Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Battle Ship

SERIES: Valentine’s Inc. Cruises #4

AUTHOR: Brittany Cournoyer

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 127 pages

RELEASE DATE: August 22, 2019

BLURB:

Dawson Hoshaw lives by one motto—work hard, play harder. As the owner of Blue Lotus, a tattoo and piercing shop, he’s got the first part covered. The second part, he accomplishes through meaningless hookups and no-strings-attached encounters. It’s safer this way, with no risk of getting his heart broken again. But when his best friend, Peyton, enters him in a contest—and wins—Dawson finds himself the recipient of an all-expenses paid singles cruise around Australia, courtesy of Valentine’s Inc.

As long as he can remember, Stephen Kincaid has known it’s his duty to take over his family’s chain of men’s clothing stores. The closer his father grows to retirement, the more responsibility Steven assumes. Running multiple businesses and living up to expectations doesn’t leave him with much time for dating, and he can’t remember the last time he took a vacation. So when he wins a contest he didn’t even enter, he can’t pass up the opportunity to see Australia before returning to his humdrum life.

When a mix-up forces Dawson and Steven to share a cabin, their dream vacation turns into a nightmare. It wouldn’t be so bad if they could escape each other during the day, but it’s hard not to run into one another. And the more time they spend together, the more they find they don’t want to stay away. After a night of passion, Stephen and Dawson can’t help giving in to the growing feelings between them. But how can they make this vacation fling work once they go back to the real world?

Battle Ship is a Valentine’s Inc. novella, but you will see familiar faces with this Forever in Middlebury Crossover. It can be read as a standalone and is intended for adults 18 and over

Reviewed by Cindy & Cheryl

TITLE: Triple Threat

SERIES: Haven Hart Book 6

AUTHOR: Davidson King

PUBLISHER: Self-Published

LENGTH: 220 Pages

RELEASE DATE: June 25, 2019

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Lee, Jones, and Ginger deal with dangerous situations and mounting stress daily working for the most powerful assassin organization in the world. All of those things seem like a walk in the park compared to the friction that sparks between them. When all three are assigned to the same job, ignoring the heat from the inferno of desire becomes impossible.

Lee is a master at deciphering codes, skilled in hacking complicated systems, and never misses a target, even from over fifty miles away. His feelings for Jones and Ginger, however, may be the first code he’s unable to crack.

Jones deals in absolutes, but the road to his past is paved with bodies and regrets. Getting Lee to acknowledge the pull they both feel toward Ginger may be the hardest mission he’s ever had to face.

Ginger struggles to cope with the overwhelming guilt that accompanies this new job. Falling for these hired killers will be a risk—one that could wind up with him losing in the end or gaining everything he’s ever wanted.

As the three work together to take down a human trafficking ring—and save a desperate soul—time is of the essence. Their lives are on the line as mysteries unfold and unexpected encounters throw them off course. Will Lee, Jones, and Ginger let doubts come between them, distracting them from their mission and blocking any hope of love? Or can they face the toughest challenge of their lives and become…a triple threat?

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: An Imperfect Reunion

SERIES: Perfect Love #6

AUTHOR: Trina Lane

PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing

LENGTH: 205 pages

RELEASE DATE: November 7, 2017

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Their plans for a paradise vacation didn’t include bullets and bombs.

The gang from Boston has decided to celebrate their friendship with a group vacation. The plans are perfect. The setting is paradise. But before they can soak up the sun and sip their Mai Tais, the group finds themselves embroiled in a terrorist attack.

Scattered to the corners of the island the group of friends must find their way back to each other. Meanwhile, Ryan becomes the key to unravelling the terrorist organization. Is the group’s love for their partners, and each other, strong enough to survive the turmoil of an attack designed to rip apart the fabric of their country?

REVIEWED by Jen B.

TITLE: Kept in the Dark

SERIES: Locke and Keyes Agency

AUTHOR: Charlie Cochet

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 321 Pages

RELEASE DATE: August 20, 2019

BLURB:

Former Army Ranger turned government assassin Álvaro Montero and CIA Officer Caiden Cardosa crossed paths two years ago in Vienna, where their encounter ended less than amicably—despite the explosive sexual chemistry between them.

Now Caiden is riding a desk at Langley after his cover is blown. And Álvaro—who was “killed”—has a new identity and purpose as Delta/D, an operative for the Locke and Keyes Agency, under the leadership of the mysterious Alpha Orion.

When D and Caiden team up in a deadly black ops mission, the urge to kill each other will have to take a back seat to the desire for revenge against the man who betrayed them both. Surviving the mission won’t be easy. Resisting the passion between them—that might be impossible.

Reviewed by Jess

TITLE: My Baby Chased Away the Blues

AUTHOR: R.A. Thorn

PUBLISHER: NineStar Press

LENGTH: 358 pages

RELEASE DATE:  July 8, 2019

BLURB:

It’s 1925 in Los Angeles, and motor patrol officer Del Randolph keeps making one mistake after another. Struggling to keep his job with the Los Angeles Police Department, Del is also lonely and heartbroken after his last lover left him.

But then he meets Ev, a gentle but cynical invert, and has his heart stolen again. Del knows he’s no great catch—he isn’t smart or particularly handsome or rich—but he’s determined to show Ev how much he loves him.

Unfortunately, his misguided attempts at winning Ev’s affections might end up destroying their relationship instead. Del joins a hapless gang of bootleggers to try to make some money but quickly winds up in trouble. Soon he’s in debt, breaking the law, and lying to Ev about all of it.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Ship Happens

SERIES: Valentine’s Inc. Cruises #3

AUTHOR: Pandora Pine

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 159 pages

RELEASE DATE: August 19, 2019

BLURB:

Photographer Upton Sanders is a proverbial third wheel. Still single after his best friend met the love of his life on the Valentine’s Inc. dating app, Upton assumes he’ll be alone forever. Everything changes when his friends surprise him with a week-long singles cruise.

Travel agent Walsh Dunne has never left the state of North Carolina. With the ink on his hospitality degree still wet, he embarks on the S.S. Neptune to learn about the cruise industry and the ship’s exotic ports of call. It isn’t until a chance encounter with Upton that Walsh learns this is no ordinary cruise.

Excited to attend the Ship Happens dating events, Upton has zero luck meeting the man of his dreams. The one man he is forever running into, Walsh, keeps rescuing him from sticky situations. Finished with the vain men he’s met so far, Upton and Walsh team up to explore the islands.

Sparks fly between the men, making them think a relationship in the real world is possible. Back on shore, both men are excited about the future, until an emergency calls Walsh back home.

Can the star-crossed lovers find a way back to each other? Or will their love go down with the ship?

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Radiant

SERIES: Men of Hidden Creek season 4 #1

AUTHOR: Blake Roland

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 5342 kb

RELEASE DATE: August 16, 2019

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“Nothing is going to keep us apart.”

Dalton Powell has been living a lie. Terrified of coming out as bisexual, he’s given up on romance. Instead, he finds solace in hard work on his family’s struggling ranch. But his life is turned upside down as his past mistakes come back to haunt him—and steal his heart.

Thomas Reed never expected to come back to Hidden Creek. Old wounds are reopened as he returns to his family’s ranch and finds himself face to face with the last person he ever wanted to see again: Dalton. Despite his initial distrust, Thomas can’t deny the overpowering attraction between them.

Letting go of the past is hard when their families’ generations-long feud throws up obstacles at every turn. Forgiveness never comes easy, but they are determined to prove to their families that love really can overcome anything. But can they hold themselves together long enough to succeed?

Welcome to Hidden Creek, Texas, where the heart knows what it wants, and where true love lives happily ever after. Every Men of Hidden Creek novel can be read on its own, but keep an eye out for familiar faces around town! This book contains romantic horseback rides, a thrilling rodeo, and a kiss that could finally end a bitter feud.

Reviewed by Cheryl

TITLE: Syncopation

SERIES: Collaborations #2

AUTHOR: Jodi Payne & BA Tortuga

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 211 pages

RELEASE DATE:  February 5, 2019

BLURB:

Colt Boudreaux was raised in the Louisiana bayou and is gifted with a talent steeped in the rich and soulful New Orleans blues tradition. He makes a living as a session musician, playing guitar for anyone who needs him. When his manager sends him to New York, the Cajun is as beguiled as he is baffled by the energy of the city—and just as charmed by Kyle Alexander.

Kyle is a successful classically trained ballet dancer, choreographer, and native New Yorker whose unbridled talent defies convention, and whose rebel spirit favors ink, shuns the orchestra, and is every bit as unique as Kyle himself.

They find a connection right away that inspires rhythm and movement, mood and music, both in and out of the bedroom. It’s not long before they’re as obsessed with each other as they are with their art, and they decide to work together on an improvisational piece for Kyle’s upcoming solo exhibition.

But Kyle is focused, and Colt is free-spirited. Colt’s work ebbs and flows with inspiration, and Kyle’s is rehearsed. Kyle is social and sophisticated, and Colt… isn’t. When their talents weave together, it’s magical, but will their differences destroy it all?

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: The Seeds of Dissolution: Dissolution Cycle #1

SERIES: Tales of the Dissolutionverse #4

AUTHOR: William C. Tracy

PUBLISHER: Space Wizard Science Fantasy

LENGTH: 415 pages

RELEASE DATE: December 19, 2017

BLURB:

On a bright August day, the sun disappears.

Sam van Oen barely escapes freezing to death in his house, as his watch stops and fire ceases to burn. He is pulled into the Nether—a nexus between ten alien cultures—where he meets Rilan and Origon, two maji who can control the musical foundation of the universe. While coping with anxiety attacks prompted by his new surroundings, Sam must learn to hear and change the Symphony, and thus reality, in order to discover what happened to his home.

But more freezing voids like the one that started his journey are appearing, and Sam’s chances of getting back are fading. The Assembly of Species is threatening to dissolve and the maji are being attacked by those they protect, while rumors grow of an ancient, shape-changing species of assassins, returning to wage war.

The Dissolution is coming