Straight Shootin' Book Reviews

4.5 stars!!!
I stand (technically, I'm sitting) a broken woman. You know why? I finished The Second Chance Hero and there no more Forever Love series books to read. (For now)  I've had this book on my Kindle for at least a month and I put off reading it as long as I could stand it.   On one hand, I really wanted to read it because I loved the previous books and I was looking forward to Owen and Kim.  On the other, I did not want to read it because I knew that there was NOT another Forever Love series book waiting on me.  Dilemma.  First world problem and all that.

But, I persevered and read it with great pleasure.  I have to say that stumbling on to Jeannie Moon ranks pretty high on my list of outstanding author discoveries!

This book, made me laugh, sigh and CRY.  Yes.  Kim has experienced something that no one should have to experience and the way Ms. Moon tells that part of the story is heart wrenching.  I found myself eating lunch and sniffling as I read.  I really loved Kim, she was a Navy nurse in Afghanistan and she is one tough cookie. After losing her fiancee in Afghanistan, she has taken a job as Harper's baby's nanny (that was a mouthful).  We meet Kim in Harper and Kevin's book, The Wedding Secret and I liked her immediately.  Anyone that can handle Harper is A OK in my book. Owen is not only a Marine, he's a partner in Jason and Nate's firm, Reliance Software.  So, he's no dummy.  And did I mention he's hot?  It's mentioned a lot by the lovely ladies of the Forever Love series too.

Is Owen perfect?  Nah.  I'll admit that he makes some decisions that me wince and ask "Whyyyyyyyyy?"  Who said the road to love was always paved?

I have to admit that when Owen and Kim meet, I was already gone for Owen. He was so calm, strong and protective of her and he really didn't even know her. Frankly, I'd love to elaborate more about that first meeting but I cannot.  The time that Kim and Owen spend together it's very obvious that they have a connection.

Good Lord.  The man made her ovaries ache.  When he touched her, when he folded his large hand around her small one, her world rocked.  More than the earlier handshake, his touch, his presence made her feel calm and safe.  Over the past year, Kim never felt safe, never felt calm and safe.

My ovaries ached too, Kim.  Owen is a good guy, such a good guy and Kim truly deserves a good guy (MAN, actually) and Owen is that MAN.  I know I've gushed a lot over this series but I truly enjoy it and I hope that others will pick it up and enjoy it too.  And yes, it's rich guys falling in love, but honestly, I never really felt like I was reading about spoiled, over indulgent playboys getting cut down to size by a woman.  Ms. Moon writes men that are successful and yet humble and IMHO, easy to love.

 

---

 

I had the distinct pleasure of asking Ms. Moon some questions and she graciously agreed to indulge me. ;) (My thoughts in italics)

You can go to the blog to read the interview :)

Annnnnndddddd.  Ms. Moon is giving away an e copy of The Temporary Wife (Book 1) and SWAG in the SSBR Giveaway.  So be sure to enter!!

 

 

Book #4: Second Chance Hero:

❃ Pinterest Board // Goodreads // Amazon // B&N ❃

Book #1: The Temporary Wife:

 ❃ Pinterest Board // Goodreads // Amazon // B&N ❃

Book#2: Unexpectedly Yours:

❃ Pinterest Board // Goodreads // Amazon // B&N ❃

Book #3: The Wedding Secret:

❃ Pinterest Board // Goodreads // Amazon // B&N ❃

 

 

 

This review was originally posted on Straight Shootin' Book Reviews

In August of last year, I stumbled upon the Red River series, in the midst of a weekend full of DNFs.  (You can read about it HERE)  The Red River series had me completely hooked and the only thing I really needed was Evan's book.  Cue to now, over a year later!  I was pretty much salivating for Evan and Grace's story and the bookend to this series.

I have to admit that I had a hard time liking Evan.  He was so focused on his career and what he thought it meant to be successful that he placed value and priority on his job above all else.

And then, Grace and her son, Chris came into his life.  Grace and Chris needed someone like Evan as much as Evan needed them.  Grace was used to scraping by on almost nothing and Evan presented her with an opportunity to climb out of barely getting by.

