Review: The Breed Next Door by Lora Leigh

The Breed Next Door by Lora Leigh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Another short story that’s basically the same as the other books – we know that a breed will mate with a human; they go through the mating frenzy, etc etc etc. A bit of a plot…..you can get it from the book blurb because you basically get the whole thing there…this is s short story after all!!

I quite like Tarek Jordan although he was a bit over-powering…but then that’s what happens when these super breed males finally meet their mate. I did feel for the torture he went through when held captive.

Now, Lyra, his next door neighbor – hum…spunky…well…virgin…….not that one would ever guess the way she gets into Tarek….okay, they have been neighbors for six months so I can’t exactly call her a slut!!!! I thought her a bit shallow at times. But hell, she makes Tarek happy, so who am I to even hold that against her!!! Thank heavens she eventually gave the poor man some of her fresh home baked bread and her “real” coffee…but it took her a while to do this act of kindness!!!!

Again, lots and lots of sex scenes which I am skipping some of them…
Can’t wait for the next full length book!!!


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Review: Wolf's Hope by Lora Leigh

Wolfe's Hope by Lora Leigh
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

What a disappointment!!! I was so looking forward to Hope and Wolf’s story but all I read was more explicit mating frenzies….with a lot of same from previous books

and a lot of

and lots of

…

wow, everything about Hope did it for Wolf,

even though he wanted to kill her…why???? Because she betrayed him but not really…she just had an evil Mom who just happened to be a WICKED SCIENTIST!!!!

Okay, I really enjoy erotic romance but after reading pages and pages of explicit sex (which I like as well) and not much of a plot, I’m like……

Perhaps if this had been a longer book – this was a novella of about 57 pages – I might have engaged with the two mc’s…..
In my opinion, if I had not read this, I would not have missed much of the series.


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Review: Kiss Of Heat by Lora Leigh

Kiss of Heat by Lora Leigh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

So, here it’s a bit different from previous books….heroine is a female snow leopard and hero an ex-Seal Ops, who happens to be Merinus Tyler’s brother….remember her from Taming of the Beast??
There is so much mating frenzies with hard-ons, arousals, clits, shafts….over so many pages…that after a while I skipped their sex encounters…because…basically it was one scene repeated over and over again…

“Kane, please.” She nearly screamed his name. She couldn’t bear the pitiless convulsions in her womb any longer. Her body was in demand and only one thing would or could ease it. “Please. Please, Kane. Fuck me. I’m begging you…”
“Kane. God. I can’t stand it…” Her legs were trapped by her own clothing, her knees held wide by his hands as he devoured the thick syrup of her response, drawing it into his mouth, licking and groaning against her, delving into the blistering depths of her pussy for more
She screamed his name as his tongue swiped through the bare slit of her cunt, a slow, appreciative lick as he hummed in pleasure.
“Fuck. Addictive,” he groaned. “I’ve never forgotten, Sherra, your sweet taste, your heat. I’ll die needing you…”

But that’s just my opinion.

Kane & Sherra drove me insane at times.

“And all you have is a hard-on,” she sneered. “Jack off. At least you can find some relief there, Kane. There will be no satisfaction to be found in my body.”
“I don’t think so, kitty,” he gritted out between clenched teeth as he came off the bed, stumbling for a second as his feet seemed to betray him. .

I can understand their tragic past and the pain they both endured in the labs……but there was so much hostility and bickering before they open up to each other and discover the real truth of what happened eleven years ago.
I like the plot development and the world building, where we learn more and more about the Breeds World. Also enjoyed seeing characters from the previous books again and getting a peep into how their lives are progressing.

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Review: Elizabeth's Wolf by Lora Leigh

Elizabeth's Wolf by Lora Leigh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The letter came at a time in his life when the battle inside his soul could have tipped either way.

The first opening line...memorable, broken, sad - the feelings it ignited in me were just unbelievable!!

