The Proposition - J.C. Harroway

The Proposition by J.C. Harroway
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Proposition is part of a loose series by a number of authors. The stories involve people who belong to the M club. An exclusive club for the incredibly rich with sites around the world where they can relax and play. This story is about Orla who has little time for anything other than work and Cam who has inherited a huge amount of money after the death of his father that he doesn't want. When they meet one night at the club and have an amazing night together, Orla Propositions Cam, asking him to accompany him across the world helping her to relax in-between her work. He agrees as long as she agrees to leave what they do down to him.
Orla and Cam make a great couple, they both have their own issues with their fathers, but are able to begin to help each other work past them together. There are eight years between the two of them, but although Orla is the older, in many ways Cam seems to be the more mature. He certainly had his life together before his inheritance. Orla does little beyond work and her whole focus is proving herself to her father, who to be honest is fairly disinterested in her.
I enjoyed the way this story unfolded. Although the attraction between them was instant, it took much longer for love to develop and sometimes that just works far better in this kind of story. It was a great read and I'd certainly recommend it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories - Martin Edwards

The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories by Martin Edwards
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think that I've become a convert to the world of short stories, particularly crime short stories. This is the third anthology that I've read in the last couple of months and I really enjoyed it. The stories here all relate in some way to Christmas. It's a bit early for that yet, but that didn't diminish my enjoyment.
One of the great things about this particular collection is that although all of the stories are what you could call crime stories, they are all very different. It also gives you a great chance to experience authors that you might not have come across before. It's quite surprising how different stories which are essentially in the same genre can be. Some of them deal with the crime from the point of view of the murderer or criminal while others are slightly more traditional in the telling of the tale.
I'm not sure if I have a favourite or not. The story that gives the collection its name was an interesting one, but the same could be said for all of the others.
This is a great little collection of mystery stories.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.


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The Rebound Effect - Linda Griffin

The Rebound Effect by Linda Griffin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was expecting this to be a romantic suspense novel, as I think that's what it was listed as on NetGalley. It isn't. I think it's actually a shame that it's been listed as romantic suspense as there are plenty of people who would enjoy this thriller who might be put off the idea of it being a romance.
Our main character Teresa has terrible taste in men. She has a broken marriage behind her (where she was married to someone who couldn't cope with the fact that their son was deaf) then she has an ex-boyfriend who cheated on her when he got the sack from his job. Now a new man comes dancing on the scene with more red flags than if he was called Mr A. Busive. He goes from the first date to telling her that he loves her and that they should get married in about thirty seconds. He is controlling and she finds herself swept along with him. She could, of course, told him where to go but she does like him. She also, although I don't think that this is explicitly stated, doesn't want to upset him. (I'm not going to go into a rant about how women are conditioned to do that, but she very much falls into that category.)
As I mentioned before, this is a thriller, not a romance, there is little romantic about Teresa's interactions with any of the men in her life. I don't know if it was intended that Frank would appear nice to begin with, but I didn't like him from the start. It didn't start well when he told her how much her earnt and then was trying to control her from there on in as he could afford things that she couldn't. (That said, I am aware that the talking about how much you earn could be just a cultural difference. I can't imagine anything crasser, but I believe that it's not rude in the US.)
This was a good read. It did finish a little abruptly. There were hints that suggested a link between the main storyline and events that were happening in the community, but it was never clear if that really was the case. It was still a good read and once I got into it and saw where this story was going and that it was a thriller rather than a romance, I really enjoyed it.
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 the Ashes - MJ James

Out of the Ashes by M.J. James
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I wanted to like this one, I really did. But sadly, for me, it just didn't work. I loved the idea of the storyline, but unfortunately, when it came to the execution, it just fell a bit flat.
I think that part of the problem with it was that the characters didn't sound real. Their dialogue was a bit off, there was nothing that I could put my finger on, but it just didn't flow naturally and that stopped you from really connecting with them. Add to that the fact that there was a lot of internal thoughts and feelings, rather than actually showing us what was going on through actions and I found it hard to feel anything for either of the two main leads and didn't really connect with their instant love connection.
The plot itself wasn't so bad, but parts of it just didn't make sense the way that it was recounted to us. People went from being suspects to everyone knowing that they were innocent or vice versa for no apparent reason. There were also inconsistencies that tripped you up as you read. Someone would ask where the person calling got their number when they'd given out a business card in a previous chapter. A relationship is described one minute as being almost an arranged marriage and later as they met and fell in love instantly. The main characters decide to investigate the fire at the shop, but then go and do something else instead.
This probably sounds as though it should be a one-star review, but it's not. There are things in this book that show promise and to be honest I think that with a bit of re-writing it could actually be a really good read. It almost seems to be a book that just isn't ready for publication yet.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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The Fixer Upper - Maggie Mae Gallagher

The Fixer Upper
Maggie Mae Gallagher
(Echo Springs, #1)
Published by: Blushing Books Publications
Publication date: September 6th 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Abby Callier is more in love with Shakespearean heroes than any real man, and she’s beginning to wonder if there is life for her outside the pages of a book. It doesn’t help that her esteemed parents tend to view her as they would one of their science experiments gone wrong. On the eve of finishing her dissertation, she escapes her staid existence to live in the house she inherited from her Great Aunt Evie in the small town of Echo Springs, Colorado. Because, let’s face it, when a woman starts comparing her life to horror films, it might be time for a break.
Sheriff Nate Barnes believes in law and order and carefully building the life you want. In his spare time, he has been remodeling his house in the hope that one day it will be filled with the family he makes. But Nate doesn’t like drama or complications and tends to avoid them at all costs. And yet, when Miss Abigail Callier, his newest neighbor, beans him with a nine iron, he can’t help but wonder if she might just be the complication he’s been searching for all along. It doesn’t hurt that he discovers a journal hidden away by the previous tenant and decides to use Old Man Turner’s advice to romance Abby into his life.
Abby never expected her next-door neighbor, the newly dubbed Sheriff Stud Muffin, to be just the distraction her world needed.
The problem is she doesn’t know whether she should make Echo Springs her home, or if this town is just a stopover point in her life’s trajectory. And she doesn’t want to tell Nate that she might not be sticking around—even though she should because it’s the right thing to do, the honest thing—because then all the scintillatingly hot kisses with the Sheriff will come to an abrupt halt. Did she mention that he’s a really great kisser?

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Author Bio:
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Maggie grew up listening to Cardinals baseball and reading anything she could get her hands on. She remembers her mother saying if only she would read the right type of books instead binging her way through the romance aisles at the bookstore, she’d have been a doctor. While Maggie never did get that doctorate, she graduated cum laude from the University of Missouri-St. Louis with an M.A. in History.
Maggie is a bestselling and award-winning author published in multiple fiction genres. She also writes erotic romance under the name Anya Summers. A total geek at her core, when she is not writing, she adores attending the latest comic con or spending time with her family. She currently lives in the Midwest with her two furry felines.

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My Review

I didn't expect to read this book as quickly as I did. While there are some romance books that I fly through because they are quick and fluffy reads, this book doesn't really fall into that category. I got through it in a day because it was so well written and I didn't really want to put it down. It also had something to do with the fact that it's a rainy wet winters day here in New Zealand and I could read while also keeping an eye on the kids playing with lego.

This is the first book in the series and it's already fairly easy to guess which characters might be featuring in future books. As well as the main characters in this book, we've also been introduced to the friends of both the hero and heroine and I think it's a good guess that they will all get their own stories later. 

