BOOK REVIEW/CHARACTER INTERVIEW: King Me by Season Vining

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: January 29, 2019

~Synopsis~

Delaney Mills is haunted by darkness. Not of a spiritual kind, but a terrible past that all the rum in the world cannot chase away. Enter Valentine King, a sexy and irresistible man with connections to the world of Voodoo—a world that Delaney is desperately trying to break into.

Chicago-native Delaney follows her dissertation research all the way to the streets of New Orleans. With King’s help, she uncovers a covert group called the Bondye Saints. The group wants to remain a secret and will do whatever it takes to keep the two quiet. But threats and attacks on her life don’t deter Delaney’s desire to expose the Saints’ sins.

While she’s willing to risk her own life, Delaney hates that the one man who can chase away her darkness is put in danger. But Valentine King refuses to let her go. Because in his world built on faith, Delaney Mills is the one thing he believes in. 

GOODREADS

~Review~

4.5 Stars

Troubled by tragedy, Delaney Mills, 32, sets her sights on New Orleans to refocus and complete her doctorate degree in sociology. There she meets and is assisted in her research by local Valentine King, 26.

I liked King right off the bat. He’s smooth in a cute, not cocky, way and laid back. I wanted a hug too. ;-)

“‘I’m not trying to claim what belongs to me. I’m simply declaring my desire to belong to you.’”

Whatever missteps Delaney made (and she made a few), I was always on King’s side and felt his reactions appropriate. King balanced his faith and a grounding in reality well. His protectiveness of her made him a real keeper.

“But his words touch me, they seek out the deepest cuts and heal them over like they never existed.”

Delaney is determined and stubborn, possibly to the point where she lacked a healthy sense of self-preservation. While I understood she didn’t necessarily believe and was also struggling with her own emotional demons, I also found her a bit reckless with her safety in the face of real world threats at times.

Which bring me to the voodoo premise— major points for originality there. It was intriguing. This romantic suspense has some thriller/mystery touches, but it’s not what I’d call PNR.  The budding romance and hot, steamy times interwoven with some sleuthing, prophecies of danger, and an action-suspense climax balance together nicely. The writing paints the scenes well. I’ve never been to the Big Easy, but I could envision Delaney’s surroundings based off the narrative.

It was also refreshing to see the depiction of an interracial couple. Diversity in the romance market tends to be a bit lacking.

“‘You are always beautiful…but when you fall apart like that, you are everything, all at once.’”

It was easy to feel the attraction between Delaney and King from the start, which made the almost OM scene disappointing.  Never the less, the side characters all added something to the story, and they weren’t necessarily your usual cookie-cutter side characters. The story kept me engaged, and I liked the way the pieces came together even if I had a few lingering questions/things I wanted to know more about.

Told via Delaney’s first person POV, if you enjoy romantic suspense or are simply looking for a break from the same old/same old in the romance market lately, this is one certainly worth taking a look at.

AMAZON    B&N    Kobo   iTunes 

*ARC received from the author. All reviews written by Book-Bosomed Book Blog are honest opinions. 

~Character Interview~

Book Boyfriend Data Sheet

Name: Valentine King

Age: 26

Birthday:🎂 Jan 29 ♒

Birthplace:🌎 New Orleans, LA

Measurements: 📏
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 195 lbs
Length: Long and to the left
Girth: My girl can't wrap her hand around it

Turn-ons:👍 Live music, classic cars, smart girls. 

Turn-offs:👎 Liars, cold weather, drugs.

Guilty Pleasures: Reese's peanut butter cups, '90s rap 🎶

Ambitions: Finish school, be a positive part of the community.

People I Admire: My father and my grandmother 

First thing I do in the shower: 🚿 My face 

Favorite Book:📖 The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses

My idea of the perfect date: A quiet place for dinner, then a walk to Jackson Square to have our fortune's told, drinks and jazz on Frenchman Street, late night snack of beignets, and a kiss to say goodnight. 💏

Sunrise or Sunset? Sunrise. Every day is another chance to get things right. 🌅

Ice or Whipped Cream? Ice. Definitely ice. 

Next thing I plan to buy: A ring for my girl ⚭

BOOK REVIEW: Snapshot by Rebel Farris

~Blurb~

Love stories don’t usually start with tripping over a dead body.

But mine did. That’s when I met him.

Xander Novak wasn’t like the guys from around here. The cowboy with a mysterious accent had secrets, sure. But he helped me escape certain death and welcomed me into his home.

Or did he? Because his home could be my safe haven… or it could be my prison.

And I could be walking straight into the arms of a killer.

GOODREADS

~Book Review~

2.75/3 Stars (3 stars for the mystery-suspense/2.75 for the romance)

Rosie Dominquez, 23, is a waitress, scrapping by while living in a trailer park in Texas. On her day off, in a quest to get some peace and quiet from her neighbors, she sets off into the woods to read and take some landscape photography.  There she discovers a dead body and meets Xander Novak, 32.

A note to the millennial readers: This story is set in 1989. Translation: the characters aren’t using cell phones, cameras require rolls of film, Willard Scott is the Today show weatherman, and Czechoslovakia is a country.  Old enough to remember those days, I didn’t mind the time frame. In fact, it was a bit of a refreshing change. 

This story is actually the prequel to the author’s Falling Small Duet, although it can be read as a standalone. None the less, I feel that knowledge might be prudent to some readers. See safety recap.

I swayed a little on my rating of this one, mostly because I think it depends on the genre you’re looking to read it in. It’s a romantic suspense with thriller overtones. The suspense tone and mood is developed well, and it pulled me in as a mystery more than a romance, mostly because I didn’t become attached to either Rosie or Xander, nor was their chemistry palpable. I kept reading mainly to find out what happens and how everything fit together rather than because I was invested in them as a couple.

Told solely via Rosie’s first person POV, romance readers (like myself) who enjoy the stranded together trope for its absence of OW/OM presence will appreciate the set up.  I think the story started off strong, but dropped off as it progressed.

Safety Recap:

No cheating. No sex scene w/OP. No OW/OM drama. H is not a manwhore and has been celibate for a while; h is not a virgin. No rape or sexual abuse although there is a brief moment where attempted rape is suggested. There is no cliffhanger, but based on a review of the Duet series I can’t say this is technically an HEA. It feels like an HEA if you read this as a standalone, but it appears if you keep reading the other books it is actually a HFN as h ultimately dies in first book of the Duet series, set many years later.

AMAZON 

BOOK REVIEW: Prince Charming by C.D. Reiss

~Synopsis~

Keaton Bridge is exactly the kind of guy a straight-arrow like Cassie doesn’t need. 

For one thing, he’s a criminal—and she fights crime for a living. And being criminally handsome isn’t helping her say no, either. Everything about him screams trouble, from his British accent to his mysterious past. 

And Cassie doesn’t do trouble.

Keaton’s got his own trouble. He’s trying to go legit, and an FBI agent hanging around is the last thing that will help his credibility. All it took was one night of passion to sear her into his skin. Now he can’t imagine living happily ever after without her. 

All they have to do is walk away.

But neither of them ever walks away from danger.

GOODREADS

~Book Review~

4 Stars

Cassie Grimstead is an FBI agent. Keaton Bridge is a person of interest on a case she’s working. He could be an asset; he could be her lover. Or she could straddle a fine, ethical line between both.

“‘After all, when a girl kisses a hacker, she shouldn’t be surprised when she’s hacked….Just leave me something to tell you over dinner.’”

I was a little all over the place with this book, not that the story is all over the place. It’s fairly tightly plotted and well developed, and readers who enjoy romantic suspense that isn’t dark but also isn’t short on steam should appreciate this one. There were parts that paced a little slow.  The “cloak and dagger” talk grew a little old in the beginning. There’s drawing out suspense and then just losing your readers. But then there were other parts where the suspense pulled me in, and I wanted to keep reading to learn the answers. There were a few scenes I teared up, and parts where I swooned. I’d say it has “all the feels” but really I hate that expression.

In the beginning it felt like insta-lust, but later it’s shown how the relationship grows. Keaton is an intriguing hero, one hot little hacker in the bedroom too.  

“‘I haven’t thought about holding your arms behind your back while I fuck you from behind. Taking you by the hair and pulling your head back until I see you breathless when you come.’”

Yowza! Yeah, he had all the best lines.

“‘I’m infatuated with your head and your tail, darling.’”

Cassie was a little bland, and I’m not sure why. She isn’t a weak heroine, but maybe she just doesn’t rock the strong vibes. I liked her enough; I just had a little trouble connecting with her.

“‘All night, I want you all night. Now until the sun. You promised me I wouldn’t sleep with you, and I plan on helping you keep that promise.’”

The epilogue came upon me as a bit of a surprise, seeing as how the story ends at just past 50%. The other half of this edition is samples from the two other novels that operate in the same universe/connecting plot arc.  I would have liked to see the resolution a little better developed and what felt like some loose ends better elaborated on.  I also gotta say, I don’t think the title and cover image does this book justice or perhaps doesn’t capture the real feel of the story.

Told via their dual first person POV, there’s a strong sense of foreboding in the tone of the novel sealing the suspense angle and plenty of steamy entanglements alongside a hero who delivers the romance and only has interest in his artful dodger (as it should be).

AMAZON     B&N   

BLOG TOUR: Hostage by Skye Warren & Annika Martin

Publication Date: January 30^th, 2018
Genre: Romantic Suspense

~Synopsis~

I never knew when he’d come to me. Only that he would.

I’d never even kissed a boy the night I met Stone. The night I saw him kill. The night he spared my life. That was only the beginning.

He turns up in my car again and again, dangerous and full of raw power. “Drive,” he tells me, and I have no choice. He’s a criminal with burning green eyes, invading my life and my dreams.

The police say he’s dangerously obsessed with me, but I’m the one who can’t stop thinking about him. Maybe it’s wrong to let him touch me. Maybe it’s wrong to touch him back. Maybe these twisted dates need to stop. Except he feels like the only real thing in my world of designer labels and mansions.

So I drive us under threat, until it’s hard to remember I don’t want to be there.

Until it’s too late to turn back.

GOODREADS

HOSTAGE is a dangerous standalone romance by New York Times bestselling authors Skye Warren and Annika Martin. It’s set in the same world as PRISONER, but can read separately!

~Book Review~

4 Stars

Brooke Carson is celebrating her 16th birthday, but it’s far from a sweet sixteen. When an encounter with a violent criminal puts her face to face with death it’s the beginning of her world being turned upside down.

“A beautiful girl like her, turned on by fear.”

Stone Keaton is on a mission for vengeance. He doesn’t have time for love or relationships. He’s hard and cold on the outside but capable of warming just the same. He’s been his brothers’ protector and their rock as much as he can.

“The ultimate lost boy, leading his band of lost boys out of hell.”

Hostage takes place before Prisoner and after. If you haven’t read Prisoner, this story can easily be read as a standalone, and it might even flow seamlessly at their point of intersection. If you have read Prisoner then you’ll probably notice the jump over that story.  Hostage also provides closure to the overall mystery-action-adventure plot started in Prisoner. On that note, I think the ending to Hostage holds more significance if you’ve read Prisoner first and have the full story.

Admittedly, it’s hard not to compare the two (okay it’s really hard for me as I had picked up Prisoner again for a re-read from the beginning and was about half way when Hostage popped up on my kindle screen). Like Prisoner, the themes and symbolism are woven well; the writing and character development thought-out, and the story a page turner.

“Driving her around as if I’m the one taking her hostage, but really it’s the other way around. She’s the one who keeps me coming back, even knowing I shouldn’t.”

Who’s in control? Who’s taken who hostage on an emotional level?

There are similar internal conflicts that the main couples wrestle with making the temptation to compare Stone and Brooke with Grayson and Abby strong.  In fact, I had a serious bone to pick with Stone over all the grief he gave Grayson in the last book. I was glad when Stone finally acknowledges his hypocrisy and then the guys don’t let him off the hook so easily.

“Maybe it’s a little hypocritical of me to warn him away from this girl when I’ve been taking Brooke hostage like it’s a goddamn hobby.”

I must also confess that I’m still partial to Grayson and Abby. I connected more with their characters and sensed a deeper connection and chemistry. So hands down, my favorite moment in this book was Abby’s appearance. That scene rocked. She just keeps getting more and more bad ass! And I gotta say, I’m not above begging the authors for an outtake of what followed between her and Grayson (“‘You are in so much trouble’”). 😉

In contrast, Brooke is pretty young and thus she projects a mix of naivety, idealism, restlessness, and some teen angst.  Told via her and Stone’s alternating first person POV, the romance is a bit slow burn.  Even though there’s a nice resolution to the series, I still hope to see the other guys get romances, especially Nate. 

Amazon US    Amazon CA    Amazon UK    iBooks   Nook     Kobo   Google Play

~Excerpt~

It’s him or me. It’s stand here and let a man die, or do something—for once in my life, do something that’s not wearing a dress and smiling and getting it all wrong.

So I run out there. I watch myself do it, like a movie almost. “Stop it,” I yell.

The attacker just keeps on, a dark storm, all fists and fury. My presence means nothing to him. My words don’t touch him. It’s as if I’m yelling at thunder.

My heart beats out of my chest. I’ve risked everything, come out in the open, but it’s not enough. I stamp my foot to get his attention, crushing gravel beneath my mother’s Louboutins.

“The cops are coming,” I say.

The man stills and looks up. It’s a shock when it happens, even though I’ve been trying to get him to see me. His eyes seem to blaze into my chest, hot and bright.

Breathless, I back away.

He stands, leaving the man in a groaning, whimpering heap.

I retreat slowly, showing him my phone, as though that might protect me. “Cops are coming,” I say again. A lie. I couldn’t punch in the code.

He’s coming at me, expression unreadable. He’s a few years older than I am—late twenties, maybe.

My back hits something hard. The van.

He keeps coming. I try to spin and run, but he grabs my arm and slams me back into the van. “Where do you think you’re going, little girl?”

I stare up at him, panting.

His warm breath is a feather on my nose; the heat in his eyes invades me. He grabs my hair and tilts my head back, forcing me to stare into his face, as if he’s trying to read my eyes.

A moment later, he looks up at the night sky. He seems almost wolfish, and I’m conscious, suddenly, of my bare neck so close to his snarling mouth. I wonder if he’s staring at the moon. It’s like he’s going to howl or something.

Then I get it. He’s listening for sirens.

“You’re a little fucking liar.”

~Also in the Series~

*Read Prisoner for FREE! Limited Time Only*

Amazon     iBooks   Kobo   Nook  Google Play 

BOOK REVIEW & EXCERPT

Skye Warren is the New York Times bestselling author of dangerous romance such as the Endgame trilogy. Her books have been featured in Jezebel, Buzzfeed, USA Today Happily Ever After, Glamour, and Elle Magazine. She makes her home in Texas with her loving family, sweet dogs, and evil cat.

Facebook    Twitter   YouTube    Pinterest   Instagram    Goodreads   Website   Newsletter 

Annika Martin loves fun, dirty stories, hot heroes, and wild, dramatic everything. She enjoys hanging out in Minneapolis coffee shops with her writer husband, and also likes birdwatching at her bird feeder alongside her two stunningly photogenic cats, especially when she should be writing. She’s heavy into running, music, saving the planet, taking long baths, and consuming chocolate suckers. She’s worked a surprisingly large number of waitressing jobs, and has also worked in a plastics factory and the advertising trenches; her garden is total bee-friendly madness and her most unfavorite word is nosh or possibly fob. A NYT bestselling author, she has also written as RITA award-winning author Carolyn Crane.

Facebook   Reader Group    Twitter    Mailing List   Website 

REVIEW/RELEASE: Spirited Away by Mary Billiter

Series: A Resort Romances Novel

Genre: Romantic Comedy
Publisher: Hot Tree Publishing
 Release Date: October 31, 2017

~Blurb~

What happens when the legend of the old west becomes the new reality? In Mary Billiter’s fun novel of investigating the unknown and navigating love, a drop-dead sexy cop and a fiery redhead are linked by a mysterious haunting and the unsolved crime of passion behind it all.

When Reese Pemberton relocates from the Golden State to the Cowboy State for a corporate promotion, she discovers a different state of mind. From the hustle and bustle mayhem of the Bay Area to the slow and easy meanderings of Wyoming, Reese welcomes the change in pace as the hotel’s new general manager. However, she shuts the door on the notion that her hotel is haunted.

But when a series of mishaps introduces the fiery redhead to the hotel’s legendary cowboy ghost, she begins to question the events surrounding his demise.

Reese and Cheyenne police detective Cody Pring join forces to put to rest the spirit that haunts the hotel. In the process, they discover long-buried secrets. Can the two solve a decades-old mystery or are some things better left with the dead?

GOODREADS

~Book Review~

4.25 Stars

Reese Pemberton, 29, is the new general manager of the Historic Wyoming Point Resort in Cheyenne, Wyoming. In addition to introductions to her staff and guests, she also stumbles into a hot cop and a historic mystery.  Meanwhile, Detective Cody Pring, 29, just wants a quiet Halloween weekend since he and his partner are on call. 🎃

Cody won me over right away. He hates the smell of essentials oils and is a bit of a germophobe when it comes to public bathrooms. That’s a man after my own heart. Plus the “ass gaskets” line was funny.  There’s some humorous narration in this tale told via Cody and Reese’s alternating first person POV. Cody was a swoonworthy good guy and definitely a catch.

“I wanted to be that guy. That guy who did the right thing and was man enough to let down his guard so a beautiful woman like this felt safe and secure to open herself to me.”

Aside from Reese’s moods being a little temperamental towards Cody in the beginning (of course they did get off on the wrong foot), I liked her as a strong, independent, and resourceful heroine.  I think they were developed well, though developed separately for much of the first half. As it was, it seemed like they made a quick relationship jump at one point. But their hook-ups were hot so no complaints there.

“She had a restful, dreamy look about her that craved naked escapism, and I wasn’t about to disappoint.”

Cody and Reese made a good pair; I just wish they would have done a little sleuthing together. None the less, the mystery angle kept me turning pages even as I put the pieces together. The historic elements blended well into the setting and the mystery which gradually unravels over the course of the tale. 

I appreciated the incorporation of multicultural characters. You just don’t get that often enough in the current romance market. I also appreciated how the historical background was integrated to give more depth to the ghost story and how motivations and attitudes were explained to understand the characters involved but not excused in present time.

“‘…lower your Confederate flag and remove your swastika. Ignorant racists like you lost both wars, and no one likes to listen to losers.’”

That line was just awesome!

I’ll admit I’m still mulling over the “ghost story,” still sorting through my feelings towards those characters. It certainly gives you something to think about. I look forward to other reader’s impressions. 

There’s a little paranormal element to this contemporary romantic suspense. 👻 I’m generally not a PNR reader, but I am a sucker for holiday romances and Halloween just happens to be my favorite holiday. All in all, I enjoyed this haunted hotel romance a lot, and while it’s certainly perfect for the season, it can be enjoyed any time of the year….maybe even with a tube of chips and a bag of pb candy! ;-) 

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

BOOKS2READ

~Also Available~

Do Not Disturb & Escape Clause 

are free in Kindle Unlimited

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Mary Billiter is a weekly newspaper columnist and fiction author. She also has novels published under the pen name, “Pumpkin Spice.”

Mary resides in the Cowboy State with her unabashedly bald husband, her four amazing children, two fantastic step-kids, and their runaway dog. She does her best writing (in her head) on her daily runs in wild, romantic, beautiful Wyoming.

WEBSITE  FACEBOOK GOODREADS TWITTER

REVIEW/RELEASE BLITZ: Finding Eli by Jake Irons

Genre: Erotic Romance/Mystery

~Synopsis~

When you have a thrice-a-day Starbucks addiction, a love affair with Louboutins, and an apartment in one of the most expensive cities in the world, the last thing you need is to lose your job. But that’s what happened to me—or what will, unless I can pull off the impossible: find Eli Murphy.

Eli, notorious playboy and New York City high roller, is the founder of the newzine where I work. He's been MIA for three years. But I think I can find him. If I do, and I get his story, I can keep my job.

What could go wrong?
Ask me when I’m tangled in my lies—and his bed sheets.
Ask me when we’re running for our lives.

GOODREADS

~Book Review~

4 Stars

Tara Daniels is a reporter about to be laid off. Her final assignment, and last hope for continued employment, is locating Eli Murphy, former editor and co-founder of the publication she works for and a successful author. Eli’s “disappeared” and become a recluse, but no one knows why.

I’m sort of a sucker for the premise where two people are stranded together, probably because it tends to leave little room for OW/OM drama, which this installment thankfully has none of, so I enjoyed the set up here.  

Told via Tara and Eli’s dual first person POV, Eli’s chapters sport a little extra authenticity….edge…freshness that perhaps comes from a male author’s writing perspective writing a man. Eli describes things in a decidedly male way and he, at times, responds minimally but with just enough to come across cool and mysteriously guarded.

Of course, both Eli and Tara are keeping secrets from each other. Eli for very valid reasons; Tara, well it’s clear from the start she’s digging herself into a hole with lots of complications.  I’m not sure at times that she’s not a bit naïve and headstrong or at the very least she has really lousy instincts for a reporter.

This is the first book in what appears to be a two-part romantic suspense series, the next Unraveling Eli, releasing later in May. So be aware it’s not a complete story and ends in a cliffhanger.

The suspense angle is developed well; I’m definitely looking forward to more details on how Eli ended up in his situation. The romance veers more on the instalust side. While the two do get to know each other, their interest in each other is primarily sex (well aside from Tara’s assignment). A lot of this perhaps stems from both characters admittance that they haven’t had sex in a while.  I’m hoping to see the forming of some stronger attachments in the next installment to seal the deal on the romance aspect.

Not to be dismissed though, their sexual encounters are HOT!

“In and out…deep in, and shallow out. She whines when I urge her fingers fully out, lifting her hand so I can taste her.”

*fans self* Now I also must admit I was slightly distracted by two things.

One, the duo doesn’t use condoms when they are together, and they’ve only just met hours before! I did appreciate the disclosure that Tara is the only girl to grace his hideout sheets, and while guessing by the math, Eli’s been celibate almost two years, he used to indulge in a lot of one night stands. Specifically it was the “for the whole first year I lived here, I went looking for sex every few nights, and it was never hard to find,” comment that was hard to brush aside.  TMI Eli! 

Two, how the hell did the food not burn?! For real, I kept expecting the smoke alarm to go off somewhere between an in or out thrust.  This was suspense that I doubt was intended. These two can seriously pack a lot of masturbation, oral sex, and intercourse into one half hour because that’s all the longer it is till dinner is ready when they pass the time with a variety of steamy indulgences. Call me floored when she raved about the meal because I expected that deer meat to be as crispy as the bacon it was wrapped in.

Anyways, this is an engaging tale that kept me interested from start to finish. It moves at a steady pace and is a promising start both for this series and for a debut author. I look forward to part two. (Oh and hopefully an appearance by Herman.)

Amazon US | Amazon UK

Jake Iron's is the author of Finding Eli (Part One) and the upcoming Unraveling Eli. You can connect with him on Facebook and Goodreads.

~Now Available~

BOOK REVIEW

BLOG TOUR: Private by Xavier Neal

~Synopsis~

Mogul or Monster?

Billionaire Weston Wilcox hasn't been seen by the outside world in almost a decade. No face to face meetings. No interviews. No social media accounts. Despite his ghost demeanor he continues to financially flourish and make his fellow investors richer with every decision. Throughout the years many have sought to discover the man inside the mogul while others have spread legends painting him as a heartless monster consumed by greed. None of it matters to him. Weston's true identity is secured away in his estate of solitude, which consists of the only people in the entire world he believes he can trust. That is until he's asked to allow a guest access to the property under extreme circumstances. One he knows he shouldn't. It doesn't take long before his world is turned upside down, unexpected threats arise, and Weston's forced to ask himself what really should be kept private?

GOODREADS

~Book Review~

4 Stars

When her mother falls ill, Brynley Winters is brought to the estate where she works and where she’s being treated. Brynley is immediately intrigued with her phantom host who hides in the shadows but sees all. Wes Wilcox has concealed his face from the public for a decade, languishing over events from ten years ago while still maintaining the legacy of his family’s whiskey company.

Told via Bryn and Wes’s alternating first person POV, both characters are immensely intriguing.  Wes exudes an air of mystery, a hint of ruthlessness, but also a wealth of kindness to those in his inner circle. He’s a breath of fresh air to readers inundated with drop dead gorgeous hunks—okay so reading about them might not be a hardship, but it’s nice to find a hero every once in a while that breaks the mold. Especially because like Bryn, the reader falls in love with Wes for who he is, not how he looks.  While the story might play on a few Beauty and the Beast themes, Bryn is not your ordinary weak and helpless heroine.  She’s independent, funny, sassy, and smart mouthed.

“She dances to the beat of her own pop song and believes in going after what she wants, when she wants, how she wants.”

As a result, Bryn has some great banter not only with Wes, but just about everyone she interacts with. She keeps the story engaging while putting forth a depiction of women that we don’t see nearly often enough in the romance market. She’s not a heroine who needs saving, and I appreciated the way Bryn acts as a muse while at the same time, learning and growing herself through the relationship.

Wes and Bryn have good chemistry, and I could certainly feel their passion simmering.

“His determination defeats mine and I become a slave to every stroke his tongue delivers. Inevitability I melt into his firm grasp.”

I craved more of these types of scenes. The premise of this romantic suspense is intriguing and the story has great bones, but there are places that could have stood to be fleshed out and scenes that felt jumped over, alongside instances of ‘tell’ rather than ‘show.’ I mean the man has denied himself certain things for a decade, show us how they all played out! ;-) It was instances where the time line skipped ahead a few days and what transpired was summed up that left me feeling disconnected from, or like I missed out on, some of the budding romance and progression of their relationship. Rather than advancing to a part two for Wes and Bryn, I sincerely wish more time would have been spent polishing this story which has a ton of potential.

Though not a cliffhanger per say, there’s apparently to be more to the story in the next book, Public.  I’ll freely admit I prefer this type of information to be clearer. Though I think you can still read this as a standalone, curiosity will likely get the better of you as it has for me over where this pair who complements each other so well is headed.  I can only hope the next journey for them is necessary, includes more adventure and mystery solving rather than angst, and is safe just like this one.  

AMAZON US AMAZON UK AMAZON CA AMAZON AU

Xavier Neal is an up and coming Author and Blogger. She lives in Texas where she spends her time getting lost in writing and reading. She loves Tex-mex, fandoms, and laughing. Feel free to spend her a message any time!

Newsletter Facebook   Facebook group  Twitter  Instagram   Goodreads   Amazon

Hosted by: