Review: Hour of Need by Melinda Leigh

Hour of Need (Scarlet Falls #1) by Melinda Leigh

Publication Date: December 9th 2014 by Montlake Romance

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

About the book:

While fighting in Afghanistan, Major Grant Barrett receives devastating news: his brother and sister-in-law have been murdered in Scarlet Falls, the sleepy suburb of Grant’s youth. Emotionally scarred from war, the career soldier returns home on emergency leave to temporarily care for his orphaned nephew and niece. But when someone tries to kidnap the kids and their teenage babysitter, Grant knows it’s not a random act…and neither were the murders.

Already devastated by her neighbors’ violent deaths, Ellie Ross is shattered by the attempted abduction of her teenage daughter so she desperately turns to Grant for help. As they navigate a deadly search for the truth, they struggle with growing feelings for each other and Grant’s impending return to deployment.

But time is running out. The killer is growing bolder by the hour, and Ellie and Grant must find him before the children become his next victims.

My Thoughts:

Hour of Need masterfully combined the elements of romantic suspense that I love: danger, mystery, action and a solid love story. Grant and Ellie were likable, multilayered characters making this more than just an action packed mystery, but a story with heart and depth.

Major Grant Barrett returns home from Afghanistan to care niece and nephew after his brother and wife are brutally murdered. He’s reeling from shock and grief over their murders, and he feels out of his element caring for two small children.  Grant’s main objectives are bringing his brother’s killer to justice and the welfare of his brother’s orphaned children.  Grant has no idea how he can care for the children long term when he’s off fighting a war, but that’s the least of his worries when break-ins and a botched kidnapping attempt show the killer is far from done with the Barrett family. 

Why would someone murder Lee Barrett, a mild mannered attorney, and his wife Kate, an ice skating coach?  By all outward appearances they lead an ordinary life. To get to the bottom of things Grant must work with Ellie, Lee and Kate’s neighbor and friend.  Ellie has a stake in finding the killer especially when she and her fifteen year old daughter are targeted and threatened as well.

Grant was swoon worthy hero: strong, protective, and determined to find his brother’s killer, but with tenderness that any female would find hard to resist.  My heart melted every time there were scenes with him and the kids.  Six-year-old Carson immediately latched onto Grant, his only security after finding out his parents were never coming home. Grant was equally attached to Carson, the little guy brought out his protective instincts and tugged on my heart strings! Baby Faith was a colicky four-month-old that could test any parent’s limits with lungs loud enough to wake the dead, but Grant and his family took turns walking the baby through her misery.  I felt Ms. Leigh realistically portrayed the trials of dealing with a colicky baby, but managed to make her completely loveable, too.  

I adored Ellie, too, a single mom trying to do what’s best for her family.  She was scared senseless over the threat to her family, but worked through the fear to protect the ones she loved. 

Grant and Ellie were drawn to each other in the past, having met over family barbeques and gatherings, but each were hesitant to act on their feelings. I could totally understand this, because with Grant’s pending deployment any romance would be a temporary situation. Still, the heart wants what the heart wants and working together so intimately made it impossible to fight their desires.

In between trying to figure out who the killer was and worrying over the next time he’d strike, I longed for Ellie and Grant to find a way to a permanent HEA. After all they went through and all the kids went through, they all needed to stick together for the long haul.

I was very impressed with Ms. Leigh’s addictive brand of storytelling, and I intend to pick up the next in the series which hopefully will come soon. This is book one in the Scarlet Falls series I’m hoping we’ll have more stories centered on Grant’s siblings: Hannah and Mac. I’d love to catch a glimpse of Grant and Ellie, Nan and the kids, as well!  I grew attached to each and every one of these characters.

4 Suns

Connect with Melinda Leigh:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest

Review: When It Rains (Rain #1) by Lisa De Jong

When It Rains (Rain #1) by Lisa De Jong

Published September 25th 2013 (first published January 1st 2013)

One night changed my life forever.

Beau Bennett has been my best friend since I can remember. He was my first crush before everything came crashing down, and now he wants more, but it's more than I can give him. Things are different now. I wish I could tell him why, but I can't.

I haven’t told anyone.

I never knew how much I really needed him until the day he left for college, and I was completely alone.

Then one day, Asher Hunt rides into town with his dark, captivating eyes and cocky grin. He doesn't care who I used to be, he's simply breathing life into what’s left. People warn me to stay away from him, but he helps me forget the pain that has held me hostage for so long; something I thought was impossible before he walked into my life.

I’ve been hurt.

I’ve been saved.

And I’ve found hope.

I thought my story was written that night, but now I know it was only a new beginning. Until one secret turns my world upside down…

Again.

My Thoughts
“You don’t live because of me. You live because you let me love you. You made the choice to breathe all on your own… I just helped you find the strength to inhale.” ~Asher

Truly emotional and heart rending!

I’ve had When It Rains on my TBR for a while now because the consistently high ratings caught my eye. However, I was hesitant to jump into this novel because of the tear-jerking reaction it’s received from many readers. It takes the right time and moment to appreciate an emotional novel such as this book.

Well, after finishing it in a few short sittings, I see why this book has brought many readers to tears. Truly an emotional story that captures your heart and doesn’t let go. It reminded me a bit of the experience I had when reading Lurlene McDaniel’s Don't Die, My Love. Very heart breaking yet hopeful.

Kate Alexander has been living in a nightmare for the past two years. After a horrible event that’s left her shattered, she’s pushed her family and friends away to retreat into the safety of her own room and bury herself in her own solitude. Beau Bennett has been her best friend since they were five, and even he can’t get through to Kate to see how he could break through her walls. When he reluctantly leaves for college and leaves Kate behind in their small town, he knows he’ll regret not trying harder to get through to her. When he leaves, Kate meets Asher Hunt and through his persistent yet gentle ways, he finds a way to get Kate to try to live life once again.

Their connection stems from the fact that they both carry a burden that weighs them down. As they begin to fall in love and share their secrets, Kate realizes that when Beau discovers she’s fallen for Asher, her best friend will be heart-broken. However, what Kate doesn’t know is that while she’s opened her heart to someone new, she’ll soon fall back into Beau’s arms when life delivers another blow.

There’s a string of events that occur in this novel that took me a bit by surprise. Even though I caught a hint or two before the twist occurred, I was still sadden by the events of this story. I really fell for Kate, Asher and Beau and I was curious how this would turn out considering the complex triangle that was created. When I typically steer away from love triangles because they are just over done, I was pleased with how Lisa De Jong refused to make this a messy and angsty romance. Very nicely crafted!

I also enjoyed the music she sprinkled throughout the story including a few of my favorite songs:
Everything by Lifehouse
Cross That Line by Joshua Radin
18th Floor Balcony by Blue October

Considered I’ve since moved on to the next story in the series, I feel it’s safe to say that Lisa De Jong managed to capture my heart and influence my emotions enough to want to continue with her journey.

My Song Choice

Kate's Song - Fear

5 Suns

Review: Love, in Spanish (Love, in English #2) by Karina Halle

Love, in Spanish (Love, in English #2) by Karina Halle 

Published November 11th 2014

The companion to the highly emotional, scandalous and USA Today Bestselling love story - LOVE, IN ENGLISH - is finally here! Love, in Spanish is a Love, in English follow-up novel told from Mateo Casalles' POV. While Love, in Spanish touches on some events that happened in LIE (you know the ones!) it is a whole new story set a year later that continues with Vera and Mateo's "happily ever after." Note: It should be read after Love, in English and it is mostly new material (aka not just rehash of LIE).

***

“She sat beside me on the bus – and she changed my whole life.”

Successful, wealthy and absurdly handsome – Spanish ex-football player Mateo Casalles seemed like he had it all. A high-society wife, an adorable little girl, and flashy apartments in Madrid and Barcelona only sweetened the deal. But there was more to Mateo than met the eye – a life of uncertainty and regret that colored his black and white world.

That was until Vera Miles came into his life like a shooting star. Tattooed, wild and young, Vera seemed like Mateo’s polar opposite at first. But you can’t choose who you fall in love with and the two lost souls did everything they could to be together, all while suffering the grave consequences.

Now with Mateo divorced and living in Madrid with Vera, there is a whole new set of challenges and setbacks facing the couple and rocking the foundation of their star-crossed relationship.

Unfortunately for them, the brighter the star, the faster they burn.

My Thoughts

Loved it!

I’m a huge fan of Karina Halle’s writing. Ever since I came across her series The Artist Trilogy , she made me realize I have an ability to develop a deep fondness for the tender villains in her stories. In The Artist Trilogy , I fell for a con artist that didn’t think twice about cutting down her enemies and now in her newest series I have the privilege of falling for her crafty, flawed characters and journeying with them as they pull at my heartstrings over their unconventional love affair. Incredible!

In Love, In Spanish we get to continue on with Mateo and Vera’s romance as they struggle through the ups and downs of being in the spotlight and constantly scrutinized for their controversial love affair. These two passionate lovers met in a Spanish program during a time when twenty-four year old Vera was struggling to find herself and thirty-nine year old Mateo was battling with his waning feelings for his wife. They make the ultimate decision to toss caution to the wind and see where their love takes them. Through a messy divorce, constant child custody issues and most recently Vera’s impending deportation back to Canada, these two fight against the odds to stay together.

I’m not sure how Karina Halle does it! I’m a believer in the institution of marriage, faithfulness, loyalty and all that good stuff. However, somehow Halle gets me on her side and I bought into the ‘rightness’ of Vera and Mateo’s love affair. To see the story from their side, I have to admit I was bothered by those that were jeopardizing their chance at happiness. I have no clue how that happened because in a realistic situation, I would probably be one of those judging these characters for their selfishness and reckless abandonment for those they affected.

Having the story told through Mateo’s perspective was sheer genius! It was passionate and intense, as only this character knows how to be. I truly felt his desperation at trying to keep Vera and it didn’t take long for me to believe how deeply he loved her. Only through his eyes do I feel it was fully possibly to feel the intense emotions these characters felt.

Throughout the story, I felt on constant high-alert expecting the next punch from his scorned ex-wife and the frenzy of the media. However, witnessing everything they had to struggle with only proved that I wanted nothing less than a happy ending for these two.

Overall, Mateo and Vera’s journey was incredible, intense and emotional. Everything I’ve come to expect from a novel penned by the gifted Karina Halle. Loved every minute of it!

5 Suns

Novella Review: Her Winning Formula by Shannyn Schroeder

Her Winning Formula (Hot & Nerdy #3) by Shannyn Schroeder

Publication Date: November 24th 2014 by eKensington

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About the book:

Spring break was supposed to be a last blast of fun for three friends before the reality of adulthood set in. But for the trio’s science whiz, it’s an education in instant attraction…

Chemistry major Felicity Stone can tell you everything about the way chemicals interact, but when it comes to social interaction, she needs schooling. Abandoned by her friends, Felicity is faced with spending spring break alone—unless she accepts a gorgeous stranger’s invitation to pose as his girlfriend at a family wedding. Not one to turn down a research opportunity, Felicity never expected it to produce such breathtaking results…

Teacher and baseball coach Lucas Tanner is fascinated by Felicity’s potent mix of spirit and scientist, not to mention her delicious curves. When Felicity asks him to return the favor by teaching her how to pick up guys, he can’t refuse—but he’s not at all happy with the idea of her using a formula for flirting on anyone but him. Can he convince her that together they have the perfect chemistry?

My Thoughts:
Felicity is a chemistry major taking time off to meet up with her friends, Charlie and Layla for spring break. Before boarding the plane, Felicity finds out that both will be delayed and so she’ll be on her own for much of the trip. Enter Lucas, a fellow passenger and, of course, the guy she ends up next to for the flight. Lucas is gorgeous and attentive so that’s hardly a bad thing.

Lucas is flying out for his brother’s destination wedding and in hopes of keeping an ex-girlfriend at bay he asks Felicity to be his fake date/girlfriend for the wedding. Felicity’s sexy and different, and Lucas is immediately attracted to her. She reluctantly agrees and soon Lucas finds himself falling for his fake date.

Felicity is brilliant but socially awkward. She has trouble interpreting reactions from other people and so she doesn’t always pick up on social clues. Lucas finds what Felicity thinks of as negatives in her personality endearing. Their “fake” pairing leads to some lusty, chemistry filled moments, yet, Felicity doesn’t believe that he is really serious about her. She doesn’t pick up on the fact that he’s falling for her as much as she’s falling for him even after they share a passion filled night together. So she asks him to tutor her in the art of flirting and picking up a man.

I kind of wanted to smack Felicity upside the head at this, and didn’t care for the direction the plot seemed to be taking. But knowing Felicity’s social limitations had me giving her a bit of a pass for being so obtuse. Thankfully, that situation was short lived, (this is a novella after all) and things were sorted to my liking pretty quickly.

This wasn’t an insta-love romance, something that you always worry a little about when picking up a novella, but it was clear these two were on the right path by the end with a sweet ending.

Her Winning Formula is the third installment of the Hot and Nerdy novella series and I hoped to see a little beyond this little slice of time with an epilogue showing the couples in the future. Still, these stories were fun, sexy, and fast paced. Perfect romance pick me up in under 100 pages.

3 Suns

Review & Giveaway: Owning Violet by Monica Murphy

Owning Violet (The Fowler Sisters #1) by Monica Murphy

Publication Date: December 2nd by Bantam

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

About the book:

New York Times bestselling author Monica Murphy begins a sexy new contemporary romance series—perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Emma Chase—that introduces three sisters born to wealth, raised to succeed, ready to love, destined to make waves.

I’ve moved through life doing what’s expected of me. I’m the middle daughter, the dutiful daughter. The one who braved a vicious attack and survived. The one who devoted herself to her family’s business empire. The one who met an ambitious man and fell in love. We were going to run Fleur Cosmetics together, Zachary and I.

Until he got a promotion and left me in the dust. Maybe it’s for the best, between his disloyalty and his wandering eye. But another man was waiting for me. Wanting me. He too has an overwhelming thirst for success, just like Zachary—perhaps even more so. He’s also ruthless. And mysterious. I know nothing about Ryder McKay beyond that he makes me feel things I’ve never felt before.

One stolen moment, a kiss, a touch . . . and I’m hooked. Ryder’s like a powerful drug, and I’m an addict who doesn’t want to be cured. He tells me his intentions aren’t pure, and I believe him. For once, I don’t care. I’m willing to risk everything just to be with him. Including my heart. My soul.

My everything.

My Thoughts:

Ryder sees Violet and wants.  He wants to steal her away from her cheating, dirtbag boyfriend, Zachery, who also happens to be his chief competition at Fleur Cosmetics. With Violet being one of the three heiresses’ to Fleur Cosmetics and an influential executive in her own right, she holds a lot of promise to someone like Ryder. Pilar his “friend” (if you can call a pit viper a friend), and sometimes lover wants to crush and devastate Violet so she can take her place in the company.  So they come up with a plan to achieve their goals.

Violet is the “good” daughter always doing what’s expected and never causing embarrassment. She’s worked hard to get where she is and she hopes to run Fleur Cosmetics with her boyfriend Zachary someday even though his faithfulness has come into question from time to time.  Yet, when Zachary’s latest dalliance pushes things too far, Violet finally has enough.  Waiting on the sidelines to swoop in is Ryder.  Violet thinks he’s a self-serving arrogant man, but Ryder is seductive and seems completely focused on Violet.  She can’t help resist his charms or the fiery attraction simmering between them.

Owning Violet was a romance reminiscent of Cruel Intentions with two people scheming to seduce, humiliate or scam another leaving them broken in the end.  However, I never felt Ryder came off as cruel and he never desired to humiliate Violet, although Pilar did. He did plan on using Violet to forward his own agenda and career.  But Ryder lusted after her even before he had designs to use her:

There’s just something about her shy, reserved personality that drives me out of my fucking mind. That makes me want to drive her out of her fucking mind.

 All his bad intentions took a back seat after Violet let him in.  It seemed Ryder was more beguiled and bewitched by her than the other way around for a lot of the book.

I did like Violet, but at times I had a hard time respecting her.  She knew her boyfriend had cheated on her and she ignored it, even wanted to eventually marry him after knowing this!

Rumors swirl that there are other women. I'm not stupid. I have my suspicions. They might have even been confirmed once or twice. But when we're engaged, when we're married...
That will change. It has to.

Wake up and smell the coffee, Violet! Thankfully, that didn’t last long, but she still had bouts of poor judgment, IMO that made it hard for me to truly connect with her. Also, I wished for more of a cerebral connection between Ryder and Violet instead of a mostly physical one. Still, it was a very hot romance.

Monica Murphy excels at writing steamy, all-consuming romances, Violet and Ryder’s was no exception. They both were caught up by their intense attraction making for some sizzling scenes!  Pilar seems to be the villain in this series so I wonder how things will play out with her in the next book: Stealing Rose which focuses on Violet’s younger sister, Rose.

3.5 Suns

Connect with Monica Murphy:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

The wonderful people at Sullivan and Partners have generously provided a Paperback Copy of Owning Violet to one Waves of Fiction follower.  Restricted to US or Canadian Residents.  Fill out the rafflecopter below for a chance to win.  Good luck!

Review: Love Show by Audrey Bell

Love Show by Audrey Bell
Published 2014

Hadley Arrington is the career-driven editor-in-chief of her university’s prestigious newspaper. Jack Diamond is a laidback student whose good looks have made things even easier than they need to be. She’s the girl who came out of nowhere and kissed him in the rain. He’s the boy who made her do something crazy.

When the stakes seem too high, they have to decide if they’ll let their love show or if they’ll walk away for good.

My Thoughts
“Aw, I’m not going to give up that easily,” he smiled. “You’re the one who started it. You shouldn’t have kissed me like that if you wanted to be left alone.”

Beautiful, funny and down right loveable. Yes, this book was definitely lovable!!

Love Show has been popping up on my feed and getting in my face for months! Every time it crossed my path, I’d tell it, don’t worry you’re next on my read list, but then I’d get distracted with something else and forget about it. Well ever have that feeling like, oh man I should have read you a lot sooner… you’re what I needed when I wanted to laugh, when I wanted to fall in love, when I wanted to find a couple of characters I could just care about for a bit.That’s what Love Show did to me. I regret not reading this sooner, and I regret finishing it so quickly even more.

Jack Diamond and Hadley Arrington meet at a stormed out tail gate party. Hadley’s roommate dares her to go up to a random guy and just kiss him and she chooses Jack. After the tailgate disbands because of a storm, they don’t see each other again until she runs into him because of a newspaper editorial that spotlights his fraternity with shady behavior.

What ensures is a ‘friends with benefits’ situation that has lots and lots of rules because Hadley refuses to fall in love and Jack feels the deal is too good to be true.

Well, we all know what happens to a couple that enters a ‘friends with benefits' relationship - one person gets hurt and maybe both fall in love.

Overall, I just adored Love Show. The funny banter between Jack and Hadley made me giggle and the smile never left my face. Definitely a book you shouldn’t read in public.

I loved how perfectly imperfect they were for each other, and I appreciated the later half of the book when it was time to take a serious tone. Love Show has it all, romance, awesome dialog, emotional moments, and amazing characters that make this an incredible fictional ride. I will definitely check out Audrey Bell’s other books!

Quotes:
“Just tell me, baby.”
“Do not—”
“I’m allowed to call you ‘baby’ when I’m pretending to be a criminal. That’s how criminals talk.” ~Jack

…You were super-hot in the parking lot and now you're super-cold…I'm talking in degrees of emotional warmth, not physical attractiveness. ~Jack

…You just made it against the rules to do any of the things that every guy doesn't want to do with his girlfriend…This is definitely a trap. ~Jack

I'm not afraid of letting my love show. I'm afraid of not showing it. ~Hadley

5 Suns

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Review: Shattered Witness by Anna DeStefano

Shattered Witness by Anna DeStefano

Publication Date: November 11th 2014 by Montlake Romance

Purchase Links: Amazon 

About the book:

A brutal assault leaves high-powered CEO Shaw Cassidy’s memory shattered. Her isolated estate on High Lake Mountain should be her haven, but nightmares and eerie shadows threaten her sanity. A shot in the night sends her running from the creaking Victorian into the arms of a stranger she instinctively trusts. But is he her hero, or her downfall?

Time is running out for special agent Cole Marinos. His undercover assignment: to protect his childhood sweetheart—the lost love who broke his heart. His reality: Shaw is suspected of treason. To uncover the top-secret government leak that will exonerate her, he must trigger her memories of her stalker…and of Cole’s long-ago betrayal.

The evil tracking Shaw closes in, each attack more cruel and personal than the last. And each is designed to implicate Cole. With Shaw’s memory returning and her life on the line, is she trusting a man she once promised to love forever? Or is Cole the monster who wants her dead?

Revised edition: Previously published as Her Forgotten Betrayal, this edition of Shattered Witness includes editorial revisions.

My Thoughts:

“I’ve missed you. I never should have left, no matter what he said. How could I have left you?”

These are the kind of words I want to read with any second chance romance.  But Shattered Witness was more than a second chance at love, it was a suspenseful mystery full of danger and excitement.

Heiress and CEO Shaw Cassidy is on the mend after a brutal attack left her without any memory.  To help in her recuperation and hopefully to gain back her memory, she’s holed up at her family’s mansion on High Lake Mountain. Unfortunately, nightmares of her attack and strange occurrences have her in a state of panic, and Shaw doesn’t know if she’s being watched and tormented or if she’s losing her mind. When Cole Marinos shows up and claims they were childhood friends, Shaw welcomes his help at trying to find out what or who is behind the strange happenings. Shaw feels inexplicably drawn to Cole, and her gut is telling her she can trust him.  Being around Cole finally starts to shake some of her memories loose and helps clear the fog she’s been in for weeks. 

As an FBI agent, Cole was immediately on alert when Shaw’s name came up as a suspect for espionage and treason for leaking out secrets to the highest bidder.  He doesn’t believe that Shaw is capable of such treachery and even though their teenage love ended badly, he’s pulled every string so that he can guard Shaw and find her attacker. 

Despite the hurt and the years they’d lost, how could he not safeguard the only woman he ever loved?

Shaw and Cole were hopelessly in love as teenagers, but tragedy and circumstance led to them parting with both devastated.  Both never moved on and never forgot their first love. Well, not until Shaw’s amnesia, but even lacking her memories, she feels powerfully drawn to Cole.  

“You feel so real.” She kissed his cheek, his closed eyes, the sinful cleft in his chin. “Have you always felt this good, Cole? I swear I can remember it. Us. I can remember the fire we had.”

Shaw’s attack gives these two a second chance at love in amidst all the danger surrounding them.  I enjoyed discovering what could’ve separated Cole and Shaw when it was obvious they still had intense feelings for each other.  Shattered Witness was a fast paced, suspenseful mystery, and a satisfying second chance romance.

3.5 Suns

Connect with Anna DeStefano:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads