Category Archives: Read by Christine

Wolf Hunger (SWAT #7)

By Paige Tyler

Synopsis

Wolf shifter and SWAT Officer Max Lowry falls hard for she-wolf Lana Mason, but things spiral out of control when wolf hunters track her down, and Max realizes Lana has no idea who—or what—she really is.

Review

Wolf Hunger is the seventh installment in the SWAT series.  Max, like all the other SWAT members had a tough transition.  He still has a hard time controlling his shift especially if he is confronted with domestic disturbance calls. Lana is just back from college and moved back in with her parents.  Her dad is also Deputy Cheif.

I loved Max.  He had such a rough childhood that led to his transition then he works hard to fight for the kids that are suffering.  The moment he meets Lana he is blown away by her. Unfortunately she has a very protective father who also happens to out rank Max.

This is a very confusing time for Lana.  She doesn’t know how special she is yet.  But she does know that she is crazy for Max and she isn’t going to let anyone make relationship decisions for her.

I think that this is my favorite so far in this series. There is definitely a rollercoaster of emotions that happen both inside of their relationship and with the other parts of this story.  There is still “the one” theme that is happening but I love the fresh take with Lana’s situation.  Plus, we go deeper into what the Hunters are doing and who is involved. I still love all the guys and the advice they give because each of them may know that they have someone out there but winning over that person is another story.

I love this series!!!  Each member of SWAT brings something new and you want to fall in love with each of them.  I can’t wait for the next installment.

Wolf Hunger

My Rating:  5 Hearts

Buy Links:  Amazon

Visit Author:  Paige Tyler

Castle of Kings

By Betty Shreffler

Synopsis

Jake F*cking Castle
When he walks into a room, he owns it. He consumes my very breath and melts my delicate little panties. From the moment he set eyes on me, he decided I was his. No one – not even my brother, Nix – was going to tell him otherwise. It doesn’t matter that Nix is President of the Kings MC Club. Jake wants what he wants, and he’ll set out to get it, whatever the cost.
Jake may be an arrogant asshole, but there’s no denying the hold he has over me. His fierce, carnal need to make me his, and his alone, is a snare I can’t escape. And truth be told, I don’t want to.
But when my life becomes threatened, Jake Castle is the only man my brother trusts to protect me. He knows Jake will do anything to keep me safe.

Review

Castle of Kings is the first MC Romance for Betty Shreffler and the first one for me to read.  Liz is the sister of Nix who leader of The Kings MC Club. She just got back from school and her bother has some of the club bothers that he thinks she should meet.  One of those bothers does not include Jake Castle. As soon as Jake saw Liz he knew that she was special. Throw in trouble for a rival club and you have a mixture for an intense relationship.

I instantly fell for Jake.  He is arrogant and possessive. And you can’t help but want to make him the center of your world.  Jake understands the dangers of his world and his only desire is to make sure that Liz is safe.  I also love his nickname for her.

I loved Liz.  She is tough but she understood this MC lifestyle having grown up in it.  She has great friends around her.  She also has a great brother who only wants to see her safe and happy.

I have to say that this was a very quick read for me.  I couldn’t put this book down and I really wish that I had a Jake to take me for a ride on his bike. This relationship is intense. They understand each other.  Even though Nix doesn’t like it, he knows that Jake will keep her safe.  I can’t wait to see what Betty has in store for us next.

Castle of Kings

My Rating: 

Buy Links:  Amazon

Visit Betty Shreffler:  Click Here

Misadventures of a Virgin

By Meredith Wild

Synopsis

It’s been years since June Bell shared a stolen moment with her girlhood crush, Kase McCasker. It’s been just as long since Kase’s father nixed the sale of the McCasker farm to expand the grounds of the Bell’s grand hotel. Now that Kase is back home for good, June might be the only person who can persuade him to reconsider the abandoned plan. But how can she face him again after he left her without a word?

