The Cowboy was novella length but still managed to fit in a lot of fun and emotion into a smaller book. It wasn’t an overly deep story but it was entertaining and sweet, just what I wanted in a short contemporary romance. Some might complain about the Aussie stereotypes or clichéd language, but I found it cute.

Full review available at https://romanticreadsandsuch.wordpress.com/2015/02/04/book-review-the-cowboy/

(Complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review)

Merged review:

The Cowboy was novella length but still managed to fit in a lot of fun and emotion into a smaller book. It wasn’t an overly deep story but it was entertaining and sweet, just what I wanted in a short contemporary romance. Some might complain about the Aussie stereotypes or clichéd language, but I found it cute.

Full review available at https://romanticreadsandsuch.wordpress.com/2015/02/04/book-review-the-cowboy/

(Complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review)

4.5*s

I'll admit, I wasn't sure how much I was going to feel about this one. I liked Sutton but Flynn came off a little more a*hole than alphahole but I found myself quickly warming up to him. He's gruff but he's also smart, caring, and ... good with his hands ;) Being alone together in the jungle means that Sutton & Flynn have to address the animosity that has been brewing between each other. And face some interesting truths about feelings that are at the core of their sparks. But what does it mean when they are home again? They have a lot of reasons for what happened in the jungle to stay in the jungle but they quickly find themselves struggling to keep things separate.

I'm amused at how easily their issues are resolved, because honestly it is all so obvious, but it's definitely a very real reaction to the situations they find themselves in. And as with all romances, it's not about the HEA but about the journey and theirs is sexy, funny, and fun. But what else would you expect for this author?

Foster is a must read if you like dirty talking heroes who can back it up in the bedroom ... and the living room ... and the shower ... and the sassy heroines that keep them on their toes. With this wrap up for the Steeles, she gives us hints at the possibilities of many more stories to come and I'm here for ALL of them.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

Is it wrong that my favorite character was Tyler's grandmother?  She's got grit and spunk and I definitely want her to adopt me.  That's not to say that the rest aren't good too, but I dearly love that old lady.

There aren't a lot of surprises here.  It's obvious that Bette is going to stay and that between her and Amanda, he'll have a reason to move.  And Amanda will need to face her history and address past hurts & secrets in order to be able to look to her future.  You know things are going to work out but it is getting there that Porter makes work.  

Wholesome and sweet (with a little drama to keep things hopping), Take a Chance on Me is one of those small town romances where by the end you want to move there and become friends with everyone.  

(This is the first in this series that I've read, but it didn't seem to make a difference so I think it can be read as a stand alone.)

**Review given honestly and freely after receipt of a reader copy. This opinion is completely my own and was not influenced in any way.**

Merged review:

Is it wrong that my favorite character was Tyler's grandmother?  She's got grit and spunk and I definitely want her to adopt me.  That's not to say that the rest aren't good too, but I dearly love that old lady.

There aren't a lot of surprises here.  It's obvious that Bette is going to stay and that between her and Amanda, he'll have a reason to move.  And Amanda will need to face her history and address past hurts & secrets in order to be able to look to her future.  You know things are going to work out but it is getting there that Porter makes work.  

Wholesome and sweet (with a little drama to keep things hopping), Take a Chance on Me is one of those small town romances where by the end you want to move there and become friends with everyone.  

(This is the first in this series that I've read, but it didn't seem to make a difference so I think it can be read as a stand alone.)

**Review given honestly and freely after receipt of a reader copy. This opinion is completely my own and was not influenced in any way.**

I was a little surprised at how much I liked this story. Barker somehow made a whole lot of things come together easily and without making her story clunky. Clean Lines easily stood on its own too, which only added to the enjoyment. There were characters who had their own stories before and at least a couple who are going to have one coming up, but none of it left me confused … just excited to get my hands on those stories.

I will say that I’m stunned that it took three years for Joe to find a way to fix things with Naomi. She’s got some history and it lead her to be prickly but surely in that amount of time, and with sharing friends, there would have been some way to get an explanation to her. He doesn’t seem like a guy who would be willing to let it go for that long. But that is my only complaint and Barker does try to explain it away.

Overall, though, it is a fantastic suspense romance. There’s a great amount of heat and angst between the two, plus they come with baggage that is fun to explore. But there is also a lot of danger and mystery surrounding her ex-husband and son. It made for a nail-biter in a couple of places … as well as a few spots to get your heart racing for other reasons :)

If sexy thrillers are your thing, I highly recommend you add Barker’s books to the top of your TBR pile. A fun read with interesting characters and a captivating plot, Clean Lines is a great place to start.

(Complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review.)

It isn't just anyone who can make lawyers sexy :) Jane is on her way to a partnership at her family's firm but that doesn't mean that she's happy. Eric is also on the fast-track, but all work and no play hasn't exactly left him a lot of time for a relationship. And the only woman who has caught his eye lately is one he can't have. While their jobs may not allow for inter-office dating, once they start spending time together Eric & Jane discover they may have a connection that is hard to resist.

This isn't a very long book but it is definitely jam packed full of fun. I kinda wish we'd gotten to see a few more of Jane's bad dates just because they were so disasterously funny :) And the friendship (and maybe something more) that Eric and Jane develop as they bond over those mishaps has all the feels you could ask for.

While there may roadblocks standing in the way of them committing to each other, there are also issue that keep them from being true to themselves. I love the way that they are able, even indirectly, to help each other find a better course in life.

At about 100 pages Dear Jane is a fast read but that doesn't mean that it scrimps on the heart. The characters feel real, as do their troubles, and the pacing is well done. The writing keeps it from feeling rushed for being so short and helps deliver a swoon-worthy romance for the reader. Jane has a couple of friends who are sure to make an appearance soon and I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of trouble Clarke dreams up for them. (Surely it can't be as good as setting fire to your date.)

*** I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. ***

Merged review:

It isn't just anyone who can make lawyers sexy :) Jane is on her way to a partnership at her family's firm but that doesn't mean that she's happy. Eric is also on the fast-track, but all work and no play hasn't exactly left him a lot of time for a relationship. And the only woman who has caught his eye lately is one he can't have. While their jobs may not allow for inter-office dating, once they start spending time together Eric & Jane discover they may have a connection that is hard to resist.

This isn't a very long book but it is definitely jam packed full of fun. I kinda wish we'd gotten to see a few more of Jane's bad dates just because they were so disasterously funny :) And the friendship (and maybe something more) that Eric and Jane develop as they bond over those mishaps has all the feels you could ask for.

While there may roadblocks standing in the way of them committing to each other, there are also issue that keep them from being true to themselves. I love the way that they are able, even indirectly, to help each other find a better course in life.

At about 100 pages Dear Jane is a fast read but that doesn't mean that it scrimps on the heart. The characters feel real, as do their troubles, and the pacing is well done. The writing keeps it from feeling rushed for being so short and helps deliver a swoon-worthy romance for the reader. Jane has a couple of friends who are sure to make an appearance soon and I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of trouble Clarke dreams up for them. (Surely it can't be as good as setting fire to your date.)

*** I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. ***

From an adorable meet cute to a few speedbumps along the way, I enjoyed seeing Henley & Tru work their way into a HEA that works for them. A journey that is somehow both angsty and not angsty at the same time. I think maybe because those problem moments are telegraphed pretty well but then quickly resolved. It’s not necessarily bad, just different.

The pacing is also interesting. It seems like a slow burn but large chunks of time are done off page so overall the story moves pretty quickly. I kinda wish we’d gotten a few more of those moments on page, because there was the opportunity for some really good relaxed moments between Tru and Henley as well as them with their friends and family.

Speaking of friends and family, I have to say those are my favorite parts of the book. The way Henley is with his kids – the closeness, respect, and support that they show each other. But also the mistakes that are made along the way. And I could go on for ages about the amazing relationship between Henley and his friends. Those guys are the epitome of well adjusted and in touch with their emotions. The way they freely show their love & support for each other, recognizing and sharing their feelings both good and bad, while at the same time not being afraid of giving each other hell *chefs kiss* I want more of this kind of representation of healthy, respectful men in my books.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

There were a lot of ways that Pavlov could have brought conflict into Hayes & Savannah’s relationship and while she did explore a few of them I was really pleased that she didn’t go too heavy handed with any of them. The biggest, and the most important from the beginning, is the miscommunication trope so you have to be OK with a lot of teasing exactly what happened 10 years ago. Once it’s out in the open (maybe around halfway thru), things advance a lot quicker but the grudge that Savannah holds and the cryptic-ness of her reasons might be a little off-putting for some. The others are telegraphed pretty well but I felt like they were handled well and left me quite satisfied with the path that Hayes and Savannah find themselves on.

Pavlov’s conclusion to the Magnolia Falls series is sweet and humorous, with a nice bit of drama thrown in to keep things interesting. And while I haven’t read all of the books in this series, during the couple I did read I got to know these guys well enough that it made me very happy to see them all find that HEA that they deserve. Now to wait for what she’s gonna bring us next :)

**I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

The men of HOT are strong, dedicated, and brave, but as you would expect they have a ton of issues. If you read Hot Rebel then you knew that Garrett was going to fall next … and fall hard. The man has himself tied up in so many knots that it is going to take a very special woman to reach him. And I’m SO glad that Grace is that woman.

I think Grace has to be one of my characters in this series (and that is saying a lot). She’s strong but unsure of herself, a fish out of water in most situations, but she’s got a level head and a lot of grit. Garrett isn’t one for sharing, internalizing his troubles and pain, but time spent with Grace quickly changes that. On the run and in very close quarters, he finds it hard to resist her. The interactions between these two are the perfect mixture of humor, caring and heat. It’s a fantastic ride from how they rubbed each other the wrong way at their first meeting to falling into bed together.

And as much as I enjoy seeing these guys fall in love, I’m also kept on the edge of my seat by the danger they find themselves in. I can’t decide if I like her stories more for the romance or for the action. Full of danger and intrigue, complicated Alphas and the women they fall for, oh-so-steamy sex scenes and emotions galore, Harris’s books pack quite a punch.

Full review available at Rhttps://romanticreadsandsuch.wordpress.com/2015/01/29/book-review-hot-ice/.

(Complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review)

(I'm actually giving this one 3 1/2 or 3 3/4 stars ... it was close to a 4 but just didn't quite get there for me.)

Monica’s Match is all about trust. In order to give love a chance, she’s going to have to share her secret and she has to decide if she’s willing to take that chance. Here the thing she’s hiding is her ability to read auras but this really applies to anyone. We all have something – funny toes, addiction to bad made-for-tv disaster movies, eating crackers in bed, psychic abilities – it doesn’t matter what it is, there is something (and most often somethings) and we have to trust that the person we are interested in can accept us for good and bad. It’s not easy but it is the only way a relationship can be successful. But I totally understood Monica’s hesitation in sharing her secret. She had it drilled into her by her parents that it was something that needed to be hid and being a good daughter she took it to heart.

I’m not sure I totally liked Monica – she is a little harsh and somewhat stand-offish, especially with Jeremiah. But when she relaxes, she becomes a lot more fun. Jeremiah has his moments as well, but I like how he poked at Monica trying to get her to loosen up. It made for some fun interactions between the two.

I’ve seen some complaints about how she treats Jeremiah later in the book and how quickly things are resolved, but I think it works for how the story is written. Just because Jeremiah changes his attitude doesn’t mean that Monica is going to do the same immediately. She’s always had that push away thing going on with him – earlier on when she thought he was meant for someone else and then later when she was afraid of getting involved. As for the big reveal, I think it just highlights the idea that it isn’t a huge problem. She’s made it into something so much worse than it is, which is understandable because the more she focused on it the more she built it up in her mind. And we’re back to that main theme – she’s gotta learn to trust.

(Complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review)

I love the care that Carson puts into wooing Lily. He’s waited a long time, and she’s skittish, so he takes advantage of an opportunity when it falls into his lap :) He displays a lot of understanding in how he handles her – taking it slow and easing her into each step. Of course he makes a couple of miscalculations but I like that Walters doesn’t make it into too much of an issues. The drama when it happens is low-key and handled in a realistic manner.

Of course, he’s not the only one that has uh-ohs. Lily follows Carson’s lead but that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t let her fears get the better of her a time or two, hurting Carson in the process. But she comes through when it is important and takes care of business.

My only complaint is that I’m selfish and I want to know what is in store for these two down the road. Lily’s concerns for getting involved with Carson are valid – while 7 years isn’t a big gap at their ages, they are in different stages of their lives and that could cause complications. I would have liked a little more time to work thru those things, but being a romance we can just assume that they work it out and live HEA :)

Steamy, introspective and heartfelt, Lily’s List has something for just about everyone.

(Part of a series, but can stand on its own with a few minor references to other stories.)

Complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review.