Review: Twila's Tempest by Natasza Waters

Title:  Twila's Tempest
Author:  Natasza Waters
Genre:  Romantic Adventure
Book Size:  1018 KB / 392 pages

Drake Addison, retired Marine, understands the dangers of the sea, but there’s a storm coming, and she’s all of five foot three.

A dark horse among the Treasure Coast’s elite, Drake’s passion and wealth tempt him. His first love is building yachts. Meeting Twila, he sees she has a passion as well—caring for the elderly, including his parents, but she’s trapped.

Like unearthing a gold doubloon, with one kiss from Twila, he craves a thousand. He makes an excuse to remain in Port St. Lucie and teach Twila about the sea. His mistake: misjudging the heart of one woman, the soul of another, and the ferocity of the one headed their way.
Sometimes, a little knowledge is dangerous, but for Twila—it’s deadly.

The book starts off describing Twila's life among the Florida senior citizens' mobile home park. While it sounds bland to some, the author does a good job in keeping it interesting. One resident, a woman who is proud of her sons and nosey as hell, finagles a way for Twila and Drake to finally meet.

Part playboy, part ex-military, and a whole lotta sexy, Drake has his hands full with a lucrative yacht building business and a self-centered arm-candy model. Hint: Arm Candy hates Twila from the word go. Sparks fly between the women, but flames grow between Twila and Drake.

In Twila's life, her self-imposed responsibility for the seniors comes first. Loyalty is number one. I'm not sure what Drake's priority is apart from his yacht business, but it felt like it was to remind Twila that there's more to life than playing slave to the seniors who gladly took advantage of her good nature.

The excitement builds when the mother of all hurricanes blows in. Twila and Drake are separated but come together in the crest of it all. Together they weather the storm, but barely. And then it's a wrap.

The nautical knowledge Natasza Waters uses in creating this story is almost as exciting as the story itself. Through her pictures in words, the reader is carried along this fast-paced story into the eye of the storm.

You might need one of these after you've finished this book.

***** FIVE STARS

Review: Stepbrothers Stepping Out: With His Doctor by Delilah Devlin

Title:  Stepbrothers Stepping Out: With His Doctor

Author:  Delilah Devlin

Genre:  Erotic Romance

Book Size:  File size - 1066 kb

She's in luck! The doctor's in...

With the ink barely dry on their D/s contract, big brother's ready to introduce Sasha to a very special friend...
Note: This original 5800-word short story may be short in length, but it's not short in passion!

Sasha has crushed on her Dom stepbrother Jacob since she was 12 years old. Now that she’s all grown up, she makes her move when his last Submissive moves on.

She’s usually good at dealing with Jacob, but when he introduces her to his friend the doctor, that’s when all bets are off. Wanting to please her Dom tests the Submissive role she’s chosen to play when a “physical” examine becomes the scene to test their commitment and realize their feelings for one another.

This is a very short novella with passionate love scenes and two characters who are not only well developed in a very short time but who work well together despite the issues one of them faces. The story dives straight in with a hot sexy scene and immediately the reader is told just how attractive Jacob is. The descriptions given by the author are excellent and will have the reader able to clearly imagine the scenes and play them through in their head.

What a shame the book wasn't longer! Delilah Devlin has great writing skills and the story develops well. An excellent short read.

*****5 Star Review

Review: Brash

Title:  Brash
Author:  Nicola Marsh
Genre:  Contemporary Romance (sensual)
Book Size:  183 pages / 501 KB

Jess Harper is so tired of being good… 


Thrust into the dazzle of Burlesque Bombshells, Vegas’s premier dance venue, the small town librarian has no option but to embrace her inner vixen.
Especially when blast from her past, sexy Aussie celebrity chef Jack McVeigh is still determined to keep their relationship strictly hands-off. 


This time Jess isn’t surrendering without a fight and armed with her hot props and Bombshell moves, Jack doesn’t stand a chance. 


When Jess and Jack are sequestered on an island to orchestrate the burlesque wedding of the year, sun, surf and sizzling sex are on the menu! 


But will the fiery couple come back for seconds?

From beginning to end, an excellent story. What a pleasure to read and follow the growth and adventures of the characters.

Yes, there are steamy scenes but nothing that'll make you cringe, these are well thought out and beautifully written. I liked the concept of a good-girl librarian who remembered her one-time crush from ten years prior. I thought the idea of her month long vacation with her brother in Australia a bit weird and wondered if Marsh could have created Jess and Jack's initial meeting in a different way. Lord knows I'd NEVER spend a month with my brother on vacation. But I digress...

This fun story has humor, sexy scenes, and lots of character interaction. Well edited and formatted (which is a major plus in my eReader book!), I look forward to reading more books by Nicola Marsh.

***** 5-Star Rating

Review: Her Lord and Protector

Title:  Her Lord and Protector (formerly titled On Silent Wings)
Author:  Pam Roller
Genre: Historical Romance (also listed under gothic)
Book Size:  211 pages / 4825 KB

Destitute and voiceless, a jilted bride living under the guardianship of an aloof man who may have murdered his wife wonders if it’s her heart, or her life, that hangs in the balance.

His is a heart of iron...
Embittered lord Alexander Fletcher must shelter a penniless mute in his ancestral home, Drayton castle. Although he makes no pretense he resents the intrusion, the woman stirs his heart into an unwelcome gallop. He wants only to be alone and not to love another woman who, like his wife, might grow to hate him so much she will take her own life.

And she is slowly melting it...
Lord Drayton's detachment only adds to Katherine Seymour’s distress of losing her voice. But after he gives her a searing kiss just before he introduces the husband he's chosen for her—and whom she promptly refuses—she discovers his horrid secret.

But someone is watching.
Only Agnes Cooke knows how Alex's insane wife died, and she will not hesitate to kill again in order to be the next Lady Drayton. Watching Alex go out of his way to help Katherine regain her voice, however, is more than she can take. This plan will require more than just laudanum and mercury....

While the blurb is somewhat of a spoiler and gives the ending away (why do that??), I thoroughly enjoyed this story and the author's storytelling abilities.

Each page I read kept me turning for the next. Excellent research in writing the story, the characters, costumes of life in 1667 England were well played-out. I particularly like how even though the heroine is mute for most of the book, her thoughts and actions are easily known.

If you're not into head-hopping, quick-fly point-of-view changes, then the author's writing style may not be for you. I will say that while I don't care of this type of writing, I enjoyed the story none-the-less. It's easy to follow whoever's head you're in at the moment. (which might say a lot for the author's writing ability)

In the end, I'm glad I took time to read this well-written story with an excellent HEA, feel-good ending.

***** 5-Star Review

Review: Naming His Mate (Black Hills Wolves Book 17)

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Winter Secrets: Naming His Mate (Black Hills Wolves Book 17)
Author:  M. Limoges
Genre:  Paranormal: Werewolves

 

 Small-town sheriff, Mike Hadley, would love to experience a headache-free day for once in his life. Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen anytime soon. While investigating a rash of disappearances and dealing with his ornery lover, he’s thrown into a whole new world he never imagined existed.

Damien Marks has finally found a place to call home in Los Lobos, South Dakota, with the Black Hills Pack. He also stumbles across something he never thought he would—his mate. Falling hard, he decides he needs to come clean and tell the truth. But will his sexy lover accept what he is?

Embroiled in a potentially dangerous situation, both men have to decide where their loyalties lie—with duty or love?

I've only begun to delve into the series created by Decadent Publishing. And because I enjoyed the first book of Limoges' (See my review: Winter Secrets: Winter Solstice Run #3 (Black Hills Wolves, Book 33), I was certain I'd enjoy another by the same author. She didn't disappoint.

Without fully knowing the background in the series, I never felt out of place or left wondering what the heck was going on. From the first page, I read as if I were there in the story. When reading novellas, oftentimes I'm left feeling the story was too short, characters not fully created, or scenes jumping too fast.

Not the case with Naming His Mate. I should also add: This is the first M/M book I've read and reviewed. While I can't say I'm wild about this genre, I can give the Ms. Limoges high marks for a well-written story.

Great action and warm love scenes, crafted by a highly skilled, professional author.

***** 5-Star Review

 

Review: Winter Secrets: Winter Solstice Run #3 (Black Hills Wolves, Book 33)

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Winter Secrets: Winter Solstice Run #3 (Black Hills Wolves, Book 33)       

Author: Melissa Limoges

Genre: Paranormal – Werewolves

Patience is a virtue…a lesson Stephen Dorsett has learned over the years, wooing his mate. He loves the prickly woman with all his heart, but he’s keeping a secret from her—one that will soon change the entire dynamic of their relationship.

Kate Matthews has a secret of her own, but she’s reluctant to share her surprise with Stephen. With her mate spending too many long hours and late nights at work recently, Kate begins to second-guess Stephen’s commitment to her.

One simple misunderstanding, fueled by insecurities and doubts, is all it takes to throw Kate and Stephen off course. Will they allow their secrets to pull them apart, or make their love stronger?

I found this book totally enjoyable. I felt the characters were well developed, the story believable (as much as shape-shifting werewolves can be), and the overall well written.

Ms. Limoges writes splendid and leads her readers on a can’t-put-it-down mystery of the hero’s actions. Kate’s reactions are well thought out and not overly done, as some writers will do. The journey of these two characters develop and change with heartwarming, satisfactory results.

I look forward to reading more from Melissa Limoges and wish her all the best in her writing career.

 ***** 5 STAR RATING