Category / Contemporary

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Haven by Claire Kent

Format: E-Book
Read with: Kindle Paperwhite
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
POV: First Person, Single
Series: Kindled, #1
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Jackson
Heroine: Faith
Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥
Published On: August 26, 2021
Started On: January 03, 2023
Finished On: January 03, 2023

Maybe Jackson would be different if he were in love. If he were in a relationship. Or if the world outside this room hadn’t fallen into violent chaos, hadn’t become a constant war we have no choice but to fight. Maybe he would take his time. Be softer. Gentler. Maybe he would smile or even laugh. Maybe I would be different too.

Haven by Claire Kent is a book that had me psyched for a very good reason. I had just found out that Ms. Kent previously wrote as Zannie Adams, an author who suddenly disappeared after publication of a handful books of which Complicated ended up being a favorite of mine, which as a result is an author I have been trying to find for the past thirteen years! It has been a long wait to re-discover Ms. Adams writing as Claire Kent, and I was so excited to pick this up and indulge to my heart’s content.

First published in August 2021 and told in the first person from the heroine’s point of view, this is a post apocalyptic romance featuring 25 year old Jackson and 21 year old Faith, both survivors of an event known as the Impact. The Impact is an event which took place five years prior to the story, during which an asteroid hit Europe, wiping out the whole continent, wreaking havoc on the environment, and destroying economies and governments across the globe. It was estimated that more than half of the global population had died off since the Impact and its aftermath which continues five years on.

Faith is the daughter of the couple who set up the New Haven Farm years before the Impact, the place where the story mainly takes place. Her parents, wanting to live off the grid, built a farm with all the necessities required for self-sustenance, the main reason behind the survival of those at the farm when the rest of the world had pretty much collapsed.

Faith has known Jackson since she was twelve years old, Jackson having come to live on the farm as an angry and surly teenager having spent his most formative years in foster care. Even though Faith had more or less being fascinated by Jackson since then, which she never would admit to, neither of them show much inclination of having deeper feelings for each other, that is until you peel back the layers which reveals a whole other story.

As the story delves deeper into the lives of Faith and Jackson, readers get to see what simmers underneath; the red hot attraction between the two that blazes to life, consuming both of them. What starts out as an occasional night during which Faith goes to Jackson and they have the kind of sex that most talk about and few ever actually get to experience in their lifetimes, turns into a craving that just a few nights a month won’t satisfy.

What is most interesting is how Faith’s inner turmoil and restlessness with life becomes key to bridging the gap between the physical and emotional connection between the two. Jackson I would say, was a delight in every sense. Sexy, silent, broody, and the kind of man who takes charge in the bedroom, leaving you breathless and wanting more!

As the story is written solely from Faith’s point of view, the reader must understand Jackson through her eyes, and I would say it was delightful, going on that journey of discovery right alongside with Faith. The true depth of Jackson’s feelings for Faith starts becoming more evident as the story moves towards its climax and I loved Jackson for being the man who gives Faith a safe space to just let go and be vulnerable, which was sexiest aspect of the story if you ask me. There is nothing sexier than a man who knows how to treat his woman right, who knows when to nudge, take charge, and offer the comfort of a warm embrace when in need. Such is Jackson, and I loved him to bits for that very fact. The pace at which Faith and Jackson’s relationship develops and progresses was realistic. And the sex scenes outrightly naughty and smutty in the best way possible!

Recommended for readers who like romances in post-apocalyptic settings, with a commanding hero who makes you swoon just by stepping into the pages.

Final Verdict: Rediscovering Zannie Adams as Claire Kent was definitely the best find in recent times. Loved the adventure, the buildup, hot sex, and tenderer emotions explored in this post apocalyptic romance!

Favorite Quotes

It’s dark in his room. He’s already in bed. A board squeaks on my third step, the same board that always squeaks.
I hear his covers rustle. He’s moving now. He knows I’m here. I set the candle down on the table. When I reach the bed, he grabs for me and pulls me onto the mattress, stretching me out as he rolls on top of me.
Without a word, he kisses me, deep and hard and hungry.

His eyes crawl up and down my body. From my face to the place his cock moves in and out of me. My eyes have adjusted more so I can see more details. His messy hair keeps falling into his eyes, and he’ll give his head a quick jerk occasionally to move it out of the way. His bare chest has a scattering of dark, coarse hair, and the impressive definition of his arms—the strong, corded muscles there—flex and tense.
I have a brief impulse to stroke them. Feel the shape of them. To trace his familiar features with my fingertips. To push his thick waves back from his forehead.
I don’t do any of that.

Then he rasps out one word. “Kitten.” Right before he pushes me up against the wall and kisses me hard.
I should be annoyed by the mocking nickname, but I’m not. Irrationally, it gets me really hot. I grab for his neck and open to the kiss, and before I know it, I’m wrapping one leg high around his thighs and grinding my aching pussy against his leg.

He makes a guttural sound and jerks his head slightly, his nostrils flaring. “Tell me you want me.”
I make a sobbing sound as the words trigger something deep. I scratch lines into the skin of his arms. “I want you.”
He speeds up, pounding into me so hard the bed bangs loudly against the wall. “Tell me who you want.”
“You. Jackson. I want you. Jackson. You. Only you!” The last words come out as a hoarse cry because I come hard on the heels of them.

Purchase Links: Amazon

by mvbookreviewer

Review: The Italian’s Wife by Lynne Graham

Format: E-Book
Read with: Kindle Paperwhite
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
POV: Third Person, Dual
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Saverio Lombardi
Heroine: Holly Sansom
Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥
Published On: November 01, 2001
Started On: December 11, 2022
Finished On: December 12, 2022

Rio was pacing the waiting area, talking in staccato Italian on his cell phone, the cynosure of interest for every female in the vicinity. He lowered his phone, tawny eyes welding to her with gleaming intensity, a faint and wicked smile curling at the corners of his beautiful mouth. ‘Bella, Fiammetta…’ he drawled with lazy amusement.
And in that same moment, Holly knew beyond all doubt that she had fallen passionately in love.

The Italian’s Wife by Lynne Graham is another one of her stellar reads, published in 2001. The story begins when 29 year old Saverio Lombardi (Rio), billionaire head of Lombardi Industries, one of the biggest, most successful companies in the world, walks in on his fiancée of almost two years cheating on him, most shockingly with another woman. Reeling from the rude awakening, it is as Rio is on his way home that fate puts 20 year old single mother Holly Sansom on his path, forever changing the trajectory of his life once and for all.

