Category: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept

My Addiction (Club Desire: Book 2) by Cassie Ryan

My Addiction (Club Desire Book 2) by [Ryan, Cassie]

4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept, Loveswept

Date of publication: October 25th, 2016

Genre: Romance

Series: Club Desire

My Obsession – Book 1

My Addiction – Book 2

Where I can find this book: Amazon |Barnes & Noble

Book synopsis:

In a novel of sensual passion and deep commitment from the author of My Obsession, an undercover cop finds a soulmate who surrenders to his healing touch.

Fiercely independent and determined to free herself from her father’s manipulation, tech expert Kate Fretwell finds a refuge in L.A.’s elite BDSM dungeon scene as the hot new thing to political and Hollywood A-listers. Still, all that glitters gets old, and Kate soon tires of the stream of well-heeled masters who expect her to be at their beck and call. Then she meets a very different kind of Dom—one whose quiet confidence, strength, and command bring her most willingly to her knees.

Undercover FBI agent Dex Alexander fits right into his assignment to expose terrorist links to one of L.A.’s most popular clubs. The case has reawakened a desire to find the perfect companion, and he knows that beautiful, vulnerable Kate is a woman he could love. But when her father’s corruption unwittingly makes Kate the target of a bigger enemy, Dex brings her to his Phoenix home—and his dungeon, Club Desire. Here she shows him just how eager she is to give him everything . . . and more.

My review:

I am going to come right out and warn everyone that this book defiantly isn’t for anyone who is A) easily offended by BDSM lifestyle and B) people who are easily offended by graphic details about the BDSM lifestyle. If you are offended, hit the back button and head to my next review. If you are easily offended and keep on reading this review well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

I loved how this book balanced BDSM and regular life. Unlike other books that I have read in this genre, the sex takes 2nd place to the storyline, and I loved that. I have read books in this genre that once the sex was introduced, the storyline went out the window. So it was very refreshing to see that the storyline was kept up once the BDSM scenes started (which was fairly early in the book).

I liked Kate. She was one of those heroines who didn’t take jack from anyone. I think the scenes where she stood up to Stanton (ie, punched him in the junk) and when she finally told her father off was excellent, and I thought it showed off how spunky she was.

The attraction that she had to Dex was instantaneous, and I loved the flogging scene. Now, usually, I am not into that stuff, but the way it was written and the way Dex and Kate discussed her soft and hard limits piqued my interest. And how he took care of her afterward was tremendous and did show what kind of guy he was.

Dex is my new book boyfriend. He is hot and cares about his woman/Sub (and his past Sub’s). The only thing that I didn’t like was that he couldn’t tell her that he was investigating her and that he was FBI. It killed him, and when she found out, it hurt her.

The subplot with the money laundering, the terrorists, the Dungeon, and its clients was OK, and it was resolved satisfactorily. Well, except that poor Kate got hurt.

The sex scenes between Kate and Dex were hot, hot, hot. They lit the pages on fire!!

The ending was excellent, and the epilogue was great. I can’t wait to see if Dex and Kate are going to be mentioned in book 3 (if there is a book 3).

I would give My Addiction an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread My Addiction. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Pull Me Close (The Panic Series: Book 1) by Sidney Halston

Pull Me Close: The Panic Series by [Halston, Sidney]

5 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept, Loveswept

Date of publication: October 25th, 2016

Genre: Romance

Series: The Panic Series

Pull Me Close – Book 1

Where you can find this book: Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis:

Welcome to Panic, a sultry Miami nightclub where bodies and hearts move to a beat that doesn’t stop at sunrise—the setting for “a magnificent story full of deep emotion” (Sawyer Bennett).

Katherine: I thought I could enjoy a night out like a normal person. I thought I could handle the flashing lights, the pulsing music, the crowded dance floor. I couldn’t have been more wrong. After having an anxiety attack and passing out during my sister’s engagement party at Panic, I wake up in the arms of the hottest guy I’ve ever seen. Nick Moreno’s no gentleman. But he might just be the man I need to help me take control of my life.

Nick: When I hear there’s some random girl passed out in the back room of my family’s South Beach nightclub, I’m pissed. My dad’s already behind bars and we can’t afford any more bad press. But after giving her a lift—literally—back to her apartment, I stop seeing Katherine Wilson as some random girl. She’s gorgeous, vulnerable, and braver than she knows. And when we kiss, all I want to do is pull her close and promise that she’ll always be safe in my arms.

No cheating. No cliffhangers. And no dress code.

My review:

Katherine thought she could attend her sister’s bachelorette without having a major panic attack. See, Katherine hadn’t been outside of her apartment in well over a year but forced herself to go because her sister wanted her to. Saying that her attempt to go out of her apartment ended badly was an understatement. She passed out in front of Mat, Nick’s twin brother and co-owner of Panic….the nightclub she was at.

