Monthly Archives: January 2018
Review: Luckiest Cowboy of All by Carolyn Brown
A secret baby brings a second chance for love. Carlene Varner’s homecoming isn’t exactly going according to plan. She thought she’d have some time to adjust before introducing her daughter to Jace Dawson, the father her little girl has never known. Instead, within days of her arrival, her house burns down and she and Tilly have no choice but to move in with the sexy cowboy himself at the Prairie Rose ranch. Now the whole Dawson clan-heck, the whole town of Happy-is all up in their business.
Jace has dealt with stubborn bulls and bucking broncos-but being a dad? He is so not ready for this… Yet the more time he spends with Carlene and little Tilly, the harder it is to imagine life without them. Now he just has to convince Carlene that he’s the real deal-and hope that this time she’s here to stay.
Luckiest Cowboy of All by Carolyn Brown is the final book in her Lucky, Texas series. Ms. Brown has once again brought together some characters who entertain with tender moments, family love and unity, witty conversations and fun scenes. These characters are so true to life that I found myself looking at them as friends and family as I read their stories. In this book Carlene Varner returns to Happy, Texas with her third grade, 8 1/2 year old daughter, Tilly because she wants her daughter to grow up in a place where she can happily put down roots. This is something she didn’t have growing up since her family moved every couple years. Carlene knows she will see Jace Dawson who she dated in high school since Happy is such a small town. What happens when they do meet again is a special and enlightening scene in the story. Needless to say the attraction between them is still as hot as ever. What happens along the way to Carlene and Jace finding their Happily Ever After is a fun read.
Carolyn Brown has a brilliant talent when it comes to writing child characters. In my opinion in this story little Tilly absolutely steals the show. She is a chatty, independent whirlwind of a kid and I found her to be the best part of the story. The things this child says are a hoot! For instance how she relates the story of when she saw a mouse in the falling down house she and her mother have moved into really made me laugh. She said, “I think I saw a mouse yesterday. But I didn’t cuss – even though I wanted to – because that get’s me in trouble.” I love this kid!
Reading the next book in a Carolyn Brown series gives you the warm feeling of coming home again after being away for a while. That’s a really great feeling. Pick up Luckiest Cowboy of All and enjoy the warm feeling of getting to know down-home characters in a makes-you-feel-good story.
Review: Breaking Point by Allison Brennan
Breaking Point
Allison Brennan
Lucy Kincaid Series, Book 13
JT Caruso often worries about his sister, given her line of work. This time, when he learns that Bella is working undercover to find a missing girl involved in a dangerous prostitution ring, JT asks FBI Special Agent Lucy Kincaid for help.
Even with Lucy’s extensive experience in running down human traffickers, finding Bella will not be easy. Not only because she is in too deep. But because Bella, who will not rest until she saves the girl, doesn’t want to be found…
The name of the author of this book, Breaking Point is Allison Brennan. This is a story in her Lucy Kincaid series. That’s all I needed to see to know that by picking up this book I was about to have a very exciting, very suspenseful adventure.
As expected this story has a very well-thought-out. well-developed plot with lots of surprises and suspense. As well as being a story about one of my favorite characters, Lucy Kincaid and the various other personalities that are usually featured in the Lucy Kincaid series this story also highlights Bella Caruso, sister to J.T. Caruso of RCK, Rogan-Caruso-Kincaid Protective Services. In this book Bella Caruso, pretending to be a doctor, is deep undercover with a prostitution/human trafficking ring. Bella is such a complex character yet Allison Brennan brings her to life in such a way that the reader can empathisize with her as well as stress with her about the part she plays in assisting such despicable characters. I found myself rooting loudly for Bella’s cause and success. I’m sure readers will enjoy following Bella through her trials and successes in this story.
A story about prostitution/human trafficking and all the ugliness that surrounds this is a hard story to write I’m sure. It’s a hard story to read at times because the plight of these victims is heart-wrenching. Add in the fact that this story highlights the trafficking of young girls and that makes it even tougher to read or even think about. I appreciate though that this author has the courage to bring this major scar on the face of humanity into the light of day. Allison Brennan does an excellent job of bringing the poignancy and tragedy of this to the reader’s attention. I commend her for how well she has researched this tragedy and her excellent skill in writing about this while telling such a suspenseful tale.
This is a masterfully written suspense story and I highly recommend this book!
I was given an ARC by the publisher for an honest review.
Review: Siren In the City by Sophie Oak/ Lexi Blake
Siren In the City
Sophie Oak/ Lexi Blake
Texas Sirens, Book 2
Re-released in a second edition with new scenes.
Jack and Sam married Abby. It was supposed to be for forever, but lately Abby wonders where her alpha male has gone. Jack has retreated and life has become decidedly vanilla. It isn’t the true marriage she and Sam wanted. Sam and Abby know the time has come to fight for what they need.
A call from his mentor forces Jack to revisit the club where he discovered his sexuality. Jack’s half-brother is in the city and interested in a little blackmail. Can Jack handle two defiant subs and a brother in need of some tough love?
Sometimes all it takes to find the way home is a little love and a lot of mischief.
Come back to the beginning and revisit some of your favorite old characters or find new ones to love. Siren in the City has been revised and new scenes added. And if you look closely, you’ll find not only the beginnings of the Sophie Oak world, but also the seeds of how McKay-Taggart began…
4 Stars
Wow! Super sexy with a level of intensity that keep the pages turning.
Siren in the City is an intimate and intense continuation of Sam, Jack and Abigail’s story. However Ms. Blake creativity takes readers much deeper, allowing them to see this amazing trio in a different light. Mischief, Mayhem and even the mafia are just the tip of the iceberg on this one. After the accident, things have changed, Abby in a way takes on the mission of getting her men right. As she says, When the masters away the mice will play.
Healing, humor and oh my god the Hotness. Lexi Blake once again take readers on an adventure they didn’t even know they were looking for. The building of a relationship, all the beauty and ugliness, the up and downs, the depth and intensity. If you enjoyed Small Town Siren, you will definitely want to indulge with Siren in the City. I promise, there will be no disappointment!
A copy of this title was provided for an honest review.
LAURA KAYE’S FIGHTING FOR EVERYTHING COVER REVEAL
I’m thrilled to help Laura Kaye share the amazing cover for her upcoming Fighting for Everything, the first in her Warrior Fight Club series, a new contemporary military romance series about the members of an MMA training club that helps veterans deal with PTSD and transition to civilian life. It’s coming May 22! Check it out, preorder your copy, and let me know what you think! Here’s everything you need to know:
Preorder on Amazon | Amazon AU | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | B&N | iBooks | Kobo
Become one of Laura Kaye’s VIP Readers
About the book:
Loving her is the biggest fight of his life…
Home from the Marines, Noah Cortez has a secret he doesn’t want his oldest friend, Kristina Moore, to know. It kills him to push her away, especially when he’s noticing just how sexy and confident she’s become in his absence. But, angry and full of fight, he’s not the same man anymore either. Which is why Warrior Fight Club sounds so good.
Kristina loves teaching, but she wants more out of life. She wants Noah—the boy she’s crushed on and waited for. Except Noah is all man now—in ways both oh so good and troubling, too. Still, she wants who he’s become—every war-hardened inch. And when they finally stop fighting their attraction, it’s everything Kristina never dared hope for.
But Noah is secretly spiraling, and when he lashes out, it threatens what he and Kristina have found. The brotherhood of the fight club helps him confront his demons, but only Noah can convince the woman he loves that he’s finally ready to fight for everything.
About Laura Kaye:
Laura Kaye is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of thirty books in contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Laura grew up amid family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses, cementing her life-long fascination with storytelling and the supernatural. A former college history professor, Laura also writes bestselling historical women’s fiction as Laura Kamoie. Laura lives in Maryland with her husband and two daughters, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.
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So what do you think? Thanks for reading!
Review: A Merciful Secret by Kendra Elliot
A Merciful Secret A pair of ritual murders could expose Mercy Kilpatrick to something terrifying: her own past…
Raised off the grid by survivalists, Mercy Kilpatrick believed in no greater safeguard than the backwoods of Oregon. Unforgiven by her father for abandoning the fold for the FBI, Mercy still holds to her past convictions. They’re in her blood. They’re her secrets—as guarded as her private survival retreat hidden away in the foothills.
In a cabin near her hideaway, Mercy encounters a young girl whose grandmother is dying from multiple knife wounds. Hundreds of miles away, a body is discovered slashed to death in a similar way. The victims—a city judge and an old woman living in the woods—couldn’t be more different. With the help of police chief Truman Daly, Mercy must find the killer before the body count rises. Mercy knows that the past has an edge on her. So does her family. How can she keep her secrets now…when they’re the only things that can save her?
4 Stars
Kendra Elliott is one of my “go-to” authors for romantic suspense books. When I see her name on a new release I know I am going to get a first-rate gripping thriller which is well-written and maintains my interest throughout the story. A Merciful Secret which is book #3 in Kendra Elliott’s Mercy Kilpatrick series is an excellent example of this author’s fantastic writing skill set. This book has characters who are realistic and relatable to the reader. They have some character flaws, so not perfect unbelievable characters. In this book FBI agent Mercy Kilpatrick once again must use her excellent thinking skills and brave and caring attitude to solve a case. Mercy’s love interest, Eagle’s Nest Police Chief Truman Daly stays true to character as well. He must use all his skills to help support Mercy in her endeavers.
The author expertly describes her action scenes so that the reader feels involved personally in all the action. This is a fast-moving thriller which keeps the reader guessing until the end and doesn’t let up so you keep turning the pages eagerly in anticipation of finding out who-done-it!
Review: Ace by Laramie Briscoe
Ace
Laramie Briscoe
Moonhine Taskforce Series, Book 4
Ace is saving lives and mending hearts…….
Anthony “Ace” Bailey
I’m not a rules kinda guy
Department Policy? Kinda sucks, but I do what I have to for the job that I love.
Playing it safe? Not my thing.
Married? No big deal when I know she’s unhappy and scared.
I’m one of those guys – a sniper in the military, a little bit of an adrenaline junkie, and a member of the Moonshine Task Force. I’ve lived through some shit.
My gut has never failed me. It’s my sixth-sense. Warning me of a gunshot coming my way, of a traffic stop being potentially deadly, or the tingling in the back of my neck when I go to sleep telling me I’ll be woken up by a call in the middle of the night. My gut has always kept me honest.
Like the day I walked into The Café and saw the new waitress. There was a ring on her left hand, but I didn’t care. One look in her eyes told me everything I needed to know. Her marriage wasn’t one made of love and respect. It was one made of fear and doubt.
It’s why I ignored that ring, why I arrested her husband, and the reason I’m willing to take my time. Patience is a virtue, and with this woman, I have it in spades.
Violet Miller
Meeting Anthony Bailey changed my life. He did things that no one else has ever done for me.
Feeling safe? Never happened before.
Feeling wanted? It’s been years.
Being independent? I’m learning.
It’s foreign, not having someone question my every move, being able to eat what I want for dinner, and sitting out on my front porch talking to Anthony every night while we share a couple beers.
I try to tell myself he’s just being nice; that he’s doing his job and working within the community. The problem? The night he takes the kiss we both want, everything changes, and I can no longer deny what I feel. But it doesn’t stop me from trying – and I learn quickly that Ace knows me better than anyone else ever has – including myself.
All I can do is hang on, as he takes me on the scariest journey of my life. The one that bends us until we almost break, and ends with a happily ever after I never thought I would get.
ACE includes the wedding of a beloved couple, an appearance by Reaper, and the continuation of EVERYONE falling in love with Caleb!
4 Stars
Anthony “Ace” Bailey is the epitome of what a southern gentleman with a streak badass is. He’s strong and commanding, yet patient and gentle. He’s a man that has learned what he wants and is more than willing to take the time, effort and work needed to achieve.
Violet Miller is the victim of an abuse spouse. A woman to has tried to better her life and literally keeps gets beaten down. Until the day the asshat made is move in front of the wrong person. Freedom is something Violet is not used to feeling. Care from a man is something foreign as well. Violet’s strong and more than she sees herself.
Healing, slow burning and learning to love again. Ace and Violet share an attraction and chemistry that they allow to slowly build and burn. Violet is strong in her conviction of being divorced before proceeding into something she deserves to have. They truly get to know one another, building a friendship while exploring what love truly can be. The fourth installment of the Moonshine Task Force series is a deep read for many reasons. Ace goes into touchy subjects in an elegant and caring manor. The shine is back and there are some jaw-dropping moments from someone who’s usually rather quiet. Laramie Briscoe one again impresses me with her ability to write all the feels while giving the reader an enjoyable story.
A copy of this title was provided for an honest review.
Release Blitz: The Hail You Say by Lani Lynn Vale
Today we have the release blitz for THE HAIL YOU SAY by Lani Lynn Vale! Check it out and get your copy today!
Title: THE HAIL YOU SAY
Series: Hail Raisers
Author: Lani Lynn Vale
Release Day: January 11th
Photographer: Furiousfotog
Model: Stu Reardon
About THE HAIL YOU SAY
Get out!
He yelled those words at the love of his life twelve years ago, and to this day, Reed Hail regrets them. He’s always been the type of person to speak before he thinks, and apologies have never come easy.
It’s been over a decade since she was his, and he stubbornly thinks that he can keep on living without her.
He couldn’t be more wrong.
The last thing he needs is her vagina anywhere near his exam table. But nobody ever asks him what he wants.
Maybe he should’ve gone into the auto-recovery business after all.
I hate you.
Krisney Shaw would take those words back in a heartbeat if she could. In fact, she would take back everything.
Never meeting him would be the perfect place to start. The memory of Reed Hail haunts her—morning, noon, and night.
Then, to add insult to injury, she has to see him being happy while she’s breaking a little more inside every single day.
Reed Hail is her worst nightmare because she’s constantly reminded of exactly what she’s missing—the other half of her soul.
Just when she thinks things can’t get worse, she’s sees his sexy, bearded face over the top of her paper gown, and she’s lost all over again.
Don’t ever let me go.
Both Reed and Krisney are determined to avoid each other. They do a great job of it, too…not.
One ill-timed gynecological exam changes everything. One single second in time shows Reed what he’s missing—literally and figuratively—and suddenly he’s back at square one.
The only problem with being back at square one? He won’t be able to leave her a second time.
Especially since the first time around he didn’t have a child with her to consider.
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Excerpt
Routine. Just routine.
Yeah, right.
I knew this was going to be bad. I knew that I was about to do one of the stupidest things in the world.
Yet, that didn’t stop me from entering the infirmary.
Every year we were required to see the doctor for an annual health evaluation. Mine was due two months ago, and I’d purposefully gotten out of it.
I’d tried to get out of this one, too. However, my superior looked at me, grinned that evil grin of hers, and told me in no uncertain terms if I didn’t do it, I’d be relegated to desk duty for the foreseeable future.
She knew I hated desk duty.
Talking to people wasn’t my forte.
And now I was here.
Going into the one place that I knew I shouldn’t be going.
The clinic in town was normally off limits.
The clinic near the base had an older than dirt male doctor that I was fairly sure was a pervert who kept working because he didn’t get to see pussy that young anymore.
However, knowing that the old doc was off on the weekends, and Reed volunteered there for all the ladies that didn’t want to risk it with the pervert doc, led me to where I was today.
Where I knew he was.
Shit. Damn. Fuck.
I’d gone to Germany to get away from him. He’d been assigned to the same base within a month of my arrival.
It might’ve been a coincidence, but I knew it probably wasn’t.
He did it on purpose. Just to watch me squirm.
I swung open the glass door, waved at the secretary who I knew but whose name I couldn’t remember, and signed in.
“He’s running about thirty minutes behind,” the secretary said as she took my information. “I’ll tell the ladies that you’re here, though. You can go on back. The nurse will put you in a room.”
Of course he was, because the motherfucker liked to talk.
Fucker.
Asshole.
I walked back, met the nurse, and she guided me into a room.
“Here’s the paper gown. You can go ahead and change here behind the screen.” The nurse smiled. “The part goes in the front.”
I refrained from flipping her off.
I knew which fucking part went in the front. I wasn’t a dumbass.
“Thanks,” I muttered.
I waited until she was completely out of the room before I changed, making sure the screen was completely covering every square inch of my body before I stripped my shirt off.
My pants went next, then my bra, and my underwear.
After slipping on the stupid gown—part in front—I folded the clothes precisely in on themselves, making sure that my underwear and bra were neatly tucked into my shirt before rolling my pants around the shirt.
I did not want him to see my underthings.
No sir-ree.
He was already going to see my breasts and vagina today. I didn’t want him to see that I wore the sexy underthings for some stupid reason.
Growling to myself, I picked up my phone and blasted off a text to my best friend.
She was probably asleep, but she’d answer when she woke up.
Somebody needed to be witness to this train wreck.
Might as well be Hennessy.
Giveaway
Please see Coffee Books Life Review of
The Hail You Say here
About Lani Lynn Vale
Lani Lynn Vale is a USA Today Bestselling Author of over thirty titles. She is married with three children, two dogs, two cats, a donkey, and a couple (a couple also meaning over twenty) chickens.
When she’s not writing, you can find her curled up in her favorite chair reading.
Lani is married with three children and lives in the Great State of Texas.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | BookBub
Review: The Hail You See by Lani Lynn Vale
The Hail You Say
Lani Lynn Vale
Hail Raisers Series, Book 5
Get out!
He yelled those words at the love of his life twelve years ago, and to this day, Reed Hail regrets them. He’s always been the type of person to speak before he thinks, and apologies have never come easy.
It’s been over a decade since she was his, and he stubbornly thinks that he can keep on living without her.
He couldn’t be more wrong.
The last thing he needs is her vagina anywhere near his exam table. But nobody ever asks him what he wants.
Maybe he should’ve gone into the auto-recovery business after all.
I hate you.
Krisney Shaw would take those words back in a heartbeat if she could. In fact, she would take back everything.
Never meeting him would be the perfect place to start. The memory of Reed Hail haunts her—morning, noon, and night.
Then, to add insult to injury, she has to see him being happy while she’s breaking a little more inside every single day.
Reed Hail is her worst nightmare because she’s constantly reminded of exactly what she’s missing—the other half of her soul.
Just when she thinks things can’t get worse, she’s sees his sexy, bearded face over the top of her paper gown, and she’s lost all over again.
Don’t ever let me go.
Both Reed and Krisney are determined to avoid each other. They do a great job of it, too…not.
One ill-timed gynecological exam changes everything. One single second in time shows Reed what he’s missing—literally and figuratively—and suddenly he’s back at square one.
The only problem with being back at square one? He won’t be able to leave her a second time.
Especially since the first time around he didn’t have a child with her to consider.
5 Stars
Reed Hail and Krisney Shaw have a history that is made of many unforgettable happy moments and nightmare of a tragedy that has left them both longing for years. 12 years. With wants and needs that no one can begin to soothe. With a past that still influences the future, chemistry that has never burnt out, Reed and Krisney’s story is my first 5 Star read of 2018.
Lani Lynn Vale has a remarkable talent for giving readers a crazy, this could never really happen, OH my God that just happened, page turning story that locks you in, in every way. Emotional, sexy and completely character driven. The Hail You Say completely blew my mind. Krisney and Reed share a depth and bond that is something quite remarkable. Two strong people who have been through hell and back, prove that love is the strongest of them all.
A copy of this title was provided for an honest review.
Review: Whiskey Secrets by Carrie Ann Ryan
Whiskey Secrets
Carrie Ann Ryan
Whiskey and Lies Series, Book 1
Sparks fly between a former cop-turned-bartender and his new innkeeper in the first installment of a Montgomery Ink spin-off series from NYT Bestselling Author Carrie Ann Ryan.
Dare Collins is a man who knows his whiskey and women—or at least that’s what he tells himself. When his family decides to hire on a new innkeeper for the inn above his bar and restaurant, he’s more than reluctant. Especially when he meets the new hire. But he’ll soon find that he has no choice but to work with this city girl and accept her new ideas and the burning attraction between them.
Kenzie Owens left her old life and an abusive relationship behind her—or so she thought. She figures she’ll be safe in Whiskey, Pennsylvania but after one look at her new boss, Dare Collins, she might still be in danger, or at least her heart. And when her past catches up with her despite her attempts to avoid it, it’s more than her heart on the line. This time, it might mean her life.
4 Stars
Carrie Ann Ryan starts my 2018 reading year with all the feels. Emotional, sweet, sensual with just the right amount of hotness to get you to your happy place. Kenzie and Dare are like two pea in a pod but with different issues from the past that plague their present. Kenzie is an amazingly strong woman. Issues that seem to always keep them both on their toes. Dare and Kenzie created sparks the moment they met. I loved that their connection was not only physical but very deep on the emotional side. They found a way to help each other deal and heal with past. Whiskey Secrets is a fantastic start to the Whiskey and Lies series. Kenzie and Dare are both well developed and yet complex at the same time. They connection they share and built is something of beauty. For a faster pace of the story we experience a lot of growth for Dare and Kenzie and potential development for future story.
A copy of this title was provided for an honest review.
Review: Every Dog Has His Day by Jenn McKinlay
Every Dog Has His Day
Jenn McKinlay
Bluff Pointe Series, Book 3
A stray kitten and a rambunctious poodle bring together a small-town bachelor and a single mother in the latest romance set in Bluff Point, Maine.
Bluff Point brewery owner Zachary Caine wants nothing to do with commitment. His wild bachelor lifestyle suits him perfectly—until a foster kitten named Chaos makes him a reluctant hero. Now he’s BFFs with the kitten’s two little girls and finds himself falling for their gorgeous mother, who couldn’t think less of him.
Divorced mother Jessie Connelly wants nothing to do with men like Zach. He’s sexy and charismatic and bad news, just like her ex. But her girls adore him, and he’s doing a good job filling in for their deadbeat dad. Then a snowstorm brings out the best in both neighbors, who, it turns out, have more in common than their mutual attraction…
So when Jessie’s past threatens her and her girls, Zach is determined to do whatever it takes to protect them—and live happily ever after with this family he has made his own.
5 Stars
Jenn McKinlay has once again released a sweet, heartwarming and super fun story. Every Dog Has His Day is book #3 in her absolutely delightful Bluff Pointe, Maine series. Zack Caine, brewery owner, is happy with his life. He has the brewery, his Maine crew of friends and interactions with ladies he meets when he feels attracted, as long as all parties agree that getting together is a “no-strings-attached” thing. Zack is the ultimate commitment-phobe. He also has a dog companion in the cinnamon colored standard poodle, Rufus – at least for now as he is doing long-term dog sitting for a friend. Jessie Connelly is happy to be free from her alcoholic, cheating ex-husband since she has two sweet, wonderful daughters she is determined to be the best mother for and also has a great job as office manager for town vet, Gavin Tolliver. So life is good even considering having to keep up with the overactive kitten, Chaos that she and her girls are fostering. Then Choas gets stuck on Zack’s roof and as he is such a good neighbor and hero it’s Zack to the rescue. Thus the fun begins!
The author does an excellent job with her storyline, plot and dialogue. She writes a believeable conflict and resolution. Along the way she keeps her readers attention and “funny bone” tickled with animal antics, cute kiddie scenes and super fun adult interactions. The conversations among the Maine crew friends are hilarious. How many differnt terms do you know for orgasm and intimate female body pasrts? The reader will laugh at those boy vs girl phrase competitions. The reader will also get to see who ends up packing to run away, who ends up wearing a purple pirate hat complete with plume and how a talent show ends up.
I have loved all the books in this series so far! Every Dog Has His Day is no exception. I highly recommend this book!
Coffee Books Life 