Contemporary, U.S.-based story of how a family, torn apart by the pursuit of unworthy dreams, recovers in their own ways involving commercial success, sexual discovery, and revenge. I received this book from the author for a honest review. The author's use of words and language is like a beautiful string of pearls, masterful storytelling throughout the tale. The dialogue was at times a bit stiff and theatrical, and at times I would have wished to have more details of the events happening, but overall very enjoyable reading. Turner's Point is stand-alone continues to Slipping on Stardust. I think a reader might get a better insights to the story at the beginning, if the previous book was read first. The cast of characters is plentiful, their lives and stories are bound together like a braid, their reflections in life are to the past, present, and to the future. Social issues such as gay-love, -marriage, and -adoption are touched, as well as reactions to the racially mixed couples. Despite the warning of the sexually explicit material, the love scenes are described in rather clean and tasteful way. The story was very different from what I normally read, and I understand I'm not the main target audience for the book. But I enjoyed the author's style of writing and the use of English language in such a beautiful way.
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Kowalski Family #9 Max Crawford has reached the point in life where he's starting to think about settling down. Unfortunately, he's always been a little awkward when it comes to social interactions, and working from home doesn't help. He spends so much time alone, painting beautiful, historically accurate model trains that half of Whitford has begun to joke that he may be a serial killer. Not exactly prime husband material. Tori Burns has found happiness in Maine, thanks in large part to her shifts at the Trailside Diner. She likes the work, and she loves the local gossip. When shy, geeky Max Crawford becomes a regular, she's intrigued. When she finds out he's in the market for a wife, she's fascinated…and determined to help. Molding Max into every woman's dream turns out to be much easier than expected. But has Tori's plan worked a little too well? As she turns his comfortable life all sorts of upside down, she'll have to find a way to show just how she's fallen for him…the real him Ah, the big, huge, rambunctious Kowalski family & friends, and the stories of their loves and lives -- so fresh, original, delightful and absolute joy to read! The stories are heart-felt, fun, HOT, loud, messy, and crazy. Just like the Kowalski family, and I love them. There are times when I laugh out loud, and times I'm so touched by the story, and the love in the community, that I have tears in my eyes. The romances are steamy, hot, sensual, sweet, adorable, fun, witty, and enjoyable. It makes you smile and laugh, it breaks your heart a bit, but at the end you swoon from happiness. The characters are 'real', small town people, with everyday issues and problems, hopes and desires. It is easy to relate to them, cheer for them, and love them. Max, with his quirks, traits, and habits is adorable - even though he himself prefer them to be called sexy. Tori is coping with issues of her parents painful divorce, and their actions there after. The friendship between them is delightful, the romance they develop is captivating. If you want to smile, feel good, and find reasons to fall in love all over again, I highly recommend the Kowalski series. Five stars to the whole series!! Bagram Special Ops #4 Partway through her third deployment to Bagram, Army nurse Lt. Erin Kelly is burned out and headed for a well-deserved leave back home in Montana. But when a mysterious stranger shows up and unintentionally drags her into harm’s way with him, she suddenly finds herself an unwitting target of the U.S.’s number one high value target: the notorious American-born terrorist known as Rahim. Now stuck in a CIA safe house with the sexy operative, it’s impossible to ignore the explosive attraction between them…or to forget that death is stalking them both. CIA operative Wade Sandberg is a man caught between worlds. He’s spent the past three years living deep undercover amongst the enemy, infiltrating the network of the U.S.’s most wanted terrorist—until the kidnapping of a high-ranking American official forced him to blow his cover. Officially sidelined from the investigation to bring down Rahim, Wade knows he’ll never be able to work in the region again. When he’s sent back stateside with Erin, keeping his hands off her proves to be even harder than making the transition back into western civilization. And when Rahim takes his revenge by unleashing a devastating attack on U.S. soil, Wade will do everything in his power to protect the woman he loves and destroy the man who’d once trusted him with his life The book is well written, with great attention to detail, both military and medical. The action is electrifying, breathtaking, with so many unexpected twists and turns the story keeps a hold of you till the end. The romance is marvelous mix of sweet,adorable and steamy passion. The characters are likable, charismatic, and genial. The struggles Wade is having with adjusting back to the western world, after years undercover, are realistic and insightful. Bagram Special Ops is one of my favorite suspense series, absolutely fantastic read!Five stars all the way! Black Knights Inc. #6 Only the most urgent crisis could force Delilah Fairchild to abandon her beloved biker bar and ask the surly Bryan "Mac" McMillan for help. Her uncle—the man who raised her—has vanished into thin air, and Mac is the only person with the right connections to help her find him. What the ex-FBI agent has against her is a mystery...but when the bullets start to fly, Mac is her only chance of finding her uncle alive. Mac knows that beautiful women can't be trusted, but he has to put his natural wariness of Delilah aside in order to help her. With the clock ticking, Mac and Delilah find themselves holding on to each other in the wildest adventure of their lives. This book gets 2,5 stars from me. And why such a low score for a story, that has such a great plot, lots of action, thriller, agonizing, yet passionate romance, and more than a hand full of alpha men solving the mystery?! The constant, non-stop, rumbling inner reflections of the whole cast of characters, is not only dulling the sharp edge of the action, making the characters look and sound very immature and unprofessional, it is boring. Have you ever thought "frickin' frackin' terrorist" in your mind? And would you do it in a life or death situation while one the worlds most dangerous and evil terrorist is hunting for you? No, I didn't think so. The cast, in the middle of this supposed dangerous situation, are looking at, thinking of, and/or lusting after each others constantly, on every page, invariably. Okay, I got it, they want each other, no need to write another three pages about his/her body parts! Instead of constant details of the lust for each other, why not write more details of the terror, the action, even the relationship when it finally starts. All that is just skimmed over and rushed up, The alpha males, the heroes who have fought wars, been agents, solved the most dangerous puzzles in the world, are turned into a crying, hesitant, insecure men, with mommy issues. I understand making them human and flowed, yes please. But these men don't sound or act like they got everything together at all. So yes, even with all the potential this story had, from me, it was a bit bland tale, so 2,5 stars. Bagram Special Ops #3 Security Forces Lieutenant Maya Lopez is right at home in a war zone: she's been fighting all her life. A hard-won commission in the air force has brought her to Afghanistan, and if she plays her cards right, she could end up with an FBI job. It won't be easy, but that just makes her more determined. Jackson Thatcher is a protector in all senses of the word. A pararescue jumper with Southern-boy charm, he easily captures Maya's interest, but her trust is another story. He's sexy, strong and caring, but she makes it clear she's no damsel in distress. She's never relied on any man, and she's not about to start now. When Maya and Jackson become pawns in a radical warlord's deadly game, they find themselves on the run and must depend on each other if they want to make it out alive. I've loved this series, and this book is possibly one of my all time favorites. The incredible journey the author takes us, might break your heart a bit, it certainly did it for me. The courage, spirit, fortitude, and endurance of the soldiers, while facing the enemy, is stunning. The action/suspense kept my heart-rate up, the twists and turns of the story gasping. The love story of the true southern gentleman and kickass-biker-soldier-girl is moving, witty, adorable, yet passionate. The story had moderate heat level. Five shiny stars for this unforgettable tale, that I love to reread again and again. Even though the book is part of the series, it can be read as a stand-alone, there is no cliffhanger ending. Black Knights Inc. #5 She's got three rules: 1. Trust no one… Eve Edens has been abandoned, used, or manipulated by almost everyone she's ever met. Born into ridiculous wealth, she's dealt with the petty jealousies and sordid little resentments for nearly thirty years. But after three botched attempts on her life, she can no longer ignore the truth. Someone wants her dead. 2. Avoid the bad boys at all costs… William "Wild Bill" Reichert, the wonderfully sexy boy who abandoned her years ago, is back in town. Only he's no boy. Now he's a covert operative - and he's all man. When Eve hires Bill to help her discover who is behind the attacks, Bill soon comes to suspect it's someone much closer to Eve than she dares to believe. 