Fighting Dirty (Ultimate #4) by Lori Foster

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 Reviewed by Tabatha

Now it's no secret that I haven't been overly fond of this Ultimate series, but I've also been pining for Armie's book from the start. He was just this intriguing character throughout the course of this series, and I was eager to get inside of his head and find out all of his secrets. I was also dying for him to finally cave where Merissa was concerned, so needless to say I had high expectations for this book.

So was I disappointed? Absolutely not! Guys, this was a great read and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. It had some suspense in there with the romance, so it had everything I was looking for in a romance book. Bet you are wondering why the 4 stars? Well, it's actually 4.5 simply because I kind of assumed Armie's deep dark secret was a bit more complicated. I was surprised to find out it wasn't, and the "bad guys" were a bit ill fitting. Other than that, I loved everything else about this book. The complicated relationship that Rissy and Armie have had just the right amount of sexual tension to keep it interesting and whew were these two hot together!

Overall, I give this one two thumbs up and I can't tell you how excited I am for the next branch off series since it is going to revolve around bodyguards. :)

*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 Lori, please head over to her website.

 

 http://www.lorifoster.com/

 

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The Best Laid Plans by Lauren Gallagher

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Reviewed by Tabatha

 

Part of me absolutely loved this story and I didn't want to put it down. I can relate to struggles with infertility, adoption, surrogates, etc, so that aspect of this story was exceptionally emotional for me to read. The part that I wasn't so keen on was the religious overtones to the story, but not in how most would expect. I actually loved that Shahid was Muslim and how we are given a better understanding of his religion from a more humanizing point of view. My issue was actually with the portrayal of Catholics in the book from Gabe's side. On the flip side, I also didn't like how Gabe was far more accommodating for Shahid and his religion than Shahid ever was for Gabe, so I must admit that that bothered me a bit as well. Kendra's family really doesn't factor in all that much other than they produce a lot of kids, so I'm neutral as far as that aspect went. These issues aside though, this was still an excellent read.

My heart just ached for these guys and for Kendra, and I did find myself crying quite a few times while I was reading the story. This was an emotional journey for all of them, and boy did it take them in a direction that none of them ever saw coming. The threesome aspects of this book were definitely different than I've read in the past, and I'm still trying to decide if this was a good thing or not. They definitely didn't fit into any kind of typical mold for a threesome, and made their own type of relationship. I did find myself wishing for a deeper connection between Kendra and Shahid to make the love between them more believable in my eyes. In the end, I still just saw them as close friends rather than lovers. I also felt like Shahid's jealousy didn't help their situation and made it feel kind of toxic to the relationship between them all. On the one hand, he says he trusts Gabe completely. But on the other, he doesn't trust him not to leave him for another. I didn't see that being healthy or how the relationship between the guys could have lasted 11 years with that kind of toxicity underlying the foundation of their relationship. I liked that the three of them did what worked best for them, but I just wanted more to believe the three of them were in love with one another.

Overall, this was a heart-breaking read full of ups and downs that will leave your heart full in the best possible way by the end. Sure there were some spots I had issue with, but honestly that all paled in comparison to how much I loved the story as a whole. Would I suggest this one? Absolutely. No Question. I've always come to expect a complicated story from Lauren Gallagher, and I think she took herself to a whole new level with The Best Laid Plans. Please, do yourself a favor and give this one a try. I promise you won't be disappointed!

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

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

 

http://www.loriawitt.com/ 

 

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Rebel Love (Dirty Sinners MC, #1) by Jodi Linton

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Reviewed by Tabatha

 

Let me start off by first saying how much I appreciated that Jodi Linton went out on a limb and made Em the MC president. You really don't find that happening in the mainstream MC romances out there, and I found it to be quite refreshing and different in the best possible way. Now I did have a few issues with the story beyond that, but it was still an overall enjoyable read with all of the mystery and suspense going on. Unfortunately, I just really couldn't connect with the characters all that well. The romance between Em and Cade just wasn't there for me. Lust, absolutely. Love, not a chance, because frankly I just wasn't feeling it. Like I said, overall it was an enjoyable read, but it did have a few issues. I honestly felt that Cade deserved better than Em, that's for sure.

*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 Jodi, please head over to her website.

 

http://jodilinton.com 

 

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Suspicious Ways by Lexxie Couper

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Reviewed by Tabatha

 

I've got to say this story was a bit different than what I'm used to from Lexxie, but I really loved it! I think all the characters were exceedingly well developed and the plot was suspenseful as well as steamy too! You could feel the heat sizzling between Ali and Jackson when they were together, and boy was it was intense. They tried to resist one another, both having some major hangups where their relationship was concerned, but you just can't fight chemistry like that and these two definitely belong together. You don't want to miss out on this one, guys. It was full of Lexxie's trademark sexual tension that I just adore, plenty of suspense to keep you on your toes, and best of all it was a great romance with characters you are just going to love!

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

http://www.lexxiecouper.com

 

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4-Ever Theirs (Four to Score) by Jayne Rylon

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Reviewed by Tabatha

 

4-Ever Theirs was an enjoyable read, but I also wasn't blown away by it either. The plot was simple, but I also felt like it was far too short too. I think there was plenty there plot wise to make this book longer, and by making it longer it would have better paced the non-stop sex that seemed to be going on. I mean I like sex in books just fine, and Jayne writes some very sexy scenes, but I also think these characters had a deep connection between them that I wanted to see explored more. I wanted to see dynamics between the four of them together, rather than the majority of the book being spent on just Andi and each of the guys individually. Once they all get together there at the end, it is rushed through and it just left me feeling like it was incomplete. So it isn't that I didn't like the story, but I just wanted more and I was left feeling dissatisfied. I'm greedy like that I guess. :)

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

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

 

http://jaynerylon.com/ 

 

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The Fix Up (First Impressions) by Tawna Fenske

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Reviewed by Tabatha

 

Tawna Fenske is a new to me author, but I'd rank her up there with Alice Clayton or Emma Chase in the romantic comedy genre, because I loved her writing style. To put it really quite simply, this book was absolutely adorable. I just loved everything about it. The characters are well developed, the plot was great, and it was a real pleasure to read. Who doesn't love a sassy, smart, and sophisticated heroine all the while having a hero who is the epitome of geeky sexiness that borders on being a wreck. Holly definitely had her work cut out for her when she takes on the job of fixing Ben's image, but I think it was endearingly sweet how she didn't want him to change too much either and loved the real him more than the image he was trying to project. I laughed so often reading this book, and I cannot wait to read more from Tawna in the future. I can't suggest this one highly enough, guys, so definitely give this one a read and I promise you will love it just as much as I did!

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

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

http://www.tawnafenske.com 

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A Bad Boy for Christmas (Jackson Brothers #3)

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Reviewed by Tabatha

 

This one came as quit a surprise to me. Kelly Hunter is a new to me author, and I really enjoyed reading A Bad Boy for Christmas. I don't know what I would do if I were the Jackson brothers finding out that my father had a son they all never knew about, even the father. Tension was definitely high throughout most of the book with a tad bit of suspense and drama thrown in the mix, but the romance budding between Cutter and Mia was undeniable from the moment these two meet. Things between them are tense at first and they of course try to steer clear of one another, but chemistry like that can't be ignored for long before it explodes. I've got to say, I really enjoyed reading this one. It was a short, sweet, and suspenseful book that definitely left me craving more of this series so I can read about the other brothers and how they fell in love. I also would love to read a story for Nash too, so I hope that happens as well. :)

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

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

http://www.kellyhunter.net 

 

Amazon  ~ Barnes & Noble