Unfixable by Tessa Bailey

Prepare yourselves ladies and gents, we’ve got a saucy Irish brogue happening in this one. Try not to pass out from the infatuation!

What’s it About?

Willa Peet isn’t interested in love. She’s been there, done that, and has the shattered heart to prove it. Ready to shake the breakup, she heads to Dublin, Ireland. But there’s a problem. A dark-haired, blue-eyed problem with a bad attitude that rivals her own. And he’s not doling out friendly Irish welcomes.

Shane Claymore just wants to race. The death of his father forced him off the Formula One circuit, but he’s only staying in Dublin long enough to sell the Claymore Inn and get things in order for his mother and younger sister. He never expected the sarcastic American girl staying at the inn to make him question everything.

But even as Willa and Shane’s fiery natures draw them together, their pasts threaten to rip them apart. Can Shane give up racing to be with the woman he loves, or will Willa’s quest to resurrect the tough-talking, no-shit-taking girl she used to be destroy any hope of a future together?

First Impressions

I gotta say, if the first time I had learned to drive a stick shift car was whilst sitting on the lap of a hunky Irishman with six-pack abs and strong thighs, I…well…probably would have crashed the damn car! However, I still would’ve had a better time, and tried a few more times to get it right. In this novel, Willa gets a similar driving lesson from Shane, and although she doesn’t crash the car, Shane does proceed to hump her like a jackrabbit on the hood of his car. Sounds like a pretty stellar driving lesson to me!!

Happy Coincidence

When I first started reading this book, it didn’t take me long before I started to feel like the main character, Willa, seemed a bit familiar, not to mention a few of her references to past experiences and family. Lo and behold, although this novel is marketed as a stand-alone, it’s technically a spin-off of the Line of Duty series. Willa is actually the sister of the main character from the first book of that series, Ginger.

That being said, I think you can definitely survive without having read that first book, but I was just beyond delighted when I made the connection just about one chapter into it. Especially considering I read it three years ago! There’s a slight chance I may have squealed aloud in excitement when I figured it out. Ok, so I definitely squealed.

Rebound or Love for Life?

At the start of this novel it sort of seemed like Willa had found in Shane a rebound to help her move on from her ex while traveling in Ireland on a photography trip. A sexy fling they can both indulge in to forget about their worries. But this couple has a connection which goes beyond the physical. The see each other. The real “them” that they sometimes try to keep hidden from others. Willa’s photography plays a crucial role in capturing the hidden aspects of their personalities which eventually make them fall for each other. Willa is used to being the one behind the camera, but what will she discover when Shane’s the one taking the picture?

Series: Technically, no. But in reality yeah. Definitely recommend the Line of Duty series too!

Should you read it? This is a good one! The main dramatic component of the novel is the looming end date to their fling once Willa returns to the US. It’s also a read full of funny and sexy moments as well as a host of lovable characters. And, hello, Irish brogue!

Smut Level: Shane loves to act on his attraction for Willa whether it be in the storage room of his bar, on top of his car, or on top of a cliff. And again…Irish…BROGUE!

Get it on Amazon: Click Here. $3.99 Kindle Price. Entangled: Embrace. 262 Pages.

 

Dirty Deal by Christine Bell

You just know when a book starts with a dating auction where a muscled military man simply has a few twig and berries covering his twig and berries that you’re in for something good!

What’s it About?

Professional matchmaker Serena Elliott spends her workdays helping clients find love. It’s the perfect gig. She gets to see the good part of the relationships…before things inevitably turn to crap. She leads her own love life the same way. Get in, and get out before things get too complicated. One date with sexy army doctor, Bryan Metcalf, won’t be enough to make her change her mind, no matter how hot it gets…

Bryan has had his share of crazy women and isn’t in the market for another relationship that ends by way of restraining order. When Serena Elliott gets into a bidding war for him at a charity bachelor auction, he’s a little worried. Turns out she’s just as anti-relationship as he is, and could be the solution to all his problems. If he can convince her to be his fake girlfriend, he just might be able to spend the rest of his leave in peace. Now if only he can stop thinking about that night on the beach…

But there are other forces at work that believe these two belong together, and they just might find out that happily ever afters do exist.

First Impressions

Bryan agrees to endorse Serena’s dating agency, but only when she offers to be his fake girlfriend to get a crazy ex off his back. Their relationship may have started as a sham, but there’s nothing fake about the chemistry between these two. They do it on a beach under the boardwalk, on a kitchen counter, and eventually they get around to doing it in a bed. They’re dirty alright. Oh sooooo delightfully dirty.

Complications

We all know that when it comes to romance novels, if a relationship starts off as a farce it’s gonna turn into something more very quickly. This rule definitely applies in this novel as well. Bryan is leaving for military service in a few weeks, and although they both just want to have a casual fling, they start to develop a more intimate relationship as their sex locales move from outdoors to an actual bed. A word to the wise however: don’t admit your innermost feelings of love to someone in a karaoke song. Be an adult, not a sitcom character.

Series: Perfectly Matched, book 2.

Should you read it? A cute read with some delightful sex scenes throughout. A bit of a cheesy ending with a karaoke love confession, but overall not too bad.

Smut Level: Both characters have an adorable and teasing connection with each other, but also enough passion to fog up a few mirrors.

Get it on Amazon: Click Here. $2.99 Kindle Price. Entangled: Brazen. 159 Pages.

One Night of Trouble by Elle Kennedy

This is the third book in the After Hours series, and was probably my favorite one of the bunch. Totally wasn’t expecting that!

What’s it About? 

The moment AJ Walsh sees the sexy, tattooed pixie walk up to his bar, it’s lust at first sight. He’s always been labeled the “nice” guy―opening doors, buying flowers, and never, ever having one-night stands. But with this wicked little angel with red lips and unfathomably dark eyes? Oh, yeah. Tonight, “nice” has nothing to do with it…

Brett Conlon is trying to convince her family that she’s put away her reckless wild girl side for good. Nothing―and no one―could be better for her reputation than golden boy AJ Walsh. So they make a deal: if he plays The Good Boyfriend for her family, he can be a very, very bad boy with her. Now their one naughty night is about to turn into a whole lot of trouble…

First Impressions

So based on what we’ve seen from AJ in the previous books of the series, I figured we’d see a romance about a good ole’ boy falling for a rough-around-the-edges chica. Hell to the no! AJ is a bad boy underneath, but it’s a side he’s always hidden from his friends and family. When he meets Brett he just wants to let his inner bad boy go, and Brett definitely helps him with that endeavor. I’d help him too if I had my way.

A Fool’s Errand

Brett and AJ had just planned on one night together, which I feel is simply a fool’s errand when it comes to romance novel land. Silly rabbits, you can never end things after just one role in the barnyard. After their night of wild and steamy sex, Brett’s brother discovers them the next morning, and Brett implies that she is in a relationship with AJ in order to fix her family’s opinion of her as a reckless girl. I don’t blame her, I’d say whatever I needed to in order to get another go at the delicious AJ.

More to the Story

AJ has put on the show of being a good boy for far too long, even when it comes to his relationships with women. He likes his sex rough, as well as any occasion to practice his dirty talk. You know what they say, practice makes perfect, especially when it comes to dirty talk fluency. At first it seems like AJ is just blowing off some steam from keeping his inner bad boy under lock and key, but we discover that there is actually a tragic story surrounding the perfect image he’s given off for years.

It turns out AJ actually blames himself for his brother’s death, and has been living the life he feels his brother deserved, and that his parents expect. Towards the end of the book, Brett points out that by trying to be like his brother he is in fact trying to be a dead man. They have a touching heart-to-heart that is pretty emotional discussing how they really bring out the best in each other. And then she shows him her nipple rings.

Series: After Hours, book 3.

Should you read it? The whole series is unbelievably sexy, with a trio of gents that you can’t help but want for yourself.

Smut Level: I feel like I need a tall glass of lemonade to cool me down after reading this one. Actually…better make it a pitcher…and add some alcohol!

Get it on Amazon: Click Here. $3.99 Kindle Price. Entangled: Brazen. 234 Pages.

 

Locked, Loaded, & Lying by Sarah Andre

Cheese and monkeys this book is intense! A piece of advice: when you read this make sure you have no other plans for the day because you won’t want to put it down.

What’s it About? 

He might be innocent. Or he might be very, very guilty… Olympic skier Lock Roane was on top of the world: smashing world records, collecting medals, and basking in the love of a nation and his beautiful heiress girlfriend. It all comes crashing down after Lock discovers his girlfriend had an affair – then wakes from a drunken bender to find himself covered in her blood. Disgraced and dethroned, Lock awaits his murder trial with dread, not knowing if his girlfriend died at his own hands. Journalist Jordan Sinclair is out of options. To satisfy her blackmailer, she must get the inside scoop (and its cash reward) on Lock Roane. An attraction to the arrogant athlete was not part of the plan. Neither is trying to find out what really happened that night. Now Jordan risks everything – including her life – to help the man she’s falling for. A man who just might be a cold-blooded killer…

First Impressions

See what I mean? Intense! It’s like the Oscar Pistorius trial, but for the winter Olympics instead of summer. Unfortunately, every time I tried to read this book I kept getting interrupted, so I could only read a chapter or two at a time. My stupid social life kept getting in the way! I can’t even remember how many times I considered calling in sick to work so that I could stay home and finish reading this book in one go. Don’t worry, I still went to work, but this story would pop up in my mind multiple times a day. Not gonna lie, it kind of messed with my sanity.

Baggage and Poor Timing

Both Jordan and Lock have an immediate attraction to one another, but they also carry a heavy load of baggage from their respective pasts. Lock is only a week away from being tried for the murder of his girlfriend, which he can’t say with absolute certainty he didn’t commit. Jordan, on the other hand, is on the run from her abusive father, and is on a deadline to collect a reward for interviewing Lock so she can pay off her dad to leave her and her mother alone.

Needless to say, they both have baggage, and their budding attraction for one another couldn’t have come at a more inconvenient time. However! Something I absolutely loved about this book was that they both admitted how ridiculous it was that they were thinking about getting each other naked when they had much more pressing issues going on. Their admission to the poor timing almost made it seem more realistic, not to mention romantic because they simply couldn’t deny their inner feelings/horniness.

So Much Sexual Tension!

Humina yumina bumina. For the majority of the novel, Jordan and Lock are trapped together in a small cabin with a roaring fire, and a snow storm just outside. I can’t really think of a better setting for complete and total seduction! Of course, you can’t help but feel sorry for Lock’s poor brother Leo, who is also stuck in the cabin with them, and is the official third wheel of the novel. The sexual tension between Jordan and Lock continues to intensify as the story goes on, as they are constantly interrupted whenever they try to do the dirty. I usually don’t like when a romance novel prolongs the arrival of the sex scene, but in this case it just worked by adding to the overall intensity of the book. Rest assured though, once we do finally get around to the good stuff, it is described in slow and delicious detail. Not at all disappointing, and well worth the wait!

The Big Reveal

Don’t worry, I won’t spoil anything! I will tell you I thought I had the whole mystery figured out right away in the first chapter. But as the story moved on I think I questioned who dunnit about 50 times, and probably suspected just about every main character at some point for committing the murder. I will say though I thought the big reveal was a tad disappointing. Don’t get me wrong, it was extremely interesting, and an emotional scenario, but it was also kind of unrealistic. It was one of those, “Oh, let me tell you everything about the murder in exact detail so the cops can stop for a doughnut and still get here on time”, kind of situations.

*A copy of this book was provided for an honest review*

Series: Not that I know of, but I crave a sequel featuring Lock’s brother Leo more than I crave Hershey’s chocolate. And that’s saying something. He was one of the more captivating characters of the entire novel.

Should you read it? Oh yeah. It’s the perfect blend of suspense and romance. The characters just draw you in until you can’t look away, and you really feel like you’re part of the team in trying to prove Lock’s innocence.

Smut Level: There is only one sex scene, and you have to wait for it, but you’ll love it. Trust me.

Get it on Amazon: Click Here. $3.99 Kindle Price. Entangled: Select Suspense. 331 Pages.