Holly, with her eight month old son in tow is at her wits end when Rio “rescues” her and places her at his home. Holly has had nothing but bad luck ever since she had come to London, in all her naivety hoping that the father of her son was waiting for her as eagerly as she was to be reunited with him. Holly had been an impressionable eighteen year old, an only child who had been taken in and dazzled by the seemingly charming man who had swept her off her feet.

The same man who had been livid that Holly had chosen to have the baby and tossed her out, leaving Holly to fend for herself in a city where only the rich and affluent survive. Holly takes the lifeline that Rio throws her, because she has hit rock bottom and there is nowhere else for her to go.

Four weeks into the move, Rio finds himself faced with the unexpected; an attack of such powerful lust towards the woman who lives in his home which really shakes him up. Rio is still seething on the inside from the humiliation of calling off the huge wedding that was to take place while keeping the truth a secret, which takes its toll on him and before long, recognizing the answering need in Holly’s untutored eyes, there is no holding back on what happens next.

As circumstances would have it, Rio proposes marriage to Holly to save her from losing her son, or so he tells himself. All the while, Rio keeps the truth of his disastrous relationship with his ex-fiance to himself, which gives the story the angst factor that I always revel in when it comes to Ms. Graham’s stories, and I certainly was not disappointed.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Italian’s Wife for many reasons. I loved Rio – he was more sensitive than Ms. Graham’s heroes in her older titles, but at the same time, retained just enough of the elements that makes readers like myself salivate over her heroes. Walking in on his cheating fiancée leaves his confidence shaken, making him question every single aspect of the relationship he had with her. It is for this reason that Rio remains tight-lipped about what took place, not wanting to come off as anything but a sexy and capable man who can keep his woman satisfied in bed and out of it.

Holly’s character was just as wonderful. Having grown up in a small town, Holly is not equipped with the sort of sophistication that is second nature to a person like Rio. Holly’s lack of trust in men was understandable given how she suffered at the hands of the only man she had let into her life, the way he had taken the easy way out and left her in the lurch. The guilt of having disappointed her parents also makes her stubborn enough to weather the worst until Rio comes into her life, giving her everything that she never ever hoped to find.

I especially loved the ending, where Rio goes in pursuit of the woman he loves beyond anything else in the world, finally able to win her over with nothing but the truth. The epilogue was a lovely touch, which I always appreciate when we get a sneak into the lives of characters that we suffered and loved through to the end. And guess where Rio takes his wife on honeymoon? Yep, Maldives!

Recommend this to fans of Harlequin romances, fans of Lynne Graham, and those who love a hero who can sweep you off your feet!

Final Verdict: Rio does not know what hits him when Holly stumbles into his life. Their thorny journey towards a happily ever after was nothing short of riveting and I enjoyed every second of it!

Favorite Quotes

Her drowning blue eyes gazed up into glittering gold and Jeff went out of her mind so fast he might never have existed. She tried and failed to swallow. Rio was so close that breathing was no longer an option. Lashes lowered, she focused on that wide, sensual mouth of his and the tip of her tongue snaked out to moisten her dry lower lip. Never in all her life had she been so desperate, so shamelessly eager to feel a man’s mouth on hers. The craving was almost unbearably strong.

As she parted her lips to snatch in much needed oxygen to sustain her, Rio bent his head lower and let his tongue delve in a subtle flicker into the moist interior of her mouth. It lasted only a second, but in that second she was electrified by the instantaneous, stormy response of her own body, the surge of enervating heat that inflamed her every sense. Indeed, so great was the erotic hit of that sudden sexual foray she jerked, and if he hadn’t shot a steadying arm round her she would have fallen off the stool.

Rio made a husky sound low and deep in his throat. He just reached for her, hauling her up to him, his lean hands curving round her hips to crush her feminine mound into connection with the full, hard force of his arousal as he lifted her up against him.
‘I hope you’re in the mood to satisfy one very hungry guy, bella mia,’ Rio growled before he brought his mouth crashing down on hers with devouring heat.
It was their first true kiss and it blew Holly away. Crushed to the hard male strength of his big, powerful physique, she was conscious of his virility with every fibre of her being.

Never had she ever imagined that level of sensation, so it was like one glorious shock piled onto another, so that she lurched mindless and wordless from one splintering wave of excitement into the next, and all the time the tormenting hunger was notching up higher inside her. She moaned, she sobbed and she jerked in a wild response beyond any denial, and when she was within what felt like touching distance of the satisfaction she craved with every sense he settled himself between her thighs and surged into her with measured force and cool.
And suddenly she was snatched up into the eye of the storm. The feel of his hot, hard fullness stretching the slick, wet centre of her inner heat just exploded through her in a cascade of multicoloured, blinding sensation and she hit a peak of ecstasy that burned through her in an explosive flood of pleasure.

‘You’re so incredibly sensual…’ Rio breathed in a roughened growl of male satisfaction. ‘I’ll have to drag myself away from you tomorrow. You’re turning me into a sex addict, cara.’
Certainly it wasn’t very long before he tumbled her back on the bed with a groan of raw impatience and sank into her hard and fast and without ceremony, sending her excitement racing to such a peak that a strangled cry of joy was wrenched from her. And then there was nothing for her but the relentless rhythm of his lean, hard body over and inside hers and the intense pleasure that sent her rocketing to an ecstatic height with his name on her lips.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Kobo | HQ | Apple

by mvbookreviewer

Review: For Finlay by J. Nathan

Format: E-Book
Read with: iBooks for iPhone
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
POV: First Person, Dual
Series: For You, #1
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Caden Brooks
Heroine: Finlay Grace Thatcher
Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥
Published On: January 30, 2017
Started On: December 09, 2022
Finished On: December 11, 2022

For Finlay by J. Nathan is the first book in the For You series. A new-to-me author once again, Ms. Nathan takes readers through the story of Alabama’s star quarterback, 21 year old Caden Brooks as the hero and 20 year old Finlay Grace Thatcher who enrolls in the same college and takes up the opportunity to work for Alabama’s football coach in order to live the dream of her deceased twin.

Finlay is a guilt-ridden soul, with her brother Cole having died of an undiagnosed heart condition. Their relationship had been fractious at best, the major reason behind her self-condemnation and the penance she tries to pay. Caden is her number one enemy from the start, the memory of Caden at Cole’s funeral having lit the flame of “hatred” towards him. It also does not help that Caden seems to have it all; looks, fame, and all the women he could possibly ever want.

Finlay had always walked in the shadow of her overly famous twin brother, which she had resented. Life had been difficult for her because of the fact, with people trying to get close to her or being nice to her just to get to her brother. Starting fresh, away from her small town, where no one really knows her is supposed to be her fresh start. However, with Caden everywhere she turns, it becomes harder to hate and easier to give in to the intrigue that he rouses.

