Too Charming by Kathryn Freeman

Book Blurb:

Does a girl ever really learn from her mistakes?

Detective Sergeant Megan Taylor thinks so. She once lost her heart to a man who was too charming and she isn’t about to make the same mistake again – especially not with sexy defence lawyer, Scott Armstrong. Aside from being far too sure of himself for his own good, Scott’s major flaw is that he defends the very people that she works so hard to imprison.

But when Scott wants something he goes for it. And he wants Megan. One day she’ll see him not as a lawyer, but as a man ... and that’s when she’ll fall for him.

Yet just as Scott seems to be making inroads, a case presents itself that’s far too close to home, throwing his life into chaos.

As Megan helps him pick up the pieces, can he persuade her that he isn’t the careless charmer she thinks he is? Isn’t a man innocent until proven guilty?

My Review:

Megan is good at her job, she is strong willed, and she really can be nice.  Just not to Scott.  I could not connect to or really like Megan at all in Too Charming.  She has been hurt once by a man and she is now brushing all men with the same brush, even when examples of good men are staring her in the face.  She is mean, bitter, assuming, and judgemental towards Scott, and her attitude really over shadowed almost everything and everyone else in Too Charming, which made it difficult for me to enjoy reading Too Charming because there was such an overwhelming sense of negativity radiating off of Megan.

Scott is a man of many layers, not all of which he talks about openly.  He is also good at his job,and he has purpose.  He is great with Megan's daughter Sally, and deals with his own issues in his own way.  His feelings were believable and realistic.  I liked him, but for the life of me I could not understand what he saw in Megan and why he put up with being treated so poorly.

I liked Megan's parents and what they brought to Too Charming.

Unfortunately Too Charming was not a great read for me, but that doesn't mean someone else won't enjoy it.

2/5 stars

The Taming of the Bachelor (Taming of the Sheenans #4) by Jane Porter

Book Blurb:

Dillon Sheenan refuses to be tamed… 

After three years running the family ranch, sexy thirty-year-old Dillon Sheenan has a one way plane ticket out of Montana. He’s eager to put small town life, with its emphasis on brides, babies, and families, behind him as he’s certainly not interested in being a dad, or even ready to settle down. 

Beautiful single mom, Paige Joffe, juggles a lot, between running Main Street Diner and coping with her money-pit of a Victorian on Bramble Lane. She doesn’t have time for anything but taking care of the loves of her life, Addison and Tyler, and working to pay down bills. But one date–and an incredibly hot kiss–with Dillon Sheenan wakes her up and makes her dream again. 

Until she finds out Dillon’s already bought his ticket out of town… 

Is Dillon about to break the heart of the only woman he’s ever loved?

My Review:

The Taming of The Bachelor is an easy read, well paced book.  The romance is not easy, there are many bumps in the road for Paige and Dillon.  

Paige has found her place in Marietta, but Dillon has no plans to stay.  Widowed with two children, Paige doesn't want a fly by night relationship.  Dillon doesn't do permanent and has no desire for a committed relationship, but he can't keep Paige out of his mind.  Their mutual attraction is palpable and they feel a connection, but anything more than a fling is out of the question.

As Paige and Dillon came together, then apart, the struggle was heart felt and I could feel it and the hurt that was bound to happen despite having no expectations.  I liked both of these characters, and liked watching Dillon's character grow in the short span of The Taming of The Bachelor.  He has a big heart, bigger than he'll admit to, and his actions speak louder than his words.  I could feel the conflict both of them experienced as this relationship took unexpected turns, and I felt a lot of hope for both of these characters who are struggling with past hurts.

It was a lot of fun being back in Marietta and seeing some characters I feel like I've got to know through other books.  The Taming of The Bachelor can definitely be read as a stand alone though.

Jane does a great job of writing realistic characters with real feelings that I can care about.

I'd recommend The Taming of The Bachelor to any romance reader looking for a quick, smooth read with a lot of feeling.

4/5 stars

Purchase from Amazon.com

Witness to Passion (Guarding Her Body #1) by Naima Simone

Book Blurb:

Under his protection and in his bed…

For Fallon Wayland, birthdays are just another reminder of her looming spinsterhood. This year is shaping up to be no different. Unfairly fired from her job, dumped by her boyfriend, and oh yes, witnessing the murder of a high-ranking lieutenant in the local crime family… Yeah, birthdays suck.

Ever since a disastrous, hot-as-hell kiss years ago, soldier-turned-security specialist Shane Roarke has avoided his baby sister’s reckless—and gorgeous—best friend. Yet when her life is threatened after she witnesses a gang hit, he insists on protecting her…even if she objects.

