Oct 06
Falling Sweetly by Aidan Willow Review
3.5 Smooches
Synopsis
ANNIKA
My life has been odd lately.
I’ve been looking for love.
I’m not sure what it’s supposed to look like, but I’ve been looking for it.
Date after date with awful losers has not left me with much hope.
Also, Jacob Jameson, the man I’ve had a stupid crush on, asked me to help him with his restaurant.
I foolishly said yes.
Let the months of awkwardness commence.
JACOB
The girl I like keeps avoiding me.
My restaurant has been sabotaged.
The reputation that I’ve worked so hard to achieve is in ruins.
So overall, my life is not great right now.
I’m pretty sure Annika Abbott, object of my affections, is the key to reviving my business.
I’m done patiently waiting for her to come around to the idea of us being together.
Now I just have to figure out how to make her fall for me…
Annika Abbott is socially awkward, shy, kind and looking for love. She’s not embarrassed to admit it. She is, however, rather embarrassed by the freak show parade her latest set of dates have been. Annika has often been told she’s too nice for her own good, which is probably how she’s ended up agreeing to work on Jacob’s restaurant with him, after stealthily avoiding her (supposedly) unrequited crush for months.
Jacob Jameson is pretty sure he’s met the girl of his dreams. The only problem is she keeps evading him. Casual stalking seemed to help his brother land his fiancé, however, Jacob is a busy guy and stalking is a hard thing to work into a daily schedule. It’s a good thing he’s efficient. Killing two birds with one stone seems like a solid plan; get Annika to help him create a winning menu at his restaurant and persuade her to give him a chance.
Now, if only he knew how to go about winning the woman’s affections.
Authors Note: 18+ For mature readers only. Book contains graphic language, scenes of a very sexual nature, an extremely passionate but clueless chef, a self-conscious but gifted heroine, an intrusive but loving family, an insane, musical loving best friend, a c*ck-blocking cat and a goldfish who’s a really good listener…
REVIEW
Falling Sweetly is the second book in Aidan Willows’ Starling Falls series. I really loved the first book, Falling Completely, as it laid the groundwork for a promising series based on one of my favorite tropes: the small town romance. A big family, lots of side characters, an interesting little town and the potential for many romances. Oh yeah, this series is totally up my alley, and I was very much looking forward to this installment. Falling Sweetly focuses on the romance between Annika, or Niki, the sister of Liya from Falling Completely, and Jacob, one of the brothers of Caleb, the hero in that book.
Pastry chef Niki is socially awkward, lacking in confidence and plagued with low self-esteem. Considering that she somehow mustered up the courage to relocate to another country to not only care for an aunt she barely knew but to also run that aunt’s bakery, this kind of surprised me. There really was no explanation for this or flashback to incidences in her history to explain these deep-seeded issues (besides the loss of her parents at 14), so I don’t fully understand where they came from. Considering the sizable role these issues played in this character’s overall development, I think that specific piece of her background should have been fully fleshed out for the reader. In doing so, readers, and this reader in particular, would have had a better understanding of and for this character. Unfortunately, between the way the character was written and the lack of this critical information, I found myself feeling more frustrated by Niki’s behavior than sympathetic to it. I did not connect with her on any level, and at times, I found myself even a bit annoyed by her.
Chef Jake, who is dealing with some professional challenges, really likes Niki and is getting frustrated because she’s been actively avoiding him for months following an incident on New Year’s Eve that, as it turns out, Niki doesn’t even remember. So not only is the restaurant that he’s running for his retired mentor failing, but also his reputation has been tarnished, and the girl he likes is ignoring him. Learning that she’s out there, going on dates, is what spurs him to make a move. Jake is a straight talker and, once he decides to pursue Niki in earnest, he makes his intentions very clear. The thing is that it takes quite a while for the reader to get to this point. But, even after they’ve come together as a couple, the focus is primarily on Jake’s new business venture; fortunately, he’s drawn Niki into it to help him so there is a lot of interaction between them, but it’s not all romantic.
I found the development of their relationship to be very slow moving. As I said, the focus is really on Jake’s new business, and while Niki has a role in getting it off the ground, it’s hardly romantic. Because there is such an emphasis on the business side of their relationship, I really had a hard time connecting with Niki and Jake as a young couple falling in love—a couple of friends, sure, but the romance between them was underwhelming and I missed it. I totally got that Niki is awkward and that aspect of her personality was played up – sometimes fantastically – but on every single one of their dates, they faced some sort of calamity that rendered the date wholly unromantic. Further, a lot of their non-professional interactions and conversations felt this way, too, and it just became too much, too overplayed with the awkward, uncomfortableness. The few times that they were in sync, though, they were cute together, but I wouldn’t say their sexual chemistry was hot. In fact, when they did actually get down to it, it was sexy, but Niki’s character had been so vividly portrayed as self-conscious and uncomfortable in her own skin, that it colored the way I saw her, and I had trouble feeling any sizzle between them.
I still like this series, I like the other characters in the Jameson family, and I want to read their stories. I think that for me, though, particularly in terms of the romance portion of this book, Falling Sweetly fell a bit short. My issues stem from Niki’s character and how the author portrayed her; I couldn’t see past her awkwardness, her discomfort in social situations and her odd behavior to connect with this character. These traits were so overwhelming that they colored her every action, and, in some scenes, it would have played out much more fulfillingly for me if she didn’t have such a heavy cloud of self-consciousness hanging over her. I did, however, enjoy the abundance of humor in this book – lots of bantering between the characters, a few slap-sticky moments and some truly original and well executed comedic scenes. Falling Sweetly was billed as a romance, though, and that was the part of this story that I struggled the most with, so for that reason, I’m giving it 3.5 smooches.
~ Danielle Palumbo
BUY IT NOW
Oct 06
Spectacular Rascal by Lili Valence Review
4.5 Smooches!
Synopsis
When you’ve been screwed over by Mr. Wrong, let a Spectacular Rascal show you how good it feels to be bad.
You know the smooth, successful New York businessman type? Well, I’m the other guy—the one you don’t bring home to mama. The tattooed, rough-around-the-edges, 100% primal badass.
As the resident bad boy of Magnificent Bastard Consulting, I’ve got what it takes to make sure your dangerous dick of an ex thinks twice before he knocks on your door again.
Or I thought I did, until I meet my latest client…
Now my wild, sexy, one-that-got-away is looking up at me with her big green eyes, daring me to take on an ex as dick-ish and dangerous as hers. But all I want to do is take her—again and again.
Soon Cat and I are setting sex marathon records and medaling in the orgasm Olympics, all while staying one step ahead of her former Mr. Wrong. Everything is golden, except for the fact that I’m falling hard for this woman and all she wants is more of Curved for her Pleasure (trust me, the nickname fits).
Now I have to prove to Cat that I’m nothing like the dangerous man she’s left behind, and do it all before our time runs out. Considering her ex is with the mob, if we’re not careful, that could be sooner than either one of us thinks…
Warning: SPECTACULAR RASCAL is a sexy, standalone romantic comedy told from the hero’s point of view. No cliffhanger. Lots of dirty talk.
REVIEW
Welcome back to Magnificent B*****d Consulting…but this time there’s a new advisor helping out; Aidan. And he is the rough, bad boy, who wants to keep your ex from coming back and screwing you over but also isn’t exactly a saint himself. And then the wild, feisty, sexy, gorgeous Cat comes rushing back into his life, looking for help and Aidan is falling fast- but will be able to convince her that he is nothing like her former dangerous ex?
“F*ck being good. When you’ve been screwed over by Mr. Wrong, let a Spectacular Rascal show you how good it feels to be bad.”
After really loving Magnificent B*****d I could wait to dive into this one and to get more of resident bad boy Aidan. These books are just so funny and entertaining and give me such a lovely feel good feeling and this didn’t disappoint!
“Together, we’re going to convince your dangerous d**k of an ex that you’ve got a new man, a bigger, tougher, meaner man, who f**ks you so often and so well that you don’t have any energy left to worry about D*****bag’s threats.”
