Review: The Love List (Four part, Multi-author Series)

The Love List is a series of four books by four authors that follow the stories of four friends looking for love.

 

Blurb:

Tegan Taylor is the owner of the Que Syrah Syrah wine shop in Vine grove, the heart of wine country. After her plan of starting a book club to meet single, local men falls flat, her new found friends come up with The Love List. Each dropped a name of a nice guy their friends may like but just not a guy they'd date. Or think of romantically. Tegan chooses Richard. After one disastrous meeting with him, Tegan wonders if The Love List isn't a terrible idea.

Richard’s a jerk. But, when handsome Australian cowboy, August, shows up, things may take a turn. 

Read book one in the Love List Series as Tegan, Chloe, Laura and Becca try to find love in a small town.

 

Blurb:

When it’s Chloe Miles turn to pick a name out of The Love List she didn’t expect to find true love. She just wanted to go on a date with a nice, available guy. Not one who drank too much, or was unemployed and wanted to stay that way. Or especially one who didn’t know what monogamy means.

Mitch Brodin didn’t know his heart was in the hands of The Love List. His Fate was set the moment he set foot into Roy's Pet Rescues looking for advice on how to care for new born kittens.

Chloe is vivacious, unpredictable, and tons of fun, while he is methodical, predictable, and well… cynical. He surely hadn’t planned on falling in love. But that’s what you get when you’re not looking for love.

 

Blurb:

Dr. Rebecca Miller is devastated over her fiancé's affair...with her best friend. Country charm is the best medicine. Along with a good friend and a bottle of wine. In the heart of wine country, four friends spice up their book club and create The Love List. Love is the last thing on Becca's mind until she's matched with Chase Tanner.

Chase discovers the love list and believes to be fooled. Can Becca convince him she really does love him?

 

Blurb:

Story 4 in the best-selling series, The Love List from some of your favorite sweet romance authors.

A small town can be a friendly place to call home and an impossible place to find a date. A shop owner starts a singles-mingle but only has three attendees—not a single man in sight. The women continue to meet, and change their name to The Love List. Each write names of single men and drop them into a basket. The Love List seems a success as each of the women finds their true love, except Laura. She is certain the basket is cursed.

Travis Jerome is new to town. He jumps at the chance to work on Laura’s B&B remodel, to once again have the feel of a hammer in his hand. For something to last a lifetime it must start with a strong foundation and build up from there.

Review:

The stories are very clean and are appropriate for anyone looking for sweet romances. They are short, quick, feel good reads. The series operates on the notion that even though each woman has been unable to find love for herself, that maybe she knows a guy that could be right for one of her friends. They each write names of eligible men on a piece of paper and they draw from a basket. The name drawn is the man that lady has to ask out and hopefully they can help each other find their happily ever after. Each installment focuses on a different woman and her quest for love.

 Overall, I would rank this series around an 8 out of 10. I like the concept behind the story line and would love to see it explored more fully. The main characters are very likable and their beaus are admirable. The relationships are believable--both the friendship between the ladies and the romantic relationships. Even though not everything happens on stage, there is talk about the way each couple's love develops over time which is a realistic quality that is absent in most romantic fiction. I believe that going this route might not make the story as exciting but it definitely makes it feel real. I often found myself smiling and thinking about my own dating experiences and the way my feelings for my husband developed.

The thing that prevents these books from being better are the errors. There were some grammatical errors that detracted from the story present in each installment and there were some consistency errors as well but overall, I think these ladies did a great job and I look forward to reading more from all of them.

Twisted: New Release from Elisabeth Naughton

NICK – Leader of the half-breeds and the last true hero. He’s spent his life fighting a dark pull toward the gods. A pull he now knows is linked to his father Krónos and the Titan’s plan to escape from the Underworld. But Nick’s hidden powers are coveted by more than just his father. Imprisoned by Hades, Nick battles every form of torture imaginable as the sadistic god schemes to break him. Only one thing is keeping him sane. One woman who gives him the strength to fight the relentless darkness. She has a dangerous plan of her own, though, and as Nick’s powers grow stronger, even she might not be enough to alter his destiny. As the fate of the world hangs in the balance, Nick’s allegiances are tested. And no one knows whether he will choose to fight for good or succumb to the sinister lure of evil. Not even him.

