BEAUTIFUL SINNER by Sophie Jordan

November 14, 2018

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Devil’s Rock, Book 5

From the publisher:

Locked in with the town bad boy . . .

Most women would be scared, but Gabriella’s only worried about resisting Cruz Walsh, who’s even hotter than he was back in high school. Cruz was wrongly accused of the high-profile crime for which he was imprisoned; Gabriella’s desperate for the scoop that will get her career off the ground and get her out of Sweet Hill, where everyone still remembers her as “Flabby Gabby.” Being stuck in a supply closet with Cruz is the perfect opportunity to land an interview. What Bri doesn’t count on is Cruz taking “up-close and personal” to a whole new level.

If there’s a silver lining to the hell Cruz went through, it’s that losing his freedom put everything in perspective. Maybe starting over someplace new would be easier, but after years locked up, Cruz values his family—and his true friends—more than ever. So he’s back home, facing the gossip, dodging reporters . . . and face-to-face with Gabriella Rossi. They’ve both changed: Bri wants a story and Cruz just wants her. Another thing he’s learned? Don’t let a good thing slip away.

Hot, hot, hot! Sophie Jordan brings the heat in the latest erotic romance in the Devil’s Rock series. Devil’s Rock is a prison, so you know this is not going to be all hearts and flowers.

Cruz is definitely tall, dark and mysterious and Gabby’s boss wants the mystery solved. She’s not sure she does. Turns out Cruz was her high school crush and they have a bit of history that he is not exactly aware of. And Cruz had a massive, unrequited crush on Gabriella, too. Cruz is completely non-responsive to any and all questions about his mistaken incarceration, and frankly, Gabby is more interested in her physical reaction to him rather than the story.

I loved their back story which brought additional depth to the romance. A terrific read with plenty of sex which just added to the fun. I haven’t read all the books in this series but I’m working on it.

11/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

BEAUTIFUL SINNER by Sophie Jordan. Avon (October 30, 2018).  ISBN 978-0062666598.  368p.

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ALL CHAINED UP by Sophie Jordan

November 13, 2018

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Devil’s Rock, Book 1

From the publisher:

There are bad boys and then there are the men of Devil’s Rock . . .

Some men come with a built-in warning label. Knox Callaghan is one of them. Danger radiates from every lean, muscled inch of him, and his deep blue eyes seem to see right through to Briar Davis’s most secret fantasies. But there’s one major problem: Briar is a nurse volunteering at the local prison, and Knox is an inmate who should be off-limits in every way.

Knox feels it too—a shocking animal magnetism that drives him to risk his own life to protect Briar’s. Paroled at last, he tries to resist her. She’s too innocent, too sweet, and she has no idea what Knox is capable of. But a single touch can lead to a kiss—and a taste . . . until the only crime is denying what feels so right . . .

This is the first book in the Devil’s Rock series – of course, I’ve already read a few of the newer books but no matter, they do not need to be read in order. This is a terrific romance with Jordan’s legendary smokin’ hot love scenes. But more than just the sex, there is a lot of heart here, and plenty of emotion. It is inescapable when a man gets out of prison for saving lives in a prison riot.

Devil’s Rock is a prison, not your typical romance setting but Jordan makes it work. The woman has mad skills.

In light of all the consent issues going on in romances today, Jordan was fairly prescient in her handling of it in this earlier title. These characters are drawn to one another despite their differences which frankly, seem insurmountable, yet true love wins out as it always does. Thank goodness.

11/18  Stacy Alesi AKA the BookBitch™

ALL CHAINED UP by Sophie Jordan. Avon (March 29, 2016). ISBN 978-0062423689. 384p.

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THE PROPOSAL by Jasmine Guillory

November 11, 2018

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From the publisher:

“There is so much to relate to and throughout the novel, there is a sharp feminist edge. Loved this one, and you will too.”–New York Times bestselling author Roxane Gay

The author of The Wedding Date serves up a novel about what happens when a public proposal doesn’t turn into a happy ending, thanks to a woman who knows exactly how to make one on her own…

When someone asks you to spend your life with him, it shouldn’t come as a surprise–or happen in front of 45,000 people.

