ARC REVIEW Kiss Me in Sweetwater Springs by Annie Rains

Sweetwater Springs #2.5, Paris moved to Sweetwater Springs looking for a home, he once lived there as a child and was being bounced from different foster homes every couple of months. His foster parents were stern but welcoming and loving it was the only place that felt like home and Paris was looking for that again after his nasty divorce and maybe reconnect with his former foster parents. Lacy was born and raised in Sweetwater Springs and had the worst high school experience. Despite this she still loved her hometown and moved back after college and became the towns librarian. Lacy is determined not to go to her reunion she doesn't want to relive her past but between her family and friends she halfway to changing her mind and if she could claim she was dating someone like Paris then maybe her old classmates might see her differently now. Lacy makes Paris a deal be her date for her reunion and she'll help him connect to the cantankerous old man his foster father became.

Overall, a short and sweet story I very much enjoyed. Both Lacy and Paris deal with past hurts and learn to love each other. They really are good for each other; the tattooed bad boy image Paris puts off riding his motorcycle and the shy bookish Lacy bring out the best in each other. I am glad Paris got his HEA I fell in love with his character from the first book. This can be read as a stand alone told from a third person POV. Annie Rains packs a punch with this novella, humor and romance with plenty of heartfelt emotion. 

ARC REVIEW Now or Never by Victoria Denault

San Francisco Thunder #4, Even though this is a SF Thunder book is does lean more toward just being a straight Contemporary Romance than a Sports Romance. The last Braddock sister finally finds her true HEA and it's not with anyone we have previously met. I loved how emotional charged this book is compared to the others, it's all about grieving and starting over again.

Winnie is grieving differently than her siblings, she finally come to the realization she couldn't be happy with her boyfriend of ten years especially after he cheated on her so she did what she should have done two years ago and dumped him. Now all she wants is to be left alone where she can drown her sorrow and grieve in peace without her siblings butting in. But doing this in the family summer home was disrupted when Holden Hendricks sets up right outside and starts the renovations her brother had secretly planned.

Holden didn't leave town his childhood hometown on a good not when he was a teenager. He was an angry kid in need of attention after his mother died and he got into all sorts of trouble that eventually landed him in juvie. Since then he's worked hard first with construction and worked his way up to contractor. The whole reason he moved back home was to be closer to his older sister and her son but it's a bridge he burned a long time ago and rebuilding it is harder than he hoped. He's hoping that if the renovations and remodeling of homes will help people see him in a different light especially the Braddock sibling he teased mercilessly and who also happened to be is favorite, Winnie.

The attraction is strong with these two it's practically been simmering beneath the surface since they were kids. Holden is hesitant for a lot of reasons, Winnie just broke up with her really long time boyfriend and is grieving but mostly she hates him. Winnie as much as she wants to hate Holden he is a different person from when he was younger he wants to make things right with the people he hurt and Winnie believes in him. But there are obstacles for them to get over mostly ones they created themselves.

Overall, a very emotional book and a really hot romance. I loved Winnie and Holden they are just perfect for each other. There is some hockey so it's not entirely devoid of sports. This book had funny moments, hot encounters, and plenty of emotion. I'd love to see some more of the SF Thunder boys get their own book.

ARC REVIEW Big Bad Cowboy by Carly Bloom

Once Upon a Time in Texas #1, A good Autumn read that takes place just before Halloween and ends with a Christmas epilogue. I adored this book! Maggie and Travis meet at a Halloween costume party, Maggie dressed as slutty Red Riding Hood and Travis as a Wolf. Instant sexual chemistry sparked between them they snuck off together not knowing each others real names and for Maggie not knowing what her Big Bad Wolf actually looked like only to part quickly after but not before Maggie's best friend slipped Maggies's number on to his phone. Travis is fresh out of the military and stuck in his hometown taking care of his nephew, Henry, whose mother just died of cancer and Travis' worthless brother is in jail, again. He's trying to earn money the best way he knows how, especially since the property taxes on his Dad's, now his, ranch are overdue. Maggie is the owner and operator of her own business, Petal Pushers, with her landscaping degree she made a name for herself, now she views Travis as competition, and really annoying, and too sexy for his own good. They wind up getting hired for the same job but for different reasons and the more time Maggie spends with Travis she realises how wrong she was about him.

