Book Review: Master Bits and Mercenary Bites - Girls Night by Lexi Blake and Suzanne M. Johnson

 
Author: Lexi Blake, Suzanne M. Johnson
Series: Masters & Mercenaries
Audience: +18
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance, Cookbook
Publisher: Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated
Release Date: November 28th 2017
My Rating: 5 Cups
Source: InkSlinger PR
Blurb (from Goodreads):

From the creators of Master Bits and Mercenary Bites, New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake and Southern food expert and USA Today bestselling author Suzanne Johnson, comes a new look at the Masters and Mercenaries world—Girls Night.

Join us for easy to cook, delicious recipes and stay for the stories of the women of McKay-Taggart. From slow cooker special dinners to cocktails that will elevate your game, Suzanne will show you that easy can be delicious.

Lexi dives into what happens after happily ever after. Charlie and Ian try to have a night out—but their kids prove that anything can happen when Taggarts are involved. Faith and Ten get a gift they never expected. Karina and Derek go on a stakeout. And Serena finds the meaning of Bliss. All these stories and more explore what it means to be a wife, a mother, a woman navigating love and responsibility.

Good meals, good times, good friends.

Bon appétit!

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

The awesome authors Lexi Blake and Suzanne Johnson have done it again! After the amazing short stories/cookbook they released last year, they've once again managed to blow my mind with this new book.

Let's start with the short stories. I LOVED them. First of all, they offer readers a way to catch up with some of their favorite couples. The stories were short, sweet, funny, sexy, and all around amazing. I was giggling like a loon at some of the stories, while fanning myself at others, and okay, wiping my eyes at most of them. I said this in a tweet right after reading the book, that these are my favorite kind of short stories, because they truly warm my heart. And I loved that they focused on the women. It showed powerful, strong women being amazing mothers, amazing partners, sexy and feminine, kickass, happy and sad, and everything in between. I loved it!

Next are the recipes. Now... There are some that use a crock pot, which I have never used in my life, but now I just might if I can find one, and some for regular cooking. There were quite a few that had me drooling and taking mental notes, because I am definitely trying them out. AND, the best part, there were some cocktail recipes in there. If there's anything I love as much as cooking, that would be cocktails. The ones in this book sounded divine. Now I just need to find an excuse to make those cocktails.

I am truly, truly hoping that there will be more of these books coming out in the future, because I'm having an amazing time reading them. All in all, I loved this book and I recommend it to anyone who loves finding out new recipes, combined with some great sneak peeks into the life of already established couples.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ylIJbn 

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Excerpt from Rough Night

“You taste better than any pie, my Charlie,” Ian whispered against her lips. His hands tightened on her and she felt one of those big palms stroke her thigh. “Why don’t you straddle me and let’s see what happens.”
She knew what would happen. She placed the tray of treats on the table beside them and gingerly shifted, twisting so she straddled her Master’s lap. Yes, there it was. His cock was right against her pussy. All she had to do was…
Ian groaned as she rolled her pelvis. “That’s right, baby. Now give me some of that sweet, sweet lemony goodness. Ride me and feed me. That’s what I want. Let me watch you come.”
“And if I can make you come?” It was a fun little game. She would try to see if she could get that big dick of his to go off before she did.
“Then I’ll walk around for the rest of the night a bit on the uncomfortable side,” he replied, his hands finding her hips. He shifted and she found herself with her clitoris in the perfect position. “But that’s not going to happen. I know exactly how to make you moan, Charlie baby.”
She felt her phone vibrate. Charlie winced. “It’s another text.”
He pumped his hips up against hers. “Answer it. If it’s anyone except Malone telling us one of the children is missing, I’m texting them a dick pic and asking them to leave us alone. Let’s see if you can text while I do this.”
His erection slid over the perfect place and Charlie could feel the orgasm starting to build. How could he still do this to her? All he had to do was start touching her, using that deep Dom voice on her, and her whole body was ready to comply to his any and every whim.
Did she have to answer? It probably wasn’t anything important. Was anything in the world as important as the way this man made her feel?
“Give me a taste of that tart, baby. Or better yet, pull those pretty nipples out and let me taste them. Let me lick and suck and bite on those sweet nipples.”
Her vision was going soft as he hauled her close.
And her phone vibrated again.
“Ian,” she started.
“Do what you need to,” he replied as he licked her collarbone. “I’ll do what I have to.”
She was going to kill whoever was texting her. It was probably Malone, trying to figure out where the damn marshmallows were.
She bit back a groan and reached for her phone. It better be so good because she was getting close, and the minute Ian started sucking on her breasts she wouldn’t be able to hold…
Do you have a fire extinguisher?
“What?” Charlie shifted, trying to get a better grip on the phone.
And the chair under Ian kind of exploded.
Charlie hit the floor, her knees knocking on the tile. Ian had gone backward but he’d managed to twist his body so he landed on his shoulder instead of knocking the back of his head against the windowsill.
Panic flooded Charlie’s veins. She scrambled to find her phone. “Ian?”
“I’m fine,” he groaned. “Call him. Damn it. Can’t we have one fucking night out without the world coming to an end? Ah, yeah, this is going to hurt.”
Had he thrown out his back again? She couldn’t stop and find out. Sarah Stevens was here somewhere and she was a nurse. Surely she could help.
Charlie grabbed the phone from the midst of the now fallen lemon tarts. The tray had turned over, but there were still several that had landed on the table. She would have to shove those in her purse if they were about to flee home. With shaking fingers she dialed the number for Michael.
“Hey, Charlotte, I think I got the fire out. Boomer stopped, dropped, and rolled on it. That did the trick. The girls thought it was hilarious, but we’ve got another problem now,” Michael was saying.
“There was a fire?” She practically screamed the question.
“Tell Boomer to sit on it,” Ian said from the floor. “Put him on speaker.”
She didn’t need his sarcasm, but he had the right to listen in. She clicked to go to speaker. “Where was the fire, Michael?”
“Well, you see when I told the girls we could have a campout in the living room, I kind of thought we would build a fort made out of sheets, you know what I’m talking about,” Michael continued, his Texas drawl slow and steady. “Damn, Charlotte. I didn’t think the girls would take it so literally.”
Her girls took everything literally. “The girls tried to start a fire? In my living room?”
“It was minor,” Michael promised. “Mostly because they couldn’t take apart the furniture to burn. That was their plan. Apparently Ian taught them how to use whatever’s around to stay warm in case they find themselves out in the woods at night. I saved the sofa, but they did manage to get that wicker basket of yours to burn. Kala said she had to use it because she couldn’t get to the hatchet.”
Charlie turned to her husband. “Why would our daughters know how to use a hatchet?”
He was a nice shade of pale and his shoulder seemed weird. “You told me to teach them some life skills.”
She was going to kill everyone.
       

About Lexi Blake: NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog int eh world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / WEBSITE / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

About Suzanne Johnson: Suzanne Johnson is family-trained, a south Georgia native who’s been cooking all of her life, creating not only some really unique food, but precious memories that re-occur every time she smells something simmering in the oven.  In all of her books, Suzanne shows that making a delicious meal doesn’t have to be complicated — it just has to be made with love. So go ahead, don’t be bashful, dive right in.  Who knows?  You might just make a few memories of your own.

Book Review: Sanctum by Lexi Blake

Author: Lexi Blake
Series: Masters and Mercenaries #4.5, Shades of Naughty
Audience: +18
Genre: Erotic Romance, Contemporary Romance
Publisher: DLZ Entertainment, LLC
Release Date: November 14th 2016
My Rating: 4 Cups
Source: Author
Blurb (from Goodreads):

A contract broken…

Ryan Church and Jill Paxon enjoyed their life as Master and submissive until the day Ryan's entire world crumbled. No longer able to fulfill his end of the contract, Ryan did what he thought was best for Jill. He let her go.

An unexpected reunion…

Eighteen months later, Ryan is working for Ian Taggart as the Dom in Residence at the elite BDSM club Sanctum when his former submissive walks through the door looking for a job. Jill has changed, but his desire for her is still insatiable. Jill, shattered by his past rejection, can't trust Ryan, but she needs the job. Back in the community where she once felt safe and secure, she longs for the life she lost and the man she loved.

