Review: Into Dust

I received this book for free from Netgalley in order to prepare an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.


Review: Into DustInto Dust (The Montana Hamiltons, #5) by B.J. Daniels
Published by HQN Books on July 26th 2016
Genres: Contemporary, Romantic Suspense
Pages: 368
Goodreads
four-stars

FINAL DECISION:  Action packed and very intriguing romantic suspense. There is more suspense than romance, but I enjoyed this one enough to want to read more of the series.  A warning that the story is not self-contained.

THE STORY:  When Cassidy Hamilton, youngest daughter of potential US President, is almost kidnapped off the street, she is saved by cowboy Jack Durand. The two end up on the run trying to find out who wants Cassidy.  The truth strikes close to home for both Cassidy and Jack as it appears that family might be at the heart of the danger that both are in.  The conspiracy that the two tumbled into is decades old and people will kill to bring the conspiracy to fruition.

OPINION:  I really liked that the book began with immediate action.  The book was very focused on the suspense portion of the story.  There is a romance, but I wouldn’t read the book for the romance alone because the focus of the story is the mystery suspense.

The book is filled with overlapping stories and points of view which makes the book a big puzzle.  I thought the book was filled with tension and drama and I worked to figure out who was being deceptive and who was honest.

The suspense story is definitely the highlight.  There is a lot going on here and I think it might have been even better if I had read the other books in the series.

The romance between Jack and Cassidy was pretty predictable at first but wrapped in a very tension filled and dramatic storyline.  I was completely surprised by how their romance ended up.  The story is not complete here and the twist at the end might end up disappointing those looking for a pure romance.  I ended up being completely enthralled by the story and definitely will be reading the next book to find out what happens.

WORTH MENTIONING:  This is the first book by B.J. Daniels that I have ever read, I thought it was good and I now want to read the Montana Hamiltons series from the beginning.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  INTO DUST is the fifth book in the Montana Hamiltons series. I have not read any of the other books in the series, but I was able to figure out most of what was going on. I suspect that the book would be even better if I had read the other books in the series.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 4 stars.

four-stars

Review: The Angels’ Share

I received this book for free from Netgalley in order to prepare an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.


Review: The Angels’ ShareThe Angels' Share (The Bourbon Kings, #2) by J.R. Ward
Series: The Bourbon Kings #2
Published by NAL on July 26th 2016
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 432
Goodreads
five-stars

“Timing, like fate, is everything.”

–the Note from the Author

FINAL DECISION:  One of my favorite books of the year.  THE ANGELS’ SHARE interweaves the individual stories of the various siblings in a compelling dramatic and amazingly mesmerizing way.  I couldn’t put this book down and my only regret is that I have to wait for the next book in the series.

THE STORY:  This book picks up immediately after the events of THE BOURBON KINGS.  The head of the family, William Baldwine has been found dead after the discovery of his embezzlement from the family company and the personal family fortunes.  First believed a suicide, suspicion begins to fall on the oldest brother, Edward, who was almost killed by William leaving Edward in pain, scarred and a shadow of his former self.  Edward also struggles with his attraction for Sutton Smythe, the new head of the family company’s rival and the woman Edward has wanted for years.  This story, along with the youngest brother Lane’s struggle to grasp the scope of the family’s financial problems and save them all are the focus of this book but there are other ongoing stories.  Gin, the sister continues her self destructive ways, loving lawyer Samuel while agreeing to marry a man she hates for money.  Now Maxwell, the mysterious brother who has been gone for years, has returned as well.

OPINION:  I came to this series after reading and enjoying Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood paranormal romance/urban fantasy series.  I actually like this series more.  After reading the THE BOURBON KINGS last year, I returned to the BDB series with a better appreciation of the multi-narrative technique that Ward uses in both series.

In THE ANGELS’ SHARE, the multi-narratives give this book the sense of a saga, a soap opera, a complex story that slowly reveals itself.  By slowly disclosing the individual stories of these characters, their complexity and humanity is revealed.  By giving readers the personal viewpoints of the various characters, we can understand them even when they are not particularly likeable.

