Tag Archives: Book Review

Book Review – Leave the Night On

08 Tuesday Aug 2017

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Woo Hoo!  It’s time to return to Cottonbloom!!!!

*****

Leave The Night On

Cottonbloom #4

by Laura Trentham

Releasing August 1, 2017

St. Martin’s Press

Blurb:

Love, betrayal, and sweet revenge–life in Cottonbloom is about to get a whole lot hotter . . .

Sutton Mize is known for lavishing attention on the customers who flock to her boutique on the wealthy side of her Mississippi town. So when she finds a lace thong in her fiance’s classic cherry-red Camaro, she knows just who she sold it to: her own best friend. In an instant, Sutton’s whole world goes up in flames. . .

Wyatt Abbott has harbored a crush on Sutton since he was a young kid from the other side of the tracks. He witnessed Sutton’s shocking discovery in the Camaro at his family-owned garage–and it made him angry. What kind of man could take lovely, gorgeous Sutton for granted? But then Sutton comes up with an idea: Why not give her betrothed a taste of his own medicine and pretend that she’s got a lover of her own? Wyatt is more than happy to play the hot-and-heavy boyfriend. But what begins as a fictional affair soon develops into something more real, and more passionate, than either Sutton or Wyatt could have imagined. Could it be that true love has been waiting under the hood all along?

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31450643-leave-the-night-on

Goodreads Series Link https://www.goodreads.com/series/178426-cottonbloom

Buy Links:      AMAZON | B & N | GOOGLE | ITUNES | KOBO

*****

Excerpt:

Jackson grabbed Wyatt’s arm and forced him around. “You like her.”

“Everyone likes her. She’s nice.”

“I mean, you like like her. You have since we were kids—I’ve not forgotten how you walked around with cow eyes around her—and that kiss out front wasn’t pretend. You two nearly melted the asphalt.”

Jackson’s twin powers had veered sharply annoying. “I maybe, sort of like her. What’s wrong with that? She’s single; I’m single.”

“She’s been single for less than a week. She’s using you.”

“I’m using her too. In return for me squiring her around, she’s going to get her judge daddy to talk up the garage at the country club. Send some more projects our way to make up for the Camaro.”

“That kiss was all a selfless act for the garage?” Jackson’s sarcasm was not appreciated.

Wyatt had to look away from his brother’s gaze which prompted a muttered curse from Jackson.

“Do not fall for this woman, Wyatt. Whether she means to or not, she’s going to rip your heart into little pieces and feed it to the gators before she goes back to her old life.”

“We’re not getting serious. In fact, we agreed that after I take her to the gala, it’s over.”

Jackson didn’t look pleased with the news. He looked worried. “As long as you don’t delude yourself into thinking it’s anything more than that. She’ll be back with Tarwater or someone like him by Christmas.”

Because the thought had already burrowed into his chest, Wyatt’s reaction was knee-jerk and defensive. “Someone like him?”

“You know, sophisticated. Worldly. Rich. Well-connected. Well-groomed.”

“Eff you,” Wyatt shot back, but there was little heat to it.

Jackson was right. “I’ve been told I clean up real nice.”

Jackson’s smile revealed his dimples. A rare sight since their pop had died last year. “Doesn’t count if it’s from a female relative over the age of sixty.”

*****

Review:

I’ve seen a few reviews where people have had a problem with Sutton – I think they feel like she didn’t put as much effort in or that she took advantage of Wyatt.  But relationships aren’t always even.  Sometimes you are having a bad time of it, like Sutton, and need the support.  Wyatt does a fantastic job of being there for her, even when it’s not easy for him, and helping her find her mojo.

You get the feeling she’s never really had anyone push her or challenger her to be the person she wants to be.  Instead she’s just done the expected thing and floated through life.  With the discovery of being cheated on, not just by her fiancé but her best friend, things are turned upside down.  Luckily Wyatt is there to catch her and help her find her place.  He’s just hoping it will be by his side …

Wyatt comfortable in his own skin and has a good idea of who he is.  It’s his family that has a bit of the drama going on.  Ever since his dad died things haven’t been easy for the brothers and it seems to be getting worse.  Having Sutton ask him to be her fake boyfriend, something that he wouldn’t mind making real, is a good diversion from the more difficult things at home.

It’s those problems at home that you know will turn into some great future stories  🙂  The closeness among Wyatt’s brothers (or at least most of the brothers) is heart-warming but also got me very curious about what things they are hiding from each other.  Trentham yet again creates an interesting group of people with a lot of potential.

If you love small town charm, quirky characters, and touching love stories, Trentham’s Cottonbloom series is a must read – she is definitely making a name for herself as a go-to author of southern contemporary romances.   While this is part of a bigger series, Leave the Night On is the start of a new subsection and can easily stand on its own so those that are new to this little divided town definitely have a great place to start.  And it means that you are all set to enjoy all the delicious goodness that the Abbott brothers are sure to bring!  (But don’t blame me if you find yourself adding a whole lot of her backlist to your TBR pile  🙂 )

BTW, for those that worry about the apparent one-sidedness of their relationship, the epilogue does a good job of showing exactly how well Sutton gets Wyatt.

*****

Author Info:

An award-winning author, Laura Trentham was born and raised in a small town in Tennessee. Although, she loved English and reading in high school, she was convinced an English degree equated to starvation. She chose the next most logical major—Chemical Engineering—and worked in a hard hat and steel toed boots for several years.

