Review: The Trouble With Mistletoe by Jill Shalvis

October 4, 2016 by · Leave a Comment

the-trouble-with-mistletoe-reviewTHE TROUBLE WITH MISTLETOE
Series: Heartbreaker Bay #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Jill Shalvis
Release Date: September 27, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

 

the-trouble-with-mistetoe

If she has her way …

Willa Davis is wrangling puppies when Keane Winters stalks into her pet shop with frustration in his chocolate-brown eyes and a pink bedazzled cat carrier in his hand. He needs a kitty sitter, stat. But the last thing Willa needs is to rescue a guy who doesn’t even remember her …

He’ll get nothing but coal in his stocking.

Saddled with his great-aunt’s Feline from Hell, Keane is desperate to leave her in someone else’s capable hands. But in spite of the fact that he’s sure he’s never seen the drop-dead-gorgeous pet shop owner before, she seems to be mad at him …

Unless he tempers “naughty” with a special kind of nice …

Willa can’t deny that Keane’s changed since high school: he’s less arrogant, for one thing—but can she trust him not to break her heart again? It’s time to throw a coin in the fountain, make a Christmas wish—and let the mistletoe do its work …

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The


It’s just that you’re always so . . .”
“What?”
“Everything.”

Le swoon. *Happy sigh*

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Jill Shalvis books are my happy place. Her stories never fail to give me the warm and fuzzies and a huge case of the happy feels. They’re romantic, swoony, sweet, sexy, and yet never cheesy. They’re the perfect feel good romance with none of the craziness and yet they’ll keep me reading well into the night with a happy smile on my face. I just love them.

Ever since the preview of Willa’s book in Sweet Little Lies I’ve been eagerly anticipating the full story of what happened with her and Keane. Because let’s be real here, a high school crush that broke her heart shows up years later with a disgruntled pussy on her doorstop? You bet I want to read it!

Willa and Keane were pure magic together. Willa grew up hard but has a hard of gold. She had amazing friends, she has a job she loves taking care of animals that love her just as much back. But what Willa doesn’t believe in is love…at least not for herself. So when her high school crush shows up on her doorstep with a cat he’s stuck taking care of for his aunt and no memory of her, suffice it to say she’s not exactly thrilled to see him or help him out. What ensues is a whole lot of Jill Shalvis magic.

The sparks between Keane and Willa are instant, but man do I appreciate the slow burn. Keane is a bit damaged himself, but I adored how sweet he was with Willa at times. When the man sets to wooing, he certainly woos. And Willa may put up a good front at first, but it’s not long before he begins tearing down her walls.

I love the camaraderie of all the friends and the way they grumpily took Keane into their fold. Well, the men anyway. The women were just entertaining. I love the friendships in this series almost as much as I love the romance. It’s low on the angst but with plenty of feeling. It’s high on the swoons but with just enough sexy. It’s the perfect holiday romance to curl up with by the fireplace and get the perfect case of the happy feels.

If you’re looking for a light, feel good sort of romance, this series is an absolute must read.

HEARTBREAKER BAY Series

Sweet Little Lies (Heartbreaker Bay, #1)
The Trouble with Mistletoe (Heartbreaker Bay, #2)
Accidentally on Purpose (Heartbreaker Bay, #3) 

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: ,

Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Sparking The Fire by Kate Meader

October 3, 2016 by · 1 Comment

blog-tour-banner-sparking-the-fireSPARKING THE FIRE
Series: Hot in Chicago #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Kate Meader
Release Date: September 27, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

sparking-the-fire

Heating up reading lists this Fall will be Kate Meader’s highly anticipated Sparking the Fire, the “sexy and sassy” (#1 New York Times bestselling author Jude Deveraux) steamy third novel in the Hot in Chicago series, where former lovers unexpectedly reunite for a sizzling affair that will have the director yelling, “Quiet on the set!”

Actor Molly Cade, America’s fallen sweetheart, finally has her shot at a Hollywood comeback with a dramatic new role as a tough-as-nails firefighter that promises to propel her back to the big time and restore her self-respect.

Wyatt Fox, resident daredevil at Engine Co. 6, needs a low-key job to keep him busy while he recovers from his latest rescue stunt. Consulting on a local movie shoot should add just enough spark to his day. Especially when in struts Molly Cade: the woman who worked his heart over good, and then left him in the Windy City dust.

Their story is straight out of a script: irrepressible, spunky heroine meets taciturn, smoldering hero. But these two refuse to be typecast, and when the embers of an old love are stoked, someone is bound to get burned…

Buy LinksAMAZON | B&N | iBOOKS | S&S | BaM | GOOGLE PLAY

Review-DGR

Kate Meader’s blazing Hot in Chicago firefighter series has “everything you want in a romance” (RT Book Reviews, Top Pick)! The flames of desire burn out of control in this sexy third novel when ex-lovers unexpectedly reunite for a sizzling affair that will have the director yelling, “Quiet on the set!”

Actor Molly Cade, America’s fallen sweetheart, finally has her shot at a Hollywood comeback with a dramatic new role as a tough-as-nails firefighter that promises to propel her back to the big time and restore her self-respect.

Wyatt Fox, resident daredevil at Engine Co. 6, needs a low-key job to keep him busy while he recovers from his latest rescue stunt. Consulting on a local movie shoot should add just enough spark to his day. Especially when in struts Molly Cade: the woman who worked his heart over good, and then left him in the Windy City dust.

