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The Slaughter of Leith Hall by Lexie Conyngham – Review by Jana Teppih

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The Slaughter of Leith HallThe Slaughter of Leith Hall by Lexie Conyngham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Slaughter of Leith Hall by Lexie Conyngham is a historical mystery story that any history lover can appreciate! If you love Scotland and if you know even a bit of the great historical events of that beautiful country then for sure this book is for you! It was my first read by this writer and I have to say that I had not really read the genre either before so it was a great surprise! I chose to pick up the book because I love Scotland and I love history and … nothing else to add!
The story takes place not long after Culloden and Jacobites are still going strong though they lost so many of theirs. We meet a young man called Charlie Rob who finds himself on a journey under the guidance of John Leith of Leith Hall. It is a journey filled with twist that is always part of searching for justice and truth! He ends in a middle of a mystery murder case and he will all to find out the truth.
I have to say that I am used to having a romance always peppered through most of the stories I read, historical or not (I am a great fan of Outlander series and I think that says it all when it comes to historicals) and in some ways it was a fresh breath of wind to read something that was so interwoven with the history I know of and just have a young man looking for an answer and truth!

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Confidentiality (Scope of Practice Book 2) by Jessica Aiken-Hall – Review by Jana Teppih

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ConfidentialityConfidentiality by Jessica Aiken-Hall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Confidentiality is the second book in Jessica Aiken-Hall’s Scope of Practice series. You absolutely have to start with the first book Boundaries as otherwise you will have no idea what is going on, who is who and why things are happening as they are! It is a brilliant continuation of a mystery that will continue into the third story.
Valerie Williamson’s past is out in the open and everything seems perfect – her personal life is blossoming and she is getting closer to Tim who offers her more than anyone has ever offered her and she accepts it! She is forging a deeper connection with the members of the support group she leads and this connection becomes a compulsion to protect them. There are a lot of moving parts in the story that Jessica has woven and they all play their important part so do not lose sight of them! The writer is touching upon some very sensitive subjects and I commend her for that! I love the care she is taking when doing so and she goes deep … so deep it is painful … Add to the mix a string of murders that Valerie knows are connected so she puts her life into danger when she decides she needs to figure it out as she is sure they are linked to someone she cares for! The end will blow your mind and I cannot wait for the third story in the series that gives us insight into why …

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Virtually Gone (High-Tech Crime Solvers Book 6) by Jacquie Biggar – Review by Jana Teppih

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Virtually Gone (High-Tech Crime Solvers #6)Virtually Gone by Jacquie Biggar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Virtually Gone is the sixth book in High-Tech Crime Solvers series where a group of authors have gotten together to write series of techno-thrillers, stories that have a promise of high technology and interlocking cast of characters and where one might just get away with a murder! I had read Jacquie Biggar’s Men of WarHawks series so I expected something spectacular and I was slightly disappointed! I felt that this story was not of the same calibre as the WarHawks series though overall I do not regret that I picked up a copy.
Virtually Gone takes place in Victoria in British Columbia and we meet Julie who is an investigative reporter and Matt’s partner’s Connor’s girlfriend so it makes Matt’s life, who is the lead Detective in this story, a bit dicey! Throw into the mix a serial killer, Matt’s past tragedy and you have a good formula for a great story! It took a bit for the story to really get off the ground but once it did and once I had sorted out the back stories in my head, I could not wait to turn pages and to find out who where and how and I tell you, the technology that they used for the investigations? Mind-blowing!

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Calamity under the Chandelier (A Sleuthing Starlet Mystery Book 1) by Camilla Blythe – Review by Jana Teppih

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Calamity under the Chandelier (Sleuthing Starlet Mystery #1)Calamity under the Chandelier by Bianca Blythe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Calamity under the Chandelier is the opening to Bianca Blythe’s new series called Sleuthing Starlet Mysteries. It is my first foray into Ms Blythe’s universe and as I understand, it is her first mystery story and it takes place in the time period between the two world wars, just when the Flapper Era has ended. I can see that her other series have been taking place in further past so it was interesting to start off knowing that this is her first detective story AND it is in the ‘most recent’ time.
We have two American girls in England at Christmas time – Veronica who has married the son of a duke and her friend Cora who has lost her contract with movie studio and decides to take the trip her friend. You can just close your eyes and picture how two American starlets are wreaking havoc in the stiff upper lip crowd! The writer is giving us an interesting view into the upper class of the time when the first rumblings of the discontent are being heard and the next war is just around the corner.
There are twists and turns and there are quite a few unpleasant characters there but on the other hand each of them adds something to the story so they pull you in and you lean back and light your ciggie, drink a glass of absinthe and try to solve the murder with Cora. It was great to see how Cora emerged as a confident and brave young woman after meeting her at the beginning as a shy and unsecure girl.
I can see that there are 3 more stories in the series so if you take a liking to Cora and her Great English Adventure, then you know you have quite a few hours to look forward to! I am sure that the ‘ride’ also gets smoother the more into the era and the characters we get into!

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St. Nick’s Christmas Wish (Holiday Hunks Book 7 – Hot Hunks-Steamy Romance Collection Book) by Tamara Ferguson – Review by Jana Teppih

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Holiday Hunks-St. Nick's Christmas Wish (Hot Hunks Steamy Romance Collection Book 7)Holiday Hunks-St. Nick’s Christmas Wish by Tamara Ferguson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

St. Nick’s Christmas Wish by Tamara Ferguson is the 7th book in Holiday Hunks – Hot Hunks Steamy Romance Collection. It takes us (back) into her Crystal Rock universe in Wisconsin with Emma Caffrey and Nick Hanover.
It is a lovely holiday read that would be a great introduction into Tamara’s universe where Crystal Rock meets Wounded Warriors and I promise you, you will get hooked on it and you will want to go and read EVERYTHING she has written and I promise you many many hours of pleasure! I love how Tamara tells us the story of human depravity that one overpowers with love and care and that there is light at the end of the tunnel and hope, always hope and love! Every single one of stories carries a deeper feeling and gets woven into the fabric and magic of Dragon Pointe.

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TWO HEARTS UNSPOKEN TARGETS (Two Hearts Wounded Warrior Romance Book 11) by Tamara Ferguson – Review by Jana Teppih

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TWO HEARTS UNSPOKEN TARGETS (Two Hearts Wounded Warrior Romance Book 11)TWO HEARTS UNSPOKEN TARGETS by Tamara Ferguson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Two Hearts Unspoken Targets (Two Hearts Wounded Warrior Romance Book 11) by Tamara Ferguson is the extended version of the original Two Hearts Unspoken that I read three years ago. It was one of the first books by the writer and was one of the reasons why I fell in love with everything that Tamara writes so I was more than happy to pick up this extended version! You could read all her books as standalones but I warmly insist that you give yourself a go ahead to read them in order as you will meet certain people prior ‘their’ books and there are different back stories and, I promise, you will not regret it a bit!
I remember originally thinking that the story was way too short so I was delighted to revisit with Elizabeth (Beth) and Zach and Kyle. It was such a heart warming story of two people who for the longest time have thought that they will never find someone right for them. Add to it war wounds and a divorce and an autistic child and … you get the picture!
It is an insta love story and let’s be honest, even though we say we do not believe in love at first sight, deep down we keep our fingers crossed and hope that it is possible. I think it feels real in this story and throughout the story I found myself rooting for Zach and Beth. This story is actually much more than just a simple romance, it touches upon important issues that many people struggle with and that many of us do not have a lot of experience with so I am grateful to the writer bringing the world of wounded vets and the lives of autistic children and their parents closer to us! I have to say now after having read every single one of her Crystal Rock and Wounded Warrior stories that her stories are emotional but at no point do we feel pity for them as they are survivors and an example of how to get back to living to every one of us!

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Wrapped Up In You by Erin Bevan – Review by Jana Teppih

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Wrapped Up In YouWrapped Up In You by Erin Bevan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wrapped Up in You by Erin Bevan is a magical Christmas romance and this one is as cheesy as you can get. Add to this that you might be reading it in the height of a hot July month and you will be wishing for Christmas as well! I hope that you will keep an open mind and pick up the story and stop thinking about Hallmark Christmas movies …well …. Sort of … in some ways I would say that this story is not really about Christmas, it is about so much more!
Wrapped Up in You gives you Santa Claus’ daughter Jenny and Logan who crashes his plane into the toy factory on the North Pole during the gala where Jenny is supposed to choose her husband! There is chemistry and there is memory loss and there is duty and there is love … you start cheering for these two from the beginning and I have to admit that I had to go and read the ending as I could not take the stress of not knowing what Logan’s past was! I spent great couple of hours with Jenny and Logan and the rest of the great characters that the writer gives us and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did!

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Boy on Hold by JD Spero – Review by Jana Teppih

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Boy on HoldBoy on Hold by J.D. Spero
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Boy on Hold is a bitter sweet crime story by J.D. Spero that is not your usual run of the mill crime story. This was my first read by the writer and I can say now that it is a story that any crime lover would enjoy reading. It is a story told from multiple point of views that pulls you even deeper into the story that is filled with twists and turns and heart ache and realities of addiction, mental illness, and murder.
In the center of the story is a seven year old Henry ‘Hen’ Trout who witness his neighbour’s, sweet old Miss Sally’s murder during the Cabbage Night in a small Adirondack town. He is a troubled child whose way of looking at the world will fascinate you and steal your heart. It is his older, seventeen year old brother Tyler that is arrested for the crime. All the evidence points to Tyler and his mother and his brother struggle with it being a possibility …
The writer takes us deep into the dynamics a broken family, a single mother struggling to keep it together and small town filled with plenty of shady characters. She tells the story in such a considerate way that even though one could think that surely this story is way too depressing; it never pulls you too down. Still, it is heart breaking and it stays with you for a while, be prepared.