3. And never fall for the same ruse twice… The search for the killer takes Bill and Eve deep into the dark secrets and strange world of the rich and famous, and into the heart of red-hot passion re-ignited by the peril that threatens to consume them both. But does Eve dare risk her heart on Bill a second time? Like I said in previous reviews of the series, I've struggled a bit with the tales, but the gang grew on me, and I decided to continue reading the Black Knight Inc series. Well, the gang wasn't part of this tale, just Billy and new members Mac and Ace whom hasn't played a major part in the previous books. But we've had glimpses of Eve and Billy in the past books, and I looked forward to see, how they manage to find their way back to each other. And I promised to look over the constant inner reflections, that brought out rather childish side of all the characters. As expected, there was a lot of pull-push action between Billy and Eve. It was a bit heart-breaking, as well as sweet, and wistful. The final solutions for the conflict came from surprising source. The tension was high, not only because of the past between Billy and Eve, but because the menace to Eve was coming from someone very close to her. And even the nature seemed against the couple at one point. After 12 years of tension and anxiety, everything came to conclusion rather rapidly. The story was over all nice and fine, kept the interest to the story alive. Three stars. Librarian Callie Barnes has visions of reading and relaxing—and maybe having a few too many drinks—on her girls’ weekend away. Her hopes are crushed when her friends pull into a dude ranch instead of a spa, and she refuses to say longer than one night. That is…until she realizes the ranch is owned by sinfully sexy, and dangerously rugged, Wes Braden—the subject of her late-night fantasies. Fearless rancher Wes Braden thinks he’s the luckiest guy on the planet when the sweet, sexy librarian from his hometown shows up at his ranch. Their connection is white-hot, making it impossible for either to ignore their carnal desires. Wes is more than willing to convert sweet Callie from chick lit to a world of erotic romance, but Callie ties sex to love, and Wes avoids commitment like the plague. Callie is thrust into physically demanding activities that ignite her deepest fears. Luckily, Wes is as tender as he is strong, and he’s there every step of the way to help her find her inner strength. With Callie’s influence, Wes might even discover that he’s been nursing a few fears of his own. Passion pulls Callie and Wes from their safe, comfortable lives into each other’s arms, and they’re about to find out just how alike they really are. Stories like this makes me smile, and feel all warm and fuzzy inside. The story of Callie and Wes is sweet, charming, delightful, and passionate. It is about facing your fears, and overcoming them. It is about trust and love, and bravery. But mostly it is a delicious story about falling in love, and it makes you feel positive and wonderful, it makes you smile. Perfect reading for these hot summer days, a true feel-good story. Four stars. Gunship pilot Captain Candace Bradford has worked long and hard to earn her rank and position within the male-dominated world of Air Force Special Operations. She's not about to let anything or anyone jeopardize that, let alone one sinfully tempting man who seems determined to cause her nothing but trouble. Even if she's starting to fall for him. As an elite Combat Controller, Staff Sergeant Ryan Wentworth is used to overcoming adversity in order to complete a mission. Breaking through Candace's prickly exterior and into her heart is a challenge he can't let go. But just when he's begun to gain her trust, they're thrown together in the field facing an overwhelming enemy force. Candace and Ryan find themselves on the run, searching the skies for an emergency extraction. But one dangerous enemy has an agenda in mind and he'll use whatever means necessary to achieve it, including using American forces to do his dirty work.. I absolutely love this series.
The author creates an atmosphere, where you feel like you are in the war zone yourself. You feel the suspense, tension, danger, while you sit on the edge of your seat biting your nails, hoping for rescue. The battle details, as well as the medical ones, are incredible, and authentic. The camaraderie of the troops, the raillery between them, caring for each other, makes you want to be a part of them. When you add to this the true hero alpha males, who would do anything to protect their troops, and woman they love. And the women are independent, capable, true professionals themselves, you have a winner. The love story is passionate, adorable, and beautiful. Something that truly makes you swoon. Five stars. Even though this book is part of a series, can be read as a stand-alone. There is no cliffhanger ending. Black Knights Inc #4 He's Gone Rogue Ex-Navy SEAL Rock Babineaux’s job is to get information, and he’s one of the best in the business. Until something goes horribly wrong and he’s being hunted