Finding Her Chance (Stealth Ops #4) by Brittney Sahin

Finding Her Chance

(Stealth Ops #4)

by Brittney Sahin

Kindle Edition

Published June 6th 2019 by Emko Media

This is fan art I created in photoshop to depict
a promotional poster type of image featuring Emily and Laim
as the author has described them.

Goodreads synopsis:

A drunken night in Vegas led to an accidental marriage... and a vow he’d die to honor.

An elite Navy SEAL and one of the world’s best snipers, Liam Evans lives and breathes his missions. It’s a simple — if not solitary — way to live, but it keeps his heart safe and his head in the game. But one night in Vegas with his beautiful friend destroys his one rule, leaving him at risk of falling for his own wife. 

Emily Summers, a successful lawyer for the attorney general’s office, swore off charmers with sexy accents and devastating smiles, and a weekend in Vegas isn’t going to change that. But when she and Liam meet to sign their it-never-happened annulment papers, the night turns deadly when an assassin takes aim at Emily.

Liam and Emily soon discover the hit is related to both of their jobs and an op involving an eight-year-old super genius with a ten-million-dollar bounty on her head. 

Caught between searching for answers and growing threats while trying to keep a young girl safe — Liam and Emily must also face their mounting desire for each other, as well as confront past pains. 

Fate may have tied them all together, but if they want a chance at a future, they’re going to have to fight for it.

***

5 Stars

This is the fourth book in the Stealth Ops series by Brittney Sahin.

First off… this book was awesome! I mean, the whole series just clicks all the buttons for me. Love it. I love the group covert dynamic. I love them all opening up to relationships. I am just in love period. This just revived all the reasons I knew I loved romantic suspense. This is my guilty pleasure genre for sure.

In book two of the series, there is a big double wedding at the end where Owen and his girl (I haven’t read that book yet) and Luke and Sam get married. Well apparently on the same night there was a third wedding between ladies man, Liam Evans and Emily Summers. They were drunk and in Vegas. I guess it is just what you do there. Wedding mania is in the air or something.

When they wake the next morning Liam is called off to an assignment and is gone before Emily can ever get the phone number of her new husband. They even had sex multiple times and she can’t remember any of it. Bummer!

Separately they are both involved in the same task force. Emily is on the legal end and Liam on the extraction of a young 8 year old genius. 

There is a lot of back and forth about will they annul the marriage or won’t they. But we know the more they get involved in each other’s worlds, the more they are invested to stay together. Liam is broken by his ex-finance leaving him at the alter and then marrying his brother! Emily has known since she was young that she would never have children and  then she was also tormented by the near death of her own Teamguy father.

The best part is the journey to love they find with each other. But know there is a section near the end where you will find yourself doing the ugly cry. This book pulls out all the stops.

This was an overall excellent book. My highest recommendation.

I purchased this book with my own money.

Out of Luck (Maximum Exposure #3) by Kendall Talbot

Out of Luck

(Maximum Exposure #3)

by Kendall Talbot

Kindle Edition

Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by Lyrical Liaison

Goodreads synopsis:

A history made of questions—and a future worth answering for . . .

For twenty years, they moved from town to town every few months. They paid in cash. They kept only what they could carry. But 26-year-old Charlene Bailey and her father were a family, complete and happy. Until a woman stabbed him to death in a New Orleans café, right in front of Charlene’s eyes, screaming in a language she didn’t understand. Now the police are claiming that her whole life is a lie. To find out who she is, she’ll have to find out what they were running from. And to discover that, she’ll have to find someone she can trust . . .

As a charter boat captain out of Key West, Marshall Crow has seen his share of reckless tourists. But the fierce young woman asking for passage to Cuba isn’t one of them. He never thought he’d put the skills he learned in the Navy to work smuggling a stranger, but he’s drawn to her the same way she’s drawn to the truth. And through the dark waters of the Florida straits and the narrow streets of Havana, the danger that awaits them is far too vicious to face alone

***

4 Stars

This was the surprise book of 2019. It looked intriguing but I wasn’t certain I would like it. The whole Cuban connection gave me pause. But the more I read the more interesting and intriguing it was.  Charlene and her dad Peter were about as off grid as you could get and still get around in the United States. They moved every six months. Lived hand to mouth. Only took paychecks in cash. Didn’t use a bank or have a social security card or identification of any kind. Not sure that is realistic these days but I can over look it for a book plotline.

Marshall comes to Charlene’s aid in order to get to Cuba. Her father had been murdered and the police informed her that according to her DNA he wasn’t her father biologically. This set her out to find the truth. She sort of ran into Cuba just thinking she was going to get information and get out. But we know how these things go and things are just so much more complicated than we realize.

I don’t want to spoil too much but this book was good, Exciting and thrilling. There is a bit of what appears to be insta-love in this book as well. I don’t thinking Marshall and Charlene getting together romantically would have happened so fast.

It is one enjoyable read. Definitely check this one out.

