ARC Review: Judgment Road by Christine Feehan

Series:	Torpedo Ink #1
Pub Date:	Jan 23, 2018
Publisher:	Berkley
Length:	462 pgs
Source:	NetGalley

I have been totally excited about this new series from Christine Feehan. I was a little worried as its a spinoff of the popular Sea Haven series and, despite my work on reading her back list, I haven't read this entire series yet. While there were a few areas where I wished I had the backstory, for the most part I was fine reading this without reading that earlier series.

So... Torpedo Ink. A motorcycle club and family forged in horrific circumstances. Seriously, the back story on these guys (and girls) is so sad and intense and sometimes hard to read. So it was emotional as hell y'all. In addition to their tortured background, these guys are trained assassins and most have some special ability. There were only light paranormal elements, not enough to really classify this as a paranormal romance, but a nice blend of fantasy and dark reality to make our characters more interesting.

ARC Review: Baby, I'm Howling for You by Christine Warren

Series:	Alphaville #1
Pub Date:	Jan 30, 2018
Publisher:	St. Martin's Press
Length:	320 pgs
Source:	NetGalley

It's been quite a while since I have read a werewolf book, and even longer since I have read Christine Warren. I can't say why other than I am behind on her series and I just haven't had time to catch up lately. Anywho, I really like the premise of this new series she has created in Alpha, Washington - a town full of misfit shifters who don't quite fit in elsewhere or with packs of their own kind.

Renny Landry has always heard about the almost mythical Alphaville, but she knows that making it to the town is her last chance to get away from the danger on her tail (literally). Being pursued by goons sent by an obsessed stalker coyote, Renny is both so close but also not quite close enough when she makes her last desperate attempt for freedom. But fate intervenes and sends Renny into the path of a reclusive alpha werewolf that could be her salvation, and much more. Renny was a pretty good heroine. She wasn't a runner, which was a plus. Sometimes I did feel like she was too nonchalant about her safety, but I understood her wanting to start a new life and not feel like she was running scared all the time.

Audiobook Review: Hardcore Twenty-Four by Janet Evanovich

Series:	Stephanie Plum #24
Pub. Date:	Nov. 14, 2017
Publisher:	Random House Audio
Narrator:	Lorelei King
Length:	6 hrs 8 min
Source:	Overdrive-Library

I had so much fun with Stephanie and Lula in this latest installment of the Stephanie Plum series. After the last year of extreme political burnout, I was a bit worried when Stephanie and Lula started taking on paid protesters and snowflake villains, but Evanovich brought our current reality to life in such a humorous way that I found myself laughing out loud as I was driving along home for the holidays.

ARC Review: Scoring with the Wrong Twin by Naima Simone

Series:	WAGS #1
Pub Date:	Jan 15, 2018
Publisher:	Entangled
Length:	236 pgs
Source:	NetGalley

Scoring With the Wrong Twin is the first book in the new WAGS (Wives and Girlfriends) series by Naima Simone, and the whole series promises to be a steamy page-turner. Our current and future heroes are members of the Washington Warriors football enterprise and the best of friends. This hot bunch surely turns heads where ever they congregate, and I certainly wouldn't mind the cold and rain of Seattle if I had the chance to snag one of these warriors.

ARC Review: Destiny by A.D. Starrling

Series:	Seventeen #6
Pub Date:	Jan 12, 2018
Publisher:	Self-Pub
Length:	401 pgs
Source:	Author

I cannot believe that its been more than 2 years since I started the Seventeen series... it seems like it was just yesterday! I am such a huge fan of this series and author, and the individual books have made it onto my Top 10 list every year since I started reading them. While the end of the series is always a little bittersweet, there is good news for all of us fans and definitely lots more to come from this amazing author.  If you have not started this series, you will need to start at the beginning with Hunted, as there is a continuing story arc and you don't want to miss anything. Starrling has a fantastic attention to detail and her research and inclusion for these books is extraordinary. In fact, if I could do it all over again, I would have taken notes and created a series bible as I was reading. There is a lot to remember! (Though she does do a good job recapping things that are necessary to the next installment.)

Audiobook Review: Storm's Heart by Thea Harrison

Series:	Elder Races #2
Pub. Date:	Aug. 2, 2011
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Narrator:	Sophie Eastlake
Length:	13 hrs
Source:	Audible Romance Pkg

Following the death of the dark fae king, the Elder Races storyline continues with fairy princess and heir to the dark throne, Thistle "Tricks" Periwinkle, attempting to claim her rightful place in the fae hierarchy. Unfortunately, that proves to be a life-threatening feat for the otherwise beloved Tricks, and she finds herself at the center of an assassination plot. Luckily all those years in public relations for Cuelebre Enterprises made Tricks the darling of the Elder Races and earned her some very tough and powerful friends. 

ARC Review: Small Town Siren by Lexi Blake

Series:	Texas Sirens #1
Re-Relase Date:	Jan. 9, 2018
Publisher:	DLZ Entertainment
Length:	322 pgs
Source:	Inkslingr PR

This is a book sure to make all my smutty followers happy, because it was ooh la la steamy. Or given that we are operating in Texas for this series... I should get my southern on and say it was just plain HAWT.

We meet Abigail Moore as a teenager in small town Texas, where she has quite the reputation for being a wild child. Unfortunately, Abby's reputation was undeserved and her life was made difficult by a snooty old woman, mother to her childhood boyfriend. Jump ahead 20 years and Abby is returning to help her ailing mother, and she finds that not much has changed with the snooty old folks of Willow Fork. I felt so sorry for Abby and the way she was treated as a teenager, however I wished she had a little more backbone as an adult. Otherwise, I really liked Abby as a heroine. She was fun, but also responsible. I admired the fact that she built a life for herself after she was run out of town at such a young age.

ARC Review: Promise Not to Tell by Jayne Ann Krentz

Series:	Cutler Sutter & Salinas #2
Pub. Date:	Jan 2, 2018
Publisher:	Berkley Romance
Length:	334 pages
Source:	NetGalley

As I was reading When All the Girls Have Gone, I was very intrigued by Max Cutler and his foster brothers who were rescued from a cult fire. I thought the backstory was captivating and was interested to learn more about their time in the cult and their life afterwards.  So I was very interested in this second installment where both of our main characters were cult survivors.

Audiobook Review: When a Laird Finds a Lass by Lecia Cornwall

Series:	Highland Fairytale #2
Pub. Date:	Aug. 31, 2017
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Narrator:	Ruth Urquhart
Length:	9 hrs 25 min
Source:	Publisher

I love retellings of fairy tales, and the historical Highland twist just makes them too delicious to pass up. When a Laird Finds a Lass is very loosely based on The Little Mermaid. I actually had to think about this one a bit as I didn't see many correlations between this book and the Disney adaptation, but there may be more similarities between this story and the original written work (which I have not read).

Malcolm ban MacDonald was making a living as a lawyer in Edinburgh when he unexpectedly becomes the Highland laird of Dunbronach and is forced to return to his childhood home. Malcolm has been a lowlander for most of his life, so he returns home as an outsider and not fully trusted by his clan. They don't like his lowland ways or dress, and he doesn't believe in the magic, legend and superstition that is bandied about by his clan members. So Malcolm finds himself undertaking many tasks and responsibilities for which he was not prepared, though the clan has only given him one rule really - he must marry a Highland lass, and not one from their dreaded enemy, the MacLeod clan. Malcolm is not your typical Highland laird or Highland hero. He is not an alpha male, nor a rough and tumble Highlander. He has book smarts and some street smarts, but is more comfortable with a rapier than a claymore. Admittedly I prefer a more typical Highlander with kilt and claymore, but Malcolm was still a good hero. He was honorable and wanted to help his clan and our heroine both, even when those desires were at cross purposes. Our hero experiences a good amount of personal growth in this story and discovers that book learning is not the only way to approach the world. He also gets some of his belief in magic back, but I also liked how he made some magic of his own by things that he did for the clan.

ARC Review: Heart on Fire by Amanda Bouchet

Series:	Kingmaker Chronicles #3
Pub. Date:	Jan 2, 2018
Publisher:	Sourcebooks Casablanca
Length:	448 pages
Source:	NetGalley

The Kingmaker Chronicles has been packed full of action and sensuality, and is one of my favorite series over the past year. This riveting conclusion is how I rang in the new year, and it was somewhat bittersweet to know that the series is ending so soon.

In Breath of Fire, we saw Catalia "Cat" Fisa, mature as a character and start to accept her fate as future queen of Thalyria. In Heart on Fire, Cat continues to realize what the gods intended by imbuing her with their power and setting her on the path to become a savior of Thalyria. I liked that Cat was continuously humbled by everyone's belief in her and support of her power bid. I also thought that the touch of vulnerability in Cat when it came to her relationship with Griffin helped humanize her, and soften the edges of our kickass heroine.

Bambi's Top 10 of 2017

Hiya my lovely readers!

This was a big year for me personally, culminating with a huge move across the country. While this was great and I'm so excited for the new adventure - it put a dent in my reading time. This is actually the first year since I graduated law school that I have read less than 200 books! However, despite the quantity being lower, my reading list did not suffer from quality. I added a number of new reads to my favorites list this year, and they are listed below in no particular order. As in year's past - rather than numbering my favorites from 1 to 10, I prefer to say why they made such an impact.

Audiobook Review: The Book Jumper by Mechthild Gläser

Pub. Date:	July 20, 2017
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Narrator:	Mary Sarah
Length:	8 hrs 15 min
Source:	Publisher

I'm not a huge reader of young adult books, but this story had such an interesting premise that I just couldn't resist. Imagine if you could transport yourself to the fictional world of any story that you read? I mean isn't that the bibliophile's dream? If I was granted a superpower, that would probably be what I would pick.

So Amy Lennox and her mother leave Germany in the doldrums and return home to the Lennox ancestral estate in Scotland. The estate is on the island of Stormsay with very few inhabitants, just two families who have the magical literary ability. Amy first learns of her family's ability when she arrives on Stormsay, and she takes to it with aplomb. She soon finds herself traipsing through magical and literary worlds of The Jungle Book, Alice in Wonderland, Metamorphosis, The Odyssey and many others. I was so jealous of this ability and thought it was so freaking cool! 

ARC Review: The Art of Running in Heels by Rachel Gibson

Series:	Chinooks Hockey #7
Pub. Date:	Dec. 26, 2017
Publisher:	Avon
Length:	384 pgs
Source:	Edelweiss

In the latest installment of the Chinooks Hockey series, The Art of Running in Heels, we are returning to a favorite family of the past - the one that started it all - The Kowalsky's. It's not necessary to read the entire series before starting this book, but I highly recommend that you read Simply Irresistible, so that you have the back story on our heroine's parents and remember her adorably precocious personality as a child.

Little Lexie Kowalsky is all grown up and following in her mother's footsteps. She has carried her zany sense of style and love for animals into adulthood and turned it into an entrepreneurial venture. Lexie is the proprietor of Yum Yum's Closet, an online and burgeoning retail chain featuring clothes and accessories for canines inspired by her uber-sensitive Chinese Crested, Yum Yum. It was therefore a shock to her parents when Lexie suddenly turned up Gettin' Hitched, what I can only describe as a redneck version of The Bachelor. Lexie is suddenly wearing daisy dukes and wrestling pigs on national television in a bid to win and marry the chosen bachelor... but she takes after her mother in more ways than a crazy personality and voluptuous figure. A la Georgie in Simply Irresistible, Lexie pulls a runner and finds herself escaping in the company of a high profile hockey star. Lexie was a ridiculous heroine, but a lot fun. You couldn't not like her or the crazy train she rode in on.

ARC Review: If Ever I Should Love You by Cathy Maxwell

Series:	Spinster Heiresses #1
Pub. Date:	Dec 26, 2017
Publisher:	Avon
Length:	368 pages
Source:	Edelweiss

If Ever I Should Love You kicks off a new series, the Spinster Heiresses, by renowned historical romance author, Cathy Maxwell. The premise of the series involves three heiresses whose blood is just not quite blue enough for the bon ton, and who are each quite picky in their prospects for marital bliss. Unfortunately for our girls, their fathers are determined to sell them off in exchange for a title.

Our first spinster heiress is Leonie Charnock, whose name you might recognize as the chit who was jilted by the Duke of Baynton in A Date at the Altar. Although Leonie wasn't all that upset at being overthrown for an actress, as she harbors guilt, shame and fear over what was wrought by a foolish decision in her past, and it has caused an aversion to marriage and "man things." I had a hard time with Leonie at first. I did not like how she treated our hero and seemed not to think about the consequences her actions had on his life. However, I did try to make allowances for her past, and then I grew to like her flawed character. I got wrapped up in her turmoil and tippling, and I felt sorry for her. I also loved the cover of this book, and it fits our heroine perfectly.

Audiobook Review: Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva

Pub. Date:	Oct. 31, 2017
Publisher:	Macmillan Audio
Narrator:	Evan Morton
Length:	8 hrs 8 min
Source:	Publisher

Mr. Dickens and His Carol is the debut novel by author Samantha Silva, and offers a biographical fiction of Charles Dickens and how he developed one of his most popular works, A Christmas Carol. I thought this would be the perfect audiobook to listen to on my road trip home for the holidays, and I was right. 

Charles Dickens is surprised by the news that his novels are not selling and his publishers have demanded that he write a Christmas story, to be read in a few weeks time. Despite a long tradition of grand Christmas celebrations, Charles is not feeling in the the holiday spirit this year. His wife has birthed his six child and is determined to spend lavishly for the holiday and their annual holiday party, and people seem to be coming out of the wood work to prey on Charles' good fortune. Between the financial strain and a bad bout of writer's block, Charles is becoming more and more Scrooge-like.

Audiobook Review: Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison

Series:	Elder Races #1
Pub. Date:	July 18, 2011
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Narrator:	Sophie Eastlake
Length:	12 hrs 59 min
Source:	Audible Romance Pkg

I got behind on this series and as I tried to get caught up, I realized that I didn't remember the world building sufficiently, so I'm doing a quick re-read of the earlier books. I'm so glad that I did because I realized very quickly how much I had forgotten! And how much I loved the growly Dragos and luminous Pia. Because I'm re-reading the series and short on time, the reviews will be short and sweet.

Pia Giovanni is a lonely young woman, living alone in the city and finding herself in a bind after trusting the wrong guy. That is Pia finds herself on the run after stealing from the hoarde of Dragos, the biggest baddest scary dude/dragon around. I really liked Pia. She is a unique half-breed (human and wyr)... so unique that she has spent her whole life learning how to hide and not really realizing what her wyrkind self is. I liked that she was quietly a kickass heroine without hanging it all out there. I like the strong and capable heroines, but I like some diversity in how they present themselves to others. Pia's quiet strength was a nice change. 

Dragos Cuelebre is a very old dragon who has grown bored with life. When a beautiful blonde dares to steal from him and has the audacity to leave behind a note, Dragos is not bored for the first time in millenia. He hunts down Pia with a single-minded determination and is caught up in an instant attraction that brings all his protective instincts to the forefront. Dragos is a great growly hero, and everything you would expect in a dragon. He is an arrogant alpha with an army of dangerous wyrkind at his beck and call. 

This is a fated mates story, so the relationship was hot and heavy early on - and that was just fine with me. I like the fated mates trope and the instant lust and love is so much easier to understand when you are dealing with animal instincts. Pia and Dragos are perfect together. She stands up to him like no one else dares, and he treats her like his precious hoarde. 

The world building in this series is partially urban and partially fantasy. Dragos and Pia live in New York, but the world has pockets of the Other World, which is similar to Faery. This story has awesome secondary characters which make up our heroes and heroines of later installments, and I love all the different breeds of wyr. Dragons and griffons and thunderbirds, oh my!

This book was available via the Audible Romance Package as of the date of this review.

Purchase Links

Elder Races

ARC Review: The Hookup by Kristen Ashley

Series:	Moonlight & Motor Oil #1
Pub. Date:	Dec. 19, 2017
Publisher:	Self-Pub
Length:	358 pgs
Source:	InkslingrPR

I don't know whether to sigh or swoon. This book was all the best things... sweet, sappy, a little sad, and definitely steamy. I can't tell you how excited I am about a new series from the Queen, Kristen Ashley. The Moonlight and Motor Oil series promises to be just as captivating as The Burg and Colorado Mountain has been, with lots of endearing characters and small town charm. 

ARC Review: A Deep Dark Call by Rose Vane

Pub. Date:	Dec. 4, 2017
Publisher:	Carina Press
Length:	133 pages
Source:	NetGalley

I'm not quite sure what to say about this one. This is my first read from this author, so I can't compare A Deep Dark Call to her other works. But this one didn't work for me for several reasons.

I did like the setting of Wallachia/Romania, as that is still somewhat unique when it comes to the staging for romance and paranormal stories. And given the release date, I was happy that this was set around Christmastime with lots of snow. But that is about where it ended for me.

Audiobook Review: Smoke and Sin by Shayla Black and Lexi Blake

Series:	Perfect Gentlemen #4
Pub. Date:	Nov. 21, 2017
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Narrator:	Greg Boudreaux
Length:	11 hrs 3 min
Source:	Publisher

Shayla and Lexi have been extremely evil with this series - giving us the teases of Mad and not answering the question of "is he or isn't he?" But I have been riveted to this series arc as they have dribbled out the facts of the conspiracy and huge political secret. I think it speaks to the quality of the writing that I have enjoyed this series despite being overtired of everything political over the past year.

The Perfect Gentlemen up in this installment is Roman Calder, right hand to the president, Zack Hayes. Roman is known around the White House as the Hitman... protecting the president with an iron hand. It seems that Roman's entire existence (at least since prep school) has been aimed at getting Zack Hayes to the White House. Nothing, and no one, is more important than his friend Zack. His single-minded focus has turned him into an asshole playboy, refusing to get serious about any woman unless she fits his cookie cutter mold for the perfect political wife. Unfortunately, when he found that woman, she was married to his best friend. He left a lot of broken hearts in the dust, including that of our heroine. I really had a hard time liking Roman... he seemed cold and manipulative, and he was very slow to learn a lesson from past mistakes. There were many times that I wanted to tell him to STFU and pay attention!

ARC Review: Amid the Winter Snow by Grace Draven, Thea Harrison, Elizabeth Hunter & Jeffe Kennedy

Pub. Date:	Dec. 12, 2017
Publisher:	Self-Pub
Length:	454 pgs
Source:	Author

That blood red cape on the white snow is such an eye-catching image... I feel like I need one of those capes now! Not to mention that this anthology is written by some of the hottest names in fantasy and paranormal romance - I was stoked to get an advanced copy.

All of the stories are set in a fantastical or alternate realm where magic abides and anything seems possible.