REVIEW - Taken Care Of (Bridgeton Village, #1) by Elisabeth van der Wilt

The Book

Release Date: 15 June 2022

Goodreads Link

Olivia

Theo is known as my Teddy, someone I've counted on all my life. He is the person I've always trusted and needed most.

But when he get's hurt, my world is thrown off my axis.

While I take care of him, something new forms between us that is different then I ever felt before.

When I admit it to him, everything changes, and I don't think it can ever go back to the way it was.

~~~

Theo

Olivia is my sweet little Liv. Ever since her parents died and my best friend took her in, I've known her.

I watched her grow up.

But she isn't a little girl anymore.

Liv the child is gone, and in her place is a spectacular, beautiful woman. But something is different, I feel... different when I'm with her.

What am I going to do? I must end our friendship, but I can't, because I'm madly in love with her.


Publisher's Note: Happily Ever After Guarantee, No cliffhanger. Standalone Novel in a series. No cheating. Mention of SA & Rape.

My Review   3.5 STARS 

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

I'm not sure if its just that I have read some exceptionally good books recently or if this book just did not hit the mark for me, but I felt like something was missing from this book.

Its a decently story and flows well, it does have mentions of rape in the past, but nothing too triggering unless its something you have been through I guess.

It has an age gap between the couple of 13 years, which to me is nothing as its the same between my husband and me, although the man is the person who basically raised her from age 5 when her parents died and being her uncles best friend, begged him not to put her in foster care when they themselves were only in college.

The book is told from dual point of view of both Olivia and Theo, known as Teddy to Liv and things only take a turn in their relationship when Teddy is in a bad accident.

Its a very slow burn book and nothing much happens between the couple for the first half of the book and even then the scenes are fairly low in the spice rating, most are the behind closed door scenes where its mentioned but not written out.

I do hope this author carries on writing as I'm sure their is a market for her writing, it just didn't hit the right spot for me personally to carry on reading her work.

REVIEW - The Bossy Prince (Rugged and Royal #3) by Lili Valente

The Book

Release Date: March 2021

Goodreads Link

She claims to hate me more than karaoke and liverwurst, and that's before she finds out I'm her new boss.

The scandalous royal bit? That's just our cover, a smokescreen we hide behind to keep our counterintelligence work covert. But Princess Alexandria's hatred of me?

Oh, that's real.

Doesn't help that the first undercover mission I assign her to requires us to pose as lovers. I'm basically ordering her to pretend she finds me irresistible.

You ask me, I have it tougher. Pretending I'm not getting addicted to the way she can't stop kissing me when no one's looking? Try impossible.

Then she starts letting me in, showing me the sweet side she keeps hidden under her tough girl exterior.

Ruining me for all other women.

Being royal, I always knew very little would ever be just mine. Becoming a spy, I understood the future wouldn't be guaranteed.

For Alexandria, I'm going to fight for both. 

My Review   5 STARS

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

This is the third book in the series and could be read as a stand alone, but you would not get the closeness of the two pairs of siblings and the fighting between Zan and Nickolas.

Both are spies for Union Ten, but Zan does not know until she find outs that Nick is her boss, and got the job that she interviewed for recently.

Both have to work together in close quarters with their next mission in Bali where they need to take down an international drug lord who like his firearms.  But things never go smoothly and Nick and Zan find themselves falling for each other as they stay in close quarters and pretend to be a couple.

As usual the book holds lots of the authors twerks and humour in writing and it leaves you smiling and wanting to read another book by her.

REVIEW - Bear Meets Girl (Pride #7) by Shelly Laurenston

The Book

Release Date: 27 March 2012

Goodreads Link

He's big, burly, and way smarter than your average shapeshifting bear. He's also about to get trapped by own his game. . .

Lou Crushek is a reasonable, mellow, easygoing kind of guy. But once someone starts killing the scumbags he works so hard to bust, that really gets under his fur. Especially when that someone is a curvy she-tiger with a skill set that's turning Crush's lone-bear world upside down--and bringing his passion out of hibernation. . .

As a member of an elite feline protection unit, Marcella Malone has no problem body-dropping anyone who hunts her kind. But Crush is proving one major pain in her gorgeous tail. The only reason she's joined forces with him is to track down the wealthy human who's got her entire species in his ruthless sights. It sure isn't because Crush's stubborn and contrary attitude is rubbing Cella in all the right ways. . .

"Laurenston's characters shine with wit and depth." --Publishers Weekly on Belong to the Night

My Review  4 STARS

Lou Crushek is a bear who does not like change and when he finds that he is being transferred to another department in the police force he is not happy.  It makes it a little easier when he finds that he is Desirees partner as he knows her, but he still does not like it.  He also does not like that the naked female he woke up with after a party at her house before he is transferred also happens to pop up a lot around her.

Cella Malone is a Derby player and a hockey player with Ric and Bo Novikov.  She has a bit of a temper and likes to beat down other players as part of her being an enforcer on the team.  She is also one of the only people who seems to be able to handle Novikov and his OCD ways.

I really like how the pair interacted with each other and the way that Cella pulled Crush out of himself and into a relationship with her without having to cajole too much, but she would not take no as an answer.

The another of other past couples has been scaled down n this one as we mainly just see Novikov, Blayne, Dee-Ann and Ric and Dec with a little of Mace.

Now I just wonder who the last two books are going to be for.  I am enjoying this series, but the only thing that annoys me is the change in point of view from each main character without warning.

REVIEW - Big Bad Beast (Pride #6) by Shelly Laurenston

The Book

Release Date: 26 April 2011

Goodreads Link

Seeing is deceiving. And Ric Van Holtz, the wolfishly sexy hero of Shelly Laurenston’s sizzling, wildly entertaining new tale, is nothing you expect—and everything you want…

When it comes to following her instincts, former Marine Dee-Ann Smith never holds back. And this deadly member of a shifter protection group will do anything to prove one of her own kind is having hybrids captured for dogfights. Trouble is, her too-cute rich-boy boss Ric Van Holtz insists on helping out. And his crazy-like-a-fox smarts and charming persistence are making it real hard for Dee to keep her heart safe….

Ric can’t believe his luck. He’s wanted this fiercely independent she-wolf from day one, but he never expected teamwork as explosive as this. And now is his last chance to show Dee what she needs isn’t some in-your-face Alpha male—but a wily, resourceful wolf who’ll always have her back in a fight…and between the sheets.

My Review  4 STARS

I really enjoyed having Dee-Ann Smith and Ric Van Holtz find their happy ending and the partnership that completes them.

Dee-Ann is a really strong character and Richard does well to soften up her edges, but still let her be who she needs to be without holding her back unless she needs it.

Ric certainly likes to have fun, but does certainly have a serious side and is another strong character with lots of friends, I like who he is there for them and is someone who can be counted on.

I lost some respect for the Shaw brothers with their whining and their selfish behaviour.

Looking forward to see who gets a book next in the series.

REVIEW - Saved by the Mountain Man (Montana Mountain Men #5) by Gemma Weir

The Book

Release Date: 31 May 2022

Goodreads Link

My Review.  5 STARS

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

Oh dear Teddy.  He is certainly put through  the paces in order to get the girl that ends up being his.

Teddy has been convinced that he has had his chance and that he blew it whilst in Highschool, however when Juniper (Juni) and her brothers Buck and Nero come to town, Teddy does not realise the importance she has to him before he puts his foot in his mouth.  The man then has some serious grovelling and persuasion to do in order to not only get her brothers on his side, but to get Juni to give him a chance.

Juni has lived with her mother and knowing that her dad was hardly ever there.  It is only when she is a teenager does she find out he has another life with other children.  Her main concern is that she does not wish to be as weak willed as her mother.

I really enjoyed the plot of this book.  Teddy pushed for what was his and Juni certainly was another strong character with a good strong backbone.  I loved how her brothers supported her without smothering her and that Teddy's family were there for both characters.

With only two brothers left now I am really looking forward to Cody and Bay as they find the woman that are meant for them, although I am kinda hoping that the series continues after them with Buck and Nero lol.

REVIEW - My Big Fat Bloodsucker Secret Baby (My Big Fat Bloodsucker #2) by Bella Jacobs

The Book

Release Date: 3 May 2022

Goodreads Link

Return to Nightfall, New Hampshire for Baron and Annie's love story!

Turns out I'm not allergic to our new house kraken's cooking. I'm pregnant, and I know enough about sexy, broody, tortured vampires to guess the father won’t be excited about our…unexpected development.

After he took my ancient V-Card amongst a chorus of O's, Baron insisted he'd made a terrible mistake. He told me to get out of his swamp and stay as far away from him as I can get—considering we both live in the same, small supernatural town.

He practically gave me a “get knocked up with my baby and keep it a secret for as long as you want” free card. 

Of course, I’ll tell him the truth eventually, once I convince him he isn’t the monster he thinks he is. Once I make him see that he’s a wonderful, kind, generous man who deserves love and all the happiness he’s pushed away for so, so long.

And that he deserves it with me, Annie Wonderfully, the woman who’s going to change his sad, lonely life.
