The Will by Kristen Ashley

Description…

Early in her life, Josephine Malone learned the hard way that there was only one person she could love and trust: her grandmother, Lydia Malone. Out of necessity, unconsciously and very successfully, Josephine donned a disguise to keep all others at bay. She led a globetrotting lifestyle on the fringes of the fashion and music elite, but she kept herself distant.

While Josephine was trotting the globe, retired boxer Jake Spear was living in the same small town as Lydia. There was nothing disguised about Jake. Including the fact he made a habit of making very bad decisions about who to give his love.

But for Josephine and Jake, there was one person who adored them. One person who knew how to lead them to happiness. And one person who was intent on doing it.

Even if she had to do it as her final wish on this earth.

Full (spoiler free) review now posted...

“It hit him in that moment in a way he knew he’d never forget that he could take that hand and she could lead him anywhere. Just tip up her lips, turn those eyes to him and hold out her hand and he’d go straight to hell with her and do it smiling.”

Such a fun, romantic, sexy story!

It will come as no surprise to anyone that I’m a huge fan of Kristen Ashley’s writing, and it’s stories like The Will that, book after book, keep me coming back for more. This first in the new Magdalene series has that awesome small town setting we’ve come to love in her stories, and the coastal town of Magdalene introduces us to some fantastic characters with amazing stories to tell! 

My thoughts…

Gotta say, I really am excited about this series. The town with its residents who have the same hopes and dreams, the same trials and triumphs as the rest of us, is a place I would love to call home, with people I’d love to call friends. 

Josie is a woman I didn’t connect with right away. She was so aloof, so standoffish, holding herself apart from the world around her. The way she talked, the way she dressed, the way she carried herself… everything about her said, back off! But when she finally got her chance to shine, her shine was like a million bright, blinding lights, and that's when she won me over, heart and soul. This woman who stepped up and loved and, holding nothing back, loved in a way she would change lives... yes… heart and soul, she had me.

Jake. Wow. Just wow! What a great hero he is! A man who put his heart out there, time and time again, until he felt he had nothing left of his heart to give. A man devoted to his children. A man determined to take care of his own, and do it in his own way. I fell for Jake hard, and did it early on. Giving, caring, funny, accepting, and hell yeah, all kinds of sexy. Jake is a man to be respected, feared, but most of all, he’s a man to be loved.

And, as she always does, Kristen Ashley has created this world and filled it with amazing people. The supporting cast is made up of men and women whose stories need to be told, and I’ve no doubt each and every one will be amazing!

The bottom line…

What’s left to say? I love this new world filled with unending possibilities and can’t wait to see where Kristen Ashley takes us next!

My thanks to Kristen Ashley for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review. As always, it has been such a treat!

If you're already a Kristen Ashley addict, or interested in checking out her books, be sure to stop by our Kristen Ashley Addict's Support Group on Goodreads        

Dare to Love by Carly Phillips

The Cover Blurb 

Since finding out his father had another family on the side, Ian Dare swore to be the upstanding, responsible man his cheating parent had never been. When it comes to his relatives, he gives his all but in relationships he offers the bare minimum. But one glimpse of sensual Riley Taylor arouses his dominant and protective instincts and Ian is entranced. He will do anything to possess her … and does. But any future with Riley must include him extending an olive branch to the half-brother who is a constant reminder of the pain he’d rather forget.

Independent and always in control, Riley Taylor makes no apologies for choosing men carefully. Relationships have never been a priority and she believes herself hardened to domineering men – until she meets charismatic Ian Dare. He manages to turn a simple kiss into an all out assault on her senses and when he takes control in the bedroom, she’s stunned to discover she likes it. As their affair heats up, they soon realize they complete each other in ways neither imagined. But Riley’s past is closer than she cares to remember, and her struggles with Ian’s dominance might just cost her everything.

**************

Oh, so sweet! Oh, soooo sexy! Oh, soooooooo good! 

Dare to Love is the first book in Carly Phillips’ Dare to Love series, and it’s also her first book as an Indie author. I haven’t read any of her work before, so I have no way to know if she's better as an IA, but I have to say, I truly enjoyed her way of telling this story!