by his own government. Even his best friends at the covert special-ops organization Black Knights Inc. aren’t sure they can trust him. He thinks he can outrun them all, but his former partner—a curvy bombshell who knows just how to drive him wild—refuses to cut him loose. She Won't Back Down Vanessa Cordova hasn’t been the team’s communication specialist very long, but she knows how to read people—no way is Rock guilty of murder. And she’ll go to hell and back to help him prove it. Sure, the sexy Cajun has his secrets, but there’s no one in the world she’d rather have by her side in a tight spot. Which is good, because they’re about to get very tight… If you've followed my blog, you know I've been struggling with Black Knights Inc series for the past couple weeks, but my stubborn nature wouldn't let me give up on the middle of the series that's in my Kindle. And after reading the Thrill Ride, I'm thankful for that stubborn streak of mine. Like I said after Rev It Up, the characters grow on you. I've come to tolerate the surprisingly immature behavior from the team, the constant inner reflections of the characters, that at times goes for so long, you lose the intensity of the story and the point of the moment. And in every story, Thrill Ride being the #4, I've found myself a bit more interested with the next couple's storyline, than the one the book is telling about. Actually brilliant input from the author to hook the readers for the next installment of the series. And that was the case also with this one, until about half way through. And then I got, for the first time with Black Knights Inc, emotionally involved with the storyline. The suspense in this story is different, because you feel like it is the good guys vs the good guys. The uncertainty of the situation Rock is in, the slipperiness of the 'truth and justice' in the case, the risk of threat on Rock's life, builds up the jeopardy. The meaning of 'honor' comes out in a new light. The brotherhood of the team has been obvious since the book one. The loyalty, union, support, and reliability they have for each other is commendable. But when the team will put everything, including their lives, to risk to save Rock, and when Rock is crying for them to let him go to save themselves, you can't help but be touched by the 'one for all and all for one' musketeer attitude. The romance and passion between Rock and Vanessa takes the heat level of the series into a new heights. "Mon Dieu!" to quote the Cajun. The attraction between them has been instant, but hidden, and while facing the life and death situation Rock finally surrenders to his lust, if not for his feelings. The decisions that has to be made, and the dissensions that follow, are emotionally raw, rough, and rugged. Yes, Thrill Ride is a very fitting name for the story, cause it surely took me for a emotional ride, the end result four stars. Devon Crawford is an officer; air force pararescueman Cam Munro is enlisted. Dev flies medical evacuations; Cam jumps into danger zones to save lives. Dev wants to return home from Afghanistan with her heart untouched; Cam will do anything to win the woman he loves. Reaching for happiness in a war zone is the last thing Captain Devon Crawford plans, but she can't ignore the feelings she's hidden for so long. Cam's sexy charm and wicked kisses weaken her resistance, but she's too afraid of losing him to give in. When Dev's helicopter and crew are shot down and set up as bait by a notorious warlord, Cam risks all to save the team. What he doesn't know is that the trap is set for him… I absolutely loved this book. Excellently written action mixed with beautiful love story.. It went right to the top 10, out of the thousands I've read. The nail-biting action, war scenes that paints a picture so real, you feel like you are there. The story is told by her, his, and the enemy's point of views, and it keeps the hold of you till the end. All the characters are actual and real, with weaknesses and strengths. They are charming and likable, the geniality and camaraderie of the soldiers is genuine. The love story is heartbreaking, beautiful, and passionate. It had me in tears towards the end. Outstanding story, I'm so happy it was just a book one in a series. There is no cliffhanger ending, and it can be read as a stand alone. Five stars. Black Knights Inc. #3 He's the heart-breaker she left behind... Jake "the Snake" Sommers earned his SEAL code name by striking quickly and quietly—and with lethal force. That's also how he broke Michelle Carter's heart. It was the only way to keep her safe—from himself. Four long years later, Jake is determined to get a second chance. But to steal back into Michelle's loving arms, Jake is going to have to prove he can take things slow. Real slow... Michelle Carter has never forgiven Jake for being so cliché as to "love her and leave her." But when her brother, head of the Black Knights elite ops agency, ticks off the wrong mobster, she must do the unimaginable: place her life in Jake's hands. No matter what they call him, this man is far from cold-blooded. And once he's wrapped around her heart, he'll never let her go.. The characters of Black Knight Inc. grow on you, and by this third book I've learn to care about the gang, wanting to know what is happening. And in this third installment I actually found the secondary storyline between Rock and Vanessa a bit more interesting than the one between Jake and Shelley. The suspense in the story is a bit predictable. But the tension grows page by page, because the reader knows what is coming, and the characters seems so unaware of the present, constant danger. There are few twists that took me by surprise, so points for that to the author. Jake and Shelly have a past filled with secrets, pulling them apart, putting any possibility of future together in danger. Even with all the troubles and problems, the chemistry is strong, the attraction is there, something they can't fight against. I like that they have past, that they know each other, and it is not some 'lust-at-fist-sight' romance. But the issues between them are so huge, that when one life-or-death situation seems to solve it all, it feels rushed, not believable. Little Franklin is the star, the attraction of the book. What a character, I love him! Other thing I love about this story is, that there is less of the inner dialog that irritated me so in previous books. Jake and Shelly are doing an okay job as the hero and heroine, not my favorites, but somehow they seem to match. I get that Jake is a surfer dude from California, but that doesn't mean he has to say 'yo' constantly, yes, I wanted to scream again. I still have the feeling the characters in this series are being sold short with some of the things the author is making them do. Or they just need to grow up, cause more of the immature behavior continues in this tale. And never before have I wanted to scream so many times while reading a series, so I guess it really is getting the emotional reaction out of me. I'll continue to read the series, cause I bought them all, and because I want to read about Rock and Vanessa. End result: 3* Good Together by CJ Carmichael Some love stories have to begin with a falling-out-of-love story. Mattie Carrigan's been helping her rodeo cowboy husband Wes Bishop run his family's Tennessee Walking Horse operation since they were married nineteen years ago. Blessed with twin daughters who've recently left for college, Mattie is looking forward to this new stage in her and Wes's life. But when she finds a strange key in her husband's jacket, she's forced to admit that Wes has been quiet and distant lately. Turns out he has been keeping secrets. And he's not the only one. Even the rancher next door, Nat Diamond–a friend Mattie could always count on in the past–seems to be holding something back from her. Good Together is for anyone who has ever pondered what it means to be married. Or had to reinvent her life when one breaks down. It's about having your heart broken but being strong enough to survive and love again. Touching and raw - with silver lining! A different, original, heartbreaking storyline from the books I normally read. The author takes us for an emotional ride, where Mattie's whole life changes in just matter of the months. We live thought the change, via pain, tears, growth, and finally acceptance and hope for a future. The story is well written, and even though there is sadness and loss, that you can feel in yourself while reading, the agony and sorrow Mattie feels also has hope and belief for a better days coming. All the characters are sympathetic and charming, I found I even had understanding to Wes, the ex-husband. Absolutely recommend this book. Four * Friction by Melanie Shawn Raiza Diaz likes control in all aspects of her life from the office to the bedroom. She takes charge of her relationships, both professional and personal. Her unparalleled combination of beauty and sex appeal renders most men speechless. Mateo Kostas isn’t most men. He has the commanding presence of a Greek god with devastatingly good looks and a 6’4” chiseled frame. He doesn’t take orders, he gives them. He isn’t easily controlled and definitely isn’t intimidated by women, even when they’re as beautiful as Raiza. When a high-pressure stakeout turns into a battle of wills the heat generated leads to a fire that neither of them can control. Number 2 novella with the Red Hot Private Eye folks is just as H.O.T. as the first one. The dialog and electricity is intense between Raiza and Mateo, but at the same time the interaction is rather sweet. Even though the novella mostly concentrates into the developing relationship between Raiza and Mateo, there is also potent action, cartel bosses, and a dead body. And few moments that made me actually laugh out loud. I've heard rumors that there is #3 coming out of this series this fall, I sure hope it is true, because I truly enjoyed these two novellas. Friction five * Scandalous by Melanie