Four years ago, unexpected news shook the foundation of Kase McCasker’s world. Escaping Falls Edge for college was the perfect excuse to chase his demons and bury his pain. Now, with a degree in hand and a void he can’t fill, he’s back in the little mountain town he thought he’d never call home again. Searching for purpose, he’s determined to put down roots and take over the struggling farm that’s been in his family for generations.

Time and distance haven’t taken the edge off his preoccupation with June, the spitfire daughter of his father’s rival. He hasn’t forgotten their time together and all the things they did and didn’t do. One look at her has him reconsidering the future and making a dangerous deal to win her over. Is a chance at her heart worth risking everything else?

Review

Misadventures of a Virgin is a mix of new adult meets second chance.  I just love Meredith Wild’s style of writing.  It really makes me never want to put the book down.  Kase and June are so perfect for each other.  They both have difficult family histories that need to come out before they can move forward.

I really loved Kase.  He is so complicated but he has only had eyes for June.  Unfortunately the timing was off when they first tried to get together and that left June confused.  Fast forward four years and Kase is back and he has a plan.

June was a fantastic mix of innocence and driven determination. She believes in her father’s vision for the hotel and wants to see it through so she agrees to Kase’s plan.

There is almost a story within this story that revolves around their fathers. It really got the kids to this point in their lives were the could start thinking about the future. I really love how Meredith put this story together.  She definitely put the right blend of emotion into this story.  The pacing was perfect.  I didn’t want to put this book down.  The last few chapters were the best.  And the sex scenes were hot with the right amount of kink.

Misadventures of a Virgin

My Rating:  

Buy Links:  Amazon

Visit author: Meredith Wild

Blind Magic

By Natalina Reis

Synopsis

Will her promise to heal the man who’s captured her heart put him in danger? In Natalina Reis’s whimsical novel of spells, desire, and unwavering determination, a hot detective with a painful past and an impulsive witch armed with potent tea are linked by an instant connection and the promise of possibility.

Marcy has never been in love. But when Oliver Dawson walks into her store, she falls head over heels. Unable to shake the feeling that she and Oliver were made for each other, for the first time in her life, the quirky witch considers casting a love spell for herself.

Oliver’s life is turned upside down when he’s shot and almost killed. Even though events haven’t been kind to the sexy police detective, he’s determined to make the best of his situation. But still, nothing could have prepared him for feisty Marcy breaking down his defenses, nor the healing tea that leaves him gagging.

Unconventional and hell-bent on getting her man, the little witch soon weaves her magic and captures his heart. He’s more than willing to give it to her, but when faced with his painful and turbulent past, neither are sure they’ll get their happily ever after.

Review

Blind Magic is a sweet romantic comedy.  Oliver is a detective that lost his sight on a protection detail and is having hallucinations.  Marcy is a white witch that helped one of Oliver’s friends and Oliver is hoping that she can cure him of his hallucinations.

From the moment Oliver met Marcy he found her intriguing and different.  He wants to get to know her better.  Marcy doesn’t know why Oliver is interested in her but she is completely smitten by him.

I really liked Marcy.  She was different and awkward at times.  Marcy knew who she was and totally embraced it.  She wasn’t going to change herself for anyone. Oliver is great.  He doesn’t want Marcy to change even though she is nothing like what his family had in mind for him.  He already had what had what his family had in mind for him and it didn’t work out.  In fact that part of his life is still haunting him.

This is the first time I have read Natalina Reis and this story is cute and adorable.  I love all the little insecurities that play out in this story.  These two characters make each other stronger. I really had fun getting to know both Marcy and Oliver.

Blind Magic

My Rating:  

Buy Links:  Amazon

Visit Natalina Reis: click here

Bound by Shadows (McAllister Justice Series #2)

By Reily Garrett

Synopsis

The architect of fear employs many forms.

Kidnapping and murder never crossed Kaylee’s mind when seeking a fresh start in Portland, a new beginning to shed the remnants of tragedy dogging her steps. After escaping from an underground cage, she fights to stay one step ahead of the killer bent on silencing his only witness. Kaylee.

Two months after dodging a sociopathic murderer’s best efforts, Caden McAllister flounders within a social sink hole, unable to move forward, too stubborn to step back. Guarded and wary, the private investigator’s stagnant lifestyle detonates into chaos when a battered and bloody young waif stumbles into his care.

Framed for a murdering a past lover, Caden must clear his name and overcome his charge’s doubts while keeping her out of the sex-slave trade. When betrayal ends with Kaylee’s re-capture, Caden must conquer his past and risk all or lose the one he has come to love.

Murder, mystery, underground tunnels, and romance are intertwined in this standalone romantic thriller, the second installment of the McAllister Justice Series.

Review

Bound by Shadows is book 2 in the McAllister Justice Series. This story centers around Caden, who is one of the McAllister bothers, and Kaylee.

Kaylee was kidnapped but managed to escape the people who took her.  But she left behind another woman vowing to send help.  She makes it to the police station and who does she find there but one of the boys she grew up with.

I have to say that I was really looking for to this book.  I really liked Caden in Digital Velocity.  This book was just a little flat for me.  The beginning was extremely strong and suspenseful.  But after the beginning the story slowed down and it wasn’t until seventy percent in that it picked back up again.  I also felt that Kaylee should have been seeing a therapist to help her deal with her brother’s death because she was far from having dealt with it.  Her brother Reese was mentioned a lot without adding a lot to the story.  I almost wish that he was wasn’t mentioned as much.

Caden still has a great relationship with his brothers and Lexi.  He is having trouble from the encounter that he had with Lexi in book 1.  But this did help him become closer to Kaylee.  Again, I think that his issues were another character in the book that was mentioned a lot but did not add a lot to the story.

I will read this book again because I really did wanted to know Caden’s story and to see where Reily Garrett was taking the bothers.

Bound by Shadows

My Rating:  

Buy Links:  Amazon

Visit Reily Garrett:  click here

Twisted Truths (Blood Brothers #3)

By Rebecca Zanetti

Synopsis

You can’t escape the past . . .

Noni is desperate. Her infant niece has been kidnapped, and the only person who can save her is a private detective with too many secrets to count–and more enemies than he can name. A man who walked away from Noni without any warning a year ago, a man who broke her heart. But with Talia’s life on the line, Noni needs his help now more than ever–and this time, she won’t take no for an answer . . .

The moment Denver Jones sees Noni, the memories come rushing back. The fire in her eyes. The determination in her voice. The danger of having her in his life. Denver had to push her away once, but now with vicious criminals threatening Noni and her niece, he’ll do whatever it takes to protect them. But enemies from his past are circling, and they’ll use anything–and anyone–to get to Denver.

Review

Twisted Truths is the third and final installment to the Blood Brothers series.  It centers around Denver and Noni. Denver had left Noni without a word to keep her save but Noni needs help and has now put herself in danger by trying to contact him.

I love Denver.  He was exactly the way I wanted him to be.  We got to see more of how the boys grew up and came together in this book.  Denver, as a young boy, only wanted to be loved and to have a family. Instead he got abusers.  Until he met Ryker and Heath, Denver didn’t know what it was like to have people who cared about him.  Denver would do anything to keep them safe and he definitely  did not want to bring another person that could get hurt into his life until Dr. Madison was dead.

The only thing that Noni wants is to get her niece back and she is willing to go to any length to do that.  She only knows one person who can help her and that is going to put a spotlight on her. She fell for Denver while he was on an op and then he just disappeared.  Noni was left heartbroken but she has to find her niece. Once Denver saw that Noni was looking for him, he knew that she would be in danger and he had to go to her to keep her safe. I really liked Noni, she was driven and wanted to keep the people around her safe.

This book has everything in it.  Like other Rebecca Zanetti books, this book is packed with action, suspense and emotion.  There are secrets revealed and Denver finds out the true meaning of family.  I am so happy that we get more of the Dean bothers and we get to see more of Malloy. Plus we already knew that Dr. Madison was psychotic but she always manages to throw something in there that will surprise you.  I love this series!!!

