Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Review: Black Mountain Magic by Megan Morgan

Title: Black Mountain Magic
Author: Megan Morgan
Genre/Age: Paranormal Romance/Adult
Series: Kentucky Haints Series (Book One)
Publisher: Self-published
Format: ebook via Author
Rating: ✺✺✺
LinksGoodreads
SynopsisWitches and Lycans and hillbillies, oh my!

Lorena Mills is a witch, but she’s not very good with potions and incantations. Working for a government agency that puts down dangerous uprisings of supernatural creatures, she does much more paperwork than spell casting. When her less-than-magical job lands her in the small Appalachian town of Blue Ditch, Kentucky, in the shadow of Black Mountain, her life starts to get a whole lot wilder.

In the forests surrounding the town, Wolvites—twisted, bestial creatures who hunt and kill humans—are posing a threat. When handsome, charming, and altogether reckless local Deacon Kelley insists on taking matters into his own hands, Lorena has more than monsters to worry about. He won’t stay out of her way, and he won’t take no for an answer.

Deacon is a Lycan--in modern terms, the non-shifting descendants of werewolves--and he and his family have protected Blue Ditch for generations. But now, something too sinister to be controlled by their efforts alone is stirring, and the Wolvites are far more vicious than they’ve ever been. Will Lorena be able to stop the threat and uncover the deadly secrets surrounding it before it’s too late?

To keep the town, and Deacon, safe, she’ll have to—and she’s really starting to like this town.


**Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for honest review.**

Woohoo! What a fun ride! Let's do that, again!

Image result for do that again shrek gif

As a gal from the holler, this book was a unique read that made me as happy as a tick on a fat dog. The love scenes were so hot you could fry an egg on them. I haven't had this much fun since the pigs ate my brother. *snicker* Alright. I'll rein in the "sayings". For now.

Lorena's job has brought her to Kentucky, where she plans to study a local population of supernatural creatures called Wolvites. The savage animals are growing in number and becoming more daring, attacking in ways that Lorena has never seen before. They are a danger to the humans and their bite is deadly.

Deacon has experienced a Wolvite bite, before. The only reason he survived is because he is Lycan. Lycans are a relative species of the Wolvites, but who maintain their humanity in ways the beasts cannot. With an advantage over mere humans, Lycans have used their abilities to protect their communities for generations.

Lorena immediately catches Deacon's eye and he isn't shy about voicing his interest in her. Fraternizing with the citizens she is tasked to protect isn't something Lorena takes lightly. But Deacon's sly smile and cooking skills win her over. Soon, the two are well on their way to a steamy love affair, hot enough to set the hills on fire.

Unfortunately, it's hard to romance the woman of your dreams when you're being stalked by beasts who want revenge on those who've hunted them. Bullets will fly and bodies will fall as the Lycans and Lorena's colleagues battle against the expanding horde of Wolvites. Secrets are spilled that even I could not have predicted.

This book was a lot of fun to read. The setting was perfect. The characters were well-developed and believable. And the story continued at a steady pace that kept me glued to the screen. I switched back and forth from reading to listening (via text-to-speech) because I didn't want to put it down.

In closing...
This series is definitely one I will continue with. Five suns!

Monthly Wrap-Up ~ November 2016


Goodbye November!

This was a lighter month for me and the next two months will follow suit. You can expect more promo/excerpt/spotlight posts than reviews from now until February as I do my best to keep my sanity during the holidays!

I will go over the books I've read, reviewed, received, and other miscellaneous tidbits related to the month! Let's do this!


I won a $20 Amazon eGift card from the Chevalier book tour with Phillipa Lodge! Thank you to the author, and Goddess Fish Promotions for hosting the tour and giveaway!
I won a $25 Amazon eGift card from the Lyrical Press Blurb Blitz! Thank you to the publisher, and Goddess Fish Promotions for hosting the tour and giveaway!