Shawn Cristal Hart is every bit as tough and smart as she is sexy. As a private eye she couldn't go into the seediest underground spaces in Los Angeles and pull out the truth - if she didn't have steel underneath her deadly curves. Men fall at Cristal's feet, which is how she got her start in the PI game - as a "bait girl" catching cheating husbands. Ambition drove her as she rose in the ranks at Red Hot Private Investigations. Now she's in charge of all undercover operations - leaving her field work behind her. She thought. She'd be excited about the opportunity to get back into the action, working on a high profile case, except for one little wrinkle...Dominic. They spent one hot, steamy night together, two years ago...which she never lets herself revisit. Now they are going undercover, posing as "man and wife", living under one roof. Will she be able to put aside her thoughts of passion and just concentrate on the job? Dominic Charles heads the Private Security Division at Red Hot and is not the sort of man whose bad side you'd ever want to see. He's ex-military, from an elite unit, and tough as nails. Dominic loves three things: adrenaline, challenge, women. And women love Dominic. Normally he moves through them without looking back, but there is one woman he can't get off his mind or out of his system, Cristal Hart. They've never spoken about the mind-blowing night they spent together years earlier. Now he has one shot - they are living together undercover, and Dominic plans to take full advantage of that situation. When the choice is now or never, for Dominic - there's no choice at all. He's making his move. Now. Scandalous is HOT! The chemistry between Cristal and Dominic is beyond any scales. Yes, the tale also has suspicion, private eye work, creepy criminal congressman, and fun as can be dialog between the characters, but it is also very hot, or did I mention that already?! I like Melanie Shawn's way of writing, I love that in the books the story is told as much of from his point of view as hers. I enjoyed this novella, and I'm looking forward to more in this series. I can't think of a better read by the pool on a summer day, since the story is as hot as the weather these days... Five shiny * Lost and Found # 3 Embattled Home by J.M. Madden His Marine training taught him that failure is never an option regardless of circumstances. That certainly applies to Chad's need to stop Lost and Found's deranged client from using the information he gathered to stalk and abuse his ex. Falling in love with the broken woman and her sweet daughter in the middle of rescuing them is definitely not the best timing. But it's also inevitable. In Book 3 of this heart-warming military romance series, Chad will discover that protecting Lora is a much easier task than proving he’s the one man she can finally trust with her heart. Weeks of no incriminating evidence should have clued him in sooner about who was the real victim. Now Chad Lowell is wracked with guilt after the woman he’s assigned to investigate is attacked by her abusive ex-husband right under his nose. Lora and her little girl are in incredible danger, and he vows to protect them at all costs, whether the angry and hurt woman wants him to or not. His Marine training makes the protecting part easy, but nothing he does seems to make Lora want to take a chance on him or his love. Lora O’Neil left a life of abuse to make a new start for herself and her daughter. When her ex hires Lost and Found Investigative Service to track her down, she’s left reeling both physically and emotionally. The private detective that had been watching her for the past couple of months did finally come to her rescue, but does that mean she should now trust him to help her turn their lives around? The sexy former Marine makes her body feel things she thought she’d never feel for a man again, but she just can’t imagine what it would take for her to heal enough to ever say yes. In this book we get to see a different side to the always cheerful Chad, more vulnerable, a bit insecure, because of his past dealings with women and his injuries. Lora is struggling with her abusive ex of a two years, who attacks her brutally at her home. The relationship develops, when Chad is providing security to Lora and her daughter Mercy. Because of the abusive background of Lora, the relationship develops 'slow' (in three or so weeks) despite the strong, electric attraction between them. The 'play-time' sure is steamy, as well as tender and sweet. With the constant wait for a new attack from the ex, the tension is building . The showdown at the end happens fast, a lot is resolved in a very short time. In this tale, I missed the brotherhood, team work. The were some instances I would have like to have more information, that the situations would have been resolved. For example why Flynn was acting as he was. I hope there is more books coming out in this series, since I felt there's still more to the story. But for this one, three *. |