7 Series to Complete (Update)

Hi my loves

I'm sharing about my previous challenges and where I am in those challenges I am working on.  One thing I can say is when I love an author's writing I purchase everything it's one of the reasons you can see on each month's wrap up that an author's name is repeated every month.  Which of course leads to so many series ending up on my shelves.  As a way to clean that up I have been challenging myself to complete a few series.  Here are the original five  series I was supposed to work on.  These don't include my perpetual author list. However since then i have added way too may other series to be completed. These are just a few of the books with the most books on the shelves or the ones I have been reading the longest. 

Darynda Jones Charley Davidson Series. I have a few of these left as well. I'm trying not to take this series too seriously because at times the characters are just. UGH 

1. Fifth Grave Past the Light Currently Reading 
2. Sixth Grave on The Edge
3. Seventh Grave & No Body 
4. Eighth Grave After Dark
5. The Dirt On Ninth Grave 
6. The Curse of Tenth Gave
7. Eleventh Grave in Moonlight
8. The Trouble with Twelfth Grave 
9. Summoned to Thirteenth Grave

Diana Gabaldon's Outlander Series. I need to re-read this and catch up to the show and before the newest book comes out which is soonish.

1. Outlander
2. Dragonfly In Amber
3. Voyager
4. Drums of Autumn
5. The Fiery Cross
6. A Breath of Snow & Ashes
7. An Echo In The Bone
8. Written In My Own Heart Blood

Newest book Go Tell The Bees I'm Gone not sure when this one comes out, it doesn't show a date on the system.  

Heather Graham: Way too many to list, but I'm focusing on the romantic thriller series she has going. the Krewe of Hunters as much as possible, I do also own a few of er historicals but I have seen a few recent reviews that make me want to rethink reading those now as an adult.  

1. Heart of Evil # 2
2. Sacred Evil # 3
3. The Evil Inside # 4
4. The Unholy #5
5. The Unspoken #7
6. The Uninvited #8
7. The Night Is Alive # 10
8. The Night is Forever # 11
9. The Cursed # 12
10. Hexed # 13
11. The Betrayed # 14
12. The Silenced # 15
13. The Forgotten # 16
14. The Hidden #17
15. Haunted Destiny # 18
16. Deadly Fate
17. Darkest Journey
18. Dying Breath
19. Dark Rites
20. Wicked Deeds

Cafferty & Quinn

1. Waking The Dead
2. The Dead Play On
3. Bitter Reckoning

Harrison Investigations:

1. The Dead Room
2. The Death Dealer
3. Nightwalker
4. Unhallowed Ground
5. The Killing Edge

Bone Island Trilogy

1. Ghost Night
2. Ghost Moon

Julie Garwood's Renard- Buchanan Series I have read a few books in the series starting with book 8 to book 13 ( I didn't know it was a series when I started it) I need to read books the last two books which I also own:

1. Fire & Ice
2. Wired (not owned but final book so far) 

Tara Sue Me I've been reading this series for a while now I own a few of them that I haven't gotten to yet. 

1. The Master
2. The Claiming
3. The Exposure
4. The Flirtation
5. Mentor's Match (Novella)
6. The Mentor & The Master (Novella)
7. Top Trouble 

Miranda Keneally  The Hundred Oak series has been one I've been working on for a while.  

1. Jesse's Girl 
2. defending Taylor
3. Breathe, Annie, Breathe
4. Racing Savannah
5. Things I can't Forget
6. Stealing Parker

Since the original 7 series, I completed two and have now added on my Gena Showalter shelf, which includes several of her series. 

Lords of the Underworld Series has 15 books I need to read: Called the Darkest:

1. Night
2. Kiss
3. Pleasure
4. Prison
5. Whisper
6. Passion
7. Lie
8. Secret
9. surrender
10. Seduction
11. Craving
12. Touch
13. Torment
14. Promises
15. Warrior
16. King

Jennifer Probst: I only have three books left in this series, one I have started and put aside because I wasn't really into the characters. I'm going to work on finishing these this quarter. Normally I challenge myself with a Jennifer in July reading challenge to complete as many books by a Jennifer on my shelf, this year I didn't bother but I do have an extensive list for next year.  

1. Searching For Beautiful
2. Searching For Disaster
3. Searching for Always

I can't wait to check in again at the end of the year to see how far we have come in each series.  Have you read any of these series or books my loves?? Share with me down below.  

Happy Reading 

July Challenge Update: Nora Roberts

 Total Books: 51

2022 Goal: 12

Currently Read:  16

January: 1/ May: 6/ June: 9 / July: 

 A few years ago I shared with you my most unread authors on my shelves.  The queen of this list of course was Nora Roberts. Since December 2021, I have been working on really knocking out the books on this shelf.  I'm going to share with you the books on the shelf that I still have to read:

Donovan Legacy:

• Entranced
• Charmed & Enchanted

Key Trilogy

• Key of Light
• Key of Valor CURRENTLY READING
• Key of Knowledge 

Dream trilogy

• Daring To Dream
• Holding The Dream

Three Sisters Island Completed July 2022

• Dance Upon The Air
• Heaven & Earth
• Face the Fire 

Bride Quartet

• Vision in White
• Bed of Roses
• Savor The Moment
• Happy Ever After

Guardians Trilogy

• Bay of Sighs

Chesapeake Bay  Completed June 2022

• Chesapeake Blue
• Rising Tides
• Inner Harbour

Night Tales: COMPLETED

• Nightshade/ Night Smoke
• Night Tales: Night Shift/ Night Shadow/ Night Shield

1. From the Heart
2. Truly Madly Manhattan 
3. Summer Deserts
4. Lawless
5. Hot Rocks
6. Birthright
7. Forever
8. Table for Two
9. The Villa
10. A Little Magic
11. O'Hurley's Return
12. The Law of Love
13. Public Secrets June 2022
14. Treasures
15. Hot Ice
16. All The Possibilities
17. Honest Illusions
18. Sweet Rains
19. Mysterious
20. Irish Hearts
21. Big Jack
22. Playing The Odds
23. Temptation
24. Treasures Lost Treasures Found
25. Tribute
26. Stars
27. Love by Design 
28. High Noon
29. Dangerous

I had to remove the following titles because they are bind ups of single titles on the list 

1. The Quinn Legacy 
2. The Quinn Brothers

Truly I got most of this done because Nora's books are now on Scribd and they didn't throttle my reading this month so I knocked so many off the list and I'm loving it. I'm loving being able to clean up this shelf of books and can't wait to see what else I get done. I'm so excited to share with you my thoughts on these books especially because many are backlist books and from the late 80s and early 90s.  

