Shadow of You by Catherine Cowles

4 Stars

It was supposed to be a fresh start. A small town where I could hide my little girl from the shadows that haunt us. A place where I could keep us safe.

The last thing I expected was him.

A surly, broody mountain of a man who helps me save an injured deer in a snowstorm.

Now, Roan Hartley keeps showing up with his glowers and grimaces. But they only make his rare smiles and the gentle way he talks to my daughter mean that much more.

When forces from my past find us, Roan is determined to keep us safe—even if that means sleeping on my ancient couch every night.

As days turn to weeks, his touch has my walls crashing down. But someone out there doesn’t want me to find happiness. He doesn’t want me left breathing at all…

FMC is on the run from a past that won’t stay in the past. She’s trying to raise her niece the way her sister would want her raised. When the past finally catches up to them will she be able to keep everyone safe?

I loved this book. Roan was this big scary dude but was such a marshmallow towards Aspen and her niece. Aspen had such a backbone and was so loving towards everyone even with everything she survived. Part of a series but it does stand alone, and the other books aren’t necessary, but I still want to go and read them. I figured out who the bad guy was about halfway through the book, but I liked how it was revealed. They were a very interesting choice. I was left with some questions. Like did the one asshole get additional time and did Aspen ever get an apology from two of the people who were the biggest dicks to her? Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot and would recommend it.

Book 4 The Lost and Found

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Mine to Love by Kennedy L Michelle

3 Stars

I barely escaped the serial killer's clutches. Now he's back, determined to get me back forcing me and my 9-year-old son into hiding.
An FBI agent and local detective are put on our protection detail to keep us safe, but who will keep me safe from them? The two men are a blast from the past, a one-night stand 9 years ago that I still dream about and who disappeared the following morning.
Until now.
The attraction pulses between us despite the danger closing in.
Though they are no longer friends, memories from that electric night and us three stuck together might convince them to put aside their differences and share me one more time.
With the killer waiting for the right moment when our guards are down to strike, he just might get the perfect opportunity when the big secret I've been hiding is exposed.
I've never forgotten that night all those years ago..
How could I when my 9-year-old son looks just like one of them?

They had a history between them. It was brief and spicy and then it was gone. Now 10 years later Tallon has been rescued from a serial rapist killer and is need of protection, but she has a secret. Will she let Remington and Jameson keep her safe even if it reveals her secret? Will they forgive her for keeping it a secret and let them get their HEA?

This book was so good until it wasn’t. This is promoted as a MFM which led me to believe the 3 of them would end up together…they don’t. All my issues with the book happened in the last 3 chapters. Jameson is injured and ends up in surgery…that’s the last we hear about him. The author explains he survived and is training and Quantico. Ok but they’re still going to get together is where my brain went just from a distance. You get to the last page of the book and find out he has his own book with different characters. WTF!!!!!!! That is not how it is presented, and I am so disappointed. Will probably check out other books as I enjoyed the writing.

Book apart of the Protection Series

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Tormented Girl by Lexie Winston

3 Stars

Property destruction, aggressive threats and an injured family member is what Harlow and the Summers family are having to deal with.

Who is responsible or why this is happening is anybody’s guess?

But amidst all the drama, Harlow is trying to forget the hurts of the past and establish a new relationship with her adopted siblings, even if what she feels for them isn’t overly familial

A trip to Hawaii with Jaxon and Kai is just what she needs to forget about her worries for a while.

Or is it?

Will trouble follow them to the tropical paradise or will they get to relax and unwind and see where the holiday takes them.

With this one you finally see some relationship movement…FINALLY. There’s also a change of scenery as Harlow heads to Hawaii with Jaxon and Kai. I love the one on one we get and more backstory for the guys. This one is where my interest started to wane. It’s the same stuff from the previous books just repeated. The author seems to add side characters to suit the needs of the story. Still enjoyed it but getting frustrated by the lack of movement in the story.

Book 3 Neighpalm Industries

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Doctor Mistake by J Saman

4 Stars

He's my best friend's older brother. My boss. And now my new roommate...

In the hospital, death always comes in threes. Apparently, so do mistakes.

