Irish Devil (Brooklyn Kings #4) by L.K. Shaw

 

 

Blurb:

Aurora

It started with a stolen kiss. A brief flirtation between two strangers. Until reality intruded. He was a part of the Irish mob, and my father had other plans for me.

In the three years since, I’ve lived in a hell of secrets and lies, leaving me a broken, shattered version of my former self. Then, I come face to face with Jack again. The man who will either become my savior or my destruction.

Jack

My Irish family has spent years rescuing women trafficked by the Polish mafia. I’ve been a protector. A defender. Saved countless women.

A twist of fate puts a woman from my past directly in my path. When I discover she’s in danger, I’ll destroy anyone in order to save her, too.

 

My review:

Glorious! This story features a young woman sold into marriage to an abusive husband. Just before she is given away she shares a kiss so transcendent it gets her through the bad times. When she next sees the guy responsible for the kiss she is another person. She is beaten down and afraid. This is the story of her resurgence. She takes bake her life with help. Maybe there is a second chance for her. If only the devil has the patience to help her through. I really enjoyed this story.

 

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The Nightshade Guild: Mage To Disobey by Mandy Rosko

 

 

Blurb:

Lisa Chen has finally made a decision.

She’s going to give up her life of magic and settle for a non-magic life with her human ex.

Well, mostly non-magic. She’d never abandon Angus , her little red dragon familiar.

But no sooner does Lisa reconcile with Jason Cross when a strange symbol appears on her arm. What does it mean? She’ll have to re-enter the magic world to find out, which means leaving Jason yet again.

She promises it will be the last time, but promises are shattered when she uncovers the meaning of the symbol: She’s been chosen to join the world’s twelve most powerful mages on The Nightshade Guild.

She’s shocked. Especially when the other Nightshade Guild members tell her that she needs to return with them and take the oath.

Why did the symbol chose her? She’s never been good at playing by rules, and now she’d be expected to be one of the rule keepers. An impartial protector and enforce of rules regarding the all of the world’s magical creatures.

She’s sure she can’t do it, because Lisa was Mage to Disobey.

 

My review:

This is the first in the new arc of this series. This story was short and left me wanting but gave us hope for more in the future. I loved Angus and could relate to Lisa but really wanted more.

 

Buy link:

Amazon

Cupid Wore Dogtags

 

Cupid Wore Dogtags by DC Gomez, Lexi Ostrow, Kris Jacen, Lily Ann Johnson, Melissa MacKinnon, Megan Grooms, Cara North

 

Blurb:

This Valentine's Day Cupid has his arrows set on service members. Military life can be as extraordinary as it is stressful - especially during the holidays. Enjoy stories including Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and a Coastie! Written by Authors who are military veterans or military spouses. Cupid Wore Dog Tags is an Anthology filled with love for those who wear a uniform.

 

Entanglement by USA Today Bestselling Author, DC Gomez

To Love A Guardsman by USA Today Bestselling Author, Lexi Ostrow

Salvaging My Heart by Kris Jacen

Valentine's Hart by Lily Ann Johnson

Love Letters From Home by Melissa MacKinnon

Playing Cupid by Megan Grooms

Reluctant Valentine by Cara North

 

My review:

I loved this collection of military romances by some of my favorite authors.

Entanglement by USA Today Bestselling Author, DC Gomez – From the meet cute to the wedding hook up this story will put a smile on your face.

Salvaging My Heart by Kris Jacen – This was by a “new to me author” but I loved this sweet story of Uncle Nick and the coach. Nick comes home on emergency leave because his mom and sister were injured in a wreck; and he needs to take care of his nephew. He didn’t count on finding his future. I will definitely be checking out this authors other work.

Reluctant Valentine by Cara North – Tough girl meets her match in this fun Valentines tale.

Love Letters From Home by Melissa MacKinnon – Sweet story of a fifth grade class and their teacher adopting a soldier as a pen pal leading to much more.

To Love A Guardsman by USA Today Bestselling Author, Lexi Ostrow – This story deals with the issue of those left behind. Military spouses have a tough road to hoe moving for their spouses and dealing with their deployments. This story asks if love is enough.

Playing Cupid by Megan Grooms – This fun story deals with a couple in love playing Cupid for some friends one who has been burned and another who doesn’t want to have anything to do with a military man. This story made me laugh out loud.

Valentine's Hart by Lily Ann Johnson – This story played fast and loose with the names Valentine and Hart and a second chance at romance. Lots of fun.

