Petal is the last place Caroline Mendoza thought she’d end up. Sixteen years ago she lost both parents there—her mother to murder and her father to prison for the crime. Since then she’s built a successful life, but she’s never let go of the belief her father is innocent.
Now she’s back in Petal to find the truth. With a new job and a mystery to solve, she’s got plenty on her plate. But when she bumps into Royal Watson, the sparks fly hard and fast.
When the whipsmart, opinionated lawyer blows into town like a beautiful storm, Royal has a reason to make the time to get off his organic farm and pursue her. And soon their intense attraction is tipping into something more.
As Caroline’s dogged investigation digs up ghosts of the past, there’s not much time for basking in love’s glow. The closer she gets to the truth, the more threatened the real killer gets…and the greater the danger that all her digging could lead to her own grave.
~~
Petal,GA has been a solidly good but perhaps not my very favorite of series from Lauren Dane. I think this particular installment shows both why her romances work very well and what some of the pitfalls are with small town mentalities.
First, the good- Royal is a terrific hero. I never felt like I got to know him in previous books, when he was just Anne's boyfriend, but on his own he proves himself to be a smart, strong, and reliable human being, who's experienced enough emotionally to be able to empathize with a variety of people. It's been over a year since his breakup when he meets Caroline again, and the two of them enter in their relationship with one of the cutest grocery store scenes I've ever read (when I do I get to stumble upon a cowboy hottie in the cereal aisle?).
Their relationship is the highlight throughout the story, deservedly so, but I do admit to getting a little distracted by the small town politics that were much more prominent in this book. I couldn't understand or believe that all these different people would be angry with Caroline for moving away from Petal. Really? Even without the extenuating circumstances with her parents, it has to mean that she's a bad egg, or that she thinks something derogatory about the town? Shrug. I couldn't be completely on board with that, though I do think Dane did a phenomenal job painting the complicated layers that exist between family members, especially when there are generations of institutionalized racism not being recognized as such.
And I could write an entire paragraph about Anne and her duplicity and how there's no way in HELL I'd be a big enough woman to get over that and befriend her. But that's me.
Overall Feeling - B
Series - 1) Once and Again 2) Lost in You 3) Count on Me
What's better than a long, lazy day at the shore? Think beach—blanket bingo with a sizzling hottie (or three). So sit back, relax, and don't worry about tan lines, because in this scorching collection, swimsuits are definitely optional...
LINDA LAEL MILLER
"One Last Weekend"
College sweethearts Teague and Joanna Darby, once passionately in love, are on the brink of divorce. When a ferry strike leaves them stranded together at their beloved beach cottage, it could be the most awkward weekend ever. Or the perfect chance to fall for each other all over again-one steamy encounter at a time...
JENNIFER APODACA
"You Give Love a Good Name"
Lexie Rollins is a wedding planner on the lam. All she did was defend herself (with a staple gun) against a sleazy groom-who knew the Assault and Battery charges would stick? Now Lexie's "vacation" at an exclusive resort has put her at the top of gorgeous bounty hunter Nick Vardolous's list. And Nick always gets his woman-every which way imaginable...
SHELLY LAURENSTON
"My Kind of Town"
Deputy Kyle Treharne of seaside Smithville, North Carolina, hates Yankees-even exotically beautiful ones like Emma Lucchesi. The sexy New Yorker's got trouble written all over her, and she knows more than she's telling about the increasingly strange goings-on in his town. But if the lady's got a few tricks up her sleeve, so does the lawman. And it's high time for every wicked thing to be deliciously revealed...
~~
After Shelly Laurenston released a snippet of "My Kind of Town" in her latest newsletter, I knew I had to have this anthology. I love her writing all day everyday, but somehow I missed that there was another story in her Long Island Coven series! Boo!
Still, even though I bought it for her, all the stories ended up being good. I probably haven't read anything by Linda Lael Miller in years but I liked the way she created a realistic portrayal of a marriage near its breaking point, torn apart by misunderstanding and bad communication. "You Give Love a Good Name" was a more typical alpha male meets girl story but it was still amusing and I loved how Lexie was the one who saved Nick in the end.
I picked this up for $3 or so on Amazon and I totally recommend it!
