4 Star – Page 51 – Books-n-Kisses

June 6, 2016June 5, 2016

Kelly reviews Wicked Burn by Rebecca Zanetti

TITLE: Wicked Burn
SERIES #: Realm Enforcers #3
CHARACTERS: Nikolaj Veis & Simone Brightston
AUTHOR: Rebecca Zanetti
PUBLICATION DATE: June 7, 2016
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:

Simone Brightston knows she can beat the rap her enemies are pinning on her. An Irish witch is nobody’s fool, and she didn’t get to her position on the high council without serious power. But her cousins want her to hide out—and they somehow convinced her arch nemesis to play getaway driver.

Of all the men she’s known, Nikolaj Veis is the hardest to intimidate. With his demon-dark eyes and his inscrutable beauty, he’s as desirable as he is dangerous. And he knows better than to underestimate Simone. So when he pulls up on a roaring bike and tells her to climb on or fight it out, she grabs a handful of jacket and holds on tight. Running from the law may not be the smartest plan. But when it comes to Nick, hot pursuit and a blazing fast ride are exactly what Simone’s looking for .

Includes the brand new Dark Protectors novella, ‘Talen’!

REVIEW:
Over the course of the Dark Protectors and the Realm Enforcers we have grown to love Simone. She is tough and loyal to the high council. But Simone is facing some serious treason charges. She knows she didn’t do the things she is accused of but proving it is going to be hard. Luckily for Simone she is going to get a little help from her friends.

Nik has been one of those characters that I have been looking forward to learn more about for many many books. I have wanted to know what makes this demon tick. Clearly, Nik is not what he seems.

I really enjoyed this latest installment in the Realm Enforcers series. Without giving anything away I will let you know that while one problem might have been solved a whole host of other issues have arised. I can’t wait to see where Ms. Zanetti takes us next.

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.

June 1, 2016May 29, 2016

Kimberly reviews Blood Lust by Alexandra Ivy

TITLE: Blood Lust
SERIES #: The Sentinels #3
CHARACTERS: Bas & Myst
AUTHOR: Alexandra Ivy
PUBLICATION DATE: 05/31/16
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Blessed and cursed by their hidden abilities, the Sentinels have no choice but to live, and love, on the edge of humanity…

The Sentinel assassin, Bas, is facing the greatest challenge of his outcast existence. His young daughter, Molly, has been kidnapped. But her disappearance has brought the return of her mother, Myst, whom Bas has never forgotten–or forgiven.

Haunted by a vision that she’s destined to create a weapon that will destroy thousands, Myst was never impulsive–until she met the irresistibly handsome Bas. But with the Brotherhood, the enemy of the high-bloods hunting for her, Myst had to stay on the run, to keep her child, and the world, safe. Now, with the most important thing in both their lives at stake, she and Bas must embark on a treacherous journey to save Molly, to confront the truth of Myst’s fate–and to face their fierce desire for one another.

REVIEW:
I have been waiting for Bas’s story. And what a story it is. When Molly is kidnapped Bas and Myst will do anything to get her back. Myst dropped Molly off with Bas after she was born and never cared. Or that was at least what Bas thought but now he realizes that Myst did what she had to so Molly would be safe.

I enjoyed Myst. She is a strong woman but at the same time vulnerable. Bas is totally alpha and man he is hot!

Do not read this as a stand alone. You really need to meet Bas from the beginning. You will not regret it.

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

May 31, 2016May 29, 2016

Kimberly reviews Heart Of A Bad Boy by Sugar Jamison

TITLE: Heart Of A Bad Boy
SERIES #: Destiny #3
CHARACTERS: Shelly & Levi
AUTHOR: Sugar Jamison
PUBLICATION DATE: 05/31/16
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The Bad Boys of Destiny are back and this sexy charmer will stop at nothing to win the heart of the one woman who never let him down.

Shelly Walker was born to be good. Raised by her deeply religious, prison guard father, Shelly was taught that good girls follow the rules—and definitely don’t sin. Just as her father announces he’s arranging her marriage, Shelly’s childhood friend-turned-TV host, Levi King, unexpectedly returns. With his sexy smile and bad boy charm he’s the type of guy who has sin written all over him.

Levi has been fond of Shelly since childhood, but when he returns to town, he sees that the delicate girl he knew has turned into a bombshell. Levi encourages Shelly to shake things up, but when Shelly tells him that she’s considering obeying her father and starting a family, Levi realizes that being with Shelly means more to him than just a good time. Will Shelly follow the rules or will she take a chance on the bad boy?

