Tag: book 4

Inspector Hobbes and the Bones (Unhuman: Book 4) by Wilkie Martin

Inspector Hobbes and the Bones (Unhuman #4)

Title: Inspector Hobbes and the Bones

Author: Wilkie Martin

Publisher: The Witcherley Book Company

Date of publication: December 16th, 2016

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Science Fiction, Fantasy

Number of pages: 319

POV: 1st person

Series: Unhuman

Inspector Hobbes and the Blood – Book 1

Inspector Hobbes and the Curse – Book 2

Inspector Hobbes and the Gold Diggers – Book 3

Inspector Hobbes and the Bones – Book 4

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

There’s going to be trouble. Andy Caplet’s wife goes away, someone is out to get him, and he loses nearly everything in a storm. Amazing both himself and his unhuman friend Inspector Hobbes, he heroically rescues flood victims and uncovers something shocking.
Is Andy being set up for blackmail by the apparently charming young woman who attempts to seduce him, or is something even more sinister afoot? Hobbes certainly believes so, and he’s getting worried.
This is the fourth in Wilkie Martin’s unhuman series of cozy comedy crime fantasies.

My review:

As most of my regular readers know, I absolutely hate getting a book to review and finding out that it is 2nd, 3rd, or 4th book in a series. 9 out of 10 times, I get so lost that I just want to put the book down and DNF it. But, I usually push through the book and I usually am totally confused about what is going on. Luckily, with the last few books that I got and were part of a series, they were pretty easy to follow and gave information about the earlier books in a way that didn’t underwhelm or overwhelm the current book. Happily, I can group Inspector Hobbes and the Bones in with them.

Now, this is a book that is set completely in England and there is a ton of dry English humor (which I love) and a lot of English vocabulary. Luckily, my Kindle’s English (not American English, English English…lol) dictionary was downloaded because I had to use it a few time. Not that it took away from the story but it did add some time to my reading. Not complaining, though, because I did learn some new words.

This book is a paranormal mystery. Now, if I hadn’t of read the blurb, I wouldn’t have believed the paranormal part of the book. Trust me, it’s in there but the author chose to focus more on the mystery part of the book with the paranormal part really not coming into play until the last half of the book. There are paranormal elements in the book (the vampire and Hobbes’s habit of eating bones are two) but the focus is on the many mysteries that Andy and Hobbes happen upon.

Now speaking of the mystery part of the book, I loved that the author was able to handle a few mysteries at once and then was able to merge them with the main storyline. I have read other mysteries that attempted to do that and then they just lose track of the sub-storylines and those are never resolved or merged with the main storyline. Again, something else I really liked about this book.

Andy came across as an idiot. I mean, how can someone get into that many predicaments and how can someone be that unaware of their surroundings? Plus, he also had a huge knack for ticking people off and just plain doing/saying the wrong thing. I mean, who would pack chocolate in their wife’s luggage when she was going to a dessert and then wonder why she was so upset because ants bit her and her clothes were ruined. His bumbling antics really didn’t do it for me in the story and I was truly waiting to see if he was going to get knocked off.

Hobbes, however, I was fascinated with and I really wish that more was revealed about him other than he policed the supernatural. I mean, he ate bones and according to Andy, he had a ferocious temper, unlike anything that he (Andy) had ever seen before. Also, he never seemed to age. So what is he? Now, this is where I wish I had read the first 3 books. I am sure that more insights into who/what he is in there.

The secondary characters were written awesomely too. From the little person who moonlighted as a ninja (OMG, did I die laughing during that scene) to the bar owner who had a temper and liked to fight to the vampire banker to Hobbes housekeeper and dog to the literal man killer and her cousins…..I absolutely loved them. Honestly, a good book has excellent secondary characters and this book definitely did.

I will say that the end of the book did surprise me and the mysteries were solved. There were really no twists, which for once was refreshing. I also liked that while those storylines ended, the book was left open for potentially a 5th book.

How many stars will I give Inspector Hobbes and the Bones: 4

Why: This was a great mystery with paranormal elements. I was genuinely kept guessing about who killed the bodies that Andy and Hobbes found. I was also guessing that the other sub-storylines.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Older teen

Why: Mild violence and some adult themes/jokes

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

Capturing the Bear (Bear Shifter Games: Book 3) by A.J. Tipton

Capturing the Bear: A Billionaire Shifter Adventure (Bear Shifter Games Book 3) by [Tipton, AJ]

Title: Capturing the Bear

Author: A.J. Tipton

Publisher: AJ Tipton Enterprises

Date of publication: August 27th, 2016

Genre: Romance, Erotica, Paranormal

Number of pages: 67

POV: 3rd person

Series: Bear Shifter Games

Coaching the Bear – Book 1 (review here)

Conquering the Bear – Book 2 (review here)

Christmas with the Bear – Book 3 (review here)

Capturing the Bear

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Amazon):

A billionaire bear shifter afraid to leave his business behind. A controlling rabbit shifter who wants everybody to have fun her way. Lost on a tropical island, can they save each other?

Alpha Toby Toleri has spent his entire life ensuring the financial security of his clan. When he wins a tropical vacation with a beautiful stranger, his struggles to unplug put them both at risk. With torrential storms, deadly creatures, and hazardous terrain looming on all sides, can Toby save his dream girl before it’s too late?

Jadyn Hopper is a holistic therapist who thinks she has everything figured out. When she wins a trip to a resort with Toby, she pushes him to appreciate the wonder of nature on her terms. But when her well-intentioned hiking trip ends up with the pair lost in the jungle, she must reevaluate whether the handsome Toby may have more to offer than he seemed.

Capturing the Bear is a standalone paranormal romance novella in the “Bear Shifter Games” series, set in a contemporary world filled with unexpected wonders, magic, and suspense. If you like steamy romance, muscle-bound shifters, and tropical liaisons, you’ll love AJ Tipton’s breathtaking book.

My review:

Capturing the Bear features Jadyn, a rabbit shifter, who tied for first place with Toby, a bear shifter, and won a tropical vacation. Jadyn was excited (I mean, who wouldn’t be) but was getting more and more PO’d at Toby. See, Toby is having trouble unplugging….a problem that most people these days have. The whole plane ride and car ride to the resort, he was nose deep in the phone. Which drove her nuts (and to be honest, it would have driven me nuts too). So, once she got there, she decided that Toby and herself would take a hike on one of the paths in the jungle.

Toby was not happy about being dragged into the jungle and managed to keep his phone. Not that it did any good because it lost signal in the jungle. Which ticked him off because he was in the middle of a deal when he lost signal.

I really couldn’t get a feel for either Jadyn or Toby at first. Jadyn came across as pushy and Toby, well he couldn’t keep his attention on Jadyn. But that did change once they got lost and his phone lost signal. Then they had to depend on each other to outwit animals and weather while having beyond wild sex.

The sex, as always, was beyond hot. I did have a slight disconnect with them but I think that is because Toby didn’t take his darn head out of the phone until they were in the jungle.

The end of the book was pretty sweet and there was definitely a HEA!!!

How many stars will I give Capturing the Bear: 4

Why: I loved that this book was set in paradise and the hero couldn’t take his head out of his phone long enough to pay attention to the heroine, at the beginning of the book. Towards the end, he definitely paid attention to her. Oh yes, he did!!

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex and language

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

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 Devil’s Triangle (A Brit in the FBI: Book 4) by Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison

The Devil's Triangle (A Brit in the FBI, #4)

Title: The Devil’s Triangle

Author: Catherine Coulter, J.T. Ellison

Publisher: Gallery, Threshold, Putnam Books

Date of publication: March 14th, 2017

Genre: General Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

Number of pages: 512

POV: 3rd person

Series: A Brit In The FBI

The Final Cut – Book 1

The Lost Key – Book 2

The End Game – Book 3

The Devil’s Triangle – Book 4 (expected publication date: March 14th, 2017)

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

From #1 New York Times–bestselling author Catherine Coulter, the thrilling new novel in the remarkable series featuring Nicholas Drummond and Mike Caine.
FBI Special Agents Nicholas Drummond and Michaela Caine have a new mandate as the government’s Covert Eyes, assembling a handpicked team of top-notch agents to tackle crimes and criminals both international and deadly. But their first case threatens to tear the fledgling team apart when the enigmatic thief known as the Fox reappears with a plea for help.

Master thief Kitsune has stolen the staff of Moses from the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul, and now that she’s delivered, her clients are trying to kill her. On the run, she asks Nicholas and Mike to help her discover the true identity of her clients and stop the threat against her life. Under strict orders to arrest the Fox and bring her back to New York, the Covert Eyes team heads to Venice, Italy, to meet with Kitsune, and finds nothing is as it seems. Kitsune’s secret clients are the Koaths, a family descended from Moses himself, who will do anything, anything, to find Ark of the Covenant and wield its power, as their long and bloody history can attest. To execute their plan, they’ve spent years perfecting a machine that can control the weather, manipulating worldwide disasters that spin the entire globe into chaos.

From New York to Venice, from Rome to the Bermuda Triangle, Nicholas and Mike and their team are in a race against time, and nature herself, to stop the Koaths and recover the famous Ark of the Covenant. But can they trust Kitsune, their sworn enemy, to help them save the world from a family of madmen?

My review:

I know that I have stated in earlier reviews that I absolutely hate picking up and reading a book mid-series. Why is that? Because there is always tie-ins to the other books in the series and I am left wondering “What did I miss in the earlier books?” While The Devil’s Triangle did have those moments, I am happy to say that they were few and far between. The only time I even started to wonder what was with the scenes with Kitsune and the Covert Eye team. There was so much history there that I wished I had read the earlier books.

The Koath twins, Ajax and Cassandra, just oozed evil. I couldn’t believe how evil they were. I mean, they thought nothing of discussing killing people and they thought nothing of using their connections to the local police and army to execute those killings. All the while keeping up very public personas that they were these good people who did great things for the world. I am glad that the author didn’t try to make them any less evil (well, Cassandra was given a kind of conscious that lasted for all of 3 pages). I also liked that you could see Cassandra and Ajax’s sanity unraveling as the book went on and as they continued to make major mistakes.

While I didn’t read the earlier books (see above statement), I did like Kitsune. I mean, she pulled off stealing the staff of Moses and then eluded the Koath twins and their goons until she allowed herself to get caught. She was very resourceful and I liked how she had the Covert Eye team recruited to help her with her mission (read the book to find out what it was).

The action was intense. From when Kitsune decided that she had to kill the goons outside the Koath twins house to the end, it didn’t let up. I felt like I couldn’t take a breath or I would miss something. And yes, for those of you who have weak stomachs or like things all sunshine and butterflies…..there are people killing people in this book. Most who need it….some who don’t.

I thought the plotline of the weather control machine with ties to DaVinci and Tesla was fantastic. I actually have no problem imagining that someday, there will be a machine like that (if there isn’t one already). Add in the plotline about the search for the Ark of the Covenant and intertwine it with the weather control machine and it made for a great read!!!

The end of the book was pretty good. A bit anticlimactic but good. I am wondering if there will be a book 5.

