ARC Review: Nauti Temptress by Lora Leigh

Nauti Temptress

by Lora Leigh

(Nauti Girls # 1)

First in a new series by Lora Leigh involving in some ways my favorite Nauti boys?  I'm in!  The Nauti series was one of the first romantic suspense stories I ever read so it really holds a special place in my heart.  They are all alpha males with lots of attitude, dominance, confidence and guns on occasion.  I was very excited about this series because I thought we would be reading about their daughters.  Which is not the case.  Don't ask me why I thought that, maybe I read it somewhere.

The good thing about not reading about the daughter of my favorite Nauti boys is that they are still young, still around and still kicking ass.  My favorite part of this book was the fact that they are all present in this story, especially Dawg.  See, it turns out that Dawg's father had a whole other family going and now Dawg is responsible for his half sisters and their mother.

Eve being the oldest works as a bartender and also helps their mother run the B&B that Dawg got for her.  And in both places all she sees is Brogan Campbell.  He's a bad boy, has been around for some time but rumor has it he's a thief and a traitor.  Dawg doesn't want his sister anywhere near him but Brogan has other plans.  He needs Eve so that he can get the help of the Mackay boys to solve the case he's been working on.

Overall not bad as far as a storyline goes, there was some action and some mystery.  But there were a lot of loopholes for me.  For example, at the beginning Eve seems like she doesn't know anything about Brogan they've barely talked before etc.  Towards the end of the book and without that much time passing, she knows everything about him from their prior interactions.  So either I'm missing something or this connection they had happened while I wasn't looking. 

But one thing is for sure... Lora Leigh knows how to turn up the heat.  Even if the story and characters are not 100% what I wanted, I have no complaints in that department.  Brogan is almost primal, a great dirty talker and knows exactly what to do for Eve.  I just wish for once the heroine wouldn't have been a virgin.  Maybe it'll happen one day.

*ARC provided by publisher

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ARC Review: Stolen by Shiloh Walker

Stolen

by Shiloh Walker

I'll be honest, this book scared me and creeped me out.  It's totally an edge of your seat, nail biting and heart pounding story.  I really love how Shiloh Walker approaches her romantic suspense.  It's not about ultra secret military men trying to save women from being kidnapped, it's not drug cartels or human trafficking.  Her books are truly suspenseful stories with amazingly crazy bad guys who should be in a mental institution not romaing the streets making people's lives miserable.  Just like any great suspense movie!

STOLEN was no different, except how I described it to someone else who asked me what this was about...Think of the worst case scenario an author can think that would happen to them.  Someone impersonating them and trying to take over their life.  Shay is an author but not one of her immediate friends know that.  Not even her ex boyfriend.  She kept a very small online persona (just her website) and didn't do any public appearances.  As a matter of fact, her readers thought she was a man.  But a woman starts showing up at bookstores pretending to be her, signing her books and handing out ARCs and bookmarks of her books, creating Facebook accounts and blogs.  And saying that Shay's boyfriend raped her.

Shay is now left to try to uncover still whole mess pretty much by herself.  With no one to trust, she has to start digging into her own past.

Of course there's the romance, Shay was damaged from her past and has never been able to handle relationships but once she lets Elliot in, they are so amazing together.  Elliot's love is a thing of beauty.  Strong and supportive.  Careful with her when she was most vulnerable.

There were just two minor things that made me give this a 4 instead of a 5 star rating.  The beginning of this book was just a tad confusing for me.  I felt that the strings were a little too loose when setting up the story although I was able to keep up and understand what was going on.  And then there's the discovery of the "bad guy".  With my previous experiences with Ms. Walker's writing, I couldn't pinpoint who the bad guy was.  This book was a bit more predictable.  From figuring out who it was, to figuring out who that person REALLY was. I had both of those figured out pretty early on as the story was unfolding.  That being said, it didn't take away from my enjoyment because this bad guy is still so screwed up it was so interesting to find all the little things out.

Like I said, creepy and edge of seat.  And I couldn't put this down.  One of those stories that you knwo could happen easily to anyone but you only want to read about.

