Deal Me In: Zola's Pride by Moira Rogers

Deal Me In: Zola's Pride by Moira Rogers

This one was a DNF for me.

Eye of the Beholder by Jayne Ann Krentz

Eye of the Beholder by Jayne Ann Krentz

After a career-stalling tangle with a fraudulent gallery owner, Art Deco expert Alexa Chambers is ready to take risks to rebuild her reputation.  But when she secretly consults on an exquisite collection for the new Avalon Resorts, she doesn't know she will cross paths with the hotel's owner, the enigmatic and possibly threatening J. L. Trask.

Years ago, Trask accused Alexa's stepfather of murder--and vowed he would return to Avalon for revenge.  Now, their meeting is inevitable--and attraction immediate--as they trade sizzling sparks and snappy repartee.  But when a killer emerges from the shadows, these sensual partners team up to solve a deadly crime from the past.  Following a trail of clues to a trendy but decidedly strange New Age spa, Trask and Alexa don't need a crystal ball to see that their survival--and their chances of bliss--will depend on a little help from a higher power: a true and trustworthy love.

Alexa is determined to revive her career after a debacle involving her old boss and a lot of forged art.  She is secretly tasked with creating THE art deco collection of the southwest for the latest Trask hotel.  When she spots a forgery, she wrangles a promise that the piece will not be displayed in the hotel.  At the opening celebration she spots the forgery and about blows her top.  She decides to hide it in a closet so the press don't see it and is in the process when she is confronted by Trask, the owner of the hotel.  This is one of several humorous situations that pop up throughout this title.

Trask is determined to prove that his father was murdered and his questions are stirring up a lot of anger from certain parties.  When one such party ends up dying the same way that Trask's father did, he cannot believe it to be a coincidence.  Unfortunately, as Trask digs through the present and the past, his list of suspects grows rather than narrows.  Alexa is determined to help him if only to clear her step-father's name as he is one of the people Trask is looking at closely.  

Trask and Alexa make a wonderful couple--they are both strong and independent people who have their faults but together they are truly a balanced couple.  I have read this title several times and every time I am reminded why I enjoy it so much--and it always comes back to the characters.  The plot is fun and well timed but I read this book for Trask and Alexa.  If you haven't read this one, I certainly recommend you give it a try!

I purchased this book with my own funds. 

Siren's Call by Jayne Castle

Siren's Call by Jayne Castle

In the Alien catacombs of Rainshadow, there are creatures whose compelling songs lure the unwary to their death.  That's why Rafe Coppersmith, hired to clear out the catacombs for exploration, needs a music talent.  He knows the perfect one, but she probably doesn't want anything to do with him...

Ella Morgan had once fallen hard and fast for Rafe, but then he disappeared for months...and he's not about to tell her why.  Ella, too, has secrets that only her dust bunny knows.  She's not just a music talent; she's a Siren: a paranormal singer capable of singing men to sleep--or to their deaths.

But once on Rainshadow, Rafe and Ella will learn that surrendering to passion doesn't come without risks--and fighting fire with fire only adds to the flame...

I love the Rainshadow series and this is another amazing entry.  Ella and Rafe are a fantastic couple and Lorelei is a super dust bunny!  Just when I worry that the books are going to begin feeling formulaic, Jayne Castle switches things up and adds tension.  This book felt more tightly focused than the last entry or two in the series.  I also really enjoyed that while I guessed one of the baddies another came out of left field and surprised me.  I also enjoyed reading about the various weddings that Ella was a part of, especially the last one!  

All of the entities that make this series, and all of the Harmony books, so great are here: a strong heroine whose skills perfectly compliment the rakish, sexy hero; a fantastic dust bunny; friends from previous books, ties to books written as Jayne Ann Krentz, and hints as to where future stories might leave.  BUT, this book is more than just that...it is also a fast-paced puzzle with pieces both obvious and not parceled out at the perfect rate.  Without getting into the specifics of the plot, which is best discovered on your own, just know that this is the perfect way to spend a few hours!

Reading Challenges
New Release 
I Love Library Books
Story Sprites

I borrowed this book from my local public library.

Broken by Cynthia Eden

Broken by Cynthia Eden

Ex-SEAL and LOST founder Gabe Spencer is accustomed to the unusual in his job.  But when knockout Eve Gray steps into his office, he's rattled.  For the mysterious woman is a dead ringer for the heiress thought to be the latest prey of the serial killer who goes by the name Lady Killer.

When Eve awoke in an Atlanta hospital, her past was a blank slate.  Then she recognized her own face in the newspaper and vowed to learn the truth.  Determined to confront the nightmares hidden in her mind, she never expects to find a partner in Gabe.

As Gabe and Eve work together, their explosive attraction becomes irresistible.  Gabe knows that his desire for Eve is growing too strong, bordering on a dangerous obsession, but nothing pulls him away from her.  And when another Eve lookalike disappears, Gabe vows to protect Eve at all costs.  While Eve may have forgotten the killer in her past, it's clear he hasn't forgotten her.

Man, oh man am I having a great string of luck with books lately or what?  Add another book (and series) on the TBR folks because this one is a winner!  However, it is best if you go in not knowing too much so I am going to keep this short and sweet...

Gabe is an ex-SEAL who lost his sister in a kidnapping and who has dedicated his life to finding those who are lost, even if it is just recovering the bodies, so that families can have, at the very least, closure.  When Eve walks in and tells him it is her past that is lost, Gabe is both intrigued and suspicious.  So after ripping into Eve's story and verifying that she is indeed telling the truth about not knowing anything prior to waking up in the hospital, he takes on her case.  Eve, who may be missing heiress Jessica Montgomery, is incredibly strong for having lost an entire life along with all the memories thereof.  She is determined not to be a victim (although by the scars on her body she has already been a victim of something horrendous) any longer and fights to get Gabe to help her.  She knows she can't do it alone but is willing to do anything she can to help him help her.  

As Gabe starts digging into Eve's current life in order to figure out her lost one, he finds himself falling for her tenacity and perseverance in the face of an ordeal few could handle as stoically and forthrightly as Eve has.  When if comes to light that she might be Jessica Montgomery, he is with her every step of the way as they work together to solve the mystery of who the Lady Killer is, if Eve was a past victim, and how to keep her from becoming a future victim.  Just as one thing starts to go there way, two more stepping blocks pop up keeping tensions high.  While there are definitely times when the suspense line overshadows the romance, the suspense is just SO GOOD that I didn't mind and the romance was always brought back to the forefront and not just left behind for good.  And the baddie?  Is really, really bad.  And not who I thought it was at all!  

Highly recommended folks!  I have Twisted, the next in the series, on my coffee table right now and I can't wait to dive into it.  

Reading Challenges
I Love Library Books
New Release
Romantic Suspense

I borrowed this book from my local public library.

Birthday Month Reading Challenge: The Mackenzies Series by Linda Howard

Birthday Month Reading Challenge: The Mackenzies Series by Linda Howard

It's been a few months since I have participated in the birthday month reading challenge hosted by you me and a cup of tea.  It was fun to revisit this older series.  I reviewed book one (Mackenzie's Mountain) separately but decided to combine the last four into one review, so voila!  Enjoy!

Mackenzie's Mission: Joe Mackenzie has accomplished his dream of being in the Air Force...indeed, he is one of the best pilots they have ever seen.  He is currently heading up a top-secret project testing out the newest fighter plane: The Night Wing.  Caroline Evans is a top-ranked physicist who has been brought in to replace another scientist experiencing health problems.  As soon as Joe sees Caroline he decides to make her his.  

Caroline was always ahead of her peers intellectually but her skipping grades put her at a disadvantage as she never learned to deal with guys until they all had a lot more experience than she did and their heavy passes would scare her.  She developed a very prickly exterior as a defense and Joe is intrigued and delighted with her "hedgehog" behavior.  Unfortunately, problems have begun to develop with the Night Wing project and the clues are all pointing at Caroline.

Watching these two strong personalities come together is a lot of fun.  Joe makes some big mistakes and Caroline does not hold back in letting him know it!  But he will also protect her with his life and she will have to learn that she is no longer the only person to take into considerations while living her life--Joe is determined to be a huge part of it!

Mackenzie's Pleasure
Zane Mackenzie is one hacked-off SEAL dealing with two critical injuries to his team sustained during a training exercise which was supposed to be weapon free.  He is busy making his displeasure clear when a call comes in that his team is needed to rescue a kidnapped ambassador's daughter being held in nearby Libya.  

Barrie is frightened, naked, and tied to a cot when a moving shadow transforms itself into a man introducing himself as her rescuer.  She is completely out of her depth but does everything she can to aid in her own rescue earning the respect of Zane.  The rest of the SEAL team has to leave them behind as part of a diversionary tactic so Zane and Barry are on their own for a day or two.  They find themselves attracted to each other and act on that attraction.  During their extraction from the country, Zane is shot but Barry is unable to follow him to the hospital due to the sensitive nature of Zane's work as a SEAL and her father's overprotectiveness.

Two months later Zane shows up on Barry's doorstep as she is figuring out a way to run away--she is pregnant and has overheard some compromising statements from her father that make it sound as if he may be a traitor to his country.  He proposes, she accepts, and they are now stuck with how to hide from her father, the original kidnappers who still want her, and a possible mole working on their behalf.  Couple this with some of the funniest morning sickness scenes written and you have another winner.

Mackenzie's Magic
Maris wakes up in bed with a hunk and can't remember how she got there or who he is.  Come to find out she has stolen a million-dollar horse from the stables where she is head trainer and the man is Mac--a drifter who has been working there.  Mac is actually much more than that but it takes a while for Maris to remember her own reality as well as unraveling the cover-up story that Mac has created.  Between recovering her memories, falling in love, and rescuing Sole Pleasure, this is a fast paced and very enjoyable novella.  

A Game of Chance
Chance was adopted at fourteen when Mary found him on the side of the road raging with fever and fighting pneumonia.  All grown up he now works for a shadowy dangerous government group taking down the worst of the world's bad guys.  His sites are set on terrorist Hauer when he gets a lucky break-- Hauer's daughter.  Chance figures he can use her to get to her father.  

All is well with the plan until Chance realizes that Sunny has successfully hidden from her father most of her life and wants nothing to do with him.  Sunny is brave and gutsy and has worked hard to make a life for herself away from her father.  Chance adapts the plan to use her as bait but all hell breaks loose when it works.  Can Chance repair the damage he has done to their budding relationship?  This was a fabulous series wrap up!

Head Over Heels by Susan Andersen

Head Over Heels by Susan Andersen

Who said "you can't go home again"?  In Veronica Davis's case, who'd want to--especially when you hail from Fossil, Washington?  But now she's back among the good-ol'-boys who think she's fair game just because she's in a waitress uniform.

The truth is, Veronica's the boss--at least until she can sell the family saloon and skip town again as fast as her feet can carry her--and nobody knows that better than Cooper Blackstock.  From behind the bar, the ex-Special Forces Marine sees all.  And his undercover agenda has made the feisty boss-lady's troubles his own.

And her troubles are considerable, what with a family in turmoil, a pseudo-bartender with dangerous secrets, and death threats.  Though the town surprisingly rallies in support, it's still a good thing that Cooper will be there to catch Veronica if she stumbles--if he doesn't start falling himself.

Veronica is back in Fossil, Washington to take guardianship of her niece after her sister's murder.  Part of this includes selling the bar where she worked for a large part of her teenage years until she was able to escape without looking back.  Veronica wants to get as much as possible out of the bar to set aside for her niece Lizzy's future.  Unfortunately, while waiting for it to sell, she has to step back into the past as there is a waitress shortage and Veronica has to fill in.

Also working in the bar is Cooper Blackstock.  He is the half-brother of the main suspect in Veronica's sister's murder and is determined to clear his half-brother's name.  Eddie was the only bright light in Coop's life after his parents divorced and Coop will do anything to help him out, including going undercover in the bar owned by Eddie's ex-wife in order to try to uncover who really murdered her.  When Veronica shows up, Coop has very low expectations as Crystal, the murder victim, was a manipulative schemer who used Eddie's daughter to continually extort more money out of Eddie.  It is a pleasant surprise then when Coop realizes that Veronica is nothing like her sister.  It is an unpleasant surprise to discover that he is developing feelings for her.

