Review:Her Secret Lover by Robin Covington

Kelsey Kyle will do whatever it takes to get into the management trainee program at the casino where she works. So when she’s given the opportunity to get a VIP customer’s endorsement for the program, she jumps at the challenge. All she needs to do is arrange a one-on-one fan experience with the woman’s favorite author, tall-dark-and-intense Micah Holmes.

An entire week at a Vegas romance readers’ convention, surrounded by hundreds of people, is Micah Holmes’ idea of hell. But one look at Kelsey, his assigned hotel concierge, and the attraction is immediate. Maybe this week won’t be so bad after all…

Anything beyond a “strictly professional” relationship will get Kelsey fired, but she needs to get close to Micah to get the super fan experience her client wants. Hot sex in her apartment pool begins a game of “undercover lover” that quickly escalates to something more. But when Micah discovers her secret agenda, all bets are off.

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What I thought about Her Secret Lover

Kelsey Kyle is driven. She's worked hard for her career and is dedicated to her job. She has good friends. But she's missing someone to share her life with. When romance writer Micah Holmes attends the latest convention, Kelsey ends up being his personal concierge. For the first time she's tempted to ignore the no fraternization with guests rule.

Micah wants the same thing -- time with Kelsey and he's very persuasive. This book had a really delicious heat level throughout and I did love Micah's pursuit of Kelsey. She eventually gives in and Micah and Kelsey begin a torrid affair, both thinking it was sex-without-strings-with-an-expiration-date.

Even though these two fell in love very quickly, it didn't feel like instalove and I really appreciated how their falling in love was portrayed. It was sweet and sexy and super hot. What more can a reader want?

This is a quick read that held my attention until the very last pages. I adored these characters and their journey to HEA. Nicely done.

A copy was provided by the publisher for review. 

About the Author

A USAToday bestseller, Robin Covington loves to explore the theme of fooling around and falling in love in her books. Her stories burn up the sheets. . .one page at a time. When she’s not writing she’s collecting tasty man candy, indulging in a little comic book geek love, hoarding red nail polish and stalking Chris Evans.

  

A 2016 RITA® Award nominee, Robin’s books have won the National Reader’s Choice and Golden Leaf Awards and finaled in the Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice, the Book Seller’s Best and the Award of Excellence.

She lives in Maryland with her hilarious husband, her two brilliant children (they get it from her, of course!), and her beloved furbabies, Dutch and Dixie Joan Wilder.

Drop her a line at robin@robincovingtonromance.com – she always writes back.

 

Review:Highlander Ever After (The MacGregors: Highland Heirs #8) by Paula Quinn

From New York Times bestselling author Paula Quinn comes a sweeping Scottish historical romance between a dashing MacGregor highlander and his English bride.

They tried to resist a marriage of convenience...

As the clan chief's son, Adam MacGregor is duty-bound to marry a royal heir. Yet when he meets his bride—a beautiful but haughty young lass who thinks he is nothing more than a common savage—he realizes she's more than he bargained for. But the more Adam gets to know his new wife, the more intent he is on proving her wrong about him.

But can they resist each other?

Sina de Arenberg wants nothing to do with the unsavory MacGregors, especially the fierce Highlander she now calls husband. But the more time she spends with the man she married, the more she sees his honor and courage. Just when she thinks there might be a future for her and Adam, Sina is called back to court. England isn't the place she remembers, though, and soon she'll be forced to choose between the life she once knew, and the Highlander who has captured her heart.

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What I thought about Highlander Ever After 

I grew up reading historical romance and I still like an occasional trip back to that genre.  Paula Quinn is one author who entices me into this genre.

In Highlander Ever After, Sina is forced into marriage with Adam MacGregor who she believes to be an barbarian.  She feels like everyone she loved has betrayed her with this arranged marriage, but she goes through with it even though she's been promised to another. No one is happy about this union, including Adam MacGregor, who not only doesn't want to be married, he doesn't want to be head of his clan as well, an honor which would come with the marriage.

Sina and Adam start out not liking each other very much, but as time goes by and they get to know each other that changes, but neither of them want to admit to the other that they are developing real feelings of love.

There weren't many surprises in this story of an arranged marriage designed to forge alliances. The real charm is how their relationship progresses as they learn more about each other.  I really liked that part of the story, which takes up most of the book.  Some of their sparing made me smile and there was a good bit of humor in this tale that made it a whole lot of fun.

 Sina is in a new world in the highlands, unlike any that's she's known, but she does appreciate the women warriors. She's in awe of them and that was a very nice touch to the story. I loved how Sina really looked at her surroundings and made up her own mind about the MacGregors and especially Adam.

When Sina is called back home, she believes that her marriage will be annulled, but Adam wants her back.  The last 25% of the book deals with Adam being the "fish out of water" at court.  He does a great job of handling himself, which only makes Sina love him more. 

While the ending seemed a little rushed, I still really enjoyed this story. If you like a story with a slow burn as the main characters fall in everlasting love, I think you would enjoy Highlander Ever After.  It's sweet and sexy. Adam and Sina are great together and there's even a dog that captured my heart. It works well as a standalone. The family tree on Paula Quinn's website helps keep the many characters in the MacGregor family straight. 

 An ARC was provided for review.

About the Author

Paula Quinn is a NY Times & USA Today bestselling American novelist best known for writing historical fiction focusing on Scotland.

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Release Day Review, Excerpt & Sale:Runaround (Getaway #4) by Jay Crownover

 From New York Times bestselling author Jay Crownover comes the next standalone title in her Getaway series, RUNAROUND!

RUNAROUND is now available in
Kindle Unlimited!
And that’s not all!

The entire Getaway series is in
Kindle Unlimited and ON SALE now!

So check out the amazing excerpt below,
and grab your copies today!

About RUNAROUND

Can two people perpetually moving in opposite directions ever end up in the same place? Or will love just keep giving them the runaround? 

Webb Bryant is intimately acquainted with every type of trouble there is. Trouble is all he’s ever known and the only constant in his life.

Webb’s a man constantly on the move. He’s a drifter. A wanderer. He bolts from one bad choice to the next, never able to put enough distance between himself and the ghosts from his past. He lives hard and fast, until everything comes to a screeching halt the moment he lays eyes on Tennyson McKenna. The stunning woman appeared out of nowhere to save the day, and Webb’s been unable to forget her. The leggy, blonde forest ranger might very well be the one person in the world important enough to finally keep him in one place. Only, Ten isn’t impressed by Webb’s knack for finding trouble. And no matter how hard he tries to shake it, he can’t escape his bad habit of falling into the deep end of questionable decisions. When his newest brush with trouble gets Webb in way over his head, Ten jumps after him into the dangerous waters. It’s possible they’re going to sink so fast they both might drown.

Tennyson McKenna makes it a point to be diligently cautious in all aspects of her life. She learned the hard way that leading with your heart instead of your head gets you nowhere.

Ten’s a woman stuck in a frustrating rut. After a string of failed relationships lands her back home, a pit stop to mend her broken heart becomes a hole she’s lost the will to dig herself out of. Coasting through her days was easy until Webb Bryant crash-landed in her path, complete with bullets, blood, and a grin far too charming for his own good. Webb is anything but safe and predictable. He’s everything Ten swore she would never gamble on again, but it’s impossible to ignore the way trouble follows him around like a shadow. And every single time Ten pushes Webb away, she finds herself chasing after him before he’s gone for good. When Webb’s past finally catches up to him, Ten has to decide if she’s brave enough to put her heart on the line for a man who might be gone tomorrow.

  

AVAILABLE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED!

GRAB YOUR COPY TODAY!

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EXCERPT

~TENNYSON~

The first time I laid eyes on Webb Bryant he was frighteningly pale from blood loss and nearly delirious from a raging fever. He’d been sporting a hole in his shoulder from a bullet wound and was terrified his brother was dead somewhere in the vast Wyoming wilderness. It was my job to protect and patrol, one I focused on diligently, but Webb was admittedly distracting. I thought he was going to pass out at my feet, a city boy in way over his head. He didn’t. He never wavered or stumbled in the unfamiliar terrain and unknown situation…not once. He’d impressed me with his resilience and his determination to find out what had happened to his older brother. He’d also caught my attention with those burning blue eyes and shock of blond hair, which gave the misleading impression that the man had a single angelic quality about him. Every long, lean line of Webb Bryant oozed playful mischief and bled the promise of wicked things done in the dark…or during the bright light of day. He didn’t seem like the shy type. Even injured and out of his mind with frantic worry for his older sibling, he was the most charming, most flirtatious man I’d ever met. He sent every defense mechanism I had into overdrive, and there wasn’t a second that slid by where I didn’t remind myself he was not my type in the slightest. Besides, once the Warners and I had both the Bryant brothers straightened out, I figured I wouldn’t have to dodge Webb’s advances ever again. He would ramble on to his next adventure and be out of sight and mind.

I breathed a sigh of relief when he went away. He was too tempting. It was too enticing to give in to every single promise made by his easy smile and glinting eyes. Webb was several years younger than me, a man who was obviously lost and still trying to figure out who he wanted to be when he finally grew up. I was a woman who knew exactly who she was and who she could never be. I was never the type to chase after the bad boys, the wanderers, the reckless. No, I fell for the steadfast, the sturdy, and the solid. I gave my heart to the kind of men who held the world up and buffered everyone around them from the raging storm.

I handed my heart to the oldest Warner brother, Cyrus, when we were just kids. Coming to terms with the fact the stoic and serious cowboy would never feel about me the way I felt about him had been one of the hardest things I’d ever had to do. We shared similar dreams, knowing our lives were so much bigger than the ranches that had our family’s bloodlines entrenched in the soil. We both wanted more than Wyoming, and for a long time, I honestly believed we were on the road out of our tiny town together. It didn’t happen that way. Sure, we both got out in our own time and in our own way, but we both ended up back where we started. Cy was taking his return home in stride. He was far less resentful about his homecoming than I was. In fact, the wedding Webb was dragged out of two short days ago was Cy’s.

I thought it was going to be hard, damn near impossible, to watch the man I’d openly loved from afar for most of my life promise his forever to someone else. It wasn’t nearly as bad as I envisioned. Mostly because Cy was stupid happy with his fiery city girl. He’d never been that happy with me, before we left or when we both admitted defeat and came back home. He’d never loved anyone like he loved his Leo, so the sting of watching him put a ring on someone else’s finger was minimal.

I would gouge my eyes out with a rusty spoon before admitting to anyone, especially myself, that since the start of the wedding most of my attention had been on Webb instead of the happy couple. To my surprise, my heart didn’t feel nearly as trampled as I thought it would. It was too busy stupidly racing over the man I believed I wouldn’t see again and knew I should keep my distance from.

The blond man with a penchant for trouble hadn’t stayed gone like I predicted. Nope. He’d shown up right when Cy needed help on the ranch and offered to stick around. Webb claimed he wanted to learn a new skill, seemed he’d taken a shine to the rough way of life in the Wyoming backcountry and wanted to play cowboy for a while. Cy couldn’t say no, and as badly as I wanted to, I couldn’t stay away. I was caught in an endless game of cat and mouse, and some days I wasn’t sure if I was the predator or the prey. I tracked Webb out of the corner of my eye for months. I expected him to up his game and try to lure me to bed, knowing the wedding was going to lower my defenses. Never in a million years would I have predicted he was going to be led away from the festivities in handcuffs.

What I thought about Runaround

What happens when  two people who are on opposites sides of the law are attracted to each other?  Runaround does a great job of looking at this.  Will love conquer their differences?  I couldn't wait to read this book.  I've loved thsi series from the start and was so happy to hear there would be a book for Ten and Webb.  They've been interesting players in the previous books and it was great to see that they got their own story.

Trouble follows Webb around like it's his best friend, but he wants to start over and the Warner ranch is a good place to try out a new and better life.  But like the proverbial bad boy, trouble soon finds him and he's accused of breaking the law.

Tennyson, Ten for short, has been attracted to Webb from the start and his leaving was just what she needed to get him out of her mind.  When he ends up back at the ranch, he's just too close and she's too tempted.  But when he's accused of crimes he says he didn't commit, she lets her guard down and decides to trust him, even though it could end badly for everyone.

I just really loved this story and really, all the books in this series brought something good to this reader.  I loved the romance and I loved the suspense and Jay Crownover is a master at writing a bad boy for the reader to fall in love with.  Runaround tied up some loose ends and still left me wanting more.

Runaround can be read as a standalone, but you'll enjoy it more if you get to know the Warner brothers first.  I highly recommend this romantic suspense series. 

An ARC was provided for review. 

RETREAT, SHELTER, and ESCAPE
are now in Kindle Unlimited and
ON SALE
for a limited time only!
Grab your copies today!

Getaway Series

Retreat

Shelter

Escape

About Jay Crownover

 Jay Crownover is the International and multiple New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men series, The Saints of Denver series, The Point and Breaking Point series. Her books can be found translated in many different languages all around the world. She is a tattooed, crazy haired Colorado native who lives at the base of the Rockies with her awesome dogs. This is where she can frequently be found enjoying a cold beer and Taco Tuesdays, as well as live music and terrible TV shows. Jay is a self-declared music snob and outspoken book lover who is always looking for her next adventure, between the pages and on the road. For more on Jay and her books, visit www.jaycrownover.com

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Cover Reveal: Runaround (Getaway #4) by Jay Crownover

  From New York Times bestselling author Jay Crownover comes the next standalone title in her Getaway series, RUNAROUND!

Now in Kindle Unlimited,
RUNAROUND will be released this Friday, December 14th!

And that’s not all! The entire Getaway series is in Kindle Unlimited and ON SALE now! So check out the amazing cover below, and grab your copies today!

About RUNAROUND (Coming 12/14/18):

Can two people perpetually moving in opposite directions ever end up in the same place? Or will love just keep giving them the runaround?

Webb Bryant is intimately acquainted with every type of trouble there is. Trouble is all he’s ever known and the only constant in his life.

Webb’s a man constantly on the move. He’s a drifter. A wanderer. He bolts from one bad choice to the next, never able to put enough distance between himself and the ghosts from his past. He lives hard and fast, until everything comes to a screeching halt the moment he lays eyes on Tennyson McKenna. The stunning woman appeared out of nowhere to save the day, and Webb’s been unable to forget her. The leggy, blonde forest ranger might very well be the one person in the world important enough to finally keep him in one place. Only, Ten isn’t impressed by Webb’s knack for finding trouble. And no matter how hard he tries to shake it, he can’t escape his bad habit of falling into the deep end of questionable decisions. When his newest brush with trouble gets Webb in way over his head, Ten jumps after him into the dangerous waters. It’s possible they’re going to sink so fast they both might drown.

Tennyson McKenna makes it a point to be diligently cautious in all aspects of her life. She learned the hard way that leading with your heart instead of your head gets you nowhere.

Ten’s a woman stuck in a frustrating rut. After a string of failed relationships lands her back home, a pit stop to mend her broken heart becomes a hole she’s lost the will to dig herself out of. Coasting through her days was easy until Webb Bryant crash-landed in her path, complete with bullets, blood, and a grin far too charming for his own good. Webb is anything but safe and predictable. He’s everything Ten swore she would never gamble on again, but it’s impossible to ignore the way trouble follows him around like a shadow. And every single time Ten pushes Webb away, she finds herself chasing after him before he’s gone for good. When Webb’s past finally catches up to him, Ten has to decide if she’s brave enough to put her heart on the line for a man who might be gone tomorrow.

 

AVAILABLE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED! PREORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!

Amazon

Goodreads

 I love this series!  Be sure to grab them while they are on sale! 

RETREAT, SHELTER, and ESCAPE are now in Kindle Unlimited and ON SALE for a limited time only! Grab your copies today!

Getaway Series

Retreat

Shelter

Escape

About the Author

  About Jay Crownover: Jay Crownover is the International and multiple New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men series, The Saints of Denver series, the Point and Breaking Point series. Her books can be found translated in many different languages all around the world. She is a tattooed, crazy haired Colorado native who lives at the base of the Rockies with her awesome dogs. This is where she can frequently be found enjoying a cold beer and Taco Tuesdays, as well as live music and terrible TV shows. Jay is a self-declared music snob and outspoken book lover who is always looking for her next adventure, between the pages and on the road. For more on Jay and her books, visit www.jaycrownover.com.    

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Cover Reveal & Excerpt: Overnight Sensation (Brooklyn Bruisers #5) by Sarina Bowen

Everyone knows the girl is off limits. But it's so good to be bad.
 
There's this girl...
 
Heidi and I have been trading hungry looks all year, and everything she does makes me smile. But I don't do girlfriends, and I certainly can't get involved with the league commissioner's daughter. I need shots on goal, not a hookup and a widely misunderstood paparazzi photo.
 
Can I resist her, though? The way she teases me should be a game penalty for interference with my libido.


There's this guy...
 
Jason wants me, but he won't admit it. That man looks at me the way a hockey player eyes the lunch buffet after practice--and I love it. 

But when victory is finally within my grasp, I blow it and humiliate myself. Even then I can't even avoid him--as the team intern, I'm in constant view of his hard body and cocky smile.
 
I need another chance. Jason Castro is about to learn the true meaning of an overnight sensation.

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Apple: http://geni.us/OSapple  

Kobo: http://geni.us/OSkobo 

Nook: http://geni.us/OSnook

EXCERPT!

 

I’m used to being a good girl. I never refuse Daddy’s calls, and I never drink shots of tequila with the team in the bar.

Tonight, though? It’s time for a change. Take that, Daddy. And who knew I could slug back tequila like a party girl?

The problem is that I don’t know what to do next. I’ve never had a one-night stand. And every time Jason looks me up and down with those sinful eyes, I feel a little thrill of excitement.

And—fine—nerves. Although the tequila will help with that.

Besides, when you need a job done right, you’re supposed to hire an expert. And that’s what I want from Jason Castro. He’s the most notorious hookup artist on the team. He’s hot as blazes, and a real smooth-talker. I like everything about him, from his rich, bronze-toned skin to his hypnotic brown eyes.

He can talk me through it. I’m a quick study.

And I’m not a virgin. There have been boyfriends—four of them. But not one of them ever managed to… There’s no polite way to say it. Nice Southern girls aren’t supposed to speak in detail about sex. But let’s just say I’ve never been very satisfied by my sexual experiences so far.

So this is not an opportunity to be squandered. In fact, it’s time to up the ante. Just because I don’t have a whole lot of experience seducing men doesn’t mean I’m clueless about life in general.

Slowly, I ease my body a little closer to his. Two inches, maybe. Then I smile at him.

And—holy heck—the results are instantaneous. His eyes sweep down my body. And it’s almost as if he touched me with his hands, too. I feel that gaze burning me up everywhere it lands. Then he looks up again and gives me a hot smile. We’re having an entire conversation without words.

This is a revelation. I feel bold and a little wild.

“So what happens next, Hot Pepper?” he asks.

Oh my. That thumping sound is my heart taking off like a jackrabbit running a fifty-yard dash. I thought I had some more time to get used to the idea before we actually made our move.

