Virginia (Secret Confessions: Sydney Housewives #1) by Rhian Cahill

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Reviewed by Tabatha

 

I think that this was a unique spin on the idea of a serial anthology. With this first round we are being introduced to each in a group of wealthy Sydney housewives that meet twice a month. The catch with each of these friends, is that each harbors a secret. For Virgina, the first of the group, she is secretly divorced and none of her friends or family know anything about it. It's almost like she leads a double life.  I think this shows just what kind of friends she has, but it also shows how deeply private of a person Virgina is too. She goes each week to a bar seeking out no-strings attached sex to release all the tension that builds up from her real life that she knows is completely fake. The bartender, Carter, has watched her for years, but he finally works up the courage to go after what he wants. And what he wants is Virgina in every possible way.

These two were explosive in the bedroom, but I also have to say that I loved their tender moments as well.  Carter seemed to know just how to handle Virgina, and he really showed how much he cared about her because that was something sorely lacking in her life.  He doesn't push her, but allows her to slowly warm up to their new relationship to the point where she is ready to open up more.  We are left with a happy for now ending, but I'm definitely looking forward to reading more with these two.  I've loved every short story I've read from Cahill, so I can't wait for more.

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

For more information on this series and Rhian's other books, please check out her website.

http://www.rhiancahill.com/ 

 

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Rumor (Renegades #3.5) by Skye Jordan

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Reviewed by Tabatha

 

I can't contain my excitement for how very happy I was to get Josh's story, even though he was a bit of a douche bag in the previous book. I just never really felt that he was actually in love with Rachel, and I knew something was up with him so he was easy to forgive. After reading Rumor, it was no shock that it ended up being a woman, but not just any woman...his friend's ex-wife no less. I just really can't blame the guy for being a confused mess, because he was definitely having his loyalty pulled both ways. You just can't fault him for running away from that the first time, but I'm glad he stepped up to the plate in this one. His loyalty to his friend was admirable, but Josh and Grace were a force that couldn't be denied any longer.

These two characters have a powerful and undeniable chemistry that you just can't help but feel the heat steaming off the pages when they are together. But it wasn't only those parts sexy parts that made this book so great, because I honestly think that it was the tender more intimate moments that made it, and this series as a whole, so very special. Because of this, Jordan has definitely cemented her place as an auto-buy author for me, and I'm looking forward to what she has in store for us with the Renegades series from here. I love it and I can't get enough, so keep up the great work! 

For more information on this series and Skye's other books, please check out her website.

http://skyejordanauthor.com/

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Take Me to Paradise (Sinners on Tour #6.1) by Olivia Cunning

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Reviewed by Tabatha

 

Backstage Pass is one of my favorite books and the Sinners will always be one of my favorite series, but I just didn't feel like much was accomplished in this book. It's a very sexy and short honeymoon story with Brian and Myrna where we get more of their insatiable appetite for one another, but nothing seemed to progress their story further in this one either. They are on the quest to make a baby and, given all the sex these two have, I was kind of shocked it hadn't happened already. That being said though, I love Master Sinclair and I can never get enough of him either. And on a side note, can I just say again how baffled I am that Brian just cannot see that Trey was in love with him? Anyhoo, I digress. Overall it was sexy and fun, and I loved that Myrna was trying to be romantic for him since that is something she has struggled with previously. I think that Brian has enough of a romantic side for the two of them though. :) I'm glad they finally got the honeymoon they deserved (minus the crazy fan), but I have to admit that the whole thing about her ex just didn't feel right. Overall I did enjoy the story, but I just wasn't blown over by it like I was with them in Backstage Pass. 

For more information on this series and Olivia's other books, please check out her website.

http://www.oliviacunning.com 

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Rocky Mountain Romance (Six Pack Ranch #7) by Vivian Arend

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Reviewed by Tabatha

 

Rocky Mountain Romance was a sweet and very sexy second chance love story. It wasn't filled with a lot of lot of angst or suspense, but it really did have overall feel good vibe going for it. Steve was a bit dense and self-absorbed in his previous attempt at a relationship with Melody (although from the sounds of it, they were more just friends with benefits than in an actual relationship). He was careless and Melody decided to leave for a year while doing some training for her career. Once she returns, fate throws her right into the arms of none other than Steve Coleman.

I liked that we got to revisit with all the Coleman's, but I must confess that it was getting a bit confusing as to who everyone is anymore. I think I just need to go back and re-read the series again. I liked some of the struggles Melody faced with the different ranchers with not only being a woman, but also with trying to bring in new ways of doing things as well. An area of the story that didn't work for me was the conflict with her co-worker. He'd worked well with her the year before, but now all of a sudden just because she is placed in charge he is trying to basically sabotage her? Ehh it just didn't jive well with me I guess as far as the plot went. Moving on though, Melody and Steve definitely packed some heat in the bedroom department. I liked that she challenged him to not treat her like glass, and that she took charge of what she wanted by asking for it.

Overall, this was a good read but just didn't "wow" me. It was a nice addition to the Six Pack Ranch fold, but I'm more eager to get back to some of the other characters. I'm looking forward to more in this series, and I'm definitely going to do a full re-read before the next one is released.

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

For more information on this series and Vivian's other books, please check out her website.

http://vivianarend.com/  

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble