Category: ARC

Bossed by Sloane Howell

Bossed

Title: Bossed

Author: Sloane Howell

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept

Date of publication: March 28th, 2017

Genre: Romance

Number of pages: 203

POV: Alternating 1st person

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

He’s the boss. But she’s ready to take charge.

In this provocative and sexy* office romance, a cheeky new hire tempts a hotshot sports agent to mix business with pleasure.

Jenny: Job interviews are a bitch under the best of circumstances, but when your potential boss is the world’s biggest prick, that’s when you should simply walk away. It’s just that I need this job so badly—and I’m mesmerized by Ethan Mason’s piercing gaze. Men like him aren’t supposed to exist in real life. But under the tailored suits and GQ looks, Ethan simmers with barely restrained ambition. And no matter how hard I work to fight the attraction, I’m going to get burned.

Ethan: You don’t become a top agent without learning how to close a deal. I always get what—or who—I want, by staying cool and in command. Then Jenny Jackson walks into my office with her lush curves and “screw you” attitude and blows away my intentions of keeping things professional. All I can think about is exploring the perfect body hidden beneath those conservative clothes or shutting her saucy mouth with one hot kiss. Jenny’s worth breaking the rules over—if I can convince her to break the rules for me.

*By sexy, we mean sexy. Like, 18+ sexy.

My review:

I was actually looking forward to reading Bossed based on the cover alone. I couldn’t get over the smirk that the model had on his face and hoped that the cover would live up to the book. I wasn’t disappointed on that end. The cover more than lived up to what I thought Mason would look like and to his arrogant behavior. I am just glad that Jenny wasn’t shown on the cover.

I couldn’t stand Jenny. She annoyed the ever-living out of me. I mean, she went into her interview and immediately started verbally sparring with Mason and then every scene with them afterward, at work, she was insubordinate. If she was my employee, she wouldn’t have been hired and if she was, she would have been fired as soon as she screamed at me to apologize to an employee who cost me millions of dollars. She was whiny too. I mean, she had her first orgasm, ever,  in the back of Mason’s car and then checks her phone to find out that her dad, who had terminal cancer, was in the hospital. She flipped out on Mason….like hardcore screaming and yelling at him. I get that her emotions were all over the place but dang, she needed to check it. And when her dad died, her flipping out on him because he went to a business meeting and his cell phone. I can’t even put that at grief. She was acting like a witch with a b. She was the one who sent him on the darn business trip…..with her blessings. There were some places in the book where I wanted to slip her a chill pill. She annoyed me that much.

Mason was just as unlikable at the beginning of the book. But I did like the change him in once he started seeing Jenny. I actually started to like him and by the end of the book, he achieved hero status by dealing with her. But, he wasn’t all nice. I mean, he broke up with her because he assumed that she cost him 10 million dollars on a pitcher when it ended up being information that he gave to her that was incorrect. And how he was at the beginning of the book…..he was a grade A idiot.

The sex scenes were pretty hot but what was hotter was the sexual tension between Jenny and Mason. It blew the book out of the water in that aspect because it made the first time they had sex beyond hot.

I thought the storyline with Jenny’s father was pretty sad and I really thought that he was going to make it. I actually cried when I found out he died.

The end of the book I liked. It was pretty standard with a HEA.

How many stars will I give Bossed: 3

Why: While I liked the story and half of the main couple, I really couldn’t get past Jenny

Will I reread: Maybe

Will I recommend to family and friends: Maybe

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex and language

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti

The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley: A Novel by [Tinti, Hannah]

Title: The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley

Author: Hannah Tinti

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Random House

Date of publication: March 28th, 2017

Genre: General Fiction, thriller

Number of pages: 399

POV: 3rd person

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

A father protects his daughter from the legacy of his past and the truth about her mother’s death in this thrilling new novel from the prize-winning author of The Good Thief.

After years spent living on the run, Samuel Hawley moves with his teenage daughter, Loo, to Olympus, Massachusetts. There, in his late wife’s hometown, Hawley finds work as a fisherman, while Loo struggles to fit in at school and grows curious about her mother’s mysterious death. Haunting them both are twelve scars Hawley carries on his body, from twelve bullets in his criminal past; the past that eventually spills over into his daughter’s present until together they must face a reckoning yet to come. This father-daughter epic weaves back and forth through time and across America, from Alaska to the Adirondacks.

Both a coming-of-age novel and a literary thriller, The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley explores what it means to be a hero, and the cost we pay to protect the people we love most.

My review:

As someone who grew up the next town over from Salem (Peabody), I am always very interested when novels featuring The North Shore are written. I am always a little critical because of the author, usually not from the area, only focuses on Salem or Gloucester and what they are most known for Halloween (Salem) and fishing (Gloucester). It always irks me to read those books because the stereotypes scream from the books. The girl whose ancestors come from Salem and she finds out she has powers (Salem) or the fisherman who battles nature to get the big haul (Gloucester). Usually, I can’t get through the book, I have to DNF it because I want to gag. Happily, though, The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley doesn’t have any of those stereotypes and that itself is refreshing. Also, the author herself is from Salem, so she knows the areas from Rockport to Lynn probably as well I do and that added just that extra touch of authenticity to her book.

I actually had to go to google Olympus and Dogtown. Just to make sure that Olympus isn’t there. Massachusetts is famous for having small towns that you can drive through and miss. Take Hathrone. It is a tiny town between Danvers and Middleton. When I say small, it is teeny. I think that it is actually considered part of Danvers but it has its own zip code and post office. I didn’t know it existed until about 15 years ago….when the guy I was dating actually told me about it….lol. So, googling Olympus to check it out became my main goal. Dogtown, I googled too even though I knew it was real.

I kinda felt bad for Loo at the beginning of the book. She moved around a ton and had a father that kept major secrets from her.  Saying that the moving around didn’t affect her would be lying. When they settled down in Olympus, things got really bad for her. I am glad that the author had Loo react the way she did to bullying. It was real. Nothing was hunky dory after the rock in the sock incident but the kids left her alone. And her anger issues after that. Oh Lordy, she needed anger management classes, therapy or both. Even with her kinda boyfriend, Marshall Titus, she was mean. Put it this way, Loo wasn’t a nice person by the end of the book, even though she tried to be one.

While Loo’s story wasn’t easy to read, Hawley’s story was even worse. The author chose to tell his story by each bullet wound that he got (12 in all). Hawley was not a good man….far from it. But he did try to turn himself around when he married Lily (Loo’s mother) and then they had Loo. But his past criminal life kept sucking him in and it eventually cost him everything. I could see why he was hiding it from Loo. He was protecting her but still. He should have left well enough alone (read the book if you want to know what I meant by that).

Hawley’s story and Loo’s story was seamlessly brought together towards the end of the book. The events that happened at the end of the book did leave it up in the air. You don’t know if there will be a HEA or what. That was pretty refreshing. I can see people complaining about it, though, saying that all books need clear-cut endings. But with this book, nothing was clear-cut so why should the end be?

How many stars will I give The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley: 4

Why: An engrossing book that kept me turning the pages until well after my bedtime. The characters were very complex and their relationships with each other and other characters were complex too. This is not an easy read, so be warned. I liked it because it was different from what I usually read and like I said above, the characters were complex.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Violence, language and some sexual situations.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

The Idea of You by Amanda Prowse

The Idea of You

Title: The Idea of You

Author: Amanda Prowse

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Date of publication: March 21st, 2017

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Number of pages: 332

POV: Alternating 2nd person and 3rd person

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

With her fortieth birthday approaching, Lucy Carpenter thinks she finally has it all: a wonderful new husband, Jonah, a successful career and the chance of a precious baby of her own. Life couldn’t be more perfect.

But becoming parents proves much harder to achieve than Lucy and Jonah imagined, and when Jonah’s teenage daughter Camille comes to stay with them, she becomes a constant reminder of what Lucy doesn’t have. Jonah’s love and support are unquestioning, but Lucy’s struggles with work and her own failing dreams begin to take their toll. With Camille’s presence straining the bonds of Lucy’s marriage even further, Lucy suddenly feels herself close to losing everything…

This heart-wrenchingly poignant family drama from bestselling author Amanda Prowse asks the question: in today’s hectic world, what does it mean to be a mother?

My review:

This review is going to be a huge trigger alert. If you have ever had a miscarriage, was a teenage mother or was forced to give a child up for adoption…..don’t read this review. Hit the back button and keep on scrolling. If you do keep on reading and trigger from reading this….don’t say I didn’t warn you and don’t get upset. So read at your discretion and don’t go past the read more block I put up.

Continue reading “The Idea of You by Amanda Prowse” →

Reaper’s Rival (Satan’s Son’s MC: Book 2) by Simone Elise

Satan's Sons MC Romance Series Book 3: Reaper's Rival by [Elise, Simone]

Title: Reaper’s Rival

Author: Simone Elise

Publisher: Inkitt

Date of publication: March 22nd, 2017

Genre: Romance

POV: Alternating 1st person

Number of pages: 532

Series: Satan’s Son’s Motorcycle Club

Reaper’s Claim – Book 1 (review here)

Reaper’s Rival – Book 2

Where this book can be found: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

The steamy and dramatic sequel to the Best Selling Reaper’s Claim by Simone Elise.

After the events of the first book, Abby has joined her half sister’s gang Hellbound. Can Reaper claim her back?

Reaper:
This life gives you regrets on a silver platter. This life makes you colder, and there is a coldness in you now Abby, and I don’t like seeing it. It is what I was trying to protect you from. You always had an innocent heart, but something got inside and messed around with it, and I don’t like it. You can come back from this. Let me take all the bad from you so you can go back to being you. Ain’t ever gonna stop trying to make you mine.

Abby:
You have to lose yourself to really find yourself. You have to crawl through the dark times to understand and crave the light. And sometimes you need to lose the man you love to realize that what you had in the first place was in fact, love. We had a history between us. But more importantly, we had love between us and time doesn’t affect love, or at least I hope it won’t affect our love. Right now I don’t belong anywhere, but I know that no matter what happens or where I am, my heart will always belong to him.

Being together might be dangerous, but outlaws are meant to break the rules.

My review:

I am going to start this review by explaining what happened shortly after I reviewed Reaper’s Claim (and why I was beyond confused when I started reading Reaper’s Rival). The author decided to split the first book up into two books. So, when I started reading Reaper’s Rival, I fully expected it to take up after the events that I had read in Reaper’s Claim….which ended up being the end of Reaper’s Rival (confused yet….lol). Which confused me because I was expecting Reaper to be in full get Abby mode after what I read in Reaper’s Claim and instead she was in Blake’s gang which happened in Reaper’s Claim (and no, not a spoiler).

I heard back from the publisher about what happened. The author decided to split Reaper’s Claim into two books and she added 40K worth of words to the new book, which is Reaper’s Rival. To be honest, I think it was a wise move on the author’s part. So much went on in Reaper’s Claim that it was almost too much when you read it. With the story being continued in Reaper’s Rival and new material added, it made the book a lot easier to read and follow.

Reaper’s Rival takes place 3 months after the events of Reaper’s Claim. Abby has shed her “good girl” persona and is now in a gang, working as a hit woman. If she even had a shred of me liking her in the first book, it was stomped on in this book. I don’t know if the author intentionally wrote her this way but she came across as an insecure, whiny, immature little girl who freaked if she even thought Reaper was looking at another girl but it was OK for her not to call him for months on end. I really couldn’t stand her and I would be lying if I said I wished she was taken out. But then there wouldn’t have been a story so it’s kinda a wash….lol.

Reaper was still a tough biker but I like how the author wrote in scenes that made him human. What I mean by that is that he had feelings and he really wasn’t afraid to let Abby, Kim or Roach see them. He also loved Abby no matter what. Which I am not sure she deserved with the way she acted (read the book). When he found out what she was doing in the gang, instead of running guns like she leads them to believe (not that running guns were good), he understandably freaked out. There are reasons why he freaked out. Want to know what?? Read the book.

I will say that this book had some crazy action scenes. If you don’t like blood, don’t read this book because it kinda gets a little gory at points. But it doesn’t take away from the book, it actually adds to it. But, like I said in the review of Reaper’s Claim, this is a pretty realistic view of motorcycle clubs and guess what, stuff like this is a reality for hard-core members. This club isn’t one of those clubs where the members meet up on the weekends and go cruising…..this is a club where killing, drug deals, stealing motorcycles/cars and other criminal activities are a way of life.

Reaper and Abby’s sex scenes, while hot, really didn’t do it for me. I am going to admit it is because of Abby. I just didn’t like her.

The book ends on another cliffhanger and I can’t wait to read book 3.

How many stars will I give Reaper’s Rival: 4

Why: Like I said above, I think it was great that the author decided to split the first book into two and add content to Reaper’s Rival. It actually made for a better read than reading it all at once. The characters were more in-depth, the situations that they got into were more in-depth and there was more of an understanding of why what happened at the end happened. I was very happy with it.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex, language, violence. Also, a pretty graphic scene of a 10-year-old being murdered.

