Forbidden Promises by Katee Robert

I've been excited for this book for a while, ever since Sloan ran away in the last book. I was curious to find out who this neighbor was. All I can say is, Wow! I couldn't have dreamed up a better story. Mousy timid Sloan ends up with the big rude bully Jude next door. You might think this is the worst thing that could ever happen to her, but it turns out just the opposite. Jude's selfish rude behavior actually flips a switch somewhere in Sloan, and suddenly she's angry. She's tired of being controlled and treated as though she doesn't matter. She lets loose, and oddly enough, Jude likes it. He doesn't want to, but he does.

Jude is only in town to complete a job, and his job may bring danger to Sloan. It leaves him strangely conflicted. The feeling gets worse the closer he gets to Sloan. Of course once they each discover the other's true identity, their fate is pretty much sealed. There is nothing to do but prepare for the danger that is surely coming from multiple fronts.

I definitely don't recommend taking this as a standalone. It's possible, but there are so many family dynamics you really need to understand first. The other series books are amazing anyway, so why skip them. I did love this one. Jude was a very bad guy, and his only soft spot was the one Sloan carved for herself. He was bossy and domineering, but he knew exactly what Sloan needed and provided it. Their chemistry was so sexy and consuming, and I really loved them both as characters. I can't wait to see what happens next in this family!

I received an ARC from Net Galley for honest review.

The Darkest Corner by Liliana Hart

I have been a fan of Liliana Hart for a long time and have read and loved every book in her Addison Holmes and J.J. Graves series. This book is the first in a new series. Even with an author I love, I'm always just a bit hesitant going into a new series and worried that it might not measure up to their other series. I shouldn't have worried, because this one knocked it out off the park! Man, did she create some super sexy guys and the quirkiest female lead I've read in a long time. Tess was so imperfect,but that ends up being just exactly what Deacon likes best about her. He gets perverse satisfaction out of making her mad or mussing her up. It's so fun to read. Tess talks to herself, doubts herself, but she also doesn't back down when she knows she's right. Deacon isn't allowed to have relationships, but he's waited and bided his time, and even though he knows it will put Tess's life at risk, he will have her. He also won't let anyone hurt her. 

I am so excited about this new series! It is completely different from her other series I've read, but it still has the author's trademark well rounded and unique characters and sizzling chemistry. I already have a copy of book two, so I'm excited to read what all trouble Tess's friend Miller can get into.

I received an ARC from Net Galley for honest review.

Feel Me by Cecy Robson

Having never read any of the other books in this series or even this author before, I had no idea what to expect and was just hoping it would be okay read as a standalone. I tend to heavily prefer suspense, which this wasn't, but the description caught my attention so I had to give it a try. 

Melissa and Declan have know each other for a while, but their interactions to this point have been less than stellar. He seems to put his foot in his mouth every time he talks to her. Now Melissa's father has paired the two of them up at work and neither of them are happy. I definitely felt like there was probably some match making going on here, because Melissa's father seemed to see the obvious chemistry between them and held a very high opinion of Declan. 

For a while these two engage in light but sometimes flirty banter. Eventually, passion overtakes them, but where is their relationship going? Melissa has a huge family problem which is draining her emotionally, and Declan's aspirations are to make it to the top, make it big. Nowhere in his plan is having a family or the fairytale concept of love. He is just not that guy even though he knows that's just the guy Melissa needs. Should they even continue? Can he love her? Can she trust him? Their journey is a long and rocky one.

One of my favorite parts of this book was Declan's loud, rowdy, and completely irreverent family. All the relationships seemed so solid though not without their difficulties. I was caught up in them enough that I added books 1-3 into my Amazon wish list as soon as I finished reading this one. I enjoyed this way more than I expected.

I received an ARC from Net Galley for honest review.

Making it Right by Catherine Bybee

Catherine Bybee has been a favorite of mine since I started reading her Weekday Brides series. She is pretty much an auto grab for me. I've liked each book in the Most Likely To series better than the last. My favorite part of this book was Gill. He was completely swoon worthy. I love how he called Jo sweetness. Jo thought she was confident until she went to an FBI training will and realized how much she didn't know. Thankfully Gill was there to pick up the pieces and help her see herself as he did. When situations surrounding Jo become suspicious and possibly dangerous, Gill can't leave her to handle it on her own. 

While I would have liked a bit more suspense action throughout, I was absolutely connected to the characters, both Jo and Gill. I also enjoyed getting updates on the primary characters from the other books in this series. While this can be read as a standalone, it is better enjoyed with the knowledge from the previous books. 

I received an ARC from Net Galley for honest review.

Brazilian Capture by Carmen Falcone

I was hooked on this series from book one, so when this title became available to request from Net Galley, it was automatic for me. I enjoy the Brazilian setting and the very tempting Brazilian hero, Emmanuel. Emmanuel knows he is doing something wrong, but he justifies it because he believes he is doing it for the right reasons. His simple plan is to kidnap Erika and trade her back to her father, but Erika is no quivering damsel in distress. She gives him flak from day one and keeps it up as he drags her all over Brazil. The connection between the two of them builds though it is primarily borne of sexual attraction at first. Eventually, they connect on a more emotional level, and Erika begins to seek the truth about her father and his business dealings. The only problem is how Emmanuel can accomplish his goal without destroying Erika in the process. 

Two forceful personalities, an exotic location, and tons of chemistry make this a great read. I would have loved a little action/danger mixed in with the suspenseful plot, but overall, I really enjoyed it.

Rogue by Brynley Blake

This was my first experience with this author, although it won't be the last since many threads are left hanging at the end of this book. I will definitely need to find out what happens with Walker and Gemma. So, this book was seriously sexy, like burning hot. McKenzie started off pretty timid but determined to compete her brother's bucket list. Noah was sent by the cartel to see if her brother's list was more than it seemed. McKenzie has no idea who he really is and readily accepts his help with some of the more tricky list items. Noah doesn't intend to fall for her. Despite his intentions, the couple has amazing chemistry, and they bring out the best in each other. When attempts are made on McKenzie's life, they realize more is going on than either imagined. I didn't go into reading this book knowing it was a cliffhanger. I still would have read it, but I like to know going in. Thankfully, the relationship aspects got resolution even though the suspense aspects did not. I was hooked in quickly, and I'm glad Net Galley gave me a chance to check out an author who was unfamiliar to me in exchange for an honest review.

Burn by Dawn Altieri

Although I had never read this author before, I requested an ARC of this novel from Net Galley primarily because Entangled is one of my favorite publishers. I tend to greatly prefer their Ignite series over the Select Suspense, but the description for this story sounded interesting. Chloe and Ryan are the main couple. They meet because Ryan is training to be a fire investigator while currently working as a fire fighter. Chloe is a person of interest in a fire investigation. They kind of immediately click, and Ryan decides to pursue Chloe. This was probably not the best decision career wise, but oh well, it's fiction. There are several ups and downs in their relationship, and Chloe can sometimes give off mixed signals, but it did hold my interest, and the villain revealed at the end was not anyone I suspected. Since I like a good surprise ending, I was pretty happy. Overall, it had a good bit of suspense, a little action, a lot of relationship drama, and plenty of chemistry.

Aces Wild by Emmy Curtis

I really and truly loved this book. It was pretty much non-stop action, danger, and chemistry, and the witty back and forth dialog between Dex and Eleanor kept me amused. I love military romantic suspense, and this was among the better more believable ones I've read. I like that it had a definite happy ending for this couple(It was a great ending, by the way!) but left a lot of strings still to be unraveled, like what's up with Missy? I hope her story is next. I've read and enjoyed other books by Emmy Curtis, but I believe this was my favorite so far. I received an ARC from Net Galley for honest review.

Necessary Action by Julie Miller

Melanie had lived most of her life on the large family farm community her uncle runs. As a paramedic, she acts as the community's only medical provider. Lately she had noticed strange things happening and become suspicious that her father's death years ago may not have been the accident everyone tried to convince her it was. She doesn't trust anyone, but the new guy on the farm doesn't seem to be as ready to cower before her uncle as everyone else. Maybe he will help her. Duff has one goal, find the man who shot his grandfather. Melanie seems like the perfect mark to get him closer to her uncle. Sure, she's spunky and has a head full of gorgeous red hair, but he doesn't need a distraction, just a means to an end. He doesn't want to hurt her, so he tries to be her friend. The only problem is that friendship keeps him close to her, and the more time he spends with her, the less he can resist her. When she finally tells him her suspicions, he agrees to help her. Working together on two separate investigations puts their danger level high. The question is which does Duff want more, Melanie or his answers. Will he sacrifice one for the other? I've read a couple of books in this series, and this is probably my favorite so far. I loved Melanie. She was fearless and had a very innocent quality about her. Duff was also brave but nowhere near innocent. Their combination made for a great couple. I received an ARC from Net Galley for honest review.

Dangerous Billionaire by Jackie Ashenden

The Tate brothers, strong, alpha, sexy...check...warm and fuzzy...not on your life. These guys were hard as a stone. Chloe warmed Van up to a degree, but life experiences have made these men emotionally stunted. The guys have been Chloe's foster brothers since she was very small, but they had very little to do with her for the most part. She hasn't seen any of them in the last eight years, but her father's death has put all four of them in difficult situations and given them each secrets they have to keep. For Van, he is tasked with keeping Chloe safe from a threat that isn't exactly what she had always been told it was. While Chloe has been attracted to Van for years, she doesn't see any chance or future with him and just wants to be left alone to run her father's ranch. Unfortunately, her father has thrown a monkey wrench in that too. The two of them are thrown together in close quarters, and Van is shocked to find plenty of chemistry between them, chemistry he doesn't want. He plans to ignore it so that he can deal with the mess his father left and get back to the Navy. Best laid plans don't always work out though. Though there is an element of danger, it was more talked about than experienced. There was a small amount of action, but primarily this was a story of relationships. I liked Chloe and warmed up to Van. The story was seriously sexy, and despite the fact that Van's brothers were aloof and abrupt, I still want to know what their stories are and what really happened between their father and his enemy. That part of the storyline does not resolve with this story, so I will definitely read the rest of the Tate Brothers. I received an ARC from Net Galley for honest review.