The Line of Duty by Nichole Severn

Wow! There was a lot of action in this book by Nichole Severn. Our male protagonist was Vincent Kalani, a member of Blackhawk Security member who does work for hire. When he was up in Alaska working on a case, he spent time with Anchorage PD officer, Shea Ramsey. She did not like working with someone who she considered to be a vigilante. She was an officer and she did her best to uphold the law and help people. She decided she did not like working with him….but…. 

One day Shea and Vincent found themselves on the same plane from Anchorage to New York City. Shea had some personal business to take care of and Vincent got a lead on a former case. Then the action started. Their plane went down and they were stranded out in the middle of nowhere in the mountains of Alaska. They did have some gear, but not enough. Shea was realizing that she needed to trust Vincent if they wanted to get out of there alive. Both Shea and Vincent thought their plane was sabotaged, but for different reasons. What they did know was that a group of armed men were shooting at them. The injuries keep piling up and the reader really begins to doubt that they will be able to get out of the Alaskan wilderness. 

The action was off the charts. The setting was really descriptive. I swear I was cold and needed a blanket as I was reading how cold it was in Alaska. The descriptions were that good. I would say the romance is a slow burn, but I guess since they were fighting for their lives, that makes sense. The focus was really on the criminal investigation and corrupt cops. The author also spent time exploring Shea’s experience with post-partum depression and I feel like the reader will really feel for Shea. Definitely a good read when you need some heart stopping action. You won’t be able to put it down until the story is finished.

A Highlander is Coming to Town by Laura Trentham

Do you love Christmas? Men in kilts? If so, then you need to get this book for the holiday season. I’m a big fan of contemporary and historical Scottish romance. I mean, who doesn’t love a tall, strong man with a sexy accent??? 

In this case, Holt might not have the sexy accent going on, but Claire does ;) This is the third book that takes place in Highland, Georgia where they embrace all things Scotland. Accurate descriptions of Highland Games, music and drink. I love it! I really liked Holt’s character. He is always doing the right thing and he seems to be pretty laid back and nice. He works hard and hasn’t been the most lucky in the romance department. Part of it is all his responsibilities and part of it is small-town living. Claire came to Highland to run away from her past and to decide what to do with her family commitments. She started working for Ms. Meadows, doing things around the house that she could no longer keep up with. As a secondary character, her secrets brought Claire and Holt together a bit more. I think it was pretty swoon-worthy when Holt tried to impress Claire with a nice date night. 

I really like the setting of the town. It’s small, friendly and loves a good party. I think this series and this book will appeal to those readers looking for a nice, sweet, contemporary romance. It’s a got a bit of humor, some personal issues to work through, but a kind and supportive cast of friends. Along with a good dose of kilts and sexy accents.

Running Out of Time by Cindi Myers book review

Nooooooo!!!! I did not want this series to be over! I have really enjoyed all four of the books in the Tactical Crime Division series. I loved the collaboration between the authors and the fun book trailer that was created for this series. This last book, titled Running out of Time, by Cindi Myers is about Jace Cantrell and Laura Smith. Jace is definitely the hot alpha military type and Laura is the uptight behind the scenes researcher. They both work for the Tactical Crime Division and are sent in undercover as a married couple. That right there was a great beginning. Who knows what juicy things will happen when forced to live together??? 

 

Jace and Laura are being sent in as the new employees at Stroud Pharmaceuticals to figure who is behind a string of poisonings linked with tampered packages of the company’s best-selling herbal Stomach Soothers. As possible suspects are rooted out, the tension and suspense rise in this story along with the sexual tension between Jace and Laura. There are several secondary characters that add a lot to the story that readers will enjoy. I also love the small-town setting (Mayville) which adds to the connections between victims and possible suspects. There are multiple bombings which adds to the urgency of getting this crime solved. The author did a nice job working in some humor to some of the scenes. I particularly enjoyed it when Laura got to their trailer and saw just one bed. She was already distracted by Jace’s presence. Her reaction will have you laughing. I love that the author was able to add this humor to otherwise serious and tragic events. It added a lot to the story. I’m a sucker for a happy ending and this book will not disappoint. Read the whole series. If you are not currently a reader of romantic suspense, this series might convince you otherwise.