Mistake number one? My fiancé, who I just learned is cheating on me. So much for being the strong, in control doctor who's always on top of her game...

Mistake number two? Knocking on the wrong door.

The door I thought still belonged to my best friend now belongs to his older brother, my obnoxious, overly cocky, gorgeous-as-sin attending physician, Carter Fritz.

The billionaire playboy gives me a place to stay, and a shoulder to cry on. But when he makes me feel seen for the first time in I don’t even know how long, I tell myself I don’t regret what was easily the hottest, most earth-shattering night of my life.

That is until mistake number three comes along... and I'm staring down at a stick with two pink lines.

Having a baby at this stage of my residency could cost me everything I’ve worked so hard to build.

But Carter? He's undeterred. He doesn't just want more; he wants it ALL.

Including me.

But what happens if following my heart turns out to be my biggest mistake of all?

I loved Carter and Grace. Watching them stumble around to their HEA was amusing. Loved how Carter messed up and then fixed the problem. It nearly cost him Grace and he thinks he knows best until he bites him in the ass. I am not always a fan of friends to lovers but this one worked for me along with the surprise baby. Well worth the read.

Book 2 Boston’s Billionaire Bachelors

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Plays Well with Others by Lauren Blakely

3 Stars

Dating lessons from my football-playing best friend? Sign me up!
So I'm throwing myself a breakup party, a glittery fete where I envision I'll lift a glass and celebrate being free and single again.
What I actually do: Drink too much champagne and blurt out to my best guy friend that I’d really like to get back on the horse.
But what I truly don’t expect is Carter’s answer – he volunteers as tribute.
With his sinful brown eyes and too-good-to-be-true body it’d be no hardship for me to say yes, though I certainly don’t want him to feel obligated to, um, service me, just because my failed, loveless marriage was a s-e-x desert.
But since the charming and confident pro football star owes five public dates to his dating app sponsor, we make a deal to help each other out.
Pretty soon, our public how to date lessons turn into, ahem, very private ones. And I’m a star student, graduating quickly from flirty banter and lingering looks to toe-curling, sheet-grabbing, mind-blowing hours of physical education.
The problem? Turns out learning to date again feels a lot like the real thing. Can our friendship withstand all these late-night bedroom sessions?
Especially since I’m suddenly longing for my best friend and there’s nothing fake about my feelings…

This was a cute friend to lovers book. Carter is super sweet, and Rachel is on the rebound after a cheating ex. He is obligated to go on dates and so to help his BFF get back out there he agrees to date her so she can get used to dating. The problem is they catch feelings for each other. It was a pretty solid read.

Book 2 How to Date

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Broken Girl by Lexie Winston

3 Stars

Never in her life has Harlow felt as low as she does now. Even a beating from her mother was easier to take then the humiliation she just suffered at the hands of the Summer’s siblings.
Unable to return home due to a promise made to her foster father, she has to stay on until her commitments have concluded. With her new friends Alex and Shane trying to convince her to stay and her grandparents and father of the same mind, Harlow’s heart is torn in two.
But a mysterious phone call and a possible job opportunity may just swing the pendulum to one side.

More questions are answered but more are introduced. The adopted siblings are slowing changing but are still too stupid for me. I am pretty sure I know who the stalker is, but we must wait for a future book for the answer. It was another cliffhanger ending.

Book 2 Neighpalm Industries

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Last on the List by Amy Daws

3 Stars

Only a bad nanny knows what it’s like to kiss the boss.

CEO millionaire, Max Fletcher is a single dad in desperate need of a nanny.

Cozy Barlow is in the middle of her self-appointed “gap year” and doing everything she can to detach from her past.

But when her sister begs her to interview for the nanny position of a high maintenance client, she doesn’t have a good enough reason to say no.

And when Max locks eyes on the twenty-something in a tie-dye sweatsuit who pitches the idea of daydreaming all summer—he prepares to give this bad nanny the boot.

One problem: Max’s little girl thinks this plus-sized in body and spirit nanny might be her new bestie, so she hires her on the spot.

Now Max is stuck with this bizarre woman who hates everything he represents—corporate greed, money, status, power.

But one stormy night when the power goes out, he discovers Cozy doesn’t hate him. In fact, he’s the leading role in her fantasies.

Fantasies, he would very much like to make a reality.

This was fine but there was a pacing issue. There were many slowish spots that frustrated me. I also got very tired of Cozy mentioning her weight and size. I get it she’s plus size with curves can we move on. I loved Carter but Cozy wasn’t my favorite. She acts like she’s in high school and she is very much not. So, meh.

Book 5 Wait With Me

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Supernatural Academy: Year One by Jaymin Eve

3 Stars

Maddison James is about to discover some truths about the world.

Firstly … supernaturals exist.

WTF?

Secondly … she is one, even though no one seems to know exactly what kind.

Double WTF.

Thirdly … she’s about to go back to school.

Well, things just got a little more interesting.

The Supernatural Academy is where shifters, vampires, magic users, and fey are educated. Where they are taught about their abilities, and how to function in the human world. Maddison already has the human part down, but this supernatural thing is an entirely new dangerous game.

Example one: mean girls who can actually turn you into a frog.

Example two: Asher Locke, a god at the Academy. Not literally … well, who knows for sure. He certainly acts the part, as do all of his minions who worship him.

Asher drives her crazy, because apparently gorgeous and arrogant is her thing. Sparks fly between them, and the more they’re thrown together, the more Asher is determined to figure out what’s been blocking her abilities.

Until the moment the truth is revealed, and they find out nothing in this supernatural world is what they thought.

Including each other.

Maddi is thrown into a supernatural world she wasn’t aware of. She rolls with the punches so she can discover everything she can. It’s one of the things I liked best about her. I also liked all the guys and secondary characters. Some of my issues with the story is it jumps around on the timeline. It jumps ahead in the time to move the story along and it doesn’t make sense and was very jarring. There also needs to be some character development to like/hate some of the characters. Overall, I liked it enough to continue the series.

Book 1 Supernatural Academy

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Abandoned Girl by Lexie Winston

3 Stars

Her entire life, Harlow has been the cuckoo in another bird’s nest. With an unreliable junkie for a mother and an unknown father, her foster family, the kind, successful, and generous Bostons, are the brightest spot in her life. But even with a foster family like Harlow’s, there are some things money can’t buy- like the ability to fit in with the shallow socialites who act like her lack of pedigree is contagious. Now that she’s finished college and her veterinary degree, Harlow’s life was supposed to take off. She was supposed to get a job and create a life away from the petty drama of the wealthy elite. But when her mother dies and a life-changing secret is revealed, Harlow finds herself flying across the country to face an uncertain future that Kai, Holden, Jaxon, Thomas, Jacinta, Declan, and Oliver are going to make sure she won’t accept.

This one was a slow burn. You will hate a lot of the characters but that’s how they’re supposed to be. It was an interesting concept. Girl finds bio dad is rich and powerful. His adopted kids’ lust for her but think she’s after his money. They never bothered to learn anything about her. I know she’s going to end up with the brothers, but they have a lot to make up for after how this book ends. Still a lot of questions I want answered so I will end up reading the next one.

Book 1 Neighpalm Industries

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Forged Bond by Olivia Lewin

 

2 Stars

I’m finally ready to put my trust in my mates…

But what if trust isn’t enough?

When my heat turns deadly, my mates face an impossible choice: risk my trust, or risk my life. And we don’t have time to recover from its impacts, because Kylan won’t rest in his quest to capture me.

We have to go on the offensive. Against an organization as vast as the vampire mafia, that’s easier said than done.

Will the bonds we forge be enough to vanquish an enemy so paranoid barely anyone has seen his face?

Or will I end up losing something precious to me before the mission is complete?

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Where 1 and 2 were so good this one was a crappy one. It ended so badly with so many questions unanswered. I also hated Freya’s memory loss…like why. What does that bring to the table. It all just irritated me.

Book 3 Frayed

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Willing Sacrifice by Latrexa Nova

3 Stars

Willing Sacrifices is a collection of the first four novellas of Sacrificed to Monster Gods, including the prequel, Enthralled by Shadows -- Enthralled by Death, Enflamed by Fire, Ensnared by Dreams & Terrors, and Entrapped by Mythos.