I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

His to Seduce (Fireside: Book 4) by Stacey Lynn

His to Seduce (Fireside, #4)

Title: His to Seduce

Author: Stacey Lynn

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept

Date of publication: March 21st, 2017

Genre: Romance

Number of pages: 238

POV: Alternating 1st person

Series: Fireside

His to Love – Book 1

His to Protect – Book 2

His to Cherish – Book 3 (review here)

His to Seduce – Book 4

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

An honorable man who’s lost his way . . . A career woman who hides behind her button-up suits . . . Unexpected romance is the specialty at the Fireside Grill as Stacey Lynn’s captivating series comes full circle.
 
Becoming an ER doctor had been David McGregor’s mission ever since he could remember. But after tragedy strikes at his hospital in Chicago, David runs away from the guilt—all the way back to Latham Hills, Michigan, where he takes a job tending bar at his childhood friend’s restaurant. That’s how he meets Camden Reed, and the way Camden refuses to give him the time of day should be a turnoff. Instead, he’s drawn to her tough, tightly wound exterior, and soon David realizes that he has a new mission: to see her tightly wound beneath him.
 
Camden’s fighting tooth and nail to resist the desire she feels for David. Growing up dirt-poor, raised by a single mother, she worked twice as hard to get where she is today, and she doesn’t have any patience for the kind of guy who’d give up a decent paycheck to sling drinks. But when the sexual tension finally combusts between the sheets, Camden discovers that people aren’t always what they seem. As David pushes her past her limits, Camden begins to loosen up—and to trust that, when she falls, there will be someone waiting to catch her.

My review:

What a great ending to a great series. Now granted, I only read two books. But the books that I read blew me off my feet. His to Seduce starts off as your typical screw fest. I mean, Camden and David had no holds bar sex in a closet at their friend’s wedding reception in Jamaica and then spend the rest of the vacation doing the same. But, Cam’s tragic past raises its head and David’s huge secret (which was only a secret to Cam….not everyone else) is revealed in a very shocking way.

I will admit, Camden annoyed me. She came across as a bit snobby (telling Trina that she would never date bartenders) and very insecure. But, the more I read the book and the more she reveals about herself, I started to get why she was the way she was and it broke my heart. No child should ever have to go through what she did and all I have to say is that the drunk neighbor was my hero in that situation. It also explained her over the top reaction to David’s secret.

David was a saint. His only fault was that he didn’t tell Cam that he was a Dr or that he was über rich. I think he dealt with Cam and her insecurities amazingly well and I pegged him being in love with her when she told him her big secret and he gave her space. He also didn’t take her crap, which I liked also. But he wasn’t a saint. To be honest, I felt that he was dealing with a form of PTSD after being an ER Dr in Detroit. Just saying, it sounded like it to me. I also liked that he pushed Cam to face her fears and embrace them. I swear, if he was real, I would be all over him like white on rice….lmao.

The sex was beyond hot. They had closet sex, pool sex, ocean sex, and bed sex. I loved Cam’s reaction to the ocean sex. Honestly, I would have thought the same thing. Saltwater wouldn’t make a good lube….lol.

The end of the book, along with the epilog, was awesome!! I just wish that the other characters from the other book made an appearance so we could have seen what was going on in their lives.

How many stars will I give His to Seduce: 4

Why: A great book with hot sex and some memorable characters. I will admit that Cam annoyed me but that was eclipsed by her and David’s love story

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex and language

I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

The Last Chance Matinee (The Hudson Sisters: Book 1) by Mariah Stewart

The Last Chance Matinee: A Book Club Recommendation! (The Hudson Sisters Series 1) by [Stewart, Mariah]

Title: The Last Chance Matinee

Author: Mariah Stewart

Publisher: Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books

Date of publication: March 21st, 2017

Genre: Women’s Fiction, Romance

Number of pages: 432

POV: 3rd person

Series: The Hudson Sisters

Last Chance Matinee – Book 1

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

From New York Times, bestselling author Mariah Stewart comes the first novel in her all-new series, The Hudson Sisters, following a trio of reluctant sisters as they set out to fulfill their father’s dying wish. In the process, they find not only themselves, but the father they only thought they knew.