Travis recognizes Maggie as Red Riding Hood right away but because he was the one wearing the mask Maggie doesn't recognize him. With her number in his phone he makes contact. Through text messages they flirt and sext and Travis falls in love. Maggie is torn between the her Big Bad Wolf and Travis, and what will she do when she realizes they are one in the same. Between the adorable Henry, the loveable Mrs. Garza (I want one of her) and Maggie's two best friends Claire and JD the secondary cast of characters is just as entertaining as Maggie and Travis. I really did like everything about his book. Overall, it ends up being such a heartwarming story with an endearing cast of characters.        

ARC REVIEW Final Days by Megan Erickson

Wired & Dangerous #2.5, I was hoping that Erick and Tarr would get their own story and I didn't have to wait very long. Yay! Even though this one is an in between novella I believe it can be read as a stand alone just fine. It has a nice introduction to the characters and just the background you need to follow this storyline. This is an M/M and I'm picky about the ones that I read usually only one that are in series I'm already reading, which this one is, or by authors I know their writing style and can trust it will be good, and this one was good.  More suspense than romance, Erick and Tarr, whose really name is Everett, have a slow burn but it's a hot.

Erick Lee doesn't like the fact that he owes a hitman for saving his life. Erick does what he does for the greater good even if it means breaking the law to oust the bad guys, to him Hitmen are the bad guys they kill for money and have no conscience, so why is Erick turned on by this one? Everett made some bad decisions in life and now he's just living the live he has because of it, he never thought that he could find someone let alone someone who hates hitmen.

While tracking down Tarr, Erick inadvertently got himself right in the middle of a whole lotta trouble. Tarr did something and now he has a giant target on him back, not only that but the sister he thought was well hidden away from his enemies is now exposed and Erick and Everett have to rush to protect her and her two kids. Along the way the sexual tension just keeps building and building until finally it snaps and they give in, but is their desire strong enough to change them?

Overall, this was a great novella. It was action packed and a very satisfying read.      

ARC REVIEW When It's Right by Victoria Denault

San Francisco Thunder #3, This was an emotional one that had almost as much dealing with family drama than romance, but it's a hot romance. I missed book two which I'm going to rectify as soon as I can. This one is focused on Sadie Braddock and Griffin Sullivan. Sadie is sister to the infamous Jude Braddock of the San Francisco Thunder Hockey team and Griffin is there new goalie coach. They meet when the goalie, Eli who is also Sadie's soon-to-be hopefully brother-in-law he's dating her sister Dixie, gets injured during the game and is rushed to the hospital where Sadie works as an ER nurse. Instant chemistry, they both flirt and Griffin ends up asking her out and she says yes but a bad turn of events and Griffin ends up standing Sadie up. It reminds both of them that they have other responsibilities and a love life will have to wait.

Sadie has been the rock for her family since their Dad was diagnosed with ALS. As the nurse in the family they rely on her to understand everything and explain to them so they can make plans. Sadie, however, doesn't have anyone to lean one she's the strong one, the one that keeps everyone else from falling apart. Griffin has shared custody of his daughter, his ex-wife is being a pill and has filed for full custody and says she's going to move them to New York to be with her boyfriend.  Griffin and Sadie say they are going to be friends but the attraction between them is to strong and even just one night isn't going to be enough. Griffin can't in good conscience start a relationship with someone if he has to move to New York just to stay near his daughter and with Sadie's dad's health declining she can't be away from her family. The relationship feels like it's doomed before it's even started and they both know it or are they both going to try hard enough for the chance at being happy?

Overall, between the relationship with Sadie's family and her Dad and the seemingly doomed relationship with Griffin this book had me tearing up. I enjoyed this one so much more than Score. I loved Sadie and Griffin, he is such a great dad. I love the banter and the dynamic of the Braddock family, they tease each other because they care. I love insta-love so that didn't bother me, it was well done and they tried to keep it slow but they were just too horny. Charlie, Griffin's daughter, is so freakin' cute. I enjoyed the conflict of responsibilities over personal happiness and trying to find a balance between the two. I can't wait for Winnie's story.     

ARC REVIEW Saved by the Cowboy by A.J. Pine

Crossroads Ranch #1.5, My First A.J. Pine book and it left me with a good first impression. This was a very cute and fun read a nice novella. I loved the characters and their chemistry, they had some great banter too. Cash Hawkins came back home after college with a broken heart and buried himself in work as the local Sheriff. He's content with his dog and his job and he never realizes just how lonely he is until Olivia Belle speeds through town. Olivia was running away from a proposal and toward some answers. She believed she could find out what love is by reading the old letters her grandparents exchanged before they got married. Olivia thinks herself as broken because she has never fallen in love she wants answers and is determined to find them in Oak Bluff. But her answer comes in a way she wasn't expecting.

