Sunday, July 28, 2019

Review: Don’t Give Me Butterflies by Tara Sheets

Don’t Give Me Butterflies by Tara Sheets
Series: The Holloway Girls, Book 3
Publisher: Zebra Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance with Paranormal Elements
ISBN: 9781420146301
Release Date: July 30, 2019
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

Pine Cove Island calls to her soul…

As the Queen of Impulsive Decisions, Kat Davenport has found herself without a job or a place to live. So settling on Pine Cove Island isn’t the sanest choice—meaning it’s perfect. Like the mysterious Holloway cousins, Kat has her own unique gift. In her case, it’s a knack for communicating with animals. Which makes getting hired at the local animal shelter feel like kismet. Especially when she finds a room to rent at a nearby lavender farm—complete with a sweet landlord and her brawny grandson—a guy who happens to give Kat an all-too-familiar flutter in her stomach…

Jordan Prescott isn’t back in Pine Cove to find romance. He’s here to sell the family farm, a fact that bewilders Kat. A former foster kid, she can’t understand why he’d give up his childhood home. So when the big-hearted beauty starts bringing home strays from the shelter, Jordan is suddenly her adversary. Until their fiery disagreements turn into fiery kisses…

Now Kat is falling for a man who will likely make her homeless yet again. Unless she learns how to lend her considerable powers to taming the beast lurking inside this prince…

Don’t Give Me Butterflies is a heartwarming, fun tale of finding home. Tara Sheets’s third Holloway Girls novel has all the magic and sweetness I’ve come to expect from the series plus an extra dose of adorableness from a sizeable supporting cast of furry and feathered friends.

Kat Davenport has always been looking for somewhere she’ll belong and she thinks she might have found that place in Pine Cove Island. I loved Kat’s spirit and resilience, her quiet vulnerability and her huge heart. She has the ability to communicate with animals and she’s determined to save as many as she can. Kat is a heroine easy to love so of course I was rooting for her to get everything her heart desired. But while sparks fly immediately between Kat and Jordan Prescott, the road to happily ever after isn’t an easy one. Jordan grew up on Pine Cove Island and he can’t wait to escape and it return to his life in New York. While I can’t imagine anywhere better to be than the idyllic Pacific Northwest town, Ms. Sheets does a good job of showing why Jordan is so determined to sell his family lavender farm and leave. His childhood was anything but perfect and he’s worked long and hard to make the life he has. Though Jordan can be a bit gruff, once you get past his walls he’s got a marshmallow heart that made me melt. He and Kat make a dreamy couple. They bicker, banter, and have amazing chemistry. They made me smile over and over and I adored the mix of sweetness and sensuality in their romance.

Don’t Give Me Butterflies is the third book in the Holloway Girls series, but it can be read as a standalone. One of the things I loved the most about this book is that Kat’s friendship with Juliette and Emma Holloway is every bit as important to the story as her romance with Jordan. Like Kat, the Holloway cousins have magical abilities and I loved seeing the three of them together. There’s also a bit of a mystery thrown in here, though what it’s about I’ll leave readers to discover.

A lovely romance and great female friendships would be enough to make me enjoy Don’t Give Me Butterflies, but it’d be remiss of me to write about this book and not mention the scene-stealing animals. From the graham cracker-loving Waffles the miniature donkey to a one-eyed goat to dogs and cats and more, Kat’s magical ability and her pure love of all animals shines and adds a wealth of humor and heart to this book. I adored Don’t Give Me Butterflies from beginning to end and I cannot wait to re-read it!


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.

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Review: Archer by Debra Kayn

Archer by Debra Kayn
Series: Hard Body, Book 1
Publisher: Forever Yours
Genre: Romantic Suspense
ISBN: 9781455577101
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo

She's on the run…
Jane Beaumont currently has in her possession: a cat, a hundred grand in cash, and a pistol. She's on her way home to Bay City, Oregon-and away from the nightmare of her violent ex-boyfriend. She'll lay low at Beaumont Body Shop, a car detailer that runs a private investigation agency in the back. The only wrench in her plan is Kage Archer: sexy, strong, and intent on protecting Jane at all costs. She's wanted Kage forever, but putting him in harm's way is not a risk she's willing to take.

He's not going anywhere
Kage is no stranger to the dark side of life, but he's always walked on the right side of the law. Yet when Jane expressed her interest in him years ago, he pushed her away for her own good. Now, after learning of all she's endured, Kage can't leave her side-or hide his need for her. When a frightening situation turns dire, can Kage convince Jane that the safest place to be is in his arms?

A woman on the run from an abusive ex finds safe harbor with the man who’s always loved her in Archer. Debra Kayn’s first Hard Body story is fast-paced and energetic, but I wasn’t a hundred percent sold on the characters.

Kage Archer is a man trying to break free from his family legacy. Kage can be a bit of a domineering alpha sometimes, but I liked how hard her fought to stay on the side of good when it would be so easy to do otherwise. He’s been head over heels for Jane for years, so when she comes back home, frightened and hurt, he’ll do everything he can to help and protect her. Kage pushes Jane to become her old self, something which didn’t always sit well with me with what she had been through. As for Jane…she was the part of Archer I struggled with the most. I liked that she was able to find herself again, but man did she have quite a few TSTL moments. She and her friends jumped (or tried to) willy-nilly into dangerous situations in ways I think were supposed to be comical or fierce but really came off as juvenile at best. The romance between Jane and Kage moved quickly, but Ms. Kayn did an excellent job of showing the foundation between them. Whether it works or not considering Jane’s past is really up to reader preference.

The action of Archer is fast-paced and there are various levels of bad guys to keep the suspense going. I thought Ms. Kayn did a good job of blending the action and the danger, but since I was never really attached to the characters I wasn’t glued to the story. That’s not to say Archer is a bad book – it’s not. Jane and Kage just weren’t entirely my cup of tea so I wasn’t deeply invested in their book. That being said, I was very interested in some of the side characters and I’d love to read a book about Jane’s brother.


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, July 7, 2019

Review: How to Forgive a Highlander by Michelle McLean

How to Forgive a Highlander by Michelle McLean
Series: The MacGregor Lairds, Book 4
Publisher: Entangled: Scandalous
Genre: Historical Romance
ISBN: 9781640638365
Release Date: July 8, 2019
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Entangled

William MacGregor will lie, spy, and happily die to protect his clan from their greatest enemy. But when he kidnaps the wrong woman, he triggers the very events he’d been working so hard to prevent. And puts everyone in danger.

Rose Thatcher will do anything to protect her lady and return them both safely to English soil. But the damn Highlander who snatched her off the docks has done nothing but get in her way. She’d love to ditch the bastard, but if they want to save their respective loved ones, they are going to have to stay together.

Somewhere along the grueling journey to Scotland, their constant bickering turns into something more. Something worth fighting for. But how can an English lady’s maid, who longs for the safe, comfortable life she had in London, find love with a Highlander who can’t wait to wipe England’s dust off his feet? If they can’t defeat the enemy they accidentally led home, they might not live long enough to find out.

Escape to the Highlands with How to Forgive a Highlander. Michelle McLean’s fourth MacGregor Lairds book is fast-paced, engaging, and easy to enjoy thanks to its charming protagonists.

Will is a hero on a mission. Not just to protect his clan from the villainous Fergus Ramsay, but to prove himself to his loved ones. Will’s eagerness to prove himself sometimes causes him to make mistakes (kidnapping Rose because he thinks she’s a spy, for example), but his heart’s in the right place so it’s easy to see why Rose forgives him. As for Rose, I defy you not to adore her like I did. She’s lady’s maid who is loyal, protective, resourceful, and brave. When her life is turned upside-down and she finds herself in a dangerous situation with only a virtual stranger she can trust, Rose doesn’t quail. She’s not invincible, but she is quick and strong and I was eager to see how she and Will would work together to save their loved ones.

A fair amount of How to Forgive a Highlander takes place on the road, which allows for Will and Rose’s romance to develop organically. I enjoyed watching them bicker then fall for one another. They are a couple who simply fit and though the romance was somewhat understated, it was still satisfying.

How to Forgive a Highlander is the fourth book in the MacGregor Lairds series, and if you don’t mind major spoilers from previous books then it can be read as a standalone. This story does wrap up the series nicely and I’m glad we got to see Will and Rose get their happily ever after. However, if you’ve read the previous book, How to Blackmail a Highlander, then you know the outcome of a good portion of the events in this book, which means the stakes aren’t as high. Still, I enjoyed Rose and Will’s story. It has a sweet romance, likeable characters, and Ms. McLean’s writing swept me away for an enjoyable ride.


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.