~REVIEW of Kimberly Raye's DROP DEAP GORGOUS~



~I'M MOVING TO SKULL CREEK TEXAS~

Drop Dead Gorgeous (Love At First Bite #2)

“It was the best sex she'd had in months. The only sex. Which wouldn't be such a bad thing except that the elusive O came courtesy of a red vibrator called the Big Tamale rather than some hot, buff cowboy with a slow hand and an intoxicating smile.”

So with an opening paragraph like this you know you’re in for a fun ride and for the most part DROP DEAD GORGEOUS doesn’t disappoint. This is book 2 from Kimberly Raye’s sexy and hilarious Love At First Bite trilogy. Set in Skull Creek Texas these quickie romances follow the small town antics and love connections of some rather eccentric but completely likable women as they get their groove on and find true love with gorgeous Texan cowboys who also just happen to be Vampires.

Dillon Cash used to be the biggest geek in Skull Creek until he inadvertently got between two warring vampires, losing his human life in the process. Now he’s back and better than ever, in fact except for whole burning to a crisp in the sun thingy and a small aversion to garlic, his new life rocks. This former nerdy computer tech’s been transformed into a hunka, hunka burning vampire love and every woman in town wants a piece of him.

Meg Sweeny or “Manhandler Meg” as she’s been known since high school, can’t believe the changes in her old friend Dillon. Now not only does she want his body but she wants his secret as well. You see Meg is a closeted geek and if Dillon can suddenly morph into a stud then theres a chance that with a little of his instruction she can become the much desired sex kitten she’s always wanted to be too.

All Dillon wants to do is erase his geeky reputation and blaze a trail as the towns studliest guy, possibly even emerging #1 on the coveted "Randiest Rooster" list. But theres something about his old pal Meg he can’t refuse, she see’s past his new muscles and heartthrob status and damn if he hadn’t always thought she was irresistible anyways. Our couple engage in a cat and mouse game of who’s seducing who and of course lose their hearts in the process.

Although I didn’t enjoy this as much as Dead Sexy this was still a good read. My only real problem being that geek heroes just don’t do it for me and regardless of his hot vampire makeover I never felt much of anything for Dillon. Even the love scenes (which are plenty spicy) didn’t work for me. But that’s just me. However the truly great thing about this series (besides the fact that it’s frigging hilarious) is the awesome cast of unconventional townsfolk and the crazy adventures they manage to get themselves into. Raye has written this in such an endearing, fun way that I find myself wanting to move to Skull Creek just so that I can spend Friday nights at Joe Bob’s Bar and Grill and buy my groceries at the local Piggly Wiggly. Not to mention the fact that I might bag myself a cowboy Vamp and make it onto the Gazette’s hot chicks list. Cheers

~REVIEW of Marie Sexton's PROMISES~

Promises (Coda Books, #1) 

Opening Line: " The whole thing started because of Lizzy's Jeep."

This was a quick, easy and very enjoyable read that I had trouble putting down. I’m a bit of a sucker when it comes to the gay-for-you romances anyway but this one was just perfect.

PROMISES is a slow burning romance but that just made it all the better because we get tons of sexual tension and character development. Watching these guys going from friends to lovers over an extended period of time felt realistic. The love scenes also seemed accurately portrayed, nothing gratuitous just for the sake of a sex scene and initially with lots of fumbling and uncertainty before they got down and went for it. I liked both Matt and Jared and really felt as if I’d gotten to know them both despite the fact that this is written exclusively form Jared’s POV, Matt is equally accessible here due to some great writing. Marie Sexton was a new author for me but I will definitely be looking for others in this series.

As I said this is told from Jared’s POV, he’s lived his whole life in a small Colorado town and while openly gay he doesn’t flaunt his status either. In fact one might say he’s even closeted refusing to become a teacher for fear of bigoted parents and jeering teens. Nope, Jared is content to while away his days in his family’s hardware store, meeting up a couple times a year with his fancy man to scratch the itch and never expecting anything to change. Well it does the day Matt Richards struts into the store. He’s just been hired by the local police department and the two strike an immediate friendship. Spending their weekend’s mountain biking, camping and watching football. Matt is straight and doesn’t care what the townsfolk are saying about them spending so much time together, he does however make a point of dating one of the towns flooziest women just to set things right.

Jared is of course in love with Matt from just about day one and wishes there could be more. On the other hand he doesn’t want to risk losing Matt’s friendship either, so he just puts all horny thoughts out of his mind (for the most part) And that’s when the sexual tension comes in; the meaningful looks, the light touches, the massages, the hand in the hair, the fact that he never wants to go home. Hmmm maybe Matt is willing to take this friendship to a whole other level?

Yeah this was super good, lots of complicated situations and interesting secondary characters and a just a great story. I was really rooting for these two because the odds were stacked against them. Funny in the end it was Jared who had the most issues with being in a committed gay relationship not his hetero partner. Bah, labels who needs them. Cheers.

~REVIEW of Kimberly Raye's DEAD SEXY~

~Ticked all my boxes~

Dead Sexy (Love At First Bite #1)

 

Opening Line: "He needed a woman."

Oh, I liked this one. But then again when you’ve got an uber-sexy, yet tortured motorcycle riding, cowboy vampire on the hunt what’s not to like? All my boxes have just been ticked. Throw in a well written story, relatable and funny heroine, scorching hot love scenes, some tender dialogue and an awesome cast of eccentric secondary characters and you’ve got yourself a winner.

Nikki Braxton has given up hope on ever finding a man without issues in her hometown of Skull Creek (the last one stole her underwear and stilettos before he left) However she doesn’t want to get a reputation like her wild and wanton Mamma either and in a town this size everybody knows your business. This leaves Nikki in a state of permanent sexual frustration, getting her highs from cotton candy, baked goods and perm solution. That is until the night Jake McCann rolls into town. This delicious cowboy is just passing through and could be the perfect solution to her little problem; a one night, no strings attached, orgasmic roll in the hay without any of the towns wagging tongues the wiser.

For Jake the down and dirty he’s just had with Nikki is about more than just sex. He’s a vampire on a mission, a mission that after decades has led him to Skull Creek and the enemy that turned him. To be able to destroy his nemesis though Jake’s going to need his batteries fully charged and this is where Nikki comes in. You see Jake doesn’t just feed on blood he feeds on sexual energy and Nikki’s got a ton to spare, so much so that one night with her simply isn’t going to be enough.

I was very curious about the idea of a cowboy vampire and thought this is either going to be really silly or super sexy. Luckily Jake (and all the characters) have been written in such multi-faceted ways that the idea works, big time. Giving you everything you could possibly want in a quickie Harlequin romance and then some. Jake is a fantastic character; self assured, intensely sexual and driven yet also vulnerable and lonely without even knowing it. Yup I fell hard for this Cowboy. Nikki is also great, completely down to earth and fun to be around. Their romance takes some surprising turns and for as steamy as it gets it was also very sweet. I will definitely be searching out more from Kimberly Raye and can’t wait to read the rest of her Scull Creek series, she made this small town and its cast of characters come alive. Cheers!

~REVIEW of J.R Ward's ENVY~

~THE BEST OF THE SERIES~

Envy (The Fallen Angels, #3) 

Opening Line: "It was in the spring,on a dark April evening, when Detective Thomas DelVecchio Jr. learned that nigthmares could in fact make the  jump out of the mind and into real life."

As others have mentioned this is the best yet from Ward’s Fallen Angels series. She seems to have gotten the mix just right here and I found myself completely caught up in the story, it’s romance and all the many sub characters and their ongoing battles. I suppose introducing the hero in the last BDB book didn’t hurt matters, as from the get-go I was wondering how a Vampire attack and Veck’s subsequent “memory loss” was going to be explained. However the two series feel very different to me now, and even though I can still sense the BDB world in the background, its no longer a distraction. (I do become a squealing fan girl when I find those cameos though) Speeding black Escalade in the rain or old landlord in a butlers uniform anyone.

  

I would describe this as a romance wrapped in urban fantasy. The mix works though, along with Ward’s usual hilarious male banter, excessive product placement, seriously hot love scenes and a few major surprises -which we should see the trickle down effect from for several books to come. I also feel that she finally got the romance right here; I enjoyed Veck and Reilly and found myself rooting for their HEA.

Through some unique world building we also get a much closer look at arch angels Nigel and Colin (who are growing on me) and of course our sexy saviour Jim and his badass fallen angel sidekicks Adrian and Eddie… (Sigh)

Lastly I have to mention Devina. She is just awesome, probably Ward’s best female character to date and a superb villain. Yes she is evil but she is also so much more, what with her therapy sessions, hoarding issues, insecurities and school girl crush on Jim -which let me tell you he uses to his full advantage. Alls fair in love and war bitch.

As with all of Ward’s books there are many characters fighting for POV time; popping us back and forth between hero and heroine, into heaven and hell and the minds of angels, demons and anyone else caught in the crossfire of battle #3. I can honestly say though that I didn’t ever want to skip any of their sections (Lessers) as each POV was an integral part of the story and more than held my interest.

Yes, the WARDen got it right with ENVY and I can’t wait to find out what happens next.

Homicide detective Thomas “Veck” Delvecchio is convinced he’s just killed a man. Haunted by the legacy of his serial killer father and followed by a dark shadow, it was really only a matter of time until he gave in to the dark side. The problem is he doesn’t remember the attack and the evidence says he’s innocent. Sent to monitor Veck is internal affairs officer Sophia Reilly whose interest in Veck grows increasingly personal as they share pizza and a mutual admiration for Victoria’s Secret.

-Veck



Entwined in their budding romance is Jim Heron, now facing the 3rd round in the ultimate end game of good VS evil. He and his two back up angels have been given the task of battling against the devil for Veck’s very soul.

Bringing our group together is Reilly and Veck’s investigation of missing person Sissy Barton. She is of course being held by Devina (CRAVE) Jim is determined to find her body and retrieve her soul from hell whatever the consequences which gives him more reason then ever to shadow Veck, who’s own internal struggle is just beginning. Honestly I could go on and on about the plot. So much happens and I‘m not doing it justice here so I will stop. It is intricate, shocking, suspenseful, exciting, sexy and just well played. Cheers

~REVIEW of J.R Ward's COVET~

 ~A PROMISING START ON THE OTHER SIDE OF CALDWELL N.Y~

Covet (The Fallen Angels, #1)

Opening Line: "She wants you."

I'm sure most people picking up Covet are fans of JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood and my advice to you would be (as hard as it is) to forget about the Brothers (just for a moment) and enjoy this story for what it is. Ward has created a whole new mythology here, that of Angels, Demons and the occult and given us some fantastic new characters to play in it. Her unique writing style makes this story feel familiar from the get go and I loved revisiting the places I've come to know in Caldwell N.Y. through the Brotherhood. Seeing the city in the daylight was especially fun and I revelled in the familiarity of these new yummy characters with their loud music, unique slang and multiple f-bombed banter. Yes, it's good to be back with the WARDen again.

I found writing a synopsis really difficult here without giving too much away so I'll just set the story in motion. Jim Heron, as one of the main characters is no Angel *wink, wink* He's lived his life on both sides of the law and that's what makes him the perfect impartial choice for the angels and demons ultimate end game. Jim has been chosen as the deal breaker in a game of good vs. evil and given the task of saving the souls of seven people from one of seven deadly sins, If he fails so does all of humanity, so it isn't really an option.

The first soul Jim is sent to redeem is that of Vin diPietro, a wealthy and powerful yet dissatisfied business man. He's also Jim's boss. Through circumstances Jim finds himself at the nightclub The Iron Mask (previously ZeroSum) with Vin and his beautiful but mysterious fiancé. This situation is awkward in a host of different ways (no spoilers here) but it allows us to see Trez again and for Vin to see Marie-Therese across a crowded dance floor and not be able to look away. We of course get into Marie-Therese's head and learn the whys and how's of her life as a prostitute (this is not a spoiler, she was in Lover Avenged) And her story is very interesting. We then enter a love triangle of sorts and a serial killer sets his sights on Marie-Therese. Meanwhile Jim adopts a dog and tries to save the world while Vin faces a horrifying ancient evil.

So, these are the four main characters involved in Covet and they all go through some major personality changes during the course of this story. There are also several secondary characters, some of which have been well fleshed out but others like Jim's two Fallen Angel mentors have unfortunately been left a little vague.

This gets 4.5 stars from me and I would recommend it. I become invested in the characters and couldn't put it down, I laughed, I shook my head, shrieked and sighed. The love scenes are amazing and I liked Jim as the hero and his little dog too. Vin and Marie-Therese's evolving romance is captivating and sexy, although those of you looking for a typical romance novel may be somewhat disappointed. I didn't feel as though I'd learned enough (or gotten enough) of the Fallen Angels but the antagonists were well done and even a little scary (albeit they didn't smell like baby powder.) The last 100 pages of Covet are heart pounding and in the end Ward left me wanting more. Do yourself a favour though and don't search for the cameo appearances from the Brothers while you read this, just enjoy the story. They are there but be warned they're very brief. (I will however admit to screaming like a little girl when I found them.)

~REVIEW of Jaci Burton's: RIDING TEMPTATION~

RidingTemptation (Wild Riders, #2)

Opening Line:"To say Jessie Mathew's pulse was jacked was an understatement."

Well, those Wild Riders certainly know how to show a girl a good time now don't they? RIDING TEMPTATION is the second instalment from the erotic Wild Riders series and while I didn't enjoy it as much as RIDING WILD (book #1) once I was able to suspend belief with the somewhat cheesy storyline and just go along for the (ahem) ride this was a pretty good read.

Jaci Burton's writing is easy, fast paced, fun, ultra steamy and holly jeez can she ever write a smoking hot love scene, encompassing just about every naughty little fantasy you've ever had. Tie that together with a team of hunky, bad boy bikers and how could you not enjoy this?

Even the fact that our heroine is a virgin which I usually find not only over used as a plot device but unrealistic didn't bother me here because it's explained in a way that actually makes sense. As did the fact that once her virgin label was removed she was really, really into it. So like I said the storyline was neither here nor there for me, in fact all the biker gang initiation stuff was pretty silly, but the love scenes and romance make up for it. And in all honesty if hadn't spent a summer (years ago) riding around on a Harley with a guy named Fang I may have enjoyed this a whole lot more. Those were the days...

Jessie Mathew came to live at the Wild Riders compound at the age of 15, rescued off the streets by their leader, a former military general now operating the Wild Riders as an elite gang of special-ops bikers. This band of former thieves and felons work alongside the government but just outside of the law and Jessie has literally grown up amongst them, leaving all of the riders to think of her as their kid sister. Now 23, Jessie's ready for her first undercover assignment. When teamed up with Diaz Delgado she couldn't be happier; he's the quiet one, the one who's always kept his distance and the one she's always wanted.

Diaz meanwhile is having un-brotherly urges, finding it near impossible to keep his distance from the sweet and oh so sexy Jessie. To make matters worse they're about to infiltrate the Devil's Skulls, a bike gang suspected of gunrunning. In order to do this though they'll first have to get initiated in and (for whatever reason) initiation into the Skulls involves having a public sex session in front of the other full patch gang members.

When Jessie lays her heart on the line and admits that she doesn't want her first time to be in public or to a random gang member, all bets are off for Diaz. Of course he'll take care of her `little problem' but how will he keep their hearts out of the deal? Burton has also given him one of those common tortured hero issues to deal with as well. It seems he's just not good enough for her, what with all the dark secrets and rage he's got locked inside. So while the mission keeps them together he'll enjoy the (ahem) ride but once its over, for her own sake he's going to walk away even though she'll hate him for it and his heart will break it's a price he's willing to pay.
Ride on...

~REVIEW of Jo Davis' TRIAL BY FIRE~

~WELCOME TO THE MEN OF STATION 5~

 Trial by Fire (Firefighters of Station Five, #1)

 

Opening Line: "Lieutenant Howard Paxton gritted his teeth against the burn, every muscle straining as he pumped three hundred pounds of iron from his bare, sweaty chest."

Howard "six-pack' Paxton loves being a fireman, in his down time this confirmed bachelor lifts weights (to perfect the six-pack) rides his Harley and hangs out with the other members of station 5. Everything changes however the night A' shift responds to a house fire and Howard finds himself administering first aid to the curvaceous Katherine McKenna. She has literally fallen into his arms suffering from smoke inhalation and once she opens her eyes the sparks fly. This pair can't deny their attraction to each other and even though Howard has sworn off woman (because he's tired of being used for his body and wants more out a relationship than just sex) he's willing to make an exception for the beautiful, blonde schoolteacher. Just as their relationship starts to smoulder an arsonist makes himself known and tangles Howard up in his demented plans of vengeance. Now those closest to him are in danger of becoming the next potential victims as a ruthless string of fires roars closer and closer to home.

TRIAL BY FIRE was a surprisingly great read full of action and suspense, smoking hot love scenes and a complex yet tortured hero. The multi-layered plot kept me guessing throughout and the antagonist was genuinely evil. However the first few chapters are really silly and after having it pounded into my head every few pages just exactly how good looking, muscular, strong and enormous (6'6 240) Howard is and listening to internal dialogue with the words "Shazaaam and Ka-pow" I then had to wipe away the tears of laughter at having his man-bits described as among other things; a divining rod and renegade (there is also mention of Mt St Helen's) before resigning myself to just sitting back and enjoying a complete cheese-fest.

However it's at this point that author Jo Davis confused me by writing a great story with an actual plot. Somehow she's managed a perfect mixture of corny fun with thrilling action and heartbreaking post traumatic stress. It's also obvious that Davis has done her homework here and spent time within a fire hall and with real firefighters because her technical descriptions as well as those of life in the `house' and the feeling of brotherhood among the men are spot on. I also enjoyed the relationship between Kat and Howard and loved the fact that Kat embraced her curves and had no desire to be a size 2. Her struggle to get Howard to open up about his nightmares and abusive past without shutting down and pushing her away were well done and their relationship as a whole was believable.

My only real problem was with Howard's abrupt change in character whenever he got his freak on. Outside of the bedroom he never swears and is a giant teddy bear of a man however get him between the sheets, against a wall or in the hot tub and he turns into a sexual dominant with a nasty mouth. Thankfully we have also been introduced to the other hard-bodied men of station 5 and I can't wait to read their stories. UNDER FIRE, is next up in this scorching new series. Cheers.

~REVIEW of Lora Leigh's WILD CARD~

Wild Card (Elite Ops, #1)

Opening Line: "Nathan Malone stood in the clinical white office he had been brought to"

This one is a keeper. One of those books that you can't stop reading and then find yourself sad as you approach the end because you don't want it to be over. WILD CARD is a beautiful romance with scorching hot love scenes, plenty of action and a sexy alpha male hero that literally jumps off the pages at you. Bound in leather chaps and just daring you to get on the back of his Harley. What an escape, I loved it.

Navy Seal Nathan Malone was happily married to his young wife Sabella. His last mission was supposed to be simple, infiltrate a Columbian drug cartel and rescue three young girls. But things went disastrously wrong and Nathan finds himself at the hands of Diego Fuentes the evil crime lord. He is held captive for 3 years, pumped full of experimental drugs, tortured and beaten beyond recognition. When he's finally rescued there isn't much left of the man he used to be. Scared inside and out, Nathan now feels that he's too damaged and violent to ever return to his wife and joins a team of covert ops. After several reconstructive surgeries Nathan Malone becomes Noah Blake aka "Wildcard." The man his wife loved is now gone forever.

Several years later a new mission (ironically enough) takes Noah back to his hometown and puts him undercover as a mechanic in Sabella's garage. He'd assumed that after 6 years his wife would have moved on with her life but she hasn't ever let Nathan go. After learning of Nathan's death Sabella didn't leave the house for 3 years, barely functioning, she dreams of him. There's is a love that will last forever, she tells herself. Only after almost losing their home and business does she manage to pull herself together enough to rejoin the world. Sabella initially has no idea that the sexy new Harley riding mechanic is her dead husband but something draws her to him and awakens feelings she had thought long buried. Nathan is stunned that Sabella isn't the agreeable little wallflower that he remembers as his wife anymore. Where did this tough, no nonsense woman come from?

This establishes the characters into their plotlines and that's when the story really gets going. The sex scenes are amazingly hot but they are also filled with such tenderness and longing that you will simply sigh. Lora Leigh pushes the boundaries further each time Noah and Bella are together and just when you think they couldn't possibly do anything else sexually, that it's just going to be another sex scene, she manages to make it different and even more exciting. The running internal dialogue is also well done here and heartbreaking as Noah struggles with the ghost of the man he used to be and Sabella tries to not let on that she knows who he really is. The endings full of suspense and I wasn't certain until the last few pages if our couple would truly get their HEA or if our testosterone filled hero would leave again.

For an erotic Romance this is a very involved story and surprisingly long at 415 pages. Lora Leigh however had me enamoured from beginning to end and I feel that this is some of her best work. The unconditional love between the main characters was beautifully written, the story interesting and suspenseful. My only complaint would be the sloppy mistakes overlooked by her editor.

This is a story that I won't soon forget. Highly recommended.

-It's now been a few days since I finished reading Wildcard and an interesting thing has happened. I can no longer remember the sex scenes but I still find myself thinking about the love story.
Go Siorai, Forever my soul.

~REVIEW of Andy & Johnathan Hillstrand's TIME BANDIT: Two Brothers, the Bering Sea, and One of the World's Deadliest Jobs~

~Modern day pirates, tell it like it is~

 

Opening Line: "I am a fisherman, an Alaskan fisherman, and a Bering Sea crab fisherman with thirty-seven years on commercial boats."

As a long time fan of TV’s The Deadliest Catch and an avid biography reader it was a given that I’d read Time Bandit, I just didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did or be given such candour into Johnathan and Andy Hillstrand’s lives. Now thanks to the boys I also know just about everything I’d ever want to about; Alaskan weather, rogue waves, hypothermia, what happens when you party naked, ice flows, never quitting, how many groceries you need to feed 7 hungry men for two weeks, the coast guard (coasties), eagles, seagulls, the Bering sea, red gold, flares, silly string wars, crab pots, survival suits, cod, salmon, the fishing industry in general and how to get out of jail in Mexico.

If you’re a fan of The Deadliest Catch then you’ll love this even though you will have already seen some of the stories played out on TV. However all the behind the scenes details and the intimate look into Andy and Johnathon’s lives really make this worthwhile. Exhilarating, anguished and often hilarious these modern day pirates give a first hand account on what its like to face death on the Bering Sea with stories that are in turn riotous and often sadly reflective. They talk here just like they do on TV too so expect the F-bombs, a general feeling of unruliness and a hell of a lot of fun.

Ghost written by Malcolm Macpherson, he cleverly takes an assortment of the Hillstrand brother’s tales, adds some facts and then layers them all within a gripping adventure. Starting with Johnathan drifting alone in his 38 foot fishing vessel 'Fishing Fever'. He has lost power, doesn’t have a radio and is quickly running out of cigarettes however by the end theres still 1 flare left and he hasn’t cracked the Crown Royal.

Jonathans narrative takes us through the Hillstrand brothers rough and tumble childhood, the tempestuous relationship they had with their father and onto the Time Bandit into 2008. He provides a great deal of humour throughout, none of which I can repeat here but sure made me laugh and is without a doubt the “bad boy of the Bering Sea” A couple of chapters in we switch to Andy’s POV on his horse farm in Indiana. He has just received the call that his brother’s gone missing while salmon fishing. Andy’s narrative is less personal and places a lot of emphasis on family, marriage and having a life away from fishing. And although the more reserved of the pair make no mistake Andy has a wild streak too.

Macpherson takes us back and forth between the two brothers with Andy waiting and worrying at the ranch and Jonathan drifting into Shelikof Strait, eating raw salmon and rationing cigarettes. The ending of this true life adventure is well…just another day in the life of a Hillstrand.

There’s also 16 pages of photographs.

~REVIEW of Toni Blake's WHISPER FALLS~

SOME GREAT IDEAS BUT ULTIMATLY A STRUGGLE TO  GET THROUGH

Star read

Opening Line: "Meow,"Tessa Sheridan frowned at the grey-and-white cat perched next to her on the sofa."

A lot of people really liked this book, and it’s received a ton of 5 star ratings, which is of course why I bought it, unfortunately though I struggled through this. I mean it was a real effort to finish, plodding through long drawn out repetitive scenes and way too many introspective conversations that added nothing to the overall story. Even with a hunky outlaw biker hero to drool over, sizzling love scenes, and several LOL moments I still came away kind of meh about the whole thing.

That’s not to say I hated it, because I didn’t, in fact there were several things that I really enjoyed, Toni Blake’s writing style for example and the way she incorporated random ideas into her characters and story; like dancing with Ellen and the numerous classic rock songs mentioned. I also liked the issue of our heroine dealing with Chron’s disease; this was a unique affliction and dealt with very well.

I think one of my favourite things though would have to be that Lucky as a “bad boy” biker actually speaks like a biker, he swears a lot and listens to AC/DC and Metallica. He has armloads of tattoos and a realistic past considering his gang ties. It was also obvious that Blake put some research into Harley motorcycles, specialized paint jobs and the MC language and lifestyle in general. But overall at almost 400 pages this felt like a VERY long drawn out Harlequin and would have held my interest a whole lot more and benefited with about 100 less pages.

In this 3^rd instalment from the “Destiny” series Tessa Sheridan has returned to her quaint hometown of Destiny (lots of that going on in romanlandia these days) She’s had to leave her career in the big city because of a chronic illness and now all she wants to do is recover, spend time with family, and embrace life. Tessa wants to be a bit wild and experience things the old Tessa would never dream of, like skydiving, and having commitment free sex with her delicious biker dude neighbour.

However Lucky Roma may be a little more then the shy, sweet Tessa can handle, he not only looks the biker part but comes complete with a gang past and more skeletons in the closet then any woman should have to deal with. Still, Lucky has a way of making Tessa feel alive again and she just can‘t resist; he’s dangerous, sexy and exactly what she needs. What starts out as a fling soon becomes much more until Lucky’s past finally catches up with him and Tessa learns that this bad boy is in fact dangerous too and she may not know him at all.