Tag Archives: romance

May 6, 2016 · 5:00 am

Divergent Bloodline by TJ Shaw (Book Review)

 

While tracking down a killer, clues lead homicide detective, Viviane Taylor to suspect, Julian DeMatteo. From the get-go, DeMatteo unsettles and irritates her. He’s a force she has never encountered, someone who excites her even though he’s forbidden. Her instincts warn that he’s hiding something and she is determined to uncover those secrets.

As king of the vampires, Julian DeMatteo protects the immortal clans. So, when the beautiful, bullheaded cop embroils herself within his world, he must choose between the woman who reminds him of the humanity he’s lost or his loyalty to his people.

As confusing emotions awaken inside her, Viviane can either accept her fate as the one chosen to save the immortal race or lose her soul to darkness. With Julian’s help, she fights an evil that would rip her apart in order to forge a new future with the homicide suspect who’s stolen her heart.

 
 
 
(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 
 

We are all familiar with the allure of vampires/immortals. Through television and movies, we have grown to love many: Angel and Spike (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Bill and Eric (True Blood), Tom Cruise as Lestat de Lioncourt and Brad Pitt as Louis de Pointe du Lac (Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice), and (not my favorite vamp but….) Edward (Twilight series, Stephenie Meyer). 

So, it is not surprising Viviane succumbed to temptation; otherwise known as Julian. He is strong, like her. Commands attention, like her. And demands obedience, like her. (No spoilers, sorry)

These two at the helm will be a force to reckon with but I’m sure someone will — again.

I had only one small ‘eh’ moment. It was when Viviane called him for help, screaming for it. He actually used mortal instead of immortal means of transportation to reach her. 

Ok, at first I was thinking…. he must abide by the Code (don’t draw attention to their kind). However, a few pages later, he threw the rulebook out the window when her body convulsed at the park.

You’d think he would’ve used his super speed earlier, but nope.

Besides that, nothing screamed at me saying WTBH.

All in all, a bloody good read. (pun intended)

  
Heart Rating System – 1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤❤
 
 
KINDLE
PAPERBACK (AMAZON)
Barnes and Noble
Kobo
Wild Rose Publishing
 
 
 
  
As a child, TJ thrived in the Arizona desert. By the age of five she was riding horses through cotton fields and by eleven bought her first motorcycle, a Honda 125cc dirt bike. Growing up with teachers as parents meant traveling during the summer. Hiking, backpacking, fly fishing, climbing pyramids, surviving earthquakes, and flying in hot air balloons were just some of her adventures. An avid day dreamer, she would lose herself in mystical worlds and far off places limited only by her imagination.
 
After choosing an academic scholarship over an athletic basketball scholarship, she graduated law school and accepted a position as a Deputy County Attorney. However, prosecuting felony crimes was not as exciting as she hoped, so she traded in her briefcase and the courtroom for a Glock and patrol car. She worked the road as a police officer for five years and now tells officers what to do as a policy writer for a police department.
 
TJ writes from her heart by incorporating her dreams and experiences to create strong, passionate characters who must overcome personal flaws to survive against the challenges of traversing through magical realms, undiscovered planets, and apocalyptic catastrophes.
 

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May 4, 2016 · 5:00 am

Devious: A Jamie Richmond Mystery, Book 1 by Mark Love (Book Review)

Jamie Richmond, reporter turned author, is doing research for her next book. Attempting to capture the realism of a police officer’s duties while on patrol, she manages to tag along for a shift with a state police trooper. A few traffic stops and a high speed chase later, Jamie’s ride takes an unexpected turn when she witnesses the trooper being shot. Although it is not a fatal injury, Jamie becomes obsessed with unraveling the facts behind this violent act. While she is trying to sort out this puzzle, she becomes romantically involved with Malone, another trooper with a few mysteries of his own. Now Jamie’s attention is divided between a blooming romance and solving the crime which is haunting her. Jamie begins to question the events that took place and exactly who could be behind the shooting. It was a devious mind. But who?

 
 
 
(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 
 
Just a heads up, this book DID NOT portray cops in a positive light at all. With that out of the way, let me address the plot. 

It was pretty easy to guess what the heck was going on and why. A real no-brainer (IMHO). 

I will say, I hope things like that (the plot) don’t occur in the real world. If they do….. I just don’t want to think about it. (Yes, I’m being vague on purpose to avoid issuing out spoilers.) 

 
Plot and deceit aside…. let me touch on what bothered me most about Devious. WHAT THE HECK IS MALONE’S FIRST NAME!?!
 
He won’t tell Jamie. Her police captain/stepdad Bert won’t tell her. A friend of Malone’s won’t tell her either. They all claim he is just Malone or Sergeant. Come on, really!! 
 
Even after they decide to move in together, he keeps this secret. Standard response to her inquiry, “What’s in a name?” 
 
If a man is gracing my bed repeatedly, moving into my place, then I deserve to know his full name. Heck, I would want to know more than just that but a first name would be top of the list. 

Don’t you agree?

I understand keeping things ‘close to the vest’ to add mystery to a relationship, but your name. Call me old fashion but my legs would’ve stayed closed until he fessed up. 

 
Heart Rating System – 1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤
 
GET YOUR COPY TODAY!! 
PAPERBACK / KINDLE
 

 

 
Mark Love lived for many years in the metropolitan Detroit area, where crime and corruption always prevalent. A former freelance reporter, Love honed his writing skills covering features and hard news. He is the author of five previous mysteries, Fade Away, Desperate Measures, WHY 319? and three Jamie Richmond romance mysteries, Devious, Vanishing Act and Fleeing Beauty.

Love resides in west Michigan with his wife, Kim. He enjoys a wide variety of music, books, travel, cooking and the great outdoors. Love is currently working on his next novel.

 

You can find him on Facebook, Amazon and his blog at the links below.

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B009P7HVZQ

http://marklove024.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/MarkLoveAuthor

 
 

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April 27, 2016 · 5:00 am

The Right Way To Be Wrong by Tracy A. Ball (Book Review)

Holden’s desire knew no limits. Holden’s family respected no boundaries. Not to worry, Cherry can fix that. Cherry can fix anything…except herself.

Being in love with Holden, one of the notorious Latche twins, has freed Cherry from her ghosts. Now, she wants to help everyone -with or without their consent. Her unyielding opinions influence every relationship on the Latche family farm. While her involvement may not always be welcome, at least her intentions are pure.

And that’s a problem.

Purity doesn’t work for Holden. Abstinence is not a part of his womanizing agenda. Besides, Cherry has two secrets too many as far as he is concerned. The lack of information about her family and her intimate exchanges with Eric– the other notorious Latche twin.

 
 
REVIEW 
(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 
 
After I read this story, all I could think is “Wow, my life is so boring compared to these people and thank goodness for that.” In this family, both genders stepped out on each other. Some more than others. At one point, the stepping out caused a paternity test which would’ve made even Maury Povich shake his head and yell out WTF. Mia (town hussy) slept with ever man on the farm — back to back. Seriously, I read that and almost threw up in my mouth. Just ewwww! 
 
The drama didn’t end there. Then came the paternity results. SHOCKER!!
 
Did the excitement end there? NOPE. These people were made for Jerry Springer. 
 
However when things finally calmed down, we got the HEA. Cue the applause machine!! 
 
Heart Rating System – 1 (lowest) and 5
(highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Tracy’s family is blended from three distinct cultures. Over the years, she has opened her home to foster children, drug addicts, AIDS victims and anyone who needed an assist. She has an equal number of liberal and conservative friends. She knows people who have committed murder and she knows people who know the Pope.

Which is why she writes sweet stories about tough love.

tra3ball@gmail.com
tracyaball.wordpress.com

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April 23, 2016 · 5:00 am

Cleat Chaser by Celia Aaron and Sloane Howell (Book Review)

 

Kyrie Kent hates baseball. She hates players even more. When her best friend drags her to a Ravens game, she spends the innings reading a book… Until she gets a glimpse of the closer—a pitcher who draws her like a magnet. Fighting her attraction to Easton Holliday is easy. All she has to do is keep her distance, avoid the ballpark, and keep her head down. At least, all that would have worked, but Easton doesn’t intend to let Kyrie walk so easily. When another player vies for Kyrie’s attention, Easton will swing for the fences. But will Kyrie strike him out or let him steal home?

Full disclosure: This is an erotic romance full of hot guys in tight baseball pants, even more guys in tight baseball pants who know how to swing a big stick, and explicit sex.

 
Amazon Purchase Links: Paperback / Kindle
 

 
 
Love at first sight or is it just lust at first glance?
 
That, my dears, is the millionth dollar question. 
 
For me, I don’t believe in love at first sight. To truly be in love, you have to know a person.
 
Those warm tingly feelings people experience when they meet someone is not love, it’s lust, infatuation, carnal desire. Pure and simple. 
 
You might call me unromantic, cynical, but actually I am a realist. I believe in real feelings which, I believe, can only come with time. 
 
In Cleat Chaser, Easton claims to have fallen in love with Kyrie after only a week. Okay, maybe this is possible if they really spent 24-7 with each other but they didn’t. Heck for the most part, she gave him the cold shoulder. While she ignored him, Easton practically begged her to talk to him. 
 
At several points in this book, I wanted to yell, “Man the F-up!”
 
His behavior/actions were a huge turn-off. 
 
With all that said, if you take the whole lust/love aspect out of this story and solo focus on the sex, you won’t be disappointed. They were scorching, erotic scenes! 
 
However the best parts of Cleat Chaser involved any scene featuring Nikki, Kasey, and Braden. These three sexy, crazy, funny, wickedly kinky people kept me in stitches because they had no filter and would try anything once. 
 
Oh yeah, they are my type of people. 
 
Without them, this book would’ve scored almost nil. With them, I’ll give it 1.5 stars. 1/2 a star for each supporting actor mentioned above. 
 
Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤1/2
 
 Paperback / Kindle

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April 21, 2016 · 5:00 am

Storm Front by D.L. Robinson (Book Review)

 

In just a few short days Loriel has major concerns about her new job. First thought to be a dream career, she realizes the job she had so anticipated has placed a target on her back, and she will be lucky to come out unscathed. Without the help of Givanni, her boss’s nephew and the CEO at Shellbrook, her fate would have been sealed a few times over. But his world, though frightening, brings with it breathtaking sights, adoring family, and stronger feelings than Loriel wants to admit. And although making it out alive had seemed impossible, it becomes desperately more important to make it out together.

 
 
(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 
 
After finishing Storm Front, I was divided if I liked it or not. It had some high points such as the pulse pounding action in chapter 1-5. Through these chapters, the reader will ride shotgun to car crashes, gun battles, a kidnapping, and a break-in. 
 
However, with that said, the story becomes a bit stagnant when Givanni and Loriel venture to Italy under the pretense they are in a relationship. It’s no wonder his family isn’t buying the bull they’re attempting to sell. He spends little time with her and doesn’t act like a man in love. Basically, he treats her like a friend — at times more like an acquaintance. I think that’s why Loriel was stunned speechless when Van admitted he was in love with her in the final chapter. 
 
Despite the humdrum of chapter 7-14, things do pick back up in chapter 15. 
 
I would like to say Storm Front ended with everything resolved but that’s not the case. D.L. told me plans are in the works for this to become a series and, with a confusing ending, I can see why a second book is highly needed. 
 
As for Van and Loriel, girl you should have went for Max. He is such a doll and a more likable character. 
 
 
Heart Rating System – 1 (lowest) and 5
(highest) 
Score: ❤❤1/2
 
 
 
 
 
 
Born and raised in California, Diana developed an early love for the coastline, mountain ranges, and desert in between. Her grade school years were spent in a chaos of paper and pencils, writing stories and poems, oftentimes scattered around the sunny white farmhouse she called home. Trading flip-flops for cowboy boots, she now resides in rural Idaho with her husband Joseph and five young children.
 

dlrobinsonauthor@gmail.com
twitter @dianaplus6
Instagram @dlrobinson_author

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