Avid reader, blogger, compulsive one-clicker, genre-omnivore.
*I received a free copy of Wicked Lust from Big Dog Books, LLC via Netgalley in exchange of an honest and unbiased review*
Cain Bonham is as big and bad as they come. After serving in the Marines, he’s returned home to Wyoming and now works as head of security at the exclusive sex club, The Wicked Horse. His job is to protect not only the patrons, but to zealously guard the secret existence of the club itself.
Sloane Preston is all about discovering secrets. As an undercover reporter, she’s determined to reveal the truth behind the facade of The Wicked Horse and expose it for all the world to see. She just didn’t count on her pathway into the club coming at the hands of one gorgeously scarred and bad ass bouncer who manages to easily possess her body and soul.
While Cain’s not looking for anyone to catch his eye, Sloane did it all the same, and he’s not bemoaning the fact that she’s as wickedly kinky as he is. As both get caught up in the sinful fantasies that only The Wicked Horse can create, secrets and loyalties will be tested and hearts will risk being broken.
**Warning: this book has sex in it. Lots of sex. Dirty sex. The Wicked Horse Series is a bit different than what Sawyer Bennett normally writes. While you’ll still enjoy fabulous characters, a suspenseful story, some witty banter and an epic romance, there’s just… a lot of sex. You’ve been warned.
Wicked Lust is so hot my kindle almost melted, and yet, there is also a real story and a plot that is a complete page-turner!
Sawyer Bennett has her hot, erotic scenes down pat, I needed an electric fan to cool down so I could continue reading Wicked Lust! And on top of that her characters are multifaceted and complex, the story and the plot well done, and I just couldn’t get enough! There is plenty of very kinky sex, and my eyes almost popped out a few times – but it didn’t shock me enough to stop me from reading. And as I said, there was a real, solid story around all the sexiness, and that made Wicked Lust an amazing read!
Sawyer really outdid herself both in the down and dirty department, and with the complex story surrounding Sloane and Cain. They both had a checkered past, with a lot of heartache, and neither of them thought they’d trust someone again. Which made it all the sweeter when it became clear they just couldn’t get enough of each other; without that being all about the sex. There is a lot of politics, secrets, blackmail and some stubborn characters who try to do what’s right, especially when the going gets tough.
Well written, mostly from Cain’s perspective, but with several chapters in Sloan’s point of view as well, Wicked Lust shares most of the characters’ secrets with the readers, while keeping them well hidden from the other characters. And I just can’t wait to get my hands on the next Wicked Horse story! The preview at the end of this story made me yearn for it to be released tomorrow.
While I get hit on all the time, women have a hard time holding my gaze the way this one does. They’re content to stare at my feet while they try to flirt because my eyes are sometimes too cold and my scar is too angry looking. But not this woman.
It’s the story of my life. Working to pay off debt I didn’t incur, but that I’m still obligated to settle under the eyes of the law. If Rachel wasn’t already dead, sometimes I swear I could wring her scrawny neck out of frustration.
That’s usually not my thing. I like women who are aggressive and know what they want. With as much dirty fucking as I do on a regular basis vanilla women are just a tad too boring.
*I received a free copy of This Is Where It Ends from Sourcebooks Fire via Netgalley in exchange of an honest and unbiased review*
10:00 a.m.
The principal of Opportunity, Alabama's high school finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve.
10:02 a.m.
The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class.
10:03
The auditorium doors won't open.
10:05
Someone starts shooting.
Told over the span of 54 harrowing minutes from four different perspectives, terror reigns as one student's calculated revenge turns into the ultimate game of survival.
This Is Where It Ends is an intimate account of what happens in a high school in Opportunity when a former student comes back and locks all his friends and teachers in the auditorium before he opens fire.
In the news, school shootings are far too common, and it becomes like a media circus, both while it is happening, and in the aftermath. This Is Where It Ends manages to tell the story of a school shooting from four different students’ point of view, three of them on the inside of the school, and one just outside, training for track instead of being at the assembly. The fact that the story is told in these different perspectives, each in first person present tense makes everything that unfolds very immediate, and it was easy to be swept into the action, feel the fear, and hope with all my might that things could somehow turn out OK in the end – even when it was very clear that it wouldn’t.
Only two of the four characters sharing the events were inside of the auditorium when they realized they were trapped there. As soon as the shooter arrives, most of the people in the auditorium recognized him straight away, and even those who thought they knew him well were not exactly relieved. And once he started shooting, not completely at random, the terror increased among students and adults both. What really struck me was that in the midst of all the danger, Autumn came to life, she finally dared to tell Sylvie that she loved her, and that no matter what happened, Sylvie had her heart.
This Is Where It Ends only lasts for 54 minutes in story-time, but the action felt so tense I thought the same as Autumn, this had to take much, much longer. Between the bravery of many, the helplessness of others, I was deeply touched by this inside re-counting of a shooting. While I found the story to be very emotional, I thought it ended rather abruptly, even if the main story had a resolution, I couldn’t help but want to know what would happen to the survivors afterwards.
This is Opportunity, Alabama. Sane people don’t leave their homes when it’s white and frosty outside. We stock up on canned food, drink hot chocolate until we succumb to sugar comas, and pray to be saved from the cold.
Nothing can touch us. Not snow. Not even time.
Far and I both hold our breath. After what feels like forever, the footsteps move on. Whoever it was, they’re not out to get us. Not today.
Warning: This book includes mature content such as: sexual content, and/or drug and/or alcohol use, and/or violence.
Dirty English by Ilsa Madden-Mills
Published by Little Dove on 10 October 2015
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Pages: 272
Format: Kindle
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Reading Challenges: 2015 New Release Challenge
A scarred fighter.
A girl with rules.
One night of unbridled passion.
There are three things you need to know about Elizabeth Bennett: she’s smart as a whip, always in control, and lives by a set of carefully crafted rules. She’s learned the hard way that people you love the most always hurt you in the end.
But then she meets Declan Blay, the new neighbor at her apartment complex.
A tattooed British street fighter, he’s the campus bad boy she’s supposed to avoid, but when he saves her from a frat party gone bad, all her rules about sex and love fly out the window.
She gives him one night of unbridled passion, but he longs for more.
With only a cardboard-thin wall separating their bedrooms, he dreams of possessing the vulnerable girl next door forever.
One night. Two damaged hearts. The passion of a lifetime.
Dirty English is dark and gritty, beautiful and hopeful, and has some very interesting and complex characters. I have to admit I cried, because Elizabeth had truly been through hell, but then, so had Declan – even if that was a different kind of hell.
