Category: 2 Star

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Kimberly reviews For All Of Her Life by Heather Graham

TITLE: For All Of Her Life
CHARACTERS: Kathy & Jordan
AUTHOR: Heather Graham
PUBLICATION DATE: 11/20/12
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Sometimes our exes are exactly how we remember them. Sometimes they’re better . . .

Kathy and Jordan Treveryan used to have everything. They fronted the enormously successful rock band Blue Heron, they had two beautiful daughters, and they had a passionate marriage. But life as they knew it came to an abrupt end when their bandmate, Keith, was killed in an apparently accidental fire. Soon after, the band and their marriage fell apart.

In this tale of unstoppable love, Jordan pursues Kathy as he tries to reunite the band and lay to rest the mysterious circumstances of Keith’s death. And while Kathy finds herself torn between her current boyfriend and her lingering feelings for her ex-husband, romance reignites—and the exes may even unravel the truth behind what made them separate so long ago.

REVIEW:
This is a re-release from 1995. I enjoy Heather Graham very much but apparently not her old stuff. The characters never seemed to connect. The ex-husband was just rude. I can’t imagine that any female reader would fall for this guy and want him to win the girl. Kathy on the other hand is pathetic. She has a chance at a life but for some reason only wants to be with her ex and why she would want that is beyond me.

Seeing as this was written 2 decades ago maybe that made the difference but I think I will stick with the current reads from Graham from now on.

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

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Kimberly’s review of Grounds To Kill by Wendy Roberts

TITLE: Grounds To Kill
AUTHOR: Wendy Roberts
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/07/12
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Barista Jen Hanby’s coworkers give her a hard time for bringing coffee and pastries to a homeless man who sits outside her café—but she has a secret. The scruffy man is her father.

She’s also hiding the little matter of why her palm itches. But how can she explain that her hand has a mind of its own and writes messages from the beyond? Right. That’ll get her Employee of the Month.

When she finds herself scrawling your boyfriend is cheating on you! to herself on the bathroom mirror, she immediately dumps the guy. But then his little fling—who just happens to be her half sister—turns up dead, and suddenly Jen’s homeless father is the prime suspect.

Jen knows he is being framed and must take matters into her own hands to protect him. But will anyone believe that the crazy old man is innocent? Or that his spirit-writing daughter holds the truth?

REVIEW:
I don’t know what it was about this story but I could not get into it. The characters were so… umm… cheesy… I guess that is the right word. Maybe too quirky or something. It seemed so juvenile yet it is not a YA read. There are too many “throw ins”.. meaning it had to be thrown in that her boyfriends fling was her half sister. Like just having a fling with a neighbor wasn’t enough? And a bunch of other things. It was just too much to me. It made the book seem childish.

Maybe someone else would enjoy it, and I suggested giving it a try if the synopsis appeals to you, but I just could not get excited about his book.

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

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Kimberly’s review of The Valentine’s Arrangement by Kelsie Leverich

TITLE: The Valentine’s Arrangement
SERIES #: Heroes For The Holidays #1
CHARACTERS: Ronnie & Kale
AUTHOR: Kelsie Leverich
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/01/13
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Ronnie Clark, an edgy tattoo artist with hopes of high tailing it out of the forsaken Military town she followed her now ex-fiancé to, is counting down the days until Valentine’s Day is over. Ronnie doesn’t do romance. She doesn’t do flowers or dates, and she sure as hell doesn’t do love—not anymore. After her fiancé slept with a female soldier while deployed, she has vowed never to fall in love again, especially with a soldier.

Sergeant First Class Kale Emerson is home on his mid-tour leave from Iraq, but he only has one thing on his mind—returning to his deployment to finish leading his soldiers on their mission. The last thing he wants is a relationship, but casual sex, that’s a different story. And when he meets the renowned tattoo artist Ronnie Clark, a snarky, blunt, takes no prisoners kind of woman, that seems to be all he can think about.