“There is nothing more monstrous than a god.

If you don’t find offerings before the veil between worlds is thinnest… they will eat the world. The planets, the sun, the galaxies beyond, nothing will ever be enough.

Although... there are those who look for what the gods have to offer. Willing sacrifices..."

There was an overall trope of the gods are in need of a good partner to rescue them through smexy time. The first couple of books were good but then the plot became very repetitive by the second and third book and that’s about when my interest fizzled out. Still worth giving it a shot as it was an interesting read.

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Dangerous Heat by Olivia Lewin

4 Stars

Trapped and taunted with a deadly heat barrelling toward me, I’m separated from the only men I’ve ever trusted.

Handing myself over to the enemy didn’t go as planned.

My captor isn’t the cruel man I thought he was. Shan is lost in the past, insistent on dealing with his trauma alone. Caspian is fighting against his nature, putting us all at risk. Ozzy is growing distant and restless, but is silenced by his curse. Emmett is battling to keep everyone together.

As past actions threaten to tear apart our tentative trust, one question hangs over my head…

Am I safer staying put, or trying to escape?

All I know for certain is for this heat, it’ll be far too dangerous alone.

Loved where this book went with Freya. It’s interesting to see the growth and changes that happen with the characters. There are twists and turns in it that made me so happy. This book is more a book about relationship development than the story moving forward but it was still worth the read. It still ends on a cliffhanger.

Book 2 Frayed

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Dragon’s Bride by Alex Lidell

4 Stars

A bargain struck. A pact made. Now the dragon princes must forge me into a bride.

Except dragons’ brides are molded from childhood—while Tavias’s pack has mere weeks to make me into a passable one. To teach me to fight. To behave. To mate.

As our ship slices through the perilous sea toward the Equinox Trials, the danger isn’t confined to evil creatures in the ocean’s depth. Here, aboard a naval ship, I discover more than I bargained for. Friendship. Fear. Lessons in intimacy that awaken desires I never knew existed.

I’m in this for one reason only. To win my freedom. I know better than to lose my heart. Don’t I?

The book started right where 1 ended. We get more of their traveling and a whole lot of steam. You see a deeper connection between Kit and most of the dragons. Without spoilers I saw the way the book ended the way it did and how it all played out, but I loved the way it got there. It does end on another cliff, and I can’t wait for books 3 and 4.

Book 2 Her Royal Dragon Pack

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Dirty Lying Faeries by Sabrina Blackburry

4 Stars

For better or for worse, the newest changeling has arrived . . .

When Thea Kanelos’s best friend drags her to an art gala (that’s definitely not her thing), she doesn’t expect a chance encounter with Devin Grayson to change her life forever. The handsome stranger isn’t just anyone—he’s a powerful fae, charged with bringing Thea into his world.

Believing that she’s always been human, Thea must accept that everything she’s known about herself up until now has been a lie. She’s not human at all. She is a fae—funny, because she doesn’t even believe in faeries.

But with strange creatures now visible on the street and fangs and colors flashing in the shadows, it can’t be denied: faeries are real. And with the Winter Solstice approaching, a magnificent ball will bring her fully into the fae world and draw her closer to Devin with whom she has a deepening and dangerous attraction.

As her new powers awaken, Thea learns she plays a more pivotal role to the fae than she ever imagined. And when the barrier between the human and the fae worlds begins to crack, it will be up to her to save not just herself, but everyone she loves from a terrible fate.

Loved this take on the Fae. Thea was amazing and so relatable. Devin was awesome if a bit of a dick but does get better by the end. Loved most of the secondary characters except Thea BFF. She annoyed me throughout the book. I think she was supposed to annoy so meh. My biggest issue with the book is I am left wanting to know what ended up happening with Thea family. It is explained she will have to limit contact for reasons you will need to read to find out. The book just kind of ends without any resolution between Thea and her family. With that said I still can’t wait to pick up book 2.

Book 1 The Enchanted Fates

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Faked by Karla Sorenson

4 Stars

I should’ve known better than to swap places with my twin sister.

