Desert Heat - Kat Martin

Book Blurb:
Fear And Desire Will Find You…No Matter Where You RunFor Ph.D. candidate Patience Sinclair, leaving the ivy-covered campus of Boston University for the wide, open spaces of Texas means a chance to stop looking over her shoulder at every turn. Traveling incognito with the Triple C Rodeo will help her finish her dissertation on the American West while hiding in plain sight. But she can't hide from Dallas Kingman. The champion rider makes it clear that he's watching her…and he likes what he sees. But everything about Dallas, from his country drawl to his rugged Texas charm, is unfamiliar to Patience. And if there's anything she understands with chilling clarity, it's what it costs to fall for the wrong man. As Dallas and Patience make their way through the heart of the southwest, a series of mysterious accidents turns the rodeo into a nightmare of fear and suspicion. Someone's obsession has turned deadly, and Patience has moved closer to danger than she ever could have imagined…

In My Own Words:

Spending the summer on the road traveling on the Rodeo circuit is just what Patience Sinclair needs after the year she has had with the stalker from hell.  What she didn't expect was to find a cowboy that she "clicks" with.  Dallas is everything she never thought she wanted.  A cowboy who's life is lived on the road from one rodeo to another, but there is so much more to Dallas than she first thought.  When "accidents" start to happen to the circuit, the danger seems to come closer and closer to Patience and when the accidents end up getting someone killed, everyone is on edge.

Review:

I liked the premise of this story, and even the relationship with Dallas and Patience.  I loved watching the friendship of Patience and Shari, her travel companion.  The life on the road was an interesting on to read about, the ups and downs and from town to town.  The hang out and friendships that are made over the years.  I was a bit put off by Dallas' sleeping with other women but still having his mind on Patience.  If he couldn't get her out of his mind, why the heck was he sleeping with anything that offered?  And I didn't really understand why he was so annoyed that she was getting her Ph.D.  That was a big point of contention with them, and I don't see the issue.  All in all, I thought it was an ok book, I am on the other hand, looking forward to reading her sister's book.

Sugar Creek - Toni Blake

Book Blurb:
Welcome to Destiny, Ohio—where two families have been at odds as long as anyone in town can remember.

Rachel Farris returned to her childhood home with one mission in mind: get Mike Romo out of her family's apple orchard business and out of their lives. But hard-nosed and totally hot Mike, who happens to be the law in Destiny, is convinced the Farris clan stole the land from his family fifty years ago and he's not backing down. Even when shapely trouble shows up in a pair of designer blue jeans. However, neither the hunky cop nor the sexy prodigal hometown girl can anticipate the electricity that heats things up whenever they're together—adding new sizzle to an ongoing feud that's raged for generations, and soon putting both their hearts at risk.

In My Own Words:

The last thing that Rachel wants to do is leave her life in Chicago to head back home after 15 years, and help her grandmother pick apples.  But, her since of obligation weighs out and heads to the backwoods area of Destiny.  A place she swore she would never return to.  On the way home, she is stopped for speeding by Mike Romo, town cop and a Romo.  The only family that the Farris' do not get along with is the Romo family.  Why?  That is just the way it has always been and the feeling is quite mutual.

When Mike stops Rachel for speeding, all he can think is....why is she back here and how long till she leaves.  When fate keeps throwing them together it seems inevitable they will end up in bed together, but the floor of the snackshack was a surprise, and not in a bad way either.  As they spend more time together, they try to decide if the feud is worth all they have already lost and still can lose.

Notable Quote:

..."Well, for your info, I'm still giving you a ticket, honey.  Sorry."

Rachel just scowled. "Clearly, there are no perks for going to bed with Officer Romeo."

(one of my favorite things was wondering if he would catch her speeding again lol.)