Now, I know I said I wasn't all that crazy about Evan.  BUT, as he spends more time with Grace and Chris he sees how being part of a family (being needed) has its merits.  Grace and Chris were certainly attracted to each other and that helped move things along.  I appreciated the transformation that both characters went through.

Evan's brothers and sisters in law helped things along and there were some really funny moments between the brothers.  I loved that they gave Evan such a hard time.  Evan has always held his brothers at arms length and they kept on trying with him.  Gotta love Jake and Quinn!  Overall, I enjoyed this one and I'm so glad we got closure for the series :)

 

 

 



 

Purchase The Doctor's Fake Fiancee: Amazon // Nook // Kobo // iTunes

Book 1: A Risk Worth Taking

Amazon // Nook // Kobo //  iTunes

Book 2 : The Best Man's Baby

Amazon / Nook // Kobo //  iTunes

 

 

This review was originally posted on Straight Shootin' Book Reviews

4.5
When I read and reviewed Chasing Trouble (review) in September, I was so very excited to find a new author.  I said in that review that Ms. Ryan was an auto buy for me and I totally stand by that statement after this book.

Let me tell you, Sebastian "Bass" Strafford is no fucking joke.  There have been a number of edgy/dominant, ass slapping Alphas in the Brazen line.   Sebastian is pretty high up there.  The dude is MAJORLY edgy and really fucking serious about control.  Oh holy crap.  The dominance and control is a huge coping mechanism and Penny totally hung in there with him.  While Sebastian thought of her as so sweet and innocent, Penny was no shrinking violet.  She makes it clear to Sebastian what she wants- HIM.  She took whatever he gave her and even pushed him for more.

I'm not a huge fan of the BDSM genre but I'm not opposed to some control and fanny slappin' and Ms. Ryan did a fantastic job of creating a dominant MC that wasn't an asshole.  Edgy? Yes and kinda hung up on some issues, but easy for me to love.  I wanted Sebastian to get his HEA and give in to the comfort, affection and love that Penny offered him.

 

It wasn't just the sex.  It was her.  Not how she let him handle her, but how she handled him.   It was how she arched for him,  How she called out his name.  How that sweet body just kept giving and taking.  She'd given herself completely to him- he'd felt it.

And that was a heady drug he wanted another hit of.

 

Ms. Ryan does such a good job of marrying the physical acts and the emotion to each other.  Sebastian has his reasons for not wanting to connect with anyone (reasons I won't go into here) but he connects with Penny on a level that after awhile, he cannot deny.

And boy oh boy, do they ever connect... a lot.  Holy mother of all that is hot and... HOT.  Oh and Sebastian calls her "darlin", which makes me all gooey.  I just loved it.

 

"You're in trouble now, darlin'."

Not stopping until he reached for her, he tangled his fingers through her hair and kissed her hard.

She groaned at the contact and wrapped her arms around him.  He kissed her like a wild man.  Biting and sinking his tongue deep.  Their teeth clattered, tongues dueled, and she clung to his bare back, sinking her nails in. Anything to get him closer.

 

See what I mean?  Really good stuff.  Cole, Jenna, Ryder, Huck and Lily from the first book make their appearances and I loved catching up with all of them.  I can't wait to see what/who  Ms. Ryan has in store for Penny's brother Ryder, Cole's sister Lily and Huck in subsequent books in this series.

And even though it's pronounced BASS as in ASS and not BASE.... I don't care, I could not help myself.  I am allll about  Sebastian "BASS" Strafford.

 

 

Purchase Chasing Temptation: Amazon // B & N // Kobo // iTunes 

Book 1, Chasing Trouble Purchase: Amazon // B & N // Kobo // iTunes

 

 




Copy for review provided by Entangled in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This review was originally posted on Straight Shootin' Book Reviews

Couple of things you can count on with a Samanthe Beck book.  Hot flashes and you get to learn new words.  It's sexy AND educational!

Words like "fuck-lust" and "Titwank".  Take my word for it ok?  You'll be laughing and running for a cold drink while inserting your head in the freezer.

Good times.

So,we met Melody and Josh (ahem) in Private Practice in quite an interesting way.  Luckily, Ms. Beck fills us in on how that "situation" came to be and how things between Josh and Melody "evolve".  Josh, holy cow, is one intense dude and Melody is...not and yet they really compliment each other so well.  Melody (Miss Bluelick) is all that is goodness and light, sunshine, rainbows and unicorns and Josh has no intention of   partaking of any of that.  To her credit, Melody decides that she needs to take the bull by the horns and wave the red (pink in this case) flag at the bull.

