5/5 Review: For Maggie's Sake by Lora Leigh

For Maggie's Sake is written by one of my favorite authors, Lora Leigh.  I have never been disappointed in her books and doubt I ever will. Furthermore, Ms. Leigh is a master storyteller with unlimited masterpiece, her books has a mixture of tears, betrayals, a true testament for what true love can endure and conquer.

 If you could think nothing could be worse than losing your husband, think again as Ms. Leigh takes us on a roller coaster ride of emotions.  Maggie's husband, Grant has just died but instead of taking time to mourn him and try to get back on track with life, she is forced to fight for her freedom and hide from those that should be protecting her.

Our protagonist is Maggie's husband's former best friend, Joe, who coincidently happens to be her ex-lover.  Joe's feelings have never changed for Maggie, but he has maintained his distance to honour his friendship to both Maggie and Grant.

But life is never what one thought it would be, unknowingly mixed up with the  the mob, Maggie is being framed by the one person who was supposed to love her forever. To make matters worst, falling in love with her protector wasn't in the cards either. Now it's a race against time to sort out betrayals, trust, and find the evidence to clear Maggie's name.

4/5 Review: Illusion Town by Jayne Castle

Illusion Town is 13th book in Jayne Castle's Harmony series. I have to say I'm sad I came into this series so late! Harmony is an alien planet that is the new earth. They have everything like any place - high end living to the seedy side of life. 

Hannah, is a dreamlight talent (she dream walks and this helps her find things). She is called a finder. Elias Coppersmith is the head of R&D for his family's mining consordium. He helps develop items using alien technology and gems. He meets Hannah when he hires her to find a lost antiquity for him. After, she finds the item for him, he talks Hannah into going out with him for dinner. Next thing you know - boom they are waking up in a seedy motel room - and oh yeah - They are married and neither has a memory of what happened. As they retrace their steps things start falling in place - however, the mystery continues.

Ms. Castle's writing is wonderful, I did find some of the terminology a bit confusing but understandable. She will take you through her world with great detail - you will go along on Hannah and Elias' adventures in underground alien ruins, through a rainforest, and a mysterious carnival. The story is fast paced, filled with humor and danger. 

If you are a fan of aliens, romance, and want to smile - I recommend this one - I think the series will be added to my ever growing TBR. And heck - protective Dust Bunnies are something we should all want to have along for a ride!

4/5 Review: Dare to Stay by Jen McLaughlin

I will start by stating that this is the second in the Jen McLaughlin's The Sons of Steel Row series. I did not read book one but you pick up very quickly on how book one ended - it wasn't pretty! That being said I do recommend you read book 1 although Dare to Stay reads well alone. 

In this installment we get to learn more about Chris O'Brien. Book one ended with Chris bleeding in an alley on the seedy side of South Boston. Having done something beyond reproach. Molly Lachlan finds Chris and saves him from dying. 

Molly, just happens to be the girl next door (literally), that Chris has worshipped from afar most of his life. Molly, may be the girl next door, a teacher, and has dealt with the loss of her family from gang violence. So, Chris is about as far from what she is looking for as it can get. But, sometimes fate has something else in mind!

Can Molly, look past Chris' way of life and love him for who and what he is? Can Chris forgive himself for the awful things he has done and give Molly what she wants and what he thinks she deserves? Settle down open the book and discover The Sons of Steel Row!

Ms. McLaughlin's writing is descriptive and her plot lines are tight and keep the story moving forward. The story is told in alternating 1st person, so you get to see what is going on in both Scott and Molly's heads. So, if you are in the market for a great bad boy romance, I highly recommend this one.

5/5 Review: Break of Day by Mari Madison

This is the second in Mari Madison's Exclusive Romance series.  Having not read the first - I can say that it works well as a stand alone.  In this installment she brings us the Piper's story.

Piper is a strong woman - she has been through alot in her young life but she is making it one day at a time.  When she is thrown back in her career not getting a promotion that she was thought was hers.  Life opens a window and the adventure begins.

Asher Anderson - local weatherman and local celebrity, meets Piper at their friend's wedding.  He finds her attractive and can't seem to get her out of his mind.  He arranges for her to become his assistant.  His mother and the station have been hounding him to find someone to get him together.  He would rather be surfing then spending time predicting the weather.

What starts out as a friendship, slowly turns into romance.  They both of family issues.  Ms. Madison deals with some very sensitive issues - like drug addiction, homelessness,  and death with ease and grace.  Asher and Piper come from different social/financial backgrounds, but they still find themselves falling in love.  Will they find forever with one another or will they step away to help the other become all that they can be?  Sit down, cuddle up, and start turning the pages.  If you are in the market for a lovely contemporary romance Break of Day is well worth the time.

5/5 Review: A Season of Ruin by Anne Bradley

This is the second in Anne Bradley's Sutherland Scandals series.  It reads well enough as a stand alone but do yourself the greatest favor and read the first one.  I fell in love with the Sutherland Rogues.

This book brings us Robyn and Lily's story.  Robyn - he is the nair do well brother and in his escapades he has sullied the wrong maiden.  His brother's sister in law, Lily.  He seems to not really care because he has finally lived up to the expectations that his family has always expected from.  

Then we have poor sweet - naive Lily.  She just keeps getting her name in the gossip sheets of the time.  The match that she was hoping for has left, her Grandmother that has been estranged from them garners her attention and tries to make arrangements for Lily's future.  Who will it be - the original match or the Rogue that has captured her heart and shown her true carnal pleasure? 

Ms. Bradley, writes with humor, I found myself turning pages just to see what trouble Robyn was going to cause.  It is obvious she has done some great research on the time period and she will take to you into her world with great joy.  If you are looking for a wonderfully written historical romance I highly recommend this wonderful romp through the Ton, mixed with scandel, high tea, romance and duels.

3/5 Review: The Dirt on 9th Grave by Darynda Jones

This is the 9th installment in Darynda Jones' Charley Davidson series.  I will say that I may have rated the book higher had I read the other 8 - being said guess it's not a stand alone - I was a bit lost in the beginning.  However, Ms. Jones' writing will have you laughing out loud. 

I suppose that the humor is what has been used to even out the horrible past that Charley has had, and helps her stay positive life stance.  She is strong a bit frivolous on the way she handles situations much to my frustration and Reyes as well.

Reyes is Charley's love interest and it was fun watching them fall in love (I suppose again).  This installment begins with the fact that Charley has lost her memory and landed herself in Sleepy Hollow, NY.  With all the supporting characters from the previous books along for the ride.

Ms. Jones' writing is fluid, her characters are well-developed, and her plot lines keep the story moving forward.  I will say at this point again, it's not a stand alone! I recommend reading the series from the beginning.  But, I feel that if you are looking for a sexy at times, humorous to the point of strange looks from the snorts of laughter in public, well developed series - I recommend giving this one a go.

4/5 Review: Exiled by Jasinda Wilder

I will start by noting that Exiled should not be read as stand alone novel. I highly recommend you read them in order. That being said Exiled is the third and final installment in her Madame X trilogy. And finally finally finally! We get to know what the heck is going on! It's not what I expected but at least I didn't feel like punching my kindle when I was done.

Caleb has shown his true colors and Madame X has finally seen the light. She wants to know who she really is discover what it is like to live really and truly live. Discover the world, discover herself and discover true love. 

Logan Ryder is truly in love with Madame. He wants more then the lessons she has taught, he wants to be her friend, her partner, her adviser, and above all her love. With his money and power he helps Madame become Isabelle, it this is what she truly wants.

This book is the story of whom Isabelle is and if she is going to fight for herself or let Caleb (if that is who is really is) possess her forever. If you are in the market for a truly stunning mind bending ride and at times erotic ride - start at the very beginning and enjoy!

4/5 Review: Mnevermind 1: The Persistence of Memory by Jordan Castillo Price

This book is the beginning of a what I believe to be a great story.  This story does end on a cliffhanger, so if that is a deal breaker wait until more are out, but do not let this story pass.  

Daniel has taken over the family business called Adventuretech because his father decided it was time for him to retire.  Daniel is a memory sherpa, he goes into people’s mind and pulls them out of their memory trip.  He is a good memory sherpa and usually has no problem jumping in and out of other people’s minds, but he has recently been seeing someone in these minds with him.  He thinks that it is something he has made up and begins to worry that his mind is now playing games with him, or he is caught in a memory packet.  Then he realizes that the man jumping into people’s minds with him is a real man and he decides that he must find him.

When Daniel finds Elijah, he realizes that Elijah is a not ‘normal’ person.  I use ‘normal’ because that term is relative, but in this case it just means others without the skills and abilities that Elijah has.  Elijah speaks and understands better when he is in other people’s minds so when Daniel asks him if he wishes to go out and have a coffee, he doesn’t understand that Daniel is asking him out on a date.  After much teasing and snarky comments from the people he works with Elijah realizes that Daniel was asking him out and tracks him down.  After Elijah finds Daniel again things are said that seem to make their seeing each other something that is not going to happen.

Daniel needs to become more confident in his abilities, so that he can actually take care of his business.  He also has to deal with the guilt of how his father remembers things, because he believes that is was because of a packet he wrote that his father has no memory of his mother leaving.  He doesn’t believe that he deserves a relationship with anyone much less someone who would require lot of understanding and patience.  

Again I am not disappointed with Jordan Castillo Price’s work and look forward to reading more on Daniel and Elijah.  I want to see how their relationship progresses and how Daniel continues to deal with his father’s memory issues.  I want to know more about the memory trips and how Elijah and Daniel traverse them.  I can’t wait for the next book in the MNEVERMIND series.

5/5 Review: Connection Error by Annabeth Albert

Josiah is a programmer for the game Space Villager.  He is traveling to Germany to meet with some of the members to finish a new expansion pack for the game.  This is a new position for Josiah and is under a lot anxiety to make sure that it goes correctly.  When he gets on the plane, after being late, he meets Ryan.  Ryan is Navy SEAL on his way to continue his therapy.  He lost both of his legs on a mission and needs therapy to get used to his prosthesis. He and Josiah strike up a conversation and begin a journey that will change both of their lives.  

They are deviated and have to take new flights the next day.  Josiah never noticed Ryan’s condition and because he has ADHD he has not filter on his thoughts.  So a lot of times he says what he thinking without any control over his thoughts.  When he notices Ryan’s lack of legs he blurts out something that makes their departure from each other to become very awkward.  As Ryan is leaving the airport to his hotel, because he figured something like this would happen and booked a room, he sees Josiah sitting on the floor waiting for the day to pass.  Even though he became annoyed with Josiah’s reaction he can’t help but feel sorry for him and invites him to share the room.  

They begin a friendship that carries them through their worst days and creates some of the best memories of both their lives.  As their relationship becomes more involved Ryan has to decide if he is going to open up and trust that if he lets someone in, his heart won’t be broken.  Josiah has to begin to trust in himself and his ability to take of himself before he can truly accept that someone else loves him for him.  

This is the second book I have read of Annabeth Albert and I am happy with it.  I will be looking for more work by this author and believe that I will not be disappointed.  The journey that Ryan and Josiah were on is one that I enjoyed to travel and hope to see more of them.  I recommend this and any of Annabeth Albert’s work.

Snare by Racheline Maltese and Erin McRae

This story is about Eli finding the place he belongs even if it’s not where thought it was supposed to be.  Eli works in New York as a filing clerk.  He is very diligent in his job and makes sure that his work is done to the best of his abilities, even if it is filing paperwork.  One day while filing paperwork he notices that some of it is filled out incorrectly.  He decides to go the address and have the paperwork filled out correctly.  When he gets there he meets Matthew.  Matthew is the one that runs the warren and makes sure that everything is taken care of for everyone who lives there.  

