Kelly and Kimberly review Just One Kiss by Susan Mallery

TITLE: Just One Kiss
SERIES #: Fool’s Gold #11
CHARACTERS: Patience McGraw & Justice Garrett
AUTHOR: Susan Mallery
PUBLICATION DATE: 05/28/13
ORDER LINKS: Amazon |B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
He won’t hesitate to put his life on the line…but will he ever risk his heart?

Falling for Justice Garrett was a high point in Patience McGraw’s otherwise awkward adolescence. Even after he disappeared, Patience never forgot the boy who captured her heart. Now, he’s back in Fool’s Gold, California, and her passion for him is as strong as ever. But how can she trust that he won’t abandon her again-and her daughter, too?

When bodyguard Justice Garrett was a young man, witness protection brought him to this idyllic town and he never forgot its warmth, or the sweet beauty of his childhood friend. He’s returned to open a defense academy, and the Patience he once knew is all grown up. He can’t resist her smile, or her curves. But Justice’s past doesn’t make him husband, or father, material.

Patience and Justice think they’ll succumb to just one kiss… Then one more… Okay, just one night together. But they might learn that falling in love is beyond anyone’s control.

KELLY’S REVIEW:
4.5 Stars Justice & Patience are such a great couple. There was so much emotion happening in the this book. Childhood best friends, both loved each other even back then. But in the dead of night Justice just disappears. Now that he is back, will it before good? Or will he disappear again and break Patience’s heart all over again?

I have to admit this is my first Susan Mallery book. Yes I started with book 11(crazy i know!!!). But I loved this story and loved Susan’s writing. This was a great book. Easily read as a stand alone. I never felt lost at any time in Just One Kiss. But I do plan on going back and reading the first 10 books in the Fool’s Gold series. But until then I am really looking forward to Two of a Kind (#12) and Three Little Words (#13).
If you are a Susan Mallery fan you will love Justice & Patience’s story!! If you are new to Susan. Don’t be afraid to grab this book and start reading and find out why a trip to Fool’s Gold is so very nice.

KIMBERLY’S REVIEW:
4.5 Stars Another great visit to Fool’s Gold. This time the mini vacation was spent with Patience, Justice and Lilly. But it does not matter who you are actually visiting with you are always sure to bump into others that you know and love.

This has to be my favorite series of all my favorite authors books. I feel like I am coming home when I read one of Mallery’s Fool’s Gold series. Each time I read about a character from a previous book I actually feel like waving hello. There is just something about the characters that Mallery writes. They get into your heart and soul. I will admit that Patience and Justice was not one of my all time favorite characters from Mallery but they would still be heads above characters from other authors. And that says a lot.

I would compare Justice to a chocolate covered marshmallow. He looks real good, is hard on the outside but when it comes to his inside he is just soft and sweet. Now Patience is the exact opposite. She looks sweet on the outside but she can hold her own and can stand on her own two feet. I wish there had been more scenes with Justice and Lilly (Patience’s daughter) because those scenes were just too sweet for words.

As with all of Fool’s Gold stories this years mini series (the year of the bodyguards) can be read alone but I would say start with book one and you when you finish this book (#11) you will hold your breath for book #12.

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.

4 Hearts

Interview & Giveaway with Molly Harper

I am beside myself today.  One of my newest favorites is on the blog today.  I have to date read all of Molly’s books and I have loved every single one of them.  Please give a warm welcome to 1st time guest Molly Harper.

Molly, can you please share with us a little about yourself

I am a newspaper-reporter-turned-church-secretary-turned-romance-novelist and author of the Nice Girls vampire series and the Naked Werewolf series. I spent a lot of time in the school and public libraries growing up and repeatedly checked out the same the non-fiction paranormal studies section.  I loved fictional stories about ghosts and witches and vampires, but the idea that these beings were studied as fact was fascinating to me.  This interest in the “weird side” stayed with me through adulthood.  So when I finally decided to write a book, it was natural that I would write a paranormal story.  And because the most popular of my newspaper columns involved me injuring or humiliating myself in some way, I decided to write the most embarrassing way possible to become a vampire.  So my heroine, Jane, was fired from her job, received a restaurant gift certificate instead of a severance check, mistaken for a deer by a drunk hunter, shot and turned into a vampire in the first chapter.

