Monday, October 24, 2016

Review: Barefoot at Midnight (Barefoot Bay Timeless #3) by Roxanne St. Claire


Book Blurb:
 
Lawson Monroe is a chef without a restaurant...until his friend and mentor makes a deathbed promise to leave Law the only dive bar on Mimosa Key. Law has big plans for the Toasted Pelican until he walks directly into the luscious body and gorgeous face of Libby Chesterfield and her outrageous claim that the bar and restaurant should come to her.

When Libby learned that the man who once owned the crappiest watering hole on the island was actually her biological father, she decided the least he owed her was his unclaimed business. The old man wasn't there for her when she and her brother were growing up in Barefoot Bay, but his legacy can help her build a new future when she transforms the property into Balance, a yoga studio. The only obstacle? Her father apparently named former bad boy and current sexy silver fox Law Monroe his heir.

Law never thought he'd want anything more than the chance to make a living cooking his food for the people of Barefoot Bay...but Libby arouses an irresistible hunger in him. Battling an attraction that sizzles hotter than one of Law's cast-iron skillets and uncovering long-buried secrets with more twists than one of Libby's yoga poses, they'll have to find a way to both get what they want...especially if what they really want is each other.

 
My Review:

Barefoot at Midnight was an intense, emotional read.  I felt drawn to Lawson from the start...who he was, where he'd come from, and what he'd overcome.  He is open and honest, and I just really liked him.  Roxanne St. Claire really brought him to life for me, and I truly hoped things would work out for him.  Libby was a difficult character to like!  With her mixed up past, her dramatic mother, and her never ending assumptions I didn't feel as connected to her as I did to Lawson.  Despite all that, there are definite sparks between Lawson and Libby.  A connection neither expected or were looking for is palpable, no matter how much either of them try to deny it.  There are a lot of unresolved issues, and as they each work through these, there are a lot of bumps in the road and surprises in store.  The growth of their relationship is slow, steady and rocky, and a future between them is uncertain.

I liked that there is so much going on in Barefoot at Midnight.  With mature characters and life experience, the plot is rich with emotion, relationships, unknowns, and hope.  The plot is multi focal, but well blended into a well paced, easy to follow story.  There are some very unique and interesting secondary characters in a setting that is always a treat to return to!

The third book in Roxanne St. Claire's Timeless series, Barefoot at Midnight is a stand alone book that contemporary romance readers will enjoy.


4/5 stars


Purchase from Amazon.com


Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Review: Irresistibly Yours by Lark Brennan



Book Blurb:
In Lark Brennan s follow-up to the dazzling debut "Dangerously Yours," she delves more deeply into the Durand family its powers, its enemies, and the battles that wage both within and without.

Adrien Durand, one of the most powerful telepaths in the world, was born for a life of action and intrigue. But when his father dies suddenly, he s forced to return to Paris to take over his family s business empire, standing guard over the ancient source of their abilities at a time of great peril. When a beautiful American empath crosses his path, he first suspects she's a spy. But a dazzling energy flows between them, forming a psychic link he s powerless to break.

Tate Fulbright was born with a telepathic gift that she both treasures and loathes. She has coped so far by losing herself in work, but on a business trip to Paris she meets the impossibly sexy Adrien Durand, and her carefully constructed facade begins to crumble. Tate hoped only to see the city sights and never expected to be drawn into Adrien s glamorous and high-risk world. But when Adrien s enemies target her, she must set aside her pride and accept his protection.

Adrien Durand prides himself on his self-control, but as his enemies draw near and his psychic connection to Tate grows, he soon finds himself in danger of losing his grip on the links that keep his mind and his family together. Do Adrien and Tate have a chance for a future together, or will a dangerous fate destroy them both?



My Review:

In Irresistibly Yours by Lark Brennan, there is much more to Tate than initially meets the eye.  Working hard at a job she doesn't love, a business trip to Paris ends up being much more than ever anticipated.  In Paris is Adrien, whom Tate meets when she goes into his shop.  As soon as Adrien meets Tate he knows there is so much more to her than she shows anyone...but he doesn't know if she can be trusted.  As a Sentier and Protector, Adrien is careful who he trusts -especially when an empath and healer like Tate suddenly crosses his path.  His family is so much more than a business empire.  It is also an empire of enormous psychic talent and strength.  Using their powers for good, evil is chasing them.  Adrien is drawn to Tate almost against his will, and almost as quickly as they meet, Adrien's enemies soon become Tate's, because they will stop at nothing to get what they want from Adrien's family. 

I really enjoyed Irresistibly Yours by Lark Brennan!  From start to finish Lark kept me mesmerized between the pages as I got to know Tate, Adrien and his family.  This is the kind of paranormal romantic suspense I love to read because the characters are so real and Lark wrote their situations in a believable way.  I liked the different psychic elements we see in Irresistibly Yours, and how the characters work with their abilities individually and together.

Tate and Adrien meet in the most unusual way, but the connection between them is evident from the start.  Neither of them feel they are at a place in their lives where they want or need a relationship, but neither of them can stop themselves.  Watching them get to know each other and navigate that path was wonderful!  It is not a simple thing for either of them and there is a lot standing in their way.  I was interested to see if they could get past the obstacles or if in the end it would prove too much.  Although the plot is over a short period of time, nothing felt rushed, it just felt real like it was meant to be. Tate and Adrien both have sorrow in their past and I really hoped for happiness in the future for them.

The suspenseful part of the plot was very intriguing and kept me guessing.  There is a lot of unexpectedness, and the twists and turns kept everything interesting.  I felt like I was right there with Tate and Adrien much of the time.

There are a lot of secondary characters in Irresistibly Yours, and each of them has a significant contribution to the plot.  I enjoyed getting to know them as much as I enjoyed getting to know Tate and Adrien.

The setting of Paris is so romantic and at the same time adds to the thrill of the suspense.  I loved the descriptions Lark wrote...even the little things like describing the people at the coffee shop they were passing made it so easy to picture the place.

Irresistibly Yours is a well paced book that I would recommend to any paranormal romantic suspense reader.

4/5 stars

Purchase from Amazon.com







Release Event! A Fool For You by Katee Robert


A FOOL FOR YOU

 by Katee Robert

Sparks will fly on this roadtrip from hell...Fool Me Once is the second novel in the Foolproof Love series from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Katee Robert and Entangled Publishing.  


 

Title: A Fool For You
Author: Katee Robert
Series: Foolproof Love #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: October 3, 2016
Publisher: Entangled Brazen

Synopsis:

It’s been thirteen years since Hope Moore left Devil’s Falls, land of sexy cowboys and bad memories. Back for the weekend, she has no intention of seeing the man she never got over…or the two of them getting down and dirty. It’s just a belated goodbye, right? No harm, no foul.
Until six weeks later, when her pregnancy test comes back positive…
Daniel Rodriguez hasn’t forgiven himself for how things went down with Hope all those years ago. He knows she’s better off without him, but when she shows up on his doorstep, panicking because she’s pregnant with his baby, he can’t help seeing it as a chance to make up for the past.
Too bad Hope has no intention of going along with his plans.
Excerpt:
He turned to find Hope standing behind him. Again. “You sure move quiet when you want to.” Especially for a woman with a bum leg. Not that he could say as much without sounding like a jackass.
“You mean since I had my knee replaced.” Of course she knew what he meant anyway. Apparently damn near reading his mind was one annoying habit she hadn’t outgrown.
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to.” She leveraged herself down next to him, the move not quiet as smooth as it’d been when she was eighteen.
Daniel almost cursed. He had to stop doing that. Comparing her now to how she was then wasn’t fair to either of them. It was another lifetime completely, and thinking about it was just fucking depressing. “Hope—”
“Are you seeing anyone?”
No.”
“Why not?”
He was so surprised by the question that he answered honestly, “Why the fuck would I bother?”
“Oh, I don’t know, because you don’t want to be a creepy old man who lives in the middle of nowhere and has to run off silly high school kids with his shotgun because they tell ghost stories about him?”
He looked at her, half sure that she was the one who’d lost her damn mind. “That’s not a thing.”
“It is most definitely a thing.” She leaned back on her hands and stared at the sky. The most move arched her back and pressed her breasts against the fancy tank top she wore. It was made of some kind of drapey fabric that looked soft and shiny, and it highlighted the fact that he seriously doubted she was wearing a bra. “You’re too young to just give up.”
“It’s not about giving up.” Though he didn’t expect Hope to understand that. He’d checked up on her a few times since the accident, and every single time he was amazed at the things she’d accomplished. Life had kicked her in the teeth and she’d come back swinging. She’d taken two years off and then attended the University of Texas and graduated with honors. She ran her own successful consulting business to work with companies that wanted to set up scholarships and nonprofits.
She shifted to look at him. “It looks like giving up from where I’m sitting.”

 
 
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About Katee Robert
 


New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Katee Robert learned to tell her stories at her grandpa’s knee. She found romance novels at age twelve and it changed her life. When not writing sexy contemporary and speculative fiction romance novels, she spends her time playing imaginary games with her wee ones, driving her husband batty with what-if questions, and planning for the inevitable zombie apocalypse.  Connect with Katee at: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Instagram | Tumblr | Youtube