Review: Midsummer Dreams by Alison May

Posted June 12, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 3 Comments

Title: Midsummer Dreams
Series:
Author: Alison May
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Retelling
Published: June 12, 2015
Publisher: Choc Lit
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

Four people. Four messy lives. One night that changes everything.

Emily is obsessed with ending her father’s new relationship – but is blind to the fact that her own is far from perfect.

Dominic has spent so long making other people happy that he’s hardly noticed he’s not happy himself.

Helen has loved the same man, unrequitedly, for ten years. Now she may have to face up to the fact that he will never be hers.

Alex has always played the field. But when he finally meets a girl he wants to commit to, she is just out of his reach.

At a midsummer wedding party, the bonds that tie the four friends together begin to unravel and show them that, sometimes, the sensible choice is not always the right one.

A modern retelling of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Read on for my thoughts on Midsummer Dreams. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: Breaking Love by M J Summers

Posted June 11, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments

Title: Breaking Love
Series: Full Hearts #2
Author: M J Summers
Genre: Erotica, Contemporary Romance
Published: October 28, 2014 – May 27, 2015
Publisher:
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

Luc Chevalier is a satisfied man – or so he thinks. His businesses are thriving, he has all the excitement, money and beautiful women any man could want. He dines at the best restaurants and stays at the most luxurious hotels as he makes his way around the globe. So why does he suddenly find himself so restless?

Megan Sullivan is a single mom with a rather ordinary life. She is comfortable with things just the way they are. She has a six-year-old son, Elliott, a cozy house in Boulder, Colorado, and a photography business to put food on the table. Her ex lives hours away in Florida, providing enough space for him to feed his drug addiction without exposing Elliott to his father’s illness. Megan is on her own and she intends to keep it that way.

Megan is convinced by her best friend to take a trip to Paris for a few days. Little does she know she is about to be thrust into the arms of Luc Chevalier, the sexiest man to ever set foot on the Eiffel Tower. They agree to one night together and no more. In those few short hours he manages to draw out the passionate woman that Megan has carefully hidden way for years. Once she has a taste of what she’s been missing, she finds it almost impossible to go back to her life as it was.

Will two people who don’t believe in happily-ever-after manage to put aside their doubts and find their forever?

Join Luc as he discovers that everything he never wanted is the only thing he will ever need.

Read on for my thoughts on Breaking Love. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: The Warning Sign by Mia Marlowe

Posted June 10, 2015 by Marsha in Mystery / 0 Comments

Title: The Warning Sign
Series:
Author: Mia Marlowe
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Romance
Published: August 14, 2014
Publisher:
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: Owned, Kindle edition
Cover Description:

Sara’s been hurt. Badly. Her cheating ex has her doubting everything about herself. But after graduating from Boston College, she’s trying to start fresh with a new job. A new guy in her life seems more complicated than she needs right now.

But Ryan’s too hot, too insistent and too tempting to pass up. Too bad he has some pretty dark secrets as well. Which is something Sara totally doesn’t need–especially after she figures out an accidental drowning wasn’t so accidental and ends up on a mob hitman’s “to do” list.

And the only cop who’ll believe her is her cheating ex.

Read on for my thoughts on The Warning Sign. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: Last Shot by Eve Gaddy

Posted June 10, 2015 by Marsha in Mystery / 0 Comments

Title: Last Shot
Series:
Author: Eve Gaddy
Genre: Mystery, Romance
Published: April 30, 2015
Publisher:
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

Love is a dangerous choice.

Murder is the last thing homicide Detective Nick Sheridan wants to deal with when he retreats to the small, coastal town of Freedom, Texas. His last case–possibly his last ever–was the most horrific he’d ever seen. No, he wants to drink, forget, and find a warm, willing woman.

The Last Shot Bar & Grill seems like the perfect place to do that.

Della Rose, single mother and waitress at the Last Shot, is anything but warm and willing. Della has baggage; she pegs Nick as a cop the moment she sees him, and no matter how hot he is, she’s not interested. When her boss, Charlie Banks, is murdered and the local police chief writes it down as a robbery gone bad, Della is forced to turn to Nick for help.

Soon, Nick is unwillingly drawn in to the mystery of why Charlie was murdered and what the gunmen wanted. As Nick and Della enter a red-hot affair, Nick falls hard for Della, but Della has no intention of a serious relationship.

Della and her family are in danger. Nick’s instincts are to protect and serve, but Della’s are to push away anyone who might hurt her. Even him.

Can they catch a murderer and solve the mystery without Della’s life being torn apart once again? And can they put aside their past long enough to trust their love?

Read on for my thoughts on Last Shot. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: The Cinderella Body Club Boxed Set

Posted June 9, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments

Title: The Cinderella Body Club Boxed Set
Series: The Cinderella Body Club
Author: Jennifer Conner, Angela Ford, Sharon Kleve, Amber Daulton
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: May 27, 2015
Publisher: Books To Go Now
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

The boxed collection of the best-selling series, The Cinderella Body Club a new romance series of the timeless Cinderella story re imagined where four girlfriends make a wish on a locket. They all wish they were beautiful, and look like the girls they’ve always wanted to be. The belle of the ball.

Cinderella Had it Easy – Jennifer Conner
Cami works in the basement of a television station which airs history documentaries. With scars on her face that she acquired in a car accident as a child, Cami finds it easier to be by herself. She gets into a heated debate with the handsome new host of the show she’ll be working on. Is Lance the knight in shining armor who can drag Cami out of her safe zone?

With no carriage and no helpful mice, she has to rely on the magic from her grandmother’s locket. Cami only has 24 hours in her Cinderella body, what will she do with it? Will she keep hiding or can she learn how to live life?

Spellbound Cinderella – Angela Ford
Tess Andrews lacked self-confidence. She believed she was ‘Plain-Jane’. Her last date ended before it began when he asked if she’d set him up with one of her model clients. Tess owned a small employment agency. Some of her clients were models, which only made her insecurities worse.

Internationally-famous model photographer, Parker Walsh, always left Tess speechless and in a rush to run and hide. She attempts to spark up a conversation but with no success. Her business dealings were even dealt with through his assistant.

Her savior—Girls Night; once a week Tess got together with her friends who were all in similar situations with no luck in love. One night they wished on a magical pendant to be that perfect girl they would like to see in the mirror. They wake up in their ‘Cinderella Bodies’ – sexy and better looking but they only have until midnight to make the most of it.. Her ‘Cinderella Body’ boosts her confidence to invite Parker to lunch. He surprises her with an invite to his charity fashion show. Tess has everything for her magical night – her Prince, the dress, the shoes but she worries when the clock strikes twelve if he’ll like the ‘real’ her.

Second Chance Cinderella – Sharon Kleve
Raven St. James is a Phlebotomist in a prominent Portland, Oregon hospital. She is petite, with jet-back hair, green eyes, and extremely shy. She dreams of being like the nurses on the daytime hospital shows—perfect. Tall, blond, blue eyed, with big breasts.

Dr. Quinn Taylor admires Raven’s skill, and the caring she shows with her patients, but can’t get her attention. Until the day she winks at him.
Raven only has 24 hours in her Cinderella body. What will she do with it? Will she become the confident, strong, flirty girl she wants to be? Will she get the guy she’s always wanted? Quinn.

Cinderella’s Enchanted Night – Amber Daulton
Annalise Gallagher wanted Elijah Burleigh. Plain and simple. She’d watched him from afar for months, her friends called her ‘his own personal stalker’, and then she made a wish on a magic pendant for a full-body makeover. Transformed into the gorgeous knockout she’d always wanted to be, she asked Elijah out on a date and wore a haute couture gown straight from Paris to his friend’s wedding.

With just twenty-four hours on the clock, her enchanted night faded into the morning hours and everything crashed down around her. Annalise harbored a shameful secret and Elijah demanded the truth with the veil of magic gone. The truth, however, could destroy her fragile confidence and push him away forever.

Read on for my thoughts on The Cinderella Body Club Boxed Set. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: Night of the Living Demon Slayer by Angie Fox

Posted June 9, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

Title: Night of the Living Demon Slayer
Series: Biker Witches Mystery #7, Demon Slayer #7, The Accidental Demon Slayer series #7
Author: Angie Fox
Genre: Paranormal, Romance
Published: May 31, 2015
Publisher: Angie Fox
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

Lizzie Brown is all for letting the good times roll…until a dark voodoo church rises up in the bayou outside of New Orleans. Now ritual fires are burning long into the night and the dead are having a hard time staying that way.

Lizzie goes in undercover to put a stop to the madness. Good thing she can count on her sexy shape-shifter husband, as well as her Grandma’s gang of biker witches. Too bad nobody’s watching her trusty dog, Pirate, who has become way too friendly with the phantom haunting a long-forgotten Victorian-era seance room.

Secrets and spirits abound. Nothing is what it seems. And when legions of the dead threaten the city, there may be no stopping them.