Nick was an idiot (to keep it PC) and was beyond stressed out when Katherine was brought to him. He had taken over his father’s nightclub after his father was arrested and put in jail. He is stressed because he is trying to keep the club on the straight and narrow (which was the opposite his father had done). He is also a bit jaded when it comes to women. His ex-girlfriend (who thankfully didn’t make an appearance at all) was caught naked in the VIP section by Nick with his former best friend. She was also doing lines of meth off of his man bits. Oh, the mental image that went with that….lol. So, it was safe to say that when Katherine was brought to him, unconscious, he wasn’t happy and assumed that she was a junkie.

He does make the effort to believe her and even started to get to know her. But, one day he showed up at her apartment and she was acting like she was high. He ripped her a new one and took off. Meanwhile, as he is telling her off, she is trying to tell Nick that she’s having a reaction to the new medications she is on. Nick acting the way he acted was a catalyst of sorts for Katherine. She started to get the help she needed and she was able to go to Nick’s club to explain that she has PTSD, agoraphobic and has an anxiety disorder and that she had a reaction to her medications the last time she saw him.

From then on, Nick didn’t leave Katherine’s side. He read up on PTSD and worked with her on getting better. Those scenes were so sweet because you could tell that he wasn’t a bad guy. The more he hung around Katherine, the sweeter he got. It got me right in the feels.

Even better, the author held off on them having sex. But when they did…omg good was it good. Better than good, it was fantastic. They even had protected sex (gasp) which doesn’t happen in many of the books I have read lately (and if you have read my blog, you know how I feel about that….lmao).

The end of the book was beyond fantastic. I hope to read the 2nd book because I have a feeling that Mat’s story will be next and I would love to see what will happen with him.

I also want to add that the author’s note at the end of the book brought me to tears.

I would give Pull Me Close an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Pull Me Close. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Welcome Home for Christmas (Hero’s Welcome: Book 4) by Annie Rains

Welcome Home for Christmas: A Hero's Welcome Novel by [Rains, Annie]

4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept, Loveswept

Date of Publication: November 8th, 2016

Genre: Romance

Series: Hero’s Welcome

Welcome to Forever – Book 1

Welcome to Forever-Starting Today – Book 1.5

Welcome Home, Cowboy – Book 2

Welcoming the Bad Boy – Book 3 (review here)

Welcome Home for Christmas – Book 4

Where you can find this book: Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis:

Three-hundred-and-sixty-four days a year, Allison Carmichael doesn’t mind being single. It sure beats dating another loser, and it keeps her heart safe. Then there’s that three-hundred-and-sixty-fifth day: Christmas Eve, the traditional time her entire family gathers together—and gangs up on her, demanding to know when she’s going to get married. This year, she swears, is going be different. And that’s why, at a charity auction she’s throwing on-base, she buys herself a man.
 
Sergeant Troy Matthews insists that he’s not for sale. His time is, though, and he’s happy to donate it. Happier still when he learns the identity of the winning bidder: the redhead with the killer good looks and smart mouth who runs the veteran’s center. Allison needs Troy’s help to fool her family into believing they’re an item, and he’s all too happy to indulge her. But by the time Christmas Eve rolls around, their little charade is working a little too well . . . because Troy’s falling head over heels.

My review:

Allison was perfectly happy being single until it hits Christmas time. Then she gets all sorts of stressed out. Why does she get stressed out? Because normally, she doesn’t have a date for her family’s Christmas party. And if she does have a date, her mother, a psychiatrist, analyzes him and then tells Allison what she thinks of him. Which normally isn’t a lot and she has predicted Allison’s breakups. So, yeah, that would stress anyone out.

Troy is an MP on base who is a love them and leave them type of guy and Christmas is not his favorite holiday. This year, instead of celebrating Christmas, he was planning on spending it alone. The reason why he was planning on spending it alone? He was still smarting over a fight that he got into with his brother over 2 years ago over Troy being in the Marines instead of running a business. Which to be honest, it struck me as a stupid reason to be mad at someone. But I have seen relationships with families ruined over less so this did strike me as totally believable.

Allison and Troy meet, unknown to both of them when Allison is picking up wine for a charity event at the Veterans Center that she runs. Troy, who happened to be behind her, warned her about partying too hard and Allison gave him this funny, flip answer before leaving. The next time they meet was when Allison buys Troy at the charity auction she was running. Her reason for buying him? She needs him to pretend to be her boyfriend at her family’s Christmas party and she was willing to spend extra money for the extra hours (ie dates) for them to get to know each other.

The book gets pretty standard from that point on with Allison and Troy. They both fall into having sex with each other. That kinda annoyed me because Allison made a huge deal about not jumping into bed with him and then bam, two chapters later, she did. Not that I minded the sex scenes, they were pretty hot and there was one with pretty inventive use of a 6″ purple, sparkly vibrator. Speaking of that, I was cracking up laughing when she realized that she left it out when she thought she was getting robbed and Troy noticed. I literally couldn’t breathe, I was laughing so hard.

The three subplots (one being Allison’s issues with her mother, the other being the robber and the 3rd being Troy’s issues with his brother) that was wrapped up pretty quickly. But the storyline with the children’s home wasn’t wrapped up until the epilogue and I LOVED how it was wrapped up. I had a huge permagrin on my face.

Speaking of the ending, I loved it and it totally fits with the book!!!

I would give Welcome Home for Christmas an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Welcome Home for Christmas. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Necessary Evil (Sentinels of Babylon: Book 1) by Jamie K. Schmidt

Necessary Evil (Sentinels of Babylon Book 1) by [Schmidt, Jamie K.]

3 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept, Loveswept

Date of publication: November 1st, 2016

Genre: Romance

Series: Sentinels of Babylon

Necessary Evil – Book 1

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

In this steamy series opener from bestselling author Jamie K. Schmidt—whose writing has been called “hot and sexy, with just the right amount of emotional punch,” by Lauren Layne—a vigilante biker takes the power of love into his own hands.

Lucy Simmons comes from a rough family, but she’s a damn good public defender. Even though she hates to see criminals walk due to sloppy police work, the law’s there to make sure everyone gets a fair trial, and Lucy certainly doesn’t believe in the kind of justice meted out by the leather-clad ex-cop they call “Evil.” He’s stubborn, cynical, and out of control—but he plays her body like no man ever has. For once, both Lucy’s boss and her brother agree: The biker is trouble.

Evan Villiers took a sacred vow to let no killer, rapist, or pedophile go unpunished. When scumbags fall through the system, his motorcycle club cleans up the garbage. Although the Sons of Babylon and their methods may not be to Lucy’s liking, the beautiful lawyer has become Evan’s light in the dark. But his next hit is Lucy’s own brother—a murderer who got off on a technicality. Now, with his loyalties split, Evan must turn his back on his brothers . . . or lose the woman who has claimed his reckless heart.

My review:

Ok, normally I don’t complain about covers or blurbs that describe the book. I actually make it a point not to because there is a reason why the author chose the cover or the publisher wrote the blurb the way they did. But this time, I have to say something.

The guy on the cover does not match up to what the author wrote. See, Evan (aka Evil) has a beard, which was mentioned quite often in the book, and a huge tattoo of a spider on his chest, which was mentioned a few times because of Lucy’s extreme phobia of spiders. So I wasn’t exactly thrilled about the cover and if I had to suggest one thing to the author….change it. Get some awesome tatted hunk to pose for the cover and then put a huge spider tattoo on his chest. Seriously, just do it!!

Now onto the blurb. While some of it stays true to what the story is about but the bit about Lucy’s brother isn’t exactly true. He is suspected of murdering two people, not off on a technicality. Actually, he hadn’t been in jail for 5 years and lived out in CA before coming to NY to escape a psycho ex-girlfriend (or so he says). The suspicion of murder comes after he moves to NY. There is one person in the book who did get off on a technicality. They must have mixed them up.

I actually liked Evil, a lot. While I don’t agree with vigilante’s, I can definitely see where he, Warden, Sentential, Ryder, and the Judge are coming from. Evil is a retired homicide detective, Warden a retired prison guard, Sentential a retired Special Forces and Ryder retired CIA operative. They all have seen the worst of humanity and they all have seen obviously guilty people walk when they should have stayed in jail. Unfortunately, our justice system is flawed and it happens all the time.

Lucy, I was a little more on the face about. While she rocked at being a public defender, she sucked at her personal life (seriously). She supported her brother and made excuses for him. “He got picked up for everything because people automatically assumed he did it because our father went to jail” was the main excuse that she used and it made me want to smack her. Listen, I knew exactly where she was coming from. Having someone who you can’t trust or who is draining you dry of all your money is awful and that’s all I am going to say.

The slow burn, at first, between her and Evil, was delicious. Instead of instantly falling into InstaLove/InstaLust, the author made them have a 2-year history of wanting each other. And when they finally do give in (she went down on Evil in his bar), it is explosive and oh so good!!

I was a little put-off, though, by the amount of violence in the book. Also, I felt that while it was patterned after MC books, it wasn’t a full MC book. Basically, it was just 4 friends who are sick of the justice system and take matters into their own hands that happen to ride motorcycles. Also, there were a couple of loose ends. The slimy lawyer…what happened to him after the SOB’s visited him? And the storyline with the Pyros….it just disappeared after Lucy’s car got torched and the SOB’s took revenge.

The sub-story involving her brother was sad and the ending to that was awful. I felt bad for Evil to be put in that situation and for Lucy to have to be in it (want to know what happened? Read the book!)