The organizing narrative again comes from Lane.  Lane is becoming the family head after the death of his father.  With the strength of his love for Lizzie, Lane is changing and growing into a role that should have been his oldest brother Edward’s.  I adore Lane who is becoming a truly admirable man as the story progresses.  His honest struggles and mistakes make him eminently likeable and I still love his weakness for the practical and grounded Lizzie.

I want to say that this book is not a romance in the traditional sense.  Lane and Lizzie are together at the beginning of this book and no one else has a happy ending at the end.  I usually avoid giving spoilers, but those readers who insist on a very traditional read will not find that here.  Instead, there are multiple romances in this saga, all of which change and are exposed here for good or for bad.  The mistakes and miscommunications and successes of these characters in relationship to one another is the focus. Life and relationships are complicated things, changing and molding these characters.

Edward, the oldest brother, goes through the most growth in this book.  After being abused and tortured by his kidnappers in South America, Edward has spent years in pain and pitying himself.  Having abandoned everything that was important to him before, he remains angry.  After an experience that has fundamentally changed him, he doesn’t know how to deal with those changes and how even to integrate those he loves from his life before.  Instead, he wallows in a half life.  Now a suspect in his father’s death, Edward is being moved from his stasis. He has two women in his life now — Sutton, who he loved for years but believes that he can now never be good enough for, and Shelby who never knew him before and has no expectations of him. Things are changing for Edward and by the end we see that he has a lot of secrets that have yet to be revealed.

Gin, the sister, is in trouble.  Engaged to marry a man who she hates because she fears the loss of the family fortunes, she continues her self-destructive ways.  Much of Gin’s story remains a mystery but even for her there are bright spots.  In fact, there is scene between her sometime lover and often nemesis Samuel that is my favorite in the book.  The incredibly deft hand that Ward uses in crafting that scene made it one that both warmed and broke my heart reading it.  The question of how these two people who love one another so much managed to mess it up so badly remains concealed for another day.

We are finally introduced to the mysterious sibling Maxwell. He only has a small appearance in this book, but he clearly has secrets of his own.

Ward has interwoven these stories in such a way that I was sucked into the stories and couldn’t put this book down.  I read through much of the night with the “just one more chapter”. When I reached the end of the book, I was both incredibly satisfied and incredibly anxious for the next book in the series. I am addicted this dysfunctional family and I have to know what happens next!

WORTH MENTIONING:  The “angels share” refers to the amount of bourbon that is lost during the aging process though evaporation.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE ANGELS’ SHARE is the second book in The Bourbon Kings series. This series consists of the stories of the Bradford family heirs to the Bradford bourbon company.  The stories of the siblings (and their friends) are intertwined in each book.  While a reader could skip the first book in the series and catch up here, this is a family saga where each book builds on the prior one and leaves much to be resolved in later books.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 5 enthusiastic stars.

five-stars

Review: Rock Wedding

I received this book for free from Netgalley in order to prepare an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.


Review: Rock WeddingRock Wedding (Rock Kiss #4) by Nalini Singh
Series: Rock Kiss #4
Published by Tka Distribution on July 19, 2016
Genres: Contemporary
Goodreads
five-stars

FINAL DECISION:  As the final book in the Rock Kiss series, this book is a beautiful gift to fans of the series while also providing a compelling second chance at love story.

THE STORY:  Abe Bellamy and Sarah Smith’s marriage fell apart under the weight of Abe’s drug and alcohol problem.  Their relationship almost destroyed Sarah, but she has learned to live without Abe and has become more confident, more independent and more mature.  After finally achieving sobriety, Abe realizes that he alone was at fault for the end of his marriage and he wants the woman he loves back.  Sarah, however, doesn’t know if she wants to risk herself again with Abe.

OPINION:  ROCK WEDDING is truly a wedding bonanza with multiple weddings in the book.  Fans of the Rock Kiss series will be pleased.  ROCK WEDDING lives up its name as it has four rock weddings in it.  As the final book in the Rock Kiss series, this book is a beautiful gift to fans of the series while also providing a compelling second chance at love story.

