A New Year Book: Not Another New Year's by Christie Ridgway...

Hope Everyone Has A Safe & Happy New Year!!


After all, this year brought Hannah Davis nothing but the memory of her wandering fiance marrying someone else behind her back. Now, sitting alone at a bar in Coronado, California, on December 31, she decides to do something radical . . . and lets a brooding good-looker take her to bed. But when a hysterical woman bursts into their room "much" too early on New Year's Day, Hannah realizes this guy's more complicated than she thought . . .

Ex-Secret Service Agent Tanner Hart screwed up, big-time! Hoping to temporarily boot some of the ghosts from his life, he hooked up with this sexy stranger for a hot one-night stand--only to discover she's the woman he's agreed to protect . . . from men just like him!

But a new year is a time for fresh beginnings. Despite the danger, the hoopla, and the hangovers, if Hannah's brave enough to risk her heart again--and Tanner's wise enough to realize he deserves it--maybe this one "will" be different.

             

  

Saturday Reads: Mackenzie Family Christmas by Jennifer Ashley...

Saturday reads is a Meme hosted here on Scorching Book Reviews. Here we tell readers the book we have read this week that has captured our hearts the most. It could be a new read, an old read or one not out just yet.

This weeks pick is.....

The Mackenzies gather for a clan Christmas and New Year's in Scotland. In the chaos of preparations for the celebration--the first of Hart and Eleanor's married life--one of Ian's Ming bowls gets broken, and the family scrambles to save the day. Daniel busily runs a betting ring for everything from the time Eleanor's baby will arrive to whether Mac's former-pugilist valet can win a boxing match to who will be the first of the many guests to be caught under the mistletoe. Ian begins a new obsession, and Beth fears the loss of one of his precious bowls has made him withdraw once more into his private world. 
~~~~~~~~

I am a HUGE HUGE fan of Jennifer Ashley and of this series. This was such an AWESOME book!!! SO FREAKING GOOD!!! I just LOVED every single thing about it and didn't want to put it down and I definitely didn't want it to end. When I was finished reading, I  just wanted to reread it again and then go back and reread the series from the beginning!! 

Now it's your turn!! What book this week has captured your heart? 

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Saturday Reads post, or share your ‘read’ in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). I would love to see the cover you choose. Thanks!

    

 

 

  

Reviewed: His Best Friend's Baby by Janice Kay Johnson...4 out of 5 rating...

On a beautiful spring night Mindy Fenton went to bed thinking all was right in her world. Before the night was over everything had changed.

Mindy was awakened by Brendan Quinn with the news that her husband had been shot and killed. Now Mindy was alone, nearly broke and pregnant. And Quinn—a man who had never hidden his contempt for her—was the only one she could turn to. For the sake of his best friend, Quinn was offering Mindy and her child a future…if she could accept it.

I LOVED this story. The cover is just adorable!! I'm a sucker for "second chance at love" stories~or I guess I should say~finding love again after the loss of a spouse stories, especially when there is a baby involved. So I was immediately drawn to this book. 

Oh...I definitely shed more than a few tears over this one, especially in the beginning. Quinn was such an asshat through most of the book and I felt so bad for Mindy. I don't know how people keep it all together after learning of the death of a spouse~how they can continue to function like normal. Because I think I would have been just like Mindy and I totally understood the way her character acted. Thankfully, Quinn did redeem himself in the best way possible and I so loved their HEA. I would have loved it more if Janice Kay took the epilogue out a little further into the future so I could see how Quinn and Mindy were doing and if they ever had a baby of their own~I wanted that so bad for Quinn!! 

His Best Friend's Baby was such a well written, sweet, emotional story that proved something great can come out of a heart~wrenching loss. And I guess ultimately, that life does go on whether we want it to or not.  I found myself pulled into the book immediately and wanted Quinn and Mindy to find their HEA~even if separately because they both deserved it and Quinn had suffered so much in his childhood. I also loved how Quinn became more involved with his foster parents. He turned out to be such a great character after he got over his dislike for Mindy. And Mindy was so sweet and funny~I liked her instantly. 

Definitely going into my keeper pile to be reread.  4 out of 5 rating!

         

  

Reviewed: Winter Eve by Lia Davis...3 out of 5 rating...

There comes a time when setting your differences aside isn’t just necessary, it’s a means of survival. After losing over half of their dens to a group rogue shifters, the wolves and leopards merged as one Pack, but living together is much more of a challenge then they expected.

Danica Welsh was born to be the leopard pack healer. An accident involving a drug induced youth left her badly burned and scared—emotionally and physically. Without the ability to heal by touch, she secludes herself to the edge of town, away from Ashwood Falls’ overly concerned citizens. All hope of mating and family become a distance dream. When she finally starts to accepts the long, lonely existence ahead of her, a stranger crashes into her life, and her heart. 

After Nevan Mathews’ fiancé died three ago, he submerged himself into his work, cutting off all reminders of a life he dreamed of with the woman he loved. He lets his step-mother talk him into taking the first vacation in five years to visit for the holidays. But an accident delays his travel plans, sending him to Danica’s doorstep and raises a need he thought he would never feel again. 

Can they tear down the walls around their hearts and submit to the passion before another claims Dani for his own? 

Warning: Contains a shifter who's scars run deeper than skin, a human who has the heart of a shifter, and a snow storm that's sure to have them both reaching for warmth.

I LOVE shifter romances and I LOVE stories with wounded or "imperfect" heroes and/or heroines and their struggle to find love and a HEA despite those imperfections. So Winter Eve appealed so much to me as it featured a heroine who was both scarred and a shifter.  I couldn't wait to read!! This is another cover that I just absolutely loved. 

Winter Eve was a quick easy story with likable characters that was a good start to the series. Danica and Nevin were so cute together and I liked how he was able to see past her scars. I also liked that even though Nevin was human, he had a special gift of his own and he was also able to fit in and function so well in the pack due to growing up with brothers that were shifters.  I'm definitely interested in what happens in the next book. There were so many secondary characters that I'm hoping get books of their own.  I liked the fact that some of the shifters possess special gifts besides being able to shift. And I also liked the back and forth banter between Blaine and Shayna~so funny and exactly like brothers and sisters. Oh...and I especially want to read more about Cameron and Blaine. 

Winter Eve was an enjoyable read with a lot of potential for the series. This was the first time that I had read anything from Lia Davis and I am definitely looking forward to reading more from her. 3 out of 5 rating!

***ARC provided by Lia Davis~Thank you so much!! :) 

        

  

Reviewed: Their Unexpected Mate by Honor James...3 out of 5 rating...

After the devastating loss of her father, Katherine Douglas picks up her entire life and moves to the wilds of Montana. She sets about making a home only to find the unexpected—three larger-than-life men that send her perfectly planned future into a dizzying tailspin.In the middle of a sting, Treasach “Scythe” Campbell, Quinlan “Mac” McAllister, and Sullivan “Sully” McAllister, Alpha Team for the Paranormal Protection Unit, were more worried about getting out in one piece than what the future might hold. But then in she walked—their mate. Like a punch to the gut, instincts older than time kick in, and the three men know nothing but the driving need to be with her.
They're not human, not by a long shot, but they will love her with a fierceness no other could. Will she run from what they are and what they are asking her for, or can they convince her to heed the primal call from within?

Honor James is a new-to-me author and I will definitely be looking for more from her after reading Their Unexpected Mate.  LOVE LOVE LOVE the cover!! 

I loved how the story started out with Katherine walking into the bar and Trey, Mac and Sully immediately knowing that she was their mate. That whole scene in the bar was so funny with Katherine touching the floor to find out why her shoes were sticking to it and then her interaction with the biker. 

Oh...I immediately fell for Trey and then Mac and Sully. I liked Katherine so much in the beginning~her characters was so different than other heroines that I have read. She was kind, sweet, caring and funny. But she did start to annoy me a little in certain things that she did throughout the book. Her no cursing rule made for some funny moments, especially when the guys tried to come up with creative alternatives. Trey loving to get mani/pedi's was another funny part of the story especially since in his job, Trey was considered to be one of the deadliest men alive. And there was definitely some hot kinky foursome sex!! (Yeah!!) 

The story took some turns that I was not expecting and I cannot wait to see what happens  in the next book. There were things that I loved and things that I struggled with throughout the story, but the things that I loved kept me entertained and interested enough to continue reading and to continue on with the series. I am definitely interested in finding out more about Quincy/Skittles~loved him!! As well as Talon. 

Good start to the series. Looking forward to Skittles book next. 3 out of 5 rating!!

***Copy provided by Honor James~Thank you so much!! 

     

Reviewed: Tiny Dancer by Heather Rainier...5 out of 5 rating...

The day former exotic dancer Camilla O’Neal began working at The Dancing Pony, she told co-owner Ben Lawrence and head bartender Quinten Parks that “work is work and pleasure is pleasure” and she kept the two very separate. Working with their tiny dancer brings Ben and Quinten as much pain as pleasure. 

After two years of secretly lusting over and loving this blonde temptress, they have a plan.

Camilla goes about her job as assistant manager at The Dancing Pony with boundless energy in outfits designed to distract. Her plans for owning her own nightclub are a driving force within her. She’d left the world of stripping and pole dancing at a gentlemen’s club behind to pursue her dreams but finds Ben and Quinten an increasing distraction from her goals. Can she handle mixing business with pleasure when her men decide it’s time to claim her?

** SPOILER ALERT ** 

Great addition to the series. I am a HUGE fan of Heather Rainier and of this series. Tiny Dancer is a perfect example of why I love this series so much. It definitely is one of my favorites out of the series. 

Loved Camilla, Ben and Quinten. I loved how Ben was more serious and Quinten was playful. The scenes with Quinten's family were so funny!! Of course there was smoking hot sex!! ;p I LOVED the scene with them all in the bathroom, when they realized she could be pregnant and I loved when they found out it was twins!!! SO GOOD!! 

LOVED the Bears and I am crossing my fingers that they get their own book as well as Beck and Patrick with Seth's sister. And of course I LOVED reading about Jack, Ethan, Adam and Grace who even after all these books still remain my favorites!! 

Tiny Dancer is definitely a keeper and will be reread.  5 out of 5 rating!!

Reviewed: Pure Pleasure and Wanted Distraction by Ava McKnight...5 out of 5 rating...

Playing With The Boys Series Book #2

Part of the Playing With the Boys series. Writer Giselle is on assignment to cover an off-road race, a trendy sport she knows absolutely nothing about. Then she meets hunky mechanic Ky. The chemistry between them sizzles from the moment they lay eyes on each other. Their lust is off the charts, but there's also an innate emotional connection between them that stems from having lost a parent. As Giselle is drowning in sexual bliss, she discovers Ky isn't just a mechanic for the race team-he owns the team. Plus, he's a championship driver, carrying on his father's legacy. Suddenly, Giselle's ashamed of having shared the story of her financial struggles with Ky. But he's not about to let her forget how hot they are for each other. And maybe he'll convince her there's more between them than pure pleasure.

Ky *sigh* 

Pure Pleasure definitely lived up to its name!! It was short, sweet and spicy hot!! I immediately LOVED not only Ky but Giselle also. She was so sweet and funny and I just loved her and Ky together. They had me rooting for their HEA together before they even got together!! lol  

I just really loved everything about this story~ I loved Ky and Giselle's instant physical attraction to each other that turned into something so much more after their night together. I also loved how the conversation flowed so easily between them. They were both so sweet and caring and it showed in the way they treated one another. Ky truly cared for Giselle and she him. Ky made Giselle realize that she had accomplished so much that she should be proud of and that they weren't that different. Oh...and he took her and her mom to the Four Seasons!! Loved that!! Ky was so sexy and charming with just the right amount of arrogance. He was perfect hero material. Plus...the sex scenes were over the top HOT!! ;p They both did their share of dirty talking!! lol 

Great ending!! LOVED LOVED LOVED that Ky had the ring specially designed for her and told her: "I had it designed for you. It's one of a kind. Never owned or worn by anyone else." *sigh* Oh...and I loved that Giselle stated that she was still going to shop on eBay for her clothes. lol  She was so cute. 

Pure Pleasure was such an entertaining read that left out all of the unnecessary angst and drama. Ava McKnight definitely has a gift in making her characters and stories come to life. I will definitely be looking for more from Ava and I consider myself to be a HUGE fan. 

Pure Pleasure is going into the keeper pile to be reread. Another book that is great for when I need a quick fix. 

5 out of 5 rating!

***Copy obtained per Ellora's Cave. Thank you!! 

        

  

Playing With The Boys Series Book #3

Cherish switches work assignments so she can interview hunky Carter, the hometown hero who’s returned to lead his new football team to victory. They’d shared the last dance at prom ten years ago, and she’s fantasized about him ever since. But he’s always been out of reach. Until now…
Carter is solely focused on his career, and isn’t looking for any distractions. When Cherish hijacks the interview, he’s blown away by how sensational the object of his secret desire looks—and by her risqué proposition for a no-strings-attached, one-night stand. It’s just about sating lust, right?
Passion easily sparks between them, but there are many hurdles to jump before their needs becoming Wanted Distractions.

Wanted Distraction was a great short story filled with spicy hot sex with a heroine trying to knock-the-socks-off of her former high school crush, who is now a famous football player, finally returning back home. A Great addition to the series and if I wasn't a fan of Ava McKnight after reading Pure Pleasure, I would be now. Not only did Wanted Distraction leave a smile on my face at the end, but the story and characters had me smiling from the beginning. I am so loving this series. 

Cherish was so cute as was Carter. I could have just eaten these two up!! lol  The letter he wrote her was so sweet. He was definitely swoon~worthy!! I loved how Cherish surprised him and even though she looked hotter than in high school, Carter still remembered her after all that time. I loved that he had a crush on her also and had thought about her over the years. Oh...the epilogue...so good but wish it was just a little further into the future. I was just a little disappointed that I didn't get to see more of Ky and Giselle. 

This series was so entertaining and I am so involved in the HEA of these lovable characters that I never wanted the stories to end. This is also finding its way into my keeper pile to be reread. And Wanted Distraction was another story that wasn't filled with all of the angst and drama and I loved every bit of it. This story was a little longer than Pure Pleasure. I will continue to look for more from Ava McKnight and hopefully there will be more to this series. 

5 out of 5 rating!!

***Copy provided by Ellora's Cave. Thank you!! 

 

  

Playing With The Boys Series Book #1 / AMAZON / Ellora's Cave