When freelance writer Nikole Paterson goes to a Dodgers game with her actor boyfriend, his man bun, and his bros, the last thing she expects is a scoreboard proposal. Saying no isn’t the hard part–they’ve only been dating for five months, and he can’t even spell her name correctly. The hard part is having to face a stadium full of disappointed fans…

At the game with his sister, Carlos Ibarra comes to Nik’s rescue and rushes her away from a camera crew. He’s even there for her when the video goes viral and Nik’s social media blows up–in a bad way. Nik knows that in the wilds of LA, a handsome doctor like Carlos can’t be looking for anything serious, so she embarks on an epic rebound with him, filled with food, fun, and fantastic sex. But when their glorified hookups start breaking the rules, one of them has to be smart enough to put on the brakes…

Another terrific read from Guillory, who is quickly becoming a must read author for me. This is ostensibly the sequel to The Wedding Date, but in the way that romances tend to have sequels. The main character, Carlos, was friends with the main character in The Wedding Date. So if you haven’t read that one, no biggie other than why didn’t you read that one, it was so good! And so is this one.

I loved these characters, they had their faults which only made them seem more real. It is very important in a romance to have characters that you feel invested in, otherwise, who cares. These characters were very well developed and I couldn’t wait to see how their story turned out. Happily ever after, of course, this is a romance, but with a lot of fun, food and sex along the way. And laughs. Lots of laughs.

Another hat tip to diversity here, Carlos is Latino and Niki is black so that’s there, but it is just the way it is and not a commentary on racism. This was just a great story and I highly recommend it. So do librarians – it topped the LibraryReads.org list for October.

11/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE PROPOSAL by Jasmine Guillory. Berkley (October 30, 2018).  ISBN 978-0399587689.  336p.

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HER LAST MOVE by John Marrs

November 10, 2018

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A fascinating study of a psychotic serial killer, one that is quite different from other novels dealing with similar themes in the sense that the actual killings by the murderer are described down to the last detail. These are very gory and might cause readers to wonder why such descriptions are utilized when more cursory ones could be used. The fact is that these are necessary for the full understanding of the mind set of the killer, and that is probably the aim of the author. At the same time Marrs does a great job of bringing into focus the thoughts and feelings of the police working the case as well as other individuals directly affected by the action.

Becca Vincent is an officer with the London Metropolitan police. She has faced the problem of being a woman in a world still dominated by men. She is longing to be assigned to an important case and prove her ability to her supervisor as well as her peers. She manages to get herself assigned to working with the group looking for the the killer. At the same time Joe Russell, a facial recognition expert, is seconded to Becca’s group in order to provide any help his particular talent can provide. In an afterward to the novel Marrs indicates that a group of these gifted individuals are actually a part of the London police and have been instrumental in bringing many law breakers to justice via picking them out from crowds.

The procedures and actions of a modern police department are well delineated by the author and make for a most interesting read. Becca is a single mother with a daughter with Downs syndrome and Joe is having problems with his marriage and making it work. Descriptions of both private lives coupled with the case they are working on together make this book a fascinating study into human feelings and emotions. Very well done and certainly a novel that will provide much interest in reading future books by John Marrs.

11/18 Paul Lane

HER LAST MOVE by John Marrs. Thomas & Mercer (November 8, 2018).  ISBN 978-1503948020. 352p.

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THE WEDDING DATE by Jasmine Guillory

November 9, 2018

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From the publisher:

THE USA TODAY BESTSELLER
#5 LibraryReads Pick

One of…
Entertainment Weekly’s “12 Romances for V-Day”
Cosmopolitan’s “2018 Anticipated Reads”
Elle’s “2018 Must Reads”
Harpers Bazaar’s “New January Must Reads”
The Fug Girls’ “Best Books of the Year”
Elle UK’s “Books to Get You Through 2018”
Nylon’s “January Must Reads”
Hello Giggles’ “New Release Recs”
Electric Lit’s “Books by WoC to Read in 2018”
Bitch Media’s “2018 Must Reads”
BookBub’s “2018 Romance Must Reads”
Bookriot’s “Must Read 2018 January Releases”
RetailMeNot’s “2018 Must Reads”

“A swoony rom-com brimming with humor and charm.”–Entertainment Weekly (The Must List)

“What a charming, warm, sexy gem of a novel….One of the best books I’ve read in a while.”–Roxane Gay, New York Times bestselling author of Hunger

A groomsman and his last-minute guest are about to discover if a fake date can go the distance in this fun and flirty multicultural romance debut.

Agreeing to go to a wedding with a guy she gets stuck with in an elevator is something Alexa Monroe wouldn’t normally do. But there’s something about Drew Nichols that’s too hard to resist.

On the eve of his ex’s wedding festivities, Drew is minus a plus one. Until a power outage strands him with the perfect candidate for a fake girlfriend…

After Alexa and Drew have more fun than they ever thought possible, Drew has to fly back to Los Angeles and his job as a pediatric surgeon, and Alexa heads home to Berkeley, where she’s the mayor’s chief of staff. Too bad they can’t stop thinking about the other…

They’re just two high-powered professionals on a collision course toward the long distance dating disaster of the century–or closing the gap between what they think they need and what they truly want…

Even when I include the publisher’s synopsis, I don’t usually include all the blurbs and self promotion. In this case, I think they are so well deserved that I did include it all.