A last chance for love…

Ryan is presented with an opportunity to restore his wealth and name, but it could cost him his last chance at rebuilding a life with the woman he loves. When the secrets Jill has carefully hidden from Ryan are exposed, a terrible twist of fate might take her out of his life forever.

A Masters and Mercenaries Novella by Lexi Blake

*Dislaimer: I received an e-copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

Sanctum is not only a story about second chances, but also a story about how important communication and honesty are in both vanilla and D/s relationships.

Ryan is a guy who has had a bit of bad luck in his life, and he's the type of guy that can't do things half-way. His way of dealing with things falling apart around him is to make sure that, even though it isn't his fault, it ALL falls apart, even the thing he cares about the most. Which doesn't really make sense in the beginning, but then I realized that he has a pretty unique interpretation of what it means to be a Dom and a sub.

Jill gave me the impression of a woman who tried really hard to keep the man she loved next to her, even hide her own personality in order to do that. Which is part of the reason why, ultimately, their relationship would have ended no matter what. And I loved the fact that Ryan addresses that and shares his feelings about her behavior during their first time together.

Ryan and Jill both made mistakes in their relationship, and I like that the story showed that clearly and pretty brutally. Like I said, Ryan is a guy that has a pretty unique view of what being a Dom is, and it certainly is the main reason why ultimately his relationship with Jill ends. At the same time though, Jill also makes some mistakes based on her past and that gives her a strange interpretation of what a sub should be like, and instead of being completely honest she gives Ryan the best version of herself without any of the bad moments. It's basically a painful experience to see being talked about by both characters, but it's also really important and eye-opening. It's rare that I get to read about how the BDSM contract works in relation to the simple human interactions, and I found it fascinating. Blake did a really great job at showing how both Ryan and Jillian broke that contract by doing little things, the things most common in traditional, vanilla relationships - hiding stuff, not being honest, not saying what they truly wanted and so on.

At the same time, maybe also because of my background in psychology, I was fascinated by the way Blake showed how one action can be viewed differently by different people, so much so that they end up being seen as two opposite actions. And it wasn't necessarily due to the difference between the male and the female minds, but more because of the misinterpretation of the roles these two people had in their relationship. And I liked the fact that this was talked about, and Blake did a great job addressing that.

All in all, this was a short, but really complex story, that is a great addition to the series and definitely a nice way to take a break from the usual strong, fast pace full of danger at any turn.

Book Review: Ripper by Lexi Blake

Author: Lexi Blake
Series: Hunter #1, Thieves #6
Audience: +18
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: DLZ Entertainment LLC
Release Date: January 20th 2015
My Rating: 4 Cups
Source: InkSlinger PR
Blurb (from Goodreads):

A New Heroine Rises...

Kelsey Atwood is a private detective with a problem. She came from a family of hunters, growing up on the wrong side of the supernatural world. Tracking down bail jumpers and deadbeat dads may not make her a lot of friends, but it’s a lot safer than the life she turned her back on. She was hoping to escape from the nightmares of her past, but her latest case has brought them right back to her door.

A young woman has gone missing, and she didn’t go willingly. When Kelsey discovers that the girl is actually a shifter, she knows she should drop the case and walk away. But this shifter was a sweet kid, and she’s in serious trouble. More females are missing and the evidence points to a legendary killer. Bodies are piling up, and her case is becoming center stage for a conflict that could shatter the fragile peace between wolves and vampires.

As the hunt intensifies, she finds herself trapped between two men—Gray, a magnetic half-demon lawman, and the ancient vampire Marcus Vorenus. Both men call to her, but when a shocking secret about Kelsey’s family is revealed, it could ruin them all. To stop the killer, she will have to embrace the truth about who—and what—she truly is.

*Disclaimer: I received this ebook from InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

I love Lexi Blake's Masters and Mercenaries books, and when I saw she also had a paranormal series I knew I had to try it out. I am super happy I got my courage on and tried it out, because I had a ton of fun reading it.

This felt like a classic story within the urban fantasy genre, with Kelsey a PI being hired for a job she's not really willing to take on. I loved seeing her struggle with the idea of going back to the supernatural world. I also liked her work ethics. Once she was in she was all in, and she did her job spectacularly, which isn't always a given. But she was professional and no matter her personal feelings about going back to the world she swore never to return to, she didn't let her fears, doubts or feelings affect the way she did her job, and that was really important to me.

Gray is a guy who didn't really convince me, really. He felt too possessive, too "in love" with Kelsey, and I kept thinking I didn't really like him all that much. And his relationship with Kelsey felt fake and too. But, as I have come to expect from Blake, she explained it all in the end of the book and I had a kind of "Ah-ha!" moment. At the same time I realized that I had to give Gray props, because he did kind of warned Kelsey and the reader that something fishy might happen.

Then you have Marcus. Marcus is one very strange vampire. He didn't feel all that put together as he wanted Kelsey to believe, and throughout the book we see him kind of having weird reactions to certain things and situations. I assume a lot of this is explained in the original series, so I won't judge him too harshly.

The pacing is perfect and I managed to read this book pretty fast. I loved how we also got to understand Kelsey's past and her reasons for not wanting to have to deal with the supernatural world. I do wonder if she'll finally get to tie up the loose ends of her childhood, if she will ever get revenge on what the man who raised her did.

I loved reading this book and I most definitely loved the difference between this book and the Masters & Mercenaries series that I love and adore. Because they are different, not just in the obvious genre department, but also in the feel of the story. Which is awesome. I also loved that this book proved that I could trust Blake to make sense and to steer the story in such a way that makes sense in the end. Definitely read this book if you're an urban fantasy/paranormal lover.

Book Review: Wolf At The Door by Hailey Edwards

Author: Hailey Edwards
Series: Lorimar Pack #2
Audience: +18
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: January 25th 2017
My Rating: 5 Cups
Source: Own Copy
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Prison is no one's idea of a good time, and it's even worse for Dell. Confinement has her inner wolf snarling as she paces their cell, and there's no end in sight. Just as she reaches her breaking point, the pack liaison shows up with an offer she can’t refuse. Dell’s freedom in exchange for going to Faerie and recapturing the fae prince responsible for her current digs.

But this fool's errand won't be a solo mission. Isaac Cahill has lost Dell twice, and he’ll be damned if she slips through his fingers again. This time, he’s not letting her out of his sight. Even if it means earning more than a few love bites from his pissed off she-wolf.

What they discover on their perilous quest is that war is closer than anyone imagined. As trusted allies fall and dangerous new threats emerge, Dell discovers one defining truth. Isaac is hers, and she'll fight to the death for him. And, at the rate this war is coming, she might not have long to wait.

The story of Dell and the Lorimar pack continues in this heart-pounding story and I couldn't help but love it.

Wolf At The Door takes Dell and her friends to Faerie. It was a really fascinating journey, to be honest. The thing I loved most was that it was not as magical as I initially thought. The story has a ton of twists and turns, both on Faerie and on the earth plane, and I loved where the story went. I have to admit that this was my first visit to Faerie, because I'm reading these books out of order *hides in shame*. But I loved seeing the fae world through Dell's eyes. It was an intriguing experience, seeing it through the eyes of a non-fae creature, because she wasn't as enamored by that world as I would imagine an earth fae would be. She was able to question certain things, and not let them compel her to ignore the danger around her, while at the same time not recognize the danger in other details.

Dell still has a lot of growing to do, and a lot of baggage that she needs to deal with, but she's slowly getting there. As with the previous book in the series, I loved seeing the difference between Dell's human and wolf sides. Not only was it a intriguing aspect of the story, it helped understand Dell more. I know I said this before, but the way Edwards created the warg mythology in her books is really unique and I like the fact that the human side and the wolf side are two separate entities in these stories.

The pace was awesome, as expected, and there were a lot of surprises during this book. A few things I did not anticipate happened, and I quite enjoyed that. I don't want to give away too many spoilers, so I'll leave it at that. But just know that I loved this book and that I am very anxious to see what happens next.

Blog Tour Book Review: At Your Service by Lexi Blake

Author: Lexi Blake
Series: Masters and Mercenaries #14.5, Topped #4
Audience: +18
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance
Publisher: DLZ Entertainment, LLC
Release Date: November 14th 2017
My Rating: 5 Cups
Source: InkSlinger PR
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Juliana O’Neil’s promising future was burned away in the heat of battle. She had been an officer with a bright future in the military, but now she is struggling to survive. Her husband gone and her career in shambles, she finds a job at Top as a hostess and tries to put together the pieces of her life. The last thing she needs is any kind of male attention, but she can’t help but be amused at her neighbor and coworker’s lothario antics. Not that she would have anything to do with him, at least not for more than one night.

Javier Leones doesn’t understand monogamy. No woman could ever be enough for his endless libido, but he has to admit Juliana has his attention. For reasons he doesn’t fully understand, he can’t seem to get the gorgeous redhead with the sad eyes out of his head. After one scorching night together, he realizes he’ll never be able to get her out of his system. But with his reputation, he fears she’ll never see him as more than a one-night stand.

When their passions collide, these new lovers will be forced to confront Juliana’s past and come to terms with Javier’s present. Will they find their way or will this reservation be canceled at the last minute?

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.  

The newest story in the world of the Masters and Mercenaries, and the spin-off series, Top, is just as good as expected, if not more.

Juliana is a really brave, awesome heroine. I love how she helps Javier, even though she had nothing to gain from it. There's a great thing that Blake does with Juliana's character, and it's the thing we all do, which is to take advice that we don't follow ourselves. It's interesting to see exactly how Jules is dealing or not dealing with the fact that she's missing a hand, and also how she knows just what to say to Javier when faced with his brother's injuries. I loved seeing that in her. I truly respect her, and the progress she made by the end of the book was phenomenal. I loved seeing that, the growth she had, going from accepting what happened to her, and adapting, to dealing with her past.

Javier is a truly great guy. In his case, I loved seeing how he goes from playboy to a one-woman-guy, and see how Sean Taggart helped him realize what he needed to do in order to get the girl. I also thought it was really sweet of him to do what he did to help Juliana. Sure, he kind of stuck his foot in his mouth (okay, more like both of his feet), but I understood that. He's a pretty selfless guy, and I truly felt sorry that he had to deal with his brother alone. But as I was saying before, he does something amazing for the woman he loves, and it was simply the greatest thing ever, even though he didn't know how to express it the right way. Anyway, it was a great thing and I loved him for it.

I have to talk a little bit about Javier's brother, Rafe. He's a man who has to deal with what happened to him while he was serving his country, and as much as he knows just how to push everyone away from him, he is also a guy who craves connection to someone, he just doesn't know how to accept it in his current situation. I also liked that, as much as Javier hated him for it, Rafe gave his brother a little dose of honesty. I do hope that in the future Rafe will find the strength he needs to deal with his issues in a healthy manner, and that he'll find himself again.

The pace is, as usual, great, and the story kept me hooked from beginning to end. There were sad scenes, there were hot scenes, and there were insanely funny scenes as well. Also a glimpse of my favorite couple ever, Ian and Charlie.

As already expected from a Lexi Blake story, I adored this book, and I cannot wait for the next one to come out. In the meantime, I feel like a reread is in order.

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All alone with the storm. Maybe she should call Kai. And ask him to get out in the middle of this? That seemed pretty selfish especially since she knew exactly how poorly driving in storms could go.
A hard flash of white light made her jump back.
Nope. She wasn’t going there. She was going to stay in the here and now, and that meant finding a flashlight and trying to get some candles lit. Someone was out there working on getting the power back on, and then she would ride out the storm watching rom coms and falling asleep on the couch. It was going to be okay. Deep breath. It was going to be okay.
A few moments later she’d found her one flashlight and had a nice set of candles out, and she was faced with the problem of lighting the suckers. Oh, she had a big box of matches, but she’d never struck a match without her left hand.
A lighter would be easier. She could figure out a lighter maybe. Jules tried holding the box against the table with her stump while she struck the match with her right hand. She fumbled, the action so unnatural it made her slip up and break the match.
And the second one.
And the third one.
Tears pierced her eyes, but she wasn’t going to shed them. She was going to figure this out or she would make due with the flashlight. It was all about adapting. That was what she had to do. Adapt.
She wasn’t going to let this beat her. Normally she was tough. It had happened and she dealt with it, but between the storm and the conversation with Suzanne the day before about her mother and the sweetness of flirting with a handsome man she couldn’t have, she was feeling awfully vulnerable. She wasn’t going to sit here in the dark and cry.
A knock on the door made her gasp and jump.
Fuck. She wasn’t like this. She hated this…this anxiety she got when it rained. It was weakness and she couldn’t abide it.
If you walk away from this you’ll ruin your life, Juliana. Don’t think I’ll watch you do it. You go through with this and you do it on your own. Am I understood?
Sometimes she felt like she was still seven years old, and if she could just get her mom’s attention everything would be okay.
Jules gripped the flashlight and walked across her apartment to the door. It was likely one of the neighbors coming to check on her. Actually, that was an excellent idea. She could go down and see if Mrs. Gleeson needed some company. There were some elderly residents she could check on and a single mom she’d met at the end of the hall. She could see if she could be of any assistance and that would get her through the night.
She opened the door expecting to see anyone but the man she saw standing there.
Javier Leones. He had a flashlight in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other. He was wearing jeans and a button down that he’d left undone enough she could see a nice swath of golden brown skin. His hair was deliciously mussed, as though he’d taken a shower and simply rubbed a towel over it to get it dry.
He was big and male and so sexy it hurt to look at him, and Jules realized she could do something else to take her mind off things.
Those plump, sensual lips of his broke into a bright smile. “I thought you might like some company. I know I would. I actually don’t have any candles, so I was sitting in my living room with this sad one flashlight. You look like a woman who likes some candles.”
But she couldn’t light them. She hadn’t figured that part out.
His face fell and he walked into her place, closing and locking the door behind him. “Hey, what’s wrong? It’s okay if you don’t have any candles. It’s cool. Two flashlights are better than one.”
He set the flashlight and wine bottle down and moved into her space, his hands coming up to cup her shoulders. “Jules, what’s wrong?”
She had to be stronger than this. She shook her head. “Nothing. I’m fine.”
His jaw tightened. “Don’t. Please don’t. I live with a stubborn asshole who won’t let me help him in any way. I get that we’ve only known each other for a few weeks, but I thought we were friends. You help me out all the time. You’re kind to me. Fucking let me be kind to you. I spend every day trying to help someone who won’t let me. Please let me feel like I’m worth something.”
If he’d said anything else, joked about the weather or told her to suck it up, she could have, but he’d opened a door. He’d been vulnerable and honest, and she found she couldn’t pay that back with stubbornness.
“I have candles and I can’t figure out how to light them.” Tears rolled down her face. She was vulnerable. All the time. Even when she pretended like she wasn’t.
“You can’t…” he began and then he looked down. Instead of stepping back and giving her space, he drew his hand down her arm, warming her skin where he touched her. It was dark but the moon was full and gave enough light to see the outline of his face. There was no look of horror there. He caressed her arm until he got to the place where she’d been split apart and sewn back together unwhole. He brought it up and wrapped it against his palm, his fingers closing around it until the whole thing was surrounded with his warmth. “You haven’t figured out how to do it yet. Probably hasn’t come up or you would know what to do. How long since you lost your hand?”
“A year and a half,” she said. He was touching her there. No one had touched her there except her doctors and therapists.
Come to think of it, no one had touched her at all since before the accident. Had it really been so long since she’d felt warm flesh against her own? He was so close, close enough that all she would have to do was go up on her toes to brush her lips against his.
Would that be wrong? As long as she remembered who she was dealing with, why couldn’t she take a few moments of respite for herself? If he wanted her.
           

