Review Sunday – Page 75 – Books-n-Kisses

April 7, 2016April 2, 2016

#TBT Kelly & Kimberly review Her Perfect Mate by Paige Tyler – Catch Up From The Beginning

TITLE: Her Perfect Mate
SERIES #: X-Ops #1
CHARACTERS: Landon Donovan & Ivy Halliwell
AUTHOR: Paige Tyler
PUBLICATION DATE: May 6, 2014
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
When Special Forces Captain Landon Donovan is picked for an assignment with the Department of Covert Affairs, he’s stunned to find his new partner is a beautiful woman who looks like she couldn’t hurt a fly, much less take down a terrorist.

Ivy Halliwell isn’t your average covert op. Her feline DNA means she can literally bring out the claws when things get dicey. She isn’t thrilled to be paired with yet another military grunt, but Landon is different. He doesn’t think she’s a freak and he’s smokin’ hot.

Soon they find themselves facing a threat even greater than anyone imagines…and an animal magnetism impossible to ignore.

KELLY’S REVIEW:
4.5 Hearts To say Ivy is a little gun shy when it comes to her newest partner is an understatement. Ivy has not had the best track record with her partners. But there is something about Landon something that puts her at ease. But even that makes her a bit nervous.

Landon is not very happy to be pulled off of his mission and forced to come back stateside. That is until he learns who is new partner is and what she can do.

Landon & Ivy make such a great team. From the save on the rope cross I knew this was going to be a great story. The interaction between these two was so much fun.

This is my first Paige Tyler book and I am totally in love with the world that she created. These are not your ordinary shifters! Oh no this shifters. Should I tell you? I am not sure. You will just have to pick up a copy of Her Perfect Mate and find out for yourself.

KIMBERLY’S REVIEW:
4 Hearts As different as this book was I really enjoyed it. Maybe I enjoyed it because of how different it is. First has much as it claims to be a shifter story the shift is different. Ivy never really becomes a cat. She can bring out her cat tendencies like claws, night vision, climbing, etc but she never actually turns into a cat. Landon is a cool character. He seems to just accept her unique qualities and while he jokes it is in fun and not to be mean. I enjoyed them together.

The one problem I have is Ivy is supposed to be one of the best but she seems to mess up a bit too much. But that is a minor problem. I really hope that the next story is Angelo’s. I love the friendship Landon and he have. Looking forward to the next in the series.

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

April 6, 2016April 2, 2016

Kelly reviews Little Red Writing by Lila DiPasqua

TITLE: Little Red Writing
SERIES #: Fiery Tales #6
CHARACTERS: Nicolas de Savignac & Anne
AUTHOR: Lila DiPasqua
PUBLICATION DATE: April 4, 2016
ORDER LINKS: Amazon
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
**NOTE: Originally published in the AWAKENED BY A KISS anthology.

Inspired by the tale of Little Red Riding Hood—an erotically charged historical romance novella from the acclaimed Fiery Tales series.

Nicolas de Savignac, Count of Lambelle, is on a mission. A member of the King’s elite private Guard, Nicolas has been assigned by the Crown to uncover the secret identity of the author writing scandalous stories about powerful courtiers.

He never expected his investigation would lead to his grandmother’s house, or to a ravishing woman who would ignite an untamable desire…

WARNING: This tale may scandalize you. Keep the smelling salts nearby.

**Can be enjoyed as a standalone story.

REVIEW:
4.75 Hearts Another great Fiery Tale story by Ms. DiPasqua. I love Ms. DiPasqua’s ability to take a story that we all know and love and twist it, turn it and turn up the heat. I really enjoyed Nicolas and Anne’s story. I loved that the Wolf in this story is fierce, determined and will do anything to complete his mission. Red is equally as fierce, yet she is witty, kind and able to out fox the Wolf.
I don’t want to tell too much or give too much away. But if you like your stories hawt, you hero hotter and your heroines strong and brave you need to pick up this story and find out why they are called Fiery Tales.

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

April 5, 2016April 2, 2016

#TBT Kelly & Kimberly review Reckless by Skye Jordan – Catch Up From The Beginning

TITLE: Reckless
SERIES #: Renegades #1
CHARACTERS: Jax Chamberlin & Lexi LaCroix
AUTHOR: Skye Jordan
PUBLICATION DATE: August 23, 2013
ORDER LINKS: Amazon

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A couture wedding dress designer to the rich and famous, Lexi LaCroix’s image means everything. But crossing paths with a sexier-than-sin, bad-boy biker makes Lexi realize how much living she’s sacrificed for her success and one touch is all it takes to threaten her carefully choreographed life. When that touch fills far more than just Lexi’s physical needs, she finds herself torn between the career she needs and the bad-boy she craves.

Jax Chamberlin gave up the superficial life of acting for the thrill of running his own stunt company years ago. But a recent betrayal proves he’s still too close to the limelight to find a woman who doesn’t plan to use him as a stepping-stone to success. When the charming and mysterious Lexi offers him a totally anonymous hook-up during an out of town trip, Jax accepts. Only Lexi is more sextacular than charming, and Jax wants more.

But Lexi’s got a major hang-up over his renegade lifestyle, and Jax isn’t willing to change his ways. Especially not when he discovers who she really is. Because if she finds out his connections could catapult her to the top of her career, he’s afraid the fantasy woman he’s falling for might just end up like all the other gold-diggers. And this time, it’s not just his bad-boy reputation at risk, but his heart, too.

KELLY’S REVIEW:
4.5 Stars Lexi has always been wanted by people. Wanted for her looks, wanted for her designs, but never wanted for who she is deep down. After spotting a very attractive man, Lexi uses her best friends newest security app to find his phone number. Lexi uses this app to send him a couple flirty text. Just a little something to break her out of her shell. Just a little harmless fun.

Jax has been burned one too many times. Everyone always wants something from him. But when Jax gets an anonymous text joking with him about his spilled coffee he finds himself drawn to this stranger and truly enjoyed the flirting back with them. But when he asks to meet her he may have gone to far.

Can Jax & Lexi put the pain of past relationships behind them long enough to trust? Or is this rendezvous in the dark to Reckless?

Guess you will need to pick up a copy to find out.

You know you just read a good book when you finish the book, look over at the clock and realize that it is 2 am. Loved this first book in the Renegades series by Skye Jordan. This story was smoking hot and yet sweet all at the same time.

KIMBERLY’S REVIEW:
5 Stars I loved this story. I didn’t want to miss one word of it. I loved the connection the characters had right off the bat. I loved the whole first texting scene (oh so much). I loved the angst both characters have. And I love the morale of the story (yes it sorta has a morale). I really just loved this story!

I received this book from NetGalley and for probably the first time I am thinking I need to get this book in print so I can read it again sometime. The writing is very well done. There is such fun in so many of the scenes and even some sadness but it wraps up so well. The writing of the sex scenes was done so well. While sexy it was not over the top. This author is not trying to prove herself by the sex but by the words. Bring on the next Renegade! I am waiting breathlessly!

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.

April 4, 2016April 2, 2016

Kelly reviews Nobody But You by Jill Shalvis

TITLE: Nobody But You
SERIES #: Cedar Ridge #3
CHARACTERS: Jacob Kincaid & Sophie Marren
AUTHOR: Jill Shalvis
PUBLICATION DATE: March 29, 2016
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
SOMETIMES YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN…

After an overseas mission goes wrong, Army Special Forces officer Jacob Kincaid knows where he must go to make things right: back home to the tiny town of Cedar Ridge, Colorado. All he needs to scrub away his painful past is fresh mountain air, a lakeside cabin, and quiet solitude. But what he discovers is a gorgeous woman living on a boat at his dock.

Sophie Marren has nowhere else to go. She’s broke, intermittently seasick, and fighting a serious attraction to the brooding, dishy, I’m-too-sexy-for-myself guy who’s now claiming her dock. Something about Jacob’s dark intensity makes her want to tease—and tempt—him beyond measure. Neither one wants to give any ground . . . until they realize the only true home they have is with each other.

REVIEW:
Okay, I am not sure if I could fall for Jacob any harder. He is great. Over the course of the last two books we have heard all about the missing Kincaid brother. About him up and leaving his family behind and not speaking for nine long years. But not all is as it seems. Jacob is a very good person and has tried to do right by his family even from afar. The family reunion will tug at your heartstrings and make you want to slap both Hud and Jacob upside the head. But while it was great to see the family back together it is how Jacob is with Sophie that makes you totally fall for him.
Want more? You will have to pick up this book and find out for yourself…..
As for Sophie, girl is feisty and I want her as my new BFF!!! Loved her!! Love the whole boat problem. Loved her ability to adapt to her new life and keep the glass is half full attitude. These two are just great together!! I can’t wait to see them in the next book.
Speaking of next book. Bring on Kenna!! This is going to be fun. 🙂
Until next time Cedar Ridge!

