ON THE LINE BY LIZ LINCOLN - ARC REVIEW

Is this man: A) a super-hot NFL player, B) the guy you’re sexting, or C) your new boss?

If you’re Carrie Herron, the answer is all of the above. First Carrie starts exchanging steamy text messages with the sexy single dad she meets in line at the grocery store. Then she lands a job—and a bedroom—as the live-in nanny for the daughter of the Milwaukee Dragons’ newest star. But when Carrie shows up for work and realizes that they’re actually the same guy, she has no choice but to try to keep things professional. After all, Seth Chamberlain is her boss now. Her chiseled, charismatic, oh-so-tempting boss. . . .

After getting traded from Houston to Milwaukee, Seth’s having a tough time keeping his head in the game, let alone setting up his daughter in a brand-new city. So if the only nanny his daughter will tolerate while he’s on the road is the gorgeous, cosplay-loving redhead he’s had his eye on, well, so be it. Surely he can resist Carrie until football season is over. But with her knowing glances and kissable lips driving him wild, Seth must decide whether he’s ready to put everything on the line.

I like sports romance in which the hero, or heroine, as the case may be, is actually living the life of a professional athlete.  In this one, Seth is a football player for the Milwaukee Dragons who needs some help with his 12 year old daughter and Carrie is unemployed and hunting for a position as a teacher, but despite a number of interviews, is not having any luck finding a new job.

As Seth is new to Milwaukee, while he has friends, he left his family and support system back in Houston, and he needs a way to lead his life in the NFL while giving stability to his daughter.  Enter Carrie, the new nanny (although, they had met previously and there was some flirting before they knew who each other was) and the problem is solved.

Yet, as often happens, the solution to one problem brings another one...in this case, the amazing attraction they have for one another and the fact that now that she is caring for his daughter, they feel this is not something they can act on.

And, a good portion of this is them fighting the attraction, giving in a little bit, and then pulling away.  It was hot, it was realistic, and it kept me turning the pages.

There was an element that I thought was a little unnecessary with a person from the past.  It was tossed in quickly, so it didn't really mess up the story, but the time spent on it didn't seem quite right, and I didn't totally believe the response of this person.

But, this was minor, and overall I really enjoyed this title, and I am looking forward to the next in the series.

i recommend this book.

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She took several long, slow breaths with her eyes closed, trying to ground herself and remember all the reasons she couldn’t throw herself at Seth and kiss him right that instant. When she finally got her pulse back in the vicinity of normal, she opened her eyes, scanning the lot for a trash can. She didn’t want her mostly empty cup to drip in Seth’s car.

She spotted one near the building and pushed off the hood to walk away. “I’m going to—”

The rest of the words died on her tongue when Seth’s hand wrapped around her upper arm and turned her back toward him. She looked up, taking in the six feet four inches—yeah, she’d looked up his stats—of broad, delicious man filling her vision.

She didn’t breathe as she watched him rake his gaze over her. The hunger she felt in it made her nipples harden to the point of visibility, but she was too turned on to care. As if he didn’t already know what he did to her.

Huffing out a breath, he took the step into her space. Another step forward and her back pressed against the SUV’s hood, his hand slid into her hair, and his lips descended on hers.

It all happened so fast, she didn’t have a chance to process everything. Her body simply reacted, her mouth moving under his as her arms slid around his large body. She clutched his back, pulling him closer; they both moaned.

With her lips parted, Seth’s tongue slid into her mouth and began a wild exploration. She stroked her own tongue against his and elicited another moan. All the while, the coarse hairs of his beard scraped at her skin, adding to the myriad of sensations vying for her attention.

But overshadowing them all was the feel of his body pressed to hers. He slid one arm around her, the other tangled in her hair as his thumb caressed her cheek. His arm held her tightly against him, his hand splayed low on her back.

Such a bad idea. But so, so good.

Restless and reckless, she needed to touch more of him. She wanted to feel all those muscles, feel the power coiled up in his athlete’s body. She slid her hands up his arms and he shuddered against her.

“Carrie,” he groaned, then gave her lower lip a little nip before sinking in deep once again. Lights burst behind her eyelids and she dug her nails into his biceps, drawing a moan that vibrated from him into her.

A domino effect of sensation and reaction, sensation and reaction.

What would be his reaction to the sensation of her running her hands over his shoulders until they met at the nape of his neck?

He deepened the angle of their kiss and traced his tongue along the edges of her teeth. She nipped playfully at his tongue, and he chuckled and pressed tighter to her.

Pressed his solid erection against her, a little higher than where she wanted it most. But she didn’t chase after it. Not in a public parking lot, no matter how much she wanted to.

“You are too fucking sexy,” he bit out, his voice a rough rasp over her ear.

And his kiss was too good. Too much from just a little kiss. Her muscles twitched as heat coursed through her. She couldn’t take it. They needed to stop.

Before she could say something, he drew his face back enough to look into her eyes. His own were dark blue and stormy, the lines of his face tense.

“Seth.” She mouthed it more than spoke, barely a whisper escaping. She didn’t have enough breath for more.

“Jesus, Carrie. I don’t . . .” He searched her face for another hot moment. “You are so sexy.”

He made her sexy. She’d never felt this wild with a man before, this uninhibited. No other man could have inspired her to make out against the hood of a car. But Seth connected with something hidden deep inside her, a woman unafraid to grab what she wanted and take it.

Except she couldn’t take it. Not now. Maybe not ever.

He huffed out a frustrated sound, his breath hot over her lips.

A new wave of desire rolled through her and it took all her restraint not to pull him back down to her and again get lost in his kiss.

“I think I finally understand what singers mean when they say they’re drunk on a woman.” His voice was raw and thick.

She trembled inside at his words, unsure what to think of them, unsure how to respond.

So she said, “We can’t do this.” Her voice came out breathy, but with his chest still pressed to hers, her nipples hard, her breasts heavy and aching, she couldn’t pull in enough air. “But I still . . .” She lifted her lashes and made herself look directly into his eyes.

This close, they were impossibly, intensely blue. Something softened in her chest, leaving a hot, melted ache she didn’t understand.

He felt drunk from kissing her. Holy swoon. No man had ever said something so bluntly honest to her. And she felt it too, a dizzying high buzzing through her simply from having his mouth pressed to hers.

Sex with him would probably be better than the highest-quality narcotic. All the fun, none of the illegality or addicting side effects.

Too bad she needed a job and a house more than she needed great sex.

GAME ON BY VICTORIA DENAULT

"I don't break hearts. I break headboards . . . "

When it comes to scoring in the pro hockey league, Alex Larue is crushing it-with the hot puck bunnies. He's the life of the party, the guy with all the jokes . . . and the one whose Party Guy mask keeps the real him well hidden. The last thing he needs is anyone finding out about his troubled past, or the nightmares that haunt him still.

Brie Bennett is less than impressed by Alex from the moment she meets him. And even though he insists on volunteering at the charity she runs, she doesn't trust him. He's hiding something...but so is she. She's not just the rich, privileged New York princess he thinks she is. The animosity between them is undeniably addictive and as their worlds keep colliding it becomes supercharged with something else - attraction. But if they stop playing games and let each other in, they both might lose.

I love sports romance.  And, I have no idea why as I am not a sports fan.  Although, I have some guesses and the hot bodies, the alpha male and the pure physicality of the heroes in sports romances probably have something (ok a lot) to do with it.

Alex, however, is so much more than the brawny sports hero.  And, this matters a lot to me as a reader.  Books about hot men are a dime a dozen, so if I am going to read, and enjoy, a sports romance I need to like the characters, and I need them to seem real.  I loved that he was a little insecure, that he was the guy who wasn't the standout player on the team, that he was the one the coach doesn't want on his team...but he still needs to believe in himself.  Watching the struggle, to get past this and his childhood was interesting, and compelling and it made me like him, and care what happened to him.

Brie was also interesting.  A woman who, from outside, looks like she has it all and has all of the advantages that she possibly could have...but runs a shelter for kids who would be living on the streets otherwise.

Alex and Brie aren't sure what to think of one another, but they know there is an attraction that they have to fight...because neither of them want to be attracted to the other.

This makes for some incredibly hot scenes as they both fight the attraction they have to one another.  It also makes the payoff, the time they spend together, even better as you are invested in the characters and like them by the time they become a couple.

The writing was strong and the pacing was mostly good, although I would have liked Brie and Alex to be together for a little longer in the book, as I did think it took a little too long for them to start on the portion of the book where they were a couple.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and I recommend it.

