A Royal Christmas Gift by LuAnn McLane

Posted October 16, 2015 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance, Series / 0 Comments

Title: A Royal Christmas Gift
Series: Happily Ever After
Author: LuAnn mcLane
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Christmas Romance
Published: October 12, 2015
Publisher: Tule Publishing
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

Prince Royal Nicholas Worthington is devastated when he learns that his monarchy is being used as a tax haven for the wealthy and drug runners. To protect his people, he flees to Alabama and poses as Nick Worth, an inspector for the National Historical Society.

Anna Lee is floored when Nick Worth shows up on her doorstep to give her grant money to restore her home. She’s charmed by the handsome inspector with his European accent and takes him up on his offer. The two week restoration project turns into something much more, but Nick fears that his presence could put his southern beauty in danger.

As Christmas Eve approaches Nicholas must decide if he can put the woman he loves at risk or disappear from her life forever…

Read on for my thoughts on A Royal Christmas Gift. No true spoilers, promise.

Blog Ahead Update

Posted October 16, 2015 by Marsha in Discussion Post / 2 Comments

So we are at just about the halfway point in Anna and Kimberly’s October 2015 Blog Ahead event.

How you doing so far? It’s a great way to get a bit ahead of your scheduled posts – that breathing room is priceless.

I am a little bit behind from where I’d wanted to be at this point… had a family emergency last week and that wrecked a lot of stuff. I could still read and take notes, but was nowhere near my computer to write anything up.. so doing some catching up on just about everything right now. Ah well, it’s life ya know? And in the end, it’s all good – at this point in the Blog Ahead event I’ve got sixteen (16) posts scheduled for my planned Christmas Romance daily reviews. And honestly, if that’s as far as I get, I’d be good with that since it’s a huge help come November and December. But I’m going to go for the full 31 and hopefully the plus as well.

Since I’m ahead on the Christmas stuff, I’m going to switch gears a bit and tackle the November NetGalley reviews. It would be such a relief to have a cushion for weeks like last week when all my good intentions flew out the window. And while no one enjoys family emergencies, it was a good wake up call on several levels. I keep thinking if I could only get a little bit ahead, then I’d not be so overwhelmed when there are a lot of reviews due on one particularly heavy launch day – we’ve all seen those 24 books released on one day. Yeah. I’m a fast reader, but even I have my limits ya know? 🙂

So my plan for the remainder of this October 2015 Blog Ahead event is to get ahead on my NetGalley reviews and if there’s time maybe toss in a couple more Christmas reviews. I’d love to make goal of course, but now with a wiser attitude I’m looking to keep plugging along creating a habit of being ahead of the game from this point onwards. If I can accomplish that, I’ll be content with whatever number shows up on the last day of October.

If you haven’t joined in it’s not too late – anything scheduled ahead is a help that’s a fact. Go over and check out the Blog Ahead Challenge from herding cats & burning soup and Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

Some Girls Don’t by Amy Andrews

Posted October 15, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance, Series / 0 Comments

Title: Some Girls Don’t
Series: Outback Heat #2
Author: Amy Andrews
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: October 6, 2015
Publisher: Tule Publishing
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

Local television reporter Selena Durrum is in Jumbuck Springs for three days. Get in, see her grandmother, give her speech, and get out. Her career is about to hit big and she can’t afford any distractions. Especially not her childhood sweetheart…

Jarrod Weston, rural firefighter, isn’t worried about seeing the woman who’d done a midnight runner on him fifteen years earlier. It was a long time ago and he’s moved on with his life… right?

But neither of them were ready for their still potent attraction and the heavy pull of unfinished business. But then Selena gets offered the opportunity of a lifetime and once again has to choose between love and career… Will she go with her heart, or her head?

Read on for my thoughts on Some Girls Don’t. No true spoilers, promise.

Her Accidental Husband by Ashlee Mallory

Posted October 15, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance, Series / 0 Comments

Title: Her Accidental Husband
Series: The Sorensen Family #2
Author: Ashlee Mallory
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: October 12, 2015
Publisher: Entangled Bliss
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

Payton Vaughn’s trip to Puerto Vallarta for her friend’s wedding was her big escape from her ridiculously overbearing mother–oh, and that little matter with her cheating fiancé. Now, her flight’s been cancelled, and she’s crammed into a tiny car with the gorgeous-but-irritating best man.

Viva la road trip from hell…

Cruz Sorensen doesn’t have time to babysit some spoiled socialite, even if she is the future daughter-in-law of the man who could change the fortune of his family’s company. He has no business getting to know her better—not even for all the tequila in Mexico…until they wake up with grande-sized hangovers as man and wife.

