Drue's Random Chatter's Reviews

Showing posts with label Felicity's Reviews. Show all posts

Review-Without A Net by Jill Blake

Eva has always played it safe…and where has it gotten her? Betrayed by her husband, single mom to her young son, and fighting to hang on to what’s left. The last thing she needs is another philandering male.

Max has always pursued adventure…until he gets sidelined by an accident. While recovering from his injuries, he discovers that the biggest adventure of his life may be closer than he ever imagined—in the form of Eva, his baby sister’s best friend.
The problem? Convincing Eva to risk it all…without a net.

When I was kid, my mom would take us walking in the park. Whenever someone would stop to coo over my baby sister and ask how old we were, Mom inevitably answered: "The doctor is 7, and the lawyer is 1."

Fast-forward a few decades, and what do you know? Doctor and lawyer, bingo!

I love practicing medicine. I especially enjoy the rewards of taking care of entire families over long periods of time.

But secretly, I always dreamed about writing. Over the years, I dabbled as time permitted: freelancing for various local newspapers, doing a summer stint as a teaching assistant at a creative writing program, penning a few manuscripts that promptly got relegated to the bottom of some desk drawer.

Thanks to my wonderful husband, who encouraged me to blow the dust off one of those manuscripts, I'm finally pursuing my dream! Not full-time, to be sure. I'm still a physician with a busy practice, and a mom with three kids. But after the charts are done and the kids are asleep, it's just me and my laptop---and, boy, am I having fun!

Why romance, you ask? Because I love a guaranteed happy ending. I hope you do, too!

My contemporary romance trilogy, Doctors of Rittenhouse Square, is now available on Amazon Kindle as a boxed set. The books can also be purchased individually, and read as stand-alones, though it's always fun to see characters you've read about being reintroduced as bit players in someone else's story:

*Pursued by the Playboy ~ Kate and Marc
*Taking a Chance ~ Samantha and Alex
*This Time for Keeps ~ Isabelle and Luca

Viva la Romance!

Without A Net swept in from the first few pages. Between Eva's grief and Max's internal struggle, it provides a strong story. Eva has lost her husband and in his final moments he reveals hidden secrets that the family wasn't aware of. Left with his pile of bills and a child she struggles to find normalcy in the midst of chaos.

Max has always been an adventure seeker but when a skiing accident puts him out of work, he struggles to find into the normal. Eva has always caught his attention and now that her husband has passed he sees his opportunity.

I was very impressed with Jill Blake, the characters felt real and Eva's struggle to maintain her lifestyle is put into a realistic light. I will gladly read more from Blake and I look forward to hearing more about these characters in the future.

Review-If I Were You by Lisa Renee Jones

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How it all started…

One day I was a high school teacher on summer break, leading a relatively uneventful but happy life. Or so I told myself. Later, I’d question that, as I would question pretty much everything I knew about me, my relationships, and my desires. It all began when my neighbor thrust a key to a storage unit at me. She’d bought it to make extra money after watching some storage auction show. Now she was on her way to the airport to elope with a man she barely knew, and she needed me to clear out the unit before the lease expired.

Soon, I was standing inside a small room that held the intimate details of another woman’s life, feeling uncomfortable, as if I was invading her privacy. Why had she let these items so neatly packed, possessions that she clearly cared about deeply, be lost at an auction? Driven to find out by some unnamed force, I began to dig, to discover this woman’s life, and yes, read her journals—-dark, erotic journals that I had no business reading. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. I read on obsessively, living out fantasies through her words that I’d never dare experience on my own, compelled by the three men in her life, none of whom had names. I read onward until the last terrifying dark entry left me certain that something had happened to this woman. I had to find her and be sure she was okay.

Before long, I was taking her job for the summer at the art gallery, living her life, and she was nowhere to be found. I was becoming someone I didn’t know. I was becoming her.

The dark, passion it becomes…

Now, I am working at a prestigious gallery, where I have always dreamed of being, and I’ve been delivered to the doorstep of several men, allof which I envision as one I’ve read about in the journal. But there is one man that will call to me, that will awaken me in ways I never believed possible. That man is the ruggedly sexy artist, Chris Merit, who wants to paint me. He is rich and famous, and dark in ways I shouldn’t find intriguing, but I do. I so do. I don’t understand why his dark side appeals to me, but the attraction between us is rich with velvety promises of satisfaction. Chris is dark, and so are his desires, but I cannot turn away. He is damaged beneath his confident good looks and need for control, and in some way, I feel he needs me. I need him.

All I know for certain is that he knows me like I don’t even know me, and he says I know him. Still, I keep asking myself — do I know him? Did he know her, the journal writer, and where is she? And why doesn’t it seem to matter anymore? There is just him and me, and the burn for more

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT SERIES, and is now in development by Suzanne Todd (Alice in Wonderland) for cable TV. In addition, her Tall, Dark and Deadly series and The Secret Life of Amy Bensen series, both spent several months on a combination of the NY Times and USA Today lists.

In the first few pages Lisa Renee Jones sweeps you off your feet making you beg for more. There is mystery, romance, and intrigue swept up in the pages. The story follows Sara McMillian who is presently a school teacher leading into summer vacation. When her best friend stays the night and forgets her journal Sara finds herself captivated in the pages. Her best friends comes over the next day to share news of her wedding and leaves Sara with the journal explaining they belong to a storage unit she bought.

Determined to find the owner of the intimate journals she heads to the storage unit. There she finds out the journal belongs to Rebecca. She also learns that Rebecca works at an upscale art gallery. Determined to find Rebecca she heads there under the ruse of a friend of Rebecca.

Quickly swept up in the mystery of Rebecca's disappearance she agrees to take Rebecca's place at the gallery for the summer. When she meets Mark, her boss he oozes dominance and control. She finds herself leery of getting too close to him but maintains control.

Then you have Chris Merit, an artist that is swept up in Sara. He begins a relationship with her that even he can't define. Two broken souls are brought together in a relationship that is doomed from the start but against all odds they are determined to come together.

If I Were You is filled with mystery and you find yourself eagerly reading trying to find Rebecca. The two alpha's are in a war that even Sara sees. Lisa Renee Jones has given us an original story that will keep you eager for the next book.

Review-Gina by Reneica Roberts

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Regina Cole is an intriguing attorney who encounters obstacles of ups and downs as she fights for her mental stability. Her and her co-workers take on and battle one of the toughest cases ever as Wes Spencer her long time best friend fights to win over the love of his life.

I am married to a wonderful husband with 4 children. I was born in Amory, Ms and writing n sharing my stories has always been a great passion.

Regina is a lawyer who begins to see a therapist for PTSD caused by her abusive husband. He seeks a divorce and it throws her over the edge. When her close co-worker Wesley seeks to turn over any obstacle to win over her love. He offers to handle her divorce and make it a smoother process. When their relationship turns from childhood friends to lovers Wesley finds himself swooped up in the violence.

Overall, I was impressed with Gina and found myself caught up in the story. For me, the story lacked emotion. It was mainly being told, not felt. There were moments where I felt like just a little bit more detail could go a long way. I liked the story line but felt the execution could have been better.

Review-Electric by Emilia Winters

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He made her feel electric. Like volts of energy fizzled through her veins, racing, constantly stimulating. It was intoxicating and thrilling. And for the first time in her life, she felt trulyalive.

Luke Branford.

Notorious womanizer.

Shameless flirt.

Heir to his family’s multi-million dollar business.

His motto? No love, no relationships. Just pure, carnal sex…no strings-attached.

When prim and efficient Kate Kennedy is hired on as Luke's temporary assistant, her no-nonsense attitude and blatant dismissal of his advances sparks a challenge he simply can’t resist. But Luke has demons of his own and a tragedy that happened years ago continues to haunt him. Once lines are crossed and rules are broken, will past secrets keep them apart…or bind them closer together?

Emilia Winters has been reading and writing stories since childhood. She discovered her passion for writing romance early on and never looked back. After graduating from the University of California, Irvine with a B.A. in English, she happily pursued her dream of becoming a self-published author. When she’s not dreaming up sizzling moments between her characters, she’s either watching old reruns ofThe Golden Girls or drinking tea. She currently lives in California, secretly hoping for rain as she soaks up the sun.

Luke is a womanizer who has fallen into a dark place filled with clubs and women. Although the women that he notices every morning has caught his attention. Stuck feeling like a nervous teenager he tries to work up the courage to talk to her. When he notices her missing her usual coffee he uses that as his in to chat with her.

Kate Kennedy is struggling to afford her grandmother's care and an aspiring author. She is looking for a temporary job to hopefully relieve some of that burden. When blue eyes becomes her boss the turmoil comes to a head.

The secrets and tension between Luke and Kate is beautiful. I loved reading it and wanted more from the start. Once I started Electric I couldn't put it down because I was wrapped up in Kate and Luke's story. Emilia Winters weaves a story full of hope, love, and the lies we tell ourselves to move forward. I cannot wait to read more from The Bay Boys series!

Review-Love Me by Margaret Watson

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When Helen Brody needed her office repaired, she never expected that the contractor would be Jamie Evans, the man with whom she shared an unforgettable night a year earlier. Jamie hasn't forgotten Helen, either, and now that he's found her, he's determined not to let her get away again.

Helen can't get involved with Jamie, because he wants something she can't give him, but she can't deny the explosive, out of control attraction between them. As they try to work through their feelings, they find that the hit and run driver who destroyed Helen's office has more plans for her. Will they have only a handful of nights together, or will they have the chance to build something lasting?

I’ve made up stories in my head for as long as I can remember – I put myself to sleep at night when I was young by rewriting the plots and endings of books I’d read. I assumed this was normal and everyone else did the same thing until I began getting weird looks when I talked about it. It wasn’t until I joined RWA years later that I realized it didn’t mean I was weird – it meant I was a writer.

When I was twelve I decided I wanted to write books when I grew up, but I got sidetracked by my love of animals and the need for a ‘real’ job, so I became a veterinarian instead. Eighteen years ago, when I realized I was now making up stories about my clients and their pets, I decided to try putting them down on paper. My first effort, which I still have in my office, was bad enough to make me squirm when I re-read it now, but I did learn one thing from that first manuscript – that making up stories is what I want to do.

My first book was PERSONAL BEST, published by Meteor Publishing Company in June of 1991 for their Kismet line. After writing thirteen books for Silhouette Intimate Moments, I’m now writing Harlequin Superromances. My most recent Superromance, STRANGER IN A SMALL TOWN, was released in December, 2007. It was the final book in my ‘Small Town’ trilogy. The first book in my new trilogy about the McInnes triplets, A PLACE CALLED HOME, will be released in August, 2008. The second book, whose working title is the very imaginative ‘Bree’s story’, will be released in December, 2008.

I consider myself the luckiest person in the world to be involved in two careers that I love. But more important than either career is my family – my husband and my three daughters. We live in a Chicago suburb with a menagerie of pets.

http://www.margaretwatson.com/

Love Me by Margaret Watson starts off with a bang and I was instantly drawn in. Helen is a lawyer who works with divorce cases involving children. When her life is threatened by an angry ex husband she tries to get to the bottom of it.

Jamie had an incredibly one night with Helen and then she disappeared. A year later he walks back into her life to help remodel her office. He is determined to keep her by his side at all costs.

Love Me is a fast paced story that needs to be read in one session. Helen and Jamie's romance is beautiful and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I look forward to more from Watson!

To purchase click on cover above

Review-The Gilded Lily by Vivian Winslow

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After catching her fiancé Jack in bed with her sister the day before her wedding, New York socialite Lily Baron escapes to Rio, her honeymoon destination—alone. There, Marcelo, the dark and sexy hotel masseur, releases a heated passion Lily had never experienced with Jack. When Lily meets handsome and powerful Brazillionaire Gustavo de Lima, she can hardly resist him. There’s just one problem. He’s married. In this uber-sensual city, will Lily’s reluctance to be with a married man, in light of her own fiancé’s betrayal, give way to her burning desire for Gustavo?

Having spent most of the last two decades abroad, Vivian Winslow currently resides in New York City with her husband and two grade school-aged children. Her stories are heavily influenced by her ex-pat experiences. The Gilded Flower Series is her first foray into erotic romance.

Gilded Lily was a short read about Lily who was betrayed in the worst way possible: caught her sister in bed with her fiance. She decided to honeymoon alone to Rio and gains an experience she won't soon forget. I enjoyed Gilded Lily but felt like it was too short. The sex scenes were average and not very steamy for me. Overall, it was an okay book.

Felicity gave Gilded Lily

To Purchase book click on cover above

Review- London Falling by Audrey Carlan

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I feel things. Deeply. More so than most people.
Call it an empathic ability, call it whatever you want. It doesn’t change the fact that I am unable to love…at least not again. When you’ve had everything and lost it, there is no do-over. You can’t repair a shattered heart.

Instead of the pursuit of Mr. Right, I’m forever enjoying Mr. Right Now. It’s worked for me the last four years and will continue for the rest of my days.

Then I met him. Collier Stone. My sexy Englishman. He is everything I don’t need, but can’t deny wanting. His body, his sheer essence calls to that deep place inside me.

Doesn’t matter though. Regardless of how delicious his accent or how intense the chemistry that sizzles between the sheets, the simple fact remains. I will never give him, or any man, what they need from me.

My name is London Kelley and I will never fall in love.

Audrey Carlan is a professional fundraiser for an international healthcare related charity by day, and a sensual and erotic contemporary romance writer by night. She lives in the sunny California Valley two hours away from the city, the beach, the mountains and the precious…the vineyards. She has been married to the love of her life for 10 years and has two young children that live up to their title of “Monster Madness” on daily basis. When she’s not raising money, sipping wine with her “soul sisters”, three incredibly different and unique voices in her life, she can be found with her nose stuck in book or her Kindle. A hot, smutty, romantic book to be exact! As a professional courtesy she does book reviews for two different blogs. One, www.thesmuttykitty.com she does erotic/romantic book reviews where she has been given the name “Zen Kitty” for her love of all things zenful. The second blog,www.tipsylit.com she contributes content as the “Tuesday Tease” contributor of all things romance and reviews books and interviews authors while pairing writing and reading with her second passion…the vino.

In life she believes that all things have their purpose even if we are unable to determine the purpose immediately.

In the writing world you can often tell when an author is introducing their first novel. It is also true that you can tell when an author has listened to her readers and delivers with an even more smashing sequel.

Audrey Carlan has wrapped her writing style around my heart and I was highly impressed. I loved the first novel in The Falling Series, Angel Falling but wanted more emotion.

London Falling delivers just that! It is a story about love lost, gained, and needed. London has empathic ablities and can feel when someone is needed but she never takes time for herself. She dedicates her life to her career.

When she meets Collier Stone it flips her world upside down. Her sexy Englishman is determined to help her find healing and love. Even though London and Collier have a push and shove relationship but he is determined to win her over.

Just when I thought London Falling was your average Happily Ever After a huge twist was thrown at me. I will definitely be reading more and hope to see more of Tripp's story in the future.

Felicity gave London Falling

To buy London Falling click on cover above

Review Angel Falling by Audrey Carlan

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Aspen Reynolds has it all. Wealth, beauty, and a spot on the Forbes Top Ten Most Successful Women list. From the outside, she is perfect. Looks and status can be deceiving. All her life she has fought being the socialite her family has raised her to be. Now at twenty-eight she’s at the top of her game, lacking the one thing she didn’t know she’d ever want.

Accidents happen and lives are changed when Aspen is almost killed. Hank Jensen, the man who saves her, is a hard-working country boy from Texas. Hank is the polar opposite of the rich city boys she’s used to. He’s rugged, gritty, devastatingly handsome, and makes it clear that he wants her in his life and his bed.

Can two people from different worlds find a happily ever after?

Warning: This book is designed for audiences 18+ due to language and graphic sexual content. This novel will be part of a three part series but is written as a standalone between this particular couple. The other two books in the series will focus on different characters with snippets of past couples as the stories move along.

http://www.audreycarlan.com/

Angel Falling is a sweet romance with hot sex scenes. Aspen is almost killed by a piece of pipe when her savior, Hank Jensen steps in. I loved how cliche yet unique this story was.

It is the perfect blend of hot and cold. Hank Jensen swoons any woman with his love for Aspen and I loved watching their relationship grow and change throughout the story.

From two different sides of the social change, Aspen sees all the things wrongs with the possibility of a relationship and is scared to even try. Yet something about Hank draws her in.

Audrey Carlan is a first time author for me and I thoroughly enjoyed Angel Falling. I recommend this for anyone that likes erotic sex with a side of sweet romance

Felicity gave Angel Falling

Purchase by clicking book above

Review The Reflections of Queen Snow White by David Meredith

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What happens when "happily ever after" has come and gone? On the eve of her only daughter, Princess Raven's wedding, an aging Snow White finds it impossible to share in the joyous spirit of the occasion. The ceremony itself promises to be the most glamorous social event of the decade. Snow White’s castle has been meticulously scrubbed, polished and opulently decorated for the celebration. It is already nearly bursting with jubilant guests and merry well-wishers. Prince Edel, Raven's fiancé, is a fine man from a neighboring kingdom and Snow White's own domain is prosperous and at peace. Things could not be better, in fact, except for one thing:

The king is dead.

The queen has been in a moribund state of hopeless depression for over a year with no end in sight. It is only when, in a fit of bitter despair, she seeks solitude in the vastness of her own sprawling castle and climbs a long disused and forgotten tower stair that she comes face to face with herself in the very same magic mirror used by her stepmother of old.

It promises her respite in its shimmering depths, but can Snow White trust a device that was so precious to a woman who sought to cause her such irreparable harm? Can she confront the demons of her own difficult past to discover a better future for herself and her family? And finally, can she release her soul-crushing grief and suffocating loneliness to once again discover what "happily ever after" really means?

Only time will tell as she wrestles with her past and is forced to confront The Reflections of Queen Snow White.

David Meredith is a writer and educator originally from Knoxville, Tennessee. He recieved both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts from East Tennessee State University, in Johnson City, Tennessee as well and a Tennessee State Teaching license. On and off, he spent nearly a decade, from 1999-2010 teaching English in Northern Japan, but currently lives with his wife and three children in the Nashville Area where he continues to write and teach English.

Snow White, The Queen has slumped into a deep depression after the loss of her husband, Charming. Her daughter, Raven is due to be married soon and the kingdom wants to see her regain her happiness.

She ventures through the kingdom into a forbidden room that she hasn't been into. She comes across the mirror that reveals her inner-self
.

The Reflections of Queen Snow White shows an interesting perspective on a classic tale. We all have inner beauty and sometimes we need to look in the mirror and see our reflections. I liked the idea of this story but for me it was slow tale.

Felicity gave The Reflections of Queen Snow White