But when Kale realizes he has met his match with a bombshell woman who is hell bent against love, will just sex be enough? And if it’s not, will he be able to convince Ronnie that the proverbial hearts and flowers aren’t so bad after all, even if he is a soldier?

REVIEW:
Did I like this book? I am 50/50 on that answer. I liked the storyline. I thought that Kale was adorable. I couldn’t stand Ronnie. And the language just went overboard.

I am not exactly sure why Kale would be attracted to Ronnie at all. I am not talking about the fact she is tough and independent but the fact that she is rude and crass. She has nothing that makes you want to like her. I just wanted to wash her mouth out with soap. There is not one page that does not have crude language over and over. And while I realize she is trying to prove she is strong she really just proves she is just unappealing.

Now Kale is worth reading about. And the story as I said was really good… well the storyline. It had a lot of potential and Kale would have been a great hero for a story with a woman that the reader actually cared about.

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

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Kimberly’s review of Making Him Sweat by Meg Maguire

TITLE: Making Him Sweat
CHARACTERS: Jenna & Mercer
AUTHOR: Meg Maguire
PUBLICATION DATE: 02/19/13
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
She’s hitting below the belt…

Round 1
In this corner is admittedly romantic Jenna Wilinski, who’s inherited a rather seedy boxing gym from her estranged father. With it, she can realize her dream of launching an upscale matchmaking business…provided she can take on the very intimidating—and wickedly hot—boxer who stands in her way!

Round 2
In the far corner is former pro boxer Mercer Rowley. He’s the only one who can protect his “home”—even if it is a little run-down— from his determined and feisty little opponent. But man, once the gloves come off, his hands just want to touch her everywhere…

Round 3
This matchup is too close to call. But no matter which contender comes out on top, the other is sure to enjoy every minute of it…

REVIEW:
2.5 Stars
I found this book to be almost boring to be honest. The characters did not connect at all. Something was just off with the characters and the writing. I really wanted to enjoy this story but I just couldn’t. I also wanted to think that maybe this was the first book from this author because I did see a lot of potential but I looked it up and she has written quite a few stories so I am not sure why this book just didn’t click.

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

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Kelly’s review of The Burning Air by Erin Kelly

TITLE: The Burning Air
AUTHOR: Erin Kelly
PUBLICATION DATE: Feb 21, 2013
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Of course it was love for my children, love for my son, that caused me to act as I did. It was a lapse of judgement. If I could have foreseen the rippling aftershocks that followed I would have acted differently, but by the time I realised the extent of the consequences, it was too late.

The MacBrides have always gone to Far Barn in Devon for Bonfire Night, but this year everything is different. Lydia, the matriarch, is dead; Sophie, the eldest daughter, is desperately trying to repair a crumbling marriage; and Felix, the youngest of the family, has brought a girlfriend with him for the first time.

The girl, Kerry, seems odd in a way nobody can quite put their finger on – but when they leave her looking after Sophie’s baby daughter, and return to find both Kerry and the baby gone, they are forced to ask themselves if they have allowed a cuckoo into their nest…

Gripping and chilling, with a killer twist, The Burning Air reaffirms Erin Kelly as one of Britain’s foremost psychological thriller writers.

REVIEW:
I just was not really feeling this book. The storyline idea was good. The writing was good. But there was just something that didn’t grab me and suck me in.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

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Kimberly’s review of A Passion For Him by Sylvia Day

TITLE: A Passion For Him
AUTHOR: Sylvia Day
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/29/13
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Miss Amelia Benbridge is ready to leave behind a past filled with heartbreak for a sensible marriage. Until temptation itself comes calling, with an invitation to seduction…

She Loved and Lost Him Once…

Amelia Benbridge and the Earl of Ware are the most anticipated match of the Season. Lord Ware is handsome, wealthy, and kind, and he understands that her love will always belong to her childhood sweetheart, Colin. When Colin died, Amelia believed she would never feel such passion again. But her primal reaction to the brooding stranger who approaches her at a masquerade, coaxing her into a moonlit minuet and a single, sensual kiss, proves otherwise…

