Blessed Homecoming by Lorraine Nelson
Genre: romantic suspense
Length: novel (227 pgs.)
TBR Reviewer: Amanda
Rating: 5 stars - A Must Read.
Heat: 1 handcuff - Tame. Wendy Danforth is a very pregnant, newly divorced woman when she steps off the bus in her hometown to return to her parents' home. Her past threatens both her emotional well-being and her life, but she is immediately attracted to her parents' new handyman, Jake Roberts, a drifter with an emotionally fraught past of his own. Both Wendy and Jake fight the instant attraction between them regardless of the elder Danforths' matchmaking attempts, but as Wendy's ex continues to threaten, events conspire to drive them together.
I found both Wendy and Jake to be realistic, likable characters with real problems and a discernible development of their relationship. The instant attraction was not insta-love, which I appreciated in this story. It definitely made their push and pull believable. I also liked watching both of their pasts come out and be dealt with, together and separately. Rather than a "love cures all" type story, this one seemed a lot more like love encouraged each one to grow and heal. I especially liked the time where Wendy's baby was born and what all precipitated from it. The suspense plotline also wrapped up satisfyingly.
This is the second novel by Lorraine Nelson that I have read, and I think her writing is well-done and she tells a masterfully crafted romance. GIVEAWAY: Ms. Nelson is giving away an Ecopy to one lucky winner. The TBR Pile will also choose one winner for a free Ebook from our prize list. To ENTER: Comment below on why you want to read Blessed Homecoming.
Her Unlikely Bodyguard by Lorraine Nelson
Genre: romantic suspense
Length: novel (168 pgs.)
TBR Reviewer: Amanda
Rating: 4 Stars - Recommended Read.
Heat: 4 Handcuffs - An erotic Ride. When Jemma Leigh Harding returns to her hometown after a ten year absence, she is doing more than coming to care for her cancer-stricken mother and father with diabetes. She is also healing an estrangement with them, introducing them to their grandson, and running from a stalker that has made her life miserable for six months. The last thing she expects is to be nearly run-down by her high school sweetheart on her first day home, breaking her ankle and allowing him to discover the truth about her return. Ted Garrity has also recently come back to
Sommerville after time in the Army, marrying, having a child and losing his wife to a land mine. Jemma Leigh awakens all his protective instincts when he hears about her stalker, and soon they are spending all their time together again.
This story has just the right amount of romance and suspense. The mystery of Jemma Leigh's stalker as well as that of her past are interesting, as is the reconciliation with Ted. I loved how the answers to Zach's questions came out and the development of all the family relationships that Jemma Leigh and Zach had been missing. The final revelation of the stalker was a shock as well. My only real quibble with the story is that the timeline was hard to follow - at times, it seemed that events were following one upon another, but then something would be mentioned that showed several days must have passed (how her ankle healed, for example). I found that slightly disconcerting, but the writing was well done and the story worth reading. Ted and Jemma Leigh made a great romantic couple and the various Mounties made great side characters, as did Stacey and the children and grandparents. Giveaway: Comment below to enter. One winner will get Her Unlikely Bodyguard and another will get a book from our Prize List!
Cauldron of Tales by Sonia Hightower, Lorraine Nelson, Chacelyn
Pierce, Angelina Rain, and Nikki Prince
Genre: paranormal romance, anthology
Length: novella (71 pgs.)
Reviewer: Amanda
Rating: 3 STARS
Heat: 4 HANDCUFFS This anthology of witch-inspired short tales is mostly romance with a little horror thrown in the mix. The first story follows a medieval herb-woman dabbling in witch craft after being falsely accused of it, while the rest of the stories are all contemporarily set. While all the stories have some romantic or sexual element, none of them are long enough to get really involved in the
character's stories.
I found the writing to be well done, but the briefness of the stories kept me from loving them. One, however, rose to the top for me. "Past Potion" by Chacelyn Pierce creates a story with enough back story told to actually draw the reader into the predicament between the two characters. I enjoyed the final showdown between Willow and Salem and cheered for them to work things out. In the final analysis, these stories were enjoyable and if the lack of depth is
overlooked, they certainly make a fun short "witchy" read.
+Giveaway: 1 ebook Western Romance, Suspense - novel
TBR Reviewer: Brutally Honest Review This is the 4th installation in the Thunder Creek Ranch Series. Let me tell you this series made me fall in love with Cowboys all over again. Each can be read as a standalone but I recommend reading them in order to get the full effect of how talented Ms. Nelson is.