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The Divided Twin (The Divided Series Book 2) by M. Billiter with Kyle Thomas – Review by Jana Teppih

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The Divided Twin (Divided #2)The Divided Twin by M. Billiter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Divided Twin is the second book in M. Billiter’s series Divided that her son Kyle contributed to heavily. I would not recommend you to read it as a standalone as it is the same family as in book one, it is simply that the first book it was Tara, the mother, who was the lead, and in this one it was her sons, the twins Aaron and Branson. By giving us their story, from their point of view, Mary took us into a different direction and also the tone of the story changed into much more ‘young adult’.
If you have read the first book then you know that the series touches upon some very serious subject matters, the mental illness the most central one, and not only from the point of view of the person suffering it but also how it affects the whole family and their friends. As the writer has experience with this type of mental illness that is in the center stage of Divided through her son Kyle then it gets as real as it can and she approaches it all using facts and compassion that makes it even more real.
There are twists and turns and I think it is really the second half of the book when the story got so ramped up that I was left destroyed by the end. I have to say it was hard to keep Branson and Aaron apart and quite often I had to go back to the beginning of the chapter to be reminded of whose head we were in but at the same time I do understand it as they were identical twins and they both suffered from the illness though it took slightly different shape and form from one twin to the other and one of them acknowledge and worked with it and the other one not …
Thank you Mary and Kyle for tackling this taboo subject and sharing it with us! It is a story that will haunt me for days to come!

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Being Lost (Satan’s Devils MC San Diego #1) by Manda Mellett – Review by Jana Teppih

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Being Lost (Satan's Devils MC San Diego #1)Being Lost by Manda Mellett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Being Lost is the first book in Manda Mellett’s Satan’s Devils MC San Diego series. We have been waiting for it for a while now! I love that Manda is venturing out with all those spin- offs! I think the one we are still missing is the Las Vegas Chapter! What it also means, is that there will be so much more goodness coming our way!
In general we are so used to seeing all those young buff guys as the heroes in the MC series, dark and gloomy … it is not very often that we meet someone of Lost’s calibre and age and add to it Patsy and women of mature age will gleefully sit back and loose away some hours in their company! I also love how the writer creates these tangible connections between the mother chapter and the other chapters! Patsy’s daughter is Bethany, Ink’s Old Lady who we met in Ink’s Devil, book #5 in the Colorado Chapter series! Also, I absolutely love the brotherhood and loyalty and standing with all your brothers in the time of need and it also gives us an opportunity to get snippets from the lives of brothers we have met in the other books.
Lost is the prez of the San Diego chapter and his journey to this position has not been a light one … it is so often that he feels like he has been lost for a while now … Patsy has left his old life behind to keep her daughter and son safe and she thinks she is safe in San Diego but one’s past has a tendency of popping up when one does not want or need it and so happens also here … in ride the Satan’s Devils to save the day and off we go! You would think that it would be a fast paced, guns blazing kind of a story but you could not be further from the reality … it flows like a river on a warm summer day, leaving you feel just right!
Dear Manda, thank you for finally giving us San Diego chapter and please keep them’ coming!

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Martimus (Feisty Lawyers Book 5) by Seelie Kay – Review by Jana Teppih

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Martimus (Feisty Lawyers Book 5)Martimus by Seelie Kay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Martimus is already the fifth book in Seelie Kay’s Feisty Lawyers series. I cannot believe we are already at book number 5, it feels as if we just started! You could try to read the book as a standalone but I don’t know why one would do that as in my head the series builds the tension one book after another and you feel as if you know the gang and …yeah, do yourself a favour and start from the beginning!
Martimus gives us Agent Cate Creighton’s story who needs to figure out what is going on with all those socialites with influential parents disappearing while navigating her new relationship with a former US Navy Seal Warren Hazelton. Throw into the mix our favourite MI-6 agent Tillie Henderson and you will end up sitting at the edge of your seat until the last page! I think that the series gets better and better with each book and I cannot wait what the sixth book will throw at us!

