Category Archives: Contemp. Romance

#TwinsieKristiTop5, #WOTRAttendingAuthors, #Reviews, #Shifter, #Contemporary, #MC, #Vampire, #Cowboys.

Wow, can you believe we are halfway done with this year? I mean it’s crazy!!  Since we are at the halfway point we all know what that means!!! That’s right its time for Twinsie Kristi’s Top Five!! I’ve got a little bit of everything going on with my reading this year.  Out of everything that I have read so far its been really hard to pick my favorite reads, but did it.  I’ve picked for you a hottie cowboy, a kick butt female vamp, a heartbreaking contemporary, a shifter, and a MC Alpha!!!

Now a few of these ladies will be in attendance at WOTR so if you’re going check them out and if aren’t and your in the Peoria Illinois area on July 20th you should.  Not only do you get to met some authors and buy books, its for a great cause too!!!

So back to it, here it is in no order at all Twinsie Kristi’s Top 5.

Loss. Passion. Rage. Love.

It started the moment she left me.

Submission. Wrath. Savage. Resentment.

She rejected me when I needed her most.

My walls were up. My life was lonely. My world was dark. 
I opened up to her and gave her every piece of me only to have her rejection slap me in the face. I needed her. I wanted her. But hated her just the same. After years of giving myself to others, she falls back into my life when I least expected it. With so many years between us, we fell back into an easy routine. She was no longer the girl I had fallen in love with, but a woman who was running from her demons only to land in the arms of a monster…
 I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader’s Copy of this book.


So, having read the other books from the Hell’s Harlem Series I thought that I knew what Catch was gonna be about.  Hot MC guy on guy action with some sort of killing mixed it, along with a few scenes of the guys in church. Catch had the hots from Greyson, was in love with Trey so of course finally he’s gonna get him a Hot MC Man of his own right, but I guess he could of found him a hot civilization too, either way it was time for the hotness that is Catch to find is HEA.
Boy did Walker totally freak my mind grapes with introducing Sara.  That’s right I said Sara, a female for the man that I thought was gonna give us some hot MM love.
Sara isn’t just any plain ole female, nope, nope, nope!!!    SHE’S HIS FREAKING FIRST LOVE THAT BROKE HIS HEART!!!!  Ummm, ok I’m calm sorry for the yelling, but dang Walker are you trying to give me a heart attack here???!!!!!
Walker takes us on a awesome journey to the past  to show us why Catch and Sara were no more, what happened to Sara since leaving Catch.  Sara’s life has not been a easy one and she’s trying to change that,  seeing Catch again isn’t something that she thought was gonna happen.  You can not have a story with a past love coming back with a present and hopefully a future and Walker gives us the present with Catch helping Sara and maybe a glimpse into the future, I’m gonna zip my lips on that one though you have to read it for yourself!!!
P.s.  to those of you that have been reading Walker for a while our favorite Masochistic physiologist Santos!!!!!!  To those of you that are getting to see Dr. Santos for the first time here check out his book Beautiful Pain. 

 
From NYT bestselling author Carrie Ann Ryan, comes a brand new series where second chances don’t come often, and overcoming an unexpected loss means breaking everything you knew.

I fell for Cameron Connolly at the wrong time. And when he left, I thought my life was over. But then, after the worst happened, I truly understood what that phrase meant. Now, he’s not ready for a second chance, and I’m not offering one. Though given that our families have been forced together after losing one of our own, I know there’s no turning back. Not this time. Not again. Not when it comes to Cameron.

~~

I never wanted to hurt Violet Knight, but there were reasons I had to leave all those years ago—not that she’d believe me if I told her what they were. I not only left her, I also left my foster brothers. Honestly, I didn’t want to come back to Denver to help run my father’s failing brewery. But when it comes to my brothers, I know I’ll find a way to make it work. Perhaps I’ll even earn Violet’s forgiveness and face the connection we both thought long forgotten in the process. Because I wanted her then, but now I know I need her. I just hope she needs me.
 I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader’s Copy of this book


I love starting a new series, especially one by a favorite author. Why you ask, because it’s like coming into a new group of friends, but of people that you already know but now you get to really know them and come to love them.
In Breaking Without You we have Violet Knight and we meet Cameron Connolly.  Violet we have briefly met before as she is Mace’s sister from Fallen Ink: Montgomery Ink Colorado Springs Book 1.
This story is a heartbreaker for sure, what Violet and her tribe are going through is one of the toughest things a group of friends can go through.  Suicide is something that is very prevalent in the world today and when it happens it is awful and when it is someone that is close to you it’s even more devastating.
That is what brings Violet and Cameron into each other’s life’s…….. again.
See not only is this a love story, it’s a second chance love story and those are always good.
The chemistry between them is off the charts, but that was never the problem for them when they were together in college.  No the problem was when Cameron just left without a word or reason.
I love that Ryan always gives us true life in her stories.  From how Violet and her friends are coping with their grief, to Cameron and his brothers trying to come together again after years apart, to the why of Cameron leaving.  All of it is vey real life things that could happen to and does happen to every day people.  
Also, what I love about her writing is that if you haven’t read the series that a new series has spun off of it doesn’t matter, you won’t be lost because you can read them as stand alones. A warning though, you won’t want too if you are anything think me you gotta know everything and everyone so like Pokèmon you gotta get them all. Lol
I can’t wait to see more of this series, it’s gonna be a good one.
When Killian Brody showed up at Dallas Faircloth’s work with news that her half-brother might die without her help, she never expected the oldest and sexiest Brody to kidnap her to ensure her cooperation.

The scandalous affair between Dallas’s mother and Killian’s father made everything inside Dallas revolt at the Brody name. It was because of a Brody her life had been left in ruins at the age of eight, and she’d had to rebuild all on her own. She hatedthe Brodys. Which was too bad, really. Killian Brody was take-charge, arrogant and so damn sexy she would have climbed him like a tree if it weren’t for that last name of his.

