Billionaires in Love

Billionaires in Love is a reprinting of two Carly Phillips books Midnight Angel and The Playboy's Second Chance (formerly titled Kismet). I really enjoyed both stories and they were quick reads. Both stories could have been turned into full length novels and drawn out the hurt character forgiving the one who returned wanting forgiveness, but they weren't rushed either.

In Midnight Angel Dylan was sexy in strong, but was also able to admit that he screwed up ten years ago. Holly is determined to resist Dylan, but at the same time she needs closure. I was able to see why Dylan left Holly behind, but he definitely did it in a way that hurt her.

The Playboys Second Chance had somewhat of the opposite problem in that the female lead, Lissa, was the one who messed up and ended the relationship. She got pregnant at 18 by another guy while on a break from her high school sweetheart Travis. They end up working things out, then Travis freaks out about possibly becoming a father to Lissa's daughter and screws things up again.

I'd read Kismet previously and it was nice to revisit the story and rediscover why I enjoyed it. This is my first time reading Midnight Angel and it made me want to read the rest of the stories in the Love Unexpected series. This gets 4.5 stars from me, along with a recommendation for all Carly Phillips fans and any romance readers looking for a new author.

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Kiss Me, Cowboy

Kiss Me, Cowboy is the third book in the Montana Born Rodeo series. I really liked the concept of this story, but I don't feel that it was delivered as well as it could have been. Charlie has been in love with Zach since she kissed him, but Zach has a rule about never dating his coworkers. His rule was born out of a good reason, but the situations are very different. Charlie has a decision to make because she was offered a seasonal job at a horse ranch in Colorado. Both characters were a bit whiny and constantly flip flopped their positions. One minute Charlie wants to go to Colorado to get away from her feelings for Zach, and the next he's the reason for her to stay and try to convince him they could be a couple. Zach keeps telling himself and Charlie that they can never be together, but then keeps finding excuses to kiss her. This story rates a 3 stars from me. It was okay, but nothing spectacular.

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Cherish Me, Cowboy

Cherish Me, Cowboy is the story of Payton Hollis and Cordell Morgan. Payton is a head strong female who runs a ranch on her own. She lost both of her parents and since then doesn't accept help from anyone. Cordell comes to Marietta, Montana to lease some land and let his friend's cows get healthy again before sending them back to Texas. He and Payton end up becoming roommates when Henry, the owner of the land Cordell is leasing, asks Cordell to rent a room from Payton. Once they become roommates, they get to know each other and it gets to a point where they feel that their day isn't complete unless they see each other. Payton knows she can't fall for Cordell because she doesn't have time for anyone or anything but her ranch. He knows he can't fall for her because he's only in town for one reason, and it's not the one she knows. He also isn't staying so he doesn't want to get involved and risk hurting Peyton. This is a sweet story and another good addition to the series. The one complaint I have is this book didn't have any sex scenes. There was a comment about them undressing and then it was the next morning. I don't mind sweet romances, but I like a little bit of sex in them. Overall it was a good book and rates 3.5 stars. I'll probably reread it as part of the series, but not necessarily as a stand-alone.

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What A Bride Wants

I've been reading books set in Marietta, Montana a lot lately, and besides the town, they have one more thing in common. I am absolutely loving them. Like the rest of the books in the Great Wedding Giveaway series, this book was funny and a quick read. Ella was a strong character who would have run off the wrong man with her strong personality. Cameron Sawyer (Sawyer to most of Marietta), is strong enough to handle her. Ella and Sawyer meet because Ella's dad pissed her off and caused her to do something rash. Neither one was really looking for anything serious, but Sawyer was the one who had strong reasons not to fall for anyone. Eventually his reasons are revealed and Ella proves that she is strong enough to stand by him. The writing was strong and once I started reading, I didn't want to put this book down. One of these days maybe I'll read the books in order instead of jumping all over the place, but going out of order doesn't take away from any of the stories.  It gets a strong 4 1/2 star rating from me and goes into the read again pile.

The Make Believe Wedding

This was a book that I liked the sound of and an author I've never read before, but I will definitely be reading again. I absolutely loved Heath & Andie. In some ways this is your typical girl pines for guy, makes guy notice her, and they fall for each other, but this story is also unique. Andie isn't your typical female, she's a kick ass electrician and Heath is her boss/brother's best friend. Andie gets drunk at the Valentine's ball & enters herself and Heath in the Great Wedding Giveaway unintentionally. When she is informed, at work, that she and Heath are finalists she is mortified. Heath, being a good guy rolls with it and things escalate from there. I found myself laughing out loud at times, and cringing with embarrassment at others. This book hooked me in and kept me until the last page. I didn't put it down until I was done. It's a wonderful book and one I recommend to all romance readers. I'm giving it 4.5 stars.

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Tease Me, Cowboy

Tease Me, Cowboy is a story about a second chance at love. Selah Davis was with her friends and she ended up confiding to them that her biggest regret was not sleeping with her high school boyfriend Levi Monroe. They end up talking her into propositioning him for one night. Well, that one night doesn't go as planned. Levi loved Selah and when the opportunity to get a little payback for all the times she left him high and dry in high school presents itself he takes it. I really enjoyed this story by Rachael Johns. It was a great addition to the series and a quick read. The one thing I don't like about novellas is how short they are. This story, like most other novellas, could have been expanded into a full length novel. Luckily for the reader, the length of this story doesn't make it feel rushed. It also brings back characters from other books in the series, but not in a way that those who haven't read the other books would suffer. It is a sweet story and one I recommend to all romance readers. I'd give it 4 stars and I am looking forward to reading more in this series.

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Sweet as Honey

I really wanted to like this book because I thought the premise was great. Unfortunately I just couldn't get into it. I felt like this story was about 16 year olds who were playing at being grownups. Both Dex and Honey were really insecure and I felt like they were having the same issues repeatedly. It grew tiring and it took me a week to get through the book because I just didn't want to continue reading it. I tend to like Alpha males, and Dex definitely wasn't one. He had been hurt in the past, but instead of working through it, it stuck with him and brought him down for most of the story. There was also a subplot of Honey having to sit on a jury with a case similar to the abuse she had suffered. I think the author was trying to add depth to the story, but I felt the subplot took away from the story instead of adding to it. One thing I did like was how the author set up the next book at the end of this one. Overall, the characters were too weak for my liking and I felt the story drug on too long. I'd give this book 2.5 stars.

How the Scoundrel Seduces

How the Scoundrel Seduces was a great historical romance. This was the first book I read by Sabrina Jeffries and I can't wait to read more. Zoe was a strong woman who knows how to get her way when it really matters. She hires Tristan to find out if something she found out is true. Tristan and his business partners owe Zoe a favor because she kept a secret for them (I assume this took place in another book, but it was referenced in this one a few times). The tricky part about Zoe hiring them is she doesn't want anyone to know, not even her family, that she's trying to find out the truth behind this secret. Tristan and Zoe fight a fair amount, but it feels more like foreplay and banter more than anything else. Tristan is a black sheep and has secrets of his own. He uses Zoe's case to further his own agenda while working on her case, but it turns out they are intertwined. As the story progresses I like the characters more and am rooting for them to be together. This was a great historical romance with a bit of a mystery thrown in. It gets a 5 star rating along with a recommendation to anyone who likes historical romance.

Whipped

Whipped by Sabrina York was a short, hot read. Dane is at his best friend's bachelor party in Vegas and can tell that everything is going to change once his friend gets married. What he doesn't know is that his life will change too. Dane leaves the bachelor party early and runs into what he thinks is the hooker his friends hired for the party. In reality it is the bachelor's baby sister. Dane ends up hooking up with her (Tina), but can't seem to get her out of his head. He was shocked to discover who it was the next day, bu couldn't seem to stay away from her. Tina has been in love with Dane since she was in high school, so when he mistakes her for a hooker and wants to spend the night with her she says yes. The sex scenes in this book were hot and Dane's reactions to certain situations were amusing. It was a hot, and funny, quick read. It gets 4 stars along with a wish it was longer because I enjoyed it so much.

Close to Her Heart

Close to Her Heart by C.J. Carmichael wasn't one of my favorite books. The premise is good, girl gets knocked up by her emotionally unavailable boyfriend, boyfriend doesn't want baby, relationship ends, and girl ends up falling for her best friend. Unfortunately the follow through on this book wasn't as good as it should have been. Both Dani and Eliot were too beta for my tastes and Dani couldn't make a decision to save her life. Dani was presented with a possibility that her baby would be born with Down syndrome, but instead of making any decisions regarding testing she buries her head in the sand and ignores the possibility. She also doesn't tell anyone about that possibility.  I found her lack of decision making annoying and she wavered too much on any decision. Eliot was no better. He wanted to be there for her as a friend and suddenly realized he was in love with her. Their relationship felt forced and I didn't feel it develop at all. Eliot is a divorce lawyer and there was a small subplot with a pair of his clients that actually interested me more than this story. I wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't get invested in the story or the characters. This book falls at about a 2.5 stars from me. I'm not going to write this author off because I see potential there, but not with this book.

Dare to Submit

This book is definitely the HOTTEST book I've read by Carly Phillips. Decklan Dare is a sexy alpha male who has watched Amanda for about six months at a BDSM club that they both go to. He was always aware of her, but never approached her and didn't know her name until he had to rescue her from a Dom who wasn't stopping when she said her safe word. Amanda was also aware of Decklan, but too insecure to approach him. They each have their reasons for going to the club even though neither has to have the D/s relationship. Because they meet and establish the D/s relationship, Decklan is really upset when he finds out Amanda has been keeping something from him and tells her that she broke one of the main rules of that relationship by not being completely honest with him.
I started reading this book on a break at work and had to stop reading it because I was getting too hot and bothered. It starts off strong sexually because that is all Decklan & Amanda's relationship is supposed to be. This makes for a great book, but not ideal for reading in public. The story was captivating and I had a hard time putting it down to do things like eat and sleep. I love that Carly Phillips is taking a risk by making her books more erotic and I think she is doing an amazing job of it. I can't wait for the next Dare book. This book gets a solid 5 stars and a recommendation to anyone who likes Carly Phillips books and/or HOT books.

Bring on the Heat

This book started off a little slow for me. It opens with some pretty heavy description and for me that is just a bit boring. The book does pick up after the first chapter or two, so for anyone that reads this, keep that in mind. I enjoyed Darcy and felt like she was easy to relate to. She is a screenwriter who house sits and has pretty much become a personal assistant to the person she house sits for. She comments on Disney princesses multiple times, and one of my favorite lines from this story is, "..felt like every storybook princess who had ever been kissed by her prince. Except even better. Disney never implied eroticism, and this was thoroughly arousing." Lines like that show that Darcy is a romantic at heart, while she keeps telling herself to be real about her situation and not fall for Chase. In some ways Chase really was Prince Charming. He's athletic, the star pitcher of the Sonics, and actually does things like send someone to get a pair of shoes for Darcy when she brakes her heel in a sidewalk grate. The biggest problem between Darcy and Chase is Chase believes Darcy is her employer Lydia Logan. When they first meet Darcy tries to tell Chase who she is, but he doesn't believe her. From there it snowballs and becomes a typical lie that got out of hand until the lie is revealed at the wrong time by the wrong person. This is a good contemporary romance, geared towards sports fans or at least readers who like their heroes to be athletes. This gets a 4 star rating from me along with a to read again.

Night Unbound

I have been following the Immortal Guardians since Darkness Dawns came out and have fallen in love with the series. This is the latest in this series, and one I have been anticipating a lot. Lisette d'Alencon is someone who I have always wondered about and I was very glad I got to read her story. Zach, her love interest has secrets of his own and is accused of betraying the leader of the Immortal Guardians, Seth. He isn't the one responsible for the things he is accused of, but there is a lot of distrust between him and Seth. Lisette has to sneak around with Zach because Seth told her to stay away from Zach. Lisette is a very strong female who isn't afraid of kicking ass, and Zach loves that about her. This story isn't one that should be read as a standalone. They reference many things from other books, so for a reader who hasn't read the other books in this series some of the conversations might not make sense. I absolutely loved this book and this series will continue to be an auto buy for me. This book rates a full 5 stars and I'd suggest everyone who likes paranormal romance read this, and every other book in this series.

Beauty's Kiss

This is the second Jane Porter book I've read in a row, and I absolutely loved this. The story was of Taylor Harris & Troy Sheenan. Taylor is one of the town's librarians and Troy is a business tycoon. They are supposed to go to the town's Valentine's ball together, even though neither of them have met before. Neither is looking forward to going until they meet. Troy is intrigued by Taylor and wants to go with her, but Taylor doesn't want to go. As the story unfolds the reader learns about the trouble Taylor's brother is having, so she's distracted with that, and she doesn't feel that she's in Troy's league. Troy charms Taylor into going to the ball with him and even arranges a special surprise. The night of the ball something happens and Taylor has to cancel. Troy is disappointed, but understands. They do eventually get their HEA. I loved Taylor because I could see myself in her. She's more comfortable with her books than being social. She also hides behind those books because she doesn't feel very pretty. After being told she wasn't mature enough to care for her brother, she started doing everything she could to appear more mature. Troy sees past all of these defense mechanisms to the real Taylor. He charms his way into her heart and makes her see that she is smart, funny, beautiful, and most definitely in his league. I found myself falling in love with Troy and wishing he was a real person instead of the hero in this story. This story gets a solid 4.5 stars from me and is going in the read again pile.