Review Sunday – Page 32 – Books-n-Kisses

March 21, 2019March 19, 2019

Kimberly reviews Toxic Game by Christine Feehan

TITLE: Toxic Game
SERIES #: Ghostwalkers #15
CHARACTERS: Draden & Shylah
AUTHOR: Christine Feehan
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/12/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
On a rescue mission in the heart of the Indonesian jungle, Dr. Draden Freeman and his GhostWalker team need to extract the wounded as quickly as possible—or risk spreading a deadly virus unleashed by a terrorist cell. When Draden gets infected, he forces his team to leave him behind. He won’t risk exposing anyone else. He intends to find the ones responsible and go out in a blaze of glory….

Shylah Cosmos’s mission is to track the virus and remain unseen. Her enhanced senses tell her that the gorgeous man eradicating the terrorists one by one is a GhostWalker—and his lethal precision takes her breath away. When he’s hit by a lucky shot, she can’t stop herself from stepping in, not knowing that by saving his life she’s exposed herself to the virus.

There’s no telling how much time Draden and Shylah have left. Racing to find a cure, they quickly realize that they’ve found their perfect partner just in time to lose everything. But even as the virus threatens to consume their bodies, they’ve never felt more alive.

REVIEW:
Feehan is certainly one that is at the top of my go to authors list. I have always found her books tantalizing and intriguing. The relationship between Shylah and Draden is almost perfect. There is not a lot of misunderstanding or games (no pun intended). They have angst but it is based on a true relationship.

This is the 15th in the series and should not really be read as a stand alone. Well I guess it can be but you will lose a lot of background without reading the entire series. But I can guarantee that once you read the first you will want to catch up on until current!

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

March 20, 2019March 18, 2019

Kimberly reviews What I’ve Done by Melinda Leigh

TITLE: What I’ve Done
SERIES #: Morgan Dane #4
CHARACTERS: Morgan & Haley
AUTHOR: Melinda Leigh
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/18/18
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Morgan Dane’s new client has blood on her hands—and no recollection of what happened—as the #1 Amazon Charts bestselling series continues.

Haley Powell wakes up covered in blood, with no memory of the night before. When she sees a man lying in the backyard, stabbed to death, she has only one terrified thought: What have I done?

Agreeing to take the case as a favor to her PI friend Lincoln Sharp, Morgan must scale a mountain of damning circumstantial and forensic evidence to prove her client innocent. Haley couldn’t appear more guilty: her bloodstained fingerprints are on the murder weapon, and she has no alibi. But Morgan can’t shake the feeling that this shocked young woman has been framed.

Someone out there is hell-bent on sabotaging her defense, targeting Morgan, her partner, and especially Haley. Someone who will stop at nothing—and whose next move will be deadly.

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts So I picked up this book because I have heard this authors name so many time from friends and family who enjoy her writing and after reading this I understand why. However, the problem was I didn’t realize this was the fourth in the series and I have to say I was a bit lost.

Morgan has a new client and that part is easy to follow. But the problem is Morgan herself.. And that is not really a “problem”… I wish I had read the other stories first just to understand a bit about Morgan herself. But that does not take away from the story.

I get it now. Leigh is certainly one that I will want to read again.

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

March 19, 2019March 18, 2019

Kelly reviews Secrets Never Die by Melinda Leigh

TITLE: Secrets Never Die
SERIES #: Morgan Dane #5
CHARACTERS: Morgan Dane & Lance Kruger
AUTHOR: Melinda Leigh
PUBLICATION DATE: March 19, 2019
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | Audible | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The #1 Amazon Charts bestselling series continues as Morgan Dane and PI Lance Kruger fight for the innocence of a young murder suspect—if only they could find him.
When a retired sheriff’s deputy is shot to death in his home, his troubled teenage stepson, Evan, becomes the prime suspect. Even more incriminating, the boy disappeared from the scene of the crime.
Desperate to find her son, Evan’s mother begs PI Lance Kruger for help. She knows her son is innocent. Kruger and defense attorney Morgan Dane want to believe that too, but the evidence against the boy is damning. Just as the trail goes cold, another deputy vanishes. His shocking connection to Evan’s stepfather throws the investigation into chaos as Lance and Morgan fear the worst…that Evan is the killer’s new target.
With so many secrets to unravel, will Lance and Morgan find him before it’s too late?

