The Taming of Xander Sterne by Carole Mortimer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Not as Good as the First Book

THE STORY: Xander Sterne is a billionaire who was injured in a car accident. Sam Smith moves in to act as his caretaker for two weeks. She brings her five year old daughter. Xander doesn’t really want Sam there but he quickly becomes entranced by Sam and her daughter. Sam, however, is threatened by her ex-husband who is determined to control Sam but using their daughter against her.

OPINION: I wanted to like this book because Xander’s story intrigued me in THE REDEMPTION OF DARIUS STERNE. Unfortunately, I learned more about Xander in his brother’s book than I did here. The story and romance was adequate, but I wouldn’t pick up this book to read again. I liked Sam’s little girl who was adorable and I really liked how the three of them interacted.

WORTH MENTIONING: I really liked the epilogue which gives an update for both brothers.

FINAL DECISION: This book was set up to be a great story: a tortured hero who meets a woman trying to make it on her own and raise her sweet little girl. Ultimately, however, Xander remains too unknown as a character to be interesting which means that the romance is not as good as it could have been.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE TAMING OF XANDER STERNE is the second book in the Twin Tycoons series. This book can be read independent of the other.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3 stars.

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Midnight Alpha by Carole Mortimer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sexy Story, Alpha Hero

“Gaia had never been spoken to so coldly or so harshly, and despite the precariousness of her situation, it took every effort of will on her part not to reply in kind. Who the hell did this man this he was?”

THE STORY: Gregori Markovic is known as the head of the Russian side of the London criminal underwood. Gaia Miller has gotten a job in his club to find out if he might be responsible for her half-sister’s death. Gregori knows from the moment that he meets her that she is up to something. He also knows that he wants her. Danger surrounds them both as old enemies return.

OPINION: There is much to like in this novel. Gregori and Gaia have an intense relationship. I liked this book. For its genre, it is a good book. It is not a deep book but it has an interesting story and some good characters. I liked the action in the story and the relationship. I thought that the characters have similar strong willed demanding personalities that match one another well.

WORTH MENTIONING: For fans of Dair and Kat from SHADOW ALPHA, they make an appearance here.

FINAL DECISION: This was a good story and similar in tone and structure to the others in the series. I enjoyed the interaction between Gregori and Gaia especially with their contentious relationship.

CONNECTED BOOKS: MIDNIGHT ALPHA is the fourth book in the ALPHA series. This book can be read as a standalone but is closely connected with the third book in the series, SHADOW ALPHA, and is better read after that book.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

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The Redemption of Darius Sterne by Carole Mortimer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Andy Tames Darius

“Dark, cold and scary.”

THE STORY: Miranda “Andy” Jacobs was a promising ballerina when she was in a serious accident four years ago which left her scarred and destroyed her career in dance. Andy has managed to recover and has opened a dance studio where she teaches young children. On her birthday, Andy gets the chance to dine at an exclusive restaurant where she sees Darius Sterne. Darius and his twin brother are the billionaire owners of Midas Enterprises. From the moment he enters the restaurant, Andy and Darius cannot take their eyes from one another. Neither is inclined to believe that a relationship between them is possible or even advisable. Darius has dark secrets from his past that have made him close himself off from everyone except for his twin brother. Both those secrets and a danger from Andy’s past threaten any relationship between Andy and Darius.

OPINION: Andy is incredibly strong for such a young woman. She has endured much and yet she has been able to make more of her life than she might have expected. When she and Darius begin their “courtship” neither believes that it will go anywhere. Darius is closed off, cold and tries to avoid emotional entanglements. From the start, however, Darius cannot avoid his compulsion to get to know Andy. The story is short but it moves at a quick pace and the characters keep the story interesting. Enjoyable one time read except that I really liked the characters being introduced and it makes me want to read the next book about Xander.

WORTH MENTIONING: It is intriguing that Xander the twin that appears lighter and more open is apparently the twin with the darker side. Can’t wait for his book.