Review:

Sugar Creek is the 2nd book in the Destiny Ohio series, and I am loving the direction of this series.  This book had a different spin since in this book we get the family feud, and in order to understand where it all started, we get to see flashbacks of grandma's Edna's life as a girl, a girl that fell in love and ended up with a broken heart.  Edna see's so much of herself in Rachel, she just doesn't want her to make the same mistakes that she did.  I love the sassy-ness of Rachel, and that she gives as much as she gets.  She has a take charge attitude but has a sweet soft side she rarely shows.  Mike has so much hurt in his past life, he doesn't know how to be anything but surly, except with Rachel, which is weird since she is a Farris.  I loved these characters, and I can't wait to see where we go next.

Sage Creek - Jill Gregory

Book Blurb:
After her marriage falls apart, Sophie McPhee returns to her hometown of Lonesome Way, Montana, planning to steer clear of men and focus on her new bakery, A Bun in the Oven. Who she doesn't expect to see is Rafe Tanner, her first crush who now runs his family's ranch-and who spent most of their childhood ignoring her. But is Rafe a changed man?

While Rafe is stunned to discover that Sophie's grown into an irresistibly beautiful woman, he's been hurt too. They both have their guards up, but melt in each other's company. Can they admit that home is truly where the heart is?

In My Own Words:
When you find your rat bastard husband cheated on you, what do you do?  You go home to heal.  Staying with her mom, and trying to figure out the next step in her life, Sohpie catches up with her old friends, the best friends a girl can ask for.  Unfortunately, her best friend also comes with a brother that was the star of all of her childhood fantasies.  Deciding it would be best to keep her distance from Rafe, she begins her healing process....but keeping her distance is harder than she first thought.

Rafe is healing from hurts of his own.  After his wife up and left their daughter at a laundry matt several years ago, Rafe is intent on raising his daughter and being a good father, nothing more.  When Sophie returns to town, he gets one look at her and decides maybe adding one more thing to that list, getting to know his sister's best friend just a little better.

Past math teachers, and bake sales, ex-husbands and crazy ex-wives be damned.

Notable Quote:
....Unfortunately, that old saying of her father's was true - if one person in Lonesome Way told a joke, the whole town laughed.

Review:
This was my first Jill Gregory book, and I loved it.  The story had wonderful flow, and was a joy to read.  The characters were witty and you felt like you knew them because they could be someone in your own town.  She describes the life of a teen as "powder-keg moods"which is a perfect description and made me actually giggle.  My heart ached for Ivy, when she was talking to her mother and remembering her and what she had done to her, then wanting to meet up with her, just to know she meant something to her.  Such great writing.  I loved it, I would say that Sage Creek had a Robyn Carr feeling to it, very easy to read but not something you wanted to put down.

The Perfect Play - Jaci Burton

Book Blurb:
The last thing event planner Tara Lincoln needs is the jet-set lifestyle of a football pro like Mick Riley; even though their steamy and passionate one-night stand proved that Mick is an all-star-both on the field and in the bedroom.

Tara played the game of love once and lost big, and she doesn't intend to put herself out there again, especially with a certified heartbreaker. But when Mick sets his mind to win, nothing will stop him. And he has the perfect play in mind to catch this sultry vixen.

In My Own Words:
The last thing, single mom and new business owner, needs is a steamy romance with the quarterback of a team that she is working for.  And Mick is tired of women falling all over him for what he can give them or do for them.  He wants someone that is "real" and you can't get much more real than Tara.  After one night with her, Mick can't get enough, and sets his sights on making sure she knows he wants more.  Tara isn't sure she wants to risk her or her son's heart on someone that is famous, but he is so good to her, and to Nathan, that she throws caution to the wind and lets loose.  Until, one manager decides that Mick's head needs to be in the game not on some "nobody" that can't further his career.  Will Mick let outside influences mess with something that is so real?

