Where the Heart Is

In Where the Heart Is by Darcy Burke, Chloe has packed up and moved across the country to Ribbon Ridge, Oregon.  She is looking for a fresh start and happiness.  Unfortunately almost immediately her rental home burns to the ground with her belongings in it...and Chloe doesn't know what to do, but she is definitely not turning tail and heading back to where she came from.  While watching her home burn, she meets a sexy fire fighter - Derek - who despite the circumstances, catches her attention immediately.  First he comes to a kitten's rescue, then he comes to Chloe's rescue by helping her find a place to stay.  There is an immediate connection between Chloe and Derek, and they quickly progress to a hot and heavy romance.  When Derek turns out to be much more than the fire fighter/bartender, Chloe will need to decide if she wants to take the chance.  She is brave enough to take that leap.

Chloe could not be happier in Ribbon Ridge...especially when Derek rents her his house.  But that could end up being their downfall because Derek has so much secrecy and sorrow within himself, a past he's never had closure on, that he soon is doubting everything about his and Chloe's relationship.  Whereas Chloe is open, Derek is closed...he keeps a big part of himself from not only Chloe, but the Archer family, his second family.  Instead of dealing with the past, Derek wants to avoid it, even if it means losing Chloe...no matter how much it all hurts.  Will Derek risk losing the woman of his dreams?  Or can he finally open himself up and start healing with Chloe at his side, or will it be too late?

Where the Heart is was a quick, fast paced, steamy novella that was the perfect length for Derek and Chloe's story.  I really enjoyed Chloe, it was easy to feel a connection to her.  She is courageous, fun, loving, and very patient and understanding with Derek.  Derek has a big heart, but he is so afraid to take some risks.  I felt for him and what he went through, even if he was frustrating at times!

Darcy writes an intriguing romance in Where the Heart Is.  I loved the big family of the Archer's, they really helped make the story!  I also loved the small town setting...Darcy wrote about it perfectly so that you will feel it's a place you'd love to visit.  There are lots of great secondary characters in the Archer family who I'm sure we'll see more of in future stories from Ribbon Ridge.  Even though it's set around Christmas time, I think Where the Heart Is and the story it tells is a good read for any time of year!

I'd recommend this to any romance reader looking for a spicy quick read with some angst to get through!

3/5 stars 

Second Chance Bride

In Second Chance Bride by Trish Morey, Scarlett risked it all by up and leaving Marietta, heading to Australia to marry her 'true love', a man she met online.  That definitely did not work out, to no one's surprise, and Scarlett is left broke, looking for work and a way to get home again as she carts around her backpack and bad luck wedding dress.  She needs to get home, her mother is sick.  Scarlett is determined to earn the money for a ticket home, no matter what the price to her.  Or so she thinks.

Scarlett meets Mitch in a very unusual way, in a place she really has no business being.  Scarlett is not at all what Mitch first thinks, but the chemistry between them is immediate.  When that little job didn't work out and Scarlett sends Mitch on his way, she thinks she will never see him again.  Fate has other ideas though, and she runs into Mitch again outside of a bar not long after their first meeting. 

Mitch sees the desperation in Scarlett...she needs money and he needs help.  When he proposes that she be his fake girlfriend for his best friends wedding (who also happens to be marrying Mitch's ex-fiancee), an all expenses weekend away and money for a flight home, it's a win win situation for all, right?  Especially when they are both so hot for each other, to make it seem more realistic why not be real lovers for a few days?  Neither expect to fall hard and fast for the other just as Scarlett has finally found a way to get home to Marietta.  She will leave a piece of her heart in Australia when she leaves...because she can't bring him home...

Trish gives us a fast paced, steamy romance in Second Chance Bride with equal parts humor and romance that will pull on your heart strings and have you wishing there could be a happy ending for Mitch and Scarlett.  I really fell for both of these people in Second Chance Bride!  Scarlett has always been impulsive, unsettled, and just trying to find her way.  She is strong and I loved how she was not easily intimidated!  She speaks her mind and does what feels right for her...no holding back for this girl!  She is a woman you could have as your friend, someone you can just feel a connection with.  Mitch wasn't looking to become involved, but Scarlett is like a whirl wind who just pulls him in and he can't resist her, even if it is just temporary.  He wasn't looking for more, but when he finds it in Scarlett he shows her in numerous ways how quickly she's become to mean something to him, even if they only have a short time together.

