Shy-Town Girls (Book 1) by Wilson, Yih, Leimkuehler, and Clinesmith

Published November 23, 2012

Four Shy Girls, Four Big Dreams, One Awesome City

Book 1 in the Shy-Town Girls Quartet Series

When beautiful, but shy 24-year-old, Bobbie Bertucci, arrives at her new digs, an elegant brownstone in Chicago's historic Gold Coast neighborhood, she has no idea what her new life will be like. Between balancing her job as a modeling agent and escaping a bad relationship, she's hit rock bottom.

But things change when she moves into the same building as her close friend Meryl. Additionally, her two new twenty-something roommates, Ivy and Ella, help bring Bobbie out of her shell. Barbara, landlady and mother-hen of the house, watches out for the girls while sharing wisdom, sage advice, and guidance along better paths. Bobbie, Meryl, Ivy, and Ella, all variations of shy girls, brave the city of Chicago together, forming a powerful bond of friendship. Their nighttime roof deck conversations over glasses of wine instigate laughter and even some tears.

Bobbie takes a bold step to redesign her life completely to ensure she doesn't fall into the romantic trap she fell into before. But there's a new suitor in the picture, and she will have to decide between an old flame or a new one, taking a risk, something hard for any girl--even harder for a shy girl. (GoodReads)

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Today was the first day of fall and the first day of my new single life.

Ladies, if you love chic lit, and if you are a fan of the Sex and the City series...you will love Shy-Town Girls. From the very beginning, I fell in love with Bobbie Bertucci and her awesome personality. She experiences many of life's pitfalls in this first of four book series. 

Love lost, friends gained and finding her Agape. 

You are now an official resident of 721 Dearborn

After moving out of her apartment with her model boyfriend, Bobbie finds her self taking up residents with 3 ladies her age and 1 spunky older woman who teaches Bobbie all about the meaning of love. 

Friendship, above all things, my love, lasts an eternity...beyond this life.

Nervous at first, Bobbie quickly creates lifelong friendships with her 3 roommates. Meryl, an old friend convinces Bobbie to move away from Charlie, the hot cheating model boyfriend, and into her house with Ivy, the beautiful party animal and Ella, the quiet mysterious dancer. It didn't take long for Bobbie to become one of the girls. 

The only way to understand Agape is to live it and let it consume you.

Bobbie learns all about the meaning of love from the Barbara, the older eccentric owner of the house. It wasn't until Oliver, Bobbie's best friend from childhood, starts to look at her in a different light that she truly learns the meaning of love. 

Dirty Red (Love Me with Lies #2) by Tarryn Fisher

 

Published December 21 2012

Dear Opportunist,

You thought you could take him from me, but you lost. Now, that he's mine I'll do anything to keep him. Do you doubt me? I have everything that was supposed to be yours. In case you were wondering; he doesn't ever think about you anymore. I won't let him go....ever.

Dirty Red

Review : 5 Stars

Before I begin my review for Dirty Red, I have to ask: Have you read The Opportunist?  If no, go right now to Amazon, iBooks, Barnes n Noble...wherever...and buy it.  Like NOW!  

If you have read The Opportunist, you know what I be saying...

Dirty Red was everything I expected and more.  Thank you Tarryn Fisher for writing a fabulous follow up in the Love Me with Lies Series.  

Leah the main character is screwed up and a little bitchy.  She will pull out all the stops in getting and keeping her man.  Dirty Red is written in her POV and I loved how honest she is.  She really is a B@#$%, but you also cannot help but feel sorry for her and Caleb.  The book took some great twists and turns that threw me and I cannot wait until the 3rd book is out!! 

"Whoever she was, I would wipe her from his memory in no time at all.  Why?  Because I was the best of the best: the Godiva, the Maserati, the perfect colorless diamond..."

 

Thank you Ms. Fisher for entertaining me yet again!

Devil in Disguise by Heather Huffman

Published June 2012

Reporter Rachel Cooper is America’s Sweetheart – but that won’t help her when human traffickers kidnap her sister. Can an old flame help her protect the ones she loves? Does she even want him to? (GoodReads)

Rating: 4.3

I wasn't sure what to expect when we were asked to read Ms. Huffman's Devil in Disguise, as it was classified as a contemporary romance thriller. Lately I have been delving into straight erotic romance....this was a great change of pace.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed all of her characters...the heroine, Rachel Cooper....the rugged tough Conrad Langston....the innocence lost of Julia and the amazing steadfastness of Neena.

As I literally read the entire book with a 24 hour period, my heart felt for all the sadness and drama the characters had to endure. As a mother of young children, my heart stayed in my throat throughout all the suspense.

The truthfulness of human trafficking that you, as the reader experience is difficult to imagine and yet she does a fantastic job with the details....explains but not overly descriptive.

I will definitely suggest Devil in Diguise to others, as well as, look for more of Ms. Huffman's works.

Color of Loneliness ( Color #1) by Madeleine Beckett

 

 Published September 16, 2012

Myra Sommers, an attractive young copy editor living in Philadelphia, makes the tough decision to return to her family home in Nyssa, Oregon. A recent death leaves her with no remaining family, and she decides to heal and regroup there. Her decision to leave is solidified by recent revelations involving her cheating ex-boyfriend, Trent.

Myra parts ways with her only friend, Susie O’Connor, a zany woman who’s more than a little insane. In Nyssa, Myra finds little immediate comfort in her “new” home which is literally falling apart around her. She sinks into a deep depression, exacerbated by her feelings of loneliness and isolation in the small town.

When she realizes that she’s going to have to hire someone to do repairs on her broken-down home, She gets the name of a local contractor, Dylan Lawson, who has done work for him in the past.

Dylan can’t help but notice that Myra is young, single, and beautiful, which makes him suspicious of her real reason for calling him. The women in Nyssa pursue him relentlessly but he’s not in the least bit interested.

Slowly, a reluctant friendship develops between the pair, followed by romantic feelings which neither of them can fight. However, their painful past experiences threaten to tear them apart. Can they move beyond their despair and open their hearts to love? (GoodReads)

Rating: 4.3 Stars

  

I appreciate Ms. Beckett's request for our review and am happy to say I enjoyed the first installment of the Color series. In fact, I can not wait until the second one is released. She about killed me when the first one ended and left me hanging. 

As a reader, you find yourself getting so wrapped up in the sagas of Myra and Dylan that you do not realize the book is almost over and then WHAM....you reach the last page! 

Myra, bless her heart has endured so much...love lost, heart broken, lives lost. She decides to leave the hustle and bustle of Philly and move across the country for a fresh start. 

Upon meeting Dylan you can't help think...what the HELL is his problem???? Then the wall falls and you, along with Myra, fall in love with Dylan.

Thank goodness that Susie is around, well via the telephone anyhow. She keeps the situations light and dirty! Everyone needs a friend like Susie in their lives. 

 

Ms. Beckett...I CAN NOT WAIT FOR Color #2!!!! 

Naked (The Blackstone Affair #1) by Raine Miller

 
 Published August 25 2012


Brynne Bennett is living the good life. An American art student at the University of London and part-time photographic model, she’s putting her life back on track with school and lots of hard work. When ultra successful London businessman, Ethan Blackstone, buys her nude portrait, he isn’t taking ‘no’ for an answer. He wants Brynne in his bed and makes plans to keep her there no matter what. His dominant nature captivates and ensnares despite the demons she carries inside her. But there are secrets in this relationship. Huge ones. Can Ethan free Brynne from the past that has marked her? Will Brynne let him or will the specters tormenting her resurface to destroy them both…(Goodreads)


Review: 4 Stars

I was skeptical with this novella at first.  While reading Naked, I was sure I would be reminded of similar books.  Although I was reminded, I was also thrilled to learn that it can definitely stand on it's own.  There were aspects of this book that are familiar but Naked is a sexy, passionate story that takes a different direction.  The male lead, Ethan Blackstone makes this book!  He is Grey and Cross rolled into a perfectly formed alpha male! I LOVE HIM.  I want one. Where can I get one???  He does not play games.  He says what he is feeling and what he wants.  I wish the relationship had been developed more between Ethan and Brynne.  I felt like the connection kind of came out of nowhere. That being said, what was developed was HOT!  The ending makes you want more and I look forward to reading All In (The Blackstone Affair #2).

Blog Tour - Forged in Fire by Trish McCallan

Forged in Fire by Trish McCallan
 
Trish McCallan was born in Eugene, Oregon, and grew up in Washington State, where she began crafting stories at an early age. Her first books were illustrated in crayon, bound with red yarn, and sold for a nickel at her lemonade stand. Trish grew up to earn a bachelor’s degree in English literature with a concentration in creative writing from Western Washington University, taking jobs as a bookkeeper and human- resource specialist before finally quitting her day job to write full time. Forged in Fire came about after a marathon reading session, and a bottle of Nyquil that sparked a vivid dream. She lives today in eastern Washington. An avid animal lover, she currently shares her home with three golden retrievers, a black lab mix and a cat.


Find Trish McCallan Here:


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Genre- Romantic Thriller
Release date- 9/04/2012

  

Beth Brown doesn’t believe in premonitions. But her recent dream feels too real to ignore: a commercial airliner is hijacked, and a handsome passenger is shot dead. Beth hasn’t met the mystery man in her dream; she would never forget a gorgeous face like his. But she can’t deny the bizarre connection she feels. Now awake, and unable to allow for the violence she’s convinced is impending, she races to the airport…and comes face to face with the man of her dreams.

Zane Winters lives for his job, using his uncanny psychic powers to carry out missions for elite SEAL Team 7. Yet the constant adrenaline highs can’t drown out the numbness seeping into his life as he yearns to find a woman he can trust. All that changes when he meets a beautiful stranger who sets his soul on fire—and somehow knows he’s about to die.

To thwart the global crisis the hijacking will unleash, Beth and Zane join forces. But even amid the danger, they can’t deny the powerful force drawing them together. Is it merely attraction…or destiny?


 Review: 4.5 Stars

Forged in Fire was packed full of action and passion.  Zane Winters is a Navy Seal.  He is sexy and he can be lethal.  Thanks to a family trait, he also can see glimpses of the future.  Beth is an ordinary woman looking for a reliable, long lasting relationship.  A Navy Seal is anything but reliable.   Sure there is crazy lust but will it last?

"Because fireworks didn't last forever.  They blazed across the night in one intense burst after another,  but they eventually vanished.  And when they did, they left regrets and resentment in their wake."

 Oh yeah ladies, part of Zane's family trait is having a soul mate.  When Zane and Beth meet under unfortunate circumstances, he knows she is the one he has been waiting for.  Zane is determined to win her heart and also keep her safe.    

"The tug toward her was incredibly strong, like she was a magnet and his bones were metal."

I was really surprised with this book.  I normally do not read action packed romances.  This book has made me a believer!!! I LOVE Zane and the chemistry between he and Beth was on fire!  This was a great roller coaster ride that threw me on some unexpected loops and I loved it!  I am looking forward to reading other books in the series.