Once in a Lifetime (Lucky Harbor #9) by Jill Shalvis

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis continues with the ninth installment in her beloved Lucky Harbor series.

SOMETIMES WRONG IS OH-SO-RIGHT

After a wrenching loss, Ben McDaniel tried to escape his grief by working in dangerous, war-torn places like Africa and the Middle East. Now he's back in his hometown and face-to-face with Aubrey Wellington, the hot-as-hell woman who is trouble with a capital T. Family and friends insist she's not the one to ease his pain, but Aubrey sparks an intense desire that gives Ben hope for the future.

Determined to right the wrongs of her past, Aubrey is working hard to make amends. But by far, the toughest challenge to her plan is sexy, brooding Ben - even though he has absolutely no idea what she's done . . .

Can this unlikely couple defy the odds and win over the little town of Lucky Harbor?
    

ebook, 368 pages

Published February 18th 2014 by Grand Central Publishing

 

5/5 Stars

 

I wasn't sure if Aubrey was gonna be a decent person in this book or if I would even like her after the peeks of her we've had in other books, but surprisingly she was a pretty decent, if not heartbreaking at times. Of course Ben was great. All brooding alpha man that wants the fun stuff but not the relationship. Everyone else in Lucky Harbor was as nosey as ever, which is always great. This is a town that you either want to live in or visit often and be friends with everyone from the sexy mysterious boat builder, Sam, to the incredibly entertaining senior citizens. I definitely look forward to each installment of this light hearted romantic series. Totally recommend to anyone who likes their romance on the sweet side.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Jagged (Colorado Mountain #5)

An old flame rekindled . . .

Zara Cinders always knew Ham Reece was the one, but he wasn't interested in settling down. When she found someone who was, Ham walked out of her life. Three years later, Zara's lost her business, her marriage, and she's barely getting by in a tiny apartment on the wrong side of the tracks. As soon as Ham hears about Zara's plight, he's on her doorstep offering her a lifeline. Now, it will take every ounce of will power she possesses to resist all that he offers.

Ham was always a traveling man, never one to settle down in one town, with one woman, for more time than absolutely necessary. But Ham's faced his own demons, and he's learned a lot. About himself, and about the life he knows he's meant to live. So when he hears that Zara's having a rough time, he wants to be the one to help. In fact, he wants to do more than that for Zara. A lot more. But first, he must prove to Zara that he's a changed man.
   

ebook, 528 pages

Published November 5th 2013

 

4.5/5 Stars

 

I absolutely love Kristen Ashley's books, but this is a new series for me cause I just recently found her. I know...I must've been living under a rock or something! I've read the Rock Chicks, Dream Men, Chaos series and started the Unfinished Heroes and loved every steamy adrenalin soaked minute of them and had heard of the Colorado series, but hadn't dived into them yet so when this book came up on Netgalley I figured it be the perfect chance to try it. I'm glad I did! Though, I must admit to taking a couple extra days to read it because the first 1/3 is completely emotionally exhausting....well, the whole book is emotional, but the beginning was rough. I admit to shedding a few tears. Zara was such a strong woman to grow up the way she did and to be able to deal with Ham the way she did. I honesty don't think I could've walked away. And Ham....what can you say about Ham? He's completely an alpha man that's for sure, but he's also kind, affectionate, protective, sexy, gruff, sometimes a little dickish, but you always know where you stand with him. Loved the entire book. Every bit of sadness, happiness, the incredible sex, the vishious fighting, just everything. So, why did I take half a star away? Well, he sounds like every guy in the above series I mentioned. The way they talk with clipped short sentences and certain mannerisms. As Ham is talking I can picture Tack or Mitch or Lee saying the exact same thing the exact same way. It's not bad, just the same. Would and will still recommend this book to every single reader I know.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Gobble gobble!

 

 

                          Hope everybody is having a great holiday with friends and family!

Things that bug me in books....

 I'm sorry, but I've got to get this out. There have been a couple things that have come up recently in another blog post on a different website that I've been thinking about recently. It deals with the new trends in books nowadays. Hopefully you'll indulge me my opinion here.

#1. Billionaires. I don't get the obsession with them. Sure they're rich, but why would you want to deal with a man who has everything and buys everything he wants. I would rather have a down to earth man who's making a comfortable living and respects people for hard work. I'm sure it would be nice to just jump on a plane and fly to Paris or Hong Kong or wherever, but it would be nicer if you earned it. And it seems as if they're all into BDSM now.

#2. New Adult Genre. Every one of these books are pretty much the same thing. They're written in first person. They have an emotional/physically damaged girl. A bad boy who makes every thing better. Lots of clenching, throbbing, fluttering vaginas. And nothing is solved in one book; the author feels they must stretch the book out for multiple books, which brings me to....

#3. Episodes. Why must authors now write one book, but break it into 4, 5, or 6 episodes? If I buy a book I want to read a story from beginning to end. I absolutely hate to start a book and get to the end only to find out that it ends abruptly and I have to buy another book to find out how it actually ends. I hate paying for each episode and having to wait a month or more between each one. Honestly, most of the time I forget about them.

#4. Short petite woman. I have nothing against short petite woman personally, but it seems as if every book I've read in the past 6 months has the main female as under 5'5" and slim build matched up with big hulking 6' 2 and taller men. It could be the type of books I'm reading, but seriously? There are women out there taller then 5' 5" and weight more then 105 pounds. I'm guess most of my friends fall into the category of definitely weighing more then that and range in height up to around 5'11". Maybe I'm too picky, but when I read about a woman who is 5' 2" fitting perfectly with a man 6'5" all I do is laugh, because I honestly don't see it.

Keep in mind this is MY opinion and you are more then welcome to disagree.

Long Time Gone (Hell or High Water #2) by SE Jakes

When a tornado meets a volcano, nothing is safe.

Soldier of fortune Prophet Drews always worked alone—until Tom Boudreaux became his partner. But when Tom walked away three months ago, ostensibly to keep Prophet safe, Prophet learned the true meaning of being alone. Everyone knows that Prophet, a Navy SEAL turned CIA spook turned mercenary, can look after himself. Which means he must’ve driven his lover away.

Even with half a world between them, Prophet can’t get the man out of his head. Maybe that’s why he’s in New Orleans in the middle of a hurricane, protecting Tom’s aunt. But the only looter around is Tom, bursting back into Prophet’s life. It turns out that Prophet’s been stuck in Tom’s head—and heart—too.

Their explosive reunion gets even hotter when Tom is arrested for murder. As they fight to clear his name, they delve deep into his past, finding enemies among everyone they meet. Staying alive in such a dangerous world is hard enough, but they soon discover that fighting to stay together is the most difficult thing they’ve ever done.
   

270 pages

Published October 28th 2013 by Riptide Publishing

 

5/5 Stars

 

Never has so much happened with so little action. That didn't come out the exact way I mean it. There is plenty of action, what with a hurricane, murders, police chases, swamps, alligators, stoners and even an air boat. But for most of the book it's just Tom and Prophet alone in a cabin in the swamp and believe me....that is such a good thing! They finally get to confront each other, their fears and their future together and they come out of that swamp with a better partnership then when they went in. These two strong alpha men realized so much about themselves and each other, not to say everything is all sunshine and roses, they are far from that, but at least they're on the same chapter if not the same page.

I loved everything about this book. The men, the storyline, the setting, the angst, and definitely the sex (no wonder that swamp was so steamy with those two in it). I can't wait for more in this series. I'm dying to know more about the über mysterious Cillian and those men following Prophet around doing good deeds without being seen. Love it love it love it! I think anybody who isn't offended by two men loving each other and loving hard would enjoy this book and hopefully fall for these guys too. They remind me so much of Ty and Zane (from the Cut & Run series by Abigail Roux and Madeline Urban) mixed with a little Will and Taylor (Dangerous Ground by Josh Lanyon) and that is never a bad combination.

Fundraising 101

So, here I am celebrating my great-nephew's 3rd birthday. That's my niece, Jessica, with me. I decided I'd try to do a little fundraising for a new van or at least a newer van. I've got a beast of a van, a 1985 Econoline, that only works if it feels like it which isn't very often. So Jess and I put our heads together (much like in the picture above) and having been on the look out for a legit fundraising site that didn't take too much of the actual donations and I finally found one with the help of my best friend, Megan. It's called GoFundMe and it is a fabulous site that has helped a lot of people.

I've filled out the necessary form, uploaded a picture and have now posted on Facebook and Twitter. I've sent emails out and now my final stop is here. If anyone is interested in helping out by either a donation or simply by sharing my link I would be forever grateful. Here is the link.......
 

 http://www.gofundme.com/4xso0o

If You Were Mine (The Sullivans #5) by Bella Andre

Can two people who have both sworn off love find forever in each other's arms?

The last thing Zach Sullivan wants is to take care of his brother's new puppy for two weeks. Until he meets the dog trainer, that is. Heather is bright, beautiful, and he can't stop thinking about her. Unfortunately, she just might be the only woman on earth who wants nothing to do with him.

Heather Linsey can't believe she's stuck working with one of the city’s top dogs, auto-shop tycoon Zach Sullivan. Especially when his focus is clear from the start—not only to learn how to deal with his temporary puppy...but also to make Heather his. Having sworn off love at seventeen when she realized it was nothing more than a pack of lies, she has stuck to her vow never to fall for a charming man.

But as Heather's determination to push Zach away only fuels his determination to get closer—and the sensual and emotional connection between them grows more and more undeniable—will the biggest Sullivan bad boy of all tempt her into believing in love again?
    

ebook, 194 pages

Published May 22nd 2012 by Oak Press

 

 

5/5 Stars

 

Zack is my favorite Sullivan now; it's official. I'm so happy I took a chance on reading this series because each book just keeps getting better with each sibling. I'm so emotionally invested in this family right now I feel as if I know them personally or maybe grew up with them and have reconnected after years apart. Heather and Zack were absolutely perfect for each other in every way. They each gave the other exactly what they needed. I think Heather will make a damn fine Sullivan too. I'm excited to read Ryan's story next, but at the same time I know I'm one book closer to the end of the series and I'm definitely not looking forward to that. Maybe there's some cousins hiding away somewhere.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.