Her weak-willed mother had proven to her that the men in the Brody family were as addictive as any drug, and Dallas didn’t want to get hooked. But when Killian turns his sights on her and makes her believe she’s his greatest weakness, she has a choice—play it safe, or dive in headfirst and risk falling in love with a Brody man. (
 I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader’s Copy of this book.
Welcome back to Bitterhorn Texas and say HELLO hottie to the oldest Brody brother Killian.
Ok, somethings to know about Killian: number 1 he’s a man that always gets what he wants no matter what it is. Number 2; he  has a tendency to act without thinking whether this is by action or saying something, and number 3, the man is a protector which means sometimes he does number two because of this. 
Dallas Faircloth is a woman who hates the Brody name and never thought she would see Bitterhorn again.  Why you ask? Simple, because her mother and Killian’s father had a affair which lead to a child, which lead to the absolute destruction of two families and the lives of 5 children as they knew it.
Oh my, the heat between these two I can feel all the way from Texas to my house in KY!!!!  
The relationship between these two in the beginning is rough to say the least, after all he did “kidnap” her and bring her back to Bitterhorn.  She was coming back on her own but he didn’t know that when he grabbed her.  See here’s the thing, the half brother that they share was hurt and no one was a match but her, so even though she was coming back to help the little brother he didn’t know that so it was technically kidnapping but not really. LOL
When they stop fighting and start talking they see how much they have in common, neither lived the life the other thought they did growing up, and they start having feelings for each other.
Gail has done another awesome job at showing yes alpha men can be for lack of a better word a**holes, but they have feelings too and maybe can turn that part of themselves off for the love of a woman that will stand of to that and show them that they can show their softer side to the world.
The last Brody brother is going to be the baby Des, he’s going to be a doozy and I can’t wait to see the woman who claims him.
Ada Carlisle never knew anything outside the gates of her clan, but she isn’t oblivious to why the men were there to touch her. When she is put up for sale to the highest bidder, she flees her home clan for a chance at survival. After traveling for weeks, her bear calls to build a den for the winter months. Once spring arrives, she wakes scared and alone on the land of three male grizzlies. 

The spring mating season comes with the discovery of a female bear shifter on the Morgan’s land. Rex Morgan knows immediately Ada Carlisle is to be his mate, but she’s too weak to complete the mating. When it is revealed her clan intended to sell her to a male in Montana, the Morgan brothers vow to take down the leader of the O’Kelly clan and bring justice to the male who paid for her hand. 
Like shifters? Like bear shifters? Well you have come to the right book!!
Mating Instinct is book two in Theresa Hissong’s Morgan Clan series and it’s about to get real for the Morgan Brothers with this one.
A little information before we start though.  If you are new to Hissong’s shifters there is a few things you need to know:  Mates are found first by smell, then by touch.  Once a female has found her mate and simply touched him all other touches by any male but her mate burn.  Mates are sacred.  For bear shifters there is nothing more that the male wants then to take care and adore his mate once she has been found.  Trying to force a mating on a female is wrong and finally any harm done to any female shifter or cub is to be taken care of by shifter law rather than human law.
Rex Morgan is the second of the Morgan brothers.  His older brother just found his mate and is finally settled.  It’s mating season again and he and his youngest brother are feeling the mating pull, but haven’t found their mates yet.
now, bear shifters are similar to the animal brethren in that they are not much are packs and they like to hibernate.
Rex comes upon a scent that he doesn’t recognize while out in the woods on their property and there he finds Ada.
Ada has ran away from her clan and has been hibernating on The Morgan’s land.
When Ada tells the reason why she ran things get real.
We get to see two mates find each other, shifter justice, and the coming together of a clan in this story.  If I say anything more it will ruin it for you.  Just know that love wins and justice gets served in the end.  
Hissong’s shifters are awesome stories and Rex and Ada’s story has certainly done them justice.  I can not wait for Gunner’s story and to see more of the Shaw pride.

Nicole Callahan, mate to fierce and brooding VC Warrior Damon DeMasters, has been trying to find her place in his world. Without a doubt, it’s been interesting, but she believes there’s a lot more she can offer the children she spent so much of her human life fighting for. 

The Mate series delves into the kickass world of the Warriors’ mates and how united, they can make a difference—just like their badass Protectors. Follow along to see how these exceptional women’s newfound freedom affect those around them and which Warrior may or may not support their feisty independent mate’s new and exciting path. 
 I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader’s Copy of this book


Look out VC Warriors the Warriorettes are coming!!!! Lol!!!
Nicole is the first book in the VC Warrior Mates series and oh boy these ladies  love their alpha mates, but they aren’t taking it anymore!!!
Nicole heads back to work for Mitch are Social Services, without talking to Damon about it; hee, hee, hee, and does she have a doozy of a first day back.
First off I absolutely love that we are going to get more Warriors. Secondly, that we are going to get more from the women’s POV now that they have mated their men it’s going to be great.  If you have read the VC Warrior series you know that the Warriors are all alpha males that do not want their mates hurt in any way and they will say and do anything to keep it that way no matter how caveman it may seem.
Also, we know that these women are all very strong women; they also knew how their men were when they mated them, but no couple stays the same you either grow or crumble under the pressure and THAT is what we are going to see in this series.
Who will grow? Who will crumble? Please baby Jesus no one crumble, we will have to just see.
Our favorite Warriors and now Warriorettes have a new enemy too, one that we have never seen from Gabelman before and I think that it’s going be epic.
I can’t wait to see where we go next and fingers crossed none of our favorite couples crumble, don’t worry though if Jill and Slade crumble I’ll be there to console him. LOL
J.M. Walker is an Amazon bestselling author who recently hit USA Today with Wanted: An Outlaw Anthology. She loves all things books, pigs and lip gloss. She is happily married to the man who inspires all of her Heroes and continues to make her weak in the knees every single day.


Carrie Ann Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary and paranormal romance. Her works include the Montgomery Ink, Redwood Pack, Talon Pack, and Gallagher Brothers series, which have sold over 2.0 million books worldwide. She started writing while in graduate school for her advanced degree in chemistry and hasn’t stopped since. Carrie Ann has written over fifty novels and novellas with more in the works. When she’s not writing about bearded tattooed men or alpha wolves that need to find their mates, she’s reading as much as she can and exploring the world of baking and gourmet cooking.




A competitive figure skater from the age of eight, Stacy Gail wrote stories between events to pass the time. By fourteen, she told her parents she was either going to be a skating coach who was also a romance writer, or a romance writer who was also a skating pro. Now with a day job of playing on the ice with her students, and writing everything from PNR and cyberpunk to contemporary romance at night, both dreams have come true.

Theresa Hissong is a mother of two and the wife of a retired Air Force Master Sergeant. After seventeen years traveling the country, moving from base to base, the family has settled their roots back in Theresa’s home town of Olive Branch, MS., where she enjoys her time with old friends and family.
Theresa daydreams of the perfect love affair and takes those ideas to paper.

Teresa Gabelman is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the ‘Protectors Series’. When not writing about sexy alpha vampires and the women who drive them crazy she can be found on a lake with a fishing pole/Kindle, at a MMA event or spending a fun evening with family. 
Being a full-time writer has allowed Teresa to connect more with readers which is what she loves most about writing. If you find the time she would love to hear from you!

#WOTR19Authors #NewToMeAuthors #AntiHero #Paranormal #Shifters #RH #Wolves #Dark #Contemporary #Series #Comedy #Over30Romance #Apocalypse #Zombie #Dystopian – Twinsie Angie’s Top 5….eeerrrr…Top 6 from January to June 2019

The beginning of the year I have been swamped in real life.  When I looked back, I was like WOW!! I did read a lot more then I remembered reading.  The books I have picked aren’t really all over the place like in previous years.  I have done lots of Paranormal/Dystopian reading as of late and so it seems to have taken over my top 5….errrr….6

I am going to start my top 5…errr…..6 with my authors who will be attending Writers on the River.  This is the charity event my blog supports each and every year.  We are the main blog hosts.  More information or ticket information on the event held in Peoria, IL on Jul 20th is HERE 

Melanie Jayne, Mary Martel, Maggie Adams, and Valerie Twombly

Feel Me (The Novus Pack Series Book 2)

Feel Me- M Jayne/Melanie Jayne

Goodreads HERE

TRIGGER WARNINGS

This is book 2 and you must read book 1 to follow the story.

Sometimes, Goodbye is the Only Way

Raider Black, Leader of the Novus Pack, will do anything for his people. His word is his bond no matter the sacrifice. Novus has always come first.

Theodora Morrissey is a gift from The Goddess to the Lycan world. It doesn’t take someone with her psychic abilities to see that her future is in jeopardy.

When Theo is discovered bloodied, beaten, violated, and broken, Black must find a way for her to be healed or his dream for their future will be destroyed.

I received this book from the author for an honest review.

Lord. I finished this book last night and I am still having a hard time trying to figure out how to word my review. This book is absolutely everything a person who loves paranormal will want and need to read. The emotional build of this story is so overwhelming I was in tears by 7% of the story and again I was bawling by 30%. There is so much that happens to Theo and Raider. SO much happens to the Novus Pack plus all the friends of the couple in this story. It is impossible to read the story and leave it without being utterly stunned by the genius writing and flow.

I KNEW going in this book would have hard and difficult content. Melanie kept apologizing to me for what I was about to read. But the journey the couple takes IS needed for them both to realize they need the other to complete themselves.

Raider is so selfless in worrying for his people first he does the hardest thing he has ever done by letting Theo go. Theo knows Raider and the Pack will not be ok unless she leaves so she makes the decision to leave for another Pack. These two make the ultimate sacrifice, putting aside their love and desire for the other for everyone one else so Raider can keep his promise to another Pack. When that sacrifice ends up costing Theo, she pays the highest price a women can pay, Raider and the pack come to aide THEIR Seer.

The couple deal with A LOT. They deal with the guilt they both have. They deal with the inability to express themselves for fear of what the other might be thinking or wanting. They deal with miscommunication over everything they have been through.

This book is absolutely about love and the price people pay. It’s about commitment and how you don’t turn your back on those you love when times get hard. It’s about loving people even when they don’t love themselves. It’s about FAMILY and how even when you fight, you never really turn your back on those you love.

The emotions run deep in this story. The laughs are hard to come by at times, but the bonds of love and family are throughout the story. I will say seeing the set up for Lore’s mate……my heart was going pitter patter. That mass murdering wolf, personal guard and tutor of Theo’s has a special place in my heart. Also seeing Tex will be having a story later on down the road too made me happy.

I cannot wait for another book in the series. I cannot wait for more from this pack and the characters. It makes me so happy to be privileged to get early copies even if life sucks and I have to wait 2 weeks to read it.

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Ashes (The River Ash Pack, #1)

Ashes, The River Ash Pack Book 1 by Mary Martel

Goodreads HERE

TRIGGER WARNINGS

Cordelia has never known anything but the safety of her fathers guarded compound where she’s lived her entire life. A life that, as the alphas daughter, has always been a privileged one, albeit an incredibly sheltered one.
Until one night, life as she knows it, is flipped entirely upside down when she’s promised to another alpha in order to buy safety for her father’s pack. This doesn’t exactly sit well for Cordelia seeing as she has different plans for her life, even if she doesn’t know what those plans are just yet. Out of fear of what she doesn’t want her life to become, she does the unthinkable and tells her father the one thing he’ll never tolerate from anyone in his pack, especially not his daughter. She tells him no.
As a result, Cordelia learns just what kind of depraved man and alpha her father is and is left a broken, bleeding mess because of it.
After finding kindness and compassion from two strange men who show up at the compound and help her when she is no longer capable of helping herself, Cordelia does the only thing she thinks she can do in order to survive and not be stuck in a world of abuse and misery.
She runs.
Unfortunately for Cordelia, she doesn’t make it very far before she finds herself in trouble again and at the mercy of another male with alpha tendencies. This alpha also comes with a brother by blood and one by choice.
The problem is, Cordelia’s not so sure she could ever find a place in a pack again after everything she’s survived. She won’t have long to figure it out though because, no matter the cost, her father is determined to find her and bring her home.

Warning – Due to certain sensitive sexual subject matter and abusive situations, this book may contain triggers for some people.
It’s also a Reverse Harem book.