Cash realizes the extent of his feelings first and he's not shy at admitting them. Olivia is a little slow on the uptake she keeps thinking she needs to learn how to love by reading someone else's story. Overall this was a nice read. It can be read as a standalone but it's has a real ehh introduction to the Everetts who are the main family in the series and it just raised more questions without really tantalizing you into reading the other books. It is still unclear as to if Olivia was still technically together with Michael when she hooked up with Cash therefore making her a cheater or if running away from him right after he proposed counts as a break up? I for one think it counted as a break up.     

ARC REVIEW Hot Target by April Hunt

Alpha Security #3.5, Wow this was only 98 pages!? Dang so much happens it feels like it was much longer than that. A very action packed novella. I was very happy to see Rachel and Logan finally get a story. This is fine as a standalone, their history is briefly explain since they met in the first book but goes into more detail about what happened after the first book with them. I love April Hunt she has great action, romance, and suspense; I thoroughly enjoy every book of her's that I've read. Of all the bad things that happened in Honduras Rachel and Carly becoming friends was the best thing that come out of the experience. Everything was going fine in their lives Carly was in Vegas working and began to serious date a guy but suddenly Rachel receives a panicked voice mail from Carly asking for help. Rachel drops everything and runs off to Vegas. 

The books starts with Rachel in LVPD lock up her one call was to Charlie who was suppose to come and get her. Charlie instead sends the closest team member to her rescue unfortunately it's the guy she just had a one night stand with and snuck out before he woke up, Logan, who just arrived in town for a working vacation. Once he gets Rachel out their is an attempt on her life and Logan and Rachel have to run for their lives. It's obvious that Carly discovered something she should have and now Rachel and Logan have to find out what it is that Carly discovered and stop who ever took Carly from doing whatever it is that Carly caught them doing. Logan and Rachel have a pretty intense heart to heart while disguised as Elvis and Priscilla. 

The romance burns pretty hot between them, Logan is all in and has been waiting for Rachel to catch up, but Rachel is having a hard time realizing some could want someone like her who's gone through what she's gone through and Logan has a fun time showing her how wrong she is and exposing all his vulnerabilities to show her just how damaged he really is as well. Overall it was a fantastic story. It also introduced two new characters (hopefully they will get stories of their own).   

ARC REVIEW Once Upon A Christmas Eve by Elizabeth Hoyt

So this is the last of the Maiden Lane series, if I had known that before reading this I probably would have been a lot more disappointed with it than I am. I was kind of hoping that she was going to just keep writing and find a new story arc to follow. I am split on this, on one hand you have great Hoyt writing with witty dialogue and wonderful characters; on the other hand you have a really short romance that makes you feel cheated that these great characters didn't get more. With how strong the animosity Sarah has toward d'Arque you would think it would take longer for her to admit to herself that he's different. d'Arque is a shameless flirt and sometimes his humor is a bit crude, but it's so funny. They met once before (back in book 5) but it didn't matter Sarah had already made up her mind to hate him because he was a rake. To d'Arque Sarah was different because she didn't fall for his charm like every other woman out there, it was obvious she hated him but he gave her no reason to.

Fast forward some time it's Christmastime and d'Arque is taking his grandmother to her cousin house for the holiday when the carriage breaks down and they must seek refuge at a local house. Fortuitously d'Arque is acquainted with St. James unfortunately his grandmother's health isn't good to travel the rest of the way and they must stay where they are and celebrate Christmas with the St. James'. d'Arque sees this as an opportunity to change Sarah's opinion of him because no matter what he feels a strong attraction to her. Sarah had a bad experience with a rake in her past that has made her hate all rakes, but the more she talks to d'Arque the more she realizes there is so much more to him the just a rake, it's making her all confused her physical attraction to him and now she finds herself actually liking him. But Sarah is looking for a husband and d'Arque doesn't think he wants to get married, ever.

Overall, I did like the story and the characters but it felt so short and rushed, and it doesn't feel like it's the conclusion to a series.       

