REVIEW - Good With His Hands (Good in Bed #1) by Lauren Blakely & Lili Valente

The Book

Release Date: 18 December 2020

Goodreads Link

A sexy best friend's brother romance from bestselling authors Lauren Blakely and Lili Valente! 

I'm the wrong guy for her.

She's sunshine, and cherry pie. I'm whiskey and fast cars. I'm also keeping one hell of a secret from the woman I've wanted for years.

But when I find a list my sister left behind for Ruby, I've got no choice but to offer the sexy, big-hearted girl next door both a road trip and a chance.

A chance to discover how big she can dream. 

And if some of those dreams play out in the bedroom? Well, there’s nothing wrong with a few -- okay, several -- hot nights together as we hit the beach, visit old stomping grounds, and test all sorts of limits, in and out of the sheets.

Seven days, then I'm off, moving across the country, far away from her.

No way can things get complicated in a week. Ruby and I aren’t the kind of dream that has a shot of coming true.

Especially once she learns what I’ve done.

GOOD WITH HIS HANDS is a sexy standalone romance in the Good in Bed series!

My Review  5 STARS

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

It has certainly been a hectic month for me, but whenever i managed to find a spare moment i was so glad that i had this book to read on my kindle.

These are too authors that go together like chocolate and marshmallows, the writing is sweet, dirty and just oh so right.

Ruby has just finished two years of physical therapy after a car accident that had her in a coma and took the life of her very best friend.  It is Claire's brother Jesse that provides a way to get her old self back by providing a list of things to do that her best friend had written for her to do.  Little do they both know that the closeness that they had before is going to get even closer and grow into something they both want and need.

There are lots of sexy times, lots of speaking the truth and good supporting friends and family for the pair when they need it.

I loved the whole book and the epilogues including the tidbit that gives us a clue into the fact that it is the wonderful Gigi that has her happy ending next.

I am really looking forward to the next collaboration that these two authors come up with.

REVIEW - Mr. Mitchell: Billionaires' Club Book 2 (Billionaires' Club #2) by Raylin Marks

The Book

Release Date: 29 September 2020

Goodreads Link

The billionaire always gets what he wants. This time, he wants me…

My trip to London was the first lucky break I’ve had in years. It came at just the right time, allowing me to escape my sad reality for a bit. And the guy I met on the flight?

Perfection.

The short week we spent together was filled with raw, unbridled, and passionate nights. But it couldn’t last. I’m a single mom with a troubled past and a shady ex. Romance just isn’t in the cards for me.

Which is why I walked away from Jim and didn’t look back.

That was before I landed my new job. Before I met the boss.

Before I discovered that Mr. James Mitchell, CEO, was my Jim—my unforgettable Jim from our week together in England.

Judging by the smile on his face when he sees me, he remembers everything.

And now he wants more.

He wants me. 

The timing is terrible. My life’s a mess, and I just know my ex will do something to ruin me. Again.

But none of that matters when I’m in Jim’s arms. 

So, what are the odds that I’m finally due for my very own happily ever after?

With my luck?

Not bloody likely.

Mr. Mitchell, a sexy contemporary romance, is book 2 in the Billionaires’ Club series, but can be read as a standalone. It features an alpha male hero with a heart of gold, and the feisty, resilient heroine who easily runs away with his heart. Download today to start binge reading!

My Review  5 STARS

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

In this book we have the James (Jim) Mitchell, the brother of Dr Jake Mitchell and the main man when he finally finds a woman that challenges his and takes him away from working all the time. 

Avery is a strong woman who has overcome a hard past in some ways, but also carries the scars.  She is pretty much a single mum to her daughter Addison, who she fiercely protects.

Both Jim and Avery have pasts that have shaped them and hold on to baggage they do not realise they are still holding.

Jim loves having Avery around and loves her daughter from the beginning, however when her discovers that she has been hiding a secret, that is what breaks them, that she cannot trust him with her secret, while he has been pushing her to open up.

Her, both parties realise, with help from their friends that they need to work on themselves and they both end up in therapy, working on getting their lives in a better place and becoming better in themselves.

A reunion at Ash's birthday party has the pair see each other again, but in a better place to commit to each other and to forge ahead with their relationship.

