Tag Archives: Doctor/Paramedic

River Of Love (Bradens at Peaceful Harbor # 3)

By Melissa Foster

River Of Love

Synopsis

River rafting and adventure company owner Sam Braden works hard and plays harder. He’s fast, focused, and determined–and never at a loss for a willing woman to share his time with. The trouble is, the only woman he wants refuses him at every turn.

Physician assistant Faith Hayes escaped her painful past and built a safe, happy life in Peaceful Harbor. She’s also put what she’s learned to good use helping others by founding Women Against Cheaters, an online support group. When her boss’s sinfully sexy brother sets his sights on sweet Faith, she knows the self-professed player is everything she shouldn’t want, and she’s determined to resist him.

Sam pulls out all the stops, proving to Faith that his past doesn’t have to define his future. As she lets down her guard and begins to trust Sam, intense conversations turn to intimate pleasures. But when real life steps in and their pasts collide, it’s Faith who’s left with something to prove.

Review

After experiencing heartbreak as a teen, Sam turned into the resident playboy of Peaceful Harbor.  But as much as he sleeps around, he treats all of his lady friends with respect and they all know the score.  Faith is relatively new to town but has already heard all about Sam Braden.  After being cheated on by the man she thought she’d marry, she has no intention of falling for another smooth talker, no matter how cute and attentive he seems.

RIVER OF LOVE was a sweet and simple read and the first book I’ve read from Melissa Foster.  It’s told in dual POVs and while it’s part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone.  This was a good book that was well written and I liked both Sam and Faith, but the story didn’t excite me and it took me several days to finish it.  If you like sweet stories about sweet people, this one is for you.

Sam:  “Let me love you, embarrass you, and dance with you until the day you bury me six feet under.  Then I’ll wait for you on the other side, knowing that whatever else there is, we’ll experience it together.”

River of Love (Bradens at Peaceful Harbor # 3)

My Rating:  3 Hearts 1/2

Buy Links:  Amazon US | B&N | iTunes | Smashwords

Visit Melissa Foster:  Click Here

Hearts In Darkness (Hearts In Darkness Duet # 1)

By Laura Kaye

BR Hearts In Darkness

Synopsis

Two strangers…

Makenna James thinks her day can’t get any worse, until she finds herself stranded in a pitch-black elevator with a complete stranger. Distracted by a phone call, the pin-striped accountant catches only a glimpse of a dragon tattoo on his hand before the lights go out.

Four hours…

Caden Grayson is amused when a harried redhead dashes into his elevator fumbling her bags and cell phone. His amusement turns to panic when the power fails. Despite his piercings, tats, and vicious scar, he’s terrified of the dark and confined spaces. Now, he’s trapped in his own worst nightmare.

One pitch-black elevator…

To fight fear, they must reach out and open up. With no preconceived notions based on looks to hold them back, they discover just how much they have in common. In the warming darkness, attraction grows and sparks fly, but will they feel the same when the lights come back on?

Review

This is not the first time I’ve read HEARTS IN DARKNESS, but it is the first time I’ve reviewed it.  I originally read it back in 2012 and remember liking it quite a bit, which is why I was happy to read it again.  However, four years later I find I’m more critical than what I used to be and I did have one issue with this story.  It’s told in dual POVs and in my honest opinion, it was not handled very well at all.  The POV would change between Caden and Makenna without any notice at all, not even so much as a gap between paragraphs.  The story would continue on and it would take a few seconds to realise that the POV had changed.  In all fairness though, my e-book is from 2012, so perhaps that issue has since been rectified.  I still enjoyed the story and I liked both Caden and Makenna very much.  It is a novella, so it’s an insta-love and there’s not much time to really delve into things.  I think it’s smart that Laura Kaye had the characters trapped in an elevator, because it allowed her to focus on them rather than anything else.  You learn a lot more about Caden than you do about Makenna, and you can’t help but fall in love with him when you hear his story because he has not had the easiest life.  LOVE IN THE LIGHT is book two in the series and follows up with Caden and Makenna as he’s introduced to her family.

Hearts In Darkness (Hearts In Darkness Duet # 1)

My Rating:  4 Hearts

Buy Links:  Amazon US | iBooks | B&N | Smashwords

Visit Laura Kaye:  Click Here

Hearts In Darkness Series

RIP

by Rachel Van Dyken

26165764

Synopsis

Pretty things aren’t meant to be broken.
But I broke her, and now we both have to pay the price.
I’m her nightmare.
I’m her savior.
And now that I have her signature on an ironclad contract, I own her body and soul.
She doesn’t remember me.
She will.
It’s inevitable.
Because as much as I know I need to stay away, for fear of unlocking the memories I helped her father bury–I can’t.
She was the apple in the Garden, dangled in front of me, her core so tempting and sweet. A voice whispered. Just. One. Bite.
I bit.
I tasted.
I fell.
Welcome to the world of the Russian mafia, where death, is your only future.

My Review

I do feel like a need a bit a therapy after reading this – what a tortured pair of lovers.

This was a great twisted tale and one of the best parts was we had both characters talking us through their tale of love, despair, secrets and heartache.

Nikolai carried such secrets and burdens and we were given clues and snippets all the way through to the last few chapters – I was glued to the pages trying to keep up – great story telling by the author.

Maya, what a beautiful girl and so strong considering who her family was and the lies and betrayals you uncover as she does.

We get to meet a whole group of can I say really hot Italians and now I find out they have their own series and I am dying to find out how the women in their lives tame them.

Nikolai and Maya – their connection makes sense as you travel through the pages and with them on their journey in finding light amongst the darkness of their lives.

RIP

My rating: 4 Hearts

Buy Links:

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www.amazon.co.uk: RIP

Meet Rachel Van Dyken: Click here

Hawke (Cold Fury # 5)

By Sawyer Bennett

BR Hawke

Synopsis

Off the ice, elite defenseman Hawke Therrien enjoys his fair share of booze and good times. And why shouldn’t he? He’s worked his way up from the minor leagues and made himself a star. The only thing Hawke misses from that life is the pierced, tattooed free spirit who broke his heart without so much as an explanation. She’s almost unrecognizable when she walks back into his life seven years later—except for the look in her eyes that feels like a punch to the gut.
 
Vale Campbell isn’t the same girl she was at twenty. As crazy as she was about Hawke, her reckless behavior and out-of-control drinking were starting to scare her. She had to clean up her act, and that would never happen with Hawke around. Cutting him loose was the hardest thing Vale ever had to do—until now. Because she’s still crazy about Hawke. And if he could ever learn to forgive her, they just might have a future together.

Review

HAWKE starts with a flashback of seven years, to when Hawke and Vale are madly in love at the age of twenty.  Out of nowhere, Vale breaks up with Hawke and provides no reason for the breakup other than she doesn’t love him anymore.  He tries for a few days to get her to talk to him, but she never returns his calls or texts and in his anger, he gives up and moves on.  Back in the present day, Hawke is welcomed into the Cold Fury team on the same day that Vale is introduced as their newest athletic trainer.  He thought he’d gotten over his feelings for her, but one look at her brings all the anger, frustration and yes, love, screaming to the surface.

HAWKE is a second-chance romance that is told in dual POVs, and while it’s part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone.  I love Sawyer Bennett’s work, which is why it pains me to say that HAWKE was a bit of a letdown for me.  I am not a fan of conflict that is caused by simple miscommunication.  I was annoyed at Vale for laying half the blame on Hawke when absolutely none of the breakup was his fault.  I was irritated by the constant allusion as to why Vale broke it off with Hawke, before the reason was finally revealed at the 60% mark.  I really disliked the scene where Hawke nearly forced himself onto Vale, thinking that her refusal was unacceptable to him because he was too far gone.  Lastly, he’s been sleeping around for the past seven years and she’s been in other relationships, and yet both are more than ok with not using a condom the first time, or any time after that.  Overall, I feel that the book was as frustrating as it was enjoyable.

Hawke (Cold Fury # 5)

My Rating:  3 Hearts

Buy Links:  Amazon US | iBooks

Visit Sawyer Bennett:  Click Here

Cold Fury Series

Emergency Delivery (Love Emergency # 2)

By Samanthe Beck

BR Emergency Delivery

Synopsis

Madison Foley is determined to stand on her own two feet, no matter how wobbly her circumstances. Fate, however, keeps throwing her off balance, and then sending heroically hot paramedic Hunter Knox to save her.

She’s put men on the back burner until she gets her life on track.

But Hunter’s got other plans. 

Decisions. Decisions.

Review

Hunter and Madison meet in a fairly unconventional way when Hunter is called in to deliver Madison’s baby on the side of a busy road.  Feeling a connection he doesn’t understand, he visits her the next day to find out she’s already been discharged.  A month later, he finds out from another paramedic that she’s been re-admitted to hospital after collapsing in public.  When he discovers the full extent of her situation, he offers up his home as a way to help her out.

I adored Hunter and thought he was an absolute sweetheart.  His friends and co-workers know he’s a great guy but they also think he has a hero complex.  I don’t think it’s a hero complex, rather that he’s a good guy who wants to help those who need it.  As a paramedic with dreams of becoming a doctor, fixing things to make lives better is simply who he is.  The only time I wasn’t sold on him was when he planned to propose to Madison when he hadn’t yet told her how he felt about her.  Madison is a nice, young woman who hasn’t had the best start in life.  Her ex-boyfriend is a total loser that she can’t seem to shake no matter where she goes.  She wants to prove to herself and her daughter that she can provide them with everything they need, and while that’s admirable, it’s that need for independence that got to me at times.  Hunter is an amazing guy, so it annoyed me that she kept trying to push him away for their own good.

EMERGENCY DELIVERY is told in dual POVs and while it’s part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone.  It was an easy and romantic read with a little action thrown in.  I liked Hunter and Madison as a couple and I thought the ending was sweet and perfect.

Emergency Delivery (Love Emergency # 2)

My Rating:  5 Hearts

Buy Links:  Amazon | iBooks

Visit Samanthe Beck:  Click Here

Love Emergency Series

Reawakened Secrets (Reawakened # 1)

By Mari Denae

BR Reawakened Secrets

Synopsis

Some secrets should never be kept… 

Growing up in the servants’ quarters at Haven Hill, Claire Brown was a poor outcast, living in a world of money and privilege. Her only solace was best friend, Alice Sinclair, and secret desire, Jackson Montgomery. Rich and connected, they were perfect in every way and perfect for each other.  

Still, Claire was foolish enough to fall in love with Jackson, and desperate enough to hide it. When Alice found out, there was a terrible accident that left her in a coma. Jackson disappeared, leaving New Haven without even saying good-bye. 

Ten years later, Claire has managed to build a life without them. So when Jackson calls out of nowhere to say Alice is awake, Claire’s first thought is Thank God. Her second? I’m screwed. Lusting after Jackson destroyed her. It’s nothing compared to what she’s hiding now. 

But nothing stays hidden forever.

Review

Caught up in a love triangle, Jackson left Claire ten years ago to stay by Alice’s bedside while she was in a coma.  Now that Alice is awake, he plans to win Claire back because he’s been in love with her since he was a teen.  But Claire, who was left devastated by Jackson’s departure and that he never once contacted her, has no plans to let him back into her heart if she can help it.

REAWAKENED SECRETS is the first in a three-part serial novella about Claire and Jackson and does end in a cliffhanger.  It’s told in Claire’s POV and contains flashbacks to her teen years before Alice’s accident.  REAWAKENED SECRETS is the debut novel for Mari Denae and while it’s not a bad story, it was predictable and I found myself skipping sections to get to the end.  While I wasn’t a fan of the story, I thought it was written very well for a new author and the cover is absolutely beautiful.

Reawakened Secrets (Reawakened # 1)

My Rating:  2 Hearts

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Visit Mari Denae:  Click Here

His Billion Dollar Baby

By Lea Nolan

BR His Billion Dollar Baby 1

Synopsis

Burned by love and grieving over his brother’s death, sexy billionaire CEO Carter Anderson wants nothing more than to protect his family. So when beautiful and unassuming physical therapist Gwen Radley shows up at the funeral, pregnant with his brother’s baby, Carter’s certain she wants an interest in the Anderson empire–and both his suspicion and attraction grow when circumstances force Gwen to move into his family’s mansion.

An orphan, Gwen’s never wanted anything more than a family, and she finds in the Andersons a place she and her baby might belong. When Gwen’s therapy expertise leads to long hours of intense, late-night collaboration on a lucrative project, the attraction between her and Carter leads to a night of white-hot passion. But Carter’s distrust remains, leading them both to wonder if he will ever embrace his brother’s baby–or the love that’s blooming between them.

Review

Doing something she’d never done before, Gwen indulged in a one-night-stand with a former patient before he was deployed.  That one night resulted in a pregnancy, but Ben was killed in action before finding out he’d fathered a child.  Preparing to raise the baby on her own, she attends his funeral to slip a photo of their unborn child in his coffin, but when she bumps into his very wealthy family, her secret is revealed.  Ben’s parents couldn’t be happier because a piece of him will live on.  But his older brother, Carter, doesn’t believe Ben fathered the child and that Gwen is nothing more than a gold-digger looking for a pay day.

Carter is your classic billionaire playboy; his wife cheated on him so he has vowed to never love another woman again while sleeping with as many women as he can since they separated.  Because of his cheating ex, he believes all women are exactly like her, i.e. gold-digging whores.  I understand being cautious with Gwen and the situation, but he was downright cruel to her at times because he was blinded by his past.  He ended up redeeming himself, but his character bored me because I’ve read several characters just like him before.

I loved Gwen and thought she was unbelievably sweet and genuine.  She’s been given so very little over the course of her life and yet she’s so generous to those around her.  While Ben’s family is very wealthy, it’s not their money she wants but rather just to be a part of their family.  She was strong enough to walk away when Carter hurt her and smart enough to really make him work for her forgiveness.

HIS BILLION DOLLAR BABY was a very nice and enjoyable read.  I though the story was very sweet and if you can get over the agonising billionaire, I think you’ll love it.

His Billion Dollar Baby

My Rating:  4 Hearts

Buy Links:
Amazon.US:  His Billion Dollar Baby
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Amazon.UK:  His Billion Dollar Baby
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Visit Lea Nolan:  Click Here

Simmering Ice (Atlantic City Hustlers # 2)

By Veronica Forand & Susan Scott Shelley

BR Simmering Ice

Synopsis

When the gloves come off, she’s worth the penalty…

Physical therapist Annie Davidson is great at her job but unlucky when it comes to love. She’s just out of a bad relationship. A really bad relationship. All she can do is focus on work…that is until she runs into professional hockey player Alec O’Meara. She’s a touch insecure and doesn’t understand why he’s interested in her.

Despite being one of the biggest players on the team, right wing Alec O’Meara prefers finesse over force. After the tragic death of his wife, he likes to keep things loose on and off the ice. But the red-headed Annie challenges his beliefs and makes him think about taking their relationship to the net. 
The passion and fun they share is addicting and makes them long for more. But her insecurities that she’s not good enough, and his anxiety over a long-term commitment will keep them apart, unless they can find a way to break through the defenses they’ve built around their hearts.

Review

So I’m going to be honest and say that I was very sick when I read SIMMERING ICE, which could be why I didn’t like it as much as a thought I would, or as much as I remember liking FLIRTING ON ICE.  This is a novella, so it’s a fairly quick read and it moves at a quick pace, but I felt that sometimes it moved too quickly and that some scenes could have been fleshed out a little more.  I also found that the mid-chapter breaks were hard to identify, which would confuse me until I realised that we’d apparently changed scenes and skipped a couple of days.

I liked the friendship and loyalty the players had with each other, both on and off the ice.  When they knew something was bothering Alec, they turned up and refused to leave until they helped him come up with a solution.  I did like Alec and I thought he was a nice guy, but I didn’t connect with him on an emotional level.  Here’s a guy whose wife died a couple of years ago, yet I felt nothing for him, felt no sadness for his loss.  I liked Annie as well but she did lack a lot of confidence.  But given her ex cheated on and left her and her mother was always saying negative things about her life and appearance, a lack of confidence doesn’t really surprise me.  Her interactions with her mother made me wish I could have reached into my Kindle, pulled her mother out by her hair and bitch slap her.  And that right there is the only emotion I can remember having while reading this book: anger at Annie’s mother.  I would have loved Annie had she stood up to her mother.

SIMMERING ICE is told in dual POVs and while it’s part of a series, it can be read as a standalone.

Simmering Ice (Atlantic City Hustlers # 2)

My Rating:  3 Hearts

Buy Links:
Amazon.US:  Simmering Ice
Amazon.CA:  Simmering Ice
Amazon.UK:  Simmering Ice
Amazon.AU:  Simmering Ice
B&N:  Simmering Ice

Visit Veronica Forand:  Click Here
Visit Susan Scott Shelley:  Click Here

Deep Night (Denver Heroes # 3)

By Kathy Clark

BR Deep Night

Synopsis

Ex-soldier Chris Wilson lost too many friends to war. Back home in Denver, he’s trying to make a difference as a paramedic, treating victims of crisis situations. Not even active combat could prepare Chris for the rush he gets when violence and tragedy collide, but the job isn’t the only thing making his heart race. His partner is his closest confidant from childhood, and the girl he remembers is now a strong, sensual woman . . . who needs him more than ever.
 
Sara Richards is more comfortable risking her life than asking for help. The petite blonde medic put a wall around her heart long ago, vowing to never let anyone hurt her again. Only now her long-buried secrets threaten to destroy everything she’s built. And though she should be able to trust Chris, his smoldering blue-gray eyes ignite desires that feel more dangerous than whatever’s lurking in the shadows. For once, Sara can’t go it alone. But Chris might just be stubborn enough to stand by her side as she faces down her worst nightmare.

Review

Reading the blurb for DEEP NIGHT, I wasn’t sure what to expect as there’s not exactly a lot to go on.  So I read the prologue and BAM!!!  Kathy does not believe in easing a reader in, that’s for sure.  Just a few pages in and all I can think is “WTF?”.  From then on, it was almost impossible to put down.  I stayed up until 1.30 am reading because every time I went to put it down, BAM!!!  Something else would happen, or be revealed, and I’d be pulled right back in again.

Sara and Chris are childhood friends, having grown up next door to each other until Chris left for college.  They’re reunited when Chris returns to civilian life as a paramedic training under Sara; he needs to get out of his parents’ house and she has a room to spare in her apartment.  It’s a win-win situation until Sara’s teen-aged crush towards Chris resurfaces and he starts seeing her as more than just a good buddy.  But Sara is holding on to a big secret that she fears could send Chris running should he ever find out.

DEEP NIGHT is a friends to lovers story that deals with some very intense and sensitive topics.  A lot of time was spent on Sara and her past, but Chris had some issues of his own and I felt they were skimmed over and warranted greater discussion.  I think the pace of the entire story was perfect and the relationship between Chris and Sara grew and evolved at a realistic pace.  I liked the mystery surrounding the prologue as up until the 60% mark, I wasn’t sure who it was about.  I had my suspicions, but the story was written in such a way that I couldn’t be 100% sure.  The suspense, the relationship, the loss, heck everything, was really well written.

This is book 3 in the Denver Heroes series, and while the couples from the previous books make an appearance in DEEP NIGHT, you can read this as a stand alone.  Would I read the previous two books?  Yes, I think I would.  But given how intense this book was, and how snippets of what the previous characters had endured were revealed, I think I’d need to be in the right frame of mind before I attempted them.

** Please note this story contains scenes of child abuse, rape and suicide, so take caution if these are triggers for you.

Deep Night (Denver Heroes # 3)

My Rating:  5 Hearts

Buy Links:  Amazon | iBooks

Visit Kathy Clark:  Click Here

Denver Heroes Series

Guardian For Hire (For Hire # 2)

By Christine Bell

BR Guardian For Hire

Synopsis

Sarabeth Lucking’s life is turned upside down when the couples’ retreat she works for winds up embroiled in the biggest scandal of the year. With her reputation in tatters, she can’t imagine things getting worse, until her former co-workers are rubbed out, and a bad-ass, ex-Army Ranger shows up hell-bent on protecting her. She shows him the door, perfectly content with letting him go find someone else to brood over. Right up until her car explodes into a ball of flames…

Gavin McClintock grew up on the streets of Edinburgh, so protecting Dr. Stick-Up-Her-Rear isn’t on his bucket list. Still, a promise is a promise, and, after her brush with death, he’s going to do whatever it takes to keep Sarabeth safe. When she finally sheds her librarian-in-mourning look in favor of a sexy new disguise, the revealing clothes and new hairdo bring out the spitfire she’s been hiding beneath that shell of propriety. Maybe the doc isn’t the only one in need of protection…

Review

First thing I have to say is that the cover is hot.  Very simple yet very, very effective.  Damn.

Sarabeth’s life is in danger after her perfect job turned out to be nothing more than a scam that was revealed by Owen and Lindy is the previous book, WIFE FOR HIRE.  A scam for which the perpetrators have been killed and Sarabeth is the next target, so Owen and Lindy have hired their good friend and security expert, Gavin, to keep her safe.

Gavin and Sarabeth initially rub each other the wrong way; she thinks he’s a brute and he thinks she’s a spoiled princess.  While Gavin comes from poverty and Sarabeth comes from money, they quickly realise how alike they really are and a bond forms.  Sarabeth is given a new look and identity and has to stay at Gavin’s fortress/castle/house until her would-be killers are caught.  Other than that, not a lot really happens.  As with the previous book, there is a mystery to be solved and the story is laced with small doses of humour to keep things from getting too heavy.

Sarabeth:  Given all the rigmarole involved in getting into the house, she’d be shocked if there wasn’t a retinal exam and an anal probe just to cross the threshold.

GUARDIAN FOR HIRE isn’t a novella, but it’s a fairly quick and lighthearted read.  I did enjoy it, but not as much as the first book.  I can’t say exactly why, but I already find myself forgetting it.  You don’t really need to read the previous book before starting this one as you get given the basics of what happened.  It could use some proof-reading as I found a few words that were spelled incorrectly.

Guardian For Hire (For Hire # 2)

My Rating:  4 Hearts

Buy Links:  Amazon | iBooks

Visit Christine Bell:  Click Here

For Hire Series