In love and caught between a rock and a hard place.
597870
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
Kayla has been with her football player boyfriend for 3 years & has caught him cheating several times and promises to leave him each time. He even ended up getting another woman pregnant. At a family reunion she sees a man that instantly caught her eye. Terry happens to be her boyfriends cousin. This book takes you through the problems of a turbulent relationship & the beginning of a taboo love affair. Kayla wants to follow her heart but goes through a lot to get what she wants. I highly recommend this book & I'm anxiously looking forward to the next book.
2584317
Steve Johnson lives for the Colorado Mountains he is in charge of overseeing as a Wildlife Consultant.  He has reclused himself and doesn't let others in to his little oasis.  Until Shannon Braden came back into his life turning it upside down.  The two of them create a bond and love for each other that when they realize Shannon needs to go home, they both are too afraid to tell the other how they feel and want.
I loved how Steve went out of his way to learn things that make Shannon happy and Shannon realized she wanted more than what she had been doing with her life.  It was a sweet, but steamy at times love story that will be a great afternoon read.
393601
A great story of love and survival when life is tough and you want to give up.  You may find love in unexpected places and not in the form you anticipated (like a cat).  Well written and encouraging story.
875974
Elise is struggling to keep her dance studio afloat. At this point she needs a miracle to keep things going. She just wasn't expecting a miracle in the shape of Col Hillam. The same Col, who used to be part of her family and the same person who dumped her like a hot potato many years ago.

Col still struggles with the neglect and abuse he suffered as a child. He is home to bury the person who will always be at the root of his fears and problems. One of those fears is something he needs to overcome quick snap, which is why he has returned to ask Elise for help.

The two of them have to overcome a mountain of obstacles to rekindle their fledgling romance, including clearing up the real reason Col left in the first place. The secret he kept from Elise because he didn't want to break her heart and destroy the relationship between her and someone close to both of them.

This romance is about trust, family and coming back home to the one person, who makes you feel safe and complete.
I received a copy of this book courtesy of Harlequin UK and Mills & Boon.
280744
I was provided with an advanced reader's copy of this book.

Sydney doesn't have a care in the world.  She's young, beautiful, and rich.  When Sydney isn't shopping for the latest haute couture fashions, she's hanging out with her equally wealthy BFF's, Laurel and Faith.  Hers is a world of very few complications, until she meets Kasper "Kaz" Gillian, lead singer of the rock band Scarlet Fever.  Sydney tries hard to be tough, but beneath the cool exterior is a young woman who desperately needs to be possessed by a rock star.

Kaz isn't the typical guy Sydney is used to dealing with.  He comes from money, and has tremendous success as a musician.  There's no reason for him to bow down to some spoiled, rich brat.  But, Kaz can't deny the chemistry he feels whenever he's around Sydney.  He's a wounded man who has a hard time believing women can be trusted.  Perhaps Sydney is just the thing to cure his broken heart.

Two lovers must put aside their pasts, and learn what it means to give and take as they fall in love.

Like many other readers, I found myself turned off by Sydney.  She spends most of her time buying expensive things with money she hasn't earned.  But, this all changed when she met up with Kaz.  Sydney becomes vulnerable and unsure, qualities that just about every woman can relate to.  What she finds in Kaz is just what she needs.  Surprisingly, he makes her a better person.  And, the passion between the two lovers is amazing.  I can't wait for the next book in the trilogy.  We all need a hot rock star in our lives.
4815917
Liam loves hard and is determined when he finds what he wants.  But will his love and determination be enough?

Megan has experienced great loss in her short life.  She has closed herself off to avoid feeling that pain ever again.  Will she open herself up to love?

Liam and Megan's love story is a lesson in patience and determination.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
4968640
Kat is a troubled young woman working desperately to get away from a crime she is accused of.  The cops are looking for, her own mother seems to have turned against her, so theres nothing for her to stick around for.  One day, when she has her guard down, a bounty hunter catches up to her. Shes sort of resigned to it remarking that even she is surprised that she had gotten so far before finally being caught.

Her bounty hunter is a mysterious, tight-lipped loner who sees this as just another job. He keeps a distinct boundary between himself and his captive. Kat, however, becomes the exception. Shes unafraid to speak her mind and isn't intimidated by this man. Against his will, she draws him out of his own isolated thoughts and has him engaging with her. Despite their current circumstances, these two actually have something in common  theyve watched people they love stay in abusive relationships. In Kats case, its the reason shes in her current jam. The boundary between the two gets slightly blurred except that he absolutely refuses to give her his name. Its the one thing that allows him separate the job from the rest of his personal life. In response, Kat takes to giving him a new name whenever she can. Its one among many games she has going to keep herself amused but the nickname that sticks for most of the book is Steel.

I really liked this story. While there's an intense attraction between them, what made the story for me was how they connected on an emotional level. Theyre both damaged individuals who have reacted to life differently. Kats still a dreamer thanks to the loving relationship she had with her father. Steel is too entrenched in his past and with the things that he has done as a bounty hunter, he feels hes unworthy and  not redeemable. Kat makes no judgment. Perhaps because of her own dire predicament she understands that theres always more to the story. As they become closer, they feel more responsible for each others impending outcome. Kat, who feels her freedom slipping away fast, wants to live in the present as much as possible. Steel faces a moral crisis in light of his growing feelings for her and has to decide if hes in or out of the bounty hunting game forever.

This is my first Season Vining book and I enjoyed it a ton. I liked how she developed the characters and laid out their personal, complicated stories.  She also adds excitement in the form of a mysterious third party chasing after Kat. There's no absolute clean ending in this but heightened emotions, broken hearts, futures on the line and running out of places to hide are all a perfect recipe for adventure.  The romance is the cherry on top!
893681
Life isn't always neat and it doesn't always look like a fairy tale. Relationships and families have problems, sometimes they are even dysfuntional. It takes tough love, passion, heartache, forgiveness, and kindess to pull through the most difficult of situations. Lillian Darcy tells a truly captivating story of a couple that was torn apart by time and circumstance. 20 years later they have a chance to be together again and must find the courage to seize the moment no matter what the obstacles are.

I strongly encourage readers to have both chocolate and tissues handy when reading this book. I found myself crying and smiling at the same time.
2737689
This is a story of love and lost. Of pain and betrayal and deffniatley about faith in that what you believe in. This was deffniatley one to take you on an emotional rollacoaster. I loved how the story was put together. This is one full of twists and turns!
3521663
To call Gwen's life difficult would be an understatement.  Abandoned by her parents, she's alone in the world.  At the age of 12 she was kidnapped by two brothers and held for five years and endured rapes, beatings, starvation, and heartache in the worst way possible.  Her escape came after a brutal beating in which she was able to grab a knife and kill one of the brothers.

That was ten years ago.  Gwen has in a lot of ways been able to move on with her life.  Having met McKayla in a rape survivors meeting, she's been able to heal for the most part.  But a large part of her is still living in the past having left her unable to be with a man in a relationship.  Mckayla has become her rock and vice versa.  Mckayla is a stripper and Gwen is an escort.  It allows them both to find some healing and move on with their lives.

Gwen's ultimate dream is to be a fashion designer.  She picked up a pencil one day and started drawing and before she knew it she fell in love with making beautiful gowns and started attending designer school.  It's on the subway people watching while she's drawing that she sees a gorgeous man with green eyes.  They share the same schedule every morning getting off on different stops.  One day when Gwen gets off at his stop and trips almost falling to the pavement they actually meet official for the first time.  His name, Cole Cressley.  Cole is always dressed to impress and sure and confident in himself.  So confident that he breaks through Gwen's walls to the point that she falls into his bed not once but twice.  The second time ends with her staying the whole night.

