5 Smooches!

Synopsis

Payton Summer doesn’t have time for love. Between running her own business in her hometown of Jupiter Bay and her monthly night out with her sisters, Payton has no room for men, dating, or the drama that it entails. Her life is fine just the way it is. Yet, her attraction to the one man she shouldn’t want can’t be ignored.

Dean McIntire has one rule: don’t date clients. It’s a lesson he learned the hard way, and sees the consequence every day when he looks at his five-year-old daughter. It’s not a rule he’d break again. Until he meets the gorgeous Payton Summer, and suddenly, Dean finds himself ready to throw the rule book right out the window.

What happens when the sparks of lust can’t be denied? One night turns in to two, and two turns in to more. Payton and Dean find themselves unable to stay away, but can they survive when their secrets are exposed?

Note: Though part of a series, this book can be read as a standalone. It is intended for those 18 and over due to graphic language, descriptive sex, and the world’s most inappropriate grandparents.

Review

I’ve been a fan of Lacey Black’s since she released her first book, Trust Me. I was immediately smitten with her writing style, and the way she vividly captures life and love in a small town. I absolutely love small town romances, especially when big families are involved, and when I find myself wanting to reach for one, it is Lacey Black who always comes to my mind first.

My Kinda Night is the second book in her Summer Sisters series. Set in the beach town of Jupiter Bay, the series is based on the six Summer sisters as they find love in their quaint town. This is Payton, the oldest of the Summer sisters, and Dean’s story. This couple both had some obstacles to overcome before they were willing to open their hearts to more. But the chemistry between them was so palpable, so encompassing, so undeniable that there was no choice but for them to find a way. Add in a healthy dose of Payton’s big, boisterous but loving family, the antics of their hilariously inappropriate grandparents, a show-stealing five-year-old little girl, and an emotional shock that rocked this family to its core, and Black has penned another winner with this fantastic story.

Lacey Black tackled a difficult topic in My Kinda Night, and while I was wrecked by the genuine emotion she delivered here, it was gorgeous love story between Payton and Dean that took center stage here. Their happily ever after kept me riveted in place – heart racing, cheeks burning and laughing out loud – as I devoured on this beautiful and romantic story. Lacey Black’s My Kinda Night gets five smooches from me!

~ Danielle Palumbo

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5 Smooches!

Synopsis

New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter returns with a sizzling Lords of the Underworld story about an iron-willed sovereign and the somber beauty who melts him with a glance

Possessed by the demon of Misery, Cameo isn’t allowed to experience joy. If she dares, her memory is wiped clean. With no other recourse, she sneaks into a land more fantastical than any fairy tale, determined to find the one man with the key to her redemption.

Lazarus the Cruel and Unusual rules his kingdom with a single unwavering focus: to build his army and annihilate his enemies. Nothing distracts him – until Cameo. He is relentless in his quest to make her smile and seduce her into his bed.

As dark forces conspire against them, threatening to destroy the fragile bond they’ve forged, the once-calm Lazarus grows crazed. Every heart-stopping kiss and wicked touch causes Cameo to teeter on the brink of happiness. But if she falls, she risks forgetting him forever.

REVIEW

It seems like every book I read in this series, I love it more and more.  And I think it’s because I get to revisit with so many characters I love.  I get to watch them grow and change and its like coming home to family.  An extremely odd and dysfunctional one, but still, it feels like I know this group like the back of my hand.  Every book is so much fun and so very familiar.

Honestly, I didn’t know if I was going to love Cameo’s book because I really couldn’t envision her love story.  Her demon is really one of the worst of the bunch.  She’s always a bummer, but God she is tough and fearless and I found out during this read that I actually like Cameo.  And don’t even get me started on Lazarus.  Because I am seriously in love with him.  He has to be one of my favorite heros in this series.  He’s cocky and sweet and alpha–kinda the perfect book boyfriend.  While their story is definitely an angsty one that had me on the edge of my seat, my favorite part about their story was the banter.  These two had the most ridiculous and hilarious conversations ever.  I loved every bit of dialogue between them.  They melted my heart as much as they made me laugh.  Gena Showalter managed to blend the perfect amount of drama, angst and wit in The Darkest Promise which made for an unputdownable read.

I so enjoyed revisiting with some of my favorites and getting to know newbies this go around.  I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!  5 Stars!

~Amie

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5 Smooches

Synopsis

Preservation is a slow burning standalone romance that turns hot and steamy.

Two lonely hearts.
Just once, she’d like to be someone’s first choice.
She’s strong-willed and spunky, but she’s left picking up the pieces from her ex’s lies and manipulations, and daydreaming about taking a scalpel to his scrotum.

Flying under the radar is what he does best.
He’s laid-back and loyal, but he wants the most off-limits woman in his world, and nothing will ever make that a reality.

An arrangement of mutual benefit.
Two months, four dates.
Five, if things go well.
Five at the most.
But possibly six.
Definitely no more than six dates.
Only the appearance of a romantic relationship is required, and they expect nothing more from their time together. There will be none of those benefits involved.

One wild weekend.
After waking up in bed together–very naked and even more hungover–the terms and conditions of their arrangement no longer apply. Now they’re faced with something riskier than exposing their fake relationship: letting go of the past and zipping up the future.

Some things have to fall apart before they can be put back together.

Review

Let’s begin by stating that this review will be vague at best because . . . you know . . . spoilers. So many spoilers. Amazing spoilers. GAH how I want to talk to you about all things spoilery but I can’t do it. That would be a disservice to you all as readers. But one piece of advice. When you are halfway through chapter one and can’t decide if you want to throw your kindle and abandon ship or embrace the uncomfortable, trust me, embrace it. Embrace it all and you will be rewarded with an amazing story.

If you are just starting your journey into the Walsh world you could start here since it is a complete standalone (I get it seven books is a commitment) but I highly recommend you go back to the beginning. There has not been one book in this series that has let me down and if you start with Preservation you will encounter some big ole family secrets/spoilers you would possibly want to avoid since I am confident that once you get a taste of Kate’s writing you will want to devour each of these book with an unquenchable thirst.

Without giving away the things I typically discuss in a review such as plot and characters let me tell you that Preservation is a delicious slow burn that makes you ache with the need for more as you read each page. So that leaves me trying to figure out what to talk about in this review. Let me just tell you what I love most about Kate Canterbary’s writing. She has this uncanny ability t write some of the smartest books I have ever read without making me feel dumb. Her writing is full of knowledge and information I know nothing about and by the end I am googling all kinds of things I never knew I was interested in before. Then there is the way she uses dialogue to move forward a story. Dialogoue is something I find to be a necessity in stories that so many slack on. When her characters talk I feel like I can hear them. When the Walsh siblings are sitting around a conference table arguing or simply talking over one another I feel like a fly on the wall constantly turning my head to keep up with who is speaking. I love her use of dialogue and because of it her books read so fast and easy for me.

Seriously though, if you are on the fence about reading Preservation than you probably haven’t started the series, because if you have had a taste of her writing than I guarantee that she would already be a one click for you. So if you haven’t read her yet you need to go back to the start and jump feet first into Underneath It All. Each of these standalones is a superb story and together as a whole they make one of my personal all time favorite series.

~miranda

5 SMOOCHES

SYNOPSIS

The first rule of office romance is don’t do it—especially if your dream is to hold the anchor spot on the nightly news and your boss is trying to get you fired.

But one look at Cade Hill, the sexy new sports director, and uptight reporter Rebecca Fieldstone is daydreaming about other things.

Sex in his office…
Sex in the on-set kitchen…
Sex in the supply closet…

She can’t stop thinking about the former NFL quarterback and how perfect he’d look between her sheets—except he’s an arrogant jerk with a huge…ego.

He’s the last guy she’d ever have a one-night stand with.

Cade Hill draws a professional line on office romance—until it comes to the hyper-focused Rebecca. He wants her, and he gets his wish when a chance encounter has them having the hottest sex of their lives.

It’s just a hook-up, she says.
When can we do it again? he says.

With Rebecca determined to keep Cade in the friend zone, it’s going to be an uphill battle for Cade to convince her that he’s the last guy for her…

Review

WOW! What a dynamic duo. Having read and loved each of these authors individually I had no doubt they would be able to deliver a book full of laugh, heat, and heart. Having had wanted something so strongly and having it just out of my reach before made me relate to Rebecca’s struggles. I saw myself in her and found myself completely wrapped up in her life and story. The chemistry these two have is off the charts and their witty banter moved the story along at just the right pace.

The Last Guy is a hilarious romantic comedy that mixes the fast paced environment of a news room with the cool demeanor of a former NFL player. Rebecca is a news reporter hoping to move passed reporting on fluff pieces like beauty pageants and into the chair of the anchor’s desk. Sitting in her way is the too sexy and way too cocky former football player turned sports anchor, Cade Hill.

At it’s heart The Last Guy is a comedy but I personally found it to be so much more. Cade’s surprising sweet nature caught me off guard and Rebecca’s drive had me rooting for her to overcome the obstacles in her way to get the hob she wants. I love an office romance and this is one I can see myself re-reading over and over again.

~miranda

4 Smooches

Synopsis

How much can a man take before he breaks?

1,843 days. That’s how long I survived in that hellhole. They tried to break me, but I resisted. And I owe it all to the memory of warm summer nights, the scent of peaches, and the one woman who loved me more than I ever deserved to be loved. Now, I’ll do anything to get back to her.

Only Shelby Eubanks isn’t the girl I left behind all those years ago. She’s someone else, a stranger. My Shelby-my little green-eyed firecracker-would never give up her dreams, would never disappear into her mother’s ambitions. But I won’t give up on her. On us. I may be broken, and scarred, and not the man I used to be, but I will do whatever it takes to remind her of the story of us.

Review

The Story Of Us by Tara Sivec is an emotional second chance romance about people from two different social classes fighting against the odds, time, and the people who want them apart. Shelby and Eli’s story is heart wrenchingly hard and at times devastingly sad. But it also was full of hope and strength.

‘I want her to feel the same searing pain that has settled inside my chest, taking root and taking over all of my thoughts and actions. I want her to know what it feels like to be stabbed in the heart and forgotten. I want her to hurt as much as I do right now.’

Tara Sivec delivered a novel full of twists, surprises , the kind of plot that pull on my heart in the best way possible. The one thing I would say is that for me personally there was not enough dialogue, especially amongst the main characters. While the writing was beautiful and the inner dialogue gave us great insight into the depth of feelings these two had for one another, I would have really enjoyed more dialogue specifically among the two leads.

The Story Of Us will take you on a journey from war and back, invoking feelings deep in you sometimes uncomfortable while still showing you to never fully lose hope. Shelby and Eli were clearly meant to be and I really enjoyed watching their struggles and their joys. Grab this one today.

~miranda

5 Smooches!

Synopsis

Step into the Honey Club, where every sensual boundary will be tested in search of the ultimate pleasure…

Branch doesn’t exist. Living off the grid, he’s looking for a way to forget his past and the guilt that plagues him. But no woman has ever been able to bring him to the edge he craves.

After a traumatic experience of her own, Evangeline stepped away from the decadent world of the Honey Club. But when she gets Branch’s offer—to play without boundaries or commitments—it’s too tempting for her to refuse.
As their passion ignites, Evangeline and Branch push each other to their farthest limit, fulfilling their darkest desires while falling harder and deeper than they ever imagined.

REVIEW

Wow, I really did enjoy the first book in this series, but The Farthest Edge. I felt like this go around, the story was much more truer to this authors other books. The sex in the story was better paced than the first in this series. The story was very well developed and Branch was a true KA alpha who had been through the ringer and gave me all the feels in true Kristen Ashley fashion even if he was a sub. And Evangeline was caring and tender even in her own dome way. The entire story had me swooning and panting from chapter to chapter because it was hot hot hot and when it wasn’t burning up the pages, it gave me all the feels. I know this is a new genre for this author, but I can always depend on Kristen Ashley to never let me down.
~Amie

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