Book #Review: Tomas: Cowboy Homecoming by Linda Warren

Book Title: Tomas: Cowboy Homecoming (Harts of the Rodeo)
Author:  Linda Warren |Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher: Harlequin American Romance
Genre: Romance
Series/Standalone: Series Book 6
Format: Mass Market Paperback

Cost: $5.25

Pages: 219

How I got it: BEA 2013

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
Publication Date: December 2012
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Synopsis:

Marine Staff Sergeant Tomas "Tuf" Hart is beginning to understand why they say "you can never go home again." Still grappling with the mental scars of battle, Tuf's just learned that Thunder Ranch is in trouble. Now, the Harts are banking everything on their stallion, Midnight, winning the National Finals Rodeo. The only easy part of Tuf's homecoming was falling for his high school crush all over again.Cheyepnne Sundell has always been drawn to Tuf. But as a single mom of twin daughters, she's wary of getting involved, especially with another military man. Cheyenne's disastrous marriage taught her that war changed men, and not always for the better. Tuf and Cheyenne have been through hell and back. But with a little hope and a lot of holiday spirit, they just might find a way to heal themselves…and each other.

This is a solid strong story about second chance romance and I'm totally here for it.  Tomas is a Marine heading for home for the first time in over 6 years, he's avoided home due to the way the war has changed him and he's not sure how everyone back home is going to treat him. On his way home he runs into a little girl walking all by herself and when he stops to help discovers her mama is none other than his high school crush Cheyenne and she's also home for the first time in a long time.

The characters were well written even though at times the story was dominated by Tomas's side it was still told by both of them.  Tomas's story was a stronger tale and he was way more detailed than Cheyenne was so I liked him more because I felt we got more from him than from her.  Cheyenne is home for the first time in years and is trying to rebuild because her life didn't quite go the way she expected.  Home with a set of twins who are determined to establish themselves and are putting her at her wits end, she doesn't have time for a marine cowboy even if being with him has always been her wish.

When they were young their parents feud kept them from establishing a good relationship no matter how much they both wanted it, and so they moved on a little bit dented but not broken .  Pride and family drama kept them apart then, but they do a terrible job of maintaining their friendship later and once again let pride and an inflated sense of protectiveness drive them apart.

I really loved the strong familial bonds they both had, & that their families were willing to help them anyway they could.  Tomas was doing everything to make himself whole again after what happened during his last mission, hes dealing with PTSD and I loved the way the author handled the discussion of therapy and  medication without over dramatizing it but neither making it some dirty secret.  It takes Tomas a while to come to terms with being the cowboy and the marine and how those would make him the man for Cheyenne.

I loved that Cheyenne knew right off the bat that they needed to work on themselves before they threw in together but was willing to do the work anyway.  Scared an Scarred by her past, she has her own level of PTSD to work trough and she's managed not to confront it because she has her daughters to worry about, but as the story progresses she starts to work on her own things as well.

The girls were a sweet and cute addition to the story and I loved how distinct they were.  I love how their casual acceptance of Tomas helped to make him closer to being whole and they didn't realize how much that meant.

I really loved the description of the Rodeo season and how that played an important part in the story. It wasn't overly glamorized the Rodeo was just another part of the story and it helped to move them further along, and that final scene is definitely one of my favorites.  Even though it's a small book Linda packed a lot in a really gave them the time needed to make this story really work. I love it.

 ★★★1/2

If you love cowboys, Marines, and second chances, then you're going to love this.  
Happy Reading my loves, 

Book #Review: To Sin With A Viking (Forbidden Vikings 1) by Michelle Willingham .@michellewilling .@harlequinbooks

Book Title: To Sin With A Viking (Forbidden Viking 1)
Author:  Michelle Willingham |Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher: Harlequin Historical
Genre: Historical Romance
Series/Standalone: Series Book 1
Format: Mass Market Paperback

Cost: $6.50

Pages: 288

How I got it: BEA 2013

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
Publication Date: August 2013
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Synopsis:

Playing With Fire! Caragh Ó Brannon defended herself bravely when the enemy landed—only, now she finds herself alone with one very angry Viking… Styr Hardrata sailed to Ireland intending to trade, never expecting to find himself held captive in chains by a beautiful Irish maiden. The fiercely handsome warrior both terrifies and allures Caragh, but he is forbidden territory. He is the enemy…and he is married. Yet Styr harbors a secret that just might set them both free… Forbidden Vikings Resist them if you can!

Sooo about that cover though?? Yeah no, I'm so terrified, and not at all turned on, but the rest of the story?? Yeah liking it, I've got the second book and I can't wait to dive in and finish this series.

I found the idea of what happens when an arranged marriage doesn't work, and was totally on board to see how Michelle would work a way to give these two characters the love they needed.  Would they come back together I was intrigued by the backstory of how Michelle came to write this and wanted to read as son as I got the book in my hand, I'm looking forward to reading Ragnar's story only because I love his name,

Styr wanted to save his marriage because well everything was going wrong, and for such a crazy reason.  I understood his wife Elena's struggle, she didn't want to fail her husband, and of course the families were also counting on her, but along the way she did what so many other women did wrong, she forgot that this is about her and her husband as well, not just about the future.  And Styr didn't help by letting her know he wanted her for her, and not just because their marriage had been arranged.

As the story progressed and we got to see both Styr and Caragh's life, and how they intersected, I was really intrigued on how he was going to walk the line without breaking it.  There were some seriously close times not always because they wanted to but because circumstances conspired against them and even a few where Caragh's decision made it clear that Styr wasn't her only choice.  I loved Caragh because once she realized Styr's heart wasn't hers to have she tried hard to maintain a distance.  I found myself kinda hoping that things would work out for them and when we got to the crux of the problem, I totally loved the ending we were being given.

I will say after watching Vikings on tv, I'm not sure they would have the same sense of 'honor' that Styr had, it wouldn't be considered dishonoring your wife. Personally I think having emotional attachments are worse than physical cheating, one you never have to do again, but the other?? Your emotions are involved, I'm going to lose no matter what.

I loved the story we were given, it was sweet, haunting at times and still a story that kept me intrigued and turning the pages.

★★★1/2☆☆

Happy Reading

Book #Review: Scorched (Frigid # 2) by J Lynn .@JLArmentrout

Book Title: Scorched (Frigid 2)
Author:  Jennifer L Armentrout|Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher: Spencer Hill COntemporary
Genre: New Adult Romance
Series/Standalone: Book 2
Format: Trade Paperback

Cost: $9.95

Pages: 238

How I got it: Book Expo America 2015

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble |
Publication Date: June 15, 2015
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Synopsis:

Sometimes life leaves a mark… Most days, Andrea doesn’t know whether she wants to kiss Tanner or punch him in the gut. He is seriously hot, with legit bedroom eyes and that firefighter body of his, but he’s a major player, and they can’t get along for more than a handful of minutes. Until now. Tanner knows he and Andrea have had an epic love/hate relationship for as long as he can remember, but he wants more love than hate from her. He wants her. Now. Tomorrow. But the more he gets to know her, the more it becomes obvious that Andrea has a problem. She’s teetering on the edge and every time he tries to catch her, she slips through his fingers. Andrea’s life is spiraling out of control, and it doesn’t matter that Tanner wants to save her, because when everything falls apart and she’s speeding toward rock bottom, only she can save herself. Sometimes life makes you work for that happily ever after…

I loved this book even more than I loved Frigid.  This book was a great discussion on health and a real look at how overall health affects mental health, and how mental health can affect behavior.  I absolutely loved this.  There were so many truths in this one. Omgosh, I loved how this all came together, I mean we knew they were going to get together but holy heck I didn't know it would go down like that.

This one was seriously about friendships even more so than the first book (which is saying alot because I loved the first book).  The love and support she didn't see, the struggle she had in accepting herself, her limitations and issues, Omgosh made her so relateable.  I loved that unlike some new adult characters she wasn't rescued by love of a mn but by...nope that's a spoiler.

I loved that this was so character driven no big mystery, very few crazy dramatic moments, most of these were created by the character however and it leads to growth.

Each time she came to a realization I loved it.  As she confronted and faced some of her mistakes it made her more real and so relateable.  I loved how as she faced issues, they were generally triggered by a relationship milestone with Tanner, Tanner was such a great character who wasn't judgmental or perfect, but he also didn't hold back when he wanted the truth or wanted to share who he was with her. I loved the interactions between all four friends, and especially loved seeing how much Syd and Andrea were integral to each other's lives.

I laughed reading this, I teared up when we got to some scenes.  I wanted to shake her when she made stupid decisions.  Freaked out like she did and got all kinds of turned on when they got down to some serious sexy times.  I loved Tanner as well because he awesome and owned his mistakes all though I wish we got even more from him and learnt how he came to have some of the beliefs he had.  We got glimpses of him and his background and how that helped to impact the man he is today, I would have loved more.

I loved the discussions that took place, the people in her life who finally confronted her and made her look at how her decisions affected them as well.  It was just an amazing read, and I kept reading because I didn't want to put the book down before I knew how it ended.  Man listen those last few scenes??!! Jennifer pulls no punches when going all out on teaching our main character some serious lessons.

I personally loved that even though romantic love was a part of the solution it wasn't the entire solution.  Being with Tanner didn't miraculously cure her of all her issues in fact I would say being with Tanner made her confront a few issues she let slide.  I also love that this was a therapy positive novel and that the characters were aware that their privilege helped to make their consequences lighter than for others (I thought that was really awesome of Jennifer to point out).

I'm not sure what's next in this series, if there is anything else, but if Jennifer writes it, I'm getting it.  I highly recommend for those looking for a positive story featuring issues with mental health that doesn't attempt to make it seem like it's not a real issue or a real disease.

 ★★★★★

Happy Reading

Dewy's 24 Hour Read-a-thon Wrap Up : April 26th,2015 | Bewitching Bibliophle

My TBR for this challenge was pretty small. I did that on purpose, 1) so I can get these books read and 2) because big books wouldn't really work with this project if I'm working most of it. The hours especially were from 8am Saturday until 8 am Sunday; I was scheduled to work on Saturday morning, but my boss called me and told me to come in for the evening, which totally worked in my favor, because I could read from 8am until 230pm. And that's how I got five and half books read.

Instead I picked the following five books which are each under 200 pages, and I wanted to see how many I could get read. I know my normal speed would allow me to read 400 page book in about 4-6 hours (depending on how distracted I am).  With that in mind I read the following during the read-a-thon:

These are quick reads, but I was able to clear a few books from my list, and finally read two that I got at BEA 2014. Bye Bye guilt!! I'm loving it, these read a thons are pretty kick ass. I loved the cheerleading group that I had, they were sweet and checked in on my progress, apparently we were #teamfrodo (yassss Lord of the Rings reference, how awesome).

If you want to make sure to check out the #readathon hashtag on twitter and instagram, so many people participated that way and shared their reading progress, even if I wasn't on for long I could follow along and see how well everyone was doing.Reviews for the books read will be coming up soon so keep an eye out.

Did you participate?? What was on your list?? Make sure to swing by Dewey's blog to learn about the sign up times and the readathon that's coming up in the fall.

Good Luck with what you're reading and see you in the fall!!

Book #Review: Wait For You (Wait For You #1) by J Lynn .@JLArementrout .@WmMorrowBks | Bewitching Bibliophile

Book Title: Wait For You ( Wait For You Book 1)
Author:  J Lynn |Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher: William Morrow Publishing
Genre: New Adult Romance
Series/Standalone: Series Book 1
Format: ebook, Trade Paperback

Cost: $14.99

Pages: 384

How I got it: Book Expo America 2014

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
Publication Date: September 2013
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Synopsis:

Some things are worth waiting for. Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago--an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe--please God--make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn't need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she's building for herself. Some things are worth experiencing. Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that's just so... so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed. Some things should never be kept quiet. But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she's has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her? And some things are worth fighting for.

I thought this was going to be another new adult romance, bad boy meets sheltered virgin/assault victim/ girl with issues and they fall madly in lust/love.  Yeah this was sooo much better than that.  The writing was great, Jennifer created characters that felt real, fully fleshed out and they reacted in a way that was relateable and realistic.  I totally love Jennifer's writing and I now totally understand people's love and fascination with her. She's amazing.

I found the plot to be good, well thought out. Yes it takes place on a college campus but the circumstances that make up Cam and Avery's story aren't limited to the college experience.  Nor does it contain too far out of this world dramatic issues, nope it's all too real.  Because this is a contemporary novel, Jennifer didn't have a lot of world building to do, however she managed to make you feel like this was any college campus, with the request students, wacky teachers, tough classes and full fledged parties and boy did it take me back.

I loved the cast of characters we've been introduced to. Each of them as the story progressed became full fledged people, of course, the focus was mainly on Avery and Cam but we still got enough to build the others in our minds.  Cam?? OMG I wish more mothers would raise boys like him.  Are we getting stories from Ollie and Jase?? It's be really cool if we got one from Jacob too, his commentary made this book hilarious.  I love her homegirl Brit she's amazing she totally makes  the day great with her amazing wit and the fact that she's far more observant than you would give her credit for. She's awesome and a well written friend.  

 I loved how humorous this story was and how well the characters got on, I totally felt the heat from them and was totally enchanted by their courtship and the blooming of their relationship. It felt real their issues and their fears and the way they handled things was amazing to read.  Cam cooks y'all. just go ahead an send him my way. I love a man that cooks, or bakes.  

I loved the character development, the fact that they felt real, their reactions, thoughts, their actions, decisions all felt the way a newly 'freed' adult would think and act.  Oh man if only more young men were like Cam.  This world would be so much better. I personally loved Avery because she was a whole lot tougher than she gave herself credit for.  And Cam was totally right she wasn't responsible for anyone but herself, she did what was right for her at the time and the two jackasses masquerading as parents??  Yeah they suck.  Truly do.  I truly loved Avery and how she's learnt to adapt and change and that she wanted the change.  She's beyond brave.

My favorite part of the book?? The whole book. I laughed, I panicked, I got mad, all with the characters and went ahead and snagged all the other books right away. 

It's funny because I was just talking with two different book buddies and we all talked about the lack of the sex discussion and the talk of being safe by using condoms. I noticed that in this book that Jennifer missed the opportunity to have that discussion between Cam and Avery.  This was the only thing that brought the story down for me.  I lowered the rating because of it.  Other than that, this book was amazing to read.

 ★★★★☆

Happy Reading and make sure to check out the other reviews for the other books in the series.  

Book #Review: Executive Seduction by Jennifer Probst .@jenniferprobst

Book Title: Executive Seduction
Author:  Jennifer Probst |Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher: Cool Gus Publishing Partners
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Format: Trade Parperback, 

Cost: $7.99

Pages: 200

How I got it: Book Expo America 2014

Purchase: Amazon | KOBO| iBooks
Publication Date: October 2013
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Synopsis:

Logan Grant knew Chandler was trouble the moment he laid eyes on her. He agrees to her business proposal because he wants a guaranteed profit...and he wants Chandler Santell. But a dangerous game of love, power and greed play out behind the scenes. The payout is worth millions, but only if he can claim her heart. Chandler Santell has successfully avoided rich and powerful men who believe more in money than in people. But when her Yoga and Arts Center is on the verge of financial ruin, there's only one man who can help her: Logan Grant--the most ruthless CEO in the finance industry. He's her only hope and she's willing to do anything to save her dream. Absolutely anything.

Very good. The cover sells erotica/ BDSM but it's actually a really good and funny love story.  I went in a bit blind, so I wouldn't have any real expectations other than what the cover told me (or so I thought it told me).  I just wanted the real story, and i got a pretty good one. Even if it wasn't an erotica (can you tell I was in the mood for an erotica??).

I actually enjoyed this one.  the female lead character Chandler kind of reminds me of Dharma from that late 90s show Dharma and Greg.  She's a yoga teacher who's running a business, that while it's doing ok, she needs it to do better and she becomes desperate to save her business site, so she make an offer to Logan who doesn't and can't refuse.

As this is a business world (this books speaks to me because I did wellness management as my second major and we worked in corporate businesses much like this) meets the 'new age' scenario and I absolutely loved the way Jennifer managed to make it both fun and realistic while drawing you into the world.

I loved the contradictions of her lessons and her own personal practice.  I loved her fierceness, she's a great character to read.  Logan needed someone who challenged his wold view but who would be in his corner and he and Chandler certainly burnt up the sheets.

The sexy times were well written but not too graphic for those who don't read those kinds of books.  I loved the dynamic how they fought, and how they made up.  The clear love they felt as the story progressed.

I loved reading this book, It's small and only took a couple of hours and delivered a sweet cute contemporary romance set in hometown of NYC.

I recommend it if you're looking for a fast read, and  want a good sweet romance.

 ★★★☆☆

Happy Reading