A wonderful story that also has a passage from the next book to get our minds on Collin as we find that his live interest Elena is going to be his new college and the daughter of the doctor he took over from.

I cannot wait to see what happens next in this series.

REVIEW - Soul Survivor (Hybrid Chronicles #1) by Michelle N. Files

The Book

Release Date: 4 August 2013

Goodreads Link

Hailee Mai Hart is just a simple, normal girl. Or so she thought. When she left her one-horse town for a college education in the big city, she never could've imagined what awaited her. She's quickly thrown into a world filled with angels, danger, and a curse...her curse. Come to find out, she's not so simple after all. She's actually the last of her kind, and the fate of the world rests on her shoulders. She has one chance to save Earth, and it all comes down to one choice: Light or Darkness. What is right and what is wrong is all a matter of perspective, which leaves her heart dangerously tangled. No matter which path she takes people will die, and that's just not an option. Will she be able to save everyone, or will she be the Soul Survivor?

My Review  5 STARS

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

This book has been sitting on my kindle for a while and i am finally trying to read some of the older books that have been there far too long.  I am now kicking myself for having this there so long, however it would appear that even though the author left an opening for more books, that something has prevented her from being able to do so.

This is a book where a teenager finds herself the only person on the earth that is capable of sending it into darkness or into the light.  Hailee May Hart is the seventh and last hybrid angel\human and the only one left alive.  It is only when two individuals come into her life when she is living in the city that her entire world changes.

In the city she meets Alex on a dark dangerous street, her protector and Seb the darkness, who cannot stay away from her.

Both do not like the other, but it is a curse that has them following her and falling for her.  

There are lies, there is decit and there is love, there is sacrifice and there is strength, above all, there is survival and loss and opinion losing those you care about.

This is an emotional book near the end which had me in tears, but the journey is certainly worth it.

I really hope that the author at some point is able to continue the journey for Hailee, Seb, Alex and Amitel.

REVIEW - Purchased Husband (Trophy Husbands #4) by Noelle Adams

 

The Book

Release Date: 8 December 2020

Goodreads Link

On a Wednesday afternoon, I ask Damian Winters to marry me. To be clear, it's not a proposal. It's a business transaction. I have a sticky family situation, and the simplest way to deal with it is to pay him to be my husband for six months.

Damian used to work as an escort so he knows how to keep things professional. We don't have to be friends. We don't even have to get along. I need someone fill a husband role, and he'll do just fine.

It doesn't matter if he's the hottest man I've ever met. Work takes up all my time and energy, so I don't have room in my life for complications. I'm not going to fall into bed with him. And I'm definitely not going to fall in love.

I hope. 

My Review  3 STARS

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

This was an enjoyable story and it was easy to see how Damian felt from the beginning after he had met Clarke.  He is a thoughtful man and you could really see him trying to figure her out and what she liked.

Clarke is a strong character in many way, but has little self worth, Damian was good at getting her to open up and face truths.

This is a book that you pick up and read fast without realising it and is good for a rainy day where you need a nice story where the characters are gentle and caring. 

REVIEW - Stroke of Luck by Opal Carew

The Book
Release Date: 1 December 2020
Goodreads Link

The newest erotic romance from bestselling author Opal Carew.

Getting cheated on and left with a hotel bill that costs more than she makes in a year was not a part of the plan when Riana came to Las Vegas to marry her wealthy fiancé. Her plans also didn't include getting bailed out of this horrible situation by Quinn, the ex-boyfriend she hadn't planned to see ever again. For Quinn, Riana was the one that got away and he's never gotten over her, no matter how successful he became.

Riana insists on paying Quinn back, so he makes her an offer--spend the next month with him and his business partner Austin while they're on vacation. It's clear to him that Austin is attracted to her, too, and Quinn's always liked the idea of sharing a woman with him. It's something that Riana wants to do, and after a few glasses of champagne--only enough to stop denying herself what she wants--she voices her desire to be with both men.

But as the month comes to an end, Riana has to face the reality she's falling for Quinn and Austin...and the possibility that one crazy night in Vegas could cost her one--or both--men.

