Hot Pursuit

In Hot Pursuit by Lynn Raye Harris (Series: Hostile Operations Team , #1) Evie is back in her home town trying to pull her life together. She lost her restaurant when her partner and lover managed to steal all of the money. Not only is Evie broke and jobless, she feels like it’s the end of a dream. For now she is washing hair in her mother’s salon while she looks for a job as a chef. It would be nice to have her own restaurant again, but she’ll settle for just getting out of her home town again.Read More

5/5 stars

Color Me Bad

In Color Me Bad we are introduced to a group of women in Blessings, a small town in Georgia.  Curl Up and Dye is the hair salon in Blessings, run by 4 women.  It is a hub of activity, change, and friendship.  It is in Curl Up and Dye that customer Patty finally admits to herself the direction her life is taking and the changes she's going to have to make.  She's suspected her husband, the preacher, is having an affair ... and it is in Curl Up and Dye that she confronts not only this reality, but the other woman!

This sets in motion change and new beginnings for not only Patty, but many of the women in Blessings.  When Patty takes charge of her life and her future, she is at first ostracized, but soon admired.  But her acceptance and friendship from the ladie's in Curl Up and Dye is never changing.

Sharon Sala gives us a fast paced, witty novella with Color Me Bad.  Color Me Bad is a novella about change, hope and new beginnings.  Patty demonstrates well that you can either curl up and cry, or move on to greater adventures when your life takes an unexpected turn.  Patty unexpectedly turns out to be someone others can learn from...ok, not from everything she did, but who wouldn't want to do what she did if given the opportunity?

4/5 stars

Perfect Fling

Perfect Fling by Carly Phillips takes us back to Serendipity and everyone we know there! This time, in a moment of loneliness and a need to be close to someone, good girl Erin has a one night stand with Cole.

Cole is back in town, on his down time between jobs. The kind of jobs no one talks about, and very few know about. He is not looking for any kind of relationship, he doesn’t feel he’ll be good for anyone, especially someone like Erin. He has a lot of emotional baggage from the past, not to mention his under cover work, so he’s definitely not planning to stick around. Erin and Cole go their separate ways after their hot night together – well, as much as you can in Serendipity! When they do PFrun into each other, Cole is careful not to get too close to Erin and send her the wrong message. No matter how sweet she is, no matter how great the sex was, it was a one night stand. To most of Serendipity, including his father, Cole is still a bad boy, never outliving his rebellious teen reputation. Few people will actually talk to him…but Erin can see the walls he’s erected and what lays behind them.Read More

Sanctuary Island

I had such a great visit back to Sanctuary Island with Lily Everett’s first full length novel in this series!

Ella grew up fast. Her mother was an alcoholic and in her early years Ella spent a lot of time dealing with her mothers mood swings, the fear of people finding out, and taking care of her younger sister. When her father finally left Jo Ellen, taking Ella and Merry with him, Ella felt very responsible for Merry. Often her father was working 2 jobs to support them, leaving the girls alone often. Jo Ellen got treatment with the help of her Aunt from Sanctuary Island, but she has never seen her girls since they left with their father. Despite weekly letters and requests to see them, it has never happened.Read More

The Unwanted

Destin and Caleb are both psychics. Up until 5 years ago, they also both worked for the FBI...and were a couple. In a shocking turn of events for Destin, Caleb left her...just walked out and she hasn't seen him since. Presently, Caleb still works for the FBI, but Destin now works for a private investigation company with many of her former FBI colleagues. Destin has never felt the connection to anyone else that she felt with Caleb, working together or as a couple, and her boss knows this. When a new case comes up that's not even on the FBI radar, Destin's boss decides only the best will do...bringing in Caleb to partner with Destin.

In their time apart, neither Destin or Caleb has been able to completely forget the other. Being together again will be a test neither of them prepared for, both personally and professionally. They both carry scars, they have both changed, but they will need to put their personal differences aside if they are to be successful in their mission - they need each other to do this. A forced togetherness might force them even farther apart...or pull them even closer together. First they need to focus on the job, but will they be there for each other to pick up the pieces afterwards? When they find what has been missing between them, can they take another chance at love together?

The Unwanted is a fast paced, action packed romantic suspense! Caleb knows just what Destin needs on the job and off...that has not changed for them. Shiloh writes a perfect blend Caleb and Destin's broken relationship and the suspense of their job. The Unwanted is a quick read, because you won't want to put it down! I really liked both Caleb and Destin, watching them struggle to heal and try to be together again.

This novella is the perfect length for Destin and Caleb's story! The Unwanted can be read alone, but I highly recommend the Shiloh Walker's other FBI books too!

