Book Review: Rebel by Victoria Purman

Book Description

Two people, who regret their missed chance, just might get another…

Sexy Australian pro surfer Cooper Malone lives his dreams on beaches all over the world. While surfing is his passion, he can’t quite suppress the longing for a permanent home with the one woman he let slip away.

World traveler Maggie MacLean first laid eyes on Cooper in a crowded bar on the island resort of Bali six years ago. The sparks and sizzle nearly scorched her bikini, but she never had a chance to explore that intense attraction. Later, when Maggie’s pregnant by a man who wants nothing to do with their child, she puts her passport away and heads home to California to be the best mom she can be.

But when a possible career ending injury sidelines Cooper from his beloved waves, he moves in with the one friend he’s been able to count on. Maggie and Cooper have ignored the burn of attraction for six years. Maggie’s not willing to risk their friendship or her son’s heartbreak when Cooper inevitably leaves to compete, but what if this time Cooper stays and Maggie allows their second chance at love to flame?

AVAILABLE: August 20, 2015

**I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

Maggie MacLean put away her passport and traveling spirit when she discovered she was pregnant and returned home in order to provide the best life she could for her son, Evan.  Her friend, pro surfer Cooper Malone, has been there for her and her son throughout the years, so when he has a potential career ending injury, Maggie has a chance to return the kindness and support he has continually shown her.   

The Rebel is a sweet friends-to-lovers story.  I felt it was lacking some sexual chemistry and tension between Maggie and Cooper.  The relationship between Cooper and Evan was again... sweet.  

Everything was just... sweet.

I don't understand "The Rebel" title.  There was no "rebel" quality I got from any of the characters.  The title just didn't work for this book for me.

Rating: 2 out of 5

Book Review: Bad Romance by Jen McLaughlin

Book Description
Seven years in the army will change a guy. But after a shoulder wound ends his career as a sniper, Jackson Worthington finds himself back home, fighting a battle that's all too familiar: keeping his hands off Lily Hastings. She's still her rich daddy's little angel, innocent, impossibly lovely, as squeaky-clean as Jackson is dirty. And she's still his stepsister—forbidden but not forgotten, not after the soul-melting kiss that got him kicked out of the house at eighteen. He couldn't resist her then. How the hell can he resist her now?

Lily is about to marry a man she doesn't love, and commit to a high-stress job she hates, all to please the father who controls every waking moment of her life. On top of everything, her teenage crush is back, with a sleek, chiseled body and a trace of the rebellious boy whose lips sealed her fate. Jackson's timing couldn't be worse . . . or better. Because Lily's all grown up, too. She's aching for another taste. And for the first time, she's ready to be a bad girl.
AVAILABLE: September 15, 2015
**I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**
Bad Romance was my first step-sibling romance book.  I've seen this theme all over the place lately and it has always just scrolled right past them.  I'm glad Bad Romance was my first one though... I enjoyed it.
Jackson and Lilly's parents were only married a few months before Jackson left to enlist in the Army and leave his controlling new stepfather behind.  But not before kissing 15 Lilly, the only person who was nice to him.  Jackson always felt more than Lilly, but the perception from their parents marriage wouldn't allow for anything more.
Seven years later, Jackson is back stateside, after an injury took him out of combat.  Jackson and Lilly run into each other at a bar, where Lilly is enjoying herself dancing.  From then on, these two fight the attraction they have for each other.  
I liked both Jackson and Lilly, though I wish Lilly stood up for herself more with her father.  She has (apparently her father signed a contract...) to marry a man she doesn't love all to save her father's company, so she only "offers" herself to Jackson till she gets married...
Rating: 4 out of 5

Book Review: Following Her by Melody Anne

Book Description
The newest sexy e-novella in the Unexpected Heroes series by New York Times bestselling author Melody Anne!

Ella was a woman Axel wouldn’t mind shadowing day and night—especially night.

Ella Brooks is strong-willed, independent, and stubborn, and when she hears something she’s not supposed to about her shady boyfriend, her safety is at risk. Much to her dismay, her cousin sends FBI Agent Axel Carlson to keep an eye on her. Ella’s determined to resist the infuriatingly sexy bodyguard—she can take care of herself!—but she soon discovers that beneath the six-pack abs and amazing biceps lies an equally amazing heart. But will a mysterious threat keep them from finding their happily ever after?
AVAILABLE: September 14, 2015
**I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.** Following Her is a short, sexy story that has the feel of a full length novel.
Ella Brooks is a young, strong-willed lawyer that heard something about her boyfriend/boss that she shouldn't of and now is in trouble.  With the trial of her ex boss/boyfriend getting closer, her cousin send Axel Carlson, a FBI agent that is on a much-needed vacation.  Axel is instanstly attracted to the independent, fiesty Ella, but the more time he spends with her, the more he admires her courage and determination to see this through. 
RATING: 4 out of 5

Book Review: Slate ( Breaking the Declan Brothers #2) by Kelly Gendron

Book Description

First loves, we all got them. Mine is Slate Declan. He was kind, gentle, and caring. Still, he managed to break my heart. So I put miles between us, and eventually, my heart healed.

I haven't seen Slate in years, but a couple friends and I are going back to the Bayou for the summer. While I'm visiting my hometown, I'm going to look up Slate Declan. And I plan to break his heart, just as he did mine. I'll remind him of what he has lost, and then I'll prove to him that I've moved on.

It should be real easy, right?

Well, let me tell you, Slate Declan is not the same guy that I left behind. And there's another problem. How do you break someone's heart when they no longer have one?

AVAILABLE: August 3, 2015

**I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

This book made me physically uncomfortable.  I think it glossed over addiction and the work that needs to be done to fight it and stay sober.  The detox process in this book just rubbed me the wrong way. It creeped me out and I actually almost stopped reading. 

I thought it was disrespectful to those that have fought addiction to make it seem that after three days of detox (which he didn't even do because he had a stash in the den somewhere) his urges seemed to be completely under control.  I mean he had no therapy, treatment, nothing.

The sex was manipulative and degrading to me.  I mean Slate has to "punish" her by smacking her ass after his "three day detox" and "fuck her hard".  Ugh. No. Stop it. I didn't like Slate or Rayna for actually agreeing to this crap.

No. 

Just no.

Rating: 1 out of 5 (I would give it a ZERO if I could...)

Book Review: Claimed by the Warrior by

Book Description

Bad boy Jed Hamilton is ex-special Forces and a current undercover recovery agent who's mentally and physically tough, a lone wolf and, above all, violently allergic to commitment, permanence, and anything wedding related. 

So when he learns, in the very sexy McKenna Dixon’s bridal salon, that his younger sister is getting married and wants him to be her “man of honor”, Jed wishes he was anywhere but in Cape Town. Especially now that he'll be spending more time around the one woman who makes him consider perilous phrases like “what if” and “maybe”… 

McKenna Dixon loves bad boys, but her past experience with the species has led to nothing but pain and heartbreak. Jed Hamilton is exactly the type of man she should avoid, but when a nasty incident threatens her and her daughter, Jed immediately appoints himself as their protector, even though it’s not a part of his job description.

McKenna is determined not to allow another bad boy to flip her life inside out, and Jed is determined to retain his bachelor status and to keep travelling and working. But, as they both discover, love does its best work when they are busy making other plans…

AVAILABLE: September 10, 2015

**I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review**

Jed Hamilton is summoned home by his little sister.  Unbeknownst to him, their meeting place is a bridal salon, a place that would have avoided like the plague, until he gets a good look at it's owner, McKenna Dixon.  From the instant he saw McKenna he wants her, but McKenna has been burned twice before by bad boys and she has her adorable daughter to care for now.  McKenna doesn't have time for the inevitable pain and heartbreak that follows.

However, when McKenna's stalker seems to escalate, Jeb is determined to protect McKenna and Daisy from the danger.  And what was supposed to be only a one-time thing has been leaving Jeb thinking of a future of "what-ifs" and "maybes".  But can he put aside his past and dangerous job to allow himself to be open to love?     

Rating: 4 out of 5

Book Review: Making A Play by Victoria Denault

Book Description

He'll do whatever it takes to win--on and off the ice.

Luc Richard is the hottest player in the NHL--and it has nothing to do with hockey. His racy relationship with his supermodel ex set the tabloids on fire but nearly put his career on ice. To avoid being traded, Luc agrees to take a break from the spotlight--and from women--and spend the off-season at home in Silver Bay, Maine. It's the perfect plan... until he reconnects with Rose.

Rose Caplan is tired of being shy, sweet, and safe. She's ready for passion, romance--and Luc. Having loved him longer than she can remember, she's finally ready to prove she's not the same innocent little girl he once knew. Off the ice Luc doesn't do games, but this new Rose makes him feel like playing a little dirty. If he's really got a shot at her heart then he's not just playing to win. He's playing for keeps.

AVAILABLE: September 8, 2015

A Hometown Players Series:

One More Shot - Jordan and Jessie

Making a Play (Available September 8, 2015) - Luc and Rose

The Final Move (Available December, 2015) 

**I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review**

This is the first book I've read by Victoria Denault and it won't be my last.  I really enjoyed her writing style and how Luc and Rose's story evolved.  

Luc and Rose have been friends since they were teenagers.  Rose has always had a crush on Luc.  Luc always knew how Rose felt and enjoyed her feelings for him, even if he never acted on them because she was his "little Rosie" and believed she deserved better than him.

Fastfoward several years later, Luc is home in Silver Bay, Maine for the offseason and Rose is trying to decide if she wants to go to gradschool.  Rose is determined to get Luc to notice her as a grown woman and not someone who needs looking after anymore.  But after a disaster of a "relationship" with a up-and-coming model and his career with the Vegas Vipers is in jeopardy for the negative tabloid attention, Luc's goal this summer is to lay low anf focus on hockey.

Will Rose be able to show Luc that she is all grown up and can Luc find balance between hockey and a possible happily-ever-after!?

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 

Book Review: Pursued by the Devil by Carole Mortimer

Book Description
Mikhail Lysenko, a tall, dark, and deadly corporate shark, is buying up ailing companies during the financial crisis worldwide, cherry-picking the best parts, and disposing of the dead wood.


Lindsay Carlisle is a sexy, long-legged, ruthless lawyer whose client is determined to hold out against a Lysenko take-over.

And when Mikhail’s laser business focus hones in on Lindsay and becomes personal, very personal, she doesn’t know whether his interest is genuine or a means of undermining her client’s case. Regardless, there’s no way she’s going to be added to the list of women who’ve jumped into the sexy millionaire’s bed. Trying to resist Mikhail and keep work her priority is more than enough to deal with, but then someone begins anonymously sending Lindsay roses… black roses. As a love token? Or something more sinister? She may have to run into Mikail’s arms and allow him to save her from her secret admirer…
AVAILABLE: September 3, 2015
**I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**
This book was REALLY short...  I think it took me a little over an hour to finish.  It was also really predictable, which made it boring.  There was also an excessive use of exlamation points when I didn't feel they were needed or even warranted in simple conversations.   
This is my first book by Carole Mortimer, and to be honest, I won't be looking up other books written by her...
Rating: 1 out of 5

Book Review: Hanover House by Brenda Novak

                                           

Book Description

Welcome to Hanover House…. 

Psychiatrist Evelyn Talbot has dedicated her life to solving the mysteries of the antisocial mind. Why do psychopaths act as they do? How do they come to be? Why don’t they feel any remorse for the suffering they cause? And are there better ways of spotting and stopping them?

After having been kidnapped, tortured and left for dead when she was just a teenager—by her high school boyfriend—she’s determined to understand how someone she trusted so much could turn on her. So she’s established a revolutionary new medical health center in the remote town of Hilltop, Alaska, where she studies the worst of the worst. 

But not everyone in Hilltop is excited to have Hanover House and its many serial killers in the area. Alaskan State Trooper, Sergeant Amarok, is one of them. And yet he can’t help feeling bad about what Evelyn has been through. He’s even attracted to her. Which is partly why he worries.

He knows what could happen if only one little thing goes wrong..

AVAILABLE: September 1, 2015

**I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

Welcome to the start of the Hanover House Chronicles, located in Hilltop, Alaska, where Dr. Evelyn Talbot is on a (personal) mission to understand what makes psychopaths tick.

Hanover House is the project of psychiatrist Evelyn Talbot, where the worst of the worst antisocial minds will be chosen to be studied and evaluated.  But not all the residents of Hilltop, Alaska are thrilled with the idea of killers being in their backyard, even if that means in enflux of jobs and federal funding in the small town.  One of those opposed is State Alaskan Trooper Benjamin Murphy, a.k.a Sergeant Amarok.

However, quite quickly, Amarok discovers that Evelyn isn't the cold, stuck up woman he believed her to be, but a gun-shy woman deeply damaged from her high school boyfriend that murdered her three best friends AND kidnapped and tortured Evelyn for three days before she could escape.

Hanover House is a quick read to get readers ready for Book 1, Whiteout, that is due to be released in September 2016.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Book Review: Here All Along by Crista McHugh

Description

Can best friends become lovers while the cameras are rolling? 

Movie star Gideon Kelly has always harbored a secret crush for his long-time friend and assistant, Sarah. One sizzling kiss is enough to convince him she’s the only woman for him, and he’ll do anything to prove to her they have all the makings of an epic Hollywood romance. 

Sarah Holtz rose to stardom as a child only to crash and burn in her late teen years. Gideon was there to help put the pieces of her life back together, and she now relishes her life far away from the paparazzi flashes. Her need for privacy is the one thing holding her back from exploring something more with him. When a video of their kiss goes viral, she’s left wondering if he’s worth the risk of stepping back into the spotlight to become his leading lady. 

Available: August 25, 2015

**I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

This was my first book by Crista McHugh and (obviously) my first in the Kelly Brothers series. So, I can honestly say, this book can be read alone without having to read the previous six books in this series.

All that being said... I absolutly loved this book.  I really felt for Sarah and her struggles with attention.  She absolutly doesn't want to go back to the place she was in about three years ago.  And while she has always had feelings in some way for her best friend Gideon and knows how much he has been there and supported her since, she feels that she needs to distance herself from him so she can fully get past her past.

Gideon sees Sarah pulling away from him and he is desperate to show her what they could be together.  While working on his next movie in Vegas, Gideon's co-star helps him come up with a plan to get her to acknowledge their mutual attraction and feelings for each other.  Gideon asks Sarah to help rehearse a scene with him (that involves a nice kiss at the end).  

When a video of their steamy kiss makes it way on Youtube, Sarah's carefully hidden world comes crashing around her.  But will she be willing to let Gideon be there for her again, or will his "plan" come back to bite him in the ass?!

Rating: 5 out of 5

Book Review: Blackmailed by the Hero by Julia Particka

Book Description

Party planner Vicky Stone is on a post-divorce mission. Not only does she intend to land her dream promotion, she’s going to indulge in a night of hot hook-up sex. Preferably with the hunky actor she just met at a work function, no-fraternization rules be damned. Fortunately, his drunken directions included a right that should have been a left, landing her in bed with her brother's extra-hot, extra-off-limits best friend instead of the unemployment line.

And, oh, he feels good. Too good.

Bad boy Dante Palladino’s forbidden fantasies are about to come true…until Vicky realizes who she’s feeling up. And to find out she risked her job for sex with some loser? Not on his watch. Dante throws down the ultimate, albeit self-serving, blackmail. Vicky will date him—and only him—and her secret will be safe. But Vicky swore never to fall for another guy who could break her heart...and Dante’s on course to do just that.

AVAILABLE: August 11, 2015

**I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

Vicky Stone didn't think sneaking into the wrong room to hook up with an actor after a work function could get bad enough until she realizes who's room she snuck into: Dante Palladino, her brother's best friend.  Dante has had a thing for Vicky of over five years, but when he first met her she was getting ready to marry another man.  So when he wakes up to a naked Vicky, he's all for taking what she is offering, that is.. until Vicky realizes who it is she is feeling up.  Completely embarassed and scared Dante will rat her out to her boss and get her fired, Vicky asks him to help her sneak out of the house.

