This is my first book by Renee and I was pleasantly surprised.  The story is one of those that is wonderfully realistic and pretty much drama free.  I'm not sure how much Rocco or JJ were featured in earlier books but in No Going Back we are there when they realize that their interest is mutual and flirtation turns to something more.  It's a slow easing - a natural progression of a healthy relationship, with respect and deepening emotions.  It was a pretty relaxing read, actually, because it was mostly free of conflict.  At least between the two main characters.  There are some issues with secondary characters that have an impact because of their relationship to the mains, but it's handled well and with care.  

With beautifully crafted characters and a realistic storyline (with limited turmoil), Renee gives her readers a story they can sink into.  The leads quickly become friends and you happily go along for the ride as they fall in love.

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

As she's shown time and again, Bybee is a wonder at creating characters you connect with.  Rachel is kind, responsible, and strong.  She struggles when she finds out that the hottie she helped is her boss, but Jason proves pretty hard to resist.  Because, for being a billionaire CEO, Jason is down-to-earth, caring, and dependable ... he's also pretty set on getting what he wants.  (I'm pretty sure their courtship is one of the sweetest things I've read in a long time!)

I also fell for their assorted friends & family.  They are all friendly, kind, and willing to pitch in to do what needs to be done.  While there is drama, some that you see coming and some that is unexpected (but none of it causing strife in the actual romance which I appreciate), it's never over the top.  Instead the struggle just helps to deepen their assorted connections and intensify an already emotional story.

As much about friends and family as it is a love story, Not Quite Crazy continues Bybee's streak of delivering must-read stories full of love in a multitude of forms.

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

I picked this one because of Cindi Madsen's name on the cover and she didn't let me down.  Shane's brash, cocky attitude is fun and not annoying, while Brooklyn definitely can give as good as she gets.  Together they throw sparks for all sorts of reasons and it's a treat to be there to witness it.  There's also a good amount of family drama on Brooklyn's side, as well as some minor setup to the next story with one of her brothers.  It all flows well together and helps to flesh out the complications of a relationship with Shane.

And speaking of complications ... I should warn people that Brooklyn is in a relationship for part of the book.  There is no physical cheating but the interactions between her and Shane have caused some reviewers to lower their rating.  To me it was a little (naturally) awkward, especially the inevitable break-up, but it seemed a realistic reaction to the situation they find themselves in.  Just a heads up, though, if this is something that might bother you.

With family issues to resolve and an attraction that she's finding difficult to resist, Brooklyn's summer may not be going as smooth as she'd hoped.  But it definitely turned into a darn entertaining read for me :)

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

I’m not usually a fan of romances where there are prickly interactions between the characters. Usually I feel like one or the other (or both) of them is being an a** but I think that Quarles does a pretty good job here of making it work. Once they start to get over themselves and connect, they are a good match together. And being stuck in the same hotel room during a hurricane definitely forces them to get friendly 🙂

I really enjoyed getting to know Conor and he’s such a good guy. He’s got some insecurities that totally works for him – helps his image and doesn’t take away from his sexiness. Claire also has a past that has left her with some scars and while I kinda wish she’d been a little more open with Conor I can totally see where she’s coming from. Thanks to her childhood she’s made herself pretty tough but there’s still soft spots that she’s trying hard to protect.

Deserving It does have a shortened time frame, but with the forced cohabitation and the fact that they have known each other for a while it works for me. They still have their issues to work through and there is, of course, the minor freak out at the end but I really like the way they find their way to a HEA.

(While part of a series, this one can easily stand on its own.)

These two are a ton of fun together.  Sophie is spirited, sassy, and not only willing to stand up for herself but for Devlin too.  Which makes her all the more attractive to him.  Devlin embraces his “devil” moniker but he isn’t truly as bad as they make him out to be.  Instead he’s got some pretty big walls thanks to an awful childhood and it will take a strong woman to get past them.  Lucky for him, Sophie is up to the challenge. 

I do kinda wish there had been more (or maybe better) clues about who the killer was so the reader had a better chance of figuring it out.  It was tied up nicely, with a logical motive, a clever villain, and an exciting ending.  But I felt like I was given details only as I needed them so there was little chance of guessing what would happen ahead of time.  That isn’t necessarily bad but it could be frustrating for those who like to be more involved in solving the whodunit. 

I read somewhere that Michaels is a new author but she proves herself to be quite the writer.  Nicely paced, great characters, excitement, romance, danger … she brings it all and does it well.  I’m definitely going to keep my eye on her – I think she’s got a great future ahead of her!

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

One of those sweet, small town romances that is just as much women’s fiction as it is romance, Mornings on Main is the kind of story that you have to cherish. It isn’t fast paced and you definitely can’t speed through it. Instead you need to settle back and get ready to enjoy every page, every encounter, every brush of the hand, every secret that slips out, every glimpse into what makes people tick, every chance to get to know them just that tiny bit better. It’s a slow, gentle process and all the better for it.

Neither Jillian nor Connor are looking for someone. They live their lives a certain way and figure that’s what they are built for … until they meet each other. While the connection is immediate, they go through a lot of fits and starts because both of them are wary. Jillian’s upbringing (and continued nomadic lifestyle) and Connor’s romantic history mean that getting close to others isn’t easy for them. But what the heart wants can be hard to resist.

As much as I loved seeing Jillian and Connor slowly fall in love, I think the women in his life are just as awesome. The friendship between Connor’s grandmother, Eugenia, and her lifelong friend, Joe, is oh-so-touching. And her battle with her wandering memories is enough to bring you to tears. But it’s Connor’s daughter, Sunnie, and her romantic woes that grabbed hold of my heart. She’s at a difficult age but she’s got a good amount of spunk to help see her thru it :)

Yes, there is a beautiful love story here with two people finding something they didn’t know they were missing, but there is so much more. The search for home and family. The need for a connection to the past and future, as well as to someone else. There are bonds that tie us together, some we are born with and some we make, but they are all important in making us who we are.

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

Seth is trying his hardest to be a good dad. Unfortunately that means uprooting his daughter from their home in Houston and moving to Milwaukee. At 12, she’s at a difficult age already so it is even rougher to have to start all over. But he’s a good man and he’s doing the best he can. Running into a sexy redhead at the grocery story, and one who is willing to give him feminine hygiene help, has things looking up.

Carrie is having a rough time after losing her job as a teach and not getting any bites on a new one. She’s starting to really stress when she’s rescued by a hottie in the checkout lane. Being able to help him return leads to some sexy flirting. When a possible job lands in her lap, things are definitely looking up … until she discovers her potential new boss is the guy she’s been sexting. Yikes! You have to admire how well she handles it :)

I think these two were hotter NOT having sex than most couples are when they do! I loved their first meeting and then the inevitable struggle as Carrie becomes the nanny for Seth’s preteen daughter. It’s not easy for them to ignore their attraction but they do try … and although they don’t necessarily succeed, I have to like that it is pretty drama free between them. They understand why that it is best to keep things professional and they try their hardest to keep it that way.

I am pretty surprised at how many 3 star or less reviews there are for this one. I’m actually mostly amused by how many of them are based solely on the fact that this is in third person. That never bothers me and I didn’t have any difficulty following along here so I guess it’s just a personal preference thing. There were also some complaints that the ending was too rushed but I thought it worked. It may not have been as emotion-driven as some but I think that it worked well with the flow of the rest of the story.

Overall, I found On the Line to be amusing, flirty, sexy, and full of heart. It was entertaining watching the two of them fight their feelings for Madison’s sake … and, of course, fail! Is it predictable? Probably, but it is enjoyable regardless. Bringing light-hearted fun with enough feels to keep you turning pages, Lincoln delivers a winner in my opinion.

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

(Disclaimer: I'd probably put this at more 3.5 stars than 4.)

I liked Sophie (although I do think she didn’t make King work hard enough to win her back). She’s tried really hard to resist King, knowing exactly what kind of womanizer he is. She likes her job and crushing on him from the other side of the office door is at least something … until one night things get out of hand. I have to admire her for standing up for herself and getting out of the situation when she needed to. With King’s injury, though, everything changes. She still has feelings for him and the hurt is still there but she tries her best to keep things going smoothly for now. I couldn’t help cheering for her to go after the things that would make her really happy.

The amnesia thing isn’t as bad as might sound. King only looses a little bit of time, just enough to make the deal they’d been working on difficult. (It isn’t some soap opera-y thing :) ) It helps to keep them together for just a little bit longer while King gets back on his feet. It also had me feeling even more for her. To be the only one to know what really happened but to face him every day and pretend like everything is fine … just awful.

I do wish we’d gotten a bit more about King’s relationship with his father. Crespo gives us just enough to understand why he doesn’t get involved but I think a little more detail would have made him even more relatable. As it is, for some, he might come off as a big of an a$$ instead of someone with issues. He really doesn’t treat women well at all before he finally lets Sophie in.

Full of angst and drama, uncomfortable moments and difficult situations, Forget You isn’t a light and easy read. But it does bring heat, heartache, growth, and a HEA ending.

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

I loved Extreme Honor and was super excited to know more about Alex. And Drake didn’t disappoint … until the end of the book. I’m going to give some potentially major spoilers so stop reading now if you don’t want to know.

Last warning.

OK, so Elisa is running from something and she’s lucky enough to be taken in by the Hope’s Crossing crew. If you read Extreme Honor then you know what a group of serious bad-asses those guys are. All three of them are strong, smart and brave. Being the men that they are you know that they have a few hang-ups, they’ve lived and fought very hard, so they’ve seen and done things that leave some scars. And Alex isn’t any different. He’s battling some PTSD but he’s trying to keep it together for his daughter, who he isn’t afraid to show he loves with everything he is. And she’s a pretty kickin’ kid because of it. She’s saucy and quick and fun; a definitely highlight of the story.

When he runs across Elisa it is very clear that she’s trying to escape from something but his work with the dogs has taught him patience and insight. Offering her a job helps her get her feet under her and hopefully some time so she can figure out what to do. And maybe Alex can figure out what he can do to help. But the man she’s running from is powerful, connected and smart, which makes Elisa afraid to stay for too long or let anyone get too close. Alex (and Boom & Souze) is hard to resist so she finds herself getting involved and letting him in.

Up to this point, everything is going great and he’s showing what a fantastic hero he is. **Spoilers** She’s understandably wary but slowly both are making progress to trusting each other and letting their attraction turn into more … until Alex completely does a 180 and punks out. A “friend” from Elisa’s past makes an appearance, says a few things that push Alex’s buttons, and he walks away. Granted Elisa hasn’t shared everything about her past, but enough for him to know that leaving her alone is a VERY bad idea. But he does it anyway, which of course means she’s vulnerable to be taken by the man she’s trying to escape. *sigh* Why?!? I know that he’s feeling like maybe he’s been had but he’s smart & experienced enough that I would have expected him to pull out and regroup but not leaver her there alone and unprotected with someone from her past who magically has found her all the way across the country. When she’s been on the run for a long time and obviously scared of being found. Ugh! I can see where it works for the plot to have her alone but surely there was another way? Because I lost a lot of respect for him at that moment. And she just forgives him afterward. I’d be so beyond pissed!

If you made it this far I’ll say that you may be more understanding of his position than I was. I kinda get where Drake was going and can almost understand but I feel like these guys should be more than average. I’m giving the book 3.5 stars because about 90% of it is fantastic, as good as Extreme Honor, but the ending just killed it for me. I’m looking forward to giving the next book a go because I’m hoping that this was just a one off thing.

After reading Royal Pain I was so anxious to get Garrett’s book – he was bound to be dealing with a lot after his kidnapping and Wolff delivered.

Although I was a little surprised that Garrett’s dad didn’t show up more. We get some conversations about him and a couple with him but he never actually appears. And with how much of an a** he is to his kids, creating a LOT of issues along the way, I would have expected more. Not that his actions don’t have consequences that are in play here – they are and often – but I wanted more like we got with Kian’s book.

Instead, Garrett is mostly (and totally understandably) dealing with the fallout from his months spent being tortured and his recovery afterward. He’s been struggling and it takes meeting an in-your-face rule breaker to throw him off his game and out of his head. As a bit of her free spirit rubs off on him, Garrett starts to really feel again … which also opens him up to the possibilities of finally coming to terms with what has happened to him in the last year. It won’t be pretty but it is definitely needed.

I found Lola to be fun and sassy. She’s got a big personality but she’s not overwhelming and I never found her to be overdone. Instead she’s brash, but caring. And totally not intimidated by Garrett’s title. She definitely doesn’t let him get away with too much and instead helps him find his way back to the land of the living.

I will say that I got annoyed at the both a couple of times as they spent too much time beating themselves up for the exact same thing. Something would happen and they’d both start taking responsibility and offering verbose apologies. Before kissing and making up of course. It wasn’t horrible but I would find myself thinking “ugh, get over yourself” a time or two :)

While I don’t think the daddy issues (for either of them) were properly resolved, I am pleased with the way Wolff handled Garrett’s issues. He’s good at bottling things up and hiding behind his princely mask, but he was never going to get better until he finally opened up about his feelings. It took someone coming in from the outside who could give him the care & understanding he needed and I’m glad Wolff gave him Lola for that.

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