SEAL of Honor by Tonya Burrows
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Length: 352 pages

Summary:

It’s a good thing Gabe Bristow lives and breathes the Navy SEAL credo, “the only easy day was yesterday,” because today, his life is unrecognizable. When his prestigious career comes to a crashing halt, he’s left with a bum leg and few prospects for employment that don’t include a desk.

That is, until he’s offered the chance to command a private hostage rescue team and free a wealthy American businessman from Colombian paramilitary rebels. It seems like a good deal—until he meets his new team: a drunk Cajun linguist, a boy-genius CIA threat analyst, an FBI negotiator with mob ties, a cowboy medic, and an EOD expert as volatile as the bombs he defuses. Oh, and who could forget the sexy, frustratingly impulsive Audrey Van Amee? She’s determined to help rescue her brother—or drive Gabe crazy. Whichever comes first.

As the death toll rises, Gabe’s team of delinquents must figure out how to work together long enough to save the day. Or, at least, not get themselves killed.Because Gabe’s finally found something worth living for, and God help him if he can’t bring her brother back alive.

Mar’s Review:

When I first spotted the cover, I had to read the book. Yummy hunk in his military pants sans shirt beckons you to open the pages! I loved this action packed story with a motley crew of characters. If you like military or action seeking males, then SEAL Of Honor is for you!

Gabe and his team set off to rescue a wealthy businessman on their first mission together. Talk about a comedy of errors! Action packed at every turn, Gabe and the businessman’s sister, Audrey, counter each other very well. Their chemistry is felt and even though Gabe frustrated me, Tonya Burrows kept him in his ex-SEAL character.

Plot twists make this book a cliffhanger and gives you a glimpse into possible new storylines. Audrey really was a handful and kept the storyline moving with her quick wit, quirky comebacks, and her take charge attitude when it came to getting the best out of Gabe. Fast paced storyline filled with lines that will make you chuckle, SEAL Of Honor is a delightful read.

Rated 4 Seashells by Mar!

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Kill Shot by Liliana Hart
Publisher: Self Published
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Length: 312 pages

Summary:

Grace Meredith is the CIA’s most deadly assassin. Too bad she’s gone off the grid and become a mercenary for hire. After the death of her daughter by a sniper’s bullet, Grace can no longer stomach the demands of agency life or keep herself from blaming the only man she’s ever loved. Her mind and body are fragile, and she knows she’s just a step away from breaking down completely.

Gabe Brennan holds the weight of the world on his shoulders. As one of the most brilliant black ops agents the CIA has ever employed, he knows it’s no one’s fault but his own that his child was gunned down in cold blood. He might not have been able to save his daughter, but he’s determined to save his wife. He only has to find her first.

Sexual tension crackles between Gabe and Grace from the moment they’re reunited, but between the man who is hunting them, a secret that’s been buried for eighty years, and a turbulent past—the odds are stacked against them.

Naunet’s Review:

Swoosh! The sound one hears after the reality hits the brain. Liliana Hart is a fascinating author who is new to me and has captured me as her latest hostage in Kill Shot. I am glad I stumbled across her path. Lilian Hart has a powerful, extraordinary ability for manufacturing a suspenseful narrative, which is apparent in Kill Shot. So, hop aboard for a breathtaking, exhilarating trek from various countries to get your “Kill ON”.

I enjoyed the book so much because the main characters are alluring and perfectly mated. This multi-dimensional firepower is manifested incredibly through their personalities.

Throughout Kill Shot, the tiny hairs on my neck were always on high alert as Ms. Hart took me on an adventurous ride with the strongest woman assassin I have run across.

Grace Meredith, the key character and an Alpha female, makes Wonder Woman look like a new born kitten. She is one kick butt lady. Her stealthiness is as smooth as a cirrus cloud floating innocently on a beautiful spring day. Grace is the woman I admire with nerves of steel, who is all about taking care of business without blinking an eye. Grace’s CIA kill skills are like non other. I bet Grace could qualify as a member of specialized Team 6 with the bad ass Navy Seals. Is there a weak bone in her gorgeous, sensual body? Few have gotten close enough to find out.

The persona of Gabe Brennan is magnetic and pulls me up close and personal to his strong broad shoulders and chest to listen to the drumming of his heart. The vibration reminds me of the beat of a bass drum under the powerful, gifted hands of an ancient warrior and tribal drummer. Gabe’s combination of rippling muscular body parts and the maneuvers of a snake charmer makes him a man who can take me higher and higher into a world of pleasure and trust. Gabe and Grace are a dynamo Alpha couple both in and out of the bedroom.

The whole black ops/ Seal, assassin suspense novels has always been like a drug to me. There are few authors that can develop and pull all aspects of undercover assassins and dangerous characteristics blended with hot carnalities without weakening the story.

Ms. Hart has a sensational storyline with believable characters. Kill Shot is a must read for individuals who appreciate the energy that comes with suspense, spys, secrets, sexiness and all things saucy. In my opinion, Kill Shot is no ordinary suspense novel because it strips away fake emotions and displays of love. There is no need for this talented author to push mushy madness into the elements of this fantastic nail biting, Alpha team.

Ms. Hart’s secondary characters’ roles were paramount in the pacing of this magnetic suspense.

Liliana Hart has magically distributed a well balanced weight of compassion, sexual tension, and spine tingling action throughout her storyline. This ability shifts Kill Shot into a mesmerizing read for her audience. Kill Shot is positively a page turner on so many levels. My suggestion is to read Kill Shot when you have the house to yourself for a day void of distractions.

I am definitely on board with any mission Liliana Hart plans to set into motion.

Rated 5 Seashells and a Recommended Read by Naunet!

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Forged in Grace by Jordan Rosenfeld
Publisher: Indie-Visible-Ink
Genre: Psychological Suspense (Adult w/YA and NA crossover appeal)
Length: 265 pages

Summary:

Grace Jensen survived a horrific fire at age 15. The flames changed her: badly scarred in body and mind, Grace developed an ability to feel other people’s pain. Unable to bear human touch, she has made a small life for herself in Northern California, living with her hoarder mother, tending wounded animals, and falling a little in love with her former doctor. Her safe world explodes when the magnetic Marly Kennet reappears in town; Grace falls right back into the dynamic of their complicated friendship. Marly is the holder of many secrets, including one that has haunted Grace for over a decade: what really happened the night of the fire?

When Marly exhorts Grace to join her in Las Vegas, to make up for the years they have been lost to each other, Grace takes a leap of faith and goes. Although Marly is not entirely honest about her intentions, neither woman anticipates that enlarging Grace’s world will magnify her ability to sense the suffering of others—or that she will begin to heal wounds by swallowing her own pain and laying her hands on the afflicted.

This gift soon turns darker when the truth of Marly’s life—and the real reason she ended her friendship with Grace—pushes the boundaries of loyalty and exposes both women to danger.

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Forged in Grace by Jordan Rosenfeld
Publisher: Indie-Visible-Ink
Genre: Psychological Suspense (Adult w/YA and NA crossover appeal)
Length: 265 pages

Summary:

Grace Jensen survived a horrific fire at age 15. The flames changed her: badly scarred in body and mind, Grace developed an ability to feel other people’s pain. Unable to bear human touch, she has made a small life for herself in Northern California, living with her hoarder mother, tending wounded animals, and falling a little in love with her former doctor. Her safe world explodes when the magnetic Marly Kennet reappears in town; Grace falls right back into the dynamic of their complicated friendship. Marly is the holder of many secrets, including one that has haunted Grace for over a decade: what really happened the night of the fire?

When Marly exhorts Grace to join her in Las Vegas, to make up for the years they have been lost to each other, Grace takes a leap of faith and goes. Although Marly is not entirely honest about her intentions, neither woman anticipates that enlarging Grace’s world will magnify her ability to sense the suffering of others—or that she will begin to heal wounds by swallowing her own pain and laying her hands on the afflicted.

This gift soon turns darker when the truth of Marly’s life—and the real reason she ended her friendship with Grace—pushes the boundaries of loyalty and exposes both women to danger.

When I first began writing FORGED IN GRACE, or rather, when the character of Marly whispered in my ear while I stoked a fire in a little cabin overlooking a wild river, I knew right away this would be a story about female friends. I didn’t know it would be a dark exploration, but when all was said and done, I continue to think of this novel as a “dark love story of friendship.” That is to say, it’s a story that celebrates the powerful bonds that young girls forge with one another as they act as surrogates to each other for the mature relationships that will come down the road.

I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of friends in my life, but as a girl, I only had one best friend, Sacha. The tried-and-true bestie who was part sister, part romantic stand-in, part keeper of secrets. She could make me feel good or break my heart all in the same day. She was an athlete to my bookworm, daring and brave where I was timid. She came from a loud family with brothers and two European parents. I was a latch-key kid from a “broken” home with two hippie parents.

Like Grace does Marly in the novel, I adored and was slightly in awe of Sacha. She bounced back from sleights while I wilted. She took the world head on, while I crept at it from the shadows. We fought, sometimes for days, but always came back together. Not until high school—though Sacha was a year older than I was—did a wedge come between us, and that wedge was, natch, another girl, named Shawna. A prettier, more sophisticated, worldly girl than me who didn’t use “too big” words and needed to wear a bra. Quickly I became replaced. It was a theme that would repeat in my life as part of the messy geometry of friendship. A theme that seems to happen to so many girls, teaching the painful lesson of jealousy and self-esteem, of loyalty and betrayal.

In FORGED IN GRACE, Grace has an unhealthy bond with the bold, beautiful Marly. Grace wants what Marly seems to have. And yet Marly is all pretense and façade. Her external world hides the darkness she keeps tucked away. What Grace thinks she wants, Marly may not actually have, and vice versa. And it’s up to Grace to realize her own talents and power in order to come to see the friendship for what it was, and is. A lesson many girls can use.

Many of my favorite books and movies about dark female friendships touch upon an overt or indirect sexuality between the girls. As an adult I can see now that most of these friendships are not, explicitly, sexual—barring those that really are, of course, and that’s not what I’m talking about in this piece—but rather girls, with their fluid and often early developed emotional lives, need to start exercising these feelings before the boys get around to it. They test them on each other, for better or worse. They project things onto one another that will someday be meant for their mates. In the best of scenarios, they forge life-long friendships; in others, jealousy and competition draw them apart.

As an adult, lucky to have a circle of dear, trusted women friends with whom I can talk honestly and show my dark and messy sides, I now look back on the friends of my youth with a clearer eye.  It was my girlfriends upon whom I first tested the strategies of what would someday become my grown-up relationships at slumber parties where we whispered to the night sky our deepest desires and fears. Like Grace, those early friendships are important artifacts that reveal precious information to me about myself.

Author Links:

Shadows and Silk by Liliana Hart
Series: A MacKenzie Novel – The MacKenzie Family
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Length: 268 pages

Summary:

Agent Brant Scott knows when a battle is lost. He’s been an integral part of hunting down members of the del Fuego cartel for years, but it’s not the violent criminals that have the ability to bring him to his knees. That honor belongs to one woman. And after spending a night in Darcy MacKenzie’s bed, he knows he has to disappear from her life or risk her finding out the one secret that can make her despise him forever.

Darcy MacKenzie is hell on wheels. At least that’s what her brothers tell her. And when she has the chance to work with the elite team assigned to destroy the most dangerous drug cartel in the world, she jumps at the chance to lend her expertise by deciphering the Mayan hieroglyphs the cartel is using to send messages.

The only problem is her partner is none other that Brant Scott—the only man she’s ever loved and the one who left her without a backward glance. With secrets of her own—and a body built for sin—Darcy is more than an equal match for the stubborn Brant. But loving each other could be more of a risk than either is willing to take.

Mar’s Review:

I have been hooked on the MacKenzie brothers for a while and apparently their charm, sex appeal, outlook on life, and their determination runs in the family! Shadows and Silk has occupied my attention since the preview I read in Cade, but nothing prepared me for Darcy, the kick ass sister who inherited that MacKenzie outward toughness that is spread inch thick like good cake frosting. If Brant Scott pulled a stunt like he pulled on Darcy, I don’t think the next time I saw him I’d be asking if he wanted to buy me a drink as he’d be having to pick himself up of the floor.

But Darcy is knowledgeable on how men like tough secretive government espionage agent Brant Scott are and she is just as determined to have that one time, shoot for the stars kinda love. Brant is sexier than is legally allowed and just as deadly. He and Darcy’s brothers go off to try and put an end to the violent crimes that have been hanging over their families heads for years, all the while dragging Darcy with them. Great at interpreting ancient lettering, Darcy heads off with the idea she was going to get as much sex out of Brant as she could, enough to provide her with a lifetime of memories.

I wish I knew who Liliana Hart uses as models for her secret agent men, but I don’t think I would be able to let them go once I had them within my grasp. Brant Scott is no different. Tough as nails on the outside and jittery as gelatin around the only woman who has ever stolen his heart. Watching the emotions through his eyes was palpable and caused their love scenes to be as memorable as the violence they encounter.

Strong characters that grab you by your throat and have you wanting more time with them are what you can expect from Shadows and Silk. Not to mention, a story that will have you wanting more stories on the MacKenzie brothers along with the Scott brothers.

Rated 5 Seashells and a Recommended Read by Mar!

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Killing Time by Cindy Gerard
Series: One-Eyed Jacks, Book One
Publisher: Pocket Books
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Sold by: Simon and Schuster Digital Sales, Inc.
Length: 416 pages

Summary:

“We can do this easy,” she whispered close to his ear as he groaned in agony, “or it can go real hard on you.”

Well, of course he wasn’t going to go easy.

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cindy Gerard plunges readers into the heart of a seductive contest of wills between a hard-living hero and a beautiful rogue operative who is on a mission to dig up the secrets of his past. Tension sizzles in this pulse-pounding first adventure in Gerard’s action-packed new series as Eva Salinas lures Mike Brown from the sultry streets of Lima, Peru, to the desolate Idaho wilderness on the hunt for the cold-blooded traitor behind a fatal military operation that haunts them both.

Excerpt:

CHAPTER 1

Lima, Peru

El Tocón Sangriento – the Bloody Stump – was a back alley, low rent cantina that hadn’t changed in clientele or décor since Mike Brown first set foot in the dump eight years ago. The class of women, however, appeared to have catapulted to new levels.

He turned his back to the cracked, smoky mirror, a shot of pisco in one hand, a time worn Jack of Hearts in the other and propped his elbows behind him on the edge of the scarred bar. Then he watched the dance floor with interest as one particular woman moved sensuously to the rhythm of a slow, Spanish guitar.

Absently flipping the playing card back and forth between his fingers, he squinted through the tobacco and marijuana haze at the dark-haired Latina beauty stirring up trouble and testosterone with the seductive sway of her hips. She was way too hot for this dive. And while he didn’t have a clue why she flashed her flirty smile his way, he wasn’t going to question his good luck. Just like he wasn’t questioning the reason he was tying one on like there was no tomorrow.

He tossed back the shot and exchanged it for a full one from the neat row of soldiers lined up on the bar behind him. Screw the fact that he’d been clean and sober for 364 consecutive days … a record he never seemed to beat. Tonight, like every other July 15th since Operation Slam Dunk had gone south, he was getting flat-ass drunk.

The end of days. That’s how he thought of the debacle in Afghanistan eight years ago.

‘Sobrietus interruptus’. That’s how he thought of his annual commune with alcohol and self-pity.

Tonight he was holding a post mortem. Throwing a pity party. Conducting a wake for the friends who’d lost their lives eight years ago. For the life and career he’d lost.

Hell, call it whatever you wanted – a guilt trip, grief, suppressed rage, self-destruction – he didn’t give a rip. It was happening. The only new wrinkle in his yearly bender was that it had started to look like he might also get laid.

Talk about poetic justice. He was already fucked up in the head … might as well make it a clean sweep.

Eyes on the prize, he slammed back one more shot, pocketed the bullet ridden playing card, touched the unlit cigarette tucked above his right ear for luck and pushed off the bar stool. Then he tried like hell not to stagger as he walked unsteadily across the room toward the spicy little enchilada who seemed to only have eyes for him. Big dark eyes. A little sleepy, a little slutty, a lot interested.

Damn, she was something. Centerfold something. A petite, hot mess of raw sexuality. Long, satin black hair escaped in sleek, bed-mussed strands from the silver clip she’d used to secure it in a loose knot on top of her head. Elegant neck. Smooth, bare shoulders. A lot of soft, caramel skin. And that red bustier – B cups not having a lot of luck harnessing a generous pair of C’s – worn with black spandex pants that stopped at her ankles where the straps of her four inch stilettos took over and played hell with the fit of his pants.

“Hey, gorgeous,” he said. Because she was. And because he was too wasted to come up with anything original. He moved in close – crowded the hell out of her personal space – and the way she slid up real close and cuddly told him that she was totally fine with the invasion.

“Hola,” she said, smelling sweet and musky and sexually charged as she tipped her head back with a bold, inviting smile and pressed those amazing breasts against his chest. “Nice bling.” A long-nailed fingertip – slick, shiny, red – tapped the diamond stud in his left ear, then lingered at the tip of his lobe.

“Nice…” he let his gaze slide down to that magnificent cleavage before easing back to her face… “smile.”

She laughed and tilted her head to the side in blatant invitation, giving him an even better view of all that dewy, soft flesh.

“Wanna take this somewhere private?” Just as well cut straight to the chase.

The lady knew what she wanted. “Thought you’d never ask,” she said, her English laced with sultry, lyrical Spanish.

Her hand was small and hot – like the rest of her – when she took his and led him toward the back door. He followed like a love struck puppy, mesmerized by the smell of her hair and the sway of her hips and the way her sparkly purse hung from a silver chain looped over her shoulder and rhythmically bumped her gorgeous ass with every step she took.

Outside, the alley was as shadowy and dark as the desire that ripped recklessly though his groin. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a warning bled through his lust-induced fog, telling him to slow the hell down, reminding him that if he hadn’t been so drunk, he might have asked a few more questions. That maybe, if he added two and two together he might come up with something other than fournicate.

Just because he wanted her to be a working girl, didn’t negate the fact that she had way too much going for her in the plus column for that gig. And just because he was drunk, didn’t mean he should let his guard down. He started to rethink this entire proposition … but then she leaned back against the wall, gripped his t-shirt with both hands and pulled him flush against her.

Good-bye presence of mind.

She was all hot, wet, open mouth and ripe breasts rubbing up against him, her left leg wedging super sweet between his thighs and moving up and down over his rapidly expanding package as he pressed her against the wall with his body.

He groaned and scrabbled for a hold on his sanity. “Maybe we should get a room, wild thing.”

She laughed, a husky, naughty purr and bit his lower lip. “That comes later, gringo … but you’re gonna come right now.”

Holy mother.

When she reached into her purse, another spike of alarm jabbed him out of his stupor.

“Condom.” She flashed that dimpled smile and damn if he didn’t almost weep with gratitude.

What the hell. It was dark. He was gone. And all this lush woman heat had him hypnotized by the prospect of her doing him, right here beneath the flashing neon Quilmes sign.

He skimmed his palms down her sides, pressed the heels of his hands against her superior breasts then slid them lower again, gripping her hips and rubbing her against his raging erection.

All the while, she had one hand on her purse, while rooting around inside with the other.

“Damn, sweetheart. If you don’t find that thing soon the party’s gonna be over.”

Just then he got wind of a scent … and got sober real fast.

He grabbed her wrist, pressed her harder against the wall and pulled her hand out of her bag. A loop of thin, stiff plastic dangled from her red tipped nails.

“Well now.” He glanced at the flex cuffs. “Speaking of bling. I’m all for kinky sex, but there’s no way in hell you’re going to slap that bracelet on me.”

She wasn’t smiling now.

“And nice perfume, by the way. Eau du le gun oil?” He felt the outline of a pistol inside that sparkly purse. “Shoulda gone for Shalimar, chica … the smell of that stuff makes me stupid.”

“That’s not all that makes you stupid,” she muttered and jammed a knee hard into his gonads.

He doubled over with a gasp of pain, helpless to fight her when she yanked his arms behind his back, expertly looped the strip of plastic around both wrists, and jerked it tight.

“We can do this easy,” she whispered close to his ear as he groaned in agony, “or it can go real hard on you.”

Well, of course, he wasn’t going to go easy.

He drove a shoulder toward her midsection. She dodged like a pro and he landed on his face in the alley’s pocked, filthy pavement.

By the time he felt the prick of the needle in his neck, it was all over but the headache he knew he was going to have when he woke up. If he woke up.

Which, unfortunately, he did.

CHAPTER 2

When Mike finally came to and managed to blink through the cobwebs clouding his vision, three things registered in disjointed tandem … each one worthy of a nightmare.

One – he was spread eagle on his back on a mattress in a room he recognized as standard fare fleabag hotel. Two – flex cuffs bound his wrists above his head to the bars of an iron headboard. And three – the woman staring at him in stony-eyed silence from a chair at the foot of the bed looked vaguely familiar.

And even though the only light in a room with mustard yellow walls and cracked plaster came from a low wattage bulb hanging from a frayed cord in the middle of the ceiling, very familiar, was the Beretta 92FS she held in a confident grip. The gun was his which not only made him stupid, it made him officially – if not literally – screwed.

Interesting. Sort of. Because there was some good news here. If she wanted to shoot him, she’d have done it by now.

So if she didn’t want him dead, then what did she want? And where, exactly, did he know her from?

He breathed deep. Fought to remember. Anything. Then snapped to with a painful jolt when a memory as blinding as headlights cut through the fog.

Cantina. Pisco. Hot tamale. Leading with his dick.

He clenched his jaw. Dumb ass. He’d let her get the drop on him. She must have juiced him with something. Yeah … he remembered the sting of the needle … stumbling down an alley, his arm slung over her shoulders, her arm around his waist … falling into a cab … staggering down a narrow hallway, up a flight of stairs.

Collapsing on a lumpy bed that smelled of mildew and cheap disinfectant and where – judging by the fact that he was still zipped and tucked – he was willing to give pretty good odds that he hadn’t gotten laid.

He framed her face between his boot tips, and squinted, trying to get a read on where this was going, who she might be. But she’d stacked her deck rock solid with the three c’s – cool, calm, and in control. Her unwavering gaze wasn’t giving anything away. He could still smell her above the low rent hotel room scent but gone was the sultry temptress with the bed mussed hair. She’d pulled all that black silk into a sleek, utilitarian tail and bound it snug at the nape of her neck. She’d also replaced her ‘slut suit’ with a blinding white t-shirt, tight jeans, and a pair of lace up leather boots that had seen a fair share of wear. And yet, if you overlooked the gun, she was still damn sexy – in a kick-ass, GI Jane, ball-breaker kind of way.

But sexy didn’t hold much sway right now. Too bad he hadn’t realized that half a dozen shots of pisco ago.

So … was she local policía? No. That didn’t fit. He’d be locked in a cell by now, most likely beaten, more likely dead. Besides, his nose was clean this trip. And despite the Rambo-ette persona, she didn’t have enough sharp edges to be a hardnosed cop. Not that he hadn’t been fooled by dangerous curves before.

Extortion? Good luck, chica. His plane was the only thing he owned of any value and that was hocked up to his eyeballs. Woman scorned, then? Did he know her from somewhere? Had he done her wrong? That didn’t fit either. He wouldn’t have forgotten a face or a body like hers.

So … what? What did she want?

Nothing good. The only thing he knew with any degree of certainty was that so far, he didn’t much like her agenda.

“Tell me what happened in Afghanistan,” she said without so much as a blink and absolutely zero warning.

And his heart stopped dead.

Whiskey Rebellion by Liliana Hart
Series: Addison Holmes Series
Publisher: Bodysways Publishing
Genre: Romantic Mystery/Comedy
Length: 236 pages

Summary:

WHISKEY REBELLION: AN ADDISON HOLMES MYSTERY

My name is Addison Holmes, and I teach history at James Madison High School in Whiskey Bayou, Georgia. You might be under the assumption that my life went to the dogs when my fiancé left me at the altar for the home economics teacher, or when I got notice that my apartment building was going to be condemned, or even when I was desperate enough to strip to my unmentionables to earn some extra cash. The truth is that I’m pretty much used to disasters following me around on a daily basis, but I could have gone without finding my principal dead in the parking lot of a seedy gentlemen’s club.

After the initial shock of finding my first dead body, which included throwing back shots of Jack Daniels like it was water, I decided to take stock of my life. I was in a desperate situation and if the school board ever found out I’d been a stripper, even a bad stripper, I’d be jobless as well as fiancé-less and homeless. Fortunately, I had a friend who felt sorry enough for me to give me a job doing some surveillance work at her detective agency. Not to mention the fact that I was now able to stick my nose into other people’s business for a good cause, find a murderer, and pick up helpful tips from an incredibly attractive detective.

Mar’s Review:

Whiskey Rebellion by Liliana Hart is a delightful read that left me smiling and anxiously waiting for Addison, our hilarious heroine, to finally get her man Nick in bed. Addison Holmes is a high school teacher, but not once did we ever really see her in teacher mode. She picks up a part time job working with her friend’s detective agency and is a riot in action. We first meet Addison after she has tried to earn extra cash to help her be able to move out of her condemned apartment building. From that first moment, you knew this book was going to make you laugh.

Comical errors, dead bodies, innuendo, and witty lines from all of the characters make for a fun, light read by Liliana Hart. I found myself many a time laughing out loud at the antics by this small town girl who really stands out for her wild dressing and interesting personality, not to mention the fact that she seems to somehow get involved in a lot of people’s business.

She is quickly falling for Nick, a police detective she first meets when she discovers her first dead body. Drunk and hilarious, she quickly sobers up into a woman destined to find love with this suave, sexy police officer who many a time seems to be too often in the right place at the right time. He finds our quirky girl sexy and desirable and spouts back equally witty lines at the most opportune moments.

I am looking forward to the continued series of Whiskey Rebellion and seeing if our surveillance girl finds a new apartment, a new job, and most importantly, does she finally get her man. I would definitely recommend checking out Whiskey Rebellion by Liliana Hart.

Rated 4 Seashells by Mar!

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Touched by Death by Dale Mayer
Publisher: Valley Publishing
Length: 90,000 words
Genre: Romance
Sub-Genre Romantic Suspense
Sub-Categories: Mystery/Thriller
Heat Level: Steamy (Hot sex scenes/language, but not explicit.)

Available at:

Amazon

Summary:

Death had touched anthropologist Jade Hansen in Haiti once before, costing her an unborn child and perhaps her very sanity. A year later, determined to face her own issues, she returns to Haiti with a mortuary team to recover the bodies of an American family from a mass grave.

Visiting his brother after the quake, independent contractor Dane Carter puts his life on hold to help the sleepy town of Jacmel rebuild. But he finds it hard to like his brother’s pregnant wife or her family. He wants to go home, until he meets Jade – and realizes what’s missing in his own life.

When the mortuary team begins work, it’s as if malevolence has been released from the earth. Instead of laying her ghosts to rest, Jade finds herself confronting death and terror again. And the man who unexpectedly awakens her heart – is right in the middle of it all.

Excerpt:

The women headed to the Iron Market and the few shops open along the way. The elegant mansions and townhomes spoke of days gone by. Once glorious in their regal bearing and bright colors, these buildings had taken a major knock from Mother Nature. Still, even with the damage from the earthquake, Jacmel was a tourist destination like no other. At least here, there were obvious revitalization attempts happening to get the city back on its feet.

The afternoon zipped by at a rapid pace – full of shopping, laughter and fun as the women ran from shop to shop and stall to stall buying a few items to make their job a little brighter and more comfortable. Jade was delighted to find several brightly colored t-shirts and cotton pants in a beige-khaki color. They would withstand a lot of wear and tear. At one brightly festooned stall, she found several hair clips big enough to hold her heavy blond hair off her neck.

If she’d had a little longer to prepare and pack, she’d have gotten a haircut. As it was, the clips would do for now. She could always get it cut here if she couldn’t stand the heat. Meg’s short curls looked perfect. And Susan’s fine black bob that stopped at her chin also looked comfortable.

“Now that has to feel better.” Meg patted Jade’s hair clip. “Nice. Now I almost wish I had long hair myself. Almost.” She grinned and picked up several clips. “I bet my sister would love a couple.”

“Later, when it’s time to go home. Too much to pack this early.”

“You’re right.” Meg put it back with a sigh. “Too bad though.”

As they headed back to the SUV Susan stopped at another brightly colored stall, one festooned with odd-looking handmade dolls. An old short and squat women – wearing so many necklaces, they almost obliterated the sight of her red blouse underneath – worked at the booth. The woman’s black gaze latched onto Jade and never let go.

Jade moved to the other side of Susan in an effort to get away from that piercing stare. And came too close to the weird-looking straw and cloth dolls. She noticed the papier-mâché looking ones painted in black with weird markings…and many other items she couldn’t begin to recognize. “What are these things?”

“Vodou paraphernalia.”

Jade shuddered and took several steps back. “Not for me, thanks.”

Susan shook her head vigorously. “No. You don’t get it. This stuff is for good luck. Used to ward off bad spirits.”

With a second shudder, Jade moved several steps back, shaking her hands in front of her. “I still don’t want one.”

Susan grinned and reached to pluck her choice off the top of the stall. “Well I do. Just what we need for the grave work.”

The transaction was done in silence. The old woman accepting the money never took her eyes off Jade. Unsettled, Jade did everything to avoid her. She wished Susan would hurry.

Finally they were done. Jade turned to leave when the old women moved off her stool so quickly, Jade never would have believed it possible if she hadn’t seen it herself. Before Jade could back away the old woman grabbed her by the arm.

“Danger stalks you. You see it but you don’t understand it. Careful. Or you will join those that have gone before.” She dropped Jade’s arm and returned to her stool beside her cart.

Jade froze. So shocked and horrified by the crone’s touch, she hardly understood what the old woman said.

Meg grabbed her arm. “Come on,” she hissed. “Forget about her. Let’s get back to the SUV.”

Susan snagged her other arm so the three walked back linked together.

“That was too weird,” Meg said. “I’m glad you got a doll, Susan. Good luck is just what we need.”

Posted reviews from satisfied readers!

This book had so many twists and turns and I can honestly say that the ending truly surprised me! I was not expecting it to end the way it did so kudos to Ms. Mayer for keeping the suspense up until the ending. There are mentions of voodoo in the story but because this is Haiti, how can there not be? However, these do not take over the story and the evil in this story is purely human. This was a great mystery entwined with a good love story and just enjoyable all the way around. (Kmoaton)

Another well written, suspenseful book that’s come to be expected, by Dale Mayer. Her characters come alive and the story literally jumps off the pages. A mix of devastation from the earthquake in Haiti to painting a picture of the beauty that was untouched by it with a smattering of Haitian spiritual beliefs thrown in. Highly recommend. (Janet Fedor)

Dale Mayer has done it again. She’s written an amazing, page-turning book that’s unlike any other book I’ve read. I can’t imagine any other author setting a book in Haiti after a devastating earthquake – and pulling it off so brilliantly. I cared about Jade and Dane. They felt like real people in trouble. I admired them and wanted them to be safe and happy.

I’m good at guessing endings, but this book kept me in suspense up to the end. I already want to read Mayer’s next book! (E.S. Rose)

About The Author

Dale Mayer is a prolific multi-published writer. She’s best known for Tuesday’s Child, Hide’n Go Seek, her romantic suspense novels that was one of the final four in the Kensington Brava/Romantic Times contest this last year. Besides her romantic suspense/thrillers, Dale also writes paranormal romance and crossover young adult books in several different genres. To go with her fiction, she also writes nonfiction in many different fields with books available on resume writing, companion gardening and the US mortgage system. She has recently published her Career Essentials Series . All her books are available in print format as well.

To find out more about Dale and her books, visit her at http://www.dalemayer.com. Or connect with her online with Twitter at www.twitter.com/dalemayer and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dalemayer.author.

BOOKS BY DALE MAYER:

Psychic Vision Series

Tuesday’s Child

Hide’n Go Seek

Maddy’s Floor

Single Title Romantic Suspense/Thrillers

Touched by Death – out now!

Novellas

It’s a Dog’s Life- romantic comedy

Young Adult Books

Dangerous Designs – Book I

Deadly Designs – Book 2 – out soon!

Vampire in Denial – Book I of Blood Ties

Vampire in Distress – Book 2 out soon!

Gem Stone Mystery Series- out soon!

In Cassie’s Corner- soon

Non-Fiction Books

Career Essentials: The Resume

Career Essentials: The Cover Letter

Career Essentials: The Interview

Career Essentials: 3 in 1

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Barrage Schedule:

July 26, 2012
AJ’s Reading Nook
Beth Art from the Heart
The Blackraven’s Erotic Cafe
Hywela Lyn – Romance that’s “Out Of This World”
The Readers Roundtable The Smokin’ Gun

July 27, 2012
Avril’s Blog
Coffee Beans & Love Scenes
Reading with Holly
The Bunny’s Review
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Deceive Her With Desire by Nina Pierce
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Romance
Lenght: 116 pages

Summary:

A woman determined to protect her heart…

Landscaping in Delmont, Maine hasn’t been DEIRDRE TILLING’s only passion. Up until two months ago, it had included a live-in lover. Jilted for the third time in as many years, Deirdre’s decided to give up on love. With her feet firmly planted on the path of one night stands, she finds herself heating up the sheets with a dark haired stranger she met at her new employer’s party. But one night with the man who is both sexy as hell and compassionate, may not be enough.

An agent hell bent on proving himself…

DEA agent, AYDEN SCOTT, has a lot to prove after a disastrous drug bust in Miami three years earlier that left a member of his team dead. Working undercover as lead investigator, he’s determined to bring down an elusive drug cartel smuggling heroin into central Maine. He’ll use any means necessary to complete his objective, including sleeping with the suspected drug Lord’s landscaper, Deirdre. He just hadn’t expected the feisty redhead to be so much more than long legs and dangerous curves.

One night neither of them can forget…

Deirdre and Ayden both thought one sexually explosive romp in the sack would be the end of their relationship. But Deirdre’s arrest for heroin possession and her father’s near-fatal heart attack prompts Ayden to confess his true identity. When Deirdre is kidnapped by the drug cartel and used as a pawn, Ayden is forced to choose between his heart and his mission. The question is…who will survive his decision?

*** This book was previously published under the title “Love’s Bounty” ***

Mar’s Review:

Deceive Her With Desire is the 2nd book about the Tilling sisters in the trilogy. Deirdre is the gardening, tree pruning sister who up until recently has had a live in female lover. Now that her lover is gone, Deirdre has to prune herself and get ready for new growth. Easier said than done until she meets Ayden. Problem is, Ayden isn’t who he says he is. How can she learn to trust again?

While they light up the sheets from their very first kiss, will their passion be enough for her to blossom? I love how Ms. Pierce is able to tie in the cast of supporting characters into the plot and keep the reader up to date on them and their lives.

Fast paced action, full of twists, and a scorching amount of erotic passion await you in the spicy thriller, Deceive Her With Desire. It is definitely a challenge for me to decide which of the Tilling sisters I enjoy the most! What I do know is that they truly have the sexiest men to hang out with for a few hours!

Rated 4.5 Seashells by Mar!

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Cheat Her With Charm by Nina Pierce
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Romance
Lenght: 101 pages

Summary:

He’s got a secret past. She’s got dreams for their future. Together they have a problem that may just kill them both…

Floral designer, MEGHAN TILLING, has been in love with her fiancé since college. With her business, his promotion and a family illness, she’s finding the demands on her time are keeping them apart. PETER MADDOCK loves his fiancée with a fierceness that claws at his soul, but finding answers to his past becomes an obsession he can’t ignore. When bizarre accidents threaten Meghan’s life, he wonders if his secrets have finally caught up with him. Can they both discover the truth without paying the ultimate price …their lives?

Mar’s Review:

Loved, loved, loved the suspense in Cheat Her With Charm by Nina Pierce! I was impressed with the plot, the set up, and the well written story line that really had me hooked from the beginning.

I had already read the stories of Meghan Tilling’s two sisters so was anxious to sink my teeth into Cheat Her With Charm. Definitely the most suspenseful book of the three. Great job Ms. Pierce of tying up all of the loose ends with the other characters, including the parents.

Cheat Her With Charm stands alone on its own merit, but if you have a chance to read Deceive Her with Desire and Blind Her With Bliss, do so! These books also include quick paced action, snappy dialogue, and characters that won’t let you put their stories down.

This particular story had less erotic scenes and focused more on sensual scenes than the other two novels in this series. Not that they weren’t great scenes, they just weren’t as steamy as Ms. Pierce is known for. However, as stated previously, Cheat Her With Charm is the most suspenseful of the three books in the series and was well worth the wait.

Rated 4.5 Seashells by Mar!

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