4 Star – Page 33 – Books-n-Kisses

December 29, 2017December 26, 2017

Kimberly reviews The Pines Of Winder Ranch by RaeAnne Thayne

TITLE: The Pines Of Winder Ranch
SERIES #: Cowboys Of Cold Creek #5 & #10
CHARACTERS: Quinn & Tess / Taft & Laura
AUTHOR: RaeAnne Thayne
PUBLICATION DATE: 12/26/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Come home to Winder Ranch in these two beloved stories, where broken hearts can find exactly what they need to heal–and love again
A COLD CREEK HOMECOMING When Quinn Southerland returns home to Winder Ranch, Idaho, to find former high school queen bee Tess Claybourn serving as his dying mother’s hospice nurse, he’s far from pleased. But recently widowed Tess has done a lot of growing up since then. And as the two reconnect, she can’t help but wonder if there’s room in Quinn’s tortured heart for forgiveness–and maybe even love…
A COLD CREEK REUNION After Taft Bowman lost his parents ten years ago, he buried himself in a grief that shut fiancee Laura Pendleton out completely. But now she’s back, recently widowed with two kids in tow, and Taft refuses to let her slip away again. Laura just wants a fresh start, but that’s easier said than done when seeing Taft stirs up feelings she thought she’d left in the past…

REVIEW:
What a sweet second chance romance. RaeAnne Thayne is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors but I missed this release 5 years ago before I really got into this author.

What I enjoyed most I think is Laura being so determined to keep Taft away. She doesn’t say “not again” and then a day later is back in love. She really fights herself and her feelings for Taft. She even makes it a “rule” to stay away from him but we all know rules are made to be broken.

Another great read from Thayne and one anyone who enjoys a romance about second chances in a small town will love this story.

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

December 28, 2017December 26, 2017

Kimberly reviews Now That You Mention It by Kristan Higgins

TITLE: Now That You Mention It
CHARACTERS: Nora Stuart
AUTHOR: Kristan Higgins
PUBLICATION DATE: 12/26/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
One step forward. Two steps back. The Tufts scholarship that put Nora Stuart on the path to becoming a Boston medical specialist was a step forward. Being hit by a car and then overhearing her boyfriend hit on another doctor when she thought she was dying? Two major steps back.

Injured in more ways than one, Nora feels her carefully built life cracking at the edges. There’s only one place to land: home. But the tiny Maine community she left fifteen years ago doesn’t necessarily want her. At every turn, someone holds the prodigal daughter of Scupper Island responsible for small-town drama and big-time disappointments.

With a tough islander mother who’s always been distant and a wild-child sister in jail, unable to raise her daughter–a withdrawn teen as eager to ditch the island as Nora once was–Nora has her work cut out for her if she’s going to take what might be her last chance to mend the family.

But as some relationships crumble around her, others unexpectedly strengthen. Balancing loss and opportunity, a dark event from her past with hope for the future, Nora will discover that tackling old pain makes room for promise…and the chance to begin again.

REVIEW:
4.25 Hearts Higgins is one of my go-to authors. She never disappoints and she didn’t with this one either.

Nora is having the worst day. I know we have all had those kind of days but this goes above and beyond what anyone has ever been through. First a vehicle accident that puts her in the hospital, when she wakes up her boyfriend is flirting with someone else and more. So Nora heads “home”. But she is not welcome there either. Talk about life being hard.

The characters in this story are enough to keep the reader laughing for more than half of the story. What a great read. As I started out you can’t be disappointed with a Higgins novel and this is a great one to start with if you haven’t read her before and if you have add it to the collection.

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

December 27, 2017December 26, 2017

Kimberly reviews Can’t Forget You by Rachel Lacey

TITLE: Can’t Forget You
SERIES #: Risking It All #3
CHARACTERS: Jessica & Mark
AUTHOR: Rachel Lacey
PUBLICATION DATE: 12/19/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
YOU NEVER FORGET YOUR FIRST LOVE

Jessica Flynn can’t wait to buy up that patch of unspoiled North Carolina woodland next door and expand her spa. What could be more sensual than a hot-tub soak under the stars? Jessica would love to bask in the romantic view herself-but first she needs to find the right man to join her in this fantasy. Back in high school, she thought that was the dark and brooding Mark Dalton. But then he left to join the Special Forces, and when he returned to town, it felt like their teenage love affair had never even happened.

