Review: Merry Christmas, Baby by Jill Shalvis

Merry Christmas, Baby by Jill Shalvis
Series: Lucky Harbor, Book 12.5
Publisher: Forever Yours
Genre: Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9781455531561
Release Date: December 2, 2014
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N
Jill Shalvis Reading Order

Wild child Chloe Thompson can’t believe how much things have changed. She still can’t get enough of her sexy husband Sawyer, but he seems to prefer working to thinking about impending fatherhood. So tonight, a very pregnant Chloe is escaping her troubles at the town Christmas party.

Sheriff Sawyer Thompson hopes surprising Chloe at the party will give him a chance to set things right. But as the snow begins to fall and the wind rages, he wonders whether he can make it back in time. While mother nature conspires to keep Sawyer and Chloe apart, an unexpected arrival will require them to kiss and make up . . . and ring in the happiest holiday Lucky Harbor has ever seen.

My idea of a great holiday romance is a story that touches your heart while being festive and fun. Merry Christmas, Baby is all that and more. Jill Shalvis gives readers a peek of what happens after happily ever after for one of her most beloved Lucky Harbor couples, Sawyer and Chloe. The two of them are still deeply in love, but with a baby on the way and some deep-seated insecurities causing worry, everything’s not sunshine and rainbows. I absolutely loved seeing how Chloe and Sawyer have grown both individually and as a couple of the years, and I was rooting for them to work out their troubles in time for the holidays. There’s a wealth of emotion in Merry Christmas, Baby and I devoured every last word.

With the incredible Lucky Harbor series now at an end, Merry Christmas, Baby is like an extended epilogue that is sure to please any fan of the series. Many beloved characters appear throughout the story and it was particularly delightful to visit the three couples that started it all. If you haven’t read the Lucky Harbor series or have only read some of the books, never fear – Merry Christmas, Baby can be read as a standalone. That being said, I believe it’s more enjoyable if you’ve read Head Over Heels, the book where Chloe and Sawyer fell in love.

It’s no secret that I absolutely love the Lucky Harbor series, but standing on its own Merry Christmas, Baby is still a story I would recommend to any romance lover looking for a cozy short that’ll leave them smiling. Ms. Shalvis knows how to bring humor and heart to any tale, and Merry Christmas, Baby is no exception.


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Review: Private Acts by Delaney Diamond

Private Acts by Delaney Diamond
Series: Hot Latin Men, Book 3
Publisher: Delaney Diamond
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: Publisher
Blue Ribbon Rating: 3 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link

While working in Ecuador, Samirah Jamison has vowed to stay focused, meaning no men allowed. But temptation has never been as hard to resist as when it is in the form of hard-bodied artist Miguel Delgado…especially when the sexy-as-sin sculptor seems determined to pursue Samirah at every turn. What harm can there be in a little fling? Plenty, Samirah fears, if her heart becomes involved.

Author Delaney Diamond turns up the heat in PRIVATE ACTS. I definitely added Cuenca, Ecuador to my list of places I want to visit after reading this book. As for the story’s protagonists, Samirah has a bright, open personality that draws people to her, readers included. It’s easy to see why Miguel falls hard and fast for her. It’s equally easy to see why Miguel, with his talented hands, makes Samirah want to break her personal “no men” rule. The sexual tension that brews between them makes the first part of PRIVATE ACTS a lot of fun. That being said, I did have a bit of a problem with Miguel’s attitude change approximately halfway through the story. He goes from being dominant to being all-out overbearing when it comes to Samirah, particularly when he’s determined to “teach her a lesson.” For me, a major chunk of his sex appeal disappeared when Miguel became too controlling. That being said, Ms. Diamond does a pretty good job of redeeming him at the end of PRIVATE ACTS. There’s a scene in the last chapter that definitely went a long way in making me like Miguel again.

PRIVATE ACTS is the third HOT LATIN MEN book, but not having read THE ARRANGEMENT or FIGHT FOR LOVE, I can safely say that PRIVATE ACTS reads well as a standalone. I was intrigued, however, by the teasing hints Ms. Diamond gave regarding Samirah’s sister and brother-in-law’s story, FIGHT FOR LOVE. Given that I liked PRIVATE ACTS overall, I’ll most likely be checking out the other HOT LATIN MEN books.


Note: My review was written for Romance Junkies and is cross-posted here with permission from Romance Junkies.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Review: By Mutual Desire by Dalton Diaz

By Mutual Desire by Dalton Diaz
Publisher: Ellora's Cave
Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9781419941207
Source: Publisher
Blue Ribbon Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link

Kelly and Ryan have been married for ten years, but though they love one another, Kelly’s afraid that Ryan’s refusal to deal with old wounds will eventually tear them apart. When they’re selected to take part in a sex therapy study for married couples, Kelly and Ryan jump at the chance to journey to a tropical paradise where all their fantasies can come true. Can this sexual adventure make their marriage stronger? Or will it tear them apart when Ryan is forced to face the ghosts of his past?

BY MUTUAL DESIRE is a unique erotic romance. Author Dalton Diaz delivers scorching hot erotic scenarios that’ll make you want to turn on the air conditioning even in winter. However, it’s the premise and the emotional components of BY MUTUAL DESIRE that set the story apart.

I was intrigued by the sex therapy study because it focused on couples who’ve been married or committed for ten years or more. There’s a solid foundation to Kelly and Ryan’s marriage, as well as in the relationships of the friends they make. The couples’ time on the island isn’t simply about exploring kinks, but rather strengthening marriages and teaching the couples how to communicate more effectively. In BY MUTUAL DESIRE, Kelly and Ryan lay themselves bare not only physically, but emotionally. There are some heart-wrenching emotional moments in BY MUTUAL DESIRE when deep-buried pain is unearthed and the way Ryan and Kelly face those situations both as individuals and as a couple made their story memorable.

Kelly and Ryan’s story is sexy, kinky, heartbreaking and romantic. BY MUTUAL DESIRE is the first story of Dalton Diaz’s I’ve read, but it definitely won’t be the last!


Reader Advisory: This book contains voyeurism, m/m, group sex and BDSM.

Note: My review was written for Romance Junkies and is cross-posted here with permission from Romance Junkies.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Review: Since You've Been Gone by Elle Kennedy

Since You've Been Gone by Elle Kennedy
Series: Welcome to Paradise, Book 4
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9781619214750
Source: Publisher
Blue Ribbon Rating: 4 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link
Elle Kennedy Reading Order

For the past year, Austin Bishop has been trying to avoid his family…and the secret he can’t bear to face. He knows he has to go home to Paradise eventually, but that doesn’t mean the young photojournalist is going to rush to get there. When an assignment comes along to photograph small town Main Streets, he grabs at the excuse to take even longer to come home. Then fate throws a curveball at him in the form of a sexy, stranded redhead. Mari Smith is an out-of-work teacher whose car just died on her in the middle of nowhere. Playing knight to Mari’s damsel-in-distress seems like a good distraction for Austin at first, but it’s not long before their new friendship turns into something more. Mari soothes him in a way no one else ever has, and he’ll need her comforting presence if he’s to face what waits for him at the end of his trip.

The youngest Bishop brother meets his match in the fast-paced, fun and emotional SINCE YOU’VE BEEN GONE. I’ve adored every Bishop brother book in the WELCOME TO PARADISE series and Austin’s is no exception.

