A Reason to Breathe by C.P. Smith

I'm not going to write much for this book review.  I'm just going to say....you MUST read this book!! 

If you love a hot, sexy, totally Alpha male - who also happens to be in law enforcement - you MUST read this book.

If you love a heroine who doesn't back down, is caring, and most importantly sassy - you MUST read this book.

If you love a great romantic suspense - you MUST read this book.

If you want to read a book, that you won't be able to put down - you MUST read this book.

I can't even believe this is the first book for this author - and I am ANXIOUSLY anticipating her next one.

Trust me - read this book - if you don't believe me - please see the beautiful reviews from my other girls at Sizzling Pages...

Dawn's Review

Tara's Review

Nic's Review

Carmen's Review

The Way Back to Me by K.L. Conlon & T.D. Waesch

Lexi Reynolds is facing a game changer. Three years ago, under the insistence of her husband, she walked away from a promising career as a special education specialist with her eyes set on becoming an administrator so that she could be a stay-at-home wife and mother. Now with the demise of her marriage along with her self-esteem and heart, Lexi must face the task of building a new life.

Layla Karsten is not one to sit idly on the side lines. Seeing the crushed spirit of her sister, Lexi, she is bound and determined to push her sister back in life....even if it means tapping into Lexi's inner slut to do it.

Wow, I loved this book right from the beginning. Lexi is amazing - newly divorced at 39, with three girls 10 and under. She had put her dream on hold for her husband, and he ends up cheating on her with someone half his age.  She's still reeling, but her sister Layla is not standing for it.  While her kids are spending spring break with her ex - Lexi is heading to Texas to visit her sister.

Layla and Lexi together are priceless - they are best friends and loyal to the bone to each other.  Layla is ready for Lexi's visit with a plan to get Lexi back in the game - a fitness regime, a diet, a new haircut, and a new spicy book series for Lexi to read. Seriously, when these two are together - they are definitely trouble!

Lexi's trip to Texas turns in to more than she could ever have imagined, with the new people she meets on her way there, and while she's there. Her life starts to change in ways that she could have never imagined.  As she returns to Kansas, the changes and people she's met since her trip - alter her life - and make things a lot more interesting and challenging for her to say the least.

I don't want to give to much away about the story - there were so many moments in this book that I just had to laugh or smile - between the cute things her daughter said, the crazy things her sister said or did, the confrontations she faced, and the hot things the men said and did. Lets just say, I could not put this book down until it was finished!  Lexi might have been cheated on - but she was not defeated - she picked herself up, and found herself again.  This book totally had me guessing until the very end as to how it would finish - and I was not disappointed with the ending at all!!

Permanent Lines by Ashley Wilcox

 

The disclaimer from Merrick couldn’t be farther from the truth!  He definitely didn’t act like you would expect a man to act.  I guess I just don’t see a man as the one to fall head over heels right away for someone.  There was a lot of him pining over Amelia, after their first two days together – and when he finally unexpectedly runs into her – all hell breaks loose.

 

 

There is a lot happens once they meet up again, and I think sometimes I felt like it all was just a little too rushed for me.  Merrick definitely loved Amelia, and the feelings were returned, although there were so many things they had to tackle through to get to the other side.  It sometimes felt a little over the top for me, but if you like “love at first date” stories, that are very fast paced – then this book will be for you.

 

 

Favorite Places (TroubleMaker #2) by Kelly Gendron

A five-minute trolley ride, one troublemaking luggage, and two stolen identities. Six months later, two strangers discover they’re married. She wants an annulment. He has other plans.

Being illegally hitched is about the only way Chase Lennox would ever be shackled to any woman. But when the multimillionaire playboy finds out he’s married to the woman who caused him to lose the biggest deal of his life, Chase decides before he gives his new wife an annulment, she’s going to help him close the deal he’d lost.

Jessina Landi has a three-foot radius comfort zone. The last man she let into it cost her a lot more than a broken heart. And the huge debt she owes for that trust, well, it’s due. If she takes Chase Lennox's up on his offer, it’s sure to cover the bill.

There’s an annulment waiting at the end of their rainbow… well, that’s if they can get through the next two weeks without consummating the marriage.

 

I loved the way these two met - and the circumstances that brought them back to meet again was even crazier.  Right from the beginning, Chase and Jessina battled each other - stubbornly disagreeing how to  fix their situation, and even though they argued - they still both felt the spark between them.  At times I wondered if they would ever recover from their past hurts and move on and heal.

This story was a "love at first sight" type of story which sometimes to me feels rushed, and I occasionally  wished that I could have gotten to know Jessina and Chase a little better.  Sometimes the way they acted to different situations, didn't seem to make sense for what I did know about them. 

If you like a fast paced, cute love story that will keep you wondering if these two will ever get it together and admit their true feelings toward each other - then this book is definitely for you, and you'll never imagine who the "troublemaker" really is in the story!

Finding Home by Ann Vaughn

 

Colt - he's definitely made the list of the best "book boyfriends".  He's really the whole package, caring, thoughtful, a family guy, alpha, determined - oh, and sexy as hell.  After seeing Sarah at lunch with her co-workers,  and hearing her laugh, he's hooked.  Lunch is his treat - flowers are delivered - and a returned email from Sarah to him - a date is set for that night. 

 

Sarah is wondering if she did the right thing by accepting dinner with Colt after just seeing him in the restaurant.  Sarah has lived a sheltered life, home schooled most of the time, and rarely going out in public - not to mention she hasn't really dated over the years.  She is used to keeping to herself since her adopted parents both died when she was 18.  But luckily, she decides to take the plunge and accepts Colt's dinner offer.

 

As their relationship continues - Colt learns more about Sarah's past and her adoption - and starts looking into who her birth parents are without Sarah knowing.  Sarah has been afraid to open the box that her adopted mother left for her after she died - she's not sure she wants to find out about her birth parents.  When Colt tells her what he finds in regards to her birth mother - Sarah has a fit - and kicks him out.

 

The story from here on out is filled with twists that I never even saw coming.  I really felt for Sarah as she struggled to face the reality of the life she should have had - and the one that was given to her, and that she believed in.  There were so many heart wrenching moments - I could barely put this book down, wanting to see how everything would play out.   I loved the complex storyline, and Colt and Sarah were perfect together.  Once again I have to say that I love Ann Vaughn's writing style - you will not be disappointed reading this book, a Five Star for sure!!! 

 

Long Way Home by Ann Vaughn

 

Shane McCanton and Tessa Kelly were childhood enemies. Everything was a contest to them and Tessa always seemed to show Shane that nice guys finished last. Things change, however, when hormones take over and Shane begins to see the perpetual thorn-in-his-side as more than just his childhood nemesis...

 

Tessa had never meant to set into motion events that led to their childhood rivalry, but once it started, she embraced it with gusto - until her world started to fall apart and she realized that Shane was the one constant in her life, her rock who would never leave her and help her find her Long Way Home..

I loved this story.  I loved how Shane and Tessa met in kindergarten – and she just knew he was the “one” – although his reply to their future was classic…

 

"You’re Nuts!”

 

I enjoyed the growth and changes in their relationship as they grew into teenagers – and finally discovered the feelings they had for each other.  It was always Shane for Tessa.  Even as they went their separate ways after college – they always held the love they had for each other deep in their hearts.

 

But there’s so much more involved in this book – it totally caught me off guard.  -without giving too much away of the story - some of the situations might be difficult for some people to read, but everything was handled in a careful manner.  Theirs wasn’t an all hearts and flowers relationship all the time – there were situations that happened, that were just too big to overcome – at least I believed so.

I really enjoy Ann Vaughn’s writing style.  I read her Christmas book and knew I just had to see what else she wrote – and I was in no means disappointed.  Now I’m off to read Finding Home – and can’t wait to see how this story plays out.