All of my top books from January 1 to June 30th are author who are #WOTR20 authors.
Love and Neck Ties by Lacey Black
Zombie Queen by Mary Martel and Brandy Slaven
Four Rounds by Jillian Jacobs
Mine for Now by Cindy Tanner
Convict Blood by Vivian Ward
Love and Neck Ties
Blurb – For Samuel Grayson, everything is black or white. As a funeral director, there’s no room for in-between. He’s accustomed to dealing with life and death, though he’s definitely more comfortable with the latter. Especially when it comes to a chaotic, petite, feisty ball of energy. Freedom Rayne. Samuel’s pretty sure her goal is to make his life hell, or so it appears. When Samuel boards a flight to Las Vegas for his sister’s wedding, the last thing he expects is to share it with the one woman who drives him crazy.
Freedom is eccentric and completely content with it. Floating around from job to job, she finds peace and tranquility in everything she does, including tormenting poor, uptight Samuel Grayson. When she finds herself on the same flight as him for her best friend’s wedding, she sees this as the perfect opportunity to get under his skin, something she tries to do every chance she gets. The problem is the more time she spends with him, the more she likes him.
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right? Not for Samuel and Freedom. Will they be able to forget about their trip when they return to Rockland Falls? What if one mistake turns out to be the best thing ever?
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Zombie Queen
Blurb – The beginning…
The beginning is always the best place to start when reflecting on what has been.
Thinking back on it, my life had been perfect.
Middle class girl in high school with a happy home life.
My life had been full of nothing but promise.
Life was good.
Everything was great.
And then my whole world went to shit. In one day.
The disease came first.
Then the dead.
It was a fight for my life every single day from the start. But I was different from all the rest.
I had heard my mother’s screams while watching my sister become one with the undead. All the while feeling like there was absolutely nothing I could do to help them.
It killed me.
What’s more, it changed me.
I did everything I possibly could to survive on my own.
And then I learned how to survive with others.
By being their Queen.
Their Zombie Queen.
And by being the most feared woman they ever came in contact with.
This is a WhyChoose novel full of zombies, a sword wielding badass chick, and an army of dudes.
Recommended age 17+ due to content and language.
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Four Rounds
Blurb-—A completely ridiculous way to fall in love.
You Tube influencer and syndicated morning talk show host, Cricket Kelly lives life with purple tips on her red locks and unicorn socks on her feet. Theodore Brooks lives by the numbers with nary a hair out of place.
They meet between boxing bags and even though opposites attract, Cricket’s father is being implicated for money laundering, and Theo is the lead investigator on the case.
Will four rounds be enough to discover true love? Or will disastrous dates end their chance at happiness? Find out with this slightly silly but absolutely fun fight for love
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Convict Blood
Blurb – I’m forced to choose between life and death in two hells that I can’t escape.
Facing a prison sentence on a mysterious, unknown island with my infant daughter, I try to lay low and fly under the radar during my term, but Officer Matthew Kent has his sights locked in on me from the moment we have our first encounter. I find myself trapped in his private lair where my worst nightmare begins.
Handsome, obsessed, and haunted by his past, he’ll never let me go. Confined with my captor, love is no longer a choice because without him, I might not live long enough to make it out of here alive. My only instinct is to survive. There’s just one problem with our forbidden relationship: people are watching––and talking about it. Someone will die. Someone must die. But who will it be first?
Read this dark prison romance novel to find out who will make it out alive
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Mine for Now
Blurb – Ran Walker can’t outrun his demons. After watching the woman he loved marry another man, he’s given up on finding that happiness for himself. Until a chance encounter with a fiery redhead challenges everything he thought he knew…
Elle Sullivan is done bending to the expectations of others. Now, she’s determined to live life by her own terms. Even if that means taking a chance on the burly biker that helped her fix a flat tire. He’s the exact opposite of any man she’s ever dated—yet the heat between them is undeniable.
