Romance – Page 30 – Books-n-Kisses

January 17, 2018January 15, 2018

Kelly reviews Cherish Hard by Nalini Singh

TITLE: Cherish Hard
SERIES #: Hard Play #1
CHARACTERS: Sailor Bishop & Ísa Rain
AUTHOR: Nalini Singh
PUBLICATION DATE: November 14, 2017
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh kicks off her new Hard Play contemporary romance series with a sizzling story that’ll leave you smiling…
Sailor Bishop has only one goal for his future – to create a successful landscaping business. No distractions allowed. Then he comes face-to-face and lips-to-lips with a woman who blushes like an innocent… and kisses like pure sin.
Ísa Rain craves a man who will cherish her, aches to create a loving family of her own. Trading steamy kisses with a hot gardener in a parking lot? Not the way to true love. Then a deal with the devil (aka her CEO-mother) makes Ísa a corporate VP for the summer. Her main task? Working closely with a certain hot gardener.
And Sailor Bishop has wickedness on his mind.
As Ísa starts to fall for a man who makes her want to throttle and pounce on him at the same time, she knows she has to choose – play it safe and steady, or risk all her dreams and hope Sailor doesn’t destroy her heart.

REVIEW:
Sailor is determined to prove to himself and his family that he is nothing like his father. He will work himself to the bone and won’t let anything get in the way of his plan. But when he is approached by a beautiful redhead in the school parking lot and she kisses him silly, Sailor starts to think there might be room for more than just work. It is not until after she runs away that Sailor realizes that that was the woman who has been haunting his dreams for the last seven years. Thank goodness he is a patient man and knows where she works because he plans on picking up where they left off.
Both Sailor and Ísa are sweet and determine. They bring out the best in each other and show each other that sometimes love isn’t hard if you don’t fight it. I really enjoyed Cherish Hard and I am looking forward to the next installment in this series.

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

January 11, 2018January 7, 2018

Kelly reviews A Merciful Secret by Kendra Elliot

TITLE: A Merciful Secret
SERIES #: Mercy Kilpatrick #3
CHARACTERS: Mercy Kilpatrick & Truman Daly
AUTHOR: Kendra Elliot
PUBLICATION DATE: January 16, 2018
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A pair of ritual murders could expose Mercy Kilpatrick to something terrifying: her own past…
Raised off the grid by survivalists, Mercy Kilpatrick believed in no greater safeguard than the backwoods of Oregon. Unforgiven by her father for abandoning the fold for the FBI, Mercy still holds to her past convictions. They’re in her blood. They’re her secrets—as guarded as her private survival retreat hidden away in the foothills.
In a cabin near her hideaway, Mercy encounters a young girl whose grandmother is dying from multiple knife wounds. Hundreds of miles away, a body is discovered slashed to death in a similar way. The victims—a city judge and an old woman living in the woods—couldn’t be more different. With the help of police chief Truman Daly, Mercy must find the killer before the body count rises. Mercy knows that the past has an edge on her. So does her family. How can she keep her secrets now…when they’re the only things that can save her?

REVIEW:
Again I find myself immersed in the world of Mercy Kilpatrick. In A Merciful Secret Mercy finds herself the first person on the scene of a vicious knife attack that turns into a murder investigation.
But that is not the only murder that the small town of Eagle’s Nest has to deal with, one of the local resident’s father has also been killed up in the big city of Portland. The only connection between these two murders is that both are very similar in method.
But neither Mercy or Truman were prepared for the wild ride that these two murders were going to take them on. When all the questions are answered someone’s hopes and dream will go up in flame.
Another wonderful book from Mrs. Elliot! I always love picking up a copy of her books. I really enjoyed seeing the connection between Mercy and Truman grow. These two are so perfect together and can work through anything as long as they are together!
I can’t wait to see what is next 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.

January 9, 2018January 7, 2018

Kimberly reviews Heart Of The Wolf by Terry Spear

TITLE: Heart Of The Wolf
SERIES #: Heart Of The Wolf #1
CHARACTERS: Bella & Devlyn
AUTHOR: Terry Spear
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/02/18
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Their forbidden love may get them both killed. Bella is a red werewolf, sole survivor of the fire that killed her entire pack. Devlyn is a beta male werewolf in a pack of grays. Forced to flee her adopted gray pack when the alpha male becomes a vicious threat, she struggles to live as a lone wolf, until Devlyn, the gray male who rescued her as a pup, comes to bring her home.

When a local red werewolf goes on a killing spree, Bella and Devlyn must flee the murderer, the police and their vengeful pack leader. With the full moon rising, and her heat upon her, Bella can’t resist the pull to her destined mate, even if means Devlyn will have to face the wicked alpha male in a fight to the death…

REVIEW:
2.75 Hearts Well this story is hard to review. I really didn’t enjoy it. I have read others by Terry Spear but this is the first in a new series and I really am not sure if I will continue with the series. I may give it another chance once the next one comes out.

I really didn’t enjoy the characters. It might have been because they were young and Devlyn is just not alpha enough and to be honest I couldn’t ever feel him become alpha. And Bella is just not interesting either.

Just not for me.

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

January 5, 2018January 2, 2018

Kimberly reviews Every Dog Has His Day by Jenn McKinlay

TITLE: Every Dog Has His Day
SERIES #: Bluff Point #3
CHARACTERS: Zachary & Jessie
AUTHOR: Jenn McKinlay
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/02/18
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A stray kitten and a rambunctious poodle bring together a small-town bachelor and a single mother in the latest romance set in Bluff Point, Maine.

Bluff Point brewery owner Zachary Caine wants nothing to do with commitment. His wild bachelor lifestyle suits him perfectly—until a foster kitten named Chaos makes him a reluctant hero. Now he’s BFFs with the kitten’s two little girls and finds himself falling for their gorgeous mother, who couldn’t think less of him.

Divorced mother Jessie Connelly wants nothing to do with men like Zach. He’s sexy and charismatic and bad news, just like her ex. But her girls adore him, and he’s doing a good job filling in for their deadbeat dad. Then a snowstorm brings out the best in both neighbors, who, it turns out, have more in common than their mutual attraction…

So when Jessie’s past threatens her and her girls, Zach is determined to do whatever it takes to protect them—and live happily ever after with this family he has made his own.

REVIEW:
This is the third in the series but the first one that I have read. This is an adorable story that has charm and charisma to spare. Jessie is a great character. She is “real” with issues that most women have. I loved her. Zach is a sweet guy who falls pretty quick for Jessie and her two little girls.

The story is very sweet and has a good lesson on the importance of family.

I will be heading back to read the first two in the series. Very enjoyable.

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

January 4, 2018January 2, 2018

Kimberly reviews Rocco by Sarah Castille

TITLE: Rocco
SERIES #: Ruin & Revenge #3
CHARACTERS: Rocco & Grace
AUTHOR: Sarah Castille
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/02/18
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Mafia enforcer, Rocco De Lucchi is the best in the business.

Cold, hard and utterly ruthless, Rocco is the most dangerous of men. Feelings are a luxury he cannot afford—until a chance encounter brings him face to face with the only woman who found her way into his heart and touched his soul.

Grace Mantini has spent her whole life running from the mob. Daughter of the boss’s right hand man, she is both a prize and a target. When Rocco walks back into her life, she wants nothing to do with the man who betrayed her and broke her heart. But only Rocco can protect her from the dangerous forces that seek to destroy her family. Can they escape the hands of fate closing around them? Or will love be the kiss of death for them both?

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

This is the third in the series but the first one I read. I have never read a mafia romance that I can remember and while this was ok I am not sure the series would be for me.

The other thing I had a hard time with was the May/December romance. It just seemed icky since Rocco knew Grace as a child.

This story was just not at all what I expected and really not up my alley.

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

January 3, 2018January 2, 2018

Kelly reviews Sweet Tea And Sympathy by Molly Harper

TITLE: Sweet Tea & Sympathy
SERIES #: Southern Electric #1
CHARACTERS: Margot Cary & Kyle Archer
AUTHOR: Molly Harper
NARRATOR: Amanda Ronconi
RUN TIME: 9 Hours & 27 Minutes
PUBLICATION DATE: November 21, 2017
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

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

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

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

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

REVIEW:
Sweet Tea & Sympathy is the first book in Molly Harper’s new Southern Eclectic series (check out Save a Truck, Ride a Redneck prequel novella). In Sweet Tea & Sympathy we get to meet the long lost McCready family member after an unfortunate event involving some flamingos, shrimps and they death of Margot’s career. Just when Margot thinks she is at her lowest point Aunt Tootie finds her and convinces her to move to Lake Sackett and work for the family.

Another wonderful story from Molly Harper.

The amazing Amanda Ronconi lent her talent and voice to another of Mrs. Harper’s novels. Amanda does a great job of bringing the McCready family alive. I always love having Amanda read me one of Molly’s stories! I am already looking forward to the next installment in this series.

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

December 29, 2017December 26, 2017

Kimberly reviews The Pines Of Winder Ranch by RaeAnne Thayne

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

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

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

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

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

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

December 28, 2017December 26, 2017

Kimberly reviews Now That You Mention It by Kristan Higgins

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

December 27, 2017December 26, 2017

Kimberly reviews Can’t Forget You by Rachel Lacey

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

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
YOU NEVER FORGET YOUR FIRST LOVE

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

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

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

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

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

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

December 26, 2017December 25, 2017

Kimberly reviews A Season Of Miracles by Heather Graham

TITLE: A Season Of Miracles
CHARACTERS: Jillian & Robert
AUTHOR: Heather Graham
PUBLICATION DATE: 12/01/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Revisit a thrilling tale of second chance love in this classic Christmas romance by New York Times bestselling author Heather Graham.

Centuries ago, in another lifetime, the man Jillian Llewellyn loved tried but failed to save her. Now, in this season of miracles, two lost souls are being given a second chance.

Since her husband’s death, jewelry designer Jillian Llewellyn has withdrawn, focusing only on her work. But something unimaginable is going to shatter her safe world, drawing her into a web of danger and desire. At the center of the storm is a handsome stranger, Robert Marston. The new silent partner at Llewellyn Enterprises, Marston is as formidable as he is intimidating…as mysterious as he is familiar. The connection she feels is bone deep–as if they’ve known each other before.

When several bizarre accidents strike Jillian, a chilling fear that someone wants to harm her begins to grow. But who would want her dead? A co-worker? A member of her own close-knit family? Against her will she is drawn to Robert, unsure whether he is her salvation…or her damnation. Now, as the ghosts of the past are resurrected, Jillian and Robert must forge a new destiny as they unlock the timeless secrets of passion and betrayal. At Christmas time, anything is possible…if you believe.

REVIEW:
This is a re-release from 2002 under Shannon Drake. I enjoyed this story but you can tell this was the earlier days of Drake/Graham.

I enjoyed the story for the most part. It is a bit different which is what kept me reading it but it was also a bit slow. The middle was what kept my interest. The beginning was slow but I gave it the time it needed. But the end was abrupt. It needed maybe one more chapter but it felt pushed together to hurry the end.

This will not be a story I recommend but it wasn’t a bad read either.

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

December 21, 2017December 20, 2017

Kimberly reviews Wolf Hunger by Paige Tyler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A great paranormal romance.

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

December 20, 2017December 19, 2017

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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