PLAY CRUSH BY KATE DONOVAN

Armed with degrees in computers and robotics, Haylee Kirk is overqualified for the job of fitting wireless helmets to the heads of pro football players. Her ulterior motive? Impress the sexy tech genius who’s funding the project in hopes it will lead to her dream job. And since she felt a definite vibe with the guy when they crossed paths once before, maybe to her dream lover as well.

Even when she meets Wish Bennett, the tall, lean, ripped tight end for the Portland Lancers, she’s sure she’s immune to his charms. Because she’s already taken, isn’t she?

After an awesome rookie season, Wish is living the dream. Then he meets Haylee and life goes officially crazy. Not only is she pretty and smart, she’s actually measuring his head! It has to be a sign. Even when she tells him she’s in love with some tech dude, he knows he can change her mind.

With the help of two rowdy superstars, Wish convinces Haylee to bet her future—and his—on one monumental kiss. If it doesn’t work out, he’ll back off for sure.

The question is: will Haylee?

I enjoy books with characters who you don't think should be together and watching them work it out so they end up as the perfect couple.

Haylee and Wish are a classic opposites attract.  He is a football player and she is a computer geek, working with the team to see if a new helmet will help with the severity of injuries to the players.

I liked the chemistry between Haylee and Wish, but it took too much time (at least for me) to see them as a couple, there was a lot of time together, but not enough time with them together for me to really feel invested in their chemistry and their attraction.

I also thought her boss was a little overdone.  I get the idea of needing the conflict, but he seemed more like the villain in a cartoon than an actual person.  I have had bad bosses, but I have never had one this bad.  Overall, I just didn't believe in the character, so the conflict that was added by the character seemed really forced.

I liked this overall, and I enjoyed it...but I wanted more from the title.

THE FINAL SCORE BY JACI BURTON-ARC REVIEW

In the new Play-by-Play novel by the New York Times bestselling author of Rules of Contact, a star quarterback is torn between his love of the game—and the woman who may be the love of his life.

Nathan Riley is ready to follow in the footsteps of his famous football player father. He’s been drafted as quarterback for his dad’s former team, and his sports future is bright. When his friend Mia Cassidy moves to the same city, their years-long friendship suddenly sparks hot, reminding him of the one night they had together in college that he can never forget.

Like Nathan, Mia is from a sports dynasty family and embarking on an incredible new career—as founder of her own sports management company. Her friendship with Nathan means everything to her, and tossing sex into the mix again could jeopardize it all. But the chemistry between them has always sizzled, and it isn’t long before Mia realizes she wants more with Nathan than just late-night talks and pizza.

Passion has a funny way of changing the rules, and soon Nathan and Mia realize that to win it all, they’ll have to make an unexpected play for love.

The Play by Play series are some of my favorite books. Sports romance is fun, and Jaci Burton writes them so well.

Nathan and Mia felt a little different to me than other stores in the series, and I think it was the idea that time had passed, that a character from one of the earlier books was the father of the hero in this. It was a risk for the author, as aging a character that readers enjoy is definitely going to get strong reactions. But, I liked it. And it worked well.

The sex was hot, the friends to lovers idea was so much fun as you really do believe that they like one another, that they are friends, and that they care about one another.

The book is well written and well paced, with characters you like and some fun recurring characters from earlier in the season. If you haven't read all of the books, it is ok and you will not lose the point of the story, but they were fun additions to the story for those who have read the others.

I enjoyed this title and I recommend it.

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RAW HEAT BY CHERRIE LYNN-REVIEW

The third book in the Larson Brothers series from New York Times bestselling author Cherrie Lynn is the sexiest installment yet!

Youngest Larson brother Damien has the luck of the devil. Fast talking and faster thinking, he owns a successful nightclub in Houston and runs an illegal poker room upstairs. After a troubled childhood, now nothing is out of Damien’s reach—except his accountant, Emma Haskell.

Emma has always been drawn to Damien’s dark intensity and the gleam in his eyes that promises more than she can possibly handle. But when her brother’s gambling threatens to destroy her family, Damien makes her an offer she’d be crazy to accept—but can’t refuse: her brother’s debts will be forgiven, and Emma belongs to him for thirty days.

In Damien’s world, he shows his angelic bookkeeper what it’s like to live with the devil. But Emma brings out a side in Damien he thought didn’t exist. Will the flames of lust scorch them both, or will this beauty tame the beast and give him something to fight for?

Raw Heat scorches with emotional intensity and smoldering passion that will leave readers spellbound!

This book was so interesting and, from the beginning, you are drawn into the romance between Damien and Emma. 

Emma is an employee at Damien's nightclub and, while she finds him attractive (and sees him as the stuff of her fantasies) she has never acted on the attraction, or pursued it.

Damien is also attracted to Emma, and for less noble and more "I don't want to ruin her" motivations, isn't pursuing her.

And then, her brother shows up in the illegal casino upstairs and, to pay off his debt, she agrees to become Damien's for 30 days.

You aren't supposed to like Damian, but you do.  You aren't supposed to find him sexy, or compelling, or find anything about him to like,  But you do, and so does Damien...which becomes a problem.

This is definitely a darker book, but I enjoy those so this one was definitely a hit with me, as the dark in this book felt really forbidden, in a way that the forbidden really works and really feels taboo.  The idea that there is an attraction to the person who bought you, and that this person is appealing on any level is a fascinating story arc to explore and made this book well worth reading.

I recommend this title.

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THE STORY OF US BY TARA SIVEC-REVIEW

From USA Today bestselling author Tara Sivec comes an emotional, breathtakingly romantic new book about the power of first love and the promise of second chances.

How much can a man take before he breaks?

1,843 days. That's how long I survived in that hellhole. They tried to break me, but I resisted. And I owe it all to the memory of warm summer nights, the scent of peaches, and the one woman who loved me more than I ever deserved to be loved. Now, I'll do anything to get back to her.

Only Shelby Eubanks isn't the girl I left behind all those years ago. She's someone else, a stranger. My Shelby-my little green-eyed firecracker-would never give up her dreams, would never disappear into her mother's ambitions. But I won't give up on her. On us. I may be broken, and scarred, and not the man I used to be, but I will do whatever it takes to remind her of the story of us.

 
Eli and Shelby were together in high school and then life, the military, and things beyond their control both separated them and left Shelby thinking that Eli was dead.

Shelby moves on with her life, sort of, and gets quite a shock when it turns out that Eli is not only alive, but coming home after a number of years as a prisoner in a foreign country.

The angst is there, the stress and joy of the first time they see one another, the difficulty of finding common ground after that many years, and the stress of what they have both been through are all handled fairly well and in a way that I thought was realistic.

I liked so much of this book, the pacing was strong, the characters interesting and the writing was wonderful.  Right up until the end.

The last about 15% of the book took it from a strong 4.5 to the 3 that I have given it.  Not for the twist that appears, but for the timing of it.  I was not able to believe that the characters were able to get to their happily ever after in the time that was left for them in the book.

Saying what happens is a huge spoiler.  But I can say that if it had happened earlier, I would have loved it, and I would have been totally able to believe what was happening...but the combination of how much happened before you found out the twist, and there not being enough time for the issue to resolve, meant I was left feeling this book was close, but not quite there.

I do recommend this title, as I did enjoy it overall.

RESTRAINED UNDER HIS DUTY BY STACEY KENNEDY-ARC REVIEW

An uninhibited politician’s daughter falls for her loyal bodyguard behind closed doors in this scandalous novel from the USA Today bestselling author of Bound Beneath His Pain and Tied to His Betrayal.

As the chief of security for a prominent senator, Ryder Blackwood is stunned when an anonymous source sends him a compromising photo of his boss’s twenty-five-year-old daughter getting down and dirty in an underground sex club. If it gets out, the media firestorm could ruin her father. More troubling for Ryder is how arousing he finds the whole situation. He’s known Hadley Winters since she was a kid. And now she’s the woman in all his most private fantasies.

Wild behavior helps Hadley get through those painful, lonely nights, but she’s been waiting a long time for a man like Ryder to protect her from herself. Ryder is raw. He’s real. And he makes her feel safe. Now that they’ve both become pawns in a blackmailer’s dangerous game, there’s more at stake than her father’s political career. As the intimate threats tear apart a tender new love, Hadley is forced to trust Ryder with her life—and her heart.

 I like Stacey Kennedy, and I like this series. I was looking forward to this one...and as a book, it did not disappoint, but as a part of the series, I wanted more of the rest of the men, and more resolution in the situation with the bug in the bar that was revealed in the previous book.  I felt there was a lot of build up on that situation that was not fully developed in this book.

That said, the attraction and the chemistry with Hadley and Ryder was wonderful, it was hot, and it was compelling.  I loved the idea that the stop to them being together was Ryder and that, ironically, her father really had no issue with it (don't worry, happens really early) and you know almost immediately that it is his sense of duty (hence the title) that is causing any issues with them being together.

The writing was strong, as was the pacing around the relationship.  There were parts that I felt were cut out too early, but this was around the bug, and the issues that were brought up in the other books.

For the relationship, the chemistry, and the story of Hadley and Ryder, I totally recommend this book...but if you are looking for a lot of forward momentum in the other story, there is not a lot in this one.  It is not totally ignored, but it feels like a lot less of a focus than it was in the earlier books.

I do recommend this book.

BOSSED BY SLOANE HOWELL-ARC REVIEW

He’s the boss. But she’s ready to take charge.

In this provocative and sexy* office romance, a cheeky new hire tempts a hotshot sports agent to mix business with pleasure.

Jenny: 

Job interviews are a bitch under the best of circumstances, but when your potential boss is the world’s biggest prick, that’s when you should simply walk away. It’s just that I need this job so badly—and I’m mesmerized by Ethan Mason’s piercing gaze. Men like him aren’t supposed to exist in real life. But under the tailored suits and GQ looks, Ethan simmers with barely restrained ambition. And no matter how hard I work to fight the attraction, I’m going to get burned.

Ethan: 

You don’t become a top agent without learning how to close a deal. I always get what—or who—I want, by staying cool and in command. Then Jenny Jackson walks into my office with her lush curves and “screw you” attitude and blows away my intentions of keeping things professional. All I can think about is exploring the perfect body hidden beneath those conservative clothes or shutting her saucy mouth with one hot kiss. Jenny’s worth breaking the rules over—if I can convince her to break the rules for me.


*By sexy, we mean sexy. Like, 18+ sexy.

This is the first book I have read by Sloane Howell, and I enjoyed it.  His writing is strong, the characters and the dialog seem realistic and I was involved with both of them from almost the beginning.  That said, I wasn't sure what I thought of their initial meeting, but once I got farther into the story, it absolutely did work.

Jenny and Ethan were interesting.  I liked their dynamic and I liked the passion that they both had, for one another, for the people in their lives, and for one another...the turn of this from adversaries to a couple was compelling.

The subplot with her father was interesting, and I thought a little heavy for the story as the relationship between Ethan and Jenny maintained a bit of a hard edge.  The 2 stories combined, in my opinion, drew away from the romance of the story.  

I thought the ending was a little odd, as the focus was drawn away from the relationship with Ethan and Jenny.

That said, I liked it overall.  The writing was strong.  I liked the characters and while it did seem a little heavy, the story itself was interesting.  I thought there were small issues with the pacing as mentioned above, but I did enjoy the story overall.

I recommend this book.

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RULE MASTER BY SIENNA SNOW-ARC REVIEW

His rules. Her pleasure. His way.

Italian heiress and international financier Milla Castra knows she can't avoid him forever. Irredeemably hot and controlled Lex Duncan once shared her craving for things deliciously forbidden. He was her lover. Her Master. And the husband she's kept secret from everyone.

But Lex will never relinquish what's his---and Milla is definitely his. And he knows she can't resist the exquisite pleasure that awaits in his arms. When the violence of her past threatens them both, Lex will risk everything to keep Milla safe . . . before she submits to the cruelest master imaginable, Fear.

***




 
Rules of Engagement series

Book 1 - Rule Breaker (Arya and Max)
Book 2 - Rule Master (Milla and Lex)
Book 3 - Rule Changer (Carmen and Thomas)

I enjoyed this book. I like that it started with them as married, and for a while. I think this was probably revealed in the first book, as it seemed to be a badly kept secret, although I was new to their relationship as I did not read the first one.

At times, I think I was missing a little because I picked this one up without reading the beginning of the story...but not enough that I can say it isn't a standalone.

The idea of the reason Milla wants to end her marriage to Lex was interesting. A giant spoiler to get in to here, but interesting. And, understandable, I think, for someone who has been through her experience, and come out on the other side, to question who she is, if she will ever be the same, and to try to come to terms with how she deals with the things that happened.

I loved Lex. He was so compelling, so good at showing up exactly where we needed him to be for Milla and for the story, so good at being exactly what Milla needed, so good with knowing his own limits and what will work for him.

This is my first title by this author, and it is not going to be my last. The pacing was on point, the characters were strong and the dialog was real. The book had it's moments where it was intense and those were handled well.

I recommend this book as a standalone, but do think it would be worth it to read the first one before reading this one. 

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THE BILLIONAIRE BEAST BY JACKIE ASHENDEN-ARC REVIEW

Dark, tortured, and intimidating, these dominant billionaires will steal their innocent heroines' breath away. Overwhelmed by their desire to control their world, they push their heroines to explore their deepest desires. But even the most unworldly of heroines can unlock these billionaires' secrets.

Nero de Santis: Damaged. Bastard. Beast.

Nero hasn’t left his house in ten years—he demands the world come to him, and the world is only too happy to bend to the strong-willed billionaire. Ruthless, cold, and selfish, Nero wants for nothing and takes care of no one but himself. His last handful of assistants have left his house in tears, but the prim redhead applying for the job looks up to the task. Nero has spent his life shut within the walls he built, with no care to have more than a window to the outside world. But the fiery passion he senses beneath his reserved assistant’s exterior makes him want to break down the barriers he lives behind, and unleash the beast within.

Phoebe Taylor: Uptight. Misunderstood. Engaged.

Phoebe needs the obscene amount of money that comes with being Nero’s personal assistant for one thing, and one thing only—to pay for the mounting hospital costs that her fiancee’s two-year coma continues to incur. She’s heard rumors that the de Santis beast is a force that cannot be tamed—but even she isn’t prepared to handle the smoldering intensity simmering beneath his hard shell of feral dominance. Nero is hiding something, something he is fighting with every step he takes. Yet he can’t help but stake his claim on this woman who has shaken up his life, and Phoebe can’t believe this animal of a man is the one person to ever look into her eyes and see her soul. Nero wants to keep her. He wants to devour her. And Phoebe just might let him.

Swerve titles are some of my favorite of all of the erotic books available.  They are fun, they are well written, and most of all they are always really, really hot.

This was no exception.  This is the second in the series, and it is also a fairy tale.  But, an erotic retelling of one (seriously, does it get better than this?).  Add in the Beauty and the Beast, and, well, this is pretty much as good as it gets.

The writing was strong, and Jackie Ashenden is quickly going on the list of one-click authors.  Books like this, and characters like Nero and Phoebe are why.  I just liked both of them, a lot.  He was such a tortured soul, and you wanted things to be better for him.  Because you like him.

I also liked Phoebe.  I thought she was compelling and interesting.  I liked who she was and I liked the way she was written...you relate to her, and you understand where she is coming from.

It's so hard to write reviews without spoilers as I don't want to ruin the fun of the book for anyone else.  But I recommend this title and look forward to the author's next book.

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LOVE TAKER BY ERIN MCCARTHY-ARC REVIEW

The Nashville Nights series is burning up backstage in this sensual friends-to-lovers novel featuring a good-guy cop and a woman who’s been looking for Mr. Right in all the wrong places.

Pretty-boy musicians are a fixture of the Nashville country scene—and Elle Hart, hairdresser to the stars, is beginning to think that they’re all total pricks. Elle’s dating choices have been a disaster, but at least she has Tucker. Though he’s easy on the eyes, no one would ever accuse Jason Michael Tucker of being a pretty boy. The humble and handsome sheriff's deputy from Elle’s hometown has always been there to comfort her—until the evening their friendship unexpectedly leads to the best sex Elle has ever had.

Tucker has been lusting after Elle since they were an item as teens, but he knows that their wild night of passion is a one-time thing. He’s an old friend, nothing more, and they’re too different to become a couple just because they’ve knocked boots. After all, she hates being back in their hometown, and he’s not so fond of the big city. But when Elle comes to Tucker with news that changes everything, he must help her come to grips with her traumatic past—or risk losing her forever.

This was not my favorite of the series, I must admit.