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / WEBSITE / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

Blog Tour Book Review: Holiday Wishes by Jill Shalvis

Author: Jill Shalvis
Series: Heartbreaker Bay #4.5
Audience: +18
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Release Date: November 7th 2017
My Rating: 5 Cups
Source: Publisher
Blurb (from Goodreads):

It’s Christmastime again in Heartbreaker Bay!

When Sean O’Riley shows up at the Hartford Bed & Breakfast for his older brother’s bachelor weekend, he’s just hoping to make it through the weekend. What he’s not expecting is to come face to face with the woman he lost his virginity to a decade ago—a woman he’s never really forgotten.

The last time Lotti Hartford saw Sean, she told him she loved him while he said nothing. Now, ten years later, she’s just looking for a good time. For once, she wants to be the wild and free one, and Sean – the good time guy – is the perfect candidate.

But as the weekend continues, Sean realizes that after a lifetime of being the hook-up king, he’s ready to find happily-ever-after, and he wants it with Lotti. But will she open her heart to him again? As Christmas sweeps through the little B&B, he can only hope love and magic are in the air.

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

My journey into the Heartbreaker Bay continues with this cute holiday story of second-chance love. I really enjoyed this story, and it was the perfect kind of love story for the winter season.

Lotti has been through a lot ever since the last time she saw Sean, so when he comes into her B&B, she's determined to ignore his charms and her attraction to him. But I liked that she eventually took advantage of the opportunity to get some sort of closure for herself and for her young heart who got broken all those years ago. I also loved how brave she was when she agreed to help Sean. It was also really heartbreaking once I realized how exactly she was helping him, and I liked that Sean realized and acknowledged that.

Sean was a really great guy. I loved the fact that we get to explore his reasons for doing the things he was doing, because I was able to understand him a lot more. It was also a little bit funny seeing him struggle with Lotti's indifference in the beginning. I like that he got to redeem himself to Lotti. I feel like he received not only a second chance at the love of his life, but also a chance to make up for a lot of things in the past, as he is so willing to admit. Which I enjoyed reading about, because what better time for a story about giving back and giving thanks than Christmas?

It was also fun seeing the other couples, friends of Sean and his brother, and it kinda made me even more curious to read the other books. The pace was great and I read this book pretty fast.

As I said, this story was awesome, perfect for the holiday season, and it strengthened my desire to read the entire series from the beginning. If you're in the mood for a cozy winter read, this book is for you.

EXCERPT

At the empathetic tone in Sean’s voice, Lotti’s heart and stomach and head all clenched in unison. “What do you mean you can’t give me what I want?” she asked. “All you have to do is walk away.”
“Tried that already,” he said. “And it was the biggest mistake of my life.” He brought her hand up to his mouth and met her gaze over their entwined hands.
He was looking at her like . . . well, she wasn’t sure what was going on in his head, but her thoughts were racing along with her pulse.
“You’re incredible, Lotti. I hope you know that.” Very slowly, clearly giving her time to object, he pulled her into him.
Her breath caught at the connection and his eyes heated in response as he slid a hand up her spine and then back down again, pressing her in tight to him from chest to thighs and everywhere in between. His nose was cold at the crook of her neck, but his breath was warm against her skin. She felt his lips press against the sensitive spot just behind her ear and she shivered. “You’re trembling,” he said, his voice low. “Are you cold?”
“No,” she whispered. Try the opposite of cold . . .
“Nervous?”
“No.” Not even close. The way his mouth moved across her skin was making her warm all over. Not that she could articulate that with his body pressed to hers and his fingers dancing over her skin. She was literally quivering as the memories of what it felt like to be touched by him washed over her, as if no time at all had gone by.
Yes, she’d let him think that their time together had sucked for her. But it hadn’t. Not even close. That long-ago night he’d evoked feelings and a hunger in her that she’d never forgotten. “I’ve just had a long day,” she said.
“I know. I’m going to make it better.” He pressed a kiss at the juncture of her jaw and ear before he made his way to her lips for a slow, hot kiss, his mouth both familiar and yet somehow brand-new. She was so far gone that when he pulled back she protested with a moan, but he held her tight, staring down at her with heated eyes. “Just checking,” he murmured.
“Checking what?”
“That you want this as badly as I do.”