Cat was one feisty woman and I loved it. Giving as good as she got, her banter and the laughter she gave really made me love her! She stays strong throughout all the situations she manages to get herself into and she was the prefect match for Aidan.
“I am not cute or adorable, but it’s cute and adorable that you think I am. But don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone that beneath your tough, take-no-prisoners façade you’re basically composed of raindrops on roses, whiskers on kittens, and old lady face lotion.”
Aidan was our delicious and sexy bad boy- a reputation well deserved in some aspects! He is just as funny as Cat- matching the banter word for word – he was cheeky, confident, cocky and has the ability to make you feel naughty even when he was the one talking dirty!
“I’m going to kiss you until your mouth knows who it belongs to, Red. And then I’m going to repeat the process until every inch of your body knows that tonight you’re mine.”
As we had with the previous book, we have the huge amount of laughter, honestly this author has a talent for making two characters who clearly love each other also be hilarious with each other- making you jealous of their relationship and wanting what they have. But we also have the danger and drama- with Cat’s ex being part of the mob. Aidan will do all he can to keep her safe but this isn’t a normal Magnificent B*****d Consulting situation and things are not going to go smoothly- in fact things are going to get down right dangerous. Will they both come out the other side? And will they come out together?
~Bethany
BUY IT NOW
Oct 06
Mr. Sportsball by K.P. Haigh Cover Reveal with Excerpt and Giveaway
Montgomery Bell craves adventure-the kind that knocks on your door and drags you out by your half-slept-on hair because it can’t wait another second.
The problem is, she still lives thirty minutes away from where she grew up, in a college town obsessed with the one thing she hates: football.
It doesn’t help that Montgomery wouldn’t know the difference between an interception and a fumble if one hit her in the face.
When she meets Baron Richards, it practically does.
Baron is a rising star in the professional football world. Their worlds collide, sending Montgomery on the kind of adventure she never even thought to look for.
Finding love isn’t the end of the story. You have to figure out what to do with it once you catch it, and run like hell to make that happen.
Don’t worry, Montgomery’s running…she just doesn’t quite know which direction yet.
Mr. Sportsball is not your typical sports romance. It’s a full-length, standalone novel that will have fans and anti-fans cheering for the same team.
Recommended for 18+ due to language and sexual content.
Andie just stands there, her eyes wide. I don’t remember the last time I’ve seen her shell-shocked.
Baron’s attractive, but we live in a college town. It’s not like we’re at a loss for attractive young guys around here. A new batch gets delivered every fall.
Baron stands up and takes a step toward me. He reaches into his back pocket and presses a napkin in front of me on the table. “I really hope you’ll use this. I’d love to see you again.”
I look down and see ten numbers scrawled across the white, Halftime-branded napkin. When I look back up, Baron is two steps away from the front door. I almost chase after him to clarify. Is this your phone number? Did you just ask me out?
Andie sits down across from me and starts hyperventilating. “What. Just. Happened?”
“What?” That’s twice now in a matter of seconds that I feel like I’m missing something.
“Don’t you know who that was?”
“Some guy at a bar? He said his name was Baron.”
“Monty. That was Bear Richards.” Andie’s eyes are serious, but I swear she said the word “bear”—she can’t be serious.
“What are you talking about? Who’s Bear Richards? He said his name was Baron.”
Andie sighs like she has to re-explain the quadratic equation to me.
“Baron ‘Bear’ Richards is one of the star players on Detroit’s football team. He’s a beast on the field and sex-on-a-friggin-goalpost off it, and he just gave you his number.”
K.P. Haigh joined the adult world as a project manager. After spending years in spreadsheets, she put her love of blank notebooks to good use and started spinning words into love stories.
In a perfect world, K.P. would have a never-ending supply of coffee, carbs, and sticky notes. She corners the market on ridiculous facial expressions and is happiest when she’s cooking for people or making them laugh.
She’s always up for crispy French fries and can’t wait for self-driving cars to take over the world so she can read on her way to everywhere.
K.P. lives in Seattle with the man who loves her crazy and their son, who inherited half of it.
Oct 06
How to Catch an Heiress by Natalie Rios Review
4 Smooches!
Synopsis
Anthony Carter has not had it easy in life. In a matter of months, he lost his mother to cancer along with his much coveted spot in a prestigious doctoral program. Swimming in debt, he’s been forced to move back to his hometown in rural Montana and take whatever job he can find. A drunken weekend in Vegas is exactly what he needs to help him forget his problems.
A recent break-up with her boyfriend of nearly a decade has left straight-laced Liz Rockwell disillusioned with love and in desperate need of a vacation. She gets more than she bargained for when one drunken night at a Vegas bar results in her being married to Anthony. Embarrassed by her lapse in judgment, Liz is ready to make this whole night just go away. A quickie divorce seems like the best solution to their problem, until Anthony realizes who Liz really is.
Known in the media as the Candy Heiress, billionaire Liz is the answer to Anthony’s prayers. All he has to do is convince her to write him a check. Unfortunately, Liz is not one to be easily intimidated or coerced. Discovering the Rockwell family secret may be Anthony’s only hope. But the more time he spends with the intelligent and tenacious Liz, the more he realizes their chapel wedding may not have been such a drunken mistake after all…
REVIEW
Both Anthony and Liz have gone to Vegas for a dry kern weekend to escape; Anthony to escape the grief he still feels after losing his mother to cancer and his spot on the prestigious doctoral programme and ending up in debt. And Liz to escape the fact that her boyfriend of 10 years dumped her and then married someone else within 3 months and she now no longer really believes in happily ever after or love full stop. Both never would have guessed they would have met at a bar, both looking miserable to then wake up married. But although Liz is desperate to finish and forget this drunken mistake, Anthony isn’t so keen- at first for his own gain but as time goes on he starts to think, maybe this marriage wasn’t a drunken mistake after all?
“I didn’t lose my virginity until I was twenty-one. By then, I was so worked up from waiting so long, I practically shot off like a rocket the second I got it in. My nickname was Two Pump Tony until I got to grad school.”
This was a really fun, entertaining, easy, enjoyable read from a promising new author! Anthony and Liz were such likeable and relatable characters that you couldn’t help but root for and an interesting take on the, “drunk fling in Vegas” story.
“You’re the beautiful one. Seriously beautiful, with the fullest lips I’ve ever seen. I can’t look at your face for too long because my eyes immediately zero in on them and then I’m wondering what they feel like.”
From the start both characters were easily likeable. Anthony has had a really rubbish time of it and my heart went out to him and the issues he was dealing with. Through it all he was still able to laugh and make others smile and be someone you would want around you! Liz was definitely a cut throats lawyer but there was so much more to her than that- strong, confident but also vulnerable and someone who had lost faith in love and relationships but you could tell she didn’t want it to be that way.
“I had taken my eye off the prize for a girl who likely wasn’t looking for anything more than a rebound fling. Leaving was going to be an absolute bitch.”
We follow the ever changing dynamic of their relationship in this story which definitely keeps us on our toes! From drunken comrades, to horrified newlyweds, to friendship, to attraction….they really do go through every stage a couple could go through! So many ups and downs throughout their relationship and all the emotions these invoke really kept me hooked- I laughed, smiled, got teary eyed, angry and then lustful over their chemistry!
“During my darkest time, you served as my guide, giving me the perspective and support I needed to find my way again.”
A really enjoyable read about two people going through hard times, finding each other in a drunken state but who slowly start to come together. Will they finally start to believe that maybe this wasn’t just a one time drunk thing but maybe they were meant to meet, be with each other and help to heal each other and overcome their hard times.
~Bethany
BUY IT NOW
Oct 06
Four Letter Word by J. Daniels Book Tour with Excerpt and Giveaway
Fate. Hate. Love. Lies.
Which four letter word will change their lives forever?
Four Letter Word by J. Daniels is NOW AVAILABLE!
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2bY1bzY
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2c4NCLh
iBooks: http://apple.co/2bYdUQw
Nook: http://bit.ly/2bTdJCF
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2cBTjmq
Blurb
Sydney Paige was never so mortified to hear the words “wrong number” in her life. She meant to tell off the guy who broke her best friend’s heart, but unleashed her anger on a perfect stranger instead. And now her world is turned upside down by the captivating man who wants to keep her on the line.
Brian Savage is living a life he’s quickly come to hate-until Sydney’s wild rant has him hooked and hungry for more. Soon the sexy woman on the phone becomes the lover in his bed. But Brian has secrets, and the closer he lets Syd get, the harder it is to shield her from the devastating mistakes of his past . . .
Check out 4.5 smooches review HERE.
Excerpt
The sun burned across a cloudless sky. I felt the intensity of it bake into the skin of my bare shoulders.
Waves crashed against the shore, some carrying surfers with them in the distance. A few feet ahead of me, a small child kicked a sand castle and giggled with his father.
I sat down on a step and slipped my sandals off.
The sand was warm underneath my feet as I dug my toes into it, staring out at the world in front of me. I rubbed a shell between my fingers as I watched a couple walk hand-in-hand toward the pier.
They looked happy. I tried to remember the last time Marcus held my hand, or even reached for it.
My chest burned when I couldn’t conjure up an image in my mind.
I looked down at the faint line marking my left ring finger. The token I was left with now that I no longer wore my ring. It was subtle, thanks to my naturally pale skin, but to me it stood out like embers glowing in the dark.
I hated it. I didn’t need a reminder of how I’d failed as a wife. Or how Marcus stopped seeing me as one.
Maybe I could coat my entire hand in sunblock except for that thin strip. Burn the memory away.
The idea seemed promising enough to consider.
From my back pocket, my cell beeped with an incoming message.
I wiped the tear from my cheek as I stood and palmed my phone, expecting to see Tori’s name lit up on my screen.
I froze on the step, my free hand on the railing as I stared curiously at the message and the number it was sent from.
Wild Girl. Eaten any innocent men alive today yet?
My lip twitched, the hint of a smile.
I sat back down, reading the message a second time as I remembered my conversation with this stranger yesterday.
My accidental verbal beat-down.
Jesus. I really let him have it.
I couldn’t think of the last time I was that embarrassed.
I told the guy to remove a dildo from his mouth, for Christ sakes.
All in all, whoever this was seemed to be a good sport about it. He could’ve laid into me and cussed me out. Made me feel even more like a complete shit for dialing the wrong number and not confirming the identity of my intended victim before I tore into him like he owed me money.
He was more than decent about the whole thing. Easily forgiving.
And now he was messaging me out of nowhere and striking up conversation.
Wild.
He wanted to talk to me.
Huh.
I tapped my thumb on the edge of the phone case, then hovered over the letters of my keypad as I stared at the message.
Did I even want to talk to this guy anymore? Wasn’t this weird? We didn’t know each other. Our encounter was a mistake. A one-time mishap, never to be repeated.
Right?
Want more Dirty Deeds?
Hit the Spot releases on December 6th.
Pre-order NOW!
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2dRpsae
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2dzjCX4
iBooks: http://apple.co/2djNglt
Nook: http://bit.ly/2dC0uZ1
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2dC1cpe
Author Information
-
Daniels is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Sweet Addiction series, the Alabama Summer series, and the upcoming Dirty Deeds series.
She would rather bake than cook, she listens to music entirely too loud, and loves writing stories her children will never read. Her husband and children are her greatest loves, with cupcakes coming in at a close second.
J grew up in Baltimore and resides in Maryland with her family.
Stalk Her: Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads
GIVEAWAY
$25 Amazon Gift Card
Oct 06
Four Letter Word by J. Daniels Review
4.5 Smooches
Synopsis
Fate. Hate. Love. Lies.
Which four letter word will change their lives forever?
Sydney Paige was never so mortified to hear the words “wrong number” in her life. She meant to tell off the guy who broke her best friend’s heart, but unleashed her anger on a perfect stranger instead. And now her world is turned upside down by the captivating man who wants to keep her on the line.
Brian Savage is living a life he’s quickly come to hate-until Sydney’s wild rant has him hooked and hungry for more. Soon the sexy woman on the phone becomes the lover in his bed. But Brian has secrets, and the closer he lets Syd get, the harder it is to shield her from the devastating mistakes of his past . . .
Review
“You got sweet in you. A lot of it. Heard it in your voice even when you were laying into me, showing me your wild.”
From the blurb of Four Letter Word I was hooked. I am a huge sucker for phone calls and text in romance novels, for me it draws out the burn and helps build the connection between the two characters. In a book like this one where the two have never met before it build the anticipation of the inevitable meetup to a level that has you unable to stop reading until it happens. The first half of the book was super strong for this reason. The anticipation and build up was done so well I was unable to stop and when they do finally meet it is EXPLOSIVE. AHH.
‘This was the bad in his life he held on to, the bad he never spoke about. The bad I was healing him from.’
The second half of the book was H-O-T. The delicious sex we have come to count on from J. Daniels was not only present but possibly some of her most erotic work to date. Brian and Sydney have scorching chemistry and as a couple they a story that in fresh and unique. On top of it all Brian, despite having a name I am personally not fond of in romance novels, is an over the top sexy alpha with a HUGE secret. Watching all the facts unfold through out the story, knowing some but not all as it goes, had me intrigued and curious how once all the secrets came out they could possible survive. I rooted for them the whole way and the end and epilogue made all the stress worth it!
“Lay back, babe. Wanna taste you.”
Brian and Sydney are a couple that is impossible not to love. The writing was clean and exciting with both a plot that hooks you and heat that burns you up. I loved this book and the fact that I already have Hit The Spot sitting on my kindle waiting for me to start it has me with an extra little bounce in my step.
~miranda
Oct 05
Until Ashlyn by Aurora Rose Reynolds Cover Reveal
Until Ashlyn by Aurora Rose Reynolds
Releases December 27th.
Add to your TBR at: http://bit.ly/2cS9Xgu
Blurb
Dillon Keck knew Ashlyn Mayson was drunk when she suggested they get married. He knew he should have taken her back to their hotel room and put her to bed. Instead, he did what he had been craving to do since the moment they met.
Claim her as his.
Waking up married in Vegas isn’t something Ashlyn Mayson ever thought would happen to her. Having Dillon, her boss, a man she thinks is a dick, insist they stay married is absurd, but every time he touches her, she gets lost in him and wonders if maybe they are meant to be together.
But someone isn’t happy for Dillon and Ashlyn and their new found romance, and they’re willing to do anything to keep them apart. Even commit murder.
About the Author:
Aurora Rose Reynolds is a navy brat who’s husband served in the United States Navy. She has lived all over the country but now resides in New York City with her Husband and pet fish. She’s married to an alpha male that loves her as much as the men in her books love their women. He gives her over the top inspiration everyday. In her free time she reads, writes and enjoys going to the movies with her husband and cookie. She also enjoys taking mini weekend vacations to nowhere, or spends time at home with friends and family. Last but not least she appreciates everyday and admires it’s beauty.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest
Oct 05
Controlled Burn by Lani Lynn Vale Release Blitz
Title: Controlled Burn
Series: Kilgore Fire #4
Author: Lani Lynn Vale
Genre: Romantic Suspense
July Dupree and Dean ‘PD’ Hargrove fell head over heels in love. When PD comes home to tell July the good news about joining the SWAT team as a tactical medic, everything changes.
July can’t fathom why PD would want to be a cop in this day and age. Wasn’t it enough that he already had a dangerous job with the fire department? Now he has to add another, even more dangerous, job to the equation? With so many cruel people in the world who make a sport out of hurting cops just because of the badge they wear, she has to make him understand. But when he refuses to listen to her reasoning, she feels she has no other choice but to issue an ultimatum: her or the SWAT team.
Dean doesn’t like ultimatums. He’s furious with July for putting him in the awful position of having to choose between a dream and her.
July never believes for a second that he’d choose the SWAT team over her, but she is wrong.
A year later, they’re both still in love with each other, but neither one is willing to budge regardless of their feelings.
July’s feelings for Dean haven’t changed, in fact her love for him has only grown. But seeing him living his life seemingly unaffected by the loss of what they had breaks her heart over and over each time she sees him.
Dean has a good poker face, though. He’s just going through the motions of his life until finally, the smoldering embers of his feelings erupt into a full-on blaze of emotion, burning through everything but his love for July. When the smoke clears, Dean wants to know if they can reignite the fire of their love or is he destined to live his life in a constant state of controlled burn?
Check out our 5 smooches review HERE.
I’m a married mother of three. My kids are all under 5, so I can assure you that they are a handful. I’ve been with my paramedic husband now for ten years, and we’ve produced three offspring that are nothing like us. I live in the greatest state in the world, Texas.
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Oct 05
Controlled Burn by Lani Lynn Vale Review
5 Smooches!
Synopsis
July Dupree and Dean ‘PD’ Hargrove fell head over heels in love. When PD comes home to tell July the good news about joining the SWAT team as a tactical medic, everything changes.
July can’t fathom why PD would want to be a cop in this day and age. Wasn’t it enough that he already had a dangerous job with the fire department? Now he has to add another, even more dangerous, job to the equation? With so many cruel people in the world who make a sport out of hurting cops just because of the badge they wear, she has to make him understand. But when he refuses to listen to her reasoning, she feels she has no other choice but to issue an ultimatum: her or the SWAT team.
Dean doesn’t like ultimatums. He’s furious with July for putting him in the awful position of having to choose between a dream and her.
July never believes for a second that he’d choose the SWAT team over her, but she is wrong.
A year later, they’re both still in love with each other, but neither one is willing to budge regardless of their feelings.
July’s feelings for Dean haven’t changed, in fact her love for him has only grown. But seeing him living his life seemingly unaffected by the loss of what they had breaks her heart over and over each time she sees him.
Dean has a good poker face, though. He’s just going through the motions of his life until finally, the smoldering embers of his feelings erupt into a full-on blaze of emotion, burning through everything but his love for July. When the smoke clears, Dean wants to know if they can reignite the fire of their love or is he destined to live his life in a constant state of controlled burn?
REVIEW
Lani Lynn Vale’s Kilgore Fire series has fast become a favorite of mine. I love how she blends the stories of the new cast of characters in this series with fan favorite characters from her other Kilgore, Texas-based series, and in the case of this story, her Uncertain Saints MC series. This series is hot, hot, hot – and it has nothing to do with fires.
I’ve been waiting for Dean’s story since he was introduced in the first book of the series, and Vale did not disappoint with this character. He’s an all-alpha male, perhaps one of the most alpha that Vale has ever written, and if you’ve read her work, then you know that’s really saying something. He’s dominant, he’s bossy, he likes a bit of kink with his sex, and he knows what he wants, both in the bedroom and out.
July is a strong and sassy heroine. She’s got some demons from her childhood, though, and unfortunately, they fed into her insecurities and tainted her relationship with Dean. Their relationship was on the fast-track – Dean and July fell for each other deep, hard and instantly. But some miscommunications along with July’s demons and the fact that Dean didn’t fully grasp them or their impact on her, fueled their relationship’s downfall. A long, heartbreaking year apart later, and neither one of them has really moved on from the other. They want to be together, but there is a lot they need to work through to get there.
The love story of Dean and July isn’t the only thing happening in Controlled Burn, though. Not by a long shot! Lani Lynn Vale has weaved a positively riveting suspense plot into this story, and I was on the edge of my seat reading it. Vale knows exactly how to deliver the ‘shock and awe’ factor in her books, and let me tell you, she really did that here. It unexpected, exciting and really held my attention – I couldn’t get through it fast enough. I never fail to devour her books when one lands on my Kindle, but this series it different. It’s just so much more intense, raw and gritty than readers have seen from Vale in her previous works. Yet even with the darker, sexier, gripping storyline, incredibly Lani has still managed to hang onto that unique sense of humor that her readers love and expect to find in her stories. It’s right there, threaded throughout the story, popping up in expected places and ways. I loved it and this book.
I adore this series, and this was a fabulous addition to the series. Heart aching, heart racing and full of heat and humor, Lani Lynn Vale’s Controlled Burn gets 5 smooches from me!
~ Danielle Palumbo