From the beginning of Dirty English, I knew I was going to enjoy this story! The prologue made me cry – Elizabeth’s hell was very personal, and also something that was shared against her will with several people. However, once the first chapter opened, and she was in college, moving in to her new apartment, next to a guy who had old classics in a box by his door, I just knew it was my kind of story. And Declan… yeah, talk about hot guy! A fighter, an English major, smart, good-looking, tender-hearted and strong-bodied. What’s not to like, right?
Dirty English is written in dual point of view, with some chapters from Elizabeth’s perspective, others from Declan’s, and I really got to know both of them very well. Strong personalities, which they needed, and also loyal and loving – when they opened up, which didn’t happen often at all.
The character development for both of the main characters was great, because they both had a lot of crap in their past that they had to let go of, but that can be so very scary. However, especially Elizabeth realized that as long as she let the past dictate her present and her future, she wouldn’t really have a life at all, she’d only have an existence, and she knew she both needed and deserved more than that.
The only negative note I have about Dirty English is that there are sex-scenes without condoms… and that’s just a big no-no in my opinion! Using a condom is not something you just forget! That’s like forgetting to go to the bathroom when you need to pee. And nobody should trust someone they’re just starting to get to know when it comes to their health and past sex-life. The story is very emotional, but the characters were so realistic, and the main storyline really spoke to me, and I loved how Elizabeth and Declan dealt with the things they needed to deal with. And I loved how Declan’s British accent came out in his dialogues.
As far as I knew, Nadia was still with her new guy, some fancy tennis player form Brazil. Donatello or Michelangelo or something. Ninja Turtle? Yeah.
Elizabeth Bennett was the most awkward person to ever come to a frat party. Not only had she came through the door like she was going to an execution, but she’d asked me to shag her in the most unsophisticated manner I’d ever seen in my days at Whitman.
She debated for a few seconds, a small smile curving her mouth. Full and plump, those lips on mine had been my fantasy way too many nights. “Okay, but only if you let me take you down a few times. Like flip you over my shoulder, toss you to the ground kind of take down. Maybe sit on you.”
I exhaled, picturing that little scenario, and I couldn’t stop the little grin on my face. “You can sit on me whenever you want.”
*I received a free copy of How to Marry a Royal Highlander from Kensington Books via Netgalley in exchange of an honest and unbiased review*
Illegitimate yet thoroughly irresistible, the Renegade Royals are leaving behind their careers as daring spies for the greatest adventure of all…
At sixteen, Alasdair Gilbride, heir to a Scottish earldom, fled the Highlands and an arranged betrothal. Ten years later, Alasdair must travel home to face his responsibilities. It’s a task that would be much easier without the distracting presence of the most enticing woman he’s ever met…
After one escapade too many, Eden Whitney has been snubbed by the ton. The solution: rusticating in the Scottish wilderness, miles from all temptation. Except, of course, for brawny, charming Alasdair. The man is so exasperating she’d likely kill him before they reach the border—if someone else weren’t trying to do just that. Now Eden and Alasdair are plunging into a scandalous affair with his life and her reputation at stake—and their hearts already irreparably lost…
How to Marry a Royal Highlander is exactly the kind of historical romance I enjoy the most. Stubborn ladies and hot highland lords – what’s not to love?
It’s not often I read a Historical Romance that is also a Romantic Suspense! How to Marry a Royal Highlander is both, though, and I know that is part of why I enjoyed Edie’s and Alec’s story so much. Add to that that Edie had been in a scandal, and she had to leave London for the rest of the season, to stay away at least for the whole winter. Alec, with help of Edie’s twin sister Evie’s husband Wolf managed to persuade a very involved mother that the Scottish Highlands was the best place to go to make the ton forget all about Edie and her possible indiscretions.
I’m pretty sure I had already fallen in love with both Edie and Alec in How to Plan a Wedding for a Royal Spy, and getting to know both of them better cemented my feelings for them. Seeing them get to know each other, and first become aware of their own feelings towards each other – then realizing all that was at stake for them to be able to be together was a delight. But it was definitely not an easy path for either of them, especially because several people did not at all want Alec to come home and take his rightful place as the laird. Not only was the romance titillating, the characters grew in a way I hadn’t suspected, and while I liked both of them at the beginning of the story, I absolutely loved them by the end.
Because of the suspense elements, there was never a dull moment, and added to that was the fact that Alec had been promised to his cousin, Donella, since he was 16 – at what time he ran away from home to see the world, and not be forced into a loveless marriage. Needless to say, his family wasn’t exactly happy to see him arrive home after ten years, with an English lady and her mother in tow. This brought on several laugh out loud moments, as well as some very well done tension that made How to Marry a Royal Highlander impossible to put down.
Written in third person point of view, and in past tense, the story unfolded at a nice, even pace, with some scenes paced faster, to make the excitement more palpable. I think both historical romance fans and romance suspense fans will enjoy this installment, which can be read as a stand-alone.
“Now, what was that ye were sayin’ about my beloved homeland, lassie?” he asked as he stood next to Wolf. “Surely ye can’t be thinkin’ it’s anything but heaven on earth.”
“Oh, God,” she muttered. “Please, not the brogue.”
He simply laughed.
The man was ridiculously handsome – and nice when he wished to be. It made Edie feel rather gloomy, probably because she was used to men like him falling at her feet. So far, however, Gilbride seemed entirely immune to her charms.
“Ah, lassie, you can’t fool me,” he said, that seductive Scottish burr roughening his voice. It dragged across her nerves, making her shiver. “I’m not one of those manmilliners you lead around by the nose like docile geldings. I know very well you’ve been avoiding me.”
Warning: This book includes mature content such as: sexual content, and/or drug and/or alcohol use, and/or violence.
Enticing Interlude by Michelle Mankin
Series: Tempest #2
Published by Selfpublished on 4 February 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Pages: 296
Format: Kindle
Source: Kindle Purchase Reading Challenges: 2015 TBR Pile Reading Challenge, Bookish Resolutions Challenge 2015
To the talented vocalist Justin Jones, love is merely a game that he plays by his own rules.
But to Bridget Dubois, love and heartache are one and the same.
Broken too many times before, the delicate beauty keeps her emotions carefully concealed. Bridget has her own set of rigid rules when it comes to men. She prefers to avoid them altogether, especially dangerously seductive auburn haired emerald eyed players like Justin.
