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Tag: suspense (page 2 of 3)

Review: Dangerous Games by Tess Diamond

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Author: Tess Diamond

Book: Dangerous Games (O’Connor & Kincaid #1)

Other books in series:

Game of Lies (O’Connor & Kincaid #2)
End Game (O’Connor & Kincaid #3)

tl;dr recommendation: a fantastic short read for the mystery lover. 4 stars!

Book Summary:

A thirteen year-old girl has been taken – and Special Agent Maggie Kincaid is the only one who can get her back.

When a Senator’s daughter goes missing, every minute counts. The FBI’s best hostage negotiator, Agent Kincaid, knows what it’s like to be a terrified victim. Kidnapped as a child, those memories haunt her every day – and give her an insight into the evil mind behind this deadly crime.

But the Senator’s family has other plans, and have brought in ex-forces security expert Jake O’Connor to oversee negotiations. He’s got secrets of his own, and doesn’t play by the same rule book. With time running out, Maggie and O’Connor will have to overcome their differences to keep this case from ending in tragedy.

Longer Review:

This book is full of smart suspense that had me captivated. Maggie has balls. Her take no prisoners attitude works both in her position as former FBI Agent as well as in life. Of course, she’s still working through attempting to overcome a horrible tragedy – thus why she’s not working with the FBI at the moment.

I actually really liked the premise of the story. It’s written in third person, so if that bugs the fuck out of you: be forewarned. But that didn’t bother me. I felt Maggie’s fire, her passion, and her need to get back to doing what she was meant to do with her life.

When she meets Jake all bets were off. I should have cared more that a girl was being held hostage – and I swear I did – but the small arcs of attraction between Maggie and Jake had me eager for more.

The plotline was believable and enjoyable – this is definitely a fantastic short read for the mystery lover.  Book one had me hooked. It’s a serial, so there’s a cliffy – but you’ll make it. PROMISE.

[I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review]

Release Day Review: Darkest Before Dawn by Maya Banks

Author: Maya Banks

Book: Darkest Before Dawn

tl;dr recommendation: This works in so many fantastic, dark, and gritty ways. 5 stars!

Book Summary:

The Kelly Group International (KGI): A super-elite, top secret, family-run business.
Qualifications: High intelligence, rock-hard body, military background.
Mission: Hostage/kidnap victim recovery. Intelligence gathering. Handling jobs the U.S. government can’t…

The enigmatic Hancock has been both opponent and ally to the KGI teams for as long as they’ve known him. Always working a deep game, Hancock’s true allegiance has never been apparent, but one thing is for certain—he never lets anything get in the way of duty.

But now, his absolute belief in the primacy of his ultimate goal is challenged by a captive he’s been ordered to guard, no matter how much she suffers in her prison. She’s the only woman who’s ever managed to penetrate the rigid walls surrounding his icy heart, but will he allow his perplexing feelings for the beautiful victim to destroy a mission he’s spent years working to complete or will he be forced to sacrifice her for “the greater good.”

Longer Review:

I don’t quite know what I was expecting diving into this book but I was hesitant because of the whole ‘kidnap to love’ trope – if you know me, you know I’m wary about that plot point, but I had nothing to be concerned about here. In fact, I think Maya has turned me. This works in so many fantastic, dark, and gritty ways.

Hancock believes himself to be soulless – hard, tough, unfeeling – and for the most part he’s right. He’s never really let his feelings get in the way of a mission before. Loyalty? Yes. Feelings? No. He doesn’t have them. But Honor breaks through walls to a heart that he didn’t even know he had.

Honor is fucking kick ass. If I could be a heroine, I’d be Honor Cambridge. She’s not only quick thinking and intelligent when she escapes from the bombing of the relief center she works at and evades her would-be captors for over a week, but she’s also caring, fierce and intuitive. She believes in her gut instinct, follows it diligently, and even when she’s at her bleakest point, she manages to surprise everyone by giving the reaction that no one could possibly think is fathomable from a woman in her position. GOD I LOVED HER.

It took me a few chapters, but I was then pulled into this complex storyline and even though I hadn’t read the other books that came before this one, I easily caught up with each character. I liked them, even when I wasn’t supposed to. Talk about a total mindfuck. This book is light on actual sex scenes, but heavy on emotion. I found myself tearing up and breaking down at the mere pain these characters endure.

This book is not a light hearted contemporary romance where you’ll be smiling and holding hands and skipping in a field of wildflowers. Nope. Not this book. But that’s also what I loved so much about it. A good bit of the book takes place in the middle east in war torn country – there’s a lot of violence, death and unknowns. But there’s also a connection between Honor and Hancock that can’t be ignored, even though Hancock does his best to ignore it.

He brings her to the brink of trust, allows her to go over the edge and does nothing to stop it when she does. He loathes himself for every piece of emotional harm he causes her, and yet he still thinks he’s doing it all for the greater good. Until he’s not. Until everything changes.

Darkest Before Dawn may not be my usual go-to kind of book, but I am so glad I took the chance. This dark and suspenseful story had me on my toes and left me inspired. This was different and gloriously beautiful while heartbreaking and painful. This is romantic suspense that’s broken and melded back together. I completely loved it. 5 stars!

[I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review]

Blog Tour & Review: Obscured by Tara Sue Me

Obscured by Tara Sue Me

Date of Publication: October 12, 2015

Blurb

From Tara Sue Me writing as Cat Waters:

There’s the truth you know….

At age 16, Athena Hamilton traded her body for survival when a powerful Vegas hotelier and pimp lured her into his world. Ten years of turning tricks has taught her to trust no one and feel nothing. Yet a chance meeting with a childhood crush sparks hope for something more.

The truth you believe…

There’s no way Isaiah Martin could want her. He’s a pastor. Too good. Too pure. But when she learns her days are numbered, she runs into the safety of his arms and trusts his promise of protection.

And the truth you never imagined…

The aftermath of a tragic accident and a bitter betrayal leaves her destitute and alone. The one man she shouldn’t trust offers her a chance to escape. But when good and evil collide, what do you do when the truth is Obscured?

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Available From
B&N Nook
 | Amazon (Kindle) | Kobo | iTunes

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Review

o.m.g.

Obscured is twists and turns, suspense and secrets, lined in sex. This was nothing of what I expected but everything that I loved.

This story throws you directly into the underbelly of Vegas that no one wants to talk about – Athena is a prostitute. She’s fallen prey to a man who she believed she loved and trusted; a man who betrayed that trust by pimping her out and who keeps control by roughing her up. She’s been in this world for ten years and she’s not sure if she could get out even if she wanted to.

Athena has a problem with not knowing who to trust. She knows she can’t trust her pimp, but that’s all she knows. When things start to take a turn for the worst, she runs to the only person she thinks she can trust: Isaiah. He’s her childhood friend, her first kiss, and a pastor. He can keep her safe – right?

Tara has a way of writing a story that’s honest and real, making you connect with the characters while revealing just enough pieces to give you a complete mindfuck. I was fighting for Athena’s HEA but I didn’t know quite who I was fighting for her to end up with. Tara also deals with Athena’s issues with sex in such a perfect and respectful and believable way. But when she does have sex her way – OHMYGOD.

Obscured will twist your thoughts and flip your heart. Get ready for a wild ride through the darkness of Vegas, while you fight for Athena’s bright future. LOVED. 5 stars!

[I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review]

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About Tara Sue Me

Tara Sue Me wrote her first novel at the age of twelve. It would be twenty years before she picked up her pen to write the second.

After completing several clean romances, she decided to try her hand at something spicier and started The Submissive. What began as a writing exercise quickly took on a life of its own. An avid reader of all types of fiction, she soon discovered she enjoyed writing a variety as well.

Tara lives in the Southeastern United States with her family, two dogs, and a cat.

Find Tara Sue Me Online

 obscured

Excerpt Teaser

Chapter One

The day I meet Isaiah Martin for the second time, I am running late. I pride myself on my punctuality, not to mention that my clients demand it, and I’m not paying attention to my surroundings.

I look at my watch again. Five minutes after. Shit. I scurry through the hotel lobby, making a beeline to the elevators. If luck happens to be on my side, I won’t have to wait, but the elevators in the largest hotel in Las Vegas are notoriously slow.

