Shut Up and Kiss Me by Jessica Lemmon

Cade: I tried. I really tried. I should be out of this small town by now, finishing my law degree and partnering up with my buddies, but I couldn’t resist one last street race. Now I’m sidelined in the hospital, and while my injuries will heal, I’m not so sure my voice will return. What kind of attorney can’t talk? Yeah, exactly. I’m afraid that I won’t be able to come back from this... until Tasha Montgomery reawakens every competitive bone in my body.

 Tasha: I nearly watched Cade Wilson die on that lonely stretch of road. He’s damn lucky just to be alive, even if he doesn’t realize it. I know he’s destined for bigger and better things, but I don’t mind helping him get there as he relearns everything he took for granted. Cade’s a good student, a real perfectionist; I can tell how much his stutter bothers him. But when he lets his kisses do the talking, everything else disappears. And one day, maybe he’ll be able to tell me that he wants me—as much as I want him.

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Elizabeth's Review

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Review Copy Provided by Publisher via Net Galley

I feel like a little bit of a bad guy just giving this 3 stars because I have always enjoyed Ms. Lemmon's work in the past and this one was fun too, but I didn't feel like it really measured up to her normal standards.
I liked Cade and Tasha and their connection via his healing process. These two also had more in common than it seemed on the surface.
My struggle is with the secondary characters, especially Tasha's father and ex boyfriend. There seemed to be something going on with them, but we were never clued into what. Tasha's father also does a complete 180 personality wise and the explanation fell a bit flat for me.
If I focus and Cade and Tasha, this comes pretty close to what I would expect from Ms. Lemmon, but the secondary issues are a factor for me. It's still a fun book, just not all that I hoped it would be.

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The Billionaire Next Door by Jessica Lemmon ~ New Release and Review

Can't Buy Me Love

It's Tag Crane's job to be the life of the party. Traveling from one exotic locale to another is just part of running the luxurious Crane Hotel empire. But even paradise isn't perfect. Devising a new business strategy is keeping Tag up at night-and so is the Great Dane barking at all hours in the apartment below his. To muzzle the problem, Tag charges downstairs . . . right into the most beautiful, blond distraction he's ever seen.

Dog-sitting by day, bartending by night. It's not exactly the life Rachel Foster dreamed of. But when Tag Crane rushes in, all mountain-man shoulders and obscenely sexy smile, needing her help for the Crane Hotels, it's a fantasy come true. What's the harm in a fun no-strings fling? Only a fool would give her heart to a billionaire player like Tag-until suddenly the one man who can't be caught is the one flirting with forever . . .

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Elizabeth's Review

3.5 Stars - Worth a Reader's Time

Review Copy provided by Publisher via Net Galley

Ms. Lemmon brings us the second of the Crane brothers, Tag, in The Billionaire Next Door.
Tag and his love interest, Rachel, are both interesting characters with some mild emotional baggage. This is a fun, well written story where the reader gets to enjoy watching two people get to know each other and fall in love. There is some mild angst as both of them figure things out and decide how to deal with it, but there is the expected happy ending.
Being the second book in the series, there are cameos by both of Tag's brothers. Reese from book 1 and Eli from the upcoming third book. These appearances are well woven into the story and add enjoyable detail.
Overall, a good, quick read.

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The Billionaire Bachelor ~ Jessica Lemmon ~ Blog Tour

Indecent Proposal...

Indecent Proposal

Manwhore. That's what the board of directors-and the tabloids-thinks of billionaire bachelor Reese Crane. Ordinarily he couldn't care less, but his playboy past is preventing the board from naming him CEO of Crane Hotels. Nothing-and no one-will keep him from his life's legacy. They want a settled man to lead the company? Then that's exactly what he'll give them.

Merina Van Heusen will do anything to get her parents' funky boutique hotel back-even marry cold-as-ice-but-sexy-as-hell Reese Crane. It's a simple business contract-six months of marriage, absolute secrecy, and the Van Heusen is all hers again. But when sparks fly between them, their passion quickly moves from the boardroom to the bedroom. And soon Merina is living her worst nightmare: falling in love with her husband . . .

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TOP 5 THINGS THAT MAKE THE MAN: REESE CRANE

By Jessica Lemmon

Curious about what makes Reese Crane, billionaire bachelor, the man? Lucky for us, I was able to get my latest (stubborn) hero to open up about 5 things that make him, well, him.

#5 ~ Beard trimmer. Reese is never without a sexy amount of stubble on his jaw and chin (see book cover) and this bit of dishevelment throws our heroine, Merina right off course. Reese maintains his look, never clean-faced, and never too beardy. Can you say control?

#4 ~ Scotch. Reese prefers it on the rocks, and as he tells Merina on their date one evening, “It’s always what I expect.”

#3 ~ Yacht. In case of temporary nuptials, climb aboard and hide out! But not for long. Sunrise on the deck isn’t optional for Reese—he and Merina need reporters to see them together after the wedding.

#2 ~ Sharp wit. I’m not sure whose banter is more infectious, Merina’s or Reese’s. But I promise you this: when they’re together, they are on fire!

#1 ~ The tie. Merina becomes obsessed with loosening Reese’s ever-present tie, much to the reader’s delight. As she puts it, she likes to see him come undone.

As do I, Mer. As do I. ;-)

Pre-Order the other very sexy Crane Brothers...

