Running the Red Light

Running the Red Light is the 2^nd book in the Texas Nights series by Kelsey Browning. The release date is January 6, 2014 and the publisher is Carina Press. From the back cover.~

After wearing a Least Likely to Succeed label all her life, Roxanne Eberly is hell-bent on making her Red Light Lingerie store successful. Although the residents of small-town Shelbyville, Texas, are a little…lingerie-resistant, she'll win them over eventually. So when a former employer sues her, putting a major wrinkle in her careful plans, she reluctantly accepts help from hot-stuff Houston attorney Jamie Wright.

Jamie's on track to become his firm's youngest partner, but discovers an unwritten prerequisite—marriage. Turns out, the only woman he wants is Roxanne, but peddling thongs and sex toys isn't a suitable career for the spouse of an up-and-coming attorney.

Jamie's tangled up in Roxanne's lawsuit, her life and her lingerie. But if they're ever going to make it work, Roxanne's big-city boy will have to decide what he values more: the career he always thought he wanted or the woman he never thought he'd fall for.

Kelsey Browning does it again with Running the Red Light. I was lucky enough to get a review copy from the publisher thanks to NetGalley.

I loved Roxanne and Jamie both as individuals and especially as a couple. The chemistry was so strong between Roxanne and Jamie, I really thought my kindle screen was going to fog up a few times.  I didn't think I could love one of her heroes more than Cameron, but Jamie completely stole my heart. Even when he made me mad because he kept going out with the "appropriate" women for his job, I was able to give him a pass since I knew he really didn't want to do it.

Jamie and Roxanne really do try and fight their attraction for one another through much of the book. While I wanted them together from the very beginning, the sexual tension was so awesome between them. It was so worth the wait when they finally got to make love for the first time, and super hot!

I have to say the reappearance of Jamie and Cameron's dad kind of threw me, but I actually loved where Ms. Browning went with this part of the story. Loved that their mom was all over seeing her ex again and insisting that her boys needed to have their dad in their lives again. 

Running the Red Light ended up being a much more emotional read than I had expected. I knew there would be plenty of sexy scenes and scenes to make me laugh out loud. I didn't expect to get so emotional about Jamie's dad and Roxanne being dyslexic. I figured out Roxanne was dyslexic pretty early into the story, but didn't realize how little support she had growing up until we met her father. I loved how supportive Jamie was and how he didn't make it a huge issue.

I love Kelsey Browning's voice and know if her name is on the cover, I'm going to be reading a wonderful story. Running the Red Light is a fun, sexy and emotional read and I highly recommend it.

Running the Red Light Excerpt

Kelsey Browning

Jamie meandered among clothes that looked extremely feminine against his elegantly tall frame, touching a teddy set here, fingering a slip nightie there. “How is business these days?”

“Fine.” What was he asking—if she needed him to fix yet another problem? She breathed, trying to pull confidence and control into her lungs. “Everything’s in the black.” Distract, distract, distract. They both needed a distraction. “Hey, I have some wine in the back.”

“Sold.”

Roxanne snagged two glasses and a bottle of Beaujolais from the storage room. She carried them to the counter and tried not to watch him prowl through racks of panties and pajamas. She poured a generous serving into her glass, almost overfilling because the sight of Jamie stroking a jungle-print baby doll gown made all her Jane-parts want to do a wild mating call to his Tarzan-parts.

A gulp of wine did nothing to help the twitchy feeling. She stared into her glass. “Did you know that it takes about seventy-five grapes to make one glass of wine?”

“Can’t say I did.” He wandered up to the display case.

She slid his glass to the far side of the counter, careful not to touch him. They’d spent enough time crammed together in his car yesterday. Too much more and she’d OD on Jamie’s sexy scent—citrus with a hint of something spicy.

Maybe, just maybe, she’d already begun to fix the Ashton situation and wouldn’t have to be tempted by a man who shouldn’t tempt her.

He studied the case’s contents. Was it the French vanilla body dust or the Illustrated Guide to Tantric Sex or the selection of Promise Keeper vibrators capturing his attention? He slowly raised his gaze to meet hers, as though he had to force himself to stop studying the array of toys and books. He leaned against the counter and cradled the wineglass in his hand. “I’m meeting with some kids at Shelbyville’s high school later tonight and thought you should come along.”

Disappointment sliced through her. What had she thought, that he was asking her for a date? She laughed and sorted through a cup of pens and pencils on the counter, tossing into the trash all those with the scars of teeth marks. “Why would I want to do that? I didn’t enjoy high school the first time around.”

“Why not?”

Some people hated hospitals’ sharp ammonia overlay. Others hated the stench of bodies crammed together on subways. Roxanne detested the smell of rubber erasers and chalk dust.

Never Stopped Loving You

Never Stopped Loving You is the 1^st book in the Chester Farms series from author Keri Ford. The release date was December 2, 2013 and the publisher is Carina Press. From the back cover.~

At eighteen, Kara Duncan had already made her fair share of mistakes, choosing the wrong boy and earning herself a bad reputation in the process. Hurt and humiliated, she'd packed up and moved on, sure that everyone in Bella Warren, Arkansas, would be better off without her. She'd planned never to return, but when crisis strikes, she has nowhere else to turn.

After seven years, Wade Chester thought his feelings for Kara were finally ancient history. Until he sees her again, standing on his front porch just as she'd done a million times before. She needs his help--and his family's crops--if her canning business is going to survive. The rest of his family has let bygones be bygones, so why is it so hard for him to let go of the past?