I am married to my high school sweetheart, David, who serves as the inspiration for most of my leading men. We have two children and live in our hometown in western Kentucky.

Have you always wanted to be an author?

 

Yes, my mom loves to tell the story about an eight-year-old me lugging out her college typewriter and setting up a “Writers office” in the living room.  I wrote a short story about my class taking a trip around the world and losing a kid in each city.   Shades of  Agatha Christie’s “Ten Little Indians” but with more geography. Mom was disturbed, but entertained.

What is your most interesting writing quirk?

When I get stuck, I go get a Perrier.  I used to drink Coke, but I gave them up.  If the cold bubbly liquid doesn’t jump-start my brain, I go take a shower.  I get all of my best story-resolving ideas in the shower.  I have tried to persuade my husband to install a whiteboard in there, but so far, no luck.

Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?

A WITCH’S HANDBOOK OF KISSES AND CURSES is the latest spin off to my Half-Moon Hollow series and will be released in late May.  The story focuses on Nola Leary, a witch who searches Jane’s bookshop for four magical objects that will secure her family’s magical legacy.  Complication One: Her grandfather was Mr. Wainwright and the artifacts are lost somewhere in what is now Jane Jameson’s book shop. Complication Two: her new neighbor, Jed Trudeau, who keeps turning up half naked at the strangest times, a distraction Nola doesn’t need. And teaming up with a real-life Adonis is as dangerous  – and distracting, did she mention distracting? – as it sounds.  Can Nola complete her mission before falling completely under his spell?

The book will be available in print, ebook and audio.

How did you come with the idea for this story?

I’ve made it no secret that the vampire Dick Cheney is one of my favorite characters to work with, which is why he gets all of the best lines.  I had letters from readers asking about his family line and why I “ended it” with Mr. Wainwright, so I decided to give Dick more family members to emotionally traumatize.  Writing him as a bumbling, protective, doting grandpa figure was a source of hilarity for me.

Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?

NO!  Actually, I’m working on a ghost story called BETTER HOMES AND HAUNTINGS, about a crew of people renovating a remote Gilded Era mansion near Newport, RI.  It’s been a lot of fun trying to come up with the scariest “haunted house” scenarios possible.  At one point, I actually scared myself staying up late to write a sequence in which a character finds an unexpected occupant in his bed.  I was so freaked out by some of the imagery that it took some stern self-talk to get me to back to my room and get in bed.  If my husband had rolled over unexpectedly or made a suspicious “ghostlike” noise, I probably would have ended up sleeping on the couch.

Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?

Stephen King, but I don’t think I’m cool enough to pull off a conversation without fan-girling all over him.  And Nora Roberts, because she is the queen.

What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?

Writers write.  It sounds cliché.  But I meet people who seem to think that if they buy the right book on craft, take the right class, or join the right writing circle, it will guarantee their success. And while those things are valid uses of a writer’s time, sitting down and putting words on paper is what will further your story and make you a better writer.

Can you share with us something off your bucket list.

Visit Greece.  I’ve studied Greek mythology and history for years and I would love to see some of the sites linked to some of the divine stories.

What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?

Hourglass by Myra McIntyre

Defiance by CJ Redwyne

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

 

Learn more about Molly here: 

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr |

Blogs:

Singleundeadfemale.blogspot.com

www.whinesisters.com


Amazon | B&N

Nola Leary would have been content to stay in Kilcairy, Ireland, healing villagers at her family’s clinic with a mix of magic and modern medicine. But a series of ill-timed omens and a deathbed promise to her grandmother have sent her on a quest to Half-Moon Hollow, Kentucky, to secure her family’s magical potency for the next generation. Her supernatural task? To unearth four artifacts hidden by her grandfather before a rival magical family beats her to it.

