Category: ARC

Crimson Cage by Thomas Howard

4 Stars

Publisher: Lulu.com

Date of Publication: September 27th, 2017

Genre: Christian, Thriller, General Fiction

Number of pages: 198

POV: 3rd person

Series: Cage Series

Caged Light – Book 1 (review here)

Crimson Cage – Book 2

Where you can find Crimson Cage: Amazon | Lulu.com

Books synopsis (from Amazon):

Some legends are born, others are forged in the crucible of fire. For Detective Wyatt Cage, fighting a demonic crime lord was just the beginning. Plunged deep inside of a world he barely believed existed, he is swept into a fight against possibly the greatest general ever to be born of HellÕs army to rescue countless children from a fate worse than death. Failure in this attempt will unleash HellÕs might upon the world in a war unlike any other. Along his dark road, Wyatt will discover two things his true lineage and something he never knew he was missing, his son. However, his fight in the realm where nightmare and reality are one may just cost Wyatt his life as he knows it.

Trigger Warning: None

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Slap Shot (Aces Hockey: Book 5) by Kelly Jamieson

Slap Shot (Aces Hockey #5)

Title: Slap Shot

Author: Kelly Jamieson

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept

Date of publication: October 17, 2017

Genre: Romance, Sports

Number of pages: 276

POV: 1st person

Series: Aces Hockey

Major Misconduct – Book 1

Off Limits – Book 1.5

Icing – Book 2

Top Shelf – Book 3

Back Check – Book 4

Slap Shot – Book 5

Where you can find Slap Shot: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

My name’s Max Hall, and I need to f***. As a pro hockey player who’s been away from the game for over a year, my libido has picked one hell of an inconvenient time to come roaring back to life.
 
After my wife died from a rare form of cancer, sex was the last thing on my mind. Same with hockey, the other love of my life. Now, after fifteen months of eating too much, drinking too much, and generally just feeling sorry for myself, I’m facing a steep uphill battle to get my ass in shape and play my way back onto the Chicago Aces.
 
So I’m not looking for a relationship. Just sex. Yeah, I know how that makes me sound. But the truth is, I’ll never love another woman the way I loved my wife. When I meet a sexy bridesmaid at my teammate’s wedding, I decide to scratch that itch. A fling with Kendra Armstrong in her posh hotel room could be just what the trainer ordered.
 
Not only is Kendra smokin’ hot, but she’s also dynamite in bed—one of the perks of being a sex toy designer. Since she lives in New York anyway, we agree to keep things casual, no strings attached. The arrangement is perfect . . . until one of us falls in love. And it’s not me.

Trigger Warning: None

Continue reading “Slap Shot (Aces Hockey: Book 5) by Kelly Jamieson” →

House of Shadows by Nicola Cornick

House of Shadows

Title: House of Shadows

Author: Nicola Cornick

Publisher: Harlequin, Graydon House

Date of publication: October 17th, 2017 (original publication date: December 5th, 2015)

Genre: Historical Fiction, Women’s Fiction

Number of pages: 464

POV: 3rd person (Elizabeth and Holly) and 1st person (Lavinia’s journal entry)

Where you can find House of Shadows: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

The wooded hills of Oxfordshire conceal the remains of the aptly named Ashdown House—a wasted pile of cinders and regret. Once home to the daughter of a king, Ashdown and its secrets will unite three women across four centuries in a tangle of romance, deceit, and destiny…

In the winter of 1662, Elizabeth Stuart, the Winter Queen, is on her deathbed. She entrusts an ancient pearl, rumored to have magic power, to her faithful cavalier William Craven for safe keeping. In his grief, William orders the construction of Ashdown Estate in her memory and places the pearl at its center.

One hundred and fifty years later, notorious courtesan Lavinia Flyte hears the maids at Ashdown House whisper of a hidden treasure, and bears witness as her protector Lord Evershot—desperate to find it—burns the building to the ground.

Now, a battered mirror and the diary of a Regency courtesan are the only clues Holly Ansell has to find her brother, who has gone missing researching the mystery of Elizabeth Stuart and her alleged affair with Lord Craven. As she retraces his footsteps, Holly’s quest will soon reveal the truth about Lavinia and compel her to confront the stunning revelation about the legacy of the Winter Queen.

Trigger Warning: Domestic violence (Lavinia)

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Scored by Sloane Howell

Scored

Title: Scored

Author: Sloane Howell

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept

Date of publication: October 17th, 2017

Genre: Romance, Sports

Number of pages: 230

POV: Alternating 1st person

Series: Unknown

Bossed – Book 1 (review here)

Where you can find Scored: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

He’s a player. But she’s about to score.

Opposites really do attract* as a sassy salesgirl turns a pro athlete’s life upside down in this supercharged standalone novel of seduction from the author of Bossed.

