REVIEW - The Standby Guy by Natasha Moore

The Book
Release Date: 11 February 2019
Goodreads Link

For the last fifteen years, Katie Dixon has been focused on her responsibility as a single mother, raising her son and making ends meet. Now her son’s off to college, her photography business is stable, and she’s more than ready to embrace her “me time,” including a romantic fling or two. The only problem is that she hasn’t dated in years and needs a little help finding her confidence again. 

Carter Colburn has been her next door neighbor and closest friend for years. So when he needs a date for a business dinner that could boost his law firm and help keep the family business on solid footing, she offers to pretend to be his girlfriend. He’s funny, sexy, and a confirmed bachelor—the perfect guy to help her find her mojo and nothing more.

But when local residents catch them sharing a tipsy kiss, the rumor mill goes wild. It's fun to pretend to be dating for a while. But when Carter starts to take the idea of settling down with his best friend seriously, Katie is terrified by the prospect of losing her precious "me time" all over again.

My Review  4 STARS
**Copy Provided by Netgalley and Entangled Publishing LLC, for an honest review**

I must admit that i was thrilled to find a book where the characters were no longer in their twenties and were slightly more mature, especially as i am now in my mid thirties.

Katie is 40 and her son has just fled the nest to college leaving Katie to her Me Time and to focus on her photography business.  Her best friend Carter, the best friend of her husband lives next door and helped her raise her son when her husband died when Sean was little.

The pair are great together, but it is only once Sean has gone and Carter needs a date to go on a business meeting that the pair find there is more to their friendship than they thought.  Pretending to be a couple has other people saying about time and that they thought they were already together in private.  Which shocks them both.

Katie is ok with pretending for a while but does not want another relationship as it is her time to do things, but of course feelings get tin the way for both of them and they both have to realise that they can still live and be who they want to be with each other and that Katie does not have to give up her list.

I really enjoyed this book, i will be looking out more from this line by this publisher.

REVIEW - Living with Her Fake Fiancé (The Loft #3) by Noelle Adams

The Book
Release Date: 19 February 2019
Goodreads Link

Chloe needs a man to pose as her fiancé for a few weeks, so she asks her roommate, Brent, to take on the role. He might be shy, but he's a good guy, and he'll do anything to help her out. 

Because she's grateful, she wants to do something for Brent in return, and there's only one thing he needs from her. He has no experience with women. None. At all. So Chloe decides to give him lessons. 

It's supposed to be a friendly, casual thing, but Brent makes her feel better about herself than any man ever has. So Chloe wonders if their fake relationship can be real.

My Review  4 STARS
**My thanks to the author for providing me with a free copy for an honest review**

This is a cute read about Chloe and Brent, Chloe being the last friend to pair up that lives in the Loft apartment.

Chloe is a very friendly character, but finds herself in a bit of a pickle when her mother tells Chloe's dying grandmother a fib that Chloe has gotten engaged.  A fib that has Chloe asking a very shy and quiet Brent if he would pretend to be her fiancé and she will help him talk to girls and do much more.

As the pair grow closer together they learn more about each other and explore more than just kisses until they find that they want to be more than just friends.

This was a lovely end to the series and it closes well on the chapter of the three friends and their lives.

REVIEW - The D.I.L.F. by Amy Andrews

The Book
Release Date: 23 January 2018
Goodreads Link

Amy Andrews turns up the heat in her smuttiest little book to-date!

Owen

I’ve had a crush on Stefanie, my best friend’s older sister, since I was fifteen. As a geeky gamer with a bad case of acne, she was totally out of my league. But I’m all grown up now, with a medical degree and an in-depth knowledge of female anatomy I’m not afraid to use. When we cross paths again I finally get my chance to live out a few teenage fantasies and prove I can be her guy. I just have to convince Stef to take a chance. 

Stefanie

As a resident nurse,I’ve had enough of arrogant doctors to last me a lifetime. I’m not looking for another. I’m especially not looking to hook up with my kid brother’s bestie—ten years my junior—even if he has morphed into a walking, talking, wet dream. If only he wasn’t sleeping in my spare bed for three weeks and making it very clear he wants to be in my bed instead. Not going to happen. I don’t do casual anymore. No matter how much I want to open my legs for the DILF

My Review  4 STARS
**Copy Provided by Netgalley and Entangled Publishing LLC, for an honest review**

This was a slightly unusual book for me in that the man was younger than the woman by 10 years, but that did not diminish the fact that this was a good read.

Owen has had a thing for Stefanie, his best friends older sister since her was fifteen and he saw much more of her than he should have.  Now sharing an apartment with her for a short period, his lust kicks up again and he just knows that he has to have her and that she is the one for him.

Stefanie however, although she finds Owen to be more hot than she remembers, let alone et near, she struggles at first with the fact that not only is Owen her little brothers best friend, but she struggles with the age gap and what others may think when they find out.

Untimately Owen is strong in character and changes Stefs mind and changes her world for the better, he proves that he will be there for her and we get a happy ending with a decent ending.

REVIEW - The Last (The List #3) by Tawna Fenske

The Book
Release Date: 4 February 2019
Goodreads Link

Sarah Keating was sure she’d be married by 30. Husband, kids, the kick-ass career helping adults with Down Syndrome—she assumed she’d have it all, and there’d be no need to fall back on the marriage pact she made with her best pal from college.

But a tipsy message she sends from her birthday party brings Ian Nolan to her door ready to rock her world, and not just with mind-blowing sex. He’s up for tying the knot, and has a million pragmatic reasons it makes perfectly good sense.

As Sarah and Ian test drive their marriage-of-convenience, they navigate awkward business dinners, a slippery steam room hookup, and a costume party gone awry. Their friendship is stronger than ever, and the sexual chemistry is off the charts. 

But is that enough to make a marriage work, or will one of them fall hard and end up brokenhearted?

Each book in the The List series is STANDALONE:

* The List
* The Test
* The Last

My Review  4 STARS
**Copy Provided by Netgalley and Entangled Publishing LLC, for an honest review**

I have really enjoyed this book even through i have not read the previous books in the series, you can certainly read it as a stand alone.

Both Sarah and Ian were friends college and made a pact that if they were still single when they are 30 they would marry each other.  On Sarah's thirtieth birthday she is single and having a small part with her close friends she texts Ian only to have a surprise.  Instead of being in New York he in only 10 minutes away and turns up at her door.

Both come from broken homes, but after the death of his brother, Ian has hardened his heart and feels he cannot love in the way most people do.

After Ian introduces a contact marriage, where the only thing missing is the love aspect they embarg on a small trial period before they decide to tie the knot.  Friendships deepen and we see more of the Ian he thinks is not there until Sarah drops a bomb.

We get a happy ending and good friendships along with good supportive characters.  I really enjoyed this book.

REVIEW - Silence by N. Isabelle Blanco

Title: Silence

Author: N. Isabelle Blanco

Genre: Standalone Dark Paranormal Romance

Release Date: January 23, 2019

Blurb

When my brother, the King, married fifteen-years ago, I welcomed his new family as my own. His wife . . . her baby girl.

My niece by marriage.

I left to war the savages. For years I traveled back and forth, seeing that child age.

But then the last battle kept me away for five years . . .

I’ve returned now to take my rightful place: second-in-command to the throne.

I am everything this kingdom stands for—everything it needs. The kind of pillar not even my brother can aspire to being.

They all look up to me. To maintaining their code.

Yet, they do not know the truth.

In the grip of the shadows, she haunts me at night.

During the day, she smiles and whispers, showing me traces of that sweet little girl.

At night, she’s there, a vision in black. Watching, stalking . . . no words need to be said.

She knows.

I’m losing the battle. This thing between us is an evil spark.

