The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick

For those of you who know me (or have read my bio on the blog) you know that Jayne Ann Krentz (and her alter-egos Jayne Castle, Amanda Quick, & Stephanie James) is my absolute favorite author.  All-time.  Forever.  The best.  Her novel Absolutely Positively was the first romance novel I ever plucked off the shelf and was the start of my love of romance novels.

So when I was digging through the advanced reader copies in the back of the bookstore where I work I was absolutely astounded to find the name Amanda Quick staring back at me.  Super popular authors don’t tend to send out ARCs because they don’t need to.  They’ve already developed their hoard of devoted followers.  But here it was.

Amanda Quick usually writes regency romance, but with her new novel The Girl Who Knew Too Much she has decided to give 1930s California a chance.  Irena Glasson is on the run.  From what?  She’s not sure.  But she only knows that she has to keep herself, and the secret journal left to her by her murdered former employer, safe.  She’s just made a new life for herself when she finds herself, yet again, discovering a dead body.  Irene doesn’t plan on running this time.  Instead, with the help of Oliver Ward, washed up magician and current owner of California’s most exclusive hotel, she plans to uncover the truth of what’s happening in Burning Cove.  But when the bodies start piling up Irene realizes that she might be in very real danger and she might have to do something she promised herself she’d never do… trust a man with her life.

This story had everything an Amanda Quick novel is known for: unique characters, a steamy romance, and a mystery you’re dying to solve.  I was enamored from start to finish with the fabulous story-telling.  I can never guess what I, as the reader, am going to uncover next in her enigmatic tale of murder, mayhem, and somehow… romance.  It just all blends together so well to create a book you can’t put down.

Ms. Quick’s characters cannot be beat in terms of realism.  You won’t find model looks and flawless personalities here.  You’ll find characters with creative pasts, but very real traits.  They’re smart, but make mistakes.  Strong, but with very real weaknesses.  Confident, but insecure in the ways that we, as the readers, are also insecure.  I pass her characters on the street every day, or so it seems.  They’re that wonderfully believable without being boring.   

And this story.  Woosh.  Like I’ve mentioned before, I simply cannot guess where an Amanda Quick story is going to end up.  Every time I think I know the ending, that I’ve solved the mystery, she throws another twist into the plotline and I find myself scrambling to catch back up.  It’s exhausting and thrilling and unforgettable. 

If you’ve never read an Amanda Quick novel, you should.  If historical novels aren’t where you interests lie then have no fear:

For paranormal romance, check out Jayne Castle.  These are some of the most exceptional paranormal romances I’ve ever read.  The imagination of Ms. Castle is utterly phenomenal.  And the men aren’t bad either, if you know what I’m saying (they’re hotter than the depths of hell).

For contemporary romance, check out Jayne Ann Krentz (the real name of the author responsible for all these works).  Some of her series are mind-blowing.

And hey, fun bonus.  Ms. Krentz’s Arcane Series crosses over between all three worlds (paranormal, contemporary, and historical).  AND THEY ARE FABULOUS.  

Playing Dirty by Mickey Miller

MALE ROMANCE AUTHOR ALERT.

It's honestly been a while since I read a romance novel by a guy that wasn't M/M (i.e. male/male), which is funny because I think a high percentage of M/M books are actually written by women. Anyways, Playing Dirty by Mickey Miller was recommended to me by a friend who knows the author and, knowing I'm a huge romance reader, was curious what my thoughts were.

The book is self-published and a debut book, so I wasn't expecting a fabulous, perfectly put together, totally non-cliche book... which is good, because I didn't get that.

Jake Napleton is a baseball player with a bad reputation.  Rather than fix his reputation, Jake is fine with keeping his positive attributes a secret while letting the world think he's a boozing womanizer.  Enter Andrea Diggers.  Andrea is a budding public relations expert looking to prove herself and Jake's image is the perfect place to start.  But Jake is more interested in what Andrea can give him in the bedroom and less interested in how she's going to improve his reputation.

If you're an avid reader like myself then you've probably come across this plot a time or two.  I think almost every romance writer has written this plot a time or two (which actually means Mr. Miller is probably on his way to a lucrative career).  I think Mr. Miller fell victim to the "too many plot lines going at once" problem that many authors (and the writers of American Horror Story) fall victim to.  There was an ex-boyfriend problem, a kid problem, a crazy mom problem, a crazy boss problem, his bad reputation problem, and her job problem.  Too many problems.  The book would probably have been more successful had Mr. Miller chosen 2 or 3 of these and expanded on them more.  I would have loved to really learn more about the characters, especially Andrea, and what really made them them.  But if you love drama-filled stories and don't mind the crammed in plots then you won't be disappointed.

Something I didn't expect-- I kept forgetting that Playing Dirty was written by a guy.  I remember occasionally thinking "wow, this could have been written by a lady".  I really thought I would notice a difference between this novel and those by female authors, especially during Andrea's POV, but Mr. Miller has the apparent talent of morphing into a woman and putting her thoughts onto paper.  Sometimes female authors are criticized for creating unrealistic male characters, but you won't be able to say the same about this book obviously.

The sex scenes were fab.  So, the author needs no help there.

All in all, I think that Mickey Miller has real potential.  He definitely has room to grow as an author (especially finding his own voice among the many, many romance authors out there on the market), but I think you should put him on your "Authors To Watch For" list.

Seven Minutes in Heaven by Eloisa James

I had never read an Eloisa James novel prior to picking up Seven Minutes in Heaven, but I recognized her name as one of the popular regency romance novelists in our bookshop.  I thought that the title was a bit strange, a modern day concept as a title for a historical time period, but it isn’t long into the novel before you discover exactly why the novel was given that title.

Edward “Ward” Reeve is desperate for a governess for the two half siblings that have been unceremoniously dumped into his lap. Eugenia Snowe, widow and owner of the premier governess placement agency, is his first call.  When they meet they discover, much to Ward’s pleasure and Eugenia’s dismay, they have a passion that cannot be ignored.  Eugenia is just the sort of person Ward’s half-siblings need to learn the ins and outs of society, and the sort of person to finally awaken Ward’s mind and desire, but will a misunderstanding between the two of them lead to utter disappointment?

I love regency romance novels.  I’m exceptionally particular to Stephanie James and Amanda Quick, but wow, Eloisa James is certainly someone whose books I want lining my shelves.

Her characters were witty and the dialogue was hilarious and totally realistic (at least with how I imagine stuffy lords and ladies would talk, since I have no actual life experience).  I totally loved how quirky and unique the children were paired with the ridiculous situations they got themselves into.  I admit I have a soft spot for storylines with children… they always add some light-hearted fun into the tense adult drama.

The romance was wooooosh.  It had my heart beating pretty quickly a few different times.  Ward was definitely a force to be reckoned with while Eugenia was no innocent, blushing bride, that’s for sure. 

As for the “misunderstanding”.  The reader knows what it is pretty much right from the start, but that didn’t keep me from panicking as Ward dug himself a deeper and deeper hole, unbeknownst to him.  I won’t spoil it, but I will say that I thought I was going to have a panic attack if Ward didn’t figure his shit out soon.

I will 100% be coming back for Ms. Eloisa James.  I recommend Seven Minutes in Heaven to anyone who loves regency/historical novels with strong, powerful women who aren’t afraid to stand up for themselves and their worth (no matter how others define it).  Ward is a swoon-worthy alpha male that will be invading many women’s fantasies starting January 2017.

Flash of Fury by Lea Griffith

Have you ever read a book and you keep having deja vu?  Like you've read it before?  That was my experience reading Flash of Fury by Lea Griffith.  Only I hadn't read it before, it just seemed like I had.

Flash of Fury is a composite of every military romance you've ever read.  Nothing about it stood out as a unique piece of work.  It was almost like Lea Griffith read a number of romance novels and just followed their plot line when writing her own book.  

The characters (Kingston McNally & Allie Redding) are boring, boring, boring.  They fall in love hours after meeting one another and, in the middle of horrifically dangerous situations, seem to have no problem constantly admiring one another's bodies.  Like, I get it, this is a romance novel and there needs to be romance.  But realistically, we should probably stop thinking about King's ass when we're being shot at.  

The plot is overdone, drawn out, and honestly, confusing.  For one, it starts out with a ridiculous amount of military lingo.  I read quite a few military romances and yes, they use lingo, but they do a good job of helping the reader understand what's going on.  Two pages in I couldn't wrap my head around the scene and I almost put the book down out of frustration.  

Then you've got all the different plots.  Terrorists, a mole in the CIA, a double agent on King's team.  Lea Griffith was obviously trying to set up the other books in her series at the same time, but she introduced way too many plotlines and characters to give focus to any one.  

I'll be honest, I got so bored that by the end I was skimming those pages.  When I finally finished I was relieved that I didn't have to read it anymore... not begging for more, like I usually am after reading a good novel.  I think this may be Lea Griffith's debut novel, so I'm willing to cut her a little slack (and maybe give her another chance), but I'm pretty disappointed in how this book turned out.  

2 For 1: Under Her Skin by Adriana Anders and Reckless Hearts by Reckless Van Fleet

My new husband and I recently went to Ireland for our honeymoon.  Knowing I had an eight hour flight ahead of me I downloaded a not-yet-published books to my Kindle.  I was desperately hoping I’d made good choices and wouldn’t be stuck with a handful of terribly written sleazy novels (the well written sleazy novels are awesome, obviously). 

UNDER HER SKIN- ADRIANA ANDERS

Under Her Skin by Adriana Anders was an excellent choice for an airplane read.  When you’re on an airplane you, like myself, probably don’t want a novel that will have you blushing and twitching in your seat for your seat neighbor (the one who isn’t your husband) to notice.  You, also, want something that’s going to keep you from remembering that you’re thousands of feet in the air.  Under Your Skin fit both of my necessary criteria.

On the run from an abusive relationship Uma longs for two things: safety, and to get the tattoos that her ex-boyfriend forced on her removed.  She has no time for strong, bearded men who seem to have taken an interest in her.  But, there’s something about Ivan that makes her want to share her deepest, most painful secrets… maybe it’s because Ivan seems to be hiding some secrets of his own.

Under Her Skin was a different sort of novel.  While reading it I remember thinking, “Wow, this is something else.”  My heart wept for Uma and her horrific experience at the hands of her ex-boyfriend.  I desperately wanted to reach through the pages and offer comfort of my own, but as is the problem with books it was impossible to do.  I was so thankful when strong, handsome Ivan came into the picture to relieve her of some of her pain.

