Review: Long Hard Ride by Lorelei James

Title: Long Hard Ride

Author:  Lorelei James

Series: Rough Riders

Publisher:  Samhain Publishing

Format: ebook

ISBN: 1599987430

Genre: Erotica
Release date: March 2008

Number of pages: 287

Summary

Channing Kinkaid itches for a wild western adventure with an untamed man. Enter Colby McKay, bull rider, saddle bronc buster and calf roper. He knows he’s found a woman who’s up to the challenge of cutting loose. Intrigued by Channing’s bold proposition to “horse around” on the road, Colby proposes sexual escapades not only in his bed, but in those of his two rodeo traveling partners. Can Channing give up total control? Especially when not all is as it seems with the sexy trio?

My Thoughts

I do love a cowboy, but when you mix together some erotica and a cowboy there’s no way I’m passing that and after reading so great things about this series I decided to join the fun and read them all. I do have  to say not all of them were perfect but in general it was pretty damn good.

The first book we met a McKay and he was just perfect. Strong and a little dominant, but also charming, there’s no way women would pass that right? Plus he’s on the rodeo along with two other sexy Gods.

One night he was getting all hot and bothered with Channing when her boyfriend, another rodeo cowboy, decided to be a jackass and she dumped him. Colby invites her to travel with him and his two buddies, but she needs a open mind and desires lots of sex, because they want her all night. The best part is that she makes all her fantasies comes true and this book is very explicit about it. Lots of sex and a little bit of love.

I loved the fact that one of Colby buddies is from Brazil. Edgard is very handsome, but doesn’t engage in the sex zone, making Channing a little crazy about but he’s actually in love with the other buddy, Trent.

So the book is very full of sex, we have ménage, m/m, and a gangbang, but is everything very good and we can understand Channing changes of feelings. Because after all the sex she realize that her heart is beating faster for just one cowboy and he didn’t made any promises.

I loved the finale and how Channing decide to change her life after discovering more of herself on the tour. Colby accident made me very sad, but came we a reason, plus I can’t wait for Trent and Edgard story.

Books in this Series

#1 – Long Hard Ride
#2 – Rode Hard, Put Up Wet
#3 – Cowgirl Up and Ride
#4 – Tied Up, Tied Down
#5 – Rough, Raw and Ready
#6 – Branded as Trouble
#6.5 – Strong, Silent Type
#7 – Shoulda Been a Cowboy
#8 – All Jacked Up
#9 – Raising Kane
#9.5 – Slow Ride
#10 – Cowgirls Don’t Cry
#11 – Chasin’ Eight
#12 – Cowboy Casanova
#13 – Kissin’ Tell
#14 – Gone Country (Expected publication: December 2012)
#15 – Redneck Romeo (Expected publication: May 2013)

Quote

“Channing, come back here.”
“No,” she tossed off over her shoulder.
“I’m warnin’ you, girl, you don’t want to make me mad.”
“Tough shit, tough guy. Suck it up and walk it off.”
People around them stopped and stared, nudged each other and chuckled, giving Colby a wide berth.
“Last chance,” he yelled.
Channing flipped him the bird without turning around. In fact, she ran away from him like her boot heels were smoking.
He was going to paddle that sassy little ass but good.”

Rating

Review: The More I See by Lisa Mondello

Title: The More I See

Author:  Lisa Mondello

Series: Texas Hearts

Publisher:  Avalon

Format: ebook

ISBN: 9781476431666

Genre: Romance
Release date: Published 2012

Number of pages: 192

 

Summary

As a top-notch cutting horse trainer, Cody Gentry was riding high until he lost his eyesight after a freak chemical accident. Unable to see the hand in front of his face, never mind the horse or cattle he trained, he knows his life is over and slips deep into depression. His whole future hinges on the success of an eye surgery that could give him his old life back.

When guide dog trainer, Lyssa McElhannon, arrives on his ranch like Florence Nightingale coming to save him, he wants no part of her or her guide dog. But something about Lyssa’s musical laugh coupled with her tenacity digs under his skin and won’t let go. Having been blind most of her life, Lyssa understands the paralyzing fear Cody feels after losing his vision. But she refuses to let the stubborn cowboy waste his life away sitting in a chair when she knows first-hand that a good guide dog can change his world. She just needs one month to prove it to him.

Falling in love with Cody was not part of Lyssa’s plan, nor was having him open her eyes to see that there was a whole lot of living she’d been missing out on.

