Temptation - Inara Scott

Temptation by Inara Scott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When I started this book I was in need of something that would lift my spirits and remind me why I enjoy escaping into a book so much. Fortunately, Temptation was just what I was looking for. The book tells the story of Connor, who has been in love with Zoe since he first met her. The only problem is that he's rubbish with relationships and she is a lawyer with the company that deals with his company, which means that she's off-limits. After an accident on an e-scooter Connor and Zoe find themselves spending more and more time together and the attraction is not just one way.
Both Zoe and Connor are great characters. They both have issues with relationships from their past and their upbringing, but in many ways, it is this that makes them perfect for one another. Connor is very sweet and caring, despite thinking that he's not. I have to admit that I do love a caring hero in these kinds of books, so he was onto a winner already. Of course, their issues mean that it's not smooth sailing, but that's what we come to expect and want from these books after all. There was nothing insurmountable and I was left completely satisfied by the end.
The secondary characters are great, particularly Connor's mother and her friends. Who wouldn't love a group of geriatric female physicists who play bridge? This is the second in a series and while I think that the couple from the first book appear, I don't' think it mattered that I hadn't read their story. I also assume that a future couple already has a few sparks flying between them in this one.
This was an enjoyable read and exactly the kind of book that I was looking for. Great stuff.

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Nothing Else But You - Elle Wright

Nothing Else But You by Elle Wright (Boston, MA)
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved the idea behind this book. Rather than meeting in person or over the internet as so many people seem to do these days, the main characters join an anonymous letter-writing group. They can't give away any information that identifies them, but of course, this gives them more opportunity to be open and honest than they might otherwise be. Through the course of the letters, they fall for one another and pick up enough clues to track one another down.
I really liked the way that this story played out. Once they meet, things change and it quickly becomes more like a traditional romance. I would say that it perhaps happened a little too quickly and I think more could have been made of the letter writing, although I understand why it wasn't. Even so, I liked this 'old fashioned' approach to it all and it made the instant love/lust when they finally do meet a little bit more believable than it can be in some romance books.
There is a lot more going on in this book, with both of our characters having quite a dramatic back story and life. They work well together and there's certainly plenty of chemistry between them. I'm not sure if this is the start of a series, with more characters meeting this way? Obviously, if that is the case, then it's not likely to be a series in the usual sense as obviously, it's likely to be strangers that meet via letters. Having said that, I did wonder if the single cop that they are friendly with didn't seem quite interested in the idea. I guess that I'll have to wait and see. Overall, this was a good read and 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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Her Rough Ride - Heather Van Fleet

Her Rough Ride by Heather Van Fleet
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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.

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Death at The Mariners Hotel - Betty Rowlands

Death at the Mariners Hotel by Betty Rowlands
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've been loving these Sukey Reynolds' mysteries. I have to admit though, that it took me a little while to warm to this one. I'm sure that this was in large part, due to the sudden change in Sukey's life. When we last joined her she was working as a scene of crime officer and getting involved with investigating a little bit more than she should have done. She did want to rejoin the police force though and although I expected that she might eventually manage it, I wasn't expecting her to have achieved that in this book. In fact, things had moved on quite a bit, with Sukey now living in Bristol and having completed her probationary period for a different police force than the one she worked for.
Fortunately, once I got into the swing of the story and the change that had taken place, I really enjoyed it and reading about Sukey's new role. I have to admit that this time I didn't really solve the mystery, but this book was less of a puzzle than some of the previous ones.
I am really enjoying this series. I'm not sure where it's going to go next, with the change in Sukey's role and her relationship with Jim. I had assumed that over time that might become more permanent, but he played such a minor role in this one that I think he might be on his way out. I suppose that time will tell where Sukey will end up... I'll be looking forward to finding out.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Colliding Hearts - L.M. Connolly

Colliding hearts by L.M. Connolly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the second in the Hearts on Fire series that I have read. Like the previous one, although this is part of a series, you don't need to have read the others. This time we have the story of Daniel and Rita. Daniel is an extremely rich Texan who owns a construction company, while Rita is the English friend of his sister who is in Texas to show her art. When the two meet and spend time together it soon becomes clear that there is a great deal of chemistry there and they cannot keep apart.
Daniel is commitment-phobic, having been burned in the past in a previous relationship and the two decide that this will just be a fling during Rita's stay in America. Of course, this is a romance novel and it's not long before it becomes clear that there is much more going on beneath the surface.
I enjoyed seeing the development of the relationship between this couple. Daniel was very sweet and caring, which I always enjoy seeing in the male lead in this kind of book. I also like it when the female lead isn't a pushover, which Rita wasn't. She wasn't unnecessarily combative either, which is always enjoyable. This was another good addition to the Hearts on Fire series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Murder in the Mill-Race - E.C.R. Lorac

Murder in the Mill-Race by E.C.R. Lorac
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am really enjoying discovering some new to me authors through this British Library Crime Classics series. Like many of the other books that I've read, I hadn't heard of E.C.R. Lorac before this series (although this is the second of her books that I've now read). I always enjoy a good classic mystery and this one was no exception.
The story is set in a small out of the way village. I suspect that such places are now populated with holiday cottages and outsiders who want to escape to the country. That said, I grew up in a small village and in it, I recognised some of the characteristics of the people who populated this fictional village.
The mystery revolves around the death of a local saintly type, who of course turns out to be far from the image that she has tried to cultivate. There are plenty of potential suspects. I did guess who it was before the end, but I wasn't completely convinced that I was right.
This was a gripping read. I suspect for some people it perhaps moves a little slowly, especially by modern standards, but I enjoy this slower-paced style of mystery from time to time. I don't know if there are plans for many more books in this series, but I'll be reading them. I'd also quite like to collect the hard copies, as I love the covers.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Review of Risk the Burn - Marnee Blake

Risk the Burn by Marnee Blake
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the third book in The Smokejumpers series and I think my favourite to date. I've given this 3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4. I enjoy the setting of these books, with the smokejumpers and what they do as an overall background. That said, there was a little less of that in this instalment. I think that it adds an extra and interesting dimension to the firefighters or first responders that often appear in similar books.
I liked both Charlotte and Hunter and I liked the way that their relationship played out. They seemed to have good chemistry and I enjoyed reading about the interaction between the two of them. There were the odd occasions where I just wanted to give them a shake and get them to actually talk, but that can be par for the course in this kind of romance book, to be honest. Perhaps that's part of the joy of them? Knowing that we'd deal with it better?
I am enjoying this series and I think that it is getting better with each one. I'll be interested to see where it goes next.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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