Veronica can't wait to get back to her life in Seattle but is determined to do what she must to make the transition as easy as possible for Lizzie; after all, this sweet six-year-old is dealing with her mother's murder and her father being the prime suspect.  A twist of fate has Veronica and Lizzie sharing their house with Coop who is renting the attic rooms.  This puts them in close contact and there are lots of sparks and witty banter between the two as they both allowing their pasts to impact their present.  Veronica needs to know that Coop is more than a drifter (his cover for working in the bar) who is passing through life with no ambition.  After all she watched her mother work herself to death while her father blissfully let her.  Coop needs to know that Veronica will take him as is without trying to change his.  Growing up his mother always made sure he knew he and his father weren't good enough and after the divorce she married up and only took Coop in when his father passed away.  

As if this isn't enough, there is still the matter of protecting Lizzie, finding the real murderer and dealing with their growing attractions towards each other despite themselves.  This story is populated with great characters; Veronica and Coop are both strong leads who know what they want and are determined to get it--and their interactions together are priceless.  Lizzie is a complete sweetheart who would melt the heart of the coldest codger and she quickly wraps Coop around her little finger.  Coop hasn't been a part of Lizzie's life since she was an infant and he quickly vows to change that as soon as he clears his brother's name.  Add in a secondary romance involving Veronica's childhood best friend Marissa, Marissa's two incredibly precocious children, Eddie the missing father, and other colorful characters around Fossil and you have quite a fun story.  

The romance in this one definitely overshadows the mystery surrounding Crystal's death.  While plenty of time is spent on discussing it and on Coop trying to investigate, the actual perpetrator and reason behind the murder seemed weak to me.  However, the romance between Coop and Veronica was so much fun that it completely made up for it in my opinion.  But for those of you who need a strong suspense line, this one might not fit the bill.  I would still encourage you to try it though because every other part of the story is outstanding.  

Reading Challenges
Romantic Suspense
Hard Core Reread

I purchased this book with my own funds. 

Mackenzie's Mountain by Linda Howard

Mackenzie's Mountain by Linda Howard

Mary Elizabeth Potter is a self-appointed spinster with no illusions about love.  But she is a good teacher--and she wants Wolf Mackenzie's son back in school.  And after one heated confrontation with the boy's father, she knows father and son have changed her life forever.

Still paying for a crime he didn't commit, Wolf Mackenzie has a chip on his shoulder the size of Wyoming.  But prim-and-proper Mary Elizabeth Potter doesn't see Wolf as the dangerous half-breed the town has branded him.  Somehow she sees him as a good, decent, honest man.  A man who could love...

Wolf's not sure he--or the town of Ruth, Wyoming--is ready for the taming of Wolf Mackenzie.

I love this book.  I have reread it many times and each time it is just as good as the first time I read it.  Written in 1989, it does feel dated in the fact that Wolf is constantly referred to as a half-breed and Mary is seen as a spinster and the dowdy schoolteacher cliche is alive and well in this one.  However, both Wolf and Mary rise above such labels and are so well written otherwise that it is impossible (for me) to allow the foibles of outdatedness to keep me from enjoying this book.

Mary has recently been hired by the tiny town of Ruth, Wyoming to teach grades nine through twelve.  As a transplant from Savannah, snowy Wyoming is a shock to the system!  When she sees that the top-performing student dropped out two months before she arrived, she is determined to meet with him and talk him into returning to high school to get his diploma.  This student happens to live on a ranch at the top of a mountain, so intrepid Mary, determined to get this student back into school, climbs in her car and tackles the snowy drive heedless of the fact that she is not accustomed to driving in the snow.  All is well until a water hose breaks, stranding her on the side of the mountain.  Fortunately, after a short walk, Wolf Mackenzie comes along in his truck to rescue her from her freezing stroll. 

Wolf Mackenzie wears a thick shell.  After being wrongfully convicted of a rape and being incarcerated for two years, he is not inclined to believe in the goodness of mankind.  However, he can't just leave the new school teacher to freeze on his mountain so he drives her to his house and does his best to warm her up.  This scene is fantastic as Wolf does not worry about Mary's sensibilities and Mary is both alarmed and intrigued by her reactions to his ministrations.  Just when things are really heating up, Joe, Wolf's son and the student Mary is looking for shows up.  Mary pulls herself together and once she discovers Joe's passion for planes uses that to talk him into tutoring and returning to school in the fall.  Mary is convinced that Joe is capable of achieving his dream of entering the Air Force Academy.

Due to Wolf's past and his being half-Indian, he is not highly regarded by the majority of citizens in Ruth, Wyoming.  This coupled with Mary's tutoring of Joe puts a target on her back and she is soon accused of "canoodling" with Joe.  Mary lights into everyone at a school board meeting leaving no doubt in any one's mind that she will tolerate no criticism or either Wolf or Joe nor will she allow anything to stand in the way of Joe's future.  Her adamant and consistent defense of both Mackenzie's slowly brings others around to her way of thinking and the Mackenzie men are beginning to experience a long-belated welcome into the community when a woman is attacked by someone bearing a strong resemblance to Wolf.

This event brings back all of the unpleasantness of Wolf's past and damages the town's newly positive feelings for him.  When Mary is attacked, she sees a pale hand with freckles proving Wolf's innocence but leaving the town in a frenzy because now the real attacker could be anyone.  Mary is determined to keep Wolf and Joe safe while they put their foot down that THEY will protecting HER.  Linda Howard is a master author and this book is one of her classic "bests".  As the first in the Mackenzie series, it sets a high bar for the rest of the books to live up to.  I enjoyed this reread so much, I am headed off to get the second book in the series right now which features Joe's story so I can reread it, too.  

Reading Challenges
Hard Core Reread
Contemporary Romance

I purchased this book with my own funds.

Claimed by Rebecca Zanetti

Claimed by Rebecca Zanetti

Emma Paulsen is a geneticist driven by science.  But she's also a psychic, so when a dark, good-hearted vampire frees her from the clutches of the evil Kurjans, she realizes he must be the man who's been haunting her dreams.  But with a virus threatening vampires' mates, Emma may discover a whole new meaning of "lovesick"...

As King of the Realm, Dage Karys has learned to practice diplomacy.  Still, it's taken three hundred years to find his mate, so he'll stop at nothing to protect her--even if it means turning on his back on his own kind...

