My Favorite Book Couple with Shana Galen

Shana Galen is the bestselling author of fast-paced adventurous Regency historicals, including the RT Reviewers’ Choice The Making of a Gentleman. Booklist says “Galen expertly entwines espionage-flavored intrigue with sizzling passion,” and RT Bookreviews calls her “a grand mistress of the action/adventure subgenre.” She taught English at the middle and high school level off and on for eleven years. Most of those years were spent working in Houston's inner city. Now she writes full time. She’s happily married and has a daughter who is most definitely a romance heroine in the making.

Places to find Shana:

| Site | The Jaunty Quills | Facebook | Twitter |

ARC Review: A Shot of Red by Tracy March

I’d previously read and thoroughly enjoyed Tracy March’s super-sweet contemporaries but had yet to try her romantic thrillers with a scientific bend, which seems blasphemous since I have an advanced degree in science, live in a big biotechnology hub, and have friends who work in the pharmaceutical industry! So I decided to remedy that with her upcoming single-title release, A SHOT OF RED. Reunited one-night-stand lovers, a budding flu epidemic, potentially dodgy corporate behaviour, a crazy-ass dysfunctional family that makes anyone else’s look like the Cleavers, and a vicarious trip to the Swiss Alps? I’m sold. In A SHOT OF RED, Ms. March skillfully blends political and scientific intrigue to deliver a white-knuckle thrill ride of a read that feels like a summer blockbuster film, complete with larger-than-life action and the right touch of romance. [Confession: I love action films—the more over-the-top the better!]

A SHOT OF RED opens with heroine Mia Moncure, PR Director of the family pharmaceutical company, being summoned back Stateside after an eight-month humanitarian mission to earthquake-ravaged Haiti to spearhead the early launch of the company’s government-backed flu vaccine in the wake of her ex-boyfriend and coworker’s mysterious falling-off-a-mountain-in-Switzerland death. Because, apparently, people fly halfway across the world to attend the funeral of a friend no one knew about and then fall to their deaths spreading the ashes on a mountaintop in the Alps. Sure, I’ll buy that. Things really get interesting for Mia when she’s paired with Gio Lorenzo on the launch campaign—the way-off-limits communications director for her Senator mother and hot pre-Haiti one-night stand—and she begins to suspect her ex’s death was more corporate cover-up than accident. Messages from beyond the grave! Mysterious safe-deposit boxes in a Swiss bank! Mounting flu deaths despite the vaccine! Attempts on Mia’s life! A government conspiracy! All in the span of less than a week, which makes for high-octane, nonstop action that stretches believability but works beautifully to make A SHOT OF RED a fun, approachable page-turner with a stronger focus on romance than a lot of romantic thrillers.

In addition to the breezy, approachable writing, Ms. March does a great job creating an enjoyable and well-developed cast of characters, both primary and secondary. Mia’s mother—the dictatorial Senator Moncure—is a delightfully manipulative bitch readers will love to hate and will enjoy immensely, along with Mia’s equally conniving twin brother. My enjoyment of romance often hinges heavily on my feelings regarding the heroine (more so than the hero!), and Mia really worked for me. I liked how she stuck to her guns and refused to be her mother’s political cover-your-ass pawn, her genuine concern for the people receiving (and potentially dying from) the vaccine rather than the corporate bottom line, and her commitment to getting to the bottom of a mystery that could destroy her family’s legacy. The way she ran off to Haiti after ending a comfortable but uninspired relationship with her ex and having a life-altering night with Gio to escape dealing with her jumbled emotions, fear of the potent (and unexpected) emotions Gio awakens in her, and the corporate maneuvering going on at Moncure Therapeutics made her relatable and realistic. I would’ve made the same choices in her position. And what to say about Gio? It’s no secret I like my heroes a little beta—even in romantic suspense, where it’s generally all about badass blokes—and Gio fills that mould perfectly. He’s not shy about admitting that he’s felt something for Mia since the moment he laid eyes on her, that their one night together was much more to him than that, and that he was hurt and confused when Mia hopped a plane to Haiti immediately after and was incommunicado for eight months whilst at the same time faking an illness and risking his job to fly to Switzerland to ‘protect’ Mia after she’s attacked whilst investigating Gio is a refreshing change from the typical uber-alpha RS hero—in touch with his emotions AND willing to risk his life for the woman he loves!—and I really liked him. He and Mia make a great couple, and I’m glad a significant chunk of the novel was devoted to (re)establishing their relationship.

Overall, A SHOT OF RED was a great introduction to the other side of Tracy March (whose incredibly fun and sweet contemporaries are a few of that ilk I can tolerate). It’s fast-paced and jam-packed with action and romance and deftly explores the intersection of science and politics that is a hotbed for intrigue. Despite being a full-length novel, it felt like it flew by (in a good way) and the plot never dragged. I look forward to reading more of Ms. March’s thrillers!

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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ARC Review: Imaginary Lines by Allison Parr

Imaginary Lines is the third installment in Allison Parr's New York Leopards series. These books can be read as standalones though as they are about interconnected characters. I really enjoyed this story though, and I can't wait to read the first two books from this series since I haven't already read them. Tamar and Abraham's story was really well written, and I really liked the characters. This story was one that I was really drawn into and I found the characters easy to relate to. I also loved that they had grown up together and had such a history together.

