I am very happy to be a part of the Blog Blitz for Heleyne Hammersley’s new book BAD SEED (DI Kate Fletcher Book #3). This Feature Post contains a book blurb, my book review and the author’s social media info.
Even though this is the third book in the series, I had no trouble reading it as a standalone and it is definitely a page-turner. (I will be going back to read the first two books, too.) I love Kate and all of her team. I am hooked on another British police procedural series!
***
Bad Seed Blurb
When the body of a woman is discovered near
Doncaster’s red light district, DI Kate Fletcher is called to the scene.
The victim has an abdominal wound that looks
like a Caesarean incision, leading the police to believe she may have been
pregnant.
Kate’s team establish the woman’s identity
but it soon becomes clear that those close to her have something to hide.
The post-mortem reveals the victim wasn’t
pregnant and, when a second body is discovered with similar wounds, the police
realise they are hunting for a serial killer with a sinister fixation.
Can Kate solve the case before another
woman dies?
And can a ruthless, methodical killer be brought to justice?
***
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
BAD SEED (DI Kate Fletcher Book #3) by Heleyne Hammersley is
the latest DI Kate Fletcher British police procedural in the series. This is
the first book I have read in this series by this author and it is easily read
as a standalone. I enjoyed it so much, I will definitely be going back to read
the first two books.
DI Kate Fletcher is called to the scene of a gruesome murder victim found dumped in a field. The victim has been strangled, raped and had her abdomen sliced open with a precision cut similar to a Caesarean incision. She was not pregnant. As Kate’s team works to identify the woman, they soon discover that those around her are hiding something.
When a second body is found with similar wounds, Kate
believes they may have a serial killer. Can Kate and her team catch this methodical killer before
another woman dies?
This is a fast paced procedural that kept me turning the
pages. Ms. Hammersley’s writing pulls you in and with all the twists and turns I
could not put it down. I love DI Kate Fletcher. A strong female lead character
done well. The whole team makes a great cast of secondary characters that I
hope to learn more about as I follow the series.
I can highly recommend this book and I cannot wait to read
more in the series!
***
Author Info
Heleyne
Hammersley is a British writer based in Cumbria. She writes psychological
suspense thrillers and crime novels.
Heleyne has been writing since junior school –
her first work was a collection of poems called ‘Give Them the Works’ when she
was ten years old. The poems were carefully handwritten on plain paper and tied
together with knitting wool.
When she’s not writing, Heleyne can often be
found wandering on the fells or in the local park with her dog.
I am so happy to bring you this Feature Post on Erin Nicholas’ new book NICE AND EASY (Boys of the Big Easy #3). This entire series is smokin’ hot and makes you want to get to NOLA immediately to find one of these boys for yourself.
Below you will find the book blurb and an excerpt, my book review and all of the author’s contact information. There is also a link to get the first book in the series Easy Going for FREE.
***
Nice and Easy, an all-new sexy
standalone in the Boys of the Big Easy series from New York Times bestselling author Erin Nicholas available now!
A
hot firefighter who just wants to take care of her and her little boy? Sign her
up.
Moving
in with him and his little girl who already has a huge chunk of her heart? Very
nice.
Roommates
with benefits? Yes, please.
Convincing this take-charge alpha to let her take care of him too? That’s not going to be as easy.
Lexi could feel Caleb’s breath on her lips, and his
bunched muscles under her palm were hot and hard. She stared at his mouth. He
stared at hers. And she decided that if he wasn’t going to look at her breasts,
looking at her mouth like he was starving and she was a grilled BLT—his
favorite food in the world—was just fine with her.
Being compared, even in her own head, to a grilled BLT
might not seem sexy, but in her mind, it so was. Caleb devoured those
sandwiches. He’d do almost anything for one. He made sexy moaning sounds when
he first tasted them. And he’d proclaimed that hers were the best he’d ever
tasted. Yeah, put that way, along with the schnapps still coating her brain, it
was strangely sexy.
“Caleb.”
She watched his pupils dilate and his jaw clench.
Her hand went to the front of his shirt and she
bunched it in her fists, watching his eyes. He didn’t try to stop her. Then she
tugged, urging him forward.
And he came,
the hand next to her hip pressing into the mattress as she tipped her head to
one side. Their lips touched. Softly. Briefly. But she felt it all the way to
her bones. Heat, want, relief. She
suddenly had to have more. She made a
little almost-a-sob sound and licked her tongue along his lower lip.
“Lex.”
Her name was more of a groan than a word. It was the
sexiest thing she’d ever heard.
“Caleb,”she breathed.
Then the next
groan became the sexiest thing she’d ever heard. It was a combination of hunger
and resignation, and she felt like he’d just set her nerve endings on fire.
Suddenly, Caleb’s hand came up to cup the back of her
head, his fingers diving into her hair. And he took over.
His mouth opened over hers and his tongue stroked deep
and hot. Every glide of his tongue felt as though he was running a finger over
her clit. Some were firmer, some softer, some longer, some shorter, and her
need ratcheted up with each one.
She ran her hands over his chest to his shoulders and
up the sides of his neck, loving the hard muscles and the heat under her palms.
Then she slid her hands down his sides to the bottom of his shirt. She slipped
her hands underneath, moaning as she met hot, bare skin. He sucked in a quick
breath and she smiled against his lips, loving having an effect on him.
And suddenly she was on her back and Caleb was moving over
her. Her hands slid to his back, the muscles there bunching as he braced
himself above her, still kissing her like it was his job. Instinctively, she
slid her legs apart and he settled between them. The comforter was between
them, but she felt him hard and hot and deliciously heavy against her. The feel
of his cock pressed against her made her ache. She’d done that to him. She’d
made him hard.
Hallelujah.
***
Start the Boys
of the Big Easy series for FREE with Easy Going!
NICE AND EASY (Boys of the Big Easy #3) by Erin Nicholas is
another smokin’ hot contemporary romance which makes you want to travel down
south and try to grab one of these boys for yourself. This series is based
around a single parent group in NOLA and each book focuses on one of the
parents becoming a HEA couple. The books can be read as standalones per couple,
but the characters do help each other out and build on their relationships
throughout each book as in real life.
Lexi Scott is one of the younger members of the single parent
group. She has been living with her mom while attending nursing school and raising
her baby son, Jack.
Lieutenant Caleb Moreau is used to being in complete control
and in charge. He and his men save people from burning buildings. When his
sister and brother-in-law are killed in a car accident, Caleb is suddenly the
guardian of his little niece, Shay and joins the single parent group for
support.
For two years Lexi and Caleb have found that their hectic
schedules work for sharing the raising of their kids, but Lexi has always
wanted more. Caleb knows Lexi wants him, but he is afraid that she wants him
out of gratitude for all he does. When circumstances have Lexi and Jack moving
in with Caleb and Shay, these two are going to find out that they do not know
each other as well as they thought.
There is so much happening in this story. As in all of the
other Boys of the Big Easy books, Lexi and Caleb have their chance at romance,
but there is a little more going between with this couple. Lexi wants to be
dominated in the bedroom. Role playing, spanking and submission are included in
this romance. There are several serious scenes with Caleb trying to learn that
he cannot always control everything and Shay’s long-term prognosis to deal
with. This book is as hot and fun as it is serious and Erin Nichols balances it
all to perfection!
This author just keeps giving me more great stories and characters. I am looking forward to many more books in this series.
***
About Erin
Nicholas
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Erin Nicholas has been writing
romances almost as long as she’s been reading them. To date, she’s written over
thirty sexy, contemporary novels that have been described as “toe-curling,”
“enchanting,” “steamy,” and “fun.” She adores reluctant heroes, imperfect
heroines, and happily ever afters.
Erin lives in the Midwest,
where she enjoys spending time with her husband (who only wants to read the sex
scenes in her books), her kids (who will never read the sex scenes in her
books), and her family and friends (who claim to be “shocked” by the sex scenes
in her books).
Today’s Feature Post and Book Review is for Tracy Brogan’s MY KIND OF FOREVER (Trillium Bay #2). This blog post includes a message from the author, an excerpt from the book, my book review, the author’s social media links and a Rafflecopter giveaway.
I know you are going to love Brooke and all of the entertaining and quirky characters of Trillium Bay. Enjoy this addition to the series, which can easily be read as a standalone and good luck on the Rafflecopter giveaway!
***
Guest Post:
The Risks (and Rewards) of Dating in A Small Town by Tracy Brogan
MY KIND OF
FOREVER is the second book in the Trillium Bay series set on a small island in
Northern Michigan, and tells the story of thirty-five year old Brooke Callaghan
who has just been elected as the youngest, and first female, mayor the town has
ever had. As the oldest of three sisters, Brooke is accustomed to taking charge
and bossing others around, but the stodgy, long-time members of the decisively
not-modern city council are determined to keep the status quo. In fact, the
only one who seems to take Brooke seriously is Leo Walker, the new bartender
whose reasons for being on the island are both short-term and known to him
alone.
Despite a
budding attraction to Leo, Brooke knows she needs to focus on mastering her new
job, especially when rumors of a jewel thief hiding out on the island begin to
circulate and the well-established rumor mills goes into overdrive. And
speaking of rumors, Brooke is more than a little concerned with what the
townspeople might say if they discover she and Leo are spending time alone.
Coming from such a small community, in this case a village with a winter
population of just six hundred people, people’s private lives rarely stay
private, and modest, pragmatic Brooke doesn’t like the extra attention.
Especially since a bad relationship from her past has left her overly cautious.
Although determined to prove to her neighbors and family she’s got what it takes to be a great mayor, with Leo’s encouragement, Brooke comes to realize she’s also entitled to address a few of the more personal aspects of her life, such as finding romance. But when things with Leo get rocky, she falls back into old patterns, believing that love is too elusive and not for women like her. Fortunately, the local community knows otherwise. They see the real Brooke, the one she thinks is hidden. They know her dedication and intelligence and worth, and they know she deserves to have it all. They know she deserves to have a forever kind of love. And so does Leo.
***
My Kind of
Forever Excerpt
“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop,” Leo said after everyone else had
left and I remained seated in the small meeting room holding my aching head in
my hands. “But it sounds like you have your work cut out for you.”
Wow. Did I ever. I’d just spent the past two hours listening to so-called adults
bickering about a litany of arbitrary topics. Should Polly’s Popcorn Shop be
allowed to sell day-old products? Could the street sweepers add five minutes to
their afternoon break? Who was going to play Santa during the Christmas Parade
if Harry didn’t come back in time? And the biggest topic of the day? Did
everyone see the awnings Tasty Pastries had put up, and who on earth had
approved that?
“It’s like they couldn’t even hear me talking,” I said, looking up
at him for a response, just to reassure myself that I was, in fact, speaking
out loud.
He picked up an empty glass with one hand while wiping a ring of
condensation off the table with a damp rag. “I’m not sure they could hear each
other talking. Seemed like a lot of monologuing without any listening.”
“But I had an agenda.” I shook my paper at him, now covered in
notes that I’d scribbled in the margins about all the other things I
wanted to discuss. Things I would have discussed if I could have gotten a word
in edgewise. The only one who didn’t interrupt me was my own father, but that’s
because he didn’t say anything the entire time. Not unusual for him, but I had
hoped to demonstrate a little more power over that cluster of clucking hens.
“They were worse than teenagers. I have so many great ideas, but all they care
about is the awnings.”
Leo wiped another spot off the table. “What ideas?” He gazed down
at me, and I noted how dark blue his eyes were. Depths-of-the-ocean kind of
blue. The kind of eyes that made every glance feel significant, even if it
meant nothing at all. A flutter of something long-forgotten tickled inside my
veins. Attraction. Followed by an immediate need to ignore it.
“Oh, all kinds of ideas.” I smiled tiredly and pushed myself up,
because it was nearly five thirty and the Palomino Pub would start filling up
with the evening crew pretty soon. “I’ll get out of the way now so you can have
the room for dinner guests.”
“Speaking of dinner,” he said, “I’m new around here, so I was
wondering, what restaurants do you like?”
“Oh, we have lots of great places to eat. All price ranges. The
Windemere Grill is right down on the corner. There’s the Imperial Hotel dining
room if you want something elegant. The Feast Well Bistro, Carmen’s Café, and
Tate’s Tavern on the Bluff are good, too. At the tavern, you can watch the sun
set behind Petoskey Bridge. It’s a great view. And for breakfast, I recommend
Link & Patty’s Breakfast Buffet. The pink piggy décor is a little much, but
the pancakes are the best.”
“Are you suggesting we have dinner and breakfast?”
His dark eyebrow arched just as the corner of his mouth quirked in a
ridiculously endearing fashion.
I pushed in my chair with an abrupt scrape. “Excuse me?”
“I was inviting you to dinner. You were inviting me to breakfast.”
That flutter of attraction multiplied even as my mouth fell open
for a second. I’m sure it was a great look on me. “I wasn’t. And you weren’t.
Were you?”
He laughed, and even though it might have been at my expense, the
sound of it sent a flush over my skin and a tingle to places that hadn’t
tingled for a very long time.
“I was inviting you to dinner, but not very well, apparently. I’ve
been on the island a few days, but I don’t know anyone here, so would you like
to have dinner with me?”
I was starving. And he was handsome. And new in town. And looked to be roughly my age. There was no history, no baggage, no reason to say no. But it had been so long since anyone had asked me out, it nearly felt improper. Everyone knew me around here. Everyone would know that we’d had dinner, and certainly everyone would have an opinion about it. And it’s not as if we could go someplace private because there was no place private on the entire island. And there was that issue of the flutter. I didn’t want to be fluttering. Fluttering led to heartbreak.
***
My Book Review
RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars
MY KIND OF FOREVER (Trillium Bay #2) by Tracy Brogan is a charming
contemporary romance. This cozy romance has an adult romance with no explicit
sex, an endearing and funny heroine, a handsome newcomer, a quirky island population
and a side mystery to be solved. This is the second book in this series, but it
can be easily read as a standalone.
Brooke Callaghan is the new mayor of Trillium Bay on Wenniway
Island. She is the first female and the youngest person to ever hold that
position. It is quite a change from her role as a school teacher on the island,
but she is excited about the challenge. Between her new job as mayor and dealing
with all the town’s characters and her own extended family, she does not want
to be attracted to this new, handsome stranger. Brooke wants forever, not just
a few weeks.
Leo Walker is a newcomer to the island and is hired as a bartender at the local pub. He is handsome, single and interested in Brooke. Leo says he is on the island for a break after the security company he worked for closed down and to write a book. There is definitely chemistry between Leo and Brooke, but he will not commit to staying on the island.
A strange private investigator shows up in Trillium Bay and
claims there is jewel thief hiding on the island, but Brooke knows of no new
islander except the new bartender. Rumors are all over town and everyone has a
different tale to tell. What will Brooke do when she discovers long held
secrets and the real reason Leo is on the island?
I loved Brooke and all of her family and friends. To have a friend that makes specialty pasties for dancers, a grandmother who wants to send the ashes of her exes up in fireworks and all the others island characters had me laughing several times throughout the story. This is a cozy romance with a mystery thrown in that surprised me with its resolution. I will definitely be looking for more to read from the entertaining Trillium Bay series.
***
About the Book
Title: My Kind of Forever
Author: Tracy Brogan
Release Date: January 22, 2019
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Summary
As the youngest mayor Trillium Bay has ever elected, Brooke Callaghan wants to prove she’s up to the challenge. She’s stepping out of her practical teacher flats and into her sister’s treacherously high heels…with disastrous results. But if she’s going to (literally) stumble her first day on the job, why not fall into the arms of a handsome stranger?
Leo Walker is a rarity on Wenniway Island. Not only handsome, he’s also single, funny, and—most importantly—interested in Brooke. Unfortunately, his reasons for being on the island are temporary, so in spite of the undeniable chemistry between them, he’s not a forever kind of guy.
When a private investigator arrives with news of a jewel thief hiding on the island, Brooke finds herself dealing with one kerfuffle after another, and Leo proves to be a delicious distraction. What does she really know about him, though? And the biggest question of all? Does this short-term romance hold the possibility of long-term love?
***
Author Biography
Amazon and Wall Street Journal bestselling
author Tracy Brogan is a three-time Romance Writers of America RITA finalist
for her Bell Harbor series. She writes fun, funny stories about ordinary people
finding extraordinary love, and she lives in Michigan with her two brilliant daughters
and their two intellectually challenged dogs. She loves to hear from readers,
so check out her website at www.tracybrogan.com.
You can also follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/tracybroganwriter.
Hopefully by now you have all checked out my Feature Post for Kendra Elliot’s new book “A Merciful Fate” and entered the Rafflecopter giveaway.
This Feature Post and Book Reviews are to entice you to read the whole series! I LOVE Mercy and I highly recommend this series. Below you will find my reviews of Mercy Kilpatrick Books 1-4 by Kendra Elliot and the author’s social media info.
Happy Reading!
***
RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars
A MERCIFUL DEATH (Mercy Kilpatrick #1) by Kendra Elliot is
the start of a new series that is a cross between romantic suspense and
mystery/suspense. This type of series is always difficult to categorize for me,
but it is similar to Melinda Leigh’s Morgan Dane series and/or Marie Force’s
Fatal series which are must reads for me. The balance between romance and
mystery/suspense varies depending on the plot in each book.
FBI Special Agent Mercy Kilpatrick grew up in rural Eagle’s
Nest, Oregon in the shadow of the Cascade Mountains. Until the age of eighteen,
Mercy was raised in a family of preppers. After a falling out with her father
that had him disowning her, Mercy left town to build her own life. Her lifetime
of being prepared for disaster has stayed with her though and is a necessary
part of her life even though she hides it from her colleagues.
When there are a series of elderly male preppers murdered in
Mercy’s hometown. What would normally be a local case catches the FBI’s
attention when the preppers large caches of weapons are also stolen. This
raises the possibility of domestic terrorism. Her FBI supervisor sends her and
her partner to work with the nearby Bend office and local law enforcement.
Eagle Nest Police Chief Truman Daly is the nephew of one of
the murdered men. Raised in the community only on summer breaks, he is just
starting to be accepted in a community that has its own ideas about the
government and police. As Truman works with Mercy on the murders, he learns of
her family ties to the community and begins to suspect, she did not completely
leave her prepper life behind.
Mercy discovers that these current murders are eerily
familiar to two unsolved murders in the town’s past. With her sister now
involved, Mercy and Truman must capture a killer who has been free in their
community for much too long before her sister suffers the same fate.
Mercy is a wonderfully unique and flawed character. I find her so interesting and want to know much more about her and her family. Truman has his own interesting history and I hope this budding romance continues. He has his work cut out for him with such an independent heroine who does not like to share her secrets. The plot was interesting and tied in well with the older cases, but this is also why I gave this book four stars instead of five. I found Mercy’s brother’s actions not believable. (No spoilers, so you will have to read it and see if you agree.) Overall, a good start to this series and I am looking forward to reading the next book.
***
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
A MERCIFUL TRUTH (Mercy Kilpatrick #2) by Kendra Elliot is
the newest book in this continuing romantic suspense/mystery/suspense series. I
have been looking forward to reading more about Mercy!
FBI Special Agent Mercy Kilpatrick and her partner, Eddie have
transferred to the Bend FBI field office. Eddie likes the wilderness of central
Oregon over Portland and Mercy wants to be closer to Truman and her family.
Mercy is getting closer to her sisters and mother, but her father and brother
blame her for the violence and change in her family from book #1.
Eagle’s Nest Police Chief Truman Daly is investigating a
series of small fires that he believes are being started by teenagers. When a
barn is set on fire, everything changes when two county sheriffs are shot and killed
when they respond. Arson has become murder. At the next fire the murdered body
of an unidentified man is found at the scene. No one is talking and Mercy and
Truman have no idea why these fires are being set or who is setting them.
As they investigate the unidentified dead man, Mercy’s niece
is learning that the teenagers her new boyfriend is hanging out with are
trouble and that her boyfriend is having second thoughts about working at his
job on a large secluded ranch outside of town. There are rumors of many outside
men coming to town and living on the ranch. Mercy’s brother is also somehow
tied to the ranch and reciting a lot of anti-government hate rhetoric.
The closer Mercy and Truman get to the truth, long buried
secrets are exposed and their personal danger escalates.
I loved Mercy in the first book and I am now hooked for good. Her character is so interesting. The balance between her life as an FBI agent and her hidden life as a prepper makes for very interesting reading. I love that Truman “gets” Mercy and her unique life and does not try to change her. Mercy’s family and all of the secondary characters are becoming more fleshed out and interesting. The plot builds in intensity and wraps everything up at the end. This book can be read as a standalone, but like so many other similar series, the relationships grow and change in each book as in real life, so I recommend reading them in order. This has become a must read series for me!
***
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
A MERCIFUL SECRET (Mercy Kilpatrick #3) by Kendra Elliot
returns you to Mercy Kilpatrick’s world of rural central Oregon. This series
gives you intriguing mystery/suspense plots and a view into the world of
preppers, survivalists and anti-government sovereign citizens.
FBI Special Agent Mercy Kilpatrick is surprised at night on
a rural road close to her hidden cabin by a young girl who flags her down from
the side of the road. Mercy is led through the woods to a cabin where the
girl’s grandmother is dying from multiple stab wounds. The Sabins, three
generations of women; grandmother, mother and daughter have lived isolated in
the woods and are rumored to be witches.
Mercy is later to learn a judge, hundreds of miles away is
found slain in the exact same way brings her friend and fellow FBI agent from
Portland to investigate both murders. Not one to be kept on the sidelines,
Mercy along with Chief of Police Truman Daly insert themselves into the
investigation. An old friend from Mercy’s high school days is implicated along
with the daughter of the slain woman.
Rumors and secrets keep hindering the investigation until
the explosive surprise climax.
This series just keeps getting better and better. The mystery plot in this third book is fast paced and the resolution was a surprise to me. This book also contains some flashback scenes from one of the suspects which add depth and understanding to her character and others. Mercy and Truman’s relationship takes a big leap after the climax of this story and I cannot wait to read more. I found it difficult to put this book down and I am anxiously awaiting the next book in the series!
***
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
A MERCIFUL SILENCE (Mercy Kilpatrick #4) by Kendra Elliot is
a cross between romantic suspense and mystery/suspense genres. Each book has a
standalone mystery/suspense plot, but it also has a building romance involving
the main characters of the series which may or may not be prominent in each
story. The current book leans more towards being a police procedural with
emotionally charged murders in the past and present with extremely high stakes
for Mercy and Truman.
FBI Special Agent Mercy Kilpartrick is called to the scene
of a washed out road which exposes human skeletal remains. As she works to
discover the identity of the remains, she remembers two families that were
murdered in the exact same manner 20 years ago. The killer has always
maintained his innocence and is still in prison. Copycat or has the wrong man
been in prison all these years?
When the sole survivor of one of the old murdered families
returns to town, Mercy is not sure what to make of the woman. She asks for
Mercy’s help because she believes she is being stalked. Mercy feels she knows
more than she is telling about that long ago murder. Is she somehow a part of
the current murders or is she a lose end that needs to be eliminated?
As Mercy works her case, Eagle’s Nest Chief of Police Truman
Daly has a unique traffic stop with a young man who shows illegal ID and claims
to be a sovereign citizen. While jailed, he sends Truman a letter claiming he
owns him 3 million dollars for an illegitimate arrest. Truman does not know
whether to take this seriously or as a joke. These sovereign citizens do not
want anyone interfering in their business. Truman and his police vehicle
disappear and there is blood on the driveway.
I could not put this book down!
Mercy and Truman both go through so much in this book. Even
as they are apart, it is the fight to get home to the other that gives them
their strength. Mercy realizes no amount of prep can prepare her for
everything. She learns it is OK to sometimes rely on family and friends. Truman’s
love for Mercy is his strength and reason to continue on even when he thinks he
cannot. This was definitely an edge-of-your-seat read with both cases having
such high stakes.
I believe you should read this series in order as the characters grow and change in each book as in real life. I highly recommend this series. Mercy is a memorable character.
***
Author Biography
Kendra
Elliot has landed on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list
multiple times and is the award-winning author of the Bone Secrets and Callahan
& McLane series, as well as the Mercy Kilpatrick novels: A Merciful
Death, A Merciful Truth, and A Merciful Secret. Kendra is
a three-time winner of the Daphne du Maurier Award, an International Thriller
Writers finalist, and an RT Award finalist. She has always been a voracious
reader, cutting her teeth on classic female heroines such as Nancy Drew, Trixie
Belden, and Laura Ingalls. She was born, raised, and still lives in the rainy
Pacific Northwest with her husband and three daughters, but she looks forward
to the day she can live in flip-flops. Visit her at www.kendraelliot.com.
You all by now know how much I LOVE Freya Barker’s romances and this is her new one Burning for Autumn (On Call #1) starting off a new series in Susan Stoker’s Police and Fire Badge of Honor world.
Below you will find a description of the story, my book review and Freya Barker’s author info and social media links. Also you have a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card at the end of this post. Good luck on the Rafflecopter giveaway and I know you will fall in love with this HOT romance!
When Autumn McCoy accepted a temporary work contract in Durango, she thought it would be a safe way to add some spark to her existence. She may be getting more than she bargained for when she finds herself the target of impending danger.The outspoken forty-two-year-old isn’t prepared for that spark to ignite flames threatening to engulf every aspect of her life.
Buried under the weight of responsibilities, all interim Chief of Police, Keith Blackfoot, wants is to get back to good old-fashioned detecting. He gets his chance when an encounter with a feisty redhead seems to incite a wave of arson cases. Although a visit from friend and firefighter, Roman “Chief” Proudfit, provides some direction, he’s left to battle an invisible menace fueling fires that could leave his town—and his heart—in ashes.
Goodreads book link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42967192-burning-for-autumn-police-and-fire?from_search=true
***
My Book Review:
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
BURNING FOR AUTUMN (On Call #1) by Freya Barker is the first
romantic suspense in a new series in Susan Stoker’s Badge of Honor World focused
on Police and Firefighters. I LOVE Freya Barker’s writing and was very excited
to see her entering one of my favorite romance worlds. This book is smoking hot
and does not disappoint!
Autumn McCoy accepted a one year work contract for a special
program in a new burn unit in Durango. She is sad to leave her girlfriends
behind in San Antonio, but she believes she needs to shake up her staid life.
She knows she needs to get out and when she takes up the invite of a new friend
to meet at The Irish, a local pub where firefighters and police hangout, she
runs into an arrogant, but handsome man. Two strong personalities butt heads,
but there are sparks there that Autumn is not sure she wants to explore.
Acting Chief of Police, Keith Blackfoot is sick of the
politics and responsibilities of being Chief. He wants to go back to being a
detective only. He takes a break for the night and runs into a feisty redhead
who sets off an interest that he has never felt before. When that redhead seems
to have caught the attention of a serial arsonist, he will do anything to
protect her even as she fights his protectiveness at every step of the way.
Autumn and Keith are both strong, independent characters who
have to learn to trust that what they have found with each other is special
before an arsonist destroys their future in flames.
Once again Ms. Barker’s writing pulls me into a story and
makes me believe. She breathes life into her characters and expertly twines
suspense throughout the romance. I especially love her characters because they
are middle age and have either been burned by love before or are career oriented
and never bothered with a long-term relationship. I enjoy reading about
characters with worries about folds or wrinkles from age when they enter into a
new sexual relationship occasionally instead of 20 somethings with perfect
everything. She makes her characters very sexual. They are older and know what
they want in bed and out and it is HOT!
I highly recommend this book!
***
About Freya:
Freya Barker inspires with her stories about ‘real’ people, perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy.
She is the author of the Cedar Tree and Portland, ME Series, the Northern Lights Collection and the Rock Point Series. She is also co-author of the SnapShot Series.
To see Freya’s complete backlist, or to find out what is coming down the pipe, visit freyabarker.com.
I am very excited to share this Feature Post and Book Review for DEFENDING CHLOE (Mountain Mercenaries Book 2) by Susan Stoker. This is Ronan and Chloe’s story and it is as action packed and sexy as the first in the series, Defending Allye. Below you will find a great feature interview with Ronan Cross, the book’s hero, an excerpt from the book, my book review, information about the author and a Rafflecopter giveaway.
I absolutely love the Mountain Mercenaries and I know you will, too! Good luck on the Rafflecopter giveaway and happy reading.
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Meet “Mountain Mercenary” Ronan Cross From Defending Chloe
1) Greetings Ronan, or can I just call you Ro?
Ro is fine.
2) I understand that you are part of Mountain Mercenaries, a secret group of ex-military men who save women and children from dangerous situations. Can you comment on this group?
No. As you said, it’s a secret group.
3) What about your handler Rex? He is particularly secretive.
Rex is amazing. I’ve never met him, but I don’t have to have met him to know he’s one scary bad ass dude. He knows people from all levels of law enforcement, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he had the President’s phone number programmed into his phone as well. But, like anyone in this line of business, he’s got some demons. Me and my fellow Mercenaries just hope they don’t come back and bite us in the ass one day.
4) There have been some major changes within the Mercenaries lately — especially with the introduction of Allye your teammate Gray Rogers’ significant other. How has having a civilian woman in the mix changed things? Does it make you think of anything that you may want in your future?
Allye is great. Love her. None of us had ever thought much about women…or at least having anything permanent with any specific woman, but seeing Gray with Allye makes me realize that one day I’d love to have a relationship like theirs. I want a woman who can stand up tome when I’m being a wanker but who isn’t adverse to letting me be a guy. And before you ask, what I mean is that I know myself, I’m gonna want to open her door and pay for shit. I’ll have no problem telling my woman that I love her, but I don’t want someone who will lose their shit if I track a little bit of mud in the house. Does that make sense?
5) Definitely. So what do you do for fun? You know, when you aren’t saving damsels in distress!
I’m a mechanic. I tinker with cars for fun. There’s nothing like taking in a car that won’t run, and turning it inside out to figure out what the problem is. The best feeling ever is when that beauty is driven off after I’ve given her new life.
6) And finally, tell us a bit about women in your life. Do you have a special someone?
Not yet. Although I have to tell you, I met the most intriguing woman the other day. There was just something about her that I can’t forget. Of course, there’s the little matter of figuring out who gave her the bruise she was sporting on her back and making sure she’s safe, but otherwise….
***
Excerpt: Defending Chloe by Susan Stoker
Chloe stared at all the clothes on the bed. Allye had arrived with a dozen bags in hand and told her she’d picked up a “few things” to tide her over.
“A few things?” Chloe asked in disbelief.
Allye laughed. “Ro said money was no object, and he wanted you to have enough things so you could have a choice of what to wear and not have to do laundry every night. I had to guess at your sizes, but I got some stuff with elastic waists just in case I was wrong in my assumptions.” Then the other woman began dumping the bags and showing off what she’d bought.
A shy smile formed as Allye’s words sank in. The thought that Ro wasn’t thinking about money, only her comfort, made Chloe feel good. Really good.
Allye smiled back as she said, “Ro doesn’t have to let you stay here, Chloe.”
“What do you mean?”
“Rex has a ton of contacts. And I mean a ton. This is what the Mountain Mercenaries do. They help get women out of bad situations. Ro could’ve asked Rex to set you up with one of the underground resources he has. You know, a safe house? You’d be just as safe there as you are here. But for some reason, Ro refused to even consider it. I know for a fact Gray suggested it. But you’re still here. He gave me his own money to get you stuff to wear. And he insisted that I find this for you.” Allye pulled out a bottle from a small bag she’d been holding.
Chloe recognized the brand of lotion she used.
“I’m going to say this only once, then I’ll never bring it up again . . . but I feel like I kind of have to.”
Chloe tensed.
“Don’t hurt him,” Allye said. “These guys . . . they’re total bad asses. Professional soldiers. They can kick ass like you’d never believe. They go into situations no one else would dare. They take chances, and they’ll do whatever it takes to rescue women. I don’t know the other guys all that well yet, but I know Gray, and I have a feeling that deep down, they’re all scarred in one way or another. They’re all committed to saving women and children from the evils in the world, and there must be a deeper reason behind that than just wanting to do the right thing. And if Ro is anything like Gray, once he’s committed, he’s committed. He’ll move heaven and earth to make sure you’re happy, content, and safe. That’s how Gray is with me. I know without a doubt that Gray will never cheat on me, and he goes to great lengths to make sure I’m satisfied . . . in every way, if you know what I mean.”
Chloe stared at Allye with wide eyes as she continued.
“Ro strikes me as the same kind of man. I’m still getting to know the guys on the team, but I feel they wouldn’t be as close as they are if they didn’t have the same values and beliefs. Ro acts like the standoffish Brit more often than not, but he feels as deeply as anyone I’ve ever met. He likes you, Chloe. I was surprised when he actually left you here alone. He thought you’d bolt. Hell, I thought you’d leave. But you didn’t. And that means something to Ro.
“All I’m saying is that if you’re using his help to get away from your brother, good, I don’t blame you . . . but don’t lead him on. Ask if you can go into witness protection. Or into the underground program the Mountain Mercenaries have set up. Don’t stay here and make him think there’s something between you if you don’t feel that way.”
It was a long speech from the other woman, and Chloe felt the butterflies in her stomach again. She hadn’t thought much about how Ro was feeling because she was so uncertain herself and felt so out of control. But the idea of Ro keeping her around for a personal reason was appealing. More than appealing. She thought about how he’d washed her hair, how his hands had felt on her scalp. A man who was simply rescuing yet another woman from a bad situation wouldn’t do that, would he?
Allye cleared her throat, and Chloe realized she was waiting for her to say something. “I won’t lead him on,” Chloe said quickly. She hadn’t thought she’d want a boyfriend for a very long time after living under her brother’s controlling thumb, but Ro was nothing like Leon. He was bossy and tended to do things without asking her, but Chloe somehow knew if she objected or pushed back, Ro would listen to her and be flexible.
“Cool,” Allye said with a relieved sigh. “Now, shall we figure out which of this stuff you like and want to keep?”
Chloe smiled tentatively at the other
woman. “Yeah. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. I have a feeling we’re going to be good friends,” Allye said, handing the bottle of lotion to Chloe and turning back to the bed.
Watching her dig through the clothes and start to put them in some sort of order, Chloe gripped the plastic bottle tightly. Allye would never know how much her words meant. It had been a long time since Chloe’d had a friend. A true friend.
***
My Book Review
RATING: 4.5 out of 5 Stars
DEFENDING CHLOE (Mountain Mercenaries Book #2) by Susan Stoker is a fast-paced romantic suspense that I read completely in one sitting.This is the second book in this new series, but it can easily be read as a standalone with the character crossover explained briefly so as not to be confusing.
Ronan “Ro” Cross is a Brit and ex-SAS in the Mountain Mercenaries.In between assignments, he loves to fix car motors from the garage of his remote property. When a beautiful, scantily clad woman appears in his driveway,he is shocked and then incensed when he notices a large bruise on her back. He offers to help her, but she does not trust any man.
Chloe Harris is in the middle of a nightmare. Her brother, Leon has taken over her life. She has gone from being an independent accountant/financial planner to being held as his prisoner. He is coercing her into prostituting herself at his sex club outside of Colorado Springs. He threatens her with his Mafia ties and believes she is completely at his mercy, but he does not know that a Mountain Mercenary has taken an intense interest in her and her situation.
With Leon’s Mafia connections, the Mountain Mercenaries may have taken on more than even they can handle, but there is no way Ro is going to leave Chloe and allow a club with unwilling women to continue to exist.
I absolutely love Ronan. Quiet, strong and yet gentle and an English accent – very HOT! Chloe is beaten down, but refuses to be completely broken. The romance begins very quickly and is extremely hot and intense, but Ronan never pushes Chloe into more than she wants and is willing to do. The suspense plot kept me turning the pages and the surprise plot twist regarding the reason Leon keeps Chloe alive and his prisoner was interesting. I did have a problem with the old-time Mafia code supposedly up-held by the head of the Mafia in the area though. For me, it was not realistic and was a small distraction from an otherwise strong romantic suspense. I do recommend this addition to the series and know you will fall for Ronan, too.
NOTE: The Mountain Mercenaries are in existence to protect woman and children wherever they are abused. These books all have some degree of sexual slavery or abuse. Some of the details are graphic, but I believe the author never crosses the line into exploitation.
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About the Book
Title: Defending Chloe
Author: Susan Stoker
Release Date: December 4, 2018
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Summary
Gorgeous women don’t just stumble onto Ronan Cross’s remote property. But this one—vulnerable, victimized, and needing the kind of help only Ronan can offer—tells a story that makes his blood boil almost as hot as his need to protect her.
Since her father’s death, Chloe Harris has become a prisoner. Her own brother, a flesh peddler and low-level player in the Denver Mafia, is forcing her to sell her body for an endgame Chloe never saw coming: control over a vast fortune. Her only way out is to run—straight into the arms of the one hard-bodied man she can trust.
Defending Chloe could rain punishment down on the Mountain Mercenaries. Her brother has Mob connections and the local police in his pocket. But Ronan still has an edge—the unshakable loyalty of his deadly teammates. As well as an unquenchable thirst for retribution…and Chloe.
***
Author Biography
Susan Stoker is a New York Times, USA
Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author whose
series include Ace Security, Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes, SEAL of Protection,
Unsung Heroes: Delta Force, and Mountain Mercenaries. Married to a retired army
noncommissioned officer, Stoker has lived all over the country—from Missouri to
California to Colorado to Texas—and currently lives under the big skies of
Tennessee. A true believer in happily ever after, Stoker enjoys writing novels
in which romance turns to love. To learn more about the author and her work,
visit her website, www.stokeraces.com,
or find her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authorsusanstoker.
