Aloha, A Charitable Anthology in support of Maui

Honored to be part of the bloggers who promote this worthy charity on behalf of the Maui fire victims!  There are fifty stories in this anthology, I read the ones written by my fav authors and a few others.  Reviews as follows.

A Dangerous Game - KA Linde

Very delicious, very dirty, with my favorite couple from the Cruel series, Katherine and Camden.  A tropical storm causes Katherine’s plane to stay grounded in Maui and a chance encounter with her dark and dangerous husband is in the works.  Kinky and sexy, it proves that they are not just a power couple but there’s love, passion and understanding.

Riptide - Alessandra Torre

Intriguing and kinky!  Madison has two loves and she shares time with both.  They know there’s another man in her life but she keeps both lives separate.  One lover is a businessman, the other is a surfer.  She shares a home in Venice Beach with the surfer and a condo in LA with the businessman.  An ongoing arrangement that has worked for a few years but I got a feeling that things were going to get complicated.  And they were about to, when I was surprised with a cliffhanger.  A new book for my TBR!

Just One Fantasy - Carly Phillips

Aurora Dare plans a surprise for her husband Nick for the weekend.  I loved that we get to see her as a happily married woman, with her daughter Leah at seven years old and baby Ellie.

Maui Forever - Heidi McLaughlin

Liam’s daughter Eden and her boyfriend Rush come up with the idea of a benefit concert to help the victims of the fire in Maui.  So we get this author’s beloved rock stars involved in the planning of the concert and donations, with a cute little surprise at the end.  Sweet and a wonderful trip back to beloved characters.

Sweet Celebration - Helena Hunting

Winter’s twentieth birthday is approaching and BJ is planning a surprise, with the help of all their friends.  It’s sweet and very heartwarming, reading all about the love everyone has for the birthday girl.

Crazy Little Meet Cute - Jana Astor

This one is super short and funny.  Gigi is in Hawaii, about to attend the wedding of her ex-boyfriend and stepsister.  She made up a boyfriend called Ben who would assist with her but hasn’t found one.  She’s at the hotel lobby looking for answers to her prayer.

Not Made to Last - Jay McLean

Olivia was doing her job, delivering pizzas at night, when she accidentally tapped a guy who came out of nowhere, dressed all in black.  She offers the guy a ride to the ER, but he was unscathed, only a bruise, and he turned out to be Rhys Garret, famous high school baller, contender to go pro.  There are many secrets and a lot of attraction and it ends in a sorta cliffhanger, not nice, because it caught me and I wanted to continue reading until the HEA.

Maui Dream Girl - Lex Martin

Cam has a crush on one of his play friends on video games.  He’s never seen her but he likes her personality.  They start talking about taking their friendship further than online, and they are up for a surprise when they find out who the other one is.  It’s sweet and steamy, and both Cam and Kelly are great characters.  

Goodbye and Hello - Skye Warren

A little bonus chapter on Jane’s and Beau’s honeymoon.  Breaking with tradition, they travel to Hawaii with Emily, Mateo and Paige.  Emily and Mateo are on their honeymoon too, so this is like a double date honeymoon.  Jane has problems accepting the great life she’s living now, afraid it will all go away.  Beau strives to reassure her.  Steamy and heartfelt, we see a Beau who is so very much in love with his wife, a Mateo who jokes, young Paige who continues to be a shark at games.  

The Wedding Date - Tara Brown

I loved this one!  Nicole needed a date for her brother’s wedding in Hawaii.  Her best friend Linnie arranged for her boyfriend’s best friend to join her.  And he turned out to be James Belvedere, best soccer player in the European union and voted “Sexiest Man Alive”.  It was a perfect move for her broken self-esteem, since her little sister had stolen her fiancee and they would be present in the wedding. Lots of interaction between family members, fun!

It was delightful because James was a perfect date and acted besotted.  Nicole spent the weekend mostly dazed and bewildered.  Then they played three truths about themselves and had a nice surprise each.  Lovely!  I wanted more!