Complication One: The artifacts are lost somewhere in vampire Jane Jameson’s occult bookshop. Complication Two: Her new neighbor Jed Trudeau keeps turning up half-naked at the strangest times, a distraction Nola doesn’t need. And teaming up with a real-life Adonis is as dangerous as it sounds, especially since Jed’s got the face of an angel and the abs of a washboard. Can Nola complete her mission before falling completely under his spell?

 

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!!

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Kelly reviews The Best Man by Kristan Higgins

TITLE: The Best Man
SERIES: Blue Heron #1
CHARACTERS: Levi Cooper & Faith Holland
AUTHOR: Kristan Higgins
PUBLICATION DATE: Feb 26, 2013
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Sometimes the best man is the one you least expect…Faith Holland left her hometown after being jilted at the altar. Now a little older and wiser, she’s ready to return to the Blue Heron Winery, her family’s vineyard, to confront the ghosts of her past, and maybe enjoy a glass of red. After all, there’s some great scenery there….

Like Levi Cooper, the local police chief—and best friend of her former fiancé. There’s a lot about Levi that Faith never noticed, and it’s not just those deep green eyes. The only catch is she’s having a hard time forgetting that he helped ruin her wedding all those years ago. If she can find a minute amidst all her family drama to stop and smell the rosé, she just might find a reason to stay at Blue Heron, and finish that walk down the aisle

REVIEW:
This was a super sweet read. I loved Faith. She is sweet, sarcastic, brave and as you will learn very blind to things that are right in front of her.

Levi is such a stick in the mud at times, but once you know his back story you will understand why. But he really is a great guy.

This was as I said earlier a very good read. I am really happy that I picked up a copy of this book. I won’t go into anymore details of this book as I may inadvertently give away too much. But know this: love sometimes finds you when you least expect it or when you are stuck in a bathroom window.

If you have not picked up a copy of The Best Manyou really should. I can’t wait to see what Kristan has in store for us next in the Blue Heron series.

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.

4 Hearts

Jennifer reviews Too Hot To Handle by Victoria Dahl

TITLE: Too Hot to Handle
SERIES #: The Jackson Series #2
CHARACTERS: Merry Kade and Shane Harcourt
AUTHOR: Victoria Dahl
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/26/13
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
This good girl’s going bad…Merry Kade has always been the good girl. The best friend. The one who patiently waits for the guy to notice her. Well, no more. Merry has just scored her dream job, and it’s time for her life to change. As the new curator of a museum in Wyoming, she’ll supervise a lot of restoration work. Luckily she’s found the perfect contractor for the job.

Shane Harcourt can’t believe that someone wants to turn a beat-up ghost town into a museum attraction. After all, the last thing he needs is the site of his dream ranch turning into a tourist trap. He’ll work on the project, if only to hasten its failure…until the beautiful, quirky woman in charge starts to change his mind.

For the first time ever, Merry has a gorgeous stud hot on her heels. But can she trust this strong, silent man, even if he is a force of nature in bed? When Shane’s ulterior motive come out, he’ll need to prove to Merry that a love like theirs may be too hot to handle, but it’s impossible to resist.

REVIEW:
Victoria Dahl has been one of my favorite authors for a very long time and I thoroughly enjoyed her new book, Too Hot to Handle. Merry Kade is so sweet and adorable in an awkward way and I could instantly relate to her. She has always been considered the best friend and not the “hot chick” and I felt for her trying to navigate in today’s misconstrued dating scene. When she meets Shane Harcourt, she immediately believes that he only sees her as a “friend” and any sexual contact that they may have would be labeled under “friends with benefits.” No strings attached and no long-term commitment potential when all Merry would love to do is settle down with this hot cowboy.