For Caden, his life is all about football. He does not understand why Finlay is so cold towards him at first, going so far as to ignore his very existence, when Caden finds it hard to reciprocate the attitude towards Finlay.

When these two finally end up together, it seems like a natural progression of their relationship, from being enemies, at least from Finlay’s perspective, to being two people who cannot get enough of each other. Trust is the hardest commodity to come by, especially for Caden who is marked by the scars from his childhood, and that proves to be the test that Caden and Finlay needs to pass in order to truly embrace a future together.

I would not say that I loved this story, but rather liked it for the most part, the bits and pieces that kept it going. I did understand Finlay’s perspective of things, especially when viewed through the lens of self-recrimination that is part and parcel of who she is since the death of her twin. Sometimes there is no logic nor rhyme to how we feel about a person, and I guess that was true to some point when it came to Finlay’s reaction towards Caden.

I guess the reason I did not end up falling in love with the characters nor the story as it developed was that there was some crucial element that was missing, which I cannot really put my finger on. Perhaps somewhere down the line, I will pick up another story from the author to give it a go.

Recommended for fans of new adult contemporary romances that are sports themed.

Final Verdict: For Finlay by J. Nathan is the story of Finlay’s survivor’s guilt preventing her from embracing and living her life to the fullest and how her arch-nemesis changes all of that.

Favorite Quotes

“I don’t know what the hell I’m doing, Finlay. I just know I broke up with Leslie because I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”
Finlay shuddered as my thumb traced her jaw.
“I have no idea how I didn’t kiss you in the pool when I wanted to. So. Damn. Bad.” I rolled her onto her back, pinning her body to the bed beneath mine.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo

by mvbookreviewer

Review: The Wrong Bride by Catharina Maura

Format: E-Book
Read with: Kindle Paperwhite
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
POV: First Person, Dual
Series: The Windsors, #1
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Ares Windsor
Heroine: Raven Du Pont
Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥
Published On: October 15, 2022
Started On: November 25, 2022
Finished On: November 26, 2022

“Does no part of you want me even a little?” Her voice is soft, pleading, and her eyes are filled with an emotion I can’t quite describe.
“No,” I lie to her. “The friction from you moving on top of me made me hard, yeah, but I don’t want you, Raven. I’ll never want you. I’m not sure what you’re thinking, but you need to stop. Do you know how much your actions tonight would hurt your sister? Fuck, it’s hurting me, Rave.”

The Wrong Bride by Catharina Maura is the debut book in The Windsors series, first published in October of last year. Catharina Maura is a new-to-me author, having come across some of her books on Amazon from time to time. The Wrong Bride’s blurb promised the kind of story that I always hanker for, a marriage of convenience between the main protagonists of whom the heroine has been in love with the hero since forever.

Told in the first person from both the hero and heroine’s point of view, The Wrong Bride tells the story of 31 year old Ares Windsor as the hero and 21 year old Raven Du Pont as the heroine. When the story begins, Ares is engaged to be married to Raven’s older sister Hannah who is an actress in whose shadow Raven has always remained. Raven is a model herself, working hard to establish her own business. Raven is the neglected child in the Du Pont family, the one who always has to give in to Hannah’s needs and wants that takes precedence in the lives of her parents. Raven is more than willing to watch her sister get married to the man that she loves beyond anything else in this world, as Ares who considers her as a valuable friend and nothing more.

Ares is one of the six siblings of the Windsor family ruled by the matriarch that is their grandmother. The merger between the Du Pont and Windsor’s family sealed the deal when it comes to the arranged marriage between Hannah and Ares, with the wedding having been postponed multiple times because of Hannah’s busy filming schedule.

However, when Hannah calls off the wedding for the last time, citing her career to be more important to give into the demands of the terms of the arranged marriage, circumstances dictate that Raven take her place instead, something Raven fights till the last minute. While Raven makes it clear that she wants a real marriage and not half-hearted attempts at one, Ares proposes a marriage of convenience for the sake of fooling his grandmother, and promises Hannah that he would wait for her during a moment of weakness that overtakes his faculties.

Thus begins the rocky journey on which Ares and Raven embark upon as husband and wife. Hannah of course, makes things complicated by accusing Raven of trying to take her place, of trying to steal the man who rightfully belongs to her. For the marriage to be given a real chance, Ares would have to fight not only the demons that hound him but also that of Raven’s and convince her once and for all that for Ares, there is no one like Raven and there never would be.

As mentioned earlier, The Wrong Bride is a story that had a lot going for it, elements that would make it a stellar read. I found myself agonized on behalf of Raven for all the heartache and pain that she goes through, which is all well worth it in the end. There were points when the constant advance and retreat on the part of Ares and Raven gave me a whiplash and then there were those moments that I reveled in because Ares was adorable in his absolute cluelessness when it came to his possessiveness and jealousy regarding his wife.

I abhorred Hannah for the despicable way in which she treats both Raven and Ares, but in a way I understood that her sense of entitlement stemmed from parents who had danced to every single one of her tunes and never really fulfilled their responsibility of instilling values and discipline in Hannah. Raven in the shadow of Hannah, grew up to be the graceful one, the one with a backbone of steel and ambitions that made her choose a path that diverged from her family’s and gave her much needed independence.

There were moments that I felt truly frustrated with Raven for how she believes whatever that Hannah tell her to destroy the fragility of what was developing between Raven and Ares, but at the same time I understood that the emotional scars from such sheer neglect that had made Raven believe that she was never going to be good enough played a critical role in the way she reacts every single time.

Ares I believe, is the character that changes all of that, even when I wanted to slap him silly when his actions hurt Raven in a way that was unbearable. But then again, I recognized where Ares was coming from as well, having believed himself to be in love with Hannah for so long, never acknowledging his true feelings for Raven because he never let his heart move in that direction.

Ares is a man of honor in every sense, staying true to the course even when he could have taken undue advantage of the situations that arose at times. He would also have been well justified to do so, given the revelations towards the latter half of the novel. I loved Ares for his patience in dealing with Raven, in understanding the depth of her insecurities and working to make her understand and believe in him and their love. He deserves a medal for his forbearance even when it came to dealing with Hannah, the least deserving of such consideration in my opinion.

The coup de grace of the story was when Raven finally stood up for herself and cut off ties with the toxicity that was her family. I rooted for her big time and brought out the pom-poms at that point! The spice and heat between Raven and Ares was icing on the cake in the tale as it unfolded, and went a long way towards bridging the emotional gap between the two and giving Raven the needed confidence boost to believe in their love. The only thing I could have asked for was more angst – which I believe required Ares to be a bit colder than he actually was. Alas, one cannot have everything I suppose!

Recommended for the true romantics who love a good marriage of convenience story. This one is for you!

Final Verdict: The Wrong Bride by Catharina Maura is a truly remarkable tale that delivers the perfect balance of spice and romance with just the right touch of heartache to make it memorable!

Favorite Quotes

I pull her against me and thread one hand in her hair before tipping her head back to expose her neck. She gasps when I lower my lips to her ear, my teeth grazing over her earlobe. “This is how you posed with Tom Foster, wasn’t it? Tell me, my love, was he as hard as I am when he held you like this?”
I kiss her neck, my teeth grazing over her skin for a moment before I suck down, leaving a small mark. Raven’s breath hitches, and the way she pushes her chest against mine makes me fucking feral. Her hands thread through my hair, her grip tight.

“Do you truly want me? If we weren’t married, would you want me?”
He smiles and walks toward me, his stride confident and impatient. His arm wraps around my waist, and he pulls me into him, his lips finding mine with the same urgency he portrayed earlier. Ares groans as he kisses me, his hands moving over my body impatiently. I’m pushed against the wall, and his hand curls around my thigh as he hooks it around his hip.
I’m panting as he pulls his lips off mine to kiss my jaw, before placing them just below my ear, pressing a soft kiss to my neck that makes me shiver. “Is that enough of an answer, Raven? I want you so fucking badly that it hurts.”

I lower my lips to her neck, my teeth grazing over her skin before I suck down on it, marking her as mine. “I’m fucking obsessed with you,” I admit. “Every little thing you do, every smile, every sigh that leaves your lips. All of it.”
My hand delves underneath her dress, and I smirk when I realize she isn’t wearing underwear. “This,” I groan against her lips. “I love this about you. You always want me just as badly as I want you.”

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Morgan’s Hunter by Cate Beauman

Format: E-Book
Read with: Kindle Paperwhite
Length: Novel
Genre: Romantic Suspense
POV: Third Person, Dual
Series: The Bodyguards of L.A. County, #1
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Hunter Phillips
Heroine: Morgan Elizabeth Taylor
Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥
Published On: October 09, 2012
Started On: November 19, 2022
Finished On: November 21, 2022

“Let go of me,” she said weakly as her heart pounded—but it wasn’t fear that made it race.
“Not yet,” he murmured, pulling her bottom lip between his teeth, nibbling gently, his gaze burning into hers. “I’m the only person around here who’ll be taking a bite out of you, Morgan. You remember that.”

I don’t quite recall how I came across Morgan’s Hunter by Cate Beauman, a new-to-me author that I wanted to try out. The first book in The Bodyguards of L.A. County, which has about eleven books published to-date, this is the story of 28 year old Hunter Phillips who becomes bodyguard to 26 year old Morgan Elizabeth Taylor, a story of opposites attract with a reluctant hero to boot!

Morgan is a wildlife biologist and socialite, whose idyllic existence is shattered when she receives a phone call that changes her life forever; that her research team had been found slaughtered. With no clues coming forth and the case growing colder by the day, Morgan is determined that she would get to the bottom of it, even if she has to go down to the location herself and find out what happened.

Knowing that Morgan is resolute about going, she is assigned a bodyguard from one of the best security firms in the country. Morgan gives in, more so to appease her father than anyone else, and finds herself saddled with a man who takes her breathe away and at the same time makes her grit her teeth from the need to say something that would bring him down a peg or two.

Hunter has no qualms about labeling Morgan as he sees her (through his prejudiced eyes), the altogether too beautiful but spoiled bitch (his words, not mine), whom he judges at first sight to his own detriment. Hunter has scars that has never truly healed from losing his best friend in Afghanistan, and he is dead set on remaining emotionally impervious to everyone he comes across, lest he has to put himself in a position of vulnerability all over again.

As a result, Hunter bristles at the sexual heat that ignites between him and Morgan from the start, an attraction that is so fierce that neither he nor Morgan is able to deny the strength of it which draws them together. Even as Hunter pulls back just as much as the orbit around Morgan reels him in, the more time he is forced to spend with Morgan, the more he realizes that in Morgan lies a woman of strength, beauty, brains, and the right touch of emotional vulnerability that he could definitely get on board with.

As the danger closes in on them and the story reaches its ultimate climax, revealing the villain to be someone too close to home for comfort, it is up to Hunter to decide whether he wants to fight to keep Morgan by his side as much as he fights to keep both of them alive during the mission, or walk away from the best thing that has ever happened to him in his lifetime.

I liked this story mostly because Hunter did not turn into an overly needy, clingy, and endearment pushing hero overnight. I so dislike romances where the hero is sold as someone who has emotional baggage, a reluctant hero, and resists getting close to anyone, and voila, by chapter two, he is totally into the heroine and calling her everything beautiful under the sun!

Hunter is a different breed, and he stays true to his convictions at the beginning, which begins to erode away bit by bit as he gets to know Morgan better, which is more realistic in my opinion. I liked Morgan too; she was feisty in a way that did not break the story but rather complemented what was unfolding and was exactly what Hunter needed. She knows when to push, when to give in, and when to walk away from something that is detrimental for her own good.

I must admit that some of the writing did feel a bit choppy and I did not appreciate the repetitive style by which it was reiterated over and over how sexy Morgan was, which I believe the readers got the memo of after the first two chapters. However, I am willing to overlook those bits because the story that unfolded was great in every other aspect. Just wish that the epilogue (which is published separately) was part of the book, which would have amped up the enjoyment factor that much more.

Recommend this for those who love romantic suspense novels set in the wilderness, with forced proximity playing its critical role in bringing two opposites together!

Final Verdict: The debut book in The Bodyguards of L.A. County starts out with a bang, bringing to readers two characters who seal the deal with the sizzle between them that scorches the pages through!

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Apple

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Secret Obsession by Charlotte Lamb

Format: E-Book
Read with: Kindle Paperwhite
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
POV: Third Person, Single
Series: Sins, #1
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Ben Havelock
Heroine: Nerissa Havelock
Sensuality: 🔥🔥
Published On: January 01, 1995
Started On: September 07, 2022
Finished On: September 08, 2022

His face was taut, his eyes hard.
‘Do I have to remind you that it was me you married, not him?’
‘I want a divorce, Ben!’ Nerissa broke out in a voice that shook, and the room filled with an intolerable tension.
‘I’ll fight it,’ he said curtly. ‘I’ll use any weapon I have to -even if it means bringing him into it. What do you think that will do to your family pride?’

Secret Obsession by Charlotte Lamb, first published in January of 1995, is an unusual story at best, the reason why I picked this up to read in the first place. Told in the third person from the heroine’s perspective, Ms. Lamb brings to readers the story of Ben Havelock and his wife Nerissa who have been married for just three months when the story begins.

Ben and Nerissa’s had been a whirlwind romance, where Ben had pursued her in earnest since meeting her a year earlier at a party given by one of his clients, who happened to work with her. Ben being a very successful and wealthy barrister and a divorcee at that, had convinced Nerissa that they would work after managing to draw out all truths about about Nerissa and leaving her pretty much in the dark when it comes to understanding who Ben is inside out during their courtship.

Things come to a head when Nerissa receives the news that her adored cousin Philip is in a coma, Philip whom Bend would never agree to let her go to be by his side. For Ben knows the truth of Nerissa’s feelings for Philip and the reality behind the family unit within which Nerissa had grown up which makes for interesting reading.

Nerissa flies the coop (of course), to be with the man who had been the most important person in the world to her up till the point where the truth had been forced out leaving both of them devastated in the process. Nerissa is a woman torn about how she feels about her husband Ben; she wants him, thinks about him when he is not around, he is necessary for her, but she does not know him as she does Philip, and therein lies the problem.

When Ben comes in hot pursuit of her and forces her to face the ugly truths about her past (which is also very much present) which she has been playing ostrich about, it is up to Nerissa to decide whether she wants to fight for her marriage and the man who has become the most important person in her life unbeknownst to her, the man that she had actually fallen for without realizing the hows and whys.

As mentioned earlier in the review, Secret Obsession is not your usual run of the mill variety of story, the most shocking revelations being about Nerissa’s past and how that had shaped her up as the person she is at present. Nerissa meets Ben at a turning point in her life, when she had been desolate about the futility of the future she had envisaged of a love that was impossible.

For Ben, trust is a hard commodity to find, having held up the short end of the stick in his previous marriage. Some would say that Ben is a glutton for punishment given how he who swore off marriage altogether, and then goes onto tie the knot with Nerissa, a woman who was definitely going to cause him a lot of heartache and pain along the way.

I loved how Ben forces Nerissa into examining the depth of her own feelings when it comes to a whole host of issues that are revealed along the way and his patience with her. Most men would not have found it possible to be that patient, knowing that your wife’s heart belonged to someone else, the wife that you fell for a long way back.

While the story had a lot going for it, I found the execution of some of the aspects to be a bit problematic. There were elements of the story that definitely held my attention, like how obsessed Ben actually is about his wife, even when he had sworn off of marriage altogether when his first marriage failed so spectacularly.

I was also intrigued by Nerissa’s feelings – seldom do novels explore the nuances of the female emotions as it does Nerissa’s in this story. The raw emotions and the psychology explored in the story was riveting but the continued rehashing of how wounded Ben’s pride was and how his ex-wife had done a number on him made the story a tad tiresome. Skipping chunks on inner monologues in the story made it all worthwhile!

Recommended for fans of Charlotte Lamb and her unusual stories. I am guessing, given the ratings for most of her books, she is either a hit or miss for readers!

Final Verdict: Secret Obsession is a fitting title for a story that explores a husband’s hidden infatuation with his wife, whom he pursues and wins over through the biggest gamble of his life!

Favorite Quotes

When she heard him come downstairs again she went out into the hall in a hurry. He was carrying his suitcase and she felt a pang of dismay as she realised he had meant it; he was really going.
‘Ben, listen… I can’t come now. How can I when they need me? But…’ she began, and he turned a grim face to her.
‘No buts, Nerissa. I meant what I said. I’m sick of this charade of a marriage. I can’t live with it any more.’
He was gone a moment later, the front door slamming behind him, and she stood rooted to the spot, white-faced and stunned. She heard the car start, the engine roar as he put his foot down on the accelerator, the sound of the wheels churning gravel as he set off along the drive.
Ben had left her.

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Unexpected Pleasures by Penny Jordan

Format: E-Book
Read with: Kindle Paperwhite
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
POV: Third Person, Dual
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Gabriel Calbrini
Heroine: Sasha
Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥
Published On: January 01, 2012
Started On: September 03, 2022
Finished On: September 06, 2022

Suddenly Sasha turned her head and saw him. For a second she simply stared at him, and then abruptly she turned on her heel and started to run.
Gabriel’s reaction was instinctive and immediate. Sasha could hear the fierce pounding of his feet on the sand above the shocked thud of her own heartbeat. He was closing the distance between them but she still ran on, driven by the instinct of the prey to escape from the hunter.

Unexpected Pleasures by Penny Jordan, first published in January of 2012 is a novel that delves deep into the psych of two characters who have had rotten childhoods and carried the trauma with them for the better half of their lives. It is striking how at times category romances such as this number published under Harlequin, romance novels that people usually pick up for a light read or label as fluff, can end up being stories that pack a significant punch way above what anyone expects of them.

Such is the story of Gabriel Calbrini and Sasha, whose pasts are entwined in a way that makes a clean break from each other impossible. When the story begins, Sasha is mother to nine year old twins and newly widowed, facing the prospect that with her husband’s death she had gone overnight from being the pampered wife of a rich man to a virtually destitute widow.

Sasha had been an impressionable, emotionally vulnerable, and needy seventeen years old when she had met Gabrielle in whose arms she had known true sexual awakening and desire. Her mother having died during childbirth, Sasha had grown up in an environment that had been insufficient to address her great need for love and emotional security.

A year later, Sasha had married the much older Carlo, pregnant and unable to reconcile or accept the depth of devastation that Gabriel had wreaked on her heart when he had so callously turned away from the love that she had to give. In hindsight, ten years on, Sasha is able to understand that it was with Carlo that she had managed to make peace with her past, and had flourished in the safe environment that her husband had provided for her.

Sasha’s past comes calling when Carlo leaves guardianship of the twins to his second cousin, none other than the father of the twins, Gabriel. He has never forgiven Sasha for the way she had left his pride in tatters, and Gabriel has always refused to examine his battered emotions too closely lest he find something he did not want to face particularly.

Gabriel has so much baggage from his childhood, being an unwanted child discarded by his maternal relatives who had been richer than sin, abandoned by his father once he found someone to replace Gabriel’s mother, and a mother who had never looked back once she walked out on him and her father. Foster homes had been it for him until circumstances had forced Gabriel back into the circle of his maternal grandfather, where he had led a loveless existence which had solidified his resolve as a man.

Gabriel is a man in whose heart lies a wealth of bitterness, judging every woman by his own mother’s standards, which makes him the worst sort of cynic. In Gabriel’s opinion, Sasha had proven her worth when she had walked out on him and sold herself to the highest bidder. As Gabriel makes a comeback into Sasha’s life and things start to add up, it is he that must reconcile with the past and examine his own actions which had destroyed what was between Sasha and him at the very beginning. Perhaps they both needed the time apart to really be together, one could argue, and I would be one of them if you ask me.

I had a hard time rating this book, not because this did not deliver a riveting read. I had some issues with how the story handled Gabriel’s issues for the most part. It was evident that Sasha had dealt with her scars from childhood in a healthier manner, her years with her older husband having given her the comfort, luxury, and time to pace herself through the recovery and reconciliation process.

Gabriel however, is a tougher nut to crack, with his childhood having hardened him to a point where he has a tough time separating his mother’s cruelty from every single overture made to him by any woman attempting to establish emotional ties with him. The protective shield around Gabriel’s heart seems almost impenetrable, that is until the truth about Sasha and their past slaps some sense into him. My issue lies with how such a character seemingly healed overnight and changed into a loving man, even though it is evident that Gabriel loved Sasha even before, though he never acknowledged the fact.

That brings me to the other issue I had with the story. While I understood the need for flashbacks, I also felt as if a major portion of the story was told through memories of the past than incidents in the present, which perhaps would perhaps have made more sense in the long run.

Recommended for those who love a good second-chance romance and fans of Penny Jordan. Ms. Jordan is a definite favorite when it comes to category romances.

Final Verdict: With flashbacks into the entwined pasts of the main protagonists, Unexpected Pleasures delivers the ultimate second chance romance with interwoven threads of sensuality in the mix!

Favorite Quotes

As a lover he had opened her eyes to a whole new world of pleasure, and he had imprinted that pleasure on her body in such a way that she knew she would never be able to forget it. There had been long hours when he had held her on their bed and caressed and kissed his way over every inch of her—the curve of her throat, the tender flesh inside her arm, her fingers. If she closed her eyes she knew she would almost be able to feel the slow wet curl of his tongue as he drew slow patterns of almost unendurable erotic stimulation along the whole length of her.

Gabriel leaned down and lifted her bodily against himself. As she wrapped her legs around him he could feel the sharp grittiness of the sand from her feet rubbing abrasively against his skin, a reminder that intense pleasure needed to be edged with the sting of pain.
Maybe that was why he felt this overpowering need for her now. Because without her his life had been bland and dull. Maybe he needed the pain to really feel.

She closed her eyes and ran her hands feverishly over Gabriel’s torso, avidly relearning its shape, tugging buttons free of buttonholes as he kissed her, plunging her straight down into the depths of her own desire to that place where there was no reason, only the voices of her senses, whispering to her to hurry, to take what she could while she could, while there was still time.

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: The Cozakis Bride by Lynne Graham

Format: E-Book
Read with: Kindle Paperwhite
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
POV: Third Person, Single
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Nikos Cozakis
Heroine: Olympia Manoulis
Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥
Published On: January 01, 2000
Started On: September 02, 2022
Finished On: September 03, 2022

‘Are you insane?’ he questioned rawly. ‘You must be out of your mind to come to me like this! How could you think for one moment that I would marry an avaricious, brazen little tramp like you?’

The Cozakis Bride by Lynne Graham is one of those novels that swept me off my feet on a journey of angst, heat, and love of the kind that reaffirms my faith in my commitment to remain a romance reader for life. First published in 2000, Ms. Graham brings to readers the story of 29 year old Nikos Cozakis (Nik) and 27 year old Olympia Manoulis, whose entwined past ten years ago makes them the bitterest enemies.

If anyone had asked Olympia just an year ago if she would ever consider going back to Nik, the man who had left her heart and pride in tatters when she was just seventeen years old, quite naive and wholeheartedly in love with her fiance Nik, she would have probably told them to shoot themselves in the head. But circumstances force Olympia to do just that, where she is forced to “barter” herself in marriage in exchange for much needed medical treatment and security for her mother.

If Olympia resents Nik for what had happened a decade ago, Nik himself loathes the very existence of the woman who made a fool of himself and his family’s unsoiled reputation. The way Nik sees things, Olympia, his doe-eyed supposedly virginal bride-to-be had betrayed him in the worst way possible, and there is no way he was going to forgive or forget what happened, no matter how much he may lust after the woman he is going to be legally bound to as a husband.

Thus begins the battle of wills between Nik and Olympia being tied together in holy matrimony, each unwilling to look beyond the wounds that had scabbed over and never truly healed from that fateful night when everything had gone so horribly wrong. For Olympia, she had been judged and found guilty of a sin she had not committed, and for Nik it had been all too easy to believe what he was led to through machinations of those who had their own agenda.

What neither can deny is the flame that sizzles, burns, and roars to life whenever they are together, something that they are both helpless to turn away from. Nik may pretend that for him it is about getting what he wants out of Olympia, both in the short and long term. Olympia may likewise act as if the passion between them is inconsequential at best, but the truth is far from it.

I loved how The Cozakis Bride commandeered all my senses and did not let up from the minute I plunged into this heady tale. I adored the story for how it was chock-full of excitement from the get go, even when you are hyperventilating through scenes and wanting to slap some sense into Nik, and being gleeful about how all the feels knotted up my insides. There is nothing better that a romance reader can ask for than to be emotionally invested in a story, to feel as if you are going through train wreck, and yet still root for the main protagonists and their happily ever after.

There were times when Nik was unbelievably cruel in the story, times when I thought, boy, I hope this man has to grovel a lot to get the girl in the end. I must confess that I actually loved how cruel that Nik was at times because it showed the depth of his unresolved feelings towards the heroine. If Nik had not cared as much and if it was just his ego that had been bruised back then, the reactions from him would have been altogether very different. Nik made me fall in love with all that he is; from the sex-in-a-suit male specimen personified he is, to the ruthless side of him, and to the very vulnerable man that lies underneath all of that.

I loved Olympia for being feisty where needed, for being able to see how her naivety all those years back had played its role when those she had trusted had taken advantage of her, and for being self-aware and honest enough to face the ultimate truth when it came calling; that she loved Nik with everything she was and if she wanted a future that was worth living, it would have to be with Nik, and that fight she would for his love.

The fact that the story was told purely from the heroine’s perspective made it all that much better in my opinion. While Nik was quite the forceful character, seeing the shades of vulnerability on his part towards the end was enlightening and went a long way towards making this a well rounded romance.

Definitely recommend this gem to fans of Ms. Graham and fans of ruthless heroes with that core of vulnerability that we all love!