While Eli is at the warren he helps Matthew with the paperwork in his office and realizes that he is having a good time.  When he realizes the time, he has to leave and go home.  When he gets ready to leave both he and Matthew realize that he can’t leave because of a blizzard that has stopped the trains.  While having dinner with Matthew and the rest of the warren Eli and Matthew’s attraction to each other becomes more obvious to themselves and to Richard.  Richard is the warren master, the vampire.  Richard and Matthew decide that Eli can spend the night with them, in bed. When Eli agrees they head up for the night.  Things from there happen so fast that Eli’s life is changed drastically.  

I enjoyed the story, but felt that it was slow in some places.  The world that the authors worked to create seemed interesting, but it was explained in a way that seemed just to place Eli in a certain place.  I wish that this story was written in a way that didn’t seem rushed and slow at the same time. It is a good story with potential to be even better.  

Love's Changes by LaQuette

This is a novella in the Loosing Your Way Series.  It can be read as a standalone, but I wouldn’t recommend that.  I am going to get the rest of the books in this series because I want to know what has happened between Bryan and Justice and the rest of the Amare family.  

This novella dragged me into their family and made want Bryan and Justice to make it.  It seems that Bryan and Justice are an impasse in their relationship and Justice feels that the only way to move with his life is to get a divorce.  This rips the both of them apart.  Bryan was injured on the job, he’s a cop, and realized that what he has been doing to both him and Justice is unfair for both of them and that he needs to fight for his life not push him away.  Unfortunately, Justice seems to have decided that the time has come to give Bryan what he has been saying he has wanted, a divorce.  With this decision also comes the fact that Justice is not going to train Bryan to get him back in shape to go back to work.  This also delivers another blow to Bryan.  When the news about the divorce gets to the rest of the Amare clan they rally around both Bryan and Justice to make Justice realize that getting a divorce isn’t what would be best for the two of them.  Many things are set into motion to reunite the two men who belong together.  The thing that they need to do though is listen to each other and actually talk.  They need to ask the right questions and clear burdens of guilt that are tearing them apart.  

This novella introduced me to Bryan and Justice and I will make sure to go back and really meet them and the rest of the Amare clan.

Rhythm and Blue by DP Denman

This book is the sequel to Blue.  You don’t need to read the first one to read this one, but I recommend it because this is an established couple.  I would have loved to know Blue’s history and the way that Blue and Brady got together.  Saying all of that, I completely recommend this book and am going to read the first one and the next one that is coming.  

Blue is a songwriter with a very traumatic past.  He is in a relationship with Brady, who works as a private investor.  At this point in their lives, Blue’s songs are gaining quite a bit of notoriety and success is happening quite rapidly for Blue.  Brady needs to decide if he is going to take the steps necessary to go along for the ride.  Blue tends to feel as if Brady does too much for him, and that leads to a lot of insecurity that isn’t helped by his low self-esteem from the abuse of his past.  Brady does what needs to, to make sure that Blue gets the support that he needs.  This couple understands each other very well but even after being with each other for so long, they still need to learn to talk with each other.  They need to figure out what their relationship is going to look like as Blue’s success causes many things to change.  

I love that this couple is on an evolving journey.  This book depicted their journey together pretty realistically, showing them completing normal everyday things like grocery shopping and laundry.  Now that may not sound all that interesting, but I enjoyed seeing their relationship through each other’s eyes and feeling as if I was along with them.  The feelings that these two made me have was a roller coaster ride that I thoroughly enjoyed and hope to continue.

Spell Weaver by Megan Derr

Myka is a poor, unlicensed tailor who weaves spells into clothing for customers.  He refuses to work with someone who works in illegal matters and loses out on a profitable apprenticeship to gain his license.  He has so much worry about his financial situation and the very real possibility of losing his current business, because of a greedy landlord.  He can keep his business but it is either come up with more money or be willing to trade his body as rent.  He does have a bright spot in his day, his best customer Mr. Johan.  Mr. Johan brings him a suit almost every month and it so happened that he brought him a special suit because he was attending a ball at the palace.  When he left Myka noticed that he dropped something and waited for him to come back and claim it.  When Johan didn’t come back Myka took a huge risk and used the invitation to get into the ball.  Where he had his fantasy fulfilled by Mr. Johan himself.  

Mr. Johan is a very important person in the palace, but he always went to Myka because his work is excellent and since he is in a small shop that no one really knows about, he basically has Myka all to himself.  He has found Myka attractive since day one and always wanted to do something about the attraction, but never had the courage to do anything.  When it came to his attention that Myka refused to work for Norrington, a sleazy tailor who does illegal spell work, he hoped that Myka would be willing to help him.  After Johan sends wizards to pick Myka and explains the situation Myka decides to help in whatever way he can.  Many changes happen for Myka and Johan and they both go along for the ride hoping for their happily ever after.

This is a Cinderella fairytale story and I really enjoyed it.  I have read Megan Derr’s work before and have not been disappointed yet, and I don’t expect to be.  This is a short, quick read perfect for reading during a lunch break.  

Say it Right by A.M Arthur

Say it Right is the second installment in A.M Arthur's All Saints Series.

Marcos and Anthony have know each other since they were six years old.  They thought that they were going to travel the world together when Anthony became a famous soccer player.  Life had other plans for them and most of that seemed to be hell for the two of them.  When Marcos came out to his family he expected his family to stand behind him and support him.  What he got instead is to be kicked out and disowned by his father.  He went to Anthony’s place after being kicked out was allowed to stay the night.  Afterwards he was told that he had to leave because he was a pervert.  When he asked Anthony to go with him, what he got was a backpack with supplies.  Anthony was too afraid to go with him, and Marcos felt that betrayal for a long time.  Life on the streets isn’t easy and Marcos went through hell and more.  When he gets a surprise visit from Maddy, Anthony’s younger sister, he is surprised to find out that Anthony has become a drug addict and has been lost for a while.  

He goes with her to find him and when he sees Anthony after so many years he is distressed to see what has become of the love of his life.  There are so many things that needed to be said by the both of them to each other that maybe their lives wouldn’t have ended up the way it did.  The past can’t be changed, but the work can be done to make a great future.  Anthony promises Marcos that he is going to do everything he can to make sure that he earns Marcos’ trust and affection.  Even though they are working towards a future together, Marcos still has toxic feelings inside of him that threaten to destroy what they have been working so hard for.  When Marcos gets devastating news he reacts by hurting the one he loves and running away.  If he doesn’t get his head on straight everything he has worked so hard for can be lost in a regrettable moment.  

I really enjoyed this book.  It kept me in the story and the reason I put it down was because I had to work.  I wanted to keep reading and continue the journey that Marcos and Anthony were on.  I will be reading by this author and can’t wait what else is in store.

All Note Long by Annabeth Albert

All note long is the 3rd installment in the Perfect Harmony Series by Annabeth Albert.

Lucky is a stripper who is working towards becoming a professional dancer.  He has gone to college and tried to work in as many things as he could to keep from stripping but not many people were looking for dancers.  
One night during his shift he sees Michelin enter the club.  He thinks he is adorable and looks out for him when Michelin’s friends begin to dare him to drink.  While Michelin is with Lucky getting a drink (soda) they get to know each other a little bit, or so Lucky thinks.  
After an explosive kiss between Lucky and Michelin, there is a huge misunderstanding that leads to Michelin leaving and Lucky upset.  What Michelin doesn’t know and Lucky thought he took care of was, that two other employees caught pictures of them kissing and other activities.  
It seems that the only way to fix the problem is to make it seem as if Michelin and Lucky were actually boyfriends and that the pictures were misconstrued.  Things seem to be working for Michelin but in reality he is dealing with a lot of problems from people finding out that he is gay.  
Lucky has to remember that Michelin has had to hide who he was for most of his life because of what he chose to become, or so he tells himself.  As they get to know each other over the course of their ‘relationship’ they realize that what they have could be real.  
There are a lot of obstacles that need to be dealt with so that they can be together for ‘real’.  Michelin needs to decide if he is going to claim who he is and what he feels for Lucky as important and out there for the world to see, regardless of what others think of him.  
This story made me feel quite a bit about both Lucky and Michelin.  The biggest is sympathy for Michelin’s situation.  Not being able to truly be yourself, to have to hide who are all of the time, it is such a hard and lonely existence.  Lucky did try to help Michelin accept himself, but I think that he didn’t really realize how hard it must be to not be able to let others see who you are.  He always had people who supported him, so he was not able to realize the full scope of Michelin’s pain.  The feelings between Lucky and Michelin are great to see and I enjoyed taking their journey with them.  I really enjoyed this book and will continue to read this author’s work. 

My Wild Irish Dragon by Ashlyn Chase

Chloe Arish is an Irish Dragon immigrant. She's fakes her birth certificate and is hoping to get a coveted position as a Boston fire fighter. She's perfect for the job of course, she's supernaturally strong, fast and best of all, fireproof! She's a shoe-in! Of course she has to keep all the supernatural stuff about her hidden...

Ryan Fierro is a Boston firefighter legacy. His entire family are firefighters, so of course he'll grab the open position! He's got incredible strength, agility and he's an immortal phoenix! Not that he can tell the chief about his supernatural gift...

One spot, two supernatural beings fighting for the responsibility of being on of Boston's bravest... now if only they can keep their secret identities hidden and the Sparks between them snuffed out...

This book is on fire! I was excited when I found out this was a spin off of another series by Ashlyn. She does supernatural spectacularly! I loved knowing each of the characters secrets and reading from their first POV, but at the same time I felt like yelling at them for not sharing their secrets with each other! I laughed, I cried, I yelled and laughed again. This is such a fun read! 

Loving You Easy by Roni Loren

Cora is your average computer genius, she's got the vintage Tees, the skinny jeans and Chucks. She's not the image she's created online. "Lenora" is everything she's not. She sits back and watches the play in the online world of Hayven. Never participating, only observing, until Dmitry. He breaks down her barriers with his words, and sucks her into the online world of BDSM. 

Ren and Hayes together own their own company, they create app, websites and online games. Their biggest hit has been the online BDSM world Hayven. When a security breach happens and Cora is caught in a dangerous situation she's bound and determined to find the owners and get them to fix the breach ASAP, what she didn't expect was to be hired to fix it herself and help figure out who hacked their system. 

Ren and Hayes are both real life Doms. Life has thrown a wrench into Hayes life when he was sent to prison. After 3 years Ren and a team of lawyers and private investigators were able to gets Hayes conviction overturned. But life has not been the same for Hayes. When Ren gets Hayes to come back to work he's constantly worried about how people are looking at him, if people are afraid of him. Until Cora bravely confronts him and asks if he's guilty. Taken aback by her boldness he tells her his story and a bond forms. 

Ren is constantly thinking about Cora, about how she'd feel under him, about how she'd obey him. He's also in love with his best Friend Hayes. What if he could have both? Would the world let him have his true desires, or tear him down and try to break him?

Roni Loren had me sucked into this book! I've never been one to shy away from MFM books, and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The book had mystery, suspense, comedy and great sex. I've been never able to connect to a character more than I have with Cora. I felt like she was written just for me. I enjoyed her whit, sarcasm, and although she may not be able to walk up to random strangers at a party, she knows how to handle herself in most situations. And of course Ren and Hayes are the perfect yin and yang characters who compliment each other and are the perfect lovers! Go grab this book!!