Tori:

Wild Thing by Liberty Laine
Erotic Romance

Nathan Trent has always had two goals in life; become a police officer and marry Tillie Coletrain.  Tillie is definitely attracted to Nathan but paying off her mother’s debts and taking care of her sister is keeping her busy…mainly running from the law. Adorably funny and sexy, this opposite attraction romance will leave you giggling and swooning when the local hot cop decides he has waited long enough for the town bad girl and uses the long arm of the law- among other things-to get her attention. A quick read that is short but satisfies. There is definitely room for growth and I hope Laine writes more about this town and the crazy characters who live there. Grade: B

 Monster in the Closet by Karen Rose
The Baltimore Series, #5
Romance Suspense

Taylor Dawson, an equine specialist, finds her world turned upside down when she discovers her mother may have stolen her from her father and lied about the reasons why. As she struggles to reconcile what she knows with what she finds, she becomes protective of a young client who witnessed their mother’s murder while falling for the bosses son. This story is the 19th in a series that I have not read; regardless, I still enjoyed. Heavily nuanced, two different plotlines wind and weave their way through the story, developing simultaneously as they slowly converge.  Well developed characters and flowing narrative kept me engaged through the constant references to past books and characters overloaded the story at the expense of the suspense.

This story is the 5th/19th in a series that I have not read; regardless, I still enjoyed. Heavily nuanced, two different plotlines wind and weave their way through the story, developing simultaneously as they slowly converge.  Well developed characters and flowing narrative kept me engaged through the constant references to past books and the sheer number of characters overloaded the story at the expense of the plotlines.
Grade: C+

Max by Stacy Gail
House of Payne, #6
Romance Contemporary/Suspense

Paradise Simone (Pari) came to Chicago to escape a personal tragedy, never imagining her loss would open the door to love. Max Kulagin is a temperamental Russian tattoo artist who takes one look at Pari and sees his soulmate. Max sees the damage in Pari, having suffered himself as a child, and takes his time wooing her into trusting him. When Pari’s past rears its ugly head, Max steps in to make sure Pari knows she will never be alone again.

Max is a sweet, humorous and very sexy romance between two damaged people who have triumphed over evil and find solace in one another. A fast racy read with cameos by almost all our favorite past characters. Hot and edgy chemistry is highlighted with humor, engaging dialogue, lots of sex. :P  A mild suspenseful subplot adds a little darkness to the storyline.
Grade: B

Beyond Forever by Kit Rocha
O’Kane For Life, #2
Erotic Romance
October 24, 2017

Dallas and Lex-the King and Queen of Sector Four-haven’t always been the power couple we see before us today. Once upon a time, Dallas was just starting to build the O’Kane name  and Lex was a runaway Orchid turned thief. This couple took years to craft their relationship; to mold, tame, and understand the dynamics that brought them together and almost destroyed them.

The 2nd in Rocha’s spin-off of their bestselling Beyond series, it not only takes us back into the world we all adore keeps us abreast of current news but also gives us more insight into the relationships of our favorite couples. I love digging deeper into Lex and Dallas’ beginnings. Beyond Control gave us their story…this gives us their courtship.  Fast, fun, and furious, this novella is 100% pure O’Kane. WARNING: This novella contains spoilers from the Beyond series.
Grade: B+

Mandi:

Someone Like You by Brittany Sahin

I had a hard time keeping my attention focused on this book. I felt like I set it down more than I should have. I don’t think I ever really connected with Grace and Noah. Grace is dealing with the after effects of being terrorized over seas. Noah is recently out of the Navy and fighting for custody of his daughter – and an ex wife who wants him out of his daughter’s life completely. Noah is hired to fix up Grace’s condo – and they fall for each other. They are likable characters – I just lost interest in them. I guess I just needed more from the story. It was a middle of the road read.

Grade: C

Yuletide Truce by Sandra Schwab

Aigee works in a book store and it’s Christmastime. His employer publishes a magazine where Aigee reviews books. Kit is Aigee’s nemesis – as Kit writes articles tearing apart Aigee’s reviews. It’s a cute set-up. My two complaints are: I wish it would have been more holiday-ish. And I wish the enemies part of the enemies to lovers, had lasted longer. It’s novella length, so things move pretty quick. But I liked the atmosphere of the book store and Aigee is a cute character. I needed more pages though.

Grade: C+