I received this book from the author for an honest review.
Jesus lemme get my head straight after reading this book. If there are a few things you need to know about Mary and her stories here they are…..Her men love FIERCE, Her Women are NOT WEAK, The chemistry is crazy in all the right places, and there will be blood…LOL …but I am serious!!
Now if you read the trigger warning I will say it’s not AS ROUGH of a scene as I was expecting or have read in the past but friends, its hard. Its hard because how can someone who should love and protect you, do that to you!! Its also quickly done and done well so we feel for Cordelia, but mainly so we can understand the shape that Cal and Luca find her in…it was bad…….
Cal, Luca and Darius……they are all so special to Cordelia for their own reasons, but this book is owned by Darius. Dude, he was so scary and then so sweet but so fierce. I mean I don’t think I knew how menacing he was until we see him with his old pack….dang he was hawt!!!
Cal and Luca long for their time for Cordelia but understand and show true patience to be with their girl because make no bones about it, SHE. IS. THEIR. GIRL!
Seeing the story of the impending war due to everything that plays out in the book is making me on edge because the 4 of them need to be on the same page to stick together and to make sure no one feels left out of this unusual mating!!

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Uprising: Dark Horizons 1 (Eternally Mated Book 7)

Uprising: Dark Horizons Book 1 (Eternally Mated Book 7) by Valerie Twombly

Goodreads HERE

“We can’t fight evolution, only ride it out and hope the ending is in our favor.” Ryder Mattis

As a former Navy Seal, beating the odds is something Ryder excels at. However, the world has changed and his transformation into a vampire gives survival a whole new meaning. If that isn’t enough to ruin his life, a plague unleashes utter destruction on humanity. He knows he has what it takes to protect those who survive even if they don’t like his rules. What he doesn’t count on is a female with stormy eyes and a will to live getting under his skin.

Kayla has lost everyone she loves to the red death. Surviving the plague is one thing, but a vow made to her dying father puts her under the protection of a predator. Surprised at how her body reacts to Ryder when he feeds, she has a hard choice to make. But when tragedy strikes and forces the vampire to give her his blood, she morphs into something no one could ever predict.

The new world doesn’t come with a handbook and when fate brands them as potential mates, they are not prepared. They can either battle each other, or band together in a fight for survival. The future holds no guarantees, but being alone might be worse than death.

This is a spin-off series and can be read as a standalone or, with the Eternally Mated series.

I received this book from the author for an honest review.
I know I saw this every time I read a paranormal but It’s my JAM!!! I love love love me some paranormal. I love shifters, vampires, demons, angels, and all the possible additions to a storyline. This book, which is a spin off series, was just what I needed and loved.
I am going to start by saying I have NOT read the Eternally Mated series. However, I will be rectifying that soon. I did not feel I missed anything or was lost at any point of the story. I think the storyline was filled in during this book about what happened in the other series. SHEW right!!!!
So this book is taking place during the end of the world essentially. Ryder and his group of Navy Seals are set to protect the last few remaining humans to help repopulate the world after The Red Death has destroyed everyone. He is one of the original vampires and he has turned a few of his trusted men into vampires to help get the job done. He only asks that females who do stay with them, help feed his men to keep them alive. Pretty decent trade off…surviving death for a few sips of your blood right???
Ryder is getting ready to leave when a sassy, pink haired beauty who is also a pain in his ass shows up and informs him he needs to protect her. Seems Ryder and her dad were Navy buddies. From the start of Kayla and Ryder meeting, the sparks and chemistry sizzle!! I mean they are so hilariously attracted and annoyed by the other it makes for great reading.
Kayla has lost everyone and is bound and determined to make it to this Ryder guy for protection. She surely did not plan on the attraction to the alpha male and his over the top protection of her.
Kayla and Ryder plus another couple soon find a strange mark that they have no clue what it means. Kayla and another soon find out they too have another secret about why they have survived the Red Death when everyone else has died.
On top of all the couple drama, we are dealing with rogue vampires, gross looking demons running amuck annnnd the portal to hell being opened to rid the Earth of humans in general….Yup LOTS happening in the story!!!
I can not wait to read the next story but I will be trying to get the other 6 books of the other series read ASAP too.

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MINX

Minx by Maggie Adams

Goodreads HERE

A romantic comedy about friendships, flirtations, and the elusive “Fantasm!”

Hi! I’m Miranda Blake and this is my story. Well, sort of. It’s more like a twisted fairytale, if you believe in them. Except there’s no beautiful, young princess with perky breasts, perfectly coiffed hair and a sassy attitude. I’m closing in on fifty, thirty pounds overweight according to Weight Watchers, and, after nursing two kids and that bitch, gravity, doing her job, I’m lucky the ladies don’t hit my knees. The gorgeous brown mane of hair is slightly frizzy from my ridiculous attempts to recapture my youth by dyeing the hell out of it. As for sassy attitude, well, it wasn’t so long ago that I was a doormat. And the charming prince who sweeps me off my feet into the life of my dreams? I have a dog called Prince, German Shepherd, who knocks me on my ass if I’m in the way when the doorbell rings. Does that count?

I received this book from the author for an honest review.

OMG this book was hilarious!!! I seriously LOVE the characters of the story. Miranda and her crew of best friends were so awesome to read. But the temptation tug of which brother, Reed or Ritter, was great too! Miranda’s friends are seriously the best people around. They lover her 110% and are going to do anything and everything to make sure she gets the HEA with a good guy this time around.

Miranda legit is told by her DB future ex its over. They are getting ready to leave for a cruise when he drops the bomb, she is being replaced by a younger woman and she is to get outta their family home ASAP. Miranda rallies her troops and they set to help her find herself and pick herself back up after 20 years of marriage.

What skills does an outta work housewife, stay at home mom have? Well she has enough to charm a playboy named Ritter into hooking her up with a job at his company. When she meets his very stuck up brother, Reed, she is confused as to how they can be so different.

As the story unfolds, we begin to see different sides to both men. Neither is who we thought they were. Is Ritter the good guy or a DB? Is Reed really an uptight jackass or just a guy protecting his heart????