Excerpt:

“You just…won’t…break.” Her words were a whisper, a frustration, a surprise. She never spoke to him. Though he’d spent more time with her than anyone else in this hellhole, she never addressed him directly. She gave the commands to her grunts, and they did her dirty work. She never even got near him. Something about today was different, though. A tiny voice in the back of Nick’s head screamed what was about to happen in this cell was on a whole different level from what he’d been through before. Cynna stepped close, so close he could feel her heat but not close enough to touch, then moved to her right, slowly making her way around him. His stomach tightened, and that blistering arousal came rushing back. “This isn’t a game.” Her warm breath fanned his nape, sending a shiver across his bare skin. And in his wounds, where the nymph had spread the balm, heat gathered and grew, radiating outward, heading for his belly. “You cannot beat Zagreus. No one wins against the Prince of Darkness.” Nick’s arms flexed, and the chains rattled above his head. He didn’t want to beat the fucker, he only wanted to destroy him. Not just for what he’d put Nick through during the last few months, but for what he put everyone in this wretched place through—Cynna, his gut told him, included. “I can’t stop what he has planned for you.” She circled around and stopped directly in front of him again. “Give in, and you save yourself the torment. Give in, and this ends now.” “Give in,” Nick repeated, staring into her dark eyes. But unlike before, they weren’t empty. They weren’t dead. There was something there. Something that looked a lot like…desperation. Was she warning him of something horrendous to come? Why would she do that? She was Zagreus’s puppet. Or was she simply afraid of what would happen if he didn’t break? “You want me to give in?” he asked. She didn’t answer. Only stared at him. “The way you gave in?” The desperation in her eyes faded and was replaced with that lifeless, vacant look, the one he’d seen so many times when she’d ordered Zagreus’s satyrs to torture him. Without a word, she stepped back, but she didn’t break eye contact. “You were warned,” she said in a low voice. “Females?”

Find out more at www.ElisabethNaughton.com/books/twisted/

Buy Twisted Amazon Barnes & Noble Apple Kobo

Connect with Elisabeth

Sign up for Elisabeth's Newsletter Like Elisabeth on Facebook Follow Elisabeth on Twitter

Participate in the Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Giveaway: Celebrating the re-release of Saving Cassie by L.A. Remenicky

It's finally here! Blitz day for the re-release of Saving Cassie! One year ago today L.A. Remenicky first clicked on that publish button and it's been a wild ride ever since. So, let's get down to business: Here is the new and improved Saving Cassie!

Everyone has secrets. Sometimes secrets can get you killed.

After ten years in the big city, Cassie Holt is moving back to her hometown to take over the bookstore left to her by her beloved Gram, vowing to live her life alone. To her best friend, Sheriff James Marsten, Cassie seems to be the same girl that left Fairfield Corners to go to college but Cassie has secrets and one of those secrets could get her killed. When one of her secrets becomes a threat to her life, James turns to his new deputy to help him keep Cassie safe.

Deputy Logan Miller has been burned by love and is not looking to get involved with anyone anytime soon. When he is thrown into close quarters with Cassie, the sparks begin to fly and he begins to see through the walls Cassie has built around her heart. As the threat gets closer, can Logan protect Cassie and protect his heart?

Amazon US Amazon UK Paperback coming soon!

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

L.A. Remenicky is a forty-something wife and mother of three fur kids. She has been an avid reader as long as she can remember, often disappearing with a book when it was time to do dishes or clear the table. She reads all genres, but her favorites are romance and horror. She started out reading Nancy Drew and quickly graduated to adult romances. Her favorite romance is "Moonraker's Bride" by Madeline Brent. She started writing recently after thinking about it for years, signing up for NANOWRIMO in 2012 and winning.

Email: remenickywrites@yahoo.com

Blog: www.laremenicky.blogspot.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/laremenicky

Google: www.google.com/+LARemenickyauthor

Twitter: www.twitter.com/remenickywrites

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7191202.L_A_Remenicky

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/indianagizmo/

Street Team ~ Remenicky’s Remenions: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1425708337682216/

Cover Reveal: Serpent's Kiss by Sherri Hayes

Title: Serpent’s Kiss

Genre: Erotic Romance

Author: Sherri Hayes

Expected publication: December 4, 2014

SYNOPSIS

After losing her husband unexpectedly, Katrina Mayer decided to open Serpent’s Kiss. She wanted it to be a place where she and her fellow kinksters could play and socialize.

Five years after the doors opened, the club is everything she’d hoped it would be. On Friday and Saturday nights, Serpent’s Kiss is filled with men and women who share a similar desire to explore the pleasures BDSM has to offer. The club has continued to grow, and over the years, many of its members have become friends.

The one thing Katrina didn’t expect when she’d decided to open a club was the human drama that came with it. Learning to balance her life as the club mistress has taken some getting used to, but she wouldn’t change a thing.

Add it to GR - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23232400-welcome-to-serpent-s-kiss

AUTHOR

Sherri spent most of her childhood detesting English class. It was one of her least favorite subjects because she never seemed to fit into the standard mold. She wasn’t good at spelling, or following grammar rules, and outlines made her head spin. For that reason, Sherri never imagined becoming an author.

At the age of thirty, all of that changed. After getting frustrated with the direction a television show was taking two of its characters, Sherri decided to try her hand at writing an alternate ending, and give the characters their happily ever after. By the time the story finished, it was one of the top ten read stories on the site, and her readers were encouraging her to write more.

Six years later, Sherri is the author of six full-length novels, and one short story. Writing has become a creative outlet for Sherri that allows her to explore a wide range of emotions, while having fun taking her characters through all the twists and turns she can create. She is most well known for her Finding Anna series about a young woman rescued from being a sex slave by a wealthy Dominant. The third book in that series, Truth, released July 25, 2013.

SOCIAL LINKS

Website: http://www.sherrihayesauthor.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sherri-Hayes/122511444477280?ref=hl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sherri_Hayes

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4496779.Sherri_Hayes

Review of Impostor's Kiss and Between the Waters by Renea MasonReview of Impostor's Kiss and Between the Waters by Renea Mason

 

Blurbs:

Impostor's Kiss

Symphony of Light Book 0.5

One night of sexual pleasure could teach a lesson in love.

Cyril is weary from weeks of traveling the Scottish moors, but his luck takes a turn when he rescues a battered and broken child. To express his gratitude, the boy’s father offers Cyril a night of carnal indulgence with his eldest daughter. Cyril graciously accepts, looking forward to a night of sexual release to ease the loneliness of his travels.

But what the supernatural sex god and deliverer of souls doesn’t expect is to be taught a lesson in love from the young and beautiful Celestine.

In a night of passion, two lost spirits find solace in an impostor’s kiss: one longing for a love that doesn’t yet exist, the other drowning in pain and guilt over love lost. Neither is what they seem…but what they learn will change them forever…

Between the Waters

Magic is no match for love…

Trapped somewhere between life and death, demigod Cyril has lost the ability to communicate with his love. But not before giving her valuable lessons in magic, as well as his blessing to move on without him.

Coming to terms with Cyril’s absence isn’t easy, but Linden is doing her best to honor his wishes. Until she receives an unusual request from Moreaux, an estranged member of Cyril’s family. Bizarre things are going on with Mary, the former housekeeper, and Linden can’t let them go. But when her investigation leads to a mistake that nearly costs her life, Cyril’s best friend, Overton, steps in and violates a promise he made centuries before to bring her back from the dead.

Gratitude turns to comfort, comfort turns to desire, and desire leads Linden to a shocking revelation. In her charge to uncover the truth behind Mary and Moreaux, she discovers a spell she can’t undo without leaving wounds on her heart, wounds she knows will never heal…

Rating and Audience:

Both of these stories are absolutely amazing and both deserve a solid 10 out of 10. Due to the erotic scenes in both stories, I'd say they are intended for mature audiences.

Review:

Impostor's Kiss is a novella that takes place centuries before the first novel and it gives insight to Cyril's character. In this story he proves that he can overcome the limitations set on him by his creator. He wields an amazing amount of power and carries a terrible curse, but he doesn't let either corrupt him. In this tale, told from his point of view, we are shown just what kind of being he is. I absolutely loved it and after reading book 2, I understand just how important it is to know the story of Cyril and the innkeeper's daughter. (That's all the additional info you're gonna get from me!)

Now on to Between the Waters...

I thought the first book, Symphony of Light and Winter, was one of the best books I had ever read and I hoped the second would be just as good, I wasn't the least bit disappointed.This book was absolutely riveting! If you haven't read the first one, you need to start there to understand all that is going on. (It would probably be a good idea to read the novella as well.)

So Linden and the others are trying to find a way to bring Cyril back from whatever realm he is trapped in. At first, Linden can hear Cyril in her head but as his communications with her get shorter and farther apart, he gives her permission to seek comfort in Overton's arms, after all, he once had to seek a way to ease the tension with others for centuries until he finally found her. It isn't easy to convince Overton to cooperate with the arrangement, but when he finally gives in to his desires and hers... Lets just say he has several hundred years of celibacy to make up for and he isn't wasting time.

I wasn't too sure about all of it at first... I mean, I was TEAM CYRIL all the way but then, I found myself wondering what Linden and Overton could become. Even though part of me wanted to see Cyril come back, part of me began to hope there was a future with Overton. It was like being on a roller coaster. The sex is HOT but there is all of the underlying emotion left to deal with. It makes for one hell of a ride.

Then there the bizarre mystery surrounding the former housekeeper who keeps popping up in places she shouldn't be even after they believe her to be dead. Trouble is brewing left and right for poor Linden. Besides the trouble with Mary, things have gone terribly wrong for her friend Clarence who has been dragged even farther into her new world. Then there is the curious case of Moreau, who seems to be attempting to see Linden without the others finding out. I don't want to give anything away so I'm going to stop there. Just trust me when I say there is never a dull moment in this book and it has a little of everything.

I am completely in love with this series and I cannot wait until the next installment comes out.

Review of Unassailable by Cynthia St. Aubin

Blurb:

When dead men tell mo' tales...
Running afoul of a pants-less ghost pirate wasn't exactly what Paranormal Psychologist, Matilda Schmidt had in mind when she took off for some R & R. Even at a quiet beach-side bungalow, Matilda can't catch a moment's peace when the restless spirits aren't the only ones haunting her bedroom.

Marooned by a disappearing demigod, and seeking a solution to banish her unwelcome guests, Matilda rides shotgun with a hit man who's better at making ghosts than eliminating them. When Matilda's new-found abilities leave her feeling more psychotic than psychic, she's forced to consider an offer she doesn't want to take, but can't afford to refuse.

Rating and Audience:

Another great book! Again I have to give St. Aubin top marks- 10 out of 10 -for this one. There are a couple of steamy scenes and some sexual innuendo and a pants-less ghost from a time when men didn't wear underwear so if any of these things bother you, you might want to find another book.

Review:

I dove in to this series with both feet after reading the first book. It is witty and brilliantly written and I can't get enough. I love the humor and craziness in each book and the sex scenes are H-O-T, but I also appreciate the intelligence behind the writing. The development of the characters through each story is subtle but also profound.

This installment reveals more about both Matilda and Liam. The majority of the revelations about Matilda have to do with the character development I was talking about; while the revelations about Liam have to do with his feelings. It would seem that these characters are either learning about themselves or learning to accept the truth. Of course, the discovery of some truths only leaves us with more questions in need of answers. I will be eagerly awaiting the next installment to find out what else Matilda discovers!

Review of the Cynthia St. Aubin's Dr. Matilda Schmidt Series (Books 1-4)

Blurbs:

Unlovable: It isn’t every day a sexy demigod throws a pissed-off Cupid onto psychologist Matilda Schmidt’s couch and informs her the fate of the world depends on her ability to get him off his diapered ass and back to helping people fall in love.

Just when Matilda convinces herself she’s not hallucinating, in walks a Vegas hit man with a big gun and a bigger threat: pay back the million dollars she owes a notorious casino mogul, or wind up as fish food in Lake Mead.

Rocketing across country with a gun to her head, Matilda has a dysfunctional love-god in her laptop bag, a million dollar debt she has no knowledge of, and must convince the seductive hit man he’s snatched the wrong woman before he convinces her he might be the right man—for a night.

Can Matilda stay alive long enough to keep love from becoming history?

Unlucky: Accused of stealing gold from an infamous Irish street gang, Paranormal Psychologist Matilda Schmidt will die in exactly five days if she doesn’t cough it up—guilty or not. With minutes ticking away and her office overrun by a leprechaun who's loopier than he is lucky, Matilda makes a deal with a demigod—give him one night in her bed and he’ll help her locate the missing gold.

But when Matilda’s recent one-night stand shows up with inside information about the heist she’s being framed for, she finds herself caught between a hit man and a demigod both offering to protect her—if they don’t kill each other first.

