Sea Glass Winter by JoAnn Ross

 

He was used to getting what he wanted. And what he wanted was her.

From the cover: As an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Specialist, Dillon Slater had one of the most dangerous jobs in the military. Now, he’s enjoying the pace of life in Shelter Bay, where he teaches high school physics. He still gets to blow things up, but as the school basketball coach he also gets to impart leadership skills. His latest minefield: fifteen-year-old Matt Templeton—and Matt’s irresistible mother…

Claire Templeton moved herself and her troubled teenage son to the small town of Shelter Bay. Oregon, to escape the bad influences at his school in L.A. But when his attitude earns her a visit from the handsome basketball coach, she wonders if this role model might be too much of a temptation—for her. Because though she isn’t looking for a relationship, she can’t seem to resist Dillon’s playful charm. But what she doesn’t realize is that Dillon isn’t playing games—he’s playing for keeps…  

*****

Sea Glass Winter is the fifth book in JoAnn Ross’s Shelter Bay series. It’s a sweet, sexy, heartwarming story, one I truly enjoyed!

I’ve read several of Ms. Ross’s earlier books but hadn’t yet ventured into this series. Reading this book without having first read the others wasn’t much of a problem… although, we do revisit the characters from the first four books and there’s a lot going on with them, so given the choice, I’d read these in order.

This story is similar in ways to other contemporary romances I’ve read in that the characters are often, for one reason or another, single parents. In this case, the child is fifteen year old Matt, nicknamed “the phenom” for his crazy basketball skills. At the rate he’s going, he’s guaranteed to be picked up by a major college or university – if not straight into the NBA. We spend a lot of time with he and his teammates, and much of that time is watching him grow from the spoiled “star” he was at Beverly Hills High, to a young man who understands that, as clichéd as it sounds, “there really is no “I” in team.”

I enjoyed Claire and Dillon… especially Dillon. As far as I was concerned, Claire was taking way too long to get with the program and just give in to her lust for him. There were a couple times when I imagined him just throwing in the towel, walking away and saving himself the frustration, but in the end, when it all worked out, it was great!

As I said, we see a lot of the earlier characters, and knowing where their stories have taken them (now) makes me want to go back and read their books, too. That said, flipping back and forth between so many side-stories... well, I'd have preferred to spend more time getting to know Claire and Dillon... but maybe that's because I didn't have the investment in the earlier couples that I would have, had I read the books in order.

The bottom line: I really enjoyed this story. The relationship between Claire and Dillon wasn’t all angsty or dramatic. It was peaceful, it flowed… it felt real. The storyline itself was also nice. No one getting blown up, no terrorists threatening to take over the world… just a pleasant, feel good, small-town-life story, and sometimes that’s exactly what I'm looking for.

This book was reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine

My Scandalous Viscount by Gaelen Foley

Sebastian, Viscount Beauchamp, lives by a code of honor, and now honor dictates he must marry Miss Carissa Portland. He has no regrets over stealing a kiss from the adorable little busybody--a fitting punishment for putting her delectable nose where it didn't belong. But now, caught in a compromising situation, he knows he must make her his bride. He's faced danger before--but nothing like this!

Carissa is not a gossip--she's a "lady of information." And all she was trying to do was warn the rakehell Beauchamp away from an irate husband. But even she can't flaunt Society, and while her head tells her that Beau's a notorious scoundrel, her heart--and her body--are captivated by his dangerous charm. But when Carissa next goes snooping, the secrets she uncovers about the Inferno Club may prove even more hazardous than falling in love with her own husband.

 *******

 
My Scandalous Viscount is the fifth book in the very popular The Inferno Club series, and true to form, Gaelen Foley has penned a romantic, sexy, exciting tale that kept me up far too late into the night, unable to put it down!