My Rambling, Ranting (but spoiler free) Review 

Wow, well… I have to say, I found this storyline very compelling. In the beginning, my feelings for Ian were mixed – hated him one minute, loved him the next, type thing. I had a tough time imagining what it was like for him to learn that his father, his role model, the man he loved and wanted to be like, had another family on the side. And worse, when that family came to light, Robert Dare chose them over Ian’s mother and siblings. Honestly, when I was finally able to wrap my head around that, I wanted to weep. No wonder Ian is so controlling. No wonder he holds himself back and doesn’t get involved in “relationships” that might lead to him being abandoned by someone else he loves. No wonder he hates his step siblings and wants nothing to do with them. No. Freaking. Wonder. If I were Ian, I'd have hated them, too! But one uttered word brought it all into perspective - and no! I won't tell you what that word is, but it tore out my heart and made me love both sets of Dare children, equally.

Riley Taylor had Ian’s absolute attention from the moment he first laid eyes on her, and it had nothing to do with the fact that she had entered the room on the arm of Ian’s step brother, Alex Dare – okay, maybe that had something to do with it. Knowing Ian's and Alex's history, their deeply rooted, consuming animosity for one another, I was worried that there’d be a lot of angst and drama, but thanks to Riley’s compassion and maturity, thankfully there was not. And I loved her for that. Seriously, had there been, it could have easily ruined the story for me, but this was handled by Riley early on, and handled well.

I’ve been wavering between 4 and 5 stars, and as I’m sitting here thinking about it, I’ve decided to go with 4 because there was something huge left unresolved, in my opinion, and it was Ian's father, Robert Dare’s remorse for what he’d done, or lack thereof. Granted, years had passed and he was probably tired of the rift his cheating ways had caused between his two sets of children, but SON-OF-A-BITCH! I have personal experience with the heartbreaking aftermath of infidelity, so in order for me to really be okay with the way his ex-wife, current wife, and most of his kids accepted his cheating ass and moved on, I needed some serious on-his-knees groveling. Some truly compelling reason for why he did what he did, and not the kissy-face reason we got. Or hell, just TRUE remorse!!! Sweet baby geebus! You might be wondering if I'm upset! Well, lemme just say that someone needs to meet the old, spineless, limp dick asshole in a dark  alley, remove his balls with a spoon and make him watch while they’re fed to sewer rats. Better yet, spread peanut butter on his balls, while they're still dangling from between his legs, and make him watch while the sewer rats eat them! Now YOU decide how upset I am. Fecking fooker! 

**takes a deep breath**

Alrighty, then...

Because I've Been Asked 

No, this book is really not just like Fifty Shades or its clones. Yes, the two leads are wealthy, but not once was the word "millionaire" or "billionaire" mentioned, and trust me, I did a search! Gotta love ebooks!

Also, I do have Ian shelved as a "dominant male", but this really is not a BDSM story.

The bottom line 

Dare to Love is at times funny, at times poignant, and at times very sexy! I’m thrilled to have finally read Carly Phillips writing, and yeah, this was my first read by this talented author, but it most certainly will not be my last! In fact, Alex’s story is up next and you couldn’t keep me from it if you tried!

My thanks to Chasity Jenkins for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review! It truly was a pleasure – despite what my outburst indicates.

Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men by Molly Harper and Amanda Ronconi

With her best friend Zeb’s Titanic-themed wedding looming ahead, new vampire Jane Jameson struggles to develop her budding relationship with her enigmatic sire, Gabriel. It seems unfair that she’s expected to master undead dating while dealing with a groom heading for a nuptial nervous breakdown, his hostile werewolf in-laws, and the ugliest bridesmaid dress in the history of marriage.

Meanwhile, the passing of Jane’s future step-grandpa puts Grandma Ruthie back on the market. Her new fiancee, Wilbur, has his own history of suspiciously dead spouses, and he may or may not have died ten years ago. Half-Moon Hollow’s own Black Widow has finally met her match.

Should Jane warn her grandmother of Wilbur’s marital habits or let things run their course? Will Jane always be an undead bridesmaid, never the undead bride?

Combining Mary Janice Davidson’s sass and the charm of Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse novels, this is an incredibly satisfying read for fans of paranormal romantic comedy.

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Audio Book Review

Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men, the second book in Molly Harper's Jane Jameson series, is another fun, witty, quirky romp through Half Moon Hollow.

The Story:

With Zeb and Jolene's wedding day quickly approaching and more and more obstacles being thrown in their path to wedded bliss, Jane seems to have become their couples counselor - much to her chagrin. But with Gabe and Jane's relationship feeling no small amount of strain, can Jane help her best friend make it to the altar while dealing with her own less than supportive relatives and a boyfriend who might be cheating on her?

My Review:

As I said in My Review of Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs, the writer/narrator team of Molly Harper and Amanda Ronconi makes these stories shine in a way that reading from a book just can't match. The story itself is funny, quirky, unique, sexy and poignant, but with Ms. Ronconi narrating - it comes to life.

