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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Murder in the Morning - Betty Rowlands

Murder in the Morning by Betty Rowlands
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is the second Melissa Craig book in the series and the second that I have read. Like the first, this is an enjoyable who done it in the classic mystery style. It's described as a cosy mystery, but as I've explained before, I'm not keen on this term. The book centres around Mel Craig, a mystery writer, who seems to stumble onto real life (or at least real life in the book) murder mysteries.

Unfortunately, for me, this second book didn't quite work as well as the first. There were a couple of things that just didn't work. One of the biggest problems is that this book is really showing its age. The attitude of some of the characters; forgiving men hitting women (it was just a slap) and just about every character being very homophobic and pearl clutching when it came to a lesbian character. The 'romance' aspect just didn't ring true either, what on earth did she see in the vile man? Nothing as far as I could I could tell.

The mystery itself was quite good, although I solved it a long time before Mel herself had a clue. In fact, when it came to the big reveal she was startlingly obtuse. Fortunately, she got there in the end, if a little slowly.

I wouldn't let this put me off the series. I think as long as you remember when reading it that this book was written quite some time ago it can still be enjoyable. I'd definitely like to see that she'd given up the romantic interest though, he's a complete waste of space.

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



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Hot Pursuit - Kay Marie

Hot Pursuit
Kay Marie
(To Catch a Thief #1)
Publication date: August 27th 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

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How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days meets White Collar in this sassy and sweet romantic comedy, new from bestselling author Kaitlyn Davis, writing as Kay Marie.

All Jolene Carter has ever wanted is a bakery of her own. There’s only one problem. Her father, Robert Carter, is a world-renowned art thief and she’s, well, sort of his protégé. But he’s promised her this next job in New York will be their last, and she won’t let anyone get in the way of her dreams…especially not the distractingly delicious FBI agent hot on her tail.
Agent Nate Parker has been on the Robert Carter case for years, and if rumors of the aging criminal’s retirement are true, this might be his last chance to nail him. With the legacy of his late father in the back of his mind, the stakes are more personal than anyone realizes. He won’t let anything stand in the way of justice…especially not the red-headed vixen who keeps giving him the slip.
He’s a cop who’d never bend. She’s a con who’ll never break. But all’s fair in love and larceny…

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Author Bio:
Kaitlyn Davis, a bestselling author with over a quarter of a million books sold, writes young adult fantasy novels under the name Kaitlyn Davis and contemporary romance novels under the name Kay Marie. Publishers Weekly has said, “Davis writes with confidence and poise,” while USA Today has recommended her work as “must-read romance.”
Always blessed with an overactive imagination, Kaitlyn has been writing ever since she picked up her first crayon and is overjoyed to share her work with the world. When she’s not daydreaming, typing stories, or getting lost in fictional worlds, Kaitlyn can be found playing fetch with her puppy, watching a little too much television, or spending time with her family. If you have any questions for her–about her books, about scheduling an event, or just in general–you may contact her at: KaitlynDavisBooks@gmail.com
Sign up for Kaitlyn’s newsletter to stay up-to-date with all of her new releases, to receive exclusive subscriber bonus content, and more! bit.ly/KaitlynDavisNewsletter

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My Review

Opposites attract novels can be a lot of fun and what greater opposites can there be than an FBI agent and the daughter of an art forger, who also happens to be a hacker herself? To be honest, I was interested to read how this story panned out, as I couldn't see how two such mismatched people could really find their way to one another. 

I liked both Jolene and Nate. I think that I would have prefered Jolene to be a bit less, I'm not sure, fluffy? I know that she was interested in baking and having her own bakery, but she could have still done that and been a bit tougher I think, but maybe that's just me being picky. Even so, I did like both characters and liked to see the way that they developed their interest in one another. 

Despite my concerns about how these two would be able to come together, it did work and their relationship was believable. I'm not sure that if this were real life things would be so simple as they were at the end, but it worked in this book. This was an enjoyable read and I'd be happy to read the next in the series. 

Three Irish Brothers - Sienna Blake

THREE IRISH BROTHERS

A HOT NEW REVERSE HAREM NOVEL

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I used to think I was one of the lucky ones.

But at twenty-six, I’ve left my life in New York behind—my perfect fiancé, my stylish friends, my high-flying marketing career—and moved to Ireland.

Truthfully, my perfect fiancé is now my ex after I walked in on him face-deep in my best friend’s p***y.

And my career? It’s over. Because that cheating ex-fiancé of mine… he owns the company I worked for.

I know. I know. Don’t screw your boss. Trust me, I’m never making that mistake again.

On my way to the remote Irish farm I’m now working on, my car hits a ditch. I’m rescued by the three sexiest men I’ve everseen.

The three Irish O’Callaghan brothers.

Broad shoulders, strong arms, accents that make me wet just to hear them.

I want them. All of them.

I know they all want me.

Plot twist…

Turns out they’re my new bosses.

Sienna's Quick & Dirty series consists of full-length standalone novels which are hotter, dirtier and quicker than her other novels.

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Warning: This is a sexy yet emotional reverse harem romance, a full-length, standalone novel at 50k words. Three sexy Irish brothers who want nothing more than to please their special woman. All at the same time.

Sienna Blake is a storyteller & ink slinger, word spinner of love stories with grit, and alter ego of a USA Today Bestselling Author.

She loves all things that make her heart race — roller coasters, thrillers and rowdy unrestrained sex. She likes to explore the darker side of human nature in her writing.

If she told you who she really was, she’d have to kill you. Because of her passion for crime and forensics, she’d totally get away with your murder.

Sign up for my newsletter and get Paper Dolls, a full-length romantic suspense as a thank you gift. You’ll also be the first to hear about new releases, sales, and giveaways 

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My Review

A new Sienna Blake book is always dangerous. I've just got back from a trip overseas and have so much work to do that it's ridiculous. Unfortunately, once I'd picked this up, I couldn't resist keep reading and ended up getting very little done.

This is a reverse harem book, as in one woman, three men. I wasn't sure how this was going to work as the three men in question are brothers. I needn't have worried, as the book progressed it all seemed very natural. 

To be honest, to begin with, Savannah is a bit annoying. She's a spoilt princess type who seems more interested in fashion and appearances than anything else. Once she leaves the life that she thought she had behind, she soon comes into her own and becomes much more likeable. It's a good job really, seeing as she gets to have three, very different, hot men. Killian, Fionn and Aiden are all very different despite being brothers and I think this is why this works as a reverse harem book.

This was a good read that I really enjoyed. There was also a little cameo appearance from one of Sienna's Irish Kiss books if you've followed that series. I love Sienna Blake's books and can't wait for the next one, hopefully next time I'll have a little less work on so I have time to read it!