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Irresistible Weddings (Irresistible Romance Book 4) Anthology – Review by Jana Teppih

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IRRESISTIBLE WEDDINGS (Irresistible Romance Book 4)IRRESISTIBLE WEDDINGS by Tamara Ferguson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Irresistible Weddings is a collection of nine stories by some of the coolest writers I have ever read! Some of them were new for me and some of them I have been following for years and have read everything or most they have ever written (hint, Tamara Ferguson and Stephanie Queen!!!!) I love anthologies/collections as they give us a great opportunity to discover new writers and if you love romance then Irresistible Weddings is the fourth book in the Irresistible Romance series!
If you want to prolong the pleasure and build up the romance, read just one story a day! It helps you to really feel and it also gives you time to go looking for what the writers have written more if you like their writing!
As you can guess, the first story I headed for was Tamara Ferguson! Her Two Hearts’ Alliance is another story from her Wounded Warriors series and I absolutely loved it! I don’t think I have read anything by Tamara that I have not liked! This story is about two people coming together and forming an alliance that might turn into love if they do not get torn apart by an enemy…
The other one that I headed for was Playing with the Bridesmaid by Stephanie Queen, one of my favorite Aussie writers! She gives us Max and Natalie and I laughed a lot and I also felt a lot. It was a great story with a surprising twist and it shows as that an age might just be a numbers, in some cases!
The collection gives us stories that are different and at the same time familiar and you will enjoy every single one of them!

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Another Yesterday (Seashells and Second Chances Collection Book 2) by Angela Christina Archer – Review by Jana Teppih

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Another Yesterday (Seashells and Second Chances Collection Book 2)Another Yesterday by Angela Christina Archer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another Yesterday is the second book in Angela Christina Archer’s Seashells and Second Chances Collection. I have not read the first but as I fell in love with the way the writer tells her stories; I will go back and read the first one. In addition, I love the second chances stories that take place in small town New England so it really ticked some boxes for me!
Another Yesterday tells us two stories; one that got its beginning in 1966 and the other one that comes to a stop in 1996. In 1966 Maggie arrives in a small town of Shadow Brook with her little baby girl Rachael. She does not know if she is staying or simply passing through and she ends up finding a home, a sanctuary in a form or a beautiful old inn. In 1996 Maggie’s no longer little girl Rachel has returned to Shadow Brook as well, after her own bout with heartache. Her mother is gone and finally, the secrets collide and it is time to face the past, more distant and a closer one and we are swept away on a journey filled with so much emotion ad family and sacrifice and second chances and new beginnings … Be prepared to swing from 1966 to 1996 and back and have a box of tissues nearby!

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A Book Signing To Die For: Beach Reads by Judy Moore – Review by Jana Teppih

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A Book Signing To Die ForA Book Signing To Die For by Judy Moore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Book Signing To Die For by Judy Moore is an entertaining beach read filled with murder, mugging, family drama and secrets. It is my first read by this writer and she will be one of my go to writers when I feel like something cozy but with a slight edge!
The story takes place in a small Florida town of Manatee Beach and we have O’Rourke women who will need to take on a murder that happens in their Beach Reads bookstore and coffee shop during a book signing. Beck is the older sister who co-owns the place with her grandmother Miss Alice, younger sister Lizzie is the third female of the family that rounds up the trio, oh and let’s not forget the family’s Great Dane, Coquina!
When the book signing guest who knew the writer from years earlier turns up murdered, Beck decides to find out who killed her. You think you are just going along on the ride and can figure it out yourself but I tell you, it is not as simple as it seems on the surface! Throw in the hot detective, someone who Beck went to school with and who is partially responsible for her giving up her dreams of becoming a detective and you have a story that you do not mind staying up late in the evening!
I am not sure if this is an opening to a new series but I hope that Beck will have more opportunities to flex her detective muscle AND who knows what will become of her relationship with the hot detective!

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New Jerk in Town: An Enemies-to-Lovers Romantic Comedy (Carolina Kisses Book 2) by Sylvie Stewart – Review by Jana Teppih

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New Jerk in Town: An Enemies-to-Lovers Romantic Comedy (Carolina Kisses Book 2)New Jerk in Town: An Enemies-to-Lovers Romantic Comedy by Sylvie Stewart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

New Jerk in Town: An Enemies-to-Lovers Romantic Comedy is the second book in Sylvie Stewart’s Carolina Kisses series. I have read her Carolina Connections series before so it was good to bump into some familiar faces as well. I have always loved spin-offs/series where we meet the old favorites! You can read the story as a standalone but if you love Carolinas and the small towns and feeling good, I suggest that you don’t only read the first of the Carolina Kisses series but also dip into Carolina Connections!
We meet a grumpy Milo who is raising his teenage niece after returning to his home town … he is also trying to figure out what to do with his life and then, suddenly, a blast from the past, Jill, has also returned to the town … it blows one’s mind how their story is filled with misunderstandings and it is going to take quite a bit to sort them out as both of them are stubborn like hell and can argue until the cows come home and then leave again! There are so many other supporting characters that make the story a charm to read and I promise you will not want to put it down until you have come to the end AND you will want to go and check out the other books that are ‘related’ to Milo and Jill’s story so plan some binging time!