Tamar has loved Abe all her life. She finally got up the nerve to tell him how she felt when he was drafted to the New York Leopards, but he rejected her saying that he didn't feel anything for her besides friendship and that he looked at her like a sister. Four years later, Abe and Tamar never talk anymore and they have lost the close friendship they once shared. Abe is a successful linebacker still living in New York and playing for the Leopards. Tamar has finally got a job as a reporter and is set to move to New York to work for a sports magazine and blog that covers the Leopards. She knows that she and Abe will cross paths, but she intends to keep things friendly and professional and not let their past affect her. When her and Abe start hanging out again, the feelings she once felt come rushing back to her but she is determined not to give in to them again. Abe however has finally realized what he feels for Tamar though and is determined to convince her that they are meant for each other. Can Tamar get over her past rejection and give Abe and a relationship a chance?

I really liked Abe. He was sweet and kind, and he wasn't your typical jock. He was deep and you could tell that he enjoyed his career and his teammates but that he was a little lonely and felt like something was missing. Even when he didn't know what he felt for Tamar, you could tell that he had been missing her from his life. I liked Abe's determination and his understanding of Tamar's feelings. He knew that it would be tough for Tamar to get over what had happened in the past, and yet he never gave up or pushed too hard. Tamar was strong and successful and I really loved her commitment to reporting the facts regardless of consequences. She had a lot of integrity and that isn't always the case, especially for someone at a young age. It made me really admire her. I really loved her friendship with Abe and how she started to let him in again. Even if she wasn't convinced of his feelings, she didn't completely shut him out and they were able to really rebuild their relationship. Tamar and Abe had a lot of chemistry, but they also had such a strong bond and friendship through their history and connection. These two were so real and believable, and they were absolutely perfect for each other.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick and cute read that I didn't want to put down. I loved the characters and the story, and it was a great way to spend a few hours. I liked that the story was about more than just Tamar and Abe's relationship and that the author was able to deal with an important issue in football that affects players and their safety. I thought that it was done really well, but if i'm honest those parts of the story were a bit slow for me. They were well written and detailed, but I was more interested in Tamar and Abe than her story and findings. The beginning and end were really good though, it was just a bit slow through the middle mostly. I would still recommend this book to NA fans and sports romance fans. I really look forward to reading the other books in this series and seeing what else Allison Parr does in the future.

**ARC Provided by Inkslinger PR**

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My Favorite Book Couple with Juliana Stone

Juliana Stone's love of the written word and 80's rock, have inspired her in more ways than one. She writes dark paranormal romance as well as Contemporary Romance and spends her days navigating a busy life that includes, a husband, kids, a dog and a cat.

Places to find Juliana:

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter |

ARC Review: Deep Surrendering Episode 2 by Chelsea M. Cameron

This is the second installment in Chelsea M. Cameron's Deep Surrendering Serial. According to her website, there will be approximately 12-14 episodes that will equal about two full novels when finished. These have to be read in order because the story continues from one part to another. Luckily each episode is about 100 pages, so these are easy to catch up on and are nice and quick reads. Episode 2 picks up right after the events of Episode 1, so if you haven't read that yet I would recommend reading that before continuing with this review as there will be spoilers.

After Fin ran out on Marisol again, she is left feeling hurt and vows to be done with him. He promised her that he wouldn't run again, and then he did. She goes out to dinner with her friend the next day, and runs into him. She just can't seem to escape him and he is still in her thoughts. Marisol decides that the reason that she is unable to move on is because things were never resolved between them and the abrupt nature of his exit is the problem. She is still attracted to him and wants to finish things between them. Marisol decides to have one more night with Fin in order to get him out of her systems once and for all. But will one night be enough for them?

I both love and hate Fin. He is so complex, and yet we really don't know exactly who he is. The more we see of him, the more questions there are. He is both dark and light, and seems to have multiple personalities. Some times he is commanding and is all alpha. Others he is so sweet and thoughtful, and really seems to be developing feelings for Marisol. I am enjoying getting to know him better, but I have a feeling that things are definitely going to get worse before they get better. Marisol is one of those heroines that has her moments for me. Some times she is so strong and confident, and others she seems extremely weak and is a total push-over. I really love the times that she is fun and feisty and stands up for herself. She is great with her friends, and you get to see a whole other side to her. I wish that she and Fin were able to have more of that, but you can tell that they both still have a lot of demons that need to be dealt with. Fin and Marisol are clearly attracted to each other and have a lot of chemistry. They are starting to develop feelings for each other beyond the physical though, and that is what really has me coming back for more. They are both trying to figure out what is going on between them and what it means for the future. It is good to see them starting to open up to each other and see what possibilities the future has for them.

I really ended up liking this episode better than the first. Fin and Marisol still had their moments, and I didn't like everything that happened. I loved the fact that Marisol and Fin came to an agreement that he would start to open up to her by giving her one of his secrets each night. I am really looking forward to seeing what else we don't know about him. Fin and Marisol have really started to grow on me even with their flaws and issues. I think that is one of the things I like the most is that they aren't perfect and they aren't the safest bet for a relationship. Yet together they work and seem to fit. They are both still dealing with things and there are going to be obstacles ahead for them, but you can tell that they are developing something a lot deeper than either of them have ever felt before. I can't wait to see where things go from here for them. I like that these are quick and easy to read, I just wish that there was a little less time in between the release dates for each installment. I recommend these books if you are looking for something that can be read in a short amount of time and has deep and complex characters. If you are not a fan of serials though, you might want to wait until they there are more installments released though since there are only a few chapters in each episode. Chelsea M. Cameron has a way of drawing you into the story though and making you become invested in her characters. I can't wait to see what happens with Fin and Marisol next, and will be awaiting the next episode.

**ARC Provided by Inkslinger PR**

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