Je suis Charlie

Je suis Charlie

Friday, 12 February 2021

The Hunt (By Kiss and Claw Book 2) by Melissa Haag

 

 

The Hunt (By Kiss and Claw Book 2) by Melissa Haag

 


Blurb

I was fine existing on copious amounts of chocolate.  But, thanks to Fenris’s less than helpful intervention, Mom’s building a nightclub named “Man-beef Buffet.”  My hell is only beginning.

Hounded by the Academy's guidance counselor, smothered by her mother, and harassed by a perverted brownie, Eliana’s patience for well-meaning help is thinning.  She has more important matters on her plate.  Like, dealing with the repercussions of a backfired spell while avoiding the local, hot werewolf.

When something starts stalking her, Eliana decides she’s done playing by everyone else’s rules.  She might be afraid to feed, but she’s far from weak.  The beast pursuing her will soon feel what it’s like when the hunter becomes the hunted.

Warning: Contains a starving succubus with violent reactions to sex toys, a loving mom who supports nudism, and a brownie with fertility issues.  Recommended for mature teen readers and up.

 Review

It is still a toss-up between the Fates and Furies books and Eliana's books but seriously? This book is simply amazing and I loved every single page of it! Even though I hadn't read Howl again, it took me only a few sentences to be back in Uttira and everything came back at once. Oh, well, Piepen made himself unforgettable once again and I may have cringed while laughing out loud but he and his kind are sweet (in their own particular way at least) and it's always fun to meet them - inside the pages of a book.
Fenris is still wonderful and supportive, charming and just Fenris. With Megan and Oanen still gone and one or more crisis at hand, he is there to support Eliana however and when ever he can. While we are still trying to find Ashlyn and Eliana under pressure to feed properly whereas Fenris still has to fend of potential mates, I still can't make my mind up about Eliana's mother. She means well but....
And then there's Adira. And all the others who expect Eliana to behave like a good succubus no matter what she wants and how she feels - and it makes me furious! I loved Eliana from the first tackle-hug on and seeing her hurt because of these people... ugh.

This is once again an absolutely wonderful book with a great storyline and unique and very lovable characters - I loved It and can't wait to read the next book in the series, The Hunger! 

 

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Love In Moments (Love Distilled #2) by Scarlett Cole

 
 
 

 IT IS LIVE!

The wonderful second book in the Love Distilled series is finally live!

     Love In Moments (Love Distilled #2) by Scarlett Cole

  
Love In Moments (Love Distilled # 2)
 
 
BLURB
 


Swedish hockey player, Anders “Iceberg” Berg, is counting the days until he’s an unrestricted free agent and can land the contract he’s worth. Yet, instead of recovering and resting at home so he can play to impress his dream organization, he’s in Denver for his brother’s wedding at a gin distillery, watching the pretty brunette who organized the whole thing. 


Olivia Dyer can’t wait to put the year behind her. Her father died, and the event hall she ran at her family’s distillery was destroyed. The cost to the business and her mental health more than she could ever afford to repay. Rebuilding both takes all her effort leaving little time for anything else. Except for a single night of fun with the hot hockey player who’s been watching her every move.

When a kitchen catastrophe throws Anders and Liv together, it ends with an evening neither of them can forget. It was only meant to be one night. But when Anders is unexpectedly traded to see out the rest of his contract with the Denver Rush, and his plans to leave as quickly as possible are disrupted by the sultry brunette who defines courage, their only option is to give to the attraction they feel for one another.

Yet with Liv stuck in the past and Anders firmly focused on the future, can they put aside their differences and allow themselves to find love in the present?
 
 
 
REVIEW
 
Wow, simply wow. This book is absolutely amazing!

On the one hand, there is the beautiful love between Anders and Olivia, their chemistry and their love are palpable and I loved to see them grow together, to support each other and help each other fly. Those two are wonderful together and I felt with them, cheered them on, and worried a lot along the way. Oh, and I might have wanted to kick Anders sometimes...

Anders and Olivia are complex and complicated characters, both of them battling their own demons.
Whereas Anders is still trying to figure out his future and to find his place in the game and in his world, Olivia is dealing with the aftermath of a crippling depression that ruled her life for far too long. It hasn't been that long that she has fought her way back to life and at times she is still struggling. As someone who has first-hand experience with depression, I recognized much of myself in her. The author perfectly described the crippling feelings, the helplessness, and also the lack of understanding of those around you who never experienced anything like this and simply can't understand it.
This book is intense and honest and despite this serious topic, it is still a beautiful love story and we get to see Olivia reclaim her life bit by bit, step by step with Anders at her side who supports her.

I really loved this book and can't wait to read the next book in the series! 

🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞

 

P.S. You might want to keep a glass of gin at hand when you read the book. 

It won't be a Dyer's Medallion but still - it will be gin.  πŸ˜‰



Thursday, 21 January 2021

May McGoldrick Borrowed Dreams: Pennington Family (Scottish Dream Trilogy Book 1)

 

 

 

  

Borrowed Dreams

 (Scottish Dream Trilogy Book 1)

by

 May McGoldrick

 

Blurb

 From the USA Best Selling Author The first Book In a New Trilogy (Scottish Dream Trilogy)  Winner of the Holt Medallion for Best Historical Romance  THE PROPOSAL Driven to undo the evil wrought by her dead husband, Millicent Wentworth must find a way to save her estate and free the innocent people he enslaves. Her only hope is a marriage—in name only—to the notorious widower the Earl of Aytoun. THE GROOM Devastated by the tragic accident that killed his wife and left him gravely wounded, Lyon Pennington, fourth Earl of Aytoun, is tormented by the accusations that blame him for the catastrophe. Filled with despair, he lets his mother lure him into a marriage of convenience—for the sake of a good-hearted woman on the verge of financial ruin. THE DESIRE Under Millicent’s gentle gaze, Lyon begins to regain his strength and his wounded heart begins to heal. And soon Millicent discovers that beneath his unruly beard and grim demeanor, Lyon just may be the most handsome—and caring—man she’s ever encountered. For the first time in her life, she realizes that she is alive—alive with a smoldering desire for the one man she’ll love forever… Winner of Holt Medallion for Best Historical Romance Winner of Romantic Times Award for Best British-Set Historical Romance

 

 Review
 
 I just realized the other day that even though this is one of my alltime favorites, I never wrote a review for this amazing book. This is one of the books that feel like Comfort food for the soul to me and I read and reread it very often.

I love the characters, both of them have suffered so much and still they dare hope. Seeing Lyon and Millicent fall for each other and help each other heal, is something special that always touches my heart.

Set in the Highlands at the time of the Clearings, were whole families were left homeless and forced to leave their native land, this beautiful passionate book tells a story of compassion and healing and the power of love.

Seeing Millicent heal and take a chance at love, see her change because of love after everything she endured, never fails to move me. Her compassion for the former slaves in her employ, her fight for their rights and happiness as well as her love and compassion for them, make her even more precious. And when Lyon enters her life and you can feel how she is drawn to him despite her fears and insecurities and when he slowly, upturned dish by upturned dish, shattered glass by shattered glass comes to appreciate her compassion, her fire and sees her as the beautiful and strong young woman that she is - it still gets me, every time I read it.

Their love for each other and those around them is palpable and I love to read their personal story and about their personal growth but I also love that this story highlights a time that you don't read about very often. There are the Clearings and the consequences for the people working the lands on the one hand and slavery and it's cruelty on the other hand.

Slavery is not yet banned in England at the time where this book is set. This book doesn't sugarcoat anything but shows slavery as the cruel disgrace that it was. You learn about it in the characters' memories and in a rather factual way though, compassionate but still factual.

There are so many wonderful multi-layered and complex characters in this book, you care for each and every one of them deeply and they stay with you for a long time after you have closed the book.
I can't say how often I've read this book by now but Millicent and Lyon and all the others ar
ound them are friends that I love to visit often.
 
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟


Tuesday, 19 January 2021

Knight (Fae Games Book 2) by Karen Lynch



Blurb

Jesse's adventures in bounty hunting continue.
Will she discover why her parents were taken?
Will she ever forgive Lukas and his men?
New dangers and intrigues await her because the Fae games are far from over



 Review

 Oh my god, I absolutely love this book! I've read it a couple of times already, now I'm waiting patiently... okay, kidding... impatiently for the audiobook to be released.

I've read all the books in the Relentless series by the author numerous times, read them, listened to them, petted the paperbacks (and the gorgeous hardback) lovingly... you know, that kind of book love.
So, naturally, I was thrilled (and a bit worried) when I started to read Pawn, the first book in the Fae Games series. The expectations were high but - the book was even better than I could have hoped for. An instant favorite, read and listened to far too many times by now to remember how often and now - Knight.

You should have read Pawn before you start reading Knight because Knight continues where Pawn ended - and I loved every minute of this book. Once again it kept me glued to my reader and, well, l can't even start to say what I loved best. If you fell in love with Finch in Pawn, you will love to meet him (and others) again in Knight. I was  constantly awww-ing and smiling goofily when reading about him and.... oops.

The story itself was captivating and I loved to see the different characters unfold and, yep, some groveling and making up for stupid actions may have been involved as well, just in case you were wondering.

The imaginative narrative, the well-developed and captivating plot and the authentic multi-layered characters as well as the amazing writing make this book and this whole series once again so special. And now I'm anxiously and very impatiently waiting for Queen, the final book in the trilogy!

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Sunday, 22 November 2020

Beg, Borrow or Steal by Susie Tate


 

  Beg, Borrow or Steal by Susie Tate



Jamie is proud of everything he’s achieved. A consultant anaesthetist and the Medical Education Director – he’s a pretty big deal. So when one of his medical students falls asleep, right in the middle of a tutorial, he is furious. He’s a bloody good teacher, damn it!

Maybe he could have been a little more understanding. Maybe he didn’t have to try and humiliate her. But the shock of how beautiful this particular student was when she finally opened her eyes, and his inappropriate reaction, only fuelled his anger. He’s tired of lame excuses from wild party animals burning the candle at both ends, and he’s going to make an example of this one.

For Libby, pride is a luxury and beauty is currency. Pregnant at seventeen and an aspiring doctor, she couldn’t afford to be proud, so she cashed in on her looks instead. She will beg, borrow or steal to achieve her dreams and give her daughter the life she deserves, even if she has to forgo sleep – even if she has to leave her dignity behind.
Only now that she’s not just sitting in lecture theatres like her first two years of medical school, now that she’s working in a real hospital, Libby is realizing that the thread she’s been hanging onto for so long may be about to snap. The last thing she needs is to have riled the gorgeous, judgmental Head of Medical Education. But there’s only so far you can push yourself, only so much pressure you can be under until you break. Libby’s been on that cliff edge for a while; her health may just tip her over.


A kick in the shin from a four-year-old girl and a confrontation with her tearful, exhausted mother soon forces Jamie to see what a bastard he’s been. Libby may not accept his help, but he’s relentless when he wants something, and it’s not long before he realizes that this mother and daughter belong with him. So when a stag night he’s on ends up in the best strip club in England and he sees who the main attraction is, his reaction is explosive.

Despite everything, Libby finds she still has some pride left. This man has made her feel small twice now. He won’t be getting a third shot. No matter how gorgeous he is, no matter how persistent …

This book is a full-length contemporary romance of approximately 90,000 words with no cliffhanger and its own HEA. 

 

 Review

My first book by Susie Tate and I fell in love with Jamie, Libby, and Rosie right from the start. Libby's stubbornness made me roll my eyes once or twice but I loved to see how they figured out their life together, how they learned to understand each other's choices, and, of course, the way they included everyone around them. Millie especially holds a very special place in my heart and Rosie made me snort and laugh out loud numerous times.

I really enjoyed reading this sweet and funny book and can't wait to learn more abouther best friend Kira in "Limits". 

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Thursday, 19 November 2020

Hard Love by Sara Nwy

 
 

Blurb

  “HARD TO LOVE.”  

 
Hard head. Bad attitude. Terrible boyfriend. That’s what my exes have said about me—but I wasn’t serious about any of them, so what do I care what rumors they spread? What I need is to be left alone; by the press, by the paparazzi, and by women.  Too bad I’m about to be surrounded by them for the weekend. My obnoxious, matchmaking brother is getting married, and he’s doing his damndest to find me a wedding date… 
 
 “HARD TO FIND.”  
 
That’s what they say about good men—they’re hard to find. Not that when I find one, I’ll be the type he’s looking for; too nice, too ordinary, too boring.  My cousin is getting married, and her fiancΓ© insists on throwing me at his brother. Cold, uncaring professional football player Tripp Wallace would never look twice at a woman like me. Too bad for both of us, I was wrong…
 
 

Review


I must admit that I had a hard time with this book. It got much better towards the end which saved it but for almost half of the book I really didn't like Tripp.

Sure, some of his antics made me smile but on the whole, he simply behaved like an a... Chandler was nice. And boring. And it took her some time to find her backbone and stand up for herself. So... Well.
She didn't impress me that much either.

All in all the book was fine but I Iike the first books in the series much better.

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