Heartbreaker by Diana Palmer

STONE-COLD COWBOY 

 

 Wealthy Texas cattle rancher J. B. Hammock was proud of his reputation as a heartbreaker. He treated his women well, but they all knew they would never have a permanent status in his life—all but one. Innocent Tellie Maddox had been just a girl when she’d been orphaned and had come to live with his family. She was fiercely devoted to J.B., but when that devotion turned into something passionate between them, J.B. knew he had to break yet another heart.

 

 Tellie hated him for that—until she lost her memory in an accident. Now all she remembered was the closeness she and J.B. once shared. He didn’t want to hurt her all over again, but it quickly became clear that there was too much fire between him and Tellie for them to ever just be friends. And the deeper their feelings grew, the more J.B. feared the inevitable return of Tellie’s memory….

Heartbreaker just didn’t work for me. Rather than immersing me in the story, I felt as though the narrator was giving me a choppy retelling of a story they heard through the grapevine. And the hero and heroine were cringe-worthy. I tried so so so hard to find something I liked about them but I came up empty handed.

 

Tellie is almost twenty-two yet she acts so immature it’s downright annoying. Really, I wanted to reach in a smack her and tell her to grow up and move on. Anywho, she has this mad crush/obsession with J.B. and she’s drooling over him like a Saint Bernard even though—wait for it—he’s parading his flavor of the week, a buxom blonde whose about as deep as a puddle, around Tellie just to hurt her.

 

Rather than growing up and going on with her life, she’s all I-love-him-I-want-to-marry-him-my-life-is-over-without-him. I mean, seriously!?!?! What kind of bloody heroine is she supposed to be? I don’t understand people like her. I can’t stand people like her. Then to add to the insanity of an already screwed up plot, Tellie gets in an accident, gets amnesia, thinks she’s seventeen again and that she and J.B. go together like peanut butter and jelly. Cue the googly eyes and teenage angst.

 

J.B. is a complete and utter dickhead/arsehat/wanker. The guy is most definitely an anti-hero, why in the world he was even in a romance novel, I will never know. Throughout 80% of the novel, he was intent on doing things just to hurt Tellie. Then when he finally saw the light, he was still a wanker.

 

I would have been so happy if this novel would have ended with Tellie telling J.B. to sod off.

 

So, this was my first time reading a Diana Palmer novel and if I’m being honest, I’m not sure that I will be reading another one. I think my brain might implode if I read another romance like this one.

 

Overall, this one would have been a DNF, although I kept reading hoping to see some road-to-Damascus moment with J.B. or a moment of clarity with Tellie but it never happened.  

 

Just a F.Y.I., this book was originally released in 2006 and was re-issued in 2015 in Harlequin’s Bestselling Author Collection. This release also includes In Bed with the Wrangler by Barbara Dunlop, but I haven’t been brave enough to read it just yet.

 

Book Details

Title: Heartbreaker

Author: Diana Palmer

Publisher: Harlequin

ISBN: 978-0-373-01024-0

Release Date: March 2015

Source: Mass-Market Paperback from Publisher

Rating: 1

The Rebel of Copper Creek by R.C. Ryan

A love worth fighting for . . .

 

The last thing widow Juliet Grayson needs is a man in her life. Between caring for her two young sons and maintaining her husband's ranch, her hands are more than full. Then she meets Griff Warren. With his quiet strength and his easy way with her boys, she's tempted to trust him. But if there's anything she's learned, it's that love only leads to heartbreak.

 

Former Marine Griff Warren never thought he'd settle down. Rebellious and proud, he's always been on his own . . . until the father he never knew he had died, leaving him with land that is his legacy and brothers to share the load. He doesn't need more than that. But Juliet touches something deep inside him-and he wants nothing more than to protect her and her sons. Now if only he can convince her to take a second chance at true love.

The Rebel of Copper Creek was a cute little romance with a hint of suspense peppered in.

 

Juliet Grayson is a widow caring for her two young sons—one who hasn’t spoken since the death of his father—and trying to run her husband’s ranch. She knows she’s failing the ranch. Some of her hired hands are running wild and the place is falling down around her.