Will the stairs be quicker? I glance over my shoulder. The stairwell is located on the other side of the large open atrium. With my client’s room on the thirtieth floor, the elevator is faster, even if I have to wait. I turn back to the elevators.

And run right into a man standing in my path, overcorrect, and twist my ankle.

“Excuse me, ma’am,” he says in a soft, cultured Southern accent, reaching out a hand to steady me. “You okay?”

“Damn it!” My ankle throbs so much I’m not sure I can walk. I gingerly put my weight on the hurt ankle and curse again at the pain.

Suck it up, Athena. This is nothing. Think about what’ll happen if you don’t make it upstairs in the next few minutes.

“Ma’am?” Mr. Southern Gentleman repeats.

“I’m fine.” I tentatively move my foot side to side. “Just give me a minute.”

“Why don’t you come sit down and let me take a look at that ankle?”

“You a doctor?” Odds are Odds are he’s just your standard pervert wanting the chance to run his hand up my leg. Even if he is a doctor, I’m not about to let him put his hands on me. Not a wise thing to do, since it’s almost a certainty Mike will find out.

“No, ma’am,” he says. “But I think you may need to rest that ankle just a bit.”

“Really, I’m fine.” I put my full weight on the ankle and nearly fall over as the pain sparks up my leg. “Ow. Ow. Ow.Hell.”

He doesn’t speak again, but takes me by the arm and leads me to a bench near the elevators. His head drops down and he runs a finger along my anklebone. Pokes and prods me. “I don’t think anything’s broken, but you should probably stay off your feet for the next little bit.”

“Easy for you to say,” I snap. “You’re obviously not the one running late.”

He looks up and our eyes meet.

Warm caramel eyes. His thick, black hair is long overdue for a haircut and curls up the tiniest bit at his neck. His firm lips give way to a perfect “O” of surprise at the exact moment I recognize him.

“Athena?”

“Isaiah?”

He embraces me with a crushing hug. “Imagine seeing you here. How are you?”

My spine goes rigid, and I don’t return the hug. “I’m….I’m fine,” I stutter while my eyes dart around the lobby, trying to see if anyone’s watching me.

“I can’t believe it’s you.” He is oblivious to my discomfort. “Are you in town for long?”

I force myself to stop scanning the area and focus on Isaiah instead. A cold chill runs down my spine as I take in his handsome features. The last twelve years have treated him well. No longer is he the awkward teenage boy plagued by acne and thick glasses. He’s grown into the handsome man I always knew lay beneath the surface.

He looks at me in expectation. What did he ask?

I fiddle with the hem of my skirt. It rests just above the knee. “I live here.”

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Release Day Review: Everything I Left Unsaid by Molly O’Keefe

Author: Molly O’Keefe

Book: Everything I Left Unsaid (Everything I Left Unsaid #1)

tl;dr recommendation: A little phone sex goes a long way – and I’m looking forward to seeing just how far it will go. 5 stars!

Book Summary:

I didn’t think answering someone else’s cellphone would change my life. But the stranger with the low, deep voice on the other end of the line tempted me, awakened my body, set me on fire. He was looking for someone else. Instead he found me.

And I found a hot, secret world where I felt alive for the first time.

His name was Dylan, and, strangely, he made me feel safe. Desired. Compelled. Every dark thing he asked me to do, I did. Without question. I longed to meet him, but we were both keeping secrets. And mine were dangerous. If I took the first step, if I got closer to Dylan—emotionally, physically—then I wouldn’t be hiding anymore. I would be exposed, with nothing left to surrender but the truth. And my truth could hurt us both.

Longer Review:

I am thoroughly impressed by this author. Not only did she completely kill me with that cliffhanger, but she also had me more turned on by phone sex than I think I ever have been in my entire life. Whispered words, deep growls, innocence stripped – those phone calls built the foundation on what seemed to be a superficial connection, but that really was everything. For two characters who didn’t actually meet until the end of the book, O’Keefe manages to link them together almost immediately until you can’t imagine them with anyone else.