She writes sexy, small town contemporaries and smoking hot Regency historicals. The first two books of her Falcon Football series were named Top Picks by RT Book Reviews magazine. Then He Kissed Me, a Cottonbloom novel, was named as one of Amazon’s best romances of 2016. When not lost in a cozy Southern town or Regency England, she’s shuttling kids to soccer, helping with homework, and avoiding the Mt. Everest-sized pile of laundry that is almost as large as the to-be-read pile of books on her nightstand.

Author Links:   WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

*****

Giveaway:

Win signed copies of the Cottonbloom series with bookmarks, bath bombs, scented soaps, and a beach ready bag.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/746772681/?

*****

Click the banner below to check out the rest of the tour

Book Review – The Last Good Cowboy

07 Monday Aug 2017

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The Last Good Cowboy

Morgan Ranch series

by Kate Pearce

The Morgan ranch has seen its share of bad times. But as the four Morgan brothers are drawn back to their childhood home, the nightmares of their past give way to the promise of a new beginning…

Ry Morgan has always had a thing for Avery Hayes—one more hope his twin wrecked for him, pretending to be Ry to kiss her at the high school prom. Eight years later, Ry has had enough: he’s quitting the pro rodeo circuit, moving home to California to mend fences, and letting his brother clean up his own messes for a change. Reclaiming Avery’s stolen kiss is at the top of his agenda…

But Avery has changed. Her rodeo career ended with a fall that left her lucky to be alive, let alone walking. She hasn’t been on a horse since, and between surgeries and fighting off everybody’s pity she hasn’t done much else either. Ry is strong, confident, and sexy as hell—exactly what she thought she wanted at seventeen. Now, she’ll have to protect the safe space she’s made for herself—or risk it all for a dream she thought would never come again…

This is the third in the series but my first.  And while I got a great feel for Ry and Avery’s romance I do wonder about what I missed.  I know that there is some history with Ry’s mother, as it comes into play here and is obviously not new, but I’m not sure if the twin’s relationship was developed any in the other stories.  There are definitely all sorts of undercurrents and issues that come up.  Plus there are some obvious bits of drama with the dad and something happened with one of the brother’s having a daughter, but they aren’t truly critical to this story.

Ry is done following his brother around and he’s ready to return home because the life that they’ve been leading isn’t making him happy.  There’s an even bigger positive side to it – being home puts him back in the sphere with his high school crush.

Avery’s life has changed since Ry went away.  An accident took away her rodeo career but she didn’t let it keep her down.  Unfortunately those around her still tend to baby her and she’s tired of it.  A chance to plan a wedding at the Morgan ranch gives her that chance to get out on her own … but it also puts her near Ry.  And while she had a crush on him too, she’s not that confident girl anymore.  I loved seeing Ry work at proving to Avery that she’s even stronger than she thinks she is.  He’s got such understanding of what she needs and how to support her.  If she’ll let him  🙂

The Morgan family drama is a pretty big piece of the story and provides motivation for a lot of what Ry does.  Once we get all of the details it is pretty heartbreaking but definitely something that the boys all need to face.  There is a tiny bit of a cliffhanger at the end, setting up to where the next book will go, but there is a happy ending for Ry and Avery.

Book Review – The Last in Love

02 Wednesday Aug 2017

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The Last in Love

Ardent Springs, Book 5

by Terri Osburn

Abby Williams lost her husband—and the future she envisioned—to a roadside bomb in a foreign land, so a kitchen fire is no big deal. When the local firemen show up to put out the blaze, the army widow finds herself attracted to one hot volunteer firefighter…until she realizes it’s Justin Donovan, a man five years her junior.

Justin has long carried a torch for Abby. But after she got married ten years ago, he put her out of his mind, left Ardent Springs for Chicago, and got a job as a real estate developer. Now he’s back—for reasons he’d rather not share—and he wants to prove to Abby that age is nothing but a number. Will Abby’s reluctance and Justin’s secrets extinguish any attempts at romance? Or will the sparks between them ignite a second chance at love?

Abby is having a little bit of a life crisis.  She’s feeling a little lost after the death of her husband and while she’s happy for her friends it is hard to see them happy with their lives when she’s … well, not.  Accidentally setting fire to her kitchen introduces her to a very sexy fireman – unfortunately he was someone she babysat for as a teen.  While she may be attracted to him, it’s hard for her to see past their age different.  But that definitely isn’t going to slow him down!

Justin’s pursuit of Abby is a ton of fun and, while I really liked the two of them together, but the man really needs to learn that keeping secrets is going to bite you in the butt every time  🙂  Osburn makes sure that you understand why he feels like he needs to do the things he does, but as an observer you know that he is going to crash and burn.  It’s a fun journey, though, and they manage to figure things out quickly enough.

With a deft hand at delivering realistic situations involving characters you are drawn to, Osburn is one of the best at small-town contemporary romances.

(Part of a series but easily stands on its own.)

Book Review – Under Fire

01 Tuesday Aug 2017

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2-time RITA nominee Scarlett Cole’s UNDER FIRE pairs a hot Navy SEAL with a medical researcher who finds herself in too deep. Can Sixten Rapp take the heat and Dr. Louisa North handle the flames? Fans of Laura Kaye’s HARD INK series and Julie Ann Walker’s BLACK KNIGHTS INC. series will devour Cole’s hot military hero in this opposites attract, romantic suspense.

We are excited to celebrate the release of UNDER FIRE, Scarlett Cole’s new romantic suspense! Follow the tour and enter to win a brand new Kindle Fire 7!