Thousands of years of honor are threatened—about to be shredded by the impossibility of our desire.

She doesn’t care.

It’s in her silence that she kills me . . .  and she wields it like a blade.

The savage call of her blood is more than I can handle . . .

And the need to own her body might destroy us both.

Warning: contains themes that aren’t for everyone. Please read at your own caution. 18+.

ADD TO GOODREADS

Purchase Links

Only 99c!

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
B&N / KOBO / APPLE BOOKS

Author Bio

N. Isabelle Blanco is the Amazon Bestselling Author of the Allure Series, the Need Series with K.I. Lynn, and many others. At the age of three, due to an odd fascination with studying her mother’s handwriting, she began to read and write. By the time she’d reached kindergarten, she had an extensive vocabulary and her obsession with words began to bleed into every aspect of her life.

That is, until coffee came a long and took over everything else.

Nowadays, N. spends most of her days surviving the crazy New York rush and arguing with her characters every ten minutes or so, all in the hopes of one day getting them under control.

Author Links

NEWSLETTER 

FACEBOOK 

FACEBOOK GROUP
INSTAGRAM
BOOKBUB

TWITTER
WEBSITE

My Review  5 STARS

**My thanks to the author for providing me with a free copy for an honest review**

Wow, i did enjoy this book but with this ending i REALLY hope there is at least one more book coming and that we get a series out of this.

Obsidian is just awesome and Calamity (what a wonderful) name really got under his skin in just the best of ways.  

The book has a taboo theme. but taboo means something different to everyone, an age gap means nothing to some, step siblings or married into the family mean nothing to some and something to others.  This book did not feel taboo to me, but i am very open minded.

Obsidian has that dark brooding type of personality and Calamity has the type of personality to make the thing happen that she wants, even if it is hard for others initially, she is also a computer wizard.

The chemistry between the pair leaps of the page from the moment that they are reunited again and does not stop until the last page of this book.  Be warned that the flames will leap of the pages and leave you fanning yourself as the pair tear through the book from a small smoulder to a raging inferno.

COVER REVEAL - The Something about Her (The Opposites Attract Series Book 4) by Rachel Higginson

The Book
Release Date: 26 February 2019
Goodreads Link

I quit life. Or at least my new job. 

My new, fancy, head chef position at one of the most acclaimed restaurants in the city is not turning out like I’d hoped. I’m a mess. Totally out of my element and underqualified, I’ve been thrown into a fiery kitchen and I’m not sure I can handle the heat. 

But I owe my brother. And since it’s his restaurant and he’s my favorite person in the world, I can’t walk away.

Even though I’d love to do just that. If we’re being honest though, it’s more than just my kitchen. It’s the bad date I went on last week. And my building superintendent that won’t fix my sink. It’s the creepy guy from my gym that won’t leave me alone. But mostly, it’s my friend’s brother that keeps showing up in all the worst places.

I’ve never claimed to have it together, but I certainly don’t need a man to rescue me every time I get my heel stuck in a sewer grate. Except that’s what keeps happening. 

Vann Delane is pushy and stuck up and thinks he knows everything there is to know about everything. And for whatever reason, he keeps saving me. 

Not that he’s happy about it. He’s made it clear what he thinks about my money and dream job and the designer shoes he saved last weekend. He’s not impressed with me and my penchant for disaster. 

I’ve decided to stay away from him. I’ve got too many other fires to put out to worry about the something between us that doesn’t have a name. 

So, he can give his knight in shining armor kindness to someone else. And he can save those intense glances and butterfly-inducing smiles for the nice girl he’s looking for. And he can deny it all he wants, but I know he likes me.

He says I drive him crazy. But I know there’s something about me that he can’t deny.

Amazon US Pre-Order Link

Amazon UK Pre-Order Link

REVIEW - Sixty Nine (Payne Brothers #4) by Sosie Frost

The Book
Release Date: 24 December 2018
Goodreads Link

Varius Payne is a guilty pleasure that tempts a girl to sin.