FOOLISH LOVERS, by Jeana E. Mann

 

Seaforth Billionaires

Carter & Jo

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was dying to read Carter’s story since I read Foolish Hearts, Bronte and Rhett’s story.  Carter was so irreverent and uncouth in that book that I wanted to see the woman who would domesticate him.  It turned to be Jo, Bronte’s sister, in spite of Rhett’s enforcing bro code.

Carter considers Rhett to be his best friend, the man he respects the most.  He tried to follow Rhett’s directives and stay away from Jo, but the attraction was too much.  Jo is bitter from being dumped by her boyfriend when she took over her father’s house and coffee shop.  She believes all men will woo you and leave you when things get difficult.  So she has a strong attraction to Carter but won’t give in to him, because he’s a player and won’t hide it, and because she doesn’t trust men anymore.

Their story is bittersweet because she got a lot of help and kindness from the man she least expected. And being with him opened her eyes to Carter’s issues and brought forth her compassion and eventually tender feelings.

What I enjoyed the most from the story is Carter’s uncertainty in treating a woman he was serious about.  He had no idea how to court a woman, how to sweet talk her.  All he knows is sexy, one-night stand language.  His chats with Rhett asking for advice are hilarious!

I loved how in spite of all his disadvantages, he forged a relation with Jo, forged a friendship with her father, and even got her father out of his reclining chair and into actually wearing pants.  He used to live in only boxers!

What starts as a lonely man leaving a somewhat empty life ends up with a woman’s love and an insta family that loves him.  It was cute, funny, steamy and heartwarming.  Where in Foolish Hearts I loved Bronte’s character, in this one I loved Carter, loved his evolution.  Jo was a little hurtful in the beginning and I understood it to be defensive.  Once she was in, she was all love and passion, just as lovely as Bronte was in her book.  Lovely reads about characters you start caring about!

Purchase links

AMZ US:  https://amzn.to/3OwmZRu

 

AMZ UK:  https://amzn.to/3OsH5MC

 

AMZ CA:  https://amzn.to/45jed00

 

AMZ AU:  https://amzn.to/44WH8qW

 

About the author

Jeana is a USA Today bestselling author from Indiana. She gave up a career in the corporate world to write about sexy billionaires and alpha bad boys. With over twenty books, three series, and several awards beneath her belt, she’s never regretted her choice to live out her dream. She’s a free-spirit, a wanderer, and loves animals with a passion. When she’s not tripping over random objects, you’ll find her walking in the sunshine with her rambunctious dogs and dreaming about true love.

 

Keep up with Jeana Mann and subscribe to her newsletter: https://bit.ly/45n30vz

 

For more information on Jeana and her books visit here

 

Connect with Jeana Mann:

jeanamann@yahoo.com

 

PERFECT FLING, by Carly Phillips

Serendipity’s Finest #2

Erin & Cole

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 I am loving this series with Serendipity’s Marsden siblings!  Not only a wonderful romantic story but page-turner suspense! Such a great read! I had a great time reading this book which was chockfull of  both the suspense from a stalker but also the suspense of what will happen between Erin and Cole.

Erin Marsden is Mike’s baby sister, and she’s the local ADA.  She’s the sweet, good girl that everyone in town loves and admires.  After Mike’s wedding to Cara, Erin was feeling a little lonely and went to Joe’s Bar.  There she found Cole Sanders, old time childhood friend and with whom she had a crush.  They had a one-night stand, after which Cole went back to his standoffish ways.  That is, until she was shot at the parking lot in front of the DA offices and was rushed to the hospital.  There, Cole learned that she was pregnant with his baby.

Enter Cole the bodyguard, who will live with Erin until the shooter is found.  And we begin with the games!  Erin is invested in her baby and trying to convince Cole to give them a shot.  Cole waffles between being with her and planning to go back to NYC and his undercover work.  He’s at times tender and sexy and others off-putting.

Cole is also dealing with the issues with his father, who was so emotionally abusive, insulting and hateful to Cole that he bruised his soul and forced his mother to divorce him and leave Serendipity with Cole.  Jed continued to be a sour grumpy jerk, and Cole’s mother re-married to a wonderful man who turned Cole around and showed him what a father should be.  Still, Cole yearned to have a relation with his dad.

Always, Carly Phillips’ stories have a strong human issues vibe, full of compassion and reality, mixed with the strong romance and sexy times.  In this case, we also have a stalker threatening Erin, so there’s suspense.  This book was a page turner, way beyond entertaining, going into enthralling.  I loved seeing Mike and Cara, happily married, and Mike such a devoted husband.  We get a very short glimpse into the Barron brothers and their wives, now with children.  

And of course, we see a lot of Sam, the third Marsden sibling, so we start to know him and can look forward to his story.  He’s the most chill of the siblings, and there was something between him and Nicole Farnsworth that I hope goes somewhere in his book!

Purchase links

Kindle: https://amzn.to/3rLZZq0

Apple: https://apple.co/3rIqBYZ

Nook: https://bit.ly/3YcqhOb

Google Play: https://bit.ly/472kSxv

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3OdY05g

 

Amazon Print: https://amzn.to/3QeKD7y

BN Print: https://bit.ly/47jMJcC

About the author

Carly Phillips is the NY Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of over eighty sexy contemporary romances featuring hot men, strong women, and emotionally compelling stories her readers have come to expect and love. She is happily married to her college sweetheart and lives in Westchester County, NY. She is the mother of two adult daughters and three crazy dogs who star on her Facebook and Instagram pages. She loves social media and is always around to interact with her readers. Way back in 2002, Carly’s book, The Bachelor, was chosen by Kelly Ripa and was the first romance on a nationally televised book club. Carly loves social media and interacting with her readers. For more information on upcoming releases, sign up for her newsletter (below) and receive two free books!

 

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To learn more about Carly Phillips & her books, visit here!

 

Connect with Carly Phillips:

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THE BROOD, by Devney Perry

Calamity Montana #6

Iris & Wilder

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 Every time I read a Devney Perry romance, I declare it’s my favorite.  This is one of those books again! She enchants with her stories and I never want to finish the book, oftentimes re-reading immediately to savor the story and the characters once more.

In this case the choice of characters was brilliant, in my opinion.  An influencer and a science teacher!  It felt like opposites in the spectrum of careers but they fit so perfectly! Iris was so incredibly curious, making thousands of questions, while Wilder answered with single words and a scowl.  Eventually, their chemistry blew up and they came together, and thanks to Iris non-stop questions, he felt seen and understood, and ultimately, redeemed.

Wilder came to Calamity seeking isolation from the death of his wife.  He’s a grumpy teacher but still his students appreciated him.  He knows people in town but doesn’t socialize.  He leads a solitary life that he appreciates until Iris happened into his life.

The baby sister of his best friend, Wilder wasn’t happy hosting her in his rustic cabin.  And yet, it was the perfect place for Iris, who was a little tired from all her traveling.  She had an instagram following of millions, called #thelifeofirismonroe and it chronicles her travels around the world, two months in one place.  She felt unappreciated by her family and expected the same of Wilder, and to her surprise, he found her beautiful, unique, and wonderful.  I felt the same about her!

I loved everything about Iris’ influencer career, found her a brilliant character, completely different from the standard.  I hated the side glances and the judgy stares she got around Calamity, and loved how Wilder accepted her in all her quirks and ultimately came to love her exactly for how she is, courageous and unique.

The acceptance of a wonderful person in spite of her appearance, the living according to your mantra, those were all significant messages for me.  I loved that Iris lived her life her own way and hurt that she didn’t get the acceptance and understanding she deserved from her family.  I was delighted that Wilder loved all her quirks and celebrated them.  And I loved the empathy he always gave her.  It was an incredible feel good story with two enchanting characters, loved it!

Purchase links

Amazon: https://bit.ly/46vWzrg

Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/TheBrood

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3PNaTps

FREE with Kindle Unlimited

About the author 

Devney Perry is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of over forty romance novels. After working in the technology industry for a decade, she abandoned conference calls and project schedules to pursue her passion for writing. She was born and raised in Montana and now lives in Washington with her husband and two sons. 

 

Connect with Devney

Website: www.devneyperry.com

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Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/devneyperrybooks

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