I fell in love with Abi Saunders. I fell in love with Tilly Watson as well, it just took a lot longer to get there. The contrast between their two lives is striking, but at heart they are still both teenagers trying to fit in. When Abi gets the chance of her lifetime to be Tilly's stunt double, she almost doesn't take it. She stutters and is not very sure of herself, but her very good friends eventually talk her into going for it. Her best friends which are totally awesome throughout the whole story.

On set isn't anything like she expected, and Tilly isn't anything like she expected either. Abi gets a little carried away a few times, and a lot carried away a few times too. I love how this book put both Abi and Tilly's lives side by side. Both girls thinking the other had it so much better than they did.

In the end, everything seems to end up right where it should - which is the perfect way to end this type of story.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

- See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/2014/05/blog-tour-review-and-giveaway-will-real.html#sthash.GQIgn4rq.dpuf

Paint River Ranch is an amazingly beautiful place. But it's also a working ranch - run by Tucker Haywood - who is everything a cowboy should be. But Tucker has a strict policy of not seeing the same girl more than twice, so why can't he get Sophie off his mind.

Sophie is in town for the worst of reasons. Her mother is dieing and she has come to spend as much time with her as possible before she goes. Tucker turns into a great way to release some tension and have a little fun. Sophie is the typical city girl - there's a scene involving a squirrel that is beyond hilarious. Sophie was a really fun character, but some of her reasons for not wanting to get involved fell a little short for me.

The story is fast paced and very exciting - with a few near death experiences for some side characters. I had a lot of fun following Sophie and Tucker and almost cried when Sophie's mother passed away. It was an amazing emotional ride. I wish the couple from book one had been in this one, I loved the daughter (Birdie) and would have enjoyed seeing her again.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

- See more at: http://www.bittenbyromance.com/2014/05/review-one-night-with-cowboy-paint.html#sthash.YAVJ6ZBg.dpuf

The Casquette Girls was a very nice take on the vampire legends. It managed to combine so many pieces of myth into one powerful creature. You mix that with some good old-fashioned voodoo and earth magic and you have quite a tale to tell. At the center of the tale is Adele Le Moyne - recently returned to New Orleans after a massive hurricane has destroyed the city. As she and her father try to put their home back together, strange things are happening around them - one of them is the unusual murders. This is what sets Adele on quite an adventure.

The book is separated into three parts - each one building in tension and excitement. After reading such great reviews I was disappointed in the first part. There was so much build up and not a lot actually going on. Part two and three really took off and once you reach that page you will not want to put the book down. Pieces of the story are told from the past. Sometimes this takes away from what is happening in the present, but in this case the two worlds seemed to merge and become a much bigger place than either was alone.

The vampires aren't obvious. I loved that. We suspect and we wonder and are still surprised when they are revealed. The paranormal isn't limited to just vampires and magic though, there is so much buried beneath the surface of New Orleans that it seemed to be bursting at the seams. This story is a step back to when the vampires weren't always the heros or the good guys. They could be bad - and sometimes down right evil. I loved the return to the darker days and themes of paranormal.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

- See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/2014/05/review-casquette-girls-by-alys-arden.html#sthash.tCJZcZIJ.dpuf

I read book one, Breaking the Nexus about a year ago and loved it. Warrior Unleashed takes us back to the realms and show us a bit about what has been happening there while Sha (from book one) is stuck in Earth. We get to meet her brother, Achaius, an amazing hot panther shifter - I've always had a thing for the cat shifters. He has set his sights on a Sentinel by the name of Saia and is determined to have her.

Unfortunately, Sentinels are dieing, and he suspects something is up. There is a lot of excitement in here and a lot of love. Predator shifters seem to be a territorial protective bunch and that doesn't always mesh well when they fall for a kiss-ass alpha female type. Their banter is amusing and you can tell they enjoy it as well.

Saia has several near death experiences in this novella, but Avalon was able to keep everything unique and different. The villain was a HUGE surprise, yet made perfect sense. And I just know something more is going one that we just haven't been told about yet! I'm dieing to keep reading.!

This was a great look back into the series and I hope to see Book Two, Waking the Phoenix, which looks like it will be out soon.

- See more at: http://www.bittenbyromance.com/2014/05/review-warrior-unleased-mythrian-realm.html#sthash.cNLTU06Y.dpuf

This was an amazing book! The magic was perfect, the sisters were perfect, Tarrytown was perfect. In a world where magic just may be possible - people still shun it and the Van Ripper sister responsible for guarding it. The Stitchery has been a place of magic for generations, knitting solutions for the residents of Tarrytown for generations. But when a death in the family brings the Van Ripper sisters back home for the first time in years, things take an interesting turn.

The Wishing Thread has so much happening that each page flew past. The Van Ripper sisters have a relationship that is anything but good, but we get to watch as they come to terms with their past and make new lives for themselves. We get to watch a town struggle for survival against the inevitable push of progess. There is romance and heartbreak - betrayal and forgiveness - and a couple of cute kids that end up being the glue holding much of it together.

For lovers of contemporary family dramas - this will offer so much more than you are used to and I'm sure you will love every minute of it.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

- See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/2014/05/review-wishing-thread-by-lisa-van-allen.html#sthash.QaOYXMSP.dpuf

This series introduced me to the whole heritage architecture theme - the fixing up of old historic buildings, landmarks, and in the case roads, to bring the back to life again. Samantha has a passion for the industry that seems to be unmatched. But the reason she found that passion may just cause her to lose out on the biggest job of her career (more about that later). Sam is a very fun woman with a lot of personality and I really liked her, but she was just a tad one dimensional - I didn't see a lot of development in her and I crave that in a story.

Now Dean on the other hand was quite a character. While he was a bit too confident for my tastes, he was definitely that way for a reason. I don't think the man had ever lost in his life! Of course, Sam may just be the first thing he really wants and can't have. This leads to a very interesting weekend stand agreement - this seems to be a new trend in writing and I'm starting to like it. It's a great starting point that is more believable than a one-night stand love story.

I also like that these two books have at least mentioned the state of some of our historic landmarks. I don't know if that was Robin Bielman's intent, but she mentions things just enough to make you think about it a little - but she steers far from banging you in the head with it. I enjoyed book two a little more, but I just bonded with those characters better. Worth the Risk is a very good place to start.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

- See more at: http://www.bittenbyromance.com/2014/05/review-worth-risk-take-risk-1-by-robin.html#sthash.BQdTEKSd.dpuf

This book was not at all what I had expected at first - it was different, but in a good way. The story follows Laila as she tries to adjust to life in America after fleeing from her country. The country remains unnamed for the entire story - the perfect choice by the author in order to avoid some backlash I'm sure. The country created is a merging of several that have had struggles over the past few years - all we know for sure is that it's in the Middle East. While the country may not have had a name, it definitely had an identity. It's culture and people come to life in many different ways - Laila's memories, news articles she reads, and in stories from other refugees.

But this isn't a story about a war-torn country. It's the story about a girl trying to find the truth about her past and live with her future. She was sheltered before she came here, but in a good way. She understands American culture, she's just never had to fit in in the middle of it. Surrounded by new people and places she begins to find herself and a new place.

Just as she begins to settle, things begin to fall apart again. Having been a large part of the politics in her country, her mother isn't content to start over. Her plots and schemes are twisted and I was amazed at how devious and cunning she was at the end. This is a must read in the YA contemporary genre.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

- See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/2014/05/review-tyrants-daughter-by-jc-carleson.html#sthash.xyXKB3yD.dpuf

Rules of Negotiation:
Meet Sam and Brit - I can't figure out which one I loved the most at the end of the book. Sam is a workaholic that puts in 80 plus hours a week trying to make partner at her law firm. She's an amazing lawyer and that's how she runs into Brit. He's buying her clients company - but he has something else he wants as well, and plans to seduce her to get it (the big jerk face). But it all comes back to kick him in the butt when he falls for her and she figures out what he's done.

Now I don't normally like romances that start with a bunch of lies - but something about Brit really won me over. In this book we get to meet Brit's family - which star in the next novels in the bundle and it really sets the stage well for their stories to begin.

The Boss's Fake Fiance
Melissa is Brit's little sister. She's a technology genius and has landed her dream job with Garth Soren's company. One small problem, she's got a crush on the boss. When she tells an itty bitty fib to get back at her cheating bastard of an ex-boyfriend things get really out of control.

Garth is a private man - a man that doesn't like his emotions or personal life to be anything but personal. So when the papers announce that he has a fiance he didn't know about he's pissed. His punishment is to make Melissa play along for awhile. Their plan leads to some very interesting things. I loved Melissa for her personality and I loved Garth for his awkwardness. They made such a cute couple, even if it was fake...but the ending...the ending had me almost in tears.

Falling for Mr. Wrong
On the surface Ross and Kelsey are all wrong for each other. Ross wants a stable, reliable, and safe woman. Kelsey is far from that. She hikes deadly mountians and risks her life, no challenge is too big for her. So why can't they seem to keep away from each other when Kelsey takes a temporary position as the nanny for his three kids (I loved all three of them by the end). As they grow closer and closer they both realize that neither one of them really knows what they want out of life. But Kelsey is about to leave to attempt the most dangerous summit in the world, and they are running out of time to figure it out. This was a fantastic book, with just the tiniest hint of danger on the horizon. Kelsey was so very relatable - while appearing perfect at first, I grew to love each and every one of her flaws as they showed up.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

- See more at: http://www.bittenbyromance.com/2014/05/review-bencher-family-bundle-by-inara.html#sthash.0zMLmUQs.dpuf

I almost didn't pick up this one to read. The title seemed a little extreme and I wasn't a big fan of the cover (yes I do judge books by them - especially if I'm on the fence about the blurb). I'm glad I decided to give it a go because there was a lot of good stuff in these pages.

Piper was a riot. She was sarcastic, opinionated, artsy and had a soft spot for stray kitties - just my kind of girl. Piper and her pregnant cat have quite the adventure with billionaire Matt DeLeo - and I loved that the cat actually played a minor role in helping push the two together. I wish I could talk one of my furry ones into finding me a billionaire. Of course, Piper doesn't see it as such a good thing.

Matt is an obnoxious rich boy snob that thinks he can somehow buy whatever he needs in life. I really didn't like him at first - but his good will toward kitty made me willing to give him a chance. It let him show a small bit of his softer side that kept me hoping he would turn out all right. Throughout the story he seems more concerned with keeping Piper at arms length and promoting his new beer than anything else.

Their relationship was an odd one. I'm still not sure how they ended up falling for each other eventually. There were parts of it I loved and parts that I either didn't get or didn't like as well. I'm very glad I decided to pick it up though, the ending was one of the sweetest I've seen in a long time - just ask kitty, she was there, too.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

- See more at: http://www.bittenbyromance.com/2014/05/review-blackmailed-by-billionaire.html#sthash.SibEFtPy.dpuf

Transformed is an interesting story. I had to think on it a couple days before I could write a review. This is generally a good sign, because even a fun read should make you think just a little. Thea is an entity that can take on just about any form. When she takes on the form of a human to try and convince the family killing animals in the forest to stop - she picks a horrible person to and convince.

The first part of the story is Thea trying to make Brice fall in love with her. He is not a very good person and he treats her like crap. I did get a little tired of watching this after awhile. The second half of the story is where things began to get really good. Thea begins to uncover truths that have been hidden for all of history. As she uncovers a dangerous plot she had to make tough decisions and decide what is worth sacrificing for. There are several characters in the story that you are reall drawn to, and they all ended up in places I never would have expected.

This book also makes a point to really hammer homet he issue of conservation and only taking what we need. Thea dwelling on this issue was the right thing for her character to do, but it did get a little tiresome.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

- See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/2014/05/blog-tour-review-and-giveaway-transform.html#sthash.xV26XwK2.dpuf