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Ignite My Heart (North Fork Series Book 2) by Alicia Street – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes

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Ignite My Heart (North Fork Series Book 2)Ignite My Heart by Alicia Street
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ignite My Heart is Book Two in the North Fork Series. It is a contemporary romance full of passion, chemistry, drama, angst, and unexpected love. The story centers around the characters of Morgan and Blake. Morgan is the CEO of a protection agency and is looking for a live-in nanny for his nine-year-old daughter. His movie star ex-wife has suddenly reappeared in their lives wanting to see their daughter but for all the wrong reasons. She is worried about her reputation and wants to parade the child around in front of cameras while playing the doting mommy. Morgan is determined to protect his daughter and does not want her in the public eye which angers his ex, and she threatens to sue him for custody. He decides that he needs a live-in nanny and his friend figures that he has just the right girl for the job.

Enter Blake who is the sister of Morgan’s friend. She is out of work, down on her luck, and has been living rent free in her friend’s cabin in the woods. Blake hates living there and is terrified of being alone, so she tells her brother she plans to get a dog for protection. Her brother invites her over and tells her that he has something for her. Blake thinks that he got her a dog, so she stops to pick up dog biscuits on the way to her brother’s home. She is quite surprised when she sees the sexy stranger in her brother’s home instead of the dog she was expecting. Blake quickly learns the real reason she was invited over and is less than thrilled at the idea of becoming a nanny. With few other options available to her, Blake agrees to take the job. As Blake and Morgan spend time together their attraction grows, and Blake begins to feel like a family. Can they ever be a true family with Morgan’s ex threatening to rip them apart?

This was a beautifully written, heartwarming story with wonderful characters. Morgan was strong, smart, and a doting single dad who would do anything to protect his daughter. Blake never thought that she would have a family of her own nor did she ever see herself as a nanny. She found herself falling for this man and his daughter and felt like she belonged. Morgan’s ex-wife was someone that deserved a slap. Oh my gosh, she was horrendous and self-centered. It was all about her appearance and making herself look good for the cameras regardless of who she hurt along the way. This was a rollercoaster ride of emotions for me as Morgan and Blake navigated the ups and downs in their relationship. I look forward to reading more by this author!

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Beyond Friendship (The Irresistible Series Book 3) by Marlyn Love – Review byTara Johnson Barnes

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Beyond Friendship (The Irresistible Series #3)Beyond Friendship by Marlyn Love
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Beyond Friendship is the third book in The Irresistible Series. It is a slow burn, friends to lovers, contemporary romance full of passion, chemistry, lies, secrets, betrayal, drama, angst, and sexual tension. The story centers around the characters of Brian and Amanda and is told from each of their POV. When Brian first meets Amanda, he is stunned by her beauty and feels an instant attraction to her. He jumps at the chance to play the hero and come to her rescue when he sees her receiving unwanted attention from a gentleman admirer. Amanda is instantly attracted to Brian and the chemistry between them is undeniable. However, as fate would have it Amanda is the sister of his best friend, so Brian puts her in the friend zone and tries to ignore his feelings for her. This might be for the best anyhow because Brian is notorious for having one-night stands with women but refuses to have anyone become close to him. He has very good reasons for not allowing anyone to get too close to him and has been harboring a secret for years that not even his best friends know about. Years go by and Brian and Amanda have been doing their best not to act on their attraction to one another. It is almost unbearable, but Brian feels it is for the best because of the secret he harbors. When his secret is revealed, Amanda stands by his side but is he too damaged for them to have a relationship?

This storyline was intriguing and sucked me in from the first few pages. Instantly I needed to know what would become of the attraction between Amanda and Brian. Would they fall into each other’s arms? Would she be just another one-night stand? Would his best friend be okay with the relationship? It was interesting to see how the tension between Amanda and Brian built and how he had enough respect for her to not follow through with his attraction to her. Then to learn that Brian had reasons for not wanting more than one-night stands with women. Initially, he comes across as a playboy who uses women and tosses them aside. It turns out there was far more to it than that and he guarded his heart closely for very valid reasons. Amanda was sweet, kind, smart, and very understanding when she learned of Brian’s secrets. I loved this slow-burn romance between the characters and how the relationship between them built over time. I look forward to reading more by this author.

View all my reviews@tarab