Haunted Spouse by Heather MacAllister

RATING:

4 Out Of 5 Stars

REVIEW:

Lizzie is an architect that designs her favorite thing, Haunted Houses. Its that time of the year where she is in really high demand, and her entire schedule is filled to the brim. She is really surprised one day when she receives a call from Jared Rutledge, an architect that designs really classy establishments. He is creating a Haunted House to gain funds for a physical therapy center and really needs her help. Though her schedule is really full, she can’t help want to do the job to prove that haunted houses are not “frivolous structures” as he used to call them… Because a few years ago they weren’t only business partners, they were also married…
Jared Rutledge was not happy with the way the Haunted House he designed. It is not turning out they way he wanted it to and he is really in need of help to make it a hit, so he breaks down and decides to call his ex-wife for her help. When they reunite, they are off to a bad start when Jake mentions that Lizzie is wasn’t her talent on haunted houses and that she should design more classic type buildings, but as soon as they call it a truce and start to work together to get the haunted house completed, they soon realize the sparks between them never died…

I never read a book about Halloween that didn’t have the usual vampires, werewolves, etc. involved. When I came across this one at Amazon for a Kindle e-book for free I figured I would give it a try, and I am happy that I did. It was a fun story about two people who were total opposites in many ways, but were able to figure out away to be together. When they reunited and they finally were able to talk to each other and was able to discuss about way their marriage didn’t work out before, they were able to resolve it so that they can have a fresh start.
The story was a little short and I was kind-of hoping that their would be an epilogue that was set a year or two later to show the readers how the relationship progressed, but I guess it didn’t end on a bad note.

Advertisement

Hunk for the Holidays by Katie Lane

RATING:

4 Out Of 5 Stars

REVIEW:

Cassie McPherson is an absolute workaholic, and Christmas is just around the corner. Cassie works for her company, M & M Construction, as a Vice president or more accurately an accountant. Its the day of the company party and her friend takes it into her own hands to help Cassie actually live a little and enjoy the party with Cassie’s hired escort for the evening. So instead of Cassie usually sedate dress she usually wears, that seems to mysteriously gone missing, Cassie is stuck with the skimpy red dress and accessories that Amy got for her that day. When she tests the clutch purse, out falls a whole lot of condoms. As she starts to retrieve them, all of a sudden she hers a cough and looks up into the eyes of the hottest guy she ever met, who she believes is her escort of the evening…
James Sutton is surprised to walk into M & M Construction to see a woman in a smoking hot dress picking up a purse full of condoms… And is even more surprised when she confuses him for the escort she hired… When he escorts her to her companies Christmas party and gets to know her and her rowdy family, he can’t help being attracted to her and has a difficult time telling her the truth of about who he is, even after spending a few days with her. It becomes even harder when he hears that his company, Sutton Construction, is the McPherson’s biggest rival and he is their number one enemy…

This was a fun book to read. I love reading books about the holidays, especially with the upcoming holidays coming up. It really put me in the Christmas mood. I loved the entire McPherson clan, especially Aunt Wheezie and her matchmaker, or as she prefers to call it Soul Mating for her niece and nephews, schemes. I enjoyed how protective Cassie’s brothers were of her and how they look out for her, and how they all got along with each other. The side story of Cassie’s brother Rory and her best friend Amy, was a nice addition to the book and didn’t take away the main focus of Cassie and James’ story.
When I started reading it and saw it had themes of mistaken identity, I was worried it would be one of those stories that when the other party found out and is extremely angry, that it would be dragged out until almost the end. It was a nice change that both Cassie and James were able to get their emotions and their feelings for each other figured out, without too much animosity occurring between them. Cassie and James’ story was a fun book to read and one I will probably read again. I do look forward to Patrick’s and Matthew’s story to see what girl will turn out to be their Soul Mates…

Edge of Passion (Stealth Guardians #1) by Tina Folsom

RATING:

4 Out Of 5 Stars

REVIEW:

Aiden is one of the cloak warriors that has been assigned to protect Dr. Leila Cruickshank, the next target for the demons. The demons want to take her to their side do to an Alzheimer’s drug she was crating and that is now in the final stage process. Unbeknownst to Leila, the drug opens humans mind giving demons an advantage to gain easy access to bring them over to their side. After the council of the cloak warriors decides that human life should be saved and decided to have Aiden protect her for his next assignment…
Leila is determined to get the Alzheimer’s drug to its finalized state to save both her parents who both suffer for Alzheimers and is very protective of her research and won’t let anyone get involved to keep the formula safe. When she meets Aiden after almost being hit by a car, she is very attracted to him, but after hearing he is a bodyguard decides that they don’t have a possible future together and keep their conversation friendly, not realizing that he is her bodyguard. After many unsettling events that occurred that have them on the run from the demons… And also learning someone among the cloak warriors is trying to get rid of Leila, they have to keep their distance from them until they figure out who they can trust. Now they are in a fight for their lives… And how to deal with the attraction that sparks between them…

This is the first book that I have read by Tina Folsom. I liked her idea of the cloak warriors and I really enjoyed reading about their world. I liked Aiden’s character and the other cloak warriors that were introduced in this book. I am now looking forward to Hamish’s story to see who will be the one to help him overcome a past betrayal from the he loved..
Aiden was a great warrior that always followed the rules of the council and his own, so he can better protect the humans he is assigned to. I like his relationships he had with the other cloak warriors, and how he was able to have light banter with them and was also show respect to them.
I must admit that I was somewhat disappointed with Leila’s character in the beginning. For a doctor who is really smart, she didn’t really make smart decisions and I didn’t start liking the choices she made until more towards the end. But as the story progressed and Leila and Aiden’s relationship grew deeper did her character become stronger and made better decisions.
I didn’t really care how crude something’s were said and some of the sexual content was just a tad too much for my taste. But I thought the story was really interesting to read and the idea was something I never read before and makes for an interesting series to read.

Cowboy Sam’s Quadruplets (Callahan Cowboys #5) By Tina Leonard

RATING:

4 Out Of 5 Stars

REVIEW:

I really enjoyed this story. I was really cute and a real page turner. As you read the book you find out that it was love at first sight for both Sam and Seton. It was real interesting to see how their relationship develops from start to end of the book. I liked how Seton, a private investigator, searches for answers to Sam’s families past and how she doesn’t give up no matter what. I enjoyed how Sam, who at first didn’t want any children, grows with each stage in Seton’s pregnancy of Quadruplets, then the delivery, and then fatherhood. I thought the story was a real fun read and one I will read again in the future.

The Billionaire Wins the Game (Billionaire Bachelors #1) By Melody Anne

RATING:

4 Out Of 5 Stars

REVIEW:

Amy Harper just got the dream job she wanted right out of college. She got a job working for Lucas Anderson as an executive secretary. With this job she is one step closer to her future plan. But what she wasn’t expecting after meeting her boss was being really attracted to him…
Lucas Anderson just received the reins as the head of his father, Joseph, company after his retirement. After his current executive secretary, Esther, who was his dads as well, told him she was retiring he told her he still needed her and thought she was going to continue for a while longer. But after Amy appears and sees Esther training her, he learns that she is still going to retire and the his dad hired him a new executive secretary. But what he wasn’t expecting to be attracted to his new executive secretary…
But what they don’t know that its Joseph’s plan to start getting his sons married. Because what Joseph really wants his to have his house filled with grandchildren and Lucas is the first one he gets started with…

It was really a fun book to read. Amy didn’t really have the ideal mom when she was younger and when her mom passed away when she was a young girl, she went into foster care. She hates to rely on anyone and likes to take care of herself. But as you read along you see how Amy learns to rely on others especially the Anderson Family and Tom, one of the Anderson employees.
Lucas is wary of women. The women he has dated has turned out to be with him for his money, power, or status. So he believes all woman are the same. But you see him learn to realize that all woman are not the same after he gets to know Amy.
What really made it fun was Lucas’ dad Joseph. I thought it was funny how he is so fed up with all his sons and how long they were taking to get married and have children of their own that he decides to play match maker starting with Lucas. Though the other two of his sons were briefly mentioned, I am looking forward in reading their stories and see how Joseph plans to get them set up.

 

The Greek Boss’s Bride (Greek Tycoons) (Harlequin Presents, #2631) By Chantelle Shaw

RATING:

4 Out Of 5 Stars

REVIEW:

I really enjoyed this book, it was one of those that I could have kept reading without putting it down. I loved the relationship between Kezia and Nik. I liked the banter they had between them. I liked how they first met and how there relationship develops as the story goes on. There was difficulties that they had overcome in the end to be together, that really defined there relationship. I really enjoyed how in this Harlequin that they didn’t have the Hero and Heroine against falling in love like a lot of the other ones I have read. All in all it was a enjoyable read, and one I will probably read again in the future.

Tempted by Her Innocent Kiss (Pregnancy & Passion #3) By Maya Banks

RATING:

4 Out Of 5 Stars

REVIEW:

On Ashley’s wedding night she accidentally knocked over her new husbands laptop, which results in her finding out that her entire courtship with her husband Devon, was all orchestrated by her father and that the real love she feels for Devon is not reciprocated. She finds out that she was part of the deal for her father and Devon’s company merger deal, in exchange for merging the companies Devon had to marry Ashley and make her happy, and she must never find out…
After finding out that Devon doesn’t love her the way she loves him, and having his thoughts of her character (he thinks her flighty, naive, too tenderhearted, which he believes are faults) discovered she is devastatingly heartbroken and instead of having a exciting wedding night like she thought she would have, she ends up crying the whole night. During the night she tries to figure out what she is going to go, leave and get a divorce or change her character and try to make her marriage work. Since she really loves Devon she goes with option 2…
Devon never wanted to hurt Ashley and wanted to tell her out right about the deal that he made with her father. He cares for Ashley and respects her and he really thought they would have a companionable marriage. After their short honeymoon, because of Ashley’s massive migraine, and he was done taking care of her until she felt better, things start getting back on track… or so he thinks… A little a at time he starts noticing changes in Ashley, she cleaned there apartment to sparkling clean, she is learning how to cook, taking charge of a business party to announce her fathers retirement, changes her appearance, etc.
After some time Ashley finds out she is pregnant and that the way she has been lately isn’t the way she wants to be even for the man she loves and that she wanted to be herself to raise her child, and decides she is going to leave Devon.
Devon is excited when Ashley tells him she is pregnant, but is totally knock off balance when she tells him that she wants a divorce. That she wants to be with someone that loves her the way she is and doesn’t try to change her. After she leaves his office and a few weeks without getting in touch with her, he realizes that he loves her… And tries everything in is power to let her know he loves her and that he doesn’t want her to change and wants to be with her forever…

I liked Ashley’s character. She is tenderhearted, loves working at her Animal Shelter, excitable, all her family & friends adore her, and she lights up a room where ever she goes. And after finding out her father’s deal with Devon she finds the guts to change herself and try to make her marriage work. But in the end after talking to her friends, knew it wouldn’t last because she likes the person she was and finds the courage to end her marriage to the man she loves, so she didn’t have to change even knowing it wouldn’t be easy.

Devon’s character was one of the better hero in a Harlequin Romance book that I have read. He wasn’t nearly as bull-headed and a total jerk like other hero’s I have read. He doesn’t believe in love, because from what I can tell he was never exposed to it. It seemed he didn’t have a great childhood with his family since he is uncomfortable around Ashley’s close-knitted family. And though he wasn’t sure of his feelings for Ashley you could tell he really cared about her and wanted to make sure she was happy, and he really regretted the things he said in regards to her character. And though it took her leaving him to find out he loved her he didn’t try to reject it or debate it like other hero’s in some of the other Harlequin books I have read.

I really did enjoy this story and thought Maya Banks did a good job in making this story flow without it seeming long in some parts of the story. It flowed really well together that I didn’t have to set it down and take a break and come back to it later. So if you enjoy Harlequin Romances I do recommend this one.

Girl in the Bedouin Tent By Annie West

RATING:

3 Out Of 5 Stars

REVIEW:

Cassandra doesn’t have any fond memories regarding most men. And they escalate when after her tour bus breaks down within the borders of Trakhar, and is kidnapped by the neighboring country. After she is taken she gets scrubbed down and changed into a skimpy outfit and is presented to the Sheikh of Trakhar, Amir…
When he hears the jingle of bells coming from behind him he is prepared for the attack and manages not to hurt her and only manages to only get a nick. At first he thought it was an assassination attempt by his host, but soon learns that she speaks English, was kidnapped, and was just trying to protect herself, because she thought she was going to get raped…
After getting the situation under control and gets all the information about the incident and tells her he will protect her and help her get out of there. She is still wary of him, but slowly starts letting him in and trusting him. But as the start getting closer there is some things from their childhood’s pasts that are holding them back to discover there feelings about each other…

Cassandra’s character was a different. She is emotionally damaged do to some circumstances when she was younger. Though she was still the first to figure out her feelings for Amir, but she still took awhile to get there and at the end she kept denying it when he told her how he felt.

Amir is honorable, respectable, and takes care of those he feels responsible for. And make sure his people are always taken care of and do to that his people really love him. He takes him awhile to figure out what he feels for her, but eventually figures it out.

All in all, the book was okay to read once. There was just too much emotional abuse in the story to really take hold of my attention, but I did like how everything comes together in the end.

A Mistress for the Taking (Mistress To A Millionaire #18) By Annie West

RATING:

3 Out Of 5 Stars

REVIEW:

I decided to read this book when I read someones review that stated “YES!! A love story that isn’t about hate for most of the story…” from amazon. I liked the heroine, Marina Lucchesi (She was courageous, stood up for what is right, & tough) , and the hero, Ronan Carlisle (He was chivalrous, takes care of the people around him, & clever), of this story. The were both strong characters that were very protective of there families. But for the most part there was a lot of hate for the man, Charles Wakefield, responsible for both of their family troubles. And so Ronan recruits Marina’s help in getting revenge. Throughout the story there is a lot of mistaken emotions from both Marina’s and Ronan’s point of view about each others feelings for the other person and that really slowed the pace of the story for me.
This story was interesting to read once, and I thought Ms. West to a good job in executing the characters descriptions and attitudes. The story had great potential, but didn’t get me drawn in that I didn’t want to put the book down and keep reading it. For me it was slow paced and I ended up taking breaks from reading it.

Ruthless Russian, Lost Innocence (Harlequin Presents, #2920) By Chantelle Shaw

RATING:

3 OUT OF 5 Stars

REVIEW:

This book was interesting to read once for me. It was different in comparison to other Harlequins that I have read. The Hero, Vadim, and Heroine, Ella, both have their own emotional baggage, starting from their childhoods. But do to this it is really hard for either of them to open up to each other. All he wants is a mistress, but as they get to know each other they start opening up to each other she finds away to pass the barriers to his heart and becomes really important to him. She never wanted to have a relationship, especially the way her mother was treated by her philandering father. So she uses her uprising violinist career as a defense. But with Vadim’s pursuit of her, her defenses start get broken down.
I liked how they got to know each other better during their relationship. But it seemed to drag on and it was hard to get through in the beginning/middle of the book that I had to take breaks from reading it. It didn’t start picking up until the last 3rd of the book. I liked how it ended and was glad that I decided to finish reading it.