Book Review: Handle With Care by Helena Hunting

“Lincoln and Wren had me flipping through the pages frantically, begging for more. Their chemistry was explosive, their love story both hilarious and tender.”- L.J. Shen, USA Today bestselling author

Handle With Care, an all-new romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Helena Hunting is available now!

Handle With Care

by Helena Hunting

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HE WANTS TO LOSE CONTROL.

Between his parents’ messed up marriage and his narcissistic younger brother, Lincoln Moorehead has spent the majority of his life avoiding his family. After the death of his father, Lincoln finds himself in the middle of the drama. To top it all off, he’s been named CEO of Moorehead Media, much to his brother’s chagrin. But Lincoln’s bad attitude softens when he meets the no-nonsense, gorgeous woman who has been given the task of transforming him from the gruff, wilderness guy to a suave businessman

SHE’S TRYING TO HOLD IT TOGETHER.

Wren Sterling has been working double-time to keep the indiscretions at Moorehead Media at bay, so when she’s presented with a new contract, with new responsibilities and additional incentives, she agrees. Working with the reclusive oldest son of a ridiculously entitled family is worth the hassle if it means she’s that much closer to pursuing her own dreams. What Wren doesn’t expect is to find herself attracted to him, or for it to be mutual. And she certainly doesn’t expect to fall for Lincoln. But when a shocking new Moorehead scandal comes to light, she’s forced to choose between her own family and the broody, cynical CEO.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Do not sass me, Lincoln Alexander Moorehead. And do not call me G-mom in front of the goddamn staff. How am I going to keep my battle-ax reputation with you shouting nicknames that make me sound like a second-rate rap star?

I don’t know what kind of karmic bomb your parents managed to set off when they created your brother.

I’m startled out of my thoughts when my brother jumps up and shouts a bunch of profane nonsense, hands flailing like he’s trying to swim on land, or approximate the chicken dance while on an LSD trip… He keeps jabbing his finger at me, as if he’s engaged in a finger sword fight.

Gwendolyn’s expression is slightly pinched— which is saying something because most of her face usually doesn’t move.

Dear sweet baby Jesus riding a unicorn.

He wasn’t faithful to my mother, and maybe I can understand that, since she has the warmth of a corpse…

My Review:

I am stunned and truthfully mortified to report that this was my first Helena Hunting experience… where have I been? The woman is a prolific and clever wordsmith and has a backlist a mile long – I am so ashamed of myself ~ hangs head… But now that I am in the know I plan to make amends for my slothful and inattentive ways and greedily latch on to as many of her skillful arrangements of words as possible. I am totally enamored with her wit, observantly descriptive writing style, and irreverent humor.

Handle With Care was written in my favorite dual POV with sparkling levity, titillating family scandals, smoldering sensual scenes, vile yet quirky villains that I loved to despise, and a plethora of enticing and intriguing primary and secondary characters. I adored every well-placed word and smirked my way through this absorbing and refreshingly entertaining tale. Sigh, I enjoyed these characters so much I am more than a bit reluctant to let them go, but at least I now have a new favorite author to fangirl.

Excerpt:

“You have a suit fitting tomorrow morning.”

“Tomorrow morning? I have lots of suits; I’ll make one of those work.”

“Are they like the ones you wore to the funeral?” I ask.

“Yeah, why?”

“Well, they may have fit you five years ago, but they certainly don’t fit you now. I’ll text you the details and add them to your personal calendar.”

“You can’t do that without my cell number.” His smugness would be grating if I wasn’t two steps ahead of him.

I flash a fake smile. “I already have all of your personal details, Lincoln. Right down to your shoe size. And you can’t be late like you were this morning, so it might be a good idea to avoid the scotch tonight so you’re less bear and more human. You’ll need to use these things called manners. I can email you a refresher on what those are, should you need it.”

“Sarcasm is a weapon of the weak.”

My ears are on fire as he heads for the door. Jerk. I was being witty, not sarcastic. “Thanks so much for offering to help clean up the mess you made.” I turn to address the crinkled papers scattered on the floor.

It’s common courtesy to offer assistance if you’re the one who made the damn mess. Even Armstrong, who is the most epic of douches, has some manners. Usually he’ll try to look up a skirt or down a shirt while he’s being polite, but it’s better than this.

I turn to retrieve the papers when two things happen, a power surge ramps up the box fans—it happens at least twice a day, and at the same time Lincoln pulls the door open again. The simultaneous actions create a vortex of air inside my office, and my skirt flutters into the air. Like I’m Marilyn Monroe and I’ve stepped onto one of those subway grates. The fabric rises quickly, and a breeze hits me right between the legs, which is the exact moment I remember that I’m not wearing panties. Because they were covered in the coffee Armstrong spilled in my lap.

I drop the papers and battle the fabric back down. It’s fruitless, though, the wind tunnel whirls through the room like Dorothy’s freaking tornado, and the back of my dress goes up. I meet Lincoln’s gaze from across the small room. All it takes is a second of eye contact before those ridiculously blue eyes pull me in, and weird, inappropriate things start happening to my body. It’s irritating as hell. I don’t even like this guy, but my body seems as if it hasn’t gotten the same memo as the rest of me. Even more aggravating is the realization that based on his expression, he totally caught an eyeful of cooch.

Lincoln stands frozen at the door, eyes wide and fixed on my crotch, mouth hanging open.

“Close the damn door!” My voice is siren high. And loud.

“Right. Yes. I’m going. Now.” He steps out of my office, pulling the door closed behind him.

My dress settles around my knees. “Dammit.” I drop into my chair, which is probably what I should’ve done as soon as the wind tunnel started, but clearly I’d been too panicked to think straight.

On the upside, I went to see my waxer last week, so he’s seen my girl bits when they’re looking their finest.

