Fantastic Contemporary Release

What a fantastic start to a brand new series from Juliana Stone. I am typically a sucker for Michigan romances as it is after all my home turf. This is a typical reformed bad boy returns home contemporary romance.  However there is a lot of heart and depth to this book. It kicks off the tale of three lifelong friends who return home to Crystal Lake Michigan in order to bury one of their own. Rocker Cain is at a turning point in his life, he is recently divorced following the betrayal of his wife and band mate. It becomes clear that he needs his small town, and the love of one woman to help him heal. Cain is drawn to a pretty red head and her young son.

Maggie is a beautiful, southern belle who cleans homes around town in order to make ends meet. Maggie and her son are a mystery to the Crystal Lake residents and it is clear that she is on the run from something or someone. She has been badly burned in love and turns Cain’s romantic advances. Cain didn’t earn his reputation by being a choir boy, and soon these two are burning up the sheets. These two have some monumental road blocks to overcome on their path to love. As they begin to work out their differences, Maggie’s dark past returns to haunt her. Each will have to deal with their exes from hell before, the road becomes clear.

I highly enjoyed this book. The Summer He Came Home struck an emotional chord within me.  As usual Juliana’s characters are vibrantly strong and very likable.  I cannot wait for the follow up books in the Bad Boys of Crystal Lake series If Jake and Mac are anything like Cain the follow ups are sure to be as heartfelt  as this one was. Without a doubt I would strongly recommend this book to my romance loving friends and customers.

A special thank you to Juilana Stone and Sourcebooks for making it possible for me to read this ARC.

Heart Tugging Romance At Its Best!

There has never been a book written by Brenda Novak that I haven’t enjoyed. When Snow Falls is book two in her Whiskey Creek series. Well known for her place in the romantic suspense genre the Whiskey Creek series is her foray back into contemporary romance. After having been pleasantly delighted with the first book When Lightening Strikes, I naturally was ready to jump right into When Snow Falls. When Snow Falls has been written in such a way that allows you to watch this romance blossom into a full bloom.

When Snow Falls is Cheyenne and Dylan’s story and so very different from Gail and Simon’s story whom we met in When Lightening Strikes. Cheyenne Christensen cannot remember when it has ever snowed in Whiskey Creek, but she can remember the she has to take care of her dying mother Anita and her on again off again drug using older sister Presley to care for. When she begins having recurring dreams of a fancy child hood and a mysterious blonde woman, Cheyenne begins to question where she comes from. On top of all her other problems Cheyenne has been in love with Joe since she was fourteen years old, but she is not the only one who has feelings for Joe. When her best friend Eve announces that she has asked Joe to go on a date, Cheyenne steps aside out of respect for her friendship. Dylan Amos and his brothers come from the wrong side of the tracks. When Dylan makes a proposition that Cheyenne finds difficult to refuse, Cheyenne discovers an attraction to the kind of guy she’s always tried to avoid and discovers that Dylan just might not be as bad as he’s been rumored to be. As this romance begins to unfold her first love enters into the picture; torn between her first love and the bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks Cheyenne finds herself having to choose between the two.

I loved this book, however early on I found myself reverting back to the cover blurb to find out if I had read the names wrong as we don’t meet Dylan until a ways into the book. The only man we meet early on is Joe, and you really begin to think the story is a romance between Cheyenne and Joe. However once Cheyenne and Dylan eventually meet this book soars and meets all expectations of a Brenda Novak tale. I had a hard time putting this one down, it is filled with emotion that makes you just want to cheer these two lost souls on.  When Snow Falls was well written and will tug at even the coldest of heart strings. I cannot wait for the next books in this fantastic series. It is easily a 4.5 star book.

No One Left to Tell is a Must Read!

Karen Rose has done it again. No one Left to Tell is packed with fast moving action and tender romance. This quote from No One Left to Tell fairly well summarizes the plot "Serial child molesters, murderers, case fixers, a cop gone bad,and a mastermind eliminating anyone who gets close to the truth. Makes my head spin.".If you are a fan of the fast paced high adrenaline romantic suspense then this is the book for you.No One Left to Tell is PI Paige Holden and Assistant State Attorney Grayson Smith's story. Paige is a beginner PI who is trying to prove the innocence of Ramon Munoz, a convicted murderer. ASA Grayson is is the one instrumental in putting Ramon behind bars. Ramon's wife Elena hires Paige for help as they are adamant that Ramon is innocent. When Elena manages to obtain the proof of Ramon's innocence it is met with dire consequences. With Ramon's proof in hand Paige finds herself in need of someone she can trust and who better than ASA Smith who put Ramon in prison in the first place setting the stage for this fantastic suspense. Along the way Ms. Rose brings back a cast of familiar characters like Olivia, Thomas Thorne, Lucy Trask, Clay Maynard and Stevie Mazetti each who've had previous places in other novels.
There is a reason why Karen Rose has risen to the top of my must read suspense authors and No One Left to Tell is a prime example of it. No One Left to Tell will keep you reading well into the night. This is one of my must haves of the year!

An Utterly Delightful Romp!

Samantha Grace has done it once more. Lady Amelia’s Mess and a Half is a delightfully fun romp. Jake and Amelia were once young and in love but with a series of misunderstandings and a mess of trouble makers in their way these two lovers set out on different paths. Lady Amelia is a widow who never stopped loving Jake Hillary. For two years Jake has felt betrayed by Amelia after she gives her hand in marriage. However at a chance meeting at a ball the sparks once more begin to fly between these star crossed lovers when Jake’s own brother Daniel expresses interest in the beautiful widow. We soon follow Jake an Amelia from London’s glittery ballrooms across the seas to New Orleans in this tender and fast paced novel. One cannot help but cheer Amelia and Jake on as they once more find their way into each other’s hearts. Add in a mix of fascinating and fun characters and you can be assured that Ms. Grace has a knack to mingling laughter and tender moments together in order to create delightful reading material. Lady Amelia’s Mess and a Half is the second book in the Beau Monde Bachelor series, yet can be read as a standalone. If the first two books are any indication of Samantha Grace’s writing talents, one can be sure that she can be compared to some of the greats like Julia Quinn and Lisa Kleypas.