REVIEW:
4.25 Hearts I have really enjoyed the King boys and this is Levi’s story. When the boys have been called back to their hometown to care for an ailing aunt they each have a surprise in their future… Love.

Levi and Shelly have a history. They were friends growing up and continued to stay in touch as they grew up. He still sends her trinkets, gifts and correspondence but when he goes back home he is not exactly expecting Shelly to have grown up. He still thinks of her as 15 but now she is an adult… yet one that has had very little experience in life. Shelly wants to try it all. So when she makes a list of firsts the only one she wants to do them with is Levi.

You have heard the saying “when the cat’s away the mice will play”? When daddy is away Shelly will play and Levi is happy to play along. I found these two adorable. There is something so sweet about Shelly and her innocence even though she is far beyond the age of innocence. And I enjoyed the way Levi seemed to be with Shelly.

This is part of a series but can be read as a stand alone but you will love the King boys so why not enjoy the whole family?

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

May 30, 2016May 29, 2016

Kelly reviews For 100 Days by Lara Adrian

TITLE: For 100 Days
SERIES #: 100 Days #1
CHARACTERS: Dominic “Nick” Baine & Avery
AUTHOR: Lara Adrian
PUBLICATION DATE:
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Pleasure has a price . . .

Just when everything in my life is falling apart, I find a chance to turn it around–to step into someone else’s glittering world, if only for a little while. I become someone new, no longer the woman defined by an ugly past, but a woman freer and bolder than myself. A woman who isn’t afraid to explore every passion, even at its darkest, with a mysterious and seductive man who believes my mask is real.

Handsome and commanding, enigmatic and irresistible, billionaire Dominic Baine is an obsession I cannot afford and should not risk. He ushers me into consuming new pleasures and addicting new desires, until the line between my real life and the fantasy one I’ve stolen with him begins to blur.

I know I cannot keep my truth from him. I know my past will not stay buried forever. But before I can make it right, everything comes crashing down. I have deceived this powerful, dangerous man . . . and now there is a price to be paid.

* * * * * * * *
FOR 100 DAYS is the first novel in a passionate new contemporary romance trilogy from New York Times and #1 international bestselling author Lara Adrian. Coming soon: FOR 100 NIGHTS and FOR 100 REASONS.

REVIEW:
WOWZA!!! That was my first thought when I found out the Ms. Adrian was writing a new series. So of course when the opportunity came up to review For 100 Days there was no way I could say no. I had to see what Ms. Adrian could do with an Erotica Romance. Ms. Adrian didn’t disappoint!!!!
For 100 Days is written in first person which I don’t read a lot of but was done great!! While we don’t get an in depth view Nick we learn a lot about Avery. We also learn that there is a lot in Avery’s past that we don’t know about. We get to experience Nick though Avery’s eyes and of course that makes us all love him even more. I really enjoyed the storyline of these two. The pull between them is wonderful, yet both are holding something back. Something that each is afraid will push the other away.
It will be interesting to see where Nick & Avery go over the course of the next two books but one thing is for sure it is going to be a wild ride!!

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

May 27, 2016May 25, 2016

Kimberly reviews Haunted Destiny by Heather Graham

TITLE: Haunted Destiny
SERIES #: Krewe Of Hunters #18
CHARACTERS: Jude & Alexi
AUTHOR: Heather Graham
PUBLICATION DATE: 05/24/16
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Between the evil and the deep blue sea…

A historic cruise ship, a haunted ship, the Celtic American Line’s Destiny, sets sail from the Port of New Orleans—with a killer on board. He’s known as the Archangel Killer because of the way he displays his victims in churches. And how he places a different saint’s medallion on each body. No one knows exactly who he is or why he’s doing this.

Jackson Crow—head of the FBI’s Krewe of Hunters, a special unit of paranormal investigators—is assigned to the case, along with local agent Jude McCoy. Then Alexi Cromwell, who works in the ship’s piano bar, is drawn into the situation when a victim’s ghost appears to her—and to Jude. She and Jude share an attraction, and not just because of their mutual talent.

There are many suspects, but one by one they’re ruled out… Or are they? In the end, Jude and Alexi have to rely on each other to catch the killer and escape his evil plans for Alexi.

REVIEW:
3.75 Hearts I usually enjoy the Krewe Of Hunters series but this wasn’t one of my favorites. It took me a while to realize why I didn’t enjoy it as much was because there was no real history. One of the things I like most in these stories is learning the history of the area that Graham has written about. Learning about certain events makes me want to hop a plane and head to the scene of the book. This book just didn’t have that. Set on an ocean liner it just doesn’t have that the same feeling.

Also Alexi and Jude really jumped into the relationship and were talking love practically before the ship sailed. I did enjoy the ghost and the ending actually choked me up a little but this story just doesn’t match up to most of the Krewe stories.

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

May 25, 2016May 24, 2016

#TBW Kelly’s review of Dire Needs by Stephanie Tyler – Catch Up From The Beginning

TITLE: DIRE NEEDS
Book 1: Eternal Wolf Clan Series
AUTHOR: Stephanie Tyler
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/06/2012
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N | Powell’s

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The full moon is their mistress. They are predators of pleasure and pain. Feared by humans, envied by werewolves, the Dire Wolves are immortal shifters, obeying no laws but their own bestial natures. Once they were many, but now only six remain, a dangerous wolfpack forever on the hunt…

Rifter leads the pack, embracing the lifestyle and ethics of an outlaw biker even as he battles an ancient enemy who has become a new, powerful force. But with his Brother Wolf raging inside him, howling to be unleashed, he needs to satisfy his hungers. And when he meets a drop-dead gorgeous blonde drinking alone in a bar that caters to both human and inhuman, Rifter’s primal instinct is to claim her.

Gwen has her own desires, long unfulfilled. She hopes a passionate night with the leather-clad, Harley-riding biker will ease her suffering. The seizures that have wracked her body her entire life are incurable—and they’re killing her.

But none of that will matter if Rifter can’t stop the growing threat to them all–trappers who are determined to enslave humankind and use the Dire wolves as part of their nefarious plan.

REVIEW PROVIDED BY: Kelly
NUMBER OF STARS: 4 Stars

I really enjoyed this story. As with most first books in a series there is a lot of world building and introductions of characters. And boy are there characters in this book. I am already looking forward to Jinx, Vice, Rogue, Stray & Liam’s books. Oh and don’t forget the twins…. But I am getting to far ahead of myself, back to the review. Dire Needs is Rifter and Gwen’s story.

Rifter is the reluctant leader of the last remaining Dires (an immortal werewolf). The last thing Rifter ever expected to find was Gwen. Trouble, Yes!! Danger, Yes!! But Gwen, Never. Now he can’t do anything but think about her. When Gwen is put in danger Rifter does what any wolf would do to protect his mate. He fights to the death for her. But how can this human be his mate? He and his brothers are cursed to never find mates. This has to be some cruel joke, but will Rifter fight for what he wants or fight against fate?

Gwen doesn’t have much time left. She is a walking time bomb and one of these days she will die. So Gwen decides it is time to live her life and do the one thing that she has never done before, fight a man. Gwen lives for now, not the past that tries to haunt her, not the future she will never have, but now, because that is all she has left. When Gwen sees Rifter for the very first time, she know he is just what she has been looking for. What Gwen doesn’t know is how the beautiful stranger will completely change her life in a very, very short time.

So back to what I was saying about the characters. The cast of characters in this book are great. Each has such strong personalities. Vice, is cocky (wink, wink) to a fault, Jinx is so caring, Rogue is lost, Stray is quite, Liam is angry, and the twins, well the twins are just naughty.

I loved Rifter. He is strong, stubborn, loyal and willing to protect everyone even if it means to sacrifice himself. Everything a born leader should be. Now that he has found his Queen he is finally ready to step into the role of leader.

I look forward to seeing where Stephanie takes us next in this series. Thank you Stephanie for the opportunity to review your book.

May 24, 2016May 15, 2016

Kelly reviews All The Pretty Faces by Rita Herron

TITLE: All The Pretty Faces
SERIES #: Graveyard Falls #2
CHARACTERS: Dane Hamrick & Josie DuKane
AUTHOR: Rita Herron
PUBLICATION DATE: March 29, 2016
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Josie DuKane is on shaky ground. Having narrowly escaped the notorious Bride Killer, she penned a tell-all memoir that dug up a town’s dark past. Now the book is being made into a movie, and Josie must visit the very place that will trigger an avalanche of unwanted memories—Graveyard Falls. On the heels of her arrival, she receives a gruesome photograph of a dead woman with talon marks carved into her face. And worse, Josie just might be the next victim.

Torn between guilt, justice, and revenge, Special Agent Dane Hamrick will do anything to find the man who brutally murdered his sister. When he realizes the recent tragedies in Graveyard Falls bear an uncanny resemblance to her death, he volunteers to spearhead the investigation. But doing so means teaming up with Josie.