The two are forced to hole up in a safe house. Alone. Passion long denied erupts between them, burning away their inhibitions. But even as layers—and clothes—are peeled away, danger closes in. Shane and Fallon might finally have a chance at love…if they survive long enough to see it.

My Review:

Witness to Passion is a great take on forbidden love!  Sloane has tried hard to keep Fallon at arms length because she's his sister's best friend...

But when Sloane finds out Fallon is in grave danger, he'll do what ever it takes to protect her.  Even if it means spending a lot of time in close quarters with just her.  He can control himself, right?  Being close to Fallon soon proves too much for his resolve, and even as he strives to keep her safe, the chemistry between them is impossible to ignore.  He wants more than Fallon can ever give though...Sloane wants a family and forever.  Fallon doesn't believe in love or forever.  As the danger and tension escalates, so does Fallon and Sloane's passion.  

Entertaining, suspenseful, and passionate, Witness to Passion has a couple of very strong willed main characters and a fair amount of angst.  Fallon comes across as quite young and naive at times.  If you like this kind of character who is also angsty, goal driven, and a little bit oblivious, you will like Fallon.  Sloane is protective, honorable, and tires hard to keep the boundaries up between him and Fallon.  He comes across as a really good man who faces his own personal conflicts.

Witness to Passion is a great introduction to this series (Guarding Her Body) and the men of GDG Security Solutions, and I enjoyed all of the secondary characters who make up this group.

I'd recommend Witness to Passion to romantic suspense readers who like it hot!

4/5 stars

Purchase from Amazon.com

Going Home (Nugget #1) by Stacy Finz

Book Blurb:

The small mountain town of Nugget, California, has a strange way of giving people unexpected reasons to start over—and find the most irresistible chances to fall in love… 

Maddy Breyer needs to prove she can make her own life after betrayal blew up her previous happily-ever-after. Staying totally focused on renovating a decrepit mansion into a bed-and-breakfast might help her—and this recession-hit town—finally turn things around. But the mysterious new sheriff is the kind of lawbreaking temptation that’s an even bigger challenge to resist… 

Detective Rhys Shepard is only back in Nugget long enough to care for his ailing father. He’s got a big-city promotion far away from this place that never accepted him. He does not need a sudden crime wave to solve. Or one leggy case of heartbreak stirring up all kinds of trouble and challenging his rules. Which might explain why he’s suddenly finding it hard to leave…

My Review:

I really liked the premise of the plot and the interesting background of small town Nugget in Going Home.  The way Stacy included some of Nugget's somewhat horrifying history really brought the place to life!

Both of the main characters, Maddy and Rhys are strong.  They come from very different backgrounds, but that doesn't stop the attraction they have for each other.  In present day they have very different lives too though.  Maddy has goals, and they are centered around her new life in Nugget.  Rhys is only back in Nugget temporarily, and is counting down the days until he can leave again.  Seeing these two together and the push and pull of their budding relationship made Going Home a lively read.  I felt that both of them and their struggles were realistic and believable.  I could understand the reactions both of them had to their own circumstances, and these reactions made Maddy and Rhys real.

I liked that the focus of Going Home was not entirely on Maddy and Rhys' relationship.  They both have a lot of other things going on that they are dealing with...some things very unexpected!

There are a lot of secondary characters in Going Home as well as sub plots, but they are all relevant to the main plot and Stacy ties it all together smoothly.  The characters and town of Nugget are certainly quirky, adding tension and uncertainty to the main plot.  I liked how Stacy did this, it made Nugget seem like a place that could be anywhere!

Stacy kept the plot moving, not giving away everything all at once, but keeping me intrigued and interested.  I felt like I really got to know Rhys and Maddy.  I could easily picture Nugget and the places Stacy describes in Going Home.

A well paced, great start to a series, I'd recommend Going Home to any romance reader especially if you like small town settings and all the dynamics they entail!

3/5 stars

Purchase from Amazon.com

Barefoot with a Bodyguard (Barefoot Bay Undercover #1) by Roxanne St. Claire

Book Blurb:

The Barefoot Bay Undercover Series

Introducing Barefoot Bay Undercover, a romantic adventure series set on the tropical beaches of Barefoot Bay. When former CIA consultant Gabe Rossi creates a secret “privatized witness protection” operation hidden within the security firm at the local resort, things get a little more suspenseful on the island paradise. Gabe’s clients need to keep a low profile and stay safe while he helps them create new identities...and, sometimes, they find love. (To find out how Gabe started the operation, be sure to read the series prequel novella, Barefoot Bound.)

