ARC REVIEW Dangerous Desires by Dawn Altieri

Killer Instincts #1, To me the book was okay, there was nothing really wrong with it but I had a hard time keeping my attention focused on the book. I liked the characters okay and the story was interesting enough, even if it was really predictable. I do enjoy the bodyguard trope and the whole forbidden romance that goes with it but this one missed the mark with me.

Three years ago Emma lost her fiance to a hit and run accident and they never caught the person, now Emma is trying to start over with her best friend nudging her to start dating again. Emma is assaulted outside her apartment luckily her neighbor intervened and scared the guy away. Later that night a woman was murdered who looked like Emma. Detective Jake Quinn was a rookie detective on Emma's fiancee's hit and run he's never stopped thinking about her. He's lead detective on this most recent murder and when Emma reports the attack Jake doesn't think it's a coincidence. Even before he had department approval he starts protecting her. But this killer is escalating he's sending messages to Emma and calling her and views Jake as a threat. Emma hasn't felt this way about anybody since her fiance, Jake has awaken a desire in her she forgot she had and now with the threat on her head they both have to fight the desire raging between them or it could risk Jake his career and the case.

Overall, the book had its moments. It's not one of my favorites but it wasn't horrible either it was a decent read and I would read more by this author mostly because I don't judge an author by a single book.   

ARC REVIEW Malfunction by Nina Croft

Dark Desires Origins #1, Damn Good Sci-fi Romance! Which I'm not surprised I love her Beyond Human series and with this being the prequel to the Dark Desires series I really need to get all of those and read them. I thoroughly enjoy Nina Croft's writing, her books are immersive they pull you in and don't let go and this one is no different.

The Earth was dying, with twenty-four ships big enough to hold ten thousand people each there was a lottery the winners were the lucky ones, or as they were called "The Chosen Ones" they set off to find a new home. The crews were big enough to man each ship in fifty year rotations and their family got a free pass and an army. But after five hundred years supplies are running short and they still haven't found a new planet and now a "malfunction" is causing cryotubes to fail suffocating the person inside.

Logan Farrell is with the army his current assignment had him with the MPs and that's what they need an investigator, to make sure the failure of the cryotubes was just a malfunction. Well the Captain of the second ship doesn't quite trust the higher ups and wakes up his friend Katia Mendoza a detective with the London Police, or at least she was before they left Earth, to help investigate. Rico the captain of the second ship has his own reasons for putting in his own person on the case, he can't afford everyone to know the truth about his ship. The truth that a good portion of "The Chosen Ones" who were suppose to be on his ship were left behind and replaced by his own people, his own supernatural kind including Katia.

Together Logan and Katia try and find out who is behind the sabotage but with every step closer they get they have a new near death experience that just brings them closer and closer together. The chemistry between them is instant and hot, every spare moment they have is together. But what will Logan think when he finds out not everyone is human? 

Overall, I loved this book. The characters, the situation, humor, romance , hot hot (not limited to the bedroom) scenes. I inhaled this book and I want more!

ARC REVIEW About an Earl by Diana Lloyd

What Happens in the Ballroom #2, A delightful retelling of a tale as old as time, truly I never get tired of Beauty and the Beast trope (is it technically a trope). New author to me and as a second story in the series it can be read as a standalone. I love Jewel and Oliver. Jewel is a colonist her father sent her to her aunt, his sister, to be safe during this upcoming war. When Jewel foils her aunt and uncles plan to trick the Earl of Whichcombe into marrying one of their daughters they try to send her off to Scotland. Oliver is grateful to the beauty that saved both him and/or his twin brother from a forced marriage, so grateful he kisses her unfortunately in walks her cousin and aunt and very loudly announce that Lord scar has ruined Jewel. After thinking about it Oliver decides he will do the right thing and marry Jewel but her uncle has already sent her off. That doesn't stop him though he tracks her down and after procuring a lady's maid/chaperone he whisks her off to his country estate.

Oliver's claim to his title is challenged, his scar makes people think he's in league with satan and that he's crazy, Jewel thinks she's helping when she declares herself his fiancee. While Oliver tries to get all his contacts and acquaintances to help prove he's not insane together Jewel tries to figure out the purpose of her uncle's scheme and why he's trying to steal her money. Together Oliver and Jewel make a great team they have wonderful chemistry between them. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this story it was well written with fantastic characters and a tangled web of deceit that Oliver and Jewel manage to work their way through to get to their HEA. 

ARC REVIEW Cowboy Courage by Carolyn Brown

Longhorn Canyon #6, Yay! It's Hud finally. A second chance romance. Rose, Hud's middle school crush, shows up in town to help her great aunt run her B&B and gift shop while she's on vacation with the Fab 5. Rose is at a crossroads in her life right now she can either re-up in the Army or do something else with her life as long as it's not going back to her family in the commune. One thing she knows for sure she's not going to make a decision based solely on a guy, not even a guy she's never stopped thinking about since she left without saying goodbye. Hud knows it's her choice whether to stay or not and seeing how there is not a opportunities for a multilingual language specialist he's worried he's going to lose her before they even get the chance.

In a funny Murphy's Law sort of way Rose and Hud are pushed to their limits. Both Rose and Hud have to face some truths before they can finally admit their feelings but when they do nothing will keep them apart not even a tornado in January. I really enjoyed this book. I loved Hud and Rose. I would love to see more of Great Aunt Luna she's my kind gal. Overall, this is a fun read Hud is a real sweetheart and Rose is a bright head strong woman  who picks her battles wisely. I am really looking forward to Pax's story next.

  

ARC REVIEW Hero's Haven by Rebecca Zanetti

Dark Protectors #11, The story of the seven continue on, it is best if you start at the beginning or at least Vampire's Faith (#8) which is the start of this story arc. When we last saw Quade his world was on the brink of collapse, Haven a special woman who has the ability to travel to other worlds in her dreams has seen Quade, talked to him. Haven doesn't always have control of where she goes but she was lucky enough to get to Quade before his world collapsed and somehow brought him back with her. Quade is thrust in to modern times and unlike his brother who had the help of Siri to adjust Quade is figuring this out on his own with Haven's help, his favorite thing is toothpaste.

On the run from human police and the Kurjian are the least of their problems when Haven's past finds her and tries it's best to take her way from Quade with the help a creepy shifter. But that's just the beginning. The Kurjian and the Cyst are still hot on the Seven's tail and the big bad is closer than ever to breaking free and it's up to Haven to stop it from happening.

The romance between Quade and Haven starts really nice, they have great chemistry but once it gets to the whole have to mate to protect her I lose interest, normally I love oblivious guys but Quade is just being too stubborn for his own good and it gets tiresome. The ending was brilliant though, I really liked how this one ended.

Overall, out of this new story arc this is definitely one of my favorites. It was action-packed and exciting from cover to cover. And Finally Grace and Adare's book is going to be next, well after the novella.   

BLOG TOUR EXCERPT and GIVEAWAY Almost Just Friends by Jill Shavis

ABOUT ALMOST JUST FRIENDS (a standalone Wildstone novel)

Piper Manning’s about as tough as they come, she’s had to be. She raised her siblings and they’ve thankfully flown the coop. All she has to do is finish fixing up the lake house her grandparents left her, sell it, and then she’s free.

When a massive storm hits, she runs into a tall, dark and brooding stranger, Camden Reid. There’s a spark there, one that shocks her. Surprising her further, her sister and brother return, each of them holding their own secrets. The smart move would be for Piper to ignore them all but Cam unleashes emotions deep inside of her that she can’t deny, making her yearn for something she doesn’t understand. And her siblings…well, they need each other.

Only when the secrets come out, it changes everything Piper thinks she knows about her family, herself…and Cam. Can she find a way to outrun the demons? The answer is closer than she thinks—just as the new life she craves may have already begun.

BUY LINKS for ALMOST JUST FRIENDS:

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Book four of the series but is completely a standalone. Piper has spend part of her childhood and young adult life raising her two siblings. Now that they are out of the house and living their own life she wants to fix up the house sell it and continue on with her education to become a Physician's Assistant. But on her birthday her sister comes home unexpectedly and her brother soon after and both say are home for good for reasons they won't explain. Piper can feel herself slipping back into her old role but with the help of her new neighbor, Cam, she just might be able keep from becoming a mother hen again and become their sister and friend. But it's easier said than done especially when her siblings are hiding something from her. That's only part of the problem, Cam has waken a desire in her she has never felt before and knowing he plans to leave soon she tries to keep her heart out of the equation. Cam is trying to build a relationship with his father after the death of his brother and Piper is a good distraction. He knows as soon as he meets her that she is something special and the more he knows the more he wants her in his life.

Overall, it was a good read Cam was sweet and together things got pretty steamy. The story is emotional and funny at times. The two siblings are a hoot along with Cam's Dad. It's a heartwarming story of three siblings trying to find their path in life and learning it doesn't always go as planned even though you wrote it in your bullet journal. 