ARC REVIEW No Other Duke Will Do by Grace Burrowes

No Other Duke Will Do is book three in Grace Burrowes Windham Brides series. While this is part of a large Windham series it is possible to read this one separate from the others, the next book I'm not so sure because the next bride and her future husband kind of start their reluctant courtship in this book. Elizabeth after narrowly escaping a marriage she didn't want travels to a house party in Wales until the scandal can die down, and even though her plans with her sister involve a spinsterhood together her family is urging her to marry. That is the last thing Elizabeth wants but one look at the St. David library and she's willing to rethink that especially since the owner is exactly the type of man she would marry. Julian St. David, Duke of Haverford, knew his sister planned the house party so he could find a wife but he also manipulated the guest list to include plenty of eligible bachelors for her. Julian wants to get married and have kids but as it is the estate has no money to support a wife or kids at this time. Keeping the castle a float his tenants safe and the mines out of the valley are his main priority but then he meets Elizabeth and while everything in him wants her he doesn't think he can have her yet. Julian is a little slow on the up take he has no idea just how much his family's library is worth.

Julian and Elizabeth's romance isn't the only thing going on, it's a house party of course not, When the neighbor, Lucas Sherbourne, crashes the party and tells Julian that unless he allows the marriage between Julian's sister, Glenys and himself he will call in the twenty thousand pound note the St. David family owes his. Knowing this Julian makes sure to tell his best friend who has been in love with Glenys forever. Griffin the younger St. David also has finally told his love he loves her and told Julian  that he can't stop him from marrying her. That's not all two more matches come from this party. Elizabeth has already determined she's going to marry Julian she just him to realize things are not as hopeless as they seem.

Overall, a good read. Julian is a bit dense and it gets old just one of those moments you want to smack him upside the head.           

ARC REVIEW Once Upon A Maiden Lane by Elizabeth Hoyt

Once Upon A Maiden Lane is a novella about one of the orphans at the Home for Unfortunate Infants and Foundling Children, Mary Whitsun. Mary has gone on to be the nurse maid for the children of Lord and Lady Claire. Lady Claire who has known her since she was a baby took her in and gave her a job when she married. Mary is an intelligent girl who knows better than to let a charming smile sway her she is content with her life. But one day at the bookstore a charming man mistakes her for someone else.

Henry Collins, Viscount Blackwell, is shocked to find his fiancee in the bookstore even more peculiar is that it doesn't seem to be his fiancee at all, this feisty young lady just could be the long lost Albright daughter and his proper fiancee. Henry always thought that the deal his father made with his friend to marry off their two eldest was a bad idea, particularly because he has nothing but brotherly feelings for Lady Joanna, but this Mary who just might be Lady Cecilia is exactly what he wants in a wife. But the long lost, thought dead, reappearance of Lady Cecilia not only causes a stir in society but someone doesn't want her back.

Overall, it was a nice and quick read, but compared to some of the other books in the series it feels a little lack luster. It was a nice length, and I loved that characters but by the time I got to the ending I felt, really that's it? I enjoyed the other books I've read in the series, this one while enjoyable fell short. 

ARC REVIEW Trapped by Rhonda Pollero

Trapped book three in the Finding Justice series by Rhonda Pollero which centers around the Kavanaugh brothers. Declan is the second oldest of the brothers and this is his story.

Chasyn Summers and her best friend were scheduled to testify against a well known doctor in a murder case but were shot at in front of the court house. Chasyn was shot in the head but was lucky and survived, her best friend didn't. Chasyn's parents are worried that who ever tried to kill her will try to finish the job so they hire her a bodyguard who would also investigate what happened. Declan was ready to do his job what he wasn't ready for was how beautiful his client was, Chasyn completely caught him by surprise making him want things he never wanted before. Chasyn wasn't looking for a man like Declan, she had everything planned out in her life down to the last detail and it didn't include falling in love with a man who never wanted to settle down and get married.

Declan's main job is to protect Chasyn while his team can handle investigating not only the original murder but also Chasyn's shooting and her best friend's death. Soon after Chasyn gets out of the hospital there is another attempt on her life which complicates things because now they don't know if the same person changed MOs or if there are now two people trying to kill Chasyn. The good doctor really must want Chasyn dead. The situation just gets more complicated as they days go by both romantically and killer assassins wise. Chasyn is fully aware that she is falling in love with Declan and keeps trying to keep him at a distance but Declan isn't letting her, sure he's moving at her pace  and gives her time but he's not about to let her go now that he realizes he loves her.

Overall, aside from being very predictable it was a really good read. The suspense is written very well and the romance fantastic, then ending was a little bit of a let down, but all in all it was a great read. Only one thing really, MICHAEL!??!?!?!?! What happened at the parole hearing? What happens next? OMG please tell me his story is next? 

ARC REVIEW An Earl By Any Other Name by Lauren Smith

An Earl by Any Other Name is the first book of Lauren Smith's new Sins and Scandals series. It's novella length and insta-lust to love. I know they say never judge a book by it's cover but I assumed (yeah I know) that this was a Regency or Victorian historical romance (strictly judging the dress), nope it's Edwardian early 1910. It really threw me off when they started talking about automobiles. Apparently I don't pay close enough attention to the Italic print at the beginning of a chapter. Normally I don't mind insta-love/lust but in this case Leo just bugged the crap out of me because of it, and then throw in the rushed feel of the book and it's almost like he has no personal growth, he just became more accepting. Ivy was fine she was justified in her worries. I loved his mother I kept picturing Glynis Johns the mom from Mary Poppins. I love the era, and I loved the idea behind the story but I wish it was full novel length, I just wanted to see a little bit more of a change in Leo and the conflict not so rushed.

Leopold Graham inherited the title Earl when his father died in bed with his mistress. Leo having weathered the embarrassment and finding out the money's all gone realizes he has to stop being a rake and be a respectable gentleman and that means finding a respectable wife with money enough to save the family estates. Ivy Leighton has known Leo all her life but after her mother's death a father she never knew existed came and claimed her. Now years later she is a beautiful young lady and once again back in Leo's life, thanks to his mother's meddling. She has manipulated things so Leo and Ivy end up together for the different house party activities. Leo spend most of the book thinking to make Ivy his mistress and marry the bland and dry Lady he picked for his prospective wife. Not to mention Ivy and his mother are part of the suffrage movement and he finds that silly, he thinks women aren't smart enough to make up their own minds about politics. I get most men thought that way back then but Leo was just aggravating.

Overall, it was an okay read, not quite what the blurb promised.    

ARC REVIEW Bad Behavior series by Melissa Marino

 So Twisted, the first book in Melissa Marino's Bad Behavior series is a cute story.  I had a hard time getting into it because I normally stay away from alternating person POV, the beginning feels way too much like they are telling me instead of showing me; especially when it came to Aaron's former marriage. It was just kind of thrown out there right off the back, I felt like information overload and none of the emotion that went with it, I had a hard time trying to figure out why Aaron reacted the way he did because when he "remembered" everything at the very beginning of the book he didn't really show his reaction just his determination. It's not until at the end where it explains more. I couldn't justify Aaron's actions, I couldn't empathize with him because of it and ended up not really liking him. Callie on the other hand the opposite very open with her emotions with herself and I sided with her completely through the whole debacle.

Callie is going to school to be a teacher but to afford her tuition she has to work as a bartender in a sleezy-ish hook -up night club that is until her best friend Evelyn finds her the perfect job for her as a live in nanny for a well off business owner. There is instant chemistry between Aaron and Callie and they manage to hold off on acting on their feelings until after Callie goes on a date with Aaron's playboy brother Abel. Callie and Aaron's lives fall into a nice and easy pattern. Aaron starts trying to hard and moving way too fast for Callie. Callie just wants to please Aaron and in her fear of messing up and repeating whatever mistake his first wife made she started up a good friendship with Abel when ever she starts to freak about something Aaron did or said she uses Abel as a sounding board. Callie doesn't tell Aaron the she's good friends with his brother had when he finds out he (way) overreacts and kicks her out. Callie after some time of healing she becomes determined to do things for herself and not to please other people. Aaron realizes his mistake but is it to little too late to win Callie over.

Overall, it was sweet and the ending was pretty good. Delilah, Aaron's daughter, really stole the show.      

 So Screwed takes place some months after the first book. As soon as I read about Evelyn and Abel in the first book I knew they were destined to be together. This is probably my favorite out of the three. Abel and Evelyn are both playing the field neither of them ready to settle down yet and no matter how many time Callie has told them both not to do it Evelyn finally gives in to Abel's charms and agrees on a date. It was easier for me to get into this one with the alternating person POV Abel's narration was more open and even when the shit came down toward the end I felt like I knew him well enough to know he had his reasons for doing it. Evelyn is very career driven she won't give herself time for an actual relationship but for Abel she makes the exception. Abel is a teacher without a teaching job, he feels like he is living under the shadow of his successful brother; Aaron including him in on business opportunities and letting him work as a bartender in his very exclusive bar but it all makes him feel like he's lacking like he will never be good enough or do good enough for his brother or parents. Abel has a secret he's been telling everyone that he's been making extra money teaching courses online but what he's really been doing is gambling. Abel is a very good card player but he's been on a losing streak. Abel trust Evelyn enough that she knows about this and she keeps his secret. Evelyn finally works through her feelings of abandonment with Abel and they both finally admit their feelings to each other but an incredible job opportunity came up for Evelyn where she has to spend three month out of state. When she gets back Abel is engaged to someone else. Evelyn is very appropriately devastated. Abel has a whole lot of work ahead of him to make it up to her. I loved that what he did it was so freakin sweet.

Overall, emotional rollercoaster the whole way and I loved it.


   

So Wicked takes place some time after the events of book two, it follows Aaron's best friend and business partner, Marshall, from Chicago to California opening a brand new bar. Marshall's idea to make the place stand out and be unique was to offer desserts that complimented the drinks he never expected the genius baker who made the delicious confections (I have to admit I would love to try some of them) is none other than Alexis, formerly known as Lexie, Aaron's ex-wife who abandoned her infant daughter. I didn't know what to expect with Alexis but her story when she finally comes out and admits everything to Marshall is so emotional and heart wrenching, she did have a good excuse but it could have been handled differently. This one is probably one of the easiest reads of three and Marshal is definitely the sexiest.

Once Marshall and Alexis get over the initial shock of oh god it's you and the anger that was there, they find themselves trying to ignore the attraction. Marshall has been attracted to her from the beginning but out of respect for Aaron's feeling on Lexie he never made his move. Even now his business relationship, brother like friendship with Aaron is keeping Marshall from acting on this attraction. Alexis has grown so much since she first meet Aaron and Marshal. Alexis is surprised to find the clean cut college boy has turned into a tattooed foul mouthed bad boy. Alexis liked Marshal before but now she finds him down right irresistible. Alexis however is dealing with not only her feelings for Marshall but also trying to overcome the guilt of her past. Only when they give in to each other do they both start dealing with it. Marshal however never told Aaron that Alexis was here let alone started a relationship with her so when he does show up unexpectedly tempers flare and harsh words are spoken.

Overall, as emotional as this book is it's probably one of the most emotionally grown up books with how they reacted and dealt with the problems. I liked that.  

ARC REVIEW Exposed by Rhonda Pollero

Exposed took me by surprise, what I was expecting from the blurb I was expecting something more like Sleeping with the Enemy but it was so much more it a couple of nice "what a twist moments" but was also predictable in other parts. It was an enjoyable diversion from the typical. It was a good story it kept me up all night reading it. Darby is trying to get out of the situation by any means possible and she thinks she has the best solution, but she really didn't think it through with all possible outcomes and she did not expect her husband to be complete sociopath. This was a very complicated plan on Darby's part and she was willing to risk everything but the life of her baby to execute it. The story was well written and the characters were easy to connect to and easy to like.

Darby had a whirlwind romance with Sean and she thought it was ideal up to the time he first hit her, it wasn't until she was eight months pregnant that she had enough. But Sean quite literally is watching every move she makes so Darby concocts a plan she feels is the only way she can successfully keep the baby away from Sean's abusiveness. Her plans require a lawyer one who has no ties to her, Sean, or her family, Jack Kavanaugh. At first Jack wants nothing to do with the privileged Darby, but he knows she's lying to him and that she is in desperate need of help. Everything goes according to plans up until the point Sean does something she never expected and now she needs Jack's help to get out of this and safe not only herself but that of her daughter.

Overall, this really was a good read. I look forward to reading more by Rhonda Pollero.    

LAUNCH DAY BLITZ For the Bear's Eyes Only by Kathy Lyons

FOR THE BEAR’S EYES ONLY by Kathy Lyons 

November 15, 2016

Forever Yours eBook

$1.99

Grizzlies Gone Wild Book 3

The third book in a wild shifter series from USA TODAY bestselling author Kathy Lyons.

Life as Alan Carman knew it is over.  After he was captured and tortured by a mysterious enemy, the lawyer’s latent grizzly-shifter DNA was triggered.  The old Alan is gone, and in its place is a terrifying vicious beast that lives and breathes for revenge.  He will track down the person who did this to him—and it’ll be the last thing he ever does.

Tonya Kappes refuses to let Alan run headlong to his death.  A bear-shifting deputy—and the Gladwin Clan’s beta—Tonya faces Alan with one weapon: the love that’s lingered between them since they were kids.  But the idealistic man she knew has changed…into something raw, primal, and unbelievably sexy, igniting every lustful cell in her body.  And, if Alan can’t learn to love the beast inside himself, maybe he can love the animal in her.

OH MY GOSH this book. What I like about shifter books is they can beat the crap out of each other get up and it's all good, especially in this book and between Tonya and Alan. Yes they fight Alan hits her but being a shifter she gives as good as she gets. (I only bring it up because it might be a trigger for some) This was a great book and a great end to this particular story arc and I hope it's not over as a series because this is a fantastic series. I love all the characters I definitely want more. 

Alan has always loved Tonya, but Tonya after a bad breakup set her mind on becoming Maxima. When Carl the Max meets and mates his true mate Carl makes Tonya his Beta usurping his brother Alan as Beta. Alan has always felt like the odd man out being one of the few that has the shifter gene in his chromosome dormant. But when the Evil Cat Lady kidnaps him and activates the dormant gene he becomes what he views as a monster.

Tonya believes she's the only one who can bring Alan back safely after he takes off to seek his revenge against the woman who did this to him. Tonya's bear has laid a claim on Alan and she needs to convince him that what he is going through is normal he just has to learn to accept that this is what he is now and that he's not a monster. But Alan is stubborn.    

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About the Author:

Kathy Lyons is the wild, adventurous half of USA TODAY bestselling author Jade Lee. A lover of all things fantastical, Kathy spent much of her childhood in Narnia, Middle Earth, Amber, and Earthsea, just to name a few.  There is nothing she adores more than turning an ordinary day into something magical, which is what happens all the time in her books. Winner of several industry awards including the Prism-Best of the Best, Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice, and Fresh Fiction's Steamiest Read, Kathy has published over fifty romance novels, and she's just getting started. Check out her latest news at KathyLyons.com.

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LAUNCH DAY BLITZ License to Shift by Kathy Lyons

Book Two in Kathy Lyons Grizzlies Gone Wild series 

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BEAR MEETS GIRL...

Julie Simon returns to Saginaw, Michigan, to find her ailing father's missing research on local shapeshifter lore. Unlucky for her, the only person who can help her is the darkly sexy Mark Robertson, the guy who spent an entire summer giving her the cold shoulder-and one white-hot night of pleasure...

Mark is a hair's breadth away from going feral. Soon, his grizzly side will destroy everything that makes him a man. And after years of fighting, Mark is ready to give in to the beast. Then Julie-the gorgeous, curvy book nerd who awakened his most primal desires as a young man-shows up at his door. Now, he's fighting an insatiable longing to claim her as his mate. But Julie isn't the only one after her father's research. Someone-or something-evil is tracking Julie's every move...

I knew as soon as Mark Robertson was introduced I would love him. In this book Mark is close to losing his humanity and shifting completely and fully into a grizzly. Julie was just suppose to pick up her father's research but what she finds changes her world completely. Someone sinister is after her father's research she can't imagine why it all just a bunch of fairy tales... until it isn't and she's face to face with a giant grizzly who use to be Mark. Now all the things that happened to her in those summer months she spent in Saginaw as a teenager start make sense, why she was excluded from everything even why Mark was hot and cold with her. So now she is in on the secret and the pack is trying to protect her from those things that keep attacking her father's cabin. 

I really loved this one, even more so than the first book. Mark is protective and sexy, especially since he's walking around naked the first two chapters. Julie is perfectly curvy and sweet and Tonya and Becca easily open up to her and welcome her since she's in on the whole shifter secret and that Mark claimed her as a mate. Now Mark just has to stay human long enough to figure out why Evil Einstein and Crazy Cat Lady are after the research.

Overall, I loved it. Plain and simple it was such an entertaining read the characters and the story grab your attention and suck you into the world of the Gladwin Pack. So looking forward to Alan's story!

    

            OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG!            

Julie Simon was not a prude. She enjoyed a finely honed male body as much as any woman. But when said finely honed man answered his door stark naked and proceeded to look at her like she was the answer to his prayers, well, then, her libido kicked into overdrive. Especially when that look turned into hunger and his already thick cock stiffened into a staff that aimed unerringly at her.          

She was not a prude, but hell, this was sexually at its most raw. And she apparently liked raw.            

Who knew? All her boyfriends up to now had been friendly, flaky men who spoke in full sentences and never, ever growled. And yet one hairy, horny grunt from this guy and her nipples tightened while everything else went liquid.            

Not a prude, then. Apparently, she fell more into the slut category because if he made a move on her right then, she wasn’t exactly sure what she’d do to stop him. First of all, he looked like he could overpower her in a heartbeat. Second, the moment he’d offered her his mocha latte, her knees had gone weak and her lust spiked. When the hell had she developed a caveman fetish?            

Insane!            

But she wasn’t a beast to be ruled by her hormones. And she certainly wasn’t going to jump a near stranger, no matter how ripped his abs or how much he stared at her. Good lord, she’d never been the center of such focused attention. Need rippled off those sculpted pecs, it vibrated in the air between his broad shoulders and her tight breasts, and it seemed like he wanted her so badly it was hard for him to form words. But how was that possible? All he’d done was answer the door…naked.            

She took a breath, startled—but not surprised—to find it thick with musk. His? Hers? Who knew?            

Get a grip!            

She momentarily flashed on what she could grip and struggled to restrain a near-hysterical laugh. She was not a woman who thought things like that. Not in the usual course of the day. So she closed her eyes and lifted her mocha to her lips. Damn, he made a great cup of coffee. The honey added just the right amount of sweet.            

Focus on the essentials: caffeine and sugar.            

That’s when he spoke. Two words: “no” and “leave.” Well, that was par for the course from the men in her life. They’d act one way, then say the opposite. Get her revved, then disappear. Give her a mocha and then order her to leave. All he needed to do now was invite her to move in then break up with her and he’d be just like her ex.            

But unlike what she’d done with her ex, she refused to leave. Her father needed his help, and so she would be stubborn. At least until she got a fuller explanation from him. One that included two-syllable words.            

“So,” she ventured when the silence stretched too long between them, “do you remember me?”

ARC REVIEW The Bear Who Loved Me by Kathy Lyons

My first Kathy Lyons book and will definitely not be my last. I have read her alter ego Jade Lee who writes historical romance, I was very surprised I liked this more than her historicals. The Bear Who Loved Me is the first of her new series Grizzlies Gone Wild, really not as cheesy as it sounds. I love the play on the James Bond movie title. It was a great introduction to the clan. It did jump into it the book kind of weirdly, but it all smooths out and really picks up and all very exciting and erotic.

Carl the Alpha "Max" shifter of the clan, wow! he's dealing with what the clan needs and wants but what they are used to and expect. They are use to domination and violence and what Carl is trying to change is the dominance without the constant threat of violence and death. The clan has short memories they have forgotten how horrible it was before Carl was the Max, they are judging him too harshly. Becca has had it rough but nothing she couldn't handle she started working as soon as she could legally work she worked her way through college and took over her Aunt's bakery. She then took care of her mother as she was dying of cancer and within the same year she lost both her mother and her sister and now she's left raising her teenage nephew. Theo, alone.

Carl keeps an eye on the possible shifters, it's his job as Max; one such possible is Theo. Spring is a busy time it's a time for taking a mate and for the teenagers to go through a transition. Becca is worried when Theo goes missing and when the Owner of the camp Theo goes to every year shows up with some astonishing news about who he is and who Theo is about to become. Carl has had his eye on more that just Theo, Becca has caught his eye and Theo's transition is the right time to bring her into his world. But something goes wrong Theo goes missing and armed men try to kidnap the other young bear going through his transition. Luckily Carl and Becca thwart the attack, Carl feels to blame for not stopping the men he was distracted making out with Becca. Along with the outside threat to the shifter community Carl is facing insubordination in his own clan and Becca comes face to face with how gritty the shifters can be. Becca is quickly falling in love with Carl but she's unsure if this is all because the stress and adrenaline of the situation that is pulling them together or if what they are feeling is real. Carl is worried that Becca has been scared off by the nature of the beast.

Overall, this was a great read. I really enjoyed it I look forward to the rest of the series. Kathy Lyons really hooked me with the underlying conflict with the missing shifters and a mad scientist.      

ARC REVIEW Once Upon a Moonlit Night by Elizabeth Hoyt

This novella takes place right after, almost parallel with Duke of Sin. Hippolyta Royle we meet as the woman Duke of Montgomery was blackmailing into marriage but help to escape by the woman he later married. We last saw Hippolyta running for her life away from the Duke and his men she ran until she came across a carriage and begged for a ride. Matthew Mortimer doesn't believe her, but he's been out of the country and isn't up on the latest gossip or the who's who of the ton. Matthew was just going to leave her at the next inn but after an incident he decides to take her all the way to London. The attraction is there even when Hippolyta is covered in mud and grime and just when they let the attraction get the best of them they run into Hippolyta's father and Matthew is forced to announce their engagement. But Hippolyta is facing a new threat of blackmail that's keeping her from Matthew and her HEA.

Overall, it really is a nice novella it felt that it was a good length, nicely paced none of the parts felt overly slow or rushed. The characters are all likeable and the story a nice concussion for Hippolyta for those of us were left wondering what heck happened to her.