Shane started off in this book as having a chip on his shoulder and had this reputation that he wasn’t looking for a relationship. He agrees to help Merry with rebuilding the ghost town of Providence, little by little, but we quickly find out that he has ulterior motives to assisting Merry. I have to say that Shane grew on me after a while and I was really hoping that he could see Merry as more than a friend because they seemed to have great chemistry together. Merry deserved a true relationship and to know what love feels like and there were a few people in this book who would have kicked him in the ass if he broke Merry’s heart. I really enjoyed this book and reconnected with past characters from Close Enough to Touch and I am looking forward to more love stories in the beautiful town of Jackson, Wyoming.

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

4 Hearts

Kelly reviews True by Erin McCarthy

TITLE: True
CHARACTERS: Tyler Mann & Rory Macintosh
AUTHOR: Erin McCarthy
PUBLICATION DATE: May 7, 2013
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
When Rory Macintosh’s roommates find out that their studious and shy friend has never been with a guy, they decide that, as an act of kindness they’ll help her lose her virginity by hiring confident, tattooed bad boy Tyler Mann to do the job…unbeknownst to Rory.

Tyler knows he’s not good enough for Rory. She’s smart, doctor smart, while he’s barely scraping by at his EMT program, hoping to pull his younger brothers out of the hell their druggy mother has left them in. But he can’t resist taking up her roommates on an opportunity to get to know her better. There’s something about her honesty that keeps him coming back when he knows he shouldn’t…

Torn between common sense and desire, the two find themselves caught up in a passionate relationship. But when Tyler’s broken family threatens to destroy his future, and hers, Rory will need to decide whether to cut her ties to his risky world or follow her heart, no matter what the cost.

REVIEW:
I liked this story, but was not in love with it. I do realize that the characters were college age and therefore very selfish and well for a lack of a better word, stupid. But I guess that is how most college kids are. They don’t think before they act.

The sweet, smart shy girl meets the bad boy kinda story.

A couple of my biggest problems was the smoking. I know that people do it but for some reason I don’t want to read about my hero/heroine smoking.

The second biggest problem was that the hero was sleeping with the heroines roommate right before they hooked up. I don’t know this just bugged me the whole book.

But overall it was an okay read for me. Will I grab the next book in this series? I am still on the fence about that.

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.

Kelly reviews Sworn To Protect by Jo Davis

TITLE: Sworn to Protect
SERIES: Sugarland Blue #1
CHARACTERS: Shane Ford & Daisy Callahan
AUTHOR: Jo Davis
PUBLICATION DATE: May 7, 2013
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Sugarland loves their men in blue, especially Detective Shane Ford. But Shane’s mission to protect and to serve has just gotten personal…

Detective Shane Ford, Sugarland’s favorite cop, has been blindsided by the sudden death of his best friend, NFL star Brad Cooper, and becoming the legal guardian of Brad’s son, Drew—a bitter, angry sixteen-year-old with a dangerous secret. Shane is determined to pry the truth from Drew, but only manages to alienate him—and winds up going head to head with Juvenile Detective Daisy Callahan, whose job is to protect the teen’s best interests.

Shane has always been drawn to Daisy’s beauty and strength, but he’s determined not to allow their intense attraction to interfere with his duty ever again. It’s a vow that will prove difficult to keep, as the realities of Shane and Daisy’s blossoming love and their growing bond with the grieving teen propel Shane headlong into danger for the new family he’s sworn to protect.

REVIEW:
Sworn to Protect is the 1st book in Jo Davis’ new Sugarland Blue Series. But if you missed it there was a novella released in March “Armed and Dangerous” that takes place before this book. Which you may want to read first it gives you a little history of Shane and Daisy.

In Sworn to Protect we find Shane in an impossible situation. His best friend in the world is dead, he is now the guardian of a teenage boy, the woman of his dreams just walked out on him and someone is pushing some deadly new drug.