Blue = Reviewed (with links), Black = To-Review/Upcoming/No Review


Black Mountain Magic - Megan Morgan
Dark Divine - Lia Davis
Dark One's Mistress - Aldrea Alien
Fallen Hearts - Angela Colsin
Fates Entwined - Jules Barnard
Fever - Lola Taylor
Final Calling, The - Angela Colsin
First Love - Hazel Kelly
Foreshadowed - Holly M. Campbell
Guardian of Paradise - W.E. Lawrence
How to Handle a Heartbreaker - Marie Harte
It's Been You - Rina Gray
Love by Secrets - Debra Elizabeth
Luke's Redemption - Anni Fife
My Maker's Keeper - Tiffany Current
Naughty List, The - Various Authors
Poisoned Apple - Katherine McIntyre
Real Earls Break the Rules - Tina Gabrielle
Ruining Mr. Perfect - Marie Harte
Stems of Affliction - MJ Brookes
Stepbrother Dearest - Penelope Ward
Summer Indiscretions - Tamara Mataya
Suddenly Dating - Julia London
Taste of Darkness - Catherine Vale
Tempting the Earl - Rachael Miles
Vortex - Lea Hart

Total Books Read = 26
Total Reviewed = 22

Few of My Favorite Reads:




In addition to the books above, the following have been received, bought, or approved for future reviews/tours:

For Upcoming Tours

     


NetGalley, Edelweiss, Reading Alley & The Romance Reviews Approved

 


Bought, Library, Review for Author/Publisher/TourCompanies, & KindleUnlimited

   
 Glimmer of Fate (Part 1 of Violet Chaser) by [Reeder, Erica]




How was this month for you?
How many books did you get to?
Any favorites?

Book Blast: Spooning Daisy by Maggie McConnell


Title: Spooning Daisy
Author: Maggie McConnell
Genre/Age: Contemporary Romance/Adult
Series: Otter Bite Novel
Publisher: Kensington Publishing
LinksGoodreads
SynopsisIt's a long way from Seattle to Otter Bite, Alaska. But if one woman can survive the trip--and the locals--she just might find what her heart has been searching for.

Her mango chutney is exquisite; her blueberry sauce is to die for. But right now, Chef de Cuisine Daisy Moon is a woman without a kitchen--and without a fiancé. Unceremoniously dumped from her place of business and her relationship, Daisy sells her belongings, plus a few of her ex's, and packs her bags. Maybe smashing all the china in her former restaurant was a bad move. Stripped of her Golden Spoon for "un-chef-like" conduct, she is now blacklisted all over Seattle. Her sole job offer is from the Wild Man Lodge…in Otter Bite, Alaska. 

Too bad Daisy can't even get out of Dodge without incident. By the time she boards a ship for Alaska, she's got a trail of new troubles behind her, and suddenly Otter Bite is sounding pretty good. But the vessel turns into her own personal Titanic when a series of close encounters confirms her terrible taste in men--including one very good looking bad luck charm named Max Kendall. She vows to dedicate the rest of her days to chowders and brulée. Yet even Alaska isn't far enough away to shake the memories of the sexy shipmate who rocked her cabin--and her world. Thank goodness she's done with surprises--but they may not be done with her…


His laugh was immediate. Daisy realized how ridiculous her allegation was. Max Kendall's particular brand of woman didn't need lies to motivate her into his bed. His women were fun and adventurous and, unlike Daisy, didn't have impossible expectations. 

"I thought we were talking about you," he said with a dying chuckle. "But if you think you're helping the enemy..." With his good leg bearing the brunt of his weight, he rose from the bed. Grabbing the handles on his duffle bag, he slowly stepped toward the bathroom. 

"If the lights were dim and the music soft and the wine expensive." 

Max turned at the door. "And?" 

"And what?" 

"I don't believe for one second that you, Daisy, would be undermined by lights, music, and wine." 

"And… if I thought you were...special." 

"And what makes a man special?" 

Daisy hesitated at the fork in her road. She could give Max an honest answer or… 

"Well, for one thing, he's very forgiving-- " 

His eyes crinkled as his grin returned. 

"-- And he would never use all the hot water just to prove some ridiculous point." 

"I guess I'm not the only one who has trouble giving a straight answer. See you when the water runs cold." The bathroom door clicked shut. 

"And he makes me smile," Daisy murmured, smiling.

Golden Heart nominee Maggie McConnell spent her childhood overseas as the daughter of US diplomats. Attending college in Illinois, she earned a BA in Art and an MBA while working at the local humane shelter. At 26, she packed her dog and cat into a Ford truck and drove the Alcan Highway to Alaska, where she spent 23 years exploring The Last Frontier in a single-engine Cessna. 

A vegan and animal rights advocate, Maggie provides a sanctuary on her Arizona ranch for all creatures great and small, but her immediate family includes dog Molly, cat Sara, horses Quinn and Teena, and an ever-growing dynasty of chipmunks. Every year, like the Gray Whale, Maggie returns to Alaska. 