On the downside, my project for the next six months has seen my naked girl bits.

About the Author:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of PUCKED, Helena Hunting lives on the outskirts of Toronto with her incredibly tolerant family and two moderately intolerant cats. She writes contemporary romance ranging from new adult angst to romantic sports comedy.

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September 2, 2019

Book Reviews: Let Your Hair Down (Almost Royal Book 3) by Rachel Lacey

Let Your Hair Down

(Almost Royal Book 3)

by Rachel Lacey

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA

BN ~ iBooks ~ Kobo ~ GP

THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME

Ruby Keller is going rogue, or at least that’s the hashtag she’s using to document her vacation: #RubyGoesRogue. Illness kept her confined to her bedroom for much of her childhood, and as a result, she’s always played it safe, hiding behind her laptop and overanalyzing every decision. When a friend’s wedding takes her to London, she decides to push herself out of her comfort zone and take an uncharted adventure on her own…no laptop, no itinerary, and no one to get in her way. A chance run-in with a handsome British stranger was definitely not on the agenda…

Flynn Bowen travels the globe for his family’s chain of upscale hotels and resorts. He’s struggled to find his place within the business, so when his parents allow him to oversee the construction of a new location in Dubai, he’s determined not to let them down. When he meets Ruby, he’s enchanted by her passion and bravery, not to mention the chemistry between them. If circumstances were different, he could fall for this vivacious American beauty, but fate has only given them one magical day together. Can they find a way to grab their chance at love, or will geography—and their own inhibitions—tear them apart?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

I think you look like a woman who waited around for her letter from Hogwarts once upon a time, but I would hate to make a snap judgment.

Ruby was a gem in every sense of the word.

I’ve learned is that life can be short and fragile, and when you find something great, you should grab ahold of it, even if it’s not what you were expecting. And I definitely wasn’t expecting you, but here we are.

She was stabbing at her salad like it had personally offended her. Her expression betrayed nothing, but she was uncharacteristically quiet, which seemed somehow harder to take than if she’d just started yelling at him.

My Review:

I have enjoyed this pleasurable series of supportive, animal-loving, and spunky friends and am sad to see it end. This installment featured a major turn-about for Ruby. The cautious and highly organized Ruby left her spreadsheets and laptop at home and set off for her friend’s wedding in London with a mission to go off on her own and experience an unplanned, unscheduled, no reservations made, grand adventure. She was off to a good start with a sexy new acquaintance she met at the wedding acting as her London tour guide then he became a good slice more before they wistfully parted with no hope of seeing each other again.

But of course, that couldn’t be as then there would be no story. Ruby and Flynn’s tale was a sweet and gentle low-conflict tale with a bit of sightseeing, illness, and a bit of steamy goodness, then a devastating disappointment for Ruby until Flynn finally pulled his cranium from his colon and gave us our HEA. As we all know, I must have my HEA or I will be stamping my little foot in pique and turning the air blue with invectives. Thank ALL our lucky stars that I didn’t need to pull my boots on. 😉

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

August 31, 2019

Book Review: Happy-Go-Lucky by L.H. Cosway

Happy-Go-Lucky

by L.H. Cosway

Amazon US / UK / CA / AU

Every workplace has that one person you don’t want to mess with.

At James & Peterson Investigations, that would be Cameron Grant: sullen, grouchy, intimidating, oh yeah, and sexy as hell. He can make your soul wither with a single disapproving glare. And he never, ever socializes with his co-workers.

This is why Maisie Wilkins, happy-go-lucky ray of sunshine, can’t fathom why Cameron finally decided to show up at their annual office Christmas party. Every year he received an invite, and every year he failed to attend. But not this year.

Curious as to why he’s there, Maisie can’t resist sitting next to Cameron. Before she knows it, she’s had one too many drinks and is drunkenly hailing a cab back to his place. Office party flings are not something she normally does, but despite his intimidating character, Cameron has a charm she can’t resist. Or maybe it was just those five gin and tonics blurring her judgment.

Whatever the reason, Maisie now has to navigate the awkward, tension-filled waters of sharing an office with someone she’s slept with.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

I found it weird to think of him having parents, siblings. I was used to imagining him as some sort of perfect-looking vampire who slept in a coffin and consumed only blood. Then again, it was hard to explain the whole daylight thing.

Any mention of a man and she got a very specific look in her eye, like a mother in a period drama with a spinster daughter she was eager to marry off.

“You know, you might be right. I probably should stop bringing donuts to the office. They say sugar can have an adverse effect on testosterone levels. Oh,” I smacked my hand to mouth like I’d just come to some dramatic realisation. “That might be why you’re all standing around here gossiping and bitching about me like a bunch of old ladies.”

I was falling for this man, drowning in the sea of him and there was no swimming back to the surface… With Cameron, it was like there were more feelings inside of me than my body was capable of holding.

And when he asked me what my favourite spice was, I said Sporty. I think that’s where the date started to go downhill…

He smiled at me, the sort of rare smile that made you believe you were hearing angels sing.

My Review:

This was a fun and wryly amusing read featuring an office romance where opposites attract and create a beautiful result where the whole is greater than the parts. Cameron was exacting in his work while tetchy and uncaring of how other people regarded him, while Maisie was an optimist who bent over backward in her constant efforts and concern in pleasing others. I adored their storylines, blossoming romance, and quirky office dynamics.

Ms. Cosway’s engaging writing was entertaining, well balanced, insightfully observant, and loaded with clever wit and stealthy levity as well as a few delectable scenes of sizzling sensuality. She also had me Googling ASMR, something I’d never taken note of before, which led to falling into a YouTube wormhole while experimenting with various video mavens until I shook myself loose. Funny how that happens…

About the author:

L.H. Cosway lives in Dublin, Ireland. Her inspiration to write comes from music. Her favorite things in life include writing stories, vintage clothing, dark cabaret music, food, musical comedy, and of course, books. She thinks that imperfect people are the most interesting kind. They tell the best stories. L.H. is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency.