Their story is straight out of a script: irrepressible, spunky heroine meets taciturn, smoldering hero. But these two refuse to be typecast, and when the embers of an old love are stoked, someone is bound to get burned…

Buy LinksAMAZON | B&N | iBOOKSReview-DGR5 starssparking-the-fire-dgr-teaser

He’d thought he could control himself around Molly, yet every second in her presence loosened the granite hold on his emotions one more slippery, dangerous inch.

That’s it! Stick a fork in me, I’m done! I am a pile of dead and melted goo, all at the hands of a broody, silent, former Marine turned firefighter. I would like my headstone to read that my ultimate demise came from the hottest BILF I’ve ever read, and I regret nothing. NOTHING.

What’s a BILF you ask?

She poked him in the chest. “Drunk, sober, any state, I would be doin’ you tonight, Mister. Lucky. That’s what you are. A total BILF.”
“BILF?”
“Beard I’d like to fuck.”

When I’m in a book funk, I know all I need is 5 minutes with a Kate Meader book and I’ll have an instant goofy grin on my face and the worst case of blue ovaries known to man kind. Why? Because the woman writes some of the best alpha heroes and I can’t get enough of it!

So what happens when a silent and socially awkward firefighter that likes to stay in the shadow of his infamous foster siblings meets a woman who’s in the very center of the spotlight? A. Whole. Lot. Of. Awesome.

Their lives did not mesh. She was Hollywood designer duds. He was Chicago Dumpster diving. And he wanted her more than his next breath. But since when in hell had he ever gotten anything he wanted?

Wyatt Fox is the quietest one of his siblings, the unassuming one, the one that sticks to himself. But for six nights years ago, he let his inhibitions fly with a woman that left him in the dust but he hasn’t stopped thinking about since.

Molly Cade is used to the media attention, but after an ugly divorce brought her on the wrong end of public scrutiny, she’s hoping the new movie she’s starring and producing will turn things around on her. Little does she expect that the new CFD consultant on the movie set is none other than the man that she never expected to see again. Suffice it to say that sparks fly and fires are set!
Sparking The Fire is written in Meader’s signature sassy style with plenty of sexy and a whole lot of banter which I’ve come to be addicted to.

She placed her palms on his shoulders. “You planning to glare me into orgasm, Marine?”
“I don’t glare. I smolder.”

I am head over ovaries in love with this series. I’d set my house on fire just to get my very own Wyatt Fox to come over and put out my fire…uhem.

The romance is full of sizzle and spark, and just enough sexual chemistry to set your kindle on fire. I loved the back and forth between Molly and Wyatt. The odds are stacked against them and they’re complete opposites, but yet they can’t stay away from each other.

Molly was absolute perfection. She’s sassy and funny and doesn’t let anything get her down. She has a backbone but still has this perfect amount of vulnerability to make her incredibly endearing. As for Wyatt? Wowza! I’m all about the BILF.

Nothing had ever felt this good. No one had ever felt this good. It had always been her.

If you haven’t read this series, you’re seriously missing out. If you haven’t read anything by this amazing author, you’re seriously missing out. And if you haven’t made plans to meet Wyatt Fox, then you’re SERIOUSLY missing out!

Kate Meader is going to spoil me with her awesomeness soon, but you won’t hear a peep of complaint out of this reader.

HOT IN CHICAGO SERIES 

REKINDLE THE FLAME | FLIRTING WITH FIRE | MELTING POINT | PLAYING WITH FIRE | SPARKING THE FIRE

About the Authorkatemeader

Kate Meader was raised on romance. An Irish girl, she started with Catherine Cookson and Jilly Cooper novels, and spiced it up with some Mills & Boon. Now based in Chicago, she writes romances of her own, where sexy contemporary alpha heroes and strong heroines match each other quip for quip. When not immersed in tales of brooding mill owners, oversexed equestrians, and men who can rock an apron or a fire hose, Kate lives on the web at katemeader.com.

 

GiveawayHOT TIP: Kate is also offering a $25 Amazon gift card during the Sparking the Fire release tour. It will run Monday September 26 to Friday October 7. Enter here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

1 Comment · Filed Under: Blog Tours, Contemporary Romance, DGR Favorites, Giveaways · Tagged With: ,

Review: Unsuitable by Samantha Towle

September 30, 2016 by ·

unsuitable-review-dirty-girl-romanceUNSUITABLE
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Suspense
Author: Samantha Towle
Release Date: October 1, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

unsuitable-683x1024

From New York Times bestselling author, Samantha Towle, comes a new sexy, romantic suspense standalone novel…

Daisy Smith has spent eighteen months of her life paying for a crime she didn’t commit. Now out of prison, she has only one focus—to get back custody of her younger brother, Jesse, who is deep in the foster care system. Desperate to rebuild her life and show the system that she is responsible enough to care for Jesse, she takes on the only job available to her—working as a maid at the Matis Estate.

On day one of her new job, Daisy meets Kastor Matis, the only son of the owners and her new boss. An enigmatic, handsome Greek god of a man, Kas is closed off, cold, and…well, kind of a bastard.

The more time Daisy spends around Kas, she starts to see there might be more to him than just his cold, bastard ways. He may actually have a heart beating in that frozen chest of his.

But Kas has secrets, too. Secrets that he’s determined to keep.

Secrets make Daisy curious.

And you know what curiosity can do…

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Review-DGR4 starsunsuitable-dgr

Fuck, baby,” he groans before taking my mouth again. He kisses me with more intensity, bordering on crazy. And I match him stroke for stroke. We’re pulling on each other, both taking what we need.

What. The. Heck. Was. That?!!!!

