Showing posts with label Christina Lee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christina Lee. Show all posts

Monday, May 4, 2015

Review: Two of Hearts by Christina Lee

Two of Hearts by Christina Lee
Publisher: Signet Eclipse
Genre: Contemporary Romance Two of Hearts Cover
ISBN: 9780451473257
Release Date: May 5, 2015
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N
Christina Lee Reading Order

Dakota Nakos was always the resilient, strong-willed achiever. But when her father dies and she’s entrusted with the family’s casino, she feels vulnerable, scared, and more than a little emotional – not exactly the best time to see an old lover she’s never really gotten over.

Dakota once meant the world to Shane Garrity. Then suddenly he left town to train as a U.S. Marshal, and their love for each other crashed into a memory. Now he’s come home for her father’s funeral, and one look at the girl he left behind stirs up both memories and regrets, and reignites a fire he feared he'd lost forever.

Dakota may be the same driven girl she always was, but she's also changed in ways neither could have anticipated. She’s not just a young woman searching for own identity in the Native American community in which she was raised, but one questioning her new life outside her father’s shadow. Above all she wonders if Shane can push past her weakened defenses to rekindle what they once had, or whether the intense blaze between them will ultimately reduce her heart to ashes.

Two of Hearts is an engaging story of finding and fighting for home, wrapped up in a passionate reunion romance. Dakota and Shane have sizzling chemistry and author Christina Lee delivers incredibly hot scenes in Two of Hearts. On its own, this could make the book a highly entertaining read. But it’s the way Dakota and Shane are as individuals and how that plays into their rekindled romance that makes their story shine.

Shane is a strong, protective hero who’s nearly at the end of his rope with his job as a U.S. Marshal. I loved that Shane was not only over the moon about Dakota, but also isn’t afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve. He’s open about what he feels for her, his need to protect her and her family, and damn if that isn’t sexy. Shane is a wonderfully self-aware, genuinely kind and giving hero. Dakota is as drawn to Shane as he is to her, but she’s also got a hell of a lot on her plate. Dakota’s a smart, determined woman fighting for her legacy in the wake of her father’s death. Though her mother is Dutch, Dakota has always identified as Native American and is now feeling a bit lost in her own community. Since her father’s murder and her mother’s inheritance of their family’s casino, some people have – whether out of fear, distrust, or because of the manipulation of others – started making Dakota feel like an outsider. One of my favorite things about Two of Hearts is watching Dakota find her voice in the Native American community. Ms. Lee’s research dedication to showing the beauty of Native American culture and the struggles the Nation faces shows and I really loved the care she took in weaving this throughout the book.

Though Dakota and Shane are undeniably the heart of Two of Hearts, Ms. Lee gives depth and attention to a dynamic supporting cast. I absolutely loved Shane’s fellow Marshals, Charlie and Alex, and I have my fingers crossed in the hopes that one or both of them will get a book. It’d also be remiss of me not to mention Dakota’s brother and sister-in-law, Kai and Rachel. Kai and Rachel are the two characters whose clear love for one another brought a smile to my face every time they were on the page. Of course, this isn’t surprising since they happen to be the hero and heroine of Whisper to Me, part of Ms. Lee’s Between Breaths series. Two of Hearts isn’t part of the Between Breaths series, nor is it a New Adult book like Whisper to Me. Dakota and Shane’s book takes place a years after Kai and Rachel’s story, and I’m sure fans of Whisper to Me will love seeing Kai and Rachel a few years into their marriage.

Between Dakota and Shane’s steamy romance, the wonderful supporting characters, and the attention given to Dakota’s heritage, there’s a lot to love about Two of Hearts. Add in a dash of suspense revolving around the murder of Dakota’s father and it’s easy to see how a reader can get swept up in this book. I loved Two of Hearts and I hope Ms. Lee continues to write more compelling adult contemporary romances.


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.

Sunday, May 3, 2015

Christina Lee Book Order

Click on series title to jump to a particular reading order:

Between Breaths
Stand Alones


Between Breaths

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

1. All of You
Bennett and Avery
My Review

2. Before You Break
Quinn and Ella

3. Whisper to Me
Kai and Rachel

4. Promise Me
Nate and Jessie

5. There You Stand
Cory and Jude

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Stand Alones


Two of Hearts
Shane and Dakota
Genre: Contemporary Romance
My Review

"Beneath Your Layers" (in the When We Met anthology)
Blake and Chloe
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

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Please note: This page was written by me, so as always, please visit the author’s website for up-to-date, author-verified information as well as for information books that have not yet been included to this list.

http://www.write-brained.com/

Friday, June 20, 2014

Review: All of You by Christina Lee

All of You by Christina Lee
Series: Between Breaths, Book 1
Publisher: NAL Trade
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance All of You Cover
ISBN: 9780451469779
Paperback Release Date: July 1, 2014
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N
Christina Lee Reading Order

Nursing student Avery Michaels wants nothing to do with dating—she’s perfectly happy single. Privy to too many of her mother’s bad decisions and even worse taste in boyfriends, Avery can only handle a string of uncomplicated hookups whenever the mood strikes.

When she meets smoking-hot tattoo artist Bennett, she wants him—for just one night. But he won’t accept a no-strings-attached arrangement. He lives by a straitlaced code of values based on his own troubled upbringing.

Bennett sees something special in Avery, and he wants more from her. Way more. As Avery wrestles with her emotions for Bennett, danger and tragedy force them to open up to each other. And Avery must face the terrifying realization that she wants more from him too.

So she needs to make a choice: Let Bennett go or finally let him in.

If I had to describe All of You in five words, I’d choose honest, emotional, sexy, gripping, and rewarding. Christina Lee’s first Between Breaths story is simply fantastic and I practically devoured it in one sitting, thanks to the book’s captivating main characters.

Avery is a tough, independent heroine who’d like to think she has all the answers but truly doesn’t. She’s a compelling mix of strength and vulnerability, and a lot of that is a result of her upbringing. Avery’s mother is a mess (to put it kindly), and her horrible taste in men has left Avery scarred. Avery’s a survivor, but though she has no problem with casual flings, she’s scared of giving up control, of opening her heart to others. Because of this, she doesn’t know what to do when she meets Bennett, a man who’s nothing like anyone she’s ever met. Bennett is a to-die-for hero. He’s a gorgeous, tattooed virgin who has sensual appeal in spades, but what really captured me is his generous heart. Like Avery, Bennett didn’t have the best experience growing up and he’s had to be both brother and parent to his siblings for much of his life. He gives all of himself to those he cares about, but he doesn’t let anyone walk all over him. He’s the perfect match for Avery – strong and sexy, but also patient and kind.

The chemistry Avery and Bennett have is electric, making the pages of All of You fly by. The road to happiness is not only filled with ups and downs, but sexual tension that is just plain hot. Bennett may be attracted to Avery, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to fall into bed with her. He wants more than just sex, he wants…well…all of Avery. He’s the catalyst for Avery coming into her own and it was truly beautiful to watch how each of them grows over the course of All of You. Their journey was a mix of sensuality and raw emotion, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

All of You is a wonderfully addictive story that will keep you reading late into the night. Christina Lee has a unique voice and a talent for penning honest, endearing characters. I loved All of You and I can’t wait to read the next Between Breaths book, Before You Break.


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.