Social Media Links:FB: www.facebook.com/LHCosway

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August 30, 2019

Book Review: Already Gone by Kristen Proby and K.L. Grayson

Already Gone by Kristen Proby and K.L. Grayson

Release Date: August 27, 2019

Download your copy today!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2YXGs20

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Already Gone Landing Page: https://www.kristenprobyauthor.com/already-gone

Already Gone, an all-new standalone contemporary romance by New York Times bestselling author Kristen Proby and USA Today bestselling author K.L. Grayson

Falling in love is easy…

New Hope, South Carolina is my home. It’s where I grew up, got into trouble, and fell in love for the first time. Scarlett Kincaid was more than the girl next door, she was my best friend until she decided that small-town life wasn’t for her. One minute she was here, and the next she was gone.

The girl I used to fish with down at the creek is now the biggest name in country music. She headlines world tours, has won four Grammys, and I haven’t seen her since. Until today when she sped through town in her fancy car. One look at her big brown eyes was all it took to stir up a whole slew of emotions. Emotions I’d long ago buried and sure as hell don’t have time for.

It’s the aftermath that’s hard…

There are two things in my life that matter. My music, and my dad. Twelve years ago, I packed a bag and chased my dream. Leaving New Hope and escaping the gossip mill was the easiest decision I ever made. I never planned to return, but my father needs me, and he always comes first. So, I did what I had to do. I cut my tour short and came home, despite having a sister who hates me, and a community that doesn’t trust me.

And then there’s Tucker Andrews.

When he propped an arm on the roof of my car, pulled down his sunglasses and flashed his police badge, I nearly swallowed my tongue. Gone is the lanky boy who used to throw rocks at me and pull my pigtails. Tucker is now a six-foot package of brawny, sexy man wrapped in more muscle than I have hit singles. Did I mention he’s a cop and a single dad?

My goal was to help Dad and get back to my life. But what am I supposed to do when the life that used to strangle me suddenly fits like a glove and makes me dream of things I never thought I’d have? What happens when the boy I walked away from years ago becomes one of the most important people in my life? I don’t have room for a man much less love.

Right?

Because it’s impossible to hold onto someone who’s already gone.

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

It took me until twenty to ditch the scrawny nerd appearance and start to look more like my dad and less like… well, my mom.

My Review:

These two clever wordsmiths tossed in all my favorite tropes with this delectably steamy small-town, second chance, friends-to-lovers romance. The storylines were engaging; the characters were endearing yet amusingly flawed; and the writing was well balanced between angst, conflict, romance, and humor. And written in my favorite dual POV. I was practically levitating with glee. Both authors have impressive backlists yet are relatively new to me – I really need to sharpen my focus and pay better attention.

Excerpt:

New Hope, South Carolina.

Population 6,129.

I know every soul represented in that number. Not a single one of them drives the shiny red Mercedes that just went speeding by.

Seventy-five in a forty-five.

I flick on my lights and press on the gas, sending my cruiser flying past the city limit sign and the godawful billboard that sits directly behind it; the one declaring New Hope home to country music superstar, Scarlett Kincaid.

It wouldn’t be a big deal if this were actually her home. It’s not. Scarlett may have been born here, but her fancy boots haven’t landed on this soil in over a decade.

All it took was one call from a hotshot music executive to send her packing before the ink was dry on her high school diploma. Scarlett flew from this town fast enough to leave our heads spinning. Before any of us could process what had happened, little Scarlett Kincaid—the same girl who used to build forts with me in my living room while my mama made us mac ‘n’ cheese—had a hit single sitting at number one on the Billboard charts.

She went from homecoming queen and most likely to marry a rich spouse in our senior yearbook, to the queen of country music.

The country loves her. Hell, the whole world loves her.

New Hope…not so much. And it’s high time that fucking sign comes down.

But first, I have to deal with this speed demon in the sexy red car.

I sound the sirens, and the car pulls to the side of the road and waits while I walk to the driver’s side window. It’s still up, the heavy tint preventing me from seeing inside. With a hand on my holster—because you never know what you’re going to walk up on—I knock on the window.

The dark glass lowers.

My first thought: this woman is absolutely gorgeous. Long, dark hair. Pouty lips. And a tiny pink dress. Her eyes are covered by oversized aviators, but I’m sure they’re as pretty as the rest of her.

My second thought: what crazy excuse is she going to come up with to try and get out of this ticket? It never ceases to amaze me the things women are willing to do to keep from getting into trouble. I’ve been offered everything from a blowjob to a pay-off to marriage.

“Do you know why I pulled you over today, ma’am?”

“Tucker?” The woman smiles, then pushes her sunglasses to the top of her head. And that’s when I see the brown eyes I’ve spent more than a decade trying to forget. “Tucker Andrews, is that you?”

I step back and square my shoulders. “You can call me Officer Andrews. Do you know why I pulled you over today, ma’am?”

“Tucker.” The woman laughs and shakes her head. “It’s me, Scarlett.”

At the mention of her name, I’m met with an onslaught of flashbacks. Running hand and hand through the neighborhood with her, laughing and playing, only to have her ignore me the second we got to school. The popular crowd versus the nerds who desperately tried to fit in. She the former, me the latter, and the pain it caused every time she acted as though she didn’t know my name. For years, I pretended it didn’t bother me because I knew that when I got home, Scarlett would meet me at the fence, and the awkwardness from the day would dissipate as though it never happened.

