#Romance #Review of Dungeon Royale by Lexi Blake

Title: Dungeon Royale

Author: Lexi Blake
Rating: 4 stars

I have mixed feelings about this book. Even rating it was a struggle. I can say that this was my least favorite book in the series so far. 

That's not to say the story line was bad, because it wasn't. The plot itself was right in line with the rest of the books in this series. However, there were times when the hero in the story, Damon, got on my nerves. He never crossed a huge line or anything, but I just wasn't as crazy about him as I have been some of the other heroes in this series. 

Penny, however, was a different story. I loved her! She was smart and brave...one of my favorite heroines so far in this series.  So you see my dilemma. 

As always, it was great seeing some of the previous characters we met in other books again in this one. We also got to meet a new character, and I look forward to getting to know him as the series progresses. 

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a spicy BDSM romance with lots of action and adventure.

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Author Bio

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn't until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem. 

Her first novel, Their Virgin Captive: Masters of Ménage, Book 1, was a collaboration with New York Times bestselling author Shayla Black. There are five more books available in the series: Their Virgin's Secret, Their Virgin Concubine, Their Virgin Princess, Their Virgin Hostage, and Their Virgin Secretary. The next book in the series, Their Virgin Mistress, is releasing this April.

In addition to the Masters of Ménage series, she is the author of the Masters and Mercenaries series. There are eight full-length novels and four novellas available now, with more coming in 2015.

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#Romance #Review True North by Marie Force

Title: True North

Author: Marie Force
Rating: 4 stars

It's been a while since I've read anything from Marie Force. Not sure why, other than the fact that I have more books on my TBR list then I have time to read. 

True North is another example of why I enjoy this author. Her writing pulls you into the story and makes you care about the characters. 

The story focuses around Travis and Liana. These two butted heads a few times due to each's independence, but that is why they made such a great couple. Neither overpowered the other and when they screwed up they admitted they were wrong. 

I read somewhere that this book almost didn't get published because someone told the author that no one wanted to read about a beautiful model heroine. I'm so glad she didn't listen because this book was definitely worth the read.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a summer romance with a little bit of mystery mixed in.

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Author Bio

With more than 2.5 million books sold, Marie Force is the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling, award-winning author of more than 30 contemporary romances. Her New York Times bestselling self-published McCarthys of Gansett Island Series has sold more than 1 million e-books since Maid for Love was released in 2011. She is also the author of the New York Times bestselling Fatal Series from Harlequin’s Carina Press, as well as the Treading Water Series and numerous stand-alone books. All You Need is Love, book 1 in her new Green Mountain Series from Berkley Sensation, was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller in February. The second book, I Want to Hold Your Hand, will be out in June, and the third book, I Saw Her Standing There, is coming in November. In 2014, Marie will have eight mass-market print releases—the first five Fatal Series books from Harlequin and the first three Green Mountain Series books from Berkley. While her husband was in the Navy, Marie lived in Spain, Maryland and Florida, and she is now settled in her home state of Rhode Island. She is the mother of two teenagers and two feisty dogs, Brandy and Louie.

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#Review #Romance Wish You Were Here by Lani Diane Rich

Title: Wish You Were Here

Author: Lani Diane Rich
Rating: 4 stars

It took me a little while to get into this one, but I ended up enjoying Freya, Nate, Ruby, and Piper. No, this is not a menage, but Ruby and Piper where such an intricate part of the story I couldn't leave them out.

At first, I was a little leery about Nate and Freya as a couple. They seemed like total opposites and not in a good way. But as the story progressed and they both let their guards down, the chemistry began to grow. Still, I don't think these two would have gotten very far if not for Ruby, and especially Piper. Freya kept insisting she didn't want or like children all that much, but after their initial meeting, Piper and Freya really hit it off and it ended up helping to build the connection between Nate and Freya.

My one issue with this story, and the reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5, was because I wanted a little more relationship building between Nate and Freya. The relationship moved very quickly and I would liked to have seen that more fleshed out.

I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a romance with a touch of mystery.

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Author Bio

Lani Diane Rich is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thirteen novels. Currently, she’s writing romantic fantasy for St. Martin’s Press as Lucy March. The third in the series, For Love or Magic, comes out on December 1st, 2015. She has been teaching writing workshops across the country since 2004, and is an adjunct professor at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School for Public Communications teaching screenwriting. She is also an award-winning podcaster, and runs her own media company, Chipperish.com.

#Review of Stay With Me (Prophecy of Love Book 1) by Kelsey Browning

Title: Stay With Me

Author: Kelsey Browning
Rating: 4 stars

When I read the blurb for this book, I had no idea the direction it would go in. Not to say this is a bad thing exactly, but this book had paranormal elements and I didn't get that vibe from the blurb at all.

Cal was a good guy, always trying to do the right thing. His devotion to his family was admirable. Even the few times when I wanted to yell at him, I understood his motivations.

Delaney was a bit of a different story. Although, she and Cal had amazing chemistry, I wasn't understanding why she always felt she had to leave until almost the end of the story. I wish we would have gotten some of the why earlier, even from her perspective, rather than her just always wanting to bolt. That was perhaps one of the biggest downsides of the story for me.

The story had good pacing. It didn't move to quickly and allowed things to develop naturally. I like that in a a book. The paranormal element of this story is a bit cheesy, especially the end, but it did wrap the story up quite nicely.

If you're looking for a cute story set in a small town with paranormal elements, this I would recommend checking out this book.

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Author Bio

Originally from a small Texas town, Kelsey has also lived in the Middle East and Los Angeles, proving she’s either adventurous or downright nuts. These days, she hangs out in northeast Georgia with Tech Guy, Smarty Boy, Bad Dog and Pharaoh, a former Canine Companions for Independence puppy. She’s currently at work on the next book in her Texas Nights contemporary romance series and The Granny Series cozy mysteries.

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#Review More Than A Kiss by Stacey Joy Netzel

Title: More Than A Kiss

Author: Stacey Joy Netzel
Rating: 4 stars

I picked up this book several times, but every time I started reading it something would pull me away. It's taken me months to dig into this one, but I'm glad I was persistent.

This is the first book I've read by Stacey Joy Netzel, but I doubt it will be my last. I enjoyed all the characters, even the more minor ones. They were all well developed with their own backstory, which helped to support both the hero and the heroine's personalities.

Sophie and Zach were quite a pair. On the outside they looked like polar opposites, but they ended up being more alike than either of them realized. I love the set up for this story. It pulled me in right from the first couple of chapters. These two were both very likable, even when he was teasing her with a nickname she wasn't all that fond of.

If you're looking for a fun beach read, I would definitely recommend More Than A Kiss.

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Author Bio

I was born in Wisconsin and grew up in the Crivitz area. My love of reading stemmed from a number of things. Mom always encouraged reading and Dad encouraged work. It wasn’t that Dad didn’t like us reading (me, my two older sisters and younger brother), but he taught us not to be afraid of work. Me, I’d rather be riding my horse, Kaleb, or reading. Dad knew if I couldn’t be found stacking wood, raking leaves, or peeling pine logs for the house we were building, then I was most likely hiding somewhere with a book. (Walter Farley’s Black Stallion books will forever hold a special place in my heart.)

In school, my reading teachers, Mrs. Hutchinson (6th grade) and Mrs. Sherman (8th grade), encouraged me even more. All through high school I wrote stories, though the only one I ever finished was a hundred and eighty page romance about Corey Haim for creative writing class. I still think the only reason I received an A was because Mr. Murray didn’t want to read the whole thing. (I’ve read it since then — I wouldn’t blame him.)

I started seriously pursuing publishing in 2004 and held my first published book in my hands in 2007. Since then, I’ve published over 25 works, including a few novellas and short stories. After years of fitting in my writing while working as a Travel Agent, since 2012 I’ve been blessed to be able to add full-time writer to my list of titles (wife and mom).

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#Review #Romance Hot Item by Carly Phillips

Title: Hot Item

Author: Carly Phillips
Rating: 4 stars

Last week my husband and I went to a book sale at our local library and I picked up this book. I've seen Carly Phillips books many times, but I'm fairly sure this is the first one I've read. Why I waited so long, I have no idea. 

I really enjoyed Riley and Sophie. They were a good compliment to each other. My only complaint was that I really wanted to see more of them. The romance moved very quickly and for what was there it was believable. These two have known each other for a while, so it wasn't as if they were complete strangers who fell in love over night but it did happen fairly quickly. I would have liked to have seen it slowed down just a little. 

There was also quite a bit of head-hopping and another romance that gets thrown into the story. I thought the side story between Cindy and Miguel, was interesting, but I'm not sure it was necessary to move the plot along. It did, however, keep me guessing as to whether or not Miguel was responsible for the trouble at the sports agency where Sophie worked.

This was the third book in the series, but I didn't feel lost even though I hadn't read the first two books. 

I really enjoyed this book and will most likely read more by this author in the future. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fast paced contemporary romance.

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Author Bio

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Carly Phillips has written over 40 sexy contemporary romance novels that today's readers identify with and enjoy. 
After a successful 15 year career with various New York publishing houses, Carly is making the leap to Indie author, with the goal of giving her readers more books at a faster pace at a better price. 
Carly lives in Purchase, NY with her family, two nearly adult daughters and two crazy dogs who star on her Facebook Fan Page and website. She's a writer, a knitter of sorts, a wife, and a mom. In addition, she's a Twitter and Internet junkie and is always around to interact with her readers. 

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#Review Captured Innocence by Kennedy Layne

Title: Captured Innocence

Author: Kennedy Layne
Rating: 4 stars

This book was recommended to me by a friend of mine. I'm always leery of reading BDSM books because I'm picky. Very picky. This one, however, was right up my alley.

The author did a great job with Lauren's character set up. Her issues, once explained, were believable as was Connor's response. Both of the main characters were easy to relate to I found it hard to put the book down at times.

There is also a mystery to be solved. Sometimes I can figure it out, or have a good idea who did it before it's revealed, but not in this one. I didn't figure out who was behind the murder until the characters did.

Readers were also introduced to the rest of the Crest Security team. Each one of them has their own issues, and I'm curious to see how they will each get their HEAs in future books...especially the owner of the security company, Gavin Crest.

There were some missing words in the text, but nothing too major. It didn't take away from the overall enjoyment of the story.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a sexy romantic suspense with some kink.


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Author Bio

Kennedy Layne is a USA Today bestselling author. She draws inspiration for her military romantic suspense novels in part from her not-so-secret second life as a wife of a retired Marine Master Sergeant. He doubles as her critique partner, beta reader, and military consultant. They live in the Midwest with their teenage son and menagerie of pets. The loyal dogs and mischievous cats appreciate her writing days as much as she does, usually curled up in front of the fireplace. 

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Review: The Soldier's E-mail Order Bride by Cora Seton

Title: The Soldier's E-mail Order Bride

Author: Cora Seton
Rating: 4 stars

This is the second book I've read in this series and I have to say I liked it about as much as the first. That is to say that I liked it, but I didn't love it. 

I liked Austin for the most part. I read some reviews where people were complaining how it took so long for him to get over his guilt, but that's realistic, in my opinion. Books that rush through natural human emotion drive me crazy. I want to be able to relate to the characters and if the author tries to gloss over that to get to the sex or whatever it ruins the story for me. I'm glad that didn't happen here.

Ella was relatable if somewhat quick to change her position on things. Some of my favorite parts of the book are when Ella and Regan, Mason's wife, are talking together. The author did a good job of setting that friendship up well. 

One of my biggest pet peeves with the book, however, was the back and forth between Austin and Ella. Not only regarding their relationship, but sex as well. I get that they were two strangers being thrown together, but the cold bucket of water that kept being thrown on the progress of their relationship got a little tiring. 

Will I read more of this series? Maybe. I think it's a neat premise and I like that the brothers are close and care about family. 

I would recommend this book to those looking for a military romance with family saga twist. 

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Author Bio

Cora Seton loves cowboys, country life, gardening, bike-riding, and lazing around with a good book. Mother of four, wife to a computer programmer/eco-farmer, she ditched her California lifestyle eight years ago and moved to a remote logging town in northwestern British Columbia.

Like the characters in her novels, Cora enjoys old-fashioned pursuits and modern technology, spending mornings transforming a neglected one-acre lot into a paradise of orchards, berry bushes and market gardens, and afternoons writing the latest Chance Creek romance novel on her iPad mini.

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#Review A Dom Is Forever by Lexi Blake

Title: A Dom Is Forever

Author: Lexi Blake
Rating: 4 stars

This is the third book in Lexi Blake's Masters and Mercenaries series. The biggest difference between this book and the two before it is that most of the book takes place in the UK. We get to meet some new characters and get some more details about Ian's past. There were a lot of twists and turns in this one that kept me on my toes.

Liam was in both the previous books, but he took a backseat in most of the action. It was nice to see more of him and find out about his past. Avery was a good match for him. She really made him work for it, which I was happy to see. Her backstory was heartbreaking, but again it was exactly what Liam needed to move forward. I was glad to see these two finally get together. 

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves series with strong alpha males and a side of kink. 

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Author Bio

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn't until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem. 

Her first novel, Their Virgin Captive: Masters of Ménage, Book 1, was a collaboration with New York Times bestselling author Shayla Black. There are five more books available in the series: Their Virgin's Secret, Their Virgin Concubine, Their Virgin Princess, Their Virgin Hostage, and Their Virgin Secretary. The next book in the series, Their Virgin Mistress, is releasing this April.

In addition to the Masters of Ménage series, she is the author of the Masters and Mercenaries series. There are eight full-length novels and four novellas available now, with more coming in 2015.

Website

#Review Shell Game by Chris Keniston #ContemporaryRomance

Title: Shell Game

Author: Chris Keniston
Rating: 4 stars


Whenever I read a new to me author I never quite know what to expect. I have a soft spot for military heroes, so I was crossing my fingers that this would be a good one. 

Luke a Sharla were a fun couple. Their meeting is entertaining and I enjoyed the build up between them. The author did a good job with the two characters backstories and creating realistic obstacles for them to overcome. 

My only real complaint with this story was that at times the sub plot seemed to overshadow the romance. I wanted more Luke and Sharla and less of the 'Shell Game'. Even so, I loved Sharla's grandmother and Herbie. I felt they gave the story a well rounded feel. 

Good editing, and the story has a nice flow to it. I would have liked to have seen some more private moments between Luke and Sharla, but the ones we got were good.

I would recommend this to readers who are looking for a light dose of mystery/suspense with their romance.

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Author Bio

A native New Yorker, Chris Keniston was on her way to Australia when she fell in love with North Texas. Little did she know the balmy seventy-degree October days would turn into fry-an-egg-on-the-sidewalk heat in August!

Twenty years later, she started scribbling short stories about her favorite TV shows, giving them lives more to her liking - and the elusive happy ending. Not long after, a dear friend dragged her to a local writers’ meeting. After winning multiple writing contests and making the finals in the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Golden Heart contest, she now spends her days, and nights, writing contemporary romantic fiction with lots of emotion, plenty of surprises, and, of course, the happily ever after.

Chris lives in suburban Dallas with her husband, two human children, and two canine children. Though she loves her puppies equally, she admits being especially attached to her German Shepherd rescue named Gunny. After all, even dogs deserve a happily ever after.

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#Review Songbird by Sydney Logan #Romance

Title: Songbird

Author: Sydney Logan
Rating: 4 Stars

I read an excerpt of this book the author submitted to my blog and it intrigued me. This isn't the first book I've read by this author and I doubt it will be the last. While her books tend to be on the sweeter side of things, it's always a good story and I appreciate that.

Songbird centers around Callie and Devin. They meet at a wedding and end up spending the night together. At the end of the weekend they go their separate ways, however, fate has other plans.

Both of the main characters are very likable and it's easy to relate to them. There were a couple exceptions when it came to Callie's refusal to forgive Devin for how he reacted to the bombshell she dropped on him, but it wasn't hard to excuse given the circumstances.

There is a white rose on the cover of the book and that holds a special significance in the story. Once the entire backstory was revealed I had an 'aww' moment.

While the sex scenes aren't all behind closed doors, the aren't overly detailed either. The story has a nice flow to it. There wasn't any point and time when things felt rushed or bogged down.

The book had a few minor editing issues, but nothing that took me out of the story.

I would recommend this to those who like sweet romances.

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Sydney Logan is an Amazon bestselling author and holds a Master’s degree in Elementary Education. With the 2012 release of her first novel, Lessons Learned, she made the transition from bookworm to author. Her second novel, Mountain Charm, was released in July 2013. She is also the author of two short stories: “Mistletoe Magic,” available exclusively on Amazon Kindle, and “Stupid Cupid,” which is featured in the Romantic Interludes compilation. 

Sydney has a very unhealthy obsession with music, and her iPod is filled with everything from Johnny Cash to Eminem. When she isn't reading or writing, she enjoys playing piano and relaxing on her front porch at her home in East Tennessee with her wonderful husband and their very spoiled cat. 

Please visit her on the web at www.sydneylogan.com.

 

#Review Georgia On My Mind by Marie Force

Title: Georgia On My Mind

Author: Marie Force
Rating: 4 stars

Those of you who follow my reviews know that I am a fan of Marie Force's stories and Georgia On My Mind didn't disappoint. Unlike the other stories from this author I've read this is a standalone novel. It centers around Georgia, a woman struggling to come to terms with her mother's death, and Nathan, a local detective and the youngest of six brothers. 

I loved Georgia (Georgie) and Nathan. It was easy to understand her struggle with her life, family, and her developing relationship with Nathan. And as for Nathan...well he was pretty amazing book boyfriend material. He had his flaws, but is one of those people who has so much passion behind what they do that it's easy to forgive them when they go overboard with something. 

As with most of Marie Force's other books, there was more than one story going on. We not only got to follow the romance of Nathan and Georgie, but also that of two of Nathan's brothers with Georgie's two roommates. While I enjoyed the other two romances, I felt it drew the focus away from Nathan and Georgie. It is, however, a common theme in Ms. Force's books. 

