Let It Ride - Vivian Arend

Today's book is Let It Ride by Vivian Arend. It's the third book in her Thompson and Son series and came out May 19. She's got several free books on Amazon at the moment, so if you haven't read her work yet, make sure to go check her out.

He’s her rock in the midst of the storm When Maggie Ward’s world is torn apart by sudden tragedy, the only thing that makes her days bearable is Clay Thompson’s unwavering presence. He’s protective, caring, and everything she could ask for in a friend. But when she finds herself longing for more than friendship, it will take a little seduction to convince the stubborn mechanic she’s ready to start living again.

She’s his heart, whether he knows it or not Clay Thompson’s got the taking-care-of-others business down pat, only he’s never faced this particular challenge before—the one woman he’s always wanted is unexpectedly his to care for. Suddenly it’s not just responsibility driving him, but a wild desire to make Maggie truly his. But following his heart might mean sacrificing the family he’s held together for years.

Elizabeth's Review

3.5 Stars

Review Copy provided by Net Galley

Let It Ride is the third book in the Thompson & Sons series, but works very well as a stand-alone. I have not read the other books in the series, but was able to enter into it with this book without any trouble.

In this book we meet Maggie and Clay; she is a very recent widow and he a friend of the family. Both are late 20’s/maybe 30 and we learn that they also knew each other in high school before Clay lost his mom and Maggie’s family moved. Clay put aside his high school crush to be friends with Maggie and her husband then to be a supportive friend when she needed one.

Both Maggie and Clay are extremely easy to like. He is incredibly loyal to his friends and family and it was sweet to watch him struggle with his attraction to Maggie as she dealt with her grief. Ms. Arend handled Maggie’s progression from fresh grief to being ready to explore a relationship well. These two seem to be a fantastic couple and I loved the respect Clay showed Maggie’s first marriage.

My only complaint is how worried Clay seemed to be about what other people thought of his relationship with Maggie. The point was visited repeatedly, but I never really understood it. The significance may be something that reading the other books in the series would have explained.

There was also a conflict between Clay and his father regarding his relationship with Maggie that while resolved, I didn’t really understand Mr. Thompson’s reaction. The scene where Clay and his father talked seemed rushed to me.

Overall, a good book. I am looking forward to going back to read the other books in the series as well as those to come.

Ways to connect with Vivian Arend:
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Love Takes Your Breath Away - Caleigh Hernandez

In my last post, I mentioned that I had recently discovered the lovely Isabelle Richards. Well, "meeting" Isabelle led me to "meeting" Caleigh and her debut work, Love Takes Your Breath Away.

What happens after the happily ever after? Is that all there is? Marriage, career, kids, and you're set? Life, love and the pursuit of happiness doesn't stop at "'til death do us part." For Izzy & Diego it's just the beginning. "Forever and ever, I do" is not as easy to accomplish as is saying it. In real life, there are ups and downs, ins and outs. Along with the good comes the bad. With health, there's sickness. Is love enough? Is it forever? Will it survive?

Elizabeth's Review

3.5 Stars

Digital Copy provided by Author

At first I wasn’t sure what to make of this book. Most books end before or at the wedding that signifies the couples “happy ever after” and the reader is left to imagine what life looks like after that point. Love Takes Your Breath Away actually opens with the wedding of Izzy and Diego and then gives us a brief look into their life for the next several weeks.

I liked both Izzy and Diego, but didn’t feel like I got to know them very well. The book isn’t terribly long and they were busy people! We are definitely living in Izzy’s head and we get more of her back story than Diego’s.

Very well written with fun characters, Love Takes Your Breath Away, is a great quick read. There is a cliffhanger and the story is to be continued and that is my one complaint; Reading this feels a little bit like reading the middle of a story versus a complete work. I was intrigued enough by both the main and secondary characters that I want to know what came before the wedding! I’m also looking forward to see what adventures come next.

Love Takes Your Breath Away is currently free for a limited time, so go grab a copy and tell me what you think.

You can find Caleigh on:
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Facebook
Amazon

When Fate Align by Isabelle Richards

Earlier this year, another blogger mentioned that a new author that they really liked was giving away copies of their debut novel. Never one to turn down a highly recommended free book, I headed over and signed up. BEST DECISION EVER! The author was Isabelle Richards and the book When Fates Collide. True awesomeness! When Fates Collide is actually the first book in a trilogy. Today we are talking about the third book, When Fates Align, published May 6, 2015.

Why would fate bring them together only to tear them apart? Lily and Gavin were brought together in a clash of tragedy and chaos. Amid the ashes of lives gone wrong, they thought they found a second chance at love. With trouble from their previous lives lurking around every corner, they quickly learned that love from a star-crossed romance isn’t enough to survive. Lily has slipped through Gavin’s fingers, and he feels as though he’s been sentenced to an eternity in hell. But if he’s going to perish in the ninth circle, everyone responsible for coming between him and Lily will go down with him. Perhaps their love was never meant to be. But, if he’s learned anything from his time with Lily, it’s that sometimes everything has to crash and burn before life can begin again.


Elizabeth's Review

5 Stars
Review Copy Provided by Author

When I first started reading When Fates Collide (book 1), I had no idea the roller coaster I would be taking over three books. I have to admit that I don’t think I’ve ever come across a set of characters with whom I have been so emotionally involved. I have to apologize now – even though this is a review for When Fates Align, it is impossible to do the book justice without considering the other books in the series. While Fates Align is the third book in the When Fates Collide series and picks up exactly where the second book (When Fate Isn’t Enough) left off. Each book in the series has a unique “emotional” feel for me and that continues to be true in this book. The emotional relationship between Gavin and Lily is smoother and for the first time in the series, I like Lily as much as I do Gavin. The drama and challenges in this book lean more to the external forces and it was rewarding to see Lily’s character grow and mature as she and Gavin worked together. Secondary characters play a large role in the series and we continue to get to know them, but they add flavor without over shadowing our heroes. Part of me would love to know more about some of the supporting cast, there is wonderful potential for future books with many of them. Ms. Richards has a writing style that is a little different than I have encountered in the past and she has created a world that pulls you in and makes you want to stay awhile. For a reader that is new to her work, please don’t start with When Fates Align. It is a wonderful work all by itself and could work as a stand-alone novel, but really should be read in order of the series to get the full impact.

How to connect with Isabelle:
Facebook
Amazon
Goodreads

Just In Time by Rosalind James

Every year Brenda Novak puts together boxed sets of books to raise money for Diabetes Research. I haven't read the whole set yet, but I did get a chance to read an advance copy of Rosalind James' submission - Just In Time.

Just In Time by Rosalind James

5 Stars – Copy provided by Author in exchange for review

I have to confess that I am a huge Rosalind James fan and have been ever since I discovered the Escape to New Zealand series a couple of years ago. The wonderful storytelling that I have enjoyed in her other books is in full force in this, the 8th installment of the series. Just In Time features Will, our rugby playing All Black hero, and Faith, a super hard working photographers assistant/author. The rugby world actually takes a pretty big back seat in this book and Will and Faith have a different journey than James has taken us on before. This is definitely a friends to lover’s story and an emotional one too. From an emotional stand point, I think this might be the strongest entry in the Escape to New Zealand series. All of the Escape books are interconnected, but most of the work as stand-alone novels and this is definitely true of Just In Time. Reading the previous books is helpful, but not at all necessary.

The Sweet Talk Box Set is only available for a limited time and can be purchased  on Amazon.
You can connect with Rosalind through her website or facebook.

Rosalind has been a very busy lady this spring. She has also published a Love Down Under box set and her Romantic Suspense book, Carry Me Home will be coming out in June. We will be talking about these soon! Happy Reading!

Flirting With Fire by Kate Meader

I am going into my review stash to get us started. I stumbled onto Kate Meader through a contest somewhere and was intrigued by the Hot in Chicago series she had just launched. I bought Flirting With Fire and was hooked. Here is a little bit about the book and what I thought. Happy Reading!

The first installment in Hot in Chicago, a brand-new, sizzling series from Kate Meader that follows a group of firefighting foster siblings and their blazing hot love interests! Savvy PR guru Kinsey Taylor has always defined herself by her career, not her gender. That is, until she moved from San Francisco to Chicago to be with her fiancé who thought she wasn’t taking her “job” of supporting him in his high-powered career seriously enough—and promptly dumped her for a more supportive and “feminine” nurse. Now, as the new assistant press secretary to Chicago’s dynamic mayor, she’s determined to keep her eye on the prize: no time to feel inferior because she’s a strong, kick-ass woman, and certainly no time for men. But that all changes when she meets Luke Almeida, a firefighter as searingly sexy as he is quick-tempered. He’s also the second oldest of the Firefightin’ Dempseys, a family of foster siblings who have committed their lives to the service—if Luke’s antics don’t get him fired first. When Luke goes one step too far and gets into a bar brawl with the Chicago Police Department, Kinsey marches into Luke’s firehouse and lays down the law on orders from the mayor. But at Engine Co. 6, Luke Almeida is the law. And he’s not about to let Kinsey make the rules.

Elizabeth's Thoughts:

5 Stars 

I have a new addition to my “must buy” author list! Flirting with Fire is the first book in Kate Meader’s Hot in Chicago series and it is just that… a very hot novel.
We meet the Dempsey family of fire fighters, all foster siblings who work at the same fire house. They are incredibly close and have each other’s backs at work and at home. Luke, is one of the older Dempsey “kids” and currently in trouble with the mayor after a run-in with a former friend and detective. Kinsey is part of the city’s PR team and was assigned to “fix” Luke’s mess. She has her own issues, but when they meet the spark is instant. I really liked both Luke and Kinsey and I liked them together. They seemed to balance each other very well. The other members of the Dempsey family were huge players in the story and it will be entertaining to see where their stories go. There is just the right amount of drama involved in the story, both between Luke and Kinsey and with outside forces. You can understand where the characters are coming from and are anxious to see them work it out, but things don’t cross the line to frustrating. My only complaint, and it’s more of a concern, is the amount of time spent setting up the story lines for other characters. Gage and Alex are the siblings that will be featured in upcoming works by Meader and time is spent establishing the relationships we will see them explore in future work. The secondary story lines do not detract from the Flirting with Fire story, but it makes me curious to see if subsequent books will work well as stand-alone novels.

You can find Kate on her website: here
Her Facebook Page
Her Amazon Page

Welcome

I've been toying with the idea of my own book blog for a while and finally decided to go for it. What made me finally decide to bite the bullet? I read.... A LOT. This is not new at all.... A couple of months ago, I started reading and reviewing for another book blog that is much more sophisticated that I am here and I have been so impressed by their reach. It opened up a new world to me. I have "met" new authors and other bloggers. Even when most agree that a book is awesome, we have different opinions as to why. My goal here is not to compete with anyone else and I will probably routinely share links to some of my favorite blogs because they are honestly better at it than I am. The only thing I really want to do - share with you some of the books that I enjoy. Some will be new (er) releases, some will be older finds from the library, freebies that I have picked up along the way, or from my HUGE TBR pile. Hopefully, I will get better at this as I go along. Happy Reading! Elizabeth