The ending was not what I expected and I cried.

I would give Necessary Evil an Adult rating. There is mention of sex. There is mild language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Necessary Evil. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Another Chance (Austin Heroes: Book 3) by Kathy Clark

Another Chance: An Austin Heroes Novel by [Clark, Kathy]

3 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept, Loveswept

Date of publication: November 1st, 2016

Genre: Romance

Series: Austin Heroes

After Love – Book 1

Almost Forever – Book 2 (review here)

Another Chance – Book 3

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

Homeland Security agent Luke Archer returns home to Texas on a dangerous mission—a hands-on fight against a terrorist organization that has infiltrated the United States—yet it’s a chance encounter with his high-school sweetheart that really gets his blood pumping. Luke considers himself a lone wolf who doesn’t need a woman in his life. But as memories of their sweet, innocent affair stir him body and soul, Luke starts to wonder whether he should give love another chance.

A high-powered attorney, Bella Shaw has never forgotton how Luke left her behind in Austin to chase his dreams. But when she’s being totally honest with herself, Bella can’t deny that Luke is the one man she ever truly wanted. Though he tells her that the terrorists are using her land, she’s more worried about defending her heart from the advances of the sinfully sexy lawman. Still, Bella is willing to trust him again—if Agent Archer proves he’s worthy.

My review:

I was taken aback by this book. I thought that this would be a clichéd 3rd book in a series. You know the one that is used to wrap up all the other storylines, which this one did, and kind of sucks because there is no plot, other than the hero and the heroine declaring Instalove after the first couple of chapters and then the rest of the book is them banging everywhere they can with misunderstandings all around until the end. This book isn’t like that.

See, Luke and Bella were friends since 3rd grade and boyfriend/girlfriend all four years of high school. They were each other’s firsts (first kiss and first time having sex) and were madly in love. They planned on becoming marine biologists and sailing around the world together after high school. From Bella and Luke’s flashbacks, it was a sweet (but hot and heavy) first love that ended when each of them got Dear John letters from the other person. They never got over each other.

So fast forward 14 years. Luke works for Homeland Security and is tracking terrorists that are coming over the border from Mexico. He happens to run into Bella after he was involved in a sting that failed to capture five terrorists and had one commit suicide by a grenade. She lived in the condo’s that happened to be on the same street as the building that was damaged when the grenade went off.

What happens next is what sets the book apart from other romances. Luke and Bella never fell out of love with each other. So no InstaLove or even InstaLust. It was just two people who had a history and who were madly in love with each other discovering each other again. There was no drama in that department. Once Bella and Luke hooked up, there was no one else, and no one tried to break them up. It was very refreshing to read. I love how Bella classified their relationship towards the end of the book.

Silly, silly man. All I’ve ever wanted was for you to love me. I don’t care if you’re a cop or a fireman or a janitor. I loved you when you beat up that little boy on the playground. I loved you before your voice changed. I loved you before you scored you first touchdown. I loved you when you just wanted to live on a boat and count starfish. I loved you when you risked your life to save me from that terrorist. You’re the strongest, bravest, most wonderful man in the whole world, and I promise I’ll love you forever, so might as well propose

I had tears in my eyes reading that and his reply was just as good (not going to put it in here because, well you should read the book to find that out)

The sex was hot, and there was the mandatory “I am on BC, so it’s OK not to use a condom” (I am going to start a safe sex for fictional characters fund…lmao) talk. I liked that the feelings that they had for each other showed while they were having sex, even before the “L” word was mentioned.

Now the two other storylines that were featured in the book were pretty good, but I thought the one where the terrorists just happened to be operating out of Bella’s barn was a little far-fetched. Not saying that it could happen but still.

The storyline with Grammy was excellent. She has to be my favorite secondary character ever, and I loved that she was given her happily ever after.

The ending was great, but everything was wrapped up all at once. I would have rathered read an epilogue 5-6 years in the future to find out what happened, then it happening all at once.

I would give Another Chance an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Another Chance. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Unsportsmanlike Conduct (Pilots Hockey: Book 4) by Sophia Henry

Unsportsmanlike Conduct: A Pilots Hockey Novel by [Henry, Sophia]

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept, Loveswept

Date of publication: October 18th, 2016

Genre: Romance

Series: Pilots Hockey

Delayed Penalty – Book 1

Power Play – Book 2

Interference – Book 3

Unsportsmanlike Conduct – Book 4

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

The author of Delayed Penalty returns with the story of a free spirit who believes she’s found forever with a playboy on a singles cruise. Discover why Kelly Jamieson calls the Pilots Hockey series “fun and flirty, warm and sweet.”

Kristen Katsaros wants a life full of adventure and laughter. After a difficult childhood, her motto is to live each day like it’s her last—because it just might be. So when Kristen’s parents send her on a post-grad singles cruise in the Caribbean to meet a Greek husband, she promptly hooks up with the hottest guy she’s ever met. Pasha’s decidedly not Greek, but Kristen gives him a pass because he’s got fun written all over his rock-hard abs.

Pavel Gribov, the cocky playboy of the Detroit Pilots hockey team, can score any girl he wants. But when a teammate drags him on a singles cruise, he can’t resist the chance to help out a drop-dead gorgeous damsel in distress by pretending to be her boyfriend. Before long, the fake fling turns intimate, fueled by something much deeper than lust.

Kristen and Pasha both agree to walk away once the cruise is over, but reality hits like a slap shot when Kristen finds out Pasha lied about everything. Just when she’s ready to start living again, the two stubborn survivors must decide if they can bear to lose the best thing that ever happened to either of them

My review:

Do not judge this book by the blurb or the cover. Please don’t because they are misleading (even though the guy is uber hot on the cover).

I went into this book, thinking that it was going to be about a cruise ship romance that continued after the cruise. And it does but (and stress but) the story is so much more. There is an actual story in this book. It isn’t all about sex after Kristin and Pasha do the dirty, and that is what I loved about this book.

I am not one to give spoilers, at all, but to provide an honest review, I am going to have to let one slip here. So, stop reading here and skip to the end if you don’t want spoilers.

I loved Kristin’s attitude towards life and in general. She was the most upbeat, positive person that I have ever read in a book. She has Cystic Fibrosis. Her outlook on Cystic Fibrosis is positive. While she will die from it, she manages it through medications, exercise, and a healthy lifestyle. She also believes that she will not find a man who will stick by her after her HS boyfriend dumped her and told her that.

The only reason she was on that cruise was to please her parents. It was a singles cruise, and the man who her parents want her to marry went on it too, which didn’t please Kristin too much. To get him off her back, she starts flirting with the first guy she crashes into which happens to be Pavel Gribov.

Oh my, let’s talk about Pavel (aka Pasha) for a minute. He is a hot mess. I mean, someone who tries to screw up his best friend’s relationship has issues, which he has. He blames himself for the deaths of his mother and abusive father. He drinks too much, has casual sex with too many ladies (manwhore alert!!) and throws himself into hockey. He was only on the ship to accompany his friend, not to meet anyone. But he meets Kristin, and his world (and hers) gets turned upside down.

He isn’t honest with her at all, which is a pretty sucky way to start any relationship. She knows this but is still surprised when she finds out WHO he is and WHAT he does for a living. Remember the best friend, well, his best friend is getting married to Kristin’s best friend. So, yeah, I can see why he wouldn’t mention it to Kristin. And when she finds out, she is beyond upset.

The sex was hot, but as I said above, the focus of this book was more on the relationship between Pasha and Kristin. While it started as instalust, it evolved into love (and not within the week…over 3-4 or so months). It was sweet, it was sad, and it was perfect.

The ending was what I thought it would be, and the epilogue made me happy for both of them. I might have to buy the next book to see if there is any mention of them.

How many stars will I give Unsportsmanlike? 4

Why? It was more than a boy meets girl/has sex/falls in love/finds her outside of the cruise. So much more and I loved it!!!

Will I reread? Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends? Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex and language

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Dream Maker (Nashville Nights: Book 2) by Erin McCarthy

Dream Maker: A Nashville Nights Novel (Nashville Nights Series Book 2) by [McCarthy, Erin]

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept, Loveswept

Date of publication: October 18th, 2016

Series: Nashville Nights

Heart Breaker – Book 1 

Dream Maker – Book 2

Love Taker – Book 3 (review here)

Genre: Romance

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

The bestselling author of Heart Breaker returns with another sultry Nashville Nights novel of country hits and stolen kisses, as a one-night stand turns into the beginning of an irresistible partnership.

Shane Hart loves the ladies. Like hit records, he can never have too many. Shane swore long ago never to treat a woman the way his abusive father treated his mother, but his traumatic past has kept him from making any solid commitments—even to a fiery redhead like Avery O’Leery. Shane’s happy enough to rescue her from a tight spot, but that’s as far as their connection goes—until their unforgettable liaison has him rethinking his impulse to love ’em and leave ’em.

Avery has big plans: first, shake the dust of small-town Kentucky from her boots; second, become a bona fide songwriter; and third, keep the truth hidden about her birth father  from everyone in Nashville. Nowhere on that list is she supposed to land in bed with a sexy stranger who rescues her off the street at midnight, especially if that stranger is Shane Hart. Avery’s trying not to fall for the dreamy music producer who could make or break her career. But her best-laid plans seem to be no match for a love that feels like destiny.