Final Verdict: The Queen of Harlequin romance seldom disappoints. Being older and better able to understand the complexities & nuances of human emotions makes this read all that more wonderful to the senses in every way that matters.

Favorite Quotes

‘You owe debts, and through me you will settle those debts.’
‘What are you t-talking about?’
‘What you did ten years ago cost your poor mother any hope of reconciliation with her father. What you did ten years ago savaged your grandfather. And what you did to me, you can find out the hard way,’ Nik concluded darkly.
Stabbed to the heart by that reminder about her mother, Olympia dropped her head, tears springing to her eyes. ‘It wasn’t my fault…what happened…I was set up—’
‘You’re embarrassing me,’ Nik slotted in with contempt. ‘Lies and fake shame are not going to protect you.’
‘You’re scaring me…’ Olympia condemned tearfully. ‘You are really scaring me!’

‘Let the light of reality in here. Ten years back, while you played Miss Prim and Proper Prude and brandished your innocence at every opportunity, I was in absolute agony…in the grip of overpowering lust and unable to do anything about it!’ Nik’s lean, powerful face hardened. ‘Did that give you a kick, Olympia?’
‘A…a kick?’ Eyes huge pools of enquiry, she stared back at him, struggling to absorb his assurance that he had found her sexually attractive in those days. That claim ran against everything she had ever believed, and she was paralysed by a sense of sheer disbelief.
‘You kept me in a constant state of arousal. I never slept after I was with you. My fantasies about what we were going to do when we got married even embarrassed me!’ Nik admitted grimly. ‘I wasn’t used to going without sex…it was torment; it was seriously painful.’

He came back to her with a driving kiss that consumed her. He was rough, and she had never known him rough before, and he excited her beyond belief. She was out of control, but so was he and she loved that. It answered the wildness leaping through her. He was hard and hot and full, and he sank into her tender welcoming flesh with a forceful maleness that made her sob out his name in ecstasy. Her back arched as the blinding excitement peaked on a shivering storming tide of mindless pleasure.
In the aftermath, she opened her eyes and blinked.
For a split-second, as Nik stared down at her, she saw a shell-shocked look in his stunning dark deepset eyes that could only have mirrored her own. Rolling off her without a word, he headed for the bathroom. She lay there immobile, struggling to breathe again, feeling ravished, feeling the sweet, heavy satiation of her own body with shattered recognition.

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: The Italian Billionaire’s Secretary Mistress by Sharon Kendrick

Format: E-Book
Read with: Kindle Paperwhite
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
POV: Third Person, Dual
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Riccardo Castellari
Heroine: Angie Patterson
Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥
Published On: January 01, 2009
Started On: August 28, 2022
Finished On: September 01, 2022

He certainly hadn’t wasted any time in driving home her real status! Flinging a load of mundane tasks at her even though they’d only just arrived. Angie picked up a brush and began to pull it through her wet hair. Well, the work could wait. She was through with being useful, doormat Angie. Angie who took just whatever Riccardo Castellari cared to chuck at her. Because she was slowly beginning to realise that Riccardo treated her the way he did because she let him!
And she wasn’t going to let him. Not any more.

The Italian Billionaire’s Secretary Mistress by Sharon Kendrick (I know it is a mouthful), first published in 2009, brings to readers the story of Riccardo Castellari and 27 year old Angie Patterson, the latter who has been in love with her boss Riccardo for the better part of the five years since she has been working for him in the capacity of a secretary.

However, Angie has decided that enough is enough and come New Year, she would tender her resignation after finding herself a new employment opportunity. Angie knows Riccardo unlike any other, his likes and dislikes, his family and their birthdays, how he is like when he is in pursuit of a new woman, and what it is like when he wants to end things when the affairs run their course.

She however, is the invisible secretary to the man who owns her heart, and the toll it takes on Angie has hit a point where she is unwilling to let it destroy her anymore, especially as time passes on and she is witness to societal pages bearing gossip of Riccardo’s newest liaisons with beautiful women, not to mention the role that she has to play when Riccardo is in pursuit.

Riccardo hires Angie based on her plain looks, so that she would not be a distraction nor harbor any illusions of grandeur when it comes to him. Over time, she has become the only person who could get away with teasing him, even be it occasionally, and the only one who can lay it down as it is to him. He does not particularly appreciate what his lethal good looks and sex appeal means when it comes to the fairer sex even though he benefits largely from the fact, the “burden” that he has to shoulder with countless women showering their unwanted attentions on him is not something he particularly wants.

Things take a turn when Riccardo carelessly gifts Angie a red dress after one of his trips to New York which changes the power dynamics between the two. Riccardo for the very first time is forced to take notice of the bombshell that Angie is, and the dynamite that she is to his senses is not something he recovers from henceforth.

Riccardo is honest to a fault when it comes to his archaic views on marriage, and the fact that he has no intention of tying himself down with a woman for a lifetime until he is well and ready and finds the virgin female he is looking for to school her in the art of seduction and lovemaking (solely for his benefit) and bear his children.

The affair that begins between Riccardo and Angie (if you could call it that), is one filled with moments of mirth, sheer disbelief on the part of Riccardo, and bliss and heartache for Angie whose tender emotions don’t stand a chance with Riccardo’s lethal sexuality unleashed on her. Riccardo resists at every turn from succumbing to the emotional aspect of his relationship with Angie, and that is where the angst factor comes from, giving the story the edge it deserves.

I loved both Angie and Riccardo; Angie because she realizes at one point that she is done being at the beck and call of Riccardo and so over being a doormat variety of heroine and stands up for herself, and Riccardo because he is totally clueless when it comes the havoc that Angie creates inside his heart when all is said and done.

The fact that Riccardo does the pursuing in the end is what sealed the deal for me – a rarity in romances these days, where every conflict is resolved before it becomes an issue, because everyone loves “healthy communicating adults” in a relationship. Well let me tell you, not so much when we want the drama associated with some levels of misunderstanding between a couple!

Recommended for fans of Sharon Kendrick, some of her books are to die for and this is one I enjoyed immensely!

Final Verdict: Riccardo and Angie are the perfect boss-secretary combo until a red dress changes all that. Blindsided heroes make for the best romance novels!

Favorite Quotes

He wanted her here—in his car—down some little Tuscan track! His furtive secretary lover.
Her body screaming its protest, Angie wrenched herself out of his arms. ‘Stop it,’ she whispered from between lips which felt swollen to twice their normal size. ‘Stop it right now.’
A nerve worked at his temple. ‘You don’t want me to stop it.’
Maybe her body didn’t—but her dignity demanded it. Or did he think he was just going to erode that too with his sexual mastery—the way he had chipped away at her heart?
‘Oh, yes, I do.’ Ineffectually, she pushed at the hard wall of his chest. ‘Do you really want me to turn up at your house and to meet your family with my cheeks all flushed and my hair awry—making it perfectly obvious what we’ve just been doing?’
‘They won’t care what you look like,’ he snapped insultingly.
‘I find that very hard to believe,’ she returned, enjoying the outrage on his face as she dared to stand up to him. ‘And even if they don’t care—then I most certainly will. I’m here as your secretary, remember? And there’s a certain standard to maintain—a decorum—which I don’t intend to compromise with a quick fumble in your car!’
‘A quick fumble?’ he echoed, outraged.
‘Well, what would you call it?’
‘You do not think that such an experience would be pleasurable?’
‘N-no.’ She was on less sure ground now. ‘I’m not saying that at all. You’re very good, as I’m sure enough people have told you. I’m just refusing to turn up to your house giving people ammunition to make negative judgements about me.’
Struggling to rein in his ragged breath and trying to ease the unbearable ache at his groin, Riccardo glared at her. This was no coy little game she was playing, he realised with dawning disbelief. She really meant it. Did she think that he would fall under her spell if she resisted him?
And yet he could not remember the last time a woman had spurned his sexual advances.
For a moment, an unwilling respect warred with his feelings of frustration—and then he moved away from her with an impatient click of his tongue and started up the car.
‘Riccardo—’
‘Don’t talk to me when I’m driving!’ he thundered.
‘But you’ve left the handbrake on.’

For a moment he sank into the feeling, revelling in the sensations which were whispering over his skin before he realised where he was—and then he swore softly in Italian.
‘Che ora e?’ he snapped, lifting his wrist to glance at his watch. He sat up, his face wreathed in anger. ‘Why the hell did you let me sleep?’
Dismayed, Angie stared at him. ‘Because you looked as if you needed to.’
Jumping out of bed, he grabbed his jeans and began to pull them on. ‘Madre di Dio!’ he exclaimed furiously. ‘You’ve certainly changed your tune! From worrying about what my brother might think of our behaviour—you switch to luring me into staying.’
‘I didn’t lure you!’
‘You covered me up with a duvet,’ he accused.
‘Is that such a heinous crime?’
It felt like a trap. A trap as seductive as those great big eyes of hers and her warm, soft body. He shook his head. ‘I don’t want to spend half the afternoon in your bedroom!’ he declared.
‘Then don’t! Nobody’s keeping you here. Go!’

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: My Killer Vacation by Tessa Bailey

Format: E-Book
Read with: Kindle Paperwhite
Length: Novel
Genre: Romantic Suspense
POV: First Person, Dual
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Myles Sumner
Heroine: Taylor Bassey
Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥
Published On: June 06, 2022
Started On: August 19, 2022
Finished On: August 19, 2022

Based on appearances alone, this man might have just walked out of a criminal underworld. If the permanent scowl on his face didn’t scream villain, then the long, unkempt hair and poorly scrawled tattoos do the trick, as do the scars on his knuckles and the side of his neck.

My Killer Vacation by Tessa Bailey is the kind of story that has you laughing one minute, swooning the next, and agonizing over what is coming, because you know that your heart is going to squeezed rather painfully and perhaps broken in a place or two before being fixed as the story plunges head on towards its climax.

Released in June of last year, though it has mystery-thriller elements as a major element of the story, this is still classic Ms. Bailey with the kind of characters that you root for, with the steam factor ramped up high! Told in the first person from the perspectives of both the hero, Myles Sumner, and the heroine, Taylor Bassey, the story begins with Taylor and her brother Jude traveling to a luxurious beach house for six days of vacation. Taylor, a second grade teacher who has always more or less being responsible for her younger brother by three years, has scrimped and saved through the years to finally go on her dream vacation.

However, all of that comes to a standstill when they discover a corpse in the rental house, and things certainly go awry, especially when the rough and tough looking Myles turns up in pursuit of the killer. Nothing prepares Taylor or Myles for the heat that they generate together even when Myles is being his obnoxious best, trying to keep Taylor at bay lest his control be tested.

Taylor however, is a woman on a mission, firstly to prove to herself (and perhaps her parents and brother) that she too has the bravery gene that runs through their family, and hunting for a killers seems like a fool-proof plan to prove that from where she stands. Gunning after Myles too falls into that category, because for the first time in her life Taylor feels as if she has met the type of man who would show her what she is missing, the type of man who would not be afraid to show her what it means to be handled with anything but kids gloves on in the bedroom, if only she could convince Myles of this sound plan as well.

For Myles who has done the marriage thing once and failed at it, knowing deep down that Taylor is the marrying kind means he plans on steering clear of her no matter how much she may tempt him otherwise, or how he knows deep in his soul that she is sort of, kind of, made for him. He also carries a wealth of guilt from his old job as a detective at Boston PD, and it has been three years since he has been making a living as a bounty hunter mainly just running from one location to the other to keep the pain and the memories that haunt at bay.

Taylor definitely wants what Myles can offer, but unless Myles is able to face the demons that plague him and comes to accept that he has what it takes to give someone precious like Taylor the ultimate happily ever after, there is no future for the two of them in the long run. The baggage which Myles carries and prevents him from seizing his own happiness plays its role in delivering the angst factor, which I loved!

I enjoyed this rom-com, mystery-suspense novel, so much so that I read this in one day, which is a rare happenstance nowadays. I loved both Taylor and Myles; Ms. Bailey can do no wrong in characterization and delivery of the steam factor, which was off the charts hot in this tight little number as well.

I was also intrigued by the side drama that was happening, which just leaves readers with tantalizing glimpses of Jude’s love-hate relationship with his best friend Dante, and Ms. Bailey announced this August that she would be releasing a novella with their story pretty soon, which I am pretty sure a lot of readers are anticipating.

The epilogue was in an essence the best thing about this novel. It gives you the laughter, heat, and swoons, all in one! Definitely recommended!

Final Verdict: She is a second grade teacher, the type you take home to meet your mother. He is a bounty hunter, rough around the edges and prefers solitariness. When these two collide, it is fireworks all the way through!

Favorite Quotes

It’s obvious that something happened. I took three wrong turns on the way home. I’ve been responding in one-word sentences, but now that I’ve processed—mostly—what happened, I need someone to confide in. “First there was some kissing.” No need to go into detail. I’m not even sure I could say what happened without sweating through my yoga pants, anyway. “Then we broke up even though we were never dating in the first place. We’ve been ending our non-existent relationship since we met, actually. It’s kind of our thing.”

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | eBooks | Apple