Lemon Sisters by Jill Shalvis – 5*

Mindy Lemon has never understood how her sister Brooke could lead a life of wild adventures. Mindy settled down with her high school sweetheart and had 3 kids. It isn’t until Mindy shows up at Brooke’s door having a break-down Brooke agrees to take the 3 kids back to Wildstone and give Mindy a much needed break. By going home Brooke is forced to confront her past to move on. 

I loved the dynamics between the sisters. It was interesting to see the relationships between the siblings, the significant others, and in laws.

Brooke gets Mindy a little bit better and way sooner than Mindy does. At times in the book I really hated Mindy. I am guessing the author wanted you to hate her but Mindy has no understanding at all what Brooke has been through. Brooke is all in in supporting Mindy but when push comes to shove Mindy is judgmental. It isn’t until Brooke lays everything out, things that she shouldn’t have to tell her sister that her sister finally understands why Brooke is the way that she is.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. It was interesting to see the give and take in relationships and how they finally seem to understand each other.

Scoundrel in Her Bed by Lorraine Heath book 1 of Sins for all seasons – 3 Stars

Lady Lavinia Kent is seeking redemption for her past.  When her path crosses with Finn Trewlove, a man from her past.  They can’t fight the love they have but when the truth comes out will they be able to live with their new truths.

I love most of the other books written by Lorraine Heath and I wanted to love this story too.  The plot was good, so were the characters and the character development.  What didn’t work for me was you would have a chapter in the current time and then a chapter of their past.  It was back and forth through about half the book.  The scenes from their past didn’t enhance the present story-line.  For me it detracted to the point I skipped a couple chapters because I wanted to continue the current storyline.  I didn’t care that Finn rescued Lavinia’s horse from being killed.  It wasn’t vital to the timeline.  The book had a prologue where Lavinia gives birth and that is all I needed to understand the current timeline.  I didn’t need the full backstory of how they met and fell in love and ended up being split up to become invested in the romance. 

Once the back and forth was done the story picked up for me and I enjoyed it immensely.  Both Lavinia and Finn were screwed over by Lavinia’s parents in different ways but they were able to come together in the end.  The whole story-line about their baby just made me so sad.

Overall I enjoyed this book.  Particularly when Lavinia and Finn got their well-earned Happily Ever After.

Fluffy by Julia Kent – 3.5 Stars

Mallory is a professional fluffer.  She stages homes for people.  When she is out of work she finds a job on Craigslist looking for a fluffer.  She takes the job only to find out it isn’t what she thinks it is.

Will shows up at his parent’s house to kick out the trespassers to find his high school crush needing rescuing. 

I really really wanted to love this story.  The humor was in the story but I had a hard time believing Mallory was that sweet and innocent that she didn’t understand what was going on.  The whole scene in the house just felt very forced.  Later in the book they talked about how smart Mallory was but it was not portrayed in the book. 

Overall, this was a miss for me from an author I normally love. 

Little Miss Perfect by Julia Kent Prequel to Fluffy – 4 Stars

This short story is set ten years prior to when Fluffy takes place.  Mallory and Will are in high school about to graduate.  It is the interaction that is discussed in Fluffy. 

I liked seeing them in high school and having this moment fleshed out.  You could tell in the writing that they liked each other and they were unaware the feelings were mutual.

Overall this wasn’t long and I enjoyed it but I also think that reading this before Fluffy would not make sense.  It is very much a prequel you need to read after Fluffy

American Witch by Thea Harrison – 4.5 Stars

Electrical surges, random car breakdowns, and unexplained visions have been driving Molly Sullivan crazy.  When she discovers her husband is having an affair it pushes her over the edge and into her witch powers.  When she begins divorce proceedings she uncovers a dangerous secret that her husband will do anything to keep hidden.

Powerful witch Josiah Mason is on a mission to take down a powerful enemy when he stumbles across Molly.  He must decide whether he will help Molly with her husband or continue on his quest to take down his enemy.

I loved almost everything about this book.  There was give and take between Molly and Josiah.  Molly’s world is falling apart when she discovers her magic.  Instead of falling apart she goes with it and is determined to take care of herself.  She is strong even when she is nearly killed.  Josiah also had to deal with his own issues.  He has to decide if he is going to continue on his track to get revenge or give it all up for Molly.  This struggle made the book more interesting because it wasn’t instantly I love yous and changing my life.  It took him working through his issues to get to the point where he was willing to walk away from his revenge for her because she mattered more than the revenge. 

There were some pacing issues at the beginning of the story.  There were times I wanted to move on already but once it got going it got going and I enjoyed the story.  This is a me thing but I kind a wanted some of the characters from Elder Races series to make an appearance.  That is completely on me and it wasn’t technically necessary but I wanted it.

Here’s hoping this becomes a series of books cause I want more.

Mane Event by Shelly Laurenston book 1 Pride – 4 star

This book is two short stories by Shelly Laurenston. 

Story One
Mace Llewellyn, lion shifter, has love Desiree “Dez” MacDermot since they were in middle school.  Mace fresh out of the Navy is determined to track Dez down and make her his no matter what.  She been married and isn’t interested in anything but figuring out who killed a man connected to Mace’s sister. 

Story Two
Brendon Shaw, lion shifter, kidnapped and held by the hyenas in the last book is going through the fever.  Ronnie Lee Reed, wolf shifter, is tasked with sitting with him to get him through the fever.  She is determined to find a mate and settle down.  Brendan is determined to be that mate even if she doesn’t want it he will find a way to win her over.

The books are very fast paced but don’t feel like they are going too fast.  There doesn’t seem to be any backstory missing, which some short stories have issues with.  The books are also very so funny.  There is so much humor between the characters.  I did enjoy Mace’s story more than Brendon’s.  I think it was more to do with the interactions between Mace and Dez then anything being wrong with Brendon’s.

