Guest Review at Smexy Today!

I am over at Smexybooks today with my guest review of A Lot Like Love by Julie James.

Mandi was so awesome and saw how excited I was for this new James book. She sent me an e-mail, asked if I wanted her ARC and to guest review at Smexy. Let me just tell you, if you don't already read Julie James.... YOU MUST!

Check out my review here!

Review - Dreams of a Dark Warrior by Kresley Cole

Publisher: Pocket Books
Publish Date: February 15th
How I got this book: Purchased

It’s a gripping tale of a battle-maddened warrior driven by revenge and the Valkyrie temptress who haunts his dreams.

He vowed he’d come for her...
Murdered before he could wed Regin the Radiant, warlord Aidan the Fierce seeks his beloved through eternity, reborn again and again into new identities, yet with no memories of his past lives-only an endless yearning.

She awaits his return...
When Regin encounters Declan Chase, a brutal Celtic soldier, she recognizes her proud warlord reincarnated. But Declan takes her captive, intending retribution against all immortals, unaware that he belongs to their world.

To sate a desire more powerful than death...
Yet every reincarnation comes with a price, for Aidan is doomed to die when he remembers his past. To save herself from Declan’s torments, will Regin rekindle the memories of the passion they once shared-even if it means once again losing the only man she could ever love?
*Blurb from Goodreads*

Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark Series is one of my absolute favorite paranormal romance series, and she continues with the eleventh installment, featuring the Valkyrie Regin, one of my favorites, and her reincarnated love Aiden, aka Declan.

Regin the Radiant left the comfort of her home as a young girl and met the love of her life Aidan at a young age. The two knew that they were destined to be together and feel deeply in love. But before Aidan could complete his battles and become an immortal berserker, he was killed by a vampire in their bed. Reincarnated every ascension, Aidan always comes back for her.

Declan was tormented by demons as a child, and spent his entire life hunting down and killing creatures of the Lore. When he captures Regin, there is something about her that draws him in. But his burning desire for her doesn’t stop him from treating her like a prisoner. Unbeknownst to him, there is a past and passion between the two that has the potential to destroy him. But when he falls in love with Regin on his own, will he be able to overcome death to stay with her forever?

I have to start off with saying that this was not my absolute favorite Cole book. I’ve been anxiously awaiting Regin’s story, wondering exactly how Cole was going to pull this one off. While I was super happy with the way some things played out, there were others that bothered me.

The thing that grated on me the most was that I didn’t think Declan really proved himself to Regin. I don’t think he really showed her or proved to her that he was willing to forego everything from his past, put aside all that hatred, and move on. I hate to say he got off too easy, because his own internal torment was obviously painful, but he didn’t have to prove himself to anyone in the Lore. I’ll even admit to hoping that Aidan would somehow prevail and Declan would float to the wayside.

I was very happy though with the way that Cole played out the curse. The way that Declan was able to become immortal, live happily with Regin. I don’t want to give anything away, but I was really happy with how Declan and Aidan and his constant deaths were all sorted out.

The big things I really liked about the story is the addition of some new characters. I loved Natalya, the dark fey cell mate of Regin’s. I hope that we get to see more of her in the future. I also enjoyed meeting Brandr and Thad. I know Cole has talked about a YA series, and hope that we will see some of the youngsters like Thad in that. I liked seeing more of Nix and Lothaire. While I’m not on the Lothaire bandwagon yet, I’m holding out hope that he’ll wow me in his book.


All in all, I give Dreams of a Dark Warrior 3.5 out of 5 reincarnated berserkers!

Waiting on... Saddled and Spurred

I blame Lorelei James for my lurve of all things sexy cowboys. Her Rough Riders Series swept me away with it's smokin hot love scenes, sexy guys in tight jeans, and romantic relationships. When she started the Blacktop Cowboy Series, I just had another reason to obsess over cowboys. On March 1st, the second book in the Blacktop Cowboys Series comes out, Saddled and Spurred. While I like her Rough Rider covers better, those abs are pretty amazing!

