Once Untold

Showing posts with label 3 Star Review. Show all posts

Monday, November 23, 2015

TAKEN BY LOVE (Taken #1)
by Sharon Kleve
Published: March 18th, 2015
Genres: Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Suspense
Provided by Author for Review, also provided via NetGalley
Purchase: Amazon

Arden Jones is a DEA agent and has seen and done it all. His transfer to a desk job is finally in reach. But, when his good friend is brutally murdered he must go after the cartel one more time while protecting the ones he loves.

Lucy Farris arranges flowers for a living, lives in a quaint house in the outskirts of Seattle, and has two adorable Siamese cats. The last thing she expects is to be kidnapped and used as bait to by the cartel to hunt the man she loves.

Arden Jones is a DEA Agent who is called in to help in the attack to take down a major Mexican cartel. The attack was a success, but there were survivors. Arden finds an SD card on his bed that contains photos of not only him but intimate picture of him with his girlfriend Lucy. With her now in danger, Arden takes drastic measures to protect her. But his enemies don't give up easily and Lucy will have to find her own inner strength to make it back to Arden.

In Taken by Love, Arden's work comes home with him and puts his girlfriend's life in danger. Lucy is a mild mannered woman who works in a flower shop. She worries a lot about Arden when he's out in the field, sometimes gone for days. Arden tries everything he can to protect her from the threat against her, but his enemies still manage to take her. I loved how this seemingly meek and fragile woman found the strength she needed to escape, even though she was scared out of her mind. This book shows the dangers that the loved ones of any law enforcement officer can end up facing. But I especially loved the romance between them. Most of the book is about Lucy's capture and escape, but the moments that Arden and Lucy do get are really sweet. I kind of wish that this book had been a longer full length novel. I would have loved to see some of the scenes more drawn out because there were times when I thought that the story progressed too fast. I'm hoping that the next book will be Ava and Tom's story. I'd love to know more about them.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Sharon Kleve was born and raised in Washington and currently lives on the Olympic Peninsula with her husband.

Sharon is a multi-published author of paranormal and contemporary romance.

She loves romance. She loves reading romance, living romance, and especially loves writing about romance. Sharon gets no greater feeling than watching her characters come alive in each other's arms. Most of all, she loves giving her characters the happily ever after they deserve—with a few bumps and bruises along the way.

One of her favorite things to do is pick-up a new book and sinking into the story, immersing herself in the emotions between the characters. She hopes to inspire her readers the same way her favorite authors inspired her.

When not writing, she can usually be found either curled up in her recliner with her cat and a good book, or in the kitchen baking sourdough bread or bagels.

Monday, September 21, 2015

THE WEDDING SWITCH
by Sharon Kleve
Published: August 23rd, 2015
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Provided by the Author for Review
Purchase: Amazon

Abby Blackwell runs a successful wedding planning business. She’s delighted when Derrick, her boyfriend of only a few short months proposes. Abby immediately accepts and dreams of the perfect wedding at the Rose Chalet. But, when Derrick with no explanation, pressures her to get married as soon as possible, she has to wonder why and drags her feet.

Derrick Coltrane's future rests on portraying a settled, respectable and married man. All he needs is a wife—now—and Abby fits the bill. She’s successful, smart, gorgeous, and would make the perfect corporate wife. He just needs to convince her to tie-the-knot by the end of the month to close the most important deal of his career.

Hunter Price knows he’s made the biggest mistake of his life. Derrick, a friend from school, hires him to pretend he’s getting married, in an attempt to trick Abby into planning her own whirlwind wedding. Abby is selfless, sweet, tastes like sunshine, and belongs to someone else—and he just kissed her.

Two grooms-to-be—one bride-to-be and one bridesmaid. Which couple will walk down the aisle to happily ever after?

Mini Book Review:

The Wedding Switch is a short fan fiction based off of New York Times Bestselling author Lucy Kevin’s Four Weddings and a Fiasco series. In The Wedding Switch, Abby is a successful wedding planner and she's engaged to Derrick Coltrane, a man unknowingly to her is using her to get a much sought after promotion at work. He needs to be married right away, but Abby's having second thoughts and isn't sure she wants to marry him. So Derrick calls in Hunter Price, to help move things along. At first Hunter wants no part in Derrick's plan, but once he sees Abby's picture he needs to meet her, even if that means accepting Derrick's plan.