Cole in the short amount of time that he's known Gwen has changed her.  He's made her see what it's like for a man to take you with pure love in his eyes, at least that's what she assumes it was until she wakes up the next day and finds his wife ready to kill them both.  Devastated and with nowhere to go, she runs back to Mckayla and once again Mckayla is forced to pick up the pieces of her broken heart and fix the pain caused by yet another man.

It's not until more than a year later when they see one another again.  But what happens when they do?  Has she really moved on from the hurt he caused?  Whatever became of the other brother that kidnapped her?

With this story, you must keep an open mind.  There's a lot going on here, f/f, f/f/m, and f/m.  If you're not into that, then this is not the book for you because there are a lot of f/f scenes that go on in this book.  If you don't mind that, this is a wonderful story full of pain and heartbreak and a woman's courage to move on from such a horrible time in her life.  My only issue is if there will be another book?  The ending of this story led me to believe their might be another or even two books in this series, but the end of the book just had a `The End' and that was it.  I would love to know and I'm sure other readers would as well, if there will be another book because for me the story just kind of ended with me scratching my head.  It was fast paced and had an interesting story line..  Overall this was a great story full of love, passion, and pain, 4 stars.

***Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review***
1361699
This is a tale of two people who passionately loved each other but just could not break up or be happy together.  I was very moved by the story, which I'd never heard, and felt regret for all those whose self-imposed barriers short-circuit their lives.
2214052
I loved Jake, The Protector. Hardened, disconnected, damaged. And Camille, strong and independent. Both have family issues. Camille with a corrupt and domineering father and Jake with a photo of a woman he keeps secret.

Together they are calming, accepting and loving.

There is no peace until they solve the mystery of the threats against Camille, the lies of the father and the secrets Jake is running from.

The Protector was hard to put down with its mystery, action, lust, lies, and love. It was a story of acceptance and healing and the beauty of love; more love than could be anticipated as the story develops. I didn't want to go to sleep or work, just keep reading. But when I got to page 200, I had to slow down; I didn't want it to end. The ending was perfect.
1858086
Holy man I didn't think the story would get better and better but it just rattled my mind with how wonderfully amazing it is. I'm really glad that I was able to get more of Hope and Rock, also was able to get more of there relationship as a couple vs. just about Hope overcoming grief. Both the characters really grew with each other right before your eyes and that was fanfreakingtastic to read. I was able to read this story in a short amount of time it's an attention grabber not letting go for anything. Which is ok by me now I was left on a small cliffhanger in which I can't wait for more.

***I received this story for free in exchange for an honest review, see more of my review @ http://jmhoward2007.blogspot.com ***
4561315
This is a beautiful, capitvating story of a woman, Brooke, who has lost two things that are the closest to her heart. It is the struggle of survival and moving forward in your life when the past only has pain and memories of things that you use to have!
This story starts with a girl bumping into a guy and spilling her coffee on him. But it takes us down a road of friendship, passion, pain, family issues and so much more!

Brooke was broken and had built walls around her heart, and honestly, who could blame her? Look at how much she had lost. Im honestly not sure how I would be able to function in her situation. (or even if I could function) but Brooke picks herself up and moves away to try and live again. With all the painful reminders at home she must go somewhere else.

This is where we meet Tyler.he stole my heart from the beginning. He was so patient with Brooke and honest. He was an all around fantastic guy and you couldn't help but fall in love with him. He was in-tune to Brookes needs and knew when to just leave things alone or when she needed a little push. Their connection started as a friendship but developed into so much more!

but for tonighttonight I wasn't to hold you in my arms and kiss you like theres no tomorrow. Would that be all right for now?

I will say that the situation with Tylers brother just made me angry. How could family do that to each other. I am sure it probably happens all the time but I don't know if I would ever be able to forgive a sibling for that.