The editing was on point and other than the issues I mentioned above, the story had a good flow to it. 

I would recommend this story to anyone looking for a good romance and doesn't mind multiple point of view changes. 


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Author Bio

With more than 2.5 million books sold, Marie Force is the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling, award-winning author of more than 30 contemporary romances. Her New York Times bestselling self-published McCarthys of Gansett Island Series has sold more than 1 million e-books since Maid for Love was released in 2011. She is also the author of the New York Times bestselling Fatal Series from Harlequin’s Carina Press, as well as the Treading Water Series and numerous stand-alone books. All You Need is Love, book 1 in her new Green Mountain Series from Berkley Sensation, was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller in February. The second book, I Want to Hold Your Hand, will be out in June, and the third book, I Saw Her Standing There, is coming in November. In 2014, Marie will have eight mass-market print releases—the first five Fatal Series books from Harlequin and the first three Green Mountain Series books from Berkley. While her husband was in the Navy, Marie lived in Spain, Maryland and Florida, and she is now settled in her home state of Rhode Island. She is the mother of two teenagers and two feisty dogs, Brandy and Louie.

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#Review Hot Pursuit by Lynn Raye Harris #RomanticSuspense

Title: Hot Pursuit

Author: Lynn Raye Harris
Rating: 4 stars

As far as I know, this is the first book I've read by Lynn Raye Harris. I'm not a big fan of romantic suspense anymore, but when I read the synopsis for this story I wanted to check it out.

Evie and Matt have history. A lot of history. I was curious how the author was going to have their relationship play out...especially with the suspense angle.

As I said before, I'm not a huge romantic suspense fan. I tend to enjoy the development of the relationship rather than all the action. That was the case with this one as well. I could have done without much of the action, however, there was enough of the romance sprinkled in to balance things out.

The book is well edited and a great start to the series. My only complaint was that I could have done without the other points of view. I don't think they really added to the story itself.

Even though I'm not a huge reader of this sub genre, I might have to check out the next book in the series. Matt was pretty amazing and I'm sure the rest of his HOT teammates are as well.

I would recommend this book for lovers of romantic suspense and military romance.

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Author Bio

Lynn Raye Harris is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the HOSTILE OPERATIONS TEAM SERIES of military romances as well as 20 books for Harlequin Presents. A former finalist for the Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart Award and the National Readers Choice Award, Lynn lives in Alabama with her handsome former military husband and two crazy cats. Lynn's books have been called "exceptional and emotional," "intense," and "sizzling." Lynn's books have sold over 2 million copies worldwide.

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#Review Risking Hearts by Iona Findley #ContemporaryRomance

Title: Risking Hearts

Author: Iona Findley
Rating: 4 stars

I was given this book by the author for an honest review.

This is the second book I've read by this author and the second in her Hero's Heart Series. To read my review of the first book, Opening Hearts, click here.

One of the things that impressed me about this second book was the improvement I saw in the author's writing. The pacing was much better and so was the character development. There was a lot more focus on the main couple in this one and I liked that.

Jake was very easy to love. He did a few things in this book that had me getting that warm feeling in my chest. Hope was a very interesting character as well. The author did a very good job with the evolution of her character.

While there was distinct improvement in this book over the first one, there were still a few issues. I found minor editing issues as I did in the first one where words, commas, or periods were missing. However, as far as grammatical errors go it was nothing that couldn't have been fixed by a good proofreader. The biggest issue I had, though, was in regards to research. There is a flight Jake makes that is highly improbable and actually violates FAA regulations. If he was presented as a reckless pilot, this might be able to be explained but he's made out to be just the opposite.

Even with those issues, I highly enjoyed the story. I think this is an author to watch and one I hope to continue following.

I would recommend this book to anyone show is looking for a solid contemporary romance with a little bit of heat.

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Author Bio

Iona Findley embarked on her career as a romance writer with her very first words, "love, love, love," which she carefully dictated to her mother. Despite spurious rumors, probably the work of a jealous sibling, that her words might actually have been, "lub, lub, lub," (surely not!) or even "blub, blub, blub" (horrors!), Iona pursued a vocation in romance writing with enthusiasm. Writing fulltime now Iona fulfils the promise of her early words crafting intriguing novels of "love, love, love." 

For a complete listing of books, and news about upcoming releases visit IonaFindley.com. For readers who would like to contact Iona directly—please do! Iona can be reached via email at IonaFindley@gmail.com. She also loves to connect with readers via Facebook and Twitter. 

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