Tag: #romance

Book Review: How to Lose an Alien in 10 Days by Fiona Roarke

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

Oh how I LOVE the fun, witty and romantic books of the Alienn, Arkansas series!

HOW TO LOSE AN ALIEN IN 10 DAYS (Alienn, Arkansas Book 2) by Fiona Roarke is another romantic romp through Alienn, Arkansas and the Big Bang Truck Stop. This time Cam Grey, Chief of Security at the Big Bang Truck Stop will learn to his surprise that sometimes he is willing to bend or break the rules when it comes to a sexy Alpha with a blue streak in her hair who jumps ship at the rest stop.

Alexandria “Ria” Latham Borne is on a get-to-know-you journey with her arranged marriage fiancée, chaperoned by her mother who wants the money and prestige from this marriage. Ria knows the true nature of her fiancée and wants nothing to do with him or this arrangement. She has studied everything about Earth and has a bucket list to accomplish. She jumps ship and makes her way to a karaoke bar, where she cannot believe her luck. She has found and is instantly attracted to a man, who she believes to be an Earthling.

Cam’s secret pleasure is to go to a karaoke bar just across the county line. When he sees Ria and she sings directly to him, he knows he has to have her, Earthling or not. Cam has been burned by an Earthling before, but he tells himself he just wants her in his bed for a short tryst, not forever.

When Cam finds out Ria defied colony rules, he should lock her up, but he just cannot lock up his rule breaker with a bucket list of Earth attractions. He breaks all of his rules to share what little time they have before she must leave.

This romance is so pure and simple which makes it so beautiful. Ms. Roarke writes romance with sex scenes behind the curtain and in this case, Cam will not have sex with Ria once he knows she is promised to someone else, but the romance is in everything they do together. The plot has some adorable twists involving Cam’s aunt, her best friend, and his brothers, Diesel and Axel. Once again, I loved all the unique play on word names of places and people. I laughed out loud in places, felt despair at how Cam and Ria could ever come together for their HEA, and loved how Ria saw everything on Earth with child-like eyes.

This is an easy to read series that plays on all your emotions without you realizing how much talent that takes from the author, who does a wonderful job in this series.

Written for and posted first for The Romance Reviews.com.

Book Review: The Reunion by Sara Portman

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE REUNION (Brides of Beadwell, #1) by Sara Portman is a wonderful character driven historical romance that had me hooked from the first chapter!

Lady Emmaline Shaw has grown from an uncertain girl into a strong, independent woman. She had to face the disappearance of her fiancée, John Brantwood, four years ago and not so long after that the death of her parents. She ignores the gossips, has a close circle of friends, and is living happily in the small village of Beadwell.

John Brantwood has returned to claim his family lands and title as the Duke of Worley. Everyone believed he had run off to war and been killed. Not so. Now he is back and needs to quickly find himself a bride. When he is reminded he already has a finacee, he remembers a shy, meek girl, who will not do for his plans, but Emma is no longer that girl and he finds himself liking and needing this strong woman.

A marriage of convenience is agreed upon, but can either keep their hearts uninvolved and safe?

This book is a wonderful introduction to this series and I can’t wait for many more. Ms. Portman has written characters that come to life on every page. Emma and John try so hard not to involve their hearts. The subplot of John’s sister, Charlotte trying to hide her American past was a great way to show the differences in cultures. The dialogue is witty and fun. The sex scenes are hot and steamy, but not over the top and placed perfectly to enhance John and Emma’s relationship.

Overall, just a wonderfully enjoyable historical romance!

Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.com.

Book Review: Her Last Goodbye by Melinda Leigh

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

HER LAST GOODBYE (Morgan Dane #2) by Melinda Leigh has me very excited for this series! I loved this book even more than the first in this new series and I gave Book #1 a five star review. I love when I think I have figured out the ending and the author still has another twist in store for me that surprises me once again.

Morgan Dane and Lance Kruger are on the case of a young mother of two who has disappeared. Morgan feels Chelsea Clark would never have left her small children even though the sheriff believes she just walked away or the husband is responsible and the prime suspect. For Lance, this case brings up all of his memories of the disappearance of his own father many years ago.

As Morgan works the case, she becomes the focus of the violent predator and her children and grandfather are put at risk. Morgan and Lance will do anything, even bend the law, to protect those they love and catch the predator.

This is a fast paced and easy to read book that kept me turning the pages. The plot twists and turns so that even when I believed I had the case solved there was still more to come. Morgan and Lance are so realistically written that I feel I could walk right into their office. The secondary characters; grandpa, Morgan’s girls and extended family, Sharp and Lance’s mother are all great additions that add the true to life feel and dialogue to these books. I was also very happy that Morgan and Lance finally got their “Let’s Get It On” scene. Oh, yeah!

Another series to add to my must read list!

Thanks very much to Montlake Romance and Net Galley for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Wicked In a Kilt by Anna Durand

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

WICKED IN A KILT (Hot Scots #2) by Anna Durand is an extremely steamy contemporary romance! It seems all the MacTaggart brothers are wickedly hot and irresistible in their kilts.

Aidan MacTaggart has decided to come to America to find himself a wife. His brother, Jamie is now happy and settled and he wants that for himself. He intends to follow every step his brother took to find his own American bride.

Calli Douglas has come out of her self-imposed five year seclusion to be in her cousin’s wedding. Calli mistakes Aidan for the stripper that is supposed to be preforming at her cousin’s bachelorette party. Well he was in a kilt and too beautiful to be true. What she does not expect is her instant attraction. Callie has sworn off love and romance and is bound by a promise to someone else, but everything changes when faced with one very determined Scot.

Callie and Aidan are both instantly attracted, but because each harbors a large secret that could destroy their budding relationship completely, the pace of their relationship is slow and steady. Both have many obstacles not just with their new relationship, but with trust issues, past relationships and family that I feel this author handled very well. The sex scenes are frequent, extremely hot and explicit. This is one determined Scot out to seduce his American beauty!

Written for and posted first for The Romance Reviews.com.

Book Review: Fire by Lisa Carlisle

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

FIRE (Underground Encounters Book 2) by Lisa Carlisle is HOT!

I am very glad I continued on in this paranormal romance series, even though the first novella in the series had a few problems for me. This story begins a year after the fire at Vamps and follows Maya. It can easily be read as a standalone, even though it does bring characters from the first novella back.

Maya Winters is missing her best friend and decides Halloween is the perfect time to return to Vamps and blow off some steam dancing after a long shift working as a firefighter. As she is dancing away to her favorite tunes, she suddenly feels eyes on her. When she sees the tall, dark and brooding bad boy staring at her she feels an instant attraction.

Tristan Stone is the new, mysterious owner of the rebuilt Vamps. Tristan is from a long line of Salem witches. He stays away from people due to what he considers his curse, because he has only ever been able to see darkness around people and it drains him. When he comes up from his underground lab beneath the club one day to check on things, he immediately spots a woman dancing because of the brilliant light surrounding her. This has never happened before and he has to find out why she is different.

Maya and Tristan combust when they are together. The two opposites are light to dark and outgoing to cautious. Tristan thinks Maya may be the answer to his curse, but he has never told anyone about it outside of his family. Maya is harboring a secret of her own that she has never shared. The sex is hot, but can a relationship with secrets last?

Maya and Tristan are main characters that are perfect together. Ms. Carlisle has given these characters depth that is as fun and entertaining as it is serious. The sex scenes bring the fire and heat. With the return of Nike and Michel, I cannot wait to see what happens next in this series!

Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.com.

Book Review: Smolder by Lisa Carlisle

RATING: 3 out of 5 Stars

SMOLDER by Lisa Carlisle is the revised novella start to her Underground Encounters paranormal romance series which was originally released in 2012 as Smoldering Nights. I love Ms. Carlisle’s various series, but this novella still lacks the depth of character and originality I look for in her books.

Nike is a firefighter who loves to let off steam with her best friend, Maya on the dance floor of Vamps, the local goth night club. On one of their nights at the club, she sees the man she has a crush on from her rock climbing gym. He has a French accent, a gorgeous body and beautiful eyes. She cannot believe her luck when Michel asks her up to accompany him to a private room upstairs, but she is about to get an education in other creatures that coexist with mortals.

Michel is a nightwalker. He does not know what draws him to Nike at the club or the gym and he knows he should not get involved with a mortal, but he finds her irresistible. When he gets Nike to agree to accompany up to the private rooms, they are attacked by an old enemy right when things begin to get interesting.

Michel and Nike go on the run. The attraction is too much to resist and they begin to explore their sexual attraction and also begin to wonder if it could become more. Can they have a future or will Michel’s enemy find them once again and destroy them both?

This novella was a very quick read and a good introduction to the Underground Encounters series. Nike is a strong heroine who can stand on her own which I loved. Michel is sexy and a dream, even with the fangs. There just was not enough depth to the characters due to the shortness of the story, it was very predictable and it ended abruptly. If you have not started this series, it is a fun intro and the sex scenes are steamy, hot and well written.

Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.com.