Notable Quote:
"I love you, asshole."
Then Gavin laughed, "Right back at you, dickhead."  (oh, the love of brothers)

Review:
This was my first book by Jaci Burton, and I have already ordered Gavin's book so this won't be my last.  I really loved this book, the sex scenes were totally hot, and the other stuff just seemed real.  I liked how Mick and Tara were together, when he whisked her off somewhere, I was reminded of Pretty Woman, without the whole prostitute thing lol.  He was good to her, and to Nathan and was just looking for someone to love him for him.  I was curious how the manager was going to screw things up, and all I can say is Don't mess with a momma bear.  I will recommend this book to anyone that loves a good steamy romance.  I hadn't read any reviews or blurbs about this book so I wasn't sure what to expect, so I will warn you, this one edges on erotica.  I can't wait to read Gavin's book.

Deadly Dance - Dee Davis

Book Blurb:
As the intelligence officer for A-Tac, a black-ops CIA unit masquerading as Ivy League faculty, Hannah Marshall is used to working behind the scenes. But when a brutal murder hits too close to home, Hannah finds herself in the middle of the action, falling in love while racing to outwit a sadistic mastermind.

A KILLER CLOSES IN
After the death of her A-Tac partner, Hannah doubts everything she thought she knew about love and loyalty. When handsome Harrison Blake joins the team, she's reluctant to trust him - or to act on her intense attraction to him. Then Hannah receives a podcast of a gruesome murder, and the only person who can help her find the killer is Harrison.

Harrison has spent years trying to hunt down the cunning monster who killed his sister. Now investigating with Hannah, he faces a shocking possibility - his sister's murderer has resurfaced. As the danger escalates, Hannah and Harrison grow closer, the desire simmering between them ignites. And when Hannah disappears, Harrison has only one chance to save the woman he loves.

In My Own Words:
After the murder of her good friend and partner plus the betrayal of someone on their team, trust is no longer given as easily as it once was, and even then it wasn't given freely.  Hannah is the free spirit on the team, someone everyone loves, but when a sadistic killer sends her TA a gruesome video, the person that Hannah turns to for help is Harrison.

Harrison has skeletons in his own closet to try and protect, and this killer seems like he is opening the door on all of his secrets, which can mean only one thing...HE is the target, but why now?  It will take everything the team has to flush out this guy, but when Hannah is taken, Harrison must risk it all to save the woman he loves.

Review:
It is no secret that I love this series, and I have been waiting for Hannah's story, and I wasn't disappointed.    She seems to be the little sister of the group, someone that everyone looks after, so I knew it would take a special someone to break down some of her defense walls.  Lots of twists and turns in the plot, and when you think you have it figured out, another twist is thrown in there, just for good measure.  I felt the flow of the book was great, the characters were awesome, and we got to catch up a little with other members.  Some parts of the story seemed REALLY predictable though, like when Hannah was finally taken, you could see that coming from a mile away.  But really that would be my only gripe.  Otherwise, I loved the story as much as the rest of the series.  I am highly intrigued by Simon, and can't wait for his story.

One Reckless Summer - Toni Blake

Book Blurb:
The perfect daughter. The perfect prom queen. The perfect wife. Jenny Tolliver's been the good girl all her life, and it's gotten her nowhere. Now that her marriage has been busted up by her cheating ex, she's decided it's time to regroup and rediscover herself. This summer she's headed back to her hometown of Destiny, Ohio, to the very lakeshore cottage where she grew up, to figure out what life holds in store for her next.

She never dreamed the answer would be Mick Brody, Destiny's #1 hellraiser. He comes from the wrong side of the tracks (or in his case, the lake), and he's landed in hot water more times than he can count. He's exactly the kind of guy Jenny's always kept her distance from . . . but soon the good girl and the bad boy are caught in a raw heat that's out of control. Too bad Mick's got a secret that threatens to tear them apart and ruin Jenny's perfectly, passionately reckless summer . . .

In My Own Words:

Coming back to her little home town to heal from a bitter divorce from the Rat-Bastard cheating husband, Jenny decides to take things as they come and enjoy her summer.  While taking her telescope across the lake to get a better view of the sky, she literally bumps in to the town bad-boy.  He is not having any of her being on his side of the lake and immediately tells her so.  The thing he didn't suspect were the sparks that were lighting up the sky just from being near her.  Jenny's new take things as they come attitude, apparently includes the local bad boy because the next thing she knows, she is taking him...intimately.  With a parting shot of begging her not to tell anyone about him, that it was a matter of life and death, Jenny decides to do the only thing she knows to do...tell her best friend.

In the next few months, Jenny and Mick have a different kind of relationship but with the comfort they provide each other, Jenny learns more about herself than all the years of being the "good girl".  When someone spots Mick's truck going to his hidden cabin, Jenny panics...Will Mick ever be able to forgive her indiscretions?  Now that Jenny has found true love, will their time together be cut short??

Notable Quote:

"Hey, maybe we could start hanging out at the jail, see what we could turn up for you." (gotta love best friends, right??)

Review:

I will be honest, I didn't expect to like this book.  The blurb sounded okay, and the author wasn't one I had read before, so I wasn't holding out high hopes.  Now I am wondering, where the hell Ms. Toni Blake has been hiding.  I loved this book.  The emotions were raw, and the sex was HOT.  The good girl that tamed the bad boy ::sigh::  But at the same time, the bad boy that brought out the "wild" in the good girl, and really not just in sex, now that I think about it.  His caring and the talks they had, really helped her be more...herself, or rather the new her.  Not only was the relationship between Jenny and Mick explored, but also the father/daughter and brother/brother relationships. Great story, and I can't wait to read the next one.

Daisy's Back In Town - Rachel Gibson

Book Blurb:
Daisy Lee Monroe thought she'd brushed the dust of Lovett, Texas, off her high-heeled shoes years ago, but she's come back home only to find that little has changed. Her sister is still crazy, and her mom still has pink plastic flamingos in her front yard. And Jackson Lamott Parrish, the bad boy she'd left behind, is still so sexy it hurts. She'd like nothing better than to avoid this particular man, but she can't. Daisy has something to say to Jackson, and she's not going anywhere until he listens.

Jackson learned his lesson about Daisy the hard way, and now the only word he's interested in hearing from Daisy's red lips is good-bye. But she's popping up everywhere, and he doesn't believe in coincidence. It seems the only way to keep her quiet is with his mouth, but kissing Daisy had once been his downfall. Is he strong enough to resist her now? Strong enough to watch her walk out of his life again? Is he strong enough to make her stay?

In My Own Words:

Daisy Lee has done her best to stay away from Lovett Texas, but since her husband died, the one thing she hasn't wanted to do, she must.  She will have to travel to Lovett, and talk to Jackson and give him a letter from his best friend.  The only problem is, Jackson hates her, and hates her deceased husband, and she isn't so sure this mission will actually be possible.  

From the moment he saw her, he knew he didn't want to hear anything she had to say, he was done with her and had been over her for many years....right?  One thing for sure, he was still incredibly attracted to her.  After spending a little time together, he knows he needs to listen to what she has to say, just so she will leave.  When tragedy strikes and "the talk" doesn't happen, he thinks he dodged a bullet, until Daisy's son comes to visit.

Review:

This wasn't my favorite book of Rachel's.  I guess my biggest problem is that Jackson was hurt in the worst way, the love of his life married his best friend, while she was pregnant with his kid.  Comes back to town to tell him about the kid 15 years later, after the husband is passed, and Jackson is mad at first, but comes around to terms with it, and pretty easily too.  I just didn't buy in to that.  I thought some of the story was a little redundant and over written, and the characters weren't all the believable.  That being said, I am actually looking forward to the second book in this series, and hoping that since some time has passed, the kinks have been worked out.

Trouble Me - Laura Moore

Book Blurb:
The youngest and wildest of the Radcliffe sisters, Jade is the last to return home to her family’s sprawling Virginia horse farm and its unsettling memories. She never planned on a night of passion with a stranger before starting her new life as a teacher and riding instructor—or the shock of recognizing the man who gave her so much pleasure standing right there in her classroom.

Officer Rob Cooper is stunned. Not only is the woman who rocked his world his daughter’s second grade teacher, but she’s the troubled teen whom he blames for his wife’s death years ago. Worse, now that he sees her in the light of day, he wants her more than ever. Time has softened Jade’s hard, rebellious edge—she’s spirited, honest, and sexy to distraction. But will the feelings ignited in the heat of desire be enough to heal a past that needs forgiving?

In My Own Words:

Knowing that she isn't the same person she was when she left, makes the long drive back to Rosewood that much better.  But when stopping for a bad storm leads to a one night stand, she wonders if all of the "wild" is actually gone.  Accepting a temporary position at the local elementary school, is the perfect thing to help Jade start her new life.  She plans to teach at the school and start a riding program to help keep the horse ranch floating and pull her own weight in the family business.

When her one night stand turns out to be her biggest nemesis from her "wild" days, the one and only Officer RoboCop, it turns out he is also the father of one of her favorite students.  Knowing it will be an uphill battle, she decides to throw herself in to her work while silently looking for the mysterious man mentioned in her mother's diary.  When all of the pieces of the puzzle are put together, will Jade be stronger knowing the truth, or be run out of town by all of the gossip mongers??

Notable Quote:

"You ready for that beer, Rob?"

Rob checked his watch.  He didn't want to be late for dinner at his parents'.  Hayley would be eager to have him taste the meatballs she'd helped make. "Yeah, but I can only stay for one."

"Hell, I wasn't inviting you for two.  You did good today, little brother, but not that good."

Review:

A perfect ending to a wonderful series.  The surprises just kept on coming.  I love that there is no way you could figure out the mystery of the diary until the author intended you to find you.  You just kept right on guessing.  The relationship with Rob and Jade wasn't an easy one, but true love is rarely easy.  Catching up with the other sisters and their husbands was nice, getting to see what the family was up to, and having the sisters help Jade out in the end, was just priceless.  Loved everything about this story.  Can't wait for the new series to start.

A Perfect Storm - Lori Foster

Book Blurb:
He never saw her coming…

Spencer Lark already knows too many secrets about Arizona Storm, including the nightmare she survived and her resulting trust issues. But in order to expose a smuggling ring—and continue avenging his own tragic past—the bounty hunter reluctantly agrees to make Arizona a decoy. Yet nothing has equipped him for her hypnotic blend of fragility and bravery, or for the protective instincts she stirs in him.

Arizona wants to reclaim her life, which means acting as bait to lure the enemy into a trap. Sure it's dangerous, especially with a partner as distractingly appealing as Spencer. But as their plan—and their chemistry—shifts into high gear, Arizona may discover there's an even greater risk in surrendering her heart to a hero….

In My Own Words:
While working for the trio, Arizona has gotten really good at learning where to look when looking for a human trafficking ring.  She has her hunch, but knows the guys would never let her lead an investigation on her own.  Her only choice...Spencer Lark.  He already knows all about her, he know he can trust her, sort of and she knows she can trust him, sort of.  The only thing left to do is convince him, it is in his best interest to help her.

Thinking that she doesn't deserve love, support or devotion, it is hard for Arizona to accept what is offered to her by Jackson and the boys.  Can she learn that people love her for who she is inspite of what she has been through?

When Arizona approaches Spencer about using herself as bait, again, to bring down the trafficking ring, his first response is hell no.  After much consideration, he decides the only way to keep her safe, is to keep an eye on her.  They partner up, in more ways than one, and all seems to go well, until Arizona catches the eye of one dangerous person that even Spencer doesn't suspect.  It is a race against time for Spencer to rescue Arizona, at any cost.

Notable Quote:
......"Then feel free to break in whenever the mood strikes you."
"Pfffft." She half alughed. "You just took all of the fun out of it."

Review:
Meeting Arizona in Jackson's book, of course I was interested in her story.  I wasn't disappointed.  Watching Arizona with all of her "issues" and Spencer her to break down her walls, was...refreshing.  I loved that she really took no crap from him, and told things how she sees it, no sugar coating.  The relationship with her and Jackson was also interesting.  I look forward to hopefully meeting more guys from this team, because this series just gets hotter and hotter.