Wed to a Spy (An All the Queen’s Spies #1) by Sharon Cullen
Wed to a Spy by Sharon Cullen
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Aimee de Verris was sent off to the Scottish court by Catherine de Medici in order to spy on Mary, Queen of Scots. Aimee is no spy though, she’s just a young naive girl who was in love with someone Catherine didn’t approve of and only wants to return to her homeland. However Aimee finds that Catherine had other plans for her, she’s tasked Queen Mary with finding her a husband.
Simon Marcheford has been a spy for Queen Elizabeth but all he wants now is to retire to the land bestowed upon him by the English crown. Queen Elizabeth has one more task for Simon though and he finds himself spying yet again, this time he’s ended up in the Scottish court. The last thing Simon expected to come of the job was gaining a wife but how can he resist when ordered by Queen Mary to wed Aimee without losing her trust.
Wed to a Spy is the first book in the An All the Queen’s Spies series by Sharon Cullen. The book is a historical fictional romance which is centered in the real life setting of the Scottish court of Queen Mary during the time of the assassination of Rizzio, one of the Queens court. The setting and time period was one of my favorite parts of the read to have real life events written into this story.
For me this book only ended up being about 3.5 stars even though I enjoyed the historical part of it. The problem I found was the author seemed to write herself into a corner so to speak with having Aimee in love with someone back at home and devoted to him but married off to Simon in the story. It just seemed like a fine line to make a reader feel for the current relationship after spending so much time hearing of how she wanted to go home then out of nowhere in love with Simon.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
The Magnate’s Marriage Merger by Joanne Rock Release Blast with giveaway
The
matchmaker meets her match…in one very persistent tycoon!
THE MAGNATE’S MARRIAGE MERGER
The McNeill Magnates #2
Joanne Rock
Releasing May 9th, 2017
Harlequin Desire
The
matchmaker meets her match…in one very persistent tycoon!
Secretive
matchmaker to the rich and famous, Lydia Whitney prefers to stay behind the
scenes. But after one mistake, rich resort developer Ian McNeill is hot on her
trail, and he’s more attractive—and persistent—than ever before.
Ian can’t
believe it when he figures out who’s messing with his family: a woman who has
deceived—and seduced—him before. What’s her agenda? And why can’t he resist
her? He’ll get the answers to all his questions, if Lydia agrees to his
convenient marriage proposal. But once she’s in his arms again, will he let her
go?
Excerpt:
She was a woman of habit and that would serve him well now. He hoped. He remembered how much she had enjoyed swimming first thing in the morning when they were working together in the islands of Tahiti. He’d accused her of being a mermaid with her daily need to return to the sea, but even when he’d been bleary-eyed from working late the night before, he never missed a chance to swim with her. For safety purposes, he’d told her, and not just because he enjoyed the occasional chance to slide a hand beneath her bikini top or wind the wet rope of her hair around his hand and angle her sea-salty lips for his kiss.
When the elevator sounded its dull chime, he slowly looked up. The doors opened and Lydia strode into view. His gaze fell on her long, shapely legs, the hem of her black mesh tunic revealing a hint of thigh.
“Ian?” Her voice tugged his attention higher, pulling his focus to her green eyes and creamy skin devoid of makeup.
With her hair scraped back into a ponytail, she looked every inch the part of his earthy, warmhearted lover from last summer. He had to remember that she hadn’t been the woman he thought, that he’d been wrong about her, or he might have swept her up into his arms and ridden the elevator back up to her hotel room to remind her how good they were together in at least one respect.
Sex. Raw, sensual, mind-blowing sex.
His pulse ramped up at the steamy memories, so much so that he had to shut down those thoughts and focus on the present or his plan would be doomed before he even started.
“Hope you don’t mind if I join you.” Ian tucked his phone back into the pocket of the cargo shorts he’d slid on over his swim trunks.
She halted in front of him abruptly. Then, eyes sliding to the desk attendant, she stepped closer. Probably she did it to minimize the chance of being overheard.
Ian liked the opportunity to breathe in the scent of her—the lavender fragrance of the detergent she washed her clothes in and a subtle perfume more complex than that.
“What on earth are you doing here?” She glanced over her shoulder. “You realize most of the consultants working on the Foxfire are staying in this hotel? What will they say if someone sees us together at this hour?”
“They’ll think we had a whole lot more fun last night than they did.”
Last night, he’d paced the floor of his penthouse suite for far too long, thinking through every aspect of a contract marriage and what details he should include in the paperwork.
In the end, she would sign. But she wasn’t going to like him forcing her hand, and that bothered him more than it should have.
“And that doesn’t concern you? I happen to enjoy a hard-earned reputation as a professional.” Her clipped words and the high color in her cheeks told him he’d gotten under her skin in record time.
“If you don’t want anyone to see us together, we might as well hit the beach. Take refuge in the water.” His hand itched to touch her. To rest on the small of her back and steer her out the door, across the street and onto the soft sand. But he had to be careful not to push or she could dig her heels in about his suggestion and delay the whole thing.
Now that he’d made up his mind and seen the benefits of a union between the two of them, he couldn’t think of one damn reason why he should delay.
After narrowing her green eyes at him for an instant, she pivoted on her wedge sandals and strode toward the exit.
He caught up to her in two long steps, holding the door wide for her before as they headed out onto Ocean Drive, which was strangely quiet in the predawn dark. There were more joggers on the beach than bathers; a few runners kicked up sand as they pounded past them.
“It’ll be quieter down here.” He pointed out a stretch of the shore where no beach loungers had been set up yet, a spot free from any hotel guests.
In fact, he’d claimed the location for them earlier when he’d ordered a cabana and sunrise breakfast. Lydia apparently didn’t notice his preparations, however, instead appearing too absorbed in her frustrated march toward the water, her feet churning through the sand at breakneck pace.
The horizon was starting to smudge from inky black to purple as she reached the shoreline and kicked off her shoes. Then she yanked the black mesh cover-up off and over her head. Mesmerized by her silhouette as his eyes adjusted to the light, Ian watched as she ran into the
surf and made a shallow dive under an oncoming wave… She was a woman of habit and that would serve him well now. He hoped. He remembered how much she had enjoyed swimming first thing in the morning when they were working together in the islands of Tahiti. He’d accused her of being a mermaid with her daily need to return to the sea, but even when he’d been bleary-eyed from working late the night before, he never missed a chance to swim with her. For safety purposes, he’d told her, and not just because he enjoyed the occasional chance to slide a hand beneath her bikini top or wind the wet rope of her hair around his hand and angle her sea-salty lips for his kiss.
Don’t miss ANY of The McNeill Magnates
Four-time
RITA nominee Joanne Rock has never met a romance sub-genre she didn’t
like. The author of over seventy books enjoys writing a wide range of stories,
most recently focusing on sexy contemporaries and small town family sagas. An
optimist by nature and perpetual seeker of silver linings, Joanne finds romance
fits her life outlook perfectly–love is worth fighting for. A frequent speaker
at regional and national writing conferences she enjoys giving back to the
writing community that nurtured and inspired her early career. She has a Masters
degree in Literature from the University of Louisville but credits her fiction
writing skills to her intensive study with friend and fellow author Catherine
Mann. When she’s not writing, Joanne enjoys travel, especially to see her
favorite sports teams play with her former sports editor husband and three
athletic-minded sons.
Soft Pleasure by Dany Rae Miller blitz with giveaway
Soft Pleasure
Dany Rae Miller
(Wolven Moon #4)
Publication date: May 3rd 2017
Genres: Adult, Paranormal
The truth can either ruin you or set you free.
SOPHIA SOFT
Freaks like me can’t do relationships, not when there are huge parts of yourself you can’t let anyone see. No matter how strong the pull between us, no matter that he sets my body on fire with his touch, I can’t have Gunnar Bodolf. But he knows things about me and my past – things I’m desperate to know, too.
GUNNAR BODOLF
The chemistry between us is exquisite. Powerful. Primitive. Sophia Soft wants me as much as I want her. I came back to Aspen a lone wolf with one mission, to connect the hereditary witch with her forgotten power. Now wild fantasies have raised another tantalizing desire, get her into my bed and make her mine.
Truth. Power. Lust. Not necessarily in that order.
—
EXCERPT:
While I set out containers of food, Sophia goes off somewhere in her mind. I wonder what she sees. Full-fledged memories, or glimpses of her childhood here? Not that horrific night. That much I can tell by her expression.
I’ve only set foot on this property one other time — the night the Softs were massacred. I pour myself a large portion of wine as well and allow buried memories to surface.
Barely a teenager at thirteen, my parents allowed me to travel from Sweden to visit my Colorado relatives on my own. That horrible night, all able-bodied adult wolves were in Glenwood Springs, responding to intelligence from the Granite pack that hunters would converge there. I wanted to go, too. But, no. I was relegated to help a babysitter look after an eight-year-old Carine.
The hunters did indeed show up in Glenwood. However, another group swiftly descended on Aspen — on the Softs, specifically.
Was it a coincidence? I never believed that. It had to have been a concerted plan to lure wolves away from Aspen and leave the eminent family unprotected.
I look over at Sophia. Her wine glass is almost empty.
“More?” I hold the bottle up, ready to pour.
She shakes her head no.
“You’re wondering why I brought you here.” My candor brings her gaze to mine.
Curiosity and apprehension are among the emotions that flit across her expression. Distrust emerges and stays.
Eyes narrowed, she looks away from me. “That’s just one question I have.”
“This is where you must be to connect to the old crone and to your legacy.” I let the rest hang. She’s smart. She’ll connect the dots she already has in her sights and the rest as they appear before her.
“You knew about my connection to this place when we looked at that property.” She points across the water.
I nod and smile. “In addition to being incredibly sexy, you’re a very perceptive witch.”
“Just because you saw a few books on my bookshelf doesn’t mean anything.”
“I know what you are, Sophia.”
She shakes her head and rolls her eyes. Gently, I cup her beautiful face with both of my hands to look into those gorgeous eyes. There’s a vulnerability in their depths.
“You are a witch.”
Licking her lips, she simply stares at me.
“Trust me, my beauty. You want answers about yourself? The old crone is an excellent place to start. You just need to tune in to her. This is the best place on Earth to do that.”
Contemplating my words, a spark of curiosity burns away most of the vulnerability. As I suspected, she’s ravenous for knowledge. So desperate for it that it’s palpable and overrides the rest of her emotions.
“Come.” I stand, hold out a hand to help her up. “Let me show you something.”
“I’ve been over this property dozens of times. There’s nothing new that you can show me.”
An owl hoots as the full moon continues its rise over the eastern ridge of the mountain. The strong scent of the columbine combined with Sophia’s natural scent is exceedingly provocative. It’s hard to resist, but resist I must. Right now, I must focus on connecting her to her power.
“Humor me,” I say softly. “It’s very important –– to you. Please, Sophia.”
Her hesitation has weakened considerably. Finally, with a resigned sigh, she succumbs to her need to know. Clasping my hand, she rises gracefully to her feet.
“We might need your worship tools,” I say.
She lifts her tote.
Leaving the lanterns with the blanket, I grab my backpack. Hand in hand, we walk just a few yards to a circle laid out in stones and surrounded by the white trunks of aspen trees.
“I’ve been here. It’s a sacred circle,” she says.
I nod. “Very good. You are correct. It is a witches’ circle – an old, venerable one.” I lead her over the stones.
When her feet touch the ground in the circle, a soft breeze waifs up from below. I’m astonished. Her power is already engaged with the energy here.
“Aside from knowing it was even here, how do you know how old it is?” She asks me.
“Good questions. The answers to which you will know soon.”
She squints her eyes at me.
