Daughter of two ruthless high-Gradient telepaths, Auden Scott is not the child her Psy parents wanted or expected, even before her brain injury. Her thoughts are scattered, her memories fuzzy—or just terrifyingly blank. The only thing she knows for certain is that she must protect her unborn baby . . . a baby she has no recollection of conceiving and who draws an unnerving depth of interest from her dead mother’s closest associates.
Leopard alpha Remi Denier is a man driven by the primal instinct to protect. Protect his pack, protect his allies . . . and protect the mysterious woman who has become a most unlikely neighbor. With eerie eyes that see too much and a scent that alters in ways disturbing and impossible, Auden Scott is the enemy . . . but nothing about this strange Psy is what it seems, and Remi’s feline heart is as fascinated by her as his human half.
Then Auden asks Remi to help her shatter the wall of secrets that is the Scott bloodline. What they unearth will reveal a nightmare beyond imagination. This time, the battle is to the death. . .
PRIMAL MIRROR (Psy-Changeling Trinity Book #8) by Nalini Singh is an exciting paranormal romantic suspense which had me on the edge-of-my- seat as the leopard changeling hero and the Psy heroine go against a frightening evil. While the romance can stand on its own, the suspense plot is ongoing from previous books and there are also several characters pulled from previous books. While you do not need to go back to the beginning of the entire paranormal series, I enjoyed reading this Trinity spinoff series in order.
Psy Auden Scott suffered a terrible brain injury in an accident. While her memories are scattered or even blank, her mother has a diabolical use for her daughter. As Auden’s mind heals, she realizes she is pregnant with a child she has no recollection of conceiving. When her mother dies, Auden does not understand her mother’s associates’ intense interest in the yet to be born baby, but she vows to protect her baby at all costs.
Leopard alpha Remi Denier is working on protecting and building his fledgling pack. As he is checking his lands perimeter, he discovers a new neighbor on the adjacent land. This Psy with the unique eyes is very pregnant and has a scent that changes in disturbing ways, and he is fascinated. His alpha will do anything to protect this woman and her to be born cub.
Auden and Remi work together to uncover what Auden mother’s plans were for her that seem to be continuing even after her death as they also protect Auden’s baby. They MS. discover a nightmare even as the entire Psy race is on the brink of mass destruction.
I loved this addition to the series. It is fast paced with tension that continues to ramp up to a discovery that is severely twisted. Auden is a great powerful female heroine that you cannot help but love, not only because of her fight to regain her mental self, but also how much she will do to protect her baby. I have been waiting for Remi to finally meet his mate and this is a great pairing. I also enjoyed how this book pulls in many characters from previous books in the series not only to assist Auden and Remi, but to save the PsyNet itself.
I highly recommend this addition to the series, and I am looking forward to seeing what is in store for this paranormal world in the next book!
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Author Bio
I was born in Fiji and raised in New Zealand. I spent three years living and working in Japan, where I took the chance to travel around Asia. I’m back in New Zealand now, but I’m always plotting new trips. If you’d like to see some of my travel snapshots, have a look at the Travel Diary page.
I’ve worked as a lawyer, a librarian, a candy factory general hand, a bank temp and an English teacher, but not necessarily in that order. Some might call that inconsistency, but I call it grist for the writer’s mill.
After surviving the most dangerous mission of his career, John Dempsey is back at Ember. But Ember has changed—and so has he. Meanwhile, a new adversary sees an opportunity to rise. As Dempsey and Vice President Jarvis soon discover, the world stage is about to get deadlier than ever …
To survive the notorious prison IK-2 and assassinate Russian President Vladimir Petrov, John Dempsey had to become rosomakha, the wolverine. Now, back home in America, he’s trying to put the pieces of his life at Ember back together. But which man returned from Russia—Dempsey, or the wolverine? From the way his teammates look at him, it’s obvious they’re not sure, and neither is he.
Meanwhile, Vice President Kelso Jarvis has barely had time to mourn the death of his mentor before a devastating attack reveals a new threat. Because of Dempsey’s mission in Russia, the rules of the game have changed—only now it’s not clear who the players are. As Dempsey leads Ember on a mission to protect and avenge a shocking attack on America, Jarvis’s oath to his nation is tested in ways he never imagined. Together, they must determine who is behind this rising threat and stop the mastermind before it’s too late.
And just as Dempsey begins to feel like himself again, an old ally resurfaces—someone he thought he’d left for dead long ago …
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Elise’s Thoughts
Ember by Brian Andrews and Jeff Wilson has Dempsey returning home to the US. After Dempsey’s mission in Russia, the rules of the game have changed. He leads Ember on a mission to protect and avenge a shocking attack on Americans, where Jarvis’s oath to his nation is tested in ways he never imagined. Together, they must determine who is behind this rising threat and stop the mastermind before it’s too late. There will also be a return of a character long thought dead, one who has a complicated past with Dempsey.
If readers want to understand what is going on in the world with nation versus nation, more like a chess game with a lot of action this is the series to read. The characters are acting on their own values and are principled based.
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Author Interview
Elise Cooper: What about a movie/TV/streaming deal?
Brian Andrews and Jeff Wilson: There are half dozen projects under development and hopefully announcements will be forth coming in the next six months. The “Tier One series” and “The Four Minutes series” are being developed along with a faith-based series we write and some short stories. “Sons of Valor” is not being developed because it slightly competes with the “Tier One series.”
EC: Is this book the first in the arc, setting up future books?
BA & JW: Yes. What the Chinese have done to the US have been damaging: hacking the infrastructure, stealing secrets, and interfering with trade/monetary policies. We want to show how they are more of a complicated enemy. Our first trilogy had Iran as the enemy, the second trilogy-plus had Russia as the enemy, and now this third trilogy will have China, Ember’s most difficult challenge they have faced.
EC: What is the Dempsey factor you talk about in this book?
BA & JW: It is mission before self. The idea that adding Dempsey to the team has the success rate go up disproportionally. He is so good at his job that he is worth two or three operators on the team. His philosophy is about the enemy trying to take another chess piece off the board.
EC: Can you discuss the different ethos in the book?
BA & JW: Dempsey has a SEAL’s heart and a warriors’ mind. The politician’s ethos is not the warrior’s ethos that says team before self. Jarvis is conflicted about the warrior ethos versus the politician ethos.
EC: Why did you put in that first scene in the book?
BA & JW: The opening scene of Ember was pulled directly from Crusader One. The scene in the Iranian Bazaar was from Dempsey’s point of view in Crusader one. Now readers get to see it through Elinor’s eyes. He has a lot of guilt about leaving her behind for 2.5 years.
EC: Did Dempsey have PTSD in this book with his nightmares?
BA & JW: I think it is impossible for a warrior to do the type of jobs he does without having emotional repercussions. The nightmares signals to the readers he is still grappling with his morals and humanity. We give mixed signals because there is a scene in the book where he focuses on his job. His team is not sure if he is suffering from PTS or is he OK?
EC: Why did you highlight Jake, Dempsey’s son, in the story?
BA & JW: He is following in his dad’s footsteps to become a SEAL. We have big plans for him. Someday he will be reunited with his dad. I will not say how and when it will happen.
EC: Why a new female, Wallace, on the team?
BA & JW: We changed the chemistry of the Ember team. Grimes is jealous of her since she was accepted outright and a completely different personality: upbeat and cool. Grimes worked so hard to be accepted and now she sees Wallace is easily accepted by the guys. She feels, ‘are you kidding me, come on.’ Grimes broke the glass ceiling and Wallace comes in to clean it all up. It is so unfair for her.
EC: Where are you going with the Grimes/Munn relationship?
BA & JW: Munn and Grimes have feelings for each other and are drawn together. It could happen. But they must be wary of temptation, because what happens if it does not work out? Will it affect the team and the professionalism? How they handle it will be a part of the series going forward.
EC: What about your next books?
BA & JW: The second book in the “Tier One” next trilogy will continue with the Chinese operative as the villain. No title yet. It will probably come out fall 2025. Lieutenant Commander Keith “Chunk” Redman will make an appearance.
Sons of Valor IV will be a transitional book to the next trilogy in the series. We do not want to ignore the recent everts of October 7th so we will be writing a story with Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Iran. It will be out next summer. There will be a lot of Petra and Jarvis.
The Clancy book has Katie Ryan back. The setting is the South China Sea with high stakes involving Taiwan and China. The title is Defense Protocol coming out in early December.
THANK YOU!!
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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.
The “Tier One” series plots written by Brian Andrews and Jeff Wilson will remind readers of the late Vince Flynn. They are better than the books written after various authors took over the writing when Vince Flynn died. Thriller fans get an explosive thrill ride that starts with page one of book one and doesn’t let up for the duration. But readers will get much more, including relevant geo-political issues that make it appear these authors have a crystal ball. Below is an interview with Brian Andrews and Jeff Wilson about their first seven books. They use their vast experience to write engrossing thrillers with enemies from Iran to Russia to China. Andrews worked as a nuclear engineer on naval submarines, while Wilson was a trauma surgeon embedded with the East Coast Navy SEALS. Book eight, Ember, will appear in a separate Q & A.