Organized around the weddings of the other couples in the series.  Making the weddings of the other couples central to the story makes them not only a treat for fans but also a lens through which Abe and Sarah take stock of their relationship.  Serving as both reminder of their own broken marriage but also the promise of a new life together, the weddings serve as important tent poles in Abe and Sarah’s relationship along with giving series fans the joy of seeing their favorite couples married in their own unique ways.

Abe and Sarah have a rocky past to overcome.  Abe was mired in grief and drug and alcohol abuse during their marriage.  Unable to love Sarah as she deserved but unwilling to be apart from her, Abe made Sarah miserable until he broke her heart with his verbal abuse and forced her to leave him.  Sarah knows that she should not trust Abe again because he only endlessly disappointed her, but he now claims to be sober and know that she is the woman for him.

Abe is a recovering addict who used his addictions to hide his grief about the death of his baby sister. After losing his wife, he begins the long road to sobriety.  He now recognizes that he needs Sarah and that their breakup was his fault.  Now that she is free, he doesn’t intend to lose his chance with her.  I liked that Abe took complete responsibility for his actions.  It is often difficult to make an addict a hero but Singh has done a good job reforming Abe and the length of the time period covered by this book can give readers some security that Abe has turned the corner.

Sarah has completely changed since her marriage.  She wanted her marriage to succeed so much and believed herself so unimportant that she allowed herself to be completely malleable.  Once her marriage was over she allowed herself to be swept up in another relationship that she really didn’t want.  But then she began to become her own person.  She opened her own business and began to use the strength that allowed her to survive her difficult childhood.  I love that she no longer takes any gruff from Abe.  I loved her sweet vulnerable character with a spine of steel.

This couple is hot together as is true of all the couples of this series.  Plenty of really sizzling sex scenes that are always accompanied by an emotional component that makes them relevant.

I give this book an extra credit because I love that all the couples of the series are involved in Abe and Sarah’s journey.  It’s like one of those great summary epilogues but expanded into a giant buffet of goodies for fans.

This book was so good that I immediately went to each of the other books in the series to read my favorite parts and I completely re-read the first book in the series ROCK ADDICTION to remind myself of how far these characters have traveled.

I’m going to miss these characters (although Singh has promised a spin off series about Gabriel Bishop’s brothers) but I am thrilled that they got such a great send off.

WORTH MENTIONING: A bit of a spoiler for those who might have sensitivities as ROCK WEDDING discusses the aftermath of a miscarriage and stillbirth.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  ROCK WEDDING is the fourth book in the Rock Kiss series.  It can be read as a standalone although Abe and Sarah’s story is mentioned throughout the series and various characters from the series make significant appearances here.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 5 stars.

five-stars

Review: Premiere: A Romance Writers of America® Collection

Review: Premiere: A Romance Writers of America® CollectionPremiere: A Romance Writers of America® Collection by Allison Brennan, Amber Lin, Cindy Gerard, Courtney Milan, Diane Kelly, Erica Ridley, Harper St. George, Joan Johnston, Katy Regnery, Laura Kaye, Lex Valentine, Lila Bell, Monica Murphy, Regina Scott, Sabrina Jeffries, Sylvia Day, T.L. Costa, Vicki Lewis Thompson
Published by Romance Writers of America, Inc on February 9th 2015
Genres: Contemporary, Historical
Pages: 380
Goodreads
five-stars

This is a collection of short stories all based on the idea of a wrong number. This collection is very diverse and demonstrates a great variety of stories and techniques and genres.

RAVISHED BY THE GEEK by Vicki Lewis Thompson: Jamie Smith receives a misaddressed email from Vivian Crowley who is the woman of his dreams. When Jamie reads Vivian’s fantasy scene in her email, he decides to make her dreams come true. This is a sweet story and Jamie is simply adorable. Rating: 4 stars.

