I personally think that you have to throw all thoughts on how things are supposed to be out the window when you read a paranormal story.  All of these worlds have their own rules and you just have to let them unfold for you as you go along.  And Snow’s Texas Paranormals is no different.  But that doesn’t mean that just because her world is not like ours that it isn’t interesting and fun. 

Shiver is a novella so the time frame is compacted but because it involves weres there can be a good reason for the speed in which Corey and Dare get involved.  And while it is short it never felt rushed – instead Snow gives us an interesting world, appealing characters, and a satisfying story.  I really appreciated that because of its shorter length there was very little time for drama.  Instead we get an introduction to our two characters, details of their pasts, and a whole lot of the sexy before we get an enjoyable resolution to Dare’s medical issue (complete with a HEA).   

(This is the first in the series that I’ve read but I don’t think it mattered.  It seemed to me that Snow does a great job of filling you in on what happened as it applied to Corey.)

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

Meader delivers another wonderful romance and I couldn’t be happier.  There’s so much drama and bad feelings and it just leads to a great second chance – and not just for Vadim and Isobel!  I loved the Vadim has some issues he needs to address with his mother too and Meader makes sure that he does all of it with Russian-ness on full display.  And I just ADORED every Russian piece of him – so haughty and formal and sexy and confident.  It’s no wonder that Isobel finds him hard to resist even with the history between them.  He’s also difficult and closed off and commanding … also sexy but frustrating :)

Like with the first book in the series, there can only be trouble if anything happens between the two but the Chase sisters aren’t afraid to dance that line.  It makes things more complicated that she’s an owner and wants to be a coach while he’s her player but that isn’t their biggest issue.  They’ve got to put their pasts (both individually and as a couple) to rest before they can even think about looking at what the future could bring.   While there’s drama, Meader makes sure that things never get over-dramatic which I appreciate.  Instead she delivers a sexy, emotional, and humorous love story that had me captivated until the end. 

(This is the second in a series and it can stand on its own but I think that it will be much more enjoyable if you have read Irresistible You.)

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

I felt bad for both Jace and Ava, although I wanted to give Jace a little kick in the pants for waiting so long to come back.  Having his POV helped a lot because I don’t know that I would have been as quick to forgive him otherwise :)  Leaving Ava like he did, and staying away for so long, was a really crappy thing to do.  I know that he was young and I understand how his childhood turned him into that person, but 6 years is a long time and if he really felt the way he claimed he’d have manned up a bit earlier.  I get that he didn’t think that she’d have anything to do with him but he should have at least tried harder.  Good for him Ava’s a bit more tender hearted (or tender headed) than I am.  She does struggle a bit (as she should) but those old feelings that never really went away make it hard to fight him.  He will have to prove himself, and she’ll have to figure out how to let the past go, but they may just be able to work it out with a little luck and a whole lot of love. 

With Hold Her Again Stacey delivers a wonderful second-chance romance, perfectly bringing the feeling of the holiday season. 

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

I think that there are going to be some who are turned off by this book without giving it a chance just because it deals with cheating.  But they're SOOO going to miss out on what can happen when an awesome writer like Cole puts together a second chance love story!  Nikan and Jenny have been a connection waiting to happen again - he's never gotten over his feelings for her (and what he did to ruin it) and she ran away because she knew she couldn't stay strong if she saw him.  And she was right.  She makes him work for it but eventually the connection between them proves to be too great to ignore ... come on, it's a romance so you know that they've got to have a HEA somewhere in there!  It takes some doing but they do get there.  And it is surprisingly low on drama.  Instead we have realistic reactions, characters with depth and emotion, and a situation that you can understand and get behind.  

I'd braced myself for being put through the wringer again so I was a little grateful that Cole took it a bit easier on us here.  The unique family that the guys built together is still strongly at the forefront but they are all starting to work their way into individual happiness.  I think that is finally giving Nikan a chance to notice that he's not as content as he could be now that he's not expending so much energy keeping everyone else together.  It's hard for him to look after himself instead of the group (and for me because that love between them is so nice to see but it is also good that they are starting to heal as well).  Bumping into Jenny again, and finally having a chance to work through his biggest regret, couldn't come at more opportune time.  

I will admit that it was a little unexpected to have this story be so lacking in the  commotion department.  The rest of the Preload series has dealt with some pretty hard issues and the guys haven't been all that great at handling their pasts up to this point.  I guess from what Cole has shown us of Nikan, though, he does seem the one with his act together the most.  Being the oldest and the one that has taken on keeping everyone else together he had to or they would have all gone off the rails!  Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining.  I kinda enjoyed that we mostly only had to deal with the do-over on Nikan and Jenny's relationship without piling on a whole lot more.  (I have a feeling that Cole is saving that up for Lennon ... that one might just be the most heartbreaking yet, and she sure hasn't been easy on us in the past!) 

Nikan Rebuilt is gritty and real and packed full of emotions.  It's oh-so-satisfying to see these two figure things out!

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

I have to say this is one of the sweetest stories I’ve read in a while.  The best thing is that it is just as much about believing in yourself and finding your way as it is about the romance.  Both Jenna and Daniel have issues that they need to address before they can truly move forward.  Jenna has lost her confidence after a bad relationship and Daniel has some trouble controlling his reactions thanks to his childhood.  Both things are keeping them from embracing their potential, but together they just might be able to get up enough courage to face their pasts. 

While this is part of a series, this is the first one that I’ve read and I had no trouble keeping up.  Boudreaux does a wonderful job of keeping readers in the loop and for the most part it seemed like this story was pretty well centralized.  And definite points in her favor for me, she manages to keep it so wonderfully realistic and quite unique – it isn’t often you have a homeless vet living in an alleyway as your hero!  But it so works here and she makes sure that both Jenna & Daniel face their demons themselves.  There isn’t a love conquers all thing, instead it is the support and care that they show each other that helps them fix things for themselves.  Which helps deliver a fabulous HEA!

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

Like the the other book in this series that I've read, Finding Peace, I really appreciate that Jordan has her military heroes (& heroine) find the help they need in a healthy way.  They have a group of friends that understand them and are there to support them, which is so heartwarming.  But they also see a therapist to work through their issues from serving overseas.  These are not things that will just get better on their own.  They are dealing with issues that leave scars and have long-term implications and Jordan handles it with care.

Like Finding Peace, there is two parts to this story - the romance and the mystery.  Unlike with the first book I read, I think the dead body plotline is much more important here than the Peeping Tom case was before.  It's part of the catalyst for getting the two of them together as well as helping get Lance out his self-imposed isolation.  It's also a pretty darn good suspense element.  The who and why was intriguing and kept me guessing right until the end.  It also all played out very believably so I definitely give Jordan an A.  

The love story is drama-free and realistic.  Once Lance makes up for his initial gruff behavior and starts making an effort with Jade, it kinda blooms between them.  There were a couple of scenes that reminded me more of high school than what I'm used to in adult romances (the awkward flirting and the looks from their friends) but I'm pretty sure that it probably is pretty darn accurate when you have a tight group of friends like that.  It's hard to hide their attraction and growing feelings and so you are going to get the acknowledgment from friends that they see what's going on.  

And I loved these two.  Lance is, of course, one of those stand-up guys.  He's a protector, full of strength and leadership, but it makes it a little hard for him to open up and talk about his past.  Luckily Jade has patience (she does teach elementary school kids :) ) and she's willing to provide him the support he needs until he's ready to share.  It's just what he needs at a time when he's finally ready to make his way into the world again.  

With a gripping, well-written suspense element and a touching, sweet romance, I definitely recommend getting your hands on Picking Up the Pieces.

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

This one almost felt like it had two sections – the first part of the book is spent with Pete & Jenna dancing around each other with quite a few misunderstandings. They’ve been doing this for a while because both have had feelings for the other but Jenna always freezes up and loses her mojo near Pete which means he isn’t sure what she feels for him.

Once things come to a head though Pete can’t let it go any longer and decides to make a move … and it’s almost a comedy of errors from there :) It both frustrates and entertains me, which is an indication of how good of a writer Cole is. I’ve DNF’d quite a few books that just frustrated me with this kind of push/pull but here it really works. It’s believable for them to get themselves into these situations and Cole does a great job of getting them back around to where they should be.

Once they get together it becomes a bit more of a woman’s fiction kind of thing. There really isn’t a lot of drama about the couple themselves and move smoothly into being together. Instead they each have some family issues they need to address – Pete has an alcoholic father who isn’t willing to own up to his issues and Jenna’s mom is having problems adjusting to her status as a divorcee. But together they are better able to handle their problems, with support and insight for the other. It adds such a wonderfully real feeling to their story and makes them even more human.

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

I have been a fan of Claire Boston since I read What Goes on Tour (LOVE you Adrian!) and so I’m always excited to get a chance to read one of her books. She does a great job of delivering not only a dang good love story but also creating a dynamic world full of interesting characters. Occasionally she likes to throw in some suspense or danger just to keep you on your toes ;)

With Nothing to Fear we get a group of friends that have been together for decades and they are still there to support one another every day. That connection has helped prop up Hannah since her father murdered her mother and assaulted in college. She’s managed to keep the latter a secret but she’s relied on her friends to keep her going. Now there’s a threat and she going to have to face her past whether she’s ready or not.

Ryan is new in town and finds himself drawn to Hannah. Obviously something has happened to her to make her so skittish but he’s such a patient man that he’s willing to wait her out. He’s had a history of his own so it helps him understand exactly what she needs.

While the love story and Hannah coming to terms with her past is very well done, add in the mystery of who is leaving her gifts and I couldn’t turn pages fast enough! Boston does a great job of balancing both and keeping your attention until you get to the bitter end. It’s not an easy journey for Hannah but with her support in place and by listening to both her head & her heart she can overcome anything.

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

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this little story. It is short – listed at coming in under 100 pages – so it does have that whole insta-love thing going on and there is an issue or two that could have used a few more pages. BUT, the characters are interesting and their interactions are fun & entertaining.

Ty works hard and plays hard. He understands what a big deal it is that he’s made it to the Olympics but he’s not going to forget to have a good time when he can. Unfortunately that occasionally puts him at odds with Nadia.

Nadia takes her job as a volunteer very seriously. Her goal is to get a job with the Olympic Committee and this is her chance to show them she can be a good employee. Running into a nearly naked man, hand-cuffed to a railing in the snow, is not exactly how she imagined her evening going.

But the attraction between the two is apparent and Ty’s not one to let it go. Nadia is going to have a hard time resisting him when he puts his mind to the task of seducing her. And so are readers …

Trouble With Gold to be a cute (and sexy) little romance that knows how to enjoy itself.

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

Along Came Jones is one of those slow build books that wraps you up and makes you comfy from the very first page.  There's something so appealing about just falling in and letting it take you along for the ride.  

After getting turned down, Ferrin runs away from home where his adventure takes him to a quaint little town and eventually into Lou's orbit.  Through charm and tenacity, he interjects himself into her world ... much to her initial dismay.  A recluse, Lou has only seen one person for years.  And that person is definitely NOT Ferrin!  But he proves too hard to resist and before she knows it her circle of friends has expanded and they are slowly drawing her back into the rest of the world.  

Keep in  mind, that this is not a quick fix.  It takes months and months before things start happening for these two but thru patience and understanding progress is made.  And time spent together shows both of them the kind of people that they want to be and the type of life they want to live.  It's a sweet, leisurely path to a HEA but it is all the more satisfying for it. 

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