   

The last time a woman had ordered Cam to strip had been a very different scene altogether, and it’d been a while. Generally speaking, he liked to be behind the wheel in most situations, but he’d never had any complaints about a woman driving in his bed. “Interesting bedside manner.”
“Okay,” she said. “How about strip, please.”
He laughed, and he realized that until tonight, it’d been a damn long time for that too. “Well, since you asked so nicely . . .” But still he hesitated.
“Trust me, I’ve seen it all before.”
He pulled off his shirt, wincing when the cotton stuck to the deepest slice across his chest.
Piper blinked, and for the first time all night, appeared short of words.
It was pretty damn cute, especially with the mud on her nose. “Thought you’ve seen it all before.” She bit her lower lip, eyes suddenly hooded, and he couldn’t resist teasing her. “So, how do I stack up?”
That got her, and she rolled her eyes. “Like you don’t know. Sit.”
The couch seemed too . . . personal, so he sat on her coffee table. She dropped to her knees at his side and doctored up first the cut on his left palm from where he’d nicked himself in his dad’s kitchen, and then the two slices on his left biceps, and then the biggest one across his chest, during which time he did his best to ignore the feel of her soft breath on his skin and failed.
When she’d finished, she looked down at his cargoes and saw the blood seeping through from his thigh. Rising to her feet, she stepped back, gesturing for him to lose the pants too.
“Seriously,” he said. “Doesn’t even have to be dinner. An appetizer would work.”
“If you’re real good, I’ll give you a sticker.”
“How about letting me look at your secret secret bucket list instead?”
Her eyes narrowed. “How about we stop talking now?”
“Wait.” He cocked his head. “Does this mean you also have a secret bucket list? And possibly a not-so- secret bucket list?” 
She had hands on hips; a fresh, clean gauze in one hand, antibiotic ointment in the other, her expression dialed to Not Feeling Playful.
With a rough laugh, he stood and took the gauze and ointment from her. “I got this one, Doc.” And then he gestured for her to turn around.
She did with a smirk, and then spoke over her shoulder. “Didn’t peg you for the shy type.”
“Oh, I’m not shy.” He shoved his icy, muddy, wet cargoes to his thighs, and yeah, the cat had come within two inches of de-manning him. “Just didn’t want to have to fight you off.”
“Don’t worry,” she said. “I always get verbal consent first. And I bet you didn’t want me to see your tighty-whities.”
He gritted his teeth as he cleaned out the cut. Son of a bitch, that cat had gone deep. “They’re not tight and they’re not white.”
“Batman undies?”
“Commando,” he said, and that shut her up. When he’d finished and pulled his pants back up, he lifted his head and found her facing him. His brows went up. “See anything you like?”
Instead of answering, she blushed. And he grinned because, yeah. She’d definitely seen something she liked.

From Almost Just Friends by Jill Shalvis, published by William Morrow. Copyright © 2020 by Jill Shalvis. Reprinted courtesy of HarperCollinsPublishers https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062897800/almost-just-friends/

William Morrow are GIVING AWAY a copy of this book to enter it's easy just comment on my blog here or my Book likes page, my Facebook page, or my Instagram and on Jan 31st I'll pick a winner. Comments in each places will count as individual entries.

(fine print: I am only responsible for picking the winner WM is fulfilling the prize, the winner must supply snail mail address to me and I share it with no one except the person at WM who will mail it UPS. Open to US and Canada)

ABOUT JILL SHALVIS

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website, www.jillshalvis.com, for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

Connect with Jill

Website: http://jillshalvis.com/

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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22370.Jill_Shalvis

ARC REVIEW Texas Reckless by Gerry Bartlett

Lone Star Suspense #3, Only connected through characters each book in this series is a stand alone. Rhett Hall came to Texas to check on his sister and decided to stay a while hoping to find some inspiration for his next book. Unfortunately the tattoo artist he had been seeing breaks it off with him, in a bad mood with a need to just drive to see more of Texas so he rents a car and does just that. But somewhere outside Austin a ways driving way to fast he hits a deer and wrecks his rental and ends up in the middle of a mystery surrounding a ranch and it's beautiful owner.

Sierra MacKenzie has enough issues with her ranch she doesn't need some city slicker coming in and making her feel all gooey inside like Rhett does. She shouldn't be trusting him as easily as she does but something about him is trustworthy and he's proven he can be. Someone has been cutting her fencing, poisoning her cattle, and now they burned down her horse barn. She knows the company who wants to build a huge development on her land so they can have highway access is behind it all she just can't prove it. But after the horse barn she calls in her hot shot attorney brother and between the three of them they can figure out what's going on and who, local, is behind all the incidents and hopefully tie it all to the big developer. Meanwhile the chemistry between Sierra and Rhett runs hot, and they both give into to temptation.

Overall, it was a fantastic read. It was an exciting non stop page turning story that had me hooked from the beginning. I loved the characters and the situation they found themselves in and how they got out of it. I kind of hope Dylan MacKenzie gets a book now.     

ARC REVIEW The Intended Victim by Alexandra Ivy

The Agency #4, A standalone, the main characters in this one is brother to the main character in the previous book but that is where the connection ends. Ash Marcel was a Chicago PD Detective until his partner mysteriously disappeared, with the amount of blood left at the scene they all assumed he was dead, and his relationship to his partner's daughter/fiancee ended, now he's a professor. Five years ago Chicago was plagued by a serial killer the press named The Butcher, but after an unsuccessful attack on Remi Walsh and the disappearance/death of her father the murders stopped. Remi was never the same after that. Now, five years later Ash's brother Chicago PD Detective Jax Marcel walks into this classroom telling him The Butcher is back and Remi is dead, only it's not Remi she just looks almost identical to her.

Ash knows it's only a matter of time before The Butcher goes after Remi again and figures he's the best person to protect her. Not just because she's in danger and she's the daughter of his old partner but because he still loves her. Remi still loves Ash also but she's worried things won't go back to the way they were. As Ash and Remi dig into the old files and try to figure out what they missed all those years ago Jax investigates the recent murders.

Overall, it was a great read. It was an intense and interesting read with a good mystery and a nice second chance romance. I really liked Ash and Remi they are a good pair. I do hope Jax is next to get his own story.     

ARC REVIEW Instacrush by Kate Meader

Rookie Rebels #2, It was kind hard not to have a crush on Super Glutes Theo Kershaw. From his outgoing personality to his comeback career, Theo is a loveable guy. He's the kind of guy who likes making other people smile and he loves to connect with his fans. Elle Butler is pretty much in limbo after getting out of the Army, she's learned to keep people at a distance. Elle loves her family but she doesn't like them very much, except maybe her sister but there are things in her past better left forgotten. Staying with her old Army buddy Levi is just temporary until she figures out what she wants to do, it doesn't help that Levi's neighbor is the incredibly sexy, irritatingly friendly Theo but she can't help but watch his live Instagram posts. As sexy as Theo is Elle still gets annoyed with him, or maybe it's because she finds him so sexy and friendly that pisses her off but over Christmas one thing lead to another and they spend the weekend in bed together.

Theo thinks Elle is special, he has even told his grandmother about her but Elle keeps her distance. Even after they find out she's pregnant with his kid she tries to keep him at arms distance. Theo thinks she's ashamed of him but she's doing it for his own protection, protection from her family. Elle's not the only one with family drama Theo's birth father has been trying to reconnect but Theo is not sure he's worth the effort especially when his father's family paid his mom off. Theo and Elle have a lot to work out between his family and her and their feeling for each other.

Overall, I loved Theo and Elle. Kate Meader has yet to write a book I didn't enjoy. Her style is so much fun to read, with the right amount of angst balanced with humor and romance and some pretty steamy scenes between Theo and Elle it was such a great read. It was nice to catch up of some of the older Rebels and all the hints at the next books and their sexy Rebels.

ARC REVIEW A Valentine Proposal by Viv Royce

Little Shops on Heart Street #2, This standalone story is a cute read, it is a bit of fluff and I don't mind that every now and then. I wish there was just a bit more to the actual story.

Cleo spent most of he life doing what her parents told her to do. Get good grades, go to law school, become a lawyer but Cleo always knew she was missing something. She wanted more from her life than that and while on vacation she found a perfect town with a bookstore that called to her. Cleo has been there ever since, much to her parents dismay. Only now the current owner needs to sell and Cleo can't buy it on her own but the big bookstore, Stephen's, can. Now Cleo is worried that the uniqueness of the shop is going to get gobbled up by corporate cookie cutter store.

Mark works for his Dad as risk assessment, he goes out and evaluates all the future locations for the Stephen's bookstore and sees if the location and the business is worth the risk. When Mark first walks into Cleo's bookstore he notices all the things that are going to have to change, Cleo on the other hand tells him he's wrong. There are some Valentine's Day activities she has planned with the town that she invites him to to prove it's not just about the bottom line but about knowing your customers and neighbors.

Overall, it's short and sweet. The chemistry between them is strong but I still wish there was a bit more to it.   

