Amy has spent her life in isolation. Locked away in the Centre, a secret government facility where children with extraordinary abilities are raised as highly skilled fighters, she longs for a normal life. A life where being around people doesn’t overload her sensitive telepathic mind. A life where she can’t see through the eyes of a murderer as he hunts down his next victim…

J.C. Nikolaiev was a top researcher, but when his conscience got the better of him, he tried to destroy his work and free his subjects—and was imprisoned as a traitor. To save himself and prevent more people from dying, J.C. must catch the serial killer stalking the halls of the facility. But his only leads come from a woman whose thoughts have invaded his mind…

Finally out of the psych ward, Amy joins forces with J.C. to find the killer before he closes in on them. Can their growing attraction withstand the truths they uncover?
*Blurb from Goodreads*

It’s been awhile since I read a great sci-fi romance, and I was in the mood when I read the blurb for this one. Since it sounded like good fun, I picked it up right away.

Amy has spent her entire life in the Centre, living in isolation because of her strong psychic powers. But she wants out of her cell and the chance to go outside. When she connects mentally with J.C., she thinks that she might finally get that chance.

J.C. has come to his senses about the harm the Centre has done on its children subjects, and tries to do what he can to free them, but he is set up and sent to get his mind wiped. After the wipe he is put in charge of the investigation to find a serial killer who has been targeting children and others within the centre. With Amy and J.C. working together, they just might be able to find the killer before he strikes again.

The world building in this book seemed really well developed, but a little difficult to understand. We only get a good picture of what life is like within the Centre, and the rest of the outside world is still a big mystery. I would have liked to get a better understanding of the world at large, but from what we learn of the different psychic powers, I’m excited to see more of these characters from this world.

I really enjoyed both J.C. and Amy. J.C. was this total stand-up guy. He was honorable and his conscious was something that he listened to and took action on. He hated what the Centre was doing to people, and wanted to do everything in his power to fix it. Even after having his mind wiped, he was still a genuinely nice guy. Once Amy gave him his memories back, he went right on back to being that sweetheart hero.

Poor Amy went through hell and back in this book, especially since she seemed to be psychically linked to the serial killer at the most inopportune times. Yet she wanted more than anything to catch the killer, even if she put herself in harm’s way. Although she lived a somewhat sheltered life, she was also an all around sweetheart.  She reminded me of the sweet and innocent heroines of some of my favorite historical romances, and that really endeared her to me.

The relationship between Amy and J.C. was slow and started more like a friendship. Given Amy’s lack of any life experience, J.C. took things nice and slow with her, and when they finally did take their relationship further, it was sweet. Not too steamy, but nice and appropriate for them as a couple.

All in all I enjoyed Reed’s debut novel. I thought the mystery portion of the plot was a little under-developed. I could have used a little more, but was glad to see the way Reed worked it all out in the end. I also liked the main characters as well as the supporting characters enough that I’m excited to go back into this world and see what Reed has to offer.
I give Hunting the Shadows a C+

Kindle eBook

Review – Hunting the Shadows by Alexia Reed is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

On leave for Thanksgiving, the last thing marine lieutenant Talia Barnett expects to find is Liam Brodie waiting for her at the airport. He’s had a starring role in her fantasies for the past two years, and although she’d love to make them a reality, she has a dark secret that prevents her from taking things further.

A former marine, Liam’s specialty is planning tactical operations, and that’s just what he plans to do to win Talia. The woman has kept him at arm’s length for too long, and this time he’s finally going to claim her—body and heart.

What begins as comfort quickly turns hot. When Liam shows Talia a hint of the dominant nature inside him, the submissive part of her flares to life. Though she desires him, she’s going back on deployment and doesn’t want to dump all her drama on him. Will he find a way to break through the protective walls around her heart and convince her they have a future that goes far beyond the bedroom?
*Blurb from Goodreads*

MinnChica: I will literally ready ANYTHING that Callie Croix/Kaylea Cross writes. I think she is absolutely awesome. When I first discovered her erotic romance novels I fell in love with her alpha heroes and strong heroines who like to give up a little of that control in the bedroom. Let Me In was not only a great light BDSM book, but it was also a friends to lovers story, my favorite kind!

