Tag Archives: 3 Hearts

Speakeasy (True North # 5)

By Sarina Bowen

Synopsis

Sometimes you fall for Mr. Right. And sometimes for Mr. Right Now…

May

Did you hear the one about the girl who walks into a bar and catches her live-in lover kissing someone else? No? You’re the only one in town who missed it.
Luckily Alec is there to wrap me up in strong arms and carry me out the door before things get too ugly. And that’s not all Alec is good at. Our unexpected chemistry makes him the perfect rebound guy.

Alec

I should know better than to hook up with my rival’s little sister, but the fiery look in May’s eyes really turns my crank. She needs cheering up, and I’m just the guy for the job.
It’s not like I’ll fall in love. Not even after a string of scorching hot trysts, and the realization that we’re good at the same things: wild nights and familial disappointment. I don’t do love, never have, never will. So this is the perfect arrangement, for both of us.

Nobody would approve, but nobody has to know…

Review

SPEAKEASY is the fifth book in the True North series, and I’m sorry to say it was my least enjoyable read from this series.

I liked Alec, who was fun to be around and who treated May like she hung the moon. I liked May, who battled her alcoholic demons every day, and while the struggle at times was immense, she won that battle every day too. I think Sarina did a great job of getting her readers inside the mind of a recovering alcoholic. Not only did I like them as individuals, I liked them as a couple as well. I also liked that we got to see how three of the previous four couples were doing in their lives and how their relationships were progressing.

While I liked the characters and their story, there were two things I wasn’t a fan of. I didn’t like the lesbian fantasy scenes that I felt Alec pushed May into talking about, which he did so purely to satisfy his own sexual curiosity. I also didn’t like how down on themselves Alec and May were throughout the story. I got to a point where I just could not handle their “I’m not good enough” thoughts anymore.

SPEAKEASY is told in dual POVs and comes with a HEA for Alec and May. While it’s part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone. As per Goodreads, there will be at least one more book in the True North series, but at the time of writing this review, book 6 is currently untitled, makes no mention of a release date and doesn’t mention who it’s about. I’m thinking it might be about one of Alec’s brothers.

Speakeasy (True North # 5)

My Rating:

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True North Series

Hooked On You (Chicago Rebels # 3)

By Kate Meader

Synopsis

Violet Vasquez never met her biological father, so learning he left his beloved hockey franchise—the Chicago Rebels—to her is, well, unexpected. Flat broke and close to homeless, Violet is determined to make the most of this sudden opportunity. Except dear old dad set conditions that require she takes part in actually running the team with the half-sisters she barely knows. Working with these two strangers and overseeing a band of hockey-playing lugs is not on her agenda…until she lays eyes on the Rebels captain and knows she has to have him.

Bren St. James has been labeled a lot of things: the Puck Prince, Lord of the Ice, Hell’s Highlander…but it’s the latest tag that’s making headlines: washed-up alcoholic has-been. This season, getting his life back on track and winning the Cup are his only goals. With no time for relationships—except the fractured ones he needs to rebuild with his beautiful daughters—he’s finding it increasingly hard to ignore sexy, all-up-in-his-beard Violet Vasquez. And when he finds himself in need of a nanny just as the playoffs are starting, he’s faced with a temptation he could so easily get hooked on.

For two lost souls, there’s more on the line than just making the best of a bad situation… there might also be a shot at the biggest prize of all: love.

Review

HOOKED ON YOU is the final book in the Chicago Rebels series, and it is a little sad to say goodbye to the three Chase sisters who did what nobody thought they could: take control of the worst hockey team in the league and lead it to success.

While I liked Bren, Violet and Bren’s two daughters, and that we got to see more bonding between the Chase sisters, this book didn’t engage me as much as I was hoping it would, and it did take me a few days to finish it. I found myself frustrated by the number of times Bren alluded to something terrible he did in his past before it was finally revealed towards the end of the book. There were also a couple of hockey related mistakes, like the name of the opposing team changing in the middle of the game, and the away team having home ice advantage for game seven of a playoff series. These aren’t huge mistakes and maybe most readers wouldn’t notice, but they were big enough for this hockey fan to notice.

