Seduction Game (I-Team #7) by Pamela Clare

Blurb...


CIA officer Nick Andris wants revenge. His last mission failed after a Georgian arms smuggler killed his lover. He’s been tailing a woman for three weeks hoping she will lead him to his target. But there’s a problem with the intel. Holly Elise Bradshaw is nothing more than an entertainment writer with a love for sex and designer clothes. Clearly someone at Langley made a mistake . . .

When Holly finds herself in trouble, the only weapons at her disposal are her brains and her body. But they won’t be enough to handle the man who’s following her. He’s going to turn her world upside-down.

My thoughts...

My favorite stories are those with heroes and heroines whose bravery and intelligence and capacity to love know no bounds, and such is the case with Holly and Nick in Pamela Clare’s 7th installment of the I-Team series, Seduction Game. I know there will be some who might be surprised that Holly Bradshaw fits this description, but trust me on this – forget everything you thought you knew about her and prepare to be blown away!

I’ll be honest with you, when I heard that Holly was getting her own story my first thought was “why?”, because in the earlier books she was always a background – I mean, sure, she was there as a great friend, but to me she always felt like...filler. But within minutes of that wayward thought I’d come to my senses and knew she’d be great for the simple reason that Pamela Clare doesn’t write empty characters. Even her supporting casts are made up of people we either love or hate, so well developed are they. So I knew, I knew that Holly would turn out to be a woman with incredible depth and I was not wrong.

The bottom line…

This is a fast paced, exciting, burn up the pages story, and offers further proof (though no further proof is needed) of Pamela Clare’s amazing writing talent. Despite the hell she’s lived through these past couple of years, she gave us Holly, who along with Nick and the rest of the I-Team, made Seduction Game one of my favorite romantic suspense reads of 2015!

Click here to purchase Seduction Game from Amazon

The I-Team reading order, so far:

1. Extreme Exposure
1.5 Heaven Can't Wait - a novella found in the out of print anthology Catch of the Day and on ebook
2. Hard Evidence
3. Unlawful Contact
4. Naked Edge
5. Breaking Point
5.5. Skin Deep
5.9. First Strike
6. Striking Distance
6.5. Soul Deep
7. Seduction Game
7.5 Dead by Midnight

Cold-Hearted Rake (Cold-Hearted Rake #1) by Lisa Kleypas

Blurb...

A twist of fate...

Devon Ravenel, London's most wickedly charming rake, has just inherited an earldom. But his powerful new rank in society comes with unwanted responsibilities . . . and more than a few surprises. His estate is saddled with debt, and the late earl's three innocent sisters are still occupying the house . . . along with Kathleen, Lady Trenear, a beautiful young widow whose sharp wit and determination are a match for Devon's own.

A clash of wills...

Kathleen knows better than to trust a ruthless scoundrel like Devon. But the fiery attraction between them is impossible to deny—and from the first moment Devon holds her in his arms, he vows to do whatever it takes to possess her. As Kathleen finds herself yielding to his skillfully erotic seduction, only one question remains:

Can she keep from surrendering her heart to the most dangerous man she's ever known?

Lisa Kleypas is back, and back in a big way with Cold-Hearted Rake, her first historical romance in years, and it's everything we long time fans have come to expect from her storytelling: It's romantic, poignant, funny, and oh, so very sexy!

I have to say, I was over the moon when I learned Ms. Kleypas had teamed up with Avon Books again and would be giving us a new historical romance series. Many will agree with me when I say she's easily one of the best romance authors out there - and it's stories like Cold-Hearted Rake which bear proof of that.

Devon is a bastard, and I couldn't believe I'd ever come to love him. But love him I do. He's honorable, sexy, compassionate - but before those things surfaced he had to open his eyes to the world around him to find that he's not the only person who matters. Fortunately, there was a red-haired beauty to help him see the err of his ways.

Kathleen has had it rough, but that's only served to make her a strong, independent woman; the kind of woman who can stand up to a rake like Devon Ravenel.

I could be wrong, but this might just be the steamiest book Ms. Kleypas has written. Kathleen and Devon's sexual chemistry sizzled throughout their story and made this one very sexy read.

The supporting cast - Helen, Cassandra, and Pandora - are all ladies needing their stories told, and I can't wait to read their happily ever afters. Helen is up next and wow. Just wow. I can already tell her's is going to be one roller-coaster ride of a tale!

An ARC was provided by Avon Books. In appreciation I'm giving them an honest review.

Forever Your Earl (Wicked Quills of London #1) by Eva Leigh

Eleanor Hawke loves a good scandal. And readers of her successful gossip rag live for the exploits of her favorite subject: Daniel Balfour, the notorious Earl of Ashford. So when the earl himself marches into her office and invites her to experience his illicit pursuits firsthand, Eleanor is stunned. Gambling hells, phaeton races, masquerades . . . What more could a scandal writer want than a secret look into the life of this devilishly handsome rake?

Daniel has secrets, and if The Hawk's Eye gets wind of them, a man's life could be at stake. And what better way to distract a gossip than by feeding her the scandal she desperately craves? But Daniel never expected the sharp mind and biting wit of the beautiful writer, and their desire for each other threatens even his best-laid plans.

But when Eleanor learns the truth of his deception, Daniel will do anything to prove a romance between a commoner and an earl could really last forever.

Forever Your Earl is the first book in Eva Leigh’s Wicked Quills of London series and I loved it! I was blown away by to think this could possibly be Ms. Leigh’s debut, until I learned that Eva Leigh is, in fact, Zoë Archer – another favorite author of mine.

There are already many excellent reviews of this story, so I’ll keep mine short. I’ve read some of Zoë Archer’s Steampunk Nemesis Unlimited books and loved them, and had been hoping she’d write straight historical romance, too, because I knew they’d be stories brilliantly told, and I was right. A solid story, lot’s clever dialog, sexual chemistry that's off the charts, and laugh out loud moments has made Forever Your Earl an absolute delight to read, and I am sooooo looking forward to more!

An ARC was provided by Avon Books. In appreciation I’m giving them an honest review.

The Wrong Bride (Highland Weddings #1) by Gayle Callen

Blurb…

USA Today bestselling author Gayle Callen creates an unforgettable story of mistaken identity and irresistible attraction in this first in a wonderfully engaging series set in the Scottish Highlands...

Shaken from sleep during the night and bundled off to the Highlands by a burly Scot, Riona is at first terrified, then livid. Hugh McCallum insists they were promised to each other as children to ensure peace between their clans. The stubborn laird refuses to believe he's kidnapped the wrong Catriona Duff. Instead, he embarks on a campaign of slow-burning seduction.

At first, Hugh cares only what their marriage can do for his people. Now he's starting to crave Riona for her own sake, but her true identity jeopardizes his clan's contract. And unless she chooses to risk all to be his bride, he'll lose the only thing he prizes more than the lands he's fought so hard to save—the passionate marriage they could have together.

My thoughts…

The Wrong Bride is a great start to the Highland Weddings series as Gayle Callen weaves a tale that makes me wish I could travel back in time and step into Riona’s shoes for just a bit.

Being the huge fan of Highlander historical romances that I am, parts of this story did sound vaguely familiar while other parts were refreshingly unique. The characters and their trials and triumphs captivated me, start to finish, and had me falling in love with them all. I'm excited to have a new Highlander author whose books I can look forward to!

An ARC was provided by Avon Books. In appreciation I’m giving them an honest review.

Shattered (LOST #3) by Cynthia Eden

Blurb

In New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Eden's latest novel featuring the Last Option Search Team (LOST), one agent is forced to face her past as she uncovers secrets about the man who may be the key to her future.

Criminal psychologist Dr. Sarah Jacobs is all too familiar with the kind of bad boys who belong behind bars. But the dark, dangerous man she meets in the New Orleans underworld is a new kind of ruthless, and all too irresistible.

Jax Fontaine doesn't claim to be a good guy, but he's loyal to his own code and brutally honest about what he wants. He and Sarah may be worlds apart, but when they're skin to skin, nothing matters but the heat between them.

And when a deranged killer targets Sarah, Jax will do whatever it takes to keep her safe.

Much more than romantic suspense, this is a romantic thriller and I loved every word!

I’ve been fascinated with - and drawn to - Jax Fontaine since he first step foot on the scene, and that fascination has just grown stronger as the stories continued. To say I was thrilled to finally learn more about him is putting it mildly, and now that we know him better…I’m head over heels in deep with this man. Sarah Jacobs is also an intriguing character whose story is heartbreaking. But despite her past she’s an incredible woman whose intelligence and compassion know no bounds. Apart they're amazing but put these two people together and you have an intensely complex couple who challenge each other, better each other, and burn up the pages! Seriously, this is a great read!