How has your reading year been so far?? Getting anything done on your 2022 reading goals?? Share in the comments so we can all cheer you on!!

See you in the next one

Happy reading my loves

  

2020 Reading My Shelves TBR Challenge

Hi my loves,

With 2020 here now I'm trying to capture some of the success I had in 2019. This year like last year I'm going to work on the books on my shelves. The reading challenge for the year is 225 books, but for this challenge here I want to read 150 of my own books. They had to have been on the shelves before November 1, 2019 ( as this is the new quarter and new year on the pagan Celtic calendar).

Here are a few of the books I wish to read from each section of my shelves. I'm making the prompts and recommendations to myself as seasonal as possible. Having noted my reading patterns over the years I notice that some seasons I really dive into certain genres and to help keep me on task I'm going to do this again,

General Books:

• Beverly Jenkins (7)
• Tara Sue Me (5)
• Jennifer Cruise (5)
• Maya Banks (10)
• Sylvia Day (5)

Spring books
For me nothing says spring like young love. With that in mind YA, and NA are my main focuses during this season.

1. Katie McGarry (4)
2. Nnedi Okorafor (7)
3. KA Tucker: (Pretty sure I own almost all her books. I need to actually read some of them)
4. Abbi Glines
5. Jennifer L Armentrout
6. Jessica Sorenson
7. S.C. Stephens
8. Colleen Hoover
9. J. A Redmerski : The Edge of Never, The Edge of Always, Fireflies
10. Sarah Dessen ( I own them all, have actually only read 1 O_o)
11. Jaime McGuire The Maddox Brothers series that I own, (I won't be picking up anything else by her. ) Removed from list because of author behavior. 
12. Elle Kennedy
13. Erin Watt ( This series was a huge on booktube and I have the first so let's see) The Paper Princess
14. Tanita Davis
15. Sharon M  Draper (10) 
16. L. Divine (7)
17. Estelle Maskame (2)

 And any others I have on the shelves but can't think of right now.

Summer Books: Great Beach books

Fall Books: all the mystery thrillers/ romantic suspense/ paranormal romance

1. Everything Heather Graham, 
2. Holly Black
3. Miranda Kenneally (7) *because they focus on girls on sports teams so while school is in session**
4. Simone Elkeles 
5. A.R. Torre'
6. Deborah Harkness (2)
7. L.L McKinney (1)
8. Yasmine Galenorn (14)

Winter Books:
Reads separate from Holiday reading list (much of which are left over from the last few years)

I also have 7 series I would like to focus on and complete this year. One of them I know is an ongoing series but I wish to catch up on it.

Series To Complete:

1. Otherworld by Yasmine Galenorn ( yes I know there are spin off series but I want to complete these 18 that I have. I read 4 last year so only 14 left) ONGOING SERIES 
2. Darynda Jones Grave series books 5-13
3. Deborah Harkness 2-3
4. Diana Gabaldon Outlander Series 1-4 to catch up to the tv show
5. Heather Graham 24
6. Tara Sue Me (catch up to the most recent release. I have 3 books to read
7. Sylvia Day Eve series 

These are some of the authors and titles on my shelves I really which to focus on, of course there are others that I will be checking out and pulling from the shelves.  If I update this or change any others not listed on the other challenges I will add them in here.

Happy Reading my loves, 

ARC Book #Review: Forged in Desire (The Protectors Series by Brenda Jackson #netgalley

Book Title: Forged In Desire (The Protectors # 1)
Author:  Brenda Jackson| Website| Twitter| Facebook
Publisher:  HQN Books

Genre: Romantic Thriller/ Mystery Suspense/ African American Romance
Series/Standalone: Book 1
Format: ebook, Mass Market

Cost: $5.99

Pages: 416

How I got it: ARC from NetGalley

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
Publication Date: February 01, 2017
Add To Goodreads
Synopsis:

Strong enough to protect her. Bold enough to love her.

When good girl Margo Connelly becomes Lamar "Striker" Jennings's latest assignment, she knows she's in trouble. And not just because he's been hired to protect her from an underworld criminal. The reformed bad boy's appeal is breaching all her defenses, and as the threats against her increase, Margo isn't sure which is more dangerous: the gangster targeting her, or the far too alluring protector tempting her to let loose.

Though Striker's now living on the right side of the law, he's convinced his troubled past keeps Margo out of his league. But physical chemistry explodes into full-blown passion when they go on the run together. Surrendering to desire could be a deadly distraction—or finally prove that he's the only man qualified to keep her safe, and win her love.

This is a spin off of the Granger series which featured the family of a man accused of murdering his wife and he was incarcirated wrongly. These men are some of the men he "adopted" while incarcerated and made a difference in their lives; with his help they fought for a change to their convictions or accepted their charges and improved their circumstances while in jail.  I absolutely loved that Brenda gave these men who aided the Grangers in their hour of need their own stories. In Captivated by Love we were left on a bit of a cliffhanger and I couldn't wait to see what happened.

This is the story of Striker who as a teen had his dream life in the palm of his hand and then a decision to put his little brother in a place he should have been safe comes back to haunt him. With the need to avenge his brother riding him he makes a decision that will impact his life and ends his dreams. Left with the guilt of failing his family Striker is in jail hellbent on making everyone feel his pain until Shep steps in to help him deal with his issues, he's not here for it though and it takes a while for Shep's influence to really make a difference but once it does, life changes for Striker. Fast forward a few years and he's here as a protector working with the men he met in jail and formed a bond with. and have built a business with. He's given a case to protect the niece of his best friend, except she's unaware they are related and he has to keep that under wraps as well.  He thought this would be a pretty easy gig, until the door opens and he's faced with a woman who hits all the right buttons for him and he's wondering if he'll be able to actually do his job and keep his attraction in check.

Margo comes from tragedy but has managed to live a great life, even if her Uncle is a little too over protective. She had done her civic duty and helped put away a man who was a career criminal with seriously bad ties to all kinds of bad people. When found guilty he puts a hit out on everyone in the court room, no one takes him seriously until bodies start hitting the floor and now everyone is scrambling to get into protective custody or hire bodyguards. Margo doesn't think she's going to be that high up the list of people killed so she's not as worried as her Uncle is and isn't very happy when he goes over her head and hires someone to protect her, but the alternative of living with him and his new girlfriend gives her nightmare so she'll suck it up and deal.  When the man meant to protect her walks in she's floored by her attraction to him and how good he looks.

As the circumstances heat up and more people are being killed Striker makes her aware that they are going to have to make changes to how she does things.  As a dress designer with a new bride who needs her dress by the end of the year, Margo can't give up her life because of a mad man, she'll make on the changes she needs to keep herself alive but she's not giving up her whole life.  As people who should have been well hidden begin to turn up dead they realize this is even bigger than a mad man who is flexing his power. This means there is some deep corruption within the ranks of the FBI and the local police and to help combat that they bring in a known behavioral scientist who also happens to be psychic to aide in the capture of this killer and those aiding him.

I loved how the mystery began to unfold and how we learned just what was happening why everyone seemed to be in danger. It appeared for a while that the criminal was going to win as so many were dying and the cops couldn't seem to get a bead on who was doing the work. I loved the relationship that developed between Striker and Margo. They had so much chemistry and tried their best to keep it professional but once they fell?? Girl get you a fan because my man Striker loves nothing more than working his woman from top to bottom ok?? Margo has never had this good. She is coming from a recent break up with a man who thought he was god's gift to women and treated her as less than, now back home she's surprised by the strength of her attraction to Striker and how well he treats her and makes her want.  With everything in her life in upheaval with this murderer on the loose she's finding that Striker is one of the few steady things she can rely on.

I loved how this all played together. I loved the romance between them was so hot and wild. They were brought together because of the circumstances but found they actually like each other. There are so many different little plot points that are coming together and I loved it all.  Margo led a more exciting life than she truly knew and I loved how it all was resolved.  Striker was an amazing character and the reason he was in jail sucked so bad. It impacted his life and how he viewed relationships and yet when given a chance to make a change he embraces it. I love their friendships and how close they were to their families (found family or otherwise) Striker and the men were hilarious and their witty comebacks aided in making this a great story. And that ending??? Girl!! Loved it.

I loved the mystery here and how it pulled on strings from the previous stories and how it laid the ground work for the rest of the series. I'm looking forward to more from the Protectors and can't wait for each of the stories. I highly recommend my loves, get you some.

 ★★★★1/2☆

Series In Order

• Forged In Desire ( The Protectors 1) 
• Seized By Seduction ( The Protectors 2)
• Locked In Temptation ( The Protectors 3) 

RECOMMENDATIONS

• The Granger Series by Brenda Jackson 
• Heather Graham Krewe of Hunters Series

Happy Reading my loves, 

Audiobook #Review:Butterfly In Frost by Sylvia Day .@Scribd

Book Title: Butterfly in Frost
Author:  Sylvia Day |Website| Twitter| Facebook| Instagram

Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Genre: Romance
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Format: Audiobook, Physical
Narrator: Emma Wilder & Joe Arden 

Audio Service: Scribd
Hours in Book: 4 hours 48 mins

Cost: $7.99

Pages: 199

How I got it: Purchased/ Listened via Scribd

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
Publication Date: 08/27/2019
Add To Goodreads
Synopsis:

From #1 New York Times bestselling phenomenon Sylvia Day comes a hotly anticipated and passionate new love story.

Once, I would never have imagined myself here. But I’m settled now. In a place I love, in a home I renovated, spending time with new friends I adore, and working a job that fulfills me. I am reconciling the past and laying the groundwork for the future.

Then Garrett Frost moves in next door.

He’s obstinate and too bold, a raging force of nature that disrupts the careful order of my life. I recognize the ghosts that haunt him, the torment driving him. Garrett would be risky in any form, but wounded, he’s far more dangerous. I fear I’m too fragile for the storm raging inside him, too delicate to withstand the pain that buffets him. But he’s too determined…and too tempting.

And sometimes hope soars above even the iciest desolation.

Emotional and heartrending, Butterfly in Frost marks a brilliant return by global sensation Sylvia Day, the #1 international multimillion bestselling author of the Crossfire saga.

Overall:
Trigger Warning:
***Go in with knowledge that there is discussion of grief, loss of a child and depression. ***

I was anticipating this book and pre-ordered as soon as the link popped up on her website, I didn't need to know what it was about and went right into it once I saw the audiobook on Scribd. While I didn't know the synopsis I dived right into the story. I liked the story the narration, however, left much to be desired.  The story flew by but with the narration I kept going back wondering if I missed something. Nothing about the synopsis tells you what the true story is about and I kind of liked that.

Narrator:
For a majority of the story, it's told in Teagan's voice and therefore told from Emma Wilder which was fine. I really enjoyed her because she was good at doing Teagan's voice and Roxy's and later when we meet a few others. Her inflections totally made the characters come alive. However, the last few chapters are from Garrett and they have Joe Arden narrate that. Please explain to me if you're going to hire a male voice actor why the HELL was Emma deepening her voice to do his parts in the first half????? Did the budget not kick in until later?? It totally ruined the story because I'm like why didn't he just do the voice the whole time?? Cause now this is a whole new character since Emma's been doing the voice completely differently. UGHHHHH Y'all need to get it together.  Did Not Like

Story:

While reading this I kept wondering if I had somehow skipped pages or if the book was missing pages. I love a good insta love story but this was fast even for me. Then I determined they must have known each other because Garrett was way too familiar in his habits for this to be the first time they try some of these things.