Colin Mitchell knew a pairing between a peer’s daughter and a gypsy stable boy was impossible. Amelia’s mistaken belief in his demise afforded him the opportunity to return to her as a man of means. But time has slipped through his fingers. She is preparing to wed another, and danger prevents him from revealing the truth. Colin can only bid her a secret farewell, but he underestimates her determination to unmask her phantom admirer. A forbidden kiss leads to her ardent pursuit and a soul-scorching affair. Amelia is perfectly attuned to his every desire, every thought—and hungry for stability he can’t offer her. For deception lies at the heart of their love, waiting to drive them apart once again…

REVIEW:
I really did not enjoy this book. I couldn’t stand the fact that Colin doesn’t just tell Amelia who he is and plays the game of “come to me, I must let you go” and he sleeps with other women while he is supposedly so in love with Amelia. Colin did nothing for me and I really couldn’t care less if he had stayed away from Amelia. In fact I like Ware much better than Colin.

Amelia is just too much of a contradiction in how she is written. She is supposedly so chaste and innocent and protected but at times she is exactly opposite. She has mourned Colin for so many years and feels that she should marry Ware because they are such good friends and yet she goes and sleeps with Colin before she even knows who he really is.

I think people will either like or dislike this book. Unfortunately I am in the dislike category.

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

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Kimberly’s review of Wild About You by Kerrelyn Sparks

TITLE: Wild About You
AUTHOR: Kerrelyn Sparks
PUBLICATION DATE: 11/27/12
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Handsome Howard…
Hunky Howard…
Hot Howard…

It’s not every day that Elsa Bjornberg feels delicate, not when she hosts a home renovation show where she can effortlessly demolish a kitchen. But from the moment she meets Howard Barr, this bear of a man makes her feel like a woman. And the way he looks at her, as if she were a pot of honey he’d like to lick…

Howard is not like most men. For one thing, he’s a shapeshifter. And he always thought his celebrity crush would never amount to anything more than drooling at Elsa on TV. When his meddling vampire employer gets involved, the star is suddenly within his grasp—and within a hair of her life. For an ancient curse forbids their newfound love, and Howard is suddenly torn between his desire for her and his desire to keep her alive.

REVIEW:
I received an ARC of this book and I did not know it was part of a series and honestly I was a bit confused for a good amount of the beginning of the book. Obviously these characters have been introduced before and situations are ongoing from the other books. I just never connected with the characters which I think has something to do with not being aware of the previous story.

I did not feel that Howard and Elsa had a connection either. The book seemed very juvenile to me. Howard is more of a lovesick puppy than a were-bear and Elsa is very feeble-minded. Nothing made me what to get to know these characters.

Maybe if I had read the series from the beginning I would have enjoyed this more. I just do not know.

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

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Kimberly’s review of Return To Sender by Fern Michaels

TITLE: Return To Sender
AUTHOR: Fern Michaels
PUBLICATION DATE: 12/24/12
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
At seventeen, Rosalind “Lin” Townsend found herself pregnant and alone. Her deeply religious father threw her out of the house, and Nick Pemberton, her baby’s father, refused to marry her. Yet even at the lowest point in her life, Lin vowed to succeed on her own terms, and to give her son, Will, all the love and happiness she’d been denied. Nineteen years later, Lin has made good on her promises, and Will is about to start his freshman year at NYU. But when Lin visits New York with Will, she crosses paths with the one man she thought she’d never see again. Nick Pemberton, now a millionaire CEO, and the man who send back all her letters unopened. Seeing him fills Lin with anger, and she resolves to right the wrong he did to Will. If she succeeds, like she has with everything else, the cost of revenge may be the loss of a bright new future?

REVIEW:
While I usually like Fern Michaels books I do have trouble with the conversations she holds in them because it just does not sound the way a normal person would speak and I expected to feel that way about this book as well while none-the-less enjoying it. I was wrong. I really did not enjoy this book at all. It is so mean spirited and vengeful that I found no connection to the characters. Lin is so obsessed with revenge that it takes away from every other part of this story.

Nick is never a character that the reader decides is worth liking (at least not this reader) and while I have read a bunch of books where the main character is a jerk but low in behold by the end of the book they are a saint this is not one of those.

The book is also a reprint from 2010 which might not sound that long ago but with this book there are some references that date the book making it seem even older.

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

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Kimberly’s review of The Golden Leopard by Lynn Kerstan

TITLE: The Golden Leopard
AUTHOR: Lynn Kerstan
PUBLICATION DATE: 07/24/12
ORDER LINKS: Amazon| B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Lady Jessica “Jessie” Carville gave up on up men six years ago, after being deserted by Lord Hugo Duran, the man she loved beyond all reason. She has carried on with her life and . . . shockingly . . . with her career. Although most of Society frowns upon a woman in business, Lady Jessica is a natural at collecting and selling antiques. She’s put the past behind her until one night at an auction, when Duran shows up. He’s back in England, and he has plans that involve her. Can she resist what he has in mind?

Duran, though willful and mysterious, is a gentleman—when it suits him. Yet he left his lover without so much a note saying why. Now he’s on a mission filled with danger. If he doesn’t succeed, he will die. Can he convince Jessica to help him without endangering her as well?

REVIEW:
I had a hard time connecting with the characters in this book. Actually I had a hard time connecting to the book in general. I just couldn’t seem to enjoy it. Don’t get me wrong… The writing is fine and the story has potential but I guess it is just not the kind of book that I enjoy. The treasure part was interesting.

Maybe it was just the fact that the characters while charismatic apart just did not seem to connect to each other so it was hard to be interested in their relationship.

Honestly if you enjoy historical romantic suspense (I guess that is the best way to describe it) then this might be the book for you but it just wasn’t for me.

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

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Kimberly’s review of A Winter Wonderland by Fern Michaels and Others

TITLE: A Winter Wonderland
AUTHOR: Fern Michaels +3
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/30/12
ORDER LINKS: Amazon| B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Four special holiday offerings from today’s favorite authors remind us that when love is on your list, you never have to stop believing…
“A Winter Wonderland” by Fern Michaels
Angelica Shepard left New York for Christmas in Colorado to relax and unwind—but an out-of-control snowboarder almost had her laid to rest. When she wakes up in the hospital, all she remembers is the handsome angel who saved her…
“The Joy of Christmas” by Holly Chamberlin
Not all happiness is good for you—or that’s what Iris Karr thinks when she decides to move away instead of marrying her sweetheart Ben. Even years later, living with that decision isn’t easy—until a familiar face comes to call her home for the holidays…
“The Christmas Thief” by Leslie Meier
Elizabeth Stone is ready for a white Christmas in Tinker’s Cove, Maine—until a fancy Yule ball at the Florida hotel where she works dumps snow on her plans. The sponsor’s jewels have gone missing and the police are asking about her ties to a cute mystery guest. Good thing Elizabeth’s mother, Lucy Stone, flew down to surprise her. ‘Tis the season for a little investigating…
“The Christmas Collector” by Kristina McMorris
Estate liquidator Jenna Matthews isn’t one for Christmas nostalgia. But when one grandmother’s keepsakes suggest a secret life, unwrapping the mystery leads Jenna—and her client’s handsome grandson—to the true heart of the holiday spirit…

REVIEW:
I was going to review these books separately but honestly I can say the same things about all of them. The stories are just ok. The characters never really connect to each other. There is actually a sad element to these stories. This was not the feel good holiday novel I expected. I was disappointed in all of the stories. They might have been better if it was not set up as a holiday read but seeing as a fan of romance I want a feel good story not sadness.

