Innocent Target (Redemption Harbor #4) by Katie Reus

There's just something pure, something right and something refreshing about Katie Reus and her stories. What draws me to this  author is simply the trustworthiness of her characters. I am one who reads for an escape to feel deeply. I don't want to be bogged down by unnecessary drama . Katie gives you suspense, passion, romance and above all loyalty. You believe in her heroes and you feel protective of her couples. I just love her.  Innocent Target sucked me in from the first page. Axel seemed like a guy who walked a fine line between right and wrong and yet once you pulled back his layers you see him as the hero he truly is. Hadley recently became a full fledged member of a family and crew of people that would lay down their lives or take one in a heartbeat if someone or someone threatened her or one they loved. This redemption harbor crew is the epitome of what family should be. These men for sure protect and love their women like I search for in my romance. Axel fit right in and stole my heart like Hadley stole his. This was a fantastic installment into a favorite series of mine. Loyal and protective heroes are my weakness. Katie always gives me that and a riveting plot.     Grab Your Copy Today: Amazon kindle | Amazon print Barnes & Noble Nook | iBooks | Kobo

Upper Hand (Cedar Tree #5) by Freya Barker @freya_barker

Freya Barker has the unique ability to take me far way from my troubles and the craziness of my daily life. She places me in the welcoming arms of the most fabulous characters. These people of Cedar Tree are flawed, quirky and human. So many romances have characters that seem almost inhuman in their perfectness that I can't connect with them at all. After all I'm a woman who has more flaws then most and have lived through some craziness myself. So when I meet people in Freya's novels that have all those human characteristics, I feel like I'm among friends and family. I loved Beth and her emotional outbursts from the first moment she appeared in this series. She didn't mince words and she just felt so real to me. Clint cracked me up with his bumbling crassness. Poor big guy tried so hard to get through Beth's walls but every time he stuck his big foot in his mouth those walls grew higher. Then when this brave and imperfect man was brought low by the evil of the world, Beth showed her true heart. Things were rough for a while for these two lonely souls but the love grew in ways that took my breath away .   What made this story a favorite forever is that they made human mistakes.. They showed grace and forgiveness and the love they shared was real and amazing.   For every bump in the road they had each other's back. They weren't perfect but they had in the end a perfect love. Of course Freya added her unique magic of interweaving previous couples into the story with the addition of whetting appetites for future pairings. So many more people in Cedar Tree need their stories told a.s.a.p. By far this series is one of my favorites ever.   I was addicted to this story from page one and I rode the hills and valleys of highs and lows with tears in my eyes and sweet beauty in my heart. Freya one day I will give you the biggest hug for writing such human stories and bringing me to know characters I feel like I could call friends. Thank you.

Lights to My Siren (The Heroes of the Dixie Wardens MC #1) by Lani Lynn Vale @LaniLynnVale

When I have tears streaming down my face from emotions so deep that I can hardly put them into words, I know then that I’ve found a story that has touched me deeply. When I decided to give Lani Lynn Vale a chance and started this series it was because I had read the reviews of book one and saw that this was what I called a “Nic” proof book. There wouldn’t be any cheating or sex outside the hero/heroine. But what I found was so much more. This book was layered with energy that vibrated throughout. I am finding it hard to explain what I encountered in this amazing love story. Yes I’ll confess it has my favorite thing, insta-love. No the characters Sebastian and Baylee didn’t confess this love right away …it was more like lust but they were drawn to each other like nothing I’ve ever read before. I just loved though how this author took the time to bring these two together in a slow burning build of passion. They became a real couple and this story had so much more than their relationship going on. Baylee was a very strong heroine and had a very high stress job as a paramedic and also was dealing with two health disorders. Adhd and a bleeding disorder.  and I loved how Lani brought so many details of Baylee’s job and these health issues into the storyline. It didn’t detract from the romance, it was enhanced because it showed how they worked together as a couple and how they had to overcome the obstacles that we all face in real life. Real that’s the word I’ve been looking for. This book had real issues and it had things that made this love story feel authentic. I loved Sebastian so much. He was strong, loyal, protective and possessive. He didn’t mince words or try to hide his feelings. He wasn't just the VP of the MC club, no he was a firefighter who saved lives and worked hard. He just laid it out there. He wasn’t one for flowery words but showed his feelings..his actions spoke for themselves.    His past as a Marine really spoke to my heart being a mother to a US Marine myself. But when he took Baylee on a trip to visit some special friends… my heart broke. I learned something I feel ashamed to say I never knew before. Visiting the cemetery of lost heroes.. there’s a tradition. Simple coins. But profound meaning. Nickels meant that the deceased and visitor to the grave attended boot camp together. A dime meant that they served with the person in some capacity. And a quarter, like the one Sebastian had just left, meant that they were with them when they’d died. This part of the story just had me in tears and feeling so thankful for men like my son but also for the families and the loved ones left behind. So Sebastian didn’t always speak the romantic words..he was all about doing, showing and claiming.  But his actions were LOVE and it was so consuming how he loved Baylee. When this book had me gripping my kindle and holding my breath till I was dizzy..and gasping..I knew then without a doubt I’ve found an author that I have to have more of. I was totally enraptured and oh Sebastian has really taken my heart. With any MC series there is going to be the brotherhood, the foundation of the club.  This had so many interesting and intense characters that Lani took the time to make me the reader want more..right now. I want Kettle’s story and I want Sterling’s and  Trance. I haven’t looked at the next book but will be diving right in hoping it’s also safe for me. I was totally consumed by this amazing story and this author now has one girl who will be watching the name Lani Lynn Vale very carefully. Lani, I want perfect Alpha’s like Sebastian. Loyal, true and possessive. Write girl write. OH …one last thing. From a girl born and raised in Louisiana, I really really loved the setting of this book being partly in my state. Any body who loves a good loyal hero, sexy romance with suspense, passion and intrigue..along with an authentic reality type plot. Give this one a go..you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Conflagration by Tessa Teevan - @TessaTeevan

Tessa Teevan surprised me again. I was so enthralled and lost in this passionate love story. Happy and blissfully going along falling in love with these characters. I'm in just a relaxing and romantic zone. Thinking that this is going to be one of those stories that leave me smiling and dancing a sweet little dance, happy in my romantic sappy bubble.  This sweet and sexy love story started off with such romance and humor. Passionate encounters and friendly and sweet banter left me smiling so many times. The whole premise was so enticing. Two “not quite” strangers .. thrown together by a twist of fate. Chemistry that couldn’t be denied and before you know it.. two hearts that fell hard. Then out of no where things start happening that knock me completely off my stress free cloud and I’m in a puddle of tears and emotion.  Branson never claimed to be some nice guy. But he couldn't deny the strong and possessive feelings he had for the sweet and feisty Arianna. He knew he wanted her but he knew he'd mess up somehow. But while he had her..he was going to HAVE her completely. OH boy did he. I knew that Branson had a way of messing things up in his life. I knew it would come. But I just wasn’t prepared for how much he could sweep me off of my feet then break my heart and put it all back together again in one single chapter. Arianna's own words were perfect for how I felt.   It’s unnerving how easily a man like him was manipulated by the lies of others. How quickly he reverted his demeanor to his former self.  How, with the snap of a finger, the man I love disappeared. But Tessa ..she's sneaky. When I thought I'd hate him..that he had completely ruined it for me..well she just knows what to do ..to pick me up and turn me around.  This is another example of how Tessa is a master of showing that characters aren’t perfect but they are human and that redemption can be just as beautiful as the road to falling in love. I am again left in awe and at the same time in utter emotional shambles. But most of all I’m left feeling..so many things. Tessa you are one that I know will bring so many emotions out of me and I look forward to the next crazy journey you take me on.