Book Review: Deadly Past (Verona Bay Series) by Katie Reus

Deadly Past is the second book in the Verona Bay Series by Katie Reus, but can be read as a stand alone. I did not read the previous book,  but even without that knowledge I understood the important implications and could get immersed in the story. 

Autumn Perez was just twenty-two when she witnessed a brutal murder and gave up her entire life to put the killer behind bars. A decade later, witness protection has her settled in picturesque Verona Bay, teaching art at the local high school. It’s a quiet life…until she’s caught up in another harrowing event and she worries that the US Marshals will try to move her again. But Autumn is done running—she’s built a life, has friends. And now she’s pregnant after an intense one-night stand with her sexy neighbor. Lincoln Jordan has been biding his time with Autumn, his talented, gorgeous neighbor. The attraction between them is undeniable, and after their one incredible night together he wants more. But she’s determined to keep him at arm’s length. When it becomes clear that someone wants her dead, he steps up to protect her. He needs to earn her trust, and fast. Because the enemy is closer than they ever imagined.

Deadly Past is a book with a lot going on. Autumn is a character dealing with plenty of problems, and getting pregnant after a one night stand with her neighbor is actually the least of them. She is a complex character with plenty to unpack.I liked the open communication and banter between Autumn and Lincoln- although I have to agree with some of her worries that he is a little too perfect. The only thing in the con column for Lincoln is his dangerous job, he was sweet, cool, and collected for all but a few moments of the book. I really did like that readers get to see the thoughts of both the major characters, and several other important players. We even get to see the mindset of those causing the danger and drama. Moments like that are a great reminder that no one sees themselves as the bad guy, even when they are trying to arrange murder and mayhem. Everyone is the protagonist in their own story, no matter how villainous their actions from the outside. The story was fairly fast paced and engaging. There was also some serious groundwork laid for who I expect to be the next couple to find trouble and a happy ending in the next book of the series.

Deadly Past is a solid suspense romance with heat, heart, and great characters.

Book Review: Their Christmas Baby Contract by Shannon Stacey

Their Christmas Baby Contract by Shannon Stacey is a contemporary romance. Striking the deal was the easy part. Brady Nash is handsome and anti-marriage. And with IVF completely out of her financial reach, Reyna Bishop is running out of time to have the child she so very much wants. Theirs is a practical baby-making deal: no emotion, no expectation, no ever-after. They’ll even “date” through Christmas to silence their hometown gossips. It’s foolproof, until the time she spends with Brady and his warm, loving family leaves Reyna wanting more than a baby.

Their Christmas Baby Contract is a small town, kinda-friends to lovers romance. Reyna and Brady both feel a little trapped by the small town gossip, especially since it has them pegs wrong. Both are thoughtful, caring, and family oriented but one night gone wrong in the past dulled their friendship. I loved getting to see them find themselves and each other, and figure out how to express what they want. As frustrated as I was with them not telling each other how they felt, I knew that the journey would be worth it and I fully enjoyed the ride. The families and friends surrounding these two were just as well written and dynamic as the main characters. Shannon Stacey has always provided me with a solid combination of sweet and heat, and she continued that streak here. It was exactly the book I needed to shake me out of a reading slump and get me happily reading again. 

Their Christmas Baby Contract is a fun and sweet romance that was exactly the escape I needed.

Early Book Review: Not According to Plan by A.M. Madden

Not According to Plan by A.M. Madden is a contemporary romance currently scheduled for release on March 23 2020. For one night of my life, I dared to do something reckless. My birthday. A bar. Karaoke. And a man so hot he could melt the sun. Sparks flew. Lust took over. For one night of my life, I felt alive. Then I was back to my “boring” life. Career-driven. Goal-oriented. Always planning ahead. But nothing could have prepared me for the positive pregnancy test. We weren’t that reckless.  There goes my “boring” life. And what happens when I tell the father?

Not According to Plan is a contemporary romance with plenty of complications, but recalled condoms seem to be the root of most. A one night stand resulting in a pregnancy is rough, add in split residency and another baby on the way and things are complicated right from the start. I liked Jade a lot, I could understand and connect with her desire to rock her job even when it did not meet her expectations, and actually agreed with her take on most of the issues in the story. Max was a nice guy, with way too much on his plate. I liked that he wanted to do right be everyone in his life, and understood how that might burn him out. I liked the extended family and friends for both characters, and thought that for the most part they offered support and advice that was heartfelt- and I thought that the naysayers were realistic and well done even when they made my heart hurt. I was not thrilled with the conclusion, they way they worked things out, but I cannot agree with everyone's choices even in fiction. I was hoping that a different solution would be found, even though I could not come up with a logical one either so what do I know. Overall I enjoyed the read, and it had some fantastic moments, but I was not wowed by it as a whole.

Not According to Plan is a romance with plenty of twists on the way to a happy ever after.

Book Review: The Sheikh's Instant Family (Safar Sheikhs) by Leslie North

The Sheikh's Instant Family is the second book in the Safar Sheikhs series by Leslie North.  You do not need to read the books in order, or as series to fully enjoy each one. However returning readers will understand the family drama and secondary characters a little more than new readers.

Sheikh Amad has always gone with his gut, which is why his ventures abroad have multiplied his tribe’s wealth and business connections. But with his 30th birthday approaching—and with expectations that he be married by then—he’s got to go home soon...That means leaving his life in Las Vegas, and Vanessa, the sexy waitress he’s falling for, behind. Vanessa Hammerman has had to work for everything she’s ever had, left by every man from her father on up. Sheikh Amad has been fun, but she’s not thinking of a long-term commitment with a Middle Eastern prince. She’d rather keep it fun…until the pregnancy test comes back positive. Now she’s out on the biggest limb of her life: Will this man run from her, too? Or will he be the one to stay? It seems like fate when Vanessa tells Amad he’s going to be a father, and his marriage proposal is instantaneous. It’s the perfect solution for fulfilling his duty while at the same time satisfying his heart. But when he brings her home to his tribe, he realizes his independent, Western bride might not work so well in the traditional structure of the Middle East. Vanessa has put everything on the line for this: her heart, her career, and her life. So when she refuses to fall in line with Amad’s expectations, they begin to doubt if they can make it work. But if they take the chance, love could become the biggest win of their lives. 

The Sheikh's Instant Family is a book that I had more trouble connecting to than the first in the series. I found the set up and Vanessa's character to be well done. Vanessa is a strong woman that wants to be different than her scheming mother and needs to be busy and useful. I liked her reluctance to accept extravagant gifts and her eagerness to pitch in an contribute. I like that she sometimes wavered, but stood up for herself when it mattered most. I had trouble with Amad. I know he needed room to grow in the story- but his general attitude about women in the workplace and whatnot rubbed me the wrong way very early on. I saw what the conflict was going to be quickly- and while I wanted Vanessa to have her happy ever after, I was not necessarily rooting for Amad.  The story worked, and there were moments that I enjoyed. However, I did not connect with this story. Others might not have the strong reaction I did to Amad, and they are likely to enjoy the read much more than I did. 

The Sheikh's Instant Family is a story with good characters. I did not connect with it was much as I had hoped, but it was still a solid story.

Book Review: Fast (Burns Brothers) by Gillian Archer

Fast by Gillian Archer is the second book in the Burns Brother world. I did not read the first book, but this book can be read as a stand alone.

Family means everything to this tattooed bad boy--good thing since he's about to start his own. I wanted her the first time I laid eyes on her. But what starts as a fun time, quickly gets serious when the stick turns pink a month later. My life is already chaos with my recently paroled father popping up and the usual drama at the family business building custom motorcycles. Plus our reality show just got picked up for a full season. But it really hits the fan when I discover that the new woman in my life is the daughter of the President of the West Coast Kings, the baddest motorcycle club in Sacramento--and our biggest client. Think he'll like being called Grandpa? Life just got hella complicated.

Fast is a contemporary romance that deals with some hard issues, but felt sweet and heartwarming.  Ryan is an alphamallow- all hard edges and tattoos on the outside but a softy at his core. On the surface Hope is sweetness and confidence, but she has a core of steel.  The compassion and care for others is something they shared, and something I loved to see expressed by each of them so differently. They each have huge father and family issues, but I loved the way they found comfort together and worked things out. The surprise baby was done very well- I liked how honest and realistic the complications of that were handled. The switching perspectives helped keep track of the worries and fears they each had, and the circumstances that made things more complicated. The heat is on high, but so is the danger and the sweet. I liked how well balanced the different elements were, and there were a few times that characters surprised me and took an unexpected path. I was never bored, and am looking forward to going back to read the first book and continuing to follow this series.

Fast has a nearly perfect balance of danger, sweet, and heat. It is a must read for fans of the author.

Early Book Review: Knocked Up (Crazy Love) by Stacey Lynn

Knocked Up is the second book in the Crazy Love series by Stacey Lynn. I was expecting some connection to the characters of the first book, Fake Wife, but never really found one. Frankly, the lack of connection through me for a bit and disappointed me a little. 

Braxton should probably be dead or in jail right now. Instead, thanks to some tough love, I worked my ass off and now I own a string of tattoo parlors throughout the Pacific Northwest. And yet the one thing I’ve always wanted—a family—still seems out of reach. When my best friend gets married, I’m just hoping to blow off some steam with the super-hot maid of honor. But after Cara Thompson tracks me down to tell me she’s pregnant, she’s more surprised than I am when I tell her I’m all in.  Cara is living for herself for the first time—not for her parents and their ridiculous expectations. I gave up on my MBA, dropped out of the Ivy League, and moved to Portland to pursue my dream of becoming an artist. And what’s the first thing I do? Get knocked up. For a tatted-up sex god, Braxton Henley seems way too eager to “be there for me.” Is this guy serious? Maybe. He sure is patient. Because he won’t back down until I admit what I know in my heart: that our one night stand might have led me to the one.

Knocked Up is an emotional contemporary romance. Braxton might be the master of one night stands and tattoos, but underneath it all he wants love and a family. He might look like a hard person, but his thoughtfulness and vulnerability is there, just under the surface. Cara has tried to please her parents, but is done playing by their rules. She is living for herself, and her late brother. Only, things are going from a basic struggle to make it on her own to struggling with the idea of having a baby, and that her only one night stand ever changed everything. I liked getting to understand the viewpoints of both Brax and Cara, and to see them both vulnerable in their own ways. I think Brax's need to be there, and his desire for family driving him to step up and show Cara how special she really made the story for me. There is something about strong men being nurturing and loving that just hits the right notes for me. Cara had a good blend of independance and vulnerability that fit her story perfectly. I enjoyed thier interactions and found their path from one night stand to happily ever after enjoyable. I will admit that the stumbling blocks irk me in the way that problems in real life do, because if people would just talk about what is bothering them with people that have the power to change things life would be so much better for everyone.

Knocked Up is a well paced romance, and the pregnancy issues were realistic and added a layer to the story I have never read written this well. I liked the read, and think that fans of emotional reads, and this author in particular, will enjoy it.