Good Girl's Bad Lessons - Carmen Falcone

Good Girl's Bad Lessons by Carmen Falcone
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There are some plots that I've read more than once and Good Girl's Bad Lessons certainly falls into that. But, really, when the writing is good and a new fresh approach is put on a storyline, it really doesn't matter. I may have read similar storylines where the experienced man teaches the inexperienced woman the ways of lovemaking in the past, but Carmen Falcone's Good Girl's Bad lessons was a new, fresh take on it.

Although Nico, the lead man in this book was a strong alpha male, our heroine, Emma was certainly his match. She may have been a bit backwards in coming forward with her previous fiance, but she was soon able to grow into the perfect match for Nico.

I enjoyed reading about the pair's growing relationship and how they challenged each other to question what they really wanted and what was important. By the end of the book, they had both changed what they really thought mattered and had discovered that they were perfect for one another.

There was a bit of a twist towards the end of the book. I will admit that I saw it coming. I don't think it was completely obvious though, just that a few things pointed in that direction. Overall this was a great read that I really enjoyed.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.



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The Twisted Web - Rebecca Bradley

The Twisted Web by Rebecca Bradley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I so enjoy the DI Hannah Robbins series by Rebecca Bradley. I usually keep an eye out for when my favourite series have books due out, but I'd missed this one. Fortunately, for me, I'm on the ARC team for Rebecca Bradley and I had a lovely gift a week or so ago of a copy of the latest in the series in my inbox.
As in the previous books, Hannah is faced with a killer causing mayhem on the streets of Nottingham. I have to admit that I don't remember quite so many killers being on the local news when I was back home in the East Midlands, but I'm not going to complain when it creates great books like this. This time he has an axe to grind about social media and is attempting to turn a mirror on itself so that it will learn the error of its ways. I think we already know that that is not going to end well.
One of the things I love about these books is that they are very Nottingham. It's not just the local landmarks and places, but also the language. Of course, Hannah has a bacon cob for breakfast (or rather she doesn't she lets it sit there while she gets on with work, which is a little mad). I am from somewhere not too far away myself, so perhaps I have more a fondness for this kind of things than others might. Having said that, I do like to feel that books really belong to where they claim to be from and this one does it and then some.
Unlike some crime books, we the reader know who's done it and why from the beginning, but I like reading about Hannah trying to work that out and put a stop to it. I can't wait for the next in the series and to read more about DI Hannah Robbins and her team.

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Tempted by Mr Wrong - Jacquie Biggar

Tempted by Mr. Wrong: A Steamy Step-Brother Romance by Jacquie Biggar
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a fairly quick, short read. As such it meant that we were thrown into the storyline quickly and things rattled along at a very quick pace. It also meant that there wasn't really any time for any in-depth character description or development.
This is a second chance story. Jason and Tammy-Jo (T.J) were in love in their late teens at the end of high school. They both dreamt of a life together, but after T.J's father told Jason in no uncertain terms to stay away from his daughter, Jason left. Now ten years later T.J. finds her husband dead on their front lawn and her world crumbling. Jason is on hand to investigate. He claims to be a reporter but clearly, there is more going on than that.
This book could claim to be a mystery of some sort, but as it is so short, we don't really get anything solved and, for me at least, it seemed to be rather rushed at the end. T.J's Father suddenly comes around to Jason and no one actually seems to answer any questions.
While I did enjoy this book, for me it was a little too rushed and there could have been much more covered and explained as part of the story than actually was.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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The Darkest Hour - Lauren Smith

The Darkest Hour by Lauren Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I often think about what I'm going to write in these reviews before I start them. I had been going to say that it felt as though I'd been waiting for a long time for Royce's story in the Surrender Series. I thought that it might be worth looking how long it's been, I read the last in the series The Gilded Chain back in November 2015, so very nearly three years ago. It's not only felt like a long time, but it has also been a long time. Some things though, are worth the wait.
I probably should have reread the previous books, to get my head around who is who and how they fit into the storyline. It didn't take long for things to come back to me and I soon remembered who was who. I remember being keen to read Royce's story, as I liked his character and I wasn't disappointed in this book. Royce and Kenzie seemed like the perfect match. The only real question was how they had managed to keep their hands off one another whilst colleagues previously.
The sparks fly in this book, both between our hero and heroine and as they deal with Rusian Fossil smugglers. I don't think I've ever thought about trade in fossils and bones before, but I'm sure if there's money to be made then there will be people who will exploit it. The Russian setting added a bit of a different feel to this book and there was even a little cameo from the lead from another of Lauren's books. (Rurik)
This is a sexy, fast-paced story with lots of action. It's easy to get swept up in the danger than Kenzie and Royce find themselves in. If I were being completely honest, I would have prefered to find out more about what happens between them after they return to America and have to keep their relationship under wraps. It didn't detract from the story really to miss that though.
This book is well worth a read and a great addition to the Surrender series.

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The Boss - Abigail Owen

The Boss by Abigail Owen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

For some reason, I seem to be reading lots of books with firefighters in them at the moment. I have to admit that I didn't even realise that this one was. To be honest, that isn't really what the characters in this book are though, they are actually dragon shifters and they use firefighting as both a disguise and because they are able to control fires in the way that people can't.
If you had asked me a couple of years ago if dragon shifter books were my thing, I'd probably have laughed. This is the third dragon shifter series that I've started and really enjoyed, so clearly, I knew nothing.
I loved the characters in this book. Delaney and Finn seem to make a really good couple and they work well together. I loved the humour that came through in their relationship. It seemed very natural and made them 'work' The sparks really fly between them and it's pretty obvious from almost the beginning that they are supposed to be together, even if it's something that they don't immediately see.
This is the first in the series and sometimes first books suffer as they are too busy building the world and introducing characters. With The Boss though, although there was much to introduce, it didn't allow the story to get lost.
I really enjoyed this fun, sexy read and I can't wait for the next in the series. There's lots of potential for some interesting stories with some of the other dragon shifters that we've met in this book. Bring them on!
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.


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Your Echo - Katia Rose

How do you teach a rock star how to meditate?

The number one question on Stéphanie’s mind sounds like the start of a bad joke, and life would be a whole lot easier if she actually knew the punch line. 

Her meditation coach job description said nothing about private lessons for the most infamous lead singer in Montreal, but somehow Stéphanie still finds herself sitting cross-legged on a yoga mat, right next to a pierced and tattooed music legend who’d rather be anywhere else.

Meditation classes are Ace’s final chance to convince his record label that the last bender he went on really was his last. The demons that have sent him to the bottom of countless bottles might not give a damn about ‘soothing rhythmic chanting,’ but it’s either this or game over for his career.

He’s not what she wants. She’s not what he’s looking for. Yet somewhere amidst all the incense fumes, the lines between student and teacher get blurred.

Even as their deep breathing exercises become nights filled with panting and gasps, Stéphanie can’t ignore the darkness that never quite leaves Ace’s eyes. It’s a darkness she knows far too well, and if she’s not careful, the cost of helping Ace find his way might just be losing herself.

Your Echo is part of the Sherbrooke Station Quartet, a series of steamy rock star standalones from author Katia Rose.

My Review

Your Echo is the second in the Sherbrooke Stations series, you can find my review of the first book; your rhythm here. The series follows the members of Canadian rock band, Sherbrooke Station as they each find love and romance. This time we see the lead singer and guitarist Ace, battle his demons and come to terms with what has shaped him and drives him, and find his love in the process.

Stéphanie has just as many issues as Ace and is struggling to come to terms with events that have happened in her own past. Both she and Ace have a wild and dark side that they struggle with, rather than accepting and controlling. Perhaps by coming together, they can actually turn it into something beautiful.

After reading the first book, I wasn't sure that I was going to like Ace or enjoy his story. As is so often the case though, when the story is told from a character's viewpoint and you learn more about them, you often find that you change your mind about them. It didn't take me long to decide that I did like Ace and I was hoping that he would sort himself out and find love with Stéphanie.

I did see one of the key points in the plot coming. I don't think that it really mattered, but if it was intended to be a twist, then it was, for me at least, pretty well signposted from early on. Having said that it did work and I thought that it played out well.

I really enjoyed this latest installment in the Sherbrooke Station series and I'm really looking forward to reading the remaining two band members, J-P and Cole's stories.

Eight Goodbyes - Christine Brae

Eight Goodbyes
Christine Brae
Published by: Vesuvian Books
Publication date: August 28th 2018
Genres: Adult, Romance

One universe, nine planets, 204 countries, 809 islands and 7 seas, and I had the privilege of meeting you.” –Unknown
When Tessa Talman meets Simon Fremont for the first time, not only is she attracted to him, she’s intrigued by how different their lives are. He’s a dedicated scientist, practical, pragmatic, and grounded—while she’s a head-in-the-clouds romance author. As their relationship grows, they agree to meet in places around the world, while continuing to live on opposite sides of the globe.
Though their feelings for each other deepen, their priorities remain the same. Simon is in a hurry to be financially sound and settle down, but Tessa is enjoying her freedom and newfound success. Neither is willing to give in, but as each goodbye gets harder, Tessa begins to wonder whether fame is the path to happiness, or if she has everything she needs in Simon.
Just as Tessa finds the courage to go after her own happily ever after, the unthinkable happens, separating them in ways they never imagined.
To move forward, she must let go of the past, and determine once and for all if love is truly more powerful than the pain of goodbye.

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Author Bio:
Christine Brae is a full time career woman who thought she could write a book about her life and then run away as far as possible from it. She never imagined that her words would touch the hearts of so many women with the same story to tell. Her second book, His Wounded Light was released in December, 2013.
Christine’s third book, Insipid, is a standalone that was released in June, 2014, and her fourth book, In This Life, released in January 2016.
When not listening to the voices in her head or spending late nights at the office, Christine can be seen shopping for shoes and purses, running a half marathon or spending time with her husband and three children in Chicago.
Christine is represented by Italia Gandolfo of Gandolfo Helin Literary Management.

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My Review

This is not your usual romance, there's more to it than that. I liked the clever way that the romance grew over a series of meetings which in turn lead to each goodbye. There was sexual tension, romance, love and all that you expect from a romance novel, but by using this series of meetings to tell the story, it added an extra dimension to your usual romance novel.

I liked both the main characters and I liked the way that they were together. I did have a small quibble. Simon is supposed to be English, but to me, he just didn't read like an English person. At one point he claimed he'd never seen the ocean before, (not the sea) which is pretty unlikely in anyone from the UK, to be honest. He also referred to something that happened in grade school, whatever that is. It's just a minor thing, but I do like characters to be authentically the nationality that they are supposed to be. It didn't detract from the romance between Tessa and him though.

In many ways, this is quite a bittersweet book. The title should give you a clue to that though. That's not to say that there's not a happy ending, there is, but perhaps a more realistic one than many in the genre offer. I really enjoyed this book and found it a refreshing alternative to many books I've read recently. I'd definitely recommend it.

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Your Echo - Blitz

Your Echo
Katia Rose
(Sherbrooke Station, #2)
Publication date: September 12th 2018
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

How do you teach a rock star how to meditate?
The number one question on Stéphanie’s mind sounds like the start of a bad joke, and life would be a whole lot easier if she actually knew the punch line.
Her meditation coach job description said nothing about private lessons for the most infamous lead singer in Montreal, but somehow Stéphanie still finds herself sitting cross-legged on a yoga mat, right next to a pierced and tattooed music legend who’d rather be anywhere else.
Meditation classes are Ace’s final chance to convince his record label that the last bender he went on really was his last. The demons that have sent him to the bottom of countless bottles might not give a damn about ‘soothing rhythmic chanting,’ but it’s either this or game over for his career.
He’s not what she wants. She’s not what he’s looking for. Yet somewhere amidst all the incense fumes, the lines between student and teacher get blurred.
Even as their deep breathing exercises become nights filled with panting and gasps, Stéphanie can’t ignore the darkness that never quite leaves Ace’s eyes. It’s a darkness she knows far too well, and if she’s not careful, the cost of helping Ace find his way might just be losing herself.
Your Echo is part of the Sherbrooke Station Quartet, a series of steamy rock star standalones from author Katia Rose.

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—

SNEAK PEEK:

And that’s how I end up singing ‘I’m On Fire’ in a Montreal KTV bar, stone cold sober, while people whip out their smart phones and I try not to think about all the places this video is going to end up. I just stare at Stéphanie from the raised platform that serves as a stage, watching her watch me as the rest of the crowd cheers. At first I’m only fucking around, adding an extra rasp to the words and playing up the sexuality in the lyrics to the point that it’s funny, but something changes the further I get into the song. The slow build of the synth—the tension that rises and rises but never quite breaks—catches up with me, and by the time I get to the long, wavering howls at the end, I can see Stéphanie’s chest heaving even harder than mine.

Review to follow tomorrow...