I was very glad that we had a character dealing ( or not really dealing ) with depression and grief. They were two people broken and finding comfort in each other, at least that's how it read until we got to the end and we learn more from Garrett.

I really loved that we got to meet up with Ava from the Crossfire series and in the process got some information on all the other characters, as this is in the future ( I won't tell you how far in the future but it was pretty cool). This was a pretty fast story that feels like it could have been fleshed out more, we could have learned more from them. They were both trying to cope with major changes, Teagan with a divorce that devastated her,. and Garrett with the loss of a child.

At the end of the story so much of their conversation make more sense and it fills in the cracks and makes the story richer, but when I was reading the first time through I kept feeling like I was missing something, honestly, I felt like Roxy at the end.

I did love it at the end, but man getting there was a little confusing. I ended up loving the story once it all unfolded. Especially after reading her notes on the book and the song choice for the theme of the book: Happier by Marshmello ft Bastille

 ★★★☆☆

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Finding Home Again (Catalina Cove 3) by Brenda Jackson
• Love In Catalina Cove by Brenda Jackson

Happy Reading my loves, 

AudioBook #Review: Witchling (Otherworld Sisters of The Moon Book 1) by Yasmine Galenorn .@YasmineGalenorn

Book Title: Witchling (Otherworld/ Sisters of the Moon)
Author: Yasmine Galenorn |Website| Twitter| Facebook| Instagram

Publisher: Tantor Media
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Series/Standalone: Book 1
Format: Audiobook Unabridged
Narrator: Cassandra Campbell

Audio Service: Scribd
Hours in Book: 10

Cost: $7.99

Pages: 276

How I got it: Scribd

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher

Publication Date: December 15th, 2008
Add To Goodreads
Synopsis:

We're the D'Artigo Sisters: Half-human, half-Faerie, we're savvy--and sexy--operatives for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency. But our mixed-blood heritage short-circuits our talents at all the wrong times. My sister Delilah shapeshifts into a tabby cat whenever she's stressed. Menolly's a vampire who's still trying to get the hang of being undead. And me? I'm Camille--a wicked-good witch. Except my magic is as unpredictable as the weather, which my enemies are about to find out the hard way...

At the Wayfarer Inn, a portal to Otherworld and the local hangout for humans and beasties alike, our fellow operative, Jocko, has been murdered. Every clue points to Shadow Wing, the soul-munching, badass leader of the Subterranean Realms. He's made it clear that he aims to raze humankind to the ground, turning both Earth and Otherworld into his private playground. Our assignment: keep Shadow Wing and his minions from creeping into Earth via the Wayfarer. The demons figure they're in like Flynn. After all, with only my bumbling sisters and me standing in the way, how can they miss? But we've got a secret for them: Faulty wiring or not, nobody kicks ass like the D'Artigo girls. . .

Overall:
I listened to this over the course of two weeks, not because it wasn't good but because I enjoyed it then put it down for a few books for tour dates, I found that it was extremely easy to jump back in when I wanted to come back to the story and the narrator Cassandra was wonderful, her voice able to keep you entertained and engaged while keeping the story flowing.

Narrator
This was narrated by Cassandra Campbell and she was wonderful. She carried all the emotions and made them tangible without bogging down the story. I loved when she managed to make Camille's voice sound like an overall narrator while still sharing the story from her POV and sharing her funny as hell self talk. I enjoyed her voice a good deal.

Story:

I loved that this was an urban fantasy. In this world, the Fae and all the creatures of the paranormal world are out and they are all form Otherworld. Camille and her sisters who are all half-fae, half-human were more prepared to live among the human than most. They are guardians who really only have a few instances in which they have to step in. Until the day someone opens the portal to Otherworld and let in three dangerous creatures who immediately set about upsetting the balance of the town.  Something or someone is killing Fae and leaving a mess behind and now the sisters must work with their human liaison and try to find out just what came through and what it's got to do with the coming upheaval in Otherworld.

I loved that this world had so many complex courts and the lore that was included. It's going to be interesting to see all the stories that develop and come out of this world. Camille and her sisters are interesting, as each young woman has different strengths and weaknesses. Camille is the witch in the family but her spells don't always work, she's in love with a race of people that are looked down upon in the Otherworld ( because even in the fantasy world dark-skinned people can't catch a break le sigh). Knowing that the Svartans love to enthrall their lovers then leave them she cuts him from her life first and now that there is an upcoming battle the Svartan is back in her life. Can she trust him or is he here only to break her heart.

Her two sisters will have their own stories as one was changed into a vampire while on assignment and another has a tendency to shapeshift whenever she's stressed. That makes it hard for her to help during battles. As the story grows legends come to life, a long lost key comes into play and there is a hot dragon. Oh and several earth spirits including a drop-dead gorgeous Kitsune.  Camille has to complete a bargain of getting a demon finger, finding the murderer of the Fae, stop a powerful artifact from falling into the wrong hands and take on a seemingly indestructible Fae nicknamed Badass.

She's gotta do all of this while making sure her bookstore doesn't get protested by those who want the right to hunt their paranormal neighbors and of course protect the city.

I did wonder if this was a spin off of a established series, while the world building was good; I felt like a bit of the storytelling was a 'given' like you should know because you've been here before. Also the relationship that Camille is in was done really quickly as they are an established couple from before the story started.  There is also a weird relationship that develops with one of the sisters, and it happened off screen and we don't know how it all went down. The sisters were quirky but I'm hoping it's not too much of the chick lit quirk where they are so 'helpless' without the male protag. I enjoyed this one for the lore we were getting as well as Camille's view on things. She didn't have any too stupid to live moments which let's be real sometimes these books have the heroines do just so they can be rescued. Nope she was smart, and on top of it including being knowledgeable about the lore she needed to be able to save her family and stay one step ahead for now. I'm hoping this shapes up to be a polyamory story but I won't hold my breathe.