UNDER A WICKED MOON by Lila Bell: Stacia Bryne and Liam MacTire were foster children together. They are now enemies as Liam has been sent to kill the half-human, half-sorceress. Liam is a half-human, half wolf shifter. Stacia creates a potion to turn Liam into her protector but when it works, she fears that what they have isn’t real. I really liked this story. There was something compelling about the characters. It certainly made me interested in reading the connected novellas. Rating: 4.25 stars.

A RIGHT HONORABLE GENTLEMAN by Courtney Milan: Miss Catherine Hooks is a servant in the household of Mr. Edward Glennon. In the almost five years that she has been governess to the widower’s son an attraction between the two has arisen, but their stations make acting on it impossible. When Catherine decides it is time for her to leave, Edward realizes that he doesn’t want her to. This is a favorite. Sparkling characters and dialogue despite the short length. I could read a whole novel about these two and yet this story story also is satisfying. Rating: 5 stars.

STATION 12 by Amber Lin: Isobel Monroe goes to the fire station to return some of her ex’s things and ends up at the wrong station. She meets Matthew Gaines who is also a fire fighter. He asks her out on a date, but she refuses. But their story isn’t over. This story is really just the beginning of their relationship, but I thought the characters were interesting and their interaction felt genuine. Rating: 4.25 stars.

WRONG NUMBER, RIGHT GIRL by Monica Murphy: Ty Webster is a player with women and he is bored. When he succumbs to a dare to get the number of a hot young woman, he can’t help but notice her friend who is definitely not his type. Lauren thinks Ty is attractive but knows this guy would never be interested in her. This story is told in alternating first personal narratives. This is a sweet new adult story about a guy changing his life. Rating: 4 stars.

A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS by Regina Scott: Major Sir Percival Nightincourt and Eleanor Grasland knew each other years before but parted when Percy joined the military. Now Percy has given up his commission and when the two encounter one another again, he realizes what he has been missing. This is a sweet inspirational romance. Rating: 3.5 stars.

COMING HOME by Joan Johnston: Savannah Whitelaw is an FBI agent and Luke Winters has just been exonerated after spending 6 years in jail. After being convinced to go on a double date, Savannah can’t help but be attracted to this man who is so wrong for her. I really liked this story because there was definite angst and potential in the story. I wish there was more to the story because this is really just the beginning of a relationship. This story is connected with her Hawke’s Way series. Rating: 3.5 stars.

THE POET by T.L. Costa: Wyatt Hershowitz has had a crush on Hannah Smith since sixth grade. When she asks for the Spanish homework, he accidentally sends her a poem he wrote for his mom’s birthday. What follows is a funny attempt by Wyatt to rectify his mistake. This story is well written and funny and made me smile. Rating: 4 stars.

DEAD WRONG by Cindy Gerard: Erin Livingston has just been acquitted of the murder of her husband and has come home under threat from her father-in-law who blames her for his son’s death. Jed Rafferty and Erin had a thing as teenagers and haven’t seen one another in years. Jed knows, however, that Erin is the woman for him and doesn’t intend to lose the chance with her. This story felt complete and substantial despite its short length. Rating: 4.25 stars.

THE FALLOUT by Harper St. George: Elena Black and Dexter Thomas Herrington married young and within two years were separated. Now four years later, they are getting divorced. When Dex comes back to talk to her, however, they find that there might be something worth saving. This story had much promise, but once the two meet up again, I didn’t feel the emotional connection the story should have had. Rating: 3 stars.

HARD TO BREATHE by Syvia Day: Annalise knows that she needs to get away from her trainer Gareth. Annalise is in love with him although a relationship between angel trainer and student is forbidden. When she tries to get reassigned, Gareth foils her attempt. When she is forced to reveal her reason to him, she feels his rejection but he might be hiding something as well. I loved this story. Well written and executed with interesting characters. I want to read more. Rating: 5 stars.

ALL I WANT by Erica Ridley: Lady Matilda Kingsley and Major Owen Turner were childhood friends but Owen is illegitimate and not the proper match for the daughter of a duke. Years later, they meet again over a game of cards. The story between these characters was sweet and completely unrealistic but enjoyable nonetheless. Rating: 4 stars.

