Review: Barefoot With a Stranger by Roxanne St. Claire

Book Blurb:

Francesca Rossi might be the youngest in a long line of badass siblings, but this computer whiz would rather hack a database than pack a pistol for the family business in Barefoot Bay. When an assignment forces her out of her comfort zone and into the field, Chessie decides to amp up the excitement quotient and has her first one night stand with a sexy stranger she’ll never see again.

Former CIA agent Malcolm Harris is fresh out of prison for a crime he didn’t commit, and knows the government is watching his every move, waiting for him to slip up. But the only mistake he makes is to assume the sexy, sassy woman he seduces on the way to Barefoot Bay is a spy. He learns too late that the beauty he’s bedded is really his best friend’s sister…and his undercover partner on a risky mission.

Chessie and Mal have to stay one step ahead of the CIA, navigate their way through a perilous country, and fight the insane chemistry that sizzles between them. It doesn’t take long for this hacker and spy to discover the power of their unplanned partnership…and learn that falling in love might be the riskiest business of all.

My Review:

Barefoot With a Stranger is a fast paced adventure that takes the reader out of Barefoot Bay and to Cuba. I really enjoyed this change of location for this new Barefoot Bay read by Roxanne St. Claire. With vivid descriptions it was easy to picture this part of Cuba that tourists do not see.

After what was supposed to be a one night stand while stranded by weather on the way to see her brother Gabe, Chessie finds out Mal is a friend of Gabe's...and he has plans for them to work closely together. Chessie works for the family security business, and her comfort zone is behind a computer. She's about to be sent way out of her comfort zone in more ways than one! Mal is former CIA and an ex-convict. There are many layers buried below his surface though, and taking all kinds of risks he heads to Cuba undercover with Chessie on an assignment neither of them expected. As they try to find answers, the chemistry between them heats up. They might find more than one answer in Cuba...or will they?

I loved Chessie and Mal! I liked how things started out with them, his assumptions, and where they went from there. That was highly entertaining! I liked how they were after finding out they'd be working together. Naturally there is some tension but I liked how they worked through this and the adventure it took them on. I couldn't wait to see how things would turn out for them and how they'd get there. Roxanne St. Claire kept me immersed in their tale. Their characters were well defined and fit together well despite their differences.

I really like that there are some complex sub plots woven into the main plot. This made Barefoot With a Stranger multi-dimensional, and hard to guess what would happen next. While not a cliffhanger by any means, Roxanne St. Claire leaves enough of a mystery to easily flow into a follow up book - which I can't wait for!

I'd recommend Barefoot With a Stranger to any romantic suspense reader!

4/5 stars

Purchase from Amazon.com

Release Blitz! Vivid by Jessica Wilde

Title: Vivid
Author: Jessica Wilde

Release Date: Oct 11, 2015

Release Blitz Oct 12, 2015
Hosted by: Always Behind A Book

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25605272-vivid

Watch The Book trailer:

https://vimeo.com/139298466

Synopsis:

Merrick Thatcher went through a hell that no one could possibly imagine. He fought to protect his country, his family, and the men standing at his side, but it wasn't just being a soldier overseas that changed him. He watched his friends die in front of him, felt indescribable pain, and lost his sight in the very same moment.

Badly injured, blind, and angry, he's done with war, but now he’s fighting his own battle. So, he’s waiting for it to end, spending his days and nights in a thick darkness no light can penetrate. Until Grace walks into his life and his broken eyes open to a woman that changes everything for him.

A story about two flawed souls finding love amidst the grief. A love that shines vividly, even in the dark, and discovering that sometimes being broken is how the light gets in.

For readers 18+ due to language, violence, and sexual situations

EXCLUSIVE AUTHOR INTERVIEW & CHAPTER REVEAL

w/ Panty Dropping Book Blog

AUTHOR INTERVIEW:

http://on.fb.me/1WMYQnZ

READ CHAPTER ONE:

http://on.fb.me/1VDClVs

DONATION: Special Operations Warrior Foundation

http://www.specialops.org/

Like many other foundations, the Special Operations Warrior Foundation provides assistance to injured soldiers as well as their families. SOWF also focuses on one of the most important challenges those families face; 'getting to their hospitalized loved ones as quickly as possible'. With grants immediately provided to the family, they can travel to be bedside with their loved one, especially for those crucial first days. SOWF also provides a scholarship program, family services (including clinical social workers, scholarship counselors, and family services counselors). With on-going support and helpful counseling to all families of fallen members in every branch of the military, they are able to help in all the ways that count. The SOWF was highly recommended to me by a recent veteran who served in Iraq. Therefore, I am thrilled to be able to help them in any way possible. Every little bit counts.