Just wait and see…

My Review.  5 STARS

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

Wow.  Another fantastic book in this series!

Although this book could be read as a stand alone story, it is certainly best read after reading the previous book in the series with the first Wonderfully sister to fall in love.

Annie is a book nerd and works in the library and has her sights set on Barron, a vampire who believes that he does not deserve anything good in this world anymore and has been most reclusive for the last two hundred years and certainly has certainly abstained from being with another after the death of his wife and children when he was turned.

Annie certainly goes for what she wants and when there is a surprise after the get together of Blaire and Darcy, Annie shows her metal and turns things into a way into showing Barron what he is missing.

The main plot line continues from book one and new mysteries unfold, while there is a undercurrent of nastiness behind the town of Nightfall that needs to be exposed.  what is that maleficence trying to tear things apart?

I really enjoyed this book, just as I knew I would with a book from this author and I am more than looking forward to the next book in the series.

REVIEW - Beast Behaving Badly (Pride #5) by Shelly Laurenston

The Book

Release Date: 3 March 2013

Goodreads Link

Some men just have more to offer. Like hard-muscled, shape-shifting Bo Novikov--part polar bear, part lion, pure alpha. . .

Ten years after Blayne Thorpe first encountered Bo Novikov, she still can't get the smooth-talking shifter out of her head. Now he's shadowing her in New York--all seven-plus feet of him--determined to protect her from stalkers who want to use her in shifter dogfights. Even if he has to drag her off to an isolated Maine town where the only neighbors are other bears almost as crazy as he is. . .

Let sleeping dogs lie. Bo knows it's good advice, but he can't leave Blayne be. Blame it on her sweet sexiness--or his hunch that there's more to this little wolfdog than meets the eye. Blayne has depths he hasn't yet begun to fathom--much as he'd like to. She may insist Bo's nothing but a pain in her delectable behind, but polar bears have patience in spades. Soon she'll realize how good they can be together. And when she does, animal instinct tells him it'll be worth the wait. . .

"Non-stop laughter, snark, and witty banter." –SmexyBooks

Praise for the novels of Shelly Laurenston

"Delicious, sexy and wicked fun!" --New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter on Bear Meets Girl

My Review.  4 STARS 

I have been looking forward to Blayne's story as she has been a character that I have loved.  She is nutty, funny and like a human on speed.  Here we get her falling for the bear-lion hybrid Bold (Bo Novikov from  a polar bear community.

Blayne is half wolf and half dog, which certainly can cause problems, but she makes friends wherever she goes and has the personality that most cannot help but love her.  She is a very loyal friend and most are there the moment that she might need them.

We find that Blayne's name has been sold to a syndicate that organises kidnapping of hybrids in order to get them pit fighting.  Dee-Ann Smith is charged with following her for her safety, but known tells Blayne.

Bo is a shifter hockey player with attitude and a penchant for lists and schedules he does not like interrupted.  However Blayne soon comes along and challenges everything and turns his ordered world upside down.  But there is just something about the girl that keeps him from turning away from her.

We get to see more of previous characters in the series, and introduced to new ones and I really like the bears.  Blayne is a charming character, full of spice and all things nice, but she does have her point where she snaps.

I have certainly enjoyed this book the best so far in this series and wait to see where this goes and how the plot line will play out.

REVIEW - Married to the Rockstar (Mile High Rocked #3) by Christina Hovland

The Book

Release Date: 29 April 2022

Goodreads Link

Nothing about this arrangement is convenient...

Jeremy Dillion—a.k.a. Knox—has no intention of succumbing to wedded bliss. Gag, no. His parents divorced when he was young and the only stability in his life comes from his bandmates. But now they’re finding their own forever sweethearts, and Knox is feeling the heat of being a lone wolf in a group effort. Still, an actual relationship? No. Ick.

Irina Carmichael is ready for her big break. The problem is no one takes a second look at her, since she doesn’t fit into the general mold created for Hollywood starlets. Her hips are too big, her nose is too sharp, and her lips are too wide. But she’s so ready to step out of the background and into the spotlight.

When Knox gets trashed in the tabloids, his publicist pitches the idea of an image-saving marriage to Irina. Irina figures the publicity can't hurt and accepts—until the offers for major roles start pouring in, and she doesn’t need the arrangement. Unfortunately, Knox has broken the first rule of marrying an actress for publicity: don’t fall in love. But can he handle a real relationship? And is she ready to stop pretending? 

My Review  5 STARS

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

Irina wants to up her acting prospects and Jeremy aka Knox needs to clean up his image so the pair decide that they will get married to each other in name only, hoping that this will help both of their careers.

