Winning His Wife (a marriage of convenience novel) by Sandra Sookoo

This was fantastic!  I enjoyed this sexy historical romance.  I loved the fact that it doesn't take place among royalty.

1776 Rhode Island.  Captain Caleb Haslett is finally home to claim his wife.  They’d been married for all of one day before he shipped out for two years. They hadn't consummated their marriage before he left and the time he has been gone has given Abigail time to wonder and worry and fret.  Now he is back and just wants his bride.  She wants answers.  Can they come to an understanding and even love?

Wolf with Benefits (Pride #8) by Shelly Laurenston

This may be the best in the series yet.  I am still laughing.  This book is funny, sexy, sometimes scary and oh so good.

Ricky Lee Reed southern werewolf in NYC working with his brothers security company is about as laid back as a werewolf gets.  His philosophy is hang on and the entertainment will come to you.  When he meets stressed out she-jackal Toni Jean-Louis Parker he gets more entertainment than he planned on. 

I LOVE this book!  While it is a part of a series it can be read stand-alone but fair warning you will want to go back and read the rest of them.  I adored Ricky and felt for Toni.  Together they had me alternately rolling on the floor laughing, rolling my eyes, and blushing.  Go forth and buy this book.

Twice Tempted (Night Prince #2) by Jeaniene Frost

I read this in one sitting.  I could not put it down.  This is what a vampire romance should be.

Vlad told Leila that he could give her everything but love and that’s the only thing she wants from him so she is heading home to Marty and the carnival troupe.  Except someone wants her dead and now Leila needs to figure out who to trust and how to stay alive. 

I can’t begin to say how very much I enjoyed this book.  Taking on Dracula is a challenge and Ms. Frost does him justice.  

Enslaved (Enslaved Trilogy #1) by Shoshanna Evers

There is someone for everyone.  Love is never the same for any two people and nowhere is it more evident than in the world of BDSM.

Elisabeth is a pain junkie just out of a relationship with a sadistic Dom who catered to her need for pain but was not her soul mate.  He has introduces her to Trevor who has shown interest in her and she ends up moving in with him.  Trevor wants a sub of his own to love and dominate.  Elisabeth is afraid to love and so is a brat so she can get the pain she needs.  Trevor asks his best friend and fellow Dom Roman to help train her to find pleasure in her submission.  While in training with Roman Elisabeth is forced to come to terms with her feelings for Trevor and Roman.  Which will she pick?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  I sometimes get a little squicky when dealing with masochists but it was handled well in this story.  The sex scenes were fantastic but it was the emotional that made this book for me.  I look forward to the next two installments.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. 

This book goes on sale April 8^th. 

A Calculated Seduction by Melissa Schroeder

A spicy sweet contemporary romance.  Security expert Ethan has taken over his uncles business in an attempt to find the embezzler.  Unfortunately his best suspect is mousy Dulcy his executive secretary and the woman who is driving him to distraction.  Their attraction to one another is intense but building a relationship without trust is impossible.

This quick read has a sensual spice to it along with sass and humor.  I got a kick out of it. 

For Love or Honor (Bounty Hunters #1) by Melissa Schroeder

Futuristic Action Adventure Romance

This quick sexy read tells of a future where the police are overwhelmed and bounty hunters are picking up the slack.  Del is one such bounty hunter.  She is being framed for actions she didn’t commit and the oh so sexy federal agent Dylan (complete with Irish brogue) is torn by the desire to bed her and/or lock her away.  Dylan knows Del didn’t commit the crime and with the help of fellow fed Vincente he is out to prove it.  And if that means he and Del are locked away together in a safe house together so much the better to get her into bed.  Can Dylan keep Del alive and out of jail?  Can Del let Dylan into her bed and her heart? 

A short smoking hot tale of intrigue and passion with a surprise (to me) ending.

Rough Around the Edges by Ranae Rose

Rough, raw and romantic.

 Ryan Moore, former marine is trying to rebuild his life after being processed out of the Marines after an injury from an IED makes him unfit for duty. He has come back physically enough to fight competitively but still suffers migraines from TBI.  Ryan has always been a fighter.  Rebelling against his family he joins the Marines and finds a sort of peace in fighting the good fight and just taking orders.  When that is taken away the only peace he finds is when he is training or fighting MMA. Then he meets female fighter Ally Rivera.  The attraction is instant on his part and as they grow together she gives him a new lease on life, a focus he has needed and a new sense of peace but can they have a future?

This is Ryan & Ally’s story told from Ryan’s point of view.  If you want to read it from Ally’s POV you need to read Battered Not Broken.  I’d expected Ryan’s side to be a little more raw than Ally’s and it was he is a guy after all but it was also much more sweet than I’d anticipated.  For a rough tough he man Ryan has an incredible capacity to care.  Ally’s story was wider.  It encompassed more characters but that might be because Ally is more generous with herself than Ryan is.  I totally enjoyed this story.  The sex is hot the characters are believable and the story makes you want to root for them both. 

I’d like to thank Ranae Rose for giving me the opportunity to read and review this story.

Rough Around the Edges releases on April 4th.

Code (Virals #3) by Kathy Reichs, Brendan Reichs

Somebody is playing games with the pack and it’s turned deadly.  They need to win the game and find out who the Gamemaster is before innocents get hurt. 

Another fun ride with the Virals.

Groomed for Murder (Going to the Dogs #2) by Zoe Dawson

We first met Brooke in Leashed (Going to the Dogs #1).  Brooke owns Pawlish an upscale dog grooming establishment.  When Mimi a bad tempered show poodle with an even worse tempered owner gets a bad cut things start to go wrong for Brooke.  Mimi’s owner is now suing Brooke for therapy for Mimi and is doing everything she can to destroy Brooke's business.  Enter Drew.  He is an ambitious young lawyer who is promised a corner office if he can convince Brooke to settle out of court.  Once he meets her his plans change.  He has never met anyone like Brooke and she reminds him of the man he wanted to be before life interrupted.  When Brooke is accused of killing Mimi’s owner Drew is forced to choose sides.

I bow in appreciation to the author.  It takes a lot to make a good girl like Brooke both real and likable.  Usually I want to gag when introduced to the sweet giving type Brooke is.  But the author made her real and somebody I wouldn't mind hanging out with.  I had a harder time with the oh so lickable Drew but he was real too.  I look forward to the next installment.

Leashed (Going to the Dogs #1) by Zoe Dawson

This was an Amazon freebie and sounded like a lite fun read.  It is.  Jack has knocked up Jill.  Jack is Callie’s Great Dane and Jill is the Great Dane next door.  Jill’s owner happens to be hotter than sin bad boy club owner Owen.  Callie has sworn off bad boy heart breakers and Owen doesn't do good girls but Jacks indiscretion has forced them together and sparks fly.

This is a quick sweet funny romance.  

The Baby Bargain by Jennifer Apodaca

Unfortunate title aside this was a wonderful read.  Megan’s ex Adam has returned to town after breaking her heart 3 years earlier and saying he would never return.  Needless to say he has issues.  Megan has problems of her own not the least of which is the fact that she has given birth to Adam’s son and neglected to inform him of his existence.   Seeing each other again only confirms that there are still unresolved issues between the two but there is the baby to consider as well.

The Buckhorn Legacy (Buckhorn Brothers #5) by Lori Foster

This one has been sitting on my TBR shelf for a while now.  I am so glad I finally got around to reading it.  Casey Hudson has never forgotten Emma Clark the “bad girl” in high school who ran away from him and Buckhorn for reasons unknown eight years ago and now she is back.  She is older, wiser, and even more beautiful.  Can Casey convince her to give him a chance this time around?

Casey is another of the sweet honorable men of Buckhorn.  I love to visit with them anytime.

Edge of Dawn (Midnight Breed #11) by Lara Adrian

Twenty years after the events of Darker After Midnight sweet Mira with the cruel gift and the kind heart is all grown up and pissed off at the world.  Her love, the Breed Kellan Archer, is dead and she has yet to find the rebels behind the explosion that took him from her.  She is now a squad captain for the Order as they try to make a future where Breed and Humans can coexist peacefully.  As it turns out Kellan didn't die in that explosion and he is now Bowman, leader of a group of human rebels.  Finding him alive is a shock to Mira but knowing he is working for the other side is almost more than she can take.  The fact that she has never stopped loving him forces her to choose between duty and love.

The next generation of Breed warriors is just as hot as the last and what is really great is the Breed warriors we know and love are still around and kicking butt.  

Slow Burn (Smoke Jumpers #2) by Anne Marsh

Faye Duncan is free!  Her divorce is finalized.  She is in her shiny corvette and headed to Strong, CA to photograph fires and fire fighters for a magazine shoot.

Firefighters run toward a fire when normal people run away from it.  That’s what makes them heroes.  Evan Donovan is a smoke jumper.  That means he jumps from a plane into a fire.  That would him a crazy hero but he is all about safety.

When Evan & Faye meet things start to smoke and safety is for everything but the heart.

This is the second in a series revolving around the Donovan brothers and the smoke jumpers but can be read stand alone.  Evan is the “big guy” with a heart of gold.  He is dedicated to the job.  He doesn’t have the social skills that his brothers do so he is sweetly out of his depth when he finds himself falling for Faye.  He makes this story worth reading.

This book will be released on March 26^th.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Hoaley Inexplicable (Hoale Construction Mystery #3) by Declan Sands

m/m romantic suspense.  Adam Hoale and the gang are dragged into another murder mystery when they find a dead body in Bobby’s gym.  Who is the guy and how can they convince C.C. that Bobby didn’t do it?  This is another fast paced, truly humorous, terrific mystery.  You could probably read it stand alone but with a series this good you really ought to read them all.

Unbound by Angela Knight, Jennifer Ashley, Jean Johnson, Hanna Martine

Four stories of paranormal romance.

Enforcer by Angela Knight – I've been waiting for years for this story.  We return to the world of her Time Hunters series.  Time travel cops.  This story can be read stand-alone but it revolves around Dona & Alerio who we've been waiting for them to get together.   Angela Knight writes a steamy sex scene that will leave you in a puddle of goo.
 
Perfect Mate (Shifters Unbound #4.5) by Jennifer Ashley – Bear shifters Cormac and Nell.  I love Ms. Ashley's shifters and the bears in particular.  I was thrilled to see this pairing.  However I really think this story was too short.  Nell wouldn't have given it up that easy.  This would have been much better as a book.

The Hunter’s Cabin by Jean Johnson – Not being familiar with this world made this story a little awkward but the characters were engaging.

No Surprise More Magical by Hanna Martine – This story takes place in Ms. Martine's Elementals world.  I've read and enjoyed Liquid Lies and this story has just moved A Taste of Ice up on my TBR shelf.  David is a soldier who has been in love with Kelsey since they were in school together.  When the council falls he releases Kelsey from their marriage contract thinking that she was forced into agreeing to pair with him.  Truth is Kelsey has always loved him.  Now they are thrown together into a life threatening situation will they fess up?

As anthologies go this one is a winner.

Shift: A Virals Adventure by Kathy Reichs, Brendan Reichs

The only YA I am reading lately this series by Kathy Reichs (Bones) & her son Brendan Reichs is a paranormal Nancy Drew type romp.

Tori (Temperance Brennan’s niece) and her friends have accidentally been infected with a genetically engineered virus that has given them each an extra boost in a particular sense (sight, smell etc.)  In this short story there has been a break in at the lab where Tori’s dad works while Aunt Temperance is visiting.  Who will solve the mystery first? 

I've been enjoying this smart, quick paced series and recommend it to anyone who wants a change of pace.

Wild Invitation (Psy-Changeling Anthology) by Nalini Singh

Four short stories from Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling series.  The first two have been published elsewhere (but I hadn't read them) and the second two are entirely new.

Beat of Temptation – Tamsyn & Nates story.  Tamsyn is the healer and heart of the DarkRiver Leopards and one of my favorite characters.  Because of an attack on the DarkRiver cats Tamsyn is forced to grow up fast.  She becomes the community’s healer at the age of 17.  She has known the Nate was her mate since she was 15.  Nate is 10 years her senior and has forced himself (and his cat) to wait until she is grown and has had a chance to see a bit of the world.  Tamsyn is now 19 and back from medical training and is tired of waiting.  Nate needs to put up or shut up.

Stroke of Enticement – DarkRiver leopard Zach Quinn is smitten with human teacher Annie Kildare when he goes to deal with his nephews’ problem at school.  Because of her parents dysfunctional marriage Annie has lost faith in love.  Zach won’t settle for anything less.

Declaration of Courtship – SnowDancer lieutenant, Cooper is about as dominant as they come.  When he meets shy submissive Grace he knows she is the one for him.  (This D/s relationship is nothing like 50 Shades but explains the dynamic the best I’ve read)  Can he get her wolf to understand that he would never hurt her?

Texture of Intimacy – SnowDancer healer Lara and Walkers story.  We read about it peripherally in Kiss of Snow.  I've always felt that Walker was the strongest of the Lauren clan, not necessarily the most deadly but the strongest in force of will. Having survived Silence and the betrayal of Yelene can he learn to let go and share with Lara?

A wonderful addition to this fantastic series.

Frost Burned (Mercy Thompson #7) by Patricia Briggs

When Mercedes Thompson Hauptman isn't up to her elbows in auto repairs she is in over her head in trouble.  While trying to bond as new step mom to Jesse she allows herself to be conned into going shopping at the Black Friday sales.  When she has an accident and can’t reach Adam or any of the pack she becomes concerned.  She uses her mate/pack bond to try and reach Adam.  She can feel he is alive but he is angry and in pain.  It is up to Mercy to find out who and why and where the pack has been taken all while keeping Jesse safe and avoiding being killed herself.

Mercy ROCKS!  This is another non-stop roller coaster ride.  If you like smart, strong, independent kick butt heroines you need to read this series

Sorry

I've been reading almost non-stop.  After reading Calculated In Death (In Death #36) by J.D. Robb I had the desire to go back to the beginning and re-read the whole series.  I got through Conspiracy in Death (In Death #8) by J.D. Robb when I realized that Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs was finally coming out.  So I put down the In Death series and started re-reading the Mercy Thompson series and I finally get to read Frost Burned today.  Stand by…

Calculated In Death (In Death #36) by J.D. Robb

One of my all time favorite fictional couples... Eve & Roarke are back at it.

This time an accountant is found dead apparently mugged but Eve & Peabody figure out rather quickly that it was murder.   Again Eve, Peabody and company are on the trail of a murderer who is escalating quickly. With the murders involving those in the money field Eve taps her best resource, Roarke, who helps her understand the money trail.

Despite the formula or maybe because of it I LOVE this series. I never seem to get tired of reading about Eve and the oh so sexy Roarke.