ARC REVIEW My One and Only Cowboy by A.J. Pine

Meadow Valley Ranch #1, A nice start to the series. A.J. Pine delivers yet another wonderful story. Sam Callahan his younger brother Ben and their friend Colt all chipped in and bought Meadow Valley Ranch a sort of B&B Ranch. Sam and Ben choose Meadow Valley, California because the close proximity to their Dad's care facility. After two years they are still trying to get into the black when Delaney Harper shows up saying her ex-husband forged her signature and sold the ranch without her permission. Delaney wasn't going to leave town until this got figured out but with the whole town being shut down for the festival she was stuck for over a week and then she crashed her car and ended up stranded at the ranch. Sam who was fascinated with her from the start offers that she stay at the ranch, not one to take advantage she offers to work in exchange. No stranger to hard work Delaney starts right in and she offers help with advertising at the festival she was able to give the guys ideas they hadn't thought of yet. Delaney is no stranger to the hospitality business either after growing up in her parents hotel in Las Vegas. Delaney had bigger dreams she went to school to be a vet tech and had originally bought the ranch to open up an animal rescue and saw that dream disappear when she found out the ranch had sold.

Sam and Delaney start off shaky but soon give into their sexual attraction. A steamy romance that also deals with Sam and Ben's relationship with their father and sets up what I hope is Ben's story. With a bit of action thrown into it at the end makes the whole story a nice read. Overall, well written with memorable characters and one very sweet dog.

ARC REVIEW A Lady's Past by A.S. Fenichel

Everton Domestic Society #4, I have enjoyed the entire series so far, they can be read as standalones. The Everton Domestic Society prides itself on finding the right woman for the job needed. Jacques Laurent has seen the proof of the good the employment agency for Ladies does so when he sees a Lady stranded on the side of the road obviously running from something he recommends her going to Everton. Reluctantly Diana goes but only after confiding in Lady Jane the nature of her past that she felt safe enough in staying. Lady Jane even set up a job in Diana's prefered subject, chemistry; with a footman/guard and no one else knowing Diana's true past she started to feel a little safe.

Jacques was deceived once before by his fiancee and it has jaded him, he finds it hard to trust again but in the three weeks since he met Diana she was never far from his thoughts. Imagine his surprise when he goes to his friend/investment, inventor Francis Edgebrook, and finds he has hired an Everton Lady as his assistant, Diana to be exact. There is something about Diana that calls to him, he knows she's in danger but he would rather remove the obstacle than risk never seeing her again. It's a good thing he's got friends in high places. He works hard to earn Diana's trust and her love.

Overall, it was a great read. I love all the characters. You have no idea how long I have waited for a story where the characters are called Jack and Diane, this is the closest I've gotten yet. It's a beautifully written romance with enough intrigue to keep it interesting and humor and angst in all the right places.     

ARC REVIEW My Darling Duke by Stacy Reid

Sinful Wallflowers #1, The Sinful Wallflowers are a group of young ladies on the cusp of becoming "old maids" and they have decided that they are finally going to do something wicked and truly sinful before becoming unmarriageable. First up we have Katherine Danvers, the daughter of a Viscount who five years previously died and left an annual stipend for the family but with a stingy heir the money is running low and since this is going to be her fourth season with no prospects she must do something drastic to help her sisters and her mother even if it means sacrificing her own future. After sending a letter to the gossip columnist stating she is to marry a reclusive Duke who hasn't been seen in almost ten years has made Kitty Danvers the talk of the ton but more importantly it opened certain doors for her and her marriageable sisters.

Even after ten years Alexander Master, Duke of Thornton, is still considered one of the most eligible bachelors but he doesn't concern himself with matters of the ton. After the terrible accident that left him scarred and at times wheelchair bound he has given up any thought to such things and given up hope of ever marrying. Alex never paid attention to the rumors about him until suddenly he has a fiancee, he isn't concerned with it at first but the more he reads the fascinated he becomes and he decides that a trip to London is warranted.

Alex isn't even angry and when he meets Kitty for the first time he knows he needs more. Letting her carry on with the lie and understanding why she did it were easy but he wanted something in return from her time away from London without a chaperone until his fascination with her wanes. Reluctantly she agrees and arranges with her mother to be out in the country taking care of a sick aunt. Her time in Scotland with Alex, his sister and his cousin was eye opening; their feelings grew and soon it was love but Alex is a hard one and his stubbornness might be the end of it.

Overall, it was a great story I'm having a hard time trying to decide 4 or 5 stars. It was wonderfully written and the characters were all well done. I have a feeling the second book is going to run parallel with this one. I really like the Beauty and the Beast similarities, it is kind of a retelling and a nicely done one too. I look forward to the rest of the series.