ARC Review: Flirting with Disaster by Ruthie Knox

Synopsis:

In the latest eBook original novel in Ruthie Knox’s scorching-hot Camelot series, a no-strings fling looks an awful lot like falling in love—or flirting with disaster.

Fresh out of a fiasco of a marriage, Katie Clark has retreated to her hometown to start over. The new Katie is sophisticated, cavalier, and hell-bent on kicking butt at her job in her brother’s security firm. But on her first assignment—digging up the truth about the stalker threatening a world-famous singer-songwriter—Katie must endure the silent treatment from a stern but sexy partner who doesn’t want her help . . . or her company.

Sean Owens knows that if he opens his mouth around Katie, she’ll instantly remember him as the geeky kid who sat behind her in high school. Silence is golden, but he can’t keep quiet forever, not with Katie stampeding through their investigation. It’s time for Sean to step up and take control of the case, and his decade-old crush. If he can break through Katie’s newfound independence, they just might find they make a perfect team—on the road, on the job, and in bed.

Includes a special message from the editor, as well as excerpts from these Loveswept titles: How to Misbehave, Along Came Trouble, and About Last Night.

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I didn’t make a single review note while I read this. I sank into the story and kept reading until the end. That’s one indicator of a 5-flame book for me. And when I wanted to re-read all or part of it again, well, that was the second indicator.

Flirting with Disaster was just perfect for me from start to finish. I love Ruthie Knox’s writing. So many smart lines. It was really terrific.

Katie’s been dumped by her husband and returns to Ohio from Alaska to start her new life. I love that she isn’t defeated by what happened to her. She smart and strong and doesn’t take any crap. Both Sean and Judah fall for her.

Sean is just a mess. He’s smart and sexy and sorta messed up in the head. He’s been running for a long time. But when he finds out that he and Katie are good together, not just as partners, and work colleagues, but also in the sack (or should I say SUV?), their relationship starts changing to something more than just a fling. Ruthie Knox does a fantastic job of portraying Sean’s pain without making him look weak.

Katie is a strong, smart woman who has had her share of bad luck, and its so easy to want her to have her HEA.

I was surprised to find I ended up liking Judah, when he was sort of a pain in the anatomy at the start of the book. I thought he was a great secondary character. I loved the relationship he developed with Katie, and maybe it was Katie that was just really good at people. She knew when to push and when to step back.

So wonderful to read a book that you can just sit back and enjoy, where the writing is smart and polished, the story tight, and the secondary characters bringing that little extra dash of spice to the story. I can’t think of a single thing I didn’t like about this. .I couldn't put it down. Just what I want in a romance. A good story, lovely characters, a bit of angst, and HEA. Go read this series.

Thanks to Random House and Loveswept’s Netgalley Catalog for the opportunity to read this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris

Synopsis:  There are secrets in the town of Bon Temps, ones that threaten those closest to Sookie—and could destroy her heart...

Sookie Stackhouse finds it easy to turn down the request of former barmaid Arlene when she wants her job back at Merlotte’s. After all, Arlene tried to have Sookie killed. But her relationship with Eric Northman is not so clearcut. He and his vampires are keeping their distance…and a cold silence. And when Sookie learns the reason why, she is devastated.

Then a shocking murder rocks Bon Temps, and Sookie is arrested for the crime.

But the evidence against Sookie is weak, and she makes bail. Investigating the killing, she’ll learn that what passes for truth in Bon Temps is only a convenient lie. What passes for justice is more spilled blood. And what passes for love is never enough..

Review: 2.5 of 5 Flames

This is not the story of Sookie Stackhouse’s Happily Ever After. This is the sad story of a break-up and moving on. A story of revenge and paybacks. Whether that was Charlaine Harris’s intent with this story, I don’t know, but that’s how it read to me.

If you’ve read all the books so far in this series, it was obvious that Eric and Sookie were having major problems in their relationship. Eric had vampire obligations, and Sookie found excuse after excuse to avoid talking to him about them. It’s been a slow decline of this relationship since Dead in the Family, and the conclusion of the series had very few surprises.

As a reader, I have no say in how the author chooses to end the story. I just hoped that Charlaine Harris could give us something spectacular to end this series. Dead Ever After wasn’t as bad as I thought, but I don’t think Charlaine Harris delivered anything near the quality of the first nine? books in this series. The plot was predictable, the pace slow and tedious except for a few key scenes, and the characters were "off" in many places. The dash of hope at the end between Sam and Sookie wasn’t enough for me. That’s why I am ranking the book at 2.5 stars.

