This review was originally posted on Addicted To RomanceI received this book for free from Avon in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

*May Contain Spoilers*

A Prince on Paper is the third full-length installment in the Reluctant Royals series and I am not sure if this author plans on more books in this series, but if not I have adored every moment in reading these books and I love the humor and endearing qualities that we have seen in this series. I always get a kick out of a well written royal romance, and man no one does it better than Alyssa Cole. Ever since Duke By Default, I have been so stoked for this story, I loved seeing these two characters in the previous books and I had a delightful time seeing them find their own happily ever after.

A Prince on Paper begins with our heroine, Nya Jerami, who once fled Thesolo, wanting to be free and find herself in the glamour of New York City. But it just didn't work out that way for her. New York City wasn't quite the experience that she was hoping for and now with her cousin and friend having their wedding in Thesolo, she will be going back home and back to the painful memories. But on the plane ride home, she finds herself in a bed with the bad boy prince....Johan von Braustein. There has always been a bit of chemistry between Nya and Johan but with the distance between them, nothing has really cemented between them until they come to close quarters with each other and for the first time Nya is beginning to find herself and see beneath the bad boy exterior that Johan hides behind.

Johan and Nya are both hiding from their pasts. Johan hides from emotion, ever since his mother died he has never been able to open himself up. He hides behind the man the paparazzi knows and to protect his younger brother who is the heir to Liechtienbourg. But secretly he supports multiple charities with his own funds, in a way to honor his mother. But he can't let anyone know the truth, its something he wants to do on his own without any recognition so he can help others without it being tainted by his bad reputation. But Johan has secretly had a love for Nya but hides it until the wedding in Thesolo and he sees a woman of courage and strength that he wants to bring out in the light, a woman who hides a big part of herself. But when they go on a journey together, from the wilds of Thesolo to the city of Liechtienbourg, their love for each other will be revealed and a passion neither of them realized until now...

A Prince on Paper is a beautiful romance that delivers in every way possible. I had such a blast with this book and still debating which book in the series is my favorite but honestly....a Prince on Paper is a good match for the previous two books. I loved it just as much as the previous books and I just devoured this story. There is something that Alyssa Cole does with these books that are so amazing and I can't ever get enough of her writing especially in her contemporary love stories. There is quite a bit that we see happen in this story and boy all the diverse themes that we get introduced to including a surprising character that is a transgender but not quite in the way I have ever seen in a romance gave me all the delightful feels.

When he looked into Nya's eyes. He saw the bait that was laid down for the follish protagonist in every fairy tale. Love. Shelter. Kindness. He saw it and he wanted it--wanted her--even though he knew the bait was inside a cage of eventual despair. Despair seemed worth it, just then.

The romance between Johan and Nya has a mix of unrequited love, royalty mix, road trip adventure, and fake relationship. We first get to see their interaction when they find themselves in the same bed and boy do sparks fly between these two here. Then we skip to when Nya arrives in Thesolo and all of her friends are there including the couple from "Once Ghosted Twice Shy" so it was fun seeing them again for a brief moment. Then we have Nya having to face up to some painful memories and how her father is still trying to torment her. We get a more in-depth look on the crimes that her father committed against Nya. It's so heartbreaking to see her face up to these memories but also how the people in Thesolo treat her, always talking behind her back as if she committed the crimes too. But we see that Nya was a victim and a survivor. But she is still learning about her own strengths and capabilities and trying to find herself. We see how the bantering that happens between Johan and Nya is what they both really need. You see them both come out of their shells and the covers they hide behind and love seeing this unveiling.

But when Nya agrees to act as the fake fiancee for Johan, they go on an adventure together. I enjoyed seeing Nya and Johan explore their sexuality with each other while trying to act like what they have is just a temporary situation. But both their hearts are becoming involved with the act that they are trying to play and trying to solve the mystery of who is sabotaging the royal family.  There was a couple that we did meet that are having marriage problems....would love to see their story for sure!!

There is so much unexpected emotion that I didn't expect and I swear that Alyssa Cole does this on PURPOSE!! I swear she breaks my heart each and every time I pick up one of her books, but in a positive way. I love how much these two are in tune with each other, the ways they bring out the best in each other and always help each other become better. There is so much intimate growth in their relationship that we see happen and this is a delightful development that we see happen between Johan and Nya. I adored every single moment of this novel and was so sad to see it end because I fell head over heels in love with Johan and Nya.

