Winter Solstice Ménage (Winter Solstice Run)(Black Hills Wolves #34) by Louisa Bacio

Blurb:

Sugar isn’t as sweet as her big brother, Yas, believes. After he leaves the big city to venture to a small pack in the hills he’s heard about from their mom, she decides to let loose in all the best ways. Except when all hell breaks loose and she’s faced with some tough decisions, she runs…to her family. 

Growing up in Los Lobos, twins Derek and Tyler Baker lived through all the hardships under the former Alpha leader. While one twin is happy playing the dating field, the other wants something more special. They both find what they’re looking for when newcomer Sugar comes for a visit. 

Where Sugar goes, trouble follows. It’ll take more than one member of this pack to tame the new shifter she-wolf. But will the Winter Solstice Ménage be enough to convince her to settle down? 

My review:

I have mixed feelings about this book. It is a great story. I fell for Tyler hard. It took way too long for me to warm up to Sugar and Derek but by the end of the book I was rooting for all three. Hunky werewolves, hot ménage sex and warm winter feelings make this a good read.

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Jack (The Bloody Bucket Book 2) by Tilly Greene

Blurb:

Rina Toborov shares a hot night in the front seat of a truck with the school stud. The downside soon arrived when she was relegated to one-night stand status. Not at all happy with the outcome, she moved on until seven years later she returned to Cowler. Suddenly she’s faced with temptation he presents all over again and doesn’t know what to do. 
Jack Murphy knows he’d made a mistake years ago when he pushed aside the cute busty brunette with sexy hazel eyes. Now she’s back in town and his need for her is back with a vengeance. There are some hills to climb, people to fight, but she’s worth whatever must be done. This time he’s not only trying to get in her pants. The ultimate goal is to make her his girlfriend, maybe more. 

Time makes everything better, right? 

Note from the Author: Jack, a contemporary erotic western, is 24k words, is the 2nd book in The Bloody Bucket series, and this is it’s 2nd release … it’s 1st was in the Men of Calder County book set. 

My review:

It’s been 150 years since Horse won The Bloody Bucket in a poker game and it is still in the Murphy family being run by Jack and his brothers. Jack came back to Cowler after losing his professional baseball career to an injury. He is thrilled when Rina Toborov strolls into the Bloody Bucket. It has been too long since the one night stand and pregnancy scare that broke her heart. While Jack was playing ball Rina left and found work in the city but now she is home. Her dad has had a stroke and the diner her folks run is in trouble. Running into Jack puts Rina’s heart in trouble. Can they get it right this time? Should she even give him a chance? 

Jack is a fun and sexy second chance romance. If you like your heroes a little rough around the edges and your heroines spunky you will love this story. I did.

This book is the second in a series but can be read standalone.

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Just Married Again: A Romantic Comedy by Charlotte Hughes

Blurb:

Hilarious Second Chance at Love… 

The last person Maddy Kelly expects to show up at her mountain cabin for the holidays is her soon-to-be ex-husband, who was always too busy to enjoy their hideaway. Following doctor’s orders to reduce stress, Michael arrives at their remote cabin, unannounced and unexpected, in the dead of night, during a snow storm. Which is why Maddy greets him with a fire poker to the head, rendering him unconscious, and with a case of temporary amnesia. As his memory returns, Michael realizes how much he loves his wife, and is willing to do anything to get her back, even if it means pretending to still have amnesia. 

Add to the mix Michael’s mischievous 13-year-old nephew, who has stowed away in Michael’s car, and Maddy’s two dachshunds who take an instant disliking to Michael, and you have a laugh-out-loud recipe for a romantic romp. 

My review:

Just Married Again is a sweet second chance romance. Michael is a workaholic and Maddy has had it. They have been separated almost a year and she will soon be able to file for divorce. This will be her first Thanksgiving without Michael. She heads to their mountain cabin to get through it. Michaels doctor tells him if he doesn’t slow down he will soon stroke out. He prescribes a vacation so Michael heads to the mountain cabin. The rest is pretty predictable but it is told in such a fun way you won’t want to put it down. Read in private so your giggle-snorts won’t embarrass you.

Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review

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Landlocked by Marilyn Baron

Blurb:

Amelia Rushing is an inexperienced South Florida realtor with weather issues, and a loser at love. Her grandmother asks her to sell some property on an isolated North Carolina mountaintop. Upon investigation, Amelia finds the tract is landlocked. Determined to make her first sale and right the injustice to her grandmother, Amelia travels to the town of Confrontation and enlists the help of local real estate attorney, Alec Brady, who thwarts her at every turn. 

