Tag Archives: Second Chance

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:

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Forbidden Seduction (Lee County Wolves # 2)

By Teresa Gabelman

Synopsis

Hunter Foster single-handedly exposed the shifter community after shifting in front of humans to protect a Vampire Council Warrior. With no regrets, he heads home to answer for his crime of breaking an outdated law.

Back in his town, he is faced with rogue packs challenging their alpha, his brother, as well as the woman he has spent years avoiding. Finally, he has to come to terms with what his wolf has been telling him and what he as a man has been fighting against.

Review

FORBIDDEN SEDUCTION is the second book in the Lee County Wolves series, and it’s been over two years since I read the first book, FORBIDDEN HUNGER. Because of that, I wondered if I’d have a problem following on from the first story, and I did, but not for that reason. I hit a few trouble spots because some characters and events introduced and talked about in this book relate to a different series. Because of that, I did feel like I was missing something, but it didn’t really affect my enjoyment of the story.

I liked Hunter, but his treatment of Emily when they were younger meant he had a lot to apologize for, and I don’t think he apologized enough. That being said, I did feel that he was truly regretful for how he treated her and will spend the rest of his life making it up to her.

I loved Emily. She was very sweet and she’d make sacrifices for those who deserved it, even if it came at her expense. Her sister was a vile human being, and as much as I loved that Emily did stand up to her most of the time, there were some times that she didn’t and during those times, she did come across as a bit of a doormat. If anyone deserved to be bitch-slapped, it was her sister. But when she confronted Hunter about how he hurt her in high school, she was absolutely magnificent.

“Never in a million years did I think you or anyone else for that matter would have to be threatened to take me out. I’m actually a pretty nice person who’s fun to be around.”

FORBIDDEN SEDUCTION is told in dual POVs and while it’s part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone. Although, as I said above, it is connected to another series and if you haven’t read that other series, you might feel a little lost a few times throughout this story. It’s a fairly quick read and a good way to spend a few spare hours, and I already have the third book waiting on my Kindle.

Forbidden Seduction (Lee County Wolves # 2)

My Rating:

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Lee County Wolves Series

Breakaway Hearts (Kelly Brothers # 2)

By Crista McHugh

Synopsis

Can he melt her frozen heart?

Hockey star Ben Kelly has retreated to his mountain cabin in the ski town of Cascade, BC, to recuperate from a season-ending knee injury and contemplate his future in the NHL. He never expects to run into the one woman who got away. Nine years may have passed, but nothing has dulled the explosive chemistry between them. Now he wants more than just one night.

Hailey Eriksson had Olympic-sized dreams until an accidental pregnancy from a one-night stand halted her ambitions. Her life was shattered when her son died. Nothing will keep her from fulfilling her promise to him to make the Olympic team, especially not the charming Ben Kelly. Unfortunately, he’s out to sweep her off her feet this time, and she finds him harder and harder to resist with each passionate kiss. But when he learns about the child he never knew, will their rekindled romance be on thin ice?

Review

BREAKAWAY HEARTS was an lovely read, one that was mostly lighthearted but at times will also require you to have some tissues handy. It’s a second-chance romance between Ben and Hailey, who had a one-night-stand nine years ago that resulted in a pregnancy.

“I don’t mind waiting for you, Hailey. You’re worth waiting for.”

I loved Ben, who is super sweet and a real romantic. All he had of Hailey from their one night together was the note she left him with, and he kept it in his wallet since the morning after. Not just because it was from her, but also to serve as a reminder to never let something special slip through his fingers ever again. He even signed with his current NHL team because he met Hailey at one of their games and he had hoped he’d see her in the crowd again. He was so easy to like and he’s the complete opposite of a jerk manwhore.

I liked Hailey too; she is a strong woman who has experienced the worse kind of loss…the loss of a child. She is not one of those women who kept her pregnancy—and son—a secret from the father. She tried, more than I think any woman would have, to tell Ben about their son until he passed away. Her feelings towards Ben were realistic, ranging from anger, to lust, to confusion and doubt, and you’ll feel them all right along with her.

The conflict was predictable and I felt it was resolved too quickly when Ben came for Hailey at the end. While Ben is an absolute sweetie, I was disappointed with how he confronted the person responsible for keeping his son’s existence and death from him. There was no yelling, no angry outburst and no threats. Just a few sentences and then he left. If there’s a situation that warrants a violent explosion, that was definitely it.

BREAKAWAY HEARTS is told in dual POVs and comes with a HEA for Ben and Hailey. It is the second book in the Kelly Brothers series, but it can be read as a stand-alone as each book in the series is about a different Kelly brother. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series and I’m hoping we’ll see a little bit more of Ben and Hailey, because I want to see them have some more happy times.

Breakaway Hearts (Kelly Brothers # 2)

My Rating:

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Kelly Brothers Series

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:

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Bountiful (True North # 4)

By Sarina Bowen

Synopsis

No last names. No life stories. Those were the rules.

Once upon a time a cocky, copper-haired tourist sauntered into Zara’s bar. And even though she knew better, Zara indulged in a cure for the small-town blues. It was supposed to be an uncomplicated fling—a few sizzling weeks before he went back to his life, and she moved on.

Until an accidental pregnancy changed her life.

Two years later, she’s made peace with the notion that Dave From Brooklyn will never be found. Until one summer day when he walks into her coffee shop, leveling her with the same hot smile that always renders her defenseless.

Hockey star Dave Beringer has never forgotten the intense month he spent with prickly Zara. Their nights together were the first true intimacy he’d ever experienced. But the discovery of his child is the shock of a lifetime, and his ugly past puts relationships and family out of reach.

Or does it? Vermont’s countryside has a way of nurturing even tortured souls. The fields and the orchards—and hard won love—are Bountiful.

Review

The first thing I have to say about BOUNTIFUL is that the cover is beyond hot. I can’t remember the last time I wanted to lick a cover, but this one is so gorgeous I find myself wanting to lick it every time I see it. Yum!

Moving on, BOUNTIFUL is a lovely story about Dave and Zara, who shared a hot and enjoyable month-long fling two years ago. A fling that involved not sharing personal details and then resulted in a pregnancy. Dave has not been able to get Zara out of his mind since he left, so two years later and during his off-season, he returns to town to see her, only to learn that he has a daughter, Nicole.

Dave and Zara are both strong characters, but because of what they experienced growing up, they believe there are certain parts of their lives where they are not worthy or good enough, but in very different ways. It was nice watching them come together and get the happy ending neither of them dreamed was a possibility.

I really liked Dave’s sister, Bess, as well as Zara’s twin brother, Benito. While I don’t see them together as a couple, I hope both of them get their own books.

There were a couple of threads in this story that I felt were not tied up. Most of Zara’s family treat Dave pretty badly, and we never find out if they changed their attitudes towards him. Also, Zara mentioned several times that she had ruined the great romance of Benito’s life when they were younger, but we never got the story behind that. With the introduction of Zara’s large-ish family, I wonder if her brothers will get stories of their own, and perhaps that’s why these two threads were left hanging. Time will tell.

BOUNTIFUL contains characters from Sarina’s Brooklyn Bruisers series, but you don’t need to read that series to enjoy this story. Honestly, I don’t even remember Dave from the Brooklyn Bruisers, even though I’ve read all three books. BOUNTIFUL is told in dual POVs and comes with a happy ending for Dave, Zara and Nicole.

Bountiful (True North # 4)

My Rating:

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True North Series

Calico

By Callie Hart

Synopsis

Coralie

Twelve years ago, I ran to stay alive.

Port Royal, South Carolina, was my home. I was born there. I fell in love there. And I nearly died there. I never thought I’d go back. Now, after so many years, I have to return to bury the man who made my life a living hell. Some nights, I used to cry myself to sleep, praying my father would die. Other nights were different. Other nights, there was him.

Callan Cross.

My first confidante. My first kiss. My first love. My first everything: Callan was the glue that held me together when everything else was falling apart. He was my savior. He was there for me whenever I needed him…

Until he wasn’t.

Every night, I’ve seen the love of my life in my sleep.
I just never thought I’d have to face him again.

Callan

Twelve years ago, I f*#@ed up big time.

Living life through a camera lens is sometimes easier than dealing with it head on. Scratch that. It’s always easier. For over a decade, I’ve been a master of my art, taking photographs all over the world. Yet despite all of the countries I’ve visited, the amazing things I’ve seen, the beautiful women I’ve screwed, my heart has remained in pieces.

Coralie’s the only woman I’ve ever loved, will ever love. And I’m determined to show her that we’re meant to be together. Even if it means unearthing the bones of the past in the process.

A lifetime and a thousand miles have stood between us.
Now, there’s no length of time I won’t wait, no distance I won’t travel, in order to make her mine.

Review

With the great ratings and reviews CALICO has on both Amazon and Goodreads, as well as how interesting the blurb sounds, I thought this was going to be a slam dunk of a great read for me. Sadly, it was not. The first and last 20% of the story grabbed me, but the 60% in the middle was, for lack of a better word, boring. It took me a few days to finish and there were several times I considered not finishing it at all, which was really disappointing.

I noticed several spelling mistakes, incorrect word usage and missing words throughout the story, which I’m surprised haven’t been fixed since it was published eighteen months ago.

What Callan and Coralie have been through and endured, especially Coralie, is truly awful, but apart from one flashback scene towards the end, I didn’t experience the strong emotions I was expecting to with this kind of story. Whether that’s because I was bored or because of the storytelling, I honestly can’t say.