If you’re a fan of historical romance, as I am, then you’ve probably already had the pleasure of reading the written art of Gaelen Foley. You know what I mean when I say that her stories have a level of substance to them that is often lacking in this genre. That’s not to say that they’re heavy, or angsty beyond bearing, but the characters aren’t just words on the page. They become living and breathing people – people I want to know better. I want to know what compels them to do the things they do, their thoughts, their actions - and Ms. Foley gives me that, and more.

I have to admit, I'm a hero driven reader, and Sebastian, Viscount Beauchamp, is my kind of hero! Sexy, exciting, witty, and with a sense of vulnerability about him that makes me want to steal him away and keep him for my very own. I often feel sorry for the heroines of any book I read, because I tend to make them work harder for my affection than I do the hero. That said, Carissa, while there were moments I wanted to throttle her, turned out to be a wonderful heroine, the kind of woman I would want for Sebastian’s happily ever after - if I can't have him for myself, that is.

The bottom line: My Scandalous Viscount has everything I love in my historical romance reads; excitement, intrigue, romance, passion, humor, and most of all, amazing characters whose lives and loves, and whose trials and triumphs keep me completely invested and coming back for more!

My thanks to Avon Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. What a pleasure it’s been!

Holly Lane by Toni Blake

Toni Blake’s Destiny series is the perfect blend of contemporary and erotic romance, making each story tender, feel good, and incredibly sexy. I guess I'm pretty demanding, but even in my erotic reading I want a believable story and a good solid relationship with people I can care about. I want to feel an emotional connection - to laugh when they laugh, to cry when they cry, and to sigh when they sigh. Well, Holly Lane gave me all that, and more.

From the cover:

The weather outside is frightful, but kisses by the fire are so delightful …

Sue Ann Simpkins is working hard to rebuild her life and find some holiday spirit. A weekend away from Destiny in a cabin on nearby Bear Lake seems like the perfect Christmas gift to herself—until her ex's best friend, Adam Becker, shows up at the door, claiming the cabin is his! And if that's not trouble enough, how had she never noticed how gorgeous he was?

Alone for the holidays and forced to play a reindeer at the local department store, Adam's been feeling rather Scrooge-ish himself. But finding the smart, sexy woman he's admired since elementary school waiting in the house he rented is helping to brighten his humbug mood. And when a sudden snowstorm strands them together in very close quarters, leading to one very hot night together, Adam soon realizes that what he really wants for Christmas is a second chance at love. Now all he has to do is convince Sue Ann…

I’m being totally honest when I tell you that Sue Ann was not a character I ever thought I’d care about because she just seemed so perfect… too perfect, in fact. Perfectly dressed, perfectly married to a perfect husband, being everyone’s perfect friend with a perfect life - perfect, perfect, perfect… So even when I heard about this story, even when I learned that her perfect world was falling apart, I still wasn’t sure what to think, whether or not I’d become invested in her enough to care what happens. Boy, was I ever a fool to doubt Toni Blake’s ability to not only make me care, but to make me care deeply.

From the very first pages my heart broke for Sue Ann who’s learned that her husband has fallen in love with another woman and wants a divorce. She never saw it coming, and now she has to not only put her life back together, but find a way to build a future for her and her daughter, Sophie. So, was the perfect Sue Ann really perfect? Nope! Did I want to slap her silly sometimes because she was being too stubborn? Yep! But these things, her imperfections and her stubbornness... they were actually part of what made me love her. Her struggles, her heartbreak, her trials and triumphs… I was right there with her, cheering her on, getting to know this woman who was able to overcome her own insecurities and was capable of accomplishing anything!

If you've read much of her writing, you know that Toni Blake has a knack for taking everyday characters who’ve just been floating around the peripherals of a story, of bringing them in, and making them shine. That’s exactly what she did with Adam. What an amazing man he is! Understanding, compassionate, caring, hard working, unconditionally devoted – and of course, sexy as sin! I enjoyed watching him put his own past behind him and open himself up to the possibility of loving again. And it was a delight having the opportunity to see he and Sue Ann grow closer as their relationship transformed from one of friends-since-childhood to lovers, and then to something more.

Another real treat was visiting with Jenny and Mick and getting a glimpse into their married life. They have come so very far together, and their future is looking brighter and brighter.

The bottom line: Holly Lane is a Christmas story, it’s true, but this much love, this much happiness, hope and passion should be celebrated all year 'round. I’m so very glad I finally took this off the shelf and spent this Valentine's Day surrounded in the magic of Christmas in Destiny, Ohio.

Anything for You by Jessica Scott

Sergeant First Class Shane Garrison has spent a year recovering from his combat injuries. A year spent in the arms of the woman of his dreams. But loving Jen comes with a price: every time he touches her, he faces the uncertain fear that loving her might mean losing her forever.

Jen is a breast cancer survivor and with Shane, she’s found a man who loves her despite her scars. But her scars may be too much for their love to survive.

As their love grows, so does the risk to Jen’s life. And Shane must make the toughest decision any man can make to save the woman he loves.

*****

Anything for You is a short, sweet, touching story, revisiting Shane Garrison and Jen St. James from Because of You, the first book in Jessica Scott’s Coming Home series. If you haven’t already read Because of You, I would strongly encourage you to do so before reading this story, as it’s a continuation of Shane and Jen’s developing relationship.

If you’ve read the books in this series, you know that the draw is how honest these stories are. They’re what life is really like for military men and women who have to face the same things we do. It’s not always about blowing up terrorists or saving the world from corrupt leaders… these are real stories about real people making the same life decisions that real people make, and that means that I connect with the characters, every single time.

Anything for You is a very tender story about loving a cancer survivor. Shane’s concerns, his fears that Jen might get sick again one day don’t stop him from loving her, but they are coming between them in one of the most painful ways any couple can imagine. Ms. Scott tells this story in such a way that my heart broke for them both because I could completely feel where they’re coming from. This is an issue that many cancer surviving couples have to deal with, and there’s no right or wrong to it. Just supporting one another, and living and loving with everything in you because the future gives no guarantees of what’s to come. So, while the choices they had to make, and the things they may one day have to face broke my heart, it gave me such hope and so much happiness for them, and that's what matters.

Ms. Scott, thank you so much for writing this story…for all the books in the series, but especially this one. I know what it's like to wonder, "will it come back?" It's not fun, but it's always there, always a possibility, and everyone's stories deserve to be told, especially the "real" ones. This is life. This is love. This is real. So yeah, thank you.

Anything for You was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Agent of Desire by Charlie Evans

 

Adrenaline junkie Jessica Booker joined the CIA to take on bad guys and flirt with danger. And with perks like sleeping with hot foreign men added into the mix, well…it’s a pretty sweet deal.

Now in Paris, she’s about to take on her second assignment as an official agent but is caught off guard when her new partner turns out to be Sims, a sexy CIA instructor. Sims was hard enough to resist in the classroom—in the field, he's a dangerous distraction. To make matters worse, Jessica’s target is a gorgeous Frenchman who manages to put her in the most compromising positions—positions she doesn’t altogether mind.

With rogue agents, classified secrets, and tempting men at every turn, this mission will prove to be the first real test of her skills, both in and out of the bedroom.

*******

 
Agent of Desire is Charlie Evans’ debut novel, as well as the first book in her Jessica Booker series. It’s a fast paced, entertaining, and sexy story.

This is told in the first person, from Jessica’s POV. There are a lot of things I liked about this book, including the way it unfolds, and all the twists and turns that kept me trying to figure out who the bad guys really are. It's nice to get this kind of story in which the heroine is the lead, and to see what is normally a man's world from a woman's perspective.

Another thing I really like about it is the heroine. Jessica is a strong, intelligent woman, though she does make some mistakes – trusting the wrong people, to start with – but still in all, a great heroine. She’s got an attitude that screams “don’t fuck with me” but she knows when she messes up and isn’t afraid to admit it. Not all heroines are as honest with themselves as Jessica is.

It's not always easy to tell a story in first person POV and still be able to get inside the hearts and minds of all the characters involved and, I'm sorry to say, that's something I missed in this story. As much as I enjoyed Jessica, I didn’t feel the connection – the draw – between her and the other players.

The hard thing about telling a tale from this point of view is that we're only going to get what the narrator (Jessica) gives us, and I really do think that’s where my inability to connect to anyone but her stems from. We got plenty of what's going on inside her, but not enough of what the others are feeling. In my opinion, with this being an erotic story, the sex scenes would have felt sexier had I gotten more of a reader/character connection.

The bottom line: Ms. Evans is definitely a talented writer and I enjoyed this world she's created. Agent of Desire is an impressive debut novel and start to the Jessica Booker series.

My thanks to the author for providing me with a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

All He Ever Dreamed by Shannon Stacey

Josh Kowalski is tired of holding down the fort—better known as the Northern Star Lodge—while his siblings are off living their dreams. Now that his oldest brother has returned to Whitford, Maine for good, Josh is free to chase some dreams of his own.

As the daughter of the lodge's longtime housekeeper, Katie Davis grew up alongside the Kowalski kids. Though she's always been "one of the guys", her feelings for Josh are anything but sisterly. And after a hot late-night encounter in the kitchen, it's clear Josh finally sees her as the woman she is.

Katie's been waiting years for Josh to notice her, but now that he has, she's afraid it's too late. Giving her heart to a man who can't wait to leave town is one sure way to have it broken. But Josh keeps coming up with excuses not to leave—could it be that everything he's ever wanted is closer than he could have imagined?

*****

All He Ever Dreamed is the sixth book in Shannon Stacey’s Kowalski Family series and, start to finish, I couldn't put it down!

A little back story: I’ve absolutely loved every book in this series, but there’s been something about Josh that has been tugging at my heartstrings since I first set eyes on him. He’s the youngest of the Kowalski siblings and as each of the others left home to build their own lives, Josh’s life has seemed less and less in his control. Everyone’s assumed he’d run Northern Star Lodge, but they never asked if that’s what he wanted to do. He was becoming more and more frustrated and bitter, but then one day he got a lucky break – literally. He fell off a ladder and broke his leg. As his siblings come home to help with the lodge, they start to see that Josh isn't as happy to be there as they thought he was, and this is when he finally tells them how he really feels about being left behind to run the family business.

So that brings us to now...Josh’s story, and it’s every bit as emotional as I had expected, and Josh is every bit the honorable, devoted – and very sexy – man I knew he would be! There were times I wanted to smack him right upside his gorgeous head and knock some of the stubbornness out of him, and other times I wanted to bring him home and love him all better! Such a great, great man he’s turned out to be.

Katie Davis – I adore Katie. Her mom, Rosie, has been the Northern Star's housekeeper forever, so Katie grew up with the Kowalski kids. She’s been Josh’s best friend for as long as she can remember, but that friendship became something more - to her. She fell in love with him. Katie knows that in Josh’s eyes, she’s just “one of the guys” and she’s sure he’ll never see her any other way, but with a little encouragement from friends and family, she decides to pull out all the stops and make him see that she’s all woman, she’s all his, and always has been! And this made for some very funny, very romantic, and very sexy reading!

And as always, these stories wouldn't be nearly as fun as they are without revisiting the rest of the Kowalski friends, family and neighbors! It's always such a treat to catch up with them. They are caring, devoted, amazing people, people I can’t get enough of!

The bottom line: Contemporary Romance fans, Shannon Stacey’s Kowalski Family series is not to be missed! These stories are sweet, sexy, emotional tales that are guaranteed to leave you with a smile on your face and a sigh in heart!

My thanks to Carina Press and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review. It’s been an absolute delight!

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.