Month: May 2018

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Book Review: Keeping 6 (Rock Point Series #1) by Freya Barker

 
Title: Keeping 6
Series: Rock Point Series #1
Author: Freya Barker
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: May 2, 2018
Cover Design: Rebel, Edit & Design

Bookstore owner Kerry Emerson finally seems to be back in control of her life. Her failure of a marriage firmly in her rearview mirror and her recent business expansion a success, she is in charge of her own future. One that is looking better than ever. 


The sight of the tall man, with the familiar salt and pepper goatee pushing open the door of her store, sets her hair on end. He doesn’t exactly bring good memories. 

FBI Special Agent in Charge, Damian Gomez, is just looking for a decent cup of coffee when he walks into the small store offering books and brew. The pretty, feisty woman behind the counter is an unexpected surprise. Not at all unpleasant, especially since her finger that used to hold a wedding ring is now bare. 

Her wild hair, boho style, and silvery grey eyes suddenly hold a lot of promise. But when his office is pulled into an international investigation into the trafficking of rare books and manuscripts, the straight-laced SAC realizes he has to keep his distance from the woman who might well be involved. 

Easier said than done since fate seems determined to throw them together.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Damn that man. I can’t even hang on to a good snit.

 

My mind twisted in so many different directions, I was giving myself whiplash.

 

He really has no idea the kind of danger he’s putting himself in right now. My sister can be like a rabid Chihuahua, especially with men.

 

“You know you’re near perfect, right?” “Near?” I sputter, mock insulted. “Perfection is boring, but near perfection? There isn’t a thing more intriguing, more tantalizing, more beautiful than that.”

 

Deadly words, those— I’m fine. Especially since it doesn’t take much to know she’s anything but fine.

 

…the reality of her never was a match to the dream of you.

 

There’s a reason I’m moving to Durango, aside from my job. More than an hour or two at a time and my mother has me reaching for the rat poison… for me!

 My Review:

 

I have enjoyed every Freya Barker book I have ever picked up. Her books always provide me with a smirk-worthy level of entertainment as in addition to the intrigue of a good mystery and few murders and maybe a fight or two, Ms. Barker always supplies a healthy serving of humor, spicy sensuality, adult level romance, and authentic characters that I would enjoy knowing. I wasn’t familiar with the law enforcement terminology of keeping your 6, but I had an inkling of what it would mean, and it was an excellent title for this engaging tale. I adored FBI Special Agent in Charge Damian Gomez and loved the humor make available by the family dynamics of his intrusive relatives. I am already looking forward to the next installment of this new series.

“With impeccable writing Freya Barker weaves words into a story so captivating I was glued to the pages for hours.” ~Britt Red Hatter Book Blog

 

 

“Freya’s unmatched storytelling leads the reader up a mountain of suspense and intrigue. Dangers lurk as the cast of characters, both main and secondary, along with the readers, are consumed in the mystery of what’s to come. Five stars granted for the first book in this edge of your seat series. Cannot wait to see what’s coming next.” ~A.C. Bextor, Best selling author of KEPT: A Second Chance Fairy Tale

 

 

“Freya Barker has never written about perfect people. She writes about real people. This is why I can never put her books down.” ~ Kez’s Korner Blog

Damian

“You?”

My head whips around at the sound of a woman’s voice.

It’s been a long-ass morning already with meetings I would’ve loved to have avoided. Since being put in charge of the Durango field office, it seems I spend more time in meetings than working in the field. I swear each week there are new task forces put together, and I can barely keep up. I stepped out of the office for a much-needed break to find that the coffee shop around the corner had a sign plastered on the door stating they were closed due to a family emergency. Desperate for my caffeine fix, I kept walking and bumped into Kerry’s Korner: Books & Brew. Something about the name is familiar. I push the door, which opens with the ring of a bell, when I hear her voice. 

She’s pretty. The woman behind the counter looks like a seventies flower child, with wild, dirty blonde hair, some kind of flowy top leaving her collarbones and a goodly amount of cleavage exposed, and a pixie face. Something about her is familiar, and it appears she knows me, too. Fuck if I can’t place her. 

“Got me at a disadvantage, sweets,” I tell her with a shrug.

“You’re FBI,” she says, propping her hands on her nicely rounded hips. “I remember you.”

I look at her a little closer. Not a hardship, there’s a lot to check out. Those pale gray eyes trigger a memory. “You’re Kimeo’s girl,” I say, remembering the case a few years ago when I first saw her for the briefest of moments. A case long since put to rest, but not before this woman was snatched and roughed up before we got to her. We’d been called in by Gus Flemming, a friend of mine who owns an investigation and security company in Cedar Tree. Kimeo, the wife of one of Gus’s guys, found herself in the middle of shady land deals and this woman, her best friend, had been kidnapped to ensure her silence. I may not have remembered her name until I saw her standing behind the counter of Kerry’s Korner, but I sure as hell remember her. I also remember the wedding ring on her finger, which is why I didn’t bother looking twice at the time. 

The hands resting on her hips no longer sport that wedding ring, just a large knuckle ring on the middle finger of her left hand as a sort of fuck you to the world. I bet she flips that bird easily, judging by the attitude she throws off. I like it.

“Kerry,” she says, almost as a challenge. 

“Right. You look better now,” I tell her, making her snort loudly.

“No shit. I’d just been used as a punching bag when you found me and shoved me into the back of a van without a word.” Yup, most definitely a challenge. She doesn’t like me much, I deduct from the slightly distasteful look on her face.

“Was a little preoccupied with my investigation. Sorry if I didn’t take the time to make nice.” Fuck me, I sound like a dick. Something about her attitude grates on me, especially when she rolls her eyes dramatically before placing her hands on the counter in front of her and leaning over. 

“Damian. Right?” She doesn’t wait for my confirmation before she continues, “Well, Damian, what brings you to my bookstore?”

“Coffee. Straight up,” I tell her without blinking. She turns her back without a word and starts fiddling with the expensive-looking machine on the sideboard, and I take the opportunity to check out her backside. “Double shot?” she asks over her shoulder, catching me ogling. 

“Good guess.” I smile at her, which only earns me another eye roll. Attitude in spades, this one. As much as it irritates me, it somehow turns me on, too. 

She’s late thirties, maybe forty, if I had to venture a guess from the lines around her eyes. She obviously laughs a lot—something I wouldn’t mind hearing. I have a feeling with that slightly raspy voice of hers, her laugh will sound even sexier. She’s not wearing a stitch of makeup from what I can tell and seems totally at ease in her skin. Not usually the kind of woman I find myself drawn to, but this one has an appeal all her own. Most women I end up with are well put together: stacked, sweet, and sultry. Just the way I like them. This one, though? This one is like the fucking girl next door. Fresh-faced, with a hippy vibe, barely enough tit to fill my hands, but an ass that should be framed, it’s that lush. Always considered myself a boob man, until I just got an eyeful of her backside. 

While she doctors the elaborate coffee machine, I take the time to check out her shop. An older building, it has an old-fashioned facade with shallow bay windows, displaying an assortment of books, framing the door. Old wood floors that have been left bare to the wear and tear of foot traffic, resulting in a well-worn look more suited to an old saloon. Rows of rugged bookcases, jutting out from the back wall, with chalkboard display signs indicating the different genres. The counter is on one side in front of the window and on the opposite side, in front of the second bay window, is a small seating arrangement with an old, brown leather couch and two club chairs around a small, round coffee table. On the counter is a large, round, glass cake stand with pastries. 

“Here you go. Anything else with that? A pastry to sweeten you up a bit or perhaps a book on appropriate social behavior? I have both.” I can’t stop the smirk tugging at my mouth. This one’s a handful, for sure. Too much of one. I pull out my wallet and slap a couple of dollar bills on the counter. 
“Nah,” I drawl. “Not the kind of sweet I’m looking for, and as for the book, I’ll just wait until you get done with it. You’re probably due for a reread.” I snag my coffee off the counter, and with a wink, I saunter out the door, leaving her standing with her mouth hanging open and fire shooting from those pretty gray eyes.

Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories.

Driven to make her books about ‘real’ people; with characters who are perhaps less than perfect, but just as deserving of romance, thrills and chills, and some hot, sizzling sex in their lives.

A recipient of the RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for best first book, “Slim To None”, and Finalist for the Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, Freya has not slowed down.


She continues to add to her rapidly growing collection of published novels as she spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!

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Book Review: Unwritten by Rachel Lacey

Unwritten

(Rock Star Duet #1)

by Rachel Lacey 

Amazon US / UK / Can ~ B&N ~ iBooks ~

 Add on Goodreads

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The first book in Rachel Lacey’s sizzling new Rock Star Duet, where the only thing brighter than the glare of the spotlight is the power of love.

Pop sensation and Hollywood star Katherine Hayes has worked hard to maintain her squeaky-clean image. But with nude photos going viral on the internet, the ensuing smear campaign threatens to ruin everything.

A chance meeting with a handsome college professor—who’s adorably clueless about her identity—is a rare break from the stress. But when shocked recognition dawns in his eyes, her survival mechanism kicks in. She can’t simply let him walk away to add grist to the rumor mill.

Josh Randall has already loved and lost his soulmate. Yet when he witnesses Kate in a vulnerable moment, he can’t deny the pull between them. Even though he believes down to his bones that true love doesn’t come twice in a lifetime.

A no-strings fling sounds like the perfect solution. But Kate never expected Josh to see the woman hiding behind the celebrity—or that the paparazzi would catch on to their sizzling passion so quickly. Making it hard to keep their tangled emotions from tearing their hearts apart when it’s time to say goodbye…

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

 

You blend in like a supermodel at a nun convention.

 My Review:

 

I enjoyed this well-crafted and heart-squeezing story from beginning to end. The writing was engaging and emotive while the storyline was entertaining, active, and well-paced. Ms. Lacey is a recent find for me and I have greatly appreciated her word skills with each foray into her work. Her characters tend to be uniquely flawed yet enticing and endearing.   She has my attention now as I have joined the ranks of her adoring fans.

 

About the Author

Rachel Lacey is a contemporary romance author and semi-reformed travel junkie. She’s been climbed by a monkey on a mountain in Japan, gone scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef, and camped out overnight in New York City for a chance to be an extra in a movie. These days, the majority of her adventures take place on the pages of the books she writes. She lives in warm and sunny North Carolina with her husband, son, and a variety of rescue pets.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads 

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Book Review, Giveaway: The Good Luck Sister – Wildstone Book 1.5 by Jill Shalvis

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This summer, romance blooms again in Wildstone!
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The Good Luck Sister

Wildstone – Book 1.5

Jill Shalvis

William Morrow/Harper Collins
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After a difficult few years, Tilly Adams is ready for life to start going right. Though she has a case of first day nerves teaching art at the local community college, she knows it isn’t anything a few snuggles from her rescue puppy won’t cure. Until she sees Dylan Scott again, her one-time BFF and first love sitting in the front row.
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Dylan knows he should’ve left well enough alone, but when he sees Tilly living her dream, he can’t help but make contact. Ten years ago, he left Wildstone and everything in it behind,  including Tilly. He had his reasons, but now he wants her back in his life, anyway he can get her.

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When Tilly agrees to design the logo for Dylan’s new helicopter touring company, it’s business only…until she finds herself falling into his arms once again. Can she possibly open her heart back up to the only man who’s ever broken it? But soon they’re both realizing the truth — love always deserves a second chance.
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BUY NOW
AMAZON | B&N | iBOOKS
OTHER | PAPERBACK

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My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

There’s like ten different levels of dating now before you actually date. It’s so confusing to me that it makes me need a nap.

I’ve gone to the hospital twice with false labor. I’m not going to embarrass myself again. This baby’s going to be halfway out before I go back.

I thought I’d let myself down, but then you came along and saw me as a better version of myself.

My Review:

This was a quick, fun, amusing, and sweet read with a few licks of sizzle and steam. In other words – nirvana. She is a recent find for me but I am going to follow Jill Shalvis until my last breath, I adore her style and covet her delightfully clever arrangements of words.

 
Read the story that started it all!
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis writes warm, funny, sexy contemporary romances and women’s fiction. An Amazon, BN & iBooks bestseller, she’s also a two-time RITA winner and has more than 10 million copies of her books sold worldwide.

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Interested in having Jill Shalvis crash your Book Club? 

ENTER HERE –> http://bit.ly/CRASHMYCLUBCONTEST
Win a 30 minute Skype session with Jill to discuss herupcoming release, RAINY DAY FRIENDS, along with up to 10 print copies of the book and a $50 Panera Bread gift card!

To enter, purchase THE GOOD LUCK SISTER, $1.99, a Wildstone novella releasing on May 1st, and then hit the link and complete the form! Winner will be announced on May 15th, and contacted by email address.