He’s a devil in bed, and every night in his arms promises paradise.

Our agreement was simple—no names, no details, no confessions beyond our need for each other. 

…Until the day we came face-to-face outside our secret hotel room, working together to coordinate his small-town Christmas pageant.

Varius needs a savior, but I’m no angel. And saving him from his demons risks my own heart. 

It’d be a match made in Heaven…
If it hadn’t detoured through Hell. 

***
Sixty Nine is a sexy, laugh-out loud romance from Wall-Street Journal Bestselling Author Sosie Frost. Love stand-alone romances set in a connected universe? The Payne Brothers are sexy, deliciously tempting, and, like a real family--they can't stand each other. Fortunately, these small-town women know how to handle their men. Hearts will heal, one romantic comedy at a time.

Sixty Nine is a complete standalone! This BWWM Romantic Comedy is 100% safe, contains no cheating or cliffhangers, and is guaranteed a heart-warming Happily Ever After.

My Review  5 STARS
**My thanks to the author for providing me with a free copy for an honest review**

I really enjoyed this book with Glory being a strong woman and being able to see more of Varius and the reason as to why he is currently no longer a minister.

Varius is a man who is haunted by an event that happened two years ago that has rocked the way that he sees the world, he now credits seeing Glory as the reason that he has something in his world that helps his soul.

Glory is a woman who works hard to look after her baby and has managed to stay strong even when things go bad, she is a role model really, apart from her previous taste in men.

I enjoyed still seeing previous characters, the way the town can tear each other apart, but stand in support of others when needed and being great characters in general.  This town sounds like a lot of fun to visit.

I really look forward to see how Tidus manages to turn his life around.

COVER REVEAL - Silence by N. Isabelle Blanco

Title: Silence

Author: N. Isabelle Blanco

Genre: Standalone Dark Romance
Cover Design: Decadent Designs by Dee

Release Date: January 23, 2019

Blurb

When my brother, the King, married fifteen-years ago, I welcomed his new family as my own. His wife . . . her baby girl.

My niece by marriage.

I left to war the savages. For years I traveled back and forth, seeing that child age.

But then the last battle kept me away for five years . . .

I’ve returned now to take my rightful place: second-in-command to the throne.

I am everything this kingdom stands for—everything it needs. The kind of pillar not even my brother can aspire to being.

They all look up to me. To maintaining their code.

Yet, they do not know the truth.

In the grip of the shadows, she haunts me at night.

During the day, she smiles and whispers, showing me traces of that sweet little girl.

At night, she’s there, a vision in black. Watching, stalking . . . no words need to be said.

She knows.

I’m losing the battle. This thing between us is an evil spark.

Thousands of years of honor are threatened—about to be shredded by the impossibility of our desire.

She doesn’t care.

It’s in her silence that she kills me . . .  and she wields it like a blade.

The savage call of her blood is more than I can handle . . .

And the need to own her body might destroy us both.

Warning: contains themes that aren’t for everyone. Please read at your own caution. 18+.

ADD TO GOODREADS

Author Bio

N. Isabelle Blanco is the Amazon Bestselling Author of the Allure Series, the Need Series with K.I. Lynn, and many others. At the age of three, due to an odd fascination with studying her mother’s handwriting, she began to read and write. By the time she’d reached kindergarten, she had an extensive vocabulary and her obsession with words began to bleed into every aspect of her life.

That is, until coffee came a long and took over everything else.

Nowadays, N. spends most of her days surviving the crazy New York rush and arguing with her characters every ten minutes or so, all in the hopes of one day getting them under control.

Author Links

NEWSLETTER 

FACEBOOK 

FACEBOOK GROUP
INSTAGRAM
BOOKBUB

TWITTER
WEBSITE

REVIEW - Pink Slips and Glass Slippers by J.P. Hansen

The Book
Release Date: 20 November 2012
Goodreads Link

Brooke Hart was beautiful, smart, and groomed from birth to deal with adversity. 

Her widowed father did his best to raise his baby girl to be a strong-minded business woman. Then she found Tanner. Just when her world seemed perfect, everything turned upside down.
Following Tanner’s tragic death, Brooke joins a start-up company that is developing a cure for the disease that killed the love of her life. Just before the treatment is ready to market, the company is gobbled up by a giant conglomerate. She moves to the acquiring company as its youngest VP and becomes enamored with CEO Chase Allman—only to be betrayed by him.

Brooke rebounds again and sets out on a personal journey to discover what will truly make her happy. Sparks fly when she and Chase cross paths again in an unlikely way. Now, they need each other to find an abducted child and save thousands of people.

My Review  3 STARS
**My thanks to the author for providing me with a free copy for an honest review**

This has been on my kindle since the author provided it to me to review in 2013 and i had completely forgotten about it until now.  

The author only wrote this romance novel as he was dared by some friends in the vein that men cannot write romance novels.  It is safe to say they can, as we now have good many male romance authors.

This book is a good average romance, but not the best in the bunch, however the author did give us a good  compelling story to read and a very decent plot line.

The author also manages to get mentions of a previous life books he has written into this book and also puts other parts of his life coaching into the book.

The romance is nice to follow, but i found that Chase was not actually at his job very much, he kept skiving off work to be with his son, or something else happened so he was not there.

It's a decent enough read, but there were areas that i felt needed a little more work.

REVIEW - Faking Forever (First Wives #4) by Catherine Bybee

The Book
Release Date: 12 March 2019
Goodreads Link

From New York Times bestselling author Catherine Bybee comes a new First Wives novel about wanting a family…and finding love.

Shannon Wentworth’s biological clock is ticking, and she isn’t going to let her single status keep her from having a baby. When her wedding-photography business takes her to Mexico, she has every intention of finding a willing baby daddy to help her out. Until the bride goes AWOL, leaving Shannon to coddle the arrogant fiancé who has accused her of sabotaging his wedding.

Victor Brooks never could have imagined that he’d be on a honeymoon for one. Only here he is, taking a hard look at his life after the younger women he thought he loved walked out. The woman who volunteers to help him reflect is the last person he expects to be attracted to. Between the tequila, the sun, and one earth-shattering kiss, Victor finds Shannon a distraction too sexy to ignore.

They strike a deal: wait three months, cool off, and see if their tropical beach attraction is worth taking up when they go back home. Unfortunately, that’s just enough time for the past to come calling. All their best-laid plans are at risk. So is the last thing Shannon expected to matter the most: her heart.

My Review  5 STARS
**Copy Provided by Netgalley and Montlake Romance for an honest review**

Catherine proves time and time again why she is a one-click, go-to author for me with every book she releases.  This book was no exception.

Shannon has always been the quiet one of the group, measuring up her words and watching from the sidelines, now however she is the main focus of this book and we get to learn so much more about her.

Victor has worked hard to build his business up from the ground while he was still living at home as a teenager, however with advanced years he tried the wrong way to balance his life and nearly got married to the wrong woman.

The first meeting of the pair does not go down well, however when not only relationships change and a holiday in Tulum have the pair getting closer things do not change when they get back home.

Shannon is graceful and always acts above those who are not nice to her and her loyal and fierce group of friends are always there before Shannon even knows she needs help.  It is wonderful to see her coming out of her shall more and opening up around not only Victor but more with her friends.

I really loved Shannon's story and i am really hoping that Saskia get her own spinoff book, she deserves a happy ending too.

REVIEW - Hosed by Pippa Grant and Lili Valente

The Book
Release Date: 15 January 2018
Goodreads Link

The world's sexiest firefighter is about to get a second chance with the virgin next door…
He's bossy, arrogant, and so ridiculously hot he should come with a warning label and a pair of flame retardant coveralls.

He's also the boy who broke my heart when we were in high school.

I want to move in next door to Ryan O'Dell the way I want to be the virgin gamer geek suddenly in charge of running my sister's sex toy factory. Too bad both are written in my stars.

Yeah, I'm the world's oldest virgin code-writing nerd. 

And he's the world's hottest firefighter. 

And even though he intimidates the heck out of me, I can't seem to control my libido when he's around.

Where is my dignity? My self-respect? My panties?

Seriously…. Have you seen them? Anyone?

Maybe they're hiding in his bedroom. With my heart.

Yeah, I know. I'm hosed. 

So hosed.

Hosed is a steamy, fun romantic comedy between a firefighter and the virgin nerd next door, complete with a pet raccoon, scandalous gossip, and dildo football. (No, really.) This romance has no cheating or cliffhangers, and ends with a banging hot happily ever after.

My Review  5 STARS
**My thanks to the author for providing me with a free copy for an honest review**

Loved this book!  I have read  Lili Valente books from the beginning and Pippa Grant is a new to me author who i probably will now be stalking lol.

Full of sass, wit and laughs this book will have you turning page after page, even after lights out, just so that you can find out what happens next.  

My favourite character though?  Well thats a no-brainer, it's definitely the pet racoon called George Cooney, he's quite a character and really is fun to read about, especially the bonus epilogue you can download through Bookfunnel.

Cassie and Ryan make a lovely couple and with mis-haps at the sex toy factory going on while Cassie is covering for her sister, Ryan is strong and even with a slip up helps Cassie out and proves that he is there for her. 

There are lots of lovely characters in this book and you can't help at wonder who is going to pair up and have stories of their own to tell.

REVIEW - Fascinated by You (Magnolia Valley Book 3) by Cora Reed

The Book
Release Date: 20 December 2018
Goodreads Link

She’s a chef who doesn’t cook... 
All the trouble started when Nora agreed to anonymously cater a fundraiser. She gave up cooking when her husband died and she had to sell their restaurant to pay the medical bills and return to Magnolia Valley. But when her friend asked her for a favor, she reluctantly agreed on the condition she remained anonymous. 

And that evening changes everything. 

It makes her want to start a restaurant again, unfortunately she doesn’t have the money. So, when the wealthy businessman Alek Novak offers to pay her lavishly to be his private chef for a few months, it seems like a dream come true.

He’s a billionaire businessman used to getting what he wants... 
Alek Novak is determined to hire the chef who catered the fundraiser—even if she doesn’t want to be found. He might be temporarily banished from society while a scandal dies down, but he does not intend to deny himself good food. 

What he isn’t expecting is to find his chef even more intoxicating than her food. Nora is entirely wrong for him, but he can’t seem to keep his distance. Soon she’s threatening his iron-clad control and he makes her an indecent offer that she can’t turn down—have a no strings attached fling before he goes back to Boston. 

But their passion is beyond anything they've known and awakens their long-neglected hearts. But when all of the troubles Alek left Boston to escape arrive in Montana, it threatens to destroy their growing love… 

Will these opposites be able to defy all odds and find true love? 
***
This book is part of the MAGNOLIA VALLEY series and can read in order of publication or as a standalone.

My Review  5 STARS
**My thanks to the author for providing me with a free copy for an honest review**

This book is just as good as the previous two books.

Nora we have met in previous book as a resident of Magnolia Valley.  Alek Novak however we only met a little in the previous book when she catered to an event in which Alek fell in love with her cooking.

We get to see more from previous characters but Caine features more of as a friend and we discover that he will feature in the next book.

Alek and Nora seem to have chemistry from the beginning when Nora agrees to work for Alek as his cook.    We get surprises, betrayal and hatred along with love and friendship in this story.

I have really enjoyed every book in the series and really look forward to seeing how Caine and Quinn get together.