5/5 stars

Choosing the Right Man

In the third book of Nice Girl to Love - Choosing the Right Man, Abby is going to have to make a choice between brothers Brian and Connor. In Falling For the Bad Boy (book 1), Abby had a month of bliss with Connor, the bad boy brother of her best friend Brian. When the month was over, he let her go...and didn't come after her. Brian, in Falling for the Good Guy (book 2), finally realizes the extent of his feelings for Abby go far beyond the friendship they've always had. Seeing her with his brother was just the push he needed to try to win her over, and make her see that they could have so much more together.

In Choosing the Right Man, things come to a head, and Abby finds herself caught between the two brothers. She loves them both, but who is she in love with? Even Abby can't make up her mind. Both brothers want her. Connor is much deeper than he appears. His bad boy persona is all in the past, and he's struggled with his own family issues. He wants the chance to show Abby how good they are together. He needs to be honest with his feelings and show her who he really is. Abby is drawn to him, just the thought of him makes her heart race. Abby has known Brian forever...they're best friends and she's seen him through some very rough times, being a second mother to his daughter Skylar. She is attached to both Brian and Skylar...she knows everything about Brian, the good and the bad. She has loved Brian as a friend forever, will she be able to love him as more than that?

Brian and Connor come up with a way to spend time together with Abby separately, giving her a chance to figure out who her future will be with. It is an emotional, overwhelming time for Abby. There are so many factors that influence how she feels, who she really wants to be with, and who she thinks she should be with. No matter who her heart belongs to, someone will be hurt. Abby is going to have to decide with her heart what is best for her, who she wants to spend forever with.

The characters in the book are very well developed and all of them work well together. We get some insight into all of them...how they feel and what they are going through. I do think you need to read the first two books in this series to get a good understanding of their backgrounds.

Violet works the plot of 2 brothers wanting the same woman perfectly. When Abby is spending time with each brother, there is not a lot of comparing the brothers, which worked really well. She focuses instead on the feelings each of the characters are experiencing. There is very little sex, although there are certainly moments that have the pages smoldering! I certainly don't mind well written sex scenes (which Violet does write very well!), but that wasn't what this book was about. I was really relieved there were no sex comparisons between the brothers, that would have just been too weird for me! Violet writes Choosing the Right Man in such a way that there is no discomfort or weirdness about Abby having been with both brothers and now trying to choose between them.

Choosing the Right Man was a fast paced, fun romantic read. It does have its serious side too though...something that makes it even harder for Abby to choose, and you find yourself hoping she'll pick who you would! I loved Choosing the Right Man!! Thank you Violet for another great read! I think Abby made the right choice! I love how Choosing the Right Man ends, and you will too, regardless of who you're hoping Abby will have her happily ever after with. We are left with enough to be very sated readers, but looking forward to Violet's next book!
5/5 stars!!

First Temptation

Zoe has been ready to move on from her job as a Border Patrol Agent ever since the death of one of her partners, Cody. When a risqué undercover position with ICE comes up, Zoe jumps at the chance to be part of it. Her experience and knowledge will give her the edge she needs...even if it means having to work with Taft. Taft initially doesn't think Zoe has what it takes professionally or personally to get the job done, but Zoe soon proves him wrong!

Working together as a married couple running their adults only shop, Zoe and Taft are trying to bring down a notorious Mexican drug dealer. Between learning about various sex toys and the dangers of finding the players in the drug ring, Zoe and Taft soon find they are very compatible...but Zoe has a rule about having relationships with people she works with. When Zoe almost walks away from the job thinking her identity has been discovered, her and Taft soon find out they know just what the other needs and they don't need sex toys to do what they do so well together!

Zoe stays on the job though, and her and Taft put on one big show, hoping to draw the players out. It works better than either of them anticipated, both professionally as well as personally...and when the investigation cumulates, both will have to trust the other if they are to survive.

In First Temptation, Joan gives us a fast paced, suspenseful romance in which the main characters really are meant for each other. Taft challenges Zoe and makes her bring out her feminine, senuous side that is usually well hidden. He is not afraid to admit when he's wrong, he's honest, and protective of not only Zoe, but any colleague. He is hot and knows how to please Zoe! Zoe has lived a lot of her life being one of the guys, not openly embracing the woman in her. We are given enough background to understand why, so it makes it even better when Zoe and Taft embrace who she is! I loved both Zoe and Taft...they were able to easily move past their initial annoyance with each other, they worked well together and they played very well together! Their relationship moved fast, but it was believable...sometimes you just know.

The pace of First Temptation was perfect, Joan kept me very interested in both the romance and the suspense, I really loved how the story played out...sometimes unexpectedly!

5/5 stars