I absolutely adored Blood Lands and adored this one but to be honest its not my favorite just because I really didn't want them back in the prison AGAIN like I already when through the stress and angst in book one. Now I didn't hate it, but I do wish it had been done a bit differently to be honest. In this installment, it was definitely more intense though. And I read through it so quickly and that ENDING, I swear this author is going to kill me with these cliffhangers haha but we have the final book coming up and I know that book has a HEA so I am very excited for that. 

 Bad Lands is the 4th installment in the series and this book completely blew me away! I don't want to say too much as I don't want to spoil too much for this one. But it was intense, full of action, and very plot-driven, I loved seeing what brings the couple back together, and that ENDING, I am not sure how I feel about it. It kinda feels like similar to book one but I will save my doubts on that until I read book five, but even if it is then I will probably be okay with it as its addictive. I do apologize for the short review folks. 

 Dating The Duke is the second book in the "Aristocrat Diaries" series and I had so much fun with this one. I definitely enjoyed this one a lot more than book one and the ending was so magical and was a true HEA. Its definitely not what we got in book one. (hint book one's ending was the only reason I didn't five star it). I am falling in love with Emma Hart and her writing style, and this series has been such a blast. I started out with the audio but then switched to the ebook and I really liked it better.

Dating the Duke is a mix of forbidden romance and forced proximity. The heroine is hired on as a summer nanny of sorts, to the hero's daughter who is autistic. There is such a quick bond that is formed as she gets settled into her role with the family and how she develops ways to help this autistic girl. There is a sense of forbidden, as she works for the Duke, but there is powerful chemistry between them and they keep what they have a secret.

I really had a blast seeing this author explore a forbidden feel to the relationship, and it didn't have an "icky" feeling to this story at all with the power dynamic. You can see how the hero is really trying to be professional about it. I felt like Emma Hart really handled these elements so well here. I really loved the way that they interacted with each other. I also enjoyed that the chemistry was slowly built concerning the circumstances surrounding their relationship. Although what do I know? I never have issues with the power dynamics like this. I adored the connections with the daughter, she was so adorable and how the heroine helps her in learning to read on a kindle was adorbs! The romance was so heartfelt and once their relationship kicked off, I was so on board. And honestly the ending was so beautiful and satisfying and is what bumped this book to a 4.5 star rating for me.

Overall I had a blast with Dating the Duke and I can't wait for the final installment in the trilogy! 

 Smoke and Steel is the second installment in the Wild West MC series. This is a long-awaited novel that KA fans have been eagerly anticipating since "Still Standing" was released a couple of years ago. I was really drawn into the cover, and due to that I had certain expectations on what would be experienced within this novel, and unfortunately, while I enjoyed the story as a whole, it didn't meet up to what I expected at all. But it was still a solid novel and had hints of classic KA but wasn't fully immersed in her style of writing that has been so well loved over the years.

Smoke and Steel is a story that is an instant love attraction and it's pretty much a rebound relationship. I was a bit confused about why the heroine broke up with her boyfriend, it seemed like first impression-wise that she was more concerned about recycling than having a relationship with him. And yes the author does push her own agenda in this book as she sometimes does, I almost felt like I was in a lecture hall for the environment. But I have come to expect that from some of her more recently released books. While this was to be an MC romance and a big redemption story it definitely didn't feel like it in some ways. I loved the cover that was chosen, but this is not DARK at all, not even close. It didn't even have her typical MC vibes to the story. Yes, the hero is part of the Redemption club, and yes years previous they had done some wrongs, but have been redeeming themselves. There was a focus on healing and working on redeeming themselves in the later half of the story which I liked. However, what I didn't like was the focus was more on other clubs and not the Redemption MC. We also get lots of cinnamon rolls in this book. The hero is NOT an alpha in my book, maybe a bit in the bedroom, but even in the bedroom, the heroine seemed to be more alpha than the hero at times. Now I don't mind a good cinnamon roll, but not with KA. I come to KA to read her alpha males. My theory is that she overcompensated for the backlash she received on "Still Standing". If you are looking for a story with the "classic KA" vibe, this book isn't it. It felt more like her "Rain " series only with MC characters and these MC characters are tamer than a kitten haha. So I would say know what you are getting into with this one here and lower your expectation and you will enjoy it more than I did.

