Tag: #romance

Book Review: When It Hits You by Nicki Elson

when it hits you

RATING: 3 out of 5 Stars

WHEN IT HITS YOU by Nicki Elson is listed as Book 1 in the ‘It’ Series, but it was a previously released book with a different title. It is more of a Chick Lit book with a small amount of romance in the last 40 pages of the story, than Contemporary romances like books two and three in this series.

Lyssa Bates is a 26 year old financial analyst who has chosen her vibrator over her boyfriend when given that final ultimatum, the vibrator or me. She has decided her vibrator has everything she needs for now. As her love life takes a new turn, so does her work life. She is assigned to work on a major corporate account with the hottie, Hayden from estates.

Hayden King is a rising star in the investment company and this new opportunity is very important to him. He is also a man who believes in dating several woman and not committing to one, until if ever he meets the ‘one’. At first, Lyssa finds him conceited and overbearing, but as they work together for long hours, she begins to realize there is a difference between what you see and how Hayden really is.

I enjoyed Lyssa and Hayden and the banter that went on between the two, but to be honest I went into this thinking I was getting a Contemporary romance. The story ended that way, but was pure Chick Lit in the majority of the story. The dialogue was crisp and entertaining. It was interesting to learn why Lyssa and Hayden each behaved the way they did, also. Good story, but not what I was looking for in this series.

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

Book Review: Liz: The Montana McKennas by Jan Scarbrough

LRH Liz

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

LIZ: THE MONTANA McKENNAS (The Montana Ranchers #7) by Jan Scarbrough is a wonderful read to wrap up the blended McKenna family series of romances. I enjoyed reading James’ children and stepchildren’s romances and was very happy Ms. Scarbrough has also written a HEA for his widow.

Liz McKenna has watched her children and stepchildren fall in love and start to live their own lives after the death of her beloved husband James eighteen months ago. She has taken up hobbies, moved into a smaller cabin, and run the dude ranch for the season, but she still has a deep feeling of unhappiness.

Liz’s daughter-in-law, Stephanie’s ebook “Under Montana Skies” is semi-autobiographical about everyone’s lives on the ranch since James death and has become a best seller. Her agent wants the best screenwriter/producer in Hollywood to turn it into a movie or cable TV series. The girls conspire to get Charles Kingston to read the book and visit the ranch.

Charles “Chaz” Kingston has become fed up with the Hollywood lifestyle. His ex-wife is trying to get their daughter on her reality TV show and his younger brother has committed suicide after his divorce and declining career. He wants a change and the offer of two weeks in Montana on a closed for the season dude ranch sounds perfect. What is he is not expecting is the beautiful and down to earth widow who runs the ranch.

I loved Liz and Chaz! A mature romance always has so much extra baggage, both mentally and externally, that can complicate the story and Ms. Scarbrough added just the right amount of both. As in the other books in this series, it is short and yet not short on romance. I truly enjoy all of these books for a quick, but heartfelt romance read. The sex is behind closed doors, but the affection is not. Another wonderful addition to the series.

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

Book Review: Beloved Beast by Karyn Gerrard

beloved beast.jpg

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

WOW! My preconceived notions for this book where blown away. I went looking for a book with a different twist and this was definitely it. BELOVED BEAST (The Ravenswood Chronicles, #2) by Karyn Gerrard is a mix of gothic horror, historical WWII romantic suspense and historical WWII spy novel. Even though this is the second book in the series, it can easily be read as a standalone with all the information the author has seamlessly peppered throughout this book.

The debauched Viscount Ravenswood Lucas Madden died from a carriage race accident in 1895 only to be revived in a Mary Shelley like experiment. Unlike Shelley’s beast, Lucas has become a man with heightened senses, strength and possible immortality, but he has also become outwardly disfigured, and cool to the touch with a strange gray cast to his skin. He hides his face as much as possible and explains away his strange coloring as ‘photophobia vitium’.

Working with his nephew in the emerging MI-6, with his new identity as Luke Newman, he helps relocate returning spies from the war zones in Europe. He is assigned the safety of Gillian Browning, who seduced a German business man for information on the Enigma machine, returned to England, and is suddenly in danger from a German spy.

As the two return to Luke’s former home in the country to wait for transport to Canada, Luke cannot believe that Gillian brings warmth back into is body and life. He never believed he would find love again after the death of his wife. Gillian wants the truth about Luke’s past and no longer wants her time with him to be limited, but the threat to their lives is catching up to them.

I could not put this book down. The concept made it unique and yet it also read as a traditional historical romantic suspense. There is explicit sex, because the beast has a heightened libido and yet it never felt gratuitous. The plot was well paced and the characters where all fully fleshed out and believable, well as far as you can believe in a reanimated man. I really enjoyed this book and I will definitely be looking for the next in the series!

Thanks very much to Kensington Books and Net Galley for allowing me to read an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Loved it!

Book Review: Mercer:The Montana McKennas by Jan Scarbrough

LRH mercer

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

MERCER: THE MONTANA McKENNAS (The Montana Ranchers, #5) by Jan Scarbrough is an overall enjoyable, short contemporary cowboy romance. Part of a series, each book is based on one of the blended family McKenna children, but they can also easily be read as a standalone without confusion.

Mercer McKenna is the youngest child and is always trying to be the peace maker in her blended family being the only child of both James and Liz McKenna. Everything in her world is changing. The death of her father has left everyone devastated, but has also brought everyone back home and face to face with their true loves. Mercer always had a childhood crush on her brother’s best friend, Drake and when he comes to the ranch to be Brody’s best man, Mercer is all grown up and feeling more than an adolescent crush. Mercer takes a chance on love, but Drake may not be ready.

Drake Hawkins is a professional bull rider on the downside of his career, but he doesn’t know anything else to do for the money he needs. He has a secret that could derail his chance for Mercer’s love and believes he is not ready for the responsibilities of a permanent home and relationship. Drake has some life changing decisions to make if he wants Mercer’s love.

Mercer’s story is another entertaining addition to this series. Even though each book is short, Ms. Scarbrough brings her characters and their emotions to life. The plot includes extended family dynamics, but the H/h are always the focus. The sex scenes are well written with mild heat. A solid contemporary cowboy family romance series. I’ll be looking forward to reading more in this series.

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

Book Review: The Guardian (Mended Souls #1) by Jacquie Biggar

the guardian

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

(I previously posted this review on The Romance Reviews and Goodreads on May 19, 2016. I wanted to post it on my website, since I will be adding the review for the second book in the series The Beast Within soon.)

The Guardian is the first book in a new paranormal series that grabbed my attention from the first page! The characters come to life and the plot is intriguing and keeps you turning the page. Ms. Biggar’s paranormal romance, featuring guardian angels has become an instant must read for me.

Tracy York is a Cook County Medical examiner who is great at her job, but not so great with live relationships. She is assigned the case of a tragic auto accident that has killed a famous Hollywood bad boy, Lucas Carmichael, his best friend’s sister, and others. Alcohol is suspected, but Tracy is pressured to cover this up. At the same time, Scott Anderson, another Hollywood hunk, is left to live with the loss of his best friend and sister while recovering in the hospital. He blames himself for the accident and doesn’t believe it is Lucas’ fault. When Scott meets Tracy it is instant attraction. She is beautiful, smart and doesn’t fall for his fake persona. Tracy feels the same way, but doesn’t trust that Scott could be attracted to a regular person and insecurities abound. As the romance progresses, so do the threats against Tracy.

As you are engrossed with Tracy and Scott, Lucas’s story is being told and entwined throughout. Lucas finds himself in heaven and learns that he can atone for past mistakes by being a Guardian angel. He is paired with another and they must learn to work together, while helping those on Earth they love and know are in danger. This storyline is just as intriguing because there is a huge plot twist around who the other angel was on Earth. The book does end on a series arc cliffhanger involving these angels, but the author does wrap up the main suspense plot and romance in this book.

Romance, sex, suspense, greed, revenge, Guardian angels, guilt, forgiveness and atonement are all packed into this book. Ms. Biggar’s writing is fast paced, crisp and pulls you right into the characters’ lives. I can’t wait for the next Mended Souls book!

 

Book Review: Hidden In Laguna by Cheryl Phipps

hidden in laguna

RATING: 3 out 0f 5 Stars

LAGUNA BEACH: HIDDEN IN LAGUNA by Cheryl Phipps is an extremely short novella that is easily read in one sitting. It is part of the Laguna Kindle World.

Tania Patterson has settled in Laguna Beach to build a career as a wedding planner after an injury that destroyed her future as a professional ballerina. The injury was not an accident. She was betrayed and feels she will never be able to fully trust another man again. She has built a wall around her emotions, but she starts to feel again when she listens to Braden play the piano.

Braden Dorn is an extremely talented piano player, who gave up his career and shattered when he could no longer take his step-father’s abuse and exploitation. He is a serial dater and never believes he will find a woman to tell his secrets and love like his two older brothers. Something is different when Tania is around and he isn’t sure how to handle these new feelings.

This novella is only 98 pages long and is packed with Tania and Braden’s romance, both characters back stories, some emotional growth on both their parts, sex scenes and the emotional reconciliation between all of the brothers. I just feel it was way too short for all the subplot threads. Braden is more fully formed in my opinion than Tania, but the lack of a substantial emotional feeling for either left the story two dimensional for me.  I felt the sex scenes were well written, but overall, I was not emotionally invested in their romance.

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