Who Wants to Marry a Duke by Sabrina Jeffries book review

I get excited anytime a new Sabrina Jeffries book pops into my feed! I’ve been waiting for this one. In this series titled, Duke Dynasty, the cast of characters is unconventional and complicated. I think it adds a lot of fun to the backstory. In this third book, Who Wants to Marry a Duke, Marlow Drake, the Duke of Thornstock, runs into Olivia Norley for the second time and a lot of good and bad memories come rushing back to both of them. They definitely had some chemistry, but circumstances (and blackmail) prevented them from getting together. 

It’s been nine years since their first run in and during that time, Olivia has been working on her career as a chemist. She has a lot of obstacles in her way, the biggest one being that she is a woman. But she is determined and takes a job offered by the Duke of Greycourt. Greycourt is Thornstock’s half brother, which is the connection that brings Thornstock and Olivia back into each others’ circle. Greycourt hired her to determine if his father had been poisoned by arsenic. This job might just be the one where she makes a name for herself as a chemist. 

This book definitely has a lot of mystery and the deaths of previous dukes in this family may all be connected. Someone makes an attempt on Olivia’s life as she is conducting her investigation. The issue of trust is the stumbling block for this couple. It definitely takes a while to earn that trust back. There is a lot of suspense and the danger goes up a few notches in this plot. There is definitely some sizzling chemistry between Thornstock and Olivia. This story is a good addition to a complicated family tapestry and perfect for those readers in the mood for a historical romantic suspense story.

When You Wish Upon a Rogue by Anna Bennett book review

I have really been enjoying this series by Anna Bennett.  When You Wish Upon a Rogue is book #3 in the Debutante Diaries. Book #1 is titled First Earl I See Tonight and book #2 is The Duke is But a Dream.  As always, I prefer reading the books in order, but they can be read as a stand-alone.  I always like returning to familiar settings and seeing glimpses of previous couples.

In this book, Miss Sophie Kendall is being forced by her parents to wed for money.  She doesn’t want to and tries to escape her reality by organizing meetings of the Debutante Underground and writing an advice column targeted to women.  But she knows that her marriage will be happening soon and is conflicted between her loyalty to her family and doing what makes her happy.  As she was searching for a new meeting space, she ran into Henry Reese, Earl of Warshire.  He allows Sophie to use his space and in exchange, she has to spend some time with him to help him get over his wartime trauma.

I really like that Sophie was a feminist and a subversive heroine. Henry is definitely not perfect.  He is troubled by his past and is a bit of a tortured soul.  He also does not have much money, which is exactly the opposite of what Sophie’s family needs from her.  I like the elements of friendship in this book and overall sweet romance. If you are looking for your next historical romance with some slow burn chemistry, you should pick this one up (along with the previous two books).  I am a fan of Bennett’s books and enjoy her style of storytelling.

Hate Crush (Filthy Rich, #2) by Angelina M. Lopez book review

Grab a glass of wine and dive into this contemporary romance set in a wine-growing region in Northern Spain. Hate Crush is the second book in the Filthy Rich series. The female protagonist is Princess Sofia (Princesa Sofia Maria Isabel de Esperanza y Santos) and the male protagonist is Aish Salinger. Aish and Sofia met each other working at his uncle’s winery in California. They hit it off right away and had a pretty steamy summer romance. The present-day part of the story is a second chance romance, ten years later.

While Sofia is a princess, her parents squandered a lot of their money and Sofia is a self-made millionaire with her winemaking technology. She is definitely vulnerable in matters of the heart and has just focused on her work and friends. Aish had chosen his career over Sofia, but now his life is falling apart and he is trying to redeem himself. Sofia has long been dogged by the paparazzi and they had falsely documented some of her wilder exploits. So each character has some personal struggles they are going through.

Sofia is getting ready to launch her new winery on her family property. She needs the buzz of the wine industry, so she invites wine experts, journalists and bloggers. She also invites Aish at the urging of her PR person. His fame could be enough to give the winery its needed push for the big launch. Sofia does not want to interact with him and writes a script for their interactions on camera. She really wants nothing to do with him when the camera is not rolling. However, it is difficult to deny the chemistry that still exists between them. Everyone notices and it even starts trending on social media.