"You know it did.  You wearing pink around me amounts to waving a red flag in front of a bull.  I see it, and I automatically think of every soft pink part of you.  Every peak and crevice.  I think about touching, tasting...sinking into those soft pink parts until you shudder and scream.  When you wear that color around me, you're saying, 'I want you to fuck me.' Understand?"

See what I mean?  But let me say that while Ms. Beck is supremely talented at the sexy times, she is so good at layering other subplots in the book.  There is still an arson problem going on in Bluelick that the Mayor wants to deny, Melody's hilarious bff (Ginny) is around more and we are clued into what may be in her future.

Josh, has a number of things to think about.  He only sees the Bluelick job as a stepping stone and does not see himself getting all that involved or attached to the community.  Little does he know that while he may not feel connected to the community, they are feeling that connection to him and truly need his experience and expertise in their small town.

 

 

 

I really feel like it's hard to go wrong with a Samanthe Beck book.  It's well known that I'm a complete fool when it comes to the McCade brothers.  I think that Ms. Beck's writing style just really works for me, I love the way she combines passion, humor and  flat out entertaining storytelling.

Guess what?  If you enter the SSBR Celebration giveaway you can win an e book of Private Practice (Book 1) and some super awesome SWAG!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

Purchase Light Her Fire: Amazon // B & N // Kobo // iTunes

Book 1:

Private Practice Purchase: Amazon // B & N // Kobo // iTunes

 

 

This review was originally posted on Straight Shootin' Book Reviews

It took this book to confirm it, but Incy Black has made it on my auto buy list.  After reading Hard to Hold in April, I was eager to read the next installment in this series.  I have to say that I enjoyed this one even more than the first.

Ms. Black has a very unique voice/writing style that keeps me on the edge of my seat.  She is very good at making you feel like you are right there in it, when the shit hits the fan.  This series reminds me a lot of the new James Bond series.  Daniel Craig as Bond is much edgier than the Bond of old, which totally works for me.

Jack is such a hard ass.  I thought that Nick was a hard ass in the first book, I was mistaken,  Jack Ballentyne is the epitome of hard ass.  He is the director of the Assassins, an elite group that Lowry was a member of at one time.  Jack trained Lowry until the shit hit the fan and Lowry went off the radar.

There are aspects of this book that are uncomfortable, I'm just going to put that out there. Ms. Black handled those issues deftly.  I loved the adventure that Ms. Black sent Jack and Lowry on and I had a very hard time putting this book down. I read as fast as I could!

I'll admit that I would've like to have seen more sexy times between Jack and Lowry, BUT, the situation didn't really allow for a whole lot of snogging and the like.  (Yes, I totally said snogging.) Jack and Lawry have a bit of history and whole lot of denial of their feelings for each other, that dates back YEARS.  The UST?  Thick as honey in January, my friends.  Jack is Mr. Ice Cold and when he finally realizes the depth of his feelings for Lowry?  Well, it's a lovely thing.

Christ, he'd waited an eternity to hold her like this.  A few precious moments.  Of barriers down.  Of exquisite intimacy.  Of being the man he wished he could be.  Sensitive.  Tender. Gentle.  Because that's what this was going to take.  It was going to take everything from him.

My fingers are crossed that we will get Will's book soon.  Will was introduced in the first book and makes an appearance in this book also and I cannot wait to see what kind of trouble he gets into in his own book.

 

 

Hard to Forget : Amazon // Kobo // B&N

 




This review was originally posted on Straight Shootin' Book Reviews

LOVE this series. LOVE IT. I think I say it every time, no one can write a series as well as Marie Force. I love that with each book we get a new couple AND we get caught up on almost everyone else on Gansett. I always feel warm and happy after finishing one of her books. I cannot wait for the next one!

So, I have this thing about reading in order. It's not a secret.  Apparently, my resolve is slipping and yet every time I do it, I cuss myself over it.  Am I cussing myself over this book?  HELL NO.