Galley Copy provided by Sourcebooks via Netgalley.

Sylvain Reynard's Gabriel's Inferno

Move over Christian Grey...........I've found something much better and much better written with a surprise twist!  Gabriel’s Inferno has just the right mixture of complexity and sensuality to make it a stunning read. Much like other books in its genre this book has the deeply troubled hero and heroine, but what sets it apart is the sheer beauty of watching as this pair unfolds into something beautiful.

“Enigmatic and sexy, Professor Gabriel Emerson is a well respected Dante specialist by day, but by night he devotes himself to an uninhibited life of pleasure. He uses his notorious good looks and sophisticated charm to gratify his every whim, but is secretly tortured by his dark past and consumed by the profound belief that he is beyond all hope of redemption. When the sweet and innocent Julia Mitchell enrolls as his graduate student, his attraction and mysterious connection to her not only jeopardizes his career, but sends him on a journey in which his past and his present collide. An intriguing and sinful exploration of seduction, forbidden love and redemption, "Gabriel's Inferno" is a captivating and wildly passionate tale of one man's escape from his own personal hell as he tries to earn the impossible...forgiveness and love.”

Julia has suffered abuse in all shapes and forms from the time she was very young and continuing into her young adulthood. It has turned her inward into this meek shell of a female. Her torture at the hands of her ex leaves her feeling unworthy of her Dante’s love. Early on Gabriel Emerson a Professor at the University of Toronto comes off as a very dark and hateful man. Who out right lashes out at Julia in class early on in the story, and yet quickly he unfolds into this very troubled enigma of a man. Soon he realizes that Julia just might be the “Beatrice” that he’s been seeking. They are strangers or so they seem, little do either realize that they’ve known each other at a much deeper level for many years. Throw in many interesting and important secondary characters whose stories demand to be told, and a non fraternization rule and you have the makings for one fascinating story.

If you are looking for a steamy erotic, you are going to be hard pressed to find it in this very realistic and thought provoking novel. What Gabriel’s Inferno lacks in the steamy bed scenes it makes up for it in the sensuality and the sheer beauty of its story. The story is about redemption, forgiveness and love. I fell in love with this book by the sheer passion and understanding feelings this author’s writing creates. Sylvain Reynard clearly took his time developing and plotting out characters and a story that worked very well together in a story that demands to be told. The sheer levels of jealousy, heartbreak, humiliation, and romance he blends together that will leave you clinging to the end of your seat begging for more!

Easily a 5 Star Novel.

A Teasing Novella!

A Season for Sin is a preview novella for Vicky Dreiling’s upcoming Sinful Scoundrels series. A novella is typically a short story with all the elements of a book including a beginning and an end. While  A Season for Sin is short, it is a sample of what's to come from Ms. Dreiling’s upcoming spring release What a Wicked Earl wants, it is a story in itself. The novella introduces us to Andrew Carrington, Earl of Bellingham and his friends Colin Brockhurst, Earl of Ravenshire and Harry Norcliffe, Viscount Evermore.  It also introduces us to Laura Davenport, Lady Chestfield, who has been a widow raising her step-son Justin for some time.  Justin, Viscount Chestfield is a wild handful in need of a male’s presence, thus begins Laura’s novel solution to this ever growing problem.  Laura is forced to make a deal with the devil himself, thus hooking the reader into wanting to grab the entire book right in that moment.           

I have loved all of the books penned by Ms. Dreiling and I’m sure that What a Wicked Earl Wants will be no exception of the rule, as a rule I am not a fan of novellas because of their briefness but this one is worthy of your time. If you are a reader that cannot wait to get your hands on the next of Vicky Dreiling’s writings then this is a great way to tie over you appetite. The novella does have all of the wonderful elements that the author is known for, witty dialogue, interesting characters, and sizzling romance. It is a fantastic teaser, but a teaser it is.

4 for the briefness, 4 stars for the writing.

ARC Novella provided by Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley

Strong Romance and High Octane At Its Best!!

Wow! Hold on to your seat for a sexy and wild ride in Joan Swan’s Intimate Enemies.  The book hooked me in right from the start. Set in Ensenada Mexico, Cassie Christo discovers she is about to have more than her fair share of trouble.  Desperate for answers following a mysterious yacht explosion that killed her mother and step-brother, Cassie sets off an investigation by asking questions that many do not want answered. The one thing she didn’t expect was the one person who offered her comfort and kindness during her darkest hour. Rio is an undercover agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and has been working on the biggest sting of his career. He has never forgotten the short time he spent with Cassie and quickly discovers that the attraction he felt all those months ago is still alive and well. However, Rio doesn’t have time for Cassie, he is determined to put a close this sting operation.  Little does Cassie know how close to this case she is as her step-father is one of the masterminds behind the illegal human trafficking network. All Rio wants is for Cassie to go home where she can be safe and out of his mind. Sparks soar as these two strong willed individuals come together in a wild ride.

Readers are sure to fall in love with this strong willed pair. Intimate Enemies is one of the best black ops books I’ve ever read. If you love authors like Cindy Gerard and Lora Leigh, then this is definitely the book for you. Fasts paced and sexy are the two words that come to mind when describing Intimate Enemies; it is full of high octane and searing romance.  Joan Swan has once more easily written a 5 star book. I know that I for one cannot wait for the next book in this thrilling series.

Advance Copy Provided by the Author