Alpha Instinct

Alpha Instinct by Katie Reus

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I enjoyed this book tremendously, a great start to a new series.

Ana Cordona is now the leader of a pack of women shifters after poison killed many in their group, including her parents. She is trying to keep things together while trouble is coming at her from many directions. As she is defending herself against a neighbor (Sean Taggart) who is particularly bothersome, a man (along with his pack mates) from her past comes to help.

Conner Armstrong lived on the ranch with the Cordona family many years ago and Ana thought that they would be mates in time, until the day he walked away without a word. He had his reasons for leaving and although he does not want to tell Ana, he still has strong feelings for her. He has heard about her troubles and is back to become the Alpha of the pack to help, the only condition he has is that she becomes his mate. Conner would prefer that Ana become his bond-mate but will take it slow until he can again gain her trust.

Several years ago, Shifters and Vampires came out to the world and though they are living in the open there are still many prejudices, many choose to live quiet lives within their own groups. As Ana and Conner sort out their personal issues they must deal with the fact that people in their neighboring small town are getting hurt with the blame falling on shifters. The violence escalates and shifters on their own land start to get hurt, Ana and Conner realize they may need to contact the council to help with the continuing problems.

The story is a gripping journey with many twists and turns as forces from several sides bring about an eventful conclusion. I enjoyed Ana and Conner’s chemistry very much their as the feelings they have for each other pickup from years ago. I also liked the secondary characters and will look forward to seeing them again in future books.




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A Rogue by Any Other Name

A Rogue By Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A wonderful first in a series about four owners of a gambling hall (hell) who have fallen a little from grace in London’s society in the 1830’s.

The Marquess of Bourne (Michael) lost everything on one card when he was 21. He disappeared for several years and lost track of friends who loved and missed him. Nine years later he reappeared as a wealthy part owner in one of the most successful gaming halls in London called The Fallen Angel. Although very well off, he has become consumed with revenge against the man who destroyed him all those years ago and vows to correct things.

Lady Penelope Marbury, an unmarried woman who is a little older than most eligible debutantes in London has braved her own scandal in her younger years. Her betrothed left her for a marriage of love after only weeks of being engaged, leaving Penelope devastated and to face many years of humiliation in London’s rigid society.

After only a few marriage proposals in nine years, her father adds more incentive to her dowry, Bourne’s land that was lost all those years ago. Penelope is about to accept a dear friend’s marriage request when out of nowhere Bourne comes home and decides it is time to gain back the land he lost and marriage to Penelope is the way to get it.

As Bourne decides the fate of Penelope she has some requirements of her own to make before the rushed wedding. She wants her two sisters to have better matches in their marriages and devises a plan to bring Bourne some respectability in society.

This is a great start to a series. I think Penelope and Bourne have great chemistry, loved the back-story of their lives and believed in the relationship that is growing between them. I enjoyed meeting the secondary characters in the book, the other owners of the club, Penelope’s sisters and the wonderful, funny people that work for Bourne. I am excited for the next installment of the series.




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The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie

The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Loved this book.

The characters were wonderful. I loved Ian as a tortured soul struggling with Aspergers in an age without understanding. Beth is a wonderful heroine willing to except her way in life as a widow.

When they meet the chemistry is electric and the relationship just grows. There are many bumps along the way of course but the story is so good. I loved the brothers in this story and look forward to seeing them again.






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Up A Dry Creek

UP A DRY CREEK by Avery Flynn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A great book - first in a series.



Claire lives in a small town with her close family near. A family that includes three brothers that want to take care of her. She is enjoying being the owner of a successful restaurant even though there are always problems.



Her life changes when she finds the body of a women in the dumpster, a women that spent the evening at her restaurant. Jake Warrick is a private investigator trying to find out what happened to woman for the her family.



Things spiral out of control when Claire starts getting death threats and her home is trashed. Everyone seems to want the same thing and Claire has no idea how to find it. Jake becomes protective of Claire while investigating the murder and their relationship heats up as their attraction to each other grows.



I really enjoyed this story, the chemistry between Jake and Claire was great and I loved the interaction between the family and the small town.







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A Dry Creek Bed

A Dry Creek Bed by Avery Flynn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Another great story in this series.



Hank Layton is the Sheriff of Dry Creek County and has known Beth Martinez most of his life. They even tried to see if they had a thing going several years ago but it did not go far. However Hank has been looking at Beth differently lately and although she denies it, Hank thinks she feels the same attraction.



Beth had a rough time early in life, her parents were killed in a car accident that she survived and she has always felt it was her fault. Recently she has been getting threatening phone messages and her grandparents home was trashed all because she is the last holdout of a land purchase. Although it is in a different county, Hank wants to step in to help when he finds out about her trouble.



Hank and Beth are both in Las Vegas for different reasons when her life is threatened and things heat up romantically between them.



A great story with humor, suspense and romance.









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Margot's Lawman

Margot's Lawman by Debra Kayn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is a great series. Margot’s Lawman is the third in the series about the McDougal sisters in small town Montana.

Margot is the area veterinarian and has lived here her whole life, only leaving to go to school. She loves the area but knows what happens with gossip around a small town so chooses to keeps some things in her life private. Roy Lee Harding also has lived here his whole life and his family farm bordered the McDougal's farm, and he would often run around with the sisters while growing up. Roy Lee and Margot share a huge secret, they have been dating for a year and although he wants to tell the world, Margot does not.

Margot is still dealing with the death of her father and feels guilty that she never told him she was in love with Roy Lee. It was her father’s wish to have all his daughters ready to move on with their lives and settle down with the right man before he died. Margot and Roy Lee did end up telling their sisters but they have agreed to keep the secret for awhile.

Keeping everyone else in the dark about their relationship had not been a problem before Margot hired a new veterinarian assistant to help her growing business. Ryan is from the city and having a hard time fitting in and the fact that Roy Lee does not trust him does not help. Roy Lee believes Ryan wants to date Margot and that he is hiding something that is threatening to the town.

Margot finds out about Ryan’s secret about the time she and Roy Lee decide to share their news with the town, she is afraid of how Roy Lee will handle the news so she respects Ryan’s wishes to keep quiet. What she does not realize is the damage it may do to her relationship with Roy Lee.

Margot’s Lawman is a wonderful romance full of humor and tears; I love the family and small town interaction. The chemistry between Roy Lee and Margot is believable and I enjoyed watching their relationship grow even with some bumps along the way.




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Beauty and the Feast

Beauty and the Feast by Julia Barrett

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I enjoyed this book immensely.
Eva Raines works for a company that makes life easier for others, her specialty is creating amazing food. She has worked for several restaurants in the San Francisco area but likes the feel of working for this start-up company in the Napa Valley. Eva’s joy in life is making wonderful food for others and did not like working where she felt unappreciated and could not showoff her talents.

Gabriel Abbott is a wealthy business owner who grew up on the mean streets of Chicago. He is a self made millionaire and enjoys the finer things in life including a beautiful woman that will accompany him to events. He does not stay with the same woman very long, although many women want to be the one he selects for a lifetime. He has his eye on a lovely wealthy lawyer named Stephanie and decides to entertain her with an exquisite meal and a night at his cottage at the vineyard he owns.

Gabriel’s assistant hires a new company called All Things to All People to cater the evening. Since he wants to impress this new woman, he personally calls the chef to settle on the details of the dinner. While on the phone with Eva, he becomes intrigued with her manner and voice and wants to know more about her. As the day approaches all he can think about is how to get out of the evening with Stephanie and meet Eva. Eva is prepared to give this new client everything needed for an evening meant to seduce, she goes over early, takes a tour of his home and meets the caretaker to get extra details. That night while she is imagining how well they are enjoying the evening, Gabriel is driving Stephanie home without getting out of the car. His excuse at the time much is to say he does not want to expand on the relationship now. Not wanting to waste the wonderful dinner, he sits down to enjoy the meal while thoughts of Eva go through his mind.

Eva and Gabriel meet soon after the dinner and the chemistry is instant. Gabriel wants to know everything about Eva and she is very interested in him. As their relationship progresses Gabriel has some family issues deal with and Eva seems to have an enemy that wants to destroy everything she has gained. The story is fun and flirty and the characters are interesting and you want to find out what happens to them. I also enjoyed reading about the food Eva prepares and loved the recipes and notes about some of the ingredients at the end. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would look forward to reading other stories by Julia Barrett.




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