FranJessca [at] Book Lovin' Mamas

Dare to Touch is officially my favorite in Carly Phillips' Dare to Love series because I absolutely adored Olivia Dare and Dylan Rhodes. The minute I started reading Dare to Touch, I knew I was going to have a hard time putting down Olivia and Dylan's book. Unfortunately, I had to thanks to work taking precedence, but every day for lunch I read a few chapters and during those hours I couldn't read Dare to Touch I was thinking about it.

Olivia is a woman who has trust issues, especially when it comes to men due to her father never being there for her when she needed him the most. He was too busy with his second family to really even care. Then there was the life-changing moment she had with her ex-boyfriend. She could never really trust to be with another man again. She also couldn't move on with what happened to her and I felt horrible for poor Olivia. She had every reason to not be able to move on and to be scared for the future.

Dylan Rhodes is the very determined character in Dare to Touch because he wants to prove how much he cares for Olivia. Olivia makes it difficult for him and I felt terrible for how hard Dylan had to push his feelings for her. Dylan has had a rough life as well, so he is trying to make his future much better than it was with someone he loves. Dylan wants the truth out of Olivia, so it will take a little coaxing to win Olivia over. (Maybe a lot of coaxing) Olivia is going to have some obvious trust issues with Dylan due to a certain character that is in his life, so there is a little drama in Dare to Touch.

Carly wrote the perfect guy for Olivia in Dare to Touch and I'm so happy for her HEA. She deserved it for everything she has gone through. I enjoyed this book tremendously due the characters and the storyline. I'm hoping Carly gives hints on who Avery and Scott end up with. (Olivia's sister and brother)

I give this book 5 full moons and highly recommend this book and the rest of the series to Contemporary Romance readers out there. You don't have to read these in order, but personally I recommend you do. You will not want to miss out on some of the rest of Olivia's family (brothers and cousins) that get their HEA. The Dare kids definitely deserve happiness.

****Dare to Touch is my favorite of the series….so far****    =)

The minute I knew Paige Tyler was writing a story about werewolves in a SWAT team, I was all onboard to read Hungry Like the Wolf. I love reading about werewolves and police/SWAT PNR stories. I finished reading this book within a day and a half. Although, I did have to hide from my family, so they would stop interrupting me. It's kind of difficult to get any reading in when it's Winter Break, and this mama works full-time. I was determined to finish this book though in a reasonable time. Dang it!

Hungry Like the Wolf ended up being the first book I finished in 2015.  =) I had a hard time putting it down.

Paige sets up the first book in the SWAT series perfectly by introducing ALL the SWAT members. There's a total of 16 SWAT members. (I wrote them ALL down in a notebook, so I could keep up with them and pick my favorites)  =) Yup…I'm one of those who takes notes.

The main two characters who are going to take center stage in this book are Gage Dixon and Mackenzie Stone. Gage Dixon is the sexy alpha team leader of the SWAT team, and Mackenzie is the nosy Investigative Journalist from the Dallas Daily Star. At first I was a little weary about reading a book with a journalist in it. The journalist is the one that tends to get themselves in sticky situations and can be very annoying. Yes, Mackenzie gets herself in those messes and she was annoying, but I liked her personality. Gage also knew how to handle the annoying journalist (at times). I enjoyed every bit of these two keeping their cool with each other. Let's just say there's a lot of tension and instant love with these two.

Gage is not only the team leader though of SWAT, he is also the pack leader of some very sexy, strong, determined alpha werewolves. (I have no idea how Mackenzie could handle being around all that testosterone) Gage is determined to keep their secret from the public about what and who the SWAT really is, but Mackenzie is determined to find out the truth. She thinks they are crooked, but if only she really knew.

Gage and his pack are going to deal with not only keeping their secret under the wraps, but they have to deal with one of the biggest criminals ever in Dallas in this book. It's never a dull moment with the Special Wolf Alpha Team.

I could go on and on, but I don't want to give away anything.

I will say this towards the end, I got ticked with Mackenzie and how she handled a certain situation. Her instinct changed though, so she won me over again, but I about went through the book to slap her. Grrr!

There is quite a few moments of romance, action, and tension in this book. Lots more tension than anything with Gage and Mackenzie trying to resist each other.