I enjoyed it, and can't wait to check out the rest of the series which I now own up to book 18 thanks to Savers over the summer.

 ★★★☆☆

Series In Order

• Witchling (Book 1) 

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Kitty Norville Series by Carrie Vaughn 
• Merry Gentry series by Laurell K Hamilton ( I can only vouch for up to Swallowing Darkness after that y'all are on your own. ) 
• Magic series by Cheyenne McCray
• World of the Lupi by Karen Chance

Happy Reading my loves, 

Book #Review: Deadly Obsession (Brown & De Luca # 4) by Maggie Shayne .@maggieshayne .@HarlequinBooks

Book Title:  Deadly Obsession ( Brown & De Luca 4)
Author:  Maggie Shayne|Website| Twitter| Facebook| Instagram
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA

Genre: Romantic Thriller, Romance, Paranormal
Series/Standalone: Book 4
Format: ebook, Mass Market

Cost: $4.99

Pages: 400

How I got it: Purchased

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
Publication Date: November 25, 2014
Add To Goodreads
Synopsis:

A cold-blooded killer with a burning obsession…

Rachel de Luca has a bad feeling about the new woman in Detective Mason Brown's life, the nurse taking care of him after he's injured in the line of duty. She'd like to think it's just jealousy, but intuition tells her it's something more, maybe something dangerous.

Mason knows Rachel's wary of commitment, and asking her to stay when he's in this condition would be the worst thing for their relationship. Then they receive chilling news that drives everything else from their minds.

Mason's psychotic sister-in-law has escaped from custody, putting her sons — the nephews he's raising — in the crosshairs. When his house is burned to the ground, he and Rachel are relieved that there are no bodies in the smoldering rubble, but now his nephews are missing and the clock is ticking.

As Mason and Rachel try to find the boys, she senses a new and unexpected danger stalking them. Soon, everyone close to Mason is in deadly peril — Rachel more than anyone….

While going on a date with Rachel, Mason happens upon a home on fire, when the neighbors mention they didn't see the family leave and that children lived there he runs in to rescue them.  This is a clarifying moment for Rachel because it makes her realize that she could lose him to his long before she could lose him because they don't suit ( which isn't true since they are perfectly suited)  but relationship fears aren't rational they just are. His heroism is caught on camera and reported in a glowing news report, which incidentally the firebug who started the fire sees and decides that Mason is the one for them. They are tired of being put as second best when the person they chose as a partner returns to their partners ( because oyu know getting with a cheater is how you guarantee your relationship..what a dumbass).

Mason is slightly injured and the Dr wants him to have visiting nurse services, which gives the firebug an in. Delusion thy name is this dumbass. They haven't even met Mason yet and is already spinning fantasies about killing everyone in his life so he will fall for them. I just. Really??? Form the getgo we know who the crazy is and we get insight into their lives and why they are doing it, for me this ratcheted up the tension because I kept screaming at my book, How doesn't Mason see the crazy gleam in their eyes??  Every time the villain would have been in a room with Rachel they found a way out so that Rachel couldn't read them.

This was a fantastic read and I flew through this one as well. Told in alternating perspectives, we get the crazy insights, Rachel's insights as she tries to navigate the new knowledge she has of her full feelings for Mason, and Mason as he goes through the case of the arson. While this going on it's time for his oldest ne[hew to graduate high school, due to the case from the last book a family member is in an institution and when the incidents involving them escalate they believe it's the family member who has escaped.  The family member escaped because the arsonist wanted to be able to blame someone else when they committed their crimes and this would work perfectly. Except despite having a mental breakdown the family member is all about protecting the family and even if they can't express that to everyone they still do their best to protect everyone.

This is perhaps the most amount of characters POV we have gotten from these books and it all worked well. It flowed together well. The last book ended a case but left some overall questions especially with Mason's comments to Rachel, who of course is now running scared until that night and now she's trying to navigate it all.  I loved the young love we're getting from her niece and his nephew, and how practical this twin is. It's pretty good actually how refreshing the kids are in this story, especially after the events of the last book.

Of course, Rachel is full of snark and sass throughout the whole story and I love the way she and mason interact with each other. I love her sister and their relationship. I also love how her friendship with Abby, her assistant who is great at making her see reason. They are amazing together.  This one flew by really quickly and I enjoyed myself the entire time.

 ★★★★☆

Series In Order

• Sleep With The Lights On (Brown & De Luca 1) 
• Dream of Danger 1.5
• Wake To Darkness 2
• Innocent Prey 3

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Krewe of Hunters Heather Graham
• The Protectors Series Brenda Jackson 

Happy Reading my loves, 

Book #Review: Innocent Prey (Brown & De Luca # 3) by Maggie Shayne .@maggieshayne .@HarlequinBooks

Book Title: Innocent Prey (Brown & De Luca 3)
Author:  Maggie Shayne|Website| Twitter| Facebook| Instagram

Publisher: Harlequin MIRA

Genre: Romance, Paranormal Romance, Romantic Thriller
Series/Standalone: Book 3
Format: ebook, Mass Market 

Cost: $4.99

Pages: 320

How I got it: Purchased

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
Publication Date: October 01, 2014
Add To Goodreads
Synopsis:

To save innocent lives, they'll have to risk their own.

Self-help superstar Rachel de Luca and Detective Mason Brown have finally given in to their overwhelming attraction to each other, but neither of them is ready to let physical passion turn into full-blown romance, so they carefully maintain an emotional distance. Then a judge's daughter disappears, and Mason has a terrible sense that it's connected to the most recent case they solved together: the abduction of Rachel's assistant.

The discovery of a string of missing women—all young, all troubled—seems like a promising lead. But there's no clear connection between the missing girls and the high-profile young woman Mason is trying to find. He realizes that once again he'll have to rely on his own well-honed instincts and Rachel's uncanny capacity to see through people's lies in order to catch a predator and rescue his captives. But can they do it before Rachel becomes his next victim?

**** Trigger Warning: For violence towards women, discussion of trafficking of women***

This harkens back to the case we started in on in Dream of Danger. Young women have been going missing for a while, then Amy was snatched and while they were able to catch one of the men involved it appears this case is bigger and has far-reaching corruption. Just how far?? Well, that's what we're going to find out in this care.

I absolutely loved this one. I felt like Rachel and Mason had really hit their stride after the first three cases and are now dealing with more than what is happening within their family circle.  This time this case doesn't originate from the original decision Mason made, and they are scrambling to fit all the pieces in. Rachel also has to make a decision about what she really wants from Mason as there is promotion up for grabs and she wants Mason to go for it, but does he want it?? How will it impact their relationship??   This one feels right on time considering all the reckoning that's happening (much deserved and for some way too lenient) her in the US right now.

Once again the story starts off wild, with the victim and we just know that the tiny glimmer of hope she had was not going to be enough. I actually flinched reading that passage.  Then we get to Rachel and Mason who are working on their relationship (is that what they have or nah??)  and they end up with a case that needs to be off the books as the victim's dad doesn't want it spread about that his daughter is missing. Mason's instincts are screaming and he turns to Rachel for help and from there we get one hell of a ride.

We jump back and forth from Mason, Rachel and the young woman who is missing. She's realizing just how vulnerable she is now, and even though she's not alone she's trying to make sure the others with her hold out hope. When given the chance the young women attempt to escape and one of them pays with her life but this is the break Mason needed to make this case an official bring in the big guns case and they are off and running.  So much happens from Rachel having to face some home truths to Mason realizing that there is more going on than even he believed and young women fighting to stay alive long enough to be rescued.

Rachel has a few moments here that make her a too stupid to live character, but at the same time, it was the most realistic response to what would happen that I had to laugh and totally understood at the same time why she did it.  I loved Rachel's snark as it helped her get through so many tough situations while allowing her to speak the truth. I loved the development of the characters that we have seen and wish we could get a bit more about Mason's best friend.

Once agian the case took a big chunk of the story while peppering bits about their personal lives without the story of the case being sacrificed. I loved the balance between the two; I found the case and the characters engaging and needed to know how it all was going to be resolved.  I read this one pretty quickly as well and can't wait to see what the next one has for us.  I enjoyed that she also leaves little stings to be pulled in other books, never quite giving us a full scoop on Mason and Rachel's issues as that would be too neat.

 ★★★★☆

Series In Order

• Sleep With The Lights On (Brown & De Luca 1)
• Dream of Danger (Brown & De Luca 1.5)
• Wake To Darkness (Brown & De Luca 2)

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Heather Graham Krewe of Hunters Series
• Lisa Jackson

Happy Reading my loves, 

ARC Book #Review $ #GIVEAWAY: Finding Home Again (Catalina Cove # 3) by Brenda Jackson .@AuthorBJackson .@HarlequinBooks .@Netgalley #FindingHomeAgain #NetGalley

Book Title: Finding Home Again ( Catalina Cove 3)
Author:  Brenda Jackson |Website| Twitter| Facebook| 

Publisher: HQN Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series/Standalone: Book 3
Format: ebook, Mass Market
Cost: $5.99

Pages: 384

How I got it: NetGalley

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
Publication Date: October 29, 2019
Add To Goodreads
Synopsis:

First love. Second chances. In Catalina Cove, anything can happen…
Bryce Witherspoon’s heart races every time she sees Kaegan Chambray. Everyone in town knows they can’t stand each other, but the truth is, even though the man broke her heart ten years ago, she still feels that irresistible, oh-so-familiar jolt of desire.

When Kaegan returned to Catalina Cove to run the family business, he knew there’d be no avoiding Bryce. The woman he thought he’d one day marry was instead the biggest heartbreak of his life. But when Bryce lets slip a devastating secret, he discovers just how wrong he was to let her go all those years ago.

He knows they both still feel the spark between them, but it’ll take more than attraction to convince her. Kaegan will pull out all the stops to show Bryce he’s the man who can give her the future they once dreamed of—if only they give love a second chance.

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ahhhhh I'm so excited this is the third book ( and hopefully not the final) in the Catalina Cove series and we are going to finally learn just why these two have been angry with each other for ten years.  And what a story it was. A second chance romance with a bit of a mystery that makes the couple face their issues and finally admit what they truly feel for each other.

Kaegan, Bryce & Vashit have been best friends since childhood. Kaegan's father didn't believe in education and had kept his son from school, once Bryce's mom found out she pushed the community to get him to go to school and realizing he couldn't hold out against them the old man grudgingly sent his son to school but in doing so Kaegan was two years behind. From the first KGee, nicknamed that because Bryce couldn't say his name, was friends with the girls as the older kids ignored him and the others didn't engage. He's been their protector and friend for as long as they all can remember.

While Vashti was sent away during her pregnancy, Kaegan and Bryce leaned on each other and their friendship bloomed into love. And as with all young lovers untested by life believed that their high school romance would go smoothly into an adult romance. But life and some of the towns' people couldn't leave well enough alone and the young lovers split based on a misunderstanding that bloomed into a bitter fight.

And that fight and bitterness have defined their relationship for the past ten years. After drifting apart Kaegan moved away & Bryce moved on and became a successful business owner. Still angry with each other they have taken every opportunity to swipe at each other since KGee moved back home to Catalina Cove. Their bitter battle has placed Vashti in an awkward position because she knows more about the story from each of them than they know and she keeps trying to get them in the same area so they can air it all out.  This tragedy finally comes to a head and they both hurt each other again before separating, finally, Bryce breaks and tells her truth to Kaegan and he's left realizing his actions were based on lies.  He's devasted but determined to make it up to her and win her back. Also, I could understand his POV especially with all the misinformation he had been receiving, and the events of that night; Bryce acting as if she can't understand why he was angry doesn't fly. Girl reverse it, you would have lost it and wouldn't have believed him either.

This is a sweet second chance romance, where the couple now have to not only learn about each other as adults but learn to forgive each other for the mistakes they made as their younger selves.  It's hard to fight through the past while trying to hang onto the good memories; they both help and hinder them. Kaegan starts a campaign to gain her forgiveness and Bryce is afraid to trust again. Add to this he decided to win her back when she's decided to move on completely, she's trying to find someone who can replace the way Kaegan made her feel and she starts dating. As they try to move on, they just keep hurting each other and I wanted them to just get therapy cause y'all need to work through everything.

I really loved the strength of the friendships in this one, as they were the best sounding boards for both of them as they tried to find their ways back home to each other. Bryce has to learn to trust again and since this man has shown that he can break her heart this is a little harder to do than one would think. I loved that it wasn't an easy journey back to each other, as this means they will appreciate the love more.

However, while they are trying to make their way back to each other, someone has decided to wage a campaign against Kaegan, there are several incidents with each escalating in severity and then the ending happened.  Listen ok, I was yelling at the book no no no no don't go, call someone, send a text something anything. it was like watching a horror flick and commenting the whole time. I loved it.

This story flew and I loved that there was tension not only within the relationship but without as well, this kept me engaged and the story flowing well. Giving the characters time to develop and share with us their true motivations. I loved that we had several small stories within as well. We get to see Vashti and Sawyer's family and their progression. We learn what happened to the budding romance between the girl's grandparents while catching up on Ray & Ashley and their growing relationship.

I loved visiting this town again and hope it grows. I would love to see what happens to Jade in a few years.

 ★★★☆☆

Series In Order

• Love In Catalina Cove
• Forget Me Not

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Robyn Carr (pick any of her series LOL) 

Happy Reading my loves, 

Audiobook #Review: Forget Me Not (Catalina Cove # 2) by Brenda Jackson .@HarlequinBooks .@AuthorBJackson .@Scribd

Book Title: Forget Me Not (Catalina Cove 2)
Author:  Brenda Jackson| Website| Twitter| Facebook
Publisher: Harlequin

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, African American Romance
Series/Standalone: Book 2
Format: Audiobook, ebook, Mass Market
Narrator: Ron Butler

Audio Service:  Scribd
Hours in Book: 10 hours 30 mins

Cost: $5.99

Pages: 376

How I got it: Scribd

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
Publication Date: March 26th, 2019
Add To Goodreads
Synopsis:

Brenda Jackson welcomes you back to Catalina Cove, where love is waiting to be reclaimed...

Ashley Ryan never doubted that her husband, Devon, was the love of her life. Even now, three years after Devon died in a car wreck while on a business trip, Ashley can't bring herself to move on. But when her girlfriends surprise her with a getaway to beautiful Catalina Cove, Louisiana, she gets the shock of her life when she encounters a man-bearded, more rugged than before, but unmistakably her Devon.

Ray Sullivan moved to this quiet coastal town after waking up in a hospital with amnesia. Haunted by a life he can't remember, he's built walls around his heart and a quiet life running boat tours-a life that includes no recollection of Ashley, a woman he suddenly finds himself irresistibly drawn to.

Doctors warn Ashley of the danger in forcing her husband to remember the past. Though she longs to tell him the truth, she finds herself falling all over again for a man she knows may never truly come back to her. In this place where healing and second chances are just a heartbeat away, can love take root once more? (

Overall:
This is the second book by this narrator and I love it. Ron manages to make each character wonderful and unique. I absolutely loved his accents for each and how he helped to convey the emotions each character was feeling. I highly recommend him as a narrator and of course Brenda's work is phenomenal as well.   It's ten hours and I listened to it at 1.5X speed and finished this one pretty quickly as well.

Narrator:

Ron Butler is fantastic, Great melodic voice that conveys all the emotions of each scene without being overly dramatic. I loved the way he was able to use inflection and tone to convey seriousness of  different situations and at the same time convey the humor of a moment. I really found myself loving the story more because Ron was sharing it with me.

Story:

This is a second chance romance for a couple  where one doesn't realize he was a part of the couple. On the way home after a successful business trip, Devon Ryan has a moment of being a good Samaritan and because no good deed goes unpunished he ends up brutally beaten and left for dead. He's found and rescued but he was in a coma for a few weeks, during that time his family is informed that he has been killed. This sets off a series of events that lead us here, Devon wakes up but has amnesia ( I know soap opera levels here, but it's done extremely well, so just rock with me for a moment) and because unbeknownst to him his family already believe him to be deceased they have no reason to be searching for him, once they are unable to establish his identity the government give him one and he become Ray Sullivan.

Ashley is Devon's wife and when the police come to tell her that her husband passed away it devastated her. It's been three years and she still hasn't recovered, her mother however believes it's time she has moved on and has commenced shoving 'suitable' men on her. Being her best friends and sympathetic to her feelings, they gift her with a two week break from her mother and her manipulations; it's a two week stay in beautiful Catalina Cove, she's going to be staying in Vashti's renovated Bed and Breakfast. 

Once she's there enjoying the scenes Ashley has an incident and she believes she hears her husbands voice. Ray Sullivan steps in to save her and when he goes with her to the hospital he can't understand why he feels protective about this particular woman. In the three years he's lived in this town he's refused to date a woman because he believes he's married but because he can't remember he refuses to put himself in that position. This is the first woman to make him challenge this decision.

The story unfolds and Ashley requires the help of the two best friends and Vashti to help her win her husband back. How many of us have the chance to not just fall in love with our soulmate but do it twice?? There are so many moments that make Ashley wonder if she's doing the right thing, as she wonders what will happen if his memories of her never return?? Can she love this new man who inhabits her husband's body?? Can she love Ray who is totally different from Devon?? Can she let go of the memory of Devon long enough to give Ray a true chance?? Or will the memories of her past love stop her from learning if this man could be her next love.

I really loved how the story came together. Even if her mama got on my last nerves. I enjoyed that Ashley created a safe haven for herself with her friends and had people she could rely on, who loved her unconditionally. I loved the small town feel f the story and I can't wait to what's going on with the final bachelor in their friend group. This story flowed so well and I was hooked to finding out how it all would end. I really felt my anxiety go through the roof in those final chapters as the truth came out and we get the big reveal.

I highly recommend the story and of course the narrator.  I normally say that I love romance because you go into it knowing there's going to be a HEA, but I have to say with this one I wasn't certain because she kept repeating to herself the statistics and boy I knew it was a good story but I feared for them a few times. You know it's a good romance when you know the ending but are addicted to seeing how the journey gets them there.

Real World moments intruding here: I would hate to be in their shoes when they have to deal with the insurance about him being declared deceased and here he is alive. That's going to be a tangled web to unravel. Then there are all his debts and accounts, getting back his license. Just the headache from thinking about it. My gawds ok moving on now. Enjoy the story my loves!!!

 ★★★★☆

Series In Order

• Love In Catalina Cove ( Catalina Cove 1) 

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Deadly Sexy by Beverly Jenkins

Happy Reading my loves, 

ARC Book #Review: Wake To Darkness ( Brown & De Luca 3 2) by Maggie Shayne .@maggieshayne .@HarlequinBooks .@Netgalley

Book Title: Wake To Darkness (Brown & De Luca 2)
Author:  Maggie Shayne|Website| Twitter| Facebook| Instagram

Publisher: Harlequin MIRA

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Romance, Romantic Thriller
Series/Standalone:  Book 2
Format: Mass Market, ebook 

Cost: $7.99

Pages: 368

How I got it: ARC via NetGalley

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
Publication Date: November 26, 2013
Add To Goodreads
Synopsis:

Stranded with a murderer...

Rachel de Luca's uncanny sense of perception is the key to her success as a self-help celebrity. Even before she regained her sight, she had a gift for seeing people's most carefully hidden secrets. But the secret she shares with Detective Mason Brown is one she has promised to keep. As for Mason, he sees Rachel more clearly than she'd like to admit...

After a single night of adrenaline-fueled passion, they have agreed to keep their distance—until a string of murders brings them together again. Mason thinks that he can protect everyone he loves, including Rachel, by taking them to a winter hideaway, but danger follows them up the mountain.

As guests disappear from the snowbound resort, the race to find the murderer intensifies. Rachel knows she's a target. Will acknowledging her feelings for Mason destroy her...or save them both and stop a killer?

In an attempt to protect his family from the repercussions of his decision in book one, Mason takes them away to a holiday ski resort. Only the killer has followed them there and a snowstorm has cut them off from getting help or getting out of there. This one had some of my favorite romance & thriller tropes snowbound in a remote area; unknown killer amongst the guests; and secrets are threatened. Yep, it's all in there.  And I flew through this one trying to get to the end and discover just who the killer was.  And I was so satisfied when we got the answer.

Bodies start turning up with grisly details and once Mason realizes what the connections between the victims are he tries to isolate everyone who could possibly be a victim. Only the killer seems to be one step ahead of them and while locked in the resort two new victims turn up.  It's the holidays and the resort is fully booked, how can Mason discover who the killer is without alarming the other guests?? Even though everyone was told not to share the information with anyone, someone did because there are new faces amongst the guests.  Once again Mason's decision from book one comes back to haunt him, and now he's scrambling to determine who could be cleaning up his mess from before. What is the motivation for this new killer??

Once confined to the resort, Mason starts to see the cracks in the facade of his family, his nephews aren't doing as well as he thought especially his oldest nephew who has taken to different ways to cope with the pain of his father's loss.  His sister in law doesn't appear to be doing so well either and isn't handling the loss of her husband and the difficulty she's having with her son too well. Mason has to juggle all of this while dealing with his difficult mother, and his relationship with Rachel and of course find out who is killing all these people before Rachel becomes the next victim.

As the story progresses and the youngest nephew gets on everyone's last nerve (including mine) little secrets get revealed; Rachel & Mason confront their feelings and they work towards unraveling the mystery. The story had a good balance between the whodunit and the romance. We really focused in on the whodunit as the mystery built and had a few red herrings as well. I certainly didn't peg the killer until the end a well.  I love stories like that because I'm looking back at the other scenes and going OMG that's what that meant or so that's why?? Yeah totally worked for me.  Mason's decision coming back to bite him the ass is just perfect. I know I shouldn't revel in it because I understand why he did it and I know the fallout would have been really rough, but now he's getting a glimpse of how deep this one goes and who else will get hit when it eventually does come out.

We got some more about his best friend/ partner and his partner's wife but considering this is supposed to be his best friend not as much as I was hoping. The story progresses quickly and once the crazy starts flying we don't stop until the killer is caught. There are so many moments when the secret almost tumbles out and you see how others begin to react and you just know it would have been worse before. Now Mason has to decide how to move forward with his family and Rachel. Rachel has to decide how to handle being in a relationship with Mason, adjust to having these visions and having her sight back as well. All without letting the world know she is a bigger cynic than they would believe.  And yes she's still gotta celebrate the holiday as well.

This story managed to bring you in and kept you hooked until the full reveal, and even then it's not as cut and dried as you would have believed.  Again we understand why they are doing what they did and the circumstances leading to it. I mean they are wrong but still, you can see what lead to their conclusion.

 ★★★★☆

Series In Order

• Sleep With The Lights On (Brown & De Luca 1) 
• Dream Of Danger 1.5

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Heather Graham Krewe of Hunters Series
• Lisa Jackson (Non-Paranormal) 
• Seized By Seduction by Brenda Jackson (Non-Paranormal but has Psychic protagonist) 

Happy Reading my loves,