Whew.  This book starts right in the middle of the action!!  Emma has been found by the Kurjans and is being transported to one of their strongholds when Dage teleports into the helicopter holding her and lays waste to all inside--including the pilot.  Luckily, he is able to teleport them back out before the helicopter crashes, unluckily the landing leaves a LOT to be desired.  Dage is determined to keep his mate safe...while his mate is determined to save her sister, Cara, who has been infected with a virus which is not only undoing her mating to Talen, but is also turning her back into a human.  As Cara is pregnant with a vampire child and humans aren't strong enough to carry vampire fetuses, the pressure is on to save both of them before the virus progresses to far.

Emma is used to protecting Cara as they grew up with an abusive father and often Emma would focus his attention on her to protect Cara and their mother.  However, Emma did not use that as a reason to not trust Dage which I thought was an interesting choice which I appreciated.  It also helped that Emma had been dreaming of Dage for years--seeing scenes of his life which allowed her to get to "know" him and his abilities and personality.  Emma and Dage are both incredibly strong characters who fit each other so well.  Dage does not want to be king but he knows he is the best choice to be so and therefore he sucks it up and does his duty to the best of his ability at all times, although he definitely does what he has to to protect his brothers and their mates as they come first and foremost.  

There is a lot going on in this book as the virus attacks not only Cara, a vampire mate, but also at least one shifter and a prophet while Emma and Kane frantically try to figure out a cure.  Meanwhile, while Moira (Conn's mate) was mentioned in book one, she is actually "introduced" to the reading in this title as the witches as a whole are brought more into the fold.  There will be a lot more action from that segment of the paranormal world in upcoming titles I am sure.  Also, demons were introduced and while they played a minor role the implications for further development were huge.  There are at least three other couples that have already been paired off (not counting Janie and Zane who will have to wait longer due to their ages at this point) and I can't wait for each of their stories.  

Even with all of that going on, all of the raids against the Kurjans, the developing (and devolving) relationships between individuals and groups of paranormals, the virus and the research to cure it, the introduction of new species and characters, Rebecca Zanetti did a phenomenal job of never letting the relationship between Dage and Emma to feel forgotten or overshadowed.  The balancing act that she must have performed in order for their story to still be front and center in the reader's mind amidst EVERYTHING else is phenomenal and to be commended.  And what a relationship it is...fireworks occurred often as both characters have strong beliefs about the way their relationship will go.  Not to mention Emma has seen visions of her death for years and isn't about to commit either herself or Dage too far until she is certain she can change events.  And yet.  Somehow, both Dage and Emma found themselves falling more and more in love with their partner as well as becoming more and more willing and able to support them in their needs and desires.  It truly was beautiful to watch them figure out each of their own issues as well as each others'.  That is not to say that Dage was not overbearing and neanderthal at times or that Emma wasn't mule-headed with one foot out the door, but they were both so complex that it simply wasn't that easy.  Always, one or the other (or both) would grow from their interactions and you could see the proof of that based on their behavior in later interactions.

Reading Challenges
I Love Library Books
Witches and Witchcraft
What an Animal
Story Sprites

I borrowed this title from my local public library.

Fated by Rebecca Zanetti

Fated by Rebecca Zanetti

Cara Paulsen does not give up easily.  A scientist and a single mother, she's used to fighting for what she wants, keeping a cool head, and doing whatever it takes to protect her daughter Janie.  But "whatever it takes" has never before included a shotgun wedding to a dangerous-looking stranger with an attitude problem.

Sure, the mysterious Talen says he's there to protect Cara and Janie.  He also says that he's a three-hundred-year-old vampire.  Of course, the way he touches her, Cara might actually believe he's had that long to practice...

After finishing the available Maverick Montana books by Rebecca Zanetti, I looked into her other series and decided to read the Dark Protectors.  I began with book 1 (which I always prefer to do although I am not currently as particular about that as I have been in the past) which was Fated.  After finishing it in almost one sitting (I fell asleep but continued reading immediately upon waking) I can say that I really liked it.  I didn't love it as much as the Maverick Montana series but there is so much potential here that I think later titles in this series might get the same amount of love.

This book begins with Cara not really knowing what is going on.  Her daughter is worried because the bad men are coming, a VERY large man has just broken into her house claiming he is there to protect Cara and Janie, Janie seems very comfortable following the big man and Cara kind of gets swept up in it all striving the whole time to protect Janie from any danger.  I loved that I found out what was happening along with Cara--it really strengthened my connection to her.  Cara finds herself caught up in the whirlwind that is Talen Karys and his family as they are quickly married (the reason makes sense) and she is installed in their safe house which is really a series of underground rooms in a mountainside somewhere in Colorado.  

This book is the ideal example of how to set up an entire series without taking away too much time from the main couple and their HEA.  We meet plenty of sequel-bait characters, several of which I can't wait to read more about but the focus always returned (and quickly) to Cara and Talen and their story.  She has trust issues and an ability to sense people's emotions and where-abouts while Talen is an immensely strong and capable warrior.  There is quite a bit of violence and some of it is graphic and yet it never crossed the line of too much for me.  

There is a lot going on in this book as the future of the good guys and their mates are definitely in imminent danger from the bad guys (who are pretty creepy--and I have a feeling they will only get worse--goody!).  You know that future titles are going to get a lot darker before it is all over and I can only cross my fingers that these books are in at the library so I can go on a binge-read.  The timing could be better as my job is gearing up to go through a busy phase, but I know I will be carving out every spare minute to return to this fascinating world created by Zanetti!

Reading Challenges
I Love Library Books
What an Animal

I borrowed this book from my local public library.

Over the Top by Rebecca Zanetti

Over the Top by Rebecca Zanetti

Dawn Freeze had a huge crush on Hawk Rain for years, and the entire town knows it.  It's understandable--the man is total hotness.  That tall, lean body.  Intense dark eyes.  And always one foot out the door.  Now he's on leave for exactly one week.  And this time, he's made it crystal clear that he only wants one thing.  Her.

Hawk's been fighting his attraction to Dawn for as long as he can remember.  She's his best friend's little sister, and that means hands-off.  Except now she's all grown up, and her sweet sexiness is exactly what he craves.  But just as Hawk allows himself one mindblowingly intense night with Dawn, he learns that everyone he loves is in danger.  Especially her.

And the only way to protect Dawn is to push her away...

