Once Burned (Night Prince #1) by Jeaniene Frost

She's a mortal with dark powers...

After a tragic accident scarred her body and destroyed her dreams, Leila never imagined that the worst was still to come: terrifying powers that let her channel electricity and learn a person's darkest secrets through a single touch. Leila is doomed to a life of solitude...until creatures of the night kidnap her, forcing her to reach out with a telepathic distress call to the world's most infamous vampire...

He's the Prince of Night...

Vlad Tepesh inspired the greatest vampire legend of all—but whatever you do, don't call him Dracula. Vlad's ability to control fire makes him one of the most feared vampires in existence, but his enemies have found a new weapon against him—a beautiful mortal with powers to match his own. When Vlad and Leila meet, however, passion ignites between them, threatening to consume them both. It will take everything that they are to stop an enemy intent on bringing them down in flames.

I think I'm probably the only person on the planet who hasn't read Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series, even though Cat and Bones get rave reviews. But I found Once Burned, the first hook in her Night Prince series available via audio from my library, so I decided to give it a shot.

First, the story - I really enjoyed it! Fun, sexy, intriguing, the world, the people, the plot....everything combined made this a very entertaining read. Vlad is one crazy alpha vampire and in my opinion, he stole the show.

The audio was terrific. Tavia Gilbert WOW'd me with her ability to switch between male and female characters as well as a variety of accents. A pretty impressive narration.

I'm looking forward to reading and listening to more by this incredibly talented team.

Bound by Flames (Night Prince #3) by Jeaniene Frost

Blurb...

Play with fire, pay the price.

Leila’s years on the carnie circuit were certainly an education. What she didn’t learn: how to be a vampire, or how to be married to the most famous vampire of them all. Adjusting to both has Leila teetering on a knife edge between passion and peril, and now the real danger is about to begin…

Vlad must battle with a centuries-old enemy whose reach stretches across continents and whose strength equals his own. It isn’t like Vlad to feel fear, but he does…for Leila, because his enemy knows she is Vlad’s greatest weakness. As friend and foe alike align against him—and his overprotectiveness drives Leila away—Vlad’s love for his new bride could be the very thing that dooms them both…

Bound by Flames, the 3rd book in the Night Prince series is, in my opinion, the best of the 3 so far. It's loaded with twists and turns and things I didn't see coming, things that had me on the edge of my seat, frantic to find out how Vlad and Leila would get out of their current mess - who was going to die a painful death for putting them in that mess. Vlad takes vengeance to a whole new level, all the while being amazingly loving and compassionate in an endearing 'don't make me set your ass on fire' way. :D

Once again Tavia Gilbert blew me away with her narration. That woman has talent! The way she seamlessly switches between characters, staying true to their heavy accents and personalities is nothing short of brilliant!

Sexy, passionate, romantic, brutally violent, funny... this story has it all and I'm not sure how I'll manage to stay sane while waiting for book 4!

America's First Daughter by Laura Kamoie Cover Reveal

What a gorgeous cover! And this sounds like a story of epic proportions. I can't wait for the March 1st, 2016 release from William Morrow!!

Blurb: In a compelling, richly researched novel that draws from thousands of letters and original sources, bestselling authors Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie tell the fascinating, untold story of Thomas Jefferson’s eldest daughter, Martha “Patsy” Jefferson Randolph—a woman who kept the secrets of our most enigmatic founding father and shaped an American legacy.

From her earliest days, Martha "Patsy" Jefferson knows that though her father loves his family dearly, his devotion to his country runs deeper still. As Thomas Jefferson’s oldest daughter, she becomes his helpmate in the wake of her mother’s death, traveling with him when he becomes American minister to France. And it is in Paris, at the glittering court and among the first tumultuous days of revolution, that she learns of her father’s liaison with Sally Hemings, a slave girl her own age.

Patsy too has fallen in love—with her father’s protégé, William Short, a staunch abolitionist intent on a career in Europe. Heartbroken at having to decide between being William’s wife or a devoted daughter, she returns to Virginia with her father and marries a man of his choosing, raising eleven children of her own.

Yet as family secrets come to light during her father's presidency, Patsy must again decide how much she will sacrifice to protect his reputation, in the process defining not just Jefferson’s political legacy, but that of the nation he founded.

Exit Strategy (EXIT, Inc #1) by Lena Diaz

Exit Strategy is the first book in Lena Diaz’s EXIT Inc series, and is filled with lots of twists and turns, loads of action and adventure, and plenty of steamy romance!

Blurb…

When Sabrina Hightower awakens to the sound of an intruder, she figures he's there to rob her, murder her— or worse. She doesn't expect to be carried off by a muscle-bound stud with male-model good looks... or that he came to rescue her.

Mason Hunt became an enforcer with EXIT Inc. to eliminate the bad guys—terrorists, militia groups, all those who would do America harm. But his latest target is innocent. If EXIT could lie about sultry, strong-willed Sabrina, what darker truths might they be concealing?

Going rogue in the rugged North Carolina mountains, Mason risks everything to keep Sabrina close, especially now that EXIT's lethal assassins are chasing them down. The heat is on... but it's nothing compared to the slow burn of seduction.

My thoughts…

EXIT Inc. is a spinoff of the very popular The Deadly Games series. In this first book of the new series, we meet (or reunite with) the “undercover vigilantes” of EXIT Inc, many of whom were featured in the original series. That said, I had absolutely no problem reading Exit Strategy, even having not read the TDG.

I hadn’t read anything by Ms. Diaz before diving in to this story, so I wasn’t too sure what to expect, but with an intriguing plot and compelling characters I was hooked from the start, and I'm thrilled to have a new Romantic Suspense author to follow!

The Highlander's Desire (Highlander Brothers #2) by Margo Maguire

I enjoyed this Scottish Highlander romance. Lots of detail was given to the day-to-day running of a keep, and I enjoyed the passion between Anna and Lachann. Things moved a little slow from time to time, but still an entertaining story.

Despite this being the second book in the Highlander Brothers series, it reads verra well as a stand-alone!

Blurb...

Lachann MacMillan's watched his older brother, the laird of his clan, find a passionate marriage, but he suffers no illusions that his path will be the same--especially as the woman he loved was stolen from him years ago. He's ready to leave his homeland and make his mark. He'll even enter into a passionless marriage to the daughter of the Laird of Kilogorra if it means a chance at his own land…and leaving behind his painful memories. A simple enough plan until he meets Anna MacIver, a mere serving maid with the face of an angel who ignites a fire in him that is anything but angelic.

Anna has been a lowly servant in her uncle, the Laird of Kilogorra's home, since her mother died years ago. She has no envy for her cousin's matrimonial fate as observation of has taught her that freedom--no matter the serving chains--is far more precious that being under the command of a husband. But when Lachlann arrives to marry Anna's cousin, she finds herself longing for something she never knew she wanted. Together the maid and the highlander may find that some things are worth having, no matter the cost.

An ARC was provided by Avon Books.

My Notorious Gentleman (Inferno Club #6) by Gaelen Foley

My Notorious Gentleman is book #6 in Gaelen Foley's Inferno Club series, a historical romance meets special ops meets small town life story. This installment has all the facets I love most in my escapism reading; humor, passion, romance, and a great storyline, all centered around my very favorite thing - a hero in need of love and the heroine who will stop at nothing to make him believe he's worthy of hers.

If you haven't experienced Ms. Foley's historical romances, you're missing out on some great reading.

Blurb...

Former spy and Inferno Club member Lord Trevor Montgomery is about to ace the greatest danger of all—marriage! Yes, he has every lady of the ton swooning, but he doesn’t have a jot of interest in any of them, except for shy, warm-hearted Miss Grace Kenwood—the parson’s daughter.

She could steal his heart—if he believed he still possessed one.

Note... I'd like to say this can be read as a standalone, but to really enjoy it, it's best read in order.

An ARC of this story was provided by Avon Books (a long time ago, and I'm kicking myself for waiting so long to read it) and to show my appreciation I'm giving them an honest review!

Truly Sweet (Sweet, Texas #5) by Candis Terry

5 Sweet, Sweet, Texas Stars!

I've loved every book in this series and didn't want it to ever end, but Candis Terry did the Wilder family proud with this final story. I laughed, I sighed, I fanned myself, and I cried, and I will miss the people and the town of Sweet, Texas!

Blurb...

When the one you've always wanted

At sixteen, Annabelle Morgan hoped her crush on Jake Wilder was just a passing phase. Now she s twenty-nine and nothing has changed except Jake. The once-carefree marine has come home with a giant chip on his shoulder. He insists a single mom like Annie deserves more than he can offer. Yet no matter how gruff his gorgeous exterior may be, Jake s toe-curling kisses convince her that this attraction is definitely mutual.

Becomes the one who wants you back

Butting heads with feisty Annie was always a thrill. Add other body parts to the mix, and Jake is in serious trouble. He can t be a forever-and-family guy and Annie s not a friends-with-benefits kind of woman. But love has a way of changing the best-laid plans, and surrender has never been so tempting.

The outcome is truly sweet...

An ARC of Truly Sweet was provided by Avon Books, and in appreciation I'm giving them an honest review!