My Thoughts

This book tells the story of Cody Gentry and he’s related to Beau from the first book of this series. They are brothers and after do many years apart from each other it sounds like the family is coming together again since Beau is living on The Double T.

But the book is all about Cody and his sight problems. After a accident eight months he lost his sight and delved into a depression, especially since all his life the most important thing for him was the ranch and a blind guy is mostly useless on a ranch. That’s when his father brings home Lyssa.

Lyssa used to be blind and after a surgery got her sighting back, now she works with the only thing that kept her sane while without seeing, a guiding dog. She now helps other blind people to be independent and have a normal life with a dogs help. And that’s how she met Cody.

I loved how the author made these two character fit so well. They both have flaws and after arguing about the dog, both connected so well that is beautiful to see. Cody had to trust in her and Lyssa needed to lose some fears and start living more. The relationship that started between them was really special and I was cheering for them to be together at the end. Great book.

 

Books in this Series

#1 – Her Heart for the Asking

#2 – His Heart for the Trusting

#3 – The More I See

Rating

 

Amazon BN Smashwords Kobo

Author Bio

 

Lisa Mondello (a.k.a. LA Mondello) has held many jobs in her life but being a published authors is the last job she’ll ever have. She’s not retiring! She blames the creation of the personal computer for her leap into writing novels. Otherwise, she’d still be penning stories with paper and pen.  Her first book, All I Want for Christmas is You, was the winner of the Golden Quill contest for Best First Book and to date has had over 350,000 downloads worldwide.

She is currently the author of 14 novels under the name Lisa Mondello and LA Mondello.

You can find more information about Lisa Mondello at http://www.lisamondello.blogspot.com or chat on Twitter at @LisaMondello.

http://www.facebook.com/lisa.mondello.1

Review: His Heart for the Trusting by Lisa Mondello

Title: His Heart for the Trusting

Author:  Lisa Mondello

Series: Texas Hearts

Publisher:  Avalon

Format: ebook

ISBN: B007AWZGSM

Genre: Romance
Release date: February 15th 2012

Number of pages: 192

 

Summary

Ever since Mitch Broader set foot in Texas, he dreamed of owning his own ranch. Now that he’s bought a share in the Double T Ranch, he’s one step closer to the dream. Then his past greets him in the form of a baby basket, complete with infant and birth certificate naming him as the father. He can’t change diapers and work toward his dream at the same time.

When Sara Lightfoot, “Miss Hollywood” in Mitch’s eyes, rescues him with her particular knack for handling his precocious son, he hires her on the spot as a temporary nanny. No matter how much Sara’s dark eyes and warm heart make this bachelor think of making their arrangement permanent, she’s made it perfectly clear she has other plans that don’t include him or his dreams.

Sara Lightfoot never thought she’d return to her home on the reservation. Now she plans to reclaim the life she left by going back to the reservation as a Native American storyteller, teaching the Apache children stories of their culture. She didn’t expect Mitch Broader’s sexy smile or job offer as a live-in nanny to derail those plans. After all she’s been through to come home, can she open up her heart once again to love?

My Thoughts

I do love a good romance and I expected more romance in this book, maybe because of Sara’s past, but I liked the twists this stories showed.

 

We met Mitch in the first book of this series and for me he was nothing more that another ranch hand, but we discovered in this book that he’s now starting a business on the ranch along with Beau. But what he’s really after is to buy his on peace of land. But one day Mitch ex-wife dumped a baby on his hand and disappeared.

 

That’s when Sara showed up. She was moving back home after a bad separation and knows how to take care of a little baby and since Mitch is very busy and don’t a thing about babies, she agreed to be a nanny until he finds another person to care for the little guy.

 

I liked how these two learned to live together and still protect the baby, especially after we realized that his mama is nothing but a gold digger and is only trying to take Mitch’s money by using the little baby.

 

What I didn’t like was the speed of the relationship, especially after we discovered how bad Sara’s husband used to treat her. She accepted Mitch is her life rally fast and we couldn’t see more that a kiss and these two are already telling the L world to each other. But I liked how Sara fought for Mitch and the baby.

