Review: Behind Closed Doors (Careless Whispers, #2.5) by Lisa Renee Jones

****3.5 Stars****

I have to start by saying that I read (and reviewed) the first two books in the Careless Whispers series and I thoroughly enjoyed them both. I'm eagerly awaiting book #3, Surrender, so I was quite pleased to receive this book, as a filler.

Although connected to the series, it can also be read as a standalone and I get the impression that it was a way to give us a taste of what's to come.

I'm really torn by this book. Although well written, with few editing issues, I found the story terminally slow. I understand the need to set the scene but things didn't really get going until around 70% of the book.

At this stage, it really picked up and I was quickly swept up in the story, forgetting my earlier concern. However, having left it so late to get to the exciting bits, meant that it took another turn and was wrapped up far too quickly for my liking.

There's a good story here but for me it just didn't flow as smoothly as I've come to expect from this author. Skye has so many secrets and I found it frustrating that the cause was revealed in one sentence, with little detail - it's this juicy info that I was looking for.

Now, I'm dying to get my hands on Surrender, to see where this series will take is next.

Reviewed by Vivienne Kauffer

From New York Times bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones comes a brand new gripping and provocative novel that ties into her bestselling Careless Whispers and Inside Out series. You can enjoy this as a standalone, but fans of Careless Whispers and Inside Out will get an exciting glimpse of who Ella really is and some of the secrets she's been hiding from everyone she knows.

Desperate to pay for law school, Skye tries her hand at auction hunting with her friend Ella, only to find a poker chip and a note leading to an offsite locker. The next thing she knows, Jason “Red Bull” Wise—a famous, millionaire poker player—is at her door, accusing her of blackmail. Innocent, she swears he’s wrong. He rolls the dice and believes her, impulsively inviting her along to Las Vegas. And remarkably, cautious Skye takes a risk, finding herself seduced by this dangerously alluring man, on his private jet, and finally living life to the fullest. But there is more than passion waiting for Skye and Jason in Vegas when blackmail takes a deadly turn.

Amazon UK; http://amzn.to/2duBsj5

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2dCU64b

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Review: Black Swan Affair by K.L. Kreig

*****5 Stars*****

I would give this book a million stars if I could it was that good. This is by far one of the best books I've read this year. It sucks you in before spitting you back out in a shattered and sometimes confused million pieces. People think oh a love triangle I'm not reading that but it's not the kind where affairs happen and people involved don't care, this is about love, compassion and understanding. The female lead is a woman called Maverick who loves 2 men in very different ways but she doesn't even know yet what her heart is telling her. Killian and Kael are brothers and both very much in love with Mav but both break her heart at some point in time so how does one survive that? how does one choose? The story goes far deeper though. It's mesmerising and is in mostly in 2 pov's. It starts off with an event which I won't reveal for fear of spoilers, but you don't know the who, why or what's. The story then flashes back and forward from past to present and keeps twisting and turning until the very end. It keeps you guessing and glued to the pages as the story unravels. The characters are very well established and mature and the love they give has no ends. The writing is very cleverly done and is just sheer brilliance, done in a way that has you hooked until the end on the need to know factor. Sometimes in life we can't help who we fall in love with or how we love them but this story will teach you that what we think we want and what we actually want can be misconceived even by those around us. Some of the story has a little shock factor (partly just because I totally guessed things wrong) and some of it is really sad but I loved it and I think loads of others will too. I'm rushing off to Goodreads now to find more of this authors books to one click. This was my first book by KL Kreig but it will certainly not be my last. PS I would like to see a certain character get a HEA so I'm hoping KL writes a book 2.

Reviewed by Claire Lamb

I’ve loved him as long as I can remember. 

The gangly boy with big brown eyes and unruly hair who grew up into an intoxicating man. He wears scruff like he invented it and ambles with a swagger that makes panties drop.

Killian Shepard.

Shep.

We grew up together. We played Ghost in the Graveyard. Had our own rock band. It didn’t matter that he was five years older than me. It didn’t matter that he looked at me as a kid sister even as I grew into a woman. It didn’t even matter when he left me behind to go to college and start his adult life.

He’d be back.

He was always meant to be mine. 

He came back, all right. But instead of smelling of promises, he stunk of betrayal. And he destroyed me—us—the day he married my sister instead of me.

So I did the only thing a girl like me in my position could do. 

I got my revenge. 

I married his brother, Kael. 

Now we’re one big happy fucking family.

Amazon UK - http://amzn.to/2dW37XI 

Amazon USA -http://amzn.to/2dZQyd7

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Review: The Sexy One by Lauren Blakely

*****5 Stars*****

I thought I was growing tired of the contemporary romance genre and really felt that a change was in order to refresh my love of reading, then along comes this little beauty that actually shown me that if a book is good, it's just good regardless of the genre.

Here we have the old clichè, Single dad falls for his child's nanny and whilst this in itself isn't exactly a new thing, what amazed me was the depth and quality of the characters.

Once again this book is being marketed as a stand alone, but the inclusion of certain previous characters means there is a link and it is advisable that they be read in order. I love the mix of old and new characters but also the feel that this is a stand alone.

Simon Travers, hot, single, doting dad just made me swoon from the very first moment I encountered him, so it wasn't exactly hard to see what Abby saw in him. I adored the way he was with his daughter.

Abby Becker was such a brilliant character for me. She was the perfect nanny without actually being all sweetness like Mary Poppins and at the same time sexy enough to make Simon stop and take notice.

I simply found this book to be superbly written and just effortless to read. I'd have to say that it was probably Lauren Blakely's best work to date.

Reviewed by Louise Dale

From NYT Bestselling author Lauren Blakely comes a sexy new standalone romance…

Let me count the ways why falling into forbidden love is not my wisest move…

1. She works with me every single day.

Did I mention she's gorgeous, sweet, kind and smart?

2. She works in my home.

Playing with my five-year-old daughter. Teaching my little girl. Cooking for my princess. Which means…

3. She's the nanny.

And that makes her completely off-limits…But it doesn’t stop me from wanting her. All of her.

***

The other nannies in this city don't call him the Sexy One for nothing. My boss, the amazingly wonderful single father to the girl I take care of every day is ridiculously hot, like movie star levels with those arms, and those eyes, and that body. Not to mention, the way he dotes on his little girl melts me all over. But what really makes my knees weak are the times when his gaze lingers on me. In secret. When no one else is around. 

I can't risk my job for a chance at something more…can I? But I don’t know how to resist him much longer either… 

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2ee5q8H

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2ekWqgw

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