Review: Claiming the Wolf by Michele Hauf

Claiming The Wolf by Michele Hauf
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I just finished reading This Strange Witchery, in which a character from this book is mentioned. Having read a lot of books set in this same world, I was surprised that I wasn't familiar with the character. But at the end of the book, the authors lists the other books in which characters are mentioned. I looked up this book and for some reason it was marked as "maybe" - I think maybe this character was mentioned in another book that I read a while ago and I didn't like him so I wasn't going to read his book? I'm not sure why I would have marked this as maybe because I read just about anything I can find by this author.

Anyway, I downloaded the book last night to read it. It's a novella, so it's a quick read, but still a really good story. Because of the shorter format, the characters don't waste anytime to getting to know each other. This story is so hot - but still in a way that seems real and convincing. A werewolf gets bitten by a vampire. He's furious that he now craves blood, and goes to confront the vampire. He can't stay angry with her though because he realizes that she's also trapped in a situation in which she never asked to be. There they find common ground and realize it makes more sense to help each other out than remain enemies. It's a really nice love story, as well as being really sexy.

And because of the book I read last night, I sort of know what the future holds for these characters, so that was nice.

I enjoyed this story a lot. Read most of it while at the salon getting my hair highlighted, but it was a great way to pass the time and make the most of a day off work.


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Review: The Bookshop on the Corner by Rebecca Raisin

I did not enjoy this book. I didn't like the characters, I didn't like the set up. Everything was much, much too perfect.

Sarah owns a bookshop, and she loves reading romances, but has no real romance life of her own. Then one day, a guy walks in who could be straight out of a romance novel. He's perfect and he's already madly in love with her. He's a writer, but took the assignment just to meet her because he'd glimpsed her at some other event - or something like that. (It's been a while si
nce I read the book - I'm really behind on reviews so details might be fuzzy.)

There was never any conflict. The man had no flaws. He didn't even know her and he was in love with her, ready to re-arrange his life for her.

I like a happily ever after as much as the next person - I love them, I love romance novels. But I need more of a story. These characters were so one-dimensional. They were simply perfect. Oh sure, Sarah, had her doubts about him, but she didn't have any good reason for her doubts, which just seemed silly. At one point the guy even says, this is the part of the romance novel where we're supposed to have conflict or something bizarre like that.

As much as I like the fantasy like happily ever after, I need the character to be a little bit more real.

And yet, having said all that, and not liking this book, I'm still curious about other books by this author. Maybe the problem was that this was a novella, rather than a complete novel?

I received a copy of this via NetGalley.

Review: Project Virgin by Megan Crane

Project Virgin is a very quick, very hot, sexy read. Initially I didn't find the description of the book all that interesting, but Megan Crane, when writing as Caitlin Crews has written some of my favorite romance reads, so I decided to give it a try. Very glad I did.

I feel like this is the story Fifty Shades tried to be, or should have been. Wait, no. I hate it when people compare things to Fifty Shades because I'm not a big fan of that book and it gets way too much attention. I feel certain that the people who like it are people who haven't had a lot of prior exposure to good, sexy romance novels. When I learn that people like it, I always feel obligated to provide them with a list of better, hotter romance novels. Let me try this again.

This is how hot sex between an inexperienced, young woman and successful, powerful man should be written. Better? Maybe. I'm not usually a fan of this type of story. Big power imbalances make me uncomfortable. But this isn't so much a "billionaire story" - he's not crazy wealthy, but rather a very successful attorney at the law firm and he has connections at nice clubs and restaurants and a great view of San Francisco from his bedroom. Also, I get the impression that the woman in this story is just a few years away from being as successful and powerful as the man who has caught her interest.

Scottie is only a year out of law school, and a few hours out of a long, sexless engagement to a jerk. She's on her way to a deposition with Damon Patrick, one of the top attorneys where she works. He's sort of her boss - but not technically. On their way out of the office, he comments on the absence of her engagement ring. Then, much to her horror, while in the car, he happens to read a text message she's sending to a friend - and in doing so, discovers she's still a virgin. This results in some awkward conversation and confessions, that resume
at dinner, after their work day is over.

