Book Review – Taken Home

26 Tuesday Apr 2016

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Book Review, Lone Star Burn series, Ruth Cardello, Taken Home

Taken Home

Lone Star Burn, Book 3

by Ruth Cardello

Playboy Mason Thorne is nothing short of complicated. Though he was a movie star at a young age, his life took a downward spiral when he turned to drugs after losing his mother. He cleaned up his act and became a senator but still keeps his distance from most everyone—including his own father. There are plenty of women around, but most are gone by morning.

Twenty-five-year-old Chelle Landon thinks she must be the last virgin in Texas. She’s worried if she doesn’t remedy it soon, she’ll stay one forever. She attends yet another small-town wedding where the last single man her age is officially off the market, until sexy politician Mason Thorne appears. He’s the answer to her prayers, if one can pray for something that decadent.

He needs a cover story, not another lover. Chelle’s on a mission to lose her virginity, no matter what. Will he break her heart or will she heal his?

Some may think that the turnaround from bad boy to commitment minded might be a little fast but I think that Mason was primed and ready for it, he just needed the right catalyst. I found him to be suave and charming, but wonderfully conflicted. He’s had a rough go of it and the people he’s surrounded himself with haven’t done much to restore his faith.

Chelle might be a little too perfect but the wonderful thing is that she is perfect for Mason. She sees more than that charming façade he shows everyone else and finds it to be something worth investing in. She’s so refreshing in his shallow world and her big heart & level head does so much to help him find something good in himself.

The struggle to be that better man is not easy for him and it’s been a long time since he’s actually had to work for anything in his personal life. But he’s definitely a man up to the challenge … and when he does figure himself out (after quite a few hiccups along the way) whew! 🙂 He’s sexy and deliciously bad, but he’s once he commits himself to something he does it with everything he’s got. His journey isn’t easy but it is worthwhile.

Steamy, funny, HOT, and heartfelt, Taken Home is one of the most fun books I’ve read in a while and I think I’m going to have to see what else Cardello has up her sleeve.

(Oh, and if you are like me and this is your first Lone Star Burn story, you’ll be fine. There are some references to other couple’s stories that I didn’t understand but their impact on Mason & Chelle’s story is very minimal and didn’t impact my enjoyment at all.)

Book Review – Break the Rules

21 Thursday Apr 2016

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

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Book Review, Break the Rules, Claire Boston, The Flanagan Sisters series

Claire Boston took a few minutes to stop by today and share with us a look at her new series. Book 1 is releasing today so I know this is a big day for her!

We’ve seen The Texan Quartet and I have to say I’m thrilled that she’s got a new series starting. It’s set in Houston, the same as the other, but this first book is a fresh start so new readers are good to go. Although if you haven’t picket up the others, you are definitely missing out!

*****

At first glance, an oil refinery doesn’t seem to be a great place to set a romance. What’s romantic about loud machinery, bad smells and manual labor? Well after ten years working in a similar environment I thought it might be a nice change of setting from your typical office romance. I was particularly tired of the alpha-male boss and secretary scenario, so I decided to make my heroine a competent, take-no-prisoners woman who isn’t interested in a romance with her new boss – no matter what her hormones are telling her. It was fun to play with Bridget and Jack as they each worked through their feelings, not just about their jobs, but about each other as well. And with all that dangerous equipment around… who knows what could happen?

*****

Break the Rules

The Flanagan Sisters series

by Claire Boston

Blurb:

Bridget Flanagan knows how to assess risks, but are the consequences of exposing her heart too dangerous?

Bridget has a passion for safety and in the world of oil refineries that makes her great at her job. So when her big promotion goes to someone else, she heads out on the town to forget her troubles. Jack Gibbs seems like the perfect man to distract her.

At least until Monday morning when she discovers Jack is her new boss. There’s no way she’s going to keep seeing him, no matter the connection between them. She’s been burned before.

Jack can’t understand why Bridget’s so against their relationship. They positively sizzled during their one night together. He knows he has to be careful now she reports to him, but she tempts him in every way.

Can Jack convince Bridget to give him a chance, or is the risk too high?

Kindle http://amzn.to/1QLGW3T

iBooks https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/break-the-rules/id1092822893?mt=11

Nook http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/break-the-rules-claire-boston/1123515994?ean=2940152802382

Kobo https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/break-the-rules

*****

Excerpt:

Bridget Flanagan’s head thumped in time to the booming dance music. She shouldn’t have let her best friend Tanya convince her to go clubbing.

She sighed. Who was she kidding? Tanya could convince her to do almost anything, and the promise of a girls’ night to dance, drink, and forget her troubles sounded like just what she’d needed.

But her head had begun to throb almost immediately and Tanya had found a new friend. It was a shame Sally and Trish hadn’t been able to come out tonight. At least then she’d have someone to talk with. Bridget scanned the dance floor, spotting Tanya dancing with the guy she’d picked up. So much for the girls’ night.

She shouldn’t be surprised. Tanya did tend to forget everything when a cute guy walked by. Knowing better than to try to drag her out of the club, Bridget headed for the bar and ordered a glass of water. When it arrived, she moved away, taking a sip and willing her headache away. Tanya looked like she was going to dance all night.

“Is that your friend dancing with my brother?” The male voice was loud but sexy and his breath tickled her ear.

Bridget jumped and turned so she was face to face with a man who did not slow her pulse rate at all. He was slightly taller than she was, with thick brown hair and dark eyes that smiled. Yum.

He pointed toward Tanya and leaned closer to be heard over the music. “Is your friend the blonde in the red dress?”

Bridget nodded. “That’s Tanya.”