Barefoot with a Bodyguard – book one in the series

About to take the bar exam after ending a five-year marriage that derailed her career plans and her life, Kate Kingston craves independence and a vacation. Somewhere warm with sea breezes, sunshine, sand...and no scary threats against her that have been showing up in her dad’s office. Barefoot Bay is the perfect place for some serenity while she studies and puts her life back together. But when she meets the brooding wall of muscle her father hired to protect her, Kate feels her hard won independence slipping away as fast as her resolve to avoid men who wield power over her.

Mixed martial arts trainer Alec Petrov has been on the run for a long time. Guarding a young attorney-to-be while pretending to be her husband is not a bad way to live off the grid, hidden from the Russian mobster who is hunting Alec with deadly intent. But Kate brings out a tender side Alec doesn't understand, or believe he deserves, and he soon realizes that keeping them both safe is only half the challenge. Keeping his hands off her and his attraction under control will be every bit as difficult in the closed quarters of an exclusive resort.

When their make-believe honeymoon in paradise turns sensual, complicated, and dangerous, Alec and Kate realize it’s not just their lives that are in jeopardy, it’s their hearts. And they’ll have to fight to the end to save each other…and their love.

My Review:

I really loved the fast pace, the action, and the romance in Barefoot With A Bodyguard.  Kate and Alec seem to be complete opposites, forced into a situation neither of them want to be in, but they make a great heroine and hero.  Kate wants to answer to no one, and definitely not be bossed around by yet another man.  If the situation she found herself in was organized without her knowledge, I would have found her attitude a bit annoying.  However, her character and the way she was fit perfectly with the plot.  I really liked Alec.  He is a hero with a past that haunts him, and he doesn't feel worthy of anyone, let alone a woman like Kate.  I just really liked who he was, what he stood for, and how he was.  He is a character that easily worked his way into my heart!

Surprising to them both, they are very drawn to each other and they have serious chemistry together!  Both of them just want to go back to their own lives, but the danger is very real.  I couldn't wait to see how life would work out for Kate and Alec, and the changes it might mean for both of them whether they were together or not.  Roxanne through in some interesting and unexpected surprises and twists to an already well developed plot that kept me immersed in Kate and Alec's story.

The secondary characters are fantastic and really have a lot to add to Barefoot With A Bodyguard.  I really liked finding out a bit more about the mysterious Gabe, and can't wait to find out more about him!  His grandfather Nino is also a strong secondary character who adds a whole other dimension to the story.

The setting is one I can easily feel like I'm in, and Roxanne's descriptions of the place and the people are vivid.

I will definitely be reading the next book in this series, and would recommend Barefoot With A Bodyguard to any reader who likes a well blended mix of suspense and romance between the pages.

4/5 stars

Purchase from Amazon.com

Breathless In Love (The Maverick Billionaires #1) by Bella Andre and Jennifer Skully

Book Blurb:

Will Franconi has a dark past that he’s kept a closely guarded secret―very few people have ever heard his real story and he plans to keep it that way. After surviving a hellish childhood, he’s now living the dream life where everything he touches turns to gold. But something’s missing. He doesn’t quite know what until a simple letter from a teenage boy brings Harper Newman into his life. A woman who just might fill up the empty places inside him…if only he could ever be worthy of her love.

When a man has more money than he could possibly spend in five lifetimes, Harper has to ask herself what Will Franconi could possibly want from a woman like her? She’s learned the hard way that rich men always get what they want no matter the cost. If it was just herself she had to worry about, Harper would manage, but she’s guardian to her younger brother who depends on her for everything. After nearly losing his life in a car crash, she’s vowed never to let anyone hurt him ever again.

Still, sometimes Harper can’t help but long to change her story from one of an always-cautious woman to an adventurous tale of a heroine who’s wild and free…especially when Will’s kisses and caresses make her utterly breathless. And as he begins to reveal his story to her, she discovers that he’s so much more than just another wealthy, privileged man. He’s kind and giving, and he fills up all the spaces inside of her heart that have been empty for so long. Together, can they rewrite their stories into a happily-ever-after that neither of them had previously thought was possible?

My Review:

Breathless In Love is a great start to The Maverick Billionaires series by Bella Andre and Jennifer Skully, and it will leave you breathless!

I really enjoyed this well written, well paced book and all the characters in it!  Will has done very well for himself, despite a difficult childhood that led him down some dark pathways.  As good as he's done though, he doesn't feel good about himself or where he came from, he doesn't feel good enough for anyone.  He hides his past well.  When he meets Harper, he is immediately drawn to her...enchanted.  Not just sexually, but in every way he didn't expect.  Harper is her younger brother's guardian.  She does her best (which is great!), she's very protective of him, and refuses to rely on or count on anyone.  After one too many bad relationships, she's determined to keep her heart safely locked away.  She didn't expect to meet someone like Will, and she has no idea what he sees in her that makes him want her so much.

Will not only likes Harper, he is quite fond of her brother Jeremy, and soon their lives are intertwining.  Will pursues Harper, and he is so sweet and caring and real!  Harper tries to resist, but her heart and even her mind won't let her.  As the layers of Will are peeled away, how will Harper feel about him?  Will's biggest fear is that she will discover he can never be good enough for her.  Will Harper let Will in?  Her biggest fear is caring only to suffer heart break not only for herself, but for Jeremy also.

I liked Will and Harper together.  They are different but have similarities, and they really work well together.  I could feel the connection, not to mention the heat!  I really hoped they'd both take a chance.  I loved the maturity of their characters and how the life experiences they've both had.  There was no unnecessary drama.  There is tension and inner turmoil, and this worked well with these characters.  Harper's brother Jeremy is a strong secondary character who was really endearing!  

I liked meeting the Maverick brothers, they are a strong group of men who I really look forward to reading more about.

I'd recommend Breathless In Love to any romance reader.

4/5 stars

Purchase from Amazon.com

Midnight Secrets (Midnight #6) by Lisa Marie Rice

Book Blurb:

Former Navy SEAL Joe Harris nearly died—twice—on a medevac helo after being blown up by an IED. He’s not moving too great these days, but if there was ever a woman designed to jump start a man’s hormones, it would be his new neighbor.
Meeting Isabel—loving Isabel—brought Joe back to life.

Isabel Delvaux came from one of America’s foremost political dynasties, until the greatest terrorist attack since 9/11 killed her entire family. She barely survived the Washington Massacre, only to become prey for rabid reporters. Fleeing to Portland and changing her name was a way out, a way to start over. The only way.

She knows she’s safe with Joe Harris. Not just because he's big and strong, not just because he's part of a security team that obliterates threats on the regular, but because he’s been to the abyss and back.

But as they help each other heal--through talk, through touch, through spectacular sex—the past comes back to play. When Isabel’s memory starts to return and a mysterious stranger sends Joe emails indicating she’s in imminent danger, he'll do anything to help her uncover the truth. Even if that truth is the most terrifying thing of all… 

My Review:

In Midnight Secrets (Midnight #6) by Lisa Marie Rice, the romance is hot and the plot is mesmerizing!

I have really enjoyed all of the books in Lisa's Midnight series, and Midnight Secrets is no exception.

The hero and heroine fit so well together.  I liked how their romance was slow to start but once it took off there was no stopping it.  Isabel and Joe are both strong main characters, and Lisa pulled me in easily with dual POV's in Midnight Secrets.  I felt like I really got to know Isabel and Joe, felt what they were feeling, and went along for the ride with them.  Joe is drawn to Isabel the first time he sees her, but he goes slow, holds back...because he knows she is hurting.  When she needs help, when she's scared, he's there and things between them heat up quickly and realistically from there.  Joe wants to wrap Isabel up in cotton and keep her safe, but he doesn't stop her from doing what she needs to do and standing on her own two feet.  Isabel accepts the help when she needs it, she doesn't try to be something or someone she's not.  They bring each other to life.  I love the maturity of the characters and the lack of angst.  It's not a smooth road for either of them...but they just might make it.

The suspenseful politically driven plot was very intriguing and a little frightening to imagine!  Isabel's background is integral to the suspense and it all unravels in a thrilling, shocking way.  Lisa is very detailed in her writing, but not overwhelming, and her knowledge of what she's writing about is obvious, and her descriptions of the people and places are vivid.  I liked the surprises in the plot that caught me off guard, the just right doses of humor, and the good feeling that Isabel and Joe gave me.

There are quite a few secondary characters, some that have appeared in other Midnight books, but Midnight Secrets can be read as a stand alone (although I recommend the whole series because it is fantastic!!)

Midnight Secrets is the perfect blend of romance and suspense, woven together so that each is so relevant to the plot and the outcome.  I was hooked from start to finish!

I'd highly recommend Midnight Secrets to any romantic suspense lover!

5/5 super stars!!

Purchase from Amazon.com