Mini Reviews for February Part Two

29 February of 2016 by

A River Bend Wedding: 5
Highland Wolf Pact: A Scottish Wolf Shifter Romance: 4
Alex: 5
Broken Silence: 5
Stripped Down: 3
Streets Apart: 4
4.3Overall score

Six enticing stories

A River Bend Wedding by Molly McLain
A River Bend Wedding By Molly McLain

Contemporary Romance

Released February 13, 2016

Self-published

Series: River Bend, Book 4.5

 

 

 

Synopsis Green

River Bend’s first couple is back!

The pleasure of your company is requested at the marriage of Carissa Joy Brandt & Joshua Daniel Hudson on Saturday, the thirteenth day of February, at St. Joseph’s Parish.

But shh! Keep it on the down-low, because the bride doesn’t know!

Review Green

Reviewed by ButtonsMom20003

OMG – I want to steal Josh; Carissa is one lucky woman.

 

This may be a novella in length but it sure packs a punch. Carissa has been working herself ragged planning a wedding for the coming summer. When she gets sick Josh decides to take things into his own hands. Boy is she going to be surprised.This story was so moving – it made me cry way too many tears; but they were good tears.

If you’ve read the other books in this series, especially the first one, you HAVE to read this. It was so great to revisit the characters from the other River Bend stories.

As is usual in the River Bend stories there’s lots of hot lovin’ and lots of strong language.

 

♥♥♥♥♥

O Factor: Spicy

Amazon USAmazon AUAmazon CAAmazon DEAmazon ESAmazon FRAmazon ITAmazon UKBarnes & NobleKobo USKobo CAKobo UK


Highland Wolf Pact: A Scottish Wolf Shifter Romance by Selena Kitt
Highland Wolf Pact: A Scottish Wolf Shifter Romance By Selena Kitt

Paranormal Historical Romance

Released October 15th, 2014

Excessica Publishing

Series: Highland Wolf Pact, Book 1.

 

 

 

Synopsis Orange

Sibyl Blackthorne isn’t afraid of anything–except maybe being sold into marriage to a man she doesn’t love. A man she’s never even met. A man who, by reputation, is one of Scotland’s cruelest lairds in over a century.

But what choice does she have, with her father dead and her uncle now married to his brother’s widow, putting him in charge of not only the Blackthorne fortune, but Sibyl’s future as well?

Then her betrothed turns out to actually be far worse than his reputation, so headstrong Sibyl decides life as a peasant, or even death, would be preferable to a future with such a despicable man, and makes plans to run away.

On an organized hunt for wolves–or, as the Scots call them, wulvers–Sybil escapes her fiancé’s clutches, only to find she’s run into something far more untamed and dangerous in the middle of the woods.

When a big, brawny, long-haired man, who only speaks to her in Gaelic and calls himself Raife, simply picks her up and carries her off with him into the Scottish wild, Sibyl knows she’s in trouble.

When he takes her to a place no human has ever been, she knows she’s gone over the edge.

And when he, at last, marks her as his own, she discovers that only one wild heart can claim another.

Review Orange
Reviewed by Brianna

A den of hot Wulvers seeks headstrong nurse

 

Sibyl wasn’t your typical English-born woman. Her father raised her like a son, and she learned to be independent, to protect herself, and to think for herself. However, when her father passes and her uncle takes his place, Sibyl is thrown headlong into a marriage of inconvenience. Her fiancé is a real jerk. The day she decides to kick him to the curb, and also sort-of-kind-of stab him into a tree with an arrow—the jerk had it coming—a shifter, more accurately, a Wulver, which is the term for a human that changes into a wolf, Raife, saves her from her jerk of a fiancé and his merry band of not-so-nice employed men.

This book had a great mix of paranormal elements that I look for in a novel. It was well-developed, the characters had a fair amount of depth, the storyline was interesting, and the heroine was a badass that didn’t let herself become the damsel in distress. There was a fair amount of laughter, and Raife is a hot, hot, hot hunk of an alpha. I would definitely recommend this to anyone that wants to read an interesting take on a shifter romance.

 

♥♥♥♥

O Factor: Spicy

AlibrisAll Romance eBooksAmazon USAmazon AUAmazon CAAmazon DEAmazon ESAmazon FRAmazon ITAmazon UKBarnes & NobleBook DepositoryPowell’s Books


Alex by S.M. Shade
Alex By S.M. Shade

Contemporary Romance / GLBTQ / MM

Released February 26, 2016

Self-published

Series: Striking Back, Book 4

 

 

 

Synopsis

Ninety- two days. Thirteen weeks. That’s how long it’s been since I lost my love, my best friend. It’s been everything I can do to drag myself out of bed and get back to work, but I know Cooper would want me to move on. I think he’d even be happy if he knew who I want to move on with. The target of my affection, though, may not be so thrilled about my choice.

He’s straight. Or he thinks he is.

A womanizer of the worst kind with a face and body that keeps a steady stream of willing women at his door, he seems happy to work his way through the entire female population. But there’s no mistaking the way he looks at me when he thinks I’m not paying attention.
One way or another, I’ll show him what he really wants.
Review

Reviewed by ButtonsMom2003

A great gay-for-you (GFY) story.

Alternating POV between Alex and Ian Ian has a medical crises – testicular cancerThis is the last book in the Striking Back series but is can easily be read as a stand-alone. I have not read any of the other books and I loved this one. The author asked me to read it specifically because I hadn’t read any of the others in this series. She wanted to make sure that it really did stand-alone and it does but now I want to read the other books in this series!

The story is told in alternating first-person POV. Alex is grieving his dead boyfriend, Cooper, who was killed in a car accident. He and his brothers operate a domestic violence shelter called Striking Back, as well as Reed’s Gym. After Cooper dies Alex moves in with Ian to help him with the fixer-upper he bought. Ian is a manwhore and brings women home all the time. Listening to Ian and his women is a good distraction from his grief and so is working on the house. Things are going great until Alex realizes that he is attracted to Ian even though he knows that Ian is totally straight.

For a novella length book (149 pages according to Amazon) this one sure packs a punch. Without giving away the story I can say that there are a lot of things happening: rescuing a kid in danger, a serious medical crises, guarding someone in danger, a straight guy who doesn’t really understand what he’s feeling and more. Once I started this book I couldn’t put it down.

If you like MM romance and especially GFY stories you don’t want to miss this one.

 

♥♥♥♥♥

O Factor: Spicy

Add to your tbr…                                             

Goodreads

Buy Now

 


Broken Silence by Jennifer Kacey
Broken Silence By Jennifer Kacey

Paranormal Romance

Released February 26, 2016

Decadent Publishing

Series: Black Hills Wolves, Book 42

 

 

 

Synopsis

More than a decade before, when Paul was nothing but a child, fate dealt him a hand he couldn’t win. Silenced him forever for speaking out against the former Alpha, stole his destiny, and robbed him of his place in the pack.

Presley Ginger, a tiny human female, couldn’t have been further from what he expected to walk into the bar and alter his future. But he couldn’t tell her anything about his wolf or his shift. Nothing. Bound by a direct order from the enforcer to keep her in the dark, his need for her would never see the light of day. Then the moon rose above him in the presence of his mate and changed everything.

For years, in the background is where he stayed, unable to find his voice. Until his rainbow-haired mate showed up in the Black Hills—with the answer in her hands.

Review

Reviewed by Jean

Breaking more than the silence…

 

Quiet, unassuming Paul has paid a lifetime over for speaking out of turn as a child. The cruelties of a deranged alpha stole his voice and relegated him to a world of silence. All his aspirations to advance in the pack were stripped and now he lives as a lowly omega serving the pack. That is until the effervescent PG explodes into his life. Never again will he be silenced because for the first time he’s able to speak. For the first time he’s using all the ASL he’s learned. The only problem? He isn’t able to tell his mate about his wolf. How is he to claim her if he can’t break that silence? Then fate and the moon played their hands…

PG is between grants and looking for new focus. A trip to visit her old classmate and colleague, Saja might just steer her in the right direction. She’s spent her recent years studying the dynamics of BDSM but even with all the current trends since 50 Shades no one is opting to approve a grant for further study. Now she’s at loose ends. Then she walks into the bar where she’s meeting Saja and spies the hottest man. Finding out he’s mute doesn’t slow her down one whit in approaching him. Having spent years communicating with her grandmother in ASL and providing translations she’s quite adept at going after what she wants and she definitely wants this hottie.

