ARC Review: Rescue Me by Rachel Gibson

 "She’s 33, unmarried, and stuffed into a Bubble Yum pink bridesmaid dress. And the whole town wants to fix her up with anyone with a dental plan… Who’s going to rescue Sadie Hollowell now? Everyone in Lovett, Texas knows Sadie has always been a ‘notional’ kind of gal. She got a notion to leave town asap , and never visit her daddy (bless his heart). Now, she’s back and got the notion to invite a good-looking, hard-muscled, total stranger to her cousin’s wedding. Better a stranger than some of the losers she’s dated. Vince Haven got his muscles the hard way—as a Navy SEAL in Afghanistan. He’s staying in Lovett to visit his crazy aunt—the proprietor of the local Gas N Go. Before he can get the heck back out of the small town, his aunt makes him an offer he can’t refuse. Maybe he’ll stick around Lovett for a while. Maybe he’ll make a ‘go’ of the Gas N Go. Maybe he’ll rescue Sadie out of that pink dress!"


 

I love Rachel Gibson's stories, but this one started out slow moving. I found myself struggling with the first half of the book and normally that doesn't happen with her books so I was a little disappointed in this.

Sadie meets Vince when she she is driving and sees his broken down car and offers him a ride. This happened to be one of the funniest scenes in the entire book. Sadie doesn't want to go to her cousins wedding alone so she decides to ask Vince since she helped with a ride if he could help her and be her date. Vince says no but ends up showing up anyway. Finally the chemistry starts flying.

Sadie's father has an accident and has to go to the hospital. Sadie is forced to hang around and take care of things at the family ranch and it just so happens she hooks back up with Vince. As a  reader we begin to get little pieces of both of there lives. As Vince starts to change and get closer to Sadie, I started to take to him a tad more than I did at the beginning. This becomes the best part of the story and I loved it.

Normally I like when books wrap up the whole story, but with this book it felt more like a cliff hanger. I mean are we getting more of them or is Ms. Gibson going for another story in the next book. As you can see I am a tad confused by this.  

Now I am not saying that I will discontinue reading Rachel Gibson books because I wont. I just need more from her next story and hopefully she will deliver.

ARC Review: Willow Springs by Toni Blake

"Amy Bright might be the best matchmaker in Destiny, Ohio, but she's desperately shy when it comes to her own love life—and helpless when it comes to Logan Whitaker, the best friend whom she's head-over-heels in love with. So Amy decides to become Logan's secret admirer, sending him sensual love letters steamy enough to unseal their own envelopes. One letter leads to another, one thing leads to another, and then comes an unplanned kiss…

Overcoming a tragedy from his life as a firefighter, Logan needs a friend. Thank goodness for Amy. But when a woman from Logan's past resurfaces right as some anonymous letters send Logan's pulse hammering, suddenly he doesn't know what he needs—a reliable friend, or a passionate lover? One smoking-hot kiss could change everything…but will it ruin a one-of-a-kind friendship, or show Logan and Amy that they've already found everything they need, right here in Destiny?"

When I got a chance to review Willow Springs I was just overly excited. This is only the second book in the series that I read but I am in love with this town.

Amy and Logan have been friends forever, after a tragedy happens to Logan things start to happen between the two of them  and neither one thought this would happen. Now this happens to be the only thing Amy can think about. These are new emotions she is learning how to deal with. Can Amy and Logan get past the friendship they have had to start something brand new? Or will a friendship be lost all together?

In this book Blake brings in so many emotions, which I loved!!! While reading there were times I was frustrated with what was happening, but then she had the parts where I was falling in love right beside Amy. This story had me so emotionally invested that I couldn't or wouldn't put it down until I read every last chapter. It was a addiction that I am I proud of. 

I did feel like I was right beside Amy while she is going through her ups and downs of the emotions she is feeling. I am a big believer in if you read a book that can make you feel every emotion you have a winning book on your hands. So way to go Ms. Blake.

I had times were I was heartbroken for Amy and pissed beyond belief at Logan and the things he did. Granted I know he didn't mean to do them but the fact is this book takes you on a emotional roller coaster that you wont want to get off. It was well written and you fall in love with each and every character in there own way.

Now that I am invested in this series I am going back to the beginning to start the journey from the very first page. I cant wait to see what I have been missing and I can't wait to see what else Ms. Blake will have for us in the future of Destiny. 