I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that at least two adults knew Coralie’s father was beating her, but neither went to the police to report it. Neither of them were willing to help a teenage girl get out of a terrible situation, especially Friday, a mother figure who was clearly very fond of Coralie.

Finally, the second time they were intimate—in the present—had the potential to be a truly beautiful scene, but it changed so quickly I felt like I had whiplash. One minute they’re loving and emotional and declaring their feelings, and in the next, Callan is asking Coralie if she can handle a good fucking before taking photos of her in sexual poses. Then he starts telling her about all the women he’s had sex with and how they don’t compare to her. I think it was supposed to be a romantic gesture on Callan’s part, and if that is the case, it missed the mark spectacularly.

CALICO is told in dual POVs and in both past and present time. It is a stand-alone and it does come with a HEA for Callan and Coralie. It contains scenes of physical abuse, suicide and bulimia that may be triggers for some readers.

Calico

My Rating:

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On A Tuesday (One Week # 1)

By Whitney G.

Synopsis

We met on a Tuesday.
Became best friends, then lovers, on a Tuesday.
And it all fell apart on a Tuesday…

Charlotte Taylor has three automatic strikes in my book: 1) She hates me. She also claims that I’m a “domineering jerk with a huge, overbearing ego.” (I do have something huge. It’s not my ego, though.) 2) She takes our mandatory tutoring sessions way too seriously. 3) She’s sexy as hell…And a virgin.

At least, those were her strikes before our study sessions started lasting longer than they were supposed to. Until one innocent kiss became a hundred dirty ones, and until she became the first woman I ever fell hard for.

Our future together after graduation was supposed to be set:
Professional football for me. Law school for her.

But she left me at the end of the semester with no explanation, and then she completely disappeared from my life.

Until tonight.

We met on a Tuesday.
Became everything, then nothing, on a Tuesday.
And now it’s seven years later, on a Tuesday…

Review

ON A TUESDAY was the read I’ve been looking for, for what feels like weeks. While I’ve recently found several books to be quite enjoyable, nothing has really grabbed me like this one did.

ON A TUESDAY is a second-chance romance between Grayson and Charlotte, who originally dated in college and were torn apart by a person with cruel intentions. In the flashbacks to their college days, you could feel their chemistry and I loved watching their relationship grow. Seven years later and in the present day, you could feel their anger towards the other over their breakup, even though neither of them knew what really happened all those years ago. When the truth finally came out, I wondered how the author was going to tie it all up because of a scene from the beginning, but she did a good job of putting all the pieces together and making the situation believable.

I loved Grayson, who you could tell really loved Charlotte because of how well he treated her when they dated in college. He treated her like a queen and a woman deserving of respect. I loved Charlotte too and how spunky she was in college, and she did a great job of keeping Grayson’s ego in check.

“I’m Grayson Connors.”
“I’m unimpressed.”

My only complaint with this entire story is with their first sex scene, which came after months of sizzling chemistry, but was over with way too quickly. I was expecting more passion, more tenderness because Charlotte was a virgin, just…more, so I was very disappointed that it felt more like wham bam thank you ma’am.

ON A TUESDAY is told in dual POVs and is also told in past and present tense, with most of the story taking place in the past. It is the beginning of a new series, and I’m assuming it’s a series where the books can be read as stand-alones because we got a lovely HEA for Grayson and Charlotte at the end of this book. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.

On A Tuesday (One Week # 1)

My Rating:

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Misadventures of a Good Wife (Misadventures #2)

By Meredith Wild and Helen Hardt

Synopsis

Kate and Price Lewis had the perfect marriage—love, fulfilling careers, and a great apartment in the city. But when Price’s work takes him overseas and his plane goes down, their happily-ever-after goes down with it.

A year later, Kate is still trying to cope. She’s tied to her grief as tightly as she was bound to Price. When her sister-in-law coaxes her into an extended girls’ trip—three weeks on a remote island in the South Pacific—Kate agrees. At a villa as secluded as the island, they’re the only people in sight, until Kate sees a ghost walking toward them on the beach. Price is alive.

Their reunion is anything but picture perfect. Kate has been loyal to the husband she thought was dead, but she needs answers. What she gets instead is a cryptic proposal—go back home in three weeks, or disappear with Price…forever.

Emotions run high, passions burn bright, and Kate faces an impossible choice. Can Price win back his wife? Or will his secrets tear them apart?

Review

I was completely unprepared for Misadventures of a Good Wife. This book is so good. Unlike other books that I have read, I did not read the synopsis and that actually made for a better mystery for me.

I instantly adored Kate. She is written just the way I imagined I would be if I lost someone tragically. But she a lot of inner strength and the need to not lose anymore than she has already lost.

Price would do anything to keep his family safe. This includes disappearing from everyone’s life forever.

When I first started reading this story I was not prepared to lose Price and I my first thought was that Meredith Wild and Helen Hardt were evil but in a good way. This story had so much emotion in it and a good mystery to solve. I really liked Kate and her unwavering belief that they can survive and have the life that they deserve together.

Misadventures of a Good Wife

My Rating:

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Misadventures of a City Girl (Misadventures #1)

By Meredith Wild and Chelle Bliss

Synopsis

Fresh off a divorce from a Hollywood hotshot, Madison Atwood needs an escape. With the paparazzi fresh on her heels and her love life splashed on every tabloid, she runs away to a swanky retreat in Northern California. Avalon Springs is the mountainside haven she needs to find herself again.

Luke Dawson lives off the grid, preferring solitude to society. When he finds a beautiful woman soaking in the hot springs on his property, he can’t stop himself from watching her. She captures his attention, but she’s just a city girl—a beautiful distraction disturbing the peace he’s settled here to find.

When Madison discovers Luke’s secluded cabin, he can’t turn her away again. They make no promises. Madison needs to feel wanted again, and Luke misses the touch of a woman. But when mother nature has other plans, they’re forced to spend more than a night of passion together. Can Luke say goodbye to the only woman who’s made him feel anything in years, and can Madison leave behind the man who brought her back to life?

Review

Misadventures of a City Girl is about a women who escapes her life after a failed marriage and finds a new life on a mountain.

Madison really is a city girl with all the trappings of a high profile divorce. She needs a break from all attention that she is getting from the paparazzi, so she decides to go to a retreat for some much needed quiet. She quickly discovers that this retreat isn’t exactly what she had envisioned. Madison soon finds herself going off on her own to escape the retreat.

Luke is a man who has lived in solitude for a very long time. He doesn’t feel like he can rejoin society after his last tour of duty. He has been living off the grid and barely goes anywhere outside of his own comfort zone.

I really liked Madison. She is trying to find out who she is after her marriage ended. And while she was finding out who that is, she helped a man to find his own life again. I think Luke was ready to take baby steps to rejoin society again he just needed motivation. Luke has a lot of issues but he loves Madison more than the issues that control him.

Madison and Luke are really good for each other and I really liked how their characters developed throughout the story. Plus from their first meeting, their chemistry was off the charts which led to some really steamy scenes.

Misadventures of a City Girl

My Rating:

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UnPlanned

By M. Piper

Synopsis

I’m Lincoln West.

First sibling of three, and the other two couldn’t be any more opposite of me.
Single father extraordinaire to the coolest kid on the face of the earth, and I have parents that think the world of my son.
I’m a family guy. At twenty-two, I’ve embraced my fate as a lifetime member of the uncool single dad club. It’s the Lincoln and Carter show…until I meet Wren. That’s when everything changes. And I mean everything. More laundry in the machine, a third toothbrush at the bathroom sink, Cosmopolitan magazine next to the bed. More importantly, a home that feels full.

Complete.

Wren’s the beauty in my ugly days. She’s full of life, and talent, and she’s the exact mother figure my son needs. It’s surprising because she’s the daughter of two very shitty people. Pardon my French. Two people who taught her to hate herself because she didn’t follow their plan for her. Two people that drop a hell of a bomb on us. Right when we think the world’s stopped pitting against us, her family proves us wrong.

Now we’re out to prove that even though unplanned, our unconventional life is absolutely perfect.

Review

I stumbled across UNPLANNED because of its hot cover and, after reading the blurb, I quickly added it to my Kindle.

I liked Lincoln; he’s a great father to Carter, a good brother to his siblings, and a good son to his parents. He’s a hard worker and cares deeply about the family business. The only time I didn’t like him was when he confessed to sleeping with dozens of women in college without protection. There’s a big difference between being wild and being grossly irresponsible. I also liked Wren; she’s is a nice girl who has been dealt with the most awful family. What they’ve put her through is truly terrible and your heart will break for her with how far they’re willing to go to protect their way of life.

I liked the characters and the story, but the telling of the story was a bit of a letdown. I came across quite a few mistakes and inconsistencies that I can’t believe were missed by the editor and beta readers. Several scenes didn’t flow very well and/or weren’t descriptive enough to explain how a character got from Point A to Point B. Instead of ending the story with the HEA for Lincoln and Wren, it ended with Wren having an important discussion with her sister, which I thought was not the best place to put that scene. I predicted the twist very early on in the story, and I’m not sure if it was supposed to be that way or if it was supposed to be a big surprise. However, I must say that it was a very interesting twist and that the author did a great job in making that particular scenario believable.

UNPLANNED is told in dual POVs and comes with a HEA for Lincoln and Wren. Their siblings are all single, so maybe they’ll get stories at some point, but at this stage, UNPLANNED is a stand-alone.

UnPlanned

My Rating:

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