*****

Under Fire

Lover Over Duty series

by Scarlett Cole

Blurb:

HE CAN TAKE THE HEAT.

Hot, hard-bodied Sixten Rapp is a former SEAL who’s raring to begin his brand-new civilian life. He and his Navy “brothers” start a security firm that offers the kind of services only a team of military-trained professionals can provide. But nothing prepared Six for his new client: an innocent woman on a mission to improve thousands of lives. . . unless someone takes hers first. 

CAN SHE HANDLE THE FLAMES?

Dr. Louisa North knows time is against her as she tries to create a “miracle” medical treatment for a disease with no known cure, until she creates a sample so powerful that the wrong people want to use it as a chemical weapon. At first, Six is unwilling to accept Louisa as his client. But soon he realizes that the danger is real and that there’s much more to this plain-Jane scientist…including a burning passion between them that neither of them can resist. And now that an enemy is on Louisa’s trail, Six will do whatever it takes to protect her―or die trying.

Buy Now:  Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N | Chapters Indigo | iBooks

Praise for UNDER FIRE…

“Fantastic characters, scorching sexual tension, and non-stop action make this one of my favorite reads this year! Highly recommend!” —New York Times bestselling author Laura Kaye

“Scarlett Cole’s characters pull you in from the very first page with real emotion and sizzling chemistry. Don’t miss this action packed thrill ride.”—Cherry Adair, New York Times bestselling author

“Non-stop action and heart-pounding romance…a must-read for romantic suspense fans!” —Cynthia Eden, New York Times and USA Today best-selling author

“Cole has done a wonderful job of giving her characters depth and unique personality traits. She has a way of drawing a reader into a story with interesting descriptions, and the sizzling-hot romance is a huge draw. This series looks to be a good one that readers will anxiously want to get their hands on.” —RT Book Reviews

*****

Excerpt:

Six looked tortured. Common sense was telling her that it was best to just go back to her room and let him work through it, which totally lined up with her usual MO of avoiding, well, life. But for once she held her ground. “Okay, first please quit the martyr act. We are grown-ups who had consensual sex. I’m sure you’ve done that before, so don’t start getting weird just because it was me. Second, I’ll look at you any way I damn well please. You didn’t care how I looked at you when I was riding . . . well . . . you know,” she said, gesturing toward his shorts. “Third. If the only difference between you tugging at the corner of this towel to do something . . . urgh . . . hot, or sexual, or something and you walking out of the bathroom without kissing me good morning is the fact that I gave your company a check, I’ll cancel it. I’d rather pay you to help me, but I’m sure I can find somebody else if it’s the difference between us doing this or not.” Her knees were shaking and her voice was loud enough that she suddenly realized if any of Six’s team were still in the house, they’d likely heard her stumbled words. She felt pink spread to her cheeks.

She stepped toward the bathroom door, feeling like she was going to pass out before she made it to her own room. Her heart was pounding, and her head was spinning.

“Lou,” Six said quietly, his hand looping her wrist. “You like your lists? Fine. I’ll give you mine. First, I’m not being a martyr. We can’t build a reputation as a professional firm if I hook up with one of our first clients. Professionally, you must see how weird that looks, no matter how badly I want to. And what kind of message does it send to the guys who work for me? And yes. I have had sex before, lots of it, but what we did was much more than that. So please, for both our sakes, don’t minimize it. Just because I shouldn’t have done it doesn’t mean it wasn’t perfect. And for the record, how you looked riding my cock—and yes, you can say that word because, as you mentioned, we’re both grown-ups—was burned into my memory. And third, if it was as simple as just giving into this, you’d have been out of that towel and up on the counter with my face between your legs before you could cry out my name. It’s just . . . Shit, Lou. I’m trying to figure out what the right thing to do here is, and my duty wins out every time.”

*****

Review:

I loved Louisa – she was awkwardly nerdy without being over the top.  She has an issue with being around people and is super smart, but she was raised by loving parents and has learned how to overcome it to lead a somewhat good life.  It isn’t a typical one but she makes it work for her.  Then she meets Six.

Six is your typical bad-*ss SEAL.  He’s strong of body and mind, honed by years of training and missions, but he’s also smart and intuitive.  He never expected to be as affected by Louisa as he is – the little scientist does something to her that he can’t explain.  And when she finds herself in trouble he jumps at the chance to be near her.

Louisa and Six are a great complement to each other.  She has him thinking of settling down and dedicating himself to one person, while he helps her address her fears.  Unfortunately once she’s officially a client, it’s hands-off … something they find quite difficult to do  🙂

Cole does an amazing job of creating a suspense element that not only makes sense and keeps you on the edge of your seat, but works well with the emotional and romantic side of the story.  It brings mystery and danger to a story that already had me hooked by the characters and emotions.  I can’t wait to see what awesome things she has in store for Six’s teammates!

*****

Author Info:

The tattoo across my right hip says it all really. A Life Less Ordinary. Inked by the amazingly talented Luke Wessman at the Wooster Street Social Club (a.k.a. New York Ink). Why is it important? Well, it sums up my view on life. That we should all aspire to live a life that is less boring, less predictable. Be bold, and do something amazing. I’ve made some crazy choices. I’ve been a car maker, a consultant, and even a senior executive at a large retailer running strategy. Born in England, spent time in the U.S. and Japan, before ending up in Canada were I met my own, personal hero – all six and a half feet of him. Both of us are scorpios! Yeah, I know! Should have checked the astrological signs earlier, but somehow it works for us. We have two amazing kids, who I either could never part with or could easily be convinced to sell on e-bay.

I’ve wanted to be a writer for a really long time. Check through my office cupboards or my computer and you’ll find half written stories and character descriptions everywhere. Now I’m getting the chance to follow that dream.

Connect with Scarlett: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

*****

Giveaway:

Enter to win a Kindle Fire 7!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b050ef29391/?

*****

Book Review – Blue Hollow Falls

31 Monday Jul 2017

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Blue Hollow Falls

Blue Hollow Falls #1

by Donna Kauffman

From her free-spirited mother, Sunny Goodwin learned the value of peace, love, and Jerry Garcia. The inheritance from the father she never knew? That’s a little more complicated…

Sunny never expected to find herself owning a centuries old silk mill in the shadow of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains . . . or becoming a half-sister to a ten-year-old named Bailey. Once the shock subsides, she plans to cash in and head back home. But the overgrown greenhouse she finds on the property calls out to the gardener in her, and she senses Bailey’s need for nurturing too…

And someone else is making it hard for Sunny to leave: Sawyer Hartwell, an Iraq War hero who wants to make the old mill a creative hub for the artisans of Blue Hollow Falls . . . and wants Sunny to share his vision, and his life. But sexy as this ex-soldier may be, she’s not sure she’s ready to give love a chance…

Kauffman’s newest is just as much women’s fiction as it is romance, which works so-very-well.  While Sunny and Sawyer dance around their attraction, there is an entire group of adorable characters who are finding their way in a new family dynamic.

Shortly after losing her mother and finding herself pretty much alone in the world, Sunny discovers that she actually has a family and inherited a share of an old silk mill.  She’s spent most of her life being a care-giver to her mother and now she’s finally (and guiltily) exploring her freedom.  With the addition of siblings and assorted non-blood family, though, she’s got to decide whether she’s ready to get involved again.

Sawyer may find himself drawn to Sunny but she’s dealing with so much and her life is a few hours away.  Getting involved can only lead to complications … but he’s finding her hard to resist.

As appealing as these two are, though, it’s the secondary characters that tend to steal the show.  I love seeing Bailey, Sunny’s half-sister, reveal her too cute middle-aged woman in a little girl’s body personality.  And it’s obvious that both Sawyer’s and Sunny’s delightful best friends are due for their own story (not sure yet if it is together or separate).

As the start of a new series there is a good amount of description and quite a few characters introduced, which may be a bit much for some.  But those who enjoy stories with small-town romances and family-dynamics will appreciate the world that Kauffman creates and look forward to what comes next.

Book Review – Lucky Charmed

28 Friday Jul 2017

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Love second chance romances?  Maybe small town romances?  Or how about bad boys?  Well, Sharla Lovelace’s newest delivers it all!

*****

Lucky Charmed

Charmed in Texas #2

by Sharla Lovelace

Releasing July 18, 2017

Lyrical Shine

Blurb:

Carmen Frost hates honey. And bees. And in her hometown of Charmed, Texas, which practically invented the stuff, that’s a problem. The good news is that the summer Honey Festival is finally over. Even better, so is the annual Lucky Hart carnival, a road show that made off with her dreams years ago—including the boy she loved. Now she’s got a divorce behind her, and a successful law career in front of her, but in a tiny town, big memories die hard. Or they don’t die at all—as Carmen discovers when she runs into an all too familiar pair of eyes—older, wiser, and just as heart-melting as ever . . .

Sully Hart has had enough of the nomad lifestyle. Travelling with his father’s carnival gave him adventures, but it cost him much more. Now he’s home to stay, contracted to create an entertainment complex in Charmed. He wants roots, a house with a yard and all the mundane pleasures that go with it. But the girl he loved has become a woman who still wants freedom. Can she still want him? It seems he and Carmen are at each other’s throats one minute—and on each other’s lips the next. Someone’s gotta give . . .

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33223884-lucky-charmed

Goodreads Series Link https://www.goodreads.com/series/196993-charmed-in-texas

Buy Links:      AMAZON | B & N | GOOGLE | ITUNES | KOBO

*****

Excerpt:

I lifted my chin, and refused to look away. No matter what was liquefying in my chest as his gaze burned through me. No matter what images flashed like a movie reel in my head. I wouldn’t give him that satisfaction.

“Good for you,” I said, placing the package back on the shelf. I needed them more than ever but I would not need them in front of him. “Welcome back to Charmed.”

I made to walk around him, but the heat from his hand on my arm stopped me.

“Carmen, wait.”

His voice was like hot honey over my body.

I hate honey.

I was proud of myself. My acting ability to not suck my tongue down my throat, or choke on my own spit, or jerk my arm free like I’d been bitten by a rabid squirrel—was Oscar-worthy. Instead, I patted his hand and smiled up at him, slowly stepping to the side until his fingers slid free.

“We’re grown-ups now, Sully,” I said, wondering where the hell the words were coming from. “It’s all good. Have a great day.”

And I walked away. And out. And to my car. The pains stabbing through my middle stealing my breath. Damn grateful for nothing else in my hand because being chased down for shoplifting cookies while in a blind haze of what-the-fuckery would have been the final icing on a messed up cake.

Fumbling for my keys, I hit the button and got in as quickly as possible. I had to leave. Now. Before he came out. Before I could see what he was driving and then obsess over every other that vehicle I saw in every other parking lot in Charmed. Before I could succumb to the temptation of watching to see where he went. Where he lived, what his home looked like.

“Leave,” I whispered, my voice sounding vaguely desperate. I felt the burn behind my eyes and I shook my head and tilted my head back. “No. You will not cry, damn it.”

I blinked at the roof. I was thirty-three. Eighteen was a long time ago. Suck it up, Carmen.

I took a deep breath and faced forward, just in time to see him walk out of the store. He’d slid the sunglasses down over his eyes, causing a stray lock of dark hair to fall next to his face. He was probably twenty-five feet away, and I could feel that strand of hair on my fingertips.

Without another look, I pulled out and drove away.

*****

Review:

Carmen has always had a bit of itchy feet and thanks to the gossipy nature of small towns she’s feeling it even more now.  And that was before she found out that her carny ex was moving to Charmed!  She’s always hated being talked about and this is just making things even worse.  It’s bad enough that the man shattered her heart, now he’s destroying what peace she has.

Like the first book in the series, Lucky Charmed is told entirely from the heroine’s POV … and I really think that we missed out on some feels because of it.  Sully didn’t have the easiest life growing up and, along with the problems of a nomadic life, there has been a lot of family trouble causing him stress.  And while we get a pretty good feel for where he’s coming from thanks to his conversations with Carmen, I really wish we’d gotten to see more of what was going on in his mind and heart.

Lovelace does a great job of blending angst. humor, sizzle and emotion all together to deliver a satisfying read where Sully and Carmen not only get a second chance at love but also the closure of their past, with a healthy look at their future, that they desperately need.

(Part of a series but can easily stand on its own.)

*****

Author Info:

Sharla Lovelace is the bestselling, award-winning author of sexy small-town love stories. Being a Texas girl through and through, she’s proud to say she lives in Southeast Texas with her retired husband, a tricked-out golf cart, and two crazy dogs. She is the author of five stand-alone novels including the bestselling Don’t Let Go, the exciting Heart Of The Storm series, and the fun and sexy new Charmed in Texas series. For more about Sharla’s books, visit her website, and keep up with all her new book releases easily by subscribing to her newsletter. She loves keeping up with her readers, and you can connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Author Links:   WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

*****

Giveaway:

a digital copy of the first book in the series, A CHARMED LITTLE LIE, and a $10 gift card from Amazon or B&N (winner’s choice)

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/521ac4c81342/

*****

Click the banner below to check out the rest of the tour

Book Review – Hearts at Seaside

27 Thursday Jul 2017

Posted by in Blog Tour, Book Review, Contest, Sneak Peek

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Addison Cole continues delivery sweet and fun reads perfect for the pool, park or beach!

*****

Hearts at Seaside

Seaside Summers: Sweet with Heat #3

by Addison Cole

Releasing July 19, 2017

World Literary Press

Blurb:

Jenna Ward is vivacious, spontaneous, and confident—except when she’s around the man who stole her heart years earlier, strikingly handsome, quiet, and reliable Pete Lacroux. After years of trying to get his attention and overwhelmed from dealing with her mother’s new cougar lifestyle, Jenna’s giving up on Peter—and is ready to explore other men.

As the eldest of five siblings, with an alcoholic father to care for, boat craftsman Pete Lacroux always does the right thing and has no time for a real relationship. He’s looking forward to seeing his friend Jenna, a welcome distraction who’s so sexy and painfully shy that she equally entertains and confuses him.

When Jenna picks up a hard-bodied construction worker, jealousy ignites Pete’s true feelings, and he’s unable to ignore the desires for Jenna he never realized he had. But Pete’s not the quiet guy he appears to be, and his life is anything but conducive to a relationship. Can Jenna handle the real Pete Lacroux—the most alpha male she’s ever seen—or will she crack under pressure? And can Pete reclaim the life he once had without tearing apart his family?

Hearts at Seaside is the sweet edition of the steamy romance novel Seaside Hearts by Melissa Foster

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34993146-hearts-at-seaside

Goodreads Series Link https://www.goodreads.com/series/203990-sweet-with-heat-seaside-summers

Buy Links:   AMAZON | B & N | GOOGLE | ITUNES | KOBO

*****

Excerpt:

“This doesn’t feel like a first date, Jenna. It feels like you’ve been with me all my life.”

“If I’d been with you all your life, your closet would be organized.”

He glanced into his closet, which was neat and orderly, but not color coordinated, and the thought that her mind had gone there so soon made him laugh.

“You have a point.” He lowered his forehead to hers. “I’m serious, though. All these years we’ve known each other, and this. You being here with me. It feels so right.” He kissed her cheek and loved the way she closed her eyes the second his lips touched her skin, like she was savoring his touch.

“In my heart I was with you all these years; you just never noticed.”

*****

Review:

This one almost felt like it had two sections – the first part of the book is spent with Pete & Jenna dancing around each other with quite a few misunderstandings.  They’ve been doing this for a while because both have had feelings for the other but Jenna always freezes up and loses her mojo near Pete which means he isn’t sure what she feels for him.

Once things come to a head though Pete can’t let it go any longer and decides to make a move … and it’s almost a comedy of errors from there 🙂  It both frustrates and entertains me, which is an indication of how good of a writer Cole is.  I’ve DNF’d quite a few books that just frustrated me with this kind of push/pull but here it really works.  It’s believable for them to get themselves into these situations and Cole does a great job of getting them back around to where they should be.

Once they get together it becomes a bit more of a woman’s fiction kind of thing.  There really isn’t a lot of drama about the couple themselves and move smoothly into being together.  Instead they each have some family issues they need to address – Pete has an alcoholic father who isn’t willing to own up to his issues and Jenna’s mom is having problems adjusting to her status as a divorcee.  But together they are better able to handle their problems, with support and insight for the other.  It adds such a wonderfully real feeling to their story and makes them even more human.

*****

Author Info:

Addison Cole is the sweet alter ego of New York Times and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Melissa Foster. She writes humorous and emotional sweet contemporary romance. Her books do not include explicit sex scenes or harsh language.

Addison spends her summers on Cape Cod, where she dreams up wonderful love stories in her house overlooking Cape Cod Bay.

Visit Addison on her website or chat with her on social media. Addison enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups and welcomes an invitation to your event.

Addison’s books are available through most online retailers in paperback, digital, and audio formats.

Author Links:   WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

*****

Giveaway:

Two Digital copies of DREAMING AT SEASIDE (Book2)

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/521ac4c81343/

*****

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Book Review – Falling for the Hometown Girl

26 Wednesday Jul 2017

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Falling for the Hometown Girl

Marshall Ranch, Book 2

by Shelli Stevens

Katie Marshall is known for her ‘girl next door’ reputation and for always playing it safe. So, when she books a bachelor party from Seattle at the Marshall Ranch, she isn’t sure what to expect until trouble strolls in–Hunter Richardson, local bad boy turned successful software tycoon…and Katie’s job gets a lot more interesting.

Hunter has always struggled to find his place in Marietta. Now, somewhat reluctantly, he’s back in his hometown and not looking forward to a week on a cattle ranch… but that all changes when he sees Katie, the girl he could never forget from high school. A girl he shouldn’t want anything to do with. Soon, he realizes he wants much more from her than just a guided tour of the Montana landscape.

Hunter’s plan had been to get through the week, before returning to Seattle and his million dollar gaming company. Instead, he finds himself falling for the hometown girl…

The high school crush all grown up plot made me very happy.  Even though Hunter and Katie didn’t know each other very well then there was something between them and when they meet again as adults it develops into something a bit … well, more  🙂

Hunter hasn’t been home in a long time – his childhood isn’t exactly something he wants to revisit.  He didn’t really fit into the small Montana community growing up and really couldn’t wait to get out.  But, given the chance, he finds it hard to pass up the chance to see Katie again.  He may be an adult but there is still a part of him that is still that boy.

Katie tried living away from home but it wasn’t for her and Marietta is where she belongs.  When an old face appears again, spending a week at her ranch, the attraction proves impossible to ignore.  She knows he’s leaving but she can’t resist the geeky, sexy man who is a genius with computers and looks oh-so-good in boots & a hat.

Time spent with Katie at the Marshall ranch gives Hunter a chance to look at his past with adult eyes and decide what will really make him happy.

(I haven’t read the first book in this series (surprise!) but I don’t know that it really mattered.  There may have been a bit more development of the sibling relationship and how they’ve dealt with their father’s death but I felt that Stevens does a good job of giving her readers a complete and satisfying stand-alone story.)

Book Review – Suddenly Engaged

24 Monday Jul 2017

Posted by in Blog Tour, Book Review, Contest, Sneak Peek

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Time to meet the sexiest Grump to ever grump!

*****

Suddenly Engaged

Lake Haven #3

by Julia London

Releasing July 25, 2017

Montlake Romance

Blurb:

Single mother Kyra Kokinos spends her days waiting tables, her nights working on her real estate license, and every spare moment with her precocious six-year-old daughter, Ruby—especially when Ruby won’t stop pestering their grumpy next-door neighbor. At first glance, Dax Bishop seems like the kind of gruff, solitary guy who’d be unlikely to offer a cup of sugar, let alone a marriage proposal. But that’s exactly what happens when Ruby needs life-saving surgery.

Dax showed up in East Beach a year ago, fresh from a painful divorce and looking for a place where he could make furniture and avoid people. Suddenly his life is invaded by an inquisitive munchkin in sparkly cowboy boots—and her frazzled, too-tempting mother. So he presents a practical plan: his insurance will help Ruby, and then they can divorce—zero strings attached.

But soon Kyra and Dax find their engagement of convenience is simple in name only. As their attraction deepens, a figure from the past reappears, offering a way out. Can Kyra and Dax let go so easily—or has love become a preexisting condition?

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33223928-suddenly-engaged

Goodreads Series Link https://www.goodreads.com/series/161030-lake-haven

Buy Links:      AMAZON | B & N

*****

Excerpt:

Chapter One

Seven years later

July

Leave it to a female to think the rules did not apply to her.

The little heathen from next door was crawling under the split-rail fence that separated the cottages again. Dax, who already had been feeling pretty damn grumpy going on a year now, wondered why she didn’t just go over the fence. She was big enough. It was almost as if she wanted the mud on her dress and her knees, to drag the ends of her dark red ponytails through the muck.

She crawled under, stood up, and knocked the caked mud off her knees. She stomped her pink, sparkly cowboy boots—never had he seen a more impractical shoe—to make them light up, as she liked to do, hopping around her porch several times a day.

Then she started for cottage Number Two, arms swinging, stride long.

Dax watched her from inside his kitchen, annoyed. It had started a week ago, when she’d climbed on the bottom railing of the fence, leaned over it, and shouted, “I like your dog!”

He’d ignored her.

Two days ago he’d asked her, fairly politely, not to give any more cheese to his dog, Otto. That little stunt of hers had resulted in a very long and malodorous night between man and beast.

Yesterday he’d commanded her to stay on her side of the fence.

But here the little monster came, apparently neither impressed with him nor intimidated by his warnings.

Well, Dax had had enough with that family, or whatever the situation was next door. And the enormous pickup truck that showed up at seven a.m. and idled in the drive just outside his bedroom window. Those people were exactly what was wrong with America—people doing whatever they wanted without regard for anyone else, letting their kids run wild, coming and going at all hours of the day.

He walked to the back screen door and opened it. He’d installed a dog door, but Otto refused to use it. No, Otto was a precious buttercup of a dog that liked to have his doors opened for him, and he assumed that anytime his master neared the door, Dax was opening it for him. He assumed so now, stepping in front of Dax—pausing to stretch after his snoring nap—before sauntering out and down the back porch steps to sniff something at the bottom.

Dax walked out onto the porch and stood with his hands on his hips as the girl brazenly advanced.

“Hi!” she said.

She was about to learn that she couldn’t make a little girl’s social call whenever she wanted. There were rules in this world, and Dax had no compunction about teaching them to her. Clearly someone needed to. He responded to her greeting with a glower.

“Hi!” she said again, shouting this time, as if he hadn’t heard her from the tremendous distance of about six feet.

“What’d I tell you yesterday?” he asked.

“To stay on the other side of the fence.”

“Then why are you over here?”

“I forgot.” She rocked back on her heels and balanced on them, toes up. “Do you live there?”

“No, I just stand on the porch and guard the fence. Yes, I live here. And I work here. And I don’t want visitors. Now go home.”

“My name is Ruby Kokinos. What’s yours?”

What was wrong with this kid? “Where is your mother?”

“At work.”

“Then is your dad home?”

“My daddy is in Africa. He teaches cats to do tricks,” she said, pausing to twirl around on one heel. “Big cats, not little cats. They have really big cats in Africa.”

“Whatever,” he said impatiently. “Who is home with you right now?”

“Mrs. Miller. She’s watching TV. She said I could go outside.”

Great. A babysitter. “Go home,” he said, pointing to Number Three as Otto wandered over to examine Ruby Coconuts, or whatever her name was. “Go home and tell Mrs. Miller that you’re not allowed to come over or under that fence. Do you understand me?”

“What’s your dog’s name?” she asked, petting that lazy, useless mutt.

“Did you hear me?” Dax asked.

“Yes.” She giggled as Otto began to lick her hand, and went down on her knees to hug him. “I always always wanted a dog, but Mommy says I can’t have one now. Maybe when I’m big.” She stroked Otto’s nose, and the dog sat, settling in for some attention.

“Don’t pet the dog,” Dax said. “I just told you to go home. What else did I tell you to do?”

“To, um, to tell Mrs. Miller to stay over there,” she said, as she continued to pet the dog. “What’s her name?”

“It’s a he, and his name is Otto. And I told you to tell Mrs. Miller that you are supposed to stay over there. Now go on.”

She stopped petting the dog, and Otto, not ready for the gravy train of attention to end, began to lick her face. Ruby giggled with delight. Otto licked harder, like she’d been handling red meat. Frankly, it wouldn’t surprise Dax if she had—the kid seemed like the type to be into everything. She was laughing uncontrollably now and fell onto her back. Otto straddled her, his tail wagging as hard as her feet were kicking, trying to lick her while she tried to hold him off.

Nope, this was not going to happen. Those two useless beings were not making friends. Dax marched down off the porch and grabbed Otto’s collar, shoving him out of the way. “Go,” he said to the dog, pointing to his cottage. Otto obediently lumbered away.

Dax turned his attention to the girl with the fantastically dark red hair in two uneven pigtails and, now that he was close to her, he could see her clear blue eyes through the round lenses of her blue plastic eyeglasses, which were strapped to her face with a headband. She looked like a very young little old lady. “Listen to me, kid. I don’t want you over here. I work here. Serious work. I can’t be entertaining little girls.”

She hopped to her feet. “What’s your name?”

Dax sighed. “If I tell you my name, will you go home?”

She nodded, her, long pigtails bouncing around her.

“Dax.”

She stared at him.

“That’s my name,” he said with a shrug.

Ruby giggled and began to sway side to side. “That’s not a real name!”

“It’s as real as Ruby Coconuts.”

“Not Coconuts!” She squealed with delight. “It’s Ruby Kokinos.”

“Yeah, okay, but I’m pretty sure you said Coconuts. Now go home.”

“How old are you?”

“I’m a lot older than you,” he said and put his hands on her shoulders, turning her around.

“I’m going to be seven on my birthday. I want a Barbie for my birthday. I already have four. I want the one that has the car. The pink car with flowers on it. There’s a blue car, but I don’t want that one, I want the pink one, because it has flowers on it. Oh, and guess what, I don’t want a Jasmine anymore. That’s my favorite princess, but I don’t want her anymore, I want a Barbie like Taleesha has.”

“Great. Good luck with that,” he said as he moved her toward the fence.

“My shoes light up,” she informed him, stomping her feet as they moved. “My mom says they’re fancy. They’re my favorites. I have some sneakers, too, but they don’t light up.”

They had reached the fence, thank God, before the girl could give him a rundown of her entire shoe collection. Ruby dipped down, apparently thinking she’d go under again, but Dax caught her under her arms and swung her over the fence, depositing her on the other side.

Ruby laughed with delight. “Do that again!”

“No. This is where our acquaintance comes to an end, kid. I don’t have time to babysit you, get it?”

“Yes,” she said.

She didn’t get it. She wasn’t even listening. She had already climbed onto the bottom rail, as if she meant to come back over.

