The Hero (Sons of Texas #1) By Donna Grant
3 stars
Owen Loughman has been taken out of commission from his Navy Seal assignment to search for his missing father. Owen is not having a good day. Getting word that his father had been kidnapped was bad but now he has learned that the only woman that he has ever loved had been employed by his father. Now, he is going to have to work with Natalie in order to locate his father and also retrieve a secret weapon. Working with Natalie has proven to be difficult due to the attraction from both of them. However, both Natalie and Owen are professionals and know that each has a job to do.
I enjoyed the storyline, but there were several issues for me with this book. First of all, this reader just didn’t see the attraction between Owen and Natalie. Secondly, the book basically left the reader hanging, meaning that now one has to now read book 2 in order to continue with the storyline. This reader does not like cliffhangers!
Thanks to Tantor Media for giving me this book in exchange for a honest review.
In Safe Hands (The Safe House #1) By Leslie North
3.75 Stars
Alexa Volkov has lived a very privileged life but now could pay the price of her mafia boss father. Alexa is in a position that could destroy the Mafia family, including her own dad. She now has a price on her head and fears for her life. Ex-NYPD cop Damian Stone was on his way to becoming a FBI agent when his partner was killed in the line of duty. Now, Damian has taken on another role and that is of protector with an underground group. Damian hates where Alexa came from but is now her protector and must do whatever it takes so that she can testify. Damian has a dilemma since Alexa’s father was the man who supposedly killed his partner.
I really enjoyed this short read. I have read several books by Leslie North and this one did not disappoint. I will definitely continue with this series.
In Safe Hands (Search # Rescue #4) By Katie Ruggle
4.25 Stars
The odds of reading two books back to back by the same name are unusual for me. At least the plots were different! Chris Jennings is a member of the Field County Sheriff’s department located in the Colorado Rockies. He has always upheld the law and protected one woman who has no interest in him until the day that she witnessed a brutal crime outside her bedroom window.
This reader did not realize this book was part of a series until mid- way through the book. However, this book can be read as a stand-alone although some characters were already introduced. I loved Daisy and how sympathetic that she was, but her background is also heartbreaking. Daisy is an agoraphobic woman that can’t leave her house. She happened to witness the death of her mother and for the last 8 years, she’s only had her father and Chris to keep her company.
I am definitely going to go back and read the prior books and also hunt for books by this author. I also enjoyed the narrator who brought this book to life!
Thanks to Tantor Media for giving me this audio in exchange for a honest review.
The Protector (Sons of Texas #2) by Donna Grant
4 stars
This installment starts right where book 1 left off so I highly suggest that you read that one first. Marine Force Recon Captain Cullen Loughman receives word that his father has been kidnapped. Cullen will do whatever it takes to locate is dad and bring him home. In order to do so, he must team up with ex-Air Force pilot Mia Carter, who happens to be a stunning woman. Mia was the last person to see Cullen’s dad before he disappeared. The only problem is that Mia is neck deep in trouble dodging the cartel. Cullen and Mia take the reader on a wild ride in order to locate Orrin. Both the hero and the heroine are bad asses, but realize that they must trust the other in order to survive. This is an excellent portrayal of love, loyalty, and trust. Kudos to Ms. Grant for an excellent plot and to Ms. Carly Robins who was an enjoyable narrator. This reader especially enjoyed this installment and is looking forward to more! Highly recommended!
Thanks to Tantor for giving me this audio in exchange for a honest review.
The Widower’s Wife by Cate Holahan
3 stars
By all appearances, Tom and Ana Bacon have it all – lavish lifestyle, extravagant trips, mansion, and money to burn. However, all of this is the furthest from the truth. Creditors are repossessing their belongings and foreclosure is imminent. Ana is attempting to keep her small family afloat since Tom has lost his job.
Tom’s financial woes may be solved when Ana drowned after falling off the deck of a cruise ship. Ana’s life insurance policy was ten million dollars. Ryan Monahan, a private investigator for ISIS Insurance Company, the carrier for Ana’s policy, has been assigned to determine if Ana’s untimely death could have either been from foul play or a suicide. Ryan immediately suspects Tom, but Tom has an ironclad alibi. Could Ana have possibly committed suicide since the financial ruin was too much for her to handle?
The story took on several twists and turns and was always a page turner. However, this reader found several points of Tom and Ana’s marriage to be unreal. The ending was also rather unbelievable as well. The cover for the audio book in this reader’s humble opinion was very poor. The cover appeared to be a 1970’s retro rather than a current picture. This could prove costly for the author when many readers do get sucked in from just the cover alone. The narrator was new to me and did help to keep the storyline going. Thanks to Tantor Media for supplying me with this book in exchange for a honest review.
Hang Tough by Lorelei James (Book 8 Blacktop Cowboys)
This is book 8 in the Black Top Cowboys series. I have really enjoyed this series, and this one is one of my favorites of all the installments. I have been waiting on Tobin’s story forever and this was worth the wait! Both Tobin and Jade feel like misfits, which made the storline even sweeter. The characters were portrayed as realistic people, and their backgrounds were fully disclosed. Other characters from
Muddy Gap characters are introduced and other well loved ones returned for a cameo. If you haven’t read the series, that’s ok to read this as a stand-alone. However, reading the series in order will help with whose who!
Garnet Evans wants to protect her granddaughter and has Jade move in with her. Tobin, moves in to protect Mrs. G from being forced by her son into a home. Sparks immediately fly and some hot moments ensure the reader that this is going to be a hot ride! I just love the Mud lilies!
Texas Twist (Texas Montgomery Mavericks #4) by Cynthia D’Alba
4.25 stars
Although this is the 4th book in the series, the installment can be read as a stand-alone. This book will have you laughing, crying, and just all around feeling good! Cash Montgomery was at the top of his game – bull riding that is until the fateful day where man and beast became one. Unfortunately for Cash, the bull won and won big. Six months later, he has returned back home and is at rock bottom. He wants peace, quite, and more importantly the solitude of being away from his brother and his brother’s very pregnant wife.
Hoping to help Cash get out of his funk, his brother Travis, quickly agrees to let Cash move into his wife’s house that she inherited. Unbeknownst to Travis, another inhabitant has already set up house and is none other than the girl who has always haunted Cash’s dreams.
Paige’s parents were killed in a tragic accident, and Paige left the rodeo circuit to become a nurse. Returning home to be closer to her brother, she was given permission to move into the vacant home. Paige is determined that Cash will not hurt her again so they have had a past. The romance was slow due to both Paige and Cash not wanting to venture back into the unknown. However, once the romance sizzled, nothing was going to stop those two! This was one of my favorite books of this series, and I am looking forward to reading more from Ms. D’Alba.
A Hunger Like No other (Immortals After Dark #2) by Kresley Cole
3 stars
I love a really good PNR book, and this one did not disappoint. I did not like all of the violence at the beginning, which took me until the middle of the book to really begin enjoying the plot and characters.
The narrator did an excellent job in portraying emotions from both Lachlain and Emmaline. The world building in this series is slow, and I hope that the pace does pick up in the upcoming installments. Lachlain is predestined to have Emma as his mate. The only problem is that he loathes her family, and she hates him. Slowly, the two made their way to each other due to circumstances from Emma’s past.
Death Before Decaf by Caroline Fardig
4 stars
Juliet Langley is distraught after her music career crashes. Tucking her tail between her legs, she is forced to go back into food service. As if she hadn’t already been down on her luck, she is thrown yet another curve ball. Her two timing fiancé runs off with her best waitress and in the process steals from Juliet. Packing up and moving back to Nashville, Juliet is offered a job to manager a friend’s coffeehouse.
By all appearances, Java Jive has not changed since the last time Juliet was here. To her surprise, the staff is revolting, and an employee is found dead in the dumpster. Unfortunately for Julia, this occurs on her first day back on the job. Just Juliet’s luck, the corpse is the cook who had gotten into a heated battle with Julia over code enforcement. Now, the employees are too happy to spill the beans to the cops regarding Juliet’s bad temper. Questions that Juliet can’t answer are being thrown at her, and she is finding that not only the coffee is in hot water. If she doesn’t solve the case, her next job maybe making coffee in the slammer.
This was a cute cozy read. Juliet is fun, witty, and very likeable. The narrator brought Juliet to life and the listen/read was very easy and fast. This is definitely a listen if you don’t want to think and just enjoy the moment. Grab a cup of java and be prepared to be swept away into Juliet’s crazy world. Thanks to Tantor Media for supplying me with this audio in exchange for a honest review.
Dangerous Secrets (Callaghan Brothers Book 1) by Abbie Zanders
2.75 stars
I had never heard of this author, but the book sounded intriguing and something that I normally like to read. The writing was not an issue; nor were the main characters for the most part. The book started off with a bang, and I was off and running. Unfortunately, my fast pace run quickly became a show stopper. The plot suddenly became confusing with this reader wanting more of the fast paced.
Taryn Malone is stranded, broke, and is in desperate need of some help. She is not a woman that would typically need rescuing. Jake Callaghan has been running the family pub for years, but his SEAL training kicks into overload when he spots Taryn at the bar. These two had chemistry and worked well together. What didn’t work well was his brothers interference. At one point, this reader was actually rooting for the wrong brother!
Both Taryn and Jake are harboring dark secrets that may destroy their relationship or even their existence. This was a good start to a new series but fell short to the point of possibly not continuing with the series.
The narrator did help to make the storyline more enjoyable. Thanks to Tantor Media for supplying me with this read for a honest review.