If you’re a fan of romantic suspense with lots of romance and steam, be sure to give Cynthia Eden’s LOST series a try. You’ll be glad you did.

An ARC was provided by Avon Books. In appreciation I’m giving them an honest review.

Falling Into Bed With A Duke (Hellions of Havisham #1) by Lorraine Heath

In the first in a dazzling new series, New York Times bestselling author Lorraine Heath introduces the Hellions of Havisham—three charismatic rogues destined to lose their hearts . . .

After six unsuccessful Seasons, Miss Minerva Dodger chooses spinsterhood over fortune-hungry suitors. But thanks to the Nightingale Club, she can at least enjoy one night of pleasure. At that notorious establishment, ladies don masks before choosing a lover. The sinfully handsome Duke of Ashebury is more than willing to satisfy the secretive lady's desires—and draws Minerva into an exquisite, increasingly intimate affair.

A man of remarkable talents, Ashe soon deduces that his bedmate is the unconventional Miss Dodger. Intrigued by her wit and daring, he sets out to woo her in earnest. Yet Minerva refuses to trust him. How to court a woman he has already thoroughly seduced? And how to prove that the passion unleashed in darkness is only the beginning of a lifetime's pleasure . . . ?

There are very few authors who can sweep me off my feet with every story they tell, but Lorraine Heath does just that - again and again and again. This first book in her new Hellions of Havisham series is romantic, passionate, heartbreaking, uplifting... it's everything I want in my historical romance reading. Start to finish I was riding a roller-coaster of emotions. Laughing, smiling, sighing, fanning myself...in short - Falling Into Bed with a Duke had me falling into a world I didn't want to leave!

An ARC was provided by Avon Books. In appreciation I'm giving them an honest review.

Walk Through Fire (Chaos #4) by Kristen Ashley

Millie Cross knows what it's like to burn for someone. She was young and wild and he was fierce and even wilder-a Chaos biker who made her heart pound. They fell in love at first sight and life was good, until she learned she couldn't be the woman he needed and made it so he had no choice but to walk away. Twenty years later, Millie's chance run-in with her old flame sparks a desire she just can't ignore. And this time, she won't let him ride off . . .

Bad boy Logan "High" Judd has seen his share of troubles with the law. Yet it was a beautiful woman who broke him. After ending a loveless marriage, High is shocked when his true love walks back into his life. Millie is still gorgeous, but she's just a ghost of her former self. High's intrigued at the change, but her betrayal cut him deep-and he doesn't want to get burned again. As High sinks into meting out vengeance for Millie's betrayal, he'll break all over again when he realizes just how Millie walked through fire for her man . . .

Walk Through Fire, the fourth installment of Kristen Ashley’s Chaos series, is such an emotionally gutting story. There were things I loved about it, things not so much. People I loved, other people not so much. But to say I was caught up in Millie and Logan’s story is putting it mildly, and I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to sort out all they made me feel.

I have to be honest – in previous books Logan and Millie flew so far under my radar that when their story came up my first reaction was, “who?” But for two people I knew very little about and had no interest in knowing more… I’m surprised how invested I became and how early that investment came.

And I will continue to be honest when I say that, in the beginning, I had a problem buying into the reason Millie abandoned Logan way back when. It’s a plot that, in my opinion, is too often used. That said – Kristen Ashley made it work for me by taking us deep into Millie’s heart – clear down to her soul – and showing us the depth of love she had for Logan. Her’s wasn’t a choice made in a moment of immature high drama, it was a gutting, life altering decision made by a woman who loved her man so much she would sacrifice her own happiness to give him a chance at his dreams. It worked, and it worked to the point I was nearly in tears.

As always, I loved, Loved, LOVED revisiting the Chaos family, but more than that I loved, Loved, LOVED the glimpse into the past we got of a younger Tack, the man who knew the path the club was on needed to change. To see the division taking place in Chaos…the sides taken and the turn towards something better…one of my favorite parts of Walk Through Fire.

Chaos continues to be one of my favorite series and most anticipated reads and it’s because Kristen Ashley can take something ugly and tragic and make it into a beautiful thing.

An ARC was provided by Forever, via Netgalley. In appreciation I’m giving them an honest review.

Published by Forever - October 27, 2015
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