This review was originally posted on Addicted To RomanceI received this book for free from Forever in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Dream Maker is the first book in the newest series by Kristen Ashley "DREAM TEAM" and boy this book kicks booty and the ROCK CHICKS ARE BACK BABY!!! Boy this book was so entertaining. And I know the page count might seem daunting at times, but its a page turner so I easily flew through this easily within one day. But then I always seem to fly through her fabulous stories and I just got a kick out of this book and its definitely worth the wait on this one.
Dream Maker begins with Evie. Evie is a geek and super intelligent. She has dreams to be more than what people around her inspire her to be. Evie has the smarts to make something for herself. But until she can afford the education to get her there, she works as a stripper at "Smithie's" and she does love it even if she is different from her "dream team" a group of girls who have all suffered but do what they need to do to make it. When she meets her alpha "Mag" she knows her life will never be the same....a man that shows her the beauty of her soul and fights for her when no one else will....
Dream Maker is such a beautiful book and I loved every moment. It definitely has Kristen Ashley's stamp on it here. And I love seeing where Kristen Ashley takes us....back to the Rock Chicks and the Dream Man connections. It was so fun to see where this author brings us to and all the fun players that become involved in this story. I just can't ever get enough of these characters and what a hoot they are. As we delve into the main characters we also see hints of future books and boy I NEED those books now.
Evie was such a great character and even though I didn't like what she does to Danny at first, you understand where its coming from. The good thing about Ashley's alpha heroes is they fight back and don't give up on their women no matter what it takes. And I love seeing this hold true for Danny and Evie. He sees so much more in Evie than anyone else does. Her family is horrid and is always using her except for her baby sister and her step father, they are all so cruel to her. So you see why she has such doubts about her own worth. But with the Dream Team and Danny, she finds the strength to be more confident and fight for herself and her dreams. in our hero we find a man that is such a fighter. Evie is in danger and he will do everything he can to protect her. Danny was such a solid hero, he is a military commando, he is strong and fierce and protective. But he is the type of hero I love, the way he stands for Evie, protects her, fights for her and her dreams and has such faith in her and sets those boundaries we all need in relationships.
Overall I found Dream Maker to be a kick ass of a romance that will make you swoon, fall in love and get fighting for this pair and our introduction to the DREAM TEAM....passionate and sweet!!
Alex is the most bitter of the three brothers, even though the youngest, he is the least carefree and can be very cynical about his life. When he first married, he knew that she would never be a woman he could care about. So when she wanted a divorce, it came to no surprise to Alex. What he didn't like was having her take everything from him in the financial aspect. But then he takes a job repairing a cottage for Zoe Hoffman. Zoe was raised by her grandmother most of her life. When her mother left her and her father when she was little, her father left as well, and had her grandmother raise her. Zoe has felt like the only person to truly care for her are her closest friends and her grandmother. When she hears that her grandmother has a certain condition that is similar to all timers, only worse, she knows she would rather have her grandmother by her side, and taking care of her. So she asks for Alex's help repairing a old cottage that belongs to their family. Alex can't force himself to stop drinking for one moment, it is the only things that makes him forget the mess of his life. When a certain ghost starts haunting him and following him everywhere, he wonders if he is really crazy. The ghost has been existing for centuries, but Alex is the first mortal to see him, so he knows it is up to him to help Alex and himself as well. When Zoe first meets Alex, she knows he is the worst man for her. She knows it, and Alex knows it, but that doesn't stop the sizzling attraction that only builds the more they are near each other. But sometimes love surprises you when you least expect it.
This is one of those series I had the misfortune of reading out of order. Now I will say you can read it out of order, but I always prefer to read Kleypas' series in order if possible. I felt like Dream Lake and Rainshadow Road could probably be read at the same time, since they both occur around the same time. After reading Crystal Cove, I was a bit apprehensive about reading this one, I mean I knew I would most likely enjoy it. But I have felt with this series, it doesn't have the same spark as with her other books. However I can occasionally be wrong (I know, a impossibility right?) Well I absolutely loved this one.
It begins with seeing Alex come to Friday Harbor, and starts living with his brother Sam. It starts off with Alex first hearing of his wife desiring a divorce, and this is where he starts drinking enough alcohol to kill ya in a week. Drinking is pretty much all that he does for quite some time, until he meets Zoe. Now Zoe is the type of girl to even go for the Alex Type. She wants love, devotion and passion. Alex knows that Zoe is one the most beautiful women he has ever laid his eyes on, but he feels he would just ruin her goodness. So he endeavors to try to stay as far from her as he possibly can. Well Zoe is a bit stubborn and she knows that even though nothing real could come from a relationship with Alex, she has never felt such a strong connection with anyone. Then we have the ghost enter the scene. He first is at Sam's house, but when he notices Alex he is able to go where he goes, and Alex for some odd reason can see this ghost, when no one else can. Alex knows that he and Zoe are as different as oil and water, but he can't deny his attraction to her, and at first its just sex to him. But as he truly see Zoe for who she really is, he starts to soften, and desires the whole kit and caboodle---love, passion, marriage and a family.