Overall Feeling - A-/B+
Series - Various
The moment Vivian Walker spies Seth Anderson she knows they're a match made in hedonistic pleasure. And they both agree their one night together is all about fun, not forever.
Now, years later, Seth remains a favorite memory. Surely the sizzling chemistry has faded, though, right? Apparently not. Because he's still sinfully attractive, and she likes the man he is. When he suddenly becomes a full-time dad to his newborn daughter, Vivian falls hard. Yet despite the responsibilities, he's not a good bet for commitment. And she needs to guard her heart before she gets into trouble!
~~
I haven't read a contemporary romance like this in a while. When Vivian and Seth first get together, happily ever after isn't in the cards at all. In fact, both of them would probably rather cut off a limb then be tied down to another person. The resulting sexcapades are made all the more real by the fact that when these two say they don't want a future, they actually mean it. It takes another 10 years before circumstances have these two breathing the same air again, and when Mayberry means to have life hit a person hard, it does.
Seth doesn't have to just deal with his brother and sister-in-law asking him to be guardian of their children in case of their passing, but he suddenly has his own daughter to think about when one of his past flings finds out she's pregnant. Even though this was never his plan for himself, Mayberry doesn't turn his ex-girlfriend into the villain, instead writing her to be as human and fallible as the rest of us are. An unfortunate accident leaves him with primary care and leads him to rely on the help of his family, and as it turns out, Vivian. Neither of them can avoid confronting the misconceptions they have about each other, and the burgeoning realization that each one has wants and needs they never faced before. Their HEA in the end is satisfying and sweet, even if the location where they finally admit to their feelings might not have been my favorite (or the most appropriate).
Overall Feeling - B+
Series - None
**Title requested from NetGalley**
Logan McCormack likes his isolated life on the ranch, until a movie crew starts filming there. When actress Desiree Jenkins blows into his life, she wrecks it harder than the Oklahoma winds with her brutal honesty and soft touch. Des knows this is a temporary stay, but she loves the open freedom of the land, and for the first time in her life, Des feels like she might have found a place she can call home, with a man she might be falling in love with. But Logan’s heart is tougher than the soil beneath them—can she convince him that they belong together?
~~
In my reading life lately, I've been loving the well written contemporary romance. Even though I didn't absolutely love Jill Shalvis' latest effort, the romance between the leads and the small town setting had me semi-satisfied. This new "Hope" series book by Jaci Burton however I enjoyed from start to finish, as Logan and Des not only turned out to be completely likeable on their own, but were fantastic together too.
I kind of feel like this book read and as updated Diana Palmer, with Logan as the gruff cynical cowboy and Des as the young - but not too young - heroine. Luckily Logan wasn't an asshole for 90% of the book and Des wasn't the innocent virgin, ignorant of any feelings "down there". Instead we have two people in seemingly very different places in their lives, who happen upon each other and a relationship they never expected. You always know in a romance that the couple are going to find their HEA in the end, so even when Logan was at his most stubborn things had to work out, but instead of any grand emotional gestures without explanation, Des and Logan spent a lot of time talking out their problems. It was incredibly refreshing to have them work through the pasts that had shaped them as people and the issues that made them hesitant to commit. Combined with a fun and unique supporting cast I really loved Hope Ignites and I can't wait for Hope Burns!
Overall Feeling - A
Series - 1) Hope Flames 2) Hope Ignites 3) Hope Burns (Sept 2014)
Sometimes wrong is oh-so-right…
After a wrenching loss, Ben McDaniels tried to escape his grief by working in dangerous, war-torn places like Africa and the Middle East. Now he’s back in his hometown and face-to-face with Aubrey Wellington, the hot-as-hell woman who is trouble with a capital T. Family and friends insist she’s not the one to ease his pain, but Aubrey sparks an intense desire that gives Ben hope for the future.
Determined to right the wrongs of her past, Aubrey is working hard to make amends. But by far, the toughest challenge to her plan is sexy, brooding Ben …even though he has absolutely no idea what she’s done…
Can this unlikely couple defy the odds and win over the little town of Lucky Harbor?
~~
Ok so I don't want get rotten fruit thrown at me or anything, but this book annoyed the crap out of me. Like 100%, I want to kill someone, annoyed me. And honestly, I'd have to lay this whole at Ms. Shalvis's feet since it's because she's such a great writer that I ended up so annoyed.
Aubrey is back in Lucky Harbor trying to find a new place for herself and working to "make amends" for her past. It's a pretty basic premise but what didn't work for me were all the things that Aubrey is trying to make amends for had some pretty extreme extenuating circumstances, not the least of which being that she was in HIGH SCHOOL when they happened. Now I get that some of the way things snowballed from her actions was a little unprecedented, but in each situation it seemed to me that the individual harmed had been a huge asshole first. Almost every instance involved people in positions of authority who used their power to disparage, insult, and pretty much just beat down Aubrey because of things outside her control. How is it then her responsibility to make amends when things spiraled out of control? Or maybe didn't spiral out of control because honestly I can't feel bad for any of these people.
In the end I'm glad that Ben had a pretty big groveling session before the HEA because without it I probably would have been dissatisfied every which way with this book. And none of this is because Ms. Shalvis is a bad writer. It's the exact opposite in fact, because she was so good at her job of getting me to empathize with Aubrey that I couldn't understand why anything she'd done actually deserved atoning for. Go figure.
Overall Feeling - C
Series - ...8) Always On My Mind 9) Once In A Lifetime
*Title won on Twitter*
Three stories of passion, possession, and ink.
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Lauren Dane takes you into a brand new world in ALL THAT REMAINS. Summer Killian falls fast and hard when Charlie arrives in Paradise Village. But the heat turns all the way up when she learns Charlie is also with Hatch -- the man she loved four years before. While she's not sure she's cut out for a triad, neither man is going to give her up. (Metamorphosis Series, #1)
Take a ROCKY RIDE with New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Vivian Arend as she leads you back to the Six Pack Ranch. Anna Coleman might be the law around Rocky Mountain House, but bad boy Mitch Thompson knows that under the stiff RCMP uniform is a woman with a passion for speed and pleasure that matches his own, and he's not giving up until she's his. (Thompson & Sons, #1 -- a Coleman Cowboys spin-off series)
Kit Rocha returns to Sector Four in BEYOND TEMPTATION. A promise to a dying friend backfires when Noah Lennox finds that the girl he was supposed to rescue is all grown up -- and wearing O'Kane ink. He wants to protect her from the secrets of their past, but she wants him. And an O'Kane woman always gets what she wants. (Beyond #3.5, set between Beyond Pain and Beyond Jealousy)
~~
[Quick note - Marked is on sale at Amazon for $2.99 through the month of February!]
The is one of those rare anthologies where I wasn't only happy with one author's story - each one had something unique to offer and provided a glimpse into how each person writes their own HEA's.
Originally I was only interested in this collection for Lauren Dane's story. She's been a favorite of mine for years and even though this was going to be a foray into a new series for her, I trust her voice and was confident I would enjoy it. Which I did. I think she does a great job grounding her characters in a new future, creating sympathetic people who made choices they had to live by or atone for. I think my only problem, which I admit to being incredibly personal, was that I couldn't detach enough to really believe in how this future had unfolded. I've read too many dystopians where less women equaled less independence (for "protection" reasons) so to see how this society had evolved to revere women was a bit of a surprise. But like I sad - personal problem, I can't really attribute this to anything Dane did or did not do.
Vivien Arend's story was great, the kind of contemporary erotic romance that I like so much, but Kit Rocha's entry was the biggest surprise for me. I'd heard a lot of good things about her Beyond series but somehow none of the reviews I'd read had pushed me over the edge into giving her a try. Marked was the perfect entry in her world as it not only included cameos by characters in previous books, it also tantalized me with just enough information about the world itself to leave me wanting more. I'm pretty sure though it was the except from Beyond Shame that finally did me in completely - I gotta know what happens!
Overall Feeling - A
Series - Various
*Title won in a Twitter contest*
Mohab Aal Ghaanem once had Jala Aal Masood…and lost her. Now, as a new king, he can end the explosive feud between their kingdoms, and fulfill his parting pledge to the princess of Judar…that he would make her his wife.