My Momma says there might not really be fairies but it’s okay if I think there are. Cause nothing don’t exist if you don’t believe in it. And if you believe in it, then it’s real as sunshine. I believe in you, Dash.

Connected by an emotional bond, three people will have to fight enemies determined to destroy them, before they are able to find a place to live, to love and find peace and happiness.
That’s what Cassie’s letters did for Dash Sinclair as he laid broken, physically and emotionally – they brought him back from the brink of death and giving him a chance for having a family at last.
Dash Sinclair……MAN

WOLF DNA

Created in the Genetic Council labs and since his escape, has, without friends and family, been hiding under the radar of both the Breeds and Genetic Councils.

This was such an intense and emotional story. The love and courage of a mother fighting to keep her daughter safe from the Genetic Council scientists who have a huge interest in her daughter.

Elizabeth and her daughter have been on the run for a long time and finally Dash finds them after searching for months.
Elizabeth and Dash are both broken and tortured by the things that have occurred in their pasts and so is Cassie. I loved seeing their interaction and building a family together.
Their journey is filled with danger, suspense, love, secrets and we follow them on their journey to discovering the truth about their place in the Breeds.
The mating frenzy continues….Elizabeth & Dash’s mating or rather lots of matings…yes…there are a lot and a lot more….so many times, so many pages that I gave up counting after a while.
But what made this book for me was Cassie.

An extraordinary child who just grabbed at my heartstrings from the very beginning. She’s sweet, loving, brave, and feisty and the most beautiful sense of being. She’s been scarred, hurt, tortured and chased by really evil elements and despite her fears she faces them with such courage and strength.

Sleep, Cassie, the fairy whispered then, a gentle smile tilting her ghostly lips as a feeling of warmth accompanied the soft touch she made to Cassie’s forehead. Rest, little one, and know you were given a soul as bright and shining as your smile. Sleep.
Cassie closed her eyes. As she felt the warmth slowly ease away she peeked from between her lashes and watched as the fairy stood to her feet and began to dissolve.
Goodnight, Cassie. The soft glow eased away, leaving her alone as her lashes fluttered sleepily.
“I’m a good girl, Bo Bo,” she whispered to the teddy bear as she hugged it tighter. “Momma says I am. And Momma doesn’t lie to me. Maybe not all Coyotes are bad. I’ll be a good one…”.

She has a special place and purpose in the Breeds world and I can’t wait to know more about her.


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Review: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So, how many times have you read Rebecca? Once, twice or no longer remember the numbers like me!! What!!! You have never read it!!!!! If there is one book that one has to read, this is the one. First published in April 1938, (it has never been out of print) it still remains an amazing and “current” read today, which grabs you one of the most famous and memorable sentences ever written.

The padlocked gate opens and you follow the long drive when you suddenly – Manderley……..a silent and dark house filled with secrets…

I came upon it suddenly; the approach masked by the unnatural growth of a vast shrub that spread in all directions . . . There was Manderley, our Manderley, secretive and silent as it had always been, the gray stone shining in the moonlight of my dream, the mullioned windows reflecting the green lawns and terrace. Time could not wreck the perfect symmetry of those walls, nor the site itself, a jewel in the hollow of a hand.

A young woman working as a rich woman’s companion meets a mature and rich Englishman in Monte Carlo.

She agrees to marry him after a quick courtship and he then takes her to his home, Manderley, where the presence of his dead wife, Rebecca, still lives and kept alive by the evil and manipulative housekeeper, Mrs Danvers.

You wouldn't think she'd been gone so long, would you? Sometimes, when I walk along the corridor, I fancy I hear her just behind me. That quick light step, I couldn't mistake it anywhere. It's not only in this room, it's in all the rooms in the house. I can almost hear it now. Do you think the dead come back and watch the living?

“Why don't you go? Why don't you leave Manderley? He doesn't need you... he's got his memories. He doesn't love you, he wants to be alone again with her. You've nothing to stay for. You've nothing to live for really, have you?”

Why don't you go? We none of us want you. He doesn't want you, he never did. He can't forget her. He wants to be alone in the house again, with her. It's you that ought to be lying there in the church crypt, not her. It's you who ought to be dead, not Mrs. de Winter.

Mrs Danvers is an unforgettable villainess….she glides down the passages, silently and malevolently

Mrs. Danvers to the present Mrs de Winter….” Go ahead. Jump. He never loved you, so why go on living? Jump and it will all be over...”

Brilliant writing, a story of romance, suspense, guilt, secrets,

Her shadow between us all the time. Her damned shadow keeping us from one another. How could I hold you like this, my darling, my little love, with the fear always in my heart that this would happen? I remembered her eyes as she looked at me before she died. I remembered that slow treacherous smile. She knew this would happen even then. She knew she would win in the end.

loss of innocence

I can't forget what it has done to you. I was looking at you, thinking of nothing else all through lunch. It's gone forever, that funny, young, lost look that I loved. It won't come back again. I killed that too, when I told you about Rebecca. It's gone, in twenty-four hours. You are so much older...

My favorite quote in this book, which has stayed with me since I first read this book many years ago is

If you haven’t read Rebecca, I urge you to start page 1 right now. It will stay with you forever!!!


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Review: The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m about to reveal my secret!!!!!!!! I have purchased lots and lots of Harry Potter’s books – you know the time that every small and big kid wanted one….well, I gave them out as birthday and Christmas presents….but me…. I haven’t read of them….though my son devoured each book and I have the entire series in my bookcase…I just haven’t had that “read me, read me” pull….Yes, truly!!!. I started book #1 and gave up after a couple of chapters. I know….I should have persevered but I did not…….maybe one day…it did take me over 30 years to read the Lord of the Rings books (which I totally loved)...so who knows!! But wait, I am not doing a review on Harry Potter or Frodo! I’m writing about a totally different book altogether and the only connection to Magical Harry P is the author.

That’s right!!! A more different genre could have never been guessed by us veracious readers!!!– And if you haven’t read all the hype about her writing something not in same genre of Harry P and using a pseudonym…then you must be one of the very few people on this planet!! And if anyone ever believed that it was “overs” for JK after the epic and magical saga of Harry P..let me just say how wrong they would be!!! Yes, even despite all the hype and build-up.

A Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith a.k.a J.K. Rolling is actually pretty good. No magic wands, no potions, witches and spells…here we have a good, gripping, and interesting mystery tale filled with supermodels, fame, family, murder, betrayal, greed that introduces a character that is not your hero norm, but wow…..by the end of the book….he’s become one of those unforgettable fiction characters that stay with you for a long time.

I loved the take on rockstars!!!!!!!!!!!

“Like other inveterate womanizers Strike had encountered, Duffield’s voice and mannerisms were slightly camp. Perhaps such men became feminized by prolonged immersion in women’s company, or perhaps it was a way of disarming their quarry.”

Cormoran Strike is a private investigator whose business is not doing too well. One-legged (lost the other in Afghanistan fighting for Britain!!), overweight, bad dresser, not handsome in the least, homeless and living in his office – a total underdog!! Really!! his father, the ageing rock star who never married Cormoran’s dead groupie mother, is even demand interest on a loan he made to C!!! But under all that is an honorable and honest human being and that’s what pulls you in and has you wanting him to win all the obstacles in his life.

“Strike was used to playing archaeologist among the ruins of people’s traumatized memories;”

Besides C, there are so many other memorable characters. Robin, his secretary was the other favorite of mine in this story

“Robin was disposed to feel desperately sorry for anyone with a less fortunate love life than her own – if desperate pity could describe the exquisite pleasure she actually felt at the thought of her own comparative paradise.”

, about a murder of Lula Landry, a supermodel.
The writing style is really great - elegant prose that flows beautifully, keeping you turning page after page.
I loved the Englishness in this story……..I really smiled reading this………

She looked away from him, drawing hard on her Rothman’s; when her mouth puckered into hard little lines around the cigarette, it looked like a cat’s anus.

The imagery……

“Yeah,” he said.
Duffield had returned, holding another drink, cleaving his way back through the crowd, whose faces revolved after him, tugged by his aura. His legs in their tight jeans were like black pipe cleaners, and with his darkly smudged eyes he looked like a Pierrot gone bad.

The settings in a dark and gothic London

are so vividly written that you can feel the cold, the grayness and menace that surrounds this world of rock stars, supermodels, designers and the paparazzi. Incredible sense of place and characters that brings it and them all to life.
Allright….let me just say – get this book, not because it’s a J.K. Rowling only but that it’s a great mystery read.
Some quotes that I thought were great…..

“How easy it was to capitalize on a person’s own bent for self-destruction; how simple to nudge them into non-being, then to stand back and shrug and agree that it had been the inevitable result of a chaotic, catastrophic life.”

“The dead could only speak through the mouths of those left behind, and through the signs they left scattered behind them.”

How true is this????

“Couples tended to be of roughly equivalent personal attractiveness, though of course factors such as money often seemed to secure a partner of significantly better looks than oneself.”

And yes, I am hoping we get a bit more of Cormoran Strike. I loved his way of solving the case and it would make a great series.


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Review: The Man Within by Lora Leigh

The Man Within by Lora Leigh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked the 2nd book in Lora Leigh’s Breed Series more than the 1st - my review -https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/....
I felt that there was more character and romance development with Taber and Roni. And of course, we know that there will be some and even lots of sizzling heat-filled pages…

“His soul exploded with the tip of his cock, spewing out an emotion, a need, a compulsive hunger as thick, hot and life-giving as the semen winging its way to her fertile, hungry womb.”

Wow, this author sure has a way with words!!!!!
I liked Taber and Roni – the physical tension, the intense emotions

Roni: In a few short days, he had given her the very things she had longed for the most: his heart to nurture, his soul to protect, his body to enjoy and love to her heart’s content.

I loved the fun banter -

Taber: "Cats love cream, Roni," he whispered wickedly. "And I bet you have the sweetest cream in the whole damned world."

Roni: "I swear to God, Taber. I may not be woman enough for you, but if you leave me after this, I'll make you pay. I'll cut your black heart from your chest myself and I'll carve your c**k into so many pieces you'll never find them all."

Mating frenzy, lots of growling and mewling, lots of wet and drenching sex moments, lots of the sex barb appearances…….betrayals, violence, action, loyalty and an amazing feeling of family between the Breed members -

I loved seeing characters from the 1st book. The Breed Colony has been set up in Virginia, after Callan and his pride had gone public, hoping that they would finally be free and safe. But this has not happened – the threat has increased and dangerous times still follow them as the Genetics Council continues in the pursuit to continuing with their experiments.

Lora Leigh has introduced us to a fascinating world of human/feline characters that entice you, with intriguing story-lines that pull you right in.

We continue learning more about this world as we are given little hints and clues throughout the stories, leaving you wanting to start on the next book to find out …what next in the human/

cat world??

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Review: Taming the Beast by Lora Leigh

Tempting the Beast by Lora Leigh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Having read some of the books in Lora Leigh’s Breeds Series, which I enjoyed, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... , https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... , https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7... , https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7... ,I wanted to start from the beginning…so in reading order, the 1st being Tempting the Beast, tells the story of Lyon Callan, is a genetic experiment using part human and feline DNA, who, after rescuing others like him in the evil and secretive Genetics Council lab has been taking care of them as their Pride Leader.
Merinus Tyler, a reporter, from a powerful family and only daughter with several uber alpha-male brothers.
Before Callan’s mother was brutally murdered, having begged him to allow her to go public about the experiments, he had been strongly against, so she had sent all the information to her friend, Merinus father.

Although not exactly mad about this story, it was somewhat an okay read. I just could not engage with the characters, even the mc’s. There was so much conflict and antagonism between them and only near the end, did they resolve their so called “issues.”
Merinus drove me absolutely “batty” with all her “I want you”, “I hate you”…geez girl, make up your mind!!

Not that Lyon was any better, apart from his “animal” instincts saying the “Mine” thing….
I didn’t feel any passion between these two. I so wanted to know what made them “tick”, but I never got that.

Okay, so I knew this was a sexy and erotic series and I do like great and well-written sex scenes…….but Wow…….plot…forget that….sex…yes there was that….and lots and lots and lots of it……possibly more sex pages than anything else. Why did

I not find those scenes interesting….some might say there are some pretty hot ones….but…and that …vagina and c@** words just irritated me to...wherever!!! So much so that after a few of those “hot” scenes, I skimmed and skipped most of the remainder in the story.

The character development lacked something for me…..I felt totally disconnected from any of them….I never “felt” for them.
The plot…there were so many things that were left hanging….how did Callan and his group be hiding so well and still live in a town?? How did they get there?

Hopefully, I will get those answers in the next books.


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Review: The Heat is On by Elle Kennedy

The Heat is On by Elle Kennedy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

What is it about these SEAL men that just luv threesomes……okay, they do it one time and then realize that no, it’s a onetime thing…because….they really just want to be with the one person they love!!!!!!!!!!!

So I guess they do it one time just to check it out….right!!!!! Of course there have been one or two exceptions…..like Carson & Holly and Becker &

I wasn’t really crazy about Matt in the previous stories…..but I hoped I would kind of warm up to him. I am sorry to say that I didn’t…..he just did nothing for me here.
I love this series for the characters, because after all, the plots are pretty much the same. If I engage with the mc’s…the book does it for me….but I just not could get myself around Matt and Savannah’s story.
Matt, the commitment "avoider" who finally meets a woman who changes all that for him. Savannah does not do relationships, she just does flings………..and here we go on another trip whether the hero does everything……………….possible to get the woman of his dreams…even if he agrees to a threesome….oh, he’s done that before, but not with the woman he luvs…….that’s different..no sharing mate!!! But she wants it…..so what else can a man do!!!!! Agree, naturally….and he’s going to be agreeing to it for a looooong time coming!!!

Savannah was a bit too much for me….slut….no who am I to judge…but she was so shallow…..and loud and me me me……….. I honestly tried to like her...but.....

The sex scenes were of course super hot and super sizzling and super good as always in this series.
Oh yes, I did love Aidan in this story……I am totally into this guy…….can’t wait for his story!!!!!!!!!


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Review: Heat It Up by Elle Kennedy

Heat It Up by Elle Kennedy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Lieutenant Thomas Becker, the new leader of legendary SEAL Team Fifteen. Is not a very social being…rather he keeps to himself…you know those loner and silent types!!! But wow…who would have guessed that under that hot, ripped sexy body ……..….ooh….an intense and passionate man!!!ane Harrison is a woman I totally identify with. She’s gorgeous….of course…sexy, smart, career-orientated and bold and totally up-front.
Absolute total opposites, right??? Would one ever think that these two would connect????
Here’s a guy, who has just divorced his very career-minded wife and a woman who just happens to be totally into her career as a journalist…..why would he want to meet up with the same type of woman that he has just escaped from???
Allright, she’s a gorgeous and intelligent and sexy woman, who happens to turn him on the first time they meet…… and okay he can’t resist …the intense and hot encounter whilst stranded with her in an elevator...what a luck that they were the only ones inside……..you see, opportunity knocks when you lesst expect it!!!!!
No, definitely no……yes, that’s exactly what he tells Jane when she propositions him…no, I did not get it wrong…..they had the passionate “moment”…he said NOafter that!!!!
Jane does not believe in NO!!! See why she’s such a fab woman!!!
She perseveres and does not give up on this gorgeous specimen!!! Naturally, she gets into his head and into other places……so okay, he will just have some fun with her, get her out of his system, and have some wild and hot sex and then move on to finding his “right” kind of woman.
The dialogue is witty and sparkles and you can’t help having a smile on your face as you follow these two lovable characters on their little “trip” of discovery!!!!
In the end, Jane might be that strong and dominant one but does Becker show her who the master is in the bedroom. Raw, hot and so sexy!!!!
And how great to see more of the characters from the previous stories……..the guys are still giving advice to their teammates and their women have also now become members of the advice-giving group….Carson and Holly have experience so why not share some good tips……

"So, why were you stir crazy? Did you get in a fight with that sexy-as-sin redhead you were with the other day?"
"Not really." He gave a noncommittal shrug.
"Then why the hell aren't you with her?"
Holly suddenly poked her head into the living room. "With who?" she said, looking super interested.
"Are you gossiping? If so, I want to know everything."
"I'm giving the Lieutenant love advice, babe. Mind your own business."
"Oh God," she said with a groan. "Thomas, don't listen to him. He's terrible at giving advice."
Becker found himself grinning as Holly bounced back into the room, her green eyes flashing with curiosity. She flopped down on the armchair across from the couch, leaned forward and narrowed her eyes at Becker. "Okay, tell me everything. I'm much better at this kind of thing. Who is she?"

I am truly immersed into this series and this is one great book!


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Review: Heat of Passion by Elle Kennedy

Heat of Passion by Elle Kennedy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Heat of Passion is the 2nd book in the Out of Uniform series, and it’s a delightful, engaging, funny and passionate story of the gorgeous and sexy bad boy Seal Carson Scott, who is tired of one night stands….liar liar….what do you call what you did in the club closet with Jessica aka Holly?????Not that I blame her…I entirely understand….Carson Scott is totally irresistible!!!!!

So, now tired of his slutty ways and dreaming and thinking of “that” night of passion-filled night and realizing he will never see the “girl of his dreams” again, he’s feeling very despondent attending Garrett and Shelby’s wedding (he’s one of the best men…he had to be..Remember he and the bridal couple had one hot threesome some time ago!!!)

He turned back to his teammates. “Isn’t it the duty of the best man to screw the maid of honor? Why am I deprived of the privilege?”
“Because you’ve already screwed the bride,” Junior Lieutenant Will Charleston pointed out, finally joining the conversation.

….when suddenly…wow………there she is….THE WOMAN!!! Cute, sassy and adorable and lovable Holly

We follow Carson as he tries his darnest to break her defenses….he wants a serious relationship…yep….no more threesomes…he does not want to share Holly with ANYONE…..she just wants a fling……hell, her last relationship was bad enough for her not to want to get involved emotionally with any man.
But he’s a SEAL….and they never give up once they’ve made their decision!!!! Plus, a man like him……..no way can a woman ever resist him forever. I really enjoyed their interaction. And of course their sexy and sizzling “come-togethers.”
Another thing I am enjoying in this series is the relationship between the members of the Seal Team Fifteen. They have become strong and close friends, who look after each other and naturally play together…at a lot of things!!!! Their banter is absolutely fabulous and so hilarious…..There are so many funny moments and one of them is when Carson is discussing his feelings for Holly with his mate Will -

Will laughed. Jeez, two laughs in the span of ten minutes.
Maybe he was drunk. "Since when do you date?"
"Since now."
The other man nodded wisely. "Ah, so you realized it's time to grow up."
"Something like that."
"And you like this girl?"
"From what I know so far, yeah," he admitted.
Will gave a careless shrug. "Then have sex with her."
"Did you not just hear a word I said?" Carson said in frustration.
"Sure I did. But the way I see it, it's your in. Call her up, tell her you're up for a fling, and then slowly work on her to try the dating thing."
"She was pretty determined to do the fling thing, man."
"Then change her mind. You're a SEAL, she's a cute little waif. How hard could it be?

Exactly Carson………you’re a SEAl!!!! Persevere!!!
And another scene that just so did it for me…….Carson is totally “shaken” by seeing Holly (she’s the wedding caterer) and has gone totally into another world…..at the wrong time I think….when the priest asks if there is anyone who objects to Garrett and Shelby’s union……

Garrett and Shelby instantly swiveled their heads in his direction, shock clearly etched in their faces.
"What? No," Carson said quickly, keeping his voice low. He turned to the preacher. "No. I'm not speaking. I'm forever holding my peace. These two belong together. Please, just go on."
"I'm going to kick your ass for this," Garrett muttered before turning his attention back to the ceremony.
Shelby just glared at him.
Fuck. Wonderful. Now everyone and their mother would think Carson objected to this union. Damn caterer and her broken bra.

I was rather surprised that this story ended so quickly. Just when I was kind of engaging with the characters…POW…the end!! I would have liked this story to have been a bit longer, but I am guessing will be seeing more of this couple in the next books.
So far, great world building here. I can’t wait for more and more and more of these gorgeous SEALS!!!!


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Review: What She Doesn't Know by Beverly Barton

What She Doesn't Know by Beverly Barton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this book. I started reading just before going to bed….bad mistake….I ended up reading until 5am…..because??? I couldn’t put the book down!! What a roller-coaster ride!!!

A fast paced, tension filled plot set in the small, hot and sultry town of Sumarville, Mississippi, where the blue-blooded Desmonds and Royale families are forced to confront their hidden secrets. Lies, mystery, secret desires , fear, murder, misguided loyalties, greed, lust, sex , sensuality…….. antebellum mansions, bourbon, fast cars, gorgeous men and women…hell, it’s like a fabulicious southern soap opera!! It has everything for making of a great movie!!!
A quick breakdown…..Jolie Royale, age 14 had survived the massacre at her home, Belle Rose, where her mother, aunt and a worker had been savagely murdered. After being away for the last 20 years, she returns to attend her father’s funeral.

Confronted by her stepbrother, Max Devereaux, whose mother married her father just a year after her own mother’s death and the family and friends she had left behind, she’s soon faced with wanting to discover the truth about that horrific massacre those years ago.
Blonde, sensual, career minded and bent on revenge!!! Her resentment, anger, and her need to find the truth and justice, she joins forces with Max, even though she does not trust him entirely.
The character development is spectacular. I loved the slow build-up in the protagonist’s relationship and the sexually charged and explosive chemistry between the two.
Each breaking down the barriers and assumptions they had built around themselves. Their sensual and erotic moments together …incredibly sexy….

Chere, Max is some hot and dark and dangerous and gorgeous southern gentleman!!!
And then…there are all these secondary characters that just get under your skin…. and love stories that are interwoven so skillfully into the plot that just add to the enjoyment of every page you turn.

My favourite - the endearing, lovable, ditzy, caring Aunt Clarice, with her Harley-riding hippie “beau”….had me thinking of the actor Sam Eliott..I loved the scene where the 60 year old Clarice, fully decked out with her bike helmet arriving back home after a hot date with her biker..

..

It was just one of the many tender moments we get with this duo. And let me not forget that these two have some hot and sizzling sex…. I fell in love with her from the beginning.
Georgette, Max’s mother and Jolie’s much hated stepmother…I so felt for her….she’s like one of those lovely, fey, needy women, who you just want to take care of. Mallory, Max and Jolie’s half-sister….who is having a hard time facing her father’s death. Her interaction with the family is a total blast. Never mind that at first I thought her to be a bit of a brat and what…..is this with the transient town bad boy!!! But in the end, she did redeem herself!!!!
The rich and vivid imagery, evoke hot and lazy afternoons sipping mint juleps under the magnolia trees, sparkling dialogue, unexpected twists and turns that keep you guessing who the villain right until the end. , move the story in such a way that it held my interest right to the last page.
And the epilogue…….absolutely AMAZING!!!!! It just made such a beautiful ending to this story.

If you love romance, suspense, mystery, endearing and quirky characters, then this is the one book for you.

And I still think it would make a great TV min-series……….The Lives of the Desmonds & the Royales& the Deveraux’s of Belle Rose

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