HOOKED ON YOU is told in dual POVs and while it’s part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone. It comes with a HEA for Bren and Violet, and an ending for the team that I think fans of the series will be happy with.

Hooked On You (Chicago Rebels # 3)

My Rating:

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Chicago Rebels Series

Love At Last

By Claudia Connor

Synopsis

How many times can you be unlucky in love before you decide it’s not luck, it’s you?

I’m in love with someone else. With her ex-groom’s words still ringing in her ears, Clare Franklin flies off alone to her would-be honeymoon. Forced to accept not everyone gets that happily ever after she’s always dreamed of, she’s done with men. Until she gets tangled up, quite literally, with one sexy veterinarian.

The only thing Dr Deacon Montgomery wants is to share his surgical expertise and get back to his two year old twin daughters. But, the connection he feels with Clare highlights just how alone he really is and makes him wonder if he can be more than doctor and daddy.

Long talks and moonlit walks under the rustle of palms has Clare thinking maybe she gave up on love too soon. Until one phone call from home changes everything.

Review

If you’re a fan of sweet, single-parent, second-chance romances, LOVE AT LAST is for you.

I liked Clare and how she took a chance on Deacon after being dumped at her own wedding. It also takes guts to go on your honeymoon alone, knowing you’ll be surrounded by happy couples everywhere you look, and not let it get you down. I loved Deacon. Absolutely loved him. He was honest and sincere, and what you see is really what you get. I loved his relationship with his twin daughters, as well as the effort he went to to reconnect with Clare. He felt they had something special, and he was not afraid to put himself out there for her.

So why only 3❤? Well, because while I liked it, I didn’t love it. I felt that certain parts of the story dragged on, while other parts of the story felt rushed and therefore anti-climactic. But mostly I think my issue was that I just wasn’t in the right frame of mind to be reading this particular story when I did. I believe that if I had been in a better mood, I would have found LOVE AT LAST more enjoyable.

Love At Last

My Rating:

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Yuri (Bratva Blood Brothers #1)

By K J Dahlen

Synopsis

Yuri…
He knew he wasn’t looking for anything pure or righteous.
He’d never known tenderness, nor did he want to know. It didn’t fit with being Bratva.
But when he met her, this tiny bundle of woman he almost wished he were different.
There was something about her that appealed to something deep inside him.
Something he never realized was even there.
She had reached down deep into his soul and taken a piece of himself he didn’t know was even there.
For her, he almost wished he was different.
Because now that he had tasted her he wouldn’t let her go.

Raven…
She knew who he was and what he was but she never expected to be drawn to him,
She had nothing to offer a man like him.
He was one man she should never have met, let alone been allowed to taste.
He was everything she’d ever dreamed of and so much more.
She knew she should have walked away from him for her own sake.
But if she did she’d be nothing more than a shattered soul

Review

Yuri consisted of a great Russian mob story, lots of twists and it was easy to follow Yuri and his four friends from their childhood.

Nicky and Raven were great characters and their story was so meaningful. In saying that, we did hear it numerous times as new characters were introduced. I did find this strange and when the characters from Russia arrived and we heard it again, it started to lose its impact.

Raven was a brilliant and very strong female character, I immediately connected with her and loved the way her story became so central to Yuri and moving forward. She was so loving and compassionate but also fragile at moments. Yuri’s strength and stubbornness provided a great support for her and their lovemaking was perfect and placed well within the story.

When Yuri concluded I was definitely not ready to stay goodbye to this couple, I would have loved to see more of their relationship going forward. Perhaps in the coming books, we also get to see more of Yuri and Raven?

Yuri (Bratva Blood Brothers #1)

My Rating:

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Blood Veil (Mission # 2)

By Megan Erickson

Synopsis

In the midst of supernatural chaos, worlds and hearts collide.

Celia: Having never known my parents, I’ve always felt like an orphan. All I want is a normal life. But after I’m attacked in my bedroom by one vampire—and rescued by another—it’s about time to give up on “normal” once and for all. Idris, the second in command of the Gregorie vampire clan, has come to my aid, but his motives for saving me are unclear. And what surprises me most is my attraction to his heated gaze. . . .

Idris: Terror. Curiosity. Arousal. These are the natural impulses of a human female, not the spawn of the ruthless Valarian king. Is it possible that Celia is unaware of her bloodline—and the power coursing through her veins? As the daughter of my archenemy, she was supposed to be my ransom. But how quickly the heat of desire changes everything. Now the family Celia has always craved is trying to kill her, and it’s up to me to save her again—when all I really want to do is make her mine.

Review

I enjoyed BLOOD VEIL, but not as much as I was hoping to, or as much as I enjoyed the first book in the Mission series, BLOOD GUARD.

BLOOD VEIL takes place over just a few days, so I’d definitely classify this as an insta-love. Usually this doesn’t bother me too much, but in this case, it did. I remember being very surprised when they declared their love for each other, because up until that point, I hadn’t felt any love between them. Idris was focused on getting revenge against the Valarian king, and Celia—as his captive and bait—was simply a means to an end. Was there chemistry? Yes. Love? Not so much.

There are a couple of scenes where secrets are revealed and people are killed, but there’s hardly any shock or emotion exhibited by the characters when these things happened, especially on Celia’s part. It’s hard to get emotionally invested in a story when the characters themselves show very little emotion.

Finally, I’m confused about how this story ended for Celia. As a half vampire with a blood disorder, she can never be turned, but I don’t remember reading anything about what will happen to her. Will she be immortal like a vampire, or will she grow old and die like a human? What about her nightmares that will make her crazy if she isn’t turned? Will she still have those, or will they mysteriously disappear?

BLOOD VEIL is told in dual POVs and comes with a HEA for Idris and Celia. I finished the story quickly, so it easily held my attention, but there were just too many things that kept me from loving it. Despite that, if there is to be a third book written in this series, I would read it because this world intrigues me.

Blood Veil (Mission # 2)

My Rating:

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Mission Series

Trusting Liam (Taking Chances #2)

By Molly McAdams

Synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of Taking Chances, From Ashes, and Stealing Harper, comes the new unforgettable adult romance Molly McAdams’ fans have been waiting for—the sizzling story of a young woman who must place her trust in the one man who can break through her defenses.

A night they will always remember…a connection neither can deny…a secret that could destroy it all…

When Kennedy Ryan moves to California, she never expects to come face-to-face with Liam Taylor—the intriguing man who has haunted her thoughts for a year. A man who led her to breaking every one of her rules for a single night of passion that ended up meaning more than it was ever supposed to. Accustomed to disastrous experiences with men, Kennedy shields herself before he can break down more of the carefully built control she’s clung to for the last four years. But every time she sees Liam, she feels her resolve weakening.

Liam Taylor has been asked to help socialize his boss’s nieces. But what he thinks sounds more like a babysitting job ends up leading him to the only girl who ever slipped away before morning—a girl he thought he’d never find again. And now that she’s within reach, Liam’s determined to never let her go.

But when a secret from her past tests their relationship, will they be able to cling to the trust Liam has worked so hard to build?

Review

Trusting Liam is a slow burn romance and unfortunately towards the end wore me down and lost my interest.

I had not read Taking Chances the first book in this series and honestly, you do not have to.

Kennedy became annoying by the end with her indecision and Kira just faded to the background for me. Blown out of proportion were Kennedy’s issues and I became confused by her.

The danger to the girls just faded to the background and became a non-issue. I was expecting her dad and uncle to play more of a part in this story.

Liam was a great character as were his family. The family actually provided me with enough interest to finish this story. The relationship Liam had with all the adults in his life was heartwarming and showed his great character. Liam, in the end, made me accept Kennedy in his life.

The epilogue for Trusting Liam was a wonderful surprise. Upon finishing it had me wanting to know more about this twelve months.

Trusting Liam (TakingChances #2)

My Rating:

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Killer (Karma Inc. # 5)

By Gillian Zane

Synopsis

The final book in the Karma Inc. Series is here! Cassandra Mercier’s last Karma case…or is it?

Case # 5 of the Karma Incorporated Series.

Karma never forgets.

Working for Karma Incorporated has taken its toll on Cassandra Mercier. She might have died to get this job, but being a worker bee in the bowels of Afterlife Corporation have proven to be more than she can handle.

Her latest case feels a little too personal as Cassandra finds herself playing psychic at her old stomping grounds, the precinct where she used to work before she died. Her job on the case is to expose a dirty cop while using her cover as a psychic to help solve cases. Nothing is ever as easy as it seems. The cop she’s meant to expose was a good friend of hers, pre-death, and someone she can’t imagine being dirty. To make matters more complicated, she’s asked her to help solve her own murder.

Is it too good to be true? Can Cassandra out a dirty cop, no matter how squeaky clean he looks, all while finding her own killer? Or will the Powers That Be put an end to her selfish investigations and end her career with Karma Incorporated completely?

Review

KILLER is the fifth and final book in the Karma Inc. series, a series that I believe was originally going to be a six-part serial. CROOK was meant to be the title of the fifth book, so I’m not sure if that story was pulled or if the name was simply changed.

Since the very first book, the story has been focused on Cassandra’s death; how did she die and who killed her? So it was disappointing that when she finally learnt the truth, she was quickly whisked back to Afterlife where the focus of the story changed immediately. Instead of seeing her killer get what they deserved, we got a hard-to-follow explanation on the different classes of gods and other beings, and the identities of her biological parents were revealed.

Don’t get me wrong, her identity explained a few things, but up until that point, figuring out who her parents were had barely been a blip on the radar in the previous books, so it felt like it came out of nowhere. But her identity didn’t explain everything, like why she couldn’t remember her past life or why she was held in limbo for a year after her death before being sent to Karma Inc. As far as I can tell, those questions remain unanswered.

There are also some inconsistencies that started popping up in the third book that carried over into this book and were a little too big for me to ignore.

As a whole, I have enjoyed this series and have given all the previous books a rating of 4❤. The mystery surrounding Cassandra’s life, disappearance and death, as well as trying to figure out who and what Drake was, kept me turning the pages and coming back for more. So it pains me to say that I felt as though KILLER did not do this series justice. Though I am disappointed with how this series was wrapped up, I would read from this author again.

Killer (Karma Inc. # 5)

My Rating:

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Karma Inc. Series

The Devil in Disguise (Bad Things # 1)

By Cynthia Eden

Synopsis

Don’t make the devil angry…

Luke Thorne loves having one hell of a good time. As the ruler of every dark creature to walk the earth, he certainly has more than a bit of a bad side. He lives for danger and isn’t the type to lose his heart—mostly because he doesn’t have one. Then she walks into his life.

Mina James is seduction in the flesh, a perfect temptation that the devil himself couldn’t pass up. Too late, Luke realizes he’s let a real siren into his life, a woman who is bent on using his dark powers to free herself from hidden enemies. Since Luke isn’t the type of man to be used, he should walk away from her, but…something about Mina draws him close.

Soon he’s realizing that she isn’t who she appears to be. Not dark and cold, but burning red hot. Mina is a woman fighting for her life—and the Lord of the Dark suddenly finds himself in an unlikely role…hero. Luke isn’t going to let her enemies destroy Mina. He will fight heaven and hell to keep her. But in the end, the secrets they both carry may just rip apart a love that should never have been…

There are Bad Things in the world…very, very bad. Are you ready for them?

Review

I’ve read over a dozen of Cynthia Eden’s books over the years and quite liked them, but THE DEVIL IN DISGUISE was just an okay read for me. It was easy to keep turning the pages, but by the end of it, I just didn’t have any strong feelings about the story one way or the other. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either.

I didn’t take a lot of notes while reading, and in the few days between finishing the story and writing my review, I don’t remember much about the story at all. What I do remember is that Luke wasn’t the big bad guy I was expecting him to be. Verbal threats aside, he actually came across as quite tame. I was also left confused as to what Luke is. Is he the devil? Is he a dragon shifter? Is he both? I honestly have no idea.

THE DEVIL IN DISGUISE is told not only in Luke and Mina’s POV, but in the POV of several other characters as well. It comes with a HEA and sets us up for book two, ON THE PROWL, which will be about another couple connected to Luke.

The Devil in Disguise (Bad Things # 1)

My Rating:

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Bad Things Series

Want You (The Garner Brothers # 2)

By Stacy Finz

Synopsis

The smart and sexy Garner brothers have turned Glory Junction into California’s hottest extreme sports town—and a thrilling adventure of the heart is always part of the deal . . .

