Good blog to follow...USA Today HEA

I don't always have a ton of time to read blogs, but I do enjoy Madeline Hunter's articles on USA Today's Happily Ever After section.  I like the behind the scenes thinking about the genre and author questions.

I'm looking forward to Julia London's book mentioned in this article:
http://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/2017/02/08/madeline-hunter-arranged-marriage-historical-romance-trope-julia-london-blythe-gifford/

Wild & Sweet by Rhenna Morgan

Holy smokes was this ever a good book!  I wouldn't read it until I read the first one and I'm glad I did not read it as a stand alone.  It's just nice to be in on some of the background.  I liked Zeke in the first book and I'm glad he was the 2nd one to get a book.  I read somewhere that this story was "panty melting" and I totally agree.  I love the dominant alpha male who will protect his woman.  It's just really sexy.  I also love this series so far in that the guys are all hot, smart, but really down to earth.  I like that they don't flaunt their wealth.  I think the whole club scene is part of the fantasy of this series.  This book is a little bit unusual in that it IS a bit dark and gritty, a bit of a romantic suspense, but I see potential of bringing a little BDSM into Axel's story.  I can't really identify with Gabrielle, but I like that the author tried to being in some understanding of social anxiety.  She's not perfect, she is real and Zeke liked her for who she was.  I think all the things that Zeke did for his dates with Gabe were really romantic. The story kept going with the mystery of who was involved with the development company.  The character development is coming along with all of the characters.  This book definitely focused on Zeke (since it was his story), but the first book gave him a good introduction.  Who can resist a hot doctor?  I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a HEA story.

Her Highland Master by Anya Summers

This is a good book for fans of 50 Shades or Cherise Sinclair books! I would say it's panty melting. 😍The setting is unique because most books in Scotland tend to be Regency Romance books. I love that this is a contemporary setting. The characters are pretty well developed. I think the chemistry between Zoe and Declan was apparent to the reader. The sex was sizzling and the romance was hot for this genre. Zoe is a strong character. She was obviously successful in her professional life and the Hollywood backstabbing was believable. Her getaway to Scotland was a good choice to rethink her direction in life. The epilogue was creative. I have not seen that before and I guess for more details...tune in to Book 2 of this series

Heating Up by Stacy Finz

Sizzling romance story! What an enjoyable read. The author wrote the couple in such a perfect way. Dana is not perfect. She is self conscious and has had her fair share of disappointments and tragedy in her life. She has been in two serious relationships that did not work out because she was second best. Dana is smart and confident in her job and her work abilities. She just does not have a lot of friends because she is shy in her new town. Clearly, Aidan is the fire department hottie. He thought he was a commitment phobe because he did not want to get married to the person he was with for 3 years. Dana quickly changes his mind. Nugget was a great small town setting. The people in the town were quirky and fun (mostly). The author made it seem like a town that would be great to visit. Hot men everywhere make it even more tempting :) I like the suspense of the arson mystery, the element of trying to keep things secret in a small town and the happily ever after. A perfect blend for a fun, enjoyable read.

Once a Soldier by Mary Jo Putney

I love the name "Rogues Redeemed" for the series. I could not put the book down once I got into the story. Some of the unique aspects of this story were that they did not take place in England. The story was set in a fictional kingdom between Spain and Portugal. It was also unique in that the main female character was the illegitimate child of a duke. She made her home outside of England, although she did miss her home. She is smart, successful and enjoying her freedom. The developing romance was believable. Will did not give up in his pursuit of Athena, which made the story really good. I also like that he worked on becoming friends with her. The author was able to weave a fun love story into some of the secondary characters, especially Justin and the Princess. This is definitely a well written, fun HEA with a unique twist. Very enjoyable!

A Scandalous Proposal by Kasey Michaels

What a fun read! I definitely enjoyed this book even though I did not read the first one. It can be read as a stand alone. I love the Regency setting. All the gossiping and antics of the ton, adds humor to this story. The first thing that stood out to me was Cooper being written about in the chapbook...which reminds me of the paparazzi in our current gossip magazines. Cooper was trying to deal with that (and fending off husband hunting women) and at the same time Dani was also being blackmailed. The literally ran into each other and from that point on sparks started to fly. They realized they were being blackmailed by the same person, so of course they had to figure out who it was ;) I enjoyed the dialogue between the characters. It was funny and well written. I also enjoyed the mystery of the blackmailer, in addition to the romance. I can't wait for the next story!

How to Manage a Marquess by Sally MacKenzie

Fun, engrossing read. Hard to put it down! I did not read the first book of this series so it's good that this is a stand alone book (but now I want to read the first one). I have not read one of Sally MacKenzie's books previously. I really like how the plot developed. The setting was nice and I enjoyed that it took place in the country and not in London. I could understand why Anne wanted to stay single and live in the Spinster House. She led her own life and enjoyed time with her hobbies and her friends. She know she could lose that as property of a man. However, she did not consider the fact that she might fall in love. Nate, or Lord Haywood, was hot, smart and nice. I really liked his character. He also did not want to saddle himself with a wife because he wanted another decade to be single. A unique aspect of this book was the addition of Edward and Stephen, two small boys who were going to be Anne's stepbrothers. I think they really brought out the family side of Nate and Anne and they both realized they would make good parents. I like that Anne did not want Nate to feel honor bound to marry her after their ill fated trip to the inn. I totally understood her feelings towards Eleanor because that is still how we feel today about a 25 year age gap. I would recommend this book and this series to other historical romance readers. I always enjoy a HEA and this book delivered!