But it did. Day after day after day. I was a glutton for punishment. There was nothing in the world I loved more than Scarlett Kincaid, and it didn’t matter how badly she hurt me, I was always willing to forgive her.

Her smile and laugh might’ve gotten to me in middle school and high school, but I refuse to let it affect me now.

“I know who you are.”

Her smile falters.

About Kristen:

Kristen was born and raised in a small resort town in her beloved Montana. In her mid-twenties, she decided to stretch her wings and move to the Pacific Northwest, where she made her home for more than a dozen years.

During that time, Kristen wrote many romance novels and joined organizations such as RWA and other small writing groups. She spent countless hours in workshops and more mornings than she can count up before the dawn so she could write before going to work. She submitted many manuscripts to agents and editors alike but was always told no. In the summer of 2012, the self-publishing scene was new and thriving, and Kristen had one goal: to publish just one book. It was something she longed to cross off of her bucket list.

Not only did she publish one book, she’s since published close to thirty titles, many of which have hit the USA Today, New York Times and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists. She continues to self publish, best known for her With Me In Seattle and Boudreaux series and is also proud to work with William Morrow, a division of HarperCollins, with the Fusion Series.

Kristen and her husband, John, make their home in her hometown of Whitefish, Montana with their two pugs and two cats.

Connect with Kristen:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BooksByKristenProby/
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About K.L. Grayson

K.L. Grayson resides in a small town outside of St. Louis, MO. She is entertained

daily by her extraordinary husband, who will forever inspire every good quality she

writes in a man. Her entire life rests in the palms of six dirty little hands, and when the

day is over and those pint-sized cherubs have been washed and tucked into bed, you can find her typing away furiously on her computer. She has a love for alpha-males,

brownies, reading, tattoos, sunglasses, and happy endings…and not particularly in that

order.

Connect with K.L. Grayson

Facebook: http://bit.ly/KLGraysonFB

Instagram: http://bit.ly/KLGraysonIG

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Bookbub: http://bit.ly/KLGraysonBB

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Website: www.klgrayson.com

August 21, 2019

Book Review: The Year I Left by Christine Brae

The Year I Left

by Christine Brae

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA

“A thousand half loves must be forsaken to take one whole heart home.”

Carin Frost doesn’t understand what’s happening to her. A confident businesswoman, wife, and mother, she begins to resent everything about her life. Nothing makes sense. Nothing makes her feel. Maybe it’s the recent loss of her mother in a tragic accident. Or maybe she’s just losing her mind.

Enter Matias Torres. As their new business partnership thrives, so does their friendship—and his interest in her. Carin is determined to keep her distance, until a work assignment sends them to Southeast Asia where a storm is brewing on the island. In the midst of the chaos, Matias asks her to do something unimaginable, exhilarating, BOLD. Carin knows the consequences could be dire, but it may be the only way to save herself.

An honest look at love and marriage and the frailties of the human heart, this is a story of a woman’s loss of self and purpose and the journey she takes to find her way back.

“A lyrically written masterpiece of women’s fiction that is emotional, raw, and real.” ~Tarryn Fisher, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

That kiss destroyed me, gave me life, made me hopeful and sad at the same time.

I got lost somehow. I don’t know when. I don’t know where… I need to find myself… And then I’ll look for you.

I want you to know that my life only began when I met you, that I’d been waiting all my life for you and that finding you, loving you, has given me purpose, made me whole.

My Review:

This was not an easy read. It was, however, remarkably realistic in how frustrating and exasperating it can be for family and friends of an emotionally or mentally ill individual who will not seek or accept appropriate treatment or assistance, which is bad enough in itself, but then to suddenly disappear. Heartbreaking! This happens more often than most people realize or want to contemplate, although most people’s stories are not as compelling or entertaining as this one.

Carin was wealthy, successful, beautiful, and had a lovely family and lavish home. Yet she felt stagnant, numb, and dissatisfied by her life and deeply envied her free-spirited friend who avoided commitments and blew with the wind. She lived for her work while her family life and personal responsibilities were falling into chaos from avoidance, neglect, and disinterest. She was also zoning out with thoughts of suicide and acts of self-harm and had developed an inexplicable resentment for her kind and loving husband. When the opportunity arose to disappear, she took it.

I had a difficult time caring for Carin, as she initially appeared extremely self-involved and whiny. I was unsympathetic and sighing with displeasure while considering a DNF until I read a bit further and realized she was grieving and clinically depressed. I had found myself growing increasing antagonized and annoyed with Carin, yet I couldn’t put my Kindle down and walk away. Ms. Brae’s emotive and well-nuanced storytelling put an itch in my brain and I needed to see it through. I was thankful for staying the course, as the ending proved satisfying (although she really made me work for it) and Carin’s romantic island adventures with the tasty Matias were quite the steamy diversion as well as a sweet delight for the daydreaming romantic in me. Sigh, I was totally enamored and besotted with the scrumptious Matias.

About the Author

Amazon
Goodreads
Website

Christine Brae is a full-time career woman who thought she could write a book about her life and then run away as far as possible from it. She never imagined that her words would touch the hearts of so many women with the same story to tell. Christine is the author of The Light in the Wound, His Wounded Light (2013), Insipid (2014). Her latest book, In This Life, released in 2016 and is currently under option for TV and Film.

Two more books, Eight Goodbyes and The Year I Left are scheduled to be released in 2018 & 2019.

When not listening to the voices in her head or spending late nights at the office, Christine can be seen shopping for shoes and purses, running a half marathon or spending time with her husband and three children in Chicago.

Christine is represented by Italia Gandolfo of Gandolfo Helin Literary Management.

August 19, 2019

Book Review: Best Friends Forever by Dawn Goodwin

Best Friends Forever

by Dawn Goodwin

Amazon US / UK / CA / AU / B&N/ iBooks / Google / Kobo

Have you ever wanted to kill your best friend?