Daisy has been in love with Shane since the day she meet him. But he never has noticed her until a few months ago. But then he pushed her away. Daisy is not sure if she can take another risk with her heart. When Shane comes to her for help Daisy can’t say no.

This was a very good story. I loved Shane even when he was being a dummy. And Daisy is no pushover. These two are so sickening sweet!!! But I loved it.

I can’t wait to see what is in store next for the Sugarland Blue series.

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.

4 Hearts

Kimberly review Desperate Measures by Linda Cajio

TITLE: Desperate Measures
CHARACTERS: Ellen & Joe
AUTHOR: Linda Cajio
PUBLICATION DATE: 04/08/13
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Ellen Kitteridge is doing her best to put a personal but very public tragedy behind her. Trusting any man—especially one who radiates power and sensuality like Joe Carlini— isn’t easy . . . but it sure is fun. She’s never felt more alive as she helps Joe track down whoever is stealing Carlini family secrets. Playing spy games, with lust heating every moment, has taken her way beyond her comfort zone—and now she’s wondering if she’s gone too far.

Carlini Foods is Joe’s life, but Ellen, with her perfect mix of vixen and vulnerability, makes him realize how hungry his heart has become. Fate has made her his co-conspirator as he ferrets out a traitor in the ranks. Now it’s up to Joe to make sure she stays close. Ellen may have been hurt in the past, but Joe’s not going to give up on the best thing that has ever happened to him.

REVIEW:
While this story is cute it is OH SO DATED! I mean the characters meet in a roller skating rink for heavens sake. Originally published in 1989 as a LoveSwept novel this story does not stand the test of time.

Now that being said if you know ahead of time how dated it is it is a very cute story. I enjoyed it and can understand why it has become a “LoveSwept Classic”. It is a simple quick read and enjoyable… but really? Frank Sinatra? Can we say d-a-t-e-d?

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

Kimberly reviews He’s So Shy by Linda Cajio

TITLE: He’s So Shy
CHARACTERS: Penelope & Richard
AUTHOR: Linda Cajio
PUBLICATION DATE: 04/08/13
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
When Penelope Marsh last laid eyes on the gorgeous man standing before her, Richard Creighton had been a skinny nerd with glasses. Now he’s one of the most popular actors in the world. The only reason he’s back in New Jersey is to play the lead in a period piece directed by Penelope’s cousin. But Penelope’s too old for a schoolgirl crush—especially when the crush in question is a sexy Hollywood hunk.

Still sometimes shocked to be the object of a pretty woman’s desire, Richard is most comfortable with the cameras rolling, hiding behind the mask of his carefully crafted characters. Penelope’s presence on the set brings back memories of his painfully shy childhood—and yet he’s powerfully drawn to the willowy schoolteacher with the long legs and vivid blue eyes. Most celebrity romances must weather promiscuous starlets and invasive paparazzi, but Richard faces a different challenge altogether: proving that he’s come into his own since he was a kid—not to Penelope, but to himself.

REVIEW:
This is a re-release from 1994 and even from the prologue of the book you can see that this book is very dated. While a cute read it is best to know that up front.

This story is very typical of the romance of the day. However the couple is cute and endearing in their own way. The story is short so if you enjoy a cute romance this will be one that will become a classic just like it is in the LoveSwept Classic collection.

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

Kimberly reviews Midnight Secrets by Ella Grace

TITLE: Midnight Secrets
SERIES #: Wildfire #1
CHARACTERS: Savannah & Zach
AUTHOR: Ella Grace
PUBLICATION DATE: 04/30/13
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
AT THE STROKE OF MIDNIGHT, THE HEAT BEGINS

On a hot southern night, with a storm on the horizon, a family is shattered. Three beautiful daughters—Savannah, Samantha, and Sabrina Wilde—go on with their lives, each significantly changed, as they bear the memory of the murder-suicide that killed their parents. For years, they have stayed away from Midnight, Alabama. Until Midnight calls them home.

Savannah is the first one back, when a grueling case in Nashville leads the young prosecutor to seek shelter in the quiet of the once grand Wilde mansion. But when she finds letters casting doubt on her family’s dark, shameful past, she realizes that peace in Midnight is a shallow façade and sinister secrets lurk beneath the surface. Zach Tanner, once the town’s bad boy, is now the new police chief and still has a wild hold over her. Zach can feel it, too, but he hurt Savannah once. As teenagers, they broke every rule together. Now it’s his job to keep her safe, even though he isn’t sure who her enemies are—or which ones might be his own.

REVIEW:
I really enjoyed this story. I did not want to miss a word of it. Zach and Savannah have a connection from the first moment and the background stories are very interesting and it is nice that the background story is more than just one simple story. There are actually countless stories going on in this story and somehow they all wrap around Savannah and Zach. Yet it does not feel overwhelming with the same characters.

Zach is just so adorable. He has such a romantic side and yet is all male. Savannah while she seems so innocent in the beginning shows she grows into a capable woman and still keeps her innocence.

I didn’t like that it took so long for the story of the Grandfathers letters to start. It was well past half the story. And honestly I am not sure I buy the whole reason Savannah decides to stay in town (no spoilers) either. There are a couple things also that were brought up and then never discussed again which I wanted to know more about. But that being said it really is an interesting story. There is a bit of everything in this story that any fan of romantic suspense would enjoy.

I can not wait to read the next in the series and see what the other two of the triplets is up to… and with who!

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

4 Hearts

Kimberly reviews Summer He Came Home by Julianna Stone

TITLE: Summer He Came Home
SERIES #: Bad Boys of Crystal Lake #1
CHARACTERS: Maggie & Cain
AUTHOR: Juliana Stone
PUBLICATION DATE: 04/02/13
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Sometimes the best place to find love is right back where you started…

Falling asleep in a different bed every night has made it easy for Cain Black to forget his past. It’s been ten years since he packed his guitar and left Crystal Lake to chase his dreams. Now tragedy has forced him home again. And though Cain relishes the freedom of the road, one stolen moment with Maggie O’Rourke makes him wonder if he’s missing out on something bigger than fame.

For Maggie—single mother and newly settled in Crystal Lake—love is a luxury she just can’t afford. Sure, she appreciates the tall, dark and handsome looks of prodigal son Cain Black. But how long can she expect the notorious hellion to stay?

The last thing either of them wants is something complicated. But sometimes love has its own plans.

REVIEW:
I enjoyed this romance but had some problems with it… First the good part… Maggie and Cain have a connection right away that flows through the entire story. I enjoyed the storyline (mostly) and enjoyed the other “Bad Boys” and can not wait to read their stories too. I adored Michael (Maggie’s son) even though having a 7 year old I can honestly say no child that age speaks and acts the way he does but he is endearing and I enjoyed the connection that Cain and Michael have as much as the one Cain has with Maggie.

Now the part I was not so sure of… Cain is a rocker who comes back for one of his best friends funerals (that was written so emotionally well) but the background of Cain is really off some. First the story claims the band is starting to make it and the concerts they are playing have a bunch of fans… but then they are the opening act and Cain is already “tired” of the lifestyle. He also claims to be tired of the lifestyle but then anytime he plays the guitar it is written that he feels like he is missing something. It just seems the characters background is not written very clearly.

But that being said I enjoyed the book and would certainly recommend it to anyone who enjoys the “coming home again” romance.

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

4 Hearts

Kimberly reviews Paradise Hops by Liz Crowe

TITLE: Paradise Hops
CHARACTERS: Lori/Garret/Eli
AUTHOR: Liz Crowe
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/15/12
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A brutal attack left Lori Brockton convinced she was damaged goods. By the time she emerges from hiding two years later, ready to run her family’s famous brewery, she’s determined to be independent–never rely on anyone ever again. Nearly a year of working in every corner of Brockton Brewing Company, from warehouse to pub, front office to kitchen, teaches her all she needs to know about the business. Then, she comes face-to-face with masculine perfection in a suit and her world is rocked in more ways than one. Garret Hunter is the new Brockton business manager who takes one look at the beautiful, sad young woman and his entire existence coalesces around winning her heart.

But standing between Garrett and what he believes is his true love, is a six-feet six-inch blond-haired bad boy brewer.

Eli Buchannan is a craft beer rock star, recently hired by Brockton to drag the company into the 21st century. He brings innovation and attitude plus a prima donna ladies’ man reputation. But he’s sworn off anything resembling commitment, personal or professional, after getting burned at his last job on both fronts.

Garret Hunter is “The Perfect Man” — handsome, successful, stable, eager to settle down. Eli Buchannan… is not. Compelling, smoking hot, creative and elusive, he represents everything Lori Brockton should avoid. But just as she makes a difficult choice, a drastic life-changing shift occurs, and nothing is ever the same again.

REVIEW:
I just could not get into this book. The character of Lori is way beyond irritating and I just never cared about her circumstances. I am not big on the love triangle storyline anyway but wanted to give this book a shot and I am kinda sorry that I did.

Eli is crass and I just hated every scene he was in. Garret was very sweet but a bit OCD. Lori is selfish and I just never understood why she had to go back and forth between the two. And the end… UGH! I was just disappointed. I think this is a love it or hate it kind of story and I just didn’t love it at all.

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

Kimberly reviews The Professional/The Player by Rhonda Nelson

TITLE: The Professional/The Player
SERIES #: Men Out Of Uniform #13/#1
CHARACTERS: Jeb & Sophie/Jamie & Audrey
AUTHOR: Rhonda Nelson
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/16/12
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
THE PROFESSIONAL
Former military man Jeb Anderson accepted a job at Ranger Security to regain some control over his life. But when he goes undercover to investigate a series of thefts at a retirement home, his number one suspect completely unravels his control…and sends his libido sky-high! As far as massage therapist Sophie O’Brien is concerned, Jeb is infuriating. Still, she’d like nothing more than to find out just what’s underneath Jeb’s reserved exterior—and his clothes! Because if he’s half as talented as his nickname implies, letting him uncover all her secrets will be very, very satisfying….

THE PLAYER
There’s nothing like a man in uniform…or out of it! Especially when he’s as hot as former Ranger Jamie Flanagan. After their last assignment went horribly wrong, he and his buddies needed to get out of the military for good. There was only one catch–that he and his pals promise their commanding officer one favor. Any favor. Now tall, dark and sexy Jamie is a top security specialist… and the ultimate ladies’ man. So he’s more than a little surprised when he learns the colonel has set him up to protect his granddaughter. Who would trust a player like Jamie with a gorgeous woman like Audrey? Then he learns his “mission” is to seduce her away from another man….

REVIEW:
THE PROFESSIONAL
I am not sure how I feel about this story. I really enjoyed the storyline itself and I enjoyed the characters too. They really are so cute together. Then why am I not sure about it? Because it makes Jeb, who supposedly is an Army Ranger, look like an idiot. Becca is the one who thinks up everything and Jeb is just the muscle. And while I liked him as the muscle I felt like he was written wrong. I also would have enjoyed more of the twin connection. That being said I liked the story. And I think anyone who enjoys romance will enjoy it too. Pick it up and you will not be disappointed.

THE PLAYER
This is actually a reprint of the first in the series of “Men Out of Uniform” and it was good but again not great. There is just something a little off about the way this author writes these books. It isn’t that it is bad writing just odd. I am glad I read the other book first because I am not sure I would have continued with the series having read this book first. But seeing as I did read the other one first it was kind of nice to backtrack and see how it all began.

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