CRASH AND BURN

CRASH AND BURN                                    ANNE MARSH
Posted:  Jan. 6, 2014

Crash and Burn by Anne MarshThe marines of Crash, Fire and Rescue wait at the end of the flight lines, racing to the rescue when a military jet crashes. They’re first on the scene. First to put out the flames. And first to fight to pull an injured pilot from the burning wreckage. Dane Roberts loves his job - but he never expected his latest rescue to be a blast from his own past.
Military pilot Laura Jo Dawson hasn't stopped running since high school and her one night with the sexy quarterback. He wanted to hang on; she needed to go. She lives for the adrenaline rush of flying, of pushing herself harder, higher, faster. When her experimental jet crashes and Dane carries her to safety, however, suddenly running looks less exciting. And spending time in the arms of her sexy rescuer looks better and better...

MY REVIEW:


    Dane Roberts and his crew receive a rescue call from the airport.  Pilot in trouble.  They move into action, he and his men had spent countless hours training for moments just like this.  Crash, Fire, and Rescue, was proud of what they did and good at it.

     This night they prayed for the best but expected the worst, that’s how they stayed prepared and trained.  This night felt different for Dane, little did he know it would be.  The bird that crashed and in which the ace pilot they were told was a hot shot pilot did not have time to eject or couldn’t.  Dane had to go in and rescue him but he was not a man, but a military trained hi tech pilot.

     He cut’s the pilot away noticing the weight is less for a normal male pilot but keeps running before the bird blows.  As he was running a voice from his past says, “Hell, Roberts when you said you’d always catch me, I was kinda hoping you meant before I hit the ground.”  It was faint but he knew who it was, Laura Jo.  Then, he when like the wind to get her to the medics.

     The last night of high school, she’d seduced his all-to-willing self at the senior bonfire-which was also the night before she left town.  Never returning any of his calls.  The way she eyed him that night as if she wanted him the way he wanted her, he thought they were starting something, not ending with just sex.

     As he gets her to the medics she looks up and says, “I’ll buy you a drink, for getting me out.”  He wanted so much more, he always did, that was the problem.  She went off to college and basic training to become the pilot she is and he joined CFR.  So, where do they go from here?

     I enjoyed this short for what it was a too short story.  I felt like there was not enough closure to the story.  Plus their lives in between high school and now would have been nice too.  4 stars out of 5.  Got this story free on Amazon.

BITTERSWEET HOMECOMING

BITTERSWEET HOMECOMING             EMILY STONE
Posted:  Jan. 6, 2014

Bittersweet Homecoming  Holly must go back home to North Dakota to tend to her family’s ranch when her father passes away, forcing her to give up her dreams of New York City in exchange for the boring little town she grew up in.

When she gets there, she finds that oil companies are out to steal away her inheritance. Luckily, her old friend Aaron is there to help her along every step of the way to fight off the sharks in the water.

What Holly doesn't know is Aaron hasn't forgotten her over the years and her sudden reappearance at the ranch is kindling newfound flames of passion inside of him. When an unexpected kiss under the summer rain leads to a night of passion, Holly must figure out how to best deal with the storm in her heart even as she deals with the encroaching oil companies. Will she be able to juggle love, family, and her duty all at once? Or will everything overwhelm her?


MY REVIEW:

This is a very sweet short.  Starts off with Holly being called home by her father’s lawyer.  Turns out her father had been ill for a while and passed away.  She came home from her new big city life where she had landed a job after going to culinary school to be a chef. 

     When she arrived home her childhood friend Aaron Johansson was there to help her through like always.  God she missed that, he always knew her best.  What she didn’t know was that Aaron had been in love with her since the day they met.  During this time the will was read and she found out her dad left her the ranch and a whole lot of money, big money.  A guy by the name of Chuck came around within a few days wanting to buy the place for an oil company nicely at first and then he became heavy handed..

     Bringing Aaron and Holly closer till he finally had to tell her just how he felt about her all these years and how it hurt him when she left and didn’t come home or call him.  See what Holly thought and felt herself.  See if Chuck gets her land.  You will enjoy this short it is very sweet and sensual. 

The Difference a Day Made

THE DIFFERENCE A DAY MADE          MARGARET DESMOND
Posted:  Jan. 6, 2014


The Difference a Day Made by Margaret Desmond  When Lucy is called in at the last minute to act as a temporary executive assistant to the handsome, mysterious CEO of the company she has only been with for a month, the first person she wants to share the news with is her best friend, Stella. But Stella is unreachable, on her way home from a business convention and a humiliating hookup.

On one eventful day, Lucy finds herself flying in a private jet to the east coast, struggling to conceal her helpless attraction to her boss, while Stella, on a commercial airliner heading west, is seated next to an annoyingly attractive stranger who may not be a stranger after all. Neither friend is yet aware that each has embarked on a journey of personal discovery and love that will change both of their lives forever


 
MY REVIEW:

    This story was two stories in one but the main one was for Lucy Dillane and Shane Walsh.  The Second was Stella O’Rourke and Michael Gannon.  The story starts out with the two main characters and best friends Lucy and Stella who were friends since grade school.

     Lucy’s family had a beach home that they would spend two weeks at during the summer Stella would get to go with them and the girls loved every moment of it.  The best part is in the sleepy town there were not that many kids in the ocean resort but the lady next door had two grand-sons that came every summer to stay with her.  Michael was several years older than the girls but Tyler was about their age and they all got along great and they were always stuck like glue to each other the whole two weeks.

     As the girls grew into their own Lucy a refined classic beauty and Stella a wild carefree redheaded beauty each saw and were seen differently.  Michael being the oldest and the born leader of the four of them had an ability of being able to handle Stella’s wild side.  As time moved on Stella came to be in love with Michael and enjoyed the talks and attention he gave her during the two weeks.  Until the summer of the girl’s senior year

     Present dayStella owns the novelty store at the beach her mom opened when Stella went off to college to have something to do.  Stella does very well there and was able to buy it out right after college.  Lucy married her college sweetheart and was starting a family when things went south with being able to have children and her husband passed away.  Now she is working for Walsh Enterprises as a secretary.  Owned by a young CEO Shane Walsh a self-made man, a billionaire in fact. 

     She has been working there for a month when she is called in the middle of the night by an employee of the firm instructing her that she is being asked the go with Mr. Walsh to NYC to be his private secretary since his personal secretary has had a death in the family.  Being dazed that one it is the middle of the night but two she is questioning why her.  When she is told either she works there or not.  So, at about 4 a.m. she is being picked up by a private car and taken to meet a plane but not any plane his private plane.

All this from just a chance eye to eye meeting in the lobby of the building she works at (no words spoken.)  This begins the story of Lucy and Shane.

     Michael left the beach house early to go off to school early that summer that is forever etched in Stella’s mind.  This would have been his last year of college then on to Boston for a job, marries and divorces and moves back to California.  On the way back from a business trip, a sexy as hell, sassy and loud redhead gets seated next to the window a seat away from him with no one in between them.  He knows who she is but she has no clue who he is, she has acted in several dreams of his over the years but especially that first year of college.  Never knowing he had appeared in all of her dreams since she was 15.  Part way home he lets her know who he isso the story of Michael and Stella begins 

     I loved this story.  This has so much going on but all in a good way.  A way that wants to make you keep on reading.  This author has a way of only revealing so many of the surprises to the plot at a time.  Just when you think you know where it’s finally going think again.  You will laugh, cry, and feel oh so sad but it will all be worth it in the end.

HAPPILY EVER AFTER / ALL OF ME

HAPPILY EVER AFTER                          LORI WILDE
Posted:  Jan. 6, 2014

Happily Ever After by Lori Wilde  Two Wedding Veil Wishes novels, together for the first time in print!
Legend claims this antique Irish wedding veil can grant your heart's deepest desire. But be careful what you wish for . . .

ADDICTED TO LOVEGrowing up in Valentine, Texas, can make anyone believe in happily ever after. Anyone except Rachael Henderson. After having not one but two grooms ditch her at the altar, Rachael commits an uncharacteristic act of rebellion-and gets arrested by sexy Sheriff Brody Carlton, her childhood crush. Rachael's sworn off of love . . . but now she's fantasizing about Brody. Can it be possible to have her wedding cake and eat it too?

