40 something reader of romantic fiction, YA, Paranormal and any other book that might strike my fancy.
Lover of music and photography and travel even if it is only in my local area.
In accordance with FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, A Chick Who Reads would like to let everyone know that books featured on this blog were either provided by the publisher or author or were purchased by A Chick Who Reads. The books received by A Chick Who Reads from publishers and authors were provided for review and no payment was received by me and did not influence my opinion of the material.
Author: Kelly Long Title: An Amish Man Of Ice Mountain Publisher: Zebra Publish Date: April 28, 2015 Buy: Amazon Review Copy Provided By: Net Galley
Book Blurb:
Joseph King has good reasons to work an oil rig far from his beloved Ice Mountain . . . and to mind his own business. He hopes to protect his younger brother Edward from worldly influences. And maybe he can finally forget how yielding to temptation forced him to leave home in disgrace. Still, no honorable Amish man would let Priscilla Allen and her four-year-old daughter remain homeless, living out of their car. And how can he not be drawn to the feisty waitress's bravery and hidden strength . . .
Offering Priscilla a home on Ice Mountain as his wife-in-name-only gives her a place to start again. For Joseph, it's also an unexpected chance to regain his reputation and standing in the community. But Priscilla's warmth, caring, and determination to adjust to Amish society are renewing Joseph's long-buried hope. Now as his guilt and her wrenching secrets threaten the fragile trust growing between them, they will need the riskiest of miracles to put the past to rest--and fulfill a promise only love and renewed faith can bring.
Review: I have a love and hate relationship with this series. There's a lot of thing that set this series apart from the typical Amish romance, some are good, some aren't so good.
Likes:
1. I like that we see the Amish portrayed as sexual beings. I realize that they are a very religious people but they do have the same desires the rest of us have, and it is nice to see them portrayed as such.
2. I love that these books aren't set in the usual settings. (It is also cool that the ice mine is real)
3. Each book has a real world issue that the Amish people are dealing with. In this book it is domestic violence and sexual abuse.
4. I really love the characters and how the characters from the first book still figure prominently into this story, without making things difficult to understand.
Dislikes
1. Joseph's father's cancer/heart attack/illness whatever you want to call it. I like miracles where they can be believable, but in this case it was laughable. A stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis usually doesn't happen in the ER either and PET scans don't usually happen that way either.
2. The bishop letting all the Englischers into the faith. To the best of my knowledge about this faith, it is not that easy, even if they are a mountain people. The bishop seemed a little too easygoing.
3. This story seemed to go on much longer than it should have. I felt it should have wrapped up after the drama with Priscilla's ex or even after the business with her father.
The book was enjoyable but there was way too much that didn't feel quite right for the Amish
Duty compels her to turn her back on marriage. Fate drives him to protect her come what may. Then love takes a hand in this battle of yearning hearts, stubborn wills, and a match too powerful to deny. #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens returns to rugged Scotland with a dramatic tale of passionate desire and unwavering devotion.
Restless and impatient, Marcus Cynster waits for Fate to come calling. He knows his destiny lies in the lands surrounding his family home, but what will his future be and with whom will he share it?
Of one fact he feels certain: his fated bride will not be Niniver Carrick. His elusive neighbor attracts him mightily, yet he feels compelled to protect her—even from himself. Fickle Fate, he’s sure, would never be so kind as to decree that Niniver should be his. The best he can do for them both is to avoid her.
Niniver has vowed to return her clan to prosperity. The epitome of fragile femininity, her delicate and ethereal exterior cloaks a stubborn will and an unflinching devotion to the people in her care. She accepts that she cannot risk marrying and losing her grip on the clan’s reins to an inevitably controlling husband. Unfortunately, many local men see her as their opportunity.
Soon, she’s forced to seek help to get rid of her unwelcome suitors. Powerful and dangerous, Marcus Cynster is perfect for the task. Suppressing her wariness over tangling with a gentleman who so excites her passions, she appeals to him for assistance with her peculiar problem.
Although at first he resists, Marcus discovers that, contrary to his expectations, his fated role is to stand by Niniver’s side and, ultimately, to claim her hand. Yet in order to convince her to be his bride, they must plunge headlong into a journey full of challenges, unforeseen dangers, passion, and yearning, until Niniver grasps the essential truth—that she is indeed a match for Marcus Cynster.
“Laurens maintains her stylish storytelling in another compelling romance with a hint of suspense and an interesting look at gender roles, power, and partnership.” – Kirkus on A Match for Marcus Cynster
“A fun and fast-moving read, and better edited than many of Laurens’ past efforts. Highly recommended.” – Kirkus on The Tempting of Thomas Carric
“Readers will find this new generation of Cynsters as delightful as the first.” – RT Book Reviews on on The Tempting of Thomas Carrick
“Best-selling Laurens’ long-¬running Cynster Next Generation series proves that she’s an expert at matching a fast-paced, danger-spiced plot with a sensually charged love story, and her latest romance delivers everything her readers expect.” – Booklist on The Tempting of Thomas Carrick
“WOW! Once again Ms Laurens brings us a fabulous book.”-BuriedUnderRomance.com on The Tempting of Thomas Carrick
She
swung around and continued pacing; she hadn’t actually thought that far, but
since he’d asked…”If you would come to Carrick Manor and spend time there—long
enough for the others to notice, or for you to have a chance to…” She vaguely
waved.
“Redirect
their thinking?”
“Yes—exactly.”
She glanced at him as she turned. “Intimidation wouldn’t go amiss, either.”
Marcus
pressed his lips tight, fighting a grin. Then his thoughts rolled on, and he
sobered. “How long do you imagine this…communicating of your disinterest in
marrying your clansmen will take?”
She
frowned. “A week? Two?”
Two
days would be too long for him. He understood what she was suggesting, but
acting as a shield for her would, of necessity, mean spending that time all but
glued to her side—and he could all too readily predict the outcome of such
enforced propinquity. Blue balls wasn’t a condition most men courted, and he
was no exception.
She
was looking at him hopefully. He hardened his heart and raised the point to
which she seemed oblivious. “You said you’re twenty-five. As you’re now also
lady of your clan, I assume you’ve considered your prospects for marriage. Why
not simply make your choice now and be done with it?”
Something
within him jerked to attention; he slapped it down. Now was not the time to go
leaping on challenges—especially not challenges like that. He frowned. “Why
not?” Greatly daring, he asked, albeit more gently, “Don’t you want a husband
and children?” His sisters, his female cousins, those of marriageable age,
talked of little else.
But
Niniver swung away and paced across the hearth; when she turned back, her
expression was composed. “What I wish for is not the point. As lady of the
clan, I can’t marry.”
His
frown deepening, he continued to study her. “I still don’t see why.” He made the
statement without inflection, an invitation to explain if she would.
About Stephanie Laurens
New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens originally began writing as an escape from the dry world of professional science. Her hobby quickly became a career; she has been writing historical romance novels for more than 20 years. Currently living outside Melbourne, Australia with her husband and two cats, she spends most of her days writing new stories in her signature ‘Errol Flynn meets Jane Austen” style.
a Rafflecopter giveaway· 1 copy of By Winter’s Light · 1 copy of The Tempting of Thomas Carrick · 1 copy of A Match for Marcus Cynster · 1 tartan-pattern infinity scarf · 1 Fabulous Scotland candle in tin (made in Scotland!) · 1 Harrison Tweed bag (made in Scotland!)
Author: L.J. Wilson Title: Ruby Ink Publisher: A B Edge Publish Date: March 25, 2015 Buy: Amazon
Review Copy Provided By: TLC Book Tours Book Blurb: How far will seduction take you? The answers unfold in Ruby Ink, the first Clairmont series novel.
Aaron Clairmont has been granted an early parole. He returns home to Nickel Springs and finds employment at Abstract Enchantment, a trendy new inn. But Aaron’s mind can’t let go of its predecessor, the vintage Rose Arch Inn, the setting for his passionate love affair with Ruby Vasquez. Ruby—the girl he lost after his secret underworld life unraveled, shocking everyone who thought they knew him.
Freedom comes fast at Aaron—a family desperate to reconnect, an employer cast as his savior, and the steamy memories he can’t escape. Just as Aaron surrenders to starting anew, he realizes the diabolical trap he’s been lured into—a fresh hell that makes prison look like a country club. Lives are at stake, his family and Ruby’s. Ruby Vasquez—the woman Aaron never thought he’d see again. The one destined to collide with his future.
.
“Sultry, sensual… intensely emotional and full of heart. L. J. Wilson is a discovery.”—Shannon McKenna, New York Times bestselling author
Review: What can I say about Ruby Ink? I think wow is probably a good word though. The book is labeled erotic fiction, but it is so much more than that. You know that the relationship between Aaron and Ruby is going to be steamy from the very start of the book.
Looking at the blurb, it is hard to imagine when your boyfriend goes to jail for the attempted murder of your father, and drug dealing that you'd ever get back together with that guy.
That's just part of what makes this book different.
I liked that for the most part, the story was told from Aaron's point of view and then when it wasn't you have snippets of Stefan and then finally Ruby.
From the get go, you know something isn't quite right with Stefan, but it takes almost half of the book before you finally know what he's up to. He's also the one that's into the kinky stuff. Like most erotic novels, he has to be into the whole BDSM thing, which is getting old when it comes to erotica, but for the type of guy he is, that lifestyle suits him. And let's not forget his submissive, Vanessa, who is also an employee for the company he works for. She's tough as nails at times, but it is hard not to feel sorry for her, because of where her feelings are directed.
Ruby on the other hand is a flat character, in the midst of so many others that you feel you know. I wanted to get more into her head than the author allowed. I wanted to know why Aaron and Ruby where so stuck on each other. She might be the only fault to a near perfect book.
I loved the Clairmont family and how they stick together.
Ruby Ink is hot, steamy and full of plot twists and an ending that will have you longing for the next book in the series.
Please join M.K. McClintock as she tours the blogosphere for her British Agent Series, from May 18-28, and enter to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card or a Blarney Lambswool Throw!
Book One: Alaina Claiborne
Publication Date: January 8th, 2013
Trappers Peak Publishing
ISBN: 978-0615742502
Series: British Agent Novels, Book One
Genre: Historical Romantic Mystery
How far would you go to avenge your family and save the one you love?
In nineteenth-century England, Alaina Claiborne had a loving family, a cherished friend, and devoted servants. She spent her days riding across the grassy hills of the English countryside, joyful and at peace.
Then tragedy strikes and her world is forever changed. Searching for those responsible is her only focus . . . until she meets Tristan.
Tristan Sheffield, a man of many talents, searches out those who don’t want to be found. His past is filled with secrets and deeds he would rather leave deeply buried. However, when his life unexpectedly entwines with Alaina's, he soon discovers they share more than a mutual desire to catch a murderer.
On their hunt for a man driven by greed, Tristan and Alaina find that love is the greatest weapon against evil, and they'll stop at nothing to survive.
Praise for Alaina Claiborne
"This one is a winner. It broke my heart several times, the poignant moments she describes are so real." -Deborah from The Bookish Dame Reviews
"Ms. McClintock succeeds in masterfully weaving both genres meticulously together until mystery lovers are sold on romance and romance lovers love the mystery!" -InD'Tale Magazine
"With a strong female lead and a nice mix of both action and romance, this novel tops my list." -Judge, Writer's Digest 21st Annual Self-Published Book Awards
Review: First let me say, I love the covers of these books. They are all absolutely gorgeous. I read the second book first and then read this one, and had to go back and read Blackwood Crossing because of continuity.
I think I liked this one better than Blackwood Crossing, but both are stunning reads full of romance and mystery
I actually find it hard to review these books without gushing.
Simply put, this a series for fans of historical romance/mysetery.
Rating: 5 flowers
Book Two: Blackwood Crossing
Publication Date: June 2, 2014
Trappers Peak Publishing
ISBN: 978-0991330607
Series: British Agent Novels, Book Two
Genre: Historical Romantic Mystery
If you had to make a choice, would it be loyalty or love?
Torn between loyalty to her family and refusal to marry a laird she despises, Rhona Davidson accepts a dangerous proposal from a man she knows only as Blackwood.
Leaving behind a life of leisure, Charles Blackwood bravely serves his country with honor and the skill of a trained British agent. When his newest case returns him to the wild Highlands of Scotland, he is faced with a choice between killing a man and saving the only woman he has ever loved.
Charles and Rhona join their lives, only to discover that their choices will result in bloodshed, unless they can uncover a truth long buried, deep in the Highland soil.
Praise for Blackwood Crossing
"Historical Romance readers will be delighted with the author's style and veritable plot line in this clean romance. "Blackwood Crossing" is a wonderful book for the reader to begin their lifelong Historical Romance adventure or continue their HR journey! Bravo Ms. McClintock!" -InD'Tale Magazine, 4 1/2 stars and a Crowned Heart
"MK McClintock has spun an enchanting tale deeply entrenched in the lands of Scotland and England that will leave you riveted to your chair until you turn the last page." -Donna McBroom-Theriot, mylifeonstoryatatime.com
“This is a wonderful book with suspense to keep me on the edge of my seat and surprises to keep me guessing . . . a feisty heroine and a strong, gentle hero . . . My poetic soul is fed by the beautiful descriptions of nature.” -Verna Mitchell, poet and author of Somewhere Beyond the Blue
Review: I have to admit that I read this book first because I was going somewhere and I grabbed it and took it with me. So yeah. I went out of order. Bad me.
You can read these books as stand alone novels but I think they would best be read in chronological order because getting the characters straight in your head may be a little tough going at first.
No matter how you read them, you will notice one thing. McClintock creates strong characters that you really can't pull yourself away from. Rhona Davidson is more than your typical heroine. She's in no way a simpering miss. She's smart and knows her mind.
Rhona's father is the kind of guy you really want to reach through the pages to choke. Talk about a nasty guy. There are some reasons for his nasty behavior, but none of them justify the way he treated his children.
The book is labeled a historical romance, but the romance between Charles and Rhona is really secondary to the mystery that revolves around her two brothers and the death of her mother.
In the course of events, Rhona learns a lot, about the man she thought killed her mother and about her mother and family.
This was such a fantastic read full of mystery and intrigue. It is definitely a page turner. I can't wait to read the next book.
Rating: 5 flowers
Book Three: Clayton's Honor
Publication Date: April 29, 2015
Trappers Peak Publishing
ISBN: 978-0991330652
Series: British Agent Novels, Book Three
Genre: Historical Romantic Mystery
How far would you go to avenge your family and save the one you love?
In nineteenth-century England, Alaina Claiborne had a loving family, a cherished friend, and devoted servants. She spent her days riding across the grassy hills of the English countryside, joyful and at peace.
Then tragedy strikes and her world is forever changed. Searching for those responsible is her only focus . . . until she meets Tristan.
Tristan Sheffield, a man of many talents, searches out those who don’t want to be found. His past is filled with secrets and deeds he would rather leave deeply buried. However, when his life unexpectedly entwines with Alaina's, he soon discovers they share more than a mutual desire to catch a murderer.
On their hunt for a man driven by greed, Tristan and Alaina find that love is the greatest weapon against evil, and they'll stop at nothing to survive.
MK McClintock spins tales of romance, mystery, and adventure inspired by the heather-covered hills of Scotland and the majestic mountains of home. With her heart deeply rooted in the past and her mind always on adventure, she lives and writes in Montana.
-2014 RONE Award-Nominee for "Alaina Claiborne"
-2014 Crowned Heart for Excellence from InD'Tale Magazine for "Blackwood Crossing" and "The Montana Gallagher Collection"
-2015 Crowned Heart Heart for Excellent from InD'Tale Magazine for "A Home for Christmas"
Author: Phoebe Fox Title: The Breakup Doctor Publisher: Henery Press Publish Date: June 10, 2014 Buy: Amazon Review Copy Provided By: The author in exchange for an honest review Book Blurb:
Call Brook Ogden a matchmaker-in-reverse. Let others bring people together; Brook, licensed mental health counselor, picks up the pieces after things come apart. When her own therapy practice collapses, she maintains perfect control: landing on her feet with a weekly advice-to-the-lovelorn column and a successful consulting service as the Breakup Doctor: on call to help you shape up after you breakup.
But when her own relationship suddenly crumbles, Brook finds herself engaging in almost every bad-breakup behavior she preaches against. And worse, she starts a rebound relationship with the most inappropriate of men: a dangerously sexy bartender with anger-management issues—who also happens to be a former patient.
As her increasingly out-of-control behavior lands her at rock-bottom, Brook realizes you can’t always handle a messy breakup neatly—and that sometimes you can’t pull yourself together until you let yourself fall apart.
Review: Phoebe Fox's The Breakup Doctor is one of the funniest and most fun books I've read in a long time.
Brook Ogden's world starts to collapse when her therapy practice does the same, but she seems to pick herself up and dust herself off and start all over again with relative ease. The starts the Breakup Doctor column and she even gets a few new clients, one of whom is her new boss.
She really gives out sensible advice to those in need, including her bff Sasha, who you can't help but love and want to welcome into your life. She's the bff, we all want!
Then things start to crumble for Brook, starting with her mother's departure and then her boyfriend, who she was planning on moving in with. She doesn't take that well. She takes it so poorly you see her doing all the things she tells the people she's trying to help not to do.
When Brook messes up, she does it on a grand scale too. It is hilarious. She has a not so bad date with a really nice guy as a revenge date. Then she gets involved with a former patient and the result of that wasn't pleasant, however hot the guy was! There are definitely a lot of laughs to be had when that happens too.
I wasn't sure how I felt about Kendall, the boyfriend and then ex. Sometimes he was a total douchebag, no ifs ands or buts about it, but there was one thing he was spot on about and it has to do with Sasha.
I really liked Brook and I liked how she owned up to her behavior as the story moves on. The Breakup Doctor isn't about romance. Its about romance and all the good and the bad that goes with it. There's no HEA here, but rather Brook accepting things and trying to move on.
If you are looking for some laughs and a really good story, you don't want to miss out on The Breakup Doctor.
I'm getting ready to release my 40th novel! It's a huge career milestone for me, and I hope all of you will help me celebrate by enjoying my new trilogy, "The Lost Lords of Radcliffe."
The three books are a "real" trilogy, with one story leading into the next and the drama building with each novel. I'm releasing them over the summer so you'll be able to read the 2nd and 3rd books right away without having to wait months or years to find out what happens. HEART'S DELIGHT will be here on June 1st. HEART'S DESIRE is coming on July 1st. And Book 3, HEART'S DEMAND--my 40th novel!!!--will be here onAugust 1st. It will be a great summer of sexy, yummy reading.
The 3 novels will be released as e-books and print books. The e-version will be available for all e-readers, but the print books will not appear in stores. They will have to be ordered on-line at Amazon. The covers are beautiful, the stories breathtaking, heartbreaking, dramatic, and thrilling. I think it's my best work yet.
I hope you'll spend the summer--with me! And my Lost Lords of Radcliffe. Coming June, July, and August of 2015.
Cheryl Holt is a New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon "Top 100" bestselling author of forty novels.
She's also a lawyer and mom, and at age 40, with two babies at home, she started a new career as a commercial fiction writer. She'd hoped to be a suspense novelist, but couldn't sell any of her manuscripts, so she ended up taking a detour into romance, where she was stunned to discover that she has an incredible knack for writing some of the world's greatest love stories.
She is considered to be one of the masters of the romance genre, and her emotional, dramatic, and riveting stories of passion and illicit love have captivated fans around the world. She has won or been nominated for many national awards. For many years, she was hailed as "The Queen of Erotic Romance", and she's also revered as "The International Queen of Villains." She is particularly proud to have been named "Best Storyteller of the Year" by the trade magazine Romantic Times BOOK Reviews.