It starts with Leah and finding out the man she thought she loved it a cold blooded murderer. The beginning certainly pulls the reader in. There were a few editing issues that popped up but nothing to take away from this entertaining story! What did take away was the cardboard dialogue between Luke (Leah’s brother) and her when she’s telling her story. She’s talking about rape, abuse, murder and she talks about it so impassive, not a tear and even giggles at one point when she goes for a cookie at the same time as Zakia
(Sister in law). It does get more substantial and soon the story takes off. Car chases, secret kisses and that’s just the beginning. She did a great job writing the action although some parts, like the end of the action scenes, felt very rushed. Some scenes just didn’t add up such as the car explodes and Michael goes out to get help. She doesn't hunker down and prepare or hid she eats dinner. What?! After an explosion? Like I said some scenes just didn't add up.
Now for the four star rating. Despite those issues it was still a very entertaining read. By the end I really loved the characters and was cheering for their happy ending. A Cowgirl's Pride is about the act of finding and capturing true love.
Cowgirl's Pride is a strong four star read that I definitely recommend. Excerpt He was so hot for her! If he didn’t get these damned jeans off soon, his erection just might pop the zipper. That’s how hard he was for her—so stiff the skin stretched tight over his cock and it ached.
She suddenly pulled free and backed away from him. He almost swore out loud in frustration, thinking she’d changed her mind, but she’d only gone to close the vertical blinds at the windows.
“Just in case,” she said, smiling a come-hither smile as she turned back to him.
He felt guilty for his unjust thoughts, but closed the distance between them in a heartbeat, relieved to have her back in his arms.
“I’ve missed you, Cal,” she said as she ran her fingers through his thick, wavy hair.
“No more than I’ve missed you. I was beginning to think you’d never come home.”
“Oh, I wanted to, so much, but it just wasn’t possible.”
“You’re here now,” he said, grabbing the hem of her sweater and pulling it over her head
to expose beautifully shaped breasts enclosed in see-through peach lace. “And I’m so glad you’re back.”
He bent to suckle her nipples through the lacy cups, her mindless purr of delight going straight to his groin. If he got any harder, he’d explode. Still, he took his time, banking his desire as best he could to give her pleasure.
Slipping his hands inside the waistband, he worked her blue jeans and sexy peach colored
thong down over her hips, promptly falling to his knees at the sight of her curls. He leaned forward, reaching out to touch her satiny skin, smell her spicy vanilla scent and taste the creamy essence that was Leah. He wanted—needed—all of it—all of her.
Romance - novel
TBR reviewer: Brutally Honest Review This is 3rd in a series, yes I’ve read them all. I recommend reading them in order because they kick some serious ass. I’ve fallen for Ms. Nelson’s series and when I got my hands on the new book I was practically drooling.
Winny is...very domestic, yes, that’s the word I’d use. She’s sweet and I did like her character. Her son, Roy, stalked and tried to kill Luke’s family. Lucas is a forty something year old ranch owner who is in love with Winny. He rather reminds me of Harrison Ford. (Who I would take home at any age! *wink* Email me Harrison, lol.)
I love the fact that the story plays out just before Roy’s trial, which we know from the
2nd book that he escapes. The story overlaps in a very interesting manner. The romance is a blend of heat and elegance. They had this underlying sweetness that really gave the characters that much more depth.
So, why not 5 shiny stars? There was a lot to be fixed about Trouble Brewing in Thunder Creek. First is the scenes. Some were rushed, others slow and then there are several scenes that were so boring I was tempted to skip over them. Ms. Nelson wrote a lot of domestic scenes, cooking and spending time with the boys. It should have been trimmed so it wouldn’t hinder the flow so drastically. Parts of the book were more outlines; there was no fleshing out
and little details. I can’t help but wonder why this book took such a downward turn when the first two in the series were fantastic! The action was tame. There wasn’t suspense or edge of your seat scenes like the first two. This needed another intense look by an editor; I think that would have solved half the problems.
Trouble Brewing in Thunder Creek was a good read but certainly not a favorite. If you liked the first two in this series you’ll enjoy this one.
Everyone had a chance to vote for 1 of 8 books... The winner for November's book of the month will receive free ad space, a free ebook from our prize list and the author is entered into the book of the year contest. Without further wait, here are the results: The Promise of Silk by Lilith Duvalier - 6 votes Knight of Hearts by Suzie Quint - 15 votes Entanglement Anthology - 18 votes Love Never Fails by Lee Ann Murphy - 19 votes Dreams and Nightmares by Ann Werner - 28 votes Together For Christmas by Mimi Barbour - 80 votes Playing For Keeps by Carolyn Rosewood - 82 votes And the winner of our December book of the month contest with 146 votes is... Congratulations to Ms. Nelson! Zakia and the Cowboy is her debut novel and a reader favorite. Thank you so all the voters and to the fabulous authors that were in our December contest!
+Giveaway  Two cops have been murdered, two convicts escape. Samantha Muldoon and Blake Northrup pair up to protect their friends. Will their attraction to each other hinder their effectiveness or distract them from their job? Can it grow into something lasting, or will previous hurt keep them apart? Western Romance - novel
TBR reviewer: Brutally Honest Review I reviewed the first book in this series, Zakia and the Cowboy. Absolutely loved that book, five stars. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the second book in the series. This is Samantha and Blake’s book which are great characters in the first.
Samantha (Sam) is one armed, ex military with a dark past. Blake is an honest, gentlemanly cop. Together they make the pages burn with passion. Covert Mission is their search for true love with twists and turns battled along the way.
There were a lot of issues in this tale that prevented the shiny five star rating. First was the karaoke scene. It felt jammed in there, rushed and added absolutely nothing to the story. This scene felt as if Ms. Nelson added it simply for word count. There were a lot of domestic scenes which built the relationship between Blake and Sam nicely. These were separated by hot, well written sex scenes. The problem was the pace. It was so dull and rather lack luster. If I wasn’t reviewing this for TBR I would have skipped past them like a boring movie to get to the good parts. This strange jumpy pace continued through to the court scene. This was abrupt and rushed. When we finally get to the action it’s 60 pages in! This left me at wondering if this would be a 3 or 4, rating wise.
Once Ray (The bad guy) escapes prison and Sam gets into an accident which leaves her with no memory things get interesting. Here is where the pace picks up and the story gets really good. The ending was a little too convenient and the twists weren’t really big surprises. Still there were hot cowboys and great characters. That’s one thing that Ms. Nelson really nailed, the characters. Sam was wonderfully witty and Blake a sweetheart. The sex was really well done too. Overall, the pace and plot needed work. So, the big question, would I recommend this? Yes. It’s still a very sweet read and the characters are wonderfully written. Excerpt “Enjoying the party?” he asked.
“Yes. There’s certainly a good turn-out.” The band struck up a waltz to slow things down and he rose to his feet, holding out a hand. She knew that being held in his arms was dangerous, but without a doubt, it would be delightful, too. She took his hand and allowed him to lead her to the makeshift dance floor.
Dancing with Blake had every one of her hormones on full alert. His moves were sure and masterful, leading her around with no trouble to follow his steps. She felt as if she glided on air, her feet barely touching the floor. When the next song proved even slower, he held her so close she could feel every beat of his heart as it thundered in her ear. Blake was a good head taller than she was, her cheek coming to rest against his chest as they danced. All her life she’d hated being short, until she’d found the perfect fit in Blake’s arms. With him, she felt petite and cherished.
She became aware of his hardened length pressed against her belly and her nipples beaded in
response. It had been such a long, long time since she’d been intimate with a man. Fear of seeing the disgust, or worse, pity, in their eyes when they looked upon her naked body for the first time, had kept her celibate since her accident. In truth, until meeting Blake, her desire had lain dormant, like a closed door to her very soul.
Now, she was all woman, with a woman’s wants and needs the like of which she’d never experienced. Her awakening due to the man holding her gently yet firmly against his heart, maybe it was time to start living again—to feel the flush of heated skin against skin as they succumbed to their attraction for each other. He was interested. She knew that. Had known since that first day on the ranch when they’d all arrived to help Luke protect his wife, Zakia, from a crazed stalker.
“Sam?” His husky baritone sounded in her ear.
“Yes?”
“The… uh… dance is over.” He chuckled. “Intermission. As much as I enjoy holding you, maybe we could sit for a spell?”
“Oh! Okay.” She’d been so lost in thought, she hadn’t been aware of anything except Blake’s
body against hers. “Want me to walk in front?” she teased.
He grinned. “Please do. Being this close to you has an obvious effect on my
libido.”
“Yeah, I noticed,” she said, allowing her hand to trail down over the ridge in his jeans as she turned to start walking back to their table.“Tease!” Contest Ms. Nelson is giving away an ecopy to one lucky winner. Comment below to enter. Contest ends January 4th.
+Giveaway Western Romance - Novel
TBR reviewer: B.H. Blurb With a stalker following her every move Zakia has no choice but to flee the city. With her options limited she runs to the only place she's ever felt safe...the Thunder Creek Ranch and her ex-husband, Lucas.
Will he protect Zakia from the stalker? And if he does will either of them be able to ignore the feelings that have simmered for so long, ready to explode... before danger either draws them together or pulls them apart. Review Zakia is running from a stalker. She flees for protection to her ex-husband with the surprise that she not only had his child but twins. Can they rekindle lost love or will the stalker end any hope of a good future?
The beginning was hard to continue, it was telling and the story just starts. There’s the characters, there’s the scene with no gentle ease into the book. That said, KEEP READING! It gets so much better. The growing relationship between Lucas and his twins was beautiful. Then add the flames between him and Zakia, it makes for a dynamic read. I’m not a mother and usually kids in romance novels never end well but Ms. Nelson did a fantastic job
incorporating them without smothering the steam. There was sweet and romantic. That hay scene was something special.
There are small paragraphs from the stalkers POV and they really did not work as well as they could have. He/she should have had a lot more violent and malicious thoughts to be a convincing psychopath. Some scenes were redundant, such as why she left. I must have read Zakia explaining it at least three times. If they were trimmed it would have really added to the story. Back to the stalker, halfway through I knew who it was, but I’m usually ahead of the game in these kinds of thriller books. The ending could have been flesh out and a real explosion of intensity, this just fizzled out but it was still very satisfying.
So why, do you ask, did it get 5 stars?! Well, it was sweet, romantic and truly entertaining. I really enjoyed the blooming relationship between the twins, Lucas and Zakia. If you have kids I have a feeling you’ll love this book. I don't have any and I still really loved this book. I can't wait to read the next in this series!
Pick up your copy of Zakia and The Cowboy and prepare to swoon. Excerpt “Sorry, Darlin’. Always a cowboy,” he apologized.
He sat on the edge of the bed and struggled to remove his cowboy boots, then disposed of pants, briefs and socks. When he looked up and saw the still smooth, silky skin of her upper torso and full breasts partially covered by her beautiful, long, blonde hair, he had to ask himself how he got to be so lucky. Déjà vu was very much in existence as he admired the woman standing before him. Zakia was still every bit the exquisite, sexy woman she’d been on their wedding night, only now she was trying hard not to giggle.
“What’s so funny,” he asked with a grin as he reached for her.
“Just a little touch of déjà vu going on.”
“I was thinking the same thing. You’re just as beautiful now as you were on our wedding night,” he stated as he pulled her back into his arms.
“Well, I was thinking it funny that you said those exact same words on our wedding night.”
“What words?” he asked, curious and trying to think.
“Sorry, Darlin’. Always a cowboy.”
“Ooohh, those words. It’s true. A cowboy doesn’t go too far without his boots.”
“Did you mean it, Luke?”
“Mean what?”
“That you still think I’m beautiful.”
“Do I need to install mirrors on every wall in the house?” he teased. “Yes, you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, and sexily built. Now, shut up and kiss me.”
“Oh, I so like a man who knows what he wants,” she cooed.
When she reached for him, pulling him down for a kiss filled with all the passion he remembered, his heart soared. Gone was the polite restraint they’d held to since her arrival. He kissed her back, longing for more, aching for the promise her lips delivered.
His hands moved to her breasts, rubbing and tweaking the nipples to turgid peaks, then massaging the silken softness until she moaned against his mouth in pleasure. Breaking the kiss, he took one rosy nipple into his mouth, sucking and nipping lightly before transferring his attention to the other one.
He worked his way down her body, one kiss at a time, having to keep a tight rein on his control as she breathed his name over and over again. Her body writhed beneath him as he reached her sopping pussy, her unique scent driving him wild as always. He parted her lips and kissed her, rubbing tiny circles on her clit with his thumb. His other hand reached beneath her to fondle her ass as he began sucking her, his tongue laving and prodding her wetness until he could take no more. Rising up, he coaxed her legs apart with his knees and positioned himself. As he looked into her desire-glazed eyes, he moved, pushing into her with one hard thrust.
Then he stilled. It had been as tight as their first time. “Did I hurt you?”
“Uh, uh.” She shook her head as her body began to move, encouraging him to pull out and push into her warmth again.
She grabbed his hips, pulling him closer, deeper, and they fell into a rhythm that told of their familiarity with each other. It was as if he’d gone back in time, back to the days of love and laughter, caring and sharing their lives, completing each other. He thrust in and out, faster, harder, seeking the rapture he’d only found with the woman lying beneath him.
Thought took a long, slow ride after that as they concentrated on catching up on years of lost loving, and he was pleased to note, she still had that deep, husky, pleading note in her voice when she screamed his name. Contest Ms. Nelson is giving away an ecopy to one lucky winner. Comment below to enter. Contest ends December 4th.
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