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

April 1, 2016March 27, 2016

Kimberly reviews Vulnerable by Mary Burton

TITLE: Vulnerable
SERIES #: Morgans of Nashville #4
CHARACTERS: Amber & Jake
AUTHOR: Mary Burton
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/29/16
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The Smallest Mistake

Three went in; one came out. For five years, no trace has been found of two high-school friends who went hiking in the woods near Nashville. The third teen, Amber Ryder, was discovered at the bottom of a ravine with a broken arm, head trauma–and zero memory of the horror that put her there.

Will Put You

What started as a cold case has become a fresh hell for forensic technician Georgia Morgan. Another woman’s body is found in the woods, and it leads to the missing teens’ remains. But while Georgia works with Amber to try and reawaken her memories, her gut tells her the worst is yet to come.

At A Killer’s Mercy

Homicide Detective Jake Bishop can’t be sure whether Amber is an expert manipulator or the killer’s next target. Either way, he’s determined to protect Georgia. Because the deeper she digs into the past, the deadlier the secrets that emerge, and a nightmare years in the making is about to come to a bloody, terrifying end…

REVIEW:

I have not read the previous books in the series and maybe that would have made a difference but I doubt it. I really just didn’t enjoy this very much. I expected so much more from this story. It seemed it would be really interesting but I just didn’t click with this story.

It my opinion it seemed this book was thrown together. As if the first ones in the series were popular and the publisher was pushing for the book before the author was really ready.

Ok, that all being said, I can see why some people might enjoy it. There is some suspense and there is some romance. It just didn’t click with me.

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

March 31, 2016March 27, 2016

#TBT Kimberly reviews When Darkness Comes by Alexandra Ivy – Catch Up From The Beginning

TITLE: When Darkness Comes
SERIES #: Guardians Of Eternity #1
CHARACTERS: Abby & Dante
AUTHOR: Alexandra Ivy
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/15/07
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
It’s been a hell of a day for Abby Barlow. In just a few hours, she’s survived an explosion, watched her employer die, had a startling dream, and now she finds herself in a seedy Chicago hotel with the sexy, unearthly Dante, a vampire she both desires and fears.

For 341 years, Dante has stood as guardian to The Chalice, a mortal woman chosen to hold back the darkness. A terrible twist of fate has now made Abby that woman. Three hours ago. Dante would have used all his charms to seduce her. Now she is his to protect. And he will do so until his very death.

A terrifying plan has been set in motion, one that will plunge Dante and Abby into an epic battle between good and evil – and a desperate race to save their love…

REVIEW:
Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

This is the book that started my love affair with paranormal and Alexandra Ivy… The vampire Dante is sex personified… hot!!! There is so much to this story and so many characters that it will keep your turning the page and never wanting the story to end.

I could tell you everything about this story and not stop talking but then I would say too much and trust me you want to read this one for yourself.

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

March 30, 2016March 27, 2016

Kelly reviews Going The Distance by Jennifer Fusco

TITLE: Going the Distance
SERIES #: Ringside #2
CHARACTERS: Michael Perez & Ava Phillips
AUTHOR: Jennifer Fusco
PUBLICATION DATE: March 15, 2016
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The most restricted boxer at Las Vegas’s Stamina gym lets himself unravel in the second Ringside novel from the author of Fighting For It…

A dedicated fighter, Middleweight Michael Perez is willing to do whatever it takes to reach the top, and with his next fight scheduled at Madison Square Garden he’s almost there. A self-proclaimed control freak, he plans to drive himself cross country to the fight. But when his manager insists a sports reporter tag along, thinking it will be good for public relations, Michael finds himself under the watchful eye of Ava Phillips.

Ava Phillips has made a career out of exposing the underbelly of professional sports. Her instincts tell her that sexy, moody Michael Perez’s squeaky clean image is a cover for something more intriguing. Sharing the drive from Nevada to New York, Ava’s interest turns physical. But as their relationship heats up and Ava unearths his past, will she expose Michael’s darkness or succumb to the passions of a relationship she’s only ever read about?

REVIEW:
Another excellent installment in Ms. Fusco’s Ringside series. I just love this series!!! I love Michael and Ava. I loved the tension between these two. Both are stubborn and want to win. But sometimes in a game of will’s you don’t have a clear winner. Well unless you count us readers. We win big with Going The Distance.
I can’t wait to see what Ms. Fusco has in store for us next!!!

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

March 29, 2016March 27, 2016

#TBT Kimberly reviews Beyond The Misty Shore by Vicki Hinze – Catch Up From The Beginning

TITLE: Beyond The Misty Shore
SERIES #: Seascape Trilogy #1
CHARACTERS: Main Characters
AUTHOR: Vicki Hinze
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/14/11
ORDER LINKS: Amazon| B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Whimsy. Serenity. And a Touch of Magic. The Seascape Inn.

Marketing executive Maggie Wright and artist T.J. MacGregor are linked by a mysterious car accident that killed Maggie’s cousin, Carolyn, T.J.’s fiancée. When Maggie arrives on the Maine coast determined to get answers from T.J., she discovers a tortured man who is bound to the Seascape Inn by supernatural forces. Despite the tragedy that stands between them, Maggie and T.J. begin to fall in love, seeking answers and a healing spirit they may never achieve.

REVIEW:
This is a re-release from 2011.
I want so badly to tell you about this book and why you should read it but there are not enough words to tell you how wonderful this book is. It is rare I give a book 5 stars but this book is most deserving. There is something magical about this book. It feels like a romance novel from years gone by even though it is set in the present. It makes you believe you are there and watching the love unfold instead of turning pages. Seascape Inn is a place you want to visit.

This book reads like a movie. Have you seen the movies “Somewhere In Time” or “The Two Worlds of Jenny Logan”? OK this is dating myself but then if you have not seen them you should. Anyway, this book has the feel of these timeless movies. The softness of love as it grows between the characters and the mystical spirit that is there to guide not haunt make this book worth the read. More than worth the read it is worth owning the book and never letting it go. Luckily this is the 1st in a trilogy and I can not wait to enjoy the other two books.

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

March 28, 2016March 27, 2016

Kimberly reviews Sherlock Holmes And The Tangled Skein by David Stuart Davies

TITLE: Sherlock Holmes And The Tangled Skein
CHARACTERS: Main Characters
AUTHOR: David Stuart Davies
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/04/16
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
In the autumn of 1888, and following the successful conclusion of the investigation into the affair of the Hound of the Baskervilles, Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson have returned safely from Dartmoor, convinced that their most recent nemesis has met a sticky ending.

But when a strange package arrives and turns out to be an attempt on Holmes’ life, the detective and Watson are faced with an even darker mystery.

A peculiar cat-and-mouse game involving a lethal murderer ensues and Miss Lydgate, a distressed young woman, arrives with a cryptic warning for Watson.

Things soon spiral rapidly out of control and Holmes calls on his local street urchins, The Baker Street Irregulars, to keep a keen eye out for information.

Professor Van Helsing is also in town, visiting the Royal Society to discuss the phenomenon of Vampires.

Holmes is disgusted and dismisses such talk as supernatural nonsense, insisting that ‘the cult of undead’ is outside the boundaries of rational science.

Inspector Lestrade, however, has bigger problems — there have been murders on Hampstead Heath and there is heightened talk of a strange phantom lady.

When the police force reach out to Holmes for help, both he and Watson decide to take matters into their own hands.

The chilling discovery that awaits them on the Heath leads them back to Devon and the bleak terrain of Dartmoor.

The nightmare that is the tangled skein is now in full force and time is running out.

Whilst investigating mysterious circumstances at a finishing school for aristocratic girls, they encounter the true embodiment of evil, Count Dracula, the Lord of the Undead …

The Tangled Skein is one of Sherlock Holmes’ most exciting and dangerous cases, peppered with elements of the supernatural.

REVIEW:
Sherlock Holmes vs Count Dracula. How could anyone pass this up? Well part of me wishes I had and yet I am glad I didn’t. Can you tell I am on the fence about this book?

Written originally in 1992 apparently this is a re-release. Any fan of SH should pick it up just to be sure they have read them all but don’t expect this SH to be what AC Doyle’s originally wrote.

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

March 25, 2016March 20, 2016

Kimberly reviews No One Knows by J.T. Ellison

TITLE: No One Knows
CHARACTERS: Aubrey Hamilton
AUTHOR: J.T. Ellison
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/22/16
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
In an obsessive mystery as thrilling as The Girl on the Train and The Husband’s Secret, New York Times bestselling author J.T. Ellison will make you question every twist in her page-turning novel—and wonder which of her vividly drawn characters you should trust.

The day Aubrey Hamilton’s husband is declared dead by the state of Tennessee should bring closure so she can move on with her life. But Aubrey doesn’t want to move on; she wants Josh back. It’s been five years since he disappeared, since their blissfully happy marriage—they were happy, weren’t they?—screeched to a halt and Aubrey became the prime suspect in his disappearance. Five years of emptiness, solitude, loneliness, questions. Why didn’t Josh show up at his friend’s bachelor party? Was he murdered? Did he run away? And now, all this time later, who is the mysterious yet strangely familiar figure suddenly haunting her new life?

In No One Knows, the New York Times bestselling coauthor of the Nicholas Drummond series expertly peels back the layers of a complex woman who is hiding dark secrets beneath her unassuming exterior. This masterful thriller for fans of Gillian Flynn, Liane Moriarty, and Paula Hawkins will pull readers into a you’ll-never-guess merry-go-round of danger and deception. Round and round and round it goes, where it stops…no one knows.

REVIEW:
Everyone loves a good psychological thriller. Well if they don’t they should. And this would be a good one to pick up. Ellison takes us on a ride that thrilling and enjoying and yet has a bit of a twist.

I am a fan of books that I can’t figure out. While i spend my time trying to figure it out I love when it comes in and I got it wrong. But then again I like when I get it right too. The characters are really interesting and well formed. I enjoyed meeting them all.

This book will keep you thinking and those really are best kind.

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

March 24, 2016March 20, 2016

#TBT Kelly reviews The Accidental Werewolf by Dakota Cassidy – Catch up from the beginning

TITLE: The Accidental Werewolf
SERIES #: Accidentally #1
CHARACTERS: Keegan Flaherty & Marty Andrews
AUTHOR: Dakota Cassidy
NARRATOR: Meredith Mitchell
PUBLICATION DATE: February 5, 2008
RUN TIME 10 hours & 14 minutes
ORDER LINKS: Amazon| B&N | Audible

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
When Marty Andrews gets bitten by a mangy mutt while walking her teacup poodle, her blond hair darkens, the hair on her legs starts growing at an alarming rate, and her mood swings put her dream job as a sales rep for Bobbie-Sue Cosmetics in serious jeopardy.
Then a drool-worthy man shows up at her door claiming that he accidentally bit Marty. And since he’s a werewolf, she is now, too. Thinking Keegan Flaherty is clearly insane, Marty refuses to believe a word until a kidnapping makes her realize there’s more at stake than just her highlights. And she must put her out-of-control life in the hands of the man who makes her blood run wild in more ways than one

REVIEW:
I have to say that this story started a little slow for me. It seemed to take a long time for Marty & Keegan to get things together. But after it got going I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed Marty’s obsession with color wheels and Keegan’s obsession with Marty. The twists and turns on the who done it kept me guess for a while. I was wrong on some parts and right on others. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
I listened to this book on audio. Meredith Mitchell did a pretty good job of narrating this. There were a few things that were a little ho hum in her reading. I was not over wilde about all the male voices, some of them were a little to high pitched for my liking (but the one really did fit the character). And the sexy scense were a little blah in the reading, not a whole lot of feeling behind them. But I can understand that, it has to be terrible hard to read a sexy scene out loud.
A couple funny lines from Marty and Keegan:
“Holy Fur and Fury!!” Marty
“That is how Muff nailed me.” Keegan
If you are looking for a fun read I would suggest picking up a copy of this book or head over to audible and listen to the sample.
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the audio book from Tantor in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

March 23, 2016March 20, 2016

Kelly reviews Let It Breathe by Tawna Fenske

TITLE: Let it Breathe
CHARACTERS: Clay Henderson & Reese Clark
AUTHOR: Tawna Fenske
PUBLICATION DATE: March 22, 2016
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Forbidden fruit can be downright intoxicating.

Vineyard manager Reese Clark is determined to bring her family’s Oregon winery into the big leagues, and she knows building a new tasting room and event pavilion is her ticket there. Having her ex-husband’s best friend—and her secret college crush—turn up to head the construction project, however, definitely is not. Between her nauseating lovebird parents; her motorcycle-riding, pot-growing grandfather; and her pet alpaca fond of head-butting groins, Reese has more than enough chaotic characters in her life.

Back in college, Clay Henderson was more likely to be sprawled over a bar than building one. But even if the new clean-living Clay has matured as deliciously as an oak-aged chardonnay, he’s still off-limits. As Reese’s well-laid plans for the winery crumble like bad cork, Clay the bad boy–turned–sober gentleman is sweet enough to rescue Reese from a wardrobe malfunction and still spicy enough to play “I Never” with her. Can he overcome his past rep to offer her a love too heady to ignore?

REVIEW:
4.5 Hearts Another great read by Ms. Fenske. I really enjoyed the Let it Breath. I loved Leon. He is just awesome!! Who is Leon you ask? I can’t tell you ;). But you will like him.
I really enjoyed the tension between Clay and Reese. The history that Clay and Reese have is one that is filled with a lot of hurt, booze and unrequited love. I always love a second chance romance story, but Let it Breath is more of a second chance at first love.
I love the way that Ms. Fenske can tell us a story that makes us laugh, cry and want to climb into her story and become a character in her story. I really can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next.

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.