Unforgettable by Shannon Richard

February 11, 2015 By Leave a Comment

UNFORGETTABLE
Unforgettable by Shannon Richard
Publisher: Forever Yours
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (242 pgs)
Heat Level: Hot
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Hawthorn

One long, hot summer would never be enough…

Attorney Hannah Sterling lives a life she’s worked hard for. So when she unexpectedly inherits an inn, Hannah decides to take that long overdue holiday and settle her eccentric grandmother’s estate. She knew there would be challenges, but what’s hardest about returning to Mirabelle, Florida, is facing the man who gave her the most passionate summer of her life-and then broke her heart.

Nathanial Shepard never forgot the redheaded goddess who lit up his world and got away. Now that she’s home, Shep vows to make up for their years apart-and if the fire in her kiss is any indication, they’re well on their way. But when a devastating secret from their past threatens their future, Shep must fight to heal Hannah’s heart. Because this time, their love will truly be unforgettable…

Shep and his romance with Hannah were indeed unforgettable and it was a pleasure to read their story.

Shep and Hannah’s summer romance proved to be more than just a fling, in more ways than one. It left a strong mark on both of them and neither is capable to ever really forget what they’d shared that summer long ago. When they again meet thirteen years later, their chemistry is still there although Hannah tries to fight it at all cost. But Shep is unrelenting. He wants her back and he’ll do anything to keep her this time. This was a characteristic that made me really like Shep.

Hannah, too, was an intriguing character and I could identify with her cautiousness when it came to Shep. She’d been burned before and she didn’t want a repeat of that. But her reluctance to tell him the truth about the events from thirteen years ago annoyed me because she had no good reason to keep it from him. But all that was forgiven when she realized she was prepared to give up her life to stay with Shep.

The emotional development of the characters is intense and will keep you invested in their story even though the pace slumps in the second half of the novel. Although this book is part of a series, it can easily be read as a standalone, but the rest of the characters made me want to read their stories too.

The wealth of emotions in Unforgettable will make you feel with the characters and root for their happy ending.

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Right Kind of Wrong by Chelsea Fine

August 28, 2014 By 3 Comments

WRONG
Right Kind of Wrong by Chelsea Fine
Publisher: Forever Yours
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (212 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Hawthorn

Sometimes wrong can feel oh so right . . .

Jenna Lacombe needs complete control, whether it’s in the streets . . . or between the sheets. So when she sets out on a solo road trip to visit her family in New Orleans, she’s beyond annoyed that the infuriatingly sexy Jack Oliver wants to hitch a ride with her. Ever since they shared a wild night together last year, he’s been trying to strip away her defenses one by one. He claims he’s just coming along to keep her safe-but what’s not safe for her is prolonged exposure to the tattooed hottie.

Jack can’t get Jenna out from under his skin. She makes him feel alive again after his old life nearly destroyed him-and losing her is not an option. Now Jack’s troubles are catching up to him, and he’s forced to return to his hometown in Louisiana. But when his secrets put them both in harm’s way, Jenna will have to figure out how far she’s willing to let love in . . . and how much she already has.

There’s no better feeling than coming across a great road trip story. I love those, and I loved Right Kind of Wrong for all the right reasons: great main characters, good story-telling, intense conflict, well-written plot.

There was chemistry between Jenna and Jack the first time we see them together. As we get to follow their story, the dynamics between them become only more intense and captivating. While Jack’s devotion to Jenna was bittersweet to watch as she kept refusing his advances, the real magic was happening inside Jenna. Her inner struggle between what she felt and what her mind wanted was very well-written.

Jack’s secrets and his past life could easily sound unnatural and forced because that ‘old’ Jack was so different to the man Jenna knows, but even that blast from the past fit into the story perfectly, adding to Jack’s character, not making him less real. Not to mention that the intense experience, the fear and excitement help Jenna see him in a new light – or rather see her own feelings for him in a new light. The intriguing subplot also adds suspense to the story and speeds up the pace of the second half of the novel.

There was little I didn’t like about this book. One of those things was – considering how hung up on her plan Jenna was – the smooth ending that didn’t feel realistic. Maybe more struggling with the relationship on her part would feel more in-character. But they deserved a happy ending, so that was what they got. Some secondary characters felt too flat, such as Pixie, Kayla, Daren. Others, like Jack’s brothers and Mom, were a delight to read. Some of the dialogue and scenes felt a little bit contrived, as if they were only there to give additional information about the story or characters.

But with Jenna and Jack in the forefront, any faults can be overlooked. Their vivid portrayal made me want them to be real. Jenna’s feistiness, and Jack’s patience and loyalty were a wonderful combination for their road trip. It was a journey I enjoyed from the beginning to the very end.

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Dangerous Territory by Emmy Curtis

July 28, 2014 By 2 Comments

TERRITORY
Dangerous Territory by Emmy Curtis
Publisher: Grand Central / Forever Yours
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (104 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Hawthorn

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

A SEXY STRANGER

Flirting with danger is reporter Grace Grainger’s modus operandi. But she’s learned the hard way not to grow attached to the soldiers she’s embedded with in Afghanistan. To escape from her pain and loneliness, she fantasizes about the hot night she spent with a gorgeous stranger three years before in D.C. Grace never thought she’d see him again—let alone need him to rescue her . . .

AN EXPLOSIVE NIGHT

Air Force Master Sergeant Josh Travers knows journalists are nothing but trouble. So when he has to risk his team’s lives to save some reporter who’s been separated from her patrol, he’s not happy—until he recognizes her stunning eyes and delicious curves. Josh has never wanted a woman like he wants Grace. He needs her—even in an Afghan cave with a sandstorm and enemy troops closing in. This might be the end for both of them—or one hell of a beginning.

The conflict between their jobs and the desire they feel for each other forces Josh and Grace to make tough decisions.

People in high-stress job situations are unlikely to have quiet family lives. If anything, the tension and stress are conducive to passionate, but dangerous, romances. Ms. Curtis makes such a situation very believable when she clearly paints the struggles, stress, guilt, and grief that Grace and Josh face in the war zone. Their inner conflicts make them very interesting characters as such, and turns their romance into a lot more than a fling or momentary release. It’s their way of finding inner peace and home.

What added an additional thrill to the story is how authentically the author described the landscape and war zone, the military operations, and the reactions of the local population. This made the dangers that Grace and Josh faced all the more real and thus the novella even more suspenseful and thrilling – and perhaps Josh’s and Grace’s romance more exhilarating.

What I’d like to read more about was Grace’s background, or Josh’s for that matter. His family back home is vaguely mentioned, but we don’t see any of the reasons for Grace’s ‘homelessness’. While this information wasn’t strictly necessary to follow the story, it would’ve added a bit more insight into the main characters.

Dangerous Territory is a story about people with demanding jobs few of us, ordinary people can imagine, but it’s a story about craving intimacy and love, too – something we can all identify with.

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