Category / Good Read

by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Guardian For Hire by Christine Bell

Format: E-bookguardianforhire
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Series: For Hire, #2
Publisher: Entangled: Indulgence
Hero: Gavin McClintock
Heroine: Sarabeth Lucking
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: January 13, 2014
Started On: January 14, 2014
Finished On: January 14, 2014

Guardian for Hire by Christine Bell is book 2 in the For Hire series, which I assure you can be read as a standalone. I myself never read book 1, i.e. Wife for Hire, and though the back story that makes up Guardian for Hire is more or less tied to events that take place in book 1, the story turned out to be easy one to follow.

Dr. Sarabeth Lucking (Sara) finds her well ordered life upended in more ways than one with her former colleagues being killed off one by one for no apparent reason other than the scandal that had rocked her former place of employment which had been shut down after the demise of her notorious employer. A psychologist with her practice in tatters, Sara comes from privileged upbringing though she has not much to show in terms of familial affection.

Gavin McClintock is the owner of the security consultant firm McClintock and Saunders and former military. Gavin takes on protection of Sara as a favor to his friend and gets more than he bargains for in the process. The tightly laced up Sara whom he would have had no problems keeping at arms length turns out to be just once facet to her character that she is forced to put up with to live up to the image that is expected of her. But under the most trying circumstances of her life, the layers of perfected pretense that Sara has lived with all her life comes tumbling down and Gavin can’t help but be enchanted by the woman that is beneath all that polished exterior.

Sara blames her burgeoning feelings for Gavin on the situation that she has been thrust into, having to rely on Gavin for her protection and wellbeing. Always having done the proper thing all throughout her life, Sara is ill equipped to handle a man like Gavin, much less her fantasies of the carnal nature when it comes to what exactly she would like him to do to her.

Guardian for Hire is highly readable, the thread of humor intrinsically woven into the storyline a facet to the story that made it an enjoyable 200+ pages. The first couple of pages where Sara is featured gives a totally different picture of who she actually is throughout the rest of the book, the second version of her which I loved overly much. The situation at the diner had me going off into peals of laughter and while at times I felt bad for Sara because of her naivete where certain things were concerned, it nevertheless made for great reading.

Gavin is the type of ex-military hero that all romance readers love to read about. With a tough exterior built around the fact that he had practically survived a hellish childhood not to mention his military background, Gavin too is taken aback by the strong feelings that are protective and carnal in nature when it comes to Sara. And as the noose of danger tightens around Sara, threatening her life, Gavin is forced to face the fact that when it comes to the millionaire heiress, Gavin’s heart is a foregone conclusion.

Though I loved the idea of Gavin as a hero, I had a bit of a hard time accepting the way that it had always been Sara that had taken the steps forward in their “relationship”. Although the epilogue did appease me somewhat, I still felt that Gavin too could have at least met Sara halfway when it had come to professing what had been in each others hearts by the time their time together had come to a forced conclusion.

Recommended for those who love ex-military heroes pitted against intelligent and brain smart heroines.

Final Verdict: Christine Bell weaves a highly readable story of suspense, heat and humor!

Favorite Quotes

“You feel so good,” she murmured, clawing at his back to keep herself aloft. Her fingernails dug into his skin, and she could already spy angry red marks along his shoulder blades. It only seemed to excite him more, though, and what little restraint he had left disappeared. He slammed her body against the wall, nearly knocking the wind out of her. His love was greedy, rough, and gripping, and nothing had ever felt so good.

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

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Tangle Of Need by Nalini Singh

Format: E-bookTangleOfNeed
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Psy-Changeling, #11
Publisher: Berkley
Hero: Riaz Delgado
Heroine: Adria Morgan
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: May 29, 2012
Started On: December 16, 2013
Finished On: December 22, 2013

Tangle of Need by Nalini Singh is the 11th book in the Psy-Changeling series, the book that follows the story of the much awaited coming together of Hawke and Sienna. By the 10th book in the series which happens to be Hawke and Sienna’s story, a lot has happened and the stories move towards the ultimate demise of the Silence that the Psy species had assumed a long time back rendering them emotionless, cold and calculative. A movement known as Pure Psy seems to have stemmed from within the Psy race, hellbent on achieving state of ultimate and pure silence that would “protect” them from all sorts of emotions that according to them happens to be the demise of their race. And all the while, the politics that governs the Psy race seems to be splintering into fragments, lending the series the edge it deserves.