While Kara claims to be interested only in putting things right, the old heat flaring between them is undeniable. But Wade will need to risk his heart--and the reputation of his farm--to prove that they're meant to be together.

Never Stopped Loving You was the first book I read by Keri Ford, but it won’t be my last.  I was contacted by the author and offered a review copy with the promise of an honest review. I received my review copy through NetGalley.

I loved watching Kara and Wade’s romance rekindle after being apart for 7 years. I also loved Kara reconnecting with her best friend, Whitney, and Wade’s little sister too. The reconnection with both Wade and Whitney were so important to Kara finally feeling like she belonged in Bella Warren again.

While I loved watching Kara and Wade fall in love again, I think the reconnection between Kara and Whitney was every bit as important to Kara feeling like she was home again in Bella Warren. The friendship between Whitney and Kara was so true to real friends. Even after being apart for 7 years, they were able to pretty much pick up right where they left off.

Kara is really a very strong character. She has completely turned her life around after making mistakes as a teen. While she is a strong character, she also is very vulnerable and I love that she talks to Wade’s mom to get centered and see who she really is now.

The chemistry between Kara and Wade was there from the moment they saw each other for the first time. I really loved them as a couple and thought their chemistry only got stronger the more time they were together.  I loved watching them fall in love all over again.

I’m looking forward to more books from Keri Ford and her Chester Farms series. I’m also really excited there are books from her backlist I can read now. Ms. Ford writes a story filled with emotion, humor and lots of love.

Blue Lines

Blue Lines is the latest release from NYT and USA Today Bestselling author Toni Aleo in her fabulous Nashville Assassins series. The release date December 9, 2013 and the publisher is Loveswept. From the back cover.~

Opposites do more than just attract in TONI ALEO's latest Nashville Assassins novel about a very bad boy and the good girl he can't resist.

The instant Piper Allen sees Erik Titov, she wants him--wants his rock-hard body, sure, but the strength and mystery that lie behind that superstar hockey jock demeanor, too. So when he sidles up to her at a bar and slinks his arm around her waist, she's lost. What follows is the wildest night of her life . . . followed by inevitable heartbreak the next morning. And then, a few weeks later, a very big surprise: two blue lines on a pregnancy test.

Only a check to the head could make Erik fall for a nice girl like Piper. But since their crazy-sexy night together, he's been trying to forget about her alluring body by falling into bed with every woman in Nashville, and it's not working. So when Piper shows up at his house with a baby-bomb to drop, it doesn't take much for Erik to suggest the nuclear option: marriage. While it's supposed to be all for show, the second they say "I do," the ice between them starts to melt into sizzling steam.

I'm a huge fan of this series and was very grateful to be approved for a review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Let me just say, I really didn't like Erik at the beginning of this book. He really was a bit of a man-whore and I was all in when Piper would throw things at him. However, the more I read, the more I understood why he acted the way he did and I started falling for him every bit as much as Piper. 

I will say I loved that no matter how many women Erik was with, he couldn't ever get Piper out of his mind. While I knew he only married Piper initially because he didn't want to lose his job, I knew in my heart that Erik loved Piper as much as she loved him. 

This book made me laugh out loud one minute and cry not long after. I love books that pull lots of emotions from me, and Erik and Piper totally fit the bill. I also love this series takes place in Nashville and I recognize so many places mentioned in my city.

Blue Lines is another winner from Toni Aleo and I can't wait to see where she takes this series next.

Sleigh Bells in the Snow

Sleigh Bells in the Snow is the 1^st book in the O’Neil brothers series from Sarah Morgan. The publisher is Harlequin HQN and the release date was November 1, 2013. From the back cover.~

USA TODAY bestselling author Sarah Morgan heats up the season with the O'Neil brothers in a brand-new holiday series! 

Once upon a time, Christmas was Kayla Green's favorite time of year. Now all the workaholic wants for Christmas is for it to be over—as fast as possible! So when duty calls her to snowy Vermont to close a deal with a new client, Kayla is grateful for an excuse to avoid the holidays for another year. 

Jackson O'Neil left a thriving business behind to return home and salvage his family's resort—it's in his blood, and he can't let it fail. Now that he's got marketing whiz Kayla Green working with him to put Snow Crystal on the map, success is on the horizon. The fact they strike enough sparks off each other to power all the Christmas lights in Vermont is just an added bonus. 

Kayla might be an expert at her job, but she's out of her depth with Jackson—he makes her crave the happy-ever-after she once dreamed of, and it's terrifying. As the snowflakes continue to swirl, will the woman who doesn't believe in the magic of Christmas finally fall under its spell?

I was lucky enough to be approved for a review copy from the publisher through NetGalley. I somehow had never read a book by Sarah Morgan. However, I can promise I won't miss out on her books in the future.

To say I loved Sleigh Bells in the Snow would be an understatement. I loved watching Kayla finally open up to another person. Jackson pretty much stole my heart the minute he appeared on the page. I did get mad at Kayla a couple of times for dwelling on her past rather than looking forward to what could be a wonderful future, but gave her slack after hearing how her parents mistreated her for so many years. 

I loved the chemistry between Jackson and Kayla from the very beginning, and it only grew hotter the longer they were together. While Jackson's grandfather was pretty gruff through much of the book, I really loved him and knew there was some sort of logic to how he was acting.

I can't wait to see where Ms. Morgan takes the O'Neil brothers in the future.