Hard and Fast by Raven Scott #klover #romance #suspense

I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

Synopsis
Lucas works with a security firm that has been employed by a race car company. They have a new engine that they are trying to keep secure until they review it at a car race.
Alexandria (Alex) is the chief engineer and brainchild of the revolutionary motor the security company is hired to protect. When threats are made, Lucas has to protect her and her engine.

Opinion
I thought the story was OK. I cannot complain, but it was a little lackluster for me. Part of the reason is that it was hard for me to get into the story.

The mystery/conflict surrounding the attempted theft of the engine did not impact me because I could not understand the importance of it. I do not know much about racing even though my hubby is a Formula One fan. When they were trying to explain, I found myself more confused because exclamation seem very technical. Even so, bravo for the author doing her research so thoroughly (added a heart for this reason).

As for the main characters, Lucas seemed like a likable enough hero. Alex took a little more for me to warm up to her. She was so resistant to security even when it was evident that her life was in danger. I guess Lucas was so intrigued with her because she turned him down the first time they met. Other than that, there did not seem to be a lot of chemistry.

Should you buy? I am not the person to say. The story was fine but I could not get engaged. I think if you like racing themed stories, you will enjoy this greatly.

Book Details

Series: A Fortis Novel (Book 2)
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Dafina (December 29, 2015)

Feel the Burn G.A Aiken #dragonkin #review #kLover @KensingtonBooks #TBRlist

Nov8

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Feel the Burn (Dragonkin)

Synopsis
Gaius is the Iron Dragon One-Eyed Rebel king and Kachka is a Rider, daughter of the Steppes.
Both are on a mission. Gaius is trying to find his sadistic cousin to exact revenge for her torturing his twin sister. Kachka is on a mission from the queen to put an end to the Charamnesind cult, a group of people who are disrupting peace by slaughtering priests in the temples throughout the land.

Opinion
To me, this book is not really a romance. Do not get me wrong, I thought it was great fiction with romantic elements. For the most part, I felt like it was a Game of Thrones type of book. There were all these different characters, tribes, and ruling groups that had to be explained. There were alliances between nations, provinces and obvious power struggles that had to be addressed. It was a ways into the book before the hero & heroine actually meet.

Props to the author for the elaborate world she created. This was not as simple as just dragons and non-dragons. There were people with various types of abilities and those with none at all.

Kachka was a hilarious multi-faceted character. She was a skilled hunter that was not used to just sitting around. She needed a mission or purpose to stay active. Her people, as a race of female chauvinists, looked down on males. Period. It did not matter if the male in question was stronger; he was still only good for one thing. Help her make babies. Well, two things.

As a result, she looks down on Gaius in the beginning. She is attracted to him and tells him that she will allow him to share her bed because it pleases her. Gaius should be offended at the way that Kachka talks to him (she shows no respect) but he cannot help but feel drawn in by the attraction.

I focused a lot on Kachka, because I love her character, but Gaius is just as well developed. He is a warrior and dragon, but at the same time, I could tell so much about him from the way he takes care of his sister.

There was so much action happening in this book that it is difficult for me to concentrate on one aspect. Don’t worry. It is not too convoluted that you cannot follow the story. My only regret is that I did not read some of the previous books in the series before requesting this one. I think that would have helped me to have a deeper context and understand the supporting characters better.

Should you buy? Yes! If you like strong heroines, Kachka is the one for you. She is a warrior in her own right and does not need a man to save her. Gaius and Kachka are definitely equals, even though it takes a while for her to see it that way. I am glad that they have a HEA and it is an entertaining story to see all that Gaius and Kachka experience along the way.

This story is a standalone but it you are like me, you will want to read the rest of the books in the series as well. This series is a world that you want to immerse yourself, especially when it is cold and rainy outside!

Book details
Series: Dragonkin
Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Zebra (November 24, 2015)
Available on Amazon

Beauty and the Boss by @DianeAlberts #netgalley

Nov5

I received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Beauty and the Boss (Modern Fairytales)

Synopsis

Benjamin is the CEO of a pharmaceutical company, Gale Inc. His mother hates him and wants the board to remove him from the helm.

Trying to help him out of a particular sensitive situation, Maggie spontaneously tells his mother that they are engaged. Now she has to go along with the ruse or risk losing her job.

Benjamin loves the idea of the faux engagement and wants to turn it into a real romance. Maggie is understandably more cautious.

Opinion

Benjamin is my new book boyfriend.

The nickname for him in the office is “The Beast”. He may have a gruff manner but he was not too bad to me. He was mainly dealing with a lot of guilt following the death of his father. He was misunderstood mainly because of his negative interactions with his mother. As soon as he learned that Maggie was not one to be impressed with dollar signs, he was better off. When it came to relationships, he seemed sweet and thoughtful. While he could be serious when it came to work, he had a fun side when he knew he could let down his guard.

When the conflict reaches its peak, Benjamin asks the right questions. He tries. Got to love him for trying.

Maggie has spunk and I could empathize with her. I could understand speaking out to help in a situation, but not all together thinking through the implications of aforementioned actions. She did well trying to protect her heart. In the end, it was in good, capable hands.

Should you buy? Yes!!! I loved the story. I loved the characters. I could relate to them and I wish I knew them in real life. Buy this book and you will not be disappointed.