Read on for my thoughts on Night of the Living Demon Slayer. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: A Marquis for Mary by Jess Michaels

Posted June 9, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

Title: A Marquis for Mary
Series: The Notorious Flynns #5
Author: Jess Michaels
Genre: Historical Regency Romance
Published: June 9, 2015
Publisher: The Passionate Pen
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

Mary Quinn is almost at the end of her rope. After two years under her sister and brother-in-law’s protection she may soon have to return to her terrible father’s house if she cannot find a husband. In her desperation, she bumps into Edward, Marquis Woodley. Drawn to each other, they are soon thrown into a scandal that leads to an engagement.

But as the pair grow closer and their wedding looms, Woodley’s past and the horrific circumstances of his first wife’s death may keep them from the happy ending that will save them both.

Read on for my thoughts on A Marquis for Mary. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: Break in Two by M J Summers

Posted June 9, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments

Title: Break in Two
Series: Full Hearts #1
Author: M J Summers
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotica
Published: November 5, 2013 – May 27, 2015
Publisher:
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

Thirty-one year old Claire Hatley is running from Seattle having just discovered that her live-in boyfriend has traded her in for a twenty-two year old hostess. Devastated and alone Claire must make a fresh start.

She answers an ad for a chef at a guest ranch just outside Colorado Springs and finds herself face to face with Cole Mitchell, quite possibly the sexiest man to ever ride a horse. Common sense tells them to stay away from each other, but their attraction is not to be denied. He gives her a glimpse of what love should be, but just as she starts to trust him, the past comes back to tear them apart.

Join Claire and Cole as they embark on the stormy love affair of a lifetime.

Read on for my thoughts on Break in Two. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: Married in Montana by Kirsten Osbourne

Posted June 9, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments

Title: Married in Montana
Series: At The Altar #1
Author: Kirsten Osbourne
Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance
Published: April 16, 2015
Publisher: Unlimited Dreams Publishing
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

Savannah is tired of the dating scene, even though she wants to get married and have a family. She knows her mother will never move on with her own life as long as Savannah is single. Savannah goes to see a matchmaker, specializing in setting up couples who meet at the altar. At first, she thinks Scott is a dream come true, but his blundering soon makes her crazy.

Scott, a Montana bison rancher, doesn’t have time to find a wife. His work is all-encompassing. Besides, he tends to have a hard time getting women to go out with him more than once. When he runs into a matchmaker he’s known all his life, he tells her about the problems he’s had to see if she can help him. When he meets Savannah at the altar, his heart stops for a moment. She’s exactly what he’s looking for. Will their diverse backgrounds keep them apart? Or will they be able to work through their differences to make their marriage a loving relationship?

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

Review: Two Nights with His Bride by Kat Latham

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

Title: Two Nights with His Bride
Series: Montana Born Brides #6
Author: Kat Latham
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: June 8, 2015
Publisher: Tule Publishing
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

Wedding fever has hit the little town of Marietta…

Soap opera star Nancy Parsons is madly in love with Hollywood’s favorite leading man, and they’re getting married on her parents’ stunning horse ranch just outside Marietta, Montana. Actors, athletes, and politicians will be there to watch Hollywood’s most extravagant couple say I do.

There’s just one problem. The bride’s childhood friend Wyatt Wilder knows Nancy’s making the biggest mistake of her life. Sure, Jared’s got looks, money, fame, and—it seems—Nancy’s heart. But when her bridesmaids hire him to lead them on a girls’-only adventure, Wyatt has two nights in the wilderness along the Yellowstone River to show her what a real man looks and acts like. A rugged, tough, loving man.

But will he be able to do it before she says “I do” to the wrong man?

Read on for my thoughts on Two Nights with His Bride. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: Too Charming by Kathryn Freeman

Posted June 7, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments

Title: Too Charming
Series:
Author: Kathryn Freeman
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: September 18, 2013 – Reissue June 8, 2015
My Rating: 4 star
Source: NetGalley
From the Cover:

Does a girl ever really learn from her mistakes?

Detective Sergeant Megan Taylor thinks so. She once lost her heart to a man who was too charming and she isn’t about to make the same mistake again – especially not with sexy defence lawyer, Scott Armstrong. Aside from being far too sure of himself for his own good, Scott’s major flaw is that he defends the very people that she works so hard to imprison.

But when Scott wants something he goes for it. And he wants Megan. One day she’ll see him not as a lawyer, but as a man … and that’s when she’ll fall for him.

Yet just as Scott seems to be making inroads, a case presents itself that’s far too close to home, throwing his life into chaos.

As Megan helps him pick up the pieces, can he persuade her that he isn’t the careless charmer she thinks he is? Isn’t a man innocent until proven guilty?

Read on for my thoughts on Too Charming. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: Chosen by Jennifer Ortiz

Posted June 6, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

Title: Chosen
Series: The Chosen Chronicles
Author: Jennifer Ortiz
Genre: Paranormal, Romance
Published: January 12 2014
Publisher:
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

Cal Reynolds has always been special. He comes from a long line of Hunters – a group of humans gifted with exceptional strength, speed, and magical ability. The Hunters’ purpose is to protect the world from demons from the Underworld. But even among this select group, Cal stands out.

When his strained relationship with his father causes Cal to leave the Hunters, a series of events is set in motion that causes him to discover secrets about himself, his family, and his future that he could never have imagined. In the midst of trying to decipher the pieces left from this chaos, Cal reconnects with Gabrielle Morgan, the only girl he’s ever loved, after a nearly seven year estrangement.

But Cal is Chosen – and that has far reaching ramifications, not only on himself but on those he loves as well. When Cal is faced with the ultimate deception, he begins to realize that he will need to choose where his loyalties, and his love, lie…and the seduction of darkness is almost overwhelmingly alluring.

Read on for my thoughts on Chosen. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: How To Bake The Perfect Apple Pie by Gina Henning

Posted June 5, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments

Title: How to Bake the Perfect Apple Pie
Series: Home for the Holidays #3
Author: Gina Henning
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: June 4, 2015
Publisher: Carina
My Rating: 4.5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Blurb:

A scrumptious pie. A long distance guy. 4th of July fireworks guaranteed.

Lauren Hauser has it all…nearly. With a shiny new job and sparkly new engagement ring on her finger, the only thing she’s missing is her gorgeous new fiancé by her side. Should she be worried? Jack’s kisses are as sizzling as always and, sure, long distance is hard but, she and Jack are solid, right?

Of course the stress of planning a wedding—or not—is nothing compared to the stress of baking an apple pie. Because it’s not just any apple pie that Lauren must bake for the 4th of July contest; it’s her grandmother’s famous, award-winning apple pie! Yet Lauren is determined to make this pie her own and a little apple pie should be no problem for the Hauser clan dessert queen…!

But with her new job taking up so much time, a prize pie to perfect and the growing distance between her and Jack, Lauren begins to wonder if she can really have it all… Only one things for sure, there’ll be fireworks this 4th of July!

Read on for my thoughts on How to Bake the Perfect Apple Pie. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: Never Refuse A Sheikh by Jackie Ashenden

Posted June 5, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments

Title: Never Refuse a Sheikh
Series: International Bad Boys #7
Author: Jackie Ashenden
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: June 5, 2015
Publisher: Tule Publishing – Holiday Books
My Rating: 5+ stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Blurb:

When the sheikh claims a wife, she cannot refuse …

Altair is a man perfectly in control both of himself and the power he wields as regent of Al Harah. Yet in order to retain his stronghold on the country he loves, he must wed a princess wilder than the Bedouin tribe she was raised in. A princess who only has one word for him: no.

Princess Safira knows what freedom means and it isn’t a palace or a crown. Neither does it mean being told what to do by a man with more ice in his veins than blood. Safira is innocent in the ways of men, but the heat in Altair’s gaze calls to a deep, unclaimed part of her soul she cannot deny. Altair seems hell-bent on civilizing her, but she’s not so easily tamed. Especially not when she can sense the wildness that lives in him.

Read on for my thoughts on Never Refuse a Sheikh. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: Bayou Bound by Linda Joyce

Posted June 5, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments

Title: Bayou Bound
Series: Fleur de Lis #2
Author: Linda Joyce
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: January 25, 2014
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Blurb:

Biloxi Dutrey grounds her jet-setting photography career and returns to Mississippi when she learns her family home, Fleur De Lis, is headed for financial ruin. She plans to save it by scooping up the job of Keeper. But that means breaking tradition, and her family isn’t cooperating.

Veterinarian Nick Trahan is new in town and wants folks to stop matchmaking. He won’t settle for just a pretty face. He wants the perfect woman, one who believes in family and commitment the exact opposite of his parents.

Nick rescues Biloxi during a raging storm, but the squall is tame compared to the tempest between them. Soon they experience the backlash from the long-standing feud between their families. If Biloxi surrenders her dreams for Fleur de Lis and tows the line with tradition, will she also be forced to give up on “forever love” due to the hate their families still harbor?

Read on for my thoughts on Bayou Bound. No true spoilers, promise.