“I mean it,” he said, pointing at her. “If I find you on my side of the fence, I’m going to call the police.” He figured that ought to put the fear of God into her.

“The policemans are our friends,” she said sunnily. “A policeman and a police woman came to my kindergarten. But they never shot any peoples.”

Dax had a brief but potent urge to correct her understanding of how plurals worked, but he didn’t. He turned around and marched back to his cottage.

He didn’t even want to look out the kitchen window when he went inside, because if she’d come back over the fence, he would lose it.

He’d known that family was going to be trouble the moment they’d arrived a few days ago. They’d cost him a table leg he’d been working on, because they’d slammed a door so loudly and unexpectedly that Dax had started, and the permanent marker he was using to outline a very intricate pattern on said table leg had gone dashing off in a thick, black, indelible line down the leg. He’d had to sand the leg down and start again.

Naturally, he’d gone to investigate the source of the banging, and he’d seen a woman with a backpack strapped to her leaning into the open hatch area of a banged-up Subaru. She’d pulled out a box, hoisted it into her arms with the help of her knee, then had lugged it up the path and porch steps to Number Three. She’d been wearing short shorts, a T-shirt, and a ball cap. Dax hadn’t seen her face, but he’d seen her legs, which were nice and long and shapely, and a mess of dark hair about the same color as wrought iron, tangled up in the back of the cap. She’d managed to open the door, and then had gone in, letting the door bang behind her.

Neighbors. Dax was not a fan.

*****

Review:

I have to agree with a review I saw on Goodreads – the title and blurb are a little misleading to what actually happens in the book.  It suggests that the main part of the book is related to their engagmet of convenience but that really doesn’t happen until the last part of the book and the two have already started to develop a relationship.  It doesn’t take away from the book but may disappoint some with what they think they are getting.  If you go into it with that in mind, though, it is really enjoyable.

Kyra made a mistake in falling quickly for a guy at a destination wedding only to realize he was not who she thought he was.  It hasn’t been easy but she’s trying to give a good life to her daughter and working for a better future.  Ruby is quite the handful, though, and quickly takes a liking to their new neighbor … whether he wants it or not  🙂

Dax is hilarious.  He wants so badly to be a big ol’ grump but he just can’t help his affection for Ruby.  And it shows in a fabulously entertaining way.  The two of them together is just too funny and then you quickly realize that while he wants to be that guy the good man underneath can’t help but come thru.  He’s got a good reason for being irritable – his wife left him and it’s kinda upended his life.  It’s also made him hesitant to date again … then he meets Kyra.

A fun summer read, Suddenly Engaged may be a little different than I expected but it still gave me all the lovely feels that I expected.

(This is the first of the series I’ve read but it seemed completely self-contained.)

*****

Author Info:

Julia London is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than forty romance novels. Her historical titles include the popular Desperate Debutantes series, the Cabot Sisters series, and the Highland Grooms series. Her contemporary works include the Lake Haven series, the Pine River series, and the Cedar Springs series. She has won the RT Book Club Award for Best Historical Romance and has been a six-time finalist for the prestigious RITA Award for excellence in romantic fiction. She lives in Austin, Texas.

Author Links:   WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

*****

Giveaway:

5 finished copies of SUDDENLY ENGAGED

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/521ac4c81350/

*****

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Book Review – No One But You

21 Friday Jul 2017

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No One but You

A Silver Springs Novel

by Brenda Novak

New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak welcomes you to Silver Springs, a picturesque small town in Southern California where even the hardest hearts can learn to love again…

Struggling to make ends meet after a messy divorce, Sadie Harris is at the end of her tether. Her waitressing gig isn’t enough to pay the bills let alone secure primary custody of her son, Jayden, a battle she refuses to lose. Desperate, she accepts a position assisting Dawson Reed—the same Dawson Reed who recently stood trial for the murder of his adoptive parents. Joining him at his isolated farm seems risky, but Sadie is out of options.

Dawson has given small town Silver Springs plenty of reasons to be wary, but he’s innocent of the charges against him. He wants to leave his painful past behind and fix up the family farm so he can finally bring his dependent sister home where she belongs.

As Sadie and Dawson’s professional relationship grows into something undeniably personal, Sadie realizes there’s more to Dawson than the bad boy everyone else sees—he has a good heart, one that might even be worth fighting for.

(While this technically picks up after Finding Our Forever, it really is more of a stand alone story.  Dawson’s story was vaguely brought up in the first book and a few of the characters make another appearance, but No One But You really is self-contained.)

I really enjoyed the bit of mystery and danger that Novak brings into play here.  She’s also a writer of suspense books so you get that darker feel but it is an underplay to the emotions which are so very important.

Sadie’s got problems with her ex and is trying very hard to find a way to support herself and her son … even if it means working for a man accused of killing his adoptive parents.  But once she meets Dawson she starts to think that things may not be as everyone believes.  His big heart and strength of character calls to her.

Dawson knows he;s innocent and now that he’s been acquitted by the court he just wants to make a home so he can get his sister back.  He needs help and that help turns out to be Sadie.  She may look like life has gotten the best of her but she’s got so much heart and determination that he has to admire her for it.

As these two begin to get to know each other, they slowly become friends and each other’s champions.  But with her wily ex and the townsfolk who aren’t so quick to forget what he supposedly did, it won’t be easy.  As their feelings grow into something more they take on more and more for each other, working to find a way to have a future together.

While there were parts in No One But You that had me holding my breath to find out what happened next, it is the layers of emotion and the people that Novak skillfully develops that keep me coming back for more of her stories.