Winter Romance Wednesday! Kimberly reviews Three Christmas Wishes by Sheila Roberts

three-christmas-wishesTITLE: Three Christmas Wishes
CHARACTERS: Riley, Jo & Noel
AUTHOR: Sheila Roberts
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/18/16
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Three friends, three wishes—one Christmas!

Riley Erickson, her pregnant sister, Jo, and their friend Noel are all wishing for the same thing: the perfect man. Or at least men who are perfect for them. Riley’s hasn’t turned out to be too impressive, dumping her for her bridesmaid three weeks before the wedding. Jo’s husband is being perfectly stubborn. And Noel has given up completely.

When the three women visit a shopping-mall Santa on a lark, the guy is full of predictions. Riley’s going to meet her perfect man in a memorable way. Noel is going to get a good man to go with that house she’s trying desperately to buy. And Jo, well, a new man is about to come into her life. What on earth does that mean? She already has her hands full with the one she’s got. As for Riley and Noel, they have some holiday challenges to meet…

But Christmas wishes can come true, as these three women are about to discover. Because in spite of romantic setbacks and derailed dreams, this truly is the most wonderful time of the year!

REVIEW:
4.25 Hearts I can’t ever remember reading a Sheila Roberts book (but I read a lot) but this will not be my last. This story had a little of everything. Happiness, heartbreak, sisterly love (biological and nonbiological), angst and Christmas spirit.

This story pulls you in from the beginning and it was hard to put down. The sisters each have their own issues going on. Riley is heartbroken from her finance’ duping her, Jo has angst about her Navy man re-enlisting and Noel just wants to keep her home.

Can their wishes come true? Well of course…. It’s Christmas time after all. This is a perfect story to curl up in front of the fire with hot cocoa and a warm blanket and enjoy.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

4 Hearts
4 Hearts

Kelly reviews When All The Girls Have Gone by Jayne Ann Krentz

when-all-the-girlsTITLE: When All The Girls Have Gone
CHARACTERS: Max Cutler & Charlotte Sawyer
AUTHOR: Jayne Ann Krentz
PUBLICATION DATE: November 29, 2016
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Jayne Ann Krentz, the New York Times bestselling author of Secret Sisters, delivers a thrilling novel of the deceptions we hide behind, the passions we surrender to, and the lengths we’ll go to for the truth…

When Charlotte Sawyer is unable to contact her step-sister, Jocelyn, to tell her that one her closest friends was found dead, she discovers that Jocelyn has vanished.

Beautiful, brilliant—and reckless—Jocelyn has gone off the grid before, but never like this. In a desperate effort to find her, Charlotte joins forces with Max Cutler, a struggling PI who recently moved to Seattle after his previous career as a criminal profiler went down in flames—literally. Burned out, divorced and almost broke, Max needs the job.

After surviving a near-fatal attack, Charlotte and Max turn to Jocelyn’s closest friends, women in a Seattle-based online investment club, for answers. But what they find is chilling…

When her uneasy alliance with Max turns into a full-blown affair, Charlotte has no choice but to trust him with her life. For the shadows of Jocelyn’s past are threatening to consume her—and anyone else who gets in their way

REVIEW:
This was a good book. I enjoyed Max & Charlotte’s journey to both solving the murder of Jocelyn’s (Charlotte’s step-sister) best friend and finding each other. While the suspense in this book was not quite as suspenseful as I had hoped or wanted. There were a few twists and turns that I didn’t see coming.
I enjoyed reading this story by Ms. Krentz. If you are a fan you should enjoy this story. If you are new (like me) and like a good romance suspense I would suggest giving When All The Girls Have Gone a try.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley & Berkley Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

3hearts-68-77

Winter Romance Wednesday! Kimberly reviews Christmas Under A Starlit Sky by Holly Martin

christmas-under-starlit-skyTITLE: Christmas Under a Starlit Sky
SERIES #: A Town Called Christmas #2
CHARACTERS: Neve and Oakley
AUTHOR: Holly Martin
PUBLICATION DATE: 1019/16
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Step inside a beautiful winter wonderland where love, laughter and cosy nights by the fire will make this Christmas one to remember.

Neve Whitaker loves managing the Stardust Lake hotel. She gets to work alongside her wonderful family and she’s spending Christmas on the most enchanting, snow-covered island in Scotland. So why is her heart so heavy this festive season?

It might have something to do with the gorgeous actor Oakley Rey, the man she finished with before he left for California and the man she loves more than anything. With Oakley’s career in Hollywood soaring, Neve is convinced she’d only hold him back. She had to end it with him – at least that’s what she keeps telling herself.

But now she has a secret she’s struggling to keep, and when Oakley arrives on Juniper Island determined to win her back, Neve is thrown off balance. Will Neve’s fear of having her heart broken again push Oakley away for good, or is it time for her to take a leap of faith?

Get swept away by this deliciously sweet and heartwarming tale, and spend an unforgettable Christmas on Juniper Island.

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts This is the second in the Town Called Christmas series. I read the first one and enjoyed it so I requested this one as soon as it came to NetGalley. And again I enjoyed the story very much.

There is a lot of drama in this story and I am glad they didn’t do the love triangle with Neve, Oakley and Adam as I thought they might. Neve and Oakley needed to be together.

This is a nice holiday romance.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

3hearts-68-77

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Kelly reviews All The Dead Girls by Rita Herron

all-the-dead-girlsTITLE: All The Dead Girls
SERIES #: Graveyard Falls #3
CHARACTERS: Ian Kimball & Beth Fields
AUTHOR: Rita Herron
PUBLICATION DATE: November 22, 2016
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
When a violent storm hits Graveyard Falls, it unearths the unimaginable: skeletons of teenage girls, each dressed in white and holding a candle. It’s clear to FBI agent Beth Fields that this is the work of a long-standing killer—but could it be the one she escaped years ago? She has no memory of the man who held her captive and murdered her friend. But even though someone was jailed for the crime, she’s always feared that the real killer is still out there…waiting and watching.

Ian Kimball never believed his stepfather was guilty of Beth’s kidnapping or the slaying of two local girls. Now Graveyard Falls’s sheriff, he’s determined to catch the true perpetrator. And when more young women go missing, he realizes he needs Beth’s help. She is nothing like Ian expected, and everything he desires. But if they have any hope of finally ending the killer’s reign of terror, Beth and Ian will need to put everything aside, including their past, their mistrust, and their growing attraction

REVIEW:
Ms. Herron takes us back to Graveyard Fall’s after a storm rolled through this small sleepy town. But this is not just an ordinary storm this storm reveals a mass grave. And yet again this small sleepy town finds itself the focus of a murder investigation.
I enjoyed this story. I liked the twists and turns that Ms. Herron put in this book. While I did end up guess the who correctly. Ms. Herron made me second guess myself a time or two. I enjoyed watching both Ian and Beth heal from the past and learn that the past doesn’t have to define the future.
I am looking forward to what Ms. Herron has in store for us next in this series.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley & Montlake Romance in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

4 Hearts
4 Hearts

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Kelly reviews Archangel’s Heart by Nalini Singh

archangels-heartTITLE: Archangel’s Heart
SERIES #: Guild Hunter #9
CHARACTERS: Raphael & Elena
AUTHOR: Nalini Singh
NARRATOR: Justine Eyre
RUN TIME: 13 Hours & 20 Minutes
PUBLICATION DATE: November 1, 2016
ORDER LINKS: Amazon| Audible | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh takes us into a dangerous and exhilarating world where a deadly, beautiful archangel and his once-mortal consort are caught in a fury of twisted darkness…

One of the most vicious archangels in the world has disappeared. No one knows if Lijuan is dead or has chosen to Sleep the long sleep of an immortal. But with her lands falling into chaos under a rising tide of vampiric bloodlust, a mysterious and ancient order of angels known as the Luminata calls the entire Cadre together to discuss the fate of her territory.

Accompanying her archangelic lover Raphael to the Luminata compound, guild hunter-turned-angel Elena senses that all is not as it seems. Secrets echo from within the stone walls of the compound, and the deeper Elena goes, the uglier the darkness. But neither Raphael nor Elena is ready for the brutal truths hidden within—truths that will change everything Elena thinks she knows about who she is

REVIEW:
I don’t want to tell you to much of what happens. But in Archangel’s Heart we get to see Raphael and Elena’s relationship grow even closer then it was before. We get to see the Cadre come together and actually work together. We get to learn more about Illium and Aodhan’s relationship. We are left with a few questions about Lijuan and what will happen next with the Cascade and the world.
Yet again, Ms. Singh blows me away with her ability to write a story that makes me cry, laugh, be shocked and fall in love with this world all over again. A story that makes me want to get to the end to see how this story will end while dreading finishing the book. Because that means I have to wait patiently for the next installment. This is one of my all time favorite series and I can not wait to see what is next for Raphael, Elena, that Cadre and the rest of the amazing cast Ms. Singh has created. Really hoping that BlueBell’s book is coming soon. And after Archangel’s Heart I really need an Aodhan book .
As always I let the amazing talented Justine Eyre read this book to me. I am in awe of her voice and talent! I love that I am able to know who is speaking with each passage without have to be told. I hope that they never switch narrators for this series. Ms. Eyre is just flat out amazing. I can not wait for our next meeting in book 10 so she can read more to me!!

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley & Berkley Publishing Group. I also received a complimentary audio copy from Tantor Audio Books in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

5hearts-68-77

Kelly reviews The Bourbon Thief by Tiffany Reisz

bourbon-thiefTITLE: The Bourbon Thief
CHARACTERS: The Maddox Family
AUTHOR: Tiffany Reisz
NARRATOR: Kim Staunton
RUN TIME: 11 Hours & 49 Minutes
PUBLICATION DATE: June 28, 2016
ORDER LINKS: Audible | Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
From the internationally celebrated author of the Original Sinners series comes a brand-new tale of betrayal, revenge and a family scandal that bore a 150-year-old mystery
When Cooper McQueen wakes up from a night with a beautiful stranger, it’s to discover he’s been robbed. The only item stolen—a million-dollar bottle of bourbon. The thief, a mysterious woman named Paris, claims the bottle is rightfully hers. After all, the label itself says it’s property of the Maddox family who owned and operated Red Thread Bourbon distillery since the last days of the Civil War until the company went out of business for reasons no one knows… No one except Paris.
In the small hours of a Louisville morning, Paris unspools the lurid tale of Tamara Maddox, heiress to the distillery that became an empire. But the family tree is rooted in tainted soil and has borne rotten fruit. Theirs is a legacy of wealth and power, but also of lies, secrets and sins of omission. The Maddoxes have bourbon in their blood—and blood in their bourbon. Why Paris wants the bottle of Red Thread remains a secret until the truth of her identity is at last revealed, and the century-old vengeance Tamara vowed against her family can finally be completed.

REVIEW:
The Bourbon Thief is the story of the Maddox families rise and fall. This was a rollercoaster ride of emotions. A crazy crazy ride of every emotion you could possible have. There is so much that happens in this book that I didn’t expect or was prepared for. There is so much that I could tell you but I don’t want to give away anything. I will give you just a little.
The Bourbon Thief starts with a woman in a fancy red dress looking for a man to share a nice glass of bourbon with. Lucky for Cooper McQueen this woman just walked into his bar and is about to change his life.
Such a great story! This is also my first Tiffany Reisz book and I really enjoyed reading/listening to this book.
I did listen to this book on audio. This was also my first book listening to Kim Staunton. Ms. Staunton did a fabulous job of bring these characters to life. Even though I was listening to this book in the Pacific Northwest I felt like I was in the south. Ms. Staunton did a wonderful job with the voices and accents. I will be adding her to my list of narrators I enjoy and will be watching for more of her work in the future.

Disclaimer:
I purchased this audiobook from Audible.com and this review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

4 Hearts
4 Hearts

#TBT Kimberly’s review of Beach House No. 9 by Christie Ridgway ~ Catch Up From The Beginning

TITLE: Beach House No. 9
AUTHOR: Christie Ridgway
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/29/13
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
When book doctor Jane Pearson arrives at Griffin Lowell’s beach house, she expects a brooding loner. After all, his agent hired her to help the reclusive war journalist write his stalled memoir. Instead, Jane finds a tanned, ocean-blue-eyed man in a Hawaiian shirt, hosting a beach party and surrounded by beauties. Faster than he can untie a bikini top, Griffin lets Jane know he doesn’t want her. But she desperately needs this job and digs her toes in the sand.

Griffin intends to spend the coming weeks at Beach House No. 9 taking refuge from his painful memories-and from the primly sexy book doctor who wants to bare his soul. But warm nights, moonlit walks and sultry kisses just may unlock both their guarded hearts…

REVIEW:
As with all of Ridgway’s stories there is more than just romance. There is adventure. The ride she takes the reader on is filled with emotion. In this story we meet Griffin and Jane. Two completely opposite people in every way. Yet there is something that brings them together.

Most of the time I fall madly in love with the male characters in Ridgway’s books but Griffin took a little while to grow on me and thinking back I realize because of the complex character he is. He is not the knight in shining armor but a wounded soul and Jane took a while too. She is so distant when we meet her but it does not take long to realize the woman she really is.

I enjoyed this book very much. I even enjoyed the background characters of Tess and David and their story.

I can’t wait to read the next one in the series. But then I can never wait for Ridgway’s books!

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

4 Hearts

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Winter Romance Wednesday! Kimberly reviews All I Want For Christmas by Jenny Hale

alli-want-for-christmasTITLE: All I Want For Christmas
CHARACTERS: Leah & David
AUTHOR: Jenny Hale
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/06/16
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
All I Want for Christmas is a big, cozy Christmas story about the importance of family, the strength of childhood friendships, and learning to trust your heart.

Fans of Carole Matthews, Susan Wiggs and Susan Mallery – and anyone who likes the glow of Christmas lights and the rustle of wrapping paper – will fall in love with this feel-good Christmas treat.

Christmas comes once a year . . . But true love comes once in a lifetime.

Snowflakes are falling, there’s carol singing on every corner, and Leah Evans is preparing for a family Christmas at her grandmother’s majestic plantation house in Virginia. It won’t be the same now that her beloved Nan is gone, but when Leah discovers she has inherited the mansion, she knows she can give her daughter Sadie the childhood of her dreams.

But there’s a catch. Leah must split the house with a man called David Forester. Leah hasn’t heard that name in a long time. Not since they were kids, when Davey was always there to catch her.

Now David is all grown up. He’s gorgeous, successful, and certain of one thing: Leah should sell him her half of the house.

They can’t agree, but as they share memories over wine by the log fire, Leah notices a fluttering in her stomach. And by the look in his eyes, he’s starting to feel it too.

Will it be Leah or David who must give up their dreams? Or, with a little bit of Christmas magic, will they finally understand Nan’s advice to them both about living life without regrets … and take a chance on true love?

REVIEW:

I don’t know. I just wasn’t overly impressed with this story. Leah is a bit whiney for me and David is a bit stiff. It is slow with a bit too many words if you ask me.

There is not too much romance in this romance novel. I really don’t get this story. I mean I realize that Nan was trying to get Leah and David together but David is so determined to get the plantation but I don’t even understand why he thinks he is entitled to it.

All in all not bad just not great.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

3hearts-68-77

#TBT Kelly & Kimberly review Born In Blood by Alexandra Ivy ~ Catch Up From The Beginning

born in bloodTITLE: Born In Blood
SERIES #:The Sentinals #1
CHARACTERS: Duncan O’Conner & Callie Brown
AUTHOR: Alexandra Ivy
PUBLICATION DATE: December 31, 2013
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
In a stunning new paranormal romance series—even edgier than her bestselling Guardians of Eternity books—New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Ivy lures readers into the dark, seductive world of the Sentinels—humans outcast by their hidden abilities, treading the line between life and death, good and evil, pleasure and pain…

Born In Blood

Sergeant Duncan O’Conner has seen it all before. A beautiful erotic dancer is found murdered in her home—no suspect, no motive. But there’s one clue: she’s missing her heart. It’s enough to make the hard-bitten Kansas City cop enlist the help of a necro—one of the dead-channeling freaks who live in the domed city of nearby Valhalla. It’s a long shot, but desperate crimes call for desperate measures.

Unlike the other “high-bloods” in Valhalla, Callie Brown considers her abilities a gift, not a curse. But when she reads the dancer’s final thoughts, she senses a powerful presence blocking her vision. This is no ordinary homicide. This is the work of a legendary necromancer who controls souls. A ravenous force that will put Callie’s skills to the test, O’Conner’s career at risk, and both their hearts on the line…literally.

KELLY’S REVIEW:
4 Hearts Born in Blood is book one in Alexandra Ivy’s new Sentinel series. This is an interesting world that Alexandra has created. You have the norms (normal people) and the “freaks” (people with talents) both are trying to learn how to work with the other, but not very successfully.

This was a great start to a new series. I fell in love with Duncan & Callie and the cast of sub characters are awesome. I loved the determination of Duncan to go after what he wants. But I loved that Callie did challenge him at least for a little bit 🙂 I am looking forward to what is next in this series. Fingers crossed for Fane & Serra although I would love to for Mave & Wolfe next.

One of my only real gripe is what is up with the cover. Yes it is hot. I know. But the heroine is not right at all. Callie doesn’t have long red hair. It is short and kinda all over the place. I wonder why no one pointed that out to the cover artist?

Fan’s of Alexandra will love this new series!

KIMBERLY’S REVIEW:
4 Hearts This is a new series by Ivy. It is very different from her Guardians of Eternity series. I enjoyed the Sentinels, Callie and Duncan very much. Valhalla is an interesting place to read about as well. I was not too thrilled with the whole Zombie thing. I know it is the “in” thing right now but it is not something I am into. I also had a hard time with the “freak” word being used so much. It just seemed overkill on the word.

Now those two things aside I enjoyed the book and couldn’t wait to get to each new chapter. Duncan is a great character and Callie is sweet and innocent. They make a great pair. I can’t wait for the next in the series. I hope the foe’s are something other than Zombies and if they are I know I will love the Sentinel and his woman.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley & Kensington Publishing (Zebra) in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

4 Hearts
4 Hearts

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Natasha reviews Born Of Legend by Sherrilyn Kenyon

born-of-legendTITLE: Born of Legend
SERIES #: The League: Nemesis Rising #11
CHARACTERS: Jullien “Dagger” & Ushara
AUTHOR: Sherrilyn Kenyon
PUBLICATION DATE: June 21, 2016
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
“It’s official Take a Psycho to Work Day. Why else would I be here?”

Hunted. Hated. Betrayed. Outcast Dagger Ixur is on the run for his life. As one of the most recognizable members of his royal house, he has a bounty on his head that guarantees him no quarter from any friend or even family. But surrender isn’t in him. He will fight to the bitter end. A resolve that is sorely tested when he narrowly escapes a trap that leaves him severely wounded. With what he believes is his dying breath, he saves a boy born to an extinct race from a group out to enslave the kid for his legendary abilities.

Ushara Altaan has spent her entire life hating the Andarion royal house that drove her entire species into virtual extinction. As a rare Andarion Fyreblood, she is sworn to end the existence of any royal she finds. But when Dagger saves her son’s life, she is torn between her people and a debt that can never be repaid.
Yet worse than Dagger’s family that’s still out to end hers and him, are the League assassins after him who will stop at nothing to claim the lives of her Tavali family. The only hope she has to save them all is to put their future and her faith into the hands of the very enemy whose grandmother personally extinguished Ushara’s legendary lineage. But how can she ever trust Dagger when he is a disinherited outlaw whose real name is synonymous with betrayal?

REVIEW:
Wow! Ok, in my review for Born of Betrayal I complained a bit about how Kenyon seemed to be re-writing Jullien’s character. Well, I should have known his book would be next and all the answers would come! Kenyon really is the queen of re-writing characters that we think we knew and showing us them in a whole new light (cough – Styxx – cough); this was no different. The book starts off a few years after Nykyrian’s return and spans for several years. Jullien is broken, battered and on the run. He meets up with Ushara and so begins the long unraveling heartbreak of his past. I really loved Ushara and Jullien together. She is a very strong heroine with a wild and crazy family that does some really messed up stuff, and then some really great stuff. Her son is the whole reason Jullien and Ushara cross paths and I love seeing the relationship grow between him and Jullien. We also get to see Jullien interact with some of our favorite characters of the series because his story runs concurrently with the events of previous books. I gotta say, Kenyon really laid it on thick in terms of Jullien’s abuse and neglect. While I understand painting a picture for readers, I really started to get frustrated with it about 2/3 of the way through the book. Some of the exact same phrases are used dozens of times in the book and a lot of that story became repetitive; that is the only reason this is a 4 star and not a 5.

However, by far my favorite part of this book is Trajen! I love this darn Trisani so much and cannot wait for his book – I know he’s getting a book and it is going to be brutal – however I have no idea when that will be. I’m just hoping we’ll continue to see him in other stories until then.

Then finally that brings me to the end – the part where we catch up to the events of Born of Betrayal. I was waiting for this the entire book, and while I am ok with how the book played out, I would have liked to see a little more dialogue around the events of Jullien’s life, his parents and Nykyrian.

All in all though, the book was freaking fabulous and I couldn’t put it down. Kenyon is a great author. Yes this series is so convoluted and confusing, there are way too many characters, and planets, enemies and allies, but you love it all the same!

Disclaimer:
I purchased a copy of this book. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

4 Hearts
4 Hearts