Cattleman Bran Turner is left shorthanded during busy calving season when a bull tramples his hired hand. Rural Wyoming isn’t exactly a hotbed of qualified candidates, and the only applicant for the position is the pampered town beauty, Harper Masterson. The curvy cowgirl gets under Bran’s skin at every turn, but with no other options, he reluctantly hires her.

When sexual sparks ignite, down-on-her-luck Harper enjoys convincing Bran that not only is she capable of pulling calves, feeding live-stock, and handling backbreaking ranch chores, but she doesn’t mind getting down and dirty, either. Harper also discovers the hotbodied cowboy isn’t all work and no horseplay…and he’s got more than a few tricks up his sleeve. Bran will learn quickly that Harper is no country mouse—and that she might just have what it takes to stick around for the long haul.
*Blurb from author's website*

Trailer Tuesday - Wicked Seduction

I'm not usually a huge sucker for pirate books, but this one looks FABULOUS! Check out the trailer for Jade Lee's Wicked Seduction, out March 1st.

Review - Animal Magnetism by Jill Shalvis

Publisher: Berkley
Publish Date: February 1st
How I got this book: Purchased

Co-owner of the town's only kennel, Lilah Young has lived in Sunshine, Idaho, all her life. Pilot-for-hire Brady Miller is just passing through. But he soon has Lilah abandoning her instincts and giving in to a primal desire.

It's Brady's nature to resist being tied down, but there's something about Lilah and her menagerie that keeps him coming back for more.
*Blurb from Goodreads*

This was only my second read by Shalvis, but I have to say, I really enjoy her writing! After only two reads, she has become one of my favorite contemporary romance authors. Animal Magnetism follows the crazy and hectic life of Lilah, the animal loving kennel owner in the small town of Sunshine. She lives her life catering to dogs, cats, ducks, and all the other animals in her area, giving literally everything she has to give them a chance at life.

When she literally runs into Brady Miller at the convenient store, she share a passionate kiss with the stranger, and comes to find out he is the missing friend of her buddies Dell and Adam. While Brady only wants to stay in town long enough to placate Dell and Adam, he finds himself inexplicably drawn to everything about Lilah.

I adored this cute and sweet romance. Lilah is the typical animal lover, giving absolutely everything she has to the animals. She is beyond dedicated to them, almost to the point where she cares more for them than she does herself. That tends to run through to her human relationships as well, always being the one to give, give, give and never take anything in return. Her giving nature is sweet and enduring to me, reminding me of the little puppy that always comes back for more. Having known people like Lilah in real life, her character really rang true to me, and I enjoyed that about her.

Brady was somewhat of an enigma to me. He kept thinking and saying that he was an independent guy, never wanting to settle down, be tied to one place. But at the same time, he kept acting as if the only place he wanted to be was with Lilah, regardless of everything else. Although Brady was a very masculine alpha hero, he was also a total softie when it came to Lilah. I loved every time he picked her up and put her to bed when she fell asleep at her desk, when he let her cry on his shoulder as she placed her animals.

Shalvis has a great sense of humor in her writing style, and I love that the heroes in her books always find a dramatic way to redeem themselves. Brady’s grand gesture annoyed me a little, only because it seemed to take him way longer than necessary to realize she was it for him. But none the less, he came back stronger.

I hope that Shalvis continues in this world, telling the stories of Adam and Dell. They were great and funny secondary characters, and I could really tell that something was brewing between Dell and the receptionist at his vet clinic. I hope we get more of their story in books to come.

All in all, I give Animal Magnetism 4.5 out of 5 rescue animals!

Review - Turn it Up by Vivian Arend

Published: February 8th, 2011
Publisher: Samhain
How I got this book: Purchased

She wants it. He’s got it…and a whole lot more.
Turner Twins, Book 2

Maxwell Turner considers his stubborn and resourceful attitude a plus. After all, it usually gets him what he wants—except for Natasha Bellingham. The long-time family friend may be ten years older than he, but so what? He’s plenty old enough to know they belong together. Now all he has to do is convince her.

