Review | Loreth Anne White - The Slow Burn of Silence

 

An ex-con, wrongfully convicted of a heinous crime, returns to a small mountain town determined to prove his innocence, reclaim the heart of the woman who helped put him behind bars, and win back the right to meet the daughter he learned about in prison. But his arrival stirs up dark secrets and re-ignites a fierce and consuming passion that just might get the woman he loves, and his child, killed.

Nine years ago Rachel Salonen and Jeb Cullen were soul mates--deeply, irrevocably in love. Until the night two young women went missing from a party in the woods. One was found raped, beaten and pregnant with no memory of what happened. The other is still missing. A small mountain community was torn apart and a young relationship shattered when nineteen-year-old Jeb was arrested for the heinous crime, and Rachel was forced to help put the man she loved behind bars. Now, nine years later, Rachel believes she's finally put the past to rest when her sister dies suddenly in a fire and she's made guardian of her adopted niece. A child, she learns, who was conceived that terrible night of violence, a child whose DNA was used to convict Jeb. And when Jeb is unexpectedly released from max security, Rachel sees that the past has only just begun... ... Because Jeb has come straight home to Snowy Creek. To prove his innocence, reclaim his life, his home. And to meet the daughter he learned about in prison. A daughter Rachel will do anything to protect. And when the town turns violently on Jeb, Rachel will once again be forced to take sides. This time she chooses with her heart. But her decision could cost everything she holds dear--including her niece's life. Because someone in town will do anything to keep the truth buried...even kill.

~*~

Review | Loreth Anne White - In The Barren Ground

In the Barrens, a vast wilderness in northern Canada bordering the Arctic Circle, night consumes every hour of the winter. Humans are scarce; ferocious predators roam freely. Locals say spirits do, too.

Rookie cop Tana Larsson doesn’t mind the dark and quiet. Five months pregnant and hoping to escape the mistakes of her past, she takes a post in Twin Rivers, population 320. Maybe here she can find peace and community for her child.

But with her superior out of commission, Tana becomes the sole police officer in 17,500 square miles. One bitter night, she gets a call about the fatal wolf mauling of two students, and the only way to reach the remote scene is to enlist the help of the arrogant, irritatingly handsome Cameron “Crash” O’Halloran, a local bush pilot with a shady reputation for smuggling and a past cloaked in shadow.

When the macabre scene they uncover suggests violence much more sinister than animal, Tana must trust Crash if she wants to protect the town - and herself from the evil that lurks in the frozen dark.

Review | Lauren Layne - Irresistibly Yours

Hotshot sports editor Cole Sharpe has been freelancing for Oxford for years, so when he hears about a staff position opening up, he figures he’s got the inside track. Then his boss drops a bombshell: Cole has competition. Female competition, in the form of a fresh-faced tomboy who can hang with the dudes - and write circles around them, too. Cole usually likes his women flirty and curvy, but he takes a special interest in his skinny, sassy rival, if only to keep an eye on her. And soon, he can’t take his eyes off her.

Penelope Pope knows all too well that she comes off as just one of the guys. Since she’s learned that wanting more usually leads to disappointment, Penelope’s resigned to sitting on the sidelines when it comes to love. So why does Cole make her want to get back in the game? The man is as arrogant as he is handsome. He probably sees her as nothing more than a barrier to his dream job. But when an unexpected kiss turns into a night of irresistible passion, Penelope has to figure out whether they’re just fooling around - or starting something real.

Review | Penelope Ward - Stepbrother Dearest

 

 goldmann | hier kaufen

Greta freut sich auf das letzte Jahr an der Highschool, vor allem da ihr Stiefbruder Elec, dem sie noch nie begegnet ist, für das Abschlussjahr zu ihnen ziehen soll. Doch Elec stellt sich als rebellischer Macho heraus, der jeden Abend ein anderes Mädchen mit nach Hause bringt – am meisten aber hasst Greta die Art, wie ihr Körper auf ihn reagiert. Und als eine gemeinsame Nacht alles verändert, ist es auch um ihr Herz geschehen. Doch so schnell wie Elec in Gretas Leben getreten ist, so schnell verschwindet er auch daraus. Jahre später begegnet sie ihm wieder und muss feststellen, dass aus dem Teenager ein Mann geworden ist, der immer noch die Macht besitzt, ihr Herz in tausend Teile zu zerbrechen...

Review | Bronwyn Parry - Schwarze Dornen

 

Die Erinnerungen an ein totes Kind und einen Lynchmord, den sie nicht verhindern konnte, verfolgen die beurlaubte Polizistin Isabelle O’Connell. Doch als der smarte Detective Alec Goddard mit der Nachricht vor der Tür steht, dass in Dungirri erneut ein Mädchen verschwunden ist, hat sie keine andere Wahl, als an den Ermittlungen teilzunehmen – sie kennt die traumatisierte Stadt, ihre Bewohner und die Wildnis, die sie umgibt. Für Isabelle ist es ein persönlicher Fall, und auch Alec berührt er direkter, als er je gedacht hätte. Denn ihre gegenseitige Anziehung macht die beiden verletzlich für ihre privaten Alpträume – Alpträume, die der Mörder gnadenlos ausnutzt...

Review | Veronica Larsen - Entice

Turns out I’ve been faking being an adult.
My job? My apartment? The pretty life I've built?

Let's just say I've made some mistakes.

I'm knee-deep in the mess I've made when I find him. Tall, dark-haired, and rough around the edges. The boy I never noticed is all grown up, in all the right ways. And he's not about to let me forget it.

He can try to pretend he's immune to our attraction. I'm trained in the art of persuasion and I love a challenge.

But how can he know the answers to questions I haven't thought to ask? I’ve been putting out fires, fighting like crazy to get my life back on track. And this man? He acts like he knows who's holding the match.

Maybe there's no such thing as mistakes.
What if it's all just sabotage?

Review | Loreth Anne White - In the Waning Light

 

Two decades after her sister’s brutal attack and murder, Meg Brogan has finally found happiness… or so it appears. A bestselling true-crime writer, Meg has money, fame, and a wealthy fiancé. But when a television-show host presses her to tackle the one story everyone claims she cannot write - the story of her own family’s destruction - her perfect life shatters.

Determined to finally face her past, Meg returns to her hometown of Shelter Bay. Shrouded in cold, brooding fog, the close-knit coastal town harbors dark secrets and suspicious residents. One of the few people to welcome Meg back is Blake Sutton, her high-school sweetheart and the marina’s new owner. Desperate for clues, Meg digs through her family’s files. As Pacific storms brew outside, her passion for Blake reignites.

But someone doesn’t want Meg digging up the past. And that person will go to deadly lengths to prevent the writer from revealing a terrible truth.

Review | Shelly Alexander - It's In His Touch

 

There’s nothing that Angelique Barbetta can’t handle, no illness she can’t recover from, not one item on her outrageous bucket list that she can’t conquer - not even alligator wrestling! But after discovering her fiancé in a less-than-professional position with their perky assistant, even tough-as-nails Angelique needs a break. Her law firm sends her to Red River to work on a case that should be a piece of cake. Until she meets her sexy neighbor Blake Holloway…one of the proprietors who will lose everything if Angelique wins.

On opposite sides of a hostile legal battle - with a pair of Angelique’s silk undies ending up in Blake’s hands - undeniable chemistry swirls between them. As Blake shows Angelique just what Red River has to offer, her heart begins to melt for the people whose businesses make up the soul of the town. Can she put aside her feelings to win the case? Or will he convince her there’s much more at stake than winning - like love?

Review | Mia Sheridan - Die geheime Sprache der Liebe

Piper | das Buch auf Piper | hier kaufen

Als Bree in der verschlafenen Kleinstadt Pelion ein Häuschen am See mietet, hofft sie, hier endlich die Ruhe zu finden, die sie so verzweifelt sucht. Dann trifft sie Archer Hale – einen jungen Mann, von dem die anderen Bewohner nur wissen, dass er zurückgezogen auf seinem Familienanwesen lebt und dass er bei einem Autounfall in der Kindheit sein Gehör und seine Stimme verloren haben soll. Doch als Bree sich bei einem Ausflug auf sein Grundstück verirrt und sich nervös stotternd dafür entschuldigt, antwortet er ihr …

Review | J.T. Geissinger - Wicked Beautiful

Life coach and best-selling author Victoria Price has it all: a successful career, fabulous friends, a fantastic penthouse in Manhattan. What she doesn’t have - and doesn’t want - is a husband. Fifteen years ago her high school flame broke her heart so badly she swore she’d never love again. Now she makes millions teaching other women how to be just like her: a ruthless bitch.

Drop-dead sexy restauranteur and infamous playboy Parker Maxwell has only three rules for the women he dates: no questions about his past, no expectations for the future, and no spending the night. When he meets Victoria, however, he’s willing to break his own rules if it means sating the explosive desire she arouses in him. What he doesn’t know is that the alluring Victoria Price used to be the mousy Isabel Diaz, the girl he deflowered and dumped long ago.

Presented with a perfect opportunity for revenge, Victoria decides the game is on. But when her connection with Parker proves more than just skin deep, she has to make a choice: continue with her plan for payback, or risk her career, her reputation, and her heart by taking a second chance on love?