 

Griff Warren is a former Marine who had a bit of a troubled childhood. After his mother’s death, he thought he was alone but a legacy left to him by his father allowed him to connect with his half-brothers. When he meets Juliet and her two young boys, he knows what it’s like going up against things on your own and he’s determined to do what he can to help her.

 

I was a huge fan of R.C. Ryan’s Fools Gold series then for some reason, I stopped reading her so I completely missed the start of the Copper Creek series. I really need to remedy that situation and read book one.

 

Juliet was such a strong heroine. I suppose, given all that she’s been through—she would have to be to survive. She also has this suborn streak that makes her interactions with Griff so intense.

 

Griff had his broody moments. He’s trying to fit in with his new found family while trying to start a relationship with Juliet and keep her and her boys safe. There is a lot going on in Griff’s life and he’s struggling a bit to cope but he refuses to give in.

 

The romance between Griff and Juliet was a bit delayed but that only made their chemistry so much more intense. I was truly rooting for these two to get together.

 

The suspense aspect was intriguing. Someone’s been causing havoc around the ranch which causes Griff’s protective instinct to go into overdrive. I had an inkling of who it was at the start, but a few twists and turns had me second guessing myself.

 

Overall, I liked The Rebel of Copper Creek. It was a fast-paced, well-rounded romance that I finished in a few hours.

 

Book Details

Title: The Rebel of Copper Creek
Copper Creek Cowboys #2

Author: R.C. Ryan

Publisher: Forever
An imprint of Grand Central

ISBN: 937-1-455-57226-7

$8.00

Source: Mass Market Arc from Publisher

Rating: 4

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Bear Naked: A Midnight Liaisons Novella by Jessica Sims

 

Nikolina Aasen’s lived a lonely life as a single were-bear female with no compatible mate in her small clan. But when she shows signs of going into heat, the clan decides they will pick the man to sire her child.

 

Nikolina has other ideas, though. She’s thinking of someone tall, dark and handsome…who disappeared sixteen years ago.

 

Leif Ludvik left the bear clans behind to go totally, completely wild and bury his grief when his fiancee died. He’s been hiding out in bear-form for so long he hardly remembers who – and what – he is. When Nikolina finds him, she’s determined to make the sexy beast her mate no matter the cost…

 

But will seducing Leif get her the family she's always wanted...or destroy both of their lives?

So…Nikolina is going into heat but since her betrothed left the bear clan, her options are limited. Although the clan elders, bloody idiots that they were, decided that one of the mated men should ‘take one for the team’ and impregnant Nikolina. However, Nikolina has a mind of her own—and a bit of a wild streak, yay, Nikolina! —so she decides to search out the handsome were-bear that left the clan sixteen years ago.

 

When Leif Ludvik’s fiancée died, he left the bear clan and moved to Antarctica. Living in bear form for sixteen years has made him feral. Let’s just say that he’s wild and wooly and having a problem connecting to his human side although Nikolina’s determined to mate Leif and bring him back to reality.

 

Just when Nikolina has saved Leif from himself, she may lose him because of the clan elders.

 

Okay, so the were-bear clan elders are a bunch of tossers. I just had to put that out there. But really, I think they all have burrs up their arses.  

 

Anywho, it was interesting watching Leif come back from his wild state. And I really admired Nikolina’s moxie. They had amazing chemistry that nearly melted the snow around them and, oh my, those sex scenes were scorchers.

 

The start of the book was a little too much inside Nikolina’s head, but it rounded out fairly quickly allowing the plot to flow as the characters engaged with one another. And the flow stayed nice and steady.

 

I really liked Bear Naked. It moved up to my second favorite in the Midnight Liaisons series and I’m actually looking forward to reading it again.

 

So, why didn’t I give it a 5-cup rating if I liked it? It was the ending. While it had a warm and fluffy ending, it didn’t give me enough to satisfy me.

 

Overall, it was a quick, hot, little read that I devoured. The characters were brilliant and loved the fact that Leif was wild.  

