60%

Secrets had a way of finding their way into the light.

Reading Update: 30%

“You want her to think that so she’ll stay away from you.”
"As far away as possible.”

I'm really enjoying this so far! Rom suspense that doesn't feel hokey, solid plot, solid characters, multifaceted villain, and building underlining sexual tension. Know only 30%, but this has me jonesing, y'all. 
Anyone read the first in the series? Why haven't I heard more about this author and series?!?

Review: Dark Under the Cover of Night

Dark Under the Cover of Night by Jayne Castel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

If you have read Kathryn Le Veque books because you want to read some Medieval books but found them "too much" (too many characters, series tie-ins, too historical) this might be a good alternative. It is hard to find Early Medieval period books and this one doesn't deal with Vikings, so I was excited to download this one as a Kindle Freebie.
The vernacular mostly reads as more modern, with historical appropriate terms and titles, which makes it more "readable". The author incorporates real historical figures to give it more feel which I liked.
The book is a bit top heavy though with good story and character building, the ending is rushed with characters acting in ways that feel forced for angst because of previous set-ups. I really enjoyed the first half but character make-ups kind of took a dive in the second half and left them feeling only 70% complete instead of fully fleshed out.
The women definitely don't have it easy in this one, one sexy-time scene between hero and heroine (other sex scenes), and not a fully completed romance.
Started off promising but kind of fell apart in ending second half. Definitely a win for a Kindle freebie and fun to visit a different time period.

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Review: Live By The Team

Live By The Team by Cindy Skaggs
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was in the script and had elements of Elite Ops - Lora Leigh (sexy times take over a lot), Hard Ink - Laura Kaye (military men having to band together to fight corruption), and Sin Brothers - Rebecca Zanetti (enhanced soldiers).

The enhanced soldiers aspect wasn't explained the best, not a lot of detail about how the hero's elite group was given a medical cocktail to not feel fear, just needed to be flushed out more to be grasped and willing to follow along. One of the hero's friends is featured a lot and the hero of the next book but the others in his group are introduced towards the end and that's all we basically get.

The hero and heroine's romance begins before the book begins (they are already married), so I definitely missed the falling in love aspect. The romance leans heavily on sexy times and "I can't live without you! But it's too dangerous to be together! But wait, I can't live without you!" that the hero ping pongs back and forth.

There's the main storyline of the hero possibly being in danger from the shady black ops company that medically enhanced him and his group and some foreclosure and meth lab criminal group that is endangering his wife. Yeah, the foreclosure/meth storyline felt a bit unneeded and as it was the most focused on plot, I can't help but feel what was really the point since we already have a pretty interesting super soldiers and shady government company being nefarious. Obviously, we'll get more about the shady government/super soldiers storyline in the next in the series but I still feel like I didn't get enough here.

This was interesting but the other series I mentioned that this had elements from kind of did it better and since those went for many books, I have a bit of fatigue about this plot. This was well written, lacked a bit in the romance department but was entertaining, a win for a Kindle Freebie download but not really anything that was new or makes me want to rush out to buy the next in the series.

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Review: While the Duke Was Sleeping

While the Duke Was Sleeping by Sophie Jordan
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I read this in between doses of NyQuil, so my memory is a bit fuzzy but suffice to say, it did not live up to its inspiration of the move While You Were Sleeping.

I was not a fan of the "hero" in this one. He is basically constantly telling the heroine that she wants it. I still read bodice rippers of old but heroes like this in modern romances get my foot on their bum and kicked out the door.

Follows the movie's script pretty closely, even some same lines!, but because of the hero, the story was meh for me.

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Review: The Earl

The Earl by Katharine Ashe
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm emerging from a sick cocoon that lasted 5 days, I wanted to write a solid review for this book because I had thoughts and feelings reading it but I barely had the energy to leave the bed to lay on the couch.

