ARC Review: The Lovely Return by Carian Cole

The Lovely Return is one of the best books I've read this year. This book was truly unique and different from anything I've ever read before. I always love everything that Carian Cole writes, but this book was very special. From the very first page, I knew that this book was going to be one I'd fall in love with. 

Alex and Penny's story is one that spans years and goes beyond what we know of time. These two are drawn to one another in a way that they cannot fight or explain. Penny is thought to be an odd child, often times having unexplainable dreams and memories that no one can explain. Despite the age difference between them, Alex and Penny continue to grow closer over time, forming a friendship that feels right to both of them. 

I won't ruin the story here, but this one was such a joy to read. The Lovely Return was beautiful from start to finish, filled with words that only Carian could put together in such a heartbreaking and heartwarming manner. This story is not only beautiful, but one that is emotional and captivating. I didn't want to put this one down, anxious for these characters that I was falling in love with throughout this entire story. If you are a fan of romance and don't mind a bit of reimagining what we all think to be true of time and death, this book is an absolute must read. Trust me and go in blind with this one as this book is one that should just be experienced with no spoilers if possible. Carian Cole never disappoints and this book is one I know I'll never forget. 

**ARC Provided by Give Me Books**

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ARC Review: The Trouble with Vampires by Lynsay Sands

Yay Santo!! Book 29 in the Argeneau series brings us to a suburban Albany, New York neighborhood. The Enforcers got a lead that may end up being the mad scientist they have been trying to track down since he escaped from his private island off the coast of Venezuela where he had been experimenting on immortals and humans in a Dr. Moreau kind of way. After being held captive by the mad scientist Santo is ready for a swift justice. Petronella Stone is babysitting her nephew but soon after she gets there strange things start to happen someone tries to break in to the house luckily the neighbors intervene before anything can happen. The visiting neighbors, Marguerite, Julius, Zanipolo, Jason, and Santo are there to track down the mad scientist who maybe hiding out in his cousins house right next door and the attempted break in at Pet’s house is just too coincidental. They find out early on Pet knows about immortals due to a traumatic past experience which makes things easier for the Enforcers to protect her and her nephew, Parker. Once Santo realizes that Pet is his life mate and she already knows about immortals he thinks the rest should be easy, but it’s never easy!

Overall, this was another very entertaining read. Santo and Pet are hot, it gets very steamy and Santo is very deserving of a life mate. Parker is adorable. I foresee something happening with the Brass Circle in the future (finger’s crossed). This one wasn’t as predictable as some of the past books I didn’t guess what exactly happened and it was good, it had a very nice ending. I think this could be read as a standalone but if you need to read the previous one to catch up on the whole mad scientist plot you don’t have to go back to the very beginning just maybe back maybe six or seven to Runaway Vampire or Immortal Nights. I am also anticipating Zanipolo’s book to be next, I’m hoping. I always enjoy Lynsay Sands writing, her characters are always quirky and Pet and Santo’s have very dark emotional past they have to deal with which lead to them connecting on an emotional level as well as physical.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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ARC Review: Never Let Me Fall by Abbie Roads

Dear friends of mine can be found in the written word known as heart, life, and passion. Triumph, even in times when a great darkness may inevitably swallow one whole. Those moments where even the most downtrodden individual can seek out words on a page, only to be soothed by the art unfolding in a book infused with imaginings that breathe life into the reader; I live for those moments. Once again, Abbie Roads has written a story so rich that I find myself in awe of her ability to develop a plot that ignites my blood, painting a canvas of feelings that range from horrified to blissfully happy. Thomas and Helena are a perfectly rendered example of strength born from tragedy and I find myself still thinking of their companionship, kindness, and unwavering love.

Thomas Brown, a man running from a hellish past filled with grievous injuries, ones that he cannot escape as they haunt his every waking moment. His world is bereft and colorless; tasteless, even as he wanders through life only surviving, incapable of living. Helena Grayse, the woman who thrives without thought through grit and willpower; defiance and grace her bedmate for the past ten years as she suffered through a sentence meant to break her. For a sin she was incapable of committing. Both characters bring with them undeniably heartbreaking pain and yet somehow form a bond that nourishes forgiveness and healing under debilitating and gruesome circumstances.

Such aspects of a story ensure my inclination to fall deeply into the setting, becoming one with the tale being told. From the very beginning, I was riveted; compulsively turning the page to find what may come next for Helena and Thomas. Their meeting brought a smile to full bloom even in its simplicity while their growing love caused my heart to tremble with unbridled joy. I ached with each moment of desperate sadness and cried during moments of raw beauty as love kindled in a contradictory slow, yet satisfyingly fast-paced burn, igniting both souls as they touched. The journey Helena and Thomas endure together will quell any need for a happily ever after, leaving you with every bit of much wanted heartwarming feels.

Even with the dark and twisty depth of psychosis embedded in the foundation of the antagonist as I was rendered speechless left me wanting. As the evil slices through skin, blood, bone, and marrow you’ll come to appreciate, know, and love the chilling delivery that Abbie Roads gives you. With each turn of the page, not only does emotion claw at your beating heart, but the sick and disturbed shocks your pulse into frenetic pump, pump, pump. Surprises greet you as the slight paranormal edge gives you goosebumps in this wonderful romantic thriller. This is one complex, fiendish, and beautiful novel that should be savored.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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ARC Review: Midnight Wolf by Jennifer Ashley

Shifters Unbound #11. Man, I love this series. Jennifer Ashley’s writing is always so consuming, I open the book and I’m sucked into the work of shifters, fae, and humans. The characters in this book, Angus and Tamsin, both have quite a bit of character growth through the book. Angus and Tamsin start off one way; Angus very stern and quite, very set in his ways and willing to do just about anything for his son, Ciaran. While Tamsin an uncollared shifter on the run still maintains a very optimistic view on the world. These two opposites balance each other out and bring out the best in each other, and Ciaran (I just love that name) is such a cute kid, so open and honest. I enjoyed the story and think you can probably read this as a stand-alone but there is enough past book stuff to tantalize you into reading the other books, at least the last two or three books.

Angus Murray is a scowling and grumpy shifter when he’s not working as a bouncer he is raising his cub, Ciaran. Angus’ brother, Gavan, was an idiot who tried to go against the Shifter Bureau and it ended in his own death as well as that of Angus’ mate. Angus had nothing to do with his brother’s movement but still managed to lose his position in the pack. Tamsin Calloway has managed to avoid detection, she’s been lucky enough that she always manages to escape undetected or leave just before something goes wrong. But the death of two Bureau agents has finally brought her into the spotlight and now a sinister Bureau agent has his sights set on Tamsin. Agent Haider kidnaps Ciaran and forces Angus to hunt down Tamsin or else he’ll never see his son again. Finding her was easy enough it’s catching her that gave Angus trouble and if the alligator hadn’t of caught her first Tamsin would have probably gotten away. Tamsin, now severely injured, has no choice but to go with Angus, instead of taking her straight to the Bureau he takes her to Ben and the sentient house (I so love this house!) and calls Zander down to heal her, while he comes up with a plan. There is no choice in not turning her in because of Ciaran but that doesn’t mean she can escape right after the hand off. It doesn’t quite go as planned once Haider admits to Tamsin that he plans to dissect her to find out how she works. Now all three of them, Angus, Tamsin, and Ciaran are on the run. They end with an uncollared shifter, Dante (who I can picture as Jason Momoa) and his half fae/half human mate, who run a carnival and travel with them for some time.

The attraction between Tamsin and Angus is pretty much instantaneous but it takes them a bit before they act on it. Angus mate claims Tamsin in order to protect her but afterwards he realizes just how much he wants her to stay in his life. Once Tamsin completely trusts Angus she reveals the reason everyone if after her, and together with their friends Ben, Zander, and Tiger they must figure out what to do about this and make it to where the only ones who want Tamsin are Angus and Ciaran. Overall, I positively loved this book, it’s not my favorite of the series but it’s really up there in the list. The characters are fantastic and of course it’s the strong silent type for me again Angus really fits the bill for a book boyfriend. Tamsin is so wonderfully optimistic even when her life is falling apart she still singing along to the radio and smiling. I am so happy that Ben is going to get his HEA finally.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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ARC Review: Love on the Edge of Time by Julie A. Richman

I have been a fan of Julie A. Richman's since I first read her Needing Moore series. I knew I wanted to read this book after reading the blurb, and I can honestly say that I haven't read a story quite like this one before. While it reminds me a bit of the Blue Bloods series by Melissa De La Cruz, this one had several differences as well. I am a bit torn on this story though, and while it kept me on the edge of my seat, I also was left feeling as though this wasn't everything I had been hoping for so it was a bit bittersweet once I had finished. 

Jesse Winslow is a bad boy rocker and Kylie Martin is a former pageant queen. Both have demons that they continue to struggle with that keep messing up their lives. When the two of them meet though, their connection is one they can't explain or fight. But the one person that might be able to help both of them also has a secret, and that is that she knows the entire truth. Dr. Claire Stoddard knows everything that could help Jesse and Kylie, but she also has done the forbidden and fallen in love with her patient Jesse. Though Kylie and Jesse search and find each other in lifetime after lifetime, Claire isn't about to let Kylie take Jesse from her yet again. 

I really loved getting to see these characters and their history through the regressions. I was captivated by Kylie and Jesse and their pasts as well as the present. Their connection was undeniable and was one that nothing could stand in the way of. I loved seeing the growth and progress that each of them made here. This story was full of love and heartbreak, jealousy and history. There is so much more to this story than meets the eye, and is truly worth the read.

But if I am honest, this story was a bit hard to get into and the ending was what changed it all for me. Luckily while this one started a bit slow, it picked up and at that point I couldn't put it down. It was beautifully written and I was emotionally invested in what would happen for these characters. It wasn't at all what I thought it was going to be, with plenty of twists and turns. But what really left me wanting was the ending. I wasn't fully satisfied, and I felt like it didn't really do the story justice. I wanted closure and it didn't feel like we really got it. While I am sure that there are a lot of readers that will love this story and feel like it was exactly as it should have been, I just felt like for me it was a bit bittersweet.

**ARC Provided by Social Butterfly PR**

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ARC Review: Darkest Temptation by Rachel Van Dyken

I really don't read much in the paranormal genre at this point, but Rachel Van Dyken is an auto-buy author for me and I have really enjoyed this series from the start. Darkest Temptation is the fourth book in her Dark Ones Saga series, and while each book could technically standalone, I wouldn't recommend reading them out of order. This series is great, but it does build from the beginning and I think some readers might be a little lost at times without starting at the beginning. 

Darkest Temptation is Mason's story, and his is one I have been waiting for! Mason is a werewolf king, and after losing his mate he chose to walk away. He lives his life with his friends and chooses to eat berries and pine cones, though he hungers for more. When Serenity enters his life she is a mess, and as a vampire she is the last person he should want. But there is something between them and both find it impossible to ignore how the other calls to them.

I really loved these two. There was so much more to Mason than we have previously seen, and I loved getting to know him better. I really wanted to give him a hug so many times here, and peeling back his layers made me fall for him even more than I already had with the previous books. Serenity was great as well, and I just felt like these two fit so well together despite all the reasons that they shouldn't. The chemistry was there from the start, and I couldn't put this one down as I had to know how things would work out for them. 

Overall, I am really enjoying this series and while this isn't my normal genre, Rachel Van Dyken has created an intriguing and captivating world that I find fascinating. She is so talented at creating unique and interesting stories that really draw readers in regardless of the genre. This series is filled with characters that I have grown to love, and I have become so invested in them. Honestly this is just a great series, and I think that readers of all genres can find something to enjoy here. If you haven't had a chance to check this series out yet, I highly recommend it. It is one that I have really enjoyed and Rachel Van Dyken never disappoints.

**ARC Provided by Social Butterfly PR**

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ARC Review: Immortally Yours by Lynsay Sands

The 26th installment of the incredible world of the Argeneau’s by Lynsay Sands. We take a pause from the mad scientist down in South America and as much as I like it taking a step back from it and doing something else was a nice change of pace. We once again find ourselves in Canada with Mortimer and his mate Sam. A new hunter from Spain Beth was adopted into the Argenis family after her transition over a hundred years ago. Elisabeth “Beth” is a British born woman who’s had an arduous past and has actually accepted it and moved on, it’s a shame Scotty hasn’t. Scotty was one of the ones who saved her after she was changed and for the last one hundred and twenty-five years he has been keeping his distance from her telling himself he is giving her time to heal.

Cullen “Scotty” MacDonald is the head of the British Hunters he’s lending a hand to Mortimer who is stretched pretty thin since most hunters are in South America. While he’s there he is going to check up on Beth and maybe quite possible finally claim her as his life mate. Mortimer assigns Beth, Scotty, and hunter trainee Donny to a sensitive mission, the daughter of the Russian immortals is attending school in Vancouver and has begun feeding “off the hoof”. To prevent her death and subsequently a huge, bloody international incident Beth is supposed to talk to her to make sure she knows she’s breaking the law by feeding directly from the source. Beth has had many close calls being a hunter for so long but two attempts on her life in one day seems to hinky for Scotty to just let it go as coincidence. 

The more time Scotty spends with Beth the harder it is to resist the urge to mate, and the more he realizes he never knew who she was really. All this time Scotty was telling himself he was doing it for her but deep down he was having a hard time accepting what she was in her mortal life. Beth has had time to accept what has happened to her and to accept everything about her past but when she learns that Scotty has known that she was his life mate all this time, she feels rejected like he didn’t want her because of it. Beth and Scotty have come a long way and still have quite a bit to tell each other before they can fully accept each other. But this new baddie who has targeted Beth forces their hand to reveal everything. Can Beth forgive Scotty for his past treatment and can Scotty embrace Beth for everything she is and has been in the past?

