Tag Archives: romance

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Lie To Me

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Lie to Me (Redemption, #1)

Lie to Me (Redemption #1)

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I received this as an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.

If I could give this more than 5 stars I would gladly do so! Sometimes romances can feel a bit stale or been there done that, it is so not the case here. From the first sentence I was ready for an interesting and engrossing story, which is just what I got. I think for me it was even better because we got to know them as teenagers as well as adults and saw the evolution of their feelings for each other. The bond was so much more than about teen lust, this was forged in tragedy and heartache. An added bonus is that you actually get to hear from both sides in their own voice with chapters devoted to their perspective on the situation as it develops.

  The Main Characters

Harlow Chase has been in a bad place since the love of her life left her 5 years ago without any explanations and a few texts which stopped abruptly. Though life has been hard she has been dedicated to giving her young brother the best life she can. Harlow is a study in contradictions, she is a fighter who never gives up yet she has all these quirks which make her appear weak. But she truly is a loyal and caring person who will stand by those she loves no matter the consequences.

Marcus Roma never had a happy home life, he attempted to gain acceptance through boxing, a sport that his father always loved. When he saw this young, lanky girl hanging around he spoke to her and an instant attraction was born. He came to love her and would do anything to make her smile or feel safe but there were things happening that he didn’t understand. When he left her to go across the country and work it was with the thought that he would be back for her soon. But now 5 years later he is back, and he knows that if he wants to be in her life again he is going to have to earn the right. A teen who made bad choices has grown into a man who wants to make them right.

Alex Wolfe is Marcus’s godfather and at first glance seems to be a very nice and generous man. But he has a dark side that shows itself as he manipulates Marcus and threatens those he loves. He got Marcus to leave the girl he loved and now wants to assure that it cannot be resurrected. He has targeted Harlow and wants Marcus to be the one to strike the final blow.

  Short Summary

Five years ago Harlow was fairly happy with her life, she had her love and the prospect of gaining custody of her younger brother after her parents died. But then her love, Marcus, left without an explanation and she never saw him again until one rainy day as she was trying to catch a bus in New York. With his return she has to not only fight to save her home but fight the love she still feels for the man who abandoned her and left her broken. Can she ever believe or trust him when she asks him to “Lie to Me”?

I knew I was hooked the moment I started talking to the characters, not as crazy as it sounds, and telling them what I thought they should do. This book had me laughing at certain situations, then I was crying with them or for them, but I smiled a great deal also. Marcus and Harlow are a couple I would like to see more of in the future. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a happy ending.
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Old Tin Sorrows

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Old Tin Sorrows (Garrett P.I., #4)

Old Tin Sorrows (Garrett Files #4)

 

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
I love Garrett because I always have the most fun reading his exploits, he is such a romantic, aggravating, womanizing character.

Here he goes to help a fellow Marine who has a dying boss and former commanding officer. Garrett thinks it will be a simple matter to figure out who the culprit is, but of course he should know that when he gets called in things get weird fast. His world is populated with all manner of fantastic character like Morley Dotes, a black elf who owns a health food restaurant and does assassination work on the side, when he’s not sleeping with married women. The women are all shapely and rarely human but he goes for them no matter what they are, as long as they are beautiful.

This is just a fun read with elements of mystery, the supernatural, and mythical creatures. Enjoy it if you like a good noir type mystery with a fantasy twist. Think Raymond Chandler.

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Before The Moon Rises

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Before The Moon Rises (Ritter Werewolves, #1)

Before The Moon Rises (Ritter Werewolves #1)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would and it has piqued my interest in other books by this author. I can say that I would have liked it to have been a little longer because I was really into it just as started getting to the end. This was a fast paced story that managed to introduce the characters in a way that made them real and give you the entire run-down on what was going on in their world. While the romance was almost instantaneous, it gave meaning to the males need to protect. Not to mention the fact that shifters always seem to fall in love/lust immediately.

Max Ritter is found in the middle of Los Angeles naked and unconscious, he is taken to the hospital and meets Janet O’Brien, the nurse taking care of him. Also at the hospital is Gorman, the werewolf he has been following. When he sees that Gorman has set his sights on Janet what else can he do but try to protect her. Though they have an instant attraction Janet has no idea what Max is and he does not enlighten her even though he knows the danger that stalks her. The Ritter’s are a family of werewolves who are sworn to protect people from being killed or turned but can they do it when it’s most important to them and Max.

This was a really good story about the good and evil that can be found within the werewolf community with a villain who was evil and had plans for everything and everyone. Our good guy was rich, handsome, and almost to good to be true. Then there is the nurse, Janet, who has found herself between two adversaries without knowing the real cost to her.

Fast, sexy, brutal, and engrossing!

