ARC received via Netgalley for an honest review.

I am not a HUGE paranormal reader, and am pretty picky about what I do choose to read, but Gena Showalter is right at the top of my go-to list for this genre.

It is so hard to make a novella feel complete and not rushed, but that is exactly what she did with Temptation in Shadows. The story felt just right, I didn't feel that I was missing anything because backgrounds were skipped etc.

Gabby and Sean both have a little something extra going on with their lives, and is what brings them together. I loved the attraction between the pair. You just know if/when they get together it is going to be explosive - and it is! Everyone has secrets, no one is who they say they are, there is mystery and intrigue in every page.

I sure hope this is the start of a new series (even though this has been previously released) , as I need to know more about the Rose Briar people!

I was gifted a copy for an honest review.

Firstly, let me say that I am NOT a sci-fi reader - at all - but I really enjoyed Fall.

It took me a little while to get my head around who all the players were, but once I did this story moved full steam ahead!

This novella is pretty action packed, and though it is a short story, it packs quite a punch.

Braita (I am probably pronouncing her name and plenty of others wrong in my head) is a strong, feisty woman who you definitely would not want to cross! The men in her life - hmmm undecided about them at this stage.

Ms Dawn is one of the few paranormal writers that I read, and this is the first sci-fi kind of story of hers that I have read, but I am completely invested in this story now, and need to know what happens next.

Copy received from Riverdale Avenue Books via Netgalley for an honest review.

The Hot Streak is a sweet, enjoyable quick read that I got in and read in one sitting.

Casey is the normal, everyday woman, Tyler the superstar sportsman. You kind of know how the story is going to go, but it was a fun ride getting there. At first I didn't really feel the chemistry between Casey and Tyler - maybe if we had gotten to read the part where they initially met, not later that day?, I might have felt it more.

But after about the firt 20%, the chemistry, sexual tension, lust was off the charts, and I really got into their relationship. It did feel a little rushed though (probably to do with the bit about coming in after they met), but this is all part and parcel of a short book I guess. And the resolution of things at the end seemed super quick, then bam - the book ended. But this might just be me?

I could completely understand Casey's hesitance to get involved with someone in the public eye, but could also feel her pull towards Tyler. Oh, and I want a job like hers where she could take off at the drop of a hat for a few days, do it every week and still have a job lol!!

I admit I don't know much about baseball (it is not a huge sport here in Australia) but I didn't feel overwhelmed with "sports stuff".

This was the first book by Ms Tan that I have read, and would likely read more in the future.

It's been a while since I have read a Myron Bolitar story, but fees I just love this series.

Love Myron and Win, and this one had a few more twists and turns than earlier books.

ARC received via Simon and Schuster UK for an honest review

I have been impatiently waiting for Ugly Love to be released, green with envy of the people who had received and advanced copy, so when presented with the opportunity to read my own ARC copy, I may have done a huuuge happy dance (though there is no evidence of such dance, so that means it didn't really happen!!)

Colleen Hoover is a master of the emotional read. Every book I have read of hers so far (and I admit I haven't got to all of them yet!) has left me an emotional wreck.

And Ugly Love is not exception.

From the first minute you meet Miles Archer you just know that he is going to break your heart one minute and make you swoon the next.


And he sure as hell does that.

When Tate Collins moves in with her brother, she didn't expect her life to change as dramatically as it does when she meets the beautiful blue-eyes stranger outside her brother's apartment. As annoyed she is with him, she is intrigued.

Miles is a complex, complex man. Beautiful smiles hide a broken man. Emotionally shut down, he can't help but be attracted to his best friend Corbin's sister. His mood swings are enough to give a girl whiplash. There is a strong attraction between Miles and Tate, but as much as they don't want the attraction, they can't fight it.



“It’s not that I don’t like you, Tate… I just don’t want to like you. I don’t want to like anyone. I don’t want to date anyone. I don’t want to love anyone.”


Ugly Love is told in dual POV’s and also in past and present tense. As the story from Miles' past gets told, his present begins to make more and more sense. While I was reading the past tense, I was nervous. I needed to know what happened, but I was dreading it at the same time. I had a ball of tension in my stomach every time it switched to past tense.
And boy, it does make us understand the man Miles has become, and why he is so shut off to love.


Tate is such a strong woman to put herself through what she does for Miles.

“I’m so screwed. Everything he says should send me running, but instead it makes me want to wrap my arms around him and give him whatever it is he’s willing to take from me. I’m lying to him, and I’m lying to myself, and I’m not doing either of us any good”

She is fighting a battle between her head and her heart and neither of them seems to be winning. My heart was always being ripped apart, only to be put back together and ripped apart again.

The first 75% of the books seemed to be the same thing - let's be friends, sex, push her away, let's be friends. Lather, rinse, repeat. I wanted to slap Miles for being such a douche to Tate, and slap Tate for putting up with his BS But OMG the last 25% of the book really ramped things up and brought on the tears.

There are some great secondary characters. Love Tate's brother Corbin, even with all his hypocritical big brother posturing! And their friend Ian, I would have liked more about Miles and Ian's friendship.

And then there is Cap - the elevator operator at the apartments. He is the Yoda of this story, with all his wisdom and seemingly unrelated, out of place comments all falling into place later.

"You ever heard that expression, 'When life gives you lemons...?'"
"Make lemonade," I say, finishing his quote.
Cap looks at me and shakes his head. "That's not how is goes," he says. "When life gives you lemons, make sure you know whose eyes you need to squeeze them in."

Sage words, Cap!

Ms Hoover has done it again, left me an emotional wreck at 2am after reading her stories. Can't wait for the next one!

After reading the previous books in the Connected series, I was not too sure if I was that keen on reading Ben Covington’s story – not so much because of what he did when he went away, as a difficult as it was, I could understand it, but more so because of the way he acted when he returned, and tried to ruin Dahlia’s happiness – again.

But I was wrong. So, so wrong.

Ben's story was heartbreaking from the get go. He has done things in the past that have hurt not just Dahlia but his family and friends also, and he is beating himself up about them pretty badly. He is struggling to forgive himself, especially for how much he hurt Dahlia, and my heart broke for him over and over again.

"I had thought I would not only be her first, but also her lat. And now hearing she's going to be marry another guy has torn my heart apart."

I loved that, as hard as it was to read, that we got more of what happened that night with Ben and S'Belle. The attraction between them in that one night makes you kind of think that yeah, maybe Ben and Dahlia weren't meant to be together afterall. I mean, she had to have something to tempt him to cheat right? I know that is no excuse, but look where it eventually got Dahlia.

I felt so much for Bell. As much as she was drawn to Ben, she kept away because of Dahlia and River's relationship. She was conflicted with her loyalties to herself and to her family.

I also loved the fact that Ben and Dahlia are finally starting to put their relationship back together. So hard to forgive what has happened, but harder to lose your best friend over it. I hope we get more of them repairing what looked to be so destroyed.

We did not get much of present day Bell in this novella, but boy what we did get was pretty explosive. Even though more than once through this series I have felt that neither Ben nor Bell really deserved their HEA after the way they treated people, I am curious to see how this all plays out. Am still not convinced either of them can get past their own selfishness to make a real go of a relationship?

So Ms Karr, I am impatiently waiting for Frayed to see how this all plays out.

       

My First, My Last is a sweet story about reunited love, second chance love.

20 years ago Mia and Adrian had a beautiful love. Young love. First Love. But that love didn't go the distance, and they lost contact.

Mia is now a divorced mum of 2, struggling to deal with her husband's infidelity and raising two young ones. But in her heart, there has only ever really been one man, Adrian.

When Adrian comes back into her life, her head and her heart are thrown into turmoil. I really liked Adrian. Through all the years, all the distance, all their separation, Mia has always been the "one that got away" and he has come back to remedy this situation.


I loved how Mia and Adrian fell straight back into that easy relationship together, even though so much water has passed under the bridge. They are obviously soul mates, and their hearts know that they should be together.

But boy, did Adrian have the patience of a saint! I know that Mia was struggling with what has happened in the past couple of years, but geees Louise!! I am not sure how he didn't give up and just walk away!

It frustrated me that Mia always seemed to put her cheating douche of an ex-husband Dan before anyone else. Gah!! He lost that privilege when he couldn't keep it in his pants in my opinion. A big chunk of the story revolved around Mia's indecisiveness and confused emotions, and I just wanted to slap her to tell her to wake up to herself!

But when they get to some sexy times - phew off the charts hot! Everything but the two of them is forgotten and all is right in the world.

So does Mia get her act together? Do Mia and Adrian ride off into the sunset and get their HEA?

Uh uh, for that you are going to have to read this for yourself.

There were some great secondary characters in this book. Loved Mia's kids, they are so young but so wise, and whereas they could have been whiney kids after watching their parents separate, they seemed quite balanced and sensible.

Then there is the ones I couldn't stand. Don't get me started on Dan and the way he acts all concerned about his family and his "wife" after the way he treated them. And then there is Amanda.



If you are after a sweet modern romance, then give My First, My Last a go.

After becoming engaged in Paris, things are all supposed to be great for our darlings, aren't they. But as we have read the Inside Out series, we know that things are never that easy for Chris and Sara.

There are still so many hurdles for the pair to overcome - Chris's dark thoughts, Mark's pulling away from the running of the gallery, the troubles Ava has caused, Rebecca's murder.

We are finally starting to get somewhere with the whole missing Rebecca Mason story too. Is Ava (the psycho hose beast!) the murderer? Was Mark kill her? Was Chris involved?

Nuh uh, am not going to tell you, but we are close to finding things out!!

I loved how through all the troubles, Sara and Chris are still strong, and growing closer and stronger every day. There are so many things and people that are trying to destroy them and it is heartwarming to see them gain strength through each other.

There are a few blasts from the past who make an appearance, people we haven't seen for a while. I love love loved that we got more of Katie and Mike, Chris' godparents. They are only minor players in the story, but they play such a big part in Chris's life, and I hope we hear more from them as the story continues.

My heart breaks for Mark in No In Between. He has been put through the wringer with the whole Rebecca situation, along with what is currently happening with his family (if you have read My Hunger you will know what this is all about). Even though he is an arrogant, rude, crude arse most of the time, you can feel the hurt behind his words. I just hope that Crystal can bring the old Mark back - even if, yes, he was still an arrogant arse, at least he was a happy arse!

Can't wait for the next novella in Mark and Crystal's story, My Control