Over the past few years Natasha’s love life has degenerated into a series of bad clichés. Her biological clock is ticking—loudly. As a proven architect with her own house-design company, she’s financially ready for a baby. Who says she needs a permanent man in her life for that? She just needs a “donation”.

When Max discovers Natasha’s future plans include artificial insemination, he’s outraged. She wants to get pregnant? No problem. He’s more than willing to volunteer—no turkey basters involved.

But there’s one non-negotiable clause: He wants forever. And he intends to do everything in his power—fair and unfair—to make it happen.

Warning: This title contains one younger man ready, aimed and hell bent on giving one woman everything she wants. Includes interludes against the wall, in a Jacuzzi, on a car hood and even—shockingly enough—on a bed or two. Oh, and about that porch swing? Yup…
*Blurb from Goodreads*

I’m not usually a big fan of baby stories, but I’ve come to learn that with Arend, what you see is not always what you get. We first met Max and Natasha in Turn It On, the first book in the Turner Twin Series. Although this one is a prequel, it was great to see Max and Natasha in a different light.

Natasha is starting to feel her biological clock ticking, and when she has one last night on the town, her drunken self accidently reveals her plan to Max. Since Max has always wanted to be with Natasha, he puts together a very impressive business plan to try and convince her to marry him and start that family with him. After much debating Natasha finally decides to give it a chance, and agrees to his proposal.
Although love wasn’t part of his original plan, Max does everything he can think of to woo Natasha, getting her to fall in love with him. But with the stress of his over bearing family, Natasha’s angry best friend, and hormones, will she be able to admit she feel in love?

I really enjoyed this one, despite a few things that really grated on me. I loved that Natasha was a cougar, although it was the one thing she really didn’t want to be. Her struggle with admitting her feelings for Max, and dealing with him being younger than her was a constant throughout. And while I normally agree that men mature at a much slower rate than woman, it was also painfully obvious to me that Max was not the “typical” guy. He was responsible and wanted nothing more than to be with Natasha day in and day out. Her inability to recognize that, or at least acknowledge that had me doubting her own intelligence.

I enjoyed getting an even better insight into the Turner family, and in this we get to see a lot more of the family dynamic. Every time Max’s family came into play, I remembered thinking… this is my family in a nut shell. LOL.

The big thing that really rankled on me was Max’s cousin and Natasha’s best friend Lila. The two girls are thick as thieves at the beginning of the story, and when Natasha tells Lila about her upcoming nuptials to Max, Lila freaks out. She berates Natasha, refuses to take her calls, won’t speak to her at family events and acts like an overall baby. Now, I speculate that there is something in Lila’s past that brought this about, but the fact that she doesn’t redeem herself and is a total bitch throughout the story really drives me nuts. She was given every chance to come clean with both Max and Natasha, but refused to be an adult and talk about it, instead acted like a two year old throwing a tantrum. I can only hope Arend will continue the series and give Lila a chance to redeem herself. (Yes, I’m talking to you Viv. Let Lila redeem herself… PLEASE?)

I thought the way that Max relentlessly pursued Natasha was great, the dates he set up for them, the way he helped her achieve her dream house, the way he took care of her once she got knocked up… Max really is a great hero, super in tune with his heroines needs. Loved that about them. This was a great addition to the Turner Twins Series, and like I said, I hope (pray) that Arend continues on with this series. She has really shown herself to be a star in not only the paranormal romance genre, but also contemporary romance.

All in all, I give Turn It Up 4 out of 5 pregnant cougars. RAWR!

Waiting on... Deadly Lies

I recently discovered Cynthia Eden, and I have been gobbling her stuff up as fast as I can. I started both her suspense and paranormal series, and have absolutely fallen in love with her writing style, in-depth characters, and intense plot lines.

Her Deadly Series focuses on a special task force that targets serial criminals. The characters are amazing, the villains are creepy and the books are all fabulous. The third book, Deadly Lies, featuring Samantha the resident computer genius and one sexy stranger. It comes out March 1st, and I can't wait!

