READ-2-REVIEW - CONTEMPORARY SUSPENSE - A FIERCE MAN (Appalachian STAR, #7) by Deanndra Hall

A Fierce Man
Appalachian Star, #7 
by Deanndra Hall
Release Date: July 16th 2024  
Genre: Romantic Suspense 

The world needs more people who care, but does she care too much? 

PRIEST

Redemption

I did my time—hard time—for a long time. I'm not an innocent man, but I paid the price. I'm working on a new, squeaky-clean résumé. After 28 years, I learned how to behave, and how to inspire others. And that's what I do. It's who I am. Enduring years of never-ending, horrific abuse in prison, I can safely say that I'd do anything to protect weaker individuals from danger.

AGGIE

Redemption

I'm the happiest when I'm in front of my students, changing lives and making a difference. That's what I do and who I am. After being burned by my ex-husband, I focus my life—and heart—on my pupils, kids who truly need me.

But when an outreach project brings me face-to-face with an ex-convict, something shifts. Maybe, just maybe, my heart isn't as shattered as I imagined. Priest seamlessly weaves his way into my world. However, a dangerous student with a vendetta threatens to sabotage our newfound connection. Suddenly, my life hangs in the balance. With the help of the Appalachian STAR team and a determined Priest, I just might be absolved of all of my fears. Can I let down my guard for this persistent, Fierce Man?

AMAZON

The Book Junkie Reads . . . Review of . . . A FIERCE MAN (Appalachian STAR, #7) . . .     

Deanndra Hall is a working author living in the far western end of the beautiful Bluegrass State with her husband of over 35 years and small menagerie of weird little dogs. When she’s not writing, she’s editing. When she’s doing neither of those two things, she’s having dinner with friends, spending time with family, kayaking, eating chocolate, drinking beer or moonshine, or looking for something that she put in the wrong place and can’t seem to find (which is pretty much everything she owns).

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READ-2-REVIEW - CONTEMPORARY - TO HAVE AND LET GO (The Women of Boone County, #2) by Julieann Dove

To Have and Let Go
Women of Boone County, #2
by Julieann Dove
Release Day July 9th 2024

BLURB

Chelsea Hayes is no stranger to running away from her problems. That could explain why she moved six states away from Boone County. And the reason she works a second job to go talk in circles to a therapist bi-weekly, to avoid hitting the dead end and facing her demons. 

Unfortunately for Chelsea, a call back from home forces her to hang up her running shoes and return to face some ghosts that never left, even if she did.

Patrick Jergan is new in town. Someone to take away some of the tension from all the things spinning out of control in Chelsea’s life. But like Chelsea, he’s fighting his own set of problems. The two might make a good match, except for one thing…or one person. He’s the topic her therapist knows nothing about. In fact, no one in town knows of their past. If they did, there would be no end to the tongues wagging. 

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"If you haven't discovered Julieann Dove's books, start right now with Coming Home, the first book in her latest series. It's filled with the complex characters and smalltown charm I love." Sherryl Woods, New York Times #1 bestsellling author of The Sweet Magnolias and Chesapeake Shores series.

The Book Junkie Reads . . .  Review of . . .  TO HAVE AND LET GO (The Women of Boone County, #2) . . . If you haven't yet, pick up The Women of Boone County book one. It is not totally necessary but it gives you a place to start falling in love with the writing, the characters, the county, and the friendship of these women. I have to admit that before I started book two for the first time, I went back and re-read book one of the series. 

With this trip to The Women of Boone County we have a look in on the life of Chelsea. She is a woman that don't stay around when things get a little tough. She has own reasoning behind making a run for it. With some time and patience she begin to unravel the past to have a future. Then there's a new comer to the county, Patrick.  The two have much in common. Come find out what To Have and Let Go have in store for the Women of Boone County.

 

Author Info

Julieann Dove takes great pleasure in writing about love and all the mess that goes along with it. How else does happily ever after become realized, if not for some type of hardship and journey? When she’s not writing, she loves playing with fabric at her sewing machine, baking new recipes, and playing in the dirt, trying to get things to grow. Julieann loves old movies, and never tires of listening to music—it’s where she finds most of her inspiration for her books.

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READ-2-REVIEW - PNR - BIG BAD BOSS: Marked (Werewolves of Wall Street, #3) by Renee Rose & Lee Savino

RULE #3 OF WALL STREET: NEVER BACK DOWN

Big Bad Boss: Marked, an all-new forbidden, fated mates, paranormal romance and the third book in the Werewolves of Wall Street Series from USA Today bestselling authors Renee Rose and Lee Savino is now available!

No one can know I've claimed the human as my mate.

The enemies are at the gates–one wrong move and I’ll lose it all. My world will never be safe for her.

If my pack finds out that I’ve mated a human, they’ll revolt. The fractures will grow deeper than ever and we'll be picked apart one by one.

The lives of everyone I love hang in the balance.

Madison may bear my mark, but she isn’t content to remain my dirty little secret.

Now I must choose–love or my pack.

Either way, one will die.

Marked is book three in the Big Bad Boss trilogy. The books must be read in order. It features a billionaire boss-hole wolf shifter and his freakishly smart assistant. 

The Book Junkie Reads . . . Review of . . . BIG BAD BOSS: Marked (Werewolves of Wall Street, #3) . . .  What a place to start. I was not sure what I got myself into, but I was sure happy that I made that leap. Maddie knew who she was and she owned it. She was strong and determined. She was more than just a human in a paranormal world. She had her own strength. Brick was an alpha with a problem or a blessing. He had a choice to make and it may just break him and his pack. Billy was a prick. 

I found some interesting secondary characters with their own spotlight in this story. I also have to say that I should have read the blurb closer. I started with this installment in the series. You will definitely want to start at the beginning. You will have more context to fill in the spaces. I went back after reading this one. 

Rose & Savino have themselves a hit and a lead in to another story or two.

Reasons I enjoyed this book: Easy-to-read Great world building Page-turner Wonderful characters Entertaining

Start reading today!
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Add Big Bad Boss: Marked to Goodreads: https://tinyurl.com/j2cxr8z   

 
Start the Werewolves of Wall Street series today!
Big Bad Boss: Midnight: https://geni.us/bbbmidnight

Big Bad Boss: Moon Mad: https://geni.us/bbbmoonmad  

For more information about Renee Rose and her books, visit her website: 
https://reneeroseromance.com

For more information about Lee Savino and her books, visit her website:
https://leesavino.com

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READ-2-REVIEW - CONTEMPORARY - JASPER (Broken Falls, #3) by Laramie Briscoe

 Jasper
Broken Falls, #3 
by Laramie Briscoe
Release Date: May 24th 2024
Genre: Contemporary Romance 

I never thought my fake marriage, would become real...

Jasper Hamilton

I've always been a pawn in the game of chess my grandfather prefers to play with me. It started when I was a child who didn't have anywhere else to go after my parents were killed. Gone was my home full of love and warmth, and in its place was a mansion with a man as cold as a winter night. The only thing that kept me sane were my friends. Those blue-collar buddies who didn't care about my grandpa's bank account.

I never cared about the money either. Until he threatens to take away the one thing I love in this world. The foundation created in their memory. The only way for me to get it back? Play by his rules, take a wife, and secure an heir. Something I never planned to do after growing up the way I did. But the way I respond to Daisy Williams, and the satisfaction I get from calling her my wife makes me feel like I've been promoted from Pawn to King.

Tropes Included: small town blue collar marriage of convenience brooding for everyone but her

Jasper is book three in The Broken Falls Series: a series of interconnected standalones following a group of friends who have become family in small-town West Virginia, and the women who bring them to their knees. You do not have to read them in order, but each book builds upon the relationships of the last.

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The Book Junkie Reads . . . Review of . . . JASPER (Broken Falls, #3) . . . There were more emotions involved with this read from the series than any of the other two. Jasper experienced a loving home for six years of his life. He went from love and acceptance to his cold grandfathers home. A home where he had to compromise for everything he got. Love and acceptance came from a group of boys and an young man that were of no relation. These boys turned into his brothers and the young man became the father that he needed in his life.

Patience, love, and faith becomes the key to Daisy getting the love that she knew was hers.. She was going to love Jasper no matter what. She just never saw it happening the way that it did. Three years ago he crushed her. Now he needs her. Daisy was more of an open book. She was exactly as you saw her. Jasper was more closed off. Watching his love blossom was nice. I would have liked to see more about Jaspers grandfather. Towards the end if almost felt like he was trying to show Jasper something, but I did not get it all. I did enjoy the story and seeing a bit more about Barret and out local cafe owner

Reasons I enjoyed this book:

Easy-to-read Entertaining Wonderful characters Realistic Family Friends Chosen family Small-town 

Laramie Briscoe is the USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author of over 30 books, with sales of over half a million copies.

Since self-publishing her first book in May of 2013, Laramie has appeared on the Top 100 Bestselling E-books Lists on Apple Books, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. Her books have been known to make readers laugh and cry. They are guaranteed to be emotional, steamy reads.

When she's not writing alpha males who seriously love their women, she loves spending time with friends, reading, and marathoning shows on Netflix. Married to her high school sweetheart, Laramie lives in Bowling Green, KY with her husband.

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READ-2-REVIEW - CONTEMPORARY - WILD HEART (The Hearts of Sawyers Bend, #6) by Ivy Layne

 WILD HEART 
The Hearts of Sawyers Bend, #6
by Ivy Layne
May 14th 2024

BLURB

Sometimes you need the dark to protect the light

Quinn Sawyer is a mystery.

She’s an heiress. She’s a backcountry guide.
She has a suite in a mansion, but she sleeps in the woods.
I can’t make sense of her. I shouldn’t care.
My job is to keep her safe, not get to know her.
She’s my best friend’s little sister. She’s a client.
And she can never be mine.
I’ve lived a life steeped in darkness, and Quinn is pure light.
She invades my dreams, and I wake wanting her. Needing her.

I vow to keep my distance. For almost a year, I stay away.
But when the danger stalking her family comes for Quinn,
I’m the only man who can keep her safe.
I can protect her from the danger outside.
The real question is, can I keep her safe from me?

Wild Heart is a standalone romance with a happy ending. It’s sixth in The Hearts of Sawyers Bend series, featuring the Sawyer family of Sawyers Bend.

AMAZON

The Book Junkie Reads . . . Review of . . . WILD HEART (The Hearts of Sawyers Bend, #6) . . . The Dark Knight Protecting His Light!WILD HEART is a captivating addition to The Hearts of Sawyers Bend series, delivering a sizzling forbidden romance between two beautifully complex characters!

Quinn Sawyer is an absolute enigma. She's a mystery—an heiress who sleeps in the woods, a woman who is pure light, yet is constantly pursued by danger. Her protective bodyguard and the hero of this story, her best friend's little brother, lives a life steeped in darkness. The intensity of their relationship, fueled by the hero's struggle to keep his distance, makes for an utterly compelling read.

The core question—Can he keep her safe from the danger outside, and the bigger question, can he keep her safe from him?—drives the plot with incredible emotional tension. I loved the high stakes when the danger stalking her family finally comes for Quinn, forcing the hero to break his vow and step into the light for her.

A note to new readers: As a reviewer, I felt a little lost or confused in some areas, which confirms that while this is a standalone romance, I strongly recommend reading the prior books in the series. I am sure this experience would be even better if I had the whole story.

For fans of forbidden love, protective heroes, and resilient heroines, Wild Heart is a fantastic, emotional read with a guaranteed happy ending!

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READ-2-REVIEW - CONTEMPORARY SUSPENSE - CAPTIVATING ANIKA (On Call, #9) by Freya Barker

 Captivating Anika
On Call, #9
by Freya Barker 
Release Date: May 14th 2024 
Genre: Romantic Suspense 

Anika Jones has her future carefully plotted out and is checking the boxes, one by one, despite the bumps thrown in her path. This last one is a challenge, but she manages to stay on track; her salon is thriving, and she just bought a house. Unfortunately, when one of her employees runs into trouble, she inevitably gets sucked in, throwing her carefully paced life off-balance. It doesn’t help a friend, who’s been ghosting her for a year, suddenly makes an appearance.

He was born to pig farming, but for Noah (Hog) Hodgekins fighting fires is his calling. He wasted too many years honoring a legacy he wants no part of. But now that he’s finally free from family obligations, there’s nothing holding him back from pursuing the life he’s been dreaming of. The first step is mending bridges with the one person who is central to that future, but she comes with her own challenges, family and otherwise.

Instead of treading carefully to gain her heart, he ends up throwing caution to the wind when her recent string of bad luck lands the FBI on her doorstep.


AMAZON 

The Book Junkie Reads . . . Review of . . . CAPTIVATING ANIKA (On Call, #9) . . .  FB has done it again. We have a suspense filled romance between two adults that have had a life before them.

Anika had it all or did she. She was keeping things from her family. She was confused about a lost or missing friendship. She was protective of those around her. Then there was Hog/Noah.

Noah had been infatuated with Anika for years. Then he heard her say that she saw all the guys as brothers. That’s when he chose to put distance between them. Now it’s time for him to put I his big boy pants and step up.

There was much more to Anika and Hog than getting together finally. Someone wanted a big piece of Anika. Finding the person or persons before it’s too late becomes a game. A game that has shocking results. There is action, drama, mystery, romance and a few surprises.

I love getting new stories from Freya Barker. I love getting to see past characters. I love he diversity of the various characters. I go in looking for an adult romance. I get just that and more. Who’s up next? 

Reasons I enjoyed this book:

Family Friends Easy-to-read Entertaining Informative Wonderful characters Realistic 

USA Today bestselling author Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories. With forty-plus books already published, she continues to create characters who are perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy. Recipient of the ReadFREE.ly 2019 Best Book We've Read All Year Award for "Covering Ollie, the 2015 RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for Best First Book, “Slim To None”, Finalist for the 2017 Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, and Finalist for the 2020 Kindle Book Award with “When Hope Ends”, Freya spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!

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READ-2-REVIEW - CONTEMPORARY SUSPENSE - A TORMENTED MAN (Appalachian STAR, #6) by Deanndra Hall

 A Tormented  Man
Appalachian Star, #6 
by Deanndra Hall 
Release Date: May 14th 2024 
Genre: Romantic Suspense 

Their joy and passion are interrupted by sheer terror …

PADDY

Restored.

When you serve time for a death that destroyed you, it's hard to bounce back. My best friend was my rock, my ride or die. And sadly, his death was more than I can take.

Now, out of the slammer and trying to get my life back on track, I'm ready for something more—something new—and a friend of mine has a solution, one that may just get me out of my funk. Introducing me to a beautiful, headstrong, and intelligent woman with a penchant to submit is the lifesaver I've been looking for all along.

NATALIE

Restored.

I have to be careful. As a federal judge, all eyes are on me to make the right choices regarding the fate of those convicted of crimes. But when I’m off the bench, all I want is to sit back, have someone else make decisions, and let them control the narrative. Meeting an ex-convict with everything I'm looking for in and out of the bedroom wasn't on my bucket list, but here we are. And now, I want nothing more than this man and his dominance.

The big case I’ve been hoping for brings danger, and when someone threatens my life and kidnaps me, all hands are on deck to save me. The FBI and the Appalachian STAR team are determined to find me, but there's only one person I trust enough to rescue me—the tormented man who holds my heart.

Come to the hills and hollers of eastern Kentucky and get acquainted with eight of the most determined men you’ll ever meet in the Appalachian STAR series.

AMAZON

The Book Junkie Reads . . . Review of . . . A TORMENTED MAN (Appalachian Star, #6) . . . Not disappointed. This was another example of a good man that had something in his past make he appear to be one way. Second chances make for a different outlook on life. 

Years of his life gone. The connection with his sons obliterated. But a chance to make something more of his life was right in his hands. Along with that, there was the chance to have a connection greater than any other in his life, Natalie.

Natalie was hard working and driven, but there was something missing in her life. She need that one connection that would allow for her to feel whole. Being in a new area she was not sure if should would be able to find it, but thanks to a friend or two things all come together. But there was danger in Natalie's future and for those around her. 

Deanndra takes us on a ride of redemption, acceptance, need, danger, and friendship. The Appalachian STAR's family is getting a little bigger with major players (judge, FBI). Adult romance and adult content with a connection to the real world. 

Reasons I enjoyed this book: Family Friends Entertaining Easy-to-read Wonderful characters 

Deanndra Hall is a working author living in the far western end of the beautiful Bluegrass State with her husband of over 35 years and small menagerie of weird little dogs. When she’s not writing, she’s editing. When she’s doing neither of those two things, she’s having dinner with friends, spending time with family, kayaking, eating chocolate, drinking beer or moonshine, or looking for something that she put in the wrong place and can’t seem to find (which is pretty much everything she owns).

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