The Wedding Switch was a very nice, short romantic read. I really liked Abby and her BFF Alessandra. I hated Derrick for using Abby just to get a promotion. There were many times I wanted to punch him. And Hunter is very sweet and I really liked him. I do think that this book would have been a lot better if it were a full length novel. I would have liked to read about how Abby and Derrick met, Alessandra is a very interesting character that I would have liked to see more of, and I wanted to see more development between Abby and Hunter. I really didn't like the instant love between them. Instant love really only works in paranormal or fantasy books and not in contemporaries.

Rating:

I gave The Wedding Switch a 3 STAR rating. This is a really nice and sweet romantic read. But I did think that the story would have been better if it were longer. There is so much potential to The Wedding Switch. And I would have liked more in the romance department between Abby and Hunter, bu not the instant love, it made the ending of the book feel rushed.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

Sharon Kleve was born and raised in Washington and currently lives on the Olympic Peninsula with her husband.

Sharon is a multi-published author of paranormal and contemporary romance. She loves romance. She loves reading romance, living romance, and especially loves writing about romance. Sharon gets no greater feeling than watching her characters come alive in each other's arms. Most of all, she loves giving her characters the happily ever after they deserve--with a few bumps and bruises along the way.

One of her favorite things to do is pick-up a new book and sinking into the story, immersing herself in the emotions between the characters. She hopes to inspire her readers the same way her favorite authors inspired her.

When not writing, she can usually be found either curled up in her recliner with her cat and a good book, or in the kitchen baking sourdough bread or bagels.

Thursday, September 10, 2015

BROKEN PLAY (Birmingham Rebels #1)
by Samantha Kane
Published: September 1st, 2015
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Erotica, Sports
Provided by Publisher via NetGalley
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iTunes

Perfect for fans of Shayla Black and Lexi Blake, the deeply sensual new Birmingham Rebels series introduces an unforgettable team of chiseled football gods—and the daring, provocative games they play behind closed doors.

Birmingham Rebels offensive linemen Beau Perez and Cass Zielinski are inseparable, on and off the field. Cass, the captain with the cowboy swagger, is a loose cannon. Beau, the veteran tight end, is cool under pressure. And ever since they were caught on tape in a steamy threesome, their exploits have fueled more than a few tabloid headlines—and naughty fantasies.

Marian Treadwell knows all about the video. And now that she’s the Rebels’ new assistant offensive coach, she can’t look at Beau and Cass without picturing their hard, naked bodies—with her pressed in between. Marian would like nothing more than to indulge those impulses, but she knows better than to get too close to her players, a bunch of adrenaline-fueled alpha males who don’t always follow the rules.

Just the thought of sharing the gorgeous yet guarded Marian drives Cass wild. At first, Beau isn’t sure she’s right for them . . . and lately, all he desires is a little alone time with Cass to explore their new intimacy. But it’s only a matter of time before Cass breaks through both of their defenses. Because when seduction is the game plan, he always plays to win.

Broken Play is intended for mature audiences.

Cover Review:

Broken Play has a nice cover. There's a hot guy and he's a football player (obviously). Honestly, it's like a lot of sports romance covers. I don't really have that much to say about the cover.

Book Review:

In Broken Play, all three of our main characters have something to prove or overcome. Marian needs to overcome the lasting effects caused by her sexual assault and she needs to prove that she can make it as a female football coach. Beau needs to overcome his past drug abuse and the public image it caused him, proving that he's no longer the same weak man he once was. And Cass needs to overcome the public image a sex tape (with Beau and a woman) created when it was leaked, prove that he can lead the Rebels and create a winning team.

When these three come together, the passion is intense. Beau and Cass have been inseparable for years, but had never voiced their feelings for each other, and always had a woman with them during sex. Marian has always had a desire to be with two men, and yes, she had seen Cass and Beau's sex tape. But when she had voiced her desire to her college boyfriend, he took it too far, and she was nearly gang raped. All three have had dark spots in their sexual history, but they are able to help each other heal in a way that no one else has been able to - they accept each other and their desires.

Here's where some of my complaints come in. There wasn't an even amount of character development. Marian's character was more developed and we learn more about her and her back story than we do about Cass and Beau. It seemed like the story focused more on her than all three of them. We do learn a little about Beau's past and his drug abuse and how Cass helped and took care of him. We learn next to nothing about Cass's past, which was really disappointing. And I would have liked more background on Cass and Beau's past together. So there were some holes and imbalances in the character development that just didn't make me happy.

The story, though, is really good. I liked that Broken Play addressed serious issues and showed how they healed. I loved the romance between our triad. There's some great humor, especially when the other members of the Rebels come in. So really, if the character development were fleshed out more, this book would be golden. I'm still definitely going to be checking out the next book in this series when I get a chance.

Rating:

I gave Broken Play a 3 STAR rating. I like the story, but there were some things that I felt should have been in the story that weren't. I like that it talks about a serious topics like sexual assault/abuse and drug abuse. And I really liked the relationship between Cass, Beau, and Marian, and how the guys helped her deal with the lingering effects of her assault.

“Hey, sugar, come here often?” Jo Jo Jones said to her as he came around from the showers wearing nothing but a towel, his dark-cocoa skin starkly contrasting with the white terry cloth. Jo Jo was a great linebacker, but he had a death wish. He couldn’t stop smoking weed, and he liked to tease Marian. One of those was going to get him thrown out of the NFL, and the other was going to get him dead.

“Really?” Marian said with exaggerated disappointment. “You had the whole day to think of a come-on line, and that’s the best you could come up with?”

The guys all laughed and Jo Jo got snapped with a few towels. He laughed, too, as if he’d really been joking, which was good. Cass crossed beating him up off his to-do list.

“Okay, gentlemen—and I use the term loosely,” she said, teasing them. “Today is press day. You get to be smart and funny and irresistible for the press corps. Make yourselves pretty before you join us back on the sidelines.”

There were groans from all over the room. “Oh, man,” Tyler Oakes, team quarterback, said. “You have to, too, right?”

Marian frowned. “Hello? I’m already pretty.”

Cass laughed out loud with the rest of the team. “You sure are,” he said, loud enough for her to hear him. Her gaze darted over to him, as if she’d been avoiding looking at him but couldn’t help herself now. He was sitting there in his shorts and nothing else, sweating. Beau was leaning on the locker in front of him, similarly undressed. Cass looked at him, hoping to lead Marian’s eyes that way, too. Beau was sure enough pretty when his copper skin was all sweaty, his tats gleaming black and slick.

Marian cleared her throat and Cass turned back to her. “Uh,” she said, blinking nervously as she backed up, holding the door with her hand. “Thanks. Hurry up. Down on the field. Press. Bye.” She turned and hurried off, letting the door swing closed.

“That girl got it bad,” Jo Jo said with a whistle. “You gonna put her out of her misery, or let me pick up the pieces of her broken heart?”

“Do you have a death wish?” Cass asked quietly, rearranging his to-do list again. He took a sip of his water as he stared at Jo Jo over the top of the bottle. Jo Jo backed up, his hands in the air.

“No, sir,” he said, shaking his head. “Not me. I didn’t say anything.”

Beau laughed. “Chicken.”

Jo Jo grinned. “You got that right, my man. Smart chicken.” He laughed as he sat down and started to get dressed. “See, I’m gonna be the first one down there with Miss Marian, while you pigs still got to wash the dirt off.” He laughed again as he danced out of the way of Cass’s reaching hand. “None of that,” he chided him. “Miss Marian would be very put out if I appeared all bloody for the press.”

“We’ll just make sure you don’t appear at all,” Beau said, which made Cass feel better. Beau may not have been actively pursuing Marian, but he was definitely interested in her, thank God. Cass didn’t want to be with a woman without Beau. He hadn’t been for . . . hell, three years. There was something between Marian and Beau. He just had to push it past the edge of whatever it was and into sex. No, more than sex. He wanted more than sex with Marian and Beau. It was time for more.

Before he could digest that mind-boggling thought, Beau slapped his shoulder. “Come on, man,” he said. “We’ve got to shower and get down there before they miss us.”

“Coming,” Cass said. He put aside his confusing thoughts and focused on the upcoming interviews. He really hated the press.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Samantha Kane lives in North Carolina with her husband and three children, two boys and one girl. With a master’s degree in American history, she spent seven years as a high school history teacher before becoming a full-time writer and mom.

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Monday, August 3, 2015

LUCKY (Inked Menace MC #1)
by Ryanne Hawk
Published: May 12th, 2015
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance, MC
Provided by Bewitching Book Tours for Review
Purchase: Amazon

My Rating: ★★★☆☆

Cecelia Marks is on the run.

After whistle-blowing on an oil tycoon and small arms dealer, the worldly twenty-five-year-old finds solace on her new path of yoga, tattoos, and the simple pleasures life has to offer, until a phone call threatens her safety and she becomes the center of a war between rival motorcycle clubs.

Lucky Miller hung up his three years ago.

The reclusive Sigma Werewolf abandoned his pack and left the club life in order to deal with his grief. And now, Cecelia Marks needs protection, only Lucky isn't sure he's the right man for the job because he's still haunted by demons.

Their chemistry won't be denied, and soon, Lucky and Cecelia embark on a mission to free themselves from their horrendous pasts. They'll need to fight their way through the present in order to have a future together…

Cover Review:

I love the cover for Lucky. It's an MC romance so you need to have that motorcycle on the cover. I don't know why it's on fire, but it adds some cool effects. Hot, sexy, muscly shifter dude on the cover, always a plus. And the claw marks are a nice touch that let you know that shifters are involved in the story. All in all, it's a hot cover and perfect for this book.

Book Review:

I'm guessing that you know by my 3 star rating for Lucky that I have something good to say and something bad to say about this book. I'll start with the good.

I really love the whole premise of this book. I found Lucky and Cecilia to be interesting and the way and why they met was intriguing. I also really liked the Inked Menace MC. All of the shifters we meet in this book are different and unique and I really wanted to know more about them. And I also liked that it wasn't just shifters in the world, but other supernaturals was well, especially since I was expecting this to only have shifters, so it was a nice surprise.

All this being said, I felt like this story was more just the framework of a complete story. There are many great things about this book, but I felt like the world building and character development needed quite a bit of work. This book seemed all surface and no depth. It felt like there were holes in the story and loose ends not tied up. I think that if this book were about 50 to 100 pages longer, it could go from a good book to a great book.

But don't take my opinion of the book as your reason not to read Lucky. Like a said, there are many great things about this book, I just wanted more. So if the story intrigues you, check it out and see for yourself if it's your cup of tea. I still plan on reading the next book in the series.

Rating:

I gave Lucky a 3 STAR rating. I loved the framework of the story and the premise is interesting, but I wanted more. I wanted to dive deep into the world of this book, but I wasn't able to do that.

OLIVER (Inked Menace MC #2)
by Ryanne Hawk
Published: July 6th, 2015
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance, MC
Purchase: Amazon
99 CENTS for a limited time!

Amaranyth 'Amara' Delco wants revenge...

Captured and tortured in the name of science, the Sergeant at Arms and snow leopard turns to her motorcycle club to seek vengeance. But things get complicated when she travels from England to the U.S. and comes face to face with her fated mate. He's one entanglement she's not prepared for.

Oliver 'Pretty-Boy' Ridgeway has never known true inner pain...

...until a sexy shifter with a British accent stumbles into his life and he sees just how cruel humans can be. One whiff of her intoxicating scent is all it takes for the tiger to know he's found his mate. Now he's on a mission to track down her enemies and prove he's the right beast to stand by her side.

Because Hell hath no fury like two shifters on the hunt for blood...and on the run from their feelings.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Newsletter | E.R. Pierce

Ryanne Hawk writes Urban Fantasy and Paranormal stories. She blends humor, horror, and interesting worlds, in order to bring you entertaining reads sure to make you think, squirm in your seat, and laugh out loud. Ryanne Hawk is the alter ego of author ER Pierce.