I liked Tucker and Elle, I did. And I believed they were really great friends, and I sort of believed the transition to lovers.

The issue I had with the book is a spoiler, so suffice to say I am not the biggest fan of the friends to lovers trope when they use an outside event to spur the romance. In this case, there was a history, and there was a current friendship...but when I read a romance, I want to believe that there is nothing that would have kept them apart, that they were meant to be. And, in this one, I think I left with the feeling that they would have never happened were it not for that outside event.

This feeling left me struggling with the resolution of the story. And, I think in a lot of ways, it felt like the author did as well, not being totally convinced that the story and the resolution was fully sold.

There was a rather off-putting, at least for me, declaration of love in which they make it clear to the other that they now love one another romantically and not as just friends...and I wanted to scream "show me, not tell me" and I think that sums up how I felt about the book. I was shown the relationship as friends. I was told about the relationship as lovers.

So, for me, I felt that I was left a little lacking in the romance for me to really engage with this book.

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HOLDING ON TIGHTER BY SHAYLA BLACK-REVIEW

Jolie Quinn is a woman in charge. Her no-nonsense attitude has made her a rising star in the fashion world and her brand a household name among the Dallas elite. Nothing will stop her from achieving her goals—not even the gorgeous British security contractor who seems just as interested in seeing her personal assets as he is in protecting her professional ones.

After a tragedy left him broken, Heath Powell made a rule of staying unattached. But Jolie challenges him in a way he can’t ignore, and he isn’t used to backing down from a confrontation—especially when the reward for winning could feel so good. As passion blazes between them, the stubborn, confident beauty arouses more than his desire. She touches his heart.

When a mysterious enemy threatens Jolie and her company, Heath is the only person Jolie can trust to help. But working with him to save her business might put her dangerously at risk of falling in love…

For me, a 5 star read is one you are still thinking about the next day. It's one that you can't put down, or if you do it is only because you have fallen asleep. It's one where you feel you have gotten to know the characters in the book, and have come to care about them.

I want to know what happens after the epilogue for Jolie and Heath. I loved their chemistry and their attraction to one another was amazing. I loved that she went after what she wanted. I also really liked the fact that they were both fairly sure of who they were and what they wanted.

Heath has a one-night-only rule. He doesn't break it. And then he meets Jolie...and he struggles with the rule. And then he breaks it (not really a spoiler as it would be tough for them to develop much of a relationship if he held to the rule)and the internal dialog is great. You get to know him, how he thinks, and what he wants.

I loved that Jolie was not only strong, but was able to recognize when others had her best interest at heart. I appreciated this a lot. Often, strong women are depicted as unable to recognize this and that becomes the issue of the relationship. In this, they each respected the other for who they were...and they loved one another for who they were. I liked this a lot.

And, he is intense. And this is great. This is not my first book by Shayla Black, but I have not read all of the books in this series. That said, you don't need to have read them for you to be able to enjoy this entry into the series.

I recommend this book. Highly.

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JACK OF HEARTS BY SANDRA OWENS- REVIEW

Alex Gentry doesn’t scare easily. Working as an undercover FBI agent in the biker bar he and his brothers co-own, he hangs with deadly criminals in order to gather information. Danger is just part of the family business. But one thing has him terrified: his attraction to Madison Parker.

Madison is the cousin of Ramon Alonzo, son and second in command to a notorious drug lord Alex is trying to bust. Alex has befriended Ramon as part of his cover, and Madison has unknowingly become his informant. Falling for her could risk this case—and both their lives.

All Madison wants is to get her new bookstore business off the ground, and for her creepy cousin Ramon—to whom she’s unfortunately indebted—to leave her alone. If she could only stop fantasizing about his mysterious new friend, Alex…

As the Alonzo cartel investigation heats up, so does their relationship. But will the secrets they’re keeping tear them apart—or get them both killed?

I picked this one up and put it down a couple of times.  And, unfortunately, it just didn;t work for me.

Alex and Madison had chemistry, they had passion, and I liked them as a couple...the issue was I just didn't believe the situations they found themselves in...and I never believed he would sneak into her window on a continual basis, as an example.  I don't want to get into specifics about what didn't work for me, as that will spoil it for others.  But I didn't believe the story which made it tough to invest in it.

This is my first book by the author, and I am interested in reading others, even though this was more of a miss than a hit for me.

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