Annie is running. She’s running from her past – and possibly her future. She’s found herself in an unassuming trailer park and she wants nothing more than to fade into the wallpaper of the 1970s RV. Her chance phone meeting with Dylan starts awkward and stilted, but quickly grows into heated passion. As Annie realizes that Dylan can provide her a life and an exploration of desires that she never even contemplated, Dylan is finding himself more and more invested with a voice on the phone.

Neither of them want more.

Both of them want more.

What they have is hot, exquisite sex that transcends words and those scenes will have you panting your release. I’m not kidding – O’Keefe’s writing was fucking outstanding. Huge high fives for that (after you wash your hands, k?).

While I sort of saw where this was all going, I was still surprised when we got there. There are more than enough suspenseful moments to keep you engaged while the secret keeping had me biting the inside of my cheek. The connection between Dylan and Annie is palpable and intense; genuine and deep. A little phone sex goes a long way – and I’m looking forward to seeing just how much further it will go.

NEED BOOK 2 NOW.

[I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review]

Review: Too Hard to Handle by Julie Ann Walker

Author: Julie Ann Walker

Book: Too Hard to Handle (Black Knights Inc.)

tl;dr recommendation: If you’re looking for suspense with sex, you must read this. Now. It’s like an explicit James Patterson book. [Oh hi, heaven.]

Book Summary:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julie Ann Walker continues her red-hot Black Knights Inc. series in rough-and-tumble Peru

“The Man” is back
Dan “The Man” Currington is back in fighting form with a mission that takes him four thousand miles south of BKI headquarters, high in the Andes Mountains of Peru. He’s hot on the trail of a rogue CIA agent selling classified government secrets to the highest bidder, when Penni DePaul arrives on the scene. Suddenly the stakes are higher, and keeping Penni safe becomes Dan’s number one priority.

And this time she’s ready
A lot has changed since former Secret Service Agent Penni DePaul last saw Dan. Now a civilian, she’s excited about what the future might hold. But before she can grab onto that future with both hands, she has to tie up some loose ends-namely, Dan Currington, the man she just can’t forget. And a secret that’s going to change both their lives-if they can stay alive, that is.

Longer Review:

4.5 stars!

Secret government operations twine with one sexy as hell relationship in this action packed story! I loved the fast-paced plot and slow burning romance, both of which held me to the pages and the edge of my seat. I can’t get enough of stories where the bullets fly just as much as the whispered words and slick kisses.

Dan is a super alpha male with a sweet and vulnerable side. Do I love them any other way? Nope. He’s trying to move on from the tragic loss of his wife and has never quite moved on. When he meets Penni in a previous mission and they share a earth shattering night together he can’t seem to shake her from his mind. Neither can Penni – which is why she hunts him down at the practical edge of the earth. Unfortunately, she walks right into a government op that has just taken off.

If you’re looking for suspense with sex, you must read this. Now. It’s like an explicit James Patterson book. [Oh hi, heaven.] Julie does this type of plotline better than most and I absolutely loved the twists and turns she served up. I received all of the heart thumping scenes I wanted and the HEA I needed. I was dangerously close *winks* to kissing my kindle when it was over.

TOO HARD TO HANDLE more than satisfied my craving for danger and sated my desire for uhhhh MORE. Great suspense, hot as hell sex and devious villains make this book any lover of romantic suspense will die over. Get it nowww.

[I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review]

Review: Passion’s Dream by Julie Shelton

Author: Julie Shelton

Book: Passion’s Dream (The Doms of Passion Lake #1)

tl;dr recommendation: hot as hell and insanely sexy! 4 stars!

Book Summary:

When Clay “Raven” Nighthorse is offered a job as bodyguard to a woman being stalked by her vengeful ex, he’s ready to turn it down. Until he discovers that she is the woman he met on a beach three years ago. The woman with whom he felt an instant connection. The woman who has been haunting his dreams ever since.

Leah Stanhope has never forgotten the day she found her husband in bed with another woman. Nor has she forgotten the kindness and compassion of the complete stranger who’d simply held her in his arms and let her cry herself out on a public beach. She despairs of ever seeing him again until fate brings them together in a conflagration of desire and smoking hot passion. Can Clay convince Leah to risk her heart? And when her stalker finds her, will Clay be able to stop him in time?