My review:

Before I write the review, I suggest you guys look at the titles of the author’s book and tell me what song/artist she got the title’s from. I had a clue (the lyrics kept going through my head, but I was drawing a blank on the name of the artist). It wasn’t until I decided to google the lyrics in my head that I got a hit and I was impressed.

Now, let’s get on topic with this review.

I didn’t think I would like this book. It did start on a funny note. The first  two sentences went like this:

Shane Hart never went out of the house with the sole intention of hooking up with women. Getting laid just happened to him.

I giggled when I read that because it set the tone of the first few chapters perfectly. I know I will have people reading what I wrote and go, “What is so funny about a guy who sleeps around. A manwhore?” I have a skewed sense of humor about stuff like that because when the manwhores do fall in love, they fall hard.

Shane is the brother/producer to country star Jolene Hart and her fiance/husband. The night he meets Avery O’Leery, who had been left on the side of the road by her cheating boyfriend, Ben. Shane decides to wait with her while she gets her purse back. The chemistry between them was electric, and I wasn’t surprised when they ended up together. I was surprised that Avery was a virgin when she slept with Shane and Shane was too. I also was surprised that she walked away from her encounter and left him a note that said, “Thanks for being decent.” Of course, he takes it the wrong way.

Fast forward three months later and Avery is doing pretty well for herself. She got her life together within weeks of breaking up with Ben. She landed her dream job as a junior songwriter for a publisher called Rusted Truck. She has fantastic roommates and is pretty happy with herself. But she keeps on thinking about her night with Shane.

She happens to meet Shane again when he stops by Rusted Truck, shopping. They (her boss and Shane) happen to hear her playing a song that she had written and wanted to run it by his sister. While there, he also fuels the rumor mill when he asks her out to dinner. He also asks her if she was pregnant in front of her friend and coworker. I was mentally shaking my head at this point. Avery could get fired because she isn’t supposed to be involved with clients in any way outside of the office.

Avery also has a huge secret that she is keeping. Not going to tell.

Shane has a secret too. His mother was beaten on an almost daily basis by his father, and if Shane got between them, he would get beaten also. He has been affected by what happened (I mean who wouldn’t be) to the point where he doesn’t ever celebrate his birthday. I felt awful for him because he was almost held hostage by what his father did, years ago, and it nearly cost him his relationship with Avery.

The end of the book was pretty explosive. A whole lot of stuff happened and was revealed. But it ended in what I consider a HEA.

How many stars will I give Dream Maker? 3.5/4

Why? A sensual romance that keeps you reading. There was a small lag in the middle of the book but the author did a great job of getting momentum up in the book.

Will I reread? Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends? Yes

Age range: Adult

Why? Lots of hot steamy sex, some violence (which includes a fist fight in a music studio) and language.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book

A Raven’s Heart (Secrets and Spies: Book 2) by K.C. Bateman

A Raven's Heart (Secrets and Spies Book 2) by [Bateman, K. C.]

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept, Loveswept

Date of publication: October 18th, 2016

Series: Secrets and Spies

To Steal a Heart – Book 1

A Raven’s Heart – Book 2

Genre: Romance

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

When a bookish codebreaker and a dashing spy are reunited in this steamy historical romance from the author of To Steal a Heart, their lives depend on their ability to resist temptation. But fate is a mistress who cannot be denied. . . .
 
In the war against France, Heloise Hampden is a high-value asset to the Crown. She’s cracked the enemy’s most recent communication, and for that, someone is trying to kill her. However, it’s the agent assigned to protect Heloise who poses the greatest threat to her heart: William de l’Isle, Viscount Ravenwood. Heloise has quarreled with the man they call Raven since childhood, yet always maintained a chaste distance. She’s sure nothing will change, thanks to the disfiguring scar on her face. So why is she so enchanted by the sight of Raven’s jet-black hair, rakish smile, and wicked green eyes?
 
Nothing has changed. Raven still wonders how Hell-cat Hampden’s lithe body would feel pressed against his, but for the mission he must remind himself that the woman takes more pleasure in ancient languages than she does in seduction. His imprisonment six years ago broke him in a way that makes the prospect of love impossible. Still, his heart beats like mad whenever he’s within ten paces of Heloise, and he’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe—even if that means taking her to Spain as an unwilling hostage. Protecting her from danger will be a challenge; protecting her from desire will be pure agony.

My review:

I love to read historical romance and have been reading them since I was 14. Something about them sparked my interest and fueled my obsession with historical romances.

So saying that, when I got the email that I was accepted (through NetGalley) to read this book, I was excited. It sounded perfect. Regency Era romance plus spies, the ideal read!!

It was, for the most part.

I liked the book and am interested in reading not only the 1st book but any afterward. But, Heloise got on my nerves. Raven is trying to protect her and she is going out of her way not to follow his orders.The Altamira Caves was a huge one. Raven tells her to stay put, and she goes, with an armed escort, anyways. At that point in the book, I was sick of her headstrongness and wanted to smack her and say ,”Listen to him, you idiot.”