I had NO idea Samantha Towle had something like this in her. This book was…something else entirely. It was nothing that I expected and everything I wanted. (See what I did there?) You know that moment when you start reading a book and you’re hooked from just the first few pages? So you know, you just know you got something different and exciting on your hands. Something that will not only hook you but will keep you riveted to the pages until the end? Yeah. Unsuitable was that book for me. I was hooked, riveted, and enthralled.

Kas was simply one of the most complex and magnetic heroes I’ve read in a long damn while. He was hypnotizing in his intensity. And let me tell you, he was INTENSE.

This is so much more than just a romance with an alphahole hero and a heroine that’s down in the dumps and crawling her way back. It was multi-layered, cleverly and deeply developed, and with a sexual tension so intense that it practically crackles the pages with it.

Daisy is a heroine that’s impossible not to like. This is a woman that has been in hell; wrongly imprisoned, betrayed by those she trusted, she’s lost everything and now has to rebuild everything having had almost nothing to start with. Yet she’s got sass to her, she’s funny and endearing and while she may be jaded in some things, she’s not eternally pessimistic. She wants to experience the good even while not believing it will happen for her.

The chemistry between her and Kas is instant. And let me tell you, you’ll want to hate Kas. This is a man that’s a downright a-hole to Daisy. Blatantly so. But there’s always something that’s so clearly brewing beneath the surface with him that you just know that there has to be a good reason for his behavior and it isn’t just that he’s an ass.

The complexity of this story blew me away. The complexity of these characters blew me away. Sure there was some cheese in some parts, and while I could have done without it in parts, it worked for me, too. It’s no secret that I love a good alphahole, and Kas was definitely that. But he was so SO much more too.

What I feel for you is debilitating and terrifying and exhilarating…and the best thing to ever happen to me. You are the best thing to ever happen to me. And, if you only ever believe one thing I’ve told you, then believe this; if I could love someone, then it would be you, Daisy. A million times over, it would be you.”

It was a gripping romance, a story of second chances and redemption and healing. It was a fluid combination of light and dark, filled with plenty of depth. Samantha Towle seriously hit it out of the park with Unsuitable.

· Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: ,

Review: Too Wild To Tame by Tessa Bailey

September 28, 2016 by · Leave a Comment

too-wild-to-tame-reviewTOO WILD TO TAME
Series: Romancing the Clarksons #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Tessa Bailey
Release Date: September 6, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

toowildtotame

Sometimes you just can’t resist playing with fire . . . 

By day, Aaron Clarkson suits up, shakes hands, and acts the perfect gentleman. But at night, behind bedroom doors, the tie comes off and the real Aaron comes out to play. Mixing business with pleasure got him fired, so Aaron knows that if he wants to work for the country’s most powerful senator, he’ll have to keep his eye on the prize. That’s easier said than done when he meets the senator’s daughter, who’s wild, gorgeous, and 100 percent trouble.

Grace Pendleton is the black sheep of her conservative family. Yet while Aaron’s presence reminds her of a past she’d rather forget, something in his eyes keeps drawing her in. Maybe it’s the way his voice turns her molten. Or maybe it’s because deep down inside, the ultra-smooth, polished Aaron Clarkson might be more than even Grace can handle . . .

 

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Review3.5 stars

She was forcing him to consider light and shadows, when he’d only ever dealt in black and white. And she was the light. Shining bright enough to flay him.

When I read Too Hot to Handle, Aaron was a character that intrigued me right away. Tessa Bailey gives the reader just enough to catch their curiosity but then like the sadist that she surely is, she makes you wait until that particular Clrackson’s book to appease it. Aaron is in his own personal hell; in a car with his siblings on the trek to NY with a brother that would sooner glare at him than talk to him and the regrets of what sent him away in the first place.

Aaron is advisor to the politicians and loves his job, but a mistake he made cost him everything. Now his only chance to resurrect his career, is to get on the good side of a senator that’s on the fast trek to presidency. But then he meets the woman that throws a wrench into all his plans and good intentions

Getting close to another person was suicide, as far as he was concerned. People eventually walked away, although he wasn’t sure if that was a universal rule, or one that pertained only to him. His father had replaced Belmont as the male rock in his life, built him up, and then he’d gone and fucked off, too, hadn’t he? Left him bitter and self-sufficient. He was grateful for seeing human nature for what it was, deep down. The women he took to bed didn’t seem to mind, either.

Aaron is broody and grumpy, but when that man lets his mouth loose? Holy explosive ovaries! Tessa knows how to write a hell of a dirty talker and she definitely doesn’t disappoint with Aaron Clarkson.

This book had all the things I felt lacking in the first book; angst, sexual tension, and that sweet sweet burn of a sexual tension that burns to scorching levels. So why not rate higher? Well, my picky self was still missing a certain connection with the story. I just wasn’t invested enough in the characters and the romance to be yearning to turn the pages. Don’t get me wrong, it was entertaining and I definitely enjoyed it for the most part. But will it be something I come back to? Probably not. I also loved Grace’s story, but something about her as a character just didn’t connect me with her.

I loved getting a glimpse into the other two Clarkson siblings, and I’m practically salivating for Sage and her brooding Clarkson brother to get together already but I’m thinking Tessa is saving that bad boy for last.

If you’re looking for a sexy contemporary romance with a whole lot of dirty talk and a brooding but completely endearing hero, definitely give this book a shot.

ROMANCING THE CLARKSONS SERIES

TOO HOT TO HANDLE | TOO WILD TO TAME |
TOO HARD TO FORGET (releasing 4/27/17)

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Dirty Talkers · Tagged With: ,

DGR Favorite & Review: Sparking The Fire by @KittyMeader

September 27, 2016 by · Leave a Comment

sparking-the-fire-reviewSPARKING THE FIRE
Series: Hot in Chicago #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Kate Meader
Release Date: September 27, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

sparking-the-fire

Kate Meader’s blazing Hot in Chicago firefighter series has “everything you want in a romance” (RT Book Reviews, Top Pick)! The flames of desire burn out of control in this sexy third novel when ex-lovers unexpectedly reunite for a sizzling affair that will have the director yelling, “Quiet on the set!”

Actor Molly Cade, America’s fallen sweetheart, finally has her shot at a Hollywood comeback with a dramatic new role as a tough-as-nails firefighter that promises to propel her back to the big time and restore her self-respect.

Wyatt Fox, resident daredevil at Engine Co. 6, needs a low-key job to keep him busy while he recovers from his latest rescue stunt. Consulting on a local movie shoot should add just enough spark to his day. Especially when in struts Molly Cade: the woman who worked his heart over good, and then left him in the Windy City dust.

Their story is straight out of a script: irrepressible, spunky heroine meets taciturn, smoldering hero. But these two refuse to be typecast, and when the embers of an old love are stoked, someone is bound to get burned…

Buy LinksAMAZON | B&N | iBOOKSReview-DGR5 starssparking-the-fire-dgr-teaser

He’d thought he could control himself around Molly, yet every second in her presence loosened the granite hold on his emotions one more slippery, dangerous inch.

That’s it! Stick a fork in me, I’m done! I am a pile of dead and melted goo, all at the hands of a broody, silent, former Marine turned firefighter. I would like my headstone to read that my ultimate demise came from the hottest BILF I’ve ever read, and I regret nothing. NOTHING.

What’s a BILF you ask?

She poked him in the chest. “Drunk, sober, any state, I would be doin’ you tonight, Mister. Lucky. That’s what you are. A total BILF.”
“BILF?”
“Beard I’d like to fuck.”

When I’m in a book funk, I know all I need is 5 minutes with a Kate Meader book and I’ll have an instant goofy grin on my face and the worst case of blue ovaries known to man kind. Why? Because the woman writes some of the best alpha heroes and I can’t get enough of it!

So what happens when a silent and socially awkward firefighter that likes to stay in the shadow of his infamous foster siblings meets a woman that’s in the very center of the spotlight? A. Whole. Lot. Of. Awesome.

Their lives did not mesh. She was Hollywood designer duds. He was Chicago Dumpster diving. And he wanted her more than his next breath. But since when in hell had he ever gotten anything he wanted?

Wyatt Fox is the quietest one of his siblings, the unassuming one, the one that sticks to himself. But for six nights years ago, he let his inhibitions fly with a woman that left him in the dust but he hasn’t stopped thinking about since.

Molly Cade is used to the media attention, but after an ugly divorce brought her on the wrong end of public scrutiny, she’s hoping the new movie she’s starring and producing will turn things around on her. Little does she expect that the new CFD consultant on the movie set is none other than the man that she never expected to see again. Suffice it to say that sparks fly and fires are set!
Sparking The Fire is written in Meader’s signature sassy style with plenty of sexy and a whole lot of banter which I’ve come to be addicted to.

She placed her palms on his shoulders. “You planning to glare me into orgasm, Marine?”
“I don’t glare. I smolder.”

I am head over ovaries in love with this series. I’d set my house on fire just to get my very own Wyatt Fox to come over and put out my fire…uhem.

The romance is full of sizzle and spark, and just enough sexual chemistry to set your kindle on fire. I loved the back and forth between Molly and Wyatt. The odds are stacked against them and they’re complete opposites, but yet they can’t stay away from each other.

Molly was absolute perfection. She’s sassy and funny and doesn’t let anything get her down. She has a backbone but still has this perfect amount of vulnerability to make her incredibly endearing. As for Wyatt? Wowza! I’m all about the BILF.

Nothing had ever felt this good. No one had ever felt this good. It had always been her.

If you haven’t read this series, you’re seriously missing out. If you haven’t read anything by this amazing author, you’re seriously missing out. And if you haven’t made plans to meet Wyatt Fox, then you’re SERIOUSLY missing out!

Kate Meader is going to spoil me with her awesomeness soon, but you won’t hear a peep of complaint out of this reader.

HOT IN CHICAGO SERIES 

REKINDLE THE FLAME | FLIRTING WITH FIRE | MELTING POINT | PLAYING WITH FIRE | SPARKING THE FIRE

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, DGR Favorites · Tagged With: , , ,

Review: HOT SEAL Rescue by @LynnRayeHarris

September 26, 2016 by · Leave a Comment

hot-seal-rescue-reviewHOT SEAL Rescue
Series: Hot SEAL Team #3
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Author: Lynn Raye Harris
Release Date: September 27, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

hotsealrescue

From New York Times bestselling author Lynn Raye Harris comes the next explosive story in the HOT SEAL Team series!

Navy SEAL Cody “Cowboy” McCormick is in Las Vegas for a little R & R before his friend’s wedding when a beautiful blonde jams a gun in his side and abducts him from a casino in broad daylight. He could stop her, but he plays along because he’s intrigued—plus he’s convinced she’s in danger.

CIA agent Miranda Lockwood’s life is on the line when an undercover operation goes wrong. Little does she know when she sashays up to the biggest, baddest looking dude in the casino lobby that she’s kidnapping a Navy SEAL—or that she’ll be unable to resist his charm when he turns up the heat.

When the CIA labels her a rogue agent, Miranda’s faith in everything she believes in is shaken to the core. Cody’s the only one she can trust to help her find the traitor in the agency. But even though she’s forced to betray him, she can’t get over the SEAL who made her feel safe in his arms. Miranda will have to fight harder than she’s ever fought for anything if she wants his forgiveness—but Cody’s not in a forgiving mood in spite of the sparks that still fly when he’s forced to team up with her again.

When disaster strikes and they’re caught in the line of fire, Cody will do everything in his power to keep them both alive. Because if he doesn’t, he’ll never get to hold Miranda close again…

Buy-Links10PRE-ORDER
AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N

Review4.5 starshot-seal-rescue-dgr-teaser

She was his for the taking. And he was going to take her. Every which way he wanted, damn her. Every which way that made her beg him for more. And then he was going to walk away and never think about her again.

Cody “Cowboy” McCormick.
Sorry. Quick pervy thought intermission….

And I’m back!

Lynn Raye Harris is filled with magic. MAGIC I tells ya! How else would it be possible for the woman to keep coming up with these sexy military heroes that are hotter than the last? I’ve devoured her Hostile Operations Team series and she’s got another huge winner with the spin-off, HOT Seal Team.

If you haven’t read the HOT series yet, no worries, you can easily read this series first and enjoy each book as a standalone. That being said, I highly recommend each book in both this series and HOT, so you won’t want want to miss it.

Harris has a knack for writing strong, kick-ass heroines, and Miranda Jane is certainly no exception. A CIA agent that’s undercover to bring to justice the man that killed her mentor, she finds herself in hot water when her identity is compromised. So what’s a girl to do? Kidnap the nearest badass looking man in the Vegas hotel lobby at gun point, of course. Unbeknownst to her, the man she thinks is not just badass looking, but really IS a badass. Navy SEAL Cody knows he can disarm the woman that’s holding a gun to him in seconds, but his curiosity gets the best of him when he sees the desperation shadow in her eyes. What begins is a whole lot of awesome!

Miranda Jane wasn’t delicate or useless. She was beautiful and lethal. And sexier than fuck, damn her.

I love that Harris is always able to combine amazing story telling, with heart pounding suspense and wrap it around an extremely sexy and satisfying romance. And boy was this sexy! I loved me some cowboy Cody. Cody is easy going and first to laugh, but he’s so intense with Miranda. I couldn’t get enough of it. Miranda was the perfect combination of vulnerable and strong. No one writes an awesome heroine quite like this author.

Why had he gotten to her? He was just a man she’d abducted in a casino so she could escape Victor Conti. A random stranger- and now he was in her system so deep she didn’t think she’d ever get him out.

Hot Seal Rescue was another huge winner for me. Each time I finish a book by Lynn Raye Harris, I say to myself that it can’t possibly get any better, and then I read the next book and it always does! I love the new SEAL additions to the HOT boys and I’m already salivating for the next installment in what’s now become one of my favorite series by an author that’s my go-to when I need a guaranteed unputdownable read that’s equal parts entertaining and sexy, with plenty of action in and out of the bedroom!

HOT SEAL (Hot SEAL Team #1)
GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY REVIEW

HOT SEAL Lover (HOT SEAL Team #2)
GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY REVIEW

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense · Tagged With: , ,

New Release & Review: Levi’s Blue by M. Leighton

September 19, 2016 by · Leave a Comment

review-levis-blueLEVI’S BLUE
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: M. Leighton
Release Date: September 19, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

LEVI'S BLUE COVER final

Four beautiful days. Three steamy nights. One breathtaking love.

Levi Michaelson.

He wanted four dates. Four opportunities to prove I could trust him. Four chances to change my mind about him.

I agreed.

Probably not my smartest decision. He was everything I knew to avoid—gorgeous, charming, sexy as hell—but I couldn’t help myself. When he touched me the whole world disappeared. I should’ve known I could lose myself to him, that he could be the one man to destroy me.

I guess it’s true what they say—some things are too good to be true. And Levi Michaelson might just be one of them.

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N | KOBO

liveReview-DGR4 starslevis-blue-dgr-teaser

He’s what I can’t have and what I wish for, what I should reach toward and what I should run from.
He’s everything I shouldn’t risk, yet here I am risking everything.

Truth be told I had no idea what to expect when I started reading this book. All I knew is that I was intrigued by that blurb and I had to read it. M. Leighton always creates some of the most memorable alpha males. I read Down to You years ago, and I still remember every detail of the book.

Levi’s Blue is unlike any other book I’ve read by this author. It was captivating and emotional. It was a beautiful story of love and second chances. The pacing is slow and steady, the character development is rich and flowing, and the story well and truly unforgettable.

Something about her draws me. Like gravity or a magnet. Or the warmth of a fire on a cold winter’s night.

Evian de Champlain is a talented artist. She’s beautiful, sweet, and self-depreciating in a way that makes you just click with her. At the opening night on her art show, she quite literally falls into the arms of a handsome stranger. She knows nothing of Levi except that something about him simply draws her to him. Evie has been hurt by men in the past and isn’t quick to trust, so when this handsome man asks for four dates to prove that he’s different, she’s reluctant to believe him but can’t help but take him up on the offer.

I should run. I know I should run. But I know that I won’t. I know that without a doubt, too. Because some things are worth hurting over. I just hope Levi is one of them.

Theirs was a relationship that was a slow burn. It’s filled with humor and a connection that burns with the sizzle of sexual chemistry until becoming downright explosive.

I want to see you come on the sheets I sleep on. I want these walls to hear the sounds you make when I bury my body inside you. And I want to look down into your face when I make you lose it in my bed. Because in here, you’re mine. All mine.

Little by little you learn more and more about Evie and her past. She’s not one of those tough and ballsy heroines, but there’s this silent undercurrent of strength to her anyway. She was incredibly endearing and I loved the way she could stand her own even to the cattiest and meanest of people.

Levi was absolute perfection. He’s sweet and sexy and so protective of Evie. I loved watching him fall more and more for her, even though through everything, he remains mostly a mystery. You know he’s hiding something but it’s not until much later that the puzzle pieces begin to click together.

The writing was absolutely phenomenal. It had a lyrical quality to it but without the cheesy aspect that a lot of descriptive writing can get sometimes.

I’m thinking you could be the end of me. The bright, beautiful firework that ends me. That sets me on fire. The flame that burns a brilliant blue and gold and white at the center of me.
“I don’t want to be the end of you. I want to be the beginning.”

I have to admit I struggled a bit with the first half of the book. Perhaps the pacing was a bit slow to start or maybe I just didn’t connect to the story until the second half, but I found my interest waning at parts. Little did I know that it was simply the calm before the storm and the second half would absolutely blow my mind! When the revelations began to happen in the second half of the story? Man oh man, I was riveted to the pages, just waiting to see what happens next.

If you’re looking for a romance that’s different from the norm, beautifully written, and a story you won’t soon forget, then Levi’s Blue needs to be on your TBR!

About the Author

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Jennifer’s Review: An Indecent Proposal by Katee Robert

September 16, 2016 by · Leave a Comment

review-an-indecent-proposalAN INDECENT PROPOSAL
Series: The O’Malleys #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Suspense
Author: Katee Robert
Release Date: August 30, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

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New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katee Robert continues her smoking-hot series about the O’Malleys-wealthy, powerful, and full of scandalous family secrets.

Greed. Ambition. Violence. Those are the “values” Olivia Rashidi learned from her Russian mob family-and the values she must leave behind for the sake of her daughter. When she meets Cillian O’Malley, she recognizes the red flag of his family name . . . yet she still can’t stop herself from seeing the smoldering, tortured man. To save her family, Olivia sets out to discover Cillian’s own secrets, but the real revelation is how fast-and how hard-she’s falling for him.

Plagued by a violent past, Cillian is more vulnerable than anyone realizes. Anyone except Olivia, whose beauty, compassion, and pride have him at “hello,” even if she’s more inclined to say good-bye to an O’Malley. While his proposal of sex with no strings seems simple, what he feels for her isn’t, especially after he learns that she belongs to a rival crime family. Cillian knows that there is no escape from the life, but Olivia may be worth trying-and dying-for . . .

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBOOKSReview-DGR3.5 stars

I wish wish wish I would have read the two books before this one, and I definitely want to go back and read them. It sounds like we get more of a picture of Cillian before the Cillian we see in this book, given the hints of the next siblings throughout this book. I am very intrigued by this family. This crime/mafia book definitely stands out among the others. It is more emotional and not as violent.

My Cillian:

My Olivia:

:
Cillian is one of 7 children who makes up the O’Malley Irish mob family in Boston. He is a former party, playboy, but now he is plagued by his brother’s death and the need to just be better. I LOVE Cillian. He is unlike any character I’ve ever read, and I immediately pictured Stephen James as Cillian right away with the tattoos and the suits and his demeanor. He wants to do right by Olivia.

Olivia is tied to the New York Russian mob, so she knows what it is like to be part of a family of secrets and violence. She is trying to escape this part of her life, so she tries to stay away from Cillian, but she is drawn by him.
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”I promised myself I’d never get involved with someone like you.”

“Sweetheart, there is no one like me.”

à la Mode St. » fashion20535944What I loved most about this book is the writing style and emotions in this book. There isn’t much to say about the story. I wish the plot would have moved more. This is a personal preference. I am fan of plot writing. Nevertheless, I really enjoy Katee’s writing style. I got swept up in the emotions of the characters. Cillian and Olivia were well-developed, enough that I didn’t want to stop reading. I really enjoyed the beginning, but the middle of the book fell flat for me only because we get caught up in the characters’ heads.

I am a FAN of Katee Roberts. She is easily becoming one of my favorite go-to authors. Her style is intriguing and keeps me guessing. I’ve read her Brazen books, which are a little more light and fun, but I love this darker side of her as well.

THE O’MALLEYS SERIES

THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT | THE WEDDING PACT | AN INDECENT PROPOSAL

FORBIDDEN PROMISES – releasing May 30, 2017

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Review: Roman Crazy by Alice Clayton & Nina Bocci

September 15, 2016 by · Leave a Comment

review-roman-crazyRoman Crazy
Series: The Broads Abroad #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Authors: Nina Bocci & Alice Clayton
Release Date: September 16, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

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Avery Bardot steps off the plane in Rome, looking for a fresh start. She’s left behind a soon-to-be ex-husband in Boston and plans to spend the summer with her best friend Daisy, licking her wounds—and perhaps a gelato or two. But when her American-expat friend throws her a welcome party on her first night, Avery’s thrown for a loop when she sees a man she never thought she’d see again: Italian architect Marcello Bianchi.

Marcello was the man—the one who got away. And now her past is colliding with her present, a present where she should be mourning the loss of her marriage and—hey, that fettuccine is delicious! And so is Marcello…

Slipping easily into the good life of summertime in Rome, Avery spends her days exploring a city that makes art historians swoon, and her nights swooning over her unexpected what was old is new again romance. It’s heady, it’s fevered, it’s wanton, and it’s crazy. But could this really be her new life? Or is it just a temporary reprieve before returning to the land of twin-set cardigans and crustless sandwiches?

A celebration of great friendship, passionate romance, and wonderful food, Roman Crazy is a lighthearted story of second chances and living life to the fullest.

Buy-Links10AMAZON | iBOOKS | KOBOReview-DGR3.5 stars

It wasn’t love or lust, but something we both recognized as a possibility of something. It was so pure, so uninhibited … We just threw ourselves into it. These moments that were little pockets of perfection. It was like nothing else mattered. Just us.”

Finding your husband banging his secretary isn’t the most shocking thing Avery Bardot has recently experienced. The shocking thing was just how little it truly affected her. Was she mad? Sure. But did she feel that bone deep ache over the ultimate shattering of her marriage to her college sweetheart? Surprisingly…no. Avery sacrificed her own dreams and life to watch her husband make his happen, and she’s done with that. She’s taking charge of her life and starting it with getting on a plane to visit her best friend in Rome.

What starts off as a mere plan to get away for a while soon begins to turn to something so much more when all the pieces that have been missing in her life begin to fall into place. But then Avery runs into a man from her past, a man that affected her like no other. A man that she left behind in her youth but never forgot.

Marcello looked every bit like my greatest love and my biggest regret.

Avery and Marcello are not the same young and loose free people as they were when they met, but their feelings for each other haven’t changed. And what starts from an uneasy truce, soon turns to friendship and then to much much more.

Roman Crazy is a heartfelt and romantic journey of love and second chances. It’s a story of friendship and lifelong bonds. It’s filled with humor, painted within the beautiful culture of Italy, engrained with the beauty of its streets and people. I loved the way these authors truly brought Rome to life in this book. I was lucky to visit most of Italy, and I swear I could actually smell the cafes as they were being described.

So now you’re asking yourself, why only 3.5 stars then? Well, that’s more a personal thing than anything with the book really. See, this read more like a chick lit than romance to me. Don’t get me wrong, the romance is still very much there, but the story is so much more than that too. But I’m not a reader that really reads chick lit so it’s not a preference of mine. While the story is entertaining, I began to get bored in certain parts and hoping for a quicker pace. I loved being engrained in the culture of Italy and Rome, but wanted more of the romance. The story is actually very well paced, and well balanced with romance, but ultimately it just wasn’t something that kept me riveted to the pages.

Was it entertaining? Absolutely! Is it something I’d recommend to fans of Alice Clayton? You bet! Will it make you a fan of the newcomer Nina Bocci? Oh yes! Was it entirely my cuppa? Not quite, but that doesn’t mean I’m not already anticipating the next installment in this fun new series!

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Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Well Hung by Lauren Blakely

September 14, 2016 by · Leave a Comment

adwhcoupleavailablemnWELL HUNG
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy
Author: Lauren Blakely
Release Date: September 10, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

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From the NYT Bestselling author of MISTER O, comes a hot and hilarious new standalone…
Here’s what you need to know about me — I’m well-off, well-hung and quick with a joke. Women like a guy who makes them laugh—and I don’t mean at the size of his d*ck. No, they want their funny with a side of huge… not to mention loyal. I’ve got all that plus a big bank account, thanks to my booming construction business. Yup. I know how to use all my tools.

Enter Natalie. Hot, sexy, smart, and my new assistant. Which makes her totally off limits… 

Hey, I’m a good guy. Really. I do my best to stay far away from the kind of temptation she brings to work.

Until one night in Vegas… 

Yeah, you’ve heard this one before. Bad news on the business front, drowning our sorrows in a few too many Harvey Wallbangers, and then I’m banging her. In my hotel room. In her hotel room. Behind the Titanic slot machine at the Flamingo (don’t ask). And before I can make her say “Oh God right there YES!” one more time, we’re both saying yes—the big yes—at a roadside chapel in front of a guy in press-on sideburns and a shiny gold leisure suit.

But it turns out what happened in Vegas didn’t stay in Vegas. And now, my dick doesn’t stay in my pants when she’s around. I try to resist. Honest. But the more we try to keep our hands to ourselves, the more we end up naked again, and the more time I want to spend with her fully clothed, too.

The question now is…do I take this woman to be my ex-wife?

Buy Links

AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N | KOBO | GOOGLE PLAY

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Excerpt

She twirls the pen in her hand. “So who caused the contamination today? Was it Floyd or Kevin the oily electrician you tried to put a chokehold on?”“Oily Kevin needed the chokehold. Agree or disagree?”

She nods. “Completely agree. There’s so much agreement in me, I can’t imagine how much more I could possibly agree.”

“The chokehold was one hundred percent certifiably necessary,” I add, since Kevin had hit on her when he stopped by a few weeks ago. Here’s the thing—Natalie could dropkick him in the blink of an eye. She could slam him to the ground herself. But that shit he pulled with the leering and lewd comments does not fly with me. I would have done the same if a dude tried to get fresh with my little sister, Josie, at the bakery where she works. So I’d dropped a hand on Kevin’s shoulder, Vulcan style, and promptly escorted him the fuck out of my office. No one, and I mean no one, gets to put the moves on my employees.

“It was Floyd today,” I tell her, then give her the safe-for-work version of the story—the one about Floyd’s client conquests, not his comments about banging assistants. There’s no need to have that hanging out there in the air between us. Can’t plant that forbidden idea in her head.

That risky, dangerous, dirty, filthy, completely fucking alluring idea. My eyes roam the office briefly, and I catalogue all the places that are calling out to be christened. Her desk, her chair, the floor…

Just like that, my head is a wild rumpus of inappropriate ideas. Exactly what it shouldn’t be. It’s like horny aliens have invaded my mind.

But I’m not Floyd. I can do better, so I picture a vise, jam the images into it, and crush them out of my mind. The dirty images and the horny aliens, too.

“And then I escorted him out of Lila’s home and said see ya later,” I tell her, finishing the story, as I drag a hand through my dark brown hair. “Like, in another lifetime later.”

“Hmmm…” she says.

“Hmm, that’s great, or hmm, why did I give one of our suppliers the heave-ho?”

“Hmm, as in your story gives me a good idea. Something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.”

“What’s that?”

Her eyes sparkle. Hers are a lighter shade than my dark blue. “Want me to find a new hinge supplier?”

The idea is beyond perfect. I smack my palm against the edge of her desk enthusiastically. “Yes. And for the record, you’re brilliant and beauty—“ I cut the last word off so it sounds like a low bass note. Note to self: Don’t call her beautiful when you’re berating other men for hitting on her at work.

She’s watching me, waiting for me to finish my sentence, and somehow I twist the words into a new compliment, as I say, “Brilliant, and…bountiful.”

Bountiful? Seriously? What the hell was that? Maybe she won’t notice.

No such luck.

“Bountiful?” she asks, skepticism thick in her tone. As it fucking should be. “I’m bountiful?”

I nod, going with it, owning it. “Your brain. It’s like a cornucopia of ideas. It’s a Thanksgiving bounty. It’s bountiful,” I say, because I’ve got to sell this cover-up.

She squares her shoulders. “If you say so, Hammer.” And this bountiful brain was two steps ahead today. I already found a new supplier. I called around, talked to some of our colleagues, and got some great recommendations. I already have a new hinge guy lined up.”

My smile spreads quickly. “Damn. You are three steps ahead of me.”

“A good assistant should be.”

whteaserfixasinkmsmall

Review-DGR5 stars5 Horny Aliens Stars!!!!!

(Don’t google “horny aliens.” Very bad idea. Just read this book instead.)

BAD, BAD, JENNIFER!!! I am putting myself in the corner because this is the first Lauren Blakely book I’ve ever read, and I am kicking myself for it!

Lauren Blakely deserves all of my happiness because that is exactly what I’m giving her right now.

20515589-_sx540_Wyatt Hammer…..yep, that’s his name….owns a construction company. He has a fantastic assistant who helps him with scheduling, and is pretty much his dream woman, but because she works for him, he is trying to be the good guy and keep it professional. They get a contract in Vegas and fly out together to make it happen, and after it falls through, agree to have one night of Vegas together. You can see where this is going.

My Wyatt:
Chris Pratt Eye Candy : theBERRY:
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Natalie: Become ugly. Act like an asshole. Stop being so damn caring.

Wyatt: Likewise, could you start acting like a cold-hearted bitch who’ll stab me in the back? It’d make it so much easier to keep my hands off you.

Natalie: If you could get a reversal on your sense of humor so I wouldn’t laugh so much around you, that’d also help.

Wyatt: While you’re at it, please stop having so damn much in common with me.

à la Mode St. » fashionMy Natalie:

Amber Heard:
Natalie is just trying to do her job of being an organized assistant for Wyatt’s construction company, but his hot body keeps distracting her. She is a badass ninja but also a girly, flirty girl looking for her unicorn. We don’t hear much of Natalie’s pov, but I still had a clear picture of who she was and what she might be thinking. The texting between her and her friends and sister was definitely entertaining and a nice addition to the story.

20515590-_sy540_
The beginning of this book is everything. Even though Wyatt is trying to stay away, I love that he just went for what he wanted. I loved that Natalie was touchy and flirty without being inappropriate or annoying. I loved that the happiness of the beginning of this book lasted for almost half of the book. So many Vegas books start off with the dread of the morning after, but with this one, we get to live all of the wonderful goodness of the Vegas moments and I loved that.
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She’s slipping through my fingers, this woman tangled up with me in the mess we made one crazy night. Now, I want all those entanglements. I crave them. Judging from this emptiness in my chest, I fucking need them, because this moment with her – her sweetness, her zaniness, her upside-down sense of humor that matches mine – is the only balm to that ache.

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I LOVED that this whole book was in Wyatt’s point of view. Few authors can write a whole book from a guy’s pov, but this author CAN! And she did an awesome job of it. I literally laughed out loud, more than once. The cheesy jokes between these two….it just worked! This book felt like a combination of Tessa Bailey and Emma Chase and I ate up every word. The hotness level in this book just sends it over the edge of awesome.

About the Author

daisywhitneylaurenblakelyheadshot_smallSince self-publishing her debut romance novel CAUGHT UP IN US three years ago, Lauren Blakely has sold more than 1 million books. She is known for her sexy contemporary romance style that’s full of heat, heart and humor. A devout fan of cake and canines, Lauren has plotted entire novels while walking her four-legged friends. She lives in California with her family. With ten New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than fifty times. Her bestselling series include Sinful Nights, Seductive Nights, No Regrets, Caught Up in Love, and Fighting Fire as well as standalone romantic comedies like BIG ROCK and MISTER O, which were both instant New York Times Bestsellers. In the fall she’ll release WELL HUNG, another romantic comedy. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter, laurenblakely.com/newsletter!

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter | Goodreads

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Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Blog Tours, Contemporary Romance, Excerpts, Giveaways · Tagged With: , ,
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