A Night of Forever (The Disgraced Lords, #6) by Bronwen Evans

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Reviewed by Tabatha

 

I've been eagerly anticipating Arend's book, because there has always just been something about his character that has drawn me. He's been the ever dutiful member of the Disgraced Lords as they go through their adventures, but I felt it was about time that he get his own book where everything comes together with our villainess. Arend's hidden depths weren't a surprise to me, but what did surprise me was just how deep they went. He truly is a man who has been formed by the obstacles he's faced, and he's been hiding quite a lot from his friends much to his detriment. Isobel is persistent in her pursuit of his secrets though, so it really was only a matter of time before she cracked that shell of protection he surrounds himself in. Isobel was a deeply admirable character, and I just loved her! She matched Arend's darkness with a light that couldn't be dimmed even in the face of such a wicked step-mother who has set out a path of deception deeper than she even realized. She fought for both herself and Arend when trust is something difficult for both of them, but especially more so for Arend given his past.

Ultimately, A Night of Forever was everything I was expecting and more. It had so much suspense and intrigue, despite us knowing who the villainess was from the previous book, and the passion between these two was undeniable and magnetic. The one thing that did bug me a bit was how this book overlapped filling in the gaps from the previous book, but I get why the author did it this way so it was only a minor annoyance to say the least. Overall though, this book, and this series, have been a wonderfully fun journey and I've loved every moment of it!

Reviewed by Kim

 

I was so excited to read this book. The Disgraced Lords is one of my very favorite series. I was looking forward to Arend's story. I saw him as the most complex of all of the Lords and I wasn't wrong. He is such a good soul but has had to do some terrible things just to survive. I loved the struggles and the victories that he encountered and overcame. Isobel is the perfect companion to the deeply intense Arend, they couldn't have been better for each other. They brought out the many sides to each other and enhanced them tenfold. The intrigue in this series will keep any reader on the edge of their seat.

*We both received a review copy from the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for our honest reviews.* 

If you'd like to check out more about this or other books by Bronwen, please head over to her website.

 

http://www.bronwenevans.com/

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Protecting His Own (Masters of the Shadowlands, #11) by Cherise Sinclair

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Reviewed by Tabatha

 

This was probably one of the more difficult books I've read on a personal level. I know just how hard it is going through fertility issues and that it's a subject you don't often see addressed in romance. I know, who wants to see a relationship struggle like that, but it's real and honest that not everyone can so easily have children when they choose or not choose. I can actually only think of two other instances where I've seen this addressed, but I digress...

Protecting His Own was heartbreaking at times, no question about that, but it was also uplifting in ways that I've come to expect from Cherise's writing. She always ensures that her characters have the love and support of the other Doms and subs from the Shadowlands, and that despite great adversity that her characters can find a way to make things work for them even if it isn't exactly in the ways they expect. I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried buckets for Beth and Nolan, because I can more than relate to how they feel as far as infertility goes. But, I also cried because I know that Beth has already had to endure so much in her life, and the thought of adding infertility to it physically pained me. I think this is what sets Sinclair apart from other BDSM authors though. Her books are character driven. It isn't so much about the BDSM scenes and the suspense, as it is about the character going through it and the emotions involved. I've seen this series progress into something that is truly wonderful to read, even through the tears, and I admire Cherise's ability to consistently make this series better with each new release. Protecting His Own was another quality installment to this series, and I'm really looking forward to the next book with Uzuri and finally figuring her out.  

If you'd like to check out more about this or other books by Cherise, please head over to her website.

 

http://www.CheriseSinclair.com

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Beyond Surrender (Beyond, #9) by Kit Rocha

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Reviewed by Tabatha

 

I'm so sad to see this amazing series come to an end, but I'm also thankful that we are getting a spin-off series for Sector 1 so I don't have to totally say goodbye yet. When you find a series as great as this one is, you never want it to end. But things have come full circle for the O'Kanes, so it's time to move into a new Sector. I'm not going to spoil anything for you guys, but so many things happened during Beyond Surrender!!! I found myself laughing, crying, cheering, and truly understanding just what it means to be an O'Kane.