Second Chance Bride is well written, flows smoothly, and Trish makes it easy to become immersed in Mitch and Scarlett's story.  This novella is the perfect length for the story to be told, a story that will make your heart happy.  I highly recommend Second Chance Bride to any romance reader looking for a quick, sizzling romantic fix with two characters you can't help but love!

5/5 stars :)

Purchase from Amazon

The Bridge

In The Bridge by Carol Ericson, Elise is the woman who escaped a serial killer. Sean is the detective who 'catches' her case. Sean's past shadows the present, but he will do all he can to keep Elise safe and catch a killer.

But the killer doesn't want to be stopped, he has a grudge and won't let go. He won't let the one who got away go too if he can help it. As the killer gets closer, so do Sean and Elise. The chemistry between them is just as hot as the plot is captivating! Will Sean catch a killer like he's caught Elise's heart? Or is it too late?

The Bridge is a quick paced, suspenseful romance novel with great action and plot twists that will keep you guessing and surprise you! The characters are interesting and make you want to know them better! Sean is a protector, doing what is right, but inside always feeling like he has to prove himself. Elise is a sweet, but naive school teacher who falls hard and fast for Sean! The only odd thing I found off with the whole story was the way she tended to insert herself into the investigation at times, taking away some of the realism.

Carol's descriptions and setting for the Bridge were fantastic. I could feel the fog when she was describing it!

I'd recommend The Bridge to any reader who craves some romantic suspense.

4/5 stars

More Than a Touch

In More Than a Touch(Snowberry Creek Series #2) by Alexis Morgan, Leif is in Snowberry Creek to help his friend with some home renovations in their fallen comrad’s home. He himself was injured in the same attack that killed their friend, and he feels guilty to have been the one to survive. While Leif is in Snowberry Creek he is also working on his own physical and mental recovery…but will he recover enough to return to the military? All Leif has ever been is army. That is his family, it’s what he feels a part of. With his troubles coping and PSTD, the last thing Luke needs is to get wrapped up in the emotions of a relationship on top of everything else. Read More

4/5 stars

Sweetest Surrender

In Sweetest Surrender by Katie Reus, Angel has been on the run for 2 years...running from a dangerous stalker she hopes will never find her.  She's been in Vegas for a few months now, working in Cloud 9 at the Serafina.  Vadim, who works in computers/security at the Serafina, has become friends with Angel. Vadim carries an aura of danger around him, he is mysterious and lots of women are frightened of him.  Not Angel though.  In fact, Angel has feelings for Vadim that are definitely not of the friendly sort...only she thinks he only sees her as a friend.

Angel is starting to feel very comfortable in Vegas with her 'family' at Serafina...but she is starting to feel nervous and has the urge to run again.  Angel brings out the protective instincts in former Marine Vadim, who is feeling much more than friendly towards Angel.  When he senses something is up with her, he convinces Angel to say at his home.  He wants her close.  Soon both of their instincts prove right and she is in danger once again.  Not wanting anyone to be hurt because of her, she has to decide if she's going to run forever...or can she trust in Vadim and her other friends?  When Vadim finds out the truth he will do anything to protect Angel so they can have a future together.  The bond she is forging with him is getting stronger every day, is it worth the risk to stay and face danger? 

Sweetest Surrender is a fast paced, super hot book that will have you glued to the pages!  Angel and Vadim are a great hero and heroine.  Angel is independent and strong.  She does not want to be a charity case for Vadim to look after...and he is just the man to prove that she is anything but a charity case for him!  I really liked how despite Angel's bad experience she doesn't shut herself off from relationships or paint all men with the same brush.  Vadim is one hot, take charge alpha man!  I have been waiting for his story, having been very intrigued by this mysterious man, and Katie did not disappoint!  Katie gives us just enough background on him so that we understand him, and the present isn't clouded by the past.

The interactions between Angel and Vadim are super, and Katie will have you hoping they have their own happily ever after as soon as you meet them and get drawn into their story.  There are some great secondary characters in Sweetest Surrender who you will recognize from the other books, but they blend well with this story so that it can be read as a stand alone.

Katie gives us an enchanting mix of suspense, romance and heat in Sweetest Surrender with unexpected but thrilling plot twists that will keep you guessing, never knowing what to expect.  Smoothly writtten great attention to detail, if you like romantic suspense you will love Sweetest Surrender.

5/5 stars :)

A Cold Dark Place

A Cold Dark Place by Toni Anderson will have your heart racing, and keep you guessing!

Every since her twin sister was kidnapped from their bedroom at a young age, FBI special agent Mallory Rooney has never been the same.  Her life changed dramatically that night, and has never been the same.  Despite resources and her parents wealth, her sister was never found, and no clue as to her where abouts was to be had.  Mallory has never stopped looking for her sister...at the cost of having any life for herself, she spends all of her time reviewing the case and searching for clues...searching for a killer.  Not even when she stopped sensing her sister's life did Mallory stop.  She is an FBI agent for the main reason of having access to things civilians don't, always searching.

When it becomes obvious that a vigilante is working to kill serial killers, she is transferred to BAU where she is given the task to covertly investigate this, to find out who is involved.

Alex Parker is a former soldier, former CIA.  When he was captured, jailed and tortured in a foreign country with not acknowledgment from his government, The Gateway Project seemed like his only life line.  Now Alex is a government sanctioned assassin on US soil.  Not what he thought he'd end up doing, but he gets the job done and counts down the days until he is free from it.  For now he has no life of his own, this was the price for his freedom.

Alex doesn't expect to fall for Mallory.  He doesn't expect the feelings she evokes in him, the wants she makes him feel.  For the first time in a long time, Alex finds himself wondering what his future could be like.  Mallory has no clue who Alex is when she meets him through a colleague...but the attraction is like nothing she's ever felt.  She senses his darkness but she also sees the good in him, the parts even he doesn't see.  But with Alex's secrets and a serial killer after Mallory, they might not have a future to worry about anyway.

Alex and Mallory are a great opposites attract hero and heroine, working towards the same purpose but in much different ways.  They are both admirable, strong people who have survived things most people don't have to cope with.  I felt like I got to know the characters very well...Toni leaves Alex just mysterious enough to make you even more intrigued.  Both of them were easy characters to like and feel for.

Toni has given us a thrilling start to her new series with A Cold Dark Place.  The intricate plot with many twists and unknowns will pull you in, and at times have you wondering just what else could happen.  The suspense is high and the romance is hot!  A Cold Dark Place is fast paced with clear, smooth writing that makes it a really great read, a complicated plot but written so well that you won't be lost along the way.  Alex and Mallory have a lot of differences, and Toni brings ethical dilemma's to the forefront in A Cold Dark Place...she doesn't brush them aside but puts them right out there - the black and whites vs. the blurry grays.  Toni keeps the reader guessing in A Cold Dark Place, weaving the promise of justice with the very unexpected.

Toni magically blends sizzling chemistry between Alex and Mallory with lots of suspenseful action in A Cold Dark Place.  At times I wanted to hide my eyes, not knowing if I could face what might or might not happen!  The edge of your seat suspense is riveting! 

5/5 stars :)

Make You Blush

In Make You Blush by Macy Beckett, Joy has been looking for love in all the wrong places.  She is tired of the hook ups arranged by her politically driven mother and father that are all about image.  She is tired of being someone she's not.  When she seeks a little help from a cupcake baker/voodoo priestess then winds up in a tattoo studio, she finds Ryan who is "Spiced carrot cake..with lots of sprinkles." compared to what she feels like is her "vanilla".

Joy wants "...my outside to match who I am inside."  And Ryan might just be the man who can help her do that.  The attraction is immediate, the chemistry is sizzling - "...they had enough chemistry to steam the ink off his skin.", and the dialogue is witty.  Ryan makes Joy feel alive, makes her feel like the person she knows she is deep inside...the one she's been hiding to be the appropriate, good daughter.  But she's still hiding from her parents, who she is and who she's seeing, despite the strong feelings Joy and Ryan share.

Will Joy find the courage to be true to herself and Ryan?  Or will she bow to the pressure of a father who's not the same one she grew up with, pushing Ryan away and hurting them both?

Macy gives us a fun, fast paced novella in Make You Blush.  Joy and Ryan captivate you and make you really hope they get a happily ever after.  They bring out the best in each other, and Macy's descriptives, smooth writing and easy flow will make you really glad you picked this novella up.

Make You Blush is a prequel novella to Macy's new series The Dumont Bachelor's, an enjoyable introduction to the series that will make you eager for more. 

I highly recommend this novella to any romance reader, you won't be disappointed!

5/5 stars