No one would ever believe that me, Claire Ward—the straight A student who never gets in trouble—, would impersonate her sister just to earn a night out with the guy she’s crushed on forever. But how else could I get her best friend Finn to notice me?

It would’ve worked perfectly. Except Finn wasn’t the guy to pick me up that night.

In Finn’s place—wearing a perfectly tailored tux and looking like sin—is his brother, Bauer. Finn’s exact opposite in every way, my date for the evening is a tattooed snowboarder with a sexy smirk and a chip on his shoulder the size of Mt. Olympus.

I should’ve known better. Because now the good girl is stuck with the bad boy for the night, and the consequences of that are much bigger than I could have imagined.

Apparently, I am loving reading straight romance books right now. I loved Claire         and Bauer. They were adorable together and apart. I saw the breakup a mile away, but I still loved seeing how they got back together. I want Bauer’s parents to get what’s coming to them. They were dicks throughout with no redemption whatsoever. Going to go and read the rest of the series.

Book 2 Ward Sisters

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Frayed Trust by Olivia Lewin

4 Stars

I’m a hidden Omega with murderous impulses…

Can you blame me? With my designation it’s kill or be killed, or worse. Just ask my sister.

After the Sanctuary thrust her into the arms of a monster, I swore I’d never follow in her footsteps. Not when I revealed five years ago, and not now. I’d make it alone. No Sanctuary. No Alphas. No plan.

I didn’t really think it through.

Even if I don’t need an Alpha to take care of me, my body does. And I’m running out of time to find one of my choice. With my heats getting closer to lethal every month and a vampire kingpin who knows my identity, my only hopes are the mysterious strangers investigating my long string of murders.

Shan, the bland angel with a penchant for the rules (and making me follow them, even when he doesn't). Caspian, an incubus-fae hybrid who’s equal parts sensual and vulnerable. Em, the team’s muscle who’s inexplicably absent from the investigation.

Add in my sassy, cursed feline familiar and we have ourselves a party. And the best heat of my life, if I can bring myself to trust them with my secrets. But can I repair my frayed trust before it’s too late?

I loved this book and Freya was just awesome. The guys were also really good. I loved the snark, and the backbone Freya has. She’s determined to never be forced like her sister and take out people who are just bad. The guys you know she’s going to end up with are investigating the murders she’s responsible for and chaos ensues. Can’t wait for book 2.

Book 1 Frayed

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Dragon's Captive by Alex Lidell

4 Stars

For once, I thought being an orphaned slave would keep me safe. Yet when the dragon princes come for their promised bride, Lady Cordelia, they take me too. Why? Because they are immortal assholes who like to hoard.

But when Cordelia is killed, the dragons have a big problem: if they return without a human mate, they’ll lose their throne. 

So we strike a deal. I play bride in exchange for my freedom. All I must do is survive the bridal trials, manage the mating mechanics, and remember that dragon royals are killers, not friends.

All I must do is not fall in love.

Loved this one. It was just getting good, and it ended in a cliffhanger. Kit is so strong and willing to put the dragons in their place. The guys are dicks and arrogant. They grow on you. The guys are very different and have their own issues. she balances them out. I can't wait to see how the trials workout for them.

Book 1 Her Royal Dragon Pack

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Between Commitment and Betrayal by Shain Rose

4 Stars

My father's business partner will do anything for the empire they built together...Even marry me.

Declan Hardy, All-American heartthrob and retired NFL billionaire, is my complete opposite.

He's commanding where I'm cooperative.

Spontaneous while I am deliberate.

Loud when I stay quiet.

The only thing we have in common is that both our names are on my father's will.

He'll inherit the fitness and hospitality empire and I'll keep the one thing I hold dear.

As long as I marry him—with conditions.

One year of a fake marriage.

One year of living together.

One year of pretending I belong in his luxury lifestyle.

But stipulations are never that simple.

Especially when I can't tell if his kisses are fake or if I'm pretending when I kiss him back.

And as more conditions arise, it's clear there's a fine line between commitment and betrayal... and neither of us knows where that line falls.

I HATE Everly’s father. He is the biggest asshole in this whole book. Besides that, I really enjoyed reading this book. I was rooting for Everly to get her HEA. Sometimes with Declan, sometimes with someone who deserved her better. Declan is an asshat at times, and he needed to do more groveling than he does but I still enjoyed it. I can’t wait to read the next book with Everly’s stepsister that I liked. I am curious to see how everything plays out.

Book 1 Hardy Billionaires

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Outside the Pack by Lindsey Davis

3 Stars

I am a wolf in humans clothing...

All I’ve ever wanted is to be part of the pack, but it’s difficult when you’re human. It never stopped my adopted wolf mother from loving me, but now that the biggest bully of our pack Troy is about to become alpha, he plans to ruin any chance I’ve got of fitting in.

I’ve already got enough problems without adding ‘kidnapped’ to my list. But that's exactly what happens when we’re attacked and I’m taken captive by the alpha of the enemy pack.

I should hate Night, but he’s nicer to me than Troy ever was, not to mention a hell of a lot sexier. I know our attraction is dangerous, but our connection sparks something in me I never expected, revealing there’s much more to me than my human side.

When Troy hunts me down, it can only mean one thing—war. Now I must make an impossible decision between following my heart or remaining loyal to the pack that raised me...

I liked this one a lot. Probably would have been a 4 but it ends on a cliff and book 2 is not available to read. The next available are 3 and 4 which is fine if you don’t end your books on a cliffhanger. I liked the characters in this book. Bryn is neglected and abused by a lot of people in this book. She is loved by some, but she has to be strong to survive most of the pack. I loved the struggle Night had with staying away from her and he’s the biggest idiot when they finally come together. I still don’t know if he makes it up to her since I can’t read book 2. If that ever comes available again, I will read and revisit this review but for now I am mad and not happy.

Book 1 Mated to the Night

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Creepy Court by MISC

 

4 Stars

Bright neon lights are humming. Tunes are cranked to the max. And everyone from preppies to punk rockers are chilling out at the Creepy Court Mall—the happening place in town.

But behind the glam, things are stranger than they seem. Gnarly monsters hide in plain sight, and they’re on the prowl for their perfect mate.

So mallrats, tease out those bangs and tight roll those jeans, and bounce to the mall today.

I don’t know how I feel about this being labeled as historical…I remember many things from this time. Now I am feeling old. This was a really good collection to read. They are spicy and short. Some have more gore than others. They are all weird and interesting. They also all include trope and warnings so if something isn’t your cup of tea you can skip. Would recommend getting and reading this.

Amazon Vol 1 Amazon Vol 2

That Feeling by Alexis Winter

3 Stars

I've broken wild horses that were easier to tame than Brooklyn Dyer.
The moment she conquered my mechanical bull in those tight jeans and that ridiculous tourist cowboy hat, I knew she was trouble.

The kind of trouble you spend all night praying never ends and a decade trying to forget.

But Monday morning brings a punch to the gut I never saw coming—she's sitting across from me at our family brewery's board meeting. Not just as some new hire, but as our social media director with plans to make me the damn poster boy for Slade Brewing.

I've spent 37 years mastering this ranch and my emotions—I don't need some city girl with marketing schemes and dangerous curves dismantling both.

Yet here I am, shirtless on my horse while she snaps photos, thinking about how badly I want to bend her over my saddle.

I told myself not to give in, but those full hips and that attitude of hers make me want to misbehave.
She's a defiant little thing that needs to learn a lesson about teasing a man like me.

She’s one of those girls alright—Mysterious, driven, all kinds of sexy.

Just when I let my guard down, her ex appears with a ring, I discover she's carrying my child, and a bullet meant for someone else nearly ends it all.

They say a cowboy's greatest strength is knowing when to hold on tight and when to let go. But with Brooklyn, I'm beginning to think some feelings are worth fighting for—even if it might destroy us both.

This is a generous 3 stars because it was an interesting take on age gap. I skimmed some as there is a huge pacing issue. They were all in within the first half of the book and Brooklyn does end up pregnant almost immediately after they hook up. I also was not a huge fan of Brooklyn. She was too … brass is the best word I can come up with. She was almost bratty in her attitude but not in a good way. She goes in planning on manipulating Tyler to get what she wants, and it rubs me the wrong way. The rest of the book is about other dramas in the community. I did like the writing style so I will probably pick up something else and see if they are better.

Book 1 Slade Brothers

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Wayside by A.A. Gordon

2.5 Stars

The Dowrra are human females descended from Inanna, a goddess of love, whose dormant desires erupt when they meet their destiny and mate with powerful, supernatural creatures.
Oblivious to her Dowrra heritage, curvy red-headed stunner, Gwendolyn Rhys never imagined there was a reason for her lack of passion and poor choices in boyfriends.
Then, 500-year-old Miguel Santos, vampire Prince of Wayside Coven, walks into the downtown Toronto diner where she’s serving and changes everything.
Gwen is blindsided by desire. Her heart beats so hard she can feel it pulsing in her fingertips. She’s unnaturally captivated by the tall stranger’s full mouth, rugged jaw, and sculpted body. Her hunger is confusing, disturbing, magnetic – intoxicating. She’s never known such fierce yearning.
Miguel is equally mesmerized by this bold human who doesn’t seem to fear him. The heat of her desire flushing under her soft skin is pure temptation, but it is her innocence and feisty intelligence that fascinates him. Such a powerful impulse can only be a Dowrra bond forming.
Miguel charms Gwen with the city’s glittering nightlife, black tie events, and luxury cars, but his obligation is to maintain the shaky truce between humans and the paranormal. As tensions rise, he’ll need to protect his Dowrra mate, but will Gwen accept Miguel’s dark secret before it’s too late? Can the proud, self-assured vampire prince humble himself for love? Will they survive the war that threatens to unravel their destiny?

This book had a good idea but wasn’t implemented well. It frustrated me that everyone knew what was going on but Gwen. Plus, Miguel is all in while holding this huge secret. When it’s revealed he’s just going to walk away from her because he doesn't think she can handle what he is. He doesn’t give her an option to stay. So frustrating. She deserves better. I might give book 2 a chance to see if it gets better and to see how everything plays out but I need a break from it.

Book 1 The Dowrra

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Bombshell by Jessica Prince

4 Stars

He’d hated me first, so I figured it was only fair I hate the stupid, sexy jerk back.
After ending the world’s worst relationship, Marin Grey had sworn off men. So it was rather inconvenient that she couldn’t seem to keep her eyes and thoughts off the Ice King himself, Pierce Walton—also known as her ex-boyfriend’s older, much hotter brother.
He was cold, callous, and rude. He was also the most gorgeous man she’d ever laid eyes on, which made the fact that he’d hated her from first sight all the more unfair.
When circumstances dictate they put their swords away so Marin can help Pierce take care of his son, that ice-cold hate suddenly takes a turn into something much hotter. And if they aren’t careful, they could both be burned alive.

I loved Marin so much. Not so much Pierce. He is a judgmental ass, but he does love her. I loved the give and take between them and the eventual fall. It was a good and fast read. Worth checking out.

Book 1 Whiskey Doll

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Going Down Smooth by Dreia Wells

3 Stars

I’m an Alpha trapped in an Omegas body.
I never wanted to be anyone’s mated anything. I wanted to be in control of my destiny, not held down by the shackles of my biology. My father, unfortunately, had other plans. I was supposed to fall in line like my sisters, but I ran. The night of my mating ceremony I rejected my four Alphas and got as far away as I could. I gave up everything and walked away from my family and never looked back.
But even in death my father still wouldn’t let me be free. The day of his funeral I’m given an ultimatum. He offers me a chance to run the family business but under one condition. To accept the mates I left behind and reclaim what’s rightfully mine. Or I lose it all forever
Nothing’s ever easy in the Smooth family but I will find a way to get what I want.
I just hope my body doesn’t decide to betray me in the process.
Along with my heart.

This was an interesting take on omegas. I did struggle with the pacing in the book plus the guys. Mercy deserved better from everyone in the book. She just wanted to be her own person and everyone around her wanted her to fit the mold and stay in her box. The guys should have supported her but pushed and it led to problems. They didn’t have her back and it is hard to want them to get their HEA. The book does end with a cliffhanger ending and you will need to read book 2 to get the full story as nothing is resolved in this book.

Book 1 Smooth Pack

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Kurt’s Honor by Jade Thorn

 

2 Stars

Shop keeper by day, badass demon fighter by night. Grace's life isn't really that complex until the day Kurt sweeps into her supernatural store. Handsome, talented, and with an ego the size of China, he's a handful, but not more than she can cope with. He just needs a little 'attitude adjustment'.
Chicago, on the other hand, has more trouble than either of them can deal with, and if they don't get to the bottom of this sudden influx of demons, the whole city will be at risk.
Kurt is the best and brightest of The Brotherhood's elite corps and Grace packs a punch nobody expected, but even combined will they be enough to save the city?

I’ve liked so many books by Jade Thorn, this one hurts. I didn’t like this one at all. Kurt was an asshole throughout the book and doesn’t get any better. Grace deserved so much better than what she gets. It’s an interesting concept but when you hate one of the main characters it makes it hard to read. I did read the description for future books, and it looks like the main conflict continues with the men Grace is going to end up with being dicks and still getting her. I will be skipping.

Book 1 The Brotherhood

Amazon 

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His Curvy Rejected Mate by Cate C Wells

3 Stars

Flora

I’m at the bottom of the pack. I’m female, I have no family left, and everywhere a shifter is supposed to be hard, I’m soft and round. There’s one bright spot in my days—Alec Cameron.

He’s hard in every way—so distant that he’s ice cold—but once in a while, he gives me a nod, and we sneak off to the woods. He’s not cold then. Not at all.

I used to dream that Fate would make it official, but after so many years, I’ve given up hope. Then, at a pack run, heat strikes. Alec Cameron is my mate.

In front of everyone, he turns his back on me.

I didn’t know how cold he could be, but I do now, and I’ve got a choice to make. Do I hang around and deal with this messed up pack like I always do? Or do I take my new wolf, break free, and forge a new path of our own?

Alec

This pack is falling apart. Literally. I spend my days patching together buildings that are inches from sliding down the mountain. In my free time, I have to compete with the other two males vying for Salt Mountain alpha, the world’s worst job.

I’m constantly holding everything together, and until the night of the last full moon run, there was at least one bright spot in my days.

Then Flora Ritchie goes into heat at the worst possible time and place, and in all the chaos and revelations, I lose my grip. And my temper.

In the blink of an eye, my mate is gone.

I know how to fix things, not feelings, but if I don’t figure it out, and quickly, I’m going to lose it all.

Alec didn’t do enough to get Flora forgiveness. I needed more world building and character development, but it was a pretty solid rejected mate book. I want more in this world as I am intrigued.

Book 4 The Five Packs

Amazon 

Tanglewood Witches by Genevieve Jack

3 Stars

Bound to each other by unexpected magic...

Hauled out of bed by a brutish soldier and tossed into a stone cell, the last thing Alena expects is to come face to face with wealthy businessman Orpheus. The rake almost tricked her into his bed once and is the one man she's tried to avoid ever since. To her utter dismay, she learns he's her new partner in a forced mission: to acquire a celestial weapon, one protected by the gods.

Orpheus never anticipated meeting anyone like Alena, let alone deceiving her. Could their immediate connection be due to a common secret—ancestral magic? To win this game of the gods thrust upon them, he'll have to earn her trust again and heal old wounds before it's too late.

The biggest surprise for both of them? Surviving their quest is just the beginning. Together, they have the potential to build a dynasty of powerful witches and wizards. All it will take is a book, a tree... and a dragon.

I loved the first part of this book with Alena and Orpheus. The story was cute and interesting to see how things they did led to what happens in future books. Where the book lost me was when it switched to one of their daughters. It just seemed out there because it wasn’t clearly marked in the book. All of a sudden we had new characters being named and I flipped back to see what I missed. It was ok. Interested in seeing how book two plays out.

Book 1 The Three Sisters

Amazon