Now I did enjoy seeing some side characters from previous books, and it was quite fun seeing their interactions with our current cast of characters in this book. I did enjoy the emotional undertones in the story and the way that the hero is so tortured and is working on redeeming himself and coming to terms with his past. There is some solid character growth in this one that was endearing at times. I did like some aspects of the relationship itself, but honestly, it felt a bit lackluster in some ways. It wasn't as satisfying as I was expecting it to be.

Overall, while it had its issues that I struggled with and my expectation were higher than it should have been, it was still a solid win of a story and I think contemporary romance fans will enjoy this one here. But fans of classic KA style, might feel a bit of a disappointment with it. Very curious to see where she plans on taking the series and I will be along for the ride. 

 Fire In His Spirit was such a solid installment, it was a bit more confusing and the relationship was different than I was expecting, but it was still enjoyable and I had a fun time with the world building. The couples spends less time mind communicating than what we see in previous books, like it didn't happen until the very end and I felt like this got dragged out a bit too much. I did enjoy the overall serial plot and it was interesting that the hero kept forgetting things haha but I really enjoyed reading this one as a narration. These books are always so well done with the narrators that are chosen. I am very curious to see what will happen in future books in pertaining to the plot of the series as a whole. Its definitely getting more intense here and loved the mystery vibes behind this one. 

 Resting Scrooge Face was such a delightful Christmas novella and it delivered on all of the laughs. For me, Meghan Quinn writes the best rom com's haha they are so entertaining and fun but with a good level of plot, emotion and romance building. There is a second chance trope as well as writing letters and mysterious identities. Meghan Quinn writes this element so well and love seeing it in her books. This book had such a sexy Hallmark feel to the story. So if you love Hallmark movies, then this is a definite must-read! 

 This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.


First Impressions
You Can Run is the 2nd installment in the “Laurel Snow” series and it was just released this past week which is so exciting. This book is perfect for readers that love romantic thrillers or want to explore the genre a bit more but are still romance readers. Now I will say that the romance does most definitely take a back seat, but its present. I have a feeling we will be seeing their relationship slowly build throughout the series and its done well and boy does Zanetti know how to write a good sex scene. She really implements some well done plot growth on this one and a bit of a alpha male for our hero so what’s not to love. And as a bonus, this is the perfect book to read for this time of year, it has such a strong winter theme to it that I just gravitated towards.

Summary
Our story starts off with a woman being raped and visciously murdered in the snow. Laurel is the head FBI agent on the case, and has heard from Huck in quite some time as he stopped connected with her, but now she is forced to work with him on this serial murder case and tensions between them are high as they work are solving the case while also determining where their relationship stands between them. Laurel is also having to face unresolved issues with her step sister who could either be a target or even the killer herself. There is a connection to some kids involved and women keep getting targeted in the depth of winter.

What I Loved
I just loved so many aspects to this story, it was so intriguing to seeing how this all worked together and how the story was gradually built. I was instantly pulled into the story and I was so happy to be back to this delightful story with Laurel and Huck. And man these two need to just have talks more haha and there is WALL SEX. Zanetti doesn’t shirk on the sensuality of her writing even in a romantic thriller and I really adored that. We still feel the deep tones of chemistry between the pair as they work on solving the investigation. We see more hints at the secrets of how Laurel’s mind works and I really loved seeing that.

What I Struggled With
There wasn’t much that I struggled with, I would have liked just a bit more focus on the relationship builing between Huck and Laurel.

Overall View
I found You Can Run to be a thrilling addition to the series, that offers a plot building of intensity, dramatic relationship interactions and a snowy small town setting to draw you into its charm, UTTERLY A WIN!
 

 First Impressions
Recovery Road is the eighth installment in the “Torpedo Ink” series and this is “Master”‘s story. I was so excited to get to his story, he is such a man of mystery and throughout the series, I have been wanting to get his character explored more and more. The setup of the romance was definitely my cup of tea, I have always loved seeing the marriage of convenience and I rarely see this in an MC romance, so I was so happy to see how it was done and the ways in which it played out. There is such strength in both characters as they come together and they are just right for each other in the ways that they balance each other out. Christine Feehan definitely delivered on this one and I was so happy that it was done just like this. And I would say it’s also one of my top favorites of the series, Feehan really has outdone herself on this gem.

Summary
Recovery Road begins with our hero, Kir or also known as “Master” Vasiliev who is at his breaking point. He has sacrificed so much for Czar and the club. He has been used in his mind in getting information and using his prison record to get him to get information. But after his recent visit, he knows he can’t do this ever again, even if it means walking away from the only family he has ever known. But then information is received that a young woman is being manipulated, her parents are being murdered in front of her, and the only way to protect her is for one of them to marry her in a marriage of convenience. Master senses that there is something special about this woman and is the first one to volunteer. When Ambrielle, sees her parents murdered in front of her to gain access to their money, and she is kidnapped. She doesn’t know how she will survive but is determined to get justice for what happened to her parents. When she is rescued by Master, she realizes that she will have to marry him to protect her family’s interests, she senses the strong connection between the two and is willing to do whatever it takes. As Master and Ambrielle go on this journey, their bond will only grow but will Ambrielle get the justice she needs for her parents, and will she and Master be able to build a partnership of respect and love?

What I Loved
There was so much to truly be endeared by this story. I just couldn’t seem to get enough of these two and all that they endured. There is so much strength in both of the characters and seeing the way that they build their relationship was so beautiful. I have to say that I was immediately drawn into this story and my heart immediately broke for Master and what he is struggling with. And you see that he is at his breaking point. And then you know what is to happen with the heroine and seeing the way she loses her loving parents was so heartwrenching. I just felt so deeply for both characters but the way in which they come together and are so willing to work on their marriage was so endearing. I loved how mature both characters are, and not petty or selfish in any way. They just see what needs to be done, and embrace what they can have together. It felt so refreshing to see a couple willing to work hard at what they have and see it as an opportunity and blessing. I truly fell hard for both characters and they had such strength and tenacity in what needed to be done. The MC really bonds with the heroine and I loved that they didn’t put her through the wringer of tests, haha I also liked that the heroine battled for the hero even against the club to make sure he was being treated fairly and honestly. She just rocked my world in so many ways. There was such a healthy portrayal of the relationship and such GREAT communication. Like can we have this be a trend in more romances these days? haha, I honestly had such a fun time with this story and was unable to put this one down. Feehan did wonders with this one and I am so happy with how it was written and ended up being a fully satisfying read.

What I Struggled With
I honestly didn’t really struggle with anything on this one, it was such a well-done romance

Overall View
I found Recovery Road to be a tantalizing read from beginning to end. It’s a story that will endear you to the characters, embrace a healthy relationship that is so captivating, balanced out with lots of laugh and family connection, and deliver in every way a heart-melting experience that each reader can embrace! 

 Holiday With You is the first book in the "Winter Valley" series and I will admit that this one totally shocked me! I couldn't believe a freebie was such a good one and honestly a easy 4.5 star read! It was super atmospheric and everything that I could have hoped for in a romance. I will say that this story was easily so captivating and I just wanted more from it. If any of you have ever watched John Denver's "Christmas Gift", then I can't recommend this one enough. It was like a reverse of that movie almost. The story was so wonderful and the romance was purely magical. All the family characters that come into play were so heartwarming and I am hoping that they will have books. I absolutely loved everything about this story and if you are looking for a wonderful Christmas romance, then this MUST be on your TBR for this December.

Holiday With You is a guaranteed romance that will knock your socks off and leave you wanting more! An easy to read, immediately captivating and beautiful emotions portrayed that will capture the heart of every reader! 

Tycoon is the first installment in the Manhattan series. I have been wanting to read through this author's backlist as she is one of my favorite authors. Tycoon was such a delightful listen and I truly loved the narrators that were chosen for this book and I mean yeah it has Sebastian York so  you just know that it will be a win. I had the most challenging time rating this one here, mostly because its more than 4 star but not a 5 star so I bumped it to a 4.5 star. I had so much love for this story and Katy Evan's delivered in every way. 

The story starts out with our heroine who needs financial backing for her project. Her family's business was lost at her fingertips but she knows that she can make her dream come true. And there is one man in New York that can help her but it ends up being a man she let go of. As Aaric and Bryn start to reconnect with each other and rebuild their relationship and trust and learning to balance business and their personal lives, an unexpected happening will push the boundaries of trust and they will need to learn to trust in each other. 

I absolutely adored Tycoon and this whole romance was so precious. I had such a blast with their sexy bantering and the chemistry was off the charts! I absolutely adored seeing the way in which these two came together. We also see the way in which they balance out their personal lives with their professional ones. It made for some amazing smexy times I can tell you. I also respected how much these two came together and the moments in which they drew together and reconnected. Now was I shocked by the third act conflict and break up ....haha NOPE! But I still enjoyed it and the manner in which Katy Evans built up the conflict. 

Overall I found Tycoon to be a delectable read that drew me so completely into the story in every way! I absolutely loved the ways that the romance was built and the foundations of its growth!