ARC Review: Flame by Erin Noelle

Flame is the second book in the Fire on the Mountain series by Erin Noelle, with each book being an interconnected standalone. I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one after really enjoying the first book Spark. While I really liked Spark, I absolutely loved Flame! Dakota and Levi's story was so good, and I just couldn't put it down. 

When in Breckenridge for his friend's wedding, successful motocross rider James Levi meets Dakota Shavell. Sparks instantly fly between them, and a sexy night between them soon becomes a two week long road trip together. Dakota and Levi are both used to keeping things casual and they aren't into being possessive or anything long-term. But the longer they spend together, the more their feelings begin to change. They both know that at the end of two weeks Dakota will be headed home while Levi will continue on in his quest to win Worlds. But when Levi gets hurt he suddenly realizes that his priorities have changed, and he is determined to show Dakota that they belong together.

I really loved Dakota and Levi. These two were absolutely perfect for one another, and I loved seeing them together. Dakota was fun and sassy, and I really loved how much she owned who she was. She never made any apologies for who she was and didn't care if others liked it or not. Levi was confident and charming without being a cocky jerk. He went after what he wanted, and I enjoyed watching him as he claimed Dakota. These two had such strong chemistry and they could not have been hotter together. But I also really enjoyed seeing them get closer emotionally when it was clear that neither one of them was used to forming a connection like the one that was so natural between them. 

Overall, this was my favorite so far from this series! I couldn't get enough of these two or their story, and I really enjoyed seeing a few familiar faces. I have to say that I am already looking forward to the next book after the setup here, and I think it will be interesting to see how things play out for the next Shavell sister! I highly recommend this series from Erin Noelle, and don't worry about jumping in here if you haven't read Spark. It isn't necessary to start at the beginning, though I would recommend Spark as well since it is a great book as well! Erin Noelle is a great writer, and I honestly cannot wait to read more from her!

**ARC Provided by Inkslinger PR**

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Interview with Author Victoria James and Giveaway

Meet Victoria James author of Falling for the P.I.

Victoria James is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance.

Victoria always knew she wanted to be a writer and in grade five, she penned her first story, bound it (with staples and a cardboard cover) and did all the illustrations herself. Luckily, this book will never see the light of day again.

In high school she fell in love with historical romance and then contemporary romance. After graduating University with an English Literature degree, Victoria pursued a degree in Interior Design and then opened her own business. After her first child, Victoria knew it was time to fulfill her dream of writing romantic fiction.

Victoria is a hopeless romantic who is living her dream, penning happily-ever-after's for her characters in between managing kids and the family business. Writing on a laptop in the middle of the country in a rambling old Victorian house would be ideal, but she's quite content living in suburbia with her husband, their two young children, and very bad cat.

Sign up for Victoria's Newsletter to stay up to date on upcoming releases and exclusive giveaways, follow her blog for daily antics and insight into her daily life, and get to know her on twitter and Facebook. She loves hearing from readers!

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Feature and Giveaway: Consumed by You by Lauren Blakely

She’s playing with fire…

Dog trainer Cara Bailey wants to find “the one,” but fantasizing about her sexy-as-hell client, firefighter Travis Jansen, is getting in the way. Her only option? Get the confirmed bachelor out of her system-in every position possible-so she can settle down with Mr. Right. Starting right now.

Travis doesn’t do relationships, so no matter how badly he wants the pretty little brunette, he keeps his distance. Until Cara goes and changes the game. She’ll fulfill all of his fantasies if he agrees to walk away when it’s over. But when the wildfire between them blazes out of control, it will consume everything-and everyone-in its path….

CONSUMED BY YOU is a full-length, standalone romance novel that follows Travis and Cara’s scorching story.

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Audiobook Review: Wanderlust by Skye Warren, Narrated by Lucy James

Over the past year or so I have become a huge fan of dark romance. I love the break from the norm, and there is something to be said for a story that is able to draw a reader out of the real world and into something that is nothing like my day to day life. So I was really excited when given the opportunity to listen to Wanderlust by Skye Warren, narrated by Lucy James. Unfortunately this one wasn't for me, and I had several problems with this one. At this point I am no stranger to a kidnapping victim falling for her captor and that isn't what I had issues with. I had issues with the story itself, the characters and the narrator chosen for this audiobook. 

Evie had always dreamed of seeing the world, despite all the warnings her mother gave her. When she gets the chance to take off, she sets out on her own. But what started as her dream quickly becomes a nightmare when a trucker kidnaps her. As Evie travels across the country in his truck, she plots her escape from Hunter. But the more time they spend together, the more she begins to wonder if what she has been looking for is the man sitting right next to her.

I had issues with both of the characters. Evie was hard to get behind or relate to for me. She was extremely naive at times, and it was something that I didn't like even though I understood some of it. She had been sheltered at home and was in the real world for the first time, and yet there were some things that she did and said that I just didn't buy despite her upbringing. To me, when I read a dark romance I need to find some redeeming quality when it comes to the man. But unfortunately, I just didn't see one here with Hunter. He was a jerk, he never came around, and you would have thought that given what we learned about him he would have been different. But he just never did, and therefore I just couldn't ever get why Evie would fall for him. I need to see a connection to get behind a romance such as this one, and I just wasn't able to here. Things felt more forced than consensual here, and that didn't seem to change as the story progressed. There were a few parts that definitely had me feeling uncomfortable, and that is saying something with some of the books that I have read.

My other problem besides the story and the characters, was that I just didn't care for the narrator of this story. At the beginning of each chapter, there was a voice that was done that was just weird to me. I didn't like it, and I can't really put my finger on what it was that I didn't care for other than I just didn't. The narrator's voice here came off as very young, childish and whiny. It made me not want to finish the book just so I didn't have to hear her speak. Besides the fact that the story itself felt slow and long, despite being a novella, the narration seemed to slow the book down even more. I got lost in how much the story was dragging and just lost interest. Unfortunately for me, this one was a miss all around. I think that there are those that will enjoy this story, and it very well might be that this is just one that didn't work for me. If it sounds like something that you might enjoy, give it a shot.

**Audiobook Provided by Author**

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ARC Review: Truth or Beard by Penny Reid

Truth or Beard is my first book by Penny Reid, and it is also the first book in her new Winton Brothers Series. I actually got to meet Penny at an event last year and she was so nice and funny, that I just knew her books would be great from talking to her. After reading Truth or Beard I can tell you that I was right about her writing talent. Her personality came through so well in this book, and I cannot wait to read more from her.

Jessica James has a huge case of wanderlust, but after recently graduating from college she needs to pay some bills and save some money before setting out to see the world. She returns home to live with her parents and becomes a teacher. But when she comes face to face with her longtime crush Beau Winston and his annoying twin brother Duane, things quickly begin to change for her. While Beau has always been her hero, Duane is the one that has always tormented her and found every opportunity he could to argue with her. So when Jessica makes the mistake of thinking that Duane is Beau, she is unprepared to realize that Duane is no longer the same guy she thought she was and her body has definitely taken notice of the man he has become. Duane is determined to show her that there is something between them, but with her leaving as well as Duane getting himself in some trouble, can they have any shot at something together? 

I really liked these characters. They were each fun and different, and I loved that they weren't your average or cookie cutter types. Duane and Jessica were so easy to like. They had chemistry going all the way back to when they were kids, and I really liked seeing them remember the things that had once annoyed them differently as adults. But the best thing was seeing them get to know one another as the people they were now. They had a ton of passion between them, and I loved watching the sparks fly when they were around one another. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I was drawn in right away and I really liked the secondary characters. I think that Penny Reid did a great job of setting up the series for them and I can't wait to see what happens next! I will say that the one thing that kept me from giving this one five stars was that I felt like the back and forth did get a bit old at times. But otherwise I found this book really funny and well written and I am really looking forward to reading more from Penny in the future. I definitely recommend Truth or Beard, especially if you are looking for a great story that will keep you laughing the whole way through.

**ARC Provided by IndieSage PR**

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