She wants to hide the past
FBI Special Agent Samantha Kennedy is haunted by memories of the serial killer who abducted her. To keep the darkness at bay, she pretends to be a different, more confident woman. This Samantha doesn't fear every unknown face. So she throws caution to the wind and shares a night of unbridled passion with a handsome stranger.

He needs to uncover the...moreShe wants to hide the past
FBI Special Agent Samantha Kennedy is haunted by memories of the serial killer who abducted her. To keep the darkness at bay, she pretends to be a different, more confident woman. This Samantha doesn't fear every unknown face. So she throws caution to the wind and shares a night of unbridled passion with a handsome stranger.

He needs to uncover the truth
One night isn't enough for successful entrepreneur Max Ridgeway. He wants more of the sexy, smart, mysterious woman who slipped away before dawn. When they meet again, their attraction is undeniable-until his stepbrother goes missing, and Max realizes that Samantha isn't who she seems. But they must trust each other to trap a ring of bloodthirsty kidnappers before the nightmares that terrorize Sam become irrevocably real.

As a merciless criminal spins a web of . . .
DEADLY LIES
*Blurb from Goodreads*

Trailer Tuesday - Secrets & Shadows

I've heard a lot about the 13 to Life series, but have never read it. But as I was searching for new book trailers, this one caught my eye. And being that I love all things werewolves, I might have to try it out. What do you think of the new Secrets & Shadows trailer? Is the series worth picking up? Let me know!

Review - Death's Sweet Embrace by Tracey O'Hara

Publisher: Harper Voyage
Publish Date: Out Now
How I got this book: NetGalley

After centuries of secret conflict, humans and parahumans have reached an uneasy truce. But unspeakable evil now threatens the tenuous peace.

Teenaged shapeshifters are being slaughtered by a sadistic serial killer who rips their still-beating hearts from their paralyzed bodies. A task force forms to halt the madness, including the vampiric Aeternus Antoinette Petrescu, as well as Kitt Jordan and Raven Matokwe, members of enemy Animalian tribes . . . and forbidden lovers.

A centuries-old blood feud has divided their shapeshifting peoples, and if their passion is discovered it will doom them both. But past hostilities must be put aside, for the killer they seek is but the first sign of the all-consuming nightmare of The Dark Brethren.
*Blurb from Goodreads*

Kitt is back for the second installment for The Dark Brethren series. She is working at the academy as a teacher, finally getting the chance to meet her twin daughters. When the horrific murders start on campus, she gets pulled into the task force to track down the murder.

Kitt is reunited with the father of her children, Raven her one time lover and only love of her life. Although there is a price on Raven’s head, and Kitt has been ostracized from her family, the two will fight for the life and happiness of their daughters, as well as their own freedoms. But when the murder sets his sights on Kitt and and her daughters, will Raven and Kitt be able to save each other?

Death’s Sweet Embrace by Tracey O’Hara is finally out, and was one I was looking forward too. I really enjoyed the first book in the series, and was anxiously awaiting this one. I have to say though, I really wish that I had re-read Night’s Cold Kiss before reading this, because the whole first third of the book or so, I was completely lost.

So, although it took me awhile to get back into the story, once I got back into the flow of the world building, I got sucked completely into the story. It would have been very very helpful had O’Hara done some more world building explanation, even though this is the second book in the series. It’s always nice for a refresher, especially since there can be so much time between two books.

Kitt really captivated me, and the story surrounding her past with her husband, Raven, her children and family was so complicated and intertwined with the suspense of this book. I found myself really being able to relate to her, because Kitt just wanted to make everyone happy. She wanted her daughters, her father, Raven and everyone else in her life to be happy, and was willing to sacrifice so much.

There were times when I wanted to smack Raven, because he was driving me crazy. Although he was more than capable of taking care of himself, the fact that he didn’t seem to care about Kitt concern for his life annoyed me. He wanted her to do everything he said and asked, but at the same time, wasn’t willing to give her the same courtesy.

The suspense plot was very well done, and I was kept guessing until the last minute. And l loved it! It tied into Kitt’s history and present so well, and fit with the overall story so well, it was probably my favorite aspect of this story. The romance between Kitt and Raven was also well done, and although there were times I didn’t think they would make it (or even want to for that matter), they were finally able to find a way to both get past their pigheadedness and agree to make it work.

I’m excited that it seems as if Kitt and Raven’s twins will play a large role in the series as a whole. I am really liking the way that the series seems to be progressing, and look forward to the next, however I might have to do a refresher before.

All in all, I give Death’s Sweet Embrace 3 out of 5 shifting cat and wolf twins.

Review - The Perfect Play by Jaci Burton

Publisher: Berkley
Publish Date: Out Now
How I got this book: Purchased

Football pro Mick Riley is an all-star, both on the field and in the bedroom. But a sexy, determinedly single mom just might be the one to throw him off his game…

For years Mick has been taking full advantage of the life available to a pro athlete: fame, fortune, and a different girl in every city. But when he meets and beds confident, beautiful event planner Tara Lincoln, he wants much more than the typical one-night stand. Too bad Tara’s not interested in getting to know football’s most notorious playboy any better.

As the single mother of a teenage son, the last thing Tara needs is the jet-set lifestyle of Mick Riley; even though their steamy and passionate one-night stand was unforgettable. Tara’s life is complicated enough without being thrust into the spotlight as Mick’s latest girl du jour. Tara played the game of love once and lost big, and she doesn’t intend to put herself out there again, especially with a heartbreaker like Mick.

But when Mick sets his mind to win, nothing will stop him. And he has the perfect play in mind.

Isn’t it just yummy?
*Blurb from Goodreads*

I am a huge fan of sports related romance books, so when Jaci Burton announced her Play by Play Series, I was anxiously awaiting for each and little bit of information she threw our way. Once the cover was released, I feel instantly in love. That man is HOT! Like, unbelievably HAWT! Needless to say, I pre-ordered this and downloaded it as soon as it became available.

Mick is the star quarterback with the reputation of an absolute playboy, but when he meets Tara one afternoon, he finds himself attracted to her beyond anything he’s felt before. Tara wants nothing more than to focus on her up and coming career as an event planner and to be the best possible mother to her teenage son. So when Mick comes sniffing around, wanting to something with her, Tara is hesitant to give him more than just one passionate night together.

But Mick won’t take no for answer, and he pursues Tara relentlessly. He meets and even mentors her son. She meets his loud and wild family. Things move from casual to serious before either of them can bat an eye. But will Tara be able to deal with Mick’s lifestyle, in a forever kind of way?

I had horrible mixed emotions about this one. I wanted more than anything to absolutely LOVE this book. Hot guy, sports romance, smokin' scenes that Burton writes best? It’s the formula for greatness, but somewhere along the line it just didn’t make the cut for me.

The biggest thing I loved about this book: Mick. He was the absolute perfect hero. He was strong, sexy, a real family man, and an upstanding kind of guy. His interactions between his family and Tara’s son had me weak in the knees, and there wasn’t one single minute that I didn’t absolutely love with him in it. But he wasn’t without his flaws either. He seemed to know that the only thing he really wanted was Tara. However there were times he didn’t really take her or their relationship into serious consideration. He took her to meet his family, admitted how huge that was, but then kept trying to tell himself it was just a fun fling only? That didn’t seem rational to me.

I really wanted to like Tara, and at times I really enjoyed her character. She picked herself up from nothing, made a career and life for herself and her son. She too was a strong character, but there were things about her that just felt off to me for some reason. For example, I don’t know that I believe her character would really be ready to jump into a purely sexual relationship with such a prominent name in the media, especially with a teenage son. It just didn’t seem to fit with who she was as a character. Then after months of being with him, finding herself emotionally and physically attached to Mick, suddenly his lifestyle is too much to deal with and she can’t be with him? It just didn’t seem to be in line with my expectations.

