Made the Grade: Holland Springs Series, Book 4

Format: Kindle Edition | File Size: 792 KB | Release Date: August 7, 2013 | Publisher: Self-Published | Obtained: Amazon.com | Originally Found Out About @ Marquita Valentine's Facebook Post

"Just Desserts" [Holland Springs Series, Book 4] by Marquita Valentine

Author's Book Description : What an earl wants isn’t always what he gets...

British billionaire and modern day Earl of Spenserfield, Sebastian Romanov only wants one thing in life: to reclaim his position as president of Romanov Industries. But in order to do that he must convince Holland Springs' favorite caterer, Daisy Barnes, to become his fake fiancée. As Sebastian and Daisy spend more time together, neither can tell where the fake romance ends and true love begins...

My Book Review : 3.5 out of 5 stars, this romance is between a man who isn't used to falling in love--yet tries his hardest to brake out of his shell just for the woman he's fallen for--and a woman who's life is falling in shambles around her--yet isn't willing to have a broody knight come sweep her off her feet to take care of her...or is she?

I enjoyed this novel and thoroughly enjoyed reading about the main characters, along with their backgrounds. Sebastian & Daisy are a unique couple, in the sense that once all of their cards are on the table both still want to make the other happy or due whatever is best for them, even if that means making sacrifices for one another. Plus, they have an unusual relationship; in the sense of how they became a couple that was fun to read about!

The only thing that I didn't like was how slow this novel's beginning was, which could have been because it was mostly about previous main characters that I haven't read about. Yet, it took a while for their romance to become something more then just rude remarks and lust to/for each other making it drag a bit.

Overall, though, I do recommend this novel to those who are fans of Ms. Valentine and this series. In addition, this novel is for those who love broody English heroes and stubborn, smart-mouthed, sweet-hearted heroines.

Purchase This Book and/or The Other Books From It's Series Here :

My Previous Review(s) for this Series : Book 1

Author's Series Extras : Holland Springs Series - Overview | Holland Springs Series Reading Order | First Book in Holland Springs Series only 99 PENNIES!! | Pre-order NOW- All For You (Boys of the South #2.5) and Not Over You (Holland Springs #5) | Not Over You- Holland Springs #5, coming December 9th!

Book Teaser(s) :

“One cupcake again, Jules?” Daisy stared at the order for a moment, then rechecked the on-line form. One red velvet cupcake to be sent to a Mr. Jules Westmoreland in Surrey, England. One cupcake a week. Just like every order he’d made for the last three months. This was getting ridiculous, not to mention she felt guilty as heck that she’d let it go on as long as she had.
She tapped out a tune on her keyboard with the tips of her fingers.
So far, she’d shipped each one via FedEx per his request at the tune of over a hundred and fifty bucks just for shipping. It would be cheaper for him if he’d just order all four at once, and she really should let Jules know.
Brow scrunching, she began to type:

Dear Jules,
How is your dad doing? Has he stopped being a difficult patient yet? When my mother was convalescing at home, there were days I wanted to pull my hair out, because she was so darn stubborn and didn’t want my help. If you have to, leave the room for a minute, or hire someone to help him.
Be strong!
I also wanted to let you know that you could save a lot of money by ordering and having me ship all four cupcakes (baked however you want and whatever flavor icing you want) at once. Please don’t mistake my email as a complaint—I truly want to do what’s best for my customers (and my friends, no matter how recently made) and that includes pointing out where they could save some money.
Let me know if you’d like to change your order.
Smiles,
Daisy

Mr. Westmoreland’s response came faster than she expected. Heck, it was almost nine at night and there was a five-hour time difference.

Daisy,
He remains the same—arrogant, bad-tempered and non-cooperative—and that’s on his good days. Thanks for asking. How goes negotiations with the insurance company? Still insisting the procedures weren’t covered?
I rather like the arrangement we have, but if you feel it would be best to change, I suppose I could order four a week (and run the ten extra miles it would require to eat them).
Make it so.
Your servant,
Jules

She let her head fall against her palm. That’s not what she meant at all. And had he really just quote Captain Picard from Star Trek? She laughed.

J.
Let me know how everything works out. You know you can email me anytime if you need to!
Ugh. Not going there with the insurance. At this rate, I’ll have to sell the house and move in with my best friend, then Glen and I’ll never be able to afford to get married. :}
BTW, I didn’t mean you had to order four cupcakes every week, you goose! I meant you could order all four at the beginning of the month, and I would mail all of them to you at the same time, then all you would have to do is follow my instructions for keeping them fresh.
So sorry for the misunderstanding. I apologize.
Ten points deducted from Hufflepuff.
D. ~ within Chapter 4

It was nearly midnight when Sebastian arrived home. He trudged up the stairs, rubbing the back of his neck. For the time being, everything was going according to plan. Liang Technology wanted to do business with Romanov Industries. The details merely had to be worked out. But the devil usually cropped up in those, so he had to be wary and hire his own translators to make sure the agreement would be profitable for both companies.
He blinked, his jaw cracking on a yawn. He needed to sleep and check on Daisy. The report from Ivan said they’d visited the Palace today and the Tower. Though he hadn’t needed one from his bodyguard.
Oh no.
Daisy had texted him at every opportunity, usually with a picture attached. His favorite was of The Tower, her standing beside it and holding a sign that read, Vacancy. Earls Only.
God love her.
A grin kicked up the corners of his mouth as he made his way down the hall to his room. Perhaps he could find a way to have breakfast with her in the morning. ~ within Chapter 17

For more information on this book, series, and/or any other books by Marquita, then please check out her website.

Made the Grade: Foreign Affairs Series, Book 1

Format: Kindle Edition | File Size: 246 KB | Release Date: June 20, 2012 | Publisher: Ellora's Cave Publishing | Obtained: Amazon.com | Originally Found Out About @ N. J. Walters' Facebook Post

"Misplaced Princess" [Foreign Affairs Series, Book 1] by Mari Carr & Lexxie Couper

Authors' Book Description : Annie Prince has impetuously flown halfway ’round the world to visit a sexy cowboy she met online—only to find herself stranded in Sydney. Seems she and Dylan crossed wires, and he’s on his way to New York. His twin, Hunter, saves the day and whisks her back to the family cattle station. Hunter’s as easy on the eyes as Dylan, and even easier to talk to. Annie might have flown to Oz to meet one brother, but soon sparks are flying with the other.

Hunter considered Dylan a dumb arse for jetting off to America for some stranger—until he met Annie. Turns out the New Yorker is a smart, funny, hard-working jillaroo...and hotter than the Aussie desert. Hunter’s not normally one to poach his brother’s women, but he can’t keep his hands, lips, tongue and other body parts off this sexy city girl.

When raging lust leads to emotional attachment, where does that leave Annie and Hunter when her vacation comes to an end—or when Dylan finds out?

My Book Review : 3 out of 5 stars, this is a really cute and spicy novel! It’s about two people from opposite ends of the world meeting online who, after a while of talking/skyping each other, decide to meet in person. Nevertheless, while they talk about seeing each other they get their wires crossed and end up both finding out that they traveled to the others hometown ... and get their lives turned upside down. Annabel (Annie) finds herself quickly falling into lust with Dylan's twin brother Hunter while she spends two weeks on their station (ranch) in Australia .... maybe their feelings will turn into something more during their time together.

Hunter & Annie are a perfect match of opposites! Yet, they quickly find themselves fighting their growing passion for each other until they both become swept away in something neither wants to give up.

My only wish is that I was more captivated by this novel then I was. The plot was hot. The characters were sweet and funny. Yet, whenever I set the novel down to go about my day I didn't feel that rush to get back to reading it like I typically do. =0/

I recommend it to those who like contemporary erotic romances!

Purchase This Book and/or The Other Books From It's Series Here :

My Previous Review(s) for Mari : Tequila Truth | Northern Exposure

Authors' Novel Extras : Misplaced Princess - Overview & Excerpt | Crossed Wires | Sinful Sirens Giveaway Hop! | Misplaced Princess | The Language Barrier | Misplaced Princess: The Beginning of a Beautiful Foreign Affair... | Misplaced Princess | Saturday Snippet | The Foreign Affairs Contest – Week One | Cooking with Heat | The Foreign Affairs Contest – Week One | Free Read

Authors' Series Extras : Foreign Affairs Series - Overview | Misplaced Cowboy - Overview & Excerpt | Misplaced Lessons - Overview & Excerpt | Misplaced Lessons - Overview & Excerpt | Wednesday’s WIP – Misplaced Cowboy | Six Sentence Sunday – Misplaced Cowboy | Cover Reveal Time – Misplaced Princess AND Misplaced Cowboy | Everything I Learnt About America... | The Language Barrier (You Really Say It That Way??) | Teasing Tuesday – Misplaced Cowboy | Misplaced Cowboy AVAILABLE NOW! | Misplaced Cowboy | 2012: A retrospective | Misplaced Lessons | Lesson Time! Misplaced Lessons OUT NOW! | Foreign Affairs Contest! | Audible!

Book Teaser(s) :

“What’s the deal with the paparazzi? You an actress or something?”
“Dylan didn’t tell you about my family?”
Hunter shook his head. “Nope. Dylan didn’t share much about you at all. Showed me a photo of you a few weeks ago. Besides that and the fact you don’t read your emails carefully, I don’t know a thing about you.” Hunter didn’t mention the soul mate comment.
“I’m a journalist. I work for a magazine in New York.”
“Didn’t realize journalists were so popular in the States.”
She flashed him a dirty look. “It’s not my job that interests the press, it’s my name. I’m Annie Prince.”
He shook his head. “I’m still not following you.”
“Prince Incorporated?”
Hunter recognized that name even less. “Nope. Haven’t got a bloody clue what you’re talking about.”
“I guess Monet was right. She said there had to be somewhere on the planet where I could live incognito. Go Australia.” She raised one fist in a cheer for his country.
“I don’t know who this Monet is, but that’s not exactly true. You’re in Sydney and there are cameramen following you.”
She blew out a long, frustrated breath. “Yeah. My family owns and operates a huge conglomeration of newspapers, magazines, hotels and other properties. Our net worth is in the billions. For some insane reason, this makes us interesting to people. Not to mention the fact my dad is a bit of a glory hound, constantly doing stuff to draw attention to himself. My two sisters have followed in his footsteps and now star on the most inane, idiotic reality series ever to air on television. And I suppose everyone expects me to be the same, to want the same spotlight cast on my life.”
“But you don’t?”
“God no. Did you see me pose for photos? Your ranch in the middle of the desert actually sounds like paradise.”
Hunter scoffed. “I think you’re the first woman, besides my mother, to ever feel that way. And it’s not a ranch. It’s a station.”
Annie ignored his correction. Maybe she was used to it. He’d heard Dylan tell her a time or two when he’d accidentally eavesdropped on their chats. She let out a wobbly sigh. “What the hell am I going to do now?”
Hunter studied her desolate face and was sorry Dylan hadn’t invited her for a visit. The idea of Annie spending a week or two on their family’s cattle station was very appealing. ~ within Chapter 1

For more information on this book, series, and/or any other books by Mari and/or Lexxie, then please check out their websites: Mari's website & Lexxie's website.

Feasted On: Half-Breed Shifter Series, Book 4

Format: Kindle Edition | File Size: 2912 KB | Release Date: September 19, 2013 | Publisher: Self-Published | Obtained: Amazon.com

"Body to Barter" [Half-Breed Shifter Series, Book 4] by Miranda Stowe (aka Linda Kage)

My Book Summary : Picking up right where "Mates Since Birth" left off, we meet Brynn & Gannon.

Brynn is Dane's sister--a half-breed jaguar shifter--who gets separated from her family during a raid by the Muhlikari pack--a pack of absolute pure-blooded wolves that have no tolerance for half-breeds and humans--and almost dies until her mate finds her. However, her mate turns out to be Gannon--the Muhlikari pack Alpha's son--who is enraptured by Brynn and is having a hard time, at first, to find out that everything his known has been wrong or a lie in some way. Quickly they both embrace the gift of finding their fated mate while dealing with the consequences that come along with it and other surprises along the way!

My Book Review : 4 out of 5 stars, mates find each other in the middle of a battle then discover that there is more to learn about one-another then what they've been told and what meets their eyes. I loved reading about the instant chemistry and passion that Brynn & Gannon share. They were a unique pairing that was fun to read about! Plus, their sex scenes were hot Hot HOT!! =0)

I especially liked how this one ended, by bringing all of the past characters together and wrapping up Brynn & Gannon's story while including a little intrigue as to where this series is heading!

I recommend it to anyone who are fans Ms. Stowe and fans of this series! In addition, because of how this novella is written out--as a stand alone--anyone who likes paranormal erotic romances should like this too!

Purchase This Book and/or The Other Books From It's Series Here :

My Previous Review(s) for this Series : Book 3

My Previous Mention(s) of this Author's Books/Characters : Winter Themed Books To Warm You Up During the 2011 Holiday Season

Author's Novel Extras : Body to Barter - Overview | BODY TO BARTER Update | Body to Barter - Now Available!

Author's Series Extras : Caught in Heat - Overview & Excerpt | Dreams of Wolf - Overview & Excerpt | Mates Since Birth - Overview & Excerpt | The Half-Breed Series - Promotional Campaign | December Updates | Release Day - Interview with a Killer!!! | Sold a Book! | New Book Covers and Release Dates! | MATES SINCE BIRTH Blog Tour | Mates Since Birth - Republished

Book Teaser(s) :

He’d never taken a female face to face before. He liked this. It was intimate, bonding. He liked being able to look up into her eyes and see her shock and pleasure. Meeting his gaze, she bit her bottom lip and offered him a shy smile. “You feel so good,” she panted.
The urge to do that mouth thing again—kissing—filled him. He smashed his lips to hers with no finesse whatsoever. But she didn’t seem to mind his lack of skill. She kissed him back hotly, opening up to let him in. When her tongue tangled with his, he decided kissing was the absolute bomb. ~ within Chapter 5

“But I want to like you,” she cried in exasperation. “Or whoever I mate with. And I want him to like me, like being with me.”
“Oh, I like being with you,” he said, his eyes lightening with sexual hunger as he drew his finger down over her breast to make her nipple bead. “There’s no doubt about that. I think we’re very compatible together.”
“In bed,” she muttered, and slapped his hand away.
“That’s a very important place to be compatible.”
“But...don’t you want more?”
“Yes,” he said, coming in for a kiss. “And that’s why I intend to take more.”
She jerked away, refusing him her lips so she could groan and bury her face in her hands. “Oh, my God. You’re impossible to reason with.”
He gave a sudden grin. “See, you’re already learning me well. Impossible and controlling. Those are my leading traits.”
Her mouth fell open. His smile fried a couple of her brain cells; she could do nothing but gape at him. But, damn, he was gorgeous when he smiled. And the fact that he could smile warmed her. Then there was the teasing. Thank God, he’d teased and made a joke about himself. She had worried he wouldn’t have a sense of humor at all.
No way in hell would she want to be tethered to some dull, domineering man wolf for the rest of her life who didn’t even know how to smile and laugh.
“Brynn,” he murmured, and cupped her face. She liked the tender way he touched her, as if her feelings actually mattered to him. Looking up, she prayed he’d say something to make her want to stay with him, because, strangely she wanted to want to stay with him. ~ within Chapter 7

For more information on this book, series, and/or any other books by Miranda, then please check out her website.

Made the Grade: Untamed: An Alpha's Kiss by Evelyn Glass

Format: Kindle Edition | File Size: 1283 KB | Release Date: November 6, 2013 | Publisher: Self-Published | Obtained: Amazon.com

"Untamed: An Alpha's Kiss" by Evelyn Glass

Author's Book Description : When Charmaine Vella rescues her friend Scottie from bullies of the Kreuger pack at a party hosted by the rival pack, she had expected nothing else to come of it. She certainly didn't expect Parker, the son of the Kreuger Alpha to come looking for her. She certainly didn't expect him to be handsome. And she most certainly didn't expect her own desire to burn so fiercely when Parker came closer.

But there was a problem: the Vella and Kreuger packs hate each other and have hated each other for centuries.

An unexpected kiss will propel Charmaine and Parker down a grim-fated path. Can they keep their love a secret from their respective families and can they bear the consequences if it's discovered?

My Book Review : 3.5 out of 5 stars! Two enemies find themselves in unusual territory when they learn they are each other's mates, now they'll have to fend off both their packs, friends, and family's until everything settles with hopes that everything will work out for the best...

I really liked the premise of this novella; it was kind of like Romeo and Juliet only with a paranormal twist and not as dramatic. It had a great build up to how this series, if it gets turned into one, will play out especially with it's slight plot cliffhangers to make you wonder as to where it'll go.

Plus, it helped that the sex scenes to very steamy while Charmaine and Parker were truly a couple that complete each other really well, even though they still have issues to work out.

I recommend it to anyone who likes paranormal romances and those who don't mind slight cliffhangers.

Purchase This Book Here :

Book Teaser(s) :

She and Parker were connected. Bonded. They belonged with one another.
Only that was impossible, because he was a Kreuger and she was a Vella.
She raged at a universe that would make this kind of thing possible. She cursed the stupid treaty and the Council she'd never get to be a part of and every heavenly and earthly thing that stood between her and what she wanted. Tears scalded her face as she drove, her foot pressing furiously on the gas pedal, as if she could outrun all of it if she just drove fast enough.
And where did he get off telling her things would be okay? He had no idea that things would be okay. Things weren't even remotely okay; they were crashing down around her head even as she drove. She had no options that she could conceive of that would get her out of this.
Mom, Pop, I've got something to tell you. You know how you're always after me to find my Mate? Well, I found him. He's tall and good-looking and he cooks one mean steak. You should see his house, it's amazing. Oh, and did I tell you he's successful? Yep, he's the rising pack Alpha. You should see him hunt. And he's so protective, Pop, you'd love it. But there's just one little catch...
It was madness. ~ within Chapter 18

"I never thought I'd want this," she said softly. "I didn't even really believe it could happen. This, what you and I have. It's like you're right here with me, living the same life. You're in me, and I'm in you. I thought it was all some made-up thing."
"A conspiracy theory," he joked, smoothing back her hair and kissing her forehead.
"Kind of. I was convinced they all made it up to keep us breeding." Her eyes were rimmed with pink, but she smiled a genuine smile through her drying tears.
He laughed. "My dad would love that. He's all about tradition, the old order, keeping the lineage going." ~ within Chapter 24

For more information on this book and/or any other books by Evelyn, then please check out her on the Goodreads' website.

Made the Grade: Shifters, Inc. Series, Book 3

Format: Kindle Edition | File Size: 1435 KB | Release Date: November 7, 2013 | Publisher: Self-Published | Obtained: Amazon.com

"His Purrfect Mate" [Shifters, Inc. Series, Book 3] by Georgette St. Clair

Author's Book Description : Chloe Novak may be the world’s clumsiest cat shifter; in fact, she’s the only panther she’s ever heard of that doesn’t land on its feet. She may hide her looks behind her glasses, lumpy cardigans, and stacks of books. However, she’s got her beautifully creaky old house and her university job, and she’s content...until billionaire panther shifter Kenneth Chamberlin strides through her office door with an offer she literally can’t refuse, if she ever wants to see her grandmother alive again. The problem is, the Chamberlin family are the ones who ruined her family’s life and reputation – and the sinfully handsome Kenneth makes her tingle in all the right places. How can she work with him in close quarters and keep her heart and her sanity intact?

My Book Review : 3 out of 5 stars, one clumsy cat shifter falls right into one fifty-year-old mystery that hits closer to home then she would have expected while loosing her heart to her biggest enemy in the process....

This was the first time I've read a novel from this author and series, however even though it was written as a stand-alone novel so I could understand everything that was going on, I just wished that I liked it better. The plot was good and there were some really cute/funny parts to it. Yet, I would have enjoyed this novel more if the main characters, Chloe and Kenneth, were the major focus instead of the secondary characters. I mean I understand it's a series and that means you read more about previous main characters in the series but there wasn't enough scenes between Chloe and Kenneth to make you really like them as characters, even though it was obvious that they made a good match up. If I read any more from this series I hope those novels will have the plot be more involved with it's main characters instead of the other way around. With that being said though, I did like the secondary characters a lot ... it'll be interesting to see where this series will go next.

I recommend this novel to those who are fans of Ms. St. Clair and this series!

Purchase This Book and/or The Other Books From It's Series Here :

Author's Novel Extras : My latest Paranormal Romance, His Purrfect Mate – Cover Reveal! | His Purrfect Mate is now live!

Author's Series Extras : My BBW Shifter Romance, The Alpha Claims A Mate, is published on Amazon! | My BBW werewolf romance is selling like gangbusters! | Saving this for posterity! | The Alpha Meets His Match is done! | Quick update here | I’m polishing up the rough draft of the upcoming Shifters Inc.! | I’m polishing up the rough draft of the upcoming Shifters Inc.!

Book Teaser(s) :

“Looking for someone?” Kenneth said from right behind her, making her jump and spill half her drink down the front of her dress. He was wearing a shiny black tuxedo with a perfectly knotted blue silk bowtie, and clinging to his arm was a slender platinum blonde with huge blue eyes. She had a tiny button nose and a mouth shaped like a glossy pink heart. She wore a dress that looked as if it were made of black liquid silk, fitting her as if it had been poured over her slim body, rippling and flowing like a river.
Looking at her clinging to Kenneth gave Chloe an odd, sickly feeling in her stomach which she had never experienced before.
Chloe glanced down at her dress. It was loose in the bust, and tight in the hips , and now there was a stain on the front that was shaped like a chicken, and she was regretting her decision to carry her sweater slung over her arm. She should have handed it in at the coat check.
High society and Chloe didn’t mix.
“I’m looking for my boyfriend,” she said desperately. “We’re practically engaged, actually.” Where the hell was Henry?
“Is that a sweater?” the blonde asked her incredulously, eyes widening.
“What does your boyfriend look like?” Kenneth asked politely, but she could sense the skepticism in his smile. “Let me help you find him.”
“He’s got bleached blond hair, he’s wearing a plaid jacket...”
“That man over there?” He inclined his head at Henry, who was standing in a corner making out with the waiter. The waiter was still holding the tray in his left hand, and people were walking by, grabbing canapés off of it.
Tarts. Riiight. He’d gone to seek out tarts. She mentally added a new item to her to-do list for tomorrow: stab Henry through the heart with a fountain pen.
“No, no...ah...another blond guy in a plaid jacket.” Right. Because the room was crawling with them. ~ within Chapter 3

“I swear, it is unbelievable how many outfits I go through,” Bobbi said, fishing through a bag of spare clothing she’d bought with her.
“It must get expensive,” Pixie observed, as Mayameen weaved around potholes and chunks of asphalt.
“If I were an entrepreneur, I’d design a line of clothing for shifters,” she said. “Clothing that wouldn’t shred to pieces every damned time I shift. I’m tired of flashing my boobs all over town.”
“That could work. Shifters are what, ten percent of the overall population in the U.S.? Forty percent in some areas? You’d have a big customer base. Me, I’m sticking with my amusement park idea. It’ll make millions.”
“No, it won’t, because half of the amusement park patrons will be dead. Live ammunition? Seriously.”
“Dreamkiller,” Pixie muttered. “The cars would all be bulletproof.”
They arrived at the El-Debar’s ten minutes later, still arguing over Pixie’s amusement park idea. ~ within Chapter 8

For more information on this book, series, and/or any other books by Georgette, then please check out her website.