Release Week Review:Don't Look Back (Evidence: Under Fire #3) by Rachel Grant

 

Sometimes history is better left buried…

Six months after barely escaping a nightmare, Kira Hanson is ready to take the trip of a lifetime—one she hopes will answer questions about her father’s clandestine work recovering art stolen during World War II. But before she boards her flight, she’s waylaid by a friend in need and finally comes face-to-face with the Navy SEAL who saved her six months ago and then ghosted her.

Lieutenant Commander Randall Fallon is thrilled to cross paths with the shy art historian, but within minutes of their reunion he learns she’s in danger once again. Uneasy with the idea of her embarking on a trip to track down art thieves on her own, he just might have to reprise his role as undercover bodyguard and follow her to Europe posing as an art buyer.

Things heat up between Kira and Rand when he tracks her down in Malta, but it soon becomes clear that Rand’s instincts were correct: Kira’s digging into her father’s secrets has unearthed an unexpected enemy.

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What I thought about Don't Look Back

Art Historian Kira Hanson is on a quest to learn more about her family history and is about to embark on a trip to Malta to delve into some of the mysteries of her parent's past. But before she even gets there, she is reunited with Lieutenant Commander Randall Fallon, a man who once saved her and is now concerned she doesn't know what she's heading into. Of course, he's going to protect her!

There's plenty of twists and turns here, and a very nice level of steam between these two main characters. I do love that when I read a book from this author, I often learn little bits of history and archeology and I do enjoy that very much.  There's a page-turning pace here as well, which really checks all my boxes.   Romance, action, great setting, enough twists and turns to make things very interesting and exciting. Exactly what I want in a romantic suspense title. 

Review: Body Check by Elle Kennedy

 

New York Times bestselling author of the Briar U series Elle Kennedy’s first hockey romance, Body Check, is now released in an expanded version, with both new and enhanced scenes by the author! More story, more hockey—and more heat!

After a childhood spent being dragged around the country by her hockey coach father, Hayden Houston intends to take some time to figure out her future. Whether that future will include her currently off-again boyfriend remains to be seen. What it certainly won’t include is the for-one-night-only guy she just met at a bar.   

It seems hockey star Brody Croft did not get the memo about being temporary. Big, bold and driven, he’s dedicated in everything he does. Up till now, that’s been his team—the one owned by Hayden’s dad. But his night with Hayden has sparked something he didn’t expect. The two of them are good together. Really good. There’s a connection he’s never experienced before, one he knows they’d be wrong to ignore. Even with a game-fixing scandal testing both their loyalties—to teammates, to friends…to family. 

Part of Hayden wants to turn tail and run. A complicated relationship with a bad boy hockey player is exactly what she never wanted. But when it comes to Brody, Hayden is realizing that people can be so much more than what they seem.  

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What I thought about Body Check

This title was originally released in March 2009 and has been re-released with new and enhanced scenes.  

If you've ever read any hockey romance from Elle Kennedy, you know that she knows hockey and always gives the reader a good ride. In Body Check, Art History professor Hayden is looking for a distraction in her life, while Brody is looking for something that isn't a one-night-stand.  There's a boatload of chemistry between these characters and I liked the dynamic of Hayden being the one who wanted no strings.

This is a quick, easy read with plenty of steamy moments.  Things move along quickly which I like and while you probably won't find any surprises, it's a very satisfying and fun hockey romance. 

Review: One Cursed Rose (Grimm Bargains #1) by Rebecca Zanetti

 

For fans of Scarlett St Clair and Sarah J Maas, New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Zanetti explores the forbidden and the taboo in this modern twist on Beauty and the Beast – the first in a seductive new dark romance series set in a world where information is power, and those who control the flow of information live like gods…

“Sexy and utterly engrossing!” —bestselling author J.T. Geissinger

They christened me Alana—and while the name means beauty, beneath that surface is a depth I allow very few to see. I’m sole heir to Aquarius Social, a media giant about to succumb to an unseen enemy. My father’s solution is to marry me off to the son of a competing family. My reaction? Not a chance. Now I have just a week before the wedding to change my fate.