While Mick and Tara’s relationship started as a bedroom only kind of thing, I found the smex scenes to be totally smokin, but also somewhat extensive. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love Burton’s writing, and Mick and Tara really heated up the pages, but there were times when those scenes seemed to just drag on and on, without really moving the story further. I found myself skipping over some of them. *GASP!!*

The secondary characters, including Mick’s family and his agent, were fabulously done. I am anxiously awaiting the second book in the series as well, Changing the Game, featuring Mick’s brother Gavin and sports agent Liz. I’m hoping above all else, that Liz is able to redeem herself in this book, and reestablish her friendship with Mick.

So while I was hoping this would be a blow out, just like the cover, I have to say it didn’t live up to those hip bones. *drool*

All in all, I give The Perfect Play 3 out of 5 perfect quarterback heroes.

Review - A Brush of Darkness by Allison Pang

Publisher: Pocket
Publish Date: Out Now
How I got this book: Simon & Schuster Galley Grab

The man of her dreams might be the cause of her nightmares.

Six months ago, Abby Sinclair was struggling to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. Now, she has an enchanted iPod, a miniature unicorn living in her underwear drawer, and a magical marketplace to manage. But despite her growing knowledge of the OtherWorld, Abby isn’t at all prepared for Brystion, the dark, mysterious, and sexy-as- sin incubus searching for his sister, convinced Abby has the key to the succubus’s whereabouts. Abby has enough problems without having this seductive shape-shifter literally invade her dreams to get information. But when her Faery boss and some of her friends vanish, as well, Abby and Brystion must form an uneasy alliance. As she is sucked deeper and deeper into this perilous world of faeries, angels, and daemons, Abby realizes her life is in as much danger as her heart—and there’s no one she can trust to save her.
*Blurb from Goodreads*

This book was recommended to me by so many of my fellow bloggers, so when I saw it available at the Simon & Schuster galley grab, I jumped at the chance to read it.

Abby has gone through some really difficult times in her life, and now that she is part of the magical underground, she is doing everything she can to leave her past exactly where it is, the past. But when her protector goes missing and she gets put on the path of trying to figure out what exactly is going on with her friends, she not only has to face some of her fears, but she has to face Brystion as well.

Brystion is an uber-sexy incubus, and when his sister was discovered missing after the deaths of many other succubi, he will do just about anything to get her back safe and sound. But after spending his days with Abby, will he be able to trade one loved one for another?

The world building in this Urban Fantasy was exceptionally complicated, and I frequently found myself scratching my head in confusion through the first half of this book. Now, I consider myself somewhat quick to jump on the world building bandwagon and sort through everything to understand all the subtle nuances of what exactly is going on, but Pang lost me pretty early on. There are so many different terms that all sound somewhat the same, but had very different meanings, people they referred to, etc. There were times when I felt as if I was coming in on a second book in the series, instead of a first. Call my crazy, but I could have used an info dump!

That being said, I really loved Abby and Brystion’s characters. Abby was completely flawed, and I felt like although she couldn’t really do or get anything right, at least her heart was always in the right spot. I liked that she was somewhat flawed and awkward for a UF heroine. It is so typical to have this total ass kicking, Buffy style heroine in Urban Fantasy, that it was refreshing to see Abby with her bumbling and fumbling along, making and screwing it all up as she went along.

Brystion was absolutely delicious, and the way he and Abby left things at the end of the book almost had me in tears. I want more Brystion back, and I want him heating up the pages with his incubus appeal. Although his motives were questionable, I enjoyed that he was able to recognize where he went wrong, and that he tried everything to go back and make it all right in the end. A great hero doesn’t always get it right the first time, but at least he tries until he does, and Brystion embodies that.