The intimate scenes were fabulously done.  It was mind-numbing getting to see ex-con Ivan cater to Uma’s fears and past by offering her something no other person ever had: his total submission.  Now, this book isn’t a dominatrix book, by any means (I’ve read a couple of those), but watching Ivan, with his rough exterior, let Uma take control of what was happening between them both endeared me to him and their story, but also got my blood pumping (but not too much, for an airplane, you know).

Under Her Skin is the perfect choice for someone who wants a new twist on an alpha male story.  The writing was spot on and beautifully done, Adriana Anders has some serious talent for making you feel and making you want.  If you want to check out Under Her Skin, and I strongly suggest you do, it comes out February 2017.  I know that Adriana Anders will be on my to-read list from here on out.

RECKLESS HEARTS- HEATHER VAN FLEET

Reckless Hearts by Heather Van Fleet had quite a bit of things that tend to get my interested in a romance novel: ex-marines, a single father, the promise of a series, etc.  So, I picked it up excited to read what was sure to be an explosively sexy book.  What I got, however, was a pretty big disappointment.

Collin Montgomery’s girlfriend dies only weeks before he returns from Iraq, leaving him a single father to a newborn.  Finding it difficult to master single parenthood, a social life, and a full-time job Collin’s friends, and sister, convince him that he needs a nanny.  Cue Addison Booker, a girl desperate for a job even if it means working closely with sexy, annoying, frustrating Collin Montgomery.  Collin needs Addison.  She’s perfect for Chloe.  And maybe for him, which is why it’s so difficult to keep his hands off her.  But if can’t he might ruin everything.

I was really pulling for this novel.  I was hoping for a sexy alpha man brought to his knees by a strong, independent woman.  What I got was two annoying characters who didn’t know what they wanted and flip flopped constantly regarding their feelings.  An example of Collin’s mindset: can’t keep my hands off her, kiss her, can’t do this, kiss her, gotta stay away, kiss her, be a dick to her, kiss her, I love her, let’s get married.  An example of Addison’s mindset: he kissed me, I hate him, never going back, wait he called, kind of forgive him, kiss him, I’m annoyed by him, kiss him, we’re moving too fast, I love him.

The whole back-and-forth thing was exhausting.  I like a little chase in my romance, but oh my god, this was simply too much.  Also, I found his lack of respect for his infant daughter appalling.  Let’s not ask this girl you’ve known for 3 months to move in and be a stay-at-home mother to your daughter.  You’ve known her three months and didn’t even really like her that much until a week ago. That’s just bad parenting.

The secondary characters were just as upsetting.  It’s clear that Heather Van Fleet is setting up a series with two of Collin’s friends and his sister, but her attempts to intrigue you with their subplots fell short.  Gavin and Max, ex-marines themselves, were complete and total assholes with zero boundaries in regards to women.  Their treatment of Addison, and other women in her life, were those of typical guys who think women exist for their entertainment.  It turned me off completely.

Heather Van Fleet made many attempts to breathe some life into the plot with a few opportunities for drama, but the drama never escalated and eventually fizzled out without much of a revival to the storyline. 

The writing was decent, the dialogue was realistic, and I so wanted to love this book, but the positives just couldn’t outweigh the negatives in the long run.  Reckless Hearts comes out February 2017 if any of the above sounds like something you'd enjoy.

 If you love ex-marines and alpha males who treat their women right check out: Julie Ann Walker and her series of bad boy bikers.  Now there’s some good writing.

I just received a huge bundle of romance novels so there will be plenty of new reviews coming soon.  Thanks for reading!

Left at the Altar by Margaret Brownley

In Two-Time, Texas the local time depends on which jeweler you have decided to pledge your loyalty to.  Tommy Farrell and Meg Lockwood’s marriage is supposed to unite the two jewelers, turning Two-Time into a one-time town, but nobody sees it coming when Tommy leaves Meg standing at the altar.  Now Meg’s father is suing Tommy and his family for breach of contract and Meg’s pretty sure that nothing has ever humiliated her so terribly in her entire life.  Tommy hires Grant Garrison, a fancy Boston lawyer, to take his case.

Grant Garrison is supposed to take Tommy’s side in the matter, so why does he continuously find himself drawn to Meg and her unique personality?  Meg is trying to start over and wants nothing more than to forget the entire mess ever happened, but with the looming court case before her, and a handsome lawyer popping up at inconvenient times, she’s not sure she’ll ever get to move on.

Left at the Altar by Margaret Brownley is good, clean romance.  You’re not going to read any ravishing scenes or find the two characters having a private moment in a stairwell.  It’s innocent without being boring, sweet without being cliché, funny without being obvious about it. 

At the bookstore we’re usually brutally honest about books we’ve read.  There’s one sitting on our table in the breakroom with a note that says, “I will never get those three hours back.”  Left at the Altar wouldn’t have a note like that.  I would write something like, “Worth a read.  Adorable, witty, and quirky.”

I thought the idea of a two-time town was absolutely hilarious.  I would never have imagined something like that could exist, but Brownley did a wonderful job of really making the town come alive with her conflicts and secondary characters.  I loved the loyalty that the townspeople had for their jeweler. 

Meg and Grant certainly had chemistry.  I felt their attraction and their amusement; I suffered when they felt betrayal.  Meg’s inner struggle regarding the future she’d planned for herself and the future that was being forced upon her instead rang really true.  Grant’s conflict regarding his professionalism and his unexplainable draw towards Meg made me both giddy and reluctant to trust him. 

Left at the Altar was a wonderful, heart-warming romance.  If you’re the type of reader who prefers clean romance and innocent fun, with a dab of hilarity, then please check out Margaret Brownley’s newest novel (out November 2016). 

Wild by Sophie Jordan

Sophie Jordan’s Wild (the third book in her Ivy series) had my jaw dropping.  I typically read the dirtiest of the dirtiest as far as romance novels go.  I blushed while reading 50 Shades of Grey on a public bus (total mistake by the way), the Crossfire Series had me sweating a bit, but nothing as of yet has got me going like Wild. 

This book was given to me, in a bag of books, by a coworker of mine.  I grabbed Wild out not realizing that it was actually the final book of three.  Honestly though, it didn’t really make a difference because the book worked perfectly as a standalone.

Georgia is the perfect daughter, perfect girlfriend, and perfect student.  Too perfect, too boring, at least that’s what her ex-boyfriend said when he broke up with her.  Now Georgia is trying to prove to herself, and everyone else, that she isn’t the boring, predictable Georgia that everyone has come to expect.  Cue Logan.  Logan is her friend’s little brother, which puts him smack dag in the ‘friend’ territory.  When they run into each other at a… unique sort of party, sparks fly.  Now Georgia is stuck between staying in her safe little world or letting Logan show her there’s more to life than being perfect.

Normally I prefer books that have more too them than simply following the relationship of two characters.  I like crime, I like mystery, I like a lot of story.  Still, it’s nice every once in a while to read a book that’s basically sex, sex, sex, which is what this was. 

There was humor, drama (my favorite), and so many intensely sexual scenes that I had to take a couple breathers.  The book is short, so it won’t take you very much time to work your way through it.  I felt that there were a few too many “oh my gosh, I can’t be with Logan because he’s my friend’s younger brother” moments, but then again, I, myself, am an over-thinker, so maybe I would be doing that, too.  Especially if the guy I was interested in was younger than me to boot. 

I’m desperate to read the other two books in the series, and so grateful that my coworker remembered to put them in the bag.  I would recommend these books to anyone who loves fast, hot reads and doesn’t mind a teeny bit of eye-rolling drama from time to time.  This book will heat you up faster than a fire on a snowy evening.

A Sure Thing by Marie Harte

When I first picked up A Sure Thing by Marie Harte I’ll admit I judged a book by its cover.  I saw a slash of pink and thought, ‘well, this will be a nice, pleasant read’.  Wow, I was wrong.  There was nothing nice about this book.  It was hard, fast, and hot.

There’s a smart, female psychologist trying to find ‘The One’.  A handsome ex-marine try to help his sister.  And a crazy ex-FWB trying to meddle where she doesn’t belong.

A Sure Thing’s plot revolves entirely around the relationship between Landon and Ava.  There’s no mystery, no criminal aspect, and only the slightest secondary plot regarding family.  Sometimes you’re just in the mood for a sexy read though, so that’s not really a point against the book. 

The characters are developed. Ava and Landon have stories and backgrounds that I want to know more about.  Even the secondary characters are fascinating and I am reasonably sure we will be seeing their stories in the near future. There were a few brief moments where I found myself thinking things were getting a little overdramatic in terms of character interactions, but all in all, I enjoyed the way the characters connected with one another. I love head strong women and domineering men, and Ms. Harte switches their personalities up just enough that you don’t feel like you’re reading a cookie cutter version of a romance novel.

A Sure Thing is… a sure thing, as silly as that sounds.  You won’t be disappointed with the sexy way Landon Donnigan handles smart, haughty Ms. Rosenthal.  It’s a naughty read that will have you turning the pages desperate for more.

                                                     

Breath of Fire by Amanda Bouchet

holyshitholyshitholyshitholyshitholyshitholyshitholyshitholyshitholyshitholyshitholyshitholyshit.

That was my mind three pages into Breath of Fire by Amanda Bouchet. 

This book.  Oh my gosh.  After how exciting the last book was I thought that maybe Mrs. Bouchet would have taken it slow with the second book.  That was not the case.  Mrs. Bouchet doesn’t do slow builds, apparently.  This book took off like Usain Bolt from the starting line. 

While reading a new book I tend to jot down a few things I want to mention in my review.  At page thirty, my hands were trembling so bad that I could barely hold the pen still.  I didn’t bother trying to take another note for the rest of the book.

I don’t usually read romance novels that have sequels.  Most of my favorite authors do standalone books, or collections, but not necessarily sequels.  I tend to like the “chase” when it comes to relationships, so I was a little worried that, now that Cat and Griffin are together, I would lose interest in their personal relationship.

Not the case. There was still more to learn about Cat and Griffin’s relationship and their personal struggles.  When romance novels end you tend to believe that it was smooth sailing from there on out, but Breath of Fire shows that even when you’re madly in love there’s work to be done to keep your relationship growing.

My favorite part of A Promise of Fire was having such a strong, powerful female character like Cat.  Most romance novels I read have strong female characters, but Cat was a step above and beyond the normal characters I experience.  In Breath of Fire we are introduced to a new side of Cat, the side of Cat that has doubts, and fears, and anxieties.  Getting to watch Cat deal with these fears and learn to trust others completely was a wild ride. 

And the plot.  Wow.  It is absolutely baffling to me how some people have these amazing ideas flowing through their head and they’re able to get these thoughts down, coherently, on paper.  I’ve read books based on Greek Gods/myths before but Amanda Bouchet’s series takes the cake as far as creativity and originality.  There’s nothing like it.

