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The Warlock's Secret (Supernatural Bounty Hunters #3) by RJ Scott Genre: paranormal M/M romance, fantasy Length: 141 pgs. TBR Reviewer: Amanda Rating: 4 Stars - Recommended Read. Heat: 4 - An Erotic Ride. Joseph Jamieson is head of the Sinclair clan of vampires, twin brother to Micah, and holder of ancient magic nearly gone from the world. When he stays behind in order to allow his twin and Micah's mate to escape to safety, he finds out that there is even more sickness hidden within the corrupt Glitnir than he imagined. Orophin is the heir to the throne of the Second Kingdom, an elf and another one of the rare magic users left. Ancient wisdom says that two magic beings cannot be together, even though other lines are being crossed between species. However, when Joseph needs rescuing, he and Phin have to decide what to believe and what is right for the Underground Resistance Movement. This is definitely a series that needs to be read in order. Although each book has focused on a different couple, (Micah and Connor, Declan and Levi, Joseph and Phin), the overall storyline is grand fantasy and the reader would most likely not understand the plot of this one if they have not read the first two. From the opening paragraph, the action is thrilling and nearly continuous, with torture, grand rescues, hidden secrets, and secret loves being revealed as well as the beginnings of prophecy fulfillment. R.J. Scott's writing is exciting and her characters are three-dimensional with pasts and presents that are interesting. The world-building is also well-done with fascinating rules for the society that are revealed as the characters try to break them :) I enjoyed the parts between Phin and Asher as well as the sibling bond between Joseph and Micah. The series is fun and I look forward to reading the next book. Recommended for fantasy fans! Purchase HereVigil Annie Author: Lia Fairchild Page count: 245 Genres: Mystery/Suspense TBR Reviewer: Victoria Rating: 3 Stars - A Good Read. Heat: 1 - Tame As the blurb says, Annie has been living a double life for the past year, ever since she recovered from the same attack that left her fiancé, and fellow cop, Michael dead and her heartbroken at the loss. She’s been searching for his killer, but the cops have come up with no leads, and she has been recruited by the mysterious “Agency” who has promised to find Michael’s killer in exchange for her using her skill set for them. Used to reading romances as I am, I fully expected there to be some romance in there and at times forgot that Vigil Annie wasn’t supposed to be a romance so found myself wondering which of the two men in Annie’s life (Joe and Ted) she would end up with. Joe is her new next-door neighbor, a very quiet, meek-seeming man, while Ted was the man who brought her into the Agency after Michael’s death. Annie truly doesn’t want a new romance, but rather revenge, or at least vengeance against the one who killed her fiancé. The bulk of this story, I felt left a bit adrift. There seemed to be relatively little personal conflict for Annie. She’s accepted what she’s doing (though before each Agency assignment, she visits the confessional to get some sort of personal peace from it). She wandered from assignment to assignment, also running her security agency. Toward the last third of the book however, the pace picked up and I honestly couldn’t put this book down. There were multiple deaths (obviously Annie survives, since she’s the heroine), but there were times I was genuinely in doubt about whether she would make it to the end. Annie is a good woman who had to make a choice about how much she wanted to find Michael’s killer. A year into that quest, she’s begun to seriously question how much she wants his killer, because she has her doubts when activities performed for the Agency end up going in unexpected directions. Ms. Fairchild strikes a strong chord, showing Annie’s attempt to balance some of her personal life (she’s cut herself off from her family for the most part, save for her beloved niece) and her need for vengeance. She’s somewhat drawn toward Joe, but doesn’t think she should consider him seriously because of her double life issues. In the end, when Annie unmasks Michael’s killer, I can’t say I was entirely surprised. I’d guessed at the truth behind it, though not all of it, after a particular fact was revealed (sorry, not going to spoil it!), but I felt the door was left wide open for more books about the Agency. There were far too many unanswered questions about the Agency itself. I’m pretty sure it’s still in existence despite the elimination of certain key personnel tightly tied to Annie and the assignments she got from them. I could be wrong, and may well be, but I hope not. I’d like to read more about this Agency which goes and does the jobs the cops can’t. There was nothing really disappointing in this book, not even its conclusion (though it wasn’t a big surprise either when Ms. Fairchild wraps up Annie’s story), but the pace was so slow in the first half of the book, I can’t give this above a 3-star rating. I will definitely keep an eye out for more books by Ms. Fairchild though, and that comes strictly from my enjoyment of the latter portion. Purchase HereTiming is Everything Author: Tamsin Baker Page count: 24 Genre: Erotic BDSM Romance TBR Reviewer: Shannon Rating: 4 Stars - Recommended Read. Heat: 4 - An Erotic Ride. In Timing Is Everything, Tamsin Baker introduces us to Angie and Mark, who are not only co-workers, but friends as well. Angie convinces Mark to take her to a BDSM club so she can experience the lifestyle. Did the visit ruin their friendship and co-worker relationship? Or