Live by Mary Anne Rivers

Grade: A
Hotness Level: Blaze
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary
Series: Burnside #1

Published: 1/21/14

Reviewed by Anne

267pages

Destiny Burnside is out of work, nearly out of money, and still mourning her father's recent death.  Every day she treks to her local library to use their computers for her job search.  The only silver lining to this daily trip is the chance to see the quiet, good-looking wood carver doing restoration work in the library.  

Hefin is the woodcarver, and he's noticed Destiny, too.  They're both pretty quiet and shy, though, so it's not until he sees Destiny crying one day that he approaches her.  He just wants to help her feel better.  This leads quickly to a friendship and an acknowledged attraction between the two of them.  The only problem?  Hefin's time in the US is limited.  He's heading home to Wales after he finishes the library project.  Destiny's ties to her small town are many and strong, and this sets them up for an affair they know can't last, but can't resist either.

This is a kind of cliched setup, but I thought it was a very original story.  In fact, about half way through I realized I didn't really know how they would work things out.  Hefin NEEDS to go back to Wales.  Destiny is very needed by her family in Ohio.  And, yes, I could guess at how they would work it out, but the journey to get there wasn't a sure thing for me, and it was very enjoyable!

Another strength of this story was that Destiny and Hefin aren't traditionally beautiful people.  Well, ok, Destiny kind of is.  I've always envied red heads and all their freckles.  It's clear that Destiny doesn't see herself as beautiful, but even more clear that Hefin DOES.  And Hefin thinks of himself as "quite hairy" which is not exactly a romance-land hero!

These two are both functioning, but functioning broken.  Limping along, living with the losses they've been dealt, and finding the courage to reach for more.  It was heartbreaking in a good way to read, because, yes, you felt their heartbreak, but you also got to go along for the ride through their healing.

I thought the sex scenes were hot and well written.  The characters felt like real people and the conflict was believable.  The pacing of the story was slow, but very enjoyable for me.  I can't wait for more for Mary Ann Rivers!!

Love a Little Sideways by Shannon Stacey

Grade: B
Hotness Level: Blaze
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary
Series: Kowalski Family #7

Published: 11/26/13

Reviewed by Anne

195 pages

Liz, the youngest of the lodge-running Kowalskis is moving back home.  The only drawback to this situation is that she had a one night stand with Drew Miller, best friend to one of her brothers and chief of police.  That shouldn't be too awkward, right? All she has to do is avoid him.  Except that as soon as she gets into town, she spins off the road and it's Drew that comes to her rescue.  And he just keeps coming to her rescue.

This was a good story that I enjoyed, but it was always be "the one where they went camping again!" when I think of it.  Hilarious!  It was full of other enjoyable moments, too, though.  The pacing of Liz and Drew's relationship was actually pretty slow and enjoyable. 

The main sources of conflict in the book were 1.)keeping their relationship a secret from Liz's brothers and 2.) Liz not being sure what she wanted out of life and Drew knowing that he wants a wife and family.  The first one was resolved to my satisfaction.  The second one, after the leisurely pace of the rest of their relationship, felt a little rushed.

The Kowalski camping trip was great fun.  There were a LOT of secondary characters from other books that were getting jumbled in my head.  I finally decided I just didn't need to try to keep track of them, and things went more smoothly from there.  Don't get me wrong - I've read the other books and I like cameos from previous couples, but I think this book would stand alone just fine, since that's essentially what it did in my memory!

It was interesting and enjoyable to read a story where the man was the one who was anxious to settle down and start a family.  That was a very nice twist.  But it's really the relationships between Liz and Drew and their family and friends that make the book and keep me coming back to this series for more!

Marked by Lauren Dane, Vivian Arend, and Kit Rocha

Marked - Kit Rocha book by 2/10/14 blog

Grade: A
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: Moderate Kink
Published: 2/10/14

Reviewed by Anne

305 ebook pages

I'm going to break this down into the 3 stories and review them separately.  As a whole I give the anthology an A.  It's rare to have all the stories in a collection work for me like these did!  I highly recommend it, and the authors' note in my ARC says that the ebook will be on sale for $2.99 until the end of February, when the price will go up to $4.99.  This book is a steal at $2.99!   I came away with 2 new series I want to follow and a great installment to Beyond, which I already loved.

Beyond Temptation by Kit Rocha

Grade: B+

Genre: Dystopian
Series: Beyond 3.5

Note: I really think you need to read this series in order to get the most out of it.  If you haven't read it yet, go back to the start and read Beyond Shame - you won't regret it!

So, Noah is not from Sector Four, but he's doing some work that brings him under Dallas' radar and he's being brought into the gang.  He's also looking forward to and dreading seeing Emma, little sister to his best friend.  They haven't seen or talked to each other in years, and there's some history between them.  Emma always had a crush on him, and he had feelings for her, but he's got some secrets hidden that he doesn't want her to know about.  He's also having some issues seeing her as the strong and independent woman she is now, since his memories are full of her as a naive and innocent girl.