If Matilda’s luck doesn’t change soon, death might be the only thing waiting for her at the end of the rainbow.

Unhoppy: When there's not a hop in hell...

The day is going to hell in a hurry for Paranormal Psychologist Matilda Schmidt, and that's *before* a suicidal Easter bunny shows up for treatment.

When pictures surface of Matilda caught in the middle of a hit man-Cupid sandwich, she lands in the oily grip of a ruthless blackmailer, whose motives are as ugly as his mustache. Now Matilda must betray the trust of someone who cares for her to meet the blackmailer's demands, or she can kiss her reputation, her practice, and even her freedom goodbye. But blackmail is only the beginning when the immortal mystery-client brought to her couch by a seductive demigod causes Matilda to fling caution—along with her panties—to the wind.

Hunted by two jealous goddesses who would gladly use her intestines to lace up their strappy sandals—and with her full-time hit man sometimes lover nowhere to be found—Matilda will have to save herself, or the world will be up River Styx without a paddle.

Unbearable: When you can't grin and bear it...

Paranormal Psychologist, Matilda Schmidt is sick of secrets. But when her troubled mother falls into dangerous hands, she must enlist the help of the two men who may be hiding the most: the hot-bodied demigod who's suddenly tight-lipped about his current client, and the delicious hit man who's been concealing much more than a gun in his pocket.

Faced with the destruction of her tidy life at the paws of three rowdy werebears, and protected only by an immortal egg on the edge, Matilda will have to come riding to her own rescue, or risk a life that's anything but happily ever after.

Ratings and Audience:

On a whole I have to give the series a 10 out of 10. There are some pretty steamy sex scenes in these books and a lot of innuendo so they might not be for everyone. I'd say they are on par with Janet Evanovich's books, especially the between the number books from the Stephanie Plum series.

My Thoughts:

I like to attend online parties. Authors, groups, and pages do them pretty often and there are usually some great prizes to be won. I find it is a great way to discover new books and authors; I get a chance to hear more details about books before I read them. I will say that I have found some of my favorite books this way.

(My other preferred method it to take my hyperactive sister to the library but that can get scary at times and should only be attempted when my patience is at its highest.)

Anyway, it was at one of these recent online parties that I learned about this series. I won an Amazon gift card from Cynthia St. Aubin and decided that using it to purchase her books was only fair. After reading this series, I know I made a great decision. I don't think I will ever be able to get enough of Dr. Matilda Schmidt. The books were very enjoyable and even though they are short, I never felt like the story was missing something. Each book in the series picks up where the previous one left off, creating a continuous story line so if you read them in order, you never feel out of the loop on the events.

There are so many wonderful things I could say about these books. I found them to be fast paced--there's never a lull in the excitement which, I think, is vital for shorter stories. All four books were absolutely hilarious--the parade of shady and supernatural characters with unexpected psychological disorders provided tons of comedic antics that made me laugh until my sides hurt. There is more to them than laughs though, I found them very sexy as well--they weren't filled with smut, but there was enough steam to make me want to adjust the thermostat on the A/C. There was also an element of intrigue that kept me enthralled and had me looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

The writing style is superb. The characters are all very vivid and well written and the story flows perfectly. I love the way the author takes bits and pieces from myths, legends, fairy tales, and even nursery rhymes to create a stunning cast of supernatural characters; it is cleaver and wonderfully refreshing. I also like the more realistic components of the characters as well. The good doctor is a psychologist and she has a way of assessing everyone in the terms of her profession. I think it highlights our tendency to explain our own world in terms we can understand. It also gives accurate commentary on the human condition. Everyone has their own set of issues and the only way to be content with life is to learn to deal with who and what we are. Then you have Liam Whatshisface, who's sordid past and irresistible charm highlights humanities baser desires and the ability to not only overcome anything, but to also do what is necessary to survive.

**Oops, I'm letting my inner scholar take over--get back heifer!

For those of you that read for enjoyment, you wouldn't be disappointed in this series. It isn't often that a series of shorter stories offer this much entertainment but St. Aubin pulls it of magnificently. The tales of Matilda Schmidt kept me highly entertained for the better part of my week. They were so cleverly written that I just couldn't get enough. I will be anxiously waiting to get my hands on the next book so I can find out what happens next.