Romance Book Review: Melanie Shawn's Hope Falls Series Bundle: Vol. 2

Author: Melanie Shawn

Series Connection: Hope Falls Series Bundle: Vol. 2, Books 4-8 (#1 Snow Angel, #2 Snow Days, #3 Snowed In, #4 Let It Snow)

Genre: Contemporary Series Romance, Erotic Romance

Publisher: Red Hot Reads

Purchase Link: Amazon

Spent the last week reading the next installment of the Hope Falls Series by Melanie Shawn. This series bundle feature the Maguire siblings, Eric, Amy, Nikki and Jake and how they find their happier ever after. This series includes Let It Snow, Jake and Tessa's, story. Within these four books, Eric and Lily's story is my favorite adding a little action with all the love going on. 

Snow Days features Amy and Matt's story bringing a lot of emotion to the series as Matt works on dealing the the loss of his wife and moving on and finding love with Amy. 

And Nikki's story matches her with one of People's sexiest men and an ex who doesn't want to let him go. 

Those who like series romance will enjoy this series set in small town California Sierra Mountains.  

Description:

Book #1: Snow Angel 

He is looking towards the future… 

Newly appointed Chief of Police Eric Maguire is sexy, single, and not ready to mingle. Tired of casual hook-ups and meaningless affairs, Eric is ready for something real. When a mysterious dark-haired beauty moves in next door, Eric knows he’s found exactly what he’s been missing. 

She is running from her past… 

Lily Sotelo just got the break of a lifetime choreographing for pop star Karina Black’s winter tour. As important as it is that she does an amazing job, it’s equally as important that she remains anonymous. Which shouldn’t be a problem. She’s spent the last ten years on the move, never letting anyone get too close. Until now. Her new neighbor is as persistent as he is sexy and is making Lily want things she knows she can’t have. 

Book #2: Snow Days 

She wanted to feel pleasure… 

After twenty-nine years, high school English teacher Amy Maguire realizes something is missing in her life…passion. Always one to tackle a problem head on, Amy makes a plan to remedy her situation. Phase One: find a suitable candidate. Phase Two: experience passion. Simple. Right? Except after countless dates she hasn’t once felt that spark, that chemistry. That is until the sexy new History teacher walks into her classroom… 

He wanted to forget pain… 

Matt Kellan knows he’ll never love again. After tragically losing his wife five years ago, Matt has been in a holding pattern. Every woman he meets wants to fill a void that he knows will never be filled. Until he meets Amy. Her quest to find fulfillment has nothing to do with letting her into his heart…just his bed. 

Passion brought them together. Love may drive them apart. 

Book #3: Snowed In 

The Free-Spirit… 

Nikki Maguire does what she wants, says what she wants, and lives by her own set of rules. She is an intoxicating combination of beauty, sex-appeal and sharp wit that men find irresistible. Unfortunately for them, none have ever come close to holding Nikki’s attention, and settling down is not even on her radar. 

The Politician… 

Sexy Senator Michael Gowan lives under a microscope. As a man of power and influence, he always has to do and say the right thing. Every move he makes is heavily scrutinized. After being named one of People’s 100 Most Beautiful People and landing on countless Most Eligible Bachelor lists, the spotlight on his personal life has never been more intense. But Mike has no interest in love...he doesn’t even believe it exists. 

The Stormy Night… 

Grounded by a snowstorm, they share an anonymous night of passion and connection, both finding what their souls have been missing. But in the light of day, will the illicit high-stakes world of politics cause Nikki to deny her feelings or can Mike convince her that the only place she belongs is with him? 

When the world is against them, will their unlikely love endure? 

Book #4: Let It Snow 

Thirteen years ago…his world fell apart after his soul mate left him in the middle of an unforeseen tragedy that would bind them together forever. Ever since, sexy Fireman Jake Maguire busied himself by putting out fires in buildings and starting them in women, all in an attempt to extinguish the fire she set off in him all those years ago. 

Thirteen years ago…she made the hardest decision of her life. For every tear, every heartache, Tessa Hayes reminded herself that she made that sacrifice out of love. Sweet, caring Tessa always put the interests of others before her own, no matter what the cost. 

She sacrificed her heart for his life. He lived without living. Now they had the chance to mend their broken hearts together...but would Tessa and Jake have the courage to do it?

Romance Book Review: Melanie Shawn's Let It Snow

Author: Melanie Shawn
Series Connection: A Hope Fall Novel
ISBN: N/A
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance
Publisher: Red Hot Reads Publishing

Purchase Link: Amazon

As high school sweethearts, Jake and Tessa as well as everyone else, thought the two would be together forever, until one tragic day separated them for 13 years. Coming back clean up her grandmother's old home and tie up loose ends, Tessa runs right smack into Jake and everything come rushing back to her.

He's everything she remembers, but she knows that she can't come back to the man she has loved forever because they can't have what they dreamed about in the past.

Jake knows he still loves Tessa and he has never been able to replace her, but he can't take the chance of getting involved again because he doesn't want to get his heart broken all over again. Can these two find their way back to each other before Tessa goes back to her old life?

So here's the thing. I love these kinds of books. Sure they are all the same. Old flames meet. Something tragic tore them apart, but that old spark never went out.... yada, yada, yada. Now it is up to the author to make that story just that much different from all the rest that it stands out.

This one was doing quite well. I knew that the story line would make it an emotional journey for the couple. I knew that the "h" had good reason to leave in the first place. She was a little weepy, but she was dealing with a lot so I could excuse it.

The "H" was another story. I kind of understood in the beginning where he was going. I loved his brother for talking sense into Jake a few times. And then at the end he goes and blows it for me. I really hated how the two get their HEA. I would of love to see his brother hit him over the head and talk sense into him one more time. I total lost respect for the "H". You'll have to read and make the decision yourself.

Because of that it brought my review of the book down from a 4 heart to a 3 heart review. But don't count out the series because of this one book. I've read several of the 12 book series. All can be read alone and several are very good.


Description:

Thirteen years ago...his world fell apart after his soul mate left him in the middle of an unforeseen tragedy that would bind them together forever. Ever since, sexy Fireman Jake Maguire busied himself by putting out fires in buildings and starting them in women, all in an attempt to extinguish the fire she set off in him all those years ago.

Thirteen years ago...she made the hardest decision of her life. For every tear, every heartache, Tessa Hayes reminded herself that she made that sacrifice out of love. Sweet, caring Tessa always put the interests of others before her own, no matter what the cost.

She sacrificed her heart for his life. He lived without living. Now they had the chance to mend their broken hearts together...but would Tessa and Jake have the courage to do it?

**Author's Note: Can be read as a stand-alone. No cliffhanger**

Cherry Adair's new coloring books to go with her T-FLAC series

Got to love an author who works as hard as Cherry Adair to get the word out about her books. Adult coloring books have really been a recent hit and I just noticed that Cherry Adair released a two volume coloring book set that features drawings the depict scenes from her T-FLAC series.

T-FLAC Passport Coloring Book

Author: Cherry Adair

Designer: David Wilkinson

Purchase Link: Amazon

Description:

Stimulate your senses and let your imagination soar with the intriguing international locales of my T-FLAC spies. Carefully selected images depict the veritable calm preceding the storms I create in my novels. The drawings are scenes of that quick flash in time that exists before all hell breaks loose. Let your creativity flow as you de-stress by travelling safely to Amazon jungles, or as you float down Venice’s Grand Canal in a gondola. Pluck a fresh, juicy peach from a corner produce stand as you walk the streets of Amsterdam, with sunlight sparkling on the canals. Color your sky at sunset, or the sun-soaked blue of high noon, or fill it with your own wildly creative designs. Color a calm village square, or line the cobbled street with your own clay pots spilling vibrant red geraniums. Hide a cheeky parrot in the myriad of greens in your jungle, or let a flight of purple butterflies loose over the trees. Here you'll find a varied and enticing range of images to colorize, embellish, and make your own. T-FLAC's Passport Coloring Book will delight and entertain everyone from beginners to advanced colorists. The 51 original designs, printed on one side of the page, will melt away your stress and distractions of the day. When you’re through, you’ll be rewarded with a portfolio of beautiful finished artwork. Color to your heart's content. Remain calm and color yourself Zen - Cherry style.

Romance Book Review: Tori Austin and V.D. Dold's Stefan

Author: V. A. Dold and Tory Austin
Series Connection: Le Beau Series
ISBN: n/a
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Werewolf Romance, Shifter Romance
Publisher: Vickie Dold

Purchase Link: Amazon

Having a bad experience with an older woman has a very young man, Stefan Le Beau, decided long ago that he wasn't going to put his heart into a relationship again. He had a plan and has stuck by it for over a century. Now his has quite a reputation with the ladies. His plans go out the window when he meets his mate, El, but with his reputation and her past Stefan has his worked cut out for him getting his mate to give him the time of day.

El had her own bad experience with men, especially men like Stefan. Rich men, from powerful families. She isn't about to tell Stefan her past and although she is intrigued by his attention and completely turned on, she knows she can't get involved with him.

But Stefan can't let go. He needs his mate and will do whatever he can to get her.

In the meantime, someone is after the Le Beau family and wants to see them hurt however they can.

Where do I start. While I like the series and the story behind it, this book really had some problems for me. Yes we know that El had some problems in her past and needed to work through them, but her treatment toward Stefan really left me hating her. Even with the HEA I'm never going to like her character. Stefan was a little wimpy, I still liked him and respected his patience with her.

More than all that, however was the writing to me wasn't as good as I had read from these authors in the first two books. I was excited when I found this book was out, even though it had been out for over a year. I am a little disappointed, but still have hope for the series and will move on to read Thomas' story.

Description:

NOTE: Complete novel. No cliffhanger. Dual POV. Rated 18+ for language and strong sexual content. This is an adult paranormal romance with erotic content. The series centers on Billionaire Wolf Shifters with plus sized BBW for mates. It also includes vampires, voodoo priestess, a Marine, and magic. These are stand alone books that create a series. They do not need to be read in order. Of course, the story is richer if the books are read in order. 

#1 Cade 

#2 Simon 

#3 Stefan 

#4 Thomas 

#4.5 Cade & Anna 

# 5 Lucas 

El is a beautiful, successful, plus sized woman suffering a debilitating humiliation that has left her hating all handsome, wealthy men exactly like Stefan Le Beau. Unfortunately for Le Beau, she’s known him since she was sixteen and was totally snubbed by him. To her, he’s a hound dog and a man-whore. 

Stefan is a playboy to the extreme with one hard and fast rule: date a woman only once, take her to bed, and be gone before morning. Until El. 

Stefan’s dream of finding his mate comes true when he bids two hundred thousand dollars to win a date with El at Simon’s charity ball. Money well spent in his opinion. 

Now, if she would only talk to him. Or look at him. Or touch him, or…like him. 

Can Stefan convince El he's a reformed man? 

Can El learn to trust a man who is the epitome of what she avoids and could shatter her heart? 

It will require drastic, strategic measures from the entire family to make this mating happen.

Romance Book Review: Claudy Conn's Quicksilver

Author: Claudy Conn

Series Connection: Hungry Moon

ISBN-13: 2940045999137

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Fantasy Romance

Publisher: Smashwords

Purchase Link: Amazon

Ravena's heart is broken when she catches her best friend with her boyfriend. She can do without the cheating boyfriend, but her best friend. She decides to go spend the summer with her father in Scotland, where she meets up with an old friend, Arthur, who asks for her help.

One of Arthur's family members is stuck in a alternate world and unless he can get him out, one of his evil relatives will inherit the family castle when Arthur dies. 

Quinn has been stuck in another world for 75 years with no way to get home. He keeps in touch with Arthur through a magic mirror. Arthur believes that Ravena has the magic within her to get him back, but can she? Ravena has done everything she can to be a normal as possible. She doesn't use her magic or any other secrets she's been born to. She knows just enough that her father and grandmother have taught her over the years, but is it enough to get the man she's falling in love with back before the dark magic takes over the white?

On first look this is a really good book with a few parts that are a little disturbing. For one, this isn't really a stand alone book. There is a HEA, so you could stop there, but why would you. 

I wasn't happy with the villain's last scene at all and would have changed that a bit. 

This book is from 2013 and is currently free on Amazon. A friend is fond of Claudy Conn's stories and sent the link my way to check her out. I think she's worth reading more. 

Description:

Ravena MacAllister doesn’t want to admit what she is. She wants to continue pretending she’s just human … only human, like her mother, like her friends. 

But she isn’t human. 

Heartbreak and betrayal send her off rushing to Scotland, to a familiar haven where she has spent so many summers with her father, but she soon discovers that everything has changed. 

From the moment she meets Quinn MacValdane, shock waves travel through him to her and back again, wrapping them in a tide of passion she had never dreamt possible. But if they are to have a future together, she must confront who and what she is, for she will need to call on the powers within her as she becomes embroiled in an adventure that will alter her life forever.

The time for pretending is over.

Romance Book Review: Nora Rober's Stars of Fortune

Author: Nora Roberts

Series Connection: Guardians Trilogy

ISBN: 978-1410481337

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Berkley

Purchase Link: Amazon

Sasha Riggs has always been a seer, but it has caused her nothing but misery. Lately she's been having dreams of things she doesn't understand. As an artist she tries to get rid of the images, but they won't go away. Desperate she decides to go to where her visions are taking place and see where they take her.

When she arrives in Greece it doesn't take long meet those she's been dreaming about. They find they are each on the same quest. And so this Guardian Series begins. 

Much of this book introduces the story and the characters. These six people are set to find three stars that have fallen to earth, but these aren't just ordinary stars and there's a pretty evil God who is also looking for the stars as well. 

For Sasha this is a completely different world then her life of solitude, but she has found she needs to complete this quest with these people. The group searches for the first star on a Greek island, but that isn't the only exciting thing happening for Sasha, one of those she's met is Bran Killian. Bran describes himself as a magician, but he is much more. 

It has been a while since I've picked up a Nora Roberts book and the theme of this one sounded so familiar but although similar it so far is different from "Morrigain's Cross" from the Circle Trilogy. NR likes the three couple three stories concept. 

As with many stories that follow this concept, the first book spends a lot of time setting the scene and storyline, as well as giving everyone a chance to get to know all the characters. In some ways that's a good way to go when writing books, but it makes it hard to get to know the couple involved in the first romance. It seems like a big flaw in this case. I really couldn't get into Sasha and Bran as a couple. Throughout the book we get a good impression on who Sasha is, but not really Bran and beyond bedroom scenes.

Otherwise the book has good drawn out action scenes, interesting plot line and for the most part interesting characters. 

On one personal note: In previous books where she's had Irish heroes I've always enjoyed the use of the Irish accent in her writing. I didn't really see much of that this time. I could tell she gave him a little accent and changed some of his conversation, but not as much as in the past. 

Description:

Sasha Riggs is a reclusive artist, haunted by dreams and nightmares that she turns into extraordinary paintings. Her visions lead her to the Greek island of Corfu, where five others have been lured to seek the legendary fire star, part of an ancient prophecy. Sasha recognizes them, because she has drawn them: a magician, an archaeologist, a wanderer, a fighter, a loner. All on a quest. All with secrets.

Sasha is the one who holds them together—the seer. And in the magician, Bran Killian, she sees a man of immense power and compassion. As Sasha struggles with her rare ability, Bran is there to support her, challenge her, and believe in her.

When a dark threat looms, the six must use their combined powers—including trust, unity, and love—to find the fire star and keep the world on course.