“I don’t suppose she’ll turn into a pumpkin by midnight?” He had a hopeful look on his face.

Bridget grimaced. “Not a chance. I wish she would.” She put the glass up to her forehead and sighed at the coolness. “What about your brother?”

“His motto is ‘all night long’.” He frowned. “Perhaps we can convince them to go somewhere quieter at least, somewhere with some seating.”

She was intrigued. Why had he come out if he didn’t want to dance? “You don’t feel like partying?”

“I moved back to Houston from Australia two days ago. My body hasn’t quite adjusted yet.”

The mention of his body had Bridget checking it out again. It looked perfectly fine to her. His blue jeans fit in all the right places and the button-down black shirt clung to his well-defined chest. She cleared her throat. “There’s a bar around the corner. The music is quieter but they can still dance if they want.”

“Shall we give it a go?”

“Sure.” Bridget put her glass on the bar and followed him to where Tanya and his brother were dancing. She couldn’t hear what he said but they nodded in response. As he turned back to her, Tanya gave her a very unsubtle thumbs up. Bridget ignored her. All she wanted to do was find some quiet and get rid of her headache.

Outside the club, her ears adjusted to the blissful reduction in noise and she took a deep breath.

“Bridge, this is Hal,” Tanya chirped.

Hal was slightly taller than his brother, maybe six foot two, with the same thick brown hair and dark eyes.

Bridget forced a smile. “Nice to meet you.”

Tanya raised her eyebrows, waiting expectantly. “Who’s this?” she nodded to Hal’s brother.

Bridget shrugged apologetically. “We didn’t swap names. I’m Bridget.”

“Jack.” He smiled at her and she forgot her pounding head for a moment. It was some smile, lighting up his eyes and sending a lovely warmth through her body.

“Great. Now let’s find something to drink,” Tanya said, and keeping her hand tightly in Hal’s, she led the way to the bar. Hal didn’t seem to mind.

Bridget walked alongside Jack, not sure what to say. Now she was out of the noise she realized she’d effectively been picked up. Was this some kind of scam the brothers had going? Find two girls and take them somewhere quieter?

She snuck a look at Jack. No, he really did look as tired as she felt.

They walked past a drugstore. “Wait a second, I’ve got to grab something.” Bridget dashed inside, found the painkillers and bought a packet. When she went back outside, Jack was the only one waiting for her.

“Where’s Tanya?”

“They went on ahead. I thought I’d wait.”

Bridget tamped down her annoyance. They’d only just met these guys, and while they seemed nice, they could be anyone. Tanya should be more careful. “Thanks.”

Inside the bar, they found a table away from the music. It was quieter than the nightclub and they could talk without shouting. Bridget ordered a glass of water and a coffee, and took two pills. Hopefully they would kick in quickly.

Tanya put her drink on the table and grabbed Hal’s hand. “I love this song.” She pulled him away to the small dance floor.

Bridget slid on to a chair next to Jack who was nursing his cup of coffee. She had to say something, otherwise this was going to get awkward fast.

*****

Review:

I know that it works for the story but I’m not sure that dating your supervisor is ever in anyone’s best interest 🙂 But Bridget definitely has more reason than most to avoid it, thanks to a horrible experience at her last job. The connection with Jack is strong though and so many things seem to want to push them together, but I’m with her on not wanting to get involved with her boss. Besides her bad luck the last time she did it, she’s already got some troubles being taken seriously by the good ol’ boy contingent. With a less skilled writer, I think that the inter-office problems could easily have been boring, but Boston makes them interesting and you get offended for Bridget every time someone blows her off or says something rude.

Unfortunately for Bridget (but good for us) Jack is really hard to resist. He’s sexy, smart, and kind. He listens to her, takes her & their jobs seriously, and tries to be understanding of her concerns (while still trying to find a way around them, of course 🙂 ). He may not have the hesitation to get involved with a coworker but he does respect her enough to take her concerns into consideration.

Since these two are safety experts at an oil refinery you know that something has to go wrong and when it does it will be big. But, like with everything that Boston does, it is handled in a way that keeps you reading but doesn’t come off as overly dramatic. Sometimes it seems like a story is dangerous or suspenseful just to be sensational but it makes sense here. It is the culmination of everything we see coming but it also means that things are wrapped up nicely and we’re left satisfied.

I’m curious where Boston goes with Bridget’s sisters because they all seem so different. They are sassy and smart and don’t need a man, but that doesn’t mean that their lives couldn’t be better with someone to be there for them and to shake things up!

*****

Author Info:

Claire Boston is the best-selling author of The Texan Quartet. In 2014 she was nominated for an Australian Romance Readers Award as Favourite New Romance Author.

Her debut contemporary romance novel, What Goes on Tour caught the attention of Momentum’s Joel Naoum when her first scene was read aloud at the Romance Writers’ of Australia (RWA) conference in 2013. This led to a four book contract for The Texan Quartet series.

Claire is proactive in organising social gatherings and educational opportunities for local authors. She is an active volunteer for RWA, as a mentor for aspiring authors and the reader judge coordinator.

When Claire’s not writing she can be found in the garden attempting to grow vegetables, or racing around a vintage motocross track. If she can convince anyone to play with her, she also enjoys cards and board games.

Claire lives in Western Australia, just south of Perth, with her husband, who loves even her most annoying quirks, and her grubby, but adorable Australian bulldog.

Website: http://www.claireboston.com

Blog: http://www.claireboston.com/blog

Reader Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/Z4-4z

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/clairebostonauthor

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/clairebauthor

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/clairebauthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/clairebostonauthor

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe9YKmz-ORDtYaNG17hM5BA

Books 1-4 of The Texan Quartet available now.