As for the Southern Vampire Mystery (do they still call this series by that name?), it was the same old, same old. Someone is after Sookie. There it is in a nutshell. How many times have we seen some character having it in for her? Mostly the same old villains, too. It’s clear that this series has reached end-of-life when the author can’t come up with some new ideas. In Dead Ever After, the reader knows more about the plot against Sookie, instead of watching Sookie unravel it. There was little mystery in Dead Ever After.

There was something a bit strange in this book. It left me with an odd feeling that I still can't entirely put my finger on. From the start I found myself wondering how much of this final book was very personal to Charlaine Harris. Was it a coincidence that the opening scenes are of someone selling their soul to the devil? Some have said CH sold out when she sold the rights for these stories to HBO. I don’t know for sure, but there was something in that beginning that made me think of the parallels.

There was also a comment that made me think about the drama surrounding the release of this book. Sookie says:

Do you sometimes wish you could fast-forward a week? You know something bad’s coming up, and you know you’ll get through it, but the prospect just makes you feel sick.

Charlaine Harris knew that this book would not satisfy readers looking for a Sookie / Eric HEA. Is this her commentary? I don’t know, but there a few times I took notice of such lines in the book. Almost like the last word or a parting shot.

Anyway, the middle third of this book was excruciatingly slow. At 40% I couldn’t imagine what more could be in this story. Endless pages of minutiae: hamburgers (although the thought of Quinn sneaking a raw hamburger did put a smile on my face), chicken fried steak, and on and on. I had hoped Charlaine could have at least delivered some excitement, but it just wasn’t there.

At least the Eric and Sookie scenes were the most emotionally charged in the book. This romance had been at the heart of this series, and in many ways, it was still front and center in this book. Only it wasn’t all fairy blood and gracious plenty; it was the emotional pain of breaking up. Hard to say whether Sookie truly loved Eric, and vice versa. But it was clear over the last two books their relationship was in serious, possibly permanent trouble. Sookie just never seemed to cut him a break, even in this book.

It didn’t bother me that they broke up. It just wasn’t meant to be. Neither one of them wanted it enough.

I had some problems with Sookie in this book. She seemed very out of character with her frequent swearing, her hardened attitude, and her depression and loneliness. I wondered how much of this Sookie was influenced by the TB Sookie. Seemed that way to me. I didn’t like this Sookie. At one point in the series, she valued the supernaturals, understanding their challenges of mingling with the humans. She always treated the supes with respect, but in Dead Ever After, she refers to them as creatures, as something less than.

As for Eric, much is made throughout the book about his pragmatism, as if it is something that couldn’t exist together with his strong feelings for Sookie. As if being practical meant that he didn’t feel any loss here. But the scenes between Eric and Sookie were the best in this book, with the divorce scene reminiscent of early series scenes. It was emotionally charged and I wish it had been longer. There was some real pain there, much like real divorce and breakups.

The ending of the book seemed to be fabricated to explain how Sam and Sookie could potentially have a relationship. I could have done without another scene where Sookie is abducted in a car.

With Sam, I wish there had been more build-up to the changes in Sam’s life. He just seemed confused for most of the book until the two of them boink it out. We won’t talk about the sex with Sam. No. We. Won’t.

I did like the inclusion of Karen Slaughter. Perhaps my favorite scenes is between Pam, Karen and Sookie, as Pam heals her with vampire blood for one last time, and the three women realize their connection. I was sad though, that Pam and Karen would so easily disparage Eric’s motives for taking care of Sookie. It seemed like even they could not believe he could love.

While I thought this was a better book than the last two, it was still a disappointing conclusion to the series.

Review: Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Release date: May 28, 2013 Harlequin Teen

Synopsis:

“I dare you...”

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all...

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4.5 out of 5 flames

When I finished Dare You To, I realized why I like the Pushing the Limits series by Katie McGarry.  I love how she writes about family. In both these books, she delivers with an intimate view of family dynamics, especially when the  “family” unit isn’t necessarily traditional or completely functional.

Dare You To  is the story of Beth Risk, friend and family to Noah and Isaiah from the first book in the series, Pushing the Limits.  Beth meets Ryan Stone for the first time when he’s trying to get her phone number on a dare from his friends, and something about Beth captures his attention at that first meeting. There’s chemistry between Ryan and Beth from the get-go.