REVIEW:
Lance and Morgan get involved in a new case that could cost them everything they have worked for.

Another wonderful story from Ms. Leigh! I really enjoyed this book. I read Secrets Never Die in one sitting. As always I think I have the who done it figured out and Ms. Leigh proves me wrong. I liked seeing Lance and Morgan’s relationship grow. They are such a great team. Also we got to see more with Sharp and Olivia! I can’t wait to see what is next for those two.

I can’t wait to see what happens next in the Morgan Dane 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.

March 14, 2019March 10, 2019

Kimberly reviews Why Not Tonight by Susan Mallery

TITLE: Why Not Tonight
SERIES #: Happily Inc #3
CHARACTERS: Natalie & Ronan
AUTHOR: Susan Mallery
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/18/18
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Susan Mallery welcomes you to Happily Inc, where true love isn’t just for fairy tales…

Natalie Kaleta will do anything for the artists at her gallery, including risk life, limb and the effect of humidity on her naturally curly hair. Braving a downpour to check on reclusive Ronan Mitchell, Natalie gets stranded by a mudslide at his mountain home, where the brooding glass artist reveals his playful side, sending her inconvenient crush from under-the-radar to over-the-top.

After a secret tore apart his family and made him question his sense of self, Ronan fled his hometown for Happily Inc, but the sunny small town can’t fix his damaged heart. He won’t give in to his attraction for beautiful, perpetually cheerful Natalie. She’s untouched by darkness—or so he thinks.

Natalie knows that when a heart goes through the flame, it comes out stronger. Life may not be a fairy tale, but sometimes dreams do come true. Why not this one? Why not tonight?

REVIEW:
Oh Susan! You have done it again!

Susan Mallery is *THE* author that I always turn to when I want to read a contemporary romance. Happily Inc is a branch off of Fool’s Gold and this is the 3rd in the series. Fool’s Gold was always my dream (novel) vacation spot. And Happily Inc is really starting to be where I want to visit after Fool’s Gold.

Mallery is great at drawing you in with the very first few pages. We have met Ronan in the first two of this series and not it is his turn at love. Ronan may be my favorite of the Mitchell brothers because of his broody personality and it was great to see him bloom.

Never a disappointment!

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

March 13, 2019March 10, 2019

Kelly reviews by Awaken The Darkness by Dianne Duvall

TITLE: Awaken the Darkness
SERIES #: Immortal Guardians #8
CHARACTERS: Stanislav & Susan
AUTHOR: Dianne Duvall
NARRATOR: Kirsten Potter
RUN TIME: 8 Hours & 46 Minutes
PUBLICATION DATE: July 10, 2018
ORDER LINKS: Audible | Kindle | Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
He awakens encapsulated in dirt with no knowledge of how he came to be there. Riddled with injuries, he can remember neither his past nor who he is. Nor can he remember what he is. But surely no mortal man could survive being buried deep beneath the earth. All he knows with certainty is that the soothing voice and presence of the woman moving around above enables him to endure the agony of his wounds. And he will do whatever it takes to be with her.
When Susan first sees the old two-story house for sale, such warmth and longing fill her that—against all reason—she makes an offer. It will take years of hard work and money she frankly doesn’t have to fix up the place. So she can’t explain why she bought it. She also can’t explain what compels her to spend hours one night, digging in the basement until she unearths a man. A man who still lives and breathes despite having been buried alive. A man whose intense brown eyes glow amber with pain, declaring him far more than ordinary. Susan knows she should keep her distance. He has no memory and possesses gifts that would make most fear him. But as the two work together to unravel the mystery of his past, she finds herself drawn in by his teasing nature and tender touch. So much so that she loses her heart to him even as they find themselves hunted by unknown enemies who are ruthless in their quest to capture them.

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts Awaken the Darkness was a good read. It was not my most favorite of the series but it was a great book to learn more about Stanislav and what happened to him after the battle that killed Yuri. Awaken the Darkness was a bit of a slow start but at about the halfway point it started to pick up. I still love this series and can’t wait to see where we go next.

As always I let the wonderful Kirsten Potter read this book to me. I love how talented she is with the amount of voices she can do. I really enjoy the fact that I don’t feel like she is just reading words on a page but telling me a story!

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

March 12, 2019March 10, 2019

Kimberly reviews Shades Of Betrayal by Jill Ramsower

TITLE: Shades Of Betrayal
SERIES #: The Fae Games #3
CHARACTERS: Ashley & Michael
AUTHOR: Jill Ramsower
PUBLICATION DATE: 11/26/18
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Ashley

All my wildest fantasies have come true, but reality is never quite as simple as we imagine. I dreamed of living in a wondrous world of the supernatural and having magical powers of my own. Now, I have all of that, but it comes with a caveat—a six foot Fae brute who is supposed to train me on all things Fae. He’s a dauntless warrior of the Wild Hunt. A beautiful bigot. He’s my lover and my burden, my savior and my curse.

There’s a monster loose in the city leaving a trail of bodies in its wake. I want more than anything to help others with my new abilities—what better use of my power than to stop a killer? Too bad Michael doesn’t feel the same.

Michael

She’s a born fighter. Courageous and brash like the heroes she reads about. Two weeks ago I carried her lifeless body out of a dirty alley. Ever since, my carefully constructed world has been leveled, despite my endless efforts at damage control.

Ashley Moore is a force of nature. Her best friend is the Erlking’s woman, and together, Ashley and Rebecca have infiltrated our brotherhood. Everything about our lives is dangerous, so I’ve done what I can to protect her—even if she ends up hating me for it.

Author’s Note: This is NOT a Young Adult novel! It contains graphic violence and scenes with adult sexual content.

REVIEW:
This is the third is the series and to be honest while it can be a stand alone I think I would have had a better understanding if I had read the other books first. And this is the first I have read from this author.

This was just not for me. I enjoy romance and I enjoy adult content books but this was like watching a porn with no storyline. Seemed they barely said hello and bam they are sleeping together. There is no background story for the most part.

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

March 7, 2019March 4, 2019

Kimberly reviews Gown With The Wind by Stephanie Blackmoore

TITLE: Gown With The Wind
SERIES #: Wedding Planner Mystery #4
CHARACTERS: Mallory & Keith & Becca
AUTHOR: Stephanie Blackmoore
PUBLICATION DATE: 12/18/18
ORDER LINKS: Amazon| B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Professional wedding planner Mallory Shepard knows her job is challenging under any circumstances. But when the groom is your ex and someone invites murder, there may never be another tomorrow . . .

Mallory’s fine–really–handling the wedding arrangements for her ex, Keith. But his fiance, Becca, has at the last minute decided to switch from a Japanese-cherry-blossom theme to a Gone with the Wind theme. She wants to honor her ailing grandmother, who owns an impressive collection of GWTW memorabilia–and who is fiercely at odds with the groom’s mother over the nuptial plans.

But among other complications, Becca gets into a fight with an old childhood rival over a replica Scarlett O’Hara wedding gown. She wins the dress–but soon becomes a murder suspect when the other woman is found dead in Becca’s swimming pool. And it’s up to Mallory to solve the mystery behind this unhappy occasion, before a different kind of civil war breaks out . . .

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts hearted and fun. This is the 4th in the series and though I have not read the other three it is a stand alone and can be read without feeling like anything was lost.

This is a quick read with a bit of thriller and mystery but mostly just cheesy light reading. Great book to take you out of your own head for a while.

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

March 6, 2019March 4, 2019

Kimberly reviews The Perfect Alibi by Phillip Margolin

TITLE: The Perfect Alibi
CHARACTERS: Robin Lockwood
AUTHOR: Phillip Margolin
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/05/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A young woman accuses a prominent local college athlete of rape. Convicted with the help of undisputable DNA evidence, the athlete swears his innocence and threatens both his lawyer and his accuser as he’s sent to prison. Not long after, there’s another rape and the DNA test shows that the same person committed both rapes—which is seemingly impossible since the man convicted of the first rape was in prison at the time of the second one. Now, the convicted athlete, joined by a new lawyer, is granted a new trial and bail. Shortly thereafter, his original lawyer disappears and his law partner is murdered.