Longer Review:

I love a good stalker story. Does that make me sound like a lunatic? Meh. Don’t care. The suspense angle never fails to keep me right at the edge of my seat, flipping the pages to find out what happens. Passion’s Dream adds in a bit of Dom/sub flair and instalove so strong it could throw the earth out of rotation: all the makings of a sexy as hell, fun and easy story!

Did I mention that Clay is a Navy SEAL? Yup. If you weren’t in before, now you have no excuse.

Clay is hot. Really hot. His dominant nature is intense and commanding, but he knows that he can’t come on too strong to Leah for fear of losing the one woman he has ever felt such a deep connection with. He and Leah met three years ago on a beach, shared a serious moment, and then never saw each other again. However, they certainly haven’t forgotten about each other. When Clay is asked to become her bodyguard to protect her from her stalker-ex, he doesn’t care what strings are attached.

Leah drove me crazy. Like, I was willing to give her up to the stalker for a few chapters, but thankfully her insanity was fairly short-lived. She’s an instasub, which sort of bugged me, but I got over it. I wished that she would have accepted her feelings towards Clay a lot sooner than she did, but of course, it allowed for a lot of angsty scenes and for sexual tension to build.

Oh, and build it did. Clay doesn’t mince words and I would love to be on the receiving end of those dirty whispers. Passion’s Dream is hot as hell and insanely sexy. If you like your men dominant and cut, Clay does not disappoint. Overall, this is a passionate read with suspenseful drama and plenty of sex. 4 stars!

[I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review]

Review: Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon

This post is part of my ongoing reviews/reading of the Outlander series – Read Outlander first. Potential spoilers ahead.

Author: Diana Gabaldon

Book: Drums of Autumn (Outlander #4)

Other Books in Series:

Outlander (Outlander #1) – my review is here
Dragonfly In Amber (Outlander #2) – my review is here
Voyager (Outlander #3) – my review is here
The Fiery Cross (Outlander #5)
A Breath of Snow and Ashes (Outlander #6)
An Echo in the Bone (Outlander #7)
The Space Between (Outlander #7.5 – a novella)
Written in My Heart’s Own Blood (Outlander #8)
A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows (Outlander #8.5 – a novella)
Moonlight And Howling (Outlander #9 – not yet finished)

Link to buy all 8 books here

tl;dr recommendation: Drums of Autumn gave me the HEA I so desperately craved and that I damn well deserved.

Book Summary:

In this breathtaking novel—rich in history and adventure—The New York Times bestselling author Diana Gabaldon continues the story of Claire Randall and Jamie Fraser that began with the now-classic novelOutlander and continued in Dragonfly in Amber and Voyager. Once again spanning continents and centuries, Diana Gabaldon has created a work of sheer passion and brilliance….

It began at an ancient Scottish stone circle. There, a doorway, open to a select few, leads into the past—or the grave. Dr. Claire Randall survived the extraordinary passage, not once but twice.

Her first trip swept her into the arms of Jamie Fraser, an eighteenth-century Scot whose love for her became a legend—a tale of tragic passion that ended with her return to the present to bear his child. Her second journey, two decades later, brought them together again in the American colonies. But Claire had left someone behind in the twentieth century—their daughter, Brianna….

Now Brianna has made a disturbing discovery that sends her to the circle of stones and a terrifying leap into the unknown. In search of her mother and the father she has never met, she is risking her own future to try to change history … and to save their lives. But as Brianna plunges into an uncharted wilderness, a heartbreaking encounter may strand her forever in the past … or root her in the place she should be, where her heart and soul belong….

Longer Review:

4.5 stars!

I’m not kidding when I say that Diana tries to kill you in this book. Once again, every emotion you have is played upon, tweaked and twisted until you’re not sure what end is up and how things will end.

From the book summary you know that Brianna goes through the stones to find her mother and meet her father. I don’t read those before I start these books, so I was so fucking excited when I realized what was happening. Brianna leaves everything – and everyone – behind on her quest. I was actually bouncing up and down on my couch like a toddler in the back seat of a car asking ‘are we there yet?’ I couldn’t put it down until Brianna got to where she was going and THEN I couldn’t put it down because of what was happening when she got there. #DianaKillsMe

Don’t worry – you get plenty of Jamie and Claire in this book. They haven’t gone anywhere at all. They’re settled in North Carolina, trying to make a place for themselves and set up the life they plan to have. Their love is ever present while they build their future.

I absolutely adored the storyline in this book but didn’t always love the way it was presented. There are many times that you’re taken to the cusp only to start a new chapter in a different character’s POV that takes you back to the beginning again. It was reading with cliffhangers thrown in the middle of a book. This tactic was effective to have me reading through my fingers but it also caused me to read a little faster than I wanted because I NEEDED to know what happened. I wanted to skip over all the other stuff (which was also fucking important) just to find out what happened to the FIRST stuff. Gah. It made me all anxiousy and I wasn’t a huge fan. But I digress.

Out of all of the books so far, I needed an HEA in this book, and Diana knows it. Drums of Autumn gave me the HEA I so desperately craved and that I damn well deserved. I was cheering and flailing and loving every member of that Fraser clan like they were my own. DoA is full of adventure, suspense and the makings of a new life. *winks*

I’m slightly terrified to start book 5 because I was left in such a happy place at the end of this book. Really, this could have been the end of the series and I would have been ok – I mean, I would have been in a major book hangover, but my soul would have been in tact. THAT’S HOW MUCH I LOVED THIS ENDING.

However, I’m also dying to know what ultimately happens – so, I’ll pull up my big girl breeks and get on with it. The Fiery Cross is up next!

Review: Conscience by Cecilia London

Author: Cecilia London

Book: Conscience (Bellator Saga #2)

Other books in series:

Dissident (Bellator Saga #1)

tl;dr recommendation: If you’re looking for fluff, go pet a dog – Conscience contains serious substance, intense emotion and a lot of violence. It’s also a romance – I SWEAR.

Book Summary:

An escape plan foiled….

A determined woman….

One last tiny sliver of hope….

Jack will find me.

The Fed wants answers. And Caroline is determined not to provide them. They pull out all the stops, testing her sanity, testing her strength, testing her humanity.

Jack will find me.

Subject to cruel and merciless treatment at the hands of a government she once trusted, Caroline clings to her sole lifeline, her only chance at maintaining her tenuous hold on reality: her memories of her husband, Jack, her children, Marguerite and Sophie, and the friends who mean the world to her.

Jack will find me.

But what happens when hope starts to fade? How long until her interrogators cross over into the unspeakable sadism she fears ? How long before she finally breaks apart?

Part Two of a Six Part Saga. Conscience (approximately 120,000 words) is not a standalone and must be read after the first book, Dissident (currently free for Kindle). All books in the series end in a cliffhanger. For readers 18+. This book contains adult situations including graphic violence, explicit (consensual) sex and light BDSM, psychological and physical trauma, and an oftentimes raw, dark, and gritty plot.

Longer Review:

Oh good lord, wow. This is not your typical romance novel. If you’re looking for fluff, go pet a dog – Conscience contains serious substance, intense emotion and a lot of violence. The second in the series, this installment is pretty raw…it rips your guts out and proudly places them on display after parading them around the room. If you thought that Dissident was gritty, you better hold on to your seat because things are about to get a whole lot bleaker before they get better.

I swear, this is also a romance. No really, it is!

Conscience messes with both your heart and your head: sucking you into a psychologically thrilling story full of government takeovers, violence, treasonous acts, and undying love. If you love series’ like Outlander, you’ll love this – without the thousand page per book commitment. Like Outlander, this series is also a genre mashup that is hard to define (even though I try to do it here) – regardless, just trust me when I tell you it’s in the genre of ‘Good Shit’.

When we pick back up with Conscience you’re re-inserted into an America whose government has gone rogue…and frankly is not as far fetched as one may wish it to be. Caroline’s been taken captive and while she’s pretty sure that whatever is coming next is going to physically hurt – she doesn’t fully grasp the emotional pain that she’s about to endure. Without getting spoilery, I’ll just say…uhhh, don’t get too attached to anyone. Ok? Ok.

