In The Mood For Love

In The Mood For Love (Cupcake Lovers #4) by Beth Ciotta takes us back to small town Sugar Creek, Vermont.  Sam is a widower with two children who is finally feeling reading to move on after his wife's death.  He's had a few dates, but none of them have felt right.  None of them can measure up to Harper, the woman he's had a very secret sexual affair with.  The same woman he's intensely attracted to and wants to know better.  Harper is a celebrity publicist who became involved with the Cupcake Lovers to help promote them and the charities they support.  She's never been looking for long term or attachments.  She keeps busy and doesn't really connect with anyone.  With a mysterious past and an uncertain future, Harper is not only scared to let people in, she just doesn't know how.  Sam is a hot former Marine, but he's also a father and she's never thought of anything beyond their affair.

Unexpected circumstances bring them together again and Sam is determined to win her over.  What he proposes to solve one of her problems could bring them closer than Harper ever anticipated, if she can trust her heart and Sam.

In The Mood For Love is a great addition to the Cupcake Lover's series, and I fell in love with Sam as much as Harper struggled not to.  He is patient, caring, and understanding...a hero who will steal your heart.  Harper has her struggles.  She's used to dealing with everything alone, and I really enjoyed seeing Sam slowly break through her walls.  Harper especially really grew through In The Mood For Love, and it was so great to see this and experience it with her through Beth's fantastic writing.  As different as Sam and Harper are, in this case opposites really do attract.  I could feel them getting closer, and really hoped for them.  Sam and Harper are both people who have issues that are real, and this realism draws you in to their characters.

I love the small town feel and closeness that Beth manages to portray in In The Mood For Love, the ups and downs of small town living where everyone thinks they know everyone else's business.  The secondary characters bring so much into the story, especially Daisy...I love that woman!  She is full of spice and the humor she sparks even as a secondary character nicely balances out the seriousness in In The Mood For Love.  I also really enjoyed a couple of the secondary romances Beth weaves into In The Mood For Love, they made the people all the more real.

In The Mood For Love is an entertaining, smoothly written story with characters I came to love.  Beth shows us that sometimes the opposites who attract actually bring out the best in each other...and it's always nice to have someone to lean on.

I have read all of the Cupcake Lover's books, and even though I think you could read this one on it's own, you'll enjoy your visit to Sugar Creek, Vermont all the more if you read them all.  I recommend this to all romance readers who enjoy humor along with the serious side of life, characters you can relate to, and a great love story!

4/5 stars

Second Chance Honeymoon

In Second Chance Honeymoon by Ally Blake, Juliana Jones (JJ) is at a down point in her life and is looking forward to the cruise she's about to embark on.  She has no luck with jobs or relationships and she's never really settled with anything.  The cruise is just what she needs to pick herself back up!  The cruise turns out to be more of a surprise than she'd anticipated when she realizes she's on a Second Honeymoon cruise, and the other passengers are all much older...not a single hot young guy among them.

Kane is the fitness director on JJ's cruise, and he's running from shadows in his own past.  From the moment JJ runs into him there is an instant attraction on both sides and he might not be as off limits as she thought.  JJ is just looking for a fun fling and the thought of anything else could send her running...and a fun on board fling that soon becomes hot and heavy threatens to do just that.  As far as JJ's concerned she has no chance at any kind of forever, she's no good at that.  But Kane might be the one to change all that if she'll let him get close enough to have a chance.  But will she?

Second Chance Honeymoon is a fast paced, light hearted, great romantic escape read.  Ally gives us a lot of humor interspersed with more serious elements in Second Chance Honeymoon, and some great meddling secondary characters who are hilarious all by themselves.  I really liked the interactions between all of the characters.  Second Chance Honeymoon is a novella that is the perfect length for the story being told, that focuses on the present of JJ and Kane.

I'd recommend to romance readers looking for a fun read!

4/5 stars

The Millionaire Affair

In The Millionaire Affair (Love In The Balance #3) by Jessica Lemmon, since a disaster with his college girlfriend, Landon has built walls around his heart. He is now a very successful advertising executive, but he wants no romance and definitely no love in any of the relationships he has with females. Any relationships he has had since are ones that do not risk his heart. Even his intended wedding with the woman who left him very publicly was going to be of convenience only. Single again, and intending to stay that way, Landon can not anticipate Kimber…Read More

5/5 stars!

Cupid's Last Stand

In Cupid's Last Stand (The Cupid Chronicles #4) by Shauna Allen, after getting dumped at the altar by someone he wasn't even sure he should be marrying, Tristan decides to start fresh, his goal living in California running his own business.  Before he goes there though, he ends up in New Destiny, Arizona...drawn there by memories and a need to help after a disastrous earthquake. 

He is not expecting to run into Darby, the woman he knew as a 16 year old one summer.  The woman who lost her heart to him at the age of 16 then was heartbroken when he left and never came back for her.  After the death of her father, Darby's dreams were put aside and she is now running the family business.  She does not expect to ever see Tristan in New Destiny, and now that he's there she wants nothing to do with him.  Tristan can't understand why.  He just know that seeing her again makes him feel things he didn't expect to feel.  Darby will deny feeling the same, she'll deny the attraction and chemistry...but it is unavoidable. 

The pull between Tristan and Darby is magnetic and with a little help from Cupid's angel Michael, can they have another chance at love, this time as grown ups?  Or will it be a temporary fling that will leave Darby broken hearted again when Tristan moves on?

The POV's from both Tristan and Darby really made you more in tune with the characters, finding out what motivated them, and gave you deeper insight into them.  I liked that Darby had some real life, relatable issues.  She was strong and doing her best to do what was right, but I found her hard to relate to because of the bitterness and grudge she still held from her teenage years.  I found Tristan made his way into my heart faster.  I felt I could better understand where he was coming from.  He has issues that stem from childhood that hold him back, make him feel unworthy and insecure.  Both characters really grew and developed throughout Cupid's Last Stand as they opened up more to each other.  But it still might not be enough to have them trusting in a future together.

Michael, the angel, is a strong character also.  I loved him, he brought a lot of humor and light to an emotional story.  Even as an angel in a human body, he was easy to like and Shauna made him real.  There are a lot of great secondary characters in Cupid's Last Stand, and they all add their own special something. 

Shauna really hooked me from the start of Cupid's Last Stand and kept me immersed in the story, right there with the characters right to the last word.  I love the whole concept of The Cupid Chronicles, and how Shauna smoothly brings in a very spiritual concept in such a realistic way, with no preaching or judging, which I felt made every book in this series ones that will touch your heart and have you believing in angels if you don't already.

Well written and easy flowing, Shauna weaves humor with deep emotions to make Cupid's Last Stand a book that shows sometimes it's best to trust in love and your heart.  Cupid's Last Stand will have your heart feeling a bit lighter and hopeful.  Cupid's Last Stand can definitely be read as a stand alone, but you'll want to read the other books in this series also.  I highly recommend Cupid's Last Stand to all romance readers.

5/5 stars!

Purchase at Amazon

Rafflecopter giveaway!! Dream Huntress...

                                                          Book Title: Dream Huntress                                                

Author: Michelle Sharp

Release Date: June 23, 2014

Genre: Romantic Suspense/ Ignite

Author Website: michellesharpbooks.com

Author Twitter: @msharpbooks

Author Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/michelle-sharp/609022162479401

Author Bio: Michelle Sharp is a romantic suspense author from the Midwest. Although she has a degree in journalism from Southern Illinois University, she finds weaving tales of danger, deception, and love much preferable to reporting the cold, hard facts. Her goal in life? To team resilient, kick-ass heroines with the sexy alpha’s who love them. As most writers probably are, she is an avid reader. Her husband and kids would call it obsessive—but whatever. Her first choice is usually a story with a thrilling combination of danger and love, but any book with a great voice and intriguing story will keep her turning pages well past any reasonable bed-time.

Her debut novel will be published with Entangled Ignite in June of 2014. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and Missouri Romance Writers.

Book Synopsis:

Detective Jordan Delany has a gift. Through her dreams, she connects with dead victims of violent crimes. Her isolated life as a drug cop is perfect for hiding the freakish visions, until her newest investigation has her posing as a cocktail waitress in a down-and-dirty strip club. When she’s saved from a drunken customer by a handsome stranger, the heated chemistry is exactly why she intends to keep Mr. Arrogant at bay. But learning he’s the new bouncer for the corrupt club she intends to bust just might be the one reason why she can’t.

Tyler McGee suspects a drug ring operating out of the local club is flooding the streets of his hometown with heroin. Determined to get answers, he plays the part of a fallen cop and lands the job of head bouncer. What he discovers is that the club owner isn’t the only deadly obstacle he’s facing. His attraction to an intriguing cocktail waitress with a penchant for danger just might kill him first.

Tagline: Dreams can be murder...

Goodreads Book Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22401306-dream-huntress

Amazon Buy Link: http://bit.ly/DreamHuntressAM

Barnes & Noble Buy Link: http://bit.ly/DreamHuntressBN

Entangled Page: http://bit.ly/DreamHuntressEP

Giveaway Info: $50 GC

Rafflecopter Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dream Huntress

In Dream Huntress (Dream Seeker #1) by Michelle Sharp, Jordan is undercover in a strip bar seeking to bring down the owner and his son for drugs.  This operation has significant meaning to her, and she will do whatever it takes to get the job done.  Even if it means not always being honest.  Tyler is a 'former' cop looking to do the same thing for his own reasons.  Unaware of what the other is doing or who they really are, Tyler and Jordan inadvertently meet as they both work on the case separately.

There is a hot, instant attraction between them, but there is also danger to go along with the secrets each of them carries.  A relationship between them would be nothing short of impossible, not to mention very dangerous.  Chemistry has a mind of it's own though, and as they become closer not only to each other but danger, can they have each other and solve the case?  Or as the truths come out, will it push them apart?

Jordan and Tyler are both strong, brave characters looking to do good in a world that hasn't always been good to them.  Jordan has her share of issues and initially it was hard to connect with her or even feel for her because of her attitude.  She did grow on me though, and the little bit of paranormal that comes with Jordan is a great piece of Dream Huntress.  Tyler is protective and secretive, and he knows what and who he wants!

Michelle really keeps you intrigued with the way she draws out the background stories of Jordan and Tyler.  For me this was a bit frustrating at times, but overall I think it worked well with the story line.  With lots of action and suspense, Dream Huntress will keep you not only guessing about what's next, but at times you will be on the edge of your seat!  Fast paced and believable, Dream Huntress is a plot driven romantic suspense that has enough conflict to keep things interesting and enough heat to steam the pages up!!

If you enjoy steamy romantic suspense with a hint of paranormal you will enjoy Dream Huntress.

3/5 stars

The Chatsfield Sheikh's Scandal

In The Chatsfield Sheikh's Scandal by Lucy Monroe, Liyah Amari has come from America to work at the Chatsfield in London for one purpose...to meet her father, who after impregnating her mother, never acknowledged her except for support payments.  Working as a chambermaid, she is assigned to the rooms of Sheikh Sayed, who is in London with his entourage and fiancee.  Liyah is unexpectedly tied up in knots over Sheikh Sayed, but he is betrothed and Liyah is keeping her mind on her true objective.

As Liyah is finally meeting her father, who still rejects her, Sheikh Sayed's fiancee has run off and eloped with someone else!  An unexpected meeting when they are both drowning their sorrows and a night of really hot sex could have unexpected consequences though.  The next morning, after a lengthy discussion about the possible consequences (and the Shiekh's assistant is part of this conversation), Liyah is whisked off to Sheikh Sayed's palace and country until the results of their steamy night are known.  If she is pregnant what then?  And if she's not, will Liyah return to America?  Or will the quickly growing feelings they have for each other find a future despite their differences?  And is Liyha prepared for what this might mean?

Liyah and the Sheikh were easy characters to get to know in this modern day fairy tale.  I really liked how Liyah was herself all the time, she wasn't intimidated by the Sheikh and spoke her mind.  I thought she was brave and strong for what she was originally doing in London, then she handled the results of her time in London remarkably well.  I felt that she lonely, and the Sheikh, as quick as things moved, really made her feel cared for again.  Sheikh Sayed is honorable, and hotly amusing!!

The Chatsfield Sheikh's Scandal is a easy flowing fast read that focuses on the relationship between Liyah and Sheikh Sayed instead of the cultural differences.  For the length of the story, I felt this worked well.  This is fiction, but I am always fascinated by how people like this might work around their differences, so I would have liked a little bit more about that just to fill in some gaps.  I really liked Sheikh Sayed's family, they were an unexpected surprise and very modern!

The Chatsfield Sheikh's Scandal is a great, quick, fairy tale with some very modern elements that Lucy works in well enough to make it one of those things you think just might happen to someone somewhere!  If you enjoy this kind of romance you'll enjoy The Chatsfield Sheikh's Scandal.

3/5 stars