Tag Archives: romance

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White Lion’s Lady

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18866183

White Lion’s Lady (Warrior #1)

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I am so not a fan of historical romances but this has changed my mind about the genre, at least where this author is concerned. I may even try others. 🙂 This was a great read with characters I could feel down to my toes and in my heart. The settings were so vivid that I could see them in my mind, which is a wonderful experience when you can become that immersed in a book. This grabbed me and refused to let me put it down without a fight as I moved from chapter to chapter wanting to find out just one more thing before putting it down for the night.

Isabel de Lamere(Izzy) meets the person who will fire her young imagination and heart when she is eight years old and finds herself lost in the forest. To her rescue comes Griffin of Droghallow, a boy who has dreams of someday becoming a great and honorable knight. They are in each others company for only a short time, but for Isabel it is long enough to form an attachment for the foster son of the Earl and to keep something dear to him for ten years in the hope that one day she can return it.

Ten years later and Isabel has had a hard life to contend with, she is the ward of the King and has been given in marriage to a man she has never met. This character is strong, confused, and knows her duty. I liked her because of all those traits but also because she could change and follow more than just the rules she had set for herself. She was also naive, but that was to be expected for the time period, she had been sheltered and really knew nothing of the world. Griffin on the other hand had seen to much of the world and had changed a great deal from that bright-eyed boy. His life took a dark turn and all he wants is to start fresh. When they meet again it is not a sweet reunion but one they will never forget.

This was an exciting story with sword fights, court intrigue, betrayal, romance, and some nice love scenes. It was both heart wrenching and pulse pounding in equal measures. I cried, laughed, and cheered. Great ending, just want I wanted and needed! I cannot wait to read the next in the series.

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Highland Song

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Highland Song (Highland Brides, #5)

Highland Song (Highland Brides #5)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I rarely do historical romance of any type but I’m glad I took a chance on this. It is a novella length novel so goes pretty quickly, but does not sacrifice character or story. The story is easy to follow and flows seamlessly from action to action with the characters acting as they would be expected to for the time period for the most part. The characters are believable for me since I have no idea how they would have acted truly, so I found them to be interesting and kind of fun.

Gavin Mac Brodie is the youngest with two older brothers and a younger sister, they have all married happily and he is the last holdout. Gavin does not deal women and living with his brothers has become intolerable with having to hear them at night. He decides to build a home of his own, where he will not have to worry about women or his recent loss of faith. While working on the house a mysterious woman shows up and changes his mind about everything.

This is a romance but has elements of royal intrigue and the feuds which happened in the highlands between the Scots and English crown. This is one you simply have to read and enjoy.

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The Mating

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The Mating (Law of the Lycans #1)

 

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I was not expecting to enjoy this so much when I started it. Once I started it was impossible for me to stop because I became so wrapped up in what might happen next. The characters were really great and made me care about what was going on and how they would react to what I already knew. The plot was simple and yet still complex enough to keep you turning the pages as the action played out. I had never read anything by Nicky Charles but can see why so many people have said such good things about these books, they are able to really take you away.

The story starts out simply with a girl, Elise, being informed that she will be mated to a man that she has never met. While she is less than happy about it, because she thinks herself already in love, she would never think of not doing it. Her intended, Kane, has agreed to mate her because he is an Alpha and it is time he started a family. Elise must leave home and start life in unfamiliar territory, with people she does not know and there are things going on which she cannot understand within this new group. Things which could be dangerous to her and those around her.

I started not liking Elise because she seemed so whiny and childish, and I really hate whiny people, but she came around and grew a backbone. Kane I liked from the beginning because he sounded impossibly hot but also understanding and sweet. The rest of the people around him were well drawn out and I ended liking all of them except for Marla who was a snake and done just as well. Nothing like having someone to really dislike in a story, makes it more interesting and fun.

I suggest reading this book and the rest just like I plan to do!

 

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French Quarter

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9627179

French Quarter (Hot in the City #1)

 
My rating : 5 of 5 stars
I was so surprised by this, in a pleasant way. The story moves very quickly, almost to quickly from introduction to action though I am not complaining. I liked that it was moving at break neck speed but still managing to give story with enough tension to keep you engaged. I liked the characters from the beginning was very happy to follow them on their journey of discovery about themselves. The characters each have distinctive personalities that you can relate to either negatively or positively which allows for being pulled into their plight. I love the setting of New Orleans, though I have never been there reading this made me want to visit even more. However, I am sure it is nothing like it was characterized here, as much fun as it would be if it were.

Liz Marsh is a recent transplant to New Orleans, she moved there with her fiancé from Maryland when he was transferred for his job. Liz was always an obedient child who grew into an obedient woman, always doing as she was told. After 6 months Todd, the fiancé starts to stay out late every night and Liz believes he is having an affair and decides to find out for certain what is going on.

Jack Wade is a private eye who works and lives in the French Quarter, he is Cajun and one good-looking man. When Liz walks into his office and asks him to find out what her fiancé is up to he initially turns her down because he no longer takes cases like that. But after a little persuasion and flirtation he takes on the case and finds out what she wants to know very quickly.

For Liz it is a moment of liberation and for Jack the start of something he could never have expected. What started as a job for one and a search for truth of the other turns into a sexual odyssey that neither could have expected when she walked through his door. But when that second door opens you need to make sure that the first one has been closed because otherwise things can go dark when you least expect it.

After reading this I cannot wait to read about the other Marsh sisters. If the decadence and hedonism are even half of what has been seen here, then sign me up for a move to the Big Easy!

 
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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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