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Boundaries (Scope of Practice Book 1) by Jessica Aiken-Hall – Review by Jana Teppih

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Boundaries (Scope of Practice, #1)Boundaries by Jessica Aiken-Hall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Boundaries is the opening act to Jessica Aiken-Hall’s Scope of Practice series that will haunt you for a very long time and you will look for the next one in the series, impatiently. I had read Jessica’s debut story when I picked up Boundaries so I prepared myself … She touches upon topics that are very painful, it tears your heart out and leaves you questioning the humanity.
Boundaries gives us a social worker Valerie Williamson, who is introverted and overworked and … you so totally get her ways once you know what demons she battles herself. Her boss tells her to start a trauma support group and she doesn’t have a choice and of course the traumas the women in her group have experienced… well, yes, I have no issues with her breaking some of the boundaries that ordinary should not be broken … sometimes justice is simply not delivered … I hope Jessica does not keep us waiting too long as there are so many threads to be wove into a thrilling tapestry!

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Bottomed Out (Moto X Series Book 4) by Brooke May – Review by Jana Teppih

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Bottomed Out (Moto X Book 4)Bottomed Out by Brooke May
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Bottomed Out by Brooke May is the fourth book in her Moto X series. I have not read the first three that I understand go together and after finishing Bottomed Out, I need to pick them up as I want to learn about Axle and Paige and yes, you could read Bottomed Out as a standalone in a sense that it is a story in its own rights but as you can see from my statement, I feel that I need to go back to the beginning of the series … I have read Brooke May’s writing before and her Back in the Ring is something that I still remember at times and that makes the writer’s name to be on my ‘to be read’ writers’ list …
Bottomed Out is the story of Jax Hunt and Lennox Austin. Jax was on top of the moto world but as it is with any racing sport, he did not walk away from an accident on his own so he has had to learn to live without racing … Lennox bursts into his life and gives him another thrilling goal to go chasing after … We have two strong people thrown together and we will grow along with them throughout the story and I promise you laughter and I promise you tears and I promise you will not regret the hours you will spend with the crew! Buckle up as it is going to be one thrilling ride!

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Forgotten Chance: Book Three (The Forgotten Trilogy) by Virginia Wine – Review by Jana Teppih

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Forgotten Chance: Book Three (Forgotten Trilogy)Forgotten Chance: Book Three by Virginia Wine
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Forgotten Chance is the conclusion of Virginia Wine’s Forgotten Trilogy. You do need to read the trilogy in order as every book builds upon the previous one. I started with this third one and I have to say that I was lost at times and I am sure I would have gotten more out of it if I had read the first two books to start with! I have read Virigina’s Surviving series so I knew that I need to prepare for an emotional rollercoaster.
Forgotten Trilogy is Bryer and Nathan’s story and at the opening of the book it seems as if they have everything on track and Bryer is busy with organizing the wedding and … then there is a blast from the past, Cash is like a bad penny that turns up again and again … or like a pebble in your shoe that you thought you threw out and when you pull the shoes on, it is there, again …
Let’s agree that Cash is the villain that everyone hates, at the same time he also offers a canvas against which we can see the true depth of Bryer and Nathan’s relationship … it is that ‘I have experienced and do not want to experience again and therefore know that what I have is great’ so he will provide us all kind of ups and downs and we will appreciate it all much more in the end. AND let’s not forget about Bryer’s best friend Gen, Virginia gives us an extra bonus with her journey to love!

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Night Justice (A Chicago Vigilantes Novel Book 1) by India Kells – Review by Jana Teppih

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Night JusticeNight Justice by India Kells
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Night Justice is the opening act of India Kells’ new series of Chicago Vigilantes series. I absolutely adore India Kells and the universe that she has created with her Women of Purgatory and Dark Sparrow series and with her crossover series with Maddie Wade, and now she is adding to it, fantastic! I love how the characters from different series cross paths so be prepared, that is also the case with Night Justice and the new series!
When you pick up a story by India Kells, you know that hours filled with enthralling story are waiting for you and be forewarned, plan enough time to get through the story with one sitting as stopping is not an option, trust me … I tried and it didn’t work, my brain could not shut down so I had to get up and just continue …
Night Justice will give us Vigilante justice, in the windy city of Chicago where we are taken along on a ride that a reporter, Orla Karlsen, is on with the Vigilante. A race to take down the suppliers who are bringing a new drug into the market that has no mercy on its users. A simple ‘going undercover’ for a story turns into something more and in the end both need to decide what matters most!
Every time I finish a book in one of India’s series I cannot wait for the next one and I truly hope she is not making us to wait too long and we can go back to the Noctem and Chicago!

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Satan’s Devils MC Boxset Books 1-5 (Satans Devils MC Series) by Manda Mellett – Review by Jana Teppih

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Satan's Devils MC Boxset Books 1-5Satan’s Devils MC Boxset Books 1-5 by Manda Mellett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Manda Mellett has given us die hard MC lovers a gift – she has combined the first five books of her Satan’s Devils MC series into a Boxset! If you have not read any of her books before, I suggest that you grab the boxset and do not bother getting them one by one as I promise you that you will want to read every single one of them and then you will venture into the spin offs and once you merge from your binge reading you will look around and wonder how come that the world is still the same as you have been through sex trafficking, disability, racism, grief and so much more!
The first book – Turning Wheels – is Sophie and Wraith’s story. Sophie and Wraith, the clubs VP, meet when he shows up at her house to protect her from the man that put her in the wheelchair. She is having hard time to accept the fact that she will be in the wheelchair til the rest of her life. The more time they spend together the closer they get and the rest is history …

The second book is Drummer’s Beat and it gives us Sam and Drummer’s story. Drummer is the President of the MC and he is a lone island when it comes to women. He fights his attraction to Sam but when she is taken by a sex trafficking group, he has to face the reality and his need to claim her.

The third book is Slick Running and it is Ella and Slick’s story. In some ways it is the darkest story so far and it will break your heart. There is so much more than what meets the eye and Slick needs to face the fact why Ella ran from him and he has no choice but to go after her.

The fourth book of the series is Targeting Dart and it gives us Dart and Alex’s story. Dart does not do commitments and even though the curvy black girl who is fighting for the life her sick child, he thinks that he can only offer her friendship. Just wait until her violent ex enters the scene and all the bets are off!
The fifth book of the set is Heart Broken and it is a story of heart break, be prepared, this story pulls you deep. It is the story of Heart who leaves on a journey after the death of his wife and he is not planning to return … but not all is lost, there is a voice on the phone, a cop’s voice that keeps him tethered and his journey is not yet at end …
I welcome to the world of MC, the universe of Satan’s Devils! Once you enter, you will not want to leave and luckily for us, the writer is giving us one compelling story after another and there is a spin off and now, we also have the second generation!

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Sunshine Kisses (A Kisses Novella) by Elaine Marie – Review by Jana Teppih

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Sunshine KissesSunshine Kisses by Elaine Marie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sunshine Kisses is the second novella in Elaine Marie’s Kisses series. This is my first read by this writer and I love novellas as they give you an opportunity to get to know new writers and get a glimpse into a new ‘universe’. Sunshine Kisses was a very emotional read as it deals with a medical condition. We meet Crystal who has decided to live her life fullest when facing her medical condition and she has decided to have a hot fling instead of moping and crying at home. Her boy toy is Spencer, the heart throb nerd, who decides that now is the time to act on his crush that he has had for years … add to this a destination wedding and sun and drinks and getting the story from both Crystal and Spencer’s point of view, you really realise how important some moments are in one’s life and they need to be cherished. Thank you Elaine Marie for giving us a wonderful story of love overcoming anything!

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Love is What You Bake of it (The Meraki Series Book 1) by Effie Kammenou – Review by Jana Teppih

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Love is What You Bake of it (Meraki, #1)Love is What You Bake of it by Effie Kammenou
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Love is What You Bake of it is the opening act of Effie Kammenou’s Meraki series. Effie is a new writer for me and I picked up the story after reading the synopsis. It reminded me of some other fun romance books involving baking (and as I love baking so much) so I decided to take a chance on it and … the gamble paid off! AND I absolutely loved, loved, loved the story and my god, the recipes, I cannot wait to start experimenting! They have found their place in my recipe book!
Love is What You Bake of it gives us Kally Andarakis, whose first and biggest love is baking at her café, The Coffee Klatch, and Max Vardaxis, a police officer starting over in his hometown with his young daughter Athena. Just close your eyes, picture My Fat Greek Wedding and the feelings you ran gamut when watching it and maybe, just maybe you will be prepared for the mayhem and mischief that Kally and Max are surrounded by! And those aprons (you have to read to get what I mean), I have to see if I could get some like that … I cannot wait what Effie will give us in the second book (I hope we will have more recipes, you can never have enough recipes, right?)

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Life’s a Witch (New Orleans Nocturnes Book 3) by Carrie Pulkinen – Review by Jana Teppih

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Life's a Witch (New Orleans Nocturnes, #3)Life’s a Witch by Carrie Pulkinen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Life’s a Witch is the third book in Carrie Pulkinen’s paranormal series called New Orleans Nocturnes. Obviously we are strolling in NOLA among the supernatural and the way this story goes we go to the hell and back!
Life’s a Witch is the story of Crimson Oliver, a witch who fails at every single spell she has ever tried (as we learnt in book two), and Mike Cortez, hotter-than-hellfire recovering demon, devil’s advocate to make all your dreams to come true … so I guess you can already guess what is going to happen and knowing that every single one of Crimson’s spell goes wrong then why would this ‘dreams come true’ go right?
Carrie is bringing Jane and Sophie along on a ride that Crimson is taking in the Big Easy with a detour to hell and facing the High Priestess in a showdown of magic so there is no boring moment here and I truly hope that this is not the end to the series though we have had vampires, werewolves, demons, witches so who are we missing? Oh yeah, faeries so here you go, there is more of the supernatural world to come lay havoc on New Orleans!

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Hawk’s Cry (Satan’s Devils MC Second Generation #2) by Manda Mellett – Review by Jana Teppih

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Hawk's Cry (Satan's Devils MC Second Generation #2)Hawk’s Cry by Manda Mellett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hawk’ Cry is the second book in Manda Mellett’s Satan’s Devils MC Second Generation series. Oh my goodness! I have read the original series and Colorado Chapter spin off but when I finished the first book in the Second Generation series I know that she has stepped up with these stories of the kids of the original MC members! What makes the second generation series even more special is that we get the old timers, pardon me, the original MC family and then we see the kids all grown up with their challenges and lives and …
Hawk’s Cry gives us Eli “Hawk” and Olivia who are MC brats themselves, are waiting the birth of their first child with the rest of the MC family. You would think that in general it is the time of joy and happiness but Hawk’s Cry gives us doubts and heartbreak and feeling like you cannot breath anymore and the world is closing in on you … oh my, we are left emotionally battered once we finish the story … I love how Manda is not afraid to address sensitive issues. I am sure when you picture a VP of a MC, you think of an alpha male and then the writer brings in the question of the mental health and how men deal with it and … Kudos to you dear Manda and I cannot wait for the next one in the series!

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Southern Promises: The Complete Series (A Contemporary Romance Standalone Box Set) by K.G. Fletcher – Review by Jana Teppih

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Southern Promises: The Complete Series (A Contemporary Romance Standalone Box Set)Southern Promises: The Complete Series by K.G. Fletcher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Southern Promises: The Complete Series (A Contemporary Romance Standalone Box Set) is a present from K.G. Fletcher to her readers! You get all the books of the series in one go! I love when the writers do that with their series and generally when they have sets then I go for them and lose myself for hours and hours and hours … like with Southern Promises.
We have three standalone full-length contemporary romances filled with true Southern men and women with Southern Promises.
The first book is Georgia Clay that is a friends to lovers romance that gives us Katie and Clay who meet up at their ten year high school reunion. I guess we all have this one person from our youth that we feel ‘what if’ about so the writer is taking us down to one of them when bringing together a successful songwriter Clay and insurance executive Katie. In addition to Katie and Clay there are couple of more secondary characters that made the story pop even more!
The second book Georgia On My Mind is a sweet romance story that feels real as Gia and Hart feel real and you are sticking close to them while they give you a run for your money! Both of them have their own demons and secrets, both of them are easy to relate to and both of them demand you root for them! It is a great story of how you can find your dreams again and there is light at the end of a long and hard day … even when you get so overwhelmed with the daily struggle …
The third book Georgia Pine is the story of Jessica Kaufman – a mother to four young girls and just recently divorced from her hot shot cheating real estate mogul husband, and Tim McGill who is hiding out in Georgia and trying to rise like Phoenix from the ashes of his former celebrated career on the West Coast. The story was heart-warming like Southern hospitality, I loved the simplicity and yet the complexity of the feelings of the two people who feel such a strong pull under the surface so you sit at the edge of your seat and keep your fingers crossed that Tim will learn to trust and open up to these little girls their mother and that Jessica will get her happily-ever-after!
I hope there will be more books in the series as I am not ready to leave our gang yet!

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Shift Happens: A Paranormal Romantic Comedy (New Orleans Nocturnes Book 2) by Carrie Pulkinen – Review by Jana Teppih

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Shift Happens (New Orleans Nocturnes, #2)Shift Happens by Carrie Pulkinen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Shift Happens is the second book in Carrie Pulkinen’s New Orleans Nocturnes series and this time we are hanging out with witches and werewolves! You can read it as a standalone but why would you not start with book one if you love New Orleans and paranormal romantic comedy AND the heroine is Shift Happens heroine’s friend!
Shift Happens picks up where License to Bite left off. Jane’s friend Sophie is in trouble and she is not very competent as a witch. She gets accidentally bitten by Trace Thibodeaux, a smoking hot werewolf who is investigating Sophie as his pack has been cursed and guess who is the suspect … right, Sophie …
I promise you that you will laugh a lot – Sophie has a mouth on her and she lets it fly! Trace is an alpha and hot as sin and their chemistry is through the roof! I would not mind being investigated by Trace either if this is how he does it!
Shift Happens is a quick read that leaves you reaching for the next one in the series!

