Review: Sweet Talker (American Royalty #2) by Robin Bielman

He likes to be in control…

It’s like this: I’m the hottest restauranteur on the west coast. I work hard, play hard, and love my family. I’m also the guy on the receiving end of some unwelcome threats and fixation. Then Pascale Nichols walks back into my life, and I forget about everything but her. They say lightening never strikes twice, but she’s the one that got away. She’s also, I soon discover, the one my family secretly hired to protect me. Am I mad? Hell, yes. Am I game to play along? You bet.

She’s in over her head…

Everyone knows and loves Ethan Auprince. With his sexy-as-sin dimples and crazy likeability, he’s always the center of attention. I’ve been tasked with protecting celebrities, bigwigs, and high-ranking officials, but when I come face-to-face with the man I spent one incredible summer with, I’m in trouble. A careless mistake on my last assignment cost me, and now Ethan is looking at me like he wants to devour me, not cooperate with my subtle instructions while I work under the guise of his restaurant manager.

My reputation is at risk. His safety is on the line. But worse, we're falling in love again.

My Review:

A wonderful addition to the American Royalty series.

Pascale and Ethan had a summer fling ten years ago, but Pascale left without saying goodbye.  Ethan never forgot her or stopped wondering what happened to make her leave.  When Pascale shows up at Ethan’s restaurant for a management position, Ethan can’t believe his eyes. 

Pascale is a body guard who was hired by Ethan’s family to protect him from a stalker.  It will be hard for her to do her job while keeping a secret from Ethan.  When the secret finally comes out, old flames are rekindled.  But what will happen to their relationship when Pascale gets some unexpected news? 

I really enjoyed this second chance romance.  It is passionate, but with a touch of sweetness added to the mix.  The story moved along nicely and I really liked the characters, especially Rylee.  She was a fun addition and changed the tone of the story giving it a little something extra.  This is the second book in a series, but I think it can totally be read as a stand-alone. 

 

Review: His Billionaire Bride (The Morgan Sisters #2) by Madeline Ash

Business investor Carrie Morgan is guarded for a long list of good reasons. She’s battled her way to the top of her industry, dealt with enough bad sex to put her off men, and if her painful past has taught her anything, it’s that commitment always ends in heartbreak.

When Carrie’s sister asks her to sit for a portrait—as a bride—she uneasily agrees. Anything for Emmie. Even if it means intimate nightly sessions with her secret fantasy: artist Edwin Prince.

Rejected by his family and treated as temporary by past lovers, Edwin will settle for nothing less than commitment — and wants that and more from the beguiling Carrie Morgan. Startling them both, she allows him to unwind her emotional bindings one intense interaction at a time, until their chemistry builds so high, she’s blinded to the fall.

And the only way out is to break both their hearts.

My Review:

Uniquely original and beautifully written.  I couldn’t get enough of Carrie and Edwin.

Carrie and Edwin were as different as night and day.  Together, they had a love so strong, everyone around them could feel it.  Carrie was afraid to love because she feared losing someone, so she put a time limit on relationships.  Edwin just wanted someone to love forever.  He was done with temporary relationships. When Carrie’s sister hires Edwin to paint a bride on the side of her building, she wants Carrie to be the model.  Carrie refuses to wear a wedding dress, but Edwin had a way of convincing her to do it.  There was just something about him that could make anyone relax and let down their guard.  From there, the romance builds and it was heartbreaking knowing it would end after only two weeks.  I couldn’t wait to see how the author would turn the story around and give them a happily ever after. 

This book was so good, I wasn’t ready for it to end, but I was happy to see Carrie and Edwin come together.  I wasn’t sure what to think when Edwin’s secret came out, but it added a lot more depth to the story.  At the end, I couldn’t help but get emotional.  It was like watching a scene in a movie that you need a big box of tissue just to get through it.  This book is the second in the Morgan Sisters series and can be read on its own, but I would recommend reading The Wedding Obsession first so you an get a good feel for the sisters.  Plus, Emmie’s story is really good too.      

 

Review: Stranded and Seduced (Boone Brothers of Texas Book 2) by Charlene Sands

Should she pretend to be the woman he loves?

Working with new client and ex-lover Risk Boone is bound to be…enticing. So April Adams dons a fake engagement ring to ward off temptation. But when they’re stranded together at a remote lodge, there’s no running from their attraction—especially after Risk hits his head and wakes up thinking April’s his fiancée! Will she tell him the truth…or go along for the ride?

My Review:

What started out as a little white lie gets blown out of proportion when it becomes a tabloid sensation.

April Adams had a crush on former rodeo star, River “Risk” Boone, when she was in high school, but never acted on it.  Two years ago, they hooked up after a rodeo, but the next morning Risk was gone.  April’s dream of them being together was shattered.  Now, Risk is back in Boone Springs, working with his siblings and looking for a new venture.  They wanted to open a lodge and Risk knew the perfect one, Canyon Lake Lodge.  April’s real estate agency needed the money, and the commission from selling Canyon Lake Lodge would really help her out.  But that meant working with Boone.  So, April wears her friend’s engagement ring to avoid any temptation between her and Risk.  Then, they get stranded together during a storm at the lodge.  The engagement lie quickly spirals out of control until they realize they really do make the perfect couple. 

I’m always intrigued by a fake fiancé story.  I feel it’s a hard one for an author to write because if there is one little thing done wrong, the entire story can feel fake.  But this one really had my attention.  I could feel the emotions coming through the words and the characters become some that I wanted for my friends in real life.  Well, except for Risk’s ex.  I wouldn’t want to be around her for long.  I would definitely recommend this book to my romance readers.