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

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Kimberly’s review of Red by Kate Kinsey

TITLE: Red
AUTHOR: Kate Kinsey
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/06/12
ORDER LINKS: Amazon| B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Truly, madly…deadly
A BDSM thriller
Detective Tom Hanson has a string of grotesquely mutilated bodies on his hands and no answers—aside from the fact that the victims were members of an underground sex club catering to singular erotic tastes. Tastes the long, lean detective has sampled himself in the arms of his former lover, a fiery redhead who offered the most erotic, irresistible sex he’d ever encountered. Until the night she’d begged for the one thing he couldn’t give, and he lost her forever.

Gina Larsen is the only one who can guide Hanson through the fringe world of dark fantasy and desire that lies hidden deep beneath the Bible Belt. Lured into her lair by a quest for justice, Hanson discovers his hunger for Gina has only grown stronger and deeper…beyond the edge of control. Soon he’s shedding his last inhibitions in the search for answers, but the more she draws him into her erotic web, the less he can distinguish between passion and duty, pleasure and pain…good and evil.

REVIEW:
I guess the best way to describe this book erotic suspense. It is a who-dun-it in the BDSM world. While I did want to know what happened and who the killer was there is just something off about this book.

There are too many characters introduced too quickly for the reader to remember who is who which is distracting. The language in the book is crude and I am not talking about the sexual words but the use of vulgarities like fag, etc which just takes away from the story. The feel of the book, at least to me, is the author does not live the BDSM lifestyle but has read a lot about it. It does not seem to be a familiar area for the author. However at the end of the book the author notes say she is a member of the community.

The characters of Hansen and Gina never seem to have any chemistry and Hansen seems to betray his own preferences in the book which does not seem to mesh. Gina seems stone cold and never seems to warm up. Hansen’s partner is rude and honestly written as not only a jerk but stupid too. His character is being used as an excuse for the author to answer questions about what things in the lifestyle mean which is fine but when a cop doesn’t know what “endorphins” are it makes him written as an idiot.

If you want to read a erotic suspense than I guess this is a good enough book but the erotica is not very erotic and while the suspense is suspenseful I am not sure it makes up for having to read the whole story.

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

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Kimberly’s review of Sleeping With Dogs & Other Lovers by Julia Dumont

TITLE: Sleeping With Dogs & Other Lovers
AUTHOR: Julia Dumont
PUBLICATION DATE:   04/24/12
ORDER LINKS:  Amazon  B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Cynthia Amas has her hands full. In the middle of launching a boutique matchmaking service–Second Acts–amid the sun, surf, and celebrities of Southern California, her own romantic life gets a whole lot more complicated…and steamy. While expertly juggling the needs of her exclusive clients, her own maddeningly irresistible bad-boy, sometime lover unexpectedly returns for a hot and heavy reunion. Meanwhile, her high-maintenance mother busily concocts harebrained schemes for meddling in Cynthia’s affairs. And her new best girlfriend– the sexy proprietress of a chic Beverly Hills dog-grooming salon–just happens to roll with a purebred entourage of curiously gifted canines. Before long, Cynthia’s personal, professional, and amorous lives begin crashing hilariously into one another. Join Cynthia as she begins her own “Second Act” and find out who accidentally slips into bed with whom, who has a penchant for low-cut lederhosen, and who winds up naked and alone on a beautiful beach in Malibu.

REVIEW:
This is the first in a new series called Second Act. This book is a cute quick read. There are some funny pages and the dogs are adorable. The problem is that I never really found myself liking Cynthia. She and the rest of the cast can be very annoying. I never felt any chemistry with Max and Cynthia at all and spent the whole time trying to figure what she saw in him. Don’t get me wrong this is a cute read but just really didn’t have enough romance in it for me. Something is just off about this book for me even though I am not sure what it is.

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