E: I am relatively new to the Callie Croix/Kaylea Cross books, I think I have read one other that MinnChica pushed on me but when I saw this blurb on Netgalley I just had to request it.  It hit the perfect spots, friends to lovers, family issues, light BDSM, he had a plan, she had to decide to take a chance and it was all tied together nicely.  I fell in love with Liam from the beginning.  I am really glad I decided to request it.

MinnChica:  I loved a lot about this story. Like E said, Liam was the kind of hero who just pulled me in as a reader and had me cheering for him right away. I wanted him to woo Talia, I wanted him to win her heart, and I loved his methods of getting her to trust him and fall for him. Their sexy times were totally smoking hot. My only slight problem with the book was Talia and her inability to open up and trust. Her constant resistance to Liam and even her best friend had me wishing I could shake her into realizing just how much she was closed off from the people she supposedly loved most.

E:  Liam was just wonderful.  I was in awe of his patience and determination because Talia kept pushing him away.  I did wonder how she ever met and became best friends with Liam’s sister given how much of her life she kept completely separate.  As I saw some of what she kept hidden I could understand why she didn’t want anyone to know.  As a result I think Liam’s family was extremely open and generous towards Talia.  Before I started reading I had a few doubts that I could believe in their romance taking place over such a short period of time but I think the way Ms Croix handled their time physically together as well as their physical separation brought it all home.

MinnChica: Liam definitely made the story wonderful for me, that’s for sure. While I understood why Talia would want to keep her mother’s illness to herself, I also thought that once she let Liam in, she still worked too hard at pushing him away every chance she got. When she finally went to apologize and ask for him, I had a little bit of a hard time believing that she was magically cured of her inability to let people in and let them get close to her. That being said, I would love to see something else featuring these two in the future, just to see if they really make it.

E:  Like MinnChica said I think Liam is still going to have to continue pushing Talia so she doesn’t revert back to old habits.  I would enjoy seeing a cameo of them in a later book too so I can keep my warm and fuzzy.  As I was writing this I also wondered how Liam’s sister took the news about what Talia had been hiding and if she felt any resentment that her brother found out first.  Liam was really the star of this story I think.  He was willing to risk his heart for a chance on a future with someone who was certainly keeping secrets beyond the usual “I don’t know you well enough yet.”  While Talia did have to change the most in some ways I think her character was more two-dimensional.

MinnChica:   And did we mention that their sexy times were SUPER hot? That is one of the things that Croix does exceptionally well. She writes not only super sexy, but also emotionally fulfilling sexy times. All in all while I had some big issues with Talia’s character, Liam was well worth picking up this novella. He was a dedicated and loving hero, the kind that makes me weak in the knees.
I give Let Me In a C+

E:  How could I forget their sexy times.  *fans self* Just remembering them, whew!  They were certainly emotionally satisfying along with believable.  Talia wasn’t my favorite but Liam, well lets just say that he certainly kept me reading.  Something about a determined man with a plan who pays close attention to his partner that gets me every time.
I give Let Me In a B-

Kindle eBook

Joint Review – Let Me In by Callie Croix is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Taken prisoner by a ruthless group of anarchists deep in the Cambodian jungle, anthropologist Jocelyn Hewitt is isolated in a dark prison cell. Without chance of rescue. Or hope. Until the man in the next cell reaches out to let her know she’s not as alone as she thinks.

Jocelyn’s heart aches for the tortured man whose presence and voice give her the courage to risk their escape. But first she’ll have to remind Oliver who he once was, what he once loved, and bring him back to life. Only then will they have a chance for freedom—and the kind of love neither ever thought possible.
This blurb came from the author’s website here.

As you saw earlier in our Debut Author Feature, today we are focusing on Ms Justlin and her recent release Edge of Light. Don’t forget to enter the giveaway there! I am not a huge romantic suspense reader like one of my fellow pushers, MinnChica, but this had a premise that I usually enjoy. So after reading the blurb I decided to go ahead and request this to review. Edge of Light had some parts I really enjoyed, like the suspense, but it had some other parts that fell a little flat for me and stretched beyond the suspension of my disbelief.

I really felt for poor Oliver Shaw. The anarchists were extremely smart and diabolical in their systemic destruction of his spirit. Initially when Oliver first appeared he had been extremely beaten down but still had some resistance left. Then I had my doubts as to how heroic a character he would become because that seemed to be his last gasp. However, as I kept reading and learned just like Jocelyn some of what had been done to him and with no hope of rescue, I could understand why he wasn’t resisting anymore. I could also understand why he tried to avoid feeling anything or even talking to Jocelyn. Watching his journey back towards a semblance of the man he used to be was interesting. It certainly didn’t happen overnight which added to his character and the overall tension. When Oliver did step up and start his journey to heroism that also didn’t just happen. He required a lot of inspiration and motivation from Jocelyn’s faith in him to not backslide.