COVERING HER SKIN by Laura Kaye: Emery Morgan has come to Ronan Kane to get rid of one of the biggest mistakes of her life. A year ago, Emery had Ronan, a tattoo artist, give her a tattoo of her fiance’s jersey number and football team right before he dumped her. Now she wants the tattoo transformed. Ronan made one of the biggest mistakes in his life when he agreed to do Emery’s tattoo a year ago and wants to rectify that mistake for the woman he has had a crush on for years and never thought to see again. This story was really good. There is great character development and an interesting idea of transformation. Rating: 4.25 stars.

THE LONG WAY HOME by Katy Regnery: Clarissa Calhoun and Ford McInerney end up sitting next to one another on a bus cross-country traveling to the same wedding. Ford has been in love with Clarissa forever, but she was his older brother’s girlfriend. Now he has a chance to get her to give them a chance. This new adult story was good. The relationship between Clarissa and Ford is complicated and their history makes the story interesting. Rating: 4 stars.

THEIR NIGHT OFF by Allison Brennan: FBI Special Agent Suzanne Madeaux and Detective Joe DeLucca have had a casual relationship for a while complicated by their work and Joe’s ex-wife. Just when Suzanne is thinking that their relationship should be more, the two get involved in one of Suzanne’s cases. This story was just okay for me. It was an interesting story but not enough about the romance between the two. Rating: 3 stars.

FLYING IN THE FACE OF CONVENTION by Lex Valentine: A mis-delivered delivered wedding invitation bring Trey Beaumont and Jordan Smithson together. Trey had been interested in Jordan when they were in college together and now he finds out that they were unknowingly living in the same building. Trey had never told Jordan of his interest in him but now sees a new opportunity. My complaint here is that the character o Jordan is not really developed. It would have been nice to know more about him so that the relationship was more balanced. On the other hand, I really liked the epilogue which gave the story a nice ending. Rating: 3 stars.

AN APRIL FOOL’S FORBIDDEN AFFAIR by Sabrina Jeffries: Mason Brandt, Earl of Westville wants Miss Augusta Hunt, his late wife’s sister but knows that it is impossible since is would be scandalous to marry his sister-in-law. Augusta wants Mason as well but knows only that he has purposely kept away from her. When the two discover a prank by Augusta’s younger brother, they work together to foil it. This story is well written and has characters in an interesting dilemma. I wish there was more to this story because this could be a longer novella or a novel itself. Rating: 4 stars

WRONG ADDRESS, RIGHT GUY by Diane Kelly: Katelyn Harrington is unlucky in love. When her boyfriend is late for their date again, she breaks it off with him. Then her neighbor stands up her date. When that date arrives, Katelyn decides that she will pretend to be his date. I liked this story because the premise was interesting and the romance was sweet. Rating: 3 stars.

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five-stars

Review: Royals & Rogues Anthology

Review: Royals & Rogues AnthologyRoyals & Rogues by Heather Long, Carole Mortimer, Shelli Stevens, Susan Stephens, J.C. Makk
Series: Knight Security #0.5
on March 1st 2016
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 500
Goodreads
four-stars

This is an anthology of 5 novellas from five different authors:

HER MARINE PRINCE by Heather Long

Princess Francesca Grace wants to join the military like her father.  Her father does not want her to and arranges her to attend an exercise hosted by the Royal Marines.  He gets retired Marine Hugh Dillon to agree to make Frankie’s life miserable to convince her to abandon her desires.  I did not expect much of this story, but ended up enjoying it very much.  The highlight was the great amount of respect that Hugh show Frankie as she demonstrates how determined and competent she is.  Made me interested in reading more of the series. Rating: 4 stars.