When celebrated and respected agent Fritz Hudson passes away, he leaves a trail of Hollywood glory in his wake—and two separate families who never knew the other existed. Allie and Des Hudson are products of Fritz’s first marriage to Honora, a beautiful but troubled starlet whose life ended in a tragic overdose. Meanwhile, Fritz was falling in love on the Delaware Bay with New Age hippie Susa Pratt—they had a daughter together, Cara, and while Fritz loved Susa with everything he had, he never quite managed to tell her or Cara about his West Coast family.

Now Fritz is gone, and the three sisters are brought together under strange circumstances: there’s a large inheritance to be had that could save Allie from her ever-deepening debt following a disastrous divorce, allow Des to open a rescue shelter for abused and wounded animals, and give Cara a fresh start after her husband left her for her best friend—but only if the sisters upend their lives and work together to restore an old, decrepit theater that was Fritz’s obsession growing up in his small hometown in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains. Guided by Fritz’s closest friend and longtime attorney, Pete Wheeler, the sisters come together—whether they like it or not—to turn their father’s dream into a reality, and might just come away with far more than they bargained for.

My review:

The Last Chance Matinee starts off with a bang. The reader is introduced to Allie, an alcoholic, out of work television producer, Des, a former child star who now takes in foster dogs and helps with rescue organizations and Cara, a free-spirited yoga instructor who is still reeling from her divorce and the death of her father and mother. It is at the reading of a will that a bombshell is dropped, their father had two wives and two families. His East coast and West coast families and all 3 women are sisters. But what shocks them, even more, is the stipulation but on the will. Allie, Des, and Cara have to live in their father’s hometown and restore a theater. If any of the sisters leave before the renovation is complete, then none of them get their inheritance.

I am going to say, I really liked this book and I really liked Fritz. He had such a huge presence in the book and he genuinely had his daughters’ best interests at heart…even if they didn’t think so. I kinda felt bad for him too. He was in a marriage that he felt that he couldn’t get out of and he made mistakes that he was trying to make up for in his last months. I think giving them the theater to restore was his way of getting them together so they could get to know each other.

Allie, I couldn’t stand. She was such a witch with a b and she was so freaking negative. Listen, I totally get that she was upset when she found out about Cara but she was such a jerk to her afterward. I mean, Cara had nothing to do with the choices that her father made. Actually, she was a by-product of those decisions. I so wanted to yell that into the book. She was also very much so hung up on her ex-husband and I couldn’t believe that she started pumping her daughter, Nikki, for information about a woman that she suspected he was dating. Hello, they are divorced and he can date whoever he wants. Let’s also not forget her drinking. That is a huge problem. Oh, and she is very resentful of Des, too. Going back to when she was 12 and Des got her own TV show. The woman needs a therapist, stat.

Des, however, I really liked. I actually connected with her on so many levels, it wasn’t even funny. She was very accepting of Cara and she dealt with Allie beautifully. She also had a passion for rescuing/fostering dogs which I really enjoyed reading about. She understood that her father wasn’t happy with her mother and she understood (well kinda understood) why he did what he did.

Cara, I felt awful for. Her ex-husband left her for a very close friend, they are getting married and then she finds out that her father was a bigamist and she has 2 sisters. But she dealt with it graciously but she didn’t take anything from Allie about her mother being “the other woman”. She was a free spirit too, thanks to her hippie mother raising her that way (it isn’t a bad thing) with a wonderful outlook on life. I mean, she celebrated her ex getting married with a bottle of champagne with Joe….lol.

There was a twist in the book that took me by surprise and it went beautifully with the end of the book. I honestly can’t wait to see what book 2 brings and to see if it lives up to book 1!!!

How many stars will I give The Last Chance Matinee: 4

Why: I enjoyed reading this book. It was fast-moving with characters that I could connect to. It would be a perfect beach/pool book.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Language. Otherwise, a pretty clean book.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

The Duke’s Curse (Legend: Book 2) by Kylie Stewart

The Duke's Curse (Legend, #2)

Title: The Duke’s Curse

Author: Kylie C. Stewart

Publisher: TCK Publishing

Date of publication: March 20th, 2017

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Number of pages: 193

POV: Alternating 1st person

Series: Legend

Set in Stone – Book 1 (review here)

The Duke’s Curse – Book 2

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Legend: The Duke’s Curse #2 Alexandria knows the truth behind the lies. Avalon is not human, nor is he immortal. He is neither angel nor demon. He is the once and future king. Now, more than ever, Alexandria’s artistic skills could grant them their first victory in battle. It is she who holds the key to end a curse born over a thousand years ago. Will she walk away from Avalon or stay? The choice is up to her, but more than one fate hangs in the balance now.