Jocelyn on the other hand struck me as a rather inconsistent character. On one hand she was strong enough to finagle a way onto this particular mission knowing that it could have some serious personal impact. Then she was captured and completely fell apart. She seemed to expect Oliver to do what she couldn’t despite or maybe because of his years of captivity. Jocelyn did regain her sense of gumption once they escaped which was good to see.

The anarchists were seriously evil. It wasn’t just their actions towards Oliver and his dead teammates or even how they treated Jocelyn but the combination of that and their treatment of the rural Cambodians. The leader was a serious whack job and had done a relatively good job of both brainwashing and scaring his two associates into doing what he wanted. In some ways they struck me as being over the top; evil without any redeeming features. I am glad they didn’t escape to start over again.

Despite the intensity and tension in Edge of Light in some places it went beyond my willing suspension of disbelief. I didn’t buy their Happily Ever After. I could accept a Happy For Now based on celebrating life, their escape, and the closure they were able to obtain but I didn’t see enough for HEA. I also had an issue with Oliver and Jocelyn able to walk on the beach and make mad passionate love three days after their rescue with some pretty nasty wounds without a single grimace, limp or accommodation for their injuries.

All in all I found that Ms Justlin gave me a mostly satisfying read. I give Edge of Light a B-/C+

Links to Purchase:

Edge of Light

Review – Edge of Light by Cynthia Justlin is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Luke Bailey has dreams of building homes and putting down roots. But for a man with a rough past, finding any job isn’t easy. When Mary Scott offers him a job-and a place to stay-mixing drinks and tapping beer at her theme bar, My Parents’ Basement, Luke accepts. Customers flock to the cozy pub, designed to evoke memories of lost childhood, to meet and mingle and play games.

For Mary, her gorgeous new employee should be off-limits. She’s his boss. And they’re very different-something her interfering family constantly points out. But Mary’s done playing the good girl. And Luke isn’t the bad boy everyone thinks he is. Their attraction simmers until Mary seduces Luke into playing some deliciously adult games. Then a shocking betrayal threatens everything…
*Blurb from Goodreads*

I’ve never read Summer, and only read one Dee book in the past, but I really liked the look of this story. Bad boy trying to reform, good girl who falls for him, breaking a few good girl rules along the way…. Sounds like a recipe for success!

Mary is working hard to make her bar a success, despite the fact that her family thinks it’s ridiculous. When she needs another employee, she helps out a friend by interviewing and hiring an ex-con. Mary is attracted to Luke, but she is also hesitant given his past and all the literature she got about con’s returning to civilian life, but she is willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Luke needs to make something of his life. He has dreams and wants desperately to achieve them. Although Mary is not the kind of woman he expected, he is drawn to her. He wants to be able to earn and keep her trust and love. But when things go missing from the bar, that becomes harder and harder.

There were quite a few things I really liked about this book. Luke, for a bad boy, was pretty much a total softie at heart. He accepted full responsibility for his actions, honestly regretted his past, and was resigned to whatever future he could make, even if it was a dismal one. At times he was really optimistic about life, and other times he wasn’t. I thought his attitude slingshot around a few too many times than I was comfortable with, but overall I liked his character.

Mary was very sweet and innocent, she comes from money yet wanted to break out and prove to everyone she could run a successful business on her own without her parents’ help. And she did it well. I liked the concept of her bar and thought the whole ‘parents basement’ idea was cute and worked well for her character. For as sweet and nice and yet stern with Luke, I wanted her to do the same with her family. She let her mom and dad walk over her left and right and I would have liked to see her stick up for herself instead of just meekly going along with them.

The romance between these two was cute, but at times felt a little awkward. There were some really sweet moments when Mary and Luke clicked, when the leaned on each other and supported each other when they both needed it. Other times it felt odd, like I couldn’t understand or figure out what they saw in each other, what they even liked about each other, how they could have a relationship without trusting one another.

One of the things that both annoyed me and excited me about this book was the way it was all resolved. SPOILER:

All in all this was a sweet and cute romance. I always love the bad boy paired with the good girl, and Luke and Mary did have some wonderful moments together. I would definitely be interested in checking out more from these authors together!
I give Serious Play a B-

Kindle eBook

Review – Serious Play by Bonnie Dee and Devon Summer is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Who’s the sexy blonde stranger sleeping in Simon Holcroft’s bed? The workaholic returns from a business trip to find someone stretched out on his sheets. Between the laundry basket at her side and the smell of orange cleaner, he deduces that the young woman is his maid-and resists the urge to kiss her awake.

But when his brother’s fiancé-his own ex-bursts in and strips down to her panties, Simon has to get her dressed and back where she belongs. So he introduces the maid as his fiancée. But his little white lie gets bigger, because now he has to bring his supposed bride-to-be to meet the whole family. One offer-she-can’t-refuse later, Simon has bought himself a temporary fiancée.

In debt up to her eyeballs and all alone for the holidays, how could struggling grad student Caroline Sampson not accept her gorgeous client’s fantasy proposal? But acting like she’s in love comes more easily than she ever expected.
*Blurb from Goodreads*

When I requested this book I was in the mood for a sweet contemporary romance, something that I could read quickly and enjoy. This definitely had a category feel to it, and I for one adored the story.

Simon comes home after traveling and finds a sexy woman stretched out on his bed. When his brothers fiance comes barging in his house and puts the moves on him, he tells her that Caroline, the sexy maid who was upstairs asleep, is really his fiance. In order to keep Francine from causing problems at Christmas, Simon and Caroline come up with a deal – she goes with him and continues to pose as his fiance, and he will give her an interest free loan for law school.

Once Caroline meets Simon’s family, she begins to fall for both him and the rest of the Holcroft clan. She knows that nothing can come of their time together, but being accepted into the family is easier than she expected, and something she never dreamed of happening to her. But when the family trusts her with their secrets, will Caroline be able to keep them all? Including the biggest one of all – her love for Simon.

This was a short story, but didn’t feel like it at all. The plot moved quickly, the characters pulled me in and the book felt like a full length feature. There was so much I adored in this book: both Caroline and Simon were great characters, Simon’s family was hilarious and sweet, the romance was a slow build up (and one that I adored from start to finish). One of the things I loved most: after their secret came out to Simon’s family, the two were able to work things out quickly and like adults. I always love when my romance books don’t go through some huge misunderstanding or breakup.

The sweet build-up in romance for these two was too sweet. While the mutual attraction was evident from the very beginning, watching these two fall in love over the course of their vacation was so sweet. I loved that they gradually found things within one another that they were attracted to, that they gradually became friends, lovers and then so much more. I’m such a sucker for a sweet romance, and these two had it in spades!

I loved Simon’s family, although their need to keep everything a secret from each other started to annoy me, especially since they all seemed to trust Caroline with their secrets. While I understood them not wanting to upset their matriarch, I also wanted to smack them all from keeping secrets from one another. But I adored them. His mother and father were so cute, absolutely darling! Simon’s sister and her partner were great (and so awesome to see a f/f secondary relationship), and his brother was a riot, especially as he and Simon constantly argued and bickered.

One of the other things I really liked was that the city of Savannah seemed to play such a strong factor in the book. I love when a setting becomes another character in the book. The story just seems to be richer in some ways, and I thought that Schield did an incredible job with that.

All in all I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The romance was so sweet, and the few sexy times were great as well. I loved the journey Simon and Caroline went on to discover their love for each other. The characters were all so much fun to read, and other than one or two little things, there wasn’t anything in the story I didn’t like. Harlequin category fans will want to get this book ASAP!
I give His Secret Temptation a B+

Barnes & Noble | Kindle eBook

Review – His Secret Temptation by Cat Schield is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

The woman came down on her hands and knees in front of his face. “Hey,” she said. Her voice was like the rest of her: strong, bright and clean. “My name is Claudia Hunter. Can you talk to me? I’d like you to tell me who you are, and who did this to you.”
He ignored her.
She said telepathically, Cat got your tongue? Come on, say something. Let me know you understand me.”
He closed his eyes.
“Don’t have anything to say? You were such a good boy earlier when you didn’t bite me. What a sweet, good boy, yes, you are.” She paused then crooned, “I think I’m going to name you Precious.”
His eyes flared open and shifted toward her in offended startlement.
The woman’s own gaze widened. Her eyes were gorgeous. She whispered, “Bloody hell. You are Wyr.” …
“Cable’s out already,” Jackson said. “Phones too. At this point we might get cell phone reception back before anything else. I’ve got a stash of movies in the house if you want something to watch”
“Thanks,” she said. “And thanks for picking up supper.”
“You’re welcome. How’s our boy?”
“Quiet. Eat with us?”
“Sure, why not,” said Jackson.
They ulatched the dining table from the wall and lowered it. She gestured for Jackson to slide around the L-shaped couch to sit. Then she took the end, so she could get out easily if needed. The suppers were typical diner fare and substantial, two fried chicken dinners with mashed potatoes and corn, and a pot roast stew with potatoes and vegetables. Dinner rolls filled a separate bag. She popped open two bottles of beer and set one in front of Jackson, the other at her place.
“Can he have more pain medication now?” Claudia asked.
Jackson checked his wristwatch. “If you can get him to take it. Wrap it in some of the bread and dunk it in a little gravy. If he won’t eat it, I can give him a shot.”
She stuffed a pill in a piece of bread and sopped it with rich, dark gravy. Then she held it to the dog’s nose. “Come on, Precious,” she murmured. “Eat the nums-nums, or Himself has to have a nasty old shot.”
The dog’s bitter-chocolate eyes narrowed on her in such disgust she had to grin.
“That really how you talk to him?” Jackson bit into a checken leg and said around a full mouth, “Can’t believe the dog hasn’t bitten you yet.”
“I know,” she said. “Can’t believe it myself. Isn’t he great? Think I might have to get him a rhineston collar. He’d look good in pink.” The Wyr snorted softly, but he made no move to take the morsel from her hand.

To enter this contest, leave a comment describing the fanciest thing you have seen a dog dressed up as or in. This post will be open for entries until Monday 26 Mar. Good luck!

Excerpt & Giveaway with Thea Harrison is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Attempted Murder. Passion. Betrayal. It’s a dog-eat-dog world.
Claudia Hunter is on a road trip through the Nevada desert when she sees the body of a dog on the side of the highway. Pulling over to investigate, she quickly determines that the enormous animal is clinging to life. While working to save him with the help of the local vet, Claudia realizes there’s something about the creature that seems more. Other. Wyr. Which makes this case of animal cruelty attempted murder.
Too injured to shape shift, Luis Alvaraz is reluctant to tell Claudia what he knows about his attack, afraid it will only make her a target. But the sheriff is corrupt, and his attackers know Luis is alive and vulnerable. To make matters worse, a sandstorm is sweeping into town, and if they’re going to survive the night, Luis will have to place all his trust in Claudia.
Warning: Take a gorgeous man temporarily stuck in the dog house, add a strong, take-no-prisoners woman, mix in encroaching enemies and a raging sandstorm and stir to combine. Enjoy with a freshly opened can of whoop-ass.

This blurb came from the author’s website here.

E: We here at The Book Pushers continue to be mad Thea Harrison fans so when we found out that we had not one but two new stories from her this month much dancing ensued. While I liked the two main characters and thought the overall storyline was interesting, the romance between them didn’t really work for me. The change in setting to the desert and from major power players/serial killers to a different level of “evil” helped flesh out Ms Harrison’s world. And I LOVED the pack of Tarot cards.

MinnChica: I’m such a sucker for Harrison’s Elder Races books, and while there were some things I liked about this story, there were also things I didn’t. When I read a Thea Harrison book, I’ve already come to expect certain things: a strong alpha hero, a sweet and endearing heroine, and a romance between the two of them that leaves me feeling as if all my dreams came true. For me, this story had the characters, but lacked the romance. Like E, I do enjoy that the series of books from Samhain seem to be following the Tarot cards. It’s a neat little side plot that keeps things interesting.

E: Claudia Hunter is a rarity among romance heroines. She is older, doesn’t really have dreams of HEA, and had made her living as one of an elite unit until their last mission ended up costing almost all them their lives. She is the type of woman who is very comfortable with guns and feels like they are part of what she grabs everyday like some women feel about make-up. Yet despite the toughness necessary to do well in her chose occupation she also has a very soft side as evidenced by her refusal to let the “very large dog” die on the side of the road or be humanely put down. She doesn’t have any huge powers but she has trained to use what she possesses to its utmost. I would rather have someone like that on my side then a person with immense power and no idea of how to best wield it. I enjoyed her differences and what that hinted towards women’s roles in the Wyr.

