Monthly Archives: February 2025

JUST TROUBLE (Carpe Diem Cafe 1) by Deborah Cooke -review

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JUST TROUBLE (Carpe Diem Cafe 1) by Deborah Cooke -review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 18, 2025

If I recognize trouble when I see it, it’s because I grew up with a huge crush on my best friend’s older brother, Luke Jones. Born with sinful good looks and enough charm to talk himself out of almost any situation, he’s always been a rebel with attitude to spare—as well as gorgeous, reckless and dangerous for good girls like me to know. Though he’s found fame, fortune and all the fan-girls with his band, Luke remains the star of all my secret fantasies.

But now, he’s back—one sizzling look is enough to set my world on fire— and he wants a favor. (From me!) Time to make the world a better place, Luke says, but I recognize half a story when I hear one. Does it really matter? I need to ditch this crush before it’s too late for me to fall in love for real and find my own happy ending. Luke doesn’t need to know that it’ll be more than a favour for me. He also won’t linger in the sleepy little town of Empire, and when Luke leaves this time, he’ll be gone forever.

The problem is that the other half of the story is the kind of revelation that hooks me hard. Luke’s on a quest to right old wrongs, and making the world a better place is pretty much my theme song. Am I crazy to hope for more from the man who has only ever committed to his music? By the time I learn the whole truth, will my heart be lost forever? For once, though, I’m not going to play it safe. Win or lose, my time to seize the moment is now.

•••••

REVIEW: JUST TROUBLE is the first instalment in Deborah Cooke’s contemporary, adult CARPE DIEM CAFE romance series. This is rock star Luke Jones and attorney Daphne Bradshaw’s story line.

Told from three first person perspectives (Luke, Daphne, Sylvia) JUST TROUBLE focuses on the return of rock star Luke Jones to his home town of Empire, Ontario. After the death of his band mate Taylor Tate, Luke lost his way, lost his muse and struggled going forward with the grief and guilt of his best friend’s demise but his return to Empire comes with a series of requests, and acts of contrition, in an effort to help the people he wronged along the way. Luke’s first stop is to attorney Daphne Bradshaw, with the hope of setting into motion the purchase of several properties and pieces of land, properties and land owned by someone who is refusing to sell. With the help of our story line heroine, Luke begins a slow revival of a town destroyed by one man’s greed, and in doing so, Luke is hoping to prove he is a changed man, a man worthy of his own happily ever after.

The world building follows several paths including Luke’s need to make amends for sins of the past; his need to prove he is much more then the blood that flows through his veins; and his growing love for a woman who has been burned in the past.

The relationship between Luke and Daphne is a friends to frenemies to lovers relationship in which Daphne struggles with Luke’s rock star reputation, and the fact that he is only in Empire for a limited time. Battling between head and heart, Daphne refuses to lose her heart to a man whose lifestyle is unlike her own but a man who is slowly breaking down her walls. The $ex scenes are passionate but often fades to black or are mostly implied.

The secondary and supporting characters are energetic and dynamic. We are introduced to Daphne’s father and fellow attorney Richard Bradshaw; Luke’s brother Mike, and their father Patrick Cavendish; Chef Sylvia Kincaid and her daughter Sierra; and new restaurateur Merrie.

JUST TROUBLE is a story of grief and loss, power and control, secrets and lies, acceptance and love. The premise is captivating and engaging; the romance seductive and impassioned; the characters are charismatic and charming.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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TEXTING DR. STALKER by Pepper Winters-review

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💀 TEXTING DR. STALKER by Pepper Winters-review 💀

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 16, 2025

I have a stalker.
A masked man who watches me from the shadows. A guardian who says he’s there to protect me—to help me heal from almost dying at the hands of another man.
He says he’s willing to do anything to help me move on. That I needn’t be afraid of him.
I agree to keep him my secret and share how much I’m truly struggling.
In return, he guards me. Even if it means guarding me from himself.

I’ve known her my entire life.
She’s the girl next door who I share a childhood betrothal with thanks to our two grandmothers wishing to turn their lifelong friendship into family.
I’m also the doctor who tended to her in the ER after her ex tried to kill her. I want to help her in any way I can, but I also know she’ll never accept my help because I’m the reason he tried to kill her in the first place.
But I can’t stand by and see her suffer, so…I come up with a plan.
A highly illegal plan that ends with me breaking laws, rules, and my own heart…

•••••

REVIEW: TEXTING DR. STALKER by Pepper Winters is a contemporary, adult, erotic, stalker romance focusing on twenty-nine year old, Dr. Alexander ‘Zander’ ‘X’ North, and twenty-three year old Sailor Rose.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Zander and Sailor) TEXTING DR. STALKER follows in the wake of a physical assault against our story line heroine. Sailor’s now ex-boyfriend sent her to the ER with near-fatal injuries, and in the ensuing time Sailor would find herself with not one but two presumed protectors in the guise of her neighbor Dr. Zander North, and a mystery man known only as X but all is not as it appears to be and Sailor will be caught in a game of deception and duplicity as she begins to fall not only for her faceless guardian, but the neighbor she has known all of her life.

The world building focuses on the disturbing actions of a man who claims he was only trying to help. Zander and Sailor have known each other most of their lives but Zander struggled with his attraction and need to protect, therefore ‘inventing’ a persona that would claim to be guardian and protector of the woman with whom he had fallen in love.

The relationship between Zander and Sailor is a childhood friends to stalker to frenemies to lovers in which Zander aka X proclaims himself guardian and protector of the woman who stole his heart years before but Zander‘s need to remain anonymous grew exponentially until the two sides of Zander began to compete for the affections of our story line heroine. Sailor having fallen in love with stranger, struggled with her attraction to the reality that lived next door. The $ex scenes are intimate and provocative.

We are introduced to Sailor’s best friend Lily: Zander’s best friend and fellow physician Dr. Colin Marx, and Zander’s sisters Christina and Jolie.

TEXTING DR. STALKER is a story of secrets and lies, power and control, mystery and obsession, acceptance and love. The premise is dramatic and edgy; the romance is questionable yet bewitching; the characters are broken, determined and dynamic.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Pepper Winters is a multiple New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestseller.

After chasing her dreams to become a full-time writer, Pepper has earned recognition with awards for best Dark Romance, best BDSM Series, and best Hero. She’s an multiple #1 Apple Books bestseller, along with #1 in Erotic Romance, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary, and Romance Thriller.

Pepper currently has close to 40 books released in nine languages. She’s hit best-seller lists almost 40 times, is a self-confessed hermit, yoga convert, has a house rabbit, six horses, and a long suffering husband.

To learn more about Pepper please visit: www.pepperwinters.com where she regularly posts videos of behind the scenes writing, horses, books, and more.

STALK Pepper: Website | Pinterest | Facebook | Twitter | Blog | Goodreads / Amazon Author / Instagram / Bookbub / Verve

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ROYAL HEART (Black Rose Auction 6) by Nana Malone-review tour

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ROYAL HEART (Black Rose Auction 6) by Nana Malone-review tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/4g85Jh6

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 25, 2025

Damon Hunt, the world’s most ruthless thief, wants my skills for a dangerous job. Worse, he wants me…as his wife.
When Damon Hunt—the thief my father trained instead of me, his protégé, the same one responsible for his death—strolled back into my life after years, I shot first and asked questions later.
Then he had the nerve to ask for my help to recover the stolen Royal Heart, a Winston Isles Crown Jewel, from the underground Black Rose Auction.
Despite how I used to feel about him, I see him for who he really is. And I’m not getting sucked back into the world that cost me everything. Not to mention, I’m not a damn thief.
I’ve built my career at a recovery firm, avoiding the field. I might be the best safecracker around, but I won’t go back to my private hell.
Until Damon dangles the one thing I can’t resist, the man who shot my father.
The catch? We have to pose as husband and wife to infiltrate the auction and steal back the Royal Heart for the Winston Isles.
Navigating the underground deals brings back old wounds and undeniable attraction. Damon is like a beast from my past—dangerous, captivating, and hiding secrets behind his fierce exterior. I have to decide if I’m falling for the monster who broke my heart—or the man determined to win it back.

••••••

REVIEW: ROYAL HEART by Nana Malone is the sixth and final instalment in the contemporary adult, romantic BLACK ROSE AUCTION multi-authored suspense series. This is professional thief Damon Hunt, and analyst Ari Denton’s story line. ROYAL HEART can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the other story lines is revealed where necessary (all of the instalments will be released on the same day). Several characters from Nana Malone’s Winston Isles Royals series cross over for cohesion and familiarity.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Daman and Ari) ROYAL HEART follows former childhood friends as they are forced to work together in an effort to steal back the ROYAL HEART, A Winston Isles Crown Jewel. Weeks before his brother Prince Sebastian’s wedding, Prince Lucas discovers the Royal Heart is a forgery, and is desperate to retrieve the original jewel. GT Securities has been hired to reclaim the stolen property, and Galen Trent brings in professional thief Damon Hunt who knows of only one woman able to help with the job. Enter Ari Denton, Damon’s former mentor’s only child, and the woman Damon has loved most of his life but years earlier, while on a job, Ari’s dad Paul Denton was murdered, and Ari blames Damon for the death of her father. Working together may prove to be a problem as Ari and Damon must pose as a married couple, hoping to ‘buy’ the Black Heart jewel at the Black Rose auction, only to come face to face with the man who started it all.

The world building focuses on the past; the search and recovery of a crown jewel, and the rekindling relationship between our story line couple. While Ari Denton blames Damon Hunt for the death of her father, Damon refuses to reveal the truth in an effort to protect the woman he loves.

The relationship between Damon and Ari is one of second chances, of a sorts. Ari was never a part of Damon and her father’s world of high end thievery, and in this, Ari has watched from the sidelines as her fathered mentored someone else. Desperate to prove he is worthy of a second chance, Damon’s slow seduction of Ari is aided with their masquerade as a married couple. The $ex scenes are erotic, and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The secondary and supporting characters include Winston Isles Royals Penny Walsh (Cheeky Royal /Cheeky King) and Prince Lucas (Royal Bastard/ Bastard Prince): Security specialist Galen Trent owner and head of GT securities. The requisite evil has many faces.

ROYAL HEART is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, forgiveness and acceptance, relationships and love. The premise is intriguing and entertaining; the romance is fated and provocative; the characters are desperate and charismatic.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Nana Malone

Follow: Goodreads / Website/ Amazon Author/ Bookbub/ Facebook/ Twitter/ Instagram /

USA Today bestseller Nana Malone’s love of all things romance and adventure started with a tattered romantic suspense she “borrowed” from her cousin.

It was a sultry summer afternoon in Ghana, and Nana was a precocious thirteen. She’s been in love with kick butt heroines ever since. With her overactive imagination, and channeling her inner Buffy, it was only a matter a time before she started creating her own characters.

While she waits for her chance at a job as a ninja assassin, in the meantime Nana works out her drama, passion, and sass with fictional characters every bit as sassy and kick butt as she thinks she is

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The Drummer’s Heart by Penelope Ward-review tour

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The Drummer’s Heart by Penelope Ward-review tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au / B&N paper/

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 25, 2025

Don’t say her name.
That was the one rule my bandmates followed, because they knew how much it messed me up to think about her, especially on tour.
My ex, Nicole.
The one who got away and the woman who still owned every piece of my heart.
After our divorce, I threw myself into the rock scene, trying to forget my heartbreak.
Three years after we split, a phone call from Nicole changed everything.
She told me her grandmother wasn’t doing well.
Mimi was still family to me, and she apparently had one wish before dying: to spend time with us—Nicole and me.
With Mimi’s caretaker away on vacation, it would be the ideal time for us to move in with her for a couple of weeks.
Of course, I couldn’t refuse.
But there was a catch.
Nicole apparently never told her that we’d gotten a divorce.
She hadn’t believed Mimi could handle it, because her grandmother loved me so much.
So, not only would I have to see Nicole again, but I’d be pretending to still be her husband.
Two weeks in a tiny house in a small town with the woman who broke my heart. Or was it me who broke hers?
It was complicated.
And it was about to be a heck of a lot more complicated sharing one bed in the guest room with a woman who wasn’t mine anymore.

••••

REVIEW:THE DRUMMER’S HEART by Penelope Ward is a contemporary, adult , erotic, romance story line set in the author’s THE ROCKER’S MUSE world. This is thirty-four year old, Delirious Jones drummer Atticus Marchetti, and thirty-one year old, hair stylist Nicole Marchetti’s story line. THE DRUMMER’S HEART can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Atticus and Nicole) using present day and memories from the past, THE DRUMMER’S HEART follows the second chance romance and relationship between our story line couple. Approximately fifteen years earlier, Atticus Marchetti fell in love with the woman he would one day marry but the success of the band, and the possibility of life on the road, would tear the couple apart. Fast forward to present day, the couple have now been divorced for three years but Nicole needs a favor from Atticus, and two weeks together would bring back memories from the past and feelings that had never been buried. As the band prepares for their upcoming tour, Nicole has both good and bad news, and Atticus is prepared to reclaim our heroine as his own.

