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Thursday, June 3, 2021

4 Star Review: Out of the Blue by Kathryn Nolan



Title: Out of the Blue
Author: Kathryn Nolan
Genre: Second Chance Bodyguard Romance
Release Date: May 14, 2021


There was no way I could protect her and my heart at the same time.

Cope McDaniels is known for two things: His cocky charm and his sterling reputation for keeping high-profile clients safe. Until a security job goes bad, and he suddenly finds his career on thin ice. Cope’s newest assignment comes with serious consequences - he’ll keep his job as long as he makes no mistakes.

Cope isn’t worried…until his new client turns out to be a beautiful blast from his past.

Big wave surfer Serena Swift loves the adrenaline of her sport. And the elite athlete hates being told what to do. That goes double when the orders are coming from the sexy bodyguard-in-a-suit who broke her heart.

But she doesn’t have a choice when a mysterious threat materializes and Serena’s sponsor saddles her with the last man she’d want guarding her body. She’d rather focus on her next surf competition, not on some shadowy danger or the arrogant ex who dared to get even hotter since their breakup.

Cope can’t stop butting heads with his new client. Just like old times, Serena refuses to play it safe, even when it’s clear she’s in peril. Now the intimacy of spending every second of the day by her side is wearing away at his self-control. He can’t afford to lose focus, but everything about the woman is a constant distraction.

Including the fact that their divorce was never finalized…

Author’s Note: One-click this scorching-hot bodyguard romance if you’re a fan of second-chance angst, sizzling sexual tension, thrilling action and mysterious danger set on the warm, sunny beaches of San Diego.









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My Review

I received an advanced copy of this book with the promise of an honest review. 

I love when an author does something that other authors are not doing. And Kathryn does two things in this book: 1. this book takes places in the surfing world and 2. it's a bodyguard romance!! Off the top of my head I can think of any bodyguard romances I have read (I'm sure I have), but this is one that is on steroids because the bodyguard is HER HUSBAND.

Yes, Cope and Serena might be estranged, but there is no lack of chemistry between these two. Whew! They clearly have A LOT of unresolved feelings and I really wasn't sure how they were going to coexist. I really enjoy when characters try to put off the inevitable and while these two did their best, there was no way they weren't going to give in to their feelings. 

And don't even get me started on how protecting Serena is Cope's job, but then add in that he is still head over heels in love with her....AMAZING. Should he have stepped away from the job because of it? Probably. But he doesn't and eventually pays the price for that misstep. 

I loved that Serena was a surfer! The extent of my knowledge on surfing is solely based on the movie "Blue Crush", which is another way to saw I know pretty much nothing about it. I found the scenes where Serena was out on the water quite fascinating so if you enjoy that movie, this might be the book for you!





Kathryn Nolan is an adventurous hippie chick and loves to write steamy romance. Her books are filled with slow-burn sexual tension, memorable characters, tons of heart -- and are often set in wild and beautiful locations.

Kathryn started her writing career in elementary school, writing about Star Wars and Harry Potter and inventing love stories in her many journals. She blames her obsession with slow-burn on her similar obsession for The X-Files.

Kathryn is a wanderer at heart, and loves to spend her free time hiking, camping, and traveling in her camper van ("Van Morrison") with her cute, nerdy husband and Walter, their rescue pup. Kathryn is a Philly girl who just moved back home after spending more than 8 years living in Northern California -- and six months traveling across the country in her camper van.







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Tuesday, May 25, 2021

5 Star Review: Tangled Games (Dating Games #5) by T.K. Leigh


Every girl dreams of becoming a princess.
But this is no fairy tale.

When I met Anderson North, I fell in love with the man, not the title. With his heart, not the crown.

But as I step foot in the Nation of Belmont for the first time as the Crown Prince’s fiancĂ©e, I’m reminded of exactly who he is outside of the bubble we built around ourselves.

I’m reminded of exactly who I’ll need to become if I’m to survive this tangled web of antiquated rules, constant media attention, and negative publicity from a country that hates the idea of an American marrying their future king.

This may be a life of privilege and excess, but I soon learn that with notoriety comes jealousy.
With fame comes enemies.
With a crown comes a gilded cage.

I’ve always dreamed of finding my happily ever after. I didn’t realize ours would come at a price.








My Review

I received an advanced copy of this book with the promise of an honest review. 

I love everything about Anderson and Nora. I love how they met and fell in love. I love how they took a chance to be with the other person despite all the obstacles they faced in the first book. And now that Anderson has returned home, with Nora by his side, they are about to face even more obstacles. 

I will say that I found some things in this book to be a bit predictable, but I found it so well written and I was so invested in making sure that it all worked out that I just didn't care. Anderson and Nora may have had people around them that didn't approve of their relationship, but they had plenty who had their back (aka lots of familiar faces). And that is what makes the difference.

I had read quite a few books since I read Royal Games and I absolutely forgot some key plot points from that book. So imagine my surprise when these things came up and I was like "Oh that's right!!" I also went to bed one night thinking "I'll just read a few chapters" and then it was a couple hours later (aka way past my bedtime) and I had finished it. I just couldn't put it down. That's how good it is. 








About T.K. Leigh

T.K. Leigh, otherwise known as Tracy Leigh Kellam, is a USA Today Best Selling author of the Beautiful Mess series, in addition to several other works. Originally from New England, she now resides in sunny Southern California with her husband, dog, and three cats, all of which she has rescued (including the husband). In late 2015, she gave birth to her first (and only) baby. When she’s not planted in front of her computer, writing away, she can be found training for her next marathon (of which she has run over fifteen fulls and far too many halfs to recall) or keeping her daughter entertained.


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Thursday, May 13, 2021

4 Star Review: Bright Midnight by Karina Halle

 


A second-chance to heal their hearts
Bright Midnight by Karina Halle is now live!

From the New York Times bestselling author of Where Sea Meets Sky and Racing the Sun comes a wildly romantic novel about a young American abroad in Norway who runs into the man who broke her heart eight years ago.

After years of bartending her way across Europe, Shay Lavji has seen almost everything the continent has to offer, but there's one country she hasn't crossed off her bucket list yet: Norway. It's not that she doesn't want to visit the land of the midnight sun--far from it; she's obsessed with the culture and is dying to see the majestic fjords for herself.

What she's not dying to do is run into her Norwegian ex-boyfriend, Anders Johansen, who broke her heart in America eight years ago before returning to his ancestral home. The last time she saw Anders, he was a cocky, rebellious, and tortured teenager who couldn't stop himself from pushing all of her buttons--both good and bad. But Shay isn't going to let Anders stand in the way of her wanderlust, and besides, it's a big country, right?

She doesn't count on Anders seeking her out the moment he learns she's on his home turf. When Shay sees him again, she's shocked at his transformation into a bearded, tattooed farmer and fisherman who values family over everything else. Is it possible that time has tamed this former bad boy? Shay wants to believe that everything can be new and bright again under the summer sun, but she knows, when it comes to Anders, the darkness is never too far behind.


Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited
Amazon Worldwide: mybook.to/BrightMidnigh





My Review

I received an advanced copy of this book with the promise of an honest review. 

This story is told in both flashbacks and of course present tense. Shay and Anders meet when he is the new guy in school. He's foreign, mysterious and good looking. Shay is the first person Anders meets and the rest is history. 

Ahh young love. High school Shay and Anders were exactly what you'd think of two teenagers in love, but I was not a fan of high school Anders. He was an idiot who made bad choices, but adult Anders made up for it. He was older and wiser and willing to admit to his mistakes. Shay was also older and wiser and willing to look past her old feelings for Anders to make the most of the time they have now. I do wish that would have made Anders work a little harder to get back in her good graces, but them getting together felt inevitable. 

As a final thought....I've never been one to have wanderlust. Sure, I've always wanted to travel, but it's never been something I've longed to do. And maybe it's because I have been in my apartment for over a year now, but Karina's recent books have definitely ignited my travel bug. The locations in her books are basically another character and you can't help channel Liz Lemon and think "I want to go to there".






Karina Halle is a former travel writer, music journalist & screenwriter, and The New York Times, Wall Street Journal & USA Today Bestselling author of over 55 bestselling novels, ranging from horror and suspense to contemporary romance. She lives on an island off the coast of British Columbia with her husband, and her adopted pitbull Bruce, where she drinks a lot of wine, hikes a lot of trails and devours a lot of books.

Halle is represented by the Root Literary Agency and is both self-published and published by Simon & Schuster, Hachette & Montlake. Her work has been translated and published in 20 languages.

Hit her up on Instagram at @authorHalle, on Twitter at @MetalBlonde and on Facebook. You can also visit www.authorkarinahalle.com and sign up for the newsletter for news, excerpts, previews, private book signing sales and more.

Connect with Karina

RELEASE BLITZ: Out of the Blue by Kathryn Nolan


Title: Out of the Blue
Author: Kathryn Nolan
Genre: Second Chance Bodyguard Romance
Release Date: May 14, 2021




There was no way I could protect her and my heart at the same time.

Cope McDaniels is known for two things: His cocky charm and his sterling reputation for keeping high-profile clients safe. Until a security job goes bad, and he suddenly finds his career on thin ice. Cope’s newest assignment comes with serious consequences - he’ll keep his job as long as he makes no mistakes.

Cope isn’t worried…until his new client turns out to be a beautiful blast from his past.

Big wave surfer Serena Swift loves the adrenaline of her sport. And the elite athlete hates being told what to do. That goes double when the orders are coming from the sexy bodyguard-in-a-suit who broke her heart.

But she doesn’t have a choice when a mysterious threat materializes and Serena’s sponsor saddles her with the last man she’d want guarding her body. She’d rather focus on her next surf competition, not on some shadowy danger or the arrogant ex who dared to get even hotter since their breakup.

Cope can’t stop butting heads with his new client. Just like old times, Serena refuses to play it safe, even when it’s clear she’s in peril. Now the intimacy of spending every second of the day by her side is wearing away at his self-control. He can’t afford to lose focus, but everything about the woman is a constant distraction.

Including the fact that their divorce was never finalized…

Author’s Note: One-click this scorching-hot bodyguard romance if you’re a fan of second-chance angst, sizzling sexual tension, thrilling action and mysterious danger set on the warm, sunny beaches of San Diego.





"I was absolutely swept away by this book! I fell in love with Serena and Cope from the first page. Cope's cockiness, Serena's tender heart...everything about these two sucked me in and I couldn't put this book down." - What Emily Is Reading
Serena has definitely secured her spot in one of my top favorite heroines EVER and I'm not even mad about it. It's going to be really hard to surpass her level of greatness. - Book Addict Confessional
I absolutely loved the characters and Ms. Nolan weaves a page turning story that keeps you on the edge of your seat. - Gina Marie, Goodreads






Kathryn Nolan is an adventurous hippie chick and loves to write steamy romance. Her books are filled with slow-burn sexual tension, memorable characters, tons of heart -- and are often set in wild and beautiful locations.

Kathryn started her writing career in elementary school, writing about Star Wars and Harry Potter and inventing love stories in her many journals. She blames her obsession with slow-burn on her similar obsession for The X-Files.

Kathryn is a wanderer at heart, and loves to spend her free time hiking, camping, and traveling in her camper van ("Van Morrison") with her cute, nerdy husband and Walter, their rescue pup. Kathryn is a Philly girl who just moved back home after spending more than 8 years living in Northern California -- and six months traveling across the country in her camper van.




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