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
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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!
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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.
A VERY BRADEN CHRISTMAS (The Braden #11) by Melissa Foster
is a holiday novella that brings all of the Weston Bradens together for their
traditional Christmas Eve celebration. I loved each of the individual Braden
romance stories and I love catching up on their lives and children.
Patriarch Hal Braden has carried on the tradition his late
wife began of having all the family home for Christmas Eve. They celebrate with
holiday activities in town and then have a giant sleepover with everyone in the
main living area of Hal’s home. All of the couples are in attendance with their
children which demonstrates the bond between all the members of this family.
Fun, chaos and love ensues with each couple trying to sneak away for a little
“alone time”.
While each couple has a special announcement to make, it is
the special movie that Treat has for the family to watch which makes this Christmas
Eve unforgettable.
This is a very quick read that packs an emotional punch. I was happy to catch up with the Weston Bradens and was very happy through the tears with the ending. (Keep the tissues close for this ending!) This is a wonderful addition to the series and it is best read after the individual stories because all of the couples can be confusing if you are just picking this up as a holiday read. Like all of Ms. Foster’s LOVE IN BLOOM series books this one is full of family, fun and love.
TRAILS OF LOVE (Love in Bloom #69, The Bradens #29. The
Bradens & Montgomerys: Pleasant Hill – Oak Falls #3) by Melissa Foster
features Morgyn Montgomery and Graham Braden in a contemporary romance that
left my romantic heart completely satisfied.
Morgyn Montgomery lives life in the present and to the
fullest. She has a beautiful heart and a flighty spirit that her sisters never
want to see change. She has her own business where she repurposes everything
from clothes to furniture and turns them into unique, one of a kind creations
for resale. With the rise of her rent, she is not sure if she can continue with
her business as it is, but she refuses to worry.
Graham Braden is an investor and engineer who has a
traveling soul. Lucky for him, he and a friend have a successful company that
funds and invests in projects that are eco-friendly and innovative all over the
U.S. Graham is in Oak Falls to attend the wedding of his friend, Reed Cross and
possibly invest in his theater restoration project. To his surprise, the beauty
he met and cannot forget the night before at a music festival is the sister of
the bride and in the wedding.
It was love at first sight for these two. Graham is
captivated by Morgyn’s spirit and love of life. He feels he has finally found someone
to travel the world with if he can figure out how to teach Morgyn to think
outside of the box with her business without crushing her uniqueness. Morgan
knows Graham is a planner and is willing to take his help, but is she willing
to spread her small town wings and travel the world with Graham?
I LOVE all of Melissa Foster’s Montgomery sisters. They are
all unique, love life and family and live their lives on their own terms and to
the fullest. I pick up each new book and fall right back in to the family love
and drama as if no time has passed at all.
Morgyn and Graham may seem opposite at first, but both have
enough similarities to make this pairing perfect. They both fit and make a
dynamic couple. Every little thing they do for each other and the consideration
of each other’s feelings and families is swoon-worthy. There is as much fun and
laughter as there is sexy steam and heat. The sex is explicit, but appropriate
to the story.
This book is an addition to LOVE IN BLOOM family by Ms.
Foster. It can be read as a standalone romance, but I suggest reading The
Bradens & Montgomery books in order to watch each sister find her perfect
mate. I highly recommend this romance!
Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.
A SEASON TO DANCE by Rebecca Heflin is a small town contemporary second chance romance with characters that evoke all of your emotions from high to low and vivid writing that makes you believe you are dancing right along with the heroine. This story is a standalone, but I hope the author will follow the secondary characters in the future.
Olivia James has the work ethic, talent and natural abilities that few dancers are blessed with. She left small town Georgia for a meteoric career in the Joffrey Ballet. After six years as a prima ballerina she has a possible career ending Achilles injury. As she rehabs, her mother dies and she has to return home for her funeral and possibly run into the one boy she has never been able to get over even seventeen years after leaving.
Zach Ryder has risen to Chief of Police in his hometown over the past seventeen years. Even as it broke his heart, he knew Olivia was destined for greatness and would not stop her from leaving all those years ago.Now with Olivia back in town, he does not know if this beautiful woman leaves again if his heart will survive a second departure.
Living in a small town Olivia and Zach cannot help but run into each other. The sparks have never been there with anyone else over all these years. It is apparent to everyone that they still love each other, but will the past repeat itself? Will Olivia stay or go?
Olivia and Zach are wonderful main characters. Zach is mature, supportive, kind and sexy. His father and the whole town are important to him. Olivia has had an amazing career and fame, but now she has to face some life-changing decisions. The secondary plotline of Olivia’s difficulties with her mother’s decisions throughout her life and death adds to the emotional punch. I felt the author wrote this complicated mother-daughter relationship realistically and wove it seamlessly into Olivia’s decisions in regards to her future. The sex scenes are hot, but not drawn out or overly explicit.
I can highly recommend this romance. Olivia’s love of dance shines through and the dance scenes are written with a true knowledge and love of ballet by this author. I found this story very difficult to put down.
Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.
GIFT-WRAPPED IN A KILT (Hot Scots #4) by Anna Durand is a sexy contemporary romance in the Hot Scot series set around the Christmas holiday in the Scottish Highlands. This addition to the series can be read as astandalone as the author does explain family relationships from previous books.
Jamie MacTaggart is the youngest of the MacTaggert siblings. She has had a trans-Atlantic relationship with the older brother of her American sister-in-law for the last year and a half. It was love at first sight and has continued to flourish even with the separations. When Gavin comes to Scotland for the holidays, Jamie expects a ring, but that is not what she gets.Gavin is no longer the take charge ex-Marine she fell in love with and she is tired of waiting and dumps him.
Gavin Douglas came to Scotland to propose to Jamie, who is the love of his life, but his mouth is not cooperating with his brain. Gavin lost his job in America, has inner demons that will not be silenced and cannot deal with his overprotective brothers-in-law. He wants time to sort through everything, but the return of Jamie’s ex-fiance and the scheming of his sister-in-law force him to make his decisions about their relationship quickly and there is the matter of Jamie using him for sex only since she dumped him.
Gavin vows to win Jamie back by Christmas, but both Gavin and Jamie need to deal with some emotional baggage and family ties before they can come together forever.
Finally, Jamie and Gavin get their story. These two had such a whirlwind relationship and sex life, but they had issues from their pasts that had to be faced. The author did resolve their issues in a realistic way that had the H/h finally communicating between themselves and their family members. I must admit that there were times I was frustrated by Gavin and wanted to kick his butt for being so wimpy in the first half of the story. I felt all of the family scheming and interference was done with love for both Jamie and Gavin. The sex scenes, as in all of this series, are steaming hot and explicit. This is an entertaining addition to the series, but not my favorite in the series.
Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.
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….
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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.
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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.
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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.