Book 1 of The Flanagan Sisters, Break the Rules out 21^st April 2016

*****

Giveaway:

2 ebooks of Break the Rules

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4a488e372/

Book Review – This One Moment

20 Wednesday Apr 2016

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Book Review, Pushing Limits series, Stina Lindenblatt, This One Moment

This One Moment

Pushing Limits series

by Stina Lindenblatt

Fame, fortune, and stadiums full of screaming fans are right around the corner for the rock band at the heart of Stina Lindenblatt’s steamy, intense Pushing Limits series. But it’s an epic love affair that steals the show in this opening act.

When Nolan Kincaid skipped town to chase the music career of his dreams, he knew he wouldn’t miss the reminders of his broken family—he wasn’t so sure he could forget the girl he left behind. Now his band is touring nonstop, the recording sessions go all night, and the groupies are crazed. But when he hears that Hailey Wilkins is in trouble, he drops everything.

Hailey thought she’d missed her chance with Nolan. Five years ago, the moment she realized she loved him was the moment he decided to leave. Now, when a brutal assault lands her in the ICU, Nolan flies straight to her bedside, acting like nothing’s changed. What’s a rock star like him doing, canceling shows and risking his record deal, just to nurse an old friend back to health? And why should Hailey believe he’ll stay this time?

With her attacker still at large, Nolan’s ready to rise to the occasion. He knows he let Hailey down once before, but he’s ready to give her everything, heart and soul—and he’ll fight for the chance to prove it.

I didn’t realize this was a New Adult story when I picked up this book and that’s not usually my kind of read – there’s nothing wrong with them but it isn’t my first choice. But I was intrigued enough to read it anyway and was pleasantly surprised.

There were a few things I didn’t like – I found the two main characters to be a little … free with who (and how many) they had sex with. Again, nothing wrong with it necessarily as long as everyone is on the same page, just isn’t my cup of tea.

But once they meet up again I liked the connection between the two and how they struggled to figure out where they needed to go from there. It’s a tough choice for them and I think that it was handled very well. I also thought that the mystery over Hailey’s attack was done right and made a lot of sense in context.

I’ve got another Lindenblatt book on my TBR shelf and I’m definitely looking forward to seeing if she brings as good a read the second time around 🙂

Book Review – Calling It

19 Tuesday Apr 2016

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

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Book Review, Calling It, Jen Doyle

Although I think any month is a great month to read a baseball romance, there is just something special about it in April 🙂 And y’all I can’t say enough about this one!!!

*****

Calling It

by Jen Doyle

Releasing April 11, 2016

Carina Press

Blurb:

Baseball player Nathan Hawkins needs to get away from Chicago. After a near career-ending car accident and with paparazzi surrounding his penthouse, Nate can only think of one place to go: home. But when he finds his old apartment occupied by a half-naked woman wielding a baseball bat, he’s not sure what to think…except that maybe his luck has finally changed for the better.

Librarian Dorie Donelli never thought she’d get to meet her fantasy man in person—much less while she’s wearing her bathrobe. To her surprise, her nearly naked run-in with Nate leads to more unclothed encounters. But Dorie is sure their fling is only temporary. As long as she remembers he’ll be gone once his life gets back on track, she won’t get hurt. In the meantime, she throws herself into enjoying their three weeks together before he has to report for spring training and go back to his old life.

For Nate, being with Dorie is the only time in months that he finds himself smiling. Laughing. And he has no intention of letting that go. He might even be falling in love…if only Dorie will let him say the words. What they have isn’t just a dream, but the start of a dream come true.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29237126-calling-it

Buy Links: Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo

*****

Excerpt:

It wasn’t until Nate looked down to turn off the phone that he remembered where he was—that the woman who lived here was down the hall. Hell, she’d probably barricaded herself in the bathroom in order to keep a locked door between her and the stranger who’d barged in on her in the middle of the night.

And ate her dinner, he thought with a quiet laugh.

He’d give her back her phone and let her know he was leaving. Nowhere to stay, but he had a very expensive tiny car he could sleep in.

He found her in the bedroom, changing the sheets, which he would have told her she didn’t have to do if his heart hadn’t just lodged itself directly into his throat, cutting off any possibility of speech. Her pajama pants and T-shirt weren’t nearly as revealing as the robe had been, but her bending over the bed and straightening out the corner stirred up something deep inside of him. And now the only thing running through his mind was how soft her hair would be when he wrapped it around his hand; how warm and wet she’d be when he buried himself inside her.

“Christ, woman,” he groaned. He grabbed the doorjamb above his head and he clutched it so hard he practically splintered the wood.

She gasped as she straightened up and spun around, her hand flying to her chest. “I was… I was just…”

She bit her lip and sank down until she was sitting on the edge of the bed. Her eyes met his, and he had to tell himself he couldn’t take her right here. He needed to focus on climbing out of this hole—he didn’t have the time to fall further in, no matter how enjoyable that might be.

But he couldn’t look away.

Her eyes were a deep dark brown, the same color as the hair piled on top of her head. He wanted to trace the golden skin along her collarbone to the hollow of her throat, wanted his tongue on every part of her. And the glasses she now wore almost undid him.

If she’d been wearing those with the robe? When she’d hiked that bat up over her shoulder?

Holy. Shit. Turned out he liked a woman who would take him on without even blinking an eye. Who knew?

He especially liked it when her interested gaze traveled down his chest, past his waist… He liked it too much, actually. Only the quickly summoned thought of David Ortiz slamming into him at home plate stopped him from embarrassing himself in a way he hadn’t since he was practically a kid.

