Review: Strings Attached by Anne Holly

Strings Attached by Anne Holly

Publisher: Wild Horse Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 2

Blurb


“You want to heal me, like one of your stray dogs...”

When Canadian rancher Josie Sergeant gets a call from her brother announcing his impetuous decision to marry, she has her reservations. But, when her brother’s would-be brother-in-law swoops in from Australia to stop the wedding, Josie has no choice but to defend the family.

Theo Sabich is bull-headed and dangerously sexy, but also damaged beyond repair… or so he thinks. He enjoys getting on Josie’s nerves, but when he finds her getting under his skin he must decide - face his demons and grab this last chance for happiness or bury himself in his lonely Outback ranch once and for all.

Under the northern lights, their attraction ignites beyond their control, and Josie finds that a one-time “no strings attached” release of passion is easier said than done when love is hanging by a thread.

But how will they bridge the difference between two worlds, let alone conquer the wounds of the past and find the courage to live again?


Monica's Review

A man that seems to have hatred towards everything in life but there is a little feisty woman that introduces him to something that he thought he would never feel again, love.

Josie was raised in a ranch in Canada which now she owns after buying it from her parents. This is something that she looked forward in doing since she could remember. After she returned from college she spent her life expanding her ranch and envisioning different ways to add to the ranch her father spent time taking care of. Getting carried away in ranch life she never thought about having a family of her own and there were times that she did become lonely.

Theo was also raised in a ranch but he was around the world in Australia. When his character was introduced to the story I immediately felt sorry for him. He seemed too lonely, lifeless and it seemed to be that he wanted the same thing for his sister Julie. He was so into his own self pity for his failed marriage that he would try to interfere with his sister’s future.

The first encounter that Theo and Josie had sparks flew and even a little jealously flustered in Theo but after he was introduced to his future sister in law all worries were gone.

This was one book that was hard for me to put down, even though I knew I had to go to sleep. I believe it was the chemistry that Theo and Josie had but the pig headedness of Theo is what kept me wanting to read more and more. After dismissing her after a wonderful night of love making I just wanted to kill him but after reading further on I loved how she made Theo feel after she went to Australia, sorry I felt so much better. Theo deserved what he got but soon he would find out that he did make a mistake by dismissing her but only time would tell if she would take him back.

If you enjoy a sweet, sensual romance with all the trouble of a relationship especially when one is willing to give everything for a fairy tale ending. See how their love unravels before their eyes but Theo will need to forgive himself and he is only hurting himself in not being able to move forward. See how the loss of “Blackie” makes him finally realize that he can love again just maybe have a family. Enjoy reading this book and make sure you have a couple of Kleenex in hand you just might need them.

4 Tea Cups!

   

Review: Broken Together by BethAnn Buehler

Broken Together by BethAnn Buehler

Publisher: Wild Horse Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 2

Blurb

It's not about surviving...

When renowned photojournalist Bryn Baxter’s world is nearly destroyed by a mortar attack as she films a documentary in the middle of the Afghan war, her father brings his only child home and smothers her with around the clock protection in the form of a handsome private security escort.

But Beck Reynolds would rather eat dirt than protect another “lost soul”, especially the daughter of his former Commander. Not only does the assignment put a kink in his evening playtime, but despite his every effort, the woman he’s charged to protect hasn’t said a word to him for nearly a month.

It's about how you rebuild...

As Bryn tries to reclaim her life, she throws herself into the dark world of Dominance and submission. A world where, unbeknownst to Bryn, Beck is already an accomplished Master. While Bryn attempts to explore her own sexuality, Beck is forced to save her from one dreadful situation after another, his desire to own Bryn, body, mind and soul growing stronger each day. Little does he know, however, that he’s stirring a hunger in Bryn that she’s denied herself for far too long.

With a soft touch and a wicked approach, Beck is determined to teach Bryn the pleasures of his secret world. But can he save her from herself?



Lia's Review

Broken Together started with a strong heroine, Bryn, and the events that put her in the hospital. She was abused, raped, and almost killed. Her General father hired Beck to watch over her and protect her in her time of need. As soon as Bryn wakes up in the hospital, the story does downhill and fast.

Bryn wakes after a beating and a rape and her only thoughts are about having sex with the handsome Beck. Rather even thinking about the pain she endured, she prefers to think about being a submissive to Beck’s sexual needs. Back at home, Bryn down alcohol and gets drunk often, which makes me wonder why the author never took the time to acknowledge her alcoholism. I think the author’s intent was to make it seems like Bryn was burying her pain in booze, but her constant thinking about having sex, and all of her childish lashing outs only made me feel that she was too dumb to even realize her life was in jeopardy.

Beck wasn’t any better. Throughout the whole book he sulked around dreaming about how he wanted Bryn to be his submissive and he her master, but when it actually came to doing anything, he wimped out until her best friend told him how to please Bryn. I also found it unrealistic when Beck went to Bryn’s father to resign from his babysitting duties because he wanted to make her into his sexual slave and the father’s reaction was pretty much “Okay son” (by the way, that scene was written twice, as if the author forgot she wrote it the first time). Although the whole book is about sex, there were very few sex scenes in it and only one of them displayed dominance and submission like it’s intended.

Besides poor characterization, the author repeated the same information over and over. There were many plot holes and inconsistencies. The head hopping drove me crazy as every paragraph took you into the mind of a different character.

However, I’ll give the author props for writing a great opening and one good sex scene. Also, the best friend, Rachel, was a very likable character. She was the only one who had a brain in her head and I would much rather prefer to read about Rachel’s life then Bryn’s.

3 Tea Cups!

Review: Hidden Magic by Ashlynn Monroe

Hidden Magic by Ashlynn Monroe

Publisher: The Wild Horse Press
Genre: Fantasy Romance

Heat Rating:2

Blurb

Alexis is happy with her life and feels that it is ordinary, until a strange magician threatens her family and exposes her brother's secrets. Discovering nothing she believes about herself is true, she is confronted with a family secret that leaves her at the mercy of her brother's nemesis, the man who claims she belongs to him.
Hidden Magic is a tale of fairies, magic, and love.


Denise’s Review

This is a particularly difficult review for me; having read and reviewed Ms. Monroe unfavorably in the past, I will admit I was incredibly impressed with her reception of my criticism and her invitation to read more of her work in hopes of finding something more to my liking.

In the future, however, I believe I shall decline from publicly reviewing her work unless I truly enjoy it, as I don’t like giving authors I know and respect negative reviews, yet I must remain honest about my impression of the work in question. I selected HIDDEN MAGIC for review in the hopes of finding something I’d like, but her writing style is simply not for me. The one thing I can appreciate about HIDDEN MAGIC is the fairy-tale feel to the style in which the story is told, but I’m not certain if that was intentional. The many exclamation points likewise threw me off.

This particular short story has received acclaim from other reviewers, so maybe it’s just a case of personal tastes. I thank Ms. Monroe for allowing me the opportunity to review her work again, and wish her success in her writing career.

2 Tea Cups!

Review: Mr. Shipley's Governess by Joanne Troppello

Mr. Shipley's Governess by Joanne Troppello

Publisher: Wild Horse Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 1

Blurb

Sophie Baird is looking for a way to escape the painful reality of her parents' deaths. Unable to live in their home any longer, she takes a job as a live-in tutor to Anastasia Shipley to remove herself from her painful memories and the feeling that God has abandoned her.

Anastasia has an illness that has prevented her from ever attending school and makes her father, Sebastian, over protective.

When Sophie first meets Sebastian, she cannot deny the intense attraction she feels toward him. When an unexpected romance begins between them, she starts to rebuild her relationship with God, with the help of a certain little girl.


Clare's Review

Sophie needs a new job, to take her mind off her parents death. Sebastian needs a tutor for his daughter Anastasia. She insists its a governess, Sebastian tries to convince her this is real life and not a Jane Austin novel, but the title governess seems to stick. The position is a live-in one and Sophie soon settles in, teaching her charge all that she can. Brought together by Anastasia's frequent bouts of ill health, things come to a head when Sebastian flies to England on a business trip.

This novel by Joanne Troppello, will have you enthralled throughout with its delightful characters and combination of humour and heart stopping moments. If you love Jane Austin, then you'll love this.

5 Tea Cups!

      

Review: Blood Dawn by J.L. Oiler

Blood Dawn by J.L. Oiler

Publisher: Wild Horse Press
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Heat Rating: 2

Blurb

Sol had always been different. Different from the humans who surrounded her, her nights are filled with meeting her craving for blood and protecting the residents of her small community from the evil vampires known as the Clage. But even to her own kind she is an anomaly. Her unique ability to walk in the sunlight sets her apart from any of her eleven missing siblings. Despite this, she has built herself a calm and relaxing home, moving about unnoticed among the local community, until the Clage and a breathtakingly gorgeous Nicaean male invade her world.

Now she must battle to reach the sisters she thought were lost, the humans she is sworn to protect, and for the love of the only man who can make her feel complete. Can Sol learn to except her differences and give herself completely over to the breaking of Blood Dawn?


Hunter's Review

I had not read the first book in this series, Blood Dance, but I did not feel at a disadvantage. J. L. Oiler’s writing is smooth and addictive. I immediately identified with Sol as a complex, interesting character who feels different even amongst those who are like her.

I had not read J.L. Oiler before but now I will be reading this authors work whenever I can. Fans of Paranormal Romance will love this book.

4 Tea Cups!

   

Review: The Executive Officer's Wife by Lila Munroe

The Executive Officer’s Wife by Lila Munroe

Publisher: The Wild Horse Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 2

Blurb

Meet Libby Calhoun, the independent strong-willed daughter of a Marine Corps sniper. She's learned to take care of herself over the years, and after one failed marriage she isn't looking for love, a husband, or children.

Golden-eyed Chase Wayland isn't looking for love either. The former Marine turned private bodyguard learned his lesson from a deceptive ex-wife. Trust isn't something he easily gives in to. Then Libby happens.
Living under the same roof for what could be months won't be easy when their mutual attraction threatens to disrupt the strictly business policy they both adhere to.



Denise’s Review

Sometimes books can surprise you even when you weren’t looking to be surprised. This happened to me upon picking up The Executive Officer’s Wife. I chose this novel for the usual reasons: the synopsis intrigued me and I love a good power struggle between two hardheaded characters. Based on my experience with this press, I expected the book to be good, but I wasn’t quite prepared for just HOW good it was.

Strong characters are the cornerstone of any truly excellent novel and this book is no exception. You have Libby Calhoun, daughter of an MIA Marines Corps sniper and survivor of one bad marriage. She is accustomed to being on her own due to her father’s occupation, therefore doesn’t take to being manhandled or controlled. What really impressed me about Libby’s characterization wasn’t her willingness to rebel or object to the necessary precautions to keep her safe, rather her willingness to accept those precautions as necessary. She doesn’t kowtow to what she’s told nor does she blatantly ignore the threat against her life. It was a fabulous middle ground that appropriately acknowledged the balance most people face in their every day interactions, and even though the circumstances might have been mitigating, the reaction to them was not over the top.

The hero, Chase Wayland, was another surprise. Like Libby, he’d left behind a mess of a former marriage and was reluctant to open himself up to another woman, especially one he was assigned to view as a job. However, the drama and tension separating them never seemed outrageous or melodramatic. Their interactions were well-paced and sometimes hot as all hell; other times, sweet and realistic. I truly believed their relationship.

The only reasons I’m not giving The Executive Officer’s Wife a 5-Tea Cup rating, stands at the at-times rushed transitions and the head-hopping. I’m not a fan of head-hopping, and even though I loved the story, it was a distraction I couldn’t ignore.

If you’re looking for a good, solid read with strong characterizations and a lot of heart, you won’t want to miss The Executive Officer’s Wife.

4 Tea Cups!