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Author Interview
Elise Cooper: What would you say is the style of this series?
Brian Andrews & Jeff Wilson: There are three book arcs where each book has its own bad guy, but the main bad guy gets their due in the third book. Because the antagonist narrative is extended over the course of the trilogy, readers get to know them. In reality this series everything has shades of grey concerning policy, morality, Special Operations, and how the characters emotionally handle their actions.
EC: How would you describe each of the following characters over the course of all the books in the series?
BA & JW:EMBER, the organization, is autonomous with analysts, field operatives, surveillance, and collecting intelligence. They are deep cover with speed, stealth, and efficiency.
John DEMPSEY: A former SEAL, believes in serving his country, and is adaptable. He is a mission before self-type of guy who puts his country first. He can be quite emotional, which defines his humanity. He is always questioning if he is doing the right thing for the right reason instead of just following orders. He is the Operations Director.
Kelso JARVIS: He heads the Ember team. He is the most complicated character. He has always been a chameleon to get the job done. He is a little bit Machiavellian where the ends justify the means. He is driven by a recognition of his own mortality because of his disease and being married to Petra. Sometimes overconfident, observant, clever, and a man of action. At times he expected members of the team to betray their peers and teammates. He is willing to make judgements about what his team can or cannot handle. He makes decisions for the team. He withholds because it is in the best interest of their operational effectiveness, the end goal. He has evolved the most of all the characters, because he is more introspective and empathetic.
PETRA FELSK: She is Jarvis’s right-hand person, a former intelligence expert. Someone he can confide in and trust completely. She can read Jarvis’ mind and complements him. She admires his qualities. She is not afraid to challenge him and call him out.
Elizabeth GRIMES: Sniper operator. In the beginning she had trust issues and feels isolated. Lizzie is perceptive, loyal, questioning, connects the dots, needs to be in control, and sarcastic. She is our devil’s advocate character, someone not afraid to argue the other side, an outside the box thinker. She now sees Dempsey as brother-like and he sees her as sister-like. But she sometimes becomes the big sister to him.
Dan MUNN: He is the SEAL medic who now works for Ember but is also an operator. Dan was a teammate of Dempsey when a SEAL. He is his good friend and knows how to push his buttons.
Levi HAREL: The Mossad chief. He is perceptive, wise, and a true ally of the US. He looks beyond politics, a pragmatist and a tactician. He is a mentor to Jarvis.
Richard WANG: He is the team’s cyber guy in the field. Insecure, egotistical, and a genius. He wants the team’s respect, defaulting to humor and self-deprecation.
Ian BALDWIN: He is the head of Ember’s signals division: electronic, communications, and intelligence. He handles the different ways data is intercepted, collected, and interpreted. He is an enigma. He is like the AI of the team. Ian is the eccentric uncle no one knows how to talk to.
BAD GUYS: They match Dempsey in skill, tactical, and survival. They are formidable foes.
EC:In the first book, TIER ONE, Navy SEAL Jack Kemper had to give up everything including his family to take on the persona of John Dempsey, working for a covert organization that operates without any bureaucratic red tape and operates in the shadows. Did the Tier One book set up the premise for the rest of the books in the series?
BA & JW: Back in 2015 when we started to write this series, we realized that America’s enemies were being constantly defeated by the Navy SEALS because they are so good at what they do. We thought about the ‘what if’ the enemies tried to neuter the Special Operations arm of the US military service, wiping out the entire Tier One Navy SEALs. We fictionalized it by making Tier One smaller than in real life and had all the squads on the same mission to get the high-value terrorist targets, which we did in the first book. For us, the premise was quite intriguing as the enemy upped their game in covert actions.
EC: It seems you always have a relevant piece to your plot. Were you influenced by what happened in Afghanistan when a military helicopter was shot down, killing 31 U.S. special operation troops, most of them from the elite Navy SEALs unit that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden?
BA & JW: This is a perfect example of what we tried to show in this first book. The Taliban knew how the SEALs moved. In the first book, Tier One, we tried to show how the enemy is gaining in sophistication and should not be underestimated.
EC:In book two, WAR SHADOWS, there is a very relevant quote, “Making decisions requires courage. Without courage leadership cannot exist. Without leadership the bad guys win every time.” Please explain.
BA & JW: This is a theme throughout all our series. Leadership matters. Look at the leadership in this country and there are serious problems. I was taught people need to lead by example, having integrity and accountability. They should own mistakes and tell how they will fix it. Instead, they gaslight. We are trying to imagine a world of military leaders and politicians that we want to see in real life, making decisions based on principles. They should not be self-serving and go along with the political winds. Dempsey and Jarvis stand up for what they think is morally right.
EC: In book three, CRUSADER ONE, there is a terrorist attack where Israel is caught off guard and people question the readiness, security, and how to protect. Even though this was written way before October 7th, it exemplifies it. Please explain.
BA & JW: We employed Iran, Iron Dome, and multiple groups attacking at the same time. Hamas and Hezbollah were amassing weapons and digging tunnels, so we put it in the story.
EC: Elinor Jordan is introduced. Can you describe her?
BA & JW: She is like a female Dempsey and are kindred spirits. They have feelings for each other, sometimes trusting each other and sometimes they don’t. She has a schizophrenic existence, sensitive, caring, courageous, conflicted, and wants to make the world a better place. We wrote her as a Persian Jew working for Mossad. Yet, in the research we found that this community of Persian Jews are not considered by the Iranians as mortal enemies.
EC: The focus of book four, AMERICAN OPERATOR, has Dempsey rescuing an American hostage being held by the Jihadists terrorists. Please explain.
BA & JW: Dempsey rescues US State Department aid Amanda Allen and is willing to do anything to get her out because he has so much guilt over leaving Elinor behind. We wanted to represent the hostage mindset with Amanda: fearful, tough, capable, courageous, observer, and wondering if she should fight. She tried to figure out how she was going to survive but not betray her countrymen. She was tortured and was in a no-win situation trying to maintain her dignity, wits, and hope.
EC: In book five, RED SPECTER, did you focus on the Russian covert organization, Zeta?
BA & JW: It is the Russian version of Ember. Arkady is the Russian Jarvis who is brilliant, cunning, devious, a spymaster, strategic, powerful, and likes to play the long game. Both Arkday and Jarvis are willing to sacrifice their people for what they perceive of the greater good. Jarvis sacrificed Grimes emotionally and had Dempsey go on what was perceived as a suicide mission. This book is a reckoning of the escalation.
EC: Book six, COLLATERAL, has the rubber meeting the road. Do you agree?
BA & JW: We intended to end the Russian arc with this book but did not because there is a lot more story to tell. We had the US President designate Ember to go after every Zeta operative and eliminate them. We wanted to write it as the new Cold War including Russia infiltrating the Ukraine.
EC: Is book seven, DEMPSEY, a vengeance book?
BA & JW: The mission is more complicated than that. The book has a Russian contracting an American to kill his own leader. Enemies make strange bed fellows, and the enemy of my enemy is my friend until dead. We wanted Dempsey to deep dive into understanding his Russian enemy by living among them. This will change his entire approach to how he sees the world. Truth is relative and strength is what is important. The Russian President, Petrov, is a war criminal, murderer, psychopath, malicious, and paranoid, the ultimate dictator based on Putin.
EC: Why the two Russian words for truth istina versus pravda?
BA & JW: One means relative truth and one absolute truth. Americans believed there is one truth, and it is verifiable. In Russia the absolute truth is like mathematics and is provable. Now in America truth is what someone believes, which is relative truth. The question we want readers to ponder, is foreign assassination acceptable if that leader does really bad things, like Hitler? The question we pose is assassination of a foreign leader sometimes necessary for our own well-being, security, safety, and the existential threat? We are not suggesting that assassination is OK but just posing the questions.
EC: Readers that want adrenaline-fueled thrillers with a lot of action, deception and vengeance should read these books, preferably in order.
For book eight, EMBER, the one coming out this month, see the new Q & A.
THANK YOU!!
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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE HARDWICK HEATH KILLER (DI Nicki Hardcastle Mysteries Book #3) by Michelle Kidd on this Books ‘n’ All Promotions book tour.
Below you will find a book blurb, my book review, and the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!
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Book Blurb
Two grisly murders. Three days apart. One brutal killer?
The call comes at midnight on a stormy March night. A body has been found hanging from a tree on Hardwick Heath. In the dead man’s pocket is a handwritten note: SORRY. LIFE IS JUST TOO HARD. LOVE TO YOU ALL.
Detective Nicki’s instincts tell her this was no suicide — but someone has gone to a lot of trouble to make it look like one.
Three days later, a second body is found floating in a pond, just a few miles away. But the victim didn’t drown.
The police are treating the deaths as separate cases. Then Nicki uncovers a link between the two dead men — and the case takes a shocking twist.
As she unearths a series of secrets stretching back twenty years, Nicki and her team find themselves in a race against time before more people die.
THE DETECTIVE Detective Nicki Hardcastle is in her early thirties. She’s an independent, determined woman who is good at her job and treats her team with the respect they deserve. When she was ten years old, her little brother Dean disappeared. Nicki was supposed to be watching him. Now, she is estranged from her family, and finds it difficult to let people get close to her. Contentedly single, Nicki’s perfect evening consists of a long run followed by a hot bath. Her closest companion is her cat, Luna.
THE SETTING Bury St Edmunds is a picturesque market town in the heart of Suffolk, on the east coast of England. Founded in the 11th century, the town is notable for its rich and colorful history. Tourists flock to see the ruins of the medieval abbey and maybe catch a glimpse of the infamous ghostly ‘Grey Lady’. It’s also home to the Angel Hotel, once frequented by Charles Dickens, and the Nutshell, famous for being Britain’s smallest pub. It’s an unlikely setting for murder. But its tranquil surroundings and stunning architecture hide a darker side.
DI NICKI HARDCASTLE Book 1: MISSING BOY Book 2: THE TROPHY KILLER Book 3: THE HARDWICK HEATH KILLER
DI JACK MACINTOSH Book 1: SEVEN DAYS TO DIE Book 2: FIFTEEN REASONS TO KILL Book 3: SIXTEEN CARVED PIECES Book 4: TWENTY YEARS BURIED Book 5: THREE BROKEN BODIES
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My Book Review
RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars
THE HARDWICK HEATH KILLER (DI Nicki Hardcastle Mysteries Book #3) by Michelle Kidd is a British police procedural crime thriller that builds to an exciting and surprising climax but is slow to get going in the beginning with its multiple subplots that are slightly confusing. This series also intertwines DI Nicki Hardcastle’s past throughout and I believe it is best to read the books in order to understand what is happening in this regard.
DI Nicki Hardcastle and her team are still recovering from their last major case when they are called to what appears to be a suicide, but it is not. Three days later, a major landowner in the district is found floating dead in a lake.
At first these murders appear to have nothing in common, but as the team investigates, there are secrets stretching back twenty years that begin to bring all the clues and players together. Nicki is in a race against time to stop the killer before more people die.
This is a good British crime thriller read, but I felt at times the pace was bogged down by too many subplots. I appreciate the work done by the author to bring these many threads together in the end to completely surprise the reader and I enjoy this series with Nicki’s complex and secretive personal life, but there were also times that Nicki did things that I thought were out of character for a smart and intelligent DI. Overall, while this was not my favorite in the series, the investigation was well written, and I am excited for book #4 because of the slight cliffhanger at the end of this book.
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Author Bio
Michelle Kidd is a crime fiction author best known for the DI Jack MacIntosh and DI Nicki Hardcastle series. Michelle qualified as a legal executive in the early 1990s, spending ten years practising civil and criminal litigation.
But the dream to write was never far from her mind and in 2008 she began writing the first book in what would later become the DI Jack MacIntosh series. Michelle now works full time for the NHS and lives in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. She enjoys reading, wine and cats — not necessarily in that order.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for NEVER FINISHED (Pine Crest Mountain Book #1) by Ana Rhodes on this AME Blog Tour.
Below you will find an author Q&A, a book synopsis, my book review, an excerpt from the book, and the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!
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Author Q&A
Where do you get inspiration for your stories?
From everywhere! The places I’ve been, the people I’ve met. I’m inspired by everyday things. My mind is always capturing moments that will inspire me down the road.
Your book is set in Colorado. Have you ever been there?
I lived there for four years and it holds a special place in my heart. I still travel there at least once a year to visit friends and get my rocky mountain high. 🙂
What is a favorite compliment you have received on your writing?
I have had several people say they can feel all the emotions between my main characters. A story can feel flat without it, so I’m so happy to hear it comes across in my writing. That is the goal after all!
What are your favorite tropes to read?
I love a good forbidden love story because it creates beautiful tension between the main characters. Add a little brother’s best friend or age gap and I’m all in!
Any hobbies? or Name a quirky thing you like to do.
I make homemade wine. While I love the finished product, there is a lot of cleaning and sanitation involved that makes it less romantic than it sounds.
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Book Synopsis
She’s an heiress bound by obligation, determined to protect her mother’s legacy. He’s a bartender from the wrong side of the tracks who’s always loved her.
Twelve years ago, I chose my family and the future they laid out for me. And walked away from Jaime, my best friend and forbidden fantasy. We said goodbye with a soul searing kiss I can still feel on my lips.
Now I’m back in Silverpine for the first time since my mother died. I’m brokering a merger for the family business—only I don’t realize my freedom is on the line. My father wants to expand at any cost, including offering his only daughter as part of the deal.