Today (the day you may read this) is my birthday, but honestly?  I feel like I'm giving you the gift.  I already got one from Ms. Reid because this effing book is fanfreakingtastic, with a capital EFF.

This series has been on my radar for MONTHS.  MONTHS.  I remember seeing Ms. Reid at Book Bash in June and thinking, "I need to read those books."  So, I came in on book 4.  I regret nothing.  NOTHING.  (Well, maybe the fact that it took me this long to get to this series)

See, I have a thing for funny and smart books written by super witty/snarky authors.  Let me clarify the snarky part.  There is a certain amount and kind of snark that I appreciate.  Some authors write snarky characters for shits and giggles and to add an OTT edge to a book or characters.  I am not a fan of that kind of snark.  Ms. Reid's snark is my kind of snark, it's the kind of stuff I hear my friends saying and that makes me laugh my ass off.  As for the intelligent stuff? How about a hot Viking guy quoting Nietzsche? And poetry?  Side note: Believe it not, I was an English education major for awhile in college and I have a huge weak spot for poetry.  HUGE.  Walt Whitman totally "melts the butter" off my biscuit.  Drew melted my resolve and gave me hot flashes.  He was just so delicious.  Quiet, caring and protective of the whole Winston family.  I loved him.

Ashley was a trip.  I truly enjoyed her character and she had me laughing from the first few pages of the book.  You are out of your ever lovin' mind if you aren't laughing your ass off within 1%.  I will come hunt you down and it will NOT be pretty.

The Winston Brothers.  Six brothers and six beards.  Did I mention that I have a thing for beards?

 See?  This is the Mr. and he has a beard and there is no shaving of the beard allowed.  Ever.  (And despite the gray in the beard, he is actually  a little younger than me.)

 

Those six brothers have a series all their own coming out in 2015 and I cannot wait!  Winston Brothers series.  As I read this book, I used a graphic that had pics of the brothers for reference.  I had my Kindle in my lap and my iPad next to me, so whenever a brother spoke, I had a visual reference and I'm sharing it with you.  HERE YOU GO.  (You can thank me later for that.)

Oh and thank the baby Jesus for an author that can write southern characters that do not sound like uneducated rednecks or characters from Gone With the Wind.

I wish that this new breed of author would get more attention for the quality of their work.  Penny Reid, you are officially on my list of badass, funny and intelligent writers.  I don't think I'll be able to read the other books fast enough.

 

 

Purchase Beauty and the Mustache Book #4

Amazon // iTunes // B&N // Kobo // Smashwords

 SERIES:

✽Neanderthal Seeks Human (#1)

Amazon // iTunes // B &N // Kobo

✽Friends Without Benefits (#2)

Amazon // iTunes // B &N // Kobo

✽Love Hacked (#3)

Amazon // iTunes // B &N // Kobo

 

 

I have to admit that I'm rather intimidated by this review.  The main reason for the intimidation is that I feel like I'm going to struggle with how to express how EPICALLY incredible these books are.  Let's just say that the keyword of this review is EPIC.  That word kept running through my mind as I read these books.

A little history... I discovered Ms. Sheridan earlier this year and I read everything I could get my hands and I FELL IN LOVE.  One thing I noted from Leo to Archer's Voice was the amount growth that Ms. Sheridan demonstrated in each book she wrote.  When I heard that was writing Calder and Eden, I have to admit that I wondered, "Can she get even better?"

Yes.  She can.

I started Finding Calder on a Friday evening and I finished it a little over 24 hours later.  I finished it at 11:30pm Saturday night  and I immediately started Finding Eden.  I shit you not, I laid in bed and cried as I read these books.  If my husband had woken up, he would've thought I was in pain or had lost my ever lovin' mind.  I haven't cried like that in a while where a book is concerned and the list of authors that can do that to me is extremely short.

I'll admit that when I started Calder, I went in as blind on the plot as possible.  I read the synopsis once or twice and have stayed away from all reviews.  I just didn't want to know and I'm glad I did.  I'll admit that I had to push my brain into "being patient" gear.  There was "world building" being done as Ms. Sheridan introduces us to Calder, Eden and life in Acadia.  Acadia is a secluded community of people living off of the land.  Acadia is somewhat primitive and simple.