Avalon’s deepest fears lurk in every shadow. His past haunts him even in the light of day. Unable to protect Alexandria, he turns to Lancer for help. Debilitated under his newly arisen weakness, his only hope lies in Alexandria. Bound by chains of sin and shame, Avalon must fight to the death with who he once was to inherit his future. If he loses, it is Alexandria who pays the price. Can he trust her to save him from eternal darkness? Or will he lose her forever?

My review:

I was so excited when Kylie emailed the ARC for The Duke’s Curse in the Legend series. With the way book 1 ended, I didn’t think I could have waited. I am that into this series. Like I said in my review of Set in Stone, I am intrigued by the legend of King Arthur. Everything about it just captures my attention and I honestly can’t get enough of it.

What was great about The Duke’s Curse is that the author went into the relationships between Avalon/Arthur, Lancer, Vivian, Merlin, Morgan and Alexandria….past and present. The relationships between all the main characters are not what they seem, though. There were a few times where a character did something totally out of what I expected of them and it shocked me. It shocked me because it wasn’t what I expected out of that character and it went against what I thought of them. Kinda messed with my head….lol.

I did like that storyline where Avalon needs to get the missing part of his soul to heal himself. His illness (kind of like epileptic fits where he would go into himself and converse with his missing half….if that makes sense) brought him and Alexandria closer and you could see her opinion of him changing as his illness went on. Put it this way, I am Team Avalandria (hehe). Not Team Alexancer (I am killing myself over here).

Speaking of Lancer, he got on my nerves. He was obsessed with Alexandria (maybe too strong of a word but it went beyond being in love) and would do anything to keep her away from Avalon. Not that it worked. If anything, he pushed them even more together. There were points in the book where I just wished he went away. That’s how annoyed with him I got. But, he’s a major part of the King Arthur legend and a major part of this story. I just hope that he deals with whatever happens in later books.

The sex scenes between Avalon and  Alexandria were beyond hot. I think because Alexandria finally realized that she loved and was in love with Avalon. That’s what made the sex scenes very hot.

The end of the book was awesome and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. I can’t wait to read book 3!!!

How many stars will I give The Duke’s Curse: 4

Why: The storyline was great and the sex hot. The only thing that drove me nuts was Lancer. I kinda wanted to smack him at times….lol.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex and language

I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Shadow Mountain (Shadow Mountain Saga: Book 1) by Tess Collins

SHADOW MOUNTAIN (Book One: Shadow Mountain Saga 1)

Title: Shadow Mountain

Author: Tess Collins

Publisher: BearCat Press

Date of publication: January 4th, 2017

Genre: General Fiction, Adult Fiction

Number of pages: 436

POV: 3rd person

Series: Shadow Mountain Saga

Shadow Mountain – Book 1

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

At the peak of Shadow Mountain lives a woman who holds to the old ways of magic and conjuring. Delta Wade protects ancient mysteries for her son, Lafette, hoping he will grow up to wield those powers for the good of humankind. But the epoch of witch lore is giving way to an age of industrial titans greedy to control the mountains’ resources for material gain. As one man seeks to destroy Delta, another offers his love as salvation. Mother and son struggle with an enigmatic past only to find that true magic shows its power in its own way and in its own time.

My review:

Shadow Mountain is an intense (yes intense!!!) book about a mother trying to hold on to a legacy of magic and mystery for her young son while waiting for his father, her common-law husband, to come back. I say intense because Delta has stuff coming at her from all different directions and she is coping the best she can. Also, this book is set in 1899. A time where women and ex-slaves had zero rights and their lands/possessions could be taken from them just for being who they are and what color they are.

What I liked about this book is how vividly it was written. I could almost hear the bullfrogs croaking, smell the woods and see the Tyme trees standing on the mountain. Books that can do that are hard to find. I love it when I am able to read a book and get sucked in by the story. These are the kinds of books that stay with you.

The storyline (which I briefly mentioned above) was well written too. I really felt for Delta. She was being pulled in so many directions by so many people that she was forced to do what she did. I mean, she had King, Henry, and Kate all telling her what to do. What she did, ultimately, was for the good of her son, Lafette. It was something that I would think that any mother in her circumstances would do. I will say that the twists right before the end of the 1st part of the story kinda shocked me. Only because I didn’t see them coming and they happened almost right on top of each other. Shocked the ever-living out of me.