ALEXANDRE by Carole Mortimer

Prince Alexandre of Androcco comes to England.  Staying at an English hotel, he is determined to get Anastazia Carmichael who he took one look at and wanted.  Stazzi doesn’t want anything to do with the annoying playboy especially because she is almost engaged to another man.  Yet she can’t deny the intense attraction between Alexandre and herself.  I enjoyed this story primarily because of Stazzi’s spunky personality and her interaction with Alexandre.  There is also a mystery regarding Alexandre that I quickly figured out but which I thought moved the story forward very well. These two are hot together.  Rating: 4 stars.

SEDUCING THE PRINCESS by Susan Stephens

Princess Angelika needs an heir. When she first met Gideon Black as a teenager, she hated him. And she had an immense crush on him.  Now she needs protection and an heir to secure her throne.  Gideon can provide both.  This premise had much promise, but I never felt any real connection between the hero and heroine.  The conflict felt forced and I was disappointed.  Rating: 1.5 stars.

CORRUPTED BY THE PRINCE by Shelli Stevens

Prince Kostas of Mykorini is hiding out in the Hamptons after another scandal.  When he sees a woman on the beach that interests him, he is intrigued as she argues with him and doesn’t fall for his practiced lines.  Evelynn Fairchild is the sister who avoids scandal and that is why she is surprised to find herself attracted to the notorious bad boy.  This is my favorite in the collection because I liked the relationship between Kostas and Eva best.  They are funny and sweet and such a mismatch.  I think the story tries to put in just one too many complications to their relationship for the length of the story, but the connection between the couple makes this worth reading.  Rating: 4 stars.

HIS ROYAL REDEMPTION by J.C. Make

Sir Anthony Richarden and Princess Estelle of Dirksbee are competitors in the King’s Favor, a competition where the winner gets five million dollars.  The two also happen to have been engaged to be married a year ago before Anthony left Estelle almost at the altar.  This was my least favorite of the anthology. I didn’t buy into the reasons that the two were apart and the lack of communication between them just annoyed me.  Rating: 1 star.

four-stars

Review: Defying Asher

Review: Defying AsherDefying Asher (Knight Security 1) by Carole Mortimer
Series: Knight Security #1
Published by Smashwords Edition on June 30th 2016
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 159
Goodreads
three-stars

FINAL DECISION:  A straightforward contemporary category-type romance, this book was enjoyable because of the push and pull between the hero and heroine.  I enjoyed this as a one time read.

THE STORY:  A year ago Lissa Forsythe and Asher Knight had a one night stand.  The two meet again when Lissa is in danger.  A year hasn’t diminished the chemistry between them but it also hasn’t decreased Lissa’s hurt at what she saw as a betrayal by Asher. Despite his best intentions, Asher hasn’t been able to forget the prickly woman. Now he has to protect her with his life but he risks his heart in doing so.

OPINION:  This story has two main parts: who is trying to kill Lissa’s mother and those around her and the relationship between Lissa and Asher.  The connection between Lissa and Asher is evident from the beginning and the conflict in the relationship comes from their one night stand a year ago. Lissa believes that Asher was cheating on another woman when the two of them ended up in bed together.  Lissa’s lack of trust in others dominates the story.  Of course, once the truth is revealed, the two quickly resolve their relationship.

The story is good and the characters fun to read.  For a one time read, this is pretty good.  And just to clarify, I don’t mind reading books that I can get through and enjoy even if they aren’t ones I will want to re-read again and again.

WORTH MENTIONING:  The Knight Security series is connected to the ALPHA series and the Knight sister gets her story in SAVAGE ALPHA.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  DEFYING ASHER is book one of the Knight Security series. There is a prequel but this book can be read as a standalone.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 3 stars.

three-stars

Review: Hard to Serve

Review: Hard to ServeHard to Serve (Hard Ink, #4.7) by Laura Kaye
Series: Hard Ink #4.7
on June 28, 2016
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 120
Goodreads
four-stars

“Welcome to Blasphemy.”

FINAL DECISION:  This story was more hot erotica than emotional story but I still enjoyed it.  The novella introduces the Blasphemy Club and sets up some good characters.

THE STORY: Detective Kyler Vance is being investigated by Internal Affairs as the new police commissioner attempts to root out recent corruption in the department.  He decides to blow off some steam at his club.  His club just happens to be a place for dominants like Kyler to find submissives for sex.  There he meets Mia Breslin, who is looking for a man to dominate her.  Things are really hot between Mia and Kyler and they seem to be inching toward something more when Kyler finds out that Mia happens to be the daughter of his new boss.

OPINION:  This is a short novella so much of the character development and plot are compressed. There is a lot of hot sex though and these characters really shine in their interaction.  For me, the weakness of the story is Kyler’s reluctance to make their relationship more than sex.  His motivations seem murky and not as well developed as they would be in a novel.  Despite that, however, I thought this was a very good read.

There was a strong intensity between Mia and Kyler which begins as instant sexual attraction and then evolves into something more.  One of the nicest things is that Kyler cares for Mia from the beginning first in a physical manner and then in an emotional one.

I really, really liked that Mia is so open about what pleases her sexually.  She is a grown woman who knows what she likes. There is no question of consent or any dominance that Mia doesn’t explicitly consent to.

The book also introduces some of the other men who will be the heroes of future books.  There was definitely enough there to make me want to read more.

WORTH MENTIONING:  There is some BDSM and public sex for those who might be sensitive.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  HARD TO SERVE is book 4.7 in the Hard Ink series.  It can be read as a standalone.  It also is book 1 of the Blasphemy series.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 4 stars.

four-stars

Review: Shadow Rider

Review: Shadow RiderShadow Rider (Shadow, #1) by Christine Feehan
Series: Shadow #1
Published by Jove on June 28th 2016
Genres: Contemporary, Paranormal
Pages: 480
Goodreads
four-stars

“I can’t believe Stefano Ferraro claimed you.”

FINAL DECISION:  Fascinating beginning a new series about a family that lives in the dark and manipulates light and dark in order to protect others.  I loved this book except that I thought that the heroine needed more strength and backbone than she demonstrated for most of the book.

THE STORY: Stefano Ferraro is the oldest sibling and head of the Ferraro family.  Controlling and protecting the Little Italy portion of Chicago, the family is rich, famous and has a secret dark side.  The members are Shadow Riders who are able to manipulate light and dark.  Stefano believes that only his family has this ability until he sees a woman on his streets that silently calls to him.  Francesco Cappello is at the end of her rope.  Broke and desperate, she has come to Chicago at the beckoning of her friend who promises a job.  What Francesca doesn’t expect is to have a handsome, formidable stranger immediate claim her for his own.

OPINION:  I found this book very enjoyable.  It was well written in the suspense arena. I liked how the mystery of what exactly is going on with the Ferraro family is spaced out throughout the book which keeps the reader guessing as to what is going on.  After reading this book, I want to read more about this family, so I believe it was a great success.

Francesca has secrets when she arrives in Chicago:

“She filled out the application, leaving just about everything blank.  Her name. Her social security number. That was it.  There was nothing else she could safely tell him.”

My one complaint is that Francesca demonstrated too many doormat tendencies at times.  She has incredible strength at times and I wish I could have seen more of that personality when she was with Stefano.  Just because he is domineering alpha doesn’t mean that she can’t be a strong match for him.

Stefano is one intimidating dude.  When Francesco first sees him, she describes him as follows:

“God, but he was good-looking.  Italian American.  Olive skin. Gorgeous blue eyes and thick black hair that made a woman want to run her fingers through it.  No man should be able to look like he did.  She tried to look away from him, but something in his steady gaze warned her not to and she didn’t dare defy him.  She couldn’t imagine anyone crossing him.  He didn’t exactly walk up to her.  He stalked, like a great jungle cat emerging from the shadows.  Silent.  Fluid.  Breathtaking.”

I found Stefano and his siblings very intriguing.  They have a unique “power” that I look forward to learning more about in future books.  I especially liked how family oriented Stefano is and how important Francesca is to him and his family.  It was funny and sweet how everyone wants to meet Francesca because she gives them hope.

My favorite part of this book was the world building involved and the fascinating set of powers this family has. There are also threads that will obviously be continued in future books in the series and I look forward to seeing this series develop.

WORTH MENTIONING: Now I really want to read the book about the sister because I already think I know who her match will be.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  SHADOW RIDER is the first book in the Shadow series about 5 brothers and a sister in the Ferraro family.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 4 stars.

NOTE:  I received an ARC of this book in order to provide a review.  I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions contained herein are my own.

four-stars

Review: Natural Born Charmer

Review: Natural Born CharmerNatural Born Charmer (Chicago Stars, #7) by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Series: Chicago Stars #7
Published by William Morrow & Company on February 6th 2007
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 400
Goodreads
four-stars

Weakest of the Series But Still a Decent Read

NATURAL BORN CHARMER is the seventh book in Phillips’ Chicago Stars series. Dean Robillard is the quarterback for the Chicago Stars. While on vacation, he is surprised to come upon a headless beaver who turns out to be Blue Bailey. Blue has lived a nomadic life in order to protect herself from becoming attached to anyone because of her childhood being sent from person to person. Dean is also protecting himself from the grief of his childhood living with a rock groupie mother who was having sex, partying and doing drugs rather than caring for her son. The two travel together to Dean’s home in Tennessee. There they begin to encounter Dean’s family. Both learn to deal with their past and fall in love.

I liked this book that has many of the hallmarks of a Phillips’ romance — damaged, fallible people, a long journey to happily ever after, witty dialogue, quirky characters, secondary romance and poignant emotional discoveries. Unfortunately, this time these elements don’t come together as seamlessly this time. For me, there are just too many people involved as secondary characters. Therefore, the main romance suffers for me because I don’t think that we get as much time with them as needed to work out their deep issues. I liked this book, but I would have rated it lower if it wasn’t part of a series that I already love.

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four-stars

Review: Bay of Sighs

Review: Bay of SighsBay of Sighs (The Guardians Trilogy, #2) by Nora Roberts
Series: The Guardians Trilogy #2
Published by Berkley on June 14th 2016
Genres: Contemporary, Paranormal
Pages: 319
Goodreads
three-stars

FINAL DECISION:  I enjoyed this book but it felt like the middle book it is. It is dependent upon knowing what happened in the first book including the relationships which developed there and in the end the story feels incomplete because there is another book left to go.

THE STORY:  This book begins right after the events of Book 1 of the Trilogy.  After acquiring the first star in their quest, the band of six have moved on to the search for the second star.  Annika, the mermaid, has a special role to play here in the search for the water star.  Granted legs for only a few months, Annika enjoys her life on land and her flirtation with Sawyer King.  Sawyer is the traveler with control of a compass which can take one through space and time.  Sawyer is attracted to Annika but worries about getting involved with the lovely mermaid who will only be on land for such a short time.  As Sawyer and Annika along with their friends search for the star, danger lurks with the reappearance of their enemy. She has a new minion to threaten the six as the danger increases.

OPINION:  I really wanted to like this book.  I had been looking forward to the story of the mermaid because it had ready made angst involved since she was only given legs for a limited amount of time.  What disappointed me most in this book was the resolution or lack thereof of that impediment.  I have hopes that the issues might yet be resolved in the final book, but as a story, I was disappointed in the poor version of a happy ending that Annika and Sawyer have to endure.

I also thought that their romance was given short shrift here.  The romance seemed expected and neither fought too hard. The drama in the story came from the plot regarding the stars.

On the other hand, I thought that this was a good continuation of the first book in the series and set up the final book in a way that made me highly anticipate it.  The story was action packed and I love the relationship that has developed between the six.  The book would have been more highly rated by me except for my disappointment with the resolution of Annika and Sawyer’s story.

WORTH MENTIONING:  I want to read the final book about the immortal and the werewolf more than I wanted to read this one.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  BAY OF SIGHS is the second book in the Guardians Trilogy.  This book relies heavily on having read the first book in the series.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 3 stars.

three-stars