Mark Dalton has his eye on the same property for his own business. Yet there’s something he wants to have even more. Because Jessica is sweeter than he remembered, and he’s finding it hard to resist his attraction to the competition. When they finally find themselves alone, deep in the forest, nature can’t help but run a little wild. But if she ever finds out what he’s been hiding all these years, she may never forgive him…

REVIEW:
4.25 Hearts OK this book hit really close to home. Why, you ask? Because I have recently reunited with my high-school sweetheart. Because of this I really found myself wanting to find out how things turned out.

It has been ten years since the young lovers were together and now they are back together after the same property. And yet Mark realizes there are more important things than property like getting an unexpected second chance.

The story felt real. That feeling of not knowing what to say the first time you see each other again. The emotional roller coaster of not knowing why you feel the attraction even after he hurt you. It was just so real and exactly what I needed to read right now.

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

December 21, 2017December 20, 2017

Kimberly reviews Wolf Hunger by Paige Tyler

TITLE: Wolf Hunger
SERIES #: SWAT #7
CHARACTERS: Max & Lana
AUTHOR: Paige Tyler
PUBLICATION DATE: 12/05/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
She’s all the wolf he’ll ever need

When SWAT Officer Max Lowry meets Lana Mason, he falls fast and hard. He’s positive she’s The One. And Max’s favorite part? Lana’s a wolf shifter too, so they can skip the awkward reveal and head straight to the happily ever after. There’s just one problem: Lana doesn’t know that she’s a werewolf.

To make matters worse, hunters with intent to kill have tracked Lana to Dallas. Max has to figure out how to keep Lana safe, show her who and what she really is—and just how much she means to him.

SWAT Series:
Hungry Like the Wolf (Book 1)
Wolf Trouble (Book 2)
In the Company of Wolves (Book 3)
To Love a Wolf (Book 4)
Wolf Unleashed (Book 5)
Wolf Hunt (Book 6)
Wolf Hunger (Book 7)

REVIEW:
3.75 Hearts This is the seventh in the series. And I really enjoyed it. Max and Lana are just perfect for each other. This story has some really really funny moments. And some really really sexy moments.

Being the 7th in the series I really suggest reading them all before this one but I guess you could read it as a stand alone but I really do not recommend it. The background story is on going and is best to understand from book one.

I think the characters are great. Lana and Max have some adorable moments that just made me want to melt for them. So sweet. And yet Max seems to be a big kid at heart. And the background characters are just as fun. The action is well action packed. There is a lot going on and the tension stays high during all of these moments.

A great paranormal romance.

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

December 20, 2017December 19, 2017

Winter Romance Wednesday! Kimberly reviews We’ll Always Have Christmas by Jenny Hale

TITLE: We’ll Always Have Christmas
CHARACTERS: Noelle & Alexander
AUTHOR: Jenny Hale
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/29/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
An enchanting story about the magic of Christmas, the importance of family, and the joy of falling in love during the most romantic season of the year…

Christmas has always been a special time for Noelle Parker. Winter evenings spent with family and friends, drinking hot chocolate and eating cookies at her family’s cozy bakery have shaped her love for all things festive. But this year everything is changing…

The beloved bakery is facing closure and Noelle needs a miracle to save Christmas.

Determined to raise funds for the family business, Noelle sets about revamping the bakery while juggling a surprise new job, caring for the elderly and cantankerous William Harrington in his luxurious, sprawling mansion.

As Noelle melts the frostiness of the house with cake baking, snowball fights and glittering decorations, she helps William to reconnect with a romance that has spanned decades and unexpectedly finds herself falling for his grandson – the gorgeous but mysterious Alexander Harrington…

In the countdown to Christmas, can Noelle save the bakery, reunite a family and create some magical memories of her own along the way?

REVIEW:
4.25 Hearts Ooooooh this story just gets to the heart. I just loved William. Yes he is a cranky old man but he is also sweet and I would love to sit with him listening to his stories. I can just see sitting in front of a Christmas tree and having his eyes glaze over with memories of the past.

Alexander is an interesting character who has his own issues but somehow worms his way into your heart and Noelle is just wonderful. I enjoyed all the parts of this story. It is perfect as a holiday tale. I can actually see it as a made for tv movie.

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

December 18, 2017December 17, 2017

Winter Romance Wednesday! Kelly reviews Studmuffin Santa by Tawna Fenske

TITLE: Studmuffin Santa
CHARACTERS: Brandon Brown & Jade King
AUTHOR: Tawna Fenske
PUBLICATION DATE: November 2, 2017
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Brandon Brown is the unlikeliest Santa ever to don a red velvet suit.
His abs are more cheese grater than bowl full of jelly, and deploying to Syria is the closest he’s come to the North Pole. But family drama sends the jaded Marine home for the holidays, and lands him an unexpected gig as a part-time Santa.
Jade King is hustling to get Jingle Bell Reindeer Ranch off the ground, and she’s not thrilled her sister hired a Santa with sex-appeal. The last thing Jade wants is a beefcake circus, and guys like Brandon bring sleigh-loads of trouble. But Studmuffin Santa proves more popular than anyone dreamed, drawing hordes of happy kids, lusty moms, and a mystery foe hell-bent on wrecking it all.
The threat has Brandon playing protector for the reindeer and their sexy keeper, which is risky for a guy who’s sworn off happy endings and the whole Christmas mess. But as Jade and Brandon bond over Santa suit malfunctions and risqué Christmas cookies, they find they have more in common than a craving for gingerbread. Can they find a way to mesh their wish lists, or will ghosts of Christmas past bring things crashing down like a fat man in a cast iron sleigh?

REVIEW:
Hello Santa!!!
I really enjoyed Brandon and Jade’s story! Brandon is home to help his family but needs something else to do with some of his free time. Playing Santa and watching Jade’s back is right up his alley.
Jade is a tough cookie who wants to do everything on her own. So when her sister hires the new Santa for the season she is happy until she learns who will be playing Santa.
Brandon and Jade are so sweet together. It was fun to watch them both try and fail to fight their draw to each other.
Studmuffin Santa was a very cute story! With a lot of good information on Reindeer!! Yes, Reindeer!!! So much stuff I didn’t know. I hope that we get to visit Jingle Bell Reindeer Ranch again soon.

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

December 13, 2017December 10, 2017

Winter Romance Wednesday! Kimberly reviews A Second Christmas Wish by Kathryn Freeman

TITLE: A Second Christmas Wish
CHARACTERS: Melissa & Daniel
AUTHOR: Kathryn Freeman
PUBLICATION DATE: 11/07/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Do you believe in Father Christmas?

For Melissa, Christmas has always been overrated. From her cold, distant parents to her manipulative ex-husband, Lawrence, she’s never experienced the warmth and contentment of the festive season with a big, happy family sitting around the table.
And Melissa has learned to live with it, but it breaks her heart that her seven-year-old son, William, has had to live with it too. Whilst most little boys wait with excitement for the big day, William finds it difficult to believe that Father Christmas even exists.
But then Daniel McCormick comes into their lives. And with his help, Melissa and William might just be able to find their festive spirit, and finally have a Christmas where all of their wishes come true …

REVIEW:
I have not read a book by Freeman before but this will not be my last one. This is a sweet holiday story about finding the Christmas spirit and gaining faith in Santa.

When William, a 5 year old, is told by her own father at that Santa isn’t real the life of William and his mom, Melissa, is turned upside down. Jump two years later and William is starting to blossom after the devastation of his parents divorce.

Then Daniel comes onto the scene and not only falls for William but Melissa. When William writes to Santa asking for two things but will only discuss one the life of the three of them in again turned upside down… or is that right side up?

Great story with a great message. William breaks my heart but also makes me fall in love with Christmas all over again.

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

December 12, 2017December 10, 2017

Kimberly reviews The Devil Of Dunakin Castle by Heather McCollum

TITLE: The Devil of Dunakin Castle
SERIES #: Highland Isles #4
CHARACTERS: Grace & Keir
AUTHOR: Heather McCollum
PUBLICATION DATE: 11/13/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Englishwoman, Grace Ellington, has made a home in Scotland, but to escape from the meddling people around her who seem to think she needs to wed right away—because women need saving, right? —she volunteers to journey north to aid a friend in childbirth.

