New Release ~ Deep Cover by Scarlett Cole

ARE THEY IN TOO DEEP?

Ex-Navy SEAL Cabe Moss always comes when called to duty—at all costs. Even though the death of his fiancée nearly destroyed him, Cabe won’t let his past interfere with any work that has to get done. When his latest task pushes him to team up with FBI Agent Amy Murray, a fierce beauty with the undercover skills to match, Cabe must admit that, for the first time in years, he wants to do more than just complete their mission together…

Amy was born ready for this assignment, but working side-by-side with the the strong, silent, and frustratingly professional Cabe seems to be the biggest challenge of all. But when the sparks begin to fly—and the stakes rise to dangerous heights—the only thing Amy is left worrying about is how she can resist him. Their lives may be in danger, but their hearts hold the biggest risk of all…

Review:
I am fairly new to Scarlett Cole's books and I can admit I've been missing out :) First, this can be read as a standalone with no issues so don't worry if you have't read the other 2 books!

Cabe and Amy are both interesting characters with flaws and imperfections that make them very likable.  The storyline is fast paced and you'll be itching to read more and more.

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Whiskey Sharp: Torn by Lauren Dane

Sometimes what you find isn’t what you were searching for

Beau Petty has been searching his whole life. Searching for a place that fills all the empty spaces in him. Searching for a way to tame the restlessness. Searching for answers to the secret he’s never stopped trying to solve. What he wasn’t searching for was a woman to claim all of him, but when Cora Silvera walks back into his life, he’s ready to search out all the ways he can make her his.

Cora has spent her life as the family nurturer, taking care of others. But now she’s ready to pass that job on to someone else. It’s time to make some changes and live for herself. It’s in that moment that her former teenage crush reappears and the draw and the heat of their instant connection is like nothing either of them has experienced. He craves being around her. She accepts him, dark corners and all.

Beau thinks Cora’s had enough drama in her life. He wants to protect her from the secrets of his past, even if it means holding back the last pieces of himself. But Cora is no pushover and she means to claim all those pieces.

Review
A second chance story it is sweet...it's a stand alone within the Whiskey Sharp series and the characters are fun.  they have an interesting relationship but there is a lack of something.  Not a lot of conflict to be resolved, a few issues that fall into place a little too nicely.  It's a sweet and quick read with a lot of good food mentioned (don't read hungry - LOL)

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New Release ~ Hot & Heavy by Tracy Wolff

When a daredevil football stud tries to get into your yoga pants, you know class is about to get interesting. The New York Times bestselling author of Down & Dirty returns with Hot & Heavy.
 
Sage: Although I come from a long line of free-spirited yoga teachers, sometimes I wish my life could be just a little more normal. More ordinary. More boring. Easier said than done, especially since it’s on me to keep my family’s studio up and running every time my mother wanders off to find herself. But that’s when my best friend sends me a sexy new student: Shawn Wilson, a slick wide receiver with a death wish and a chip on his broad, muscular, irresistible . . . wait, what were we talking about again?
 
Shawn: They say I’m an adrenaline junkie. The truth is, I only really feel alive when I’m risking my life: Snowboarding, parachuting, BASE jumping . . . the kind of fun team management considers breach of contract. When my coach orders me to take yoga to “center myself,” I’m pissed—until I get an eyeful of delectable, flexible Sage Kaufmann. Unfortunately, she’s determined to keep things between us strictly business. But if Sage can get me to enjoy downward dog, maybe I can convince her that scorching hot sex could be the perfect shot of adrenaline.

Review
I really enjoy Tracy Wolff's stories and Hot & Heavy didn't disappoint.  Sage & Shawn have an instant attraction that grows even against heir better judgments...opposites can attract ;)

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Expose by Danielle Girard

With her vindictive ex-husband out of prison, San Francisco medical examiner Annabelle Schwartzman is trying harder than ever to move on with her life—by focusing on her job to speak for the victims who can’t. Summoned to a homicide in Golden Gate Park, she realizes that she’d seen the victim just hours before, alive and well in a parked Jeep with a small boy. Now, the woman has been stabbed to death and stripped of her burka, and the child is nowhere to be found.

When an African American student is found dead, bearing knife wounds identical to those of the woman in the park, the press jumps on them as hate crimes. If only they were so easy to explain. There is a connection—but Schwartzman believes it’s something even worse. Her fears are confirmed with the discovery of the next victim.

Now, to stop a vicious killer whose work has only just begun, Schwartzman and Detective Hal Harris must untangle the twisted thread that links it all to the missing boy and a crime buried in the past.

