REVIEW - Home to Me (Canyon Creek #2) by Catherine Bybee

The Book
Release Date: 14 July 2020
Goodreads Link

A brave woman’s flight from the past leads her toward new love in a novel about courage, hope, and second chances by Catherine Bybee, New York Times bestselling author of My Way to You.

After Erin Fleming escapes from her controlling and abusive ex, she finds refuge in the heart of Santa Clarita, California. Eager to start over, she has a new name, a new look, and a new career. Settled into a private guesthouse, Erin can breathe free. Far from the shadows she’s outrun, Erin is finally learning to live for herself. Her new unexpected friendship with her landlord starts to crack open the armor Erin’s enclosed herself in. But it’s Matt who speeds up the pace of Erin’s heart and makes her wish for things she believes she can never have.

Matt Hudson, a firefighter in one of California’s wildfire epicenters, has a passion for danger. He lives for the adrenaline rush his profession awards him. But his protective instincts take over once Matt meets Erin. So does an attraction he can’t deny. Above all else, he’s determined to prove to Erin that she can trust him. As the sparks between them ignite, so does a real-world danger. Erin’s past is not letting go. It’s just in hiding.

Before Erin’s ex finds her, she and Matt have to find him. And finally put an end to everything that’s becoming a threat to their love, and to Erin’s life.

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

First of all it should be noted that this book may be a trigger for some as it deals with domestic abuse and the events that follow Erin as she is clawing her way back a year after escaping from her husband.

The author has written the book really well.  You get all the emotion and stress behind Erin as she copes with the aftermath and has Matt feeling protective towards her as he can tell from his job that she has been conditioned to react like she does.  He slowly gains her trust and confidence to the point where she finally opens up to someone, which ends up being a blessing and helping her to get even stronger.

We get to see more of the characters from book one, namely Parker and Colin, Grace, Austin and Mallory.  Again they are all great supporting characters and help and rally when needed.

The book is certainly hard to put down as you just want to see Erin getting a happy ever after with Matt and that Desmond, Erins ex husband, gets the karma he deserves.

I am really happy that in the next book we get to see Grace have a happy ending, as in this book, you can sense her loneliness and almost resigned to being alone after all the toads she has so far found.

This is a book that certainly brought a sensitive subject up well and did a brilliant job at keeping it light enough to enjoy, but deep enough to really feel for all of those people who live through abuse. 

REVIEW - The Rock Star's Baby Bargain by Lili Valente

The Book
Release Date: 23 June 2020
Goodreads Link

Two days after my boyfriend dumps me, my business goes belly up, and the sperm bank declines my credit card, a gorgeous rock star offers to whisk me away for two weeks of hot, steamy, all-expenses paid…therapy. 

I should say no.
I’m not looking for a fling. 

I want a man who’ll be a father to the baby I’m desperate to conceive. Or, at the very least, a guy willing to knock me up before we go our separate ways. 

Zack isn’t that guy. He’s my best friend’s oldest pal, and in my social circle for the long haul. I could never ask him a favor like this. 

That would be crazy.
The problem? 

Turns out, I’m crazy. 
And so is Zack…

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

There is a reason that this author is very high on my to read pile, that is because she keeps on giving us books like these.  Funny, sexy, laugh out loud, emotional at times and with little bits of life lessons and teaching thrown in that resonate.

This was another brilliant book that kept me captivated and wanting to carry on reading, even when i knew i had to put it down for work.  

Collette is a strong woman who knows what she wants most in life after a pretty rotten childhood, after losing her boyfriend and job however, her plans seem to take a nosedive until her best friends other friend Zack comes into play.

Zack has just left his band Lips on Fire for a solo career and is about to go on a two week retreat to write some music when her hears Collettes ex-boyfriend talking bad about her in a bar.  He takes it upon himself to go over and make sure she is ok, where he then invites her to join him on the retreat.  It is in the car on the drive to the retreat that she, after Theo's reassurance, asks if he would help her have a baby.

Both are kind people able to read emotions well and know what they want, however after a visit from Zacks not so nice manager, Collette runs and Zack ends up going for want he wants and Chip gets what he deserves.  Karma.

Really looking forward to what this author has in the works next.

REVIEW - Demon Untamed (Shadow Quest #4) by Kiersten Fay

The Book
Release Date: 15 April 2013
Goodreads Link

Demon Untamed takes readers on a sensual journey that weaves through the first three books in the Shadow Quest series.

Struggling to survive in an unforgiving universe, Ethan has sacrificed his life in pursuit of a single goal: Follow his king's orders and save their people from the ravenous Kayadon overlords. For so long, he's maintained his title and dark reputation as a notorious pirate to put into motion his king's intricate plot. He thought of nothing else... until he met her - the fiery demon who tempts him like no other.

After witnessing her father's brutal murder by the hand of pirates, Sonya has developed a special kind of hatred for their kind. When Ethan, otherwise known as the Pirate King, boards her ship and invades her space with his encompassing presence, she finds herself fighting to keep her distance. Yet she wonders if she even wants to, when he threatens to seduce her mind, body, soul... and most frightening of all, her heart.

My Review  5 STARS
This book very much overlaps all three previous books but from Ethan and Sonya's points of view and we get to see other angels of the story and get a little extra at the end after the war has happened.

Ethan and Sonya are a good mix and both start off surprised at their reaction to each other, Sonya more so as she has hated pirates since her fathers death all those years ago.  Ethan was told when he started the quest to help his king 350 years ago that he would get to have a wife at this point so believes it will be one of the daughters.  That is until he gets more than he bargained with in Sonya.

Both have tempers and like things a little more savage, but the more time that they spend together, the more time that they want each other.

I loved this story just as much as the other books and was very happy that we get that little bit extra at the end for covering so much other ground that had been told before.

REVIEW - The Demon's Retribution: Paranormal Scifi Romance (Shadow Quest #3) by Kiersten Fay

The Book
Release Date: 29 April 2020
Goodreads Link

A desire that can never be sated...
Demon’s don’t get a second chance at love. To forget the heartless treachery of his long-dead mate, Cale has tried to find solace in the arms of one female or another, never able to fill that gaping tear in his soul. But when he is sent to find the last missing princess, Kyra, he is instantly besotted by the strong-willed, beguiling female who forces him to question everything he has ever known.

A power she cannot control...
Alone for centuries, Kyra has survived on Earth by concealing her true nature and stifling her dangerously unpredictable magic, all the while relying only on herself and never knowing what has become of her home world or her family. With the sudden appearance of a brutally sexy demon who claims to have been sent for her, she must find the courage to trust him with her life or remain earthbound forever.

A journey they both must take...
With time running out and danger closing in, can she heal his heart and save her home world?

My Review  5 STARS
This is another brilliant story and follows in the brother Calico's (Cale) and the sister Kyralynn (Kyra) and theme they share together along with the conclusion of the story.

Cale finds out that his mother and Felicia is mate had some bad juju and in the end it gives Calic a chance to have the happy ever after that he needs and should have had.

Kyra is the oldest sister and had to step up to her responsibilities and in the end it is her and her destructive magic that brings the magic of her sister and Ethan into the mix to win the war on her home planet.

Although there are twists and turns along the way along with betrayal and love, our friends all manage to keep their spirits up and their wills strong.

I really look forward to reading Sonya and Ethans story next.