I did like her, though. She had a fantastic bucket list. I loved it when Raven took her diary, was reading them out loud and then rewriting them. I cracked up laughing. I also cracked up laughing at all the mentions of her fancy undergarments. Heloise surprised Raven but having such decadent things.

Raven drove me nuts too. All his inner dialogue was about Heloise. How she was perfect and how he wasn’t. How he didn’t deserve her because of what he went through when he was kidnapped. When he was abducted, thoughts of her kept him sane. How he wrote her name, her name with his last name. Put his crest of arms, her crest of arms and what he thought a combined crest of arms would be. There are more examples, but I won’t bore you guys with them. After a while, it got tedious and at one point I said out loud, “Tell her how you feel, ding-dong.”

Other than that, the book was great. Heloise and Raven had a rocky relationship at the beginning of the book that turned into a great relationship by the end. They had fantastic chemistry together. The pages sizzled with looks and Heloise’s tongue wetting her lips (that drove Raven crazy). When they ended up having sex, it was off the page hot.

The end of the book was a little bit of a surprise, and there was a lot of action. People die, people makeup, and people do things that even they didn’t think they were going to do. The epilogue was perfect!!!

How many stars will I give A Raven’s Heart? 3.5/4

Why? Great romance with steamy sex scenes but Heloise was too headstrong and Raven was stuck in the past. Once he moved past his self-doubts, the book became fantastic.

Will I reread? Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends? Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex and violence

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Unlucky in Love (Whisper Creek: Book 4) by Maggie McGinnis

Unlucky in Love: A Whisper Creek Novel by [McGinnis, Maggie]

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept, Loveswept

Date of publication: October 11th, 2016

Series: Whisper Creek

Accidental Cowgirl – Book 1

A Cowboy’s Christmas Promise – Book 2

Once Upon A Cowboy – Book 3

Unlucky in Love – Book 4

Meant to Be – Book 5 (Expected publication date: January 10th, 2017)

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

From the author of Once Upon a Cowboy (“Sexy, charming, and perfectly heartwarming.”—Lauren Layne) comes another sweet novel of the Whisper Creek Ranch, where sizzling Montana men melt the most stubborn hearts.

After Alexis Maguire’s wedding day comes and goes without a groom, she decides that it’s time for a change. Tired of being the dependable, steady—and apparently boring—one, Alexis hopes that a cross-country road trip will help her loosen up and find her inner sparkle. Her first stop is the Whisper Creek Ranch, where the hot wranglers are sure to bring out her inner party girl. The trouble is, she can’t stand pretending to be someone she’s not—especially around the cowboy who tempts her to stay put.

Gunnar Peterson has spent six months working at Whisper Creek, and he’s never been happier. Having grown up an army brat, he’s ready to put down roots, and the only thing missing is a woman to share his life with. When Alexis blows into town, Gunnar thinks he may have met his match, despite the wild-child facade he sees right through. But Alexis swears she won’t settle down anytime soon—so it’s up to Gunnar to convince her that what she’s looking for . . . is right here.

Maggie McGinnis’s sweetly sensual Whisper Creek novels can be read together or separately:
ACCIDENTAL COWGIRL | A COWBOY’S CHRISTMAS PROMISE | ONCE UPON A COWBOY | UNLUCKY IN LOVE | MEANT TO BE | TAKING A CHANCE

My review:

I know I begin a lot of my book reviews this way, but I loved this book. For me to say this about a book that is the 4th book in a series, AND I haven’t read the other three before it, it’s enormous. Like super huge because I am very picky about books in series. I am that person that has to read a series from the beginning, so I know about the other people in the book first. Usually, if I read the books out of whack, then I get out of whack. So I was happy that I could read this as a standalone.

The romance between Alexis and Gunnar was so sweet. It started as a friendship of sorts. The romance grew from there.

Alexis was a sweetheart in my eyes. She was a dependable person who was somewhat afraid to step out of her comfort zone. Her summer job at the Whisper Creek Ranch is supposed to let her explore her adventurous side. With her sister’s help, she makes up a list of what to do. That goes out the window when she meets Gunnar.

Gunnar was a cowboy with a past. Not an awful past. Up until he was 16, he traveled the country with his mother, who was following his father and his wife. Yeah, that’s screwed up. So he craves stability, which is no shocker. He is also Mr. July in the Whisper Creek Ranch calendar and website. He is also working with rescued horses and is very, very talented with that. Finding his love was the last thing on his mind, but when he saw Alexis, it was over.

For some reason, I related to Alexis. I could see us being great friends. Heck, she even had a dysfunctional family (waves hand over here, I do too).

The ending and the epilogue got me right in the feels. Let’s just say that Gunnar is incredible and is perfect for Alexis.