While the present day scenes are pretty dark, emotionally charged, and painful – this book, like Dissident, is also told in flashback. For those of you who were dying for more information as to how America took a left into crazy-town, you get some of those answers here. You also get…dundunDUN….LOTS MORE SEX. eeeek! And coincidentally, we watch the development of Caroline’s relationship and marriage to Jack, which is endearing, sweet and swoontastic.

Jack. JACK. He’s one silver fox I’d like to trap and keep. mmmhmmm…Jack is sexy, dominant, and even better than I remembered. We learn that Jack is running for Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and I am totally in support of every misuse of his government office *winks*. Caroline joins him on the campaign trail and uhhh gives Jack plenty of personal attention while on the road. A bit more explicit than Dissident, we’re treated to a lot of sexy scenes that will make your heart race and your thighs slick. PHEW.

The banter between Caroline and Jack is funny, light and definitely needed to break up the heaviness of the plot. You can actually feel the love between these two. They have a real relationship that just also happens to be charged with sexual tension and full of witty dialogue.

Of course, every time you’re in a place where you feel warm and safe, Cecilia then tears your soul apart – bringing you back to the present to join Caroline in prison. Conscience isn’t a light read, but it is smart, witty and incredibly well written. There is definitely a cliffhanger – this a six part series afterall – but we’re left with a little bit of hope and sliver of light that will keep you hooked on this series. This isn’t just a great romance, it’s a great book. Five Stars!

[I beta read a copy of this book and also received an ARC. Regardless, this is my honest review]

Review: Voyager by Diana Gabaldon

This post is part of my ongoing reviews/reading of the Outlander series – Read Outlander first. Potential spoilers ahead.

Author: Diana Gabaldon

Book: Voyager (Outlander #3)

Other Books in Series:

Outlander (Outlander #1) – my review is here
Dragonfly In Amber (Outlander #2) – my review is here
Drums of Autumn (Outlander #4)
The Fiery Cross (Outlander #5)
A Breath of Snow and Ashes (Outlander #6)
An Echo in the Bone (Outlander #7)
The Space Between (Outlander #7.5 – a novella)
Written in My Heart’s Own Blood (Outlander #8)
A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows (Outlander #8.5 – a novella)
Moonlight And Howling (Outlander #9 – not yet finished)

Link to buy all 8 books here

tl;dr recommendation: The secrets are forgivable, the passion is real, and the journey is unforgettable

Book Summary:

From the author of the breathtaking bestsellers Outlander and Dragonfly in Amber, the extraordinary saga continues.

Their passionate encounter happened long ago by whatever measurement Claire Randall took. Two decades before, she had traveled back in time and into the arms of a gallant eighteenth-century Scot named Jamie Fraser. Then she returned to her own century to bear his child, believing him dead in the tragic battle of Culloden. Yet his memory has never lessened its hold on her… and her body still cries out for him in her dreams.

Then Claire discovers that Jamie survived. Torn between returning to him and staying with their daughter in her own era, Claire must choose her destiny. And as time and space come full circle, she must find the courage to face the passion and pain awaiting her…the deadly intrigues raging in a divided Scotland… and the daring voyage into the dark unknown that can reunite or forever doom her timeless love.

Longer Review:

Sweet christ. I cursed more in this book than I have in any of the others, but this is also my favorite of the series so far. I don’t know why I get so angry with the characters when I KNOW that I’m just going to let them crawl back into my heart and do it all over again. I mean for fuck’s sake. JAMIE. Remember in the last book when I was so pissed at Claire I couldn’t see straight? Oh. Well, now it’s Jamie’s turn.

Until approximately 27% into this book I was really angry. AND THEN. The perfect scene happened. And it was like the rain fell lightly overnight, cooling the heat that was smothering me and I could finally breathe again. I spontaneously orgasmed. My heart burst from my chest. And all was right with the world.

We know from the blurb that Claire goes back in time to find Jamie now that she knows he’s alive – but twenty years have passed. TWENTY YEARS. Anything could have happened in those twenty years, and damnit, so much does. Can Claire accept the Jamie that he is now as opposed to the one that she remembers so long ago? It’s clear from the immediate reunion that they both burn for each other. The hot kisses and the firm grip of their love is undeniable to anyone who sees them. But as the truth unravels – as the secrets Jamie keeps start to spill out – can Claire forgive him? CAN I FORGIVE HIM?

