Review ~ Barefoot in the Sun by Roxanne St. Claire

A Barefoot Bay Novel

When running is all you've ever known . . .

Caught between fight and flight, Zoe Tamarin has always picked flight. Since she was rescued from a nightmare childhood by her great-aunt Pasha, they've been on the move, never staying in one place long enough to risk exposing their precarious past. But now that they've reached the sun-baked shores of Barefoot Bay, Zoe may have to stay and fight-for her aunt's life . . . and for a love she ran from years before.

Sometimes the bravest act of all is to stand still.

Oliver Bradbury came to Florida to start over, as both a doctor and a father to his eight-year-old son. He never expected life to hand him a second chance with the woman he lost years ago-but one look at Zoe Tamarin and he knows he'll do whatever it takes to prove that this time, he can be the man she needs. But when demands of family and friendship threaten to shatter their rekindled passion, Oliver must heal Zoe's lifelong wounds with more than hot kisses . . . but will that be enough to keep her from flying off with his heart?

REVIEW ~ Fatal Deception by Marie Force

The wife of the White House deputy chief of staff has been beaten to death, and their one-year-old daughter is missing. D.C. Police Lieutenant Sam Holland is in charge of the murder investigation, but she's forced to collaborate with Special Victims Unit detectives as well as thorn-in-her-side FBI Special Agent Avery Hill. Then, a cold case of her father's resurrects old hurts--a distraction Sam cannot afford.

 

As Sam's investigation heats up, so does Nick's political career--and the heat carries over to their bedroom. Will Sam put the pieces together in time to catch a killer and find the baby, or will ambition, greed and lies prove fatal?

REVIEW ~ The Reason is You by Sharla Lovelace

In the small town of Bethany, Texas, Dani never fit in. Being different pushed her to the fringes of society, and even leaving town for two decades didn’t stop the talk. Now she’s back, trying to settle in with her daughter and have a normal life. But the men in her life might not make it that simple. First, there’s her old friend Alex. He’s mischievous, sexy, and still hot enough to melt her shoes. And he’s a ghost—a real one, who’s always been there for her when she most needed him. Of course, there are actual men in Bethany, too. Like Jason with his hard body. Dani seems to have a habit of running into him—literally. Now she must decide between a man who long ago touched her heart and a man she can actually touch…

REVIEW ~ Stuck on You by Heather Thurmeier

If being forced to team up with reality TV’s favorite bad girl wasn’t enough, falling for her brother might just make this reality show a real nightmare.

 

Paige Anderson agrees to be on a new reality show called Treasure Trekkers, a show where contestants use handheld GPS units to find hidden caches filled with prizes, with her good friend Cassidy. But when Cassidy is unable to compete, Chip Cormack, the show’s producer, steps in with a last-minute replacement to be Paige’s partner - Zoe Oliver, reality TV’s favorite bad girl.

 

Jack Miles (aka Miles) is a mountain climber with the body to prove it. Miles convinced his climbing partner Ben to come on the show with him for one reason - to prove to Ben that they can still hike together, regardless of the fact that Ben lost his foot in a tragic accident. Miles isn’t about to let anything get in his way of winning - not even beautiful Paige.

 

But when Miles and Paige are thrown into an alliance with their teammates, working closely together leads to more than just good strategy. Can Paige steal Miles’ heart while surviving Zoe long enough to win the game?

 

Sensuality Level: Sensual

REVIEW ~ All He Ever Needed by Shannon Stacey

He won't stay put for a woman, and she won't chase after any man...

Mitch Kowalski lives out of a suitcase—and he likes it that way. Traveling for work has the added bonus of scaring off women who would otherwise try to tie him down. But when he's called home to help with the family lodge, he's intrigued by the new girl in town and her insistence that she doesn't need a man. If there's one thing Mitch can't resist, it's a challenge.

After a nomadic childhood, Paige Sullivan is finally putting down roots. Determined to stand on her own two feet, she lives by the motto "Men are a luxury, not a necessity." But when Mr. Tall, Dark and Hot pulls up a stool in her diner and offers her six weeks of naughty fun with a built-in expiration date, she's tempted to indulge.

They're the perfect match for a no-strings fling. Until they realize their sexy affair has become anything but casual...

Review: Laying Down The Law by Delilah Devlin

REVIEW ~ Cassandra by Starlight by Susan Mac Nicol

A London woman is swept off her feet into the glamorous yet surprisingly dangerous world of an up-and-coming star of stage and screen.

 

TO CATCH A RISING STAR

 

Unconventional though she may be, Cassandra Wallace leads the life of an average Londoner, from blind dates to rush hour traffic.  Then, along comes Bennett Saville.  Charming, erudite, the up-and-coming actor is like the hero of a romantic movie.  He sets Cassie afire like he has the stage and screen, and defies the tragedy that brought them together.  From the tips of his Armani loafers to their scorching hot first kiss, he’s perfect.  Only, he’s ten years younger and from the upper class, and those emerald eyes invite dangerous secrets.  The world is full of hungry leading ladies, and every show must have its villain.  Yet a true romance will always find its happy ending.

REVIEW ~ Forbidden by Lisa Clark O'Neill

Special Agent Clay Copeland lives his job.  As a behavioral specialist with the FBI’s Investigative Support Unit, his days are spent traveling the country assisting other law enforcement agencies with their most disturbing and difficult cases.  Clay excels at his work, maintaining an easygoing affability and sense of humor despite his frequently gruesome job.  Until one case goes terribly wrong…

Shaken by the loss of a young child whose death he lays at his own feet, Clay seeks refuge in the sandy beaches and plentiful feminine distractions to be found along the South Carolina coast.  And no female has ever distracted him quite as much as local innkeeper Tate Hennessey.

A woman with her own ghosts, Tate is a single mother to five-year-old Max.  Against her better judgment, she finds herself drawn to the charming and handsome agent.  When an outing to a traveling carnival ends with another family’s tragedy, Tate and Clay are sucked into the resultant investigation into the abduction of a young teen.  And neither of them can be prepared for what their chance encounter eventually uncovers.

REVIEW: One Fine Fireman by Jennifer Bernard

A smoking-hot prequel to Jennifer Bernard's fabulous Bachelor Firemen series. If you love the novels of Rachel Gibson and Bella Andre, then this is for you!

Kirk, a.k.a. Thor, one of San Gabriel's infamous Bachelor Firemen, certainly lives up to his nickname. He's tall and handsome, with a chiseled body worthy of any Viking god. But he'd give it all up for one glance from her.

Sweet, shy Maribel has no idea that Kirk's been pining for her. There's nothing he'd like better than to sweep her off her feet and show her just how exquisite their love could be. But Kirk has a secret, and he won't let anyone get close, least of all the sexiest woman he's ever met.

Can a feisty little dog and an even feistier little boy help these star-crossed lovers find the passion they both so richly deserve?

REVIEW: Plus One by Brighton Walsh

Review: Tainted Waters by Maggie Thom

He didn’t commit suicide but who’s going to believe her…

 

Frustrated at being fired from her latest job and overwhelmed by her consolatory family, Sam decides to move to the family’s cabin at the lake. A place she hasn’t been since her dad committed suicide there twenty years before. Or did he? Snooping is something she’s good at but someone seems to be taking offense to her looking too closely at what has been happening at the lake. What she discovers is shocking. Now she must uncover what’s real and what’s not. All that she learned growing up, may be false. 

 

Keegan who has recently moved to the area to finish his latest book is also trying to find out if his grandfather, who’d passed away ten years before, died of natural causes or was murdered? The descendants of the four families who own the land around the lagoon are dying off. Since Sam and Keegan are the only ones questioning the deaths, they find themselves working together to seek the truth. Are people being murdered? Who would benefit from their deaths? Why would there be barricades and armed guards at the north end of the lake? To stay alive, Sam and Keegan must find the answers and convince others, before more people are killed… including them.

Review: High Stakes by Cheryl Douglas

Former party girl, Alisa Turner, made a deal with her daddy, Trey. He’ll provide the seed money for her new business venture as long as she promises to stay out of trouble. Too bad her good intentions tumble 30,000 feet when she meets a sexy stranger on a flight to sin city.

 

Hotel mogul, Liam Bryson, has never believed in love at first sight, but when a sexy little siren twenty years his junior tempts him into a night of high stakes Blackjack, he’s suddenly playing for keeps.

 

Alisa wakes up in Liam’s bed the next morning, cursing Tequila and the five carat diamond on her left hand. She demands an annulment before her over-protective father finds out she reneged on their agreement, but her new hubby isn’t prepared to let her go without a fight.

Review: Real Men Don't Quit by Coleen Kwan

Real Men

Don’t Break Hearts

by Coleen Kwan

Beth Fred's The Fate of A Marlowe Girl - Review

The Fate of a Marlowe Girl (Novella)

When twenty-four-year-old Tiffany escapes her sister Kammy's too wild Cancun bachelorette party, she finds herself in a bar with the unwanted attention of a gorgeous local named Luke.

 

Luke may be charming but Tiffany is leaving in two days and doesn't need any complications.  But complications are exactly what she gets when the cops show up to raid Kammy's party.  When Kammy is arrested, Tiffany agrees to have dinner with Luke, so he'll help her get Kammy out of jail.  Kammy's arrest forces her to spend an extra day in Cancun, meaning she'll miss a crucial meeting, and as an accountant in tax season, she is already drowning in work.  Not to mention, every second she spends with Luke makes it harder to leave.  With Luke, Tiffany is almost ready to forget about work.

 

Will the airport be their final goodbye?

A Fine Romance by Christi Barth - Review

They say you form your first impression of someone within thirty seconds of meeting them.  Or, in Mira Parrish's case, within thirty minutes of not meeting them, when said person is supposed to pick you up from the airport and never shows.  This is not a perfect start to her new life.  Her friend Ivy is depending on her to run a new romance store, and Mira can't afford to let her down.

 

Sam Lyons should probably apologize.  But every time he sees Mira—which is often, since his family owns the bakery next to her shop—he can't resist antagonizing her.  There's something about the sexy, straitlaced woman that drives him crazy.  He can't get involved, though.  He has too much baggage to be any good in a serious relationship.

 

Despite his teasing attitude, Mira finds Sam too sweet to resist.  (His hot body may be a factor.) But if there's going to be anything permanent between them, they'll need to let go of their pasts and look to the future…

Review: Tempting Cameron by Karen Erickson

For Cameron McKenzie, Chloe Dawson has always just been his younger sister Jane’s best friend—a pesky annoyance who followed him around and acted like he hung the moon.  It isn’t until Jane’s wedding to her firefighter beau Chris that Chloe reappears in his life…and she isn’t pesky or annoying anymore.  In fact, the beautiful Chloe tempts him beyond reason.  But Cam knows he’s damaged goods—not nearly good enough for Lone Pine Lake’s resident good girl.

 

Chloe’s always dreamed of a future with the dark, brooding Cam, and after they share an explosive kiss, she wonders if her dream could be coming true.  Cam’s never stuck around his hometown for long, though, so she makes him an offer: one sweet summer romance with no strings attached.  This good girl’s ready for an adventure…one that just might end up lasting a lifetime.

Review: Hurricance Lily by Rebecca Rogers Maher

Lily Sawyer flees her controlling, wealthy family in New York City for a solitary existence on Cape Cod. Three months later, a mounting anxiety binds her to the house she can no longer leave.

 

With hurricane season approaching, Lily hires Cliff Buckley—an angry carpenter with an immediate disgust for his elitist employer—to storm-proof her house.

 

Cliff soon discovers they have more in common than he thinks, as well as a raging spark between them could either destroy—or save—everything they care about. The question is, can either of them survive Hurricane Lily?

Review: Locked (The Alpha Group Book 1) by Maya Cross

Locked: The Alpha Group Book One

 

Who is Sebastian Lock?

The bar Sophia Pearce is in doesn’t look like much. The wine is bad and the decor worse. But when a sudden attack of curiosity leads her to sneak past security and into the back room, she discovers something unimaginable. The most lavish party she’s ever laid eyes on, in the most unlikely of places.

 

But that’s nothing compared to what comes next, to the man she meets back there. Sebastian Lock. Gorgeous, commanding, and radiating charm, he is exactly the sort of silver-tongued rake Sophia has sworn to avoid. Unfortunately, he doesn’t care much for her promises.

 

Every instinct tells her to run, but the chemistry between them is as inescapable as gravity. Soon, he’s opening her eyes to a whole new world of pleasures, pleasures she never thought she’d enjoy.

 

There’s just one problem. Sebastian is more than he seems. Between the famous company he keeps and the almost paranoid secrecy of his employers, he’s a puzzle Sophia can’t quite solve, and his insistence on keeping things casual forces her to confront the demons of her past.

 

Can she learn to trust again? Or will Sebastian’s privacy tear them apart?

 

The Alpha Group Trilog is intended for readers aged 18 and over.

Review: Falling for You by Heather Thurmeier

Newly single Cassidy Quinn is thrilled to be a contestant on the new reality dating show The One.  But her excitement turns to horror when the gorgeous bachelor turns out to be her ex-boyfriend.  Seeing Brad again makes Cassidy realize she might not be as “over him” as she thought—and then she meets hunky cameraman Evan Burke.

 

After watching his brother lose his wife in a tragic accident, Evan vows never to fall in love.  But following Cassidy around as her personal cameraman makes him question his decision, and resisting her gets harder with every sunbathing, bikini-wearing day.

 

Cassidy and Evan begin a forbidden affair while her ex-boyfriend tries to win her heart back one groping, awkward moment at a time.  If Cassidy can manage to stop falling off horses (literally), stop falling onto her ex-boyfriend, the bachelor (yes, literally), and stop falling in love with backstage playboy Evan, she might still make it through the show without becoming a tabloid sensation.

 

But soon Cassidy must choose between the ex who broke her heart and the cameraman who might never love her back.  For Cassidy, this reality show just got real.

Review: The Second Chance Cafe by Alison Kent

Growing up, Kaylie Flynn was shuffled from foster home to foster home before being welcomed into Winton and May Wise’s family. It was May who taught Kaylie the comfort of home, and the healing power of baking the perfect brownie. Years later, May leaves Kaylie the money she needs to open her own café in the charming Victorian house they once shared. Now back in Hope Springs, Kaylie’s determined to finally make all her dreams a reality—and unearth answers to lingering questions about her past.

 

Soon, however, Kaylie’s carefully laid plans take an unexpected turn. The house needs far more work than she realized, and Tennessee Keller, the carpenter Kaylie hires, is proving to be a very handsome and very unneeded distraction from her quest to uncover the truth about her parents. When a crisis threatens to destroy everything she’s worked so hard to build, Kaylie must decide where her heart lies: with the ghosts of her past or the love and promise of her future.