ARC Book #Review: Grand Theft N.Y.E (Heist Holidays 1) by Katrina Jackson .@katrinajax

Book Title: Grand Theft N.Y. E ( Heist Holidays Book 1)
Author:  Katrina Jackson |Website| Twitter| 

Publisher: Katrina Jackson
Genre: Romance, Interracial Romance
Series/Standalone: Book 1
Format: ebook

Cost: $0.99

Pages: 161

How I got it: ARC from Author 

Purchase: Amazon |
Publication Date: December 31st, 2019
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Synopsis:

Cleo Wright is just a happy scammer on a mission to rob a rich man before his ex-wife or the federal government seize all of his money and possessions. She's not expecting to meet another rich man who makes her want to use her nimble fingers for other, not thieving, things. But Robert Shimizu is just that man.

The two share a night of fast cars, expensive champagne and the best sex of her life. But Cleo is who she is and when Robert wakes up the next morning, she's long gone... with his car and a few other very expensive possessions.

It takes him months to track down the woman who stole his favorite watch and his heart, but when he does, there's fireworks.

Content Warnings: Mentions of parental illness and death

Y'all already know that I go into books blind. I absolutely love following Katrina on twitter, so when she put out the call for reviewers I ran so fast to join the line. I have already purchased Neighborly from her and plan to read that next and I'm going back into Pink Slip series by her to get some more info about the trio in the end but I'm getting ahead of myself.  First, I want to thank Katrina for having a content warning at the beginning because it gives you time to prep for what is coming, it doesn't spoil anything but it does make sure your shields are up and in force for when it happens.

Cleo is running a successful con when she meets a distraction she can't afford. However, once she realizes that the chemistry is mutual she decides to take a bit of time for some fun for herself.  From the beginning, this night is like nothing she's ever done before and it just keeps getting better. Robert has also never been so attracted to a woman and when he gets Cleo alone it's mindblowing and he starts planning how to get more time with Cleo. When he wakes up, Cleo is gone, so is his watch and his favorite jag, now he's on a mission to find her. Cleo ran when she woke up because Robert wasn't apart of her plans and he wasn't a mark, so she needed to leave. Once gone that night affects them both until they meet again in Miami. Whew that moment?!!! Get you a fan.

From the beginning, this story flowed well and I loved the personalities we got to meet and hope we get more from them in future books. Both Robert and Cleo were strong characters that I loved. Cleo knew she was bomb and acknowledged she needed more. When I was reading I kept hearing Trina's song with Lady Saw ('cause I'm Jamaican it had to be with Lady Saw & of course Trina reps Miami which is a location in the story as well). Robert POV is also shared in the book and I love that

Can I say that I was reading this while on vacation in Florida with family for the holidays and I kept finding places to hide and read? First of all, Robert can totally get it because OMG fine, I can totally feel the heat and steam coming off the pages while they were together. Chemistry on 10. Cleo was such a fun character to read, her reactions were so me, I loved her. I almost lost it when the fire alarm went off like DAMN IT!! This was gearing up to be a sweat your perm out romp. It totally kept me glued.

I absolutely loved this story. I loved how the timeline worked out so that it played into the story as well. With it all coming to a head-on NYE. Those final pages I wanted to savor and at the same time rush thru so I could find out what happened  I'm not sure how to explain that while I love the historical romances and the contemporary sprawling cowboy saga ('cause who don't love hot Black men in cowboy hats??) there is something about reading books about millennial women living with social media and using so much of today's lingo (like when her team overheard her conversation & said her "p*ssy be yanking". It grounds it in the here and now and just makes you feel like you would know the characters or have met them before. While I might not have Cleo's experiences that led to her lifestyle, the sister bond and the use of colloquialisms make her more like a girl I would have met and hung with.

I really enjoyed the story and wish we could have it in a physical form as well so I can have her work on my shelves. I loved the ups and downs (and not just the bedroom ones, which were A.M.A.Z.I.N.G) of the story and since it's the beginning of the series I can't wait to see who else gets a story. And how the other series will tie into this one. Now excuse me while I go look up the other books Katrina has that I don't already own, I see a binge in my future.

 ★★★★☆

Erotic Rating
 ★★★★★
5 ~ Extra Steamy: great story excellent plot, amazing sex scenes

Series In Order

• Grand Theft N.Y.E

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Beverly Jenkins Sexy/Dangerous  (for another thicc woman with hella confidence) 

Enjoy and Happy Reading my loves, 

AudioBook #Review: Echoes In Death # 44 by J. D. Robb

Book Title: Echoes In Death (In Death 44)
Author:  J. D. Robb |Website| Facebook| 

Publisher: St. Martin's Press/ Brilliance Audio
Genre: Mystery/ Suspense/ SciFi Romance/ Futuristic SciFi
Series/Standalone: Book 44

Format: Audiobook, Hardcover, Mass Market
Narrator: Susan Eriksen

Audio Service: Scribd 

Hours in Book:  13 hours and 43 mins

Cost: $8.99

Pages: 371

How I got it: Scribd Subscription 

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble |
Publication Date: February 07, 2017
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Synopsis:

This chilling new suspense novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author J.D. Robb is the perfect entry point into the compelling In Death police procedural series featuring Lieutenant Eve Dallas.

As NY Lt. Eve Dallas and her billionaire husband Roarke are driving home, a young woman—dazed, naked, and bloody—suddenly stumbles out in front of their car. Roarke slams on the brakes and Eve springs into action.

Daphne Strazza is rushed to the ER, but it’s too late for her husband Dr. Anthony Strazza. A brilliant orthopedic surgeon, he now lies dead amid the wreckage of his obsessively organized town house, his three safes opened and emptied. Daphne would be a valuable witness, but in her terror and shock the only description of the perp she can offer is repeatedly calling him “the devil”...

While it emerges that Dr. Strazza was cold, controlling, and widely disliked, this is one case where the evidence doesn’t point to the spouse. So Eve and her team must get started on the legwork, interviewing everyone from dinner-party guests to professional colleagues to caterers, in a desperate race to answer some crucial questions:

What does the devil look like? And where will he show up next? (

Overall:
Another great addition to the In Death series, focusing mostly on the case with only a few moments of splashes into Eve's life we get one hell of a story. Despite what appears to be a random set of perfect crimes Eve knows there is always a connection and she digs for them.  I loved how vulnerable Eve was in this one and the balance between her and Roarke being what it is, he's able to see it and prep to aide her when she needs it. And there is a moment in her office that brought tears to my eyes, just he's so freaking awesome.

Narrator:
Fantastic, she's able to embody each of the characters. After a while you don't even realize it's still one person sharing the story as her voice, inflections and intonations change with each character and she really conveys the emotions of each. It helps bring each of the characters to life in a way that I couldn't stop listening and finished the book within two days (which is a feat when you're working two jobs okay?!!)

Story:

Sweet Gawds this is another of the stories that focuses on the case but has a few echoes in Eve's life.  Eve and Roarke are coming home from a swanky event and almost run over a woman who needs their help. From there the case takes many turns as they are unraveling the mystery of who did this to the couple and why. And will he strike again??

Once Eve begins to work the case she discovers there are even more victims than they had been aware of. Working the case slowly the tiny threads that connect all the couples start to come up and the reasons for the attacks begin to come out.  And because of the circumstances of the cases it brings up echoes of Eve's childhood which makes it hard to work the case.  And yet as many of her cases have forced her to reconcile with her past, and deal with it she's on steadier ground than sh'd been when we first got to know her.

From the beginning Roarke is involved in the case and keeping an eye on Eve's emotional levels. As the story progresses and the case is worked, Eve shows us the growth that has led to her being a better officer, and partner.  With her understanding of both victim and pathology of what makes the villain tick she's able to work the case faster. With this one we get very little of Eve's life and focus more on the case and the spaces it splashes on her private life. I liked the focus on case, even as we see the moments when Eve learns to embrace more than the job. She's still not comfortable with being the wife of a multi-billionaire, but she's learning to get better with it. The last few cases have been pushing her and she's had to make adjustments in her thinking and the way she handles relationships.

For me at times Eve reminds me of Dr Brennan from Bones, with her lack of social conditioning due to being raised in the system, so at times Eve is unaware of how things come off, or the point of a common saying and doesn't have the references for a lot of 'normal' things a lot of people do. I also appreciated that while the case was no more brutal than it normally is for Eve, that this time the sexy lovemaking we come to expect from them wasn't included. While dealing with the difficult topic, Eve and Roarke were still intimate and taking time with each other, in fact I would say Eve is starting to learn to relax more with the new level of wealth she's married into, she doesn't take it for granted yet as someone who has been married into it for decades might but she isn't always gawking like a country bumpkin either. I loved that they comforted each other, had great moments that were't about lovemaking while they worked this case and dealt with how it triggered Eve.

I'm going to be doing a post perhaps even a video about my dislikes about Eve's character because there are a few and they really work my nerves. However in this case, Eve was fascinating, as she knew who the criminal was and worked backwards to make the dots work and that was intriguing. When she had the criminal in the interrogation room is when she really came alive. I loved the new side to Peabody as well. This was a great addition to the series and if you've never read the series this would be a good place to start as it does a good job of summarizing the whole series without weighting down the book.

I love the way the team came together, how Roarke kept Eve even and worked well with the others to really bring this case in . Another great addition to the series.

 ★★★★☆

Series In Order

• Naked In Death       Glory In Death         Immortal In Death
• Rapture In Death     Ceremony In Death    Vengence In Death
• Holiday In Death     Midnight In Death 7.5   Conspiracy In Death
• Loyalty In Death      Witness In Death          Judgement In Death
• Betrayal In Death     Interlude In Death  12.5      Seduction In Death
• Reunion In Death     Purity In Death      Portrait In Death
• Imitation In Death    Big Jack 17.5        Divided In Death
• Vision In Death        Survivor In Death  Origin In Death
• Memory In Death     Haunted In Death 22.5      Born In Death
• Innocent In Death     Creation    In Death           Eternity In Death 25.5
• Strangers In Death    Salvation In Death             Kindred In Death
• Missing In Death 29.5      Fantasy In Death        Indulgence In Death
• Possession In Death 31.5  Treachery In Death    New York To Dallas
• Chaos In Death 33.5          Celebrity In Death     Delusion In Death
• Calculated In Death           Thankless In Death   Taken In Death 37.5
• Concealed In Death        Festive In Death       Obsession In Death     
• Devoted In Death     Wonderment In Death 41.5   Brotherhood In Death
• Apprentice In Death  Echoes In Death 

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Heather Graham
• Julie Garwood  

Happy Reading my loves, 

ARC Book #Review: Seducing Janey ( Liberty Crossroads # 1) by Sherri Hayes .@Sherri_Hayes

Book Title: Seducing Janey ( Liberty Crossroads Book 1)
Author:  Sherri Hayes |Website| Twitter| Facebook| Pinterest

Publisher: Sherri Hayes
Genre: Romantic Suspense, Romance
Series/Standalone: Book 1
Format: ebook

Cost: $4.99

Pages: 263

How I got it: Author 

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble |
Publication Date: December 10, 2019
Add To Goodreads
Synopsis:

Can he keep his hands off her long enough to catch a killer?

Detective Janey Davis is trying to find a killer. When another body turns up outside the small town of Liberty, Indiana, she’s sent to investigate. Nothing prepares her for what she finds there...and it has nothing to do with the case she’s working on. It’s the deputy who’s been assigned to tag along on her investigation.

Kyle Reed has been a sheriff’s deputy since returning from the Army ten years ago. He loves his job and the small town of Liberty, which is why he’s determined to help Detective Davis find out who murdered a man and dumped his body on the side of a country road. What he wasn’t prepared for was the undeniable chemistry between them.

After convincing her to attend a get-together with him at a friend’s farm, Kyle and Janey give in to their passion. The problem is, he doesn’t want just one night. Can he convince her to give a relationship between them a chance?

When I got the email from Sherri asking if I wanted to read this I literally sat there staring for a while before I reminded myself I have to give an answer to be able to get the book. As much as sitting in the seat nodding my head made me feel good, Sherri wouldn't be able to see that and know I wanted it. Then when the book came through?? I danced a little because clearly, she meant to actually send little ole me a review request. It wasn't an accident. (Now that the dramatics are out of the way let's talk about the book).

Once I got the book I went right into it. It took me way too long to realize that the Paul mentioned in the book was actually Paul Daniels from the Daniel Brothers series and that's not Sherri's fault I just didn't connect it for whatever reason and when it finally did I laughed and loved this even more. Janey gets sent to a small town a few hours outside of her jurisdiction in hopes of finding out if the recently discovered body had anything to do with their most recent case.  When she gets there her liaison is Kyle and my gawd is the man fine, he creates a buzz for her and she's hoping she's not giving it all away because she doesn't want to appear unprofessional.  The second Kyle is introduced to the officer from Indy he's attracted but he's here to do a job and he's going to keep it together damn it.

This was a great blend of romance and romantic suspense. There are moments that the investigation isn't going anywhere while they wait on the results from others that the investigation kind of gets pushed to the back and the romance comes forward, but they keep moving each other forward.  With the recent discovery of the bodies, and the lack of evidence they are working with very little in an attempt to discover who killed these men, who they were and why they had been dumped the way they were.  It takes a while but Kyle and Janey hit it off and when she's in his small town Kyle makes his move and suddenly they are working on the chemistry between them.  Once they realize they have nothing else to go on Janey heads home; not long after she's there another body is discovered in another town. Then a small clue gives them a chance to begin unraveling the mystery, meanwhile, the two cops have to figure out if they want more as well.

I loved  Janey as she felt so real, being nervous and yet excited when she made the leap. Kyle was pretty good as well, being vulnerable and yet being the one to take the bulls by the horns when he needed to, he knew from the start Janey was going to be more and he wasn't afraid to pursue it. They had some serious chemistry and yet that didn't stop them from having serious conversations as well, they talked and that was awesome to see characters work at it and acknowledge the difficulties they might have to face if they pursued this, especially with one of them being gun shy.

The mystery of the dead bodies did take a bit to solve, but that time gave Janey and Kyle plenty of time to work together. When it all starts to unravel?? Well until the end I was like ok maybe ok nope didn't see that one coming, ohhhhh girl what??? How did y'all think that would work out?? Yes, I talk to my books while reading.  It was a good ending, even if I thought the perpetrator clearly didn't think things all the way through.  Those moments with Janey & Kyle facing them?? Yeah, I felt the adrenaline with Janey. Yikes.

I enjoyed myself and especially loved the relationship that Janey and Paul had, he was a great partner and because he was he treated her like family.   Janey's life was full she had great friends, a job she loved and a place she totally enjoyed living in, so Kyle didn't rescue her, but he helped to give her life a little more.  Kyle also had a pretty good network of friends and family, having moved back to his small hometown. I loved his relationship with his sister even if he's trying to be willfully blind.  His relationship with his nephew is so sweet.

I'm looking forward to reading the other romances in this small town as it's shaping up to be awesome. We got glimpses of what I believe are at least two more?? Not sure we'll stalk Sherri's website and see over the next few weeks.  I liked that it didn't all neatly wrap up, she left a few threads to be tugged into the other stories and gave us glimpses of some of the town as well. I'm looking forward to the journey back.  I was in a bit of a slump before reading this and it helped to pull me out; now I'm addicted to reading all the romantic suspense on my shelves. 

 ★★★★☆

Series In Order

• Seducing Janey 

RECOMMENDATIONS

• The Daniel Brothers Series by Sherri Hayes
• Brenda Jackson Catalina Cove Series

Happy Reading my loves, 

ARC Book #Review: The Bear's Fated Mate (Borealis Bears 2) by Vivian Arend .@VivianArend

Book Title: The Bear's Fated Mate (Borealis Bears 2)
Author:  |Website| Twitter| Facebook| Instagram

Publisher: Arend Publishing
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series/Standalone: Book 2
Format: ebook, Paperback

Cost: $3.99

Pages: 168

How I got it: Author Street Team Group

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
Publication Date: November 19th, 2019
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Synopsis:

He’s going to pick someone perfectly wrong for him—because fate isn’t in charge of his world!

A stand alone title in a brand-new shifter trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Vivian Arend.

As head of security for the family company, polar bear shifter Alex Borealis has intel warning something big is about to happen. His prime suspect? Tantalizing, infuriating Lara Lazuli, youngest daughter of Borealis Gems’ main competitor. But when mating fever hits, he decides she’s the perfect one to turn to. They’ve got chemistry hot enough to melt the polar ice caps, but he doesn’t trust her enough for a permanent connection to form.

Being with Alex is one step shy of torture for Lara. As a wolf shifter, she scented the truth the instant she met him months ago—he’s her mate. But she’s not about to trap anyone into being with her, especially not a man who thinks she’s up to no good. Add in her own suspicions of wrong-doing in her pack and Lara’s caught between heaven and hell.

But tangled sheets lead to real communication, and a bond of friendship forms that neither expected. When Lara asks for help, Alex finds himself living in the pack house, scaring off random Alpha wolves and fighting at her side.

Because the mating fever knows a thing or two about fate and forever.

Like most of the books I read, I went into this one blind, I love Vivian's work and have been apart of her street team for a while. When the link came for this one based on the cover I asked to be apart of the reviews. I'm so glad I did, this was so funny and sweet and I totally want to read the rest of the trilogy now. Basically, these three polar bear brothers make a pact not to be influenced by their busybody Grandfather during their mating fever, except you don't live this long and remain as Patriarch for as long as their Grandfather if you aren't a wily bear.  He's got a few plans in place to help his grandsons realize their potential mates and he's not afraid to meddle when he needs to. I loved it.

Lara is the sister to the Alpha of the local wolf pack, having gone away for college and lived her life away from the pack, she returns home to help with the security for the pack. When she returns she notices there appear to be things the leaders of the pack won't share with her and she's suspicious of what that could mean for their people. She's also discovered who her mate is and the infuriating man doesn't even recognize her. Alex the security expert for the local bear pack is suspicious of the little wolf Lara and her interest in being friends with his newest sister in law and he's beyond attracted to her but can't fathom why her.  When his Grandfather begins to drop hints he's suspicious the wolf pack may be making moves he decides to look into it. 

Alex's brother has recently discovered his mate and he's broken the vow the brothers have made and now it's up to Alex to hold out. He's going to find out what the wolves are up to and if he can get close to the wolf his bear likes who is he to complain?? Lara wants to find out what her family is up to and she wants her mate, but she's not willing to put herself out there to be hurt, as the first to recognize the mating bond she's feeling the full effects and he's unaware of it. 

These two were a riot to read, their animals were separate personalities and would inject their ideas on how to handle the other often. Alex's bear certainly had his mind made up his human just had to catch up. This was a great romantic story that focused on the two getting to know each other as friends first then as mates. Neither were aware of just how much they were being pushed together not just by their animals but their family as well.  I certainly didn't expect what was happening in Lara's pack to happen. And I loved how great their familial relationships were.  The Grandfather was hilarious and the way he went about getting them together was too funny. His voice is what kick starts the story and I was hooked from reading his journal entry.

These two were so good together and I loved how even as they tried to navigate being friends then becoming more all while trying to figure out just what is happening with the leadership of the pack. I loved the bit of tension that brought to the story and even how it was all resolved.  The ending had me cracking up when all the answers came out and I now need to read the third book because it's going to be interesting to see how she gets this one hooked to his mate. I absolutely loved that despite Alex being described as a 'bear' of a man Lara was still able to handle him because she was so kick ass. Just so awesome!!! And of course, the sexual chemistry was off the charts. There are so many cute moments in the book that I just ugh couldn't stop smiling while reading. Lara's sister?? I love her and I sure would love a story about her and her mate (which we learn about in this one but still). Highly recommend for those seeking a good romantic comedy with a kick-ass female and a polar bear that loves to play.

 ★★★★☆

Series In Order

• The Bear's Chosen Mate (Book 1) ** haven't read yet**
• The Bear's Fated mate (Book 2) 

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Christine Feehan Carpathian Series
• Lora Leigh Breed Series

Happy Reading my loves, 

December 2019 To Be Read

Welcome my loves it's December 2019 the end of the year is right around the corner. With the end of the Gregorian calendar, I'm looking at the resolutions I made at the beginning of the year and I'm so happy about how close I am to making my goals.

And my November was a fantastic month of reading.  not just in the number of books I read, but also in the quality of books I read. I had a lot of 4 and 5 stars reads and I'm hoping this month will also be the same. This month I came closer to my

My goal this year is 150  books, if I break that down it comes out to 13 books per month, with 3 to 4  books a week. Totally doable in my books, so as the proverb says, you can eat an elephant one bite at a time, so here are my first few bites:

Read So Far This Year: 144

TBR Pile 150

TBR Balance: 6

Monthly Goal: 13

Perpetual Author Challenge:

• Brenda Jackson 
• Beverly Jenkins
• Nora Roberts/ JD Robb  Festive In Death #39, 

Finish Series Challenge:

• Sylvia Day 

Top 19  List

• Jan Read: Shifting (haven't finished yet)
• April Read:
• May Read:

Black Out Challenge:

• .
• .

Erotica Book Selection: 

• 
  

Book Club Book: (This month I'm skipping this one since it's not a title I own, however, I'm listing it so I know what the book was for this month at the end of the year).

• The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

What are you going to be reading my loves?? Share in the comments down below if you have read any of these and as always

Happy Reading