Book details
File Size: 1063 KB
Print Length: 190 pages
Publisher: Entangled: Indulgence (November 16, 2015)
Publication Date: November 16, 2015
Sold by: Macmillan

Available on Amazon

Breaking Bailey’s Rules #bailey #netgalley @AuthorBJackson

Oct17

I received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Breaking Bailey’s Rules (The Westmorelands)

Synopsis

Bailey is the baby of the Denver Westmorelands. They are a close-knit family who discovered that they could be related to a family in Alaska.

Walker comes to visit the Denver Westmorelands as a favor to his best friend (the family that might be related to them). Bailey is sent to the airport to pick him up from the airport.

There are rules that Bailey lives by, but Walker might have her breaking all of them.

Opinion

First, I must say that I think Brenda Jackson is one of my favorite romance authors and that is not just because she writes African-American romance novels. Of all of her different series (she has SEVERAL), the Westmoreland series is the best. She had a plan when she developed this family because there are so many siblings and cousins and everyone gets their story. Just when you think the series is over, the family finds another branch of Westmorelands to keep it going. Seriously, if you have not read any of the Westmoreland series, there are enough books to fill a couple of months’ worth of weekends. It more of a saga than a series 😀

Okay now I got that out-of-the-way. Back to the story.

I like Bailey. She may be a little spoiled but that is because she is the youngest of a very tight family where the brothers try to seem chill but are overprotective.

Walker is doing his friend a favor and really likes the Denver Westmoreland guys. He sees the attraction to Bailey as unexpected. Plus his adherence to the “bro code” will not allow him to get physical with their little sister.

Good thing that Bailey knows what she wants and is going to do her best to get it.

Even after reading so many of Jackson’s books, you would think that I would not be surprised by her plot twists. But one of the things that Bailey did in Alaska really surprised me. It had me seeing her with a newfound respect. I went from ambivalent to “This chick is cool!” and “She needs a happy ending!”

While I decided early how much I liked Bailey, I could tell that Walker was being hardheaded. He has a lot of making up to do when he finally realizes that Bailey is the one for him. He does it in grand style. All I can say is that it is good to have friends in high places.

Overall, I loved this book because Bailey’s multi-faceted character added so much the story. If you like the Westmoreland series, this book should definitely be on your list. If you are new to Brenda Jackson, this is a great author and book to add to your list.

Book Details from Amazon

Print Length: 256 pages

Publisher: Harlequin Desire (November 1, 2015)

Publication Date: November 1, 2015

Sold by: Harlequin Digital Sales Corp.

Bear meets Girl #netgalley #review

Sep5

I received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Bear Meets Girl (The Pride Series)

Synopsis

The New York shifter community is full of wolves, hyenas, lions, tigers, grizzly and polar bears. Lou Crushek (Crush) – polar bear shifter – and Marcella “Bare Knuckles” Malone (Cella) – she-tiger shifter – meet the morning after a party where they had more than their share of jelly shots. They end up having to work together to find who is hunting and killing shifters for sport.

Crush is an introverted cop who hates change.

Cella is a high skilled feline contract killer who has a passion for hockey. Drama seems to follow her wherever she goes. Adding to that, her nickname is “Bare Knuckles” because she has no problem with punching someone in the face, male or female, and usually knocks them out.

Opinion

When I saw this book, it immediately went on my TBR list. I have read werebear (bear shifter) books in the past and thoroughly enjoyed them because I like it when a woman pokes a surly bear. From the synopsis and the cover, it seemed that Crush was as surly as they come. I was excited. I like dour, grumpy heroes who come out of that shell for love. What I was not prepared for was how much I loved Cella’s personality.

Cella is crass, loud, and unapologetically outspoken. From that description alone, you would think that her character would be unlikable. I loved the fact that she was a skilled assassin who used her talents for the good of her people. Plus, she was not arrogant, but still very sure of her abilities on and off the ice.

In the beginning she antagonizes Crush by doing all sorts of outrageous things to get him to react. I knew sooner or later she was going to have to ease up if they were going to get together. Of course, once he agreed to be her “pretend boyfriend”, I knew that they were well on their way to romance town.

What to say about Crush? Let’s just say, “I’m crushing on Crush.”

He is a big hulking polar bear man, described as looking like a meth dealer/possible serial killer. He is as straight as an arrow cop who believes in using the proper channels to achieve justice. He is scary looking and hopes that will encourage people to leave him alone. But when he is thrust into a room with his hockey idols (coincidentally one is Cella’s dad ), we see what a hockey fan boy he is. It was endearing.

Crush knows that he is attracted to Cella.

Her scent made him want “to roll around until he was completely saturated with it.”

However, unlike other shifter books I have read, it is not a we-are-fated-to-be-mates type of scenario. They still have to decide if attraction is enough.

“Crush has no idea what to do with this woman.

He knew what he’d like to do with her…”

Bear Meets Girl was a winner and I am glad I discovered this author. This story has romance, humor, and a touch of suspense. The resolution of the main problem was not resolved to my satisfaction, but it was minor to me with regards to the story line. I was rooting for Cella to have her happy ending and I knew that Crush was the perfect guy for her. Plus, Crush needs a woman like Cella because she keeps him from taking himself too seriously and helps him deal with change in a more productive way. The supporting characters helped to paint a complete picture and, in the end, I wished they were real so I could hang out with them.

Funniest line in the whole book-

“Hey, I haven’t broken a guy’s leg for money- and hockey doesn’t count- since I was sixteen.” – Cella’s dad