Wrong bed, Right Brother - Rebecca Brooks

Wrong Bed, Right Brother by Rebecca Brooks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love the way that this series centres around the hero and heroine somehow ending up in or on a bed together and that sets them off towards their romance and life together. In this case, Amanda thinks that she's getting into her friend and co-worker Luke's bed. But he's swapped with twin Noah. Noah and Amanda can't stand one another, but it's clear that once they let that fire between them burn into something other than annoyance and anger, they might actually be very right together.
This was quite a quick read and I enjoyed the romance and chemistry that built between Noah and Amanda. This is a relationship that gets hot very quickly, even if our main characters aren't entirely sure where they stand with each other to begin with. It's clear to us, if not to them, that they work well together as a couple and although they may not have got on well in the past, they didn't really see each other properly. I have to admit that I didn't think that I was going to warm to Amanda at the beginning, but she soon came into her own, particularly once she properly noticed Noah.
This was a good romance read. The characters worked well together and the romance was believable.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Count of Eight - Brynn Ford

Counts of Eight by Brynn Ford
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After reading Brynn Ford's previous Duo Blue and Switch I couldn't resist giving Counts of Eight a go. I knew that it was probably going to be a bad idea. Not because I wouldn't enjoy it, but because this is book one of a trilogy and the second and third parts are not due out until later this year and early next year respectively. I'm a glutton for punishment though and couldn't resist diving in and giving this a read.
This is a very dark read and won't be for everyone. I don't mind admitting that some aspects of it edge towards the end of my enjoyment. It's not that the storyline isn't gripping (it really is) but what the characters are put through is really so awful. The story is about Anya and Ezra, who are both talented dancers. They are also owned by an evil head of one of the four crime families mentioned in the series title. These families are involved in human trafficking and think nothing of keeping talented individuals as talent slaves and to satisfy their other dark desires. Anya has been living this life for three years, but Ezra is new to it. It's Anya's role to break him so that he will obey, the longer it takes her, the harder it is for her.
As mentioned this is an incredibly dark story and it ends on a cliff hanger. I'm not sure where it's going next but I don't mind admitting that I really want to know. If you enjoy dark romances and like to have your emotions battered as you read, then I think you'll enjoy this. Don't expect a happy ending, at least not at the end of this book. It's clear that Ezra and Anya have a great deal more to face and deal with first.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Tempting the Dragon King - Kiersten Fay

Tempting The Dragon King by Kiersten Fay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Tempting the Dragon King is set in the same world as the Shadow Quest series, of which I've read the first book The Demon's Possession. I don't think it really matters if you have read any of those or not, although it does help to explain the world that this series takes place in.
Juniper, or June as she prefers to be known found herself trapped on an alien spaceship hurtling through space to who knows where. She didn't know that it was a space ship when she entered and she has no way of understanding the controls or getting home. She is intercepted by the king of the dragon shifter race who doesn't know if he can trust her or not. It soon becomes clear that there is something between them that draws them together.
Spaceships and the like aren't usually my thing, but I really enjoyed this story. June and Tristan make an interesting couple and lets face it a romance is a romance wherever it's set. As long as there's plenty of chemistry and you like the characters then it doesn't really matter where they live. That's certainly the case here. Tristan and June work well together and I enjoyed reading about their growing relationship.
This was a good read and I'd certainly be keen to read more in the series. The epilogue certainly suggests that there's more to come from this world.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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He is Watching - Denise Carbo

He Is Watching by Denise Carbo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

He is Watching is a short story in the Deerbourne Inn series. I believe that these stories are all standalone stories written by different authors but set in and around the Deerbourne Inn. I didn't realise this with the first one of these books that I read, but I'd got it this time.
The story focuses on Julie Roy, a graphic designer from Boston. For months she's been stalked by someone unknown. Being sent photos from inside her flat to her work computer is the final straw and she flees with no real destination in mind. She finds herself staying at the Deerbourne Inn and it's there that she meets Joe Bascombe. Joe is drawn to her immediately, developing strong feelings for her. But Julie is battling her problems with her stalker.
I liked this short story, the romance between Joe and Julie works well and the chemistry between them is believable and enjoyable to watch. The stalking aspect of the story adds an extra level to things. This is only a short story, but it didn't feel that it was rushed or anything missed out. 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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Bait N'Witch - Abigail Owen

Bait N' Witch by Abigail Owen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I do love Abigail Owen's books and Bait N'Witch is no exception. This is the third in the Brimstone series and picks up the story of Rowen, the witch that was forced to act against the wolves in the first book. You wouldn't have had to read either of the previous books to enjoy this one, although they are linked and the characters do pop up again here, this works fine as a standalone too.
I liked both Rowan and Greyson. They suited each other well and I liked the way that she brought out the best in him, even though they weren't willing to fully trust one another to begin with, it's clear that there's something between them from the start.
The only thing that I didn't like about this book was that it could just have been a little bit longer. There were one or two things that I couldn't help but feel hadn't been fully addressed. (I don't want to give any spoilers away, but there were things that happened that were just accepted, I wanted to know more.) More than anything, I just wasn't quite ready to leave Rowan and Greyson by the end of the story, but I suppose that the aim of all authors, leaving us wanting more?
I don't know if there's more to come in the Brimstone Inc series or not, I'd certainly be keen to read more.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Forbidden Love - Lee Colgin

Forbidden Love by Lee Colgin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Forbidden Love is the second book in the They Bite series. I read book one, Forbidden Bond back in December, so when this one popped up on Netgalley, I couldn't resist requesting it. I have to admit though, that it did take me a little while to get into this one. This was mostly because for some reason (possibly my own stupidity) it took me a while to realise that the book actually starts in the middle of the last one. I eventually clicked and then everything made much more sense. It would have probably been better if I'd read (or re-read) the first book just before this one.
Nathan and Ben make a cute couple and I enjoyed their romance. They work well together as a couple and I liked the way that they addressed the issues facing their relationship. Ben did seem quite young at times, he's supposed to be 46, which is young for a vampire, but still, it didn't quite seem right to me.
This is quite a short story, but a lot takes place in it, there's plenty of action as well as the romance. I did think that there could have been a bit more said about the motives of the bad guy, it was kind of left once they knew who was behind it. There was a suggestion that they may not have worked alone, but nothing more was said. I do wonder if, like this book, a future book will pick up that story and take it further from another point of view?
This was a good read and I'd be keen to read any future books 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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Game Changer - Kelly Jamieson

Game Changer by Kelly Jamieson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Game Changer is the fifth book in the Wynn Hockey series, but the first that I've read. I believe that previous characters do appear in this book, but it's not in a way that it would affect your enjoyment of the book if you haven't read previous ones. It certainly didn't reduce my enjoyment not to have read them. The story starts with the wedding of Molly and Steve, or at least it should be their wedding. But, after Molly discovered that he'd been cheating on her the previous evening, she decides to read out the texts that he shared with the other woman and leaves him at the altar. Jax, Steve's teammate comes to her aid and helps her to escape from the wedding and go into hiding for a bit to get over what has happened. The more time that they spend together, the more obvious it becomes that really they belong together.
I'm never sure about romances where one of the characters moves on from another serious relationship so quickly, but in this case, the chemistry just worked. Jax and Molly were friends before all of this happened and he wasn't particularly close to Steve, Molly's ex. I really liked Jax and Molly and they worked really well together. Although this isn't really a friends to lovers story in the usual sense, it has elements of that, which is something that I always enjoy. It was also interesting to read about Jax's grandfather, who is suffering from Alzheimer's. It was both very sad and dealt with well.
This was a very enjoyable romance. If you're heavily into sports romances, then this might not completely hit the mark, as there was little of that side of things, despite Jax being a professional player. This book is set almost entirely on the offseason. It's not something that I particularly look for in a book though, so didn't matter to me.
I really enjoyed Game Changer and I'd be keen to read more in the Wynn Hockey series if I get the chance.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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