My Review  3 STARS
**My thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press, for providing me with a free copy for an honest review**

When you spot your ex-girlfriend in a bad predicament and are completely loaded and are still in love with said girl, there is no way that you are not going to help her out.  And that is exactly what Quinn does.

Quinn is still angry with Riana, however his business partner and friend Austin cajoles him into more than just helping her and ends up falling for the girl too.

A bargain where Riana wants to pay back Quinn for the money he has helped her with ends up with her offering her body in payment to the both of them and this is where they end up struggling with their feelings towards each other and also end up coming together as a threesome happy and content.

Austin is the glue that keeps them together as he helps them all sort through their feelings and is very perceptive, Quinn can blunder through things and be a bit bossy, but Riana can hold her own.

After a miscommunication, Riana ends up back home without them, trying to divorce them both, but Quinn holds out with a very important clause that once has come to light, reunited the three of them for their happy ever after.

An interesting twist of events, but i feel that this genre has been done to death a bit recently.  Maybe i just need a break from them for a while lol.

REVIEW - Tempting The Dragon King (Dragon Lords #1) by Kiersten Fay

The Book

Release Date: 22 May 2020

Goodreads Link

From USA Today bestselling author Kiersten Fay comes this smoldering-hot tale of a lethally seductive dragon king and the beautiful earthling he cannot resist.

On his way to reestablish an old alliance, Tristan Okora, king of the dragon shifters, discovers a beautiful human female aboard an enemy vessel. He offers his protection until she can be safely returned to Earth. But the more time he spends with Juniper Jacobs, the faster he falls for the little mortal. Meanwhile, amidst the trouble brewing in his kingdom—a terrible rumor that threatens his crown—Tristan must make a difficult decision; accept an arranged marriage with a neighboring princess, or risk everything for the beguiling human.

TEMPTING THE DRAGON KING is the first book in this Shadow Quest spin-off series. And while this series will focus on hunky dragon shifters and witches, there are plenty of cameos from the original series.

My Review  4 STARS

**Copy Provided by Netgalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for an honest review**

I have read a few books by this author now and this one is a spin off series from the Shadow Quest series and focuses on Tristan the Dragon and what happens after the death of his father.

On his way back to see his friends and allies, he intercepts an enemy craft, only to find human Juniper onboard and almost instantly his possessive and protective instincts kick in, however he first comes off as a bit dickish.

June is scared, on a craft where she does not understand strange symbols, then boarded my large men who claim to be dragons.  Being human she does not really get what that means until she actually sees Tristan transform and gets hurt in the process.  She find lots of things hard to reconcile to begin with but seeing another human when they land does help.

The chemistry is certainly there between them and things are not as simple on Tristan's home planet as he may want, but June shows great strength, gets on with his mother and shows compassion when others do not

I am guessing that the other two brothers will also get a book and we get to see a snippet of the next book in which the human female character finds herself in trouble and hurtling into space in an alien craft by accident.

I really enjoyed this book and read it in two sittings as i just needed to read what happened next.  Really enjoying this authors work.

REVIEW - The Wedding Date Disaster by Avery Flynn

The Book

Release Date: 25 August 2020

Goodreads Link

Hadley Donavan can’t believe she has to go home to Nebraska for her sister’s wedding. She’s gonna need a wingman and a whole lot of vodka for this level of family interaction. At least her bestie agreed he’d man up and help. But then instead of her best friend, his evil twin strolls out of the airport.

If you looked up doesn’t-deserve-to-be-that-confident, way-too-hot-for-his-own-good billionaire in the dictionary, you’d find a picture of Will Holt. He’s awful. Horrible. The worst―even if his butt looks phenomenal in those jeans.

Ten times worse? Hadley’s buffer was supposed to be there to keep her away from the million and one family events. But Satan’s spawn just grins and signs them up for every. Single. Thing.

Fine. “Cutthroat” Scrabble? She’s in. She can’t wait to take this guy down a notch. But somewhere between Pictionary and the teasing glint in his eyes, their bickering starts to feel like more than just a game…

My Review  4 STARS

**Copy Provided by Netgalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for an honest review**

This is a cute in where Hadley Donavan needs a date for her sisters wedding and is expecting her best friend Web, but instead Will his identical twin brother is duped into going, Web is fed up of his brother and his best friend being at odds and hopes this trip sorts everything out.