Holy hotness, Batman!  This may be my favorite book in the series yet and that is HIGH praise indeed as ALL the entries have been phenomenal.  This book made me laugh out loud several times, once to the point that I was snorting out loud (so glad I was reading in the privacy of my home!!)  It also made me come close to tears with both frustration and empathy with the characters and the way that Hawk's past kept getting in the way of his present and possible future. 

Hawk is HOT!!  He is alpha to the core and yet even when he was being overbearing, I totally understood it.  Hawk knows that Dawn is it for him but he also knows that most likely he won't ever actually get to have her--that his choices and responsibilities will keep him from ever possessing the one thing that has kept him alive all these years.  And then Hawk decides to live in the moment.  If he can't have Dawn forever, maybe he can at least have her for right now.  He doesn't really expect to make it through his last mission alive and never knowing what it is like to truly be with Dawn is too much for him.  

Dawn is amazing!  Smart and tough she knows when to bend and when to stand her ground.  She is perfect for Hawk.  His constant pushing her away has hurt her but she is determined to remain friends as she can't imagine her life without him in it in some way.  Dawn loves Hawk more than anything or anyone but she isn't about to let that fact allow him to walk all over her or push her into a corner.  So many times he wanted to wrap her in cotton wool and put her on a shelf and Dawn wasn't having any of it...and yet she never, not once, ventures anywhere near TSTL territory.  She knows what she is capable of and she is determined to do her part to protect herself and Hawk if needed.

This book also included two of the best matchmakers since Nana from the Firsts and Forevers series (oh, to introduce Nana to Mrs. Poppins and Mrs. Hudson!).  Mrs. Poppins and Mrs. Hudson are determined that Dawn follow five rules to get her man and they shake their heads in despair as Dawn breaks rule after rule (not always on purpose!).  There was a very sweet secondary romance involving one of these two matchmakers as well.  There were just enough hints regarding other characters to give me hope that we haven't seen the last of this series!!  PLEASE let there be more books in this series!! I need to know what happens to Reese.  And Adam.  And Anne.  **Fingers crossed**

Reading Challenges

Contemporary Romance

New Release Challenge

I purchased this book with my own funds.

When a Rake Falls by Sally Orr

When a Rake Falls by Sally Orr

Having hired a balloon to get him to Paris in a daring race, Lord Boyce Parker is simultaneously exhilarated and unnerved by the wonders and dangers of flight, and most of all by the beautiful, stubborn, intelligent lady operating the balloon.

Eve Mountfloy is in the process of conducting weather experiments when she finds herself spirited away to France by a notorious rake.  She's only slightly dismayed--the rake seems to respect her work--but she is frequently distracted by his windblown physical magnificence and buoyant spirits.

As risky as aeronautics may be, once their feet touch the ground, Eve and Boyce learn the real danger of a very different type of falling...

I finished this book with a huge smile on my face.  Boyce Parker may be one of the best male leads I have read this year...there was something so earnest and so honest about him.  From the very first line of this book, I knew it, and he, were going to be great and I was right.  All Parker wants is his father's approval and he is willing to go to great lengths to get it.  One such attempt leads to his needing to get to France.  He decides a hot air balloon will do the trick and the lovely lady piloting it is icing on his cake.  

Eve Mountfloy is used to gentleman wanting to get down to the ground almost as soon as they leave it and is surprised when Parker insists on staying in the air.  She is determined to carry out some scientific experiments for her father and Parker offers to help on their way to France.  Ideas of being the first female to successfully cross the channel in a balloon lead Eve to make the attempt and one of the sweetest and funniest hero-heroine get-to-know-you scenes commences.  Eve and Parker are just so right for each other and everything is going swimmingly until: a balloon crash, a flirtatious "other" woman, a belittling father, and a  pernicious fiance among other things.  

There were times when I was reading when I got so frustrated with some of the characters who were standing in the way of the HEA...I know they were necessary for there to be a story but Sally Orr did such a great job of making them so ugh!!-inducing that there were times I was tempted to skip ahead in the book--but I couldn't because I didn't want to miss a second with Parker and Eve.  There were other times when I was sure the story was heading towards a predicable cliche but instead it would veer into an original avenue every time.  I liked how she turned my expectations on their head and it only made me enjoy the story more.  This is the second book in a series and I am looking forward to checking out the first.  I can only hope that it is as delightful as this one!

Reading Challenges
Around the World 
Historical Romance
I Love Library Books
Key Word
Monthly Mix Up Mania
New Release Challenge
New to You

Rising Assets by Rebecca Zanetti

Rising Assets by Rebecca Zanetti

Melanie Jacobs is in trouble.  With three jobs--including running her ranch--and dwindling funds, she's exhausted.  Not to mention desperately trying to hide a secret.  Unfortunately, her best friend Colton Freeze knows all too well that something is going on, and he won't give up until he knows exactly he needs to fix.

Then Colton learns the truth--that Melanie's future happiness rests in the fickle hands of fate, and her chances for having a family are shrinking with every passing day.  Her only comfort is Colton, but when a heated argument between them turns into an even hotter kiss, the boundaries of their friendship are erased, leaving only a scorching-hot hunger for more.

Every kiss--every touch--is a stolen pleasure.  But will their new friends-with-sexy-benefits arrangement bring them closer together, or destroy everything they once shared?

Rebecca Zanettis is three for three in the "oh-my-gosh-why-haven't-I-discovered-this-author-sooner??" reaction after finishing her books.  After having had plenty of hints in the first two books about Melanie and Colton's friendship that was obviously more (even if Colton hadn't figured it out yet) I was worried that this book wouldn't be able to live up to my expectations, especially with how much I enjoyed the first two books.  My worries were groundless...this book was as wonderful as I could have wished.  

Melanie is working three jobs trying to cover medical bills as she does not have medical insurance and has been diagnosed with endometriosis.  This leaves Melanie having to come to grips with the fact that she will most likely not be able to become pregnant.  She is looking into possible options for herself such as freezing her eggs but nothing is guaranteed.  On top of that, her forever friend Colton is butting into her business and she is finding it harder and harder to push him back out of her life.  She is afraid to take their friendship further because she has watched his love 'em and leave 'em ways for far too many years and can't imagine her life without him in it, even if she has to take him on different terms than she would really like.

