I'm Your Bully by Andrea Tyse

I'm Your Bully by Andrea Tyse

Bully Series, Book 1

Publisher: Andrea Tyse (May 2014)

96 pages, eBook (provided by the Author for review)

Book Rating: 5 Stars

Sensuality: Red Heart

Emma's next door neighbor, Jax, had bullied her all through school, but then he'd gone off to college and she'd grown accustomed to being largely free of his torment, so the sudden return of his frequent visits to his parents house next door and his strange stalker-like behavior has her concerned what horrible thing he has planned for her now. I liked that this story was told from both Jax's and Emma's point-of-view. The strange evolution of Jax's attachment to Emma was very interesting to watch, and though parts of his thought process and some of his actions were disturbing, to say the least, I could easily see how his fixation with ruffling Emma's feathers, turned possessive, then led to other things.  Great story and I look forward to reading about Jax's friend, Paul, in Bully For You. I hope to see it out soon!

Tough Love by Heidi Cullinan

Tough Love by Heidi Cullinan

Special Delivery Series, Book 3

Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.(April 2014)

312 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $5.00)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Sensuality: Red Heart

The death of his father sets into motion a series of events that will rock Chenco's world, and not just the fact that he stands to lose the trailer that had been home, mostly it is the presence of his brother in town, unknown and feared, and his brother's friends, who he can't seem to get away from . . . particularly Steve, the dominating biker he feels drawn to. This book delves into more darkly kinky places then the previous books dared to go (and probably a bit further than some readers would be comfortable reading about), but with the same ability to make the open-minded reader understand why someone might want to engage in such things. The lines between Chenco and his drag queen alter ego, the complicated relationships among Mitch's friends/family, and the undefinable unhealthy relationship between Steve and Gordy, all combine to reveal a rainbow of the possibilities of human interaction and connection, some with varying degrees of sexuality and some with no sexual component at all. I loved the intimate connection between Chenco and Steve, and Steve's devotion to his responsibility as a Dom. Great Story!

To Love a Stranger by Colleen Coble

To Love a Stranger by Colleen Coble

Wyoming Series, Book 4

Publisher: Spencerhill Associates, Ltd. (November 2012)

169 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $2.99)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Sensuality: White Heart

On a whim, Bessie's sister had begun a correspondence with a soldier looking for a mail-order bride using Bessie's name, and before long the situation got away from her and Bessie ended up married by proxy to the man—not knowing what else to do once she finds out, Bessie goes west looking to make good on her sister's promise and fearing Jasper's reaction. Though things started out a bit rocky, Jasper was such a great, steady man. Bessie had a lot of insecurities to deal with and I got a little frustrated with her at times, but I admired her determination to take on the harsh life of the outpost and the challenge of her relationship with Jasper. Such a sweet story about two people making the best of a less than ideal situation, and having the mettle and commitment to stick it out. If you liked this series, you may enjoy the Nebraska Legacy Series by DiAnn Mills, which I thought was very similar (Historical Christian series focused on trials of faith and character growth). Happy reading!

The Heart Answers by Colleen Coble

The Heart Answers by Colleen Coble

Wyoming Series, Book 3

Publisher: Spencerhill Associates, Ltd. (November 2012)

170 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $2.99)

Book Rating: 3 Stars

Sensuality: White Heart

After her father's death, Jessica is forced to accept that their circumstances have changed and she may have to make some changes to herself, and her outlook on life, to fit into her new surroundings. I was really looking forward to this book, because I'm always intrigued by a villain's redemption, but sadly I have to say that this is my least favorite book of the series so far. Jessica was so thoroughly unlikable in the first two books, that I was a bit skeptical about seeing her redeemed, but the series of events that led to the changes in her, made her transformation very believable, I thought, and by the end I was truly impressed. My problem is that Clay was really difficult to like. For a minister, the man was a real piece of work—judgmental, self-righteous, and inflexible. The way he sentenced Jessica to back-breaking labor without batting an eye or any inconvenience to himself, then continued to find fault with her, with little to no compassion, no matter how hard she tried, was hard for me to see past—then continued to harp on her about "getting saved" (you got plenty of work to do on yourself buddy). Watching Jessica's transformation was what carried me through this story, and I'm not really sure why she wanted Clay (other than he was the ultimate challenge), but she did, so I'm glad things worked out for her in the end.  The next and last installment in this series is To Love a Stranger, about Jessica's brother, Jasper, and his mail-order bride.

Plains of Promise by Colleen Coble

Plains of Promise by Colleen Coble

Wyoming Series, Book 2

Publisher: Spencerhill Associates, Ltd. (August 2012)

158 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $2.99)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Sensuality: White Heart

Hard upon the heels of the grief of losing her husband in a tragic accident, Emma finds out she was never truly married because her husband was already married to another woman with whom he'd had a son, both of whom show up on her doorstep soon after the funeral looking to collect what remained of the estate. Destitute and looking for an escape from the scandal, Emma seeks a position as a companion to her friend, Sarah, who is pregnant and living with her husband at Fort Laramie. Emma's determination to stay away from another relationship with a man and a promise made but never intended to be kept, whips things into a fine mess, but I liked her tendency to distract herself from her worries by focusing on other things. I wish we could have seen more of Isaac, but he was such a calm, steady influence, always there in the background letting things run their course. The next story in this series is The Heart Answers, about Jessica (the villianess of books 1 & 2).

Where Leads the Heart by Colleen Coble

Where Leads the Heart by Colleen Coble

Wyoming Series, Book 1

Publisher: Spencerhill Associates, Ltd. (June 2012)

170 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $3.99)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Sensuality: White Heart

Sarah was devastated by Rand's death, but to please her father and brother, she agreed to marry Ben, only to have Rand show up very much alive just hours before she was to wed another man. I really felt bad for Rand in the beginning, coming back from war to find your fiancée engaged to another man has got to be rough, but his stubborn, callous behavior quickly ran any sympathy I had for him into the ground, and he was a very hard man to like for most of this story. He was blind to Sarah's obvious devotion, and turned around and unfeelingly stabbed her in the back with Jessica when he had the first chance. Sarah was the sweet, unending martyr, which I don't mind as long as it is amply repaid in the end with a happily ever after. I almost wished Sarah had ended up with Isaac, but once Rand came back to himself I was content. There was a lot of references to God, religion and "being saved" (which I'm not all that big on), but the tribulations Rand and Sarah went through, and the part the Indians played in their story, came together so nicely to show such real growth of character (particularly in Rand) that it was really enjoyable overall. I look forward to reading Isaac's story next in Plains of Promise.

On the Way Home by Skye Warren

On the Way Home by Skye Warren

Publisher: Skye Warren (May 2014)

168 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $3.99)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Sensuality: Red Heart

Clint is coming home after a deployment, with no ride and nowhere to go because his girlfriend dumped him over text message . . . luckily the flight attendant, Della, sees him lingering uncertainly by the curb and offers to give him not only a ride, but also a place to stay for awhile . . . it almost seems too good to be true . . . good thing he doesn't know that he is the compensation needed to get her sister out of captivity. Della's internal debate over whether to turn Clint over not, was great, and his intuitive abilities didn't help things on her end any. I really liked this story, I just thought Della got off incredibly easy in the end . . . Clint is the most selfless and understanding person in the world (almost beyond belief), but I loved that about him and that's also kind of what made the story really good. Good Read!

Sweetest Mistress by Skye Warren

Sweetest Mistress by Skye Warren

Fem Dom Series, Book 1

Publisher: Skye Warren (November 2011)

74 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $1.99)

Book Rating: 5 Stars

Sensuality: Red Heart

Wyle doesn't have much luck with women . . . his kinky fantasies get in the way, but Melissa is not only beautiful but also more than willing to accommodate his unique tastes . . . it's enough to make a man paranoid and frantic about the seemingly inevitable possibility of losing her. Wyle is so insecure and awkward about this relationship, it was adorable and unbelievably sweet. The different sides it brings out in Melissa's personality just make it all the more interesting. Great short read about a man finding a woman that doesn't mind taking the control now and then.

Fair Game by R. C. Matthews

Fair Game by R. C. Matthews

Wish Come True Series, Book 2

Publisher: RCM Imprint (May 2014)

144 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $2.99)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Sensuality: Pink Heart

To cover up the crush he's had on Leah, his sister's best friend, Jared's been a pain to her over the years, but with his sister hooking up with his best friend, Leah is suddenly no longer off limits and Jared is all too willing to jump at the chance of making his dreams a reality. Jared's scheming to get Leah thinking his way was sweet and fun-loving. It was cool to see another side to him, from the brotherly side presented in the first book in the series, Date Night. Leah's irrational stubbornness regarding her father got a little old, but it was worth it to see the change of heart when her father finally did open up. Great Read and I look forward to the next book in this series, Begin Again, about Jordan's cousin, Tyler.

Date Night by R. C. Matthews

Date Night by R. C. Matthews

Wish Come True Series, Book 1

Publisher: RCM Imprint (May 2014)

172 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $2.99)

Book Rating: 5 Stars

Sensuality: Red Heart

With an adverse medical diagnosis, Grannie sets about making her dream of seeing her granddaughter wed before she passes come true, and the scheme involves Jordon having biweekly dates through a dating service at the restaurant JT works at (Jordon's brother's best friend) so he can keep an eye on things for Grannie, but the dates are one disaster after the next and only serve to make Jordan and JT realize the feelings they have for each other. For once a story about a brother's best friend and the little sister getting together, but with no long standing crush on either side. It was really great to see two people with a long history as being strictly friends, begin to see each other in a new light. The difficulties of Jordan's brother's reaction, timing with regard to life plans, and other outside influences come into play and make things a little interesting. Great Read! I look forward to reading Jared and Leah's story in Fair Game, and I hope to see it out soon!

Little White Lies by R. C. Matthews

Little White Lies by R. C. Matthews

Publisher: Crimson Romance (March 2014)

251 pages, eBook (provided by the Author for review)

Book Rating: 5 Stars

Sensuality: Pink Heart

Madalyn belatedly realizes she can't go through with her high-profile wedding, leaves her fiancé at the altar, and goes on the honeymoon cruise alone determined to turn over a new leaf and make a fresh beginning while the media frenzy dies down . . . too bad she forgot her dining reservations were for the newlywed table, making it inconvenient that she doesn't have a husband. Royce is looking for a way to take his mind off business and posing as Madalyn's husband sounds like an amusing way to spend their week-long cruise, so he offers and Madalyn's acceptance of the deal leads to much more than either of them could have foreseen.  I loved this story! What started as fun and games, became serious, and there were so many layers to their relationship it was hard to tell what was real and what wasn't, but the time they spent together on the cruise and with the group of friends they met while on board was exquisite . . . like one long romantic weekend. I liked the way both Madalyn and Royce focused on making the most of the time they had, instead of dwelling on the uncertainty of the future. Madalyn's leap of faith toward the end was awesome, and showed such growth of character from the beginning of the story when she saw very little grey area in any situation. Great Read! It would be fun to read Craig and Jeanine's (Madalyn's sister) story. I'm excited to read Jordan and J.T.'s story in Date Night, the brief overview of their story given while on the cruise with Royce and Madalyn sounded intriguing!