I give this book 4.5 moons and recommend it to readers of the PNR genre.   I really enjoyed reading the first book to the SWAT series and look forward to reading more about these sexy SWAT werewolves.

Dusk is the second book in Alyssa Rose Ivy's The Dire Wolves Chronicles, and I have been waiting patiently to find out what would happen next after the cliffhanger from Dire. Alyssa left us hanging with what happened to Gage and what Mary Anne had promised in the first book.

Forewarned…you need to read the first book before reading Dusk. So I would highly recommend not reading my review of Dusk, otherwise you will miss out on the first book's storyline (which I loved by the way).

Alyssa continues the story of the two college kids that crossed paths with the Dires and witches that adorned the woods where their truck wouldn't start in a horrible winter storm. Mary Anne is forced to make a choice to stay with Hunter as his mate or witness Gage die from what happened in the first book. She chose to become Hunter's mate and it's not going to be easy. Hunter wants her to forget Gage (the boy she has had a crush on for years and fell in love with) to become a mate to a Dire who is a complete stranger. She chose the path, so now she needs to deal with her new responsibilities. She also has to forget Gage. It's going to be hard and Hunter doesn't make it easy for Mary Anne.

Alyssa picks up from where Dire (the first book left off), so there is no confusion at all. It's like continuing a movie after pausing it. She immediately goes into what happened to Gage and how he is accepting the new change. We also get to find out more about the Dires and why they are hiding in this book. There are also things that are brought up that I definitely feel Mary Anne is not asking the right questions to, especially when it comes to what Hunter is up to. I will say this…I like Hunter's character better than Gage. Hunter seems more caring and loving towards Mary Anne, but he is going the wrong way with it.

Mary Anne drove me crazy in this story due her constant change of mood. She would worry about Gage, but then she would worry about Hunter. It's like her feelings are sporadic at times, and the ending she has determined who is all for. I was a little confused with her.  I still enjoy her wiliness to not give up though and constant questions she asked. She wanted to understand and no one would let her. Gage drove me crazy with his erratic behavior, especially towards the end. I was expecting the ending to go the way it was because of how the characters were acting. I still don't know if Gage fully cares for Mary Anne like he says.

I'm left with more questions than answers because the story went pretty quickly, especially towards the end.  Alyssa left a cliffhanger again, so expect to be left in shock on what is going on. Don't get me wrong I loved the ending, but I'm a little worried what is going to happen next. I want a HEA for Mary Anne and Gage, but I'm not sure if I want them together. They don't click fully.

I recommend this book to readers who love the New Adult and Paranormal elements together. I loved how Alyssa is not following the trend of just New Adult Contemporary like other authors are doing right now. She's combining a favorite element of mine. Paranormal elements. Something that will always be dear to my heart.

I give this book 4 stars and look forward to reading the next installment in the Dire Wolves. =)

A Shot of Sin is the first book in Eden Summer Vault of Sin series and it was one book I had a hard time putting down. I literally read this book in one day because it sucked me in from the first chapter. It's all because the men Eden writes into her stories. I couldn't leave Leo, T.J., and Brute hanging. I had to finish A Shot of Sin, so I could know for sure that Leo was going to get the girl and find out more about the sexy men that run Shot of Sin (night club) together.

Eden Summers starts up this addicting book with two characters who have some serious sexual tension between each other. =) Shay Porter is the bar manager of Leo Petrova's night club Shot of Sin, and Leo's two best friends (who are owners to the night club) want Shay to bartend the bar downstairs in their secret club. Leo is ALL against it. He doesn't think Shay can handle what is happening downstairs in Leo's secret club. He also has trust issues with her going down there since this club is not a legal club. Leo's best friends believe she can handle it, but they are worried what could happen if she hooks up with Leo. Let's just say be prepared for some very intense, seductive scenes between Leo and Shay. Holy crap! It's been a while since I finished A Shot of Sin and I still can't get over the scenes. (Eden knows how to keep you thinking about the book after you've read it)

A Shot of Sin is going to get you out of your comfort zone a bit and bring on the heat. I loved every bit of Shay and Leo together. (Sorry, won't get into details because I definitely don't want to give it away) Leo is going to change Shay a bit and Shay is going to change Leo too.  =)

I'm really anxious to read T.J. and Brute's stories next because these two won me over in A Shot of Sin. I need more of these guys already.  Ahhh!

