Tough Love by Lori Foster

This book is the third installment in the Ultimate series. Though I was unfamiliar with the author and had not read the first two books, I thought the description on Net Galley sounded interesting and was excited when they granted me an ARC for review. In my opinion, the book was even better than the description led me to believe.

This series is focused around a group of fighters. Stack is one of the more unapproachable. That doesn't stop Vanity from wanting him or coming up with a plan to have him. She propositions Stack for a friends with benefits type relationship in hopes it will lead to more if he doesn't feel the typical relationship pressure. What she doesn't know is that Stack already had an interest in her. She thinks he only wants her for sex and is surprised when he sticks around even when their first "encounter" is delayed. Vanity even ends up inadvertently pulled into some of Stack's family drama. Not having a family of her own, Vanity does everything she can to hang on to the tenuous family connection by helping in the only way she knows how. Unfortunately Stack doesn't view her actions as help. When the family drama results in danger for both Vanity and Stack, Stack steps up despite his frustration with Vanity.

I loved the characters in this story so much that I now need to go back and read the first couple of books. I've already added them to my wish list.

HOT Seal by Lynn Raye Harris

So, one of my favorite series (HOT) just got an infusion of new blood...SEAL blood. That's right, HOT SEALs! Technically, this book is listed after the new HOT and Bothered book which has not yet released, but nothing in this story is a spoiler.

Dane is the leader of a SEAL team. He sees it as his calling in life. A few years ago, he even walked away from his wife after she gave him an ultimatum...SEALs or her. Now Dane unexpectedly finds himself yanked away from his team and signed to work with a bunch of Army guys, Hostile Operations Team, more myth than reality in Dane's world. Fortunately, once he meets the HOT team he finds he fits right in. Terrorists have built a small sub and are planning an attack. Who better to help HOT fight a sub attack than a SEAL? All is well until in walks Ivy, Dane's ex wife, who works for the DEA. The couple still has some serious chemistry, but that chemistry is tangled up in some serious anger. Sparks fly, but mostly through fighting.

When someone threatens Ivy, Dane loses his cool and goes on the offensive to keep Ivy safe. Ivy is pretty sure she can protect herself. With the rest of the HOT team as backup, the two of them go after the sub and whoever is after Ivy. Eventually, Dane's whole SEAL team is pulled in as part of HOT to take out the sub. The only question is whether they will be able save Ivy too.

I've gotta say that I loved this story and loved the SEAL additions. The book was super hot and supremely alpha, everything that makes this series great.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cold Hearts by Sharon Sala

This book is the second book in the Secrets and Lies series. While it could possibly be read as a standalone, I wouldn't recommend it. The cast of characters is fairly large, and there is a continuing unresolved storyline moving through the series even though the main characters do get definite endings. The series is set in a small town, and the action is focused around a decades old car crash and the mystery surrounding it. People involved in the crash are being murdered, but no one knows why.

In this particular story, Mack's father is killed. The murder brings him back to his hometown and the only girl he ever loved...The girl he believes betrayed him in the worst possible way. Meanwhile, Lissa is consumed with grief and misplaced feelings of responsibility over the death. She also fears having to face Mack again after he unceremoniously dumped her years ago at her most vulnerable moment. Their initial reunion is awkward. The old chemistry is there, but is overshadowed by the hurt. As they begin to unravel secrets and lies from years past, they realize they still love each other. In the midst of the turmoil, the couple also has to deal with a stalker who had focused on Lissa while continuing to investigate Mack's father's death.

I like how the story advanced the plot of the first book a bit further and also laid the groundwork for the final book. The plot moved quickly and the action and romance wrote well scattered throughout the story. I am guessing Trina and Lee will be the focus of book three, but I would love to get to know Sam and maybe see him hook up with the new little substitute teacher.

I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Protecting the Colton Bride by Elle James

Having read all the books in this series so far with the exception of Brett's story, I had been waiting for Daniel's story. He seemed so down on himself and concerned with the way others viewed him as Big J's illegitimate son.  I wanted to see him happy. Megan was the perfect woman to bring him this happiness.

When Megan's beloved horses come into danger of being sold and Daniel finds himself in need of a connection to a high standing family name, the two decide a marriage of convenience would be the answer to both of their problems. After a quickie Vegas wedding, the couple sets out to work on solving their problems. Even before they arrive to inform Megan's parents of their wedding, more problems begin. Each accident seems focused on Megan. Daniel is already more than half in love with his new wife even though he does not see himself as worthy of her long term. He vows that anyone trying to get to Megan will have to go through him. It doesn't take long for him to incur collateral damage due to his association with her. Thankfully, Daniel doesn't have to protect Megan alone. He enlists the help of all the Coltons who rally around the couple. Daniel feels certain he can physically keep Megan safe, but when it's all over, can he keep her heart?

In my opinion, this was the best of the series so far. It had lots of action and danger capped off with tons of chemistry.

I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Power Play by Tiffany Snow

Yes! Yes! Yes! Finally, a series I can obsess about as much I did the Kathleen Turner series! Is it Kathleen Turner 2.0? Not at all, but it is the wonderful mess of a love triangle style Tiffany Snow became known for. I am beyond thrilled about it!

This story is told by Sage. She is an only child of wealthy parents trying to make her own way in the world of high finance. Parker is her boss. He is punctual, routine, exacting, self focused, dominating of Sage's time, and oh yeah, tall dark and sexy handsome. Sage has been infatuated with him for a while but loves her job and believes Parker to be of high moral standards and uninterested in her. Things are running along quite smoothly until another tall dark and handsome man shows up unexpectedly at Parker's office. His name is Ryker. He is a bit more untamed and rough around the edges. He is also a cop who has business with Parker despite the apparent bad blood between them. This secret business and her association with Parker quite quickly end up placing Sage in danger.

Both men have their own ideas about how to protect Sage, and each one blames the other for placing her in danger in the first place. As for Sage, she is no shrinking violet to be ordered around. She is the type to do whatever is right despite the costs. As each man tries to turn her against the other, Sage pinballs between the two seeking any safety she can find. Unfortunately, no one is safe from the enemy who has Sage in his crosshairs. She knows she has to make a choice between Ryker and Parker, but her devotion and love lie with the man who tells her they have no future. Will she stay with him or opt for the man who wants her and makes her feel important. Both men make her heart race and her hormones take notice, but only one seems like a sure thing in the long term. No matter what, she will have to hurt one in order to have the other.

I completely loved this story. The characters were so well developed and intriguing with particular little idiosyncrasies. The suspense and action were generously spread throughout the story, and the chemistry was off the charts with tension and desire. I was sucked in immediately and couldn't put it down. The preview for book two at the end was superb as well and had me so excited. I just know I am going to love this series!!!

An ARC was provided through Net Galley for honest review. However, the opinions in this review are all mine. I hope you love this story as much as I did.

The Temptation of Dr. Colton by Karen Whiddon

To the best of my knowledge, this is my first experience with this author. I read the first book in this series, but each book has a different author. I was happy to catch up with the Coltons and see what has been happening with the characters I enjoyed from book one. This story focuses on Eric who has been estranged from the family for a while. When he finds himself witnessing a hit and run, he somehow feels responsible for the woman who wakes up with no idea who she is. He dubs her MW (mystery woman) and ends up taking her home with him when she has nowhere else to go. As one might expect, the whole Colton family jumps onto the protect MW bandwagon after further attempts are made on her life and Eric decides to take her home to the family ranch.

As MW's past begins to unravel and her memory starts to return, the true nature of the danger is revealed. While Eric realizes it is more than he wants to subject his family to, he believes he can help protect MW and refuses to give her up. Unfortunately, MW may be forced to give him up in order to save his life.

I liked this addition to the series and plan to keep up with all the Coltons as the series continues.

Ann ARC was provided through Net Galley for honest review.

Wicked Charms by Janet Evanovich and Phoeff Sutton

This is the third book in the Lizzy and Diesel series, and the first book in the series to be co-authored. I was a bit hesitant to try it fearing it wouldn't read quite the same. I liked the first two books and had adored Diesel since he first appeared in the Stephanie Plum series ( an all time favorite series of mine). I love characters who make me laugh, and Diesel definitely does that.

I was pleasantly surprised to find the same type of off the wall humor, witty conversations, and deadpan reactions to the outrageous happenings constantly interrupting otherwise normal days. Of course, any day with Diesel in it is going to be far from normal. Wulf is also still on the hunt and still sniffing after Lizzy even though Diesel doesn't seem inclined to let his dark cousin anywhere near her.

The storyline was similar to the other books, Lizzy and Diesel trying to beat Wulf and his crazy minion to the next magical stone. Their adversary in this story is an ancient demon...or is he?  In any case, it all comes together for an entertaining read.

An ARC was provided through Net Galley for review.

The Kill Box by Nichole Christoff

Jamie is on a new case, and this one might just be the most important one she's ever worked. For the past seven months, Jamie and Adam Barrett have been together, and although they haven't spent a lot of time discussing their feelings, they both seem to know they are ready to take their relationship to a more serious level...until Adam deserts Jamie with no explanation. Jamie's attempts to contact Adam are unsuccessful until she receives a call from his grandmother asking for Jamie's help on his behalf. Despite feeling betrayed by him, her heart won't let her leave him in the lurch. She agrees to help and finds herself on the road to Adam's hometown. Unfortunately, things are not what they seem when she arrives. Adam is in deep trouble legally and professionally. Though Jamie is likely the only person who can help him, he is hateful to her and turns her away at every opportunity. He continually tries to get her to leave, but Jamie is not a quitter. Secrets long held by Adam try to change Jamie's opinion of who he is, and a killer no one knew existed is active again with Jamie in the crosshairs.