King was a jerk. He was so slimy that I felt like taking a shower after reading his scenes. He was an abusive, manipulative man who got what he deserved….in my opinion. It’s just too bad that his behavior (and his greed, let’s not forget that) cost people their lives.

Now, Henry, I was kinda on the fence about. He let his father push him around and to be honest, I thought he didn’t have the stones to stand up to him. So, I was very surprised when he did. He ended up being probably one of the best characters in the book.

The second half of the book takes place 8 years after everything went down on Shadow Mountain. I really don’t want to get into this part of the book (because it will give things away). Let’s just say that the events that happened during this part of the book surprised me. I actually didn’t see certain events coming and I was definitely floored. And the end of the book. Oh my, it was a tear jerker for sure!!! I cannot wait for book 2 to come out!!

How many stars will I give Shadow Mountain Saga: 4

Why: A well written, intense book that definitely sucked me into it. Like I said above, it was very vividly written and it just stays with you after you are done reading it.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Older teen

Why: I was kinda on the fence with this and chose older teen. There really isn’t anything bad in this book. Maybe some mild violence but that’s it. I would feel safe in saying that anyone 16+ could read it.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Slip Sinker (The Sloane Spadowski Series: Book 2) by Emigh Cannaday

Slip Sinker (The Sloane Spadowski Series Book 2)

Title: Slip Sinker

Author: Emigh Cannady

Publisher: Silver Popular Press

Date of publication: March 15th, 2017

Genre: Romance

Number of pages: 386

POV: 1st person

Series: The Sloane Spodowski Series

Jerk Bait – Book 1 (review here)

Slip Sinker – Book 2

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

After meeting Andy’s best friend, Sloane begins to rethink her strategy on how to reel in her prize. Not only is Barbie a matchmaker with a perfect track record, but the tall, tan, gorgeous blonde clearly adores Andy and isn’t about to give his new girlfriend the green light without conducting a thorough investigation. Claiming to have Andy’s best interest in mind, Barbie puts Sloane through an intense cross-examination to get to know her better and learn what she wants most out of life. When Barbie’s ruling is announced, Sloane’s in too deep with both of them to realize she’s in way over her head.

* The Sloane Spadowski series is a whimsical, rowdy, dirty blend of Contemporary Romance and Romantic Comedy, with occasional adult language and adults behaving badly. This is the second installment of a complete series.

My review:

I don’t think I have laughed as hard at a book than I did with this one. I was in bed, reading, and I was laughing so hard that I had tears coming down my face and my SO was asking me “You alright? What’s so funny?”. The Brazilian Wax scene was pure gold. I have never had one done and guess what, I will never have one done after reading Sloane’s misadventure with that. Right up there is when Sloane, Barbie, and Andy are at the gay bar and Barbie/Andy dance to “Barbie World” and then Barbie dances to “Ride a Cowboy (Save a Horse)”. I like both songs but I will never get the mental image of Barbie twerking to Barbie World out of my head….lol.

I am going to admit, I was wrong about my misconception with Barbie at the end of Jerk Bait. So wrong about him and I don’t like being wrong. But he seemed like such a good friend and his matchmaking abilities did score Jack a date (and possibly a boyfriend) and he seemed to really like Sloane. His Texan accent, the way he talked and his ridiculous nicknames (Sloaney Baloney, Handy Andy (and am I the only one that internally corrected that to Handy Manny….lol), Kimmy the C*nt) were fabulous. He was a self-described hound with a “disability” that gets him more hunnies than he can handle (his words…lol). I loved him and he is a fictional character…haha.

Sloane was still her bad self in this book but I could see her chafing at being in a relationship with Andy. Christmas was a huge question mark in my mind when she got weird on the gift he gave her. I mean, she got a pearl necklace and she freaked out. The Valentine’s Day fiasco kinda cinched it but I still had doubt. But Saint Patty’s Day, that cinched it. Sloane, in her own words, went through men and jobs like tissues, so I shouldn’t have been too surprised when she started to get itchy. But the person who she moved onto (while still being with Andy) was a huge surprise to me.

Let’s just say that the rest of the book was filled with beyond hot sex. Burning hot sex with this person. Andy, well he didn’t have burning hot sex with Sloane. He was blander and more vanilla. Sloane’s partner was not vanilla. Oh no, he wasn’t….lol.