All in all, this book is as phenomenal, if not more phenomenal than, A Promise of Fire.  I was turning those pages desperate to find out what happens next but scared that I was going to get to the end too fast.  My emotions were dragged through the ringer on this one, but I loved every second of it.  In fact, I’m already rereading it.

This Is My Brain On Boys by Sarah Strohmeyer

Cute, quirky, and just the right amount of silly. 

Addie Emerson is incredibly intelligent, more so than the average teenager.  Addie doesn’t believe in love. In fact, she and her lab partner, Dexter, are working to prove that you can make anyone fall in love under the right circumstances.  Then she meets Kris, a boy with a major secret, a secret that affects Addie.  Now she’s struggling to figure out these new romantic feelings while making sure her experiment doesn’t fail, and her chances to go to Harvard along with it.

Have you ever read The Rosie Project?  This felt like a young adult version of that novel. 

Have you ever watched The Big Bang Theory?  You can picture Addie Emerson like a young, female version of Sheldon Cooper, albeit very toned down and not nearly as frustrating. 

Addie is a very bright senior at The Academy.  She speaks directly, misunderstands typical teenage speak, and struggles with everyday social skills (something her best friend Tess is working with her on).  Addie is funny, adorably awkward, and smart without being annoying.  She has three friends that she treasures dearly, but when she meets Kris she considers a romantic relationship for the first time.

This book was entertaining from start to finish.  I found myself laughing often, frustrated occasionally, and constantly ready to turn the next page.  I would definitely recommend This Is My Brain On Boys to people who want a charmingly innocent young adult novel. 

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald is one of the most quirky, unique, and downright hilarious books I've read this year, and perhaps last year as well. 

You'll have to cut me some slack because this is not a romance novel in the way that we romance novel enthusiasts would define a romance novel (i.e. no scenes of an sexual manner), but I still thought it had enough love to warrant a review on my blog.  In fact, I don't think you will find a book with more love in it than Broken Wheel.  There's people loving their town, people loving complete strangers, friends loving friends, parents loving their children, and most importantly, people loving books.

In The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend, Sara Lindqvist arrives in Broken Wheel, Iowa to meet her long time pen pal, Amy.  She's eager to finally see the beautiful town and hilarious friends that Amy has been describing in her letters, but is dismayed to find that she has arrived on the day of Amy's funeral.  The town is elated to have a tourist in their midst and do everything they can to make Sara feel welcome.  Sara, however, feels quite overwhelmed in this new arrangement and seeks a way to pay back the townspeople for their kindness.  The townspeople think Sara must be crazy to open a bookstore in a dying town like Broken Wheel, but soon they find themselves under the bookstore's spell.

This is the warmest, most enchanting story I have read in quite some time.  It is impossible for me not to love a book about loving books.  It would be completely out of character for me.  From the first moment I started reading Broken Wheel I knew it was going to leave an impression on me.  I couldn't put it down.  It was too wonderful.

The characters were some of the funniest individuals I've had the delight of reading about. Their passion and disdain for their town is something we've all felt (re: I can make fun of my hometown, but god help the stranger who does it).  Not to mention I feel that anyone reading this blog will have felt like Sara at some point: nose in a book, oblivious to the world, head in the clouds.  I'm, also, quite sure that most of us have dreamed of opening a bookstore at some point of another.  We've all been these characters, we've all felt what they feel, and I think that's what makes this book so wonderfully relatable.

Don't be too disappointed that this isn't a romance novel for there is  a little romance in it.  I don't want to spoil it by talking it to death, so I won't.  Just know that it's heart-warming, frustrating, and downright ridiculous, in the best way.  You'll love it.  

The secondary character's stories are just as, if not more, important than the budding romance.  All the stories come together to build a perfect picture of Broken Wheel in your mind.  I would find myself laughing, crying, smiling at times as though the townspeople were my very own friends and family, and as if Broken Wheel was my own town.  

This book isn't totally realistic.  The author certainly took some liberties, especially with the legal aspects of the book that arise, but while the story was at times improbable, you'll be too busy laughing, to care much about it.   

Intercepting Daisy by Julie Brannagh

Grant Parker is a quarterback for a popular football team.  His PR team works hard to make sure he appears to be a squeaky clean, church attending saint.  Grant prefers to spend his free time sleeping with women… lots of women.  After one such night of entertainment Grant discovers an e-book on the e-reader of his date for the night, a book about him.  The author certainly has some interesting ideas about what she’d like to do with Grant, but who is this anonymous author?  Soon Grant discovers that the sweet, funny flight attendant he’s seeing is the author of this raunchy story that’s threatening to end his career.

When I first started reading Intercepting Daisy by Julie Brannagh I was instantly drawn in.  The writing style was familiar and comfortable and the Grant Park seemed likeable enough.  I don’t usually read sports romance, but I liked the “mystery” aspect of the story.  Obviously, we as the readers know who wrote the story, but it was entertaining to watch the story unfold with Grant Parker unaware.

I have a few bones to pick with the novel, however.  While I don’t need my romance novels to be one hundred percent realistic, per se, I demand a certain amount of believability.  There were a few areas of the books that had me rolling my eyes with the stretches that the author was willing to make.

First, I don’t believe that a star quarterback’s career would be threatened by rumors of a sexual nature.  At one point in the novel Grant is almost fired from being a star quarterback because it got out that he wasn’t the religious saint he was pretending to be.  I mean, there are star football player who beat their wives, do drugs, and participate in animal cruelty and I’m supposed to believe that a few rumors are enough to unseat an amazing player?  I don’t think so.

Second, I find it hard to believe that a self-published e-book about a football player would be enough to unseat Nicholas Sparks in the best sellers list.  I strongly dislike when authors “date” their books, i.e. reference pop culture, it always pulls me out of my read and back into the present, which isn’t what a reader wants to happen.

My final disappointment in this novel is the lack of drama.  A football player, a flight attendant, and a secret raunchy novel?  How is there not drama?  The reveal, the confrontation, the aftermath… all boring compared to what they could have been.

So, while I appreciated the writing style and genuinely enjoyed the idea for the story, I just wasn’t feeling the slow moving, pretty unrealistic, easy-going aspect of the novel.  I am confident that there are people out there who prefer their novels this way, in which case, I would whole heartedly suggest this book to those people who don’t mind when the author takes a few artistic liberties and keeps things relatively clean.  It just wasn’t for me.

This book is on sale 9/6/2016 in e-book format.

The Mane Event by Shelly Laurenston

Do you like shapeshifter romance novels? 

Have you ever given one a try?

I received The Mane Event as a Christmas gift in 2009.  That was a really risky move on the part of my friend for two reasons:

1. I’ve read a ridiculous number of romance novels.  So it was sheer luck that she happened to pick one that was unfamiliar to me.

2. I am super picky regarding my romance novels.

However, she’d written “Merry Christmas” on the inside of this one, so I had no choice but to keep it and read it.  And thank gosh I did! The book was wickedly funny, totally sexy, and thrilling from start to finish.  Usually I find romance novels to be either funny and cute, or dark and sexy.  I don’t know that I’d ever found a romance novel to be both hilarious and spine-tingling, but holy hell, this book did it.  Instantly, Shelly Laurenston became one of my favorite authors.

The Mane Event actually houses two different stories: Christmas Pride, and Shaw’s Tail.  In Christmas Pride we meet Mace Llewellyn and are introduced to the idea of shapeshifting.  Mace and Desiree met as gangly, awkward teenager in high school but Mace moved away before anything could happen between them.  Now Mace is back from the Navy Seals, tall, sexy, and built to kill, and he’s ready to claim what’s rightfully his… Dez.  The only issue is convincing her to stick around after she discovers that he can shift from man to lion in the blink of an eye. 

In Shaw’s Tail Brendon Shaw is rescued from certain death by shape-shifter wolves, including one cowboy boot wearing babe, Ronnie Lee Reed.  Ronnie doesn’t have time to be messing around with lion shifters when she should be settling down with a nice wolf mate, but something about Brendon Shaw is calling to her.  Brendon Shaw’s lion side instinctually knows that Ronnie Lee Reed is his mate… he’s just got to convince her.

These men are everything you want in a romance novel.  They’re tall.  They’re dark.  They’re handsome.  They’re everything in between.  Her men all have very different personalities that can relate back to the animals they shift into.  Her lion shifters are total alpha males, arrogant, and a little selfish, but the women quickly put them in their place.  Her female characters are take no prisoners type of women whose confidence and independence rival the men’s.  The relationships in these novels are explosive and wickedly naughty, but still with enough romance to make you believe that these characters are meant to be together.

While the two men in these novels are lion shifters, Laurenston also delves into the swoon-worthy shifter lives of wolves, bears, hyenas, wild dogs, and a few more.  Laurenston does an amazing job creating character personalities based on the animals they shift into (i.e. Bears shifters are as curious and easily startled as their wild Bear relatives). I swear, sometimes I spew out a fact about wild dogs without thinking and then realize I only know that fact because of these shifter novels (that can get… embarrassing). 

If you’re looking for romance novels unlike any other I implore you to give Shelly Laurenston a chance.  There are nine books in the Pride series and Laurenston does a fabulous job keep the books consistently amazing and the plots interesting.  Characters do flit between the books, so while it isn’t necessary to read them in order it will be more enjoyable if you do. 

Shelly Laurenston has recently started a new series Call of Crows involving Viking Gods and their sexy followers, and she also writes dragon shifter novels under her pseudonym G.A. Aiken.  Her dragon kin novels are like the Game of Thrones of romance novels.  They’re incredibly detailed novels with sexy dragon shifters, temperamental gods, intricate plot lines, and more than enough erotic scenes to keep your romantic side sated. 

I cannot stress this enough.  You will not be disappointed. 

Swoon Reads by Macmillian Publishing

Two of my first reviews on here were Swoon Reads and they were less than favorable.  So, I was hesitant when some new Swoon Reads came across our advanced reader table at the store.  However, I’m a sucker for young adult romance and took them home to give them a chance.

If you don’t remember what the idea behind Swoon Reads is, I’ll remind you.  Macmillan publishing created a website swoonreads.com where writers can submit their original manuscripts.  Then, readers can browse the site, read from the submitted manuscripts, and rate their favorites.  Those submissions with the highest ratings are chosen for publication. 

The novels are usually between 200 and 300 pages, so they’re rather quick reads.  They’re understandably a bit cliché, but I was actually pretty surprised by the more unique story lines this time around.

My first read was Kiss Cam by Kiara London.  In Kiss Cam, we meet Juniper, Jasper, and Lenny, three teenagers who run a very popular vlog (video blog, for those who don’t know).  When their fans dare Juniper and Jasper to kiss, and then go crazy over it, the crew decides to start a kiss cam segment on their show.  They promise they won’t fall for one another, but as the novel develops, one of them realizes that they’ve already broken the promise.