But the new lead singer of the rising rock band Tempest doesn’t like to be ignored. Justin is used to getting what he wants, and now he’s set his sights on Bridget.
Suddenly, it’s no longer a game.
What do you do when the one you can’t have turns out to be the one you can’t live without?
As the pressure builds, will it temper them or will it shatter them both like fragile crystal?
Enticing Interlude was definitely enticing, and if not for the way Bridget reacted when a stranger (to her) told her lies about Justin, I’d have given this 5 stars – but that just frustrated me too much!
Enticing Interlude is Justin’s story, as he takes over as lead vocalist in Tempest after War leaves the band behind in a fit. At first, it’s hard for Justin to find his place, especially because Bryan is weary of him and the connection he has to Lace. When Lace’s friend from rehab, Bridget, arrives with her young son, however, Justin is completely taken with both of them. And he finally understands that having one-night-stands with groupies will never make him happy. Bridget has been burned so badly in the past that she doesn’t want any man in her life apart from her son. Coming to Vancouver to stay with Lace, she just wants to lick her wounds and get herself back on her feet again.
I really enjoyed the whole storyline in Enticing Interlude, apart from when someone from Justin’s past comes and shares supposed truths with Bridget, and she doesn’t even question anything that person says. The relationship between Justin, Bridget and her son was so sweet, and I loved seeing Justin being more responsible than he had been in the Brutal Strength stories where I had gotten to know him.
With the mystery of Bridget’s past, Enticing Interlude was indeed enticing, and I enjoyed how she slowly learned to open up to her friends about what she needed to do to secure her future so it would be much better than her past. Written in past tense from dual points of views with chapters from both Justin’s and Bridget’s perspective, I got to know both characters really well, and I fell in love with both of them!
Those gorgeous eyes appeared to have been doing some checking out of their own. I felt exposed beneath the intensity of his gaze. My pulse started thundering loudly inside my ears and the space between us became supercharged with electricity like the atmosphere back in Florida just before a lightning strike.
Refreshing. The complete opposite of the woman who’d wrecked my bed last night and would likely disturb my dreams for nights to come.
Who the hell was Carter? The thought that Bridget might have a boyfriend bothered me more than I cared to acknowledge at this point.
Sweep in Peace by Ilona Andrews
Series: Innkeeper Chronicles #2
Published by Selfpublished on 13 November 2015
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
Pages: 237
Format: Kindle
Source: Kindle Purchase
Reading Challenges: 2016 HW Challenge, 2016 Winter COYER
Dina DeMille doesn’t run your typical Bed and Breakfast. Her inn defies laws of physics, her fluffy dog is secretly a monster, and the only paying guest is a former Galactic tyrant with a price on her head. But the inn needs guests to thrive, and guests have been scarce, so when an Arbitrator shows up at Dina's door and asks her to host a peace summit between three warring species, she jumps on the chance.
Unfortunately, for Dina, keeping the peace between Space Vampires, the Hope-Crushing Horde, and the devious Merchants of Baha-char is much easier said than done. On top of keeping her guests from murdering each other, she must find a chef, remodel the inn...and risk everything, even her life, to save the man she might fall in love with. But then it's all in the day's work for an Innkeeper…
Andrews did it again! Sweep in Peace took me on a wild ride, and I stayed up until almost 3:30 am to finish reading about Dina and Gertrude Hunt.
Sweep in Peace is just as well done and filled with adventure as the first Innkeeper Chronicles was! There is so much going on, and Dina will do everything she can to save her inn, Gertrude Hunt. When an arbitrator shows up to tell her he needs an inn to host some peace talks between three rival species on the planet Nexus, she knows it’s very dangerous, especially when she realizes that all the other Innkeepers told him no. She really needs money, though, and her inn really needs more visitors in order to thrive.
There is a lot of intrigue and mystery in Sweep in Peace, and through it all – the long hours, the hard work, and the diplomacy, Dina stays strong and true to herself and the customs of Innkeepers. There is quite a bit of humour here as well, and I found myself both chuckling and really laughing on more than one occasion. Especially the scenes in which Marais, a human police officer, showed up in made me laugh. And I really wonder what he’ll be up to in future books.
As Dina does what she can to survive and for her Inn to survive, she is thorn between staying neutral and between her longing for her one time maybe could have been boyfriend Sean. She has to stay alert to the many different people trying to manipulate her, and she has to prove more than once that her magic is strong enough to keep everyone in line.
Written in third person perspective, past tense, Sweep in Peace is a fast read, and it’s a gem of a story the Andrews’ shared with their readers. The first few chapters were posted on their website before it was edited, and I did read a couple of them, but I have to say I prefer just getting the whole book to enjoy in one go. If you’re an Andrews fan, this is definitely a series you should pick up. And I heard that there are some characters from their series The Edge (which I haven’t *gasp* read yet) here, so that motivated me to check out their backlist as well.
There was simply no other money to be had. I had to feed the guests. Vampires required meet with fresh herbs, otrokars had to have spices and citrus with everything, and Nuan Cee’s clan had a taste for poultry, and they were particular about how it was prepared. I had to hire someone, whatever it cost.
Six months and no word. Either I’de imagined things and he wasn’t at all interested, or something had happened to him. Thinking about Sean being dead somewhere out there among the stars made me angry.
“You are not meant to be at peace. We, the human beings, are meant to live life to its fullest. We are meant to experience it all – sadness, disappointment, rage, kindness, joy, love. We are meant to test ourselves. It is painful and frightening, but this is what it means to be alive. You are hiding from life here. This isn’t peace. This is a slow, deliberate suicide.”
*I received a free copy of Tackling the Tight End from Dreamspinner Press via Enchantress of Book Blogtours in exchange of an honest and unbiased review*
Everyone wants the best for SCU student and tight end Raven Nez — and they know exactly what that is. Enter the NFL draft, become a big football hero, promote his tribe’s casino, and make a lot of money to help people on the reservation. Just one problem. Raven’s gay and he really wants to work with gay kids. Plus he figures a gay Native tight end will get flattened in the NFL. Then the casino board hires a talented student filmmaker to create ads for the tribal business and asks Raven to work with him. But the filmmaker is Dennis Hascomb, a guy with so much to hide and a life so ugly it’s beyond Raven’s understanding. Still he’s drawn to Dennis's pain and incredible ability to survive. Captivated by Raven’s stories of the two-spirited and by the amazing joy of finally having a friend, Dennis knows he has to break free from everything he’s ever been taught was good—but that’s a struggle that could kill him and Raven too. Is there a chance for “the great red hope” and the “whitest guy on earth”? A future for the serpent and the raven?
Welcome to my stop on the Tackling the Tight End blogtour. I have my review and favorite quotes as usual, and there are other goodies here for me to share with you as well! This Blogtour is hosted by Enchantress Design and Promo.
Tackling the Tight End is the third instalment in Lain’s Long Pass Chronicles series, and it features the ‘bad guy’ from the first book as one of the main characters. The story is filled with conflict, both external and internal, and it was sweet in some moments, and pretty dark in others.
At the beginning of Tackling the Tight End, I had a little bit of trouble getting into the story being about Dennis, he was such a scumbag in the first book, and I really, really hated what he stood for, and the lengths he went to in his youtube show to ‘out’ people from his university. When he was hired by Raven’s father to do a promotional video for the Casino of their tribe, I was sure nothing good would come from it. Lain completely proved me wrong, though, even if the road was narrow and quite bumpy…
Raven was a character I fell in love with from the start of Tackling the Tight End, because he was strong, both on the football field and out – he was openly gay, and even his team mates, and most of his tribe, were completely on board with that. I loved that this tribe had some very strong mythology of what they called the ‘two spirited’; those who could be either man or woman, or both. The ones who were very much in touch with the spirit world, often medicine men (or women) and who would always be there to help the tribe, healing, and finding solutions to problems. Raven was a lot like that, he worked at a youth shelter for gay youth, many of which had been thrown out by their families.
As the story unfolded, it became clear that while Dennis had done some very wile things, he wasn’t inherently a bad person. He struggled a lot with what he was doing, but in many ways, he didn’t really feel like he had a choice. Even as he got to know Raven much better, and they became friends, then something more, Dennis felt so conflicted. He truly didn’t think he deserved any goodness in his life, but at the same time, Raven shone so bright it was impossible for Dennis to stay away. While Raven was out, Dennis was so hidden he wasn’t exactly sure himself he was gay. Both young men faced a lot of pressure from their families, and they had to fight to stay true to themselves so that maybe one day, they could live the life they had chosen.
Written in third person point of view, past tense, the story was nicely paced, and the flow was seamless. The only reason why I didn’t rate Tackling the Tight End higher was because of my own pre-conceptions of Dennis at the beginning of the story, even if Ms. Lain managed to change my mind as the story unfolded.
His father never loved that Raven hung out with a bunch of gay white kids when he could be working for the glory of the tribe – preferably on the football field. Raven dragged Walt behind him as he followed his father toward the dais. His dad’s formidable hawk profile turned back toward him. “Priorities, Raven.” “Yes, sir.” He had plenty of priorities. They just didn’t include large gatherings of tribal dignitaries.
Raven stood six feet five and weighed in at two twenty-five. Big. Powerful. Shoulders for miles, a twelve-pack that would have made bodybuilders swoon, and a waist so narrow it was hard to believe it was on the same man as the shoulders.
His grandfather smiled. “Do you think if there is any Creator, that he or she would makes such a terrible error? To craft beautifully unique people and then call them mistakes?” He shook his head and sipped his tea.
Buy Links for Tackling the Tight End:
Dreamspinner eBook | Dreamspinner Paperback | Amazon | ARe | B&N
Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT erotic romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel was published in January of 2011 and she’s now somewhere around book 23. Her bestselling novels have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, and Tara has been named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. She often does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft. She lives with her soulmate husband and her soulmate dog in Laguna Beach, California, a pretty seaside town where she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says on her tombstone it will say “Yes”
Author Links:
Website | Blog | Twitter | FB Author Page | Goodreads | Pinterest
Thanks for stopping by today, and good luck in the giveaway!
Warning: This book includes mature content such as: sexual content, and/or drug and/or alcohol use, and/or violence.
Too Hot to Handle by Victoria Dahl
Series: Jackson Hole #2
Published by Harlequin HQN on 26 March 2013
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 320
Format: Kindle
Source: Kindle Purchase
Reading Challenges: 2015 TBR Pile Reading Challenge
This good girl's going bad.
Merry Kade has always been the good girl. The best friend. The one who patiently waits for the guy to notice her. Well, no more. Merry has just scored her dream job, and it's time for her life to change. As the new curator of a museum in Wyoming, she'll supervise a lot of restoration work. Luckily she's found the perfect contractor for the job.Shane Harcourt can't believe that someone wants to turn a beat-up ghost town into a museum attraction. After all, the last thing he needs is the site of his dream ranch turning into a tourist trap. He'll work on the project, if only to hasten its failure; until the beautiful, quirky woman in charge starts to change his mind.
For the first time ever, Merry has a gorgeous stud hot on her heels. But can she trust this strong, silent man, even if he is a force of nature in bed? When Shane's ulterior motives come out, he'll need to prove to Merry that a love like theirs may be too hot to handle, but it's impossible to resist.
Too Hot to Handle is a complex story of finding oneself, realizing all of one’s potentials and possibly finding love along the way as well.
I briefly got to meet Merry in Close Enough to Touch, and I was instantly curious about her. A strong woman, but one who has been put down more often than not, Merry has changed jobs many times, but she is set on making it in Jackson. Both because her best friend Grace lives there now, and because she’s gotten the dream-job in restoring a ghost town just outside of Jackson. Too Hot to Handle shows a lot of the changes Merry goes through, and some of those changes are in part thanks to her neighbor, Shane.
Merry’s enthusiasm about her new job was easy to share with her, especially because she went all out in order to learn about Providence from the historical society so she could do well. What she didn’t realize at first when she asked Shane to help her with the restoration was that he had a personal stake in Providence, and that his interest may be complete opposite Merry’s. As the story in Too Hot to Handle unfolded, it was clear that there was more than just a physical attraction between Merry and Shane, and I loved seeing Merry become more confident in her own appeal.
Of course, things didn’t go smoothly for Merry, neither in her professional, nor in her personal life, however the way she dealt with adversity made me admire her even more. Written in third person point of view, past tense and mostly from Merry’s perspective, Too Hot to Handle brought the characters to the forefront of the story, and I had a good time getting to know them.
They hadn’t meant for her to succeed here. They hadn’t meant for her to do anything.
“The Stud Farm discount,” Grace muttered. “I don’t like the sound of that at all. I think I should hang around.”
“Thanks, Mom, but I promise not to get into your vodka stash.”
She hugged her iPad tighter, and Shane tried not to notice the way her breasts pressed up, revealing a beautiful amount of cleavage above the thin cotton of her tank. He tried not to notice, but he failed miserably. He was a man, and there were breasts right there.
*I received a free copy of Firsts from St. Martin's Griffin via Netgalley in exchange of an honest and unbiased review*
Seventeen-year-old Mercedes Ayres has an open-door policy when it comes to her bedroom, but only if the guy fulfills a specific criteria: he has to be a virgin. Mercedes lets the boys get their awkward, fumbling first times over with, and all she asks in return is that they give their girlfriends the perfect first time- the kind Mercedes never had herself.
Keeping what goes on in her bedroom a secret has been easy- so far. Her absentee mother isn’t home nearly enough to know about Mercedes’ extracurricular activities, and her uber-religious best friend, Angela, won’t even say the word “sex” until she gets married. But Mercedes doesn’t bank on Angela’s boyfriend finding out about her services and wanting a turn- or on Zach, who likes her for who she is instead of what she can do in bed.
When Mercedes’ perfect system falls apart, she has to find a way to salvage her reputation and figure out where her heart really belongs in the process. Funny, smart, and true-to-life, FIRSTS is a one-of-a-kind young adult novel about growing up.
Firsts is an emotional read, told from Mercedes’ point of view. Mercy keeps everyone she knows at arms’ length, and wants to be in control. As the story unfolds, it becomes very clear why that is, and my heart broke for her. The ending was a little ‘too easy’ for me, wrapped up too nicely for such a dark and gritty story.
Mercy’s story in Firsts is one of an abandoned teen, where after her father left, her mother more or less checked out, and she was left to tend for herself with the strangest parental guidance I have ever read about. Kim, Mercy’s mom, was more interested in how Mercy dressed – for success with the boys – than anything else. And for Mercy, control was very important, as was keeping her friends away from all her troubles. And as the story unfolds, the trauma of Mercy’s past slowly comes to light, explaining in many ways why she had taken the decision to help virgin boys from her school to be somewhat experienced so that their first time with their virgin girlfriends could be as close to perfect as possible.
Because she was so smart when it came to everything that had to do with school, tutoring other kids in chemistry or physics, Mercy had broadened her horizons when she realized there was a way for her to help in other ways as well. And apart from her best friend, Angela, she hasn’t let anyone close to her in a long time. Between prayer group and her extracurricular activities, she’s a busy girl, and the way Kim is only in the periphery made me want to slap her to have her wake up and really get to know her troubled daughter. Firsts is about much more than the sex, though, it is about friendship and finding oneself, and I think that this was the hardest part for Mercy. Thinking about the past, letting people in, and trying to construct her future was like a puzzle with missing pieces for her.
Writing about sex in YA is never easy, and having the main female character sleep with different guys to help them be good for their boyfriends was an angle I hadn’t seen before I picked up Firsts. I really loved that there was no judging, and also that Mercy always made sure that only safe sex was happening, as she had a wide variety of condoms to go with her ‘teaching’. The only guy she slept with more than once was Zach, and while he wanted nothing more than being her boyfriend, he let her keep him at arms length in the hope that she would come to her senses at a later time.
Firsts is a complicated story, where Mercy is afraid of being found out, but she can’t make herself stop helping just one more guy. So between the fear of being exposed and the need for validation, her tight-rope becomes tighter as the story moves forward. Written in first person present tense, the I felt like I was right there with Mercy, and the only hope I had was that no matter where the chips fell in the end, she would come out on the other side still being strong, and with a more accomplished feeling of self.
I wish there was a way I could take the Watcher off my list, but that’s the thing about sex. Once it happens, it can’t unhappen.
What I couldn’t tell him was that I wanted, for some desperate reason, for Jillian’s first time to be what mine never was. Jillian was everything I wasn’t – pure, innocent, and unaware of how much pain the opposite sex could inflict, physically and emotionally. I wanted her to stay unaware.
I really feel for guys. They have the hard part, physically and emotionally. Virginity is supposed to be something a girl gives up only when she is ready and feels comfortable, something a girl discusses at length with her friends and flip-flops over a million times in her mind before actually doing it. A guy is expected to be born ready.
*I received a free copy of The Heat Is On from Loveswept via Netgalley in exchange of an honest and unbiased review*
When veteran catcher Connor Jackson gets traded to the New Jersey Sonics, he welcomes the opportunity to possibly cap his career with a World Series ring in his home state. But there’s another reason Connor is glad things have come full circle. In pursuit of hardball glory, he left behind his college sweetheart, the one girl he could never forget. Seeing her again stirs up long-lost desires . . . and this time, he’s determined not to strike out.
A divorced mother of four, Tracy Coleman no longer aspires to gossip-mag glam—but she’ll make an exception for a date with Connor. Their chemistry is hotter than ever, and being alone with him is more seductive than she anticipated. Who could blame her for leaving out a little detail like the kids? Now all she has to do is come clean and convince the man of her dreams that they—Connor, Tracy, and her children—have a future together.
The Heat Is On is one of the sweetest second chance at love romances I have read! Tracy and Connor were both very tentative, for different, but obvious reasons. I loved meeting the baseball players from Sonics again, and the way Tracy and Connor dealt with adversity.
I think what made The Heat Is On so irresistible to me was the fact that Tracy had four very young children, and while Connor was taken aback when he first found out, he didn’t let that hinder him in his quest to win Tracy back. And those kids were just so cute, too – even if it was definitely a lot for Tracy to take care of them, especially because her creepy ex didn’t always pay allowance on time. The trip back to The Sonics was great, too, I loved how Connor took on a leadership role to help the team be the best it could be!
Of course, there were some set-backs in the relationship between Tracy and Connor, both because Tracy got some bad advice from a school advisor about her oldest son, Mason, and because her ex kept threatening to take the kids away from her if she had a relationship with Connor. Their feelings for each other were strong enough to get through a lot, though, and that made my heart swoon more than once!
Another think I loved about The Heat Is On was that both Connor and Tracy were in their thirties, I have a thing for more mature main characters, especially when they show me that they are still both playful and sexy. This whole series has been a blast to read, and I can’t help but hope there will be more books about the Sonics baseball team – those guys certainly bring it, and the ladies in their lives are amazing as well.
But Connor didn’t care. Even when a woman dressed in head-to-toe spandex pushed him out of the way to get her bag, he had to smile. This was, after all, Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Shove. And it was real.
As he walked into the gleaming designer kitchen and tossed his keys on the quartz countertop, he made up his mind. Not only would he do everything he could to help the Sonics go all the way this year, but he was getting back his girl.
*I received a free copy of The Fractured Heart from via Netgalley in exchange of an honest and unbiased review*
All things, when placed under pressure, eventually break or leave a mark.
Tattoo artist Brody "Cujo" Matthews knows how to keep things simple. In life and in love. Abandoned as a child by a mother who refused to stick around to raise three boys she didn't want, he's intent on staying clear of complicated women. The only things complicated in Cujo’s life are the killer tattoos he designs and inks. That all changes when he’s asked to help organize his best friend Trent's engagement party, which means working with Trent's fiancée's best friend, Drea, the definition of high maintenance and sizzling curves. And the one woman he doesn’t want to walk away from.
Andrea "Drea" Caron is broke and tired. After years of caring for her ailing mom, she's at the end of her rope trying to manage the piling medical bills, two jobs, and a life placed on hold. She certainly doesn’t need the added frustration of a sexy playboy tattoo artist messing up her best friend’s engagement party or her carefully balanced life. But when Drea witnesses the abduction of a woman from the café she works at, she can’t help but turn to Cujo who’s determined to prove to Drea that he’s someone she can count on forever…but as they attempt to bring the truth to light, someone is working to bring that forever to a sudden, deadly halt.
This series is addictive! The Fractured Heart brought a lot of tension and suspense to the table, and I absolutely loved getting to know Brody and Drea better!
I thought I already knew Drea and Cujo (Brody) from their appearances in The Strongest Steel, however, there was so much more to both of them than the bordering on mean teasing, and the way they did their best to stay clear of each other. In The Fractured Heart, I got a very good understanding of why they were both shying away from a relationship. They were both amazing, loyal friends to other people, but they didn’t feel like a romantic relationship was for them. Seeing the reasons behind this, through a series of difficult things they had both gone through in the past – and which followed them in the present made me love them even more than I already did.
Drea showed so many different sides of herself, and I think what touched me the most was her vulnerable side. Usually she was hiding that part behind a prickly exterior and some bordering on rude comments – but it was the best way she had found to keep her heart safe. Caring for her mother and holding down two jobs, while also trying to figure out her feelings for Brody, and who the mystery lady who was chased at gun-point through the café made Drea’s life extremely busy. And it also made her feel like she didn’t even know herself anymore. She couldn’t remember the last time she did something because she wanted to do it. Or what kind of things she enjoyed doing if she did have time off from everything else.
Brody was a lot deeper than I had thought, too, and I loved how he thought things through, and how important it was for him to not repeat his parents’ past. At times, he acted rashly, but those knee-jerk reactions were the only way he found to deal with everything that could potentially hurt him. The chemistry between Drea and Brody was amazing, and I loved their banter! It was sexy at times, and sassy at others. And they were both brutally honest, even if they sometimes didn’t really know what they wanted or how to get about to actually achieve what they were aching for.
The overall storyline was well executed, and I enjoyed that Trent and Harper were a part of the story here, too. The main and sub-plots made it difficult to put my kindle down, I could never find a place where I didn’t have the feeling of needing to now what would happen next. All I can say is that I loved The Fractured Heart, and am already impatient for the next installment in this series.
He’d shaved his head bald in the years since then, but some little half-pint whirling dervish had recently told him he looked like a bully, and for reasons he didn’t care to explore, it had bothered him. So there he was, in the shitty growing-your-hair-out phase, and he hated it.
He closed her folder and pushed it off to one side, replacing it with the BLT. Drea pushed the sandwich toward Cujo. He pushed it back. “What?” Cujo asked, facing her. “It’s a BLT, not a marriage proposal,” he whispered into her ear. “Just eat it. You can stab me with the fork later.”
They carried their beers into the living room, past the small side table he’d chipped a tooth on at six, and took a seat on the brown leather sofa where he’d lost his virginity.
*I received a free copy of Harlot from Selfpublished via Netgalley in exchange of an honest and unbiased review*
He came home to marry an angel...
After working in the gold fields of California for two years, Caleb Hightower has come home to marry his childhood sweetheart, Jessica Willoughby. But when he returns, Caleb learns his refined bride-to-be is now a whore. Enraged by her betrayal, he can’t reconcile this shameless woman with the sweet innocent he once deeply loved—but Caleb knows what to do with a harlot. He’s determined to get everything from her that she’s sold to other men. And he’s prepared to pay for the pleasure of his revenge.But all he found was sin.
Left penniless after her father’s death, Jess made a deal with a devil. Now she must face her first love, whose scorn is no match for her regret. To make amends, she’ll let Caleb quench his rage with her body. Their bargain strips them down to searing passion and naked vulnerability, and Jess can still glimpse her loving Caleb buried deep inside this rough cowboy. In the end, an unbearable truth emerges that could push them toward forgiveness…or could destroy their fragile bond forever.
Harlot was a very short, hot story, and I think it was a little too short. The story was a bit rushed, and the characters were not exactly complex.
Harlot is a good story, and it especially shows how it was difficult for women to be empowered and take charge of their own lives and destinies in the past. When Jessica’s father died and left her with only debts, she didn’t know what to do. The house would have to be sold, as would most of her other possessions. Caleb had been gone for two years already, and she hadn’t heard from him in a long time, and had to find a way to get through this on her own. When someone presented her with what seemed like the only possibility to find a place to live, and enough money to live with, she took it. Even if that possibility was to give her virginity to a man in exchange for a house…
When Caleb got back to town after learning that Jessica’s father had passed away, the first thing he heard about her what that she was a whore now, working from her very own whorehouse on the outskirts of town. And to say he was angry to find his angelic girl opening her legs to strangers for money is an understatement!
Harlot is about more than the relationship between Caleb and Jessica, though. It is about women having the power to choose their own life, about not judging others, about being able to feel safe, and having enough to eat and a place to live. I get what Dahl wanted to do with this story, and it was well done, however, I would have enjoyed it more if the story had been a bit longer, so that the character development could have been a little deeper. The hypocrisy of a man going to pay for a whore being OK, but the whore taking his money being dirty is definitely something that is addressed – and it should be!
The writing is really good, of course, this is by Victoria Dahl, you know! Written in third person point of view, past tense, and peppered with well-done dialogues. If you enjoy historical romances that have a somewhat realistic and feminist goal, Harlot could be the perfect book for you! I was left with a feeling of needing just a little more.
And it was easier this way. If they knew about the awful, gnawing agony in his chest, he’d have to add humiliation to the pile of hurt. He’d never asked her to marry him. No one knew they’d been anything more than childhood sweethearts. No one but Jessica and Caleb.
It terrified him that he could still feel this way for her, but it awed him, as well, because maybe their love was bigger than anything else. Bigger than hurt and jealousy and stupid decisions. It was just… right.
*I received a free copy of If the Viscount Falls from Pocket Books via Netgalley in exchange of an honest and unbiased review*
Reading Challenges: 2015 New Release Challenge
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The heir presumptive to the Viscount Rathmoor, Dominick Manton once had his heart’s desire within reach—a bright future as a barrister and engagement to Jane Vernon, a wealthy baron’s daughter. Then a shattering betrayal by his vindictive brother George snatched away Dom’s inheritance and his hopes of offering Jane a secure future. Brokenhearted, and attempting to end their engagement without destroying Jane’s reputation, Dom staged a betrayal of his own to convince her that he’s not the husband-to-be that she thought.
Now George is gone and the viscountcy restored to Dom, since his brother’s widow, Nancy—Jane’s cousin and closest confidant—never bore an heir. But when Nancy goes missing, a panicked Jane calls on her former fiancé to track down her cousin. Dom knows the mistakes of the past may be unforgiveable—but now, entangled together in mystery and danger, will they rekindle a passionate longing that was never lost to begin with?
The Duke’s Men had to get involved once more in If the Viscount Falls, and there was romance and mayhem galore!
Jane was absolutely delightful, and If the Viscount Falls fell right into step with the other stories in this series. A little bit of shenanigans, scorching chemistry, and a second chance at love for Dom and Jane made my heart swoon. Dom, however was very high-handed, and even when he realized he might have a real chance of winning Jane back, he made decisions without consulting her, and continued to treat her like a naive young girl, rather than the strong woman she had grown into.
Dom was the main man behind The Duke’s Men, as he needed to find something productive to do in order to earn money after his older brother, George, left him without funds after their father’s death. Now, however, George is dead, and Dom is the new Viscount. When Jane shows up to share her distress about her cousin, George’s widow, missing, Dom doesn’t really think anything is going on. However, he indulges her and goes with her to Bath to see if they can find Nancy safe and sound.
The mystery surrounding Nancy’s disappearance, especially because she’s not alone, makes the whole reunion between Jane and Dom bittersweet. Danger, secrets, and yet another possibility that Dom will not inherit the title makes him try as best he can to keep his distance from Jane. Not that she makes that easy for him – even if she is finally engaged to someone else but Dom. And of course, the fact that Jane finally showed that she was willing to go after what she wanted made the hotness irresistible. The third person point of view in past tense worked really well, because the narration moved the story along flawlessly. If Dom had been a little more open to Jane’s opinion, I would have given If the Viscount Falls five stars.
Lisette eyed him askance. “He didn’t call me that, did he?” “Not yet, no. I was too young.” Dom let the footman serve him some beef. “That didn’t keep me from being curious, though. Tristan was toddling about, and Father and Mrs. Bonnaud were clearly very friendly, so I asked where Mrs. Bonnaud’s husband was. Father, evasive as usual, said he was helping her get on without one.” Lisette snorted. “Helping her? That’s what he called it?”
“Are you rethinking your plan for seduction now?” he asked, with a decided tension in his voice. “No.” She cast him a game smile. “Just… reassessing the… er… fit.”
*I received a free copy of Anything For You from Harlequin HQN via Netgalley in exchange of an honest and unbiased review*
Anything For You by Kristan Higgins
Series: Blue Heron #5
Published by Harlequin HQN on 29 December 2015
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 384
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley
Reading Challenges: 2015 New Release Challenge
Before you get down on bended knee…
…you should be pretty darn sure the answer will be yes. For ten years, Connor O'Rourke has been waiting for Jessica Dunn to take their on-again, off-again relationship public, and he thinks the time has come. His restaurant is thriving, she's got her dream job at Blue Heron Vineyard—it's the perfect time to get married.
When he pops the question, however, her answer is a fond but firm no. If it ain't broke, why fix it? Jess has her hands full with her younger brother, who's now living with her full-time, and a great career after years of waitressing. What she and Connor have is perfect: friends with an excellent benefits package. Besides, with her difficult past (and reputation), she's positive married life isn't for her.
But this time, Connor says it's all or nothing. If she doesn't want to marry him, he'll find someone who does. Easier said than done, given that he's never loved anyone but her. And maybe Jessica isn't quite as sure as she thinks…
Nostalgic, achingly tender and sweet – Anything for You showed the extremely slow development of Jess and Connor’s relationship. All the characters we already know and love in Blue Heron were present as well.
I have to admit I felt really bad for Connor with the beginning of Anything For You! He had prepared a very romantic evening for his on-again off-again girlfriend Jess, complete with a diamond ring to ask her to marry him – only to have her think he was adorable, but of course, the answer was no. As the story moved forward, though, with flash-backs to their childhoods, teenage years and early adult-hood, it became very clear that Jess was right. Of course the answer was no – there were too many things not yet settled and worked out between the two of them. Her difficult past as a trailer-park child, with parents who were drunk more often than not, and a disabled younger brother she felt responsible for, Jess just didn’t have room for another full time relationship in her life.
Getting to know Connor and Jess was a pleasure, and I loved being back in the Blue Heron universe for their story. Anything For You is a solid story, about what is important in life, and also how hard it can be to let go of the past in order to grab hold of the present and the future with both hands. Connor was in a place where he thought everything was possible, but he hadn’t really thought about how hard things still were for Jess, but when he put his mind to it – he was amazing at figuring out solutions to all the roadblocks in their way.
Sweet and tender, and with a romance between two people who had known each other almost their whole lives, Anything For You went deep into the main characters’ thoughts and feelings to explore them, and to help them get to know themselves better all the while letting me get to know them well at the same time. I loved the other relationships in the story as well, both between friends and family, and other couples I had met in the past books in the series. The sense of loyalty between those close to Jess felt towards her was so strong, yet, she couldn’t really see it because she was always striving to better herself to make sure her brother would always be safe. Putting her own life on hold was just normal for her, and as I learned the reasoning behind this, my heart broke for her.
Written in third person point of view, past tense, the story moved forward at an even pace, and both the overall story as well as the plot and the sub-plots were well executed.
“I just asked you to marry me, Jess,” he said. “And it was adorable.” She ruffled his hair. That didn’t bode well, either. “The answer is no, obviously. What were you thinking? And boy, I’m starving. Did you call for pizza yet?”
No, the O’Rourkes were a sitcom family, starring Dad as The Hardworking Businessman; Colleen, the Sassy and Beautiful Daughter; Mom with a supporting role as Slightly Dim Housewife; and Connor as… As not that much. As Colleen’s twin.
He thought about calling someone to join him – one of his high school pals, maybe. Levi Cooper was on leave from Afghanistan, and Big Frankie Pepitone was always up for a beer. Then he opted against it. Solitude was the order of the night. He was Irish – brooding was the song of his people.
Thanks for stopping by, and good luck in the giveaway!
The 2016 New Release Challenge is a year-long challenge in which we aim to read books released in 2016. I am lucky enough to have an awesome co-host for the New Release Challenge, Stormi @ Books, Movies, Reviews Oh My! is here to share both the fun and the burden ;) There will be monthly update posts, and each quarter - the end of March, end of June, end of September and in December, there will be a giveaway with the update as well. In 2015, so far, I have read 132 books read that were released this year, and I don't see why this should be any different next year. This is why I wanted a New Release Challenge, and at the beginning of 2015, I searched high and wide for one. After a while of google-fu, I found one, but it's not exactly the way I wanted the challenge to be, therefore, the new release challenge is loosely inspired by Olivia at Book Comet: 2015 New Releases Reading Challenge. And her challenge might be 100% the way you want a New Release Challenge to be. As soon as I decided to actually host a challenge, I contacted Stormi, who was also happy to host a year-long challenge, and now, we'll have each other's backs! We have also created a Facebook Group for the 2016 New Release Challenge, to have a place where we can keep up with each other, cheer each other on, and get to know each other better. It is also a place where we can help each other find even more 2016 releases.
To sign up, please link your sign-up post in the linky below, and also make sure you use the quarterly linky for your reviews, as that will be the way the giveaway winner will be chosen. You can choose if you want to do monthly or quarterly challenge updates on your blog, but you will have the possibility to link up each month with your reviews, and every quarter for the giveaway.
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It would be great if you used the hashtag #2016NewReleaseChallenge when you tweet about it, and post a review, so that it is easier to find your review on the day you post it :) Also, if you're not sure where you can find out about new releases, I have a Goodreads 2016 Releases shelf to help you get started, and here's a screenshot of some of the books I've added to it: Because I read a whole lot of books each year, I'm aiming for the New Release Enthusiast myself :) Thanks for stopping by, I hope you'll join us, and that you will have fun with this challenge.
Close Enough to Touch by Victoria Dahl
Series: Jackson Hole #1
Published by Harlequin HQN on 28 August 2012
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 384
Format: Kindle
Source: Kindle Purchase
Can a city girl make it in the wild, wild West?
For makeup artist Grace Barrett, Hollywood isn't the land of golden opportunity. It's the land of difficult divas, cheating boyfriends and unemployment. So when her great-aunt offers her a free place to stay in Jackson Hole, Grace thinks she'll spend a little time in the sticks to figure out her life, and then move somewhere exciting to live out her dreams. But it turns out that there are a few more thrills in this small town than Grace was expecting....
Cole Rawlins is a rugged Wyoming cowboy born and bred. Yet he can't help but be drawn to the fascinating big-city girl who moves in across from him. He wants to get close enough to Grace to see past her tough facade, but if he does, she might see the real Cole. The one with a Hollywood history gone bad. As they discover a sizzling attraction, it becomes harder for him to keep his demons at bay-and those fires from long ago may burn them both.
They'll need more than scorching-hot passion to make this opposites-attract affair work. But if they can learn to trust one another enough to reveal their secrets, they just might have a chance at forever.
I loved Close Enough to Touch, both because I found the characters to be so compelling, and because the story was very touching!
Grace is one of those prickly characters who prefers being angry rather than show anyone that she is vulnerable and maybe a bit fragile. And I fell in love with her from the beginning, because she was a fighter all the way. She fought against having friends, loving other people, Cole, her sexy cowboy neighbor, and just life in general. And while my life has been nothing like hers, I could relate to her, and I just wanted her to find a way to at least be content. Close Enough to Touch is both about the physical touch and the more emotional touch, and Grace was definitely OK with physical touch, as long as she let nobody through the tall and wide walls she had erected around her heart. Down on her luck and almost penniless, she showed up in Jackson Hole to stay for a few weeks in one of her great-aunt Rayleen’s apartments at the stud farm.
Cole seemed to be the complete opposite from Grace, because he was outwardly friendly and smiling, but he was hiding a big heap of hurt inside as well. Thirteen years of hurt, with a nice, big new pile of hurt on top. A cowboy ready to by the ranch where he was working, he wasn’t even sure if he’d ever ride again after a bad accident several months before Close Enough to Touch started. These two characters both intrigued me and each other, and I enjoyed their story very much. It took both of them a very long time to open up to each other emotionally, but their physical chemistry and hotness was off the charts!
Grace was running away from her life in LA, from an ex-boyfriend who might get her in jail, and the jaded Hollywood business as a make-up artist. In Jackson Hole, she knew she had to find a job, and she somehow ended up working as a freelance for the local photographer, who had a contract for an onsite movie gig. The arrival of the production team to the small town affected both Grace and Cole in many ways, and it made their tough façade crack a little bit – turning their steamy relationship into something more distant as they had to deal with their personal demons.
Slowly learning to make some friends, and also trying to get to now her great-aunt, Grace changed quite a bit over the span of the story. However, when push came to show, she was ready to run once more, as fast and as fast as she could. Tender and sweet, Close Enough to Touch made me want to help Grace become her own woman in a way that would permit her to let go of her anger and embrace her strong sense of self in a different way.
Written in third person point of view, past tense, but with a lot of dialogues to help the readers get to know the characters well, Close Enough to Touch was a great story that is the beginning of what I think is an amazing series.
Even the most cynical person could tell he was offering the truth. And his face Hell, that was enough to inspire generosity. It was lovely in a very masculine way. A jaw like steel. Strong nose. And blue eyes that crinkled with warmth fairly often, if the laugh lines were any indication.
She felt lighter as she headed for the faint sounds of music leaking from the saloon next door. “The saloon next door,” she murmured. That was something she’d never said before. Bar, yes. Liquor store, sure. And on one occasion even a strip club. But never a saloon.
The old woman was harmless. Eccentric, but harmless. Even the jokes in town meant nothing, which was why everyone thought they were funny. Obviously nothing was was going on between Rayleen and her young renters, but with the house being part of the old Studd homestead, the jokes were too easy. Too damn perfect.