Audio

Charlotte Kane does an amazing job bringing voice to the different characters.  When she is reading you know exactly which character is talking based on how she is speaking.  Would highly recommend listening to this whole series by Charlotte Kane.  She gives Dez this very Bronx accent that just makes you think definitely a New York girl.  Mace and Brendon both get a very cultured voice but they were both different.  Ronnie was given a very southern girl slow drawl that makes you think south.  All of this made for a very good book to listen too.

How to Marry a Warlock in 10 Days by Saranna DeWylde – 4 stars

Middy Cherrywood has always lusted after Dred Shadowins but after his jokester ways in high school she is only interested in his Weekly Warlock centerfold.  Until a Warlock pulls his funding for a charity event.  Middy has to get Dred’s support so the children won’t go without.  Dred will help only if Middy helps him by becoming his fake fiancé.  He probably should have told his mother this was a fake engagement before she slips Middy a potion that turns the fake engagement real unless they both want to lose their powers.

The book was incredibly funny and hot.  Very very hot.  There was a lot of banter between Middy and Dred that made me crack up laughing.  The scenes where they are getting heavy in the bedroom were also really good.  Ironically the book is almost over when they have sex for the first time.  I loved Middy’s take no prisoner attitude.   She finally is going for what she wants and she doesn’t even care if it is temporary. 


The one part of the plot I didn’t like was the potion the mom slipped Middy.  Even though you could already see they were meant to be together the potion made it seem like they didn’t really have a choice in the matter unless they wanted to lose their magic.  It just felt wrong to me.

Even though I knew who the bad guy was I enjoyed getting to the end and I will be picking up other books by this author.

Solace Island by Meg Tilly book 1 – 4 star

Maggie Harris is about to walk down the aisle when her fiancé called it off.  Her sister Eve talks her into taking a trip to the Pacific Northwest to get away from it all and figure out what she wants to do.  Her new neighbor Luke Benson wants to help her move on.  When Maggie is nearly hit by a car he is determined to keep her safe and find out who is trying to injure or kill her.

I am just going to say it.  With mysteries I usually see the bad guy a mile away and this one I didn’t see at all.  Loved that I didn’t know until the very end.  The build up to the reveal was just the right amount of foreshadowing with just the right pace that when we get to the climax I was amazed.
The romance.  Both of them had been burned in the past by their fiancé.  They are both sort of cautious but more so with Maggie. 

I was irritated by Maggie’s sister Eve.  She is very pushy and it frustrated me to no end that she pushes Maggie into a new relationship so soon after the end of her engagement.  I don’t know if that was what Ms. Tilly wanted the reader to feel but that’s how it made me feel. 

Overall, I enjoyed the story and will definitely be picking up the next book in the series.

Securing Sidney by Susan Stoker - book 2 SEAL of Protection: Legacy – 3.5*

This post has spoilers!

Sidney Hale is determined to rescue dogs no matter what.  She meets Decker when he stops to help her rescue a pit bull who was being hurt.  Decker “Gumby” Kincade has been wanting to adopt a dog for a while now and this pit bull, Hannah, fits what he wants and needs.  Sidney also fits him perfectly and he is determined to keep both of the safe and sound.

I really liked the majority of this story.  Sidney backstory was interesting and it is told in a very interesting way.  You meet Decker in the Securing Caite and he was a good man with good character.  I loved the part about rescuing dogs from dog fights. 

What I didn’t like and what really ruined the book for me was Sidney disregarding all sound logic and put herself and others in danger to rescue the dogs.  I get she wanted to atone for what her brother did while they were growing up but it was a little bit too much.  She puts her life in danger by going after a man who she rescued Hannah from.  She has 3 different altercations with him.  The first was when she met Decker and nothing really bad happens because he is there.  The second time she ends up with cuts and bruises all over.  The third and final time she ends up being taken and thrown in the dog fighting ring.  Decker has to track her and the fight down to rescue her.  The SEAL team and the police rescue her before anything massively bad happens but she does end up with a dog bite to her leg.  Once she is rescued all is forgotten.  There were no consequences for her going off to the bad guy’s house.  Absolutely nothing.  This is one of my biggest pet peeves about books.  Many people in Sidney’s life tell her not to go off and rescue dogs by herself because of the dangers.  She tells Decker she wouldn’t go without backup to prevent her from getting hurt and she does any ways.  It was beyond frustrating.  If she had stumbled across a dog being abused I wouldn’t be upset but she sought out this man and confrontation. 

Overall I enjoyed parts of this book.  Ms. Stoker wrote a good story that had a strong female lead which I enjoy but did not enjoy all aspects of the story.  Still will pick up the next book she puts out.


Audio:
I was not a fan of Savannah Peachwood.  I didn’t think she made enough changes to the voices for each character.  She also wasn’t that great at reading the male voice.  At times I cringed with her talking.   

Shaman Charms the Shifter by Larissa Emerald Nocturne Falls Universe – 2 star

Leopard shifter Sasha Weisberg has been cursed by her friend to be stuck as a bird for all but 3 hours every day.  She’s moves to Nocturne Falls with the hope that someone there can undo her curse.  Shaman Kianso Kane is enticed to a weekend retreat in Nocturne Falls.  His Shaman ways leads him to Sasha and knows right away she’s his chosen.  They need to find a way to break the curse so they can be together.

The plot was interesting.  I would have loved to see this fleshed out into a full length story verses a short story where everything has to fall in to place very quickly.  The book was too fast paced.  I never really felt any connection with either Sasha or Kianso.  There also were too many things I have questions on.  Like why did Kianso stop being a Shaman? 

Overall I probably won’t pick up any more books by this author.

Vampire Bounty Hunter Unexpected Catch by Larissa Emerald Nocturne Falls Universe – 2.5 stars

Vampire bounty hunter Nathaniel Newburg is tracking a wanted vampire to Nocturne Falls.  He thinks he’s got his man but instead he finds feline-shifter Camille Nahuel.  Nathaniel enlists Camille’s help to catch his vampire.