Scottie decides she's ready to make some changes, and Damon is happy to help her out.

What I especially liked about this story is that Scottie is smart, self-aware and completely in control of what she's doing. She's not being pressured into anything because she's ashamed or embarrassed. She's making a mature, adult decision and going after what she wants. She realizes she's spent too much of her life living in a way that someone else wanted. And I know Damon is supposed to be a "bad boy" as the cover describes this book as a "bad boy short" but he seems like a pretty nice guy. He's not being a creep and having to convince her of what she wants or needs. The only "bad" thing about him is that he has a lot prior sexual experience (which is sort of good thing in this case, you want a guy who knows what he's doing) and he's not romancing her, or trying to convince her he's in love with her to get her in bed. They both enter into this with a clear objective, and they're being very honest with each other.

I liked this story a lot. Can easily be read in one sitting. I think it's probably less than a hundred pages. But it doesn't feel too short. This isn't a grand romance, it focuses on one night with a few hints as to where that one night might lead.

This was exactly what I needed to read to balance out my previous read, the heavy nonfiction story about World War II.

I received a copy of this via NetGalley.

Review: Touch of Frost by Rhain Cahill

Nothing much happened in this story. A couple meets, they have sex for the weekend they really like each other. No conflict, not drama, nothing of much interest at all.

I have to admit, based on the title, I thought this would have some element of the paranormal, so was a little disappointed to discover there is nothing paranormal at all in this story. No magic Jack Frost or anything like that.

I read this because I was tend to like short stories around the holidays. I like to read a lot of them because there are a lot of well written novellas that manage to still create some emotional impact and character development. I didn't feel like there was much of that in this story.

It isn't that I disliked the story, there simply wasn't enough of a story to evoke any sort of strong feelings, good or bad.

I received a copy of this via NetGalley.

Review: A Viennese Christmas by Lynn Craig

I didn't like this story very much at all.

I read it because years ago, I visited Vienna and thought it was a beautiful city. I'd hoped for more of Vienna in this book. I assume when the city's name is somehow included in the title that the location will play a prominent role in the story. But other than a brief mention of the Belvedere and some Christmas Markets - no detail at all - this story could have taken place anywhere. There aren't even any locals involved in the story. It's an American who meets another American and turns out they work in the same place. Not interesting.

I didn't like the style in which it was written, the characters lacked depth. There just wasn't much of a story. Woman has lived in Vienna for a year but has made no attempt to learn anything about city. Meets a guy while at a Christmas market - her first attempt to explore city - they date, fall in love by Christmas, the end. I especially disliked the ending. The guy decides to invite her parents to Vienna for Christmas for his proposal - even though the character has explained she has no real relationship with her parents. I thought that was creepy. In this day and age a woman should be able to make big decisions without her parents' approval - especially if they aren't even a significant part of her life.

Disappointing story. I wouldn't recommend it.

I received a copy of this via NetGalley. 

Review: Midnight Assignment by Victoria Dahl

New story from Victoria Dahl is an instant buy for me. This is a re-issue of one of her older stories - but it's new to me. And the gorgeous cover is certainly eye-catching.

During the month of December, I tend to only read holiday themed stories, so I thought I'd have to hold off on this. Then I saw that it takes place right around the holidays, so seemed like a good reason to include it.

It's a short story about some FDIC agents who have to work around the holidays. Still a Christmas tree up in the lobby of the bank as they make their take-over.

The story focuses on two agents who have been attracted to each other for a while. Even for a fairly short novella, the characters are well-developed, interesting people. They've both struggled with balancing work and their personal lives. 

Finally after finding themselves together and giving into their attraction for each other, they're ready to try and figure out a way to put a bit more focus on their personal lives. 

Highly recommend this if you're wanting a quick read. 

Review: Definitely Naughty by Jo Leigh

I loved this book.