Cheryl lives and writes in Hollywood, California.
Synopsis for Lost Lord's series:
Evangeline Etherton grew up as an orphan and charity case at Miss Peabody’s School for Girls. But she was always haunted by memories of the loving family and siblings she’d once had. As a tiny girl, her father passed away, and her mother was wrenched from their lives and transported on a prison ship to Australia. Her three brothers were cast to the winds of fate and vanished from her life, but she was too young to understand why. What happened to her mother and brothers? Might her mother still be alive? And what about her brothers? Evangeline vows to learn the answers to those questions and begins her quest to find them and bring them all home. Synopsis for first book HEART'S DELIGHT:
Three little lost lords, cast to the winds of fate...
So begins CHERYL HOLT'S breathtaking new trilogy, The Lost Lords of Radcliffe...
MICHAEL SCOTT grew up an orphan on the streets of London. He has no memories of his past, but he's haunted by terrible dreams and always feels as if he lost something vital and precious along the way. Through cunning and determination, he's become rich, prosperous, and dangerous. As a brigand and criminal, he knows how to fight and survive any battle. But when he had such a rough beginning as a child, how has he managed to thrive so spectacularly? How can he ever learn the truth?
MAGDALENA WELLS runs a charity mission in London's worst slums. Although she's heard many vicious rumors about treacherous, deceitful Michael Scott, when she meets him, she can't help but fall under his spell. He is the most extraordinary person she's ever encountered. If ancestry makes the man, how is she to account for his remarkable traits? His drive and accomplishments have propelled him to the highest levels of London society—which is exactly where he seems to belong. How could a ruffian be so brilliant and successful? What is his true history? Can Magdalena help to reveal the secrets he's always been dying to discover?
Join CHERYL HOLT as she once again weaves a beloved tale of family, loyalty, love, and loss. As the truth about the "lost" lords is gradually revealed, readers will be cheering...
Excerpt
CHAPTER ONE
“I’m here to see the notorious gambler and criminal, Mr. Michael Scott.”
Magdalena Wells, known as Maggie to her friends and family, glared at the
oaf guarding the door. He’d just refused
her entrance to Mr. Scott’s disreputable gambling club, but she was angry and
aggrieved and had no time for posturing or nonsense.
The man studied her gray dress, her stern manner, her imperious
deportment. “Who shall I say is
calling? The bloody Queen of England?”
Maggie didn’t care for his attitude or his foul language, and her fury
soared.
“There’s no need to be rude or crude,” she said.
“If you don’t like my language, you don’t have to stay.”
She had no patience for fools and nearly stomped out, but her quest was
important, and she wouldn’t leave until she’d spoken in person to the exalted,
obnoxious Mr. Scott.
“In your line of employment,” she told him, “I’m certain you don’t often
cross paths with a lady, but I assure you I am one. Behave yourself.”
Her steely tone garnered his attention, and he flushed with chagrin.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Now then, take me to Michael Scott and be quick about it. Tell him I am proprietress of the Vicar
Sterns Rescue Mission.”
“Are you hoping to rescue him?”
“No, I’ve come to give him a piece of my mind.”
“That’ll send him into a swoon,” the man muttered, but he stepped back
and motioned her in. Outside it was a
bright, sunny June afternoon, so it took a minute for her vision to adjust.
The foyer of Mr. Scott’s establishment—hailed far and wide simply as Scotts—was dark and dank, and it smelled
of stale liquor, tobacco, and wanton habits.
In the main room there were tables and chairs arranged in haphazard
rows, and she could imagine it on a busy Saturday evening when it would be
packed with inebriated men who would wager away their money.
One wall was lined with shelves holding wine bottles and liquor
decanters. The other three were covered
with large, garish paintings of nude women.
Their bared breasts were most prominent, the reddened nipples seeming to
leap off the canvas.
Over the past few years, she’d grown practical and rational, the calm
port in any storm. It would take more
than the picture of a naked female to fluster her or deter her from the
conversation she was intent on having.
“Mr. Scott, please,” she said. “If
you’ll show me to him?”
“Follow me.”
The guard led her in, and though it was only two o’clock, there were men
lurking in the corners, drinking hard spirits and numbly watching her
pass. Their gazes were curious and
prurient.
She experienced a stab of compassion for them, wondering about the sorry
state of their lives that they would dawdle in such a seedy place. She wanted to speak to each of them, wanted
to discuss what had brought them there, what kept them from departing.
But she didn’t. She had no
business visiting as she had and wouldn’t remain a second longer than
necessary.
They continued on, climbed a narrow staircase, and walked down a hall to
the end. They stopped at a closed door,
and her escort knocked briskly, waited for a reply, didn’t receive one, then
knocked again.
Jenny Cohen defines successful independence: she put herself through college, couldn’t ask for
better friends, owns a consulting firm, wears designer clothes, and just moved into her dream
home . . . But she’s alone, except for her ailing mother whom she supports in a nursing home.
As the marketing consultant for Chester, Dorsey & Tanner, she’s surrounded by male attention.
Too bad it’s the overly-protective big-brother type.
Architect, Craig Stone, hasn't looked at another woman since his wife passed away four years
ago. His time is taken—building a career while trying to be both mother and father to his eight-
year-old son. But when his appointment with the largest development firm in Nashville is double-
booked with a black-haired beauty, he finds himself reaching for new possibilities.
The attraction sets off more fireworks than the Fourth of July. Yet, their relationship is riddled
with issues neither one of them expected. Somewhere in the middle they must find a way to
compromise or let go of a chance for love they may never find again.
Review: Summer's Family Affair is a wonderful read for romance lovers.
Cynthia Gail has created characters that are real and who you can really related to.
I really like that Jenny was the strong single woman and Craig is the widower with a young son. Both are pretty ok, with being single, but both need something more.
Jenny and Craig are both career minded and each has family responsibilities of different varieties, but the two of them definitely have a great chemistry. They also have some road blocks on their way to true happiness. Jenny has a crazy stalker guy that really wants to date her. Craig has a mother in law that isn't ready for him to move on to another woman. Carla was really borderline evil in the way she treated Jenny, and where I could understand some of her reasoning, I didn't understand Craig's reactions all the time.
I think of the two characters, Craig was a little harder to like. He moved fast but burned cold when things didn't go his way or someone did something that upset him.
I actually really loved his son, Ben, and wished he would have been used more in the story.
I liked the heat level which was relatively low in this book. It is hotter than sweet romance which gives a nice balance, which really is perfect for the characters and their situations.
This is a great quick read for a sunny summer afternoon, especially if you are at a beach. Highly recommended!
By
Award-Winning, USA Today Bestselling
Author Tina Leonard
When
New York billionaire John Carruth is summoned to No Chance, Texas to save the
local rodeo he has no idea he is going home. Now the long-lost twin to the
town’s favorite son is determined to win over the people he left behind—and
capture the heart of Chloe Winters, a Texan who has her own ideas of what it
means to be part of a small town.
Jake
Fitzgerald, champion bull rider, didn’t know he had another half. John may be
kin, but he’s still a stranger in these parts. With his billionaire brother
hell-bent on changing Jake’s world, Jake knows he has to take a stand. Will he
choose family—or will he take a chance on Erin O’Donovan, a woman who has
always meant family to him?
Review: In Heart of a Bull Rider Tina Leonard takes us to a town called No Chance and we meet brothers Jake Fitzgerald and John Carruth. They were separated at birth, with Jake stay with his mother and John being adopted.
The book is two stories in one and they combine to make one sweet romance for both brothers. I enjoyed both stories, but I especially liked John and Chloe's story, because I've always been a fan of the "Fish out of water" scenario, and that's what billionaire John Carruth is in the small town of No Chance, where everyone knows each others business and they are all up in each others business too.
The townspeople's meddling is what brings the brothers together with their heart's desires.
I loved that the two towns rodeos and the townspeople's passion for them is at the heart of the novel, right along with the relationships, in some ways, more so. It is hard not to love the other set of brothers, Cody (Chloe's Dad) and Clem the Bad.
I would have liked these stories to be longer or even separate novels because I felt things were rushed in John's story, and in Jake's story, I felt like the romance was barely there, because of all the rodeo drama.
This was light fun reading for a summer day.
Rating: 3 flowers
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR:
USA Today Bestselling and award-winning
author Tina Leonard has sold over 3
million copies of her titles. She has made the USA Today Bestseller, Waldenbooks, Bookscan, and Ingrambook lists,
and has written and contracted 71 books and special projects. She is best known
for her sparkling sense of humor, endearing communities, snappy dialogue, and
memorable characters that include sexy hunks with attitude and heroines with
plenty of sass. For more information, visit www.tinaleonard.com or follow her
on Twitter: @Tina_Leonard.
ABOUT THE COVER:
The
cover features real-life professional bull rider Reese Cates, whose father and
grandfather both rode professionally before him. Reese says he was riding
horses before he could walk (his mother, aunts and grandmother were all barrel
racers). He competes as a part of the Professional Bull Riders, which includes
more than 600 bull riders from the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Mexico and Australia. To
learn more about Reese, follow him on Twitter: @reesecates. For more
information about the Professional Bull Riders, visit www.pbr.com.
Diplomat Alex Ramon's
Miami mission is on the rocks. Convincing the exiled Montoros to give up their
American life and return to Alma's throne has become personal. Not only is his
trusted aide Maria Ferro flirting with a potential prince, but Alex is actually
jealous! So jealous, he might sabotage his goals so he can take Maria to his bed—a
prize more tempting than any commission from the crown. But Alex doesn't know
that Maria has a longtime crush of her own—and it isn't on the playboy prince.
Review: Minding Her Boss's Business is the first book in the Dynasties: The Montoros series. This romance sets the stage for what is to come for that particular family that is about to take the throne of their country of Alma.
I have to admit that while knew the chemistry was very real between Maria and Alex, I harbored a little wish that she was the girl for Gabriel, the Alma prince. The reader is introduced to the whole family in this book and he is the one that really stands out to me. I absolutely can't wait to read his story. He's a bit of a playboy, but there's more to him than just that, and Janice really brought that through.
But back to Alex and Maria. I liked that Alex wasn't the typical alpha male hero. He's a workaholic, but not arrogant in any way. In fact, his fault is his jealousy of Gabriel and his easy friendship with Maria.
But when they finally get together, and it did take them long enough, things were electric and I really couldn't figure out how they got it so wrong afterwards. These two really liked each other, but somehow a few nights of mind blowing sex turned into an argument of sorts. I did like how strong Maria was, but I really didn't understand how they didn't manage to sort things out. Their conflict just wasn't what would have expected for them, however I did like their HEA.
This was a great start to a new mini-series for the Desire line.
Rating: 5 flowers
JANICE
MAYNARD
knew she loved books and writing by the time she was eight years old. But it took
multiple rejections and many years of trying before she sold her first three
novels in 1996 and 1997. After teaching kindergarten and second grade for sixteen
years, Janice turned to writing full-time in the fall of 2002. Since then she
has written and sold over twenty-five books and novellas. Her publishers
include Kensington, Penguin/NAL, Berkley, and Harlequin. Janice lives in east
Tennessee with her husband, Charles. They love hiking, traveling, and spending
time with their daughters, Caroline and Anna, sons-in-law, Jamie and Chris,
three granddaughters, Anastasia, Ainsley, and Allie, and the newest addition to
the family, Levi.
Praise for Janice Maynard
“In this modern twist on the boss/secretary affair, readers will enjoy Maria’s ambition and inner strength as she handles Alex’s mixed signals, especially once they give in to their passion. This is an excellent introduction to the diverse and exciting individuals that make up the wealthy Montoro family.”
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If your book meets my requirements please feel free to email me at achickwhoreads@gmail.com with info on the book.
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