Review Tour and Giveaway: FRICTION by Sawyer Bennett

Friction 

(A Legal Affairs Novel) 

Sawyer Bennett 

Release Date: October 27, 2015

ABOUT THE BOOK:
At the powerhouse law firm of Knight & Payne, winning comes first and ethics a distant second. Leary Michaels uses her female charms to daze opponents, and it’s always worked well—until now. On her most personal case yet, she finds herself going up against a defense attorney just as skilled, shameless, and seductive as she is. Reeve Holloway has never met a woman as sure of her own sexuality, or as ruthless in wielding it, as Leary is. But he won’t be toyed with. What Leary starts, he’ll finish—in the courtroom, the bedroom, or any-damn-place he wants. The sex is uninhibited, electrifying, and absolutely against the rules. Reeve’s job is to ruin Leary’s case…even if it destroys her in the process and costs him the woman he’s come to love. 

Goodreads

Purchase Link: Amazon

Friction is being released by Montlake, which is an Amazon publishing company. As such, it will be sold exclusively at Amazon. Please note that you can purchase through Amazon and read on a free Kindle reading app on any smartphone or tablet. Click HERE to download the free Kindle app. 

Friction is a well-balanced story with the perfect amount of erotic with sweet. I just don't know how Sawyer Bennett does it.  Someone made fun of me last time when I called her last book, "erotica with a heart." (ahem).  The ability to balance the sweet with the erotic is a hallmark of the author's Legal Affairs books.  Her characters always have hearts of gold, but in her erotica books, Ms. Bennett really gets to push the boundaries of thigh-clenching sex.  

Perhaps more than any of her other Legal Affairs books, Friction explores gray areas of practicing law.  Leary and Reeve are opponents in a contentious law suit involving a botched breast enhancement surgery.  There is more than just beauty involved for Leary. She is personally invested in the client. For Reeve, he is making a name for himself in his new corporate law firm and wants to show that he is can be as cut-throat as the firm needs him to be. As a result, Sawyer Bennett exposes of some of the lines that lawyers are willing to cross in the name of winning such as: taking shortcuts, padding billable hours with nonsensical motions, or using sexuality to put an opponent off balance.  Given the adversarial nature of practicing law, I'm not surprised at the moral ambiguity lawyers face.   In fiction, this makes for good drama.  

Their relationship starts out superficial, but soon turns into something more.  Being on opposing  sides of this law suit tests the relationship, but the way they connect is sweet and endearing.  The strength of this book is watching the relationship evolve.  However, the timing of Leary and Reeve's relationship makes me pause.  I accept that sometimes lawyers walk can cross a very fine line on behalf of their clients, but getting involved during their case casts a shadow for me.  They are violating an ethical line that serves themselves, not the client.  Despite both characters acknowledging this fact, they race head long into the relationship.  I want more struggle with the moral dilemma of beginning this affair at this time.  Not surprisingly, the fallout is a part of the dramatic hook, but I want a little more angst about getting involved. As much as I like Leary and Reeve, this choice takes just a little shine off their character.  

IN A NUTSHELL:
Despite my own minor conflict, Friction is a highly entertaining read. I highly anticipate more courtroom and bedroom drama in future books. 

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, Sawyer Bennett is a snarky southern woman and reformed trial lawyer who decided to finally start putting on paper all of the stories that were floating in her head. Her husband works for a Fortune 100 company which lets him fly all over the world while she stays at home with their daughter and two big, furry dogs who hog the bed. Sawyer would like to report she doesn't have many weaknesses but can be bribed with a nominal amount of milk chocolate. Sawyer is the author of several contemporary romances including the popular Off Series, the Legal Affairs Series, the Last Call Series and the Wicked Horse Series. She also writes the Cold Fury Series for Random House. 

Connect with Sawyer: Facebook | Twitter |  Instagram | Goodreads | Google+  
Sign up for Sawyer’s newsletter: http://sawyerbennett.com/signup/

Enter for your chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card! Click here to enter (entries accepted until 11:59 pm EST on November 6, 2015).  Enter HERE. 