I seriously snickered so many times reading this book and loved, loved, loved how it all played out.

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Revenge (Revenge Series #1)

Revenge, Revenge Series book 1 by Christine Besze

Goodreads HERE

Six years they stole from me.
Six years I’ve done my time.
Six years I’ve waited.
Six years I’ve heard her screams over and over.
No more.
It’s time to collect.
And it’s their blood that will be spilled.

Asher Savage spent his life protecting the innocent, taking monsters off the streets. He never thought he’d become one.
Charlee Vega was a pawn in a game she never knew she was playing. An innocent caught up in a war of greed and hate.
Revenge has fed his monster for years, but it comes at a price. Is it one he’s still willing to have her pay?
She’s a means to an end. A complication he never saw coming. And sometimes those are the most deadly of all.
***This book is a standalone and contains mature/graphic subject matter. For readers 18+***

I received this book from the author for an honest review.’

The blurb totally got me for this book. I have never read anything from this author, but the book was so ANTI-HERO that I had to read it. I mean the main dude was going to be totally broken and ruthless so what girl wouldn’t fall in love with him??? I am here to say this book did NOT disappoint at all. I was totally glued to my kindle and could not put it down. The story flowed so well and I was so engaged with each additional characters….gah I need more from this family of brothers!! I mean Ax …come one….Zane…what makes him tick but Asher…holy mother of hotness!!!

So the story starts and we are in picture perfect world. Asher is running home with flowers for his wife and pretty quickly it alllllll turns bad….like real bad. Then we see Asher sitting back and waiting…waiting…waiting. When he is out of prison, he and his brother begin the revenge of Lauren. Poor Charlee is the means to an end for Asher but when he falls for her spirit and fire…he soon realized, with the help of a few punches by his brother, maybe she is more than just the end but maybe she is the beginning he needs???

Charlee loves her papa, but she knows he is an evil man. She knows he is not a good man by any stretch of the imagination but he is her papa!! No matter what, she will love him even when he is a bit possessive of her and over-protective.

When Asher and Charlee meet, the chemistry is oooooooofffffff the charts!! Holy Cow!! The more they trust and respect the other they soon start to care which is totally crazy but then they soon start to lean and rely on the other….People!! This book was crazy good!!!

I LOVED the twist at the end and I cannot wait for more because like I said the brothers need a HEA as well!!

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Lone Survivor

Lone Survivor: An After Zombie Tale of Love & Survival (Last of Us Book 1)

by Nikki Landis

Goodreads HERE

The world has gone to shit and the zombie apocalypse is now responsible for wiping out humanity.

One girl believes she’s all alone and the world’s last hope for survival . . . but is she the key, a threat, or something else entirely?

*** Book 1 of a new series, contains mature content ***

I received this book from the author for an honest review.

Zombies make my heart so happy. When my blog got a request to share this books release, I was super excited and reached out to ask for a review copy. OMG am I so happy I did. This book hits all my zombie book expectations…..Zombie encounters, feisty heroine, alpha hero, and plot twists and turns galore! Man was I loving it and unable to put it down!!!

Our heroine, Bailee, is alone after the world went to crap for a year exactly when she stumbles into the hands of the local military group (and uber alpha bossy Sawyer) during a failed scavenger mission. The men know a secret about Bailee, but Sawyer is kinda interested in our feisty girl and wont follow orders just yet to turn her over to the main operations.

We see a lot of push and pull between Saw and Bailee which creates a lot of chemistry!!! But what also is amazing to read, the ZOMBIE ATTACKS!! Yes folks there are a lot of zombies in the book and many different kinds of zombies….this totally made my heart happy. We’ve got slow zombies. We’ve got fast zombies. We’ve got tracker zombies!!? Yikes!!

The books momentum and flow were great for reading. I mean the group was always under attack or in conflict, so it was very fast paced, and action packed!!

My ONLY issue with the book….it seems to flip from 3rd POV to 1st POV through the story. At first, I thought I was a weirdo and reading it wrong, but I found it a few times in the story. I am not a fan of 3rd POV so it took me out of the reading element and then it would drop you back in to 1st POV. Honestly this small issue will not stop me from reading the other books in the continuing series because after the way the story ended I NEED to know what happens to our team of misfits.

#WOTR19 #Review – Last Chance (Chances #1) by Kyleigh Castronaro

Last Chance (Chances Novel Book 1)

At twenty-three, Shep is a single, self-proclaimed playboy. Yet from the first moment he saw Honey, he knew he would do whatever it took to have her. And Shep never loses when he sets out to win.

Honey was eighteen and happy with her simple life. She never thought she wanted anything more than that. Until she met Shep, the fast-talking, card-dealing city boy who invades her small town for the summer.

Young love is tricky. No matter how hard and fast you fall, sometimes that’s just not enough. The end of summer comes all too fast, Honey and Shep soon learn that maybe the heat they felt was just the summer sun.

At fifty-three, Shep’s widowed and has two kids now. He’s never loved again like he did that summer. Then, a familiar smile on a website leaves Shep wondering: how many chances do you get at true love?


Goodreads


I received this book from the author.

Wowzers!!  This book is something different to read.  The story is told in a flashback style of past events while the main character is retelling parts in the present.

Shep and Honey…Hot Mess Express!!  These two combust into a passionate love affair and when things were good…..things were good…but when the shoe dropped, then things were soooo bad.  These two met when they were both relatively young.  Shep had just left the army and this love was his first real relationship.  Honey was a young girl of 18 and Shep overwhelmed her in the best and worst of ways.

These two needed some serious Dr. Phil time.  Communication is a huge issue causing so many fights and problem.  When Honey calls it off, it sets off a new path for both who long for the other but are happy with where they are and what they have accomplished.

When fate brings them together some years later in life, they both embrace the chance to be together while forgiving the sins of the past.  I enjoyed the fact Shep owned up to his actions and reactions, but that Honey also accepts responsibility in the complete melt down of the relationship.  Seems with age these two just might be getting it right the 2nd time around.

