Review – Here Comes the Bride by Rita Herron

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Downloaded my copy from Amazon for FREE on December 13, 2012

Blurb
“Sometimes out of the frying pan and into the fire is the best way to burn. ”

A twin switch. A fake fiancé. An impromptu wedding.
Will it lead to true love?

Thoughts
I decided to go back through all the books I’ve downloaded for free and read a few. I’m so glad I did. Here Comes the Bride was a cute and fun story. My husband is a twin so I love reading stories with that twisted into the storyline. This was a fun example of mischief twins can get into.

Marci and Kimberly are identical twins, in looks anyway. In personalities, they couldn’t be more different. When Marci talks Kimberly into switching with her on a side job of pretending to be someone else’s fiancé for the weekend, she wouldn’t let Kimberly refuse.

Austin has always thought Marci was hot, but either she’s a really good actor or she hides a lot of herself from people at work. She’s completely different than he expected, and everything he never knew he wanted.

These two are so perfect for each other, it doesn’t make sense. This was a fun light read and I’m so glad I decided to read it. It definitely lightened my mood.

Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Slinky

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Buy the Book: Amazon ($2.99)

Review – The Bet by Rachel Van Dyken

Genre: Contemporary Romance/ New Adult
Purchased my copy from Amazon for $0.99 on May 25^th, 2013

Blurb
“I have a proposition for you…”
Kacey should have run the minute those words left Seattle millionaire Jake Titus’s mouth. Instead, she made a deal with the devil in hopes of putting her past behind her once and for all.
Four days.
She could do four days!
But she wasn’t counting on Jake’s older brother Travis being there to witness their farce of an engagement.
One thing is for certain.
One brother is right for her.
One wants a lifetime.
And one is in league with the devil.
She should have gotten Jake’s signature in blood.

Thoughts
This was a fun and frustrating book. I laughed a lot and loved the play and banter the characters shared back and forth, but really wanted to smack the hero and heroine upside the head. It’s one thing for a little boy to be mean to a girl he likes, but when he’s still doing it into his twenties, something’s not right.

I didn’t know if Kacey was ever going to wake up and see which brother was the right one for her. These two deserve a happy ending and I hope to see more from them in another book, preferably Jake’s. I think he should realize he was wrong now and start looking for the right one.

Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Slinky

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Review – Temporary Arrangement by Karen Erickson

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: The Renaldis Series, Book 1
Downloaded my copy from Amazon for free on February 11^th, 2013

Blurb
Look, but don’t touch…

The Renaldis

Alone and broke, Paige Stewart can’t believe her good luck. Who hires a virtual stranger out of a New York City coffee shop to care for their adorable grandson? Apparently Claudia Renaldi does.

Widower Matteo Renaldi isn’t pleased that his mother found a replacement nanny so soon after he fired the last one. Yet little Matty takes to Paige like no other nanny before. And Matteo can’t deny he’s quite taken with her as well. She’s beautiful. Sweet. And far, far too young for him.

There’s something about the gorgeously sexy Matteo that fills Paige with longing to break through his wall of formality and touch his softer side. But no one knows better than she that crushing on her boss is one thing. Acting on those feelings is forbidden. Foolish.

Inevitable…

Thoughts
I love Karen Erickson. I couldn’t wait to read this free read. Temporary Arrangement is a prelude to the Renaldis Series. I can’t wait for book 2 which is the full story of Paige and Matteo.

A tortured hero, who feels guilty over the fact his wife is dead and even guiltier over the fact that he doesn’t really miss her, Matteo spends all his spare time with his son, who is his life. After a string of nannies that haven’t worked out, Matteo’s mother comes to the states to help out with her grandson and the nanny search. When his mother hires one that she met in a coffee shop while interviewing others, without a background check or references or anything, Matteo is furious until he sees how his son reacts around her.

Kayla is extremely down on her luck. She’s broke and a long way from home. After being nearly raped, then dismissed from her job as a nanny (where she worked for a year), she’s close to calling home for help. Then an Angel in the guise of Claudia saves her.

There was too much heat for these two to fight it for too long. I hate that it was left with a cliffhanger, but I will definitely buy the next book as soon as it comes out.
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Slinky

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Review – Sweet Satisfaction by Becca Dale

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Bought my copy from Amazon for $2.99 on May 27^th, 2013

Blurb
Terrified of her submissive nature, Kate Hastings refuses to give a man control of her life. Somehow faking a wild and confident personality scares her less than facing reality — the heated longing for her sexy best friend and her deep-seated need for domination. Trouble is, none of the passive men she’s dated do it for her.

Victim to a family curse, Connor Wallace can love only one woman his entire life — Kate. Yet, she insists on keeping him firmly in the friend zone. Determined to prove he’s more than friend material, he sets out to fulfill her greatest fantasies, even if it means tying her up to get her attention.

When passion and protective instincts collide, something has to give, but will the impact lead to broken hearts or sweet satisfaction?

Thoughts
I read about this book on a blog and had to grab it. I’m so glad I did. This is just type of read I needed after finishing a very heavy on the emotions read. Kate is terrified of ending up like her mother, a sub dependent on a man, any man who keeps leaving. She doesn’t want the same type of man her mother has, she wants someone she can still control.

Connor, good guy that his is, has loved his best friend for three years; fell instantly in love with her. He’s tired of standing by and watching her with other men. He’s going to make her see him in a new light.

Ms. Dale did this perfectly. Neither of the two just jump in head first. They both fall ass over end. I loved how the play between the two and the chemistry was off the charts. I will definitely read more from Becca.

Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Slinky

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Buy the Book: Amazon ($2.99)

Review – More Than Friends by Jess Dee

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: The More Than Series, Book 1
Bought my copy from Amazon for $4.99 on May 29^th, 2013

Blurb
He was her best friend until he became her fantasy.

Lucy Lawson’s got it bad. Bad as in stunned speechless by the situation she’s in, by the feelings sitting on her chest, ready to explode. She’s in love with her best friend.

Problem is, telling Sebastian Blackford could destroy the best thing in her life, but the longer she keeps her feelings under wraps, the stronger the need to spill her secret.

The last thing Seb suspects is that his best mate is madly, wildly in love with him, or that he’s the star of her seriously dirty fantasies. Worse, he’s just started seeing someone he’d like to see again and Lucy knows it.

So why does her confession hit him like a runaway train? And why can’t he get her explicit description of her fantasies out of his mind? They’ve never been more than friends, but now that he knows how Lucy feels, everything is out of whack.

Seb figures it’s up to him to get their relationship back on track. He’ll do it too, just as soon as he establishes which track is the right one.

Warning: After reading this, you may just be tempted to jump your best friend. It’s recommended you keep your partner on speed dial or a toy with fresh batteries on standby.

Thoughts
I needed a lighter read after the book I read before this one and thought this would be perfect. It was just what I needed. Steamy hot chemistry and sex with some angst. It took a lot of balls for Lucy to tell Seb how she felt, and his reaction was less than perfect, in fact it was pretty much THE WORST. I can’t imagine how she felt.

Once they worked everything out, I was extremely happy. I didn’t need any extra drama or details, to me this was the perfect amount of everything.

Review – Chasing Charlie by Kathy Carmichael

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: The Texas Two Step, Book 1
Bought my copy from Amazon for $0.99 on May 23^rd, 2013

Blurb
Raised in a family of rodeo champions on a South Texas cattle ranch, Charlie wants only one thing: to avoid thrill-seeking cowboys.

Davis Murphy, cowboy wannabe and one of Dallas’s most eligible bachelors, needs a pretty and witty faux fiancée so his widowed mother will marry her longtime gentleman friend.

Charlie, his local librarian, seems the prefect choice.

Charlie’s first reaction is to run, but she’s promised herself to step out of her plain-jane routine.

When Charlie accepts, Davis’s plan is set. But now Charlie’s sweet ways are challenging his bachelor heart.

Thoughts
I loved this book. It cracked me up. I love cowboys, and even though Davis isn’t really a cowboy yet, Charlie’s brothers, more than make up for it. I can’t wait to read their stories.

Charlie has been raised on a ranch and wants nothing to do with cowboys. They are the forbidden fruit. Davis is in no way ready to settle down. After figuring out that his mother won’t marry the man she’s in love with until he settles down, he propositions Charlie, whom he only knows through the library.

This book was fun, but definitely had its serious moments. I can’t wait to read more from this author and this series.

Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Slinky

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Review – Rescue Me by Farrah Rochon

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: The Holmes Brothers Trilogy, Book 3
Bought my copy from Amazon for $4.29 on May 24^th, 2013

Blurb
Originally published by Dorchester Publishing, February 2009

In a few months, Alexander Holmes saw both of his younger brothers find love, but the hardworking owner of Holmes Construction has no desire to follow in their footsteps. Alex had his chance at wedded bliss, and all he ended up with was a whole lot of heartache…and a precious baby girl. Unfortunately, his sweet little pumpkin has turned into a little monster at school. Suddenly, Alex finds himself in a brand new role: parent volunteer.

Renee Moore moved to New Orleans to help her aunt rebuild after her home was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. When she accepts a job as the new Special Projects Coordinator at St. Katherine’s School, Renee looks forward to molding all those young minds. What she doesn’t expect is to fall for the sexy single father of one of her students. When Alex Holmes offers to help in rebuilding her aunt’s home, Renee knows she’s found a man worth his weight in gold. All she has to do is convince him to open his heart to love again.

Thoughts
I couldn’t wait to read this book. It was the one I wanted to read the most out of the whole series. I loved Alex. It was a good story, but after reading the first two, it was pretty predictable. I still liked the book. I loved that Alex finally found someone who will love him and show him how it feels to be loved. He deserves it after everything he does for everyone in his life. Renee deserves it as well. After the childhood she had, she has a lot to overcome.

Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Slinky

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Buy the Book: Amazon ($4.29) | B&N ($4.99)

Review – Deliver Me by Farrah Rochon

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: The Holmes Brothers Trilogy, Book 1
Downloaded my free copy from Amazon May 23rd, 2013

Blurb
LEAVING AN IMPERFECT PAST…
Monica Gardner is starting over. The broken-hearted St. Louis native has nothing left at home any longer: her future is being an ER doctor at a New Orleans hospital. Her first day makes for a bumpy start as she continually runs into handsome but irascible Dr. Elijah Holmes—a man who could make her change her mind about finding true love.

FOR NEW EXPECTATIONS
For years, Dr. Eli Holmes has been living up to his own high expectations—and is burning himself out in the process. The only time this “Super Doc” ob-gyn slows down is to notice the beautiful eyes of a newcomer, Dr. Gardner. He’s pleased to know that she’s more than just a pretty face, she’s also an ace physician. When they work together, sparks fly. But with both Monica and Eli trying to hard not to fall in love, they realize they can’t resist this affair of the heart.

Thoughts
I read the second book in this series and couldn’t wait to read the first and last book. I really liked the second book and couldn’t wait to read about Elijah and Alex’s story. I almost read Alex’s story first, but changed my mind. I wanted to see how Elijah and Monica got together.

I loved that these two wanted to fight their attraction, especially Monica. She didn’t trust easily, since she was burned before. Deliver Me had a good story line, even if it was pretty predictable.

Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Slinky

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Review – Release Me by Farrah Rochon

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: The Holmes Brothers Series, Book 2
Downloaded my copy for free on May 22^nd, 2013

Blurb
Originally published by Dorchester Publishing, June 2008

Tobias “Toby” Holmes was destined for NBA stardom. But when an SUV crashed into his car during his rookie year, his dreams of playing pro-basketball, along with his spine, were shattered. After floundering from one job to another, Toby has finally found his niche in the music business. And when the singing sensation he discovered is pegged to star in a new reality TV show, Toby finally sees light at the end of what has been a very dark tunnel.

Sienna Culpepper has loved her childhood best friend forever, though he has never seen anything other than the girl with skinny legs, cornrows, and mad skills on the basketball court. When Toby returns to their hometown of New Orleans to start his career as a record producer/manager, Sienna is resigned to loving him from afar. However, when Sienna and Toby find themselves working together, feelings arise that has them both rethinking their friendship.

Thoughts
Basketball is my favorite sport, so I had to check this out. I’m really glad I did, even if basketball played really no part in this story. My husband is from New Orleans, so I love when romance novels take place there and I especially love when it’s post-Katrina.

I don’t know how Sienna came out as well-balanced as she did other than her sister Ivana and her grandmother. Her mother is a Witch with a capital B. I can’t imagine a mother like that. I don’t understand how a woman could do what she does. She is an ungrateful and spiteful woman. Sienna is a beautiful woman who always puts everyone ahead of herself.

Toby has had it rough. He was headed for the NBA when an automobile accident took his lifelong dream from him. He is lost until he finds a great musical talent in Aria and becomes her manager.

Sienna and Toby were best friends all through high school. Once they went to college, they drifted apart. When they start a business relationship, Toby starts noticing that Sienna is not the same tomboy. I didn’t know if these two were ever going to get it together. I’m so glad that they worked it out. I really would’ve liked an epilogue to see how their life turns out. I definitely want to read Alex’s story. He deserves to be loved.

Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Slinky

Contact the Author: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
Buy the Book: Amazon ($4.29) | B&N ($4.99)

Review – Twice Tempted by Marquita Valentine

Blurb
Born into wealth and power, Christian Romanov is Hollywood’s favorite bad boy with a golden touch…until the day his agent receives pictures of the movie star celebrating his birthday in a not-so-legal way. Now he’s been ordered to find a small-town girl to be seen with in order to improve his partying image. He agrees, but for an entirely different reason-to protect the reputation of an organization that helps get teens off the street and back into the school. Not only is he the anonymous donor that’s been solely supporting the organization since its inception, he’s slated to be their newest spokesman.

Zoe Ambrose is a hopeless romantic masquerading as a realist. But she’s also a successful novelist, trying to fit herself into a staid life when what she craves is the adventure she found one night in the arms of a playboy who never knew her name. When her successful crime series is optioned by a major studio, she travels to Las Vegas to find that the prince of her fantasies and single night of pleasure is the main contender for the male lead. But for four years Zoe has been publicly eviscerating the man who left her stranded that night—he’s the villain in her series! Now the movie star doesn’t recognize her, and Zoe is determined to protect her heart this time.

When Christian braves the small town of Holland Springs and Zoe’s overprotective family to win the girl of his dreams, he finds that his Hollywood skills might not cut it—and learns a shocking truth he never imagined. Can he can tempt her again and finally give her the epic love story she has refused to write for herself?

Thoughts
I really liked this story. I loved the fact that this couple had to come to a complete circle in order to be together. Just when you think they have it figured out, the hero’s evil family jumps in and messes it all up. I don’t know how these two got through all the manipulations. I hope Christian’s father gets what he deserves. I’m sure living without his sons will be some justice, but not enough.

Zoe has been in love with Christian for the past four years and he doesn’t even know who she is. I can’t imagine how much that hurts. You would think after everything that they shared he would be able to recognize her. With Christian hiding his insecurities behind his “asshat” façade, Zoe has no doubt he can’t have real feelings for her.

When Christian realizes what he’s done, he is bound and determined to win her back. He won’t take no for an answer. This couple has overcome the machinations of his evil family to keep them apart. I can’t wait to see how Sebastian and Kate work things out. If I were her, I would definitely make him work hard for me.

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