 

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A Midlife Prelude (Packless in Seattle Book 1) by Lia Davis

 

 

Blurb:

Omega wolf shifter, Matilda Carol, is about change her life forever. Starting over at forty-five isn’t the scariest thing she’ll have to face in her new life. But she’ll pay any price to gain her independence. Even if it means she has to die in the process.

Faking her own death and moving away from the only home she’s ever known is intimidating, to say the least. Especially when Mattie has been sheltered and controlled by her uncle all her life. It’s a good thing that her BFF, Julie, is a powerful fae with connections to several paranormal factions that have all sworn to keep Mattie hidden from her uncle.

When Julie goes missing, Mattie will not rest until she’s brought home. But she’s never investigated a missing persons case before—or any other case.

When the police can’t find any trace of Julie, Mattie does her own detective work with the help of a vampire king, a witch, and a mysterious hottie who stirs her inner wolf’s mating urge. Wow. She didn’t see that one coming.

Mattie may be packless in Seattle, but she’s in control of her own destiny for the first time in her life. She’s not about to waste this opportunity.

 

My review:

A Midlife Prelude is the first in a new series featuring wolf shifter, Matilda Carol who is starting over at the ripe old age of forty-five. Her magic is changing, and she refuses to be sold off in marriage. Faking her death and moving to Seattle is a wonderful new start. But when her BFF goes missing Mattie is determined to find her. Mattie discovers a lot about herself in this story and it looks as if she will learn a whole lot more. 

I really liked this story and the fantastic group of secondary characters. I look forward to mare with Mattie and company.

 

Buy links:

Amazon

Nothing But Ink (Montgomery Ink: Fort Collins #3.5) by Carrie Ann Ryan

 

 

Blurb:

Clay Hollins knows he needs to stay away from Riggs Kennedy. He doesn't have time to fall for the bearded bartender that haunts his dreams and waking fantasies. Not only is he working long hours at his dream job with Montgomery Builders, but he’s raising his three cousins and they need him more than he needs a private life.

After one night of giving in, however, neither Riggs nor Clay can walk away.

Only their lives are chaotic with baggage from Riggs’ past and Clay’s present and taking a chance on each other might be the scariest yet best decision they ever make.

 

My review:

Nothing But Ink is Clay and Riggs tale. Clay and Riggs are much loved secondary characters from the Montgomery Ink: Fort Collins series.

Clay is acting as a single father to his three young cousins and working for Montgomery Builders. He doesn’t have time for a love life. Riggs practically lives at his bar making his dreams come true after a disastrous marriage. Can these two find time for love? Maybe with a little help from the Montgomery clan.

These two are so sweet together. I’m thrilled that Carrie Ann Ryan shared their story with us.

 

Buy links:

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Bear and Square (Paranormal Dating Agency #38) by Milly Taiden

 

 

Blurb:

Famous Hollywood actress, Paige Kirby, is sick of the limelight. Can’t a woman eat a donut without the tabloids snapping her picture? No matter how hard she tries, Paige can’t outrun the paparazzi. They always find her. After a narrow escape, Paige meets Gerri Wilder, who recommends Bear Paw Protection. A vacation with a well-paid bodyguard might be just the ticket to happiness. And she won’t focus on the gorgeous hunk guarding her no matter how hard it is.

Bear shifter Dev Weaver’s latest assignment didn’t go so well. All he wants to do is lick his wounds and play his guitar. He doesn’t want to babysit another high-strung starlet – even if it would mean a free trip to Hawaii. He has no choice. Gerri Wilder, an old friend of his sleuth, specifically recommended him to Paige Kirby. The bodyguard has no option but to guard a body he’d rather not notice. A beautiful, curvy body he really doesn’t want to notice.

Because Paige isn’t just some spoiled actress – she’s his fated mate, and someone is tracking her every move. Dev is on the case. But could an old enemy of his be the real threat? Time will tell. He just needs to keep Paige alive to see where their romance goes. Hopefully not before their luck runs out.

 

My review:

The actress and the bodyguard. Bodyguard and bear shifter Dev Weaver doesn’t do actresses. No, no, uh, uh. Nothing doing. But when his boss, alpha and best friend is asked for a favor from Geri Wilder, Dev is going to do a bodyguard gig for an actress who just wants to get away from everything. When she turns out to be his mate (sneaky Geri) he’s got to do an attitude check and quick.

This is a sweet and sassy story with a grumpy bear and a woman looking for change.