Robin Lockwood is a young lawyer with a prestigious small law firm and a former MMA fighter who helped pay for Yale Law School with her bouts. She is representing the victim of the first rape for her civil lawsuit against her rapist, who is now convinced the rapist is stalking her and trying to intimidate her. At the same time, another client is up on a murder charge—one that should be dismissed as self-defense—but the D.A. trying the case is determined to bring it to trial. Now she has to mastermind two impossible cases, trying to find the hidden truth that links the two of them.

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts I enjoyed the suspense of this story but I was very confused in a number of parts of it. There are a bunch of characters and I kept having to reference back to who was who.

Margolin is a great writer who knows how to put it all into his books. But sometimes putting it all in the book might end up meaning too much stuff was put in. That is what it felt like reading this book. I kept asking “What more can he put in here?” and then he put more in and it seemed like a lot.

That all being said the suspense keeps you on your toes.

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

March 5, 2019March 4, 2019

Kimberly reviews Day Of The Dragon by Katie MacAlister

TITLE: Day Of The Dragon
SERIES #: Dragon Hunter #2
CHARACTERS: Thaisa & Archer
AUTHOR: Katie MacAlister
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/05/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
TWO FULL NOVELS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE! Fans of Lyndsay Sands and Gena Showalter will love this fiery paranormal romance from a New York Times bestselling author about a dragon shifter who finds his soul mate in the most unlikely place. Also includes WOLF’S MATE by Celia Kyle.

With dragons like him, who needs enemies?

Real scholars know that supernatural beings don’t exist. But the moment I meet Archer Andras of the Storm Dragons, all my academic training goes out the window. Thanks to Mr. Tall, Dark, And Infuriating, I’m learning that I really should worry about those things that go bump in the night. . . and that dragons like Archer are 100 percent pure trouble.

Now I’m caught in the middle of a war. On one side is Archer. On the other is his twin brother. And I am the key to translating an ancient text that could bring balance-or deadly ruin-to our world. But none of that is as dangerous as the seriously sexy sparks between Archer and me. He’s too tempting to be real. Too gorgeous to trust. And when it comes to dragons, there’s no smoke without deadly fire.

Includes the novel WOLF’S MATE by Celia Kyle: When Abby Carter is threatened by an anti-shifter organization, werewolf shifter Declan Reed will have to convince her that there’s no safer place in the world than in the arms of a big bad werewolf.

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts This is two books in one so make sure that you have not read either one before spending the money. Especially the second book since it is from a different author and part of a different series…. WOLF’S MATE by Celia Kyle. You can read my review from when I originally read it in 2017. REVIEW

Now back to Day Of The Dragon… I was a bit bored. I never really connected with the characters and found them a bit maddening. I was just so bored that I wanted to stop reading but I didn’t. Thaisa just got on my nerves with the whole body image thing and Archer got on my nerves with his horniness. Just not my choice for reading.

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

March 4, 2019March 3, 2019

Kimberly reviews Tripping On A Halo by Alessandra Torre

TITLE: Tripping On A Halo
CHARACTERS: Autumn & Declan
AUTHOR: Alessandra Torre
PUBLICATION DATE: 12/07/18
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
It’s really hard to save a guy’s life when he keeps running from you.

You might be asking yourself why I’m waving an inflatable penis in the air and screaming at the top of my lungs. If I took time to explain, Declan Moss would get hit by a bus.

Let me back up. I didn’t ask for this. I was perfectly happy—and perfectly sane—before I was tasked with keeping Declan Moss alive. It was a thankless job until the moment that my panties dropped and his delicious smirk found his way in between my thighs.

Hello, toe-curling ecstasy. Goodbye, professional boundaries. And suddenly, there’s a new danger to avoid: the falling of my heart.