The Russian's Pleasure Proposition by Joanne Walsh

The Russian's Pleasure Proposition

by Joanne Walsh

Expected publication: July 15th 2019

Goodreads synopsis:

Hannah’s excited to be working for Frankie Kontarinis’s property company in the Greek island resort of Agia Kalamaros. And determined to impress her first client. Even if he’s millionaire music mogul, Sergei Alkaev, who’s well known as the Russian Rake, is a heartless playboy who changes girlfriends as often as his socks.

Tired of dating greedy, fickle women, Sergei’s not looking for another relationship—until Hannah has him thinking again. But her opinion of him is that he’s heartless, so how can he change her mind and persuade her to be his lover? When Hannah lets slip she’s inexperienced, Sergei makes her a proposition: let him teach her about love-making until she’s ready to find a man who will give her the happy-ever-after she deserves…

***

4.5 Stars

After reading two books that were not for me, I picked up this book to get my taste of feel good romance. And it didn’t disappoint.

Sergei is called the Russian Rake, a ladies man to the max. But he wants to mend his lover boy ways and moves to Agia Kalamaros to find a new direction in his love life. Something with more meaning.

Hannah has a problem. She has a medical problem with having sex and her previous lover pretty much scared her emotionally when she couldn’t perform. He was more about satisfying himself than her.

Hannah has a pretty explosive reaction to the Russian Rake when they meet at his brother’s wedding. But he is a notorious lover boy. Definitely not for her.

But soon she realizes that to get over her “problem” she may need a ladies man to make her feel all woman.

I liked this book. There was a lot of will they/won’t they? There were a lot of emotions and pushing feelings to the side. It was all super sweet, lovable and awesome. Loved it! Just what I needed to get out of my bad book reading slump.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

A Thread of Darkness by Sally Goldenbaum

A Thread of Darkness

(Queen Bees Quilt Shop #2)

by Sally Goldenbaum

Kindle Edition

Expected publication: July 2nd 2019 by Lyrical Underground

Goodreads synopsis:

The national bestselling author of the Seaside Knitters mysteries returns to find the Crestwood Quilters on pins and needles when a killer strikes. . . 

As owners of the popular bistro The French Quarter, former New York City restauranteurs Picasso and Laurel St. Pierre are the toast of the town of Crestwood, Kansas. Chef Picasso’s culinary creations delight the women of the quilting club, who have embraced him as a friend. But Laurel’s anti-social behavior confuses Kate Simpson—until she spots Mrs. St. Pierre with another man in what appears to be a lover’s spat. 

Gossip travels fast in a small town like Crestwood, and rumor has it this isn’t Laurel’s first indiscretion. She also filed a police report accusing Picasso of domestic abuse. And when Laurel’s murdered body is found Picasso is the prime suspect. To prove their friend’s innocence, Kate and the Crestwood Quilters must uncover the secrets of Laurel’s past—a patchwork history wrapped up in Kate’s own teenage years . . .

***

2 Stars

This is the second book in the Queen Bees Quilt Shop mysteries series.

I read book one a month or so ago and it didn’t appeal to me which made me sad. I was looking forward to getting to know the quilting circle goodness and the cozy mystery all tied into one. I didn’t find what I was looking for in that book and this one missed the mark as well. I felt like I was missing the entire cozy mystery experience.

The main character doesn’t stand out here. I didn’t have anyone to grasp ahold of and follow through the story. I spent a good portion of the book thinking Jacques was going to be killed  and it ended up being Laurel instead.

This book was just not for me. And that is not usual for my tastes. I am not clear what it is about this that turns me off so much. I think it is the lack of a main character to follow through the book and there are so many threads of different relationships that it almost overpowers the real story of whodunit. Seemed like 10% whodunit and 90% back and forth between characters that didn’t seem to contribute to the true focus of the story.

Wanted to love it and it fell flat for me. But if you love a cozy mystery, check this out and judge for yourself. Don’t take my word for it. Not my speed but it may be yours.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Meet Me at the Cupcake Café by Jenny Colgan

Meet Me at the Cupcake Café

(At the Cupcake Café #1)

by Jenny Colgan

Paperback, 456 pages

Published April 14th 2011 by Little, Brown Book Group

Goodreads synopsis:

Issy Randall can bake. No, more than that - Issy can create stunning, mouth-wateringly divine cakes. After a childhood spent in her beloved Grampa Joe's bakery she has undoubtedly inherited his talent. So when she's made redundant from her safe but dull City job, Issy decides to seize the moment and open up her own cafe.

***

2 Stars

This is the first book in the At the Cupcake Cafe series.

When I requested this ARC I thought I was going to love it. A lot of the other reviews I have seen were really positive. But I think my love of romantic suspense and action adventure made this story just too slow for me.

One thing I didn’t like was that the recipe was at the beginning of the chapters. I would have preferred them at the end of a chapter or the end of the book all together. It threw the flow of the text off.

Another thing was how the ex-treated poor Issy. She was already doing one no no thing, sleeping with the boss. But the boss was having her keep their relationship a secret and exerting control over her all the while everyone in the office knew of their liaisons. What a creep.

It also took way too long to get to the point of the story. I felt like the entire thing just drug along waiting for something to infuse it with energy. Even the main character guy love interest who worked at the bank couldn’t pull this out of the doldrums for me.

I wanted to love it. I thought it would be perfect for me but it just fell flat. But don’t take my word for it. If this story sounds like your jam, pick it up and give it the love I couldn’t.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Pursuing the Bear (Shifter Wars #2) by Kerry Adrienne

Pursuing the Bear

(Shifter Wars #2)

by Kerry Adrienne 

Kindle Edition, 336 pages

Published November 28th 2016 by Carina Press

Goodreads synopsis:

The Shifter Wars heat up when a woman investigates the mysteries surrounding a fierce breed of man and exposes more than just secrets

Bear shifters exist. Professor Bria Lane has known this since she was a child. Now she's returned to the forests of Deep Creek to prove it to the world. She has no idea how close she is to that proof in ruggedly sexy park ranger Derek Poole. Intimately close.But uncovering Derek's wild side comes with a shattering price. 

Like a magnet meeting metal, Derek is drawn to Bria. His destiny. His mate. So beautiful and so vulnerable. So dangerous, too: an encroachment of lions, vengeful and vicious, is closing in and they're ready for war. Now is not the time to be distracted like a lovesick cub. 

If Bria reveals the truth of the Deep Creek shifters to the world, she'll bring out the worst of both sides. But Derek can't hide his secrets from the love of his life forever. He knows they're playing with fire--and that when passion runs this hot, this reckless, someone's bound to get burned.

***

4.5 Stars

This is the second book in the Shifter Wars series by Kerry Adrienne.

I picked this up because a bear shifter just seemed so interesting. Of course, I am reading this series out of order. Per usual for me.

This book was like watching a train wreck waiting to happen. Bria wanted so much to see a shifter bear in Deep Creek that she lied on her grant application to get the funding to do it. Under the guise of watching the bears and their watering rituals, she went on the search for these elusive bear shifters. She had seen the shifter bears when she was ten years old and the magic of their transformations fascinated her. She wanted to meet these shifter bears but I don’t think she realized what she was asking. The reality could be much worse than the fantasy.

Derek is a shifter bear. He works as a Park Ranger in Deep Creek and runs across Bria. Almost immediately he learns two things. Bria wants to out all the bear shifters to the world and she is his forever mate!

I thought this book was really interesting. I liked how unsure Derek was dealing with Bria and how Bria was not really thinking properly about the entire situation. Then add in the bear part of Derek’s personality and it made for a great read.

Definitely pick this up if  you like a good paranormal romantic thriller.

____

I purchased this book with my own money.

Beyond Limits (Tracers #8) by Laura Griffin

Beyond Limits

(Tracers #8)

by Laura Griffin 

Paperback, 400 pages

Published January 27th 2015 by Pocket Books

Goodreads synopsis:

An FBI agent and a Navy SEAL race against time in New York Times bestselling author Laura Griffin’s newest Tracers novel. “Griffin delivers the goods!” (Publishers Weekly)

FBI agent Elizabeth LeBlanc is still caught in the aftermath of her last big case when she runs into the one man from her past who is sure to rock her equilibrium even more. Navy SEAL Derek Vaughn is back home from a harrowing rescue mission in which he found evidence of a secret terror cell on US soil. Elizabeth knows he’ll do anything to unravel the plot—including seducing her for information. And despite the risks involved, she’s tempted to let him. Together with the forensics experts at the Delphi Center, Derek and Elizabeth are closing in on the truth, but it may not be fast enough to avert a devastating attack…

Following in the bestselling tradition of the Tracers series, including Exposed, Scorched, and Twisted, Beyond Limits pulls out all the stops with Griffin’s most gripping thriller yet.

***

5 Stars

This is the eighth book in the Tracers romantic suspense/thriller series.

I am not sure where I got in my head that Laura Griffith was more of a horror author than thriller/suspense author. That mere thought has kept me from reading the many books I have from her in my TBR pile. Now I feel sad because I could have been enjoying all these Tracer series books much earlier! This book was not only thrilling but amazing! I need more and more now!

Elizabeth has a past with a SEAL named Derek Vaughn. Elizabeth gets put on an important task force by an important high up FBI guy named Gordon who knows of this connection between them. Derek doesn’t like red tape when dealing with capturing a bad guys. He wants swift justice. Gordon has rules to follow but he wants Vaughn to cut through the red tape for him. And he is using Elizabeth to make thus happen.

Elizabeth is very conflicted in this novel. She wants to do all this on her own but she has not gotten Derek out of her mind even after a year! She is frustrated and really needs a little closure. Derek being Derek, he inserts himself into her investigation and begins doing some investigating of his own. Of course, in one day he has made more progress on their case than the entire FBI task force has made in a month.

This book really keeps you on your toes. There is barely any downtime for the characters to think about their relationship along the way. Yet we get all the feels with their romantic interludes along with the pounding action we all know and love.

I am returning to this series for sure because I am completely hooked and enamored by Griffith’s writing style and characterization.

My highest recommendation.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.