I found Alex to be the normal type of hero that Kleypas has in her books-at least for the most part. He is a bit self destructive, way too cynical, especially for Zoe--who is beyond sweet and gentle. Not his type, but opposites do attract. These two may be so different from each other, but they are attracted to each other like a moth to flame. Zoe is tender hearted and vulnerable at times, but I liked seeing these two interact, and how Alex doesn't take advantage of her( even though you kinda expect him to at some point). There are so many small layers to this couple, and as you get further into the book, you scrape more through the layers, and there is so much depth at times.
I found Dream Lake to be a truly wonderful and fully satisfying read, that when you are finished (you have the kind of feeling of "Well Done"). I truly admired this couple, and all the hurdles they had to cross, and there were a surprise here and there, that keeps the reader on their toes. There is no predictable situations, its all written in a certain way, it holds your attention from the beginning. Deep emotions, sweet magical story, and richly developed that its better than a box of chocolates. (And I am a lover of chocolate) Full of witty humor, a riveting story, purely enchanting!!!
Favorite Quotes "All you need to know is that I don't make love to women, I use them. To you, sex is about kindness, honesty, commitment...well, I don't bring any of that to bed. If you're as smart as I think you are, you'll believe that." "I do," Zoe said promptly "Really?" "Yes." But after a long hesitation, Zoe's gaze dropped and the corners of her mouth quirked. "No," she admitted, "I really don't." "Damn it, Zoe--" He broke off in frustration , all the more provoked because she was trying not to smile, as if she thought him as some big pussycat trying to pose as a tiger. The hint of amusement flitting across her lips drove him crazy. Before he knew what he was doing, he crushed his mouth over hers, holding her head so she couldn't jerk back. She tasted like lavender sugar. Sweet, dark-flowering kisses, opening in a way that focused all his senses on this one moment, this one blinding perception of pleasure. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Because one day of something wonderful is better than a forever of nothing special.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “I know. But I hate weddings.” “Because of Darcy?” “Because a wedding is a ceremony where a symbolic virgin surrounded by women in ugly dresses marries a hungover groom accompanied by friends he hasn’t seen in years but made them show up anyway. After that, there’s a reception where the guests are held hostage for two hours with nothing to eat except lukewarm chicken winglets or those weird coated almonds, and the DJ tries to brainwash everyone into doing the electric slide and the Macarena, which some drunk idiots always go for. The only good part about a wedding is the free booze.” “Can you say that again?” Sam asked. “Because I might want to write it down and use it as part of my speech.”
Jake Silver is a artist, and as the middle brother and a alpha in his own right, knows when a woman is in trouble and when that woman intrigues him and piques the curiosity of his wolf side. When he sees Alicia for the first time, he is fascinated, and follows her into a fancy restaurant, needing to just get a closer look. When she gets into trouble, he comes in to save the day, not realizing that Alicia is on a mission of her own...justice for her mother's death. Alicia adored her mother, and when she started dating a member of the mob, Alicia knew it would only end in heartache, not realizing it would end up in the death of her mother and her boyfriend. Now she knows that they are after her, and now having a job as a bounty hunter, she knows that all she wants is those involved in the murder of her mother, belong behind bars, and she needs to be the one to get them there. But when she meets Jake, and they share some wonderful hours together, he is the one regret she has. She knows that they can't ever have a future, even though he has made believe that there is good in this world still. Then Jake finds her again, and refuses to let her run away, and convinces her to stay by his side as his mate, and fight for a future together...
Dreaming Of The Wolf is a book I have been waiting to read. After reading the first book, and recently I just read the third book of the other two brothers, I was super excited when I saw this one just sitting on the library shelf waiting for me to read it! :) For the past few years I have become addicted To Terry Spear to her wolf shifter series to her Jaguar books. But I will say that having this series with these three brothers just might be my favorite part of this series. All three brothers are triplets, (their poor mama), and so when they find their mates, they will have triplets of their own. When I read the first Book-Darien who is alpha of the Silver pack, I was hooked. His book was one of the first books I read from this author, and oh boy did I love that alpha. So after all this time I couldn't wait to get my claws into Dreaming Of The Wolf. Another theme from these three books, is that each of these brothers will find their mates through dream mating.
Now in the beginning of the story there isn't any dream mating between Jake and Alicia, because at first Alicia isn't a wolf...yet. Through a turn of events she does get turned (but I refuse to divulge that secret...you will just have to read this one to figure it out) and then they start dream mating. This is the period where they become separated for a period of time. When danger looms closer to Alicia, she somehow finds herself traveling towards her mate...Jake without even fully realizing it. Her wolf is leading her there. Alicia handles being a wolf shifter pretty well, and some of the circumstances where she feels the urge to shift are pretty comical. I love how creative the author gets with those scenes.
It was also fun seeing the involvement of the other members of the pack in this installment. Its always fun to see Darien and Lelandi, and of course good ole' Sam. There is also quite a high level of drama and suspense and mystery. I love solving a good mystery, so when the author mixes that in with the plot, well I am even more hooked in the story. I just couldn't get enough of this book, and I just didn't want it to end...but then I did...I wanted to see how Alicia and Jake get their HEA. The heat in the story is pretty sexy and HOT!! Not enough to get burned, but just enough to satisfy any romantic reader. Their connection is pretty fierce from the beginning, and they definitely have some heated scenes that really will put tingles down your spine and curl your toes. There was such unique dynamics that were played out in the story that leaves the reader feeling breathless and satisfied by the end!! Get ready for a story that keep you wolfing for more!! AN ENGAGING WILD RIDE!!
Driving Whiskey Wild is the third book in the Whiskey family series and this was a fun one. Even though it did take a while to really get invested in the story, I had a fun time with this pairing and seeing Bullet get his story and what a ride it turned out to be. The more and more I read Melissa Foster, the more I am becoming hooked on her work. And even though this wasn't the biggest page turner in the genre, I still had a fun time with it.
Don’t go after your sweetheart with your brawn, baby. Go after her with your heart. That’s the biggest and best thing that sets you apart from every other tough guy out there.
Driving Whiskey Wild is when Bullet caves to his sister that the bar needs a rehaul so they hire a new resident of the area, an expert and owner of her own catering business....Finlay Wilson. Bullet is tough, ex military and an alpha badass biker who doesn't talk much but has a infinite love for his puppy. But when Finlay arrives, gentle and kind with some hidden fire beneath her boots, Bullet falls hard for her. She is an angel and he doesn't deserve her. But when Bullet makes his move, Finlay is ready to take on this big brawn of a man that has so much toughness but as much vulnerability and wants to dig into those deep layers of Bullet. The more layers that are revealed, the more Bullet and Finlay fight for each other.
Go out with me, lollipop. You don’t have to be a biker girl. Just be my girl.
There are so many depths to Wild Whiskey Wild and I love seeing these hidden depths to characters and we get the reasoning on why Bullet is such a silent soul. There were some serious moments balanced with some laugh out loud moments. Finlay knows NOTHING of biker clubs and so she has to learn the hard way about the culture at times and boy it was hilarious at times especially upon her learning what "church" is .....probably one of the best scenes. Finlay might be ignorant at times of club culture, but she is a fast learner and takes it all in stride. She sticks with Bullet through it all even seeing how overwhelming it is for her seeing as its such a different life than she ever realized. I love that she does accept Bullet for who he is and loves him fiercely.
Surviving and living, being happy, are two totally different things.
Wild Whiskey Wild is a passionate love story that shows the beauty of opposites attract and how an angel and a biker can find their way to their HEA in such a sweet pivotal way......
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.
This author is utterly delightful and I felt so blessed to be able to watch this story unfold and the way that she has dealt with this series has been so inspiring and beautiful to watch. I am in love with this family here in the “Sins For All Seasons” series. In this book we get Aiden’s book and I was really excited for it, and even though at times these books haven’t quite lived up to my expectations, they are solid romances that I have had a blast reading.
In “The Duchess In His Bed” we have a forbidden romance that forms between Aiden and Selena. Selena is the Duchess of Lushing, her husband has just passed away. And without a heir she will lose everything including providing for her sisters who still need to come out in society. So her brother convinces her she needs to get pregnant. So when she hears of a “ladies” club she realizes its the perfect place to find a man to aid her in getting pregnant and she comes across Aiden Trewlove who is the owner of the club. There is a strong connection between them from the beginning, and she knows she wants him but as they explore their sexual desires with each other, But as they explore, there is also something more building between them, an emotional intimacy that neither of them expected. But when the truth comes out about Selena’s true plans, Aiden has a difficult choice to make. Because a match between them would be impossible and he would have to take a backseat in his child’s life. But will Selena allow herself to make the decision to protect and see to her family’s best interests…..or do the right thing for herself and Aiden?
All it required of him was a few nights of being lost in mad, passionate lovemaking – not a hardship at all – And then walking away, never, ever, to look back.
This book was truly such a heartbreaking read at times, and I will admit I definitely was on Aiden’s side more in this book. I really struggled at times with this heroine, her “plot” I just couldn’t be okay with in any stretch of the imagination. I did understand the reasons behind her decision of course, and maybe I would have done the same thing if I lived back then and I was responsible for my family but at the same time I felt like there were other options for her. But this is the way the author wanted it written, and I could see why. But I really felt for Aiden in this story and the way he is being used in this story just broke me at times. The heroine is honestly the main reason the rating is as low as it is. I just couldn’t ever be fully on board with her and her decisions.
But what we do is how she changes, and how she wrestles with her decision throughout the whole book and did appreciate seeing more of the Trewlove family and the complex issues with Aiden’s father and he finally got what he deserved in the end. (If you are curious about his birth father, read previous books and you can understand much more) but we see him meet with his real birth mother and it was so heart wrenching seeing them connect. But we also see a character get added in and I wouldn’t mind if Lorraine Heath added his story into the series because I really liked the half brother he discovers and it also centers some of the story around Aiden and his past and finding some healing with it. We also get lucky in seeing glimpses of what the next book will be and I am really excited for that
Overall I found The Duchess In His Bed to be a emotionally packed installment that delivers in the ways you expect from this author, its a tale of difficult choices, emotional inner turmoil, character refining moments and true delights.