But Jaime is back too, and his effortless charm and smile disarm my every defense. He stands for everything my world isn’t—warm, passionate, and unpredictably beautiful.
I’m trapped between the life I’ve always known and the taste of freedom I’ve longed for. But with my father plotting my future, and my mother’s legacy weighing heavy, can I dare to rewrite my story for love?
NEVER FINISHED (Pine Crest Mountain Book #1) by Ana Rhodes is an enchanting and sexy contemporary second chance romance. This romance genre read pulled me in with relatable characters, introduced me to a small mountain town and resort in Colorado, and hit all the right romantic notes with just a touch of suspense all the way to HEA.
Emma and Jaime were pulled apart twelve years ago by her father’s machinations and family obligations to her dying mother. Both moved on with their lives, but never forgot their special bond.
Emma is back at their family’s resort to broker a deal for her father. What she does not know is that Jaime is working as The Lounge manager and head mixologist. They run into each other after an event and pick up as if no time has passed at all. Their chemistry is intense, and they are determined to not let anything pull them apart again, but once again Emma’s father, who only cares about money, is determined to run Emma’s life and not only make her part of a business deal but steal the virgin mountain land her mother left her.
I enjoyed this first book in the Pine Crest Mountain series and Emma and Jaime’s romance. Emma is a strong, intelligent, sweet and loving heroine who is having a hard time since her mother’s death. The treatment of her by her father was horrible and I was happy with the author’s resolution. Jaime was swoon worthy and protective. The sex scenes are smokin’ hot and explicit, but not gratuitous. All the secondary characters are believable, and I look forward to following them in further romances in the series. The dialogue is realistic, and the touch of suspense was a nice twist.
This is an easy-to-read, heartfelt contemporary romance that you just want to curl up with and let it take you away for a few hours. Gratifying start to this new series.
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Excerpt
Me: Hey, I need an SOS call to get out of this dinner. Call me in five minutes?
I breathed a sigh of relief when she answered almost immediately.
Caroline: On it. Five minutes starting now.
Thank God for Caroline. I smoothed a hand over my hair and made my way back to the table. Andrew was busy chatting away on his phone, glancing at me as I sat back down and mouthing “Sorry.”
As he wrapped up his conversation, I pushed the food around on my plate with my fork, not bothering to eat any of it.
“I’m sorry about that. Sometimes all this networking can be downright exhausting. Now, where were we? Ah, yes, we were talking about merging,” he said, drawing out the last word, and I smiled tightly, trying to hide my disgust.
I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could get a word out, my phone rang.
Thank you, Caroline.
“Excuse me … You know how it is. I have to take this,” I said, slipping my phone from my clutch and stepping into the lobby. “Hello?”
“Hello, Ms. Carter, an emergency requires your attention. Now before you say anything, I need to know … Are you okay getting rid of this guy on your own, or do I need to come down there with a crowbar? Be honest.”
I bit back a laugh. “That won’t be necessary, but I appreciate the concern.”
“Of course. What are friends for? I expect a full report when you get back, though.”
“You got it,” I promised before I hung up. I glanced up, and my eyes landed on the bar where Jaime was helping a guest. He looked up at that exact moment, and our eyes caught and held. After all this time, he could still make me weak in the knees.
A slow smile stretched across Jaime’s lips, and he winked. I smiled back like a teenager with a crush. He turned his attention back to his customer, and I immediately felt the loss of connection.
I walked back to the table, looking apologetic. “Andrew, I am so sorry, but there’s an emergency and …”
“And you need to go,” he finished.
I nodded, forcing a sheepish expression, and Andrew nodded in understanding. “I get it—I always have a lot of fires to put out. I assume I’ll hear from you tomorrow to set up another time to meet?”
“Of course,” I promised, already dreading it. Andrew opened his arms for a hug, but I stuck out my hand. He laughed awkwardly and shook my hand before telling me goodnight and slinking out of the restaurant.
I hovered near the table until I was sure Andrew was out of sight, then escaped into the bar, relief pouring over me at the idea of being in Jaime’s presence.
I headed straight toward Jaime, who was grinning at me.
“What happened to your fancy business dinner?” he asked as I slipped my butt onto a stool.
I shrugged. “It was a bust, which is why I could use a Gin Fizz right about now.”
“Coming up,” he replied as he grabbed a shaker. “I would feel bad your dinner didn’t go well, but selfishly, I’m glad because you’re here earlier than I expected.”
I felt myself blush. “Well, those dinners are boring, and I’d rather spend my time talking to someone interesting.”