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1J91Gdi

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1P0U5pt B&N: http://bit.ly/1K0V828
Apple: http://apple.co/1K0VaqD

 

 

 

Excerpt:

I felt her hand rest on my arm, stopping me from rolling away and getting the hell away from her before I said something stupid.

"I know you don't remember me from before, but I ..." Her words trailed off, her fingers constricting against my skin.

God, if I could just touch her, I wouldn't need to ask questions. I would be able to feel every soft curve and edge, and I wouldn't need anything more than that. If I could just touch her.

"I was never one of those girls that you found yourself with all too often."

I frowned and leaned forward, waiting for an explanation. I had no idea what she was talking about. Of course she wasn't one of those girls. She was real and sweet, compassionate and smart. Those other girls were just fake. The pretty was only on the outside.

"I was never really pretty. At least not the pretty that everyone would have seen. I was kind of awkward and nerdy, but rounder in areas where other girls were flat. Still am. Does that make sense?"

I hesitated before nodding my understanding, grinning when I envisioned her. "So you're telling me that you look like a real woman and not a stick?"

She gasped and pulled her hand away from my arm. "I didn't say that."

I waited for her to continue. Anything that would give me a better picture of her. She stayed silent. I was starting to feel like the air around me was too thick to breathe.

Grace cleared her throat and shifted in her chair. I wanted to know what she was doing with her hands. Was she wringing them together? Were they in her lap? In her hair? Was she looking at me or trying to avoid that?

"I'm just me," she said, quietly.

"You're beautiful." The words left my mouth without my prompting, but there was nothing inside of me that wanted to take them back.

She released a self-deprecating laugh and, again, I wondered what she was doing with her hands.

"I may be blind, Grace. But I can still see some things."

About the Author:

I live in Morgan, Utah with my husband, beautiful daughter, and a couple of spoiled pups. If I'm not deeply involved in writing my next book, then I'm probably reading in the safety and quiet of my closet. I love yoga – which I now practice regularly – playing hide and seek with my daughter (only to have my hiding spots revealed by one of the pups), and I love Fruit by the Foot, Twizzlers and Peace Tea. These are great ways to bribe me into revealing secrets about what's to come.

I have an unhealthy obsession with Supernatural, The Walking Dead, and The Big Bang Theory. I also enjoy talking about them, so if you like them, too, come find me.

Writing has become an enormous part of my life and every book I write holds a special place in my heart. If you read one of my books, I hope you have the same experience.

Follow the Author:

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJessicaWilde

AMAZON:

http://www.amazon.com/Jessica-Wilde/e/B00GM4YNWO/

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https://twitter.com/JessicaWilde9

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7373464.Jessica_Wilde

Tsu:

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Hosted By Always Behind A Book

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Review: The Capture (Justifiable Cause #3) by Adrienne Giordano

Book Blurb:

 

Sun, fun, and Jo Pomeroy, the sexiest, most-driven attorney around, await NYPD Sergeant Gabe Townsend in Los Angeles. A trip to the West Coast is the perfect vacation – he won’t have to hide his relationship with Jo from the NY anti-counterfeiting task force, and he can finally enjoy some overdue time-off with the woman of his dreams.

Jo makes undercover deals for fake merchandise, but her feelings for Gabe are all too real. Unfortunately, she isn’t the oneon vacation, and while she can’t wait to get her heartthrob alone, she also can’t say no when the mayor of L.A. asks for her help in ridding the city of illegal knockoffs.

Being too dedicated for her own good backfires when Jo ends up on a killer’s hit list. Gabe wants Jo to back down; she’s not about to. As the danger escalates, so do their feelings for each other. All Jo’s ever wanted is to expand her task force nationwide. Now, with her life on the line, Jo must decide if heading the taskforce is worth sacrificing it all, including a future with the man she loves.