Overall, this was a good one. Just when you think the situation couldn’t get any worse it does. Poor Beth and Scotty they go through so much emotionally and physically, this is an exciting and emotional read.   

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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ARC Review: Snow's Surrender by Kristin Miller

First things first, this book is not a standalone. It's a continuation of the other books in the series. Don't start the series here. Start at book 1 (if you decide to read it) and go forward from there. Here's the second thing, this book is sold as a twist on Snow White and I'm pretty sure it isn't. There were some very insignificant references to the fairytale but overall, I just didn't see the connection. Third, based on the cover of the book and the way this book is marketed, I really thought it was going to be a threesome book. What I did not expect or want was a triangle, which is what this is. 

Last, for all you fans of the shifter paranormal stuff, there's almost none of that in this series. I'm not really in to that stuff so that is not a criticism from me. Part of the reason I read "paranormal" romance by Kristin Miller is because I'm not really a paranormal fan. She gives me just enough of the paranormal stuff to make me feel like I'm being adventurous without me having to really step outside of my comfort zone.

 I just felt the need to get all the preliminary stuff off the table, so let's move on now. I can't really say that now that I've read the whole series, I loved it. I didn't like the Hunter/Malcolm split. I also didn't love the heroine. She had moments of being really funny but a lot of the time, I found her to be indecisive and a bit immature. The erotic content is off the charts as is guaranteed in any Kristin Miller book. Each of these installments is short and not at all hard to read but there isn't really any character development and the plot is pretty thin.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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ARC Review: Snow's Submission by Kristin Miller

If you've ever read one of these Kristin Miller serials you know that each book is more like a few chapters of one book. Each installment picks up right where the last one left off. These books cannot be read out of order so if you haven't read part 1, don't read this book or this review.  If you've read part 1 then you know that this series is kind of an interesting twist on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. We met Snow, the wicked stepmother and the prince(s) in book 1. Book 2 focuses on 6 friends and Hunter (i.e., the 7 dwarfs).

Hunter is helping Snow in the art of making a dude want you like a fat kid wants cake so that she can hook up with Malcolm. Hunter's advice in book 2 is questionable but it makes for an entertaining storyline. Hunter tells Snow that if she can attract Malcolm's friends, Malcolm is more likely to notice her. Hunter's theory is that a man wants what other men want. The only research I've done on this involves snacks and if there is any cross application to the way men feel about women, ok, it might be true.

So enter the dwarfs. Only they are not dwarfs. There are six incredibly sexy grown men...errr werewolfs...or shifters...I don't know. but they look like super hot guys. Anyway, it is pretty entertaining watching Snow work it out on Malcolm's friends. She is, of course, so good in her role as seductress that Hunter gets even more drawn into his attraction to her. This of course leads to more of the very hot line blurring between Hunter and Snow. The crazy thing is that Malcolm is still out there and he is still technically Snow's dream guy who Hunter is "getting her ready" for. 

These books are quick and pretty predictable but also super sexy. This book is definitely better than the first installment. It is both funnier and more entertaining. If you like these hot Miller paranormal short stories, you'll love this.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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ARC Review: A Girl Like Me by Ginger Scott

A Girl Like Me is the second book in the Like Us series by Ginger Scott, and I couldn't wait to read this one after enjoying the first in the series. This book is not a standalone and needs to be read only after you have finished A Boy Like You. While I was excited to read this book, it took an unexpected turn and unfortunately that didn't work for me.

This book picks up where the first one left off. Joss is heading to look for Wes and to learn more about her mom. While she does start to learn more about her mom, she still hasn't found Wes and she finds herself with more questions than when she started. Soon she discovers that there are more secrets in her life than she could have ever guessed.

I don't want to go into too much of the story so as not to spoil it for those interested in reading, but I do think that readers should know (since I didn't!) that this book takes a paranormal turn. While there were a few things in the first book that could be a kind of hint, this pretty much came out of nowhere and didn't work for me. It all just kind of felt out of place, and what started off as a contemporary NA sports romance quickly turned into what felt like the author throwing everything and the kitchen sink in and hoping that it would work...and for some it might.

The other problem I had was that this book was slow paced and overly detailed, to the point that I kept losing interest and was forcing myself to finish. With the sudden turn and the pacing, this one was unfortunately not what I had been expecting at all and I wish I had known before starting the duet. While I have loved Ginger's books in the past, this series wasn't my favorite. I would still read more from her in the future, and I recommend giving these a shot if they sound like ones you might be interested in.

**ARC Provided by Wordsmith Publicity**

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