When Beth’s mom lets her daughter take the fall during a fight with her boyfriend Trent, Beth ends up living in Ryan’s hometown.  The rest is history. You know the story.

The most interesting aspect of Dare You To was the portrayal of the different  family relationships.  Beth’s mother is all kinds of messed up. When Beth is sent to live with her Uncle Scott and his “not exactly on board with the whole idea” wife, she’s given a very different kind of life. What will she choose--a more stable life with her new family or will she choose her mother and the friends she left behind?

Ryan Stone has family problems too. Not the same as Beth’s problems, but every bit as difficult. He’s facing some choices too.  Groomed to be an athlete, he also excels as a creative writer, giving him more options than just professional sports and causing conflict with his father.. And then Beth comes into his life, forcing some decisions regarding his future and his own family.

The secondary characters supported the story well, especially Mark, Ryan’s brother and Ryan’s friends from his team.  I was glad to hear that Isaiah would be getting a book, because my heart cracked a little for him in this story. I’d like to see him get his own HEA.

Writing a bad-girl / good-guy romance isn’t easy but Ryan and Beth are quite believable. I loved how they both found their way over the course of the book and that made their story every bit as compelling as Noah and Echo’s story in Pushing the Limits. As a matter of fact, before I started reading I thought Ryan couldn’t possibly be as interesting as Noah, and it turned out I liked both Ryan and Beth just as much, if not just a tiny bit more.

Dare You To is a poignant follow-up to Pushing the Limits.  The second half of the book was really well paced and very satisfying. The heart of the story is Beth and Ryan, as they fall in love and learn to trust themselves and each other in the process, and by the end of the story, you know they do. It definitely left me with a good feeling.

I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.

Contains: violence, drug use, and sexual content.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Teen for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review. 

4.5 out of 5 flames 

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Review:The Boyfriend from Hell

Synopsis: 

 Veronica Delaney is a bright and beautiful, young New York journalist who has had hard luck romantically and professionally. Her latest boyfriend left her for fame (and another woman, of course), and her latest assignment has her covering a bizarre satanic cult. But while following the story, Veronica soon meets the charming, polite, and devilishly handsome occult historian Richard Smith. Soon she’s embroiled in an exciting affair—at least until strange relics begin to appear on her doorstep and things start to go terribly wrong. 

The Boyfriend from Hell is a funny, astute psychological thriller about the mysteries of attraction and love’s power to hijack our good sense. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Avery Corman including rare images from the author’s personal collection



This one was a solid 3 flames for me. The writing is good, and the story is told in a way that keeps you turning the pages to find out what happens to Veronica/Ronnie. She's in a heap of trouble, for sure.

Veronica is a young free-lance writer. Her latest project has her researching a local satanic cult, complete with internet presence. In the process, she meets a Satan expert, Richard, who woos her. It was fairly clear from the start that Richard was suspicious, his lifestyle odd, but the sex is good and Ronnie is attracted to him. After Richard convinces her to try her hand at writing a book on possession, well, things get really weird and potentially dangerous for Ronnie.

I did like Ronnie's character very much. The fact that she seems very grounded makes what happens to her more interesting. Her very supportive roommate Nancy and her boyfriend Bob helped to give good balance to the bizarre. They contributed nicely to the story.

At times the POV changes were a bit jarring for me. I was expecting a bit more horror, and this seemed more of a psychological thriller, but that was okay. It's a classic story of almost-possession, and there aren't any big surprises. The ending was predictable and a bit too quickly resolved. I would have liked a little more of what happened to Ronnie after the scene in the church. It seemed clear that evil wasn't going to give up.

So if you are in the mood for a not-too-intense possession story, this might be for you.

Thanks to Open Road and Netgalley for the chance to read and review.

Review: All He Ever Dreamed by Shannon Stacey

Synopsis:

Josh Kowalski is tired of holding down the fort—better known as the Northern Star Lodge—while his siblings are off living their dreams. Now that his oldest brother has returned to Whitford, Maine for good, Josh is free to chase some dreams of his own.

As the daughter of the lodge's longtime housekeeper, Katie Davis grew up alongside the Kowalski kids. Though she's always been "one of the guys", her feelings for Josh are anything but sisterly. And after a hot late-night encounter in the kitchen, it's clear Josh finally sees her as the woman she is.

Katie's been waiting years for Josh to notice her, but now that he has, she's afraid it's too late. Giving her heart to a man who can't wait to leave town is one sure way to have it broken. But Josh keeps coming up with excuses not to leave—could it be that everything he's ever wanted is closer than he could have imagined?

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One of my favorite scenes from All He Ever Needed (Book #4 in the Kowalski Series) occurs when Josh finally gets it off his chest that he’s tired of running the Northern Star Lodge. I really felt for what he was going through, and I eagerly awaited the book that would give him his happily-ever-after. All He Ever Dreamed did not disappoint. The path Josh takes to his happy ending was just terrific.

Josh’s brothers do much to help alleviate some of the pressure on him to run the lodge, but Josh still has that feeling that he has somehow missed out on something in life. Its a case of the grass is always greener, and he struggles with wanting to see life beyond Whitford.

Katie Davis is struggling a little bit too. She’s been in love with Josh for years, and to Josh, she’s a best friend. He doesn’t see her in the romantic way. At least not until Rose gets involved. She attempts to open Josh and Katie’s eyes to the realities that are right in front of them.

What I love about this series is that Shannon Stacey really knows how to take what I would call an everyday real life situation, and she makes it interesting and fun. All of the books in the series are that way, but this book in particular rang so true for me. Josh struggles with wanting his freedom over the family obligation that he thinks has been thrust upon him. It’s a wonderful moment when he realizes that he truly loves the Northern Star Lodge.

There are some very touching scenes between the Kowalski siblings in this installment too. They all come to Josh’s aid, enabling him to discover what he wants out of life. I also loved that it wasn’t solved with an easy-out where Josh just falls into Katie’s arms, although my heart broke for her in spots. It’s tough knowing that the right decision is the one that is going to really hurt. This series has just the right amount of emotional upheaval, followed up with a lovely happily ever after.

All He Ever Dreamed is a wonderful friends to lovers story. I might even have to say that Josh is my favorite Kowalski, or maybe Kevin, or Mitch..*sigh*

If you are looking for something fun with a dash of conflict and a happy ending --read this series. You won’t be sorry.

4 Flames

Thanks to Harlequin and NetGallery for the eArc in exchange for an honest review. 

Review: All He Ever Desired by Shannon Stacey

Synopsis:

A second shot at first love?

After college, Ryan Kowalski decided to leave Whitford, Maine, rather than watch Lauren Carpenter marry another man. Now his siblings need his help to refurbish the family-owned Northern Star Lodge and he’s forced to face the past sooner rather than later when he collars a vandal—and learns the boy is Lauren’s son….

The last person Lauren needs back in her life is Ryan Kowalski. With a bitter ex-husband and a moody teenage son, she has enough man trouble already. But her son needs to learn a few lessons about right and wrong, even if Lauren has to escort him to Ryan’s door every day to work off his crime.

With all this close contact, Ryan and Lauren can’t deny the chemistry between them is as powerful as ever. But can a few searing kisses erase their past and pave the way for a second chance at true love?

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All He Ever Desired is the fifth book in Shannon Stacey’s Kowalski Brothers series. Usually around this time in a series, especially if I’m reading them one after another, I might find myself getting bored or that the stories are becoming less interesting or too similar.  Not so with this series.  Each brother and their story is unique, and I really love that about this series.  Oh, all the Kowalski’s are good men  but each faces different challenges when it comes to life and love.  

Ryan Kowalski hasn’t returned to Whitford since asking his best friend’s wife to run away with him.  I don’t blame him. That’s a tough offer to make and an even tougher rejection to face.  But when the Northern Star Lodge needs repairs that his business experience and crew can deliver, he does the right thing and comes home to lend a hand. The last person he needs to run into is Lauren Carpenter, but he knows that it’s going to be hard to avoid her or her family.  

When Ryan becomes the designated driver at a family wedding and has to take Lauren and her friends home, he can’t deny his feelings any longer, and things heat up very nicely.  But this happily-ever-after is complicated by a teenage son, and an ex-husband, and Lauren, who may not want the same things Ryan has been craving in his life.  It’s a right sticky situation.

I liked the storylines in this book.  Dealing with an ex, a teenage son who is acting out some of his problems in not so healthy ways, partners wanting different things out of life, compromising on living arrangements to be with the one you love.  I wasn’t sure until the very end how it was going to end up, and I especially liked the unexpected drama at the end with the ex-husband, and I loved how it became very clear that the ex-husband was interested in not only his son’s happiness, but also Lauren’s happiness.  He could have been a real jerk about that, and he wasn’t.  

I loved seeing both the New Hampshire and Maine branches of the Kowalski’s together in this book, and could have used more them. It’s always a treat when characters from previous books in the series return.

The ladies in town are also a nice treat.  Their support of each other is really an awesome aspect of this series, even if that support comes with all the women in each others business. Rose even offers a bit of drama with an old situation that comes to light.

Shannon Stacey nails what it’s like living in a small town, especially how everyone knows everyone elses business (I speak from experience.) I also find her “coming home” subplots to be very realistic as well.  This is a wonderful series if you are looking for something light, fun, with just the right touch of angst.   

Another solid offering in this series. 4 out of 5 flames.

Thanks to Harlequin and NetGallery for the eArc in exchange for an honest review. 

ARC Review: Beyond Control by Kit Rocha

Synopsis:

Alexa Parrino escaped a life of servitude and survived danger on the streets to become one of the most trusted, influential people in Sector Four, where the O’Kanes rule with a hedonistic but iron fist. Lex has been at the top for years, and there’s almost nothing she wouldn’t do for the gang…and for its leader. Lie, steal, kill—but she bows to no one, not even Dallas O’Kane.

He’ll settle for nothing less.

Dallas fought long and hard to carve a slice of order out of the chaos of the sectors. Dangers both large and small threaten his people, but it’s nothing he can’t handle. His liquor business is flourishing, and new opportunities fuel his ambition. Lex could help him expand his empire, something he wants almost as much as he wants her. And no one says no to the king of Sector Four.

Falling into bed is easy, but their sexual games are anything but casual. Attraction quickly turns to obsession, and their careful dance of heady dominance and sweet submission uncovers a need so deep, so strong, it could crush them both.
  4.5 flames out of 5
Kit Rocha’s buffet of bad boys, as I call them, are back in this second installment of the Beyond series, and the focus is on Dallas O’Kane and Lex, his on-again/ off-again woman. This installment continues both the action and the hedonistic erotica. This book contains lots of debauched, smutty sex,often with multiple partners and combinations, so be forewarned.

Since this book is yet to be released, I’m going to try to do this without spoilers. At the end of the first book, Beyond Shame, trouble was brewing in the sectors, with Dallas eliminating Wilson Trent from a neighboring sector, putting it up for grabs to the person strong enough to take it and keep it. Yeah, there’s going to be trouble there for sure.

Back in Sector four, Dallas is distracted with the mind games Lex plays with him, instead of focusing on the troubles brewing, and she’s egging him on. Dallas has an image to uphold as king, and he doesn’t falter, which makes his vulnerability toward Lex all that more endearing. Some of my favorite moments in the book were his thoughts regarding how he feels about her I didn’t doubt his feelings, and it made him one sexy dude.

Lex is more complicated. She has needs that Dallas cannot fulfill, at least not in her mind. She fights him, keeps things from him, and manipulates him. We learn more about her background and some of the things she hides from him. She’s not perfect, and she is actually as inept at dealing with her feelings for Dallas as he is when dealing with his feelings for her. Only she doesn’t see it.

I really like the world the authors have built here. It’s gritty and dirty and has tons of potential. But really, it’s the characters that make this story interesting. Jasper, Noelle, Ace, Bren, Rachel, Six, and other are back too, although their parts are a bit slim. More characters from the other sectors are introduced in this book, including someone who could potentially hurt both Lex and Dallas. Things get tense for a while. Good thing there’s sex to relieve the tensions, at least temporarily.

When Dallas makes a critical mistake in Lex’s eyes, everything explodes. Dallas doesn’t understand what Lex wants and Lex can’t understand why Dallas doesn’t know why she’s upset. Who hasn’t been there, right? The authors give the reader a good dose of some really terrific angsty moments. I absolutely adored the ending of this book for its emotional quality.

I really like this series. It’s got really nice world building, interesting characters, and fresh storylines and erotica. I still have some issues with muddled point of view in some of the scenes with multiple characters. I find I have to re-read sections to really get a handle on who’s thoughts I’m hearing. I wish that could be a little less pronounced for me.

At times the action sequences regarding the gang takes second place to the erotic scenes, and for me, I would rather a more even treatment of between the action and the erotica. I want to know more about this world.

Overall, I loved Beyond Control, and I’m looking forward to the next installment in the series, Beyond Pain (Fall 2013) , with Bren and Six as the main characters.

Thanks to the authors for providing an ARC in exchange for a honest review.