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Hounded

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Hounded (Shifter Town Enforcement #1)

Hounded (Shifter Town Enforcement #1)

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
This book got my attention because it started in such a strange place, with Lennox crawling through grass in search of her arrest. There was no major lead in but you are brought into the story just as it begins to progress. I was ready to keep reading as soon as I realized this might be a little different from other novels I had read in the same genre and that this might be some interesting characters to get acquainted with. While some of the motivations of the characters seem off the story itself moves forward smoothly and logically allowing you to get insight into who these people are. I could feel for each of them as I found out a little of their backgrounds.

Lennox Donnely is a Hound (shifter police) who has been sent out to arrest Kanon Reyes for assaulting a Hound in her pack. Kanon is a lion shifter and is considered to be dangerous, this is because he had been a rogue in the past. When Lennox gains access to his home she is confronted by his partner Tegan Sharpe who asks that she allow them to prove Kanon’s innocence since he would be killed for a fight. Lennox agrees and from that moment her life changes in ways she could never have imagined. She undertakes to protect Kanon after finding that he is being framed for more than a simple assault and the person is continuing to kill in order to bring him down.

This is a bit of crime drama with a love story interwoven, though a hot love story between not two but three people. A forbidden love at that. Lennox is a ridgeback, a hound that tracks and arrests lions, they do not sleep with the enemy. While there are some really hot moments here the serial killer is the main focus with the romance seeming to be more of an aside. Regardless of what you take away from it this is a must read if you enjoy shifters of any type.

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Hounded (Shifter Town Enforcement)

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Hunted

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Hunted (Brides of the Kindred, #2)

Hunted (Brides of the Kindred #2)

 

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I am really enjoying these books so far. They are so well thought out and the characters have such diverse personalities that you cannot help but feel for whatever they are going through. The plots follow a natural progression which allows to follow along even if you have not read the previous. The flow is seamless and allows for better understanding of not only the characters but also situations which are represented. And to make it even better, at least for me, the stories are told from multiple points of view. I also like the fact that even though each story is about a separate couple you still have interaction with the original couple and are setting the stage for the next book.

Olivia and Sophia Waterhouse are twins and when Olivia is claimed by a Kindred warrior Sophia is devastated. She takes out her anger on Sylvan, brother of the warrior who claimed her sister. Now Sophia is attending her sister’s wedding and finds out that she must kiss the man she has been abusing and feels hates her. While she is worrying about this she does not know that the Scourge are planning to kidnap her, as they did her sister, thinking that she is the one who can fulfill their prophesy. As Sylvan is returning Sophia to Earth they are attacked and crash-land in the mountains and must allude their pursuers. Sophia feels things for Sylvan but is frightened of him because he is a Blood Kindred, they have fangs and bite their mates to bond with them. What follows is a chase across galaxies and the realization that the past cannot stand in the way of a love that is fated in the stars.

This series is beyond HOT! It scorches and can make you blush or reduce you to a puddle, either is good. The heat does not take away from the fact that the story is always front and center. Science fiction is not everyone’s cuppa but this is more than that, it’s a story of finding that one love who completes you, it’s about seeing the difference in someone and accepting it and so many other things.

If you are a romance junky then you have to read this series.

 

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How to Date a Vampire

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How to Date a Vampire by Rose Pressey   How to Date a Vampire (Rylie Cruz #2)
by Rose Pressey

 

This is a 3.5 star read. Rylie Cruz is a great character and I love her to death but she can be so out there sometimes. With that said, I do like the story here. It’s a fun quick run through the streets of New Orleans as Rylie faces yet another obstacle in her quest to finally get close to Jack.

When last we saw Rylie she was getting ready to rush to her parents house along with Jack. Well apparently when they arrive they end up in a fight with the vampires who have come looking for her Uncle Ernie. During the fight Jack is bitten and while Rylie hopes for the best, based on movie transformations, she knows that she may now be dating a vampire. Things only take a turn for the worse, as if things could get any worse, when the vampires comes and want to take Jack away for an unknown reason.

Also getting in on the action are Rylie’s best friend and roommate Jennifer Matthews, who is human along with Lily the crazy client and werewolf who will not go away. With various vampires who all seem to have varying agendas, Rylie has no idea who to turn to for help.

If you are in the mood for a light read with characters that are appealing and fun, then this is for you. I found myself actually laughing out loud at times and that means it definitely has merit.

Be aware however that it does contain some spelling errors, extra words, and missing words throughout. I know that can bother some, but does not detract from the story itself.

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The Wolf’s Captive

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The Wolf's Captive by Chloe Cox   
The Wolf’s Captive (BDSM Bacchanal #2)

by Chloe Cox

 

It’s 4.5 stars and could have been so much more.

I want to have my own Cesare with every kink in tact. This was a hot read with a story I could enjoy as well.

It is Bacchanal in J’Amel and Lucia is going to experience it for the first time after years of hearing the rumors of what takes place. What she cannot anticipate is that it will bring her more heartache as well as excitement than any time in her life. While she is attending the Dance of Seasons she spots Lord Cesare Lupin as Winter and finds herself drawn to him in a way she cannot explain, though she knows as a commoner she does not have a chance with him. Cesare Lupin also known as the Wolf has returned from the Berkari mountains as changed man, he can feel the beast within him trying to get out, and when he spots Lucia it no longer struggles as he finds his mate.

What neither of them are aware of at that time is that a plot to jail Lucia’s father for treason is moving forward and soon they will be caught up in a web of intrigue that could bring them together or tear them apart.

This is bacchanal a time to shed your inhibitions for a week and indulge yourself in all the pleasures of the body.

The paranormal elements are light but that does not make them any less relevant to the plot. This is a sexy, hot look at how to tame the beast within.

The language is graphic, so read with that in mind.

 

The leather pride flag, which has become a sym...

The leather pride flag, which has become a symbol of BDSM and fetish subcultures. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

 

 

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Come Alive

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Come Alive (Experiment in Terror, #7)Come Alive by Karina Halle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Zombies and Ghosts and Bokors, OH MY!!

Perry and Dex have settled in after their terror filled time in the Canadian Rockies. With no footage, thanks to its being confiscated, they are faced with the threat of cancellation. Their boss proposes that they take on another member to their team, and guess who it is, Maximus has managed to get himself made their babysitter. Maximus makes plans for them to head to New Orleans and film some haunted locations, but he does not know that he is leading them into one of the most dangerous situations they have ever been in. With their relationship being tested by outside forces and the threat of an evil Bokor raising zombies, Dex and Perry do not know where or whom to turn to for help. This time there might not be an escape for either of them.

We meet a small group of people here who help and hinder our couple. There is of course Maximus, an ex-friend of Dex from college who he is not happy to work with. Especially since he seems to be lusting after his Perry.
We also meet Rose a girl from Max’s past which he would like to forget but can’t. Rose is also special like Dex and Perry and is recruited to help them.
Ambrosia Paris is an apprentice to a Voodoo Mambo and seems sweet enough on the surface, but you can see the corruption beneath that pretty exterior.

This series just keeps getting better and better! Was I surprised by some of the revelations we were given? Yes. Do I think it fits with all the information we have gotten in the past? Yes. Can I patiently wait for the next installment? No! But I will because I have no other choice. Karina Halle has given us a rich world inhabited by complex characters who react like anyone would to the things which are thrown in their path.

Perry, I’ve wanted you from the moment I saw you. I’m not going to stop showing you off or rubbing it in to everyone I know anytime soon. Especially not to him and especially after tonight. You’re mine. And you’re mine alone. From now until the end…

Love can conquer all.

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On Demon Wings

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On Demon Wings (Experiment in Terror, #5)On Demon Wings by Karina Halle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The intensity keeps going up right along with the terror. Each entry takes you a little deeper into the mystery, a little deeper into the horror, and a little deeper into a tangled romance.

Who will we get to see here: Ada Palomino is Perry’s younger sister and would do anything to help her mend her broken heart. She knows that Perry is not crazy and actually does see ghosts. She may be a fashionista but she is a smart girl with a quick mind.

Mom & Dad Palomino, they love their daughters but have decided that Perry is crazy and that they know what is best for her. The problem is that everything they do shows they may want to help but it pushes Perry further away because their love seems to be conditioned on her being a more perfect child.

Maximus was last seen in “Red Fox“, he was Dex’s best friend in college but there is no love lost between them. He shows up on Perry’s doorstep as if he cares about her, but his motives are much more shady. He may be a handsome man but the things he is willing to do for revenge make him less than desirable.

This installment revolves around Perry and what happens to her in the aftermath of her broken relationship with Dex. As someone who can see spirits Perry needs to protect herself, but in her weakened mental and physical state she leaves herself open to the spirits who would take advantage of her. Perry is faced with fighting for life and sanity and the only person who truly has her back is Ada, a fifteen year old who understands more than she is given credit for.

Though I have loved all the previous books, this one really gave me something to think about. We get some big reveals which make some of the earlier encounters make more sense. And we do get some Dex. 😉

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Into The Hollow

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Into the Hollow (Experiment in Terror, #6)Into the Hollow by Karina Halle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love this author, I love these books, and I just want more!!

My favorite non-couple are back together again, sort of. Dex has rescued Perry once again and now is taking her away from the crazies she lives with. Perry has no idea whether she want to be there or not but is determined to try.

When she finds out that she is wanted back on the Experiments with Terror show and with Dex, she accepts what seems to be a simple assignment. Go to British Columbia and film evidence of a Sasquatch in the area. Simple right, they don’t really exist so it should be a easy thing to do with no real danger. But this is Dex and Perry and no matter how simple the assignment it always turns out to have some element of danger. If there is a monster you can be sure that they will run into it.

Once again the action is ramped up as Dex makes an attempt to win Perry back and to protect her from any dangers, human or otherwise. The human story is just as exciting as that which surrounds the supernatural/preternatural events that they are involved in.

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