Sparks fly when Amelia announces her plans to move into her grandmother's cabin until she can sell the property. It is Alec’s current home, and he’s not giving it up. When Amelia discovers that thirty years ago a prominent landscape artist disappeared in the town of Confrontation, she is anxious to solve the decades-old mystery, but there’s a serial killer on the loose. A number of people are missing but no witnesses are coming forward. What is the community hiding, and does Alec know where the bodies are buried?

My review:

Landlocked is a quirky, sweet romantic mystery.  I’ll admit I had to push past the legalese to get into the story but once there I couldn’t read fast enough. Landlocked is an ambitious tale with several subplots each more riveting than the next.  This is my first venture into reading Marilyn Baron’s work but you can bet I will be checking out her backlist.

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Driven Snow (The Pennymaker Tales #2) by Tara Lain

Blurb:

Young Snowden “Snow” Reynaldi is brilliant, beautiful, and alone. Though he’s shy, weird, and tolerated by the NorCal University students because he’s a renowned whiz at chess and helps put the school on the map, that doesn’t keep him from dreaming of the object of his desires: Riley Prince, championship quarterback.

When Riley needs a physics tutor, Snow jumps at the chance, and their relationship heats up—but Riley has to come out of the jock closet to get anywhere. Meanwhile, Snow’s one true friend and mentor, Professor Kingsley, marries a woman who secretly wants the chess tournament glory and money for herself. Soon after, the professor collapses and Snow finds himself underwater—literally. In a car!

Seven frat brothers from Grimm College rescue Snow just in time for his life to get even worse, and Snow discovers the one relationship he always wanted slipping away. With evil looming at every turn, Snow must survive if only to prove he’s the fairest of them all and regain the trust of his handsome prince. 

My review:

Driven Snow is a fun m/m take on an old fairytale. You have Snow an introverted chess grandmaster and physics major. You have Riley Prince quarterback and closeted gay man who Snow has crushed on and who has crushed on Snow but neither let on till senior year when Prince needed a physics tutor. Not one but 2 fairy grandparents and seven frat brothers from Grimm College. Oh and lets not forget the evil queen in the guise of a professor and her minion.

Tara Lane takes us on a romp through college and a major chess tournament. She takes us through Snow and Riley’s courtship with humor and gentleness. She fills this story with wonderful characters and you won’t want to let them go. Like any good fairytale this book is filled with lessons gently illustrated and you can’t help but take them to heart.  A fantastic read I highly recommend.

A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review

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A Pain in the Tuchis (A Mrs. Kaplan Mystery #2) by Mark Reutlinger

Blurb:

Yom Kippur is a day of reflection and soul searching. But at the Julius and Rebecca Cohen Home for Jewish Seniors, Vera Gold misses this opportunity to atone for her many sins when she up and dies. Indeed, Vera was such a pain in the tuchis to all those around her that when her sister claims Vera was deliberately poisoned, the tough question isn’t who would want to kill her—but who wouldn’t? 
 
Having already solved one murder with her dear friend Ida, Rose Kaplan has a sleuthing reputation that precedes her. It’s only natural that Vera’s sister turns to Mrs. K for help. So do the police, but when her conclusions conflict with theirs, they tell her to butt out! This case has more twists than a loaf of challah. And with a homicidal scoundrel on the loose, Mrs. K has to act fast—or she might be the guest of honor at the Home’s next memorial service.

My review:

Rose Kaplan is back! Every Jewish kid has heard the phrase “A Pain in the Tuchis” on occasion. We have all had one or two in our lives. In the Julius and Rebecca Cohen Home for Jewish Seniors the pain has a name, Vera Gold, and it is her demise that our intrepid Rose and her bestie Ida are investigating in this book. And while this story is told while liberally peppered with Yiddish exclamations they are all translated for the folks who missed having a Jewish grandmother. And while this is the second in the series it can be read stand alone.  A Pain in the Tuchis is a fun peek into a world few get to see in a story told with humor and respect and a damn good mystery.

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

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Desert Wolf (Wolves of Willow Bend #8) by Heather Long

I LOVE this cover!

Blurb:

Cassius, Alpha of Sutter Butte, leads the most ruthless and dangerous pack in the United States. A pack comprised of misfits who didn’t fit in their previous packs, cast offs discarded by their packs and forgotten wolves who rose to create a pack more than a century before it utter defiance of the order of the day. Sometimes pitiless and cruel, he wants more for his people than a yearly bloodbath as they fight for a new place, a better spot in the pecking order. To change his pack, means to change himself and he will find rebellion on all sides, not the least of which is his own defiant heart. 

Sovvan Stark, Omega of Delta Crescent, lives a cherished, beloved life in the center of her pack, a delicate and hard won balance. Though she is not the only Omega, she is the most experienced with the tremors of pack upset when power shifts from Alpha to Alpha. When her Alpha approaches her about Sutter Butte’s request, Sovvan considers the matter for several long months. While she might hold within her the key to helping the Sutter Butte Alpha, the undertaking could very well kill her. 

Accompanied by a single Hound, Sovvan begins a journey to help Cassius rebuild the foundation of his pack, but first she will have to transform him… 

My review:

Cassius, Alpha of Sutter Butte, is snarly and mean and rough and tuff and buff and stuff  but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel, doesn’t want, doesn’t hope. What he wants is to take his pack into a less violent less fearful future. To do that he needs help; Sovvan Stark, Omega of Delta Crescent is the help Cassius feels it will take. He doesn’t expect who she is and what she does to him personally but isn’t crazy enough to look fate in the mouth. He just doesn’t know if he is going to live long enough to enjoy her. Sovvan is an Omega. A special type of wolf. She isn’t immediately cowed by any Alpha and so stands outside pack structure. Her gift is reflection. She can reflect your weakness back at you. She can discover a packs weakness. She can also it seems borrow your fear, anger, grief or intense emotion and use it. She responded to Cassius’s need to improve the lot of his pack she didn’t expect to fall for him.

Heather Long is a fantastic story teller and this may be her best story yet. Desert Wolf can be read standalone but will be better enjoyed if you’ve read the rest of the series. I loved everything about Sovvan except for her name (for which I had to use a dofer cause I couldn’t figure out how to pronounce it) and Cassius turned out to be deeper than he’s let anyone know. This book will leave you feeling good and hopeful for the future of the Sutter Butte pack.

Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review but I bought my own copy as well.

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The Greek's Stowaway Bride by Alexia Adams

Blurb:

She slipped aboard his yacht, but can he keep her out of his heart?

Egyptian heiress Rania Ghalli is desperate to free her political prisoner uncle before it's too late. Hoping to make it to North Africa, she stows away on the yacht of Greek millionaire Demetri Christodoulou. But when Egyptian agents board the boat, she can either jump overboard...or claim she's Demetri's new bride.

Tired of being no more than the bastard disgrace to the Christodoulou name, Demetri intends to build a luxury resort below his grandfather's house so the old man has no choice but to acknowledge that Demetri has made something of himself. But first, he needs a wife to complete the land purchase.

With Rania now at his mercy, a plan comes together. He'll play along, protecting her and helping to free her uncle, but in exchange, he demands a real marriage. But keeping the vivacious heiress out of his heart will be a lot harder than keeping her on his ship... 

My review:

The Greek's Stowaway Bride is a sweet and fun fast paced read. The author takes an old trope and gives a new coat of paint and you can just sit back and enjoy the ride. Rania makes the story fun despite the fact she is in dire straits she retains he spunk and sense of fun. This book is truly a fun escape.

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

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4-Ever Theirs (Four to Score) by Jayne Rylon

Blurb:

One woman. Three dudes. No regrets.

College was supposed to be Andi Miller’s training ground for the real world. Instead, it’s her final Saturday night in her college-grade apartment, and she’s still sheltered as hell. Why? Because of her three adorable roommates—Reed, Cooper and Simon.

Determined to have one date where the overprotective trio doesn’t scare the guy off, Andi sneaks out for the night. And almost lives to regret it.

When Reed, Cooper and Simon rescue Andi from a bad situation in the basement of a sex club, they decide it’s time for the kid gloves to come off. Since their early college days, they’ve been not-so-secretly fighting amongst themselves to spark her next smile, her next laugh.

They’ve already done a lot of surviving together, and now it’s time to thrive. At the risk of ruining a beautiful friendship, the men set out to turn their hands-off live-in arrangement into a weeklong learning experience where they become Andi’s sex education teachers.

Except none of them realize their new found intimacy will make it impossible to say goodbye on graduation day.

My review:

4-Ever Theirs is a quick smoking hot read by the mistress of multiples. This story has some angst, some fear, and a whole lot of sizzling sex.  Andi Miller may be smart and gifted but she is a bit naïve partially because her whole social life throughout college revolved around her 3 hunky roomies. Now she is facing graduation and moving on with her life. The guys not wanting to scare her have never made a move on her but when she gets in a frightening situation everything comes out into the open. Will sex ruin their friendship? Can she have sex with them and say goodbye? Is hers the only heart involved? Let Jayne Rylon show you just how good it can be.

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Forty Candles by Virginia Nelson

Blurb:

Will she get her wish when she blows out Forty Candles?

Chloe Walker did everything right. She went to college, got a good job, dated the right men—everything. Peering at forty from a bit too close, she realizes she can be miserable that she didn’t end up happily married to the handsome prince…or she can count her lucky stars. She tries to go with stars, but the universe seems to have other plans.

Jack Leonard has loved Chloe since they were kids. He’s stood by her through all life’s little messes, been her shoulder to cry on, and figured one day they’d wind up together. He figures he’s just waiting her out. When her life goes swirly, he’s got to convince her that some men are worth risking it all for.

Can Jack make Chloe rethink her birthday wish or will she get just what she asked for when she blows out Forty Candles? 

My review:

Approaching 40 is a tough time in a woman’s life. You officially enter middle age and you look back and try to figure out how you ended up where you are and you look forward to see if it gets any brighter. That is where Chloe Walker is. Chloe is the child of divorce and lost her husband as he was leaving her for another woman. There has only been one steady male in her life, Jack Leonard. Jack has loved Chloe since they were kids. He has been there for her through thick and thin. Enough is enough he loves her and knows she loves him if only she will allow herself to. Can he convince Chloe or will he have to walk away from the only woman he has ever loved?

I love that this is about a more mature couple than most books I read. They still make stupid mistakes but don’t we all. Forty Candles is a sweet, fun, read that will get you thinking and sighing and reaching for the tissue box.

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Winter Secrets: Winter Solstice Run (Black Hills Wolves Book 33) by M. Limoges

Blurb:

Patience is a virtue…a lesson Stephen Dorsett has learned over the years, wooing his mate. He loves the prickly woman with all his heart, but he’s keeping a secret from her—one that will soon change the entire dynamic of their relationship. 

Kate Matthews has a secret of her own, but she’s reluctant to share her surprise with Stephen. With her mate spending too many long hours and late nights at work recently, Kate begins to second-guess Stephen’s commitment to her.

One simple misunderstanding, fueled by insecurities and doubts, is all it takes to throw Kate and Stephen off course. Will they allow their secrets to pull them apart, or make their love stronger?

My review:

Have you read Taming his Mate (Black Hills Wolves #8)? That is where Stephen and Kate get together. You can read Winter Secrets: Winter Solstice Run without having read Taming his Mate but I think you will better understand this story a whole lot better for having read Taming his Mate and it is a terrific story. In Winter Secrets: Winter Solstice Run we revisit Stephen and Kate. They like the rest of the pack are getting ready for the holidays. Stephen is working hard and staying out late. Kate’s old insecurities rise. They are each keeping secrets. When things come to a head they have to decide what is most important to them. Stephen feels like he has been doing all the fighting for their love and it is Kate’s turn to step it up. Can she overcome her issues to be the wolf he needs? Winter Secrets: Winter Solstice Run will warm the cockles of your heart and leave you with an aww. A perfect holiday time story. Bring on Wes’s story.

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

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Dark Alpha's Claim (Reaper #1) by Donna Grant

Blurb:

Dark Alpha's Claim is the first in an exclusive new series from New York Times bestselling author Donna Grant!

There is no escaping a Reaper. I am an elite assassin, part of a brotherhood that only answers to Death. And when Death says your time is up, I am coming for you...

My whole existence is based on taking what Death wants. Born to eliminate Fae guilty of unforgivable crimes, my reckless, wild nature makes me the perfect assassin to carry out Death's bidding. I've seen more sinister and violent dealings than anyone could ever imagine. But it was the sight of her face that stopped me cold. I've never wanted a woman-never mind a human-so badly; never felt my heart, hardened by death, burn brighter and hotter until it burst into flames. She is everything I desire. The kind of woman that compels you to stake your claim on her, to let the world know that she's yours. A Reaper saving her life will only attract danger, but I vow to protect her at all costs from the Fae that hunt her, and keep safe the woman who has claimed me, body and soul.

My review:

The first in a new series this spin-off from the Dragon Kings series will get you hooked. Death has a special team to deal with keeping the balance between light and dark Fae. She calls them Reapers. They are hers and she doesn’t share. So when the Reaper Baylon falls for the ½ fae/human Jordyn he knows it is putting both of their existence in jeopardy.  But her life is under threat and Baylon and his fellow Reapers are going to keep her safe until Death comes to call. This is a fun and fantastical book that takes you into a world where everything is not what it may seem and magic and mayhem goes on all around us. The Reapers are all committed alpha males that will leave you wanting more and I look forward to getting to know each of them better. 

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

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Death Before Decaf (A Java Jive Mystery #1) by Caroline Fardig

Blurb:

Perfect for fans of Janet Evanovich and Diane Mott Davidson, Caroline Fardig’s captivating new mystery novel takes readers behind the counter of a seemingly run-of-the-mill coffeehouse . . . where murder is brewing.
 
After her music career crashes and burns spectacularly, Juliet Langley is forced to turn to the only other business she knows: food service. Unfortunately, bad luck strikes yet again when her two-timing fiancé robs her blind and runs off with her best waitress. Flushing what’s left of her beloved café down the toilet with her failed engagement, Juliet packs up and moves back to her college stomping grounds in Nashville to manage an old friend’s coffeehouse. At first glance, it seems as though nothing’s changed at Java Jive. What could possibly go wrong? Only that the place is hemorrhaging money, the staff is in open revolt, and Juliet finds one unlucky employee dead in the dumpster out back before her first day is even over.
 
The corpse just so happens to belong to the cook who’d locked horns with Juliet over the finer points of the health code. Unimpressed with her management style, the other disgruntled employees are only too eager to spill the beans about her fiery temper to the detective on the case. Add to the mix a hunky stranger who’s asking way too many questions, and suddenly Juliet finds herself in some very hot water. If she can’t simmer down and sleuth her way to the real killer, she’s going to get burned.

My review:

Death Before Decaf is a fun mystery with fantastic characters. I want a Grandma Gertie of my own. Caroline Fardig has created a fun group of characters and while mistakes happen early and often it isn’t slapstick it is a rollicking good mystery. I love the chemistry between Juliet and Pete and also between Juliet and the detective. Even the corpse was a surprise. I laughed out loud at the redneck funeral and simply enjoyed the heck out of this book.  I am looking forward to further adventures in this series.

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

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Ice Moon (Moon #5) by Lisa Kessler

Blurb:

One touch and she is his… 

Jared Ayers works outdoors, embracing a solitary life, hiding from his inner demons. But after so many of his Pack brothers have found their mates, he starts wondering if there might be a mate in his future too. His world turns upside down after he's hired by the "Ice Queen of Lake Tahoe". One touch is all it takes. One touch to send the wolf howling within...

A gifted psychic with pyrokinesis, Taryn Goldstone wields fire beyond her control– sometimes with dire consequences. With Jared, she discovers that some flames are meant for passion–and healing. She has enemies who covet her powerful gift, but they are about to learn just how far a wolf will go to protect his mate.

My review:

Ice Moon is a fantastic addition to the already great Moon series. Ever wonder why Jared dropped out of Med school? Maybe it was fates way of putting him in the way of Taryn Goldstone the "Ice Queen of Lake Tahoe". Taryn has a frightening gift, pyrokinesis, of which she doesn’t have complete control. She has a young son that she accidentally burned and has since kept everyone away one way or another. She has never met anyone like Jared, nor is she likely to. One inadvertent touch and Jared knows she is his mate now he just has to find a way to convince Taryn and find a way that they can touch without going up in any but metaphorical flames. This is a terrific fast paced keep you in your seat type of read. Sit down. Strap in and enjoy.

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

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Winter Magic (Black Hills Wolves book 32) by T.L. Reeve

Blurb:

There's magic in the air...

Kalum Truesdale is willing to take the leap and mate. Fawn Hawthorne has been at his finger tips for months now since his return, but the timid wolf rebuffs him at every turn. With the Winter Solstice right around the corner, he's got a couple of tricks up his sleeves to finally catch the elusive wolf.

Fawn Hawthorne isn't ready for a mate. After years of torture, all she wants is to be left alone. However, the handsome and persistent Kalum Truesdale, isn't willing to let her hide. So, when presents start arriving in the days leading up to the Solstice, Fawn has a decision to make. Take what Kalum is offering her, happiness and love. Or continue to fear the world around her while always wondering, what if?

My review:

It is the end of an old era and the start of a new one. Magnum has been dead and gone for a year and Drew is helping the pack to heal. Fawn Hawthorne suffered badly under Magnum’s rule and has been fighting to heal herself daily. Cowboy (and wolf) Kalum Truesdale and his brother and sister are among those that have returned. He knows Fawn is his mate and he knows she has been hurt. Can he use the turning of the year and the beauty of the holidays to convince Fawn that he is the one to help her into her future?

As heavy as her past is Fawn is an incredible survivor. She challenges herself daily and refuses to surrender to the horrors of her past. I love that Kalum gets that and he too admires her strength. A fun holiday read. And I want Tinks story.

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

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Night's Templar (Vampire Queen #13) by Joey W. Hill

Blurb:

Lord Uthe, a member of the Vampire Council, was a Templar Knight centuries ago. Even up to the present day, he has attempted to honor the spirit of the Rule, despite the volatile and highly sexual nature of the vampire world. Yet now he’s caught the attention of the Fae Lord Keldwyn, liaison between the Council and Fae Court. Keldwyn challenges Uthe’s emotional isolation and dominant nature. When a quest from Uthe’s past requires Keldwyn’s help to protect both their worlds, Uthe will have to decide whether the Fae male is a gift from God to be cherished and trusted, or a curse that will make Uthe fail the Order he promised to serve all his life.

My review:

Epic fantasy from a master! The nature of submission is a theme that runs through each of Joey W. Hill’s books. In Night's Templar Lord Uthe has submitted to Gods will and the Rule of the Templar Knights. Becoming a Templar Knight saved his sanity and gave him a way to serve while still being a dominant male vampire. While a Knight Uthe was given a duty/quest that he as a vampire was uniquely fitted for. It has been centuries and his mind is failing but it is now time to finish his quest. To aid him in his quest is the most arrogant, sexy and powerful male he can remember meeting, Fae Lord Keldwyn. Kel trips all his buttons making Uthe’s beleaguered mind wonder all the more about the nature of dark and light. Can he trust Kel? Can he trust himself?

Night's Templar is a wonderful trip into the world of Lord Uthe. Lord Uthe has been an important secondary character in this series. He has been one of the more reasonable voices on the Vampire Council. A steady companion and advisor to the Queen he stood for Daegan Rei and sired Evan and now we get to peek further into the mind and man behind the deeds. We also get to meet the Fae Lord Keldwyn. Kel is a total dominant and he wants Uthe. When Uthe’s quest requires him to enter the Fae lands Kel uses it to force Uthe to submit to both their desires and labels it payment so Uthe can lie to himself. When feelings go beyond payment and the going gets tough can Uthe truly submit to both Gods and Kel’s will? If m/m or playing with the Knights Templar disturbs you don’t read this book. If you want to read a finely crafted multi layered tale that will leave you wanting to immediately return to this fantastic world this is for you. This book can be read standalone but you will get more out of it if you’ve read the series. This is a book I will reread again and again.

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Lucas: October (Mystic Zodiac, #10) by Brandy Walker

Blurb:

Lucas Strigoi has lived a long, long life; over five-hundred years actually. In that time, he’s loved and lost. Gained money and experience. Found places he’s considered home and, at times, watched them burn down to the ground. Basically, he’s lived many lives and has many more to go. He’s hit the age when settling down should be his primary focus, but he’d thought he’d already found the One sixteen years ago. He was wrong, and he has no plans to repeat that mistake. He’ll stick to running his tattoo shop and living through his employees.

Reagan Aliat is an Ally. The literal translation of her last name. Her family has been connected to the Strigoi Vampire family for too many centuries to count. At one point, her older sister was romantically involved with one of them and everyone, including Lucas, thought they were destined to be Bondmates. Her sister had other plans, though, and broke his heart after six years of togetherness. Lucas disappeared from their lives and took with him Reagan’s undying love. Yes, she fell for her sister’s boyfriend. Who wouldn’t, he was the epitome of the perfect man? Now, Reagan’s family is thrusting themselves into Lucas’s life, whether he likes it or not, by sending her to retrieve him. All because her sister is getting married and the mark of the Ally, a designator all allies wear, needs to be removed. According to her family, he’s the only one that can do it.

Seeing each other again after ten years, Reagan and Lucas must travel across the United States to get back to her family. Reagan knows she needs to fight the love and attraction she’d always felt for the vampire, resolute in the belief that Lucas will never be hers. Lucas, on the other hand, is realizing his mistake so many years ago was worse than he’d thought, and the woman he should have been with is his ex’s little sister. 

My review:

For six years vampire Lucas Strigoi dated the wrong woman. He was convinced she was his bond mate. Then she broke it off. Now ten years later she is marrying a man who proposed after 1 date and she needs him to remove the mark that claims her as an ally to the Strigoi Vampire family. She sends her little sister to collect him. What a shock it is to him to discover that Reagan Aliat is the woman he should have been courting. True she was only 16 then but it explains a whole lot. Now he needs to convince her that he now knows she is The One. Reagan has been in love with Lucas since she was a kid but he only had eyes for her spoiled older sister Taryn. She truly believes that once Lucas sees Taryn again he won’t want the baby sister. He is going to have to work hard to convince her and Taryn won’t be an asset.

I loved Reagan for her intelligence, fortitude and her zest for life I abhorred Taryn for too many reasons to list here and I absolutely adored this story. I found myself cheering and yelling and ended up doing a total happy dance. This story will suck you in and keep you reading till the very end.

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Knightless in Seattle by Jill Jaynes

Blurb:

Jackie thinks she is on her way to work one Saturday morning to fulfill yet another of her boss’s outrageous demands, but the love magic she doesn’t know is woven into the gloves made by her best friend sends her instead on an unexpected detour to true love.

Too bad there aren’t any knights-in-shining armor around when a girl needs one; or any other time for that matter. But maybe the one wearing chain mail will do just fine, as Lance Masters, European Martial Arts Master extraordinaire, appears out of the misty Seattle rain to push Jackie’s car into a nearby gas station after she runs out of gas. The zap of chemistry between them makes her wonder if she has met the man of her dreams, but her hopes are just as quickly dashed upon learning that her knight is only in town to attend a huge local Live Action Role Play (LARP) event taking place that weekend.

Lance Masters has made a career of building up and selling a chain of European Martial Arts studios on the east coast. When he meets Jackie, wet, bedraggled and pushing her dead-as-a-doornail car in the rain, he knows he must see her again. He’ll start with inviting her to cheer him on the next day in the multi-state European Martial Arts tournament being hosted by the LARP. But he suspects that won’t be nearly enough. 

My review:

Short, sweet, funny modern day fairytale. This quick lunchtime read will get you smiling and perk up your day.

Jackie is having a rough day. It’s her birthday, raining, Saturday and her boss wants her to work and now she has run out of gas. She wants a knight in shining armor to help carry the load. Imagine how surprised she is when one appears to help push the car to the gas station. The attraction is instant and combustive. Lance Masters has made a career of building up and selling a chain of European Martial Arts studios on the east coast. He is in Seattle to attend a huge local Live Action Role Play (LARP) event which is where was headed in costume when he meets wet, down on her luck Jackie. The attraction is there so he invites her to watch him compete the next day. This could be the start of something beautiful.

Though this is short it is a complete tale and a fun read. The characters are likeable (well, not Jackie’s boss but that is another story) and the story will make you feel good.

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

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The Alpha's Temporary Mate (Fated Match #3) by Victoria Davies

Blurb:

Fated Match has spent centuries pairing supernatural mates together. Witch and matchmaker, Chloe Donovan, takes pride in helping her clients find their happy endings. But when werewolf alpha and millionaire playboy Kieran Clearwater stalks into her office, she may have finally met the one man she can’t help.

Kieran has no intention of finding his mate. Love is a weakness he can't afford. But with his pack growing more concerned over his single status he, needs to assure them all is well. What better way to do so than to hire a fake girlfriend he can parade around at the annual pack retreat?

Chloe is coerced into becoming the wolf’s temporary mate, but she’s determined to keep their agreement professional. But her seductive partner in crime has other ideas, and his considerable charm makes it difficult for her to keep her eye on the prize. While these two burn hot when they’re together, behind-the-scenes politics work to rip them apart.

My review:

I got a kick out of this. Our hero, werewolf alpha and millionaire playboy Kieran Clearwater, is everything his titles suggest. He is overbearing, opinionated and determined. His money has purchased everything he needs or desired until now. The pack elders are pushing him to pick a mate. To that end he figures if he is dating they will back off. So by throwing money at the situation he ends up with a feisty witch who refuses to kowtow and resents his using their mate finding services for a temporary hook up. What neither expects is to develop feelings for the other but when it happens watch out. Sparks are going to fly.

The Alpha's Temporary Mate is a well thought out fun read that will keep you smiling throughout. Although it is part of a series it can be read standalone just fine.

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

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Veterans Day Giveaway

To honor those who have served I wish to celebrate by giving away a fantastic read, one winner will win The Way of the Warrior, filled with stories of honor and bravery and a calendar by the fabulous photographer Michael Stokes. Mr. Stokes celebrates our fighting men and women. He has famously photographed veterans who have returned home missing parts of their bodies but none of their spirit. 

One winner will win a $10.00 Starbucks gift card.

You must be over 18 years of age to enter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Elite Ghosts: Six-Novel Cohesive Military Romance Boxed Set (Elite Warriors Book 2) by Sabrina York , Heather Long , Jennifer Kacey , Rebecca Royce , Anna Alexander, Saranna DeWylde

Elite Ghosts: Six-Novel Cohesive Military Romance Boxed Set (Elite Warriors Book 2)

by Sabrina York , Heather Long , Jennifer Kacey , Rebecca Royce , Anna Alexander, Saranna DeWylde 

Blurb:

Six novels from some New York Times, USA Today and award winning bestselling authors! Six individual novels that create one giant book! One story leading into the next into the next! This is a continuation in the hunt for Red Wolf including all the characters you love from Elite Metal! 
Target: Tungsten – Heather Long 
Zinc’s Heart – Rebecca Royce 
Lithium’s Rescue – Sabrina York 
Thallium’s Submission – Anna Alexander 
Nickel’s Wounds – Saranna DeWylde 
Titanium’s Sacrifice – Jennifer Kacey 

Elite Ghosts 

For more than two years they’ve been ghosts. Nothing but names on empty tombstones. Men and women forced to fade into the background after being pulled from the rubble. Dead Marines saved from a fate worse than death, but ordered to stand down while their lives disappeared all around them. 

Some knew it could happen if a mission exploded. Double crossed by more than just Red Wolf. But now is their time to be reborn from the flames of a Phoenix. No longer imprisoned in the shadows. A half-life between them and their future. To make things right coming back to life is their only option. 

Loyalty is their salvation but damage is always more than skin deep. 

A new hope. A new family. Elite Ghosts. 

Target: Tungsten by Heather Long - Bradley “Tungsten” Peck. Marine. Lover. Friend. He’s the man who can get anything, find anyone, and accomplish every goal. At least he was, before he lost the only woman who mattered…he won’t stop until he gets her back or she puts a bullet in him. 

Zinc's Heart by Rebecca Royce - Zinc has nothing to prove--and everything to lose. 

Lithium’s Rescue by Sabrina York - He will save her…unless she saves him first. 

Thallium's Submission by Anna Alexander - From now on the only orders he will follow are hers. 

Nickel’s Wounds by Saranna DeWylde - Hell hath no fury like a Marine who’s lost her way. Beauty was once her currency, but for a woman who can’t feel anything but agony, she has nothing left. Except the vengeance that could destroy the one man whose love could teach her how to save herself. 


Titanium’s Sacrifice by Jennifer Kacey - Titanium. Warbucks. Commander. Brother. He is all of those things. And none of them. Giving up everything to save the men and women under his command was easy until it comes to one…last…sacrifice.

My review:

If these six stories don’t move you there is no hope. Elite Ghosts is the follow up to Elite Metal but can be read standalone (bet you will find yourself going back to read Elite Metal if you haven’t yet). These stories tell the tale of some incredibly brave men and women found in a situation not of their own making and finding the strength to go on and do what is necessary. They aren’t always quiet or pleasant. There is grumping and griping, bitching moaning and groaning but there is also the shock and awe of finding love and a new future.

Target: Tungsten by Heather Long – This is a follow up story to Pure Copper by Heather Long from Elite Metal but you don’t have to have read it to get this story but it does contain spoilers if you haven’t. Copper thought she has lost everything when she lost Bradley “Tungsten” Peck and only her determination and her best friend Dr. John “Mercury” Thrace and finding love in the unlikely form of former CIA analyst Gabriel “Brass” Danvers. Now Brad is back from the dead and wants her back. Can she forgive him his deception? What about the new happiness she has found with Gabriel? Can these two strong yet very different men do what is best for this strong yet delicate woman?

Zinc's Heart by Rebecca Royce – Zinc is bitter. He lost everything when Operation Phoenix went south. He and Tungsten were wrongfully picked up by the ghosts and forced to play dead for 3 long years. He can’t believe his best friend and brother from another mother, Adam Steele, left him on the field. Now he has to go save Adam’s little sister Sarah who isn’t so little anymore and may be the cure for the breach between Zinc and Steele.

Lithium’s Rescue by Sabrina York – A case where the attraction is instant, explosive and potentially deadly or lifesaving. Michelle has information the Ghosts need and Ben “Lithium” Butler has to keep her alive long enough to get the information into the right hands and if his hands wander along the way…

Thallium's Submission by Anna Alexander – A sweet and sexy tale of an older woman and a man who yearns to serve. All I could do was sigh.

Nickel’s Wounds by Saranna DeWylde – Another strong yet damaged woman and the man who can heal her. This story had me in tears and laughter.

Titanium’s Sacrifice by Jennifer Kacey – This story had to be tough to write. Titanium has given everything to keep these men and women alive and with purpose. He has lost his sight and his legs. They don’t trust him fully and with reason. The only being he totally trusts is Annie his seeing eye dog and the only other being that can get to him is his nurse who he feels deserves better than him. He feels he isn’t whole. They have been hiding their love for each other from each other for a long time but now it has come out and they have to choose what to do with it. How many sacrifices to the cause will Titanium have to make. I will admit to tears in this story as well. This story hints at a future for this series and reveals one of the moles and left me screaming at the end.

I cannot express how much I enjoyed this collection. Each story different yet all a treat for the heart.

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

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