Review ~ Red Nights by Shari J. Ryan

I’m Felicity Stone, a twenty-five-year-old with my whole life ahead of me. Well, until recently.

I didn’t do it. Why would they think I did? Why would I want my twin brother dead? Why is everyone looking at me like I’m a criminal?

Well, everyone except him… Hayes Peyton, the charmingly beautiful stranger I met in the park at midnight—a totally legitimate place to meet the man of my dreams. Plus, he knows I’m innocent.

Believing him is easy. So very easy. Maybe too easy?

But when you hear things like: ‘All good is laced with some bad, and everything you think is the truth—is nothing more than a blatant lie,’ it makes you question reality.

In Shari J. Ryan’s latest Romantic Suspense, Red Nights, you wonder how dark your world can get before all you see is red.

Title: Red Nights 

Author: Shari J. Ryan 

Publication Date: June 18, 2015

Publisher: Booktrope 

Purchase links: 

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Excerpt:

"Great night for a walk." I can hardly hear him over the rain, but his words don't quite matter. I've been waiting to kiss him since the moment I saw him sitting in a booth at the restaurant tonight.

First kisses are always nerve-wracking and full of surprise, but second kisses are full of anticipation thanks to what I already know, what I've already had a taste of. "I really like you," he says, loud enough to drown out the heavy rainfall.

I can't invite him in…is that why he's stalling? I point upstairs. "Aspen, my friend I'm crashing with, would ask you a million questions if you came up. I—"

"Oh, no. No. I wasn't waiting for an invitation. I have a ‘seven date’ rule anyway." I can see him fighting the urge to smile, but he’s losing that battle.

"’Seven date’ rule?" I laugh.

"Yeah, it’s dumb.” He runs a palm down the side of his face. “Because I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to make it that long." He leans in, stealing a quick kiss. But I feel cheated. I want more.

"How do you know we'll last seven dates?" I ask.

"Good point. I probably won't be able to put up with you for that long." I know he's teasing. But ugh. Damn him and that smile.

I throw my arms around his neck and crash my lips into his. His body tightens, maybe from surprise, but it takes less than a second for him to relax. He strips me of my control, pushing me up against the brick wall, his body heavy against mine. Even with the rain sloshing between us, his hands find my cheeks. His tongue sweeps across my lips.

I’ve changed my mind.

I'll bring him upstairs.

I don't give a shit what Aspen does. I want him. I need him to keep making me forget.

"Come up," I say in almost nothing but a breathless whisper.

He bites down on his bottom lip, appears to think about my offer, then shakes his head in this seductive slow motion, making this moment painfully enjoyable. "Not tonight," he says, placing a small kiss on the tip of my nose. His hand is clutched around my waist and everything within me hurts and aches for him. "Good-night, Blondie-locks." He turns and leaves in the rain, and I watch him go.

It has been a good night. A very good night, actually.

And it all ends when I get upstairs…

Shari J. Ryan is an Amazon Top 100 Bestselling author, a Barnes & Noble Top 10 Bestselling author, and an iBookstore #1 Bestselling author. She hails from Central Massachusetts where she lives with her husband and two lively little boys. Shari has always had an active imagination and enjoys losing herself in the fictional worlds she creates. When Shari isn’t writing, she can usually be found cleaning toys up off the floor.

To learn more, visit her at:

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My Thoughts:

This was an endearing, mysterious, and completely addictive story. I had a hunch fairly quickly of who did it and I was correct, but I was hooked and couldn't put it down regardless.

How would you feel if you thought but weren't positive that your actions may have killed someone that you love, a part of yourself? That is what our heroine is dealing with through much of the book.

The hero, Hayes, (I LOVE him by the way) is dealing with his own grief and demons but is taken by her pretty much immediately. He is a huge cheeseball but he was sweet, kind, smart, and super understanding.

These two meet in the most unlikely of places and situations but it is obvious that they are meant to help each other heal. It was a little out there as far as how quickly they trusted each other but I enjoyed it regardless!

I hope there is more to come. The book ended in a way that left me wondering, but it had an ending so we will see.

I received an ecopy in exchange for my honest opinion. Oh boy! I was hooked immediately and if you like romantic suspense, you most likely will be as well. I really enjoyed it and I want to read more from this author!

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Review ~ Closely Guarded Secret by Natalie Money

Many might envy Alixandra Quinn. She rubs shoulders with the rich and famous at glitzy society balls and fund-raisers as a photographer for a popular magazine. But, do the envious notice Ali always goes home alone? She has cut herself off from personal relationships and emotional entanglements. It’s a strategy to cope with her past, and for ten years, her strategy has worked.
That is, until she meets Bryce Steede, a young and bold Silicon Valley entrepreneur. When Ali becomes the center of his attention, suddenly her world gets turned upside-down. She may have convinced herself that life is fine the way it is, but he is determined to break down her carefully constructed walls, free her mind and body, and show her pleasures that she couldn't have imagined.
As Ali navigates through this uncharted journey of self-discovery, she must find the balance between her head and her heart. Is Bryce just another heartache waiting to happen? Will a secret from her past come back to haunt her? Or will Ali make peace with her past and find true happiness . . .

Purchase links:

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iTunes

Smashwords 

Excerpt:

I think about Bryce, and how in such a short amount of time, I’ve found myself counting the minutes until I see him again. It’s more surprising how much I want to be with him. At once a dark image enters my mind, turning my happy thoughts into bitter ones. I thought I had made peace with my past long ago, but there’s no question the events of that time are now haunting me.

Steven and I get home at the same time. “Hey, Sampson and I are going to dinner. Want to come with us?”

“I’m not hungry.” I say.

“You know, ever since Bryce has been gone, you’ve been in a funk. So don’t tell me you don’t like him, because your attitude says something different.”

“I guess I do miss him . . .” Right now all I want is to be in the warmth and comfort of Bryce’s strong embrace.

“You guess? Look at you, you’re a mess.” After today’s events, a dam which I didn’t know was building, bursts. Steven rushes over and envelops me in his arms. “Shit, Ali, what’s wrong? What’s happened?” He’s in a panic now.

“I do like him, more than I want to admit out loud, and I’m afraid when he finds out, that’ll be it.” Steven walks me into the house right as Sampson drives up. Steven sits on the sofa, pulling me down beside him.

“What’s all this nonsense about?” Steven asks.

I force my tears to stop. “It’s not nonsense. I’ve closed myself off from ever having these emotions, but now they’re here. Should I feel this way about him after such a short time? Is that normal? One minute I’m okay, the next I question everything. I don’t know what to do.”

“Ali, yes, it’s normal to feel that way about someone in a short amount of time. Yes, it’s normal to question your decisions, especially after what you experienced, so don’t beat yourself up too much. I thought things were going well with you two? What brought this on?”

I tell him about my doctor’s appointment. “I’m scheduled for a week from Monday. Mom’s coming, and she’ll be staying with us.”

“I’ll take a few days off.”

“You don’t need to. It’s not like I won’t be up and around. Besides, I can’t handle my mother and you fussing over me at the same time. It’ll drive me crazy.”

“We’ll take turns then.” He smiles, but then his smile fades. “Where does Bryce fit into all of this? What are you going to tell him?”

“I’m not. I’ll tell him I’m going to visit my mom. It won’t be a total lie.”

“Oh, so a lie of omission is okay,” he says dryly.

“I’ll be visiting with my mom. It won’t be in Seattle. I can’t tell him I’m having this done. How do you break the news to someone that you’re damaged goods and that the damage has reared its ugly head?”

“Stop saying that about yourself. It makes me mad.”

“It’s true, Steven.”

“No, it’s not. Stop it. I’m tired of you berating yourself over something that someone else did to you. It wasn’t your fault, Ali.”

“So much has happened during these past few weeks that has brought it all back to the surface.” Because of his own crisis with Sampson, I never told Steven my flight connected in Texas. There’s no need to bring it up now.

“Where’s all of this coming from? Look, things happen. Stop trying to balance out the reason it happened. That moment is done, it’s over with. You’ve overcome a difficult, traumatic event in your life. I’m proud of you moving on from a place I was beginning to think you’d never leave. You’ve been happy and lively since Bryce came into your life. He’s the best thing that’s happened to you. Stop being so negative about him and about yourself. You’ll poison this before it has a chance to bloom.”

“When did you become so philosophical? Also, when did you get in his corner?”

“I’ve been in his corner since I’ve seen the changes in you. Since I’ve seen how he is with you, and you with him. The tides have shifted for you. A man doesn’t like to be kept in the dark. If you continue down this path of self-destruction, he probably will walk away, and it won’t have anything to do with your past. It’ll have everything to do with your attitude towards him and yourself.”

I see Sampson nodding his head in agreement and I know they’re right. Why can’t life come with a ‘how to’ manual? They try to get me to go to dinner with them, but I need some quiet time. I pour myself a glass of wine and go upstairs for a good long soak in the tub.

Natalie Money is a former corporate travel agent, a wife, and a cat wrangler. As far back as she can recall, she has always loved to people watch and make up stories about their lives. After many years of creating and getting to know the characters and their stories in her mind, she has finally decided to bring them to life on paper in her first novel, Closely Guarded Secret.

With her husbands job, they're known to relocate often, so when people ask where she lives, she describes herself as a World Citizen.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

This one had me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what was going on behind the scenes. I was enthralled, intrigued, swooning, and simply hooked.

Alixandra was a somewhat complex character with her issues always clouding her judgement. I felt for her but I had a somewhat hard time getting a read on her. Maybe in the next book I'll understand her past more?

Bryce seemed to be great but then I second guess and wonder if he is as great as he seems. Do I sound paranoid to you??? 

This book was suspenseful, romantic, mysterious, somewhat dramatic, and completely addictive. I will be watching for another book. I hope it doesn't take to long!

I received an ecopy in exchange for my honest opinion. I am eager for more because I enjoyed it so very much.

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Review ~ Fear Me Not by Sara Wolf with a giveaway

Title: Fear Me Not  

Author: Sara Wolf

Hosted By: Romance Addict Book Blog

Purchase Links:

Amazon * B&N 

Smashwords

Synopsis:

The aliens crash-landed on Earth eleven years ago. And now, sixteen-year-old Victoria Hale feeds them. With her emotions.

Victoria is an EVE - an Emotion Vesicle Engraft - and one of few humans who are genetically capable of producing emotions for the Gutters to feed on. She's doing it for the money - her sister Alisa needs a good doctor, and fast. But what she didn't count on was being sent to the world's first desegregated high school for Gutters and humans. She didn't count on the paparazzi, the protestors, or the insane Gutter politics and government secrets. She didn't count on the crimson-eyed Gutter prince with an intriguing heart of cold iron, either.

She especially didn't count on murder.

But it's counting on her.

Excerpt:

“I’m sorry,” Shadus’ voice says.

My eyes slide over – Shadus is standing right next to me, leaning on the bookshelf. I close my eyes and sigh.

“Don’t be. It’s me. Something’s wrong with me. I don’t know how to react like a normal person. Jeers, whispers, sneers, those are fine. I ignore them, punch something to make them hurt less. Compliments? I don’t know what to do with those.”

“You’re different. That’s not necessarily bad,” He offers. His long fingers skim over a row of books and he picks one out, flipping through the pages. “More literature in which the protagonist kisses his interest. Is it all your human writers are interested in? It hardly seems worthy enough to devote entire books to.”

 “It’s not so bad,” I defend. “Kissing.”

“You speak from experience?” He asks.

“Second grade during the school play. Arnold Grady. We were backstage, behind the curtain. I thought it was a good time to go for it.”

“It was enjoyable, then?”

“Too wet.” I laugh, the memory burning like an old tattoo of embarrassment. “He was shorter than me - all the boys were. They’ve only started catching up this year, really.”

“I’m jealous.”

I raise an eyebrow. “What? Of the short boys?”

“Of your kiss. You speak of it fondly. Even if it was lacking technique, you still remember it. It must have been an important experience. I assume I will never know that sort of feeling - ”

I step into him. He jolts back, hitting the bookshelf. It shakes, and settles. I point up at him.

“Be thankful. You guys have the ceremony of flame. You don’t waste time with petty shit and he-likes-her-she-likes-him crap. Your future is arranged by your family. But us? Humans? We fish around blindly in a pool of seven billion people, hoping one of them isn’t too crazy or too incompatible with us, and we get so desperate that when we find someone we can stand for two minutes we decide to marry them for life, when in reality they’re all wrong for us. But we keep pretending they’re right, until we can’t anymore, and then we divorce them or break up and we get up and try again, and again, and it chips away at our tiny human hearts.”

He stares at me intently, as if I’m lecturing him and he’s trying his hardest to learn something from it. I snort.

“You’re lucky, Creeps. All you Gutters are lucky.”

“What you call ‘lucky’, I call ‘boring’,” Shadus says. “The human way of things may be more painful, but it sounds much more fun.”

I stride up to him, get in his face. His chest is rising and falling, his fists balled up. His ruby eyes stare down at me.

“Don’t do it,” He murmurs.

“Do what?”  I singsong.

He struggles with something inside himself, a pained look coming over his expression.

“Victoria -”

I press my head into the cradle where his neck meets his shoulder.

About the Author:

Sara Wolf is the author of the LOVELY VICIOUS series and FEAR ME NOT, the first book in The EVE Chronicles, a YA/Sci-Fi series. She’s currently working on the final book in the LOVELY VICIOUS series. She’s addicted to the Vampire Diaries, The Walking Dead, True Detective, pink Starbursts, pizza, and damaged heroes. For additional books, news, teasers, and giveaways, visit her at Website or on Facebook. You can also find her on Twitter or Goodreads.

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My Thoughts:

Fear Me Not was a gripping, suspenseful sci-fi book. This one was perfect for teen readers or those of us who enjoy YA books.

Aliens have landed on Earth, protestors are a plenty, chaos has mostly come and gone, and now they are attempting to school the aliens (gutters) and the humans that have been fitted with an eve organ. You see the aliens eat emotions after they are turned into liquid. This happens using a special organ that is attached to the human's gut. 

Victoria was a tough cookie. She had to be due to some awful circumstances that life has dealt her. One major circumstance happened in part due to the gutters. It is no wonder that she has an attitude where they are concerned.

As the book goes on, she ends up befriending some of them but all is not as it appears.

This book had suspense, some drama, teen issues, danger, secret agendas, and two different cultures learning to be civil (or at least pretending to be).

I can't wait to see what happens next as the end is a doozie of a cliffhanger.

If you like suspense or aliens on a young adult level, you do not want to miss this book!

I received an ecopy in exchange for my honest opinion. I thought it was an exciting tale of friendship and foul play featuring beings who came from out of this world.

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Review ~ Uncensored Passion by Bobbi Cole Meyer

SYNOPSIS

Book one in the Men of Passion Series: A contemporary erotic series about the passions and devotion of five men to the one woman who loves them all...

Kayla Saradon is a beautiful, respected psychiatrist who her friends claim has discovered the fountain of youth. Kayla wonders what her friends would say if they knew her secret is the polyandry lifestyle she shares with her four, studly "husbands" — each skilled in his own sexual specialty?

Then PI, Trey Sean Cameron, who is secretly investigating her lifestyle, explodes into her life. The ex-Army Special Forces operative raises emotions Kayla can neither control nor contain. Can Trey — a demanding and possessive lover — ever share in her lifestyle? If not, how far will she go to keep him?




Purchase Links: Amazon

Excerpt:

Pretending to be a reporter getting the inside scoop on Dr. Kayla Saradon’s life was turning out to be very enjoyable for Trey. They had finished the meal. Kayla declined dessert, so Trey ordered coffees, reluctant for their time together to end and sure it would when they left the restaurant.

They had settled into a silence that Trey was unsure how to break. He was thankful when Kayla took the initiative.

“Why don’t we continue the interview in your room, Devon? We could talk more privately there.”

He was both surprised and pleased as he met those extraordinary green eyes.

“That would be perfect. I would have suggested that, but I didn’t know what you would think. I wouldn’t want to compromise your—ah—reputation.”

Kayla laughed. “I don’t care what people say, Devon. I deal in truths, not innuendoes or rumors, and I have no patience with those who cater to that kind of subtle slander.”

Damn, she’s a woman after my own heart! “Good to know.”

He paid the check and they left the dining area. Kayla excused herself briefly in the lobby, walking away to make a quick phone call before rejoining him at the elevator.

Once in his room, Kayla immediately kicked off her shoes. She curled comfortably on the two-seater couch while Trey watched in utter fascination.

“Now, why don't you sit down beside me and get comfortable, as well, and let’s really talk,” she suggested, patting the place next to her.

Trey sat down but was far from feeling comfortable. Having her this close, he couldn’t help but visualize her on the bed, naked and inviting. He hoped his thoughts, growing warmer by the minute as he inhaled her enticing flowery perfume, wouldn’t become an embarrassment he couldn’t hide.

“I take it you had the proverbial perfect childhood, Kayla. All the luxuries, the right schools and so forth?”

“It wasn’t perfect by any means. But yes, I did have the opportunity for the best education. So it was probably better than a lot of others. My parents expected me to do well in school, and I did because I didn’t want to disappoint them. And actually I always strove for academic perfection for my own sake, as well, because I wanted to accomplish things and knew the proper education was the way to do that.”

Trey inwardly flinched, remembering those years when he had determinedly stayed in school, regardless of his hand-me-down clothes and the way some of the kids made fun of him in his younger years and then later, regardless of the times he had to go with his back and butt raw and sore from a beating. He had, however, managed to live through it and get that diploma that he, too, had felt was important, before he left to join the army.

“Tell me about your parents,” he said, to cover up his own bitter memory flashes.

“They were very socially conscious and expected me to be ever aware of how my actions reflected on our good name. If I could fault them for anything, it might be their overzealous desire for me to walk a social-acceptance line. That’s hard to do when you really want to ‘run with the bulls,’ if you know what I mean. But I was a dutiful daughter.

“I believe I read that they were killed in a car accident.”

“That’s right. Right after I graduated from university. You know, Devon, I’ve noticed that you aren’t taking notes. Do you have a photographic memory, by any chance?

Trey silently cursed his lack of judgment and decided to add yet another lie to the pile. “Yes, I do.”

“How interesting. We share that trait and I know that, at times, it becomes a nuisance, doesn’t it?”

Add to the pile! “So you are blessed, or maybe I should say cursed, the same way? And yes, it does sometimes.”

“From experience I know that those of us with photographic memories usually have total recall, yet in some instances not. So, tell me, do you recall every detail of practically everything said to you?”

God, it’s getting deep. “Not really. I’ve learned to block some things out, as I’m sure you have. But I assure you I will recall your every word, Kayla,” he said it in a soft, inviting tone that he hoped said more than just those words. He held her eyes as he smiled. She returned the smile and for a minute, they didn’t speak. There was no need for words. That electric current was vibrating between them again. Feeling drawn to her, overwhelmed by her nearness, Trey leaned toward her, his eyes holding fast on those inviting, luscious lips. Simultaneously, she leaned toward him and their lips touched, lightly at first. Then he pulled her closer, deepening the kiss, his tongue seeking hers, delving into her open and receptive mouth.

When their lips parted, he expected her to pull away, but she didn’t. He stood, pulling her up, and melded her against his rock-hard shaft wedged against her yielding body.

“I know this is unprofessional, but damn, Kayla, I want you.”

Bobbi Cole Meyer is the pen name for Barbara Meyer, who relocated from her hometown of Jackson, Mississippi, to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue a career as a lyricist. Over the years Barbara has had numerous songs she co-wrote cut by major artists such as Tom Jones, Loretta Lynn, Barbara Mandrell, Barbi Benton, Stella Parton, and several others. She also co-wrote the theme song for the Italian movie, Summer Affair, with well-known guitarist and composer, Bucky Barrett. Now residing in Tennessee, with new hubby, Hank, Barbara is busy pursuing a second career, writing fiction, which she claims is her first love.

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My Thoughts:

This book was interesting to say the least. There were parts that I really liked, parts that were just okay, and some that I didn't care for. Let me start with the parts that I did like.

#1. There was a happy ending! :-) I really liked it.

#2. All of the men were great (except for the antagonists). Trey and Harm were my favorites!

#3.  There were lots of extremely hot scenes.

#4. There were some surprises that no one will see coming.

The things that were only so-so:

Some of the "surprises" were hard for me to swallow. In other words ~ I liked that they kept you guessing but they were more on the sad and emotional side and you know how easily I am affected sometimes. I wasn't expecting them so it hit me harder than it may have.

Things that I didn't care for:

#1. I didn't really connect with the heroine. :-(  She seemed self centered, in addition to being spoiled, stubborn, and having a superior attitude. I seen her this way despite the book mentioning a few times that she didn't see herself in that manner. In this book, the guys made it.

#2. There was more steam than emotion. Other than when the big things happen, I didn't really "feel" their relationships. Even when some of those happened, I expected more of a reaction. Don't get me wrong,  they went through the motions and said their I love yous, I just didn't really feel it (except near the end).

I liked it more than I disliked it and I want to read the next book 

What can you expect if you choose to read Uncensored Passion? Lots of steamy sex, a woman with four men that she considers her husbands, a man sent to investigate the woman who triggers an intense reaction in her, some mean and devious men with hidden agendas, lots of twists and turns, and a happy ending.

I will mention that there is absolutely no M/M in this book. No need to fear if that is not something you're into.

I received an ecopy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you like it hot and steamy, you should read this one!


Don't forget to enter the Comment Incentive Giveaway. It is a great chance to win a book you'd like to have! The link can be found at the top of the page.