A former job-hopper, Jessica Lemmon resides in Ohio with her husband and rescue dog. She holds a degree in graphic design currently gathering dust in an impressive frame. When she’s not writing super-sexy heroes, she can be found cooking, drawing, drinking coffee (okay, wine), and eating potato chips. She firmly believes God gifts us with talents for a purpose, and with His help, you can create the life you want.

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Elizabeth's Review

3.5 Stars - Worth a Reader's Time

Review Copy Provided by Author

The plot and back story for A Billionaire Bachelor aren't new. Reese Crane starts out as an insensitive jerk who is used to getting what he wants and goes through women like Kleenex. Merina is a smart, attractive woman who just found out her family's business now belongs to Reese - who she is convinced is evil. A marriage of convenience between these two sets up the rest of the story.

I'm sure you can guess what happens next.

Even if the story line was predictable, Reese and Merina were written incredibly well and were refreshing to spend time with. I appreciated the fact that Reese had layers hidden under the playboy billionaire attitude and that Merina maintained her sass as the story moved along.

The supporting cast was fun to spend time with and get to know. This was a great break from the real world and I'm looking forward to see what happens to Reese's brothers in future books.

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Return of the Bad Boy ~ Jessica Lemmon ~ NEW RELEASE & REVIEW

He's a mess... 

 Asher Knight has three constants in his life: music, beautiful women, and a bottle of Jack. He lives for the next gig, the next city, and dreams only of a life spent in front of an arena full of screaming fans. But Asher's nomad ways come to a sudden stop when he learns he's the father of a three-year-old from a past relationship and suddenly this rock star bad boy is forced to put down roots.

Only she can clean up

 Gloria Shields is no one's fool. Sure, the sexual chemistry between her and Asher has always been intense, but she'd never risk giving her heart to a man who has a perfect record for breaking them. Except the man desperate to make things right with his newfound son is nothing like the rock god she's guarded her heart against for years. And it isn't long before she starts to wonder if life with this bad boy might be the best thing that's ever happened to her.

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Elizabeth's Review

3.5 Stars ~ Worth A Reader's Time 

Review Copy provided by publisher via NetGalley

Asher is a rock star who just had real life drop in on him. He is trying to develop a relationship with the young son he didn't know about for the first part of the boy's life. He's also settling into a new house, working, and trying to get Gloria to give him another chance. Gloria is Asher's agent and her emotional past is a complete minefield, including her romantic history with Asher.

I liked Asher, I actually liked him a little more than Gloria, but I think that is mainly because he was just more open to change and developing a relationship. Gloria seemed ready to bolt at the smallest hiccup and seemed to have a hard time controlling her emotions in regards to Asher's baby mama. I have to admit that I did enjoy the switch of the hero being the more emotionally engaged part of the story line.

I came into the Second Chance series (and Ms. Lemmon's work) fairly recently, actually with the third book in this series. I felt that lack of backstory a little bit more with this installment, even though it is an excellent stand alone work. The secondary cast is fairly large and the various couples appear frequently as do glimpses of their stories.

Forgotten Promises ~ Jessica Lemmon ~ NEW RELEASE and REVIEW

In an edgy, seductive novel hailed by Rachel Van Dyken as “unique and gripping,” Jessica Lemmon introduces the ultimate bad boy . . . and a love that crosses all boundaries. 

Morgan Young had a perfect upbringing, and now she’s got a perfect boyfriend and a perfect future—until her twenty-first birthday changes everything. First Morgan finds out, in the most painful way possible, that her relationship is a sham. But that’s nothing compared to the nightmare about to unfold.

It’s too late for Tucker Noscalo. A brutal childhood left him with a bad reputation and a criminal record. Fresh out of jail, Tucker has a score to settle with Baybrook’s crooked chief of police—his own father. Nobody will believe Tucker’s explosive accusations without proof and a good lawyer, neither of which he has on his side. Until he sees someone he used to know, someone who just so happens to be the daughter of the best lawyer in the county.

He needs Morgan to convince her father of the ugly truth. But first he has to convince her, and he’ll do whatever it takes to get her to listen. Confronted by the story of Tucker’s dark past, Morgan feels utterly compelled to help him. And as their connection grows into a fierce bond fueled by raw passion, Morgan finds herself falling for the wrong guy—but never has the promise of love felt so right.

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Elizabeth's Review

3.5 Stars - Worth a Reader's Time

Review Copy Provided by Publisher via Net Galley

I've only read a couple of Jessica Lemmon's books before this one. Forgotten Promises was different from what I expected based on those other books as it is much darker.

Morgan, our heroine, wasn't someone I could relate to at first. She is very young, acts like it and has a complete meltdown over very minor things. Tucker is definitely an anti-hero and I wasn't sure about him at first either.

As we got to know both Morgan and Tucker better, I found myself liking and relating to both characters more. We discovered that Morgan was much more empathetic than she first appeared and Tucker's bad guy persona is really how he protects himself. I enjoyed watching these two interact and begin getting to know each other and break down their walls.

Forgotten Promises is a book that I wish was a little bit longer. The bulk of the story takes place while Morgan and Tucker are in a secluded cabin. Life after the cabin takes place in a very condensed manner, but so much happens that more details would have been nice. I definitely enjoyed Forgotten Promises, I just wish there was a little more to it.