NEW RELEASES FOR WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 18, 2016
READ AND REVIEW
SEDUCING THE TYCOON'S BY MK MEREDITH
Release Date: September 19, 2016
SYNOPSIS
International tycoon Drago De Luca has the world at his feet and he knows it. But back home in Italy, his beloved grandmother's family inn is on the verge of closing down for good, thanks to hotshot American heiress, Chase Huntington, and her new hotel. Drago has to protect Nonna's inn, even if it means getting close enough to Chase to convince her she needs to leave. But the more time he spends with Chase, the more he's drawn to her passion, her love of his culture, and the way she looks in those Louis Vuitton heels.
Chase Huntington would give anything to enjoy her time with charming, sexy-as-hell Drago in the style capital of the world, but she has to make sure the new Huntington hotel opens successfully. How else can she prove she's not just fashionista with a fortune—she’s an heiress savvy enough to take over the family’s biggest hotel back in California? But somewhere between boutiques and business plans, she falls head over Louboutins for Drago. But when Drago's true motive for spending so much time with her comes to light, it could destroy everything Chase built and everything she thought she found in Italy.
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REVIEW: SEDUCING THE TYCOON'S BY MK MEREDITH
Seducing the Tycoon by M.K. Meredith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
One of the foibles of humanity is making mistakes. Making a choice with the best of intentions but the execution ends up not working out like the plan. Drago in theory made decisions to help his family but along the way ended up hurting himself. While reading Seducing the Tycoon, I kept hearing the lyrics to Something Stupid in my head. The song is a cute twist on how an emotional bond and three simple words ("I Love You") can tie a person in knots and change the dynamic of their relationship. Chase got caught in the crossfire of Drago doing "something stupid" and neither would be the same. Ms. Meredith created an adorable story centered around a clueless hero and a insecure heroine. Humour, family, romance and wisdom - this story delivered on all counts.
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BRANDED BY CANDACE HAVENS
Release Date: September 19, 2016
SYNOPSIS
I have my hands full taking care of my little sister and covering for my uncle as ranch foreman. The last thing I need is a Texas princess like Callie Llewellyn getting up in my business and messing with my head.
All I can think of is getting up close and personal with those curves of hers. And being on the edge of discovery makes our quick-and-dirty encounters twice as hot. And that’s all they are—quick and dirty—there’s nothing deeper going on here.
There’s only one rule to keeping my job and a roof over my sister’s head: stay away from the boss’s granddaughter. But I’m not always great at following the rules.
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REVIEW: BRANDED BY CANDACE HAVENS
Branded by Candace Havens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
For me the draw of a first person narrative is the opportunity to get inside the head and feel what space an individual is in when they make some of the most important choices of their lives. With Callie and Cole, Ms. Havens gave her readers a sense of insecurity but Branded is not just a romance. It is about confronting fears and becoming a better and stronger version of who a person is meant to be. Outwardly, Callie has a great life. People who love and encourage her, a career path waiting for her and the means to hone her smarts and skills. Underneath the pluses in her life lies the guilt and insecurity that she can never succeed and will let down the people who mattered most to her. When she meets Cole, she sees someone with a chip on his shoulder but willing to work hard for himself and the people who rely on him. Branded tackles social prejudice, the value of being true to yourself and the wisdom gained from some of life's many lessons.
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MISS GOODHUE LIVES FOR A NIGHT (WINNER TAKES ALL) BY KATE NOBLE
Release Date: September 19, 2016
SYNOPSIS
Next in the witty, sexy Winner Takes All Regency series from Emmy winner Kate Noble, author of The Game and the Governess and writer of the wildly popular web series, The Lizzie Bennett Diaries.
Cecilia Goodhue is a schoolteacher with a past, living with her sister and her husband in a tiny English village. Resigned to a quiet life, Cecilia is surprised when she finds out that her young cousin has run off with a man of no means.
Cecilia had once been a teenaged girl who also fell for a young man’s charms—only to be devastated by his betrayal. Determined to not let her cousin meet the same fate, she heads off to London to but is shocked when her investigation leads her right to the front door of the very man who broke her heart: Theo Hudson.
Together, they reluctantly embark on finding her cousin and returning her to her family. During their searching in London, it soon becomes clear that they both remember their short-lived romance differently and perhaps now, years later, they have a fresh chance at love.
