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Lost in Between
Shaw Mercer needs a girlfriend. A fake one. One to be at his beck and call for the next 4 months.
Willow Blackwell needs money. A lot of money. Her mother is sick and the bills are starting to pile up.
When Shaw offers Willow a cool quarter million for four months of her time, the offer is too good for Willow to pass up. But this is just business and business is what it will stay. That is until lines start to blur and feelings Willow swore she wouldn't develop start to creep in.
Now the waters are muddy and with a ghost from her past stirring up trouble, things are about to get even more complex for this couple.
After reading the little excerpt for this book in the Alphas & Fairytales Anthology last year to say I was excited for this one would be an understatement! And although I did end up liking it overall it just didn't QUITE live up to the high expectations I had.
It started out strong for sure, but then from around 30% in I found myself starting to get bored. The dancing around each other thing these two were doing was wearing thin. Not to mention, nothing of consequence was really happening. That said, it did pick up around the 60% mark and it managed to capture my attention once again.
It was a very well-written and very readable book. Nicely paced and with some interesting side characters (NOAH = YUM). Both Shaw and Willow were likable main characters. The sex scenes were hot (though after reading the little excerpt previously I was expecting something WAY hotter than we got). There is even a little bit of mystery injected at the end and I am looking forward to seeing how that plays out. I'm also unsure how REID is going to fit into all this.
Like I said above, I enjoyed it for the most part. I think it was a tad bit on the long side and could have been tightened up plot wise. That said, I am still looking forward to what this author has in store for Shaw and Willow in the next book. So two thumbs up from yours truly.
Shutter Speed (a Snapshot novella)
This is a short prequel novella that starts off Isla and Ben's romance. Their story will continue in Freeze Frame due out in March.
This was actually a really well written and well-developed novella. The characters had depth. Isla was a strong heroine and I loved that she was older (39 I believe). In the land of young virgins, this was a nice change of pace. Ben was a hot and mysterious silver fox. I am hoping both these characters backgrounds will be explored more in their full-length book. There were some hot sex scenes, as well as some nice action. Overall just a really wonderfully executed little read.
Park Avenue Prince
Grace Astor grew up on Park Avenue but she is as far from a Park Avenue Princess as you can get. She is determined to make it on her own. At her galleries first opening, an opening featuring the artwork of her cheating ex, Grace meets the intriguing Sam Shaw.
Sam knows all about losing things that you hold dear. He learned at a young age not to form connections. Sex is sex, and there is nothing after. That is until he lays eyes on Grace Astor. There is just something about her that has him taking risks he has never taken before.
As these two embark on a love affair can Grace's love overcome Sam's fears? Or will the risk be too big for Sam and have him walking away from her forever?
This was a super romantic little book. Well written. Nicely paced. Semi-Hot sex scenes. Great cast of secondary characters. Cute Epilogue.
I ADORED Grace and Sam as a couple. As well as individuals. Grace was just a lovely heroine. Down to earth and sweet. I think because of the way the book was written her character isn't quite as fleshed out as Sam's. That didn't take away from my enjoyment of her as a narrator, though. I personally wish Grace would have made him grovel a little more near the end, but that just wasn't the type of person she was. Apparently not a grudge holder like me. *lol*
Sam's character had a bit more depth. He was the one with hurts and insecurities shaped by his past. I loved seeing him fall for Grace and struggle at times. Even though his mouth would deny things, his heart knew from the first meeting that Grace was different. I also appreciate that although not a saint we are not bombarded with OW drama or too many details about Sam's past. It made the journey this couple took that much sweeter.
Nothing much else to say. A fabulous way to spend a few hours and it gets two thumbs up from yours truly.
Meant For You
Unfortunately, this one didn't work all that well for me. The writing was fine and it moved along at a nice pace. It was just ALL over the place storywise for me.
I didn't particularly like either Nate nor Addie. I'm usually not overly bothered by people (99% of the time the hero) moving on after a separation, but in this instance, I found it extremely annoying that 18-year-old Nate who claimed he was SOOO in love with 16 years old Addie moved on to have a fabulous career and sleep with a bunch of OW. Meanwhile, Addie loses EVERYTHING. Family, her scholarship, her whole flipping LIFE and ends up this sad doormat of a person. Not to mention I KNEW what her secret was going to turn out to be. I hoped I was mistaken, but nope, same cliché scenario as a million other books.
On top of that I just never bought that Nate LOVED her as much as he claimed he did. Because if he did, one would think he would have tried to find her in the 7 years they were separated. She didn't change her name or was in hiding for heaven's sake.