The ending was perfect, the story was great! We do get to see things from both Brooke and Tylers perspective. I love the flashbacks that happened too so we could see Brookes past and her interactions in that part of her life.
1952431
I give this book five stars.
 Jasper is the story of love,  need, difficult decisions and  loss (both real and imagined).  The main character,  Tatiana  Baker,  is an average young woman.  She is often self-conscious and  lonely.  She has spent her life searching for a committed and loyal man to have a fulfilling relationship with.  She's seeking someone who she can respect and be proud of.  After dodging many frogs, she can't help but hope Jasper is that person.
Jasper isn't looking for a mate.  He's  content with his life and obligations,  until he meets Tatiana. He's forced to save Tatiana when she is involved in a near fatal accident.  When Jasper meets Tatiana, it opens the door to feelings he didn't know he had. He found himself drawn to her in a way he can't explain. Jasper struggled to find a way to get close to her; to become involved with her in a human  level. There's is no turning back for him now.
T. K.  Lawyer weaves a tale that had me lost in many emotions.  I bounced from feeling despair and sadness to  happiness and desire with the turn of a page.  Other emotions such as fear,  anger, depression and overwhelming love are sprinkled throughout.  Her writing style really drew me in,  giving descriptions that allowed me to visualize the scene as it unfolds . The reader is left craving the next book. If you're looking for a romantic and mystical page turner then Jasper is for you!
3857981
When she lost her husband, she thought she had lost the love of her life.  Ryann Thornton could have lost herself being a young widow, but instead she fought through the pain and loneliness and made a new beginning for herself.  Now ready to leave her past behind and begin a new journey as an intern for art institute where she could possibly find a job as a teacher, leaving her life as a English teacher in the past.

Her journey is not quite as  smooth as she thought when she meets Jeremy McAllister.  Jeremy is the most stunning man she has ever met and he makes his interest known in such a way that it scares Ryann.  Ryann has only been with one man, her late husband, and Jeremy is nothing like him.  Teetering between his being a ladies man and finding out he is tied to her new job, Ryann is quickly treading away from Jeremy.  Jeremy knows what he wants and it is Ryann, he plans to win her heart, soul, and never let her go.

Raw, intense, and had me reading in one sit down.  This is an edge of your seat, biting nails roller coaster.  Jeremy is dominant and Ryann doesn't think she is on the same wave length, but Jeremy sees how she reacts to him and knows there is a hidden passion that is waiting to come out.  Exceptional.
2090624
Life is a trade off at times. Fate is cruel that way. Sometimes you have to accept the flow; letting go of one thing to be able to embrace the next.

Have you ever imagined yourself so depressed, so lost within the world that you felt like you shouldnt exist? That is where Syd has landed at the start of this book. Living in a shed, at the end of a wharf, towards the end of winter located in Portland, Maine is the only thing she has been able to pull herself to do in over a year. When she is caught one night stealing leftovers from the dumpster behind The Skipper, Syds heart begins to not only crumble, but open up and heal in only the way love could ever make it.

Gunnar, the owner of The Skipper is frustrated, angry and hurting. With someone snooping around his business, his ex-wife disappearing and leaving the kids suddenly in his full-time care and his employees not exactly in line, it is only a matter of time before he snaps. Can Syd help ease the tension and pain of a spiraling situation or will she only make things worse for the both of them?

I adore this book, despite the multiple tears Ive cried while reading it. Knowing that there are people in this world who actually act like Cindy or Denise or even the random reporter that shows up in the latter half of the book do really pulls on my heartstrings. Sometimes, the cuts we leave in other people are too deep to heal and this book really highlights some of those cuts with regards to the children and their parents.

Being in a situation similar to Syd myself in terms of emotional damage and hurt it was really quite triggering for me to read, but the story was so great that it overshadowed my issue with reading sensitive material. This book will allow you to feel a wide range of emotion while connecting you with people that could easily be your next door neighbor or best friend.

The way these characters learned to interact with each other through the best of times and through the worst of them make me wish that I had someone in my life that was equally as understanding and willing to embrace me at face value. Be ready to pull up a box of tissues when you read this because you are guaranteed to need at least a few.

Freya is the author of many books and has so far followed this book up with 2 more in the series which, by the descriptions of the other books, should be just as emotional, raw and great as this one.  Very much looking forward to seeing whats in store for these characters in Cruel Water!