Author Bio:
Katia Rose is not much of a Pina Colada person, but she does like getting caught in the rain. She prefers her romance served steamy with a side of smart, and is a sucker for quirky characters. A habit of jetting off to distant countries means she’s rarely in one place for very long, but she calls the frigid northland that is Canada home.

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Taming Fire - Leora Gonzales

Taming Fire by Leora Gonzales
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a fun, hot read and for the most part, I enjoyed it. Louise (which apparently in the US is an old person's name, which amused me, seeing as there's a huge amount of Louises around my age in the UK) is her families dogs body. She runs around after them getting very little in return. Nix, a local firefighter comes around to her house after her nephew called the fire brigade thinking that the firepit at the back of the house was a house fire. Things soon get pretty hot between them.
I liked the characters in the book. I liked the more relaxed attitude toward alcohol, no clutching of pearls because she was drinking while looking after her four-year-old nephew. We all know most four-year-olds lead to the odd bottle of wine after all. I also liked the way that she didn't completely bow down to Nix, who, to be honest, could be a bit of an arse.
What I wasn't so keen on, was the dismissive way he spoke about women who had been his conquests in the past. 'Pole bunnies' who were only after a good time. They were continually talked about as though they were nothing and that they didn't have any feelings. Fine, if they're all on board for just a good time, but throw away comments by the likes of her sister Maggie/Rose that she thought she might have been in the right place and the right time for more commitment combined with how jealous these women seemed to be, would suggest that they didn't just see it as fun and games. It's a minor point in what was otherwise an enjoyable story, but I don't like it when male characters are so disparaging of female characters who are just like they were until recently.
Overall, this was a good read. I hadn't read the previous books and while these characters were mentioned, it didn't detract from the book to have not read the rest of the series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.


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Out of Splinters and Ashes - Colleen L. Donnelly

Out of Splinters and Ashes by Colleen L. Donnelly
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book had a lot of promise. a lost romance, political intrigue, a mystery to uncover and the discovery of love in the next generation. Unfortunately, for me at least, it didn't quite live up to this promise.
Although the storyline was interesting it got lost somewhere in the pages and the plot seemed to swirl around lacking any real cohesion. Although everything was revealed at the end, I spent much of the book scratching my head and struggling to keep a grasp on the characters or what was happening.
The other problem with this book was that I didn't really care about any of the characters. The original love story between the runner and the writer that forms the basis for the whole story didn't really shine through and I couldn't become emotionally invested in it. In the modern day storyline, I couldn't make myself feel much sympathy for either the Grandmother and Grandfather or Cate and Dietrich. I don't know if it was me, but ultimately the book just didn't come together and drag me in.
It wasn't an awful read, but I went in expecting much more than it ultimately delivered and I was left feeling a little flat. This one just wasn't for me.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Tempt the flames - Marnee Blake

Tempt the Flames by Marnee Blake
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I feel a bit bad giving this only three stars, it's probably worth about a 3 1/2. I enjoyed most of the book. I liked both Meg and Lance and liked the way that they rediscovered their feelings for one another.
There were, however, a couple of things that for me at least, stopped this from scoring better. Firstly, I didn't quite buy the idea that the whole community would be against Lance for something that his father had supposedly done. It just didn't ring true. My second issue was with the end of this book. The last few chapters felt rushed and I didn't really like the big reveal as to who was causing the trouble. I'd already guessed what happened with Meg and Lance's fathers and I felt that the other part of the mystery was just a bit much.
I don't want to give the impression that I didn't enjoy this book. I really did. I liked Meg and Lance and their romance. I also think that it set up a series well and I would like to see where it goes next. It looks as though there's plenty of material for future stories, with a whole cast of fit firefighters who might have stories to follow. I'd be interested to see what happens with each of them in future books.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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The Perception Game - Candence Vonn

The Perception Game by Cadence Vonn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you're looking for a hot, fun, quick read, then you won't go far wrong with The Perception Game.

What starts out as two strangers meeting and having fun together, quickly turns into more when both Camille and Garrett find that their jobs are under threat. They need to pretend to be together as a 'real' couple, so as to avoid scandal. But, the more time that they spend together, the more real it all becomes.

I really enjoyed this read. There were a lot of steamy bedroom scenes, but that wasn't all that it was about. The chemistry between the two main characters worked well and the romance that developed between them was certainly believable.

I liked both Garrett and Camille and they seemed a good match for one another. In many ways Garrett is the typical millionaire, playboy, alpha of similar books. He definitely had a softer side. Camille is a strong woman in her own right and more than a match for her partner.