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REVIEW: MISS GOODHUE LIVES FOR A NIGHT (WINNER TAKES ALL) BY KATE NOBLE
Miss Goodhue Lives for a Night by Kate Noble
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The saying: "Time heals all wounds." That mantra has been used so much, it's almost cliche but no less true than the first time it was uttered. Kate Noble took that quote and built a story of second chances around the wisdom of it. Cecelia has allowed her past mistakes to close her off from any chance at happiness. Her heart is barricaded in a water tight vault that will never be breached. When history seems to be repeating itself, she will do whatever it takes to protect the people she loves. Even face down the heartaches of her past. Miss Goodhue Lives For a Night is not all fun and games but Ms Noble mixes irony with humorous dialogue and irresistible bouts of maturity and romance.
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ADAM'S PROMISE BY JULIANNE MACLEAN
Release Date: September 19, 2016
SYNOPSIS
Madeline Oxley has been ruined by a scandal through no fault of her own, and her future looks bleak. When a gentleman from her past requests that she set sail for the New World to become his wife, she jumps at the chance to become a mail order bride and marry the man she has loved since she was a girl.
Adam Coates was a mere tenant farmer when he left England for the British Colony of Nova Scotia, but now he is a prosperous and influential landowner. What Madeline doesn’t know is that her father has hoodwinked them both—for the bride Adam truly wanted was her beautiful, older sister, Diana—his first love. When Madeline steps off the ship with romantic dreams of her long-awaited happily-ever-after, she is shocked and dismayed to discover the truth. Madeline is furious with her father for his treachery, but she has sailed across an ocean to an unfamiliar land and must remain, at least temporarily, under the protection of the man she still loves—the man who still intends to wed her sister.
Over the coming weeks, as their friendship deepens and grows, will Adam come to realize that he’d set his heart on the wrong sister all along? Or will it be too late to find the happiness they both desire?
Adam’s Promise was a Romance Writers of America RITA Finalist – nominated for best short historical romance of 2003. It is a sweet historical romance.
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REVIEW: ADAM'S PROMISE BY JULIANNE MACLEAN
Adam's Promise by Julianne MacLean
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
An act of faith leads to the adventure of a lifetime in Julianne MacLean's, Adam's Promise. I have always been verbal about my adoration of this author's historical romances. Her characters are bigger than life but their vulnerabilities are sincere and relate-able. Adam's Promise is a great blend of exciting and heartwarming. Adam and Madeline are thrown together out of necessity. She wants a chance to start over away from the gossip and heartache. He wants the girl of his dreams at his side to celebrate, his triumph. A slight of hand sends Adam and Madeline on a journey that is unlike any other. From acquaintances to friends and a chance at something more each has to look within themselves to find the courage to take a chance at giving themselves completely. Although wordy, Adam's Promise offers romance, hope and heart.
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SHOPPING FOR AN HEIR BY JULIA KENT
Release Date: September 20, 2016
SYNOPSIS
Gerald Wright works for billionaires. He never imagined he’d become one.
The former Navy Seal is a chauffeur by day, artist by night, so when hotter-than-ever ex-fiancée Suzanne Dayton interrupts his nude model sculpting class to serve him with inheritance paperwork from a man he’s never heard of, he assumes it’s a joke.
Turns out the joke’s on him. There’s just one catch. A big one.
And it might be Suzanne — in more ways than he ever dreamed
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REVIEW: SHOPPING FOR AN HEIR BY JULIA KENT
Shopping for an Heir by Julia Kent
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What appeals to me about The Inheritance series is the ability of one person, making an impact on numerous lives. With all of the violence and hate in the world, the thought that there are good hearted people is tossed by the wayside. Julia Kent, Lisa Mondello, Katherine Shay, Judith Arnold, Jean Brashear, Kathy Carmichael, Margaret Daley and Teresa Hill have lended their creative gifts in one unanimous message: "One person can make a difference." Shopping for an Heir blends heart with inspiration. Agnes and Corinne with their dirty mouths and hilarious antics added to the fun but Suzanne and Gerald turn the fun and hope into a reason to dream. Concept, message, writing and characters are this reader's ideal.
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ANYWHERE YOU ARE (RETURN TO BRIARWOOD) BY ELISABETH BARRETT
Release Date: September 20, 2016
SYNOPSIS
As the daughter of a music legend, Grace Davingham knows all too well what it’s like to be burned by the media’s glare. Now all she wants is to be left to do her painting and conservation work in peace, with no intention of returning to the spotlight. But after she sprains her ankle hiking and a handsome real-estate mogul comes to her rescue, Grace once again finds herself in the public eye.
Sexy, successful, and averse to any attachments, Marcus Colby thrives on rigid discipline in order to manage both his real-estate investment company and his personal life. Marc has no time for fun, and no patience for crazy. Which is why meeting Grace—and inheriting an enormous Great Dane who won’t listen to a word he says—has turned Marc’s carefully constructed world upside down.
Only when Grace and Marc square off over a local controversy do they realize how different they really are. But if opposites attract, their love is destined to bind them together—forever.
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REVIEW: ANYWHERE YOU ARE (RETURN TO BRIARWOOD) BY ELISABETH BARRETT
Anywhere You Are by Elisabeth Barrett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Ms. Barrett does well at tickling the funny bone. She delivers feel good romance that relies on the reader's ability to exercise both the brain and the heart in order to understand the true meaning of self reliance and the power of finding a place to belong. Anywhere You Are there proves that in order to understand where you are meant to be, a person has to search within themselves to discover who they are.
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COMING CLEAN (MONKEY BUSINESS TRIO) BY C.L. PARKER
Release Date: September 20, 2016
SYNOPSIS
The steamy conclusion of C. L. Parker’s Monkey Business Trio
They have been rivals who fought until the bitter end and lovers who know every sensual inch of each other’s bodies. Now sports agents Cassidy Whalen and Shaw Matthews are about to become the one thing they never expected to be: parents. But this new dynamic to their relationship threatens to fizzle the sizzling desire that once held them in thrall to each other. If salvation is only a forbidden fantasy away, then Shaw and the woman he loves must embark on the adventure of their lives.
Cassidy is aching to reignite their connection. In steamy assignations in strange places, she and Shaw live out their most intimate desires—and reveal their deepest secrets. But as Shaw works overtime to sign a superstar athlete, a corporate reshuffling could be a game-changer. Can Cassidy and Shaw save their relationship and have it all—a career, family, and passion that never quits?
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REVIEW: COMING CLEAN (MONKEY BUSINESS TRIO) BY C.L. PARKER
Coming Clean by C.L. Parker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I'm sad to see Shaw and Cass's journey end. It's like losing a friend. Having watched this couple go from enemies, to rivals, to lovers and now parents leaves me with a bittersweet feeling. Coming Clean is the powerful conclusion to a rocky and driven love story. Along the way Shaw has exposed more of his tragic past and become a little more open but his heartbreaking past is never far from his mind and remains a barrier to his future with Cass and his son. Falling in love was never the plan for Cass. Her fast paced career was well on it's way to the top when her emotions won out. She's sacrificed much and wants more than a distant lover and a brain full of what is. C.L. Parker, has written a story that is more mature than the others in the Monkey Business Trio series. Coming Clean is about setting priorities and discovering what's important before it's too late.
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SKIN DEEP (STATION SEVENTEEN) BY KIMBERLY KINCAID
Release Date: September 20, 2016
SYNOPSIS
Where there’s smoke…
For firefighter Kellan Walker, checking his emotions at the door doesn’t just keep him on the level. It keeps him alive. A gut-wrenching find at the scene of a blaze threatens to blow his ironclad composure, but when the detective assigned to the case is the same woman who put his sister’s life at risk three months ago, all bets for Kellan being calm, cool, or collected are definitely off.
There’s bound to be fire…
Keeping people safe is Isabella Moreno’s number one priority, no matter how tough the case. Working without solid leads and with the gorgeous, broody firefighter who believes she’s responsible for endangering his sister on a previous case isn’t ideal. But someone is hurting women in the here-and-now. Isabella will do whatever it takes to find justice.
As Kellan and Isabella reluctantly team up to catch a criminal, they realize they have more in common than they’d ever imagined. With every move, the stakes grow higher and the passion sizzles hotter, but can they race against the clock and the odds to catch a killer? Or will they lose their hearts—and their lives?
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REVIEW: SKIN DEEP (STATION SEVENTEEN) BY KIMBERLY KINCAID
Skin Deep by Kimberly Kincaid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Kellan and Isabella are two of the most level headed individuals you will ever meet. In their line of work that's a huge plus. Solving puzzles and protecting others are traits neither take lightly. So why is it that neither can keep their cool when thrown together on a matter of life and death? Ms. Kincaid continues to surprise me. Her stories are joys to read contemporary romances are steamy and hard to step away from. I had no idea that she wrote suspense though. Skin Deep is a fast paced read with an abundance of testosterone and an in your face battle of the sexes. A high-octane escapism story.