There is a shit ton of angst, kidnapping, arson, prison, murder, glorious sex, shipwrecks, and even the return of a character that I never thought I’d see again. At one point I skipped through my kitchen and squealed while my husband gave me side eye and shook his head. At another point I had silent tears streaming down my face as a piece of my heart broke off.

This series is exceptional. Yes, it’s fucking long. Yes, Diana knows it. She actually makes fun of herself a little bit about the length of her books in this one and I found that refreshing. In all reality, this book is like 4 in one. There’s a lot packed into these pages that will keep you up at night and have you thinking about it during the day.I dreamed about this book, twining it into my sleep as well as my days. This book, like the others, is written extremely well. The attention to detail is outstanding and Diana knows just how far she can push you before you need a reprieve, and then she reels you back in with Jamie & Claire. Always Jamie & Claire.

The secrets are forgivable, the passion is real, and the journey is unforgettable. 5 Stars! On to Drums Of Autumn!

Blog Tour & Review: Black Dawn by Cristin Harber

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ABOUT BLACK DAWN

What happens when nothing is as it seems?

Lexi Dare is on a one-woman mission to stay alive. Both at home and at work. Because how did she end up with a ring on her finger and an abuser in bed as she readies to hit the high point in her career? Everything should be perfect. Amazing job. Handsome fiancé. It’s all a disaster.

Parker Black is the brains behind Titan Group, an elite security firm. In his world, everything is ordered and controlled, except what he feels for his buddy’s girl. Something in her eye screams for help, but he has no idea what.

When Lexi disappears, Parker realizes what he should have known. The lines blur between friendships and work, and they must find each other to survive a terror attack that only Lexi can stop.

Black Dawn can be read as a standalone and does not have a cliffhanger.

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Add BLACK DAWN to your Goodreads list here!

Buy BLACK DAWN now: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Kobo

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Review:

pounding hearts. a thrilling mission. finding freedom.
PARKER. PARKER. PARKER.

Parker is the book boyfriend of your dreams. Well, if he existed, he’d be the real life boyfriend of your dreams too, but I digress. Cristin knows how to write smart alpha men who make you swoon and Parker is no exception. A member of Titan, an elite private security force, Parker is also known online as BlackDawn. He’s a hacker but uses his skills for good. However, when he gets in a jam, he sometimes calls up the help of his biggest competitor, SilverChaos.

Silver – who is also Lexi – looks nothing like the tech geeks expect her to look. First, she’s a woman – and everyone thinks that SilverChaos is a man – but more than that she’s got her own unique and sexy as fuck style…that is, when she’s being true to herself. Somehow she’s found herself stuck in a relationship with an utter asshole. As Lexi tries to find to the person she is and the one she wants to become again, her personal and work lives collide in a way that she never imagined.

I was incredibly impressed that this book delved deeper into abuse-type issues than I thought it would. The portrayal of Lexi and Matt’s relationship was harsh, brutal and realistic. When Lexi finally maneuvers through that awful situation, I was cheering so goddamn hard.

I may have mentioned this before, but Parker is perfection. The way that he handles the situation with Lexi and Matt is amazing. I mean, I thought this book was going to just be all suspense and terror plot, etc. etc. BUT it’s so much more. As the kisses become stronger, the danger increases. Lexi’s forced to go into hiding, but Parker promises to find her. He will always find her.

The characters came off the page and hooked me at once. Their adorable geeky banter was humorous and threw a grin across my face. Lexi’s strength was compelling and Parker…well, his everything was everything. In case you missed it, I fucking love him.

The layers of this story and the beautiful way in which it is written make this a #MustRead. I give this ALL THE STARS.

[I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review]

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Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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ABOUT CRISTIN HARBER

Cristin Harber is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling romance author. She writes sexy, steamy romantic suspense and military romance. Readers voted her onto Amazon’s Top Picks for Debut Romance Authors in 2013, and her debut Titan series was both a #1 romantic suspense and #1 military romance bestseller.

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