Anna was the perfect wife. Perfect mother. Perfect woman. And now she’s dead. Leaving behind her husband, David, and two young children their lives will never be the same. But Vicky will make sure life goes on…

These two women have been best friends forever, a lifetime of secrets lies between them and now Vicky is ready to step up into Anna’s perfect shoes. But not everything is as it seems and as David begins to question Vicky’s motives for walking into his life things might just get a little murderous.

The question on everyone’s lips is, who killed Anna? And what actually happened on the night she died?

Perfect for fans of The Rumour, The Silent Patient and The Suspect.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

He smiled at her and everything around them seemed to hold still for a moment, like a caught breath.

Brian had a squashed face like a fat troll, all folds and furrows. His gut hung over his well-worn belt and his shirt strained at the buttonholes. Vicky had never liked him.

Secrets and lies. That’s what friends are for.

My Review:

I am still vacillating in how I feel and in how to rate this twisty and complex story of retribution, manipulation, lies, and secrets. The characters were not admirable or all that likable as people, yet I had empathy for several. Sometimes poor choices started out as no choice, and then continue to mushroom until they pervade every inch, breath, and thought. That is but a part of what happened in this slippery brain-burning tale that kept me on edge and off-kilter. I devised and cast off and reworked a multitude of theories. My curiosity and cynical nature were so active they may have overheated, and I fear the poor little pea in my brain may have been scorched.

Anna was all kinds of wrong and simply vile, beautiful, yet rotten to the core. She was a cruel, volatile, vain, and a manipulative and narcissist sociopath. She had been toying with others and honing and steadily progressing her deviousness since childhood. And Vicky was her perfect victim, needy, eager to please, lacking in confidence or self-control, and able and willing to take abuse. And David, well, David was an idiot, completely under his wife’s spell. In real life, I would not willingly share air with either of them and found them to be heinous and exasperating individuals, yet their encounters and exchanges made compelling dicey storylines that I just couldn’t seem to get a grip on or leave alone. Dawn Goodwin is a crafty minx and led me on a merry chase. So while the ending was not as satisfying as I would have desired, I have to concede to her advanced level of craft – she had me well invested and kept me guessing to the very end.

About the Author

Twitter / Face book

Dawn’s career has spanned PR, advertising and publishing. Now, she loves to write about the personalities hiding behind the masks, whether beautiful or ugly. Married, she lives in London with her two daughters and a British bulldog called Geoffrey.

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August 17, 2019

Book Review: BLOOD TRUTH (The Black Dagger Legacy Series #4) by J. R. Ward

BLOOD TRUTH

(The Black Dagger Legacy Series #4)

by J. R. Ward

On Sale: August 13, 2019

Purchase Links:

ABOUT THE BOOK:

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Savior brings you the next sizzling and passionate paranormal romance in the Black Dagger Legacy series.

As a trainee in the Black Dagger Brotherhood’s program, Boone has triumphed as a soldier and now fights side by side with the Brothers. Following his sire’s unexpected death, he is taken off rotation against his protests—and he finds himself working with Butch O’Neal, former homicide cop, to catch a serial killer: Someone is targeting females of the species at a live-action role play club. When the Brotherhood is called in to help, Boone insists on being a part of the effort—and the last thing he expects is to meet an enticing, mysterious female…who changes his life forever.

Ever since her sister was murdered at the club, Helaine has been committed to finding the killer, no matter the danger she faces. When she crosses paths with Boone, she doesn’t know whether to trust him or not—and then she has no choice. As she herself becomes a target, and someone close to the Brotherhood is identified as the prime suspect, the two must work to together to solve the mystery…before it’s too late. Will a madman come between the lovers or will true love and goodness triumph over a very mortal evil?

Catch up on unique terms in the Black Dagger Brotherhood universe…and their IRL inspirations!

Sneak Peek at BLOOD TRUTH:

29th and Market Streets

Caldwell, New York

Boone’s shitkickers shredded the frozen tire tracks down the middle of the alley, his powerful body churning through the dirty city snow, air sucking into his lungs cold and punching out hot as steam from a locomotive’s stack. In his right hand, he had a twelve-inch serrated hunting knife. In his left, a length of chain.

Up ahead, by about thirty feet, a lesser was running as if its undead life depended on all the Usain Bolt the thing was pulling. The telltale sickly sweet stench of the enemy was thick in its wake, a tracker that Boone’s sensitive nose had picked up on seven blocks ago. The slayer was sloppy of foot, flappy of hand, and given how saturated its smell was, Boone wondered whether it was already injured.

The Black Dagger Brotherhood’s commanding officer, Tohrment, son of Hharm, set the nightly territories for the Brothers and fighters, carving up sections of downtown into quadrants that would be stalked for the enemy. Trainees such as Boone were paired with more experienced people, either Brothers or members of the Band of Bastards, in the interest of safety—especially as there was a new threat out on the streets.

Shadow entities. That were killing innocent vampire civilians.

Boone glanced over his shoulder. Tonight, he was working with Zypher. The Bastard was a great partner, a big, brutal male who nonetheless had a teacher’s patience and an eye for constant improvement.

It was supposed to have been Syn. And a relief when it wasn’t.

Syn was . . . different.

Boone’s favorite to work with, bar none, was Rhage. But the Brotherhood was otherwise occupied tonight. Every last one of them.

And Boone was the one who had set them on a mission that he hoped and prayed didn’t result in death.

His father’s, specifically.

In the intervening twelve months since their blowup over the broken arrangement, he and Altamere had settled into an uneasy détente. Which was what happened when you finally called a bully on their push-and-shove. The two of them kept up appearances, something that was not hard given how starchy and superficial their relationship had always been, but Boone had drawn a line and instead of the threatened repercussions, in return he’d gotten a retreat of hostility.

He probably should have moved out, but as petty as it was, he had enjoyed getting the upper hand and keeping it. Especially after he joined the Brotherhood’s training program, something he was well aware his father disapproved of. Altamere’s “son” a soldier? Fighting in the war? How brutish. The move had made Boone’s bookish decades seem like a fine hand of cards.

But he loved the challenge and he was damn good at the work—and a new kind of life and rhythm had started, where he and his sire rarely saw each other.

Except then came the invitation: The pleasure of his father and stepmahmen’s company requested at an aristocrat’s home this very evening. Going by the card stock alone, it was clear that other members of the glymera were included on the guest list.

Social gathering? Maybe. Treasonous violation of Wrath’s ban on the Council coming together? More likely.

It had been the first time in a year that Boone had spoken to his sire about anything of note. Yet how could he not urge the male to stay home? That viper pit of aristocrats had already tried to take down Wrath’s throne, and if they were planning another attempt?

The training center had taught him in detail all of the things the Brothers were capable of doing to someone who crossed them. And he might not like his father . . . but that was the point. With his alarm bells going off about treason, if he didn’t at least try to keep the male away from that party, he would feel like he had killed Altamere himself.

And that was too close to what he had at times wanted to do, and who needed to live with that guilt?

Predictably, his father had refused the wise counsel. So Boone had gone to the Brothers directly, and that was why he was paired with a member of the Band of Bastards this fine, crystal-cold winter’s evening.

Refocusing on his hunt, he threw some more speed into his legs, his thighs beginning to burn, his calves tightening, his bum ankle issuing the first of what was going to be a lot of complaints. All of that was background chatter easily ignored, utterly forgettable.

Just breathe, he told himself. The more oxygen he could get into his lungs, the more he got into his blood, fuel for his muscles, speed for his body.

Power.

And what do you know, he was closing the distance. The problem? He was getting farther and farther away from Zypher, who was dancing with a slayer of his own three blocks—now four blocks—back.

Time to do this.

Per protocol, he hit the locator beacon on his shoulder to notify the other squads that he was about to engage. And then he closed his eyes.

Dematerializing was something that vampires ordinarily had to concentrate and calm themselves in order to accomplish. Boone, however, had trained himself to find that place of inner equilibrium even when he was running full tilt boogie in pursuit of the enemy. And courtesy of all his practice, his physical form disintegrated into a scatter of molecules and he shot forward, passing the lesser.

He re-formed in front of the enemy, his boots planted, his knife up and his chain down, ready to party.

The slayer did what it could to slow its roll, arms pinwheeling, shoes slapping at the snow and skidding as it tried to stop on ice. Momentum was not its friend. Unlike some of the scrawny new recruits, this one had a football player’s thick neck and barrel chest, and all that body weight was a boulder bouncing down the side of a mountain, all keep-going instead of back-that-ass-up.

As he had been trained to do, Boone’s peripheral vision imprinted the alley’s contours and possible cover opportunities. His brain also did a lightning-quick assessment of threat potential, cataloguing fire escapes, rooflines, doorways, and windows, all of his instincts feeding information into the calculation of his own safety. On the physical side, his body braced for contact.

And the length of chain began to swing.

Boone wasn’t aware of giving his hand and arm that particular command, but things had started happening like that in the field over the past month. According to the Black Dagger Brother Vishous, there were four levels of skill development: unconsciously unskilled, which meant you didn’t know how much you didn’t know and couldn’t do; consciously unskilled, which was when you began to be aware of how much you needed to develop; consciously skilled, which was the level at which you started to use what you’ve trained yourself to do; and, finally, unconsciously skilled.

Which was what happened when your body moved without your brain having to micromanage every molecule of the attack. When your training formed a basis of action so intrinsic to who you were and what you did in a given situation that you were unaware of any cognition occurring. When you entered “the Zone,” as the Brother Rhage called it.

Boone was in that sweet spot now.

The whirring sound of the chain links circling beside him was soft yet menacing, like the easy breathing of a great beast—and Boone knew the second the slayer was going to move because one of its shoulders lifted and its hips angled ever so slightly.

The knife the lesser had tucked in its hand came flying out at Boone end over end—proof that Boone’s subconscious hadn’t considered quite everything. But his reflexes were on it, jerking his torso to one side, the surge of aggressive energy flowing through him so acute, so pleasurable, it was almost sexual.

His counterattack started with the chain. Licking the links out, he sent them around the slayer’s neck, a snake of metal with a tail that swung wide and doubled up on itself. With a tight loop locked in, he yanked with his full body.

The slayer pitched forward into the snow face-first.

And that was when Boone lifted his own hunting blade over his shoulder.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

In the back of his mind, the tally of his sire’s neglect and condescension was like an electric meter going haywire, the count spiraling up into the stratosphere…

You are amazing. I know . . . I know that sounds like a line, but it’s not. You bring me to my knees and lift me up at the same time. It’s the definition of magic.

My Review:

I have been hearing this author’s name for several years – first as murmurs then loud rumblings and finally as shouted raves; but until now, I had never stopped to read one of the many books from her rather large shelf of offerings. Silly me, what was I thinking? I’m kicking myself… This was fantastic. Despite the need to read slowly while occasionally needing to check the handy and thoughtfully provided glossary of her creatively contrived lexicon, it was well worth the effort. I was quite taken with the cleverness and agile craft of her complex yet captivating world-building.

Being a paranormal novice I had been hesitant to delve in, knowing I was starting the second generation of a long-running and highly venerated series and I would be swimming in alien waters. And, I’m lazy when it comes to extensive world-building. Yet, I was pleasantly surprised, scratch that, I was downright gleeful with my discovery! Even though I found myself sliding into a completely unfamiliar mythology from any vampire lore I’ve ever come across, I had no difficulty following the complexity and didn’t experience the expected struggle in navigating or comprehending the foreign structure of their society and various nomenclatures.

The storylines were action-packed, well-crafted, and laced with sharp wit, keen insights, and evocative observations. I was enthralled, riveted, and highly invested throughout. Ms. Ward’s bewitching and engaging writing style whisked me right inside the core of her secret clan as if I had been granted the vamp power to dematerialize and transport myself there. Her characters were peculiar, curiously enticing, and uniquely compelling – even the creepy and disturbing ones.

I am a new convert to the Black Dagger Brotherhood and will confess that the last serious vamp book I recall perusing was by Anne Rice in the late 1980s. I am totally enamored with J.R. Ward’s delightfully creative and mesmerizing arrangements of words as well as this new species – they drink hot cocoa and eat ice cream! I may have been turned – I now consider myself a paranormal reader in training.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

J.R. Ward is the author of more than thirty novels, including those in her #1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood series. There are more than fifteen million copies of her novels in print worldwide, and they have been published in twenty-six different countries around the world. She lives in the South with her family.

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August 16, 2019

Book Review: The Boyfriend Collector – Part 2 by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

Synopsis:

From New York Times Bestseller Mimi Jean Pamfiloff comes The Boyfriend Collector.

Find Mr. Right in 30 days? Challenge accepted.

Treated like a servant in her own home, twenty-year-old Rose Marie Hale can’t stop dreaming of her next birthday. It’s the day she’ll inherit a fortune, break free from her cruel family, and finally start living her life—finish school, travel, find love. After a lifetime of hardship, it’s all she’s ever wanted.

But when Rose discovers she must marry before her twenty-first birthday to claim the money, she has no choice but to push herself out into the world in search of a man she can love and trust. Unfortunately, those are the very things that have been used as weapons against her.

With only a month to go, can she find true love? Or will her past hold her back, leaving her penniless and alone?

(Part One of Two)

BUY LINKS

AMAZON US | AMAZON UK | AMAZON CA | AMAZON AU | AMAZON OTHER

iBooks | NOOK | KOBO | PAPERBACK

From New York Times Bestseller Mimi Jean Pamfiloff comes The Boyfriend Collector Book 2.

My name is Dr. Bex Hughes, and like many men, I am in love with Rose Marie Hale. Her fire and beauty leave us speechless and dropping to her feet wherever she goes. Truly, she is the perfect woman in every way. Except one.

Rose was once a real-life Cinderella, but now she’s wealthy, single, and free. Only, she’s not. Free, that is. Rose is convinced that love is used to hurt people, family tries to murder you for money, and no one can be trusted. It’s all she’s ever known.

I can help Rose find her way to real happiness, but to do it, I am bending every rule I’ve ever lived by and seeing her as my patient. A taboo in the eyes of the world. A professional sin in mine.

The question is, how much longer can I stand listening to the details of Rose’s romances with other men? My jealously is getting the best of me, and I can’t afford to lose our fragile connection.

Check out my YouTube channel for more video teasers by clicking here!

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

I think for women, though, we can look at a sexy man with ripped abs and bulging biceps and appreciate his beauty, but if he came up to us in a bar and said, “Hey, babe. Wanna bang one out? My mom’s out of town, and I can buy a twelver if you got money.” Well, let’s just say not many of us would take up that offer, no matter how hot the abs.

My Review:

Other than a few sparkling glimmers of clever smirk-worthy levity and a handful steamy sensual scenes which were mostly daydreams, this was a rather exasperating read full of annoying characters who spent most of their time in conflict while ludicrously doing and saying the exact opposite of what they wanted or were thinking. I have previously enjoyed several of Ms. Pamfiloff’s cleverly written romantic comedies, but this was a huge miss for me. At least it was mercifully quick and short and well, just ridiculous. I have learned a valuable lesson – I need to stick to her witty rom-coms.

About the Author

MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF is a New York Times bestselling author who’s sold over one million books around the world. Although she obtained her MBA and worked for more than fifteen years in the corporate world, she believes that it’s never too late to come out of the romance closet and follow your dreams.

Mimi lives with her Latin lover hubby, two pirates-in-training (their boys), and their three spunky dragons (really, just very tiny dogs with big attitudes) Snowy, Mini, and Mack, in the vampire-unfriendly state of Arizona.

She hopes to make you laugh when you need it most and continues to pray daily that leather pants will make a big comeback for men.

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August 14, 2019

Book Review: Just Breathe Again by C.A. Harms

Just Breathe Again

by C.A. Harms

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / B&N

I had it all. Truly, I had the perfect life. One filled with happiness and love where the bright smiles of my gorgeous wife and my beautiful daughter greeted me every day. I was a lucky man…

Until I lost it all.

Sometimes, when I close my eyes, I can still see them. My two angels still shining with their never-ending beauty. But those visions always lead me to darkness…

The moment when I find myself alone again. The pain is real and the emptiness inside me only grows with each passing day.

Time will heal me, they say. But they’ve never lived through the loss I have. They’ve never felt the excruciating pain of what it means to have your heart shattered into a million pieces.

They don’t know the guilt I carry.

Sometimes I wonder why I even bother waking up every morning. But if I let go, I let go of them. And their memory is all I have left.

I know I need to move on. I know it’s time to Just Breathe Again…

The problem is I didn’t know where to start.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

I wanted to be able to breathe without feeling guilty that I still could.

Mary Jane Kleiber was on her third husband and fifth kid. She always did say she was going to find a man to take care of her. I guess the income of child support and divorce settlements was the route she chose.

Somehow, telling my mother that the sweet man she was referring to had devoured me with deep penetrating kisses only forty-eight hours ago then dismissed me like yesterday’s garbage didn’t sound like such a great idea.

You forget that this is a small town and that people talk. You can’t buy nonfat yogurt from the market without every person in town gossiping about how it’s about time you notice your ass has gotten bigger.

She would tell me that when I smiled at her, it made her tummy tickle.

My Review:

This book just wasn’t my preferred cup of Darjeeling. I struggled, valiantly I must add, as I have read and enjoyed several books by this author and knew eventually she would pull the depressed and wallowing character’s cranium from his rectum, but alas, it took far too long for my taste. I am no fan of constant conflict, repetitive cycles, or high angst, and unfortunately, that would describe 80% of this story.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying it was poorly written, it wasn’t. My rating is purely a reflection of my personal satisfaction, and regrettably, this book fell short of my definition of enjoyable entertainment. While there were still things I did enjoy such as an interesting premise, dual POV, and eventual sweet and steamy HEA; Ms. Harms clever trademark humor made only scant appearances and not only did she deploy several of my highest ranking pet peeves in her storylines, she did so repeatedly. I was not a happy camper and experiencing an escalating level of exasperation and sighing with displeasure and high dudgeon until I neared the 85% mark when my mood vastly improved with that long-awaited skull extraction and sudden bursts of sweet romance and sensual steam which culminated into a fond HEA to save the day.

About The Author

C.A. Harms
Goodreads
Website
Twitter

I am an Illinois girl, born and raised. Simple and true. I love the little things; they truly mean the most. I may have a slight addiction to my new Keurig—oh my, that thing is a godsend. And so fast too. I have two children who truly are the greatest part of my days, and their faces never fail to put a smile on my face. I have been married to my best friend for seventeen years and looking forward to many more.

I am one of those authors that adore my readers. I love to hear from you. After all, it is because of each one of you that I continue to write.

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorCAHarms/
INSTAGRAM: Instagram.com/authorcaharms/
NEWSLETTER: http://bit.ly/1xsgHCS
AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/C.A.-Harms/e/B0…

August 13, 2019

Book Review, Giveaway: THEN THERE WAS YOU – Anthology

THEN THERE WAS YOU is LIVE!

One-Click today for just $.99 http://books2read.com/thentherewasyou

A Single Parent Collection

14 Authors. 14 Stories.

Sexy Single Dads. Strong Single Moms.

Whispered Prayers of a Girl by Alex Grayson
A lonely man, a widowed woman, a carefree boy, and a broken girl… Can the four come together and help heal each other?

Boss of Me by Angel Devlin
Single dad Jude’s icy exterior keeps women at a safe distance; but fiery Pippa could be about to start a thaw…

Heartbreaker by Anna Brooks
She was never supposed to happen, and her baby girl sure as hell wasn’t part of my plans.

Back to Life by Dani René
Both having been heartbroken in very different ways, Kayla and Caleb find themselves in a very unlikely situation where they can’t deny the electricity coursing between them. Can love really bring them back to life?

Chester by Esther E. Schmidt
Some issues cut deep; they are hard to face and even harder to find a solution for.

Ripple Effect by Evan Grace
One night changed everything.

When Hope Ends (life begins) by Freya Barker
It’s the best day of his life–the worst of hers–when one moment in time leaves their paths unavoidably connected by the single heart beating between them.

Just Because of You by Gianna Gabriela
He broke me. I left. He stayed. Now I’m back.

Fighting For Us by Heather Lyn
She rescued me when I didn’t even know I needed saving. But now lives are on the line, and we might lose our forever, before we even get the chance to start.

Resisting Rayne by HL Nighbor
Their worlds collide and an unlikely friendship forms, but will they continue to fight the pull for something more or give into the pull and take a chance at love?

Tempt Me by Kally Ash
Temptation comes in many forms. Can Gianna or Max resist?

Riddick by Kathy Coopmans
Do you believe in heaven on earth? I did until one day, she vanished.

Wicked Truths by L.A. Cotton
The truth won’t fix anything… it’ll only hurt more. Won’t it?

Hunter by Lauren Dawes
A mate’s death. A rogue wolf. A new life.

THEN THERE WAS YOU features single parents who weren’t looking–didn’t need anyone–until the right someone came along. Experience the highs and lows of parenthood, love lost and gained, and new beginnings with this collection of stories. They’re sure to leave you with a full heart and a smile on your face.

AVAILABLE FOR A LIMITED TIME

One-Click today for just $.99! http://books2read.com/thentherewasyou

Proceeds will be donated to Family Promise, a non-profit organization which addresses family homelessness.

WHEN HOPE ENDS

by FREYA BARKER

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

… he pays attention, and let’s be honest, that’s not always a quality evident in the opposite gender.

I’m so grateful having had this amazing opportunity to learn that when hope ends for one, life begins for another

“I don’t know who this woman is. I’ve never heard so much cursing in my life.” I have to bite my lip to keep from laughing. I remember this part too. Cassie had made me feel about an inch tall with her sharp tongue while she was delivering Kelty. She’d even smacked me because I was breathing too loudly.

My Review:

Freya Barker writes stories with all the feels, but this one was pure heart – some parts were heart-warming, others were heart-wrenching, and still more were heart-skipping and heart-stirring, but they were all only the good kinds of heart-related reading that shouldn’t lead a fear of heart-stoppage, possible angina, the need for CPR, or a cardiology referral. The heartfelt storylines were engaging and relevant with writing that was easy to fall into and alternated between steaming up my glasses, raising my heart rate, putting a smile on my face, and squeezing my coronary muscle like a two sizes too small pair of Spanx. It was divine. I’ll gladly ride on Freya Barker’s bus until the wheels fall off.