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BILLIONAIRE ON THE LOOSE (BILLIONAIRES & BRIDESMAIDS) BY JESSICA CLARE
Release Date: September 20, 2016
SYNOPSIS
The New York Times bestselling author of the Billionaire Boys Club novels is back with a sexy, sweet romance that proves opposites definitely attract...
Taylor is a genius when it comes to computers, but understanding the opposite sex is beyond her. Because she always fumbles her flirtations, she needs help in finding her Prince Charming. So when her friend, Gretchen, sets her up as a tour guide for a new guy in town, she says yes despite her misgivings.
She just doesn’t expect Mr. Charming to actually be royalty...
A faction in his country wants him to be king, but Loch has no intention of taking the crown. To keep from being named as the next successor, he hatches a scheme to marry a totally unacceptable American woman. Quirky Taylor seems like the perfect person for the job, until Loch realizes he likes more about her than her ability to keep him off the throne.
When Loch’s secret schemes come out, his chance of happiness with Taylor are blown—unless he can find a way to get the nerdy object of his affection to believe she’s truly the queen of his heart...
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REVIEW: BILLIONAIRE ON THE LOOSE (BILLIONAIRES & BRIDESMAIDS) BY JESSICA CLARE
Billionaire on the Loose by Jessica Clare
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I am new to the world of Jessica Clare, but if all her stories are as endearing as Taylor and Loch's I just might stick around awhile. Billionaire On the Loose touches the heart with it's message of acceptance and spins dreams for every believer in happily ever afters. You don't have to be perfect to find happiness is an inspiring message that has fallen by the wayside in the world of glamorous movie stars and glitzy magazines. For that alone this story deserves an A +.
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LOVE ON THE RUN (PINE HARBOUR) BY ZOE YORK
Release Date: September 20, 2016
SYNOPSIS
Bodyguard. [Noun]
A person hired to escort and protect another person. Escort and protect. Definitely no flirting, kissing, or testing the bounds of third base.
Dean Foster has nearly two decades experience being calm, cool, and collected. His first gig in his new private security contractor role should be more of the same, but Nashville superstar Liana Hansen blows all that out of the water in one breathy hello.
Liana isn’t sure how she feels about the straight-laced cop shadowing her everywhere she goes, but there’s no denying the chemistry between them. Too bad he insists on keeping his clothes on. And then there’s the pesky matter of feelings. Neither of them likes those.
With only a dozen stops left on the tour, one of them is going to have to bend. Or the other is going to wind up breaking something.
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REVIEW: LOVE ON THE RUN (PINE HARBOUR) BY ZOE YORK
Love on the Run by Zoe York
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Love is like a free fall for the senses, it can't be controlled but is exhilarating non - the- less. Liana and Dean are the personification of a bad idea. She's famous and thrives on the spotlight. He's a loner more comfortable in the background. Liana's career is full of bright lights, big cities and attentive fans. Dean's always on alert and does his best work in the shadows. She's the client. He's her protector. Love On The Run is about stepping outside of one's comfort zone and trying something new. The irony is that sometimes the worse decisions, turn out to be the most rewarding experiences. Ms. York captured the shell shocked emotions of attraction and romance well.
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NOT QUITE PERFECT (NOT QUITE) BY CATHERINE BYBEE
Release Date: September 20, 2016
SYNOPSIS
New York Times bestselling author Catherine Bybee delivers the fifth heartwarming, flirty novel in the wildly popular Not Quite series.
Mary Kildare knows how to read people. It’s both why she makes a great therapist and why she refuses to trust the average bachelor. Staying fiercely independent has been her primary relationship strategy—until wealthy playboy pilot (and commitmentphobe) Glen Fairchild reappears in her life. After a yearlong teasing tug-of-war, Mary and Glen test the waters of attraction, only to find that their physical chemistry runs deeper than flirtation.
At first, a bicoastal romance suits them both—especially since Glen can swoop in and whisk Mary away on one of his company’s planes. But no matter how close they get, they’re still three thousand miles apart. And when Mary’s life is threatened, Glen realizes the one luxury he doesn’t have is time. Can he close the distance between them before it’s too late?
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REVIEW: NOT QUITE PERFECT (NOT QUITE) BY CATHERINE BYBEE
Not Quite Perfect by Catherine Bybee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Nothing comes easy in life. Anything worth having requires nurturing and time. Catherine Bybee takes the knowledge of the real world and blends it with her style of light, flirty but deeply meaningful storytelling. The fact that Not Quite Perfect has just right mixture of drama and humour is a big plus as well. Mary is a woman with strong principles and a soft heart but her independent spirit is both a gift and a curse. It's allowed her to accomplish much in her career but served as a barrier against personal entanglements. Glen proves to be her one weakness. Gorgeous, wealthy and a bit of a free spirit. Not Quite Perfect is about appreciating the little moments and treasures because life has a way of surprising us all.
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SWEET DREAMS (SUGAR RUSH) BY NINA LANE
Release Date: September 20, 2016
SYNOPSIS
He may own a candy company, but this wealthy bachelor is no Willy Wonka.
Sugar Rush Candy Company CEO Luke Stone is a devoted businessman who doesn't do relationships. He does short-term affairs with clearly defined rules. But when a sexy bohemian angel propositions him in a bar, Luke is tempted to want more.
Polly Lockhart is horrified when she wakes the morning after her twenty-third birthday to realize she made a fool of herself with a sinfully delicious man. She tells herself she doesn't have time for romance anyway, as she's fighting to keep her mother's beloved bakery afloat and finish her culinary studies. That all changes when her class tours the famed Sugar Rush headquarters, and Polly collides with her dream man again.
As she succumbs to their hot attraction, Polly soon realizes her bakery isn't the only thing that needs saving. Luke, driven and unyielding, will burn out unless someone convinces him to taste the sweetness of life. But can Polly remember this sugar rush is only temporary?
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REVIEW: SWEET DREAMS (SUGAR RUSH) BY NINA LANE
Sweet Dreams by Nina Lane
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Three years can come and go in the blink of an eye or it can seem like a never ending span of time. For one so young, Polly experienced a great deal in that time frame. The inevitable loss of a parent and the responsibilities that go along with the grief. The events gave her a sense of maturity, not associated with many twenty three year olds, but it also broke a large piece of her. To accept what is became her motto, instead of hoping for the best. Her world is about to be rocked in a really big way. (Literally and figuratively.)
All work and no play, has made Luke a wealthy man. With success comes attention and acceptance, not necessarily happiness. His fast paced existence is thrown off it's axis by a seductive woman, with hot and cold tendencies. Sweet Dreams is a confectionary buffet of sensuality, intense feelings and heartwarming moments. Stir in a bit of realism, sage advice and you have a breath of fresh air wrapped in a bundle of sweet goodness. A winning combination.
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CRUSHING ON LOVE (LOVE IN BLOOM: THE BRADENS AT PEACEFUL HARBOR) BY MELISSA FOSTER
Release Date: September 21, 2016
SYNOPSIS
Steve Johnson is living his life’s passion watching over the Colorado Mountains as a ranger and wildlife consultant. But his peaceful life is upended when overzealous and insanely beautiful Shannon Braden flits back into his life after returning from a brief trip home to Maryland. He thought his attraction to her was under control—after all, she’s only in Colorado temporarily, and he doesn’t do casual affairs.
Shannon’s return to Colorado has as much to do with the game of cat and mouse she and Steve have been playing as it does the data she’s been hired to collect. But despite her efforts to explore the undeniable heat simmering between them, Steve’s intent on keeping his distance.
When a ranch abutting the national park goes up for sale, Steve will do whatever it takes to keep it from falling into the wrong hands. And when all his attempts fail, he’s left with no alternative but to follow Shannon’s guidance into the online world he abhors in order to raise the funds. The more time they spend together, the deeper their attraction becomes, and a game of cat and mouse turns into an unstoppable connection. But when Shannon’s assignment comes to an end, will it mean an end to them, too?
CRUSHING ON LOVE is part of the Love in Bloom series. While this can be read as a stand-alone novel, for even more reading enjoyment you may want to read the entire Love in Bloom series in series order.
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REVIEW: CRUSHING ON LOVE (LOVE IN BLOOM: THE BRADENS AT PEACEFUL HARBOR) BY MELISSA FOSTER
Crushing on Love by Melissa Foster
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
To date Ms. Foster has tackled heavy issues within her Bradens series. Whether trust issues have arisen, guilt and grief associated with loss, escaping a painful past or trying to outrun hurtful accusations, these Bradens prove they are made of strong stock. Naturally, I had to read Crushing on Love. Steve and Shannon's was not as dramatic and angst ridden as some of the other romances. All in all, there were obstacles but the journey to love was sedate for this author. Wherever there's history, complication is not far behind, but the appeal of Shannon and Steve is that the subtlety added to, not detracted from. A sweetly tuned second chance story.
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