ARC Review and Giveaway: SEDUCTION GAME by Pamela Clare

Seduction Game 
by Pamela Clare

ABOUT THE BOOK
CIA officer Nick Andris wants revenge. His last mission failed after a Georgian arms smuggler killed his lover. He’s been tailing a woman for three weeks hoping she will lead him to his target. But there’s a problem with the intel. Holly Elise Bradshaw is nothing more than an entertainment writer with a love for sex and designer clothes. Clearly someone at Langley made a mistake . . .

When Holly finds herself in trouble, the only weapons at her disposal are her brains and her body. But they won’t be enough to handle the man who’s following her. He’s going to turn her world upside-down.

Nick Andris

Holly Elise Bradshaw

Seduction Game is the best I-Teams book yet.  It is the epitome of my favorite kind of romantic suspense with smart characters, snappy dialogue, dangerous adventure, heart-breaking emotions and panty-melting romance.

Holly Elise Bradshaw is the entertainment reporter of the Denver Independent.  Of all her friends on the paper, she is the most free-spirited.  She is a little vain, a fan of high fashion, and a lover of shoes.  Her collection would give other Bradshaw (Carrie) shoe envy.  She is also sexually free and adventurous. We first meet Holly in the first scene in Extreme Exposure, book one of the I-Team series, in which she imparts these very wise words to her friend, Kara: “’Make it clear you want to get laid, and you’ll find yourself on your back in no time.” Holly has a reputation and she makes no apologies.  I’ve always liked that about her.

Nick Andris is a CIA agent from the Special Activities Division.  He is still reeling from an operation gone bad in which his fiancé is murdered two years before and now he is assigned to investigate and gather intelligence on this entertainment reporter who has ties to a criminal kingpin.  His job is to get close to her.  Luckily, he has what she likes: “Hard [body]. Jeans. A badass vibe.” As much as he might like this assignment, this is outside of his norm: “They [the CIA] had to have better men for this job, men whose Agency experience included using their cocks for counterintelligence.”  Despite his lack of training, Nick pursues his assignment.

After a series of misunderstandings and misdirection, Nick and Holly are on the run.  They are not quite sure who their allies and enemies are.  They only have each other to solve the conspiracy targeting their lives.

Why I Love the I-Team Series:

1. All the I-Team books are suspenseful.  Building anxious uncertainty is a hallmark of Ms. Clare’s writing.  She is at the top of her game with this story.  Each page made me antsier than the last.  I could not put this book down.  I read it all in one sitting.

2. I-Team is about friends and we get to see most everyone from past books in this one – Reece, Kara, Julian, Tessa, Marc, Sophie, Gabe, Kat, Zack, Natalie, Javier, and Laura all make appearances.  But most importantly, they all show up when Holly is in trouble.  I love how the boys “circle the wagons” to ensure that they are a part of the investigation.  I love how protective they are of Holly when they first meet Nick.  Although Holly is an ancillary character is previous books, the affection she has with her friends are front and center with this story.

What Makes This a Unique I-Teams Book:

No one writes alphas like Pamela Clare.  They are strong, skilled, protective, and they are so attractively vulnerable.  The heroines in the stories are infinitely likeable and smart. They are the kind of people you want as your best girlfriend, but they are not necessarily physically aggressive.

Holly is not to be underestimated.  I had no idea what the author was going to do with the über sexy Holly, but this is perfection.  Holly really shines. She is the perfect counterpart to Nick. Ms. Clare delicately balances the two personalities, complimenting their strengths and weaknesses.  Holly is the yin to Nick’s yang. Dang, that girl can kick-ass!

Why This is the Sexiest I-Team Book Yet:

Nick unlocks Holly.  He opens her up in such a way that she cannot go back:
“She lived so much of her life in boxes. . . . Now it seemed all those boxes had come open, their contents strewn about for Nick to see. She just didn’t know how to put it all away again.”

Their bedroom scenes are incendiary.  No surprise that Holly finds him irresistible: “He was a five-alarm-fire sexual fantasy of a man.” I haven’t seen an ice cube scene this sexy since the movie, 9½ Weeks.  Pamela Clare has amped up the hotness quota through the roof.  This is absolutely in line with Holly’s character and anything less would be inauthentic.

This book is a little bittersweet. Bitter because it is the end of the full-length I-Team books (although Ms. Clare assures us that there will be at least an I-Team holiday novella) and sweet because this, for me, is the best in the series and a perfect ending to the beloved I-Team.

