This was another surprising great Harlequin Super Romance. A great sexy cover and back cover bl Mcsparren delivers a “knockout punch” with Bachelor Cop
This was another surprising great Harlequin Super Romance. A great sexy cover and back cover blurb are the top 2 selling points for me when trying to decide whether I buy a book or not when trying an unknown author. Bachelor Cop gets top marks on both counts. Good think I don't hold the title of the book accountable as it was the only thing I had issue with in this book (for me the title was meh - I thought this book deserved a better one).
Helena Norcross is an English College Professor, a single mom to 2 engaging kids, Milo and Vi and she's also the survivor of a vicious sexual assault. Adding insult to injury her no-good husband left her after the attack to raise their kids on her own without providing her any child support.
After 2 years of "hiding" from herself and the world, wearing baggy clothes and neglecting her appearance for the most part, Helena's decided she's not going to take it anymore. She's done being the victim and signs up for self-defence classes.
Randy Railsback is a cold case detective whose work has always been his top priority. On his off hours, he teaches self-defence classes to women. As for serious relationships - they aren't for him; he's definitely a one-night stand kinda guy.
Randy's got a cute nickname for the Helena - he calls her Streak, but not because she rammed him and knocked him on his ass (she's got a lot of pent up anger) the first night she attends his self-defence class, but because she's sporting a streak of white hair amongst her brown locks.
As Randy gets drawn in Helena's life he starts to realize that maybe work and being alone is not all it's cracked up to be. Their relationship builds slowly as Helena has to learn to trust again and let Randy into not only her life, but her children's lives.
This was an amazing satisfying read. The suspense/mystery aspect of this book was high as Helena was determined to exact revenge against her attacker and make him pay and Randy was just has determined to stop Helena from taking the law into her own hands.
Derek Severson is a firefighter to his core even though he's forsaken the job he loved after a deeply personal and tragic accident thoroughly rocked h Derek Severson is a firefighter to his core even though he's forsaken the job he loved after a deeply personal and tragic accident thoroughly rocked his world so he escaped to San Amaro Island were he's putting in time running a beach bar called the Shell Shack. Derek's a tortured soul, so torn up by his grief and loss that he's basically been existing, but certainly not living.
Macey Locke's fresh off a tour in the Peace Corp. and she's got a plan to help her BFF Derek return to the land of the living. Macey's been in love with Derek for a long time, even though she's known he never returned her feelings. It's time to see if she can't change his mind about her and make him realize that they are perfect for each other. And she's not about to take no for an answer.
Amy Knupp writes about the age old question in Playing with Fire...can life-long friends become lovers. The romance between Macey and Derek was slow to build because Derek`s built a big ole stone wall around his heart and it's going to take a determined, patient and understanding woman to break down all his barriers. Macey Locke is just the woman for the job but she's got her work cut out for her because Derek's going to be one tough nut to crack.
The last person Derek wants invading his Island hide out is Macey Locke. His childhood friend is stirring up way too many feelings and he's been quite happy all alone in the numb little existence he's created for himself. I have to give Macey credit because there were times when Derek's treatment of her was less than admirable. I'm not sure I would have stuck around as long as she did.
I loved Burnaby the dog. Nothing like a cute doggie in need to bring out the vulnerable side of a man who's forgotten how it feels to love.
Finally I loved the setting for this book. If you're looking to escape real life then San Amaro Island sounds like just the ticket. Plus a lot of the story takes place at the Shell Shack and Knupp makes it sound like a fun, great place to work. I know I wanted to visit there and sample the food.
Check out Playing with Fire and find out what it takes for these two BFF's to become lovers. ...more
There was a lot of buzz and rave reviews about this book and although I had never read Karina Bliss before and the title and cover of this book would There was a lot of buzz and rave reviews about this book and although I had never read Karina Bliss before and the title and cover of this book would not have originally inspired me to purchase this book, I did based on past success reading Harlequin Super Romances and the good reviews.
I should have known right off the bat that I wouldn’t like the character of Rachel (based solely on how she looks on the cover - much to prissy for me) and then to discover on page one she doesn’t like the color pink??? Big red flag right there that her and I weren’t going to see eye to eye since pink is my favourite color.
Prim, prissy librarian and bad boy rocker, What The Librarian Did is the perfect example of a story where opposites attract.
I loved the character of Devin, he’s the sole reason I kept reading this book and gave it a C grade. Although the story could have been clichéd (bad boy/good girl) there was much more to Devin than meets the eye.
Devin was the burnt out rocker , recovering from his own stint after rehab, returned home to New Zealand to escape the paparazzi, look after his mom who’s recovering from her own health scare and is trying to make positive changes in his life after being in the music business since he was sixteen years old. Deciding it’s time to take responsibility for his future and his finances, he enrols in a business course at the local university.
I could not connect with Rachel at all. I tried not to let the cover influence my feelings for her, but what you see - a prim, prissy uptight, vintage clothes wearing Librarian is what you get. She’s supposedly left a string of boyfriends in her wake earning her the nickname “Heartbreaker” but myself, I had no problem seeing why she was still single. I liked when Devin called her Heartbreaker, but I didn’t believe it about her for a second.
I guess I can understand how Devin was initially attracted to Rachel, since she wasn’t a groupie and in fact had no idea who he was and could have cared less. Since Devin was so used to having women throw themselves at him, I can see why Rachel’s disinterest towards him would have seemed novel and intriguing.
I think I was supposed to empathize with Rachel since she’d gone through a very trying experience when she gave up a baby for adoption as a teenage but I just didn’t. Rachel was always quick to assume the worst about Devin whether it was in his interactions with his young protégé, his actions with her, or with other women, I don’t think the rock star would have put up with her for every long in real life. There was a scene in the book where I thought maybe we were going to see another side to Rachel, when we discovered she had a mountain bike. It was just a small mention when Devin tripped over it, but it seemed so out of character to imagine Rachel even riding a bike in her buttoned up clothes, but it turned out to mean nothing and it was never mentioned again. I would have liked to seen Rachel give that bike a spin maybe it would have loosened her up.
Devin was certainly the star of What The Librarian Did in my opinion. His touching moments with his mom, his big brother/mentor relationship with Mark, his contentious relationship with this brother and his numerous attempts to break through to Rachel made this book for me. I just wished I could have warmed up more to the Librarian. She tried his patience and mine and she should be glad he stuck around long enough to uncover the Rachel buried under her prudish clothing.
I will be reading more from Bliss and in fact have Here Comes The Groom waiting on my Kindle App. ...more
This is the second book by Helen Brenna that I’ve read and I must say I am thoroughly enjoying the Mirabelle Island series with it’s idyllic island se This is the second book by Helen Brenna that I’ve read and I must say I am thoroughly enjoying the Mirabelle Island series with it’s idyllic island setting and it’s cast of small town characters with big town problems.
Missy Charms escapes to Mirabelle island to try and recover from the horrific news about the death of her FBI husband Jonas and the weight of expectations from her wealthy family. Mirabelle is the perfect refuge once Missy tweaks her real name and it becomes an island where no one knows her “name”.
Now four years later, Missy considers Mirabelle home and the last thing she expected to see on a dark and stormy night on the other side of her cottage door was a man...looking like a sleazy drug dealer, scruffy, unkempt, long dirty hair, shot and bleeding like a stuck pig all over her front stoop...what????...it can‘t be her husband...he’s supposed to be dead! Surprise!
Jonas Abel’s been undercover for four long years and now that his cover’s been blown he turns to the one and only person he can count on in his life - his wife Missy and her perfect island hide-away Mirabelle Island. He knows she’s going to be shocked and mad to “see” him but he needs somewhere to lie low, recuperate and figure how his last mission went FUBAR and killed his partner and almost killed him. Jonas has kept track of Missy over the years even though she’s changed her name and location numerous times to escape her family’s money and influence (her father is a US State Senator) but she’s never been off Jonas’s radar.
Missy and Jonas love each other no doubt about it and their relationship burned bright and hot when they first met, but Missy grew tired of always feeling like she was playing second fiddle to Jonas‘s job and had been in the process of filing for divorce when Jonas “died“. The last thing she wants now is to rekindle the love she had for her husband and get her heart broken again when he deserts her for his next big assignment. She’ll let him stay and recover, but refuses to even introduce him to her friends and new “family” on Mirabelle instead pretending that he ain’t heavy..err husband…he’s her brother. Ya that ruse didn’t last long, not with the smouldering looks these two were giving each other.
Along Came a Husband is a love story about second chances. The elements of suspense and danger involving Jonas and his FBI case really enhanced but didn’t overpower the story since it was used mainly as a vehicle to bring Jonas back into Missy’s life. I really enjoyed the emotional journey as Missy and Jonas found their way back to one another.
I have the next book by Helen Brenna in the series The Moon That Night on the TBR pile and I wish I’d had time to read it for this month’s challenge as well.
On Wednesday, for the 10th consecutive day, price of petrol and diesel as part of daily price revision and on the back of surging crude oil price which has now risen to levels above $80 per barrel, has recorded new highs. In Delhi, the price of petrol has inched higher to Rs.77.1 per litre whereas in Mumbai it nears Rs. 85.
As per the IOC website, the petrol prices were at Rs 77.17 a litre in Delhi, Rs 79.83 a litre in Kolkata, Rs 84.99 per litre in Mumbai and Rs 80.11 per litre in Chennai. The diesel prices were at Rs 68.34 a litre, Rs 70.89 a litre, Rs 72.76 a litre and Rs 72.14 a litre respectively in each of the metros.
Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said, "I have loudly spoken about concerns (about high oil prices) and appropriate steps will be taken."
In view of the surging prices which have received heavy criticism from general public, as per leading news daily report, it is likely that the government will take a final call on excise duty cut on fuel prices in the range of Rs.2 to 4 per litre in consultation with oil PSUs today.
There is also a possibility that the PMO Office may ask the Oil PSU to stop price increase altogether for fuel prices till some alternative solution is worked out.
Also the issue to bring in fuel prices under the GST net is under discussion for long to curb higher price and the same time bring in more transparency but no concrete decision has yet not been notified by the ministry.
So, undoubtedly as higher fuel prices are pinching the pocket of commoners to a great deal it now is to be seen how soon the government solves the menace that works in the interest of public at large.