Books in this Series

#1 – Her Heart for the Asking

#2 – His Heart for the Trusting

#3 – The More I See

Rating

 

 

Amazon Smashwords BN Kobo iTunes

Author Bio

Lisa Mondello (a.k.a. LA Mondello) has held many jobs in her life but being a published authors is the last job she’ll ever have. She’s not retiring! She blames the creation of the personal computer for her leap into writing novels. Otherwise, she’d still be penning stories with paper and pen.  Her first book, All I Want for Christmas is You, was the winner of the Golden Quill contest for Best First Book and to date has had over 350,000 downloads worldwide.

She is currently the author of 14 novels under the name Lisa Mondello and LA Mondello.

You can find more information about Lisa Mondello at http://www.lisamondello.blogspot.com or chat on Twitter at @LisaMondello.

http://www.facebook.com/lisa.mondello.1

Review: Her Heart for the Asking by Lisa Mondello

Title: Her Heart for the Asking

Author:  Lisa Mondello

Series: Texas Hearts

Publisher:  self pub

Format: ebook

ISBN: 9781465908490

Genre: Romance
Release date: February 8th 2012

Number of pages: 182

 

Summary

Promises made…secrets kept…

Mandy Morgan swore she’d never step foot in Texas again after Beau Gentry left her for life on the rodeo circuit eight years before. He once promised he’d love her forever. But he’d abandoned their love for the rodeo and she hadn’t seen him since. Now she’s back in Texas. Her uncle’s heart is failing and Mandy has to convince him that surgery will save his life. She never dreamed the first thing she’d see when she stepped off the plane would be her biggest nightmare…the one man she’d never stopped loving.

Beau Gentry had the fever for two things: the rodeo and Mandy Morgan. But for Beau, loving Mandy was complicated by his father’s vendetta against her uncle and a promise he’d made to an old friend. Hank Promise, Mandy’s uncle, was more like a father to Beau than his old man had been. The hardest thing Beau had ever done was leave Mandy behind for the rodeo. He can still see the bitterness and hurt on her face. It has killed him all these years to think Mandy had forgotten him…maybe even in the arms of another man. But now they’re both back in Texas, and Beau’s going to do all he can to win back her love.

My Thoughts

Mandy and Beau were together eight years ago when she visited her Uncle Hank during summers. Mandy loved Beau but he ended things with her and decided to join the rodeo, claiming not love her.

 

Now Mandy is back in her uncle house, because he’s terrible sick and needs a surgery, but being a stubborn guy he doesn’t want it. Now Mandy has to deal with uncle Hank surgery and beau back in her life.

 

I loved how Mandy discovered her true feelings and also a few stories, but didn’t like her relationship with Beau since the first place. She was sixteen when they had a thing and now she’s not happy in her life, but thinks everything is because of him and how they broke up.

 

I didn’t like the fact she was pushing her life because everybody say is better and not choosing for herself. She is a big girl and it took her some time to realize things needed change. But why only in the last few pages I don’t know.

 

Wish we could see more of these two relationship in the present, because we only have a few memories from the past and both changed a lot since them. I didn’t like the fact they jumped so far in the relationship after years being far away and Mandy a couple days before was really hurt. things happened a bit too fast for me.

 

Books in this Series

#1 – Her Heart for the Asking

#2 – His Heart for the Trusting

#3 – The More I See

Quote

"What are you doing here?" Mandy Morgan asked, dropping her too-heavy overnight case on the sun-roasted tarmac. After a grueling forty-eight hour work stint and a five-hour flight from Philadelphia, she stood wilting under the brutal Texas sun, facing her biggest nightmare.

 

Beau Gentry.

Rating

 

 

       Amazon Barnes and Noble Smashwords Sony KOBO iTunes

Author Bio

 

Lisa Mondello (a.k.a. LA Mondello) has held many jobs in her life but being a published authors is the last job she’ll ever have. She’s not retiring! She blames the creation of the personal computer for her leap into writing novels. Otherwise, she’d still be penning stories with paper and pen.  Her first book, All I Want for Christmas is You, was the winner of the Golden Quill contest for Best First Book and to date has had over 350,000 downloads worldwide.

She is currently the author of 14 novels under the name Lisa Mondello and LA Mondello.

You can find more information about Lisa Mondello at http://www.lisamondello.blogspot.com or chat on Twitter at @LisaMondello.

http://www.facebook.com/lisa.mondello.1

 

Stacking the Shelves #3

 

I’ve got mostly freebies this week, but they look like good books. I’ve had a slow week and didn’t bought a lot and my reading was a bit slower than usual because my RL is a mess with work and studies.

 

 

I’ve received this one from the author for a review. I’m currently reading this series and it’s really fun.

 

And I only bought this two to continue some series that I already started.

 

That’s all for this week. What you got to show? Leave me a link and I’ll come to visit.

Operation TBR Reduction-Week Nine

 

This is all Stephanie idea and I’m stealing her format too. A link to her blog can be found in the button. If you want to follow her progress go there and have fun.

GoodReads Stats:

• Read in 2012: 173

  • Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

  • Bind Me by Stacey Kennedy

  • Beg For It by Stacey Kennedy

  • Wolf Signs by Vivian Arend

  • Wolf Flight by Vivian Arend

  • First Howl by Vivian Arend

  • Kade’s Dark Embrace by Kym Grosso

  • Second Howl by Vivian Arend

• To Be Read: (This is anything that I own that needs to be read) 1147

• Kindle Freebie: 57

• Upcoming Reads: (This shelf is for books that I am planning to read soon.)

This are the books waiting on the TBR, but I usually read others for review before them. So they will stay until I get some free time.

Review: Fifty Shades Darker by EL James

Title: Fifty Shades Darker

Author:  EL James

Series: Fifty Shades

Publisher:  The Writer’s Coffee Shop Publishing House

Format: ebook

ISBN: 1612130585

Genre: Erotica
Release date: September 15th 2011

Number of pages: 452

 

Summary

Daunted by the singular tastes and dark secrets of the beautiful, tormented young entrepreneur Christian Grey, Anastasia Steele has broken off their relationship to start a new career with a Seattle publishing house.

But desire for Christian still dominates her every waking thought, and when he proposes a new arrangement, Anastasia cannot resist. They rekindle their searing sensual affair, and Anastasia learns more about the harrowing past of her damaged, driven and demanding Fifty Shades.

While Christian wrestles with his inner demons, Anastasia must confront the anger and envy of the women who came before her, and make the most important decision of her life.

My Thoughts

I read the first book because it was the talk and since I like erotica decided to give it a try. I wasn’t really surprise by the story and it was just okay for me, but I read the second book to give another try to this series.

Christian was not my favorite character in the first book, but in this one he surprise me and became a more romantic and he showed a new side of him. Ana on the other end was more immature than ever.

In several situations we could see how much Christian has changed since he started dating Ana, but she continued to show the same signs of childish behavior. I don’t like how the story portrayed her as a simple and submissive girl that made a sophisticate man fall in love like Christian did.

Not going to lie, but the action was a great factor in this book and made me give a three stars rating, because the rest was predictable and too strange for me to accept. Especially how the sex became vanilla for a guy who was only turned on with pain.

 

Books in this Series

#1 – Fifty Shades of Grey
#2 – Fifty Shades Darker
#3 – Fifty Shades Freed

Quote

“This is me, Ana. All of me…and I’m all yours. What do I have to do to make you realize that? To make you see that I want you any way I can get you. That I love you.”

Rating

Review: Kade’s Dark Embrace by Kym Grosso

Title: Kade’s Dark Embrace

Author:  Kym Grosso

Series: Immortals of New Orleans

Publisher:  self pub

Format: ebook

ISBN: 9780615613376

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release date: March 5th 2012

Number of pages: 250

 

Summary

After a series of girls are ritualistically murdered on the cold streets of Philadelphia, seasoned detective, Sydney Willows, is forced to work with sexy, alpha vampire, Kade Issacson. While working the case, Sydney finds herself inexplicably drawn to Kade, fighting the passion she feels towards him. Kade, determined to solve the case and mete out justice, is captivated by the independent, fiery detective. As he attempts to protect her from a very real murderer, Kade grows concerned that the beautiful, but very human detective, could easily end up dead should she tangle with supernatural forces that are beyond her control.

The investigation leads them into a dark and dangerous world, deep in the heart of New Orleans, where together, they search for the perpetrators of the Voodoo killings. Sydney soon becomes the target of the killer and ends up fighting for her life and love in the Big Easy. Will she eventually give into the intoxicating desire she feels for Kade if she makes it out alive?

My Thoughts

The book has two of my favorite things at the moment: a serial killer investigation and vampires. It was pretty good for a new series and now I have this debut author on my watch list.

During the book we follow detective Sydney and the vampire Kade. At this reality the vampires and other supernatural beings are know to the population and they have a special police to investigate their crimes called P-CAP.

Kade was called by a friend to investigate a few mysteries happening in Philadepia and at his first night in the city he met Sydney on the street and didn’t know they would work together. Sydney has a big problem with trusting the supernaturals of any kind after being attacked a few years back.

So the first death brought these two together and now Sydney has to work with a vamp that makes her tingle everywhere. It’s kinda interesting to now what these two are felling, because the sensations are new to both of them, since Sydney never had a serious relationship were she loved another person deeply and Kade has lived far too long but never really found his soul mate.

I loved how protective Kade was but at the same time he accepted how strong and capable Sydney was and he never just used her. Sydney is struggling with her new feelings and trying to wrap her mind around the fact that a vampire is making her happy and meddling in her life at the same time.

The investigation was a very good fact that showed a mystic side of New Orleans and the Voodoo religion. Loved how the deaths were explained and how it helped to understand the connections with the past. It was a great book and now I believe the new is about Luca.

 

Books in this Series

#1 – Kade’s Dark Embrace

Trailer

Rating

 

Review: Victoria’s Secret Life by Laura Ashton

Title: Victoria’s Secret Life

Author:  Laura Ashton

Series: Sensual Awakening

Publisher:  Siren Bookstrand Inc

Format: ebook

ISBN: B003VTZTWQ

Genre: Erotica
Release date: June 15th 2010

Number of pages: 120

 

Summary

Victoria’s life is crap, working in a grubby men’s club, prancing around naked in front of howling hard core roosters. Even worse, she’s the on again off again plaything of the owner of the men’s club, a Las Vegas mobster she doesn’t even like. She wants out bad, but she’s stuck.

Seven years ago she made the mistake of her life, running away from Tawny Hills Ranch to find her mother when she turned sixteen. My how the mighty have fallen, from Texas Junior Miss to a men’s club nude dancer in seven debauched years.

Can she free herself and her mother from the clutches of the mob with the help of three hunky navy SEALs and begin life anew?

My Thoughts

This was the last book in this series and I thought this book was really different from the other two, mostly because we can see a new side of the author. this one has more action and that was actually really good.

The ménage relationship is also stronger in this one. Three guys instead of two and these are brothers and alpha males to the extreme. They worked as navy SEALs and now started a security company.

Victoria made a very short presence in the other two books, but the most important part we didn’t knew, she’s Tod sister and grew up on the ranch, but ran away when she turned eighteen to fin her mother. That’s when her problems started.

Her mommy was a mistress to mob guy and now she’s also a toy for him but cannot get away and work in a men’s club to survive on her own, but he always visit. Now the security time is trying to save her and arrest the mob guy.

For me the relationship was more like a second story and I enjoyed but it’s to similar to the others books and could be a little different.

Books in this Series

#1 –  Jasmine’s Urban Cowboys
#2 –  Sharing Brenda
#3 –  Victoria’s Secret Life

Rating

Review: The Tycoon’s Secret Daughter by Susan Meier

Title: The Tycoon’s Secret Daughter

Author:  Susan Meier

Publisher:  Harlequin

Format: ebook

ISBN: 0373178115

Genre: Romance
Release date: June 5th 2012

Number of pages: 192

 

Summary

The CEO’s second chance Max Montgomery had it all-charm, good looks and a career as CEO of the family business. Marriage to Kate Hunter was the icing on the cake. Until a devastating family secret sent his world-and then his marriage-crashing down around him…. Years later, Max is accidentally reunited with Kate, who also has a secret-the daughter he’s never met! Bonding with adorable Trisha may come naturally, but with the shadows of the past still haunting him, recapturing the heart of the woman he’s never stopped loving is quite a different matter…

My Thoughts

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Max was a great guy that had a surprise and developed a drinking problem by hiding these issues. He became violent and almost hurt his wife Kate. Every night he came home drunk and their marriage was nothing anymore.

So one day while a huge fight and he destroyed the windows with a chair, Kate asked for the divorce and moved from the state, they never saw each other again. But now Kate’s father is in the hospital and seven years has passed but max saw her and their daughter.

She asked for divorce and was pregnant but he was always drunk and becoming more violent each day that she never told him about the baby and since them she’s a single mother to their little girl.

I loved Max trying to connect with the little girl and  learning about kids problems. He was really sweet and the alcohol problem is all past since the divorce. It really opened his eyes about what he was losing.

This book was a about a reencounter and it showed a couple trying to overcome some mistakes of the past. I enjoyed how much Max changed and his focus was all about the family. Plus the past mistakes his father made really messed with his head.

 

Rating