Things I really liked about this book are the details about wine growing and winemaking, the Spanish setting, the mysterious saboteur, the hot chemistry between Sofia and Aish and the twisty resolution at the end. I also really like how fiercely loyal Sofia is to her close friends and her siblings. It adds more of a feel-good vibe outside of the sizzling romance. You should totally kick back with a glass of wine and get this book today for a feel-good summer read.

Title: Hate Crush
Author: Angelina M. Lopez
Series: Filthy Rich, #2
Length: 416 pages
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Imprint: Carina Press
eBook On-Sale: June 29, 2020
eBook ISBN & Price: 9781488057052, $3.99 U.S.
MMP On-Sale: June 30, 2020
MMP ISBN & Price: 9781335459503, $8.99 U.S.
Book Description: A fake relationship could help Princesa Sofia save her kingdom. Only problem: She’ll have to fake it with the man who broke her heart.

Ten years ago, wild child Princesa Sofia Maria Isabel de Esperanza y Santos fell in fast crazy love with heartbreaker Aish Salinger during one California harvest season. Now, all grown up and with the future of her kingdom on her shoulders, she hates him as passionately as she once loved him.

Even if her body hasn’t gotten the hate memo.

Faking a relationship with the now-famous rock star for the press and public will ensure the success of her new winery and prosperity of her kingdom. All she has to do is grit her teeth and bear his tattooed presence in her village and winery—her home—for a month.

Trying to recover from his own scandal, fallen superstar Aish Salinger jumps at the chance to be near Sofia again. Leaving her was the biggest mistake he’s ever made, and he’s waited ten years to win her back.

He never counted on finding a woman who despised him so much she didn’t want to be anywhere near him.

A war of wills breaks out as the princess and rock star battle to control their fake relationship. She wants to dictate every action to keep him away from her. He wants to be as close as he can be. She’s already lost so much because of Aish—e won’t be the reason her people lose even more.

But he also won’t make her break her life’s most important vow: To never fall in love again.

Read Filthy Rich Book One, Lush Money, available now from Carina Press!

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About Angelina M. Lopez
Angelina M. Lopez wrote "arthur" when her kindergarten teacher asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up. In the years since she learned to spell the word correctly, she's been a journalist for an acclaimed city newspaper, a freelance magazine writer, and a content marketer for small businesses. Finally, she found her way back to "author."

Angelina writes sexy, contemporary stories about strong women and the confident men lucky enough to fall in love with them. The fact that her parents own a vineyard in California’s Russian River Valley might imply a certain hedonism about her; it's not true. She's a wife and a mom who lives in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. She makes to-do lists with perfectly drawn check boxes. She checks them with glee.

You can find more about her at her website, AngelinaMLopez.com.

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Read this excerpt:

Aish pulled the bud out of his ear and straightened, never taking his eyes off her as he held it out. When she took the bud from him, she let her fingers linger. His fingertips were warm and that tiny touch sent a frisson down her arm.
She unwrapped the headphones from around her neck and stuffed them into her back pocket. But she didn’t move back.
“I’m a musician,” he said, voice low.
“I know.”
A corner of his mouth went up. “What else do you know?”
That he made every millimeter of her skin buzz. That he smelled like boy and sweat and ocean salt. She hated the nose-clogging scent of cologne. There was nothing fake about the way this boy smelled.
She pulled her long braid over her shoulder and tugged on it. “You’re from LA, your father designs clothes, your mother is a famous fitness instructor. Y…you’re very good at surfing, singing, partying, working harder on less sleep than everyone else and…oh, sí, ménage à trois.”
Shock, mortification, and humor created a palette across his expressive face. “Who said I’m good at threesomes?”
Sofia ran a hand down her braid and shrugged, all Spanish cool. “No sé. I keep my nose to myself. It’s everyone else who talks.”
When he grinned this time, he looked like he might lean down and taste her. “And what does everyone say about you?”
Sofia worked to maintain her smile. She wanted to be no one to nobody. She wanted to have nothing said about her. But even if she’d lived a cloistered life in a high tower, her story would be marred with her parents’ dramas and affairs and fights, ugly public episodes that stripped Sofia of dignity without her involvement. And Princesa Sofia hadn’t lived a cloistered life. Maintaining her dignity hadn’t been high on her list when she’d mooned the crowd from atop a Semana Santa float in Cádiz or when she’d waved drunkenly to the paparazzi from a movie star’s hotel balcony when she was supposed to be presented to the Queen of England. She’d been neither drunk nor sleeping with the star. But her humiliated mother had abandoned the duke’s bedroom she’d been occupying to drag Sofia back to the Monte.
She didn’t want to think about her scandalous past. She didn’t want to think about the demands of her future. All Sofia wanted right now was to be a dirty, half-naked girl wrapped around a beautiful boy in a wine tank.
“I know some stuff about you,” Aish said quietly.
Sofia focused on the air in front of his face and ran her hand down her braid.
“Your name’s Sofia. That’s…really fucking pretty.” He hadn’t said Princess Sofia. He hadn’t said Sofia de
Esperanza y Santos. Just Sofia. And he thought it was pretty. She focused again on his eyes.
“You’ve got a great accent.” The air between them felt like it was warming up. “You like grunt work, which is so hot it kinda hurts.”
Nothing about her royal status. Nothing about her reputation. He’d just arrived; perhaps none of the interns had told him about the princess in their midst. Perhaps his uncle had just said, “Make sure the new intern hasn’t passed out. Her name is Sofia.”
“You’re not wearing a bra.” Her mouth opened at that, surprised, as his eyed gripped shut. “I noticed and if you noticed I noticed, I’m sorry ’cause I don’t want you to think I’m a total fucking creeper and scare you away…”
“I don’t think you’re a creeper,” she said, reaching to brush her fingers over his clenched fist. Her breasts were so small she seldom wore a bra. But this boy acted like they were an irresistible temptation.
Aish opened his eyes. “Are you for real?”
Sofia smiled up at him, feeling helpless and foolish and floating.
“I mean, am I having some weird acid flashback?” His urgency seemed to express that it was a real possibility.
“Wouldn’t I be having one, too?” she asked. “And I’ve never done acid.”
“No, no.” He was a lit fuse aimed in her direction. “This could be my own personal hallucination. Because, what the fuck. My uncle tells me to go check on the new intern and inside a tank is a kick-ass, bare-skinned fairy girl listening to elf music. I feel like I’m tripping. Am I?”
With amazement beaming from her, Sofia shook her head.
He reacted like she’d punched him. “Fuck. Your smile. Can I kiss you?”

Copyright © 2020 by Angelina M. Lopez

Daring and the Duke (The Bareknuckle Bastards #3) by Sarah MacLean

Finally!  The last book of the Bareknuckle Bastards series by Sarah MacLean. This book is Grace and Ewan’s story.  We saw glimpses of Grace in the first two books and only “heard” about Ewan.  I have to confess, he did not sound like a very redeemable character. Devil and Whit were keeping Grace safe by telling Ewan that she had died.  She remade herself into Dahlia and she ran the swankiest brothel in London for women.  I did not look up the historical accuracy of this, but I love the twist.  Why not have rich women pay for sex?  The men in Victorian times always do. Well, Ewan was out for vengeance, and this is woven throughout the story.  He was known as the Mad Duke of Marwick because he was so eccentric.  It seemed that he had been in mourning for his only true love.

This is definitely a story of redemption.  I was convinced that I would not like Ewan, but the back story helped.  It was rather sinister that Ewan had a lot to gain from Grace’s death, but knowing there is a happily ever after...this had to resolve itself.

I think it’s rare that Victorian Historical Romances take place in the darkest, smelliest parts of London.  It is unique to see Covent Garden instead of Mayfair as the setting.  I also like that the characters are a bit freer from social constraints.  There is a moral code, but totally different than society visits.  There are a lot of flashbacks in this story that fill in all the holes from the previous two books. The twist at the end was satisfying and somewhat unexpected.  I also really love the beautiful cover.  The yellow (gold) dress was the perfect complement to Grace’s personality.