VIRTUE AND VALOR (Highland Heather Romancing a Scot #2)

VIRTUE AND VALOR                                       COLLETTE CAMERON

Bartholomew Yancy never expected to inherit an English earldom and had no intention of marrying. Now, the Earl of Ramsbury and last in his line, he’s obligated to resign his position as England’s War Secretary, find a wife, and produce an heir. Only one woman holds the least appeal: Isobel Ferguson, an exquisite Scotswoman. Brought to Scotland to mediate between feuding clans, he doggedly woos her.

Disillusioned with men pursuing her for her attractiveness, rather than her unusual intellect, Isobel has all but abandoned any hope of finding a husband in the Highlands. Not only does she believe Yancy no different than her other suitors, he’s a notorious rake. She’s been told he’s practically betrothed. Therefore, his interest in her cannot possibly be honorable, and so she shuns his attentions.

When Isobel is mistakenly abducted by a band of rogue Scots, Yancy risks his life to rescues her. To salvage her compromised reputation, her brother and father insist she marry him. Yancy readily agrees, but Isobel—knowing full well she’s fated for spinsterhood by refusing his offer— won’t be coerced into marriage.

Can love unite a reluctant earl and a disenchanted beauty?
 

HUBBY'S REVIEW:

I normally don’t read these types of books, but I met the author and was given the book so I dove in and gave it a chance. I must say I was pleasantly surprised. The story is full of action, there is plenty of description to make you feel that you are either in the countryside of Scotland or eating at the table with the family and friends. The two main characters, Isobel and Yancy are well defined in this book with a little back story that you get caught up on the history between them. Isobel is an educated women for the time and is looking for a man that looks at her as an equally, not one that only sees her looks, and breeding qualities. She enjoyed to be stimulated by heated discussion of politics, or the goings on of the day, and also a good game of chess which did not happen very often. Yancy who is attracted to Isobel is still surprised at each one of his attempts of wanting to be with her. Even when she beats him at chess he is more attracted to her. Not understanding why he is being turned down everything begins to change when she is kidnapped by mistake and instead of waiting for more men he rides off to go find her. This is where the story for me really took off. So I won'’ give you any more details. Read the book to find out if she gets rescued. A wonderful story that I must caught me up in the story and characters that I was sorry the book came to an end. Could have read more. That is when I know for me that it was a good book. I got this book from the author. I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

JERSEY TOUGH: My Wild Ride from Outlaw Biker to Undercover Cop

JERSEY TOUGH                               WAYNE "BIG CHUCK" BRADSHAW, DOUGLAS P. LOVE

The only patch-wearing outlaw biker to become a sworn police officer — and live to tell his tale 

In 1977, Wayne “Big Chuck” Bradshaw was Jersey tough. He was a member of the outlaw Pagans bike gang, a One Percenter, and had earned his colours in a world of boozing, bloody bar fights, and high-stakes crime. But after getting too close to extreme violence, Bradshaw made the life-threatening decision to change his path.

The toughness Bradshaw used to survive biker life led him to a distinguished and heroic career as an undercover narcotics officer for the same New Jersey police department that had once arrested him. Bradshaw tells his story with the truth of the streets, from his time in the U.S. Army to his decision to join the Pagans, to the wild adventures of working narcotic stings. He rode with truly dangerous criminals and then returned to those same places as a cop. He tracks down fugitives in Jersey’s toughest neighbourhoods, risks his life rescuing dozens from a fire in a seniors’ residence, and volunteers in the aftermath of 9/11.

Jersey Tough is an unflinching memoir of personal struggle, of battling with darkness, and ultimately of redemption.

HUBBY'S REVIEW:

This is an interesting story of a young man joining a biker gang the “Pagans” earning his colors and then being able to walk away and start a new life putting away the people that he was following when he was younger. There were parts of this book I felt a lot of young people can relate to. Being lost and trying to find their way they are looking for acceptance and he found his through this biker gang. He was fortunate as he says he the book for two things. One not being convicted of a felony, and two going to the president of the Pagans and talking to him start up saying he wanted to leave, and being able to. His life experiences I believed made him a better officer when he did decide to apply for the police force and make it. His past life helped him when it came time to make busts and gave him the street knowledge that some of his colleagues did not have, and this made his story different than most. This is a fascinating book and a good read. I got this book from netgalley. I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT (Pilots Hockey #4)

UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT                          SOPHIA HENRY

Kristen Katsaros wants a life full of adventure and laughter. After a difficult childhood, her motto is to live each day like it’s her last—because it just might be. So when Kristen’s parents send her on a post-grad singles cruise in the Caribbean to meet a Greek husband, she promptly hooks up with the hottest guy she’s ever met. Pasha’s decidedly not Greek, but Kristen gives him a pass because he’s got fun written all over his rock-hard abs.
 
Pavel Gribov, the cocky playboy of the Detroit Pilots hockey team, can score any girl he wants. But when a teammate drags him on a singles cruise, he can’t resist the chance to help out a drop-dead gorgeous damsel in distress by pretending to be her boyfriend. Before long, the fake fling turns intimate,  fueled by something much deeper than lust.
 
Kristen and Pasha both agree to walk away once the cruise is over, but reality hits like a slap shot when Kristen finds out Pasha lied about everything. Just when she’s ready to start living again, the two stubborn survivors must decide if they can bear to lose the best thing that ever happened to either of them.
 
HUBBY'S REVIEW:

Another good story about hockey players and the life they live. Pavel Gribov is a star player for the Detroit Pilots, and is on a cruise with another player who is dealing with his break up. Kristen is on the cruise because it is a singles cruise for Greeks. She is there with a friend and a cousin and a guy who both their families think they should marry because they have known each other since children. She is not attracted to him at all and when she meets Pavel he changes his name and they spend the week on the cruise being together and enjoying each other’s company and Pavel gets Kristen out of her comfort zone. They open up to each other and when it is time to leave she wants to continue after the cruise only to be shot down by him. When she is back in Detroit and celebrating her best friend’s wedding announcement, and who does she met Pavel but she does not know him by that name and when she hears that name her whole idea of him has fallen apart. He realizes what he has done and moves on to the Charlotte team which is the top club only to be sent back down to the minors and back to Detroit to fix his game. Can it be fixed, and when they do run into each other what will happen? Read the book to find out. Another fabulous book. I got this book from netgalley. I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com 

THREE SIMPLE WORDS #3

THREE SIMPLE WORDS #3                              A.J. PINE

She's holding out for a happy ever after. 

Annie
I know where to find my happily ever after—between the pages of a romance novel. It’s why I sell books, why I blog about them, and why I’ll never get disappointed by love.

So what if my brother’s best friend from high school is now a bestselling author? Or that he just blew back into town on a Harley, filling out a pair of jeans like he never did before? Or that he’s agreed to do a signing at my bookstore on such short notice? Because despite all his adoring female fans, I kind of hated his book.

Wes
The last time I saw Annie Denning, she was a senior in high school, three years older than me and way out of my league.
Now I’m her last-minute date to a wedding, and what started as a night of pure fun has turned into something more real than either of us anticipated.

Annie is my muse. When I’m with her, my writer’s block fades away, and the words finally flow.

The only problem? She wants the fairy tale—her very own happily ever after—and anyone who’s read my book knows the truth. I just don’t believe they exist.
 

HUBBY'S REVIEW:

Annie owns a book store and also has a blog. She is totally against the newest romance book that is flying its way to the top of the best seller lists. Her reason is no happy ever after. The readers of her blog of course disagree with her because they like the male lead of the book. Wes the author of the book is stressing out because he has no clue what his second book is going to be about but has already signed a contract and took an advantage. He is looking to get out of New York and away from his agent who is hounding him. He decides to go back home to Chicago and calls his best friend who happens to be Annie’s younger brother. You see she was a senior in high school when Wes and her brother were freshman and hanging out playing video games in the living room. When she finds out that he is coming home to Chicago and tells her friend who also does the books for the store. The friend gets in touch with Wes about doing a book signing at the store. When he arrives for the event this is not the Wes she even remotely remembers hanging with her brother, and then after the signing a couple who is getting married the following weekend suggests to her in his presence that she bring him as her plus one. When she finally agrees the story takes off from that weekend to the end. You find out about Wes and his family and what happened to make him move to New York. You find out secrets about Annie’s family as well. All the while the two of them becoming closer and Wes being able to write another story. Conflict and drama along with some funny moments thrown in and you have a wonderful book. I got this book from netgalley. I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

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