Kelsey: My mom would tell you I’m quite the catch, but since my last boyfriend, I haven’t been dating much. Maybe it’s my rocker style or my lack of filter that intimidates the boys. So I’m pleasantly surprised when Matt Stallworth waltzes into the indie record store where I work and gives as good he gets. Turns out Matt is a professional baseball player, which should mean he’s out of my league. But if he wants to hook up with me, he’s going to have to follow my rules.

Matt: After winning my MVP award, I learned that a guy can get used to having beautiful women practically throw themselves at you everywhere you turn. But everything changes the first time I see Kelsey Martin, and something just clicks. She’s hot, snarky, and whip-smart. I’ve got to see her again. The only problem is, she sees right through all my best moves. And I’m going to have to step up my game to convince Kelsey that I’m playing for keeps.

*And sexy times ensue—for mature audiences.

Trigger Warning: None

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The Rules of Magic (Practical Magic: Book 0) by Alice Hoffman

The Rules of Magic: A Novel (The Practical Magic Series Book 1) by [Hoffman, Alice]

Title: The Rules of Magic

Author: Alice Hoffman

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Date of publication: October 10th, 2017

Genre: General Fiction, fantasy, paranormal, romance

Number of pages: 384

POV: 3rd person

Series: Practical Magic

The Rules of Magic – Book 0 (prequel)

Practical Magic – Book 1

Where you can find The Rules of Magic: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Find your magic

For the Owens family, love is a curse that began in 1620, when Maria Owens was charged with witchery for loving the wrong man.

Hundreds of years later, in New York City at the cusp of the sixties, when the whole world is about to change, Susanna Owens knows that her three children are dangerously unique. Difficult Franny, with skin as pale as milk and blood-red hair, shy and beautiful Jet, who can read other people’s thoughts, and charismatic Vincent, who began looking for trouble on the day he could walk.

From the start, Susanna sets down rules for her children: No walking in the moonlight, no red shoes, no wearing black, no cats, no crows, no candles, no books about magic. And most importantly, never, ever, fall in love. But when her children visit their Aunt Isabelle, in the small Massachusetts town where the Owens family has been blamed for everything that has ever gone wrong, they uncover family secrets and begin to understand the truth of who they are. Back in New York City, each begins a risky journey as they try to escape the family curse.

The Owens children cannot escape love even if they try, just as they cannot escape the pains of the human heart. The two beautiful sisters will grow up to be the revered, and sometimes feared, aunts in Practical Magic, while Vincent, their beloved brother, will leave an unexpected legacy.

Trigger Warning: None

Continue reading “The Rules of Magic (Practical Magic: Book 0) by Alice Hoffman” →

Adelaide, the Enchantress (Delaneys of Killaroo: Book 1) by Kay Hopper

Title: Adelaide the Enchantress

Author: Kay Hooper

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept

Date of publication: October 10th, 2017 (original publication date: August 1st, 1987)

Genre: Romance, Women’s Fiction

Number of pages: 192

POV: 3rd person

Series: The Delaneys of Killaroo

Adelaide the Enchantress – Book 1

Matilda the Adventuress – Book 2

Sydney the Temptress – Book 3

Where you can find Adelaide the Enchantress: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Addie Delaney was racing for her life, for enough money to make a cherished dream come true when the only man who’d ever stirred her blood challenged her to resist him. The beguiling jockey, whose voice could tame animals and whose touch could bewitch men, astonished Shane Marston with her beauty and fragility-and her strength. The American horse breeder who was known as the sleekest, sexiest Thoroughbred in racing circles felt he’d go out of his mind if he couldn’t run his fingers through her flaming hair, and caress the velvet softness of her skin. Addie reveled in Shane’s savage need and echoed his demands with wild pleasure, but she ached at denying him what he desired most — her promise to give up the danger of the track. Could he believe that giving his love kept her safe in his heart forever

Trigger Warning: None

Continue reading “Adelaide, the Enchantress (Delaneys of Killaroo: Book 1) by Kay Hopper” →

His Convenient Husband (Love and Sports: Book 1) by Robin Covington

3 Stars

Publisher: Entangled Publishing, Indulgence

Date of publication: October 9th, 2017

Genre: Romance, LGBTQIA

Number of pages: 175

POV: 3rd person

Series: Love and Sports

His Convenient Husband – Book 1

Where you can find His Convenient Husband: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

NFL football player Isaiah Blackwell lost his husband three years ago and is raising their teen son alone. He lives his life as quietly as his job allows, playing ball to support his family but trying not to draw unwanted attention. His quiet life is shaken up when a mutual friend introduces him to Victor, a visiting principal ballet dancer who is everything Isaiah is not.

Brash and loud, Victor Aleksandrov has applied for political asylum to avoid returning to Russia, where gay men are targeted and persecuted. He’s been outspoken about gay rights in his home country, and if he doesn’t get asylum, going back to Russia is a death sentence.

Their one-night stand turns into a tentative friendship, a relationship they both agree is temporary… until Victor’s denied asylum. Isaiah can’t offer Victor a happily ever after, but he can propose something that’ll keep Victor in the US and safe… marriage He just doesn’t expect his new husband to dance away with his heart.

Continue reading “His Convenient Husband (Love and Sports: Book 1) by Robin Covington” →

Catching the Player (A Hamilton Family Series: Book 1) by Diane Alberts

Catching the Player (A Hamilton Family Series Book 3) by [Alberts, Diane]

3.5  Stars (rounded up to 4 for Goodreads and Amazon)

Publisher: Entangled Publishing, Indulgence

Date of publication: October 9th, 2017

Genre: Romance

Number of pages: 190

POV: 3rd person

Series: The Hamilton Family Series

Catching the Player – Book 1

Where you can find Catching the Player: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book Synopsis (from Goodreads):

It all started with a bet…

Kassidy Thomas decided to stop hiding behind her past and start living, but she didn’t quite bet on that start including her singing a horrible song in front of the most handsome bachelor in the NFL, Wyatt Hamilton. She also doesn’t think he’d then consequently ask her out on a date but turns out when you’re actually living life…crazy things happen.

He needs to win…

Wyatt Hamilton is a player in every sense of the word. Married to the game, he has no interest in relationships, love, or even second nights with the same woman. But from the second the girl-next-door beauty Kassidy knocks on his door to deliver a singing telegram, nothing goes as planned. He can’t stop thinking about her and keeps showing up on her doorstep for more. That is until the unthinkable happens…

And all bets are off.

Continue reading “Catching the Player (A Hamilton Family Series: Book 1) by Diane Alberts” →

69 Million Things I Hate About You (Winning the Billionaire: Book 1) by Kira Archer

69 Million Things I Hate About You (Winning The Billionaire Book 1) by [Archer, Kira]

4 Stars

Publisher: Entangled Publishing, Indulgence

Date of publication: October 9th, 2017

Genre: Romance

Number of pages: 228

POV: 3rd person

Series: Winning the Billionaire

69 Million Things I Hate About You – Book 1

Where you can find 69 Million Things I Hate About You: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

After personal assistant Kiersten Abbott wins sixty-nine million dollars in the lotto, she suddenly has more than enough money to quit her impossibly demanding job. But where’s the fun in that? She decides to stay and exact a little revenge on her insufferable ass of a boss. 

Billionaire Cole Harrington quickly figures out something’s afoot with his usually agreeable personal assistant. When he finds out about the office pool betting on how long it’ll take him to fire her, he decides to spice things up and see how far he can push her until she quits.

The game is on, with everyone waiting to see who will crack first. But the bet sparks a new dynamic between them, and soon they realize they just might have crossed that fine line between hate and love.

Continue reading “69 Million Things I Hate About You (Winning the Billionaire: Book 1) by Kira Archer” →

An Unsuitable Heir (Sins of the Cities: Book 3) by K.J. Charles

An Unsuitable Heir (Sins of the Cities, #3)

Title: An Unsuitable Heir

Author: K.J. Charles

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept

Date of publication: October 3rd, 2017

Genre: LGBTQIA, romance

Number of pages: 246

POV: 3rd person

Series: Sins of the Cities

An Unseen Attraction – Book 1 (review here)

An Unnatural Vice – Book 2 (review here)

An Unsuitable Heir – Book 3

Where you can find An Unsuitable Heir: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

A private detective finds passion, danger, and the love of a lifetime when he hunts down a lost earl in Victorian London.

On the trail of an aristocrat’s secret son, enquiry agent Mark Braglewicz finds his quarry in a music hall, performing as a trapeze artist with his twin sister. Graceful, beautiful, elusive, and strong, Pen Starling is like nobody Mark’s ever met—and everything he’s ever wanted. But the long-haired acrobat has an earldom and a fortune to claim.

Pen doesn’t want to live as any sort of man, least of all a nobleman. The thought of being wealthy, titled, and always in the public eye is horrifying. He likes his life now—his days on the trapeze, his nights with Mark. And he won’t be pushed into taking a title that would destroy his soul.

But there’s a killer stalking London’s foggy streets, and more lives than just Pen’s are at risk. Mark decides he must force the reluctant heir from music hall to manor house, to save Pen’s neck. Betrayed by the one man he thought he could trust, Pen never wants to see his lover again. But when the killer comes after him, Pen must find a way to forgive—or he might not live long enough for Mark to make amends.

Trigger Warning: None

Continue reading “An Unsuitable Heir (Sins of the Cities: Book 3) by K.J. Charles” →