Review: The Winning Season by Alison Packard

Title: The Winning Season
Author: Alison Packard
Published: July 15, 2013
Pages: 241
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Carina Press
Rating: B
Reviewed by: Marq

summary from Goodreads
Kelly Maxwell has finally landed her dream job as publicist for the San Francisco Blaze. But the team's newest member, handsome bad boy catcher Matt Scanlon, is refusing every interview. She's got to get him to open up before the season ends, or she may not be back next year. And after everything she overcame to achieve her dream, Kelly's not about to let that happen.

Matt Scanlon just wants to be left alone to rebuild his life and his career. After a year of masking the pain of a recent loss with hard partying and fast women, he finally hit rock bottom and was traded to a team he's loathed his entire life—a team with little to no chance at the post-season.

Butting heads is getting Kelly and Matt nowhere but annoyed, and with the team's schedule on the road, they can't avoid close quarters—or their surprising attraction to one another. As the season winds down, Matt finds his growing feelings for Kelly have brought his numbed emotions back to life. But when betrayal shatters their fragile trust, winning it all seems more impossible than ever.

Review: Making It Last by Ruthie Knox

Title: Making It Last - A Novella (Camelot Series)
Series: Camelot, #4
Author: Ruthie Knox
Published: July 15, 2013
Pages: 136
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Loveswept
Rating: B+
Reviewed by: Marq

Favorite quote: "You're the reason for everything. Everything I do."

summary from Goodreads
A hotel bar. A sexy stranger. A night of passion. There’s a part of Amber Mazzara that wants those things, wants to have a moment — just one — where life isn’t a complicated tangle of house and husband and kids and careers. Then, after a long, exhausting “vacation” with her family, her husband surprises her with a gift: a few days on the beach . . . alone.

Only she won’t be alone long, because a handsome man just bought her a drink. He’s cool, he’s confident, and he wants to take Amber to bed and keep her there for days. Lucky for them both, he’s her husband. He’s only got a few days in Jamaica to make her wildest desires come true, but if he can pull it off, there’s reason to believe that this fantasy can last a lifetime.

Early Review: Beauty and the Billionaire by Jessica Clare

Title: Beauty and the Billionaire (BILLIONAIRE BOYS CLUB NOVEL)
Series: Billionaire Boys Club, #2
Author: Jessica Clare
Release Date: July 16, 2013
Pages: 261
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Intermix
Rating: B
Reviewed by: Marq

Favorite quote: "You bring me back to life."

summary from Goodreads
Real-estate tycoon Hunter Buchanan has a dark past that’s left him scarred and living as a recluse on his family’s palatial estate. Hunter is ready to give up on love—until he spots an enigmatic red-haired beauty and comes up with an elaborate scheme to meet her.

Gretchen Petty is in need of a paycheck—and a change. So when a job opportunity in an upstate New York mansion pops up she accepts. And while she can overlook the oddities of her new job, she can’t ignore her new boss’s delectable body—or his barely leashed temper.

Hunter’s afraid his plan might be unraveling before it’s truly begun, but Gretchen is about to show him that life can be full of surprises…

Review: Not Until You Beg by Roni Loren

Title: Not Until You Part V: Not Until You Beg
Series: Loving on the Edge, #3.55
Author: Roni Loren
Published: July 9, 2013
Pages: 73
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Penguin Intermix
Rating: B-
Reviewed by: Marq

Favorite quote: "I want to try this--with you."

summary from Goodreads
Foster has been pushed past the point of temptation. So even though he fears Cela’s interest in his world is a passing whim, he agrees to teach her the art of submission. But he’s not going to hold anything back—if she wants to see this side of him, he’s going to show her how deep his dominance runs.

Cela’s initial intrigue begins to give way to doubt as she struggles with the submissive role and the desires it stirs within her. Having spent her whole life being controlled by her domineering father, she’s unsure if she’s ready to put herself under the command of another man. But when she breaks Foster’s most important rule, she puts herself in a situation more intense than she bargained for…

Review: Vicious Moon by Lee Roland

Title: Vicious Moon: A Novel of the Earth Witches
Series: Earth Witches, #3
Author: Lee Roland
Published: July 2, 2013
Pages: 320
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Source: Publisher (Signet)
Rating: B-
Reviewed by: Ellie

Favorite quote: “Of course I’m supportive. I haven’t tried to kill you yet.”

summary from Goodreads
Ex-soldier and earth witch Nyx Ianira is working as a PI in San Francisco when she sees the last thing she ever wants to see: the Sisters of Justice—the mysterious earth witch police force. A Triad of Sisters usually means an execution mission, but the Sisters’ only goal is to capture and escort Nyx across the country.

Nyx is badly needed back in Twitch Crossing, Georgia, the place she ran away from ten years ago to escape the stiff rules and duties of being a true witch. She wanted a life of her own. Now she’s being dragged back to her swampy hometown because another life is in danger: Her little sister is missing, and Nyx is the only one who can track her down in Duivel, Missouri.

But the key to finding her may lie with dark and tempting Etienne—a sinister criminal with a fearsome reputation, a ruthless attitude, and a total immunity to magic...

Review: Not Until You Trust by Roni Loren

Title: Not Until You Part IV: Not Until You Trust
Series: Loving on the Edge, #3.54
Author: Roni Loren
Published: July 2, 2013
Pages: 66
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Penguin Intermix
Rating: B-
Reviewed by: Marq

summary from Goodreads
Despite desperately wanting to satisfy her curiosity, Foster is not about to introduce Cela to his true dominant side. For one thing, she’s far too innocent to participate in that kind of lifestyle; for another, he doesn’t want to get attached when she’ll be leaving town so soon. But when he comes home after a frustrating day and finds Cela hanging out with Pike, all of Foster’s possessive urges rise to the surface.

Cela is left breathless and shaken after getting a glimpse of Foster’s dominance unleashed. Maybe he was right, and she isn’t ready for something so intense. But when she can’t get her mind off their nights together, she comes up with a daring plan to see just how much they’re both willing to risk…

Review: Werewolf in Alaska by Vicki Lewis Thompson

Title: Werewolf in Alaska: A Wild About You Novel
Series: Wild About You, #5
Author: Vicki Lewis Thompson
Published: July 2, 2013
Pages: 352
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Source: Publisher (Signet)
Rating: B-
Reviewed by: Ellie

Favorite quote: “You don’t have to be anything more than you already are to be everything I’ve always wanted.”

summary from Goodreads
He’s a lone wolf—for now.

In Polecat, Alaska, Rachel Miller and Jake Hunter have a mutual admiration for each other—from across a lake. There’s nothing Rachel likes more than spying on the very fit wilderness guide when he skinny-dips each night. And Jake has always been curious about his reclusive artist neighbor. He even bought Rachel’s first wood carving: a wolf who looks suspiciously like him...

Jake is a werewolf, but not just any werewolf. He’s the founder of WARM (Werewolves Against Random Mating). And that means a human like Rachel is off-limits, no matter how attractive he finds her.

But when Rachel is threatened by a bear, and Jake shifts to save her, their lives collide with an intense passion, one that could change everything they’ve ever felt about themselves—and each other...

Review: Playing the Part by Robin Covington

Title: Playing the Part (Entangled Brazen)
Author: Robin Covington
Published: June 10, 2013
Pages: 250
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Entangled (Brazen)
Rating: B
Reviewed by: Marq

summary from Goodreads
After publicly self-destructing over a heartbreak a year ago, bestselling romance writer Piper James is now making nice with her publisher by agreeing to teach Hollywood's favorite action star how to act like he's in love. Only playboy Mick Blackwell has no clue what love looks like. When a seductive heat ignites between Piper and Mick, she jumps at the chance for a bit of fun between the sheets, but with two stipulations: she's kept out of the public eye and things end when she returns to New York. Only Mick keeps changing the rules on her. Tempted by America's favorite bad boy, Piper is wondering how far she's willing to bend...

Review: Dirty Distractions by Cari Quinn

Title: Dirty Distractions
Series: Afternoon Delight, #1
Author: Cari Quinn
Published: June 18, 2013
Pages: 166
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Source: Purchased
Publisher: Samhain
Rating: B
Reviewed by: Marq

summary from Goodreads
She wants a fling, and he wants forever…

Zoologist Sara Carmichael’s active social life is the envy of all her friends, but she has a secret. She’s bored senseless. If she has to go to one more bird sanctuary fundraiser with some guy who thinks his little sports car makes him “hip,” she'll scream.

Enter Brad O’Halloran, her best friend Kim’s much younger brother. A guy who’s picking up the pieces after a quickie marriage and even quicker divorce. A guy so hot he makes her body scream with frustration.

Until Sara’s apartment is renovated, they’re all living at Kim’s place. Despite her determination to not to salivate at glimpses of Brad’s finer-than-fine body in nothing but a low-slung towel, flirtation escalates to the brink of something more.

Now one of them has to back down…or ante up for some good, dirty fun with the unspoken understanding that when the time comes, they’ll make a clean break. Neither anticipated they’d make the most complicated connection of all—love.

Review: One Sweet Ride by Jaci Burton

Title: One Sweet Ride
Series: Play by Play, #6
Author: Jaci Burton
Published: June 4, 2013
Pages: 336
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Source: Publisher (Penguin Group)
Rating: B
Reviewed by: Ellie

Favorite quote: “Can you die from a really great orgasm?”

summary from Goodreads
Gray Preston was born into money, but he’s built his racing empire on hard work and muscle. And now that Gray has millions of fans, his senator father sends one of his aides, Evelyn Hill, to elicit Gray’s help in garnering votes for the upcoming national election. Gray wants nothing to do with his estranged father’s campaign, but Evelyn can be pretty persuasive. She’s willing to learn about racing, and maybe even get a little dirty.

Evelyn’s number-one goal is politics, which makes working with Gray difficult, because his only passion is fast cars. As she and Gray spend time together, he teaches her about the sport he loves, and she learns a lot about the man behind the wheel. The more she learns, the more she wants him. But any desire that threatens to derail the carefully laid plans for her future is a dangerous one.

With the passion Gray and Evelyn share running hotter than either imagined, one of them is going to have to compromise, or else run the risk of losing more than their hearts.

Review: Not Until You Crave by Roni Loren

Title: Not Until You Part III: Not Until You Crave
Series: Loving on the Edge, #3.53
Author: Roni Loren
Published: June 15, 2013
Pages: 58
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Penguin Intermix
Rating: B-
Reviewed by: Marq

summary from Goodreads
As the threesome returns home from their wild night, Foster is still reeling from the truth about Cela and angry at himself for feeling more than he should for a one night stand. So when he’s confronted by Cela’s angry and protective older brother, he agrees to stay away from his alluring neighbor. He knows he’s got no business messing with a vanilla girl—especially one who tests his self-control at every turn.

Cela’s still not ready to give up on Foster or the intense connection they shared. So when a harmless midnight texting session turns into an irresistible invitation, she can’t say no. But later when she runs into Foster dressed in leather pants and heading out for a late night at The Ranch, she begins to grasp that there’s a whole other side to him she never imagined—a darkness that both intrigues and terrifies her...

Review: You're the One by Robin Kaye

Title: You're the One
Series: Bad Boys of Red Hook, #2
Author: Robin Kaye
Published: June 4, 2013
Pages: 384
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: Publisher (Signet)
Rating: B
Reviewed by: Ellie

Favorite quote: “Nice? Fine? Sugar, them’s fightin’ words. You don’t tell a man who licked chocolate frosting and whipped cream off your hot little body that it was fine and nice.”

summary from Goodreads
Logan Blaise expected to be taking a quick break from his successful vineyard in Napa to visit his hometown of Brooklyn. But what he finds is a complete mess: His father is sicker than he'd imagined, and Logan is responsible for keeping the family restaurant running smoothly. When the chef quits, he's forced to hire the first person who applies for the job Skye Maxwell, a beautiful enigma with great skills and gaps in her résumé.

Skye is determined to make it on her own, without trading on her famous family name. Working in the community of Red Hook offers the perfect opportunity to stay out of the limelight while pursuing her dreams. At first glance, charismatic Logan seems exactly like all the shallow men she knew back home. But as she notices his small-town roots and strong family ties, the Brooklyn bad boy and his restaurant start to feel exactly like where she really belongs...

Review: Barefoot in the Sun by Roxanne St. Claire

Title: Barefoot in the Sun (Barefoot Bay)
Series: Barefoot Bay, #3
Author: Roxanne St. Claire
Published: April 30, 2013
Pages: 432
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: Publisher (Forever)
Rating: B
Reviewed by: Ellie

Favorite quote: “I’m nervous because it’s you. And you matter.”

summary from Goodreads
When running is all you've ever known . . .

Caught between fight and flight, Zoe Tamarin has always picked flight. Since she was rescued from a nightmare childhood by her great-aunt Pasha, they've been on the move, never staying in one place long enough to risk exposing their precarious past. But now that they've reached the sun-baked shores of Barefoot Bay, Zoe may have to stay and fight--for her aunt's life . . . and for a love she ran from years before.

Sometimes the bravest act of all is to stand still.

Oliver Bradbury came to Florida to start over, as both a doctor and a father to his eight-year-old son. He never expected life to hand him a second chance with the woman he lost years ago--but one look at Zoe Tamarin and he knows he'll do whatever it takes to prove that this time, he can be the man she needs. But when demands of family and friendship threaten to shatter their rekindled passion, Oliver must heal Zoe's lifelong wounds with more than hot kisses . . . but will that be enough to keep her from flying off with his heart?

Review: Down London Road by Samantha Young

Title: Down London Road
Series: On Dublin Street, #2
Author: Samantha Young
Published: May 7, 2013
Pages: 375
Genre: New Adult Contemporary
Source: Publisher (NAL)
Rating: B+
Reviewed by: Ellie

Favorite quote: “But what does it say about humans as a species if we go around killing things just because we fear them?”

summary from Goodreads
Johanna Walker is used to taking charge. But she’s about to meet someone who will make her lose control....

It has always been up to Johanna to care for her family, particularly her younger brother, Cole. With an absent father and a useless mother, she’s been making decisions based on what’s best for Cole for as long as she can remember. She even determines what men to date by how much they can provide for her brother and her, not on whatever sparks may—or may not—fly.

But with Cameron MacCabe, the attraction is undeniable. The sexy new bartender at work gives her butterflies every time she looks at him. And for once, Jo is tempted to put her needs first. Cam is just as obsessed with getting to know Jo, but her walls are too solid to let him get close enough to even try.

Then Cam moves into the flat below Jo’s, and their blistering connection becomes impossible to ignore. Especially since Cam is determined to uncover all of Jo’s secrets …even if it means taking apart her defenses piece by piece.

Review: Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Title: Dare You To
Series: Pushing the Limits, #2
Author: Katie McGarry
Published: May 28, 2013
Pages: 462
Genre: Young Adult
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Rating: B
Reviewed by: Marq

summary from Goodreads
Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. "Dance with me, Beth."

"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again....

"I dare you..."

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all....

Review: Unforgiven by Anne Calhoun

Title: Unforgiven
Author: Anne Calhoun
Published: June 4, 2013
Pages: 304
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: Publisher (Berkley)
Rating: B+
Reviewed by: Ellie

Favorite quote: “That’s why he looks at you like you’re the one who got away.”
“Sleeping with a woman only makes her more complex, not less”

summary from Goodreads
For as long as he could remember, he wanted her…

Raised by a single mother, Adam Collins resolved to take no chances with a girl’s future—or his own. That’s why, as hard as it was, he resisted everything he felt for Marissa Brooks. Then one night a reckless challenge left a fellow student dead and changed both their lives forever. As penance, Adam took the boy’s place in the Marines, where he could disappear into discipline and duty, and left Marissa behind to struggle with her dreams.

Twelve years later, Adam is back in Walkers Ford to serve as the best man in his friend’s wedding. The years haven’t diminished the electric connection he has with Marissa. But Adam’s mistake continues to haunt him, and Marissa is stumbling under the weight of her family’s legacy. Together they wrestle with demons and dreams, but if there’s any hope for a future together Adam has to not only find a way to forgive himself, but also ask others for forgiveness—especially from the woman whose heart he broke.

Review: Haven Creek by Rochelle Alers

Title: Haven Creek (A Cavanaugh Island Novel)
Series: Cavanaugh Island, #3
Author: Rochelle Alers
Published: May 28, 2013
Pages: 448
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: Publisher (Forever)
Rating: B-
Reviewed by: Ellie

Favorite quote: “The only thing you have to remember is not to say something you don’t actually mean.”

summary from Goodreads
Home is where the heart is.

Architect Morgan Dane has always lived according to a plan, crossing off her achievements one by one. But when she's offered her dream job-the restoration of historic Angels Landing Plantation on beautiful Cavanaugh Island-Morgan's life takes an unexpected turn.

Carpenter Nathaniel Shaw once took a big chance on commitment-and lost. Needing the healing comforts of home, he returns to Haven Creek to join the family business. Nothing in the small town has changed-except for Morgan Dane. The wallflower he knew in high school has grown into a beautiful woman . . . and stirs feelings Nate isn't sure he's ready for.

Together Nate and Morgan find a happiness neither could have predicted. But when secrets from the past come to light, their budding relationship is threatened. Will they play it safe, or risk their hearts to build a life together?

Review: It Had To Be You by Jill Shalvis

Title: It Had to Be You
Series: Lucky Harbor, #7
Author: Jill Shalvis
Published: May 28, 2013
Pages: 352
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: Publisher (Grand Central Publishing)
Rating: B+
Reviewed by: Ellie

Favorite quote: You look at me like I’m the best thing you’ve seen all day. You make me feel...I don’t know. Pretty. Sexy. And important to you. You make me feel, Luke.”

summary from Goodreads
Ali Winters is not having a good day. Her boyfriend left her, everyone in town thinks she's a thief, and now she's about to be kicked out of her home. Her only shot at keeping a roof over her head and clearing her name is to beg for help from a police detective who's as sexy as he is stern....

After a high-profile case goes wrong, Luke Hanover returns to his hometown for some peace and quiet. Instead he finds a bombshell brunette in a heap of trouble. As he helps Ali put her world back together, the pieces of Luke's own life finally seem to fall into place. Is this the start of a sizzling fling? Or are Luke and Ali on the brink of something big in a little town called Lucky Harbor?

Review: Sun, Sand, Sex by Linda Lael Miller, Jennifer Apodaca, Shelly Laurenston

Title: Sun, Sand, Sex
Series: The Long Island Coven, #1
Authors: Linda Lael Miller, Jennifer Apodaca, Shelly Laureston
Published: April 30, 2013
Pages: 352
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: Publisher (Kensington)
Rating: B
Reviewed by: Ellie

Favorite quote: “And how would I call you, Nick? Look you up under one-night stands in the phone book?”

summary from Goodreads
What's better than a long, lazy day at the shore? Think beach-blanket bingo with a sizzling hottie (or three). So sit back, relax, and don't worry about tan lines, because in this scorching collection, swimsuits are definitely optional...

LINDA LAEL MILLER
One Last Weekend
College sweethearts Teague and Joanna Darby, once passionately in love, are on the brink of divorce. When a ferry strike leaves them stranded together at their beloved beach cottage, it could be the most awkward weekend ever. Or the perfect chance to fall for each other all over again-one steamy encounter at a time...

JENNIFER APODACA
You Give Love a Good Name
Lexie Rollins is a wedding planner on the lam. All she did was defend herself (with a staple gun) against a sleazy groom-who knew the Assault and Battery charges would stick? Now Lexie's "vacation" at an exclusive resort has put her at the top of gorgeous bounty hunter Nick Vardolous's list. And Nick always gets his woman-every which way imaginable...

SHELLY LAURENSTON
My Kind of Town (The Long Island Coven #1)
Deputy Kyle Treharne of seaside Smithville, North Carolina, hates Yankees-even exotically beautiful ones like Emma Lucchesi. The sexy New Yorker's got trouble written all over her, and she knows more than she's telling about the increasingly strange goings-on in his town. But if the lady's got a few tricks up her sleeve, so does the lawman. And it's high time for every wicked thing to be deliciously revealed...

Review: The Princess and the Porn Star by Lauren Gallagher

Title: The Princess and the Porn Star
Author: Lauren Gallagher
Published: May 7, 2013
Pages: 288
Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance
Source: Purchased
Publisher: Samhain
Rating: B-
Reviewed by: Marq

summary from Goodreads
She’s got the moves. He’s got the heat. Will their hearts catch the rhythm?

Rachel Taylor’s manager has to be kidding. A porn star dancing beside her in her next music video? She didn’t claw her way back from near obscurity in the pop music world only to become a laughingstock all over again.

Yet the moment she meets Lee, a.k.a. the infamous Buck Harder, their chemistry sizzles. There’s much more to the man behind the stage name than the obvious attributes that make him so successful, and soon she’s fantasizing about sharing more than just a stage.

In only a few steps, they find a perfect, dance-floor groove hot enough to melt the camera lens. But when the video’s release blows up in their faces, her record label exercises an obscure but ironclad clause—stay away from each other. Or else.

Meeting in secret seems the most delicious solution. But they can’t hide this kind of heat for long…and when the paparazzi sniff them out, she realizes choosing to stay with the man she’s fallen for could cause her to fall off the pop music map—permanently.