It's Always Been You (Coming Home #5) by Jessica Scott

She plays by the rules . . . 

Captain Ben Teague is many things: a tough soldier, a loyal friend, and a bona fide smart-ass. He doesn't have much tolerance for BS, which is why he's mad as hell when a trusted colleague and mentor is brought up on charges that can't possibly be true. He's even more frustrated with by-the-book lawyer Major Olivia Hale. But there's something simmering beneath her icy reserve--and Ben just can't resist turning up the heat . . .

. . . and he's determined to break them

The only thing riskier than mixing business with pleasure is enjoying it . . . and Olivia can't resist locking horns--and lips--with Ben. He's got more compassion in his little finger than any commander she's ever met, a fact that makes him a better leader than he realizes. But when the case that brought them together awakens demons from Olivia's past, she will have to choose between following orders--or her heart . . .

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5 'keeping this short because words can't do it justice' stars!!

I wish I could reach through my computer, take you by the shoulders and look you in the eye in hopes you'd be able to see my passion for this series, because I just don't have the words that can explain how brilliant a writer Jessica Scott it.

I love everything about the way she tells a story:

They're exciting, thought provoking, poignant, and inspiring! The plot, the humanity, the heartbreaking reality of how war can destroy a person in ways that have nothing to do with IEDs and grenades and rifles, and most of all I love the unwavering loyalty these men and women have to our country, to always doing the right thing no matter the cost, and to each other.

I love her honorable heroes:

This was the burden of command: to balance the needs of the army over the needs of the individual. A tightrope he had to walk alone.

I love her sassy heroines:

"Wow, you're going all caveman. I'm not sure if I should swoon or wring out my panties."

The only thing I don't love:

She doesn't write fast enough!

My sincerest 'thank you' to Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of "It's Always Been You." In return I'm giving them an honest review.

The Red Diary by Toni Blake

Sun, sand, and one woman's private fantasies recorded in a seductive red book . . .

Prim and proper Lauren Ash has a secret side no one else sees—she records her sexual fantasies, in intimate detail, in a very personal book meant for her eyes only.

When hired-hand Nick Armstrong finds the red diary, he's shocked…and aroused. Never before has he come across anything so private—or so sensual. And given the way the Ash family has hurt his, he soon begins to see this as a potent weapon for righting an old wrong. Wouldn't it serve the haughty Lauren right if he used her own fantasies to seduce her, make her fall in love, and then break her heart?

But there's much more to Lauren than Nick expects, and before he quite realizes it, he's opening himself—and his heart—to her. Can Nick let go of the past and surrender to Lauren, body and soul?

*****

The Red Diary

This is one of Toni Blake’s earlier novels, written in 2004 and recently re-released. It's a very steamy read and while there were things I loved, there were things I didn’t love, but still, all-in-all, an enjoyable story.

The plot:

Lauren Ash is the daughter of Ash Builders owner, Henry Ash. On the outside she’s prim and proper, but Lauren has a naughty secret – her red diary, in which she pens all her deepest, most erotic fantasies, never in her wildest dreams thinking that anyone else will ever read them.

Nick Armstrong is the owner of Horizon Painters, and he has a secret too. His company has been hired to paint Lauren’s house and Nick takes the job himself, wanting a glimpse of her life – a life that should have been his. But twenty years ago Lauren’s father cheated Nick’s father out of his half of the business, and now just a glimpse of the life he missed out on isn’t enough. Now Nick wants revenge, and he thinks he might just have found the way to get it – Lauren’s diary.

The characters:

Nick is a likeable character - very sexy, very smart - though I wasn’t completely on board with his reasons for wanting revenge, or the way he was going about getting it. But, he’s a man with a lot on his plate: running his own company, and helping support his sister Elaine and handicapped brother Davy. And he's got a lot on his mind: the grudge he’s been holding onto, one that’s turning him into a bitter, angry man.

Lauren’s character started out very weak, in my mind. She was easily led around by her friend, Carolyn, never really standing up for herself or making her own wants known. As the story progresses, she becomes a much stronger woman, but still, I never really connected with her.

The story:

As I said, this is a very sexy story, but the things I most enjoyed about it had nothing to do with sex, or our hero and heroine. What tugged at my heart and kept me turning the pages was the tragic story of Nick’s younger brother, Davy. He’s got such a sweet boy's heart and soul, trapped in a man’s body, after suffering a horrific, brain injury. It was the time I spent getting to know him, his likes and his interests, that really had my attention. What an emotional side-story his is.

The bottom line:

I'm a huge fan of Toni Blake's Destiny series, as well as her H.O.T. Cops series written as Lacey Alexander, and while I really did enjoy The Red Diary, I didn't love it. I had issues with Nick's sneaking around Lauren's house, reading her diary and plotting his revenge on this woman who had nothing to do with her father's deception. I also had issues with Lauren, in general. I found myself more interested in the secondary story-lines than that of our hero and heroine.

My thanks to Avon Books for providing me with a copy of The Red Diary in exchange for an honest review.