The book was very fast paced which worked alright with this story.  This book needed a little bit more information to make it work.  One of my issues was about Camille not liking vampires.  It was not really explained why she didn’t like them.  There was also some backstory to Nate’s life I would have liked to know but that was just because I wanted to know.  It wasn’t vital to the story but it was touched on that Nate’s brother was paralyzed in a war and he felt guilty about it.  I want more information about that. 

Overall, I liked this better then Shaman Charms the Shifter but not by much.

Forward Pass by Desiree Holt book 1 Game On – 4 star

Shay Beckham had her brother’s best friend Joe Reilly on a pedestal.  He was the star quarterback and everyone in their Texas town loved him.  Fifteen years later and Joe finally realizes Shay isn’t the little kid any more.  Now if only he can get her to realize he isn’t the player everyone thinks he is.

The book had good pacing.  The story moved along in a nice clip that I never felt like I was given too much information.  I enjoyed the interactions between Joe and Shay.  At times the book frustrated me but in a good way.  I wanted to smack Joe upside the head so many times to get him to see sense about his actions.  This made the book for me.  He was such an idiot but so likable you couldn’t hate him forever.  I also enjoyed the fact that Shay didn’t instantly forgive him for being an idiot.

Overall I enjoyed the book and am looking forward to reading the next one.

Detective by Elicia Hyder - Prequal Soul Summoner – 4 star

Detective Nathan McNamara has a lot on his plate.  There are eleven women missing and six high-profile burglary cases and now he has a one night stand that won’t end.  When the burglary cases escalate to homicide Nathan must figure out who is behind this and put a stop to it.

The book starts with Nathan waking up from a one night stand with Shannon.  Shannon just kind of hangs onto him and it got to be very annoying.  Particularly when Nate’s mom got involved.  Shannon and Nate have hooked up a couple of times and his mom is planning their wedding already.  She tracks down Shannon’s information and starts communicating with her behind Nate’s back which is just gross.  It’s not like they have been dating several months and they haven’t found the time to meet.  Literally at the time they start communicating I think they’ve slept together twice and known each other a grand total of a week and a half.  The mom acts like they are moments away from getting married and Shannon isn’t any better.  If this were my kid I would be telling him to run from someone who is trying to force a deeper relationship like this. 

The two different mysteries were what sold this story.  Tracking down who his burglarizing all of the homes was interesting as well as Nate’s obsession with the serial killer.  I also loved Nate’s interaction with the other secondary characters, even the fighting with his lieutenant.

Overall I could have done without the romance and focused on the mystery.  The mystery was the best part.  The romance just kind of freaked me out.

Britches Get Stitches by Elicia Hyder book 2 Music City Rollers – 5 star

Grace Evans know has Britches Get Stitches by her roller derby team is trying to bounce back from her divorce.  Two years of infertility she finds out her husband has gotten another woman pregnant.  When she steals the family dog her husband got in the divorce her ex sends his best friend Officer Jason Bradley to retrieve him.  Something sparks for them and they try to make it work until her ex threatens everything they have built.  Grace isn’t who he she used to be and she is willing to fight for what she wants.

The pacing in the story was much better in this book.  I never felt the book needed to move on like I did in the last book.  The plot was also really amazing.  Ms. Hyder made me want to track Grace’s ex-husband down and do horrible things to him for everything that he did to Grace.  The book made me laugh and cry.  It made for a very good read.

Overall I really enjoyed reading this story and can’t wait for another one to come out.

Lights out Lucy by Elicia Hyder book 1 Music City Rollers – 4 star

Accident prone Lucy Cooper isn’t looking for a relationship not until she crashes into West Adler.  Some cyber sleuthing later Lucy finds out he sponsors the Music City Rollers.  Entrigued and hoping to run into West she drags her roommate to the Roller Derby bout in hopes on running into West.  After the bout she finds out the team is holding a “fresh meat” tryout and decides to through caution to the wind and see what she’s made of. 

The premise of the book intrigued me enough pick up this book.  Lucy is a klutz and she decides to pick up roller derby.  I liked the interactions between Lucy and the other derby girls.  The book made me happy when Lucy succeeded in her goals for derby and frustrated me when Lucy’s dad was being insensitive about Lucy’s feelings. 

Ironically I was not overly interested in the relationship between Lucy and West.  He kind of irritated me and also seemed too good to be true.  Eventually the romance worked but the book feels more like a fiction story with a dash of romance in it verses a full blown romance novel.  There were also some slow parts to the book but they never lasted long.

Overall I enjoyed the story enough to want to read the next one in the series.

Fireweaver by Julie Moffett book 1 MacInness Legacy – 4 star

In 1792 Salem Massachusetts, Bridget Goodwell is preparing for her wedding to her friend Peter Holton.  Though her future seems set, all is not what it seems.  She has the power to set things on fire.  Just three weeks to go for her wedding and her childhood friend Benjamin Hawkes sails back into town and puts everything Bridget thought she wanted in peril. 

The story was a little slow to get into.  The prologue didn’t read true to the 1600 speech but once we get to the “current” time the book picked up a bit.  There were some slow parts throughout and they became frustrating.  Even with the pacing issues the book was enjoyable.  Seeing the relationship between Bridget and Benjamin what made the story.

I think the most frustrating part for me was the conflict wasn’t really a conflict.  It seems like this book and maybe the next book will lead to the big confrontation in the third book.  I am not sure that I like that.  It means the books don’t stand alone because you really need to read all of them to get the whole story.  There was a lot of build up about the curse but it’s just kind of sitting there waiting. 

Overall, I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next book in the series.  Here’s hoping there are some more answers in that book.

Darkness Dawns by Dianne Duvall book 1 Immortal Guardians – 5*

Insomnia saved Roland Warbrook’s life. Professor Sarah Bingham lands herself in the middle of a battle due to not being able to sleep. When she is sees Roland staked to the ground she is determined to save him. Knocking out the two men waiting for him to die she gets him to her house. In his nine centuries Roland has never been tempted by anyone before. Betrayed by women in his past he is leery of his attraction but after bringing his trouble to her doorstep he has to take a leap of faith that she won’t betray him.

There are a lot of things thrown at Sarah all at once and she rolls with it. There is some insta love going on but there is at least some temperance of that so even though they love almost right away they don’t act on it. Sarah is also not a week woman. She has her world turned upside down and she rolls with it. At one point when she is being taken she stabs Bastion in the ass to stop him from taking her. It doesn’t stop him but she is willing to put up a fight no matter the odds.

One of the few issues I had with the story was the jumping between groups of characters. You have Seth and David with their plot with Ami. The other two jumps are between Bastion and his vampires and then the main story with Roland and Sarah. It does even out and it makes better sense with each book but with this one it was harder to follow.

Audio
This book is narrated by Kirsten Potter. I adore the way this woman does voices. She brings out the different characters and personalities with her tones and nuances. She carries this throughout the series giving every one of the characters their own voice and personality. She enhances the story and made me enjoy listening to the story even more then when I read it.

Cyborg’s Price by Mina Carter – 2*

Junior nurse Samara spends her days dealing with minor cuts and bruises. When a dangerous prisoner is transferred on board she is assigned to checking him out. Cyborg Lyon is en route to be dissected and studied. He ends up onboard the Combined Fleet Ship, Valkyrie where he meets Samara. Samara doesn’t properly secure him and he is able to escape, taking her with him.

The writing was spot on and there were some very funny and hot parts to the book but that was about all I really liked about it.

It was insta attraction. Within minutes of being taken hostage by the cyborgs Samara is having sex with Lyon. Ok she isn’t at all traumatized by her being taken. He is also quick to jump to conclusions. She ends up having a tracker in her. I.E. the humans set him up to take a female nurse with him. She had no idea this was the case and he went off the deep end with her, like she personally betrayed him. No questions asked at all. She had to of known to betray him. When all of the cyborgs on the ship are taken out of commission she ends up saving their collective asses. Lyon realizes his mistake and all is forgiven. Would not recommend this book at all.

This book was also published under a different name and cover and it really clear this was the case. The original title was Lyon’s Price.

Steampunk Cyborg by Eve Langlais – 2*

Agatha “Aggie” Bowles goes to a romance convention with her friends she ends up being kidnapped by a steampunk cyborg. Jwlls, pronounce Jules, kidnaps Aggie to get the cog that is hanging around her next. It is a priceless treasure that the cyborgs need.

I really wanted to like this story as I love most of Eve Langlais’ books but other than the writing being spot on like all of her books I hated this book. There is the insta attraction which doesn’t work for me. A woman who has been kidnapped and of course she wants to sleep with her kidnapper almost immediately after being taken. When she discovers that the only way for Jwlls and his friends to get the artifact is for her to die she takes off. He catches up to her almost immediately and is all apologetic about what his friends wanted but he loved her too much to do that. The end. That is literally how it goes. If you are looking for a good book I would not recommend this one but she has several others that are amazing and funny.

Easter Delight by TM Cromer – 3.5*

Katie McKeown is on the run from her abusive husband when she finds a small town bakery. She is hired immediately. There she meets Philip “Lip” McAdams who flirts with her outrageously. Katie makes Philip rethink his bachelorhood and once he discovers the abusive ex he is determined to keep her safe.

This book wasn’t as light as the last book was but it was still written and had a fast pace to the story. I had more issues with this one due to the fact that Katie had just gotten out of an abusive relationship and seems to jump right into another relationship. She has left her husband but is still married to him with no plans to divorce as she doesn’t want him to know where she is.

Overall, it was an interesting story and I will pick up the next one and read it.

Baker by TM Cromer – 4*

Addie Jones is screwed. Her bakery’s manager has embezzled all her funds and left for parts unknown. Addie is faced with losing everything if doesn’t turn her finances around. At the behest of his cousin Vaughn McAdams has agreed to help Addie save her bakery. He just forgets to do one thing…tell her that he is there to help.

I enjoyed this story. It was light and fun. There was some seriousness about it but not a lot. After finishing the Thorne sisters’ books it was a nice change of pace. The chemistry between Addie and Vaughn was awesome. I liked how strong Addie was. Life through shit at her and she picked herself up and was determined to figure it out. Vaughn was a good guy who just wanted to help and ends up falling in love with Addie. The big screw up is he goes behind her back and doesn’t understand why she gets mad at him. Personally I think she forgives him to fast but it is a short story and there is limited space to have the happy ending. It was definitely worth the read.

Rekindled Magic by TM Cromer – 5*

*This Post Contains Spoilers*
Holly Thorne, twin sister to Summer, has always believed Quentin Buchenan betrayed her. She married another man, who betrayed her with her best friend. Through all of this Quentin has stood as bodyguard to her. He tries to protect her from anything that will hurt her but he can’t keep having his love thrown in his face. He is going to help her with the quest for the artifacts and then he is going to leave for good and find some semblance of happy.

This book made me cry. Quentin is a time traveler when he has an artifact. He has a conversation with a Goddess and decides to change the past in a different way in hopes to make the future better. But like with any change it also changes the future. In the original timeline Quentin and Holly were just getting back together. When he changes the past he comes back to Holly being pregnant with their child. Things are explained and it makes sense. It causes other things to have changed that come to bite them in their collective asses. One of them is Quentin is killed but they are able to wake her mother. After Holly gives birth to their daughter we jump into the future. The daughter is able to go back into the past and save her father. It was interesting but at times a bit confusing.

I didn’t really have anything that I didn’t like about the story other then it made me cry. I want the next book in the series.

Winter Magic by TM Cromer – 4*

*Does contain spoilers*

Every time Zane Carlyle sees Winter “Winnie” Thorne he has a sense of déjà vu. He feels like he should know her better than he does and he does. When they were teenagers he was mean and cruel to Winnie and said he wished he could forget her so she makes it happen. When Zane remembers he decides he will get his revenge on her for casting a spell that made him forget. He will use the Thorne sisters’ quest for artifacts to get his revenge. He insinuates himself into the quest and they are set to travel to another country when he decides to enact his revenge. This blows up in his face. He acts like he’s into her to get her to fall for him and then goes off to have a tryst with someone else. Made her very aware he was up to something in hopes that he would be caught. He doesn’t end up doing anything with the other woman but a kiss because he can’t as he realizes he loves Winnie. However, she saw him kissing this other woman as he planned and decides to go off on her own to recover the artifact. This puts her in danger and he ends up trying to make amends.