I give this book 5 stars and highly recommend it readers of the contemporary {erotic} romance genre.

Until the next book is released, I'm going to re-read A Shot of Sin again and again because I can't get enough of this series so far. I also gotta keep getting my Leo fix.  =) I LOVE him!

Walking on Her Grave is the last installment in the Rogue Rivers series and Melinda Leigh did an amazing job on concluding this suspenseful series. I definitely was not expecting the ending to end the way it did, especially with who was behind the lethal drug that was going around in Solitude, Oregon. From the minute I started the series, I was anxious to find out if the Oregon town would ever figure out who was behind the deadly drug that was sweeping their town.

I loved from the beginning that Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot got together to write this series together. I love these authors stories. They are addicting to read and they always leave you guessing who is the bad guy in their stories. Once you find out who the bad guy is, you always wonder how the authors kept it hidden from the readers. (well…at least this reader) This is exactly what happened in the Rogue Rivers series. From the beginning to end, the reader is left guessing who is behind it all.

Melinda continues Seth and Carly story in the last installment, and I was rooting for these two to get back together since the moment they were introduced in the second book. Poor Seth goes through so much in this book that he ends up hurt several times. I won't go any further because I don't want to spoil the series for someone who hasn't finished or even started the series.

If you haven't read this series, I highly recommend you do if you are fan of romantic suspense. These books have a lot of suspense to them and some moments of romance between the two pairs of couples.

I give this book 5 stars and look forward to reading much more from these two authors.

Larissa Ione ends one of my favorite (two) series (or is it really the end?) in a astonishing, hard-to-put-down way. I literally was on the edge of my bed reading Revenant when I read it last month. (Yup…writing another review late due to work taking precedence.)

First off, I was excited to read Revenant because I started this series from Larissa Ione back when I was in the Navy. Let's just say I read these back to back to back whenever I wasn't working in the Navy. I was waiting patiently for Larissa Ione to release the next books after I finished reading the other ones. Revenant is apart of the Lords of Deliverance and also the Demonica series because of the characters that are featured in this book. So…if you haven't read these books in order I highly recommend it. You can read the LOTU first, but I recommend reading the Demonica series first and following along into the LOTU. You will be amazed on how Larissa Ione brings these two series together. I friggin' adore how she flows her stories together.

What I loved about Revenant?

(EVERYTHING…The End…Just kidding)

Revenant and Blaspheme. These two are PERFECT together. Revenant has a soft side when it comes to Blaspheme and Blaspheme is one KICK-ASS female character. She may have become one of my favorite female characters in the two series.  I'll have to do a re-read of both series to verify for sure because Larissa knows how to write characters and make me adore them right away.

Revenant has found out he has a twin brother (His twin brother got all the light from heaven) and Revenant got stuck in Hell to be abused emotionally and physically. Revenant has every right to hold a grudge against his brother, but he is going to learn the real truth on why he was stuck in Hell. (No spoilers here, you'll have to read it to find out).

Blaspheme's character is dealing with a lot in this book. She's hiding a big secret and that secret could end up having her be killed. (I won't go into the story about her because too much can be given away)

The storyline alone should have readers continuously turning the pages (or clicking through the screen on your Kindle or Nook). I'm telling you Larissa Ione tells amazing addictive stories.

There's a bigger issue in Revenant that is addressed and ALL the characters are going to come out to help. Revenant is going to face off with his past in his present and Blaspheme is going to find out the truth about herself in this book.

There is some VERY heated sexual scenes in Revenant between the two characters. Holy heck! You will need a cold glass of water or a cold shower (whatever your preference) when you read the sexual tension and actual sexual scenes in Revenant.

If you are looking for a book that is apart of an amazing series, I highly recommend Revenant. Please read an order though. You don't want to miss out on the previous books and characters.

I loved every bit these two series and I loved every character in the series.

Is it the end though? You'll have to read to find out.  =)

I give this book 5 stars and look forward to reading much more from Larissa Ione in the future. This is the one author I automatically buy ALL her books because she is such an amazing storyteller.