How many stars will I give The Devil’s Triangle: 4

Why: This was a great book with a couple of fantastic storylines woven into it. The way the author brought them all together was fantastic and I couldn’t read enough of it.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Violence and language

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

Wait For It (Everything I Left Unsaid: Book 4) by M. O’Keefe

Title: Wait For It

Author: M. O’Keefe

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept

Date of publication: February 28th, 2017

Genre: Romance

Number of pages: 272

POV: Alternating 1st person

Series: Everything I Left Unsaid

Everything I Left Unsaid – Book 1

The Truth About Him – Book 2

Burn Down The Night – Book 3 (review here)

Wait For It – Book 4

Can be read out-of-order from series: Yes

Where this book can be found: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

In a blistering novel of raw emotion and desire, a tormented woman teaches an alpha male that money can’t fix everything . . . but love can.

Tiffany : After fighting for a new life, I don’t want to play the victim anymore. However, with three kids to raise, I’m getting desperate enough to make a deal with the devil. My estranged brother-in-law, Blake, says he just wants to help, but he’s been trouble since I met him. I don’t know if I can believe this kinder, gentler Blake, and there’s a friction between us that has turned into the sweetest chemistry. He could be my salvation . . . or my downfall.

Blake : I haven’t always had Tiffany’s best interests at heart but I’m ready to make up for my sins. Besides, I can’t help admiring her: The girl’s a genuine survivor, tough and lean, with eyes of steel. But the more I get to know Tiffany, the more I want her. Every inch of her. Which means I’m about to make a bad situation a hell of a lot worse.

My review:

Oh. My. Good. Gravy.

I don’t even know where I should begin with this review because this book was that good.

Blake was a jerk. A huge jerk that I wanted to kick between the legs when he was introduced in the first chapter. He had to have some big ones to try to pay off his brother’s wife to disappear with her 3 kids. Huge gigantic ones. But when more of his backstory is revealed and I got to know him, I kinda felt bad for him. It must have sucked to live the way he did….thinking that money could solve everything.

I really liked Tiffany and felt a huge connection with her. She was the only one in the book, well besides Blake’s mother, who stood up to Blake. I absolutely loved it when she talked him up to $20G when he tried to pay her to disappear. She was a mother who was trying her best to let her children have normal lives, even though their father was an abusive jerk who terrorized them.

I wanted to cry when she said that she felt broken during the masturbation scene. It just showed how fragile she was and how low self-esteem she had. I mean, she was married to a man who enjoyed belittling her. That takes a toll on your self-esteem. I don’t care who you are, it does.

Tiffany’s parents were awful. Who turns their back on their daughter when they see that she is in an abusive relationship? At least Bea was there for her but still. A pretty crappy thing to do to your daughter.

The chemistry between Tiffany and Blake was out of this world and that first sex scene, it was out of the world. I got kinda mad when Blake offered Tiffany $500 for one night. How degrading. But what surprised me was that she took it up. WTH????

The end of the book was pretty good and I am glad to see that Phil got what he deserved.

How many stars will I give Wait For It: 4

Why: This was a fast paced romance with enough hot sex to ignite the pages. The underlying theme, domestic violence, was discussed in a way that is realistic. I got really attached to Blake and Tiffany and I can’t wait to see if there will be a book 5 in this series.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex, violence, and language.

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

Her Hacker Dragon (Her Biker Dragon: Book 4) by A.J. Tipton

Her Hacker Dragon (Her Biker Dragon #4)

Title: Her Hacker Dragon

Author: A.J. Tipton

Publisher: Unknown

Date of publication: March 16th, 2016

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Dragons, LGBTQIA

Number of pages: 110

POV: 3rd person

Series: Her Biker Dragon

Her Valiant Dragon – Book 1 (review here)

Her Delicious Dragon – Book 2 (review here)

Her Rockstar Dragon – Book 3 (review here)

Her Hacker Dragon – Book 4

Her Alpha Dragon – Book 5

Can be read out-of-order from series: Yes but I would recommend reading them in order

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

Geeks rule in this delightfully dangerous dragon adventure.

The badass dragon shifters of the Iron Claws motorcycle club will risk everything for the people they love. Cast out from their dragon clans, they must use their cunning and strength to defy the laws of their people and stay one step ahead of those determined to keep life-saving cures out of the hands of humans.

Brilliant, transgender shifter Alec Harper is trying to atone for his dark past by dedicating his life to healing humans. When it appears his life-saving drug may actually be a life-taking drug, Alec must race to discover the truth before more innocents die.

Vampire scientist Penelope O’Hara has been fascinated by all things supernatural for three hundred years. When Alec saves her from a sudden attack by dragon shifter goons, Penelope is pulled into a dangerous world of hackers, killers, and conspiracies. Logic tells her that the perils of being with someone from the Iron Claws are a bad idea, but her heart keeps telling her to stay.

This adult novella includes daring rescues, sexy science, and a nerdy romance that defies expectations.

My review:

Way back in book 1, Dylan and Marie’s story, it was revealed that Alec was transgendered and it intrigued me. See, I don’t think I have read a romance that had a transgendered man (or woman) as one of the main characters. I was very curious to see how the author would be writing the romance.  I wasn’t disappointed. Not only did the author did a great job writing the romance but Alec’s background as well.

I just wanted to hug Alec. The poor guy had been through the wringer and back before he joined the Iron Claws. I just wanted to cry when he thought he wouldn’t find his mate because of how he looked (male on the inside (dragon was male too), female on the outside). He was too male for some girls, too female for others and he just gave up looking for love. While he was happy for his friends, he was sad at the same time. He wanted what they had.

Penelope was a brilliant vampire scientist who was researching magic. She has a tragic past too but nothing like Alec’s. The reason she started studying magic was that when her brother was dying, she attempted a spell to cure him and it didn’t work. So she wanted to know why it worked for witches and not for her and that is what fueled her 300 year-long research.

The Iron Claws find out that Puff has been killing people and it throws everyone into an uproar and a tizzy. They know it is not true but they need to find a way to prove it. Alec decides to go for a walk and happens to run into Penelope, as she is getting a beat down on a sidewalk just down the street from AUDREY’s. Who was she getting a beat down from? Hired muscle from the Dragon High Council for reasons that are revealed later in the book. Being out in the daylight has drained her so when Alec offers his wrist to her to drink from, she takes it and feels overwhelmingly attracted to him.

The romance between Penelope and Alec did get off to a rocky start. See, Penelope couldn’t wrap her head around that while Alec had male blood, he still had the body of a woman. Alec was sure that while Penelope was attracted to him, she wouldn’t get past that Alec was still a woman in body (not in heart or soul, though). Obviously, they get together but it was interesting to see Penelope’s thought progress and then her “who cares” attitude when she gave in.

The sex scenes between Alec and Penelope were hot but sweet. I literally laughed out loud when Penelope unloaded a bunch of sex toys from her magic bag….including the Hulk. I was dying when she described it. I actually laughed so hard that BK wanted to know what I was laughing at. When I told him, he just looked at me and went “ooookkkaaayyy”.

The Dragon High Council really were in rare from this book. From framing the Iron Claws to beating Penelope down and bombing her lab, they were really bad guys. But the bad can fall and I really can’t wait to read the last book!!

The ending was great. Alec and Penelope’s story ended and the Puff killing people storyline was ended (thanks to Alec and Penelope) but the Dragon High Council storyline is still there. I cannot wait to see how this series ends!!

How many stars will I give Her Hacker Dragon: 5

Why: While the sex was great, it was the transgender storyline that made this book.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex, violence, language

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

Alpha’s Christmas Flame (Bear Shifter Billionaire: Book 4) by A.J. Tipton

Alpha’s Christmas Flame: A BBW Paranormal Romance (Bear Shifter Billionaire Book 4) by [Tipton, AJ]

4 Stars

Publisher: Savvy Storytelling LLC

Date of publication: December 14th, 2015

Genre: Paranormal, Romance, Erotica

Series: Bear Shifter Billionaire

Alpha’s Heir – Book 1 (review here)

Alpha’s Mates – Book 2 (review here)

Alpha’s Domain – Book 3 (review here)

Alpha’s Christmas Flame – Book 4

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

A sexy fireman broken from his last rescue. A beautiful bear shifter hiding from her family’s fame. When magical secrets are discovered, will their love stand strong after the smoke clears?

Dean Michaelson loved being a firefighter until he was injured on duty. When his new job as a fire inspector takes him to the ice hotel where Donna works, he fears he’s stumbled upon a nuclear deathtrap. Suspecting the lusciously curvy manager, Donna, is hiding the truth, Dean has no choice but to investigate on his own, unaware he is entering an underworld of danger and magic. Will the attraction building between Dean and Donna be extinguished before it has a chance to spark?

The brilliant bear shifter Donna Mechka is a billionaire in hiding, working the desk at a magical ice hotel. She wants to throw aside the reputation of her wealthy family and find somebody who loves her for her mind, not her money. When a human ex-firefighter, Dean, walks into her hotel on Christmas Eve, it seems she might have found the man of her dreams. But when Dean’s investigations bring him closer to discovering the hotel’s magical secrets, Donna must decide which is more important: protecting the hotel, or her budding love.

Alpha’s Christmas Flame is a holiday, paranormal romance novella in the “Bear Shifter Billionaire” series, a set of stand-alone stories that sizzle and satisfy. If you like brave pixies, smoldering strip poker, and holiday heat, then you’ll love this breathtaking book.

My review:

Dean Michaelson hates Christmas. He was injured fighting a fire last Christmas, and his injury has landed him on a desk job. Not where he wants to be. He wants to be out there, fighting fires and not going to upscale hotels, doing annual inspections of their fire and emergency precautions. And not dealing with receptionists who are either ignoring him or buttering him up for something.

Donna Mechka is working at the front desk at the Wondernasium Hotel when this hot firefighter walks in and tells her that he needs to do an annual inspection. She tries to put him off, explaining that they are short-staffed due to the flu and a bellhop who decided to join a motorcycle club. He checks into the hotel and, when Donna is distracted, he decides to go check things out by himself.

Which ends up to be not such a smart thing. In Dean’s snooping, he opens a door called the electrical room and finds an enormous ball of light. And what does he think? He thinks that the hotel is harboring a nuclear bomb and calls his former Chief in for back up.

As he is doing that, Donna is sitting at the bar with Lola, having a drink, discussing Dean, and wondering why their regular inspector sent a human. As Lola explains that Ben has a fail-safe in place for events such as this, Dean shows up. Donna agrees to show him around, not knowing that he has snooped, and he has seen the enormous ball of light in the basement.

As he is telling her all of that, a fire alarm goes off. They get to the burning room, and Donna says that she can recruit a guest to help with the fire. She orders Dean to get everyone out, but before he could do that, they hear a woman screaming for help.

In the room, there are two people, a woman and a man. The man is hindered with the woman trying with all of her might to help him. Donna decides to get a hydra to help suck out the oxygen in the air. Dean, of course, is confused. It was at this point that the man passes out, and Dean makes the startling realization that Moe is very heavy. Heavy enough that he can’t lift him.

Donna reveals that Moe is a yeti and that the hotel is not what he thinks it should be. The crane he saw in the doorway of the hotel room ends up being an 8-foot tall lizard with 50 heads. That he saw witches pushing cauldrons in the hallway and that the woman with Moe was a pixie. He also realized that the nuclear weapon he thought he saw was magic.

But it was when Donna shifted into a bear that his mind was blown. After Moe came too and walked away with his pixie girlfriend, Donna and Dean were alone in her office. After she gets dressed, Dean demands answers. Donna counters with a game of Five Card Stud. As they play, and she answers his questions, it turns into strip Five Card Stud, and that gets interrupted by his ex-chief.

I thought that this was a great book to wrap up the Bear Shifter Billionaire Series. What better than with a hunky firefighter and a bear shifter?

Dean did bother me a bit. Usually, I like it when my hero is a bit grumpy, but he had a massive chip on his shoulder, and he was sneaky.

I did like Donna. She was dealing with an awful situation and took charge like a boss.

I had to laugh when Dean found the magic snowflake in the basement and thought it was a nuclear bomb. But, considering at that point, he did not know anything magical, I would have assumed the same thing.

I thought Dean and Donna were a cute couple and loved them when they played strip Five Card Stud. I never thought of Five Card Stud as a game for stripping, but thinking about it, it could be.

The end of the book was adorable.

I would give Alpha’s Christmas Flame an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Alpha’s Christmas Flame. I would recommend it to family and friends.

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

Her Winged Viking, Her Rock Hard Viking and Her Christmas Viking (Her Elemental Vikings Books 3-5)by A.J. Tipton

Her Winged Viking: A Paranormal Romance (Her Viking's Desire Book 3) by [Tipton, AJ]
Her Rock Hard Viking: A Paranormal Romance (Her Viking's Desire Book 4) by [Tipton, AJ]
Her Christmas Viking (Her Elemental Viking #5)

Publisher: 

Date of Publication: 

Her Winged Viking – October 26th, 2014

Her Rock Hard Viking – December 18th, 2014

Her Christmas Viking – November 8th, 2015

Genre: Romance

Her Winged Viking – 81 pages

Series: Her Elemental Viking

Her Fiery Viking – Book 1 (review)

Her Steamy Viking – Book 2 (review)

Her Winged Viking – Book 3

Her Rock Hard Viking – Book 4

Her Christmas Viking – Book 5

Where you can find these books:

Her Winged Viking – Amazon

Her Rock Hard Viking – Amazon

Her Christmas Viking – Amazon

Book synopsis:

Her Winged Viking:

He’s no angel. Erik is a two-thousand-year-old Viking cursed with broken wings; he works as a carnival mascot to cover his shame. Con artist, playboy, and liar, Erik only cares about one thing in the world apart from himself: his best friend, Siobhan.

She’s no demon. Siobhan is an intense seven hundred-year-old leprechaun whose horns she must hide from the world to blend in at her job as the carnival’s CFO. Sarcastic, efficient, and beautiful, Siobhan would rather be forced to grant a hundred wishes than risk losing her oldest friend, Erik.

But when scandal endangers these two and their carnival, will Siobhan and Erik be able to admit their feelings before they both go down for this crime?

This mature romance involves horny immortals, a matchmaking supernatural bartender, the creative use of carnival rides, and a love powerful enough to soar.

My review:

I am doing this review a bit different from reviews in the past. The 3 books that I reviewed are part of a series of novellas and are under 100 pages each. To save myself time and patience (which I am running out of today…another post and a long story),  I decided to consolidate them into one review. So, this might seem to be the world’s longest review but it isn’t. It’s just me being lazy.

So, having said that, here is my review of Her Winged Viking.

Loved, loved, loved that Siobhan was a leprechaun and loved the different direction that the author took with it. Instead of a pot of gold, she is fascinated with numbers and she grants wishes. Which is pretty awesome and actually makes me want to go find a leprechaun….lol.

Erik did come off as somewhat of a playboy at the beginning of the book. I mean, his wish really wasn’t fair to Siobhan (not that I think she complained and she totally gave back). But, in the course of the book, I did love seeing how his character changed and, in a way, matured.

The sex scenes, of course, were hot, hot, hot and also very funny at the same time (can it be that???). I will never look at pinball games, whack a mole or those funhouse mirrors the same. There was some non-traditional sex involving feathers and horns that were totally different from what I have read. Still very hot!!

I loved the ending and how everyone got what they deserved/wanted!!

How many stars will I give Her Winged Viking: 4

I would give Her Winged Viking an Adult rating. There are sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Her Winged Viking. I would recommend it to family and friends.

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

Book Synopsis:

Her Rock Hard Viking

Rock hard was never so literal. Carr, once a proud Viking warrior, was cursed to be the very island he invaded. But when a gorgeous woman parachutes into his life, everything changes. Will her sexual healing finally bring him release? Or will he give up his last chance at humanity to save her?

Becca never thought to pack sexy lingerie for this trip. She’s a botanist on the hunt for a miracle cure to save her family. What’s a woman to do when she discovers her remote island is actually an extremely passionate Viking? Go with it.

This steamy tale for mature readers contains sexy vine and waterfall action, an omniscient bartender, and a love passionate enough to make the earth move.

My review:

I was very excited to read Carr’s story and I wasn’t disappointed!!!

Becca is a botanist on a desperate mission. She is trying to locate a rare flower that will help cure her nephew an incurable disease that he was dying of. This flower is located on an island in the middle of nowhere, and unbeknownst to her, is alive.

Carr is the last of the Viking brothers cursed by a witch. He is cursed to stay on the island….to be the island until the curse is broken. Which he thought would never happen until Becca parachutes onto his island.

I have never read a book that used plants for sexual uses but because Carr was the island, it made sense and was totally hot. And when he became human, the sex was even better.

I also thought the whole sub-story of her nephew and his illness for heartbreaking and I loved that storyline was brought to a very nice end too.

How many stars will I give Her Rock Hard Viking: 4

I would give Her Rock Hard Viking an Adult rating. There are sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Her Rock Hard Viking. I would recommend it to family and friends.

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

Book synopsis:

Her Christmas Viking:

Christmas is hotter than ever: the Elemental Viking brothers are back!

Over a thousand years ago, four Viking brothers led by their tyrannical father invaded lands under the protection of a powerful witch. Cursed for their crimes, the brothers suffered for their wrongdoing for over a thousand years. With the help of the women they loved, they became worthy of redemption and broke their curses.

Now it’s Christmas, and–with the help of a little magic–the entire family is reunited to celebrate. But when the yuletide spell bringing them together also summons their bloodthirsty father back from the veil, the boys and their lovers must band together to save the holidays.

This festive novella for adults features holiday spell work, naughty gifts, and a winter wonderland you’ll never see coming.

This STANDALONE novella is part of the “Her Elemental Viking” series and features characters from throughout the series. There are no cliffhangers and each short ends as it should: happily ever after.

My review:

This had to have been my favorite book of all the Elemental Viking books put together. Why? Simple. It brought all of the brothers together and we got to see what happened to them after their stories ended.

Bram did a spell without Audrey knowing and somehow summoned all of his brothers and their girlfriends/wives to the bar that they run. I got to see again:

Mikkel/Jo

Erik/Siobhan

Carr/Becca

But, unfortunately, it also summoned their father, Havarr, who was cursed along with them. To be PC about it, he is a big, huge jerk. When he found out that Audrey was a witch, he tried to run her through with his sword. In her haste to protect herself and Bram (who stepped in front of the sword), she magics everyone out of the room. Erik and Siobhan end up falling down the chimney, Mikkel and Jo end up in the freezer and Carr/Becca end up wrapped in Carr’s Christmas present to Becca. Audrey and Bram end up in the back storage room.

Each couple has to work to get out of their predicament and hot sex is used once. Not going to say which couple got busy but I will say that the other ones were jealous that they had it so easy….lol.

Of course, Havarr got what was coming to him and oh boy, did I laugh. Do I see a story coming with him or is he going to remain what he was turned into forever….lol?

The end of the book was very sweet and perfect for the series.

How many stars will I give Her Christmas Viking: 4

I would give Her Christmas Viking an Adult rating. There are sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Her Christmas Viking. 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**

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**