Book Details

Title: Bear Naked
Midnight Liaisons #3.5

Author: Jessica Sims

Publisher: Jill Myles

ASIN: B00IEUX2VW

Format: E-book

$2.99

Source: Purchased

Rating: 4.5

Midnight Liaison Series 

 

1.     BEAUTY DATES THE BEAST

2.     DESPERATELY SEEKING SHAPESHIFTER

3.      VIXEN (novella)

4.      OUT WITH A FANG (novellain the UNDEAD IN MY BED anthology)

5.      SPEED MATING (novella)

6.      SINGLE WOLF FEMALE (novella)

7.     MUST LOVE FANGS

8.      BEAR NAKED (novella)

9.      CLAWS & EFFECT (novella)

10.       WANTED: WILD THING

11. Tiger by the Tail (novella)

 

 

The Dangers of Dating A Rebound Vampire by Molly Harper

In the next book in Molly Harper’s beloved Half Moon Hollow paranormal romance series, Gigi starts her first job (at Vampire Headquarters), gets over her first love, and may even fall for her first vampire!

 

Gigi is no longer an innocent teen. All grown up and looking for love, her family and friends worry she’ll go for the sexy, alluring vampire instead of a nice, safe human. But sexy and alluring, with a penchant for biting, could be just what Gigi wants...

If you pick up The Dangers of Dating a Rebound Vampire, I strongly suggest that you read I’m Dreaming of an Undead Christmas so that you are on track with the meeting of Gigi and her mysterious vampire.

 

Yay!!! Another snarky romantic comedy from the wickedly talented Molly Harper.

Gigi’s starting to wonder if she’s made up the mysterious vampire she was sort of seeing until he goes all bat crap crazy and attacks her in a parking lot. Now her brother-in-law Cal has hired a bodyguard for her, which turns out to be the vamp that attacked her. Although Nikolai Dragomirov has no recollection of kissing Gigi or attacking her but he does have the stake wound she inflicted. They are determined to forge on with their newbie relationship but first they have to figure out why he’s attacking her.

 

Every time I get a Molly Harper novel I do a happy little Snoopy dance then stay up until the wee hours of the morning devouring it.

 

I have been waiting to discover the identity of Gigi’s mystery vamp since listening to I’m Dreaming of an Undead Christmas and I have to say, I was not disappointed.

 

Gigi is strong, snarky, and all grown up. Having loved this series from the start, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing an adult Gigi. Nik had me constantly turning the pages. I wanted to know his story and find out why he was flipping his lid.

 

While parts of the novel were predictable, there was a twist I didn’t see coming.

 

Overall, it was so much fun revisiting the quirky characters of Half-Moon Hallow in this wickedly entertaining and fast-paced read.

 

Book Details

Title: The Dangers of Dating  A Rebound Vampire
Half-Moon Hallow #3

Author: Molly Harper

Publisher: Pocket Books

ISBN:9781476706016

Release Date: 3/24/2015

Source: Publisher

Rating: 4 Cups

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Tiger by the Tail: A Midnight Liaisons Novella by Jessica Sims

Were-tiger Adrian Merino is determined to see the newest shifter on the block, Mandy, become his mate. But it’s got to be her idea first… Can he convince her that what he wants is what she wants, too? Or is Mandy too stubborn to see what's before her whiskered nose?

 

This 15,000 word Midnight Liaisons novella was originally published in ON THE GROWL.

I’m completely and utterly addicted to the Midnight Liaison Series by Jessica Sims.

 

Mandy’s story—or at least how she was turned and then exiled— first appeared in Must Love Fangs (book 3 of the Midnight Liaisons Series) and since then I’ve been wondering what happened to her. Now I finally have my answer.

 

Mandy’s returned from exile and broken up with her ex (who was the one who turned her) but she feels as though her life is being control by the tiger clan. All she wants is a normal life, so she’s refusing to shift which Vic, the alpha, knows is only going to cause more trouble. So, to get her under control, he agrees to allow his brother, Adrian, to act as her guide into the were-tiger world.

 

Adrian has been attracted to Mandy since his younger brother, Johnny, turned her. Now that she’s no longer with his brother, Adrian can now make his move. He decides to enter into a deal with Mandy: Spend three days with him. If he can’t convince her to shift in three days, then she’s free to go. If she does shift, then she agrees to become his mate.

 

He knows it’s a bet he can’t lose, but now that he’s fallen for Mandy, he’s not sure if he can hold her to a life she doesn’t want.

 

I loved this novella.

 

Mandy was a determined little newbie were-tiger. She wanted to hold on to her human side for as long as she could and she put up quite the fight.

 

I thought that Adrian was going to come on as strong as Vic but he has this quiet strength that made him so bloody sexy. He was determined to make Mandy bend to his will but once he realized she felt as though the walls were closing in around her, he decided to offer his support instead.

 

Although she was trying to fight it, they had amazing chemistry. And the romance was steamy.

 

Overall, Tiger by the Tail was a fast-paced read. While the ending felt a little abrupt, I thought the book was brilliant.

 

Series Alert: Tiger by the Tail does standalone, but if you want a bit more understanding of what came before with Mandy, I recommend that you read book 3, Must Love Fangs.

Book Details

Title: Tiger by the Tail
A Midnight Liaisons Novella

Author: Jessica Sims

Publisher: Jill Myles

ASIN: B00RWFQLZ4

Release Date: 1/2015

Format: E-book

$0.99

Source: Purchased

Rating: 4 Cups

Midnight Liaison Series 

1.     BEAUTY DATES THE BEAST

2.     DESPERATELY SEEKING SHAPESHIFTER

3.      VIXEN (novella)

4.      OUT WITH A FANG (novellain the UNDEAD IN MY BED anthology)

5.      SPEED MATING (novella)

6.      SINGLE WOLF FEMALE (novella)

7.     MUST LOVE FANGS

8.      BEAR NAKED (novella)

9.      CLAWS & EFFECT (novella)

10.       WANTED: WILD THING

 11. Tiger by the Tail (novella)
 

 

One Night With Her Bachelor by Kat Latham

Bid on a date with this wounded warrior for an unforgettable night of adventure. Aim high—and bid higher!—because no one comes close to local hero Gabriel Morales.

 

Molly Dekker hates being the town charity case, but when her son Josh is seriously injured she has no choice. She lets her best friend organize a bachelor auction to help pay her massive bills and make Josh’s life more comfortable. She can’t bid on any of the men, but a surprise bidder gives her a gift she never expected: a date with the man who saved her son’s life—the only one she’s in danger of losing her heart to.

 

Former Air Force pararescueman Gabriel Morales made a career of flying to the rescue, until a tragic helicopter crash stole more than his livelihood. Being auctioned off like a slab of beef isn’t in his recovery plan. But one look, one touch and one night unlocking Molly’s pent-up passion make him realize how badly he needs to be rescued…and how badly he wants to rescue Molly right back.

 

Will Molly and Gabriel’s never-quit attitude have them rushing head-first into love? Or will Gabriel’s secret pain stall their relationship before it can get off the ground?  

Series: Bachelor's Auction #6 | Publisher: Montana Born | Source: Publisher | Rating: 4.5 Cups

I’ve been waiting to hear Molly’s story and I have to say I am over the moon with how it turned out.

 

 

Growing more serious but keeping his voice gentle, he asked, “What are you looking for, Molly?”

 

She swallowed again, but at least she didn’t look away. “Orgasms. At least three.”

 

When single-mother Molly Decker has an encounter with her brother’s best friend in the local shop, she decides to pay him a visit at his remote cabin. Although their tryst is interrupted by the news that Molly’s son, Josh, has been involved in an accident.

 

Former Air Force pararescueman Gabriel Morales survived the helicopter crash that killed Molly’s brother but he returned home wounded and stripped of his identity. Feeling useless, he’s decided to hole up in a remote cabin in the woods and go off the grid until Josh’s accident forces him to return to the job he left behind.

 

Agreeing to be one of the bachelors auctioned in a benefit to aid with the debt Molly accumulated due to Josh’s accident, Gabriel never imagined that a surprise bidder would gift his date to Molly. Undeniably attracted to her, Gabriel will have to overcome the obstacles in his way. And with Molly refusing to let him falter, neither can lose.

 

This is my favorite novel in the Bachelors Auction series. I could not put it down until I read the last page.

 

Both Gabriel and Molly have suffered and are still suffering because of the events that have happened in their lives. They were the perfect couple. They knew what the other had been through and what they were grieving for. They also knew what they wanted to fight for.

 

I was annoyed with Gabriel for not revealing some information a bit sooner, but I could see why he kept it hidden. Molly has this amazing ‘can do’ attitude, but she’s also fragile so it was nice to see her strength shine through.

 

The plot and flow of this book was simply brilliant. Out of all the books in this series, One Night with her Bachelor had the best backstory and character development.

It also had the best chemistry between the characters and I think that had to do with the fact both characters had suffered because of the same tragedy. This book was also steamy. I swear I heard my Kindle sizzle a few times.

 

The only problem I had with this book was the fact it was way too short. Given what the characters were up against, this plot could have been developed into a full-length novel. Not that it was lacking in anything, there just could have been more to their story.

 

Overall, I’m sad to see this series end but it went out with a bang.

 

Bachelor Auction Series

Book 1: Bound to the Bachelor

Book 2: Bachelor at her Bidding

Book 3: The Bachelor's Baby
Book 4: What a Bachelor Needs
Book 5: In Bed with the Bachelor

Book 6: One Night with her Bachelor

Echo Lake by Carla Neggers

In snowy Swift River Valley, unexpected romance is just around the corner…

 

Heather Sloan has landed her dream job—the renovation of Vic Scarlatti’s stately 1912 country home overlooking the icy waters of Echo Lake in Knights Bridge, Massachusetts. It’s the perfect project for the family business, but for once, Heather is in charge.

 

Diplomatic Security Service agent Brody Hancock left Knights Bridge at eighteen, a few steps ahead of arrest and the wrath of Heather’s older brothers. Though Brody had never planned to return, Vic, a retired diplomat and friend, needs his help.

 

Staying at Vic’s guest house makes it impossible to avoid running into a Sloan at every turn—especially Heather. Seeing her again has affected Brody more than he wants to admit. But Heather is wary of Brody’s sudden interest in her, and she suspects there’s more to his homecoming than he’s letting on….

 

Set against the scenic backdrop of a New England winter, Echo Lake is a captivating tale of family, friends and the possibility of new love.

 

Series: Swift River Valley #4 |  Author: Carla Neggers | Publisher: Harlequin MIRA | Source: Publisher | Rating: 3.5 Cups

I’m always excited to see what’s going on in Knights Bridge, so I knew I had to get my hands on Echo Lake, the latest Swift River Valley novel. 

 

Brody left Knights Bridge at the age of eighteen after a fight with the Sloan brothers. Now he’s returned as a DSS agent looking into the strange events going on at Vic Scarlatti’s home that is being renovated by none other than Sloan and Sons.

 

 

Heather Sloan is in charge of renovating Vic’s house. It’s the job she’s dreamed about and for the first time since working for her father’s company, she’s in charge. She’s attracted to Brody, but she fears that the feud with her brothers will get in the way.

 

 

I’m on the fence about this one. I liked the book—the pacing was great, the characters were interesting, there was a cute puppy named Rohan—but I felt that it was slightly lacking.

 

 

Heather is the youngest Sloan and the only girl. By taking on the renovations of Vic’s home, she’s proving that she can do the same job as her brothers but she’s also going through a self-discovery stage.

 

 

Brody left town because of his feud with the Sloan brothers, so now that he’s back and interested in Heather, he’s worried that his actions as a teenager will have a negative impact on his relationship.

 

I don’t feel as though I got to see enough about Brody. What I did see, I liked but more of him would have been nice

 

 

While the attraction between Heather and Brody was there from the start, the two shared little page time together. I would have liked to have seen more of them together.

 

 

Mixed in with Heather and Brody’s plotline is the mystery of what’s going on with Vic. I was hoping that this was going to go a bit deeper and be just a tad bit more complex but sadly, I had it figured out from the start.

Overall, I enjoyed Echo Lake—I read it from start to finish in a few hours—but I felt that it was a little weaker than the previous books in the series.

 

The Swift River Valley Series

Secrets of the Lost Summer

That Night On Thistle Lane

Cider Brook

Christmas at Carriage Hill (novella)

Echo Lake

A Knights Bridge Christmas (novella)

The Spring at Moss Hill

Red Clover Inn