“Are you gonna stay in Brooklyn and finish your internship, even if it causes family strife?”

“Oh,” I say slowly, because, whoops! I’m the one who’s gotten ahead. “I’ll stick with the internship. Heck, yes. I have no marketable skills.” My internship doesn’t pay very much. But I can live in Daddy’s Manhattan apartment and ride the subway to work.

“Good for you,” Jason says.

“It’s an easy decision,” I agree. “I need to start living differently, or I’m in danger of spending the rest of my life trying to please other people.”

“That’s no good,” he agrees. We’re still standing way too close together, and we’re still flirting. But I can tell he’s actually listening.

“I was deeply unhappy at school last year. And my parents didn’t care. You know what’s funny?” I can hear myself talking too much, but his attentiveness encourages me. “When I was a teenager I actually took classes on how to please people. It’s called charm school.”

His deep laugh vibrates through my belly. “To learn to be charming? I can already tell you got an A-plus.”

“That’s natural ability,” I tease. “But they taught us etiquette—which fork to use first and how to set a table for six courses. How to daintily remove an olive pit from your mouth. How to introduce two people when there’s an imbalance of power.”

“How do you do that?” he asks, leaning in just a few millimeters closer.

“You’re supposed to address the person of higher rank first. ‘Mr. Important Person, I would like to introduce Mr. Lesser-person.’ And then you offer any further details that are appropriate to the situation.” I can smell his aftershave. It’s clean and spicy. I have the strangest urge to lean in and kiss his angular jaw.

“Who knew?” He moves imperceptibly closer. “And now I’m wondering how many times I’ve been put in my place like that without realizing it.”

“Oh, please,” I tease him. “Try being the office intern for a day. I might as well wear a nametag that says, Hello My Name Is Lesser Person.”

“What else did they teach you at charm school?”

“How to foxtrot. The proper way to phrase a wedding invitation. Penmanship. How to dance with a boy you don’t like in order to save his feelings. In other words, how to be a good girl even when you don’t want to be.” The more I think about it, the more it sounds like brainwashing.

“Hmm,” Jason whispers. We’re so close together now that the word vibrates against my cheek. And then he leans in and lets his lips coast past my temple. It’s so faint that it can’t even be called a kiss. But it makes me shiver just the same.

No wonder this man gets any woman he wants. I’m practically quivering for him, and he hasn’t even kissed me.

Then his voice drops low, and he asks, “Would you rather be a bad girl, Heidi?”

Holy heck in a handbag! It’s the cheesiest line ever, but my girl parts shimmy all the same.

And then he puts his mouth right beside my ear. “Are you—” He drops his voice to barely a whisper. “—thinking of wearing white after Labor Day?”

 

Review: Rend (Riven #2) by Roan Parrish

After a whirlwind romance, a man with a painful past learns to trust the musician who makes him believe in happy endings.

Matt Argento knows what it feels like to be alone. After a childhood of abandonment, he never imagined someone might love him—much less someone like Rhys Nyland, who has the voice of an angel, the looks of a god, and the worship of his fans.

Matt and Rhys come from different worlds, but when they meet, their chemistry is incendiary. Their romance is unexpected, intense, and forever—at least, that’s what their vows promise. Suddenly, Matt finds himself living a life he never thought possible: safe and secure in the arms of a man who feels like home. But when Rhys leaves to go on tour for his new album, Matt finds himself haunted by the ghosts of his past.

When Rhys returns, he finds Matt twisted by doubt. But Rhys loves Matt fiercely, and he’ll go to hell and back to triumph over Matt’s fears. After secrets are revealed and desires are confessed, Rhys and Matt must learn to trust each other if they’re going to make it. That means they have to fall in love all over again—and this time, it really will be forever.

UNIVERSAL BOOK LINK  

What I thought about Rend

Rend is a very tough book for me to review. One thing for sure, this book has stayed with me for a few days. Roan Parrish always delivers an emotional ride and Rend did not disappoint. That being said, I don't think this book will appeal to everyone.

Matt and Rhys are a committed couple (loved that about this book -- it felt so fresh). Matt spends a lot of time thinking that he just can't believe Rhys is his and vice versa. When Rhys goes on tour and Matt is alone, this thought pattern spirals into something dark and his demons come calling. It's a gradual descent into a bad place for him, and Roan Parrish plays it out perfectly. It is dark and there were definite crack-your-heart-open moments throughout. 

It takes a while for Rhys to catch onto Matt's distress, and when he does he doesn't quite understand it. But the love between Rhys and Matt is very strong and they start to work through it. I was left feeling like they had only begun the process of healing at the end of the book.
 
I did enjoy Matt's growing friendship with Theo, and the end was really quite sweet. I adored the deep emotions I felt while reading this book.
 
That being said, I did have some issues with some "stuff" that nagged at me. There was quite a bit of repetition of the theme of ownership (which I did get -- it still felt a bit overdone) and I don't believe I'm going to say this, I also thought there was too much sex in the book. It just felt like they self-medicated with sex and maybe that was the intent. For me, it was more like eating a big box of chocolates and getting to the point where I don't want to even see a chocolate again. Maybe that's a bit extreme, but for me, it was just too much. It was super hot for sure, but I would have been happy with a little less.
 
Overall, I did enjoy this book and I'm looking forward to more in this series. This book can be read as a standalone, but if you want to know more about Caleb and Theo, definitely pick up Riven. 

An ARC was provided for review.  

About Roan Parrish

Roan Parrish lives in Philadelphia, where she is gradually attempting to write love stories in every genre.

When not writing, she can usually be found cutting her friends’ hair, meandering through whatever city she’s in while listening to torch songs and melodic death metal, or cooking overly elaborate meals. She loves bonfires, winter beaches, minor chord harmonies, and self-tattooing. One time she may or may not have baked a six-layer chocolate cake and then thrown it out the window in a fit of pique.
 

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Review: Rock Redemption (Rock Revenge Trilogy #3) by Cari Quinn & Taryn Elliott

I lost everything.

Stripped of all I'd found, now even my name is a scar.

A reminder of how far I've fallen and what was ripped away.

By my own devices, if not my own hand.

My music is all I have left, and the memories of the only woman I ever truly loved.

Zoe, who owns my heart.

I'll do anything to earn her forgiveness. Even lay myself bare.

And I want my brother back.

Finally, I have a family, if they'll have me. A real life beyond the trappings of fame.

I'll do whatever it takes. Even start all over again.

Author's Note: Find redemption with Ian Kagan, our new rockstar anti-hero in the conclusion of our super hot, romantic suspense trilogy, Rock Revenge. The trilogy occurs in the Oblivion world though it can be read on its own. Rock Redemption is a full-length novel with a HEA.

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Check out the trailer! 

What I thought about Rock Redemption

 In this conclusion of the Rock Revenge Trilogy, Margo, Simon and Zoe must deal with the consequences of Ian's role in the plot to extort money from his brother.  The beginning of this book is fast-paced, tension-filled and had me furiously turning the page until I found out what would happen to Margo and Simon.  

I absolutely loved this part of the book, especially Donovan, Lila and Nick.  I can never get enough of these characters, and I adored the scenes of friendship and love between Nick and Simon. Their relationship had some ups and downs through the series, so it was great to see Nick's heartfelt support to both Simon and Margo.  

The rest of the book deals with Ian and how he deals with the aftermath of everything.  I don't want to spoil this, so I'm being a bit vague.  Ian has a lot to work through and he does so with the help of his new friend Flynn, and I really want to know more about him and I think there's a nice setup for future books, at least I hope so!

For the most part, I liked Ian's journey of self discovery, although sometimes he did seem a little too sensitive, but I suppose that's his artist soul shining through.  He is also very tenacious, which was a nice touch when it came to Zoe.

HEA's all around, and great journey getting there.  My only wish was that there was more Margo and Simon in the second half, but that's just me.  

So overall, another satisfying and entertaining trilogy from these two authors.  If you enjoy rock star romances, you MUST read this series and their precursor, Lost in Oblivion. You won't be sorry.

An ARC was provided for review.  

Rock Redemption is book 3 in the Rock Revenge rockstar romantic suspense trilogy. 

Series Reading Order

Rock Revenge Trilogy
Rock Revenge
Rock Reclaimed
Rock Redemption




And be sure to read the series that started it all!  Lost in Oblivion!

Lost in Oblivion
Seduced (prequel)
Rocked
Rock, Rattle and Roll
Twisted
Untwisted
Destroyed
Consumed
Committed
Shattered
Fused
Owned

Review: Big Stick (Aces Hockey #7) by Kelly Jamieson

Big Stick
Aces Hockey
Release Date: October 23, 2018

A brooding hockey hunk learns to embrace life—and love—from a single mom who takes the world one puck at a time.

Big move . . . Jodie’s motto is “Don’t wait for the perfect moment—take the moment and make it perfect.” And that’s just what she decides to do when she moves to Chicago with her two-year-old daughter. Now all Jodie needs is a place to live, and her best friend’s boyfriend has just the answer.

Big stick . . . Nick Balachov has zero interest in socializing, partying, or flirting right now. It’s not that he doesn’t like women. He loves them. It’s just that hockey, casual hookups, and hanging out at home are enough for him these days. Now Nick has a big problem—because the woman living in his empty coach house is a major distraction.

Big deal? The more Nick tries to keep his distance, the more Jodie needs him—around the house, that is. First he helps with the snowstorm, then the power outage. Nick even finds himself trying to impress her little girl. What the hell is wrong with him? Jodie represents everything Nick doesn’t want. But maybe she’s just what he needs. . . .

 

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What I thought about Big Stick

In this seventh book in the Aces Hockey series, Nick isn't really interested in doing much to develop a relationship with anyone outside of his teammates. It's not so much that he is anti-social -- it's just that he's got a lot on his mind, especially as the anniversary of losing someone is upon him.  When he begrudgingly goes to a team party, he ends up meeting Jodie who is everything he isn't -- friendly, talkative, and just nice to everyone.  Nick isn't interested, at least at first.

Jodie has moved to Chicago for the sex toy business she runs with her friend and co-owner Kendra and it's time for her to find a place of her own to let Kendra and her hockey player boyfriend have some privacy. When someone suggests to Nick that Jodie needs a place and would be perfect for the empty carriage house on his property, he's not really eager for Jodie to move in, but he goes along with it.

What follows is the slow takedown of the emotional walls Nick has erected around himself.  Through Jodie's care and understanding, he realizes a lot of things, including the fact that his feelings for Jodie are growing and that they could have so much more.  I really liked how Jodie melts Nick's cold heart and how they come to rely on each other.  

There weren't any huge surprises in Big Stick, and I did like these two characters, especially how Jodie uncovers a side of Nick that even he didn't know he had.  I did find the beginning a bit slow for my taste, but other readers may feel differently. 

I liked Nick's interactions with Jodie's daughter Zyana and in spite of his sometimes gruff attitude, I did like how Nick interacted with her throughout the story. It showed  he really had a heart after all.

Overall, Big Stick had some really nice moments and is a low drama sort of contemporary romance where conflicts are resolved fairly easily to get to the HFA or HEA if that is what you are looking for. 

An ARC was provided for review. 

 

 

About the Author

Kelly Jamieson is a USA Today bestselling author of over 40 romance novels and novellas.

Her writing has been described as “emotionally complex”, “sweet and satisfying” and “blisteringly sexy”. She likes black coffee, white wine and high heels…and of course cheering on her Winnipeg Jets during hockey season!

Visit her website at www.kellyjamieson.com or contact her at info@kellyjamieson.com.  

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