Review: Caught Inside by S. Briones Lim

Caught Inside is my first read by S. Briones Lim, and I didn't really know what to expect. But I was really drawn in by the blurb and cover of this story and decided to take a chance on it. While there were things that I liked about this book, I ended up not loving it and it was actually hard for me to finish this one. I felt like it started off really well and had a lot of promise, but that after about half way through it just fell flat.

Riley Dillon just had the worst day ever. After finding out she was being fired from a job she didn't want in the first place, she broke her lucky shoes, and returned home to find her fiance sleeping with someone else. She decides to leave NY and head back home to her small hometown of Mistcoast, California to figure out her next move. Needing to find a job, her best friend recommends that she head to the local surf shop since they just posted a sign needing help. She never expects the owner to be the boy she once tutored back in high school. Though at the time four years age difference was a huge deal, Blake Reynolds is determined to show Riley that it no longer needs to be. Blake views Riley showing up at his shop to be his second chance with the girl that he once let get away. But will Riley finally take a chance on a relationship with Blake and stay put in California, or will she return to NY to pursue her dreams and leave Blake with a broken heart?

I really liked Blake. He had a few annoying moments, but after he had a heart-to-heart with Riley it explained why he acted the way he did sometimes. Beyond that though, he was super sweet and thoughtful, and he never gave up on Riley. He went out of his way to always do nice things for her and never once expected anything but love in return. He was so great to her and for her, and I thought that he deserved to be loved and treated well in return. Riley was impossible for me to connect to, and was a large part of my problem with this book. She was weak and wishy washy, and she honestly drove me nuts. She was always running and pretty much being a coward. Everyone around her pointed it out and all she did was get defensive and ignore them. She lied to Blake repeatedly and pretty much led him on the entire book. While I loved Blake and I liked that these two had some history between them, I got to the point that I was rooting for him to move on and find someone else. 

My other big problem with this book was that it was really slow and seemed to drag a lot. The first half was interesting and I was really enjoying the story. But after that it just went downhill. I found myself bored and just wanting to skim to get it over with. I wanted to finish to see how things would end up, but it wasn't nearly as enjoyable as the first half of the story. I think the only reason I continued to read was for Blake. To me, this book could have been a really good one but it just sort of ran out of steam. I was disappointed with Riley's actions, and she just seemed to be completely immature and childish. She definitely didn't act her age, and it was hard to believe that she was older than Blake was. As much as I wanted to love this story, she made it next to impossible and I doubt that I will remember this story in the long run.

**Review Copy Provided by Sizzling PR**

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Feature and Giveaway: The Tycoon's Convenient Bride...and Baby by Shoshanna Evers

After her brother and his wife go missing and are presumed dead, Lauren Peters plans to raise their infant daughter. Her brother’s will, however, stipulates that baby Callie can only be raised by a married couple. Lauren’s as single as they come.

Mack Hansen can’t stand idly by while his business partner’s baby is thrown into a foster home. As he sees it, there’s only one solution—he and Lauren will marry for the sake of the baby—and he’ll keep his attraction to her at bay.

Lauren knows that Mack is all about business, including their marriage of convenience. But her unexpected feelings for him have her turned upside down. With passion sizzling between them, can Mack keep Lauren from stealing his heart…and becoming his wife for real?

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Interview with Author Katee Robert and Giveaway

Meet Katee Robert, author of Meeting His Match.

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Katee Robert, learned to tell stories at her grandpa’s knee. Her favorites then were the rather epic adventures of The Three Bears, but at age twelve she discovered romance novels and never looked back. Though she dabbled in writing, life got in the way, as it often does, and she spent a few years traveling, living in both Philadelphia and Germany. In between traveling and raising her two wee ones, she had the crazy idea that she’d like to write a book and try to get published.

Places to find Katee:

| Site | Facebook | Twitter |

Feature and Giveaway: Accidentally Married on Purpose by Rachel Harris

One ring plus one wild night equals one crazy love

Sherry Robicheaux loves men. She loves love. And she loves an adventure. So when she meets a mysterious man while working backstage at a country music concert in Vegas, she’s all about what happens in Vegas staying there.

Country music superstar Tyler Blue just wants a weekend of anonymity…though there’s something about the spunky waitress with the streaks of purple hair that tempts him like no other. Until the next morning, when they both wake up with fuzzy memories…and rings on their fingers.

Convincing Sherry to maintain the ruse for his public image isn’t the hardest part—it’s reminding himself that their time spent playing husband and wife in her small town of Magnolia Springs can’t last. Tyler’s first love will always be music—and the road is no place for a sweet downhome girl.

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Feature and Giveaway: Fiancee For Hire by Tawna Fenske

Falling in love was never part of the plan…

Former Marine MacArthur Patton has made a small fortune on top-secret government contracts and black-ops missions, but his new assignment involves something more dangerous—marriage.

Well, fake marriage anyway.

To keep weapons out of the hands of terrorists, Mac has to secure a fiancée. A sweet, demure, compliant fiancée to serve as his arm candy for a few weeks while he completes the covert arms deal in Mexico. His sister claims to know just the woman, and sends her best friend to play the role.

“Sweet” and “demure” aren’t in Kelli Landers’s repertoire. A badass veterinarian who neuters big dogs and bigger men on a regular basis, she can’t wait to bring Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Detached to his knees. Her longtime crush on the commitment-phobe makes her plan to seduce him even sweeter.

Love wasn’t part of the plan, but the deeper Mac and Kelli fall into their ruse, the more danger they attract, until more than just their hearts are on the line…

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Guest Post with Author Amanda K. Byrne

Meet Amanda K. Byrne, author of One Night in Buenos Aires.

When she’s not plotting ways to sneak her latest shoe purchase past her partner, Amanda writes sexy, snarky romance and urban fantasy. She likes her heroines smart and unafraid to make mistakes, and her heroes strong enough to take them on.

If she’s not writing, she’s reading, drinking hot chocolate, and trying not to destroy her house with her newest DIY project. She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, and no, it really doesn’t rain that much.

Find Amanda at:

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Feature and Giveaway: Two Week Seduction by Kathy Lyons

She’s going to break all of his rules…

Tech Sergeant John O’Donnell was never fond of his hometown. Too many reminders of poverty, his rocky family life, and the girl he was never allowed to have. Now he has exactly two weeks to sort out his mother's finances before he heads back overseas. Two weeks that he's determined to spend as far from his best friend’s little sister as possible.

Alea Heling has a naughty streak a mile wide. Sweet and simple? Boring. She’s been craving a bad boy like John since their wild days together in high school, and this time, she’s not taking no for an answer. But with every panty-meltingly hot encounter, Alea forgets one hard, cold reality—this soldier won't let a fortnight turn into forever...and forever might be exactly what they both need.

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Guest Post with Author Nina Crespo and Giveaway

Meet Nina Crespo, author of Take Me If You Dare.

Nina Crespo lives in Florida where she indulges in her favorite passions -- the beach, kick boxing, a good glass of wine, date night with her own real-life hero and dancing. Her lifelong addiction to romance began in her teens while on a "borrowing spree" in her older sister's bedroom where she discovered her first romance novel. Curiosity about people and places, including what's beyond the stars, fuels her writer's imagination. This wellspring of inspiration allows Nina to create sensual contemporary stories and steamy paranormal tales, which she hopes will feed your own addiction for love, romance, and happily ever after.

Find Nina at:

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Review: Guarded Heart by Lisa Andres

Guarded Heart is the second book in the Dubicki's series by Lisa Andres. This book can be read as standalone as it is about interconnected characters. I was excited to read this story after reading the blurb because I love stories about sexy MMA fighters. There is just something about an athletic man that knows how to hand himself, and they are usually alpha which makes for an interesting story every time. I have never read a book by Lisa Andres before this one though, so I went into this one not really knowing what to expect. I think that this book had a lot of promise, and I think with a little work this could be a pretty good story. I did have problems with it though, and unfortunately this one just didn't work for me.

Carissa has had a tough life. She has no idea who her father is, and her mother is a coke addicted runway model that couldn't care less about her daughter. She was raped at fourteen and left home. She found some roommates and got a job and has been on her own ever since. Now she works for a hospice care center for the elderly and has hopes of becoming a registered nurse someday. She agrees to go out with her friend one night and ends up meeting Jesse. They are both drawn together and feel attracted to one another. After Carissa gets drugged and abandoned by her friend, Jesse finds her and takes care of her. She runs off the next morning only to end up seeing him again after her friend drags her to an MMA fight. Jesse and Carissa meet back up and end up dating. When Jesse's past suddenly comes back though, Carissa begins to wonder how well she knows Jesse and if she can really trust him.

I liked Jesse well enough, but I thought he handled a few things poorly. He was sweet and patient with Carissa most of the time, but there were a couple of times that he should have been more honest with Carissa. She gave him the opportunity to be honest and he didn't, and then he got mad at her for her being mad about his dishonesty. It was pretty immature and he knew that she needed honesty because of her past. I liked Carissa for the most part, but she also had her moments. She was damaged from her past, and would often run before getting all the facts or when she was scared. But she also for everything that she said bothered her, seemed to move rather quickly with Jesse. I felt like their relationship was really rushed. I think that they had great chemistry, but I didn't really ever buy the feelings that happened so quickly between them.

I felt like this story while having potential just fell short and wasn't able to deliver on the promise of what could have been a good story. It was short, and I think the length really hurt in this case because it didn't seem real or believable with how short it was. I also felt like this book had a tendency to just dump a bunch of info without ever really showing you what was going on. It was hard to get into at times because it just felt awkward in parts and as though we as readers were being told rather than showed what was happening. I also just felt like pretty much every big conflict or event in this story was predictable and overdone. It was most every cliche that you have seen already done in NA stories, and just felt like the same story retold with a few differences. There was nothing new or unique about this one, and it didn't stand out at all. I also felt like a few large things were brought up and then just glossed over without question at all, and that was pretty much what killed it for me. Without spoiling it, I just felt like there was one huge thing that Jesse should have checked out better without just believing right off considering the circumstances. The fact that he just went along no questions asked pretty much just solidified the fact that this story wasn't for me. There were some sweet parts, and the characters were likable enough even being underdeveloped. But I just wasn't able to get behind this story. If you are looking for a quick and sweet read with a happy ending you might give this one a shot, but if you are wanting a story that is really developed and believable with something unique or different this one might not be for you.

**Copy Provided by Sizzling PR**

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Feature and Giveaway: The Wedding Dare Series by Laura Kaye, Diane Alberts, Tessa Bailey, Katee Robert and Samanthe Beck

The Wedding Dare Series

1 Wedding...4 Hot Stories

Feature and Giveaway: Honor Reclaimed by Tonya Burrows

Former Marine scout sniper Seth Harlan is new to HORNET and anxious to prove he can still do his job despite an ongoing battle with PTSD. He remembers all too well what it's like to sit inside an enemy camp, praying for rescue and waiting for death. So when a black ops soldier contacts HORNET to rescue a buddy who was left behind, all sorts of nasty memories strain his newfound stability.

When an interview with a runaway Afghan child bride leads photojournalist Phoebe Leighton to an arms deal involving a suitcase bomb powerful enough to wipe out a mid-sized town, she realizes this is one battle she can't win on her own. Forming an unlikely alliance with a ragtag team of military and government delinquents, she meets Seth, a sniper carrying as many emotional scars as physical, who impresses her with his steely will and ignites passions within her she thought long dead.

Suddenly this mission is about a lot more than an abandoned soldier. Racing against the clock, Seth, Phoebe, and the rest of HORNET struggle to stop that bomb before it reaches it's final destination: The United States.

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | The Book Depository |

Feature and Giveaway: One Night with a Cowboy by Elizabeth Otto

One night is never enough…

Jobless, broke, and struggling to support herself and her invalid mother, paramedic Sophie Miller doesn’t have time or energy for a relationship. Especially with her mother’s clock ticking down. So when the sexy cowboy she meets at a carnival proposes a no-strings, one-night stand, she’s all over it. Until her one-night stand shows up again and turns out to be everything she’s ever wanted.

Tucker Haywood has his hands full running Paint River Ranch and trying to deal with all the changes pulling the rug out from under him. His past has taught him it’s better to keep women at arm’s length, for their sake. Stubborn and temperamental, Tucker doesn’t have a clue how to deal with a city girl who’s scared of squirrels and dirt.

So when Sophie gets under his skin, he has to do whatever it takes to push her away. Even if it means losing the part of himself he never thought he’d find.

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Feature and Giveaway: Angel Kin by Tricia Skinner + The Demon Lord by Paula Altenberg

The thief will steal his heart...

Book Synopsis: While channeling Robin Hood’s “steal from the rich and give to the poor” attitude at a local politician’s house, ex-con Katie Logan witnesses a forced suicide. Dirty or not, supernatural or not, he didn’t deserve to die, especially not by his own hand. But with her record, stepping forward as a witness isn’t an option. On the run from the police and the murderer, she turns to The Bound Ones for help.

When a beautiful woman comes to The Bound Ones, half-angel assassin Cain is immediately drawn to her. But when she fingers him as the killer, he can come to only one conclusion. The twin he thought was dead is very much alive…and trying to send him a message. Unfortunately, that message is: “You’re next.”

It’s a race against time as Cain fights to save the woman he’s falling in love with before his brother Abel destroys them both.

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Feature and Giveaway: His to Keep by Katee Robert

He’s always wanted her. Now’s his chance to claim what’s his.

School teacher Marceline Bellini gave up everything—men, sex, anything resembling a social life—to raise her young daughter. To be the perfect parent. But when she attends an engagement party in her standard stick-in-the-mud mode, her friends begin plying Marceline with shots. Just enough to convince her that a little fun doesn't sound like a bad idea... and having some naughty fun is an even better one.

Like finding herself deliciously pressed against a dark alley wall by the very familiar and über-hot bod of her best friend's older brother.

After years of waiting in painful silence, cop Zach Robinson finally has Marceline’s attention. And man, does he have it. But nothing could have prepared either of them for the rush of fiery lust between them. So he’ll just have to convince Marceline he’s for real. And that a rainy, lust-fuelled romp is the first step to a lifetime of completely imperfect happiness…

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ARC Review: Out of Control by Nina Croft

Out of Control is the second book in Nina Croft's Babysitting a Billionaire series, and I really enjoyed it. I had liked the first book in this series, but for me this one was better. These are standalones with interconnected characters, and I really enjoyed getting to know Dani and Zach. It was nice to see Jake and Kim from the first book though as well.

Dani was injured on her last deployment and has been taking it easy while she heals. She goes to work for her friend Jake, and he assigns her to protect a friend of his. Zachary Hunter made some enemies out of the wrong people, and has been threatened. When Dani shows up to work, she immediately labels him a playboy asshole when she finds him naked and floating in the pool with a blonde on his arm. Zach is surprised that his friend Jake would send such a small woman to protect him, and doesn't help things when he makes that known. But the more that Zach is around Dani, the more he is drawn to her. Dani is attracted to Zach, but it determined to remain professional. Zach however has other ideas and pursues her relentlessly. Before long the chemistry between them is more than either can fight and they decide to be together until their time runs out. But when the job is over and Zach is safe, will Dani reenlist or will her future have been changed by the relationship that they have started to build?

I liked Zach. He had definitely earned his playboy reputation, and at first glance it appears as though Dani had him pegged correctly. But once you start to get to know his character better, you see that he is actually thoughtful and caring and a really good guy. He was athletic and sexy, but he was also really smart and I loved that he was a writer. He was honest and up-front, and I liked that he was really understanding when it came to everything that Dani had issues with. He was patient and let her explain things in her own time, and he was always really supportive. It was great to see him being so fun-loving and playful and he really got her to loosen up and come out of her shell. I liked Dani, but she had several issues. She had lost her brother and felt a ton of guilt over it, and her parents weren't great either. Then she joins the Army and ends up getting injured and having to deal with all of that. It wasn't surprising that it took her awhile to open up to others and that she tended to make assumptions rather quickly. I did like that she was able to open up to Zach though, and she really started to heal and get over things with his help. I liked that she wasn't just a soldier in the Army though, but that she was also a dog trainer and operator. There is something fascinating to me about someone who is able to handle animals that way and their commitment to those animals. Dani was strong and capable, and I liked seeing a heroine that wasn't a typical girly girl. Dani and Zach had a ton of chemistry together, and I thought it was great that she was so unlike the girls that he would normally be attracted to. These two were really hot together, and I thought that they were absolutely perfect for each other. They just fit the other and were the balance that the other needed.

Overall, I really liked this story and it was a book that I was able to really get invested in. I liked the characters and I thought that they were each unique and different, and weren't like others that I have read before. The story was good if a bit predictable, but honestly that didn't bother me. I was able to just enjoy it for what it was, and it left me happy and smiling. The pacing and writing were great, and I have come to find that Nina Croft always entertains. This book is definitely worth the read, and I think that anyone looking for a good lighthearted read with some heat and strong characters will really enjoy this one. I look forward to reading more from Nina Croft in the future, and can't wait to see what she writes next. If you haven't read any of Nina Croft's Babysitting a Billionaire series yet, I recommend that you give this one a shot.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | B&N |

Feature and Giveaway: Rancher Rescue by Barb Han

When a little boy goes missing, rancher Caleb Snow steps in to help…and winds up falling for the child’s beautiful—but mysterious—aunt in Barb Han’s Rancher Rescue.

Getting tangled up with another woman in crisis is the last thing rancher Caleb Snow needs. The handsome cowboy has been badly burned too many times. But this one feels different—Katherine Harper is injured and reeling after an ambush in which her nephew was kidnapped. Caleb wants nothing more than to protect the beautiful, headstrong woman and help her find the missing child. If only he could ignore the feelings she stirs in him.

But as they search together, it’s clear someone wants Katherine dead. Soon the two are running for their lives, dodging bullets, not knowing who to trust…or if they’ll survive long enough to bring a little boy home.

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Feature and Giveaway: Fighting Love by Abby Niles

Talk about kicking a fighter while he’s down.

Former Middleweight champion and confirmed bachelor Tommy “Lightning” Sparks has lost it all: his belt, his career, and now his home. After the devastating fire, he moves in with his drama-free best friend, Julie. One encounter changes everything and Julie is no longer the girl he’s spent his life protecting but a desirable woman he wants to take to his bed. Knowing his reputation, he’s determined to protect Julie more than ever—from himself.

Veterinarian Julie Rogers has been in love with Tommy since she was ten, but would love to get over the man. She’s quiet nights at home and a glass of wine. He’s clubbing all night and shots of tequila. As friends they work great. As a couple? No way in hell. She just can’t get her heart to agree. When she starts spending time with another fighter, the man who’s always treated her like a sister is suddenly not being very brotherly and enflames her body like never before.

Can two childhood friends make a relationship work, or will they lose everything because they stopped FIGHTING LOVE.

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble |

Feature:: Cinderella Screwed Me Over by Cindi Madsen

Finding the one has never been so fun frustrating.

Darby Quinn has a bone to pick with Cinderella. Burned one too many times by ex-boyfriends, Darby has lost all belief in the happily-ever-after that the fairy-tale princess promised her. She's sworn off love, Prince Charmings, and happy endings and she's happy about it. Really. Or at least she was…until she met Jake, her gorgeous neighbor and the manager of her favorite restaurant. But Darby has rules about dating, ones she's culled from her years spent with so-called “princes,” and starting something with Jake would break all of them.

Charming, fun, and unwilling to give up on her, Jake doesn’t fit any of the profiles Darby has created from her case studies of ex-princes-gone-bad. Finally presented with her own Prince Charming, can Darby take a chance on a happily-ever-after?

Full of wit and sarcastic humor, Cinderella Screwed Me Over proves that sometimes the perfect love, like a perfect pair of shoes, is just within your grasp.

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Guest Post with Author Lisa Kessler and Giveaway

Please welcome back to RFTC Lisa Kessler, author of Hunter's Moon.

Lisa Kessler is an award winning author of dark paranormal fiction. Her debut novel, Night Walker, won a San Diego Book Award for Best Published Fantasy-Sci-fi-Horror as well as the Romance Through the Ages Award for Best Paranormal and Best First Book.

Her short stories have been published in print anthologies and magazines, and her vampire story, Immortal Beloved, was a finalist for a Bram Stoker award.

When she's not writing, Lisa is a professional vocalist, performing with the San Diego Opera as well as other musical theater companies in San Diego.

Places to find Lisa: 

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter |

Guest Post with Author Marianne Harden and Giveaway

Meet Marianne Harden, author of Malicious Mischief.

I love making people laugh. True, I should probably spend time on an analyst’s couch, but I’d rather spill loads of fun into my books. I’m rarely at a loss for words, which is wicked cool for a writer. And it would be poppycock to say I didn’t laze away my wonder years dreaming of far-off places.

Over the years, I’ve traversed the insanely fun back roads of Australia and New Zealand, trekked the wildly exotic landscapes of Asia and Africa, soaked up the blistering Caribbean sun, survived bitter Arctic cold to witness the Northern Lights, and lost a wee bit of my heart to the awesomeness of Europe.

My goals in life are simple: do more good than harm and someday master the do-not-mess-with-me look. I roost in Washington State with my husband and our two children.

Places to find Marianne:

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