You see, it isn't so simple as people blindly following Dallas as their leader just because he is the leader. He inspires so much more than that. He attracts the strong and supports the weak, and it inspires a kind of loyalty stronger than anything Eden can throw at them...and they are determined to make him fall so they throw a lot at all of them.

There were a few moments in Beyond Surrender that had me ugly crying, it was bad guys, but there were also some moments that were bittersweet and some, much to my delight, that were so pure O'Kane it left me needing to fan myself off because they were just that hot. With so much going on in the Sectors it could be easy for the love story in this book to be overshadowed, but it was incredibly well balanced with love, action, suspense, mystery, and the innate sexuality that surrounds these O'Kanes.

Our heroine, Nessa, has always been in the background throughout the entire series, and she has been just like a little sister to all of the O'Kanes. I was curious, given their lifestyle that extends beyond the bedroom, just how Nessa could fit into that when she found her match in Ryder. Not giving anything away, but I think it worked out perfectly and Ryder was exactly what Nessa needed after being surrounded by strong men all of her life. Ryder has a lot of hidden depths to him that I found vastly appealing. He has been preparing for this war his entire life, so it was interesting and heartwarming when he found himself finding something, or someone, he wanted more than the destruction of Eden. Together these two were a great pairing that balanced one another seamlessly despite all that is going on around them, and I really enjoyed their story.

Overall, this book was everything I expected and so much more. Dallas not only has the loyalty of the Sectors, but he also inspires loyalty in readers, too. The whole O'Kane clan holds a very special place in my heart, and I admire how they all do more than just survive...they live and that is the most important thing you can take away from this series. How to truly embrace life and live it.

O'Kane for Life!

**Note** Do yourself a favor and start from the beginning if you haven't read all of the books yet, because this book is NOT a standalone.


*I received a review copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.*

If you'd like to check out more about this or other books by the writing duo Kit Rocha, please head over to their website.

 

 http://www.kitrocha.com

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Twisted Up (Taking Chances #1) by Erin Nicholas

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Reviewed by Tabatha

 

I've been told time and time again by my fellow bookworms to give Erin Nicholas a try, so when I saw this book I knew it was the right one for me to take the plunge on a new to me author. Nicolas has scores of books under her belt, but she's know for her small town style romances and I have to say I see why now. Twisted Up was such a fun read for me. It was packed with emotion, passion, and a heartwarming feeling you get from the whole cast of characters in this community that has been devastated time and time again by tornadoes. The feeling of optimism in the story was contagious, but it still had just enough balance of negative that made the positives that much sweeter.

Overall, I was impressed with this book and I'm eager to start reading more from Nicolas. I'm really curious about the other two couples mentioned in the story, so I hope their stories soon follow this. I can't say that Chance is ever a town that I would chance living in given their history of tornadoes, but I do admire their spirit in the wake of so much bad luck. They might be onto something when the mention it might be built on an Indian burial ground. I guess they are lucky in a sense that they were ef4's and not ef5's though. Regardless, I'll spend some time visiting Chance but in NO WAY would I want to live there! LOL

*I received a review copy from the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*

If you'd like to check out more about this or other books by Erin, please head over to her website.

 

http://www.erinnicholas.com/

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For Love and Country (Brothers in Arms Book 13) by Samantha Kane

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Reviewed by Tabatha

 

I feel like it's been forever since I had the chance to visit with Samantha Kane's cast of amazing characters in her Brothers in Arms series, but For Love and Country proved to me that it was well worth the wait!  As Sir Barnabas has made appearances throughout the series, I've been curious as to whom Kane could pair with him that would be worthy of such a man and I wasn't disappointed in the least.

Sir Barnabas is in a position of great power, and we all know how that typically goes, but he had so many hidden depths to him. I was glad to see that both Ambrose and Mel could see beyond his gruffness he projected to those around him to the man he really was inside.  Mel tugged at my heart in so many ways given all that she has endured, but I admired her for her strength in how she overcame everything to be a stronger version of herself when so many would have just given up completely. Ambrose, on the other hand, actually took center stage for me in this book. He's a virgin hero, which we don't see often enough in my opinion, and he had this inner core of strength and loyalty to him that I found to be quite admirable. It didn't take but the right people to really bring out his inner beast in the bedroom though, and that was even more delightful! The passion these three share could truly be felt coming off of the pages.

Overall, this book lived up to my expectations and so much more.  It had mystery and intrigue as well as passion, love, and friendship to make it one amazing read you won't want to put down! My only caution is that you might want to read the previous books to really grasp the full picture of the whole cast of characters, but it isn't entirely necessary even though they are truly amazing and worth the time.  For Love and Country definitely ranks as one of my favorite reads this year, so I highly recommend it for any historical lover out there that enjoys love in every capacity.

*I received a review copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.*

If you'd like to check out more about this or other books by Samantha, please head over to her website.

 

http://samanthakane.us

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A Taste of Seduction (The Disgraced Lords, #5) by Bronwen Evans

 

Reviewed by Tabatha  ✰✰✰✰

This Disgraced Lords series has been so much fun to read, and A Taste of Seduction was no exception! I just absolutely love this cast of characters, not to mention the mystery and intrigue it has going for it, too!

This was a reunion of lovers book, and we all know how I love those, but my only complaint would be that the ending was lacking for me. I know we are leading into the next book with the big reveal in this one, but it still felt a bit lacking there at the end and I wanted it a bit more wrapped up. Also the romance in this one, while sweet and sexy, actually seemed to take a back burner to the story itself. That's not always a bad thing, mind you, but I was surprised by it a bit given the previous books. I think this one just had so much to fit it that it was difficult to expand on the more intimate moments between Hadley and Evangeline more. I felt so incredibly bad for them that they were torn apart so early in life. The lies and deceit by our villainess were grievous indeed, and the more revealed the worse it is because you feel bad for her as well.

Overall, I still love these books. Bronwen Evans is a go-to author for me for historical romance, so you can't ever go wrong with one of her books. My only caution is that you read this series in its entirety, because you'll be lost attempting to read them as stand-alones. So with all that said, yes, you need to read this! lol

Reviewed by Kim  ✰✰✰✰✰

 Every new installment of the Disgraced Lords just gets better and better. My heart broke for Evangeline & Hadley, the trials that they were put through by the lies of those closest to them was so painful to watch. Both of them were so damaged that it seems only right that they would find each other and with a little trust and a lot of love bring warmth and joy back into their lives.

*We received a review copy from the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for our honest review.*

If you'd like to check out more about this or other books by Bronwen, please head over to her website.

 

http://www.bronwenevans.com/

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble

 

Her Halloween Treat (Men at Work #1) by Tiffany Reisz

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Reviewed by Tabatha

 

Her Halloween Treat was definitely a wicked delight in the best possible way. It was a sweet romance done Tiffany style, so it had a spicy kind of sweet feel to it that made it a pleasure to read.  I seriously can't even remember the last time a book had me laughing so much, but the friendship between Joey and Kira was just too cute for words. What I loved the most about this book though, was just how effortless the romance between these two felt. Yes, Joey resisted having a relationship with Chris given her current circumstances and what she thought she should be doing, but he was patient with her until she came around. I've always enjoyed a good friends-to-lovers story, but this has the added benefit of being a reunion one as well giving it an added bonus.  So all of this combined with impeccable writing, means this is one story you are going to want to read because I loved every moment of it!

*I received a review copy from the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*

If you'd like to check out more about this or other books by Tiffany, please head over to her website.

 

http://www.tiffanyreisz.com

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