The blurb that accompanies book makes is sound like some stupid story all about hipsters obsessed with social media with textspeak and hashtags. That's why I'd avoided this book. But fyi, this is not the case at all. In fact, there's even a mention of the characters not paying much attention to social media, being oblivious to memes. There's maybe one mention of the characters texting each other. So not sure what all that in the blurb is about other than a desperate attempt to attract a younger, "hipper" sort of reader. And if that's the sort of person they attracted - they probably disappointed a lot of people. No hashtags at all in this story.

Great story. Love the New York City setting.
Loved the characters so much. Aubrey is on deadline, trying to put together a *window display for a lingerie story on Broadway in New York City.  It has to be great, her career depends on it. She's overwhelmingly stressed out, steps outside and a "hot guy" trading card lands in her hand. It has been part of some sort of dating club in which friends submit photos and info of guys they trust. Aubrey is certain this is fate, a gift from the gods, sending her a muse. So she calls up the guy and arranges a date.

Liam is a police detective, someone who takes his job very seriously. At first, he thinks this is a joke - his cousin Mary had submitted his info for the card, but then promised to destroy it. Then he thinks maybe Aubrey is a little insane. But he's also very intrigued by her and very attracted to her. So he goes along with her plan.

After some crazy hot sex at his place, he can't stop thinking about her. The two begin spending more and more time together, as Aubrey continues to stress about the window display. What was supposed to be a few nights of fun, inspirational sex, begins to turn into something much more than either of them expected. This freaks Aubrey out. In her opinion, she's just a window dresser who didn't even get her college degree. She has a tendency to run when things get serious (hence the lack of a degree.) She's terrified by her feelings for Liam. He's dedicated to his work, with big plans for advancing his career and Aubrey doesn't think she fits in with those plans.

This couple is so great and so sweet and so real. I liked that Aubrey was so bold and willing to go after what she wanted, and yet was real enough to fall apart when she wasn't sure she could handle having what she wanted. And Liam, if only there were guys in the real world who were like this. Attractive, sexy, committed, feminist, completely okay with being with a strong woman and okay with letting his date - who did ask him out on the date, so completely fair - pay for the drinks and meal, not an insecure ass who constantly needs to prove his masculinity. He wants to help her anytime he notices she's upset, but also knows when to step back.

If you want a sexy, fun, holiday read, also with a nice story about a couple having to come to terms with some very real, somewhat scary feelings, I highly recommend this book.

I received a copy of this via NetGalley.

* This was my one negative issue with the story - why would a store put together a window display to be revealed the day before Christmas Eve? Most windows go up around Thanksgiving. By Christmas Eve, they're getting ready for the after Christmas clearance.

Review: Our First Christmas by Lisa Jackson

This book contains four stories set around Christmas. Very different stories. Overall, they were decent reads, but I wouldn't say I loved any of them.

I really liked one story - A Ranger for Christmas by Mary Burton and will probably look for more by this author. The characters were interesting and there was a bit of suspense as well as romance in the story. Of the four, this was easily my favorite.

I liked A Southern Christmas by Mary Carter quite a bit also. The characters were cute and funny. Dani returns home, on assignment for the magazine she writes for in New York, hoping to do a story about a Southern Christmas, as well as win back the man she left years ago (she rejected his marriage proposal on Christmas Eve). The story had a nice twist to it, making Dani realize that maybe she wasn't so certain as to what she wanted.

Christmas in Montana by Cathy Lamb was okay. I didn't really like how it was written, the story jumped around too much, and there were too many strange characters for a such a short story. The romance seemed fairly weak also. I didn't find the couple's story line very convincing.

I didn't like Lisa Jackson's Our First Christmas at all. I didn't find the story to be at all romantic. Megan's getting ready to hand her husband divorce papers and he's in a life threatening car accident. While in the waiting room, she remembers how they met and decides she no longer wants a divorce. That was pretty much the story. That wasn't romantic, that was guilt and nostalgia. Just because they were happy when they were teenagers doesn't mean everything is okay twenty years later. Her deciding to set aside the divorce was more out of obligation than love.

The collection of stories is okay, but I tend to want more romance and something a bit steamier in my holiday reads.