I don’t really understand vlogging, or people being famous from YouTube.  I was probably too old when these sorts of things started getting popular, so the novel was a little difficult for me to get into.  I have no doubt that a teenager would find the basis for this story very entertaining.  While the plot was unique, the overarching storyline was pretty basic as far as romance novels go.  Still, this is a young adult romance, not a New York Times bestseller, so I had to remind myself to cut it some slack.  Overall, the novel was a fun read that reminded me of when I was a teenager. 

The second novel I read was No Holding Back by Kate Evangelista.  Same as the last time they sent us Swoon Reads, this one was a romance between two young men.  One thing that’s great about Swoon Reads is the diversity.  In this novel we have Nathan and his best friend of over ten years, Preston.  Preston is on track to be an Olympic swimmer and Nathan is the support he’s needed all those years of training.  The only problem is that Nathan has been harboring romantic feelings for Preston and has finally decided that he can no longer keep it a secret, even if it means losing Preston as a friend.  While Preston waits to hear some important news regarding his swimming career, Nathan whisks him away for a fun European vacation.  However, Nathan’s plan to admit his feelings for Preston goes awry and their friendship may be irreparably damaged.

As a former swimmer, I enjoyed the sports twist on a romance novel.  I liked both Nathan and Preston as characters and, while the unrequited love plotline is played out, I still found myself unabashedly rooting for the two of them.  There were a few times that I found myself frustrated by the slow moving plot line, but the author would manage to bring my interest back to the characters and their developing romantic relationships.

As these are young adult romance novels, you’ll find that the actual romance is pretty tame.  The books keep to a couple kisses and some heart fluttering, but they’re entertaining for a couple hours.  If you’re the sort of person who enjoys giving a new author a chance and might appreciate the idea behind Swoon Reads then I think you’d like these and other Swoon Reads novels.  If you’re a picky reader who wants the best of the best and doesn’t patience for clichés or predictable story lines then you might want to steer clear.  I fall somewhere between the two, but I’ll pretty much read anything once.

Black Night Series by Julie Ann Walker

When I started working for a bookstore I learned that books don’t sit on the shelf until they’re bought.  Sometimes, sadly, a book that has been sitting there too long gets sent back to the publisher.  Even sadder, sometimes the publisher doesn’t want the book back and asks for it to be destroyed.  The cover gets ripped from the book and usually it gets tossed into the recycling bin.  My bosses, being the kind souls that they are, give us booksellers a chance to dig through said recycling bin to rescue the coverless books and take them home with us.

This is how I came to be acquainted with Julie Ann Walker’s books.  I have no idea how her books have been sitting on the shelves for so long because they are masterpieces.  I managed to grab a few books from her Black Night series.  Book 2: In Rides Trouble.  Book 5: Born Wild.  And Book 7: Full Throttle.  Her Black Night series follows some really hunky ex-military men who have come together to form their own off-the-books special ops team, using their friend’s motorcycle shop as a cover.

I have read books 2 and 5 and let me tell you, Julie Ann Walker does a fabulous job of creating standalone books.  I hadn’t even a clue that I wasn’t starting with the first book when I read In Rides Trouble.  I never thought I would find the name Frank hot, but I do now.  Becky wants Frank, Frank wants Becky, there’s just one issue, he’s hiding a major secret from the group and he isn’t about to give it up, even if it means losing Becky.

He and Becky have some off the charts passion in this book, so much so that I think I was actually panting at one point.  In Rides Trouble has drama, a stubborn man, a strong-willed woman, and mistakes that will make you laugh and curse in frustration.  The secondary characters will have you cracking up even as the main characters refuse to kiss when you desperately want them to.  My only complaint with this was that there was so much build up that I was practically foaming at the mouth for them to finally get together, but when they did, wowza, it was worth the wait.

Book 5, Born Wild, was a fantastic second read for me because it told the story of Becky’s brother, Billy, and her best friend, Eve, which were two characters from Book 2 that I wanted to know the story behind.  Billy and Eve dated once upon a time.  Young, passionate, and madly in love the two had everything going for them, but add in one elitist father and suddenly Eve was marrying some rich guy before Billy could even get an objection in.  Now many years later Eve’s life is in danger and she’s come to Billy to help save her life. 

There were a maddening amount of misunderstandings between Billy and Eve.  I was clutching at my hair wanting to scream at the characters to buck up and talk to one another.  This isn’t a complaint, however, I do so love the drama associated with misunderstandings.  Julie Ann Walker writes sex like people have sex.  Do you ever read a romance novel and the characters are just saying the most ridiculous things (“Let me love you, my beautiful beacon of light”, you get the picture)?  You won’t be rolling your eyes at these novels.

Overall, if you like the Alpha male novels, unbelievably well written sex scenes, women who know what they want, and dangerous situations, you are going to love these novels.  Give them a chance and you won’t be disappointed.  In fact, if you’re anything like me, you’ll just be 104 degrees, panting, and wishing you knew some special ops guys to jump.

The Life She Wants by Robyn Carr

Have you ever read a piece of fiction, but it felt like you were reading a memoir?  The characters were just so real that they couldn’t be fake?  That’s what happened while I was reading The Life She Wants by Robyn Carr.  I snagged this book from the BookExpo a couple months ago and it has been sitting on my shelf since then.  I was hesitant to start reading because, even though I was pretty sure that Robyn Carr wrote romance, the back of the book made zero mention of any sort of intimate relationships, outside of friendship.

Emma Compton and Riley Kerrigan were inseparable as children.  They knew each other’s secrets, fears, hopes, and dreams.  So when Riley slept with Emma’s boyfriend it was understandably one of the most painful moment of Emma’s life.  To outsides, Emma recovered nicely enough. She moved to New York City, met a wealthy financier, and got married.  When Emma’s husband is found guilty of stealing his client’s money he commits suicide and leaves Emma to deal with the repercussions. Though Emma knew nothing of his theft, no one believes her, and she’s forced to leave New York and return to her small hometown in an attempt to hide out.  Trying to rebuild her life she confronts ex-friends, ex-boyfriends, and angry ex-clients while trying to balance feelings for a man from her past.

This book made me feel a whirlwind of emotions.  At times it felt as though Emma Compton was a real woman and I was reading her diary from the most depressing time of her life.   I wanted desperately to reach through the pages and just give her a hug.  I felt her anger and her sadness and her frustration at her situation.  I had to remind myself, frequently, that this was just a novel and Emma was safe in the imagination of Robyn Carr.  Anyone who has ever had a falling out with a friend will commiserate with Emma, or maybe Riley, depending on who was at fault for the falling out. 

This was an excellent novel.  After reading as many novels, from as many different authors as I have, I can say that Robyn Carr has a pretty interesting writing style.  I can’t put my finger on exactly what it is that makes her different, but I’m confident that it had something to do with how real she made the whole experience.  I, also, enjoyed the characters and the story that Robyn wove.  It was a tale that I had not read before, and we all know that romance novels can get a little bit repetitive sometimes.

I had a few frustrations with the book, of course, but it’s hard for me to explain what they are without giving away a somewhat interesting twist in the plot.  So, I’ll just try to vaguely explain my one major disappointment. Due to her husband’s actions Emma is constantly being watched by people to see if she got away with any of her husband’s stolen money.  When it finally becomes clear that Emma does not have any money (other than 9,000 in savings of her own money) I expected more of a moment.  I wanted to demand apologies from the assholes (pardon my French) who didn’t believe her and I wanted to laugh in their faces.  I was denied that and I am still a little bummed about it.

I, also, felt that there were one too many plot points.  There’s her friendship with Riley, her love interests, the ex-boyfriend, her shitty step-mother, the issues with her husband’s ex-clients, her new job, the FBI… and more.   I could have done with a little less, but overall I was very pleased with my read. 

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes their romance contemporary and realistic, and their books full of plot.  The romance certainly doesn’t dominate this novel like it might others which gives other relationships a chance to shine, like that of the best friend. 

The Life She Wants come out September 27, 2016!

First Star I See Tonight by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

First Star I See Tonight by Susan Elizabeth Phillips was a whirlwind from start to finish.  I’ll admit that I don’t usually venture in Mrs. Phillip’s direction when I’m choosing a romance novel to read.  This is mostly because when I love an author I like to buy all their books and I just can’t afford to buy all Susan’s books… there are simply too many!  However, since the bookstore I work at is in the Chicago suburbs, where Mrs. Phillips lives, she comes into our store often.  I felt it was important to start reading her novels.

First Star I See Tonight is the eighth book in Phillip’s Chicago Stars series.  I haven’t read any of the other seven Chicago Star novels and I definitely don’t think you need to in order to enjoy First Star.  Mrs. Phillips refers to previous characters enough to peak your curiosity of the other books, but she always has an accompanying explanation of the people and their roles.  I did not feel as though I were missing anything by not reading the previous novels, but I sure do want to read them now!

Cooper Graham, former quarterback of the Chicago Stars and current owner of a popular nightclub, is being followed.  At first he thinks Piper Dove is an overenthusiastic fan, but he soon discovers that she’s been hired to tail him.  Rather than sue her, his first instinct, he offers her a job hoping to use her loyalties to his advantage.  Piper soon discovers that protecting Coop is more than a full-time job.  His staff are stealing from him, someone’s trying to take down his business, and now it looks as though someone is trying to take his life.  Piper will risk her life to protect Cooper’s, but she won’t risk her heart, and that’s all Cooper really wants.

One of my favorite things about Susan Elizabeth Phillips is that her books are funny! I absolutely love when I’m reading a romance novel and the characters and their dialogue are actually humorous.  It’s such a disappointment when I find myself laughing at the dialogue rather than with the characters.  Piper and Cooper have some wonderful chemistry.  Every moment with them had me on the edge of my seat.  They had witty banter, moments of sexual tension, and some believable arguments.  I could have kept reading about their relationship forever.

I thought Piper and Cooper were fantastically realistic characters, despite the somewhat unrealistic aspects of the plot line.  Still, what romance novel doesn't have those moments?  I loved every part of First Star except (and this doesn’t count as a spoiler since it’s mentioned in the blurb) the Middle Eastern princesses.  I thought the novel would have been better off without that subplot, honestly, but you can draw your own conclusions there.

Overall, this book was a phenomenal read.  It had mystery, romance, humor, danger, and more.  There were definitely some sexually heated situations and a good dose of drama (my favorite).  This is such a great summer read, just don’t expect it to last long.  I was flipping through those pages so fast that it only took me four hours to make my way through it.  I could not put it down and you won’t be able to, either.