Overall I found A Prince on Paper a delightful fairy tale of true love in the least expected moments, a story of hidden emotion, secret courage and plenty of amusing antics to delight you from head to toe!! A SPARKLING GEM!







 

Sinfully Ever After is the second book in this series, and the first book I have ever read from this author. Now some of you may wonder why I gave it a lower rating, well I wish I could say that I fell in love with this one, but frankly I had a hard time keeping up with this one. Now I will say that there were some aspects I really enjoyed, but the consistency was way off, and had a hard time keeping focus on the story. The beginning started out good, in my mind at the time, I was excited, thinking this story would capture me completely, until I met the heroine and I didn't like her very well. I really had a tough time with her character, mostly because she treats Luke horribly. When they first meet, they cross words and Rebecca comes to Luke with good intentions, wanting him to save her brother's foolhardy action, and Rebecca ends up owing Luke a kiss, now skip ahead five years. Rebecca is twenty too years old, and Luke is thirty seven. This is a bit of a may and december romance. They are about fifteen years apart. Now for some of us that may seem like a huge distance, but not really. If you look at the time period, these type of marriage were very common. My own grandmother had a thirteen year distance with my grandfather. So it is more realistic than we think.

The story is about Luke coming home after being thought dead by his brother, having made his own way in the world, fought in the war, and has come back with a injured leg and a faithful companion of a dog who never leaves his side. When he comes to his home, to his brother, and to the daughter he has never known, he meets up with Rebecca, a lovely mature woman who is still unmarried, and owes him a kiss. The moment they kiss, his life changes, but Rebecca has high expectations from a man, and the last thing she wants is a rake. When Luke finds that he feels a pull to Rebecca, he endeavors to change his behavior and show her that he can be a true gentleman...well Rebecca is more stubborn than a mule. Rebbeca is very picky, and knows exactly what she wants. She is already being courted by another man that fits every bill, except he doesn't keep her up at night dreaming of his kisses, or the desire he stirs in her.

What I liked was the way this story was so lighthearted and full of wit and humor. I can almost imagine that Jayne Fresina has a great sense of humor, because you can see it come through in the story and the writing style. What I didn't feel in this story, was the connection between Rebecca and Luke, at least not fully. At times I felt it, but it was a bit scattered throughout the book, and at times I had a difficult time keeping up with it, and the flow felt a bit off. I enjoyed the set up, and some of the scenes were quite engaging and fun. I loved the sense of a sweet and playful romance that comes through...but it just didn't fully come through for me. I would love to read the first book though, because I am just aching to read Luke's brothers story. Overall a enjoyable pastime in this cooler weather with a steaming cup of cocoa on hand. FUN AND PLAYFUL!!

This review was originally posted on Addicted To RomanceI received this book for free from Berkley Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Shadow Warrior is the most recent addition to the Shadow Rider series and I adored this book so much. There is something so endearing about this series and how this family loves and protects one another. This is book number four and we see some more depths of this family as we see other developments with the youngest sister "Emma" and her love interest as she battles with herself when he betrays her but their love is a forbidden love and so I am eager for her book so BADLY. Crossing my fingers it will be the next one.

Shadow Warrior begins with our hero, Vittorio Ferraro, who is the bad boy of the group. And with each of his siblings finding love he wonders if it will ever happen to him. But while in the club, he finds members of the family that are their enemies trying to kidnap an innocent woman, a woman he finds out that is his fated match, but she takes a bullet for him and Vittorio sees his chance to help his lady out, and find out if they will have what his siblings have with their spouses. But there is also a danger involving Grace. Grace, has always felt drawn to Vittorio but she has always known that their worlds are so far apart from one another. Grace grew up in foster care, but there was one boy, where they protected each other when the were both abused in a foster home. But her "brother" turned out not completely sane, and as they both got older, Grace began to fear him. And now she finds herself with the aid of the Ferraro family when her brother tried to sell her into sexual slavery to pay off her gambling debts. But with the passion and endearing love blooming between Vittorio and Grace, her brother wants the man she adores dead...

This was such a whirlwind of suspense and sensuality and boy every time I read Christine Feehan I fall in love ever more with her books. I will say that this book really shows her true power in storytelling and I think I am still in a withdrawl of sorts and been focusing on rereading my favorites from this author. I adore how she writes alpha males, they get to me every single dang time and I LOVE it. I will say that if you love alpha males, then this is definitely a must read for you. I really had a blast with this book and was so sad when it ended because this series is one of my favorites from this author. (although quite frankly I love just about every book I have read from her)

The love story that develops is sexy, passionate and has its moments of poignant emotion that is displayed throughout the story.  I really love seeing a character that grows up in foster care, especially seeing how strong and courageous she is and how she has risen above the abuse she has suffered all of these years and become such a sucess. She has worked her own career and kept her important hidden from her crazy brother even. She works with an event planner, but she is the heart and soul of the business and her business partner is more of a cover so her brother doesn't target her closest friend/business partner. We see a bit of their friendship here, not too much (I would have liked to see more of their friendship though), and I love how great they work together.

The ferraro family also endears me every time I read them and that is no different with this book here. We do plenty of drama with Eloisa (the mother) and boy with each book I begin to like her less and less. She is a piece of work,  But you see how the siblings really come together and support one another no matter what. I love seeing their loyalty and affection for one another.

This review was originally posted on Addicted To RomanceI received this book for free from Berkley Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Wolf Rain is book three in the Trinity series that is connected to the Psy Changeling series. So if you have read and loved the Psy Changeling books than I can't recommend the Trinity books enough. I was very curious about this one though and was wondering how Singh would handle the set up of this book but give me a grumpy hero and feisty heroine any day of the week and I will fall in love and Wolf Rain definitely had me feeling some feels for sure. Nalini Singh is fantastic in her writing and every book I read from her I can't recommend enough. Even though book one still remains as my personal favorite of this new series, Wolf Rain was definitely a much more enjoyable read for me than book two. And another plus for a diverse character, love seeing these mixed relationships and the dynamics were so well penned.

Wolf Rain begins with our hero, Snowdancer Lieutenant Alexei, who is going on his security rounds for the pack. Alexei has never been the same since his brother's death almost a year ago and he has never been the same. There is a place inside him cold and empty and he gets enough to survive with help from the pack. But as a changeling, he is slowly dying himself if something doesn't change. But Alexei knows what is in his future the same fate that his father and his brother suffered from....going rogue. He doesn't want to risk ever falling in love or finding his true mate because he fears what he will do to them when he himself turns rogue. What Alexei never planned on is to sense the call of a Psy in grief and pain and he finds himself drawn to the E, in a way he never imagined. What he finds is a woman trapped in a cell, mourning the death of her pet cat. 

Memory has been held prisoners by a superior Psy since she was seven years old and her mother was murdered and she was left all alone and unable to fight the man that became obsessed with her and used her at free will. She never imagined a beautiful world when she finds freedom....there is part of her that fears a world she doesn't know but there is another part of her that aches for this unique freedom and the connection that she feels to a certain grumpy wolf changeling. Memory is learning to discover her self and the powers that she is capable of and the true depths of emotion that she feels with a certain changeling who stands by her side....her protector, lover and....mate

Wolf Rain was such pure delight in every way you can imagine. Nalini Singh keeps building up this world with such clarity and with each book we get a deeper detail and I love how this author builds the plot in Wolf Rain. I was really surprised by the element of "rogue changelings" we haven't really seen this plot device much and I really enjoyed seeing how it added a certain element of tension in this story. We see the way that Alexei has separated himself from his pack for the most part. He still has to have some touch though, and only goes to those he trusts when he really needs it. But he hasn't talked to Hawke except when its absolutely necessary. We see a certain element, the strong relationships with Hawke and his lieutenants and the pain that comes from separation. We see this so well drawn into the plot without overwhelming the romance or story line. I am glad that Singh handled this with just the right touch. It really adds depth to the character of our hero and why he acts the way he does and what he is trying to overcome and the fears that are holding him at bay.

The romance between Alexei and Memory is not an easy one but in their own way, they need each other. They both have pain that they have to learn to adapt to and turn that pain into ability and power. Alexei is suffering for fear of the future, the connection he feels for Memory and the loss of his brother and friend. Memory is trying to find her own strength after being held captive for so many years and finding herself. The romance is slow building, which is what this pairing really needs. They learn about their own capabilities and strengths before the relationship between them escalates before they are ready on an emotional and mental level.

Then we have our villain and boy this one is hard to catch and get rid of but boy he really was one of my favorite villains this author has EVER created. There was something so mentally unstable about this character, what he is willing to do but this is where our heroine really comes into her true powers and find herself. Because she ends up learning her own strengths when she has to face up to her past and the horrors that he put her through.

Overall I found Wolf Rain to be a spectacular read and full of spice and vinegar. It's a story that will keep you on the edge from beginning to end. A story that is bound to give you bursts of laughter, feels of the heart and a love tale that is fiery and packed with intensity!! GET READY FOR A WILD RIDE!!





 

This review was originally posted on Addicted To RomanceI received this book for free from Sourcebooks Casablanca in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Wicked Highland Ways is the sixth and "according to the author's notes" this will be the final installment in the series and my heart is so sad in a way that we won't get more books in this series because I definitely could see more potential for other characters. But also full of excitement to see what this author has in store for us in the future. If you are new to Mary Wine, well "have you been living under a rock?" because her books are fantastic and she writes the best highlander historical romances. I love the way she builds the world building, the humor, and the fun bantering we see in each book that comes from her. Wicked Highland Ways is one of my favorites of the series and I just breezed through this book so quickly and have no regrets.

Wicked Highland Ways begins with our heroine Brenda Grant, who is on a journey to England. In order to allow her cousin to keep the woman he loved, Brenda volunteered to marry a man in England. Brenda was already married once and even though she knows that this will be a match of political gain, she would do anything for family especially her cousin. But there is one tanglement....the highland laird Bothan Gunn. Bothan has been in love with Brenda for quite a while and now he is going to fight for her. But Brenda knows that this marriage has to happen, and even though she has felt a certain chemistry with Bothan, she also knows her duty and won't sacrifice those she loves for Bothan. But when she arrives in England and in the court of the Queen, things don't go exactly how she envisioned and before she realizes it she finds herself married to Bothan Gunn when her English fiancee showed his true colors of deceit and cowardice.

But Brenda's life is about to get a bit more difficult, because a journey with Bothan Gunn won't be any daisies or roses. There is plenty of sexual tension that rises between Bothan and Brenda, but the courting of a Scottish lass that is fiery tempered is not a easy fete but Bothan is up to the challenge. He wants Brenda for his own because of her tenacity, strength and courage. He wants a woman who will challenge him and push him to new levels and that is Brenda in every way. But what he doesn't realize is in marrying Brenda, there will be other treacherous roads and he may lose the woman he loves unless he learns to be cunning and fight with every breath to keep her by his side...

I found Wicked Highland Ways to be a superb addition and a great finale to a series that has taken in some unique directions that I never expected when I started with book one. I have seen each book come out and seen the delight that romance readers have partaken in these books and loved every moment of seeing the growth of these characters and seeing Brenda get her book. Now this series I really do think needs to be read in order, there are certain plot points that are necessary or you might find yourself lost in a way. What I do recommend at least, is read book five" Between A Highlander and a Hard Place" to really get to know Brenda and the importance of her sacrifice to help out her cousin and his new wife and you will see the value of their relationship.

There was quite a bunch of delicious actions that take place in this book, but I first want to touch on the powerful chemistry that is written because WOWZERS. I am not sure I have read such intense chemistry in a historical romance in a long while, because this book gave me all the tingles down the spine. I was so drawn into their connection, and how these two just sizzle the moment that they are near each other. I was addicted to their fun bantering and they are equal matches for each other. You really see how right they are for each other. The hero wants a strong woman to stand by his side and the heroine has never had someone fight for her other than her cousin. But with her hellish previous marriage, she is wary of Bothan's intentions. She does struggle with trusting in men, but there is something she knows that she can trust in Bothan and she finds that she wants to trust in him. But there are other dangers to these two and boy I wasn't sure how they would get out of it but it did take some creativity and cunning on Bothan's part and I didn't quite expect to see this book play out the way that it does; but the last pages of the ending gave me all the feels that I have come to expect in a Mary Wine novel and I can't wait to see what is up NEXT!! Because this author knows how to write an in depth historical romance. So hold on for this thrilling adventure that will take you across the moors of Scotland, through valleys and rivers, to delicious heights of sensuality and stimulating excitment!