did it take it to the next level? This story was a short, but fun read. It was fun to watch Angie and Mark together and see how they work around each other. The sex scenes in the book were fantastic and had me on the edge of the seat and fanning myself. The pace seemed a little slow. I immediately fell in love with the characters and couldn't wait for them to get together. If you like BDSM books, this is a sweet story to read to get you in the mood! The short story was easy to read and very enjoyable. I look forward to other books and stories by this author! Purchase HereWhite Chocolate by Lydia Michaels Genre - Romance Length - Novel TBR Reviewer - Daniella Rating: 5 Stars - A Must Read. Heat: 4 - An Erotic Ride. When Kat D´Angelo was seventeen she became pregnant, but her parents who are more concerned with their own social image kicks her out and the father of the baby disappears. For Kat her daughter Mia is the single most important thing in her life. Kat is really on her own, but Kat´s mother decides that despite Kat´s 'scandalous life', a grandchild is important for the family´s image and constantly interferes with and rules Kat´s life by manipulating her daughter. When Kat meets Tyson, her new neighbor she starts a slow journey towards realizing her own worth and that she can and should stand up for herself. I really enjoyed the telling of Kat´s 'coming of age' story. Her growing into an adult started when she had a baby and had to fend for herself, but emotionally she was in many ways in the world of an insecure 17 year-old. In this story Kat is in her early twenties, independent but somehow still stuck under her judging mother´s thumb. She does have a few supporting and loving people around her, and she herself puts her own daughter first. However, when Tyson moves in next door, a new world opens to Kat and she realizes that she may allow to let herself love other people outside her daughter, and that she can trust others with those feelings. Not everyone is going to use them against her like her mother has always done. All the characters were emotionally complex and although Tyson was supposedly the mature one, both he and Kat developed emotionally through the course of the book. I also very much liked the fact that although, there were a lot of bumps in the road for the couple, there wasn´t a lot of angst due to any miscommunications or them not talking to each other. The journey was a struggle, but it ended very happily. I really enjoyed this book, with interesting characters and a good story about the power of love and about personal growth. Purchase Here Title: An unexpected woman Author: Sandi Layne Genre : Romance, Inspirational Length: 156 pages TBR Reviewer: Shyla Rating: 5 Stars - A Must Read! I’m a spiritual person, so this story really resonates with me with on a few levels! I think at times the hardest part about following God, or a higher power if you’d prefer, is keeping the faith when you’re in a valley, and trying not to let your mind toss you into doubts. These characters 'live' their faith in a very real, honest, and non contrived way. It takes a lot of skill to write that. Kudos to Ms. Layne for a job well done here. Writing a warm, engaging , Christian fiction that breaks through the labels is no small task. The heroine, Shelly may be a religious woman, but she’s in no means stereotypical. Working a masculine job, she teaches the hero Mark about tools and fixing things. A turn-about I loved. In my household my mother was Mrs. Fix it, so I could totally relate. Quirky, accident prone, witty, and master at flirting, she’s impossible not to like right away. Her concern that she isn’t suited for Mark is understandable, especially given her past. You intrigued yes? Mark. Sweet Mark. I felt for him. Haven’t we all at one point wondered, if in our life we were meant to be alone? I know I was a late bloomer ( by Mid-west standard) and I had this same mental conversation. When a hurricane is coming you prepare and listen to someone’s whose ridden it out before. Let me zip my lip now before I giveaway too much. Needless to say there was plenty to like about this story. The world Ms. Layne creates is full of fun, fleshed out characters, ever day victories, and a warm setting that makes the lack of heat worthwhile. Even if you aren’t a huge inspirational buff, you’ll enjoy this romance. Author BioHaving been a voracious reader all her life, Sandi never expected to want to write until the idea was presented in a backhanded manner. Once the notion occurred to her, though, she had to dive in the deep end (as is her wont) and began by writing historical fiction. She has since written more than twenty novels—most of which will never see the light of day. Sandi has degrees in English and Ministry, has studied theology, spent years as an educator, has worked in escrow and sundry other careers, but research is her passion. She won an award for Celtic Fiction in 2003, but as well as history, she is also fascinated with contemporary research and has self-published several novels in the Inspirational Romance genre. She has been married for twenty years to a man tolerant enough to let her go giddy when she discovers new words in Old Norse. Her two sons find her amusing and have enjoyed listening to her read aloud—especially when she uses funny voices. A woman of deep faith, she still finds a great deal to laugh at in the small moments of the everyday and hopes that she can help others find these moments, too. Giveaway: The publisher is generously giving away an Ecopy of An Unexpected Woman! The TBR Pile is giving away an Ebook from our prize list. To ENTER: Comment below on why you want to win a copy of An Unexpected Woman!