I loved this book. It is fresh, original, and diverse. The wedding date theme is not unusual, it is the major meet-cute plot of many a romance and rom-com. It is one that I enjoy, but Guillory really takes it to the next level. There is a lot of hot sex, which always works for me, and great characters that you just can’t help but care about. I loved the way she touches on racism without being in your face but rather more in the way of that’s the way it is and this is how we deal with it.

This is a terrific, fun read that I highly recommend. Now I’m off to read her newest, The Proposal. Stay tuned…

11/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE WEDDING DATE by Jasmine Guillory. Berkley (January 30, 2018).  ISBN 978-0399587665.  336p.

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HEADS YOU WIN by Jeffrey Archer

November 8, 2018

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I must confess that I have been a fan of Archer’s books for quite a while and enjoyed being pulled into them, unable to put them down. “Heads You Win” frankly left me wondering why he would try the experiment that he did in this book. The details of the story are, as usual well researched and carefully constructed, but the method was not really to my taste.

Alexander Karpenko was born in Leningrad and grew up there residing in a small apartment with his mother and father. His thoughts were of going to work as a laborer and perhaps becoming a foreman someday. Fate intervenes when his father is assassinated by the Russian KGB after beginning to form a union to aid the workers he supervises. Elena, Alexander’s mother had worked as a chef in the kitchen preparing the meals for the workers in his father’s crew. She now has to work more hours and catches the eye of a supervisor who has lusted after her and now feels free to begin forcing her to do his will since her husband is dead. Alexander sees him backing his mother into a corner and smashes him with a board to save her.

This is the prelude to the story and the experiment tried by Mr Archer. Alexander’s uncle steps in and helps him and Elena flee Russia. Getting them to the docks where two ships are preparing to sail and Alexander has to choose which one to go on. One is bound for Southampton and the other to New York. Two concurrent stories are told throughout the remainder of the book. One in which the pair board the ship bound for England and the other for the United States. In one story Alexander enters politics and in the other becomes a businessman. He is successful at both endeavors and we follow him and Elena as they progress in their new lives.

It appeared to me that Archer had the makings of two separate books just by changing the names of the characters involved in one. Following along is not the problem it would seem to warrant and that is the best reason to finish the book. I’m sure that the author meant this as an experiment knowing that his reputation would support sufficient interest. I admire the attempt, but trust that Jeffrey Archer will keep to his normal format and his usual method of keeping his readers mesmerized.

There must be a logical ending to this novel and that it is, but flat and my reaction was ????

11/18 Paul Lane

HEADS YOU WIN by Jeffrey Archer. St. Martin’s Press (November 6, 2018).  ISBN 978-1250172501. 448p.

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THE NOEL STRANGER by Richard Paul Evans

November 7, 2018

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The Noel Collection, Book 2

From the publisher:

From “The King of Christmas,” Richard Paul Evans, the next exciting holiday-themed novel in his New York Times bestselling The Noel Collection.

Maggie Walther feels like her world is imploding. Publicly humiliated after her husband, a local councilman, is arrested for bigamy, and her subsequent divorce, she has isolated herself from the world. When her only friend insists that Maggie climb out of her hole, and embrace the season to get her out of her funk, Maggie decides to put up a Christmas tree and heads off to buy one—albeit reluctantly. She is immediately taken by Andrew, the kind, handsome man who owns the Christmas tree lot and delivers her tree. She soon learns that Andrew is single and new to her city and, like her, is also starting his life anew.

As their friendship develops, Maggie slowly begins to trust again—something she never thought possible. Then, just when she thinks she has finally found happiness, she discovers a dark secret from Andrew’s past. Is there more to this stranger’s truth than meets the eye? This powerful new holiday novel from Richard Paul Evans, the “King of Christmas fiction” (The New York Times), explores the true power of the season, redemption, and the freedom that comes from forgiveness.

I didn’t read the first book in this series but I read the Christmas book before that, Mistletoe Secret, and loved it. This one, not so much.

I know he writes short books, but it didn’t feel like the characters were developed enough. Despite that, there was plenty of angst. There was an air of foreboding that ran through the story that I didn’t really care for in a romance. I also didn’t necessarily believe that these characters fell in love so quickly, especially considering what Maggie had gone through. It didn’t feel like she was mentally stable enough to make these kinds of decisions. Maybe I’m turning into a cynic? I hope not.

Once again my opinion isn’t mainstream, this book has 4.5 stars on Goodreads but there aren’t many reviews. Yet. Amazon didn’t have any so I’m guessing it wasn’t part of their Vine (early review) program. It was okay, but I would recommend Mistletoe Secret over this new one. The best thing I can say about it is that it is a quick read.

11/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE NOEL STRANGER by Richard Paul Evans. Simon & Schuster (November 6, 2018). ISBN 978-1501172052.  352p.

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PAST TENSE by Lee Child

November 5, 2018

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A Jack Reacher Novel, Book 23

I can start every review Lee Child review like this: Jack is back and all is right in my world. I just feel safe knowing he’s out there, fictional though he may be. I do find it necessary to block out the image of Tom Cruise as Reacher, it really doesn’t work in the books, not with descriptors like Bigfoot and the Incredible Hulk, with “fists like Thanksgiving turkeys.”

And then we move on to this latest adventure.

Reacher is in Maine and planning on hitchhiking across America to San Diego. But his first ride takes him to New Hampshire, where he sees a sign for the tiny town where his father was born. He doesn’t know much about his father, so he decides to check it out.

There is a rather deserted motel on the outskirts of the town where a young couple’s car has broken down. They reluctantly check into the motel but things are creepy here.

You know that these two plot lines are going to intersect at some point, but it takes a really long time for that to happen. Meanwhile, Reacher is learning things about his family that he never knew. And of course, he also gets into some trouble.

First he saves a woman from a drunken encounter with a menacing man by beating him senseless. It turns out he is connected to the local mob. He gets in some more fights, making the police unhappy with him as well. But being Reacher, he sticks around until he can figure out his family situation. And of course, the motel.

I loved learning more about Reacher’s family, but I didn’t enjoy the motel plot line as much. It just seemed like a retread for some reason. Twenty-three books into this series, not every one is going to be perfection. I understand that, and while I didn’t love this one, I liked it a lot and read it in one night. So no real complaints here other than having to wait another year for Reacher’s next adventure. Hopefully, it will be better.

11/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

PAST TENSE by Lee Child. Delacorte Press (November 5, 2018).  ISBN 978-0399593512. 400p.

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THE REAL DEAL by Lauren Blakely

November 4, 2018

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April Hamilton is heading home to the wealthy enclave in Connecticut for her family reunion. She loves her family, she really does, but they don’t understand why she moved to New York City. They don’t understand how she is making a living doing face painting, and they really don’t understand why she isn’t married and moving home.

Several relatives have already warned her they are fixing her up on blind dates while she’s home, so she asks her best friend to accompany her as her “date.” He’s gay, but they won’t know. But at the last minute, he can’t make it and he suggests a bartender he knows who is also an actor on the side and an escort. Not that kind of escort, but the kind who looks good as a date but is strictly platonic. April reads his ad and loves it and arranges to meet him.

Theo Banks is gorgeous, smart and funny and boy, is he in trouble. He has never been attracted to a professional assignment before and he is not sure how this is going to work. But he really needs the money, she is willing and able to pay, so off they go to Connecticut. Where her family falls in love with him, and they fall in love with each other.

There are a lot of laughs and a lot of drama to get through before they reach their happily ever after. I loved these characters and every page of this super fun, sexy romance.

11/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE REAL DEAL by Lauren Blakely. St. Martin’s Griffin (July 10, 2018).  ISBN 978-1250165930.  368p.

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BIG BAD COWBOY by Carly Bloom

November 2, 2018

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Once Upon a Time in Texas, Book 1

From the publisher:

One of Publishers Weekly’s Best Romances of 2018!
After one too many heartbreaks, Travis Blake hung up his cowboy hat and put Big Verde, Texas, behind him. But when he gets the call that his young nephew needs him, he knows he has to return home. His plan is to sell the family ranch and hightail it back to Austin, but there’s a small problem: the one person who stands in his way is the one person he can’t resist.

Maggie is pretty sure she hates Travis Blake. He’s irritating, he’s destroying her business, and . . . and he’s just so frickin’ attractive. But when they’re forced to work together, Maggie discovers that the Most Annoying Man in the World is more than he seems. He’s sweet with his nephew, he helps out in the community, and he makes her heart flutter. Maggie doesn’t want to risk everything on a man who wants to leave, but what if she can convince this wayward cowboy to stay?

My love affair with cowboy romances continues with this terrific entry into a new series. The setting was a small town in Texas. Maggie is a strong, independent woman, and you can’t help rooting for her to succeed. Travis is respectful yet playful, and their chemistry is so electric that it is palpable. He has a whole host of problems, but manages to overcome them. I loved them together, and I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

11/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

BIG BAD COWBOY by Carly Bloom. Forever (October 30, 2018). ISBN 978-1538763438. 368p.

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