Custom Built by Chantal Fernando book review

Custom Built is the first in Chantal Fernando’s Fast & Fury series but has some of the characters from the Knights of Fury series. I have not explored too much in other MC stories, but this one definitely holds my attention and I’ve enjoyed all of them so far. 

Our two main characters are Bronte and Crow. Bronte was really having a hard time with life in general. The book starts off with Bronte having some medical issues and then she had to be laid off of a job that she really loved. It was even harder because her boss was also a good friend. But I would say that it’s a realistic element to the story that may resonate with a lot of readers because life is tough right now. Bronte then has to tell her dad that she lost her job and is looking for something new. She doesn’t like asking for help. Fortunately, when she is visiting her dad, her Uncle Neville puts her in touch with a custom bike shop that needs some help. 

Turns out Crow is her boss and he is not very nice at first. Crow is trying to keep a waaaay too distant professional relationship. Things start to pick up a bit because as she starts her new job, she meets a cousin that she never had. Motorcycle Club is a whole new world for Bronte and Abbie can help her a bit with the ins and outs of knowing men in a motorcycle club. She’s not really “in” but she just works for an affiliated business. 

As Bronte begins to settle in, the drama goes up a notch. There is a murder, drug running, mysterious disappearances, and some shooting. Poor Bronte just can’t catch a break! But the flirty fun starts as Bronte tries to make the best of things. Turns out Crow is full of surprises and is quite charming. I think that Crow and Bronte do have some great chemistry. To me, one of the hottest things that Crow did was take care of Bronte when she needed it. *fans self* The story is fast-paced. It focuses on friendship, family, and helping each other out. There is a lot of action and I had to keep reading to find out who the bad guys were. The suspense will keep you up until you finish. If you are looking for your next contemporary romance or are new to MC books, give this one a try.

Highland Treasure by Lynsay Sands book review

You can wrap me up in Rory Buchanan’s tartan anytime 😍 A hot Scottish healer? Yes, please! I’ve mentioned before that I am a big fan of Lynsay Sands books. I like them all. This one does not disappoint. This is a Scottish historical romance and tells the story of Lady Elysande de Valance and Rory Buchanan. 

Lady Elysande is a victim of torture and is trying to get herself to safety. While her injuries are nothing to laugh at, it’s a little funny that Rory prides himself on being a good healer; what he didn’t know was that Elysande also had some medicinal knowledge and was able to begin healing herself. The action and mystery revolve around a group of men plotting to remove the King of England. Elysande is trying to get a message to the Crown, but can’t really do it without the help of her Scottish escorts (oh! the irony). I love how the slow burn romance starts building between Rory and Elysande. There are definitely many more pressing matters to attend to, but as they travel together and get to know each other, the reader realizes how perfect they are for each other.  

There are a lot of elements of betrayal woven into this story. You will find yourself really hoping for Elysande’s happy ending. I also really like that Rory was more focused on his studies than finding women. Being a good healer just made him a lot more attractive. This is the ninth book in the series, but can also be read as a standalone. It has a perfect blend of mystery, adventure, history, and romance. I've read this book twice now. A definite add to your TBR pile!

The Princess and the Rogue by Kate Bateman book review

I was worried that my review for this would be well past the publication date, so I sat down to write it and realized that it’s not out until December 29, 2020! I sometimes forget that I read a lot of Advance Reader Copies. So, yes, I got this one early through NetGalley.

I have read the other two books in the Bow Street Bachelors Series. They are all well written and I like how the author uses more unconventional roles for her main characters. In this book, the romance is between Anna, a Russian Princess on the run and hiding her identity, and Sebastion (Seb) Wolff, Earl of Mowbray, and Bow Street Runner. He was being moody and lamenting the loss of his best friends to marriage and decided to visit a brothel. Anna just happened to be there visiting and Seb thought she “worked” there and tried to offer money for her services. She was totally offended and left at the perceived insult. However, their first kiss was quite the scorcher and will leave you wanting more juicy details.

Anastasia was Anna’s real Russian name and she soon discovers she is in danger. Seb steps up to protect her. Unfortunately for her, he lives above a gaming hell, which is not the most appropriate situation for an unmarried woman...much less a princess! I love the tidbits of Russian culture woven throughout the story. I love that a lot of the story takes place in the more gritty parts of London and not just glittering ballrooms. Bateman does a nice job with the storyline, the dialogue and all the details. Once you sit down with this book, it will be hard to put down. This will be the perfect book to curl up with during the dark and cold days of winter. You will get your happily ever after and some fun, sexy times along the way. Grab and glass of wine and click that pre-order button 😉 🍷

My Last Duchess by Eloisa James book review

I have SO been enjoying the Wildes of Lindow Castle series and I was really excited for the prequel with Hugo and Ophelia’s story. So romantic. I want to be wooed by Hugo. I mean, how can you not love his wit, humor, intelligence and determination to win Ophelia over??? It kind of made me laugh because for the time period it seems that it would be taboo to be looking for a third wife. I mean, maybe it didn’t matter if you were a duke? He also has eight existing children!!! His sister advised him not to start off any courting by mentioning the number of children he has. 

This is definitely a love at first sight book. It is not without conflict as Ophelia has enough money, a nice house, a staff and a daughter she loves. Most importantly, as a widow, she has quite a bit of freedom and independence. She really was not on the marriage mart. She tried hard to resist Hugo’s charms. Also, eight children!!! It makes me tired just thinking about it. I like that they are not perfect characters and are accepted by the people they surround themselves with. 

I may be a bit biased as I write this because I love everything that Eloisa James writes. Any fan of historical romance will love this book. I stayed up late reading it. I think we all need some joy in our lives right now and a place to escape to. So why not Victorian England? Enjoy the London Frost Festival right alongside the characters. I feel like I pick up a lot of well researched historical tidbits in these books. I loved this story. Highly recommended.

Rookie Instincts by Carol Ericson book review

I have been enjoying all of the Tactical Crime Division series books. I started reading them because I like author Elizabeth Heiter’s romantic suspense books (and she’s a Michigan author) and I was super excited to start this one because it takes place in Traverse City, Michigan. I’m really liking the Michigan connection here… 

Author Carol Ericson is new to me, so I looked her up, and see that she has written a whole slew of books! I’m happy I found a new author whose books I enjoy. I discovered this particular title on a Harlequin related Facebook page - because of the talk of the setting being Traverse City. I sure hope this book is in every book display in Traverse City, Port Huron and Detroit. A large part of the story takes place in Port Huron. Our two main characters have connections to Detroit. 

The character focus in this book is on Aria Caletti. She is a former Detroit police officer and her first day of being with the FBI Tactical Crime Unit Traverse City team, has her looking into the deaths of two women with the same ID. There is a difficult scene with a baby being found next to one of the murdered women, fortunately, the baby was safe. As they start to investigate with the Port Huron PD, they come across Grayson Rhodes who filed a missing persons’ report. Grayson just happens to be a civilian working undercover at the docks trying to discover what happened to his sister. He’s a huge lead. He’s also wealthy and hot ;) 

Aria and Grayson start to work together to figure out what happened to his sister. A lot of the reality about the opioid epidemic is woven into this story. As they get to know each other better, sparks fly. Aria tries to keep her professional distance, but as we all know, love gets in the way of professional detachment. The secondary characters in this book are also a lot of fun. We meet the team leader, Alana and the rest of the agents: Alex, Max, Ophelia, and Selena. I’m looking forward to reading more about their stories! This book was just released October 27, 2020 so it’s not too late to get in on the first book of what promises to be an exciting and suspense filled series.

A Princess by Christmas by Julia London book review

Christmas!!! WooHoo!!! This was my first Christmas book this season. If you haven’t read one yet this year; get this one! The festive and gorgeous cover will definitely put you in the Christmas mood. 🎄

Our main characters are Hollis Honeycutt and Marek Brendan, an advisor to the Minister of Trade for Wesloria. I did not realize that this was the third book in A Royal Wedding series, so it can be read as a stand alone. Although, personally, I have to get the first two now. I wondered a bit why I was so confused by the Weslorian/Alucian happenings and descriptions, so it totally made sense when I looked it up and realized it was the third book. 

When widow, Hollis Honeycutt, overhears a rumor about the peace accord between the counties of Alucia and Wesloria, she knows she has to investigate. Hollis is the owner and editor of Honeycutt’s Gazette of Fashion & Domesticity for Ladies, so it might make for good investigative journalism. Hollis is fun, joyful and doesn’t really care what others think of her, it makes Marek the total opposite of her. Marek is very concerned about the King’s health and of the trade agreements. If they want to uncover some dastardly plan, they must work together to solve the mystery. 

Some unique aspects of this book included a partially deaf main character, a secondary character who was gay and another main character who liked to eat. I really loved Donovan and I really like what the author did with his relationship to Hollis. I don’t know enough history to know the truth of whether or not their living arrangement could have really happened, but it really fit with the book. Oh man! And then the twisty ending!!! Is there a special category for Victorian Romantic Suspense??? (there should be). I definitely recommend this book. Get it before Christmas 😉

The Duke Effect by Sophie Jordan book review

The Duke Effect is the seventh book in the Rogue Files series. Our main characters are Nora Langley and Constantine Sinclair. Nora is, of course, unmarried and is happy learning more about herbs and medicine. She basically apprenticed with her physician father, but couldn’t go to medical school because women were not allowed. Constantine is a soldier, who is horrified to find out he is the only heir left to a dukedom that he does not want. He has to leave his post and head home to England to learn about what he is supposed to do. It wasn’t until I started reading this book, that I remembered some of the other ones. I realized that this was the same Nora who gave her sister a untested pain reliever that ended up having an aphrodisiac effect. 

I think the overall storyline is pretty unique. While the ethical choices can be debated in the real world, I thought it was rather smart of Nora to lead people to believe that her father was still alive so she could give medical advice. She really didn’t have much of a choice if she wanted to keep doing what she loved. What she didn’t expect was Constantine to show up on her doorstep looking for her father’s advice! She was forced to tell the truth and as the reader can imagine, Constantine was angry. This was a major obstacle in the falling in love part of the story! As Nora inserts herself in his life, it’s fun to watch a rigid and stuffy man slowly loosen up. 

The romance is a slow burn. Both Nora and Constantine have some obstacles to overcome. But you can definitely expect some great chemistry and sexual tension within the pages of this book. Readers can look forward to the aphrodisiac making a comeback. I really enjoyed this book, as well as the rest of this series. It can definitely be read as a standalone, but if you are like me....I like to read each and every book in a particular series. This is the perfect book to escape the winter blues. Enjoy!