Tangle of Need is the story of Riaz Delgado, a lieutenant of the SnowDancer wolf pack and Adria Morgan, one of the senior soldiers of the pack. Riaz is a lone wolf, who has come back home to lick his wounds and bask in the love and togetherness of the pack to piece together the jagged pieces of his broken heart and soul. Adria herself is broken from a relationship that had practically splintered pieces of her heart, soul and self esteem, something she battles with continuously ever since having walked out from a life that had stopped working for her a long time ago.

The passion that ignites between Riaz and Adria is smoldering hot, one filled with resentment and anger on Riaz’s part and apprehension on Adria’s end. The fact that Adria proved to be strong enough to walk away from Riaz knowing she deserved better made me respect her a helluva lot, not that I didn’t understand where Riaz was coming from. The visceral hurt that seemed to be eating Riaz alive made me want to reach out to him and pet him until the pain his wolf was suffering was laid to rest, and I fell in love with Adria for being woman enough to accept and love Riaz as he is.

My contention with the story stems from the fact that I believe juggling so many aspects of the story made it lose focus on the main protagonists of the novel. There was Riaz and Adria and then there was Hawke and Sienna. Hawke and Sienna get as much time in the story as Riaz and Adria, probably to make up for the lack in their own story. I had a huge problem with how Hawke and Sienna’s story panned out, my main problem again being the fact that Hawke and Sienna as a couple didn’t get much time in the story due to everything else that was taking place. Don’t get me wrong, these books are quite entertaining and I still wouldn’t pass reading them up for anything, but I think when the focus is lost from the main couple in the story, therein lies a problem.

The way things ended with Adria and Riaz made me wonder for a second or two on whether Adria had been shortchanged by the man she adores and loves with her heart, body and soul. And though I felt that Riaz does return her love and does a good job of convincing her of just that, I still felt a teensy bit disappointed by how things ended for them. But deep in my heart I know and believe that their love is one that will survive because they are both equally strong and determined people who would fight to death for each other.

Tangle of Need ends on a sort of a cliff hanger ending in the sense that it leaves one practically on tenterhooks wanting to know how the next chapter would pan out. As one of the reviewers on Goodreads pointed out, the background storyline was focused on preparing the reader for the next book, Heart of Obsidian which I hear is filled with explosive and ground shaking moments. Can’t wait to begin reading!

Recommended for fans of the series. Read the series in order. Otherwise you’ll miss out on the great stuff that binds the stories together.

Favorite Quotes

Growling deep in his chest, he pulled her head back to take her mouth again. He wasn’t the least bit gentle, but she didn’t want gentle, her claws digging into his shoulders as her body moved with raw impatience against him. Taking his hand off her breast, he tore the button off her jeans, tugged down the zipper.

“Why are you doing this?” she whispered, her voice stripped bare.
Riaz’s answer sounded torn out of him. “I can’t stop myself.” He shifted her closer, the move so unexpected, she didn’t resist—and found herself plastered to the hard strength of him. His arousal pushed into her abdomen, the hot male scent of him seeping into her veins until she could taste the dark forests and biting citrus of him against her tongue.

“Oh God!” Arching into the firm, confident touch, she tore at his T-shirt until it was in pieces around them, his big, muscled body rising over her own, his mouth busy on her lips, her jaw, her neck.
His skin was a shade of burnished brown, warm and beautiful, her pleasure at touching him—at last—almost painful.

A single hard thrust and he was seated deep inside her, the thickness of him a pulsing brand.
She froze for a minute, her body stunned at the almost violent possession. Long unused muscles ached, but below all that was need. Such naked, raw need.

Even as she came with a scream, he pounded into her with such wild fury, the feel of him reverberated through her very bones. A brutal word in a masculine voice so harsh, it was almost unrecognizable. Her internal muscles spasming in erotic response. His hand clenching on her breast. The primal heat of him spilling into her.

He broke the kiss, gasped in a jagged breath. Two long, hard thrusts and he felt his spine lock. Gritting his teeth, he tilted her so that his pubic bone would press against her clitoris, and then he thrust again.
Tiny muscles spasming anew around his cock, a molten fist.
His mind went black.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | ARe | iTunes

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Meant to be Married by Ruth Wind

Format: E-bookmeanttobemarried
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Men of the Land
Publisher: Harlequin Treasury
Hero: Elias de Jesus Salimento Santiago
Heroine: Sarah Greenwood
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: July 15, 2011
Started On: October 18, 2013
Finished On: October 18, 2013

‘Absence is to love what air is to fire. If it is small, it soon goes out. If it is great, it burns stronger.’

Ruth Wind is an author who has an amazing way with words. It is evident in the style of writing that she uses to bring her stories alive with the different nuances and colors that makes her books the vibrantly haunting reads that they are.

Meant to be Married is the story of the love affair between Elias Santiago and Sarah Greenwood, a love that had blossomed from friendship between two people whose families have been warring for decades. Their love had been an all consuming one that had left them with no room but to give it their all. But then Sarah’s father wouldn’t have his only child marrying one of the enemy and that is how these two find themselves torn apart from each other until 12 years later Sarah returns home which once again stirs up things between them.

Elias is a proud man, his pride evident in the way he holds his head high, has made a name for himself and proved himself a successful man capable of a lot more than people would have given him credit for. And when Sarah strolls back into town, the well ordered life that Elias had been living for a long while now comes crashing down at his feet, awakening all those emotions that had made him the adolescent who had been drunk on the love that had pretty much devoured them both.

Elias might want to enact his revenge on the man who had almost ruined his life 12 years back by using Sarah as the tool to achieve that, but that is not exactly how things turn out when both Sarah and Elias realize that for both of them, the other had been what had in actuality made their lives complete. But for them to have even the slightest chance at happiness, Sarah would have to stop running from her past and Elias would have to let go of his pride in order to go through that final stage of acceptance and love that would lead them through the rest of their lives.

While I loved Elias as a hero, I found that even towards the end he was a bit too stiff and unrelenting for me to really believe that Sarah and the love he has for her had won over the fire of hatred that has burned through him for far too long. Sarah had a way of running from everything that made things overwhelming for her and not without reason too, but at least she tried to do what no one else has had the courage to do; to heal the rift between the two families by finding out the actual truth about what had happened a long, long time ago.

All in all, I wouldn’t say that this is a bad read but rather a story that failed have that wow factor because I couldn’t really believe that in the end Elias would accept the truth and move on based on the history of the enmity between the families. Perhaps an epilogue would have done wonders to convince readers like myself who remains a wee bit skeptical even after the happily ever after.

Recommended for fans of Harlequin romances and fans of Ruth Wind.

Final Verdict: Ruth Wind is an author who takes you deep into the heart of any book she writes.

Favorite Quotes

It was Eli who stood there, his hair dripping, his face wet. The white cotton shirt stuck to his chest and arms, transparent against his dark skin, and his eyes burned as he stared at her.
A bolt of pure, undiluted hunger filled her, rushing through every cell, making her body ache. She might even have made a little sound, part fear, part need.
Without a word, he came in, put his cold hands on her face and kissed her.

“His clothes were wet, but they warmed as he pressed into her, warmed with the heat of his flesh and the heat of her own, and Sarah arched into him, put her arms around him, pulled him closer overwhelmed at her need to absorb the taste of Elias, remembered and not remembered, darker than it had been, seasoned with years and lost dreams and a thousand moments of yearning.

She held him fiercely as he met his release, and clasped his head between her hands and whispered his name, over and over.
Elias. Elias. Elias.
And then she was set free, her soul tangling with his, as she soared into the completeness that she had found only with him. She held him as tightly as she could, her arms and her legs wrapping him close, wanting to somehow make him part of her, so he could never be torn from her again.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Harlequin

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by mvbookreviewer

Requested Review: Choosing Chase by Julie Raust

Format: E-bookchoosingchase.jpg
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novella
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Series: Old Enough to Love You, #1
Publisher: Self Published
Hero: Chase Cole
Heroine: Teresa
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: August 12, 2013
Started On: September 26, 2013
Finished On: October 17, 2013

Choosing Chase is a novella in the Old Enough to Love You series that features a sexy as sin hero who is younger than the heroine, who embarks on a mission to make her see once and for all that he is the one for her.

Teresa has had it with relationships when she had been widowed and left behind by a husband who had not found her to be his number one priority towards the latter part of their marriage. Bit by bit, Teresa’s confidence had eroded away under his callous disregard until Teresa had all but convinced herself that nobody would want her as she is, much less a man like Chase who could practically choose anyone to be his life partner.

Chase and Teresa has been friends for over two years, the whole period during which Chase has been biding his time to find his way through the armor that holds Teresa’s heart in an ironclad grip that doesn’t show any signs of relenting. But Chase is a man who has two years worth of determination fueled more so by the frustration he has suffered both sexual and otherwise when it comes to Teresa. And when the opportunity presents itself for Chase to make his case, oh boy, does he make his case, Chase does so with an enthusiasm that makes it an impossibility for Teresa to walk away.

Julie Raust is a new to me author and the one reason I accepted her request for a review is the fact that the trope of friends turning to lovers is one of my favorites. Though a new voice in the genre, Julie managed to draw me into the story that unfolded all the while giving enough tidbits about Teresa and Chase’s entwined past to keep the emotional aspect of the story real which went a long way into making the sexual connection between Chase and Teresa seem tangible and worthwhile.

Sounds like the next book in the series is going to have a lot of fireworks in the mix with two of Chase and Teresa’s friends being the main protagonists. Recommended for those who love erotic romances. This one’s short enough to wet your appetite for whats to come.

Final Verdict: Choosing Chase has the ingredients that makes an erotic romance a worthy read!

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

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Home to Laura by Mary Sullivan

Format: E-bookhometolaura.jpg
Read with: Kindle for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Untitled Series, #2
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Nick Jordan
Heroine: Laura Cameron
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: March 1, 2013
Started On: July 27, 2013
Finished On: July 29, 2013

Right after reading and finishing up In from the Cold by Mary Sullivan, I had to go and buy the second book in this sort of series that tells and concludes the stories of the other two Jordan brothers, Nick and Tyler. While Tyler is the middle brother who is the most easygoing of the trio, Nick is the brother who has a chip on his shoulder, not because he had a terrible childhood or was abused; but rather he feels that he is invisible when he stands next to his brothers given the poverty within which they all lived in.

At 32 years of age, Nick is the proverbial story of success. A multimillionaire and CEO of Sanderson Developments, Nick seems to have got it all from the high powered job to a daughter who fulfills the rest of his life. But appearances can be deceiving and of late Nick has to admit that his life has been tinged with an emptiness that he cannot shake off, and it is the  thought that he might end up an empty shell of a man like his ex-father in law, mentor and boss Mort Sanderson that galvanizes Nick into taking action that would save him from a future filled with nothing but a gut aching loneliness and despair.

35 year old Laura Cameron is the owner of the delightful bakery in the town of Accord, Colorado. Lushly beautiful and sensual, Laura yearns for a family of her own, the chance for one which she destroyed the night she slept with her fiance’s brother Nick and he discovered them together. Nick might have been motivated by spite and the need for revenge on his older brother Gabe but Laura had always harbored a secret fascination and attraction towards Nick, something which she buried in the deep recesses of her heart along with the contempt, anger and loathing for the man who wouldn’t think twice and would go to any lengths to get exactly what he wants.

When Nick returns to town with his daughter Emily in tow, Laura and Nick’s paths cross once again, a more vulnerable Laura this time, who just had her “last” chance at a family slip away through her fingers. A one night of incandescent passion once again occurs between the two and this time Laura bears the fruit of their union which Nick wants to vehemently shake himself off from. Amidst the story of misunderstandings and coming to realizations on Nick’s part is also threaded the story of Tyler and Tammy and also the deliciously lovely and sensual story of the Scottish artist Aiden McQuorrie and Laura’s mother Olivia Cameron.

Truth be told, though I am a huge fan of heroes who have a bit of a dark edge to them, oh well who am I kidding, the darker they are the more I like them; I found it impossible to really like Nick as a person, much less a hero. I found him to be vain, self-centered and had a lot to really learn where life and its intricacies are concerned. The way he reacts to Laura’s pregnancy was one which I couldn’t get over from, but I think an honest reaction from a man like Nick who refuses to be tied down and does not want to bear anymore children. I felt like slapping Nick a time or two on his face, just so he would see exactly what was happening, how unfair it was of him to really believe that everything he wanted was his for taking and that deep sense of resentment he had harbored in his heart for his eldest brother something that should never have existed in the first place. The effect of spoiling a child rotten is what Nick is, with just a hint of goodness inside of him, buried under layer and layer of resentment and old hurts that I could not really get on board with.

Laura is the type of heroine that reminded me of Sarah from Sarah’s Child by Linda Howard. She is gutsy, sensual, beautiful and not afraid of being who she is, though Nick makes her regret her impulsive earthy behavior after the night of passion they share. Nick’s one saving grace was the fact that he, be it even out of sense of duty to Laura as a “friend”, takes care of her when she needs it and later on, goes to restore her sense of self confidence where her sensuality and impulsive passion is concerned.

The one bit I loved in the story was the tale of how the very much younger Scottish artist wooed Laura’s mother Olivia. Now, that should have been the center of this whole story which would have made for all sorts of deliciousness in my opinion.

I would still rate Home to Laura a good read because even though there were bits that didn’t work for me in the overall story, the chunks that did work seemed to make up for them.

Recommended for fans of Mary Sullivan & fans of this untitled series set in Accord, Colorado.

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

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Take Me Under by Rhyannon Byrd

Format: E-booktakemeunder.jpg
Read with: Kindle for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Series: Dangerous Tides, #1
Publisher: Berkley
Hero: Ben Hudson
Heroine: Reese Monroe
Sensuality: 4.9
Date of Publication: June 4, 2013
Started On: July 20, 2013
Finished On: July 22, 2013

34 year old Ben Hudson is the new sheriff of the idyllic holiday beach town of Moss Beach, Florida. Having given up his position as a homicide detective in Miami due to circumstances that had unfolded during his last investigation, Ben moves to town to take things at a more sedately pace. Ben has a reputation for working hard and playing that much harder and is never afraid of going after what he wants. The only thing that scares the bejeesus out of his is emotional entanglements of any sort.

Newly divorced 28 year old Reese Monroe moves to Moss Beach aiming to kickstart her life in a whole new direction. Her marriage to a cheating scoundrel has pretty much dented her ego and eroded her sense of self esteem and the need to escape from the mess her life had become motivates the move more than anything else.

Ben has hungered for Reese ever since the night he laid his eyes on Reese three years back. He has bided his time, always knowing deep inside that if and whenever Reese becomes free from the clutches of her good for nothing husband, he would definitely make his move and leave them both with the scorching imprint of how good things could be with them between the sheets.

Told from both Ben and Reese’s points of view in third person, Take Me Under takes place in its entirety in Moss Beach, Florida.

The connection between Ben and Reese sizzles right from the onset, a very much wary Reese who has no idea of how much of a starring role she has played in the sexy sheriff’s fantasies a little bit taken aback by the zeal with which Ben pursues her. And when it comes to light that Reese has a stalker who might have made his way to her new hometown on her heels, there is no stopping the protective instinct that surges forth in Ben and he becomes more of a force to be reckoned with which means for Reese there really is no turning back.

Rhyannon Byrd is very talented in the style with which she effortlessly blends the erotic and downright dirty sex into whatever genre of romance she works on. It has been while since she has published a contemporary romance and Take Me Under was a novel that I had been very much in anticipation for ever since she announced its release. Though it didn’t live up to all my expectations, Take Me Under proved to be a hot and panty-melting read with a dirty talking hero tossed into the mix.

Ben seemed to be a bit overwhelming to me; and I believe this just might be the first time I’m saying that about a hero, especially someone who looks like Christian Bale of all people. Forceful in his nature, Ben is a man from whom a woman can’t hide, either during the moments of passion or otherwise. And Ben is greedy enough to want everything Reese can give, although he might not be ready for the overwhelming riot of emotions that blindsides him as much as the passion between them does. The only thing that Ben is more afraid of than anything else is opening up the raw wounds that has festered for far too long inside of him.

Reese knows exactly what she is getting into when she says yes to getting down and dirty with Ben, and she goes onto show it in more ways than one, which actually seems to do a pretty good job of annoying Ben out of his stance on no messy emotional entanglements. It was quite amusing to see Ben in a role that he has never found himself in before as he reluctantly comes to the conclusion that without Reese by his side, he might just as well not exist.

I’m pretty much looking forward to Alex’s story, which seems to be in the works if the ending was anything to judge the next book in the series by. Alex certainly looks to be a hero who would be worth all the heartache he would put a reader through before embracing his own happily ever after.

Recommended for fans of Rhyannon Byrd and erotic contemporary romantic suspense.

Final Verdict: Raw & explicit, Take Me Under is a good debut for the Dangerous Tides series.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo

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by mvbookreviewer

Requested Review: The Restoration by Janet White

Format: E-booktherestoration
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Whiskey Creek Press
Hero: Andrew Somerset
Heroine: Laura Hampton
Sensuality: 2
Date of Publication: April 2013
Started On: July 9, 2013
Finished On: July 9, 2013

Andrew Somerset is an intriguing mix of the past and the present. Revealing who he is would be ruining the story for interested readers.

Laura Hampton is the grieving widow who needs to get away from everything that reminds her of her beloved husband for a much needed timeout from all the grief that is weighing her down after his death.

When Laura’s husband dies a tragic death and she needs to get away, Laura’s well meaning friends offer her the use of their vacation cabin in Asheville. There she finds herself stumbling across an unkempt cemetery which somehow calls out to her to restore it to its original beauty. And when Andrew Somerset crosses her path and intrigues her on more than one level, what follows is a journey that tests the limits of Laura’s endurance and the love that unfurls deep inside of her for a man who is as appealing as he is mysterious.

The Restoration has a contemporary setting and is told from Laura’s point of view in first person. Story has a paranormal edge to it.

One of the things that struck me the most about The Restoration was the compelling writing style that urged me to keep reading this little number in one sitting. There were confusing bits where Laura’s wayward and uncontrollable emotions made everything that was happening surreal but then again it also touched on a subject that few people would like to talk about. The appropriate length of mourning and why society should dictate & judge upon it is a question that sprang to my mind as the story progressed.

The love that exists and comes to life between Laura and Andrew is one that just happens; there is no reason or rhyme to it. And the struggles they go through are real, just like any other couple who passionately love each other with the added burden of the secrets that Andrew holds close to his chest. Though sometimes Laura tended to confuse me with her at times ‘childish’ tantrums, The Restoration proved to be a good read that kept me reading, just to discover what would be the end result of a love that seemed doomed right from the beginning.

Recommended for fans of unusual romances and romances with a bittersweet edge to them.

Final Verdict: With a bittersweet edge to it, The Restoration is definitely a page-turner.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N

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by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Cutest Couple by Kate Davies

Format: E-bookcutestcouple.jpg
Read with: Kindle for iPad
Length: Novella
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Girls Most Likely To… #2
Publisher: Carina Press
Hero: Marc
Heroine: Bree Oliver
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: April 29, 2013
Started On: May 4, 2013
Finished On: May 10, 2013

Hero: Marc, finishes high school and acts out on his duty to his country to and joins the military to do his part for the war on terror.

Heroine: Bree Oliver, becomes a single mom right out of high school.

Storyline: Its the ten year high school reunion of Bree’s and Marc’s class. Marc being based nearby decides to come and find out how Bree had faired only to receive the shock of his lifetime; that he is the father of a little boy who looks just like him.

Time period: Cutest Couple is set in the present time and is told from both Bree and Marc’s points of view.

Likes: I loved Marc, for being the standup guy he is. His inherent good character manages to shine through even though this is a very short novella and focus on him is just a tad less than that compared with Bree. And on the hottie side, I am certain Marc in military garb would be enough to fuel a couple of fantasies for long cold nights.

Dislikes: I am disappointed to say that I didn’t like Bree’s character overly much. I found her to be a bit shallow and selfish and I say this with reason. Though I understood that Bree’s fears of commitment with Marc stemmed from valid reasons owing to her childhood, I still was irked by how little of a chance she gave to the guy she dated and knew inside out during the last couple of years of their high school together. It just seemed unfair to say the least that she never really put in much of an effort to reach out to Marc, at least just to let him know that he is the father of their child.

And I certainly would have loved to know more about Marc and his history which I know is asking for an impossibility in a novel of this length.

Recommended for: Fans of the series, fans of reunion romances and fans of author Kate Davies.

Final Verdict: A good 2nd installment for the Most Likely to series.

Favorite Quotes

He tugged her closer, wrapping his free arm around her back, and teased her mouth open with his tongue. She didn’t respond, not at first, but right as he was about to pull away, she whimpered softly and kissed him back.
It had been ten years since he’d tasted her, ten years during which he should have forgotten her mouth, her tongue, her white teeth nipping at his lip. It was an intoxicating mix of the familiar and the new, and he delved in again, wanting more, wanting it all.

Turning her, he backed her blindly into the locker bank. Urging her leg up, he wrapped it around his waist, rocking into her in a steady rhythm that built and built. Her head dropped back, banging against the metal locker with a hollow thunk.
He ripped his mouth away from hers, sliding his lips down her cheek to her jawline, feathering over the column of her neck, until he reached the sensitive spot where her pulse raced right under her skin. He mouthed over it, grimly satisfied with her gasping cry. Then he latched on and sucked.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo

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by mvbookreviewer

Short & Sweet Review: The Lady’s Scandalous Night by Jeannie Lin

Format: E-booktheladysscandalousnight
Read with: Kindle for iPad
Length: Novella
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Tang Dynasty, #2.5
Publisher: Harlequin Historical Undone
Hero: Wei Chen
Heroine: Yao Ru Jiang
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: September 1, 2011
Started On: February 19, 2013
Finished On: February 20, 2013

Hero: Wei Chen, no longer a common soldier of General Li’s army, is a trained swordsman and a trusted bodyguard.

Heroine: Yao Ru Jiang, known as River. She is the younger sister of Yao Ru Shan who served in the army alongside with Wei Chen.

Storyline: Both Wei Chen and River have known each other for a long time – through their mutual acquaintance who happens to be River’s brother. Though both have never laid eyes on each other, they have spun dreams about each other & fantasized about the day they would finally meet.

First Meeting: Wei Chen and River meet each other when Wei Chen turns up at River’s village seeking them out, to notify them that he is bound by duty to kill River’s brother.

Time Period: Story is set in Tang Dynasty, China in 759 AD. Story is told from both River and Wei Chen’s points of view.

Awareness between Wei Chen and River: Jeannie Lin is a true master in creating sexual tension and delivering beautifully vivid scenes to complement all of that. And though novella is really short, Jeannie still manages to make the connection & awareness that exists between Wei Chen and River right from the very start believable.

Likes: As always, a book by Jeannie Lin is a treat to read. I love her writing style. And I know I always say that in my reviews. But that is one reason why I keep going back where she is concerned.

Dislikes: I wanted more! Much more than a novella is capable of offering. Story’s ending seemed rushed.

Recommended for: Fans of the Tang Dynasty series by Jeannie Lin. And of course for anyone who loves historical romances Jeannie Lin is definitely a treat. If you love books by Courtney Milan or Sherry Thomas, you should definitely try out Jeannie Lin.

Favorite Quotes

The pleasure rose and took him over until he could think of nothing but thrusting deeper into River’s welcoming body. He tangled a hand into her hair. Her legs curved and locked about his hips. They became nothing but shapes and sensation in the darkness.
River. His River. The reason why he’d come all this way. One final, fierce thrust and he spent himself into her.
Afterward, they lay together unmoving, skin flushed and damp with sweat.
“I dreamed of this,” he murmured, letting his head sink onto the curve of her shoulder. “I dreamed of you.”

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Harlequin

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by mvbookreviewer

Requested Review: Hard Irish by Jennifer Saints

Format: E-bookhardirish
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Series: Weldons, #3
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Jared Weldon
Heroine: Roxanne “Rocky” McKenna
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: September 17, 2012
Started On: February 07, 2013
Finished On: February 10, 2013

Hard Irish by Jennifer Saints is the much anticipated and awaited 3rd book in the Weldon brothers series. I love Jennifer’s books, whichever pseudonym she chooses to write them under because she provides an unbeatable combination of romance and sensuous delights together with just enough suspense to keep the ball rolling in her stories.

Jared Weldon and Roxanne “Rocky” McKenna’s encounter happens quite by chance. Though Jared goes seeking her out and unknowingly stumbles into her life, blindsided by the desire and need that she invokes in him makes Jared hesitant to spell out his real reason for wanting seek her out. And when Jared is certain that someone is out to get Rocky, there is no stopping Jared from doing all that he can to safeguard the woman he begins to fall helplessly in love with, one scorching kiss and searing touch at a time.

Hard Irish brings to the forefront the lovable Weldon family together with the ultra-appealing four brothers 2 of whom I am already hopelessly in love with. Jared finds himself in a bit of a fix when he can’t come out with the truth about who he actually is, but he has no choice but to play along for the duration it takes to keep Rocky safe.

Rocky is a woman who has had a bit of a tough time of things of late. With her father out of commission after a stroke strikes him down, Rocky takes the lead role in their business and gets things going. As a divorcee who had a tough time with her ex-husband, Rocky has her own issues to deal with, emotional scars that are left behind from a relationship that had done more damage than good.

Added to the mix is the thick plot of a deranged killer intent on finding out the secrets that Rocky’s mother had taken to her grave, secrets for which Rocky just might have to pay with her life and the lives of the ones that are near and dear to her.

A good read, I recommend the 3rd book of the series to those who have enjoyed the Weldon brothers so far and those who love books by Jenni.

Favorite Quotes

“May God give you…For every storm a rainbow, for every tear a smile, for every care a promise and a blessing in each trial. For every problem life sends, a faithful friend to share, for every sigh a sweet song and an answer for each prayer.”
—Irish Blessing

The one thing we can never get enough of is love. And the one thing we can never give enough of is love.
—Henry Miller

I know the depths of sin.
The wretchedness of the depraved.
I know the darkness within
I’ll never escape it, even in the grave.
Though I know it is wrong
And I’ll pay with my soul
I could not turn away from
The love that made me whole.
So I stole every moment of time
And lived in the shadows
To love this child of mine
Before facing heaven’s gallows
I was part of the unforgivable
Blood stains my hands
Still I pray for the impossible
That in the end mercy will stand.

She didn’t have a chance to breathe before he caught her in his arms and planted his mouth on hers, instantly hot and demanding.
She opened to him, meeting the thrust of his tongue with hers, groaning deep from within as her starving senses found succor for her every want. His tongue tangled with hers, leading her in a seductive dance unlike any other.

Her body tightened like bow. She was going to explode. “Take me,” she whispered. “Hard. Give me everything.”
“Hell,” he cried out. His control snapped. The bed shook with his frenzied thrusts, banging the headboard against the wall. She arched and rocked, slamming herself against him. “Come,” he demanded. “Come with me.”
She clenched hard, squeezing his penis with the muscles of her sex and screamed as a mind-stealing orgasm captured her body and her soul. Her vision dimmed, her heart thundered, and her body shook. Wave after wave of pleasure crashed over her, leaving her quivering, replete.

Purchase Links: Amazon

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