MinnChica: I too enjoyed Claudia. She was different (in a good way) from Harrison’s other heroines. She was strong and independent and at a later stage in life than any of the previous heroines. She wanted to be alone and travel around and drift through life as the wind blows her. I also enjoyed Luis, with what little time we spent with him. It felt as if the majority of the novella was told within Claudia’s POV, maybe because Luis spent a lot of the book in his Wyr form. But once we got the chance to see him, it was obvious he was both a warrior and had a kind heart. He didn’t let Claudia push him away or run him out of town because of their age difference. Instead, he put his own life on hold for the chance to follow her. That had me melting just a bit at the end!

E: Luis, I did like him! He was so determined not to let Claudia go. What I also really enjoyed is that despite his desire to protect and keep Claudia safe he accepted the fact that she could do some things better and by trusting her to do her part he could bring the cavalry to the rescue. Claudia’s reaction to Luis when she first saw him in human form was priceless! He certainly used his obvious physical charms to his advantage when it came to sneaking through her defenses. My favorite supporting character was the “retired” vet. He was smart, patient and I think if Luis hadn’t been who he was, he might have tried to keep Claudia local.

MinnChica: I have to admit though, the romance between Claudia and Luis was very lackluster. This novella felt more like it belonged in the urban fantasy genre than paranormal romance. I didn’t really feel any lasting connection between Claudia and Luis, and while I hope they get their HEA, everything between them seemed to be left very up in the air. I hope that Harrison revisits these characters in the future, because I think it would be neat to see where they go from here.

E: I agree with you MinnChica, this read more like an urban fantasy with the world and adventure taking the central aspect of the story and the romance as a sideline. I was more willing to believe that where the novella ended was the start of Claudia and Luis working towards a permanent relationship not establishing one. It would be fun to catch glimpses of them in later instances to see how the two “warriors” are juggling their rather strong personalities. Like always I enjoyed Ms Harrison’s writing and find her world very enthralling. This one just didn’t provide the romance I am used to coming from her. If you go into reading this with that expectation I think it will really satisfy.
I give Natural Evil a B-.

MinnChica: All in all I had some mixed feelings about this novella. While I absolutely love the Elder Races universe, and enjoyed seeing even more of the Wyr ways, I had certain expectations going into the book that I didn’t think were met. I desperately wanted a deeper connection between Claudia and Luis and was a little disappointed with how their romance turned out. I think that readers definitely need to go into this story shelving any romance-specific expectations and just enjoying the ride. I will say I am SUPER excited to see where the next novella takes us, especially if we get to follow the young Medusa character.
I give Natural Evil a C+

Links to purchase:

Kindle eBook

Joint Review – Natural Evil by Thea Harrison is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Ophelia retired from life as a prostitute, but her new position is even more complicated. Managing the bloodhound manor in Iron Creek is difficult and time-consuming, a job she enjoys less with each passing day. Then there’s her inconvenient attraction to Hunter. The newly turned hound seems eager to enjoy her company, but wary of anything more intimate.

Having survived the violence of his first full moon out of a cage, Hunter isn’t looking forward to his first new moon. Ophelia offers to be the woman who sates his needs during the three long days of sexual fury, but he can’t abide the thought of hurting her in a state of mindless lust. Especially since she longs to settle into a respectable life, and his needs are anything but respectable.

Their mutual goal is simple: avoid entanglements. It’s a solid plan, at least until a vampire drug lord and a couple of nosy Guild representatives force them to work together to defend their friends and everything they hold dear–including each other.

Warning: Contains a mostly feral, vampire-hunting hero and a tough survivor of a heroine whose retired-hooker heart is more steel than gold. Also included: dangerous frontier intrigue, fancy brothels, mad-scientist weapons and a good dose of wicked loving in an alternate Wild West.
This blurb came from the author’s website here.

MinnChica: I’ve been a huge fan of Moira Rogers for as long as I can remember, and one of the things I love most is the unique worlds they create. The Bloodhounds series is one of those worlds that is so different and special and I gobble up each new release. After reading about Hunter’s struggles in the first book, I couldn’t wait to see where Rogers’ would take his character. I absolutely loved the way Hunter still struggled with his new Bloodhound ways, but acclimated to everything.

E: Poor Hunter! My heart goes out to him. Unlike the other Bloodhounds who somewhat volunteered for the transformation even if they didn’t know what they were really getting into he was not given the option to volunteer. Nor was he transformed by the scientists with their established program to include mentorship but by a definite criminal and another person whose motives are questionable at best. Like MinnChica I have been sucked into this world from the first page. I really wanted to see how Hunter was going to survive now that he isn’t kept in a cage and what was going to happen to Ophelia. At the end of Wilder’s Mate there was a line about how Ophelia had changed which implied something happened to her that caused her emotional distress. Two wounded distrusting people paired up trying to find themselves and each other. That to me is a recipe for a very enjoyable read and Moira Rogers did not disappoint.

MinnChica: I couldn’t wait to see what would happen with Ophelia, the former whore turned house-mistress and Hunter the caged wild-thing who was turned against his will. These two had so much angst between the two of them, and yet their relationship was somewhat calm and soothing to them both. I wanted to smack Hunter on the head every time he turned his back on Ophelia, especially in the beginning of the story. I understood his reluctance, his fear of hurting her. Yet I wanted him to suck it up and trust in his new instincts.

E: Hunter’s refusal to trust himself was annoying but when you think about where he came from he was dealing with some extremely unfamiliar territory. He also never spent any of the crucial moon times with another person but locked in his cage going violently crazy. I think if I didn’t know that the violent crazy would change focus I wouldn’t want to be around anyone either. Especially not someone that I had come to care for. Ophelia’s former occupation was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because she knew how to handle Bloodhounds and what they were like but a curse because it meant Hunter would have a hard time believing that Ophelia meant what she said. I was amazed at how many times she continued reaching out to Hunter despite his rejections. I think at first it was she didn’t want him to suffer because it wasn’t his fault and then as she started to care for him…

MinnChica: I agree that at times I wanted Ophelia to just throw in the towel and walk away, but I loved how it all ended up for them. Once the two got over themselves and came together, they were great together. I was also glad that Hunter was able to let himself go and get the chance to kick some ass. I loved the “final showdown” and how that all played out. Rogers’ does such a wonderful job telling a story, and there wasn’t much I didn’t love about this one.

E: Besides the overall relationship between Hunter and Ophelia we also got to see some of what goes into “policing” a town in these very different days. It was very fascinating to catch some glimpses of the internal politics with the Bloodhounds, their creators and the territorial war against the vampires. I will admit I had my concerns when two strange visitors showed up in town and had undue interest in Hunter, Archer and Nathanial. I was worried about what they would do and if they would push any of the characters I have come to enjoy to do the unforgivable. Like always Moira Rogers built up the tension and then fixed the issues with a very believable solution that required all concerned parties to make some decisions and take certain actions .

MinnChica: All in all, I really enjoyed the second installment of The Bloodhounds series. Hunter and Ophelia were both amazing characters, and I loved the way their relationship played out. I was glad to see them both rely on the other for support and assistance in dealing with their new lives. I also liked the introduction of two new characters in the Bloodhound world, and was excited to see the series get a more definitive direction to take. I’m excited to see where Rogers’ takes this series, how it will all play out. I can’t wait for the next one!
I give Hunter’s Prey a B+

E: Hunter’s Prey was a wonderful addition to the Bloodhounds series. Not only did we get the almost star crossed lovers between Hunter and Ophelia we could also watch the rest of the characters we met in Wilder’s Mate continue to grow and settle into their new lives. Things are anything but safe and comfortable out on the border so to see these hardened people find something soft and caring is just great. Between the twisting politics, the hinted at but not quite said I think we are in for a rare treat as this series continues.
I give Hunter’s Prey an A-/B+

Links to purchase

Nook | Kindle eBook

Joint Review – Hunter’s Prey by Moira Rogers is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Sydney Carson doesn’t have room in her life for the complications of a relationship. Her life is busy enough, what with having to referee her parent’s separation, keep her playboy brother out of trouble, and still manage to run her family’s busy real estate investment firm. That doesn’t leave a lot of time for personal needs.

But after bumping in to high school friend, Reece Myers, and feeling the searing heat of their instant chemistry, Sydney figures that finding time for the occasional hour of mind-numbing sex certainly couldn’t hurt. Or could it?

Reece Myers has finally gotten his life where he wants it. His blue-collar bar is a success, he’s got good friends, and a building nest egg in the bank. The only thing missing is the right woman to share that life with. He thinks he’s found her in the form of one long-legged, gorgeous redhead from his past, but the hard part is convincing Sydney it’s worth a shot.

Going in, Reece knows Sydney has money, but her sweetness and unassuming nature make it easy to ignore. However, when their personal and professional lives clash, the vast difference in their bottom lines shocks him back to reality. Can he overcome his insecurities for a chance at a future with the woman of his dreams?
*Blurb from Goodreads*

Lyn is a debut author with this novella, and I not only fell in lust with the cover, but the blurb sounded like it would be a good, fun, quick read.

Sydney lives her life cleaning up the messes of her family. Her brother is an irresponsible playboy, her mother is a little neurotic and her father is making some rather ridiculous decisions in both his personal and professional life. The little free time she has she spends either alone or with Reece, an old high school buddy she just reconnected with. She isn’t looking for anything serious, but Reece is sexy and okay with a no-strings relationships.

Reece is glad to have Sydney coming to him, but after a few months, he is starting to hope that they can spend more time together and start to develop an actual relationship. When Sydney needs a date to a benefit, he finally gets his chance to wine and dine her outside of the bedroom. As Sydney’s life crashes around her, Reece is there to pick up the pieces. But when Sydney is finally ready for more, will Reece be able to handle all the differences in their lives?

I thought this was a really cute debut novella. The relationship between Reece and Sydney was super sweet. It started off as a physical thing only, with Sydney making weekly trips to Reece’s office at his bar. But once Sydney started letting Reece into her life little by little, I loved watching her realize just how amazing it can be having someone to trust, someone to confide in, someone to hug when having a crappy day. I also liked that Reece gave Sydney the time to realize that she needed someone. He didn’t push her, but was always there in the wings, waiting for her to realize how great they would be together.

One of the other things I really liked was the development of Sydney and Reece’s characters. I’m always a big fan of slightly neurotic heroines, and Sydney was great fun to read. She was a little stuffy, a little OCD, and fun to read. I’ve always loved heroines who are set in their crazy ways, and come to grips with “normal” reality little by little. It’s also fun to watch the manly men in their lives ruffle their feathers. Reece did a great job of keeping her on her toes just enough so that she was able to really develop as a character. I loved that.

While I can understand where the main conflict came into play, especially for Reece, I also was not a huge fan of the way it all played out. Yes, I know plenty of men who get upset when their woman makes more money than they do, however it seemed to me as if Reece didn’t have a problem with it until Sydney told him her actual bottom line. I would have liked to see them talk it out more instead of get into the big blow out.

All in all I thought this Lyn book was a sweet debut. The romance was sweet and sexy at the same time, the characters were fun to read and cheer for. I hope that the secondary characters will be able to get a story of their own, as Lyn set them up well. I will be looking forward to more from Lyn in the future.
I give Saving Sydney a B-

Breathless Press | Kindle eBook

Review – Saving Sydney by Jenny Lyn is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Jenna Byers approaches her first day as a background actor on “Sexy M.D. ” with one goal in mind-impress the right people with her acting, make connections, and prove she’s a hard worker. Things go sideways when an up-close-and-personal encounter with the uber-sexy lead ends with Jenna flat on her butt, and she’s noticed for all the “wrong” reasons.

In all his years of acting, there’s only one thing Micah Watley hasn’t done: accidentally punch an extra in the face. Going against protocol, he hunts her down to apologize and discovers a rare phenomenon in the entertainment industry. A sweet, uncorrupted-by-Hollywood woman, whose smile grabs him by the heart-and other not-so-innocent body parts-and won’t let go.

Their attraction is instant and intense, and Micah finds himself desperate to believe the woman with the beautiful smile, hot body and naughty mind wants him, not the doors he could open for her. When the press catches on, twisting Jenna and Micah’s love story into a Hollywood scandal, they’re forced to fight for their happy ending-both on “and” off camera.

Warning: This book contains a hero and a heroine who don’t know a household surface they won’t get horizontal on. Sometimes vertical too. Counters, sinks, showers, sofas, washing machines, beds, walls…they’ve got all the angles covered.
*Blurb from Goodreads*

Barnes & Noble |

Review – Starstruck by Ashleigh Raine is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter