Wednesday, September 30, 2015

The Taming of Malcolm Grant by Paula Quinn



AN ALLURING LASS
 
Emmaline Grey spends her days with her beloved dog, dreaming of the sea-until a brawling Highlander shatters her quiet life to pieces. Though her blindness prevents her from seeing his face, his voice is a warm blend of velvet and silk, and his rakehell ways unmistakable. Risking the wrath of a rival clan as she nurses him back to health, Emma soon realizes the real danger is the magnetic pull she feels to this half-naked Scot recovering in her bed.
 
A RECKLESS ROGUE
 
With his rugged handsomeness and wicked charm, Malcolm Grant wants nothing more out of life than whisky, women, and the occasional war. The only lass he's ever trusted left him with more scars than a battlefield. Yet now at the mercy of this sweet stranger, Malcolm can barely resist the gentle hands that make him feverish with desire-until Emma, the one he will never have, is the only woman he wants . . .
 
Title: The Taming of Malcolm Grant | Series: The MacGregors: Highland Heirs #5 | Author: Paula Quinn | Publisher: Forever | Release Date: 9/2 | Genre: | Source: | Rating: 3.4 for the suspense aspect 4 for the characters/romance
I’m always giddy when a new Paula Quinn book arrives. It always promises to deliver handsome Highlanders and strong heroines and The Taming of Malcolm Grant was no exception.
 
When Malcolm Grant and his brother are injured in a fight at her brother’s brothel, Emma Grey, a skilled healer, is willingly to risk war with a rival clan to save them. Although she’s blind, Emma can see right through the façade the rugged Highlander is putting on and soon she finds herself falling for Malcolm.
 
Malcolm Grant never intended to get into a fight at the brothel he and his brother were visiting. Now he’s brought danger to his friends door but he’s not about to leave the charming healer who nursed him and his brother back to health without protection. Malcolm has promised Emma’s brother he would leave her alone, yet he can’t seem to get her out of his mind. He knows it’s not love, because love has eluded him, although there is no denying that something is happening between them. When danger threatens Emma, he will stop at nothing to bring her back to him.
 
Malcolm was definitely a rugged, warring Highlander who earned his reputation as a rogue. But he’s changed. He’s no longer bouncing from one lass’s bed to another but he’s also become resigned to the fact love’s not going to happen for him. So when he meets Emma, he feels something’s different about her but he’s not sure what it is.
 
Emma may be blind, but she’s not letting her blindness make her weak and I loved that she was ready and willing to stand up against the threats around her. She definitely has moxie. She’s also in an interesting situation. She’s just reconnected with her brother who abandoned her as a child and she’s now living in the brothel that he owns. Until the Grants arrived, her brother was content to keep her hidden away.
 
Emma and Malcolm was such an interesting pair and I loved them together. And I loved their witty banter. I also loved that Malcolm never saw Emma’s blindness as a limitation and, on more than one occasion, he stood up to her brother about the way he was hiding her away because of her blindness. While they had instant chemistry right from the start, they didn’t have instant love. They had to work through a few issues first.
 
I’m really glad that they didn’t fall into bed as soon as they realized there was an attraction between them. They waited until they were comfortable around each other.  I also liked that Emma, even though she was a virgin, wasn’t naïve about sex. In fact, she was the one who initiated it.
 
I was moving along in the story, enjoying it’s yummy goodness, then things went a little pear-shaped when the suspense aspect of the book started coming in and I had to question a few things.
 
It kind of bugged me that Malcolm, a Highlander who is accused of murdering a member of a rival clan and now using a new last name and dressing like an Englishman to protect himself and his brother, would be so open and willing to trust some random man who just arrived at the brothel. Emma, who was worried about being accused of being a witch throughout the first half of the book, also seemed to lose her fear and trust this newcomer. I know it was tantamount to the plot, but still a little suspicion or distrust should have been thrown in to give it a true-to-life feel.
 
There were also a few details that were brought up then glossed over, like who drugged Malcolm. Seriously, if someone drugged me, I would be a little suspicious of everybody. Rather than using his drugging as something to spur on the suspense, it was used as a catalyst for conflict between Malcolm and Emma then sort of swept under the rung.
 
While I had a feeling who one of the villains was going to be, I was a little surprised at why the baddie wanted Emma. The outcome was a little surprising as well.
 
With Paula Quinn’s books, you know you’re going to get to see characters from the previous books come to life in the next, so I was over the moon when I learned that the next book was going to be Cailean’s story because I loved him in this book.
 
Overall, I really enjoyed this one. It had amazing characters and while a few details of the suspense aspect of the plot could have been ironed out a bit more, the book made for an entertaining read and left me itching to read Cailean’s story.




The MacGregors: Highland Heirs Series
The Seduction of Miss Amelia Bell #1
The Wicked Ways of Alexander Kidd #2
The Sweet Surrender of Janet Buchanan #3
The Scandalous Secret of Abigail MacGregor #4
The Taming of Malcolm Grant #5
A Highlander's Christmas Kiss #6
The Scot's Bride #7
Laird of the Black Isle #8
Highlander Ever After #9






Waiting on Wednesday {12}: A Copper Ridge Christmas by Maisey Yates


Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
 
 
It’s official! I’m addicted to Maisey Yates and the fictional town of Copper Ridge. Honestly, I would move there in a heartbeat. I’m super excited that she will be releasing a Christmas novella to go along with this brilliant devour-me-now series.
 
If you haven’t checked out her Copper Ridge series you should really give it a go.

 

Title: A Copper Ridge Christmas
Author: Maisey Yates
Release Date: 11/1/2015
 
Snow is falling in Copper Ridge, Oregon—but the heat between a holiday-loving party planner and the town’s resident Scrooge is off the charts in this sweet and sizzling Christmas novella…
 
Holly Fulton is throwing a special Christmas Eve party for the foster parents who gave her so much. To finish the preparations in time, she needs to recruit her one-time foster brother, Ryan Masters. He may have a scowl that could curdle eggnog, but under that surly demeanor is a big heart. And amazing muscles. And a gorgeous chest. In fact, X-rated visions of Ryan have been dancing in Holly’s head for years, but she can’t risk complicating the only real family she’s ever known.
 
But maybe there’s a way for Holly to have her Christmas cake and eat it too. A no-strings affair, just until they’re done with the planning. Ryan is certainly willing. But from the first touch, it’s clear that this isn’t just a festive fling. It might just be a Christmas miracle in the making…


Have you read Maisey Yates?

Monday, September 28, 2015

Switchback by Catherine Anderson



A KIDNAPPED CHILD. A DEADLY ENEMY.
 
Bud Mac Phearson's job is to protect Mallory Christiani and her young daughter, Emily—not to get personally involved with either. But after Emily disappears and the trail leads directly to a well-known crime boss, Mac can't refuse the beautiful single mother's pleas for help. With assassins hot on their trail and danger around every corner, the tentative partners race to find the missing key needed for the ransom…even as they try to fight the attraction blooming between them. But when Mac trades his own life for Emily's, Mallory must risk it all to save the man she's come to love…
 
Title: Switchback | Author: Catherine Anderson | Publisher: Harlequin Intrigue | Genre: Romantic Suspense| Source: MLM Media Relations | Rating: 4
I could not put this book down. The romance was light but the suspense had me hooked.
 
Mac has been tasked with the job of hiding Mallory and her daughter Emily. When Emily is kidnapped from her friend’s house, Mac and Mallory now find themselves running from hitmen and searching for a key Lucetti, a Seattle crime-lord, is demanding for ransom. Even though Mac has his reasons for not wanting to get close to Mallory, he soon finds himself becoming attracted to her.
 
Mac was hero who would stop at nothing to protect Mallory and save her daughter. Mallory kept it together and I love it when heroine faces dangers and doesn’t flip her lid.
 
Mac and Mallory was an interesting pair. Growing up, he was the poor boy from the wrong side of town and she was from a wealthy family. They both had preconceived notions of each other, Mac more so than Mallory, so they were expecting each other to act in certain ways and were surprised when they didn’t. I love it when characters surprise each other.
 
The romance between Mac and Mallory takes a backseat as the suspense is front and center, which, when reading romantic suspense, is something that I’ve come to expect. While they were attracted to each other, the book starts off with tension that stems from a mixture of wariness and preformed opinions. It’s only once they find themselves relying on each other that they finally allow themselves to act on their attraction. Mac and Mallory were like chalk and cheese yet they were so good together.
 
The suspense aspect had me on the edge of my seat. While I figured it out early on, I was still holding my breath as Mac and Mallory searched for the package and raced to save Emily.
 
So, this is a reissue. Originally released in 1990, Switchback is slightly dated with the use of typewriters, payphones, slang, pop culture references, and I could practically feel the shoulder pads in Mallory’s blazers but it made for an interesting read without affecting the flow of the plot.
 
 
Overall, Switchback had me on the edge of my seat. While the romance took a backseat, the suspense and danger kept me riveted.





What’s the last romantic suspense novel
 that had you on the edge of your seat?


Friday, September 25, 2015

Ghost of You by Kelly Moran



It's no secret amongst the Phantoms crew that lead investigator Sammy Hanesworth pretty much hates psychologist Cain McClutchen. The tension between them is taut with dislike...and unexpected attraction. Cain knows full well that something about him rubs Sammy the wrong way. But now they're on a terrifying case—with orders from the network to get along or else.
 
Filled with past horrors, the Nebraskan site is more than creepy. And Sammy knows it all too well. It's her hometown and near the place where her mother was killed. As the sinister presence makes itself known, Sammy finds herself turning to the last person she ever expected—Cain. Even as darkness surrounds them, tensions gives way to something bright and unexpectedly intimate. But nothing will prepare them for the evil they are about to face...
 
Title: Ghost of You | Series: Phantoms #3 | Author: Kelly Moran | Publisher: Covet an imprint of Entangled| Release Date: September 21, 2015 | Genre: Paranormal Romance | Source: Publisher | Rating: 3.5

Wow! So, this was a creepy little book.
 
Cain and Sammy work together on Phantoms, a ghost hunting reality television show. They haven’t been playing nice together and even though Cain feels an attraction to Sammy, for some reason Sammy seems to hate the very ground he walks on. Although when their new case, which happens to be in Sammy’s hometown, threatens Sammy, she finds herself growing closer to Cain. Yet if they want to build a relationship, they will need to overcome more than just an evil spirit.
 
First, let me start by saying that this is the third book in this series but it works perfect as a standalone.
 
I liked Cain. He’s been through a lot, lost his parents at a young age, and he’s basically just trying to find a place where he belongs. The poor guy is attracted to Sammy, even though she treats him like crap. A part of me was really wanting him to walk away from her and not look back.
 
Sammy was really hard to like. Like Cain, she’s been through a lot when she was younger but rather than letting people in, she built up a wall to keep them out. Even though Cain was doing everything in his power to look out for her and protect her, she did everything to push him away and ultimately came off as annoying.
 
The chemistry was a bit odd between them. It was there, but Sammy put up such a fight that it fizzled out throughout the first half of the book, spiked in the middle, then went a little flat at the end. If you’re looking for conflict, it abounds in this novel and came from just about every place you could think of. There was inner conflict with the characters, conflict between Sammy and Cain because of his profession, conflict with the ghosties and ghoulies. I mean, I like strong conflict, but this left me a bit frazzled.
 
What I did like was the wicked witty banter between Cain and Sammy. They always had amazing comebacks.
 
Sammy kept her gaze focused ahead when she spoke to Cain. “How do you comb your hair so the horns don’t show?”
 
Antonio tsked. “Sammy.”
 
Cain shook his head. “Don’t mind her. A house just fell on her sister.”
 
The suspense, mystery, and paranormal aspects of this book really had me on the edge of my seat as I pieced together who was haunting the church. Honestly, it was this aspect that kept me reading the book. Although once the who and why became prevalent, it felt a little trite. So the suspense of it was definitely better than the discovery.
 
I did really enjoy the creepiness of it. If you like creepy little ghost stories, I think you’d like the creep factor in this one. Also, if you like the whole ghost hunting thing, you’d probably enjoy this one as the book shows a lot of what goes into a ghost hunt.
 
Overall, this one had potential to be a great read but fell a bit flat. Sammy’s urge to push Cain away was a little too strong, if the author would have toned it down it would have worked out great. I had a great time following the mystery, just wished the conclusion of it would have been a bit different.
 
It was still an enjoyable read but not one of my favorites. Although it did pique my curiosity about the two books that came before this one.   






Thursday, September 24, 2015

Audiobook Sale: Tangled by Emma Chase






In New York Times bestselling author Emma Chase's sizzling and hilarious debut novel, Drew Evans - gorgeous, arrogant, irreverent, and irresistibly charming - meets his match in new colleague Kate Brooks.
 
Drew Evans is handsome and arrogant, he makes multimillion dollar business deals and seduces New York's most beautiful women with just a smile. So why has he been shuttered in his apartment for seven days, miserable and depressed? He'll tell you he has the flu. But we all know that's not really true.
 
Katherine Brooks is brilliant, beautiful and ambitious. When Kate is hired as the new associate at Drew's father's investment banking firm, every aspect of the dashing playboy's life is thrown into a tailspin. The professional competition she brings is unnerving, his attraction to her is distracting, his failure to entice her into his bed is exasperating.
 
Tangled is not your mother's romance audiobook. It is an outrageous, passionate, witty narrative about a man who knows a lot about women…just not as much as he thinks. As he tells his story, Drew learns the one thing he never wanted in life, is the only thing he can’t live without.
Okay, so I received an ARC of Tangled when it first came out and fell head-over-heels for Drew Evans. The man’s a business man. He usually has his crap together but he’s lost the woman he loves so the book opens with him slobbing it up on his couch suffering from a horrible version of man flu a.ka. a broken heart.
 
Of course, Drew’s a bit of a wanker. He’s completely arrogant and likes to play the field but he’s a lovable wanker and totally addicting. And I’m fairly sure he could rock you like a hurricane.
 
Enticed yet? Well, here’s your chance to listen to the audiobook version for only $4.95. I have to say, Sabastian York totally brings Drew Evans to like.
 
I love this book so much that I have the print copy, the digital copy, and the audiobook. It’s my go to recommendation for someone looking for an amazing alpha male character. It’s steamy, fun, and witty. So, head on over to Audible and give it a go.


Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Under His Skin by Stacey O’Neale



Bakery owner Annabelle Sparks’ business is booming ever since she won reality TV's Cupcake Wars. The one thing deflating her happy soufflé? The extremely sexy Kaden Chance only sees her as a best friend–and Annabelle wants so much more. After waiting a year for him to recognize their chemistry, she’s giving up and dating other people.
 
What she doesn't know is Kaden's heart doesn't actually beat. He's not human. Heck, he's not even from Earth. To retain his intergalactic immunity, no one can ever know he is an extraterrestrial. But when Annabelle starts dating, something strange happens to Kaden's unmoved heart: it begins to beat. Now he faces an impossible choice—tell Annabelle the truth and be deported–or lose his last chance at love.
 
Title: Under His Skin | Series: Alien Encounters #1 | Author: Stacey O'Neale| Publisher: Covet, an Entangled imprint | Release Date: September 21, 2015 | Genre: Sci Fi/Fantasy | Source: Publisher | Rating: 4

This is my first time reading a romance where the hero is an alien and I have to say it was definitely different and certainly interesting.
 
Since winning Cupcake Wars, Annabelle’s bakery, Yummy (love the name of the bakery, by the way), has really picked up business. Although her busy business still isn’t enough to distract her from the feelings she has for her best friend Kaden, so she decides to try her hand at dating, something she hasn’t done since Kaden walked into her bakery a year ago.
 
Kaden Chance feels the chemistry between him and Annabelle yet he has one tiny little problem. He’s an alien who has made a deal with the FBI. If he wishes to continue living life as a normal human being, he’s not to get involved in a relationship. Although when he starts acting on his feelings for Annabelle, he realizes that she can make his unbeating heart beat, meaning she’s his mate. Now he must choose his freedom or the woman that woke up his heart.
 
I love it when a book surprises me. And blimey did this book surprise me. I went into the book a bit worried it was going to be too SciFi-ish yet it wasn’t. There was enough world building that made me believe that Kaden and his brothers were aliens but it didn’t bog down the story or bore me to tears. In fact, I was intrigued.
 
Annabelle was an okay character. She was easy to like although other than her being head-over-heels for Kaden and owning a bakery I didn’t really know that much about her. She could have been flesh-out a bit more. I do have to say that I really liked her reaction when she discovered that Kaden was an alien. I felt like a true and real reaction. Yet she kind of annoyed me when she jumped to conclusions afterwards.
 
Poor Kaden. I felt kind of sorry for the bloke. He’s so in love with Annabelle that he’s practically drooling all over her bakery floor, yet he’s the eldest brother. It’s his job to protect his siblings and he feels like sticking to the rules is the best way to ensure everyone’s safety so for a time, Annabelle is off limits. The woman actually made his heart beat for the first time, so it made for some rather interesting tension watching him try to avoid admitting what they had. Although I will say, I really wanted to slap him when he decided to lie to Annabelle. The whole lying to protect the person you love just feels like a cop out to me. Eventually, he did manage to get back into my good graces.
 
Kaden and Annabelle had amazing chemistry, which when he kept refusing her advances, made the sexual tension so much stronger. The conflict was a little rocky in this one. Part of it could have been cleared up if they just sat down and had wee little chat. Why is it so hard for characters in a romances novels to talk to each other?
 
There’s a bit of suspense in this one. It starts off with Annabelle receiving prank calls, then people ringing her doorbell then disappearing, and it escalates to someone throwing a brick through the window of her bakery. Both Annabelle and Kaden thought she had a stalker— actually, I did too. While I had a feeling who was behind it, I was right but I was also wrong. You definitely should check out the book to see who the baddie was. While I liked the way it was handled and Annabelle wasn’t going to go down without a fight, the conclusion of the suspense felt a tad bit rushed. A few extra pages would have rounded it off nicely.
 
While I wouldn’t categorize this as a NA romance, Annabelle occasionally has undertones of a NA heroine and for some readers that could be off putting, but with Annabelle, it worked without becoming grating.
 
I did have a slight problem with the opening chapter. There was a bit of repetition as the scenes switch POVs but thankfully, that quickly cleared up and didn’t reoccur.
 
The secondary characters were interesting. Kaden’s two younger brothers are certainly a randy bunch of aliens living as human’s so I have a feeling that their books are going to be entertaining and I look forward to reading them.
 
Overall, I’m really glad that I gave this novel a go. It was fun watching Kaden get used to the human world and his formal date fiasco had me giggling.
 
If you’re a newbie to the alien world like I was, this is the perfect book to start with. Although I will say, it left me with a hankering to whip up a few batches of cupcakes. And, as much as I hate to admit it, the entire time I was reading it I couldn’t get Katy Perry’s song E.T. out of my head, so be warned. If you know the song, it will probably be bouncing around in your head while you read this brilliant little alien/human romance.

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Take it Like a Vamp by Candace Havens



Vampire Nick Christos might’ve been born in the Middle Ages, but the good old days seem tame compared to the last eight years he’s spent ruling the Supernatural Council. His only respite is with his cute neighbor Casey Meyers, a woman he wants more than any undead man should. Sure, he’s forced to take a cold shower after every encounter, but there’s no way he’ll test his own strength by getting too close to a human, and he’s not willing to risk her life–not with bloodthirsty family on the prowl out to ruin Nick’s life.
 
When said Nick’s kin shows up, the innocent Casey is caught in the middle of a centuries old fight, and Nick’s biggest fear is realized. Now, instead of keeping his hands off his neighbor, he’ll risk everything to save the human he’s come to love.
 
Title: Take it Like A Vamp | Series: Take it Like A Vamp | Author: Candace Havens | Publisher: Covet, an imprint of Entangled | Genre: Paranormal Romance | Source:  purchased| Rating: 3.5-4

I’m a bit on the fence about this one. While I liked it,—and the author’s witty dialogue—towards the end of the book, parts of the plot felt rushed and not fully fleshed out.
 
So, here’s what’s going on. Casey Meyers is a graphic artist with a horrid dating history and a mad crush on her hot neighbor who also happens to be her best friend. Nick Christos is hot enough to make your panties melt. He’s also a Vrykolakas—a werewolf that has been turned into a vampire—who just so happens to be the head of the Supernatural Council. Per the Council’s rules, Nick must marry to keep his position. Getting married isn’t high on his list of priorities so he decides to flaunt a fake fiancée in front of the council and Casey fits the bill. While she doesn’t know what he is, the attention that he’s given her has landed her in the sight of a crazy witch intent on destroying everything that Nick holds dear. Now to keep her safe, Nick must claim her as his own but first he needs to reveal his true self to her.
 
Okay, so Nick was a very likable vampire but he had his questionable moments. He’s attracted to Casey but he can’t act on it because he’s afraid it will put her life in danger. Given that he never acted on his attraction to Casey in order to protect her, it felt a little odd that he would parade her in front of the Council. Another thing that kind of bugged me about Nick was the fact he wanted Casey to trust him but he refused to tell her anything.
 
Casey had her likable points yet she was a tad bit whiny. It wasn’t enough to put her on the unlikable heroines list but I would have like to have seen her a bit more secure in who she was. Although I do have to applaud her for keeping it together when she learned what Nick was. I think some of my favorite Casey moments was watching her trying to figure out what Nick was and what trouble he was in. I have to agree with her, I would have been guessing Mafia/Mob as well.
 
The chemistry was there from the start. Every time they were in the room together Casey would get all hot and bothered and Nick would get all fangy and turned on and would flee. The conflict stemmed from lack of communication. If Nick would have just told Casey what he was things would have gone a lot smoother.
 
There is a bit of suspense thrown in in the form of Alvinia, a witch who once had her claws in Nick. While this was an interesting aspect and it did throw me a surprise, it felt more like a page-filler and really could have been flesh-out a bit more. Plus, I really wish that Nick would have made good on his threats of destroying Alvinia. Every time she would show up, Nick threatened to rip her throat out yet he never acted it on so his empty threats started to get annoying. And it never really felt like the Alvinia issue was fully resolved.
 
While I loved the first part of the book and still found the entire book engaging, the book started to feel rushed towards the end and made the plot feel a bit disjointed. A few extra chapters could have been added to allow the author to expand on a few points and even out the flow.
 
The paranormal aspect of this book was front and center, which given this was a paranormal romance it was hoping for. I actually got to see the characters shift into their paranormal beings, which is something that was lacking in the book two.
 
So, this is the first book in the series. I read Baby’s Got Bite first and now, having read Take it Like a Vamp, I wished I would have read the books in order because this book gives more details about Linc, the hero in the second book.
 
Overall, I liked Take it Like A Vamp. A few things could have been handled a bit differently but it still made for an enjoyable weekend paranormal read.

 






Take it Like A Vamp Series

1-Take it Like A Vamp



Monday, September 21, 2015

The Good, The Bad...the DNF's



Okay, so they happen…The dreaded DNF’s. The books that I just couldn’t make myself finish. Rather than writing up a post for each book that I walked away from in the last few weeks, I decided to stick them together in one post.

 

Charlotte Holden, Sugar’s favorite pediatrician, knows better than anyone that love only leads to heartbreak. Instead, she’s focused on creating the Grow Clinic, an outpatient center for children. All she has to do now is to host the best Founder’s Day Parade in the history of Sugar, Georgia, to win over a big-city donor. Easy as peach pie. Then sexy Jace McGraw blows back into town and utters those three words every woman dreads: we’re still married.
 
Jace McGraw was making an offer on his dream business in Atlanta when he was told that his wife had some credit issues. Wait, his wife? The annulment went through years ago-or so he thought. He’d walked away only to keep his troublemaker reputation from ruining her dreams. But now that they have a second chance, Jace offers Charlotte a deal: he’ll grant a discreet divorce in exchange for 30 days and nights of marriage. Because this time he isn’t going to let her go without a fight.
 
Title: A Taste of Sugar | Series: Sugar, Georgia #3 | Author: Marina Adair | Publisher: Forever | Release Date: 8/25/2015 | Genre: Contemporary Romance | Source: Publisher

I’m a huge fan of second chance romances and I loved the surprise! we’re still married trope, but this one sadly just couldn’t hold my attention.  I’ve been stuck on page 79 for weeks.
 
It started off with so much talk about the work Charlotte’s doing with the new clinic that’s getting ready to open that it bogged down the plot. Also, Charlotte came off as really cold and I just could not connect with her.
 
There’s something going on with Jace—a secret from his past—but not even that could entice me to pick the book back up and finish it.
 
Overall, the opening was slow, I couldn’t connect with Charlotte, and I felt that there was too much irrelevant stuff thrown in at the beginning.  

 
 

IT'S TIME TO CHANGE HER SEXUAL KARMA


Caroline Frost had it all-until her boyfriend banged the superskank intern, and poof! Caroline's happy little bubble disappeared. Now it's been six weeks of weeping, a mountain of ice cream, and a permanent buttprint on the couch. Enough is enough. She and her ladybits need an intervention-now.

 

Enter Operation: One Night Stand: Find a man who is hotness personified and have some much-needed sexy time. The only problem is that Caroline is torn between a flirtatious, well-built guy and the ridiculously hot bartender serving her shots. This was supposed to be all fun and no games, but like the perfect scotch on the rocks, no good fling finishes without a twist . . .

 

Title: Operation: One Night Stand | Author: Christine Hughes | Publisher: Forever Yours | Release Date: June 2, 2015 | Genre: Contemporary Romance | Source: Publisher

 

I couldn’t get past the first chapter of this one. I know Caroline just got her heart broken but she just came off as too whiney to the point she got on my nerves.

 
 

Friday, September 18, 2015

Head Over Heels For The Boss by Susan Meier



Isabelle Cooper's in big, big trouble. Her flower shop? Well, it was just bought by the man she’s had a crush on forever. Her new boss, Devon Donovan, is a tall glass of melt-in-your-mouth hotness. The problem? Devon is definitely not interested in love. No ifs, ands, or buds about it.
 
Devon knows Isabelle has been crushing on him since college, but buying her business shouldn’t be a problem. Not only is she his employee, but as the eldest Donovan brother, he’s too busy protecting the family fortune for romance. But tomboy “Izzy” is all grown up now. And he’s finding it impossible to resist her, no matter how hard he tries...
 
Title: Head Over Heels For The Boss| Series: Donovan Brothers  #3| Author: Susan Meier | Publisher: Bliss, an imprint of Entangled | Release Date: 8/14/2015 | Genre: Contemporary Romance | Source: Publisher | Rating: 4.5

I loved this book. A fun and flirty romp this is going on my favorite reads of 2015 list.
 
So, here’s what’s going on: In high school Isabelle asked a much older Devon to her senior prom and he rudely rejected her. While his rejection hurt—and still lingers in her mind—, it never put a damper on her crush on Devon Donovan. When her family up and sells the flower shop they own to the Donovan’s there’s a stipulation in their contract that states they must keep Isabelle as their employee. Now Isabelle has to work side-by-side with the man who has the potential to melt her panties.
 
Devon always thought of Isabelle as a tomboy but now that he’s working with her daily, he sees her in a new light. Gone are the pigtails and in their place is a gorgeous woman he can’t get out of his head. While he believes he’s too busy protecting his family—and their vast fortune—to do relationships, he’s not opposed to secret affairs. The only thing he has to do is to convince Isabelle.
 
While Isabelle finds a thrill in sneaking around with Devon, she knows that there will come a day when she’s going to want more and Devon has made it crystal clear that he doesn’t do love.
 
This was such a fun little read. I really loved both Devon and Isabelle and was rooting for them to finally get it together.
 
Growing up, Devon took on the role of protecting his mother and two younger brothers from their abusive father and he believes—even though their father is out of their lives and his mother and brothers have moved on—that it’s still his job to protect them. Because he took on this role at such a young age, he’s a bit of a control freak, although he’s a likable control freak. He’s also bit damaged but I enjoyed watching him finally realize what he had been missing out on.
 
I really liked Isabelle. She’s content running the flower shop her parent’s own and she’s made that shop her life so when she discovers that her parents have sold it to man she’s had a crush on her world turns upside down. Now she needs to figure out how to go from boss to employee. It makes it worse that she’s head-over-heels for Devon and it nearly kills her to be working alongside him without being able to act on her feelings but she’s willing to accept the terms of his secret affair. What I admired about her was that she was also willing to walk away when she realized he wouldn’t be able to give her what she deserved.
 
The relationship between Isabelle and Devon was fun to watch. Both were used to being in control and neither of them wanted to relinquish an ounce of control so it was fun to see them navigate both their professional and personal relationships. It was also fun watching them try to keep their relationship private when they had such amazing chemistry.
 
The conflict in the book stemmed more from Devon’s internal conflict and the reason he refuses to fall in love so it was more Devon battling himself. While they did occasionally butt heads, the conflict was light and it actually worked for this book.
 
If you’ve read the two previous books in this series, you’ll be glad to be able to catch up with the characters from the previous books. If you’re a newbie to the series like me, you’ll be treated to new characters that you want to learn more about.
 
Overall,  Head Over Heels For The Boss was an engaging, feel good romance that I look forward to reading again. It’s the perfect weekend read.
 
Series Alert: So, this is the third book in The Donovan Brothers series but it worked really well as a standalone.




The Donovan Brother’s Series

1-Her Summer With The Marine
2-Chasing The Runaway Bride
3-Falling For The Boss