Overall I really liked the story. I get where Zane was mad because Winnie had no right to take his memories even though he was an ass. However, the tit for tat made him the ass. It all worked out in the end and I enjoyed the ride to get there but I really wanted to bash heads together before the end of the book.

Autumn Magic by TM Cromer – 5*

*This post contains spoilers*

Autumn Thorne met the love of her life while in high school. She thought Keaton Carlyle would be there for her and be understanding about her magic. Instead the moment she tells him the truth the relationship is over. Almost 10 years later when Keaton discovers he has magic he shows up begging for her help to learn how to control his skills. The more time they spend together the more his old feelings emerge. When Autumn is sent on a mission to uncover an artifact that could save her mother’s life Keaton is determined to go along and keep her safe.  In Summer Magic you get to see some interactions between these two. It was interesting to see Keaton go from pure hate of her to realizing that isn’t how magic works in this book.

Like the last book there was a lot of wishy/washy behavior from Keaton and it did get old. I kept thinking how many ways can she show you she loves you before you finally realize what you have. It takes her dying for him to finally get it. Literally if a Goddess didn’t come along and save her he would have missed out on her. There was also some kooky things with Keaton’s daughter that was just weird and I am still not sure if I like it. I understand where the author is coming from but it was just weird.

Overall the chemistry between Keaton and Autumn was amazing. The story had good pacing and wasn’t bogged down in anyway. The overarching plot about finding the artifacts to save Autumn’s mother progressed nicely and I can’t wait for the next book.

Summer Magic by TM Cromer – 5*

*This Post Contain Spoilers*Summer Thorne is set to create a sanctuary for unwanted animals. Sheriff Cooper Carlyle is just as determined to keep his town safe. When Summer’s animals get out he decides the sanctuary is too dangerous and must go. In his quest to get rid of the animals he discovers the Thorne sisters’ secret.

Summer has been in love with Cooper forever. He was mean and cruel when they were in high school and she still thinks he dislikes her when they are adults. This creates great chemistry between the two with their fighting.

One thing I didn’t particularly like was towards the end of the book you find out Summer has a twin sister and that her dad wasn’t really her dad. It made sense for the story but it is a topic that angers me. Adults put their own feelings before the children and made it so the Thorne sisters didn’t know there was another sibling. This was very frustrating. Another issue I had was Coop’s wishy/washy feelings. He was fine with her being a witch then in the next breath OMG you put a love spell on me. One maybe two times of this would have been fine but it was more than that and it did get old. Summer did eventually stop taking him back right away which saved this for me.

I loved the story and I want to read the next one. The chemistry between the characters was great. The story was well written. Even though it is part of a series I didn’t feel like this wasn’t a complete story.

Rainy Day Friends by Jill Shalvis Book 2 – 5*

This post will contain “spoilers”

Lanie Jacobs’ Husband has been dead for six months. In that time several women have come forward as his widow. Finding out her husband was a serial adulterer rocked her to her core. Desperate for a break she takes a temporary job working for a family-run Winery. The Capriotti family takes her under their wing and tries to make her feel like family. Mark Capriotti, Deputy Sherriff, father of twin girls, wants her to feel just as welcome but still protect his family. Things seem to be going well for her when Twenty-One year-old pregnant River shows up looking for a job.

Like the first book this wasn’t really a romance book but more fiction. It was a story about the relationships between characters then the romance in the story. The romance between Mark and Lanie was written really well the book itself was more about relationships. I liked that it was set in Wildstone and some of the characters from the first one came in briefly but it was about this whole new set of people.

What I didn’t like was how the relationship with River was handled. It was obvious when River showed up it was very obvious she was wife number whatever. When it finally comes out that she was another wife the Capriotti family seemed to be of the mind that Lanie needed to get over it. River needed help and it wasn’t her fault that the dead husband was an ass. It frustrated me that Lanie was made to be the bad guy because she wasn’t over it yet and had plans to go home. I get that River was not to blame for what happened and I am in no way blaming her for her part in this. However, if it took Lanie 50 years get over her husband cheating and getting another woman pregnant that is her prerogative. The situation sucked and she needed support and was basically told suck it up and deal with it. River has it worse because she is 21 with a new baby.

Even though at times I really didn’t like how some of Capriotti family handled the Lanie’s big secret I enjoyed the story.

Good Luck Sisters by Jill Shalvis Book 1.5 – 3*

Tilly Adams is trying to start her life anew after some bad years. On her first day teaching at the community college she sees Dylan Scott sitting in the front row. Dylan loves Tilly but joined the military. He comes home 10 years after disappearing from her life. He had reasons for leaving but is back and wants her in his life.

I loved seeing where everyone from the first book was ten years later. Like the first book it is a coming into your own book. Tilly and Quinn have had years to get close as sisters.

I don’t know if this worked as a short story. After finishing it I have so many questions about the years between the last book and now. It probably would have worked out better as a full length story instead of the short story.

Overall I enjoyed the book and seeing what the characters are up to. It was worth the read but ultimately I left want more answers then the book gives.

Cupcake Caper by Kelle Z. Riley Book 1 – 3*

Dr. Bree Mayfield- Watson is a chemist who stumbles across her dead boss. Police suspect she is the murder and she is set on finding out who did it.

I enjoyed Bree’s interactions with the other characters. She was smart but not obnoxious about it. It was written well and had good pacing. I never felt like the book needed to move on because I was getting bored with it.