*ARC provided by publisher

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Review: Seduction in Death by J.D. Robb

(More like 4.5 feathers!)
Seduction in Death

(In Death #13 )

by J.D. Robb

The pursuit of love has never been so deadly. A killer seduced by the idea of love targets victims of an online poetry chatroom where after making an arrangement to meet, he wines and dines them, slipping potent and rare date-rape drugs into their drinks until all they feel is euphoria and desire. These unsuspecting romantics continue to be targeted by this anonymous killer. Coming in to stop this string of murders from occurring, Eve Dallas uses everything in her arsenal to take this killer down. Unfortunately for her, her own past keeping veering her concentration off the case. As Eve tries to battle her own personal demons, McNab and Peabody engage in their own dance of bitter lovers.

 I LOVED the idea of this book. The seducing killer was such an interesting idea that I think it really made this case stands out from the others in my opinion. In this book, Eve’s past is played up a little more and we see a much more graphic and tortured scene painted before us. It really made me love Eve more. As a reader you can sympathize with her and what she has gone through when you read the parts about her dark childhood, but as Detective Eve Dallas, you also experience a side of Eve that is strong and competent and confident. I like that we see so many facets of Eve in one single book.

This time I listened to the audio of this book and noticed right off the bat that Susan Ericksen tweaked the voices a little bit. The most notable was Peabody. Our favorite aid no longer has that nasally voice anymore, which to be honest, was a little annoying in the previous recordings. But I found that I really liked the changes that Ericksen made in this book.

Of course, no UTC review of an In Death is complete without Roarke. Still as endearing and desirable as ever....Roarke doesn’t need a date rape drug to seduce such willing victims, his charm and that Irish lilt is all he needs. I love him.

Purchase Links: Amazon

ARC Review: Rev it Up by Julie Ann Walker

Rev it Up

by Julie Ann Walker

(Black Knights Inc # 3)

REV IT UP starts up pretty much where IN RIDES TROUBLE left off.  Jake "the Snake" Sommers has come back with one goal in mind, to get back the woman he loves.  That would be Michelle Carter, Shell, whom we met in the previous book and now know she's Frank's sister.

Lets start with my favorite trait.  Jake was determined to win her back.  He knew it wouldn't be easy, he knew he messed up royally in the past, but he's come to the realization that life is nothing without her.  Even though she had married his best friend.  Even though now she raising a son by herself after Preacher died.  Talk about loving someone when you are willing to jump feet first into a relationship with that much baggage.  Not to mention the fact that your ex-boss is her brother and might kick your ass if you hurt her again.

So now that you can probably tell I have a bit of a crush on Jake because he's the man every woman wants, then let me tell you his one flaw.  The Hawaiian shirts.  It was painful to read how he dressed!!!  The man needs a makeover, badly.  Leave him with me for about a week and we can take care of the problem.

Shell was a very strong heroine, she's gone through a lot by herself but I felt that she really didn't have to and should've been able to communicate more with Jake in the past.  Me being the good little detective that I am, I figured out what was going on there from the very beginning.

Shell and Jake as a couple were great though, they were passionate and they cared for each other.  And yes, they revved me up!  

Now the suspense element of this story was great.  The big bad guy from the first book reappears and wants the Black Knights dead.  He also develops a sick crush on Shell and goes after her.  Jake then has to protect her while the rest of the team are looking for the hired guns that are trying to kill them.  So there's a lot of thrilling action to keep you going.

Then there's the side romance.  We are introduced to the next couple, Rock and Vanessa.  They are teamed up while looking for the killers and all kinds of sparks were flying there.  I am really looking forward to seeing him fall hard!

My favorite in the series so far.

*ARC provided by netgalley

Purchase Links: Amazon

ARC Review: Run the Risk by Lori Foster

Run the Risk

by Lori Foster

(Love Undercover # 1)

A new romantic suspense series by Lori Foster, cue squeeeees of excitement!!!  After enjoying Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor so much, I was starting to feel the void of her sexy alpha men.  RUN THE RISK delivered on alphas with an exciting story that captured my interest from the beginning and never let go.

The plot

I actually enjoyed the change of pace with the type of suspense in this series.  This wasn't so much human trafficking and more undercover detective work.  Still plenty of suspense, still bad guys who may not really be the bad guys, and quite a bit of action.  The twists and turns in the story kept it refreshing and kept me interested.  I really couldn't keep up with guessing what would happen.  I also enjoyed that people were never what they seemed.

The characters

Logan Riske is so hot and delicious.  I can totally picture him lounging around, no shirt, jeans hung low on his hips, comfortable barbequeing and drinking a beer.  Casual and cool.  And extremely hot.  He wants to do the right thing, which is why he's still investigating and doing his undercover work.  He wants to catch the guy who killed his friend.

Pepper Yates was a bit of a surprise for me.  It was almost like having two of her in the book.  The original Pepper and the new and improved.  I think I liked both in their different roles.  First mousy with a hint of bold.  Then bold with a hint of vulnerable.  She loves her brother and takes risks for him.  But she also takes risks with her heart and lets Logan in.

The extra

Of course, I always love a good side story and secondary characters.  Reese and Alice have a little connection there but Reese (Logan's partner) has a lot on his plate to pursue anything.  I enjoyed them both a lot and can't wait to read their book next. Of course, my bad memory, I don't remember Alice but apparently she's from TRACE OF FEVER.  Must revisit that book before her story comes out in BARE IT ALL in April.

*ARC provided by Netgalley

Purchase Links: Amazon

ARC Review: Blaze by Joan Swan

 

(more like 4.5 feathers!)

Blaze

(Phoenix Rising #2)

by Joan Swan

From the get-go, Joan Swan demands your attention, opening up with a killer scene that hooks you right in. At first, I wondered if everything was happening too fast, but it’s as if Swan heard my thoughts because right after that the action levelled out and she gave readers time to breathe. This, my friends, is what I called great pacing. I’ve mentioned this before in my FEVER review, but I’ll say it again, Joan Swan is fantastic at pacing her work so that she controls the way your heart pumps faster with the action and lets you breathe after an intense scene.

I immediately felt a kinship for Keira O’Shea. I loved how physically and mentally tough she was and her sense of morality. Even amongst trained men, she still held her ground in times of distress and that made her admirable. But even though she is one tough chick, later on in the book you also get glimpses of a softer side to her. Though she says she doesn’t want children, there she is, holding little Mateo protectively in her arms. I loved reading about the different sides to her. She was a multidimensional character that really displays her resiliency and also her vulnerability nicely.

Then there is Luke Ransom (what a sexy name!) who is fireproof (fireproof!!!) making him more badass and hotter than he already is. Though sometimes he can be a jerk, I think it only added to the drama that Luke and Keira have in their relationship. After ending their passionate relationship on bad terms, seeing each other for the first time in three years does not bring back pleasant memories. Both are bitter and neither one is able to forgive the other for what was done to them.

But there is one thing they have in common and that is a broken heart. Despite the hate they so obviously display for one another, there’s sexual tension brewing beneath the surface.

Added to the intense sexual tension of this book is the action-packed, thrilling and explosive journey that these two endure together. Clutching little Mateo to her side, Keira and Luke fight to get to the bottom of this strange predicament they are in. After rescuing Mateo from enemy hands, they find out that something in embedded into Mateo’s head. It could be a tracker or it could be something far more dangerous. Regardless, BLAZE will hook you right in and never cease its pulse-pounding ride until the very end.

BLAZE can be read as a standalone novel, but familiar faces are present. You see Teague and Alyssa. Mitch also has some great lines. I’m eager to learn more of him.

This second book in the Phoenix Rising series is better than its predecessor, hitting harder and upping the romance. With more endearing characters and intense scenes, readers will be panting with their need for more. I hardly had time to catch my own breath while reading this!

*ARC provided by author

 

 

 Purchase Links: Amazon

ARC Review: Shades of Temptation by Virna DePaul

Shades of Temptation

by Virna DePaul

(SIG # 2)

Shades of Temptation is the second installment of the Special Investigations Group series. Though I thoroughly enjoyed Shades of Desire (SIG #1), this book was so much better.

Agent Carrie Ward was in the Army, Swat, and Sniper Olympian; now she is the only woman member of SIG. With her experience, she is up for taking a more serious case; Serial Killer and/or possible Copy Cat. This murder is definitely more than meets the eye and it was great to see Carrie go through the motions of the investigation. I found myself trying to solve it with her as I read on. I truly enjoy Carrie as the heroine. She is a woman trying to prove herself in a man’s world but as you know, that comes with a price and hardships. She was a dichotomy of strength and weakness and it was great to watch her learn the difference and learn to accept help when needed. When she finally succumbed, not only she received the right help, she even found herself a man who will love her for all of who she is.

Agent Jase Tyler is an experience member of SIG, well respected by his peers and well known for his dating background. Not only that women drooled over him, men look at him with envy. This guy is Alpha but not overbearing by the least. I love that about him. He knew when to step back and when to step up when it came to Carrie.

The sexual tension between Jase and Carrie was undeniable and unavoidable since they worked close together. The suspense part was actually interesting to follow. It was like watching a good movie. It was bit gruesome at times as the murder scene descriptions were graphic and the psychopath’s thoughts were a bit disturbing. But damn it, I could not stop myself from reading on and cheering for Carrie and Jase to solve it.

Overall, Shades of Temptation is heart pounding Romantic Suspense by Ms. DePaul, a highly recommended book and a very nice author to follow.

*ARC provided by Netgalley

Purchase Links: Amazon

Review: Nauti and Wild by Jaci Burton and Lora Leigh

Nauti and Wild

by Jaci Burton and Lora Leigh

(Wild Riders # 4, Nauti # 6)

First things first... Look at that shiny new cover this book got when it was re-released this month!  *drools*  Although I already have the print with the old one, I maaaaaaay be tempted to buy this one as well.  In case you haven't seen the old cover, here it is.

But enough of that.  This book is special to me because this was my very first read by Jaci Burton.  Yep.  I discovered her when this book came out because I was anxiously awaiting the last Nauti story by Lora Leigh.  See why anthologies are so important?  After reading this, I went back and pretty much have gone through I would say 85-90% of Jaci's backlist and she is now an auto buy for me.

Nauti Kisses by Lora Leigh - 4 Stars

This is the last chapter in the Nauti series.  For an ending it was ok but it didn't blow me away and I think part of that was the fact that I really had no vested interested in the couple featured.  John is Rogue's brother.  We met him during her book and although I really liked her, I could take or leave her brother.  He's big money, society and a hot shot lawyer.  Which is a lot of what Rogue was trying to get away from.  In his story we meet a woman that has been in love with John but he's always seen her as the innocent he didn't want to ruin.  Except he ruins her and then can't remember it because he was so drunk!  OK maybe that pissed me off a bit.  When he leaves town, Sierra is attacked and nearly raped and John comes back to protect her.  Much in the same way as the first Nauti book storyline goes.  NAUTI KISSES worked well as a short story without leaving out any important details of their relationship.  Of course it helped that the love and crush had been developing for years for my mind to come to terms with that.  However, I thought a little more originality could've been put into this story being that it would end the series and maybe the couple choice should've been better or at the very least, the characters been more present in the previous book.  But overall it was a good story and not a bad intro to Lora Leigh or the Nauti series if you haven't read either.

Riding the Edge by Jaci Burton - 4.5 Stars

Like I said before...new author for me when I read this and it blew me away.  I mean, I can't resist a hot biker who is also some kind of special military type agent and riding with a bike gang.  So basically Rick is assigned to protect a senator's daughter who is riding with the Hellraisers bike gang.  Ava had decided to ride with the gang in order to try and see what was going on with her childhood friend Lacey, who had become involved with one of the leaders.  Rick has to infiltrate the gang so that he can protect Ava but to make matters more interesting, this is the same gang that Rick used to hang with ten years ago when he was nothing but trouble and before the Wild Riders, and his cousin Bo is now the leader.  Gives him an in but also puts a lot of doubt on everyone's minds as to his real reason for being there.  Rick is just to die for!  Take me on a ride on the back of that bike and runaway.  HOT HOT HOT!  Ava was young but not so stupid, loyal to her friends, smart about her choices and one all around lucky gal if you ask me.  Rick is controlled and you would think intense and tough but he's got such a soft side when it comes to Ava.  He truly makes her feel beautiful and cared for.  And all this with just the right amount of danger while riding along all those hot rods. ;)

Which cover do you like best??

Purchase Links: Amazon