And then, Eden and Calder discover each other and I was HOOKED.  I"m writing this review from the emotional side of my brain, because if go back and start looking through my notes and highlights, I'll start sniffling and getting all emotional. (I'm in a dance studio right now, getting emotional here could be quite entertaining.) Alas, I will quote anyway and hope for the best.

There is no denying Eden and Calder's destiny is totally and completely wrapped up in each other, there is no doubt that these two characters were meant for each other.  *Sigh*  Ms. Sheridan has crafted a beautiful love story that stretches throughout their adolescence, as they discover each other physically and as they become adults.  It's simply lovely to experience a love story that starts so early in their lives and watch it's evolution.

 

He cleared his throat. "If I were just a boy, and you were just a girl, I wouldn't kiss you once like you asked."

He paused and my heart dropped. Oh.

"Eden, I'd kiss you long, and I'd kiss you often."

 

OMG the emotions I felt during these books.  Love, sadness, rage, did I mention heartbreaking sadness?  Yep, all of those.

Ms. Sheridan takes us on a journey that I will not forget.

The obstacles that Eden and Calder have to overcome just to be together on their own terms are HUGE and they kept the faith, somehow.  To experience them loving each other as teenagers and then as adults was so special.  To see them come into themselves physically and explore each other sexually was also something that I won't forget anytime soon.

 

Yes, my childish crush had disappeared, but I knew him now.  I knew his kindness, and his protective nature.  I knew his patient spirit and his sharp wit.  Simply put, I was in love with him.  As if my love for Calder could ever be simple.

 

I won't forget these books anytime soon.  They've taken up residence in my brain and my heart since I've finished them and I figure I'm suffering from a bit of a book hangover.

 

A couple of things to know:

• You will go on a journey with these books, prepare yourself...gird your emotional loins.
• Clear your schedule.  I know that this releases on a Sunday, but if you nap on Saturday and start as soon as both books hit your Kindle, you can finish them before Monday.
• BUY BOTH BOOKS.  You do not want to buy the first one without having the second one to slide right into.
• Have tissues ready.

 

 

 Becoming Calder : Amazon //Goodreads

Finding Eden:  Amazon // Goodreads

 

 



Copy for review generously provided by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I'm going to backtrack first.  I read book 1 (Marked) in the HRT series in June and somehow I managed to write a review and then lose the whole damn thing thanks to Wordpress.  Anyhoo.  Sometimes writing a review can be like catching lightning in a bottle.  Once I realized I lost it, I totally lost my mojo where that review was concerned.  Looking back on it now, it's just as well.  I enjoyed the first book, specifically, I enjoyed Jake.  I had a hard time with Rachel, she was very difficult for me to get excited about and that's unusual for me where Ms. Cross's heroines are concerned..  So, that book was a 3.5ish for me, which means it was still a good book and I am glad I read it.

Now, let's talk about Targeted.  I just finished it about an hour ago and I'm still thinking about it.  Ms. Cross REALLY upped her game on this one and I thoroughly enjoyed Tuck and Celida.  This couple had chemistry in SPADES, like crazy chemistry.  They already had a solid relationship from being partners and taking their personal relationship to the next level was a natural progression.  I appreciated that there was no OTT (over the top) drama or hemming and hawing from either person.  They knew they cared for each other and they didn't play around about it.

You want to know what really caught me off guard?  The villain. He was hard for me to hate...at first.  I REALLY felt his pain and motivation and I almost felt sorry for him.  He was a different kind of villain than I'm used to from Ms. Cross but I really appreciated and enjoyed the whole suspense part of this book.

Celida is a badass and with Tuck she could be a professional badass and let her more vulnerable side show and I loved those moments. There are these lovely little moments where she calls him by his first name, Brad, and I just get all melty during those.  I just LOVED Tuck.

 

Oh yeah, he was going to strip her bare in a way she'd never been with another man, burn every moment of this into her memory in such a tactile way she'd never be able to forget his touch, his taste, the feel of his cock inside of her.

His gaze held a clear warning as he stared at her.  "If you want more, it's gonna be my way.  And you should know that I like control and I like it a little rough."

 

Ok.  Let's take a moment to talk about the couple in the next book, Bauer and Zoe.  Holy crap.  I just.... I cannot wait for them.

 

A blissful few moments of silence passed before she spoke again.

"Does it hurt?"

He looked over at her.  She was studying him with an openly curious expression on her face.  He bit back a sigh.  "Does what hurt?"

"Having that bug up your ass?"

His teeth clacked together as he jerked his head back around to look back at the road.  He clenched his jaw and squeezed the steering wheel until his knuckles were white, the stole another glance at the clock. T minus fifty minutes.  He could totally do this.

 

I absolutely cannot wait for this these two.

 

 

Purchase: Amazon // B & N // iTunes

 

 

4.5 stars
F*ck!
Another book that I didn't want to end. It's hard for me to love a Reaper man more than Horse but Reese has won my love and devotion. Loved that this has main characters that are closer to my own age. London was a frick fracking trip and I truly enjoyed her 1st person POV, which is unusual for me.

Read this freaking book.

I have more to say, saving it for release week.

Copy for review provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Straight Shootin' Book Reviews

 

 

It's kind of scary to me that Ms. Bailey improves with each book she publishes.  Somehow, some way, something always evolves with her writing.  To be honest, I'm not a huge BDSM fan but I know that if Ms. Bailey wrote it, I won't not hate it.  ;)  I think that's one of the marks of a truly talented writer, they can take a subject you may not be bouncing off the walls about and push you out of your own zone and enjoy the book.

This one is full of intensity as (many? all?) of Ms. Bailey's books are, but Jonah possesses an edge that I found to be slightly different than the others.  That's something I truly appreciate, Bailey's characters do not run together for me.

 

"Why don't we start with your name?"

He dragged his tongue across his teeth.

"The one I was given at birth or the one I'd prefer you to call me?"

Carolina swallowed hard, already regretting her answer. "Both."

"Jonah." He pressed his hips forward.

"Master."

 

Um yeah.  Hot flashes galore with this one.  On the other hand, Ms. Bailey explores Caroline's viewpoint so well.  Caroline could not understand the lure of this kind of club, much less the lifestyle.  Little did she know that Jonah was exactly what she needed in more ways than one.  Caroline admits to herself that "she expected to be disgusted" and yet she was far from it.  These feelings are quite a source of confusion for her and a source of contention between her and Jonah because he recognizes that she may (or not) be more trouble than she is worth.

But what fun would it be if Jonah walked away from that kind of challenge?  None.  Zip. Nada.  Jonah possesses the requisite "Bailey Badass" intensity and a vulnerability that I will not the reveal the details of.  But I will tell you that it adds another layer of  depth to this story.  Jonah is a dominating sexual ninja AND a tender lover/partner and it's freaking fantastic.

At one point there was shift in the plot, a moment where a decision is made by Caroline (again, not going to divulge) and I swear, I just sat there and thought "Tessa Bailey, you just moved up another notch as a writer." When I finished I felt like  this book represented a shift in Ms. Bailey's writing evolution.  Personally, I think she needs a bigger field to run around in (like a horse needs a large field...like a really pretty, funny and smart horse).  I'm talking larger word count, longer books...more room to run. Either way, I'll keep reading.

Just sayin'.

GUESS WHAT?  In October Ms. Bailey is releasing another book in the SERVE series, Exposed by Fate on 10/27.  The book features Caroline's brother (Oliver) and her BFF, Eliza.  Good things to come, I suspect.

 

Purchase: Amazon // B & N // iTunes

Preorder Exposed by Fate: Amazon

 

This review was originally posted on Straight Shootin' Book Reviews

Hard to top Gage and Skylar but I'm pretty sure this one did!
I'm crossing my fingers that we will get good guy AJ's story. I can't wait to see who finally flips his switch.

 

This was a completely new author to me and I have to say that I am glad I took the chance on her.  Ellie was in the wrong place at the wrong time and ends up getting herself into quite a mess.  She unwittingly becomes a (sort of sex) slave to a super hot guy she is attracted to immediately and the wheels of the plot are set into motion.

Ellie and the setting of this book were the highlights of the book for me.   Ellie was just...cool.  She was intelligent, tough and she knew how to keep her mouth shut and listen.  She wasn't a harpy or annoying nor was she a sniveling idiot.  Frankly, she was quite refreshing.  The setting?  Turkey and a treasure hunt (of sorts) for the ruins of the city of Troy.

Nick.  Hmmmmm. Honestly, I haven't completely figured out how I feel about Nick, even knowing what I know now, he still feels somewhat enigmatic to me.  I wasn't sure of his plans or motivations during a good part of the book (which is fine by the way) so, maybe I just didn't connect to him as well.  (This is not a bad thing)

POV.  It alternated between Nick and Ellie and I really enjoyed both points of view.  Nick's POV certainly revealed the motivation for his actions and his true self and Ellie was just downright funny to me.  Like I said before, she was one cool character. The chemistry between the two of them was pretty smokin', the challenged each other at every turn.

Overall, I enjoyed this one and would read more by this author.

 

 

Purchase: Amazon // B & N

 

This review was originally posted on Straight Shootin' Book Reviews

4.5 stars


 

I was sitting in carpool while reading this book and I felt the need to share the hotness with my beloved pal, JJ, of The Book Bosses.  So, I screen capped the sexy times I was reading at the moment.  I'm pretty sure a substantial hot flash occurred. You can see her response above, which cracked me up and solidified my belief that Joya Ryan is an author to watch.  She has officially made it onto my auto buy list and I'm also going to look into her back list.

I am ALL ABOUT this book, characters and series.  I want the other books NOW.  Yes, lots of caps there.  I'm that excited about it.  I'm excited about Ryder, Huck and Sebastian's stories and I want to know how Colt and JJ are doing. Those two had CRAZY good chemistry.  Did I say that already?  Maybe, I don't know.  I don't care.

Only thing that kinda bothered me was JJ. She lived in her mother's shadow and tried her very best to live beyond her mother's reputation.  At times, she used that to hold Colt at a distance.  There were times where I just wanted to say, "JJ, just move the heck away from there!!".  BUT, Ms. Ryan developed JJ and her transformation so well, that what started out as bothersome, made me appreciate JJ that much more.

Colt stepped into a beam of moonlight.  He was heading straight for her.

Five yards and closing.  Jenna gripped the tree.  She was pinned by his presence.

Three yards.

His eyes blazed like blue fire.  His expression was set with such intensity it could melt her skin.

At a few steps away, Colt gripped the bill of his hat and swung it around to the back of his head.  And then he was on her.  His mouth hungry, seeking, his body pushing against hers.  She was caught between a big oak and a big man.  Everything about him consumed her.

Yeah.  Are you there yet?  Have you bought it yet?  The whole wearing a ball cap and turning backwards totally worked for me.  I have to say that even though this is a Brazen (where sometimes the physical supersedes the emotional), the emotional aspect of this book is just as substantial of the physical connection between Colt and JJ. Kudos to Ms. Ryan on that one.

It's only .99 cents and frankly, I'd pay way more than that. (FYI, I'm over the 99 cent book thing and that's another post for another day)

 

 

Purchase: Amazon // B & N

 

This review was originally posted on Straight Shootin' Book Reviews

3.5 stars

 

This was a completely new author to me and I have to say that I am glad I took the chance on her.  Ellie was in the wrong place at the wrong time and ends up getting herself into quite a mess.  She unwittingly becomes a (sort of sex) slave to a super hot guy she is attracted to immediately and the wheels of the plot are set into motion.

Ellie and the setting of this book were the highlights of the book for me.   Ellie was just...cool.  She was intelligent, tough and she knew how to keep her mouth shut and listen.  She wasn't a harpy or annoying nor was she a sniveling idiot.  Frankly, she was quite refreshing.  The setting?  Turkey and a treasure hunt (of sorts) for the ruins of the city of Troy.

Nick.  Hmmmmm. Honestly, I haven't completely figured out how I feel about Nick, even knowing what I know now, he still feels somewhat enigmatic to me.  I wasn't sure of his plans or motivations during a good part of the book (which is fine by the way) so, maybe I just didn't connect to him as well.  (This is not a bad thing)

POV.  It alternated between Nick and Ellie and I really enjoyed both points of view.  Nick's POV certainly revealed the motivation for his actions and his true self and Ellie was just downright funny to me.  Like I said before, she was one cool character. The chemistry between the two of them was pretty smokin', the challenged each other at every turn.

Overall, I enjoyed this one and would read more by this author.

 

Purchase: Amazon // B & N