I'm slowing but surely going back to re-read the IAD series from Kresley Cole, but this time I'm listening to them. I'm enjoying every bit of the narrator Robert Petkoff's way of bringing my favorite characters to life through his voice. I swear Robert is a genius at getting the characters accents and tones perfectly for Kresley Cole's IAD series.  The man is amazing and I can't say it enough that I highly recommend listening to this series on audio. Robert has become one of my favorite narrators to listen to, and I only wish I could have him as the voice of my GPS instead of that annoying lady I have to listen to. He would make it more enjoyable to get through roads I've never driven on before. In fact I wouldn't even mind if he got the directions wrong to where I was going. =)

If there is one thing I love about re-reading (or in this case listening) a book is that I get to enjoy going back into a story I loved. Dark Needs at a Night's Edge was one of my favorites, when I read it first in 2010. I couldn't wait to dive into learning more about Conrad Wrath and which female character would win him over. He is a Wroth, but he's not like his brothers. He's too consumed into his bloodlust and hating his brothers for what they did in the past. Unfortunately, he never thought a sweet female would change his mind about his current situation his brothers put him in. His brothers have imprisoned him in a old home in Louisiana to hopefully get him better, but he's not going to make it easy for them. He has a phantom bugging him constantly in the residence he is now confined to. No one else can see her but him and he's intrigued by her. Naomi was once a famous ballerina, but she was murdered one night and she haunts her home to keep away trespassers, but the minute she meets Conrad, she realizes there is scarier creatures out there that she didn't know about.

Kresley Cole did a beautiful job on making such a ruthless character show a different side. Conrad never wanted to become what he was and he had it rough from the beginning on accepting the change. I felt sympathetic for him since the moment he was mentioned in previous books. He was the long lost Wroth brother and I was ready to learn around the ruthless brother.  It takes a beautiful ballerina phantom to show Conrad what he really is capable of. I just love how Conrad and Naomi's relationship grew in the book. It wasn't easy, but it was well worth it. They were perfect together. Naomi's murder is a really sad story, so be prepared for some emotional moments. The poor girl definitely needed some closure for what happened to her.

I won't go into the story anymore because I don't want to give anything away. I loved Conrad and Naomi's love story because of how difficult it was to get these two together, due to how different they were personality and physically wise.

I give this book 5 full moons and give the narrator 5 full moons as well. I highly recommend this series to PNR readers out there. They must be read in order though. You don't want to miss out on the other Wroth brothers.

Now…I must find time to finish the others in the series on audiobook. I can't say it enough, this series should be listened to. =)

I read Fallen by Lauren Kate back in 2010, when I was reading like a mad woman before I started reviewing books. Thanks to my local library I was able to listen to Fallen on my drive to my oldest daughter's school in the morning and afternoon.

I enjoyed every bit of listening to Fallen this time around. I loved reading Fallen in 2010, so I was excited to listen to the narrator, Justine Eyre bring it to life. I missed Lucinda, Daniel, and Cam. (yes…even Cam). It seems I'm catching on things by listening to the book instead of reading the second time around. I enjoy having a narrator tell the story using his/her voice.

Fallen is Young Adult, so there is not going to be HOT romance like in New Adult or PNR. Yes, I may be in my thirties, but every once in a while I'm drawn to read Young Adult. I have a 9 year old daughter, so I'm looking for books that she can read once she is at the age that she can read YA. She's already showing an interest in certain genres of YA, but she's not ready to read them (her exact words not mine). The length of the book intimidates her. I also read YA because sometimes the cover/synopsis draws me in, which is exactly what Fallen did when I first saw it on Amazon back in 2010. A story about a young girl trying to live her life after tragedy strikes and she is blamed for the tragedy. She ends up meeting two young boys at her new boarding school. One who keeps his distance and other that wants to get to know her. She's intrigued by the one that keeps his distance because she is drawn to him. What she doesn't know is Daniel, the boy that is trying to avoid her has a secret that he wants to keep for a reason.

I loved Luce's character because she doesn't do anything to stop her for what she wants, even if something is haunting her. She is determined more than ever to figure out why Daniel is the way he is, and she also is dealing with several other things in Fallen that I definitely don't want to give away. I enjoyed the triangle in the book that Lauren Kate throws in and I also enjoyed what comes forward in the book. One of my favorite paranormal elements is in the book and forewarning there is a slight cliffhanger. It leaves the reader knowing there will be more. So many more questions must be answered and I know back in 2010 I had to wait until the second book was out the following year. Now I can read them back to back, as long as my library carries the audiobooks for me.