Hadley has a big heart and has never known why Will has never liked her and when he tells he he thinks she is a gold digger and wants Web for his money she just ignores him and acts her usual self, to which Will finds intoxicating and falls hard for her.

It  is only a missunderstanding (of course) aftermath getting together and starting being a couple that has Will reading and not letting Hadley talk and set him straight.  In the end when they are back in Boston, it is Webb who acts as facilitator and best friend and brother to get the stubborn people in his life back together, though Will does his best to stuff up again.

Its a sweet romance, and PawPaw and his friends certainly seem like great secondary characters.  I'm hoping down the line that Web gets a book too and that Hadley sister gets a HEA too.

REVIEW - Broken Prince (Cinderella #2) by Aubrey Rose

The Book

Release Date: 23 December 2013

Goodreads Link

The thrilling new follow up to the new adult bestseller Me, Cinderella? by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Aubrey Rose! 

Happily ever after is just what they say in books. Real life is MUCH more complicated. 

Brynn can't believe her good luck. Her Cinderella story continues as she finds herself studying math in a castle on the edge of a Hungarian forest. However, no fairy tale lasts forever, and a letter about her mother's death opens up a whole new world of nightmares... 

Eliot, finally back in Hungary, is haunted by the lie he told ten years ago to protect his family. Now he finds that he can no longer hide his dark past from Brynn, and time is running out to finish his life's work in mathematics. 

The problem that neither one of them can solve is this: 

Once broken, can two shattered lives ever be made whole again?

My Review  4 STARS

**Copy Provided by Netgalley and Fido Publishing for an honest review**

This book carries on a few weeks from the last book and also carries om with lots of maths that helps get the point across, but loses anyone who does not understand a greater level of maths themselves.

Both characters, although definitely a couple now, hide secrets from the other that eventually come to light, and for a change they both react well and in an adult way.

They story is told from dual point of view again and closes off some open doors and gives us a few new characters into the mix.

Brynn gets more shocks and her answers found although, were they the answers she was actually wanting?  Eliot too seems to finally figure himself out and, towards the end i find that his brother Otto is rather selfish with both him and Marta being a bit cut off for the working world around them.

The ending, although sad of Brynn's half is tear inducing and heart warming as Eliot is there from the moment he can.

The books are certainly with the read, but not something that i will be revisiting.

REVIEW - Me, Cinderella? (Cinderella #1) by Aubrey Rose

The Book

Release Date: 24 June 2013

Goodreads Link

One kind deed can change your life forever...

Brynn Tomlin could never afford to follow her heart. But when she sees a stranger shivering in the snow outside of the college library, an inexplicable urge leads her to buy him a hot cup of coffee. It's just a small act of kindness, a few words of conversation. Brynn should be focusing on her finals, after all, not on the man who looked up at her gratefully with piercing blue eyes. 

He could have been anyone - a janitor on break, a graduate student, a bum. But the man standing outside in the cold turns out to be Dr. Eliot Herceg, one of the most brilliant minds in mathematics and heir to a fortune. After years of reclusive isolation, he now finds his heart awakening to the kind girl whose name he does not know. 

Brynn has spent her life trying to forget her desires, and Eliot's deep wounds have taken nearly a decade to heal. After so much hurt, will either of them be able to open their hearts again?

My Review  4 STARS

*May contain spoilers*

This is a modern retelling of the Cinderella story.  The mother has died, the father has remarried, but lived with the stepmother and step sisters as has basically given up his daughter to the grandmother.  Along comes a tortured youngish man and together they see in each other something special.

Bynn is studying maths at college and lives with her elderly Hungarian grandmother, who cane to California to look after her when the father and step father became too much for Brynn and did not cherish or love the fact that she was a little different and liked maths and not pretty things.

Eliot Herceg fled Hungary ten years ago and is a brilliant Mathamatician, but has lost his way a little.  It is a chance meeting with Bryan outside a coffee shop that changes both of their lives for the better.

Both are tortured souls, Brynn's mother was killed in Hungary12 years ago and Eliot lost his wife 10 years ago.  Both still very much have their issues of trust and closeness, but with each other seem to suddenly find something that they were looking for.

When the both end up in Hungary for the year, Brynn ends up even closer to Eliot, but a close encounter has Brynn terrified and Eliot showing that her can be a protector and the pair finally cement their relationship.

This book has some good writing and often reads as if their are diary entries from Brynn looking back at the time the story is taking place with retrospective comments.  There is also a lot of math talk, which i understand is part of the story, however, not being into maths, these little bits were totally lost on me.

REVIEW - Aimee and the Heartthrob (Backstage Pass #1) by Ophelia London

The Book

Release Date: 14 April 2015

Goodreads Link

He never noticed her before, but now she's all he can see...

Miles Carlisle is every teen girl's fantasy. His rugged good looks and exotic British accent have helped catapult his boy band, Seconds to Juliet, to super-stardom. But after two disastrous and very public breakups, Miles isn't interested in dating just any girl; he wants The One. And the only girl he's interested in is not only his best friend's little sister - and off-limits - but won't even give him the time of day...

As a kid, Aimee Bingham had a huge thing for Miles...until he made fun of her for always tagging along. Now that she's outgrown both him and her pigtails, the prospect of spending two weeks on tour with the childhood crush who broke her heart isn't exactly enticing. Except now Miles seems interested. Very interested. And no matter how hard Aimee tries to resist him, her crush is definitely making a comeback. But everyone knows that falling for a heartthrob is a backstage pass to heartbreak...

For exclusive news, teasers and BOY BAND fun, like The Backstage Pass Series Facebook page! facebook.com/Backstagepassbooks 

My Review  3 STARS

**Copy Provided by Netgalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC, for an honest review**

I am trying to get through the YA books on my kindle as i seem to have aged out of most of them and this one has been one my kindle for some time. 

It is a decent read with a brothers best friend trope and Aimee has always had a thing for Miles, pretty much from the moment she first saw him when he was twelve.  Having created fan fiction and being the first major fan, when Miles win a singing contest and enters a band, her older brother tells her something that breaks her heart.

Two years later her parents are joining Doctors without boarders early and make a very reluctant Aimee join her brother on the road with Miles and his band.  Miles's mother is Aimee's mothers best friend and has agreed to look after her, even though she is busy. 

Miles does not recognise Aimee when he first sees her and it is only when Aimees brother tells him its his sister does the realisation come for Miles, he wants her and cannot stop thinking about her.

Both are already hurt in the past by others and at first set out to be friends only, but we all know how that goes when there are hormones involved. As usual it is a misunderstanding on both ends and a reluctance to talk about things that has them upset and split.  It is only on talking to others that they realise their mistakes and manage to get back together for their HEA.

REVIEW - British Bedmate (A Series of Standalone Novels #5) by Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland

The Book

Release Date: 18 September 2017

Goodreads Link

Please note: This book was previously published as Dear Bridget I Want You. Only the title and cover have been changed. All other content remains the same.

From the New York Times Bestselling authors of Stuck-Up Suit and Mister Moneybags, comes a new, sexy standalone novel.

Dear Bridget,
I’m writing this letter because it’s highly doubtful I’ll ever garner the courage to say this to your face.
So, here goes.
We’re totally wrong for each other. You’re the proper single mum with a good head on your shoulders. I’m just the carefree British doctor passing through town and temporarily living in your converted garage until I head back to England.
But here’s the thing… for some bloody reason, I can’t stop thinking about you in very inappropriate ways. 
I want you.
The only reason I’m even admitting all of this to you right now is because I don’t believe it’s one-sided. I notice your eyes when you look at me, too. And as crass as I appear when we’re joking around about sex, my attraction to you is not a joke. 
So, what’s the purpose of this note? I guess it’s a reminder that we’re adults, that sex is healthy and natural, and that you can find me just through the door past the kitchen. More specifically, it’s to let you know that I’m leaving said door cracked open from now on in case you’d fancy a British bedmate in the middle of the night sometime. 
No questions asked. 
Think about it. 
Or don’t. 
Whatever you choose.
It’s doubtful I’ll even end up sliding this letter under your door anyway. 
--Simon

***Please note that the titles in this series do not have to be read in any particular order.***

A Series of Standalone Novels book series:

1. Cocky Bastard
2. Stuck-Up Suit
3. Playboy Pilot
4. Mister Moneybags
5. British Bedmate

My Review  5 STARS

This book has been sitting on my kindle for nearly a year and i am now seriously kicking myself for having waited so long for having taken so long to get round to reading it.

Being English myself I didn't spot any errors in the way that Simon was portrayed, in fact it made the story that much better as i could identify with him a little better with the way he talked.

I often found myself laughing out loud while reading this, from the way Simon teased and talked to Bridget, to the way they reacted with each other.  I loved how Simon always stepped up to help Bridget and her son, even though he did not want to get attached.

The writing was seemlessly brilliant, the struggles real and the work at the relationship and the realisations brilliant.

I certainly hope to read more from this collaborative duo!

REVIEW - The Librarian's Vampire Assistant, Book 5 (The Librarian's Vampire Assistant #5) by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

 The Book

Release Date: 31 October 2020

Goodreads Link

From New York Times Bestseller Mimi Jean Pamfiloff comes the FINAL vampire-mystery-slash-romance-slash-adventure about a librarian and her trusty vampire assistant, The Librarian’s Vampire Assistant, Book 5. (Yes, yes. Still a standalone. Yippy! You don’t have to go back and read all four books. But don’t ya kinda wanna?)

NEVER HIRE A HANDSOME VAMPIRE!

MIRIAM MURPHY loves being a librarian. It’s all she’s ever wanted—to eat, breathe, and sleep books. But when she hired Michael, a handsome college student, she had no idea he was a four-hundred-year-old vampire and that inviting him into her life would result in her becoming one too. But not before he knocked her up and broke her heart.

Now Miriam is a single mother, all alone in a new world with a new vampire body. And someone’s trying to kill her. Who? Why? She has no real enemies.

If only Michael would help. After all, he’s the vampire king now. And this is one mystery she can’t solve on her own.

NEVER FALL FOR A LIBRARIAN!

MICHAEL VANDERHORST knows he’s changed. He can no longer love or laugh or enjoy hot peppers like he used to. But being an unfeeling, ruthless vampire is what it takes to rule the deadliest bloodsuckers on the planet. It’s the only way to keep humankind safe.

Problem is, his enemies know the librarian and his daughter are special to him. They are his to protect, even if he’s incapable of feeling love.

But when danger comes knocking at Miriam’s library door, he must choose between solving the biggest mystery of his existence and the woman he swore to protect.

What’s a vampire king to do?

My Review  5 STARS

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

This is the ending to the series and instead of being just from Micheal's point of view we now get Miriam's take on things too along with the take from somebody else at the end.

Micheal starts this book as it ended with him being the Kind of the Vampires and The Executioner where he has buried DEEP his feelings, including those for Miriam, however something happens to bring them both together and high jinks ensue.

Miriam's daughter is a strong character and acts older than her years, but Miriam shows constantly how everything thing she does is for her and to keep her safe.

There are many twists and turns as only Mimi Jean can pull off and a bit of a shock ending, but in just the right way to have you smiling and laughing at the same time.

This is certainly a series to read and this book is certainly the best finish to the series.

REVIEW - Crown of One Hundred Kings (Nine Kingdoms Trilogy #1) by Rachel Higginson

 The Book

Release Date: 27 October 2020

Goodreads Link

A lost princess…

Tessana Allisand had a family once. A home. A title. A future. Until one night when everything she loved was taken from her. Secreted away to an isolated monastery in the farthest region of the realm, Tess was raised in the silence of monks and the loneliness of tragedy. And there she would have stayed if the dark magic that killed her family hadn’t finally found her.

An impossible quest…

With her identity discovered, Tessana must face the home she fled all those years ago. The Crown of Nine must return to its rightful place and Tess must be the one to carry it across the nine kingdoms. And when she arrives? She’ll need to convince a dying kingdom that the crown that has belonged to one hundred kings should be given to a queen.

A rebellious prince…

Taelon Treskinat was in love once. With a princess. The daughter of a slaughtered king. He risked everything to save her, to make sure she survived. When that same princess tumbles back into his life no longer the scared little girl he remembers from childhood, he must decide where his duty lies. With the girl that will threaten everything he knows and loves. Or the kingdom he will do anything to protect.adult 

My Review  5 STARS

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

This is the first young adult book that i have read by this author and i am certainly not disappointed.  Along with a brilliantly written story, the world building is credible enough to make it feel real.

Tessana was only young when her immediate family was murdered leaving her bereft and in peril.  Tessana was spirited away to another kingdom and looked after by silent monks for many years before she starts having dreams of needing to go back home.

Tess takes along her best friend Oliver who lightens things up and also keeps her company.  The world is not what it used to be, danger is around every corner and the world is in unrest.  It is not long before Tess and Oliver find things are very different to what they were expecting and there spirit and determination will be tested.  She is also a very strong character in both will and the determination to do what she was born for, she stand up for those around her and of those she feels need her help.

I guessed who the guy who comes into the picture was very quickly and was glad to be right and was glad that Tess may only be 17, but she was not an immature 17, therefore was more relatable to me, or it may just have been the authors incredible writing.

Tess's journey is the main plot of the story with an undercurrent of romance with he new male character and although the book does not end in a cliff hanger, it does leave many questions unanswered leading into the next book of the series, which i seriously cannot wait for.

REVIEW - Protecting His Pregnant Lover (Southern Soldiers of Fortune Book 1) by Leslie North

The Book
Release Date: 4 October 2020
Goodreads Link

 Self-proclaimed nerd Olive Owen can’t believe it when Levon Asher, sexy, nothing-but-muscle Navy SEAL admits to having had a crush on her in high school. She hasn’t seen him in ten years, and reconnecting with him at their high school reunion is a bit of a surprise. A bigger surprise is that after one night of passionate love-making, Olive is pregnant, and Levon has long since left town on a final SEAL mission. When he returns seven months later, he’s a member of the private security group Southern Soldiers of Fortune, who are in town for a joint operation with the local police to stop a gang from infiltrating the school where Olive works. When Olive accidentally stumbles onto a gang meeting, the threats on her doorstep leave no doubt—she’s being targeted. And when she agrees to move in with Levon for her own safety, it soon becomes clear her heart is in danger too.

Knowing Olive’s at risk is driving Levon crazy. He realizes he’s being overbearing, but he just can’t stop himself. The thought of anything happening to her or his unborn child is enough to make him more than a little controlling. But what’s safer—keeping her close, where he can protect her, or pushing her back, out of harm’s way? He needs Olive to be okay, but his impulses are giving him mixed signals even as the clock starts counting down to a confrontation with the gang. A shocking reveal of a gang member’s identity could drive Olive away from Levon for good, leaving him wondering if solving the crime will come too late to resolve the mystery that matters most to him—how to hold on to Olive’s heart.

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

 Olive and Levon first reunite for their school reunion when Levon is back briefly before his last mission with the Navy SEALS.  When he sees Olive again after all these years, the want for her ramps up and they share a night of passion knowing it is just one night.

Seven moths later, Levon is back in a new job investigating a drugs ring in the area around the school they both went to and the school Olive now works at, when he sees that Olive is seven months pregnant, both are shocked at seeing each other and Olive does confess that that baby is his.

When Olive sees something that puts her in danger, Levon is quick to be there and ensures that Olive stays with him for her safety.  Both help each other get to the bottom of the trouble, however both of them have their insecurities get in the way both thinking their brains stop them or with Olive her looks.

Close to the end both mistake what the other means, both ending up alone for a while before friends or family point out the truth and they then make an effort to communicate and get what they want.

Its a good read and certainly has some action, but the actual bust for the drama is not as exciting as i was expecting.

REVIEW - Going to the Chapel (Welcome to Matrimony #1) by Rita Herron

The Book
Release Date: 11 November 2014
Goodreads Link

If there’s a naughty list, Izzy Sassafras is on it—but she’s ready to make a new start this Christmas. Especially after leaving her lying, cheating, no-good husband and fleeing to her old hometown of Matrimony, Georgia. Izzy’s made herself a promise: no more men. All she wants to do is get her wedding business up and running—and mend fences with her estranged sisters. But Izzy knows she’s in trouble when her very first client, a smooth-talking Texan, makes her light up like a Christmas tree.

Desperate for business, private investigator Levi Fox reluctantly takes a case involving a runaway wife in a town called Matrimony. When he meets sweet, sexy Izzy, he decides she can’t possibly be as innocent as she seems. At first, posing as her client is the perfect cover; but he soon imagines himself as a groom—with Izzy as his Christmas bride! Will this case end with a trip to the chapel…or the jailhouse?

My Review  4 STARS
**Copy Provided by Netgalley and Montlake Romance for an honest review**

This is a cute quick read based near the Christmas season and is based on Izzy, who has runaway from her husband and Levi who has been tasked to find her.

Izzy has come back home to her little town of Matrimony in Texas and is surprised to find her sister tending to her aunt, both of which she has not seen for many years and all have not talked to each other due to a fight many years ago.

 Levi knows something is fishy about Izzy's husband the moment he meets him, he just does not know if Izzy is in league with her husband or if she is an innocent victim.

There is almost instant chemistry between Levi and Izzy, but at least Izzy keeps her head and her honest viewss.  She also at the end manages to make up with her sisters and mend the broken bridges between them.

REVIEW - Gift Wrapped by Romy Sommer

The Book
Release Date: 6 December 2018
Goodreads Link

 An anthology of short, feel-good holiday romances to warm the heart this winter, from RITA®-nominated author Romy Sommer.

Naughty or Nice
A panto actress receives a pleasant surprise when Santa comes down the chimney.
​
Under the Mistletoe
Lissa may be the youngest financial director her company has ever had, but she's not so successful in the dating department...until she accidentally kisses the wrong man under the mistletoe.
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The Perfect Gift
Nannying was only ever supposed to be a temporary gig for Jessie - if only she could figure out what it is she really wants to do with her life. But maybe this Christmas, her future will arrive gift-wrapped in the form of sexy single dad Cole.

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

 This is a collection of short stories based around the festive period and only the first two of the stories are linked.  If the third story had been linked i would probably have added the other star.

These stories are light and fun and flirty and are certainly the kind of thing we need after a strange 2020 to lighten our spirits.

The stories in order that we in my novella were Under the Mistletoe, The perfect Gift (both are linked), then Naughty or Nice.

REVIEW - Everything Changes (Creek Canyon #3) by Catherine Bybee

The Book
Release Date: 10 November 2020
Goodreads Link

A woman proving herself in a man’s world finds love in the suspenseful and emotional conclusion to the Creek Canyon series from New York Times bestselling author Catherine Bybee.

As the only female civil engineer in her department, Grace Hudson needs space from men. Her last love interest traumatized her in ways she never saw coming; with that behind her, she is determined to focus on her career. Even so, a little flirting with a handsome stranger over coffee can’t hurt, right?

In their short interaction, Grace dazzles Dameon Locke. But he’s focused on his newest development project and keeping his company afloat after his biggest investor pulled out. So during the planning huddle with the city board, he’s stunned to find the petite spitfire he met at the coffee shop running the show.

Grace can’t ignore Dameon’s charm, but when a disgruntled developer accuses Grace of taking bribes, her world is upended. Worse still, something much more important than her job may be in peril.

With her career in shambles and her life in danger, Grace turns to Dameon…but will she risk putting him in danger too?

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

This book focuses on Grace Hudson, the little sister of Colin and Matt from the previous books and happens after Matt and Erin get their happy ending in book two.

Grace has gone off men for a while after the debacle with Desmond and is getting on with a job that she likes, but with a boss that treats her as unworthy as she is a woman in a mans job.

Dameon is taken by Grace from the moment that he first see's her, let alone meets her.  He finds a way to keep seeing her and pushes his way into her life, even if once he has to hand his man card back for a pedicure.

Dameon and Grace just click together, the chemistry there almost instantly with Grace showing him a side of her that is not often on display, she also trusts him when she needs help, but does not want to get her family involved.  Both end up helping each other in ways they never expected and Dameon does well in helping Grace with an issue that comes up at work.

Another brilliantly written book from Catherine Bybee that gives you all the feels where you just cannot help but root for the couple to get together and for the bad stuff to end and the good stuff to begin.