The next morning, she realizes that she left her work ID card in Dante's room.  Forced to contact him and ask for another favor, Dante takes advantage to get Vicky to go out with him (and to stay away from the man she was supposed to be hooking up with).  I mean, what's a little blackmail between friends?!  And really, if Vicky had told him to go to hell and to f*** off, he would of just given her her ID back and gone on with his day.  But she didn't and he intends to show her he is more than his bad boy reputation.

Dante was probably one of my favorite heros I've read in a while.  He really cares about Vicky and sets out to show her, not just get her into his bed.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Book Review: Coveted by Alannah Lynne

Book Description:
She’s his heaven and his hell… 

Muriel Stewart has spent the past year grieving the loss of her husband. Now that time has passed, her inner submissive demands Muriel find a new relationship to fulfill her need to love and serve. But there’s only one man who makes Muriel yearn for the intimate Dom/submissive connection the way her husband did, and that’s his best friend, Mathew Galinda … a man who can barely tolerate her presence. 

Matthew Galinda buried his own heart and needs the day Muriel Stewart married his best friend and business partner. He’s spent the past eleven years keeping Muriel at a distance, tortured by his love for a woman he could never have, and filled with shame for coveting what wasn’t and would never be his. Not even his best friend’s unexpected death could change that fact. Until Muriel decides she’s ready for a new Dom and wants Matthew to fill that role. 

Having Muriel in his life is all Mathew has ever wanted. She’s his heaven and his hell, and could be his salvation if he can get beyond his past, his shame, and the guilt he feels for not having saved Ian’s life.
Available: August 13, 2015
I enjoyed Coveted, the first book in Alannah Lynne's new Pandora Playground series.  I enjoyed watching Muriel and Mathew's relationship evolve; however, I just thought this book ended rather abruptly.  One page Mathew is just starting to come to terms with having Muriel become a permant part of his life, then the next page they are living together and he (kinda) proposes...  For me, the ending left a lot to be desired.
But other than the (rushed) ending, I enjoyed their story.  If you are concerned about the BSDM aspect of this book, it is not extreme or UBER kinky.  I've read some books that made me uncomfortable and had to stop reading, but Coveted was nothing like that.
**I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review** Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Book Review: Recipe for Temptation by Gina Gordon

             

Book Description

She’s the woman he loves to hate.

Penn Foster wants a lot of things. She wants a spot on the board of a charitable foundation. She wants to win the stupid, plastic family trophy. And more than anything, she wants her tall, hot, and brooding boss naked in her bed. Now, on a Hawaiian vacation with her family, she’s desperately trying not to think about how he’d sound whispering dirty things in her ear.

He’s the man she can’t have…or can she?

Cole Murphy keeps himself locked down, away from the press and out of the spotlight. Still haunted by a traumatic childhood, his ability to trust has been decimated. Penn, with her sexy body and confidence, is the only person able to drag him out of his shell. Which is why he crashes her vacation and accepts her proposition for no-strings sex. But is the inescapable heat building between them a delicious temptation, or will it end in total disaster?

AVAILABLE: August 11, 2015

**I received an ARC from NETGALLEY in exchange for an honest review**

This was my first book that I've read by Gina Gordon and this most definitely won't be my last.  Recipe for Temptation was a great, sexy day read.  I really enjoyed reading about Penn and Cole, and how their relationship shifted from harmless flirting at work by Penn to a really intense sexual relationship that pushed Cole's boundaries (in a good way).  

I ABSOLUTELY loved Penn.  She was a woman who knew what she wanted (in and out of bed) and wasn't afraid to say it... except to her family.  She hid her true self from her family for fear of disappointing them. Cole pushed Penn to show them her true, wonderful self.

And Cole... man.  He is a guy that had a pretty crappy childhood that left him a very private and shy (for a lack of a better word) man.  But being with Penn is showing him that it is okay to dirty talk and voice what he wants.  

Recipe for Temptation is a perfect opposites attract story!!

Rating: 5 out of 5