Can Ran and Elle shrug off the shackles of his haunting past and her constricting family name to find the freedom of a blissful life together? Or will the ill-fitting facades of who they are supposed to be force them apart?
Love and Neck Ties
Zombie Queen
Four Rounds
Convict Blood
Mine for Now
Love and Neck Ties review-
I received this book from the author for an honest review.
LAWD!!! Sammy and Free!! You two have been killing me this series!! I mean GAH!! I was so excited when I learned that Free was going to be Samuel’s HEA because honestly, I cannot imagine anyone else with him. As opposites as they are, they fit together perfectly in so many ways.
Samuel has always been annoyed yet intrigued by his sisters’ best friend who was essentially adopted into the family. He, however, also couldn’t stand her constant teasing and chaos of a world. Samuel is Mr. White and Black. Everything has a place and life isn’t messy. Life is orderly. Boy does Free rock his world right off its axis.
Freedom is the queen of the hippie life. She doesn’t eat meat. She doesn’t believe in animal testing on products. She is the most reliable if not slightly late friend you can ever want so why is she so attracted to her sister older brother. The man who wears ties to family functions…never mind what those ties do to her libido!!!
These two have fought the chemistry so long so when they are thrown together in the Vegas for Samuel’s sister/Free’s best friend Harper’s wedding as the only single friends, they kiiiinda lose control and kiiiind awake up a mess. Apparently, what happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas!!
I loved seeing Free be so sure in the decision to stay with Samuel and convince him she was the right person for him. Seeing Samuel so conflicted but stepping out of his norm to TRY this life with Free was adorable. I loved the scene with him in the shop…hilarious!! The entire scene cracked me up.
The conflict of the story made my eyes a bit leaky because we all wanted to punch Samuel. He has lived by his strict controlled world. He is having a hard time learning to trust his heart and not follow his brain. Free is the most amazing character in the series and when we finally got to SEE what her life was before this meeting Harper and her family, it was sad. We understand why family is so important to her and why she clings to those she loves so fiercely.
The epilogue was amazing, and the bonus epilogue made my heart sing!! I was so happy by that little chapter because …well we all needed to see this happen and see the HEA!!
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Zombie Queen Review –
I received this book from the author for an honest review.
I can’t even begin to tell you how amazing and crazy good this story is. The first chapter will have you on the edge of your seat. My heart was in my throat listening to Emerald tell you about the day everything changed for her. If that chapter does not keep you totally enthralled, then when you hear the description of the life and surroundings Emerald has…I felt my skin crawling because it was so tense and so claustrophobic. I was dying but in heaven dying!! It was totally a good thing!
This book is so fast paced at times with so much action and then other times we are feeling the despair and fear of Emerald. We know its been 16 months and we know she is sad, lonely and scared. When the Sam appears I admin I was scared outta my mind because women aren’t treated the best in these worlds and Emerald knows this first-hand. As the other guys start to show Emerald they are not the bad guys and can be trusted, we see her open up and hope beyond hope she had a safe place. A Family to call her own. Complete with a crazy Granny!!
The story is a lot of interpersonal relationships and dealing with the all the men and one Emerald. But when Emerald makes some proclamations, I was like GET IT GIRL!!! When our family is starting to come together and starting to find a rhythm, chaos finds them and its not even the crazy girl or the wild man who bring it home.
I loved the action and loyalty this family shows one another. But sweet Baby Jesus if you ladies don’t write another book, Imma be broken. I need some more time with some of the guys and Emerald.
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Four Rounds Review
I received this book from the author.
I read the first chapter and was messaging Jillian how hilarious this book is. Seriously I snort laughed so many times in this book!
Cricket is so damn funny and off the wall, but I loved her so much. Once you get past her wild and crazy side you see a woman who wants to be loved for her but is so scared of being loved. Her life hasn’t been great, and she hides it well. However, her insane attraction to her friend’s brother changes that for her in an instant.
Theo is a total sick in the mud. He goes boxing with his sister and takes notice of the wild instructor immediately. When she just shoves her way into his life, he is not happy but also not unhappy about it. The only issue is…he can’t get involved with her given he is investigating her father’s dirty dealings.
The dates the two go on…had me in stitches!! I mean shut up!! I couldn’t stop giggling while reading!! The story of Theo’s investigation takes on the majority of the end of the story but seeing them try to be together through it all was well worth the read.
Seriously I would love to read a book about Jessica, Theo’s sister, because this insane family needs more wild in their lives.
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Convict Blood Review –
I receive this book from the author for an honest review.
Ok fraaaannz!! I am a dark reader but I am a scaredy cat dark reader…meaning…if its super dark I hide and cry. If its super dark, I freak outta my mind. Ok so now you know what kinda whimp reader I am. Lemme say, THIS BOOK I was totally rooting for the couple and not at all sad about what was happening. LOL
Vic and Henry are totally in a bad spot and get caught stealing. Now this is way way way back when Australia would send entire families to the jail if the parents were caught. So Vic and Henry along with baby Lizzy are facing this jail time. (You get the prequal for the story here
https://www.authorvivianward.com/ )
The couple are bound and determined to last the 9 month journey and if they get separated, they will keep their heads down and noses clean. Well that is a great plan IN THEORY, but Vic soon becomes the eye of Marine Officer Kent’s eye.
Matthew Kent is not a great guy….initially. Yeah, he is forcing himself on Vic but soon they two do form a bond. Now I know people will scream STOCKHOLM SYNDROM, but I don’t think so. I think they really and truly grow to love each other. Matthew has cared for Lizzy and Vic while also looking for her husband but coming up short.
They two must overcome a lot while on the journey to the prison’s new camp. They wonder if they can make it ago and what will happen once they do arrive at the island. Right when we think we know what will happen, Vivian throws a giant couple of twists and turns and I was like DAYUM GIRL!! Why you gotta do me like this!!! LOL
Once they boat makes way to the mainland Vic has a lot of new things to navigate and new worries besides what she has been worrying about the entire journey. I legit cannot even begin to discuss what happens on the island because HELLO SPOILERS are not my jam. But if you like darker books and storied with crazy twists and turns with yummy anti-heros and sweet heros, then this is a book for you.
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Mine for Now Review –
I received this book from the author for an honest review.
Friends!! Ran has been on my mind since I read When you Where Mine back last fall. I mean this dude is a hot mess of loyalty and family but also heartbreak and feeling less then.
You don’t need to read the previously mentioned book BUT to know Ran and his heart, I highly suggest it. When Elle comes and knocks him on his big burly ass, you will appreciate it all the more.
Ran has only loved Harper and after the heartbreak of losing her to Ash, he has given up on finding anyone. He knows he is a felon and who wants to marry or be with a guy like that? He is gruff and rough around the edges plus he is totally pushing away all his friend. But he is definitely the one guy you can trust to keep a woman safe.
Elle is over it all. After walking away from her fiancée and starting life over in this small town, she too is over dating. When an accidental tasing of Ran leads Elle to wonder about the hot stranger, they both think they will never see the other.
When Elle comes barreling into his life by helping and befriending his sister Nona, who also is a hot mess and I am dying to know her story with Ben, the two start a “friends with benefits” relationship. Each is afraid of the day the other will call it quits but is secretly falling head over heels with the other.
When miscommunication and self-doubt cause the two to separate, I was ready to nut punch Ran. I was glad to see Harper come and knock some sense into him with the help of Ash. These two are a perfect fit and they need to open their eyes and stop worrying about the fears in their heart.
I am such a huge fan of these characters. I admin the previous book was one of my favorite last year so this book was a very anticipated book by me. I can saw 110% this book did not let me down. I loved getting to know Ran and all his “faults” even more. But I really loved the sassy and fiery red head named Elle who helped him overcome his fear of being less then. But yo, I really freaking loved Gigi!!!!
