September 3, 2019

September 3, 2019September 3, 2019

Blog Tour w/Review: Handle with Care

I loved the previous book in this series (Making Up), and while I still have to go back and read the previous ones, Handle With Care is another book that can be read as a standalone. The author does a fantastic job of covering the necessary information from earlier books while keeping the plot at hand moving along.

Lincoln prefers to be working with non-profits and charities far away from his toxic family. Wren has been hired to handle the most toxic member of Lincoln’s family (his younger brother Armstrong – ADF is a real problem). When Lincoln is forced home due to his father’s death, Wren winds up having to wrangle him as well. You know from the beginning where this is going to end up, but neither Wren nor Lincoln does, and that’s the fun of the story.

One thing this author does exceptionally well is showing the reader how the characters feelings gradually change over time through subtle hints. For example, Lincoln complains about (and generally ignores) Wren’s incessant texts and calendar reminders…until one day he receives one and realizes he needs to check the text in case it is something important. He doesn’t even acknowledge the significance of his shift in attitude.

Along with the slowly growing romance, there are a few family secrets (from both Wren’s and Lincoln’s families) that create some friction and add some unique twists. They also add some depth to the character motivations, and there were more than a few moments where my notes in the book showed surprise at an incident in the book. Handle with Care is a great story with interesting characters. I highly recommend picking it up for a fun read.

Handle With Care by Helena Hunting
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In book five of the “Shacking Up” series, we have Lincoln and Wren. He is a reluctant temporary CEO; she is a media-handler for the company (well, more for his wayward brother). Sparks fly, but family secrets and other twists get in the way. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Handle with Care. I liked the interplay between the characters and thought that the plot was realistic. For more thoughts on this entertaining book, please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for a complimentary, pre-release digital ARC of the book.

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September 3, 2019September 13, 2019

Book Review: One Hot Summer (The Summer of Us)

I am a huge fan of anthologies, and one that focuses on the summer is obviously going to be great! One of my favorite authors, Melanie Moreland, contributed “The Story of Us” to this anthology. Sunny and Lincoln (Linc) have a sweet romance, even though he has a horrible father and she is from the wrong side of the tracks. Their romance advances during the summer, until all of a sudden, Linc disappears, leaving Sunny bereft. As always, I’m not going to spoil anything, but suffice to say that even this short story is signature Melanie Moreland: it has humor, emotion, a little anguish, and a happy ending. With many of her novels, you can guess the end, but the ride to get there is always entertaining. This review was written based on a complimentary pre-release digital ARC of the book.

September 3, 2019September 2, 2019

Books-On-Tour: Her Rough Ride

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorheathervanfleet/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/HLVanFleet Website: http://www.heathervanfleet.com/

I am traditionally not a reader of MC romances, but I am always looking to broaden my genre base and read new things. I am so delighted that I took a chance with Her Rough Ride because it was an excellent read.

Right from the prologue, the story pulled me in. The mythology stories that Sebastian told at the beginning were an interesting way to introduce the main characters and laid the groundwork for the soul-searching that both Maya and Sebastian/Slade engage in throughout the book.

The details the MC life were fascinating. I know next to nothing about it, but everything the author describes seems very real. So, either she has first-hand knowledge, or she did a helluva job with her research!

I thought that both characters were complex, which added to the depth of the story. At one point, Maya observes that people respond to events in a variety of ways, which means that there is no right or wrong way to react. The insight she has was eye-opening on a personal level.

I particularly liked how the author let the tension build between Maya and Slade. I also appreciated how Slade thought that he held all of the cards when, in reality, he was missing vital pieces of the story – just as Maya was; this made their relationship more tenuous than either of them knew. But when they finally got together? Holy hotness, was it steamy and oh, so good.

I also thought that the “suspense” side of the story was well done. I look forward to future books to see what happens between the RDs and the Forsaken (and I hope that the RDs do something with the MC in Texas as well).

One of the best things about this book is that it can be read as a standalone because the author did a terrific job of filling in the details from the first book without losing the thread of the plot in this book. That is sometimes a challenge in later entries of a series.

I do wish that the tattoos on the cover had been accurate to the character – I think that would have been an excellent tease for those points in the story. Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed Her Rough Ride, and I definitely will be looking for the next in the series.

Her Rough Ride (Red Dragon MC Series, #2)

Her Rough Ride by Heather Van Fleet
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The second book in the Red Dragon MC series does NOT disappoint. More in-depth than the average MC story, you will get caught up in the relationship between Maya and Sebastian/Slade while trying to figure out the motives of Pops and other MCs. The author does a fantastic job of balancing the suspense and the romance. You can also read this book as a standalone – but it will make you want to go back and read the first one if you do! For more thoughts on Her Rough Ride, please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews. Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and the author for a complimentary, pre-release digital ARC of the book.

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AUTHOR BIO
Heather Van Fleet is a stay-at-home-mom turned book boyfriend connoisseur. She’s married to her high school sweetheart, a mom to three girls, and in her spare time you can find her with her head buried in her Kindle, guzzling down copious amounts of coffee.

Heather graduated from Black Hawk College in 2003 and currently writes New Adult and Adult Contemporary Romance.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

My name was Sebastian. But now they call me Slade. I’ve reinvented myself, become a man, been sworn into the Red Dragon MC. I’ve got tattooed and ripped to hell, I’ve cut my hair and my face now bears the scars of all the fights I’ve seen. The last thing I need is to face her again…

It’s been eight years since Maya ran away from the club. Sweet, beautiful Maya. My first love.

Why do I have to ride halfway across the country to pick her up? Because the club is at war, she’s the niece of our President and I’m the only brother who can be trusted to protecther.

She broke my heart, but I still want her. Do I ever. This woman is my goddess. She’s also my curse.

I need to focus on getting her home. But as soon as our eyes lock, she’s looking at me all kinds of ways. Like I’m the sexiest, most perfect stranger she’s ever seen.

And then I realise, I look completely different to the boy she once knew and she doesn’t even recognise me. I could tell her who I am. Or I could have a little fun with her first…

This sexy second novel in the Red Dragon MC series can also be read as a standalone. Fans of Kristen Ashley, Joanna Wylde and Madeline Sheehan will love the heart-stopping tension. Guaranteed HEA, no cliffhangers and no cheating.