Who knew the unforeseen twist would be an assassination attempt on me and an unwanted rescue by Thorn Beathach, the head of the rival social media empire driving Aquarius under? The richest, most ruthless of them all, the Beast protects his realm with an iron rule: no one sees his face. When he shows himself to me, I know he’ll never let me go.

Thorn may think he can lock me in his enchanted castle forever, but I’m not the docile Beauty he expects. If the Beast wants to tie me up, I’m going to take pleasure from every minute of it . . .and we’ll just see who ends up shackled.

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 What I thought about One Cursed Rose

A contemporary romance with elements of beauty and the beast in the world of social media and information security.  Whew!  That's a mouthful!

Alana Beaumont is the heir to Aquarius Social and in order to survive the business environment she's got to merge with another company by way of arranged marriage.  Only Thorn Beathach (aka the beast) decides he's not going to let that happen because he wants her. If only he wasn't ill with some unknown illness.

There's some intricate world building here that is a mash up of traditional sort of paranormal elements and contemporary delivery via the web.  I found that to be fresh and kept me turning the pages.  In spite of Thorn being a bit creepy at the start, I did like Thorn and Alana together.

Overall, I thought there were interesting aspects of this dark crime family-type rivals-to-lovers romance. This is the first book in a series, so I'm curious as to where this is going to go.  There were some places where I was left scratching my head, so I hope these questions get answered in future installments.  A good start to the series.

Release Day Review: Golden Touch (Giltmaker #2) by Sarina Bowen

 

A brand new romance from Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Sarina Bowen!

Livia

Once upon a time I spent an evening flirting with a handsome stranger in a bar. But before we could finish what we started, I lost my nerve and fled.

Months later, I’m minding my own business at work one morning when a stranger lets himself into the empty brewery. Panicked, I call 911, and the cops show up to slap on the handcuffs.

In my defense, I have very good reasons to be afraid. Also in my defense, I’d never met my boss’s son.

Or so I’d thought…

Nash

I don’t know what this chick has against me. First she ditches me, and now she wants to arrest me.

Livia is as frustrating as she is hot. But nobody else knows the brewery better than she does. Now we’re stuck together, sharing an office and a very small house as I run the brewery for six weeks for my cranky dad.

That’s just enough time to bring down her guard. Turns out we have a lot more in common than we thought, including a lot of smoking hot chemistry. Until Livia’s past catches up with her, and I finally figure out why she’s so jumpy. But I’ll stop at nothing to protect her, unless her ex finds her first…

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Audio: https://geni.us/Golden-Touch-Audible

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 What I thought about Golden Touch

Let's start with that gorgeous cover! Wowzers -- that's one attractive smile! That put me right in the mood for this romance from Sarina Bowen.

Nash is home helping the family when he meets Livia, a woman running from a bad situation. Livia is employed by Nash's family business, but doesn't know about Nash -- and it turns out that they'd met before. So things start out a bit off-kilter between them, but eventually Livia and Nash come to an understanding. Their chemistry together is great and I really liked them together.

There's a good bit of suspense with Livia's past coming back to haunt her. This keeps the pace brisk and I loved that about this book. I've really been searching for some great romance of late, and Golden Touch was satisfying as a romance with suspenseful elements.

Overall, I loved this and the wonderful world that Sarina Bowen has created for these characters.  

 

Release Day Review: The Five Year Lie by Sarina Bowen

Bestselling romance author Sarina Bowen’s debut thriller, about one woman’s search for the truth after receiving a text from her deceased ex. 

Dead men don’t send texts . . .

On an ordinary Monday morning, Ariel Cafferty's phone buzzes with a disturbing text message. Something’s happened. I need to see you. Meet me under the candelabra tree ASAP. The words would be jarring from anyone, but the sender is the only man she ever loved. And it's been several years since she learned he died.

Seeing Drew’s name pop up is heart-stopping. Ariel’s gut says it can’t be real. But she goes to the tree anyway. She has to.

Nobody shows. But the text upends everything she thought she knew about the day he left her. The more questions she asks, the more sinister the answers get. Only two things are clear: everything she was told five years ago is wrong, and someone is still lying to her. 

The truth has to be out there somewhere. To safeguard herself—and her son—she’ll have to find it before it finds her. And with it, the answer to what became of Drew. 

For fans of Laura Dave and Julie Clark, but with a heart-stopping romance that only Sarina Bowen can execute, The Five Year Lie is a page-turning, spine-tingling thriller that will have you guessing until the very end.

Praise for The Five Year Lie

“I devoured this book in one day, and I guarantee you will too.”—Julie Clark, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Flight and The Lies I Tell

“An expertly woven story of love, revenge, and murder. In a world where so many books feel so similar—this was a refreshingly unique read and an addictive blend of love and mystery that I couldn’t put down. This is storytelling at its finest and I can’t recommend this book enough.”—AR Torre, New York Times bestselling author of Every Last Secret

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What I thought about The Five Year Lie

 

When Ariel gets a text from the man she loved and thinks is dead, her whole world and what she knows about it is thrown into disarray and she must unravel all the lies she's been told for years.

 

This is the debut thriller from one of my favorite romance authors.  I was really eager to see how this would work for me as I have been reading quite a few domestic thrillers in the last year.  I am happy to say that I will be putting The Five Year Lie in my "favorites of 2024" category.  There's plenty of questions, lots of drama and so many lies and red herring that kept me reading. There is plenty of romantic elements here as well, which I really look for in a domestic thriller as it helps to make the stakes higher when there are feelings involved.

 

The story is told in multiple POVs, which keeps things moving along. There's plenty of tech in this one too, which is always a mixed bag for me as it tends to make me want to fact check things, but that was okay because accuracy with technology is important to this reader.

 

I'm glad to see this author branching out into other area as the writing is always top-notch and the characters are engaging. Can't wait for more!

 

 

About Sarina

Sarina Bowen is the award-winning author of more than thirty contemporary novels. She has hit the USA Today bestseller's list sixteen times and counting. Formerly a derivatives trader on Wall Street, Sarina holds a BA in economics from Yale University.

Sarina is a New Englander whose Vermont ancestors cut timber and farmed the north country since the 1760s. Sarina is grateful for the invention of indoor plumbing and wi-fi during the intervening 250 years. She lives with her family on a few wooded acres in New Hampshire.

Sarina's books are published in a dozen languages on four continents.

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Review: Hott Take (Hott Springs Eternal, #2) by Serena Bell

 

 

The hard part isn’t acting like we’re falling for each other. It’s pretending we’re not.

Shane: My grandfather’s will has me between a rock and a Hott place. If I don’t score a celebrity wedding, my sister will lose her wedding planning business—and our family’s land. As a playboy movie star, I know Hollywood’s ins and outs. But finding two celebrities in love is tougher than it looks.

Enter Ivy Scofield—the beautiful star of one of TV’s most beloved failures. She’s hiding from her past in Rush Creek, running a community theater for troubled kids. She needs my family’s wedding barn to save her program. So we make a deal: I give her the barn—she gives me her hand in fake marriage. Lights, camera, action—and cut—right?

Not so fast. Planning our fake wedding is way more personal than I was expecting. I’m learning Ivy’s quirks, preferences, and pet peeves—and that’s before I walk in on her enjoying my most infamous on-camera scene. Plus she’s slowly peeling back my layers—the ones I’ve built up to protect myself. If someone doesn’t do something soon, we might discover that the only thing fake about this wedding is the way we keep pushing each other away.

A spicy, movie star, marriage of convenience, fake relationship standalone romantic comedy set in the beloved small town of Rush Creek.

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 What I thought about Hott Take

My first love when it comes to reading has always been contemporary romance, and I was thrilled to be able to read and review Serena Bell's latest called Hott Take.  This series centers around the reading of a last will and testament that contains some very specific conditions for the Hott siblings.  In this second book, Shane Hott must find a celebrity marriage to save his sister's wedding business, and that isn't exactly easy.  Let's begin with a fake engagement to a local Rush Creek Ivy Scofield, a former TV star now running a community theater program in Rush Creek.

There aren't any big surprises here -- if you are familiar with the "fake" date, engagement, marriage trope, then you know exactly what is going to happen here between Shane and Ivy.  Shane makes a deal with Ivy so that she can keep her community theater going while he satisfies his grandfather's conditions with this fake engagement. Only those fake engagement tend to help people to get to know each other and in what is usually the case, they fall for each other.  That's
Shane and Ivy's story in a nutshell -- the fun part is going along for the ride with them as they discover that their pretend romance may actually lead to a true love story.

I really liked this for its romantic elements. Shane and Ivy are pretty great together, even though they may have started out acting their way through the relationship.  There's great chemistry and engaging banter that makes the story a lot of fun.  It is a quick read, which I love as well -- I want to fall into the story and just feel compelled to keep reading and that's how I felt with Hott Take. 

Blog Tour Review: 5 stars for The Beloved (Black Dagger Brotherhood #22) by J. R. Ward

The daughter of a legend finds the love of a lifetime in this passionate, heart-wrenching installment in J.R. Ward’s #1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

Nalla, the blooded daughter of Zsadist, has led a sheltered life. Protected by her father and the Brotherhood, kept away from the deadly war with the Lessening Society, she is chafing against the walls of the very safety that has ensured her survival. One night, she gives in to her restlessness...and finds herself face-to-face with a male whose inner darkness rivals even that of her sire’s horrific origins.

Nate is a fighter with nothing to lose—and nothing to live for. Tortured in a human lab as a young, then cursed with immortality, he is all vengeance and no purpose because he cares for no one—not even himself. The Brotherhood knows this all too well and following Nate’s deliberate violation of the cardinal rule in the war, they declare him a dangerous liability that must be dealt with.

When Nalla and Nate find themselves fighting side by side, daggers aren’t the only things that fly. A sizzling attraction is ignited, though Nalla knows her sire will never accept him—and on his side, Nate has made a secret bargain to end his own immortality. As the enemy closes in, and Nalla realizes she must choose between her mate and her sire, what starts with such passion may well end with eternal sorrow and no chance of a reunion—even in the Fade.

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~o~

 What I thought about The Beloved

Caldwell and the Blackdagger Brotherhood is back with the "next generation"  in The Beloved, the story of Nalla, the daughter of Zsadist and Bella and Nate, an assassin with many scars in his past.

The Beloved picks up right where Lassiter left off, which I loved about this book.  The return of Wrath was a huge moment in Lassiter and it deserved more page time, so I'm thrilled we did get to see Wrath's reunion with his fellow brothers. His return was a great way to revisit with the core group of Brothers and their shellans and I'll always want that in any BDB book.  But I was also eager to learn more about this next generation and there's plenty of Nalla, Bitty and L.W. (who I think is going to be a huge fan favorite --  I already love him!)

All of the young are now adults. They are all struggling to find themselves and cut the apron strings between them and their parents. None more than Nalla, who's father is the scariest of all the Brothers. Zsadist isn't afraid to threaten any male interested in his daughter and there's all sorts of tensions between Nalla and Bella too!  I loved the tension between them all while the deep love between them comes across so well in The Beloved. The conflicts between Nalla and her parents are realistic and a great way to start this next generation series. I loved Nalla alot in this story.  She is most definitely her father's daughter and she isn't afraid to show it! The action sequences are terrific and that ending had me cheering! 

There weren't any big surprises for me in The Beloved. It was more like a visit with old friends, but there was awesome right-on-time action, plenty of steamy moments between Nate and Nalla that will have you fanning yourself, and enough of the enemy to make you remember why they are hated. I devoured this book in a couple of days, and loved every word. Then went back and read the ending again!  Loved it!