Friday, June 30, 2017

Product Review: Color Street Nail Polish Strips







About Color Street:

Color Street—inspired by New York’s “City That Never Sleeps” nonstop energy and wildly colorful fusion of cultures—offers a vast array of colors and nail art design, direct to Independent Stylists and ultimately to clients. We believe that every woman can be her own boss, dreamer, and recognize her brilliance within.



 
My Review: 

I am really impressed with this product.  I applied the strips on Wednesday and today (Friday) they still look as good as when I first put them on.  No traditional nail polish has ever lasted this long.  I am a housewife which means lots of cooking and cleaning and that leads to lots of hand washing.  I also hand wash my dishes.  I am totally surprised my nails still look good.  

I liked how easy the application process was.  At first the strips are soft and can be gently stretched for a perfect fit to your nails but they turn hard like polish a few hours later.  But it doesn't mean you have to sit and wait to do things.  You can do anything right after you put the strips on.  Just waiting for regular polish to dry was annoying for me, so I rarely did my fingernails.  Plus there is no lifting or peeling like with the sticker type strips.  I am glad I tried Color Street.


Purchase Color Street Now:
 



 

Thursday, June 29, 2017

Married in Montana (Paradise Valley Ranch Book 2) by Jane Porter






Beautiful, spirited, Texas born Ellie Burnett needs a husband. Fast. Her father, rancher Archibald Burnett, is dying, and she’s determined to marry to protect the ranch and preserve her father’s legacy in Montana’s rugged Paradise Valley. The trouble is, she wants to wear the boots in the family and the man she has in mind, Irishman Thomas Sheenan would never stand for that.

Independent and taciturn Thomas Sheenan isn’t looking for a wife, having spent far too much of his life taking care of others. He’s come to Montana to carve out his own identity, and be his own man. The last thing he needs is a headstrong bride, but when Ellie approaches him with the offer of a lifetime, he can’t refuse.

Thomas didn’t anticipate falling for his new bride. He moved to Montana to stake his claim…he never planned on losing his heart.

Paradise Valley Ranch series
Book 1: Away in Montana
Book 2: Married in Montana
Book 3: Home in Montana - coming soon - Winter 2018


My Review: 

A beautifully written marriage of convenience story.

If you have read any of Montana Born Books' Marietta based books, you will recognize the name Sheenan.  This is the story of the first Sheenan to move to Montana in 1890.

Ellie Burnett's father was going to pass away soon and she needed a husband to help take care of their ranch.  By marrying Thomas Sheenan, she could keep the ranch, in return Thomas would also get what he wants, wealth.

Thomas didn't want a relationship.  He didn't want to be married or have a family.  When he left Ireland to start a new life, it didn't include settling down.  Ellie found Thomas to be attractive, but very stubborn and controlling.  But through their ups and downs, they found a way to fall in love.

I really enjoyed learning more about Marietta in the early days and found Ellie and Thomas's story to be enjoyable.  I liked how they were both stubborn and set in their ways, but when it came down to it, they were there for each other, especially when Thomas was trying to pull Ellie out of mourning for her father and back to enjoying life again.

 

Saturday, June 24, 2017

Always by Sarah Jio - Review


While enjoying a romantic candlelit dinner with her fiance, Ryan, at one of Seattle's chicest restaurants, Kailey Crane can't believe her good fortune: She has a great job as a writer for the Herald and is now engaged to a guy who is perfect in nearly every way. As they leave the restaurant, Kailey spies a thin, bearded homeless man on the sidewalk. She approaches him to offer up her bag of leftovers, and is stunned when their eyes meet, then stricken to her very core: The man is the love of her life, Cade McAllister.

When Kailey met Cade ten years ago, their attraction was immediate and intense everything connected and felt "right." But it all ended suddenly, leaving Kailey devastated. Now the poor soul on the street is a faded version of her former beloved: His weathered and weary face is as handsome as Kailey remembers, but his mind has suffered in the intervening years. Over the next few weeks, Kailey helps Cade begin to piece his life together, something she initially keeps from Ryan. As she revisits her long-ago relationship, Kailey realizes that she must decide exactly what and whom she wants.

Alternating between the past and the present, Always is a beautifully unfolding exploration of a woman faced with an impossible choice, a woman who discovers what she's willing to save and what she will sacrifice for true love.



My Review:

This book touched me on so many levels.  It is an emotional read and hard to put it down. 

The story alternates between the past and the present telling the story of Kailey Crain, her first love Cade McAllister, who went missing ten years ago, and her present day fiancĂ© Ryan. 

While dining out with Ryan, Kailey sees a homeless man who she recognizes as Cade.  How could someone who was once a millionaire and the president of Element Records, become homeless and living on the streets of Seattle?  It is a mystery Kailey is determined to find out and is willing to jeopardize her relationship with Ryan to do so.  But how far will she go and how much will Ryan put up with before it starts to affect their relationship? 