Set in the small town of Echo Falls, this time we focus on Nate and Abby. Nate is the local sheriff and Abby has just moved to the town while she tries to finish her dissertation and decide what she is going to do with her life. The chemistry between the two is strong and I enjoyed reading about their growing relationship. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I will mention that there are two other aspects to the storyline. Firstly is the problem of the break-ins that Nate is dealing with. I will admit that I had a good idea who was behind them from the beginning and I was right, even if Nate hadn't a clue. Then there was the diary left in Nate's house by the previous owner. Again I don't want to give anything away, but there is a story here that also unfolds as the book progresses.

For me, this was a quick read, but as I said previously, not because it was light and fluffy and lacking substance. It was easy to get swept up in the life of the people who live in Echo Falls and I hope that I will be making a second visit there for future books. I'm certainly looking forward to reading the other books in the series.

Buy Links

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Kobo ➞ http://bit.ly/2NHFlCX

Blushing Books ➞ https://bit.ly/2kxDzGO

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War of Hearts - S.Young

War of Hearts by S. Young
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It's not that often that I give five stars to a book, but War of Hearts was definitely deserving of them. This is a paranormal romance with enemies to friends storyline. Actually enemy is possibly too strong a word for the initial relationship between Thea and Conall. He is sent to find her, as he has tracking abilities which mean that he can follow anyone anywhere in the world once he has their scent. Thea doesn't know what she is, but she too has powers and she has been on the run for some time. Even though Conall is there to try and return Thea to the man that she fears beyond all others, Thea trusts Conall on some level. The more time that they spend together, the more that the bond between them grows until they can't resist it.
The relationship between Conall and Thea is lovely. As they learn more about each other and learn to trust one another they grow closer together. They are willing to sacrifice everything for one another, but they also understand what that might mean in the longer term.
There's quite a lot of back story here and while this book is a stand-alone there's certainly plenty of scope for more books within the same world. The story did deal with everything and didn't leave any loose ends. At the same time, there were other things that I think would be interesting to find out more about in future books.
This was a really good read and if there are to be more books by S.Young in this world, then I really want to make sure that I read them. Highly recommended.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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The Last Seance: Tales of the Supernatural - Agatha Christie

The Last Séance: Tales of the Supernatural by Agatha Christie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've been a fan of Agatha Christie since I first discovered Miss Marple as a child. I have to admit that it has been quite some years since I have read any of her books and I haven't bothered with many of her short stories at all.
This collection all have a supernatural theme. In some cases, such as The Dressmaker's Doll, there is something otherworldly going on. In others, what at first appears to be inexplicable, is revealed to be the result of trickery.
Although the stories do all have a supernatural theme, for the most part they are very much classic Christie and I'm sure that this collection would appeal to any fans of her work. I think that it is a mark of what a good storyteller she is that even though they were short stories, I didn't want to put the book down and found myself ploughing through one after the other.
Fans of her work will love this collection, particularly as both of her beloved detectives Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot appear in more than one story each. People who haven't really tried many of her books before might find this a good way to give some of her stories a go.

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Death on Clevedon Beach - Betty Rowlands

Death on Clevedon Beach: An absolutely addictive English cozy mystery novel by Betty Rowlands
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ten books into the Sukey Reynolds series and we've seen quite a few changes. I mentioned in my review of the last couple of books that they marked a change of direction for the amateur detective, as she finally managed to join the ranks of the CID and become a 'real' detective. This book was in many ways, much more like the first few with Sukey now firmly established with a reliable and returning cast of supporting characters. From that point of view, I enjoyed it much more than her first couple of mysteries as a member of the police.
This time we see Sukey involved in the investigation of a suspicious car crash and a body that has been chopped to pieces and washed up on a local beach. At first glance, there seems to be no connection between the two crimes, but as Sukey looks into them further, there are a couple of things that suggest that there might be a link.
Although the story does revolve around a fairly gruesome discovery, the book still has a level of lightness which means that it isn't particularly hard to read. It doesn't rely upon the horror of the crime or focus upon the stomach-churning aspects of the murder.
On the whole, I enjoyed the mystery, as I always do with this series. I will say that this one did seem slightly looser than the previous stories. There were a couple of leaps that I felt pushed it even for a detective book. There were also a couple of things that didn't quite make sense. A friend of a character in the night club appearing from nowhere for no apparent reason and I'm sure that Sukey's son Fergus was attending a different university in previous books. These are just small niggles and as I've read so many of the books in the series already and so feel Sukey to be an old friend I'm happy to let them go. There aren't many more of these books to come, I'll be sad when I get to the end.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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My Forever Plus-One - Shannyn Schroeder

My Forever Plus-One by Shannyn Schroeder
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I do enjoy friends to lovers stories, which is what this one is. Unlike stories about strangers who meet, or couples who start out not really liking one another, with friends to lovers storyline, they can jump forward quite a few steps. It makes the speed that a lot of these relationships move at much more convincing. In My Forever Plus-One, the couple in question are best friends Owen and Evelyn. They are so close that it's obvious to all of their friends (and us) that really they should be more than just friends.
I enjoyed the way the story unfolded, with both of them discovering that they had feelings for each other that went beyond friendship. Of course, this being a romance novel, there was bound to be a little bit of a rocky path to happily ever after. Both of our lead characters have been married before. As a result, they both have quite a bit of emotional baggage and their two different experiences of relationships in the past lead them to find their own relationship to be a little bit of a struggle as they work out how they are together as a couple.
I enjoyed this book and the story of Evelyn and Owen, they worked well together.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Gallows Court - Martin Edwards

Gallows Court by Martin Edwards
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There are some books that just seem to grab your imagination. While you're reading them, you just can't put them down and then when you finally do have to put them down for a bit, you can't stop thinking about them. Gallows Court by Martin Edwards is certainly one of those.
Set in the 1930's the book manages to capture the era well and the book certainly has the feel of those books from the golden age of crime writing. Having said that, the fact that it is told by a modern author certainly adds an element to this book that is missing from most of the books that were written in that era. There is a certain sophistication and also a depravity that doesn't tend to feature in books of that time. It gives a depth to the book that elevates it from a homage to the classic crime novels and gives us a gripping thriller.
There are plenty of twists and turns in this story and it was that which kept me on the edge of my seat. Not sure where things would head next or who was to be trusted. Like all good characters, there is a certain blurring of the lines between the good and the bad. Although, the baddies really do turn out to be baddies of the worst kind.
While I did manage to see where things were going once or twice, I will admit that I was taken by surprise on a number of occasions. Things that I really hadn't seem coming, but that made perfect sense once they were revealed caught me by surprise on a number of occasions.
The story itself is told as we follow young journalist Jacob Flint. He's enthusiastic, tenacious but ultimately naive and as an investigating lead makes an interesting person to follow. The standout character in this book though, is Rachel Savernake, although I'm not entirely sure that we ever see her as she actually is.
I thoroughly enjoyed Gallows Court. I suspect that it will be one of those books that I think about for some time to come. It certainly covered enough ground to keep the little grey cells entertained for a while.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Dirty Damsels - Peggy Jaeger

Dirty Damsels by Peggy Jaeger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Books described as romantic comedies tend to fall into one of two types. There are those that leave you crying with laughter funny with a healthy dose of romance thrown in for good measure. Then there are those that you get to the end, see that it's supposed to be a romantic comedy and you wonder which bits you were supposed to laugh at. There are very few that are genuine romances with just the right dose of humour thrown in. Dirty Damsels is one of that very rare third type.
The story is loosely based on Cinderella. In this version Cinders (spelt Cynderella) owns a cleaning company. Her Prince Charming is a prince in surname only, but he is also sweet, charming and very handsome.
As I mentioned before, this book wasn't heavy-handed with the humour element, but there was certainly a light touch throughout the book which I really appreciated and enjoyed. The retelling of Cinderella also worked well. The evil stepmother and ugly (if through deed rather than appearance) sisters were all there.
I thoroughly enjoyed this romance and I'll certainly be back for more from Peggy Jaeger in the future.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Deep Waters: Murder on the Waves - Martin Edwards

Deep Waters: Murder on the Waves by Martin Edwards
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have to admit that I usually avoid short story collections. Not because I don't enjoy them, but as they are generally a bit longer than a chapter in length, you need a bit longer to sit down and enjoy them. The other danger is that the collection is often a mixed bag, of varying quality. Fortunately, with this collection, they were all enjoyable.
Of course, there were some that I enjoyed more than others. Possibly this had more to do with the style of the story rather than the writing. While some fit into the classic puzzle style, others just follow someone in the undertaking of a crime. One of my personal favourites actually followed someone who wanted to commit murder and get his comeuppance, by way of natural justice by the end of the tale.
I took quite a while over these, simply because I dipped into them from time to time as I read other books in between. Whether you take that approach or tackle one after another, I'm sure that you'll find plenty to enjoy in this collection.

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Nobody Else But You - Claire Marti

Nobody Else But You by Claire Marti
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Set in California, Nobody Else But You tells the story of Holt and Samantha. Sam grew up with a mother and father who were both involved in the movie business in Hollywood. After the accidental death of her mum, the whole family moved to a ranch and away from the public eye. When Holt arrives, he seems to be everything that Sam has come to loathe. She hates the handsome stunt man on sight, but sparks soon begin to fly between them and they cannot deny their attraction.
I enjoyed this romance. Both of the main characters had things from their past that stopped them from getting involved, to begin with. There were no artificial or contrived misunderstandings, which was good. Holt was a likeable character with quite a bit of depth and it was clear that once Sam saw beyond her first impression, she was going to like him. Sam was a little harder to pin down. She is quite prickly, to begin with, although I warmed to her as the book progressed.
The main reason that I was reluctant to give a higher score to this one was simply that the end felt a little rushed to me. We went from a climax of the action to the happily ever after in the space of paragraphs. For me it didn't seem to fit with the pace of the rest of the book and to be honest it reduced my enjoyment of the book as a whole. It's a shame because the rest of the story worked well and built the storyline in a consistent way. There were a few things that were alluded to, the future for his mother and sister for example, that were left unanswered. I don't know if the intention was to address them in later books. It felt as though they were just forgotten about if I'm honest.
Overall this was a good read and it's just a shame that the ending was a little rushed. I'd certainly be keen to read the next in 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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Sweet Poisons - Natalie Bennett

Sweet Poisons
Natalie Bennett
(Pretty Lies, Ugly Truths Duets, #1)
Publication date: June 18th 2019
Genres: New Adult, Romance

Rhett Sullivan.
Mysterious boy painted in shades of red.
Nova Markov
Eccentric girl dripping in sunshine.
He was the type mother’s warned their little girls about—a cocky, rich asshole with a pretty smile, unapologetically insane and wild.
I was the type guys like him usually ignored—a free spirit who hid my crazy beneath an odd good girl facade, and the art hanging on my studio walls.
We were opposites in every way but one, and we collided like two runaway trains that never had a chance of stopping.
What blossomed between us, our ‘relationship’, was maniacal.
We got stuck in a cycle of madness.
Rhett Sullivan became a bittersweet poison I couldn’t get enough of.
In the end, that’s what destroyed me.
Because in the end?
Our love was nothing but a lie.
I said I was done slapping warning labels on my book babies this year, but since I have never written full on NA yet, I’m going to give a tiny one now. This will be the only label this duet will have. If you are not a fan of twisted stories that deal with dark themes, rich assholes, and lots of filthy sex, this will not appeal to you. This couple is not unicorns and rainbows and neither is their story.

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Author Bio:
Shameless author of twisted unconventional love stories.
Natalie has a penchant for (writing) villainous immoral men and tends to deviate away from traditional happily-ever-afters.
When she isn't slaying words on multiple projects, she's either sipping on a margarita or hanging out in the sunshine state with her husband, their three boys, and her pit-bull named Lulu.

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My Review

In many ways, this is a difficult book to review. This is mostly because in many ways it isn't a book at all, but rather the start of one. The Pretty lies, Ugly Truths duet starts in this book and then concludes in the second, or at least I assume that it does, it's not out yet and I haven't read it. Unlike some series or pairs of books, Sweet Poisons doesn't really stand as a story in its own right, in fact, it ends on a huge cliffhanger and I have no idea where it will go next.

This is a very dark book with murder, casual drug-taking and some pretty screwed up characters in the mix. Nova, the female lead, has all kinds of issues to do with her past and her parents. Since their death, or at least I assume that they died, she had been hiding away and drinking. Rhett, the male lead, also has his own issues and is mixed up in some serious stuff. In some way, Nova is involved in all of this, although it is clear that she doesn't know anything about his involvement.

I really don't know where this one is going to end up. It's very short, which doesn't really help to give a feel for it, so I couldn't tell you where it will go. Personally, I think it would have been better as one book, rather than in two parts, but only because I think that I would have forgotten where we were by the time the second comes out. It wasn't as though there was a first half of the story that reached a conclusion by the end of this instalment. The one thing that slightly irritated me was the constant description of what Nova's nipples were doing, they almost became a character in their own right, particularly as they featured early in the story when they were really nothing but another body part. (I know that in a sex scene, or when someone attractive is met, they can be used as a device to let us know, but this was just random descriptions of them for no apparent reason.)

I'd like to know where this book is going to go next. I honestly haven't a clue and it's clear that all of the main characters have plenty of secrets that they are currently keeping.

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Rescue Me - N.J. Walters

Rescue Me by N. J. Walters
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a good quick read. It really is quite a short little novella, so I managed to read it almost in one sitting. The only real problem with it, is that as it's so short, it leaves you wanting a bit more.
The main characters were lovers when they were teenagers, but after Frank discovered that he was not who he thought he was, he ran away. Worrying that he might be a danger to Martha and his family, he has not seen them in 18 years. By chance, he rescues her from a burning building and it soon becomes clear that their love has not diminished over the years.
I liked the romance between the two main characters and I'm always a fan of second time around romances. There wasn't a great deal of room for much exploration of the other parts of the story and I felt that there was quite a lot left unanswered by the end of it.
Ideally, I would have liked to have seen Frank get some answers about who and what he was and what the implications for the future. I'd also have liked some explanation as to why the initial fire was started. (We learn who, but not why.)
For a quick read, this was enjoyable and it wouldn't put me off reading other books by the same author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Hell on Wheels - Penny Dee

Hell on Wheels by Penny Dee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've loved every one of the Kings of Mayhem series so far and not only was this forth book no exception, but it was in some ways even better. I do feel a bit bad that I'm not giving it the full four stars, it was a bit of a toss-up as to whether I would or not. It was so close to being perfect that it's certainly a good 4 1/2 star read.
This time we have Chance, the family member who has been overseas and part of the military for many years. He suffered at the hands of his father who was a nasty bully. (Although how I'm not sure, as their grandmother, who obviously raised her son, is fantastic.) He stayed away from the motorcycle club, but now he's back home and trying to find his way in the world and his place within the club. He's a very damaged soul, but when he meets Cassidy, he begins to find his way back from the darkness.
Cassidy is just as damaged as Chance, if not more so. She manages to find someone in Chance that gives her reason to stop running and together they can heal one another.
This was a great read with some quite dark themes and past events. There's less of the Kings of Mayhem as a group in this one, although the main characters are still there in the background. There was a little bit just towards the end that felt a little rushed and we didn't really hear much about to do with Cassidy's past, but I don't know if that's because we might learn more in a later book or perhaps because there was just so much to cover here and the main storyline had reached its conclusion.
This was a great read and I'll certainly be coming back for more of the Kings of Mayhem in the future, if there are more to be released that is, I certainly hope so.

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Her Rough Ride - Heather Van Fleet

Her Rough Ride

My name was Sebastian. But now they call me Slade. I’ve reinvented myself, become a man, been sworn into the Red Dragon MC. I’ve got tattooed and ripped to hell, I’ve cut my hair and my face now bears the scars of all the fights I’ve seen. The last thing I need is to face her again…

It’s been eight years since Maya ran away from the club. Sweet, beautiful Maya. My first love.

Why do I have to ride halfway across the country to pick her up? Because the club is at war, she’s the niece of our President and I’m the only brother who can be trusted to protect her.

She broke my heart, but I still want her. Do I ever. This woman is my goddess. She’s also my curse.

I need to focus on getting her home. But as soon as our eyes lock, she’s looking at me all kinds of ways. Like I’m the sexiest, most perfect stranger she’s ever seen.

And then I realise, I look completely different to the boy she once knew and she doesn’t even recognise me. I could tell her who I am. Or I could have a little fun with her first…

This sexy second novel in the Red Dragon MC series can also be read as a standalone. Fans of Kristen Ashley, Joanna Wylde and Madeline Sheehan will love the heart-stopping tension. Guaranteed HEA, no cliffhangers and no cheating.

My Review

This is the second Red Dragon MC book in the series and the second that I have read. It works as a standalone novel, but this is a series where the previous (and future I assume) characters do feature in some capacity in all of the books.
This time the story focuses on Maya, who has left the world of Motorcycle clubs behind but is in danger. Her uncle wants her to come home for her own safety after the Red Dragon's come under threat from an ex-member and rival club. Slade, a man she had known well before he became a Red Dragon and changed his name is tasked with bringing her home. There's huge chemistry between them, but she doesn't recognise him from before.
The chemistry between the two main characters was good. I thought that Slade/Sebastian was a bit overbearing at times and needed to get over himself a bit, but Maya gave as good as she got. They seemed to be well-matched and I liked the romance that developed between them.
As I mentioned at the start, this does work as a stand-alone novel, but there is an over-arcing storyline that ties the books together. Clearly, there is more to come for the Red Dragon's based on the events in this book and while our main characters do get their happily ever after, things are far from all rosy for the Red Dragons.
I really enjoyed this instalment of the series and would be keen to read the next. I'm not sure as yet who it is likely to feature as there are a couple of candidates, but I think it might possibly be Archer.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. 

Author

AUTHOR BIO
Heather Van Fleet is a stay-at-home-mom turned book boyfriend connoisseur. She’s married to her high school sweetheart, a mom to three girls, and in her spare time, you can find her with her head buried in her Kindle, guzzling down copious amounts of coffee.

Heather graduated from Black Hawk College in 2003 and currently writes New Adult and Adult Contemporary Romance.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorheathervanfleet/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HLVanFleet 

Website: http://www.heathervanfleet.com/

If It's Only Love - Lexi Ryan

If It's Only Love by Lexi Ryan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It can be a bit annoying coming to a series at book six. Not because they don't work as a standalone novel, but because it's clear that had you read the other books in the series you'd be enjoying the other characters popping up and making an appearance. It's hard not to feel that you're missing out somewhere. Having said that, I don't think that it really hurt to read this one first, even if it is book six. It just made me want to go back and read the other stories.
This was a great story. Not only is it a second chance (or possibly that should be forth chance) love story, but it is told with the present-day mixed with flashbacks to when they were younger. This made for a much more interesting and enjoyable read than if we were just told a bit about their history.
Eastern is a very sweet character. He's missed out on love and broken the only woman he's ever really wanted's heart because he's tried to be the bigger man and put other people before what he wants. Unfortunately for Shae, who has loved him since they were children, that seems to mean that she always gets the raw end of the deal.
I loved reading both about their past and their present relationship as they found their way finally together. They certainly deserved to finally be happy together.
This was a great read and as I say, the only downside would be that I wish that I had read the other books too. I suppose that I'll just have to go back and read them now.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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