Category Archives: Contemp. Romance

Beautifully Wounded (Beaumont Brothers #1) by Susan Griscom

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synopsis

18+ due to adult situations

A Stand-alone book 1 in the Beaumont Brothers duology.

What would you do if you had no place to go and no one you could trust?

“The lyrics are about you, Lena,” he confessed, and I watched his mouth as the tip of his tongue moistened his lips before he leaned his head down. Then those beautiful lips were on mine, soft, tender at first, then his tongue glided over my lips, breaking the seal. My pulse throbbed and quickened as his tongue swirled around mine. Taking and controlling, and… and I wanted this, needed his touch. I went limp in his embrace, and the heat rose under my skin, my body vibrated against his strong powerful one. Was this really happening?”

Jackson Beaumont prides himself on being a nature-loving, guitar-strumming, carefree sort of guy. When the mysterious Lena Benton walks into his bar looking scared and defeated, it’s not something he can ignore. He’s immediately consumed by concern for her and driven by his desire to help. She’s just so beautiful. So wounded.

After being shuffled from one foster home to another growing up, Lena Benton dreamt of finding her prince charming. When the captivating Troy Harington sweeps her off her feet shortly after high school graduation, she’s certain she’s found her happiness. Unfortunately, Troy’s true colors surface shortly after their marriage and things turn ugly. Lena only has one choice. She has to leave him. She has to run…

Lena’s escape has brought her to Jackson, and he clearly wants to be there for her, but can she trust anyone again after what she’s gone through? And will Jackson be able to help her heal without losing his heart?

18+ due to sexual content and mature subject matter.

TBR

Goodreads

kellys review

First off I need to say that one of the main characters of this story does experience physical abuse. This book is an incredible story with one strong woman that finds that she can trust again. If you have a trigger please be wary but the journey that she goes on is intense and passionate.

Lena is a woman who is being abused by her husband. She puts a plan in place to leave him but her plans are cut short when she needs to leave sooner rather than later. She does a series of things to hide her tracks well but she needs to stop to regroup. While trying to find this place to grab a coffee and figure out what her next move will be, she meets Jackson Beaumont. When he sees her he has a connection with her that he cannot shake. He is drawn to her, to help her. She reluctantly decides to stick around and to try and help herself but what she doesn’t count on is the trusting, loving, kind natured Jackson. He wants nothing more than to help her help herself. He shows her she can be independent and still ask and accept help from others.

“What cloud did you say you were from?” He laughed. “See that one over there?” He pointed out the window. “No, not that one,” he said, as my gaze followed his, “the lighter one, over there. The one shaped like Pluto.”“The dog or the planet?”“The dog, of course.” At that I smiled, and found myself relaxing a bit.”

“I’d never forgive myself for not being there for her. Now I was beginning to annoy even myself. I cared too much. I was in too deep, and I didn’t know how to pull myself up and out of the box of emotions I’d created.”

“I didn’t want to hurt her or take what she didn’t want to give. I wanted to be careful with her, more careful than I’d ever been with a woman in my entire life . I’d never cared or thought about what I took before. A kiss had always been just a kiss, never meaning much. This time, I cared because Lena deserved it. She deserved to be kissed the way a woman should be kissed, with tenderness and respect, but I couldn’t keep the heat out.”

This is a beautifully written insta-love with a breath taking happily ever after. Lena and Jackson help each other find a better person in themselves. I am absolutely in love with the Beaumont Brothers series. Grab your tissues….you’re gonna need them.

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about-the-author

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My blog: http://swblog.susangriscom.com

Find me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SMGriscom

Susan Griscom writes paranormal and contemporary romance. She’s hooked on gritty romances and is a huge fan of superheroes and bad boys confronted with extraordinary forces of nature, powers, and abilities beyond the norm mixed with steamy romance, of course.

She loves those days when she gets to sit around in her sweat pants, doing nothing but writing emotionally charged stories about love and violence and drinking coffee.

She lives in Northern California with her romantic husband and together they have five great superhero kids and eight mini-superhero grand kids, so far.

Slater’s Leverage (OPAQUE Task Force 1) by Claudia Shelton

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Slater's Leverage (OPAQUE Task Force, #1)

synopsis

Protector Agent Josh Slater has spent years working for the secret government-sponsored agency known as OPAQUE. All the while hoping to find the man who paid his father to bring down a plane killing the then head of OPAQUE. Now, Josh’s new assignment brings him back face-to-face with the one woman he ever deserted. His life would have been easier letting Mackenzie continue to hate him for leaving, but she’s been targeted as leverage and he’ll do anything to insure her survival. Even face her anguish over his family’s shame.

Mackenzie Baudin has been over Josh Slater for years, so the idea of her uncle sending him to be her protector meant only a slight hiccup in her steel resolve emotions. But her uncle’s promise that within the next twenty-four hours she would know the complete truth about her life hit her like the plane crash ten years ago. The day her mother and father were killed.

kristis review

I received a copy for a honest review

This was a new series and a new author for me, but new is good!

Josh Slater is a top protector agent for the OPAQUE agency, which deals with protecting people

from a clandestine group called Coercion Ten.

This group controls you by blackmailing you by using the person or persons you love the most.

Mackenzie Baudin is the current director of OPAQUE’s niece, the ex-director and founder’s daughter and her name is at the top of Coercion Ten’s acquire list. They want to use her against the director.

Josh is sent to protect her, but they have a past. The were together the summer that Mackenzie’s parents died, he left because he thought she deserved better than the son of the man who killed her parents. There’s lots of dealing with the past once Mackenzie finds out the truth about her family. There’s also lots of action, with people getting beat up and blown up.

If your looking for a book with lots of sex scenes this is not the book for you, however I didn’t miss them. Josh and Mackenzie are good together, once they put everything behind them. It will be interesting to see who is the mastermind behind Coercion Ten and how OPAQUE deals with them.

TBR

Goodreads

Buy-Links

Amazon

about-the-author

Claudia Shelton

Award winning author Claudia Shelton has proven herself to be a contender in the field of romantic suspense. Claudia creates a fast-paced world full of intrigue and mystery as she weaves stories of sexy alpha heroes, sassy women, and love. Her debut release, Risk of a Lifetime, was a finalist in the Daphne du Maurier (unpublished) Award for Excellence in mystery and suspense.

If you like small town settings, then try Risk of a Lifetime for some lakeside adventure. But if you like your books centered in a big city where life can be a little grittier, take a look at her newest release, Slater’s Leverage (The OPAQUE Task Force). Currently, Claudia is busy working on a new series with hot guys, cars and romance.

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