Kyleigh Castronaro is a Canadian who grew up dreaming about vampires, witches and faeries. She has always sought and cultivated the magic inside of her, using her words to bring magic to the pages for her readers. Happily married to the love of her life, she believes in happily ever afters and hopes to convince readers of them too.

#NewRelease #Review – Smitten by the Brit (Sometimes in Love #2) by Melonie Johnson

Smitten by the Brit (Sometimes in Love, #2)

DEFINITELY, MAYBE…OR LOVE, ACTUALLY? 

English professor Bonnie Blythe expects her life to play out like her favorite novels, especially now that her long-term boyfriend has finally proposed. So when a shocking discovery leads Bonnie to end her engagement, she decides to close the book on love. But the plot thickens when a brand-new character enters the scene—and quickens Bonnie’s heart.

With his brilliant blue eyes, sexy accent, and irresistible charm, Theo Wharton is like a romantic hero straight out of a Jane Austen novel. When fate places Bonnie in England for a summer—conveniently close to Theo—she realizes a hot friends-with-benefits fling is exactly what she needs to start a fresh chapter. Just as Bonnie begins to believe she’s falling in love, an eye-opening revelation into Theo’s life makes Bonnie feel like she’s wandered into one of her favorite books. Will Bonnie have the courage to risk her heart and turn the page with the dashing Brit to find her true happy ending after all?

Goodreads

I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

OH THEO!!!  YES!!  I was so ready for you after the first book!!  He is totally my Mr. Darcy with his manners and polite charm….sigh right ladies!!!

Bonnie was a great character who has been through some hard times.  When your DB fiancée won’t marry you and cheats on you instead…yeah broken hearted was Bonnie.  She won’t let it stop her.  We see her and Theo giving eyes and flirting like crazy in book 1.  I was so excited to see them as the next book because I need these people to get together already!!  Theo also has his own issues because he needs to marry a certain kind of woman to please the family.  Being a Duke does have its perks and downfalls!!

This book was amazing!!  I enjoyed the first book and getting to know all the characters but this book because we KNEW everything it seemed to flow smoother.  Theo and Bonnie are such a great couple and I will definitely see myself rereading because their story was full of humor and sweetness.

A Star Wars junkie and Shakespeare groupie who quotes both Yoda and the Bard with equal aplomb, award-winning author Melonie Johnson—aka #thewritinglush—is a two-time RWA Golden Heart® finalist who loves dark coffee, cheap wine, and expensive beer. And margaritas. And mimosas. And mules. Basically any cocktail that starts with the letter m. She met her future husband in that most romantic of places—the mall—when they were teenagers working in stores across the hall from each other. Today, they live happily ever after in the magical land midway between Chicago and Milwaukee with their two redhead daughters, a dog that’s more like a small horse, and a pair of hermit crabs. After earning her Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude from Loyola University Chicago, Melonie taught high school English and Theatre in the northern Chicago suburbs for several years. Now she writes smart and funny contemporary romance and moonlights as an audiobook narrator under the pseudonym, Evelyn Eibhlin.

Visit her at meloniejohnson.com and find her on Twitter and Instagram at @MelonieJohnson.

 

#NewRelease, #Review, #Contemporary, Shouldn’t Have You (Fractured Connections Book 2) by Carrie Ann Ryan