FINAL DECISION: The relationship between Andy and Darius makes this book interesting. Andy is incredibly strong and Darius is completely unable to resist her despite his intentions. The book is short and uncomplicated, but the main characters make the story interesting.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE REDEMPTION OF DARIUS STERNE is the first book of the Twin Tycoons series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

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Dark Alpha by Carole Mortimer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Much Better Than the First Book

THE STORY: Nicky McKenzie is a business student and immediately notices a sexy man who enters the college cafe. While she is staring at him, her friend suggests that Nicky solve her money problems by becoming mistress to a rich man. Nicky is mortified when she realizes sexy man overheard and even more so when she realizes that the sexy man is Lucian Wynter who is speaking as a guest lecturer in one of her classes. A very sexy encounter in a restaurant ends their association until Nicky comes looking for a job eight months later. While Lucian is interested in acquiring Nicky as a mistress, she has deep secrets she is hiding that are dangerous to herself and anyone around her.

OPINION: I really enjoyed this book. Lucian was enough of a jerk to keep me interested, but not too much to annoy me. There was a definite Fifty Shades of Grey vibe with the reclusive rich guy and the younger, less experienced woman thing, but there was no kinky sex and Nicky is not the total innocent and has secrets of her own. I liked how Nicky stood up to this man who is used to people doing exactly what he wants and how Lucian knows he should resist her but is unable to do so. There is also a variety of secondary characters that might have interesting stories themselves. After the first book in the series, I wasn’t sure how exciting the series would be, but this one makes me anxious for the next book in the series.

WORTH MENTIONING: I’m really interested in Lucian’s cousin Dair who is the hero of book three of the series.

FINAL DECISION: I enjoyed this book, it has a little bit of a Fifty Shades feel without the kinky sex.

CONNECTED BOOKS: This is the second book in the ALPHA series. This book can be read completely independent of the first book without missing anything.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.25 stars.

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Rogue Alpha by Carole Mortimer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fast Read Novella That is Hot

FINAL DECISION: This novella is action packed and very sexy. The story is very straightforward and simple, but I liked the connection between the main characters. This is an easy and enjoyable read.

THE STORY: Diana Moore believes someone broke into her apartment although no one else does. Eight months ago, Diana’s world fell apart when she was kidnapped and held for ransom and then her husband was killed. Fearful of what might be happening now, Diana turns to the only person she can think of — Seth Armstrong. Seth works for Grayson Security and was the one who rescued her from her kidnappers.

OPINION: This is a straightforward and quick read. For a novella, there is a strong storyline with a lot of action and suspense. This book, however, is rooted in the relationship between Diana and Seth. The two have an immediate connection (which works because of the short length of the story). The story is hot and sexy. The connection might be too quick for some readers, but the length of the story gives some excuse for the quick progression of the romance between the characters.

WORTH MENTIONING: There are no appearances by the main characters from the previous novels only brief mentions for some.

CONNECTED BOOKS: ROGUE ALPHA is the seventh book in the ALPHA series. Although there are overlapping characters, ROGUE ALPHA can be read as a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

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A Lost Love by Carole Mortimer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Just Too Crazy a Plot to Ultimately Accept

FINAL DECISION: While I have always loved some of Carole Mortimer’s old books because they are just big and emotional and with some crazy plots. This book isn’t one of my favorites because the crazy plot is not well resolved.

THE STORY: Rafe Charlwood is a widower who everyone knows hates his dead wife. Her infidelity led him to taking sole custody of their son. HIs wife then died in a car accident. At that car acccident, Brooke Adamson was born. With a new name and a new face, Brooke has returned to be close to her son. Her marriage fell apart because of Rafe’s controlling nature and Brooke’s own youth. Now, she finds that Rafe is just as irresistible to her now. Can the two find a different path forward with their past and her lies between them.

OPINION: The plot of this book is unrealistic and simply crazy. Rafe and Brooke have such a twisted past that it seems impossible that the two could have a future together. The setup to this story was good. I wanted to see how things would be resolved. My problem with the book is that the story was so crazy that it needed either a longer length or a a more dramatic nature. Because of this the story felt unsatisfying to me. It was never clear enough what destroyed their marriage in the first place and how the reader is supposed to believe that things will be different a second time.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book was originally published in the 1980s as a category romance.

CONNECTED BOOKS: A LOST LOVE is a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 2.5 stars.

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Pursued by the Devil by Carole Mortimer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Short, Sexy Novella About Alpha Male and The Woman Who Can’t Resist Him

FINAL DECISION: This novella is short and sexy with a protective alpha male and the woman who is being stalked. The length of the story doesn’t allow for much character development, but the chemistry between the hero and heroine makes this story a good read.

THE STORY: Lindsey Carlisle is a career woman. A lawyer, she is representing a company opposing a corporate takeover by Mikhail Lysenko. Mikhail is a Russian billionaire, alpha male and intensely attracted to Lindsey. Lindsey is attracted to Mikhail as well but knows that professional responsibilities mean that she cannot become involved in Mikhail. When Lindsey begins receiving mysterious black roses, Mikhail insists on protecting her from her stalker. The mystery of who is threatening Lindsey and the sexy romance between Mikhail and Lindsey are the focus of the story.

OPINION: This novella is short and as a result, there is not as much character development and I would like. The attraction between Lindsey and Mikhail is immediate and it would have been nice to understand more what Mikhail sees in Lindsey that makes him want to immediately toss aside everything that is important to him in order to pursue her.

I did very much enjoy the chemistry between Lindsey and Mikhail and he is so completely devoted to her that it was impossible for me not to like him. The story is simple, but effective.

I thought that Mikhail especially was a very interested character and I would have liked to get to know him better as a character. He does have very good qualities, however. His determination, protectiveness and single minded pursuit of Lindsey are attractive. He is a definite alpha male but Lindsey can handle him.

WORTH MENTIONING: Mikhail identifies strongly with the bear. I wish the title would have reflected that rather than using “devil” which doesn’t really have any connection with the story.

CONNECTED BOOKS: PURSUED BY THE DEVIL is part of the International Bad Boys series. These books are loosely connected only by theme and concept without overlapping characters. Therefore, this book can be read as a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3.5 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 herein are my own.

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Shadow Alpha by Carole Mortimer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Enjoyable Sexy Quick Read

“Dair could only hope, for everyone’s sake, that no harm had come to this man’s sister. Sweet little Katya.”

THE STORY: Dair Grayson is connected to one of the underworld families in London. He has spent over a decade trying to build a life away from that life. When he is asked by the head of the Markovic underworld family to help find out what is going on with Katya Markovic Orlov who married into another underworld family as part of an arranged marriage orchestrated by their father. Dair remembers a sweet innocent Katya from when she was fifteen and he was eighteen. Those memories of that sweet girl get him to agree to find out what is happening. When Dair discovers Katya he finds out that her husband has had her placed at a private clinic where she is essentially a prisoner. When he rescues her, the two take off on a world adventure hiding from the forces of her husband’s family.

OPINION: I liked much about this book. The relationship between Kat and Dair is hot and spicy. Kat is no shrinking violet despite her history. She is strong and I loved how she and Dair fight and argue and how that quickly turns into sexual heat. Dair is heroic and yet has a dark past. I liked that they have a great connection and I really did believe that they had chemistry between them. This is a shorter book and thus does not have the great development in story and characters that a longer novel would. That being said, I did enjoy these characters and will continue reading the series.

WORTH MENTIONING: My biggest complaint about this book is that for a woman who was terrorized by her husband and lost a child only two months ago, she quickly turned to a new relationship with Dair. Perhaps too quickly for me.

FINAL DECISION: I enjoyed this book as a quick uncomplicated read. Will it be one I want to read again and again? No. But I enjoyed it while I was reading the story.

CONNECTED BOOKS: SHADOW ALPHA is the third book in the ALPHA series. There is not necessary to have read any of the prior books in the series. Although characters from Book 2, DARK ALPHA, are mentioned briefly, they make no appearance.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

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