I'm not usually a fan of stories where there's not a happily ever after for the hero and heroine at the end of their book, but Gabriel and Jane's relationship dynamic works for me. I do have to admit, though, I'm starting to wonder what Gabriel's secret is, and I hope we find out soon. Too much dragging out of the main character's happily ever after makes me lose interest, but I'm looking forward to the next book and hoping those nagging questions are answered.




Shelves:

2013-reads, 4-stars, amazing-narration, author-molly-harper, chick-lit, contemporary-romance, format-audio-book, funny-witty-dialog, great-secondary-storylines, great-supporting-cast, hypnosis, interfering-future-mother-in-law, is-he-cheating-or-not, marriage, narrated-by-amanda-ronconi, own-have-read, paranormal-romance, sassy-heroine, sexy-mysterious-hero, shifters-werewolves, steam-3-of-5, vampires, wedding-plans  

The River of No Return by Bee Ridgway

 

 

In Bee Ridgway’s wonderfully imaginative debut novel, a man and a woman travel through time in a quest to bring down a secret society that controls the past and, thus, the future. 

“You are now a member of the Guild. There is no return.” Two hundred years after he was about to die on a Napoleonic battlefield, Nick Falcott, soldier and aristocrat, wakes up in a hospital bed in modern London. The Guild, an entity that controls time travel, showers him with life's advantages. But Nick yearns for home and for one brown-eyed girl, lost now down the centuries. Then the Guild asks him to break its own rule. It needs Nick to go back to 1815 to fight the Guild’s enemies and to find something called the Talisman.

In 1815, Julia Percy mourns the death of her beloved grandfather, an earl who could play with time. On his deathbed he whispers in her ear: “Pretend!” Pretend what? When Nick returns home as if from the dead, older than he should be and battle scarred, Julia begins to suspect that her very life depends upon the secrets Grandfather never told her. Soon enough Julia and Nick are caught up in an adventure that stretches up and down the river of time. As their knowledge of the Guild and their feelings for each other grow, the fate of the future itself is hanging in the balance.

 *****

"We are cowards, really, we time travelers. We cheat death over and over. Jumping away from one story into another. Always pursuing the hope of another day."

When I was contacted and asked to consider reading and reviewing this story, my first reply was something to the effect, “It sounds great, but I don’t do time travel.” The reply I received in return thanked me for my honesty, asking me to reconsider because this time travel story is different. I thought - but kept that thought to myself - “Yes, that’s what they all say,” but I agreed, even though I was certain I’d only make it through five or so chapters before tossing in the towel. And yet, here I am, forty-six chapters later, so very happy that I did reconsider because this turned out to be a very enjoyable, thought provoking story.

The River of No Return is not science fictiony, nor is it steeped in fantasy or magic. And while this is a romance, and there is some steam, the majority of this story is about the Guild, the Ofan, time travel, and how sometimes the things we do, no matter how small, can change the future, for good or for bad. The world Bee Ridgway has created is complex, and if I give my imagination free rein, I can almost believe it’s possible that such a world exists.

There are many players in this story, and all of them are characters who 'fit,' regardless of their time; past, present, or future. Each is a person with a life they left behind through no choice of their own, and that makes them people I feel for, people I wonder about, and people I want to know better.

The bottom line: Ms. Ridgway has taken a genre that has, until now, completely turned me off, and has given it a fascinating plausibility that's more than just entertaining, it's compelling. This isn't a quick read, but I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the story. I do wish there had been more time given to Nick and Julia and their growing relationship - what can I say? I'm a hopeless romantic - but the world is so intriguing that I was completely captivated, start to finish.

I'm hoping there will be more books to come because I absolutely must find out what becomes of Jem.

My sincere thanks to Sarah at Dutton Adult, Penguin Group, for offering a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review. I'm sorry I doubted you...

Pursuing the Times by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

 

All that popular Chick-Lit author Mercury Lauren wants is to have one of her books reviewed by the New York Times Book Review - just one - and she'll do almost anything to get it. In this contemporary romantic comedy, with a nod toward Pride and Prejudice she crosses swords and hearts with the Editor-in-Chief of the NYTBR in a madcap adventure that takes her from her home in Westport to a yoga retreat to a golf course in Florida. Will she get what she wants and will she finally be happy if she does? Only one thing's for certain: nothing will stop her from Pursuing the Times.

*****

From Lauren Baratz-Logsted, author of the laugh-out-loud novel, The Bro-Magnet, comes the laugh-out-louder novel, Pursuing the Times. I haven’t smiled, snickered, giggled or…well, laughed out loud… this much while reading a story in a very long time.

Our heroine, Mercury Lauren, would likely cringe if she heard what I’m about to say, but Chick-Lit really isn’t my cuppa. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the female friendships and their love life ups and downs that are a part of the stories in this genre, but too often there’s not enough time given to romantic relationships to suit my need for a solid happily ever after in my reading. That said, while Chick-Lit isn’t my genre of choice, if more authors wrote it the way Ms. Baratz-Logsted does, it most definitely would be.

Rarely do I find myself enjoying the heroine of a story as much as I do the hero, but this is another something this author managed to pull off. Mercury is intelligent, insightful, dedicated and self deprecating – in a denial-esque kind of way and I loved her outspoken defense of herself and her writing. There’s just something so outrageous about her that, while watching a certain scene unfold on a golf course, had me thinking how much more exciting my own life would be if I had that kind of chutzpah!

Frank D’Arcangelo is a great hero! You may - or may not - have heard that this book at times mimics Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Well, one of my favorite things about Frank is just how “Mr. Darcy” he is, in a thoroughly obnoxious, modern sort of way. But like our beloved Mr. Darcy of old, Frank isn’t completely irredeemable, and even well before the conclusion of the story, I adored him! In fact, even when he was being an utter ass, I was still grinning and cheering him on in the direction I wanted him to go: into Mercury’s arms.

The bottom line: Pursuing the Times is an absolute pleasure to read. It’s light, romantic, funny, steamy… a truly feel good story. Fans of any romance genre will completely relate to Mercury Lauren and her desperation to become recognized as a legitimate author, and you'll laugh at the lengths she'll go to to achieve her goal. I’m looking forward to reading more by this talented author. Even if it is Chick-Lit ;)

My thanks to Ms. Baratz-Logsted for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review. And for her patience during the months it took me to actually pick it up and read it.

I loved this quote:

Of course, by now I'd been branded as an author of Chick-Lit -- well, actually, the first book had served to do that -- even though I thought of what I wrote as satire. Surely, if a man wrote the same things, they wouldn't call it Dick Lit... would they?

Stealing Home by Jennifer Seasons

 

Mark Cutter has it all: a lucrative baseball career, fast cars, and faster women—and all thanks to his priceless good luck charm. At least, that's what he thinks before Lorelei Littleton shows up. Next thing he knows, he's waking up alone, the sexy brunette has vanished, and his good luck charm is gone. More than a little curious about the wicked-hot cat burglar and determined to get his property back, Mark's going to track down the thief and make her pay—big time.

Maybe Lorelei feels a tiny bit guilty for stealing Mark's good luck charm, but when it's worth $100,000 and the money could save her niece's life? She's not losing sleep over it . . . but him? Lorelei can't get the ballplayer with the bad attitude out of her head. And now he's come after her with more than just revenge in his eyes. Lorelei has a choice: turn over the charm and lose the money, or keep it and risk losing everything . . . including her heart.

*****

 Stealing Home is the first book in Jennifer Seasons’ Diamonds and Dugouts series. It’s fun, romantic, quirky and sexy… a truly entertaining story!

I’m a big fan of Contemporary Romance, and this one is just right. It has all the things I most enjoy in my reads, and a terrific supporting cast as well.

The story line is one that tugs at the heartstrings, and starts a chain of events that can’t be stopped, without someone landing in prison. I enjoyed the way that all played out, and I really enjoyed the time we spent in Mark’s head during his time behind the plate. I’ve never been much of a baseball fan, and don’t know a lot about the sport, but Ms. Seasons didn't get all sport techy and I actually found myself very interested in the game play.

Mark and Lorelei are both great characters, and their chemistry and quick wit made for some great reading. Mark really is the perfect hero… sexy, funny, compassionate - but by no means a pushover… from the start I wanted him to have everything his heart desired. Lorelei annoyed me here and there because she wouldn’t open up and explain why she so desperately needed the money, even though she’d been caught red-handed and had nothing to lose. But still, I couldn’t help but admire her devotion to her family and her determination to help them.

The bottom line: Stealing Home is a great start to the Diamonds and Dugouts series, and sitting here writing this review, I’ve got a grin on my face thinking of some of the stunts Lorelei pulled, and how Mark fought back. It’s safe to say that I’m looking forward to reading more in the series.

My thanks to Avon Books and Edelweiss for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.
Books in the Diamonds and Dugouts series: