Category: Book Reviews


I love these Big Sky Montana Mavericks…a lot!!!!! They are amazing, strong, courageous, tenacious and steeped in love and family.

Debra Salonen’s next installment of her Big Sky Mavericks Series, “Montana Maverick” is a story of unconditional love and support, the ever presence of a family steeped in family values and roots

Meg Zabrinski is a famous scientist, environmental advocate, especially wolves and a professor, and very independent. Level headed and with utmost love for her large family, she is a nurturer with a big heart and would love to help anyone. As her biological clock ticks, her one desire in life is to carry a child. Holed in cabin all alone on a sabbatical gives her a chance to put things in perspective and prioritize her life.

MotanaMaverick-BigSkyMavericks-DebraSalonen-Feb2015

Henry Firestone literally crashes into Meg’s life along with his four grandchildren. Young grandfather and with a secret crush on Meg, he wants nothing more than to have Meg in his life and take on his readymade family. Losing his only daughter and done having children of his own, his main goal is to get the custody of his grandchildren.

Former rivals and with secret crush on each other, Meg and Henry succumb to the sparks that turn into fire in the icy winter of Montana. Of all the mavericks of Debra Salonen, my favorites are Meg and Henry. It may be hard to believe that such people exist, but I know from personal experience, that the world has good people with big hearts as the size of Montana, always giving and never asking anything in return.

“Montana Maverick” is a beautiful love story of two middle age people, filled with so many of life’s questions, decisions to be made, a couple trying to find answers and finally getting their love and making a future. Henry and Meg along with the Zabrinski family make you feel humble with their abundance of love and support.

This is one must read story steeped with emotions, uncertainties and the importance of family and their solidarity.

Received an ARC from Tule Publishing via NetGalley for an honest review.

Windfall Island seems to get more and more dangerous with secrets lurking in the dark, as evil and greed want to get its hands on them. The third book in Anna Sullivan’s Windfall Series, “Secret Harbor” may very well bring into centuries old secret that can rock the town and change the lives of Paige Walker and her friends.

For the uninitiated readers, though the basic premise of finding the missing Eugenia Stanhope continues, each book in the series is a standalone with no cliffhangers, but you cannot resist going back to reading the other books in the series filled with thrills, danger and passion.

SecretHarbor-WindfallIsland3-AnnaSullivan-Mar2015

Paige Walker comes back home to Windfall to recover from a scandal that had rocked her Hollywood career and with her having no part in it, she wants to fall back and think about her future. She comes back to the sanctuary of her childhood home and best friends giving her unconditional support and love. All, except the rich, handsome and arrogant attorney Alec Barclay.

Alec Barclay is attracted to Paige at a basic level and he is not a happy camper with his feelings for her all over the place. He becomes judgmental, arrogant and hurtful before he realizes to make amends to Paige. Drawn into the search for the elusive Eugenia Stanhope, he ends up staying with Paige to protect her from danger.

As the search continues with the possibility that Paige may be the missing Eugenia, and with the flames of danger surrounding them, Alec and Paige become victims to the desire and passion that fans their hearts. But, before they can confess their love for each other, both have a lot of pain and insecurities to overcome.

Anna Sullivan does a fabulous job with Paige and Alec, two people meant to be together, but fighting every step of the way. The dialogue between them is witty, yet hurtful. Alec can be a jerk, but then he tames into a guy so in love with Paige he’s willing to accept his mistakes and grovel at her feet. And Paige with her heart so simple and kind, and a victim of Hollywood gossip, makes your heart ache for her as she gets judged by people especially Alec.

“Secret Harbor” takes you on a ride of passion and love, greed and evil, family and support in the beautiful Windfall Island and will the elusive Eugenia Stanhope come into light is for the readers to find out.

Received an ARC from Forever (Grand Central Publishing) via NetGalley for an honest review.

A new author on the block with the writing skills of a pro, Breah Elise debuts with “An Executive Affair”, a relationship that starts off with professional antagonism, slips between the sheets, sizzling and scorching, and steps into the winter storm of fears and insecurities.

AnExecutiveAffair-BreahElise-Feb2015

Katie and Mitch are teamed to work on an architectural project that does not sit well with both. Katie thinks Mitch is arrogant, cocky, rude and condescending and Mitch just cannot stand Katie’s uptight, cold librarian attitude. Yet both cannot deny the first flare of attraction but both vehemently stay away from each other.

But with fate landing them right smack into the middle of a winter storm that forces them to stay together, that flare of attraction burns fierce than the fire in the hearth and they end up succumbing to the passion and lust. As the storm passes, and passion calms its ferocity, the dawn brings to light uncertainties and insecurities that Katie and Mitch never had a chance to discuss and put to rest.

Now it’s left to Mitch and Katie to give their executive affair a chance to survive and make it a long-term affair by working out their priorities and fears. Breah does a good job of creating Mitch and Katie with so many imperfections; it works out great for the storyline. They are headstrong, stubborn and just refuse plain refuse to listen to their hearts before biting off each other’s heads.

“An Executive Affair” takes you on a bumpy ride of love and pain, acceptance and forgiveness and accepting the imperfectly perfect life. It is captivating with lovable characters, good narration, and a sweet story line with a perfect ending.

Received a copy from the author for an honest review.

Another first in my list of reading new authors and their books, “Touch And Go” by Mira Lyn Kelly is a Dare To Love novel of two best friends crossing the line of friendship into lovers and finally accepting their relationship to make a future together.

Touch&Go-MiraLynKelly-Feb2015

Successful and beautiful Ava Meyers had always harbored a secret crush on her childhood friend Sam that only deepened into love as they grew, become adults and living successful lives. Sam had been harboring the same feeling for Ava, but the fear of losing their friendship curtails him from acting on those feelings. But a one-time stand in with Sam as her boyfriend changes the game plan and they fall into a passionate affair to exorcise their feelings for each other and move on with their lives.

As they burn the sheets with their fantasies, the lust between them sizzles into a love that each is afraid to confess. Sam has some hang-ups he needs to overcome, and Ava being the vivacious Ava, confesses her feelings first, sending Sam running in the other direction and feeling deprived of a friendship he values more, not realizing that he actually is in love with Ava.

Mira does a fine job bringing out the feelings and insecurities of Ava and Sam in “Touch And Go.” With good narration and good writing prowess, Mira weaves a sensual story of friendship, love and support that keeps us captivated.

A definite good read!

Received a copy from Random House Publishing – Loveswept via NetGalley for an honest review.

Sarah Morgan kicks off her new Puffin Island Series with “First Time In Forever” set in the beautiful locales of Maine. And the story is classy in its simplicity, painful in its past turmoil, passionate in its new explorations and just purely beautiful in its narration.

Emily escapes to Puffin Island along with her niece Juliet Fox (Lizzie), when she’s given the mantle of guardianship after her stepsister dies in an accident. City bred, fighting past fears of guilt and death, Emily is placed on a precarious precipice of taking care of a little girl she has never met before. Shutting herself off to love and with the support of her two best friends Brittany and Skylar, Emily is hiding on Puffin Island, trying to protect her niece from the paparazzi and learn how to be a parent.

FirstTimeInForever-PuffinIsland1

Pulitzer award winner Ryan comes home to Puffin Island, leaving behind the gory days of maritime reporting and the glory days of being a famous world-class journalist. Raising toddler siblings after his parents’ death, he knows very well the responsibilities of parenting and the many fears that come with those responsibilities and truly understands the fears that Emily is facing. Meeting with Emily brings to the surface what Ryan’s been missing in his life and wants to take Emily into his folds of love and protection.

Sarah Morgan weaves a really emotional story of love and support, fears and insecurities, warmth and protection that Puffin Island gives freely to its residents. The insightful conversations between Ryan and his Grandmother are beautifully placed as him romancing and helping Emily face her fears. Emily is one beaten but courageous aunt wanting to protect her niece from all the bad in the world, even if she has to overcome her past fears.

Sarah’s narration is brilliant and you can’t but help inexplicably be drawn into the lives of Ryan and Emily. The flow of the story is smooth as silk, and the introduction of characters at various strategic curves in the story is perfect. Laced with wit, filled with pain, supported with unconditional love and with a hint of more romance walking the beaches of Puffin Island, “First Time In Forever” fills you with hope and faith that good exists with the bad, relationships can be built through hearts, and love and support does exist on unconditionally.

Received an ARC from Harlequin via NetGalley for an honest review.

NetGalley Book Talk Template 2

Tule Publishing GroupTule Publishing Group

I've lived, I've loved, I've lost, I've missed, I've trusted, I've hurt, I've made mistakes. But most of all, I've learned.

lrnicolello.com

I've lived, I've loved, I've lost, I've missed, I've trusted, I've hurt, I've made mistakes. But most of all, I've learned.

romance festival

Home of the virtual romance festival.

Melinda Leigh

Award-Winning Romantic Suspense & Paranormal Romance

Cynthia Eden

I've lived, I've loved, I've lost, I've missed, I've trusted, I've hurt, I've made mistakes. But most of all, I've learned.

Julie James

I've lived, I've loved, I've lost, I've missed, I've trusted, I've hurt, I've made mistakes. But most of all, I've learned.

Bella Andre

I've lived, I've loved, I've lost, I've missed, I've trusted, I've hurt, I've made mistakes. But most of all, I've learned.

Romancing Life

I've lived, I've loved, I've lost, I've missed, I've trusted, I've hurt, I've made mistakes. But most of all, I've learned.

WordPress.com Blog

News, Tips & Website Tutorials