PRIMAL FORCE

PRIMAL FORCE                                    D.D. AYRES

Primal Force (K-9 Rescue, #3)Passion is always worth fighting for…

Jori Garrison trains dogs for Warrior Wolf Pack, which provides service animals for disabled veterans. Four years ago, she was wrongly convicted of a crime—thanks to her no-good ex-fiancĂ©. Now she just wants to live her life in peace with her beloved dogs. No men, no complications. But it’s hard to play it cool when a lethally hot male is on her tail—and the attraction is fierce, mutual, and dangerous…

PRIMAL FORCE

Lauray "Law" Batisse is a Military Police veteran who was wounded in Afghanistan. Haunted by the loss of his K-9 partner in combat, he’s reluctant to accept a service dog named Samantha into his life. But once he meets her trainer—the gorgeous Jori Garrison—he can’t fight his primal instincts. And neither can Jori. This sexy alpha male might be the only man strong enough to unleash her desires. And when unseen enemies start hunting them down, he and his new K-9 partner might be her only hope… to survive.

HUBBY'S REVIEW:
Jori Garrison is a dog trainer for a center that trains service dogs. This story is a little different in that the vet Lauray Batisse was a K-9 officer before going into the service and was also military police in the service and worked with his own dog. While he was in Afghanistan he was attacked and his dog was killed and now having a new dog is hard for him to get used to along with losing a leg. He is also working on wanting to get back on the force but it is taking more time than he was expecting. Jori is helping him with the dog that he wants to give back but the dog does not want to leave and then they also have a bound and are trying to work things out when she tells him about her past. They then find out that they are both after the same company or same man who happens to be a criminal. This was a very good story and for me a little different than her other two books that I read even though they are all about dogs this one went into a little more detail. A good book. I got this book from netgalley. I give this 4 stars.

THE FATEFUL LIGHTNING

THE FATEFUL LIGHTNING                  JEFF SHAARA

The Fateful Lightning: A Novel of the Civil WarFrom Jeff Shaara comes the riveting final installment in the Civil War series that began with A Blaze of Glory and continued in A Chain of Thunder and The Smoke at Dawn.
 
November 1864: As the Civil War rolls into its fourth bloody year, the tide has turned decidedly in favor of the Union. A grateful Abraham Lincoln responds to Ulysses S. Grant’s successes by bringing the general east, promoting Grant to command the entire Union war effort, while William Tecumseh Sherman now directs the Federal forces that occupy all of Tennessee.
 
In a massive surge southward, Sherman conquers the city of Atlanta, sweeping aside the Confederate army under the inept leadership of General John Bell Hood. Pushing through northern Georgia, Sherman’s legendary “March to the Sea” shoves away any Rebel presence, and by Christmas 1864 the city of Savannah falls into the hands of “Uncle Billy.” Now there is but one direction for Sherman to go. In his way stands the last great hope for the Southern cause, General Joseph E. Johnston.
 
In the concluding novel of his epic Civil War tetralogy, Jeff Shaara tells the dramatic story of the final eight months of battle from multiple perspectives: the commanders in their tents making plans for total victory, as well as the ordinary foot soldiers and cavalrymen who carried out their orders until the last alarum sounded. Through Sherman’s eyes, we gain insight into the mind of the general who vowed to “make Georgia howl” until it surrendered. In Johnston, we see a man agonizing over the limits of his army’s power, and accepting the burden of leading the last desperate effort to ensure the survival of the Confederacy.
 
The Civil War did not end quietly. It climaxed in a storm of fury that lay waste to everything in its path. The Fateful Lightning brings to life those final brutal, bloody months of fighting with you-are-there immediacy, grounded in the meticulous research that readers have come to expect from Jeff Shaara.

HUBBY'S REVIEW:

This is the last book I believe in his series about the Civil War. This story has Sherman leaving Atlanta, and the problems he experiences along the way. With staff, reporters, Former slaves, losing another child, and just the everyday problems they would have faced. The author also gives you a point of view from the South side and the changing of leaders, lack of food and supplies, men deserting, and the lack of direction. He also gives you a story of one of the free slaves that takes up with Sherman’s Army and follows along with them. you get somewhat of a feeling of what Sherman was doing but it is not a breakdown of how he was thinking and how he went about his march across the South, for that you would need to read a different book. But this story is good it works and flows up to the end of the war, and he gives you at the end what happened to the people that he was speaking of. Overall a good book. I got this book from netgalley.  I give this 4 stars.

THE GRID #3

THE GRID #3                                           HARRY HUNSICKER

The GridA former federal law enforcement contractor with a somewhat spotty record, Jon Cantrell has seen—and done—just about everything. Now he’s a sheriff, keeping the peace in small-town Texas. He thought that he’d finally settled into a quiet, less-complicated life—until his deputy gets himself murdered. Soon Cantrell’s search for the killer points to an online-dating site designed for extramarital affairs and to a woman who may have been the unfortunate deputy’s last date.

Meanwhile, someone is staging a series of seemingly random attacks on the regional power grid, and Cantrell is reluctantly pulled back into the federal fray when he accepts an off-the-books assignment to uncover the culprit. With the power company and the feds impatient for an arrest—and clues in his deputy’s case pointing to something more sinister—Cantrell must run parallel, conflicting investigations. But will he find what he’s looking for? Or is he about to take a fall?
 

HUBBY'S REVIEW:
Like the other book that I read there are multiple story-lines running through this book also. Now Jon Cantrell who was fired in the last book is hired as a sheriff in a small county in Texas and while a murder happened, along with a power outage he is still trying to find his former wife and daughter. With the murder investigation going on a government team shows up at his office wanting him to work for them and figure out why the power plant in his county was shot up. For a man who has been fired by the Government, police of Dallas. He sure does come to their rescue so why fire him? Like the other book the person who killed the deputy is a separate part of the story and whole other story all together and that is even crazier but at times more believable than the power grid. Not saying can’t take it out but I doubt they would come and ask for help from one guy. Just saying. The crazy chick who is killing people that part of the book made sense. Not a bad story, I did like it better than the other book. I got this book from netgalley. I give this 3 stars.

SHADOW BOYS #2

SHADOW BOYS #2                                      HARRY HUNSICKER

Shadow Boys (A Jon Cantrell Thriller, #2)A gritty, whip-smart thriller from acclaimed author Harry Hunsicker.
For once, things are going well for former DEA contractor Jon Cantrell. He’s got a real job as a fix-it man for a law firm that specializes in handling government contracts. But when his ex-girlfriend Piper asks him to meet with a high-ranking police official and Cantrell is forced to take an off-the-books assignment to find a missing boy, everything starts to unravel.
Not helping the situation is his client, Deputy Chief Raul Delgado, an up-and-coming politico carrying his own tragic burdens he doesn’t like to dwell on. Forty years earlier, a racist cop brutally killed Delgado’s brother. Now, in a weird twist of fate, Delgado works for the very department that altered his life.
As Cantrell proceeds, he uncovers a puzzling link between Delgado, the missing boy, and a series of vigilante murders. As the link becomes clearer, Cantrell struggles to stay alive and find the missing child.
HUBBY'S REVIEW:
This book is about Jon Cantrell, who lost his job with the DEA and is now working for a private law firm out of DC. They want him to go to Dallas and help an asst. police chief with a problem that he is having with a missing child, who was the child of a friend of his that got killed in the line of duty. This part of the story kind of gets lost until the end. The rest of the book has multiple story-lines of different people who somehow their lives have all intersected which adds a lot of action to the book but at times makes the story a little confusing in jumping around. The main character I like but I felt the story got a little much with all of the people added to it. Maybe to other people it will be okay but for me it was a little much. The writing was good though. I got this book from netgalley.  I give this 3 stars.

HARD TO FIGHT

HARD TO FIGHT                                     BELLA JEWEL

Hard to Fight (Alpha's Heart, #1)Grace is a bounty hunter who wants to be taken seriously, but her boss refuses to believe that a woman can bring down a dangerous criminal. She finally gets a chance to prove herself when she's given the case of a lifetime: capture Raide Knox and bring him to justice.
Raide is a dangerous fugitive on the run...and the sexiest man Grace has ever met. Catching Raide won't be easy. He's not the kind of man to go down without a fight. Raide is more intense and frustrating than any man she's ever had to deal with, and the instantaneous attraction that sparks between them is undeniable. One thing is for sure...it's going to be a case they will never forget.
**Hard To Fight is a full-length standalone romance with a HEA**
HUBBY'S REVIEW:
This was a story about a female bounty hunter who wants to be taken seriously at work and be given a real case not the little cases she keeps getting. After complaining many times she is finally given a big case worth big money, but when she sees the picture of the bail jumper she knows him. At least saw him once in the past week and he is a big guy. She must come up with a different plan to take him into custody because pepper spray, and the other methods will not work and you cannot just shot him. Her plan though flawed to her seems do able. But Grace comes to a point where Raide Knox actually is attracted to her and knows that she has been following him for weeks. He is now more excited that she took down a guy and believes that he was trying to steal her purse and not for the bounty. There is another time after this when they are together and this just drives him crazier in the attraction for her. They end up spending time together while she is still trying to come up with a way to take him in when she hears the reason why he was arrested in the first place. She believes the story but she still must bring him in. When they begin to fall for each other he finds out that she is a bounty hunter and now does not believe anything she says and takes off. She goes to her boss and then to her father. Her father puts her in touch with his detective friend who is working the case and she finds out that the police think someone else killed his sister but since he skipped bail if he turned himself in he would still have to do 6 months and they still need evidence to charge the guy they believe to have committed the crime. She works with her friend to get the evidence but she does not know where Raide is at. The ending of the book is really good so I won’t spoil it. A good story. I got this book from net galley.   I give this 4 stars. 