“Let’s just take it step by step. I don’t want to overwhelm you.”
Her eyes narrow further.
I sigh in frustration, wishing I had time to go slower with her.
“Alright. Will you be satisfied with a short explanation and have the details filled in at a later time?” I smile, needing to keep it light.
She shrugs and nods.
“Was that a yes or no? If a no, then I’ll tell you nothing.” I smirk. Despite the gravity of the moment, I enjoy teasing her.
Frustrated herself, she rolls her eyes at me. “Yes.”
I laugh. “Has Carine shared the wolf creation lore with you?”
Dry now, Sophia’s gorgeous hair flutters around her as she shakes her head no.
“While lycanthropy is mentioned by the ancient Greeks, it was in reference to people who had some wolf traits — exceptionally strong, exceedingly hairy, ravenous appetites and the like. It isn’t until much later, during the fifteenth century that you’ll find written accounts of shapeshifting humans to wolves and wolves to humans.”
With a shadow of amusement, she raises an eyebrow. “This is the short version of how you knew this circle existed?”
“Yes, baby,” I chuckle. “Here’s the punch line. The ancient ones, the witches, needed protection from the hunters during the inquisition so they created us — werewolves from a race of lycanthropic men and women. In the generations since, a few Lycans have mated outside their species and a few of their children either lost the power to shift or went rogue. The core group, the purebreds, called sovereign wolves, remain loyal.”
Watching her process that bit of information, I pause for a moment.
“My ancestors were created by your ancestors. I’m pure and I’m your protector, Sophia.”
Her expressive eyes hide nothing. She doesn’t believe me. “Then where the hell have you been all my life?” She jokes.
I chuckle. “You haven’t needed me until now.”
She licks her lips. “Does that explain why we’re so attracted to one another?”
“No, älskling. That’s something else entirely.” The rising moon has cleared the mountain.
“Face directly east,” I say.
She turns slightly. “Is this right?”
“Well, lets see.” I take a compass from the backpack, stand behind her, wrapping one arm around her waist. With the compass in my other hand, I reach out in front of her so we can both see the reading.
“Perfect.” I smile. “As I said, a very perceptive witch.”
This close, her scent is irresistible. I slip the compass in my pocket and pull her softness back to my chest. I kiss the nape of her neck, justifying it with her need to relax. “Mmmmm. I get so distracted by you.”
She leans back further, bares more of her throat for my lips.
“The witch teases me, again.” I chuckle, but give her what she wants – a trail of kisses from her ear to her shoulder. My fangs drop. Lightly and careful not to break skin, I bite the tender spot where shoulder and throat meet, licking the nibble away.
Soon. We will mate soon.
Her nipples tighten under her bodice. I growl and slide my right hand up to cup her left breast, slowly and softly my thumb strokes the sensitive peak. She moans for me. I nuzzle her ear.
“Sweet Sophia. I must step away.” I release her, walk around to look into her smoldering eyes. “It’s only our second date and here you are seducing me, again.”
She’s all indignant. “Me seducing you? I’m not the one kissing necks.” A tiny smile lifts one corner of her mouth.
My effort to relax her seems to have worked, never mind my uncomfortable hard-on.
“Says the one who lured me into her bathroom when she was gloriously naked and dripping wet.”
And I’m not talking about the shower water.
“That wasn’t on purpose.” She blushes.
“No? Still I’m faulting you for having such an intoxicating scent.” I lean in to inhale. “I can smell your arousal, you know.”
Her breath catches, eyes dilate even more with desire.
“Mmmm. I’m like a hapless bee lured by a succulent flower.” I close my eyes, inhale again. “I can’t wait to taste your nectar.”
Author Bio:
Dany Rae is convinced that romance readers are the best readers. Unabashedly in love with love stories, they know what a magic balm romance novels are to the human psyche, especially in tumultuous times.
Take bits of Jackie Collins, elements of Fifty Shades, a touch of J. R. Ward, and mash in a healthy dose of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and you’ve got the essence of Dany Rae’s storytelling style.
She’s devoted to writing sexy yet smart, mystical yet believable storylines woven by tantalizing, well-developed characters that pull readers in.
Dany Rae is a graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder, majoring in broadcast journalism and minoring in political science. An award-winning screenwriter
and ex-TV producer, she left her civilian career with the U.S. military at the end of 2016 to pursue her dream.
After the devastating loss of her son in November 2015 and her mother just six weeks later, Dany Rae understands the power of love. It’s a lifesaver, sometimes literally.
Visit http://www.DanyRaeMiller.com to join her reader group. As a member, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up for ARCs (advanced reader copies) of her books, read sneak peeks and be notified of upcoming releases.
** Due to vivid love scenes and naughty language, Dany Rae Miller novels are intended for adults. *
GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The Watcher by Bella Jewel
The Watcher by Bella Jewel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Seven years ago Marlie Jacobson was kidnapped and tortured by a serial killer but Marlie was the one that ended the killer’s reign when she fought back and killed the man torturing her. Now Marlie lives all alone away from her family to hide from being in the public eye after her mother had written a book detailing Marlie’s nightmare which has brought up a bit of resentment between the two from using her ordeal for profit.
However, when Marlie receives a phone call from a friend back home that her sister is missing Marlie puts her resentment towards her mother aside and returns to do whatever she can to find her sister. When the police seem to be stalling on the case not believing there is any danger Marlie hires Kenai Michelson, a world renowned investigator. Marlie insists that Kenai take her with him to investigate the disappearance despite her anxiety and pain she deals with daily determined to find her sister no matter what it costs.
The Watcher by Bella Jewel is a romantic suspense read which of course meant that the main characters in the story would also begin a relationship while they working on the case. Unfortunately that would be the one small issue I had with the entire story, I just didn’t care for the overly explicit sexual content even though there wasn’t too much involved. I think maybe for me I just would have preferred with Marlie’s trauma in the past a cleaner romance between the two would have set better with her personality.
However, with that complaint aside I completely enjoyed the story of the kidnapping and the characters chasing clues to find out what happened. This is my second read by Bella Jewel and I rather enjoy her writing style finding myself completely engaged in the suspense rather quickly. I had my guesses from early on too and was somewhat right but it took the story unfolding to completely get to the right conclusion so it kept me engaged all throughout.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
Scattered Souls (Flames of Time, #2) by Erica Lucke Dean
Scattered Souls by Erica Lucke Dean
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Scattered Souls is the second book in the Flames of Time series by Erica Lucke Dean. The story revolves around a set of twin brothers who were cursed because their mother had gone to a witch to cast a spell on her unborn baby wishing it would always find it’s soul mate. With the brothers being twins instead of one child they are said to share a soul with both being connected to one girl’s soul all throughout time.
The story in Scattered Souls picks up right after the cliffhanger ending in the first book of the series with Maddox, Laith and Ava dealing with all being tied together due to the curse. Laith has taken Ava to the 1920’s to show her that he is not the bad brother and let her get to know him better. Meanwhile Maddox is stuck in the present not knowing where his brother has gone with Ava and vows to search for her across time until she is found.
Now I know that the Flames of Time series is not going to be for everyone with the insta-love and love triangle involved in the story but I have to say it’s got me quite hooked on the story and just what will happen with this trio. I’m not usually even a fan of a story with a love triangle involving siblings but with this relationship being based on a witch’s curse and the brothers traveling through time for hundreds of years to find their soulmate it didn’t take long to become engaged.
The writing in this series is absolutely wonderful so that certainly helped gain my interest in the series. It’s also full of twists and turns for the characters as the story goes along and while I found the character building good in the first book it got that much better in the second as I got to know them all a bit more. There was also a lot more time travel involved in the story in this second installment which made the story that much more intense and interesting.
Overall, great series so far and after another cliffhanger ending keeping me on the edge of my seat I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
Carries Book Reviews 
Recent Comments