Vegas, he hit it hard—gambling, carousing, and making it a point to have sex at every Sin City landmark. Some might say he’s trying to play away the emptiness he feels from leaving his superstar career behind, but Reece is fending off even bigger secrets—ones that could potentially ruin his high-flying, endorsement-filled life.

When he meets Talia McCarter at the Rough & Tumble, he doesn’t know that she’s fighting her own inner demons, but these two are bound to light the desert nights on fire with their hot romance—and maybe find love in the flames…


A prequel to ROUGH AND TUMBLE, DOWN AND DIRTY, and HOT AND BOTHERED by Crystal Green!

My review:

Reece Marlow is a former Olympian and is taking a break before figuring out what he is going to do next with his life.  He is a poor boy made good.  Talia is a hard working girl who hangs at the Rough & Tumble sometimes after work and to avoid dealing with issues at home.  When Reece comes into the R&T it is lust at first sight for them both.  Reece talks Talia into trying out some “Landmark sex” and they discover once is not enough.  But is it enough to make them want to try for more?  Will Reece’s self-destructive streak keep him from reaching for what may just be the best thing that ever happened to him?  Will Talia’s fear of abandonment keep her from giving her heart away? 

Get ready for a smoking HOT time in Las Vegas where not everything stays.  This is a steamy good read that will leave you feeling good.

Buy links:

Amazon

iBooks

Amber: July (Mystic Zodiac #7) by Brandy Walker

Blurb:

She’s isn’t looking for happily ever after…

Amber Thompson is a Siren. A love-em and leave-em, let’s have some fun for a little while kind of woman who isn’t looking for a long romance, let alone a happily ever after. It just isn’t part of a Siren’s DNA. She loves her life in the small town of Summerset and loves working at the Mystics Only bar, Ecstasis D. Taking home a sexy as sin wolf for a night of fun shouldn’t change that.

He didn’t know he was looking for a change…

Andreas Stathos is a bored, business suit wearing, drowning in paperwork, wolf-shifter. His company, A Shift in Style, is doing great and he couldn’t be happier, except the spark he used to feel is missing and has turned into obligation. It doesn’t help matters that he can’t remember the last time he had a date or took the time to go wolf. At a friend’s urging, he gets out of town for the long weekend hoping to get in touch with his wolf and maybe find a little companionship.

Maybe together they’ll find something more.

As soon an Andreas steps into the bar, Amber and Andreas both know their lives will be changed. But how much depends on one stubborn Siren and one wolf’s ability to convince her they have a future together.

My review:

Amber is a Siren who is happy living the single life.  She has sex with whomever she wants and answers to no one. So what is a girl to do when a smoking hot, sexy Greek werewolf insists she is his Mate.  Fate and fabulous sex will turn a girls head but will it claim her future?  We find out in this fun addition to Brandy Walker’s Mystic Zodiac series.  Summer just got a whole lot hotter.

Buy links:

Amazon

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Claiming the She-Wolf (Black Hills Wolves, #23) by Louisa Bacio

Blurb:

When her older brother leaves the Black Hills to go to college, Tala Graystone stays behind, determined to restore their dilapidated home into a B&B for the pack. As more people return to the area, the need for temporary housing increases. Now, if only she can find someone to help with the heavy lifting.

Yas Collins fled Los Lobos as a child with his mother. As he struggles with his wolf and overpowering shifts, a desire for nature and the forest strikes hard. Black Hills, South Dakota, beckons him. With a background in construction, he easily finds work at Tala’s dilapidated B&B, but not everyone in town greets him with open arms.

As the remodel gets underway, Tala and Yas fight their growing attraction. Yas doesn’t trust his wolf urges around beautiful B&B owner. The she-wolf, however, has other plans. 

My review:

Tala Graystone finally has a chance to show she can be independent.  She will get the B&B fixed up and running and all she needs a man for is the heavy lifting and if he can wield a hammer that would be good too. Yas Collins is a city boy come to Los Lobos to find his roots and if he could get some control over his wolf that would be good too.  Tala and Yas can work together but when he wants more than that Tala feels her independence threatened. A lot of this story takes place in the characters heads. You have to feel for them and are really glad when they find each other. This is a sweet and sexy addition to the 'Black Hills Wolves' series. 

Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.

Buy links:

Amazon

ARe

Speaking in Bones (Temperance Brennan #18) by Kathy Reichs

Speaking in Bones (Temperance Brennan #18) by Kathy Reichs

Blurb:

The latest blockbuster suspense novel in the pulse-pounding Temperance Brennan series, from #1 New York Times bestselling author and forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs.

For every case Temperence Brennan has solved, there remain innumerable unidentified bodies in her lab. Information on some of these is available online, where amateur sleuths sometimes take a stab at solving cases. One day, Tempe gets a call from Hazel “Lucky” Strike, a web sleuth who believes she’s successfully connected a body in Tempe’s lab to a missing persons report on an eighteen-year-old named Cora Teague. Since the bones in her lab do seem to match Cora’s medical records, Tempe looks into the case, returning to the spot where the bones were originally found. What seems at first to be an isolated tragedy takes on a more sinister cast as Tempe uncovers two more sets of bones nearby. When she then learns that the area is known as a viewing point for a famous unexplained light phenomenon with significance for a local cult, Tempe’s suspicious turn to murder by ritual sacrifice—a theory thrown into question when Hazel herself turns up dead. Still reeling from her mother’s diagnosis and the shock of Andrew Ryan’s potentially life-change proposal, Tempe races to solve the murders before the body count climbs further. 

My review:

I love this series and was thrilled to receive a copy for an honest review.

This is a super tough case. Tempe has little to go on and searching for more can be dangerous.  The suspects are numerous but with little evidence proving who dunnit is going to be tough even for Tempe.  Plus she has outside pressures; Katy is on her 2^nd tour in Afghanistan, Her mom has cancer and Andrew Ryan wants to define their relationship. 

Nothing gets Temperence Brennan down for long.  In this 18^th book of the series we are still rooting just as hard for Tempe as we were in the first book.  I cannot read a “Bones” book without learning something new.  This is a well written, intelligent, fun mystery that will keep you up reading past your bedtime.

Buy links:

Amazon

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The Prince's Runaway Lover (Men of the Zodiac #7) by Robin Covington

Blurb:

Crown Prince Nicholas Lytton was never supposed to be ruler of Callanos. He was the “spare to the heir,” pursuing a decadent life of the rich and royal—extreme sports, physical pleasures, and glorious irresponsibility. Until his brother died. Now Nick is to be coronated king, and no one believes he's ready.

The best way to secure his crown is to do the unthinkable...find a queen.

While Isabel Reynolds works in the palace gardens, she has no desire to draw the attention of the way-too-flirty, would-be king. For she's not the woman everyone thinks she is. Even if she wanted—or was tempted by— the promise of love, it would only end in disaster. Because while Isabel may be able to catch a king, her secrets would only destroy him... 

My review:

The Prince's Runaway Lover is a fun, sweet and sexy modern fairytale.  The spare to the heir has up till now had no duties except to stay out of trouble.  When his brother and his wife are killed in a plane wreck Crown Prince Nicholas Lytton is put in the position of man up or shut up.  No longer can he be the fun guy.  He has to face up to his responsibilities as the new king or give up the throne and there are those who would gladly take it.  Grieving for his brother and bemoaning his new responsibilities Nick finds comfort in running and in his silent running partner assistant gardener Isabel Reynolds.

She treats him like a normal person and that is terribly seductive to Nick.  But Isabel has secrets and that means getting involved with Nick could be very bad for both of them.  This book forces you to run the full gamut of emotions before the happily ever after.  Well worth the read.

Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.

Buy links:

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Southern Roots (Southern Roots #1) by Julie Morgan

Blurb:

Returning home never looked so good... 
Home from college to help her mother on the family farm, Lexi Griffin expects things to be quiet and normal. She's back in her hometown, and everything is the same as she left it, including the slowly mending broken heart given to her by her high school sweet heart, Blaine. 

After years away, Robert Shaw has returned to his hometown for his father's wedding, looking forward to reconnect with old friends, but he has no clue what's in store for him when he sees Lexi again. Sparks fly between the two, and Lexi is a bit reluctant to start anything with Robert, especially when past wounds haven't healed the way they should have. Robert is determined to have her, against all odds and good sense. A girl like her came around once in a lifetime, and he never forgot her. 

And then Blaine comes back to town, intent on rekindling what he had with Lexi, even though his past cheating and drug use has slightly soured him in her eyes. She still loves him, but can she forgive him? 

As Lexi takes a leap of faith, she suddenly faces the ultimate betrayal from one she trusted. Will she realize the truth in time or will corruption ruin the best thing that has just walked out of her life?

My review:

What is it about Lexi?  She has been on/off again with hometown hero Blaine.  He has gone off to rock and roll success but he continually cheats on her so she has finally broken it off.  This is good for Bobby Ray who has come home for his daddy’s wedding and is totally smitten with Lexi from day one.  Bobby starts out okay with being Lexi’s rebound but finds himself wanting more.

This is a sweet small town romance.  There is love, sex, betrayal, friends and enemies.  Lexi and Bobby Ray kept me riveted from the first page to the last.  I will admit to some trepidation because Bobby Ray seemed too good to be true but then he proved he was just as human as the rest of us.  I truly got a kick out of this book.

Buy links:

Amazon

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What Not To Were (Paris, Texas Romance Book 2) by Dakota Cassidy

Blurb:

Rerelease

Welcome back to Paris…Texas, that is. Where witches, werewolves, and magic rule the day. Or do they? Passion, missing memories, and a looming deadline will keep you turning the pages of What Not to Were by USA Today bestselling author Dakota Cassidy. 

Werewolf Calla Allen’s ready to take her relationship with hot warlock Nash Ryder to the next level—the one where, after months of dating, they finally make the long anticipated woot-woot. (Yay!)

It’s been a long road getting to where she is in her life, and Calla finally feels comfortable enough to share that with the man she’s fallen wildly in love with.

And gorgeous Nash is more than ready to commit—until he wakes up after an incredible night of passion and finds any memory of Calla on the missing list. (Boo!)

Now she has to make him remember or lose him forever. And the proverbial clock is ticking…(EEK!)

My review:

Dakota Cassidy makes me gigglesnort and laugh out loud. This book is no exception. Werewolf Calla has been taking it slow with the hunky cowboy warlock Nash.  She loved him before she left and now she is back nursing an injured pride after being rejected cruelly but her ex boss/boyfriend. It seems the whole town is ready for them to take the next step and they are betting a year of beer and a bucket of chicken on it.  But does it count if he doesn’t remember her or doing the deed?  There is something funny going on here.  Go read and find out.  You will be glad you did.

Buy link:

Amazon

Phoenix Crossing (ROAR) by Cara Carnes

Blurb:

Phoenix Crossing (ROAR) by Cara Carnes - Romance>Erotic Romance
She’ll commit the ultimate betrayal to save those she loves….

Xandra was forged in the fires of heaven’s nemesis and sharpened by humanity’s executioners. As a child, she failed to protect her little sister. With Riles located, Xandra will do anything to save her—even if it means committing the ultimate crime. Forced into a perilous situation, she’s drawn to the Alpha wolf shadowing her every move. Trust comes with a high price—one she’s paid too many times to count. But the sexy man her inner beasts desire refuses to give up.

The half-phoenix, half-angel was an assignment at first, a potential threat to the campus pack Lane had assumed leadership of. The longer he follows her, the more his wolf is drawn to protect her. Frustrated with her inability to trust him and his pack, he’ll do anything to keep her safe. Claiming the curvaceous hellion would be simple, but he’s determined to win the trust of the warrior beasts within her.

My review:

Phoenix Crossing takes place shortly after Phoenix Rising. While Phoenix Rising tore my heart out Phoenix Crossing took it out stomped on it and put it through a shredder just to piece it back together with a feel good ending.

Xandra feels responsible for Riles horrid childhood not realizing that hers was just as bad in a different way. As mixed breed children of parents that weren’t supposed to mate let alone procreate Xandra and Riles are special and stronger than they realize.  While Riles was going through hell on earth with the shifters Xandra was defying the odds and training with Angels and Phoenix.  Her uncle is King of the Phoenix and he hates/fears her but it doesn’t keep him from using her. Enter Lane campus pack alpha.  He needs to keep an eye on the unknown halfling not only to keep his pack and Riles safe but because his wolf just won’t let him do otherwise.   

This story is well written and fast paced.  It will keep you riveted from the first page to the last. 

Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.

Buy links:

Amazon

ARe

Ruby's Misadventures with Reality by Samantha Bohrman

Blurb:

She's off to see the killer...

Lawyer Ruby O'Deare might not be living the American dream, but it feels like it every time she visits her small town megamall. The shoes! The lighting! Prince Charming spotted in the food court! It's a dream, right?

But all dreams must come to an end.

Ruby's does when she wakes up after a one-night stand with the town's sexy zoning commissioner, Noel West. Actually, that part is good. It's the expired Dollar Store condoms she finds that feel too real.

And then her favorite client Estelle turns up dead.

Ruby is determined to find out the truth behind the curtains of Ozcorp, the company that owns the heavenly megamall and has the most to gain from her client's death. She just hopes the zoning commissioner she might be falling for isn't caught up in the danger.

My review:

This is the debut novel by Samantha Bohrman.  I asked to review because of the title.  Ruby's Misadventures with Reality is a quirky fun mystery with a slightly manic shopaholic, totally confused lawyer. Ruby was not at the top of her class nor was she a total screw up.  She ended up as a lawyer because she didn’t have anything better and a quiz told her she would be good at it.  This book is as manic as its heroine.  It will leave you tired and smiling.  I look forward to more from this author.

Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.

Buy links:

Amazon

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A Santini Takes the Fall (The Santinis #9) by Melissa Schroeder

Blurb:

A man avoiding his destiny. 

Anthony Santini is happy with life. The former Marine is now working a dream job for NCIS in a dream location: Hawaii. He's watched his cousins and now his siblings fall into the Santini Curse and that is not for him. Not yet. He's happy to play the field and enjoy life. It still doesn't stop his cousin's wife from trying to fix him up. 

A woman avoiding love. 

Lalani Hawkins has had enough heartache to last a lifetime. The professional dancer isn't looking for love and she definitely doesn't need a man like Santini in her life. After the worst blind date in history, she thinks she'll never see him again. 

For two people who want to avoid each other, Lalani and Anthony can't seem to achieve that. Each time they meet, Lalani falls a little more under the Santini spell, and for Anthony, he is drawn to the vivacious dancer. But when Anthony senses her hesitation to commit, he starts to formulate a plan. Because when a Santini man decides he's found his mate, there is no stopping him. 

My review:

Oh what fun it is to watch him fall.  Anthony is not ready despite his younger siblings and cousins finding love and marriage. He is in the middle of a life change leaving the Marines and starting a new job with NCIS in Hawaii but fate is a fickle bitch and he is about to find that out. Lalani left the hustle and bustle of NYC for starting her own dance studio in Hawaii. She too is in the middle of a life change. She doesn’t date military men and Anthony qualifies as that but fate has plans for her too in this fun, sweet and sexy read.   You just have to love Melissa Schroeder’s military men and women written with the insight of a military brat and wife she makes you feel the very real pride and frustrations these folks have.

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Stolen and Forgiven (Branded Packs #1) by Alexandra Ivy & Carrie Ann Ryan

Stolen and Forgiven (Branded Packs #1) by Alexandra Ivy & Carrie Ann Ryan 

Blurb:

Stolen

The first rule of being Alpha of the Canine Pack is to protect their secrets from the humans at all cost. One look at the dying human at his doorstep and Holden Carter knows he will have to break it. The broken woman with no hope at survival is his mate. When he forces the change on her to save her life, he not only sets forth motions that could risk both their lives, but the lives of every shifter in the world.

Ariel Sands grew up in a post-Verona infection world and under the care of the very humans she thought had cured the disease. When they betray her in the worst ways imaginable, she finds herself not only mated to the Alpha of a the very species she’s been taught to fear, but the focal point of a traitor and path to destruction for everyone’s way of life. It will take more than trust and a mating bond for Ariel and Holden to not only survive their enemies, but the burn of their own temptations.

Forgiven

Soren Slater is a Beta wolf who understands that duty to his Pack comes before his own needs. At a young age he takes a position as a liaison between his Pack and the other species of shifters. He never expected his enticing flirtations with Cora Wilder, a Tiger Princess, would encourage her cat to consider him a potential mate. He’s forced to walk away, choosing a partner among the wolves to try and strengthen his Pack.

Cora has no intention of forgiving or forgetting Soren’s rejection. Not even when the Packs are forced to live together and she discovers Soren’s former mate has died. But then, she’s kidnapped by the SAU and she has no choice but to work with Soren to escape. Together they must put the past behind them if they’re to survive the human’s evil plot.

My review:

Two incredible books in one.  They both take place in the same world.  These are not light and fluffy love stories.  These will take you to a dark and dismal place and prove once again that anything is possible to bear if you have someone to love.

These stories take place in a world where humans were dying from the Verona virus.  An ailment that shifters are immune to.  Shifters came out and basically saved what was left of the human race which thanked them by forcing them into compounds and taking away their rights. These stories take place 25 years after the Verona virus.

Stolen

Holden Carter was 15 when the shifters came out.  He became Alpha of the canine shifters in his camp.  He has been doing his best to protect them ever since.  He is tired and lonely.  He needs his mate and he isn’t likely to meet her with the set up the humans have forced him into. So he is really surprised to find that the dying human tossed into their compound is his mate.  He forces the change on her to save her life.  It may have been the most selfish thing he has ever done but he can’t regret it.

Ariel Sands was born and orphaned in the height of the virus epidemic.  She doesn’t know why she was kidnapped experimented on, eviscerated and left for dead but when she finds herself surrounded by shifters and informed that she has been turned into one she is torn between joy that she is alive and fear of being what she has been taught were animals.

Ariel may be just what Holden needs to keep on going if his turning her doesn’t bring the SAU done on them even worse. Can Ariel embrace her wolf and accept Holden as her mate?

Stolen is a dark story that had me in tears but ultimately left me with a feeling of hope.

Forgiven

Soren Slater is Holden Carter’s second. He discovers and abandons love while acting as ambassador to the felines.  The Tiger Princess Cora knows that Soren is her mate and is heart broken when he leaves her and takes a wolf to mate. Now his mate is dead and the SAU has determined that the Felines and Canines are to share a compound and Cora and Soren will be thrown together again.  Can she forgive and forget?  Soren has never forgotten Cora.  Will she understand that it was duty that took him from her? 

I didn’t like Soren a whole lot in the first story but all is forgiven in this second chance romance.  Cora makes him work for it and it is fun to watch him fall.

This book is not an easy read but once you pick it up I dare you to put it down.       

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Love Beyond Expectations (Outsiders #5) by Rebecca Royce

Blurb:

Christophe has always known he was different. Born to a wealthy French family, he has never told anyone that he is frequently thrown through time and space to visit with ghosts and other terrifying creatures. But now he knows he is an Outsider and moreover that he has a soul mate somewhere out in the world waiting for him. When his brother is taken, he heads to Maine to search for help, never expecting that his love is the woman he has lusted after for years.

Ruby lived her childhood on the run and her adulthood trying to make sense of the strange things that happen to her. Now, she’s with the Outsiders but she is still unsure if she’ll be able to step up when it’s her turn to fight the evil seeking to destroy them all.

Together, Ruby and Christophe will change the fates of the Outsiders. Or die trying.

My review:

Things are heating up and we are getting a clearer picture of the stakes of failure.  The fight to get the Outsider soul mates together is becoming more important and the demon formerly known as Sebastian seems to be making headway.  In this installment Ruby and Christophe finally get together but it isn’t easy or smooth.  This story will leave you breathless. Hang on for the ride.

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