I loved Broken Silence. There is just something about the wounded hero that really gets to me. Watching Paul break out of his shell was inspiring. And talk about chemistry… these two have it in spades. If you’re looking for a hot shifter romance with a touch of BDSM then you’re gonna love Broken Silence. What a wonderful addition to the Black Hills Wolves series.

 

♥♥♥♥♥

O Factor: Scorcher

Buy Now

All Romance eBooksAmazon USAmazon AUAmazon CAAmazon DEAmazon ESAmazon FRAmazon ITAmazon UKKobo USKobo CAKobo UKSmashwords


Stripped Down by Anne Marsh
Stripped Down By Anne Marsh

Contemporary Western / Erotic Romance

Released February 8, 2016

Self-published

Series: Lonesome Cowboys, Book 1

 

 

 

Synopsis

I warned her once—I don’t give warnings twice—that if she ever came back when she was grown up, she’d be mine. She flipped me off and told me I wasn’t the boss of her. She was playing with fire and she knew it, but she also thought she was safe. Off-limits. Taboo. She hadn’t figured out that the only rules I played by were my own.” ~ Angel Mendoza

When I come home to Lonesome, California, I’m expecting to inherit a house and a fresh start on my crappy life—not a hard-eyed cowboy. Angel Mendoza is more devil than saint. He’s also richer than God, and a sexy asshole to boot. I have no business wanting to get close to him. He’s got a few plans of his own, too—like getting into my bed and my body. Heart optional.

Angel’s need for total control in bed shocks and thrills me, but giving in and letting go isn’t easy. Despite everything he owns—the land, the vast wealth, the loyal cowboys who run his cattle—Angel is tormented by demons. He’ll give me his body, but never his secrets… or his heart.

Review

Reviewed by ButtonsMom2003

This one was just OK for me.

 

I’ve read a lot of books by Anne Marsh and I pretty much have loved all of them. I wish I could say that I loved Stripped Down, too, but it just didn’t click for me.This book was quite a bit different than any other story of hers that I’ve read. For one thing the language was much coarser. I’ll read anything from sweet to smut but somehow the coarse language in this one just seemed a bit over the top for me. I read a lot of books with coarse language, and am not bothered by it, so I’m not exactly sure why it bothered me in this one. It’s more likely that I just wasn’t expecting it in an Anne Marsh story, or perhaps I just wasn’t quite in the right mood when I picked this one up to read it. I struggled to get it read and that’s just not normally the case for me, especially with one of Anne’s books.

I believe this is the first in a series and I’m willing to give the next book a go if I get the opportunity. I just wish I could give this one more stars but I can’t..

 

♥♥♥

O Factor: Scorcher

Buy Now

All Romance eBooksAmazon USAmazon AUAmazon CAAmazon DEAmazon ESAmazon FRAmazon ITAmazon UKBarnes & NobleKobo USKobo CAKobo UK


Treasured Find (Royal Pride Book 1) by Nancy Corrigan
Treasured Find (Royal Pride Book 1) By Nancy Corrigan
Paranormal Romance

Released November 11, 2015

Self Published

Series: Royal Pride, Book #1

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

Sometimes the greatest finds are unexpected.

After five centuries, Rafe Alexander knows what to expect from life–boredom broken by the occasional call from Shifter Affairs. No matter how mundane the job, he always accepts their plea for help. He knows what it’s like to lose loved ones to the shifter trafficking rings decimating their species.

But the task that takes him to West Virginia changes everything. A human is dead. A shifter child is missing. And the human female connected to both tragedies is hiding a secret.

He needs to discover the mystery surrounding her. But the felines he houses–lion, tiger and jaguar–want him to get close to her for another reason. Jasmine is special, both for how she affects him and for the treasure she’s been guarding.

And as danger mounts, he’s left balancing his desire for revenge and his need to protect. But the line between them isn’t always black and white, especially where his family is concerned.

Review

Reviewed by Deb

 

An Exciting Beginning To A New Shifter Series

 

Treasured Find is an exciting and absorbing beginning to Nancy Corrigan’s Royal Pride series. A shifter tale that doesn’t mess around with long, drawn out world building set ups, it throws you into the action from the very start. No need to worry! Ms. Corrigan is so good at storytelling I never felt lost or confused. The pieces fall together beautifully; characters develop right before your eyes, the complicated history of the Royals doesn’t seem complicated at all, and the relationship between our two main characters is sizzling hot. I immediately fell into this story head first and didn’t come up for air until the end.

Jasmine “Jaz” is a human tasked with raising two unique shifter cubs. Jaz’s experience with the unscrupulous humans who experiment on shifters has her frightened out of her wits. But she’s grown to love the boys as if they were her own. Besides, Jaz made a promise she’s bound and determined to keep. Rafe Alexander is a Royal shifter, tasked to locate a rare cub. Rafe’s three inner felines have been a handful these last 500 years, but it’s part of being an immortal Royal. They’re also why he hasn’t found his true mate. Getting three very stubborn cats to agree isn’t easy. Until they all set eyes on Jasmine, and her cubs.

Treasured Find has all the elements of a fantastic paranormal. The world is unique and intriguing. Ms. Corrigan’s voice has the humor, suspense, danger, and heart pounding chemistry to keep readers enthralled, and wanting more.

 

♥♥♥♥♥

O Factor: Spicy

Buy Now


Streets Apart by H J Perry
Streets Apart By H J Perry

New Adult / GLBTQ / MM

Released February 26, 2016

LoveLight Press

Series: Apart, Book 1

 

 

 

Synopsis

I’m Aaron. I’ve got a crush the size of Europe on Joe, who lives across the street, and when he’s around, I transform into a prize idiot.

The rest of the time I’m a trainee plumber, following my father and brothers into the construction industry. On Sundays, I transform into a player in the amateur football league. In all, a confident, well-adjusted guy. For a 20-year-old virgin who lives with his parents and falls apart over the boy not-quite next door.

Joe’s cute, sexy and fun. I know he’s fun because we used to play together as kids in the massive posh house that he lives in with his parents, the doctors. Now he’s at university, studying literature; we don’t see each other anymore.

How do I ask a guy for a date when I can’t string together a coherent sentence when he’s around, and I don’t even know if he’s gay?

And what’s more, no one knows I’m gay.

Review

Reviewed by ButtonsMom2003

Aaron and Joe are hot and sweet.

Streets Apart is the first book I’ve read by H. J. Perry. I found it to be an enjoyable read with lots of HOT scenes. Aaron and Joe are both young adults and have been neighbors for years. They played together as children but they have grown apart. Aaron has known that he is gay for several years but he hasn’t come out to anyone yet. He’s had a huge crush on Joe for a few years and this is part of the reason he’s let their friendship drift apart. Aaron doesn’t know that Joe is gay, too. A chance meeting sets things in motion for the two of them to get together.

The author is English so there are some terms and references throughout the story that I’m not familiar with but this didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the story one bit. Every time that “football” was mentioned I had to remind myself that they were talking about what we American’s call soccer. This wasn’t a bad thing I only mention it because I had to smile to myself as I read and tell my brain to understand football as soccer.

While I might not be familiar with all of the terms (some I suspect were slang) I was able to get the gist of what the author was trying to get across. There were funny moments in the book, too, as Aaron (a virgin) found his way while he and Joe explored their budding relationship. This book has a happy for now (HFN) but the author’s website indicates that there will be another book in this series and I look forward to reading it.

 

♥♥♥♥

O Factor:  Scorcher

Buy Now

Amazon USAmazon AUAmazon CAAmazon DEAmazon ESAmazon FRAmazon ITAmazon UK

 

Subscribe to Xtreme Delusions post notifications

Previous:

Review: Saved by a SEAL by Lindsay McKenna, Chris Keniston & Susan Stoker

Next:

Release Blitz / Review / Giveaway: Favorite Obsession by Nancy Corrigan

You may also like