The savvy CEO behind his family’s outdoor sporting empire, TJ Garner has his choice of women. But the only one he wants is way out of bounds. Deb Bennett has been his brother Win’s on and off girl since they were teenagers. And Deb’s still waiting for Win to quit fooling around and realize she’s The One . . .

Deb carves the ski slopes and rides the rapids like a champion—it’s getting her every day life in order that’s the real challenge. When she turns to Win’s big brother for financial advice, TJ spontaneously offers the hard-working waitress an executive job at Garner Adventure. To Deb’s surprise, the job is a blast—and so is working for TJ. She always knew he was a heartthrob, just like all the Garners, but he’s charming and attentive too. Of course, given the choice between him and Win there’s no contest—or is there? . . .

Review

WANT YOU is the second book in The Garner Brothers series, and as much as I was looking forward to reading it, it didn’t grab me as much as I was hoping it would.

I liked TJ and Deb; they’re both very nice people who are hardworking and sacrifice for their families. But I didn’t love them, and quite often they annoyed me. TJ harbors quite a bit of jealousy towards his younger brother, Win, especially when it comes to Deb and his failed Olympic dream. He says he’s over losing his spot to Win, but clearly he’s not because he brought it up several times throughout the story. Deb has a very low opinion of herself and was constantly saying how she was never good enough, smart enough or sophisticated enough for someone like TJ.

Apart from the above—and that Deb is highly unqualified for the job TJ gives her—I don’t remember much else about them because Win stole the show, and not in a good way. Several scenes in this book are told from Win’s POV as he struggles with a personal matter, and it distracted from the story that really mattered, which is obviously TJ’s and Deb’s.

While WANT YOU is part of a series, it can easily be read as a stand-alone. The romantic relationship is a slow build, with TJ and Deb not having sex until the 74% mark. That’s not a bad thing; just something I thought worth mentioning. I felt the conflict was resolved too quickly, but it comes with a HEA and a sweet epilogue.

Want You (The Garner Brothers # 2)

My Rating:

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The Garner Brothers Series

Fighting Dirty (Blind Jacks #2)

By J C Valentine

Synopsis

What happens when an outlaw biker’s obsession puts him between a beautiful nurse and her vicious stalker?

Ryder

When a brutal attack sent him rolling on a gurney into a beautiful nurse’s life, the chance encounter seemed like a dream come true. She patched him up and gave him a reason to believe in love again, shining light into his dark and dangerous world.

There’s only one problem… She’s on the run from a violent past that’s about to catch up with her in the form of an ex-husband who’s used to getting what he wants—no matter what stands in his way. It might get him killed, but Ryder’s never backed down from a fight, and this is one he’s determined to win.

Tiffany

Starting over isn’t easy. Years of learning new towns, new people, and new jobs have left Tiffany tired, lonely, and ready to give up. Until a hot, sexy, bad-boy biker barreled into her life and she fell…hard. Latching onto the over-protective biker seemed like a good way to escape her daunting past, but life is never that simple.

Club life isn’t what Tiffany imagined it to be, and she soon realizes that her hot new man has a long and wild history that may be more than she bargained for. Between the women and rumors of violence, she finds herself caught between a psychotic ex bent on her destruction and the man who isn’t what she thought him to be. When things quickly begin to unravel, Tiffany doesn’t know who to trust or where to turn.

Review

Tiffany and Ryder’s chemistry again created great moments together with lots of suspense but also humour. They are an extremely likable couple, however, I did feel their relationship in the first half of this story took a backseat at times.

The storyline around the club and in particular Darkness was actually my favourite part of this whole book. I do admit I am feeling let down with the ending and the Stuart storyline. It did not make sense to me and it became extremely weird.

Plenty of drama and suspense surround the Blind Jacks and I actually found myself really engrossed in this whole period. When Tiffany makes a decision to face her history I could not put this down and her mother was simply wonderful. We definitely get to learn more about Tiffany and who and what she was running from.

Again I just feel the ending with Stuart just did not go the way I thought it would, I suppose I wanted Ryder to be her hero and save the day.