Now Payton and Cruz must decide if they’ve reached the end of their journey…or the beginning of a new adventure.

Read on for my thoughts on Her Accidental Husband. No true spoilers, promise.

Wolf From The Past by N. J. Walters

Posted October 15, 2015 by Marsha in Series / 0 Comments

Title: Wolf from the Past
Series: Salvation Pack #4
Author: N. J. Walters
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Published: October 13, 2015
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

Playing dead is easy. Living is hard.

Sylvie LaForge Dubois knew coming back from the dead wouldn’t be easy, but facing her brother and his friends is harder than she imagined. The way Gator Rollins watches her every move makes her decidedly uneasy and excited.

After surviving a forced mating to the abusive Andre Dubois, having a rugged, dangerous werewolf like Gator sniffing around her is scary and thrilling at the same time. She never imagined she’d want another man, but her bone-deep attraction to Gator is too strong to fight.

Gator never got a chance to tell Sylvie he loved her before she was mated with another and, well, died. Now that she’s back, there’s nothing he won’t do to protect her.

Once word gets out, Sylvie’s former pack will be coming for her. No one leaves the Louisiana pack, especially not a female werewolf. But Gator’s determined that this time he won’t let anyone or anything get between him and Sylvie, even if she can’t decide if his touch makes her want to jump his bones…or run for the hills.

Read on for my thoughts on Wolf from the Past. No true spoilers, promise.

Christmas at Evergreen Inn by Donna Alward

Posted October 15, 2015 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments

Title: Christmas at Evergreen Inn
Series: Jewell Cove #3.5
Author: Donna Alward
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Christmas Romance
Published: October 13, 2015
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

When a December Nor’easter roars up the eastern seaboard, Jewell Cove cop Todd Ricker spends his day off being a Good Samaritan to stranded holiday travelers. But when the roads close and Todd can’t make his way home, he discovers that the Evergreen Inn is full up. Until another Good Samaritan opens her doors and offers him a place to stay…

Lainey Price is not looking forward to Christmas, but just because she’s not filled with the holiday spirit doesn’t mean she’s going to turn Todd out into the stormy night. Even if it means offering the handsome police officer the couch in her tiny cottage. But when the weather takes a turn for the worse, the two are snowed in for a wintry evening by the fire. With Christmas only a few days away, can Todd convince Lainey to open her heart to the season…and love?

Read on for my thoughts on Christmas at Evergreen Inn. No true spoilers, promise.

Moment of Weakness by Toni J. Strawn

Posted October 15, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

Title: Moment of Weakness
Series: One Moment #1
Author: Toni J. Strawn
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotica
Published: October 13, 2015
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

The rules of engagement are clear: it’s all-out war. And their hearts are on the line.

It’s not that Abby Harkness’s ex cheated. Hell, it’s not even that he did the dirty with her own sister. The worst part? Everyone—even her own mother—knew about it before she did.

These days, Abby’s nomadic job makes it easy to stick to the rules that protect her heart. Rule number one: Never stay in any man’s bed more than one night. But when a carefully planned tryst falls through, she finds herself stranded in a boardroom—naked—with the one man who makes her body scream danger.

Three hours of mind-blowing sex later, Marcus Brookhein walks out of the boardroom feeling like he just lost. That doesn’t sit with someone who lives and breathes competition. Next time, he’s making the rules. Starting by getting her assigned to work side by side with him.

Abby is desperate not to repeat a night of pleasure that left cracks in her carefully constructed defenses. But four long weeks of close proximity loom before her. And Marcus has a lot to teach her about playing dirty…

This is an 18+ novel – with lots of hot and heavy sex, explicit sex, amazing sex.. so yes there is sex in this one.

Read on for my thoughts on Moment of Weakness. No true spoilers, promise.

Merry Mistletoe by Emma Davies

Posted October 15, 2015 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments

Title: Merry Mistletoe
Series:
Author: Emma Davies
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Christmas Romance
Published: October 15, 2015
Publisher:
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

Sherbourne Mistletoe has been prized and sold at the annual Mistletoe Fair for over a hundred years; but could this year possibly be the last? With her father’s sudden death and debts mounting up it looks as though Freya’s only hope for the future is to sell her beloved family home. And to make matters worse, the only contenders to buy Appleyard Farm, are the people she’d least like to sell it to – the dreaded Henderson brothers who seem always to make life so difficult.

It’s magical stuff though, mistletoe, and the arrival of the mysterious Amos Fry brings a glimmer of hope that just maybe Freya can fall in love with Christmas all over again.

Read on for my thoughts on Merry Mistletoe. No true spoilers, promise.

Need You For Always by Marina Adair

Posted October 15, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance, Series / 0 Comments

Title: Need You For Always
Series: Heroes of St. Helena #2
Author: Marina Adair
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: October 13, 2015
Publisher: Montlake Romance
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

Emerson “Emi” Blake dropped out of culinary school to care for her ailing mother, but she has bigger dreams than running St. Helena’s most popular pita cart. First on the menu: upgrade to a gourmet food truck. A new part-time job as a personal chef will definitely provide the funds, but it also forces her into close contact with her one and only one-night stand, Dax Baudouin, who’s daring her to try a second taste.

Former army Ranger Dax has a clear mission: come home, get healed, and get gone. Yet Emi’s tough-girl exterior and hidden soft side are even harder to resist than her mouthwatering baklava. After years of battles, he knows better than to try and rescue anyone—not that she’ll let him get close enough to try. Truth is, Dax is starting to think that Emi’s the one person who can save him…if he can just persuade her to give him another shot.

Read on for my thoughts on Need You For Always. No true spoilers, promise.

Need You For Keeps by Marina Adair

Posted October 14, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance, Series / 0 Comments

Title: Need You For Keeps
Series: Heroes of St. Helena #1
Author: Marina Adair
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: March 3, 2015
Publisher: Montlake Romance
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: Borrowed, Kindle Unlimited
Cover Description:

When it comes to caring for the furry residents of St. Helena, California, groomer and pet rescuer Shay Michaels can handle anything. Humans are another story, though especially Deputy Jonah Baudouin. He’s the town’s resident superhero: upright, uptight, and jaw-droppingly gorgeous, even when he’s investigating complaints about Shay’s beloved foster animals. And that spells danger for Shay, a free spirit who can’t risk trusting the wrong person again.

Jonah and Shay have been circling each other ever since she came to town, and he’s running out of reasons to “not” kiss her senseless. But this deputy is a straight shooter with his eye on the sheriff’s badge. He can’t afford to get involved with Shay, a chaos magnet with luscious curves who’s liable to turn his career and his life upside down. He enforces laws. She breaks them repeatedly. Keeping her out of trouble is becoming a full-time job and it’s one he hopes is never going to end.

Read on for my thoughts on Need You For Keeps. No true spoilers, promise.

Montana Rogue by Debra Salonen

Posted October 8, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance, Series / 0 Comments

Title: Montana Rogue
Series: Big Sky Mavericks #6
Author: Debra Salonen
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: October 8, 2015
Publisher: Tule Publishing
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

Roommates with benefits. A temporary arrangement between two people with time on their hands. Who could possibly get hurt?

“Get your Zip On” – That’s Tucker Montgomery‘s slogan for the new zip line he’s building near Marietta, Montana. But before Tucker can get the first pole in the ground, he suffers an injury that could cost him everything, until help arrives in a surprising–but gorgeous–package: Amanda Heller. They’ll share her grandmother’s guest house while he supervises the old Victorian’s restoration… all with the added benefit of exploring a sizzling mutual attraction.

Amanda Heller knows her exile to Montana is her family’s excuse to spare them the embarrassing fallout from her very public breakup with her ex-boss’s son that left her jobless and living in her parent’s Manhattan home. But then Amanda strikes a bargain with injured, sexy businessman Tucker Montgomery, who needs a place to stay while recovering. A hot summer fling seems just the thing for Amanda and Tucker, something to enjoy for a month or two tops. Most certainly not long enough to fall in love.

Read on for my thoughts on Montana Rogue. No true spoilers, promise.

Four Weddings and a White Christmas by Jenny Oliver

Posted October 8, 2015 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance, Series / 0 Comments

Title: Four Weddings and a White Christmas
Series: Cherry Pie Island #5
Author: Jenny Oliver
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Christmas Romance
Published: October 8, 2015
Publisher: Carina UK
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

It’s Christmas! And this year Cherry Pie Island is covered with confetti as well as snow – as the island gets set to celebrate four weddings, as well as the most picturesque Christmas in memory. Nowhere does a deliciously warm and wonderfully festive Christmas as Cherry Pie Island!

Welcome back to Cherry Pie Island…the most delicious place to spend Christmas!

Hannah’s holidays are normally spent nibbling chocolate coins with her daughter and arguing with her sister about whether they’re too old for stockings on Christmas morning. But this year, she’s been offered the dressmaker’s job of a lifetime: creating a one-of-a-kind a dress for her school friend Annie’s Christmas wedding on the picture-perfect Cherry Pie Island.

Many mince pies and one hot-pink organza dress later, Hannah is set to snuggle back into her old routine…until she discovers that there are three more weddings this winter – and not a dress in sight!

Four very different themes, four demanding brides and four parties spent avoiding chef Harry Fontaine, whose cynicism is as much a wedding day guarantee as confetti and cake. Hannah has her work cut out for her! Yet, with a sprinkling of snowflakes and Christmas magic, it could be that this is the year when miracles really do happen…if Hannah will let them.

Read on for my thoughts on Four Weddings and a White Christmas. No true spoilers, promise.

A Cowboy Firefighter for Christmas by Kim Redford

Posted October 7, 2015 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance, Series / 2 Comments

Title: A Cowboy Firefighter for Christmas
Series: Smokin’ Hot Cowboys #1
Author: Kim Redford
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Christmas Romance
Published: October 6, 2015
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

Warm up this Christmas with a sexy cowboy firefighter who knows how to ignite flames as well as put them out…

Trey Duval is a rancher, proud as can be of his Wildcat Ranch. He’s also the top volunteer firefighter of Wildcat Bluff, Texas, the town that pulls out all the stops for its Christmas festivities.

City girl Misty Reynolds comes to Wildcat Bluff just in time to help Trey put out a suspicious fire, leading him to dub her his “Christmas angel.” Unfortunately, Misty’s past has left her with terrible memories of fire, and of Christmastime.

As the two are thrown together again and again, Trey finds himself wanting Misty more and more, and Misty feels stronger and braver when Trey is around. Though their trust grows slowly, their passion for each other is burning hot…

Read on for my thoughts on A Cowboy Firefighter for Christmas. No true spoilers, promise.

Dark Within by Candice Gilmer

Posted October 7, 2015 by Marsha in Series / 0 Comments

Title: Dark Within
Series: Mythical Knights #1
Author: Candice Gilmer
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Published: October 6, 2015
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

There was a time Marissa van Dyke loved Halloween. Then tragedy struck. Now the sight of a jack-o-lantern only reminds her of what she’s lost. In fact, she’d prefer to just hibernate.
But recently her nightmares are becoming too intense to ignore. Dreams filled with horror-movie creatures that come closer to killing her every time. Where these vampires and werewolves are coming from, she doesn’t know. She only knows they’re relentless.
Neil Drigan has no interest in finding a mate. Bind himself to one woman? No thank you. Permanent is for the wolf pack Alpha–his brother. Yet lately he persistently dreams about running, in full wolf form, to save a beautiful woman who smells of flowers–and death.

At first the woman’s identity is a mystery, until he realizes the dreams are a residual imprint of something that really happened. Not only is the woman temptation wrapped in real flesh and blood, she’s still in danger. And the one thing he never thought he wanted.

Read on for my thoughts on Dark Within. No true spoilers, promise.

Brightest Shadow by Candice Gilmer

Posted October 7, 2015 by Marsha in Series / 0 Comments

Title: Brightest Shadows
Series: Mystical Knights #0.5 prequel
Author: Candice Gilmer
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Published: September 15, 2015
Publisher:
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: Owned, Kindle Edition
Cover Description:

Losing a father is always hard, losing a father who’s a pillar of the community is harder.

Losing a father who’s the alpha of your werewolf pack is harder still, yet that’s exactly where David Drigan finds himself–lost and rudderless after the death of his father. Nonetheless, the final transformation to turn David into the leader has yet to come to him, leaving him and his family wondering, will he ever be strong enough to lead his pack?

Trying to step into his place in society, David meets Kelsey. Blonde. Curvy. Attitude. And a little dark.

There’s just something about her that makes David’s beastly desires surface unlike ever before. The need to take her and protect her, if only from herself, overwhelms him. Not that Kelsey would let him. She doesn’t need anyone to take care of her. Never has. An absentee family taught her one thing–take care of yourself, because no one’s going to do it for you. But this David guy? There’s just something different about him. At first, she thought it was because his family actually likes each other–a foreign concept for sure.

One night at her favorite decrepit amusement park, she learns there’s a lot more to David than she ever expected. There’s a lot hidden in the shadows. Can they find the light, lost in the dark?

Read on for my thoughts on Brightest Shadow. No true spoilers, promise.