ARC Review: On Broken Wings by Chanel Cleeton

Series:	Wild Aces #3
Pub. Date:	January 3, 2017
Publisher:	Berkley Romance
Length:	319 pages
Source:	NetGalley

WARNING! This review contains spoilers for the first book, Fly With Me. If you have yet to read Fly With Me, what's wrong with you? Go read it and come back to this review once you are done wiping your eyes from a soul-cleansing ugly cry that will result from that book. 

I have been itching to get my hands on this book from the minute Fly With Me ended. I knew it was going to be a tearjerker in the best possible way. On Broken Wings takes place approximately a year after the end of Fly With Me. The squadron is still flying, deploying overseas, and playing hard when they are stateside. The guys and their families are still dealing with their grief over the loss of their squadron leader, none more so than the hero and heroine of this book.

ARC Review: Into the Blue by Chanel Cleeton

Series:	Wild Aces #2
Pub. Date:	July 5, 2016
Publisher:	Berkley Publishing
Length:	320 pages
Source:	NetGalley

With this second installment of the Wild Aces series,  I do believe Chanel Cleeton has made her way onto my auto-buy list. Having suffered from burn out in the contemporary romance genre this year, I'm so happy to have found another author whose stories pull emotion from the reader with engaging plots, realistic situations and captivating characters. And can I get an amen for mature heroines?!? We need more over-30 heroines in the romance genre these days... the new adult trend is giving me a complex!

ARC Review and Giveaway: Fly With Me by Chanel Cleeton

Series:  Wild Aces #1

Pub. Date:  May 3, 2016

Publisher:  Berkley Publishing

Pages:  320

Format:  Print ARC

Source:  Berkley Publishing

Oh man... I am so excited about finding this author.  Or, I guess I can thank Berkley for introducing me to Chanel Cleeton's work.  She is new to me, but I am definitely going to be checking out her other books.  Fly With Me was so fabulous, I am urging everyone to read it. I have been experiencing burn out on contemporary romance this year, but I think this book has just broken my slump. Yay!

Freebie Friday Review: Where You Least Expect by Lydia Rowan

Where You Least Expect 
by Lydia Rowan
Series:  Thornehill Springs #1
Pub. Date:  Jan. 20, 2015
Free Date:  Dec. 8, 2015
Publisher:  Self-Pub
Pages:  200
Format:  eBook
Source:  Amazon


My Rating:  
Sultry Scale:

Navy SEAL Joe MacDermid came to Thornehill Springs, North Carolina seeking peace and quiet and maybe a break from his hectic life. But his next-door neighbor Verna Love seems intent on making sure he doesn’t get any of either. 

Verna takes pride in being a nice person, but when it comes to Joe, she just can’t help herself. Getting under his skin gives her an unexplainable satisfaction, and it doesn’t hurt that Joe is the picture of masculine perfection, especially when he’s angry. She’s smart enough to know that he’d never be interested in her, not with all her flaws, but she can’t pretend that goading him isn’t one of the highlights of her day. 

But when circumstances force the two of them together, they might find love where they least expect.

This book is not quite what I expected. That is mostly my fault as I just skimmed the synopsis... and when I saw our hero was a military guy, my mind went in the direction of romantic suspense (as I had just finished another romantic suspense book). So I was thinking I would get a little more action than the standard neighbor-turned-romance type activity.

This book is all about low self-esteem. Both of our main characters suffer from it in different ways. The hero, Joe MacDermid, is a former Navy SEAL who has decided to retire. Now that he is living the civilian life, he is at odds with what to do with himself and his life and future. He really doesn't think he is good enough or capable to do anything else outside his life as a SEAL. This didn't make a lot of sense to me because - HELLO - NAVY FREAKING SEAL! Supreme badass! The idea that he wasn't going to be good at anything else just didn't fit with his character type for me. It also meant he was not an alpha male in my eyes - and a beta SEAL just didn't compute in my brain.

The heroine, Verna Love, is a 30 year old virgin who has never even been kissed. She slouches. She wears baggy jeans and t-shirts. Her career consists of waitressing (any every other menial job) at her family diner, though she does like to sew and create outfits in her spare time. She is outwardly happy and perky, but inwardly has horrible self-valuation and esteem issues. A large part of these issues can be attributed to her family, and the rest seem to have grown out from there. Her father essentially treats her as a doormat. I didn't really connect with her character on any level, but I was able to empathize with her at certain times. I think the problem was the doormat aspect - I couldn't put myself in her shoes b/c I would not allow anyone to treat me in such a way. Then, when Joe does something super horrible that would have shattered her already low self-worth. It was SO BAD. I think I teared up. I really felt sorry for the girl. But that was as close as I got to connecting.

So when Joe does this horrible thing - there would have been no coming back for him if it was me. The story fell apart for me after that. I could not get behind him as a hero after his very un-hero-like behavior. He could not be redeemed. Overall this was a quick "okay" read for a straight romance without any action or suspense. There was plenty of angst for those who like angsty reads. I actually liked our couple together until that one d-bag move. There may have been too much focus on Verna's body issues for me to really get into the story though. As much as it surprises me to say it, I think I would have liked more drama in the story... more plot conflicts to get me invested would have helped out I think.

View all my reviews

Thornehill Springs

Review: Wanted by Dee Tenorio

Wanted 
by Dee Tenorio
Series:  Deadly Secrets #2
Pub. Date:  July 21, 2015
Publisher:  Entangled Ignite
Pages:  200
Format:  eARC
Source:  NetGalley
   

My Rating:  
Sultry Scale:

Some secrets are worth dying for… 

Undersheriff and former Marine Rick Trelane had one constant his entire life—his friendship with Whitney Peterson. Through thick and thin, she has never faltered. Never blamed. But when her former lover turns up dead, Rick must look past the walls he’s built to the woman he thought he knew inside and out…and discover he was wrong.

Whitney has secrets, deadly ones. The deeper he digs, the more he sees her as a woman he desires. And suspects. But as bodies start turning up, so does the evidence against her. Now the air is thick with secrets and shadows and giving into the longing could turn both their worlds upside down. Because this killer is just getting started…

This was another quick romantic suspense from Dee Tenorio, and it takes places several years after the conclusion of Convicted. Our war-torn hero in this installment is Rick Trevane, who ended up with life-threatening injuries in the first book. Rick and Cade were part of the same unit in the Marines, and joined the Sheriff's Dept to clear the corruption from Rick's hometown. Like Cade, Rick has turned off his emotions and is just existing day-by-day. Losing his high school sweetheart, Shana, to the witness protection program in Convicted only further damaged this broody vet. Since Rick has been back, he has had a hard time acclimating to civilian life and people he knew before the war. He is estranged from his father and his only real friend (besides Cade) is childhood pal, Whitney Peterson.

Whitney has been in love with Rick forever, but she always knew she didn't have a shot. She has been through something horrific, and is a bit of a tortured heroine herself. Those around her don't realize this because she is so positive and is always taking care of those around her, sometimes to the detriment of herself. I really liked Whitney, and its a shame it took Rick so long to open his eyes to what was right in front of him. She was sweet and caring, and I hated what she went through.

While the suspense aspect of this book was a bit predictable, it didn't detract from the story. Once Rick opened his eyes, it was all in for him and Whitney and their relationship moved along at a pace that worked with the book. This one was quite as steamy as Convicted, but it made up for it with the depth of emotion that it invoked. Trust me, this one is a tear jerker. I think I cried for the last 40% of the book. I also loved Rick's dad, Richard Sr. He was a great secondary character.

Dee Tenorio is a new-to-me author, but I will definitely read more of her in the future. I received an advanced copy of this book from Entangled (through Netgalley) in exchange for an honest review. 

View all my reviews

Deadly Secrets Series

Review: Drunk on You by Teri Anne Stanley

Drunk on You 
by Teri Anne Stanley
Pub. Date:  July 21, 2015
Publisher:  Entangled
Pages:  218
Format:  eARC
Source:  NetGalley / Publisher
   

My Rating:  
Sultry Scale:

Undiluted desire, served straight up.

Justin Morgan would happily drown the pain of his injured leg—and the guilt he brought back from Afghanistan—in bourbon. Except, there won’t be any booze if he doesn’t rescue his family’s century-old distillery from financial ruin. The problem? Allie McGrath—youngest daughter of the distillery’s co-owners, and the one woman he can’t have.

Allie has been in love with Justin since…well, she's always been in love with him. Now he's home, broken up over the death of her brother, and he needs help. She can fix the distillery—she’s sure of it—but no one’s taking her or her sweet new idea seriously. Convincing Justin is her only hope.

Allie is more tempting than Justin expected, threatening a promise he swore he’d never break. If he can’t keep their attraction under control, there’s a solid chance they’ll send the whole enterprise crumbling to the ground…if he doesn’t crash and burn first. 

I picked up this book because I was in a southern mood, and it's been a while since I read a story featuring the Kentucky Bourbon industry. Being a Tennessee girl with family in Kentucky, I thought I would connect with this story. And I did for the most part. This is a short steamy romance that paced well and had me rooting for the characters.

Allie McGrath has been in love with her brother's best friend since she was a kid. The pair (Justin and Dave) go off to serve and protect in Afghanistan, and only Justin comes back. He has promised to look out for Allie, but didn't realize she had grown up into a sexy and spunky woman. Sparks fly between these two, but Allie is trying to protect her heart due to a prior embarrassing situation involving Justin. And Justin tries to keep his hands off Allie because he doesn't think Dave would have approved. When the two are thrown together driving across the South in an RV, the close quarters driving them together in more ways than one.

I really liked Allie. I can only imagine how her young heart was bruised in the earlier situation with Justin (trying to avoid spoilers). I also liked Justin, our war torn hero coming back with survivor's guilt and trying to do what his best friend wanted. So I rooted for this pair throughout the story and was happy with the resolution.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

View all my reviews

Review: Convicted by Dee Tenorio

Convicted 
by Dee Tenorio
Series:  Deadly Secrets #1
Pub. Date:  Aug. 18, 2014
Publisher:  Entangled Ignite
Pages:  189
Format:  eBook
Source:  Purchased
   

My Rating:  
Sultry Scale:

The only thing more dangerous than passion is the truth.

Former Marine and new Sheriff’s Deputy Cade Evigan is hanging onto his damaged soul—and his personal code—by a thread. His current mission? Weed out a violent motorcycle crew from a small mountain town. The problem? Katrina Killian, a woman standing firmly on the other side of the law, smack in the middle of the gang he’s there to destroy. She may get under his skin, but the sultry biker has criminal written all over her. So why can't he see her like any other convict?

For two years, Katrina has been a DEA agent hiding in plain sight amidst a pack of killers, working to put an end to the gang that has terrorized her hometown. The last thing she needs is to fall in love with a man who could blow her cover—and her heart—to pieces, but Cade’s become an addiction she can’t break. Unable to risk either of their lives with the truth, she plays both ends against the middle to keep him safe. But lies can only last so long, and Katrina’s time has just run out…

This was a quick suspenseful romance involving a war-damaged marine turned law enforcement, and an undercover DEA Agent. Cade is our marine who has joined the sheriff's office in small town to help his buddy (Rick Trevane) clean the town and department of the corrupting influence of a violent motorcycle gang. Cade has basically turned off all his emotions to deal with things he went thru during the war. Until Trina comes along and is very determined to crack Cade's tough exterior, and it seems to be working. The only problem is that Katrina is affiliated with the gang as part of her undercover assignment. This creates a problem for Cade who thinks Trina is one of the bad guys, and she can't reveal her assignment to him.

I only picked up this book because I started reading the second book (Wanted) and realized I was lost and needed to look for the previous story. That being said, I am a bit surprised by amount of 2-star reviews for this book. I didn't think it was bad. It was a quick read and it was paced well. It seems some people did not like Trina, who was a stronger female that you typically find in the abundance of new adult romances going around. That was fine with me, I like strong females. Maybe that is because we share things in common regarding our employment. But I totally dig stories where the heroine is a strong kickass person in her daily life/work, but feels comfortable enough with her man to let that go and let him take control. And Cade did take control. I saw some comments saying that Trina was more alpha than Cade, and I didn't see it that way at all. Yes she was assertive and determined to get what she wants, but she had no problem switching that off. Overall I liked both of the characters, even when they were going through the on-again off-again teeter-totter part of their relationship.

The writing did seem choppy sometimes, almost like it was edited down a little too much. But I will forgive a little of the choppy writing since it had some really fabulous steamy sex scenes. The kind of scenes that you want to go back and read again just to make sure you didn't miss anything. Cade's character really shone during those scenes because he relaxed and was playful and charming or released his hold on that iron-tight control of his. I am glad that I stopped Wanted to read this one first. It provided a lot of necessary background for this second book. Review for Wanted will be posted on July 22nd.  

View all my reviews

Deadly Secrets Series