This story follows many ups and downs in Jamie's relationship with Adam, and also introduced a new and interesting DEA agent named Marc into her life. The suspense I love about the series was in full swing, and in my opinion, this series just keeps getting better and better. I can't wait to see what's in store for Jamie next!

I appreciate Net Galley saving me some wait time in catching up with these characters by providing me with a copy for review.

Black Dawn by Cristin Harber

Titan, one word says it all. No one does military style black ops romantic suspense like Cristin Barber, and Titan is definitely my favorite series by her. I've read all her books, and couldn't wait to get my hot little hands on Black Dawn. Thankfully I was given an ARC from Net Galley for review which significantly reduced my wait time.

Black Dawn is the name Parker Black, tech specialist for Titan, uses as his internet persona. Parker has crazy computer skills, but even he needs help sometimes. When that happens, he contacts a friend who has been his internet sidekick for years, Silver Chaos. When Parker is notified through a handler that Silver needs him as backup on a huge internet security deal, he jumps at the chance to meet the guy in person. He gets quite a shock when he discovers Silver is not a dude at all. Silver Chaos is actually Lexi, his childhood best friend's girlfriend...the girlfriend Parker has secretly thought about for a long time and recently rescued from his friend's abuse.  Unfortunately, Lexi's abusive ex is the least of her problems. A terrorist organization wants to get their hands on Lexi and a program she designed which could have disastrous results in the wrong hands. Lexi decides her only recourse is to find the spunky resourceful woman she was before the abuse and go dark on her own. The question then becomes who will find her first, Parker or the terrorists?

I really enjoyed this addition to the Titan series. All my favorite characters, like Jared and Sugar, were there helping out Parker and giving little updates into their lives. The story was classic Titan, full of action and dangerous situations and steamy with romantic chemistry.

Fatal Pursuit by Elizabeth Naughton

Finally, Jake and Marley get their story. I have read every book in the Aegis series and have been not so patiently waiting for this couple to finally realize that they totally should be a couple. They have been giving off sparks for a while now. Marley has been dropping hints, but Jake refuses to take the bait.

In this story, Marley takes off with barely any notice to Columbia to try to rescue a former boyfriend she had thought was long dead. When Jake discovers where she has gone (and that she has taken his plane), he is livid but also concerned. He quickly takes off after her and ends up committing himself to help Marley find the man who Jake finds himself disliking without ever having met him. Their search ends up placing them in danger but also forcing them to face their feelings. Marley seemed to know exactly what she wanted, but Jake drove me nuts constantly wanting Marley but then pushing her away. In the end, he finds he is pushing her away from him and toward the one man he wants her to avoid. The question then becomes whether or not Jake will realize how important Marley is to him in time to save her.

I'm really happy to have been given a copy of this book for review from Net Galley.

An Obsession With Vengeance by Nancy Haviland

Speaking of obsessions, I am completely and utterly obsessed with these books. Seriously, I just about can't function because I don't want to put the books down to sleep or drive or even eat. There really are no good stopping points. Every word is interesting. I have been dying to reads Maks's story, and it totally exceeded my expectations!  Getting an early copy of this book from Net Galley made me so happy.

As usual, Maks is darkly broodingly beautiful. He still grieves over his part in events from book two, and his terrifyingly violent and abusive childhood is mixing into his nightmares and keeping him up nights. Maks met Sydney in book two and was instantly drawn to her. He has been pursuing her with no returned interest from her. Maks uses his irreverent sense of humor and his innate sexuality to continually engage in verbal sparring matches with her. Sydney, on the other hand, is attracted to Maks (Who wouldn't be?) but has other priorities...mainly her twelve year old son Maks doesn't know about.

When a secret Sydney has been keeping blows up in her face and brings danger to her house, she has no recourse but to turn to Maks for protection. With the backing of his organization and mentor, Maks leads Sydney into a charade meant to throw her enemy off track. While the charade brings Sydney and Maks closer and successfully repels the enemy, another darker enemy is stalking Sydney, and nothing will deter him.

Maks and Sydney were great together. She and Andrew were everything he ever needed but didn't realize. Maks was just so sexy. The way he called Sydney "lover" was too hot for words. He was the perfect tortured hero, and Sydney was the one woman strong enough to stand beside him. I absolutely loved this story. It was the best one yet.

Carter by Adrienne Bell

This was my first experience with this author. The book is the first in a new series called The Sinner Saints. The idea behind the name is revealed in this story, and what I believe will be most of the series characters are introduced through their affiliation with Macmillan Security. I really liked all the characters and the little glimpses into their personalities. As is obvious by the title, this book is centered around Carter, the founder of Macmillan Security. He is intrigued by an attractive woman who managed to slip past his security personnel and even he himself. When he finds himself liked to her by accusations of illegal activity, he is not at all disappointed to spend more time with her. He also pulls the team in to help since they are all included in the allegations. When the situation becomes more dangerous, Carter wants Ally out of the line of fire, but spunky Ally is not one to back away from anything. She tends to dive in head first and worry about consequences later. She makes sure Carter knows they do things together or not at all. She really brought out his more "human" side, according to his friends.

The story was suspenseful throughout and had plenty of action and great chemistry. The writing and editing for this story were also well done. I'm excited to have found a new series to enjoy. I liked this book so much that I have already bought and read book two, Rhys.
Thanks to Net Galley for providing a copy for review.

Devil Dead by Linda Ladd

Can I just say how much I completely love this series? Wow, it really does get better and deeper and more complex with every single story. Finally, Claire has decided to take Black's suggestion and leave the police department in order to be a private investigator. Before she ever even has an office or a license, old friends of Black's ask for her help in locating their missing daughter. While Claire jumps on the case, Black does what he does best, covers her back. He arranges an office space and most importantly finds a PI for her to work under until she gets her license, Will. Will is a giant prickly loner of a guy, which doesn't bother Claire in the least since her instincts tell her she can trust him.

While Black is busy checking up on his clients, Claire and Will track the missing girl into a web of satanic cult behavior. With a plot full of creepy and unusual characters, the story was really hard to put down. Claire expressed her very sarcastic sense of humor, and her interactions with Will were quite interesting. She is not a girly girl, but she remains feminine without being soft. She is such a great character. Will seemed pretty impressed with her too. The two had a connection, but it was difficult to discern where it might lead, if anywhere. If you're a fan of Black, don't worry. There's no trouble in paradise, and he is still Claire's rock.

Overall, I wouldn't have thought the author could outdo the last book, but she really did. As always, I was completely engrossed and couldn't stop until I finished it. I was thrilled to death to get an advance copy from Net Galley, and I can't wait for the next book.

The Marriage Contract by Katee Robert

I was totally blow away by this book! I had never heard of this author and had no idea what to expect when I requested a copy of this book from Net Galley. I just knew that I was drawn to the cover, and the description sounded interesting. As soon as I stated reading it, I was sucked in. Three main crime families are vying for territory after the sudden death of one family's young heir. Callie's father makes the decision that as his only remaining heir, she must marry the heir of one of the other families. Callie is resigned to doing her duty in order to bring protection to the people under her family's umbrella, but her intended fiance has a dangerous reputation and has been avoiding her. When Callie tries to intercept her fiance covertly, nothing goes as planned, and all hell breaks loose. As a result, Callie arrives at a dinner party to find herself engaged without her knowledge to the second son of the third family, Teague.

Attraction between the couple is instant. Teague's protective instincts are engaged, but Callie is hiding a huge secret with the potential to destroy both of their families. Not surprisingly, she's not the only one with a dangerous secret. Teague has one of his own, and his secret just might have the power to save them...if it doesn't destroy them first.

This story had wonderful characters, both good and bad. The dynamics within the different families and their interactions with one another were intricate and so well written. The two secrets kept the suspense high, and the threatening war between the families kept the action ongoing. The story was dark, intense, passionate, and left me wanting more. I can't wait for the next book!

Sworn to Protect by Katie Reus

Quinn and Athena were everything I've come to expect from this series. They had great chemistry and were both exciting characters. The two of them had met a while ago and dated hot and heavy until Quinn discovered that Athena was sexually innocent. Knowing his tendency to keep his affairs brief and emotionally unattached, he thinks his decision is what is best for her. Unfortunately, he hurt her in the process. Though they don't see each other for several months, Athena unexpectedly finds herself sharing the same employer as Quinn and even on the same assignment.  Even better, the assignment is in Las Vegas.

Before leaving for Vegas, Athena is assaulted while buying groceries. The perpetrator makes it clear he won't be going away and is gunning for Quinn. Quinn is more than happy to escape to Vegas, but remains hyper vigilant for Athena's safety.  Unfortunately, their stalker follows them. He had been waiting a long time for his revenge, and he was meticulous in his planning. He was determined not to let Quinn and Athena escape their fate. Quinn was equally determined to protect Athena at all cost. If he can find a way to get her to forgive him and give him another chance, so much the better.

I love this series. My only complaint is a wish for the books to be a bit longer. I can't wait too see who the next Redstone book will feature. Thanks to Net Galley for providing a copy for review.