REVIEW:
3.75 Hearts I think I must have been in the mood for silly when I started this book. It really is silly but also a quick read. It was perfect for a bit of calm and brainless reading between heavier books.

It kept me entertained and even had me laugh out loud moments… ok maybe not laugh but chuckle.

Cute read but be ready for mindless fun.

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

March 1, 2019February 24, 2019

Kimberly reviews Bluestone & Vine by Donna Kauffman

TITLE: Bluestone & Vine
SERIES #: Blue Hollow Falls #2
CHARACTERS: Pippa & Seth
AUTHOR: Donna Kauffman
PUBLICATION DATE: 06/26/18
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Pippa MacMillan is a legend on the Irish folk music scene. But when her voice requires a time-out, she’s left wondering how–and where–to find happiness in the silence . . .

Seeking answers, Pippa leaves Ireland in favor of a small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Turns out lovely Blue Hollow Falls is the perfect place to heal–and solitary Seth Brogan is the surprisingly perfect host. After all, Seth is beginning again too: turning his renovated stone barn and beautiful hillside into a vineyard is the start of a whole new life for the former Special Forces soldier. Only Mother Nature keeps thwarting both their plans, leaving Pippa snowbound with unsettling thoughts about how life can take unexpected turns . . .

To Pippa’s surprise, she might actually fall for small-town living. She might even fall for Seth, whose quiet strength is a balm for her world-weary soul. But when the music starts once more, will she follow her fortune back to Ireland, or surrender to the call of her heart?

REVIEW:
3.75 Hearts Oh how I enjoy the writings of Donna Kauffman. I have been waiting for Seth’s story. And Pippa seems perfect for him. Seth is just a simple man who has a desire to be calm and start something he can get his hands into. But Pippa changes everything.

This is a sweet quick read. Perfect to sit and read and enjoy to get out of your own head and take a break.

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

February 28, 2019February 24, 2019

Kimberly reviews Castle On The Rise by Kristy Cambron

TITLE: Castle On The Rise
SERIES #: Lost Castle #2
CHARACTERS: Laine Forrester
AUTHOR: Kristy Cambron
PUBLICATION DATE: 02/05/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A storied castle. A band of rebels. And a nation chasing the centuries-old dream of freedom . . . What legacy will they leave behind?

When Laine Forrester travels to France to attend her longtime friend’s vineyard wedding, she expects to find a bride on the brink of a fairy-tale life. But after a series of unforeseen setbacks–a devastating diagnosis, a castle restoration put on hold, and the emergence of deep-seated family dynamics that threaten to derail the new couple’s fledgling marriage–it seems the storybook life Laine had imagined for her friend–and once, for herself–is suddenly crumbling before her eyes.

With hopes of resurrecting a happy ending for one of them, Laine throws support behind her friend and agrees to accompany the couple to the groom’s family home in Ireland, where the merging of a mysterious inheritance, long-buried wounds, and a fractured family set out to upend the trip from the start. It’s in the unlikely corners of a historic Dublin pub, and across the wide-open moors bordering Ireland’s majestic Wicklow Mountains, that Laine is slowly drawn in by the land and the people, sparking hope for something she never imagined possible: the courage to heal. But with secrets of her own–and a heart afraid to trust again–Laine must determine how much she’s willing to risk in mending the broken places within herself, and whether she believes that even through the depths of our pain, a beautiful story can emerge.

Set in three time-periods–the revolutionary era of the late eighteenth century, Ireland’s turbulent Easter week of the 1916 Rising, and present day–Castle on the Rise weaves a story of legacy, conviction, and redemption against the backdrop of Dublin’s storied streets, and the stretch of Ireland’s stunning emerald shores. It raises the question: given the choice between the fairy tale or a life of truly anchored faith–which legacy would you choose?

REVIEW:
This is the second in the series and I did not read the first one.

This story is written in three time period and while I worried this would be difficult to follow it ended up being pretty easy to keep track of. All the time periods were set so differently but yet with just as much beauty.

This falls under Christian Time Travel romance. The historical aspects of Ireland were breathtaking and made me want to jump on a plane. The romance was sweet.

An enjoyable read from page one.

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