WHEN IT WAS JUST A GAME

WHEN IT WAS JUST A GAME               HARVEY FROMMER

When It Was Just a Game: Remembering the First Super BowlWritten by acclaimed sports author and oral historian Harvey Frommer and with an introduction by pro football Hall of Famer Frank Gifford, When It Was Just a Game tells the fascinating story of the ground-breaking AFL–NFL World Championship Football game played on January 15, 1967: Packers vs. Chiefs. Filled with new insights, containing commentary from the recently discovered unpublished memoir of Kansas City Chiefs coach Hank Stram, and featuring oral history from many who were at the game—media, players, coaches, fans—the book presents back story and front story in the words of those who lived it and saw it go on to become the Super Bowl, the greatest sports attraction the world has ever known. Archival photographs and drawings help bring the event to life. 

HUBBY'S REVIEW:
This was an interesting book in that it was mostly taken from interviews and though it was good being a fan of football and of the Packers, I really only found out a few things from this book that I did not know from reading other books. One that on an average the Chief players were bigger than most of the Packers and of course much younger. This was an advantage but also a problem for them in that the much more experience Packers were able to take advantage of mistakes that were made by the Chiefs and the Packers as the Chief players mention played flawless and were mechanically sound. Some of the Packers players mentioned that they noticed watching film that because of their size the Chiefs made fundamental mistakes and were able to get away with it because they could overpower their opponents, not with the Packers who took advantage of those and found their weakness and was able to win the game. There is also a small back story in how the two leagues formed and for me that was a good part. Also that the Chiefs were just as happy as the Jets when they won Super Bowl III and the Chiefs would be back and win Super Bowl IV. Overall not a bad book especially the stories from the players, wives, children, and announcers. Overall a good book.I got this book from net galley.  I give this 4 stars

RISING SUN FALLING SKIES

RISING SUN FALLING SKIES               JEFFREY R. COX

Rising Sun, Falling Skies: The Disastrous Java Sea Campaign of World War IIA fresh look at the disastrous Java Sea Campaign of 1941–42 which heralded a wave of Japanese naval victories in the Pacific but which eventually sowed the seeds of their eventual change in fortunes. 

In the immediate aftermath of Pearl Harbor, the Japanese juggernaut quickly racked up victory after victory. Desperate to secure resource-rich regions in the Pacific and ensure their continued dominance of South East Asia, Japanese forces were determined in their efforts to conquer Malaya, Singapore and the oil-rich islands around Java Sea - Borneo, Sumatra and Java itself.  In the face of this seemingly unstoppable tide stood a small Allied force - American, Australian, British and Dutch. Thrown together by circumstance; cut off from reinforcements or in many cases retreat; operating with old, obsolete equipment and dwindling supplies, there was little hope of victory. Indeed, the month-long Java Sea Campaign, as it subsequently became known, quickly evolved from a traditional test of arms into a test of character. In the face of a relentless enemy and outnumbered, outgunned and alone, they defiantly held on, attempting to buy weeks, days, even hours until a better line of defense - and offense - could be established.  These were the men of the US Asiatic Feet, the British Far Eastern Fleet, the Royal Netherlands Navy's East Indies Squadron and the Royal Australian Navy. And their supporting units like Patrol Wing Ten, the Royal Netherlands Naval Air Service, the US Army Air Force's 17th Pursuit Squadron and submarines of all these fine nations. A campaign that has been too often either ignored by historians or criticised for poor command decisions, this is the story of the sailors and the airmen at the sharp end, and how they fought and endured the first months of the War in the Pacific.
 

HUBBY'S REVIEW:

This book picks up after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and how the Japanese Navy and Army, continued their dominance across the Pacific and really anywhere they wanted to go. The beginning speaks of how MacArthur, dis obey orders and allowed the entire Army air corps to be destroyed. This would have a profound effect for many months. Even after he left the Philippines he would deflect responsibility to another person who actually was doing their job and making the best they could for his mistakes. The author also goes into the Dutch, and the British, and how they at first were also caught by surprised. Because these two countries had been fighting the Germans in the Atlantic the ships they had along with Ares at first were old and very out dated especially when it came to weapons. There was also a power struggle between the three and the Dutch won out and Washington let an Admiral Hart out and reassigned him. He actually was a man with a plan instead the new man to me had a disregard for human life because he sent his ships in or ordered them to attack against must stronger force and put all of his ships out there. Nothing wrong with the men serving just they were on much older ships going against the Japanese. Lost a lot of good men because of him and MacArthur, just not thinking that at the beginning of the war that they were going up against a much more powerful foe until our war machine was up and running. An interesting book with battles that I had not read about before. Really a forgotten part of the beginnings of the war. Overall a good book. I Got this book from netgalley.  I give this 4 stars.

WHAT TO DO WITH A BAD BOY

WHAT TO DO WITH A BAD BOY              MARIE HARTE

What to Do with a Bad Boy (The McCauley Brothers, #4)Mike McCauley had his soul mate for a precious time before she died giving birth to their son. She left him with the best boy a guy could want, so why is everyone playing matchmaker? He's sick of it . . . until he meets Delilah Webster. 

For some reason, the foul-mouthed, tattooed mechanic sets his motor running. He sees the loving woman buried within. But the closer they get, the more the pain of past wounds throws a monkey wrench into a future he's not sure he can handle...
 

HUBBY'S REVIEW:
Mike McCauley lost his wife six years ago after she gave birth to their son Colin, he is so very tired of his family around trying to set him up. That when he goes to pick up his son from where he is being watched by Delilah Webster or Del. They banter back and forth and his one big complaint is that Colin at the dinner table said pass the f’n mashed potatoes. He would like it if they did not swear so much around him. This starts one of many confrontations but also starts something between the two of them. Most people cannot think of a reason that he would be around her since she is totally opposite of his deceased wife, with tattoos, working with guys in the garage and other things but he is attracted to her now they just have to work on each other to make it work. They each had to work on each other and deal with things from the past and Del had to deal with what his mother thought of her. A good book and story and I like the characters very much. I got this book from net galley.  I give this 4 stars.

TOTALLY DEAD

TOTALLY DEAD                                      MICHAEL STONE

Totally Dead (Streeter, #4)Bounty hunter Streeter is a string of ex’s… ex-linebacker, ex-accountant, ex-bouncer, and a four-time ex-husband … who excels at exacting justice with explosive results.

"Tough, authentic, and right on the money." Robert B. Parker

Pizzeria owner Alphonse Lucci is a pussycat who likes to pretend that he’s as tough and deadly as the mobsters he romanticizes. But Streeter really is. So when a greedy, ruthless bad-ass tries to strong-arm Alphonse into selling his restaurant to nail down the last piece in a crooked land deal, Streeter steps in to protect the likeable old man…and gets sucked into a deadly scheme that could leave them both totally, and very gruesomely, dead.

HUBBY'S REVIEW:
First time reading this author and overall this was a good story. Alphonse Lucci, comes to Streeter with a problem about a pizzeria that he owns and does not want to sell. But this man named “D” is trying to force him into selling. Streeter is hired after him and his partner get Alphonse grandson Nicky out of trouble and figures that they could help him as well. They do help but it is all of the other characters around these people that make the story work and make for what should be serious is sometimes not when you have a guy that is hired by “D” to do some of the dirty work but is quoting sayings from positive thinking tapes in order to complete the job and still fail to complete the job, but stills quotes the positive sayings which drives the people around him nuts. Overall a good story and I liked the characters. I got this book from net galley.  I give this 4 stars.

FRICTION

FRICTION                                                 SANDRA BROWN

FrictionA Texas Ranger, relegated to desk work due to past recklessness, petitions to regain custody of his five-year-old daughter, and his case is assigned to a family court judge who is as attractive as she is ambitious. When a masked gunman barges in during the custody hearing with his sights on the judge, the Ranger reacts instinctively and goes after him. But authorities apprehend the wrong man, and the real gunman remains unknown, at large, and a threat. Will this take-charge lawman jeopardize his chances of custody by going after the would-be assassin? And will this unlikely pair be able to deny the forbidden attraction building between them? 

HUBBY'S REVIEW:
This was a fast paced and excellent story of a Texas Ranger who because of the death of his wife and an incident that happened almost five years ago is now fighting for custody of his five year old daughter who has been with her grandparents, but sees her father often. He even moved to the town they live in and took a desk job. During the hiring a man comes in while he is on the stand giving testimony to the Judge. After the second shot kills the bailiff he jumps on top of the judge to protect her and then goes after the gunman once he leaves the courtroom. Thinking that the gunman is killed he is questioned by a local officer who does not like him since high school when he went out with his sister. But they later find out that the person killed was not the gunman so that puts the judge back in harm’s way. Maybe or maybe it has something to do with his past you won’t know until you get close to the end. There is also a chemistry between him and the female judge and they both try and deny it but they finally give in only to have think they cannot be together. A very good book with many different storylines and different characters, but a very exciting story. Liked it very much. I got this book from netgalley. I give this 5 stars.

CLAIM ME COWBOY

CLAIM ME COWBOY                             CHARLENE SANDS

The Copper Mountain Rodeo has returned to Marietta and cowboy reputations aren’t the only thing at stake…
When Summer Nichols inherited half of the Circle W Ranch, she didn’t know her rodeo-riding, bad boy ex-boyfriend came with the deal. But sure enough, Tyler Warren, the man who broke her heart and left her in Marietta years ago, is back and living on the ranch again, claiming he wants no trouble. He’s certainly not back to rekindle their decade ago romance.
Ty only wants what’s rightfully his, and then he’s gone, but not even family secrets and Summer’s deep betrayal can keep him from remembering the good times he had with the preacher’s sweet, beautiful daughter, once upon a time. Summer is more woman than he expected…
Will Ty seize his second chance and finally claim all that he’s lost, including Summer’s love once again?
MY REVIEW:
     Young love is always a hard act to follow.  You always seem to remember every detail forever.  It was no different for Summer Simmons and Tyler Warren they had their first kiss at the Marietta Rodeo under the stands.  In fact at 16 it was Summer’s first kiss ever.  When she told Ty, after they had a kiss to beat all kisses, it was her first.  Ty just said that’s what he would have expected from the preacher’s daughter.  So, he wanted to be the first and the last guy she kissed too.
     It took a terrible turn her senior year.  Even though Ty had waited around one extra year for her he could never get her to agree to leave Marietta.  Her family and friends.  And that pissed him off because he felt like she didn’t love him enough just like his dad.  That was the main reason he had to leave he hated his dad for what he did to their family.
     Not to mention he always compared him to his best friend Lee Nichols.  He couldn’t understand it he always took his side the final straw was the night he left town.  Lee and he had a terrible fight while they were smoking by the barn.  The fight was over Summer.  Lee though she should stay and not run off with Ty.  They had a fist fight over it when the cigarette landed on the ground starting the fire.  They found his cigarette pack blamed him especially when Lee didn’t speak up.  His own father Owen Warren believed him.  That was the final straw.  He asked summer one last time she said “No!” then he was gone.
     Two years later Ty hears that Summer married Lee his best friend.  Talking about dying all over again.  But the marriage was not the love of her life kind of marriage it was mutual.  Summer had two miscarriages which added more strains to the marriage.  Then about a year ago lee dies in a freakish tractor accident.  Now about a month ago Ty’s father Owen dies leaving half the farm to Ty, who by the way is a well-known rider on the rodeo circuit, and the other half to Summer.  She had taken time off from being a nurse to take care of Owen for last year of his life.  Ty does not make it home to say good-bye to his father or to go to the funeral.
     And when he does come home boy does he have a surprise.  Secrets are being kept everywhere.  Will they be able to handle them?  Can they forgive them?  I give this 5 stars.  Provided by netgalley.com.  Follow us at:

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RIGHT BY YOUR SIDE

RIGHT BY YOUR SIDE                           CHRISTI SNOW

Right By Your Side by Christi SnowBest Female Country Artist. Sold out world-wide tour. Record-setting album sales. It’s been a stellar year for Skye Taylor and it’s left her exhausted. All she wants to do is go home to Oklahoma, curl up in her little house, and veg out in pj’s with a pile of junk food. But when her tour bus crashes in the middle of West Texas, her priorities suddenly shift. Now she’s sitting bedside hoping her best friend and bodyguard, KC, survives. 

For Scott Martin, he simply wants this horrible year to end. After the murder of his brother, his family is falling apart. With one crisis after another pulling him back to the family ranch, he’s put way too many late night miles on his truck between his family home and Lubbock, where he works as a paramedic. When he comes upon the wrecked tour bus, he has no idea this is one emergency which will change his life forever.

Skye and Scott quickly form a friendship which hints at possibilities of more. But as these two dodge paparazzi, over-zealous label executives, and stalker fans, they soon discover that everything is easier when you have someone you trust RIGHT BY YOUR SIDE. And that becomes even more important when they discover the bus wreck wasn’t an accident…
 

MY REVIEW:
     This is your knight in shining armor story for sure.  Yet, with a twist.  The twist being can two very rich but sad in family be truly rich?
     Skye Taylor is the newest girl it on the Country Charts writing and singing.  She and her band have been on tour for 300 or the 365 days in a year.  She is exhausted.  All she wants to do is get home to Oklahoma, veg, eat junk food, and write music.  She was so tired she didn’t want to deal with fans by flying home.  She wanted her tour bus so she could be with KC, her best friend since she was a kid, and write.
     No sooner had they left a little hole in the wall gas station, where Skye was in need of a chocolate fix too, when she was mobbed.  She wasn’t thinking since it was an out in the country place.   There must have been 200 people more or less.  It was all KC could do to get her on the bus and have Roger start the bus moving.  Boy was he pissed!  In reality more scared for her safety since it was just Skye, KC, and Roger on the bus.  The rest of the band flew home to be with their families.  Skye said she was sorry knowing they were both scared and so tired.  She told KC to take a nap that she was going to do some writing.  Once again he thought of her first getting her situated and making sure she buckled-up.  Then he went to the back to of the bus to nap.  Not to long after the bus was spinning and rolling out of control and things went to black, lights that is.
     She wasn’t knocked out but she knew she was hurt and dangling in her seat belt.  Then it hit her KC wasn’t in a seat belt because of his nap.  She started yelling for him and heard nothing.  She released her belt and found her way out.  She had more injures but she didn’t care she had to find KC.  Once her eyes adjusted to the dark she realized the bus was in three parts and the engine was starting to flame up.  That would be the area where KC was.  She finds him and he’s awake but hurt and burned badly.  She says he’s pinned so she will need to lift a piece of the bus he will have to use his arms to crawl out.  She cuts her hand as she starts to lift the piece and KC winces when out of nowhere an angel pulls KC the rest of the way out.
     Scott Martin her angel was really a very exhausted paramedic who had just pulled 2 double shifts.  And was on his way to his family’s ranch.  To deal with his ill father and help his US Marshall brother Andrew.  He is having problems with their youngest brother Matthew.  Like all of them they are dealing with the murder of the middle brother who died last year. When he comes upon the accident.  Thank goodness for them all.  Poor Roger didn’t make it he was killed on impact.  Scott on seeing the accident called 911 who was sending help as they spoke.
     He secured KC and Skye’s injuries until the help arrived.  Before Skye left she made him promise that he would come see her in the hospital.  Knowing who she was and hearing her explain that KC and she were the only family they each had and that she loved him he assumed he was her boyfriend.
Boy will he be surprised to find out that is not the case.  Until then there is a story to unwind and is it oh so interesting…
     This story has so many twist and turns it’s unbelievable.  I hated to put it down to sleep.  You get romance, suspense, murder, and mystery all rolled into one.  Loved it!  I give this 5 stars.  Provided by netgalley.com.  Follow us at:

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HEAT EXCHANGE: BOSTON FIRE

HEAT EXCHANGE: BOSTON FIRE          SHANNON STACEY

Heat Exchange by Shannon StaceyLydia Kincaid's shipping back to Boston, but she's not happy about it. She left to get away from the firefighting community—her father was a firefighter, her brother's a firefighter and, more important, her ex is a firefighter. But family is number one, and her father needs her help running the pub he bought when he retired. Soon, Lydia finds it hard to resist the familiar comfort and routine, and even harder to resist her brother's handsome friend Aidan. 

Aidan Hunt is a firefighter because of the Kincaid family. He's had the hots for Lydia for years, but if ever a woman was off-limits to him, it's her. Aside from being his mentor's daughter, she's his best friend's sister. The ex-wife of a fellow firefighter. But his plan to play it cool until she leaves town again fails, and soon he and Lydia have crossed a line they can't uncross.

As Aidan and Lydia's flirtation turns into something more serious, Lydia knows she should be planning her escape. Being a firefighter's wife was the hardest thing she's ever done, and she doesn't know if she has the strength to do it again. Aidan can't imagine walking away from Boston Fire—even for Lydia. The job and the brotherhood are his life; but if he wants Lydia in it, he'll have to decide who's first in his heart.
 

MY REVIEW:
     When you come from a long tradition of firefighters how do you look at those you love and say you hate it!  You don’t it’s a necessary evil and the men and women who put their lives on the line are or should be saints but they’re not. They are walking heroes.  They’re humans like the rest of us.  Yet, they live and die by the brotherhood.  They barely talk to one another about their problems so forget that the love interest would know what was going on.  Or at least that is the way Lydia Kincaid sees it.
     That is the way Lydia’s life in a nutshell has gone.  She came into a family of fire chasers and Alpha Males.  Then she married one, which of course went up in flames, excuse the pun.  Because for her the stress of being a firefighter’s wife was just too much.  Hearing the sirens alone stopped her heartbeat but then listening to the scanner too to make sure her ex was okay became an obsession. 
     Divorce, moving, and missing her family hasn’t helped.  Her dad bought a bar when he retired so it is the firefighters hang-out now.  Yay her!  Her sister and brother in law are having marital problems so her sister calls crying asking her to come home to work the bar.  She says she can’t face all the questions and firefighters. 
Which she totally understood from her own divorce.  Her first night back she goes into the bar to say hi to her dad and the regulars.  When Scotty shows up and hot on his heels like always is his best friend Aiden Hunt.  Her annoying younger brother’s equally annoying best friend although sexier than hell now.
     Aiden had been 17 when they met years ago her at 21.  From that first day they were sparing partners of words.  He had a crush on his best friend’s sister from the moment he met her.  To this day nothing had changed.  Well, maybe the lust but he knows his mentor (her dad) and best friend (her brother) would not approve.  Aiden comes from a very white collar background that had higher hopes for their son.  Other than his drive to serve the public.  Things with his parents are still rough between them.
     Lydia’s sister needed her help but learning to not air your problems is a big thing in their home.  So, she was asked by Ashley to come home and she did which is costing her more than money.  It is cost her, her freedom from this world of firefighters and family drama.  Ashley’s biggest problem was her father because he was taking the side for his firefighter son in law instead of his daughter.  Which he did with her ex even when he was caught cheating on her and risking other firefighter’s lives.  So with that she showed up the next day.
     Ashley was only giving her bits and pieces of what was actually going on.  But what makes her really angry is her brother Scotty is housing her brother in law at his home.  Showing no loyalty to his own sister.  Once again the Kincaid men show that the Kincaid women are less than.
     Hence when she divorced her husband she was the talk of the town.  Not her lying, cheating, and drunk of a husband.  Her for divorcing him.  So, the last thing she wanted to be was attracted to the “KID.”  Yes, Aiden had grown up into one hell of a good looking man.  But he was still 4 years younger than she was.  She was still the daughter, sister, and ex-wife of a firefighter so the brotherhood code could cause a problem which said, “HANDS OFF!”  The other she didn’t think she wanted to go down that road again.
     Was this sexy as hell young man was worth the risk?  Did she want to chance it?  You’ll have to read this story to find out.  All the characters are bigger than life and you will not regret it.  I totally enjoyed it.  It was a family saga which all know I love.  There is something always going on within the family as a whole.  All worth reading about.  The characters are all believable ones you could have as friends or be in their shoes.  I give this book 5 stars.  Provided by netgalley.com.  Follow us at: www.1rad-readerreviews.com 

HEAD OVER HEELS FOR THE BOSS

HEAD OVER HEELS FOR THE BOSS

Isabelle Cooper's in big, big trouble. Her flower shop? Well, it was just bought by the man she’s had a crush on forever. Her new boss, Devon Donovan, is a tall glass of melt-in-your-mouth hotness. The problem? Devon is definitely not interested in love. No ifs, ands, or buds about it.
Devon knows Isabelle has been crushing on him since college, but buying her business shouldn’t be a problem. Not only is she his employee, but as the eldest Donovan brother, he’s too busy protecting the family fortune for romance. But tomboy “Izzy” is all grown up now. And he’s finding it impossible to resist her, no matter how hard he tries...

MY REVIEW:
     Before Devon Donovan had become Isabelle Cooper’s boss he had been her 14 year old crush.  If the truth be told she was still crushing.  At 17 Izzy asked Devon to her prom but since he was already in his twenties and just back from Afghanistan she could understand his rejection.  She didn’t know what she was thinking but when she saw him in his dress blues her heart skipped several beats.
     She went off to college and Devon had moved out of town.  She returned to use the MBA she earned to run her parents flower shop.  Then one day they told her they sold it to Devon and they were moving to Florida.  Granted Devon and his family were friends with hers but she tried to avoid him at all cost.  All she could say was, “Yeah, Okay!” She was in shock.  Then they told her not to worry that they worked it in the deal that you would stay the manager so he would have an income better that she did not most of the time since barely made her rent now where she lived.  She put all her profits back into the business.
     They sent her to meet up with Devon at his home office.  He was speaking with her then started to get up she said sorry needed to leave because she needed to make deliveries at the flower shop.  He didn’t appear to be happy about that it seemed like he liked to have things run on a schedule and his way but with a flower shop that was not the case and since he bought it and she was the manager and only employee at the moment “Oh Well!”  He said, “No you’re not driving our insurance won’t cover you.”  Then he said something she never expected, that he would drive her around. 
     At first they hardly spoke to one another.  She was used to being a boss also so she answered and addressed him like an equal.  The Alpha Male he is he didn’t like it as her boss but as a family friend he did.  So, he explained her role and his.  To her own surprise she followed his advice.  At the same time he liked her wit, her feistiness, and her humor.  That she had a killer body with flaming red hair was only a plus.
     They had a natural easy banter.  In fact that first day she was so worried he would say or feel awkward that she asked him to her prom.  Yet, he didn’t say a word.  Then when he finally did he apologized for the way he went about saying “No.”  He found when he was around her he could tell secrets no one else knew.
     I totally enjoyed this story. The characters were real and screwed up like the rest of us.  More so if you have billions.  I give this 5 stars.  Provided by netgalley.com
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DODGING TEMPTATION

DODGING TEMPTATION                      AVERY FLYNN


Love takes aim and fires...
On the cusp of closing a multi-billion dollar deal, Dodge Loving can't afford for anything go wrong at his ultra-exclusive luxury resort, where privacy isn't just promised it's guaranteed. So when he finds paparazzi hiding in the bushes, he'll do anything to get rid of them-even if it means firing their target: the sexy, stuck up bookworm his mom hired.
Harper Conner just wants to be left alone to catalog the resort's rare cowboy diaries. But after slapping her cheating senator ex-husband during a televised press conference-she's a hot commodity for the tabloids.
Alone for the first time, without the protection of her political dynasty of a family, she can't afford to get fired-especially by the Type-A jerk who runs the place. And she definitely should never have kissed him. Now Harper has two choices: get outta Dodge...or fall in love with him.

MY REVIEW:
     Harper Connor had been born to be in the eye of the public.  Nothing ever done if not really for the public.  Even things like her birthdays were staged.  So, after she finds out her husband cheated she had told him she would agree to be on stage with him as he told the public he was sorry for what he had done, his affairs. But after she wanted no questions for her, no grandstanding, and a quick divorce.  He called her bluff and got down on one knee to ask her forgiveness.  When she specifically said no spotlighting her.  So, when she looked down at him she “cold cocked him!”
     She left Washington D.C. to work somewhere else.  And then she was approached to work for someone privately.  It couldn’t have come at a better time since it was on a secluded ranch for the rich and famous.  She wouldn’t be hounded by the press.  She could hide out do a job she loved and when the job was over in two weeks the press would be on to another blood in the water story.  Well, not even twenty four hours on the job.  When Dodge Loving plays Alpha Male and proceeds to tell her that she was “Fired!” 
     Dodge didn’t know who she was or who he was messing with.  She had just lived through the worst experience of her life that played out in the press.  With the way she grew up that was just not allowed as her mother even at her again was called and lectured about.  She was not going to lay down and take orders from whoever he was or thought he was.  He didn’t hire her so he was not firing her.  She got that with the paparazzi the he didn’t want her around because he had just told her he found one on the grounds looking for her.  That wasn’t the reason he was firing her the real reason was he had plans for the resort and revenge for his grandfather, Jonathon Kerry. 
     You see Kerry disowned his mother who is white for falling in love and marrying his father who is who is black, all because the shade of his skin.  He would pay for making such a harsh decision that had to have hurt his mom. 
    At what expense would this revenge cost him in the long run?  Will all the wealth taste good at the end if he had no one to share it with.  His mother’s seed she planted about the Universe having brought Harper for him and he needed to open his eyes and his heart before he lost his chance to find true happiness or End up just like his grandfather.  Filled with hate, alone, and unloving.  And Harper she was unlike anyone he’d ever known—equal parts intriguing, alluring, and mystifying. 
     I loved this book.  Couldn’t put it down!  I give this 5 stars.
Provided by netgalley.com.  Follow us at:
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Jacie Floyd Author of: "Meant For Me" Coming Friday at 7pm PST.

Coming Friday
7pm PST.
Jacie Floyd

Author of:

When Nicole Smith was just a teenager with a head full of dreams, she saved the life of Mitch Grayson, a troubled boy about to join the Army. While she doubted she’d ever see him again, she could never quite forget him either. When their paths cross ten years later, Mitch carries the internal scars of all he has seen and endured. Throughout his tours of duty, he carried Nicole’s picture into combat. Naming her his Good-Luck Angel, he believes the photograph kept him safe time after time. Now, they both have successful careers and meaningful lives, but neither of them can decide if fate is throwing them together again… or working overtime to keep them apart


Wearing jeans and a t-shirt under a safety jacket, the firefighter stepped out of the shifting shadows and into the illumination of the street lamp. That sense of familiarity returned.

He crossed his arms over his broad chest as she racked her brain about how and where she might have met this rugged, formidable-looking man.

His level of swagger tugged at her brain. Finally, his lips turned up in the slow, sexy grin she remembered so well. Dimples flashed before he spoke. “Hello, Angel


After living most of my life in the Midwest, I recently abandoned my day job along with my snow shovel and moved to sunny Florida. I’m now fulfilling a life-long dream and writing full time. Which means when I’m not moving back and forth between the kitchen and the laundry room, I’m either staring at a blank screen, cursing my computer, or groping around my desk for misplaced snacks. But the view is great, the wildlife is entertaining, and my handsome and heroic husband handles my IT issues and attends to my every need.
As a long-time member of the Romance Writers of America, it was my great honor to be named a six-time Golden Heart™ Finalist and two-time Golden Heart™ winner by RWA. All of the nominated manuscripts are included in my list of currently or soon to be published titles (even though some of them have been renamed.) For those who may be interested, you can read updated versions of Meet Your Mate, Cursed By Love, and Winning Wyatt (formerly titled Too Late For Love). Babe in the Woods is now Daring Dylan and is currently available for pre-order.

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