I also want to thank Pamela Clare for her fortitude and strength in finishing this book. After reading her Acknowledgements and following her story on Facebook, I feel exceedingly grateful that Ms. Clare gave us this gift.  Thank you, Pamela!

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. 

USA Today best-selling author Pamela Clare began her writing career as a columnist and investigative reporter and eventually became the first woman editor-in-chief of two different newspapers. Along the way, she and her team won numerous state and national honors, including the First Amendment Award and the National Journalism Award for Public Service. In 2011, she was honored by the Colorado Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists with their Keeper of the Flame Lifetime Achievement Award for her work. A single mother with two grown sons and two cats, she writes historical romance and contemporary romantic suspense within view of Colorado’s beautiful Rocky Mountains. She is a two-time RITA finalist (Surrender, Defiant) and a three-time Daphne du Maurier finalist (I-Team series). She loves history, having studied archaeology in college, and has traveled extensively, living for almost three years in Denmark, which feels like home to her. She attributes her love of historical romance with the years she spent visiting ruins and castles in Europe.

This book is too good not to share.  So enter for your Kindle version of Seduction Game. 
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Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway: EVERYTHING I LEFT UNSAID by M. O'Keefe

One of our top reads of the year, we are thrilled to celebrate the release of Molly O'Keefe's latest, Everything I Left Unsaid. Thank you for joining us for a review and giveaway.  

Everything I Left Unsaid
by M. O'Keefe

ABOUT THE BOOK: 

I didn’t think answering someone else’s cellphone would change my life. But the stranger with the low, deep voice on the other end of the line tempted me, awakened my body, set me on fire. He was looking for someone else. Instead he found me.

And I found a hot, secret world where I felt alive for the first time.

His name was Dylan, and, strangely, he made me feel safe. Desired. Compelled. Every dark thing he asked me to do, I did. Without question. I longed to meet him, but we were both keeping secrets. And mine were dangerous. If I took the first step, if I got closer to Dylan—emotionally, physically—then I wouldn’t be hiding anymore. I would be exposed, with nothing left to surrender but the truth. And my truth could hurt us both.

PURCHASE LINKS: 

Amazon | iBooks | |Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Normally when I’m reading a book for review, I’m very conscious about the elements of the story, the quality of the writing, the pace of the storyline.  That did not happen with this book. I was totally engrossed. At one point I was so engaged, that I forgot I was reading a book.  This narrative filled me.  

Annie’s world is small.  From the time she was a child, her experience is limited by strict boundaries set by her mother. Unfortunately, her ignorance becomes dangerous when she meets and marries a tyrant who abuses her physically and mentally.  To save her life, Annie escapes and is on the run when she arrives at Flowered Manor Trailer Park and Camp.  Moving into her new place, she answers a phone left behind by the previous tenant.  And so it begins. 

The writing in this book is sublime.  There are layers that build the tension, descriptions that make your heart ache, prose that makes the mundane beautiful, such as: “When the wind blew, my short hair lifted and the feeling rippled down my back, like a domino fall of nerve endings.”

Molly O’Keefe knows how to write characters that struggle with being alienated and alone. Like the description of Flowered Manor, Annie, at this point, is just hanging on: 

This run-down trailer park seemed to have the market cornered on last-ditch efforts.  Everything and everyone from and everyone from Kevin to the morning glories out front seemed to be holding on with white-knuckled intensity.

Annie is a woman so conditioned to please, and yet, Dylan’s keen insight sees right through her:

“I have a sense, Layla [Annie], that you give away your yeses without thinking.”Oh, he was right. So damn right.“And you want my no’s?”“I want something you don’t give away.”

Annie’s escape from her husband is her declaration of independence. Her encounters with Dylan are an expression of her control, a reflection her determination to make her own choices, an opportunity to expand her world.  

I was not only engaged, I was fully invested in these characters.  I adored how Annie unfurls from a small, hidden, broken girl to a strong, courageous, independent woman. This evolution is presented in layers.  Each layer gives more strength, more complexity to Annie’s character.  I loved watching her come to life. 

Everything I Left Unsaid is Annie’s story.  I suspect that we will learn more about Dylan in The Truth About Him. In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy the utterly brilliant writing of Molly O’Keefe by re-reading this book.  Yes, it’s that good. 