How many stars will I give Unlucky in Love? 5

Why? A great clean (aka no sex) romance that makes you laugh and cry at various points in the book. Put it this way, I want a Gunnar in my life!!!

Will I reread? Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends? Yes

Age Range: Teen

Why: The cleanest romance that isn’t a Christian romance that I have read in a while. No sex, a couple of kissing scenes and that’s it. Some language, a drunken night at karaoke bar complete with bad singing and some poor lobsters getting cooked….lol.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

My Seductive Highlander (Highland Hearts: Book 4) by Maeve Greyson

My Seductive Highlander: A Highland Hearts Novel by [Greyson, Maeve]

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept, Loveswept

Date of publication: October 11th, 2016

Series: Highland Hearts

My Highland Lover – Book 1

My Highland Bride – Book 2

My Tempting Highlander – Book 3

My Seductive Highlander – Book 4

Genre: Romance

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

In this scintillating novel from the author of My Tempting Highlander (“Another exciting and heartwarming time-travel romance.”—Vonnie Davis), the ladies’ man of Loch Ness meets a hot-tempered lass who sets his heart aflame.
 
Though part of a legacy of time-traveling sisters, Lilia Sinclair is planted firmly in twenty-first-century Edinburgh. Her granny’s matchmaking with thirteenth-century Highlanders isn’t about to lure her into the past, especially as ancient Scotland enters troubled times. After all, Lilia is blessed—or cursed—with dire prophetic visions. To protect herself, she’s put up an icy emotional wall no man could cross—until a pair of gorgeous, rippling arms breaks right through.
 
Graham MacTavish is pure trouble. Once the dragon bound to Loch Ness, he’s transformed into a philanderer of the first order. In fact, because of his dalliances with other men’s wives, a rival clan wants his head on a pike. Before he provokes an all-out war, Graham is banished to the twenty-first century, where he must win Lilia’s hand—or return to die. But after meeting a lass as fierce as any Highland warrior, Graham knows one thing: life with Lilia, in any century, is a fate to embrace.
 
Praise for Maeve Greyson’s Highland Hearts novels
 
“Maeve Greyson surprises and enchants. The imaginative storytelling is hard to resist in this time-traveling tale of love, betrayal, and sacrifice.”—Victoria Roberts, bestselling author of My Highland Spy, on My Highland Lover
 
“What a roller coaster of emotions throughout! I love, love, love the Sinclair sisters and can’t wait to read more about the twins.”—Cassidy Cayman, author of the Lost Highlander series, on My Highland Bride
 
Includes a special message from the editor, as well as an excerpt from another Loveswept title.

My review:

From the first sentence, I knew I would like this book.  It goes:

“Dammint, man! Did ye no’ think to learn her name afore ye decided to bed her?”

Right from that sentence, I knew this was going to be a fun book and oh boy, was it. I got so involved in reading this book that I finished it in one night.

But on a serious note, I loved that the author chose to address depression. This had to of been the most realistic portrayal of depression that I have read to date. It was refreshing to read this. Most books that I have read that portrayed a person with depression described them as emo or loony. I loved that her support system could see when she was falling into a depressive state and be there for her.

Lilia is an empath, can read auras and has a prophetic vision, which contributed to her depression. And also the fact that she was almost screwed over by her business partner. So it’s not any surprise that Vivienne and Alberti are so protective of her. She is fragile.

It didn’t surprise me that they went into overdrive when Graham and Angus showed up.

Oh Graham, such a bad boy. He got caught having relations with a rival clan chieftain’s wife and mistress in a stable. According to him, he was making up for lost time. He spent 300 years as a dragon protecting Loch Ness due to an evil witch’s curse. He was, well for lack of a better term, screwing everyone that had a skirt because he got none as a dragon. His punishment was to be put into the 21st century, find Lilia, make her fall in love with him and bond. So he isn’t teleported back. He only has a month to do this, or he goes back and gets killed by the rival chieftain. Angus had to go along because, well, he was guilty by association and Granny Sinclair had a vision, and he was in it. Poor Angus.

When Angus and Graham hit the 21st century, it there was culture shock. From the toilets to riding in the cars to going in an elevator, it was hilarious.  I had tears streaming down my face during those scenes.

The relationship between Lilia and Graham was a little fast. But considering that he only had a month to bond with her, it wasn’t. He was under a deadline. And the sex was out of this world. The scene with the toy (not saying which one) was out of this world.

The end was what I expected, but the epilogue broke my heart. It was a great way to end the series, but still sad. I would love to know if there is going to be books with the kids? Because I enjoyed this book this much

How many stars will I give My Seductive Highlander? 4

Why? A fun filled romance that takes you on a wild ride between the 13th century and modern day.

Will I reread? Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends? Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex, mild violence, and language

**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**