Twisted Truths

My Rating:  5 Hearts

Buy Links:  Amazon

Visit Rebecca Zanetti:  Click Here

Misadventures on the Night Shift (Misadventures #6)

By Lauren Rowe

Synopsis

Hotel clerk Abby Medford has always enjoyed the quiet solitude of the night shift. The long, boring hours allow her time to study her law books. But when bad-boy-rocker Lucas Ford checks into the penthouse suite one night and demands Abby personally deliver his room service request, her formerly quiet nights are quickly filled with Lucas’s erotic games.

But as Abby soon learns, if she thinks she can indulge her innermost desires with Lucas without giving him her heart, she’s dead wrong.

Review

Misadventures on the Night Shift will have every fangirl squealing with joy.  Imagine your favorite rock star walking into where you work and you have to confront him.

Abby just happens to be alone at the front desk at a hotel when Lucas Ford walks in with his handler.  He has been having a bad night and is a complete jerk.  Even though Abby is having a fangirl moment on the inside, she will not put up with any of his crap.  Lucas finds this intriguing and must get to know Abby better.  She ends up becoming his muse in a kind of indecent proposal.

I really liked Abby.  She is quiet and wants to be the good girl for her parents because of a problem that she had as a teenager to young adult.  Or what others let her perceive as a problem.

Lucas was a great bad boy. He was who he was.  He didn’t want to be imprisoned to his record label and was acting out in anyway that he felt necessary.  The record label was holding him back.

I really liked the way they brought out the best in each other. I really liked this book until the end. The two together were amazing together.  I just had a slight issue with the ending.  I’m not going to give it away but I just thought that Lucas contradicted himself a little.  But I really enjoyed reading this book and definitely going to read more by Lauren Rowe in the future.

Misadventures on the Night Shift

My Rating:  

Buy Links:  Amazon

Visit author: Lauren Rowe

Can’t Let Go (Original Heartbreakers #5)

By Gena Showalter

Synopsis

With trust issues a mile long, Ryanne Wade has sworn off men. Then Jude Laurent walks into her bar, and all bets are off. The former army ranger has suffered unimaginably, first being maimed in battle then losing his wife and daughters to a drunk driver. Making the brooding widower smile is priority one. Resisting him? Impossible.

For Jude, Ryanne is off-limits. And yet the beautiful bartender who serves alcohol to potential motorists tempts him like no other. When a rival bar threatens her livelihood—and her life—he can’t turn away. She triggers something in him he thought long buried, and he’s determined to protect her, whatever the cost.

As their already scorching attraction continues to heat, the damaged soldier knows he must let go of his past to hold on to his future…or risk losing the second chance he desperately needs.

Review

For me, Can’t Let Go is another great addition to this series.  It handles tough subject matter and leaves you with hope for a future.

The story picks up where Can’t Hardly Breathe leaves off.  They are all getting ready for the wedding between Daniel and Dorothea.  Jude served with Daniel and considers both Daniel and Brock brothers. Jude has lost more than one person should ever have to lose.  He now lives to make sure his friends are happy and safe. That now includes Dorothea and her friends.

Ryanne is best friends with Dorothea and Lyndie.  She is the owner of the local bar.  She also comes with her own emotional turmoil.  Ryanne has major trust issues with men because of her mother and because of mother she is a virgin.

Because Ryanne is the owner of the local bar, this is an issue for Jude.  He wants to hate Ryanne because he doesn’t want to have anything to do with alcohol. But because Brock still goes out to the bar and Ryanne is best friends with Dorothea, Jude feels like he must do everything in his power to protect Ryanne.  This becomes an issue when the mob moves in across the street.  Jude is now put in the position of protecting something he hates because he has feelings for the owner.

This book took me on a rollercoaster of emotions.  Ryanne is so likable and you want good things to happen for her.  And you can’t help but feel the despair that Jude has gone through.  You want him to see that loving another person doesn’t change the love that you had.  Their chemistry was amazing and left you with hope.  I love this series and can’t wait for the next installment.

Can’t Let Go

My Rating:  

Buy Links:  Amazon

Visit Gena Showalter:  Click Here

Misadventures of the First Daughter (Misadventures #5)

By Meredith Wild and Mia Michelle

Synopsis

Charlotte Daley is the daughter of the newly elected POTUS. An only child, she’s both spoiled rotten and entirely neglected by her powerful family. She’s been forced to eat with the right forks, smile at all the right times, and be the picture of perfection for months. Now that her father is in office and too busy to know she exists, she’s determined to exercise her new freedom before she heads back to college in New York.

Zane Parker has one job—to protect the President’s daughter, all day, every day. But she’s been on a partying spree since the inauguration, heading down a dangerous path that threatens to ruin her reputation and cause a major scandal for her father. Zane will lose his job if he can’t get her under control. Except he wants to sleep with her as badly as he wants to set her straight. She needs discipline. And he might be just the one to give it to her.

When unexpected circumstances tie Charlotte to D.C. for the foreseeable future, Zane makes her an offer that’s anything but honorable. He’ll give the first daughter all the thrills she’s seeking in exchange for one thing… Her obedience. Fascinated by Zane’s dark promises, Charlotte agrees. Submission has never felt so good. But as Zane brings her deeper into his forbidden desires, enemies surface and danger lurks…

Review

Misadventures of the First Daughter is about a girl who has a lot on her shoulders.  She has to decide between her wants and needs and the image that a first daughter to the president should portray.

I really felt for Charlotte.  She needed room to make mistakes without feeling like she was going to bring down the presidency.  The more she was being controlled the more she pushed back and was making bad decisions. Charlotte needed her parents to be parents and for them to see what was really happening to her.

So I love Zane.  I love the way he put Charlotte first.  He was part of her protection detail but he always saw who she really was.  Zane had to work through is own emotional battles because he had deep feelings for Charlotte and if he ever acted on them then he would lose his job.  So he keep her safe even from herself.

I really love how Michelle and Mia put this book together.  Charlotte’s mother needed a wake up call because she wasn’t really a mother.  Charlotte’s best friend (Katherine) was hilarious.  I wanted more of her.  In fact,  I secretly hope that there might be another misadventures book for Katherine.  On a final note, the sex scenes were HOT!!!

Misadventures of the First Daughter

My Rating:  

Buy Links:  Amazon

Visit author:  Meredith Wild and Mia Michelle

Southern Attraction (Southern Heart #3)

By Kaylee Ryan

Synopsis

I had everything I ever wanted, living the dream, at least that’s what I always thought. The night we met, we had an instant attraction, but she was with someone else. When we reunited a few months later, that pull was still there, stronger than ever. So strong, that even though she was hundreds of miles away, I pursued her. I told myself that I just wanted to get to know her. Deep down I knew it was more.

I never understood the draw of living in the middle of nowhere. Born and raised a city girl, I never had the desire to leave. Who would have thought a weekend trip to the country would have me questioning myself? It was more than just the country; it’s him. The way he looks at me, treats me, that smooth southern drawl.

Am I willing to give up my legacy for her?

Am I willing to give up my dream for him?

Can two souls come together by the force of Southern Attraction?

Review

Southern Attraction picks up where Southern Desire left off.  Everyone is getting ready for the wedding between Whitney and Aaron.  The last time (Whitney’s best friend) Jamie stopped by she met Mike, brother to Olivia. He also owns the local bar that he took over from his dad.  This is a family legacy.  There is an instant attraction between Mike and Jamie.  They both want to see where the relationship can go but they live in different worlds and they don’t know how to make it work.

I adored Mike from the start.  He really seems as good as he appears.  I love how he puts other people’s happiness before his own.  And family means everything to him.

Jamie is loyal and fun.  I love how she knew the moment she met Mike that she had to leave her boyfriend.  But can she leave her life in Chicago to be with Mike in Kentucky?

I really like stories of love at first sight. This story does not disappoint.  Jamie and Mike are extremely likable and their friends root for them every step of the way.  I thought at first the story was moving a little slow but I found myself not able to put the book down.  There is something addictive about this story.

Southern Attraction

My Rating:  

Buy Links:  Amazon

Visit Kaylee Ryan:  Click Here