I see a lot of people had a problem with the heroine but I thought she was the better flushed out character of the two (hero). Yes, her grudge against the hero for "abandoning" her was forced and not quite up to snuff but I thought her brusque hard exterior and attitude towards the hero wasn't anything we haven't seen many anti-heroes or broody heroes pull on heroines in other stories before.

I think my main problem with this was the utter lack of chemistry between the two that came from the characters themselves not feeling fully sketched out or deep. For two characters I have been reading sassy corresponding over several books, I was shocked at how they felt like two stiff boards interacting.

This felt like the author was trying to recreate the magic of How a Lady Weds A Rogue, an adventurous road romance but yeah, the whole two stiff boards thing. I'm going to keep trying with this series because Ashe has given some of a my favorite books/characters/romance but these last few have been a bit disappointing.

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Review: The Vixen and the Vet

The Vixen and the Vet by Katy Regnery
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

She’s a beautiful, young, talented writer. She doesn’t want some hopeless, deformed man touching her.

Inspired by Beauty and the Beast (the hero's housekeeper/caretaker is named Miss Potts) this was a sweet, at times very ooey gooey, story. The hero is a war veteran who was physically scared pretty badly and when he came back home his hometown shunned him. The heroine is a gorgeous reporter who was conned by her boyfriend, ended up losing her job, and going back home to lick her wounds.

This definitely has a southern vibe and as a solid Yankee gal, I definitely had some side-eye and back up moments. These moments (not involving police in an attempted rape because that is what a Yankee girl would do, take care of it in house) weren't presented as right or wrong by the author just giving it her spin on a southern world. The southern vibe along with the sugar sweet, very sympathy inducing hero, and baked goods talk made this a nice little escape. The sweet tone does come along with some sexy little scenes, so don't take it to mean a bedroom door shut book.

If you enjoy Beauty and the Beast tropes, southern vibes, and spun sugar, this was enjoyable escapism.

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Reading Update: 40%

You look handsome.”

“You’re a liar.”

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Asher. And I’ve seen the way Savannah Carmichael beholds you.”

We all need a Miss Potts in our life at times to comfort, scold, push, and love. Love this tough kindly character

Review: A Study in Scarlet Women

A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

How had they managed to not realize, for so long, what they meant to one another? And why then must they see the light when it was too late, when they could possess no more than a few moments of ferocious mutual awareness?

With more historical mystery elements than romance, this new spin on an old classic character was immensely intriguing. The beginning was a bit schizophrenic to me and I had a little tougher time sliding into Thomas' world. Our main character Charlotte Holmes takes her time coming to the forefront but after I finished the book, I think this choice really worked, but I needed hindsight to appreciate it.

There's one main mystery case needing to be solved with other little ones sprinkled in as new characters get introduced. There's a handful of main stay characters, an Inspector that brings the reader through the main mystery case, Charlotte's sister Livia who welcomes us into the world, Mrs. Watson ;) who helps to set-up our Sherlock Holmes, and Lord Ingram who weaves in our little thread of romance. There are a two handfuls of secondary characters who serve the mystery case or help to fill out the world.

This is obviously a first in a series book and should be read as such, as most of this could be considered an introduction to characters and relationships. Thomas does an amazing job with all the myriad intricacies in everyone's relationships but just be aware there is not much typical romance here. Charlotte and Lord Ingram have a past and obvious tension between them but if there is any payoff to be found, it is definitely in future installments.

I didn't really settle into this until the second half of the book and I missed more romance but the intrigue, refreshing spin, and genuine stimulating writing kept me engaged.

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Reading Update: 15%

“By your standards it isn’t rational, I know. But you can’t expect to be treated rationally when you are a woman, Charlotte. I can’t explain why—that’s just how it is. And you must learn to accept it.”
Charlotte was quiet. Livia thought that perhaps for once, she’d put some sense into her little sister’s head. But as they walked back into the house, Charlotte turned to her and said, “I will try to understand why. But I will not learn to accept it. Never.”

Be a Charlotte.