I give this book 5 full moons and highly recommend it to Young Adult readers out there. Fallen is being made into a movie, or actually it has. I'm just waiting for it to be announced, when it will officially come out.  =)

Okay, I'm going back to re-read (or actually in this case, listen) to my old favorites thanks to my local library. I read Guilty Pleasures back during my binge reading days in the Navy in 2009 - 2011. Let's just say I had a hard time diving back into reality after reading the Anita Blake series. I loved every bit of this series and still do. I thought I would listen to the books in audio this time around.

Anita Blake will always be a favorite female character of mine because she kicks butt and I love kick butt female characters. I also enjoy reading Urban Fantasy because it gets me out of reading funks all the time. UF and PNR are my go to genres to get back into binge-reading like a man woman, even when working full-time again.

I was a little nervous to have someone narrate Guilty Pleasures to me and bring the characters to life, but Kimberly Alexis did an amazing job on telling the story. She even did an amazing job on giving certain characters accents and she made Anita sound kick-butt too. Anxiety averted and now I'm anxious to listen to the second book in audio. Thanks to Kimberly Alexis I have found yet another female narrator that can bring my favorite characters to life and make me enjoy the story even more.

If you haven't read this series I do highly recommend it to UF readers, but if you don't like reading long series then maybe this series is not for you. Laurell K. Hamilton does change up the series often with a lot of sexual explicit scenes that can be uncomfortable to some readers, especially in later books. BUT…Laurell K. Hamilton has stated several times on her site, she has no control over her characters at times and she lets them take the reigns. She also writes from the heart, so if something happens in her life it can affect the story a bit. This is why I LOVE Laurell K. Hamilton's writing style and everything she writes.

The first time I read Guilty Pleasures I knew I was addicted right away due to LKH's world-building and introducing the characters in the series. Anita Blake is known as the famous Vampire Hunter, so every vampire out there knows what they are up to against. In Guilty Pleasures, we get introduced to Jean-Claude and several other characters. Jean-Claude has always been a favorite of mine, so I'm glad I'm re-visiting his character again. I'm discovering things I missed the first time.

I will say this, the bad guy in Guilty Pleasures is really friggin' scary. I still have nightmares over the bad guy from Guilty Pleasures because of how Laurell described her and what she did in this book. This book had me upset at the end, but I invested time in a certain character and well let's just say Laurell did not make it easy. Anita has a full life of crazy in front of her thanks to Jean-Claude. She's supposed to be helping solve the murders of vampires in Guilty Pleasures, but she also is going to end up being in between a Master Vampire and everyone else. It's crazy how she gets thrown in with vampires, when she's a Vampire Hunter.

Overall, I loved this book due to how Laurell K. Hamilton introduces a little bit of Anita Blake's crazy world already.  These books are not for everyone, but for me I enjoyed these books the first time and I'm enjoying listening to them a second time around. I just need more time in my day to listen to them in audio version. Work is taking priority.

If you are a fan of UF, I highly recommend reading the Anita Blake series. This series is what got me addicted to reading UF. I look forward to re-reading the rest of the series whenever I can find free time. =)

Razed is the second book in Shiloh Walker's Barnes Brothers series, and it had me hooked from the beginning with Keelie and Zane's sexy encounter at Zane's brother's wedding. Shiloh heated the story immediately up from the beginning with these two.

Keelie is the sexy tattoo artist that works at Zane's brother's tattoo shop. Zane has been in love with her since his first encounter with her, but Keelie has always been guarded. Every time Zane asked her out, she turned him down. Zane is determined to win her over finally and he's jumping straight into the fire by doing it. He's quit his bar tending job and now wants to start his own photography studio in the same town as Keelie. Zach, Zane's brother is a little leery about Zane quitting his life to follow a dream. He's worried he's doing it for the wrong reasons, but isn't Zane supposed to be the one watching out for his younger brother Zach and not vice versa. Zach also has other reasons to be leery about his brother's choices, and drama is going to be caused between the brothers.

I loved reading about Keelie and Zane's encounters with each other throughout the book and I also enjoyed finding out how Zane tried in past encounters to win her over. Keelie is not easy to learn about though. She has been hiding from something and she is not easy to trust. She doesn't believe in the perfect man, which towards the end of the book I found out why she was guarded. The poor girl has been through something that continues to bother her.