His eyebrows shot up. “And you think I’m interesting?”
I huffed out a laugh. “So modest. You know you’re usually the most interesting man in the room.”
He barked a laugh. “Isn’t that the guy in the Dos Equis commercial?”
“I’m just saying you could give him a run for his money.”
Jaime leaned closer—close enough I could smell his cologne. He smelled like cedar with a hint of bergamot and something uniquely Jaime.
That was when my stomach growled. Loud. I felt my face heat with embarrassment.
“Was that …” he started.
I nodded. “Yes … and that was totally embarrassing,” I lamented.
“Did you not eat at that fancy dinner tonight?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
I shook my head. “Kind of lost my appetite having to deal with that blowhard …” I began before stopping myself as Jaime listened with amusement. “I mean, having to deal with that promising investor,” I amended, slapping an exaggerated smile on my face.
He chuckled. “Well, I’ll tell you what. Why don’t you work on getting a little less gin and a little more water into your system, and I’ll go make you something to eat.”
I shook my head. “Oh no, Jaime, I couldn’t ask you to do that.”
“You didn’t, I’m offering,” he said with a grin before something caught his eye over my shoulder. I turned to find Caroline with a feline smile on her lips as she glanced between the two of us.
“Well, hello there,” she practically sang as she slipped onto the stool beside me, reaching her hand out to Jaime. “I’m Caroline, Emma’s best friend. You must be Jaime.”
Jaime shook her hand, his grin widening. “Hello, Caroline, it’s nice to meet you. I was just going to rustle up something to eat for my starving soldier here. You wouldn’t happen to be hungry, would you?”
Caroline’s eyes lit with amusement as she rested her chin on a fist. “Oh Jaime, that’s my eternal state of being.”
Jaime laughed, and the rich sound sent shivers down my spine. “Okay—two Jaime specials coming up,” he said, throwing a towel over his shoulder. “You two sit tight, and I’ll be back before you know it.”
As soon as he was out of sight, Caroline looked at me in wonder. “Oh. My. God,” she marveled. “He’s cooking for you already. I see why you’ve been pining after him for so long.”
“Caroline,” I hissed. “Keep your voice down. You have the subtly of a freight train.”
She made a face. “Uh, I hate to break it to you, Emma, but there’s nothing subtle about this whole situation. I mean, when I walked in here, that man looked like he was two seconds away from devouring you.”
A happy warmth spread through me at her observation, but I didn’t say anything.
“Besides, you had to know I was going to come check on you after that SOS call. I’m assuming your associate had to have been behaving like a total creep to make you call me.”
I sighed. “Well, maybe not a total creep, but he was fast approaching,” I paused, turning to face Caroline. “It’s weird. Before I would have breezed through that dinner no matter how uncomfortable I was in order to get the deal done. But there’s something about being here … I don’t know. I just didn’t have it in me to put up with it tonight.”
Caroline nodded sympathetically. “Maybe Mama Carter’s spirit is reminding you it’s not your job to take everybody’s shit.”
I laughed. “I can’t imagine my mother putting it like that, but maybe you’re right … and based on our recent experiences, it would seem we both need to embrace that sentiment.”
Caroline grimaced. “Amen to that.”
It was then that Jaime returned with a tray in his arms. “Ladies, dinner is served,” he said, presenting us with two plates that each held a burger with all the fixings, a side of fries, and little cups filled with ketchup.
My eyes widened as the smell hit my nostrils and my empty stomach. “Is that …” I started.
“Oh, it is, Mabel’s secret recipe,” Jaime announced with relish. “It’s been a long time, but I know that recipe like the back of my hand. I only wish I could get my hands on a couple of chocolate milkshakes, and then you could have the full experience.”
I couldn’t stop the grin that took over my mouth. “I can’t believe you went to all this trouble.”
Jaime shook his head. “Anything for you, Bella,” he said in a low voice, and prickles of pleasure raced down my spine at the mention of the nickname he’d given me when we were younger. I still remember the first time he’d called me that, explaining it meant beautiful.
Our eyes held for a long moment before Caroline’s moan interrupted. “Wow, you were not lying about this burger, Emma,” she mumbled around a mouthful of burger.
“Well, tell me if it still holds up,” Jaime said, gesturing toward my plate.
I picked up the hefty burger, my mouth watering from the smell, and when I took that first bite, a flood of memories assaulted my senses from the taste.
My eyes shut in rapture. It tasted heavenly, but knowing Jaime’s hands created it made it all the better.
I opened my eyes and met Jaime’s gaze as he watched me hungrily. I swallowed hard around the bite of food as a different appetite was awakened.
Caroline cleared her throat loudly. “You know, as fun as this has been and as much as I would like to get to know the legendary Jaime, I think it might be better to take this in a doggy bag.”
I looked sharply at Caroline, feeling the need to tell her, “You don’t need to do that.”
She winked at me before saying, “I assure you, no one needs to witness me consuming this burger—it’s about to get wild. So if you’ll excuse me, I think my burger and I need to be alone.”
Jaime had already pulled out a cardboard box and was helping Caroline pack up her food along with a complimentary cocktail for the road.
“Well, Jaime, it was lovely meeting you, and I hope we can talk more later, but right now, I have a date with this burger,” Caroline declared.
“Totally understand. It was nice to meet a friend of Emma’s.”
Caroline beamed at Jaime—my normally suspicious friend had been charmed. She rose from her stool and hugged me. “I’ll catch up with you later.”
“Enjoy that burger,” Jaime said, his sexy smile further crumbling my resolve. God, that smile used to make me feel all the things, and it had only magnified in power in the years we’d been apart.
It was then Joey rushed to the bar. “Jaime, I’m sorry to interrupt, but we have a situation with a guest.”
Jaime shot us both an apologetic look. “I’ll be right back,” he said before stepping around the bar and following Joey.
Caroline looked at me, eyebrows drawn up. “Emma,” she exclaimed, “I thought you were being a little dramatic all these years, but girl, you definitely undersold him. And for the record, that man has plans for you.”
I shook my head. “Would you calm down? We’re old friends catching up on lost time. That’s all,” I said, unsure who I was trying to convince, Caroline or myself.
She huffed out a laugh. “You can tell yourself that all you want, but from my vantage point, you are two seconds away from doing it on this bar.” She stopped cold, and a wicked grin stole over her mouth. “Now wouldn’t that be a picture for old Daddy Moneybags?” she asked, using the nickname she’d given my father, a man she wasn’t particularly fond of given how he’d been acting lately. “And as a token of my love and admiration,” she continued, “I’m delaying the consumption of this burger to stop by the front desk and get my own room.”
I felt a weird combination of panic and excitement threading through me at her suggestion. “Caroline, that’s really not necessary. I seriously doubt …”
She put up a hand to stop me. “Save your breath, Emma. All I’m asking is for you to keep an open mind, and this way, you can’t use me crashing in your suite as an excuse. I refuse to be a cockblock.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but Caroline just grinned, snatching up her to-go cocktail and box and giving me a wink before floating out of the bar and into the lobby.
***
Author Bio
Hello! I’m Ana and I love writing swoony, small town romances with sweet, protective heroes who love their strong and sassy leading ladies. When I’m not writing, I’m reading… romances, of course! I’m a sucker for a good love story, and I hope you enjoy mine.
Anthony Fauci is arguably the most famous – and most revered – doctor in the world today. His role guiding America sanely and calmly through Covid (and through the torrents of Trump) earned him the trust of millions during one of the most terrifying periods in modern American history, but this was only the most recent of the global epidemics in which Dr. Fauci played a major role. His crucial role in researching HIV and bringing AIDS into sympathetic public view and his leadership in navigating the Ebola, SARS, West Nile, and anthrax crises, make him truly an American hero.
His memoir reaches back to his boyhood in Brooklyn, New York, and carries through decades of caring for critically ill patients, navigating the whirlpools of Washington politics, and behind-the-scenes advising and negotiating with seven presidents on key issues from global AIDS relief to infectious disease preparedness at home. ON CALL will be an inspiration for readers who admire and are grateful to him and for those who want to emulate him in public service. He is the embodiment of “speaking truth to power,” with dignity and results.
ON CALL: A Doctor’s Journey in Public Service by Anthony Fauci, M.D. is the autobiography of the most interesting public health doctor/scientist who has served this country for many decades. Stories from his personal life and friendships, his dedication to medicine and public health, and his attempt to remain politically neutral while having his and his families’ lives threatened are all interwoven in a timeline that covers many of the epidemics that have plagued the world in the last sixty years.
I was especially interested in reading about his time working to protect the public from both HIV/AIDs and Covid, two terrible infectious diseases that affected many friends and made me fearful for family. His writing about his personal life is entertaining and I found the entire book fascinating, even though it is in certain places heavy with the science of statistical trials, microbiology and immunology which I did slightly slide through, but he is a man of science, and I am sure other students of public health, medicine and science will find it more important and enlightening than I did.
This is an autobiography of a truly dedicated, compassionate, and brilliant public servant that is worth reading. Thank you for your service, Dr. Fauci.