My Review:

I really liked reading about the circumstances Jo finds herself in while she is in LA expanding the counterfeiting task force she helped initiate. When her not so secret boyfriend Gabe joins her there - a vacation for him - they soon both find themselves in deeper and more danger than either of them anticipated.

As the Justifiable Cause series has progressed, I've enjoyed seeing the evolution of Jo and Gabe's relationship. Where it started to where it is now and seeing it get there has been an exciting journey. I like how they are together, professionally and personally. It seems to just keep getting better! The challenge now is a long distance relationship for how ever long Jo will be in LA...can their relationship withstand it? I liked the little glimpses of jealously that Gabe exhibited. I could really feel the attachment between the two of them, but it was little moments like that that made them realistic and a believable couple.

The unexpected danger that Jo and Gabe find them selves facing in the counterfeiting criminal world brings an adrenaline rush and the suspense keeps the excitement level up. I was interested to know how things would work out professionally and personally for Jo and Gabe...they have come this far, would they take it even farther? Or will the danger be too much?

A good mix of romance and suspense, The Capture (and the whole Justifiable Cause series) is a story I'd recommend to any romantic suspense reader!

4/5 stars

Purchase from Amazon.com

Review: Christmas at Evergreen Inn (Jewell Cove #4) by Donna Alward

Book Blurb:

Welcome back to Jewell Cove, where this holiday season, there happens to be no room at the inn...

When a December Nor'easter roars up the eastern seaboard, Jewell Cove cop Todd Ricker spends his day off being a Good Samaritan to stranded holiday travelers. But when the roads close and Todd can't make his way home, he discovers that the Evergreen Inn is full up. Until another Good Samaritan opens her doors and offers him a place to stay...

Lainey Price is not looking forward to Christmas, but just because she's not filled with the holiday spirit doesn't mean she's going to turn Todd out into the stormy night. Even if it means offering the handsome police officer the couch in her tiny cottage. But when the weather takes a turn for the worse, the two are snowed in for a wintry evening by the fire. With Christmas only a few days away, can Todd convince Lainey to open her heart to the season...and love?

My Review:

In Christmas at Evergreen Inn by Donna Alward, when a snowstorm strands Todd, he gets shelter and a lot more than he was looking for this Christmas!  Lainey is not interested in celebrating Christmas, but for the clients at her B & B she puts on the act, happy to escape at night to her cottage behind the inn.  When Todd needs a place to stay, she can't stop herself from offering him her couch.  Todd and Lainey have known each other for years, and there's always been a subtle attraction.  Both have felt the other was too good for them though, so nothing ever came of it.  In their present day life and circumstances, the attraction is still there.  But Lainey is definitely not looking for love, she's still hurting from a past relationship.  Todd isn't really looking for love, or a commitment, but now that he's been so close to Lainey he wants more.  He wants her to smile, he wants to show her fun, and remind her what Christmas can be.  Neither expects the attraction they feel to suddenly seem like so much more.  Can Lainey open her heart again and risk it for Todd and for Christmas?  The chemistry and connection is definitely there...but will she end up with a broken heart at Christmas again?

I really enjoyed this quick, well paced novella.  I felt like Donna wrote the perfect length for this story.  I liked Lainey and Todd.  They felt real, like people I could know.  Todd finds himself wanting more with Lainey.  He is considerate but also just pushy enough.  I liked that it wasn't all about what he wanted and what would be good for him.  I felt like he really thought about Lainey and wanted her to be happy.  Lainey is still hurting from another broken relationship, and is having a hard time opening herself up to anything else - relationships or Christmas.  There were a few times she made assumptions about Todd that could have pushed him away but didn't.  I got the impression it was self preservation for herself kicking in, and while I didn't like that side of her I did understand it.  Donna writes this story well, and manages to show the struggles some people do have around the holiday season, even if it's not obvious.  I felt like this was an important part of Christmas at Evergreen Inn.  It didn't overwhelm the main plot, but it just makes you more aware.  There is just enough tension and drama to make things real, but there was also hope and heart woven into the story.

I liked the build up of passion between Lainey and Todd.  Donna wrote this in well and it is relevant to the characters and the plot.

I love the setting, the snow, and the Christmas feel I got when reading Christmas at Evergreen Inn!  Donna managed to make me feel like I should be decorating for Christmas!  I found Christmas at Evergreen Inn to be entertaining, moving, and emotional.  I'd recommend Christmas at Evergreen Inn to any romance reader looking for a smoothly written Christmas novella!

4/5 stars

Purchase from Amazon.com

Review: Wish Upon A Christmas Cake by Darcie Boleyn

Book Blurb:

The most wonderful time of the year?

Katie Warham has just one wish this year…to have the best Christmas ever!

If only she could lock herself away in a cloud of flour and sugar at her cosy little tearoom, Crumbtious Cakes, instead of spending the festive season trapped with her judgemental mother, crazy Aunt Gina and loved-up celebrity brother Carl…

But Katie never expected her ex-boyfriend, widower Sam – and his two adorable children – to turn up on her doorstep. She didn’t think that any man could tempt her under the mistletoe this year, but Sam might just prove the exception! And as the snow begins to fall and Katie puts the final touches to her famous Christmas cake, she begins to wonder, could her Christmas wish actually come true?

This holiday season, snuggle up by a roaring fire with a mulled wine and enjoy Darcie Boleyn’s festive winter warmer!

My Review:

The title of Wish Upon a Christmas Cake by Darcie Boleyn is delicious, and the second chance romance woven into this story was just as delicious.  I had no problem falling into this story that made me feel like it was already Christmas!

Darcie evokes a host of emotions through out Wish Upon a Christmas Cake as Katie very reluctantly goes home for Christmas.  When she gets there, nothing is as expected and over a few days her life and her feelings change so much.  For a long time, Katie has been all about her business.  Trying to forget the past even if it makes her who she is today, she keeps busy.  Katie doesn't believe she'll ever have her own happily ever after, so she's no longer looking.  The last person she expects to see when she arrives for the family Christmas is an old boyfriend she's never forgotten - and his two children.

Family dynamics, memories and secrets are woven so well into this story.  Katie and Sam get to know each other again and discover the chemistry between them is still there...but a lot has changed over the years and there is more than just the two of them to think about now.  Katie's relationship with her family, especially her mother is a strong part of Wish Upon a Christmas Cake, and I liked how we learned about this...the past, the present and what the future might look like.  Family secrets are revealed and I really liked how this was done and how the impact on the story was written, and how the characters handled it.  I liked how the Christmas with her family that Katie was dreading turned into so much more than she anticipated, that Katie could start to heal from the past, and I really hoped that Katie would finally take the time for herself.  There is a lot going on in Wish Upon a Christmas, just like in real life.   Darcie writes smoothly and clearly and this multi dimensional plot made the characters feel real and the plot believable.  I felt very involved and couldn't wait to see what this Christmas would mean for Katie.

Wish Upon a Christmas Cake was entertaining with heart ache and heart lifting moments.  It was easy to feel connected to the characters in this story, and to feel like I was right there with them.  I liked the grown up, mature feel these characters gave me and that made them even more real in my mind.  

I completely enjoyed everything about Wish Upon a Christmas Cake and would recommend it to romantic women's fiction readers.

5/5 Sensational Stars!!

Purchase from Amazon.com

Review: The Evasion (Justifiable Cause #2) by Adrienne Giordano

Book Blurb:

His role on an anti-counterfeiting task force earned NYPD Sergeant Gabe Townsend the catch of a lifetime—tough as nails but sexy as hell Jo Pomeroy. The woman has a body that drives him wild and a way of attracting danger that’s making him crazy. And her relentless pursuit of an elusive criminal has his protective instincts in overdrive. 

Jo didn’t get to be a hotshot attorney by giving up easily. Her high-end clients count on her to keep knockoffs of their luxury goods off the streets. Distractions are the last thing she needs. Especially six-foot-three, hard body calendar-worthy distractions. 

She failed once, letting a smuggler slip through her grasp. Next time, he’ll have nowhere to run. A lead takes Jo and Gabe to a small town where not everything—or anyone—is as innocent as it seems. Making this bust could be the biggest break of her career…but at what risk to her newfound love? 

My Review:

In The Evasion by Adrienne Giordano, Gabe and Jo are still hot on the trail of a huge player in a counterfeit ring as they work together on an anti-counterfeiting task force.  They are also hot for each other, and things are getting hotter both personally and professionally!  They follow a lead to a small town, where small town politics are no joking matter.  Counterfeiting is no joking matter either - the stakes are high and the danger is very real.  In the midst of trying to capture an evasive criminal, their relationship is increasing in importance for both of them too.  They are determined to keep the personal out of the profession, but can they?  Working so close together makes the lines blurry...will they have to choose?  Or can they have it all?

I enjoyed the continuation of Adrienne Giordano's Justifiable Cause series with The Evasion.  I liked seeing Gabe and Jo's relationship grow, and their interactions become more meaningful in every way.  I could feel the mutual respect between these two characters, even with their interesting banter!  Watching them move forward in their relationship was very rewarding and I really hoped they could make things work.   I like that Gabe likes Jo exactly how she is and what she stands for.  He still wants to keep her safe, but Jo leaps ahead without thought and won't follow direction with only the end goal in sight for her.  Jo was at times frustrating for both Gabe and me as I read!   They are both determined, at times there is conflict and tension, but they don't hold each other back.

I really enjoy the unique suspenseful plot about a counterfeiting ring!  It was very interesting and the chase to find a criminal is exciting and dangerous.  Adrienne really makes you think about things with this one!  I liked how Adrienne wrote the ending of this story so that parts of it end, but it can easily be continued (no cliffhanger!).  I look forward to reading book 3, The Capture.

I would recommend reading the first book in this series to have a good understanding of what is happening (The Chase).   The Evasion is well paced, the perfect length, and smoothly written.  I'd recommend it to any romantic suspense reader!

4/5 stars

Purchase from: Amazon.com

Review: Snowflake Wishes by Maggie McGinnis

Book Blurb:

Noah Drake was that guy--the one always on the lookout for his next adrenaline high, so it was no surprise when he took off across the world, seeking adventure as a travel writer. But one thing he could never escape was Piper Bellini, the girl who got away--the girl he let get away, a fact he's never let himself forget. When he returns to Echo Lake to see if there's any chance the flame between them can be rekindled, he never expects to spend the night holed up with Piper in a roadside diner while a blizzard rages outside. It's exactly the kind of situation that sent Piper running years ago. But this time, Noah may have been handed a Christmas miracle, and he intends to make all of his and Piper's wishes come true...

My Review:

In Snowflake Wishes by Maggie McGinnis, Noah and Piper have a history.   Way back then Piper broke things off between them before he could break her heart.  She couldn't live with his life style choices, and he would never settle in Echo Lake.  They both wanted much different things out of life then, no matter how they felt about each other.  But neither has ever fully gotten over the other, or found anyone else who came close to matching the feelings Piper and Noah evoked in each other.   Now Noah as Noah recovers from an injury that keeps him off work, he is back in Echo Lake.  He tells himself it's to meet up with an old friend about a possible investment, but a secret part of him hopes to see Piper again.  The last person Piper expects to see at Snowflake Bay's Christmas dance is a handsome blast from her past...  The intensity of the feelings are still there, still unresolved.  Circumstances bring them closer again, and they get to know each other in a different way as adults.  But has anything really changed?  And even if it has, can either of them risk their heart again on the hope of a seemingly impossible future between them?

I really enjoyed getting to know Noah and Piper.  I liked the pieces of their backgrounds that Maggie fits in in just the right places that made me feel closer to them, like I knew them.  I liked the connection that I could feel between them after they'd been apart for so many years. Maggie took me on an emotional ride with them that was a good mix of fun vs. serious, heart ache vs. hope.  I was very interested and wanted to keep reading, because I couldn't wait to see if Piper and Noah could work things out or if they'd have to go their separate ways.  I liked both of these characters because I felt like I could understand both of their POV's and the circumstances that led to where they are today.

Maggie writes a descriptive book that made me easily picture Echo Lake and the people there in my mind.  Snowflake Wishes is a strong introduction to this series and I can't wait to be back in Echo Lake!

Well paced and smoothly written, I'd recommend Snowflake Wishes to any romance reader, especially if you like second chance romances!

4/5 stars

Purchase from Amazon.com