Twitter Giveawayof Once Burned!!!!!

Today I have decided to do a giveaway on twitter of

This contest will run from 8 am - 5pm eastern time. I will pick one winner who @ me on twitter. If you don't know my twitter name it is @lush26


Good Luck!!!!

Review: Lucky in Love By Jill Shalvis

"Mallory Quinn has had enough of playing it safe. As a nurse and devoted daughter, she takes care of everyone but herself. And as the local good girl, she's expected to date Mr. Right. But for once, she'd like to take a risk on Mr. Wrong. And who could be more wrong than Ty Garrison? The mysterious new guy in town has made it clear that he's only passing through, which suits Mallory just fine. Besides, his lean, hard body and sexy smile will give her plenty to remember once he's gone...

For the first time in his life, Ty can't bear to leave. Helping this sexy seductress-in-training walk on the wild side is making him desire things he shouldn't -- including leaving the military for good. As their just-for-fun fling becomes something more, Mallory and Ty wonder if they could really be this lucky in love. After all...anything can happen in a town called Lucky Harbor"

I really enjoyed the Lucky Harbor series by Jill Shalvis. Now Jill is moving on to three girlfriends who are helping each other find what is missing in their lives...which would be romance of course. 

Lucky in Love is the forth book in the series and this book is all Mallory. Mallory is an ER nurse at the hospital where her mother also works. She is the rock for her entire family. When a snow storm hits Lucky Harbor she is the diner with Amy and Grace when she comes across the Mysterious Cute Guy. It just so happens that gets a concussion from a fallen tree during this storm. Enter Mallory to the rescue who helps him when he really needs it. He has agreed to be Mallory's date to the be her date for a benefit dinner, but Mallory has a feeling that he isn't going to remember saying yes.

Ty Garrison is no longer a Navy SEAL medic. After losing his team in an accident overseas, Ty still hasn't got over it. Now he does missions for a private contractor. He happens to spend his time working on classic cars and staying away from the people in Lucky Harbor.  Even though he can barley remember what happened to him the night in the snow storm, he just can’t seem to forget Mallory’s warm eyes and the way she cared for him. 

 I was really excited when Jill announced she was writing three more books in the series. Although I did enjoy this book, it didn't keep me hooked like the first previous books. I think it had to deal with being introduced to a whole new set of characters. I was intrigued by Ty and his story more than I was as them as a couple at first, but then it all started to come together for me. I enjoyed the journey Ty and Mallory went through to realize how perfect they were for one another.

 Jill tends to write some sexy scenes and this book has more than it's share. I also enjoyed the side characters that we were introduced to. Lucille was still her up to her funny antics as usual but I still couldn't get enough of her and her meddling.

The next book At Last, will be about Amy and Matt. Since they tend to stay away from each other  I am more than curious to find out what will happen between the two of them.

Guest Post & Feature by Beth Kery/Bethany Kane

First Kiss: by Beth Kery/Bethany Kane

Have you ever seen a corticol homunculus? And how in that world does that weird question relate to my article about kissing?

A corticol homunculus is a visual representation of what areas of our body are the most packed with nerves and take up the largest areas of the cortex. And um….I think it’ll be pretty obvious that the lips, mouth and tongue have gotten a lot more wiring for sensitivity than even—yep, it’s all right there—the genitals. (Yes, the female homunculus would look really similar to this male one).

Pucker up, little guy.

So just on a technical basis, a kiss has got to be one of the most important acts of lovemaking. Two mouths sliding together, rubbing, shaping, stimulating each other…what other area of the body can feel pressure and heat and absorb taste all at once? You better reconsider that mouth of yours. It’s a veritable sensual feast and explorer all at once.

Just because a kiss is often one of the first acts of intimacy doesn’t diminish its importance. With all those zinging nerves buzzing the brain, the first kiss is going to be the first real indicator of whether or not a couple is sexually compatible. We all know what it means to be turned on or off by another human being’s taste, to become overwhelmed by a kiss. Why should we trust our kiss-instincts?

Because as you can see from the homunculus, the mouth is one of the wisest, most acute erogenous zones on the body. The mouth knows what it likes.

(And by the way, the homunculus suddenly makes foot fetishes just a little more comprehensible, no?)

Here’s a first kiss excerpt from Bound to You to illustrate my point. Who better to have mastered the art of kissing besides a blind man whose sense of touch and taste are exquisitely refined? This excerpt highlights why John is so capable of turning Jennifer’s worst fear—the darkness—into a sensual world she’s never glimpsed until that moment.

First Kiss Excerpt: Bound to You, a One Night of Passion novella by Bethany Kane

“Just close your eyes, then,” he murmured, his warm breath brushing across her left temple. “There’s a whole world in the darkness, and it can be a wonderful place. Do you want me to show you?”

“Yes,” she whispered, the kisses he rained on her temple and along her hairline capturing her entire attention. He placed his warm mouth over her ear, the resulting suction from his kiss causing a shudder of pleasure to go through her. She touched his waist and looped her arms around him. “Show me, John. Please.”

He opened his hand at her lower back and brought her flush against him. With his other hand, he cradled her jaw and lifted it.

His mouth covering her own made the fearful shadows lurking in her awareness scatter like a horde of shooed flies.

She moaned into his mouth. Something inside her recognized the taste of sex and power and virility. She kissed him back without thought, abandoning herself to instinct and lust, for there was forgetfulness there…

And safety.

He didn’t only kiss her forcefully, but also with finesse and subtlety, shaping her mouth to his, using some of the most sensitive erogenous zones in the body to caress and coax and fuse. Her clit pinched in arousal. This wasn’t just a kiss; it was sex, pure and simple. Bodies pressing, rubbing, yearning; tastes mingling, lips molding, tongues dueling; Jennifer losing the battle for control…and winning gloriously. She would have ravished him herself if he wasn’t so clearly the ravisher. As it was, she became dizzy beneath his dominance of her senses.

He broke their kiss and leaned down over her, pressing the side of his face next to her head so that she heard his slightly escalated breath in her ear.

“Where the hell did you learn to kiss like that?” he rasped.

“Where’d you?” she whispered as her hands moved over his chest, undoing buttons, seeking out skin.

Bound to You, available now in ebook for 2.99, at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Sony, Apple, and other distributors.

Thank Beth for coming by :)

Review: Shades of Desire by Virna De Paul

Natalie Jones is the lucky survivor of an elusive killer who preys on young women and then disappears from view. And since her harrowing ordeal, the once gutsy photojournalist has remained isolated in her home, paralyzed by fear and her failing vision.

Special Agent Liam "Mac" McKenzie has scars of his own. But despite his efforts to ignore the attraction that simmers between him and Natalie, he needs her help to catch a predator. Soon, they will forge a tentative alliance-charged with desire. Through a soft-focus lens, Natalie dares to envision a future with Mac beyond the investigation...never guessing that the clues hidden within her photographs are drawing them into an explosive confrontation with a madman.


Review

Well, I can say that reading the description of Shades of Desire, I was not prepared for the story that I got. While I enjoyed the suspense part of the story and the overall plot, I did not so much enjoy the romance part of it.

Natalie Jones, is a well known photographer who suffers with retinal degeneration that has caused her to slowly lose her sight, which she isn’t dealing with very well. Natalie lets few people into her life, and I got the feeling this is because of her grief about her circumstances. Natalie has not had an easy time and after suffering abuse as a child from her mother and knowing she’d go blind, she learned to build up walls to try and protect herself from other’s failing or hurting her. I felt that Natalie was actually pretty strong considering all that she has gone through and is just learning to adjust in the way she knows how.

Special Agent Liam “Mac” Mackenzie is a detective and he’s very good at his job. He’s a divorced, recovering alcoholic, who has kept his distance in relationships with women to avoid the circumstances that led to his divorce, he’s married to his job and he prefers it that way. Not really anything wrong with that if it’s his personality, but it bothered me he didn’t show really and remorse for his ex-wife. Mac really rubbed me the wrong way and came off as a jerk.

I just wasn’t feeling this book or I supposed more accurately I wasn’t feeling the relationship between Natalie and Mac, I just didn’t get it. Natalie’s personality was pretty back and forth, but I could believe that as she is has low self image due to her blindness but when she needs to be, she is ruthless and a fighter when her survival instincts kick in. Mac, on the other hand, I really didn’t like. He’s pretty jealous and his reactions to Natalie even from the beginning with how unprofessional and on the verge of being rude he was. Their relationship felt forced and that they didn’t really take the time to get to know each other before falling into bed with each other, I wondered if they even liked each other or just simply desired each other *shrug*

The suspense aspect of the book, I did enjoy. I thought the plot was interesting enough to keep my interest and wanting to keep reading to find out what happened. He learn pretty early on who the man is who attacked Natalie and some of his motivations, but I really wanted to get to the underneath of his crazy religious thoughts and find out if or who is pulling his puppet stings, so to speak.

Review: Lady Maggie's Secret Scandal by Grace Burrowes

Maggie Windham, oldest of the Windham sisters and a by-blow from His Grace’s pre-marital wild oats, finds herself in desperate needs of an investigator to help her retrieve a missing reticule. Benjamin Hazlit knows the Windham family secrets, and can be trusted to keep them to himself, so Maggie turns to Benjamin, though it means ignoring his too-broad shoulders, his too-knowing smile… and his too-skilled kisses.

As Benjamin starts the search for Maggie’s missing purse, he realizes two things: First, whatever was in that purse, its loss has Maggie not just rattled, but terrified. Second, Benjamin will go to any lengths to see Maggie’s peace of mind restored, even if it means he must keep himself in very close proximity to the shy, secretive lady who says she wants nothing to do with him.

Review:

Lady Maggie’s Secret Scandal is book 5 in the Windham series and book 2 in the sub-series The Duke’s Daughters. I have read and enjoyed each of the books that have come before this one, I’m pretty dedicated to the Windham family ;)

Maggie Windham is the eldest daughter of the Duke of Moreland, and who is also an illegitimate child from before his marriage to his duchess. Maggie was officially adopted by the duke and duchess at the age of 6 and was raised with the rest of the Windham family she is still haunted by her past and biological mother, who is a courtesan and who sold her to the duke and duchess. At 30 years old, she lives on her own and leads a quiet life by choice. She has a quiet intelligence and has set up her own wealth along with helping her brother with finances as well.  She’s not a huge fan of Benjamin Hazlit as she knows that he is an investigator and has a history with her family. But when her reticule is missing with something of great importance to Maggie, Benjamin is the only one she can turn to.

Benjamin Hazlit is a man who is very good at living in the shadows and acquiring information on matters concerning many of the elite family. He is competent, trustworthy, very observant, and is keeping many secrets, including his own.  When Lady Maggie seeks him out for his help, his world turns upside down, and he’s never been more determined then to help Maggie with more than she’s willing to let on she needs help with.

I really liked Maggie and Benjamin’s story. Maggie is so determined to take care of her problems on her own, thinking she’s protecting the ones she loves. I love how even more determined Benjamin is and the more he spends time with Maggie to discuss the investigation, the more and more it leads to other motivations with the growing affection for each other. Benjamin handles the reveal of Maggie’s secrets well and his willingness to help her with all that he is. With the slow revile of Maggie’s secret and the process of Maggie and Benjamin’s relationship, it kept me hooked, needing to find out how it all works out and rooting that Benjamin can break through Maggie’s walls.

One thing that I really enjoy about Grace Burrowes books is how involved the other characters/family members are. I love the Windham family and how mischievous the duke is and his plotting in his children’s lives (although he was more-so in his sons’ lives then his daughters so far).  I really enjoy Grace Burrowes righting and her ability to display the depths of and how genuine the characters’ emotions are.

Review: The Danger That is Damion by Lisa Renee Jones

Lethally passionate, wickedly dangerous...
Renegade warrior Damion Browne is a soldier of soldiers, an enforcer of the code of honor. With ruthless precision, he calculates risks as deliberately as he does his lover's satisfaction. Now it's up to him to defeat a new generation of female Super Soldiers, including the one woman perfectly programmed to
be his downfall.

His enemy...or his soul mate?
Lara Martin has never felt powerful, until she's brainwashed to destroy the one man who can help her find the answers she so desperately seeks. Alone and embroiled in lies, Lara must turn to Damion for the key to the truth ...

Review:

The Danger That is Damion is the 3^rd book in the Zodius series, but it’s the 1^st one that I’ve read. It was pretty easy to follow along without reading the 2 previous books, but there were some things that I found myself confused about throughout the book. Some things were explained at some point, but others weren’t and it wasn’t until the end that I found a glossary to help explain some of the things I wasn’t sure about.

Over all I really enjoyed this book and I really liked Damion and Lara. This series is about a population known as GTECHs that are humans who were scientifically altered to become “super soldiers”. There have been many things that have occurred since initiating the GTECHs and some of this race has branched off as the Renegades, aka the good guys, which includes Damion and his team. When Damion encounters Lara, she is on assignment to assassinate a scientist that the Renegades are trying to keep safe. She as trouble following through, even those she’s been programmed to do just this. As Damion whisks her away, they start to try to unravel who she is, how she has become a GTECH, which is rare for a female.

Damion is the type of man that always follows the rules and is very honorable. But when it comes to Lara, he finds himself breaking rules for her. He’s determined to help Lara find her past and how to keep herself. I liked him right off the bat, and he his very easy to fall for. Lara is very confused and as she spends more time with Damion, she’s not sure who or what to trust, not even her memories. It took me a while to warm up to Lara, but as the story progressed and I began to understand her motives, that changed and I soon found myself liking her and her spirited attitude. I really liked the banter between Damion and Lara, and when they come together, it is hot!

I was hooked with this book from the beginning. I liked it the whole way through, well except what I didn’t understand from not reading the previous books. I enjoyed the characters and after meeting Michael and Sterling it definitely makes me want to go back and read their books that came 1^st. I am hoping that the next book is about Chale, mmmmm I love him just from what I’ve gotten to see of him from this book ;) I will definitely continue reading this series!

ARC Review: The World is a Stage by Tamara Morgan

Highland Games athlete Michael O’Leary is famous for his ability to charm a woman right out of her pants. Maybe a little too famous. When he’s sidelined with a knee injury, his wingman pounces on the chance to take full advantage of Michael’s idle time.

Trying out for the local adult-themed Shakespearean production seems simple, but there’s a catch. Michael must woo the notoriously demanding lead actress, Rachel Hewitt, thereby freeing his friend to pursue a courtship of Rachel’s sister.

Rachel hates the thought of handing over the lead role in her admittedly scandalous troupe to someone so wholly uneducated in the ways of the Great Bard. But she’s in a bind, and the only one who can step up is a man who looks way too good in a codpiece - and knows it.

To add insult to injury, he refuses to take the role until she agrees to take his place in some barbaric warrior race. She’ll do it, but not with a smile. Unfortunately, the hardest part isn’t antagonizing her Scottish foes. It’s resisting the one man who seems determined to line and cue her heart - forever.

Review:

The World is a Stage is the 2^nd book in Tamara Morgan’s Games of Love series and just as a absolutely loved the 1^st book, Love is a Battlefield, this book was no different.

Michael O’Leary, looooove him! He has such a laid back personality and he uses jokes (often crude jokes) to lighten a tense situations. He is easy going, is able to enter into a situation with his eyes open and doesn’t seem to miss anything. He is very easy to like and fall for J He is part of a team that competes in The Scottish Highland Games, but struggles with a bad knee. But there is much more to Michael then his joking personality and being an athlete.

Rachel Hewitt, her sister Molly are members of a production team that performs adult-themed Shakespeare, as Michael refers to it. Rachel is a pretty hoity person at first glance. She doesn’t seem very approachable and scowls a lot (well, at Michael anyway lol). Rachel didn’t grow up with a very good role model for relationships. She carries a lot of guilt for not being home to help her sister through a difficult time. Therefore, Rachel has made it her duty to prevent Molly from getting into potentially bad relationships, and Molly is currently dating Michael’s friend Eric Peterson. And Michael is recruited to help distract Rachel from interfering into their relationship.

I’ll be honest I really wanted to smack Rachel, often. Now, she has a history that has led her to take the actions she does, and even though she opens up more while hanging out with Michael, I feel Tamara did a great job portraying how easy it is to resort to impulse decisions and take backward steps when scared. Rachel definitely redeemed herself by the end, thankfully. Michael is such a giving person, always helping his friends out and very good at seeing the good in people. Michael takes challenges and is able to turn it around into a positive, such as when he destroys his knee and can’t participate in competitions anymore. I really just can’t get over how much I love his character. I really like how the characters in Tamara’s books are “real”. Now I do normally tend to read paranormal/fantasy genres but I find that these books are refreshing, light, and realistic with the characters she creates and the conflicts they encounter.