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.

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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 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.

The Nanny and the Boss’s Twins By Barbara McMahon

RATING:

4 Out Of 5 Stars

REVIEW:

Stacey and her sister are the owner’s of Vacation Nannies. On Stacey’s next nanny job she is hired to go to Spain with Luis and his adorable twin boys Juan and Pablo, do to their nanny having a fear of flying. She really loves her job of taking care of children and traveling. Now that she is almost 30, she starts thinking about her future of having a husband and children of her own…
Luis is a widower of six years, his wife dying during child birth. After her death he got a nanny to take care of his twins and threw himself into his business and works all the time. He has no future ideas of love or getting married again. Since it was hard for him to loose his wife when they were both still young…
But at his grandmother’s home in Spain for her upcoming birthday Luis and Stacey start developing feelings during the time they spent together with the children (which Stacey comes to really care about) and Luis’s family, sightseeing, fiesta, and etc, that they are trying to sort out. But with Luis’s aversion to ever fall in love and remarry it gets difficult to give into them…

I thought Stacey was a strong character that really cares about family. Especially since for along time she only has had her sister. I liked how she was determine to make a future with the things she loves doing, taking care of children and traveling. I like how she was able to help Luis start thinking about what is important.

Luis is a lot alike other hero’s in other books I read, but also a little different in his own way. He was a little slow to determine his feelings and doesn’t discover them until the heroine leaves. I did like how Luis’s character started to grow. How he discovered how much he has missed of his boys life and starts to make amendments to his work schedule to be there for each of there great memories. I also like how he figures out he had some sort of feelings for Stacey and he sorts them out as he goes along.

Luis’s Grandmother was a fun character. She has a very warm fondest for her family and wants them all to be happy. And when Stacey arrives with Luis and his boys she tries to play matchmaker…

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.

The Price of Honor By Emilie Rose

RATING:

4 Out Of 5 Stars

REVIEW:

This one was one of my favorites of the Harlequin Desire Collection. After the heroine, Megan (an Equestrian rider), finds out that her boyfriend that she love’s with all her heart of six months, Xavier (a multimillionaire business owner in the perfume industry), has a fiancee that he is marrying in a year she is heartbroken. Especially since she found out she was pregnant a few hours earlier. After this discovery she sets her business in order and gets her horses sent home, she gets on a plane and goes home and lives with her engaged cousin Hannah…

After this point everything is set into motion. We see how Xavier and Megan react to each others revelations, Xavier’s fiancee that he tells Megan is just an business deal that he made years ago and honor bound to keep, and Megan’s pregnancy that comes into light to Xavier’s dismay.

In my opinion I thought that Megan was a strong character that doesn’t quit and tries to stick to her guns. I like how she tries to find away to get Xavier to see he loves her, and break is business deal that he has with his fiancee, and to make a future with her, there unborn child and become a family. Even when she loses hope about Xavier’s presence in her life for the future she struggles to do what is right for her unborn child and finds way to make things work out for her career and having time with her child.

As for Xavier, I thought he was somewhat bull-headed and a jerk. In is mind since he doesn’t have to marry is fiancee for a year to complete the business deal, that he can continue on with Megan like it never came out and thought she was just throwing a tantrum for him not leaving his fiancee for her and not getting her way. Then after he finds out about the pregnancy he tries to get Megen to relinquish her rights as a mother (trying to pay her off, getting to think she couldn’t juggle a child and her career, etc.)so he can have sole custody of their child. In the end I like when Xavier finally comes to his senses and realizes he loves her and tries to make everything right to when her back. Emilie Rose did a good job in writing Xavier’s turn about.

I was kind-of hoping that there was more in the epilogue other then just them getting married. But it was a decent ending to Xavier and Megan’s story.

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.

Enticed by His Forgotten Lover (Pregnancy & Passion #1) By Maya Banks

RATING:

3 Out Of 5 Stars

REVIEW:

“Have we Met?”
Bryony’s answer: aAright hook!!

When I was reading the synopsis for this book this was the part that really held my interest. It was interesting to see a pregnant Bryony hunt down Rafael,to get answers to what were his true intentions about purchasing her property on her island after promising her and her grandmother that it would be for his personal use and not to build a hotel on and also their relationship. After Bryony learns that Rafael has no memory of her due to a plane crash she is not sure what to make out of it.
When Rafael learns that he is the father to the baby Bryony’s carrying he decides to return to the island to try and remember his promise he made to Bryony and her grandmother and his true feelings for Bryony.
The story was interesting to read at least once. The author did a good job in relating the emotional roller coaster ride of Bryony and Rafael’s relationship, but I will admit that I there were times that I had to take a break from it and put the book down do to it not holding my attention at times.

Holding Out for Doctor Perfect By Teresa Southwick

RATING:

4 Out Of 5 Stars

REVIEW:

This was an enjoyable book to read. The Hero and Heroine both have been through a heartbreaking relationship when they were younger. As a result it was difficult for each of them to entrust their hearts to someone else. When Dr. Spencer Stone wants some new equipment for the cardiology department he needs the approval from the Hospital Administration Financial Department, Avery O’Neill. So he hunts her down to get his point across, but Avery has other ideas and makes sure not to cross paths with him, even hiding in the ladies room… But when Dr. Stone goes directly to her boss she has no choice but to on a business trip to Dallas with him to get the financial facts and other details in order. During the trip they get closer and learn a lot about past hurts and about each other. When a night together results in a pregnancy they have to figure out their feelings for another and determine the future…
The story was interesting to read at least once. There was a time or two were the pace of the story slowed down, but would pick up again. I liked the setting for their hometown being Las Vegas, Nevada since I am from here. Every time a street, an area, or a building was mentioned I was like I know where that is and that street name, it was cool for me.