The Baby Arrangement / Baby, I'm Yours / Baby, Be Mine

                                      

The Baby Arrangement / Baby, I'm Yours / Baby, Be MineJust in time for Valentine's Day, an exciting reissue of all three novellas in the beloved Life, Love, and Babies series from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Samantha Chase

For anyone who's ever lost their heart to a man, or a baby...or both

The Baby Arrangement
Derek Sloan is more than shocked when someone mysteriously delivers a baby to his office. Kayleigh Mitchell naturally steps up to help her boss, and soon hopes he'll see her as more than just a temporary solution.

What an absolutely fun Valentine story.  You see the progression of a longing that is finally fulfilled but not exactly the way Kayleigh Mitchell had always dreamed about.  Derek Sloan never knew Kayleigh existed but once he does he can’t forget her or let her go.  Or can he?  Not strictly because he seriously needs her to help care for this baby.  Two hearts collide at the right time.  I give this 4 stars.

Baby, I'm Yours
When Nicole Taylor rediscovers the father of her child three years after their one wild night of passion, Josh Masterson is determined to prove there's still a chance for their own happily-ever-after.

   Very cute story.  Interesting concept how the author takes something we all dream about cutting lose one or another, even not being ourselves for just one night.  You know to not have to worry about anything except the moment.  But like everything else it comes with a consequence. 
     In this case in the form of a child Ellie nine months later.   The only thing is even with Nicole Taylor and Josh Masterson feeling emotionally bonded and feeling that their hearts had connected forever during their one night of pure passion.  They had only exchanged first names.  Problem #1: One of them gave a false first name and had a fiancée.  Problem #2:  One skipped out while the other was sleeping leaving no note or number.  I give this 4 stars.

Baby, Be Mine
Jake Knight came home one night to find trouble on his doorstep-times two. With infant twins to care for, Jake desperately calls on a heartbroken ex for help...and the more time he spends with Olivia, the more he wants this makeshift family to be permanent.
 

When love steals your heart, fate throws you a mean curveball, and circumstances says, “Come on boys let’s shake these two up a little.”  You’re in trouble.
     That is what happens to this last couple Olivia and Jake.  They grew up together.  He is 6 years old than she is and her Brother Mike’s friend.  On her 18th birthday she takes charge and steals a kiss from him in the garage during her birthday party.  He starts to go along with it then pushes her away and gives her a look of disgusts.
     Eight years later he is thrust into fatherhood when he happens to be home when his ex-fiancée turns over his twins to him.  Mike calls her for help when she is home visiting. Really?  See how sideways this can go quick.  I give this 4 stars.

Overall, found the books fun to read and they are fun for Valentine's day.  But the guys were all Alpha Males during personal crisis yet they sure did a lot of whining.  Personal choices are hard.  Better to make before the wrong one comes back to bite you in the a--.  Good thing about these stories is that they had strong women there to support and back their play.  I give these books 4 stars overall. Provided by netgalley.com.  Follow us at: www.1rad-readerreviews.com.

FALLING FOR CHRISTMAS

FALLING FOR CHRISTMAS                KATE HEWITT

Falling for Christmas by Kate HewittWelcome to Creighton Falls, New York… a town time forgot where miracles happen…

Glamorous city girl Hannah Ford wasn’t thinking when she walked out of a Christmas party and drove three hundred miles into a snowstorm; she just needed to escape. Thankfully local carpenter Sam Taylor comes to her rescue, and the unlikely pair are forced to spend a snowed-in Christmas together.

All Sam planned for Christmas was to get drunk alone. The holiday has always been something to be endured, until Hannah tumbles into his life, making it magical. Now Hannah and Sam have a chance to have a Christmas together… and make it the best one either of them have ever had.