The magical unicorn living with Abby provided some great comedic relief in a fast moving and often dark story. The plot really does scoot quickly, and the book encompasses A LOT of stuff. Thankfully, Pang had great humor to break up the bleakness. The World of Warcraft references had me in absolute stitches (mainly because I’ve totally been there, done that!) and Pang has a great voice that easily bounces between serious and funny without loosing anything.

I will most likely pick up the second book in the series, but I think that I might need to make myself a reference guide before I jump into it, because I don’t want to be as lost the second time around!

All in all, I give A Brush of Darkness 3 out of 5 magical unicorn sidekicks!

Waiting on... Children of Scarabeus

Last year when doing the Science Fiction Romance challenge, I read the first book in Sara Creasy's Scarabaeus series. While the world building was complicated, and the mix between romance and science fiction just enough to steal the hearts of both romance readers, and the hard sci-fi readers. The second installment of the Scarabaeus series comes out April 1st, and I have to say... I am exciting to see where Edie and Finn end up on their next adventure.

Edie Sha'nim believed she and her bodyguard lover, Finn, could find refuge from the tyranny of the Crib empire by fleeing to the Fringe worlds. But Edie's extraordinary cypherteck ability to manipulate the ecology of evolving planets makes her far too valuable to lose. Recaptured and forced to cooperate - or else she will watch Finn die - Edie is shocked to discover the Crib's new breed of cypherteck: children. She cannot stand by while the oppressors enslave the innocent, nor can she resist the lure of Scarabaeus, the first world she tried to save, when researchers discover what appears to be an evolving intelligence.

But escape - for Edie, for Finn, and for the exploited young - will require the ultimate sacrifice... and a shocking act of rebellion with universe-shattering consequences.
*Blurb from author's website*

Trailer Tuesday - This Side of the Grave

Cat and Bones fans, do I have a treat for you! Jeaniene Frost released her newest trailer for This Side of the Grave just a few short days ago. Can you believe we only have a two more weeks to wait?! Check out the new trailer here, I love it!

Over at The Book Pushers - Virgin River Review

Today I'm over at The Book Pushers talking about an Oldie book, but a really goodie!! My aunts convinced me to read the first in the Virgin River Series, and I have to say... very impressed! Check out my review over at The Book Pushers!!

Cover Love... Never Enough

Lauren Dane writes some smokin' hot stuff, and she is lucky enough to always get covers that smoke just as much! She revealed her cover for Never Enough, the 4th book in the Brown Siblings Series set to release in September of this year.

I have yet to pick this series yet, but the books are towards the top of my TBR pile, and I've heard nothing but great things, and love all the covers to date. Check out the cover and blurb!

ALL THE RIGHT NOTES…

Gillian Forrester spent most of her life running from who and what she came from. Until Miles came along. From the moment she held the tiny newborn her older sister didn’t want, Gillian stopped running and began to build a life for herself and her adopted son. Now, thirteen years later, as Gillian’s sister lay dying, she reveals the father’s identity and makes Gillian promise to find him.

Adrian Brown is the epitome of the successful rock star. He’s seen and done it all, with few regrets. It takes a lot to shock him—but the bombshell that he has a thirteen-year-old son rocks his world. And Adrian is even more surprised when the buttoned-up, elegant woman who’s raising Miles snags his erotic and romantic attention.

The last thing Gillian expected was to find herself getting hot and heavy with a person like Adrian. But as much as she wants to open up and give herself fully to this amazing man, she’s afraid the secrets of her past and Adrian’s problems with trusting people may keep them apart for good. If love isn’t enough can they find the trust they need?
*Blurb from author's site*

Review - Deadly Fear by Cynthia Eden

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publish Date: Out Now!
How I got this book: Pima County Public Library

TWO BRILLIANT AGENTS
FBI Special Agent Monica Davenport has made a career out of profiling serial killers. But getting inside the twisted minds of the cruel and the sadistic has taken its toll: She's walled herself off from the world. Yet Monica can't ignore fellow agent Luke Dante, the only man who ever broke through her defenses.

