Stay (by Allie Larkin)

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Contemporary Romance

After Peter, the guy she has loved for years, marries her best friend, Van goes on a bender drinking a lot of vodka and watching re-runs of Rin Tin Tin. Alone and lonely she impulsively buys a dog online. When the dog arrives at the airport from Slovakia she finds a whole lot more than she was expecting. Joe turns out to be a fully trained law enforcement German Shepherd that only obeys commands spoken in Slovakian.

Joe soon brings Alex, a vet specialising in large dogs into her life and in him she finds a chance to move forward and get over her lost love. But with Van’s own past refusing to let her move on she might lose the first man she has a chance at loving since Peter.

 

I have so much love for this book. It’s sweet contemporary romance –– perhaps even chick lit, about a woman who has sacrificed everything for the happiness of others, finding her own happiness. If I have a criticism it’s only a small one. I’m not a fan of flash-backs as a plot device…more often than not they interrupt a story rather than moving it forward and I think that’s the case here. But I still loved this book and I’m going to call it a favorite.

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Come Home to Me (by Brenda Novak)

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Contemporary Romance

On the night her mother died, Presley went looking for comfort in the arms of her lover Aaron. But she never meant as much to him as he did to her and he coldly rejected her. Broken hearted she left Whiskey Creek taking with her the secret that she was carrying his baby. 

Two years have passed and Presley has got her life back on track and returned to Whiskey Creek. Dirt poor but determined to make a better life for herself and her son she sinks everything she has into a small business teaching yoga and offering therapuetic massage. But she wasn’t expecting to be running into Aaron. 

With everything on the line she pulls out all the stops to keep Aaron from learning the truth about their child. 

Aaron has carried the guilt over how he treated Presley for two years. He’s determined to make things right before he leaves town and gets on with his life, but every time he looks into her eyes he sees the hurt he caused her two years before. 

As he gets to know Presley again, he begins to see things he missed the first time around, but Presley isn’t willing to put her heart on the line again and for every small step forward he makes she puts up more walls to keep him out. 

Brenda Novak is a master of romantic suspense –– her Bullet Proof series had me a nervous wreck. I wouldn’t describe her contemporary romances as masterful but she is competent and getting better with each new book. Come Home to me is far and away the most satisfying book I’ve read in this series to date. I genuinely liked Presley and Aaron and the story worked on every level. 

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Many thanks to Harelquin and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC.

Night Broken (by Patricia Briggs)

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Paranormal Romance

Christy, Adam’s ex-wife, shows up in pack territory after her latest lover turns seriously weird on her. Adam, a natural protector puts her up but she immediately starts subverting Mercy’s position in the pack. Then the crazy stalker guy shows up and the body count rises.

I read Moon Called, book one in the Mercy Thompson series a while ago, but despite enjoying the book a lot I walked away. The main reason was the price of the Kindle version is about 50% more than a paperback and it seemed a bit unfair paying more for something which essentially costs the publisher a fraction of the price. Anyway, that just goes to say I haven’t read any other books in the series except book 1.

This book is good. It’s great fun but it doesn’t quite work as a stand-alone. If you like paranormal romance…if you like books about vampires, werewolves, shifters and fae, this book is for you. But I think the series needs to be read in order and If spending something like $85.00 buying eight books makes you blanch, there are other much cheaper options. Faith Hunter’s Skinwalker series is every bit as good in my opinion and half the price.

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Home to Stay (by Terri Osburn)

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Contemporary Romance

Willow was forced into a life on the run by her violent and abusive ex. Having arrived on Anchor Island a little over twelve months earlier, she has taken on every cash-in-hand job the small tourist town can give her and found herself a measure of peace with a small group of friends. But with her ex still looking for her, she can never get too comfortable and needs to be ready to run at a moments notice.

Randy owns the town’s gym and like Will’s ex, he is a big guy. Her nervousness around him is obvious to all, but despite the similar stature, he has a gentle and protective nature. With a little persistence he manages to break down her walls and they tentatively begin to explore their attraction.

When a travel reporter visits Anchor Island and recognises Will, her safe harbour is suddenly threatened and she realises it might be time to hit the road. Randy is determined to protect her and build a life with her, but for that to happen she will need to trust him.

There aren’t too many new ideas in this genre and I’ve read stories similar to this one before, but I don’t think I’ve read one that’s as good as this. The characters, especially the female characters really are kind of wonderful. I even found myself rereading a couple of sections because they were such great fun.

Honestly there are a handful of authors who just make me so happy I could jump. Laini Taylor, Carolyn Crane, recently Marilyn Pappano, Faith Hunter…and Terri Osburn.

So yeah, this book gets 5 well deserved stars.

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Many thanks to Terri Osburn for providing me with this ARC.

Wardrobe Girl (by Jennifer Smart)

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Chick Lit

When Tess’s boyfriend breaks up with her by showing up on the red carpet with another woman, she quits her job working as a costume designer for the BBC, packs up her life and movies back to Australia. Working as a wardrobe assistant on a low budget Australian soap opera isn’t where she envisioned her life heading, but it’s the fresh start she needs.

Eight years earlier, when Tess was offered her dream job, Jake left her rather than putting his own dreams on stand-by. Now he is back in Australia with his beautiful fiancée and a job as director on Tess’s soap opera.

With a family that’s oblivious to her feelings –– sleazy, albeit very good looking, actors hitting on her –– and old hurts coming to the surface, Tess struggles to maintain her professionalism and keep her personal life from falling apart.

This was a difficult book for me. There were things I really didn’t like…things that I struggled with. There is a gritty honesty that’s not always easy to take, a warts and all realness to the characters that occasionally made me want to look away. But when I remove my personal prejudice I have to admit this book is pretty damned amazing even if it wasn’t the cute and quirky feel good rom-com the cover suggests.