Melanie and Colton are both amazing characters.  She is level-headed and stands up for what she wants and needs.  She lets Colton have it with both barrels when he deserves it and she doesn't put up with any baloney, but she also knows when to lean on his shoulder when things get to be too much.  Colton has a long fuse but when his temper blows, watch out!  He is very much a planner and it takes a big hammer to get his preconceived ideas about how is life is supposed to go out of his head.  There were times when I wanted to shake him a bit, but watching him realize what Melanie really meant to him was incredibly sweet, and oftentimes quite humorous.   

Reading Challenges
Contemporary Romance
I Love Library Books
Monthly Mix Up Mania

I borrowed this book from my local library.

White Lies by Jayne Ann Krentz

White Lies by Jayne Ann Krentz

Level-ten parasensitive Clare Lancaster has resigned herself to the fact that she may never find a suitable mate.  A human lie detector, any falsehood--no matter how subtle--sets her blood racing.  And most people, to one degree or another, hide behind a facade.

Including her father's new business "consultant," Jake Salter.  His careful conversation walks a delicate line between truth and deception.  But it is with his help that Clare begins to unravel a web of conspiracy and murder involving the powerful Arizona family that she just became a part of.  Caught in a dizzying storm of secrets, lies, and half-truths. Clare and Jake will plunge into an investigation that demands every bit of their special gifts, as something more than mere attraction sparks between them...

Eight months ago, Clare contacted her half-sister Elizabeth and received one word in reply: Help.  Clare raced from San Francisco to Stone Canyon, AZ in time to save Clare from her psychopathic husband.  The problem? Nobody but Clare believed Elizabeth when she declared that Brad, her husband, was dangerous.  When he is found murdered, by Clare, she becomes the prime suspect.  

Clare is now back in Stone Canyon, at the request of her father whom she has only met briefly as Clare was the product of a one-night stand between her father and his secretary.  Clare has grown up with her mother and great-aunt and his not sure about how she feels about being summoned by Archer (her father).  When she shows up, her father is entertaining friends and business associates, including Jake Salter who sends Clare's senses, both normal and psychic, reeling.  Clare is hesitant to crash the party but is not given much choice by either Jake or Archer.  Unfortunately, when Brad's mother sees Clare, she melts down as she still believes Clare to be a murderess.  

Archer has a business proposal for Clare, who reluctantly agrees to stay in Stone Canyon to think about it.  She decides to take some of that time to figure out what really happened to Brad and why he targeted Elizabeth in the first place.  Things quickly get complicated as it appears that someone is very uncomfortable with Clare's inquiries and Jake quickly steps up to help Clare as he decides it is the only way to protect the stubborn woman he is falling for.  

White Lies is one of my favorite JAK titles and I have read it several times.  I love the interactions between the Glazebrook family members as well as Clare's interactions with Jake.  The mystery is a good one with plenty of twists and turns and the love story between Clare and Jake is in turns, funny, witty, sweet, and sexy.  One of my favorite scenes is in the hospital when Jake is on pain meds...you have to read it!  

Reading Challenges
Hard Core Reread
Color Coded
Romantic Suspense

I purchased this book with my own funds.

Garden of Lies by Amanda Quick

Garden of Lies by Amanda Quick

The Kern Secretarial Agency provides reliable professional services to its wealthy clientele, and Anne Clifton was one of the finest young women in Ursula Kern's employ.  But Miss Clifton has met an untimely end--and Ursula is convinced it was not due to natural causes.

Bent on justice, Ursula hatches a plan: take Anne's place as stenographer to the reclusive poet Valerie, Lady Fullbrook.  There are dark rumors about Lord Fullbrook, and his gloomy mansion in Mapstone Square seems the logical starting point for an undercover investigation.  

Archaeologist and adventurer Slater Roxton thinks Mrs. Kern is off her head to meddle in such dangerous business.  Slater is familiar with mortal peril--and some suspect he has bone a bit mad since the year he spent trapped amid the volcanic rock and jungle of Fever Island, thousands of miles from civilization.  Nevertheless, he seems sensible enough to Ursula, though she does find herself unnerved by his self-possession and unreadable green-gold eyes...

If this mysterious beauty insists on stirring the pot, Slater intends to remain close by as they venture into the darker side of polite society and a den of iniquity called the Olympus Club.  Together they must reveal the identify of a killer--and to achieve their goal they may need to reveal their deepest secrets to each other as well...

Slater Roxton and his friend Brice have finally achieved their dream of finding Fever Island and are busy examining an amazing labyrinth filled with exquisite artifacts when Brice accidentally sets off a trap designed to ensure no one who is trying to relieve the ancient site of any of its treasures.  Due to its age, all but Slater are able to get out of the structure, and Slater is believed to be dead.  With no other alternative, they leave to sail to England.  Unbeknownst to them, Slater is safe inside but must find his way out of an amazingly complex labyrinth if he wants to have any hope of survival.  When he shows up in England a year after his ordeal, everyone is amazed.  His life and his habits have changed however, and he leaves to live his life on his own terms until his father passes away and he must return to London once more in order to take over his father's affairs until his legitimate heirs are of age.

Ursula Kern has reinvented herself after her life took some tough twists and turns.  She has established a secretarial agency which prides itself on hiring modern women who are trained in the very latest trends of shorthand on the newest typewriter models.  Her secretaries are known to be exclusive and expensive.  One such secretary, Anne Clifton is found dead in her rooms and Ursula discovers a handwritten note that proves to Ursula that Anne did not take her own life, but was instead murdered.  Ursula decides that she must uncover what really happened to Anne.  

Slater has hired Ursula to help him catalog his artifacts and is not happy when Ursula informs him she must take a leave of absence in order to look into her friend's demise.  Slater, determined to spend more time with the intriguing Ursula, offers to help her and another classic Amanda Quick adventure begins.  Many of the Amanda Quick hallmarks are here: a modern widowed woman who can take some liberties with the expected behaviors of the time, a man who has a dark past who uses logic and mental and physical rituals to derive answers to difficult questions, multiple shady characters with varying degrees of dastardliness, and house staff and relatives who are supportive and helpful and beyond the norm for most individuals of that time period.  This formula always works for me; it is like going to my favorite restaurant and ordering my favorite meal.  I know I am going to love it but it is always better than I remember it being.  The actual consumption is always richer and more enjoyable than the mere thought of it.

I hesitate to write any further details because this book is best discovered on one's own as the layers and pieces slowly move about until the final denouement  is revealed.  

Reading Challenges
Around the World
Historical Romance
I Love Library Books
New Release

Pay the Piper by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple

Pay the Piper by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple

Not much happens in fourteen-year-old Callie McCallan's sleepy Massachusetts town.  So when the famous rock'n'roll band Brass Rat schedules a concert in the valley, it's big news.

As a reporter for her school paper, Callie scores the scoop of a lifetime--a backstage pass to interview the lead singer of Brass Rat!  Her friends are so jealous.  But Callie isn't sure what the fuss is all about...until she meets the band.

Lead singer Peter Gringras and his band mates are so cool.  Especially Peter.  When he plays his flute, it's as if he has some kind of hypnotic power.  But there is something strange about the band, something Callie can't quite put her finger on.  Maybe she's just being weird, but it's as if they're from here--but not from here--at the same time.

Then, on Halloween night, Callie's brother, Nicky, disappears--along with all the other children of Northampton--and she begins to wonder if her suspicions are so weird after all.  It's crazy but Callie thinks she knows why the children have disappeared--and who took them.

To prove it and to rescue Nicky and the other children, Callie will be forced down a road that will lead her to a mythical world filled with fantastical creatures.  A world from which there may be no return...

Meh.  That was what I said out loud when I finished the book.  This book was okay but there were so many opportunities to make it more--more fleshed out, more intriguing, more compelling.  And none of them were taken.  The story felt too cut and dried for me with weird details here and there.  Callie waxed poetic about the names of her siblings for about as long as it took her to figure out the riddle that the exiled fairy prince hadn't solved in over eight centuries.  I picked this book up because I was looking for a fairytale retelling and the Pied Piper seemed like a fun choice.  I also generally really like Jane Yolan's work.  However, I was left feeling let down with this one.  Rats...

Reading Challenges
I Love Library Books
105 Challenge
Fairytale Retellings
Reading Roadtrip
Bookish Bingo
Story Sprites

I borrowed this book from my local public library.

Under the Covers by Rebecca Zanetti

Under the Covers by Rebecca Zanetti

Opposites don't attract.  They ignite.

The small Montana town near the Kooskia reserve seemed like the perfect place for Juliety Montgomery to hide from her not-so-law-abiding family.  But when her peace is shattered by a break-in and threatening phone calls, it's clear someone back in New York knows where she is.  It's time to plan her getaway, and fast--but first, she needs to tie up a few loose ends.  Namely, finding out exactly what the town's sexy cowboy sheriff is hiding in his holster.

Sheriff Quinn Lodge has enough demons on his own to know when someone's hiding something.  Clearly he needs to do a thorough investigation to uncover what's beneath Juliet's uptight, city-girl exterior--preferably one piece of clothing at a time.  But when their chemistry goes from fizzy to full-on explosive, things start getting complicated.  How can Juliet stay beneath the covers with Quinn, when doing so means blowing her cover.

After finishing the first book in this series, I wasted no time in downloading the second and while it was different in overall feeling, less overall family time but we get to meet more members of the community, I enjoyed it just as much.  Juliet is running from her past.  Quinn is a strict rule-follower.  Watching these two come together was great.  Quinn doesn't know exactly what Juliet is lying about but he knows she is hiding something.  Juliet is trying to bide her time until she leaves again--in fact she would be gone by now but she promised Sophie a showing at her art gallery.  Getting involved with Quinn will only lead to heartbreak for her and she doesn't want to hurt Quinn either, but he doesn't exactly give her a choice.

Quinn is in an election year and decides to use that to his advantage by having Juliet pose as his girlfriend for functions so he doesn't get strong-armed into going with the governor's niece with whom he had an unfortunate one night stand.  He needs the governor's support but is not interested in taking the niece along with it.  Although to be truthful, if that handy excuse hadn't fallen in his lap I am sure that Quinn could have figured out another way to persuade Juliet to finally give him the time of day.  

When these two get together, the sparks fly.  I loved watching their relationship develop but I, like Juliet, kept waiting for the past to blow up like a bomb in their faces and when it did, boy howdy!  The fallout was extensive.  It was great fun watching the community band together to try to get these two love birds back together and seeing Jake at work at his lawyer-ly best was a hoot as well.  This is another strong entry in the Maverick Montana series and I already have book three waiting for me on my Kindle!  

Reading Challenges
105 Challenge
Contemporary Romance
Men in Uniform
I Love Library Books

I borrowed this book from my local public library.
  

Two Souls Hollow by Paula Graves

Two Souls Hollow by Paula Graves

When secrets leak from The Gates, the hunt is on for a mole.  All evidence points to Anson Daughtry, who knows their security inside and out.  Only coworker Ginny Coltrane can help clear his name, but she's caught in the middle of a turf war between militants in the Smoky Mountains.  More at ease behind a computer than with a gun, Anson makes for an unlikely bodyguard.  But hunkering down in the Tennessee foothills, turns out Ginny's not exactly the "need to be protected" type.  Still, with someone stalking their every move, Anson isn't about to let her out of his sight.  Or, if he gets his way, out of his arms.

This was the sixth book in a series and I haven't read the first five which unfortunately reminded me of why I am such a stickler for reading a series in order.  There were a ton of little asides and one entire plotline that I was clueless about and that I probably needed to know.  I am also worried that a previous book may have been ruined for me by all the info dumped in one of the chapters of this book.  However, not all was lost.

The beginning of this book was great.  I fell in love with Anson immediately and lucky for me he never behaved in a way that would cause me to change my mind over the course of the book.  I don't believe that Ginny entirely deserves him  but I was okay with him outshining her in this book.  I already couldn't stand Ginny's mindless devotion to her brother who obviously could have cared less about her in his need to feed his addiction and her constant pushing aside of any good that people offered her in order to defend him got really old, really fast.  I can understand wanting to believe the best in someone you love but to so obstinately refuse to even entertain the idea that due to his alcoholic ways he might not be the person she remembers growing up seemed naive at best and just plain stupid at worst.  I wanted to shake her multiple times over the course of this book but Anson kept me reading.  It seems a shame that he got a leading lady that doesn't deserve him but he seemed to love her anyway so as long as he is happy...Unfortunately, as amazing as Anson was there wasn't anything else about this book that causes me to want to rush out and get other books from this series.  However, if the author has written other books I might give them a try.  Maybe Anson has a literary twin the author wants to write about?? 

Reading Challenges
New to You
New Release
Romantic Suspense
Reading Road Trip
I Love Library Books

I borrowed this book from my local public library.

Disarming Detective by Elizabeth Heiter

Disarming Detective by Elizabeth Heiter

When FBI profiler Isabella Cortez finds a stranger outside her office, she's in trouble.  Because even though Detective Logan Greer is one of the good guys, their instant attraction is a serious distraction.  Ella's got one mission: to find the criminal who hurt her friend and drove her to become a profiler.  But Logan's appeal isn't just chemistry.  He has a case that bears an eerie resemblance to the crime Ella's been trying to solve for years.  Together, they're racing to stop a killer, but the closer they get, the more dangerous the search becomes.  Falling in love could be deadly...or it could be the only way to survive.

The suspense in this Harlequin Intrigue title was great, the romance was not very believable based on the extremely fast timeline--I just didn't think the two leads had enough time to really fall in love.  

Ella is approached by Logan who feels he has a serial killer on his hands.  Ella looks at the evidence and agrees but is shocked when a burn on the back of the victim's neck looks like the brand left behind by the Fishhook Rapist--someone that Ella has been interested in finding since her childhood friend became one of his victims.  Ella follows Logan to Florida and they quickly find themselves with more questions than answers and very little support.  However, as time goes on and it looks like there might be another victim, they begin to get more support and more answers which all tend to lead to more questions.  When it looks like Logan's sister might become a new target and a blue van starts to follow Ella around the stakes only get higher and the tension becomes unbearable.  I felt that one of the strengths of this book was showing how frustratingly slow evidence collection can be due to red tape and procedures.  There would be ideas for leads and they would have to wait for clearance and forms and warrants.  This is the first in a trilogy and I like the sound of the second stories premise so I will probably check it out as well.  

Reading Challenges
I Love Library Books
Men In Uniform
New to You
New Release
Reading Road Trip
Romantic Suspense

I borrowed this book from my local public library.

House Calls by Abbie Zanders

House Calls by Abbie Zanders

Maggie Flynn has always been a good girl.  She leads a simple life and believes in helping others.  Under normal circumstances, she would never even consider performing the dance of the seven veils at a bachelor party.  But when her best friend begs for help and waves the promise of much-needed cash in her face, Maggie reluctantly agrees to step outside her comfort zone and relax her lofty standards a little. 

Most doctors don't make house calls anymore, including Michael Callaghan.  But he's willing to make an exception when the pretty redhead with the jewel-like green eyes takes a header off the stage at his brother's bachelor party.  Something about her piques his masculine interest, and it's not just her dancing.

Lightning hits the Callaghan clan a third time when Michael and Maggie find themselves snowbound during a classic nor'easter, but their bond is soon tested when Michael is forced to choose between following his finely-honed instincts and respecting Maggie's wishes.  

It's a hell of a choice.  Either way, he could lose her forever.

I have been having the best luck with new-to-me authors lately!  Abbie Zanders has created quite the sexy clan with the Callaghan brothers.  The saying "the best things in life are free" definitely applies to my free download of House Calls book 3 in the Callaghan Brothers series from Amazon.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end.  

Maggie is a sweet, hard-working woman whose self esteem took a huge hit when she discovered the man she was going to marry giving his secretary "special" attention and then having him tell her he wasn't marrying Maggie because he loved her but because his company needed her land.  Maggie's house sits on a couple hundred acres of prime property that she uses to grow orchards for school field trips, local donations to food pantries, and to make the homeopathic remedies that her grandmother passed down to her. 

Maggie's lack of faith in her womanly assets almost causes her to turn down her friend who needs someone to dance with her at a bachelor party but the lure of $500 plus tips talks her into it.  After drinking some liquid courage, Maggie finds herself on stage dancing and letting all of her inhibitions go--in the midst of the music and movement, Maggie finds that she has truly missed living in the moment and being spontaneous.  Unfortunately, soon after she finishes, she missteps off the stage and hits her head on some bar tables that had been moved for storage.  This allows the sexy bartender who hasn't been able to keep his eyes off of her a chance to step in and play white night.  

Michael is fascinated by the beautiful green-eyed dancer and is horrified to witness her accident.  He immediately calls upon his medical training to try to ease Maggie's pain.  When Maggie refuses to go to the hospital, Michael drives her home and stays with her to ensure she is okay.  This starts a beautiful meeting of two people who just click.  Michael has seen two of his brothers be struck by lightning when their future wives walked into their lives and realizes pretty early on that Maggie is the one for him.  Maggie also falls for Michael hard and fast, but due to past experiences doesn't believe that he could reciprocate her feelings for the long term.  The most she believes she can hope for is a short term affair.  

Michael works hard to prove his trustworthiness to Maggie and just when things are smoothing out a medical emergency puts everything at risk.  Maggie has a major aversion to hospitals and Michael has taken an oath to do no harm and with his added feelings for Maggie, his ability to respect her wishes is put to the ultimate test.  Further stresses soon follow including secrets, the dastardly plans of an ex, and more.  Just when things would settle down, something else would pop up leaving our protagonists and the reader wondering just how much more they could take.  Michael was absolutely rock solid throughout; Maggie had a tendency to withdraw and plain old run away (metaphorically speaking) but her reasons were always understandable.  I might not have liked her choices all of the time but I always appreciated where she was coming from and why that particular choice made sense to her at the time. 

Overall, this couple worked really hard for their happy every after, aided and abetted by characters from previous and later books in the Callaghan series.  I usually am a huge stickler for reading a series in order, but when I looked up the first couple of books, I saw a note from the author assuring that each book could be read as a stand alone with the caveat that events from previous books might be alluded to.  I took Abbie Zanders at her word and am happy to report that everything was as she said it would be.  I was also pleased that events from previous books were presented clearly enough in this book for me to get the gist of what had happened but still left enough mystery and intrigue to make me want to read those books to get all the details of what really happened.  I will be reading more in this series and keeping an eye on what else this author is working on.  Abbie Zanders can add my name to her list of fans!

Reading Challenges
Contemporary Romance
Foodie Challenge
New to You
Read Your Freebies
Reading Road Trip
Story Sprites

I downloaded this book for free.