Austin had his world turned upside down a year ago when he uncovered a family secret, and it’s been eating at him ever since. He’s always been close to his family, but now he feels like an outsider and he doesn’t take it well. Strangely enough, one of my favorite things about SINCE YOU’VE BEEN GONE is that Austin doesn’t handle his altered view of his family well. Author Elle Kennedy does an excellent job of making Austin a realistic character, and there are plenty of ups and downs for the whole Bishop family as Austin struggles to cope with what he knows. Mari is the catalyst for Austin’s change for the better, and I loved her for it. In fact, there’s pretty much nothing not to love about Mari. Her exuberance and zest for life is infectious, leaping off the page and bringing sunshine to the story. Her relationship with Austin is sexy as hell – as one might expect from an Elle Kennedy book – but more than that, Mari and Austin are simply a great fit. I loved watching these two swiftly fall in love.

SINCE YOU’VE BEEN GONE is the fourth book in the WELCOME TO PARADISE series, but it can easily be read as a standalone. Of course, all your favorite heroes and heroines are back from WELCOME TO PARADISE, TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT and BORN TO BE WILD, and it was lovely to see the whole Bishop family together. Whether you’re an old fan of this series or are just diving in with Austin and Mari’s book, you’re sure to adore SINCE YOU’VE BEEN GONE.


Note: My review was written for Romance Junkies and is cross-posted here with permission from Romance Junkies.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Waiting on Wednesday: The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy by Julia Quinn

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine which spotlights eagerly anticipated upcoming releases!

I fell in love with Julia Quinn's writing many years ago (seriously, if you haven't read her Bridgerton series...do so ASAP. Run, don't walk ;)). JQ is still one of my absolute favorite authors and I can't wait for her final Smythe-Smith book. I'm sure it will be as funny and entertaining as all her stories.

Title: The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy
Series: Smythe-Smith Quartet, Book 4
Author: Julia Quinn
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: January 27, 2015
Julia Quinn Reading Order

Book Description (from Julia Quinn's website):
Sir Richard Kenworthy has less than a month to find a bride. He knows he can't be too picky, but when he sees Iris Smythe-Smith hiding behind her cello at her family's infamous musicale, he thinks he might have struck gold. She's the type of girl you don't notice until the second—or third—look, but there's something about her, something simmering under the surface, and he knows she's the one.

Iris Smythe–Smith is used to being underestimated. With her pale hair and quiet, sly wit she tends to blend into the background, and she likes it that way. So when Richard Kenworthy demands an introduction, she is suspicious. He flirts, he charms, he gives every impression of a man falling in love, but she can't quite believe it's all true. When his proposal of marriage turns into a compromising position that forces the issue, she can't help thinking that he's hiding something . . . even as her heart tells her to say yes.

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Review: Getting Lucky by Susan Andersen

Getting Lucky by Susan Andersen
Series: Marine, Book 2
Publisher: Avon
Genre: Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9780380819188
Source: Publisher
Blue Ribbon Rating: 3 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link

Lily Morrisette’s first thought upon meeting her roommate Glynnis’s brother? That he’s sexy as sin. Her second thought? That he’s a jerk. But as frustrating as she finds Zachariah Taylor, Lily’s not about to let the overprotective Marine ruin his baby sister’s trip to meet her fiancé’s parents. So when Zach jumps in the car, Lily goes along for the ride. Their road trip allows Lily to see beneath Zach’s rough exterior, but just as she starts to fall for him, they learn that Glynnis has been kidnapped. The ransom note is only the beginning of Lily and Zach’s troubles. Their budding romance might not have a chance to survive the hornet’s nest of secrets, lies and schemes they’ve just stepped into.

GETTING LUCKY is an entertaining story to curl up with on a rainy afternoon. This second book in author Susan Andersen’s MARINE series features some interesting characters and a fairly engaging puzzle for the protagonists to figure out. Lily is a girly-girl who gets more than she bargained for on this road trip with Zach. While she does a few things over the book which leave me scratching my head, overall Lily’s a likeable heroine. Zach isn’t quite as charming — to be honest, he was flat-out unlikeable for the first half of the book — but Ms. Andersen had me warming up to this sexy Marine by the time GETTING LUCKY ended.

Zach and Lily have good chemistry, but I’m not sure I was as invested in their romance as I wanted to be. A hero and heroine who frequently lock horns just aren’t my cup of tea, so that may be where my lack of enthusiasm stems from. The character that really hooked me into GETTING LUCKY was Jessica, the cousin of Glynnis’s fiancé. Jessica is a wallflower who — with help from Lily — comes into her own and watching her growth and her relationship with her husband were the high points of GETTING LUCKY. I could have read a whole book about Jessica; she was just that endearing.

A dash of suspense comes not from the kidnapping plot but from another storyline involving a Colombian with a grudge against Zach. This thread of the story was actually the weakest link of GETTING LUCKY and I felt like the book would have been stronger without that plotline. All the same, I enjoyed GETTING LUCKY and I’m interested in reading Ms. Andersen’s other MARINE books.


Note: My review was written for Romance Junkies and is cross-posted here with permission from Romance Junkies.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Review: Retribution by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Retribution by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Series: Dark-Hunters, Book 20
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Genre: Paranormal Romance
ISBN: 9780312546595
Source: Publisher
Blue Ribbon Rating: 4 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link
Sherrilyn Kenyon Reading Order

William Jessup “Sundown” Brady was a notorious gunslinger in the nineteenth century…until the day he was murdered by his best friend. He was brought back to life as a Dark-Hunter by Artemis, and it’s his job to protect mankind from soul-sucking Daimons. Now it’s the twenty-first century, and Jess is tasked with a special assignment; eliminate the monster that’s assassinating Dark-Hunters. Jess is ready and willing to protect his brethren, but he gets a hell of a shock when he comes face-to-face with the killer.

Abigail Yager is a human who was raised by the Dark-Hunters’ enemies after her parents were slaughtered. She’s out for one thing; the blood of Dark-Hunters and Jess Brady’s in particular. When she’s thrown into Jess’s path, however, Abigail finds that he’s not the monster she thought him to be. She also starts to question her belief that Jess is the one that murdered her parents. Caught between opposing supernatural species, Abigail must learn the truth and outwit a darker power that’s out to destroy them all.

Pantheons collide in the fast-paced RETRIBUTION. Author Sherrilyn Kenyon adds a fictionalized version of Native American beliefs and legends to her DARK-HUNTER series in RETRIBUTION and for the most part, it works. I love that Ms. Kenyon takes readers out west where Dark-Hunters and Guardians will have to defeat some very powerful evil before Time Untime – Ms. Kenyon’s version of a Cherokee twenty-twelve prophesy. It’s a change from the other plotlines running through the series and though Time Untime doesn’t fit seamlessly with the other overarching storylines, it’s interesting enough that I didn’t mind it while reading RETRIBUTION.

As for the characters, well, I’ve been waiting a long time for Sundown’s book and thankfully, his heroine is everything I’d hoped she would be. Abigail may be narrow-minded at first, but she’s been essentially brainwashed since coming to live with her adopted family when she was a traumatized child. Once she falls in with the Dark-Hunters, Abigail’s strength shines. Jess, in turn, is a little more tame than the first time we met him in DANCE WITH THE DEVIL, but nevertheless, he’s every bit the hero I knew he would be. It was wonderful to watch these two fall in love, even though it wasn’t easy by any stretch of the imagination.

Ms. Kenyon has delivered another solid DARK-HUNTER novel that fans, both old and new, of the series will likely enjoy. I finished RETRIBUTION a well-satisfied reader, and I cannot wait to continue with the Time Untime legend in Ren’s book, TIME UNTIME.


Note: My review was written for Romance Junkies and is cross-posted here with permission from Romance Junkies.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Review: Far Too Human by Anitra Lynn McLeod

Far Too Human by Anitra Lynn McLeod
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Genre: Male/Male Steampunk Romance
ISBN: 9781609287641
Source: Publisher
Blue Ribbon Rating: 3 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link

Jonathan P. Quiverbottom lives a solitary life, and he’s happy that way…for the most part. The straight-laced inventor hates to have anything interrupt his neat, orderly existence. But when he rents a man-of-all-work bot from a factory, determined to discover how the creations are made, Jonathan’s well-ordered existence comes tumbling down around him. For the bot has the face and body of a man Jonathan once knew - most intimately.

Marcus cannot remember how he became a man-of-all-work bot, but he does have vague flashes of his life as a con man. And he very clearly remembers his one meeting with Jonathan. Lust sparks instantly between the two men, but how can they have a future with one another when society forbids it?

Author Anitra Lynn McLeod puts the “steam” in steampunk with the red-hot FAR TOO HUMAN. Jonathan is delightfully fussy in a way that may drive most people of his acquaintance away but was endearing to me, the reader. Marcus, in turn, presented an engaging mystery. He was a con man but is now a man-of-all-work bot…or is he? The questions Jonathan has about Marcus’s appearance on his doorstep are made all the more interesting by the fact that Marcus himself is in the dark about why he, in particular, was chosen to fulfill Jonathan’s order.

The title FAR TOO HUMAN references Marcus’s humanity, which has not been diminished by his enhancements. And another thing that hasn’t been diminished…his ability to drive Jonathan mad with lust. I liked the dynamic between Jonathan and Marcus. Marcus definitely took sexual control, but Jonathan was the more dominant party in intellectual pursuits. The pair fit one another, and though they did tend to get a little too effusive at times for my taste – the talk during the sex scenes bordered on purple prose - I cared enough about them as a couple to be invested in FAR TOO HUMAN. All in all, FAR TOO HUMAN was a charming story with heroes whose quirks were quite endearing.


Note: My review was written for Romance Junkies and is cross-posted here with permission from Romance Junkies.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Waiting on Wednesday: One Song Away by Molli Moran

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine which spotlights eagerly anticipated upcoming releases!

Confession time: Molli is a friend of mine, so I may be slightly biased. That being said, One Song Away sounds sweet and utterly charming - even if I didn't know the author this would be on my "to buy" list, which is why it's my WOW pick this week :)

Title: One Song Away
Author: Molli Moran
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Release Date: December 1, 2014

Book Description (from Goodreads):

She needs a fill-in boyfriend. He needs a favor. It’s the perfect, no-strings arrangement until they both realize it’s too real…

Sophie-Claire Wright’s life is like a bad country song on repeat. She keeps running into her cheating ex, her songwriting career isn't taking off, and her roommate just kicked her out of their apartment. With nothing to lose, she decides to do the one thing she said she’d never do: she moves back home. She left her small Southern town with big dreams, but now she’s going home with empty pockets.

Life moves at a slower pace in Sophie’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it hometown, but her well-meaning, matchmaking mama doesn't have a slow gear. Sophie invents a boyfriend to hold off her mother’s efforts, but she’s out of luck when her mom wants to meet him. Sophie panics until she runs into Jake Cooper. Her high school crush (and former best friend) is back in town, too, and when he asks her for a favor, she agrees...on one condition. He says he’ll be her fill-in boyfriend, so it should be simple: re-introduce him to her family and then “break up” with him after a few weeks.

Sophie is sure she’ll be able to resist Jake this time. Sure, she was in love with him years ago, but that was then. This is now, no matter how great he looks, or how she feels around him. But she didn't bargain for moments that feel all too genuine. Dates that don’t seem fake. Kisses that leave her shaken and wanting more. Sweet moments where she forgets they aren't really dating. And she didn't count on old feelings resurfacing and complicating their arrangement—which is starting to feel less like acting and more like the real deal.

Soon, Sophie can’t tell which kisses are real or fake, but she knows she’s in deep...and she thinks Jake is, too. When she gets a chance to go back to Nashville and chase her dreams again, she has a choice to make: stay or go? Continue hoping that the life she wants is one song away, or finally write her own song?

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Monday in Review

It’s update time again :)

Below are the newest reviews I’ve written here on Wit and Sin. The master list and categorical lists on the right-hand side are updated as well.

Reviews for upcoming releases:
- Make You Remember (Dumont Bachelors, Book 2) by Macy Beckett (available 11/4/14)
- Midnight Action (Killer Instincts, Book 5) by Elle Kennedy (available 11/4/14)

All other new reviews:
- He’s No Prince Charming (Ever After, Book 1) by Elle Daniels
- One in a Million (Lucky Harbor, Book 12) by Jill Shalvis

Upcoming reviews:
- Burn for Me (Hidden Legacy, Book 1) by Ilona Andrews
- Skies of Steel (The Ether Chronicles, Book 3) by Zoë Archer
- The Seduction of Elliot McBride (Mackenzies & McBrides, Book 5) by Jennifer Ashley
- The Wicked Deeds of Daniel Mackenzie (Mackenzies & McBrides, Book 6) by Jennifer Ashley
- Scandal and the Duchess (Mackenzies & McBrides, Book 6.5) by Jennifer Ashley
- Wild Man (Dream Man, Book 2) by Kristen Ashley
- Down for the Count (Dare Me, Book 1) by Christine Bell
- Down and Dirty (Dare Me, Book 2) by Christine Bell
- The Professional: Part 2 by Kresley Cole
- The Professional: Part 3 by Kresley Cole
- How to Ravish a Rake (How to Series, Book 3) by Vicky Dreiling
- Soul Weaver by Hailey Edwards
- Some Like It Hot (Rising Star Chef, Book 2) by Louisa Edwards
- Hot Under Pressure (Rising Star Chef, Book 3) by Louisa Edwards
- A Beginner’s Guide to Rakes by Suzanne Enoch
- Cowboy Take Me Away (Rainbow Valley, Book 1) by Jane Graves
- His Game, Her Rules by Charlene Groome
- Trouble at the Wedding (Abandoned at the Altar, Book 3) by Laura Lee Guhrke
- Captured (Fallen Siren, Book 0.5) by S.J. Harper
- Reckoning (Fallen Siren, Book 2) by S.J. Harper
- One Taste of Scandal (Redcakes, Book 2) by Heather Hiestand
- Darling Beast (Maiden Lane, Book 7) by Elizabeth Hoyt
- Beauty Bites (Biting Love, Book 6) by Mary Hughes
- Revenant (Demonica, Book 11) by Larissa Ione
- The Volatile Amazon (Alliance of the Amazons, Book 4) by Sandy James
- Breathe (In Vino Veritas, Book 2) by Lauren Jameson
- Linger (In Vino Veritas, Book 3) by Lauren Jameson
- When the Rogue Returns (The Duke’s Men, Book 2) by Sabrina Jeffries
- How the Scoundrel Seduces (The Duke’s Men, Book 3) by Sabrina Jeffries
- Alias Hook by Lisa Jensen
- The Sweetheart Secret (Sweetheart Sisters, Book 3) by Shirley Jump
- Archer (Hard Body, Book 1) by Debra Kayn
- Before You Break (Between Breaths, Book 2) by Christina Lee
- Caught Up in You (Loving on the Edge, Book 4) by Roni Loren
- Sweet Harmony (Cricket Creek, Book 7) by LuAnn McLane
- Kiss of Steel (London Steampunk, Book 1) by Bec McMaster
- All Fired Up (Hot in the Kitchen, Book 2) by Kate Meader
- Keeping Secrets in Seattle by Brooke Moss
- Blood Persuasion (Immortal Jane Austen, Book 2) by Janet Mullany
- While You Were Writing (Watkins Pond, Book 2) by Virginia Nelson
- Raw Desire by Kate Pearce
- Soul Sucker by Kate Pearce
- The Fifth Favor by Shelby Reed
- Laugh (Burnside, Book 2) by Mary Ann Rivers
- Festive in Death (In Death, Book 39) by J.D. Robb
- Dark Witch (The Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy, Book 1) by Nora Roberts
- Nights of Steel (The Ether Chronicles, Book 4) by Nico Rosso
- Secrets of a Gentleman Escort by Bronwyn Scott
- Merry Christmas, Baby (Lucky Harbor, Book 12.5) by Jill Shalvis
- Archangel’s Legion (Guild Hunter, Book 6) by Nalini Singh
- Archangel’s Shadows (Guild Hunter, Book 7) by Nalini Singh
- Rock Addiction (Rock Kiss, Book 1) by Nalini Singh
- Primal Law (Alpha Pack, Book 1) by J.D. Tyler
- Easy by Tammara Webber
- Takeover by Anna Zabo

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Review: Make You Remember by Macy Beckett

Make You Remember by Macy Beckett
Series: Dumont Bachelors, Book 2
Publisher: Signet
Genre: Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9780451465344
Release Date: November 4, 2014
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

He’s about to make his own luck.

Ten years ago, Beau Dumont made the biggest mistake of his life by letting his high school sweetheart, Devyn Mauvais, slip through his fingers. Now the reformed bad boy will stop at nothing to get her back. Even if it means tricking her into taking a job on his family’s riverboat, the Belle of the Bayou.

When Devyn’s old flame offers her a stint at the boat’s day-care center, she sees it as a chance to prove she isn’t just the descendant of Louisiana’s most infamous voodoo queen. Besides, it beats leading ghost tours around New Orleans. Yet when it comes to Beau, Devyn’s all business. She won’t give the sweet-talking playboy another chance to break her heart.

Heartbreak, a family curse, and a second chance with a first love all blend together to make an irresistible story in Make You Remember. Macy Beckett’s second Dumont Bachelors novel is fast-paced, sexy, and filled with characters you have to adore.

Devyn Mauvais’s life went off track when Beau Dumont left her all those years ago and she’s never quite gotten herself back on even footing. She’s shut the door so firmly on her past that she actually makes it harder for herself to move forward and it’s caused her to become a bit sharp with people. One of the joys of Make You Remember is watching Devyn come alive as she finds herself again. Her passion for teaching – and for Beau – make her see that she needs to take a chance and work for the life she wants rather than spin her wheels. I loved seeing the changes in Devyn over the course of the story and I cheered her on as she risks disappointment going for what she wants.

As for Beau, the eldest Dumont brother has an easy charm and talented hands. He knows he screwed up badly when he left Devyn, but that doesn’t mean he won’t grab at the second chance he has with her. I loved that Beau owned his mistakes and stood up for the man he has worked to become. He’s the perfect match for Devyn, and when the sexual tension between them boils over the pages of Make You Remember steam up like you wouldn’t believe. Their love story was solidly entertaining, but I did feel that it wasn’t quite as powerful as it could have been. Beau and Devyn’s romance is based on the fact that they fell in love when they were young and are now getting their second chance. However, we don’t really get to see much of their shared past; only the important details are mentioned in the story and we miss seeing much of how they first fell in love. By not seeing that foundation, I was left wanting a little bit even though the love story built on said foundation was enjoyable.

Make You Remember is the second full-length book in the Dumont Bachelors series, but it can be read as a standalone. Beau’s brothers and Devyn’s sister all play important supporting roles in the book, and having fallen in love with all of them in Make You Mine, I was thrilled to revisit the Dumont and Mauvais families. Like most of his brothers, Beau is still cursed never to make it down the aisle, and though the curse was less important to this story than it was to the first, it was still an obstacle I enjoyed watching Devyn and Beau overcome. I finished Make You Remember a well-satisfied reader, though I’m on tenterhooks waiting for Alex and Ella-Claire’s story. Ms. Beckett, please don’t make readers wait long for more of these sinfully sexy Dumont brothers!


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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