Marry Mohab? Six years ago, the prince risked his life to save Jala, igniting her desires…only to betray her trust. Now the ruthless seducer is forcing her into a sham marriage. Will it mean a second chance with the man she still craves…or heartbreak when all their dark secrets are revealed?
~~
I have to admit that my feelings about this book are all over the place. The language and cultural references firmly place the story in the Middle East which I liked, but how the characters acted towards each other and the way the plot developed were not my favorite.
Despite Jala's strong personality she spends most of the book unable to resist Mohab, which seemed far-fetched to me because of their past. Even though Gates makes the heat between them seem real and I can believe to some extent that they have feelings for each other, so much of the book is spent dealing with the lies that have taken place before (or are being told in the present) that I have trouble connecting to Jala. I would have needed more time with her feelings, and I think a deeper understanding of what she has gone through, before their relationship would have really worked for me. Show me that Mohab is not a stalker, and that what they feel for each other is enough to withstand all those years apart.
It's a decent story with a lot of heat but I think the HEA would have been improved by more time spent on picking apart the emotional connection between the two (and without the sudden reveal at the end of why Jala was so opposed to staying married - I felt that whole thing was unnecessary).
Overall Feeling - C+
Series - 1) The Sheikh's Redemption 2) The Sheikh's Claim 3) The Sheikh's Destiny 4) Seducing His Princess (March 4, 2014)
*Title Requested from NetGalley*
It’s been thirteen years since Lucy Sheridan was in Summer River. The last time she visited her aunt Sara there, as a teenager, she’d been sent home suddenly after being dragged out of a wild party—by the guy she had a crush on, just to make it more embarrassing. Obviously Mason Fletcher—only a few years older but somehow a lot more of a grown-up—was the overprotective type who thought he had to come to her rescue.
Now, returning after her aunt’s fatal car accident, Lucy is learning there was more to the story than she realized at the time. Mason had saved her from a very nasty crime that night—and soon afterward, Tristan, the cold-blooded rich kid who’d targeted her, disappeared mysteriously, his body never found.
A lot has changed in thirteen years. Lucy now works for a private investigation firm as a forensic genealogist, while Mason has quit the police force to run a successful security firm with his brother—though he still knows his way around a wrench when he fills in at his uncle’s local hardware store. Even Summer River has changed, from a sleepy farm town into a trendy upscale spot in California’s wine country. But Mason is still a protector at heart, a serious (and seriously attractive) man. And when he and Lucy make a shocking discovery inside Sara’s house, and some of Tristan’s old friends start acting suspicious, Mason’s quietly fierce instincts kick into gear. He saved Lucy once, and he’ll save her again. But this time, she insists on playing a role in her own rescue . . .
~~
I gotta give it to Ms. Krentz - somehow she manages to make her contemporary romances work for me, time and time again. River Road is a great example of how two smart people can get lost in an emotional mind field, especially when there is danger and intrigue to fog the path. Lucy and Mason might have an idea of what they're getting themselves into, investigating her aunts death and how exactly a body ended up in her fireplace, but there are so many players to consider that the obvious answer is rarely the right one.
It results in a very interesting story, as Lucy and Mason have other needs to balance than the ones to urging them to heat up the sheets. Which they do. And it's great, lol. I like reading a mystery where the big bad isn't totally obvious, and despite a bit of character placement which indicated that a particular person might be more than they appear, Krentz does a great job weaving a complicated plot.
Plus there's a great little scene from her next book, Otherwise Engaged, at the end!
Overall Feeling - A-
Series - None
Thirty-two and finally setting up her veterinary practice in the town she once called home, Emma Burnett is on her own and loving it. Independent and driven, she's not letting any man get in the way of her dreams. Not again.
That's fine with Luke McCormack. Divorced and hardly lacking in female company when he needs it, he's devoted to the only faithful companion in his life--his police dog. Still, there's something about Emma he can't shake.
When a series of local break-ins leaves Emma vulnerable, she seeks help from the first man to spark her desire in years. And now they're giving each other something they thought they'd lost forever...hope.
~~
I've been on the lookout for some new contemporary romances lately, and with a pretty glowing review from Dear Author, I figured Hope Flames would be a good place to start. And it was!
It has all the qualities of a nice, easy to digest, weekend read: a likeable main couple, empathetic supporting characters, and a plot with enough intrigue to keep you interested in what happens next. The actual relationship between Luke and Emma might not be all that unique, but the familiarity doesn't detract from their emotional connection. Both have been burned in the past and neither are able to easily overcome that - even with the possibility of life-long happiness in front of them.
There's a throw away villain near the end I could have done without, but I loved the connection to home, family, and pets in this book. And I'm definitely going to be checking out Hope Ignites in March!
Overall Feeling - B+
Series - 1) Hope Flames 2) Hope Ignites (March 25, 2014)
USA TODAY bestselling author Janice Maynard takes readers to a holiday hideaway in her new Billionaires and Babies book.
All business, all the time, is billionaire Leo Cavallo's motto. So two months of forced relaxation is certainly not the CEO's idea of a Christmas bonus. Then he meets his neighbor, the irresistible Phoebe Kemper, and a storm forces them to become roommates. Suddenly, the holidays are looking a whole lot brighter.
But beautiful Phoebe isn't living alone. She's babysitting her infant nephew. Somehow, playing temporary family is surprisingly appealing. But what will Leo choose when it's time to go home?
~~
Holiday serials tends to have a couple things going for them: a for sure happy ending and plenty of Christmas cheer while you get there. A Billionaire for Christmas is a bit different in that while you definitely get a satisfying happy ending, getting there things get a little dark.
Leo shows up at Phoebe's mountain cabin mostly involuntarily; he doesn't want a holiday away, health scare or no health scare, and no matter how picturesque things appear he'd just like to get back to business. Phoebe on the other hand has deliberately chosen to separate herself from the rest of society. She was burned - and burned hard - by a previous dedication to the bottom line and when Leo shows up and talks himself into a room in her home she's not sure what to do. Together both of them find ways to heal from their pasts, though I felt like Phoebe's reaction to Leo's health scare was a bit over the top. There's a lie of omission and then there's not talking about something because they don't want to talk about it - sometimes that's not personal.
All in all a good read and a nice addition to anyone's holiday roundup.
Overall Feeling - B+
Series - None
With a client list hotter than the Zubran desert, wedding planner Avery Scott shouldn't be surprised that her latest client is Crown Prince Malik of Zubran—the man who once lit her body on fire…before steamrollering over her heart.Determined to ignore Malik's lethal charm, Avery makes a very personal not-to-do list:
1. Not being Malik's intended, our relationship must remain 100 percent professional.
2. His arranged bride might have run away, but I mustn't distract him—for the kings of Zubran, duty always comes first.
3. However luxurious the Bedouin tent—and smoldering the tension—pride dictates the touch I crave stays strictly forbidden.
~~
I kind of can't believe I'm saying this, but Sarah Morgan made a really ridiculous premise work for me. Who, in all seriousness, goes out into the dessert with the man they still love to chase down their wayward fiance? I'm going to go out on a limb here and say no one, but somehow Avery Scott decides this is the best thing to do since her telling the other woman to face her fears now apparently makes her responsible for every subsequent dumb decision she makes.
Still, even with a wild set up like this, the dual viewpoints Morgan writes from, putting us in Mal's and Avery's heads, means that each person is more than just a caricature. Harlequin Presents as a series is renowned for starring Alpha-holes and even though Mal's actions seem to be heading in that direction, his pain and emotional turmoil made me sympathetic since so many of his decisions were impacted by circumstances outside his control.
In the end, while I didn't feel like Avery's big reveal was worth the all the build up, I could understand how her mother's cold upbringing would make her shy away from commitment. Ultimately the HEA between the two was both satisfying and heartfelt, which I think is how the best romances should be.
Overall Feeling - A
Series - None
Beauty is more than skin-deep…
Tattoo artist Raven Smith is blunt and hard, broken and jaded, dark and beautiful. While she doesn’t hide her painful past, she does keep a wall around her heart. She’s free sexually—but no one gets to the real Raven beneath the prickly exterior.
With a voice like smoke, Jonah Warner is a smooth-talking, highly successful attorney, with a body that should never be hidden by a suit. He’s the kind of man who never takes no for an answer and always gets what he wants. And what he wants is Raven. She’s a survivor, and he finds that incredibly alluring.
Jonah gets under her skin in a way Raven has never experienced. He makes her break all her rules—including her no-monogamy rule.
But when a figure from Raven’s past shows up at the tattoo parlor and drops a bomb into her life, their relationship will face the ultimate challenge…
~~
There's a lot of history before Drawn Together, mostly for those who've read the rest of the Brown series, and while it's probably not my favorite book of the bunch it's not a bad way to end things either. Raven is the wild child of this extended family and I almost feel like a bit of the rough edges that make her who she is were muted here - of course that could also be a result of her growing into her own which totally happens to people as time passes, and I'm just being a big whiner about it. [Shrug]. When she meets Jonah they click instantaneously, initially in the bedroom, but from that springs the beginning of a relationship Raven can't manage to squash.
I don't have any complaints or comments about their sexual antics, what people like is up to them and I think it defeats the purpose of the HEA to split hairs on whether things were BDSM enough, but I guess I'm just glad Raven had it as a touchstone. She's had an incredibly crappy life - that I wish had gotten more screen time - but like for us sometimes the characters in books don't get to have 100% perfect explanations for why things happened the way did. Sometimes bad things happen to good people and we just have to find ways to survive the aftermath, no neat answers to be had. As someone who feels probably overly attached to the Brown family after all these books, lol, it was nice to see everyone threaded through Raven's story and it was a good novel to say goodbye with.
Overall Feeling - B+
Series - ... 3) Inside Out 4) Never Enough 5) Drawn Together
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
*
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share
doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
"Let's just leave it at this - if you touch me again, I'm going to punch you so hard you lose a tooth or two. Trash like me doesn't take kindly to being manhandled by dried-up bitter bitches who wished they'd been able to fuck their way higher up the societal food chain."
--pg 144, Drawn Together by Lauren Dane
Party time? Nobody does it better than the Murphys and the Chases.
Lily and Nathan's wedding is just a few short weeks away, and the Murphys and Chases are doing their parties up right!
It's Friday, and the women head to the Pumphouse to celebrate with cocktails, cake, and laughter. The men They're at the Tonk for beers, wings, and trash talk.
Throw in party games, penis hats, and crazy-eyed ex-fiancées, and it's bound to be a night they'll be talking about for a long, long time.
~~
I really really love that Lauren Dane does these Visits to Petal vignettes. They're the perfect little look backs into the lives of characters that are just so damn likeable. Girls' Night Out is no different, and it's possibly even more hilarious than some of her full length titles since we spend a lot of the time talking about penis accessories, lol.
As a addendum to her Chase and Petal series it's great and I'm sad that she gets flack for releasing FREE SHORT STORIES to her audience (what the hell people - stop sucking).
Art student-slash-bike messenger Wren Davis pursues what she wants. And what she wants now is Gregori Ivanov, rock star of the Seattle art scene. With his tattoos, piercings and sensual sneer, Gregori is the ultimate bad boy. Wren’s gotten to know the man beneath the body art, too—and it only makes her crave him more.
But Gregori loves women like he loves cake and champagne—intensely, but only for the moment. And after Wren experiences just how scorching sex with Gregori is, she’s determined to show him that just one taste won’t be enough…
~~
I think in Cake I was finally able to pinpoint at least part of what makes Lauren Dane one of my favorite authors - her writing is incredibly visual, which makes each and every character 'real' in a way that few others can duplicate. Wren and Gregori could have been caricatures, especially him with his green mohawk and tattoos, but instead Dane has used her words to ensure that the reader can clearly grasp the outside and how that reflects on the inside.
In Cake we're introduced to two people who've been dancing around each other for a while; they've got a rhythm in their conversations and the flirtation meter is turned to HIGH pretty much every time. Still the fact that they're so comfortable with each other doesn't negatively effect the bedroom antics (when those happen) or the final emotional upheaval (which is necessary to get over some baggage). Dane has won me over again with an engaging short story showing characters who are mature enough to recognize the important people in their lives, but insecure enough to need some help towards that final HEA.
Overall Feeling - A
Series - None, Title available 9/17/13
*Title requested from NetGalley*
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Lucy Lang isn't looking for fireworks…
She's looking for a nice, decent man. Someone who'll mow the lawn, flip chicken on the barbecue, teach their future children to play soccer. But most important: someone who won't inspire the slightest stirring in her heart…or anywhere else. A young widow, Lucy can't risk that kind of loss again. But sharing her life with a cat named Fat Mikey and the Black Widows at the family bakery isn't enough either. So it's goodbye to Ethan, her hot but entirely inappropriate "friend with privileges," and hello to a man she can marry.
Too bad Ethan Mirabelli isn't going anywhere. As far as he's concerned, what she needs might be right under her nose. But can he convince her that the next best thing can really be forever?
~~
The Next Best Thing, checking out the author's website, was originally released in 2010 and I think while it's a decent entry in the contemporary romance field, it's not my favorite. Ultimately I think it suffers from a lack of POV switching, as the story is told first person by Lucy. It's limiting in that I spent a lot of my time confused as to why she was confused. Originally her desire to not have her heart broken again made sense, but as pages went by and she still refused to confront her kind of obvious feelings for Ethan, things started to get stale. Ethan starts to look more and more like the martyr because we're never able to understand things from inside his head (or heart).
Higgins recovers it in the end, as Lucy does an admirable amount of groveling to prove to Ethan that she finally understands that she married the wrong brother (brother of her deceased husband - as you can imagine, that's drama city too). I just wish that throughout the story we'd been able to hear more from Ethan about why Lucy was so deserving of his devotion.
Overall Feeling - C
Series - None
*Title requested from NetGalley*
Olivia Cunning delivers the perfect blend of steamy sex, heartwarming romance, and a wicked sense of humor in her wildly popular erotic romance series, The Sinners on Tour. Wicked Beat, fifth in this racy rock 'n' roll series, is the hottest yet.
From the moment he lays eyes on Sinners' new soundboard operator, drummer Eric Sticks is completely smitten. Rebekah Blake loves the uninhibited fun she's having and thrives on Eric's daring in the bedroom, but she's got good reasons for not committing. Through role play, voyeuristic games, and lots of sex talk, this pair of kinky lovers must overcome their inner demons to have the perfect relationship they both secretly desire.
~~
I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that Olivia Cunning is probably not for me. I really liked the premise of this story, and combined with all the good things I'd heard about this series in the blogosphere, I figured it'd be a slam dunk for sexy fun times with a HEA. Unfortunately I couldn't find it in me to really connect to either of these characters.
I'll try not to be spoilery, but Rebekah's focus on whether she was 'broken' or 'weird' came off as too whiney for me most of them and her initial antics with both Trey and Eric seemed destined for hurt feelings. The two find their way back to each other with some pretty hot help from Trey but then things just kept going - and going, and coming, and going until I just didn't understand why the story wasn't finished. I also felt like a couple of the most important supporting characters, Issac (Reb's ex-boyrfriend) and Rebekah's mom, weren't fully fleshed out as individuals nor their actions adequately addressed by the people they harmed.
I think for someone who's looking for a story where the bedroom antics come first and the rest of the story second, then this book would work for you, but personally it's not my style.
Overall Feeling - C-
Series - 1) Backstage Pass 2) Rock Hard 3) Hot Ticket 4) Wicked Beat 5) Double Time
*Title requested from NetGalley*
Kelly Maxwell has finally landed her dream job as publicist for the San Francisco Blaze. But the team's newest member, handsome bad boy catcher Matt Scanlon, is refusing every interview. She's got to get him to open up before the season ends, or she may not be back next year. And after everything she overcame to achieve her dream, Kelly's not about to let that happen.
Matt Scanlon just wants to be left alone to rebuild his life and his career. After a year of masking the pain of a recent loss with hard partying and fast women, he finally hit rock bottom and was traded to a team he's loathed his entire life—a team with little to no chance at the post-season.
Butting heads is getting Kelly and Matt nowhere but annoyed, and with the team's schedule on the road, they can't avoid close quarters—or their surprising attraction to one another. As the season winds down, Matt finds his growing feelings for Kelly have brought his numbed emotions back to life. But when betrayal shatters their fragile trust, winning it all seems more impossible than ever.
~~
I haven't read such a fun 'enemies to lovers' romance in a while - Kelly and Matt have reasons for their animosity, though I guess Kelly has a bit of a stronger case, so when they're forced back to face to face by work circumstances the sparks are immediate. Kelly isn't a woman who'll just back down from Matt's attitude - she gives as good as she gets and even when Matt starts to act like less of an asshole she still doesn't let him forget his past actions. Their relationship evolves very honestly, such that when kisses and sexy times start happening it doesn't feel inconsistent with who they are as individuals.
Balanced out by friends and family as interesting supporting characters, The Winning Season is a romance about redemption and overcoming the kind of emotional devastation that never really leaves you. I recommend it as a stand alone, because even when Kelly's sister has page time (the heroine from Love in the Afternoon) you don't really feel like you're missing anything.
Overall Feeling - B+
Series - 1) Love in the Afternoon 2) The Winning Season
*Title requested from NetGalley*
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Two people facing crossroads in their lives discover friendship and love in this touching novella by fan favorite Harlequin Superromance author Sarah Mayberry.
Leah Mathews has always been the good sister, the favored one who could do no wrong. But as her thirtieth birthday looms, she's ready to step out of her parents' shadow and make changes in her life. Shes even more inspired by the sexy musician who moves in next door and his seize-the-day attitude. And tempted to take comfort in his arms...
Will Jones is facing the prospect of losing the career he loves--and possibly his life--to a sudden illness. When he meets Leah, he feels a powerful connection to her, and flirting with a smart, beautiful woman seems like the perfect way to spend the weeks before his risky operation.
But as their relationship heats up, Leah still doesn't know the truth about Will's situation. Will their bond be strong enough to face the challenges yet to come?
~~
I've never read a book by Sarah Mayberry before but when Dear Author speaks highly of someone's work (and it's available for free on Amazon) I figure that it's good enough of a reason for me to try it - especially when it's a genre I already enjoy. Her Favorite Temptation is a fast, familiar read with two people who don't know quite what to do with their own lives or their sudden feelings for each other. It's one of those few titles where deliberate deceptions (a couple of them in fact) don't entirely derail the romance; there are very good reasons for why Will doesn't tell Leah exactly who he is and they work here. Leah is smart enough that even though she's hurt initially she's willing to listen to his reasons and ultimately be his rock when his mysterious illness starts to have real life effects.
It's a good all around heart-warming type of romance, and while I wouldn't say there are any big surprises the feelings between Leah and Will feel real and their HEA authentic to what they're both dealing with, health and family wise.
Overall Feeling - B
Series - 1) Her Favorite Temptation 2) Her Favorite Rival (Sept 2013)
100% Determined
Prince Demyan Zaretsky does whatever it takes to protect his country. So seducing Chanel Tanner will be easy. And marriage? An unfortunate side effect of duty. She unwittingly holds the economic stability of Volyarus in her hands...and he must secure it.
100% Devastating!
With his royal identity and intent disguised, Demyan sets about a ruthless seduction designed to make Chanel lose her mind with ecstasy. But when he discovers she is a virgin, he uncovers something in himself-a conscience. Now his plan takes a shocking turn-one this dark-hearted prince had never anticipated!
~~
You know, with a title like Prince of Secrets and a summary that makes Demyan sound like the more typical Harlequin alpha-hole, I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this one. I've read Monroe in the past and One Night Heir was good but wow - this book was really good. Like great, good.
Right from the beginning neither of these people were just stereotypes. Chanel might be named after a designer with her nose stuck to the microscope, but she's observant. She cares about what happens around her and when Demyan flirts with her she isn't overwhelmed by his attention - she's wary. Demyon could have been judgmental or consumed by the threat Chanel posed to Volyarus; instead, when he's bowled over by his own feelings for her, he becomes human for the readers and kind of also for himself. He unexpectedly ends up pushing for marriage to ensure his own happiness.
And this is a fantastic case where the whole is more than the sum of its parts, because Chanel and Demyan lift each other up, whether it's in bed or in front of their (at times) taxing families. Their HEA is believable and rocky enough to make think that since they've had to confront the depths of what they mean to each other here, they won't take it for granted later. Add in a bittersweet but heartwarming epilogue and you've got a winner.
Overall Feeling - A+
Series - 1) One Night Heir 2) Prince of Secrets
*Title requested from NetGalley*