 

Buy link:

Amazon

Love Heat & Deceit (Luna's Paranormals Book 4) by Shelly Small

 

 

Blurb:

Love is in the air
and for some, it’s not.
People try to find love
in a variety of ways.

One way was speed dating.
The only problem was
the growing dead bodies
that followed a night
of get togethers.

Luna must figure out what’s
going on before one of her
friends ends up dead.
Will love win or will
it go down in a
blaze of glory?

 

My review:

Have you read the others in this series? No? STOP and do so before reading this or you’ll not understand what’s going on.

Luna and friends need to find out who is killing lonely women just trying to find a connection through a speed dating service. When it hits close to home they call in Luna and pray that it won’t be a bloody Valentine’s day.

I enjoyed this installment but like I said if you haven’t read the earlier books you’ll be very confused as to the relationships and past events that form where Luna is today.

 

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Plain Jane and Mr. Wright by Tmonique Stephens

 

 

Blurb:

GOOD GIRLS DON’T HAVE ONE-NIGHT STANDS!

Jane Playne is a good girl. She has done everything right her entire life… until Nicholas Wright steals her away. He’s a bad boy. A killer. Yet he saved her, protected her, and turned her inside out.

Nicholas Wright has one mission; keep those he loves safe. The only way he can do that with Jane is to keep her close even though that places in her danger. He should send her away, yet can’t. She calms him, keeps him sane, and each night in between her thighs is a night spent in heaven.
Jane’s one-night stand has turned into nights of passion in the arms of a man she shouldn’t want. Now Jane is a good girl gone bad. She’s a woman on a mission to get what she wants. And what she wants, needs, is every glance, touch, and taste of Mr. Wright.

Nicholas has no idea how good of a bad girl Jane can be. He’ll soon learn what Jane wants, Jane gets.

 

My review:

Yikes! I can’t believe I kept this on my TBR so long. I LOVE THIS SERIES!

Jane Playne is a smart over achiever with self esteem issues. As the oops child she has consigned herself to being the good girl. She graduated early, went to college, now she is in a job she hates with her one and only boyfriend as a cheating ex.

Nicholas Wright is an interesting character. Total bad boy vibes without being an a**hole. He knew there was something special about Jane just from a photograph and when he saves her from a kidnapping plot the chemistry between the two is off the charts.

These two will lift each other up and make each other whole. I loved watching Jane grow into her own skin and watching Nick fall to his knees. Fabulous entry in this series.

 

Buy links:

Amazon

 

 

 

Burning Bright (Nip and Paw Book 1) by Milly Taiden

 

 

Blurb:

Egon Thatcher isn’t just the Sheriff of Thatcherton. He is also the alpha tiger. It’s a big responsibility, especially during the tourist season. With summer starting, he has one goal: make sure the mountain’s visitors have a good time to fund the town’s survival. All that is forgotten when he finds his mate lost in the forest. Having a trouble-free summer is soon the least of his problems. Finding out his mate is a sassy beauty just adds to the distraction.

Bree Elsher is having one hell of a bad week. She learned — on live television while delivering the evening news—her ex-boyfriend is a murderer. Everyone thinks she might have been his accomplice. So she hides out on a secluded mountain away from everyone. But when she is rescued from a tiger attack by Sheriff Egon Thatcher, everything changes. He makes her emotions crazy and her hormones go up in flames.

The threat of her past is dragged through the forested mountain. Bree is in danger while her entire life comes crumbling down. Egon wants to keep her safe, but there is so much more at stake than his streak of tigers and his mate.

Bad things have come to Thatcherton, and the fated mates might not get a chance to explore their bond. Not if the killer has anything to say about it…

 

My review:

Bree has had a hell of a week, hell she’s had a hell of a life. She needs a break. Sadly her troubles have followed her so she needs a hero. Enter tiger shifter, alpha and sheriff Egon Thatcher. His tiger finds her wandering the woods and says MATE! Egon is a little bit more tactful. I loved these two characters and very much look forward to Egon’s brothers tales. Sassy and sexy.

 

Buy links:

Amazon

Masquerading In the Midlife (Fanged after forty #3) by Lia Davis & L.A. Boruff

 

 

Blurb:

Forty and fanged.

That’s only half of who Hailey Whitfield is. She’s also a bounty hunter and the true mate to the vampire master who made her. The latter is something she isn’t sure she is ready for. She’d previously sworn off marriage. Never again. A true mating bond, though, seems like so much more than a marriage!

She has two months to figure out the bonding thing and she plans to put a pin in it for now. A more important mission had come up. Her friend and fellow bounty hunter, Chloe, is missing, and it’s up to the Bond Girls to bring her home.

The case takes a dangerous turn that sends Hailey and her team undercover to get an invite to the largest masquerade ball on the east coast.

Is it wrong to be excited about the ball and scared for her friend at the same time? Probably. But Hailey is taking the world by storm, one case at a time.

 

My review:

This story picks up where Staked in the Midlife left off. I was really enjoying the give and take between Hailey and Jax and trying to figure out the mystery of Chloe’s kidnapping. Kendra and Hailey’s ex had me rolling on the floor laughing. I loved this story right up to the end. Bring on the next installment ASAP.

 

Buy link:

Amazon

Duty Bound (Angelbound Lincoln #1) by Christina Bauer

 

 

Blurb:

As the High Prince of the demon-fighting thrax, Lincoln knows he must marry for political gain. Not that he minds. For all of his eighteen years, Lincoln’s been bound to his duty. Then the prince glimpses Myla, a part-demon girl.

Everything changes.

Emotion blossoms, along with a single question: What happens when a woman you’ve never met upends your life completely?

Lincoln’s about to find out.

 

My review:

Oh; the questions this story left me with. Lincoln is a young man, Prince of the Thrax and demon fighter across realms. Till now his life has been filled with his duties. He is angered by his future father in-laws (a political marriage) disregard for the men under his command throwing away their lives and fighting Lincoln’s attempt to train them correctly. What does his future father in-law hold over Lincoln’s father? Who is Myla the part-demon girl and warrior? This book introduces you to the characters and the issues and leaves you with questions and wanting more.

 

Buy links:

Amazon

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He's with the Band by Julie Stone

 

 

Blurb:

After twenty-three years of marriage to an utter jackass and beige décor as far as the eye can see, Campbell Cavett is now divorced. Officially. But how did she lose herself for all these years? Somehow she went from being a bold, starry-eyed young groupie who followed Golden Tiger on tour to…snapping photos of snot-nosed kids for their Pinterest moms at the local Portrait Hut.

But she takes her Divorce Party one bottle of Pinot Grigio too far and wakes to discover she’s quit her boring-ass job, arranged to sell her house, and has tickets to the Golden Tiger reunion show. Which is exactly when fate and Campbell decide it’s time to pick up where she left off all those years ago.

Now Campbell’s on tour as the official photographer of her favorite band and living the life she’s always dreamed. But backstage access means that she’s about to discover a whole lot. Not just about herself, but about a blast from her past who looks way hotter than he has any right to twenty-plus years later. Plus there’s that mind-blowing secret Golden Tiger’s been hiding from everyone. They say time can heal anything. But is six weeks on the road enough to truly start fresh?

 

My review:

Former wild child Campbell gave up the life she wanted for the one she thought she should have. Beige and boring she isn’t living she’s existing. Enough! Days after the divorce was finalized Campbell gets a chance to discover which path was the one she should have taken. This is a terrific story of what ifs and second chances.

 

Buy links:

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Medicine Balls (Balls to the Wall #8.5) by Tara Lain

 

Blurb:

When a guy’s so far out of your league he makes you hyperventilate, it’s time to call a doctor.

Zach Elliot, MD, knows he’s pudgy and plain because his super-hot fiancé tells him it’s true. How did Zach get lucky enough to rate Johnny?

Maybe Ben McLean, the gorgeous personal trainer, can get Zach fit enough that Johnny doesn’t have to be ashamed of him at their wedding?

But when Zach’s efforts to get better cause Johnny to act a whole lot worse, Zach’s eyes start to open and a couple of sessions in a steam room with Ben give Zach new dreams.

What he really needs to be trained to do is see the truth.

Medicine Balls, a stand-alone story in the Balls to the Wall series, is a love triangle, opposites attract, friends-to-lovers, MM romance.

Content warning: body shaming.

 

My review:

Zach is a smart guy with poor self-esteem. He’s found a cute guy to marry him and wants to get fit so he can feel like maybe he deserves him. With the help of his hot ask heck personal trainer Zach drops some weight and takes a good look at his life. I felt so bad for Zach and was rooting for him.

I got this book on Prolific works. I’ve read all the Balls to the Wall books but you can read this one stand alone. A terrific addition to the series. This book kept me thinking long past the last page.