Nothing prepares him for the feelings the beautiful, tough woman evokes. As the body count rises and the suspect pool widens, Josie and Dane must put aside their growing attraction to run down the killer who devastated both their lives.

A killer who seems determined to destroy all the pretty faces.

REVIEW:
Oh man!!! All the Pretty Faces is an excellent follow up to Ms. Herron’s All the Beautiful Brides. We met Dane & Josie in book one.
****This might be a spoiler, so if you have not read book 1 and don’t want to know stop here****

Josie was the lone survivor of the Bride Killer. To cope with this she wrote a story to tell about the events that happened. Now she is back in Graveyard Falls getting ready for her book to be turned into a movie. But there are many in town that don’t want Josie there or want the stories to be retold. But how far is someone willing to go to make her leave? Is someone willing to start killing just to stop a movie?

I really enjoyed this book. I loved how the past gets all tangled up in the present and how we left guessing who is who and why they did what they did.

I am very much looking forward to the next book 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.

May 20, 2016May 16, 2016

Kimberly reviews Little Bones by Sam Blake

TITLE: Little Bones
CHARACTERS: Cat & Zoe
AUTHOR: Sam Blake
PUBLICATION DATE: 05/17/16
ORDER LINKS: Amazon

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
For fans of Alex Barclay and Niamh O’Connor, Little Bones introduces Cathy Connolly, a bright young heroine set to take the world of crime fiction by storm.

Twenty-four-year-old Garda Cathy Connolly might be a fearless kick-boxing champion but when she discovers a baby’s bones concealed in the hem of a wedding dress, the case becomes personal.

For artist Zoe Grant, the bones are another mysterious twist in her mother’s disappearance. Then her grandmother, head of the Grant Valentine department store empire is found dead, and a trail of secrets is uncovered that threatens to shake a dynasty.

In a story that moves from London’s East End to the Las Vegas mafia, one thing is certain – for Cat, life will never be the same again.

REVIEW:
What an interesting story. When a baby’s bones are found in a wedding dress hem the mystery really takes off. Cat is a great character. She has issues but don’t we all. Her issues just add to her character. I enjoyed her with the partner Dawson but it is really Cat that holds the book for me.

All of the characters in the story are interesting. I will say it was hard for me to keep them straight for a little while but once I kept reading it got much easier for me.

I really hope this story is the first in the series. I haven’t heard anything one way or the other but the story leaves us with a bit of a cliffhanger so I really look forward to continuing on.

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

May 18, 2016May 15, 2016

Kimberly reviews Spare Me The Truth by CJ Carver

TITLE: Spare Me The Truth
CHARACTERS: Dan, Grace & Lucy
AUTHOR: CJ Carver
PUBLICATION DATE: 04/07/16
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Dan Forrester, piecing his life back together after the tragic death of his son, is approached in a supermarket by a woman who tells him everything he remembers about his life – and his son – is a lie.

Grace Reavey, stricken by grief, is accosted at her mother’s funeral. The threat is simple: pay the staggering sum her mother allegedly owed, or lose everything.

Lucy Davies has been forced from the Met by her own maverick behaviour. Desperate to prove herself in her new rural post, she’s on the hunt for a killer – but this is no small town criminal.

Plunged into a conspiracy that will test each of them to their limits, these three strangers are brought together in their hunt for the truth, whatever it costs. And as their respective investigations become further and further entwined, it becomes clear that at the centre of this tangled web is a threat more explosive than any of them could have imagined.

REVIEW:
This is a very well written story with a lot of intrigue and twists. The characters are interesting but I have to say that sometimes I got a bit confused over who was who and what was what.

This thriller made me think. Would anyone want to erase their memories just because they are bad? I can actually see this book becoming a tv series or at least a made for tv movie.

It did take a bit to get into it and at first I wondered if it would be worth the read but in the end I believe it is if you are interested in thrillers with a bit of a science fiction feel.

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

May 17, 2016May 16, 2016

Kimberly reviews Beyond The Ice Limit by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

TITLE: Beyond The Ice Limit
SERIES #: Gideon Crew #4
CHARACTERS: Gideon & Glinn
AUTHOR: Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
PUBLICATION DATE: 05/17/16
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
BEYOND THE ICE LIMIT
That thing is growing again. We must destroy it. The time to act is now…
With these words begins Gideon Crew’s latest, most dangerous, most high-stakes assignment yet. Failure will mean nothing short of the end of humankind on earth.
Five years ago, the mysterious and inscrutable head of Effective Engineering Solutions, Eli Glinn, led a mission to recover a gigantic meteorite–the largest ever discovered–from a remote island off the coast of South America. The mission ended in disaster when their ship, the Rolvaag, foundered in a vicious storm in the Antarctic waters and broke apart, sinking-along with its unique cargo-to the ocean floor. One hundred and eight crew members perished, and Eli Glinn was left paralyzed.
But this was not all. The tragedy revealed something truly terrifying: the meteorite they tried to retrieve was not, in fact, simply a rock. Instead, it was a complex organism from the deep reaches of space.
Now, that organism has implanted itself in the sea bed two miles below the surface-and it is growing. If it is not destroyed, the planet will be doomed. There is only one hope: for Glinn and his team to annihilate it, a task which requires Gideon’s expertise with nuclear weapons. But as Gideon and his colleagues soon discover, the “meteorite” has a mind of its own-and it has no intention of going quietly…

REVIEW:
Yea! It is about time! The sequel to The Ice Limit.

I am not a huge fan of double author books but Preston & Child is one of my exceptions. There is something about the way that Preston and Child write together that flows freely and gets your attention from word one. There are some times that the book was slow and I just kept with it since I know that P&C will make it all worth it. There were also some things that were predictable but honestly I am not sure if it was predictable because of the story or because I have read enough P&C books to know how they think (oh that is a scary thought).

I will say that, yes, it can be read as a stand alone but The Ice Limit is a great book so pick it up before you read this one. You won’t be disappointed.

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

May 13, 2016May 8, 2016

Kimberly reviews Extreme Prey by John Sandford

TITLE: Extreme Prey
SERIES #: Lucas Davenport #26
CHARACTERS: Lucas Davenport
AUTHOR: John Sandford
PUBLICATION DATE: 04/26/16
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The extraordinary new Lucas Davenport thriller from #1 New York Times–bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize winner John Sandford.

After the events in Gathering Prey, Lucas Davenport finds himself in a very unusual situation—no longer employed by the Minnesota BCA. His friend the governor is just cranking up a presidential campaign, though, and he invites Lucas to come along as part of his campaign staff. “Should be fun!” he says, and it kind of is—until they find they have a shadow: an armed man intent on killing the governor . . . and anyone who gets in the way.

REVIEW:
Davenport is back! And after 25 other books I was thrilled to see it. Let me say there have been a lot of other books and I really don’t think you should read this as a stand alone.

This time Davenport is not working so now he has time to help out a friend who wants to figure out who is trying to kill him.

This is a little ripped from the headlines kind of story. Well not exactly but close. With the political climate going on right now it feels like it. But it is enjoyable just hope it doesn’t come to fruition.

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

May 11, 2016May 8, 2016

Kimberly reviews Cin Wikkid by Mary Hughes

TITLE: Cin Wikkid
CHARACTERS: Cin & Rafe
AUTHOR: Mary Hughes
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/18/16
ORDER LINKS: Amazon

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
THE WRONGED DAUGHTER
Cinderella hungers to escape from under Widow Wikkid’s grinding thumb. But to snare a plum job at Prince Industries, Cin desperately needs her degree, and she can’t wrap her mind around tax accounting.
Then scarred but sexy Rafe Montoya ignites her imagination with his brilliant tutoring—and, as they work together in his cozy apartment, he sets her body on fire. So why is he pushing her to attend Gideon Prince’s marriage-mart ball?

THE HANDSOME PRINCE
Rafe is really Gideon Prince, head of Prince Industries. He must name his bride by his April first birthday or suffer the loss of his family fortune. Rumors say he’s still single because women love his money and looks, not him. Is he lonely or just another duplicitous tycoon?

THE GLASS SLIPPER TEST
Hopefuls flock to Prince’s birthday ball, but only one will emerge triumphant. Only the woman who’s kind, wise, and generous will win his heart. Is it Cin, or will her stepmother, as she always does, snatch the prize for her own daughters?
And on the night of the ball, when Cin discovers Rafe’s true identity, can she even accept his final test?

REVIEW:
This is a modern spin on an old fairy tale. Oh come on you knew that. But this is not your childs fairy tale. This is for adults and it is a fun read for any fan of romance novels.

Cin Wikkid is a quick read but enjoyable. I thought Cin was sweet and yet a strong woman who knows the way she was raised and is not afraid to be that woman. Pick it up. You won’t regret it.

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

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