Going back to this being all over the place storywise, this book could decide if it was a second chance romance or a paranormal romance. The whole scene near the end with the cabin was so bizarre and confusing. It left me rolling my eyes. Lastly, I found the pages and pages of text messages between all the characters distracting and honestly a little tedious to get through.
So as you can see this one just didn't work all that well for me. Maybe you will enjoy it a lot more, so don't let me review sway you too much. ;D
SIDE NOTE: I have a HUGE pet peeve about book covers not matching the hero (or heroine) in the books they are supposed to represent. This is another example where the cover makes you think you are getting one thing and you get another. Nate was in no way, shape, or form a suit wearing hero. That cover screams "billionaire or CEO or businessman."
Trouble
This one was just OK for me. It had the bones to ba a really good story and I see the potential in this author. But this one was a bit all over the place for me. The hero starts out as one thing and then morphs into a completely different guy halfway through the book. The guy he becomes is actually the WAY more interesting persona and I wish he had been THAT guy through the entirety of the book.
My other issue was I just didn't feel a connection between Chase or Sophia. One, Sophia was a bit of a bitch IMO and I wanted to throat punch her throughout the book. On top of that these two really don't spend a lot of time together, so the "I love yous" were a bit hard to comprehend.
There were also a few "personal pet peeves" things going on for me. One...the cover didn't match the hero AT ALL (no tats or piercings mentioned). As well as their names being mentioned WAY too many times throughout the book (CHASE - 446 times and SOPHIA - 400 times) according to my e-reader search function. It really started to distract me as the book went on.
Like I said, the bones were definitely there so I would be willing to give this author another try.
Pretty Little Rose
So this was my first foray into this author and there is no doubt I will be checking out her other books. I'm not usually a lover of historical romances to be honest. I overdosed on those in my teens and early twenties. That said, I am a HUGE fan of Daddy kink, so I thought "why not?"
This book was really well written. It was nicely paced. Had some hot sex scenes. The main characters were fairly likable. I loved Titus. Rose took a little longer to warm up to, but the farther we got in the book I came to understand her more. The nanny was a weird addition, but again fit in with the theme so I went with it. I do wish it would have had a better epilogue. Overall though I really liked it.
NOW, that being said, this was WAY over the line in what I enjoy in my DD/lg books. I spent a good portion of the book laughing my ass off at some of the things that Titus made Rose do (she loved every minute of it).
A 19-year-old playing tea party is a little creepy to me. Like super creepy...Like I've seen one too many horror movies that start that way...creepy. And it just got creepier from there. Pacifiers, peeing in diapers, having a nanny dress and wash her, and feed her a bottle. That just isn't in my wheelhouse of sexy play. So those parts had me laughing. Which I am sure wasn't the intended reaction, but my reaction all the same.
But like I said above the writing was do good and the story so entertaining I got past all that and actually ended up really enjoyed this one. Two thumbs up from yours truly.
Guest House (Menage Romance Book 1)
FREE ON AMAZON THOUGH February 6th!!Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Guest-House-Menage-Romance-Book-ebook/dp/B01M5J96BF/
 - Jackie Ashenden)
Guarding Mr. Fine
Seth Lang is sent to Munich to play bodyguard to the U.S. consul general. Babysitting a desk jockey isn't Seth's usual MO, but when he sets his eyes on Rick Fine...Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome and the man he had a sexy encounter with three days prior, Seth goes from annoyed to intrigued.
Rick Fine had been sent undercover to find out what really happened to the previous consul general. He is going to need all the help he can get and when it turns out his bodyguard is someone from his past things start to get interesting.
But with Rick keeping a huge secret from Seth and danger at every turn. These two will need to put their issues aside and learn to trust before it all comes crashing down around them.
I enjoyed this book immensely. This is the third book in the series but can be read as a standalone with no issues. The writing was great. The pace moved along nicely. It had some twists and turns (though to be honest it's pretty obvious who the baddie is right from the start). The back and forth banter between the heroes was great. The sexy times were hot. Both main characters were likable guys. The secondary characters were interesting (I'd LOVE to hear more about Alec and his brothers).
Overall just a really enjoyable read. Two thumbs up from yours truly.
Blue on Blue: An Insider’s Story of Good Cops Catching Bad Cops
This book really was a fascinating read. The author gives us a behind the scenes look at the inner workings on the NYPD and the IAB. And he does it in a way that is both interesting and thought provoking.
From dirty cops to unsung heroes to sting operations and undercover cops...this book will give you a greater appreciation for those that do what is necessary to keep the streets safe and the NYPD an institution you can trust.