ALL OF MEWhen a searing betrayal leaves Jillian Samuels heartbroken and wishing for a fresh start, her newly inherited cottage in Salvation, Colorado, seems like the perfect place to find it. It has a fireplace, a mountain view-and the most gorgeous and infuriating man she's ever met already living inside! Tuck Manning won't give up his home without a fight, so until they can untangle who owns the cottage, the two resolve to live as roommates. But as the days-and nights-heat up, they find that sometimes salvation comes when you least expect it . . . (170,000 words)


MY REVIEWS:


Happily Ever After

   If you are looking for a really good book to read this is it.  In fact I have read them twice now.  Rachael Henderson was born and raised in Valentine, Texas.  If your mind jumped to the holiday then yes you’re right on track.  Only this town and it people engulf the whole love, romance, and happily ever after like Valentine’s Day on steroids.

     You see Rachael was sold the myth that someday her knight in shiny armor would come and whisk her away and they would live as one.  So, far though all it ever got her was heart ache, being left at the altar twice and pitted against the town’s people now.  And it all started with Sheriff Brody Carlton.

     Brody is a war hero and he used to live in Valentine but moved when he was like 12 which broke Rachael’s heart.  Ever since she was five she had been in love with him.  In fact on Valentine’s Day she made him a card and took it to him while he was playing basketball with his friends.  He just looked at it while his friend’s made fun and ripped it up in tiny pieces.

     Now he was back in town really?  When she was at her worst and breaking the law could he pick a better time?  It has to be done this billboard is lying to every little girl.  It’s giving them false hopes and dreams that marriage is the answer.  Rachael was done with her fantasy world.  This will be their cute meet but neither one knows it yet because they don’t know who each other is yet.

     Once the mayor said who each of them were Brody’s hit with memories of Rachael rushing back in little snippets.  First, of her being the cutest little pest who followed him around all the time.  Then, of how cute she looked in her pigtails and of them hanging out together, how she always made him feel good and important.

     What are they each looking for now is it friendship, booty calls, or love?  Read to see who wants more than a booty call.  See who’s scared of love but is friendship enough?  There did seem to be some parts that dragged where there was too much outside stuff and not the characters of the story themselves talking to each other.  Just in their heads otherwise I totally enjoyed it.

ALL OF ME

     Sometimes it takes a total shake up of our lives to see we are headed in the wrong direction.  In this case Jillian Samuels had gone

to work for the D.A.’s office straight out of law school.  Blake her mentor brought her in.  He was her rock and father figure.

     Especially, since she didn’t come from a great back ground no family except her dear friends Delaney, Tish, and Rachael and of course Blake, an old professor she heard speak and then kept in touch with.  He was her father figure and she was the daughter he had no relationship with after his marriage broke up.

     On a bad day at court (no she didn’t lose she won which was worse.)  Why you ask?  Because it meant nothing and she felt not one thing.  That scared the crap out of her.  So, she went to seek out Blake but when she arrived at his office she received the shock of her life Blake had died of a brain tumor that morning, one he knew he had and didn’t share with her.  The hurt she felt from that was more then she could share.  Then, as if the week was not bad enough, the one man she let her defenses down with and let a man into her heart it turns out he is a lying, cheating bastard.  Why you ask?  He started dating her without telling her that one little thing that matters most to Jillian, He’s Married!  Plus, he is the one who is going to take over Blake’s job as D.A. and as her boss. Of which he wasted no time to call her in his office and expected her to take up the affair, so she quit.

     Then she remembers the wishes the girls made on the wedding veil Delaney, wished to get out of marrying the wrong man and she did marrying her soul mate, Nick Vinetti.

Tish, wished to get out of debt which brought her back together with her husband she lost and never stopped loving.

Rachael, wished to stop being so romantic, she did, ended up marrying the hero of her dreams.

Jillian, didn’t believe in dreams.  Saying it was a load of crap.  But, she’d lost everything else the veil was all the hope she had left.  She wished, “I wish I’d been born into a loving, trusting, giving family.  I wishI wishI wishI wish I had a brand new life.”

     Jillian’s whole life is about to change.  A new man will be entering it, Tucker Manning.  Will she allow herself to trust him?  Will he allow himself to open up to Jillian?  Life has been hard for Tuck the last few years.  His heart has suffered a major blow.  Can he love again?  Can Jillian truly love for the first time in her life, a toe curling love?  “Do You Believe In Magic?”

     I really enjoyed this story.  It had some really funny parts but it also had some really gut wrenching parts too.  When I read this the first time I gave it a five star and I would not change it but I was made at the ending but this time around the part before the epilogue is where the truth comes in and I missed what was really being said.  So watch for it.

                                                                      Back to You #1 Hard Crush HARD CRUSH                                  ...