But can one night out of reality turn into something that’s lasting and real?
MY REVIEW:
     What’s it like when your heart’s has never experienced true love pure love without strings.  Not even that of a parent's?
     Hannah Ford had been raised in the heart of Manhattan by single oh so professional mother.  Who was very aware of style, weight, and the financial standings her daughter would need to meet.  So at a very young age harped about her maintaining her size 6 clothing.  Not to mention there wasn’t one holiday that they ever celebrated unless they were attending a party her mother could network.
     As on the night Hannah had decide to take an unscheduled 300 mile road trip.  You see she was attending a Christmas weekend party at Eloise’s home at her country estate on the Hudson River.  She is the editor of “Rustic Living’s.”  Hannah sometimes does still photography work for her.  The thing is Blake, Hannah’s ex-fiancée, showed up with his new girlfriend and made a point to introduce her to Hannah.
     At that point it is when she started noticing that people she worked with and those that were those she thought were her friends were whispering and staring.  That’s when she realized she didn’t have to stay and take such behavior.  Or look at Blake’s smug looks.  She got her suitcase and left.  Hence the drive.  Only she hadn’t realized that she had driven 300 miles until she was seeing signs that she was now close to the Canadian border and she had no passport.  Plus she was in a snow storm moving into blizzard like conditions.  When she looks up and sees a sign for “Creighton Falls.”  It makes her think of “It’s a Wonderful Life” and decides to get off at the last minute.
     She takes it to sharp, fish tails, and corrects it but the off ramp is too steep the only thing that really stops her is the snow at the end of it and she is facing a field.  When she looks around she sees nothing but snow.  No lights anywhere and the snow is coming down faster.  She decides to save gas on the rental and turns it off.  Then realizes how fast it starts to freeze inside of it.  She was dressed for a party, in a dress and heels.  She reaches in the back for her wool jacket and well nope this city girl is going to freeze to death.  She is not prepared for the wilderness the only wilderness she knows is Central Park. 
     When she decides to get out and look around instantly wet not good!  When she sees headlights coming her way.  She flags them down.  Huge guy gets out offers a ride.  She is so scared but Sam Taylor gets her suitcase and offers to take her to the B & B.  When they get there it is closed tighter than a drum and he remembers they are in Australia visiting their daughter.  No other place to go but his place.
     She doesn’t like it and he knows it.  He tells her he will open the door turn on the lights, come back to the truck she can go up to the room and lock herself in if it will make her feel better.  But he has such kind eyes and has been so kind to her she says no and follows him in.  They had exchanged glances and smiles because it was uncomfortable for them both.
     You see Sam is a very private person.  He has lived in the home he is in his whole life.  It used to be a farm until they had to sell off some of the land.  He is a carpenter by trade but is also an accountant.  He loves his town but there’s hurt there behind his eyes and smile.  Hannah finds herself wanting to know why.  Not to mention she wants to share too.

     Very sweet simple cozy Christmas story.  Dealt with relationship issues in a neat and clean way that added to the dimensions of the story.  I give this 5 stars.  Provide by netgalley.com.  Follow us at:  www.1rad-readerreviews.com.

THE REAL THING

THE REAL THING                                TINA ANN FORKNER

The Real Thing by Tina Ann ForknerSometimes you have to don a pair of cowgirl boots…

Manda Marshall is ready to leave heartache behind when she marries Keith Black, a champion saddle bronc cowboy and man of her dreams. But going from the serenity of small town Tennessee to the exhilaration of the rodeo, nothing can prepare her for being a cowboy’s wife. Becoming the new stepmom to Keith’s little boy and teenaged daughter has Manda relying on her deep sense of longing for a family and budding love for her stepchildren to strengthen their bond.

Manda’s desire of being a rodeo cowboy’s wife begins to take second place as she works to reinvent a life for herself and new family, but when mysterious phone calls from Keith’s missing ex-wife dredge up the past, Manda finds her marriage and family in an unusual and heart wrenching dilemma. The life she had worked so hard to build is suddenly redefined and her commitment to her husband and family is tested.

