ARC Review: Stirred by Nancy S. Thompson

Stirred is my first book by Nancy S. Thompson, so I went into it not really knowing what to expect besides what I read in the blurb. I have to admit that what I got though was not what I had been hoping for. This book was just a bit too much for me at times and it was hard for me to get through. While it did have it's good moments for me, Stirred was a bit of a disappointment for me. 

Eden MacLaird might appear to have it all at first glance, but she lost her first love, first child, and she just caught her husband with her best friend. So when she meets the sexy younger Sean Bennett at a bar she finds herself in a situation she never expected. Though there is a sixteen year age difference, they both find themselves drawn to one another and unable to stay away. Though their friends warn them to stay away from one another, bodies start to pile up around them and soon they find themselves as suspects. Sean and Eden have to team up to try and figure out who is plotting against them, but will it be enough to save not only the reputation Eden has built as well as their lives? 

One of my biggest issues here was the characters. Both Eden and Sean drove me nuts! Eden made some horrible choices and seemed to just be okay with knowing her life was a lie. At times she would rather just keep her mouth shut and go along with everything rather than actually stand up for herself or create the life she wanted. She came off as weak and I lost all respect for her. Sean was supposed to be a smart guy that was top of his class and on the path to a successful career in law, and yet he was constantly made out to be a bumbling idiot. Watching him try to piece things together in their investigation was downright painful at times. While these two had decent chemistry between them, I got tired of the constant reference to the age gap. Yes we know they are 16 years apart, and yes he is much younger than she is. But the author kept beating us over the head with it, and it especially got old that Sean was called a kid as many times as he was. 

The other huge problem I had was that this book basically turned into a soap opera for me. The twists and turns were predictable and over the top. They were obvious and overdone. While this story had so much potential and I loved the way it started, it quickly turned into a mess with far too much going on and all of it was so easy to see coming from a mile away. I pretty much had this one figured out from the start, and unfortunately with how much I saw coming the suspense just wasn't enough to really hold my interest. I finished the book to see how things would turn out, but overall I was disappointed with the story. If you are a fan of suspense, this one might be worth giving a shot. But if you want something truly new or original, this one probably isn't for you.

**ARC Provided by Inkslinger PR**

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Exposing a secret...with Sherri Browning Erwin and Giveaway

Sherri Browning Erwin, best known for critically acclaimed classic mash-ups Jane Slayre and Grave Expectations, also writes paranormal romance and historical romance as Sherri Browning.  A graduate of Mount Holyoke College, Sherri has lived in Massachusetts and Michigan, but is now settled with her family in central Connecticut. She returns to historical romance with the Thornbrook Park series. An Affair Downstairs, second in the series, was chosen by Booklist as a Top Ten Romance of 2015, and lists as one of their Top 101 Romances for the Past Ten Years.

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ARC Review: Say You're Mine by Diane Alberts

Say You're Mine is the fifth book in the Shillings Agency series by Diane Alberts. Each book is a standalone story with interconnected characters, and if you read Taking What's His you will recognize Steven as Lydia's brother from that story. It isn't necessary for you to have read any of the previous books, though you will see some familiar faces. 

Steven Thomas has always been able to count on his best friend Lauren Brixton no matter what he has been through. They have known each other since they were kids and no one knows them better than they know each other. Steven has managed to mess up a lot of relationships, but Lauren is the one he has never screwed up. But when Steven continues to try and drown out the things he can't forget, one drunken night changes everything between them and Steven starts seeing Lauren differently. Lauren has always loved Steven, and she has watched him go through women and booze while never giving her a second look. But when one night changes everything, can she show him what they could have together or will they ruin everything between them?

I liked both Lauren and Steven, and it was obvious how close they were. They had always been there for one another, and I loved their connection. I did think it was a bit weird that Steven just randomly started seeing her in a different light and that the attraction seemed so sudden for him. It was as if a switch just flipped and that didn't really feel genuine to me. The other problem I had here was that these two were so immature at times. They didn't communicate, they made assumptions and flat out just didn't seem to really know what they wanted at times. Things seemed to be blown out of proportion and the drama seemed forced. It just didn't really work for me and I didn't care for the back and forth that was constant here. 

While I did like parts of this book and believed that they had a connection and chemistry, I didn't really believe the way everything happened. It just seemed to be so rushed and forced, and I wanted to see more of their natural connection and chemistry without all the hot and cold behavior. Lauren had wanted Steven for so long and yet she didn't want to take the chance and Steven wanted to take a chance, but yet he couldn't say it and neither could she. It just got to the point that I was exhausted and didn't really care anymore. I think that this one could have been great, but unfortunately it was just okay for me. I have really loved books by Diane Alberts/Jen McLaughlin before and I know this wont be the last book I read by her. This series is really good and while this one wasn't my favorite, I did like it.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

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ARC Review: Take Me All the Way by Toni Blake

I wish I could give “Take Me All the Way” by Toni Blake a million stars. What a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful book! I’ve read Toni Blake before and after reading this story I now know that I need to read everything she writes. Even if she writes on a napkin, I want to read it. Needless to say I LOVED this book.

Where to start? First, any author that speaks about the effects on soldiers of war so eloquently and with such compassion has a gold start with me. Post-traumatic stress disorder ( PTSO) is very common in soldiers and Jeremy Sheridan is one of those soldiers. After having served in Afghanistan he still has a lot of guilt and remorse about not only the war but his actions and how they affected those around him. Jeremy is “shell shocked”, not to use the term loosely. He is drifting along and not really sure what to do with his life. He is homeless, jobless and aimless. When his close friend finally tells him he should find some stability he decides to travel to Coral Cove. When Jeremy arrives his life is pretty much the same until he meets Tamra Day.

Tamra was a fantastic heroine with a fantastic hero. Except, of course, they both hate each other, can’t figure each other out, are rude and sarcastic to each other, oh! And did I mention they work together. I absolutely loved their chemistry. They were so perfectly awful together and when they were around one another. Yet, they made perfect sense. Although Tamra isn’t a veteran she is also good at keep people at arm’s length and making sure she stays within her comfort zone. When Jeremy pushes her limits she does what she knows how to do best-she runs. Ironically, later on as the story progresses, Jeremy does some running of his own.

If I could physically place this book in everyone’s reader I would. Tamra and Jeremy are such sweet and wounded souls. They both recognize each other’s pain but can only heal when they are ready. Mixed with some beautiful chemistry, the secondary characters are a beautiful backdrop to previously told stories and the beautiful friendships that bind the characters together. It’s hard to pick one outstanding character, but I have a special place for Jeremy’s cat, especially since he is more of a dog person. Beautiful and heartwarming story! I will be reading more Toni Blake in my very near future!

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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Playing Matchmaker...with Theresa Romain and Giveaway

Theresa Romain is the bestselling author of historical romances, including the Matchmaker trilogy, the Holiday Pleasures series, the Royal Reward series, and the Romance of the Turf trilogy. Praised as “one of the rising stars of Regency historical romance” (Booklist), her highly acclaimed novels have been chosen for the Smart Bitches Trashy Books Sizzling Book Club, featured in the DABWAHA tournament, and deemed “Desert Isle Keepers” by All About Romance. A member of Romance Writers of America and its Regency specialty chapter The Beau Monde, Theresa is hard at work on her next novel from her home in the Midwest.

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