Irina gets successful almost overnight from the moment that the engagement is announced, but it takes some time for things to go well for Knox.  Living together and getting to know each other though means the pair end up closer than they expect and things turn from pretend to real fairly soon.

It is after Irina gets in an accident though that Knox really finds out that he cannot live without Irina and he will do anything to keep her in his life as his wife.

We get a surprise visitor in the book that if you have read the authors previous books you will love.  

I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait to see Tanner find his match and hope that he can untangle his tongue around woman.

REVIEW - The Mane Squeeze (Pride #4) by Shelly Laurenston

The Book

Release Date: 30 December 2014

Goodreads Link

Growing up on the tough Philly streets, Gwen O'Neill has learned how to fend for herself. But what is she supposed to do with a nice, suburban Jersey boy in the form of a massive Grizzly shifter? Especially one with a rather unhealthy fetish for honey, moose, and…uh…well, her. Yet despite his menacing ursine growl and four-inch claws, Gwen finds Lachlan "Lock" MacRyrie cute and really sweet. He actually watches out for her, protects her, and unlike the rest of her out-of-control family manages not to morbidly embarrass her. Too bad cats don't believe in forever.

At nearly seven feet tall, Lock is used to people responding to him in two ways: screaming and running away. Gwen-half lioness, half tigress, all kick-ass-does neither. She's sexy beyond belief and smart as hell, but she's a born protector. Watching out for the family and friends closest to her but missing the fact that she's being stalked by a murderous enemy who doesn't like hybrids…and absolutely hates Gwen. Lock probably shouldn't get involved, but he will. Why? Because this is Gwen-and no matter what the hissing, roaring, drape destroying feline says about not being ready to settle down, Lock knows he can't simply walk away. Not when she's come to mean absolutely everything to him.

My Review  4 STARS

Gwen is the half sister of Mitch and not blood related to Brendan and his twin, but Brendon still claims her as a sister.  Finally she stands up for herself and goes into business with her best friend Blayne.

Lock is a bear who first saw Gwen at the wedding of Bobby Ray and Jessie and knew that the woman was something.  When she turns up near his property and is attacked he looks after her and promises she will be safe even though she does not trust hospitals.

Lock very quickly knows that he wants Gwen as his but takes his time burrowing under Gwen skin and showing that he is there for her, even if it means standing up to her brothers, but often with funny results.

I really loved the dynamic between this pair and the family and friends around them and I really loved Lock and his calm in the storm.

This is the best book in the series for me so far.

REVIEW - The Mane Attraction (Pride #3) by Shelly Laurenston

The Book

Release Date: 6 March 2012

Goodreads Link 

Even the king of the beasts can find himself unexpectedly tamed by the right woman. . .

Weddings have the strangest effect on people. Exhibit 1: Sissy Mae waking up in Mitch Shaw's bed the morning after her brother Bobby Ray's nuptials. Exhibit 2: the gunmen trying to kill Mitch. Exhibit 3: Sissy Mae escorting a bleeding yet sexy lion shifter to her Tennessee Pack's turf for safe keeping. It doesn't help that Mitch's appraising gaze makes her feel like the most desirable creature on earth. . .

Mitch is an undercover cop about to testify against some dangerous ex-associates. Even more worrisome, he's harboring hot, X-rated fantasies about one fast-talking little canine--and he has to deal with every male in Sissy Mae's Pack sniffing around her in a way that makes his hackles rise. Mitch has his pride, and he intends to show Sissy Mae that when a lion sets out to make you his mate, the only thing to do is purr, roll over, and enjoy one hell of a ride. . .

"Laurenston's latest couple is unabashedly sexual, which makes their emotional battle of wills all the more enjoyable." --Romantic Times

My Review  4 STARS

Sissy is the brother of Bobby Ray Smith and is an Alpha female with her own pride, she is a very strong willed woman with a heart of gold if you treat her right.

Mitch is the half brother of Brandon and Marissa Shaw and has been working for the police undercover, however now he is in trouble as he is now a star witness on a case that could get him killed.

When Mitch is shot in front of Sissy in his hotel room, Sissy agrees to take his back home to Smithville Tennesse in order to keep him safe.  However being a pride male he is lazy, wants to be looked after and eats Sissy out of house and home and is constantly hungry.

The constant togetherness has the couple fighting and then making up as the sexual awareness ups in spades and sissy showing Mitch just how good a cook she is.

Although the case gets sorted in ways out of Mitch control, there is one dangerous part where an assassin tries to kill him in Smithville, but a family member and Sissy manage the situation and Mitch finds himself a free man.

I really liked this book and loved how Mitch and Sissy reacted to each other and the way the packs and family stand up for each other again.