The end of the book had a sneaky cliffhanger and made me wonder about a few things. The main thing is would Sloane stay with Andy or would she go with the other guy. I also want to know if she was getting a puppy (read the book) and you know what, all this pregnancy talk makes me think that maybe, just maybe, Sloane might get knocked up. Too much stress on babies and how happy she would be without them.

How many stars will I give Slip Sinker: 5

Why: I actually read this book in one night. I was glued to the story while laughing my hiney off. The characters were unforgettable and they all grew on me.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex and language

I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Madly (New York: Book 2) by Ruthie Knox

Madly (New York, #2)

Title: Madly

Author: Ruthie Knox

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept

Date of publication: March 14th, 2017

Genre: Romance

Number of pages: 273

POV: 3rd person

Series: New York

Truly – Book 1

Madly – Book 2

Completely – Book 3 (expected publication date: June 20th, 2017)

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

An impulsive trip to New York City, a heartthrob from London, and a scandalous to-do list turn a small-town girl’s life upside down in this sultry romance from the New York Times bestselling author of Truly and About Last Night.

Allie Fredericks isn’t supposed to be in Manhattan, hiding in the darkest corner of a hip bar, spying on her own mother—who’s flirting with a man who’s definitely not Allie’s father. Allie’s supposed to be in Wisconsin, planning her parents’ milestone anniversary party. Then Winston Chamberlain walks through the door, with his tailored suit, British accent, and gorgeous eyes, and Allie’s strange mission goes truly sideways.

Winston doesn’t do messy. But after a pretty stranger ropes him into her ridiculous family drama with a fake kiss that gets a little too real, he finds out that messy can be fun. Maybe even a little addicting. And as the night grows longer, Allie and Winston make a list of other wild things they could do together—and what seems like a mismatch leads to a genuine connection. But can their relationship survive as their real lives implode just outside the bedroom door?

My review:

I really didn’t know what to think of Madly during the first few chapters. The whole premise of the book, Allie goes to New York to find her mother and ends up meeting a hot Brit, had been done before. But I liked the spin that the author gave to the storyline. Winston and Allie, after having bonding in a bar while spying on her mother and her mother’s “friend”, decide to make a naughty list. The list included everything from a simple 30-second hug to anal sex to mutual masturbation to stexting to mind-blowing, feelings involved sex. Just acting out the list would have made a great read for me. But the author decided to make Allie and Winston human and that is what sold the book for me.

I actually felt bad for Allie. She always felt that she was the outsider and when she found out that she was the result of an affair that her mother had, the bottom of her world dropped out. I can’t even imagine being told that. It must have been awful finding that out and it must have been awful to keep it a secret from her sister, May. I can understand the anger she had towards her mother and I can understand why she went after her to drag her to her wedding anniversary.  I can even understand why she was in disguise, spying on her mother.  She was hurt and trying her best to get her family back together.

Let’s talk about Allie’s ex-boyfriend, Matt. OMG, he was the biggest pain in the butt in the entire book. Honestly, I think Allie should have had the personal boundary talk way before she did. The guy was a borderline stalker.

Winston, I really wasn’t too sure of at first. He came across as stiff and he really didn’t know what to think of Allie (which I didn’t either). But he really grew on me when he was Allie’s mailman and when he agreed to make that list with Allie. What really cinched it for me was his love for his daughter (who, I loved). He moved from London to New York City to make sure she had a parent nearby. Which was pretty awesome. I also liked how honest he was with Allie about his first marriage, his divorce and how he almost ruined his relationship with his brother.

The sex scenes between Winston and Allie were alright. Nothing spectacular and to be honest, I thought Allie talked, a lot. Not that I don’t mind a chatty character but when you are doing the nasty, shush!! LOL.

Like I said above, what really sold the book for me was that Winston and Allie were human. They didn’t have perfect bodies and they were very honest about not having feelings for each other. Well until they developed feelings, but that is a whole different story.

The storyline with her mother did take a very surprising turn. Actually, it was something that I didn’t see coming and looking back on it, made sense.

The end of the book was great and I liked that while Allie and Winston admitted their feelings towards each other, they didn’t jump to move in with each other. Actually, I think they were going to do a long distance relationship. We’ll have to see in the next book what happens!!

How many stars will I give Madly: 4

Why: I actually really enjoyed reading this book. It focused more on the getting to know each other part of the relationship than the sexual part. Which was perfect for me because sometimes I need to read a book like that. Where sex is there but not really mentioned and the hero/heroine get to know each other first before actually bumping uglies.

Will I reread: yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex and language

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**