Trial and Temptation by Ruby Lionsdrake

 

4 Star

Val Calendula is looking for steady work with the Mandrake Company to save her brother.  She wasn’t planning on running into her former instructor Commander Thatcher.  He always had something to say to her about how she did things.  What she thought was criticism was just Gregor Thatcher’s was just the way he acted.  Gregor was always a bit awkward and never knew what to say to anyone.  He had all the skills to do the job but not the personality.  He always wanted Val but knew it would be wrong since he oversaw her.  He’s still in charge of her but he wants her.  Is he willing to take a risk to find his happy ending?

The give and take in this book was fun to read.  I really enjoyed the struggle both Gregor and Val had.  Val had to come to terms with her misconceptions of Gregor.  He had to come to terms with Val being a subordinate and finding away around that.  They both struggled and that led to a very good read.  It fit with the first book, and you do need to read the first book to get all the nuances of series to understand this one.  I think you could read this without reading the first one but meh, read the first one.

Book 2 Mandrake Company 

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Mercenary Instinct by Ruby Lionsdrake

 

4 Star

Ankari Markovich’s company is on the search for ancient alien poop to help aid her partner’s research into gut health.  The women are used to dodging treasure hunters, slavers, and bounty hunters until Captain Viktor Mandrake company.  They decide to take a bounty hunt for the women because of how high it is but the more he spends time with Ankari the less he believes the warrant out for them.  Will he be able to keep his crew from mutiny when he decides not to turn Ankari and her crew in?

This book is an older book that’s been out for a while.  I remember reading it when it first came out and loving it.  I don’t believe I read the rest of the series at the time.  This is the spicy side of Lindsey Buroker.  It is a fantasy story like all of her other books but this one is very spicy.  I loved seeing all the shenanigans Ankari got into.  She and her team would try and escape from the Mandrake Company and would get into even more trouble.  When they have a chance to get away, they end up helping the Mandrake Company.  She had way too many morals for this book.  She also never lets Viktor forget that he blew up her ship.  Overall, it is a really good story that starts a new series that is worth your time.

Book 1 Mandrake Company

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Bond of Destiny by Larissa lone

 

5 Star

Tracker has never known freedom. The day he was born he was a slave. When Harvester, a fallen angel transferred his ownership to a human woman he gained his first bit of freedom. He's not sure if he can trust her with how traumatic his life has been. Something he's never had is love. He doesn't want it to be taken away from him when he eventually moves to a new owner. The one woman who makes him yearn is Stacey.  He is tempted when she shows up during a blizzard. When the pack he was born into comes and makes demands of him she's used against him. Will he be able to save her and himself?

I loved this book. It also made want to go and reread the whole series. It has been a while since I've read all of them. This is also means you don't have to have had all of the books in the series. I vaguely remember Tracker from a different book and he definitely deserves his happy ending. I loved how he got Stacey to realize the reality of his situation. The best part for me was the end. I loved seeing everyone get their comeuppance. 

Book 11.8 of Demonica

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Clusterf*@K by Elise Faber

4 Star

Misty is incredibly happy for her brother, but she is a bit sad that she hasn’t found a partner yet.  When she accidentally backs her car into Chance and then forgets to put it into park and damages her brother’s house she is mortified.  Chance is intrigued by Misty and wants to find out more about her.  He thinks he might have found his forever if only he can talk Misty into it. 

I loved how these two came together.  You can understand why Misty is hesitant on hooking up with Chance as they share family.  I accidentally read this one before I read Book 3 and you can read them out of order and still understand the series.  It helps but isn’t necessary.  It fit within the series and was a good addition.

Book 4 Life Sucks

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Dumpster Fire by Elise Faber

 

4 Star

Rob was single and he didn’t want to keep living.  Losing the love of his life made it hard for him to live.  On his birthday and the anniversary of his wife’s death he’s nearly run over by Sophie when he stumbles in front of her car.  For the first time in years he is interest in things around him. 

You really feel bad for Rob.  He was given a crap hand and was trying to deal with it.  I felt his character was fully developed and I did want to see him find his happy ending.  Sophie wasn't as developed as Rob was but I did like her.  It was a bit of a rush from Rob going from depressed to all in for a new relationship so I can see why Sophie didn't trust him to be her forever.  I did love the ending and cried so many times reading this book.  It was a really good addition to the series.

Book 3 Life Sucks

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Scrapbooking the Supernatural by Keira Blackwood

 

3 Star

Jen helped her friend Remi learn all about her fire magic now she needs to learn about her dream magic to keep them safe from the big bad.  She will do anything to protect her friends and her son.  When her son is threatened, she will need to look for allies in strange places and just maybe find love again.

Where I loved the first book, I only like the second one.  Jen just kind of irritated me in this book.  Not to mention Molly kept pivotal information from them.  These women are supposed to be working together.  Jen and Remi are working together but Molly is off doing her own thing since she knows what needs to happen.  It got very frustrating.  In addition to this issue because Jen is a dream witch everything was just a bit outlandish for me and I had trouble enjoying the story because of the crazy going on.  It was a bad crazy and not a good crazy.  Overall, the book just disappointed me.

I am adding this here since I don’t know if/when I will review the third book Wrinkles and Runes is out.  I did start it as soon as I finished book two, but I could not get into it at all.  Book two had a repeat of the same problems as this one where Molly continued keeping secrets.  I just couldn’t read it.  I will attempt to read it later, but prospects are not promising.

Book 2 Midlife Magic in Marshmallow

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Hot Mess by Elise Faber

 

4 Star

Shannon thought she had it all until her husband cheated on her and divorced her.  The best thing out of the relationship was her daughter.  She thought she could make it work since she was supposed to get the house, but her ex screwed her over again.  Not sure what she was going to do when she meets Finn, the number one hottest movie star in the world.  Is she ready to love again?

You will want to kill Shannon’s ex.  He is the biggest douche canoe, and he deserves whatever bad karma is coming his way.  I loved seeing Shannon come into her own and finding love again.  Writing this review makes me want to go and read the story again. It was an excellent addition to the series.

Book 2 Life Sucks

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