It's a short story, so the main source of conflict is Noah's big secret.  I don't enjoy secrets.  The best thing about this one was the way Emma handled it when she found out.  She's a strong woman and one who is offended at people trying to protect her by keeping secrets.  That was awesome!  Sector Four women in general are awesome, though!  

In other good news, Noah is a red head and likes dirty sex.  It turns out Emma does, too, and we get a lot of it.  This wasn't my favorite in the Beyond series, but it still rates a B+.  They are all just so good!

Rocky Ride by Vivan Arend

Grade: B+

Genre: Contemporary, small town
Series: Thompson & Sons #1

Anna is a straitlaced cop with a good reputation.  Mitch is a mechanic with a biker look to him.  They've been meeting on the down low for sex, but he wants to push her for an actual relationship.  Their small town has some small minds that see biker and think criminal.  Mitch has to convince Anna to give their relationship a chance.

This story starts out with one of the hottest opening scenes I've read in a long time.  It's a great start to a solid story.  Watching Anna relax and let her guard down made for a good read.  I got very frustrated at the choices Mitch was making toward the end of the story, but then Arend redeemed herself by having Anna really call Mitch out for his choices!  

The weak point in the story was the prejudice against bikers, or rough looking tattooed guys.  I haven't ever really considered that as a big deal - but maybe I just don't understand?  In any case, I just went with it and it worked.

The sex was hot, the heroine was independent and strong.  I loved it!

All That Remains by Lauren Dane

Grade: A

Genre: Dystopian, Triad*, futuristic
Series: Metamorphosis #1

Set in a post-plague future, which Dane describes on her website as not dystopian (and I agree) Summer meets a new man in her village, Charlie.  Summer isn't too surprised when Charlie mentions he has a partner (in the physical sense) but she's shocked when she meets him and it's Hatch, her first love.  Summer and Hatch may still have feelings for each other, but there's a lot of history between them and it's not all good.  The three of them have a lot to work through if they want to make a commitment to each other.

This story was all the best of the Lauren Dane Brown Siblings/Delicious books I love, set in an interesting future where women are only a small portion of the population and very valued.  Summer is another strong woman who is sure of herself and doesn't need a man (or men) to complete her.  She's not ashamed of her sexuality - that was refreshing to read!  

Really my only complaint about this story was the overuse of the phrase "raining honey" which pulled me out of the story every time it came up.  Other than that, everything worked for me and I can't wait to read more!

*Note - I used to mark any book with a 3 person (or more scene) as a "ménage" book.  I'm now using ménage for an uncommitted encounter(s) and triad for a story about the committed relationship between 3 people.

Desperately Seeking Fireman by Jennifer Bernard

Grade-B
Hotness Level-Blaze
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-The Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel #4.5
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kay
100 pages

Jeb Stone is the captain of the San Gabriel fire department for shift C. He was married for several years but got divorced. He has an eighteen year old daughter who wants him to date and get on with his life. He meets Nita Moreno at his friend's wedding. He's instantly attracted to her and kind of flirts with her. He is still married at this time and this was a little off-putting for me. There's a reason behind Jeb and his wife's marriage but that's for you to read.

The story moves ahead a few years and Melissa, his friend's wife is coming to get an exclusive interview with a Senator. The Senator that Nita works for. This interview takes place in San Lucia and Jeb gets bamboozled into shadowing Melissa because she's hugely pregnant. He's surprised to see Nita and that his attraction to her hasn't waned.

I hate to admit it but this is one of those series that I have fallen behind on. It's a good series and I hope to catch up on it now. My main complaint in saying that is that her books aren't on Kindle through my library. I love to support the authors I read but sometimes I can't justify the money at the time I want to read it. Then I tend to forget because of the amount of books I have to read.

This is a novella and its just sweet. About two people who have lost and still keep trying to pull it all together. The story is witty, engaging and sexy. If you want a story that is just precious, this is it.

The Summer He Came Home by Juliana Stone

Grade-B
Hotness Level-Blaze
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-Bad Boys of Crystal Lake #1
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kay
384 pages

Cain Black was one of the Bad Boys of Crystal Lake. He left town ten years ago to chase his music dream. He's back now for his friend's funeral. His future looks pretty good considering his band is about to make it big. He recently got out of a disastrous marriage and was just looking to pay his respects to his deceased friend, then he was moving on. At the funeral reception he sees Maggie and it was love at first sight.

Maggie is a single mother with a young son, Michael. They don't have much money but she does have a BIG secret. A dangerous secret. She makes her bills by cleaning houses. She lives in a little bungalow that's perfect for her and her son. She sees Cain and at first she's frightened but also attracted. She has no time for a relationship with a rock star that will soon be leaving town. She has a son to protect, she tells herself.

I read the second book in this series first and LOVED it. I truly enjoyed this one except for one thing. She's married. Granted, she's on the run from her abusive ex but I don't like to read about adultery. At all. Honestly, it changed how I rated the book. I'm telling you this as a warning if adultery is a hard limit for you as a reader.

Otherwise, this was a great and very sweet book. Their relationship building was fun to read. There's humor, suspense, sadness and some steamy sex in this story. I would recommend this series to anyone who believes in the healing power of love and I'm eagerly awaiting the next book.

Half Moon Hill by Toni Blake

Grade-B
Hotness Level-Blaze
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-Destiny #6
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kay
384 pages


Anna Romo is the sister of Mike and Lucky. She disappeared when she was young and reappeared some twenty years later, trying to reconnect with the family she lost. She was kidnapped by a woman who wanted a child so badly she was willing to steal someone else's. We first met Anna in the last book, when she tried to take Amy's man. She bought an old Victorian style house on the outskirts of Destiny. She has plans to turn it into a bed & breakfast. She has done all the interior work herself but needs to start on the exterior, where she'll need some help.

Duke Dawson is her brother's best friend and she finds him living in the woods by her home. Duke is an ex-biker with baggage and a very noticeable scar. He agrees to help Anna do the exterior and the unlikely couple start a physical relationship. He doesn't want anyone to know he's in Destiny and she helps him keep his secret.

I had to make myself get into this book and I'm glad I did. I love the other books in this series but I really didn't like Anna because of her behavior in the last book. I wasn't crazy about Duke either in this one because he was kind of an ass and a pussy. He treated Anna badly I thought, regardless of his reasoning. Their love built slowly and the love scenes were steamy. But in my opinion, the real love story was between Cathy and Robert. Cathy was the girl who grew up in the house Anna bought and Robert was her first love. I was transfixed by their story with its innocence and purity. When I found out what happened to each of them, I bawled. Tears just rolled down my face. So to make a long story long, I ended up really liking the final book in this series. Anyone who loves small towns and the stories that come with them, should read the Destiny series. It's with a heavy heart that I recommend it, as I am very sad to see it all end.

                       

Love Overdue by Pamela Morsi

Grade: C-
Hotness Level: Blaze
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary
Published 8/27/13

Reviewed by Anne

427 pages

DJ is a librarian, recently hired to take over a library in a small town in rural Kansas.  Scott is the pharmacist, long time resident.  DJ  is shocked to recognize Scott as her one youthful indiscretion - a spring break fling back in college.  She's even more shocked when Scott doesn't recognize her back.  

OK, so let me start by mentioning that this is a 427 page book.  So, it's longer than I normally read.  But, hey, it's about a librarian, and it's about small town Kansas, so these factors work in it's favor and I decided to read it.

 

And it's pretty good.  Not fabulous, but it gets better as the story goes on.  Watching Scott work hard to pursue DJ is pretty fun.  He has no idea why she has such a negative opinion of him.  DJ is so conflicted.  She hopes he'll never remember it was her (I guess because she's worried about the repercussions in this small town?) but at the same time she's offended that he can't remember her!

 

There's also a secondary storyline involving Scott's mother. His father passed away about a year ago and she's acting ok to the outside world, but inside she's really suffering.  Her story, along with all the other small town residents is really well written.  The book as a whole is really well written excepting some really detailed pages on wheat farming and pharmacy that weren't necessary to the story.

 

So, it's a pretty good book.  And then it ends. And the ending is horrible!  It's the emotional equivalent of shutting the bedroom door after a whole book's worth of foreplay.  And it made me want to howl!  Why in the world would we bow out of this story just as the main characters we finally making an emotional connection???  And mom's storyline is at a pretty critical juncture, too.  Wham.  Book is over. 

 

If you're interested, I'll explain below, but beware as it is spoilerific!

 

I just can't believe the book ended this way.  I invested over 400 pages and never got the emotional payoff.  I feel robbed.

 

*(spoiler below)

 

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DJ kept a momento from her fling. A belly chain Scott bought for her.  Throughout this story, DJ never tells Scott that she was his fling.  He thinks she reminds him of the girl from the fling, but never figures out it's really her.  Then she decides to tell him, and in that same moment he finds the belly chain in her jewelry box.  Wham.  Book is over. (Well, there's an epilogue that lets us know they're happily married and having great sex 8 years later.  With children.)  And it's the same thing with Scott's mom.  She's been considering SUICIDE throughout the book.  In the final chapters she cooks herself a botchilism pie (no, really) but when the dog eats it instead, she induces vomitting in the dog and decides she wants to live.  Wham. Book is over.  (Well, she also appears in the epilogue.  So we know she never killed herself.)