Review:
Being the third book in the series...you can read it as a stand-alone, but because of an overlapping storyline with the main character, I'd recommend starting form the beginning.

This isn't my favorite int he's reis but I cannot put my finger on why.  It's a compelling storyline but the ending is the best part of the book.

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New Release ~ Assassin Games by Sidney Bristol

Anderson Gratney does odd jobs that usually involve a gun and covert ops for the CIA. His latest assignment? Kidnap a CIA analyst in order to keep her safe. Easy. Except there’s nothing simple about the beautiful, careful Carol Sark, who tempts him the more he learns about her.

Coming face to face with a masked man in her home is the most terrifying experience of Carol’s life—until he kidnaps her. He claims he’s there to keep her safe, but she doesn’t know who to trust. And until they can figure out who the threat is, she's forced to take him at his word. 

Time is ticking, and even though she drives him nuts, Anderson very much wants to keep her alive. Unfortunately, the assassins have other ideas…

Each book in the Tarnished Heroes series is STANDALONE: 
*Spy Games
*Assassin Games

Review:
Yum!  That's the best word I have for this :)  Fast paced, exciting, great characters.  Funny, sexy, action packed - Assassin Games really has it all.

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New Release ~ Rock Legend by Tara Leigh

I'm no Prince Charming.
Most people know me as the drummer for Nothing but Trouble. Depending who you ask, I'm also a playboy, a loner, the life of the party, a screw-up, or according to my fans, "The Sexiest Rock Star on the Planet." Apparently, I'm a legend. 
Am I surprised? Hell, no. It's a reputation I've earned behind my drum kit and behind closed doors. No one thought foster kid Landon Cox would become famous. Infamous, maybe. Notorious, probably. But successful? Never. No one except Piper Hastings. But I had to make a choice: my woman or my career. I picked fame and fortune... and spent every damn day since pretending I don't regret it. 
Now fate's dropped Piper back into my life. I want to believe it's a second chance for me - for us. But while I can give her a few great nights, I can't give Piper a future. 
Because there's a difference between a legend and a fairy tale... Only one of them ends happily ever after.

Review:
Tara Leigh is a new-to-me author and I"ll be looking for more and going back to read the first book in this series...Th band members have some messed up backgrounds and have worked hard to get where they are with a lot of work to go.

This second chance romance is sweet, sexy, and both heartbreaking and heartwarming. A fast paced story that will leave you with a smile.

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New Release ~ Landing Zone by Erin Dutton

Former U.S. Army pilot Lauren Henley and police training instructor Kim “Monty” Montgomery share a love of country, a sense of duty, and grief for a woman who left them too soon. That the woman they lost was a friend to one and a lover to the other should at least give Kim and Lauren something on which to build a friendship. But from the moment they met, they’ve been at odds. 

When Lauren gets a job at the same police department as Kim, they are forced to at least fake professional respect. Eventually, respect and begrudging attraction turns to affection, then something deeper.

Review:
While parts of the story feel a little convoluted, Kim and Lauren have a bit of history and their own demons they need to overcome before things could possibly work for them.

While I knew I was reading a romance that typically has an HEA, its a tough road for these two and the issues are big.


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New Release ~ Double Blind by Iris Johansen, Roy Johansen

Kendra Michaels, formerly blind and now a hired gun for law enforcement agencies who relies on her razor-sharp powers of observation, is reluctant to help the FBI with the most recent case they’ve brought to her. But then she hears the details: the body was found just blocks away from Kendra’s condo. The young woman was carrying an envelope with Kendra’s name on it, and inside was an SD card with what appears to be an innocuous video of a wedding reception. The woman died trying to get the video to Kendra, but for what purpose? Before Kendra and the FBI can answer that question, the bride is abducted from her suburban home.

And so the hunt is on for a killer whose nightmarish plan is slowly becoming clear. A plan that involves a powerful law firm and a multi-billion dollar corporation. As the body count rises, Kendra joins forces with private investigator Jessie Mercado and agent-for-hire Adam Lynch to stop the plot as it grows ever closer to its terrifying conclusion.

In Double Blind, Iris and Roy Johansen deliver an emotional, gripping new entry in the bestselling Kendra Michaels series.

Review:
Can you read this as a stand-alone?  Probably...but considering Kendra Michaels is one of my favorite characters, I highly recommend reading them in order and getting to know her :)

Blind Double doesn't disappoint with its fast paced action as the team of usually characters search for a killer that has Kendra in his sights.


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Tripwire by Traci Hunter Abramson

Jane Napierski is back at work at the job she loves—being a personal assistant to her friend Sienna Blake, a rising star actress. The duo is on location in Virginia Beach to film Sienna’s new TV series, along with costar Reed Forrester—the man with whom the world thinks Sienna is in love. Wrong.

Sienna’s heart actually belongs to her fiancé, Craig, a Navy Seal with the Saint Squad. Craig must fly under the radar if he is to keep Sienna safe from his world of terrorists and toxic bombs. And Reed has no problem pretending to date his old friend Sienna simply because it means he can spend time learning more about Jane. Making a TV series is grueling work but not nearly as difficult as the treacherous adventure that is about to begin with a simple photo taken in the wrong place at the wrong time—an image worth killing for. 

When Craig returns to the United States to spend time with Sienna, he’s not expecting to spend that time protecting her and Jane. Frightening incidents targeting the two women rapidly escalate, and as Craig and his Saint Squad investigate a tangled conspiracy, they find themselves tracking, here at home, the terrorists they have searched for across the globe. But can they shut the terrorists down in time to save Jane, Reed, and Sienna?

Review:
This is my first book by this author and I'd probably read another one...This is part of a series, although it isn't labeled as such anywhere.  While it is easily read as a stand alone a couple of the characters seem to have a pretty big role in a previous book which might help give some more insight...

The hard part about this book is it's difficult to determine who the main characters are! The blurb and beginning of the book lead me to one thing, parts of the story lead me to another.  The drama seems forced but compelling.

It's a sweet romance with a little more religion than I prefer but not so much I put down the book.  The mystery/thriller aspects are light and revealed fairly early.

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Her Last Word by Mary Burton

Fourteen years ago, Kaitlin Roe was the lone witness to the abduction of her cousin Gina. She still remembers that lonely Virginia road. She can still see the masked stranger and hear Gina’s screams. And she still suffers the guilt of running away in fear and resents being interrogated as a suspect in the immediate aftermath. Now Kaitlin has only one way to assuage the pain and nightmares—by interviewing everyone associated with the unsolved crime for a podcast that could finally bring closure to a case gone cold.

But when a woman Kaitlin questions is later found stabbed to death, she fears that she’s drawn a killer out of hiding. It’s Detective John Adler’s fear that the murders have only just begun. Now his job is to keep Kaitlin safe.

As a bond between Kaitlin and Adler builds, the past closes in just as fast—and it’s darker than Kaitlin remembers. Soon, her wish will come true. She’s going to find out exactly what happened to Gina. Someone has been dying to tell her.

Review:
Twists and turn abound...while you may figure some things out early in the story there are more twists and turns to come. One of my favorite from Mary Burton so far.  There were times I wondered where the story was going then it would come back around...some of it might drag out but it's all relevant and comes back with a vengeance.

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Lennon Reborn by Scarlett Cole

From the queen of heart-pounding, sexy, emotional romance Scarlett Cole comes Lennon Reborn, a stunning, shattering rock star romance in the Preload series.

Lennon McCartney is not a broken man. Because being broken implies being whole once. When a horrific accident deprives him of the one thing he loves—his talent as a fierce and explosive drummer—Lennon is left with a life chained by an abusive mother, by crushing guilt over a tragic past. A life he doesn’t want.

Dr. Georgia Starr is a legend. She’s one of the most successful neurosurgeons in the world, coming from a long-line of respected New York doctors. Her life is built around solving complex medical cases in order to bring relief and hope to sick children. But the one problem she can’t solve is how to live her life. How to be shake loose the burden of being her elitist, arrogant father’s daughter. How to be free.

Can a man who despises his life and a woman who desperately needs to live find the answers, and love, with each other?

**Warning: Deals with dark themes and deep personal struggles.**

Review:
You can read this without reading the previous book sin the series, but you may want to go back and get a little more depth to the characters involved. I have to admit I'm fairly new to Ms. Cole and I'm hooked on her unique style. She evokes multiple emotions as you get invested in the characters and storyline...tears, laughter, frustration and more!

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New Release ~ Playing Dirty by Amy Andrews

Sydney Smoke star recruit Kyle Leighton can’t believe the best sex of his life was just a one-night stand. He didn’t even know her name… Until she shows up at the locker room two weeks later and he connects the dots. 

Val King. Oh shit. 

Coach has one hard and fast rule: Never, ever date (much less f*ck ten ways to Sunday) his daughter. And not only did Kyle break that rule, but he wants to break it over and over again. In the shower. Against a wall. On every flat surface in his home.

But the coach and his daughter share more than just DNA. Their issues run deep and fooling around with her could widen the family chasm. 

And get Kyle benched for life.

So why can’t he stop thinking about her? Flirting with her? Suggesting they date for real and damn the consequences?

Each book in the Sydney Smoke Rugby series is STANDALONE:
* Playing By Her Rules
* Playing It Cool
* Playing the Player
* Playing With Forever
* Playing House
* Playing Dirty

Review:
I'm a sucker for a good Rugby story and while I missed starting this series, I will agree you can read them as standalones!

Val is an awesome character, strong and independent.  Kyle is a typical playboy and hotshot player but manages to redeem himself a little bit.  A sweet and sexy story that reads quick!


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New Release ~ Knuckle Down by Chantal Fernando

A single father struggles to change for his daughters and the woman he loves in this second book in the Cursed Ravens Motorcycle Club series from New York Times bestselling author Chantal Fernando.

As a single father of two girls and the sergeant at arms for the Cursed Ravens Motorcycle Club, Jack “Knuckles” Chester doesn’t have much free time. And having earned his road name from his reputation as a fighter, Knuckles isn’t one to back away from a challenge.

But what he'll never admit out loud is that his two daughters have changed him irrevocably, softened him even. And these two girls are the only women who will ever hold his heart forever. That is, until he meets Celina.

Celina is nothing like the women Knuckles used to date. She’s a journalist for the local newspaper, and basically just has her life together. And the last thing she wants is to be involved with a Cursed Raven. But when the ripped, badass biker worms his way into her heart, she has trouble remembering all the reasons they would never work.

But when a shocking story is published her newspaper, it breaks the thin trust she has with Knuckles. Will she lose him forever? Or will Knuckles fight to keep Celina in his life?

Review:

A fairly sweet romance :)  While some of the storyline is tried and true and we've read it before.  Chantal's voice is all over it with a couple of twists that were unexpected.  A quick steamy and sweet read.

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What Happened That Night by Sandra Block

One moment Dahlia is a successful Harvard student. The next, she wakes up from a party, the victim of a brutal assault. Her life veers into a tailspin, and what’s worse, her memory of the attack has been ripped away, leaving a cold rage in its wake.
 
Now, years later, Dahlia is a tattooed paralegal suffering from PTSD, still haunted by that night. Until one day, a video surfaces online, and Dahlia sees her attack for the first time. Now she knows what happened to her. And she knows who to blame. Her rage is no longer cold, but burning, red hot. 
 
And she is about to make everyone pay.

Review:
Wow...a fairly fast paced story with a few twists that made my jaw drop. Intense characters that have you loving and hating them while the plot is dark and a little disturbing Dahlia kicks butt!

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Hush Now Baby by Cheryl Bradshaw

On a crisp, fall night, Serena Westwood wakes to the faint stirs of her crying baby. Bottle in hand, she tiptoes to the other side of the house, sneaks up to the crib, looks in. A wave of panic grips her as her real nightmare begins. Inside the crib, there is no baby.

Review:
First, this can be read without reading others in the series.  I read book 7 before book 6 so there was some background and some spoilers going into this one.  But Ms. Bradshaw writes a compelling story with great characters and awesome storyline.


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New Release ~ Law of Attraction by Alison Bliss

For single mom Bobbie Jo Weston, finding a husband is not on her to-do list. She's focused on turning a run-down chicken farm into a Bed & Breakfast. She agrees to let a friend’s nephew stay with her in exchange for his handyman skills, but she wasn’t counting on the super sexy Seth Landry being that guy.

Seth has a special skill-set, all right, but it has nothing to do with hammering nails. As a retired member of The Resistance—an elite group of ex-military soldiers—his dark, unsettling past haunts him. He needs a place to lay low, and an out-of-the-way B&B is nothing short of perfect. The blonde beauty doesn’t trust men, and he doesn't plan on sticking around long enough to change her mind.

The closer they get, the more they can't seem to keep their hands off each other. And while Bobbie holds on to her fear of watching another man walk out of their lives, Seth's mere presence has put them all in jeopardy. The only way to ever be free of his dangerous past is for him to accept one last mission...

Review:
A sweet romance.  It was a fun story with a little drama and angst that keeps you turning the pages.  The characters are fun and easy to get invested in!

Buy Link:
Amazon