The Winning Season Author: Alison Packard Genre: Romance Page Count: 369 TBR Reviewer: Jessica Rating: 4 Stars - Recommended Read. Heat: 3 - Blush Worthy. The Winning Season is an angst-filled romance of love and baseball. Matt Scanlon is a professional baseball player who has just been traded to the San Francisco Blaze after a tumultuous year of making headlines with his unexplained erratic behavior. Still bitter about being traded by his beloved Dodgers, Matt also find himself stuck with a reputation of being a loose cannon who parties too much, drinks too much and sleeps with strippers and porn stars. Kelly Maxwell is the head of media relations for the San Francisco Blaze who's job it is to handle publicity for the team, arrange interviews and handle the fallout if and when the players make the news for all the wrong reasons. Kelly and Matt have a history. While brief, they met one night at dinner with mutual friends, and rather than sending sparks flying, these two went head to head flinging nasty insults at each other. Now, almost a year later, Matt has been traded and the two are forced to work side by side while Matt tries to redeem himself and his reputation. Both fighting demons from their pasts, and carrying personal secrets, an unexpected attraction blooms. This book really surprised me. I was pulled into the story from the very first page and could not put it down. The story is jam packed with angst and drama and sexual tension, all must-haves in my opinion. I am so impressed with the author's writing and creativity. The characters are so well developed, each with diverse personalities and histories. I loved the dynamics between Matt and his teammates, both the good and the bad provided such an interesting edge to the story line. Kelly's relationship with her family, her friends, co-workers and her roommate all added so much depth to this story. The icing on this very delicious layered cake was, of course, is the intensity between Kelly and Matt. This story doesn't begin like most other drama filled romance... there's no love loss between these two. The story begins with a genuine dislike and zero attraction between these two. What ends in sexual tension certainly did not begin that way. The story that takes root and grows from that mutual disdain really sets this story apart from others like it. This book has it all... heartbreak, humor, loss, joy, love and hope. It's such an original story. Without having read anything else by this author, I assumed it would be like all the other sports-themed romances I've already read. However, it really broke away from the expected and continually threw curve balls my way. This author knocked it out of the park with this book! Purchase HereGiveaway: The author is giving away an Ecopy of The Winning Season to one lucky winner! The TBR Pile is giving away a Ebook from our prize list to one lucky winner! To ENTER: Comment below on why you want to read The Winning Season.
The Yellow Rope by M.A. Church Genre: M/M romance, BDSM Length: 126 pgs. TBR Reviewer: Amanda Rating: 4 Stars - Recommended Read. Heat: 4 - An Erotic Ride. Luke Walker is working himself to the bone, both as an assistant teacher and helping in his family's restaurant. Gage Holt plans to spend the three-day weekend refreshing Luke's body and spirit, drawing them close to each other again. This was a great story with an established couple spending significant time bonding. Both men seemed to need the extensive, focused time together, and I enjoyed how Gage had all kinds of plans for making sure that Luke ended the weekend rested and relaxed from having fun. The BDSM was actually fairly light, with it being a lot more about Luke agreeing to put himself in Gage's hands, bondage, and some flirting with exhibitionism, but nothing really rough. However, there is also a portion of the story where Gage tells Luke about his past that could be a challenge for some readers, but explains more about his personal boundaries. This is a not a book with a huge crisis or turning point in the story that must be overcome, but instead a look into the life of a pair of lovers. I really enjoyed it and will be looking for more by this author. Purchase HereBehind the Scenes (Director's Cut #1) by Liz Borino and Michelle Stevens Genre: M/M romance, BDSM Length: novel TBR Reviewer: Amanda Rating: 4 Stars - Recommended Read. Heat: 4 - An Erotic Ride. Steve Michaels and Zack Greene are a married couple raising Steve's teenage sister. When the opportunity to write for an HBO series on BDSM called "Behind the Scenes" arises, they move their family from Los Angeles to New York, along with a nanny, Drew, and his two adopted children. Immediately they discover that their consultant, a local BDSM club owner, is also someone that Drew was involved with four years before in Ohio. Drew and Alex quickly fall back into dating, but the past comes back to haunt both couples and test the bonds of their unusual family. I really enjoyed this story, although occasionally the jumps in time annoyed me. It almost seemed like the events should have happened closer together once both Rich and Darren showed up on the scene to cause problems. Because this series spins off from Liz Borino's "Mine" series, the background of what exactly had happened between Rich, Zack and Steve is covered in those books, but I felt like enough details were covered in this book to make it readable even without having read "Mine". I really enjoyed all the main characters, and the teenagers and Laney made for fun moments in the family (especially Laney's cute names that she calls everyone). Drew and Alex showed a lot of growth in their relationship over the course of the book and the glimpses into the established relationship of Steve and Zack as they added more kink to their sex life were pretty hot. Overall, this book seemed much more about choosing your family and being loyal, than just about the hot sex. I really want to read the next book to see where it goes (this one ends with an almost-cliffhanger). Purchase HereKallen's Atonement by Stephani Hecht Genre: paranormal M/M romance Length: 117 pages TBR Reviewer: Amanda Rating: 4 Stars - Recommended Read. Heat: 3 - Blush Worthy. Kallen is a half-Hawk, half-Hyena shifter whose shifted form is hyena. Unfortunately, most of the Shifter Coalition looks down on him for that because the hyenas, along with the ravens are the main villains in the Shifter world. Even though Kallen does a great job as a medic, in his free time he has made few friends, especially since he joined the Coalition after attempting to blackmail his own brother. Drake, a Tiger shifter, has no problem with Kallen's past, but finds it very difficult to get past his walls and get Kallen to agree to give them a shot at a future. The Lost Shifters series continues to amuse me. Although I have not read the few books preceding this one, I was able to catch up enough of the past events to figure out how Kallen and Drake fit in, and of course the romance was contained within the current story. Although the overall war seems to be just an excuse to continue to pair up new shifters, it sets up a background of tension and excitement in which events may happen to drive couples together more quickly. A complete newcomer to the series might be confused, but if you have read any of the stories within this world, then this one will make sense. I especially liked the way that discrimination and bullying were shown to be part of the world and the necessity of overcoming them to find happiness, both for Kallen himself and in order for him to accept Drake's affections and heal the relationship with his brother. Purchase HereThe Virgin Huntress Author: Victoria Vane Page count: 107 Genres: Historical TBR Reviewer: Victoria Rating: 3 Stars - A Good Read. Heat: 3 - Blush Worthy. It's always nice when you get to read multiple books in a series close together, rather than waiting months, so I'm happy to have gotten to read this right on the heels of the first book in the series, A Wild Nights Bride. The Virgin Huntress largely stands on its own, although you get to see characters from the first book (hero, heroine & Devil Devere), and it's definitely building toward (I would assume) the final book in the series which will finally pair Devil and Diana. Heroine Vesta is dismayed when her father goes to town to prepare for her come-out and comes home with a bride, eliminating the chance that her godmother, Diana, would one day become her stepmother (Diana's been watching over Vesta since Vesta's mother died). Unable to stomach staying around her father and new bride, she runs off to London to shop and prepare for her come-out. There, she falls instantly in lust with Hew DeVere when she sees him riding in a parade of fellow soldiers/cavalry officers. When things don't fall into place as she'd like them to, she takes matters into her own hands in pursuit of the man of her dreams. I didn't particularly care for the heroine in this book, Vesta, the daughter of the hero of the first book. She's 18 and there is no way of missing that fact. She's dramatic, whiny, and comes across very spoiled in how she pursues Hew (the hero). When he appears to be forming an attachment to another character, she kidnaps him! Kidnaps him, including drugging him and then pouts and sulks when he doesn't immediately fall into her arms and declare his undying love for her. While it sometimes bothers me how mature 18 y/o heroines are presented as in Regencies, this time the problem was completely the opposite: how immature she was. Hew, on the other hand, comes across as a very mature, sensible, serious man who's been off to war and come home. He's quite honorable and takes the idea of sex and intimacy very seriously. Just how seriously, I will leave to the readers to discover for themselves. Hew is devoted to his brother, Devil, and realizes that if Devil never settles down (which he claims he will never do, thanks to an incident in his past which ruined his view of women forever), he will be providing the next heir to the title. We got to spend a great deal of time with the hero and heroine, but surprisingly little of that time was with the hero and heroine together. Most scenes involved the hero off with someone (usually Devil or Diana) and Vesta off with someone (Diana most of the time). This might have been acceptable/less jarring had this not been a 107 page book. Just at the point Vesta's infatuation infects Hew and they fall in love/lust together, the book is over and they (presumably) live happily ever after. I would have liked to have seen more time with the two characters together learning to know each other/appreciate each other and not just the abrupt transition in Hew from 'Vesta is a pest who kidnapped him, how outrageous' to 'I'm in love with this woman and want to spend my life with her' in the space of just a few pages. Overall, I didn't care for this book quite as much as I did the first one, though I found it a decent enough read. I will definitely keep reading this series in the future and hope to be able to review future books too. Purchase Here |
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