ONE DREAM TEAM
Luke has the unique ability to put victims at ease...professionally, he and Monica made a perfect team. Now they're reunited to catch a murderer who uses his victims' deepest, darkest fears for sport - but their investigative skills aren't enough. Luke and Monica will have to face the secrets from their past, the ones that terrify them the most, if they are to have a future together.

BUT CAN THEY CATCH A KILLER WHOSE WEAPON IS...

DEADLY FEAR
*Blurb from Goodreads*

This past year I've become more and more excited about romantic suspense books. I've read some of Eden's paranormal work, and really liked her writing style, so when I was browsing my library website and found her new suspense series, I reserved it right away. I was not disappointed.

Monica Davenport is an FBI agent with a knack for getting into a serial killer's mind, with a very dark secret. She serves on the FBI's newest elite team of agents who investigate serial killers, and has a steamy history with the newest member of their team, Luke Dante.

Luke's fantasy woman is none other than Monica, and after their one scorching night together long ago, he can't get her out of his mind. When they are assigned to a team together to chase down a killer who uses someone's fears as a way to kill them, their passion ignites, and the stakes get raised. But will they be able to catch a killer, who might just know each of their fears?


Again, Eden absolutely blew me away with the first installment of the Deadly Series. I haven't read a ton of suspense books, and the few I have read have mostly been about military men. So this was new to me, and I was absolutely amazed. Eden creates some amazing characters, including a hero and heroine who each have their flaws and strengths, and a villain that gave me the creeps.

The relationship between Monica and Luke was complicated, hot and filled with secrets. As we found out more and more about Monica and Luke's history both as individuals and as a couple. The way that each of them had overcome the many obstacles in their lives and come out on top. I loved the background stories about each of their fears, and how the killer turned out to be connected with both her past and her present.

I also really enjoyed the side characters within the FBI team. I know that this will be a great series, and I'm really excited for Deadly Heat and Deadly Lies, out February and March respectively. I'm really excited to read about Agent Samantha, who was a victim of a traumatic event, and how she deals with the fall out. I can only imagine how powerful that one is going to be!

For those of you who are faint of heart. Please think carefully before picking p this book. Eden does an amazing job of describing the setting and events of this book. There were a few scenes that were so incredibly powerful they gave me chills, goosebumps and a twinge of fear all out once. While this is a compliment to Eden's writing styles, for those of you with queasy stomach’s, you might be a little shaken at some parts.

But, that being said, this book was absolutely fabulous. I was so impressed with the intricacies of the plot, the back stories and the overall flow of the book. Deadly Fear is probably one of my favorite Romantic Suspense books of all time!


All in all, I give Deadly Fear 5 out of 5 super creepy serial killers!!

Waiting on... Hidden Away

Maya Banks has absolutely sucked me in and gotten me addicted to the Romantic Suspense genre with her KGI Series. I received the first book, The Darkest Hour as an ARC from Ms. Banks through a website on her contest. I read it in one night and fell madly in love. When the second book, No Place to Run released back in December, I again found myself checking my nook every five or ten minutes to see if I could download and read a bit before going to bed.

The third book in the series, Hidden Away, is set to release March 1st and I can not wait. Garrett blew me away in the last book, and I can't wait to see what the Kelley brothers are going to come up against this time! Check out this sexy cover and blurb!

A man who shoots first and asks questions later…

Most people would take an all-expenses-paid trip to the beach in a heartbeat. Garrett Kelly only accepts to keep tabs on Sarah Daniels, who’s in hiding after witnessing a murder by Marcus Lattimer, her half-brother—and a personal enemy of KGI. This gig may be beneath adisciplined soldier like Garrett, but if he gets a shot at Lattimer, it will all be worth it…

…and the ultimate moving target.

But Garrett hadn’t counted on falling for Sarah. He’d considered seduction as a tactical maneuver, but when he glimpses Sarah’s dark past, he feels an urgent desire to keep her safe—even after she disappears on him. Garrett doesn’t know exactly who, or what, Sarah’s running from, but whatever it is, she’s running for her life…
*Blurb from author's website*