The world building focuses on the rekindling relationship; the past betrayals and heart breaking admissions; the future of each member of the group, and the next direction for the band.

The relationship between Atticus and Nicole is one of second chances. Atticus has never stopped loving the woman who stole his heart years before; Nicole must come to terms with what happened and why. As Atticus struggles to prove they are worthy of a second chance, Nicole struggles with the memories of the past. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The secondary and supporting characters include the return of band members Rona, Tristan and Emily (The Rocker’s Muse), as well as the introduction of Nicole’s ‘Mimi’; Atticus’ sister Tina, and niece Kenzie.

THE DRUMMER’S HEART is a story of love and loss, family and friendships, forgiveness and love. The premise is emotional and captivating, and a little bit twisty; the romance is fated and uplifting; the characters are determined and charismatic .

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one THE ROCKER’S MUSE

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a more family-friendly career. She is the proud mother of a beautiful 11-year-old girl with autism and a 9-year-old boy. Penelope and her family reside in Rhode Island.

Facebook | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads | Private Fan Group

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Little Goddess (Black Resorts 3) by Layla Frost-review

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Little Goddess (Black Resorts 3) by Layla Frost-review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

If three’s a crowd, then what’s four?

A happily ever after.

All my life, my parents bounced around hippie communes, dragging me along for the shroom-fueled ride. When they announced we were moving again, I expected more of the same—group cabins, rundown shacks, or flimsy yurts. But Eternal Sun was nothing like the other places. It was a dream come true.

Until that dream plummeted into a nightmare.

When the leader of the luxurious wellness center shared where I fit into his prophecy, I was forced to run away from everything I knew and loved—including my parents. I landed a coveted job at Black Resorts and got my first taste of a normal life.

It was also where I met Cole, Marco, and Freddy.

A hot tech nerd, a mountain of a bodyguard, and a cocky chef who was also my boss. Three very different men who made me feel an intense attraction I’d never experienced before.

But then Eternal Sun stole them from me, too.

Or so I thought.

Because when things went from bad to worse, they were back. Taking care of me. Hovering over me. Annoying the hell out of me.

I tried to keep my distance. When that didn’t work, I ignored them. They didn’t let that happen, either. The longer I spent with the three possessive men, the harder it was to choose. But I had to….

Right?

•••••

REVIEW: It’s over and I am sad! Little Goddess is the third and final installment in the Black Resort series by the ever talented Layla Frost. Each book can be read as a standalone in the series, but I do recommend reading them in order. Triggers warnings early, this is a why choose romance with a bi-awakening, if that isn’t your thing, best not to read. If it is; buckle up Buttercup, it’s a wild ride!

Callie has lived a rough life, escaping a cult and now trying to make her way in Las Vegas, things aren’t going the best. Growing up and having to not only take care of herself but her parents as well didn’t leave her much time to herself, and let’s face it living in a cult isn’t the norm. When she finally has had all she can take, and goes out on her own, she finds herself working for who you guess? That’s right, funny and sweet Freddy, the Chef at the Black Resort kitchen.

Freddy and Callie hit it off right off the bat and their interactions cooking together are sweet and kind and maybe even a little flirty. While Freddy starts to develop feelings for Callie he is also struggling with his feelings for his best friend, and a secret crush he doesn’t dare tell another soul about.

-Que dramatic music-

Cole is one of the few men Maximo trusts (we all remember Daddy Max right, previous book) and Cole takes that seriously. Change is happening and poor Cole is taking hit after hit, he hates being alone, even more so now that he has moved out of the pool house, his internal turmoil over his attraction to Freddy, and then finish it off with his growing attraction to Freddy’s new employee. Poor man is living in his own personal hell. Oh and then Marco, beasty, built like a freight train, Marco. This man is the living personification of built for protection, one look at Callie and he is gone for her.

When it comes to light that all three guys are trying for Callie’s attention; they do what all guys do when it comes to more than one of them wanting the same thing. They compete, well kinda. This doesn’t last long as Callie has feelings for all of them, and Freddy and Cole also have feelings for each other. Drama and chaos ensues but oh what a book it makes.

For writing a why-choose for the first time, Ms. Layla you have knocked our socks off! The Black Resort series varies with its genres but for Little Goddess to produce a Why-Choose with an MM romance as well was such a great way to end the series. Callie, Cole, Freddy and Marco have a dynamic that works so well; Freddy and Cole share this spicy yet soft connection that brings a great add on to their relationship with Callie. And don’t count Marco out now, he may not be into guys, but he IS all about Callie, and I think that works about perfect for their little quad group. Callie grew up without much love, so for her to receive love, attention and protection from these men, it makes my heart just flutter.

There is so much more I could add, but alas, the page only holds so many words. For fans of this author and the Why-Choose genre, get, read it, love it!

Click HERE for Sarah’s review of book two LITTLE SUNSHINE

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sarah

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Growing up, Layla Frost used to hide under her blanket with a flashlight to read the Sweet Valley High books she pilfered from her older sister. It wasn’t long before she was reading hidden Harlequins during class at school. This snowballed into pulling all-nighters after the promise of “just one more chapter”.

Her love of reading, especially the romance genre, took root early and has grown immeasurably until it was time to write her own stories.

When she’s not writing, Layla Frost is an insomniac with a deep love of iced coffee, tchotchkes, plants, and her hens. She’s also the world’s okayest mom, but her kids think she’s cool… ish.

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RIO’S RELEASE (Saint’s Outlaws MC Las Cruces #1) by Nicole James

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RIO’S RELEASE (Saint’s Outlaws MC Las Cruces NM #1) by Nicole James-review tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK : Release Date February 24, 2025

The MC President and the innocent girl who brought him to his knees. A tale of obsession, revenge and redemption.

Las Cruces, New Mexico…
The sun rises over the rugged mountains to the east and sets over the muddy Rio Grande River to the west.
An hour from the Tex/Mex border, it was a quiet town until the rumble of our motorcycles rolled in and we took control.
Now the Saint’s Outlaws run this town and everything in it. No one does business without the MC’s okay. We take a cut of everything, and in exchange, we offer protection. If you need something, you come to us.
We own the law, we own the mayor, and if you come to our town, we’ll own you, too.

Rio—
As enforcer of the Saint’s Outlaws’ Mother Chapter, I was sent to Las Cruces, NM to set up a drug connection with the Mexican cartel. When the deal went south, and the drugs and money were stolen, I made sure our chapter got its money back. The personal cost to me was high, and I spent ten long years in prison for my MC.

Now I’m going back to the town that convicted me and sent me away.
With the blessing of our Saints Outlaws mother chapter and with those brothers brave enough to join me,I ’m going to set up my own chapter, take the town over and make it ours.

Revenge will be mine, and it will be sweet. Las Cruces, I’m coming for you. And them I’m coming for the sweet angel who testified against me.

•••••

REVIEW: RIO’S RELEASE is the first instalment in Nicole James’ contemporary, adult SAINTS OUTLAWS MC: LAS CRUCES NM erotic, MC romance series, a part of the multi-authored / multi-chapter Saints Outlaws MC series. This is MC President Dalton ‘Rio’ McBride, and Shelby Lynch’s story line.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Rio and Shelby) following two time-lines, RIO’S RELEASE follows several paths including the relationship between Rio and Shelby, and the start up of the Las Cruces NM chapter of the Saint’s Outlaws MC. Approximately nine years earlier, Rio took the fall for a bank robbery that spiralled out of control but for the first several years of his incarceration, he would correspond by mail with the young woman who testified against him. Fast forward to present day, Rio is released, and starts a new chapter of the Saints Outlaws MC, in the town where he last saw the woman with whom he will fall in love but Shelby Lynch has moved, and the town is now controlled by corrupt law enforcement and a DA on the take. Having found the woman that controls his heart, Rio will discover not all is as it appears to be, and the MC has been targeted by a rival MC.

The world building follows several pathways including the establishment of the MC; the building romance and relationship between Rio and Shelby; the protection of a town controlled by corruption and power; and the creation of friendships including a local pecan farmer and his grateful family.

The relationship between Rio and Shelby begins by a chance meeting that will see immediate recognition in a bank robbery that goes all to h*ll.Rio feels a connection to the woman who testified against him, a woman whose secrets are heart breaking and dark. As Rio begins his seduction of Shelby, our heroine struggles with the demons from her past. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to the Las Cruces NM chapter of the Saint’s Outlaws MC including treasurer and secretary Bandit; Road Captain Mauler; VP Zig, Road Captain Blue, and Enforcer Bagger, as well as Shelby’s best friend Jenny, Aunt Fanny, diner waitress Dolly, Deputy Carson, Sheriff Torres and the Sanchez family. Blue’s story line is next.

RIO’S RELEASE is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, abuse and negligence, family and friendships, relationships and love. The premise is dramatic and edgy; the characters are determined, animated and dynamic.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Nicole James is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author who loves writing about hot alpha men who’ll do anything for the women they love! Her stories are filled with struggle, conflict and real human emotion. She is the author of the Evil Dead MC series, the Brothers Ink Tattoo series and more.

Nicole loves to hear from her readers! You can contact her via e-mail, her website contact form or on her social media accounts.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authornicolejames
Twitter-X: https://twitter.com/Nicole_James1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authornicolejames
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/nicole-james
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6571986.Nicole_James

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13TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION  and GIVEAWAY #6 at The Reading Cafe

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13TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION  and GIVEAWAY #6 at The Reading Cafe

NOTE: All giveaways require a comment to qualify

The Reading Cafe is graciously offering a 3 book prize package to ONE (1) commenter.

One (1) commenter will receive all 3 books

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

NOTE: If you are having difficulty commenting after logging onto the site, please refresh the page (at the top of your computer).

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please tell us to enter you into the giveaway.

4. Like and Follow THE READING CAFE on FACEBOOK .

5. Like THE READING CAFE on Twitter for an additional entry.

NEW ->6. FOLLOW The Reading Cafe on Bluesky Social for an additional entry.

7. Please follow THE READING CAFE on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

8. Please follow The Reading Cafe on Tumblr

9. Giveaway open to USA only

10. Giveaway runs until February 1-28, 2025

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HOSTAGE SECURITY (Bachelor Bodyguards 14) by Lisa Childs-review

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HOSTAGE SECURITY (Bachelor Bodyguards 14) by Lisa Childs

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Google Play / Chapters Indigo /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 25, 2025

He’ll risk anything

To save the child he didn’t know he had…

After five years behind bars for a crime he didn’t commit, Josh Stafford gets a fresh start as a security specialist. When work takes him to his ex-fiancée’s jewellery store, he keeps his distance. And then the son he’s never met is kidnapped… Josh understands why Natalie Croft doesn’t trust him. He’s ready to push emotions aside until their little boy is safe—no matter how much he still loves her.

••••••

REVIEW:  HOSTAGE SECURITY is the fourteenth instalment in Lisa Childs’ contemporary, adult BACHELOR BODYGUARDS romantic suspense series focusing on the men and women who work for Payne Protection Agency in River City , Michigan.. This is twenty-eight year old, former inmate turned security specialist Josh Stafford, and single mother/ jeweler Natalie Croft’s story line. HOSTAGE SECURITY can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary but I recommend reading the series in order for back story and cohesion as many of the previous story line characters return as secondary and supporting characters.

Told from several omniscient third person perspectives, HOSTAGE SECURITY follows Josh Stafford on one of his first assignments with Payne Protection Agency, an assignment that brings him up close and personal with the woman he loves. Josh Stafford served five years for a crime he did not commit but desperate to protect the people he loved, Josh took the fall for someone close. Croft Custom Jewelry has had a number of thefts in the recent weeks, and the insurance company is desperate to uncover the truth. Assigned to stake out the shop where the woman he loves works, Josh comes face to face with Natalie Croft, the woman he left behind when his life spiralled out of control but all is not as it appears to be when a ransom note points to a missing child, a son Josh never knew he had. What ensues is the search for the missing child, as Natalie must come to terms with what is happening and why.

The world building focuses on a kidnapping and theft, a ransom demand and danger, betrayal and vengeance for a family struggling with illness and jealousy.

The relationship between Josh and Natalie is one of second chances. Five years earlier, Josh was sentenced for a crime he did not commit, and in the ensuing years Natalie kept their son a secret in the face of betrayal and humiliation. Working for Payne Protection Agency, Josh will discover a brotherhood of reformation, people who have faced betrayal by the people they know, and in this, Josh is hoping for a second chance at life and love. The $ex scenes are passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including several of the previous story line couples and heroes including Garek Kozminiski, Milek Kozminiski; Penny Payne Lynch. We are introduced to Natalie’s parents Claus and Marilyn, her sister Dena and husband Timothy; Josh’s sister Sylvie; sales clerk Hannah; and Natalie and Josh’s son Henry.

HOSTAGE SECURITY is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, power and control, greed and jealousy, forgiveness and love. The premise is intriguing ; the romance is fated; the characters are desperate and dynamic but I struggled with the lack of coordination for a security firm; the over the top actions and stupidity of our story line heroine that placed everyone in danger; and the continuous accusations against our story line hero.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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