Keir MacKinnon, the younger brother of the MacKinnon clan chief, has been raised to strike fear in people, on and off the battlefield. Trained to uphold MacKinnon law, he has hardened into a lethal warrior. Caught in a Highland blizzard with the feisty Grace, Keir realizes the beautiful woman who saved him can also save his nephew’s life.

Sparks fly when he takes her against her will to his home, and Grace’s courage is put to the ultimate test. Is Keir MacKinnon the passionate, kind man she saved in the Highland blizzard, or is he truly the cruel executioner who seeks to solve all issues by the sword?

REVIEW:
4.25 Hearts This is the 4th in the series but the first one that I have read. And it made me what to go back and read the first three in the series.

Grace may be one of my favorite female characters in a while. She is shy and reserved but wants to come into her own and have an adventure but of course it goes wrong. She is almost attacked by a wolf, is caught in a blizzard and then kidnapped by Keir to force Grace to help his dying nephew.

So much adventure and ups and downs and yet the story is one of love. Not just romance but love of family as well.

I loved this story. I can’t wait to go back and read the other three stories. Yes this was able to read as a stand alone but I know the other stories will be worth the read.

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

December 5, 2017December 4, 2017

Kimberly reviews The Wardrobe by Deryn Lake

TITLE: The Wardrobe
CHARACTERS: Rebecca & Greg
AUTHOR: Deryn Lake
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/05/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
It was the flat Rebecca and Greg had dreamed of finding; a beautiful conversion in a big Victorian house. The huge mirrored wardrobe that the builders couldn’t shift only seemed to add to its charms…

But soon their dream turns into a terrifying nightmare. As Rebecca delves into the dark circumstances surrounding the mysterious murder of George Carthew in the same house a hundred years before, she finds herself surrounded by echoes of the crime. Carthew was victim to slow arsenic poisoning, and now Greg is struck with a horrible wasting illness. Carthew’s beautiful widow, Charlotte, was suspected of the gruesome crime but never convicted, and now Rebecca wakes in terror to find reflection of strange women in the wardrobe doors…

That old wardrobe, a relic of the Victorian days, seems to be the only remaining witness to the crime and Rebecca becomes convinced that all these years later, it could still hold the key to the murder.

Another classic of love, loss and the past manifesting in the present from master Deryn Lake, this story of murder unsolved will have you gripped from beginning to end.

REVIEW:
This is a very short story of about 50 pages. It is a quick read and yet very interesting. The wardrobe is a relic with much mystery surrounding it. When Rebecca starts looking into the history of it there is way more than she would expect and it begins affecting her and Greg.

For such a small story it really pulls a punch. Great book!

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

December 4, 2017December 3, 2017

Kelly reviews Vampire Fight Club by Larissa Ione

TITLE: Vampire Fight Club
SERIES #: Demonica #6.5
CHARACTERS: Nathan & Lena
AUTHOR: Larissa Ione
PUBLICATION DATE: November 28, 2018
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Previously published in Supernatural

New York Times bestselling author Larissa Ione tempts you into the darkly irresistible world of Demonica, populated by angels and demons, shifters and humans, all with a thirst that must be quenched . . .

When a wave of violence that hits too close to home forces shapeshifter and underworld nurse Vladlena Paskelkov to go undercover, her first stop is a haven of vice—with a dangerously sexy vamp in charge . . .

Legendary, jaded, Nathan Sabine is the manager of Thirst, a wildly popular vampire club—and secret underground blood arena. But Nathan, a rare daywalker, possesses other, even more explosive secrets, as does his beautiful new medic, Vladlena. The one thing they can’t conceal is the lust that simmers between them . . .

Now, in an underworld divided by revelry and violence, debauchery and vengeance, Nate and Lena will discover which risks are worth taking—and which desires demand surrender . . .

REVIEW:
I have read this story before when it was in the anthology Supernatural. Vampire Fight Club is a short read that takes place in the Demonica world. We follow Lean (Vladena) on a journey to find out who killed her Brother. Along the way Lean learns more about herself than she ever imagined.
Nathan has been buying his time until the end will finally greet him. So when Lena walks in to apply for the new medical assistant job Nathan pretty much loses his sh*t.

This was a good but short story.

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

December 1, 2017November 26, 2017

Kimberly reviews Sweet Tea and Sympathy by Molly Harper

TITLE: Sweet Tea and Sympathy
SERIES #: Southern Eclectic #1
CHARACTERS: Margot & Kyle
AUTHOR: Molly Harper
PUBLICATION DATE: 11/21/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Beloved author Molly Harper launches a brand-new contemporary romance series, Southern Eclectic, with this story of a big-city party planner who finds true love in a small Georgia town.

Nestled on the shore of Lake Sackett, Georgia is the McCready Family Funeral Home and Bait Shop. (What, you have a problem with one-stop shopping?) Two McCready brothers started two separate businesses in the same building back in 1928, and now it’s become one big family affair. And true to form in small Southern towns, family business becomes everybody’s business.

Margot Cary has spent her life immersed in everything Lake Sackett is not. As an elite event planner, Margot’s rubbed elbows with the cream of Chicago society, and made elegance and glamour her business. She’s riding high until one event goes tragically, spectacularly wrong. Now she’s blackballed by the gala set and in dire need of a fresh start—and apparently the McCreadys are in need of an event planner with a tarnished reputation.

As Margot finds her footing in a town where everybody knows not only your name, but what you had for dinner last Saturday night and what you’ll wear to church on Sunday morning, she grudgingly has to admit that there are some things Lake Sackett does better than Chicago—including the dating prospects. Elementary school principal Kyle Archer is a fellow fish-out-of-water who volunteers to show Margot the picture-postcard side of Southern living. The two of them hit it off, but not everybody is happy to see an outsider snapping up one of the town’s most eligible gentleman. Will Margot reel in her handsome fish, or will she have to release her latest catch?

REVIEW:
4.25 There is so much to this story that it is hard to figure out where to begin. Margot goes through a humiliating experience and decides to move to work in the family business but small town living is not easy to do.

This is women’s fiction at it’s best. The characters are beautifully developed and makes you wish you could get to know them in real life. The town is delightful as well. Some place you wish you could go to spend a long weekend.

This story is a journey of self discovery and understanding. I can’t imagine any woman would not enjoy this novel. What a great read!

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

November 30, 2017November 26, 2017

Kimberly reviews The Whispering Room by Dean Koontz

TITLE: The Whispering Room
SERIES #: Jane Hawk #2
CHARACTERS: Jane Hawk
AUTHOR: Dean Koontz
PUBLICATION DATE: 11/14/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Jane Hawk–fiction’s most relentless, resourceful, stunning new heroine–continues her battle against a murderous conspiracy in the riveting sequel to The Silent Corner.

“No time to delay. Do what you were born to do. Fame will be yours when you do this.”

These are the words that ring in the mind of mild-mannered, beloved schoolteacher Cora Gundersun–just before she takes her own life, and many others’, in a shocking act of carnage. When the disturbing contents of her secret journal are discovered, it seems certain that she must have been insane. But Jane Hawk knows better.

In the wake of her husband’s inexplicable suicide–and the equally mysterious deaths of scores of other exemplary individuals–Jane picks up the trail of a secret cabal of powerful players who think themselves above the law and beyond punishment. But these ruthless people bent on hijacking America’s future for their own monstrous ends never banked on a highly trained FBI agent willing to go rogue–and become the nation’s most wanted fugitive–in order to derail their insidious plans to gain absolute power with a terrifying technological breakthrough.

Driven by love for her lost husband and by fear for the five-year-old son she has sent into hiding, Jane Hawk has become an unstoppable predator. Those she is hunting will have nowhere to run when her shadow falls across them.

REVIEW:
3.75 Hearts This is the second in the new Jane Hawk series by Koontz. This is a fast and I do mean fast paced story. Jane is dealing with so much. After the suicide of her husband and many others, Jane starts her path of revenge in The Silent Corner and continues in this story.

There is just so much action. I kept having to put the book down so I could settle my brain. Jane is a firecracker who is set to do what needs to be done no matter the consequences. She has gone rogue and is persona non grata at the FBI. But she needs to do what she needs to do to find the cause of her husband’s suicide as well as protect her son.

This is certainly a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat and have you jumping up a time or two. Another great read from Koontz.

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