Title: Love So Hot
Author: Marquita Valentine
Series: Lawson Brothers
Pages: 200
Genre(s): Contemporary
Hot Buttons: /

Bank Teller and all around good girl, Sydney McKnight, is tired of being the girl all the guys want to have as a friend. Who better to help unleash her inner vixen than her best friend and secret crush, Brody Lawson? Only, Sydney has no idea how to ask him, without their friendship going up in flames, until that is, the town of Jessamine's annual Firemen's Auction gives her the perfect excuse to set her plan into motion.

Fire Captain Brody Lawson has been in love with his best friend, Sydney, for years, but he would never risk their friendship by confessing his feelings to her. So, when Sydney beats out the competition to buy his time at the annual Firemen's Auction, Brody can hardly believe his luck until she asks him to teach her how to seduce a fellow fireman.

Now, it’s up to Brody to show Sydney how perfect she already is and convince her that the only man for her is him, because if Sydney is going to seduce any man, it’s going to be him. And once he has her in his bed, he’s not letting her go.

Fun but lacked some oomph

Can I just start by saying that this was about the cutest and sweetest book I’ve ever read! It was so much fun. It doesn’t hurt that I love a best friends into lovers storyline - even better that they’ve both been hiding their feelings for the other for fear of losing their friendship. It's almost as good as a second chance romance for me.

The story is set in a small town and the author clearly knows the nuances of that setting well. Some of the small town quirks seemed crazy but never came across as cliched or scathing of life in a small town in mid-America. I was surprised to realise that this was the first in the series of books as there were a number of characters introduced that I was under the impression that I should have known. Having said that, I’ll be looking out for books about some of the other folks in the town as I can’t resist finding out their stories since we got some interesting glimpses.

The two main characters were really fun. Sydney and Brody were perfect for each other and I liked how they played off each other and danced around each other before getting to that happily ever after part.

The main reason that I didn’t give this book 5 stars - despite liking it a lot - is that I just felt it lacked a little something. There were sex scenes but they never really caught fire. There was talk of love but we never really felt the way the characters were feeling. It just lacked a little depth. A little oomph. And the big misunderstanding/argument before the final declaration was a little bit silly. Brody just needed to man up a bit, in my opinion, instead of going in a strop when he had been doing things that were just as bad (but neither worthy of a massive argument) as Sydney had been doing.

Having said that, this is still a fun, cute and sweet book and, as I said, I’ll be looking out for others in the series as the story was well-written and a good way to spend a couple of hours. 4 stars.

Plus - not crazy about the cover. Oh, the guy and gal are hot enough but the pic looks like a badly lit snapshot that I might take when I'm trying to pretend that I'm an arty photographer. Which I'm definitely not!

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The Lawson Brothers Series:

       

          

                            Brody                                 Lucas                                 Mason                                Tristan

           

                                                     Austin                                Caleb                                 Preston

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Title: Misadventures of a City Girl
Author: Meredith Wild and Chelle Bliss
Series: Misadventures
Pages: 300 
Genre(s): Contemporary
Hot Buttons: Anal Sex, Language

Fresh off a divorce from a Hollywood hotshot, Madison Atwood needs an escape. With the paparazzi fresh on her heels and her love life splashed on every tabloid, she runs away to a swanky retreat in Northern California. Avalon Springs is the mountainside haven she needs to find herself again.

Luke Dawson lives off the grid, preferring solitude to society. When he finds a beautiful woman soaking in the hot springs on his property, he can’t stop himself from watching her. She captures his attention, but she’s just a city girl—a beautiful distraction disturbing the peace he’s settled here to find.

When Madison discovers Luke’s secluded cabin, he can’t turn her away again. They make no promises. Madison needs to feel wanted again, and Luke misses the touch of a woman. But when mother nature has other plans, they’re forced to spend more than a night of passion together. Can Luke say goodbye to the only woman who’s made him feel anything in years, and can Madison leave behind the man who brought her back to life?

A fresh and sexy read

When I first started this book, I was under the impression that it was a short story. I’m not sure why I had that impression since it’s a book of 300 pages. I’m also not sure if that changed my perception of the book until I realised it was a full-length novel.

Anyway, to start with this story just read like one of my fantasy vacations. Head off into the mountains to detox from busy life and find yourself a hunky, wild mountain man that you can have lots of care-free sex with. Ahhhh - bliss!

From there, the pair get to grips with each other, with their own baggage, and their developing feelings for each other.

At one point - namely the part where Luke and Madison go into town and get into it with the townsfolk - I really stopped liking Maddie for a while. It’s been a few days since I finished the book I still have no idea why she acted the way she did. It was so bizarre. The story as a whole took a downward turn towards three stars at that point. Luckily, it picked up again after that and I started enjoying it all over again.

There was a lo-o-o-t of sex in this book and some fruity language to go right along with it - so if that’s not your thing then this isn’t the book for you. There was one occasion of anal sex - which is really not my thing, but it was brief so I managed to skip it and not miss anything of the story. There was also a really odd occasion where Maddie walloped Luke during sex. I mean walloped him in the face. Spanking I can get behind; being hit in the face is just weird, in my opinion.

This is a fun, sexy story about two polar opposites who find comfort in each other and then find more than they bargained for. There are a few blips along the way - in the story as well as for the couple, but overall it’s a fresh, saucy read that will keep you entertained and occupied for a couple of hours. 4 stars from me.

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* I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

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Title: An Astonishing Match
Author: Barbara Dunlop
Series: Match Series
Pages: 181 
Genre(s): Contemporary
Hot Buttons: No epilogue

Construction boss Hunter Vashon owes a huge debt to his grandmother Daisy for keeping his teenage secrets. When she asks for his help playing “Henry Higgins” to match-make his older brother, he can’t possibly say no.

Machinist Kalie Gray has never been one for dresses and frills. She spends her days crafting state-of-the-art robotic parts and her weekends at dusty, off-road race-tracks. So she’s confused when handsome, sexy Hunter Vashon shows an interest in her.

Kalie might be his brother’s perfect match, but Hunter can’t seem to stop himself from falling for her. She’s smart, funny and down to earth. And after her makeover, she’s drop dead gorgeous. He wants her for himself and tries desperately to reason with his grandmother. But Daisy stands her ground, and Hunter is torn between family loyalty and the woman he loves.

I haven’t read any of the other books in this series and I didn’t feel that I was missing out by not having done so. There were references to the couples in the previous books, and of course the matchmaking geriatrics - the common theme across the series - were doing their thing but everything stayed within the moment of this book.
From the very first, this was a fresh, fun and light story. The writing is superb and you get drawn into the story so easily and quickly that you fall for both Kalie and Hunter as soon as you meet them. And as soon as they meet each other you just know they’re perfect for each other. There’s a lot of banter, a lot of fun and a lot of conversations that you could honestly believe normal people would have with each other.

There’s some minor storylines working away in the background but these just add depth to - and never take away from - our main love story. Speaking of that, I loved how the romance between Hunter and Kalie developed slowly and that we got to see it all happening. I could feel the butterflies in my stomach and the giddiness you feel when you meet someone you like.

There were only 2 points that stopped me from giving this book a full 5 stars and it was really more of a personal preference rather than a criticism of the book itself. Firstly, I would have loved there to be just a little bit more heat. The sensuality really worked for me and the tension that continued to build between Hunter and Kalie throughout the book - loved it. I felt that these elements and the writing style really lent themselves to something a wee bit racier when it came to sexy times. All that build up and then just pleasantly warm.

The second thing is that I would have loved something extra at the end of the book. I always moan about books that don’t have epilogues and I just felt that this one was crying out for one. Even if the matchmaking group did their bit in the epilogue - I just wanted more time with Hunter and Kalie.

Now I feel a bit mean for only giving this book 5 stars when I enjoyed it as much as I did and only had very minor peeves. I would highly recommend this story and I’m planning to put the rest of this series on my wishlist in the hopes that they’re even half as enjoyable as this story.

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Title: Tempting Kate
Author: Jennifer Snow
Series: Wild Wedding Nights
Pages: 160 
Genre(s): Mills & Boon Blaze / Harlequin Blaze
Hot Buttons: No epilogue

Everything depends on this one day

Would anyone hire a wedding planner who was left at the altar? The answer, Kate Hartley has found out, is no. It’s been nearly a year since her fiancé abandoned her at their destination wedding, and Kate’s career is nearly toast. Unless she can pull off the wedding of the century for her new clients, a Hollywood power couple. So why is the groom’s brother, sexy-as-hell resort owner Scott Dillon, trying to stop the wedding?

Scott wants to do the right thing—the bride-to-be is keeping a secret and Scott’s brother deserves the truth before he says “I do.” But if Scott doesn’t stop trying to stall the wedding, he’ll ruin Kate’s career, not to mention any chance he has of being with her.

This is the follow on story from Jennifer Snow’s last book, and another in the Wild Wedding Nights series, Her Holiday Fling. You don’t have to have read that one to enjoy this one, although it does help you understand Kate’s own disastrous almost-wedding.

This is a fairly simple story. Boy and girl meet and sparks fly. Then more sparks, this time in irritation, when they realise how they are connected. Then, what should just be angry or emotionless sex turns into something a little more complicated. Because of this, and because of the smooth writing style, it’s a quick read that very enjoyable.

I liked Kate - she’s got a vulnerability but at her heart she’s a confident, no-nonsense woman who goes out and gets exactly what she wants. I didn’t identify with her but I did like her. I loved Scott from the first moment that the reader likened him to Henry Cavil - swoon! Seriously though, he was a fun, at times grumpy, cheeky, stubborn man who was the perfect foil for Kate. I enjoyed them together, too - their chemistry just smouldering enough to make the love scenes give you that flip in your tummy.

The storyline of the 'secret' that Liz is keeping was an interesting one. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it and wasn’t sure if I should be angry, jealous, annoyed…I guess I was feeling exactly the same that Kate was supposed to be feeling so the author did a great job with that one even if it was slightly unusual.

If I had one complaint about this book it’s that I always want an epilogue. Show me the couple a month, year, 5 years into their relationship. It adds so much but is left out so often. But other than that, this was a really enjoyable book that’s a light and quick read. 5 stars.

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