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Many thanks to Random House Australia and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC.

A Man to Hold on To (by Marilyn Pappano)

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Contemporary Romance

After Mariah’s mother abandons her, she is placed in the care of Keegan who was named as father on the birth certificate. But Keegan knows all too well that Mariah was conceived after his girlfriend was unfaithful…and he knows who the father is.

Therese has had her share of hardships. First Abby and Jacob, the children of her husband Paul’s previous marriage came to live with them. Then Paul was killed in Afghanistan, and now her two step-children despise her. As Abby’s antipathy towards her worsens she contemplates asking her to leave, even knowing she promised Paul she would look after his children.

When Keegan discovers that Mariah’s father has died, his plans to unload Mariah fall apart. But he sees something in Therese that makes him want to stay in Tallgrass. As they get to know each other, their attraction builds but with three children to consider and secrets lying between them a relationship is anything but certain.

A Man to Hold on To is book two in Marilyn Pappano’sTallgrass series. It’s contemporary romance, and very good contemporary romance but much more than that, the author deals with some of the issues that face returned servicemen and their families with a raw truthfulness that speaks of experience. Her characters are beautifully flawed, her stories are simple but well told.

This book can be read as a stand alone, but I would encourage anyone to check out book one, A Hero to Come Home To.  There is a very quiet christian message within this series but it’s not preachy and I hesitate to call this a christian novel.  I would also say that people who want books that aren’t wall to wall sex will appreciate Marilyn Pappano’s soft hand in the bedroom.

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Many Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC

Love Like the Movies (by Victoria Van Tiem)

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Contemporary Romance

Kenzi has everything she could ever wish for. A good job working for an advertising agency and the perfect fiancé. Even if she’s constantly runner-up in her family’s affections to her oh so perfect sister-in-law, things look pretty good.

Then her ex-boyfriend, Shane walks into the advertising agency and she quickly discovers, the agency is having financial problems, her job is on the line, and they desperately need Shane’s business. She is ordered to do everything she can to secure the account, but she wasn’t expecting to be re-enacting scenes from her favorite romantic comedies.

Love Like the Movies is great fun. It really does read like one of those great romantic comedies of the 1980s and ’90s. It’s a book that will leave you with a silly smile on your face and feeling good for days.

I should note that some might shy away from this book because it’s about a love triangle. I know that’s a trigger issue for many readers of romance. It’s a trigger issue for me as well, so I’m going to go out on a limb and say I had no problems with this book at all.  That aspect doesn’t really play into the story all that much and lovers of cute, quirky romances will love this book.

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Many thanks to Pocket Star and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC.

True to the Highlander (by Barbara Longley)

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Historical Romance

On walking into a fortune teller’s tent at a renaissance festival in New York, Alethia is set a task –– to save the life of an unknown person. Then she passes out and when she wakes, finds herself in Scotland in the 15th century.

When Malcolm MacKintosh finds Alethia lying on the road unconscious he decides to take her to his clan home and to offer her protection. But Alethia, with her 21st century views and determination to fulfil her mission isn’t all that impressed with his efforts.

As old rivalries boil over into violence, Malcolm must learn to trust Alethia who holds the future of the MacKintosh clan in her hands, and as they find a measure of love, the threat of Alethia being snatched back to the 21st century looms over them.

True to the Highlander is rollicking good fun. There is time travel, a little magic, evil villains, heroes wearing kilts, and even a little bit of that old Mark Twain novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. It’s not too serious, just a fun story, well told.

Many thanks to Montlake Romance and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC

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A Hero to Come Home To (by Marilyn Pappano)

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Contemporary Romance

Two years after her husband was killed in Afghanistan, Carly continues to grieve the loss and is unable to move on. Her one respite is the Tuesday night Margarita Club, a group of women who like her have lost their husbands and look to each other for support.

Dane lost his leg after a roadside bomb detonated under the vehicle he was in. Now his life is one of rehabilitation and learning to function on a prosthetic limb. But even more debilitating than the physical trauma is the emotional trauma and he struggles with his feelings of inadequacy.

When he first meets Carly he hides his amputation from her, but as their relationship deepens he knows he needs to come clean. But as he comes to depend on her and the emotional support she gives him more and more, it becomes harder and harder to come clean.

A Hero to Come Home To has it’s feet firmly planted in the contemporary romance genre, and as a contemporary romance it’s one of the better ones I’ve read. But the thing that really sets this book apart…the thing that takes it from a solid 4 Stars to 5 Stars, is how the author has dealt with grief, PTSD and survivor’s guilt.  I’ve read a few books that have broached the topic, most of them come across as well researched but somehow don’t quite get it right. Marilyn Pappano gets it…more than just about any other author I’ve read.

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The Chance (by Robyn Carr)

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Contemporary Romance

After being shot in the line of duty, FBI Special Agent Laine Carrington moves to Thunder Point to recuperate and make some life decisions.

Eric Gentry is another newcomer to the Oregon coast. When the local gas station and auto repair shop went up for sale he saw an opportunity to move to Thunder Point and be closer to his teenage daughter.

On the surface they are very different, he’s an ex-con and she’s an FBI agent, but they fit together and over time his things take up more and more wardrobe space until they are living together. But he is committed to Thunder Point and the daughter he has only just reconnected with, while Laine’s home and career are on the East coast.

Fans of the author’s Virgin River series are in for a real treat with this book. The Chance, much more than the previous three books is a showcase of what Robyn Carr does best. A strong central story with brief detours into the stories of other characters. It’s really what contemporary romance should be. Nothing too tricky, just a simple story about two people finding love and family.

Many thanks to Harlequin and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC.

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