I’ve been many things in my life: daughter, friend, student, lover, wife…and now, widow. Getting past those labels and finding who I could be without them was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
Then I became friends with Brendon Connolly. 
Every time I look at him, I see a past, I see a present, and I’m afraid if I look too hard, I’ll see a future.

~~~

I’ve known Harmony Wynham since before she got married. Before she lost everything. I didn’t know that one day she wouldn’t be just my friend but the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.
Only I don’t think that can happen. 
Not when every time she looks at me, she sees what she lost, and I can only see what I can’t overcome.
I love her, even though I shouldn’t. Somehow, we need to find a balance. 
Because if we don’t, walking away will be the hardest thing I’ve ever done—even if it’s the only thing I should do.
 I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader’s Copy of this book


Hope you have your tissues handy for this one folks because you will need them!  
Next up in our Fractured Connections group is Harmony and Brendon.
Harmony, at such a young age, has now  dealt with two huge losses; the sudden death of her husband and now the death of one of her best friends.  
Brendon and Harmony were friends in school, her husband was his business partner, and they are learning to be friends again.
Brendon is someone who did not have a great home life until Jack and Rose and even though he had a better life after those early years did a number on him.
Harmony has started dating again, much to her dismay, and is only happy with her dates when she talks to Brendon afterwards.
Brendon has secret feelings for Harmony but feels that he is not good enough for her for several reasons of which I will not go into because you gotta read the book!!! LOL!!! 
Both characters are very well written and makes you have tons of feelings for them.  I love the way they develop from friends to more than friends, its something for her that is just like “there you are, where have you been”. For him it was like “ I love her but she can do so much better,”  yes he had feeling for her but they didn’t come about until after the death of her husband
There is sooooo much to say about this book but I really don’t want to spoil it for anyone.  
Ryan has once again wrote a beautiful story grounded in real life.
If you know anything about Carrie Ann Ryan you know this one hit close to home, but as she says in the Author’s note this is not her story this is Harmony’s and I think  Harmony, Brendon and Moyer justice.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40183741-shouldn-t-have-you?ac=1&from_search=true


Carrie Ann Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary, paranormal, and young adult romance. Her works include the Montgomery Ink, Redwood Pack, Fractured Connections, and Elements of Five series, which have sold over 3.0 million books worldwide. She started writing while in graduate school for her advanced degree in chemistry and hasn’t stopped since. Carrie Ann has written over seventy-five novels and novellas with more in the works. When she’s not losing herself in her emotional and action-packed worlds, she’s reading as much as she can while wrangling her clowder of cats who have more followers than she does. .

The Montgomery Ink World contains the following series, though each series is a stand alone and can be read in any order. Feel free to hop around:

The Montgomery Ink Series
The Gallagher Brothers Series
The Montgomery Ink: Colorado Springs Series
The Whiskey and Lies Series
The Fractured Connections Series
The Montgomery Ink: Boulder Series
The Less Than Series

Her Elements of Five Series is her Young Adult Romance series while her other series are all adult.

Her Talon Pack series is set in the same world as the Redwood Pack series, only 30 years later.

The Dante’s Circle, Holiday, Montana, and Branded Pack series are all individual series as well. (

https://www.facebook.com/CarrieAnnRyanAuthor

https://instagram.com/carrieannryanauthor/

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5360266.Carrie_Ann_Ryan

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/carrie-ann-ryan

#WOTR19 #NewRelease #Review – Sands of Time by H. D’Agostino

Kaitlyn Hughes always wanted to run her own bakery. After attending culinary school in Paris, she began working under one of the best chefs in the business and fell in love. Life was perfect, or so she thought.
When her parents ask her to come home for the holidays, she decides to take a much-deserved vacation with support and encouragement of her boss.
Five years away does something to you. It messes with your memory and makes you believe that you don’t miss the things that you do. You don’t realize it until it’s too late.
When Kaitlyn unexpectedly runs into Eli Baker, the one she left behind, all bets are off. Promises are forgotten. What ifs roar to life, and what seemed like a dream soon becomes a nightmare.
Does absence really make the heart grow fonder? How much are you willing to give up for true love?

***Home for the Holidays is included in this book. This is the continuation of Eli and Kaitlyn’s story.***

Goodreads

Amazon

I received this book from the author for an honest review.

Oh Eli!!  I have waited and waited for your book.  I loved getting to see the man whore FINALLY getting his girl.  Home for the Holidays was just a tease novella for me.

Kait and Eli have been through so much in the novella and now, the when the story picks up in this book, it just gets even harder for their HEA.  So many issues they have to deal with and overcome.

Kait and Eli need to rediscover who they once were and who they are now plus deal with the issues of her leaving and marrying another man.  Eli needs to tell Kait the truth about the man he was when she wasn’t around because those actions cause issue for them in the novel.

Eli makes huge grand gestures to prove to Kait he is the one for her and she is the one for him They both need to see the other for who the are and what they need to do to finally secure their happy life.

The epilogue made my heart happy. We get some loose ends tied up and more of the HEA is told.  It was a really sweet 2nd or even 3rd chance love story between soul mates.

 

Heather D’Agostino is an avid reader turned Bestselling Author of the Contemporary Romance Series The Broken Series, The Shattered Series, The Second Chances Series, The Cook Brothers Series, and Romantic Suspense series The Witness Series.

She attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she received a Bachelor’s of Arts in Elementary Education with a minor in Mathematics.

She currently lives in Central New York with her husband, two children, two dogs, and three cats. When she’s not writing she can usually be found at the dance studio, soccer field, or one of the many other places that she plays ‘Supermom’.

 

#WOTR19 #ThrowbackReview #SeriesStarter #FreeKU #99P – Shattered, Shattered Book #1 by H. D’Agostino

Shattered by Heather D'Agostino

Ever wonder what it’s like to have it all? Leah Carmichael didn’t. She had the world at her fingertips in the form of a dream. Everything thing she could ever want was in her grasp.

At what cost are you willing to have this life? Would you give up the life you have to pursue it? Your family? Friends? What about the one who holds your heart?

What if something comes along and takes it all away? Would you survive the devastation? What happens when you realize you gave up everything you had to have it all taken away in a moment? Will it leave you broken? Or will it shatter you?

Goodreads

I received this complementary copy from the author .

WOW!! and UGH!! The anxiety I felt over this couple was pretty thick and intense. Leah and Nick were childhood sweethearts. Nick gave up alot of option in his life to stay and be with Leah in hopes of them being together forever. Leah on the other hand, ran the first chance she had to train for the US Olympic team. Do you blame her? NO but she didnt think to talk to Nick before making the choices. She presumed her would just follow her…guess what? He didn’t.

Fast Forward 5 years and Leah’s life is a mess. She isn’t an Olympic athlete anymore, her mom is sick and she is back home….afraid of seeing HIM!! Well lemme tell ya when they see each other the chemistry was THICK and sizzling. I was glad Nick and Leah didn’t fight the attraction very long but sad that Leah kept pushing the amazing man away when she needed to lean on him during some tragedy….Sigh…have I mentioned Nick IS the perfect ALPHA MALE!!??

So all is going well when Nick gets the chance to move and make something big for THEM but all Leah sees is he is leaving her. I have to admit I loved her best friend Avery calling her out abouthow bad it sucks to be left behind…Karma right? Well Leah is ready to work on it with Nick and she ………………………………………oh snap you think I am gonna tell??? Heck no!! You gotta read this lettle gem yourself!! Trust me you will be a mess after.

Heather D’Agostino is an avid reader turned Bestselling Author of the Contemporary Romance Series The Broken Series, The Shattered Series, The Second Chances Series, The Cook Brothers Series, and Romantic Suspense series The Witness Series.

She attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she received a Bachelor’s of Arts in Elementary Education with a minor in Mathematics.

She currently lives in Central New York with her husband, two children, two dogs, and three cats. When she’s not writing she can usually be found at the dance studio, soccer field, or one of the many other places that she plays ‘Supermom’.

You can follow her here:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/H.DAgostino.Author

Twitter: @hdagostino001

Website: http://hdagostinobooks.weebly.com

Reader Group/ Street Team on Facebook:
Heather’s Hotties: https://www.facebook.com/groups/877863252256341/

#NewRelease #review #Debut #NewAuthor- Getting Hot with the Scot (Sometimes in Love #1) by Melonie Johnson

Getting Hot with the Scot (Sometimes in Love, #1)

“Playful, passionate, and positively unputdownable!”—New York Times bestselling author Christina Lauren

IT’S TIME TO FLIRT WITH A MAN IN A KILT 

Cassie Crow, a pop-culture reporter for a TV talk show, is focused on becoming a “serious” journalist. But when she stumbles into a kilted Highlander with a killer accent, Cassie decides that taking one night off from work and spending it with a sexy Scot couldn’t hurt. . .

Logan Reid has built a career on his charm, hosting a series of off-the-wall hijinks on the Web. But when the Scottish prankster meets the all-American, equal parts intelligent and irresistible Cassie, Logan realizes that one night of fun won’t be enough. Could it be that this career-focused, commitment-phobic couple is finally ready to take a chance at true and lasting love?

“Witty, sexy, and oh-so-fun. . .Melonie Johnson is an addictive new voice in contemporary romance.” —New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julie Ann Walker

Goodreads

I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

I met this author at a book con.  She told me all about her soon to be releases so when I saw them available, I grabbed them.  I had no clue except she was absolutely friendly and kind to chat with.

Imagine my shock and delight when I see this book is about a hottie in a kilt….uhm YES PLEASE!!!

This story is super funny, sweet, and one that I am so happy to have grabbed of Netgalley.  I will say since this is the first book in the series, there was a bit of “world” building getting to know the characters and all that jazz but stick with it because the story is great!!

This story is about Cassie and a couple friends who take a trip.  All Cassie want is to have a wild one-night stand, but her box of condoms is still full……BOOO!!  Cassie soon finds herself sidetracked with a certain kilt wearing hottie named Logan.  Logan is all “full steam ahead” on helping her use as many condoms as possible before her trip is over.  *Snicker*

Cassie is a bit of a serious chick.  She so when Logan asks her to help him with some pranks she kinda flips out.   Relax girl!!  It’s all good!!  LOL

I enjoyed the story so much and can’t wait to read the next book I the series.

 

A Star Wars junkie and Shakespeare groupie who quotes both Yoda and the Bard with equal aplomb, award-winning author Melonie Johnson—aka #thewritinglush—is a two-time RWA Golden Heart® finalist who loves dark coffee, cheap wine, and expensive beer. And margaritas. And mimosas. And mules. Basically any cocktail that starts with the letter m. She met her future husband in that most romantic of places—the mall—when they were teenagers working in stores across the hall from each other. Today, they live happily ever after in the magical land midway between Chicago and Milwaukee with their two redhead daughters, a dog that’s more like a small horse, and a pair of hermit crabs. After earning her Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude from Loyola University Chicago, Melonie taught high school English and Theatre in the northern Chicago suburbs for several years. Now she writes smart and funny contemporary romance and moonlights as an audiobook narrator under the pseudonym, Evelyn Eibhlin.

Visit her at meloniejohnson.com and find her on Twitter and Instagram at @MelonieJohnson.

 

#WOTR19 – #Review – Insure This by Shyla Colt

 

Insure This

 

Overworked, unappreciated, and disenchanted, insurance agent Pepper Miller is stuck in a rut. When her manager offers her a challenging claim, an alien abduction case she needs to disprove in order to gain her dream job—complete with an office and a management title—she’s eager to rise to the occasion. Booking her trip to the tiny, southern town, she expects an easy win. What she finds is anything but that.
Lost time, handsome book shop owners, and the car rental from hell push her to reexamine her life. Alien abduction victim Orson Bussey is everything she could have wanted in a man. Too bad he’s off limits. As the universe itself pushes them together in a number of hilarious and cringe-worthy events, she’s forced to decide what’s truly important in life.

 

Goodreads

 

Fun, sassy, and quick read! Pepper is an insurance adjuster and she has just been told she needs to go to investigate an alien abduction claim. What the hell?! She thinks this is a hoax and believes she will be able to sweep this under the rug and get back home to a promotion. What she doesn’t expect is to find that her mark is the handsome bookstore owner, Orson. She is befriended by his grandfather, who has been abducted before too. She is invited to a meeting to discuss other “strange” happenings that could be alien related. As she spends more time in this small town and continues to run into Orson she can’t deny the pull between the two. This is such a funky, quick and quirky read that kept me smiling throughout the entire story. This is one that will keep you shaking your head with a wonderful HEA! Cute and Fun!!!

 

Amazon

 

Shyla Colt

#WOTR19 #Throwback #Review – Until I Fall by Lyssa Layne


  • Single mom Jordan Glastetter doesn’t know how she’d survive without her best friend, Abram Tomko. He’s the father her son never knew and he’s the rock she’s always leaned on. When Abram’s father suffers a heart attack, it’s Abram’s turn to depend on Jordan, finally seeing her as the woman she’s become and not the little girl he grew up with. Will they risk their friendship for a chance at love?

I received this book from the author for an honest review.
Oh man where do I begin!!?? Lyssa, sister!! Abram was such a hot mess in Robbie and Jordan’s book I was really wondering how you could fix him but fix him you sure did!
Jordan and Abram have known each other all their lives. Jordan falls in love and married Robbie who is Abram’s bestie/wing man. As soon as their life picks up and moves forward, Robbie is killed in the military. This story picks p 5 years after his death. Their story is the prequal to this story.
Jordan is a dedicated mom, rancher, friend and is slowly freaking out that the feelings she has for her best friend, Abram, are slipping into the “more than friends” category.
Abram has watched Jordan every day her entire life but when situations change, and he comes back after helping his sister, his eyes open to the woman she has become. He soon realizes he can’t live with out her in his life. PERIOD.
The couple are essentially raising her son as THEIR son. They are starting to realize there is a lot more going on then just best friends…which everyone else sees but they are both to dumb to see until their world is shook when Pop, Abram’s Father, has a heart attack. The thought of losing his pushes them both into re-evaluating things.
Now of course love can’t come easy with the two for them. They are dealing with her fears of finally moving on past her dead husband of 5 years. They are dealing with other people being interested in the pair plus the fear of what if this doesn’t work. There were times I wanted to smack Jordan upside the head and shake her senseless for thinking less of Abram’s feelings for her. Then toward the end of the story I was gonna nut check Abram for being such a jackass over something that happened with Jordan…sigh…but mainly I loved the journey these two take!!
Amazon
Goodreads

Lyssa Layne is first, and foremost, the proud momma to her precious daughter, AR. In addition to working full-time and being a mommy to AR, she is also an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan, a runner, blogger, and an infertility survivor.

Having watched one too many medical dramas and being inspired by author Rachelle Ayala, who introduced her to the world of indie writing, Lyssa decided to try her hand at writing a romance story. Her attempt turned into the Burning Lovesick series. You can find Lyssa’s own interests throughout her stories although all stories are fictional.