I received a copy of this via NetGalley.

Review: Shoulda Been a Cowboy by Maisey Yates

I'm not a big fan of cowboy stories, but I am a big fan of Maisey Yates' books, which is why I decided to go ahead and read a book with the word "cowboy" in the title.  But I didn't love this story.  For some reason, what I find attractive in the Harlequin Presents books isn't so attractive in a small town contemporary.  That probably makes me a bad person - rich guy in a suit can be an arrogant jerk, but not a mechanic on a motorcycle?  (At least I'm aware of my flaws, right?)  I didn't like the guy in this book, and Cassie just seemed very sad and a little desperate.  I found myself thinking she probably could have done a lot better if she'd tried looking.  (I may also have an issue with stories that involve high school crushes re-connecting, maybe because the guy I thought was so wonderful and attractive in high school is now bald and fat, so these stories ick me out a bit.)

Another problem I had was that I started reading this on the same day I finished reading Victoria Dahl's So Tough to Tame, and the set up was way too similar.  Girl had big crush on guy when she tutored him in high school, he had problems with his dad, now they re-connect after all these years, neither realizing they liked each other way back then.  Now they lived right next to each other, thin walls and she can hear what is happening in the shower.

I'm also noticing that I tend to not like a lot of romance novellas, the stories are too short for so much intensity.  Maybe I need a little more build-up.

Shoulda Been a Cowboy is the prequel to Yates' Copper Ridge series - and the guy in this book isn't actually a cowboy - hence the title.  I do have every intention of reading the other books in this series because, as I said, I am a huge fan of Maisey Yates and love almost everything she's written.  This was a rare exception.

I received a review copy via NetGalley.

Review: Wild Holiday Nights: Holiday Rush\ Playing Games \ All Night Long

I love reading these anthologies over the holidays, and finishing a story a night. Overall this was a fairly enjoyable collection.

The first story, Holiday Rush by Samantha Hunter, is about a woman who runs a bakery in New York City. Her brother's friend from Texas stops by to check on her when her family is worried after her store is broken into. During their time together, they revisit an attraction they had for each other thirteen years earlier. I liked this story, but in the beginning, I was annoyed about how indignant the guy was about respecting his partner (Calla's brother). She's 30 years old and I found it insulting that he would think her brother had some control over who she slept with. They got over that fairly quickly though.

My favorite story was the second one, Playing Games by Meg Maquire. These two people run into each other at the counter for a rental car after their flights are cancelled. They'd known each other in high school - she'd dated his best friend. And they'd each secretly harbored a crush for the other. I loved the way this story played out as they made the long road trip home. Then when the roads get too difficult to drive, they have to pull over to a motel and of course, there's only one room left.  Things get very hot and steamy in that hotel room.  This story was really great - exactly what I want in a quick, sexy holiday story.

I didn't like the third story, All Night Long, by Debbi Rawlins, all that much.  A woman gets sent on a trip a few days before Christmas to get some papers signed. In the process she finds herself drawn to the man who is supposed to sign the papers. I found this story to be a little bit sleazy, the paralegal hooking up with the rich business guy. Might have worked for a full length story if there had been time to develop their relationship, but not in this short format. I sort of skimmed over this one because I didn't like it very much.

Overall though, worth the read for the first two stories, especially the second one.

I received a review copy via NetGalley.

Review: Jingle Spells: Naughty or Nice?\She's a Mean One\His First Noelle\Silver Belle

I loved this book. Such a cute and different take on Christmas. This anthology contains four stories about the Evergreens, the winter clan of witches who are in charge of Christmas. The stories focus on three brothers and their little sister and how they manage the Christmas industry from the town on Gingerbread in Colorado.

The stories contained in this anthology are written by Vicki Lewis Thompson, Rhonda Nelson, Kira Sinclair and Andrea Laurence.

I liked each of these fun, steamy romances. In the first story, Naughty or Nice?, Cole's college girlfriend hacks into their security system, forcing a reunion. He left her ten years earlier when he left college due to a family emergency and never returned. He felt that he could never tell her the truth about his family. But when he brings her back to Gingerbread to strengthen the security system she hacked into, he realizes he won't be able to leave her again.

In the next story, She's a Mean One, Ethan Evergreen, is the figurehead for the family business - which to most of the world is a successful ornament making company - but in reality is keeping the Christmas spirit strong. His biggest adversary has published a book trying to convince people that allowing children to believe in Christmas is a bad thing. It's up to Ethan to convince her there is value in Christmas magick. Along the way he also falls in love with this woman who he believed to be his enemy.

The third story, His First Noelle, is about Dash. His world is turned upside down when his ex-wife, Noelle, returns. A former CIA agent, she's back to take her father's place in security while he's ill. Noelle never felt like she belonged with the winter clan, her mother having been from the summer clan, and this caused a strain on her relationship with Dash. But they've both grown up some over the years they've been apart, and now they're willing to work through their communication issues.

The last story, Silver Belle, is about the sister of the family, Belle. For months she's had standing coffee date with Nick, a sexy construction worker (he does own his own business building Christmas-themed cottages.) He has no idea Belle is a witch, until she approaches him to fill the role of Santa (after Santa and Mrs. Claus disappear on a beach vacation a week before Christmas.) Belle is afraid Nick is giving up his whole life simply to be with her, and she doesn't feel she's ready or even wants to be the next Mrs. Claus. What she doesn't realize is the depth to which Nick has truly embraced Christmas magick.

While the stories aren't especially deep or profound, they're fun, and they're romantic and they're all about Christmas magick, and that's what makes these stories so enjoyable. I like that it's such a different and original depiction of how Christmas happens. 

Beginning around Thanksgiving, I try to read as many holiday themed stories as possible.  This is my second one of the year, and already I think I've found a favorite.  Hope we get more stories about this family in the future.

Highly recommend to anyone wanting a lighthearted paranormal twist to their holiday romance stories.

I received a review copy via NetGalley.

Review: Christmas with a Billionaire: Billionaire under the Mistletoe\Snowed in with Her Boss\A Diamond for Christmas

Holiday romances are my indulgence during this time of the year.  I read as many as possible beginning around Thanksgiving.  This was my first of the season.

The common theme in these stories is a billionaire.  I usually avoid stories in which a character's main identifier is that he's a billionaire.  That just seems so boring and overdone.  That isn't to say I don't read my fair share of stories about rich men (I love Harlequin Presents) but I don't like for the most important thing about the person to be how much money he has.  I'm more interested in powerful and successful rather than simply, rich.  But this collection included a story by Maisey Yates, so I was anxious to read it.

But darn these romance novelists for giving false hope and allowing us to imagine that the handsome man in the suit at the airport might for a moment have a passing interest in the weird girl with purple hair, wearing a leather jacket and Doctor Who tshirt.

That's the thing about the billionaire stories, the gorgeous, successful, rich man is drawn to the awkward, quirky, creative girl who is short and a little chunky with crazy hair, not the statuesque blondes he's spent most of his life dating.  That's why weird girls, like me, enjoy these stories.  But my goodness, they are so very far from reality.

Anyway, the first story is Billionaire Under the Mistletoe by Carole Mortimer.  I didn't like this story all that much.  The writing bothered me with exclamation points at the end of almost every other paragraph.  The exclamation points weren't part of dialogue either, but rather describing the characters thoughts or impressions.  That seems more fitting for text messages, not a book. That should have been edited out of there.  Also, I didn't pick up on any strong chemistry between the characters.  I never felt any sort of connection to them.  Their attraction just happened without any real explanation.  I found it very difficult to believe a guy would be so attracted to the woman he hired to decorate and cook for the holidays, and after hardly knowing her at all, want her to join in with his family celebrations.  I didn't hate the story, but didn't love it.

However, I did love the second story, which is Maisey Yates' Snowed in with Her Boss.  Loved the couple in this book.  Even in a story this short, I felt like the characters were well-developed, and from the beginning, they had great chemistry.  The two had a history together, Amelia has worked as Luc's Personal Assistant for years.  He's used to her quirks, and tolerates things like her constant singing because she's an invaluable employee.  When they go to Colorado together to check out a property he's considering purchasing, they're mistaken as a couple.  Luc decides to go along with it, hoping to get a better deal on the property.  But a snowstorm hits and the two find themselves spending a lot more time together than expected.  The time trapped together, pretending to be what they aren't, results in them exploring the attraction they've had for each other and tried to deny for too long.  Very good story.  (Maybe because I'd just watched Homeland, I immediately pictured Raza Jaffrey as Luc when his "mocha" skin was mentioned.  Later it is mentioned that he's part African, so I realized my image was wrong, but it was already set at that point.  Also, this story would work well as a Hallmark holiday movie, granted some elements might not be appropriate for Hallmark, but they could figure it out.  It would be adorable.)

I also very much enjoyed the third story in this anthology, A Diamond for Christmas by Joss Wood.  Riley has been in love with her best friend's big brother, James for most of her life.  They have a history of three one night stands, with several years between each of them.  After the latest though, Riley's had enough.  She currently works for the family designing windows at their store in New York City.  She's planning to leave as soon as the Christmas windows are revealed.  But James isn't ready to let her go just yet.  I loved the history between these characters, and learning how they've drifted in and out of each other's lives over the years. Very nice story.  There seemed to be so much going on in this story, besides just the love story.  I'm curious as to whether there are or will be more books about this family.

Overall, I liked this anthology quite a bit.  The last two stories were great, perfect way to begin my holiday reading for the year.

I received a review copy of this via NetGalley.

Review: Getting Off by Abby Green

This story is okay for a quick, cute, sexy read.

I almost quit reading after just a few pages though because I was bothered by the description of the couple's initial attraction to each other. I find it ridiculous when people first see each other and have some absurd physical reaction. Sweating, loss of breath, immediate sexual arousal so intense they have to leave the room. Really? That's a bit much. And her "vibrating clitoris" was mentioned three times in four pages (do editors not work on these stories?) - and this is all caused just from sitting at the bar stool next to this guy. Oh, and I did I mention this character has never had an orgasm before in her life, but she's that turned on by simply looking at a guy sitting next to her.

I thought the writing got a little better after that initial meeting. As I said, it turned out to be a cute story. New girl in the city meets a guy in a bar, takes him back to her place and has sex, but no orgasm. Evening ends awkwardly with each of them hoping to never see each other again. Then new girl walks into a bar looking for a job and guess who owns the place? And of course, they end up together again, and this time, guy is on a mission, as you might imagine. Had some very sexy scenes.

One other thing that bothered me though was the mention of Liam having some dark sexual history. For such a short story, it seemed unnecessary to introduce that storyline. He's a 29 year old attractive guy, working at a bar in New York City, he doesn't need to have a mean girlfriend in his past to provide him with a reason to have commitment issues.

As I said, story was okay, for a quick read.

Review: Breaking All Her Rules by Maisey Yates

This is a Cosmo Red Hot Reads and it is indeed red hot.

I enjoyed this novella quite a bit.  It's a short story about a woman who has spent her whole life focused on her work, trying so hard to please her family and be the "good daughter."  Then one day she shares a cab with a handsome cowboy, who looks very out of place in New York City, and accidentally picks up his phone instead of hers.

She tracks her phone back to his hotel and shows up to retrieve it, and standing there, looking at this cowboy with his shirt off, standing in his hotel room, she decides she's tired of always being the good girl.

I've said this many times in my reviews, but Maisey Yates is one of my favorite romance writers.  She creates the best characters.  Sometimes though, I think I like her characters because I always feel like I can relate to them on some level - not in the successful finance person sort of way, but rather the nice girl, focused on her work, too busy or uninterested in a "real" relationship, either avoiding relationships or settling for some that doesn't involve much effort.  And then someone walks into their lives and changes everything about the way they've always viewed relationships.  I like that idea, that someone might someday appear who makes taking a chance seem worthwhile.  Okay, I might get a little too caught up in these stories sometimes.

But I sincerely believe that the idea of meeting a man in a cab who makes a woman want to toss aside all her years of trying to follow all the rules is probably a woman's biggest fantasy.  The idea that it could be that simple, that one day he could just be there - this is why we read romance novels.  We know it will never happen, but isn't it nice to dream?

Very enjoyable quick, sexy read.  

Review: Fanning the Flames by Victoria Dahl

Victoria Dahl is one of those writers whose work I started reading because she's one of my favorite people to follow on twitter.  Seems like a really cool person, and in turn, that makes me want to read her books.  So far, I've very much enjoyed what I've read of hers. 

  

I remember last summer, she mentioned writing a story about a librarian who watched the firefighter next door running each day.  I was looking forward to that story because, well, my library shares a parking lot with a fire department and there are many jokes in my life regarding going to pick up books/check out the firemen.  Of course, I don't really do that.  But still, funny, right? Whatever.   However, I was a little disappointed that this wasn't a full length story.  And because it was so short, the romance felt a bit rushed.  I usually like a little more of people getting to know each other, more of a build  up.  I guess we are informed that these two people have known each other for a while, so it isn't as if they just met and fell for each other.  They do know each other, which was one of the obstacles in their relationship.  He'd been friends with her ex-husband and she had known his wife before she died.  

One of the reasons I may not have loved this story was because the main characters are older.  Absolutely nothing wrong with that, but it isn't something to which I can relate - being older and having kids and former spouses and such.  These aren't topics that resonate with me at all.   The older part, yes, to some extent, but that's it.  

As for their story, Lauren is a librarian who, despite always being attracted to Jake, has never acted on that attraction.  But she gets talked into going out with her co-workers one night, and he's there.  And he seems quite interested in her.  As you might imagine, the two finally give into their attraction to each other.  

I still liked the story, just not as much as I usually like Dahl's books.  At about 61 pages, it's perfect for a quick, sexy read.  And it's set in Jackson, the beginning of the Girls' Night Out series, and I loved the first book in that series, Looking for Trouble.  Some of the same characters are mentioned, making this well worth reading to know what's happening with everyone involved.

I received a review copy via NetGalley.

Review: Burned by Sarah Morgan

This is okay for a quick read. I wasn't enjoying the longer book I'd been reading, so decided to read this before bed for something different.

I liked the main characters, enjoyed their storyline - young lovers who split up and then reunited after five years. (In my own reading and writing, I've noticed that's a storyline to which I'm drawn.)  

I also liked the London setting, the descriptions brought the city to life for me.

But I found the frequent mentions of the sister to be annoying. In general, not a big fan of the best friend/sister thing. The sister kept being mentioned, even when it didn't seem necessary. Things like, "He had a nice apartment, his apartment reminded her of the apartment her sister's boyfriend owned."

I would have rather the focus be on the two main characters - not the sister and her boyfriend - who I understand were main characters in a previous novella by this author.

Also, felt like there was a lot of repetition in the writing. Maybe instead of telling the reader over and over again about how she was clingy when she was younger, or how her parents had a bad marriage causing her sister decided to avoid marriage - we could have learned more about the current characters and their relationship.  Needed some very thorough editing, but I guess that would have made the story even shorter. Also, how many times do I need to be told that her sister has large breasts and she doesn't? Little things like that started to bother me about the writing and caused me to start doing a lot of skimming. I don't usually feel the need to skim something this short.

Review: Temptation in Shadows by Gena Showalter

A couple of summers ago, I was wanting to read more paranormal romance.    The book I wanted wasn't available at the library, so I decided to try Gena Showalters' Lords of the Underworld series, and I was hooked immediately.  I read the whole series - I think there were nine books at the time - one right after the other.  Loved them.  This was sort of the beginning of my return to reading romance novels.

But I haven't enjoyed Gena's latest books.  I don't know if they changed or if my tastes changed.  Temptation in Shadows being an older story, I assumed I'd like it, but I really didn't like it all that much.

It's a novella, only about 80 pages, and for something that short, I expect the focus to be on romance.  But there was quite a bit about some underground society who were turning people's brains into computers.  It's been a while since I read this, so I don't recall the details.  Also, I'm not even sure I understood exactly what was happening while I read the story.  I think it may have been a little too complicated for a novella.

Also, I didn't feel as if the romance was all that well developed.  There was no real explanation as to why they were attracted to each other.  We're just told they are, and then they're in love.  Okay.

But still, for a novella, a quick real that doesn't require much emotional involvement, this story worked just fine.  I turn to stories like this when I need to escape a long read that's dragging or I can't decide what big book I want to dive into next.

I received a copy of this via NetGalley.

Review: Break for Me by Shiloh Walker

This is one of those stories that didn't produce any strong feelings in me, good or bad.  When I first started it, I didn't like it much.  I'm not a big fan of small town contemporary stories, and this began with everything I dislike about that type of story - the fifteen best friends (slight exaggeration), everyone knowing everyone's business, the dwelling on past events - never moving forward.

In the beginning of the story, they go to a bar, and everyone there knows that Jensen is upset because it's nearing the anniversary of her mother's disappearance.  Everyone except the new guy in town, and they all get on his case for not knowing.  I guess they forgot to hand him a calendar of special events - things people get upset about in bars for the past decade.

I set the story aside, not planning to finish it.  But then one night, I wanted something short, something I could finish before I fell asleep, so I decided to give it another try.  And this time, I thought the story was okay.  Once the focus was on the two main characters, it got better.  In novellas, I don't want too many other things happening.  But this is also a prequel to a series, so I might have appreciated it more if viewed in that context - as just a small part of a much bigger story.  

I liked it enough that I may pick up the other books in this series, but didn't love it.  

I received a copy of this via NetGalley.

Review: Her Best Laid Plans by Cara McKenna

I enjoyed this story so much! I liked the characters - Jamie who just got out of relationship and ready to get her life back on track and Connor the sexy bartender who is also on the verge of trying to become a responsible adult, the setting - Ireland, the storyline - Jamie's in Ireland to take a vacation before returning to Boston for school, she just wants a holiday fling.

She meets Connor her first night in Ireland, at a local pub near the house where she's staying. She jokes that she and Connor are the only two in the area under 30. She only has ten days, and she wants to have some fun. And does she ever.

Because of their limited amount of time, they can't be bothered with the usual courting, "getting to know each other" rules. They enter into this knowing that after ten days, they'll probably never see each other again. This story is so hot and so sexy. I really, really liked it. It's the sort of book I want to tell all my friends to read because it's so enjoyable and fun and, oh, did I mention, sexy?

This is a quick, fun read.  This story is exactly what I expect from the Cosmo Red Hot Reads line - a story about a young woman, doing what she wants, deciding what's best for her and having a great time in the process.

Even though her work has been recommended to me in the past, this is the first story I've read by Cara McKenna, but I will definitely be reading more in the future.

Review: A Night with the Bride by Kate McKinely

Night with the Bride is the third novella in the By Invitation Only trilogy.  I've read all three of the stories, but not sure how they're connected.  Maybe they were all at the same party?  I probably read them too far apart from each other to remember.  However, I mention this only to point out that they stand alone just fine.

This is a very quick story.  Sometimes when I'm between books or in the midst of reading something heavy, I want a quick story to read before bed, and this served that purpose. 

In this story, Gabriella makes a bet with her friends that she can claim a kiss from the Duke of Somerset.  This escalates quickly.  She ends up getting much more than a kiss.  And she realizes the reason people call the Duke mad is because he suffers from what we would consider a form of obsessive compulsive disorder.  He's haunted by dark thoughts of his sister dying and he has counting issues.  Rather than frighten Gabriella, she's finds herself drawn to him, having had an uncle suffer from a similar condition and realizing the Duke needs help not ridicule. 

I enjoyed the story, though I did think they resolved their issues rather quickly.  But this being a short story, they didn't have much time.