For how smart Bree is supposed to be she made some very dumb decisions. I get her wanting to look into who murdered her boss particularly when the cops accuse her of being the murder. However, even after they accuse her of it she talks to them freely. Why wouldn’t she have a lawyer with her? Also she found out some very big things and doesn’t take it to the cops even though she has their contact information. My other issue with the story was with a character that I assume is going to be a love interest. He breaks into her place and bugs her home and office to find out information for his employer. Ethics aside of breaking into someone’s home he just comes across as a creep but it is hinted that they might become a couple in a later book. My last issue was with her name. She was very selective on whom she would correct on her name and it became tiresome to listen to her say her name wasn’t Dr Watson but Dr Mayfield-Watson. I don’t know if the police did it to get under her skin but Bree made a big deal out of it a couple times and then just let it go.

Even though there were some major points I found irritating as an amateur sleuth the story was interesting and getting to the end was worth the read. I am hoping some of the other issues will be worked out in the next book in the series.

Lost and Found Sisters by Jill Shalvis Book 1 – 5*

Quinn Weller has been in a fog since she lost her sister two years ago in a car accident. She has struggled to get her life back to what it was before her loss. She’s missing a piece and doesn’t start healing until a lawyer tracks her down about a mysterious inheritance. Quinn gives up her job, boyfriend, and home to head to Wildstone, California to claim her inheritance. She doesn’t know if this is what she wants but it is what she needs.

I loved this story. It isn’t something I normally would pick up as it is more fiction then romance, fantasy, or mystery but it is a story that pulled at me.

Don’t get me wrong it is a romance between Quinn and Mick but the story isn’t really about them it is about Quinn’s feeling she has lost everything with her sister’s death and her finding her spark again. It isn’t just her relationship with Mick that brings her back to life but her new relationships in Wildstone. How wishy/washy Quinn was. It is understandable why she is the way she is but at times in the story I wanted to slap her upside the head and say it isn’t all about you.

Overall the story was well written, had good pacing, and kept me engaged. I loved the characters in the book and other the Quinn being a bit to wishy/washy for me it kept me engaged throughout. I will definitely pick up the next book in the series.

Protector by Anna Hackett Book 4 Galactic Gladiators – 4*

Madeline Cochran had a successful career as a Civilian commander of a space station until the Thraxian aliens destroyed the station and kidnapped her and a number of other humans.  She suffered during her captivity but it isn’t anything compared to finding out she can never go home to her teenage son.  She has to navigate the strange world of Carthago and try to ignore Gladiator Lore and find her place on this strange world.

Lore Uma-Xilene is drawn to the hard-shelled but soft hearted Madeline.  He knows what she is going through being ripped away from you family and having everything changed in a heartbeat.  The two have to work together in an underground gambling den to try and track down kidnapped humans.

I loved learning more about what made Madeline tick.  The more that was revealed it explained her character and why she acted the way she did.  Lore was the perfect match for her.  He is a charming easy going man who compliments her need for control in all things.
This book was a little slow going for me.  But overall the itself was good.  I liked the romance between Lore and Madeline.  I liked learning more about both of them and seeing them come together.

Hero by Anna Hackett Book 3 Galactic Gladiators – 3.5*

Kace Tameron is military-trained gladiator on loan to the House of Galen.  He is at the Kor Magna Arena to hone his fighting skills and then come home to help his race win their war.  He was not planning on meeting and falling for Rory Fraser.

Rory Fraser an engineer from earth.  She was kidnapped with an untold number of humans by the Traxians.  With no way to go home she has to find her place with the other rescued humans in the House of Galen.  She is determined to find out how many humans were taken and rescue all of them from the evil Thraxians.

I liked Kace a lot.  He was strong and had a lot of honor.  Somehow in his stay with the House of Galen he made friends and found love.  Things he wasn’t supposed to have.  Watching him come to grips with these two things made the story for me.
I was not a huge fan of Rory.  She was let’s go let’s go.  Not really thinking through all of the consequences of their actions.   I get that she was trying to come to terms with her new life and that she had to give up a lot against her will but and that is a huge but she put others at risk because she just HAD to find Madeline. It just bothered me.

Overall it was a good story that moved the overall story along.  You find out there are still more humans needing rescuing.

Warrior by Anna Hackett Book 2 Galactic Gladiators – 4*

Scientist Regan Forrest is kidnapped and dropped on a new planet.  She was rescued from the Thraxians and is determined to make a place for herself.  She isn’t a fighter but she has other skills and she will use everything she has to take care of herself.
Sirrush warrior Thorin was sold into slavery by his own people when they couldn’t control him anymore.  He carved out a life for himself in the Kor Magna Arena.  He is perplexed by the humans but Regan perplexes him and he has to discover more.

I loved that Regan was a strong woman who even though her life has been turned upside down she is trying.  She was kidnapped, held against her will, tortured and she is still standing.  There are several attempts to kidnap her again and she still is trying everything to find her cousin Rory.  Once Thorin stopped being an idiot him being good enough for her the couple story was very well written.
However, Thorin was trying to turn her off through most of the book.  She was interested in him and let him know this but he felt he wasn’t good enough for her so let’s pretend to sleep with other women to show her how she ranks.  Once he realized his error it’s kind of swept under the rug.  No real apology about being a jerk.

The story moves along and even though there is some timeline overlap with the last book it doesn’t show in the story itself.

Spring Magic by TM Cromer – 3.5*

*This post contains spoilers*
Spring Thorne is determined to find the next artifact to save her mother. She is also determined to get her man Knox Carlyle. She has wanted Knox forever and is set on having him.

Knox, with his dark past, doesn’t feel he deserves to have Spring. He does everything in his power to stay away from her at all costs until it is her turn to go on a quest for the next artifact.

With the way Winter Magic ended I wanted to read this book so badly. The epilogue alluded to Spring being damaged in some way. Because of this I had a hard time getting into the book. Once the bad thing happened I settled into the story. I ended up having several issues with the plot from the very bad thing alluded to in Winter’s book. The best part of this story was the progress the book is making in the overarching quest. It is still a well written story and the pacing is spot on.

Spring was immature from the beginning. I get she wanted what she wanted and she wanted Knox but there were better ways to get what she wanted. She was not cautious in any way shape or form. Because she was not cautious she ends up being kidnapped by the bad guys. Not blaming her in any way for what happened to her. She didn’t ask for it and sure as hell didn’t deserve it. This leads into the other big issue I have with this story. Spring was raped repeatedly for weeks. Horrible things were done to her before she is sort of saved. It is never really addressed in the book. The Goddess wipes her memory of all things including her family and the story just moves on from there. She is literally having sex with Knox a couple chapters after being raped. I think it was a month or so later but I still had a really hard time with the timeline. She eventually is shown her previous life and sees everything that led to her memory wipe but even then it’s kind of shrug and move on situation.

I really wanted to like this book just as much as I liked the rest of the series but with the issues I had with the plot I couldn’t. It frustrated me and not in a good way. Still worth the read and I will still pick up the next book.

Gladiator by Anna Hackett Book 1 Galactic Gladiators – 5 stars

Earth Space Marine Harper Adams is abducted by aliens off her space station.  Taken to a planet where she becomes a gladiator fight in the Kor Magna Arena.
Former Prince Raiden Tiago long ago earned his freedom fighting in the arena.  He no longer fights for his survival but for revenge against the Thraxian aliens who killed his family and destroyed his world.  He is thrown for a loop when Harper is brought in by slavers.
Harper is determined to head home but first wants to rescue any other humans the Thraxians stole.  Harper and Raiden will have to work together to rescue the humans and get some revenge against the Traxians while ignoring their chemistry.

I loved the chemistry between Harper and Raiden.  She struggles to find her place and come to grips with new planet with new rules.  Raiden is thrown for a loop with her.  She distracts him in the best ways possible and he doesn’t feel he has a right to be distracted.  He has his family to avenge and this human is all he can think about.  The book is fast paced.  I didn’t feel there were any lags in the story.  Since it was the first book in a series there was some world building but not any that slowed the book down.

There wasn’t anything I particularly didn’t like about this story.  It was paced nicely.  There was humor, tears, and whole lot a sex in it.

The Chase - Elle Kennedy - 4.5 stars

Briar U Book 1

Summer Heyward-Dilaurentis has been kicked out of Brown due to the "incident".  she is able to transfer to Briar University.  She's drawn to Colin Fitzgerald but his narrow view of her makes her look elsewhere for affection. Dealing with school, her ADD, and weird behaviors of teachers lead Summer on a merry adventure.



This book is a continuation of Kennedy's off-campus series.  Summer has ADD and struggles with school.  She moves in with her brother's friends to finish school.  The chemistry between her and Colin is really good but Colin is an ass.  He shouldn't want her because she's his friend's sister. Because he wants her / can't have her, she flirts with one of the other roommates.  When she finally puts her foot down, she ends up hurting a good guy where if he had just been honest there wouldn't have been a problem. Once they straighten everything out it is really good.  I liked some of the conflict, like what Summer has with her professor and her advisor.  I'm not a fan of the triangle love bit. There was  a lot of humor which always makes the reading faster.



Looking forward to book 2.

Vampire's Mail Order Bride:Nocturne Falls Book 1 - Kristen Painter - 4 stars

Delaney James witnesses her mob bos killing someone.  Running fro the scene she runs into a dating agency. She decides to take another woman's spot and head to Nocturne Falls, Georgia. The town celebrates Halloween 365 days a year. She meets her groom-to-be - a 400 year old vampire.  Hugh Ellingham only agreed to the arrangement to appease his overbearing grandmother. After 30 days the bridge-to-be will be sent back which works perfectly for Delaney. Except they don't anticipate falling in love.  How will Delaney handle Hugh's secrets and how will Hugh overcome his past to be with Delaney?

The book has an interesting premise.  Delaney goes to Georgia not knowing about supernaturals. She just wants to lie low and figure out what she's going to do. She starts her relationship off with a lie but she is herself with Hugh.  He falls in love with her almost immediately.  He wants her then he doesn't.  Up until the climax with the bad guys, he waffles.  It irritates me he can't stick with it.  The other part that frustrated me was Hugh's grandmother. She wants X (fill in the blank) so give it to her or she will take your amulet. I have no patience for this.

Overall chemistry was good between Hugh and Delaney.  The story was interesting and different. MY only issues were Hugh's waffling and his grandmother.


Audio:
Overall 4 stars
Performance 4 stars
Story 4 stars

BJ Harris does a very good job switching between male and female voice. However, there were times his female tones were a little weird.

Crazy - Eve Langlais - 5 stars

Ella's always heard voices.  Her parents institutionalized her at a young age. Everyone calls her crazy until she meets a vampire and the voices finally shut up.  Zane just wants to have his usual banquet of different blood when he stumbles onto Ella.  He rescues her with plans to seduce her but the voices won't allow him near her.  He's determined to have her and give her a Happily Ever After.



The relationship between Ella and Zane was amusing and you could feel the chemistry between them.  Zane actively tried to find out what was going on with Ella and help her understand and control her powers.  The best part of the book is when Ella saves herself from the bad guy.  Yes, Zane could and would have saved her but she saves herself.



Can't wait for the next book in the series.



Audio:

Overall 5 stars

Performance 4 stars

Story 5 stars



The only issue I had with the audio was switching between Sumer Morton and Lee Samuels.  At times it was a little jarring.  Individually they were both amazing but switching between took me out of the story.

Kill without Mercy - Alexandra Ivy - 4 stars

Rafe is in Newton, IA to clear out his grandfather's house.  Annie's there to discover why her nightmares are back.  Rafe decides he will be Annie's protector and help discover who is killing women like the serial killer from Annie's past.



Annie wanted and insisted on an active role in discovering the truth.  She wasn't a damsel in distress needing to be taken care of.



Rafe had insta love for Annie which is unrealistic.  Also the character hopping was distracting.  Going from Annie to another made it hard to track the story.

01 Best Kind of Trouble - Lauren Dane - 3 stars

 Natalie and Paddy have a fast and furious two week hook up.  Years later they meet up and the spark is still there.  She had a messed up childhood which led to her having control issues.  He's a rock star who's determined to win her.



I enjoyed the way she made him work for their relationship.  It was not a OMG you're hot and rich, let's be together.  He worked to gain her trust.



The book was slow going except the end where it needed to be.  Plus he screwed up but instead of having to earn her trust again, it was insta forgiveness with no groveling required.

04 Circle of Magic Briar - Tamora Pierce - 4 stars

An epidemic takes over Winding Circle.  The four kids and their mentors have to figure out who started it and how to stop it.



The best thing about the book is the four are not all together all the time.  They have to work through not being together and still solve the problem.



Unfortunately, this book seemed rushed at the ending.  The book was slow going until the end when it turned into a rush.



01 Sandry - 4 stars

02 Tris - 4 stars

03 Daja - 4 stars

03 Circle of Magic Daja - Tamora Pierce - 4 stars

The four kids and their mentors travel to Gold Ridge Mountains.  The area is suffering through a drought and Sandry's uncle is looking into aiding them.  Daja creates a living art piece while Sandry tries to figure out how enmeshed the four of their magics are.

Daja learning more about how her magic works a good part of this book.  She also has to learn to stand up for herself.  This one was a bit slow as they spent more time talking about things rather than doing them.


01 Sandry - 4 stars
02 Tris - 4 stars

02 Circle of Magic Tris - Tamora Pierce - 4 stars

Continuing from book one, the four kids are working with their magic and their teachers when their home Winding Circle is attacked by pirates.  The pirates are using new and unusual magics to raid Winding Circle.

As the story of these four continues, the growing friendship between the kids is delightful.
Unfortunately the ending seemed rushed.  It seemed like she had a slow build up and reached a point where she had to rush to conclude.

01 Sandry - 4 stars

01 Circle of Magic Sandry's book - Tamora Pierce - 4 stars

 Four kids with four different powers are brought together to be taught how to be mages.  Sandry is a noble woman with a gift of weaving.  Briar is a thief with the gift of plants.  Daja is a cursed traveler with the gift of metal working.  Tris is a gifted weather mage.

The interaction between the four kids is wonderful.  At the beginning they were very distrustful of each other but by the end of the book were they all come together and trust each other.

The only bad thing about this book - it was a slow start and jumped around a lot.  This led to some confusion over the timeline.

Ultimately, I enjoyed the book.

13 Darkest Promise - Gena Showalter - 4 stars

Cameo is possessed by the demon Misery and isn't allowed to feel joy.  If she does, her memory is wiped.  Lazarus the cruel and unusual rules his kingdom to annihilate his enemies until he meets Cameo.  He's relentless in his efforts to make her smile and seduce her into his bed.  If Cameo falls for him, she'll lose her memory of him.

Cameo and Lazarus' interactions are amazing.  She refuses him all the time because she can't handle his attitude.  Lazarus can't stay away from her because he needs her so much.

The two were so busy trying to save each other they kept trying to separate.  While initially this wasn't annoying, it became very frustrating towards the end.

01 High Risk - Vivien Arend - 3.5 stars

Rebecca James is an adrenaline junky.  While out on a rescue her partner dies and she loses her memory of the event.  Marcus Landers runs his Lifeline team.  When Becki shows up he tries to reignite their passion from their affair seven years previous.

The two of them push each other to be better.  In the bedroom, Becki lets Marcus be alpha male but in the outside world, she doesn't take any crap from him.

The downside to this book, Marcus' backstory of how he lost his arm was an afterthought.  The reader gets bits and pieces of her history.  His story isn't woven in until the very last chapter. If felt like the author realized she forgot his backstory and tacked it on the end.

02 Hunted - Cynthia Eden - 4 Stars

A serial killer is terrifying the town of Hope.  Reporter Casey Quinn becomes part of the story she was reporting on whent he serial killer takes her.  Josh Duvane is part of USET (underwater search & evidence team) who are searching for the victims.  He has a problem with Casey because she's a reporter.

I loved the relationship between the two.  There wasn't a lot of BS between them.  They were honest and trusting with each other.  This came across as genuine.
I didn't like who the serial killer was because I figured out who early and it was too pat, too much of a cliche.

From Breath and Ruin - Carrie Ann Ryan - 2 star

Lyric has graduated from high school and is at loose ends.  She doesn't know what she wants to do with her life.  She is struggling with nightmares and seeing things that aren't there.  After she is injured on a hike she discovers there is magic.

She discovers that 500 years ago in the Maison Realm there was warring kingdoms that lead to a split between the light and the dark.  Both groups send people into the human realm looking for the prophesied Spirit Priestess who will reunite the Maison Realm.

I really wanted to like this book and I didn't.  It was slow going and I didn't like Lyric.  I found her to be very whiny and it was hard to listen to her inner dialogue about what she should and shouldn't do.  How her ex-girlfriend is wonderful but won't be around for much longer.  How hot the neighbor guy is and how she wants him but she isn't sure he wants her.  It was very teen angst and when I am reading or listening to a book there is only so much I can deal with angst before I check out of the book.  I made it a quarter of the way through before I was done with the angst and started skimming the book to see if it got better.  It didn't.  I like the writer and will try her next book in the series to see if this was just a one off since it was a new genre for her and I do want to know how the series ends.

I listened to this book.  Bailey Carr was the narrator and she did an amazing job with the voices for the different characters.  She made the book.

01 Abduction - Cynthia Eden - 3 Stars

When Jillian West was 13 she was kidnapped.  Rescued by the town troublemaker Hayden Black.  They have a brief affair before going their separate ways.  They end up back in Hope - Hayden as sheriff and Jillian on a break from the FBI.  Both are determined to catch the kidnapper / murderer.
I loved the reveal and capture of the kidnapper.  I knew going in who it was (read books out of order).  It was still an interesting reveal and catch.

There wasn't a lot of information shared.  Example 1.  You don't find out until partway through the book how old they were when she was taken.  Example 2. Same for why they parted at 19/21.