Wish by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

Wish by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a great read this was. I started it this morning and polished it off in one day. I'm glad that it was so good, I've had a bit of a slump in the good books department lately. I think that what I really enjoyed about this storyline wasn't the great writing or engaging characters (although it had both of these things) it was how fresh and original the storyline was. There are so many romance novels that follow well-trodden paths, that it was really something to come across something so different.
I don't want to give away any spoilers, so I might be a bit vague. It took me a while to see where this book was going. Was it a paranormal book? Was there more here than met the eye? Was it actually a romance at all? I have to admit that this one kept me guessing until the very end. Ginnie is a great character and she really meets her match with the hero in this book. I loved the development of the story.
This book has a good balance of lighthearted moments, it has a feeling of almost being a romantic comedy, without being laugh out loud funny, alongside some more serious elements.
I'm so glad that I got the chance to read this, one of the best and most original romance novels I've read in quite some time.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Boudreaux's Lady by Lauren Smith

Boudreaux's Lady: A Boudreaux Universe Novel by Lauren Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I believe that this book is an origin story for the Boudreaux Universe, I haven't read any of these books, but being a fan of Lauren Smith, I wanted to give this one a go. Beauregard Boudreaux (try saying that after you've had a drink) is a confirmed bachelor and rake. He lost his father as a young boy and watched his mother fall apart due to his loss. He avoids love at all costs, or at least he had until he meets Phillipa Wilson.
This is a bit of a rags to riches tale. At birth Phillipa's twin brother died, her father was desperate for an heir and so she was switched with the newborn son of the miller. You do have to suspend belief a little, the idea that the miller and his wife would have been willing to swap babies is a bit silly, but if you can just ignore that, then we're all set up for a good story.
As a young woman, Phillipa is the spitting image of her mother. When her father happens to see her one day, he immediately knows that he must get rid of her before everyone can uncover his secret. With everyone after her, Phillipa finds a saviour in the form of Beau and it's not long before romance begins to build between the two.
There's plenty of romance and excitement in this book. If you're a fan of Lauren Smith's League of Rogues series then I'm sure that you will love the cameo's from the main characters in this book. A bit of a bonus.
Overall this was a great read, I'm sure if you are a fan of the Boudreaux universe, then you'll enjoy this origin story. If like me, you haven't come across the books before, then there's still plenty for you to enjoy here.

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Unleash You - Diana A. Hicks

Unleash You
Diana A. Hicks
(Cole Brothers #4)
Publication date: March 11th 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Eight years is a long time gone…
After graduation, artist Anabelle Copenhaver returns home to find that the only family member she has left is missing in action.
With her brother gone, his infuriatingly handsome best friend, Wesley, is now responsible for her family’s estate. Anabelle doesn’t need a babysitter, especially not her childhood crush—the first guy she ever loved.
Former marine Wesley Cole lives by his word. He promised to protect Anabelle and that’s exactly what he intends to do. His biggest challenge will be to keep his hands off the blue-eyed beauty who has a way of setting his soul on fire.
Anabelle is resourceful and determined to bring her brother home, but how can she when Wesley blocks every turn, messing with her plans and her heart?

Goodreads / Amazon

Author Bio:
Diana A. Hicks is an award-winning author of steamy contemporary romance with a touch of suspense. Book two in her Desert Monsoon series, LOVE OVER LOGIC, won the 2019 Readers’ Favorite Silver Medal Winner in the Romance – Suspense genre
When Diana is not writing, she enjoys kickboxing, traveling, and indulging in the simple joys of life like wine and chocolate. She lives in Atlanta and loves spending time with her two children and husband. Connect with Diana on social media to stay up to date on her latest releases.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub

My Review

With each of these Cole brothers books, you see events from the other books from a different point of view. This time the story revolves around Wesley and Annabelle, who grew up next door to the Coles. She has been in love with Wesley for years, but he has never seen her as anything but a younger sister. After her own brother began to hate her, she has been trying to win him around by writing to him. She didn't know that for years, it's actually Wesley who has been returning her letters, not brother Charlie.
There's a lot going on here, not just the romance element. The whole storyline involving Annabelle's brother Charlie is quite full-on. I don't want to give any spoilers away, but I think it's fair to say that it didn't unfold as I expected.
The only thing that I found a bit confusing was the whole getting a visa from the congressman part of the storyline. Why or how would a US congressman be able to get and more importantly sign to make it valid, a visa for a foreign country. It just didn't make any sense? A visa can only be issued by the country that you are travelling to, not the officials of the country you're from? I don't know what that was about, but it was a bit distracting from the rest of the storyline.
Overall this was another enjoyable instalment in the Cole brothers' series. I'm looking forward to the next and final one.

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A Wicked Hunger - Kiersten Fay

A Wicked Hunger by Kiersten Fay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'll start by saying that I didn't realise that this book would end on a cliffhanger. I gathered as I neared the end that that was the way that it might be going, but up until then, I hadn't known.
Coraline has had a hard life. After her marriage, she thought that things might be on the up, but when her husband firstly doesn't seem that interested in her and then gets murdered, it's clear that she isn't about to have an easier time soon. She finds herself under the care of a vampire, she had unpleasant experiences with his kind in her youth and is now terrified of what might happen. Mason is a different kind of vampire and she soon begins to realise that she can trust him.
This book did feature something that seems to happen in a lot of similar books in this genre, she has powers and a past that she had no idea about and through the course of this book, she is only just beginning to learn about them. I don't always like this as a plot, as it's been done so many times. It does mean that it makes describing the world that she finds herself in a little easier and I did enjoy much of the rest of the story, so I'll let it go.
I liked the romance between Mason and Coraline. I'm not sure where it's going to go in the next book, but so far so good. I assume that Knox will play a greater role in the future and possibly at least one other vampire that has been mentioned. Really not sure other than that where it's going to go.
I will say that this one did keep me guessing. On more than one occasion it seemed to disappear in a different direction than I had been expecting. In some ways, the previous events seem to almost have been forgotten about. Little is made of her marriage or loss of her husband or what was going on there. This might simply be because it is something that will come up again in later books. Overall, this was a good read. I want to know what happens next, but I'm not diving straight into the next book, I think I can wait a little while
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Bench Player - Julianna Keyes

Bench Player by Julianna Keyes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I should start by saying that what I know about baseball would fit on the back of a stamp and still leave room for a margin. It seems to be a bit like rounders but played seriously by adults and it's not cricket. That's all I know. That didn't stop my enjoyment of Bench Player though. This is actually a story about two people sorting out what is important in life and rethinking their priorities.
I liked both Connor and Allison. They were both characters who have to prove who they really are, as opposed to the image that those who work with them see them. They are both passionate about what they do and the Charleston Thrashers and I think that it is this shared love that helps them to see beyond the preconceived ideas they have about one another. Both characters grow as the story progresses and I think that really added to the romance element of the story
I didn't know how this one was going to work out. Obviously, one of the many reasons that romances are popular is that they offer a happily ever after. That's not to say that this one doesn't, but I did wonder for a while there what form it would eventually take as it seemed impossible for everyone to get what they wanted.
I enjoyed this read and would be more than happy and keen to read more in the series. It didn't matter that I have no baseball knowledge, but I think that someone who does enjoy the sport would enjoy this book just as much as someone like me who doesn't.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Her Wicked Duke by Lisa Torquay

Her Wicked Duke by Lisa Torquay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the third book in the Imperious Lords series and the second that I have read. It works well as a stand-alone novel and there is no need to have read the previous books before this one. (Although, the one that I read was good, so I'd certainly recommend giving them a go.)
Phillipa and Titus met four years ago at a house party and were drawn to one another from the first sight. Something happened between them (we don't find out straight away how far or not this went) and then they discovered that he was to betrothed to her second cousin. Since then, they have avoided one another both hurting and remembering their connection. Titus is now a widow and when Phillipa once again falls into his path, they find that they are both drawn to one another and keen to stay apart. The chemistry between them sizzles and despite their best efforts, they cannot seem to stay apart.
I enjoyed the build of the romance between the two. Titus is overbearing and domineering. But, while he might be used to his word being law, he being a duke, she does not give an inch. I loved the push and pull between them as they accepted what they felt and learnt what the other wanted.
This was a fun, quick read with plenty of romance. I think there's one more yet to come and I'd be keen to read that once it's out.


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A Fiery Whisper - Tamsen Schultz

When murder is just the beginning

A Fiery Whisper

FBI agent Damian Rodriguez never thought he’d see his former lover, Charlotte Lareaux, again—they’d gone down in flames over a year ago and now lived oceans apart. But when she shows up on his doorstep on Tildas Island in the Caribbean, bleeding and nearly dead, the distance between them suddenly feels trivial.

Charlotte has no idea why anyone would want to kill her or her friends and relying on Damian and his teammates to find those answers is the right thing to do—even if it isn’t easy. But when they discover that a single, simple question set off the events that left her and a friend fighting for their lives, no one believes that’s the end of the story.

In fact, they all know it’s just a whisper of things to come. 

My Review

A Fiery Whisper is the first, I assume, in a new series from Tamsen Schultz. Although it isn't part of her Windsor series, one of the main characters does appear in some of those books. This is both a second chance romance and a thriller and much like the Windsor books, it does both well, without becoming more of one with the other tacked on as an afterthought as some books do.

Damian and Charlotte have a past, once very much in love, they separated for a variety of reasons. When Charlotte finds herself in a life-threatening situation, it's Damian that she instantly turns to. It's clear that their story is not yet done.

I liked both Damian and Charlotte. They are both strong characters who know what they want but still have that element of vulnerability that allows them to come together as a couple. The thriller aspect of this novel was fairly complicated, I suspect that is in part because there is still more to come and also because I don't fully know or understand some aspects of American politics. 

There is a conclusion to this story, but everything isn't completely tied up by the end. It's clear that there are to be future books and stories that unravel exactly what is going on and why. I'm looking forward to reading them and finding out more about the FBI team that Damian is part of.