Beautiful Bad Man (by Ellen O’Connell)

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Historical / Western Romance

1866

Caught stealing from a group of free settlers, a starving boy faces mob justice. Norah, herself just a child cannot accept the injustice and sets him free before he can be lynched.

“Everyone you see is either predator or prey, wolf or rabbit. Wolf is better.”

1880

Caleb Sutton (Cal) is Webster Van Cleve’s newest gun for hire. Van Cleve’s goal is to run farmers off their land and claim it for himself. Arriving at a run down earthen house with a group of hired guns, he discovers a defeated widow just waiting to die. When he realizes the woman is the girl who saved him many years earlier, he steps in and stops the other hired guns from raping her and forcing her from her land.

Norah has lived the hard life of a farmer, taking the little the land gives and stretching it as far as it will go. After her husband is murdered by Van Cleve there is little she can do but wait to die. When Caleb steps in and starts helping her, she is mistrustful of the hired killer, but over time she comes to accept him and then love him. Cal lends his strength to Norah and Norah gentles Cal.  But as the range war escalates and a bounty is placed on Cal, the only option left to them is to either abandon the land and run, or fight and become outlaws.

“Put that rifle down, Mrs Hawkins. I don’t want to shoot a woman, but I will if I have to.”
Her hands stayed steady, and she didn’t let the rifle waver. “Mrs Sutton. And I don’t want to shoot a sheriff, but I will if I have to.”

I feel I should say, I don’t really know anything about this period of American history, apart from what this book and Wikipedia told me. If I’ve made mistakes in using incorrect terms, I’m sorry for that.

Beautiful, Bad Man is a great book. It’s completely captivating from start to finish. It’s one of those rare books that I can’t fault in any way.  Highly recommended for anyone who reads romance, but especially for fans of Western Romance.

“He’s a bad one.”
“Oh, Mabel, yes he is. He’s a very bad man, but he’s a beautiful bad man.”

Home to Whiskey Creek (by Brenda Novak)

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Contemporary Romance (with a dash of Suspense)

After one traumatic night, a night when she was gang-raped by a group of young men from the school’s baseball team, Adelaide left Whiskey Creek and the grandmother she loved. Now 15 years later her grandmother is too old to care for herself so she must return to the town where the men who raped her still live as respected members of the community.

When Noah finds Adelaide at the bottom of a mineshaft his protective instincts take over. But he can’t understand why Adelaide is so hesitant in sharing the details of her assault. As their relationship develops, the men who attacked her are watching nervously.

Home to Whiskey Creek is contemporary romance with a little suspense thrown in for good measure. There were a couple of missteps…I think Baxter’s story which has been bubbling away in the background for the last couple of books didn’t really add anything to the story. The conclusion felt a little rushed and I can’t help but think those pages devoted to Noah and Baxter would have been better spent fleshing out the ending.

But overall I liked this book a lot and those small criticisms don’t make me like this book any less. It’s probably my favorite in the series so far.

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

Tell the Wolves I’m Home (by Carol Rifka Brunt)

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Young Adult

June is a shy and awkward 14 year old. She lives in the shadow of Greta, her popular and gifted sister who hates her. The one person in her life who gets her –– her only friend –– is her uncle Finn. When he dies of AIDS she is left alone and bereft.

Then one day she receives a package containing a teapot that belonged to her uncle. His lover Toby has sent it to her and wants to meet her. But with her entire family blaming Toby for Finn’s death they need to meet in secret.

As the weeks pass they are able share in their grief and remember Finn who they both loved. But Toby also has AIDS and as their friendship grows, his health declines.

Tell the Wolves I’m Home is the heart-wrenching story of one young girl who is dealing with grief and loss. It really is one of the best books I’ve read this year. I loved it so much that I bought more than one copy for myself and have given copies to some close friends. I want everyone to read this book.

Wallbanger (by Alice Clayton)

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Contemporary Romance

Caroline’s O (orgasm) has deserted her. It happened six months earlier after a less than impressive bedroom encounter with “machine-gun f_cker” Corey Weinstein. Now she has a new apartment, a faithful cat, good friends, but no O.

On her first night in her new apartment she is woken in the early hours by thumping. She quickly realizes her neighbor is getting himself some and the thin wall which separates their bedrooms is copping the brunt of his exertions.

Simon is not short of female company. He has three very different women who will keep him company on a cold night, and none of them want any strings which suits him just fine. When Caroline, sick of his very loud late night liaisons pounds on his door in her pink nighty he immediately knows she is a woman who will need more than he can offer. But she is so damn sexy that he just can’t stay away.

Wallbanger is great fun and completely addictive. In a market that is filled with books that are all trying to grab my attention, this one is somehow a little better. It’s a laugh-out-loud funny romp that manages to take a storyline I’ve seen a dozen times and make it refreshing and entertaining.

Much love for this book.

Recommended to me by Aurelija

A Lady Risks All (by Bronwyn Scott)

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Historical Romance

Mercedes is a highly skilled billiards player. But as a woman she is denied entry into the halls where men play billiards and gamble. When her father takes on a new protégé he convinces her to train him in the hope he can become a champion.

As the second son of a nobleman little is expected of Greer and he spends his time playing billiards. He is a talented player but he lacks the subtlety and finesse to ever be a great player. He joins Mercedes and her father on a tour of billiards halls around the country. Though increasingly uncomfortable with the hustlers lifestyle, if he leaves he will lose Mercedes who he has grown to love.

I honestly don’t know all that much about historical romance. Google tells me this book is Regency, though only just. In some ways it doesn’t feel like an historical romance but that could just be my lack of experience with the genre showing. What it does, it does well. It’s likeable characters and a simple story well told. You don’t really need anything else.

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

The Newcomer (by Robyn Carr)

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Contemporary Romance

Mac is a single father of three children. Since his wife ran off with another man many years earlier, life has been one of financial hardship.  Now, though still not well off by any stretch of the imagination, he has finally found a measure of security for him and his family.

As a teenage girl Gina fell pregnant to the local bad boy. When she told him he ran off leaving her alone to raise their child. Money is tight but through hard work and determination she has managed to find a place for herself and her daughter in Thunder Point.

After many years of putting their families first Mac and Gina have finally taken the first steps towards a future together. But just when things are starting to look good for them, Mac’s ex-wife returns to Thunder Point and wants to reconnect. Adding to the dramas, Gina’s daughter Ashley has been dumped by her boyfriend for another girl and falls into a deep depression.

Robyn Carr writes in a mosaic style. Characters are introduced whose stories will be told in future books. Some stories are concluded within the pages of a single book while other stories will be revisited in future books. It’s a style that works well for Robyn Carr. I thought book one, The Wanderer felt a little busy, perhaps even clunky, but with The Newcomer Robyn Carr has definitely found her mojo.  It’s entertaining and polished and augurs well for this series.

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

Lingerie Wars (by Janet Elizabeth Henderson)

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Contemporary Romance

When former soldier, Lake Benson finds himself the owner of a lingerie shop in a small Scottish town, he sets about destroying the competition. The competition being the lingerie shop just across the road owned by Kirsty Campbell.

Kirsty’s career as an international model was ended when she was involved in a serious car accident.  Left penniless and with both physical and mental scars she returns to her home town to rebuild her life.  Her small lingerie shop is her last roll of the dice and when Lake threatens her business she needs to learn to fight or lose everything.

Lingerie Wars is cute and quirky contemporary romance, about a woman who has been kicked to the curb but with a little help from her rival starts to regain her confidence. It’s light, fluffy and good fun.

Many thanks to Janet Elizabeth Henderson and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC.

Meant to Be (by Terri Osburn)

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Contemporary Romance

Beth Chandler has spent her entire life putting the hopes and dreams of others before her own. When her fiancé decides it’s time she meet the family, she bravely crosses the ferry to Anchor Island despite the fact that she has been scared of the water ever since a childhood boating accident. Then Lucas, her fiancé returns to the mainland on business leaving her in the care of his parents, and his brother Joe.

Beth and Joe are attracted to each other from day one, but spend most of their time skirting around the issue. As time passes, and Beth becomes more enmeshed in Island life the sparks become harder to deny but both are willing to lose love rather than betray Lucas.

Just have to say, ‘Squish up Robyn Carr, move over Jill Shalvis! Make some room for Terri Osburn’.  This book is perfect.  It really is as good as the best from the Virgin River and Lucky Harbor series’.  I can’t think of a better Contemporary Romance I’ve read in the last twelve months and a full cast of background characters who almost steal the show will keep us returning to Anchor Island for quite a few books to come.

A must read for fans of contemporary romance.

Robin in the Hood (by Diane J. Reed)

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Young Adult

“Okay, we’re gonna give out this money to whoever our hearts see fit.” His gaze was so keen now it made me quiver. “But Robin, I want you to take a really deep breath.” He paused, waiting for me. “‘Cause the feeling you’re about to get right now––well, you’e gonna remember this night for the rest of your life.”

After her father suffers a stroke Robin quickly discovers that her step-mother has run off, they have no money and both the mob and the police are after them. She bundles up her father, steals a Mazda Miata and goes on the run. They end up in a trailer park inhabited by a loveable bunch of misfits and miscreants.

They share what they have and care for each other and before long Robin starts to see them as family.  But one of her neighbors has cancer and they desperately need money to pay for her treatment so Robin teams up with Creek to take a little money from the rich bad guys and redistribute it to the not so rich.

Robin in the Hood is a modern retelling of the Robin Hood story with a completely nutters band of merry men (and women).  It’s light and fluffy Young Adult fiction with a very healthy dose of magic.

“Wait, what do I do?”
“You git on a helmet honey!” crackled a voice in the darkness. Granny Tinker appeared next to us with a pot on her head. She shoved one onto mine. “This here’s WAR.”

Neanderthal seeks Human: a smart romance (by Penny Reid)

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Contemporary Romance

He looked lost and a little vulnerable. Smash, smash, smash.
I took this opportunity to rapidly pull on some sweatpants and a sweatshirt from my suitcase. The sweatshirt was on backwards, with the little ‘V’ at the back and the tag in the front, but I ignored it and grabbed a jacket from the closet behind me and soundlessly slipped it on too.
He walked to the window and surveyed the view as I hurriedly pushed my feet into socks and hand knit slippers, given to me by Elizabeth last Christmas.
I was a tornado of frenzied activity, indiscriminately and quietly pulling on clothes. I may have been overcompensating for my earlier state of undress. However it wasn’t until he, with leisurely languid movements, turned toward me that I finally stopped dressing; my hands froze on my head as I pulled on a white cabled hat, another gift from Elizabeth.

On the worst day of her life, Janie discovers her boyfriend had sex with another woman; she was fired from her job; found herself in a toilet cubicle with no toilet paper; and was escorted from the building by the security guard she has been secretly lusting after.

Quinn, the aforementioned security guard isn’t just a guard, he owns the company. He makes stone faced stoicism an art form and nobody is able to break through his tough shell. Until Janie that is. With her insecurity and habit of spouting odd trivia she manages to   draw him out and get him talking. He starts sharing things with her that he has kept hidden from everyone.

Neanderthal Seeks Human is everything I expect from contemporary romance. It’s cute and quirky with likeable characters. The story isn’t overly complicated but it’s told well and is a lot of fun. A book you can’t put down.