2015 | Top Fifteen

Das Jahr neigt sich dem Ende zu und das bedeutet für die meisten Blogs eines: einen Rückblick auf das vergangene Lesejahr zu geben. Bevor ich euch allerdings mit ein paar Zahlen und Statistiken bezüglich meines Blogs langweile beehre, gebe ich euch einen Überblick über die fünfzehn Bücher, die 2015 zu etwas Besonderem gemacht; die Emotionen geschürt und Entspannung & Spaß gebracht haben; die einmal mehr gezeigt haben, warum das Lesen zu meinen liebsten Hobbys gehört. 

Sie stammen alle - was für eine Überraschung! -  aus dem Romantic Thrill und Contemporary Romance-Bereich. Die noch fehlenden Rezensionen folgen demnächst. 

Review | Tracey Garvis-Graves - Heart-Shaped Hack

When Kate Watts abandoned her law career to open a food pantry in Northeast Minneapolis, she never dreamed it would be this difficult. Facing the heartbreaking prospect of turning hungry people away, she is grateful for the anonymous donations that begin appearing at the end of each month. Determined to identify and thank her secret benefactor, she launches a plan and catches Ian - a charismatic hacker with a Robin Hood complex - in the act.

Ian intrigues Kate in a way no man ever has. But after learning he’s snooped around on her personal computer, she demands retribution. Impressed with her tolerance and captivated by her spirit, he complies and begins to slowly charm his way past her defenses. Time spent with Ian is never boring, and Kate soon finds herself falling for the mysterious hacker.

But Ian has enemies and they’re growing restless. In the hacking world, exploiting a target’s weakness is paramount, and no price is too high to stop an attack. And when Kate learns exactly how much Ian has paid, she’ll discover just how strong her love is for the man who has hacked his way into her heart.

Review | Loreth Anne White - A Dark Lure

Twelve years ago, Sarah Baker was abducted by the Watt Lake Killer and sexually assaulted for months before managing to escape. The killer was caught, but Sarah lost everything: her marriage, her child, and the life she loved.

Struggling with PTSD, Sarah changes her name to Olivia West and finds sanctuary working on Broken Bar Ranch. But as her scars finally begin to heal, a cop involved with her horrific case remains convinced the Watt Lake Killer is still out there. He sets a lure for the murderer, and a fresh body is discovered. Now Olivia must face the impossible - could the butcher be back, this time to finish the job?

As a frigid winter isolates the ranch, only one person can help Olivia: Cole McDonough, a writer, adventurer, and ranch heir who stirs long-dormant feelings in her. But this time, Olivia’s determination to shut out her past may destroy more than her chance at love. It could cost her her life.

Review | Lauren Layne - Love The One You're With

As a leading columnist for Stiletto, Grace Brighton has built a career warning women about rotten, cheating liars. She just never suspected her fiancé would be one of them. After Grace takes a heart-mending hiatus, her first assignment is to go on a couple of dates with a counterpart from the men's magazine Oxford and report her impressions. Grace 1.0 may have been instantly smitten with the gorgeous correspondent, but Grace 2.0 has sworn off relationships for six months, and she's not falling for his outstanding bod and trophy-winning kisses... or is she?

Jake Malone wants to get back to the fly-by-night, who-knows-what's-next guy he used to be, and he knows exactly how to do it. Oxford is adding a travel section, and Jake - with no wife and no kids and a willingness to live anywhere, eat anything, do everything - is perfect for the job... except that his playboy reputation makes his new editor nervous. To get the gig, he must agree to a fluffy joint article with Stiletto.

But after just one date with snooty, sumptuous, sensational Grace Brighton, Jake starts taking this assignment a whole lot more seriously...

Review | L. Duarte - Fall Out Girl (+ Giveaway-Ankündigung!)

Imagine a social outcast: Me. (Luna)
Imagine a popular boy: Him. (Caleb)
Sound like the characters of a cliché story, right? 
Here, hold my hand. Come away with me. I’ll tell you my story, and you’ll decide.
But I have a warning: Proceed at your own risk. Since it’s a snippet of my life, I’m one of the main characters. And to put it lightly, I’m not the most likable person in the world, cue the earned label. Also, unlike fairy tales, my story is real with a dash of sorrow and loss. How do I start? Once upon a time…? Shoot me now, please.
The beginning? No, too boring.
Well, let’s start with the catalytic moment that set in motion a chain of events that changed my life, yet again.
As for a happily ever after? Sorry, no spoilers here. You’re going to have to figure that one out on your own. After you read my tale, it becomes yours, and as such, you’re entitled to your interpretation.
So, off we go!
Fasten your seat belts. This ride may get bumpy.

Review | Christina Lauren - Beautiful Stranger

 mtb | Beautiful Stranger auf mtb | Blogg dein Buch

Sara Dillon hat von Männern erst mal genug, als sie spontan für einen Neuanfang nach New York zieht. Bis ihr gleich am ersten Abend in einem Club ein unwiderstehlicher Fremder begegnet. Aber was spricht eigentlich gegen ein bisschen Spaß? Einen One-Night-Stand sieht man ja nicht wieder...

Max Stella genießt sein Junggesellenleben in vollen Zügen. Bis er Sara trifft. Zum ersten Mal will er mehr als nur eine unverbindliche Affäre. Doch so sehr Sara offensichtlich der tabulose Sex mit ihm gefällt, so sehr scheint sie zu fürchten, dass er ihr privat zu nahe kommen könnte.

2014 | Top Ten

Ich bin auch in diesem Jahr meinen Lieblingsgenres Contemporary Romance/New Adult und Romantic Thrill treu geblieben und auf die Gefahr hin, dass ich mich wiederhole,  muss ich sie jetzt zum Jahresende einfach nochmals nennen: Die zehn Bücher, die mich 2014 zum Lachen, zum Weinen, zum Träumen, zum Schmelzen gebracht haben. 

Review | Tracey Alvarez - Christmas with You

She’s a Holiday Grinch…
Carly Gatlin doesn’t want to spend another Christmas alone. With her beloved father gone, she’s desperate to be part of a family—so she’s spending the holidays with her step-brothers on Stewart Island. But even with sand, sun, and not a snowflake in sight, everything reminds her of what she’s lost. So no tree trimming, cookie baking, or kisses under the mistletoe for her, thanks. Especially not from Due South’s sexy bartender, Kip.

He’s a too-hot-for-his-Santa-suit killjoy...
Kip Sullivan’s moved hundreds of miles away from his family who’d like to see him married off before his next birthday - on Christmas Eve. Then ten days before the big event, his meddling relatives arrive en masse, and dear God, they’re planning to stay. With match-makers breathing down his neck, it’s becoming harder to ignore the temptation to unwrap Carly like a present under the tree.

Kip agrees to help make Carly’s first New Zealand Christmas special. He’s got five holiday missions to complete - one involving a frisky fake reindeer - before he hopes to claim a mistletoe kiss… and maybe even Carly’s heart.

Review | Tracey Alvarez - Ready to Burn

Take one sassy Harland girl…
Shaye Harland, sous chef de-awesome, desperately wants the role of Due South’s head chef. Though a little out of her depth, she can totally cope with the extra de-mands if she can resist her future brother-in-law when he muscles in on her kitchen. The Hollywood wannabe is nothing but a troublesome distraction and he fries her sex-ometer to a crisp. But as far as romance? Forget it. Love, when she finds Mr. Perfect, will be as sweet as her to-die-for cookies.

Add a bad-boy from LA…
Del Westlake swore he’d never again set foot on the island he calls the “ass end of New Zealand.” With his reputation as a sous chef in one of LA’s hottest restaurants trashed, and his estranged father’s restaurant needing a head chef, Del wants nothing more than to go in, get the job done, and get out. Except his feisty second-in-command carves herself a spot in his heart and completely incinerates his plans.

Watch the sparks fly as they burn it up in the kitchen…
Winning a spot on a TV reality show is just what Del needs to jumpstart his career back in the States. Nothing can get in the way of him winning—not even the woman whose trust he’d destroy if she discovers his secrets. But with a film crew capturing the explosive kitchen chemistry between them, will his bad-boy ways rear up and ruin his shot at becoming Shaye’s Mr. Perfect?

Review | Tracey Alvarez - Melting into you

Kezia Murphy plays her widow card well. When you don’t trust people not to let you down, it’s easier to not get involved—and getting involved with a man who makes her skin sizzle just by looking at him would be una pazzia—crazy! Four years ago while Kezia’s daughter, Zoe, battled leukaemia, a tragic accident stole her husband’s life. Starting over in the little town of Oban where she’s adopted into the close knit community on Stewart Island, Kezia and her daughter are all the family the other needs. Except Zoe yearns for more.
Ben doesn’t do gooey emotional stuff. He doesn’t do cosy home and family. And he sure isn’t the big teddy-bear Kezia Murphy, the woman he secretly fantasises about, thinks he is. So when Jade, his surprise eight-year-old daughter arrives on his doorstep, he’s a D-minus student struggling to pass a crash-course in parenting.
They’ll either melt or raze their lives to the ground…

When the sparks of attraction between Kezia and Ben fan into an inferno, Ben doesn’t know how much longer the layers of resistance around his heart can resist melting into the gooey mess he fears. The more he fights it the harder it is to make the choice that will destroy the family he now longs to claim.