Molly O'Keefe has always known she wanted to be a writer (except when she wanted to be a florist or a chef and the brief period of time when she considered being a cowgirl). And once she got her hands on some romances, she knew exactly what she wanted to write.

She published her first Harlequin romance at age 25 and hasn't looked back. She loves exploring every character's road towards happily ever after.

Originally from a small town outside of Chicago, she went to university in St. Louis where she met and fell in love with the editor of her school newspaper. They followed each other around the world for several years and finally got married and settled down in Toronto, Ontario. They welcomed their son into their family in 2006, and their daughter in 2008. When she's not at the park or cleaning up the toy room, Molly is working hard on her next novel, trying to exercise, stalking Tina Fey on the internet and dreaming of the day she can finish a cup of coffee without interruption.

AUTHOR LINKS:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Win one of THREE phone cases! 

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Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not paid for this review.  

ARC Review: HARD TO BREAK by Bella Jewel

Hard to Break
by Bella Jewel

Quinn has spent her whole life working in her dad's garage, leaving her more comfortable with a carburetor than a curling iron. Her world is turned upside down when her beloved garage is bought by none other than world famous, sexy as sin, custom car builder, Tazen Watts. He's the one man she can't stand...even though he makes her hotter than a high performance engine in top gear.

Tazen has no use for Quinn, at least not professionally, and he's making sure she knows it. But there's a spark between them that she's finding hard to ignore. She's determined to prove her talent is as impressive as her sassy mouth. When she finds out Tazen is hiding a secret that could bring down his career and everyone involved in it, she wonders: is falling for him is going to be work the risk?

**Hard To Break is a full-length standalone romance with a HEA**

I really enjoyed the premise of the story.  Tomboy and loner, Quinn has spent most of her life under the hood of a car.  Daughter of a mechanic, she has been trained to fix cars and manage her father's garage.  It's a good thing because her father is quickly spiraling out of control under the influence of alcohol.  Barely managing to keep afloat, the Pixie Wheel garage is purchased by a high-profile, celebrity mechanic, Tazan Watts.  

This is an engaging enemies to lovers story.  The problem I have is that it feels one dimensional.  I think this is a result of the first person voice.  I understand Quinn pretty well, but Tazan less so.  I learned things about Tazan, but I didn't get much sense of what he was thinking inside his head.  I've read other books from this perspective, but they haven't bothered me as much as this one.  I really want to know more about this potentially fantastic character. 

There are also dangling storylines that beg to be developed.  Early on, Quinn embraces the mechanics from her father's shop as family members. However, for most of the book, they don't exist in any meaningful way.  Instead, we are introduced to several new mechanics in Tazan's garage.  Too many people - not enough storylines.  

The same holds true for Quinn's rival, Sheyenne.  She has the potential to be a deliciously evil character, but without more investment, she's just the "crazy chick." 

The series is titled An Alpha's Heart and that's what the books are about, the heart of the alpha. If you enjoy stories from first person point of view, featuring an uber alpha and a smart, spunky heroine, this book is for you!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.  The opinions therein are my own and I was not paid for this review.

Book Release: EVERYTHING I LEFT UNSAID by M. O'Keefe

 

Today we are celebrating the release of EVERYTHING I LEFT UNSAID by M. O'Keefe. On our top 5 reads of this year, this is book one of the Everything I Left Unsaid series, an adult contemporary romance. Check out the buy links and giveaway below for a chance to win some fabulous phone cases!

Everything I Left Unsaid
By M. O'Keefe

ABOUT THE BOOK: 
I didn’t think answering someone else’s cellphone would change my life. But the stranger with the low, deep voice on the other end of the line tempted me, awakened my body, set me on fire. He was looking for someone else. Instead he found me. And I found a hot, secret world where I felt alive for the first time. His name was Dylan, and, strangely, he made me feel safe. Desired. Compelled. Every dark thing he asked me to do, I did. Without question. I longed to meet him, but we were both keep-ing secrets. And mine were dangerous. If I took the first step, if I got closer to Dylan—emotionally, physically—then I wouldn’t be hiding anymore. I would be exposed, with nothing left to surrender but the truth. And my truth could hurt us both.

PURCHASE LINKS:

Amazon | iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Praise for Everything I Left Unsaid:

“Exquisite, thrilling, and toe-curlingly sensual . . . a delicious guilty pleasure I never wanted to end!”—New York Times bestselling author Katy Evans 

“I am head over heels in love with Everything I Left Unsaid by M. O’Keefe. Everything about this book hits the mark—the exceptional prose, the brilliantly defined characters, the delicious plot, and all the wonderful, dangerous secrets. It’s an absolute must-read keeper-shelf book!”—New York Times bestselling author J. Kenner 

“I couldn’t put this book down. Annie’s story is heartbreaking, liberating, sweet, and sexy—I want more!”—New York Times bestselling author Monica Murphy 

“Sweet, sizzling, sexy, and heart-wrenching, Everything I Left Unsaid broke my heart and left me yearning for more.”—New York Times bestselling author Megan Hart

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Molly O'Keefe has always known she wanted to be a writer (except when she wanted to be a florist or a chef and the brief period of time when she considered being a cowgirl). And once she got her hands on some romances, she knew exactly what she wanted to write. She published her first Harlequin romance at age 25 and hasn't looked back. She loves exploring every character's road towards happily ever after. Originally from a small town outside of Chicago, she went to university in St. Louis where she met and fell in love with the editor of her school newspaper. They followed each other around the world for several years and finally got married and settled down in Toronto, Ontario. They welcomed their son into their family in 2006, and their daughter in 2008. When she's not at the park or cleaning up the toy room, Molly is working hard on her next novel, trying to exercise, stalking Tina Fey on the internet and dreaming of the day she can finish a cup of coffee without interruption.

AUTHOR LINKS:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram

ARC Review: Rock Redemption by Nalini Singh

Rock Redemption
by Nalini Singh
Book 3, Rock Kiss series

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Kit Devigny could have loved rock guitarist Noah St. John. Their friendship burned with the promise of intense passion and searing tenderness…until the night Noah deliberately shattered her heart.

Noah knows he destroyed something precious the night he chose to betray Kit, but he’d rather she hate him than learn his darkest secret. All he has left is his music. It’s his saving grace, but it doesn’t silence the voices that keep him up at night. Chasing oblivion through endless one-night-stands, he earns a few hours’ sleep and his bad boy reputation.

When a media error sees Noah and Kit dubbed the new “it” couple, Kit discovers her chance at the role of a lifetime hinges on riding the media wave. Wanting—needing—to give Kit this, even if he can’t give her everything, Noah agrees to play the adoring boyfriend. Only the illusion is suddenly too real, too painful, too beautiful…and it may be too late for the redemption of Noah St. John.

I have to admit this was a difficult review to write.  Difficult because the book is disappointing.  I can tell how much love and care Nalini Singh puts into her characters. There is a loving touch to the story.  However, my biggest problem is that there is entirely too much repetition of the same theme.  Noah feels unworthy and is terrified to move his relationship with Kit to the next level.  Therefore, he intentionally hurts her to push Kit away.  From Kit's perspective, she suffers devastating disappointment from Noah and she rightly cuts him off.  But he comes back into her life and creates all kinds of havoc, again. 

Yes, Noah comes off as selfish and spiteful, but we learn that he has also been through devastating trauma- it's the kind of abuse that would be a tear to anyone's eyes. Because of this, he suffers from a form of PTSD.  The problem is that Noah's character does not mature and development for most of the book. He doesn't get help and he doesn't want to talk about it. He doesn't experience change or emotional growth, therefore his character's behavior is repetitive.  He has endless excuses as to why he should not be with Kit and yet, he draws her to him like a moth to a flame.  Poor Kit, it is like watching a train wreck happen.  I hate sounding like a judg-y girlfriend, but I just wanted to shake Kit and say, "Come on. Don't let him back into your life!"

I also have a problem with books in which the one partner tries to solve a mental health issue with information from the internet. From her research Kit comes up with a plan that seems to help Noah, and there is a beautiful moment in the story.  However, I think this is a dangerous path without professional guidance.  Mental illness is not an easy fix for most people and it would have made me more comfortable if Kit has an actual conversation with a counselor.  

IN A NUTSHELL:
After loving Rock Hard, I was hoping for another solid read.  Unfortunately, this one fell short for me.  However, the disappointment is not enough to stop me from wanting to read the next book in the series. I will look forward to the next new edition. 

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own and I was not paid for this review. 

Review: SHADOWS STRIKE by Dianne Duvall

SHADOWS STRIKE
by Dianne Duvall
Book 6, Immortal Guardian series

ABOUT THE BOOK:
U.S. law enforcement agent Heather Lane can read minds. But not the future. The dream of battle and blood that recurs every night must be a fluke, some obscure terror from her own mind. What its significance might be, she can’t guess: an attack from seven psychotic vampires at once, only separated from nightmare by an eighth very different immortal. A handsome, brave man fighting at her side, a man she misses when she wakes.

Then the dream comes true. Heather is flung into a war between predators and protectors of humanity, the man from her dreams beside her again. Except now that she’s awake, she isn’t sure she can trust Ethan, or the shadow organization he represents. The U.S. military doesn’t trust either of them. But against an onslaught of evil like the one that’s coming, it will take everything they have just to survive..

It's been a while since i've read a book in this series, so it took me a little while to get reacquainted with all the characters.  Therefore, I cannot recommend this book as a standalone, but as the "next book in the series" - it's good to be back in the world of the Immortal Guardians.   

Ethan and Heather are the featured couple in this edition.  I find their love story a bit more interesting than the last few heroes/heroines.  She is the daughter of a high ranking General who assists law enforcement with her special abilities, which puts her in the crosshairs of Ethan, an Immortal Guardian.  The Guardians are still fighting those who would exploit their abilities, their age-old enemies - the vampires, and now one of The Others who want to see Armageddon unleashed.  It is a fast-paced, action packed book.  

I want to give this a higher rating but the whole story is already very familiar.  I don't mind the continuation of past storylines, but other elements are repetitive - the assault on yet another lab/prison, the fight with the vampires, the ability to shift from place to place.  It is nice to be able to visit with past characters, however, I would've liked to see some new and fresh - perhaps explore the alien angle more. 

So, I recommend this read as a part of my endorsement for the overall series. But next book, I hope I get something a little more unique and boundary-busting. 

ARC Review: LETHAL GAME by Julie Rowe

LETHAL GAME
by Julie Rowe

ABOUT THE BOOK:
As the nation's youngest virologist and hematologist, Captain Sophia Perry has always been one step ahead of her peers. But there's one thing she can't beat—cancer. She wants to make a difference in the time she has left, so when she's sent to investigate a breakout at a Syrian refugee camp, she goes, saying nothing of her diagnosis. But saving the masses isn't easy when the man tasked to protect her is so irresistible.

Communications Sergeant Connor Button is back on active duty after a deadly explosion, but he doesn't feel whole again until he meets Sophia. Assigned to keep her safe, he's prepared to die for her, but for the first time in months he truly wants to live—if only she wasn't so determined to put them both in danger.

With a secret to keep and nothing to lose, Sophia is determined to find the source of the breakout at any cost. Violent attacks on the camp convince her that someone wants her to pay dearly. But as Sophia's health deteriorates, Connor must find a way to help her defeat her enemies before her body defeats her.

I enjoyed the first book in this series, Deadly Strain, for it's focus on biological warfare.  It reminded me of the books by Robin Cooke where biology goes amok. But I didn't relate to the romance in that book. I liked the characters, just not together.  In contrast, I really enjoyed the relationship between the characters in this story, although I didn't like the heroine very much.  I appreciate her courage, determinate and spunk, but I think she is very defensive about her condition and that makes her come across as whiny. However, I really liked Connor.  Despite his quick-trigger temper, I enjoyed his protectiveness, loyalty, and big brother-vibe.  Despite my reservation of Sophia, I thought Ms. Rowe did an excellent job in developing their relationship amidst the pursuit of a bio-terrorist intent on unleashing a bio-weapon on the world.  

As the author's bio indicates, she comes from a medical background and it shows.  However, it is presented in a clear manner that adds interest and credibility to the story, instead of detracting from it. I love learning new topics and love it even more when it is a part of a fantastic narrative.  

If you like smart, romantic suspense, with a dose of science,  you won't want to miss this second book in the Biological Response Team series. 

Thank you to the author, Carina Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange of an honest review. The opinions are my own and I was not paid for this review. 

Book Blast: BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN By Darynda Jones

It's time, it's time!  Reyes' perspective is here.  All along, Reyes has been the elusive one.  Dark and mysterious, he is a puzzle just waiting to be solved.  Now we get his POV on the Charley Davidson series and this one is oh, so good.  Stay tuned for my review of Brighter than the Sun later this week.  In the meantime, enjoy a little excerpt and Giveaway!

BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN
By Darynda Jones

Blurb

All his life, Reyes Alexander Farrow has suffered the torments of the damned. Only one thing has given him hope: the woman who radiates a light that no mortals can see; a light that only the departed can see…

Told from his point of view, BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN chronicles the first time Reyes ever encountered Charley, and how their relationship has been the one thing that can either save him or doom him.

I’m curled in a corner of the basement, shivering like a little bitch and licking my wounds from the latest encounter, when I hear my sister crying at the door. I try to assure her I’m okay, but the edges of my vision darken and a beckoning light appears in the distance. I collapse and drift toward it. Weightless. Ethereal.

I always drift toward it.

Not literally. I’ve been locked in the basement by a psychopath. I don’t get out much. But mentally.

You should probably know that even though I’m twelve, the circumstances of my existence are not normal. The things that happen to me are not normal. The things in my head are not normal. And the light that I’m drifting toward, the warmth I feel from it, the . . . forgiveness for all my abnormalities, is as abnormal as I am.

I’m three the first time I see it, and in a very similar state. I follow it. I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and drift toward the white-hot pinprick of light burning the back of my eyes. The closer I get, the brighter it becomes until, just when I think I’ll never see again . . .

. . . she appears.

This tiny being peeking out from between a lady’s legs. I don’t know what to think at first, besides I shouldn’t be looking between a lady’s legs. But she is dying, the lady, so I figure it’s okay. I wouldn’t look at her bad anyway. My head doesn’t always work right, but even at three, it knows not to look at a lady bad.

Anyway, she’s shaking. The lady. Not shivers like if she’s cold, but deep shakes like if something’s wrong. Her head is thrown back and her body is stiff. The nurses hold her down as a doctor pulls at the light. At the thing. The tiny being that was in the lady’s belly, and suddenly it all makes sense.

Not the light, but that whole “Where do babies come from?” thing.

It’s disturbing, but not so disturbing as the lady. One of the reasons my head doesn’t work right is because I feel what others feel. Could ever since I was a kid. A littler kid. I can feel other people when they’re mad or pissed or in pain. That’s how I know when to stay away from Earl. When to run and hide. It doesn’t always work, but it’s damned sure worth a shot.

But right now, I feel the lady’s pain and it hurts and I almost leave if not for the light. I try to catch my breath once more. To be near it. Near her. Just a little longer.

She comes out in a whoosh of baby and liquid and a light so bright, I can hardly see—and I’m mesmerized. Then the pain stops and I can breathe normally again. The lady is still. A solid, constant note sounds in the room, and people gather around her and the baby. Everyone except the man holding the lady’s hand. He is doubled over. His shoulders shake, and I realize the people around the baby—most of them, anyway—are dead. They’re people from the past come to see the light. Ghosts. Whispers.

Their faces are full of wonder, but they are blocking my view, so I push them aside and drift closer. She is wailing like babies do. Then she sees the lady. Her mother. The woman standing beside the doctor, looking down at her. I’d never seen anything like the emotion in the mom’s expression, and I think how it must be love, because it’s soft and caring and tender.

I’m glad for the baby and sad at the same time. The mother touches her face. The baby’s. Tells her to be strong. Stronger than she was. Then she kisses the man’s bowed head, and I think about how I didn’t know ghosts could cry. Then she does the impossible: She steps into the baby’s light and is gone.

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 NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work, including a prestigious Golden Heart®, a Rebecca, two Hold Medallions, a RITA ®, and a Daphne du Maurier, and she has received stellar reviews from dozens of publications including starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, and the Library Journal. As a born storyteller, Darynda grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike, and she is ever so grateful for the opportunity to carry on that tradition. She currently has two series with St. Martin’s Press: The Charley Davidson Series and the Darklight Trilogy. She lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband of almost 30 years and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys. She can be found at www.daryndajones.com.

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