Even that almost wasn’t enough when she said, “I, um, changed the sheets. So you can take the bed.”

All control vanished as the words just came pouring out of his mouth. “The only way I take the bed is if I take you in it with me.”

His heart nearly raced its way out of his chest in the seconds before she replied, “I bet you say that to all the girls.” Laughter danced in her eyes and a wicked grin came over her face when her eyes again dropped to his cock and then quickly came back up. She bit her bottom lip before whispering, “Hungry?”

Miguel Cabrera. Adrian Beltre. Derek fucking Jeter.

He gripped the doorjamb tighter.

“I could eat,” he answered as evenly as he could manage.

For a moment they just stayed where they were, staring.

When she stood and walked toward him, he almost blinked. This was a dream. It had to be. Or some elaborate setup that Pete had come up with in order to get Nate’s mind off everything else. Put this fantasy of a woman in front of him—feisty and looking so innocent and cute while she offered up anything he wanted to take—until he was so goddamn spent he could finally get over himself and start living his life again.

Except then she brushed past him as she walked out of the room, pausing only to whisper into his ear, “I think you need another minute.”

*****

Review:

I like that Doyle has Dorie as the one that is running – usually it’s the guy, so it is kinda refreshing. Although I have to be honest, most of the time I don’t like the way the girl is portrayed when she’s hesitant to get involved, but Dorie actually makes a lot of sense. I wish she’d been a little more open to communicating her concerns but I can totally see how I wouldn’t if I was in her shoes 🙂 When you meet your famous high school crush and find him to be even more attractive in person, how are you to resist … but then again how are you to truly believe that he could want you long term when you are just an average Jane? Celebrities live in a world that most people can’t even begin to understand and trying to figure out how to live there too would be hard for almost anyone. So I totally get why Dorie would believe that it can’t work … and why she’s willing to take whatever time she can get with Nate.

Nate is made even more attractive by the fact that, even though he seemed to have forgotten it for a while, at heart he’s just a small town guy. He’s lost his way a little and as part of that he lost contact with those that are important to him. But a personal crisis sends him home and it doesn’t take him long to remember who he really is … and to fall for the feisty new librarian. Convincing her though might be the hardest things he’s even done but he’s willing to man up 🙂

Even though we spend most of our time focusing on Nate & Dorie, there are a lot of supporting characters that Doyle gives us just enough of to be intriguing. There’s a lot of backstory that I’m still curious about but considering that Nate is the first of 5 in his group I’m sure I just need to be patient and wait for the rest of the books 🙂 Plus, if she’s up to it, there are Dorie’s brothers and Nate’s teammates … all of whom are just begging for a HEA of their own!

Doyle handles the average girl/hottie celebrity thing amazingly well and to me their struggles are real. I was rooting for them to figure it out every step of the way – from that first absolutely adorable meet-cute to the fantabulous ending (one of the places it seems a little farfetched to me, but fantabulous nonetheless). And I just found out that this is here first book. With interactions that pop, characters that intrigue and writing that just flows, I definitely can’t wait to see what she brings next!

*****

Author Info:

A big believer in happily ever afters, Jen Doyle decided it was high time she started creating some. Jen is a member of the Romance Writers of America, as well as a member of the New England, New Jersey Romance Writers and Music City Romance Writer chapters of RWA. She is represented by Sarah E. Younger of the Nancy Yost Literary Agency. She has an M.S. in Library and Information Science and, in addition to her work as a librarian, has worked as a conference and events planner as well as a Communications and Enrollment administrator in both preschool and higher education environments (although some might say that there is very little difference between the two; Jen has no comment regarding whether she is one of the “some”).

CALLING IT is her first book, the first of two which will be published by Carina Press in 2016. It was the winner of The Beacon, the Finish the Damn Book, and the Melody of Love 2014 contests in the Contemporary Romance category, and was also the Contemporary Romance winner as well as the Grand Prize Winner of the 2014 Gateway to the Best contest.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

*****

Giveaway:

Two Winners will receive a $25.00 eGift Card to Choice Book Seller

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/521ac4c8990/

*****

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Book Review – Wrapped In You

18 Monday Apr 2016

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Book Review, Jules Bennett, The Monroes series, Wrapped In You

Wrapped In You

The Monroes series

by Jules Bennett

The Monroe brothers found a home in Haven, Georgia, thanks to the big-hearted couple who adopted them all. Now, grieving their late sister, these three very different men will come together to honor her memory. And with the help of some unforgettable women, each will find the chance to build a whole new future…

Zach Monroe has made mistakes–big ones. The worst left the girl he loved injured, and his own brother barely speaking to him. It was a night Zach won’t let himself forget, even when the girl in question–perfect, polished Sophie Allen–walks back into his life. A realtor, Sophie’s brought an offer for their sister’s dilapidated Civil War era property. But Zach’s determined to renovate the rambling old place himself–though he longs to rebuild Sophie’s trust in him…

A business deal isn’t how Sophie wanted to approach Zach after all this time, but he won’t let anyone get personal. She can’t deny that the accident changed her life in irreparable ways. But watching gruff, quiet Zach beat himself up year after year hurts too. The wounded boy she once adored needed love, and the man is no different. Now Sophie will need every bit of her resolve to convince Zach to let love heal them both…

I got just a tiny bit tired of Zach complaining about the “darkness” inside him (since I’m not sure what he thinks is so bad about himself) but I can definitely understand why he’s got such troubles based on his background. He didn’t get a good start and that left him feeling unlovable & unworthy. Even though he was starting to find a good place for himself, he never quite shed the chip on his shoulder. And just when he did start to, a terrible accident (that he feels more guilt for than he should) knocks him for a loop and sends him to jail for a year. Since then he’s drawn even further in to himself and pushes away anyone who might get too close. It’s unfortunate that he can’t see how much he has to offer – he’s dedicated to his adopted family, is hardworking, tries hard not to hurt anyone, and gives to others when they need someone.

Sophie may have left Zach to wallow but she’s never quite given up a little bit of hope she has buried deep that if given the opportunity she could reach his heart. And unfortunately that opportunity might come at the cost of losing her best friend, his adopted sister. It sets into motion a few things that allows Sophie back into Zach’s world … but it definitely won’t be easy if she wants to break through to him.

Full of wounds, both inside and out, that go back decades and that left a lot of scars, Bennett starts a series that may break my heart while making me happy at the same time. These guys have been through a lot, most of it we don’t even know about yet, and they are in desperate need of a HEA – the chance to find some peace with themselves & their pasts, plus a hope for the future. And I can’t wait to be with them every step of the way.

Book Review – Soldier of Love

15 Friday Apr 2016

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Allie Boniface, Book Review, Hometown Heroes series, Soldier of Love

Soldier of Love

Hometown Heroes series

by Allie Boniface

Welcome back to Lindsey Point…

Franny Thompson has owned a bed and breakfast in Lindsey Point for the last five years, ever since a family tragedy left her broken. Running The Hideaway has been good therapy, but this thirty-year old doesn’t have the slightest idea about dating, fashion, or men. When a lonely soldier comes to town in need of a place to live, she offers him an empty room to rent, never dreaming he’s about to change her world.

Heath Garrick has spent the last 17 years as an active duty solider, but when he retires from the Army, he finds himself plagued by PTSD and no place to call home, until he moves to Lindsey Point and Franny offers him a room. Franny is quirky and naive, everything he’s never wanted in a woman – and everything he might just need.

As Franny and Heath find comfort in each other’s friendship, a powerful attraction develops. But when a national magazine chooses The Hideaway for a makeover, they are thrust into the spotlight. For Franny, it’s a dream come true. For Heath, it’s the worst kind of trouble. Can two lonely souls help each other find love and hope again, or are some battle scars too deep ever to heal?

I do wonder if I would have a little more of an attachment to Franny if I’d read other stories in the series. I get that she didn’t have the usual upbringing and she dealt with a lot of tragedy at an early age, but I think there are some things that I didn’t quite pick up on. She didn’t have anyone help her with how to be a normal teenage girl – clothes, grooming, boys. And she’s spent a few years keeping to herself, but she does have friends and she seems very well grounded. I think that is some of the appeal for Heath. She’s got a maturity and understanding of people but she’s good on her own as well.

My heart just breaks for Heath. Besides everything that he went through at war, he’s also had some trouble in his personal life. He’s trying to find someplace where he’s comfortable and can just be and luckily he runs into Franny. The wisdom her trouble has caused her, along with her sweet heart, does something to help him. Unfortunately he’s not going to completely heal but she does allow him to find space to evaluate.

Which brings me to my only complaint – there was a lot of talk about Heath needing professional help but even in the epilogue they don’t talk about him actually getting any. The man definitely has issues, even he recognizes it, and with everything he goes through I would expect him to realize that he needs to see someone. Overall it is my only issue and the rest of the story is very satisfying, so I’ll be keeping an eye on what comes next.

Book Review – Draw Me Close

14 Thursday Apr 2016

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Book Review, Draw Me Close, Hearts and Crafts series, Nicole Michaels

Draw Me Close

Hearts and Crafts series

by Nicole Michaels

YOU NEED A GOOD FOUNDATION

Lindsey Morales is a decorating genius with a natural flair for design and an eye for a bargain. As a contributor to a popular lifestyle blog, she can take anything from trash to treasure-except for her own life. Burned once, and badly, she’s more than twice shy, especially when it comes to the breathtaking builder who broke her heart…

BEFORE YOU CAN BUILD HAPPILY EVER AFTER

Architect Derek Walsh has made a name for himself designing sleekly modern buildings, but when renovating a hundred-year-old farmhouse gives him the chance to see Lindsey again, he jumps at it. Still dreaming about her after eight long years apart, he’ll do anything to prove that he’s serious about spending the future with her. Can he convince sassy, stubborn Lindsey that they can DIY their own happy ending?

(Although characters appear in stories throughout the series, this book can stand on its own.)

If you read Win Me Over you know that Derek and Lindsey had a history and now you get to find out exactly how bad it was. I think my favorite part is that there aren’t any bad guys in this story – these people find themselves in an unfortunate situation and do the best they can. The worst that could be said is that Derek underestimates how truly harmful his actions were and the long term impacts they had. He expects some heartfelt words, maybe an explanation, will fix things but Lindsey’s scars run pretty deep.

I thought I would get tired of her attitude but it makes sense in the story – she realistically works through her old hurts and the feelings being with Derek again brings up. I do get a little frustrated at how Derek didn’t seem to understand how she would hold on to the hurt but I think that is typically male of him 🙂

Overall I am very pleased at how they handle their history, being together again and developing a new relationship. It is so sweet and super believable – I just love the idea of a second chance romance between the two.

Book Review – Heart Like Mine

13 Wednesday Apr 2016

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

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Book Review, Echo Lake series, Heart Like Mine, Maggie McGinnis

I’ve read the first book in this series and enjoyed it a lot (don’t ask my why I didn’t post a review, but I’ll take care of that soon!). I was so happy to see that Dr Josh got his own book next 🙂

*****

Heart Like Mine

Echo Lake #2

by Maggie McGinnis

Releasing April 5, 2016

St. Martin’s Press

Blurb:

Delaney Blair loves her job at Echo Lake’s Mercy Hospital, where she’s developed a reputation for being smart, fair, and driven. When she’s assigned to cut funding, she has to temporarily relocate her office, put on borrowed scrubs, and go toe-to-toe with Dr. Joshua Mackenzie, the interim head of the pediatrics department. His killer smile and rock-star body are distractions Delaney could do without, but she’s determined to stay focused while she brings his budget into line.

It’s not working.

Beloved by his colleagues and patients alike, Josh is too busy caring for sick kids to talk numbers with the sexy, stiletto-clad Delaney. Every time they talk business, tensions run high…but so does a powerful attraction neither of them can ignore. When an emergency brings Mercy to its knees, Delaney and Josh must work together to save lives. But can they also find a way into each other’s hearts?

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25663632-heart-like-mine

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/145428-echo-lake

Buy Links: Amazon | B & N | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo

*****

Excerpt:

“You’re just going to have to go down there, Delaney.” Megan propped a hip on Delaney’s desk two days later. Delaney envied her assistant’s long skirt, gypsy earrings, and long, loose cotton blouse. In college, she’d have topped it off with a head scarf and combat boots, but for the workplace, she’d gone with her standard-issue leather sandals.

Delaney looked down at her own outfit and wondered when she’d turned into a toned-down version of her country club mother. Her neatly ironed blouse was set off by a perfectly matched skirt and jacket, and as she fingered the pearls at her throat, she sighed. Then she let her eyes coast down her calves, down to the Jimmy Choos she’d bought just last month. It was her splurge, her bow to girliness and inappropriate spending, and damn, she loved these shoes.

She really did need to ditch the pearls, though.

“I can’t just go down there, Megan.” Delaney felt a tingle at the base of her neck, just thinking of walking onto the pediatric floor. No, she definitely couldn’t go down there.

“Well, he’s obviously not coming to you.”

“How can he just ignore my messages like this? It’s downright rude.”

“Or he’s downright busy. Have you seen the bed count on pediatrics this week?”

“No.” Delaney cringed. It wasn’t the kind of thing she kept track of on a daily basis.

“There is always the possibility that he’s not intentionally ignoring you. Just saying.”

“I’ll check.” Delaney clicked into the system that listed current inpatient numbers. When she got to the pediatric floor, her eyes widened. “Holy—”

“Exactly.” Megan raised her eyebrows.

“We don’t even have that many pediatric beds.”

“I know. They had to move a couple of the teenagers up to adult floors to make space.”

Delaney clicked back through the past month, and the patient counts went up and down a little bit, but not much.

“I’m just saying—this could be why Dr. Mackenzie hasn’t called back.” Megan leaned close to Delaney and plucked open her top button. “Which means you, third floor, this afternoon. He’s clearly isn’t coming to you.”

Delaney felt the chills creep down her spine. She had never actually been on Mercy’s pediatric floor—had never been on any pediatric floor—not since Parker had died.

“Delaney? You okay?” Megan’s brow creased as she studied Delaney’s face. “You are six shades of white, girl. Does talking to non-executive-suite people make you this scared?”

“No.” Delaney’s voice came out in a whisper.

“Oh.” Megan’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh, God. I’m sorry.” She squeezed her eyes shut. “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

Delaney nodded slowly. “It’s okay. It’s been—a long time since he died. Not like you would think of it.”

“But I should have. I’m really sorry.” Megan tried to look into her eyes, but Delaney’s felt all shifty. “Do you want me to go with you?”

“No, Meg. I don’t want to go at all.”

“But—”

“I know. He’s not coming to me.” She took a deep breath, blowing it out slowly. Maybe it wouldn’t be horrible. Maybe she wouldn’t melt into a panic-puddle at the elevator doors. Maybe she wouldn’t see Parker everywhere she looked.

Maybe pigs flew.

*****

Review:

I love how McGinnis managed to cover a current topic realistically without being preacher. Budget cuts in so many public areas (hospitals, schools, govt offices, etc) are common today and Delaney has to work on the pediatric department at her hospital … yeah, that’s an easy thing to do. But I love that she digs in and tries so hard to do things right. And that includes her interactions with the oh-so-sexy Dr. Mackenzie.

Josh takes his involvement with his patients very seriously and having a number cruncher try to cut even more from his bare bones department isn’t going to go over well. Especially when he finds her quite attractive. But she’s also got brains and heart and, while that makes her even harder to resist, it is something he can tap into to help out the kids.

A battle over budget could so easily be boring but McGinnis makes it, and Josh & Delaney’s struggles, easy to read and east to get caught up in. I was involved not only in their developing relationship – which is fun and entertaining – but also their efforts to find a way to make things work with the board. Besides the possible conflict of interest regarding money, there’s also the issue with Josh’s very full schedule and Delaney’s personal experience with doctors and sick kids. I knew things had to work out on all fronts but I was anxious to see on how it could be done.

So far McGinnis is 2 for 2 in my book and I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what she brings next. There’s this certain little Italian spitfire just begging to meet her true love 🙂

*****

Author Info:

USA Today bestselling author Maggie McGinnis is a Golden Heart Finalist who lives in New England, vastly outnumbered by both children and cats. She writes sweet romances set in Montana and Vermont, and feels extremely fortunate that through her books, she gets to fall in love every single day. She’s a sucker for romantic comedies, popcorn, and the perfect green pen, and if she wasn’t an author, she’d totally be rocking a Nashville club in her pink cowgirl boots. It’s probably good that she embraced the author thing, because her singing skills are better suited to the shower, and really? Pink cowgirl boots?

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

*****

Giveaway:

Grand Prize winner of $25 gift card to a retailer of the winner’s choice, and two additional winners to receive eBook copy of FOREVER THIS TIME

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/521ac4c8982/

*****

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

Book Review – The Heat Is On

11 Monday Apr 2016

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Book Review

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Book Review, Katie Rose, The Boys of Summer series, The Heat Is On

The Heat Is On

The Boys of Summer series

by Katie Rose

Perfect for readers of Joanna Blake and Sawyer Bennett, hailed as “charming, sexy, and smart” by Lauren Layne, the Bad Boys of Baseball series from award-winning author Katie Rose heats up as a homegrown baseball star returns to snag the one that got away.

When veteran catcher Connor Jackson gets traded to the New Jersey Sonics, he welcomes the opportunity to possibly cap his career with a World Series ring in his home state. But there’s another reason Connor is glad things have come full circle. In pursuit of hardball glory, he left behind his college sweetheart, the one girl he could never forget. Seeing her again stirs up long-lost desires . . . and this time, he’s determined not to strike out.

A divorced mother of four, Tracy Coleman no longer aspires to gossip-mag glam—but she’ll make an exception for a date with Connor. Their chemistry is hotter than ever, and being alone with him is more seductive than she anticipated. Who could blame her for leaving out a little detail like the kids? Now all she has to do is come clean and convince the man of her dreams that they—Connor, Tracy, and her children—have a future together.

For some reason I didn’t really like the first book in this series, which meant that I skipped the next one but the couple I’ve read since have been fantastic. There isn’t a lot of drama involved in The Heat Is On – just a straight forward story about two old lovers who have to decide if they are willing to get involved. With the fact that Tracy has four kids there are a lot of extra hearts to break if things go bad so they have to take that into consideration. It is such a realistic issue for divorced people starting to date again and I think that Rose handles it very well.

Connor is sexy, strong and truly a good man. He’s settled, both professionally and as a man, and he’s entering a time in his life when baseball isn’t going to be his sole focus. Being back home again means that he has the opportunity to look up his first love – the one woman he hasn’t been able to forget – which is super sweet. While Tracy may be a little overwhelmed as a newly single mom with four little ones, she’s definitely smart enough to give someone like Connor (who is the super-sexy total package) a chance. But it definitely doesn’t mean that things are going to be smooth for them 🙂

We’re also treated to some fun in the locker room with the Sonics. I loved getting little glances at past couples but I think that Rose also does a great job of capturing the brotherhood amongst the players – their roles within the organization, not just on the field – which brings extra heart to all of her stories. But if this is your first read in this series, don’t worry because it can definitely stand on its own.

Sexy ball players and sweet romance are the things I’m starting to associate with Rose’s stories and I really hope that she continues to knock it out of the park 🙂

Book Review – A Better Man

08 Friday Apr 2016

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

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

A Better Man, Book Review, Candis Terry, Sunshine Creek Vinyard series

I’m so excited about starting a new series by Candis Terry!

*****

A Better Man

Sunshine Creek Vineyard #1

by Candis Terry

Releasing March 29, 2016

Avon

Blurb:

In Candis Terry’s first novel in her Sunshine Creek Vineyard series, the handsome Kincade brothers convene to rescue their legacy-but the last thing they expect to find is love….

Sooner or later…

Hockey star Jordan Kincade wasted no time ditching Sunshine Creek for the NHL, but his sports career has overshadowed everything else-a truth Jordan confronts when his parents’ deaths bring him home. Now his little sister Nicki is flunking out of school, and only one teacher can help Jordan save her-the shy but incredibly sexy Lucy Diamond, the same girl whose heart he broke years ago. But he’s determined not to make the same mistake twice. If only Lucy would give him the time of day.

Love has a way of catching up with you.

Lucy has no intention of drowning in Jordan’s deep blue gaze again, even if he seems to have turned over a new leaf. Still, his devotion to his sister is impossible to ignore. As they team up to salvage Nicki’s future, Lucy soon discovers that Jordan’s sweet caresses and lingering kisses might just be everything she needs.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25858362-a-better-man

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/157808-sunshine-creek-vineyard

Buy Links: Amazon | B & N | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo

*****

Excerpt:

Today, she was a different person. Stronger because of the things she’d lived through. Smarter because she’d found a way to survive and come out the other side in a happy place. She knew exactly where she belonged, and that was teaching and helping students like Nicki. Which was why, right now, she was going to pull on her big girl panties and face the boy who had disappointed her head on.

Lucy managed to pull herself together as Jordan removed his sunglasses and slid them to the top of his head. His smile lifted a masculine pair of lips that somehow managed to look cruel and sexy at the same time.

The boy had turned into a man times ten.

Tall and broad shouldered, his chest looked a mile wide. Judging by the smooth ripples beneath his snug shirt he was packing muscle, not pounds. Jeans, worn and frayed at the stress points, accented his long muscular legs and trim waist. His longish nearly black hair gleamed beneath the overhead lights. And his sharp blue eyes focused intently on her.

It was all she could do to keep her heart at a normal pace and her legs solidly beneath her. If ever a man could be described as delicious, Jordan Kincade would be a menu’s specialty of the day.

Too bad he was such a jerk.

“Ms. Diamond?” He came forward and stretched out his very large hand. “Jordan Kincade.”

And clearly he didn’t remember her.

Lucy smiled as a funny little tickle moved through her chest. Maybe this was going to be fun after all. Rarely was she ever given the upper hand or the opportunity to have even the slightest edge.

When he moved closer his warm palm engulfed hers and her triumph died with a sizzle.

Close up she got a better look. She inhaled his sexy scent of worn leather and warm man. Every square inch of her female DNA perked up like it was party time. She hated to disappoint the little darlings but today was all about helping someone else.

“Please.” She kept the handshake brief and formal before she disengaged and motioned toward the chair in front of her desk. “Have a seat.”

He glanced at the standard school chair with a you’ve got to be kidding me lift of his brows. When he sat down, the orange plastic chair creaked and seemed ridiculously small beneath the scope of his height and muscles.

Lucy took her own seat and noticed that the difference in chairs made her tower over him and seemingly give her another advantage. But when he leaned back and crossed an ankle over a knee, he appeared completely comfortable.

So much for one-upmanship.

“I apologize if I seemed taken aback just now.” She opened the folder and pulled out Nicole’s progress report as well as several exams and the few assignments Nicole had actually turned in. Late, of course, but complete nonetheless. “I expected your brother Ryan.”

“He had business at the vineyard and sends his regrets.”

She couldn’t help notice how very deep and smooth his voice had become. Like hot buttered rum on a cold winter night. He had the kind of voice a woman could imagine whispering sweet nothings in her ear while he caressed her in places that tingled beneath his touch.

“I understand.” Snapping out of the fantasy, she imagined the enormous scope of duties Ryan Kincade must need to tend to after the death of their parents. Her heart sank a little further for the family. Especially for Nicole, who was so young and really needed the love and guidance of her mom and dad. “I hope you’ll accept my condolences. And I sincerely apologize for having you come down at this sorrowful time to deal with what might seem insignificant but—”

“Anything regarding my sister is important, Ms. Diamond. Now more than ever.” His brows dipped in a no nonsense fashion. “So don’t judge me when you don’t even know me.”

Oh, she knew him.

Knew he was the type who’d make a promise then shatter it without ever looking back.

But that was then, and this was now.

“My apologies, Mr. Kincade. That was certainly not my intent.”

His piercing eyes perused her face for a long, uncomfortable moment and she had to admit that the look did something funny to the beat of her heart.

Especially when with a slight tilt of his head he asked, “Why do you look so familiar?”

“Do I?” That erratic heartbeat kicked up another notch as she let go a chuckle to cover up what was really going on inside. “People say that all the time. I guess I just have one of those faces.”

She pushed Nicole’s schoolwork in his direction. “If you’ll take a look at these projects, you’ll see that even though she didn’t complete the assignment exactly as it was defined, Nicole has an enormous gift.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s a lie.”

“Excuse me?” Irritated, Lucy’s gaze shot up to the slight smile curling his lips. “How can you say that without even reading anything? I guarantee your sister has a multitude of talent.”

“I’m not talking about my sister’s work. I’m talking about you just having one of those faces.” He uncrossed his long, muscular legs and leaned forward without even looking at the papers she’d put in front of him. “So now I’m wondering why you sidestepped my question.”

Good God the man was intense. There was something in the combination of that nearly black hair that fell over his ears and his nape in perfect waves and those deep blue eyes that seemed almost otherworldly. She could imagine how he’d intimidate an opponent on the ice.

And it had nothing to do with his size.

But as far as admitting who she really was? Not going to happen. No need to dredge up a bad memory when all she really wanted was to help his sister.

“I apologize.” Her heart beat erratically as she avoided the intensity of his gaze. “But I would like to stick to the subject of your sister’s grades—or lack thereof—that may prevent her from graduating with the rest of her class. I genuinely care about her which is why I noticed a problem way before the loss of your parents.”

“And now you won’t even look at me,” he said. “Why is that?”

As he leaned in, his intoxicating scent came with him. Normally such things didn’t affect her. Well, at least not with her colleagues who tended to wear either too much aftershave or worse, too much body odor. Jordan wore his masculine scent like a sexual promise and Lucy swore he should come with a warning label.

*****

Review:

Lucy hasn’t had the best experiences when it came to love … starting when Jordan stood her up in school. Running into him again now as the guardian of one of her students affects her more than she thought it would. Sure of himself and charming, once Jordan sets himself on turning her head, Lucy has very little hope of resisting regardless of the things that she’s survived.

I really felt for Jordan as tragedy has him reevaluating his choices. His career has separated him from his family and he’s now seeing exactly how much he missed out on. Facing the consequences, with both Lucy and his siblings, he does a lot of growing, evaluating what he needs to do to make things better.

Terry does a fantastic job of bringing together a lot of elements into an enjoyable romantic read – second chance romance between Jordan & Lucy, reforming a rake, and family drama among the Kincaids, plus a little mystery. I will warn you that not all of the secondary loose ends are tied up for some of these elements, but it is the start of a new series and these will bleed over to future stories to be resolved later. Also, as the first book, there is some extra explanation that has to happen, so there is a little more going on than might have been needed if it was a single story.

But the main plot is resolved beautifully and I really liked being there while Lucy & Jordan fell in love. Terry is a skilled at what she does and I can’t wait to see what happens with the rest of the Kincaids. She’s got a lot of drama just waiting to play out 🙂

*****

Author Info:

Candis Terry was born and raised near the sunny beaches of Southern California and now makes her home on an Idaho farm. She’s experienced life in such diverse ways as working in a Hollywood recording studio to chasing down wayward steers. Only one thing has remained the same: her passion for writing stories about relationships, the push and pull in the search for love, and the security one finds in their own happily ever after.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

*****