I really enjoyed this story.  Of course reuniting with a lost love was my favorite part, but there was also the mystery of what happened to Cade to cause him to become homeless and why he couldn’t remember anything.  The story touched a soft spot for me being close to someone who had a relative who was once a millionaire and ended up homeless.  This is one of those books that will stay with you a long time after reading it.  It will leave you wondering how you would react if your one true love suddenly came back into your life.

My favorite quote from the book:
What do we, or anyone, know of tomorrow?  If I've learned anything, it's that not only may tomorrow never come, but worse, that when the sun rises, the person that holds your heart may vanish, taking a piece of you with him. 



 

Friday, June 16, 2017

Sweet Home Cowboy (Love at the Chocolate Shop #9) by Marin Thomas - Review





When Marietta newcomer Elena Puente is coerced into attending a speed dating event at the popular Copper Mountain Chocolate Shop, she’s blindsided by a serious attraction to local cowboy, Wesley Banks.

Still recovering from a broken engagement, the first-grade teacher from Las Vegas isn’t looking for romance. She’s in Montana to get to know the great-grandfather she never knew existed until she found some hidden family letters. Judge Kingsley is a grouchy recluse and he’s far from welcoming, but Elena is determined to stay in town long enough to give his neglected estate on Bramble Lane a facelift.

Elena’s resolve to avoid romance is tested when she discovers Wesley is the caretaker of her grandfather’s rural property. Soon, she and the cowboy are attending more speed dating events at the chocolate shop and she’s seeking his advice on how to deal with his ornery boss. Local gossips wager the old Judge will run Elena out of town before anything serious develops between her and Wesley. But Wesley’s a determined man, too, and he’s betting Elena belongs in Marietta forever…with him.



My Review:

Another wonderful addition to the "Love at the Chocolate Shop" series.

With vivid descriptions the of the town of Marietta, Montana and the people who live there, you'll feel like your catching up with old friends.

When Elena Puentes discovers letters that her Mother had hidden away, she decides it time for a trip to Marietta, Montana to meet her great grandfather, Judge Alistair Kingsley.  Elena’s first stop in town was Copper Mountain Chocolates where she walks in on a speed dating event and meets Wes Banks, a local cowboy, who she later finds out works for Judge Kingsley.  When she goes to meet Judge Kingsley, she finds him to be a grumpy old man with an equally grumpy guard cat and a house in disrepair. 

Elena decides she wants to help fix up Alistair’s home and Wes is more than happy to help out.  They soon find themselves falling in love, but they can’t seem to figure out how it can work as they both live in different states and have different views on family. 

The story is about discovering your roots, finding love and place to call home.  I enjoyed this book a lot.  The characters were detailed very well and the story moved along at a good pace.  It's a great series that I would recommend to anyone who loves a good clean romance.  I look forward to reading the next book.

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Kiss Me at Willoughby Close (Willoughby Close #4) by Kate Hewitt - Review


Welcome to Willoughby Close… a charming cluster of cozy cottages, each with a story to tell and a happy ending to deliver…

After her husband unexpectedly dies, Ava moves to Willoughby Close, trying to keep her chin up and herself to herself as she’s always done—not answering questions, not making friends, and not seeing much of a future. Her marriage was far from perfect, but it offered her a much-needed security that has now been ripped away. She’s not sure what to do now that she’s thirty-five, widowed, penniless… and unexpectedly pregnant with her late husband’s child.

Jace Tucker is the over-the-top sexy caretaker of Willoughby Manor, and he can see beneath Ava's glamor girl act to the hurt she's been hiding for so long. She has secrets for a reason—and so does he. The last thing she needs right now is a fling with a man who hides a past as regrettable as her own.

But with a baby to think about, and neighbors determined to be her friends, Ava finds herself starting to change and even more alarmingly, beginning to hope. Can Willoughby Close work its everyday magic on a woman like her? And when the past comes calling for both her and Jace, will they have to answer for their previous mistakes?


My Review:

When life doesn’t turn out as you planned, you learn to make the best of it.

Ava Mitchell gets the shock of a lifetime when her millionaire husband of five years suddenly passes away and all he left Ava was a small inheritance.  Her husband’s two snobby grown children got the rest.  Now Ava has to face the reality of starting her life over again.  Having struggled all of her life, she knows how to survive.  The first step is finding a place to live. 

Ava chose Willoughby Close, the old stables of Willoughby Manor which have been converted into apartments as her new home.  But Ava doesn’t realize at the time her life is about to change dramatically.  Ava is not used to having close friends or socializing, but the women who live in the other apartments want to be friends.  Soon, Ava realizes she will need them more than she realized when she finds out she is pregnant. 

Jace Tucker started working at Willoughby Close as a groundskeeper when he got out of prison.  He enjoys his work and helping out any way he can.  He is also more than happy to help the new tenant when he finds out she doesn’t own anything other than what she was able to fit into her car.  Jace and Ava hit it off good and become good friends and eventually develop feelings for each other. 

I enjoyed this story as much as the rest of the series.  I really liked Jace and Ava and catching up with the characters from the previous books was fun.  I love the quirky Lady Stokeley of Willoughby Manor.  She is a fun old lady who is battling cancer but has been trying to hide it from most people.  If you read this series, I would recommend starting at the beginning because her story runs throughout the series.      
 

Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Exclusive (The VIP Desire Agency Book 3) by Mel Teshco - Review


Rock star Amos Drynn isn't interested in a relationship. He’s been there, done that, and wished he’d listened to his better judgment. As the lead singer of the famous band Frankenstein’s Blood, he’s not short of female attention, but in his world, a long term relationship isn’t feasible. That is, until he purchases a night with a call girl who makes his blood run hot and has him forgetting about his fear of commitment.

Tiffany doesn’t believe in fairytales, not anymore. In her world trust is thin on the ground and promises are meaningless, especially from the mouth of a married client. A night in bed with her rock idol, Amos Drynn, will surely salve her wounded pride. But will their explosive chemistry shatter her infatuation with an ex-client or will she turn her back on Amos, the one man willing to give her everything, including his heart?

The VIP Desire Agency
Book 1: Lady in Red
Book 2: High Class
Book 3: Exclusive 



My Review:

So hot!  And, just when you think this book couldn’t get any hotter, it does!

Amos Drynn, lead singer of Frankenstein’s Blood, was first introduced in the last The VIP Desire Agency series, High Class.  So I was pleased to see this book was about him and another character from the book, Natalie “Tiffany”.  Both characters are flawed and have trust issues so it makes for a fun read while they get to know each other and learn to trust again. 

Natalie fell into the call girl business because she needed to make a lot of money to take care of her disabled father and give him the best life she could.  When she found out her client one night was her rock idol Amos, she was excited, but played like she didn’t like the band’s music so that she wouldn’t come across as a groupie.   

Amos didn’t plan on sleeping with Natalie.  He just needed an escort for an event to keep the other girls away.  He didn’t need another obsessed groupie trying to get her claws into him.  But he soon realized he wasn’t going to be able to let Tiffany walk away after just one night.  He needed to see her again.  And then he wanted her all for himself.  And he was willing to do anything to have her.

The VIP Desire Agency series is one of my favorite from Eros Books.  So, I was excited when I saw there was another addition to the series.  I think this was the best in the series so far.  Lots of excitement, drama and super-hot intimate scenes.  The story can be read as a stand-alone, but I would highly recommend reading all of the books in the series.  They are really good. 

My favorite quote from the book: 
What woman wouldn’t have melted into a puddle of bliss at his touch?  What woman wouldn’t die just a little bit to be underneath his warm, honed body?

 

Sunday, June 4, 2017

Cody (American Extreme Bull Riders Tour Book 4) by Megan Crane - Review


Skylar Grey lost everything when her fiancé died. But her move back to her hometown, Billings, Montana is not the fresh start she seeks, as too many people know her tragic tale. But then she meets a bull riding cowboy who treats her like she's made of fire and everything changes.

Cody Galen joined the American Extreme Bull Riders Tour to make money, not friends. He enjoys whiskey, winning, and women and he doesn’t care who he pisses off while he pursues the hell out of all three. He figures he only has a few years left before his body gives out and he might as well go down hard in a blaze of glory. He knows the pretty thing he meets his first night in Billings is no buckle bunny, but if she wants to play that role, who is he to argue?

Neither one of them is looking for anything lasting. But there’s only one thing more dangerous than riding bulls—and that’s love.



My Review:

An emotional cowboy romance that was hard to put down.

When extreme bull rider Cody Galen met Skylar Grey in Billings, Montana, he knew she wasn’t like the rest of the women he met while traveling with the rodeo.  She wasn’t a buckle bunny like she pretended to be, but he went along with her game because he was intrigued by her.

Skylar is back home in Billings after her fiancĂ© died.  She just wanted to start her life over again.  When she meets Cody, she didn’t expect much.  It was just supposed to be a fling.   But then her heart rebelled on her. 

Cody is used to living his life in the fast lane.  He doesn’t want to settle down, but he knows eventually he will have too.  He knows he can’t ride bulls much longer and will have to decide what to do afterwards.  Falling for a women wasn’t exactly the first thing that came to mind, but it happened, and it happened fast. 

This book had it all, intense romance, emotional situations and a great story.  Anyone who loves a good cowboy romance needs to add this book to their reading list.