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Rise (The Larussio Legacy Book 2) by Via Mari – Review by Jana Teppih

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Rise (The Larussio Legacy, #2)Rise by Via Mari
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rise is the second book in Via Mari’s Larussio Legacy series and I just realized that I have read every single one of her books and it is amazing how all her series intersect in one or other way – Prestian series, Torzial Affair, Billionaire Bodyguards … I find that I am so fortunate having read all of the series as it feels as if I am getting even more out of the experience …
Rise gives us Serena Moretti, raised to believe that the Larussio family is the enemy, and Giovanni Larussio, the don of the most powerful crime family in Italy. The second book picks up where the first one ends and we have Gio fallen hard for Serena and her having those submissive desires coursing through her in his presence … Considering Gio’s position as the head of the crime family then it makes Serena (and her family, especially her Nonna) a target as Gio’s weakness … There is so much passion and chemistry between those two, there is so much past between the two families and at times it is really hard to see beyond all the action and fighting and betrayals and hope that those two will get their happy ending …
It is another cracking book by Via Mari and I am looking forward to many more to come!

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All The Wrong Reasons (Serendipity Falls Novel Book 1) by Erin Bevan – Review by Jana Teppih

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All The Wrong ReasonsAll The Wrong Reasons by Erin Bevan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

All The Wrong Reasons is a small town romance of friends to lovers by Erin Bevan that is also an opening act of her new Serendipity Falls series. It is my first read by this writer and I can promise you, it will not be last. I love small town America and the stories that feel so close that you start thinking of packing up and moving into one yourself!
All The Wrong Reasons gives us Alexandra Mills, a Christian School teacher who gets pregnant after a one night stand, and Max Buchanan who is a local political figure and self-made businessman who needs to demonstrate that he has put his playboy ways behind him. As we can see, both of them seem to have a problem that seems almost too big to conquer except with one very simple solution – marriage of convenience … especially considering they have been friends for eeever and would do almost anything for a friend so now they are tested to their limits … add to this the way how the writer takes us into the heads of our two characters, the other small town quirky inhabitants and you will want to join us on this crazy ride!

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Read Between The Lines (Freshwater Book 1) by Belinda Williams – Review by Jana Teppih

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Read Between The Lines (Freshwater, #1)Read Between The Lines by Belinda Williams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Read Between The Lines is the opening act of a new series called Freshwater by an Aussie writer Belinda Williams. I am actually surprised that I haven’t discovered Belinda earlier as I absolutely love Aussie writers and I am always on a look for new ones!
Read Between The Lines is a great opening and it gives us Kat Chalmers, the high achiever and the co-host of a leading current affairs program, and Matt Goodridge, a hard working obstetrician and her next door neighbour. They are just two of the group of high achieving women and men in beachside Sydney so I can see many more great stories coming our way. We all have our secrets and it seems that Kat and Matt need to find out how to share theirs while the chemistry between them ignites and burns out of control! Come along on the ride and you will not stay cold!

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Midnight in the House of Lang by Bree M. Lewandowski – Review by Jana Teppih

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Midnight in the House of LangMidnight in the House of Lang by Bree M. Lewandowski
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Midnight in the House of Lang is a dystopian romance by Bree M Lewandowski. It is my first read by this writer and as I fell in love with dystopian world after Hunger Games (novels NOT the movies, people!!!) then I decided to pick up Midnight in the House of Lang after reading the synopsis.
Midnight in the House of Lang was different from any of the other dystopian novels I have read so far, it had more romance then any of the other ones I had read, it had some steam-punk elements that was also something I had not encountered before in the stories I had read … I loved how the writer was spinning the tale of the far future ravaged by war and natural catastrophes and how the humanity had to revert back to horse drawn carriages and steam power. The world seems so real that sometimes I thought to myself ‘Thank Goodness I will not be alive to experience it myself’ and then realizing that hey, I am ‘just’ reading a book …
The couple in the midst of romance is the granddaughter of the Emperor, Thea Lang, and Captain Irek Surov who is fighting for Russia. They meet when Thea and her elder brother are refugees after having had to flee from Austria to the safety of Belarus, and so the writer starts to paint a beautiful picture in this crazy scary world … pick a picture by one of the great painters of 17th/18th century and overlay it with steam punk and maybe, just maybe you are able to imagine the world they inhabit! Come along and keep in mind that it is ‘just’ a book!

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