What Manda discovers has the power to heal or break her family in this emotional tale of cowboys, rodeo queens, and what it really means to ride beside a cowboy and his family, no matter the risk.
 MY REVIEW:
     When you live your life under a hazy film of loss you see things differently.  That is what seems to be going on with each of these characters.
     They lose a child, a cheating ex-husband, disappearing ex-wife, grief over a lost mother and wife.  All this hurt changes how you view the world not to mention how you react to it.
     Manda Marshall, 31, was married before and had a lying cheating husband.  She is at her lowest finding out she may not be able to have any more children after her last pregnancy in which she had a daughter, Sarah who only took a few breaths before she was gone, all the others never made it to full term.  She finds out that her ex had been cheating on her with a 19 year old that was thinner and can have children.
     Now however she is marrying Keith Black, 37, bronc rider.  A man who is also divorced with two children.  He has custody of the kids because his wife just walked away one day.  At first they thought she was missing.  Until the day he was served with divorce papers.  His boy, Stephen, is 5 years old and his daughter, Peyton, is 14 years old.  She is the one who seems to be have the hardest time adjusting to the whole situation.  Especially, now that her father is getting married to Manda.
     Keith being with the rodeo and a cowboy was given a lot of leeway when it came to not discussing things with his family or wife.  Not to mention all the years he had his parents to care for his children.  A lot of the time Manda was discussing things with her twin sister Marta.  When Manda starts to catch him in some lies she lets him off way too easy but this author sure keeps this issue interesting to the storyline.
     Each piece to the puzzle as to who the mystery woman is that Manda meets at Keith’s event 2 hours from home is like a domino effect.  Once you line up the facts it starts to roll.  This woman Judy becomes someone everyone feels they want to know but no one knows why.
     Manda feels that way too yet there is also a fear she feels too when she looks into her eyes.  She sees the look her mother had often of despair.  You see she had-schizophrenia which ended with her taking her own life.  Not the main bonding moment she wanted with Peyton.  Their mom’s leaving them.
     See if they can find a way to stay close and open up to one another.  See what dirty little secret Keith is keeping from Manda.  I really loved all the stuff going on in this family.  It kept it moving and very interesting and heart moving.  I give this 5 stars.  Provided by netgalley.com.  Follow us at:

www.1rad-readerreviews.com.

ACCIDENTALLY IN LOVE WITH THE BIKER

ACCIDENTALLY IN LOVE WITH THE BIKER          TERI ANNE STANLEY

Accidentally in Love with the Biker by Teri Anne StanleyAspiring writer Kelli Dalton needs a man, and fast. When she’s rear-ended by a sexy-as-sin biker on the way to a Vegas romance readers convention, she sees her chance. If he’ll pose as her fake boyfriend long enough to impress a bestselling author, Kelli has a shot at saving the bookstore for underprivileged kids she runs back home. 

Quinn Anderson doesn’t know what to make of the cute little writer who stirs his heart and his libido, but he does know he wants to get better acquainted. And if that means keeping up their sexy ruse all week, he’s game.

Quinn knows girl like Kelli deserves someone with a secure future to help with her store, not a guy struggling to turn a profit on his chopper shop. But if his motorcycle designs win the big Vegas competition, he’ll have enough prize money to fund his dreams…and hers.
 
MY REVIEW:
     We are have voice and thoughts in our heads that may or may not come to life.  Well, Kelli Dalton, author and bookstore owner, had two.  The first was being a ghostwriter and editor for her friend’s book that now went to movie and getting no credit.  The second is starting a book with a character named Zeus come to life.  You see he actually ran into her with his motorcycle.  His name just happens to be Quinn Anderson.
     But drastic times called for drastic measures when it came to the fact that her evil landlady was trying to evict them without cause.  Mainly because the area around the bookstore was being revitalized she knows she could get more money and a classier client base.  Not underprivileged child. So she needed to kick her writing career in the ass her kids need the money.
     So, going to the Las Vegas Romance Lovers Convention was a bet she had to take.  Call it a long shot but her only one left.  She blew the last of her cash to energize her writing career and catching up with friends.  She need to hide the fact the she wrote erotica from her landlord or she would use that against her.
     Right now she would settle to have a boyfriend she could have near to have her back when she was losing it.  Especially, when she was going to have to fake it through dinner being overjoyed for her old bestie and the book she co-wrote.  With that she stepped on the brake and her life changed.
     I have to say I became a Kelli-holic as well as a Quinn-holic.  The chemistry that this author gave to this couple without sex even at 36% with all the erotic teasing and laughter was just too sweet.  One of the vest lines is “Oh, I need lube.”  I died laughing during that scene.

     What an exceptionally good book.  I had so much fun reading this book and imaging some of the author friends (won’t mention any names J) I have made over the last couple of years.  Having such frank and carefree fun at these conventions.  These characters were well developed and people you know you could have as friends.  I give this 5++++ stars.  Provided by netgalley.com.  Follow us at:  www.1rad-readerreviews.com.

BETTING THE BAD BOY

BETTING THE BAD BOY                      SUGAR JAMISON

Betting the Bad Boy (Destiny, #2)Ten years ago, Duke King knew that getting involved with Grace Truman would only bring trouble into his already hard life. After all, the son of the town drunk has no business falling for the judge’s daughter…a passion that led to disaster and ended with Duke serving a ten year prison sentence. Duke never wanted to return to Destiny, especially now that he’s built a multimillion dollar custom car empire with his brothers. But when his sick aunt calls him home, he must face his past and discover a secret that instantly changes his life.

Grace never thought she would see Duke again, especially after years of silence. But when Duke comes storming back into her life, looking hotter than ever, and determined to get to know the son he never knew he had, she realizes that maybe she’d been wrong about him so many years ago. So Grace decides to make Duke a bet. If he can stay in the house with them for the next thirty days and prove he’ll be a good father, she’ll agree to letting him be part of his son’s life. If not, he’d better be prepared for a fight.

Going from single guy to family man isn’t going to be easy for Duke, especially with the still sexy, now fiery, Grace clouding his every thought. Can Duke be the man he never thought he could be or will his old bad boy ways be too much to conquer?
MY REVIEW:
     The King Brother’s had always been the talk of the town thanks to their no good always drunk daddy.  After their mama died he had run off and left them.  So Duke being the oldest did the only thing he could think of, he stole food from the local store to feed his two brothers, Colt and Levi.  At eleven he was arrested for shoplifting that food.
     It was his aunt Lolly King who couldn’t stand his father, her brother, who begrudgingly took all three boys in.  She put a roof over their heads, fed them, and made sure they stayed together.  She never spoiled them but she took care of them and their needs.  She holds a special place in each of their hearts.  She owns the local hair salon and when the boys all left when Duke when off to prison she wouldn’t leave. 
     You see Duke had fallen in love with the girl from the right side of the tracks.  He should have known better so he thought.  He should have known his place for he would always be on the wrong side no matter what.  You see he had been secretly dating the judge’s daughter and they had a fight.  The point was it was a guy, Patrick, she knew Duke despised and she wanted to get back at him for dumping her so she went out with him.  Patrick tried to take advantage of her and when she slapped him she hit her back hard.  Duke when in the area they were and saw what he did and Duke punched him see red.  A fight occurred since Kind Brothers did not take kindly to having women hit.
     Being that the young man’s father was the chief of police, her daddy a judge who hated Duke, and Duke’s daddy the town drunk.  He was put on trial and lost for attempted murder.  All for defending the woman he loves honor.  Thirteen years forward he is called home by his aunt Lolly who is in ICU.  She ask each of her nephews to do something for her.  She knows for all she did for them they would never refuse her.  No matter how many millions or is it billions they are making now.  They swore never to return to Destiny but Lolly needed them or did they still need Lolly?  Duke will find the surprise of his life.
     I totally enjoyed this book the characters were so very funny.  Most of all they were so well developed and full of heart.  I love family sagas as you know so much for their dynamics and this doesn’t disappoint.  Can’t wait to hear Levi’s story.  I give this book 5 ++++ stars.  Provided by netgalley.com.  Follow us at:

www.1rad-readerreviews.com.

RECKLESS

RECKLESS                                                         KIMBERLY KINCAID

Reckless by Kimberly KincaidSOMEONE’S BOUND TO GET BURNED…

Zoe Westin may be a fire captain’s daughter, but feeding the people in her hometown of Fairview is her number one priority. Running a soup kitchen is also the perfect way to prove to her dad that helping people doesn’t always mean risking life and limb. But when she's saddled with a gorgeous firefighter doing community service after yet another daredevil stunt, the kitchen has never been so hot.

Alex Donovan thrives on adrenaline, and stirring a pot of soup doesn’t exactly qualify. He’s not an expert at following the rules either, not even when they come from the stubborn, sexy daughter of the man who's not only his boss, but his mentor. Determined to show Zoe that not every risk ends in catastrophe, Alex challenges her both in the kitchen and out. One reckless step leads to another, but will falling for each other be a risk worth taking, or will it just get them burned?
 
MY REVIEW:
     Zoe Westin and Alex Donovan had history.  Only Alex has always thought of her as a little girl or as his captain’s daughter.  On was it only in that way?
     Five years later and now Alex has been at Station Eight for the last eight years.  Where Zoe’s father is captain.  So they have seen each other at functions.  The last one being her graduation picnic before college.  The last anyone heard she was off working under a famous chef when she finished culinary school.
     Alex on the other hand (Teflon as the guys call him) because he’s slick enough to sell a cape to Superman.  No matter what trouble it always just slides right off of him.  He felt that life was full of too many should haves and maybes, which did not appeal to him.  If he wanted it he did it without a pause.  He would deal with the fallout later.  He could handle it no matter how big, how bad, or how dangerous.
     This time though he went against department policy endangering not only himself but his partner too.  So one month no pay and 4 weeks community service.  He has no idea though that his boss for the next 4 weeks is the all grown up and shapely Zoe Westin, the captain’s daughter.
     Zoe on the other hand came home from college and started a program for those in the community that really needed it.  She is the director of Hope House’s Soup Kitchen-feeding people and making a difference, one meal at a time.  The thing is she is seriously under staffed.  They could make a difference with good, steady, reliable help.  Failure is not an option.  It is the only truth she had left.
     Now she finds out they are sending her another community service worker to babysit.  Each one more trouble than they're worth.  It was more energy than she had most days to train them to only not have them really help or by the time they get it they're gone not to be seen again.  This one on the other hand it appears, upon stumbling on him, is different.  She knows him in fact she embarrassed herself five years ago in front of him.
     Of course when they start to talk he has no clue who she is.  Then he insults her program saying he just wants to put in his time and get out.  Then when he ask about her boss she says who she is and that she’s the boss.  He appears shocked.  She says she will release him to work someplace else he says no that he will work it out there.  Then she ask why he was sent there.  She gives her harsh opinion on his actions and he cold shoulders her.  But she’s better at the “Ice Princess” gig.  Alex in some ways is still pissed in others he admires what she does on a daily basis.  Yet, even more so he found himself lusting over her before he knew who she was.
     Zoe just can’t figure out how anyone from Station Eight ended up having to do volunteer hours with her soup kitchen even mandatory ones.  Especially when she and her father are barely speaking since her parents’ divorce.  Not to mention he knows how she hates his job and all that goes with it.
     See how two people who have so much to love and yet so much more to fear meet in the middle.  Can they see past what has grounded them to their chosen professions?  Or can they see what made them important were just substitutes for things missing?

     I really enjoyed the risk this author has her characters taking emotionally and physically.  It keeps you on your toes throughout the read.  The community closeness had that family feel.  I give this 5 stars.  Provided by netgalley.com.  Follow us at:  www.1rad-readerreviews.com.

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