I really enjoyed this and I think you will too.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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In Too Deep - Dani Collins

In Too Deep
Dani Collins
(Blue Spruce Lodge #3)
Publication date: August 7th 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

The family he didn’t know he needed…
At her wit’s end with her twelve-year-old niece, Wren Snow takes the manager’s job at Blue Spruce Lodge so Sky can get to know her father, Trigg Johanssen—a tycoon snowboarder with a playboy reputation.
Gold-medalist Trigg Johanssen is furious she kept Sky a secret, but quits competition to focus on his newly discovered daughter only to have his chemistry with Wren complicate their attempts to co-parent.
When outside forces threaten the ski resort he’s rebuilding, a marriage of convenience seems like the answer. It would give his daughter the life she deserves, but is it too much for a heartbroken woman still nursing past hurts?

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Author Bio:
USA Today Bestselling author, winner of 2013 Reviewer’s Choice Award from Romantic Times Book Reviews
Before making my first sale to Harlequin Mills & Boon in 2012, I spent two decades writing and submitting to every publisher with a transom while holding down a day job and raising a family with my high school sweet heart. Since then, I’ve gone to contract on over thirty books.
While Harlequin Presents remains my first love, I also write romantic comedy, medieval fantasy romance, erotic romance, and small town contemporary romance for Tule Publishing’s Montana Born. In fact, I write just about anything, so long as it’s romance. P.S. I’m also Canadian.

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My Review

I should probably start by saying that I haven't read the other books in the Blue Spruce Lodge series. Although this is part of a series, there is no need to have read the other books, it works fine as a standalone. I would say though, I don't think this is a romance novel, at least not in the traditional sense. This is actually a story about love and family. Told from three points of view, Trigg, his newly found daughter Sky and Sky's Aunt, Wren. There is a romance angle, which gets quite steamy, but for me, that took second place to the story of the three of them working out what it was to be a family and learning about one another.

Having the story told from three points of view was quite unusual. There is actually a fourth storyteller, in the form of diaries written by Sky's Mum Mandy. It worked really well and built this story into much more than your usual man meets woman and falls into bed with her that many romance books are.

Trigg was a little annoying, to begin with, a little too full of himself, but his character grew and develop into something more. Wren is quite a reserved and quiet character, but she too grows over the course of the book, showing how strong she really is and that strength isn't always expressed with noise and bluster. I struggled a little bit with Sky, not that she wasn't a well developed and interesting character, but to me, she seemed a few years older than 12. Perhaps this is the difference between American children and those from the UK and New Zealand? I noticed when I was younger, that American's do seem to mature faster than we did, but then by their late teens, early twenties seemed younger. In any case, Sky seemed to me to be older than she was supposed to be in the book. I did really enjoy reading about how she discovers and comes to accept herself as one of the family she hasn't known until now.

This was a really interesting read and I found myself engrossed, wanting to know how everyone was going to fit in the new family dynamic. The romance element worked and although Trigg was a very overbearing character in many ways and Wren so quiet and unwilling to rock the boat, they worked. There is a fear with characters like that that the dominant personality will crush the other. I didn't feel that was the case here and there was a balance between the two of them that worked well.

I said at the beginning of this review that I hadn't read any of the other books in the Blue Spruce Lodge series. Having read this one, I'd definitely be keen to go back and read the others.

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Side Effect - Lulu Jones

Side Effect by Lulu Jones
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The subject matter of this book was a little unusual, with a psychologist and her patient getting romantically involved. In actual fact, Kendall isn't actually a psychologist yet, she is training to be one and while she's been sitting in Maton's Mother's sessions, she isn't actually anyone's psychologist yet. Either way, it's still rather dodgy.
The main characters Maton and Kendall seem to fall quickly for one another and despite Kendall's frequent crisis of conscience, they become serious very quickly. The relationship between the two seems quite immature. Both of them react like young teenagers, albeit very horny young teenagers. There is lots of bedroom activity in this book.
This book just wasn't for me. I didn't really buy into the romance aspect, the supposed threat, which seemed to be left up in the air at the end, which seemed unbelievable and I just didn't really enjoy it.
I think that with a little bit tighter editing, this could have been a much better book. There were a few contradictions, some things were a little repetitive and not needed and some aspects of the plot needed tightening up. If you are after a fairly light romantic read with lots of sex, then this might be for you. It just wasn't for me.

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