Winning A Champion's Heart (Champions Gate Book 1) by Kelly Abell

Blurb:

Who wouldn’t want to be the owner of a world-renowned Arabian horse farm? Darbi Brennan, that’s who. So, in hopes of escaping her father’s demands that she follow in his footsteps, she puts an ad on nannys.com., a desire to leave Ireland far behind singing in her heart. And it’s not like she doesn’t have experience taking care of children…since her mother died, she’s watched over her seven brothers and sisters. She dreams of a new exciting life in the US and if a handsome man happens to come along, so much the better.

Then fate steps in bringing Connie Champion into her life. Connie, also a caretaker of her brother’s triplets, is looking for a way to escape her boring life on another horse farm in Brooksville, FL—one that happens to be the primary competitor of Darbi’s father’s farm. Both women have spent too much time caring for children they love but didn’t give birth to. So, they concoct a scheme to have Darbi come to Champions Gate to care for the triplets while Connie jets off on a tour with a USO troupe. Perfect solution, right? Wrong. Darbi is left behind to deal with Connie’s overbearing, yet very handsome, brother who feels the last thing he needs is a beautiful and firey, yet nosey nanny.

Bishop Champion is a dedicated horseman who raises some of the best Arabians in the world. He travels the globe building demand for his horses and a legacy for his girls. Unfortunately, it leaves him very little time to spend with his family or pursue love. It’s been ten years since his wife’s death leaving him with triplets he has no idea how to care for. When Darbi Brennan breezes into his life she brings a whirlwind of change, something Bishop is totally unprepared for. Despite his resistance, she turns on a light in his soul he thought forever dead. But will her deception be the end of a beautiful romance? When Bishop discovers her true identity, will he be able to forgive Darbi for her misrepresentations or will love so long denied the couple be lost forever?

In this sweet romance Kelly sticks to her theme of writing characters with Passion, Power and Purpose. Look for the release of Book 2 A Champion's Hero coming soon. 

My review:

Winning A Champion's Heart is a sweet sex free single dad romance that will steal your heart. This story is all Darbi because honestly Bishop can be a bit of an eejit. The girls are adorable and kept the story moving. I really enjoyed this story and look forward to the next installment.

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All Hours (One Night in South Beach #6) by Andie J. Christopher

Blurb:

A RESTLESS ROMANTIC
Felix Pascual misses being someone’s boyfriend, which is why he’s willing to get set up by the only Hernandez he'll admit to liking (out loud)—Lola. But when he gets to the restaurant he finds that Lola has matched him up with none other than Max Delgado, a man who has never shown one iota of interest in him. And Max doesn't seem any more open to Felix's unique charms this time around …

A SKEPTICAL SUITOR
Joaquin will do anything for his grandmother. Even give a foul-mouthed, flashy Puerto Rican caterer who gets on his nerves—and makes him thirsty all at once—a chance to run his kitchen after he’s injured After all, it's just a few weeks. And he won’t be tempted since he’s given up on dating anyway …

A MATCH MADE IN SOUTH BEACH
But Felix won't give up without the satisfaction of getting Joaquin to admit that he wants him. Felix is stubborn, and his growing desire for Joaquin is about proving a point. After all, it can't possibly turn into something real …

My review:

All Hours has things heating up and not just in the kitchen. This is a sweet story of two men finding that they’ve been looking for love in all the wrong places and never expecting to find it with the other. Felix is an intuitive chef with his own catering business.  Joaquin is a classically trained chef with a Michelin star restaurant. When these two get together the things they cook up are delicious. I really like these two guys and loved watching them find each other.

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Veteran Dreams (Forever Young Series) by Cherron Riser

Blurb:

How could one party change so much? 

It had been ten years since that night, and walking into the high school 
reunion, Lita wasn’t sure what to expect. Her mind was riddled with memories, and her 
heart was racing. The moment her eyes locked with Alex’s, her heart 
started to beat again, as if part of her had been dead all those years. Life certainly 
hadn’t gone as expected, and she had not lived up to the promises made that last night. 

Feeling broken, Alex longed to move past the disappointment of his military 
career. After his friend convinced him to go to his ten-year high school reunion, he 
was surprised to find himself smitten with a girl from the past. Lita had 
been sweet and innocent back then, but was she still? Part of him longed to see. 

The two of them fall into a whirlwind, wanting to help the other heal and pursue their dreams. 
But they may find the pressure is more intense than the passion the old spark ignited in them. 

My review:

Veteran Dreams is a wonderful second chance romance. This is a second chance at love, life and youthful dreams. Lita is an artist she writes and sings and is very talented. She has crushed on Alex all through high school. Alex went into the Marines right after high school. Ten years later their lives are very different. But when they meet again at their high school reunion they decide to see what might have been. This book will make you laugh and cry and just maybe believe again.

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Spectre by Shiloh Walker

Blurb:

Myth. Monster. Mine.

Spectre

I wasn’t even a man when I took a life for the first time, although you couldn’t say I was a child. If I’d ever had a childhood, it hadn’t lasted long. My father, may he rot in hell, had seen to that. I took his life as well and that, too, happened before I was old enough to be considered a grown man.
I never regretted it for a second.

That path almost led to my own grave, and would have, if I hadn’t stumbled across somebody who was as different from my father as day was from night. Sarge had seen the monster lurking inside, so he took control, gave me guidelines, rules, so I wouldn’t be the monster my father had planned.

It worked. I restrained the worst of my rage and honed the skills that had been drilled into me—theft, stealth… assassination. The broken child ceased to exist and I became Spectre, an assassin spoken of in whispers, hired to take out the worst of humanity.

Then I was sent to kill her…and my world came to a screeching halt.

Tia

It’s taken a long time, but I finally had a nice, steady routine. I stopped trying to conform to the neurotypicals of the world and found my own normal.

Normal went out the window when I walked into my kitchen and found a strange (hot), dangerous looking (so fricking hot) man drugging my new dog.

It probably wasn’t the smartest thing to leap at him like a banshee and attack, but that’s what I did.

When my attempt to wreck the vehicle was averted, my kidnapper didn’t hurt or threaten me. In fact, he told me he wanted to protect me.

This (hot) guy had to be crazy. But if he was crazy, what did that make me? Because I believed him. More, I found myself seeing something beyond the rigid, blank mask he wore. He kept trying to push me away, but I couldn’t seem to keep my distance.

He calls himself a monster…but when I look at him, that isn’t what I see. I just see him…and I know he’s meant to be mine.

Warning: This isn’t a snuggly, comfy read. The male MC is a hired killer, while the heroine is neuro-atypical. Some dark material is involved—the hero kidnaps the heroine. There’s also violence when he goes on a rampage against those who put a contract on her. Also references of abuse (not against the heroine). Also very graphic, erotic scenes with minor bondage play. 

My review:

I honestly didn’t know what to expect with this book. What I got was a neuro-atypical woman who I fell for right away. Though she has struggled she has finally found a sense of who she is and she is happy with that. It took me most of the book to warm up to our hero. The sex in this story is off the charts. Not wanting to give spoilers I will just say if you like bad boys and sassy girls and lots of hot sex this is the book for you.

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Calling to the Deep (The Dank Courts Book 2) by Dagmar Avery, K. Magaret, Stella Price

Blurb:

Things are changing, and Gogo’s quest is just beginning. 

Contending with the unwanted attentions of another monarch, and their insane desires, Gogo and her men race to complete the quest before things escalate with the Sluagh Chancellors. With Faerie changing so quickly and the mystery of her father’s murder still a pall over her house, she’s both excited to find her mystery man and worried for her mother. 

With three items she must find, stashed around the world, new experiences are on the horizon, ones that will help to shape her into the woman she wants to be. And as the light at the end of the tunnel becomes brighter, so does the danger they are walking into. 

My review:

In this second installment of The Dank Courts events are picking up speed and intensity. As things are changing in Faerie so too are they changing in Gobeth’s world. She is putting her heart on the line and I can’t wait to see where this leads us. The bad thing about a serial is the cliffhanger ending. I need the next book ASAP. This is so exciting.

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Traitor Games (Tarnished Heroes #3) by Sidney Bristol

Blurb:

The latest installment in the Tarnished Heroes series from New York Times bestselling author Sidney Bristol.

Noah White has done a lot of bad things for the CIA, but this time they've crossed the line. He knows the kill order he's been given is a set-up and the intended target is another covert agent. They’ve finally found a line Noah won’t cross. Not with her.

Lillian Matthews is living in the crosshairs and she knows it. While her friends are spread out over the globe gathering intelligence on a rogue covert agency, it's her job to keep them all connected. Only now she's the target. And her unlikely ally is the last man she'd expect.

Lillian will have to make the biggest sacrifice of her life, because Noah will stop at nothing to protect her. 

My review:

Traitor Games is the latest installment in the Tarnished Heroes and while it can be read standalone I feel like you will enjoy it much more having read the first two books.

This romantic thriller is fast paced action, intrigue and love. Independent contractor for the CIA Noah White has received orders to kill Washington fixer Lillian Matthews. Noah knows she is one of the good guys and thus starts this adventure. This exciting story takes us on the run all over the world and keeps you on edge till the very last page. Fantastic!

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Steel Coyote by Beth Williamson

Blurb:

The universe can be a tough place to make it as a cargo ship captain and Remington Hawthorne fights every day to scrape together enough to get by. Hanging on by her fingernails, she has to find something to keep herself and her quirky crew alive. 

When a sketchy deal goes south, she doesn’t want to accept help from the stranger who calls himself Max Fletcher. Life however, doesn’t give her a choice. Hurtling through space with illegal cargo, extra passengers she doesn’t want, and a growing attraction to Max she can’t resist, Remy knows she’s in trouble. 

When worlds collide, Remy and Max have to find a way to trust each other, save the crew, and not get themselves killed in the process. It’s gonna be a helluva ride.

My review:

This book has it all action, adventure, humor, angst and love. I loved Remi she is doing the best that she can under bad circumstances and much better than she thinks she is. Max is a hunky flyboy pilot with a sketchy past and a heart of gold. Who knew? When these two get together the universe shifts and we get a heck of a story.

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Fledgling (Sorcery and Society #2) by Molly Harper

Blurb:

Days away from becoming completing her first year at Miss Castwell’s Institute for the Magical Instruction of Young Ladies, Changeling-born Sarah Smith might just get away with posing as an upper-class Guardian girl named Cassandra Reed.

But strange visions of a Lightbourne destroyed by Miss Morton’s revenant army keep Sarah from enjoying her achievement. Plus, the Mother Book, Sarah’s one secret advantage and the ultimate entrée in Guardian society, suddenly stops revealing itself to her…putting her in a precarious position with the Guild. On top of all that, her former lady’s maid left Miss Castwell’s, and the new hire is, well, taking some getting used to.

If it weren’t for her two best friends, Alicia McCray and Ivy Cowel, who will do anything to protect her secret, Sarah doesn’t know if she’ll make it another year. When the three girls take summer holiday with Alicia’s family (chaperoned by an exacting and very disapproving Mrs. McCray), a relaxing vacation in Scotland is the last thing they’ll find.

Mrs. Winter is thrilled that Sarah is spending time with the influential McCray family, but Sarah can’t help but feel that her real purpose is to find other Changeling children like her, and free them to realize their own magic. Can she find genuine satisfaction in her accomplishments when she knows there are others like her out there who need her help? Will the three girls uncover the deeply-held secrets they’re looking for in the mysterious mountains of Scotland? Will the Mother Book finally start talking to her again? And will Sarah come to understand the importance of her connection with Ivy and Alicia, and the true nature of her own power…before it’s too late?

My review:

Have you read Changeling (Sorcery and Society #1) by Molly Harper? No, STOP! Go read that one first before reading this. Seriously you will thank me for it.

Fledgling finds Sarah making new friends and enemies. She discovers that there are more Changeling children like her out there that can do magic. Now all she has to do is find them. This is a fast paced adventure that will leave you tired and wanting more.  This story is filled with magic, friendship and a young woman finding her way and growing into herself. I absolutely adored it and look forward to more adventures with Sarah, Ivy and Alicia.

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The Winter Court (A Sprinkling of Fae Novella) by Emily James Taylor

Blurb:

Welcome to Fairy. 

The Wintertide Celebration is upon us and all the representatives from the different Courts have arrived to hear who the young queen Iclyn has chosen for her new consort. The palace is abuzz with excitement for the queen to finally pick another consort to fill her harem. This year the Summer Court has even sent one of their princes to the assembly. Why is he here? Could he or his family, be trying to dissuade the young royal from her duties? Will she succumb to his charms that might all be a facade? 

With her attention elsewhere, the whispers of the court all but forgotten and not on her choice of new consort. She plans to run off to have some fun in the earthly realm to find this year's returning changelings - the mischievous twins that once brought her joy in her youth before they were taken away and replaced with humans by the hobgoblins. She knows how important it is to bring back their lost and stolen children; to keep the fairy line, along with the magic of their world going. 

Does Iclyn have something up her sleeve with her strange behavior? She could have sent someone else to retrieve the twins, but instead, she goes alone. Leaving the line of men that were set before her to choose from, to wait idly for her to return. Will they still want her after this? 

My review:

The Winter Court is the first installment in a story of a young Queen of the Winter Court. This story is filled with sex and intrigue. I really liked Iclyn and can’t wait to see how she deals with the events started in this book. This book has great world building and The story sucked me right in. Can’t wait for more.

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Alpha's Fight (Hidden Breed Book 1) by Christa Ann

Blurb:

Trent Wolfe became Alpha of the wolf pack eighteen years ago, not long after the shifter war ended. His pack is thriving, and life is great. There’s just one thing missing. A mate. 

Being the results of genetic experiments, Arianna and her siblings have been hiding from the world all their lives. The shifters have no idea they exist. To protect the family, they need to make sure it stays that way. 

Unfortunate complications have the family struggling to accept the inevitable and leads Arianna to venture away from home to clear her head. 

Getting into an accident and crashing her Jeep wasn’t on her to do list. Now, she finds herself on pack territory, far from home. She didn’t expect to wake up inside an infirmary facing the Alpha. 
And she definitely does except to the overwhelming attraction between them. However, the truth about her and her family could risk the fate of their futures. 

Could Trent convince Arianna to take a chance? There’s only one way to find out. 

My review:

After a slow start this story picks up speed and is supersonic by the end. I almost put it down because of the world building in the beginning but when I got past that the story took wings and flew. Alpha's Fight is the first in what looks to be an exciting series.

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Building Up to Love by J.V. Speyer

Blurb:

Jared is at the top of his game, professionally. His love life leaves a little to be desired. All he wants is someone who can love him for him, and who doesn’t demand he “pick a side.” The sudden reappearance of his college boyfriend, Logan, doesn’t make anything better. 

Logan knows he broke Jared’s heart all those years ago. He plans to keep a respectful distance, especially once he starts defending a mob case. The last thing he wants is to bring more trouble into Jared’s life. As they keep getting thrown together, he finds it harder to stay away. 

The Mob isn’t known for being considerate of their targets’ love lives. It’s not going to be easy to build a new relationship with Jared as Logan’s client’s enemies come knocking at his door…

My review:

Building Up to Love is a complicated story about love, acceptance and second chances. Logan has a lot of groveling to do if he wants Jared’s forgiveness after the way he broke his heart and screwed with his self-image for years afterward. Though a little slow this is a really good story.

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Murder By Numbers (Addie Foster Mystery Series #3) by Kimberley O'Malley

Blurb:

Addie Foster loves nothing more than traipsing through old houses on the weekends, looking for that rare first edition or that special book for a customer. When a mysterious man harasses her in the parking lot, will it lead to more trouble for her? Is there really a buried treasure near-by? Is someone willing to kill for it? Will she discover the truth in time?

My review:

Murder By Numbers is the latest in the Addie Foster Mystery Series and just as terrific as the first two. This story has Addie and Detective Hottie growing closer and sharing the mystery. I love this series but each book leaves me with more questions than it answers. Bring on the next book.

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Gone with the Minion (Madder Than Hell #1) by Renee George

Blurb:

How do you save your family when they’re about to lose the literal farm? You make a deal with a demon, of course. And then you spend the next one hundred and forty-nine years making him sorry he forced you to sign in blood on the dotted line. 

To save her family, Southern Belle Olivia "Liv" Madder made a bargain with a demon lord and ever since, she’s been haunted...by her three dead sisters, and her own guilty conscience. Every decade, since the deal, Liv has had to find a human willing to bargain their soul with Moloch. If she fails, even once, he’ll not only drag her to Hell, but he'll take her sisters, too. It doesn't mean she can't make Lord Jerkface miserable in the process by removing his lesser demons from the Earthly plane. 

When her latest contracted soul dies before the bargain is sealed, she has less than four days to find another soul or her own agreement will be broken. But Moloch offers her a get-out-of-Hell-free card: steal an old book once owned by paranormal researcher David Jensen. The same David Jensen she fell in love with sixty years ago but left to protect him and his family. Then Moloch drops the biggest bombshell: David has died. 

Heartbroken and feeling she has no choice, Liv makes the trip to Sanctum, Missouri only to find David’s grandson has the book. Worse, he’s keeping a mysterious family secret that threatens Moloch, Liv, and her three sisters. What’s a minion to do when her world falls apart? Get Madder than Hell and kick some demon butt. 

My review:

Gone with the Minion is a fast paced lesson in making choices and dealing with the consequences resulting from those choices.  

Liv is cocky and smart mouthed but she is also smart and strong. She has been keeping up her end of the deal for 150 years but now Moloch wants to change the deal. Never trust a demon. She needs the help of her ghostly sisters and a dead man she has never stopped loving to get out of this mess.

This is the first in a series and I really enjoyed it. This is well worth the read and I will be reading the next in the series asap.

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Falling With You (Fractured Connections #3) by Carrie Ann Ryan

Blurb:

NYT bestselling author Carrie Ann Ryan concludes a brand new series where second chances don’t come often, and overcoming an unexpected loss means breaking everything you knew.

The day I lost my best friend was the day I realized that I'd been living in the past. I've tried to find a way to heal, to mend that break. Somehow, I came through it partially whole. But I know I couldn't have done that without Aiden Connolly.

The problem is, he once loved my best friend. And now she's gone, and I refuse to be in that shadow, or worse, a replacement for someone we both loved.

~~

I left them all behind.

My brother.

My family.

My best friend.

And her.

Only Sienna Knight doesn't realize what she means to me. But before I can make sure she knows, I need to figure out exactly what that is.

My review:
Oh the angst! This book took two people who are angry at the world and gave them to each other. Sienna Knight is one cat shy of being a cat lady. Aiden Connolly could give Gordon Ramsay a run for his money. But when Aiden’s brothers hook up with Sienna’s sister and their best friend they are thrown together more and more and it is freaking incendiary. Grab this great addition to the Fractured Connections series.

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Dyeing For Change (Addie Foster Mystery Series #2) by Kimberley O'Malley

Blurb:

Addie Foster’s life was moving in the right direction. She owns a successful bookstore. She’s dating a cute doctor. All she wanted was a trim. Before she knows it, she’s knee-deep in a murder investigation. When she gets too close, trouble finds her. Will she and her BFF Grey figure out the mystery in time?

My review:

Dyeing For Change is an enjoyable cozy mystery that ended way too soon. Poor Addie can’t even get her curls cut without tripping over a body. Addie, Grey and Detective Hottie have a real mystery on their hands. This romp had me buying the next in the series.

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Death Comes in Threes (Addie Foster Mystery Series #1) by Kimberley O'Malley

Blurb:

Addie Foster, owner of Smiling Dog Books, loves her small-town life. Until someone, or rather several someones, tries to end it. What secrets is she hiding? Add one gay BFF and one dark, brooding detective into the mix and watch everything unfold. Will Addie figure out why someone wants her dead before it’s too late? Or will this be her final chapter?

My review:

Death Comes in Threes is the first in a “new to me” cozy mystery series. Addie is getting along fine. She has her home and her bookstore, her two Shetland sheepdogs, her two aunties and her GBF. What more could she want? But when she discovers a dead body two houses down and attempts are made on her life she discovers just how precious life is. This story has mysteries within mysteries and I’m excited at the prospect of exploring them.

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Bishop's Knight (Endgame Trilogy #1) by Katie Reus

Blurb:

The Bishop siblings' family is on the verge of collapse as all three find themselves embroiled in danger. Family bonds may keep them alive...but only love can give them something to live for. Read BISHOP'S KNIGHT, the first novel in this ALL NEW heart-pounding Endgame trilogy!

She needs his protection...

Thanks to years of government training, Evie Bishop knows how to get into places she doesn't belong—and she's very good at it. But years of doing black ops work burned her out so she returns home—to unexpected chaos. One of her brothers is in a coma and the other is in hiding, wanted for murder. Then a fellow operative from her past shows up shot and bleeding with news that an assassin is gunning for everyone involved with a past op. She's forced to turn to the one man she knows she can trust—the man whose heart she broke. 

But it will come with a price...

When Dylan Blackwood proposed a year ago, Evie turned him down flat and walked out of his life. He's stunned when he finds her on his doorstep covered in someone else's blood, needing his help. He always knew there was more to her than met the eye—that Evie was never simply the pampered society princess she wanted people to believe she was. But he never expected this. If she needs help, he'll give it. Even if he can't forget her betrayal. Even if he isn't sure he can trust her. But his protection will come with a price—her heart. Before they can have a chance at a future, they'll have to work together to take down a faceless enemy who has Evie firmly in his crosshairs.

FIRST IN NEW TRILOGY
Author note: This book can be read as a stand-alone, complete with HEA.

Books in trilogy:
Bishop's Knight, #1
Bishop's Queen, #2
Bishop's Endgame, #3

My review:

Bishop's Knight is the first in a thrilling new romantic suspense trilogy. This exciting tale explores what happens when you fall in love with an asset while on an op. Former CIA operative Evie Bishop is smart, sharp and still in love with real estate magnate Dylan Blackwood. When her former partner shows up with a gunshot wound Evie looks to Dylan for help. Can Dylan and Evie keep her alive and rekindle their romance? Action, intrigue and love a terrific read.

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Dick (The Private Dick series, #1) Gracen Miller and Julie Morgan

Blurb:

Bourbon, beads, and blood.

KING
Phuck is the king of New Orleans. A demon who offers immortality for loyalty and respect. As president of the Voodoo Dawgs MC, he's become as iconic to Nawlins' citizens as the French Quarter. With Voodoo Mama and his brothers at his side, he's untouchable, his power limitless. But when one of his demon brothers is discovered murdered, his life is about to be shaken up in ways he could've never anticipated.

SHERIFF 

Enzo is a sheriff, a shifter with a badge, who's lost his power and the respect of the citizens of New Orleans. Betrayed by those he trusted, he's fallen into disgrace, unable to remain sober long enough to pull himself together. When one of Phuck's men is found dead, Enzo calls in the big guns to help solve the murder.

DICK
Panther shifter Detective Natalia Cortes arrives to investigate a demonic killing in NOLA. It's not just any homicide, but the murder of a demon who happens to be part of the Voodoo Dawgs MC. The self-appointed King of New Orleans doesn't want her there, but she feels his heated gaze. The sheriff needs her help to solve the case, but the more time he spends with her, the more he wants to claim her as his mate.

Welcome to the Dark Days and Voodoo Nights of New Orleans!

My review:

Dick is a sexy/fun noir paranormal mystery that is as steamy as New Orleans in the summertime.

Confidence is sexy. Panther shifter Detective Natalia Cortes has confidence in spades. When she is called to assist in a murder investigation in New Orleans she is surrounded by sexy men. As a woman in a man’s world Natalia has lady balls the size of a watermelon and takes no shit. But when the sexy cop and the even sexier demon turn their attentions her way she can’t help but be turned on. Now if they could only solver this blasted murder before it happens again.

This book is hot, hot, hot! I can’t wait to see where the authors take us next.

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