Zane on the other hand is open book at times, but with his family he does have his own secrets. They think he's the good brother, but he has a past that would make his brothers upset or at least even more worried. I fell for Zane while reading Razed because he's such a sweet guy that just wants to win over the one girl he has been in love with for a while. ***Seriously…was rooting for him to win her over. My favorite scene happens to be with him doing something that makes Keelie look at him differently.  =)

Some of the reasoning behind giving this book 3.5 moons (more like 3.75) instead of higher moons is because it became predictable towards the end. The beginning and middle is what had me hooked, but after something happens to Keelie it started losing it's spark like it did in the beginning. Like I stated, it became predictable. I loved the tension throughout the book with the characters and how they built up their relationship, but in the end it seemed to change a bit. I would have loved more with Keelie and Zane too. I'm also glad I didn't read Wrecked before reading Razed. I probably would've had a love/hate relationship with Keelie. I did know what happened in the previous book, but Shiloh mentions something to have it easy to follow. Which is why Razed can be read as a standalone. Shiloh throws in what happens in the previous book with Abigale and Zach, but not too much to give away the full story. I look forward to going back to read Wrecked before Busted comes out in May. I need to know the full story behind Abigale and Zach.

I do love how Shiloh throws in the other Barnes brothers, and which ones I can't wait to read about next. I look forward to Travis's story because I want to know if he gets a HEA just like his brothers do. He deserves a HEA. All of them do.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable read and I do recommend it to contemporary romance readers out there. I want some more of these sexy Barnes brothers and so glad I was able to get some time to finish Razed even with my busy work schedule lately.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Hard to Come By is the third book in Laura Kaye's Hard Ink series, and it hooked me just like the other books did in the series.

I was one of the readers that was anxious to read Derek DiMarzio's (aka Marz's) book because of reading the previous books, so I wanted to know who Laura was matching Derek with. Laura does an amazing job with finding the perfect female characters to fit the handsome, sexy SF guys that reside in Hard Ink.

Derek is the sweet, sexy, funny guy in the Special Forces team that is supposed to be finding out where a certain person is, so they can ask him questions and find out the truth on what happened during his team's last SF mission together. Instead he's falling for a key person who can get him close to the person he wants to question. That key person is Emilie Garza and she has no clue what her brother is into, but she knows he has gotten worst since he returned home after serving in the Army. She wants to get him help, but she knows it will sever their relationship even further. Emilie is about to meet Derek and he's going to literally going to flip her world upside down ( good and bad ways )

I could go on and on about the story, but don't want to spoil it for anyone. I will say this Laura Kaye has the biggest issue in the Hard Ink series continue on in this book. The SF team is trying to get to the bottom of why they were shamed and kicked out of the Special Forces and something is going to come forward that is going to shed some light on what truly happened. Laura definitely is making the main storyline flow throughout the books and having questions being answered. I loved how she connects everything.  =)

I loved Emilie and Derek's chemistry and how they both helped each other in the book. Although, Derek did the unthinkable with Emilie that made her almost not trust him. I don't blame her at all, but Emilie is clueless to what is really going on and there were times she got herself in sticky situations that could have been avoided. Derek was there to help every time, though. His way of taking care of people, is what makes me adore him.

The best part of this series is how Laura Kaye has each book pick up from the previous book with different characters getting the limelight. If a reader was to stubble across this book and didn't get a chance to read the others, you will not be lost at all. Laura Kaye makes sure to reiterate what has happened in previous books in the Hard Ink series. Although, I highly recommend reading these books in order because you will want to know who Nick, Shane, and Easy hooked up with in their books. You'll also want to follow along with learning more about the SF team that readers have fallen in love with.

I give this book 4.5 moons and highly recommend it to romantic suspense readers out there.

Now…I'm going to patiently wait for Jeremy's book next. I swear he is the one that always has me laughing due to his crazy shirts he wears. The best part in this book though was when Charlie was wearing Jeremy's shirts. You'll have to read Hard to Come By to find out why and what the shirts he wore said.. =)

I received a complimentary copy of the book from Edelweiss via the publisher in exchange for honest review.

