3.5 Wine Glass #Review of One Christmas in Paris by Mandy Baggot

 

Title: One Christmas in Paris
Author: Mandy Baggot
Format: Kindle, 394 pages
Published: October 7, 2016 (Bookouture)
ISBN: ASIN: B01L0S6B3U
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
Reviewer: Linda
Source: Amazon
Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 Wine Glasses

They say Paris is the City of Love, so bring your je ne sais quoi and don’t forget the mistletoe! 

Ava and her best friend Debs arrive in Paris just as the snow starts to fall. The Eiffel Tower glitters gold and the scent of spiced wine is all around, but all Ava can think about is Leo, her no-good, cheating ex.

Debs is on a mission to make Ava smile again, and as they tour the Christmas markets, watch lamplight glittering on the river Seine, and eat their body weight in pain-au-chocolat, Ava remembers there’s more to life than men ... Until they cross paths with handsome, mysterious photographer Julien with his French accent and hazelnut eyes that seem to see right inside her.

Ava can’t ignore the intense chemistry between them, but her fingers have been burned before and she can’t forget it, especially when her ex, Leo, starts texting again. Can Ava really trust Julien – and what exactly is his secret?

Will Ava go home with a broken heart, or will she find true love amongst the cobbled streets of Paris?

Join Ava and Julien in the most romantic city in the world this Christmas, as they discover the importance of being true to themselves, and learn how to follow their hearts. 

Linda's Thoughts:
“We don’t wish the day away. We embrace every second. Every new sunrise brings the possibility of possibilities.”

#Spotlight on Undercover Attraction by Katee Robert + #Giveaway

Undercover Attraction 
(The O'Malleys #5)
by Katee Robert
Kindle Edition
Published November 28th 2017 by Forever
ASINB06XFTR61D

Scandal. Wealth. Power. Seduction. Welcome to the world of the O'Malleys.

Ex-cop Charlotte Finch used to think there was a clear line between right and wrong. Then her fellow officers betrayed her, and the world is no longer so black and white. Especially when it's Aiden O'Malley, one of the most dangerous men in Boston, who offers her a chance for justice. The only catch: she'll have to pretend to be his fiancée for his plan to work.

Aiden can't afford to let anyone see the man behind the mask. To run the O'Malley empire, he has to be cool and controlled at all times. But the moment he meets Charlie, they're playing with fire. Her slightest touch is enough to send him over the edge. At first their "engagement" was a way to eliminate his enemies. Now he'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe-- even if he has to destroy his own family to do it.

AMAZON | B&N 

4 Wine Glass #Audio #Review of Sweetest Surrender by Katie Reus

Title: Sweetest Surrender
Series: The Serafina: Sin City Series, Book 3
Author: Katie Reus
Narrator:  Jeffrey Kafer
Format: Unabridged Audiobook, 4 hours and 23 minutes
Published: June 14, 2016 (KR Press LLC)
ISBN: ASIN: B01H0HKE5G
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Audible | Audiobooks.com
Reviewer: Linda
Source: Author
Rating: 4 out of 5 Wine Glasses

A woman on the run…

Angel has been on her own for two years, moving from place to place to outrun her past. With no family and few friends to lean on, she’s managed to keep her secrets and stay safe. But when her past suddenly catches up to her, she has a choice to make. Run or stay and claim her life once more.

He’ll stop at nothing to protect her…

Vadim has never let anyone close to him—until Angel. From the first time he met her, everything changed. As a private consultant for Wyatt Christiansen, he’s good with computers and he’s got connections to unearth people’s deepest, darkest secrets. When Angel’s life is threatened Vadim steps in and uses all his resources to end the threat once and for all. As the danger closes in, he lies to her in an effort to protect her, not realizing that even once the threat is eliminated, he might lose her anyway.

Linda's Thoughts:
She made him want to lose control, something he never did.

#Spotlight on Jack by Julia London

Jack 
(7 Brides for 7 Soldiers #5)
by Julia London 
ebook
Published November 28th 2017 by Julia London

Former Marine Jack Carter has left Afghanistan behind, but after a close encounter with a suicide bomber, he now battles a hidden enemy. Ashamed that he succumbs to heart-stopping panic attacks, he refuses to leave his house and makes excuses for failing to meet up with his best friends. He’s got the perfect set up—his job allows him to work from home, he hires out the dog walking and grocery shopping and he has subscribed to a meal delivery service that comes complete with a cook. Jack expected a lunch lady, but he gets Whitney. She’s bubbly, she’s way too chatty, and his dog loves her more than him. But he forgives her all of that because she’s sexy as hell and a bright spot in an otherwise lonely day.

Whitney Baldwin has been groomed to follow a long line of highly successful lawyers into an equally successful family law firm, but she’d rather bake a cake than read a tort. Her dream is to open her own patisserie. To say her father is disappointed in her career path is an understatement—if she can’t pull this off, she’ll have to head home with her tail between her legs. In a last bid to make her dream a reality Whitney accepts a job with Dinner Magic and lands an insanely handsome client in Jack Carter. His crazy good looks captivate her, but it's something about his hyper-awareness of her combined with a vulnerability that is an irresistible recipe.

The smoldering attraction between Jack and Whitney quickly turns molten. But when he makes an important promise that he can’t keep, Whitney can’t fathom how this relationship is going to work. Will Jack ever be able to conquer his worst fears for true love? 

AMAZON | B&N

4.5 Wine Glass #ARC #Review of Moonlight Over Manhattan by Sarah Morgan

 

Title: Moonlight over Manhattan
Series: Manhattan with Love #6
Author: Sarah Morgan
Format: Kindle,
Published: November 28, 2017 (HQN Books)
ISBN: ASIN: B01MT9OWQ1
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
Reviewer: Linda
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 4 ½ out of 5 Wine Glasses

She'll risk everything for her own Christmas miracle...

Determined to conquer a lifetime of shyness, Harriet Knight challenges herself to do one thing a day in December that scares her, including celebrating Christmas without her family. But when dog walker Harriet meets her newest client, exuberant spaniel Madi, she adds an extra challenge to her list--dealing with Madi's temporary dog sitter, gruff doctor Ethan Black, and their very unexpected chemistry.

Ethan thought he was used to chaos, until he met Madi--how can one tiny dog cause such mayhem? To Ethan, the solution is simple--he will pay Harriet to share his New York apartment and provide twenty-four-hour care. But there's nothing simple about how Harriet makes him feel.

Ethan's kisses make Harriet shine brighter than the stars over moonlit Manhattan. But when his dog-sitting duties are over and Harriet returns to her own home, will she dare to take the biggest challenge of all--letting Ethan know he has her heart for life, not just for Christmas?

Linda's Thoughts:
Here lies Harriet, who knew a lot about hair balls, but not a whole lot about the other kind.

#Spotlight on To Marry a Texas Outlaw by Linda Broday + #Giveaway

To Marry a Texas Outlaw 
(Men of Legend #3)
by Linda Broday 
Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages
Published November 7th 2017 by Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN 1492630233

Three Brothers. One Oath.
No Compromises.
The MEN of LEGEND
The Outlaw
Outlaw Luke Weston survives by his wits. On the run for a murder he didn't commit, the last thing he needs is to go looking for more trouble. But when Luke stumbles across a fiercely beautiful woman struggling against two heavily armed men, it's obvious that trouble has found him.

After all, he never could resist a damsel in distress.

Josie Morgan's distressed, all right―and hopping mad. She has no idea why she's been kidnapped...or who she is...or why her body melts for the mysterious gunslinger who saved her life. But as the lost memories come tumbling back together, Josie is faced with the stark reality of why she and Luke can never be...even as her heart is telling her she will always be his.

AMAZON | B&N 

Happy #BookBirthday to The Bachelor Contract by Rachel Van Dyken + #Giveaway

The Bachelor Contract 
(The Bachelors of Arizona #3)
by Rachel Van Dyken 
Paperback, 336 pages
Published November 28th 2017 by Forever
ISBN 145554213X

A second-chance romance from the #1 NYT bestseller of The Bet, Matchmaker and Elite series!

She's everywhere.

Ex-wife.

Love of his life.

The last person in the world he wanted to see...ever.

And now that he's working beside her every day, he can't escape her. Her scent, glimpses of her smile, even the tension in the air that makes his body hum with the kind of need he'd only experienced with one person-all of it is driving him over the edge.

Brant Wellington was certain of three things:

Alcohol wasn't going to solve this.

He really was losing his F-ing mind.

And his gorgeous ex-wife was going to be the death of him.

AMAZON | B&N 

5 Wine Glass ARC #Review of Cowboy's Legacy by B.J. Daniels

 

Title: Cowboy’s Legacy
Series: Cahill Ranch #3
Author: B.J. Daniels
Format: Kindle, 384 pages
Published: December 1, 2017 (HQN Books)
ISBN: ASIN: B01NATU9EV
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
Reviewer: Linda
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 5 out of 5 Wine Glasses

Nothing will stop a Cahill cowboy from protecting what’s his

After a rocky marriage and even rockier divorce, Sheriff Flint Cahill finally has something good in his life again. Maggie Thompson’s down-to-earth charm and beautiful smile hooked him from the start. When she disappears on the day they plan to start their lives together, all signs point to abduction—and his ex-wife.

Functioning on adrenaline and instinct, Flint must call on his every resource to bring Maggie home before it’s too late. His past and future are blurred. Maggie’s only chance at surviving her abductor and a raging winter storm depends on an old vendetta that could destroy it all. But the Cahills don’t give up easily, and Flint’s love will have to be strong enough to conquer anything, including the unimaginable.

Linda's Thoughts:
He looked out at the country that ran to the mountains. Cahill Ranch. His grandfather had started it, his father had worked it and now two of his brothers ran the cattle part of it to keep the place going while he and his sister, Lillie, and brother Darby had taken other paths. Not to mention their oldest brother Tucker who’d struck out at seventeen and hadn’t been seen or heard from since. 

#Spotlight on Caressed by the Edge of Darkness by Amanda J. Greene

Caressed by the Edge of Darkness 
(Rulers of Darkness #5)
by Amanda J. Greene
ebook
Published October 10th 2017

Hardened by centuries of torture, former blood slave, Gabriel Erhard, is driven by an insatiable need to destroy his enemies. Violence darkens his battered soul, leaving no place for mercy in his world. Gabriel’s only desire is vengeance—until he finds her.

Seized by vampires, bound as a slave, and placed on the auction block, Jordan Culver is instantly entranced by the dangerous male who claims her. Jordan’s new captor vows to set her free, but his haunted gaze burns with savage desire and his wicked kiss makes her crave his touch and...complete surrender.

While Gabriel battles his enemies, he will break every sacred law to achieve his ultimate goal—uniting the Outcast Society and creating a new vampire Clan. But the distracting human with mesmerizing violet eyes jeopardizes his plans. With every soft whisper she evokes his tormented memories, testing his sanity and challenging his every boundary. Can Jordan help him overcome the miseries of his past and find a future with her?

AMAZON | B&N

4.5 Wine Glass #Review of Chasing Christmas Eve by Jill Shalvis

 

Title: Chasing Christmas Eve
Series: Heartbreaker Bay #4
Author: Jill Shalvis
Narrator: Karen White
Format: Unabridged Audiobook, 9 hours and 18 minutes
Published: September 26, 2017 (Harper Audio)
ISBN: ASIN: B073ZJTK53
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Audible | audiobooks.com
Reviewer: Linda
Source: Purchase from Audiobooks.com
Rating: 4 ½ out of 5 Wine Glasses

Meet cute...
Run for the hills—temporarily. That's Colbie Albright's plan when she flees New York for San Francisco. Wrangling her crazy family by day and writing a bestselling YA fantasy series by night has taken its toll. In short, Colbie's so over it that she's under it. She's also under the waters of a historic San Francisco fountain within an hour of arrival. Fortunately, the guy who fishes Colbie out has her looking forward to Christmas among strangers. But she's pretty sure Spencer Baldwin won't be a stranger for long.
Make merry...
Spence's commitment to hiding from the Ghosts of Relationships Past means he doesn't have to worry about the powerful—okay, crazy hot chemistry—he's got with Colbie. Just because she can laugh at anything, especially herself... just because she's gorgeous and a great listener just because she gets Spence immediately doesn't mean he won't be able to let Colbie go. Does it?
and hope for a miracle.
Now the clock's ticking for Colbie and Spence: Two weeks to cut loose. Two weeks to fall hard. Two weeks to figure out how to make this Christmas last a lifetime.

Your Thoughts:
Chasing Christmas Eve by Jill Shalvis is the fun and festive fourth installment in the author’s Heartbreaker Bay series. Fans of the series will be ecstatic to know that favorite characters from the previous books make appearances. It’s not surprising that I was excited to read this story for multiple reasons. I’m a huge fan of Jill’s books and the characters in this series feel like family. Holiday reads hold a special place in my heart. I’ve a soft place in my heart for nerdy geeks and have been looking forward to Spence’s story since the series began.

#Interview with Karen White, Narrator of Jill Shalvis' Heartbreaker Bay Series + #Giveaway

We're switching things up today with an interview from the amazing, Karen White! If you're an audio book fan then you might be a little familiar with that name. ;-) Stick around at the end for an audio book giveaway from Harper Collins! 

Are you presently working on another installment in this series?

I am! I’ve already recorded About That Kiss, which tells Kylie and Joe’s stories. We met Kylie in the Trouble With Mistletoe and Joe has been with the series since Sweet Little Lies. I’ve sent off my files to the producer and am waiting to get the “corrections” or “pickups” which is the list of things I read wrong. Usually that’ll take me an additional half hour to re-record those. It’ll be available in January.


When there are so many characters, how do you keep the distinct voices for each so consistent?…. And how do you remember which voice is for who?

3 Wine Glass #Audio #Review of Christmas with an Angel by Debbie Mason

 

Title: Christmas with an Angel
Series: Harmony Harbor #1.5
Author: Debbie Mason
Narrator: Becket Royce
Format: Unabridged Audiobook (1 hour and 11 minutes)
Published: November 3, 2016 (Hachette Audio)
ISBN: ASIN: B01MDUINQG
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Audible | Audiobooks.com
Reviewer: Linda
Source: Audible
Rating: 3 out of 5 Wine Glasses

It's been eight long years since Michael Gallagher has laid eyes on Shay Angel, back when he was a boy from the most prominent family in town and she was a girl from the wrong side of the tracks. But he hadn't cared about their differences - until one bad decision landed her in jail.

That was years ago and now he's back in Harmony Harbor for the holidays. So when Shay goes missing, Michael is intent on finding her - and finding out if their sizzling attraction is still there. But he's now a district attorney, and it looks like Shay is once again on the wrong side of the law. 

Linda's Thoughts:
“She changed the locks on my condo... packed all my stuff up and threatened to throw it out…  And she's holding my dog hostage.”