Making Him Sweat by Meg Maguire

She's hitting below the belt…

Round 1

In this corner is admittedly romantic Jenna Wilinski, who’s inherited a rather seedy boxing gym from her estranged father. With it, she can realize her dream of launching an upscale matchmaking business…provided she can take on the very intimidating—and wickedly hot—boxer who stands in her way!

Round 2

In the far corner is former pro boxer Mercer Rowley. He’s the only one who can protect his “home”—even if it is a little run-down— from his determined and feisty little opponent. But man, once the gloves come off, his hands just want to touch her everywhere…

Round 3

This matchup is too close to call. But no matter which contender comes out on top, the other is sure to enjoy every minute of it....

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Making Him Sweat is a sexy story, the first book in a new series and Meg Maguire’s first multi-book deal. Harlequin Blaze is the publisher, and those of you who’ve read this line in the past know that the stories are definitely hot! This book introduces us to some very interesting characters, people whose stories promise to be exciting, fun, and very sexy.

If you've had the pleasure of reading Ms. Maguire’s stories, you know that she gives a lot of attention to detail; the simple, everyday goings on in her heroes and heroines lives. It’s these things that help us see them as people, rather than just characters we’re reading about. It draws us in, has us invested, and keeps us coming back for more.

I thoroughly enjoyed Mercer Rowley! He’s intelligent, witty, passionate, and what I loved most about him – he’s grounded. He’s real. No angst, no drama, no deep dark secrets to be revealed. He’s the kind of “everyday hero” I can love.

I almost feel bad for the heroines in the books I read because I'm not as easily invested in them as I am the heroes. They have to work for my support, and then work even harder for my stamp of approval on their happily ever after. I'm telling you this because, unfortunately, for the life of me I couldn’t figure out what he saw in Jenna Wilinski. She blew into town thinking she’d just shut down the boxing gym Mercer trying to make into a profitable business. Granted, she had some false impressions that had her feeling less than benevolent about it all, but there was something about her I can’t put my finger on, something … off. I didn’t fully buy into her “coming around” but hey… Mercer loves her, so who am I to complain?

The bottom line: If you enjoy reading about super sexy boxers who like to get down and dirty, then definitely give this book a try. It’s an easy, entertaining story and I’m looking forward to reading the next installment, Taking Him Down.

3.5/5 stars

My thanks to Harlequin and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

One Fine Fireman by Jennifer Bernard

 

One Fine Fireman is the first book in Jennifer Bernard’s The Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel series and a sweet, steamy, romantic story!

First, a little background to the series title: Due to an event over 150 years ago, the firefighters assigned to this firehouse are cursed to never find love. The curse surrounds the true (supposedly) story of mail order bride Constancia B. Sidwell and says that one of the first volunteer firemen in the area, Virgil Rush, had been corresponding with Constancia B. Sidwell who was eager to start a new life in the West. Like many women of the time were doing, she hopped on a mail coach to travel across the country to meet her future husband, but before she could reach him, a gang of robbers attacked. The story goes on that she fell in love with the leader of the gang and never thought about poor Virgil again, and Virgil, subjected to the unrelenting teasing of his fellow firefighters, vowed that from that day forward, San Gabriel firefighters would suffer the same rocky road to romance that he did.

Now, that really has nothing to do with the storyline, but it’s a fun “backdrop” to the series, so I wanted to share that with you.

But on to the story itself!

Kirk, nicknamed Thor by his fellow firefighters because of his tall, handsome, Viking god looks, has been pining away for Maribel, the sweet waitress who works at the diner he and the other men of the San Gabriel Firehouse visit. For six years he’s been going there for his coffee, and for six years he’s uttered no more than a handful of words at time when he sees her. Kirk is shy, and she’s engaged. He’s moving, and she’s engaged. He’s a cancer survivor who knows there’s always a risk of reoccurrence and doesn’t want to burden anyone with that, so he’s mostly stayed clear of relationships, but there’s something so special about Maribel that he just can’t keep from developing feelings for her. But… she’s engaged!

Maribel loves it when the men of the San Gabriel Firehouse stop in for coffee, especially the good looking blond, Kirk. He’s incredibly sweet and he always purchases her handmade ornaments and other goodies. She can't help but be attracted to him, but she knows it can't go anywhere because she's engaged. Not that she'd ever think of cheating on her fiancee Duncan! They've been engaged for years and she's sure he's finally ready to set a date... but Kirk is... out of her league. And besides, she's engaged!

But when a precocious little boy and an adorable stray dog bring she and Kirk together, sparks fly and Mirabel starts to wonder why she's never felt for Duncan the things she's feeling for the sexy fireman. And Kirk... well Kirk isn't about to let this chance for a life with the woman he's loved from afar pass him up.

As I already said, this is a sweet, entertaining read. I enjoyed the story, the romance, the characters, and even the small glimpses we're given into the other firefighters. It's a quick, feel good story that left me with a smile on my face and looking forward to reading more in this series, soon!

My thanks to Edelweiss and Avon Books for providing me with a copy of this story! It was a pleasure!

Heart of Danger by Lisa Marie Rice

They are Ghosts. They do not exist. Their birth certificates have been destroyed, all traces of their civilian and military pasts wiped out. They have no official military rank and wear no uniforms or insignia, save a tiny steel pin of a striking hawk forged from the rifle that killed Osama Bin Laden.

Ghost Ops. A small team of super elite soldiers so secret only two men know of their existence-General Clancy Flynn and their commanding officer, Colonel Lucius Ward. On a mission to destroy a US-based lab working on weaponized bubonic plague, the team is betrayed by their commanding officer. The Team is massacred and only three men survive to be court martialed: the Team Leader, Tom 'Mac' McEnroe, tech genius John Ryan, and lethal Nick Ross. They disappear en route to prison and are never heard of again.

Mac and his men hole up in a high tech lair, completely off the grid. But when a beautiful woman somehow finds him, he doesn't know whether to kiss her, or kill her.

Dr. Catherine Young is on a mission, propelled by forces beyond her control to find a man who has disappeared off the face of the earth. She is bearing a deadly message from a dying man. Catherine has a gift that allows her to see into the heart of others. But looking into Mac McEnroe's heart is like looking into the heart of danger itself.

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Heart of Danger is a fast paced, action packed, very sexy story told in true Lisa Marie Rice fashion. This book just oozes with sexual tension and burn up the bed sheets lovin’, but it’s also filled with emotion. Heartbreaking, disturbing, violent… sweet, tender, romantic, Ms. Rice took me on a roller coaster ride of feelings and kept me reading ‘til the wee hours of the morning, unable to stop until the very end.

I couldn't help but become totally caught up in the Ghost Ops world and the people who live there, but I have to be honest, this isn't a terribly unique plot. Fans of romantic suspense will probably be able to name more than a couple of similar plots they've read by other authors, but the way Ms. Rice tells it gives a fresh voice to the story line. It’s a very compelling world… exciting, intense, mysterious…and it takes place in the not too distant future. Technology is advanced beyond what we know today, but not to the point of being science fictionish.

Tom ‘Mac’ McEnroe is one of those heroes who’s been through hell and lived to tell about it. His scars run deep, both physical and mental, but he’s a leader who will not let his men down. Being betrayed by his commanding officer, a man he’d come to respect, trust and love, destroyed something deep inside Mac the way nothing else could. But it also made him stronger, more determined to protect those around him, and for me, this made him the perfect hero.

Catherine Young is pretty much a loner. Her gift – or curse, depending on how she looks at it – of being able to get inside people’s heads and read their emotions, has caused her to be alienated from friends and family who think she’s more than a little weird. But weird is the last thing Catherine is. She’s incredibly intelligent, compassionate, and intuitive. She’s brave, honest and has strength of character that, along with her uniqueness makes her an amazing heroine.

Apart, Mac and Catherine are awesome, but together, they are perfect!

The bottom line: With Heart of Danger, Lisa Marie Rice has given us an exciting start to what I believe will be an awesome series. The book isn’t without flaws – more internal dialog than I usually like in my stories and some repetitive mental hashing and rehashing of thoughts and emotions – but overall, it’s a very enjoyable read. I loved the Haven community, the secondary characters and their stories, and am very much looking forward to reading more about them and their stories in the Ghost Ops series!

3.5/5 stars

My thanks to Edelweiss and HarperCollins/Avon Red Publishing for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review. The pleasure was mine!