Long Hard Ride is not the first book I've read by Lorelei James because two years ago I read another book in the Rough Riders series out of order. (I don't read out of order much because it's a pet peeve of mine, but the book's synopsis caught my eye)

I have been meaning to read this series from the beginning because the book I read two years ago sucked me into the Rough Rider series. I was ecstatic to get a chance to read Long Hard Ride for the first time, so whenever I had time between work and home I was reading this book. I wish I could've read it in a decent time, but my job takes precedence.

Things I enjoyed most about Long Hard Ride:

- Lorelei's James writing style, especially how she writes the steamy scenes. She's very detailed. =)

- Channing Kinkaid. She was a character trying to live her life and have fun. She didn't want her family to decide her life for her.

- The secondary characters of Long Hard Ride. Cash and Gemma. Those two were a riot at times.

Things that drove me crazy, but didn't stop me from reading:

- Colby McKay….Oh boy! He is one crazy alpha male who has emotions going everywhere in Long Hard Ride. He's not my favorite male so far from this series, but I know I'm going to like his brothers. I just didn't connect well with him.

- Trevor….He's such a pain in the butt with hiding something that I wanted to smack him. Other than that, I liked him a little more than Colby.

- I don't usually say this, but too many sexual moments between the characters that took away from the story. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed some sexual moments, but it was a lot with certain characters. Let's not forget how Colby handled certain sexual moments.  Crazy Alpha male!

Other than that I enjoyed reading Long Hard Ride. Channing was my favorite character from the book and Lorelei James did make me teary-eyed in certain scenes in the book. It's never easy to read scenes, when someone gets hurt, etc. I look forward to reading this series in order now, just need to find time in between work, soccer/dance schedules, etc.

I give this book 3.75 moons and recommend it to readers who enjoy reading cowboy (bull rider) books with lots of steamy romance scenes.

This book includes: M/M, some mild BDSM, anal, menage, and lots more.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from RockStarLit PR (via the author) in exchange for an honest review.

 Good Girls Don't is the second book in Rosalie Lario's Every Brothers novels, and I couldn't wait to find out who Rosalie Lario hooked James Everly up with.

The second book involves the sexy Everly brother, James who is in charge of gaining an investor for his brothers company, but he ends up falling for his competition. He knows he needs to get this new investor for his company with his brothers, so they can go globally, but it's kind of hard to stay away from the sexy competitor Lyssa Rivera. Lyssa never does anything bad and for one night she decides to do something out of the norm. She has a one night stand with James Everly. She of course doesn't figure it out until later that she is about to compete with him with an investor, and she fears she's already lost the investor due to how big James Everly company is.

Rosalie Lario doesn't make it easy for either one of these characters in Good Girls Don't. James is the sexy billionaire who never does relationships, and Lyssa is the typical good girl who doesn't do anything out of the ordinary. Lyssa is determined more than ever to win over the investor, while James is doing it for his family. It's going to be a tug-of-war between these two with their feelings and their companies. They will drive you crazy, especially Lyssa, but when these two get together it's explosive. I loved who Rosalie hooked James up with and I'm so happy to know they both get a HEA. Rosalie even gives us the previous characters from the first book, and what they are doing and she introduces us to the next Everly brother.

I'm loving the Everly brothers and I look forward to the next book even more after reading the first two books. If you are a fan of sexy billionaire books…this is the book for you. I highly recommend reading the first book though before diving into Good Girls Don't. You'll want to know the eldest brother.  =)

I give this book 5 full moons and highly recommend it to contemporary romance readers out there.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

I have been patiently waiting for the next release in the Darker Agency series, so when I saw the next book was coming out in November I jumped at the chance to read it. It's been over a year since I read the first book, Darker Days, so I was anxious to find out what the characters Jessie and Lukas were going to deal with in the second book.

 Jessier Darker is back in A Darker Past, and this time she is dealing with a very nasty demon that she and Lukas accidentally let loose. This demon knows the Darkers very well and he doesn't like them. He also knows the witches, the Belfairs, and he's out to do some damage to both the Darkers and Belfairs. It's up to Jessie and Lukas to capture the nasty demon again before he makes all hell break loose. It's not going to be easy because they can't get any help from the Shadow Realm, and they actually made one serious demon upset about their mistake. Eek!

With the demon on the loose Jessie is about to find out the Darkers past, and this past is something that can change Jessie's world completely.

In the second installment of the Darker Agency series, Jessie is not your normal teenage girl because she's half demon and she has a contract for 55 years with another demon. He's annoying and summons her at the worst of times, but Valefar is a very interesting character. He's scary, but for some reason he's growing on me, especially after certain scenes with Jessie. The character Lukas was being very difficult in A Darker Past, but that is because he still feels he's carrying the demon Wrath. He's changing in second book and I loved how Jus Accardo opened him a little more and is changing his character.

This is a Young Adult novel, so there is not going to be much romance in the story, but there were times that both Jessie and Lukas smooched. Lukas is what you consider a gentleman. He grew up over a hundred+ years ago, so he believes in going slow. I love how Jus doesn't have him change the way he was from before he was in the box.

I enjoyed finding out more about Jessie's mom and her dad in A Darker Past. I wanted more of them from the first book, so I definitely was excited that Jus Accardo had them more in this story. Damien (Jessie's Dad) is starting to act like a dad.  =)

For readers that liked to be warned ahead of time, there is a cliffhanger at the end. I know I have some reader friends that don't like cliffhangers, but this is a series worth reading if you enjoy young adult with a different kind of paranormal twist to it.

Overall, the second book was a very enjoyable, action-packed read that I had hard time putting down. I give it 4.5 moons and recommend it YA Paranormal readers out there.

Now, to patiently wait for the third book in the series from Jus Accardo.  =)

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 In the third installment of the Rogue River series, Kendra Elliot picks back up with the same characters from the first book. We have Stevie and Zane back and this time they are still trying to figure out why Solitude, Oregon is having a drug problem. Now, Death is taken a toll on the town of Solitude, Oregon and this time it hits close to home. Stevie and Zane are determined to figure out who is killing people in town and they know it has something to do with the C-22 drug. There are so many twists and turns in Her Grave Secrets and fore warning they'll be another twist at the end. I'm ready to figure out who is behind the C-22 drug and why so many people are being killed.

Kendra did another amazing job with this short novella and having Stevie and Zane continue with the biggest issue in the series. I adored these two even more in this novella because Zane and Stevie are going to open up more. Kendra of course had me on pins and needles, while reading this installment. Definitely, didn't expect the twists and turns in this novella. I'm really excited to dive into the next installment because just like the characters I want the truth on who is behind it all.

I also adored every bit of Stevie's mom in this book. I got a little more on her character and she is such a sweet person. She also has a way of knowing when something is not right. She deserves some closure just like everyone else does in Solitude.

I give this installment 5 full moons and highly recommend it to romantic suspense readers out there. Please do read these novellas in order. Each flow into the other and both authors know how to get you hooked into the series.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from Netgalley via the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Gone to Her Grave is the second novella in the Rogue River series by Kendra Elliot and Melinda Leigh, and in this novella we have different characters telling the story. This time it's Melinda Leigh picking up the story and she has Stevie's sister Carly and her husband (she's separated from) Seth taking over what is happening in Solitude, Oregon.

Carly's a social work and she's determined to find out the truth behind one of the teens being falsely accused of dealing a new drug that is going around Solitude. She knows he had nothing to do with it, but everyone else think he has. Carly's estranged husband, Seth ends up taking charge of the investigation and wants to help prove his innocence as well.

Carly and Seth will do anything to find out who the real dealer is in Solitude, and they may end up getting caught in the crossfire of what truly is going on. They may even be able to reconcile their marriage, as long as Seth can handle what Carly does. I can understand Seth being very protective of Carly, but I have to agree he needs to lighten up a bit. Carly is one determined character who just wants to help out families, especially children.

Melinda Leigh did an amazing job continuing the story with two different characters and also including the other characters too. It was easy to follow along with Carly and Seth and become attached to these two, just like I did with Kendra's novella. I'm determined just like the characters are to find out what is really going on in Solitude, which is a town that is supposed to be peaceful. Things are coming forward that are making even the characters question close people they thought had nothing to do with the drugs in town.

I give this novella 5 full moons and highly recommend this series to readers that are looking for a quick suspenseful read during these days that are getting colder. The first three are already out, and the last one will be out soon. If you are one of those readers that don't like waiting, you won't have to wait for much longer. I do recommend reading these in order. You'll understand what is happening and you'll get to enjoy learning more about the characters by following along.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from Netgalley via the publisher in exchange for an honest review.