Links:
Website: http://MaggieMcConnellRomance.com 
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/MaggieMcConnellRomance/ 

Buy Links:
Amazon Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Spooning-Daisy-Otter-Bite-Romance-ebook/dp/B015VA3O10 
Barnes & Noble Buy Link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/spooning-daisy-maggie-mcconnell/1122713766?ean=9781601836861

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Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Book Blitz: Contemporary Romances from Lyrical Press



Title: Love & Rockets
Author: Maggie Wells
Genre/Age: Contemporary Romance/Adult
Series: Coastal Heat Series (Book Three)
Publisher: Lyrical Press
LinksGoodreads
SynopsisSmart is the new sexy…

They say if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen, but it’s not the sauce at The Pit BBQ that has Darla Kennet breaking a sweat. The sassy single mom has waited tables in Mobile for years to support herself and her daughter, Grace, and she’s never let anything get her rattled…until now.  Somehow, handsome aerospace engineer Jake Dalton has gotten under her skin.

Although they went to school together, Jake doesn’t remember much about Darla. Back then the brainiac future rocket scientist always had his head in a book. But now that a chance meeting has him helping Grace apply to space camp, he’s been pulled into Darla’s orbit. And it isn’t long before Jake and Darla have a heated meeting of their own celestial bodies. The trouble is, Jake wants more. Convincingcautious, fiercely independent Darla to trust him with her heart just may be his most challenging mission yet…


Title: Love on Tap
Author: Judi Lynn
Genre/Age: Contemporary Romance/Adult
Series: Mill Pond Series (Book Two)
Publisher: Lyrical Press
LinksGoodreads
SynopsisThere’s a different rhythm to life in small-town Mill Pond, Indiana. And with the easy pace come friendships that are built to last and love that starts out on a slow simmer…

Charming boutiques, picturesque farms, and a growing foodie scene have turned Mill Pond into a tourist destination. And thanks to the culinary skills of Paula Hull, its beautiful rural resort is leading the way. The widowed mom left behind the stress of the New York City restaurant world to spend more time with her two young children. And now she’s ready to see if there’s more out there for her than being a chef and single parent…

Chase Atwood is the local good guy with a bad reputation. He’s a respected business owner and trusted friend, but the drop-dead gorgeous bar owner usually has women beating down his door—and Paula knows to keep her distance. His burgers and beer, on the other hand, are not off limits. But their mutual admiration is always on the back burner—until Chase turns up the heat. Soon he’s determined to prove to Paula that he’s the one key ingredient missing in her life…
 


Love & Rockets

“What do you want from me?”
“What do I want from you?” he repeated, then gave a husky chuckle. “Where do I start?”

“I mean, what are you after? Me or Grace? Are you here to help her, or are you trying to get into my pants, because you wouldn’t be the first.” She launched her little salvo with raised brows.

“Clearly.”

Her temper flared. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

He gestured toward the living room. “Well, obviously I’m not the first, you have Grace. What I’m trying to figure out is why being here has to be an either-or thing. I’d assume the two of you are a package deal   no matter what.”

Planting her hands on her hips, she thrust her chin into the air. “We are.” “There you go.”

She squinted at him, annoyed by his cavalier tone. “There I go what?” He exhaled long and loud, then closed the distance between them. Darla yelped a little when he pulled her flush against his body. Again. God, he was tall. And taut. She thought about running her hands all over him like she had earlier. But without the clothes. Apparently, he was thinking the same thing, because he shifted to bring their bodies into perfect alignment. Her breath caught and held when he lowered his head. His was warm and damp against her skin. She could almost taste a hint of the wine. She called on every ounce of her reserve not to purse her lips

in a silent plea.

“I want the package deal.”

The breath rushed from her lungs. His mouth was a surprise. Soft. Unspeakably soft. But the kiss was firm. Commanding. It took a few seconds for her brain to catch on, and the second she reacted, he pulled back.

Judi Lynn received a Master’s Degree from Indiana University as an elementary school teacher after attending the IPFW campus. She taught 1st, 2nd, and 4th grades for six years before having her two daughters. She loves gardening, cooking and trying new recipes.

Author Links:

Buy Links:


Maggie Wells is a deep-­‐down dirty girl with a weakness for hot heroes and happy endings. By day she is buried in spreadsheets, but at night she pens tales of people tangling up the sheets. The product of a charming rogue and a shameless flirt, this mild-­‐mannered married lady has a naughty streak a mile wide.

Fueled by supertankers of Diet Coke, Maggie juggles fictional romance and the real deal by keeping her slow-­‐talking Southern gentleman constantly amused and their two grown children mildly embarrassed.

Author Links:

Buy Links:
Buying options at: http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/book.aspx/33999

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